Some Easter Cuteness

Penelope leaving a carrot out for the bunny.

The Bunny brought Pen a goat, which she named Rosie, and Vi got a pink bunny, which she calls Num Num, hmmm.

Hunting for eggs



<>

She found them all!



The girls with their new Easter toys.

She'll reluctantly stand still for a picture.

But she'd much rather...

Twirl!

And twirl

And twirl

And twirl!

Pen, Grandma, Violet, and Steve

Bunny Babies

Bunny Steve

Pen bursting in the door with flowers she picked for me.

Charles relaxing on the couch.

Violet enjoying the bucket Grandma brought her.

Penelope's cupcakes!

We had a very nice Easter. Both of my brothers spent the day with us, and Steve's mom came over for a while. There was an egg hunt, and brunch - which was happily eaten outside! We finally got some really warm weather. We visited and enjoyed each other, and enjoyed some chocolate bunnies too. Somehow I never got a picture of my brother Tom, which is a shame because he was wearing the bows Pen found in her eggs all day.

Penelope was so excited for the bunny to come. She has never liked the idea of Santa coming into the house while she is asleep, and I can understand. I mean really, who would be comfortable with a man you have never met coming in the house while you are asleep? But she had no such problem with that old Easter bunny. She was SO excited to see her basket and know the bunny came. It was so cute. And Violet screams wildly when she sees her new, pink bunny. She always says "num num" when we give it to her. Which is a little odd because that is what she calls food, and I know she doesn't think the bunny is food, but Steve has taken to calling it "Bunny Num Num" and I guess that is it's name.

Penelope had several wardrobe changes through the day, just because. Violet wore her sweet smocked dress so I could take some pictures, but she found it too impractical for a new crawler to function in, so she spent most of the day bumming in a cow print cloth diaper and her Born at Home t-shirt, which is as cute as anything. I can't wait for it to be only a diaper weather every day.

Earth Day

The birthday girl

Violet in the violets

We spent earth day at Bithewold. There was a big celebration for a giant sequoia, it was her100th birthday. The girls enjoyed the children's concert, we had a picnic lunch, and enjoyed all the buds and blossoms popping out everywhere we looked.

I am loving right now, every day something new and spectacular is opening and bursting forth. I know if we don't go for a walk each day we will miss something. And all the animals are so busy, bustling about making nests to fill with babies, gathering food for babies, they are so cute in their serious work. And the birds have never sounded more wonderful, after such a long and cold winter.

With all of the terrible things that have been happening to this beautiful planet and it's animals and people this year, I am ever more grateful for each and every blossom, each new green shoot, each returning bird's song. And I am so thankful that our little corner of the world is still pretty good, and is having another glorious spring.

A Trip to Mount Hope Farm

looking for swans

What ever this is, it is so gorgeous! Maybe self heal?

She was so delighted to be able to sit in a big sprawl of purple flowers.

Funny baby.

Carefully inspecting each and every petal, twig, and leaf.

My blossoms in the blossoms.

A moment of peace.

She found a friend.

She was named Flower.

We hope to meet her again, when she becomes a butterfly.

We made our first trek up to Mount Hope Farm this week. We were hoping to find the swans who usually have their babies there, but we couldn't find them. There were a pair of mallards, and we will go back and check to see if they produce any ducklings soon. We were amazed with the flowers we found, and Pen found a friend. A tiny caterpillar that she named Flower. Pen marveled at the tiny creature, observing with delight how it walked, inching it's way up her arm. She was astounded at how just exactly it's skin looked like the bark on the trees where it lived, and thought it was the most incredible thing she'd ever heard of, that it could keep itself safe from hungry birds just by keeping still on a tree. And it IS the most incredible thing, Nature is so wise and wonderful. There was a bit of sadness at leaving Flower behind. But she understood that the little thing wouldn't be happy if we took it away from it's home. We will be wondering if it's her if we see a butterfly there next time. When I commented on how cute the caterpillar was Pen said "actually Mom, she's beautiful".Yes, she and the rest of spring that comes along with her are all a beautiful, glorious miracle. No matter how many times you see it. Unbelievably beautiful.

A Party For Pig

When she asked if she could lick the bowl I had no idea she meant she was going to LICK THE BOWL!

Making a card for Pig.

Baby helping.

Pen reading the card to pig.

Pig reading the card herself.

Pig's cake!

Pen's face in this picture makes me happy we did this.

Pig waiting for me to light her candles.

The guests, from the left: Baby Foo Foo, Arlo, Kitty, Ella, Baby Rose, Ama, Baby Bella, Matilda (who came in her nightgown), Pig, and Penelope.

This was actually about the best cake I ever made.

These two are old friends. Santa brought Baby Foo Foo for Christmas and the Easter Bunny brought Pig for Easter a few months later.

Pig looks like she enjoyed her party.

And so does someone else!

I don't know why, but when Penelope told me it was Pig's birthday a few days ago I decided to really celebrate it. Pig has birthdays at least once a month, but I usually just say a quick happy birthday! and carry on with my day. She has been so many ages, she has been 10, she has been 6 several times, she was 16 once, but only for a minute. This time she was turning 2. This is actually pretty right on, as Pig was discovered in Pen's Easter basket when she was a year, which would make Pig 2 about now.

Pen was so happy to do all of this. We baked a cake together (and colored the frosting purple, because Pig loves that color), we dressed dolls and animals up in their best dresses, we made a card, and we set up a birthday party picnic on the living room floor (just like Angelina Ballerina's birthday). We even  made a quick trip outside for some of the violet's that were growing in our yard to decorate the cake with. We waited until baby was sleeping for the party, and it was so much fun. Pig was really surprised, she couldn't believe how many friends showed up and she loved her cake.

I am so glad we had this day, we have been having some tough days lately. I think Pen is missing her Daddy now that he has gone back to work after being around all the time for a few months, and there has been a lot of behavior that makes life hard for both Pen and myself. Spending most of the day on exactly what she wanted to do (and what she never thought I'd really do!), taking our time and really enjoying ourselves changed her into such a happy little girl. And Pig deserves a birthday, she is really such a part of our family. Her animator does such a great job. Pig has a personality all her own. Life wouldn't be nearly as amusing, or endearing as it is if we didn't have her. And she is so very important to one of the most important people in my life. I was happy to throw her a party. Maybe I'll even do it again next year!