Springtime in Taylorsville

This week was the most beautiful spring weather! We've been spending lots of time outside. (Except when Mike's work was bonkers and awful, which happened a lot this week.) The fruit trees are all in bloom, and it's wonderful. Everyone has working bikes now, so we've been riding to the park and stuff and having fun. Tim choreographed and announced a bike show where he and Gideon performed feats of derring-do like riding straight toward each other and going really fast. It was very fun.

Early in the week Rea threw up again. We're starting to wonder if there's something wrong; she's thrown up more in the last couple months than she had for years before that.We're just not sure what to do about it. Alison's first thought was to get her tested for food allergies and intolerances - it's definitely not tied to one specific food, but maybe she's damaged her digestive system and now it's more sensitive? Who knows? Maybe it will just go away.

Grandma Julie came back to Utah for a funeral, which was very sad, but we were happy to get to see her! We met her, Becky, Victoria, and Catherine at Wheeler Farm. We hadn't been there in a long time; it's so fun! The kids particularly liked getting their pictures taken on all of the old wagons and farm machinery.

Thursday was the last day of Essentials for Sara, and she performed her Faces of History paper! She dressed up as Sybil Luddington and gave a presentation in the first person about her adventures. She did a fabulous job! Then the Essentials kids got to use the points they'd earned by doing their work this semester to buy cool things in a silent auction. Sara got both things she wanted, two notebooks and a set of markers and one of colored pencils, and the squishmallow she donated was one of the most hotly contested items, so we feel like we did well. She's excited to be done (and upset that Alison is still making her do language arts for the rest of the school year). Rea has two more weeks, and then we're done with Classical Conversations for the year. We're looking at a different co-op for next year for Rea, when Sara is at public school.

Rea got to babysit Thursday night for our friends the Wilsons. She had a great time.

Saturday afternoon Rea and Sara went to see Lore of the Rings with the alternate Frollo, Maddie. They went on the train together, and Rea came home by herself while Sara stayed to perform in the evening show. They agreed that Maddie was very good but not as good as Sara. It was really fun to have them go out for the afternoon. They're getting so big!