Early May

I wish I could freeze Sasha right now.  At 5 1/2 she is thoughtful, curious, playful, kind, brave, free-thinking, patient, smart, musical, coordinated, goofy, self-motivated, humble, and beautiful inside and out.  I put this in writing not to brag about my kid, but so I can help myself remember decades from now how I LOVED this age with Sasha. 

Jack and his latest favorite activity:  riding his glider bike.  It was Sasha's and she never had much interest in it except for a few weeks to learn how to balance before she moved on to a regular bike.  He started walking it around the house one day and by the next day he was riding it.  Now that's all he wants to do.  We throw it in the trunk and take it everywhere we go.

People ask what Sasha is into and the answer is obviously nature.  She loves learning about any living thing, plant or animal.  She enjoys identifying birds, plants and insects and has a particular fondness for butterflies.  She raised some painted lady butterflies from caterpillars this month and you would have thought they were her own flesh and blood how devoted to them she was.

The butterfly release

My sous chef

Sasha really enjoyed coming to the greenhouse with me and helping to pick annuals and plant them back at the house.  We also planed a vegetable garden which she dutifully checks and reports on every morning when she wakes up. 

Cute little olive/carrot/cream cheese penguins that mom made with the kids.

Right up Sasha's alley, we went to a trout release with the DNR on the Pecos River. 

Sasha was a mouse in the pageant on Children's Sunday at the United Church of Santa Fe. 

We went to an Albuquerque Isotopes baseball game with a group of friends one Sunday.  Cotton candy was their treat of choice.

Fingers stuck together

Seventh inning diversion.

Jack was thrilled to be given a caught foul ball by some nice gentleman.  He slept with that ball for at least a week.

Just a boy and his trains.