Easter Egg Hunt

On Saturday we went to the Nietschmanns for an Easter Eg Hunt. It was Jack's 2nd of the week but Madeline's first ever. My two munchkins ready to go!

Jack's strategy was different from most kids. Instead of walking around with his basket to fill, he left his basket in one place and ran around the field getting as many eggs as he could carry and then brought them back to his basket again and again. I thought it was pretty ingenious!

Madgirl cheering on Jack

The Happy Hunter

After the hunt, the kids left their baskets unattended to play some games. I was chatting with some moms and looked up to find Madeline stealing eggs from someone else!

She figured out how to open the eggs and knew there was candy inside!

The kids also got to plant seeds to take home.

Jack loved the playground and especially the sliding pole!

For your Peeps

Jack had his first Easter Egg hunt of the season at school on Wednesday. He was quite excited but this is the only "smile" I could get for the camera!

I saw these adorable treats on a blog last year (thanks Heather Collier!) and couldn't wait to recreate them this year. They are Peep Smore bags. You put a box of peeps, hershey bars and graham crackers in the clear plastic cellophane (I sat it all on green grass) and then attach a note saying "Happy Easter to some of my favorite Peeps!" Jack gave them to all the kids in his class. It was a big hit! Feel free to steal my stolen idea!


Madeline's favorite activity these days is eating. She finally broke 20lbs!

So lady-like

I caught Madeline eating the waffle that she dropped on the floor at breakfast (and I failed to pick up). For a minute, I freaked out, but then I remember that my super fabulous husband had steamcleaned the floors last night so I let her enjoy her waffle. And truthfully, I probably would have let her eat it even if our floor wasn't steamcleaned. She is the second child after all.

Piper and Paige

We had a Girls Night for Emily Sampson and Emily Starritt last night. They are due with baby girls- Piper and Paige- in the coming weeks. It is number three for both ladies so we decided they deserved a night out! Check out the cute cake that Blue Moon in Cary did. It goes with the Penelope bedding from PBK.Do we look excited to be out? Between us we have 20 kids and three on the way!

This week...

In between enjoying the BEAUTIFUL weather with my kiddies, this is what I have been up to this week! Here are a couple of the orders going out today - thank goodness for USPS picking up packages at your door!

Seriously?

Yes, this is how my 13 month old spent the time while I got ready this morning- watching Little Einsteins on my IPhone. Who would have ever thought? She took my phone, climbed into her little space, turned herself around and happily kicked her legs to the music!

*Her seriously cute shoes are courtesy of Mimi! We love Puddlejumpers! Thanks Mimi

Happy St Patricks Day!

These Irish eyes are smiling at you!

Pi Day

We started a tradition of celebrating Pi Day (3/14 or March 14) when we lived in Atlanta. We would have friends over and everyone brought a pie. Last year, I had just had Madeline so entertaining for me. We reinstituted Pi Day this year and it was so fun!. I went to the hospital to visit the Andersons and baby Charlie and came home to this on my garage!

Apparently Clay didn't think my banner (that I made with Shannon's new cricut) was good enough!
The hosts and the pies- we had strawberry, cherry, peach, pecan, chocolate cream, chocolate peanut butter, butterfinger and mint oreo- so yummy!

McKenna checking out the cherry pie!

Leave it to the Smiths to come in "themed" attire. Notice Paige's shirt says "q t pi" and her hair clip is a cherry pie!

If you don't celebrate Pi Day, you need to put it on the calendar for 2011!

Knoxville

Clay had to go to LA for the Annual Store Manager Meeting last week so we headed to Knoxville. We had a blast with Mimi, Shannon, Maeve and Cael. Goose is in Arizona at Spring Training so we were sad to miss him!

These two are getting so big! They have so much fun together!

The best shot of the four grandkids
We kept the kids very busy. Mimi took them to the Discovery Museum and to Patti's house to get eggs from the chickens. One night Maeve taught Jack how to make "scrombolia" (Stromboli).

There were lots of bubble blown. Madeline- who started walking last week- was very intrigued by the bubbles!

Jack and Maeve checking out Cael- please notice the cell phone in Maeve's back pocket. It is Shannon's old one - a teenager in the making!

Cutie pie Cael!

One night Mimi invited Jack and Maeve to have a slumber party- so fun and the kids were very excited! She had a movie, popcorn, whoppers and sprite! They lasted til 9pm and then Maeve wanted to go home :) Shannon and I spent the night playing with her new Cricut!

Like mother, like daughter- Madgirl trying to break into a box of Samoas

Madeline loved the rocking chair in the sunroom. She would climb in and out and rock back and forth. She was so proud of herself! She was a drooling mess all week b/c she was getting all of her molars!

Uncle Ryan was on spring break so he provided lots of entertainment!

Mimi and Goose are having an outdoor fireplace built and the kids called it a "castle."

Ice cream bubbles and goldfish snacks

More bubbles

Ah! Are these two old enough for a kids table?? Mimi thought so and they loved it!

Madeline decided to try it out at breakfast the next morning.

We love going "home!" It is such a treat! Can't wait for Ryan and Julia's party in April when we have another excuse to get back to Knoxvegas!

Visit to Dottie's

On our way to Knoxville, we stopped at Clay's grandmother's house for a night. Dottie lives in Winston-Salem and it was a great way to break up our trip. She took us to a yummy Mexican restaurant for dinner where Jack turned off all of the house lights in the middle of people's dinner. We got some funny looks but it was mostly families so they were understanding. Dottie gave Jack and Madeline some Easter goodies including the chicken Jack is holding above. It plays the chicken dance and Jack and Madeline are big fans now. He even brought "chicken" to the playground today.

Jennie from the Blocks

After much encouragement, I finally "hung my shingle" on the world wide web. Check out www.jenniefromtheblocks.blogspot.com. I have loved creating these blocks and giving them as gifts. I hope other people like them enough to buy them for themselves or as gifts too. Please pass my site along and feel free to list it on your blog (if you have one). I am excited to be "blocking!"

The Day the bottom fell out!

It was a rough week last week. Madeline had a double ear infection. Jack was hitting/tackling kids at school. I was mourning the end of breastfeeding and my body was in all sorts of hormonal inbalance b/c of it which made me burst into tears at random moments. And then the bottom literally fell out. Of my crock pot!

I did not grow up in a house that had a crock pot (that I remember) and I received this one at one of my wedding showers. It stayed in the box for years. I was kind of against crock pots. It seemed so Susy Homemaker to me. And then I had Jack. And was working. And needed to have dinner ready sometime before 8pm. So I dug the crockpot out of the closet and fell in love! Seriously, I use it at least twice a week now! We (I) don't even eat red meat and I still make all sorts of things in it. Last week, I made bbq chicken. As I lifted the pot to clean it, the bottom fell out! It was par for the course for the way my week was going but on the upside now I get to shop for a fancy new crock pot!