Good Tuesday

Tuesdays are our "long day" when we don't have school or gymnastics to get us out and no parent coming home early!  It turned out to be the best day, and we didn't even do anything special.  I had several things in my mind to do - park, library, nature walk to the garden, going to buy plants or groceries, going to the apartment, all kinds of arts and crafts.  Naturally, those plans were thought up early in the morning before my energy was gone!

The girls were just back from a camping trip, so I got got tight hugs and smiles first thing and talk about the trip.  Graysen was dressed, but Katherine had on nothing, and it was awhile before I could coax her into any clothes.  This was the best I could do for a bit, and she also didn't have the patience to have much work on her hair done.

Once I got them outside with a handful of vehicles, I didn't have to do anything else but get a cup of coffee, sit and enjoy the weather, and listen to them play.   This patio cover is so nice.  You can sit out there when it's covered with snow or when it's raining, or you can just enjoy looking up at sunshine when we have it and baby clouds.

They spent well over an hour with those truck and cars, hauling in rocks and grass to build the "best house ever!".  I took some pictures, but they don't show how really pretty and peaceful it is back here.

This beautiful maple tree leafed out all of a sudden while I was gone and is going to be the best shade.  I'm not sure what will grow under there.  Emily and Ryan want to give it one summer to see what develops and then start with hostas and shade-tolerant things.

We used to enjoy it from other side of the fence.  No one has had time to do any work out here yet or found homes for all the stuff.  The hot tub is to the left, and I know it's been already enjoyed a lot.

I recognized this as a clematis and have been anxiously waiting to see if it came back.  And it did.  Looking healthy too.  My favorite that I can't seem to grow well.  Can't wait to see what color it is.

So much happened that week I was gone.  This Japanese maple tree and rosebush are competing for space.  I don't know...  The roses are going to be red, but they're all over the place.  I like roses, but I love this maple tree more.

None of us know about roses, but I doubt those black spots on the leaves are good.  We'll have to find out.

There are hydrangeas by the windows that are starting to bloom and wisteria in pots near the trellis bench that are just sitting there.  We still have hope.  This first summer will be just settling in.

But the day.

Here's the best house ever.  I love their imaginations and how excited they become at these little accomplishments.  I see some pulled-up grass, dirt, and rocks, and they see a house with roof and doors and bedrooms for two ants that happened by.

Before the home-building started.  This one have gas!  The fire truck is an old one that was in the attic for years, around 45 years old.  The others I found in a huge bag at a consignment shop for almost nothing.  I had a feeling girls would find a use for vehicles.  Besides they have a couple of little boy friends who will be coming to play this summer.

Graysen was excited to find this dead roly-poly and was very interested in hearing about how live ones roll themselves up in a ball when you touch them.  She wanted to do this video for Mommy.




After they cleaned up outside, they ended up having a snack and then going upstairs to play for another hour-and-a-half.  I'm so thrilled at how well they play together, making up stories and dressing each other up.  I hear a lot of, "Pretend you say _____, Kaffrin," and then Kaffrin will say whatever Graysen says.  She does have a mind of her own though and insists that her ideas get used too.  There is a lot of wedding talk lately, and they were dressing for a wedding, and we ended up wearing some of that to the library.

Graysen loves the library so much, and Katherine will as time goes by, but now she sees it as a place to practice her skipping and exclaiming pretty loudly over things she sees.

This little girl crawled up and sat beside Graysen for awhile.  Their dresses and hair were so similar I thought it made a good picture.

They could not stop picking out books they just had to check out.  Graysen found a Where's Waldo one that I never would have thought she would like and is obsessed by it.  

Katherine is more into National Georgraphic animals.

I'm so glad they love reading and the library.  I put on my calendar all the preschool activities in Snoqualmie, North Bend, and Fall City over the summer.  Now that Katherine will be three, she and Graysen can go together.  I'm also getting a membership for a year for Cougar Mountain Zoo, so we should have some places to go this summer.  If nothing else, we can go to the Outlet Mall and sit in the ice cream truck.