We went up north last weekend.  Our first weekend back since the fall.  We couldn't make the 5pm ferry so we decided to spend the night in Door County and catch the first ferry over the next morning.  We checked into a hotel, went out to dinner, and came back to the hotel for a swim.  It was a mini vacation for us all!

Wild Tomato Pizza - Fish Creek

I would like to say being back on the island was fabulous but it was just really dreary and really quite cold.  That might have been okay if we just weren't so sick of rainy cold days already.  We stopped in the Danish Mill for lunch.  Like last year, the kids colored pictures for their free cookie.  As always, lunch was great.

Fog, fog, fog.  (I was really pretty crabby about this)  Here the kids are making eagle nests and pretending they are eagles.

A new sand beach was put in next to Sailor's Pub, across from Red Barn Park.  We stopped for a minute to play in the sand.

We went to Findlay's Holiday Inn for breakfast.  I was pleasantly surprised by super yummy, homemade cooking.  We'll be back!

The sun came out for a bit inland.  The island was in full spring mode!

The island thrift store.  My favorite Saturday morning stop.

The Island Dairy's new endeavor...lavender fields!

10,000 lavender plants were planted.  Can't wait to see how they grow! 

We found a tree frog.  Magnolia was quick to pick it up which surprised us and George was a little unsure.  Fun to see them get in touch with nature...we've been in the city for a long time now!

This was our purchase of the day from the thrift store.   A purple bike with a banana seat for $8?!  Fun, fun, fun.

This is my other favorite Saturday morning stop...the Island Exchange a.k.a. the dump.  If something can possibly be reused for someone else then it is put in this pile.  We have found some useful things in here.  I look forward to sifting through it every Saturday to see what can be freecycled.

Better yet, looking through this pile of metal.  Also, cool stuff has been found here.  Always happy to save something from the landfills.

This is our burn pile this year.  I was getting anxious looking it at and imagining burning down the entire island when it comes time to burn this.  I'm making George promise he'll do it in the dead of winter!

Cold and foggy day was perfect for a little campfire to roast hot dogs and s'mores.

Quite a few things were turned over in the winter, this makeshift dock somehow remained completely in tact.

Finding sticks for the weenie roast.

We headed over to Fiddler's Green for dinner one night.

Super funky, super fun place to sit and have a beer.

The next morning we packed our bags, cleaned the house and headed back to the mainland.
Of course, we landed at Al Johnson's off the fairy for a mile high hot cocoa and swedish pancakes.

Looking forward to being back much of July for some real summer fun!

This is the second year I have gotten to see the Spring Sing.  I LOVE these school concerts and her school does such a great job with them.  We missed the Christmas concert because she woke up that very day with the stomach virus.  I couldn't wait to see the Spring Sing and hoped she stayed healthy for it!  They started practicing these songs soon after Christmas!

It is so impressive to see the kids belt out these songs so beautifully.  Magnolia said she was happy it was over because she was just SO tired from practicing.  :)

Songs:

What I Am by Will.I.Am

Under the Bamboo Tree

Under the Blue Umbrella

It's a Small World

I will miss our Monday, Tuesday, Thursday lunches right before school.  

This is his last lunch being a K3 preschooler.

We head to school for his last day to see their spring concert.

He brought his "ah-ah baby" everyday.  The teachers would let him keep it with him through "treasure time" and then he would have to go and put it in his cubby for the rest of the day.  On the days I would volunteer I saw this routine and also witnessed him going out to his cubby periodically to bend over and hug it for a brief moment of comfort before continuing with his day.  :)

I dressed him for this last day but he added the bow tie all on his own!

We really didn't think he would participate!  For the Christmas concert he ran to me right away so this time we were prepared to watch all of the other children...not our own!  Like my dad says, George is full of surprises and on this day he did.  He waved and smiled and sang his little heart out.

I think I cried the entire time.  Our little boy really grew up during the school year.  He really came out of his shy, shy shell and his personality really blossomed.  He is a very funny and sweet little boy.  He has the biggest heart I've ever known and his emotional intelligence surpasses many grown adults.  He is a pure delight for all of us!

This song was my favorite!!!  "I am a big oak tree.  Stuck in the ground is me. If I had just one wish, I would dance like this.  I'd do a little bump, I'd do a little twist.  I'd do a little jump, and wiggle just like this.  I'd do the funky chicken as silly as I know.  I'd pack my trunk, and hit the road!"

"Two little black birds sitting on a hill.  One named Jack and one named Jill.  Fly away Jack.  Fly away   Jill.  Come back Jack, come back Jill..."

Congratulations Georgie!  You did it!  I hate to say I never thought you would, but I did.  I even thought about taking you out after Christmas.  Some days were hard getting to school and it broke my heart to have the teachers tear you away from me while you sobbed your eyes out.  BUT, you adjusted and really grew to like school.  You gained confidence, you made friends, and most of all, you came out of your extremely painful shyness.  There were days you did not want to draw any attention to yourself like the day you wore your superman shirt and your teacher said it was the perfect day to wear it as you were going to learn the superman prayer at snack time.  You wore your coat over that shirt all day long.  By the end of the year you went to school with a very short haircut.  You wore it proudly, smiled and showed it off.  You said "thank you" to all the moms and teachers who said they loved your haircut.  And if I might dare to say that you liked the attention!  You loved the routine school brought you just like you like the routine we established early on with you at home.  By mid year, as I struggled what to do with you next year, you told me you wanted to go to Maggie's school after we visited a Montessori.  It was that simple, you were right.  You are going to love the routine the K4 program will bring you and you are going to love seeing Maggie in the halls.  It's a place you know and it is familiar to you.  For now, before I can even imagine you in such a big, big school, I'm keeping you home with ME all summer and are going to have a blast!!!

It was a perfect Mother's Day!  The kids and I joined my parents and my sister's family at their church in their little town north of us on the lake.  It was a very sweet service, Magnolia loved it, George not so much.  Eventually we will join our own church but I'm afraid my kids are spoiled by this church that serves cookies and candy before service!  My mom then had a wonderful lunch for us and we went outside to play.  George was working but was home in time for dinner.  We sat around the dining room table for a long time, opened all of my gifts, wore crowns, painted my fingernails and just enjoyed being together.  Magnolia made me the cutest painted flower pot and George painted a flower with his picture in the middle of it.  On the leaves it said he loved his mom "because she buys me fruit roll ups."  Ha, he had his first fruit roll up with a friend and begged me to buy them.  When I did, he was just beside himself.  The teachers must have asked him that question soon after that.  :)

Wow, it was a busy April!  We came back from Florida straight into George's birthday. Ten days later we had another little party for him.  Magnolia was Star of the Week.  We had someone come to re-tile and update our master bath. George was off work for two weeks.  We had a visit from Nani.  We got our Daisy troop up and running and had our first meeting.  George started a new job.  Our credit card was stolen.  My dad was hospitalized for a fall and will need surgery next month.  All of the craziness made the otherwise cold and dreary month pass quickly.  Spring has finally arrived and we will welcome May with open arms.

Looking at the full moon before bedtime

We're going on a bear hunt.

We're going to find a bear.

What a beautiful day,

We're not scared!

Nani's visit was so nice. We did so many fun things, explored new places, had lots of good walks, and lovely dinners around the dining room table.  The kids were in such good spirits having her. And, with all of that fresh air we had healthy appetites making mealtime very relaxing.

One afternoon Annela, Georgie, and I headed north of the city to find a place to lunch.  Suddenly I was drawn to the little cafe where my wedding shower was held thirteen years ago.  I had not been since.  It was a sunny day and with all of the recent rain, the Milwaukee River that runs behind the cafe was near flooding and flowing rapidly.  It made for a very pretty setting.

   

It's just as sweet as I remember it.

My shower was very small and quaint and Annela and I tried to remember the gifts I received.

 After our lunch of veggie sandwiches, we splurged on dessert and ate them on the patio and watching the river.

 Nani shows George raccoon footprints on the bank of the river.

After lunch we headed to a park nearby to see a dam that was put in over 150 years ago to power the local grain mill.  Annela spotted 5-6 bald eagles in the sky and Georgie threw rocks in the river.