Spring means bike riding and pausing for a drink while bike riding

(not a normal drink)

Throwing rocks into the river

Yes!

Over the bridge

Playing at the playground at the end of the day

Fun times!

If you need something that's relatively easy to do build things with

gumdrops and toothpicks.  I got the idea from here.   I started out with a 5 pound bag of gumdrops (spice drops if you like) and a box of toothpicks for each person (flat...though I would recommend the round as they're stronger.  Flat was just what the store happened to have)

Each person got started building, but we ended up with partner's

Tiny's singing a song while Dad works on Gumdrop Tower

Mowg's building a man

And a place to feed a dinosaur

Let's do it together!

The Final Gumdrop Tower

(and two builders)

Note the carefully made color pattern

Mom and Mowg with the dinosaur building and the man

Note the very random colors on the dinosaur

Some of the building mess

We had a few colored round toothpicks and they were much more secure.

Far easier to work with.

If you're wondering about something very fun to do without much prep

(or clean up--except deciding what to do with your creations)  This is perfect.

If you're getting the idea that I'm catching up, you're right. 

The blossoms are gone now, but the climbin' tree bloomed (crab apple)!

Tiny girl loved it.

"Here's a flowler for you."

We also had some unexpected guests one Sunday

wild baby ducks rescued from a black cat 

After a treasure map/pirate adventure at school Mowg and

Tiny (her highnesty) had some adventures of their own.

The serious pirate pose

"Now how am I going to get down?"

This is my treasure map.

"You do this and say 'Hello your Highnesty'."

Spring in all its adventuring

When Mowg gets to go swimming at school, Tiny gets to play in the water at home.

Fixing her car

running through the water

(not as easy as it looks to man the hose and the camer)

And what's water without an umbrella?

 

Water is a wonderful thing!

Pink Lemonade Cake!

Tiny discovered marshmellow creme for the first time

Mowg helped put it into the frosting and wasn't even tempted.

"What marshmellow creme?  I don't know what you're talking about."

These are the pink lemonade cakes we made from scratch (and they turned out!).

Since there were two (for a layer cake, colored slightly different shades of pink)

each kid got to frost one.

Frosting them was definitely the best part

not to mention taken very seriously

This cake had what became a "swimming pool"

(otherwise known as the part that stuck to the pan)

Finally finished!

And what's a cake if you can't blow out a candle?!

What started out as simple apeasement turned into a really fun activity.

I didn't care for the frosting, but the cake was wonderful.  Couldn't be beat for fun.

SPRING!  We've had spring come and go as it usually does around here. 

One of our near daily rituals in early spring seems to be climbing this tree.

Here are my little birds in the tree.

Coming down



Tiny's going after Mowg's hat (the one that blew off)

I got it!  Ta Da!

Evidence that this is an after school experience.

(Next he runs up the hill to get behind our house)