The last five days have been gorgeous. Flowering trees, gathered bouquets, outdoor dining and cooking (both real food and mud pies), with lots of digging, climbing and running. My husband has started clearing away the old retaining wall, preparing to replace it with one that is better in every way.
Inside we've been busy too. With Gianna's birthday quickly approaching we've all been busy; well, Dean isn't doing anything in particular but he makes up for it with lots of enthusiasm! Gianna's current project is making peg dolls as a thank you for all of her party guests. It has been quite an exercise in restraint for me. I really want to grab the paint brush or the marker and show her how to "do it right" but this is her gift and I don't want her to think what she is doing is wrong so I'm working hard to bite my tongue. I do one as an example and then she gleefully does the rest. I'm excited to see how they turn out! The final step is to cut a felt strip to wrap around each one. Vincent is working on making a piñata for her party that she wants to fill with necklaces. She has painted a bunch of wooden beads that she will string on yarn tonight. She originally wanted to fill the piñata with candy, of course, but has happily changed direction.
During nap time and late at night I've been knitting, hoping to get the sweater finished. Now that the sleeves are attached I just need to knit the fair isle yoke and the ribbed edge. I'm so pleased with how it is turning out!
Five years ago today I went into labor with Gianna. Looking back on it, four days of hard labor was a pretty apt initiation into motherhood. It is better and harder than I thought it would be. Every year these four days are a time of reflection for me. I'm so proud of her, both the person she is and who she is becoming.
Today the rain has returned for the foreseeable future. Hopefully the kids will be stomping puddles for the remainder of the afternoon. I have tea in my cup, bread in the oven, and the sound of rain in my ears. Happy Tuesday everyone!
Gorgeous indeed! Spring in Portland looks amazing and beautiful. Your mini pizzas on tortillas looks yummy. We haven't made pizza with tortilla shells in years - thanks for the reminder. And your daughter is turning five very soon - so exciting! I hope she has a wonderful birthday. After several warm, sunny days we are expecting rain tomorrow, and I am looking forward to it. A cool, rainy day with a cup of tea in hand sounds perfect to me right now.
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