The State of Affairs: April 2013

We kicked off the month by celebrating Addison & Mackenzie's 4th birthday.  I decided to majorly scale back their party this year, one of the last few before we get so overwhelmed with school friends, etc.  I reserved a local cafe for the afternoon and threw the girls a small, very laidback, princess-themed party.  It turned out perfectly, and I think my princesses and their guests had a very good time.  Since it is spring, I spray painted small clay flowerpots white, then let the kids paint them.  At the end of the party, they each got to plant a small flower in their pot to take home.  It was an easy craft, but hopefully a special touch A & M will remember.

The rest of the month has been fairly quiet.  The weather has been gorgeous, besides the awful pollen covering every surface.  One Saturday evening we played t-ball in the yard with the girls, and I have started taking neighborhood walks with them some afternoons.  A & M took swim lessons this month, which went...okay.  They (especially M) were a little scared, but I am proud of them for sticking with it for five weeks.  They learned some of the basics of swimming and are a slightly less frightened in the water than they were before we started lessons.  Overall, it was well worth it, and hopefully we can get in another round of lessons later in the summer.

Books Read in April: 3.5
The Clover House--Reviewed here.

Carry On, Warrior--Reviewed here.

Just One Day--I enjoyed this one very much, and it pulled me out of my reading slump.  It's YA, by the same author (Gayle Forman) of If I Stay/Where She Went, but much less emotionally taxing than those books were.  A bit far-fetched, but this book was just what I needed this month.  Can't wait to read the second book coming out this fall.

A Dual Inheritance--I'm a little over halfway through this one, which counts for a lot, I think, because it's a pretty lengthy read.  I can't put it down at night, a fact that surprises me a little since it's not what you'd call action-packed.  Review to come!

Still reading bits and pieces of a few others here and there, including Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma, which I've been meaning to find for a while.  Interesting stuff, and lots to think about.  (Thoughts to come, of course.)

Notables
I'm still running, roughly 2-3 times a week.  My goal is to turn that into a steady three times a week, hopefully soon.  Our big 5k/foam fest is coming up this weekend.  (I'm a little scared!)

I slacked off a bit on cooking new things this month, but now that spring is here, bringing with it an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, I hope to pick back up in that area.  The first trip to the big farmer's market in Huntsville is scheduled for this week or next, and I can't wait!

How was your April?