8/27/14

I can see that the show 'The Amazing Race' is having an influence on the kids play time. While I am writing this the kids are playing with the squinkies and I am listening to them...they are having them run all around and they are saying "okay, road block!" And then they have some little thing each squinkie needs to do like move little marbles around. Then they say, "okay drive yourselves to your next destination". And they keep going with other tasks then I hear. "You are flying to Shanghi"..."lets get to Phil".  So fun that they are getting so into it. Maybe I should capitalize on this and teach them some geography ;)

Russell likes to call the squinkies his "squishies"...makes me think of Finding Nemo when Dori calls the jelly fish her squishes. :)

Everyone is loving school and really enjoying their new teachers. I am still trying to get back into the groove of the school schedule, but the kids seem to have it down :)

Evalyn has been getting up on her knees in the crawling position. She hasn't gotten up on her hands with it yet, but she is on her way....why is my baby growing up so fast!!! Already 7 months old.

As mentioned before the kids have been enjoying watching 'The Amazing Race'. We had told the kids that we wanted to make our own amazing race for them to do. They kept asking us about it and then they came home from school with a flier that said their school was putting on an Amazing Race....perfect! We went and the kids had a blast running all over their school and figuring out puzzles.
Consequently when the younger kids and I went to the school yesterday to listen to Eden do her poem Russell was running all over campus yelling back to me, "Hurry Mom! Lets go, Run!"

While we were there to listen to Eden's poem...all the parents wait out in the hall and when it is their child's turn to go they get to go in. So Eden had come out to the hall to get us, when we walked in the very quite class Russell could not hold in his excitement. He yelled, "OH WOW!! This is cool! Look at this..." and he was about to start running around and checking the class room out. The teacher and kids were quietly chuckling. I quickly reminded him that we needed to be quite and listen to Eden. And he did. Then after she was done (which she did awesome by the way!!) she came back to give us a hug. Once she gave Russell his hug, again with a loud enthusiastic voice he said, "K Eden, lets go....come on...lets go home". He was a little sad that she wasn't able to come home with us right away.

This past weekend we were at Grandma and Grandpa Earl's house. The kids and I were in the back swimming. Russell would climb up on the decorative wall and sit down by me and then plop in the pool. Over and over again. Then one time after he had fallen into the water he turned around and looked up at me and said with his arms reached out toward me, "Okay Mom, your turn, jump....it okay, I will catch you".

Since this past week was Eden's birthday I was asking her what she wanted for her birthday dinner. She thought for awhile...."I think I will choose Spaghetti, because that is Ella's favorite." Such a sweet girl. I told her it was HER birthday and she could choose HER favorite ;) Which she did...pizza, watermelon and pickles.

I can't remember if I have written this down or not, but I want to remember it. Russell LOVES to watch Cars 2. And he does almost everyday. I can't wait to take him to Disneyland in a little over a month and see how he reacts to entering Radiator Springs, and getting to meet McQueen and Mater for 'real'. :)

Just now Russell got a little, ouchie. He came in and wanted a kiss. So I gave him one on his cheek. He said "no, right here", pointing to his chin. She I kissed his chin. "No, here!" Pointing to his chin, just below his lips. So I kissed it again. "No, here!" This went back and forth a couple more times...and then he said, okay, thanks. (that is one way to get a lot of kisses ;) )

Added by Grandpa Earl: Delightful!  While you were at our home this weekend, I was so impressed with the genuine affection the children showed toward us.  Gordon & Eden spontaneously gave me at least a dozen hugs over the two days. There just isn’t a better feeling that a strong hug from a grandchild.  Then at the end of the stay, they made us a series of love notes and pictures and taped them all over the house for JaNae and me to find.  Ella’s printing is very good and you just have to love those precise XOXOXOXOXOs at the bottom of every note! You can tell she is an excellent student.  Finally,  little Russell and I were cleaning up the office when he found the Woody figure. He picked it up and exclaimed “where is Woody’s hat?”  Together we looked all over the house in vain for that plastic hat, with Russell repeating, “where is Woody’s hat”? with his arms outstretched and hands up imploring the hat to find us. 

We sure do love you and  the kids and look forward to your visits.  Hopefully, next time we will have the back yard done, so they can enjoy more than just the pool.  Love, Grandpa Earl 

Added by Grandma Nielsen: Yes, Stephen, they are delightful!!!  So happy we get to be grandparents to these precious children.  They left a little post-it love note on my bathroom mirror more than 6 months ago, and I still have it stuck there.  I just clean around it.  :)  Thanks Laura for sharing their little world with us!

love,

Grandma Nielsen