CRAZY! (Legs and an 18-Month-Old in Our House)

In a pleasant surprise, the weather decided to be sunny and mild for Crazylegs this year, a vast improvement from the icy rain, wind, and overall miserable wintery "spring" weather of so many past years. This year, the whole family walked (or cruised in the stroller) with Daddy's work group. After the race, we enjoyed a sunny picnic lunch on the rooftop patio. All in all, a great Saturday spent downtown. Oh, and we noticed that we are in the Sunday paper Crazylegs section as the token picture of the walkers crossing the finish line. The kids thought it was pretty cool to see themselves and Mommy and Daddy in the paper!

At the starting line - ready to roll!

Crossing the finish line in Camp Randall stadium

A quick pose on the field

Playing by the Bucky Wagon

Rooftop picnic...someone (Mommy) let Evelyn have a delicious, gooey chocolate chip cookie - yum!

Pink lady having a snack after the race

As the title of this post suggests, the other crazy item in our house this week is that we officially have an 18-month-old in the family. Yes, I will say again, where did this time go, and how can my baby be a toddler already?! The kids and I managed to sneak some fun into our usual Tuesday activities and errands today, with playing in a toy store and going out to eat on a lunch date. Daddy joined the celebration as we all had "half" of a cupcake for Miss Evelyn's "half" birthday.

Getting in a few morning bounces while Eli is in preschool

Eli and his friend working together to "build" a house

Lunchtime! A little pre-lunch drum solo

Everyone loved the chopsticks

If you drop one chopstick on the floor, and then get another set, you can make a letter "I"

Lots of love for Mickey (poor Mickey...I think it was an overenthusiastic kiss?)

The unofficial, official 18-month picture

Our sweet, happy lady

Showing some love for big brother

Sweet, squished-in faces

(This photo makes me wonder if this is what it would look like if we had 3 kids...I only hope that the youngest would not be falling off the chair, getting their ear pulled and neck squeezed as "Baby" is in this picture!)

Done with photos. Baby in hand and off to play in Eli's room.

Half a cupcake is a whole lot of yummy treat!

Easter Weekend

Celebrating the joy of Easter is even better when it includes warm weather and sharing the weekend with cousins, grandparents, great-grandparents, and aunts and uncles! Eli and Evelyn enjoyed playing outside with their cousins, hunting eggs and playing in the yard. It is always such a treat when we are all able to get together!

Uncle Al has it all under control

The 2-second wearing of the lamb ears

The big boys...hiding, not hunting

Hiding, not hunting

Uncle P stashing eggs in (toddler-level) tricky hiding places

Pre-hunt group shot

Gotta be quick to find those eggs!

Handsome, sweet boy with his basket of eggs

Found one!

The girls searching

Bag on arm, ready to find some eggs

Showing the finds to Daddy

Huh...there is chocolate in these eggs!

Great day for a ride

Cruising...with a little help from Daddy

Love these two ladies!

Mimi trying to keep up with the bike speedster

Adding a little decoration to the driveway

Nice shades, baby!

Polka Dot Princess

All dressed up

Giving the Easter basket treats a good shake

After everyone goes home, still more cooking to be done

Music, Balloons, and Adios to Snow!

Tonight I'm posting some random fun for a rainy night. First up, a few pictures from a recent post-dinner jam session. Both kids have become more interested in music, whether it is turning any household item into an instrument, or trying out real instruments, or even just dancing around the house to "Happy".

A duet

Very focused on his music

One of the groupies relaxing to the beautiful music

One of the amazing experiences of living in a house with two small children is the opportunity to see the simple things in life through child-eyed wonder. Our most recent reminder of this occurred when we brought home a few helium balloons from a friend's birthday party. Oh, the smiles, the laughs, the joy, the never-ending cycle of balloon launches in the two-story entryway and balloon retrieval with a long broomstick. Many thanks to our friends for the hours (days!?) of free entertainment. Oh, and the cats really had fun with them, too...no pictures of that, though.

Balloons!

Waaaaaay up high

Pajama Balloon party

When I was in elementary school, we had a snow day in the middle of May (on my brother's birthday, nonetheless. Quite the present for a school-age child!) Even though it is now April, and we are officially in Spring, I never can quite breathe that sigh of relief, knowing that the warm weather is here to stay, until we pass my brother's birthday. Perhaps if we include one more post with snow pictures here, any real snow will stay away until next winter. These pictures are from our last snow-time adventures before the big thaw.

Shovels and sled - all you need to be ready for winter fun

Despite the look of mild concern on Evelyn's face, she really did enjoy sledding

Wheeeeeeee!

Back inside for an indoor lunch picnic