Flashback Friday: The Good Stuff

I decided I'm going to make Fridays picture days.  Not sure how I got so many pictures, considering the week we've had, but I guess it comes naturally. So, here is our week in review....

Friday

Ranch dressing, I was packing a lunch to take for Doug and Kora "needed" some Ranch.  How can she get one tiny spoonful to make that much mess...did any get in her mouth?!

Well, I guess she got some in her mouth..

I HAD to swing by the Taco Truck, I'm obsessed. $1.50 for two soft tacos...heavenly.

We wanted to squeeze in a little more Daddy time before he left.  SO GLAD WE DID. (This was the last time we saw him healthy.  He is still feeling awful, even with the medicine they gave him and tons of rest.  Poor guy.)

Family selfie, maybe not the best idea since my head looks GINORMOUS.

Kees and I watched a video on how to make your own rock candy.  He was so excited to try it.  He said he did not want to go to the playground on the way home from visiting Doug.  He wanted to make these right away!  Funny, Kora's is the blue one, and Kees's was supposed to be red, but turned out pink.

My parents gave Kees this awesome mat for Christmas. There are barnyard animals on the other side.  It's so cool!  My kids love this thing.  Look how mellow Kora is.

With Doug gone, I wanted to have as much fun as possible to make the time go by faster.  So, we had pizza for dinner, and we made THIS for dessert.  The kids ate SO much, and what was left, they polished off for breakfast the next day.

Enjoying their dessert.  Well at least Kora is excited!

MOVIE

Saturday

Kora is obsessed with this book right now. We took this picture to send to Aunt Kristee who gave it to us.  Please ignore my "morning look".

My good friend Lavonne, took pity on us, and invited us over on Saturday because she knew Doug was out of town.  Not even exaggerating, I sat in her backyard in awe of how she lives her life and serves others.  So thankful, and definitely taking notes!!!

Dirt pile, who doesn't love a dirt pile?!

Singing

DIRT!!!

On our way home from Lavonne's we stopped at the grocery store to buy popsicles.  I found these nuts on sale, and bought them for Doug. When we got home, I threw the kids in the tub WITH their popsicles...genius!

This is my girl! I was setting the kids clothes out for church, and Kora (already in her pajamas) insisted on trying her clothes on.  She's never worn this, I brought it back from Thailand and it was SO BIG at the time.  She slept in this, which made getting dressed in the morning that much easier.

Sunday

I'm sure the nursery workers love that Kora shows up with a book and a doll, and immediately removes her hair bow. 

She bolts through this door, she loves church!

Kees was so excited about his coloring book.

Progress!  Not too shabby!

I could not love this any more.  She is SUCH a helper and so sweet. She often says, "Thank you Mama" and "Help".  I hope this continues!

Monday

Doug's birthday! We skyped him at work, take a look at his eyes, you can tell he's sick.  He came home to pick me up around lunch time, and was supposed to take us back so we could help Lavonne set up a birthday celebration for him.  He was so weak and dizzy. He laid down and had me call to cancel.  Then within an hour he decided to go to Urgent Care. I can not even tell you how out of the ordinary that is for him.  I honestly don't think he's ever been to the doctor the entire time I've known him (12 years or so), for anything other than a basic check up.  I was so scared!

This was before Doug came home...an indicator of things to come.  (Kora also cut her hair while I was taking a 3 minute bathroom break, she was re-enacting a scene from a book, "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"

This happened, while I was crying on the phone to Lavonne and trying to help Doug figure out where he should go to get checked out.  When it rains it pours, straws!

They're calm!  After Doug left to go to the clinic, I had the kids clean everything up, and I put a show on for them.  I also sat down and watched a show (Call a Midwife) because I was so so anxious. I texted Doug every ten minutes, I was shaking, and fidgety.  Again, it is not like Doug to go to the doctor, not only that, but it was his idea, and he didn't even want to wait for Lavonne to come over, so I could go with him.

Kora fell asleep while Doug was gone.

(Just in case you're worried, Doug has a pretty bad infection. They gave him 30 days of antibiotics!!  He went back to work Thursday, but only lasted till lunch time.  He told me in the evening that he feels WORSE. Prayers appreciated!)

Tuesday

I'm obsessed with street tacos.  Doug made a pork roast (okay pork butt) last week, and the meat is so yummy.  I've been eating a lot of these delicious street tacos at home.  I don't think they are as good as the Taco Truck, but a close second.

I bought this book for my sister, but I think Kees has claimed it.  He's been using it, pretending to read, and keeping track of what page number he was on.

With Doug home, I was more stir crazy than usual.  I don't always handle change well. I wanted to get the kids out of the house, so I took them to the Dollar Tree to replace a slinky of Kora's that I vacuumed up over the weekend. After that, we were planning on going to the park.  It started raining when we were checking out!  So, we went to Carl's Jr. so the kids could run off some energy.  THEY HAD STREET TACOS!!! ($1.49)  The meat tasted bland and fake, this was NOT a yummy taco.

So, here's the line up, Taco Truck on the left...the winner.  My homemade version, top right, runner up. And Carl's Jr....go enter your "attempt" into a dog food competition.

I finally remembered to let the kids try their rock candy, they approved!

Wednesday

I was gonna make bacon, eggs, and biscuits. Doug wanted chocolate syrup. The kids devoured it.

The kids play "Pit Stop".  Kees drives around and Kora fills him up with gas and does tire changes with her magic wand (that's what she picked at the Dollar Tree when we were there earlier in the week)

And we got to go to the PARK!!!

We also ran to the grocery store on the way home.  Not sure if you've noticed, but I shop a lot (for groceries). During a regular week, that's no problem, I go in the evenings when Doug is home.  With Doug being sick, I've been going just as often and hauling the kids...terrible, terrible plan, and yet I keep doing it.  We made dinner when we got home.

Silly kids, if you read yesterday's post, then you know, we did stunts and the kids even danced quite a bit. So fun!

Thursday

Dancing

We got our cookie cutters!  I'll tell you more about them in a future post, but we love, love these!!

Play dough (We've had this play dough a long time, it's still kicking!)

The kids and I heard live music and saw classic cars at the retirement home next door to our apartment complex. By the time we got lunch and headed over, it was gone!!! My kids are checking out their "baby".  Any weed that grows out of a crack in the sidewalk is their baby.  Kees cried, for at least 10 minutes the other day when Kora stomped on one of these.

This is how I feel, every day.  Trying to grab Kora and she's breaking away.  I had asked them to hold hands and Kora wasn't wanting to.  Love their personalities coming through in this photo. 

Since the cars and music were gone, we checked the mail and spent quite a while running up and down this ramp.

And climing

I seriously look back at these photos and wonder how I can be so stupid!  Look at Kora, she thinks she can "step down".  I went right over and stopped her.  And not an hour later (at the grocery store AGAIN), she did the same thing and came WAY TOO close to falling. I barely caught her.  If I make it to her 3rd birthday without having a heart attack I think it will be a miracle.

Kora is "locking" the door with her key (a bobby pin) and Kees is using the cookie cutter container as a helmet. He's going to outer space.

We made the most amazing, most awesome, most wonderful play dough ever.  I'll tell you all about it later, but get excited!

Building blocks with Kees.

Sweet snuggly sleeping girl!

And I feel like with the publication of this blog, WE SURVIVED!  Today was far better than the previous days this week, despite Doug still not feeling well.  I hope he improves dramatically over the weekend, I miss him!  It's so strange and quiet with him not being around.  I know the kids miss him like crazy too, he's always playing monster, chase, or some other equally over the top game.  Interesting that I am learning how vital Doug is to our family, the HARD way, right before Father's day.  I know he's amazing, but being with out him (at full capacity) really emphasizes that.