The Farmstead!

On Saturday we had a special day that started at the Sensory Friendly Movie that was showing Finding Dory. We took Evelyn with us, and Tiffanie and Aadam and Sammy also came with us. Afterward, Nico and I drove out to the Farmstead in Meridian to celebrate Bruce's birthday!! The Farmstead has a corn maze, hay rides, corn pits, and a bunch of other fun activities to do.

I lost track of Nico once and almost freaked out. He had taken his shoes off to go jump on the bouncy pad and I was talking to family and turned around and he wasn't on the bouncy pad anymore and his shoes were gone. Ack! We deployed the forces (my brothers) and the special forces (sisters in law and Grandma) and we went searching. Nico turned out to be at the attraction right next to the bouncy pad, which was the zip line. I looked over and he was ON one of the zip lines. I had a talk with him. But then an hour later I noticed him quietly leaving where he was and walking away from us and then running toward an attraction across the field. I ran after him and had another talk with him.

Nico, Bruce, Rory and Lexie

Check out the video below of Nico going down the slide with Bruce. It was a fun time, we were exhausted after! We came home and made our Saturday night pizza and discussed what we should watch while eating. Nico chose Penguins the movie.

Sunday Guy went early to church to practice doing the sound board. He has been going on Thursday nights during worship practice to learn how to do it. And this Sunday he watched while someone else did part of it, then he took over. He did a good job.

"No Spendtember" is over, so Nico and I took advantage of the two days off that he has and we went shopping today! We got him a Halloween costume, and a few other needed things from the store. Nico spent some of his money on some Grosseries (like garbage pail kids, but figurines, groceries that have molded over, like "Disgusting Mustard" which is a mustard bottle with green goop coming out the top).

After we got home he put the costume on and wanted to show Aadam and Sammy right away but they weren't home, so he sat on a stool reading the Rube Goldberg book outside in the driveway, waiting for them to return (he gave up before they did)

Then we had a treat and went to Boise Juice Company and tried their Pumpkin Smoothie bowl. It was so good! Nico also chose a fresh beet juice with carrots and apples, it was very tasty and he drank most of it. And he was convinced my pumpkin smoothie bowl was ice cream.

Then this afternoon he went over to Aadam and Sammy's house. They watched Hotel Transylvania 2. Tiffanie posted these two photos of them having fun:

That's pretty much it for this week.

Here's the video I told you about, Bruce and Nico going down the slide then Leah follows.

Grandma Camp, Water Slide

Saturday was the Sensory Friendly Movie, they played Zootopia. What a great movie! Nico had already seen it at the last Grandma Camp but was really excited to see it again. And then again on Wednesday he watched it downstairs with Evie while Avery and Ivy were napping upstairs. We went to the theater for the sensory friendly movie with Tiffanie, Aadam, and Sam.

Monday was a holiday and our crew spent 2 hours at Quarry View Park and it was magical. All the kids got along really well, including Avery. They played and then we fed them a snack and then they played some more.

Tuesday was another magical day, we went to the Natatorium behind Nico's school for the very first time. It has a swimming pool, diving boards, and a smaller wading pool for the little ones. It also has a water slide, which you can pay extra to experience. I bought a pack of 10 rides on the slide, and split them up between the kids, whoever wanted to go. Before we went down the slide, I took Nico and Sam and Aadam to where the slide ends and it dumps you in a pool 4 ft deep so they could see what happens at the end of the slide. They still wanted to try it so I took Nico first. He sat on my lap. I was more nervous than he was I think. Splash! Sammy, Adam, and then Avery all wanted to go. I took Avery on my lap and it took some coaxing once we got to the top of the slide, but we finally got in the water and pushed off. When we got to the end of the slide, I lifted him up while I went almost under, so that he wouldn't get too wet. It was so fun to be able to walk to the pool. We ate snacks on the way home.

The wading pool

Nico has had a loose tooth for the past few weeks, but it hasn't been going anywhere. On Sunday Guy told me that the permanent tooth was starting to come in, in the wrong spot! Inside Nico's mouth, poking in toward his tongue. So we really tried hard to get his tooth to come out over the weekend (see video). But, it didn't work, so I called the dentist on Tuesday and made an appointment on Wednesday. But then, when we came back from swimming on Tuesday I looked in Nico's mouth again and his loose tooth was GONE! Mystery! Nico searched for it everywhere and told us he probably accidentally ate it while he was eating his sandwich at lunch. The dentist said that since the baby tooth is gone there's really nothing they can do now for the crooked tooth, so there was no need to come in.

The tooth before it fell out (see the new one coming in behind it)

On Wednesday started the 2nd Grandma Camp of the summer!!! We packed everything up and I dropped him off at the cabin at 5 PM. This is Grandma Camp - Treasure Hunter! My mom has the best treasure hunts. When we were little she would do a treasure hunt for all of us and neighbor kids on the last day of summer vacation. I am inspired this year to do the same for Nico and his neighbor friends. He has built himself quite a little community of friends here and I know they would all enjoy doing an epic treasure hunt. I decided this last night and have already commissioned the invitations to be made by my friend Brianna. Thanks for the inspiration Mom ;)

Here are some pictures Mom sent me today.

Nico told us Wednesday morning that he wanted to either be a cop or a construction site worker when he grows up. Guy then told him that Grandpa Russell used to be a construction site worker and Nico looked at me and said "Tell Daddy what I'm going to be when I grow up. I already know." he whispered it into my ear that he wanted to be a construction site worker for sure.

Driving in the car later that day he told me he was singing loud so that Grandma and Grandpa [Russell] could hear him! (see video)

Wednesday we also hit up the Library where we picked up another free book and several other prizes because Nico has been reading for 20+ minutes every day.

VIDEO TIME!
Check out Aleesh the Beast in her first ever Roller Derby game!

May and June 2016 Snippets

Snippet - Nico singing in the car

Grandma Caaaaaamp!

I had another henna booth on Saturday, then we made pizza that night, watched 2 episodes of Three Stooges. Sunday was Father's Day! Nico had made something for Guy in school and we had saved it until Sunday to give to Guy. It was a little card with buttons glued onto it. 

On Monday we went to the playground at Adams Elementary with the WHOLE crew. For the past 2 weeks, Tiffanie and Aadam and Sam have joined Allicia and I in our play dates. This week we took the kids to the school playground. Allicia wants Evelyn to become familiar and comfortable with the playground since she will be going to Kindergarten next year. Aadam is also going to Kindergarten, and they will be in the same class. We are hoping that all the kids have recess together, but I'm not sure if they will.

Sunday through Wednesday I was struggling with a cold and a fever that kind of put me out for the count on Sunday afternoon and then again at various times during the next few days. Tiffanie said she would keep an eye on Nico outside for me on Tuesday morning while the kids played. I was super grateful for that. Then Allicia let Nico and Evelyn play in the main house Tuesday afternoon, and Wednesday afternoon she took Nico to the Discovery Center with them. Oh what blessing to be surrounded by good friends! 

This is how you multitask without an iPad - Nico is listening to his Curious George book on CD while reading a comic book. He was keeping up with the Curious George page turns just fine. 

Yesterday Nico and I went down to the cellar to pull out the gallon of Zinc Oxide I have down there so I can make some more sunscreen for him. Nico is already super tan! We don't use much sunscreen unless he's in direct sunlight for extended periods. In Tiffanie's yard (where he spends a lot of time) he gets filtered sunlight through the trees. ANYWAY, we found an old binder of Guy's with pockets to hold cards. I think Guy used it for Magic cards back in the day, but it was completely empty. I asked Guy what he wold think about letting Nico fill it with Pokemon cards and Guy said he couldn't think of a better use for it. Nico put his Pokemon cards in there, slightly more than 300 of them!

Wednesday afternoon I picked Nico up from the Discovery Center and drove him up to the cabin for the very first Grandma Camp! There are 4 Grandma Camps this summer, each starting on a Wednesday night and going through Saturday morning. There are themes to each one and this first one is called Grandma Camp: Hiker. All the cousins except Karli were able to make it. All the kids need to be dropped off Wednesday night between 5 and 7 PM. We were the first to arrive and Grandma Salisbury had everything in place. Each grandkid had their own bin with a t-shirt, fanny pack with water bottle, and an emergency whistle to hang around their necks. What goes in the other end of the whistle? Bubble gum. They went for a hike this morning (Thursday) and they will also be hiking tomorrow morning.

Kai, Leah, Bruce, Lily, Lexie, Rory, Nico

Rory

Grandma told me that Nico insisted on being in the front because he knew the way to go. Everyone was happy to oblige!

Today was a relaxing and different day for Guy and I. I woke up without a fever, yay! I think this is because of the concoction Grandma Salisbury gave me last night when I dropped Nico off. Thanks Mom! I was so out of sorts this morning without Nico around that I forgot to make Guy's lunch! Unfortunately, I wasn't in the clubhouse when he left for work, so when he discovered that there was no lunch in the fridge, he grabbed a handful of vegetables to take with him. That's it! I felt so bad. So for dinner I picked up food from a restaurant we had a gift certificate for and got him a cheeseburger! 

I think I may have promised you guys a video this week, but, I've got an "I was sick" excuse, so it'll have to be some other week! Sorry guys!