April first

 We've been doing a lot of driving lately.  

Looking at lots, neighborhoods, cities.

A few weeks ago, I was feeling a bit sorry that I couldn't see the wildflowers in Texas this spring,

but then Utah Spring exploded.  There are blossoms everywhere. Every street, every corner, every yard.  The picture is just a glimpse.  I wish I could take you all in the car with us as we drive around so you could see how incredible the blossoms are.

Although if you came with us in the car you'd also witness the chaos.

Ellie, you see, has decided that she does NOT like the car.

And Nicholas does NOT like to hear Ellie cry.

Oh, and google maps does NOT like Utah addresses.  The whole grid system is just more than our GPS can handle.

But we have discovered a few tricks.  A Jamba Juice for Nicholas, Baby Einstein for Ellie, and deep breathing for Mommy and Daddy and peace is restored.  

 We've been loving the weather here.  The past few days we've been outside for five or six hours every day.  Nicholas has his "friends" that he tags along with, riding his bike and playing on the playground just behind our house.  And while Ellie naps we sit in our little backyard and draw with chalk, read books, and watch ants.

Ellie loves paper.

Yesterday she actually propelled herself off of my lap and onto her stomach on the couch so she could reach a paper.  

I was stunned.  

We have one very determined little soul here.

 

I wanted to make peanut butter treats on Friday.  Like these.  I placed all the ingredients in the bowl, left Nicholas to mix them while I went upstairs to lay Ellie down for her nap.

I also gave Nicholas instructions to eat his scrambled eggs and drink his milk before we could eat the treats.

I guess he thought he'd kill two birds with one stone.

When he heard me coming back downstairs he started to say,
"It's okay, Mommy. It's okay, Mommy!" (Not what you want to hear as a mother...)

I came into the kitchen and discovered that he had so cleverly placed his scrambled eggs and his milk into the bowl with the peanut butter treats.  

Lovely.