Make a Splash!

Today reached a scorching 92 here in Seattle, that is HOT!

What to do on such a hot day....hmmm?

Fill the pool with ice cold water from the tap and watch the boys squeal as they get wet! So much fun to watch. I'm sure it was refreshing though, they had a ball!

Here are some pics of the boys enjoying the refreshingly cool water....

Warning: rated N - for nudie boy! most were to N rated to post

Wobbly Green Jelly....




Nothing as refreshing as cold, lime jelly on a hot summer day!


It was a very hot day, the kind of day you want to do nothing except find AC or a pool.
The boys had been swimming but started getting a little bored.
So we made some wibbly, wobbly jelly.
Thomas got to choose the color and Harry got to sprinkle the crystals in the bowl. Harry did a great job of helping stir the jelly. We poured it into small bowls and then placed it very carefully on the top shelf of the fridge. OK Harry, we need to leave them in the fridge to get cold and firm. 5mins later "mommy is it ready now?" oh boy, this is going to be one long afternoon...kind of like, are we there yet? Are we there yet?





3hrs later and it was ready to slurp, not super firm but firm enough to resemble jelly.
And for an impatient 5yr old, that was good enough....Yum!

A good Karate school is hard to find!

Either I am just being a difficult mom or there really hasn't been that great of a Karate school yet! We are still on the hunt for the right Karate school for Harry and its proving harder than I thought!

We visited another local Karate school yesterday. Again just up the hill in Renton, Kim's Karate on Sunset. It was great timing as it was the beginners class. But beginner class for anyone and was mainly filled with adults. Harry was trying his hardest, but it was a huge class and he was just getting lost in the room. And for a first time student I didn't think it was very nice of the instructor to speak down to him and say "buddy, are you awake?" There were a few other kids there, but you could tell they had been doing it for a long time.

I don't think I am quite ready to throw him in the deep end yet and will keep looking until we find a Karate school that offers a kids only or kid friendly program catering to the interests and the attention span of a kid.

If anyone has had experience with putting their child into a Karate program I would love some feedback as to your experiences....thanks!

A house full of boys...whats a mom to do?

Teach them to put the seat down that's what! Replacing the toilet roll and picking up their socks will come next....hahaha!

Harry has been potty trained for years now, but I really feel he is not there unless he completes the whole routine. This not only includes the regular washing of hands and flushing...etc.
But also putting the seat down! Harry's future wife will thank me =)
"Mommy, why do I need to put the seat down?"
"Harry, why do you think you need to put the seat down?"
"Is it so we can sit on it and so you don't fall in and get angry with daddy?"
"hahahaha!" gosh that had me laughing, "that's right" I said.

Harry is still a little confused as to why I don't just stand....ah, the joys of boys!

Big Boy School is just around the corner! Somethings we are doing to help Harry prepare for Elementary...

Harry wearing his new school bag and being silly at the store

Its so exciting and scary to think of Harry going off into the world of Elementary school. All I want to do is protect him and keep him happy and safe! How can I do that when he is away from me so much of the day...gosh do I sound over protective or what?

In preparation for what is just around the corner I took Harry shopping for his school supplies last night.

Pack of Crayons
Pack of Colored pencils
Kids safety scissors
Glue sticks
A ream of computer paper
Cardboard folders with pockets
Lunch box
School bag
Box of tissues

We had a lot of fun choosing what he wanted, anything Spider man and he was happy, such a boy!

I decided to buy him a second set of everything so we could have it at home for his new desk/homework space....he's growing up and becoming so independent.
All I want to do is cry and snuggle with him like I did when he was my little baby. He is totally ready for school but I'm not there yet! I think this mom needs to prepare herself for big boy school still and learn to let go....OK, so typing that I totally starting tearing up! I hope school is kind to my kind, sweet little guy.

Check out the school he will be going too, I've attached a link to it in the side column.

Round and Round the Meadow....

Some of the little daily things that make being a mom so rewarding

Harry cleaning up his room and making his bed without even being asked. He loves saying "mommy was that a great surprise"...the best type of surprise I say!

Reading Thomas his favorite book at bedtime "Round and round the meadow" he can now finish the sentence's and is even spelling some of the animals names. He loves letters.

Harry putting himself to bed at last night saying "goodnight mommy, I'm going to bed" takes himself up stairs, gets dressed the whole bedtime routine down pat...even his toothbrush was wet!

Thomas enjoying soccer and being left, I think the separation anxiety is over! T is really into it, he listens to the coaches instructions and does his best at it!

Hearing my boys both say please and thank you without being prompted.

My new favorite mommy reward is the kids club at the local supermarket. I can put them in there for an hour, so mommy can shop in peace....whoo hooo!

I guess you can tell I am having a good day with the boys....lol! They really have been wonderful lately (knock on wood!) Which has come at a good time with Dave working so much. Its made this mama's life a little easier and sooooo rewarding to see them grow.

The House & Garden Club

Starting from top left going clockwise, Samantha, Tonia, Sarah, Heather and Jill

Today was the most perfect summer day! The sun was out. A refreshing cool breeze blew and rustled the leaves on the wisteria and Jasmine vines. The kids played well....mostly =)
The girls had a fun time of talking House & Garden, drinking, eating and more talking!
It was a wonderful way to spend the morning.

This was our first get together for the Club and can not wait to do it again. Its such a fun group of friends and we all love to garden. It was great to chat about our own gardens, get tips, ask advise and share experiences.

Next time we will take a trip to a nursery, I can't wait!

Thinking of Connor!

This past weekend was the one year Anniversary off losing our sweet little Connor!
He was really the sweetest little dog ever and he is greatly missed.Tears are still cried over his loss, as cheesy as it sounds, he was our first baby! Such a wonderful, loyal and loving dog! Always wanting to be with us and sit on our laps, such a great little snuggler.

For those of you who don't know, Connor was a Caviler King Charles Spaniel. We adopted him when he was just 5 weeks old. He was tiny, small enough to sit in the palm of my hand. When he was 8 weeks we could finally bring him home. When we moved to the states he came with us and has always been such a huge part of the family. He was 8yrs old when he was hit by some random car that never stopped at the end of our street.

Here are some pics of our favorite pics of Connor....We miss you!

Playtime at the Park!

Here are some pics from a play at Fort Dent Park this summer.

Whats cookin' good lookin'?
Braised lamb shanks...mmm

With Dave working so much at the moment, when he is finally home for a meal I really want to make it special! So I try and cook something yummy (or suggest somewhere nice to go...lol!)

The other night I tried a new recipe for Dave, as I know how much he loves lamb shanks. I found some at Fred Meyer, lamb is not always easy to find here in the states. But when I do, I buy it all up! Rosemary braised lamb shanks on garlic mash potato, with a glass of red wine...yummy! The Lamb slow cooked for over 2hrs in a mix of red wine, garlic, pearl onions, cherry tomato's, chicken stock, rosemary (from our backyard) and seasoning, very tasty!

Red wine Rosemary Olive Oil Vine ripe Tomato's The aroma was amazing and the taste was so comforting...



I found this recipe on a really wonderful website http://www.allrecipes.com/ you can type in what you have and it will find a recipe that uses your ingredients. It can also compile shopping lists for you using all the ingredients you need. Its pretty addictive and very inspiring when it comes to trying new recipes. Can't wait to try something else from here.

I am excited to learn some new cooking techniques and even more excited to see the look on Dave's face when I cook....the way to a mans heart really is through his belly!

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Thanks again everyone for reading our Blog and for leaving your encouraging and funny comments, we love reading them.

Hugs to you all

Julia, Dave & Boys....xxxx

Kung Foo Harry....
Harry's first Martial Arts experiance

For months now Harry has been talking of wanting to do Karate. He is so keen to learn...its great! So today we finally had our first appointment to visit one of six local Martial Arts centers...yeah six, crazy! Anyway, before we went down I showed Harry online what the center is like and what the students wear...etc. He was so excited seeing it!

I explained to him that it is not a place to play games, that you need to be respectful and be a good listener if you want to learn. I showed him how to bow, very cute!

We jumped in the car, literally he was jumping for joy out the door! His enthusiasm is so wonderful to see. I really think this is going to be so good for him as he seems to be passionate and quite foccused about this.

So we pull up to the do-jong and walk in "mommy, is this really it? I can't believe it, I am so excited" said Harry with a squeal. Just a beautiful moment.

Harry meets the Tae Kwon Do master and bows, I was so proud! He remembered.

Before to long he was on the mats with the instructor taking different stances, jabbing, calling out Yah! and saying Yes Sir! He did so well at listening and following direction, as a mom I wanted to cry. I am really excited for him to start this and will post some pics of him in his uniform when we get it.

This is our first visit, I still want to check out the other local MA schools to make sure I have the right fit for him. So hopefully he will be starting before school starts in 3 weeks.

The story of Nikko's Adventure.
By Harrison Rule

Once upon a time there was a Nikko he went up a tree, then he got off and went in the tree house. He came out and then it rained so he quickly ran back into the tree house so he could stay dry. Then the storm was over, then he woke up and he saw that it was a sunny day. So Nikko went off and played his favorite game, swinging on the swing!

The End

New favorite play place....

Another Thursday another soccer class! Thomas is improving every week. This week I was so so happy to see him participating and really getting into what the coach was asking them to do. Next week I will take the camera as its his last soccer class for a while. And he has the cutest little soccer uniform I want to have a pic of here in the blog.

After soccer Sarah, the kids and I all headed out for lunch....where to go?
Where else but the new kids play area and food court at the local mall.

Southcenter Mall is our local Westfield mall, its huge! And now that the new extension is complete its even bigger! I had not seen the new addition so it was very exciting.

I was completely shocked! Not only was it huge, but so nicely done....very swish! It has a very Bell-square feel about it (or for those in Aus, very much like Chatswood Chase) They even have a Pumpkin Patch store, first one in Seattle!

The kids had so much fun in the play area. Lots of fun things to crawl through and climb on, its a fun modern, jungle theme. Even the family restroom has a wonderful play area, toys, a TV, comfy chairs for the adults, more like a living room! Even nursing moms had their own areas with personal TV's....nice! One other thing that really rocks about the new play area is that they were smart and put a Starbucks right next to it for the mama's....yeah!

I have no pic's from today but found an article from the Seattle Times which has some photos of the new renovations....

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008067251_southcenter23.html

Dress up Dance Party!

The music was loud, the lights were off, all except for the funky disco lights scattered around the room. The sound of musical instruments being played and the sight of kids laughing and dancing in a cloud of bubbles...What a fun Dance Party!

There were Pirates and Princess's, Firemen and Fairies. Thomas went as a Soccer player while Harry was excited to be a Pirate!

One of our friends hosted this party for the kids in her Apartment's cabana.

The kids had a ball dancing the hokey pokey and playing a selection of musical instruments that were provided. There was face painting too....what a fun way to spend the morning with friends!

The pirate's getting down and funky with percussion!

After the Dance Party we headed out to a local park where we met up with more friends and had a picnic. It was the most perfect day, 87degrees with a beautiful cool breeze in the shade. The boys both had fun playing with their friends today....perfect summer day!


Thomas and Noah saying goodbye after a big day of fun! Needless to say my two are both napping, its been an action packed day.

Go! Go! Power Rangers!

Another funny Harry moment...



Yesterday Harry was playing with his Power Rangers when he asked me "mommy what are their names?"

Lucky we still had the packaging they came in, as I had no clue as to their names.
Reading the back and pointing to the different ones I read of the names...


This one is Jaguar Fury, the red one is Cheetah Fury, the black is called Bat Fury, the blue one that looks like an elephant and its called Elephant Fury....etc (you get the picture)


Harry was so excited about their names, he now insists on calling them all by their names and not just red power ranger...


Later that day I heard a loud "Cheetah Fairy, attack!" said Harry. I repeated the word Fury a few more times for him to get it, but it totally comes out "Fairy" It is hilarious. These bad ass power rangers and he calls them Fairies.....Oh Harry!

Seattle Slugs....

Check out this little beauty!

Besides Planes, Rain and Coffee something else that Seattle seems to do really well is...slugs!

They are huge! If you visit a souvenir shop here in town you will find all sorts of slug merchandise. I didn't really understand the slug thing here at first, until one day I finally saw a Seattle slug....Yikes!

On our way out the door on Sunday Harry and Thomas got quite a kick out of finding a huge slug on our driveway. This one is just a baby, I have seen them triple the size of this....Crikey!

Harry was quick to ask "mommy can we keep him as a pet?" Well you can guess my answer to that...NO, Icky!

They decided to try and move him over to the garden so we wouldn't run over him in the car.

A Blue Angels kind of weekend!

Seattle Seafair weekend August 1st-3rd 2008

This is one of the those weekends we look forward to all year!

Seafair is a family tradition. If we don't go down to the event itself we watch the airshow from somewhere on the foreshores of Lake Washington. This year we could even see the Blue Angels from our house...

Seafair is Seattle's annual summer festival.

Located down on Lake Washington over near Seward Park, South Seattle area, just a beautiful location. Its been going for 58 years and consists of hydroplane races, airshow, fireworks, music, parades and so much more....check out the official website in my links.

This year we decided to go down to where all the action was taking place. I had been there a few days before with the boys and scoped out a location for us to watch from. (Plus we got to watch them practice, a sneak peek of the day! See previous post =)

The day was finally here!!! After our usual IHOP Sunday breakfast, we headed out to the lake. We parked the car, right where I had hopped and avoided driving around for ages trying to find a spot...yay for us! We then packed up the stroller and made our way down to the waters edge.

The boys were so excited! we had packed their fold up tent, blankets, games, coloring books, crafts, snacks...etc they were set! Dave and I just kicked back in the shade with the cool breeze blowing over us from the lake, looking out over the water. We had taken our camping chairs too so we sat in comfort and relaxed!

While waiting for the Blue Angels we were entertained by the hydroplanes...Unreal! They really do fly, you can see the boats leave the water as they go by so fast. Harry was amazed and a little confused as to why they were not called boats?

Snow cones, sunburns & Smiles...ahhh summer!

Then Finally it was time for the Blue Angels.....

Need I say more, just check out the photo's and see the video...amazing!

The boys had a wonderful time. Thomas was a little scared by the noise, they really did get close. Flew right over the top of us at times, we loved it, poor Thomas not so much! Its funny Thomas was 2 weeks old when he attended his first Blue Angles show, now he's 3!

We can not wait for next year when we get to go to Seafair again....

Night out with the girls.....

Beatles Laser Show & Cheesecake Factory

Finally a night out! Although it meant Dave would be home early and I would really love to spend the time with him, it's nice to get out with the girls minus the kids! It's been a few weeks after all and I was dying for some girl time!

Tonight was to be my first laser show experience. Not quite sure what to expect, I just wanted to get out with the girls, plus this sounded fun! A laser show to Beatles music in a huge indoor dome theater...Beatles music you can't go wrong!

So off I went to Sarah's house, we would all go in together from there...It was quite exciting to do something I had never done before. Its funny how life can become quite monotonous, same things day-in/day-out, you have to keep it fresh and try new things to make life fun!

Anyway, after running through the rain from the car park to the Science Center we finally got there. What a night! So much for summer, it was more like winter, I even had a sweater on....

We entered the dome building and found a spot on the floor. Its best if you lay down and look up. The room went dark, the music started and BAM! The lasers started dancing around the room to the beat of the music. How cool was that! They played some really good Beatles songs like Get Back and Hey Jude, two of my favs. It was quite a tripy experience and honestly you feel like you should have taken some kind of drug before hand to have the ultimate experience...lol!

After about 15 songs it was over, a fun experience and would do it again. I would love to see the Doors like this, although I would take a pillow to make it a little more comfortable (do I sound old or what...lol!)

The night was still young so we headed off to the cheesecake factory for desert! Yummo. Hmm what to get, it's never easy to decide as they have over 60 different cheesecakes to choose from. After recommending so many of my fav's to my friends I had no idea what to get so I tried something new.

OK, so I know I am working out with a personal trainer, hoping to lose weight. And Yes I felt guilty and yes I looked around to make sure he was not there to see me. But its cheesecake with the girls, who can say no to that!

So anyway, I ordered the tuxedo chocolate cheesecake. I had a bite then let everyone else have a bite, had a little more and took the rest home for Dave...so I wasn't that naughty!

Long story short, I had a wonderful night and can not wait to hang with the girls again....I feel so totally lucky to have the friends I have...love you guys =)