Gavin

My silly little Monkeys

Solvei has finally figured out that she can climb onto things as well. She has been trying for about a week now but her legs just aren’t as long as Nels’ so she hasn’t been able to. I finally got Christmas taken down earlier this week but hadn’t brought all the boxes to the garage yet, when Solvei discovered this box is short enough for her to climbing on. She was so proud of herself, that Nels noticed and climbed on with her.

Nels is such a ham!

And since the camera was out it attracted the big kids too (if it’s interesting enough to take a picture of I have to find out what’s going on!) so I got a few of them too.

Categories: camera, climbing, Gavin, Nels, Saedi, Solvei | Leave a comment

What Daddy’s are made of

Nate always makes the comment that he’s made of sugar and will melt in the rain. The big kids think he’s silly. Today when I made peach cobbler, Gavin saw the sugar on the counter and asked what it was for. I told him I had to put it in the cobbler and he asked why. So Nate told them that he was made of vinegar, and “mommy has to put sugar in things to sweeten me up.” To which Gavin replied, “No you’re not, you’re made of bones!”

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Another play day

I love taking pictures of Nate with the kids. Nate had today off (YEA!!!) but Saedi had school so we were hanging out at home. I got some good ones during post-breakfast cartoon watching.

Nels and Solvei love to give hugs, they even do the little pat while hugging. Today they discovered that they can give hugs to each other. Nels got upset over something at lunch so Solvei leaned over and gave him a hug, and he hugged her back. SO CUTE! I got them to do it again….twice. =)

Solvei and Nels have taken over the jelly bean jars that Saedi and Gavin got a few years ago, and love to play with them in the kitchen. They take the tops off and fill them with things (usually fridge letters because they’re nice and loud) and then either put the lids back on and shake the jars or dump out the contents on the kitchen floor where they can scatter noisily. They play so well together while doing this, as long as they both have their own jars.
Categories: family pics, Gavin, hugs, Nate, Nels, playing, Solvei | Leave a comment

Learning to be big

When it’s time to go grocery shopping, Gavin always asks if he can write a list while I am writing mine. He used to just scribble lines all over the paper while saying out-loud what he was “writing” – things like cereal, baby food, coffee, gummy bears, candy bars, brownies, bananas. He’s been getting really good at writing his letters, so now he wants to write an actual list and asks me how to spell what he wants to write. Today’s shopping trip, he even made sure each item was on a new line instead of mushing all the words together. I’ll bet you’d even be able to read what he put on his grocery list.

We have a fridge phonics toy that the kids have always played with, and I swear that helped Saedi learn how to read. Another good influence has been the PBS show “Between the Lions.” I watched that a lot with Saedi and even though Gavin claims he doesn’t like it, he watches it sometimes too. Both of these things help to learn what sound(s) a letter makes. Gavin is starting to figure out that he can put the letter sounds together by himself and they make words that he knows. This morning at the breakfast table, he sounded out a word on a box in front of him, “D-O-N-U-T,  Duh-Oh-Nn-Uh-Teh, Hey! That spells donut!”

Solvei and Nels are learning a lot more, too. They understand so many things. Last night as I was making dinner, Solvei found my hoodie and brought it over to me (I think she wanted my to put it on). I told her thank you, but I didn’t need it right then, and set it down on the bar stool. A minute later she came back over to me, dragging my sweatshirt behind her. So I took it from her and put the hood of it on her head. She was so proud and walked away happily. Next Nels brought me the sweatshirt, so I put the hood on his head and he walked away giggling. I then made a phone call. Solvei came back over to me a few minutes later with the sweatshirt. Because I was talking on the phone, I didn’t pay attention right away. Solvei then picked up the sweatshirt with both hands and started pushing my leg with it, as hard as she could, until I paid attention to her.

Categories: Gavin, growing up, Nels, Solvei | Leave a comment

It’s Raining! It’s Pouring! – Let’s go to the Zoo!

Saedi and Gavin earned these from the county library, during the summer reading program.

Since I was so proud of them for earning the tickets, I wanted them to be able to use them. We didn’t seem to have time to go before, and today was the last day the tickets were still good. So, even though it was raining, we went to the Pt Defiance Zoo and Aquarium today. It was pretty fun and not at all crowded. We dug out all the rain gear and brought layers in case it was cold too. Gavin would wear his rain boots every single day if I let him. Saedi and Gavin both have their own umbrellas so it’s “fun” when they get to use them. I also have a pretty nice rain cover for the jogging stroller, so we were all set.

Going to the zoo in the rain really isn’t as bad as it sounds – most of the animal viewing areas are sheltered so you just walk between them under an umbrella, and the animals were active because it wasn’t hot or cold. Plus the umbrellas make for some fun photos.

It’s not a very large zoo but it’s still pretty good. We saw meerkats,
walruses,

sea otters,
polar bears (I love how these ones turned out! The photos are taken through the glass),

(The pictures are not as nice from here on out. I didn’t charge the battery for the new camera before we went, since it was sort of a last minute trip, and it died. So the rest are with the cell phone.)
river otters,
a barn owl,
elephants,

and gibbons. The gibbons were fun. The play area that they have has swinging handles all over the building part, including right in front of the viewing windows. They kept swinging over to look at the people, like we were there for them to watch and not the other way around! I had the stroller turned slightly away from the window and it seemed that the white one kept trying to see what was in it. Solvei and Nels loved watching them too, they would smile when the “monkeys” were swinging around.
And of course there was the aquarium, too. They have a Shark photo-op spot. Saedi asked if I would take their picture.
And then they waned to do a picture that loked like they needed to be rescued.
They of course have the obligatory display of “Nemo and Dory” fish.
They have a nice collection of sea horses too. I got one picture, but the cell phone couldn’t keep up with the movement in low light.
At least the kids would hold sill long enough to get pictures.
This aquarium has the most photogenic octopuses I have ever seen.
Categories: Gavin, Nels, rain, Saedi, Solvei, zoo | Leave a comment

In the playroom

We’ve been hanging out in the playroom today, playing with a few new toys, and of course all the old favorites.

Categories: Gavin, Nels, playing, Saedi, Solvei | Leave a comment

Christmas Day

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

I do really like Christmas music (I have almost 3-gigabytes of just holiday music in iTunes), but Christmas is definitely not my favorite holiday. It is a lot of fun with kids though.

We got woken up, as usual, by an early morning phone call and the kids woke up as soon as they heard voices. Saedi and Gavin were so excited. The big kids had to wait until I changed diapers for the little ones, then we went down to the living room all together. 

 

They got exactly what they asked for from Santa, so he must have decided they could be on the nice list again this year (although, for Gavin, I think it may have been a difficult decision).

Saedi got Heelys,

and Gavin got a Lightning McQueen GeoTrax “just like he saw at the store!”

All in all, everyone was happy with what they got. It was all very nice. I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast and we hung out at home all day. We had a delicious but very easy dinner – Honey Baked Ham and au gratin potatoes with Sister Schubert’s Parker House Rolls and steamed corn (everything either precooked or heat and serve).

Categories: Christmas, Gavin, Nels, Saedi, Solvei | Leave a comment

Twas the night before Christmas…

…and all through the house you could smell cookies, 4 different kinds!

I got my domesticity on today. This is the first year I have really felt up to taking on such a daunting task. When I was working, and when Solvei and Nels were small, I never had enough time, energy or patience to make Christmas cookies. But painting Christmas cookies is one of the fond memories I have from when I was a kid, and I want my kids to have lots of memories like those. Saedi helped me make Great Grandma’s Christmas treats. She loves helping in the kitchen, and tells me so every time I let her. I made Nate’s favorite cookies, peanut-butter chocolate-chip. Saedi, Gavin and I made and painted sugar cookies. And I made chocolate sugar cookie batter but that will have to bake tomorrow (ran out of time). So now my house smells delicious!

The kids told me to leave Santa hot chocolate instead of milk with the cookies.

I even have dough made to make cinnamon rolls in the morning (mmmmm, yummy!) and ambitions to make a pumpkin roll for dessert, we’ll see if there is time for that though.

Categories: baking, Christmas, cookies, Gavin, Saedi | Leave a comment

More playing around

Just stayed home most of the day and watched the kids play. I played with my camera some more, too.

Nels was playing with Solvei’s doll, giving kisses and making her dance, then throwing it around.

Solvei has the coasters again, and the funniest faces!
Gavin and Nels goofing around.
And I know that belly button is here somewhere!
Keeping the kids up late tonight because we have to pick up Nate from the airport! (Yea! Daddy’s coming home!)
Categories: Belly, camera, coasters, Gavin, Nels, Solvei | Leave a comment

Goodie Goodie

Early Christmas present for ME (and Nate too). I got this in the mail last night with instructions to open before Christmas so I can play and be familiar with it on Christmas for best results. Yipee!!!

So here are a few of the 300+ shots I’ve taken since last night.=P

Categories: camera, Christmas, Gavin, Nels, Saedi, Solvei | Leave a comment

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