Friends and places of fun

Another sensational week has come and gone for the Nutt House.  It’s been a week chocked full of friends and excursions, and milestones.

This week was the last week of preschool for Kara for this year.  As I look back on this school year for her, physically I don’t see too much of a difference – maybe it’s because I’m mom and I’m with her every day, but I just didn’t see it.  From what she has learned though…  my goodness!  She has grown so much, it is truly impressive!  The girl that barely knew some of her letters, might be able to count to 10 but couldn’t recognize the numbers, didn’t know how to write her name let alone how to spell it.  She can now do all of that and so much more.  Kara has a hunger for knowledge that is impressive.  I’m so proud of all she has done this past year and cannot wait to see what one more year of preschool will bring for her!  *Though there is a not so small part of me that wishes time would stand still and there would be no more years of school, no more growing up and she’d just stay my sweet Princess Kara forever.

Last day of preschool year 1
& still smilin'

First day of preschool

We all saw Kaden’s sports class come to an end this week.  He loved this class so much it’s sad to think it’s over.  While the class wasn’t that long, he had a blast and grew as well.  Before the class Kaden could kick and throw a ball but he could never quite jump enough for his feet to actually leave the ground.  Now they can!  This class has helped to identify an outlet for his rough and tumbly energetic desire to run, kick, throw, and run some more.  I can’t wait to see where we go from here with Kaden and how he grows in his fondness for athletics.

Every day this past week starting with Monday the Nutt House has been blessed to have had time with friends and loved ones.  Wednesday evening we enjoyed an evening at the park with Kara’s Gigi.  It was good to see her for a few minutes, catch a glimpse into her life, and enjoy some park time with her while allowing her to see how Kara and Kaden both have grown since she last saw them.

Prior to that on Monday and Tuesday a friend of Kaden’s came to spend time with us during the day.  What a great time Kaden had, having another boy to play with!  Another person that really is interested in Jake and the Neverland Pirates, wants to play with cars, with trains, with balls, with swords and enjoys wearing superhero capes!  I think the quality boy time was therapeutic for poor Kaden who’s older sister may feign interest in the items above, but, it is nothing more than a fleeting interest. 

We chose to escape the house on Tuesday and with Kaden’s friend in tow we went on an adventure where we rode a train to the airport, rode several escalators (a highlight for our little Nutts), ate lunch at the airport, and watched airplanes land and depart.  Cloud 9 – that’s how Kaden felt experiencing so many of his favorite things all in one outing.  We’ve gone and watched airplanes before, but not like this.  I think going forward, this is how we need to complete our airplane watching excursions – it was the complete package instead of just pieces of it.

3 happy train riders

Lunch in terminal 4

Holding on in the elevator

So many planes to watch!

I don't think the boys looked away much at all

Lovin' the escalator

Thursday afternoon a family friend came to stay with us while her parents were away.  We continued to take advantage of having friends with us utilizing many of our memberships and passes with her.  Friday we journeyed to the Science Center, a place we haven’t been to in way too long.  We took our time exploring each level, almost every exhibit, and enjoyed the visiting exhibit “Grossology” which explores the inside of the body and the how’s and why’s for some of our more “gross” bodily functions.  Though it was gross, it was great to have an interactive way to learn and teach how the body acts and reacts.  Kaden most enjoyed the “Grossology” and music exhibits; Kara’s favorites were the water play area, “Grossology”, and having a friend who is a few years older there to enjoy and learn from.  As for me, well, this Nutt, enjoyed watching the joy my little Nutts were experiencing the most.   Cliche'? maybe. truth, yes!

See? Gross

Walking through the stomach

Learning how food moves through the body

Life sized operation game
*with actual body parts

Don't let the water escape!

Building strong to withstand
an earthquake

One of Kaden's all time favorites

Now that may be enough excitement for some, but for this Nutt House, oh no, that was not all!  Late Friday afternoon we met up with Brent for some fun bowling.  Now, score wise, it was one of the best games I’ve had in a long time!  On a fun factor – oh.my.goodness!  What a fun evening it was!  Bowling is destined to become a Nutt House family favorite, we all enjoy it so much!  Brent and I took one lane and the kids another with the bumpers up for added assistance.  Everyone had such fun. 

Yes!  I broke 100!!!

Kara is the middle "K" and Kaden the bottom "K"

Kara experimented with different bowling techniques trying to find out what she liked best.  *She’d go back and forth with the kid’s bowling aid, granny rolling the ball, and trying to toss the ball down the lane.  She’d get so happy each time it appeared a significant amount of pins went down.  At one point she even scored a spare, she was so happy and rightfully so!

Letting it go

Watch out, she may go pro!

Kaden, well, he was night’s entertainment.  He too would use different bowling techniques, but he wouldn’t stop there.  He’d sit, he’d lay, he’d crouch, and he’d do a ton of different poses while keeping his eye on the ball its entire slow roll down the bowling lane.  At one point, Kaden did not want to use the bowling aid and wanted to roll it down the lane by himself.  With all the force he could muster he rolled that ball.  At the speed of a snail the ball went off rolling down the lane.  Just before the ball reached the pins it stopped, then it rolled backwards a bit, then forwards, then stopped again.  That ball wasn’t going to and did not move until it received assistance from one of the bowling alley workers who gave it a gentle nudge, helping Kaden to earn a strike for the night!

Watch it go!

I did it!

Waiting

Waiting, again

And, again

Waiting, one more time

I cannot wait to go back bowling again with my wonderful group of Nutts!  Fortunately, thanks to some passes we purchased for the summer, I think I won’t have to wait longer than tomorrow to enjoy more bowling fun.

After we attended a baptism yesterday morning we went off to the Natural History Museum where we spent many an hour exploring the dinosaurs, panning for gold, investigating an old mine, and so much more.  The friend we had with us had only been to the museum once before that she could remember so the entire event was fun for her.  Likewise, Brent has only been able to go with us once, and that was back at Easter when part of the museum was closed off.  What fun we had!  Even for the little Nutts and myself, we discovered new things to see and do at the museum that we had not seen before.  As Brent put it, the Natural History museum is one of those that each time we go to, we could discover something else new.  What a true statement he spoke! 

Ask him and Kaden will tell you he wants to grow to be as big as a dinosaur.  please no!!!

Family favorite dinosaur - the pteranodon  *Thanks Dinosaur Train!

panning for gold

brushing the dirt away to uncover dinosaurs & fossils

We could not let the Star Wars poster pass us by without a photo

They loved photo bombing the old movie!

We paused to assemble almost every puzzle at the museum
 (and they have A LOT) 

This about sums us Nutts up!

Fun in the previously undiscovered kid's play room

LOVE!

Guess who wanted to stay and play the longest in here?

Sweet little man is 100% boy and loves dinosaurs!

Take my picture mom!

Another one, k?

Statue kitty-corner from the museum

We are so very fortunate at the Nutt House to have memberships and passes to so very many of the fun museums and places around the east valley of Phoenix.  We are able to have fun, explore, discover, play and learn all at the same time and we enjoy each minute of it!

While all of this was in itself such a very busy week we did sneak in a few other small escapades.  The kiddos and I met up with Brent one afternoon to have lunch from a food truck.  While the little Nutts were apprehensive at first we found we each enjoyed the fare the grilled cheese food truck had to offer! 

Mac'n'cheese grilled cheese followed by a
grilled s'mores sandwich for dessert... YUMMY!

Thanks to the beautiful weather we've been blessed to have, the little Nutt's and myself have been playing outdoors at each available moment.  For fun this week, while playing outside we got out our super sticky bubbles.  I don't know if it possible for a person to be unhappy and play with bubbles at the same time.  Definitely fun therapy for the Nutt House!

We found the time to visit Bookman’s, a local bookstore.  After showing Kara where the children’s section was I went to locate the rest of the Nutt House before perusing the children’s section myself.  Well, in the quick minute I was away upon my return I found Kara like this….   Such a book lover!

 

With that, we are calling this week a wrap.   Now, onto a new week full of new adventures, experiences and opportunities for our Nutt House!  We can hardly wait!!