Spring-ology

Photographic proof that spring has absolutely sprung around here:

A visit from these two, for starters! Dan's folks made the long (1,046 miles, to be exact) drive out from New Mexico to spend spring break with us, arriving the day before Easter. I don't know who had more fun- us or them. It's heavenly to have an extra set (or two) of hands in the house, helping us with the kids, ready to give countless hugs, share jokes, read books, and help with the everyday business that this house incurs. We all just soaked it in and relished in the cozy family time we'd been missing.

Here, "Opa" is reading to the kiddos, who are quite busy trying to find that impossible Goldbug . Sometimes I wish I could take the energy my father-in-law has, and bottle it up. I'd take a small dose of it everyday after breakfast. The man is 81, but I'm fairly certain he thinks he's still 50.

Easter morning! I realize they both look less than thrilled in this picture, but here they were that morning, moments beforehand shrieking with delight at what the Easter Bunny/Angel left for them. I think they were both irritated that my picture taking was interfering with jelly bean consumption.

Ella learned a lesson in accessories. Here she is with her first pair of sunglasses, and matching necklace/bracelet set. (Thank you, Target $1 section!) Since receiving these on Easter morning, she commented a few times, "I can't see! The sun is hurting my eyes! Need my sunglasses, Mom!" The "jewelry", however, has not been as popular; she vacillates between wanting to wear them while playing dress-up and wanting to stretch them to the point of destruction, hoping to watch the beads go flying everywhere.

My first lemon meringue pie of the season! It was an Easter sweet treat success! (Also, why do people say this is such an easy pie to whip up? I found it a bit complex, actually. Meringue? Lemon curd? Pie crust? Don't burn the meringue, but get the curd cooked all the way through, but also make sure the pie dough isn't raw, all at the same time? Sheesh). It was fabulous and consumed by all in one evening.

These two lovebirds clearly have Spring Fever. And a bit of a California tan, wouldn't you say? Alright, fine. It's just the "warmify" photo editing effect I applied to our skin tone. But isn't my husband handsome? And for the record, I absolutely have SOME form of fever called, "I can't wait for summertime to get here so we can co-parent and potty train that crazy daughter of ours, ASAP."

It must be Spring, because this kid has some major preschool senior-itis. It's the last few weeks of preschool, before he graduates and practically becomes an adult overnight. He is literally one week away from turning 5 years old. FIVE YEARS OLD!!!! If Dan & I had made a 5 year plan when Ben was born, it would already be time to move on to another 5 year plan, THAT'S HOW GIANT OF A BIRTHDAY THIS WILL BE! This boy has an imagination you would not believe. Example: he woke up at 4 a.m. this morning, convinced that bugs & snakes were crawling all over him, and even though he was awake and talking coherently, he would not believe me when I told him it was all a bad dream. "Mama, you don't understand. You weren't here, you didn't see them. They were huge snakes, and they probably went to hide under my bed when they heard you coming." Oh, dear.

Spring = warmer weather, which means family ventures out to new parks, hiking trails, etc. Last weekend we took the kids to Dennis the Menace Park for the first time (a park I went to visit on field trips in elementary school!), and it was as if we took the kids to Disneyland. In fact, we probably should have just told them that's where we were.....Anyway, the older Ella gets, the more the 2.5 year age difference shrinks between the two of them, and the more they learn to play together. Ben is so preciously protective of her, and wants to help her with everything, and she is sassy but affectionate with him, and the fact that they are holding hands in this picture while exploring a park from my very own childhood melts my heart into a puddle of butter. Mmmm, butter.

Speaking of this girl.....good gracious. I don't remember having this much fun with Ben at 2.5. I also don't remember being this exhausted with him. This girl is hilarious and ridiculously independent and passionate and a huge fan of major tantrums, and silly and loving and insists on wearing a tutu to bed at night. She's still a huge thumb sucker, and has brown crazy curls, and the most wonderful toddler tummy you've ever seen. We are enjoying her and falling in love with her all over again in a way we didn't see coming.

Yet another sign of spring: per my demands, lemonade has infiltrated our house for the first time this year, even in various forms! This stuff is just so darn delicious, and after some hard playtime, nothing else seems to quench our thirst. Also, it's delicious with vodka....

And then there's this; the ultimate sign that spring has sprung. Hang-dry laundry time has returned! I don't know what it is-- maybe it's seeing all of those beautiful colors up for display in the confines of our yard, or perhaps knowing that we're saving a couple bucks by doing so-- it just brings me so much joy to bask in the spring sunshine, hanging up wet laundry, listening and watching the kids run around while they play and destroy our backyard.

Notice how I did not mention "spring cleaning" as one of the signs that spring has sprung around here. I'll get around to it....maybe.

Golden Gate Park

This last week we've relished in every second of Dan's Spring Break. Downside to being a teacher: who can possibly survive on that income? I mean, really! Upside to being a teacher: having a Spring Break in which we essentially got paid to have family playtime in SF! On Wednesday we made the long trip (and by long, I mean just shy of 90 minutes, but with two kids who are never in the car for more than 20 minutes at a time, it felt like an eternity) up to San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. All I can say is, why have we never visited before? And when can we move there? It was breathtaking and lush and colorful and full of culture and flowers and wide open space. We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather- deep blue skies, not a cloud to be seen, lots of sunshine with a slight cool breeze. It was postcard perfect. I felt so happy to share the experience with our kidlets, and someday I expect them to reflect back and thank us for the experience. Because here is the photo documentation to prove we tried to make it as memorable as possible:

A few minutes into road trip, singing along to a little Raffi:

Oh, look! ME! Since I am the chief photographer in our home, sometimes I have to take my own picture just to later prove to my children that I really did exist, and that I really was present for these big family events:

This awesomely tangled tree that we found within seconds of arriving at the park:

Per recommendation, we hit up one of the FOUR children's playgrounds first and let them get their wiggles out. It was a pretty big playground for us country mice, but apparently it's one of the smaller ones the park has to offer!

The Music Concourse, a gorgeous outdoor music amphitheater (I even let out a few la la la's):

Somewhere near the Japanese Tea Garden:

Entering the Botanical Garden (practically the Garden of Eden):

Duck pond with some sort of large bird:

I packed a big picnic, with enough food for a small army, and we pitched camp on the other side of this sweet  duck pond. It was my favorite part of the entire day. We took our shoes off, the kids ran around the damp grass with their bare toes, and I soaked in a little sun. It was all perfect...until Ben slipped and fell in.

This is the marshy slippery mush that was responsible for......

this:

Life is good when you're the baby.

Stroll around the lake led us to this AMAZING poor man's view of beautiful Japanese Tea House gazebo. Someday I'm going to throw myself a tea party there.

This picture is classic because I thought I was just taking a candid photo of my son standing by the lake. But after I took the shot, I walked over only to discover his pants around his ankles, peeing in the tree. In public. In front of many strangers. Apparently, this is how we country mice roll.

The windmill and tulip garden!

The one & only Family shot we could get that day. It just wouldn't feel like a family photo without Ella staring off someplace else, and Ben in mid-revolt, giving his best semi-possessed scowl. Good times.

We heart you, San Francisco! We'll be back- you haven't seen the last of these country mice!

p.s. After that trip, I sort of found a tick in Ella's ear. It was awful and creepy, and Dan totally saved the day.