“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”– Margaret Atwood

At LAST the freezing winter weather seems to be gone for the season.  And as a reward for making it through, these pear trees burst into pink bloom just for me.  Our house is all Easter’d out and there’s pastel color everywhere! 

For Spring Break the minions went to see Houdini in SF for a few days.  The day before they were supposed to fly out there with him he tried to cancel the whole thing, blaming some client.  But our amazing nanny came to our rescue and flew with the kids to Oakland and then turned around and got right back on the next flight to SLC.  She deserves a medal of honor.  I’m so grateful.

Rachel is one of the best kid helpers I’ve ever had.  When I took this 4 days a week right during dinner time teaching job I had Hush there to pick up the slack, but his schedule changed a few weeks in and now we both come home at 7.  Rachel swoops in at 1:30 T/TH and 4:30 M/W and plays with the kids, helps with homework, executes the meals I’ve set up, takes kids to lessons AND cleans our house!!  Coming home to dinner put away is a beautiful thing.  Our family adores Rachel and we will miss her terribly when the semester is over and I retire.  But if one of you need a second one of yourself (that’s how capable she is – it’s like having another me around who isn’t tired and pregnant) I can hook you up with a wonderful nanny.  We would not have been able to function this season without her.

This is what I did while the kids were gone for four days.  Worked.  Our spring breaks didn’t line up at all.  Boo.

Cubby has started playing in an indoor soccer league.  I am floored by his ability.  I’ve never been on a team in my life and I haven’t taught the kid the rules of soccer, but his first time on the field Jude took to the sport like it was his calling.  He is on top of the ball the whole time and startlingly aggressive.  I’m of the picking daisies and doing kart-wheels temperament, but Jude is intense.  The other day he face palmed a kid to the ground while chasing the ball.  The kid screamed, “You can’t do that in soccer” and Jude said, “I just did.”  He scored 3 out of 4 goals in the last game.  Where did this kid come from?  Whose child is this?

As a reward we let Jude pick the restaurant.  He LOVES “feast places” which is his term for buffet.  Man, that is a cultural experience in Utah if there ever was one.  The clientele at the Golden Corral are something to behold.  Silas does his part to make a complete slob of himself to blend in.

I have bed pride.  Since I plan to retire to my bed in two weeks to recover from reading essays I needed my bed to be spectacular and perfect for me and my hippie husband.  I call the theme Sparkle Hippie.

And here is my masterpiece getting thrashed in the daily kid wrestle event.

Want to know who else I love?  Anna Ruth.  I am so blessed to have a smart, funny cousin who lives just south of us and who has a ton of energy and likes thrift shops and fun.  We went together on my annual trip to the zoo the other day and it was blissful because our kids could all walk and we could hang out. 

 

Mimi and I went on a Girl’s Weekend to CA to see Pam’s fantastic DCMT show “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” starring Paige’s and Celia’s talented kids.  It was a very enjoyable albeit barfy trip. 

Speaking of barfy, I had to get my blood drawn the other day for pregnancy testing.  Jude and Silas came with me.  As soon as the needle went near my hand Jude turned white and started barfing.  I had no idea he would react that way, he just freaked out and nearly fainted! 

Here’s Jude with his lady friend Finley.  They have play dates.

And for your enjoyment, a picture of Hush wearing a crazy outfit doing a wheelie on a little pink bike.