Bubbles and Fairy Houses

Julia caught her first fish on Sunday. Yes, you read it right. JULIA. Cory was holding her and he casted from Johanna's pole and then gave it to Julia to hold and shake around, and low and behold, she hooked a fish. It was a nice size blue gill. We were beginning to think Julia would be the only one to catch a fish that day, but Cory managed to catch a catfish on his last cast.

On Monday, the kids and I spent the morning outside. It was a sunny, 70 degree, perfect Spring day. I told a story about a little bubble's journey down a big stream to the ocean, and then we made our own bubble solution and used all kinds of fun things to blow bubbles. Pipe cleaners, strawberry baskets and straws. The kids were using the straws to blow into little cups making bubble "volcanoes". Johanna forgot what she was doing and instead of blowing out, she sucked in. I hope glycerin is not toxic in small quantities! That could not have tasted good.

It was another beautiful day on Tuesday. Tuesday is our bread making day. I make the dough after breakfast and then the kids and I knead it, roll it out, and make fun shapes with it. Just like play dough, but you get to eat it! We enjoy eating it warm with honey and apple butter. I finished telling the story of Lucy Goose and the Half Egg before heading outside to make a fairy house. Grant decided we should build it down by the pond, so we did, at the base of a red bud tree while Julia looked on from her bouncy seat. Later, after nap, the kids and I were hanging out in Johanna's room and Grant was "wrestling" with Julia on the floor. She stuck her thumb up his nose (why not, it's the perfect size, right?). We all thought that was pretty funny, and Grant wanted her to "pick" his nose again. Johanna said, "I will, Grant." Of course I said, "No, that's yucky!" and Grant said, "Go ahead Johanna. You might find a bunny cracker in there. I stuck one up there once." Now that made me laugh! Later, after dinner, while I was washing the dishes I was serenaded by Johanna in her underwear and a t-shirt, dancing around holding her Tinkerbell tin box purse, while wearing pink sunglasses, upside down. The words to her song consisted of "Da, da, da, da....."

On Wednesday morning Grant played quietly in his room with his Lego's, and Johanna played quietly in her room while a thunderstorm rolled through. It was a nice, peaceful morning. After the storm passed, we headed outside and the kids made use of the abundance of pollen strands from our oak trees. There were sloppy, wet piles all over the driveway. Messy fun! They immediately started throwing clumps into puddles, splashing water all over themselves and finally ended up making a pollen "cake" by patting, stomping and shaping a large pile they had made. Neither of them volunteered to try it!

We had another funny Grant-ism this week. One night after dinner we were outside and I was pushing Johanna on the swing while Grant was swinging next to us. They were enjoying themselves, and Grant said, "Mom, I'm going to swing until the cows come back." I said, "You mean until the cows come home." Johanna chimed in, "I'm going to swing until the cows come home, too."

Our "front porch phoebe" laid 3 eggs. I took a picture of the babies the day before they took flight. I told the kids it wouldn't be long before they left because they could barely all fit in the nest.

A blue heron has also been enjoying our pond, and we have been enjoying him.