Easter Weekend

Mariah had her first soccer practice/game this weekend! She's been looking forward to it for months now since we signed her up, and she was beyond excited Saturday when we went.

But then she soon realized that there's more to soccer than kicking a ball...it involves a lot of running. And when you're sweet and non-aggresive like Mariah, unless the ball is RIGHT in front of you and the other kids are nowhere near you, you don't get to kick the ball really at all. So she decided very quickly that she didn't like it. We're giving it another try next week and if she still hates it, then we'll stop. But it so cute, I asked her "Didn't you like it at all?" and she said "well I liked the part where I got to sit down...because then I could suck my finger". :o)

Now on to Easter. Friday I got off work early and came home to get our eggs started. No one in our family even likes or eats hard boiled eggs, and yet Jesse insisted we have a dozen for each one of the girls. So I stocked up on eggs, and went home to boil them. Put them in the pot, turned on the stove.

Then I took a nap.

I woke up to a weird smell and a sound which I thought was our neighbor dragging something along the pavement outside....but apparently it was actually the sound of 3 dozen eggs burning, popping, exploding, and making a general mess out of my kitchen.

Both my Dad and my Grandma each have a "boiling eggs, left them on, forgot about them, they exploded" story that the love to tell and re-tell, so I'm well aware of what can happen, yet it never crossed my mind to be extra careful.

Needless to say, I was a bit upset (mostly at myself) and I had to go right back out and buy a whole bunch more eggs.

But by Saturday, the smell was gone, the mess was cleaned, and we colored our mass of eggs.

Mariah's:

Arissa's:

Mallory's:

Mine:

(I knitted these little guys a few months ago)



Also made this about a month ago, and I have to say I'll miss seeing it displayed. It made me happy for some reason. I also had bad luck on my first try w/ these eggs, but I tried again and they turned out ok. They're real eggs, with the insides blown out. Maybe I'll find something else seasonal to hang on it and switch out each season.

And here's our Easter morning:

We did our hunt, went to church, then headed to Nana's for family time and another hunt:

The girls w/ their cousin Katie (Jesse's cousin) who orchestrated the eggs & the hunt (as well as a cool craft and gift basket that the girls loved) at Nana's:

So overall we had a lovely weekend. And Mallory was especially happy, because everyone was talking about and celebrating what she has been telling us since she started her new preschool class in the fall: "Jesus died so he can live!". :o) She loves to remind us (at random times) that we're all going to die, and we're all going to live again. And she was delighted to know that there's a whole day devoted to that concept!

Jesse "Spielberg" Howard presents:

Sherry's Gotta Dance Drill Team @ the St. Patrick's Day 2009 Parade

Beaches & Boats

Last Sunday we took a spontanious trip to La Jolla to visit the Children's Pool/Sea Lions. It was purely a "look, no touch" trip, but of course it didn't end that way. You'd think I'd learn after 9 years and 3 kids that if there's water & sand, they are GOING to get in it no matter what I tell them!

And yesterday we did something I've been wanting to do for awhile.....we rode the Harbor Ferry from downtown to Coronado. The girls loved it! And I got to add another item to my "Previously Un-Realized Reasons Why Having 3 Kids is Harder Than Having 1" list: a seemingly inexpensive $3.50 boat ride ends up costing $35 for a family of 5 (round trip)!

But it was worth it, I'd say.



Boarding the boat:

Curious faces:

At Coronado:

Headed back:

I was able to talk Jesse into spending another $10 to take a bicycle taxi ride back to our car. It was a short ride, we didn't park very far, but I thought it would be a fun experience. The poor driver sure earned his pay for that ride....pulling our big old family along.

Yo Mama!

I found this pattern for embellished dishgloves online and thought they looked so cute, I just had to make them. The pattern was called "Not your mama's rubber gloves!". :o)

I bought some oilcloth online, cut it, sewed it to the gloves, cut the ends w/ pinking sheers, and hot glued the polka dot ribbon on. Et voila!

Although I only made one pair, because the actual sewing part was nearly impossible. The circumfrance of the glove was too small to put on the sewing machine the conventional way, and it was just nearly a big mess but luckily it turned out alright.

For some reason, when I saw the checkered oilcloth I though immediately of my friend Courtney....I don't know why exactly, it just seemed like her style for some reason. So I gave them to her. And maybe I'll make some of my own someday, when I forget how difficult the sewing was! :O)