Spoke too soon...

Well, spring didn't last long.  Its been back to snow and cold for us this week, and a whole winter's worth of cold virus for this mommy, all at once.  I had to leave work early on Thursday, I was feeling so crummy.  Realized I should stay home on Friday when I got up and tried to make Jack's lunch, and was taxed to exhaustion by pulling the crusts off the bread.  It's been a tissue-y, cough drop-y sort of week for me.

The children (knock on wood) seem to have escaped the affliction thus far, and have had a pretty nice week, I think.  They've been well-behaved, for the most part.  And cute.  We also enjoyed the added bonus of Monday and Wednesday evenings with Daddy home, as Nat's spring break was this week.  We went swimming, we went to the library, the children went about their daily routines...and somehow it is Sunday again and I am steeling myself to head back to work and clean up the mess.  A day and a half with last-minute subs in my classroom-- this is tough for the teacher who never calls off!

In the meantime, some photos for you.  Most of these good times were had in my absence, so not much narrative tonight.

Oh! I would like to share with you a couple of cute Ivy-isms, first--

Nat and Jack got their haircut on Thursday afternoon.  As I was home feeling crappy, Ivy got to go along and watch.  She eagerly explained to me that "Daddy and Jack took a haircut but I didn't take a haircut..."  I love the use of the word "take" in this situation..  Today after dinner at Melinda and Will's she proceeded to have Daddy take a haircut again, as she wielded a pair of play scissors.  Absolute concentration, tipping her head to the side, snip-snip-snipping with precision, even holding Nat's head and ordering him "Dohn move your head, Daddy!!"  She certainly paid attention on Thursday!

At the mall with Gram yesterday:  after Gram named the people in Ivy's family, the girl sternly corrected her:  "No, Gram Gram.  My Daddy's name is DR. Nat!"

She got some points with Nat for that one.

Ok. Pictures.  

Here are some older shots. 

I really like this one of my mom on her birthday.

 

 And of her handsome boy, Pip.

 Ivy at the museum last week...
They went again this Friday, too.  I stayed home.  whiny sick mommy, blah blah blah...

Oh, how long ago this seems!!  Our wonderful day just one week ago, when spring seemed like it might really happen...  I can't even bring myself to take a picture of the dismal  world outside today....

  Big news for the boy-- he likes to just jump out of the van and head to the school on his own in the morning.  That little figure disappearing across the giant field?  My big boy...

He also got his 2nd term report card this weekend!   All 4's  with an occasional 3 in some "new skill" areas.  And much to my chagrin, 2's in music... how do I have a child whose worst "grades" are in music????  I am actually tempted to be that mom and call the music teacher for suggestions of what we need to work on to bring his music grade up.  Which is extra silly as he doesn't actually get grades at all....

(For those of you wondering, a 4 means "does this skill independently", a 3 means "With limited prompts" and a 2 means "with frequent prompts"....)

During the haircut....

 

And after...

 

Nat was the parent helper in Ivy's class on Friday.  Yay! more pictures of the incredible cuteness!

Here are a few pictures that are more indicative of the weather we've had this week...

And, oh, how I love this funny little girl...

 and this boy, too...

 Happy week, everyone. ..

Signs of spring

The sun's come out this week and we've seen the good side of 30 degrees for several days in a row, so life is pretty good around here.

We've got these two kids who are growing up more every second.  Jack is just so... big.  Yes, tall, and remarkably solid for one who eats like he does.  But also, the way he carries himself.  The attitudes and expressions.  The confidence.  He's been a great kid this weekend.  He's always a great kid but sometimes he's also an annoying kid who bothers his sister too much.  This weekend- he's been sweet, even sometimes polite. Loveable.

Friday night found our crew at the Art Museum.  Nothing like 45 minutes in the coolest.playroom.ever to start the weekend off right.

 Saturday I spent the morning at a choir rehearsal so Nat took the kids to the zoo.  Thanks to his nifty new Facebook group, friends met them there, and Jack and Greg took the zoo by storm.

Today, temperatures topped seventy.  The kids and I had the most wonderful, nigh rapturous, "Thank god its almost spring!" trip to the park this morning.  Seriously.  They were rolling in the grass.  We stayed for an hour, reacquainting ourselves with the swings, the slides, the sandbox: these grand old friends we'd lost touch with over the winter months.  The slides have gotten smaller, I swear they have.  it can't be that my children are that much bigger by comparison...

The afternoon was spent singing what I think may be my favorite West Shore concert ever. The mix of music was just so very lovely, melodic, familiar,gracious.  And, I felt as confident singing it as I have in a long time.  I think I had a good share of the music memorized, knew my parts cold, and the notes just seemed to float out.  There was a lovely ring to the sound in the sanctuary where we sang and I just poured my heart into it. The standing ovation indicated, I hope, that it was all well-received.

The weekend closed with the last Second Sunday Soup of the season.  Appropriately, the weather reminded us why Soup is ending-- with the coming of the light, we won't need to rely on our collective warmth to  survive.  We'll make it through the months more easily now, until we need to come together again as the days shorten in October....

We had just a small gathering tonight, 10 kids tracking mud and leaves in and out of the house, climbing the tree house, playing together like a dream.  Asparagus soup to celebrate spring, glasses of wine to celebrate life.  Promises made to barbecue all summer long and see each other soon-- but comfortable in the knowledge as we parted, that we will certainly see each other again in the fall. 

 One friend noted that one of her favorite things about Cleveland in the winter are our Soup Suppers.  Granted, we don't have a ton of competition in the category of "good things about Cleveland in the winter".  Still, her words are in my heart.  I love our Soup Suppers and I am infinitely grateful that others like them too, that people come and come back and that we have had this tradition for three years now.  

Here's to Soup.   And here's to spring.  

In like a....

March is here.  Trying hard to figure out the lion-or-lamb question. A part of me is hoping this is the lion, because we could use a little lamb weather, soon. 

But cold temperatures aside, its been a rather nice week.

Ivy and Daddy got in trouble for taking this picture.  Apparently you can't take photographs in the contemporary section of the museum.  Who knew?  I think this picture is totally worth it.

 Busy at home and at school... skating night and swimming night and choir in between...Then Thursday night found us at the African Dance potluck event at Boulevard, with drums and poetry and the joy of watching Jack run and talk and eat with his friends.  He is comfortable and confident at school and that is such a good thing.  His friends are the cutest things.  I've become quite fond of Emmanuel, who patiently let Ivy hug him about 50 times while we were there...

Thinking of Ivy, she too is having a great time at school.  In fact, the only drawback is that her class meets just once a week.  It's such fun to see her making her own friends for the first time.  She has her first invitation to a school-friend's birthday party, and has picked a classmate to invite to her own party (yes, we've started planning.  yes, I'm a little crazy...)

see what I mean about the cute factor in her classroom????

 In other Ivy-related news, she may be taking ballet class this spring, with Lillian and Naomi.  Stay tuned for further details and pictures of little pink leotards....  meep!

Saturday, March the snowy-lamblike-lion brought us a crisp cold day and a whitewashed world.  We went to Lake Farmpark.  Nothing reassures one of the coming spring quite like newborn farm animals.  There were tiny lambs, only 3 days old, and older babies who leapt and played, and the one little one who escaped from the pens over and over, searching for the caretaker who bottle-feeds him.  It was pretty magical. 

So were the wagon rides, bumping along through the snowy farm, children up on the high seat in front, fairly quivering with the excitement of it all.  And the quilts on display inside, with their brilliant colors and painstaking detail.  And that magnificent horse, who befriended Jack and charmed us all with his calm pride.

Add caption

This is that little escapee.  Seriously cute.

The rest of Saturday was full of Magic cards and movies as we snuggled in against the cold...Jack is very into Magic these days and talks constantly of artifacts and drakes and 4/4 creatures and I think his daddy is pretty excited by it all... :)

Today, a birthday party for Matthew and Tommy.  Children racing in loops wearing cardboard pirate hats and chasing Nat with balloons, plus conversations with friends, and coffee.  A fine way to spend a Sunday morning.   Couple that with lunch and a Scrabble date with my mom, and this weekend rates well.
 

Ivy couldn't agree more.

_____________

On a sort of unrelated note, here is my favorite recent quote from the girl:

Upon waking yesterday morning:
"Mommy, this my heart blanket.  Its my lovey!"  (sees Coryon enter the room)  "Corydon is my lovey too.  Her my BIG lovey!"

Also heard this weekend:  Random narrative recountings of scenes from books and movies:

Out of the blue while leaving the Farmpark:

"That owl!  Him take a bath at him house! Him get ALLLLL wet!  That owl!"
Me:  "Um, OK.  What owl, honey?"
"From ward in the dohn!"
Me: "....."
"Ward in the DOHN!!"
Oh, Sword in the Stone.  You know, the movie we watched 2 weeks ago.  Of course.