To Do This Spring

Since DST began, Lewis' morning nap falls a little bit later in the morning which makes for a perfect time for a morning walk! We've only begun doing so consistently this week with the amazing weather, but I hope/plan to keep it up. I've even braved taking Peter and Hattie along, and so far, so good! It feels good to get outside with all three 'kids.' I feel like we've hit a good groove the past few weeks with his schedule, and I think we'll be at 2 naps/day until around 18 months, so hopefully the groove continues to groove. :)

Art

I've been starting to read/ask around/look at Pinterest for ideas of good activities we can do now that Lewis is a toddler. My friend Kate suggested finger painting and Play Doh, so I picked up some paper and finger paints the other day and look forward to trying that. I also pinned a few recipes for edible versions of both, so I'll give those a shot, too. I remember an episode of Jon and Kate Plus 8 where Kate had the kids finger paint with pudding and how fun (and delicious) and messy it looked. Definitely an outdoor activity. :) 

Garden

I'm looking forward to having a small garden this year after taking last year off. I started three varieties of tomatoes and one variety of pepper inside this week, so they should be ready in 6-8 weeks. That means I have 6-8 weeks to build a raised bed (or two). I also bought some cucumber and zucchini, I think. And maybe basil. I forget now. I'll try to keep up with the yard/garden(s) (flower and vegetable) during naptime or during playtime, probably depending on how Lewis does in the yard. One issue I'm already foreseeing is How to Convince Lewis NOT to Eat the Dog Poopies. 

Staying Cool

To stay cool, we already have a plastic kiddie pool that I bought for the dogs a few years ago (that they refused to get in), and I have a little splash mat I bought at a rummage sale last year. I think it just hooks up to the hose, and Lewis can sit in a few inches of water and get sprayed (or more likely he'll just run over it). 


We're still considering the possibility of finding a pool to get a membership to, but most places are pretty pricey. The public pools are all on the other side of town, but there are a few free 'Spraygrounds' sort of near us, one next to the pool where we have swim lessons and one on the waterfront. I'll have to see which is the least crowded and most little kid-friendly. There is a pool at a nearby state park, but I'm not certain that there is a kiddie pool. BUT we do have a floatie we could use if they'll allow it.

Swing

My parents got Lewis a swing for his birthday (like the one below), so I need to figure out how to rig it up onto one of the tree branches that hangs in our backyard. I bought some rope at Home Depot yesterday, and I might run to JoAnn's on Friday to see about getting some scrap outdoor fabric to put on the branch to reduce friction/fraying. I should probably do some Googling beforehand for safety's sake. :) I think it will be nice to have a swing here at the house so we don't always have to go to the park. The backyard gets nice and shady, too, once the leaves come out.

 

And now some pictures:

Checking out the front yard action like Peter Dink likes to do, too.

 

 

Nature lover?? 

 I love riding around on my trike!

 To me, his expression says "I'm waaaaiting."

 C-A-R-D-S, CARDS!

This was after winning their game last weekend--onto the Sweet 16 for UL and IU!! We will be cheering Louisville on as they play Michigan State tomorrow night and then IU vs. Kentucky on Friday night. Go Big Red!

Our Little Leprechaun

We went out to lunch with our little leprechaun (thanks, Uncle Ben) on St. Patrick's Day.

So that's what we've been up to!