March creativity

The month of March is very fickle in our state. This week we are having a glimpse of spring, with temperatures close to 60 . . . while last week, we had a storm that dropped five new inches of snow. A few people got creative, despite everyone's longing for spring. With Peter's help, our kids built a fort using 5-gallon bucketfuls of snow. Our lawn was nearly scraped bare of snow by the time they were finished! A few blocks away, some neighbors made a 5-foot-tall replica of the statues on Easter Island. It was a big hit -- while I stood on the sidewalk taking a photo, I saw another driver slowing down to take a picture with his phone.

At home, we were happy to host Anya Rashi's first "friend" party, a belated birthday celebration. Because her birthday is also her homecoming day -- and falls during the week before Christmas -- we have always celebrated her actual birthday just with family. But with her world opening up in Pre-K this year, we decided to host another party for friends after the holidays were over.

The theme was craft activities, and the girls made flower rings, tissue paper carnations, bookmarks, lanterns, and wooden spoon dolls. It was definitely different from the many pirate/snake/space-themed "boy" parties we've thrown over the years, and was a reminder of how much our lives have changed since our sweet daughter joined our family four years ago.

Anya Rashi did very well with all the hubbub, and remembered to thank everyone each time she opened a gift. Even when she opened one gift that was something she already had, she thanked the giver profusely. We were so proud of how gracious she was all afternoon, and thrilled that this "first" was so much fun for her!

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You may have noticed the new "Cupcake Kids" button on our sidebar. If you have some creative, compassionate kids in your family, you may want to get involved with this opportunity. It's a child-driven effort to help raise funds to support children who live in "remand" homes in Uganda. If you click on the button, you can learn about their stories. After I heard about this, I mentioned it to the moms in our Bible study. Our six families have 20 children between us, and each family will be helping with the May 5 Cupcake Day. If you'd like to participate, you can "officially" register on their web site and your kids can be part of changing the lives of children who desperately need help. Drop me a comment if you do participate -- it would make my day!