((BEFORE))
I caught up with the laundry this weekend. Honest! 
Hello, friends! It’s so lovely outdoors. Spring has arrived, I do believe. I had a little pb and j picnic under the pine trees with Seth and Sarah today for lunch. Then, we went for a ramble down the trail, across the field, and through the woods. Sarah learned a new word, “discusting”. She learned it when she heard me say it after I step into some dark brown mud. We’re safely home now, and the two little ones are in their cribs for naps. I just made myself some peppermint tea and thought I would sit down to post pictures from my weekend. Did you have a nice one? Yes? We did, too.
On Saturday morning, I discovered that one of my birdfeeders was broken and on the ground. My chickens were happy with the available sunflowers seeds (on the ground so convenient for a treat) but I was not. Imagine my surprise when Rich went out to run an errand and came home with a new feeder for me, even nicer than the old one. It holds a lot of seed and looks so nice out there, the birds are already using it. Thanks, honey! I went outside to get a closer look (he even filled it up and hung it in place for me). While I was out, I saw one of Davy’s projects.
His intent was to catch a wild bird (and has had success in the past), but unfortunately, this time the chickens ate up all the seed, and the cats couldn’t resist attacking the string.
The girls (and I don’t mean my human girls, ha ha) are enjoying some tender new grass…..and the occasional bug or two.
I have all kinds of things coming up in the flower gardens. These are tulips. What a delight springtime is, to see the newness of life all around us~
Ethan did a little boating with the kiddie pool and a long stick. He calmly rowed his boat gently across the pond (it took a while, but E has patience).
At one point, he conversationally said to me, “I think there might be a small hole in this pool.” He kept rowing until he made it to the other side.
I saw a robin on the top of a pine tree.
Ethan went on to fishing. He sure loves the outdoors. About a month ago decided he would like to work in forestry conservation when he grows up. (stay tuned)
He was joined by a brother. Aren’t they so sweet?
And then another brother.
Rich found me outside (after he had a nice 2 mile run) and we watched the children playing, enjoying the beautiful cool spring afternoon.
Davy practiced his front flips on the trampoline.
And this is little Mr. Caleb. They both say, “Watch this MOM!” a lot.
Meanwhile, Ethan got his hook stuck in a tree. He climbed out to the end of the tree (bending it way over the pond), and fell in the icy water.
This was all done without any drama, with an occasional request for a stick or scissors. (we never did figure out why he needed the stick)
We didn’t know what was going on until we saw him at *this stage in the game*, back in the “boat”, and trying very hard to untangle his line.
He did get it, eventually, and was pink and shaking by the time he got his Dad’s pole reassembled. And that was the end of fishing (and boating) for the day.
This morning, in the early morning sunshine Sarah colored. She ended up doing more peeling off the papers on the crayons than coloring. She was quite industrious about it.
Seth was gone and quiet for 5 minutes (yes, that’s all it takes) and all of a sudden I wondered if he was gone outside somewhere, lost. Or writing all over a wall. Or, something worse.
Thankfully, I found him right away, in the boy’s room downstairs, playing with lego horses. He played by himself long enough for me to ask him several times if he was sick. “No!” he kept saying. You see, he is usually all over the place like the energizer bunny, and is hardly EVER quiet and/or focused for long periods of time. When Sarah discovered what he was up to, she also (of course) wanted a horse. A horse? Of course!
About a month ago, Davy brought home from school a form for SPRING PORTRAITS. Frankly, I was shocked. Now we’re taking TWO school pictures of the children? Is this necessary? After all, I already shelled out $$ for five pictures packages in the beginning of the school year. I made the decision (it wasn’t hard) not to order, and didn’t fill in the form, but, guess what? They took his portrait anyway and sent them all home with him on Friday. I have the option of purchasing all the photos for the low-low price of 44 dollars!
The nerve! But, look at them! They’re wonderful! He’s so handsome! We all, the whole family, were impressed by these pictures!
I just can’t get over the feeling of being “tricked” somehow, into buying something I didn’t want.
Bless his heart, Davy is also proud of these pictures, and asked so dearly, “Can I please just have one sheet, Mom?” I notice him looking at them when he doesn’t think anyone is watching. So you can see how torn I feel. It’s the principle of the thing. I do want the portraits, understandably, what Mama wouldn’t?
Well, that’s it for today.
Oh wait, I almost forgot. Just one more picture (I think I can already hear the “well done’s” and feel the pats on the back!)
((AFTER))
Have a grace-full happy day!!
Shanda
Good to be Home 
My sister in law said they also had spring pictures. She declined also. (now I’m wondering if her daughter will come home with pictures anyway…LOL)Happy Spring day to you!!
Aw. 🙂 I just loved this. It brought many smiles to my Monday morning. Ethan in the pool, using it as a boat really is inventive and made me smile. How fun! I never would have thought of something like that. Also understand that panic when a kid is missing and quiet. It does only take a very small amount of time for big trouble to happen! And hooray on laundry! I’m hoping to be just as successful today! 🙂 That was quite the trick with the pictures. They must have known they would be that good and you would love them and that’s why they took them anyways. I wonder if all schools take them even if you say no? I haven’t had much experience with this.
Great post and looks like a wonderful morning! And that is pretty tricky of the school to do that! And yes, I’d look take one look at those and have to end up buying at LEAST one sheet. You’re right tho, that was very, very tricky of them.Bam and I were talking about getting a couple chickens this year (since we are still a year or two away from planting grass anyway) but do you have any advice/pros and cons to give to someone looking into a couple hens for the backyard? Bam really wants to do it this year but… I don’t really know anything about raising and keeping hens and he has slowly started doing his research… but all in all, how much “work” goes into keeping them? Will they destroy our yard? Do you have laying hens? If so, any advice about them and egg collecting? I just have so many questions and no one to talk to who has real experience with them. I’m done bomb-barding you with questions now 🙂 Enjoy the rest of your lovely day!
It’s a wonderful feeling to fold that “last” load of wash. I’ve a mountain to get to folding yet this afternoon. I was able to keep the wash going thei weekend, but left folding for today. Loved the idea of using a kiddie pool to go untangle the fishing line 🙂
I can “hear” the conflict regarding the pictures….
and understand the feeling of betrayal/trickery in them sending the pics home anyhow!! I would be torn too!The boat/fishing/pond/picnic/play time and all of that seems wonderful.I have always told you what a wonderful DH you have….and the kindness with the birdfeeder just makes me all that much more certain about it. 🙂
That was trickery on the potrait studio’s part… still.. they are such good photos and sounds like he asked so nicely!
what usually happens here, is that the spring pictures turn out better than the first of the year pictures. so I usually buy both. crazy.
Simply splendid Shanda! I just adore you and your sweet family and your way of enjoying the little things. We share that and it makes me feel like we must be kindred spirits. Get the pictures or you’ll kick yourself later. Make a stand about something else…like laundry. : )
Spring has definitely sprung around your place ~ enjoyed the post ~
So sweet to spend some moments with you all. Yes, well done on the laundry and wonderful clean looking table…you have to enjoy those moments before the next meal or project!Good for Ethan being such a good adventurer and so careful with his Dad’s pole. As I was reading, I was wondering, isn’t he freezing? So sweet seeing Sarah in the morning sunshine. Davey’s pics are so nice, where the ones in Fall like that too? Though you do take the BEST pics.
hi shanda…….thanks for sharing your lovely weekend. aren’t you LOVING the spring weather? after an easy winter, now we have temps in the 60’s and 70’s here in southeastern WI this week. please let it stay this way!! and BTW, you have great photography skills, so take davy into your woods to mimic the ones sent home and do a little photo shoot of your own. i think davy would love that, and you’d save 44 dollars!
I second the photo shoot:) you take such wonderful pictures with thst awesome camera!! what a cute weekend!!
Well done…pat, pat. =) I love your table and chairs. (and your centerpiece of course ;)My boys and I read about the boat in the pond. Poor Ethan! I was cold just reading the post!Such beautiful property…such a wonderful looking weekend.As for the pictures…you could do the same thing if not better and have them printed into little portraits.I would send the photos back and have a special picture day of your own and then ice cream afterward. You’ll still be $$$ ahead! =)Have a great day.
I enjoyed the pictures and hearing about your weekend.
@onehappymomma – I think we are kindred spirits, and I’ve thought so many a time. 🙂 Thank you, sweet friend.
@bamsniko22407 – Keeping chickens is easier than you might expect! I will message you tomorrow, okay? xoxo
We’ve been having fun seeing the Robins around here. I love it because it shows spring is definitely here but it looks like it’s starting to show up there as well. yay for getting all the laundry caught up! I think you should do Liz’s idea for pictures. It would be cheaper and make more memories 🙂
Ours schools do the same thing. It makes the mamas very unhappy, especially those who take great pictures themselves, as you do.
I laughed right out loud at the pool in the lake!! So funny.My laundry looked like as well!! 🙂