Spring Peepers are here at last!

The wood frogs have been out for a little while now. However, last night I heard at least one spring peeper make that tell-tale peeping/chirping sound!!! In spite of being up for Katie's throwing up a few times beginning around 4am (she had a stomach bug last Thurs/Fri..and again last night..or was it the two old, unrefridgerated Easter eggs she ate last night after watching Erin in the play The Jungle Book at the Camden Opera House?), I was very excited to hear these seasonal frogs!! Yeah!

I have still been trying to get a glimpse of the wood frogs, but can NOT catch sight of one yet. Yesterday Makana said she did see one, but I still have not. She said the one she saw was very small. Maybe it was a peeper then? Every time I get near the pond, the wood frogs cease calling to one another and I see the doppler effect of circular rings in various spots in the pond...so I know where they were.

Kana plants a stick

Li planted a tree recently. Perhaps that is what gave Makana the idea of planting a stick. She knew it needed soil and water and made sure to give it both of those things. But when Li protested that it wouldn't grow, she wondered why. Li was getting upset that she insisted it WOULD grow. She too was becoming frustrated that he was telling her something different than she believed and/or hoped. I explained to Li that she will learn it won't grow and to please stop telling her it won't (as it was upsetting her). She then seriously asked me why it wouldn't grow. I reminded her of our recent conversation about our Christmas tree which is still sitting in our front yard (we talked about how once it is cut it can't grow and is dead). Explained how seeds or plants with roots will still grow. But not dead, cut off tree limbs. Think she is beginning to understand. Interesting process.

The 2nd Annual Green Fair and Citizens for a Green Camden wins an award from the New England EPA!!

Saturday April 18, 2009 was the 2nd annual Green Fair. Here's a picture of Kanoa and me behind our table. Kanoa is the newest and youngest Citizens for a Green Camden member.

Good news for Citizens for a Green Camden: We just won an award from the New England EPA which will be given to us on an Earth Day Ceremony at Faneuil Hall in Boston this Wednesday April 22, 2009. Marsha sent in the paperwork explaining the work we have accomplished and we won!! Great news!!! This will likely give our group more credibility as well.

Happy Easter! 4/12/09

4/12/09 - Where are those Easter eggs? (Photo #9474)













4/12/09 - Boxes of surprises from Grandma and Jene!! (Photo #9478) -







Coming downstairs in the morning. (They waited patiently for Wolf to hide the eggs that Katie filled last night.)









#9476 - Video of Jim doing hot/cold to find the last eggs. Some video of Kanoa too.








#9482 - Jene's box of Easter Surprises! Katie divies it up.







#9483 - Grandma and Grandpa's box of Surprises! And some video of Kanoa - 15 weeks old today!!








#9484 - The bunny dances. Kids jump on plastic bubble wrap, etc.

Meet Linda (from March 24th, 2009)

Linda Rocks Y'all!!


















Here's the video we put out on youtube for the Speno's (made on 3/24/09).

April Happennings

4/4/09 Saturday - Li's karate ceremony on the MRC ice skating rink.





4/4/09 - Saturday - Li receives his gold belt from Mr. Andrew.



















4/4/09 - Saturday - Li is the second person from thr right in the second row. (#9465)
















4/9/09 - Thursday - (9471) Kana's "house" for birds and bugs. Li made one too...with a beach!! Katie was inside on the couch with a stomach virus.






4/9/09 - Thursday While we were outside, we heard the wood frogs in the pond for the first time this spring!! Jim heard them this evening too!


4/10/09 - Friday - A pair of mallard ducks were in the pond! I bet it is the same pair that have been coming since we moved in almost four years ago. Katie came out for a bit and we fed them old bread.



Toward the end of the month, we heard the true "spring peepers" and saw frog spawn in the same areas as the previous years. Wow!! Oh, and I finally SAW a frog - a big one - with his eyes peeking out of the water. Neat!













4/27/09 - Katie was writing a story about spies and has very specific personalities for each character and tells the story from 2 different characters points of view. It is still being added onto and she gets her bursts of creativity at night. It is quite funny! Since she was including the meaning of names in her story, she wrote the meaning of each of our first and middle names (9590).








Also, she has been making cards - beautiful and colorful ones - which take her hours to draw and color. If she sells them, she thinks $3 is a fair price. I have always admired her drawing and use of colors. Whether she creates an outfit or creates art, her use of colors is fantastic!


(eventually add the pictures of cards here)








4/28/09 - Here is the bug I caught to take outside so Katie would feel comfortable using "Grandma's room" to watch Idol. (9595)









Wednesday 4/29/09 - Li and Kanoa. (9602)

















Kana and Daddy (9604)




















(9605) Li


















9607- Kana's picture of herself. We all saw different things in the picture. The outside is a heart. The inside is a face.


















9608 and 9609 -




Kana wearing her favorite Dora shirt (it doesn't light up anymore though) and Li's old spiderman shorts.

Thanks for the outfit Grandma!

Mom - Kana and I made a "thank you" video for you on 2/11/09. She said in the video that she loved it so much because of the pockets. I truly think she likes it too because it is so comfortable. She loves seeing herself in videos. (Video #9113)