Wednesday, July 31, 2013

How to eat apples with almond butter


Nobody in this house is allergic to almonds so we eat a lot of them! We are big fans of almond butter. It looks like peanut butter and kind of tastes like peanut butter, but is definitely not. 

When eating almond butter with an apple, you try to spread the almond butter on the apple with a child's butter knife. If this does not work (which it usually doesn't), you dip the apple all the way down into the jar. 
This way, not just the apple, but also your little hand will get covered in almond butter. 





Then you eat!

Some almond butter will go in your mouth, but most will end up on your face, hands, and tummy. 


Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Hop on Pop Games


The kids just love games where they  jump all over Jeremy. Here are some recent pictures of the fun. 



Saturday, July 27, 2013

Two Backpacks

We now have two big kid backpacks hanging up in the hallway. Nathan desperately wanted an Angry Birds: Star Wars one. We found one! Kindergarten here he comes!

Elizabeth wanted a princess one for preschool. 



Her backpack has sparkles and looks "very beautiful" in the sun. 

Monday, July 22, 2013

Bulldozer next door!


They've started work on the house next door! A bulldozer showed up this morning. 

Nathan was in heaven. A bulldozer 5 feet from his window? That's a great morning for him. You can see him in the reflection. He had his camera out and was taking pictures of this exciting day. 


Sunday, July 21, 2013

Front Yard Spray Park


The kids seem to enjoy running around in the sprinklers in the front yard MORE than they do running around at the Spray Parks! They would run around out front for an hour or more but at the spray park they have fun for 20 minutes and are done. Strange. 

Elizabeth having fun!


Nathan had to eat some cherries in his "cherry eating" shirt before he could partake in the games. 

Doing some dancing






Thursday, July 18, 2013

Driving the little Kubota


The kids LOVE to drive Papa Norm's little Kubota. Nathan is getting really good. 


It's fun to park on the lawn. 

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Pet Doctor Elizabeth

Elizabeth decided to give Pippa a check up. 

Nurse Laura helped Elizabeth put the cuff on Pippa to take her blood pressure. Elizabeth announced Pippa was healthy. 


Then, the patient tried to eat the stethoscope. 


She had to be restrained so the vet could check her heartbeat. 

Elizabeth checked her eyes. 

Pippa got her knees checked for reflexes. 

Her temperature was good. 

But poor Pippa needed a shot. 

She was not pleased. But Vet Elizabeth did give her a bandaid. 

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Cherries!!

We are lucky Papa Norm has many friends with cherry orchards. We picked a LOT of cherries! Nathan does really well finding the cherries at his height. Both kids ate a lot of cherries but managed to put a few in the bucket. 

Here are the 18 pounds of cherries that made it home on Sunday. It's Tuesday and the plastic container is just about gone...


Nathan has designated this shirt as his "cherry eating" shirt. He got some cherry stains on it one day that wouldn't come out. Instead of never wearing the shirt again, he just takes it out when it's time to eat cherries. So once or twice a day, he'll strip off his clean shirt and go put this one on. It's really cute. He'll say, "Time to go put on my cherry eating shirt!" 
Sorry your NY shirt is ruined Laura. However, it has a purpose now! 

Monday, July 15, 2013

Royal City Summerfest Parade



Saturday was the Royal City Parade! Nathan always has a fun time. We were hoping Elizabeth would finally enjoy it this year and she did! No meltdowns! The previous 3 years, she's had major meltdowns. 
Grandma Pam came down for the morning to watch Nathan in the bike parade! Any little kid that wanted could ride their bike down the parade route right behind the police cars. Nathan had fun doing this!

Nathan finishing his bike parade!


A couple of local celebrity sisters walking the parade route. We're not quite Kate and Pippa Middleton though. 
(We were "escorting" Nathan while he rode his bike but he was so far ahead we felt like we were some kind of parade entry.)

The Royal City float was a lego theme this year! The kids really enjoyed that. 


Elizabeth likes to sit on Gram's lap. 

Everyone having fun watching the parade. Papa Norm is having fun talking to a friend. 

Royal High Marching band

The kids LOVED the Ritzville float since it was a Wizard of Oz theme. There were some really great floats!


We went home and took a lunch break after the parade. We celebrated Grandma Pam's upcoming birthday with some cupcakes! 

After lunch, we went back to the park to take part in the fun. Here's Elizabeth eating her snow cone. Nathan was off doing jumpy castles and waterslides with Grandma Pam and Laura. I didn't get any pictures!! Instead, I spent 20 minutes waiting in the snow cone line...


Here was the ping pong ball drop. Every year, a local pilot flies his crop duster over the field and drops hundreds of ping pong balls with numbers written on them. The kids all get to pick one up and run in and get a prize. Last year, Nathan actually won a bike! This year, both kids got little toys. 
If you look closely at the picture, you can see Nathan running in and Elizabeth and I following him from a distance. 


Here's Elizabeth with her ping pong ball. Nathan was kind enough to pick up 2 and give one to her. She wasn't big enough to race out and pick one up before the bigger kids took them all. 

Playing with the balloon toy with Papa Norm. 

Sunday, July 14, 2013

A Friday Evening Barbeque


It was Royal City's annual Summerfest weekend. Friday evening, they have a barbeque, talent show, and fireworks. It was only 73 degrees out! Some cool weather felt nice. 

Eating hotdogs and snuggling with Gram. 


Auntie Laura and her favorite nephew. 

Playtime with Pippa. 


Catching Kindergartners. 

Laura caught one too! 

Nathan was scoping out Papa's bean field. 


Bedtime bananas and walkie talkies. 

The kids loved watching Pippa get her teeth brushed. 

This is what dental hygienists do on weekends. Brush dog teeth. 

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Dancing With Dolly


Elizabeth likes to put on her tutu dress and dance with her dolly who also wears a tutu dress.

Friday, July 12, 2013

Swimming Lessons


We just finished week 1 of our 3 week swimming session. The first day was rough. Neither child would get in the pool. 

Elizabeth would not get in because she wanted Mommy. Nathan wouldn't get in because he didn't have the same teacher as before. His teacher was outside lifeguarding. When his old teacher came in and told him she had picked these new teachers just for him, he got in just fine and has been doing great. 
Elizabeth would not get in the pool on day 2 either. However, on day 3, Teacher Jen wore a pink swimsuit AND told Elizabeth they would play a fun game to start the lesson. Well, Elizabeth LOVED Teacher Jen's pink swimsuit and was interested in the game. She got in the pool and has been doing fabulously ever since. 
It's so great they both love swimming lessons now after that first rough day! 

Elizabeth finishing her zooms!


During Elizabeth's lesson, I sometimes play with Nathan in the pool. 

Elizabeth doing her jumps!

My little pink shadow and I in the hot tub after she did so well in her lesson!

End of the Year Survey

Nathan:  16 Elizabeth:  13 1. What is your favorite color: N:  Blue E:  Pastel lime 2. What is your favorite toy? N:  Legos E:   squishmello...