"SIDEWALK" chalk

Posted on June 6, 2010 by wadmanclan

I needed to do a little yard work this weekend, to make it look like we do actually live here. I have mostly been working inside the house (unpacking and keeping up with dishes and laundry) since we have moved in. Nate has kept the lawn mowed, but we haven’t really done much else and the flower beds and shrubs are starting to show it. I brought the kids outside to play while I was working, so when I was done mowing the front I got out the sidewalk chalk for the kids to play with while I weeded the front flower beds.

It ended up being a lot more work than I thought so we were out there a while (good thing I sprayed everyone down with sun-screen when we went out). The kids got bored with the chalk before I was done with the work so they started to get creative with their drawing surfaces. (It may be called sidewalk chalk, but that’s not where they like to color with it.)

Nels started coloring on the front stoop,

Nels and Solvei colored their clothes and faces,

Solvei got her rear-end especially well,

and then they both colored on the house and the front door!

GOOD THING CHALK WASHES OFF!

After I got all the front work done and the chalk put away, I had to dump everyone into the bath before I could make lunch.

We ended up spending most of the day outside. After everyone got bathed and had lunch, I put the kids down for a nap and went back outside to mow the backyard and start weeding the iris beds in the back. I got quite a bit done before everyone woke up so when they did I brought them all back outside while I did a little more before dinner.

While we were out there we found a ladybug with no spots. Saedi said that made it zero years old.

 

Saedi and Gavin played on the big toy and Solvei and Nels were content to watch in their stroller for a little while.

When they got impatient, we went inside. Very long day but it was a nice one, now I’m just sore and tired.

Categories: chalk, Gavin, Nels, playing, Saedi, Solvei, yardwork | 1 Comment

Doctors visit

Posted on June 2, 2010 by wadmanclan

Solvei, and then Nels, both came down with a nasty something over the weekend (it does always seem to be that this happens at the beginning of a weekend or holiday). They weren’t emergency worthy so I watched them over the weekend, but decided that I would get an urgent care appointment for this morning since they were still fairly miserable. For the last three weeks or so Saedi has had a cough, no other symptoms, just a cough that at times could be a bit nasty. Since it wasn’t really getting better I thought I’d take her into the doctor as well since we were already going.

Solvei and Nels were examined and determined to have a viral something-or-other. Saedi got to have a chest x-ray.  After it was read and she was given a breathing treatment,

the doctor said she has a touch of Asthma that was probably aggravated by allergies or a cold. I’ve thought about having her tested before when she was wheezing after running around playing outside, we just hadn’t made the appointment yet. Sent home with an inhaler, she will be doing better in a few days time. Now we just have to hope that Solvei and Nels will be feeling better by then too.

Categories: Nels, Saedi, sick, Solvei | Leave a comment

On, please – Off, please…..

Posted on May 30, 2010 by wadmanclan

Solvei loves coats. One of the reasons is that she loves to have them put on so that she can take them off. Many times a day she will come to me to put a coat on her, zip it up and pull up the hood if it has one (if it doesn’t she whines, tries to pull the collar over her head and is then very upset that the “hood” isn’t working).

When Nate gets home from work and I’ve already gotten tired of the coat game, she will pester him to play it with her many times.

She has finally discovered that if she puts the hood on her head, then she can put her arms through the sleeves without needing my help – sort of. The only problem is that the right arm goes in fine (hand first) but the left arm tends to try to go in elbow first and then gets stuck. So now she comes to me saying, “Mommy…mo-om-my…. stuck!”

Categories: little things, Solvei | Leave a comment

Nels’ First ‘Hawk

Posted on May 29, 2010 by wadmanclan

Gavin was VERY overdue for a haircut. When I told Nate that I was going to take him to the barber Nate asked Gavin if he wanted his hair short again or if he wanted another mo-hawk……of course he picked mo-hawk.

Since Nels was also due for a haircut, I thought I’d do matching ‘dos.

I think Nels looks a little bit like Judge Doom from Roger Rabbit in this one:

We even tried to dye Gavin’s hair blue but the product I used was very disappointing; it was supposed to be semi-permanent but it all washed out. I dyed a few drips worth of the bathroom counter more successfully than his hair. I trimmed Gavin’s mo-hawk so it really sticks up, but left Nels’ longer because I love his curls. Here he is with it done up in gel.

Categories: firsts, Gavin, haircut, Nels | Leave a comment

Mild Mannered Alter Ego

Posted on May 27, 2010 by wadmanclan

The package that had Saedi’s birthday present from Grandma, also had some little goodies for everyone else. Gavin’s goody was a new accessory – he loves it, he wears it nearly everywhere.

“Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound”
 

 It’s actually double-sided with Batman on the other side (which he switches to in the afternoon “because it’s dark at night so I have to wear the black side at night”).

Occasionally he lets Solvei or Nels play with it too; they get so excited.  When Solvei is allowed to wear it she attempts to run by stomping around the house as fast as she can and says “Ly! Ly! Mommy lying!” (Ly=Fly in Solvei speak).

Categories: Gavin, running, Solvei, Superman | Leave a comment

Looking like a fool….

Posted on May 25, 2010 by wadmanclan

With your pants on the ground!

Solvei has an outfit I love that was handed down from Saedi. Unfortunately the waist band has lost most of it’s stretch, so the pants don’t stay up. Every time I put it on her Nate quotes the song mentioned above. I bought some elastic to fix them but it just hasn’t happened yet.

The other day she figured out that when the pants start to fall down, she can pull them down the rest of the way. However, when she tries to pull them back up they get stuck just below her diaper.

Categories: hand-me-downs, Solvei | Leave a comment

Saedi is EIGHT today!

Posted on May 24, 2010 by wadmanclan

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you!

I tried to talk her into turning six again instead and she could stay young forever, but she wasn’t going for it. She insisted she had to get older, not younger.

We had planned on taking the kids to the zoo for Saedi’s birthday. About a week before, we checked the weather and it was supposed to be the only nice day in a 10 day stretch. Funny thing about the weather, it changes the closer you get to the day. The night before was predicting rain throughout the day, so we talked about going to the movies instead.

This morning we decided to ask Saedi what she wanted to do, go to the movies or walk around the zoo in the rain. She picked the zoo. We went armed with raincoats and umbrellas but it actually ended up being a fairly nice day, the rain clouds broke up before we got to Seattle so it was just cold.

The first animal we came across was the peacock that wanders around the zoo. It was showing off for a small crowd, so Saedi and Gavin climbed on a nearby rock to get a better look. The zoo handler that was with it said it was waiting for someone to feed it popcorn. When it didn’t get any food it turned around, shook it’s feathers and screeched at the crowd. This scared the wits out of Gavin. He turned to cower away but couldn’t find me or Nate so he went toward Saedi instead.

 We saw lots of animals, and had a very good time.

Saedi had also picked to go to Applebee’s for her birthday dinner, but we went there for lunch before the zoo instead. After the zoo we picked up the birthday cake and some chinese, went home and ate and then had cake and presents.

Most of my birthdays growing up I got a picture of me talking to grandma and grandpa on the phone, this year I got one of Saedi doing the same thing.

This was what she got.

This was her “big” gift from mommy and daddy this year. She is a growing geek after all.

Categories: birthdays, Saedi, zoo | Leave a comment

Kew Shoes

Posted on May 23, 2010 by wadmanclan

When we went to the store today I picked up some new sandals for Solvei and Nels. This evening we went to dinner and I put the new sandals on them. Solvei was SO happy! Many times in the car and many more times in the diner she would tell Nate with a little giggle, “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Kew shoe!”

Categories: shoes, Solvei | Leave a comment

It’s So Nice…

Posted on May 23, 2010 by wadmanclan

…….when they all get along.

If only it happened more often than it does.

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

Makin’ Banana Pancakes

Posted on May 22, 2010 by wadmanclan

I really like Jack Johnson’s music. One of my favorite songs by him is Banana Pancakes.

Playing the song while you read, may put you in a Banana Pancakes kind of mood

=P
After listening to this song many times I started thinking about trying to make Banana Pancakes.

We love pancakes in my family anyway because we have a “secret family recipe” that is the best. I also have a recipe for Banana Oatmeal Cookies which I have always said are okay to eat for breakfast because they are good for you (they are bananas and oatmeal after all, right?). So why not combine the two?

Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

 3 Eggs, separated
1/2 cup Sugar
1/3 cup Oil
2 very ripe Bananas
1 1/2 cup Milk
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
3/4 tsp Cinnamon
1 3/4 cup Flour
1 1/2 cup Quick Cooking Oats

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, set aside. In separate bowl, beat together sugar and oil. Add egg yolks and bananas (one at a time) until well blended then slowly add milk. Stop mixing and add Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Salt, Nutmeg, Cinnamon and Flour. Mix until just combined with no large lumps. Fold in Oats, then gently fold in egg whites.

Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until large bubbles appear and then pop. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

These pancakes are somehow fluffy and dense at the same time. We served with just butter, but would be good with a fruit syrup or a fresh fruit topping (strawberries and bananas, maybe mixed in yogurt?). Delicious.

Enjoy!

Categories: Breakfast, Let's Eat | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

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