Easter 2010

We enjoyed a relaxing Easter this year.  It was General Conference weekend, so I didn't get the kids new outfits since we wouldn't be going out of the house for church.  Joseph and Miriam didn't even get dressed until after noon! 

On Saturday we colored Easter eggs.  The kids really enjoy this-- I should get fancier kits or techniques to make it last longer!  Joseph didn't quite catch the concept of being gentle with the eggs, but surprisingly he didn't break any eggs or spill any of the coloring liquid.  (I'm glad.)

Garden of the Gods

After spending the night in Colorado Springs, we met up with Grandpa Mike and Grandma Michele and went to the Garden of the Gods.  The kids loved climbing on the rocks and exploring all the little caves they found. 

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Over Spring Break, we took the kids to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs.  It was a beautiful day, especially for March, and we had a nice time walking through the mountains and looking at the animals.

Rebecca and Miriam fed the birds.

The kids also fed the giraffes.  They were placed at the perfect height for the kids to pet them as well, and the girls had a great time.  Joseph was a little more hesitant.

We let each girl pick an 'extra' activity at the zoo.  Miriam wanted to ride the pony.  She waited in line for over an hour to get her turn.  Rebecca went on the Sky Ride-- basically a ski lift up the mountain where you can see the zoo from above, as well as some beautiful views of the city.  We didn't take the camera because I wanted to make sure we got a picture of Miriam on the pony and I figured that we would take longer than the pony ride would.  I didn't know about the long line, though, so we ended up waiting for her!

Happy 6th Birthday!

Miriam turned 6 on Sunday.  She was so excited to have her friends come over for a birthday party.  When I asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday party, she told me she wanted a kitten party.  Then I saw Hello, Kitty party supplies at the store and asked her if she wanted that.  No.  She wanted a kitten party.  Dogs are for boys and cats are for girls.  A cat party.

So we had a cat party.  And it was one of the most successful parties I have done.  The kids at this age love pretending to be animals, so they loved getting whiskers drawn on their faces.  They loved making kitten beds and meowing.  And they loved licking their ice cream out of cat dishes. 

Miriam had a great time.  I'm glad she had fun on her special day!

Save the Tree

Last year we got a snowstorm the Wednesday before Miriam's birthday.  I remember because I was relieved to get out of several obligations while trying to plan a birthday party.  Amazingly enough, we got another significant snowstorm the Wednesday before her birthday this year as well.  It makes me wonder how much of our weather is cyclical like this, or if it is just a coincidence...

Miriam was excited to go out with Dad while he shoveled.  She was planning on just following him around, but instead he got out our little broom and let her go at the tree to help get some of the snow off the small branches.  She did great and had fun, too!

The Aquarium

We decided to take the kids to the aquarium a couple weeks ago.  They were so excited to go and see the fish.  Joseph especially seems to like fish.

When we got there, it seemed that all of Denver also thought this Saturday afternoon was the perfect time to go to the aquarium.  There was a line outside halfway down the street.  We asked the kids if they wanted to do something different, and they were all adamant that they wanted to go to the aquarium.  So we braved the lines and finally made it inside.  Unfortunately there wasn't a lot of space for all these people to disperse...

We had a great time, though.  The kids had fun watching the fish and sharks.  There is one part where they simulate a flash flood, and Rebecca wanted to stand in the 'wet zone' right up until the moment when the water started coming down, and then she scooted back.

There were some big sharks, and even scuba divers in the tanks as we walked through.  The kids thought that was pretty neat, and wanted to take the scuba class so they could swim with the fish.

Leprechaun Trap

For St Patrick's Day, each class worked on coming up with the best leprechaun trap.  Miriam's class won the contest, with a complex trap that included a leprechaun house, footprints of a girlfriend, and a ladder.  Rebecca's class made a cute one as well, with a box with a pot of gold drawn on the inside along with a rainbow, and a stick holding it up to be knocked away at the proper moment.  There were also a few gold coins to lead the leprechaun in.

Rebecca brought home the trap she helped make and the kids all had a great time playing with it.  Miriam decided that she was going to catch a leprechaun, so she taped a gold coin to her headband and wore it around to attract any hiding leprechauns.  Unfortunately none made their way to our home, although I'm not sure what they were planning on doing with one if they caught it...