Beauty and the Beast

MHS' spring musical is "Beauty and the Beast." This morning there was a special event just for children. We got to meet the cast, see a preview of the show, and then go on stage and tour the castle. Mati does not yet have a clue about princesses nor has she ever seen a Disney movie but she likes music and other kids so we gave it a try. She was not too thrilled at meeting Belle as you can see in the pictures. I think she was confused because whenever we're in that spot in the high school it generally means she gets to run to my room; in the pictures it looks like she's scouting her escape route. When we went into the auditorium Mati just wanted to run the aisles and push down seats; but then the lights went down and the curtain opened and music started... Mati went still. She sat on my lap so quietly I thought she was sleeping. She liked watching the singing and dancing! She's not ready for the full production, unless they could run it with songs only and cut all the dialogue, but the preview of three songs was perfect!

Meeting Belle, Mati is not impressed.



Sitting in the Beast's throne on stage.

Happy Earth Day!

We celebrated Earth Day by planting our free Dogwood tree we got last weekend. Mati enjoying picking, smelling, and eating tulips while Doug dug the hole, then she helped place the tree and fill the hole with soil.

Smelling, then eating a tulip.


Whenever Mati walks by the tulips she tries to close them.


Doug found the perfect spot.


Getting ready to plant.


Filling the hole with soil.

Play Structure, More Progress

The cold and wind has not been friendly to Doug's building progress but he has gotten a lot done nonetheless. I also want to give him huge credit for working under challenging conditions, and I don't mean the weather... the neighboring farms just fertilized their fields and when you step out our doors the scent of pig manure hits you. Doug says you don't notice it after awhile but wow! It's bad.

So the progress... the climbing wall is done, the swing is hung, and Doug is designing a platform fron which to attach the slide. He's in the home stretch!

Play Structure Update

The nice weather is giving Doug the time he needs to continue building the new play structure. Mati even got to go on the tower platform today to inspect dad's work.

Spring Break Wrap-up: The Zoo!

We headed to the zoo Saturday morning. Thank heavens the sun finally came out and the temperatures warmed up; it was a perfect day for the zoo!

Getting ready to head into the zoo. We still needed jackets and hats at this point.


Aunt Jen, Aly, and Morgan with Mati taking in the animal sights...


We were there in time for penguin feeding... how cool! And have you ever heard the noise a penguin makes? It's loud!


Mati, Morgan, and Dean watching the fish.


Outside the bear enclosure. I loved the bears; Mati loved eating her raisins.


The bears. One had just taken a swim.


The male lion.

Play Structure Progress

Doug is designing and building a play structure for Mati. He did some research about sizes and features, consulted the staff at his home away from home (Lowe's) and it is now in progress. He said he wants to have the main tower built this weekend and from the way things look I think he'll do that and more.

Spring Break Day Five: Jumpin' Jax!

Finally Mati is feeling better so we ventured out to the indoor bounce arena. First, I think she missed her friends at day care because she was very excited to see other children, second she loved running and bouncing! She has never been on any bounce/jump toys like this before but she loved it!

Spring Break Day Four: Another Day Inside

Teething molars is horrible. I think God intended for us to go through the majority of our teething before our memory begins. We stayed home again today. With the help of Tylenol Mati was happy enough temporarily to help make banana bread. Once I got the peel started she liked sticking her finger in the end and licking off the banana. Here she is "peeling" a banana. Notice the canister of raisins in front of her... the only thing she's happy to eat when teething.

Spring Break Day Three: Teething Trouble

Spring break day three turned into a stay-inside with a sad, teething girl day. The rain prevented any outdoor plans which turned out to be a blessing. Mati is cutting more teeth which caused her to be a little feverish, a lot clingy, and a lot sad. We ended up watching video after video, or "deo" as Mati calls them. She now makes video requests by acting out something in the DVD. Patting the top of her head indicates she wants to watch "The Laurie Berkner Band" perform the song "Pig on her head", flapping her arms indicates the song "Buzz, buzz, buzz." She is especially cute when she wants to watch "Jack's Big Music Show" because every episode starts with Jack's intro song "C'mon everybody give your foot a tap, C'mon everybody give your hands a clap." Watching a 19 month-old trying to tap her foot is precious! Here's hoping she feels better tomorrow so we can head out for another adventure!

Spring Break Day Two: Impression 5

For day two of spring break we headed to Impression 5. The fun was multiplied by the presence of cousins! We had a great time running around and trying the exhibits. There was a brief hiccup when we were evacuated to the basement due to a tornado warning; thankfully the tornado sighting was further south and we were able to continue on with our day.

Mati and Aly in the bubble room...


Mati and Morgan playing piano...


Mati and Dean operating the flywheels...


Mati at the water table:

Spring Break Day One: Children's Garden

My goal for spring break is to do something fun away from home with Mati each day. Today we went to the MSU Children's Garden. While the flowers and vegetables are not growing yet, there were fun things to do and see.

Riding the concrete sheep...


Trying to climb the big kid rope ladder...


Running in the "Secret Garden" maze...


Trying to close the gate and shut me out of the "Secret Garden"...


Climbing in the train...

Happy Easter!

We started Easter morning with Mati's search for her Easter Basket at home. The Easter Bunny put it on the coffee table so the 19 month old did not have a hard time searching for it. The Easter Bunny brought Mati a few toys and Elmo Easter Eggs filled with M&Ms. The mini-Magna Doodle was the hit of the morning and provided a lot of entertainment during the car rides of the day. We then headed off to Grand Rapids for mass and brunch. Mati got to find another Easter Basket and then hunted for eggs at Grandma and Grandpa's house. After a nap we headed for Spring Lake for dinner with more family.

Trips to the Park

We made two trips to the park; one Friday evening (just Mati and Mom) and one Saturday morning. Mati learned to climb the stairs and go down the slide in no time. There is now added pressure on Doug to build Mati a swingset in the backyard. Saturday morning we went early and had the whole park to ourselves. We watched ducks and fish in the ponds, went on swings and slides, and walked the paths.

Daddy and Mati walking the path by the pond...


Family self-portrait, Mati would rather be playing...


Mati riding the duck...


Mati and Daddy's slide race Saturday morning...


Mati, the big girl, climbing on the equipment by herself Friday night...