Today it was sunny and clear with a high of 82.

We celebrated the arrival of Spring in Austin by attending the annual Zilker Park Kite Festival this morning.  We only lasted a little over an hour, but it was a great one.

Our kite!

It was wonderful to spend the morning in the sunshine, and almost surreal to see so many kites in the air at the same time.

I asked Ben this afternoon which of the kites that he saw was his favorite, and he replied, “The green one.”  Actually, I think the highlights of the event for him were the snacks, and the opportunity to pet other people’s dogs.

Lessons learned this year: bring more water.  Nathan and I only brought a liter to share, and we ran out. Also, some kind of sunshade would have been nice, like one of those portable shade structures or a big umbrella.

We definitely did the right thing by getting there early this morning.  The free event parking was no trouble, and we were able to stake out a spot near a tree that stayed shady for a while before it got too crowded and our small people got too tired.

in Austin!  Whole inches of it.

Ben made snowballs with our friend Kristin and smashed them against trees.

His first time ever to play in snow.  Who knows when we’ll see this much of it again?

My first little love smiles at me.  I see myself, and his father’s eyes.

Ben is finally well after being sick all last week, and he’s apparently very hungry.  When I picked him up from preschool co-op this morning, his teacher reported, “Ben ate a lot today.  Like everything.  In sight.”

Madeleine No-nappin’ Rose.  I feel that happy, too, when I’m completely surrounded by books.

While Ben was at pre-school co-op this morning, Maddie and I went to the bank and opened her first savings account.  Something we’d meant to do for a while now with her accumulated holiday moneys but only just now got around to.  Felt good to do that with her, one woman for another.

Nearly fifteen months old.  She is a joy, and she’s mine, and there’s not a thing I could have done to deserve her.  Sweet, unanticipated Grace.  I’m humbled and grateful.

We’ve read books, worked puzzles, cooked, sang, stacked blocks, cut paper, watched videos, thrown stuffed animals down the stairs, and now we’re running out of things to do.  Can’t wait for the cold rainy weather to pass so we can take our little people outside.

Also can’t wait for cold season here to be over.  It’s been a beastly one at our house this year.  Seems like the kids are coughing and congested every other week.  We’ve had to miss lots of preschool, cancel dates with friends, and we’ve had lots of restless nights of coughing.  Building up little immune systems is tiresome work.

Dinner time now.  Here’s  hoping Ben will eat.  The only foods he’s accepted so far today are hot dogs and crackers.

Just a moment ago she was a babe in arms.  Now she’s a big toddler girl, taking steps, speaking her words, and charming us daily.  Amazing.  We do our best to keep up.

a rainy Thursday morning

gritty mud puddles

in the parking lot

buckling the baby

into her carseat while

he’s stomping, splashing, falling

down in his new

navy blue rain boots,

his first pair,

still a little too big