Paper Crafts

Brooke loves to make things from paper.  Last week it was "skis" (she cut a rectangle, poked holes and had me tie a string across), this week it's "kites".  No wind needed, just a speedy run down the yard!

I have to admit, it's kind of nice we didn't get too much snow this winter...

It's really feeling like spring lately, we're not complaining!

Omak Trip

We decided it would be great to have a break in the routine and hop on the bus with the high school cheerleaders and band for a the trip up to Omak.  It was a beautiful chilly sunny day.  We read Dr. Suess books, watch a cartoon on my iPad and looked for horses as we made the two hour trip north.

The girls and boys basketball teams played back-to-back games.  Kent's pep band sounded great.

We took a break from the games and played at the local park.  There is a lot more snow up here than in our area!  We walked down to the local bakery and had a cookie before heading back to the boys basketball game.  The kids had their first happy meal at McDonalds on the way home and loved the toys inside.  They were happy campers all the way home.  Oliver played with his new transformer toy which spins around when you squeeze it, hours of entertainment.  Brooke sat on her dad's lap with the Boise headphones and listened to the Suessical soundtrack all the way home.  She had random singing outbursts which made all the kids giggle.  We got home at 8pm and everyone quickly went to bed.  Traveling with these two has become so much easier and enjoyable!  Brooke said, "Omak is SO much FUN!"

Indoor Gym

There are two indoor gymnastic centers near us that the kids enjoy during the winter months or a rainy day.

We met our neighbor friends there this morning!

Oliver loves the long trampoline and pretends to serve me "food".  Mainly cheese.

It's a great time!  The kids leave tired, sweaty and happy!

Playgrounds

Thankfully it seems like we are getting over our colds.  At least the kids seem perky, so I've made sure to include a playground trip each day this week.  The kids sure love it after a few months of break from playgrounds.

"I'm gonna get you with this stick!"

On Tuesday we drove up to Chelan for our monthly group violin lesson.  I should have taken a photo of the two girls practicing.  They are doing so well.  They work on being together as they put their violins up with one hand, move their bows together with the same rhythm and even putting their fingers down on the strings to change notes.  On our way home we stopped at Walla Walla park (photo above).  Even though the sun came out, it wasn't that warm!

We had to go to Costco on Wednesday, so we stopped by Lincoln Park for some exercise.  It was closer to 45 degrees so it was pretty comfortable.  It's a big maze of steps, "castles", secret spaces, swings and lots of exploring.

Oliver LOVED it.

It's so fun to play with your best friend!

Suessical

Brooke was invited by Susan to be in the all-district musical called Suessical.  She is the elephant bird character.  She has been reading the Dr. Suess books, listening to the music and really loving the experience of being in her first musical!  She hatches out of the egg and says the last word of the whole show, "Suess!"  She has really warmed up to the characters in the musical and is letting loose and dancing on stage.  Kent and I are so proud of her!

Sunshine!

January was pretty dreary around here.  An inversion created a dark, high fog that loomed over our valley causing bad breathing conditions (reminds us of the summer wildfires that we had!).  Finally, we had a day of sunshine and fifty degrees!  Even though we all are sick with colds, we felt the need to get outside!

The dogs were excited to have some friends to play with!

Oliver enjoyed shoveling and not having to wear a coat!

He also enjoyed a little skiing!

He (intentionally) went head first down this little snowy hill we made and got snow up his shirt.  Brr!

Brooke wanted me to give her a "kind of high" push on the swing!

Daddy's Helper

Having a little boy is so much fun. I only had a sister, so everything about boys is new to me! There are so many characteristics that are different between Brooke and Oliver, one of them is to "work". Oliver loves a job and is very mechanically minded. He loves "working on" piping under old sinks, understanding the air duct system in Starbucks, watching machines at work, sweeping and mopping, hitting the buttons on kitchen appliances (especially the blender), etc. His new skill is helping me or his Daddy start a n we fire. Yesterday he said, "It okay me borrow Daddy's glove?" He proceeded to get the wood and newspaper for me. What a good helper!

New Cozy Craft Corner

Operation clean out Brooke's closet was successful. I decided to make this a special place for the kids to draw, color, cut, and paste. So far, it has been a favorite spot for them to play. Yeah! The walls are much more decorated with their own artwork. We are working on making Christmas thank you cards right now.

Yummy Pancake Recipe

This is the first post I have made with my iPad!

As a stay-at-home Mom, feeding our kids all day long us a huge part of my job. I'm always trying to find ways to serve something they like which is also healthy. That is not always an easy task! Brooke and Oliver LOVE breakfast. So, it's a perfect opportunity to make a healthy meal. Here is my pancake recipe that has no added sugar, no white flour, and no butter or oil. The pancakes are so moist and sweet that my kids forget to ask for syrup! I have not experimented with alternative flours, but I'm sure almond flour would work just fine!

Annie's Healthified Pancakes

Mix dry ingredients:
1 c. Whole wheat flour
2 t. Baking powder
1/4 t. Salt

Mix wet ingredients:
2 Ripe bananas
2 T. Applesauce
1 c. Milk
1 Egg beaten

Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until combined. Cook pancakes on griddle. Enjoy!