the pea fort: part 1

 ^^hard at work on the pea fort^^

Spring!  Spring!  Spring! 

I know it's been spring for over a month now, but around here, it's finally starting to feel like spring, too... and we just can't get enough of it!  We've been spending nearly all day, everyday outside - soaking up the warm air and watching the world wake up from its wintry sleep.  Ahhhhh!!!!

Elise's practical life skills have expanded to include digging, planting, weeding, watering - and building!  I've been drooling over pea trellis teepees and stick forts for some time now on pinterest, and we finally decided to combine the two ideas and build a pea fort.  Yay!  I am so excited for Elise to have her own nook to play in outside this summer, and to experience growing and eating her own food.  So far, it's just a frame, but soon we'll plant peas, beans, and some other climbing plants, and *hopefully* they will grow and cover Elise's little fort with leafy green goodness.

I promise to keep you all up-to-date!  ;)

some more pea fort inspiration:

1. Teebonacci Playhouse in the Garden (Organic Gardening)
2. Woodland Fort (dig this chick)
3. Bean Teepees (Lullbutton's Farm) 
4. How to grow your child a living den... (HubPages)

favorite springtime reads

A few books that are currently giving us spring fever:

• Snowy Flowy Blowy by Nancy Tafuri
• Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
• Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
• Mama, Is It Summer Yet? by Nikki McClure
• And Then It's Spring by Julie Fogliano
• A Book of Seasons by Alice and Martin Provensen

What have you been reading lately?  I'm getting the list for our next trip to the library, and would love a little inspiration!  :)

a spring road trip

3000 miles in a rental car with a toddler - yeeee haw!

Hello there, friends!  Our little family is just getting back from a BIG adventure on the west coast.  First, we spent Easter weekend in California with family, and then we decided to take the looooong way back.... cruising up the coast through Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and finally home to Montana.  We had so much fun exploring new places - Elise saw the ocean for the first time, ate kumquats, and stared up at the giant redwoods.  The whole trip was a huge success, but I won't lie - spending the week in a car with my toilet-learning toddler was exhausting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am SO enjoying being back home!

a simple spring experiment

Here's a little something to satisfy those first tingles of spring fever.... I'm sure you know what I'm talking about! Even though there's still snow on the ground and we have to pull on hats before going outside, there's a tiny, warm voice whispering in the wind "GROW!"

Elise and I responded to Mother Nature's call by force-starting some cuttings from trees and shrubs around our neighborhood.  It was basically as easy as cutting a few branches, sticking them in a vase of water, and bringing them inside our warm house - the plants did the rest of the work themselves!  In just a few short days, buds began to open.  Now, two weeks later, the buds have turned into leaves and flowers, and even more thrilling, there are roots!  

An older child would probably enjoy recording the transformation of the branches.  21-month-old Elise and I have enjoyed just discovering -  we've delighted in the tiny green leaves and ever-lengthening roots. Elise's vocabulary now includes buds, leaves, flowers, and roots.  Whenever she spots the tiniest spec of green outside, she exclaims "GROW!"

Here's to Spring! 

good things come in small packages...

Last week, an intriguing little package arrived at our door...

Elise, Mama, Papa, Rosie - who could it be for?

We opened it up as quickly as we could!

And, oh my, were the contents ever so good!

Did it contain a magic pill that made our family shrink?!

No, although the resemblance IS quite uncanny, don't you think?!

custom felt family by Jen's Felted Jems

(visit her on etsy and on facebook)

*UPDATE* 4/16  No, friends - this is NOT a pregnancy announcement!  Although, in hindsight, I realize that it kinda looks like one!  Ha!  The baby is just because Elise is so baby-crazy!  Maybe someday....  ;)