Found It!

After checking some of the potted herbs for a frog, Katie found one of the frogs on the house.

I think these little frogs are so cute!

Looking for a Frog

My sister has two little frogs living in her garden area, and Katie's goal was to find one.

Aunt Jennifer had seen one frog in these herbs, but I couldn't find it.

Animal Crossing

Katie and Jennifer play Animal Crossing together. I don't know everything about the game, but I know characters on their island come and go. One of the characters that Katie liked left the island, so she bought some sort of card that would bring the character back and was so excited about it.

At last! I can bring my character back!

Am I There Yet?

I feel like Katie has been going through a growth spurt for two years straight. She just doesn't stop. Her goal is to be taller than my sister, and she is almost there.

I'm gaining on you, Aunt Jennifer!

A Science Experiment

When Katie was staying at Jennifer's, she wanted to try a science experiment.  She got a flower seed from Jennifer and put it in a wet napkin and into a ziplock to see if she could get it to sprout.

It sprouted!

Helping Out

While we were staying at my sister's, Katie would help out with the dogs' walk when she was asked. She was helpful, but she definitely did not enjoy the heat.

The patches of shade were my favorite.

The dogs don't care if they are in the sun or not. They just like walking!

Blackberries

We are getting close to blackberry season, and Katie is excited!

I get very excited when I see the blossoms because...

...I know the berries are next. Now the wait for them to grow and ripen!

Morning Visits

When Katie would get up in the morning at Jennifer's house, she would often check in on the cats which made them very happy.

What's better than a cat hug in the morning?

Cozy Cats

It didn't take the cats long to adjust to my sister's house.

All you have to do is give them a cozy blanket, and they're happy!

A Temporary Home

After our floors went in, they were stained and we were asked to be out of the house for 72 hours. So, Katie, the cats, and I temporarily moved in with my sister.

The cats and dogs don't get along, so the cats were locked in Aunt Jennifer's bonus room.

Progress

Day by day, our house progressed. We were very happy when we started to see the new floor getting laid. Of course, we would still have to wait for it to be stained and sealed with waiting time after each, but we were just glad to have a floor without staples sticking out of it.

I missed being in the living room, so I was willing to just sit in it even without furniture.

Animating

Katie has been learning all about animation this summer, so she decided to try it on her own. Her first step was making a flip book.

I learned that a light board can help when you are making a flip book.

Dress Up

While we were upstairs, Katie went through some of her old schoolwork and toys and found some dress-up items.

I had fun getting dressed up to go through my old work!

Waiting Upstairs

When the workers were over at the house working on our main floor, we were stuck upstairs. We were missing our normal sort of living.

This has been a weird summer. It has been lots of waiting for our house to get finished!

A Snapchat 4th of July

Our holiday was pretty low key this year. Katie helped choose the perfect meal - hot dogs and corn on the cob. None of us get all too excited for the fireworks because it upsets our pets, so we feel bad for them. Of course, we made time for Snapchat!

What Happened?

When our house was being worked on, the cats hated walking on the subfloor. The poor things couldn't get comfortable, so we had to get their cat house and their favorite box, so they could hang out there.

Mr. Limpet was much happier in his box!

A Patriotic Hairstyle

On the 4th of July, Katie and I tried to make her hair into the shape of a star. With our lives turned upside down with our house torn apart, we couldn't find all of the supplies we needed, but we tried our best.

The "star" was a little loose, but it was good enough for us!

A Catalog

Katie saw that my sister had gotten a Lego catalog in the mail, so she quickly took possession of it. She had so much fun looking at it over and over.

There were lots of things to look at.

The Titanic was one of my favorites to see!

Creativity

When our hardwood floors were ripped out, there were some staples in the floor that were missed, so you had to wear shoes whenever you walked on it. Katie is not normally a shoe fan in the house, so she didn't love that. She made do though.

I wanted to see the cat in the house, and sometimes it's easier to put shoes on hands instead of feet.

The Cats

The cats still find a way to sit by Katie even when our furniture is gone.

Welcome to the chair, Mr. Limpet!

Welcome to our Living Area

When your floors are ripped out, you have to make do with furniture.

I miss our regular furniture, but at least we have something.

The New Guests

Katie was excited when her praying mantis egg sack broke open, and the bugs started coming out.

As soon as we saw some praying mantises, we took them outside.

They were crawling all over.

We released them by the tomato plant.

They were happy to be free.

You have to release them right away because they will start to eat each other.

A Treat

Sometimes Sundays call for a morning treat!

This box was way bigger than we thought it would be, so I had to count the donut holes before I ate any!

Finishing Up

After lots of time and effort, Katie finished her Chinese New Year Lego set!

I was proud of this in the end.

Now it's time to play!

A Warm Blanket

Nothing is more cozy than a warm blanket.

I like to wear summer clothes and no socks even on cold days, so blankets are handy!

Doing Some Laundry

Sometimes it's hard to get clothes out of the washing machine!

I'm pretty tall now, but the washing machine is pretty deep!

A Construction Zone

A few months back, our dishwasher had a pretty big leak. We had water damage people come out right away to dry out the house. Now it's time for the construction. To repair our main floor, all of our flooring was ripped up. The cats were not happy about it. 

We requested something to sit in since we no longer liked walking on the floor.

Another Walk, Another Speed

It was time for another walk, and once again, Katie went her own speed.

Just forging my own path!

Walking "With" Aunt Jennifer

I've mentioned it before, but it always makes me laugh how far Katie walks ahead of us when anyone goes on a walk with her.

I like to walk fast, so I always end up in front of everyone.

A Fancy Hat

Katie likes to make hats out of other objects.

Might as well use a pillow as a hat!

Working on Legos

When Katie got the Lunar New Year Lego set last winter, we didn't realize how big it was! She is using her summer time to finish putting it together.

I'm doing a little bit each day.