Easter

 The Easter celebrations began a week early at Michaela's first egg hunt. Her friend Brody was there and they had a great time together. 

 First "egg and spoon race" too!

Enough chocolate eggs to last her until next Easter... and by that I mean, she will be lucky if I don't eat them all before the month is out. They are Cadbury's. And I am weak.

I really wanted to go to mass on Good Friday since we would be camping on Easter. Michaela was excited to wear her "Easter" dress so we went at the normal mass time, which was the wrong time, but showed up in time for the full dress rehersal for a children's reinactment of the stages of the cross. She was totally captivated, wanted to get up and be a part of it even, I had to restrain her. So then we waited a half hour for the full ceremony. She kept saying all day that she wanted to be Jesus' mother, and then when I took her with me to mass today she wanted to know if we would see Jesus again. And of course, without kids performing for her, she kept complaining how bored she was, and I was mortified trying to keep her quiet as there were very few people in the church, she was the only child, and (by default) the loudest!

Modelling her dress:

Our first night camping, I made burritos. With enchilada sauce. We didn't have a separate pot for the beans, and I figured since they get mixed together in the burrito anyway, I'd cook it all in the one pan. I named them Sloppy Jose's and they weren't bad. This pic of Matt eating his is my new favorite. He just looks like such a little bloke, someone just needs to Photoshop a stubby holder on that juice bottle...

These kids love their juice bottles:

Another one of Matt in his chair. I just find them so cute and funny, he is a little boy now, not my little baby anymore...

We learned from our last camping trip to bring MANY toy cars for Matt to play with. They were indispensible. He drove them on every surface, over and over.

Smile without your dummy?

Rugged up on a cold morning! (Yes, Michaela is eating popcorn for breakfast...)

This log carved into a bench made me think of my dad. I wanted the kids to sit on it but it was too wet. So Michaela posed and Matt drove his car on it.

Michaela was pleased with a "throne" and footstool, even though her legs aren't quite long enough.

We picnicked at a playground with a bike park and the kids enjoyed walking through and climbing on the obstacles.

The walk up to Steavenson's Falls near Marysville. Michaela told me the trees were broken. She also said it was a jungle down where the ferns were growing strong.

Michaela enjoyed posing in front of the falls.

Our second campsite was a real score, wide open space next to the creek all to ourselves!

Matt was obsessed with the water. I had to constantly chase him down there as he really wanted to play in it and it was waaaaaay too cold for that! Luckily there was a pile of rocks nearby, he could go back and forth picking them up and throwing them in. Both kids find this activity very enjoyable!

Matt loved having a big space to push his mower around too.

This run-by shot captures his "just try and stop me" expression as he hauls butt back down to the water

Now I just need to recover from chocolate-egg sugar overload... too good... can't resist... help!!