A Little of This and That in March

With spring break and visits from family and a birthday and a wedding, March was definitely not short on things to talk about. This month found us:

Celebrating . . . Maxwell's sixth birthday. Mike and I gave him an iPod so he could listen to audiobooks more easily. We're kind of regretting that decision because he listens constantly, but luckily, he uses up the battery fairly quickly, and then we conveniently seem to lose the iPod cord every time, so that buys us a few days' reprieve.

Getting . . . a new roof! We had been talking about and planning and saving for it ever since we moved into our home two years ago, so sometimes I still can't believe it when I pull into the driveway and see those beautiful shingles up there instead of that ugly tile. Next up: painting! (Don't get too excited--it will probably take another two years.)

Enjoying . . . a visit with my family. They were here at the beginning of the month to visit a couple of schools for two of my brothers. We saw them off and on during the week, and my kids were very sad to see Aunt Angela go back home. She is their favorite aunt for sure.

Listening . . . to all of Clark's new words. I think I said something similar in last month's recap, but Clark continues to say new words every day, and it's just so fun. This month, he started saying, "I ub oo, Mommy," [I love you, Mommy], and my heart melts every time.  

Hosting . . . our second annual Pie (Pi) Day. Mike made thirty-one pies, we had over one hundred people come, and the weather was completely gorgeous, so it was a success in every way.

 
Wearing . . . green on St. Patrick's Day. We don't do much besides eat Lucky Charms for breakfast, but this year, I also packed each boy a green lunch (with green bread that Mike made the night before). Aaron especially was so surprised and thrilled when he opened it up, so I felt like it was totally worth the extra bit of effort.

Going . . . to Maxwell's walking report card. He got to demonstrate all of his skills by completing a packet with Mike and I watching. That kind of attention and praise is exactly the type of thing he thrives on, so he just relished it all evening. He also sang songs with his classmates and really got into the performance. 

Welcoming . . . spring. Everything is waking up, the days are lengthening, and every day seems to bring a new surprise in the way of flowers or birds or leaves. I love it.

Indulging . . . Clark's recent love of books. With all of my kids, I've despaired a little around 14 months when they still don't sit still for books. But then, as they approach their second birthday, something always clicks and suddenly I find myself sitting on the couch reading book after book after book. This is exactly what has happened with Clark in the last couple of months, and I'm loving it. Stay tuned because I'm going to be sharing Clark's favorite books in an upcoming post (although I'll warn you right now, he mainly sticks to the classics).

Reading . . . books with due dates. I started The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah at the beginning of the month, but I was reading some other things at the time (Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library for one, and I couldn't let Aaron get too far ahead of me), and my time with it expired before I was even a quarter of the way through. Now I'm back to being #80 on the hold list at the library. Boo. 

Playing . . . at the cabin. We only stayed over one night, but our kids had so much fun, mostly because they had cousins to explore and play games with and grandparents who indulged their every whim.

Teaching . . . Bradley how to ride a two-wheeler. He was catching on like a pro, but then the weather turned bad, and he hasn't practiced since.

Organizing . . . a neighborhood Easter egg hunt. I have wanted to do this for years (ever since we moved away from a neighborhood that did it). Parents dropped off a dozen plastic eggs for each child who wanted to participate. We divided up the eggs into four age categories and then hid them in four different yards. We had a great turnout, met some new neighbors, and avoided the community egg hunt over at the library (which is more of a greedy grab-fest than a hunt).

Keeping . . . Easter. I have been wanting to do something similar to our Christ-centered advent calendar for Easter to help us count down the days and keep our focus on the spiritual reason for the holiday.  I finally put together some resurrection eggs (you know the kind that have a little symbol and scripture in each egg?), and we opened them up on the days leading up to Easter.

Attending . . . Josh and Katie's wedding. My brother-in-law, Josh, got remarried just a couple of days ago. With his three boys and Katie's four kids, all of them between ten and fifteen years old, I have a feeling their house is going to be one constant party.

Alternating . . . between playing in the sun and huddling under a blanket. That's spring for you. 

Trying . . . to get our fill of Mike's parents before they go back to Germany. But it's impossible. Clark especially has been loving all the time with them and lights up every time he sees "Bampa Paul."

For more glimpses of this and that, be sure to follow me on Instagram.

What were you up to in March?