A little of everything, including my kitchen sink...

 In a flurry of spring cleaning I recently scrubbed down the sink area in my kitchen from ceiling to floor. The shiny happiness is so much better...and actually being able to see through those big beautiful windows is lovely. I have re-purposed a darling sugar and cream set so that I can see them every single day, and I like using beautiful things for my everyday needs...it helps us remember that everyday is special. Above this picture (but not in it due to the sun) I hung a small crucifix and a small icon of one of my patron Saints (particularly for this year), St. Michael. Our dishwasher has been out of commission for a while now, and even with a reduced number of dishes I spend allot of time here...it's nice to have the reminder to offer it up!  

The other day was GORGEOUS...think 65, breezy, sunny...and after that stomach bug we needed some fresh air! However due to certain attitudes (this always comes up after a big illness, like they forget the rules while they are sick? Or just want to check that they are still there? Please tell me this happens at your house too!) I knew I couldn't chase after the big two while carrying around that giant love of a baby... enter the car picnic. A basket full of nummy lunch stuffs, water bottles and our new read aloud and we were ready! The town park was the perfect spot, we parked by a tree full of birds, rolled the windows down and spent the next hour+ munching, reading, and watching a man practice his uni-cycling skills. My children have both requested we get one...I told them maybe we should start with tricycles...(I know, boring). We are loving the read aloud time each day...I haven't gotten the hang of being super consistent with it yet but we will get there. Right now we are reading Redwall, which is certainly a bit above their usual attention level but so far so good. I am very slightly editing on the fly some of the more thrilling adjectives regarding the bad guy...I think they get the idea just fine and I wont have to answer so many questions about blood, guts, and such. I love that the story has such clear heroes and villains but, I mean, they are still 5 and 3. :) We will now skip ahead over the part where I left the headlights on the entire time and had to call my brother to come jump start my car...*ahem* Yes, we shall skip over that and I will distract you with delicious baby pictures. Nomi hasn't quite gotten over his baby aversion to the way grass feels (neither have I...) so in order to get him to pull his legs out of his neck, we put him on a blanket...and there he (for now) stays.

 Grass may not be this guy's favorite...but outside in general is totally The Best!

Oh, and because I couldn't resist, here is a picture of the ISS (International Space Station for those of you with me in the "not in the know" category)...the brightest speck there...rather SE of center? It was SO cool to get to see it and has prompted requests for LOTS of library books about astronauts and what they eat.