Speckled Egg Dyeing

Mom Confession: I loved dyeing Easter eggs as a kid, but now as a mom I'm reluctant to let four munchkins of varying ages and aptitudes near eight cups full of egg dye.  Call me crazy.

Fortunately, earlier this month I saw a simple egg dyeing idea on the cover of a Martha Stewart magazine that used common pantry items (like the ones above) and seemed totally doable, even with young kids.

You put dry food items like beans, rice, or popcorn into paper cups, drizzle them with food coloring . . . 

. . . then add a hard-boiled egg (and a napkin cover in our case, to prevent any spills), and shake as much or as little as you want to create a speckled look.

Some of us shook a little, and others shook a lot.  We all had fun, and I think we'll use the same dyeing method next year.

(P.S. The painted paper egg on the right is courtesy of Anna and her preschool.)

Easter Eggs, Bubbles, and Potatoes

This afternoon we went to Papa and Red Grandma's house for their monthly Last Sunday Dinner . . .

. . . and an Easter egg hunt.  The two little kids hunted in the front yard (with some assistance) . . . 

. . . then the big kids hunted in the backyard.

Nice haul, Daniel Man.

After all the eggs had been found, the kids blew lots of bubbles with Papa . . .

. . . then we ate a tasty (and rather festive-looking) Easter dinner.  Easter potatoes, anyone?

Egg Hunt in the Park

This morning we gathered with lots of friends at a nearby park . . .

. . . for an Easter egg hunt. :)

Todd got really into it once he realized there was candy in those eggs.

Anna was really excited, too, and she wore her favorite cupcake shirt (but no shoes) for the occasion.

How many eggs did you find, Daniel?

TOFW and PhD

My mom, my sister, and I headed to Long Beach this weekend . . .

. . . to attend Time Out For Women.  I enjoyed hearing from the uplifting speakers.  Their topics varied, but the consistent take-home message for me was that God will gladly provide guidance uniquely tailored to your circumstances if you sincerely ask for it.

I also really enjoyed hearing music by Mercy River (though, for some reason, I only photographed two of the three singers; nothing personal Brooke--I like you, too).

I lost count of the times we bumped into friends and family from around Southern California (great to see you, Aunt Connie!).

And, on an unrelated note, my husband received a rather important document in the mail this weekend.  Way to go, Sweetheart!! :)

Fifty-Six Official Laps, and Two Unofficial Ones

The little kids and I headed to Joy and Daniel's school this morning . . .

. . . to cheer them on in the Jog-A-Thon, their school's annual fundraiser.  It was cool to see the kids working so hard to earn money to help support their school.

The principal was on hand to cheer Daniel and his classmates on, too.

Daniel was pretty proud of the twenty-five laps he completed.

 The sun had come out by the time it was Joy's turn to run, but she really put her heart into finishing an impressive 31 laps around the field.

Sometimes family members will run a lap or two with the students to show their support, and Anna asked if we could do that with Joy.  Anna couldn't quite keep up with her big sister, so I stayed behind with her and we had fun running a lap together.

Nice to Meet You, Cousin Luke

Aunt Emily and her family were in town this weekend . . .

. . . so we headed to Pink Grandma's house this morning to see them and meet little Cousin Luke.

We all thought it was fun to hang out with Luke and his family (well, MOST of the time).

It was also fun to play with Grandma's toys . . .

. . . and take a family picture.  Sure, the most of kids were making weird faces . . .

. . . but at least the adults know how to take a serious portrait.

New Stations and an Awesome Fence

The light rail route near our home opened six new stops at its northern end today . . .

. . . so we went on a family outing to see the new stations.

The kids enjoyed the ride for the first ten stops or so . . .

. . . but then they got a little bored and started finding some creative ways to pass the time.

When we got off to board a southbound train home, we discovered a very long line waiting to get on the other platform.  Hundreds of our neighbors were apparently curious to see the new stations, too (especially since it was free to ride on Grand Opening Day).  Ironically, I think the kids' favorite part of our outing was bouncing against the chain link fence next to the line while we waited.  Note that Joy found a nice, safe place for her green Creeper, so he wouldn't get lost.

Ah!  There's our golden chariot (and a fellow patron with colorful hair).  Time to head home!