The past few weeks have been packed with play rehearsal and preparation. We're almost done though and with the end of the play comes Easter and spring break, so we'll have some proper time off. I'm enjoying the play, but I'm also looking forward to being done.
Nellie is getting big enough to be out in the yard by herself as long as she stays in the front (we still are having some issues understanding why it's not okay to just take off to our neighbor's without asking, but generally she's good about it). She has loved the independence, especially since it's been nice out the past few days. And since the ducks have returned to the pond. The drakes are particularly entertaining during mating season--they chase each other all over the place and splash at each other.
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| Watching the chickens eating. |
Before "hell week" (the last week of rehearsals before the show), I did fit in some quality bake time with each of the kids. Nell is obsessed with helping in the kitchen, and doesn't take "no" very lightly if I'm in a rush to get things done. It's always nice to have some time to really make something with her.
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| Macarons with jam. |
Finn always asks to make the same thing: blueberry muffins. I love blueberry muffins, so that's all good and fine, but it gets a little monotonous. The problem really is he's just not thinking much beyond that. This time I insisted we make something else--scones. He wasn't pleased until I suggested chocolate scones. He was willing to settle for that.
A couple of weeks ago Madie had a half-day followed by a day off of school. Finn had a friend over for the half-day and Madie was a little bored. She's usually good to just read all afternoon, but I guess she wasn't feeling it, so I suggested we make something together since it's unusual to have time to do anything like that until the summer. She had asked for a "kids' cookbook" for Christmas, and although she didn't get one as a gift, my cousin asked me a couple days after, completely out of the blue, if we wanted one she had now that her kids had outgrown it. Yes! So Madie pulled it out and decided on chocolate-dipped shortbread cookies. We even got to use the pastry bag to shape the cookies, which was a highlight for her.
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| Shortbreads break easily, especially when a 7-year old is shaping them with a bag. That meant lots of mistakes to--*wink*--clean up. |
