Playing with Papa, and Parties

I forgot to mention last week a special gift that we received at Christmas, from G.G., a story written by her late husband, Walter Russell. It's called Cowbells and Ice Cream, very cute story about the Boss Cow (the one with the bell around her neck), and how taking care of cows is worth it in the end because you get to make ice cream. She had it bound into a little book with illustrations. I am so happy to have this keepsake!

I caught the cold going around, the next day after writing my last blog post. I am feeling pretty good now. It lasted a few days.

A few pictures from Christmas morning.. Nico putting together a small lego from his stocking

Sunday was special because Papa came over to play with Nico, Alexis with him. They tried going to the park first but didn't stay long, it was coold! They came home with rosy cheeks. I turned on the space heater and they warmed their feet by it. 

Wednesday was also a fun day with Papa. Papa and Grandma Salisbury took Nico out to Chicago Connection for lunch, then Papa and Nico came back here and played for about 3 hours while Grandma and I took a trip to Costco. They played games, and played games, and had a really fun time. 

On Monday our car wouldn't start, so after trying to jump it unsuccessfully, we called roadside assistance and a tow truck came and towed it. Turns out it was just the battery, which lasted almost exactly a year! We upgraded to a better quality one this time, since this is the second time our battery has died within warranty, same brand, the first time the battery had only lasted a few days! 

Today is Evelyn's birthday and we celebrated with her twice! This afternoon she had a party at a ceramics place. Every child got to pick out ceramic figurines to paint. Nico chose a boat, airplane, and tank and painted each one. We left the pieces there so they could fire them in a kiln and then we'll pick them up next week.

Nico asked first before helping Evelyn open aaaaall her gifts

I got some video but that will have to come later. Then this evening we celebrated Evelyn's birthday again but over here at the main house with their family.  None of Allicia's extended family were able to make it because they are sick, so it was just a few of Jeff's extended family. It was a pretty low key party and was very fun! The theme was a hotdog party a la Pigeon. Then we set off fireworks, just like last year. Then before bed Jeff read all the kids "Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late." It was very cute. All will be included in a video to be posted later.

Now it's time for the Christmas Snippets Video! I couldn't seem to locate the snippets from the Thanksgiving "Christmas" we had at the cabin. So this video picks up in December some time.

Lexie's Bday Party, Cars, Tricycles, Sprinklers

We went to Lexie's Birthday Party on Saturday, what fun! We got to see Jonny and Alanna's new house, it is incredible! There is a little hideaway underneath the stairs that Nico really loved. He was very excited to see Lexie and give her our present. The party games were fun, Nico got to be wrapped up in toilet paper like a mummy by Papa.

The tall one is my brother Jonny all wrapped up. My mom and I helped with that one.

It was a great party.
After we got home, Guy and Nico went out for a few hours. Dollar store, and a few other places. I was in need of a nice break after 3 nights straight putting Nico to bed without Guy. He is testing limits you see :) We added a rule to the house rules - #4) No whining. We are going to be working on mealtime next, teaching table manners and stopping the whining about eating. It basically goes like this: our job is to choose what food to make, make the food, make mealtime pleasant. Nico's job is to either eat the food, or not eat it. Paradigm shift! For "you and me time", he has shifted from color-by-numbers to CARS. We both sit on the couch facing the back of the couch and we race cars back and forth across the top of the couch. We get flat tires, we lose wheels, we run out of gas, we get tipped over in the riverbed and need helicopter assistance, and we chase each other. Another one he did for a few days was called "crash into people" where we start at either end of the clubhouse and run and crash into each other.

Tuesday, Grandma Salisbury took Nico out again while I had Bible Study. They always have fun!

A few random pictures (I'm loving the fact that when I take a picture, it is automatically uploaded to google and I can access all those pictures from this blog!! It makes blogging so much easier!)

And apparently I'm still learning how to take videos.

Tonight we took a trip to the park and when we got home Nico wanted to play with Evie, and Evie was in the front yard running through the sprinklers that her dad was testing. Nico jumped right in and got soaked. Shivers!!!

When he got back inside we got him into some pajamas and under a blanket on the couch, with the "Jesus Loves Me" app on my phone (Bible for Kids app), and a plate full of apples and monster teeth. What a night!

Until next week!

Ice skating and pigeons

We went to the ice skating class on Saturday again, and Nico seemed excited at first, but as soon as he got on the ice he just kinda stopped. He stayed in the middle of the rink for the whole class and didn't want to get off the ice and didn't want to join his class. There was the teacher for the class and a volunteer helping out with the class, and one of them was always over with Nico trying to convince him to come to the class, or to come over to where I was so he could get off the ice. He wouldn't let anyone touch him and when they talked to him he would turn his back to them. When they tried to pick him up under his arms to try to move him to the class or closer to me, he said No and wriggled free. So, 30 minute class. After it was over, Lexie skated up to him, where he was with both the teacher and the volunteer trying to talk to him. The teacher asked her "Is he your brother?" No, cousin. "Great, can you help him? We're having trouble." She gracefully brought him back to the exit with no problem or resistance on Nico' part. Then he wanted back on the ice so Lexie helped him over to the coned off section. There were no "ice walkers" that they could play with, so he just stood in the coned off section for a while before making it back to the exit, with a little help from Lexie.

I talked briefly with the teacher, who said that it might be that he's just not ready to take a class. I think she's right.

When I sat down with Nico a few days after that to talk to him about it, he told me he didn't want to go back to class but instead wanted to go to the rink with just me. "Just you and just me" So that's the plan. We didn't go this week at all, but will try to go next week.

Pictures from school. He pointed to one of his friends and told me her name was "Erra", to which I said, "Erra?" and he said "No, Erra!" I obviously was hearing him wrong so he SPELLED her name for me. I was impressed. "E, L, L, A" OHhhh.. "Ella!" Of course!

So, Nico memorized his Pigeon books, both of them. See the video below! There is one page that says SPLASH! You can notice how he says it loud first, then soft, then loud again. The soft version is when he covers up the exclamation point at the end of SPLASH! Guy taught him that the exclamation point makes things loud. So he covers it up (you can see him do this in the video) and whispers <splash> , then takes his finger off the exclamation point and says it loud again SPLASH!

Nico noticed the list of other Pigeon books on the back of one of his, and asked about them, so I logged onto the library website and looked them all up and put them ALL on hold. Except the activity book, which a library would obviously not have anyway. I told him that I'd receive an email from the library when they were ready for us to pick up. We got to experience the excitement of picking up pigeon books TWICE this week, 3 new books each time. "Nico! I just got an email! Guess where I got the email from?" "Library?" And then he would literally watch the clock for the next three hours until the library opened.

When we got the books back home, he attempted to read the books with me by following with his finger on the words and repeating what I was saying. It became confusing because the book was new to both of us and our words became a jumbled mess. So I told him I would read it to him first, and then he could read it to me. He is halfway to memorizing all these other pigeon books too.

A few nights ago he was cracking himself and me up while we were reading the Bath book before bed. He was being silly and saying the wrong words sometimes while "reading", and the word he always used was "car".

"Don't let the pigeon take a car!""wash wash car" "That is a matter of car". Or he would add the word car to the end of the sentence, "Don't let the pigeon take a bath car!" or would leave off the last word of a sentence "Don't let the pigeon take a"

Then he'd laugh hysterically and read it the correct way. This was really hilarious to see him read himself the whole book while I was holding it flipping the pages for him, saying every sentence wrong and then laughing.

That's it for this week. Enjoy the video!

Kites and Trains

On Friday, after school was over but Nico was yet to come home, his teacher emailed us with pictures of what they did that day. Apparently there was SO MUCH WIND that they improvised and made kites out of plastic bags. It was fun to ask Nico about them after he got home and show him pictures of his day at school. Nico looked at the group picture and told me that his kite had gotten tangled with someone else's.

On Saturday we went to Jimmy John's because Nico insisted on spending some of his piggy bank money on a sandwich. Before we left, Allicia told me that downtown they had a miniature train exhibit and it happened to be right next door to Jimmy John's, so we went there first. Nico got to control one of the trains using a remote. He took his stool around with him and stopped every few feet to set it down and stand on it so he could see the trains. Not just the trains, though, but all the towns and villages and other things they had set up. There were miniature people doing things like having bonfires and hanging out on the streets. It was very intricate and well put together. Apparently this happens every Saturday from Thanksgiving 'til Christmas. And the rest of the year they do it every Tuesday night.

On Sunday after church, we got to see Papa and Alexis. Jeff had asked if Papa could sit down and talk with him a bit about contract work because Jeff and Allicia are thinking about going that route with Jeff's job. So while Papa talked to them, we got to hang out with Alexis and Evie in the Clubhouse. They watched Jake and the Neverland Pirates on the iPad and ate cheese. Lexie asked "Is this just one big room?" I told her yes, but that it was just temporary.

The rest of this week has just been playing and such, and preparing for Grandma and Grandpa Russell's visit on Saturday! We are excited! More to come next week on that…

When I asked Nico if he had fallen asleep on the bus today he said No, so I put him down early tonight. This is very unusual! He usually always falls asleep on the bus. But, early night is good. He didn't sleep well last night so I'm hoping he gets a good chunk tonight.

Reunion and Birthday

We had a week full of fun and exciting things! Grandpa and Grandma Russell drove down from Washington to be here for the Russell Family Reunion and for Nico's birthday.

The reunion was on Saturday in Nampa. We congregated under a large maple tree; sitting in the shade was perfect. Lots of family and good food and conversation.

After a while the kids went off to the swimming pool. Guy accompanied Nico, and Grandma Russell soon followed. They had a blast. I stayed back and got to have a nice chat with G.G.

We came home that afternoon and Guy went to bed to try to sleep and I made muffins for dinner. We also ate them for breakfast the next morning.

Sunday we went to church and then Gpa, Gma, and G.G. came over for lunch. The birthday presents trickled in and we had a very good time "watching the baby". Gma Russell brought with her some preschool bins that she had acquired. About Me, Transportation, and Tools. Though these weren't birthday presents, they were new and exciting things for Nico to play with!

Monday was party prep day. I made 2 batches of chocolate cupcakes and used my old cake-decorating frosting recipe to make the frosting. I used shortening made from non-hydrogenated palm and coconut oil. Gma helped me frost the cupcakes and we added sprinkles (made from dehydrated strawberries that had been put through the food processor).

 I love this series of pictures of Gma Russell and Nico trying on their SKY shirts

Then Nico's party was on Tuesday. We gathered at 9 AM at Old Park where we set up the Elefun game and the rocket shooter. 

Nico catching butterflies in his party hat

Nico, Lexie, and Evie

I love this one of excited Nico catching butterflies

A smattering of pictures from the party

Sarah and Gma Salisbury

Gma Salisbury and Me

Cupcakes

 Present time!

Though we met early, it still got hot quickly. We wrapped up around 10:30 and headed back home. We left before a few of my cousins were able to be there, so I told them to meet us at our house. We ate lunch, took pictures, and hung out.

Out of about 50 pictures taken of all of us sitting on the couch, I think I chose the best one! Not everyone is looking at the camera, but we're all smiling and Nico isn't hunched over trying to get off the couch. I thought it was pretty successful. 

Tuesday afternoon we said goodbye to Gma and Gpa Russell until next time. Their visit seemed to fly by much more quickly than other visits. I may have been preoccupied with Nico's Bday arrangements! We hope to see them again soon. We will be seeing G.G. again later in August!

After having a quiet and lazy Wednesday, Nico and I drove up to the cabin this morning (Thursday) to visit Gma and Papa. We made lots of food to freeze for our upcoming move. Some Pierogi Pies and a big pot of chili. Then we ate Harvest Vegetable Soup for lunch, trying out a new recipe. Yum, and fun!

There is a video this week that sums up all of July in one neat little package. 1st of August tomorrow! And in less than a month Nico will start school again. Summer is flying by!