Baby Steps

This week, (and I presume for many weeks to come), it has been all about water and mud. 

Seeing kids get messy makes me very happy. Leila is still resisting it. With enough encouragement though, I hope to help her one day embrace her inner mud princess. :)

Exploring in the dirt comes naturally to Dea and Maryam. We're working on Drew, and he's showing lots of progress. :)

It was neat to see the little flowing rivers that the melting snow created on this day. Even with the snowsuits and boots, there was still plenty of wet clothing to be changed upon our return home; well worth it, though!

We did a few Easter crafts this week.

The kids stuck Easter stickers onto Bristol Board or construction paper eggs.

Maryam hasn't figured out how to get the backing off the stickers yet. Leila ALWAYS goes to help her when she is done her own craft. It's very sweet!

We also painted paper eggs, both with a paint brush and using a sponge to stamp the paint on.

I cannot wait to decorate the apartment with their beautiful art work!



Notice the stethoscope around Maryam's neck. She often wears it around the daycare, and checks if her friends' backs are alright. :)



We had a couple of seriously warm days this week, reaching 17 degrees Celcius!

Maryam loved this puddle!

Leila took her dancing outside...

 Drew was more alert and engaged during our outdoor time. He will stand up in his snowsuit, but refuses to walk. I guess it just feels too bulky. He will be happy when he can rid himself of these extra clothes, once spring is here for good!

And Maryam kept loving that puddle! lol

We asked her to come for a hike with us. Check out her response.



Saucy, huh? :)

We still talked her into a hike though.

I figured I'd finally take a picture of this famous shrubbery. Since the Thomas and Riley era, the kids have hid behind this bush on our way home. Every time, I have to pretend to cry that I have lost these children I love so much. I have to go on about "What will their parents say?! They will be so mad!" They will often then move the branches of the bush to pretend it is talking to me. At this point, I have to pretend that I'm worried about going crazy because a bush is talking to me. Finally, they run out laughing, and I act delighted that I have found them. I know this is not very interesting to the general reader here, but I just had to include this very important delight in their daily lives; they might be visiting this blog in the years to come, and I'm sure they'll remember this fondly!

So, although Drew had been taking 5 steps here and there for the past few weeks, his main mode of transportation was still by hands and knees. Well, as of Monday of this week, he is officially a walker at the daycare; he has converted over! (He probably started earlier at home; I can only speak to his life at the daycare.) I love the babbling in this video, too! Way too cute.

But he still likes to hitch a ride on the back of his friends, now and then. Why not? It's fun!

More puddle play!

Leila was a little scared to go into this puddle at first. Lucky for her, she's got an adventurous friend to inspire her. She soon realized it was awesome.

And lastly, because sometimes you just need to take a load off and watch Teletubbies with a good friend.