The Hayes Herald: Over the Winter...

This post is a random collection from over the winter.

We love attending the library every week (we switch off between Westfield and Carmel). Carmel library has occasional special events. In December we attended a special storytime of The Nutcracker, where the real ballerina dancers came and danced part of their numbers (the Sugar Plum Fairy was one of the Young Women I worked with at church). I took Eli out of school so he could join us for that and we all loved it! Clara still loves to twirl just like the Sugar Plum Fairy. : ) We also went to a fun WinterFest that the library put together. They had special winter songs, rhymes, and stories; two different crafts already ready to make; and fun activities like a winter felt scene, snowball toss, etc. We joined in going with Clara's friend, Maggie.

This has become Clara's signature dance move after watching the Sugar Plum Fairy. :)

Clara LOVES playing with playdoh!

Lots of time at hone with this girl. Thankfully she plays pretty happily.

We had some unusually warm weather days! It was a very mild and rainy winter. We were able to take some park outings!

Decorated owl masks at the Nature Center--

David found this cool bike at the Goodwill. He and Eli love riding it together in good weather. They only got in one ride before Dave's busy season took over the rest of winter.

LOTS and LOTS of book reading! Eli's really catching on to learning more and more words. It's fun, too, because he understands 'play on words', too, which just makes reading to him even more enjoyable/

When Grammie and Grandpa M. came for a visit they played lots of board games with the kids! Hi-ho Cherry-o, Boggle Jr, Candyland, BINGO

Clara loves to go into Eli's closet and pick out different quiet-time activities, such as felt stories and stringing beads on pipe cleaners.

We had the pleasure of watching Clara's good buddy, Maggie, one day. Maggie's such a sweet, smart, cute little girl. They get along so well and we love spending time together!

The girls loved trying on Eli's different dress-up hats!

President's Day was also crazy warm, so we were able to play at one of our favorite parks!

While at the park, Eli made friends with another boy who brought some cool super hero toys and was happy to share. Eli got to wear the Iron Man blaster arm, and a whole group of boys was running from him as he chased them. They were all in HEAVEN. It was so much fun to watch them play.

My sweet baby.

Any time Dad's home the kids throw themselves onto him like he's a famous celebrity, and BEG him to play with them! He is great at obliging. :)

Clara had a few instances of getting into my mascara before I was smart enough to store it in a better location!

The older kids think Ezra's jumperoo is pretty fun, haha!

Love when the kids come up with creative games to play on their own.

Dave was working his long hours over Eli's Spring Break, so I just did daily outings with the kids. It was a pretty cold week!

Sitting on the mower at the Tractor Supply store.

Eli getting in the moment as a Civil War soldier at Conner Prairie. Then he dropped his gun and took off running before the man could fire the REAL gun, which the kids get upset by because it's so loud!

All of us LOVED seeing the brand new baby animals! The chicks were just the cutest! I think it's so cool that the goats and lambs are just walking around right next to us.

Clara's such an animal lover!

It was a terribly frigid outing to play at Holliday Park, but the kids had a blast! I forgot to bring Clara's hat, so she wore an old one of Eli's that I had brought for Ezra. It was so snug it kept falling off her head.