My Boys

Hours of Fun

Mike and I taught Kaia how to play Monopoly today. Mike and Kaia played while I occasionally coached Kaia. We have the .com Special Edition, so instead of streets there are internet businesses like Yahoo! and such. Oh...not all of them are internet based, I guess...the railroads are replaced with Communications...something...Sprint, Nokia, AT&T, and ...one other one...

Anyway. It was a LONG game, but Kaia had fun - and she won! She did have help, but she played well. The hotels - I mean, the offices - you see below are hers, and the one right before Free Parking is the one that helped her win. Mike landed on it and didn't have the $950 to pay her rent, so he went bankrupt (almost all of his properties were already mortgaged).

Had too much fun to take many pictures.....

I didn't take very many pictures while Andrea and her kids were here....in fact, I only took pictures while we were at the water spray park. We had a wonderful visit, and I can't wait to be able to head over there for another visit!

Here they all are, hanging out under the tree. It's hard to see Katia, but she's there!

The Party

We had 11 kids plus Kaia come to her party. We held it at the same park she and her class used to go to on Fridays. The picnic tables were in the shade, and there was a nice wind, so as long as I stayed there, I didn't get too hot. The kids ran wild for the first hour or so, then sat down for ice cream cakes in little planters. I put crushed oreos on top with gummi worms and bugs. They all seemed to enjoy them, and ran off again after eating. A few of the other women helped me get them all rinsed and ready for planting, then we sat down to open presents. However, in a repeat performance from last year, Kaia took a brief moment to head out to the field to throw up. With the combination of sugar and excitement, she was just undone. Natasha came to the rescue with homeopathics and aromatherapy face spray, and Kaia, feeling much better, commenced the gift-opening. She got some excellent loot, and is currently playing with her fairy garden, occasionally looking over at her bag of other goodies and grinning.

Not sure when exactly this was taken, but here are three of her friends walking with her up the hill. She is holding the Star Wars card Mike and I got for her. When it's opened, it loudly plays the Star Wars theme song.

Ben had a great time watching everyone, but got tired pretty quickly. It was a lot to take in for such a little man!

We planted flowers in the pots after gift opening. Went pretty fast, really. Not the best craft for a party if you're looking to take up time....but the kids who took part seemed to have fun.

Ben crashed in his daddy's arms and slept for a bit. After he woke up and spent some time playing in the grass, and playing a game called "how many times can I get this stick in my mouth and how many times will my parents pull it out?"

The kids all played on the playground equipment for awhile, then slowly trickled home. Overall, I think everyone had a good time.

After we got home, we were all hot and sweaty, so we got into bathing suits and went to the pool. It made all four of us feel much better. Kaia swam over 5 laps lengthwise!! I don't know where she got the energy! We came home after an hour or so, put Ben to bed, and are now just relaxing a bit.

Picnic at the park

My mom's group had a huge picnic today at the park! It was awesome weather, not cold at all, but not glaring down sun. We had a wonderful time hanging out with other families, and Kaia had a blast running all over the place. Ben likes being out and about, so was perfectly behaved. He spent some time on the grass, which he loves, and also in a baby swing, which he also enjoyed quite a bit.

I asked someone to take a picture of all of us, something you rarely see, since I am usually the one with the camera! I also gave it to Mike so that I could be in some, and so I could spend some time with Kaia.

I used to love the swings, but now they make me sick after a few minutes on them....

I think Ben would have been happy for a lot longer in his swing. At one point I let it slow down, then stop, and he kicked his feet like "hey!! push me!!"

He also had fun swinging with Mike and I. We decided we really want to go to a park or somewhere outside every weekend this summer, weather allowing.

Next month we are going to be in a parade, so the kids decorated the banner with their handprints.

haircuts

Yay! Blogger let me post pictures! Here's Kaia's new 'do! She wanted her hair cut like mine, which you will see isn't really possible, but it's close enough to please her.

And Mike, with his basic short-enough-to-be-able-to-ignore-for-a-few-months look.

Here is what mine looks like when it's down. Not the best look, but I knew that going in. I doubt I will ever have it down, so it doesn't matter. Mostly I'll have it....

....like this, or in pony tails. It's still long enough to put it ALL back in one pony tail, but I don't really like that look. Two pony tails look pretty cute though, if I do say so myself! Having the way it is in the picture above looks pretty nondescript and boring, but it's out of my way, out of Ben's reach, off my neck, and most importantly will STAY THERE without me having to re-do it all day!

Check it out...

Here are some pictures, finally, from John's family visit last week! In no particular order......

Here are the kids at the Experience Music Project.

I didn't go, so can't really talk about the picture.

Here're me and Ben, right before the cruise.

And this is an historic moment....the day I became a Mariner's fan!

Katia in profile. I like this shot. oh...and the Space Needle.

The kids on one of the bronze animals they loved so much.

We saw more of these at the zoo than real animals, so I don't really blame them.

Mike and Kaia. Not sure where, I wasn't there. But aren't they so sweet together!

All the kids on their last day here.
Me and John, embarrassing the kids. Well, Katia at least, and she wasn't so embarrassed she couldn't take our picture.
Ben, discovering grass! He's pretty fond of it.
At the zoo. If you look between me and Katia, you can see a hippo butt. Bronze animals and animal butts. that was the zoo.

March In Review

Here are my sweet ones on Easter! My brother Mick and my dad came up to visit us! Here's Mick with his niece and nephew!
And my dad with his grandson. I got some of him with Kaia too, will post it later.
Here is a wonderful one of Ben enjoying his little food masher thingie.
This should have been up top, but if you move them, you can no longer click on them to make them bigger. Here we are the week before Easter, at an egg hunt.
Also, of course, Ben learned how to sit this month, the video is in the previous post! I don't have any good pictures of him sitting yet.

Daddy

Daily Glimpse #19

Here's one of the pictures from sledding at Andrea's last Sunday! Was a ton of fun, but I'd forgotten how tiring walking up hills in snow is!

Daily Glimpse #13

So this is cheating, since this picture is from Saturday, not today. But this is my blog, I can do what I want!

Here is my man, comfortable with himself enough to lay in bed with another man. I am so in love with my husband.