Trip to NY

Snuggling with Mim
On the helicopter at Hoffman's Playland
Eating a big lollipop
Hanging out at Uncle Mark's camp in a tent with Katie and Lhara
Emma aka MJ
Emma with "Toady" ( she also found a caterpillar and a dead fish)

We were gone for 2 weeks but it felt like more. We did so much. Even though I don't have any pictures of most of it. I was awful about taking pictures. Partly because every time I bring it out, Nora has a fit. She hates the camera now. She used to love it and yell cheese. AND because I just plain forgot to take pics.

We had a great visit with my folks. We played in the backyard (fenced in thank you very much), swam in the neighbors pool everyday, made s'mores in the fire pit, made Mim's house very messy, went to my brother's house on Loon Lake, had Emma's 7th birthday party Michael Jackson style, played with Katie and Brynna, ate lobster, saw lots of family and friends and just spent time with Mim and G-gather. It was very relaxing, or at least as relaxing as it can be with Nora in the mix. I guess not very relaxing but at least there were at least 3 adults to 1 Nora at all times.

Alex and I got away for a night and went to Boston. We saw our good friends Laura and Justin for dinner and had some laughs. It was so much fun. Now THAT was relaxing. This was only the 2nd time, yes 2nd time we have gotten away from the girls-together. Ever. The last time was when Emma was 1 and we went to NYC. Alex travels all the time and I've taken a few nights here and there for a girls weekend or something but we really haven't gotten away with the both of us leaving at the same time going to the same place. Crazy I know. We should do it more often.

Anyway, it was great to see everyone in NY. There was lots of other stuff we did but I can't remember right now.

We are back home and getting ready for Emma to start 2nd grade on Monday. Nora lost her 5th tooth tonight before bed. Her bottom fronts are starting to pop through. So weird. We saw the dentist today actually and Nora does not have any cavities and they look good, for the amount of grinding she's done.

Thanks for checking in

Lori

Fun in the sun

Seattle in the background

Mt. Rainier National Park
On Saturday we drove to Mt. Rainier. It was a long drive but the girls did great. Aunt Kim is visiting from L.A. so we decided to get back to nature. We took a small "hike"-about a mile or so. It would have been super easy with out all the snow on the trail! Nora wasn't a big fan of falling in the snow. She almost made it without a meltdown. We gave her a "piggybank" ride for the last few minutes.

Yesterday we went to brunch and walked along the water. It was so nice out. The girls went back to camp today. Last week of free time for me! We leave for NY on the 11th. I am flying solo so hopefully we won't have any major delays or mishaps. As long as we have the dvd players and Nora's i Touch, we're all set. I would love to get the i Pad but I don't think that is going to happen soon.

I brought Nora to the dentist last week about her teeth falling out of her head like crazy- 3 teeth in 5 days really freaked me out. Apparently she is just an early tooth loser-everything looks good. So hopefully when she gets her permanent teeth, she'll get out of the habit of grinding.

Thanks for checking in
Lori

Snaggletooth-revised

Emma w/out her 2 front teeth.

Nora w/out 2 alternating bottom teeth. Looks lovely.

** Sun. 7/18- She has now lost 2 more in the last 2 days-a top front and the one in the middle on the bottom. I am starting to get a bit freaked out. She'll be seeing the dentist and/or the doctor tomorrow morning! This isn't normal, is it??????

So Nora lost ANOTHER tooth yesterday. She's lost 2 so far. The first one we aren't sure how it got bumped out but she was in the pool yesterday and knocked her mouth on the side. She didn't cry but a bit later I noticed some blood and her tooth was gone.

Her top 2 front teeth are pretty loose, not falling out loose but I can wiggle them. And her 4 bottom teeth have been loose too and now she's down to to 2. She has ground them down to tiny nubbs. I am sure she'll lose one more soon b/c now she's constantly grinding. It sounds quite lovely to the ears by the way. She's been grinding her teeth since she was probably 10 mos. She got her first tooth at 4 mos. so maybe it's not too uncommon to lose her teeth so early. I guess at 4 1/2 kids can start losing teeth, right? She's due to see the dentist in Aug. I guess we'll see what's going on then.

Emma on the other hand just had another visit from the tooth fairy (although she's not REALLY sure if the TF is real or not). She's almost 7 and has lost 6 teeth so far. 4 bottom and 2 top. She's only gotten 2 bottom in so she thays her esthes tho thilly.

Other than teeth trauma not much to report. We are still working on pooping in the potty. Seems to be quite scary for Nora. She's ok peeing but poop is a challenge. She screams and cries and refuses to even try. Hopefully she'll figure it out. I am all about done with diapers. 7 years straight. I need a break!

Thanks for checking in
Lori

Summer

It's finally summer in Seattle. We went to the zoo a few weeks ago and the girls got to feed a giraffe. It was really cool. Nora giggled the whole time except when she tried to climb over the barrier and the guy made her stay on this side of it. She was a bit miffed. Emma did her animal report on giraffes so she really thought it was fun to see his long tongue. While we were at the zoo having lunch, Nora took a 15 minute walk without me knowing where she was.(along with 4 other adults) She's sneaky that way. She decided to tour around for a while as I frantically looked for her at the penguin exhibit, the exit and the gift shop. She was at the carousel checking things out. Not worried a bit that she was "lost". FUN times I tell ya.

Camp started this week at Nora's school. Thank goodness. I was going a bit batty there for a while with all the unstructured time on our hands. We (I) don't do well without a schedule and planned activities. There is a lot of whining and crying and complaining that we are bored (by all 3 of us!). Nora qualified for Extended School Year due to potty training and social skills. Emma and Nora both get to go and the bus picks them up at our house! Yay!!!!!!! Nora is doing well with the potty training. She still wont' poop on the potty. The other day she was naked (surprise) in the back yard and came in telling me there was poop on the grass. Sure enough, she'd pooped in the grass just like ollie. nice .

It is supposed to get into the 90's today. Seattle isn't set up for hot weather. No one has AC and/or pools. We'll have to get the sprinkler out and stay cool in the backyard.

Alex and I celebrated our 8th anniversary last night and went out for a wonderful dinner with our good friends. It was lovely. Seems like we've been married a whole lot longer than 8 years. We've been together for 15 years so that could be why.

We put a new navigation system and back up camera in my swagger wagon so I don't run anyone over. It could happen.

Thanks for checking in
Lori

Clothing optional

Nora will not keep her clothes on. She runs around nudie all day long. It started with skinny dipping in the little pool in our back yard but now she answers the door without any pants on, she goes on the slide buck nekked, has lunch in her birthday suit. But she has been using the potty with very few accidents!!! I am getting a bit frazzled trying to keep her in undies but at least it is in our very own nudist colony, not in public (yet).

Bison and potty

Last weekend we actually saw some sunshine. It has been a very rainy spring here in the NW. We took a drive to the NW Trek to see some cool animals. They have a trolley you can ride on and the animals are all free range around you. We saw bison, elk, mtn. goats, deer, swans, ducks and a few more I can't remember. Nora did ok on the hour long ride. She was somewhat interested but then wanted to play w/ my i phone. Oh well. At least no meltdowns.

We also strolled around to check out the other exhibits. We saw coyotes, wolves, bears, cougars, lynx, foxes, eagles, owls, and Emma's favorite, a chipmunk. It was a fun family day for sure.

Nora has been doing great on the potty lately. She stays dry at school (but her awesome teachers take her frequently during school hours.) I, on the other hand, tend to forget so she has accidents galore here but she is learning. She will use the potty if we remember to actually have her go. She could care less about the m&m's that I have been using as a reward. She just likes to cheer and flush. So hopefully diapers will be done by the end of summer??? Positive thinking.

Emma finishes 1st grade and is going to be in 2nd grade!!!! Nora has 1 more year of preschool then Kindergarten. Time flies. Our summer starts next Wed. Yikes. They are both going to go to the camp at the EEU in July. Nora qualified for summer school b/c of potty training. Yay! So she gets to have busing provided and Emma can hop along with her. Emma is doing one other camp and some swim lessons. Then we will be in NY for 2 weeks, Emma turns 7, and hopefully I will be able to keep everyone entertained with out school to give me a bit of a break. I could never home school. It would drive me batty.

That's all that is going on around here.

Congrats to my nephew Michael for graduation college this weekend from Ohio State. He was born as I was starting college. Crazy! Seems like yesterday.

Lori

Yo What?

Guess who is going to see Yo Gabba Gabba Live in November... Yup-we are. At the Tacoma Dome. It will be a party in our tummies for sure!!! So excited. Hopefully we'll be able to get the Muno and Toodee dolls that we are missing!

Yahoo

Lori