Little explorer

Just a couple pictures of Cassidy out and about enjoying the natural world on Mother's Day. I think this is going to be good summer for us. No longer do I need to worry (quite so much) about her tottering over onto rocks or filling her mouth with sand and dirt as we go out exploring, but I love watching her poking about with sticks, sitting in the tall grasses and just generally embarking on those little kid adventures. Here's to a fun summer of explorations!

Art for all

I think it may have started with the wooden egg painting on Easter. We had a fun time pulling out the paints and a basket of wooden eggs, with everyone gathered around for some decorating. Despite the fact that I have never really felt terribly artistic, I enjoy the fact that parenting has really helped me rediscover that art can and should be for everyone. It's just fun to get those creative juices flowing and to play around with paints!

In any case, the egg painting has inspired us to get into quite a bit more painting and art this week. Cassidy revisited the painting of her egg on an almost daily basis, adding new bits of color. We painted on paper, which led to Cassidy discovering how to paint her hands and then make handprints. She took an interest in painting directly on the porch, which led me to redirect that energy into sidewalk chalk :). 

It's been a fun week for art and for being outside. We're enjoying some lovely spring weather and getting ready to do some planting in our garden this week!

Finding the snow

As you may know, we don't exactly live in a snowy place, and yet pretty much every children's book you'll find about winter takes place in some kind of winter wonderland. Needless to say, Cassidy has this understanding of "winter", but little opportunity to experience it first hand.

All of that changed this weekend.

With a return to cooler, rainier winter weather around here, we got the idea that perhaps, just perhaps, if we headed towards some higher elevations we might find some snow. And find it we did! A mere 40 minute drive from our house!

Cassidy was so excited and kept repeating over and over "Cassidy play in the snow. Cassidy play in winter". It never really occurred to me that she would think of winter as a location, more than a season, since everything we typically think of as winter is not part of her daily experience. But we had a great time playing in the snow and making little snowmen.

It was fun to see the wineries all covered in snow too.

We finished off the trip with some hot chocolate in the "cowpoke cafe", while looking out at geyser-dotted snow covered peaks. Not a bad Saturday!

Scenes from the holidays

We spent Christmas at home this year. While we missed seeing all the family, it was fun to have the chance to put time into starting some of our own little holiday traditions with Cassidy.

We decorated our front window with paper cutouts (Cassidy suggested the cutout ideas, while I did the cutting). One of my sewing projects was to complete this advent calendar with each pocket containing an activity for the day and a wooden figure to use in constructing a nativity scene. 

We baked gingerbread...

And made a gratitude garland with paper and clothespins.

At the same time we didn't really do as much as maybe I thought we would. Maybe the lack of snow means that my instinct to really get to baking and holiday-ing never quite kicks into full gear. I don't know. But I do know that we also enjoyed the chance to be out and about and enjoyed a couple of Christmas eve walks in some of our local parks. (A good Christmas eve walk or two is a tradition I'm ready to embrace!)

We returned home from our afternoon walk to discover that the local church had a full live action nativity scene underway. A mix of young and old participated (there was also a little boy on the roof of the manger in an angel costume) along with the livestock. Cassidy loved it.

Christmas eve followed on with Cassidy's new table from Nai nai and Bop, and a reading of Maisy's Snowy Christmas Eve dressed in new pjs. We even had time to take some cookies over to our new neighbors.

A few scenes from the rest of Christmas day...Christmas trees, gifts, Nutella toast, a Christmas dress...

The post-holiday season has not been without it's challenges, but we are weathering them and looking for the ways we can enjoy the rest of winter.