Thursday

I'm prepping food and crafts for a birthday party this weekend, and feeling a bit busy and distracted. Which is how Zoe's painting project progressed from dainty dabs to "Look Mama, I'm wearing gloves! They're silky soft." She was solidly painted from fingertip to wrist. 

My distraction also factored into the evolution of Vincent's backyard activity from batting practice to pitching balls for the dog to being outside while "...wearing none pants!"

After I helped clean up the paint mess and the pants mess, we picked a dozen blueberries each. In March! 

Springers and Jumpers

Gymnastics went fabulously well. We signed up for another session.

Train Watching

There was also a tiny yellow stegosaurus watching the trains go around. Until Phoebe nonchalantly wandered by the dinosaur line up and picked off the straggler on the end. We didn't know any dinos were missing until I realized Phoebe was missing. She snuck off to another room to have a good gnaw. Luckily (?) the dinosaurs are made of some indestructible plastic which was barely dented by doggie teeth. Good as new after a bath.

Sewing Circle

While I sewed tutus (lots of little friends have birthdays this spring), Zoe and Vincent rummaged through my sewing box. I've given Zoe sewing projects in the past, but she was scared of the needle. Not this time! I knotted the thread, then left her to it. When I looked up from the sewing machine, she had stitched a tidy circle. Nice work for a first timer!

Vincent, meanwhile, was busy stabbing pins into a piece of fleece. Miraculously, he did not stab himself even once. He has no fear of the pointy things, but isn't interested in sewing yet. He'll have plenty more chances to try: basic sewing is an essential life skill. I am grateful my mother and aunts and grandmothers taught me to sew, and provided materials to experiment with. I'll never be as fine a seamstress as any of them (not enough patience), but I know enough to turn out some fun tutus. Thank you!