Evelyn is three!

 Homemade cards, and a homemade doll. Made with love from Melanie and her friend during a sleepover in spring break.

 Present opening is always interesting!

 Cake help. Evelyn didn't spend a lot of time on it, but enjoyed what she did. We overlooked the finger sized holes in the icing. ;)

 She wasn't sure about the "Happy Birthday to You"

And had willing help for blowing out the candles when she was too embarrassed to try.

We played games. Melanie and Matthew hid bags full of jelly beans, so the kids ran around hunting for them.

 Some were easy to find, some were harder!

And we did the game of pass the present, where each kid gets a turn at unwrapping. Hard for toddlers to play! Evelyn and Glodi both quit because they didn't like sharing. ;)

But they did play together outside nicely.

Birthday parties are tiring. Evelyn slept it off in a filing box. 

(Actually, that was a different day during nap time.)

We all love Evelyn. She is spunky, she is fun. She cares for people who are hurt or sick.
BUT she is a "bit" spoiled sometimes...hopefully that can improve over the summer when I "theoretically" have more time for her in the summer. If her siblings would stop mothering and pampering her, that would help.

Mixed up

melting snow and quick sand

 This year again we had a "creek".

 A bit of run off from the golf course-it wasn't deep enough for boats this year, except some high riding canoes.

 But it was fun anyways.

 Sandbags from the rink got dumped back in the sandbox.

 Melanie was joking around that she was stuck in the muck, and then it happened for real!

We got one food out, and the other one had to be wiggled out once she was out of the way.  It wasn't easy to work loose!

and then the skating rink was closed for the year

 We knew there wasn't much time left to enjoy the ice, so the kids had a last shot at playing.

 A new game was invented for the occasion.

 Nathan and Melanie showed how it was to be played.

 

 Following this was a lengthy pow-wow where everyone was told the rules.

 They were something like this--you put your hockey stick handle into the snow, and then the next hockey stick you come up to in the snow you pull out, while you skate around the rink in a circle. And no stopping!

 And away they go!

But a few days later we had the "big thaw" and although the ice wasn't thawed through everywhere, I let some water out to get rid of some volume, in hopes of speeding up the thawing.  The sooner the plastic is packed away the less likely it gets wrecked. Theoretically.

But if you jab a board with pointy screws into the carefully rolled up plastic when it is "safely" away in storage--then maybe it'd be better to leave it outside. And subject to the elements instead.
Oops.

Playing in the snow

 Snow hasn't stayed on the ground much, so this winter the kids were always anxious to play in it before it melted again!

 When the snow is gone, they can plot about what to play next. This time a wall of snow

 and paths leading to various houses and far away places.

 Jennifer convinced Evelyn to go skating with her.

 She carefully followed her directions and example as well as he could.

 Bikes can be used in the snow.

The sliding run along the driveway was a fun challenge.

Such a beautiful day!