Ahhh spring!! Achoo!!

Well, spring is finally here! Yay for that and for being outside more. . . . but, aaaachooo!!! My allergies are really bothering me! But no, don't worry, I haven't sneezed so hard that my eyelash extensions have come off!!

Maddy and I did tons of yard work/clean-up last weekend and enjoyed looking at the neighbors' yards. Not exactly snooping -- just enjoying their flowering plants!. Next door, our neighbor's forsythia is blooming and is so pretty -- but, oops, they missed it -- they're out of town. And behind us, another neighbor's magnolia tree is blooming! OH. MY. GOSH -- that is one pretty tree! And oops again -- they missed it -- they are really out of town, as in out of the country in Shanghai, PRC. I was a tad worried that I might make them homesick by emailing a photo of their lovely tree. But, the wife said she was so delighted to receive it on a dreary, rainy day in Shanghai. We hope they will be back home this summer with daughter no. 2 from China. Their no. 1 daughter is 4 and Maddy loves to play and visit with her. New and different toys, you know -- and we have missed them this past year. Fingers and toes crossed that all goes as planned and they return with two darling girls in the summertime.

And it just wouldn't be a good trip to the school playground or park without Maddy climbing around and doing flips! She's little, but her upper body/arm strength is amazing! Truthfully -- it always worries me a bit that her hearing aid will fall out -- but it hasn't yet, so I am just going to give up the worrying about it. More nice weather forecast this whole week -- we are so, so lucky!