Glorious Sping

We had a few hot days so we went down to one of our favorite swimming holes. I love that I have country kids. They'd rather swim in a freezing cold river with tadpoles and all kinds of creatures, than go to the regular pool. How did this happen? I am such a sissy and I don't like getting dirty either. I really notice it when we have friends with us from the city and their kids don't even want to step on the dirt in their barefeet and my hick kids are digging and rolling and relishing it.

 We went to the Birds of Prey Centre and it was worth the drive! We had so much fun learning about the birds and seeing them so close up. It was beautiful weather and I love having an entire Saturday free to just spend together as a family. 

  Feeding the ducks is always a highlight for the kids.

 After the Birds of Prey Centre, we went to Broxburn Farm. I love to walk around green houses and see all the colors and smell all the herbs and flowers. Charlie bought me a basil plant with his own money. It's my favorite thing to smell.

This was a candy corn plant. Can you see the candy corn flower?

A Poem

Early Spring By Tennyson

Once more the Heavenly Power

Makes all things new,

And domes the red-plowed hills

With loving blue; 

The blackbirds have their wills,

The throstles too.

Opens a door in Heaven; 

From skies of glass

A Jacob's ladder falls

On greening grass, 

And o'er the mountain-walls

Young angels pass.

Before them fleets the shower,

And burst the buds, 

And shine the level lands,

And flash the floods;

The stars are from their hands

Flung through the woods,

The woods with living airs

How softly fanned,

Light airs from where the deep,

All down the sand,

Is breathing in his sleep,

Heard by the land.

O, follow, leaping blood,

The season's lure!

O heart, look down and up,

Serene, secure, 

Warm as the crocus cup,

Like snow-drops, pure!

Past, Future glimpse and fade

Through some slight spell,

A gleam from yonder vale, 

Some far blue fell; 

And sympathies, how frail,

In sound and smell!

Till at thy chuckled note,

Thou twinkling bird,

The fairy fancies range,

And, lightly stirred,

Ring little bells of change

From word to word.

For now the Heavenly Power

Makes all things new,

And thaws the cold, and fills

The flower with dew;

The blackbirds have their wills,

The poets too.

Springtime Welcome

Daffodils By William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the milky way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazed--and gazed--but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.

Spring School

It was hard to get a picture but meet our two new froggy friends, Poetry and Element.

 Jane is always finding dead creatures. I overheard them oooh-ing and ahhhh-ing over this birdy. They loved its "chubby cheekies". It got a fancy burial in our backyard, wrapped in a peacock patterned cloth with glitter, butterflies and flowers.

 This was a large project for an average afternoon. Between diapers, food and just our normal routine it took hours!! I was so happy when it was finished. Making sure the kids take part in things sure makes it go a lot slower but that's the point so we just go slow. We had a few pots tip over but there's nothing wrong with basil growing in every pot anyway. This plastic covering for the shelf totally works. Its toasty in there.

I painted a chalk strip on all the pots so we can get rid of the popsicle sticks and I think it looks fancy. Thanks to the BB for all the terra cotta pots.