Dandelion Flower Prints

Making Dandelion Juice

We LOVE dandelions. Every spring we get very excited when we spot the first burst of yellow outside. For the past four years we have enjoyed making dandelion prints. This year we thought it would be fun to try making dandelion juice too! Dandelion juice is known for being highly nutritious -- it has a high iron content, quadruple the carotene content of lettuce plus it is rich in calcium, potassium, and vitamins C and E. We enjoyed a beautiful afternoon outside earlier this week to gather dandelions for our juice.

Grace and Jack brought their dandelions inside to gather the petals and place them in a pot.

Grace added some water (approximately 3 cups) to the dandelion petals and a very small amount of agave nectar. Our goal was to let the dandelions simmer on the stove for approximately two hours then sieve to remove the petals and let the liquid cool. In the end we all ended up having a good laugh because all of the water ended up evaporating and we were left with a pot of burnt dandelion petals! We will be making more dandelion juice next week but we will be sure to add more water next time! :)

Eve looked so sweet sleeping with her dandelion stained cheeks while Grace and Jack worked on making dandelion juice. While we were outside Grace and Jack kept picking dandelions for Eve to hold, to look at and to smell. They tucked several dandelions behind Eve's ear after she fell asleep. Eve was a little extra tired from having received several immunizations at her 4 month old wellness visit earlier that day.

Wordless Wednesday -- Shucking Corn!

Cute as a Button!

Over the past several weeks Grace has been working on sewing buttons. Before this project began we spent lots of special time together at various craft stores picking out the perfect buttons for Grace's first sewing project. Once Grace found her buttons she chose three different colored embroidery threads, cross stitch cloths, a turquoise hoop and sewing needles....and then she started to sew on buttons! Grace learned very quickly how to thread a needle, how to pull the thread all the way through the front of the cloth, how to thread the needle through one hole in the button and then another, and then how to push the needle back down through the fabric close to the button. This process continued over several weeks. Grace and I spent many sewing sessions together sitting side by side until it was declared finished! Grace enjoyed sewing buttons so much that she has started another.

Jack's First Drawing of a Face!

Isn't he a handsome fellow?!!!! :)

Mother's Day

My three beautiful children bring me indescribable joy and happiness.

*dandelion flower prints made by Grace, Jack & Eve*

Four Months Old!

Moments From Our Week...

Many of the activities and projects we worked on this week are top secret (at least until Mother's Day when we will reveal a few of them!) so I thought I would share pictures of some of our simple "every day" moments from our week...

~Grace~

One of our favorite things about the arrival of spring is the arrival of fiddlehead ferns! One of Grace's favorite moments from this week was sitting outside on our porch one beautiful sunny afternoon and removing all of the stems off of the fiddleheads. We enjoyed this tasty spring treat several evenings this past week for dinner. Grace is really growing up and she is such a big helper to me. How I love this girl of mine!

~Eve~

Eve started laughing this week. Eve is always smiling and her first laughs made this past week an extra special one. Eve's favorite things to do this week were talking (this girl can talk and she has LOTS and LOTS and LOTS more to say!!!!), putting her hands in her mouth (I think she is working on getting her first tooth) and watching EVERYTHING and taking in EVERYTHING around her. This gal doesn't miss a trick! ;)

~Jack~

Jack kept us laughing all week, as always. He has a little twinkle in his eye and he loves being silly and making everyone laugh. Jack enjoyed making homemade spring green play dough this week and driving his cars and trucks through it to make different tracks. Jack also enjoyed many, many good books this week and oh how I love to watch him get so engrossed in a book that he doesn't catch me watching him! One of my favorite moments with Jack this past week was when he put on a music concert for Eve and I while Grace was at preschool. He made up his own songs, complete with his own music and lyrics!

Wordless Wednesday -- Grace, Jack & Eve

Planting Seeds