Erin loves to go outside these days. We kicked off the spring planting season with a huge leaf mulch delivery. She kept Dad company and overall was not unhelpful.
Our final house project was to restore the fireplace to working condition. Of all the furnishings from our old house the fireplace and living room woodwork are the things that we miss most. In our new house this fireplace was covered over in ceramic tile and filled with an electric insert that blew hot air. It blew all right. We tore that all out and replaced it with...
rebuilt brickwork, a bluestone hearth, new gumwood mantel, and a matching electronics cabinet (wires buried in the wall). Much better.
We went to New York for Easter to see grandparents and Claire & Peter's family
Erin loved to fish for leaves off the dock
The girls completed a small treasure hunt to find their chocolate bunnies
Daddy's girls
Another happy baby in Grampa Ed's lap. Rowan is a cutie.
Finally we had good weather for the Easter Egg hunt.
Some kind of animal (we suspect it was the crows) got into the Easter Eggs that the Easter Bunny laid out.
The glassy-eyed look from the TV, Madeleine in this case
Here's a photo puzzler. Can you count the total number of plant removals and additions from before...
to after. Answer below.
The post-maple area is complete. Four new viburnums and a patch for summer vegetables.
Heather also received her long-awaited pink dogwood.
Answer to puzzler:The five evergreens against the house were removed. In the new plantings a holly was added next to the steps. The andromeda against the chimney was moved from the front row to the back row (tricky!) and next to that a mountain laurel was added. Net minus 5 and plus 2.
We walked into the Arlington Heights for brunch one Saturday and on our way back made a rare nature sighting
Baby mallard ducks! Make way!
Caroline wrote a book that she calls "Caring for Your Life"
To reinforce how wacky this winter has been, the 3rd week of March featured record high temperatures all week as spring came roaring in.
We've been outside as much as we can, and Dad is trying to build up the endurance of his girls by taking nature walks. One time we found this spooky old graveyard near our house. Erin set a new personal best: 1/2 mile without a stroller!
The basement is finished and it came out great. It's a new playspace. So what if it's filled with furniture from four different people's homes.
We even had a Grand Opening and got to eat cake!
Yes, those are socks on her hands and yes, she is sleeping on her panda, and yes those are her clothes for tomorrow, but Caroline is still a superstar sleeper. One night Erin woke up screaming after throwing up in bed and then later barfed again in the trundle bed, not two feet from sleeping Caroline. She didn't stir through the whole ordeal. Rock on!
The first daffodil of the season
We had this huge sugar maple taken down from our front yard. It was sad to do, but the tree was too far gone to be saved.
Once we remove the mound of stump grindings we'll have a perfect spot for a vegetable garden
Ever since grad school we've adopted the tradition of celebrating the first day that the temperature hits 80 degrees by going out for ice cream. We call it St. Copernicus Day. Last year that day was May 24 and here we are on Mar. 22nd. Caroline & Mom left for Atlanta this day and it was only in the 70s down there!
We'll check back in a few years to see if Erin still wants Caroline to live with her after she marries her prince
It's such a rare occasion that the girls have a special dance for cleaning their plates
