Nocturnal Creatures

These little critters - they're like bugs infiltrating a bed. Dae snuck this photo early this morning. I was in such a deep sleep last night I didn't hear Olin knocking on my side of the bed. I didn't even register what Dae was telling me (that Olin wanted to be pulled up).

Secretly, I really like when they are in bed with me. Well, I like 90% of it. Here is their routine:

Olin: Often has a bloody nose. He will wake me up in the pitch black and say "I think I have a bloody nose". Then when I am wiping his nose he will tell me how to wipe... "wipe it faster". He likes to cuddle. He likes to go under the sheets, and usually lays perfectly still wherever I lay him. More or less.

Christian: Usually comes in a little later than Olin. He rarely likes to be underneath the sheets. He gets hot and likes to lay on top. He usually gives me a big smile when he gets situated. He moves around a LOT. Lately he has been coughing a lot, poor guy.

Chopin

I have finally learned and can play the Chopin piece (Fantaisie Impromptu) that I have loved since I was a kid. I never in a million years thought I would actually be able to play it.  But I can, and it feels great to have accomplished a goal as an adult!

In a dream world, I would learn how to play Rachmaninoff's Concerto #2, and Liszt's La Campanella. They are amazing.

Yup, wine. 

Next up: learn how to swim (so that I can actually swim laps without dying), and classes at WSU branch campus, sometime. I am seriously turning into one of those late-in-life-learner people.

Diaper-Less? Could it Be Happening?

Olin has kept his diapers dry at nighttime pretty much since he has been potty trained (which happened just before he turned 3). But I hate washing peed-on sheets, and dislike potty training in general - therefore I have just kept him in diapers overnight. Last night I was putting the kids to bed and didn't feel like getting a diaper so I asked Olin if he felt like wearing undies and could he keep them dry? He said yes. Leelee chimed in and said we should go to the Dollar Store if he keeps his undies dry. I was game for that so we went for it, I crossed my fingers, and this morning Olin woke up, came over to the room and had dry undies and PJ's! Hooray!!!!

Did I mention that we have also just recently nighttime pottytrained Leelee? Like within the last month. So yes, our 3 1/2 year old and 6 year old are getting nighttime pottytrained at the same time...

In other news, Ev and kids came and spent a longish weekend with us to celebrate Mal's 9th birthday early. It was great! We went wine tasting and had dinner one afternoon, and spent the rest of the time hanging out with the kids. There was a meal at Spudnut Shop, a meal at Five Guys Burgers, a meal at Granny's Buffet, take-out from Mandarin House, coffee from Barracuda, and coffee from a new place called Caterpillar Cafe.

Group shower. They had the time of their lives. Dae is going to chastise me for posting this. At least my blog is private.

I can't remember the last time I jogged with Olin in the stroller. He passed out. Yay!

Leelee's pie charts for learning fractions at school. I still don't know how they easily measure the 1/9ths on the pie chart. 

Pink-bearded birthday lady.

Legos the Movie in the basement

Out at Granny's. He woke up and was ready to eat right when we had all finished up.

Granny's crew

1st Bee Sting

First Lee boys bee sting happened today. Olin tried to pick up this critter because he thought it was dead and likes to pick up bugs. It promptly stung him.

I was inside, and the minute I heard his cry (even though he cries just as loud, all the time) I immediately knew he was in real pain. I think it's amazing how parents really know and can differentiate in a split second.

He cried hard for a few minutes. I gave him some Ibuprofen. Then, when everything had settled down a bit and I was on the computer, Leelee came over and told me he had drawn a picture of Olin's thumb. 

On a positive note: We can confirm he does not have an anaphylactic reaction to bee stings!

I Spy, through the slit, Little Eyes

Red Velvet cupcakes (20 stars reward)

I tried this Aztec Indian Clay Mask. It was SO tight.

Immediately after washing, my face was really red. Can't tell in this photo that much. 

Then, after 30 minutes, my face cleared up. It's supposed to tighten pores and extract impurities. I think it worked. hehe.

Puo Puo's Richland Visit & an Overnight Seattle Visit

Talking Hippo App in the car. They were laughing SO hard. 

Cho Dang Tofu. The kids love these little fried fish. Olin would cut off the tail with scissors and then eat it!

Sunnies.

Me and mom on a walk at Leslie Groves Park 

Boys helping us make wontons

We put Olin on top of the washing machine for his time outs. This is how I found him when I went to check up on him.

Puops took the kids to DQ for a belated Christian bday celebration. Christian told me he loved the strawberry portion of the banana split. He said the three of them couldn't finish one split. Do they have any of my dietary genes in them?

Leelee's first TCYSA Soccer game (outdoor). He was the only one who showed up from his team, so the other team adopted him and they scrimmaged. He loved it! New cleats from Big 5. Didi's hand-me-downs are still 1-2 sizes too big so he was flopping around in them.

Happenings:

1) Olin still struggles with L's. Miss Alaina is "Miss Waina". A lot is "a wot".
2) Leelee told me they have a new girl in their class with 'twirly' hair. Also, right after that, "Her dad is in jail. He said he didn't do something, and the judge said he did it, and he went to jail".  Lots of details they provide, these kiddos...
3) Leelee does not like to read. I try to get him books about airplanes and snakes and predators but he still is not totally into it. We also try to get him to do some math, and he seems to take a little bit easier to that.

Now Accepting Patients

Rollarena & Easter

I took the kids (+ Adrienne & JoJo) to Rollarena as their prize for accumulating 20 stars on their chart of going to bed and brushing teeth and changing clothes - anyway, it was the first time my kids had been roller skating. And they were terrible. haha! At least they started out terribly, but Leelee really got rolling by the end.  They used the walker-type things for balance.

Rollarena is cute. I especially love their sign.  

At one point, all the kids migrated from this table over to the other table so Olin was sitting at his table, alone, for at least 10 minutes. He did not mind at all. So interesting. At Baskin Robbins, Christian always gets World Class Chocolate. Olin gets Mint Chocolate Chip or Cookies & Cream.

Easter at my friend Penney's house.

These kids could not WAIT to get out to those eggs. They lined them up from smallest to biggest and gave the little guys a few seconds head start. Olin (who you can't see in the photo) was at the front of the line.

Paas. I have a lot of memories of Paas kits. I don't think our parents knew anything about the easter bunny, and baskets were never involved, but we could always count on a trusty Paas kit on Easter Sunday! Now they have gotten fancy...tie-dyed Paas kits.

I tell the kids not to touch them while they're drying and 2 minutes later their grubbies are all over them, cracking them and dropping them...

Portland (Continued) & Grateful

We're grateful as always to have Auntie Ev, Uncle Jeff, cousins Mal and Didi host us and take very good care of us for 5 days. It was very nice to get to spend our spring break with them. Jeff had informed me that their kids had spent some time finding suitable time-out spots for Olin in their house, and I am happy to say we didn't have to utilize them all that much. It wasn't perfection, but it wasn't the worst we've ever seen him!

Also very grateful that they have each other, these boys of mine...
Side note: Olin managed to have a bloody nose on these here sheets. Leelee managed to pee on them (I owe Ev a set of sheets).

Olin shoveling horse poop at the stables. Ev said he was a good little worker bee.

Olin riding Lady.

Leelee riding Lady. She's pretty. So nice of Ev to take the kids for the morning to ride and take care of the horses.

Pretty Mal and her CrewCuts cardigan. This was at Random Order Pie House on Alberta. YUM.

Tiny house community on Alberta. How I pine for a microhome to call my own...

All aboard the Amtrak train! Kids absolutely could not wait...

This rainbow was so stark and vivid in real life. Along the Columbia River on the train.

Dining cart, chomping on a hot dog. The kids liked the train a lot.