clay day and first bike outing

 3/10- It's a fun day for the boys!  Our friend, Jane, came and stayed with the girls so I could take these two up to campus to meet with Darin for art.  We got to go into a studio and work with clay!

Darin taught us how to make pinch pots.

We pinched and we pushed. And our fingers got yucky.

Then Darin showed us how to use tools to smooth our pots and make designs.

After the pots were done, we had some fun sculpting people and objects.  Boaz made a guy sitting in a chair.

Cainan made a ball with a C on it.

The pots...

Boaz's guy sculpture.

After we were done with clay, we walked over the pedestrian bridge to get back to the car.  Some other kids were begging cars to honk as they drove under and the boys thought that looked like fun... so we stood and did the same for awhile!

When we got home, the girls looked fancy with their hair pulled into ponytails.  Thanks, Jane!  :)  Kezia was pretty proud of her hair.

Then shortly after Jane left, we got a package from her daughter!  Leah sent Boaz a special birthday package.

The Big Book of Why... so perfect for this little man.  We will really enjoy this!!!

The sun was out just long enough for us to get the bikes out for the first time since... well, since months ago!!  The kids picked up the bike riding again without much hesitation.  It didn't take long before they were cruising up and down the sidewalk like they'd never stopped.

When Kezia woke up, she joined us and we went down to the cul de sac.  I give her a little help so we can keep up with the others.

The water was all the way up to the bridge today.  We love snow melting!!

Our peaceful backyard playground...  I am so thankful for this hillside, stream, and the great neighbors that let us roam it!

We had fun throwing weeds in the water and watching them get swept away by the current.

The boys climbed the snow hills and the girls just wandered around enjoying the fresh air.  Ahhhh... the promise of spring.  This mommy needs some spring!  (so do the kids!)

After a bit, Myka decided she was going to go home.  She was done playing and didn't understand that we needed to wait a bit for the boys to be done.  (We were watching a neighbor boy for a bit, too.)  She was angry and kept taking a couple steps closer to the sidewalk home at a time.  Then she'd look back and just slide a little farther away and kick the snow a bit.  Some neighbor girls were hanging out in the cul-de-sac, too, and she stood and watched them for awhile.  Just testing her limits a bit, but I won the battle.  :)