Adieu to you and you and you.

Mmmm. I've been enjoying meatless Fridays this Lent a little more than I ought. Maybe it just takes a little bit of the meatless/simplicity challenge to get me to be more creative in the kitchen? Well, I'm not sure cajun red beans or cheese quesidillas qualify as creative. But certainly, I'm at least getting out of my cooking rut of making the same things over and over which is what happened over the winter.

Uh-oh. A big bang, and now lots of crying.

Okay, I'm back. It wasn't so bad. Ana and Toby were getting naked and Toby's shirt was stuck and he couldn't get it over his head. Typical 2 year old drama.

Dan and I have been getting ready to go to NYC to visit my sister! Ana and Toby will be staying with Grandma and Grandpa Wambeke while we're gone. Their home is a place they love more than their own. Hoorah for leaving children in good hands!

Anyhow, as I said, Dan and I are visiting Mary in the upper west side of Manhatten. Generally, we eat and eat and eat and eat. Until it's time to go, and then we kind of wish we visited a museum or SOMETHING.

It'll be more of the same this time. But really, it's all about pure unadulterated sister time. Oh, and my husband too. Sorry Dan, I almost forgot about you there!

And now, with snow flakes falling on April 15th, I bid adieu.

Spring posting.

Ah. Today was the first day in quite a while that I've actually had some energy. I didn't spend the whole day trying to keep the kids busy while I rest at the same time (totally impossible). We spent a nice few hours outside playing games and climbing fences and they even loved the homemade chicken soup I made for our dinner. A rare day indeed.

Little baby Wambeke has already staked a claim in the kids' hearts. Ana has been collecting baby clothes and practicing diaper changes on Toby because, as she states, she is going to do all the things for the new baby. Toby's excitment for the new baby is emerging in that he likes to use my belly as a stepping stool.

We are loving our spring weather! Ana looks outside every morning to look at the Robins jumping around and to see how much snow is left to melt. And Toby will actually let me put him down when we're outdoors (oh novelty!).

But, there is one sad face around the shire. It looks to be a bad year for maple syruping. It was too cold a spring, and now the warm up is too fast. But, that's how it goes and sometimes we must bend with the wind.

I have identified at least five knitting or sewing projects that need to be completed before the baby arrives. Mostly for Christmas presents or colder weather. I am predicting no time for these sorts of fun things for a good half year, so I'm trying to think ahead. We'll see just how many of the five actually get completed. I'm not too hopeful.