Phase 1 - ✔️

The rapidly approaching deadline for submissions got me motivated to work on my hippos again. 

Borders are on and it’s pinned and ready to quilt … tomorrow? Sometime soon. 

Couldn’t resist adding bits from Tula Pink’s new Everglow collection. The whole thing is so silly but it makes me happy - and hubby likes it too. Bonus!

Chalk Fest

First driveway chalk fest of the year! Spring is really here, at last. 

I had to practically chase these two out of the house - 

“It’s too cold” … “it’s too bright”… -

but once they were out they loved it. 

So pleasant to sit in the sun and watch them play and draw together. 

Jac worked on making flowers, 

clouds - rain, snow and hail -

and snow people,

while Donovan went with his strengths -

Spiderman, Hulk

and (part of) his name. I think he ran out of chalk and interest about the same time. 😂

Portrait with Jackie (my best side).

Cookies

Donovan: how many cookies can I have?

Me: 2! 

His dad: 1.

Me, holding out bag of cookies: are you going to pick a big one?

Donovan: no, I’m going to take a small one because then daddy will let me have another one and I’ll pick the biggest one then!

He’s such a smart cookie! 😂😂 

Hippo Love

I asked these two for help getting a pic of my partial finished hippos.

Sometimes magic happens when you least expect it. Look at their expressions! I hope they stay this close as they grow up.  

Jac was talking about her school BFF’s, so I asked if Donovan was her BFF too. “Grandma, he’s my cousin. That’s always better.”

Double Play Time

Jac’s school play was this morning and she nailed it.

She was one of the giant’s servants in “Jack and the Beanstalk” and we’ve been practice singing her part for a couple of weeks. 

 Cutest servant ever

I’m gonna miss that little ear worm (and her favorite part) … “I work for a giant, who eats up kids like you.” 😂

Also, who knew Riverdance would still be around after 25 years?

Pop took Marie and Leo to see it at the Dolby

while Jac and I had a pizza, grapes and bubble bath extravaganza. Party on!

Medals

Want to see some HAPPY kids?

Jac took first place,

and Donovan third,

for best reflexes and paying attention in class today. 

Look at those smiles! 

(The medals were left over from a 2022 competition. Clearing them out made everybody happy. 😍)

String Art

(note: Blogger ate these photos too, so replacing them with 4-packs and hoping they stay put. ☹️☹️)  

I thought this string art project would be a big hitbut once again, I underestimated Jac’s aversion to having her hands dirty. 

She spent more time trying to wipe the paint off than she did making pictures. And they were such cool pics!

Oh well. At least she enjoyed playing in the sink with bubbles while the paint soaked off her hands. 

Leo wasn’t impressed either… Next time I’ll just skip straight to the bubbles and save myself the clean up.…

Then There Were 3

Getting there …

Still a ways to go before it’s finished. #hippos

Big 5

Look who’s 5! (Blogger deleted my photos so I’m putting them back in 4-packs and hoping they stay this time. ☹️)

He’s not actual 5 until tomorrow - as he told me when I congratulated him at todays party - but he was ok with celebrating - and getting presents - a day early.

The kids had tons of fun with a bounce house, balloon swords, super hero costumes and a piñata.

Perfect day to celebrate a super cool kid.

Happy almost birthday, Donovan!

Organizing

Still working away on hubby’s family tree, organizing all the paper - print and digital- I’ve accumulated so far.

With 120+ people in the tree - not including siblings and others listed in things like the census - there’s a lot to keep track of. Good news is, I’ve got most of the names and BMD dates (birth, marriage, death) penciled in for all 4 branches, going back 4 to 7 generations. Whoop!

Now I’m looking for confirming documents - birth registrations, obituaries, news articles, passport applications - and fun tidbits to make things more interesting. Two of this week’s favorite finds - stumbled onto a link to George Edward’s obituary … with the misspelled last name. No wonder I couldn’t find it before. Also love the physical descriptions in the passport application - the usual height, weight, eye and hair color, plus ‘Forehead: “high” and Nose: “sharp”.’ Definitely including that in the final product.

Easter

Egg hunt - the hiders:

The hunters -

Keeping well out of the way…

Babygrands -
She still fits at 14. Yay!

I seeeeeeee youuuuuu



Donovan asked for a pic with his new Spiderman 

Grumpy Jackie 

Family - 

Gary and Cheyenne

Leia, Mary, Donovan and Matt

Marie, Leo and Scott. Jackie refused to have her picture taken. 🙄

Happy Easter!

Tar Pits

We made it to La Brea!

I can’t remember how long it’s been since we’ve been here. I’m sure (I think…) we took Leia when she was little, but Leanne says she’s never been before. That’s kinda sad ‘cause it’s so

Almost everything in the main building is kid-friendly and touchable, which Jac took full advantage of (Leanne was a tiny bit more restrained.)

Outdoors in Hancock Park are the actual tar pits (asphalt pits, if we’re technically correct…) Most are fenced off but Pit 91 is still being excavated (although not while we were there.)

There were also sloths to befriend and huge trees to climb.  Such a fun day, even with Jac’s “I WANT A DIRE WOLF NOW” tantrum. Sorry, kiddo. Dire wolves don’t fit in the SUV.