April

April has proved to be a busy month so far both good and bad. It seems like we were running from one thing to the next all the while things were breaking all around us at the most inopportune times. First it was the furnace (no heat and cold water for two days while they worked on it) then both the washer and dryer and to top it off the hoover floor scrubber AND the carpet cleaner broke down right before we expected company. I did gain a new appreciation for my mother who never had a dryer until a few years ago. I found it hard to keep up with line drying the laundry on the rainy/cold days. Luckily, we were able to find a new huge washer and dryer to replace them and I can now do almost two loads at once. Too bad they don't have anything to automate the folding and putting away process.

Easter came and went quickly this year. The bunny hardly had time to get the loot from the warehouse in time for delivery. On Good Friday we had friends over for dinner and the girls were able to visit with their buddies (watching a movie below) Easter morning was spent at home, in the afternoon we visited the Polish side of the family before heading over to my mothers house at dinner time. Marina got a pretend Blackberry from the Easter bunny. (pictured below)




We had my uncles funeral in town and the reception was here at our house. It was nice to see the extended relatives but it was a hard day on everyone. The following morning we all went to his house to clean and to find any sentimental family items that we wanted to keep. It was very bittersweet to go through my grandparents household items that my uncle had kept boxed away. We took my grandparents potato ricer home (something they used to use often) and Violet who has always "said" she hated mashed potatoes has become a huge riced potato fan. She refuses to believe that all she has to do is mix them a little with a spoon and *poof* they become mashed potatoes.

APRIL 15TH!!! Was a day to celebrate!!! DJ has been busy doing taxes on the side this year and was also working long hours with his regular job so we all missed him a lot. I was getting sick of eating dinner by myself (well actually never by myself... that would have been a treat!) It has been a long winter and a slow start to spring but we have a lot of fun activities planned. I am looking forward to a long weekend white water rafting with my girlfriends next month and DJ and I are even getting away on a couples only trip to Block Island with a group of friends in June. Maine is not too far off and it will be great for the cousins (and the grown-ups) to spend some time together in the pine tree state. Oh course between all that is soccer, dance, girl scouts etc... and tons of laundry! I am going to be working on a horseshoe crab study starting in early May and hope to take Zoe out one of the nights at high tide to help tag, measure, sex and count the crabs that come up on shore to breed.
(can you spot the sleeping daddy in there?)


Zoe came home with her report card which was great as usual and she earned honors but the best part was that she earned an A+ from the one teacher that never or hardly ever gives out A's to anyone so she is very proud of herself and rightly so. She has spent the last two days trying to convince me of the worth of this particular grade in terms of what she can get out of it. I think I will concede and bring her by herself to the movie Earth that she has been wanting to see.

School Vacation- we just got through with a week off and were fortunate to have nice weather for most of it. We went to the Zoo one day but spent most of the week visiting with friends that we normally don't get the opportunity to see. It was an enjoyable week but I am glad to get back to my routine.