Everyday stuff

I don't have a point to this post.
Just pinning a reminder of little things/happenings that have happened in the last month...

...like fun times singing with "Dada"
Hee hee, look at lil' Si guy, hanging on like a monkey. Love!

Playing in brother's crib.

 Tasting brother's food...

(She's protective, I guess.)

Wearing Silas in "the pack"

 Silas in awe, studying his pops (it's so cute! He does this every night right now!)

 

Woodsy Owl? So she's been called...

 Here we are hanging at the pediatricians office. Silas is about to get his 6 months shots. I was kinda bummed Grey had to be there too. She's next. I was hoping she wouldn't remember what was in store for her. Oh well. She gets ice cream after. That should help!

Hanging upside down! (Again, dad, so fun!)

 Cuddles, from the master

Borrowing clothes from our cousin, James. (Loving the shirt!)

New pants (first jeans, size 12-18 mo. Crazy big boy.)

New food.

My mother dislikes it when I post these types of pictures, but I can't help it. I love them...

Bed head and sleepy face.

Dancing in Dada's socks

And lastly, wrinkle bums.

(I did it again mom!) In her defense, she doesn't want them to be embarrassed by any pictures later. Very considerate. But. I think a person would be proud of these handsome features. I am! And I'm mom...a person who is bound to embarrass my children one way or another someday.

I'll try not to though. My promise to you S & G!

XO

Pike Place Market

I love Saturdays at the Market. Even though it's always the same, it's always such a relaxing and fun day. People watching and sampling tons of food. Pike's is full of yummy eats! But Jude is especially fun to go with. He gets good parking spaces, and he usually has a craving. At least one fun thing in mind.
Today was: spicy chicken kabobs.
SO GOOD!!

We took a few pictures, Jude says we look like foreigners.
I don't mind.

Everywhere there's lots of piggies...Dada got in on the oink action. We do love Mr. Pig.

Silas?! You're not really bored are you?! He got the best seat. I love carrying him in his pack. Man, I would have loved to have had this for Grey. Best $10 I've spent all year, at least. Maybe ever. I love it! Si took in all the sights, and "hello's" from strangers, and then promptly fell asleep after it all. We were even walking outside (very windy) and still, he slept.

I love my squish box. 

I don't know why I call him that, but it just comes out.

Sorry buddy.

You're on your way to slumberous
sleep, my son. (still in jammies, never
changed him.)
Again, sorry!

His tube hat also makes me laugh.
It fits me! Ha ha. I think it does. Well,
it fits big sister.  It's hard to find a
normal, non-animal hat these days.
That's the best I could find.

We filled up on local honey sticks,
freshly handmade cheese curds from
Beechers, Buttery grilled sandwiches,
and munched on ripe fruit. Delish.
Grey loved the cheese...we didn't even
have to hit up the doughnut holes! ...Although we walked by and embraced the aroma of fresh baked goodness.
Next time.

Before we went home, we went to look in the original Starbucks for a tumbler for Jude. I'm...picking out a thermos for yoooooou!
They weren't worthy of him.

We browsed around a few places. Bought a small toy truck for Si. Made of sugar maple wood and finished with a non-toxic food grade oil. Jude picked it out, and it reminds me of his old truck he had when we were dating. Yay for cuteness, and for safe toys!
Silas has already had an approval play sesh with it. Satisfaction!

Lastly, and although it was cold, we briefly stopped betwixt city and sea at a small park. (Thanks Jude, I know you didn't want to...you did it for me!) It was so nice out today. Nice means it wasn't raining. ;)

This next one, is for Bobby Kahle. Jude loves when we see the Mountain ranges. He knows his Pops would too. This is the Olympic Mountain Range across the Puget Sound.

Fed, and tired. Make that two... knackered.

ABZ's

She knows the letters...but somehow they aren't said right in the song. She also knows how to count to 10, but that's not in here either. Someday, maybe someday we'll catch it. (doubt that!)

Anyway, at 22 months, and even in this not-quite-to-her-ability video, I'm still proud!
Here's Grey:

Messes we make...(well, just Grey.)

It started simple...
I wanted to make this pretty picture idea, something that you and your toddler can do together. It came out nice, and it was fun in the process. But, uh...messy! Which is part of the point, since a kid loves a mess. Squishy, dreamy, in my fingers!!

 Hmmm...whatever this stuff is, it's niiiiice.

Starting with a little dab here, and smear some over there...


Shaving cream, food coloring, and paper is needed. I had a feeling she might get crazy, so I waited on the food coloring. (Smart move mama!)

She was a little timid at getting to into it. But when she figured out that I wasn't stopping her from going for it... It went from the picture above to this...

 Grey, you silly, don't eat it. It's yucky. I kept saying, "It looks like it's good, but it's not!"

She believed me after this. But still, it looked so fluffy and nice, she tried a few more times.

Or, she'd just get it on her lips and make a noise so I'd wipe it off. She needs me. What can I say?

 Grey! Don't eat it!

And then I added my food coloring, let her do some swirls, and got my picture. Now...back to fun!

Got a little somethin' on your nose there...

 Hee hee!

Okay, getting crazy...

Looks like she's swimming in it! I know, these messes don't look that big...unless you're here and you have to clean up.  ;)  It's all good. We had fun! And I'm pretty pleased with how the picture turned out! (after you put a few drops of color on the cream, you swirl it, put a piece of paper on top - I used photo paper. Remove the paper, lay it aside for about 2-3 minutes, then scrape off the shaving cream and the color seeps through and makes a neat pic!) Here is ours:

(I can't get this picture to NOT come out on it's side, but it's swirls...so it doesn't matter. Right?!)

Oh mess!

The most laughs I've had with Grey in a while! So fun...making a mess. Oh yes we did. Plus, she got to say her favorite line over and over, "Oh mess!" 
She does love a good mess as a toddler she is...

Plus, I found a use for junk adds. We ripped and crinkled all the paper and made like we were playing with leaves outside! With each rip she would look at me and just shreeeek with glee. And I even let her be loud and scream away, inside! It was fun! Each time I'd put my hand to my head and we'd both say, "Oh no! Mess!"
What fun!
I didn't really need the sheet down, but I though it might help the paper from sliding too far on the hardwood floors. (I'm loving this old sheet lately! So much easier to wrap on the table, or wherever,  than covering the whole table with paper and tape for painting/markers/whatever.)
Grey had so much fun. I wish I could have captured her face on film for you. Such a smile.

Hee hee. About then Jude came home to this...

Finger Addiction Trend

One is a late teether (her) and one will suck just about anything and found his fingers immediately.
(...him.) 

Grey & Dada

Grey likes to read to us now. So we get the excitement of how the story goes...well, we act like we can understand. This is more of us just asking her questions.
(by the way, sorry that Jude and Grey are quiet and Silas and I are so loud! Be ready for that! It's not pleasant. I scared myself.)



Did you hear the "The End" at the end? Mama's proud!
...we have to get her counting or doing ABC's next. I can't believe I haven't done that yet!
Slacker mom!!

Salt Lick Monday - Yay, sodium!

It went pretty much as expected.
I'm not sure how much she ate... I tried to just go with it.
It was still fun though because I remember my mom making me playdough when I was young. I picked out the color, tasted a little...ewww!
(Tasted it again)
And now my little one can too. Aw shucks.

It started out pretty simple. (Doesn't it always?) Little pokes and wondering if she's really allowed to get her hands in it and get messy. Speaking of, smart mom I am...her hair is down in her face and not wearing one of her "art shirts".

Okay, here we go, taste #1!

Also, I was not going to but food coloring in it. I thought it would look fine just as a natural dough. But the novelty of it being squishy, sticky and new got the best of me and I though 2 little drops couldn't hurt. How much would she really eat after all??!

Getting the hand of it...but mostly just wants to taste it to get a response out of me. Taste followed by 30 seconds of shivers from nasty salt.
"...Yup. Don't eat it!!

Make-it-yourself non-toxic dough. Woop!
Mix together:
  - 1/2 cup cold water 
  - 1/2 cup salt                             
  - 1 teaspoon oil
  - food coloring
Next gradually add: 1 1/2 cups flour + 1 tablespoon cornstarch

I stored mine in a Tupperware and it's lasted about a week so far. I'm going to trash it and start over though. It's getting a bit sticky.
I got this recipe from  this site. I just did the first one. Looked simple enough, and it was. Took about 8 minutes starting from walking into the kitchen to walking out with new playdough.
This was just one of many recipes.

Next time I will use carrot juice for color, mix it as part of the 1/2 cup water. I usually have some on hand and that would make me feel better. And I read that adding about 2 teaspoons of cream of tarter adds to the elasticity.
I will put that to the test and see if it's true!

"Cheeeeese!!!!"
Ah. Now the hair is back. Much better.
And one more little taste just to make sure that it's not better than I thought it was last time...

Nope. It's not!
Try it and have fun! (not eating it, making it.)

And I know...I don't need to add so many pictures, yet I still keep doing it.

Luck, fate, or something or other.

We had a great random day in Seattle. We usually do, of course when we have the time to stroll around...Jude is always up for random good times. #Whataguy. (there. I did it.) #UghTrends. (ha ha! It's kinda fun.)

Nothing (but a slightly cold Silas) keeping us from anything. Just messing around, hanging with each other. Grey making us laugh. Papa Jude taking pointing us in the direction of the next new site. Just a typical lazy grey wet Seattle day...but loving it.

 We've been trying to work with Grey about her "inside voice."  Most the time, it's not her fault she gets so excited the screeches just come out. Laughing or wincing I usually remind her to try and keep it quiet. But when we're outside, I let her and maybe sometimes even encourage her to let it out! She did a good job this day. She yelled and enjoyed hearing her loud voice.
Works for me.

On a side note, same subject, she has these necessary urges to scream. (oh so important reasons, of course.) But she does this thing where she screams with her mouth closed. I can appreciate that effort, my love! She tries, she does. Ha ha! So funny.

Grey and Dada, watching the bridge rise for a small sailboat.
Yes. Jude is Dada and I am Mama, and it has never been any other way. (I don't think I mind if it ever changes. I love her, I love it, I loooove it. Mush mush, and...I'm done.)

Now comes the story. I'll warn you, it really quite uneventful. But. It's one of those moments that just seems like God is trying to tell you something. Grey and I were walking by the house boats, and moments after Jude took this picture, Grey bent down and grabs some misc. object. She has a love for soggy pine cones and old withered leafs...don't ask me why... So almost joining her I quickly try and get her to put down whatever she's grabbing. I see it, and it's a four leafed clover.

Pretty bizarre for being in the middle of a patch of grass.

I tell Jude to come see, and look around at some of the other nearby clovers to see if they are 3 or 4 leafed. Nope. All are 3 leafed, normal clovers. What??!! How random is that? Jude said that he's looked for years and never found one. Grey bends down and just grabs one at random?

I'm not superstitious. But I do believe in God-given signs.

And although these pictures almost look black and white with how drab and dreary Seattle is, every time we visit it makes us wish we just lived in the city... I know it's not that far off of a "dream" I still felt like God was letting me know that we'd be there soon enough.

Grey found the clover, but it was for all of us I think!!

Oh yeah, here is our little prized white clover. Jude smartly saved it in a little pocket book he keeps. (A real book that fits in  your pocket, not to be mistaken for the Southern use for "pocket book"...just to clear that up.)

That about frames up our day.
... Muahh ha ha!