Beautiful Day

Today we had a wonderfully beautiful sunny day. Not too warm, not too cool. Tonight has even got a little chilly, but it feels nice to have the house open for the fresh air and to have been able to be outside to enjoy the weather.

Kristin had her second play date this weekend with another girl from Kindergarten. Kristin got to go over to her friend's house. They played outside and inside and evidently were very busy. Kristin also enjoyed playing with her friend's siblings (twin 4 year olds). After the play date Kristin and I headed to the library to return our books and find some new ones.

After dinner we all headed outside for some playtime and yard work. Aaron took out a rhododendron in the front yard that we decided we didn't want anymore. While he was doing that Kellen helped me pick up some pine cones in the back yard. Then Kristin joined in and we moved on to watering. The kids were great helpers and getting some of my outside chores done! More importantly it kept them away from Aaron in the front yard while he was demolishing the rhody.

Play Date Weekend

The kids has their swim lessons this morning. That went pretty well, though I think thier interest is waning a bit. That's OK, just one more week left in this session and then they'll have a break from it for awhile. Kristin will transition right into her soccer games on Saturday mornings.

Kristin had a play date today with her friend Alison from her elementary school. Danelle took her while Kellen was napping. They met at the elementary school playground and played there for awhile. Tomorrow Kristin has another play date at a different friend's house.

We should find out soon what classroom Kristin will be in. School starts the week after Labor Day.

Danelle started a photography class tonight, so I got to do the bath and bedtime routine solo with the kids. They were good for me, and I'm glad to start returning the favor to Danelle for all of the hockey nights I've had during the bedtime routine.

Here's another picture from Kristin's practice last Tueday.

Cake-Bagel

What the heck is a "cake-bagel" you might ask? Well, I got out some cinnamon rolls from the freezer that I had made earlier this summer. Kellen saw Aaron eatting his dessert (cinnamon roll) and called it a cake-bagel. :) Once Kellen finally finished his dinner he got a cinnamon roll too. He now knows it is a cinnamon roll, but it was funny to hear him come up with what he thought it was!

Kristin had a good day and got to got to another park for her field trip today. Yesterday her cooking club made bread. They learned how to knead the bread too. Her class got to eat the bread this morning as their snack. Kristin said they got to put butter and/or honey on the bread if they wanted. She did one of each.

Kellen had a good day as well. Friday's are always exciting when it is Tumble Bus day. He also got to have tomato soup for lunch, one of his favorites. The teachers had to stop him after 4 bowls (the bowls are pretty small and I think about 1 bowl is on his shirt)!

Trip to the Zoo

Kristin got to go to the zoo with her daycare class today. Sounds like they got to see most of the animals. They must have done a lot of walking. Kristin told me that that Penguin exhibit didn't smell anymore. I asked her if they cleaned it and she said no, but that there were tiny holes and cracks in the 'windows' that you couldn't see, so the put in new windows and it doesn't smell anymore. That's good, since it was pretty rank in there last time we went.

Danelle got a call from one of the daycare teachers while they were at the zoo. There was a photographer from the Oregonian taking pictures in advance of a story that they'll be doing on the baby elephant's first birthday. Apparently the photographer got a good photo of Kristin and wanted permission to run it. Danelle said yes, so we'll be on the look out for that. Of course they might decide not to use it, but it would be really neat if they did. You can follow the Oregonian online at www.oregonlive.com. The elephant, Samudra, will turn 1 on Sunday, so we should find out by then if they decide to use the photo.

Kellen had a good day too. He and I went to the grocery store for some milk this evening while Danelle and Kristin went shopping for some new school clothes for Kristin. The grocery store has a portable display that they keep bananas on. Whenever Kellen sees this, he MUST have a banana. Tonight was no different. He's figured out how to rip one banana from the bunch, and then he walks around the store carrying the banana. I guess that's a good thing for him to ask for at the store. When we got to the checkout line, he pointed to a Hershey's bar and said 'Daddy's treat'. I think I'll have to start eating more bananas.

Warm, No Hot Soccer Practice

Kristin had soccer practice tonight. We went from rainy and cool last week to 93 degrees tonight at soccer practice. What a change in weather. Kristin did well and had fun. She was red cheeked by the end of practice.

Kellen had a good day and his ear is on the mend. He is learning about the desert this week. Today they talked about plant life in the desert. Something about a cactus today... maybe an art project. Kellen had fun running around during Kristin's practice tonight. Once Aaron joined us (late work day) he chased Kellen so I could watch Kristin play and take pictures.

Tomorrow Kristin gets to go to the zoo. She is pretty excited for that trip.

More Baseball!

Kristin enjoyed an awesome field trip at daycare today. She and her class got to go to a Portland Beavers game. Sounds like Kristin enjoyed it from start to finish. There is a large screen above right field that Kristin got to appear on twice. It showed her waving to the camera man. She also said that the team mascot, Lucky, came up to her and gave her a high five. She gave him a hug too. To top it all off, the Beavers even won the game. Kristin reports the score as 7-0, but her class had to leave before the end of the game to get back in time for pick-up. I think I heard the final score was 8-1 or something close to that. Neither Danelle or I could get away from work for the afternoon, so we're hoping that one of the teachers took some pictures.

It's a bit on the warm side this evening - upper 80s. We spent part of the evening in the back yard with the water table. The kids had fun dumping water on each other and getting everyone wet with the squirt guns.

Kellen's ear seems to be doing much better. We still have a few days to go with the drops, but it at the current rate, he it should be all healthy again by the weekend. We're fortunate that the condition doesn't really seem to be uncomfortable for him. He'll rub it every now and then, but he's not pulling on it or telling us that it hurts.

Tomorrow is soccer practice for Kristin. She's pretty excited about that, too.

Nap Time for Both Kids

Yes, both Kellen and Kristin took a nap today. Kristin complained of a tummy ache at church and had a fit when we had to leave from playing on the playground. So we told her she needed to lay down at Kellen's nap time. She actually fell asleep and didn't read or pay quietly in her room! It is not often we have both kids sleeping.

Aaron had a hockey game this afternoon. They won! The kids and I ventured down to watch. We saw 1 1/2 periods. The kids got restless so we headed to one of the nearby farms to pick up some blueberries, raspberries and cucumbers. YUM!

Here is Kristin at the birthday party yesterday working on her first painting.

And yes, here is Kristin jumping on a matress (under the tarp) with paint on her feet. She picked Cyclone colors (thats my girl!).

Really, see the Cyclone colors!