Showing posts with label Spokane. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spokane. Show all posts

Friday, June 3, 2016

7 Quicktakes Friday- Any Part of May that I Didn't Cover in Another Post....

.....plus the these first few days of June......

1. Reading

We read a lot around here.  Kayla's reading chapter books.  Currently I am reading a St. Martin de Porres chapter book aloud to the girls.  Chris and I are reading The Imitation of Christ together.  Chris is reading a World War II novel by Jeff Shaara.  You've seen my book list so have an idea of what else I'm reading.  And we go to the library at least once a week to find new titles for the girls to devour.  


You better believe we are stoked to jump on board with the summer reading program at the library in a week or so!!



2.  Sophie Can Use a Spoon...

...mostly properly.  She looked like she could be ready the last couple weeks, so I let her try.  And she's pretty darn good at it.  Not much mess for mom to clean up.  WIN with that accidental perfect timing for "spoon training". 

                            
Yeah, yeah.  The video doesn't show her greatest work.  But you she's got form and she does actually get more on the spoon than this video shows.  She just doesn't perform as well under pressure, I guess.
 




3. Lilacs and Family Walks

I love lilacs.  We used to have wild bushes of them that grew in the empty lot behind our house growing up.  In addition, we had a bush or two that grew in our yard.  And I grew up in Spokane where lilacs are "the" thing.  There's a lilac parade and everything each year.  So....when I say I love lilacs, I mean it.  They bring back wonderful memories and their scent is delicious.  They grow well here in CO apparently, because lots of people have them.  I want a bush SO BAD, but we're renting, so I'm trying to be patient.  But I totally stop and unashamedly smell and admire any that I see on our evening family walks.  Give me all the lilacs!  Mmmmmm!


The girls picked up on my habits...


4. School is Out

Well technically according to the Charter School we go through, we have one more day (Monday), but Kayla has been done with most of her school books since the end of April/beginning of May, and we finished Math last week, so this week was our "fun week" of lots of extra hands-on experiments and projects and we're DONE!!  I officially graduated her from First Grade to Second Grade today.  To celebrate, we had a "field day" and went to a local park with a water feature and had a picnic afterwards.  Yay, Kayla!  We're proud of you, baby!
card games to promote math skills

Her second semester goal for school was to learn how to tie her shoes.  We only ever use shoes with shoelaces when we hike, so it hasn't been much of a priority, but she made it her goal, and she conquered it.  
Making a stethoscope to hear our heartbeats!

Elise is interested in school too (just in time to start Kindergarten in the fall) and is making leaps and bounds in copying her letters.  



5. Exploring Local Parks and Meeting New Friends

In the last few weeks, we have visited several different parks in our area and set up a few playdates.  I'm part of a Denver Catholic moms group as well as the Blessed Is She group where I've been able to connect with many other moms locally.  Can't wait to meet up with more, but here's a few pictures I snagged of the girls exploring some fun new parks.  

 

                         


 


6.  Sophie at Bat

One of Sophie's many favorite outdoor activities recently is "playing" Tee-ball.  It's cute. 


                           

 I snagged this for free on Craigslist to keep her a from running out in the street constantly while her sisters ride bikes.  She plays for awhile before she wants out so she can ride her little bike and then play tee ball and eventually play her little game of "Make Mom and Dad Chase Her Out into the Street".   I daresay I would have paid $15 or $20 to get the thing just to keep from having to constantly haul the preggo self into the street when she makes a run for it.  Oh, this age.  They are so mischievous.  



7. Flower/Herb Garden

I can't get my lilacs yet, but we did do some planting of a little flower and veggie and herb garden.  The girls were thrilled to help pick out flowers and veggies to grow in our little plots.  

 

Kayla wanted to buy some of those little fawn statues for the girls desperately.  Sorry, sweetie....they are cute, though.   There was also a doe that she wanted to get for me....

 

Elise really wanted to buy that moose for Chris.  Deer for all the girls, and a HUGE moose for Dad.  Lol.  

Friday, February 12, 2016

The Long-Lost Spokane Trip Pictures

They were never really lost.  But it sounds more thrilling that way...  What actually happened is that it just took awhile for MaryAnn and I to transfer the pictures she took on her camera to a place where I could access them.  And now it has happened, so enjoy a bunch of random pictures from last May's road trip to Spokane!

(Sophie did a lot of sleeping on my back this trip...)

with MaryAnn!

Feeding the ducks and geese at Riverfront Park

With Paul!

I love these action shots MaryAnn captured of the girls running around and occasionally chasing a seagull or two.  




Riverfront Park had a neat water feature that wasn't there when I was a kid, but the girls loved playing in it.  
Ava sizing it up

water fun

dancing on the outskirts

I love this shot of them running out of the water fountains

Ava following her big sister in

Watch out, Ava!

oops!

Up and running again





Told you...


The Big Red Wagon Slide


You could do so much faster on the towel!  Wahooo!





 Family pics!






Enjoying the yummy food MaryAnn made

always the ornery one who won't give you a smile when you ask for it.  :P


This girl loves a good cheese though

caaaake!

some dear family friends from my childhood days!


And perhaps my favorite memories from the trip are MaryAnn snuggling Sophie...

And Paul reading to the girls

Thanks for the amazing time, MaryAnn and Paul.  We love you guys so much!