While the winter was generally mild, the spring brought a few amazing storms with it, that we believed would extend well into the month of May. Fortunately, we were incorrect in this vision, and the snow was nearly gone by Easter. But we knew that as our children were gaining age and ability, we needed to organize responsibilities around the house so that they could gain more independence as well as contribute to the household. Enter, the chore chart. While it took some time to teach the basics of some of the cleaning skills on the chart, our children now have vacuuming, dusting, sweeping and other chores to complete...with the option of earning a quarter a week (we know, we're cheap parents...) should they be successful at completing their weekly chores as expected. Now we'll have to see how long it lasts...
Since Auntie, Uncle and cousins in New York advised us of a move to Tennessee after the New Year, we took as many opportunities as possible to travel to NY state for visits before they departed to the southland. One one trip, we uncovered an amazing gem called Mercer's Dairy. Now, there are certainly a ton of great ice cream joints in NY and everywhere else across the country. BUT, there is NO OTHER dairy farm that has created, perfected and distributes true WINE ICE CREAM other than Mercer's. With their Chocolate Cabernet and Peach Zinfandel brands (among others), Mercer's has captivated foodies around the country and beyond. The best part is that it is not sorbet (standard form of wine 'ice cream'), it's a super creamy, decadent, wine-infused treat that we fell in love with immediately.
So, off to Mercer's we went (as it was only a short 30 minutes from the cousins house).
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And yes, we snatched a case of wine ice cream, which we keep on hand for guests, friends and company..and of course..the occasional personal excursion. :)
Spring was starting to blossom in full and the little royals were getting excited about Easter...and all our family traditions...
St. Patrick's Day made more special, courtesy of Auntie Wendy's fabulous creations..
"Make your own Pizza" nights and sleepovers...and then came...the EGGS!
Yes, we still color our eggs. Even though plastic varieties exist, we just can't get enough of the tradition started when our kids were still sitting in exersaucers and high chairs. With just a dash of vinegar, some dye and water, our kids turn something plain white, into colorful containers filled with delight.
And then, comes Easter Sunday....
After church, the royals are off and running through their house and backyard in search of eggs and treasures. But,the Easter Bunny is getting more and more crafty and tricky with the placement of eggs. To find out if the kids really can read, EB even wrote the kids a note telling them where they can find their baskets of treats....can you believe it???
Once the snow finally melted, we set off on our annual "park crawls," with friends, and found ourselves sitting "on top of the world" in more ways than one. At least our kids are daring and don't seem to have fear of heights!!
Welcome Spring!!
