Happy Spring!

So we missed the whole Christmas card thing.  But here we are in Spring still thinking of all of you and thankful that you are our friends.  Happy Spring!

New Family Tradition

On Easter morning, during our family egg hunt, Mason noted that his basket was less full than his older brother's basket.  He was a little disappointed, but he is a kid who shakes things off quickly.  A few transfers from Merritt's basket to Mason's and all was well.  (Meanwhile, Molly was ecstatic about the whole experience and quite satisfied with finding her handful.)

When we got in the house and Mason began to open all of his plastic eggs, he came across one that was completely empty.  After the previous egg-hunt setback, this was quite discouraging for him.  I tried to be brilliant and rescue the situation by explaining that since Easter was really about Jesus' empty tomb, the empty egg was really the best egg of the day.  It was REAL Easter egg.

Well, that do too much to make Mason feel better at the moment, but ever since then, I have been thinking about that and about how to make the empty egg the best egg to find.

I think we'll make some kind of special party hat for the person who finds the empty egg, or let them eat off of the "special person of the day" plate at lunch, or something else special to help the message of the Easter "empty" stick...

A Molly Moment - Pretty Hair

Molly often asks for "pretty hair." She means that she wants a clip or a barrette in her hair. Now this is often a frustrating request because she rarely leaves a clip in her hair for more than 30 minutes. And being a girl of fine, straight hair, she needs a clip to be able to see clearly.

Well, the other morning she asked for pretty hair, and not only wanted one clip, she wanted every clip in her clip jar, and then a pony tail to boot. Every clip, every ribbon, every barrette. I put them all in for her. And then she stood at the mirror admiring the beauty for several minutes. I left the room to get my camera and when I returned she looked up at me with dreamy eyes and said gratefully, "I'm so pretty Daddy."

As is typical, all the clips were out within about a half hour.

By the way, just in case I forget to share; my favorite Molly-ism is the way that she says "sparkly." Instead of "sparkly," she says "brocolli." I don't think I will every correct her. It's just too stinking cute!

Things I Noticed at Wal Mart

- A couple left their cart right in the middle of an available adjacent parking place when the cart return area was less than 10 feet away from them.

- The one person walking around the store eating from their cart, seriously needed to not be eating from their cart...

- The 100 calorie snack bags cost more than the normal package of the same item, plus enough ziplock baggies to hold the snacks.

- There is nothing remotely healthy (food) available for purchase within 15 feet of a cash register.

- The Navy guys come to Wal Mart in droves on Friday evening.

- Many parents have small children up and out at 10 PM.

- A "promotional" item is definitely not the same as a "sale" item.

- If cleanliness is next to godliness, I have no idea what that makes an average WalMart shopper.

- Grocery shopping seems to be a fairly controversial activity for couples.

The Battle is Lost

It is time to give up on the magnolia tree. It is dead and I am sad.

No amount of soil amendment could save it. Now I'm looking for suggestions of what to plant in it's place. I want a small tree that blooms in early spring and that has a random growth pattern. Any suggestions?