While the Josh and kids went to visit Grandma and Grandpa at the ranch in Oregon, Nattie and I enjoyed some time alone. It is always fun to spend some one-on-one time with the kids and see how their personalities shift when they are not with their siblings.
We spoiled our dinner with yogurt at Costco and
spent a day at Safeco Field watching a Mariners Game with Uncle Mike.
This summer I instituted a chore system where the kids collect marbles for a job well done. At the beginning of the summer, we also made a Summer Bucket List with each activity assigned a certain number of marbles. The kids can then trade in their earned marbles. One of the activities that Brady chose was fishing so today we took him to a local U-Fish Trout Farm. They give you a pole, bucket, bait and a pond full of hungry trout. On the downside, it only took seconds for him to catch one but it is also a guarantee that no one leaves in tears!
The kids, especially Brady, have been obsessed with legos lately. It keeps him busy for hours and hours!
We have also been watching and following the World Cup so the latest creation made by the kids was very fitting. It started with personalized invitations to the game:
A little set up...
...and we were really to watch the big game - USA versus Germany.
This is another of Brady's creation. When he described what it was, which basically was an animal slaughter house (note all the dismembered figurines), I wasn't sure if I should be terrified or impressed. Apparently this takes care of pigs, cows and horses. Ew!!!
A few of our fun moments from Derby Days this year...
We started with a pancake breakfast at the fire station.
Next it was time for the kids parade. Abi decorated her bike with a butterfly theme and B decorated his scooter in a pirate theme. Nattie enjoyed the parade from the comfort of her stroller.
Then we got our spots and waited for the big parade to start.
Ever since Brady learned that his best friend Chase could ride without training wheels, he decided he wanted to try. He had quite a few falls and attempts but today he finally got it. Now we just need to make sure all the cars are cleared off the road because he has a tendency to get distracted and head straight for the back of parked cars :)
It's the little things that I love about Brady. He is one of the most creative, imaginative kids I have ever met. I love the fact that every time I call him to the table for a meal, he pretends we are in a restaurant and I am the cook and he is the customer. Or sometimes he pretends we are on a cooking show and he is the judge. Or that every time he plays with legos, he asks me what he should build, and then pretends he works at the Lego Store and I am purchasing a set for my child. Or every time he has a ball in his hand, he is a member of the Seahawks, Mariners, Sounders or the Sonics and he is going for the last minute game winning goal.
I can't say that I am always appreciative, especially when we are in a rush (and he is lost in his little imaginative world, trying to coerce his siblings to play along) but I try to encourage it as much as possible. Nothing would make Brady happier that everyone playing along with one of his make-believe stories. For a person like me that does not have a brain that functions this way, it is amazing, albeit occasionally exhausting. Being part of a family of five, he has learned that if he gets interrupted (which is quite often) or he doesn't think you are listening, he'll just start his story over again. He doesn't miss a beat, or get discouraged and his perseverance never wavers.
My wish is that he never loses this piece of his personality and he can find some way to share it with the world because it would be a shame to keep this much creativity bottled up.
This video shows yet another example of one of those little things that I love. The other day, Josh was sitting at our desk, which is outside (and within eyesight) of Brady's room. Brady was on the floor playing with legos. Out of the blue, he looked at Josh, gave him a wink, and went right back to his lego building. Now that he knows he can get a smile, it's become quite popular at our house.
For our second year in a row, we went to the Fourth of July parade in Carnation. It was a beautiful day and we all had a great time cheering on the kids in the kiddie parade, watching the old cars and tractors, catching candy and honoring our military.
Love the simplicity of this parade. It's a welcome change of pace from our often crazy lives. Perfect for the 4th of July!
The kids and I headed to one of our neighborhood park for a fireworks show. It was the same one we tried to go to last year but never saw due to "technical difficulties". Well, this year was a success and it was actually a great fireworks show, all choreographed to music. I did have a few scared kids but we managed - Abi decided she actually liked the show as soon as she heard one of the choreographed songs was by the band One Direction :) B spent the show under the blanket with my iPhone but at least I didn't have to leave in the middle of the show with crying kids :)
