Overcast

Gio's class dyed wool with marigolds in the sun. They left these jars outside for several days and then one day when I dropped Gio off at school there was a big tub of warm water on the picnic table and all the jars were line up next to it. As each child arrived they poured out the liquid and petals, then rinsed the wool in the warm water, rung it out and hung it on a nearby bush to dry. The color ended up being a pale yellow.

The next day the big tub was filled with a dark liquid. His teacher told me it was indigo. As each child arrived they donned rubber gloves and dipped their wool into the liquid. Then they rung it out and placed it on a lined cookie sheet to dry. At first it looked black but as it dried it started to turn a grayish green. I can't wait for next week to find out what the color ended up being. I'm thinking green.

After I took the above photo I noticed the sky was overcast. I have heard this is the best time to take photographs outside and now I believe it. Most of these photos only needed a wee bit of cropping.
Magnolias

Forsythia

I am so happy with this pic :).

Not sure what these are called. I don't recall ever seeing any like this in the spring before.

Grape hyacinths

Lilacs about to bloom

Spring Walk

Gio wanted to be in a picture with this tractor.

Picking clover

Baby tent caterpillers If you look closely you can see them crawling along the top branches in the pic.

Easter

Gio excited about using his new wheel barrow to look for eggs.

Breetz finds an egg.

Joe made these walking blocks for them. We have been trying to make them at least one gift for each holiday.

Gio enjoying a chochlate rabbit.

The boys, with their grandmother's permission, had a fablious time turning stones over in the garden and looking for bugs.

Piling up the goodies.

Eating grapes right from the bunch.

Fruit salad a very healthy desert

Breetz's Birthday

Breetz's favorite restaurant is Muckintamoes aka Moe's. He calls it that because when people walk in the door the employees yell out "Welcome to Moe's." He asked to go there for his birthday and talked about it for weeks before so to Moe's we went.

Joe got nachos ....yyyyuuummmm

Breetz loves his grandmother soooooo much. They're best buddies (after Gio of course).

A robin in Mom's yard.

Carrot cake (picked out before hand by Breetz from Wegmans of course)
We decided to simplify our birthday celebrations. Two gifts for Breetz and one smaller gift for Gio. This way they can enjoy their gifts and not be overwelmed.
Gio was very excited about Breetz's gifts, especially his baby because he has the same type of doll at school and some of his classmates have them as well. He has asked me to make him one for his birthday. Breetz's teacher told me this would happen but at the time I was sceptical.

Gio's gift was a bag of sea shells.
The doll is called a heavy baby because it is filled with millet and weighs several pounds. I really enjoyed making it.

At Gio's school they have a beautifully made tractor and livestock trailer. We found out was made by a German company called Fagus. We decided to get Breetz the skip truck.

Joe holding Breetz's heavy baby.

Coloring Easter Eggs