House sitting, trampoline, comics, baby chicks

Lots of fun this week housesitting. The sun finally showed itself and we were able to see the sunrise through the big east-facing windows. It was beautiful and warm! Nico and I spent time on the trampoline perfecting his jump, and he has also perfected his use of Lexie's EzyRoller scooter where you sit down and wiggle your feet back and forth to propel yourself forward. Thank you for letting us use it, Lexie! Nico loves it.

Hmm.. I should try to catch some more pictures this week so you can see all our shenanigans.

Nico was able to see his neighbor friends Adam and Sam on Sunday, since they have started coming to our church. Nico has really missed getting to play with them. On occasion we will be at the clubhouse before Nico has to go to school, so he is able to go play with Adam for a few minutes.

We had a play date on Monday with Evelyn. And another one on Wednesday with a larger group of kids, a baby-chick playdate to help get the baby chicks acclimated to people. Lots of baby chicks and baby chick poo.

Nico was again very super gentle.

We've also been enjoying going through Lexie's picture albums and seeing baby Lexie as she grows up and then eventually Nico started appearing in the pictures once he was born, and that has been pretty special.

Screen fast is going well. He is allowed to watch minimal tv under a few conditions: it has to be on a tv and not an interactive touch screen device, and it has to be a slow paced older movie or show. So, we chose MST3K. Which Nico got bored with after about 2 minutes and then we were done! hehe. His personality is shining and developing very quickly during this screenfast, he is conversing with us more, trying new foods and being nice, helpful, more imaginative, and trying new things. I like it! One more week.

Nico asked for henna on his arm and chose which design he wanted. This was the first time he didn't cry to have it removed after I put it on him!

Then Nico did henna on me, after practicing on his board. He tried to make a flower on my arm but gave up frustrated.

Green smoothies for days!

A few of Nico's favorite comic books from the library:

Benjamin Bear - he read this to Grandma Salisbury recently and it was so funny and Grandma laughed so much that when Nico read it to Guy later that night he stopped after a few pages of silence from Guy and said "When you hear me say a funny part, laugh a lot, ok?" :)

Big City Otto - a story of an elephant who is searching for his friend Georgie, a chimp who was stolen from the jungle, put in a sack, and carried onto a "big floaty thing" by The Man With the Wooden Nose. 

Now a video!

Tapping, House Sitting, Baby Chicks

Friday was the start of the screenfast for Nico. We got him a dot-to-dot book which he spent most of the day doing on Friday. So far the screenfast is going well. Nico is growing in imagination and interaction and it seems like he's more keen to have conversations now and just "hang out", more than he was before we started. I like it!

On Saturday I had my tap performance for the end of the tap year. We had two shows on Saturday, 4PM and 6PM. For each show our group did 2 dances. I was nervous for the first show at 4PM but the second one was a lot easier. Guy and Nico came to the first one, and they recorded the first dance. Check below for a video!

I am glad the performance is over, and that tap class is also over for the summer. I am glad I did it, not sure I will be going back next year, I need a break right now so ask me again in a few weeks :)

We spent the early part of this week packing up for our temporary move to Jonny and Alanna's house. We are staying two weeks. We trekked over here on Wednesday with all the stuff we'd need and then did some grocery shopping. It is like a mini vacation for us and have been enjoying playing all their board games and listening to Nico's music through their awesome speakers, he loves to dance along. He has started trying to breakdance.

Nico was a little sick early this morning, throwing up. But huzzah we have easily accessible toilets here, he made it every time.  I wrote his teacher a note telling her he wouldn't be in school, but after sleeping in until 7 AM he woke up feeling great. I of course made him go slow with the food at first, but he had fully recovered. Sounds like it was a yucky tummy issue, but glad it was over quick for him. I figured it was too late to "cancel" my note to the teacher, so we played hooky and we went and ran errands together (I know, not the best hooky plans, but it was fun). We stopped by the clubhouse to pick up some things we forgot, and Nico got to hold a few of the new chicks that Jeff & Allicia had got. He was super gentle with them.

I don't remember what day this was:

Working on the lego Jonny & Alanna left for him:

And here's the tap video!

Library, Lexie, GG

Saturday was Sensory Friendly Movie day, they showed the same movie they showed last time, Kung Fu Panda 3. Nico got bored after an hour into it so we left. We went straight to the library to pick up a free comic book for Free Comic Book day. Nico then picked out a board game to play while we were there.

This is the game we played, but this picture was taken on Wednesday, not Saturday! We went back to the library on Wednesday :)

Sunday was an extraordinarily fun day. The message at church was fabulous! After lunch we all went on a bike ride on the greenbelt until Nico said "My legs hurt." That was our cue to turn around. There was a part of the greenbelt that Guy had wanted to investigate, with the question "Where does that path go?" And now we know where that path goes. It dwindles into nothing as it reaches Park Blvd downtown.

After the bike ride, we relaxed for a bit before heading over to Jonny and Alanna's house for dinner! We are going to be house and dog sitting for them while they are on vacation, so this was a good opportunity for them to show us their house. We had BBQ and kabobs and then after dinner Nico and Lexie had a dance party, and then they did a workout along with a workout video, Nico worked out during the whole thing! That workout was pretty intense and was 20 or 30 minutes long, can't remember exactly. We just sat back and watched Nico and Lexie exercise. Check out the video at the end of the entry to see part of it.

Happy Mother's Day to both of my moms!!!

On Tuesday we visited GG!! Evelyn came with us. Nico and Evelyn have been getting along lately, though I had to jump in right away when we all got into the car, to stop the name calling which was just about to start. I told them that if they were good and could follow the rules, that when we came home they could watch an episode of Curious George. Rule #1 - No name calling, Rule #2 - Keep your hands to yourself. They pulled it off! They got a tad rambunctious at GG's house but we were able to stop that. GG was a very gracious host! :)

After going over the rules.

Wednesday evening, we had a "house dinner", which I think we are going to try to do more often. Allicia and Jeff had leftover Spring Rolls from their dinner on Sunday, so we had those.

Tomorrow we are starting something called a screenfast with Nico, where we take away all screen time for 3 weeks at least. I told him that we were going to do this just today, and explained to him why (I told him it would be good for his brain, which is the truth!) So tonight before bed, Guy and Nico took the iPad downstairs and put it into Guy's desk drawer. We won't be seeing it for a while!

We went over to see a friend, and Nico showed her son (Paul) his pokemon card that Lexie gave him, and Paul got excited and said "I've got something for you!" and ran upstairs and brought down a large collection of Pokemon cards to give to Nico. Paul is older and isn't interested in them. Guy was so excited about this, when he got home from work Nico and him sorted through all of them and made new playing decks. for each of them. Nico has also been taking his cards to school to show his friends.

Wednesday his class went to the Botanical Garden!

I think that's it for this week.. this next week is very busy, so next week's blog should have some fun stuff in it!

Cafeteria, Redundant, Spring Days

Last Friday I got to go with Nico to school and go to the cafeteria with him where he ate lunch for the first time. They did a test run for next year so the kids could learn where to go to get hot lunch and where to sit, where to throw their trash away afterward, etc.

He sat next to his friends Cooper and Olivia.

Then on Saturday Nico and I went up to the cabin! Grandma Salisbury helped me make the rest of the henna aftercare balms I needed to make and then we just hung out and had a great time! Nico chopped wood and played Mastermind with Papa. 

Nico went through a little flip book of "moods" with Grandma and she read each one to him so that Nico could decide what his mood was. He decided that he was redundant. So he started repeating everything that he said several times. "I'm redundant, I'm redundant, I'm redundant", then he'd laugh and laugh and laugh. 

 Comparing teeth

Lots of hugs

A sprout growing through Nico's missing tooth hole.

We went to the park on Tuesday, we took Avery and Evelyn with us. Nico brought his "homework" which is just a workbook that is for Kindergarten, purchased at Costco. He calls this his homework. At the park, Evelyn and Nico took turns doing stuff in the workbook. On Monday he had taken this workbook over to Adam's house and worked on it while Adam played with cars.

Here is my favorite part about going to the park in the Spring and Summer, this little path right here. Big sigh and big breath in when I get to this part. 

Here is Nico and Aiden. Aiden is very soft spoken. When I ask him how his day at school was he makes a soft noise but never answers with words. He talks to Nico just fine.

Nico said "Mommy, take a picture of me!" Then he chose all these poses himself. I didn't have to say anything, he moved to a new pose automatically and waited for the click.

We have a new neighbor who is very sweet. Her name is Laura and she is older and very friendly to the kids. A tow truck had to come pick up her car this morning and she saw that Nico and Adam were interested, so she grabbed both of their hands and took them over to watch. She lives in the house between ours and Adam's.

I think that's it for this week.

Flying Kites, Friends, and a Video!

On Saturday morning I drove out to Nampa to an Art Jury for the Nampa Public Market. My henna tattoos were approved for a booth at the market for this summer! I plan to be there about 10 of the Saturdays this summer.

That evening we made pizza again and watched Three Stooges.

I'm having a difficult time remembering what else we did this week! We had some incredible wind on Monday. Allicia took all her kids PLUS Nico to the park to fly kites.

We went to the Discovery Center 

Bed of nails

On the way in to the Discovery Center, Allicia said "Ok everyone hold hands!" Nico and Evelyn held hands and then he kissed her hand.

We sat outside yesterday morning to count birds.

He's been playing almost nonstop with his friends outside. They ride scooters, bikes, or play in their front yard. We "lock" them in their front yard (they have a fence) so they can play freely. They play with cars and other things. One of the friends goes to his school, Aiden, in 2nd grade, and Nico likes to wait for him when I pick him up from school so we can all walk together. They walk next to each other in front of me and Nico asks "Would you like to play with me?" and then the next day Aiden will ask Nico "Do you want to play with me?" Nico comes home and eats a snack first and then rushes outside. Aiden brings out all his cool toys, cars or Star Wars action figures and they sit at the little kids table in their yard. Adam and Sam join them as well. I go out to check on them throughout the afternoon, and Nico typically comes inside when Guy comes home. Guy "picks him up" from over there and brings him inside. Sometimes I go over and talk with Adam and Sam's mom, Tiffanie, and we sit at the "grown up" outdoor table in their yard. Sometimes Adam and Sam come over here for a play date, and they play inside while I make dinner and then I walk them home when Guy gets home. We've done that twice. Sam laments that instead of coming over to our house he wants to go to Evelyn's house. Hehe. Sometimes Evelyn plays with them too.

Nico and Evelyn have been getting along really well lately. They also enjoy playing outside, in the backyard, and there are days where that is all that Nico prefers. I think it was Sunday they were playing really well together outside and Jeff had to pull Evelyn away because he was taking the kids on a hike, and Evelyn was inconsolable because she wanted to continue playing with Nico, so they invited Nico along on the hike.

I taught another henna class on Tuesday.

And I finally got the April Snippets video put together! Enjoy!

 

First lost tooth, tadpoles, pizza!

Last Friday was Nico's Snack & Share at school. He got to bring the snack for the day, and then also something to show the class. He brought his batman car to show everyone.

It goes on its own and sends flying discs up into the air.

Saturday was a fun day. We ran errands in the morning, then we went for a walk to find a home for the tadpoles. We did some research about the tadpoles and how to keep them and we figured out we just had too many to take care of, we would need a much larger area for them to live, so we went with the intent of finding another home for all of them but one. But when the time came, it was impossible to just keep one because we couldn't access the water to refill our jar, it was a situation where Guy had to reach through the sticks to dump them out. So, we said goodbye to all of them. 

Evelyn came with us.

Nico put his arm around Evelyn for a short while as we were walking home. 

Pizza Saturday night! We have restarted the tradition! We made Nico his own personal pizza and he ate the whole thing!!! I think Guy's sauce is winning him over. This is Guy's pizza they're building. Guy put some pesto underneath his own sauce. Nico didn't want pesto on his.

While we were sitting on the couch watching Three Stooges and eating pizza..

Nico chomped hard and lost his very first loose tooth! Milestone! 

The tooth fairy gave him $5 for his first tooth and a riddle he had to solve to find a red clown nose somewhere in the clubhouse. The red clown nose was what I bought ($1 at Walgreens) so that I could get the $5 cash back to put under his pillow that night.

On Sunday we were able to see Papa and Grandma Salisbury, and we gave Grandma her birthday presents since her birthday was on Monday. Nico made her a rose with a stem out of modeling clay (I helped a bit, and showed him how). I apparently didn't take a picture of it, just video! But unfortunately iMovie has been crashing so I wasn't able to put together the snippet video! The video will have to come later. So I took a screen shot from the video so you could see.  After the clay dried he painted it, green and red like a rose. We put a few drops of lavender essential oil on the flower so it kind of smelled good. 

Happy Birthday Mom/Grandma!!! We love you! 

On Monday was Nico's next doctor's appointment to check on progress. Everything is going well in that regard. Since stopping his allergic foods he hasn't had many tummy aches and when he did it was easy to tell what caused them. He's had just 2 since his first appointment. Of course, when he goes to bed he sometimes will stay in there for a minute before coming out with a smirk on his face telling me his tummy hurts. I ask him when his tummy ache started and it's always the same: "When I got into bed". I haven't been counting those as tummy aches. He has them only on the nights when he is having a hard time winding down and seems to just not want to be in bed. I hope I'm making the right call on not calling them tummy aches! I usually rub some oils on his feet and he goes back to bed just fine.

In a few weeks we are doing a stool test on him. This will check for inflammation and bad bacteria and a host of other things. Then we'll start him on probiotics...

On Tuesday I taught an essential oils class in the evening. 

Some random pictures..

We went to a playdate at Quarry View on Wednesday morning and one of Nico's school friends, Wendy, was there. We walked her to school that day. They ate watermelon on the way.

We tried out his new adjustable crayons. He drew a sun.

Sorry for lack of video this week, we will hope for next!!

Sun Shade, GG, and hugs

Last Friday Guy worked late, but it worked out just fine because Nico fell asleep around 4:30 PM and woke up at 6:30, right before Guy got home. (6:30 is the usual bedtime around here). So after eating dinner we decided to go to the park since it's rare that Nico naps. We rode our bikes.

We got home around 8:30 and started bedtime. Didn't work, really. He was awake until I went to bed at 10:30, when he crawled into bed with me. He didn't stop tossing and turning until 11:30. 

On Saturday we met outside with Jeff & Allicia and crew so we could put up our new sun shade! They purchased us our very own sun shade, they had initially intended to put it up for us while we were gone on vacation so we would come home to it, but thought instead that they would wait so we could have input into the process. 

Cutting back branches

The main work crew

The helper crews

Nico's stick and rock collection. Arranged by him. We thought of you, Grandpa Russell! :) Guy said: LOOK! Take a picture of that!

Avery "helping" sort screws

 Aaaaaand... DONE! 2 hours later!

We ate lunch and I took a nap while Guy and Nico went out to the library and to get coffee. That afternoon we met up with the crew again in the backyard where they had stacked a bunch of compost on a tarp, on its way to the garden. Nico thought to bring out the digger.

Balancing on a board

Then when they were nice and dirty, they turned the sprinklers on!

That was a full day!

Sunday was a risk-filled day as our car was developing problems with starting. It would take longer and longer every time we tried to start it. We ran errands after church (leaving the car running at our last stop so I could run in without having to turn off the car), and then drove the car home and parked it. We borrowed Jeff & Allicia's car Sunday night to make it to Bible Study, we wanted to save as many starts as we could so that Guy could start the car Monday morning and drive it straight to the shop to get it fixed. But alas, Guy could not start the car Monday morning, and the engine started smoking. I am so grateful for USAA's Roadside Assistance! We have used it several times now to tow our car. The tow truck came and took it and Guy to the shop. The shop of course drove Guy to work. I didn't have to think about it at all, because the car was fixed that day and Guy drove home with it good as new! It was the starter. Makes sense.

On Tuesday we drove Guy to work so we could have the car to visit GG! Nico brought his iPad with him to show her his current favorite iPad game which is called Around the World in 80 Days, it's a hidden objects game. You can click on the objects you find and it gives you points and removes them from the page so you can move on to the next item. We got it when it was free a few weeks ago. The first time we went "Around the World" it took us a while (several days), but now he pretty much has all the object placements memorized. Him and GG played it for a good 30 minutes during our visit!

It's so fun to see him so excited to show her his favorite things! GG gave us a foldable table to put under our sun shade. Thank you GG! We set it up outside yesterday and we ate dinner on it. Guy pulled it back inside when it started raining. It looks like a big suitcase, but you unfold it and it's a table with 4 chairs! Incredible!

We ran into one of Nico's school friends on the way to school on Tuesday. Her name is Brody and she yelled from down the street: "NICO!!!!" Nico turned around and yelled "BRODY!!!!" and they ran to each other and gave each other a hug. Nico patted her back afterward and then took her hand to walk to school with her. Brody's little sister joined in and took Brody's other hand, and I was holding Nico's other hand, so we had quite a line. Brody's great grandmother was walking her to school so we were able to chat.

This reminded me that last Thursday on the playground (I had volunteered in the classroom Thursday so I was able to see it, Nico's teacher pointed it out to me), him and an older girl (1st grade maybe?) were hugging on the playground. Then they would stand with their arms around each other. Then another girl came over and all three of them hugged as a big group. He is a hugger! 

On the way to school yesterday Nico asked me "Where's Brody?" and I told him I didn't know. I said "Brody's really nice, I like her." and Nico said "Yeah, Brody's really nice to me. She's cute too." hehe

Do I need to be worried? :)

I think that's it for this week. I captured some video but didn't have time to put it together for this week, so maybe I'll do a snippet video next week? 

Ta ta!