Well, Spring Break has come to a close. It was a nice break. On Friday, we went to our usual Friday playgroup and we celebrated one little friend’s first birthday! It was so cute! It is SO fun to see these little babies grow up. We were at the park, so the kids had a great time. It was a sunny, clear (warm!) day – the sort that makes more freckles appear on Bigs’ nose and makes him and Smalls’ cheeks turn pink!
The park was a new one to us and really great! There were lots of mini-playgrounds to explore.
As per the usual, Smalls followed Bigs around, trying to do all the big boy things bigger boys do.
Bigs loves going down fireman slides. He’s so good at it. He calls himself “Fireman ‘Bigs'”, when sliding down!
The boys had so much fun!
And the birthday boy did too! He smooshed cake all over his sweet little face. It was a fun day!
When we got home, my wonderful neighbor brought me a Jewish pastry called a hamentashen. It was a prune flavored one and it was just delicious.
The pastry was light and buttery, the prune filling was subtle and sweet. It was my first hamentashen and I’d been wanting to try one for a while. So thoughtful of my neighbor!
We rounded out our day with a fun dinner at Cracker Barrel with my parents-in-law (I took a picture of my dinner, under the watchful, slightly judgey eye of my sitting-too-close-dining neighbor-that-I-didn’t-know, but it didn’t look as good as it tasted). After dinner, we rocked on their famous rocking chairs for a while and relaxed. It was a great Friday.
We didn’t have pancakes on Saturday morning (!!!), but I DID make muffins! I needed to use up more of the spinach from St. Patty’s Day (when I made spinach pancakes).
I doubled the recipe since I had a ton of spinach and it only made 12 muffins (I like to freeze them for future eating). They were spinach banana muffins. They came out SO good!
I was taking pictures of them as they were cooling and Smalls couldn’t resist trying to sneak one. I love those little sneaky baby hands!
These muffins came out just right – the perfect, tender, chewy crumb, a heavy banana taste, loads of cinnamon.
You couldn’t taste the spinach at all, and I used about 3 or so cups!
In our house, when I make spinach muffins, we call them “Army Men Muffins” because they come out almost the same color as Bigs and Smalls’ army men.
Here is the recipe for our Army Men Muffins:
http://thegreenforks.com/popeye-muffins/
We took the boys to Home Depot after breakfast to get some plants. There happened to be a popcorn cart there, at which the boys got some free little bags to munch on.
Smalls
Bigs
I shouldn’t even admit this, but I sort of love going to Home Depot. The lumber smell that hits you right as you walk in is such a wonderful smell, especially mixed with the hot doggy smells from the hot dog cart by the entrance. They sort of go together – hot dogs and lumber. Anyways, I love going through the garden section. It’s always like a little e-venture (as Bigs call it).
Bigs likes to try out the riding mowers.
He’s so neat.
We got a blackberry plant, a blueberry plant, and some other stuff that I have no idea about. When we got home, we (they) transferred them to their new pots.
Bigs is at such a wonderful age (turning 4 in about a month and a half), where he loves to help and is actually good at it.
He put together his own little plant. He called it his “merry-go-round” plant because he couldn’t remember that it was a marigold.
He dropped in the seeds and watered it all by himself.
We can’t wait to see it grow!
Smalls played in the yard while Bigs planted.
He likes going up to the fence separating our yard from the neighbors’ and barking at it, in hopes that their dogs will come to see him.
Our sweet little girl keeping a watchful eye on the new plants
After planting and naps, the big boys (Husband and Bigs) grilled some burgers while Smalls kept me company in the kitchen. We had macaroni and cheese (GF, DF version for Husby). I also sautéed some green and wax beans with some carrots.
It was a good Saturday.
Today, Sunday, was a great day too! Church was great. We are learning about the book of John right now. Today we talked about how even when we don’t know ourselves and when we question who we are (which I have many times), God always knows who we are and who He has made us to be. It gave me such a sense of peace that I don’t even need to always know who I am. It just doesn’t even matter. God knows.
And in Bigs’ Sunday School class, they learned about Jesus washing feet.
They got a little kit of soap and a teeny towel. I couldn’t even get a picture of it all together since Bigs was so excited. He couldn’t wait to get home and wash the feet of the most willing participant (I won). He said it’s how Jesus showed His love and so he wanted to do that too.
I am blown away at the Biblical knowledge Bigs is learning and how his love for Jesus is showing. <3
With our leftover hamburger dinner, I made the most yummy fruit salad. A refreshing way to end our Spring Break.
It’s summer fruit season already and I am so excited! I never used to look forward to Summer (so hot, not an outdoorsy kind of gal), but my boys just make it so much fun and we have so much to look forward to. God is good!
I hope you all have had a blessed Spring Break (or week, if you weren’t so lucky).
Happy Sunday,
Kristin
We put tons of spinach in our smoothies every morning and you can’t taste it in them either. You can however taste kale, blah.
I love that Smalls goes to the fence and barks, so stinkin cute!
YAY you got the password lol! 🙂 I haven’t tried the kale yet – stronger flavor?
Great seeing you today, see you soon!