Day trip to Prescott

Willem was on Fall Break this week so we decided to take a road trip up to Prescott for the day. I was hoping the kids would get to see the leaves changing colors and have a chance to spend a day in a town that was actually experiencing fall. It was actually still pretty toasty up in Prescott as well but we did see the beginnings of beautiful foliage. And most importantly, we got to spend the day with my wonderful brother and Dad.

The kids were pretty excited to have Jayme along for the road trip and Jayme was a trooper sitting in the back with them. The kids have little sense of personal boundaries and thought all of Jayme's things were their new toys.

Jayme knew of an area just south of town that had a nice lake so we stopped there to let the kids run around a bit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The kids enjoyed watching people fish and made friends with a family whose kids were catching tadpoles in the water. They let Willem take a turn with their net and he was thrilled. We lifted up rocks in hopes of finding something but mostly just enjoyed playing in the water. Ellie loved throwing rocks in and watching the ripple effect. Definitely want to come back here with Jason sometime!

We then headed into town and had lunch in the old downtown area. We fell upon this neat bookstore and picked up a copy of the original Winnie the Pooh story. We just finished Charlottes Web so it was perfect timing to find a new book to read.

The kids could have played in the town square all day.

 

Fiddle Concert at the Pumpkin Patch

Willem's studio was invited to play at the McDonald Rancch Pumpkin Patch on opening weekend. We had never been there before so it was a fun first for us. For the performance Willem learned how to play the drone for Boil the Cabbage Down and the mouse part for Old McDonald Had A Farm. It was a neat experience for him to get to see older kids who have been playing for years play some fun songs at a Pumpkin Patch of all places.

 

 

Ellie loved watching the horses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kiki joined us as well and took the kids in to the petting zoo area. Willem loved feeding the goats and Ellie liked being around the animals but not too close.

 

 

 

We told Willem he could do one ride before we headed out and to our surprise, he chose the bungee cord trampoline. His love of adventure often surprises me because he's so cautious in some regards but has a very adventurous spirit when it comes to rides.

Rachel took part in the fun as well and entertained us all with her aeronautic skills.

Willem bounced for a good 10 minutes and loved every minute of it!

Random September Happenings

Ellie loves school! This year Willem's been riding to school with Grandma, except on Wednesdays. So every morning after Willem leaves, Ellie asks when she gets to go to school. She'll start saying "Ellie. School." and gets her shoes on and collects her backpack. The three mornings she goes, we leave about an hour after Willem leaves for school and that is a little hard on Ellie. As soon as I tell her it's time, she gets her things together and is waiting at the door. When we arrive at school, she collects her backpack and lunch box and insists on walking by herself(aka, holding onto my skirt, rather than holding hands). She hangs up her backpack on the cart, deposits her water bottle and lunch box and goes into class without saying good bye. I always go in and make sure to give her a kiss and tell her I'm leaving but she'd be fine even if I didn't. When I pick her up from school and ask what she did that day she most always tells me "played babies". Her favorite area is the babies/practical life area. She's also getting more into the arts and crafts and she loves the music and movement time. She's singing up a storm these days. Her favorite songs are "Itsy bitsy spider", "Abc's", "Row, Row your boat", and "Goodbye friends song" which they sing at the end of the day.

One of the presents Willem received from our family in Holland is a kit where you build a forklift. Willem read on the box that it was for kids over 3 and he was ready to go. His first attempt with Mom though didn't get us much past step 1 so he waited patiently for a few days until Jason's day off and they completed the assembly. Willem was really patient in laying out the pieces just as the directions described and we put them in the tray until Jasons day off. I really think the Montessori classroom has helped him learn to be methodical in taking on projects like this.

Willem initially planned on being an astronaut for Halloween but has since decided on Spiderman. While we were in Vegas, he and Grandma found the perfect costume and he has practically lived in it since. He literally slept in it the 1st 3 nights and wore it as much as he could during the day. I drew a line at wearing it to church and school but he's learned to even put the gloves on by himself and is like Peter Parker, switching into his costume very quickly.

Every morning the kids have breakfast together and are totally adorable. During the week they have cereal, yogurt, fruit and then they request whatever I'm having (usually oatmeal). By the end of the meal it seems like they each have 3 bowls, 2 plates and a water cup out. They crack me up. They usually request different cereals but upon seeing what the other has, then request the other cereal option. Then they see that I'm having oatmeal which they both initially rejected but suddenly they must have. Some days I draw a line as I'm pretty strict about there only being one meal served at lunch and dinner but breaksfast does get a bit drawn out. They do know though that whatever they ask for they have to eat and do a pretty good job of it. This picture was taken on a Sunday when Grandma made eggs in a basket, definitely a favorite!

 

Last trip before baby #3

Lex and Anita came from Holland to vacation for a couple of weeks and we were able to catch up with them for a couple of days in Vegas. They seem to be on the same schedule for vacationing in the US as our schedule in having babies. The last time they visited, they came to Phoenix the week Ellie was due in hopes of meeting her but at last she arrived the day after they left. This time we were still 8 weeks out so I felt a little better and was able to better enjoy the visit. Plus we met up in Vegas which is always fun.
 
It was nice taking a trip without the kids, even though it was a whirlwind. We had never driven to Vegas from Phoenix before so it was fun taking in the scenery. It continues to amaze me how varied the Arizona landscape is. I especially enjoyed the Joshua trees just outside of Wickenburg. The drive there was a bit quiet compared to my usual time in the car. Jason was sleeping so it gave me an opportunity to take in our surroundings.

My favorite Vegas attraction--The Bellagio water show. Luckily we stayed next door at the Vdara so it was easy to take in the show.

It was great meeting up with Linda and Wouter and later on the Colemans. We were able to check out the Bellagio's garden display and do a little bit of shopping as a group.

 

We have been wanting to go to a show in Vegas for a long time and finally made plans to see O. Though the show was at 10pm the night we arrived, it was well worth it. I've never seen anything like it before, truly like a living art display. Next time, I want to see the Beatles show.

Jason had found a Bed and Breakfast package for the hotel we stayed at so Saturday morning we were able to relax and have breakfast in the room. We did not expect for them to set it up so nicely. They even brought a toaster to the room and toasted the bread right there in front of us, quite a treat! We weren't really able to sleep in too late (I remember when we had Willem we thought we'd never get over not sleeping in, now neither of us can sleep much past 8).  But we enjoyed watching TV and not having to be anywhere at a certain time.

Saturday night we went to a restaurant Alex suggested that was off the strip. It was located in a building filled with unique stores and art galleries. Definitely a side of Vegas we hadn't seen before.

Then Alex showed us his office space. Definitely an inspirational space. Our fingers are crossed that his business will take off, Rumgr is a lot easier to use than Craigslist!

All in all, a great last getaway before the baby arrives! 

Reese turns 5!

Willem's good friend Reese turned 5 and invited the kids to Build A Bear to celebrate. Willem hadn't been to one in a couple years and Ellie had never gone, so this was quite exciting to them. Ellie took great care in washing her bear. She picked out a purple teddy bear, but since being home it seems like the box is as much of a hit as the bear itself. 

 

 

 

Willem picked out a puppy dog because Pravash has a stuffed animal like that at his house that he likes to play with. He was enamored by the whole process and liked manning the fluff pump and so forth. Was a bit disappointed that Jason and I weren't as enthusiastic about the insane amount of accessories they offer for these stuffed animals. One moment it was going to be a spiderman dog, then a biker dog, a ballerina, etc. Somehow we walked out without any accesories and the box it came in has been a huge hit as well. He and Ellie carry the boxes around the house and will not let me get rid of them.

After, we went to the food court for dinner and dessert. The kids were hilarious to watch as they hung out together and tried to make each other laugh.