Happy Easter 2017!

Happy (belated) Easter! We had a busy weekend enjoying unseasonably warm weather.

On Saturday Matt had a birthday party for a friend. The party was held at one of our favorite places, the berry farm. Matt had a busy time playing with his friends, going on a hayride tour of the farm, planting a basil plant, and seeing the farm animals.

On the playground, trying to figure out how the horse goes

On the hay ride

Both boys on the hay ride - Andy found the breeze a little much and wasn't having as much fun

Checking out the lettuces in the hothouse

Transplanting his basil plant

Checking out the new lambs and sheep

Enjoying a cupcake

We spent most of Easter at home. Matt was tired from all of our activity last week, including lots of outdoor playtime. Andy was working on two teeth, so he wasn't feeling his usual happy self. The boys enjoyed their first outside egg hunt. (The past couple of years we had too much snow or it was too cold - not a problem this year!)

Matt's favorite item from his Easter basket: his fire truck bubble maker

Andy inspecting his eggs

Matt hunting for eggs in the backyard

We made a quick trip out in the afternoon for an errand after neither boy wanted to stop having fun to nap.

Hanging out at the bookstore's train table while Dada made his stop

Andrew's Week 36

Yesterday Andy turned 36 weeks. He continues to be busy. He discovered squatting, which he has been practicing over and over. That means he's getting better at transitioning from standing back down to the floor and means he's able to pick things up from the floor. He has also realized he can roll from his back, meaning he feels less stuck when he falls down. When he's not busy exploring his ability to move and wherever that can take him, he's following his brother and/or the cat, which neither enjoys when Andy pushes his way in and starts grabbing.

Exploring a box with his brother (boxes and recyclables were his favorite toys this week)

Trying yogurt for the first time

Trying to be nonchalant about being "stuck"

I finally got him to stay in the jumperoo for more than 2 seconds (although he prefers to cruise around it).

Working at the kitchen with his brother

Two boys sitting in a box 

Being very busy at the library while his brother builds with Duplos, plays with friends, and reads

Reading some of the baby board books

Now that Andy is standing and moving around, he can start exploring the children's museum for himself.

Choo choo!

Ahoy, matey!

Exploring space in a rocket with his brother

Checking out the mats with the moving color

Looking at the fire truck

Playing on his brother's construction set

Going for a motorcycle ride

Contemplating the step down into the living room

Ready for breakfast

Pleased with the mess he's made

What happens with baby meets cat water dish

Enjoying swinging in the backyard 

 

Enjoying sandbox time together

Showing off his 4 (soon to be 5) teeth

Trying the slide

Posing on the chair

Done with posing and onto figuring out how to take his socks off

March 2017 Recap

March has come and gone. After the surprise warmth of February March ended on a cold note with some snow! But spring seems to be on its way.

We certainly kept busy during March.

We went to programs at the library and sometimes just went to the library to read and play. Matt has become close with a few of the regulars from the Wednesday and Thursday storytimes. Most of them are girls, but they have finally accepted Matt fully into the group. He has even gone from "The Boy" to "Matt." The librarian who has watched them all grow from babies into 3 year olds may be the one who gets the biggest kick out of watching them all play together. 

At a Music & Movement class

Listening to the stories with Pooh at the March of the Stuffed Animals

Doing STEAM activities at the March of the Stuffed Animals

Making pizza dough at the March of the Stuffed Animals

Building with "big kid" Legos (and, yes, that's Andy exploring)

At "Little Lego Club" - building with Duplos

We went to the children's museum twice.

Manning the space station

 

Face painting 

Train table with a friend

Helping to sort mail

Being a train engineer

Be right back... going to the moon!

Driving the lunar rover

Look! I'm on TV!

Cooking with friends. 

Looking through the microscope

Taking a moment before resuming playing with dinosaurs

We went to a new to us indoor play space. (I've already posted photos of Andy there.)

Riding Thomas

In the bounce house

Stacking gigantic Legos

We had some fun in the snow we had.

Going for a walk with friends

At the local playground, dragging the sleds one of his buddies brought

Matt's first real downhill sledding experience - He loved it!

Getting a push from a friend

Matt continued with his Mini Athletes sports class. Unfortunately he missed one when we had to take Andy for the doctor for his croup and ear infection, but we've done pretty well with attendance this year.

 

Football

Lacrosse

We started a new series of classes, Nature & Art, at the local Audubon Society's museum of bird art. After a story (they choose some really interesting nature-related books with high quality illustrations!) the kids do an art activity. If the weather is nice, we go for a nature walk. I think Matt is enjoying it almost as much as I am.

Marbled paper frogs

One of the finished products

Making an owl mask

Looking at the salamander under the stump

Checking out the (human-made) eagle's nest

Scaling the big rock

One of the highlights of the month was a short visit from Uncle Vic during his spring break.

Playing a game

As usual we had no shortage of fun around the house.

"Matt fly" (much harder to do now that he's much bigger)

"Fixing" his crane

Digging for dinosaurs

Painting

Playing Count Your Chickens

Playing with dough

 Doing a puzzle (before Andy came over to "inspect")

And one last photo: 

Matt found something interesting to play with while Andy was doing his study.