You Mean We Get to Go Outside?

Hooray! The sun has finally come around!

March in Oregon seems to be when we get our “spring teaser” as I like to call it. The sun comes out, the flowers bloom, and we all rush outside to enjoy the golden light after a long grey winter. Phaedra is my outside girl, and she has been in heaven. Right now, as I type this she is playing in the backyard. She has been talking to the crows. They caw, and I hear her give an answering, “ah ah ah.”

Last week was when we first got to spend some time out enjoying the sun, so I had to take a bunch of pictures. Curtis LOVED the chance to get outside and explore. I think his biggest problem was that his sisters still scolded him when he got near anything they were doing. He kept climbing up to the back door, but he didn’t want to go back inside.

Eleanor has come home from school for several weeks telling us about the fairy houses she and her friends make at school during recess. Usually, she sadly reports that the big kids ruined what they had started. I suggested they make their own fairy house in our yard where no one will ruin it (no mention of Curtis here). The girls worked together the first day on their fairy house, and didn’t end up with much to show for it. The next day that we went out, I helped make a start of a fairy house and gave some suggestions of what else they could do. The fairy house really took off from there, and they had a lot of fun making it.

The girls found a worm to be their friend, accidentally severed it, watched it die, and then made a “death bed” for it.

There’s nothing like finding a good stick to swing around and whack things. Don’t you love Phaedra’s clothing choice? I asked her to put on a jacket or change her shirt because she was wearing a light colored shirt that was a favorite. Always wanting to avoid a jacket, she changed into this shirt and kept the stripy pants.

The finished fairy house. It has two beds of moss with large leaves for blankets and small moss pillows.

Daddy came home!

Here are the girls with their fairy house. I actually got them to look at me, but I kind of like the crazy, not paying attention pictures better . . .

Another “finished” picture. This house had varying levels of completion. In fact, the girls just didn’t know when to quit. I don’t have a picture of it today, but it’s more of a jumble of leaves and branches. But the girls are still so proud of it, and that’s what matters.

Eleanor explains the food cups they left for the fairies, because fairies eat torn up leaves and flower petals, apparently.

My guys.

Curtis learned where his nose is. This is what he does when you ask him where it is.