Rock painting

Yesterday we decided to go outside and find some rocks to paint. Unfortunately, we only found about four rocks! The ideal ones to paint are rounded and smooth, but we didn't find any.
Going out to look for them was the funnest part for her, I think.

Here she is painting the ones we did find:






We went on a little road trip to the beach and stopped for a rest here, where we found round, smooth rocks galore!
Here we are collecting as many as we could:




And painting them:



James and I enjoyed painting them too:



While she was painting, she saw her neighbor Marianne, walk out the door. She ran outside to say hello.




Putting balloons under her shirt:

Today we went to have a tour of a Montessori school. If all goes well (although a lot of things have to go well!), Sasha will be able to start school in September.
It would be a dream come true if she could go to school there. We'll be applying for financial aid and keeping our fingers crossed!

It's sort of starting to feel like spring because of rainy days yesterday and in the forecast. Next Tuesday it's supposed to get up to 65 degrees! We can't wait.

All ready to go in her rain jacket:



She has made good use of her shopping cart. We put the groceries around the house and she goes and picks them up and puts them in her cart:



Next, she bags them and loads them into her car:



Then drives her car to her house and unloads everything into it:



Then she climbs into it with her baby:



And asks us to close it up while she plays with the flashlight in the dark:



Her sponge painting:

A good idea

Like all kids, Sasha loves to imitate the things she sees us do - to help us do everything. One of the things the Montessori method encourages is to bring our world down to their level (small chairs, tables, etc.) It recently occurred to us to let her bring along her own shopping cart to the grocery store, where she sometimes gets restless. I thought she would like it at first, and then run off and do her usual thing (explore and touch EVERYTHING). But she actually pushed her little shopping cart the entire time, loaded it with the food I asked her to, then carefully unloaded it at the check-out counter and waited for it to be bagged. Then said "Thank you" and pushed her little cart back out to the car!
It was great!




Making sure her baby is comfortable:




She's also learning to cut up and make her own snacks. Today she learned to cut up her own banana, and she recently learned to spread cream cheese on her crackers.



Smoothie mustache:

A little of everything

On our way to visit the Boston Children's Museum:



Looking at the turtles from below:


Taken from above the turtles:




Sunday morning waffles with Daddy:



Tower/castle building:



Computer addicts:



We've missed getting out and going on hikes. New England weather is way too cold! We've been really missing New Mexico. :(
Yesterday it was finally warm enough (in the 40s) to go for a nice hike and picnic!









We hiked up to an observatory:





Very tired on our way back home:



Karina, one of the mothers in the Spanish play group, and her children Mariel and Gael:



Sasha loves Gael. She's so gentle with him. I think she'll be a great older sister (James: hint, hint)

Happy Naw-Ruz!

Happy Naw-Ruz (Baha'i New Year) to you all!

James and I have shared another inspiring Fast together. We pray that it was accepted in His eyes.
Sasha understood, as well as she can, that mami and daddy could not eat until the sun went down, because we are "being obedient to Baha'u'llah".
So beautiful.

We had a wonderful outing together tonight to break the Fast. For the first time in a long time, we went out to dinner! -We hardly miss going out, thanks to all of James' delicious, healthy, and inexpensive meals!

Here are some pics from today.

Wearing mami's shoes:




Looking cute in her robe:




Helping daddy make her lunch:



On our way:



We ate Mexican food. Here's Sasha posing at the restaurant:







A photo session. Sasha chose which effects to use for her pictures: