This Moment: Boing!

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. For more moments visit SouleMama.

Family Adventuring

While Lane was off work on Monday, we went on a family goecaching adventure. First stop was the Cleveland Metroparks Rocky River Reservation.

Cache number one...

We came across and identified many different animal prints in the sticky spring mud.
Dog, squirrel and raccoon prints...

As the person usually taking the pictures, I'm trying to remember to hop in front of the lens occasionally. 

Proof that I exist, cache number two, and hubby adventuring...

Spring in bloom...

We came across a sea of walnut remnants that the girls figured came from a squirrel family feast.

Mother Nature's beauty...

On our way back to the car, we came across a large pile of shale...

Lane showed the girls how shale is constructed of layers and how easy it is to break apart...

After leaving the metroparks, our next stop was Emerald Corporate Park. We searched and searched but didn't find the third cache on our list.

Teasels, Layla leading the way, and playing "rescue from the island"...

 Field of Teasels...

We moved on to cache number four as the sun was beginning to set.

Aelyn climbing, stream crossing, a home for a gnome, and cache number four...

and we were treated to the captivating song of spring peepers...

We stumbled upon more animal tracks. 

Deer prints...

We found one more cache before heading home from a glorious day of family adventuring. As we were leaving the woods, I captured this sweet moment of Layla singing and dancing her way down the path...

Linking up with Friday's Nature Table at The Magic Onions Blog.

Lakeside Fun, Fairy Homes, and Stinky Fish

After ballet class last weekend, we spent another afternoon at the beach. We brought our lunch for a picnic and then walked down to the water's edge where the girls were excited to see that the lake had completely thawed. We started at the east end by the pier, skipping stones, tossing sticks, and collecting shells.

Aelyn first noticed this and stated, "Mama, that fish isn't moving." Layla figured this guy was the reason for the fishy smell that was so potent that day.

Climber...

Layla got to work on a fairy home for the "water fairies who live at the lake."

She asked me to help gather driftwood, stones, and shells for her fairy home. As we worked our way west down the water's edge, we suddenly realized we were standing amidst piles of dead fish. How gruesome! Layla asked how the fish got up on the sand where the water wasn't touching. We had a brief chat about the higher water level after the lake thaws in spring, wind, waves and tides (although, the tides on Lake Erie aren't as noticeable like that of an ocean).

With the dead fish littering most of the beach, we decided to stay back away from the water line.

Aelyn spent the better part of an hour climbing the rocks. Her adventurous spirit can certainly bring me to moments of nervousness at times, but I love witnessing her confidence and problem solving in action. This girl is agile, strong, and sure-footed.  

"Tada!! I climbed and stretched my body up, up up to the top!"

Layla was excited to find seagull feathers and added them to her fairy home...

Fairy bridge...

Completed fairy home...

(Curious about the reasons for the fish-lined beach, we did check the local news sites once home and found this information.)

Wordless Wednesday: Spin

More Wordless Wednesdays at 5 Minutes for Mom, Project Alicia, Hobo Mama, Natural Parents Network, and Wordless Wednesday. 

Celebrating Spring

Spring has sprung...

Well, sort of. There has been quite a bit of snow mixed into our spring days. Nothing unusual for us Clevelanders. :)

The girls painted bird houses, always a favorite.

On the vernal equinox, we brought out and arranged the spring decor and nature table. Aelyn covered most of the table surface with her beach treasures...

Pet owners are aware that spring also equals shedding season. A good brushing with the deshedding tool has become part of Bailey's daily routine. Thankfully, it is something she enjoys...

We've enjoyed many nature walks around the neighborhood...

and, of course, LOTS of mixing, squishing, glopping, mud play fun!

We had our friends Julie and Mia over to wet felt wool eggs. Instructions can be found here and a video tutorial from Sarah Baldwin can be found here. The girls broke out some straws for bubble blowing in the midst of our felting fun...

 Aren't they sweet?

Ostara eggs were dyed and decorated...

And as has become tradition, we used the leftovers to dye some alpaca fleece for smaller family felting projects...

We had our traditional egg hunt, easter baskets and gifts. A lollipop garden was planted for each of the girls as something new this year...

On Easter morning, these sweet girls were just as excited about the pretty tablecloth as they were about their baskets and gifts...

Aelyn walked out the front door with her new butterfly net and announced, "I gonna catch a squirrel!"

The eggs were peeled and made into deviled eggs...

and eaten in Lane's family style... drizzled with cayenne pepper sauce.

The weather seems to be warming, the flowers are starting to bloom, and garden planning is under way. 

Happy Spring!