Michelle and Mannie (GA)
Member Since 2009
Good Morning LL! 
(YUM! I Love coffee!), and Happy First Day of SUMMER!!
LL! It's is I, Elsa, KBP!, president and CEO of Coffee Cat! Life is GOOD! Coffee is on, Lola and Bug , founders of Paw Prints Pizza, are ready to go! Want pizza? it is MEGA GOOD! They are busy getting ready for.... uh.... I dunno! but there sure is a flurry of activity in the kitchen. :shock: I suspect they are getting a jump start on the Full Buck Moon Party at Camp Stu! I am SO EXCITED!!! I lubs Camp Stu. Mannie talked about Camp Stu all the time. It is the bestest place ever. So... see all you kitties there,. We gots lots of partying to do. I am excited too cuz well, there will be the Circle Of Remembrance. I so miss Mannie. I hopes I can see him! and BJ too! so. well. anyways. Coffee time! For today, I proudly offer Elsa's special 10 hour energy coffee, and Double shot Breve's, with beans from high in the Brazilian Mountains.... and for my mocha fans: a VENTI Quad Blueberry infused white mocha/mocha blend with white chocolate chips melted within, swirled with a raspberry puree, topped with a strawberry infused whip garnished with caramelized berry sprinkles and white chocolate curls and a caramel drizzle.......SWEET! OH! No worries, a dollop of 4 berry and vanilla and caramel swirl ice cream, on top of a dollop of fudge, topped with caramel and chocolate drizzle.... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh....... mega good!
I hope everyone had a great day yesterday, and a great week. The days with the boys have been good ones! We have been very busy, that part of life has not changed. What a BUSY week! Yesterday, like all Fridays, was very much a water day, what with swimming in the morning, and we had intended to go swimming in the evening too. But.... a general snafu prevented that. We get to the Terrace Pool only to find they were closed for the evening for staff training. Well, back up plan for that is to go to Lynnwood, his regular pool, and swim there. So off we went. We get there only to discover they just redid their FR night swim schedule, and we'd have to wait an hour and a half for any pool time. That unfortunately is just too long for Nicholas. He handled that disappointment very well, telling me that it really was OK, and can we just walk the pool trail, look for berries, and have a picnic burger and fries night instead. So we did. It turned out to be a great FR night, despite out not being able to be in the pool. Swimming was as good as it always is. The energizer fishie was in his element, and continues to have a great time in the pool. He continues to make do with the summer schedule and the no big pool situation. He tries to get in some of his "deep sea diving" ventures in what areas there that are big enough and deep enough to retrieve things from the bottom. The hot tub there has proven to be invaluable in that regard. He had fun, playing with alot of new friends. Half way through the morning session his two cousins showed up, which was very cool. He was able to play with them for an hour. What fun for him! Wednesday's swim was also a good one, many many swims under the surface! Lots of fun interacting with alot of the other kids there. That is really fun to watch. I comtinue to be grateful to my DMIL, Connie, who watches William for me so Nicholas and I can swim. She filled in for both swim days this week. Thanks you Connie!! We made it home for naps after both swim days, they were so needed.
Nicholas still looks forward to our after swim even if we can't swim) Friday Night Burger Feast too. That is just so fun: burgers and fries, just him and me, with lots of fun stories. Last night we again talked Mariners Baseball, as well as all our berry hunts. He was into the trees that surround the pool last night - just talking about the different kinds there are there. We also talked endlessly about how these pools were closed. I heard alot of "What a BUMMER!" ;-) I still love that drive from the pool to his house: 30 minutes of little guy stories, my little back seat driver! Quite the imagination he has. He tells stories, we continue to look for rainbows and sunsets and views of Seattle, baseball and trains. Last night we made up this grand adventure, a trip to all these cool places, and what we would do when we were there. Last night the traffic was just awful, and what should have been a 20 minute drive turned into well over an hour, at a very slow snails pace. Nicholas was my entertainment committee - such carrying ons, antics, expressions, fun, and activity in the back seat. Despite the horrid traffic, ii ended up being a great drive home: sunny skies, and the making of a great sunset! AWESOME TIME!
Nick's Pics continue. He has fun with it, so I continue to encourage it anytime he asks for the camera. It still continues to be interesting to me to see what it is he chooses to take photos of. Often it is just to record what he sees at that moment. These few are from out attempted swim at the Lynnwood pool last night: Nick's Pics
Monday found me out hiking.
, well sort of hiking. ;-) I was meeting my youngest son for lunch later in the day, so decided to walk one of our urban trails near Lake Washington: the Burke-Gilman. It was a nice walk, did about 9.5 miles total. Made it up to Lake Forest park, or so the sign said. I enjoyed it, sure would make for a great bike ride. I got hung up on all the homes there, nice stuff. The "trail" down there is really nice, ifs right on the lake, lots of lake views, with alot of nice homes there. I could not believe how close together they were, like a mere two feet apart.. One had better like their neighbor. They were very nice homes, and I loved that itsy bitsy tiny access road they all had too. That cracked me up. cram it all in the best they can, for alot of money. Well anyways, the walk was a great one. Lunch with the kid was fun too - nice to be able to see him!
Tuesday is usually my visit Barb in Seattle day, but she had meetings and could not get away. So I thought I'd spend another day on the river, at a place that I visited a few weeks ago, as it is also one of Nicholas's favorite places to go to spend a day on the river: Beckler River. What an awesome day it was. It was just too nice of a day not to be outdoors, and I really couldn't think of a better place to spend it. This part of the river is an awesome place to go and just hang out. I explored some too, logged maybe three miles. In doing so, I saw alot of wildflowers, a some great river views. I walked one of the connecting forest service roads for a mile or two that follows one of the connecting rivers. wow - that was great! What an awesome time on a very pretty river. A very fast, very high, very furious gorgeous river. On the way home I also visited Index, WA and spent a few moments on the Skykomish River. Trout Creek access is one of the prettiest spots, great river views, nice scenery! All in all a very glorious, relaxing day on the river.
Wednesday, after swimming, we went to Juanita Beach. The weather had improved enough, the sun was beginning to poke through, and it was turning into a warm afternoon, like 80 (!!), so off we went! We did all of what he goes there for. Lots of play, and it was warm enough that he could swim in the water. He had such fun with that. I had also brought a pair of swim trunks for William, so he was able to really get in the water, and play as much as he wanted. He continues to love the very small waves, and had a blast. Nicholas was there to show him the ropes, and to introduce him to burying oneself in the sand once again. WHAT FUN! Of course William had to come and see what all the laughter was about. WHAT A MESS he was after that. :roll: :lol: :lol: All around - really a terrific day. I bet both those boys slept well that night. William has really developed a fondness for it all, he just gets so excited when he sees the parks, the beaches, the rivers, He is so very much like his brother when he was that age. He just loved it. We also had a small picnic after our beach and park time. AWESOME time at the beach.
Thursday was road trip day. We had incredible weather in the forecast, and well, it just had to be an outdoor day. I thought it would be great to go to a place that we have not been able to visit since last summer, as it spends it's winters under a blanket of snow: Gold Creek Pond, up at Snoqulamie Pass. There is a 1.5 mile easy to do loop trail there, that follows one of the prettiest mountain lake ever. The scenery is awesome. There are also several places that allowed shore access, so the boys were able to explore those. At the end of the loop there is a meadow area that has a few picninc tables, with great water access, and incredible mountain views as a back drop. It was warm enough that Nicholas wanted to venture out into the water. He stripped to his skivvies and in he went. WHAT FUN! It was somehow just the best, wading in a mountain lake, with scenery like that all around you. William loved it too, but the water was just too deep for him, what with him just being a crawler, so I had to keep him at the shore's edge. He was ok with that. YAY! All in all, a fantastic day for the boys. I love these road trips, as it allows me to really enjoy Nicholas's "many faces of travel". Fantastic day!
Before out road trip on Thursday, we made a short stop in at the Mesika Trail, by the Lynnwood Pool. We thought it would be fun to check on the berries there, see if more had come into fruit, do a berry run at the pool trail this morning before heading up to S Pass. That was so fun. Nicholas found that hidden patch of wild raspberries, climbed on in and ate them all, probably 50 of them in there,
He did save a few for his brother, who was busy with the huckleberries . It was fun. We ended up doing the whole trail, with alot of play time throughout of walk. Amazing that we still had time for our road trip, but we did! If there is a will, then there is a way....
Friday afternoon, after morning swimming, we ended up at the new local park we have found. Meadowdale Park continues to be a favorite of Nicholas's. The playground equipment is really nice, with good challenges for him, and well there is that zip line. :razz: :razz: :razz: :razz: That thing is so fun. Nicholas just loves it. Yesterday he was ale to make it all work without Grammie's help. 
He has made a few new friends during our visits there, and on yesterday he met several more. It was nice that he is willing to play with whomever he meets there. It is so great to be able to watch him play with boys his own age. They run and climb on everything. The laughs for them are endless. William watches it all, trying so much to be part of the group. :lol: What with Swimming in the morning and these park outings in the afternoon, we have, of late, been heading home after that, late afternoon, as both boys are beat, and some serious napping is in order. I know that the day has been good when I catch Nicholas smiling in his sleep. William too!
And... just for the fun of it: our mornings here with the boys continue much as they always do: FUN, Excellent breffis's, with major good food. It is great to see them so happy first off, ready to chow down and get the day rolling. :lol:
Normalcy in MusketeerVille! What to say about the kitties.... They have been good kitties, and even Lola! Well sorta on Lola... Lola will always be Lola. Crazy fun Lola. I know I write this alot, but it all continues to be true: When I got home last night I watched the usual Friday night run and romp. That is so fun to watch, and so what goes down here on FR nights. Elsa just watches, trying to decide if she wants to run too. We have been, lately, getting her to join in on one of the romps. She runs once, maybe twice, chasing Bug down the hall. Not too bad for my senior gal. :lol: :lol: This is about the only time I can ever get her to run like that. It is nice to see once in a while. There was nothing amiss when I got home, just kitties waiting at the top of the stairs. Just as it always is. LOVE THAT! Lola was rolling on the stairs, Bug was pacing, and Elsa was just sitting with that stare: where have you been? Definitely a normal Friday night for the kitties. I get a few meows, some leg rubs, they get scritches in return, and then off they go. The runs were endless last night. Lola has been fairly good, no plant issues, no torn papers, boxes remain intact.We only had one broken knick-knack, that she managed to bat off the shelf the other night. :roll: Today is shopping day so she will get a new paper bag. :lol: :lol: No doubt that will make her day. She still tries SO HARD to get outside during our warmer days, she runs from window to window hoping maybe those screen have disappeared. :lol: :lol: Yesterday she succeeded once: she is very quick and very good at leaping out the door, through those few inches of that opening... I know.... she needs a catio.... She continues too to pound on all glass and plastic surfaces. What a hoot. Still walking the railing and the frig door. Crazy fun Lola! Bug continues to warm up to the boys more and more as the days go by. Sure is nice to see that. He has come to sit by William at times when he sleeps. That so reminds me of Mannie and Nicholas. Elsa is still dong well, darn active for an almost 18 year old. She sleeps alot, but what the heck: part of being a cat. She continues to be a very good lap cat of late: nice! :lol: With the warm weather she has been out in the yard alot. Lola is SO JEALOUS!!, and lets me know it whenever she sees Big Sis out in the yard. :roll: It is interesting that Bug just doesn't seem to mind at all. He is more than content to be a house cat. Kitties are good, and All are sound asleep as I write this.... Stay good kitties! Normalcy in MusketeerVille!
Have a great day everyone! I am off in a few to connect with Erin, Jason and Nichoals ann William. We are off to Snoqualmie for a "Thomas the Train" event, an annual thing for the Northwest Railroad Museum in Snoqualmie. There are all kinds of activities for the kids, all Thomas related, with a for real train ride on Thomas the train. It's a great 30 minute ride, where the RR tracks follow the Snoqualmie River, and pass by the Snoqualmie Falls. Very nice! Nicholas is so excited that he can barely stand it. :lol: The RR Museum small one, but fun.They have several old trains, that are rather interesting to see. it should be an awesome day. The weather here is fantastic, with predictions in the 85-90 range.
KITTIES! Remember: think BLUE, think GREEN cat_pet_icon
(YUM! I Love coffee!), and Happy First Day of SUMMER!!LL! It's is I, Elsa, KBP!, president and CEO of Coffee Cat! Life is GOOD! Coffee is on, Lola and Bug , founders of Paw Prints Pizza, are ready to go! Want pizza? it is MEGA GOOD! They are busy getting ready for.... uh.... I dunno! but there sure is a flurry of activity in the kitchen. :shock: I suspect they are getting a jump start on the Full Buck Moon Party at Camp Stu! I am SO EXCITED!!! I lubs Camp Stu. Mannie talked about Camp Stu all the time. It is the bestest place ever. So... see all you kitties there,. We gots lots of partying to do. I am excited too cuz well, there will be the Circle Of Remembrance. I so miss Mannie. I hopes I can see him! and BJ too! so. well. anyways.
Coffee time! For today, I proudly offer Elsa's special 10 hour energy coffee, and Double shot Breve's, with beans from high in the Brazilian Mountains.... and for my mocha fans: a VENTI Quad Blueberry infused white mocha/mocha blend with white chocolate chips melted within, swirled with a raspberry puree, topped with a strawberry infused whip garnished with caramelized berry sprinkles and white chocolate curls and a caramel drizzle.......SWEET! OH! No worries, a dollop of 4 berry and vanilla and caramel swirl ice cream, on top of a dollop of fudge, topped with caramel and chocolate drizzle.... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh....... mega good! I hope everyone had a great day yesterday, and a great week. The days with the boys have been good ones! We have been very busy, that part of life has not changed. What a BUSY week! Yesterday, like all Fridays, was very much a water day, what with swimming in the morning, and we had intended to go swimming in the evening too. But.... a general snafu prevented that. We get to the Terrace Pool only to find they were closed for the evening for staff training. Well, back up plan for that is to go to Lynnwood, his regular pool, and swim there. So off we went. We get there only to discover they just redid their FR night swim schedule, and we'd have to wait an hour and a half for any pool time. That unfortunately is just too long for Nicholas. He handled that disappointment very well, telling me that it really was OK, and can we just walk the pool trail, look for berries, and have a picnic burger and fries night instead. So we did. It turned out to be a great FR night, despite out not being able to be in the pool. Swimming was as good as it always is. The energizer fishie was in his element, and continues to have a great time in the pool. He continues to make do with the summer schedule and the no big pool situation. He tries to get in some of his "deep sea diving" ventures in what areas there that are big enough and deep enough to retrieve things from the bottom. The hot tub there has proven to be invaluable in that regard. He had fun, playing with alot of new friends. Half way through the morning session his two cousins showed up, which was very cool. He was able to play with them for an hour. What fun for him! Wednesday's swim was also a good one, many many swims under the surface! Lots of fun interacting with alot of the other kids there. That is really fun to watch. I comtinue to be grateful to my DMIL, Connie, who watches William for me so Nicholas and I can swim. She filled in for both swim days this week. Thanks you Connie!! We made it home for naps after both swim days, they were so needed.
Nicholas still looks forward to our after swim even if we can't swim) Friday Night Burger Feast too. That is just so fun: burgers and fries, just him and me, with lots of fun stories. Last night we again talked Mariners Baseball, as well as all our berry hunts. He was into the trees that surround the pool last night - just talking about the different kinds there are there. We also talked endlessly about how these pools were closed. I heard alot of "What a BUMMER!" ;-) I still love that drive from the pool to his house: 30 minutes of little guy stories, my little back seat driver! Quite the imagination he has. He tells stories, we continue to look for rainbows and sunsets and views of Seattle, baseball and trains. Last night we made up this grand adventure, a trip to all these cool places, and what we would do when we were there. Last night the traffic was just awful, and what should have been a 20 minute drive turned into well over an hour, at a very slow snails pace. Nicholas was my entertainment committee - such carrying ons, antics, expressions, fun, and activity in the back seat. Despite the horrid traffic, ii ended up being a great drive home: sunny skies, and the making of a great sunset! AWESOME TIME!
Nick's Pics continue. He has fun with it, so I continue to encourage it anytime he asks for the camera. It still continues to be interesting to me to see what it is he chooses to take photos of. Often it is just to record what he sees at that moment. These few are from out attempted swim at the Lynnwood pool last night: Nick's Pics
Monday found me out hiking.
, well sort of hiking. ;-) I was meeting my youngest son for lunch later in the day, so decided to walk one of our urban trails near Lake Washington: the Burke-Gilman. It was a nice walk, did about 9.5 miles total. Made it up to Lake Forest park, or so the sign said. I enjoyed it, sure would make for a great bike ride. I got hung up on all the homes there, nice stuff. The "trail" down there is really nice, ifs right on the lake, lots of lake views, with alot of nice homes there. I could not believe how close together they were, like a mere two feet apart.. One had better like their neighbor. They were very nice homes, and I loved that itsy bitsy tiny access road they all had too. That cracked me up. cram it all in the best they can, for alot of money. Well anyways, the walk was a great one. Lunch with the kid was fun too - nice to be able to see him! Tuesday is usually my visit Barb in Seattle day, but she had meetings and could not get away. So I thought I'd spend another day on the river, at a place that I visited a few weeks ago, as it is also one of Nicholas's favorite places to go to spend a day on the river: Beckler River. What an awesome day it was. It was just too nice of a day not to be outdoors, and I really couldn't think of a better place to spend it. This part of the river is an awesome place to go and just hang out. I explored some too, logged maybe three miles. In doing so, I saw alot of wildflowers, a some great river views. I walked one of the connecting forest service roads for a mile or two that follows one of the connecting rivers. wow - that was great! What an awesome time on a very pretty river. A very fast, very high, very furious gorgeous river. On the way home I also visited Index, WA and spent a few moments on the Skykomish River. Trout Creek access is one of the prettiest spots, great river views, nice scenery! All in all a very glorious, relaxing day on the river.
Wednesday, after swimming, we went to Juanita Beach. The weather had improved enough, the sun was beginning to poke through, and it was turning into a warm afternoon, like 80 (!!), so off we went! We did all of what he goes there for. Lots of play, and it was warm enough that he could swim in the water. He had such fun with that. I had also brought a pair of swim trunks for William, so he was able to really get in the water, and play as much as he wanted. He continues to love the very small waves, and had a blast. Nicholas was there to show him the ropes, and to introduce him to burying oneself in the sand once again. WHAT FUN! Of course William had to come and see what all the laughter was about. WHAT A MESS he was after that. :roll: :lol: :lol: All around - really a terrific day. I bet both those boys slept well that night. William has really developed a fondness for it all, he just gets so excited when he sees the parks, the beaches, the rivers, He is so very much like his brother when he was that age. He just loved it. We also had a small picnic after our beach and park time. AWESOME time at the beach.
Thursday was road trip day. We had incredible weather in the forecast, and well, it just had to be an outdoor day. I thought it would be great to go to a place that we have not been able to visit since last summer, as it spends it's winters under a blanket of snow: Gold Creek Pond, up at Snoqulamie Pass. There is a 1.5 mile easy to do loop trail there, that follows one of the prettiest mountain lake ever. The scenery is awesome. There are also several places that allowed shore access, so the boys were able to explore those. At the end of the loop there is a meadow area that has a few picninc tables, with great water access, and incredible mountain views as a back drop. It was warm enough that Nicholas wanted to venture out into the water. He stripped to his skivvies and in he went. WHAT FUN! It was somehow just the best, wading in a mountain lake, with scenery like that all around you. William loved it too, but the water was just too deep for him, what with him just being a crawler, so I had to keep him at the shore's edge. He was ok with that. YAY! All in all, a fantastic day for the boys. I love these road trips, as it allows me to really enjoy Nicholas's "many faces of travel". Fantastic day!
Before out road trip on Thursday, we made a short stop in at the Mesika Trail, by the Lynnwood Pool. We thought it would be fun to check on the berries there, see if more had come into fruit, do a berry run at the pool trail this morning before heading up to S Pass. That was so fun. Nicholas found that hidden patch of wild raspberries, climbed on in and ate them all, probably 50 of them in there,
He did save a few for his brother, who was busy with the huckleberries . It was fun. We ended up doing the whole trail, with alot of play time throughout of walk. Amazing that we still had time for our road trip, but we did! If there is a will, then there is a way.... Friday afternoon, after morning swimming, we ended up at the new local park we have found. Meadowdale Park continues to be a favorite of Nicholas's. The playground equipment is really nice, with good challenges for him, and well there is that zip line. :razz: :razz: :razz: :razz: That thing is so fun. Nicholas just loves it. Yesterday he was ale to make it all work without Grammie's help.
He has made a few new friends during our visits there, and on yesterday he met several more. It was nice that he is willing to play with whomever he meets there. It is so great to be able to watch him play with boys his own age. They run and climb on everything. The laughs for them are endless. William watches it all, trying so much to be part of the group. :lol: What with Swimming in the morning and these park outings in the afternoon, we have, of late, been heading home after that, late afternoon, as both boys are beat, and some serious napping is in order. I know that the day has been good when I catch Nicholas smiling in his sleep. William too!And... just for the fun of it: our mornings here with the boys continue much as they always do: FUN, Excellent breffis's, with major good food. It is great to see them so happy first off, ready to chow down and get the day rolling.
:lol: Normalcy in MusketeerVille!
What to say about the kitties.... They have been good kitties, and even Lola! Well sorta on Lola... Lola will always be Lola. Crazy fun Lola. I know I write this alot, but it all continues to be true: When I got home last night I watched the usual Friday night run and romp. That is so fun to watch, and so what goes down here on FR nights. Elsa just watches, trying to decide if she wants to run too. We have been, lately, getting her to join in on one of the romps. She runs once, maybe twice, chasing Bug down the hall. Not too bad for my senior gal. :lol: :lol: This is about the only time I can ever get her to run like that. It is nice to see once in a while. There was nothing amiss when I got home, just kitties waiting at the top of the stairs. Just as it always is. LOVE THAT! Lola was rolling on the stairs, Bug was pacing, and Elsa was just sitting with that stare: where have you been? Definitely a normal Friday night for the kitties. I get a few meows, some leg rubs, they get scritches in return, and then off they go. The runs were endless last night. Lola has been fairly good, no plant issues, no torn papers, boxes remain intact.We only had one broken knick-knack, that she managed to bat off the shelf the other night. :roll: Today is shopping day so she will get a new paper bag. :lol: :lol: No doubt that will make her day. She still tries SO HARD to get outside during our warmer days, she runs from window to window hoping maybe those screen have disappeared. :lol: :lol: Yesterday she succeeded once: she is very quick and very good at leaping out the door, through those few inches of that opening... I know.... she needs a catio.... She continues too to pound on all glass and plastic surfaces. What a hoot. Still walking the railing and the frig door. Crazy fun Lola! Bug continues to warm up to the boys more and more as the days go by. Sure is nice to see that. He has come to sit by William at times when he sleeps. That so reminds me of Mannie and Nicholas. Elsa is still dong well, darn active for an almost 18 year old. She sleeps alot, but what the heck: part of being a cat. She continues to be a very good lap cat of late: nice! :lol: With the warm weather she has been out in the yard alot. Lola is SO JEALOUS!!, and lets me know it whenever she sees Big Sis out in the yard. :roll: It is interesting that Bug just doesn't seem to mind at all. He is more than content to be a house cat. Kitties are good, and All are sound asleep as I write this.... Stay good kitties! Normalcy in MusketeerVille!Have a great day everyone! I am off in a few to connect with Erin, Jason and Nichoals ann William. We are off to Snoqualmie for a "Thomas the Train" event, an annual thing for the Northwest Railroad Museum in Snoqualmie. There are all kinds of activities for the kids, all Thomas related, with a for real train ride on Thomas the train. It's a great 30 minute ride, where the RR tracks follow the Snoqualmie River, and pass by the Snoqualmie Falls. Very nice! Nicholas is so excited that he can barely stand it. :lol: The RR Museum small one, but fun.They have several old trains, that are rather interesting to see. it should be an awesome day. The weather here is fantastic, with predictions in the 85-90 range.
KITTIES! Remember: think BLUE, think GREEN cat_pet_icon
