Splish, Splash

What a difference a few swim lessons (and the buddy system) make in Emily's ability to swim!  Since we started lessons with a good pal, the tears and hesitations have gone away and she has actually started to really swim!  Last week she swam the short distance across the pool all by herself, and she did just as well today.  She is also jumping in and swimming to the side as well.  It is so nice to see her growing as a swimmer, and smiling and giggling away for the thirty minutes lesson each week.

Easter continued...

Emily is a pretty spoiled lucky lil girl.  Not only did Grandma and Grandpa set her up with candy and a cool new pair of roller skates, but she got Easter baskets galore.  Customers from Aaron's store left Easter treats for her, and when we showed up at our friends' house, Emily saw this:

Another visit from the Easter Bunny!

Emily could not get out of her seat and the car fast enough!

Last time we tried this, she wanted NO part of that Easter Bunny.  But this time she was determined to hunt that bunny down. 

Shhhh!  She's planning on sneaking up on that rabbit...

Magically, as the bunny disappeared, Cindy appeared to help Emily hunt for eggs.  The bunny was a little tougher this time around compared to when he came to our house and left signs.  Emily found eggs up in trees, under clumps of grass, in barrels, and under chairs, and those eggs held some great candy loot!

Easter

 Somehow Easter snuck up on us, so it wasn't until yesterday that we got around to decorating eggs.

And finishing up a few last Easter projects like the magnetic plaster eggs and hanging ornament...

But this morning, Emily was elated to find that the Easter Bunny did come and left her a basket of good things - 

and even though the eggs were hidden, she was guided by some signs - 

Happy Easter!

Eggcellent!

The Easter Bunny came to town
on Friday!

We went to Zoo Boise on Saturday for their Eggstravaganza.  It was a repeat of their Halloween festivities - difficult to find a parking space, a long line to get in, topped off with beautiful weather that made every family want to attend.  But, we made it inside just five minutes prior to the egg hunt for Emily's age group.  

The set up was so that Emily was left in a sea of 3-5 year olds and parents were shooed outside the barrier to watch.  Well, there was a section for kids who wanted to go with their parents, but that wasn't Emily.

After the countdown, and the egg dash began, I actually lost sight of her for a few minutes. Some parents just don't know how to listen and followed their little ones, blocking the view of us obedient rule followers!  

If you look at the middle vine, there is a glimpse of Emily's
blond hair flopping as she runs, and her pink Easter basket.
My only evidence of Emily's first official hunt.

Emily had been so excited to go on this hunt.  At 6 AM as we were getting ready to go, she was actually tossing Easter eggs around the house and practicing!  On the way to Boise she strategized with Dad how to collect the most eggs (run past the first eggs, go to the back before anyone else and start gathering).  And we had to have the talk about "those boys".  Let me explain, it seems like Emily has a lot of run-ins with boys that are more aggressive than she is, so she tends to let them take her turn, her share, her spot.  It's a fine line between having compassion for someone and defending your territory! We may or may not have told her she had permission to take them out if they got in her way.  She did come back with grass stained knees, but she also got a good share of loot.  

With the hunt crossed off our list, then we headed over to the carousel for a ride.  It was after this that Emily found out what a goose does when guarding a nest, we both got a little peck from behind before a zoo employee shooed Mandy the Goose along.

There were booths and characters walking around.  Big Al's had even brought some games, including Emi's favorite where she hit the blue buttons that were lit up.  I have a roll of tickets already for when we return.

We did get to see a lot of animals this time.  Most of the mayhem was around the hunt area.  Our favorite today was the new Wallaby joey.

 We ate cotton candy and Emily even decided it would be okay to have an Easter egg painted on her cheek.

It was a great morning at the Eggstravaganza.  Then we met friends for lunch, ran a couple errands (got detoured when we saw a sign for lab puppies for sale, but we didn't bring one home), and then somehow, someway Emily convinced Dad to go to Wahooz Family Fun Center, a place much like Big Al's.  She played on the kids' play structure before hitting the arcade games.  With Dad's help, we collected 1,100 tickets which were traded for a stuffed Hello Kitty, two dinosaurs, a slinky, bubbles, poppers, and candy.  We got home, it was a late night, but such a great day.  

Now, time to get ready for skating lessons.  

Saturday morning started with another shooting session with Dad.  Emily had a great time running around the dirt hills as Dad got things ready for another shooting season.  Once things were ready at the gun range, it was time to review the rules and then get out the treasured pink gun and accessories!

And Sunday was her third lesson up at Sun Valley Lodge with Natalia.  She had such a great time with the three other girls in her group.  She loves skating afterward and you can see her wanting to practice the skills she learned from the coach that day.  

And of course the weekend included projects and board games, it just wouldn't be a weekend day without them!

growing bean and squash seeds

crystal Easter eggs

painting the plaster eggs 

After skating she had a two hour playdate/walk along one of the town's nature trail that once again resulted in an early bedtime.  I'm sensing a trend, just too bad that I'm so tired as well that I want an early bedtime!