Spring Holidays Wrap-up

It's been a good week.  Tiring but good.  This is a little taste of what the summer will be like - except with warmer weather.  If today is any indicator, I think we will make it okay.  Last year, I just had Graysen most days, and Katherine was in school 3 days a week.

They're so much easier to take places now and such good conversationalists.  They are thrilled with just about everything.  Even another trip to McDonalds's, this time the one in Issaquah with a playground.  At ont point after playing for about 10 minutes, Graysen gave me the "This is the BEST day ever" seal of approval.  And it's not over yet.

We spent an hour cleaning up their room and dressing and goofing off and then left for Issaquah.  The playground was overflowing, probably because of Spring Holidays.  It didn't bother Graysen, and she went in and started exploring and climbing and bouncing around.  Katherine, on the other hand, was reluctant to venture in, even when Graysen took her hand and led her in.  She preferred to sit with me and drink her milkshake and observe.  I think they had fun overall.

We stopped by the library on the way back.  I always have to stop them when they've picked out too many books for us to carry to the car.  We came home and read several of them, and then they got to watch Umi Zumi (sp) for about 30 minutes until Emily came and got them.

It's Kids Night Out at the Y, which Emily and Ryan love, where they go and have a meal and play games and stuff and then watch a movie.  I pick them up at 9:00 and bring them back here for the much-talked-about sleepover!  I hope I can come through for them.  Hopefully, they'll be sleepy and about ready for bed when they get here, so all I'll have to do is read some more books and then feed them breakfast in the morning.  Then I still get most of my Saturday and Sunday and most of Monday.

A few photos fom the week.

We saw some blue sky today.

Mom dressed Maybe the giraffe up to surprise the girls before she left for work.  

 Poor good-natured Jack.  

One morning, the blocks were good for an hour or so of entertainment.  Katherine made a computer.

Graysen made a school with steps up the front, a nice door, and a slide in the back for quick escapes.

Graysen does a lot of "shopping" from the American Girl catalog.  Not for real ordering but just for circling the things she likes.  Her new suitcase has been ready for the beach for a week now and gets packed and unpacked daily.

Coloring time.  That bag in the foreground has an interesting label.  I'm not sure what it means except Ryan's sister Lisa makes and sends wonderful caramel corn - car-a-mel in the South, CAR-mel in SD.  I'm not even sure if that's what it says.

I need to spend a little time on Julie's hair, but the braids look a little better than the riot of hair she came downstairs with this morning.

Not much outside play this week but a little splashing and chasing.

Ryan just now brought over two suitcases, two sleeping bags and numerous other bags for our sleepover tonight.  I'll pick them up at 9 from the Y and hoping for sleepy girls.

I've had a few hours to rest and drink coffee and enjoy myself.  I know one day I'll miss all the questions and chatter, but all day, every day - you just need a break sometimes.

I'm planning a good cleaning day tomorrow when the girls leave.  There's 99% chance rain and low 40s temps so a good day to stay in.  I'm not sure when I'm going to get groceries.  Luckily, the temps will be rising this week all the way up to 67 degrees one day.  I "helped" Emily in the Pea Patch one afternoon this week, but I overestimated how much help I would be.  Pulling weeds got old, and my feet got wet.  I ended up pulling and washing carrots for the girls and supervising what went into the compost pile.  We secured Jack so he wouldn't run all over the garden plots, but once he found out that carrots were edible, we had a hard time with him trying to steal as many as he could.  I walked home with an armful of kale for Elise, so it was pretty rewarding.  I wish I could like it.

Spring Holidays.

Today is just Monday, and already I've used up all my tricks.  I didn't count on rain every day this week, but we'll survive.

First thing this morning, since it was so gloomy, I asked the girls if they wanted to make a fort or house or something in my closet.  It took a few suggestions, but pretty soon they were off and running.  I cleared out a few stray shoes on the floor and brought down some blankets and pillows, and they started staking out their territories.

After I found them a couple of pans, they had to have a stove, so they got pretty creative with a shoe box and made them both one.

 This is Graysen's soup she made.  I'm especially fond of the mushrooms.  The other things are beans and tomatoes. And the yellow thing is a noodle.  She doesn't like soup, so she had to keep asking me for ideas.

Katherine just simply had mac and cheese.

They probably spent an hour playing in there and laughing and pretty much getting along.  I brought them some hot chocolate and a peanut butter and jelly waffle for their snack.  Cozy enough!

After lunch, I had to go take Jack out and asked them if they wanted to go with me, just to the bottom of the stairs.  They rushed to get their shoes on, and once we got downstairs, we didn't get home for another hour-and-a-half.  We just started walking up the street and got to the little water park, and they had to take Jack up and show him their little house where he promptly got his curly ears caught in some briars.  Poor baby.

 The trees are getting so pretty.  This is just as Jack came into contact with the briar.

We decided to go across to the school and look around and stop by the trash can to deposit Jack's green bag.  But then we were soooo close to the park, and I didn't have the heart to tell them no.  It's a pretty steep climb up to the park, and I think on a prior trip I must have been dragging, because Katherine said, "I'll help you up the hill, Mimi."  

 This was an accidental photo, but I love those clouds.  I think we're right up there in the middle of them.

The park was empty - just they way they like it - since there are only two swings.  It was chilly up there on that hill, but I let them swing a bit, and we met a mother and daughter who came up who had just moved to Snoqualmie from Seattle.  Oksana is Ukranian and has been in the US for 7 years.  Her cute little girl Sophia will be in kindergarten next year at Cascade, and she and Graysen had a lot to talk about.  

We ambled on home after a while.  It took forever, but I like to let them be unhurried when I can.  They ran up and down a few more hills, and we got home before the rain.  Emily came to get them at 4:30, and while we were all standing on the landing, there was a flash of lightning.  Emily and I immediately stared at each other, because that never happens.  Then wait for it.  Real thunder and pretty loud.  We were so excited.  I think the girls thought we had lost it.

It was a fun day, but it is so nice to be all cozy inside while it rains.  Jack has been fed and will have to go out one more time, but if I wait late enough, I can put on a jacket and go in my pjs.  Elise is making coffee, and it's been a pretty good day.  We have it all to do over again tomorrow, so I'll have to bring out some more ideas.  It's going to be a long summer if this week is hard.  I'm just to used to having whole days to myself.

Today was the birthday of one of my oldest friends from high school.  We reconnected a few years ago, and I know I've enjoyed so much catching up with her life.  We can talk about anything and everything - and do.  Happy birthday to Jan.

Possible good news on the house-selling front.  I don't want to jinx it, but one family looked at Em and Ryan's house (their rental one) yesterday and made an offer today.  They haven't even listed it yet!  The offer was lower than they wanted, so Ryan turned it down, but they came back with nearly the asking price, so boom.  I guess it's contingent on their house sale going through, but that would be so wonderful.  I was really wanting to see the pictures of the house on the internet though since Ryan has done so much work - inside and out.  It was already pretty, but with a new fence and landscaping, new paint inside, I know it's beautiful.  Ryan even put down a tile floor this weekend in one of the upstairs bathrooms.  I need to go soon and look at it.  Keeping my fingers crossed it works out.  Really, houses here don't stay empty more than a week or so.  Their friends around the corner who moved have already sold theirs.

This was the listing before they bought it about 8 years ago, I guess.  It was pretty then, but they made a lot of nice changes through the years.  https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/7908-Steller-Way-SE_Snoqualmie_WA_98065_M11854-17358.

April's Here

It's so beautiful it makes the winter seem worth tolerating.  It's still nippy enough for a sweatshirt or light jacket, but in the sun it's really nice.  The cherry trees are looking lovely at their beginning, and I'm not sure if it's those blossoms blowing around like snow or if it's cottonwood.  That's what I was told once.  Not much pollen, but something is causing my eyes to burn and feel tired.

The last week or so has been uneventful, and I have a few pictures I'll add later on.

I don't like basketball much, but the last few weeks have been exciting, and I've allowed myself to watch some highlights of various games.  Auburn has never been good in basketball, but here they are in the Final Four.  Unbelieveable.  They had to beat N. Mexico State, Kansas, North Carolina, and Kentucky and will play Virginia this weekend.  I think it's a small chance we'll win, but it's been great just seeing how exciting they are, even with the best player out with a knee injury.

The North Carolina game was bittersweet for Emily since UNC is her college, and she had them beating Auburn on her bracket.  But she was glad anyway, and I think both flags are flying on Steller.  The girls were decked out in their Auburn and UNC shirts but had no idea (and didn't care) what was going on.  Katherine told Elise today that they don't like The Duke.

And what are the chances of finding an Auburn fan and a Virginia fan living right across from each other in WA?  I knew my neighbors PJ and George were from Virgina, and I asked today if they were Virginia fans - since I heard them cheering for Norfolk a few weeks ago.  She said they were VERY much fans and two of their daughters graduated from there.  I was reading on the balcony earlier, and she came out on their balcony and did a Go Virginia.  I answered with a War Eagle and asked what they were (mascot, I guess).  She had to turn around and ask George who said they were the Cavaliers.  She's about as into it as I am.

I'll see what pictures are stored in my phone to remember what we've been doing.

Oh, from Facebook - Carol and Wilson, cousins from Alabama - rolling whatever tree they could find to celebrate.

A little ABC Mouse one afternoon.

Sitting at the bus stop hoping a bus will come along so they can ride it.  This was right after they had spent a lot of time rolling down a hill.

It turns out the tennis players behind them are another neighbor Ben and his possibly girlfriend Jen.  We've only met once before but long enough to establish that he was from NC and that his dad went to Auburn in the 60s.   I don't think he's a particular fan, but he said his dad was beside himself.

As we passed Cascade View, we noticed the playground gate was open and there were a few people inside on the play equipment.  I didn't really think we were supposed to go in and play, but Graysen really, really wanted to show Katherine "my school."  It was so cute to see them walk off hand in hand, and Graysen was so proud to show her every little thing.

More hill-rolling.  I think this was last Thursday when Emily met us at Community Park.

We had walked over with Tomoko and her three children plus another little boy from Graysen's class.  It made me glad both of my grandchildren are girls.  Wow.  Three 6-year-old boys with tons of energy and silliness.  Luckily, big sister Cadence made it fun for Graysen and Kate.

 These girls don't need any help going high, and I'll be glad when Katherine learns how to swing herself.  I'm never swinging her high enough.  Never.

Emily took these of Katherine rolling in the grass.

When I drive up and park by the school to pick her up, Katherine sometimes sees the car and runs to the fence.   Mimi, Mimi.  Get out of the car!

 Then she performs for her captive audience.

And then waits.

This was last week, but lately she doesn't have time to notice me because she's getting just as dirty as she can on the dirt pile.  Twice I've had to wash her clothes because they were wet and dirty, and straw comes out of her boots in a pile.  It's a farm school, Emily keeps reminding me.

It's Spirit Week at Graysen's school, and she's doing two out of three days.  She loved Crazy Hair Day today and colored her hair purple and blue, which wasn't that crazy, just cute, and not really crazy.

Yesterday they were supposed to dress like what they wanted to be when they grew up.  Graysen chose Boss and wore black and pearls and tried to make everyone do what she said.  Tomorrow is pajama day, so that will be easy, but we're striking out on dressing like the Year 3000.  All mine and Emly's ideas she won't even entertain!  Emily just wrote and says that since she has no idea about the future, she's just picking out some costume.  That should be interesting.

I had a nice free day, and it rained pretty hard, just enough to make me feel glad to be inside.  I got the balcony cleaned a little more, and I now just need to get a few more plants to make it comfortable.