Lost in a sea of clothes!

This evening I worked on our endless pile of laundry. These kids can find amusement in just about anything! Walter made a laundry basket into a ship and Rose E had fun putting her toys into them and of course taking off with the clothes while trying to wear them, don't you just love the new look for her p.j's? What a little ham! She also enjoyed her first music lesson today on the pump organ with Daddy, once she started to play she didn't want to stop. Speaking of firsts, today after church we ate at K.F.C and since I forgot to bring her sippy cup she learned how to use a straw too, she got a sip of juice and that was it, I didn't think she was going to come up for a breath of air! Her new words today where "put it on" as she was holding her shoe, "walter sit," "outside" and "moo." Oh and she made-up her own little sing language motion for "hair" too.
Walter also had fun this afternoon putzing around the yard with me. He carried his little water can around and gave the grass, trees, and flowers "drinks". Then he would carry off weeds via his dump truck to our weed pile. He is definately an outdoors little boy and inquisitive about everything! We had to stand in the driveway for awhile as he used his magnifying glass to spy on the ants too.

Boys just wanna have fun!

The past couple of days have been a dream come true for Walter! First Jeff worked on the train layout in the attic of our garage (our garage used to be a livery for horses and the attic was storage for hay). The train layout was passed down from Jeff's cousin, Michael and Walter was in his glory as Jeff putzed around with it. He was talking so fast he reminded me of an auctioneer and asking a million questions while of course jumping. If you click on this picture you can see that Walter is actually winking! He has discovered that Daddy has another whole array of trains and has been digging them! This morning he told me "Mama can I please touch it, I will be fragile with it?" It has been cute listening to him tell Rose E about them too. Then they got the Ranger back from the Polaris shop with a new windshield on it so they took it for a long ride last night too. Walter came back so excited to tell me about everything he saw and then he said "Mama I am a train boy and a ranger boy now."
I also had to laugh because he told me yesterday that he is afraid of dinosaurs (he has been into dinosaurs lately) and when I said why he said because they eat people. Then I told him that dinosaurs are extinct and that means that they don't live anymore. Then he said do you mean that they live somewhere else in the world? I said "no they are no longer living anywhere in the world" then he said "mama I want the world to give back the dinosaurs."
Rose E and I have had some girl time too. We have gone walking and shopping (I was excited to find a few more treasures today for our house, I found an old bib for our antique high chair and some old magazines; one we will have on our parlor table for the home tour and one is a musical one from the 1920's for our organ). She is pointing out and noticing so much now it is so much fun. Oh and her new words have been "Jesus" and "sheep" (we put an antique picture of Jesus with sheep in her bedroom and she talks about it everyday). It was also cute because yesterday she was carrying around two books and Walter said "look Rose E you have 1,2 books" she turned to him and said "1,2,3" and speaking of books, last night after I put her pajamas on she said "read?" She is getting to know the routine and understanding so much. Tonight I got out two snacks and I said one is for you and one is for Walter, then she went up to Walter and handed him his.
I took this picture of her this evening sitting next to some Roses in our yard, I am yet to get the two of them smiling at the same time in that spot (there are so many distractions outside) I guess I will have to try for round three tomorrow(I took one of them in the same spot last year and would like to get a picture there every year but we'll see I guess).
Well, I suppose I better sign off, I have to go get things ready for church tomorrow. Oh and that reminds me Jeff and I had instructions from Walter to wake him up at "2 and 14 in the morning." Gotta love it!

A mining building fit for a King (and a Queen)!

Walter's been having fun with these big castle blocks lately, of course they have been turned into everything from trains to a mining building. This was a mining building (not a scary one of course) it was cute because he got really creative, thinking about where the miners went into the ground, where the train could pick-up copper and where the airplane could land to pick-up copper too (you can tell we live in the U.P). Then his train worked really hard and needed a rest so he gave it pretend snacks to refuel it up. I have had fun playing with him lately, now all of his toys talk to each other and boy do they ever go on the adventures! He has been really into board games lately too, just about everyday lately we have been playing a couple games outside on the picnic table when Rose E takes her nap (she is down to one afternoon nap now but sleeps for 3-4 hours usually, so it gives Walter and I a lot of one on one time and he has loved being my little helper too during that time). Oh and another thing I had to laugh at today, as some of you know, one of his most priced possesions are his railroad magazines, anyway today Rose E put her hands on one of them and Walter said "no no Rose E that very old and that could break very easily" I guess he's heard that expression a few times in his lifetime.
Our little Rose E is getting too big too fast. I snapped a picture of her using a fork today, she is loving it. I have been helping her stab the food and then she puts it into her mouth and speaking of "fork" that was one of her new words today along with "sock." Everything is "see" and "this" now, she is mimicking so much too. Today I was driving cars and trains with her and she mimicked me saying "vroom" and "choo." Sometimes too when the phone rings she will sign phone and say "hello." Oh and another cute thing she did the other day, when we where in the car she was singing songs to us and when she was done with a song she would say "the end."

Mama's little helpers!

Today I brought some of the kids toys outside and let them wash them-up in soapy water. Walter excitedly said "we helping Mama." He just loves to be our little helper. Then some water dripped down the driveway and he said "look a river in our driveway." When he was all done cleaning his toys he said "lets clean the driveway now" and had fun dumping it out. After that the kids each picked out a few toys they washed and played with them for the rest of the day. Walter has been all into his fourth of July candy and is considering it a big treat since he has only been getting a few a day, anyway it was funny because the other day he was eating a piece and said "I pinching the candy with mine teeth." Little character! Oh and lately when he goes on the Ranger he will want to see mining buildings but then when he sees them he says he does a "funny eye thing" (he looks down) so when I asked him why he said "I scared" I said what are you scared of he said "they looking at me." We keep explaining to him that they aren't alive but he is convinced that they can see him and now tonight when we walked to storyhour their is a big chimney type smokestack and he said the same thing. Little goof. We have noticed that sometimes in public too if he doesn't feel like talking to someone he will just close his eyes. Rose E is really picking-up on the signs lately. Yesterday during our walk when we got to the park she asked if she could go on the swing. Then today Jeff gave her her first little Ranger ride (he went really slow and just went for a short distance) anyway at one point we went over some bumpy rocks and she made-up a sign for bumpy. Then this evening she kept signing it, she must have really gotten a kick out of it.

Joys of summer

We've had a nice couple of summer days here and every time Rose E goes outside lately she signs "HOT." We have been enjoying the weather, yesterday we walked and went for a cruise in the camaro and today after church we went out to the camp. Walter was in his glory because he and Daddy arrived in style on the Ranger four wheeler. While out there his cousins Kirsten and Cale got to go for a ride too, Cale is sitting next to Walter and Jeff in the picture. After rides Walter was cute as for he told me in great detail everything he saw including stop signs. Rose E was cute at the camp too, she is now walking everywhere and boy is she ever quick! I had to laugh because she spotted her baby cousin Brady's car seat and said "baby" and rocked it even though it was empty. Pat and Wally where still out there and it was a nice visit.
Last of all, I couldn't resist posting a picture of this thank you card Walter made yesterday, I think it is so exciting that he is now copying letters.

Happy Fourth of July!

Yeah, according to Walter July came! The kids have had a good couple of days. Yesterday we went to the park to watch the fireworks, they where in awe. At first Rose E was scared but then liked them. Every time we watch them I think of Walter's second (he was 1and a half) 3rd of July when he was fascinated by them and made-up his own sign for firework, I reminsced with Walter about it and we taught Rose E his sign.
The kids where of course in the glory today too. They loved watching the parade, getting candy and of course being with their cousins along with other family. (I included a picure of the kids with their cousins, all wearing matching shirts for the 4th, courtsey of Jeff's parents). Even though our road is still under construction we where glad that the parade went on as usual as for we have a prime spot here! After the parade and lunch at our house we all went out to the camp for a beautiful evening, it was fun and Jeff's Grandpa's brother's son, Wally and his wife Pat, where up for a visit.
Oh and I had to laugh about Walter and his bug bites, so dramatic! This morning he woke-up and said "mama I have terrible bug bites" then this evening he said "the bugs bit me on my scales (I thought what in the world is he talking about and he showed me a scab ) then he said "the mosquitoes said mmm Walter taste delicious." What a goof! Rose E also had a fly buzzing around her and signed is that a bird?

A bug whose looking for a home.

Phew, we are almost done with our outdoor painting projects! We have painted until we have run out of paint, there isn't too much left so tomorrow I will take a jaunt to Sherwin-Williams so we can officially be done and just in time for the 4Th too. The kids have been spending a lot of time outside and Walter has found great entertainment in watching the construction trucks and other vehicles go by. This afternoon he said "mama where all those people hiding in their cars going too?" Yesterday then after story hour as we where walking back he saw a backhoe on a trailer, the backhoe had dirt hanging off of it and he said "mama that backhoe saying I had a hard day today." Speaking of story hour, Rose E was funny to watch this week as Cyrus's mother brought in Cyrus's baby brother she looked at me and looked at him and said "see" excitedly, she also said "hi" to him. Her latest phrase has been "all done." If she is eating and runs out of food she will anxiously say "all done" asking for more (she knows how to sign more too and often times signs that when she is hungry).
Yesterday Walter was on the prowl for bugs. He carried his little magnifying glass around the yard and his bug house, such a little scientist. Then we went into the house and we had a fly buzzing around and he said "mama that bug saying I looking for a home to live in." Oh and today he was given a snow globe with a train inside of it that Jeff's parents got on their Amtrack trip to Montana. Anyway, we had to laugh because it went everwhere with him (even to bed) and when anybody would walk past our house he would grab it and show it to them. What a character!