RoyalMom

We wanted to experience a little train travel so we took a trip up to Seattle this weekend.

Traveling by train is such a pleasure and I highly recommend it! There's lots of room, bathrooms and dining. The chug-a-chug-a-chug-a is rather soothing for laying back in your seat or, if you want to stretch your legs, you can walk through to the other cars for a change in scenery.

first we rode the max to the train station...

Train time!...the starlight on the coast train: very cozy and roomy.

There is a scenic car with full windows to enjoy the view. We watched the sun set.

There is a dining car. We enjoyed dinner. (and you can enjoy some blurry photos, aka impressionism)

Once we arrived in Seattle we took a cab and it was swim time at the hotel...

and Spongebob on the laptop...

We had a nice city view from the 44th floor...

This is about as much of the sights we got to see this weekend. It was really just about the train;)

On the way home we took the cascades train. It moves faster, but its also more crowded and less about the comfort. Still comfortable but no reclining seats, less leg room and no scenic car.

I'd love to take a longer trip sometime, maybe when the kids are a bit older. Seattle was long enough for now.

Tonight Jason wanted some help leveling his newer character so we were able to run through some stuff with the kids characters in tow. It was hilarious!

Isaac always tries to barrel through the baddies and get himself killed while Xander sets his character to follow one of ours (on auto) and turns his attention to play with toys next to his computer. haha!

Isaac's reading is really starting to progress now to an openness to try small phrases on his own. Some of the words he is able to read surprise me. With life learning (or unschooling) he learns things on his own timeline. I don't teach him. I just facilitate him in finding information as he asks.

I catch glimpses into his growing vocabulary and reading skills every day and it amazes me! He is picking it up all on his own because he has a personal need for the skill. No class time, no lecture, no workbooks or homework required. The results will be the same. The only difference is he would be considered a "late reader" by school standards at nearly eight years old.

By our standards his own timeline is exactly as it should be. just like potty training...why work so hard forcing something when it will happen naturally on its own with a little more time? haha!

In other news, Xander (my foodie and chef) told me he saw a "snack recipe" on a commercial he wanted to try. He directed while I made ice cube tray popsicles made from juice and toothpicks.

He remembered all the steps, including the paper on top to hold the toothpicks upright. He directed me through each step like he was teaching a cooking class. haha!

I'm looking forward to the day we have independent Chef Xander in the kitchen. I have a feeling it's going to be fabulous!

Simon knows how to push the heavy slider open, slide into his brothers boots and go into the backyard. Sometimes he has clothes on, sometimes not. When adventure is needed who has time to worry about clothes?

Today he did have his pajamas on and the weather is starting to warm up finally.

Xander just slammed out numbers 1-12 today and wrote all of our names on this magnadoodle. Where does this knowledge come from? It's amazing how their brains are able to absorb everything in the environment and connect the dots.

He started with letter writing to a pen pal and I could barely make out the words. I don't correct his backwards letters or numbers at all and just help him when he asks...for example, he asked me to write the 9 here. After a while the letters have improved and are so much more legible, and now, all on his own he decided to start working on numbers.

We missed them the last few months. Our two babies have started laying too! I found the tiniest egg today.

Look how big they are now. The black one was our smallest chick and still maintains a petite stature next to the others.

Before and after pics:

brand new peeper at one week old...

5 weeks old, sporting the "5 week fug" as I called it...

and now at seven months old, a couple of sweet tempered ladies....

We naturally gravitated toward Attachment Parenting after Isaac was born, when we were shocked to learn he would not be happy about sleeping in a crib. I mean, I worked hard setting up that adorable nursery with adorable bedding..what's not to like?? lol

Jason and I let him cry for about 30 seconds before we couldn't take it anymore and acknowledged that it just felt wrong. I didn't even know there was a term for our direction of parenting until I accidently stumbled on "Attachment Parenting." It was nice to know there are others out there who choose this alternative and also the benefits in child development .

We sold the crib and have never looked back...

not to say it hasn't been rough at times. Simon is now going on four weeks of back to back nasty colds. He is restless and wanting to nurse ALL NIGHT long. I think my back is breaking and I fantasize about a solid 12 hour stretch of uninterrupted sleep in a bed all to myself! lol

My mantra "this too shall pass" keeps running through my head. The years pass quickly and before we know it he'll be in the next phase of life and we'll be missing these times.

Look how long his hair is getting. He gets me the comb and loves to have it brushed. Every once in a while I ask Jason if we should take him to get a cut and he says "noooooo!"

We ventured out into the golden evening light for a few family shots for my brother and his family. Just in case the large file takes a while to get to them (if it gets to you!...let me know), I thought I'd put a couple here for them to see.

Nine months of cuteness right here:)

We have been prisoners of our own home with the sickies! This is one nasty cold that holds on for two weeks and each of us has had it now, with me catching it last.

Xander got a bonus ear infection with his cold:(

So instead of adventures in the beautiful weather, its ice cream out of the box amongst the play-doh wreckage.

I think we will try and at least drive to the very close "hike" in town to get some fresh air. This is getting ridiculous!

This is Noble Woods park, just down the road from our neighborhood.

A short trail that circles around and back to a small parking lot. Perfect for getting out of the house but not exerting too much energy in our hacking and sniffling condition.

Swissarmywife

posted this totally awesome microwave cake recipe. The kids each made their own, with me mostly hands off...just there to read the recipe.

I was hoping to spend 5 minutes on this and be done but Xander requested frosting to go with it and that required some extra time (and dirty dishes).

I made this chocolate frosting recipe and it turned out great.

here's the cake recipe...

* 4 tablespoons flour
* 4 tablespoons sugar
* 2 tablespoons baking cocoa
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 egg
* 3 tablespoons buttermilk (we just used milk)
* 3 tablespoons oil
* dash of vanilla
* you could add some nuts or chocolate chips too

Mix it all up together and cook for 3 minutes in the microwave. voila!

One of our current library books is Nate the Great and the Monster Mess.

It's all about Nate using his detective skills to find his mother's misplace cookie recipe, which are lemon flavored, dog-shaped, cookie-cutter cookies. The recipe is listed in the back and, of course, we (aka Xander) had to make them as soon as possible.

Wiener dog shapes and dad to help (after I pooped out...still coughing and wimpy, ugh!).

Tasty cookies and no frosting needed.

I've posted this before...anytime I think of kid crafts it seems like work. Too many required crafts in grade school and teachers telling me how to do it differently so I can do it the "right " way...

Never-the-less, the kids have a rolling set of drawers that house all sorts of crafty supplies and they can grab whatever their hearts desire at any time.

It does amaze me what they will organize and complete. Xander saw this rain stick craft on tv and here he is with his completed rain stick...

Simon also enjoys all access to the art supplies...haha!

...for someone who asked. Our smaller hen lays some tiny eggs that are uber adorable. It's hard to show just how tiny it is. Does it help to show them in Jason's big, manly mit?