Hands-On

So, I drove out to Ann Arbor to pick up my computer today from the shop. It was weird not having a computer for a full week. I have to admit I am pretty addicted to the functionality of a computer. Such as, how do you look up where you are going with out google maps? (paper maps, what are those, you can't even zoom in!?)

Since I had to go to Ann Arbor anyway, I also decided to go to the Hands-On Museum. We spent 3 hours there, but still could have played longer if we didn't have other obligations to get home for.

Ellie mostly just liked to be able to push the buttons on everything.

Fire lady Ellie to the rescue! (minus the hat which she would not keep on)

Does this toy look familiar to anyone? This was a favorite toy of James' when he was little and apparently his brother, Ian sat on it. After seeing it locked up in a museum box I am even more impressed Ian was able to find a replacement for James (which he gave to Ellie for her birthday).


And just for fun, here is a video from this past week. We had left over Kool-aid from the finger paint so made some playdough.

Koolaid Playdough

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 pack koolaid (any color you like)
3 Tbsp oil
1 cup boiling water
Directions:

Mix first three ingredients in a large bowl. Add the last 2. Stir until well blended. Remove from bowl and knead into soft dough. Store in air-tight containers.

Fun with Kool-aid

Today we got a little messy with some finger painting. I made some Kool-Aid finger paint, since I figured Ellie would try to eat it (and she did). It doesn't taste as good as you might think though...very salty. It did look just like the frosting on her birthday cake, so it makes sense that she would want to dig right in and taste it. She also enjoyed helping me mix the paint by squishing the bags.



Kool-Aid Finger Paint Recipe
2 cups flour
2 packs unsweetened kool-aid
1/2 cup salt
3 cups boiling water
3 Tbsps. oil
Combine dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix it all up and have fun!

Backyard Makeover

I'm looking for a before picture, but haven't found one yet. The biggest change though is the big pine tree whose limbs use to touch the ground. Having the branches cut off makes our yard seem so much bigger and will give Ellie lots more running room (when the time comes.)
We have some wonderful friends that came over to get this project done with us.



The piles of branches.

Numbers

My mind is going crazy this week with so many numbers going through it.

First off, on a positive note, Ellie had her 1-year check up this week (a little late, but we were out of town). Here are her current stats:
Height- 32"
Weight- 21 lbs 3.5 oz
Head Circumference (although I've never had anyone ask how big my baby's head is)- 45.5 cm

The other reason for the numbers is the summer diet. James decided he would like to lose weight. I am appreciating and following his example, as I also am not a healthy weight for my height. We eat a well balanced diet, (lots of fruits, veggies and whole grains) just too much of it. So this week I was counting, measuring, weighing, charting and graphing our food. A little obsessive, maybe...but it better work!

This picture is slightly embarrassing, but will give us motivation to work off the extra pounds. We are still trying to decide some good goals and incentives. Any good ideas?

Learning to Walk

We caught on video the first attempts of walking. She is still very wobbly, but I'm sure she will be off and running in no time. I just hope I'll be able to keep up with her.

Hawaii

It is hard to choose. I'm trying to narrow down the pictures to post, but with 2 weeks worth of pictures, it is tough.

So here are a few of the favorites:

Beautiful Beach Babe

The flower behind the right ear means she is available. Of course, you'll have to wait at least 15 years (and then face her dad) if you are interested in a date.

She loved playing in the sand!

Fun Family Time

We loved walking along the beaches.

Visiting Pearl Harbor

Chinaman's Hat


Crazy Crawling Cousins

They have matching favorite blankies, and would often try to steal it from one another.

The best beach babysitter...dig a pit and let them play!

They haven't quite figured out how to snorkel yet, but they are getting close.

By the end of the trip they were holding hands. At least until they saw something more interesting to crawl towards.


The Whole Crew

Our favorite spot for shaved ice. A perfect treat after the salty beach.

We had a fun picnic at Chinaman's hat before leaving to go back to the mainland.

More walks on the beach.

Thanks to the two youngest for staying home to watch the babies while the rest of us went to the temple!

And Even More

We love diving. James spotted an octopus as soon as we went down. We also saw a few eels and more fish than I could count.

The U.S.S Arizona Memorial

The (almost) veterinary to the rescue! The turtle got hooked by the fishing line. James got it unhooked and then carried it back out to the ocean where it quickly swam away.

Just playing and having fun at Shark's Cove.

And finally, one of our favorite past times...Boogie Boarding!