Spring Firsts!

A week of spring firsts: crocus, roosting turkey vultures, and peepers!  Ayson came home with a stomach bug on Wednesday but was back to his normal chatty self by Friday.  Mommy then went down with the bug around lunch time on Saturday (luckily she got many of her chores done that morning!!) and is just starting to feel normal again.  Hopefully Addie and Ayson are not next!  We hope all of our family and friends are healthy and staying warm!!


We played lots of games this week!  Honey Bee Tree,  ABC Counting with Super Why, Candy Land, and Head Bands!


Addie was very particular on how she wanted her hair fixed!


A crocus in the front yard!


After checking out the crocus, Mommy walked around the west side of the house (to check out the Lilly of the Valley) and she flushed turkey vultures that were roosting in the spruce trees.  There were at least 20 vultures that flew out of our trees and landed in our neighbors trees.  You can just make out the black clumps of vultures in the trees!  Too cool!!!


Headbands!  We all had a ton of fun with this game :)








On Friday, we went for a walk in the orchard and tried to get closer to the Spring Peepers that we heard for the first time this spring!!

An Ayson bird in the tree!


Finding cool rocks


Running and splashing in puddles


Addie smiling at Daddy



We definitely heard peepers but not close up as the kiddos would not keep still or quiet!!


Our little mermaid (with a floating head)!


Now she is a duck!

April (snow) Showers

Hello April!  Bring the sun and leave the snow somewhere else!  All is well with A^4 and we hope all of our friends and family had a good week too!

Our Monday snow situation: the LAST pile!!


Our snaggletooth gnawing on her chocolate bunny.


Ayson working on his comic strip


while Addie draws
























Ugh, or snow situation on Thursday.  Resulted in a 2 hour delay for the kiddos (and Mommy)




Mommy's drive to work:  She was behind a snow plow and there was a big truck behind Mommy.  We came upon a tractor trailer stuck on the hill.  The snow plow did some fancy plowing behind and to the side of the tractor trailer (the plow is perpendicular to the road in this picture) and then the plow went back down the hill.  After traffic going down the hill passed (there was an accident on the interstate not even half a mile away so folks were taking the "back way" north) Mommy was able to squeeze by and continue her drive to work.


Addie presenting her foot to be tickled by the Tickle Monster!


Daddy barely even touched their feet-it's all about the anticipation :)




The kiddos pleaded for an Easter egg hunt so we did 2 hunts in the house and one outside on Saturday.




One of the last treats to be found :)


It started to snow...




But the kids still had fun :)


Sorting through their loot!


Ayson worked on his Robot Hand birthday gift from his friend Parker.  Too cool!!!




A quick hike at Tinker Falls for a bit of fresh air.




Addie kept pulling Daddy's glove off - such a  great smile on Addie!


Check out the stalagmite ice at the waterfall!




Pretty ice formations


Can you see the VW bus incorporated into the 2nd floor of the house?!?!?! (one valley to the east of us:)


On our Sunday walk, we found a bunch of skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) growing.  Of course Ayson tromped right through a patch and Addie commented "Stinky!!"


Auntie Holly, we think we found a new geocaching location:)




Addie used her pedicure spa and Ayson offered to give Daddy a foot bath too!


Addie's pretty nails!


Ayson's spelling words in a picture


Ayson's class has been working on persuasive letters :)




The parents were asked to respond:




What is at the end of YOUR rainbow?