Baby Animal Birthday Party

Last Friday Benjamin and I headed to Thanksgiving Point for the Baby Animal Birthday Party. Benjamin got some one-on-one time with a baby kid, baby calf, and baby lamb. The kid took to Benjamin because he was laughing, so the kid nibble and licked his fingers. It was cute!

The calf also licked Benjamin's fingers. The lamb below was not quite sure what to think of Benjamin's fingers. We also saw some piglets, but they were a bit shy.

Progress on the Snowflake Quilt

I started this quilt many years ago. I think that I bought the pattern in 2008. The first snowflake I completed was in 2010. There are 6 patterns that can create a variety of snowflake designs. I have completed 4 of the 6 patterns and have 2 more to go. This is the most complicated quilt I have worked on to date. Since Benjamin has been born, I have (for the most part) been consistent with spending 30-45 minutes a day working on piecing. I'm happy with the progress I've been making. There's still lots of work to do!

Here's a sneak peak at the fabric for a lap quilt I'm going to work on for a little break:

Enjoying Thanksgiving Point

I have been enjoying taking Benjamin out to Thanksgiving Point. The tulips have still been blooming. We also went to explore the Children's Discovery Garden. It is very interactive for kids and I think Benjamin will like it when he's able to walk around.

 There is a garden maze, caves, paths that lead through the trees, a sand pit, several different learning stations that teach about water, rocks and animals. Above we are at a lookout point over part of the garden. Below we are in one of the caves with a window looking out from behind a small waterfall.

We also saw a bagpiper outside the gardens. We're excited for the upcoming Scottish Festival coming up next month.

Quiet Book

I fell in love with this Moda print block and when I found the pattern and material at Just Sew, I knew I needed to buy the kit. I was a bit worried that I was getting in over my head, but reading the instructions over and over again helped me get through this project. I took a break from the snowflake quilt to make the quiet book. I spent three weeks on this project. It's one of the most expensive books that Benjamin will ever own.

I love the blackboard fabric. I haven't gotten any chalk yet because it will go straight into Benjamin's mouth. The front page has a zipper where you put the chalk and fabric to wipe the board. Benjamin enjoys looking at the different pictures and likes to flip the pages. Below is a video of all the pages.

April Showers

Benjamin got a second birthday cake, to which he is very thankful to Aunt Rynell! He devoured the yummy chocolate cake and didn't let anyone or anything distract him from eating. He was a funny mess. So we showered him off in the sink to get rid of all the chocolaty goodness that stuck to him before giving him a bath.

 I love sneaking in on Benjamin while sleeping to see what position he's taken on. This is his relaxing pose on a good nap day.

 Here is one of his rough day napping positions.

 Mike and I decided it would be beneficial to get a Thanksgiving Point membership and try it out for a year. I was probably more excited than anyone else. I got to go to the Tulip Festival, not one...but three times. The first time it alternated between showers, drizzle and mist. We met the tulip distributor from Holland, Henk. He commented on how the weather was a typical day in Holland.

 The last day we went I took Benjamin out of the stroller to see how he would explore. He sat in the grass looking at it curiously and didn't venture too far. He also liked to reach his hand out to grab at the tulips. We were pretty good at keeping his hands away, but there may have been one tulip that was destroyed. Mike has a picture that I hope he will share.