Easter 2018

Easter is a spring celebration for Team LLama, and while there were a few treats, it was mostly an opportunity to gift springtime necessities to the kids

Ok, and one indoor/outdoor activity for “exercise”

Cool baby found a pouch almost instantaneously

Des models this spring’s rain fashion

Can only assume her grunting and gesturing was an attempt to say, “Mom, there appears to be treats hidden in these egg-shaped contraptions. Can you open this, please?”

Let the egg hunt begin!

Des spots an egg up above

Taking a craisin break

After plowing through her own craisins, Eleanor begins scavenging for more elsewhere. “PLEASE BROTHER! I need just four more!!”

Ella celebrating her dunk

She was, and continues to be, a big fan of her rain boots

So much so that Ella begins handing out footwear to everyone in the vacinity

Easter bunny did well with the stuffed dinosaur

Snack time with Ella and one of her many BFFs

Yup, wind-up chicks are hilarious!

In addition to coming over for dinner with ma and pa, aunt Megan brings over a basket of Liam and Viv’s old children books. Liam and Des go right for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles book.

Everyone has a book they’re waiting to be read

Eventually the kids self-organize their own book clubs

Eleanor is getting to the age where she usually picks out her own books to read before nap/bed time. Originally from great-aunt Molly to Desmond, Duck & Goose, It’s Time for Christmas is still in regular rotation.

March 31st, 2018

Lovingly saying “bye-bye” to inanimate objects may have just jumped the shark

Too cold to dye eggs outside, mom readies the standard tools for an indoor batch

Eleanor was eager to participate, though her involvement was limited to “carefully” dropping the eggs in the dye

Des performing QA, pointing at a few of the egg casualties

The south wall of the dining room gets a serious organizational upgrade

March 30th, 2018

A rare warm Friday afternoon, it was the perfect afternoon for dad to bust Des out of preschool for some bike riding around the lake at Heartland Park. As Des was finishing his snack, a gaggle of geese descends to beg for his snack mix.

Mom grabbed Eleanor a bit later and joined us for some more prime goose watching

Des and Eleanor practice holding hands after dinner and impromptu downtown evening

March 29, 2018

Dr. Eleanor Shreffler, PhD amongst her friends at daycare

March 26th, 2018

Over the past few weeks, Eleanor has increasingly been awake still after the bedtime ritual of reading three books, singing eight verses of “Old McDonald.” Surprisingly, she’s chill and just goes to sleep fairly quickly.

March 25th, 2018

Eleanor’s new BFF- Flopsy Rabbit from ma

What’s in the box?

Apparently Desmond constructed a sarcophagus for the green hippo

A variety of reactions to the open credit’s of movie night’s Cloudy with a Chance Meatballs 2

March 24th, 2018

Before running a few errands, dad asked Desmond what he wanted for breakfast: pancakes (Leo’s), doughnuts (Gerda’s) or salmon bagel. Here we are at the deli, sharing a lox and roe bagel.

Got to check out this year’s model of lawn tractors. Des usually opts for the green one first, great-grandpa Irv would be proud

Eleanor helping with her first batch of hummus

At a belated St. Patrick’s Day at grandpa’s house, Eleanor and Cassie get acquainted trying to decide who should be holding the shoe

Desmond breaks out some old school toys, a dusty recollection at best with dad and aunt Kellie

Presumably entertained by goofiness with Devin

Eleanor making the rounds, saying good-bye in her PJs

Not shown: blurry photo of Eleanor with grandpa :/

March 23rd, 2018

Ella basically called “dibs” on a hat in the dress-up center, wore it until lunch time 

Eleanor pause between rounds of open/closing her water bottle, squirting herself in the face and then laughing 🙂

Not that it wasn’t planned to begin brushing her teeth after bath time, but she insisted on it without much guidance and really started her own habit

A guest joins (Star Wars, of course) story time with Grandma