easter

i was especially looking forward to easter this year. i think it was partly because it fell so late on the calendar-  we were definitely in need of a little resurrection cheer in our house. april was busy. cold.rainy.blah. 

i realize that millie is too young to comprehend what's going on, but it was so fun to put together an easter basket for her. jason thinks i'm silly, but i don't see anything wrong with starting traditions early! 

getting out the door on sunday mornings is always a challenge because of the service time vs. nap time... of course easter morning was especially difficult. cranky pants was not interested in wearing tights and a pretty dress or in having her picture taken outside by the tulips and daffodils. this is the best that i could manage before we were twenty minutes late for church...(at least you can see her easter dress!) 

some friends came over for brunch... it was a really lovely afternoon. millie took a nice LONG afternoon nap and woke up ready to see what this easter business was all about.

i filled her bucket with little people toys and a book from poppa and amma... 

...but she only had eyes for the candy!

 christina and brian helped hide the eggs in the backyard for millie and maura to find. with a little help, she did a pretty good job collecting them. maura has years of experience... she was a good teacher!

yay for spring! yay for eggs! yay for easter! yay for resurrection!

millie & friends...

we've been having "playdates" since millie was just a few months old. (it was really just an excuse for me to hang out with friends and their babies... usually she napped through the whole thing!) in the last few months the tables have definitely turned - our outings now consist of more playing and a lot less adult chatting!  i'm so grateful to have friends with kids who are around the same age as millie. with all of the cold and rainy days that we've had in chicago this month, these mornings with friends have been a lifesaver... for both of us!

 this picture is a perfect example of what i mean... restless and grumpy from another morning stuck inside the house. she was erasing videos off of the flip camera - definitely time for a change of scenery! 

we have a brand new playroom that just opened up in our neighborhood... it's great! we try to get there when they open the doors - the untouched playroom is our oyster! 

aunt carrie and blake came to meet us for the morning. 

our friendship has been such a treat - a perfect example of how kids can become a common denominator for a relationship. millie and i enjoy spending time with her and blake so much!  

they were a cute little pair in green!  

another bonus of the playroom: millie is straight up exhausted by the time we leave! a three hour nap usually ensues soon after we walk in the door... awesome. 

millie's friend olive turned three... it was her first 'big girl' birthday party. she was definitely clueless about what was going on, but she liked watching all of the little girls running around! the bouncy house was definitely a highlight of the afternoon. 

          

 the little mermaid made a guest appearance at the party... millie wasn't sure what to think of this beautiful red headed creature! (her cousin olivia would have been thrilled to meet the sea princess in person!)

 olive is a couple of years older than millie (she still calls her "baby millie"), but i hope that they'll grow to be good friends as they grow up. 

the age difference between these two is almost exactly how far apart millie and her new little brother or sister will be (baby caref II is arriving this november if you haven't already heard!)...  it gives me hope that they'll be playmates one day!

 

pretty sweet, huh?