Spring is absolutely, 100% my favourite season!  Even though I can hardly move (less than 6 weeks to go, folks!) and when I do, I look like a lumbering elephant, I am elated that AT LEAST I am in this physical state IN SPRING. 

I don't know about you, but I find it easiest to have a heart like a child in spring...everything seems to have an element of wonder, of anticipation attached to it. So mostly for the sake of having a theme, (because I like themes) here are a few of the things that have brought wonder into the Balfour home this spring. Enjoy!

1. The wonders of a preschool visit to the dairy farm...

This baby made the poop and stink all worth it. :)

2. The wonder of EASTER and that feeling of newness that comes with it:

New clothes, and more importantly,

a new heart,

because our powerful loving Saviour Jesus rose from the dead!

3. The wonder of celebrating with family!

He could care less about candy. Give him a BALL and life is gooood.

Nana sure knows how to throw an Easter hunt!!

4. The wonders of a new-found hat. Really. Feeling glum? Put a colander on your head.

5. The wonder of having learned to ride a two-wheeler at last...

...and feeling so accomplished!!

6. The wonder of a trip to the mailbox. Seriously. Life can be so simple.

Micah's hoping the neighbour will notice him and say 'hi'. He didn't. 

The mail ain't really got till someone hides and peeks through the mailboxes.

This half a block stroll takes Micah a very. long. time.

Especially if there's any trace of puddles left over.

7.The wonder of a great neighbourhood friend and a teddy bear tea party:

The best part is that Sean-Robert's reindeer's name is "Kevin". :)

8. The wonder of hours upon hours...upon hours...spent on bikes:

8. The wonder of slides:

I don't need to say anything more about that.

9. The wonder of a boy and his trusty magnifying glass:

10. The wonder of LADYBUGS!

It got away!!!

11. The wonder of a good snuggle or two:

He's looking a little big for that bottle, isn't he. :)

12. The wonder of a first piano recital and a brave girl who NAILED IT!

13. The wonder of a dad and daughter team canvassing the neighbourhood for cancer:

Almost no one said no to that pink bunny and her owner. :)

14. The wonder of bed head and a great fake camera smile:

15. The wonder of family yard work nights:

Josh kinda helped...

16. The wonder of a little girl suddenly dressing up in a boy costume...

or is that a boy with a girl stuffy?

17. The wonder of learning to play Pictionary!

(and realizing your four year old can draw a better "Lowly Worm" than you can!!)

Micah mostly played "smear the camera with little finger prints"...

18. The wonder of a little guy sneaking his own pencil and paper on a sunny morning:

(and feeling extremely pleased with himself!)

19. The wonder of getting a brand new stack of chapter books in the school book order! 

She IS her father's daughter - stacking those shiny new books just so.
She is also her mother's daughter...let's get a cheer for Little House on the PRAIRIE!

20.The wonder of two little boys lost in play!

Just in case there was any disallusionment about the daily tidiness of my house :)

21. The wonder of cheap Garage Sale treasures! One of the best parts of spring!

22. The wonder of a major face plant that didn't end in a hospital visit.

I'm so thankful God created little faces to heal quickly!

And finally,

23. The wonder of a little girl who loves to work hard...

And her little brother who loves to play hard...

And hopefully, in a few weeks...the wonder of a garden that actually grows. :) 

Stay tuned for the wonder of a boy's 2nd birthday (it's today!) and the wonder of a basement dungeon turned beautiful. :)

So thankful to Jesus today for the gift of children and their unique ability to bring wonder and amazement into almost anything and really, into any season at all. Oh to have a heart like a child...all year long! 

March Mind Mush

Well if February was all about firsts, March was all about Mind Mush...Mommy Mind Mush, that is. I know it's a total cliche to blame the things you don't do/forget to do/do by accident on "Mommy Brain"...but it is so. totally. true. And I'm completely serious when I tell you that for every pound of belly I am gaining, I am losing at least that much in brain material. I'm going to be in big trouble by month 9!! (Just for your information, I am only 6 months along but feel at least 8. This is not good.)

So I don't have a list of crazy things I've done/haven't done to prove my mushy mind, but I will give you a first-hand taste of how this mind-mush is affecting my life: primarily, the things I used to care about don't seem very important anymore. They seem kind of hazy, and blurry. Some days that manifests itself in my kids clothing - I don't care if they match (this is Jacki talking, here). Some days that manifests itself in supper. I don't plan it until I'm already cooking it and figure out what it is exactly that I'm cooking (this is meal-planning queen, here). Or my girl has a birthday, and I just don't care that the cake is from Safeway and will probably taste terrible - so long as Ellie thinks it's beautiful and I don't have to bake. On an extreme note, I often just don't care that my boys like to roll around in the dirt. This one is most definitely working out to their advantage.

Well, today I just don't care if this blog makes sense. And I don't care that I'm not going to take the time to edit my pictures. Okay, maybe I care a little...or else I wouldn't have told you. But I don't care enough to spend the time doing it. :)  So here's my attempt at filling y'all in on what went on here in March. If it's a little mixed up, you may need to extend some grace. Or come babysit while I nap and try to re-grow some brain cells.

1. We started off the month with chicken pox. All the kids got it for the second time...but Micah got it the worst. He was a trooper. He just played his harmonica and watched Elmo's World while I painted him with calamine lotion twice a day.

2. Ellie turned 6! CRAZY!

On her actual birthday we made her supper of choice - homemade pizza with LOADS of mushrooms.

 She got this ginormous unicorn stuffy in the mail from her uncle James and was quite pumped.

 She read her birthday cards all on her own.

 And got her first set of Lego - PINK Lego - from Nana and Bapa. SWEEET.

 Josh bought Ellie "something she will just love" : a fake nest. I hope he buys ME one for MY birthday! :)

 Nana and Bapa joined us for supper...and squashed the kids faces. They're such good grandparents.

 Speaking of squashed, Micah loves trying to squash Mr. Potato head glasses on his face. I don't get it.

 OPE! There's Mommy Mind Mush! Couldn't get motivated to bake...so Ellie got ice cream sundaes for her birthday 'cake' that day. She didn't mind. :) Thanks Ellie.

A few days later Ellie had her party - a DOLPHIN party. What a six-year-old theme. :) I DID work up a little umph to decorate. Check this out - I even hunted down two Polly Pocket dolphin toys for the centre piece. Unfortunately one played dead the entire time:

 Oh yes, and I also spent an evening drawing and 'sparkling' that dolphin on the wall. :)

 It was worth it - she made me take this picture with her 'excited smile'. :) I just love this girl. (Today, while I was cutting Josh's hair, she watched Micah in the tub, which I had asked her to do. But then she rolled up her pants, got in with him, scrubbed him down, took him out, dried him off, and put on his diaper...all on her own initiative. She's going to make quite the mom one day! In the meantime, her gift of helping sure blesses me a lot!)

 Ellie chose a small (first ever!) sleepover instead of a 'big loud screaming party'.

 Two of her closest friends, Maybeth and Emily (twins) came over for night...

 And cousin Regan came for the evening. It was just right!

Check out that self-control. Must be six!

Micah likes to wack things/people...even on birthdays.

Movie time! All cuddled up to watch 'Dolphin Tale'.

A few days after that we took Ellie on her birthday date. Here she is with that prize-winning 'excited smile':

We took Ellie to her FIRST ever movie in the theatre - Beauty and the Beast 3D! Slightly scarier than when we watched it on our lap top last year, but she only cried a little bit...

And then off to Build-A-Bear for her first time! She picked this bunny named 'Lilly' and bought clothes for her that matched her own outfit. 

So much fun and totally worth it for this occasion, but we won't be doing that again anytime soon. I can't believe you the things you can buy for a teddy bear!! It says a lot about our society, and kind makes me a little nauseated...

We wanted to take Ellie somewhere 'special' for supper, but she was quite insistent that McDonald's would be the special-est! This is pretty much all we saw of her:

I love you Ellie girl!! You are one special blossoming six year old sweetheart! 

3. Micah got funnier, cuter, and trickier at hiding. The whole family gets SO many giggles from this kid! There really are no words. Come over. Guaranteed you will be entertained.

Oh yes. He's also learned to plank. Thanks to Rob. This is the top of our piano.

4. I just love this man. Had to throw that in there. I love that boy beside him, too.

5. I found two Santas in my tub one day.

6. After hearing the wildest giggles coming down the stairs one night, a VERY pleased Ellie and Josh presented themselves ready for bed...in each other's pyjamas:

7. We've had the earliest, most wonderful spring ever...but I haven't taken any pictures outside because GUESS WHAT?? I don't care to carry around a camera (March mommy mind mush). That's okay. I'm certain I already have quite enough photos on this blog post.

8. We had a wonderful visit from Rob's parents. And I didn't take any pictures. Seriously. This is when you know something is wrong.

9. We're renovating our basement and I'm really excited about it. But I haven't taken any photos. *sigh*

Oh well. Sometimes we just need to take these things in stride, relax, and be cool like Micah...

Adios till next month! Hopefully I can still spell. :)