A Nature Filled Day

Here in Northwest Arkansas we've been seeing our share of bad weather. We've had severe storms, flooding, and tornados for the past week. We finally had our first day of full sunshine and we were outside enjoying it as much as we could. We really got a look at the arrival of Spring!

A walk around the neighborhood.

You could really see the flood damage in some areas.

Looking for rolly pollies

This tree is covered in HUUGE thorns! It's called a Locust Tree and I've never seen this tree in it's natural habitat, just it's thorns encased in nature centers around Arkansas.

I had no idea there was one on our street!

Caterpillars are EVERYWHERE right now.

I loved getting the opportunity to talk to L about how caterpillars change into butterflies

I love finding heart shapes in nature. I always send a picture of my heart find to my husband.

I sent this picture with the caption:

I "Leaf" You!

And our greatest find of the day!

 

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Homemade Outdoor Cardboard Car Track and Play Mat

We're moving and I have tons of boxes. L loves cars and building cities in his room for his play people and I love to take any opportunity to take playtime outside so while he was napping I cut up a box and drew a very easy car track on it. I could have went more elaborate but I just didn't have the time.

We brought it outside along with his cars, peg people, animals and dinosaurs, tree blocks, etc. and used rocks, grass, and sticks to create different areas of play

Boys will be boys

This unfortunate maiden was put into the feeding area for the animals

Building a "rock castle"

and it folds up nicely to store in the garage for the next use

homemade, simple, cheap, and fun

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Playing Office

L has an amazing imagination all on his own, but when I help him out with an idea or a few props, he totally runs with it and creates his own little world. I bought some silk ties and scarves for doing silk dyed Easter eggs (which sadly I never got the time to do) but L found the ties and immediately wanted to put one on "like daddy." So between his glasses and the tie it was just too adorable and I knew he was ready for the office! He tells me all the time anyway that he's going to the office to go to work and he'll be back later...so I thought i'd set him up an office playspace and let his imagination run with the idea.

His computer, his play blackberry phone, an old library card,

paper and crayons, some junk mail and his homemade mailbox,

and of course his new business name...

Mr. L

Hard at work

Perfect rainy day imaginative play activity

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Easter Week 2011

We had an awesome Easter week, however, unfortunately I didn't get to everything I wanted to on my 2011 Easter To-Do List. This was largely due to the fact that I am in the middle of packing to move (have I mentioned that we are buying a house? YAY!) and at the end of my school term which has kept me busy with homework and studying.

Visit to the Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks

Local Easter Egg Hunt
(greedy and pushy parents, too cold, too windy, too crowded)
But L had fun so thats all that mattered

Plastic Egg Matching Game

Peeps Smore's

Decorating 7 Paper Eggs

L's first time dying eggs

L's Eggs

The striped ones were done using rubber bands

Caddy getting in on the egg dying action

The end to the worst day of my parental career

(a room covered in baby powder)

My guys on Easter morning

My beautiful suprise Easter basket from my hubby <3

L's egg hunt

So, even though my Easter to-do list was left largely undone, we still had an amazing Easter week and day, and never forgot the true meaning of the holiday. I thank my Lord and Savior for my salvation and family, and the many blessings bestowed upon us!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!

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