
The girls were especially excited because Grandpa joined us too.
Big expectations:
And big excitement!

I suspect this will become a more regular thing!


We shared some plates of rainbows with the kids in the neighborhood, too.
A sneaky leprechaun also tricked Jia. She was stirring her yogurt and it turned green!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The naturalist told us all about maple trees and the sap process, and then we trekked out to find some. Here is Jia drilling one:
Willa drilling:
Inserting the spout:
Anabelle hanging the bag:
Then came the waiting.
And waiting.
And waiting.
For...nothing. It was too cold for the sap to run! (Thankfully, we knew this was likely.) We hiked back to the center and learned the process of making the syrup.

Then we enjoyed a pancake and homemade syrup treat!
The best part: we have some sugar maples in our yard and might give it a try ourselves!
Spreading the butter:
Placing the baby:
Mixing frosting:
And spreading it:
Of course, licking the bowl!
The final result! The girls pretty much did all the work!
It was yummy! Jia got the baby this year. She promptly shared it with Willa (so nice)!
Speaking of growing, when Jia showed me her wiggly tooth, I said, "Oh! You're growing up!" Then a little tear slid down my cheek. Jia saw it and said, "Mama, you're crying!" Then she burst into tears! Guess I scared her. My big girl. Sigh.
Now we're just waiting for Jia's big toothless moment!
It's so tiny!
She lost it at school and came home with it in a treasure chest. Do you remember these from when you were a kid? I do.
Attempting the straw trick.
with fancy hair...
Yes, I know it's blurry. Thankfully, we had a great view in person! The girls were thrilled to go to the Princesses on Ice show. We enjoyed the dress exhibits and seeing a real Tiana beforehand. 

Tiana in front of Tiana.
The show was really well done. It included some amazing skating, a fire-breathing dragon and fireworks.

The girls were enchanted and we had a terrific time.
"Baba is a nice dad."
"Mama takes care of me."
One day I noticed this sign on the fridge: