Easter

Eggs dyed with beets, coffee, curry powder, spinach, blueberries, and red wine

 Egg hunt at the Ring farm - in the flowers

 One egg and counting

Eggs up

 and way up

 Eggs

 and flowers

 Carter's about to find the prize egg. . .

 Oops, now so is Caedmon.

 No, really it's under there.

 Finally, Roman's got it.

 Wow, there was something in there.  Caedmon says, "hnack"  (snack).

Birthday Week - Take Two

During Owen's birthday week, Granddaddy came up to Tennessee, and we drove (well, mostly he drove) up to East TN for a day to visit with Allen's family on a mini vacation.   

After a bit of time at the crowded and overpriced WonderWorks, 

we could't resist the free fun at the world's largest knife store, Smoky Mountain Knife Works.    

On Owen's actual birthday, we enjoyed breakfast and present opening with Granddaddy

and took a little trip over to the Tractor Supply store to get a box full of meat chickens 

 before he headed back home to AL to see Anne.
Owen ordered sushi for dinner.  I think this is the fourth year (and counting) he's requested it for his birthday.

Owen's 5!

After months of intermittent papier mache work, we painted the quadruped. . .

green. It was a turtle-dinosaur sort of thing.
Caedmon woke up from a nap in time to get in on the action.
finally a finished pinata

The weekend before Owen's birthday, we entertained the family. What great hosts we are. Aren't we? Not just anyone will send their guests right into the chicken pen. That's some real fancy highfalutin' entertainin' for ya.
The Ring cousins each got a swing at the pinata with Pa Billy officiating.

Owen knocked that sucker right off the rope,
and Electra finished off the quadruped. We learned not to put chocolate in a pinata - even in April.
Caedmon got his swing a little later.
After birthday brownies
and presents
Owen got some expert help from Roman to put together
this:
He is really into Legos these days. So is Caedmon - except he wants to eat them.

Owen got a new (previously owned) play table a bit early.
It makes a great place to keep his Legos - up in the attic bedroom which we are planning to finish for him this summer. He is enjoying his personal space with his cool big boy things up there. Five is definitely very grown up.