After church we let the girls open their Easter baskets. Both girls got a tiara, some bracelets, and a My Little Pony thing. N. is really into putting bracelets on these days—everything round she finds these days goes instantly around her wrist: hair bands, toys, etc.
And a disappointing picture of the group:
The girls hunted for Easter eggs this morning at church. There was a short program like last year, then the hunting began. Since the girls are in different age groups, we split up hunting duties and each took care of one daughter—and one camera, lest the hunt go on, undocumented.
K. first. She was accompanied by yours truly, who actually does exist. Here’s evidence. Sorry she didn’t really smile so much.
While we were waiting to get started, I reminded K. to be aggressive and go for the eggs just like we had in “the drills.” The other parents nearby laughed at my assumed joke. I was not entirely kidding. K’s at a sensitive age where she realizes when she doesn’t get something she is supposed to; we were afraid she would get in there and the other, slightly more outgoing children would take all the eggs and there would be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
So while this was happening, Dad took N. to the room with the eggs for nursery-aged kids.
And then we attempted a picture with some of our friends, before N. decided she was done and made a run for the parking lot. I have a picture of some of this group from last year. It is incomplete again this year, as L. and S’s little brother isn’t in the picture. We’ll keep trying. I contemplated photo-editing him in, but I already had to switch one of the kid’s faces to get the three of them smiling—not telling which one!—and I don’t have fancy enough software to add a person.
Aaand…we’re done.
After hunting for Easter eggs, the girls, Dad, and I went to run around the back of the church. When I say run, I mean that literally. Someone (ahem, N.) really likes to run, and does so with abandon. I stuck by K. and let Dad do most of the chasing, but it’s a little alarming how far away from us N. would venture—and even more alarming that she would finally pause, turn around, spot us, and turn back to run farther.
Channeling her inner Laura Ingalls Wilder:
Running. I would run behind her (yes, I was able to keep up—it was close, but with the advantage I have in leg length I managed). When she heard that I was getting closer, she would run faster, and if I’d run past her she’d get really mad and hurry more.
And K. participated too, though you can see from her bouncy ponytail and gleeful expression, she did it with more flair and less speed.
Showing N. what she got in her basket.
It’s springtime here, at least every few days or so. We broke out some springy dresses for church this past Sunday (although you, gentle reader, might recognize K’s skirt as being part of her Halloween costume).
(I just now noticed that K’s hand is identically in her hair in each of the preceding photos. I hope she didn’t accidentally glue it there.)
Last weekend, we went up to visit Grandma and Grandpa A. N. had a chance to laugh at some of Grandpa’s silliness:
And we (the girls, while the boys were working) had a chance to spend a little time with K and N’s cousins. We went out for lunch at a cute pizza place, and when they had consumed plenty of food, the girls spent some time being goofy.
I did not take a video of K’s entire ballet recital (you’re welcome) but took a few short clips of the songs. Here are two of the best—part of one of her group dances and then her little “Spotlight Dance” at the end—a freestyle solo.
This is the dance they open with every week.
And someone else loved the music and can’t wait for her turn!
And here is her “solo” dance. The lights are dimmed and the mirror ball is going; in small video camera, though, that just translates into a grainy video. Imagine the mood lighting.
I don’t know if you can see or not from the videos, but K. really enjoys dancing. She’s figuring out what is going on in the class (she’s among the youngest of the girls) and has really learned to follow her teacher, who is so kind and patient with the girls.
