Look Right!

Recent fun:

We acquired a piano from some friends who are moving. It's not in perfect tune, but the kids are already showing signs of prodigy, and I'm reliving my high school days when I played the piano instead of having friends. Ah, memories. :)



We recently walked to Family Fare for ice cream (instead of patronizing the nearby Country Sundae or Ice Cream Ally, who charge as much for a kid's cone as the grocery store does for a quart--easy decision). When we arrived, Rolland, as usual, jumped right into the firetruck cart while Opal rode in the stroller. About 3 minutes into the store, Opal started having a huge melt down for no apparent reason...until I realized she was doing everything in her baby power to get near that firetruck. As soon as I moved her, she was a happy as Spot the Fire Dog, and I enjoyed a moment of "This is exactly why I wanted kids!!!" They were so unbelievably cute in there together. The picture doesn't do justice.



Though Opal's actual birthday was on a Friday, we celebrated with G&G Sterken on Sunday after church. Here's the first look at her new Playmobile bus.



My parents came to visit for a fun-packed week that happened to land on Carol's birthday. Here we are at Meijer Gardens, just before we went to see the butterflies. Rolland was disappointed that they didn't land on the outstretched arm of a 3-year-old boy. I have new respect for the intelligence of insects. Nonetheless, we'll all wear sequins next time.



Lastly, in reference to the post title, when you're driving this Spring, don't forget to watch for bikers. I got "bonked" last night while riding with an empty trailer (Praise the Lord!!!). I'm bruised and sore, but fine. But, please pray for Ryan, the kid that hit me. I have no doubt he'll be the world's safest driver for the rest of the summer, but I hope he can let God use this jarring experience as an opportunity to draw him closer to Him.

20,000 Words

We've Sprung!

Today was Spring in West Michigan. We were in the 70s, and everyone was happy, and windows were open, and you could hear laughter ringing from playground to playground across the burbs. I'm going to not check the weather forecast and just assume it'll be like this till June, when it tops out at 75, unless we've planned a trip to the beach and we'd like it just a touch warmer for swimming.

Seventy degrees...and only 2 more full months of school. Pray for Dave as the kids start to get that Spring Break itch.

In other news:

Rolland's cute moment this week: I told him we were going to have his "best friend" over for a playdate, and when I mentioned that this friend's little sister was coming, too, Rolland said, "Oh good. She's my best-friend-in-law."

And Miss Opal is officially walking while holding fingers. She used to plant her feet and bow her belly forward till we gave up and let her drop to her knees, but now she really seems to catch the thrill of being vertical. I'm not expecting her to make any great strides (he he) before Friday, but it's a step in the right direction (he he).

Purim Sameach!

I know this would've been a little more timely last night, but I didn't think of it until this afternoon.

Nonetheless, this evening begins Purim, the Jewish holiday that celebrates the story of Esther. Jews often dress up for it (in costumes, not ball gowns), and one of the things they do to celebrate is read (or act out) the story of Esther and cheer and boo raucously at the mention of Mordechai and Hamon. They make noisemakers (we shook a tupperware filled with popcorn kernels), and write Hamon's name on the bottom of their shoes with chalk and stomp to blot out his name.

I found a kid-friendly version of the story that leaves out the bits about genocide and the questionable beauty pageant, though we still managed to make Rolland cry with our first unexpected outburst against Hamon. Oops.

Another fun tradition is Hamentashen, cookies filled with your choice of delicious centers. (I haven't made this exact recipe, but with 2 sticks of butter, what can go wrong?)

Purim goes till tomorrow night (plus one extra day in walled cities--I'm not sure how many of you that applies to), so you can still celebrate God's saving His people (yet again) so that Jesus could be born through them to save the world!

Purim Sameach!

Teeth

Rolland had his first dental experience on Monday! It went very well. Justine was great, and Dr. Lubbers was kind. Rolland kept his mouth wide open the whole time and probably remembers nothing except how to spell S-H-A-R-K. Why?



Ah yes, the secret weapon of a family dentist: The Great Distracter of Children. I kind of wish he'd been a little more conscious of the experience, but maybe this will give him a foundation of positive associations with the dentist.

Teeth-wise, he's great. No cavities--not even a "cavity bud," which was a new term for me. And for those who wonder, he chose strawberry.

On a related note, Dave thinks Opal has a tooth coming in. I say maybe...