thunder, sunshine, hail, spring

I heard actual thunder today. It was all quiet and still, and then *Crash* Amelia and I actually jumped and Seeley ran for the bathroom rug - clearly, the only dog-safe place to ride out a thunderstorm. Then the iceball/hail deluge began...






Just another erratic spring day in Montana, I guess!

We're getting ready for Easter fun this weekend. We dyed eggs with things we had on hand; onion skins, beets, blueberries, coffee. Coffee is pretty unimpressive when you have brown eggs to start with, but the girls loved it. Aven only smashed and gnawed on about five of the eggs, so we still have quite an assortment for the bunny to hide.







We also celebrated Earth Day by beautifying our town a bit. The highlight for Amelia was rolling down hills and showing everyone the little rodent skull she found.


Amelia kept saying; "We're gonna clean up this town," like a cop in an old gangster movie.



I've been trying to write down some of the things Amelia says. She is so funny and often, so perceptive. And a little bit insane.



When I told her that Aven and I would be staying to help out with her preschool Easter party, she turned to her sister and said: "You won't have to miss me today, little old Aven!"



The other day we were driving into town, listening to the radio and Beethoven's 5th was on NPR. Amelia asked if it was Jack Johnson, and I said No, this is Beethoven, and I told her a little about him, how he lived a long time ago and wrote beautiful music even though he lost the ability to hear. She wanted to know if he was still alive and I told her wasn't.

Then she said,
"Mom, sometimes the owls eats mouses and the mouses are gone and they never come back, right?"
"Yes, that's right"
"Well, that's just like Beethoven."

I looked back at her in the rear-view mirror...three years old and already understands death as the great equalizer.

Then she picked up her purple bear (Alisha)
"I'm gonna curl Alisha's hair now."

Okay big girl.