Epic Castles

I've been on the hunt for a used doll house castle thing for Gretchen.  She's still been playing with the one Nana helped her make and I thought it might be fun to have one a bit more - um - permanent.  (Although I would highly recommend Nana Castle Creations to anyone interested!)  Then a neighbor who is moving later this month asked me if I would be interested in a doll house . . . with furniture . . . for free.  YES!  Her gift was an answer to prayer and Gretchen has been in love with her new make-believe play land.

 Rooke was out of school this week.  The weather was forecasted to rain every day and hasn't let us down so far.  We needed a fort.  As I started building it, Rooke and I had this conversation:

Rooke: Mom - this is going to be epic!

Me: trying not to giggle or make a deal out of hearing my five-year-old use the word "epic" - "Did you hear someone say that at school?"

Rooke: Yeah.

Me: You used it correctly.  Do you know what that word means?!

Rooke: Yeah.  It's like really great.  It's like one of those words they use differently here because there are different words in America and England.  Like soccer and football.  So in America they might say "awesome" and here people say "epic".

Me: surprised, impressed, and in shock at how fast he is growing up - "You're right.  This fort is going to be epic!"

So then I had to really go for it.  I think the height helped it's epic-ness.  Plus, moving both sofas and leaving it up overnight won big points.  

This is me being instructed not to take any more pictures and to help defend the castle against the bad guys.  It was an epic battle. 

Bridgette at 14 months

Our littlest Payne will be 14-months-old this weekend!  She is one fun little girl and provides all of us with lots of giggles. especially when she knows we're watching!  She is moving faster and faster these days, especially when the front door is open and she has the opportunity to BOLT outside.  She loves playing outdoors and will push the little toy stroller around our entire neighborhood loop.  She's doing great at getting down the stairs on her tummy.  She adores her big brother and sister and will grunt at them or hit their faces if she wants them to play but they aren't paying her attention.  She "talks" and hums a lot, but doesn't say much that we understand yet.  I recognize "mama", "hello", and "bye-bye dada" as Ryan leaves for work in the mornings.  She's started to enjoy reading more and will bring a book walking backwards until she bumps into my lap.  Bridgette is just plain fun and happy and still very easy-going.  Of all three kids, she's most willing to be held by or go to friends or even people she's not been around much.  At church last Sunday, she squirmed in Ryan's arms until he put her down.  She headed down the aisle away from us, smiling at people moving their feet for her to get by until she made it to the end then turned to go down the next one just as Ryan snatched her up! 

She loves pushing things around: the stool, chairs, little tables

Books!

We've had some great books come home in our library bag over the past few months . . . a lot of these came from comments or emails with title suggestions.  I'd love more!

Harry by the Sea, by Gene Zion (there are other "Harry" books which are also fun)

The Princesses Have a Ball, by Teresa Bateman

Hippospotamus, by Jeanne Willis

Pirate Pete, by Kim Kennedy

Who's in the Bathroom?, also by Jeanne Willis (who doesn't giggle at potty humor?!)

The Queen of France, by Tim Wadham

Pass It On, by Marilyn Sadler

Charlie and Lola: Say Cheese, by Lauren Child (too appropriate for my older two!)

The Pirate's Parrot, by Lyn Rossiter-Mcfarland

The Eleventh Hour: A Curious Mystery, by Graeme Base

Monster Munchies, by Laura Numeroff

The kids and I are usually working our way through a chapter book.  These next two have been our favorites so far.  We also like the Cam Jansen detective stories. 

Mr. Popper's Penguins, by Florence & Richard Atwater 

 We listened to the audio version in the car after finishing the book.

Three Tales of my Father's Dragon, by Ruth Stiles Gannett

Click on the links below for previous posts about book titles from our library bag:

July 2012

October, 2012

July, 2011

Greece

These are the faces of two parents who are driving to the airport without their kids for a vacation in the sun.  

Did I mention we were childless on this five-day trip?!

In the past five years, we have lived in four homes in three different countries, added three children to our family, completed one law degree, and received our first assignment with the Air Force.  Everyone's journey looks different, but it was time for us to regroup.  

And celebrate the past ten years of life, love, growth, adventure, and maturing together in marriage. 

The kids were in more than capable hands with Kaye K and Big Daddy.  And Nana was still in town to help, too!  I will be forever thankful for the gift they gave in letting us take five days off to ourselves.

Corfu, Greece - here we come!

We drove on twisty roads up over the mountains of the island to get to our hotel.  This was the first view we had of the beach where we stayed.

If you ever find yourself on Corfu, this place was a winner.  

The leftovers of a long, relaxing breakfast; one of our favorite things to share together.

Our pasty white skin couldn't take a full day of sun!

remains of Angelocastro (Castle of the Angels)




the views from the hike to the castle were the best sight to see

Married dating is the best.

We thought about them every now and then.  :)

Our favorite food from the trip.  The woman in the window was making the best pita bread we've ever tasted.  

Cheap, fresh, local, and delicious.

And then it was time to go home.  And jump back in at full speed to normal life that hadn't stopped while we were away.  It was exactly the trip we needed to take together.  Thank you, Mom and Dad, for keeping the kids.