Tonight was Danielle's first dance - a Daddy/Daughter Girl Scout dance. More specifically, it was a square dance. Danielle was so excited about going.
The kids didn't get much candy in their Easter baskets, but they did get the Easter "must haves" - jelly beans and Peeps. Tonight we made Peep s'mores. In my opinion, they weren't as good as genuine s'mores cooked over a campfire, but they were certainly good enough! And they were fun. 
Danielle's Daisy troop is working on earning their red petal, which stands for being courageous and strong. To focus on the strong part, an instructor came in and led a Zumba for Kids class. The girls loved it!! Danielle had so much fun and worked up quite a sweat. It was really cute to watch. The instructor brought the little skirts for the girls to wear. They made a lot of noise when the girls wiggled around, which, of course, encouraged them to wiggle more! It looked like great exercise, but I'm pretty sure it would kill me. This Thursday night is their Daddy-Daughter Dance. Danielle is soooo excited!
We've had a very nice Easter weekend. We started by taking the kids to see Mary Poppins on Thursday evening. It was Tyler's first play (Danielle saw The Nutcracker), and our first together as a family. We had a really nice evening. The play was a lot different than the movie, but it was good. Of course, no one plays Bert like Dick Van Dyke!
we went to my dad's for our annual Easter egg hunt. My stepmom puts so much time, effort, and thought into making it special for the kids, and it shows. It is always a wonderful time, and the kids have so much fun. As we watched the kids run around the yard looking for their eggs, we couldn't help but think of Easters past, when the kids were all so much younger. They are all growing up way too fast! It was a great afternoon.
son's intent).
The birds were busy, too! This is nesting season, and I've seen lots of birds collecting supplies for their nests. We have 2 pairs of chickadees that visit regularly. Occasionally they'll check out Tyler's nesting box, even pop in for a second, but they always fly away. I think they were just house shopping. Today it looks like one of the pairs has decided to buy. I read that chickadees like to excavate their own cavities, so I filled the box up with wood chips (hamster bedding) when I hung it up. Today one of the birds was busy removing the chips. He would either spit them out right outside the hole or fly over to a branch and spit them out onto the ground. It was very interesting to watch. In one picture you can see his lady friend supervising his work. Hopefully they will stick around and lay some eggs. I would love to see some baby chickadees! (In case you're wondering, the wire and tacks are a homemade house sparrow deterrent...and it w
orks wonderfully!)
Speaking of Legos, here are some bug creatures Danielle made today (ladybug, bee, ant, caterpillar, and butterfly on a flower). I thought they were great!! I love how creative both our kids are, and how differently they express it.
I took the kids to a program at one of our metroparks this morning. They have a working historical farm, and we went to help the farmer with morning chores. We attended a program last summer and really enjoyed it. In fact, we were supposed to attend this program last summer, too, but had to cancel. This was just as good, and I'm glad we finally fit it in! 
It was rainy and ugly out (which is why the sky looks so horrible in the pictures!), so I think that cut down on the turnout. Registration was full and there was a waiting list, but only one other family showed up. I have to admit that was kind of nice. We were the first ones there, so the kids brought in firewood and water for the house while the farmer was getting ready. 
Once the farmer was ready for us, he kept the kids busy. They checked for eggs in the chicken coops and fed the chickens. Tyler & Danielle found 3 eggs. They were amazed that the eggs were still warm. They fed the horses, let the sheep out to pasture, milked the cow, fed & watered the pigs, and shelled some corn. They also checked for turkey eggs. The hen hopped off a nest as the kids walked in. She had just finished laying an egg, and it was
still wet when the farmer picked it up. The kids had a great time. We walked around the farm a little more when the program was over, but couldn't linger too long because Danielle's softball practices started this afternoon. 
We're looking forward to going back sometime this summer 
when the skies are blue and we can finish off our outing with a picnic lunch under a shade tree.
