Button, Button, Who's Got the Button?

The jar of buttons our friends so graciously shared from their collection on Sunday are in the process of being cleaned, sorted, and discovered.  O has been a great helper with the task, no doubt just happy to play in the water and bubbles.  He's made a hurricane by stirring the water, which then swallows the dirty buttons, and the buttons have also parachuted off his palm into the rinse water.  It's a great project for enhancing eye-hand coordination and small motor skills.  Of course I simply love looking at the different sizes, shapes, textures, and colors, which makes for interesting discussion with a 3 year old.  We both have picked favorites; O's went to bed with him last night, tucked safely under the covers beside him.  He's one busy boy with a blooming imagination, so I simply cherished the chance to sit with him and share this experience. 

Something else I've been cherishing lately are my strolls around our yard looking for the latest blooms and emerging plants.  The crocus and hyacinth have given way to vibrant pink flowers on the berginia, soft pink blossoms on the lamium, and yellow blooms on the false lamium (variegatum.) 

What's giving your yard color these days?