Catching Up

Well, once again several weeks have passed without a blog post.


Of course, it's not unusual for me to take several weeks to update the blog, however, usually I come back with a plethora of photos to make up for it.  This time is different.  I've still been shooting everyday, thanks to my 365 project, but I've also been quite distracted by a friend's final struggle with cancer.  I will write a post about her next, but today is time for catch up.

I traveled to Columbus for a music therapy conference.  Here's me face timing with the kids.  (That's the Native American flute I bought at the conference).


I was only gone a few days and I'm sure Mark rocked the Mr. Mom role, but I do believe I was missed.





Charlie welcomed his classroom pet, Sugar the Sheep, into our home for the second time this school year.


The kids were thrilled to finally be able to play outside again.




Morgan went down our ridiculously fast slide once before remembering how scary it can be.  After that, Taylor could not coax her back down.


So she did what every good big sister would do and rode down with her.


Then Morgan wanted to repay the favor by catching Taylor on the slide.


 Even Daddy joined us in kicking the soccer ball around the yard.


One day when Daddy was out of town, I braved Steak N Shake with all the kids.


Taylor and Charlie are still hot and cold.  For as much as Charlie knows how to annoy his big sister, she would be lost without him.  (In case you are wondering, the sheet around her head is her Rapunzel hair.)




Grandmama helped the kids plant strawberry plants.  Taylor is taking her duties of checking the soil, watering and rotating the plants very seriously.


During another evening outside, the kids decided to have a contest to see who could get their hands the dirtiest using chalk.


It's hard to tell because the chalk matches their skin, but Taylor won.





These days I usually do my grocery shopping with just one little one in tow.


Another sign of spring that Taylor appreciates are our neighbors' dandelions.  She likes to pick them on her way home from the bus stop.


Over spring break, her teacher held a contest to see who could read them most during their ten days off.  Taylor won first place with her incredible 16 hours of logged reading time!  Mark and I were so proud of her.


Last weekend, we visited the Snider family.  My friend, Michelle, is an accountant so she if finally able to socialize again.  The girls loved having a tea party with her daughter, Lucy.


Morgan even got to hold Lucy's baby sister.  This was definitely a high point of the visit for her.


And one cute little expression from last night.



Well, there you have it.  As I mentioned, in between these shots an entirely different story has been unfolding.  I'd like to write about that soon, but for now, I will just leave you with a shot of my dear friend, Melanie, whose family could use your prayers.

Easter

It is Spring Break in the Williams house.  I'm taking the opportunity to update the blog with our Easter photos.  But first, here's one of Morgan that somehow got overlooked by me.  Isn't she precious?



We got ready for Easter by coloring eggs.


This year I decided to make things interesting and let Morgan help.


She was thrilled.


At first she did great using our egg holders.



We also tried the No Spill kit that Grandma gave us. (Which do not hold up to their name, by the way.)




Charlie did pretty well this year, but he still abandoned us before we were finished.


Then Morgan abandoned her egg holders.


Here was the result.  She was a little upset when her hands didn't get clean after washing them.  The next morning they still looked a lot like this with the exception of her thumb which was perfectly clean.




Charlie had an Easter party at school.  It was too cold and muddy for an outdoor egg hunt, but we had a fun hunt in the indoor playground.






We also made some Easter treats in preparation for Easter.  Taylor requested that I let them do the whole thing independently.  They did a great job.


Charlie was in charge of placing the jelly beans in the nests.  You can see the wii remote that he brought down.  You can bet he ran upstairs to play more as soon as he was given the green light.  He tries, but baking and crafts are just not his thing.


I just wanted to capture a few photos of Morgan with her favorite snack, Fruit Snacks.  The girl is crazy about them.


She asks for them daily.


She even invented an invisible friend called "Fruit Snack Guy".


This is somewhat of a rare sight.  All three kids sitting in close proximity with no one screaming.


This sight is not so rare.


I had a nice chat with Taylor the other day interrupted briefly by a few photos that I couldn't resist.


Finally it was the night before Easter.  I always read this book with the kids before Easter.  I love it.  It recounts the entire story in such beautiful and simplistic terms.  I highly recommend it.  This year Taylor read it to us.


We tried something new this year and set out our empty Easter baskets for the easter bunny to fill and hide.  I told the kids that he'd know which basket belonged to the oldest child by the order they were placed on the stairs.  It worked like a charm.


The kids found Morgan's basket first and brought it down to her.


Before long, everyone had their Easter baskets and were checking out their loot.


The family indulged me in a family photo before church (and after church since I wasn't thrilled with the first take).


We then went to Aunt Jessica's house for another egg hunt and a yummy Easter meal.






Charlie really did not want to stop for this photo.






Grandma brought some Easter goodies for everyone.






As I mentioned, this week we've been on Spring Break.  It's been pretty low key so far.






Charlie has been playing with his new Angry Birds sets.


And reading his new books.  Yes, that's my five-year-old reading a level three book.


And here's my seven year old breezing through her chapter books.


The one thing Taylor had requested to do this spring break was paint on the easel.  Today she finally got her wish.