Charming, Lovely Nancy

Zara and Ezra (two on the right closest to Alex, their teacher) only learned the "A" part of this tune in time for the recital, as they are the Fiddle 1 students. The other kiddos are the more experienced Fiddle 2 students, and they're holding down the "B" part as well. Nice to have both groups perform together.

Butterflies Dancing a Jig

Zara's current irish step dancing class is known as the Butterflies. Here they are performing a jig at the BRIMS Spring recital.

Purple Impossible

Here's a guerilla picture taken by a parental cell phone while the actual professional photographer was taking our team picture today. This is Zara's last season play U8 soccer. Which means it is also my last season of coaching U8 soccer (for now). More than half of the team members here have been playing together (with Coach Connor) for 5 seasons now. If they do say so themselves, they've gotten pretty good, and as one of the players said to me during the game today, "we're almost impossible to beat!" I reminded him we didn't keep score, and he said "well, we should just be called Purple Impossible then." How could I say no to that? He's got a point, the team has been working hard and playing well together. Four seasons ago what we accomplish each game day would have been impossible, that's for sure. For many reasons, Purple Impossible it is.

Concentration

Here's a couple of shots of Amity, at school, deeply involved in a watercolors project. She really enjoys filling the whole page. We've yet to start in with "less is more" (a mantra we've been working on with her older sister) so for now we just enjoy her art that makes it home. (Some pieces never do because they are so weighed down with paint they disintegrate.)

Dogwood Festival

We attended the Dogwood Festival (Carnival) a few years ago, when Amity was just a little bitty baby in the Bjorn and Zara was first riding the dragon wagon by herself. Now Amity's riding the swings with Zara, and the Dragon Wagon with me (not pictured), and the Ferris Wheel with Wes. Zara's tall enough (finally) to go on the Round Up. Good thing she wants to do that one solo, because like Ed of the Barenaked Ladies, I also don't like spinny rides. In the picture taken from the rider's POV, you can see me and Amity (and our friends Matthew and Jennifer) chatting on the ground while the rest of our parties ride the... not sure what ride it was. Last picture is ye old favorite the carousel. Amity rides with no grown up on board these days.

Happy Birthday, Wes!

Happy Birthday, Wesley! We love you!

Stripey Snuggles

This is Zara's new (to her) winter coat (which might not fit for another 2 years), but Amity sure likes to snuggle with it. Also, stripes match!

Reading to their Babies

Amity and Amaya spend some quality time reading to their babies at school. Sadly, I don't think the babies can really see the pictures. Luckily, they probably don't mind.

Brooklyn

We had a busy spring break! In addition to our Jamestown trip, we spent a few days in Brooklyn visiting my family. Here's a few shots of Z and A reading with their Auntie Sophie and snuggling with Kenny.

Amity and George

The kiddos and I spent another one of our days on spring break at the Frontier Culture Museum. It's a fun place to go in the spring because of the abundance of baby animals - lambs, calves, etc. They also recently acquired 2 working horses, aka motors for wagon rides. But Amity's favorite exhibit, by far, was George the cat at the 1820s farm. Here she is petting him.

Maymont (again)

The kiddos perodically like to check their wingspan, much like they like when we measure their growth on the door jamb in Zara's old/Amity's current room.

Climbing on the bear statue (as well as looking for the actual bears that live across the way) has also become a favorite Maymont tradition. Amity now takes part in that one, too.