Elena and I built some block creations. I got enthusiastic about my tree, my grassy hill, my flower, and my picnic bench. She was only mildly interested. Although, her "friends" came and had a picnic with me. :)

Grandpa was here today and got to play with the "babies". Here he is shushing them for their "nap time".

Look who is hiding behind the irises! Tanner and Elena helped me choose which stems to cut and bring into the house today. Afterwards, we sat at the table and drew pictures of flowers, looking at the irises more closely than I ever have before!...And enjoying their amazing "purple grape" scent!




Check out the petal arrangements!


Check out the "fuzzies" (isn't that terrible! Here I am taking a gardening class and I don't even know the parts of a flower!)

A friend is participating in a "No Child Left Inside" campaign--the goal: get kids outside to experience nature. We're not following the program, per se, but it is a helpful reminder to take the kids out and look at plants and flowers (and spider webs, etc.).

We've fought earaches this week. Elena got hers first, and Tanner followed within a few days. In between, we had fun with playdoh.

Elena made stuff. I don't remember all of it. I'm pretty sure the bit in front of her got turned into a few elephants and rabbits, before they got smushed together and created into the next generation of stuff.



Tanner is playing with his garden here.

I know there are cabbages, I think there were some carrots, and a pumpkin. It was a cool garden.

He also had fun playing with snakes. He added dialog at some point and I caught some of it on film:

It's bike season!

We are getting used to the bike/trailer system--Tanner & Elena really seem to like it!

Next photo that I need to take: Alia on her new 20" bike!

Nope, not a Mother's Day project... Just a cool hat, made and modeled by Alia!

:)

Elena made a new friend yesterday--"wormie baby". Wormie baby lived in her hands for at least 10 minutes before being transfered to various "cribs". Eventually, wormie was no more (poor thing!).

Later on two new wormies were found, played with, and (whew!) returned to their dirt-bath homes.

Alia performed "Shadow Dance" and "Mickey Mouse Club" for her recital pieces. Her teacher commented that they had been working on dynamics for a while, and at the recital Alia finally "got it". Well done, beautiful!