The weather is so crazy this month! Sunshine. SNOW. Rain. Sunshine. I can’t keep up. We’re definitely trying to make the most of nice days, though. The kids got outside for some soccer on Monday afters school.

When I left for work on Monday, Steven still had his splinter. He bravely asked Madison to try to remove it and she did! Easy peasy(ish). I definitely think this is one of those things left to someone other than “mommy”.

Tuesday afternoon I left work early and met Madison and SSA at their school for a Passover party. It’s so special that I can make it to events like this. We’re all really going to miss this school next year.

Steven, Sammy and Amaya with their center director, Ms. Shannon. She’s wonderful, and a big part of what makes the school so special.

We were among the first there which meant we had our pick of matzah toppings. Sammy and Amaya went straight for frosting. Steven was excited for jelly and berry flavored cream cheese. Everyone got chocolate chips.

After eating we decorated Afikomen bags. Sammy drew the solar system. Steven dedicated his to his family. Amaya did a fashion design.

There was an opportunity to make our own matzah but I knew the kids were doing it at school the next day so we skipped that activity and saved it for their school day.

Amaya and Madison!

SSA wrapped up the evening with yoga with Ms. Marlee. I can’t believe how far Sammy has come. He was shy and a bit reticent when we did yoga last year but he dove right in, even without Amaya and Steven by his side.

Steven was content to watch.

I had a morning meeting in downtown Northville on Wednesday so, afterward, I popped into the ceramics place to get the pieces Amaya and I made on her play date. She did her fairy entirely by herself with the exception of the eyes and mouth.

Amaya loved hers and I think the boys were happy, too. Though Sammy asked me to make him vanilla/chocolate swirl next time lol.

At bedtime… I feel like Amaya is maturing at an accelerated pace.

Dance time on Thursday.

Watching the big kids.

In the evening, Amaya was angry because one of the brothers was using something of hers. Jason was trying to explain that she wasn’t using it so it wasn’t harming her for her brother to use her toy. He used an example of me using something of his when he was away last weekend. She wasn’t having it. “You should be mad!”

Thursday was National Pet Day so I need to throw my sweet Sally some love. <3

Checking out a worm after school on Friday. No one would touch it. I love worms so I’ll have to show the kids how it’s done.

Amaya made this picture for Charlie. My favorite touch is the person in the water.

Stencils are big these days. (Though Amaya likes to pretend she didn’t use the stencil to make her art. “I saw the stencil but decided not to use it.”)

You can always count on Sammy to do his own thing. 🙂

And the kid has always known how to lounge.

Saturday was Family Day! We’re starting to outgrow our living room furniture and need a new couch. Everyone was hard at work mapping the area.

So proud of how she does her own hair.

We have three kids who are still afraid of escalators. 🙂

Right at home furniture shopping…

Smart people – giving kids colored pencils and paper so parents can shop.

Steven wandered around putting items “on his list”. “Is this for sale?”

Checking the floor plans for accuracy.

Family lunch! Food courts will always remind me of the early days with huge strollers, or that wagon, and all the stuff we had to travel around with. Life is getting much easier.

Pick-a-brick at the lego store. They picked their bricks totally true to type. Steven was methodical and analyzed every piece. Amaya moved through with precision but speed. Sammy grabbed handfuls of anything that looked cool.

This face!! I can’t wait for our upcoming trip to Disneyland!

We rounded out our day with a trip to Kids Gotta Play to look at play sets. It’s time! Now we just need to make a final decision, level some grass and get going. (This is going to be a gross motor growth opportunity for our trio who readily climb up but, like sweet little cats, are afraid to come down.)

Ready for spring in his new Fluttershy t-shirt.

During FaceTime at bedtime, Steven wrote this message for Nana (“Steven is sad”) and told her that he could change it to “Steven is happy” if Aunt Sara was also available on FaceTime.

Sweet, sweet boy. He said, “Can you believe my name was named after your daddy? My name is almost the same as Poppy Steven’s except he also has ‘Poppy’ in his name and I don’t.” When I kissed him he said, “Did you kiss me because I told you about Poppy Steven?” He just knows.

This morning the kids asked me to play some game where some of us were good dinosaurs and bad dinosaurs and I was a bad turtle. To get into character I taped a pillow to my back and, almost immediately, Steven decided he needed to be a turtle, too. And that we should take pictures. <3 Photo credit to Amaya for the first and Sammy for the second.

Today was Steven’s big play date with his friend Ethen. Ethen and his mom just moved to MI in January and he and Steven took to each other immediately. We met up for brunch and then Ethen and his mom came back to our house.

Sammy and Amaya were eating lunch when we got back and Sammy got very uncomfortable with the idea of being downstairs in his pajamas. He went upstairs where Jason let him finish his lunch and settle a bit. Eventually he warmed up and came down, PJs and all.

Play time!

As previously promised to Sammy, he and I had game time – just us – today. One on one time definitely matters to the kids. So does a sense of fairness in their time with their parents.

Amaya got a turn, too. This is her “Eeeek! It might fall soon” face.

And this is her cry of victory over her poor mommy.

A few years ago, November 2016 I think, there was a sale on some co-op mask and cape sets for PJ Masks. We didn’t watch the show at the time but it’s two boys and a girl and the girl’s name is Amaya! I got the sets in case SSA ever got into the show. They’re starting to watch now and, amazingly, I knew exactly where I was storing these.

<3 <3

Sammy is my kitchen helper. For years, he’s been the one who wants to be self-sufficient in the kitchen and help out in the kitchen. Tonight he made our Caesar salad and then had a blast doing the dishes.

“When you see how I straightened up my room you’ll be so impressed!” “I did the bed myself!”

I need to go put Steven to bed in his beautifully organized room. He wants to sleep on his “picnic blanket” and have me put him in bed after he falls asleep so we’ll see how that goes.

I leave you with one last picture of sweet Sal from just moments ago.

Have a great week!