Christmas

Tonight we had a conversation about how comfortable our daughter's bed is and how it would be easy to fall asleep in.  Well, after 45 minutes of not seeing Kent, I had to check out the situation!

Christmas 2013

Grandma Carol flew up from California with us!  She helped the kids with a special sugar cookie project recreated from her first grade teaching days!

It can be so hard to pick one to eat!

Christmas day finally came!  The kids have been counting down for a week or more.  It was all about My Little Pony's and Rescue Bots this year.  Brooke was very excited for her new toys!

Oliver got a cute fireman outfit from his Kettle Falls Grandparents!

We got a chance to Facetime with family in Anchorage and Petersburg!

My Mom made a beautiful quilt for me!  It's so cozy, a wonderfully snugly lap quilt for the winter time.

It was time to make our Christmas sausage!  Caitlin and Britta prepared the potatoes and onions.

Oliver loves to be a part of a job.  The guys stuffed the sausage down in the basement.

The sausage ready to be boiled.  We'll have LOTS of leftovers this year!

Here's our Christmas dinner!  Korv, lutesfisk, potatoes, peas and lingonberries.  One of my favorite meals of the year!

California

We decided to visit our family in California for most of the month of December.

Our daily trip to the pool was a highlight!

Thanksgiving

We headed up to Kettle Falls for Thanksgiving!  Brooke and Oliver were so excited to go to their grandparents' house.

The lighting was perfect, so I took a few photos of the kids watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade.

We got to see Grandma Britta's chickens!

It was a snowy beautiful drive over Sherman Pass on the way home.

Bikes and Friends

The kids got new balance bikes!  Lots of their friends enjoy these bikes that don't have any pedals.  I always thought about getting them for the kids but thought they were a "fad".  After watching Brooke struggle riding with fear on her bike with training wheels I knew we needed to try something else.  Within two days on her balance bikes she had the balance part down and was really enjoying cruising around.  It took Oliver three days, but now he really can move!  One of the really fun parts of these bikes is the fact that we can take them "off road".  We had a great time going up and down the little hills at the Leavenworth Ski Hill.

We have been watching a friend's daughter for two days after school.  It's been so much fun for Brooke and Oliver to have an older friend to play with.  

Busy Fall Day

So, what a big day!  We started off with a Halloween "party" at the local toy store.  There were stories, rhymes, crafts and lots of friends to visit with.

The kids got some balance bikes (no pedals) and they love them!  They really get cruising, pick up their feet and love the feeling of balancing on the two wheels.

We are trying to get outside on bikes everyday before the snow and colder temperatures come.  Today we enjoyed mid 50's, blue sky and the beautiful changing leaves at the Wenatchee Riverfront Park.

We headed north to Chelan for Brooke's monthly group lesson for Suzuki violin.  On the way we stopped by Orondo Cider Works for a bathroom break and some fun!

Seattle Trip and Potty Training

We made a weekend trip over to Seattle.  The kids LOVED Auntie's apartment.  The elevator was a HUGE hit.  Oliver squealed every single time we entered or exited and they had to both take turns getting to push the buttons.  Brooke asked a lot of questions about the apartment, "Do we have to pay to stay there (like a hotel)?"  Oliver requested to sleep with Auntie in her bed because "she's so snugly".  So because of lack of beds, we let him start there and then we sneaked him into sharing a bed with Brooke on the floor.  Well, our plan didn't work too well.  Mom and Caitlin were sharing the bed and had a visitor every night around 4am (pillow, teddy and Oliver).  Oliver asked, "Gramma, why you in my bed?"  So, they didn't get the best sleep, but it was still pretty cute.

The washing machine was almost as cool as the elevator and the garbage shoot.  We were doing pretty well with potty training for Oliver, he had been going outside in our backyard for quite a few days... but not inside yet.  I told him that in the city, boys go on the potty.  I wasn't sure what his reaction would be because he was terrified of it for months previously.  Then, all of a sudden we hear the door shut to the bathroom... and then a flush!  It was that easy!

The kids HAD to start the day at McDonalds.  We shared a small ice cream and then we decided it must be time for lunch, so they got a happy meal.  This is a very special event for them!  Oliver got a batman that entertained him for the entire weekend (and more).  Oliver even went into the bathroom stall at McDonalds all by himself.  He doesn't like attention or praise for going potty... he just does it!

We stopped to visit the troll under the bridge.  Brooke was nervous because she thought it was real!

Oliver spotted this cool car which was sitting (not moving) at Gas Works Park.  As he approached it, it came alive!  He had the best time with it!  We never saw the operator, what a funny occurrence!

It was a nice sunny day, we were so lucky.  It was supposed to be a rainy yucky day.

Now back in Cashmere we are doing well with potty training.  Only a few accidents and #2 hasn't quite made it to the potty but I'm sure it'll be there soon.  Oliver wants to wear all his undies backwards so he can see the designs more clearly.  Too funny!

Brooke is still super creative/spontaneous.  Tonight it was, "I want to make a kite!"  She disappeared and came back with this project created all by herself.

She was getting tired and a little silly.  She pretended to be quite sad when it wasn't windy outside.