Mother's day and some summer planting

I'm taking a break from all of these rainy days to load pictures from the camera, including these from Mother's Day. Mattias helped with the scones, Timo made the fruit salad (all by himself), and Hawk gave his charming smile.

Later we worked on potting tomatoes, squash, and some herbs, and trimming some bushes. I have since filled up our raised planters. This week we've seen the bush pickles (small cucumbers) take OFF and they are dominating the planters, along with the onion (which were easy and fun for the boys to plant but now they are taking up a lot of room!) so I need to move the other herbs and flowers out of there. I've really enjoyed tending this small area, and in the midst of crazy days with the boys, it's always a nice break to go outside, walk with the boys doing inspections and pinching tomato suckers and munching on mint leaves. It's pretty great to live in this house with such a huge sunny yard.

One more

Nonna love!!!

Nonna (part 2)

While Mom G was here, the weather warmed up a lot and we finally have had warm spring days leading into the start of summer. One day we took our lunch and the boys' swimsuits to the creek and picnic area next to campus. Such a fun spot.

Nonna took the two oldest boys to the library one morning, and Timo checked out Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - and then was completely enthralled with it the rest of the week.

On Saturday morning (before Nonna's afternoon flight home) she, Jim, Timo and Mattias went downtown to the Farmer's Market and discovered a mini-festival going on. The boys got their faces painted (for the first time).

One last hug and photo before Nonna leaves. Timo hasn't stopped asking me since she left, "When are we going to visit Wheaton?" Thank you for coming and for your joyful, patient care!

yep, that's about how it goes

Nonna's visit (part 1)

We loved having Nonna visit for a week (the same week as Hawk's birthday)! So many books to read, so many songs to be sung, so many daily life activities to share with her in our busy, loud house.

Sunday evening supper at our picnic table

Morning at Poteet Park, where we ran into friends -

how Hawk sits in his umbrella stroller (this was in his first cast)

Thankfully Nonna took quite a few photos with her camera, and shared them with us - and she captured some of our daily life activities (though she wasn't in the photos!).

Timo outside his pre-K classroom

Another day, another lunch at the picnic table ("please sit down and eat!" ha!)

One night after supper Mattias decided to do some drumming (on the stools), and Timo put on his mask to do some singing & used the shape-sorter as a clanging instrument. It was loud and extremely entertaining for Hawk.

Timo has started regularly helping with evening dishes (at his own request)

hot afternoon: time for a truck wash

 

helping Nonna make cupcakes for Hawk

Birthday party celebrations for Hawk

Good morning, and get ready for another day of birthday celebrations! This time at home with the whole family, plus Nonna, who was visiting for the week! (Don't worry, I'll get to that in my next post. Lots of fun times.)

opening his present from the nurses at the hospital

There she is - the wonderful, ebullient Nonna!

In the afternoon we had one friend, Levi, come over for water balloons and cake. A new friend from church brought over a huge, decorate chocolate cake for his birthday, so we pulled out a candle and were ready to go. I don't think we've ever given our kids chocolate cake on their first birthday, so that was really fun.

He mashed it up and tried a few nibbles.

Julie was there too, of course, with her son Levi!

he loves his new ball!!!!!!!

 

One more present, opened the next morning... a ride-on car with adjustable handlebars, which actually fits perfectly with his cast. Now he has something else to sit on around the house for the next 6 weeks of this cast - when he can squeeze in a turn between Timo and Mattias, that is.