Visiting the animals

On Saturday Elise and I went on a field trip with the Early Childhood program. We got on a bus at the school, and rode about 30 minutes to Crookston where there is a branch of the University of Minnesota. UMC has an agricultural focus and two of the students there took us on a tour through the horse barn, beef barn, dairy barn, sheep barn and horticulture building. We had a great time. Elise was a little disappointed that she couldn't pet more animals. She is used to seeing animals at the fair, which are very tame because they are handled and shown. But these animals are not show animals and were much more wary of people. She did get to pet a lamb, and we got a couple of the cows to come up to us.

April

April has been a busy month for us and I need to get this blog updated with our activities.

We celebrated Easter...

At the last minute I read the coloring box which said "this is dye and it will stain clothes." Huh, didn't think about that. So I did the quickest, easiest thing and just had Elise take off her shirt! VERY easy clean-up that way :)
And cousin Trevor's 1st birthday...

Trevor giving me a kiss. Ok, he's really biting me, but I prefer to think of it as a kiss from this sweet birthday boy.Elise LOVES animals and especially loves "playing" with Dutch and Scottie (the cat). They usually put up with her for a while...

Anja has always loved music and has discovered the piano...

There will soon be more pictures posted, we really have been busy!

Easter

Easter Sunday was cooler than Saturday, but still nicer than the previous weeks have been. It seems like real spring might be here. After Easter festivities we took out the yard toys. This is the first summer Anja has been walking and she had a great time playing with the toys and exploring.

Aaaah spring

Oh, it was a glorious day out today, and we were in full spring mode. We spent the day with cousins...

playing in mud...

and HUGE puddles...
riding bike...
blowing bubbles...and flying kites

Anja

Anja had a great time playing with this basketball today. Maybe a hint of things to come?

Elise's Birthday Party

Today we had Elise's "big" party at my mom and dad's, where friends and family could come.

Where is spring?

I really like to think that March is a spring month. Well, not in northern Minnesota! The girls and I came up Sunday to visit my mom and dad for a while. Down in Lismore, we had been enjoying a series of 40, 50, even 60 degree days. On Monday in the north country, a blizzard hit! About a foot of snow, and major winds that created big drifts (one as tall as Elise...3 1/2 feet). Very depressing!