Bob & Rebecca went away for their very first overnight trip since Grace was born. Poppy & I (Maddy) planned many projects and adventures with Grace while Mommy & Daddy were away. On the warm morning we went out on the deck and had a painting party! We spread out a large sheet of paper and gave Grace her choice of fingerpaints to create her very own special masterpiece.
We are so lucky to live in Maine, where we have such beautiful and very sandy beaches. Needless to say, Gracie girl got a bit sandy today at Ogunquit Beach. We brought home thousands and thousands of grainy souvenirs to remember our fun day at the beach. :) 
Happy, Happy Birthday to Maddy! 
Hi Poppy. 
Gracie girl was an all-star today on the basketball court and Daddy was the MVP! We spent a fun Saturday at our YMCA's Open House Family Day. Grace enjoyed running and dancing her way across the basketball court all while wearing her favorite glitter shoes! I love this picture of Grace with her Daddy. I think Grace looks like a little flying fairy! We ended our fun day by taking a beautiful walk along the Portland Pier. Grace was amazed the big boats in the water. It was a great day.
The small "grassy" area in our front lawn is slowly expanding thanks to the warmer weather we have been having but we still have lots of snow in our yard. Yesterday, I found Grace standing at the very edge of the grass. She was looking down at the snow and waving to it while saying, "bye-bye!"
It was 66 degrees today ~ the warmest day of the year! Grace & I celebrated this "heat wave" by going back to the beach. We loved every single moment of it.
We took Grace to see the Portland Headlight this afternoon. Grace has seen pictures of lighthouses in her books and she especially loves finding the lighthouse in her Goodnight Maine book but until today she had not seen a real live lighthouse. Grace seemed fascinated by the large size of the Portland Headlight. On the car ride home, Grace kept saying and signing, "big, big!" This will be a wonderful place to spend many of our summer days with Grace. In addition to the lighthouse, there are large open fields, a walking path, and spectacular views of the ocean. I can't wait to see Grace flying a kite there this summer. There is so much to look forward to when the warmer weather arrives. We can't wait!
Grace and I tried to get to her swing, which is located on the far side of our house, about two weeks ago. At that time we were only able to make it half way there because the snow was waist deep and we literally got stuck!! Fortunately, over the past two weeks the warmer weather has melted away some of our snow and we were all able to make it there today through only knee high snow. Hooray. Grace was full of smiles, giggles, and great big laughs as Daddy & Mommy pushed her very high. We think everyone in the town of Limerick heard Grace's squeals. She was having the best time. It must have been a freeing feeling for Grace to be swinging since she was only able to admire her swing from afar all winter long. This is a sure sign of Spring at our house!
One of Grace's favorite books is The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Grace spent most of this morning painting with different materials to mimic Eric Carle's painting style. The result of Grace's hard work is this beautiful rendition of The Hungry Caterpillar. Grace's art piece is nearly three feet long and it will be a permanent piece on our living room wall for a long time to come. Great job, Gracie girl!
Grace and I enrolled in a wonderful music group and we had our very first class today. After the group was finished, Grace and I went to Higgins Beach since it was right around the corner from where our music class was located. Higgins Beach is a very special place because it is where Bob and I had our wedding reception almost five years ago. Grace had the best time walking the beach, drawing in the sand with her fingers, picking up shells, watching the seagulls, and listening to the crashing surf. It was the best feeling to be back at the beach and especially at the one that is filled with so many wonderful memories. It was an amazing feeling today to have created many more beautiful memories at such a special place with my daughter. The only thing missing today was Daddy but we can't wait to go back to Higgins Beach with him this weekend.
velvety to the touch ...
glistening in the sun ... surely it must
be YUMMY!!!
Since I often put Grace's hair in a ponytail or in pigtails it is hard to see all of her curls. When combed straight Grace's hair extends just below her ears!! Grace has had three haircuts so far and the curls have lasted so I think she is going to have curly hair just like Maddy did when she was a little girl. 
When I (Mommy) was a little girl I would tell everyone that I wanted to be a "working girl" when I grew up! It looks like Grace wants to be a working girl too! :)
Maddy & Poppy found this fun rocking moose for Grace. It's perfect for her because you can't possibly have a rocking horse when you live in Maine!
