Fun with Eggs

There was an Easter egg hunt at Alex's school today. Younger siblings are always invited to join in the fun, and both boys were very excited. They each showed me their new baskets multiple times before the hunting began. It had been rainy and cold the day before, so the play yard was too wet and the eggs were "hidden" in the church. (If you call sitting on the pews hidden.) Alex had no trouble with the concept and charged ahead. Zachary needed a little bit of guidance but collected a few on his own too. Then the school kids sang some songs, during which, Zachary cracked open and egg and found out there was candy inside. He was excited and kept saying "candy in there!" I didn't get any pictures, but I'm hoping to set a couple from a friend.
A couple of days later, we colored our eggs at home. Somehow, the only egg casualty occurred while I was draining the boiling water and one smashed into the sink. The way the boys were dropping them into the coloring had me worried. They didn't have a lot of patience to let the eggs develop into rich, dark colors, but they definitely had a good time.

Little Kickers

Alex resumed his Lil' Kickers soccer class and Zachary had his very first class today! They both did a great job of listening to their coaches and had fun with all of the activities. Here are some fun shots from the day.
First you build a tower of cones, then you kick them over...or put them on your head.

Zachary has skills! Great kick Alex!

Outdoor Fun

Even though the house isn't settled, we've been trying to get out and have some fun. Phil and the boys went to the Science Center again, and became members, so I see some more trips in the near future. We went to the zoo with friends. And one of the big perks of this new neighborhood is the cul-de-sac location and all of the kids who come out to play and seem to enjoy playing with the boys, despite the age gap. The older kids include them and watch out for them. It is really great! On the first day we had the keys, we had already met more neighbors than we had in the year at the old house. Alex and Zachary played their little hearts out too! When the boys and I came back to the house on a school day, the first thing Alex said was "where are all the kids?" The peer pressure has also been great in getting both boys to wear their helmets! Yesterday we decided to take a little walk along the water (we'd stayed close to home all day, because the boys aren't feeling 100%). The wind was so fierce and frigid! Alex was riding his bike and kept telling me the "wind is blowing my face off!" When we got home, we wrapped up in blankets on the couch to warm up. That might have been the best part!

Easy Rider

Somehow during all of the chaos, Alex put all the pieces together and started pedaling his bike all on his own! The first time he really pedaled, was the day he decided to ride his bike to the new house. It was a long ride for a first try, and I pushed him the last part. Now, he can go much, much farther with no help at all! Way to go Alex!


On a side note, the driveway has a bit of an incline, he does amazing on hills!

A Joke for You

Did you hear about the family who loved to move so much....
Wait, that isn't funny at all. But yes, we did (as you probably know) move again. And you know if we're moving, it's raining (or snowing, or icing). Our big day of moving was a Tuesday. Alex's school has a program called Lunch Bunch. The kids bring a lunch and for a small fee, you can leave them there for a couple of extra hours. I asked Karen if Seamus could stay late too and if she would watch Zachary for the extra time. The plan was solid, Phil and I would have 5 hours of distraction free moving. Monday, the weather was beautiful, almost too warm for moving. Tuesday, it poured and poured. It was miserable, but the show must go on! We didn't get as much as we had hoped done, but we still made some good progress into the "too heavy for one person to move" arena. If I recall, it was pretty nice on Wednesday too. The moral here is, "Never ask the Prathers to help you move!"
Here are some fun shots from the excitment:


The lemon tree on the move. Playing in the new backyard.

A temporary fort in the TV cabinet.
And finally, here is a shot of the only part of the house that is fit to accept visitors!

Hope to see you soon!