Spring Has Arrived, both Meteorologically and Astronomically Speaking

There are strong feelings in this household as to when we can officially declare and celebrate spring's arrival.  Actually, only Abe feels very strongly that March 1st signifies the start of spring.  He is a meteorological spring kind of guy.  I don't care much, except to point out that the calendars follow the astronomical start of spring on March 20th.  Normally, spring just means misery to me because of tree pollen allergies.  But, I am not in torment this year!  All Hail Flonase!  I am downright comfortable and throwing my windows open with abandon!

In preparation for Faith's upcoming 11th birthday party, we paid a little visit to the Dollar Store recently.  George came along and discovered his mothership.  In the same way Clark felt at home in the reptile house at the zoo, and Bethany felt at home in Charming Charlie's trinkets and bobbles store.  For George, a collector of all things valuable and not-so-valuable, he could actually afford to buy treasures with his own money!!!!! How glorious!  Can someone get this kid a gift card to the dollar store for his birthday?
His purchases on this day were a bug catching net and a squirt gun.  I couldn't argue with those choices for a six year-old boy.

We have a chicken problem.  Well, actually, Elinor has a chicken problem.  But since the chickens have been escaping their enclosure for quite sometime and making themselves too comfortable with our backyard, it has become all of our problem.  Abe and Elinor built them a taller fence.  We should just clip their wings.  Perhaps we will.  Baby steps.
As for now, we have a taller fence that one of the chickens can still escape from.  The chicken's name is Katniss.  She is a tricky chick.  Clark made threats against said chicken today.  Which led Elinor to make threats against a prized D&D book.  Which led to me yelling at everyone to get back inside the house.
There was a lot of love.

I took the five youngest to the zoo on Saturday and it was a complete zoo!  That's what I get for going to the zoo on a super nice spring day on a Saturday.  I'm a homeschooler-- I should know better.  I do have other options for days I can go to the zoo.  Silly me.
The kids were quite well-behaved and I dare say we are entering a time when we may be able to go out and about a little more often.

The baby carrier proved useful for both Greta and Peter.

When Peter saw this gorilla statue he started laughing and said, "Nakee"-- which is his word for naked.
I can't believe I'd never seen the humor of the naked gorilla statue before.  I'll never be able to look at it the same again.

Faith and her daffodils.  Abe started taking pictures of Faith with these flowers when she was about three years old and every spring he takes another.  And then Abe cries.

I expect this tradition to carry on for several more years.  Abe's kind of big on traditions that way.

In some very good news, Greta is now going to sleep on her own and taking real naps during the day.  It is a beautiful thing.  And now that I have publicly acknowledged it, she will get sick tomorrow and not be able to sleep unless I'm holding her again.  Oh well, it was really nice for the three days it lasted.

Two leading members of the mutual admiration society.  

Elinor is right in the thick of "piano season".  Last Saturday she had her Federation performance where she was given a Superior rating.  Tonight was a studio recital and Saturday is her Achievement in Music (AIM) performance.  A couple weeks back she had her AIM ear training and theory test.  She has a great relationship with her teacher and is very diligent with her practicing.
Here she is with good friends Corrine and Sariah.  I used to teach all three of these cute gals, but now I just teach Sariah.  Els and Corrine have moved on to bigger and better things.

 Here is tonight's performance.

Today Gret was wearing my very favorite baby sandals.  I thought how she has almost outgrown them and how the days of any of my babies wearing these sandals are numbered.  I can't stop time,   but I can take a picture!  I'm pretty sure that someday my heart will ache for the days of adorable, squishy little baby feet.