It's hard for me to believe that I spent two days working on our taxes and we didn't get a Federal refund. What's the point really? I poured over every instruction, every publication, but there was really just no way to find an extra $2,000 worth of deductions. Maybe if we borrowed a few dependents-- you know, just for an hour or two or 14 until I could get these freakin' things finished. We were lucky to have that mid-year move to the state of the liberal tax laws (Rent? Sure! Deduct it! Additional storage for your 165 gallons of Star Wars collectible action figures? You got it! That's a damn necessity that no one should live without!) We managed to secure a refund in both MA and DC to offset our Federal debt by about 75%. But it still really wasn't worth the backache that I got from being strapped into these IKEA dining room chairs for two days straight. Anyone have a good accountant recommendation for next year?

While I channeled my inner accountant, B returned to channeling his inner electrician and installed the recessed lighting in the Baby Bedroom-- which as you'll read in Flickr refers to the bedroom's size and EVENTUAL use, just to clarify to Charles T and to Hayley that this is NOT an announcement. That meant it was back to the attic and black lung and mild to severe cursing. I don't understand his amnesia tendencies when we get to the lighting aisle at Home Depot-- he really HATES this stuff. But it doesn't stop the lights from looking fabulous.

We escaped for a little while on Saturday to the Frey's for Erika's annual Easter Egg Hunt-- where we helped hide the goodies and capture the hunt and find in these photographs. Saturday afternoon was one of those absolutely perfect early spring afternoons, so warm and sunny and fresh-- laughter with friends, silent sleeping babies, and all kinds of run-throw-catch activity. Looking out over the Forsythia in our back yard, listening to the birds chirp Puccini arias, and getting ready to head down to Natick Center to watch the Marathon pass us by, I'm fully aware that spring has sprung. Hallelujah! It's about time.