May Play (with a little work!)

The girls got to work with Grandpa Richards building their lemonade stand.  They had some ideas they shared with Grandpa and then he gave some input from his experience and they came up with a plan.  They loved being part of the building process and we are grateful to Grandpa for his patience while they learned.

Elizabeth loves to take her stuffies with her everywhere.  When she is riding her bike, they ride in her basket; when she swings on the swing, they ride in her helmet attached to the swing!  She is such a smart, creative girl!

The girls also got to work painting their lemonade stand.  They had fun and wanted to make sure they all got an equal amount to paint.  

We were able to attend another art gallery show this month - this time Emilee and Elizabeth's.  They had fun learning all about ocean animals and how to draw them.  We were impressed with their new knowledge and great drawings!

It was also time for the girls year end piano recital.  Emilee did fantastic on her pieces and really enjoyed playing them.  She didn't even seem nervous to play in front of the group.

Cera continues to improve and plays some really fun songs to listen to.  She liked her pieces and played them often at home.  Way to go girls!

The girls each received a bouquet of flowers for their performance!  (Elizabeth couldn't be left out and she sat super nice and quiet for the recital!)  They were excited to get home and organize their flowers in their vases.  They also did some flower trading!  It was fun to listen to them make their deals.

Cera and Emilee attended a stake activity day girls activity.  They had so much making some crafts, working on goals and playing together.

Mom enjoyed some pictures taken by their leaders and shared so we could still feel part of the day.  It was also a heart warmer to see that as sisters they picked each other for some of the races.

Elizabeth had watched a video about how to make some gooey stuff and has been begging Mom to make it.  Finally Mom gave in and let her give it a try.  Check out that smile - so worth it!!

The girls have also wanted to try some new things so Mom brought a t-ball set.  Elizabeth was the first to give it a try.  We aren't sure if she hit the ball or stand more often!  The girls have all decided they really like playing baseball and want to do it more often.  It's a great reason to get outside, get moving and play together!

Science Centre Visits

After our last visit to the Science Centre, Elizabeth has wanted to go see Body Worlds before it leaves at the end of this month.  The other girls didn't seem too interested so Elizabeth and Mom headed to see it on a day she didn't have school.  They enjoyed a pretty quiet science centre and Elizabeth loved playing with the smoke cannon.  

You aren't able to take pictures inside the body worlds exhibit which was very interesting to see.  Elizabeth enjoyed learning all about the human body but lost interested about 3/4's of the way through.  Mom and Elizabeth were happy they went and headed home to tell the other girls it was well worth the extra $5 to go.

The next Friday off we headed to see body worlds one last time with all the girls.  Emilee didn't love all of it - some displays she chose not to look at which was fine.  Cera was very intrigued with the body and how it all works together.  One of the favorite displays was our digestive system stretched out - starting with the tongue right to the other end.  It's surprising how much is inside these wonderful bodies of ours to keep them working and functioning properly.  What a great few days full of learning!

New Experiences

May has brought some new experiences in our house.  Emilee decided to try watermelon!  She enjoyed her first bite and said she might have it again but doesn't love it as much as Cera.  We were proud of Emilee for branching out and trying something new though!

There was also a rough school day this month - Emilee slipped on the playground and got a nice big scrape on her knee.  Luckily Mom was still at the school volunteering and could help her clean it up a little and go get some good bandages for it.  Then when Mom went to pick up Elizabeth she was told that Elizabeth had a little crash with another kid and skidded on the pavement at recess.  She scraped her nose, hands, elbows and knees.  Although Cera had no big scrapes to show, while on her field trip on the same day, a boy passed out and landed on top of her.  What a crazy day!

Elizabeth has had a loose tooth for awhile (her first) and was a little nervous to pull it out.  She enlisted the help of Emilee, who has pulled out all of her own teeth, and she had a tooth to put under her pillow that night!  Way to be a good helper Em!  (As a side note, nobody in our house needs crutches, they are just a play set that the girls love to get out.)

Mother's Day Fun

Elizabeth was asked if she could ducksit their classroom ducks for the Mother's day weekend.  Mom knew she was going away but that the girls would be grumpy if she said no so it looks like Dad has an extra assignment for the weekend!  The girls loved to watch the ducks swim around the tub.  They were very vocal in the tub and often left the girls a treat or two from their swim.

Emilee and Cera were the brave ones to pick up the ducks - although they liked to use gloves or a towel instead of their bare hands.  Emilee would love to introduce you to Dandelion.

Cera would like to introduce you to Licorice.

The girls also let the ducks enjoy some time outside in the sun.  At first they were nervous with their new found space but once the ducks relaxed they had fun running around the backyard.  A few times the girls had to chase them to get them back inside when it was time.  We think the ducks had a great last weekend away from the school before being returned to the farm they came from as eggs.

Mom was able to enjoy a weekend away with her mom and sisters for Mother's day.  We headed to Time Out for Women (an uplifting conference for women) in Lethbridge, enjoyed being spoiled at Tori's house with yummy crepes for breakfast, and just some quiet mom time.  It was a great weekend with some great women!

Welcome May!

May came in with a bang!  After Cera's crash at Elizabeth birthday party, Alan took her to urgent care to be checked out.  The doctor said she had a minor concussion and to have her take it easy for a few days.  She was also missing a few parts of some teeth - we took her to the dentist who said the roots and teeth still look good so they will just build up the tooth again.  We'll have to keep an eye on them over the years

Elizabeth was pretty excited to get a few new paw patrols for her birthday.  Her set is almost complete now!

Our new fridge also arrived!  Our freezer had stopped working properly, when we had someone come to take a look at it we were told that the entire fridge was gone.  Our freezer was currently the correct temperature for a fridge.  We survived for a few more days with lots of ice packed in to keep things cool.  Mom had a stressful day of shopping to pick out a new fridge (Mom hates shopping for something that costs more than $100) but found one that we hope will work for a few years to come!