micro blogging

So there are a lot of things that we've done over the last few weeks that I would typically blog about, but since there has been so much, I'm just going to micro blog them all into one.

First.. Seth finished his swimming lessons last week.  He did awesome.  He is really beginning to like actually swim! It's just crazy to me to see him, unassisted, swim for like 15 feet.  Or floating on his back. He's doing great.

Father's day was a while ago, I think Jeff got spoiled? I don't know, it was a while ago.  He got a kindle, breakfast in bed ... pizza... steak... we focus a lot on food when it's father's day because that's what Jeff likes.

Strong Man was last weekend, it was a lot of fun.  I'm wondering how many of the strong men on Saturday are feeling more like Sore Man today.

We went to the Seattle Science Center, it was a lot of fun and Levi surprised me at pointing out his planets and knowing that Jupiter has a large red spot.  Ah... so he does retain information. He's so funny.

I started a playgroup a couple weeks ago, it's been a lot of fun to be outside with a large group of kids.  The last two weeks there's been up to like 30 kids.

My friend and I took turns taking pictures of each others family.  Here's my amateur photography:

We've been gardening and landscaping on the weekends, and I'm happy with the progress we've made on this little home.  We've only had it a year and I feel we've accomplished a lot.   I particularly like my garden this year, everything looks so prim and proper (a big improvement from last year).

Now onto painting the exterior of our home....

Dear children...

While you sleep I have folded and put away two loads of laundry, taken out the trash, put away dishes and swept the floors....

While you sleep your dad heads back to the office to make up hours that he took out of the day to be with Seth during swimming lessons...

10:40 pm... and as I crept into your bedroom to put away the last articles of your clothes I couldn't help but linger over you a little while as you slept.  Completely safe and trusting.  Arms over your head.  Happy, beautiful.

Stop growing!

Can't I keep them this way?  They're growing up too fast.

Raya turned 9 months (yesterday)... some milestones:
-She has 6 teeth
-crawling (very fast now)
-22 pounds ... do you see her legs?? She's so cute!

-beginning to pull herself up, hasn't quite got there yet
-Loves to play along with peek-a-boo, itsy bitsy spider, patty cake etc
-She's so playful and happy
-Likes to attack and wrestle (that's how she plays with Jeff, she thinks you're supposed to yell "ahhahhahahh" and pretend to bite him)
-She likes to follow me all around the house, I cook with Raya at my feet :)

 

-I still can't get over that she has hair, and it's getting thicker!

-She pretends to read books.  Loves flipping through pages while making repetitive "yayayayaya.." noises.

-Testing gravity, she loves to watch things drop... like her lunch.. 

-Likes to dance and sing

She's quite a cute and fun little girl.

We have a winner!

Raya won the library's weekly drawing!

  Our children's librarian said she was so thrilled when she drew Raya's name (out of 840) and now Raya and the boys have their picture on the library wall :)

Three good books, a shirt (she's wearing it in the pic), tattoos, stickers, paint, bag, and about 25 dollars in gift certificates to local retailers (mainly food).  I love our library... and summer.

and I'm loving my new lens:

Some other things I'm enjoying at present... my roses...

Their fragrance is wafted into my house when the window is open

and this...

so I can smell the beautiful flowers.  Hello Pullman summer, I've missed you :)

Two boats.

Seth was busy cutting paper, coloring and glueing while I was exercising. After I was done he comes up and says:

"You get two boats mommy, two boats for working so hard."

I thought Seth was so sincere and genuine (and cute) that I had to take a picture of him.  He is such a thoughtful young man in the making.

Party/New Lens/Random

We had a fun morning today.  We were the first ones to sign up for our library summer reading program (I know, nerdy right?) and got 3 free pizzas from Papa Murphy.  Then headed over to a friend's birthday party where I tried out a newish lens.  It's for portraits... and slow, maybe I shouldn't have brought it to a 1-year old birthday party :)

The adorable penguin cake. 

Raya was mesmerized by the balloons.  

And random... baby bear. Seth wanted me to take a picture of her in her house all tucked in for bed.

And this is Seth upset at me for having the flash on, apparently baby bear was trying to sleep.

"little one"

Levi Rivers... 

Some reasons why we love Levi:

-He cuddles, a lot.  The first thing he wants in the morning, even before food is, "I want to cuddle!"  

-He blows raspberries.  It's really funny when he does it in public (like at church) he blows them on my cheek, my arm, my ankle.  And he gets away with it! And funnier yet when he blows them on unsuspecting nonfamily members who do not know Levi's ways.
-He likes to touch everything.  People in a crowded place, groceries on the isle, leaves on the bushes.  He wants to touch everything.

-You cannot get mad at Levi.  He has a face that melts any discipline.

-He's typically the opposite of what he says, for instance when he says:  "I'm not hungry," "I'm not thirsty," "I'm not tired," "I don't have poop in my diaper," trust me he's wrong.

-He doesn't perform on command, I know he knows what a circle is, or what the color green is, but if you ask him, he'll say "I don't know."

-He's potty training himself.  He uses the toilet without telling anyone now, he even throws his diaper in the trash.

-Levi likes to jump off the couch... the problem (well at least as we see it) is that he lands on his knees or his stomach... but he always says he's fine.

-He likes sitting on heads.

-Levi doesn't know that he can inflict pain on adults... so if you are lying on the floor, you are vulnerable for Levi to come and attack

-He likes squishing people (sorry Raya)

-He quotes shows that he has seen.  Right now he likes quoting the Magic School Bus: "Nobody is better than Mrs. Frizzle, oh yah, prove it!"  "Step on it Wanda!" "I need proof!"

-He's our little geologist, he is always playing in the dirt and with rocks

-Loves singing and drawing

Wrapped around her finger.

How could anyone not be wrapped around her finger.  She's so cute!  And her cuteness has gotten even cutier now that she's learned to crawl.  Yes, today I would say that Raya has finally started to crawl consistently and prefers it to rolling.

She loves playing with Jeff now that she has found this new freedom of movement.

Jeff likes our kids being shepherds.

He's completely smitten.