May Day Preparations

Happy almost May-Day!

When we were little we loved to weave strips of paper together to make colorful baskets for our neighbors.  It was such a fun tradition and one that I fear is nearly lost to our modern times.  Don't let the computer age win!  Join with me in the fight to preserve such a quaint tradition.  Make some May baskets with your children!  

It's also good to remember that once the baskets have been anonymously hung on your neighbors doorknobs and the doorbell rung, run fast!  If the giver is caught he or she must be chased down for a kiss!

Enjoy a taste of the old times.  Remember to post pictures of your family having fun on May Day!

Charming May Day Baskets

By Brenda Hyde

Handing out May Day baskets is a charming and gentle activity for children and adults. It's a tradition that Louisa May Alcott wrote of in "Jack and Jill"(Chapter 18):

"The job now in hand was May baskets, for it was the custom of the children to hang them on the doors of their friends the night before May-day; and the girls had agreed to supply baskets if the boys would hunt for flowers, much the harder task of the two. Jill had more leisure as well as taste and skill than the other girls, so she amused herself with making a goodly store of pretty baskets of all shapes, sizes, and colors, quite confident that they would be filled, though not a flower had shown its head except a few hardy dandelions, and here and there a small cluster of saxifrage." (a type of herb called Greater Burnet).

May baskets can be given to friends and family, as well as taken to elderly neighbors or nursing homes. While fresh flowers and candy treats are usually left in the baskets, you can put other things as well. I think fresh flowers, a few tea bags and some little tea cookies would be wonderful!

We made a May Basket today with recycled items that really turned out pretty. We used:

An empty Tuna Helper Box (a cake box would work)
Leftover wall paper border-prepasted
hole punch or very large needle
ribbon
leftover filler from a gift we had been given
Gifts for your basket

Cut the box in half-ours ended up being about 5 inches high. Moisten the prepasted border piece after you've measured it to fit around the box with a little leftover. Smooth it down-lining up the edge of the border with bottom edge of the box. Whatever is left at the top simply fold over the edge of the box so it's inside. We let this sit and dry for a little while, and smoothed it down once more as it was drying.

When it was dry I poked a hole in each side near the top and put in a length of ribbon long enough so we could tie a bow after threading it through the hole. We then added the filler and our treats and flowers.

This craft could easily be used for a group of children to make a few of them. It was easy, and the materials were recycled or scraps I had saved. You could use any recycled boxes or bags for the basket and cover it with various papers or paint. You could also add paper doilies, lace, more ribbons and other decorative scraps.

The second picture listed on the page is a basket we made from a thrift store find. This type of basket would work really well for giving to Seniors. We lined it with a white cloth napkin I had also gotten at a thrift store and filled it with flowers and bath products.post all the cute pictures of you and your kids enjoying this May Day!    

Getting ready for cabin

Thank goodness my mom visited us the other day and brought her camera with her!  We've been operating for months without any way of documenting the kid's activities due to the slight mishap with our Canon that shattered it's viewing screen.  Oops! 

But, now due to the super great deals at Costco, (not to mention the terrific rebate program), we have rejoined all good parents who keep track of their children's progress in life.  

Summer is just around the corner, (so we've been told) which brings with it lazy days at the lake.  The kids are really excited to get up there and show off the new swimming skills they've been working on.  But, until then, we're having a great time each Saturday at the YMCA.  Matt swims with Ryan while the girls have their lessons.  Once the girls are done, they join Daddy swimming in the shallow end, while Mommy stays happily clothed, cheering from the sidelines.

Emily's class is first.  Now that she's five, Emily's into all of the pretty accessories that every little girl craves...even in the pool!  Apparently, goggles are all the rage in her class.

Our little fashionista.

Emily is really learning fast.  She can even swim short distances on her own now.

Allie's class is next.

Allie's always been our daredevil, jumping in, ducking under...nothing ever scares her!  

Class is done.  Now it's MY time to play!

See?  Who needs a teacher?!  I can do it all on my own!

Daddy and Ryan

I can do it too Allie!  (Ryan LOVES the water)

Can't wait until next Saturday!  

Fallin' for my kids

One of my favorite memories as a child is of the gigantic pile of leaves my dad would rake up for us every fall when we lived in Roseville.  Actually, we had so many trees dad would rake up multiple piles with one main huge mound right in the center of the yard.  

Jers and I would happily skip around diving into all of them, but of course saving the big pile for last.  We also loved making forts in the leaves with old blankets draped over sides of the crater we had created from all of our jumping.  I felt like a pad of butter in the middle of a scoop of mashed potatoes!  I was so glad on our recent visit back home when dad once again raked up all of the leaves so our kids could be introduced into this same age old rite of passage.  Such fun! 

Allie

Ryan

Emily

For those of you who haven't seen a recent pic of me for awhile and have been torturing me to take one, here I am at 5am on the plane. It was tough to smile so early in the morning, (especially while getting a picture taken), but I did it!

Schroeder and Lucy?

Our music lovers

Jackson's Purple Party!

Due to my return to work and various last minute vacations, I haven't posted for awhile.  Here's the first chapter of what we've been up to this summer.

The other day our little neighbor Jackson turned three.  To celebrate we were all invited to his Purple birthday party.  The girls were so excited, they adore Jackson and couldn't wait to spend time with him (and the cake).

The kids were all decked out in the party's theme color of purple (Allie is even sporting some purple icing left on her mouth...built in sneak detector for little girls who steal licks off the cake!). 

 By the way, it's really hard to find a boyish outfit in purple.  Fortunately, I'm from Minnesota!  I just had to pull out one of my favorite baby presents for Ryan.  Just one more reason that Minnesota rules!

The kids played in the backyard for a bit before presents. 

Ryan loved Jackson's Radio Flyer wagon.  Typical male, he couldn't sit still and have someone else drive, he had to get out and show them how it's done!

Ryan's on his way!

"...and I'm not stopping for directions!"

Allie loved the licking the purple icing on the cupcakes.

I think the sugar's kicking in!

  

Although, this is a post about a birthday party, you'll notice there are no pictures of presents, a cake, or even of a birthday boy.  Unfortunately, as I was waiting to take the main pictures of the kids and party, the sugar took hold of the kids, and picture taking became impossible.  Maybe we'll get some pictures of all that stuff next year.  Next time, I'll try to remember to snap before they do.

Early Fireworks

We had a treat while visiting Virginia.  Scot and Kathleen smuggled in fireworks!  

We dressed the kids in cozy PJs and brought them outside to watch.  Emily who still remembers last Fourth of July, was excited to see the show.  Allie naively followed the big kid's lead and was looking forward to seeing the pretty fireworks.  However, we forgot to tell her about the noise.

Ryan waiting with Daddy wondering what's going on.

and then...BOOM!!!

  "Whoa!  What was that???!!!"

"I don't know!  But, let's never do it again."

"That was awesome!  Can we do it again?"

Courageous Allie giving  

fireworks one more try.

Big Mistake!

Allie scrambling for safety with Poppy.

Ahh, safe at last.

Great idea Allie, move over!

Everything is better with Poppy nearby.

Next Sparklers!  These were the biggest sparklers I had ever seen.  They like their pyrotechnics huge down south.  

Allie was still a little scared (and deaf) from her recent experience with the fireworks.  It didn't help that one of the kids also singed the top of her head with a sparkler.  She's going to be so traumatized by our patriotism she'll probably defect. 

Big kid Emily's not scared...as she keeps a close and wary eye on that stinging fire creeping towards her.

Kristin the Brave.  She'll teach her cousins how things are done!

Finally, rest for the weary...as soon as he's done reading the kids a book.