We started off Madeline's spring break with an Easter egg hunt. The girls were a little disappointed that the eggs weren't actually hidden but just scattered in the fields. 
Friday afternoon, we scooped up Maddie from school and headed to North Beach where fun on the beach is still free. After Memorial Day, some of our favorite places will cost money, boo. 
These are pictures from an after school beach trip. It was warm enough to get wet! Madeline was especially impressed with low tide and amazed by how far she could wade out into the water.
I joined a local mom's group in hopes of finding a playmate for Sophie. The group has close to two hundred members, and they have organized activities around the county almost every day. Sophie I have attended two meet-ups, this one was at North Beach. Unfortunately, most the kids seem to be three and under, and Sophie really hasn't found any kids with interests similar to hers. But, we'll keep trying . . .
Last week, the girls and I were introduced to Brownie Beach. It was awesome! Most people go there seeking fossils which are plentiful, especially ancient shark teeth, due to the eroding cliffs you can see in the bottom picture. My girls didn't seem to possess the patience required to sift through sand and shells for small items, but Madeline ran into a friend from her class and the two played tag for more than an hour. 
When Madeline gets out of school in the afternoon, we like to go to one of the community parks, the library, or one of the local beaches. It's a nice change from an hour at an after school program followed by an hour of homework which has been our routine for the past couple of years. There will likely be another after school program in Madeline's future come fall and full time preschool in Sophie's, so we are going to enjoy this time while we can.
Sophie and I joined Madeline for lunch in her school cafeteria one day. Having a cafeteria is only one of the many differences between her California school and her new school. Some of the things we like about her new school include much less homework, more field trips (she has already been to the landfill, a production of Charlotte's Web, and will be going on a monument walk in DC in a couple of weeks), weekly music and art classes, PE twice a week, a gym, and science and social studies lessons every day.
After we played in the snow, we ventured downtown to meet our cousins at the Air and Space Museum. The girls loved riding the metro. 
The last weekend in March, we woke up to snow!!! It was just a dusting and it didn't last long, but Madeline was able to make a few snowballs and something similar to a snowman. 
When it's warm, Kent enjoys fishing in our new backyard. He hasn't had much luck yet this year, but there is still time.
A few weeks ago, we drove out to Dawn's house, about two hours from our current digs, for a fun and relaxing day hanging out with family. Everyone, including Leah, had a great time running around on 18 acres. I am not sure Leah moved off her bed much during the three days that followed.
There wasn't much wind for kite flying, but if you were willing to run really fast, you could enjoy a bit of success.
