Fantastic morning at the Saugus Iron Works today. It was great to see our big group of homeschoolers follow and engage with the park rangers, asking questions and making connections. With water wheels, a blacksmith shop and a 500 pound hammer, we couldn’t have asked for a better field trip.

Continuing the theme of new experiences, Catherine took her first art class today. Like many before her at the studio, her first project was a painting of an apple and pear.

She came out of the studio after class with a huge smile and an apparent sense of satisfaction and pride. I can’t wait to see how she expresses herself with paint as she continues!

As a parent, I constantly find joy in seeing my children experience and enjoy the things and activities that I did growing up.

It is equally heartwarming, however, to watch them strike out on their own, following their own new interests and trying different things.

Dance on, little one, and come home and teach me a thing or two.

Another day, another dollar for Esme, toiling long and hard at her Ikea office.

We’ve been hiking several of the local trails with our homeschool group lately. This particular property is one of our favorites, and this uprooted tree is one of its main draws!

These three poked and climbed and explored here for ages before we finally, and gently, urged them to keep moving down the trail. There were more stumps and fallen trees and acorn caps and stick shelters and fallen bridges and tidal flats still to discover!

It was a lovely, albeit muggy, Mother’s Day. We went to church, rode the train, and walked all over Boston. We rode a carousel and ate frozen yogurt and had lunch with a view of Bobby Orr.

The highlight of the day was seeing As If It Were Already There, a huge art installation above the Rose Kennedy Greenway. It was an amazing mass of ropes and knots swaying in the wind and looking totally different from every angle.

Overall, it was a lovely day of things I love, with people I love and without having to plan a thing!

Here’s a gallery of more photos that Peter and I took from the day.

We edged ourselves closer to Summer this evening with a lovely, fireside gathering with friends.

The very fancy look that Esme wore to gym class today.

Several people asked her where she had been to have her face painted. You should have heard the pride in her voice when she said, “My sister did it!”

Samantha in Springtime

Found this photo on my phone tonight, taken by Esme. It shows her lego pool, with accessories, and, in the foreground an invention that had her running to me shouting,

“Mama! Check this out! It is my new Sauna-slash-plane!”

After showing me how the sauna/plane converts from one use to the other, she scurried off and, apparently, took a few pictures for posterity.