Spring has sprung

We have been busy enjoying our new season: spring. Although it has been very cold and rainy the past few days, we all can sense a change in seasons, even in good ole hmb. It stays lighter longer, making it possible and probable that you will find us at a park or the tennis courts at 6, the garden is growing everyday and Charlie gets to pick and eat one single fresh asparagus every few days. Our winter wall is slowly becoming a spring wall and when I asked Charlie what we should put up on our spring wall, he answered, "A garden with tomatoes, carrots, asparagus, and artichoke plants".
This year we decided (well, I did) to put a fun twist on the holiday. The kids are so into gardening, and we focus a lot of our family time in and around nature. We have a book called the Root Children that our kids love, and we have talked a lot about winter and how the seeds sleep along with the animals that hibernate. So, I decided to tell them a story about the root children coming in the beginning of spring to help our gardens grow, our trees get their leaves, and to signify spring. They ate it right up. Sure some of you will roll your eyes, call me a hippie (as I believe Adam did), but come on the Easter bunnny: how silly is that. A big white bunny hops from yard to yard dropping off eggs. I like my root children better.

So Friday night the preparations for the root children began. Adam and I probably had more fun that the kids. We spent the whole 30 minutes rolling in laughter, because we only had brown eggs, and blue and green food coloring. Every egg looked the same just a different shade, but one look at any of these pics and you will see we didn't need fancy colors, stickers, dipping spoons, or white eggs to have a great time.

After dying our eggs, Charlie realized it was raining and showed concern over how the root children would come and hide presents and candy...so Adam sat down with Charlie and wrote a note to the root children. I imagined it would go something like this:

Dear Root Children,

Thank you for waking up and coming above ground to help our world grow. Thank you for helping our flowers and vegetables grow. I am very excited about spring coming. You may come inside and leave any goodies you have for us in our living room, since it is raining.

Sincerely,

Charlie

But he is 3. Or 3 and 3/4 if you ask him. And so his not went like this:

Dear Root Children.

Bring me candy inside. Put them in the tunnel and on the couch.

Charlie.

As soon as Charlie woke up the next morning he asked, "Did the root children come?" He went to Kate's room to get her and together they raced around the living room looking for hidden treasures. When they finally found their nature baskets, they were so happy. I made quite a few things in their baskets, gnomes, felted eggs, and added some special things like a wooden fence for their animals, some ducks, chickens, and two new scarves. They also got a book each and a beautiful wooden pond made by another mom.

After the candy had been devoured, the playing started immediately. It was so cute.

As if all this wasn't enough, they also got a very special visit with Nonnie and Papa. Nonnie and Papa came over, brought Easter gifts, bread, strawberries and played non-stop with the kids for 3 hours. They walked together to the park, watched the kids hunt for eggs in the backyard, and playing baseball and basketball with Charlie.

This picture doesn't speak the truth. Charlie was thrilled to get a present and the kids haven't stopped playing with their pet hamsters....

After running around the park and having a nice picnic lunch the kids returned to find the "spring bunny" as Charlie labeled him/her had come and hid the eggs they dyed, as well as some extra with treats inside.

Charlie the champ, he stopped at nothing to get every egg...

He refused any help getting tough to reach eggs, here he is:he climbed the fence with his basket in hand, placed it on the fence and grabbed the egg.

These two picture show it all. After all the eggs had been collected Charlie asked Adam to re-hide them all so he can have all the fun over again....

As soon as Kate realized there was candy in some of the eggs, she called off the search and stood and ate every.last.treat.

In case 5 lollipops and a handful of eggs filled with chocolate and gummy bears wasn't enough sugar for one day, Pa came home from Santa Cruz with these two delicious frosted egg brownies for each kid.

One thing is for sure, these kids are well-loved...and spring is here.

Well, Kate just woke up, and we are off to the Castle Park and then Santa Cruz. Aunt Kate sent me a text late last night..."Hi Sarah, want to bring the kids over for a sleepover tomorrow?" Does it get any better than that?

Happy Spring!