April Celebrations II: Easter

Lucy and the dying of the egg

Easter seemed late this year, towards the end of April. We went to the church at the girls' preschool which is fun since they are very kid oriented, and the pastor knows the girls quite well. We had to make an “emergency” pit stop for the bathroom on the way home. The closest thing that was open was a Dunkin Donuts (lucky us). So of course we had to buy something if we were barging in to use the facilities. We ended up staying in there a while talking with an older woman with some pretty cool red hair. She was very interested in our little red-heads.

When we got home the Easter bunny had come and left baskets under the girls’ loft beds along with the infamous trail of hidden eggs. They were scattered all over the first floor and in our mini back yard. Being the stingy mom I am (or in nicer terms, attempt at healthy-influence mom)- I placed a whopping ONE jelly bean or malted milk egg in each plastic vestibule. And then of course all the candy they found went into a special zippered bag for slow consumption over many weeks. I don’t think my own mother was so strict… I do however remember hiding candy in my bedroom closet fortress on the third shelf where only a child could climb to. It was often forgotten about. I recall coming home from college once and finding a pile of jelly beans next to a plastic pumpkin filled with Halloween rejects (like the black and orange taffy), that for some reason never made it to a trash can.

I also made Easter dinner. Since we usually are in Baltimore for this holiday, I am the cook. I spend an unnecessary amount of time perusing magazines and old cookbooks for what I am going to attempt. This was my third time or so making a ham. I am glad most of them are precooked! This year it was ham with a raspberry jalapeno glaze, mashed potatoes (with a hint of sweetness due to the white chocolate) and asparagus (with a lemon hollandaise sauce). For our post dinner treat we created handmade crepes with strawberries, ricotta, and honey. Sorry, no blog-worthy pictures available for this one!

Ah, summer

Why does it feels like summer is almost over by the time the Fourth of July arrives? I mean, we still have 66% of it left don't we? We aren't supposed to be on the downward trajectory to fall yet, right? Maybe its because all the swimsuits are on clearance and the back-to-school sales are starting... Maybe its because June is now over and I hardly remember it... Maybe its because the weather has been funky this year and it just started getting really hot and balmy... Well, one good thing about it "feeling" like summer is over, is that it motivates me to get my summer on, and fast.

So in the spirit of this independence day weekend, I am freeing myself to stop worrying about the impending fall colors and get to work. I mean, there is still plenty of time for sweaty bike rides, gloppy sunblock applications, sand stuck in uncomfortable places, mosquito bites, sticky ice cream fingers, dirty inflatable pool water, and voluptuous air conditioning bills! On the flip side, there is still plenty of time for slow meandering bicycle trips with fam and friends, beautiful sunny days, build towering sand castles and listen to the ocean's waves, getting bit by a bug or two... but while enjoying an outdoor concert or meal, delicious ice cream, refreshing cold wading pools, and while the AC bills aren't so appreciated, the AC itself is, so...
 In the last week we have accomplished many of these summer pleasures, so I really shouldn't be complaining. And next weekend we will be hitting the beach to make some of those sand castles and play in those ocean waves!

Northern Minnesota... finally!!!

It had been almost 2 years since we were able to stay at good ol' Twin Pines. Whenever we would travel back to Minny, the stay would be too short to be able to go... there were already too many things to do and people to see in the cities.

I was elated that it worked out this time. We were able to enjoy it up there (and the great 70-80 degree weather) for 10 days! Dave worked remotely from the cabin and various coffee shops, so unfortunately he did not have as much time to enjoy, but on the flip side, the fact that he even could work remotely was in our favor.

We stopped in Mooselake on the way up to celebrate the fourth of July and then continued on to the "Little House". Here are a few shots of our trip!

Stella, Avery, & Lucy on July 4th

Stella checking out the bug collection jar

Its hard to stop running after coming down the driveway!

Master teepee builders

Luna, Lucy, Nico, Stella

That's where the boys are!!

Don't bother Mom!

Stella peeking through the stairs

Reading before bed... we've have those cabbage patch sheets since I was their age!

Brave Penny

Missy and Gus with a gaggle of assertive visitors!

Easter in the East

It was just the four of us this year for Easter in B-more. Dave and I 'painted' eggs on Saturday night (really just boiled on those egg wrappers) and I made my first ham ever! It was a bit of a challenge to find the kind of ham that my recipe called for however since most are pre-glazed or not sliced, too big, or too expensive, or not smoked... or who knows... Furthermore, who am I to know whether I was supposed to get the shank or the butt?! I closed my eyes and picked one- the shank.

We went to church and then the girls got to open their Easter treats. Since the girls still don't really know what they are missing when it comes to sweets, they each got one tiny chocolate peanut butter egg-- obviously Dave and I have ulterior motives here as we have an entire bag of them:) We were able to Skype with Grandma and pa Treiber and the ham turned out great with a fancy jalapeno pomegranate glaze- we are still eating the leftovers from that 10 lb delight.

St. Patties Day

We spent this St. Patrick's Day first putting in 6 pavers in our backyard up against the house (a great 5 hour workout) and then we went down to fells point to see some of the action and enjoy a beer on the patio at one of our favorite hangouts.

Stella loved the leprechaun hat and Lucy is doing an Irish jig!

XOXO

Hug and Kisses... it was Valentine's Day last week and were able to time it just right so we had napping kids for the first half of our early dinner! We were able to have the appetizer and champagne while the ladies were still sleeping and then they joined us for dinner. We had a "love apple" appetizer... corny term for stuffed cherry tomatoes; then a chicken scallopine and chocolate mousse for dessert.. all courtesy of our lovely paper, the Baltimore Sun. It was deliciouso!

There also happened to be a very appropriate "first" for the girls this week. They learned to love one another (particularly one's sister) with a hug and kiss. We have been trying to promote peaceful playing, but who are we kidding, we have 19 month old twins:) Nevertheless, if one is upset.. her sister will wander over and give a big hug along with a slightly drool-laden kiss.

And a couple more bonus shots that illustrate that great things can indeed come in a 'little' box and while we all may have an 'outer' beast... its the inner beauty that shines through!