Backyard Eggs & Larvae
I went to check on our caterpillar friend the next morning and found some butterfly eggs! A few days later, we had tiny baby caterpillars. We brought them inside on their parsley, put the plant in water by the kitchen window and watched them grow. It was very exciting!
An empty butterfly egg!
Our black swallowtail babies!
Backyard Caterpillars
Late in the summer, I went out to our backyard garden to snip some fresh parsley for dinner and found this little guy. We didn’t know it at the time, but it was a black swallowtail caterpillar and was just happily munching away!
To the Beach!
Running to the beach to watch the sunset!
Special Shell
A special shell that Uncle Andrew found on our first day!
The Condo
The amazing view from the patio.
The kids loved the pool as much as the beach. They made some friends there, too. We got to people-watch when we took the kids to the pool. It was fun to sit back and observe the regular condo owners who visit this time each year.
Evie sent postcards to Ms. Toni and Don & Joyce.
Brian made some awesome street tacos one night - flank steak and tiger sauce!
Sandcastles
Evie and Pops worked hard building a sandcastle. They made a great team.
Like Little Fishies to Water
We made it to Florida. It was a long, rainy drive from the airport to the condo. Our place was awesome, the view was amazing. We had a late and headed off to bed.
We went out for coffee and breakfast our first morning; everyone was hungry and needed caffeine. But we couldn’t stay out too long, because my people had one thing on their mind: the beach.
It was their first time at a beach and we were a little unsure of how they would feel about the water. Brian and Evie held hands as they walked toward the gulf. It was so windy! Apparently, I was the windiest day Madeira Beach had seen in a long time. But that didn’t stop us. The kids weren’t at all afraid of the surf. They jumped right into the water and let the waves smash into them over and over for the longest time. It was so fun to watch them.
First Flight
It was the kids’ first flight and my first flight in over ten years. We all did great! Florida or Bust!
Feeding the Birds
We made a bird bath and hung some homemade treats for the birds!
Garden Dinner
We really enjoyed the garden this spring, especially when it came to cooking. We made great use of our herbs and veggies!
Red Carpet Fans
Evie walked the red carpet before performing in the recital opener and took pictures with several of her fans!
Spring Ballet Recital - "Happy"
Our pretty ballerina before her first recital - with her little round tummy sticking out! She danced with her class to Happy by Pharell and joined the whole school in the opener. She wasn’t afraid to go on stage and she knew her dance very well. Great job, Evie!
photo by Alicia Luster Photography
Our Garden - Spring 2019
We had our best garden ever this spring and summer. We grew tomatoes, cucumbers, string beans and lots of flowers and herbs. On the mornings I wasn’t subbing, I would sit outside and drink my coffee. The backyard looked great all spring and summer long.
We put up a bee hotel and watched them do their bee-thing throughout the day.
We would check in on our plants every morning before school to see how much they’d grown overnight.
This is the marigold plant Evie gave me for Mother’s Day. She grew it from a seed in her Kindergarten class. We planted it in the garden and it took off! We made a butterfly puddler right next to it so our butterflies wouldn’t get too thirsty!
Evie helped me pollinate the zucchini blossoms every morning and collect the tomatoes and beans when they were ready. She was a great little gardener!
Spring '19 Awards - Kinder and 4th
We have a Kindergarten graduate! And a 4th grade grad, too! Both kids had great teachers this year who understood them very well. We will miss them both next year.
