Garage Sale Finds & More Fun

June 14-20

Who knew Brian was such a garage saler. He keeps finding all these deals as he is out driving around for work.

Balls, Balls and more Balls! Brian found this ball pit for $5. We haven't even opened the garbage bag with more balls

Chair-free. Brian found this chair sitting out by someone's trash. He brought it home sanded it down and cleaned it up-viola brand new! It's a little big for Brooks but he does like to sit in it (notice the radio?) and he likes to drive his cars on it

Wood castle-$3. Of course we already had some knights (and pirate) guys that can be used in the castle

Playing at Waneka Lake Park. Thought I would take Brooks to a different park. This park has lots of shade and more people than the little park by our house

                                  Mr. Joe Cool out running some errands with mommy

Playing is hard work

Thought I would give an update on things Brooks is doing.

Besides climbing on everything, he is cruising along the furniture and will hold our hands while walking (I feel like I am walking a chimp) and he is standing for a few seconds on his own-more and more each day. I think he will be walking on his own soon.

He points to things he wants or where he wants but he also knows sign language for hungry/eat, more, all done, bed/sleepytime and dog. We are working on book but he will take my hands and make the sign

He likes to help mop the floor, clean the bath tub, he will wipe up his high chair tray and if he finds a tissue laying around he will either blow his nose or he will use it to wipe up the floor or both. He also likes to chase and be chased by the vacuum cleaner.

He has been saying mama, dada (I did get him to say daddee the other day), bye-bye and he will roar for lion, and he just started saying moo for cow. He tries to say bath-but it comes out "ba" but I know what he wants. A bath is one of his favorite things- so much so that when he doesn't want to come inside I ask him if he wants a bath and he points and says ba all the way into the bathroom.  Oh, I am sure there is more-seems to be something new everyday but those are some of our highlights/funny things from the past few weeks. I will try to get better at posting things like this-especially for Mimi & GG!

Inside Entertainment

June 11

We had a couple days where we stayed inside. Decided we needed a day to recover from the car ride to MT Evans and we could smell the smoke from the fires so didn't think it was a good idea to be outside

Brooks discovered the cabinet where I keep my shopping bags

The next day...

The porch still smelled like smoke so it was off limits. To entertain Brooks I filled a small bowl of water and let him splash around on the kitchen floor. When he was done he helped me clean up the water 

Talk about lying down on the job

It's hard work mopping up the floor-he will also help me clean the bath tub

Gretchen & Eli Visit con't

June 10

Mt Evans

We were going to go to Estes Park but since there was a fire in that direction we went the other way to Mt Evans not knowing that the road up Mt Evans was super narrow and there are no guard rails not to mention it was super windy and cold but we had fun-panic attacks and all. We didn't drive all the way to the summit but we did make it to Summit Lake and Eli did get to see some snow and ice! I believe the sign entering the park said it was 60 degrees at the entrance and at the summit it was something like 30 degrees.

This is Summit Lake-yes that it ice on the lake

                         The straight line is the road continuing up to the summit

        Here is the view out my window. You can see the road then nothing but down

                                                     This is Brooks's view

                                          Daddy and Brooks at an information building

 Eli at Echo Lake where we stopped to have lunch. It was not as windy and cold here as it was up on Mt Evans. I think he is so happy he survived the narrow, windy ride down Mt Evans

 Chillin out after lunch. Giving everyone a break from the car before we headed back home

Gretchen has some other photos of their trip that I will need to get (hint hint Gretchen if you are reading this!!)

Gretchen & Eli Visit (June 6-11)

June 9

Breakfast at The Huckleberry

His royal highness waiting for his breakfast

We went to the Colorado Train Museum in Golden. We are getting ready to ride the Galloping Goose (there is a photo later of the outside)

                                      Gretchen and Eli on the Galloping Goose

                                                           Here we go!

Nope this is not the Galloping Goose just some old rail car we saw as we were riding along

                                              Let's get this thing moving!

Inside an old passenger car. If you look closely you can see a ghost in the window...ok not really- it's my reflection. We couldn't go in this car but it looked really cool inside

                                     This is the Galloping Goose that we got to ride

                                          Brian checking out the snow plow train

                                          Eli and Brian manning the Coors train

                                        Brooks and Mommy on the Coors train

Papa Geno's Wagon (June 7)

Gretchen and Eli are out visiting and brought us a wagon that my grandpa made. Brooks just discovered it sitting on the porch.

Pushing the wagon-he had to stop and put some of his toys it as he pushed it along

                                                Of course he had to try sitting in it

We had to put the wagon into retirement after a couple days. We discovered Papa Geno really didn't build it for little boys to play with-Brooks broke the wheels off and although Brian fixed it, Brooks then pulled the seat off. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.  Since Papa Geno built the wagon for my grandma's dolls we have moved the wagon into Brooks' room and put some animals in it-as Papa Geno intended although he would have gotten a kick out of Brooks playing with it.

Playing Around (June 4)

Brooks loves playing with the mini cars Mimi bought him

Brooks likes to carry his radio around the house bouncing along to the music

Brooks is a climber. He climbed into his old bouncy seat. Doesn't look to comfortable

Nope, not so comfortable let's try staning 

                                                                I didn't do it!

Sorting socks 

Still loves helping with the laundry-if you call helping taking everything out of the basket but I think we are making progress because he will put the clothes back in the basket now