Warmer Weather

The weather started warming up in April, then got cool, then warm...you get the idea. So I started getting my gardens cleaned up and later planted. And the girls got to start playing outside more.

Ava's learning to ride Fiona's scooter. She also loves the beep-beep car (as she calls it).

On a cooler day Fiona mined for rocks inside.

It's been so long now that I don't remember everything that kept us busy in April, but here are some things that I have pictures for.

On the 14th, we went for a hike at the Cox Arboretum. This is one of the days where it got cool again, but we still had fun. We met another mom and her two girls there. We went a little over a mile plus climbed 80+ steps. Fiona ran almost the entire thing (or so it seemed) and Ava even made it over halfway and up ALL the steps by herself. Although I had to push her up the steepest slopes on the trail. The highlight for me though was seeing Fiona climb her first tree (about 10 feet up and back down the thing) with no complaints or fear.

Ava on the trail...loves to do it herself. 

 Ava didn't want to join us for a picture at the top.

She made it up and down all by herself...I'm so proud of her for trying it.

The tulips were in full bloom.

A friend from MI came into town that week and stayed almost two weeks so we hung out with them a few times. On the 17th, we went to the Wegerzyn children's garden. The kids had fun in the sand and just running around.

Fiona asked for her picture on the dinosaur. 

Fun in the sandboxes. 

The little gate was locked so they had to use the grown-up sized entrance.

That weekend we mostly did yardwork and gardening around the house. Well I did and the girls helped me. Then on Tues Caleb and Kaia came over here to play after lunch. On Friday (the 24th) we saw an animal show at the mall as part of their Connect!Kids program. The guy was really focused on what he was talking about so he didn't really notice that some of the kids never got to touch the animals as he was walking around (including Fiona who was sitting up front with Caleb and Kaia), but he had a couple of animals out afterwards so she got to touch them then, and even hold a snake.

I couldn't decide which picture of Fiona and the snake I liked better, so here they both are.

I wasn't really feeling the greatest that day, and then the next day I got hit with a really bad cold or the flu that knocked me out for the weekend and into the next week. It took almost two weeks to get over, during which time the girls got it (but recovered much more quickly) and then Carol got it (and took much longer to recover).

I was feeling better by May 1st so we went and met Sean at work for lunch. Then on the 2nd we headed to Indianapolis for the day. We met a friend at the Indianapolis Museum of Art and Lilly House, and then had dinner at the Tamale Place. We were planning to go to the Children's Museum, but the weather was so nice that we wanted to be outside. I guess that gives us a reason to go back again.

They both fell asleep on the way there (for over an hour), which was good since it was the only nap Ava got.

In front of a fountain near the outdoor eating area.

Cool brushstroke sculptures.

It was a family day, and as part of that they were building an outdoor cardboard fort. Fiona made a cat door on a small piece of cardboard (all her idea and creation). 

One of the guys on the construction crew helped her find a place to add it to the fort. 

 

The Lilly House - the main thing that I wanted to see.

Fiona learned to weave at one of the exhibits.

Sean with our friend Brett.