Spring house projects

It's been a busy spring around here with much talk of gardening and house projects that need doing.

Kieran has been doing his part and helping where he can. His favorite accessory of late is Max's pair of ear protection headphones. He wears them for work and play and would likely wear them for everything else if he had his way. He has been right in the middle of the construction of our garden containers for the deck. He's an enthusiastic worker.

Getting some measurements for Daddy.

These two make a good team. Kieran beelined it out to the deck after his bath for two evenings in a row so he wouldn't miss anything. There's nothing like a good, solid day's work...before or after bath.

Max and Kieran did a nice job on the container project (a condition of approval of Max's field-heavy summer work schedule). Now Kieran and I can busy ourselves with watering while we wait for Max to come home in between trips (because we didn't have enough to keep us busy before...?!?).

Max collected a trailer load of soil for the containers, which greeted Kieran and me in the driveway when we arrived home in the evening. Kieran got right to work planting a stawberry patch. I was inside getting dinner started when he came in and pulled me outside to show me his work. I guess we'd really been talking up the garden. Kieran planted strawberries from the flat of beautiful, ripe berries we brought home from the market. Here he is counting the strawberries he planted for me.

I love this. Of course this is what a little one would expect a stawberry garden to look like!

Harvest time comes a lot sooner when you plant the mature fruit!

Just as we were beginning to think about playing the odds and planting before that "last frost" date we were surprised by a late snowfall that brought us back to reality.

Kieran couldn't have been happier. He had already harvested his strawberry crop AND he was able to give his snow shovel one last spin around the deck before summer.

Our budding outdoorsman

Kieran has taken to spending as much time as possible outside now that the snow is gone and the temperatures are a bit friendlier. It's a challenge to get him in the house for meals, baths and bedtimes. For the most part we've let him sneak out to enjoy the evening sun at the end of the day when he should be heading upstairs. After such a long and dark winter we can empathize with his desire to make the most of every warm, sunny evening. In preparation of summer camping opportunities and spending whole nights outside we found a perfect Kieran-size sleeping bag that has become a very favorite thing. This is his first few minutes of getting to know his new bag and all of its features.


Happy outdoor kiddo!

After receiving the bag Kieran moved himself out of his toddler bed and onto the floor in his room where he sleeps every night in his sleeping bag. It also gets moved downstairs on chilly weekend mornings when Thomas the Tank Engine plays on PBS. We'll get the chance to try it out in a tent when we fly to meet Max out on field work near Glacier Bay later this month where we'll visit friends Janet and Sean and sleep out in their yard for a few nights.

With the snow gone we have begun exploring the woods below the house - now one of Kieran's favorite activities. Rufus won't be left behind on these backyard expeditions.

Some first tries at climbing trees.

Little buddies. Who needs a dog with a cat like Rufus?

This is one of Kieran's favorite features - the big hill. It has perfect steps for climbing up and jumping down again. The only downside of the big hill is an abandoned hare burrow at the top. The hole is a bit scary for Kieran, especially after Rufus found (and presented to us) the leg of a hare, most likely the one that was living in the burrow. How young is too young to explain that animals eat other animals? He was quiet for awhile after hearing that but luckily it hasn't quelled love of exploring the woods.

A few more Easter weekend moments

Max doesn't see the point of having an egg hunt without properly hidden eggs.


He was re-hiding eggs almost as fast as Kieran was collecting them.

A quick break in the hunting and hiding for a picture with Daddy.

Kieran's friend Lydia shows off a purple egg and her frog costume. Gotta love toddlers and their clothing choices!

We managed to leave the egg hunt with an empty basket and a very happy egg hunter.

Mid morning we changed venues and stopped by the "Mush For Kids" event. There's always time to drive the train.

Kieran is a big fan of slides. The faster the better.

We visited with the mushing dogs while we were there. Kieran ended up laying down and hugging this friendly guy. I put down the camera, imagining the headline: Boy mauled by sled dog while mother stands by with camera, so there are no pictures of the snuggle.

Now that was a fun morning!