Easter Festivities

With vacation right around the corner (as in, we are leaving after church services are done on Sunday), we had our Easter festivities today.  We started with dying Easter eggs.  Timothy was very interested in the whole dying process until he couldn't take the eggs out of the dye right away and had a major meltdown...patience my child does not have.  So, while Timothy found himself in his crib (we were hoping for a nap that didn't happen), Jared and I finished the eggs and got ourselves ready for the next adventure...

telling daddy how to mix the dyes.  :)

testing out the eggs...and cracking through the shell with the new teeth.  

Baby animal day at the 4-H building!  What a nice event!  We got to see a miniature horse, calves, lambs, kids, geese, piglets, chickens, bunnies, chicks, and duckies, all available to pet with the help of older kids in the 4-H program.  There was also butter churning, horse wagon rides, and a kid-sized train running outside.  I think next year will be much more interesting for Timothy; he was too afraid to actually touch any of the animals, but he did baaa at the lambs and moo at the calves.  :)  Next year, when Timothy is walking and aware of what is going on a little more, we will plan on the town egg scramble too.

Tomorrow, he'll get his Easter basket and we will all head to church for early service, breakfast, and then finish packing at home (while Jared does the 2nd service) for our journey to Michigan!

getting ready for the car ride

I am starting to stress about the car ride to Michigan.  Almost 2 whole days with a child stuck in his car seat.  For the record, my parents took one and a half days, but with a 16-month-old and a 28-week-pregnant momma, I am anticipating many more stops.  Sounds like a nice, relaxing trip for my hubby, don't you think?  :)

We are stocking my husband's ipod with childrens' music (yay for being a elementary music teacher!), purchasing a personal dvd player for the meltdown times, and packing lots of fine motor toys and activities.  That goes for me too...I'll probably end up doing only half of the projects I am packing for myself.  Anyway, I made this I-Spy bag for Timothy tonight:

Lots of different little things to find in a storm of rice.  I have seen a lot of these online lately, but just this morning I found this post and she answered a lot of my questions.  The tissue paper trick was a lifesaver!  My sister-in-law is also hosting a toddler busy bag swap and this is going to be part of my contribution.  I made this one up quick to test it out on our trip.  We'll see how it survives being thrown in the van.  :)

No gardening today...my little sweet pea didn't take an afternoon nap (after last week taking several 3 hour naps, I don't understand), but hopefully tomorrow I will get the rest of my cool weather crops in the ground.  I am also hoping to pull together a few more activities for Timothy.  Any suggestions would be appreciated!

first (veggie) gardening post, 2012

I am so excited to get our garden started for the year! The weather has been unusually warm, making me want to rush out in the dirt and put things in the ground. I have been patient (sitting on my hands) and waiting until I heard about the seasoned gardeners in the area putting things in. They have started (radishes are up in the neighborhood) and so have I!

First, the plan. My mother-in-law and I ordered seeds together (because who is going to plant all 100 pea seeds in the packet??) over superbowl weekend. Then they sat here for awhile. I flipped through them occasionally. :) Today, I took Timothy to see the chicks at the farm and fleet store in town (so cute...he was VERY interested and meowed at them) and I picked up my onions, garlic, rhubarb, and 2 varieties of asparagus. Score!

I have my plan ready...

And I made my row markers (an idea I saw on pinterest).

corks and skewers = row markers

This afternoon, during Timothy's nap, I planted my 2 varieties of asparagus (martha washingtons and jersey hybrids) and 3 rhubarb crowns. :) Either later today or tomorrow (because I am taking it easy, I promise) the onions, garlic, radishes, and peas will go in. If, and more likely when, we get a frost, these should be fine. When we get back from Michigan in a couple of weeks I will get all of our other seeds going inside so they will be ready to go in the ground at the end of May.

Keeping my fingers crossed that we don't lose half of our garden to a virus like last year...

The easter bunny came early

and apparently dresses like a lumberjack.

He also likes to eat his own products.

And has a thing for shoes. :)