Things the kids like

Oliver likes oatmeal.

Both kids like waiting at the pharmacy for medicine.

And Madeline likes sleeping.

Madeline also likes the latest spring fashions from Grandma Mandy's box ...

... and spending her Friday afternoon with Summer at the local natural history museum.

When he made it home from school Friday, Oliver also liked the latest spring fashions.

On Saturday, the kids liked spending time outside!

On Sunday morning, Madeline made a card for a classmate whose birthday party was later that morning.  It featured a microbe (later converted to a spiderweb) and a flower.  Madeline likes microbes (and spiderwebs and flowers too).

The birthday party was at a lovely Audubon preserve.

Usually Madeline likes Audubon preserves, but this time she was flagging on the short walk into the woods.  Soon she announced that she was feeling sick -- all in all, she couldn't really enjoy the party.  She only ate one bite of birthday cake!  We left a little early and she spent the rest of the day on the couch.

Oliver joined her too -- but only for a little bit.

Then he abandoned the couch to build towers with blocks -- he likes building!

Madeline has not liked being sick.  She had to miss school today and went to bed this evening at 6.  Let's hope she likes tomorrow better.

Kiddos running amok

We've been out in the yard just about every evening since the weather got nice.

Last Thursday, I had to work in the evening.  But Summer plied the kids with cookies she'd baked earlier that day!

Oliver has been expressing a lot of interest in the potty, though he doesn't totally get it.

He also reached his twenty-month birthday!

But he's a little to active these days for me to have managed a non-blurry picture.

Thankfully, he has a daycare that indulges his wild side.  They even had a "Fun with Shaving Cream" day last week!

Oliver is also just as excited about Madeline about checking on our library.

And both kids have an insatiable urge to run amok outside.

And, for that matter, to run amok inside.

This tires them out at night.

Until they wake up and are back at it again the next day!

On Sunday, we went to the beach.  Oliver's favorite activity was picking up rocks and throwing them into the water.

Madeline was mostly interested in collecting rocks -- especially quartz.

Then afterward, Madeline drew a picture of the beach: the sun in the sky, Madeline and Oliver on swings, the water of the bay, a starfish and octopus under the water, and the sand on the shore.

Yesterday, at Oliver's request, Madeline and I built a Tyrannosaurus rex out of Duplos.

And Oliver danced!

Worms and dirt and slugs and such

Spring has kept us busy.  Taking care of little ones ...

... can sometimes be so exhausting that a parent falls asleep on the kitchen floor.

Seriously, I fell asleep on the kitchen floor.

But we also got our Little Free Library mounted to the tree out front, and filled with books to boot!

(There's a great video that goes with that picture, but alas! I can't get it to work.)

Last weekend, we met up with some other families to watch some Brown women's rugby.

But Oliver had been limping on Friday and Saturday, and by Sunday morning he couldn't walk.  So Summer took him to urgent care ...

... where it was determined that he probably had a harmless virus that would just run its course, but they couldn't say for sure, so a Monday morning visit to the pediatrician was in order.

Meanwhile, Madeline the mermaid and I hung out in the yard ...

... and hunted for worms.

While all that was going on, we also got off the waitlist for a community garden we'd signed up for before Madeline was born, just a block or so away from our old apartment.  We decided to take the plunge, and went to visit it Sunday afternoon.

Then, back at home, the kids dug for worms some more.

Which, of course, necessitated a bath later (have no fear! -- the water is not a result of dirt from the kids -- it's just a festive bath product).

Monday morning did indeed bring a visit to the pediatrician ...

... who confirmed that Oliver's inability to walk was likely the product of a harmless virus that would soon run its course.

For his part, Oliver confirmed that he is a very sweet-tempered little guy.

After I picked up Madeline from school, we enjoyed the lovely weather and played in the yard some more.  She found a slug!  After she showed it off to me ...

... she brought it with her to check on our little library, and then brought it across to street to show our neighbor Fred.

There's more to come in another post, but just to head off any lingering concern, those last pictures are from last Monday; Oliver was up and running and fully his usual self Tuesday morning.

April cheer

Last Wednesday a meeting kept me in Providence late, so Summer got the kiddos painting.

And Madeline had the day off on Friday, so Summer took her to the library ...

... and out to lunch.

On Saturday the weather was nice -- don't be fooled by the snow! -- so we took our first spring hike at Fisherville Brook.

It started off rough, with Madeline protesting quite a bit until we paused for a snack.

Then the mood improved.

It was reeeeally nice to get out in the woods again after our long and inhospitable winter.

Sunday was Easter!  There were baskets ...

... full of special eggs ...

... and other goodies, and later we painted hard-boiled eggs too.

After the eggs were all painted, we moved on to paper (Madeline painted a blue jay).

We also finished the design for our little free library.  I've given it a clear coat, so all that remains is to replace the handle and then mount it to the tree out front.

All the excitement tuckered Oliver out.

But later that afternoon, he revived. At one point, Summer and I realized we hadn't heard from the kiddos in a while.  They had raided their jelly beans!

That night, Madeline decided she wanted a shower instead of a bath.  Oliver thought he did too ...

... but he found the actual experience traumatizing.

Waffles for breakfast the next morning helped him recover.

The kiddos have been really sweet to each other lately.  Madeline has made up a couple of routines that the two of them enjoy together on the rides to and from school.  In one, she recites a poem she made up: "Oliver is going to town / carrying a bag of bunnies down!"  Oliver generally responds by cheering and repeating, "Bunnies! Bunnies!"  (One day, Madeline added some extra commentary: "But the mice can't go in the bag." Why?  "Because the bunnies might eat them!"  Oh, ok...)  In the other, she claps twice and tickles him while chanting "Clap-clap-tickle! Clap-clap-tickle!"  Then he howls with laughter and repeats, clapping, "Clap-clap-tickle!"  It's all very adorable.