EASTER SUNDAY

EASTER AT GRANDMA JOY'S HOUSE

 

 

 

EASTER EGGS 2013

We dyed eggs the usual way first....

But then tried a new kit that made them "marbled" looking.  We just put an egg in a bag, squeezed in some special gel dye, coated the egg, and slipped it out of the bag. Super easy, and NO mess!  :)

 Pretty marbled eggs!

 I also tried a new way to "hard boil" the eggs, thanks to Pinterest (and my mom).  Lay the eggs sideways on a mini muffin tin.  Then, put in a preheated 325 degree oven for 35 minutes.  After taking them out of the oven, immediately put them in ice cold water. When I took them out of the oven, they were brown speckled looking, but the ice water "washed" of the speckles. :)  The eggs came out looking so smooth and nice with no cracks.  It will be interesting to see if they peel okay..... 

And our homemade contraption to hold the eggs while they dried. 

FINALLY OUTSIDE!

The first week of spring came with cold temps and SNOW!  But yesterday and today were warm enough to finally go outside and play!  The girls were in heaven!!!!  

 She calls this her "bike."

 So happy to be outside! 

Are you coming? 

Taking it "off road."  :)

Sometimes it is just easier to pick it up and carry it!

Watch out! Here comes Kelsey!

 Morgan loves her scooter.

Strolling...

 Sporting an attitude. :)

 Yup.  Warm enough to play outside.... with snow on the ground.

 Practicing her swing.

Going for a wagon ride with Daddy.... in the Mega Blocks wagon!

IN HER OWN TIME....

I know both my girls are totally different people and I've tried hard not to compare Kelsey to Morgan in her developments and skills.  But I have to admit that I was a tad disappointed to realize that Kelsey was NOT interested in "school time" and learning her letters and numbers and shapes and colors like Morgan was at her age.  :)  (Though she has always been way ahead of where Morgan was in motor skills.)  Morgan could hear or see something once and just "know" it.... Kelsey could care less.  Or so I thought. Today though she proved to me that she was just taking it all in until she decided on her own time that she wanted to do it.

While putting an ABC puzzle together with her today, I asked her what the letters were like I always do, and suddenly she began telling me!!!!!  Just out of the blue!  What????  And while coloring together today, I was using a blue crayon and she pointed to it and said, "Wan boo!"  (Want blue!)  And then.... when I change her diaper I usually sing to her (ABC's, Jesus Loves Me, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, etc.)  I always pause at certain words to see if she'll fill in for me and she never does...until today!  She knew EVERY word I paused on.....

The girl just has to do things in her own way and in her own time I guess.....  :)

THIS MAKES ME SMILE

As a former first grade teacher, this makes me smile!  Morgan LOVES to write.  I mean LOVES it!  (And with no real coaching or prompting from me at all.) So, today while at Target I grabbed this lined dry erase board from the dollar bin for her, and she could hardly wait to get home and write!  She does tend to have some letter reversals and since she's never written on lines before, I sat down with her and explained to her what the lines meant and how the letters need to stay in the lines.  We practiced each letter a couple times and then she wanted to write words.  And off she went!  That was all the "teaching" she needed.  Here is what she did after one "lesson." :)

(Not sure why this one is sideways...grrr.)

I wrote the first number in each line and she did the rest. I purposely did numbers I know she often reverses. So, I verbally coached her on some of them if she started to make them the wrong way. But I was amazed how easily she was able to use and stay within the lines. Oh, and she insisted on the last line to do the number 100!  :)

MY GOOFY GIRLS

 I guess Kelsey wanted to eat her snack in peace. :)

Oh my. What a silly girl!

MOTOR MITES

Kelsey and I enjoyed a playdate with some friends the other day at Motor Mites.... an open gym playtime for toddlers.  She loved it!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA JOY

My mom is a HUGE basketball fan, and since today was her birthday AND the first full day of the March Madness games, it was only fitting to throw her a basketball birthday party while we watched basketball with her..... her birthday activity of choice. :)