Poulsbo Plunder

We met up with Christy Ann, Gracie and Brian this afternoon at our old rental (her parent's property) out on the peninsula.  I wanted to get enough blackberries to make a batch of jam tomorrow, but we went home with much more!  It was great fun to hear the kids running around and N of course got another fruity piggyback in the sun.  It's always a bit strange to go back to the place we called home for 3 years, where we brought our darling girl home and into our lives: She swears she remembers (being 10 months old) living there.  I think she just remembers the video's she's watched over and over.  Either way being in that same place with her was kind of sacred in a way, and then watching N teeter around on those same floors in that same air was overwhelming and beautiful.  Christy Ann sent me home with bags full of veggies, and a beautiful school desk and Kindergarten curriculum for our upcoming first go at homeschooling.  It was a very pleasant visit, and dragging E and Gracie apart was difficult, so much so that we were literally the last car on the overcrowded return ferry home.

Blueberries in Bellevue

We drove a few minutes East for a few hours of blueberry picking this afternoon with Jen, Rachel and their kids.  Because E still refuses to be helpful on this particular outing (eating or throwing more than she drops into her pail) I ended up pulling in just over 4 pounds on my own...Oh, alright N helped...sort of; he rode piggyback and would whine and complain until I backed him into a nice reachable spot for him to pluck berries off himself...but he didn't share! We were all exhausted when we got home.

*iPhone camera today

Is It Supposed to Look Like That?

E has severe reactions to mosquito bites.  She welts up more than the average person, they of course itch like mad, but because her skin is so swollen they really hurt when she itches them.  We have discovered that it's just easier to cover them up with a band aid for a few days until the urge to itch has diminished a bit, so they don't have a chance to get all scabby and infected from all the scratching.  This has been great until last night when I took off her small square bandage from her lower right jaw and was stunned to find a severe reaction to the band-aid itself; a raised rash in its exact shape!  Her face now looks worse, poor girl.

The Truth About Mosquito's

"Mosquito's aren't good for anything, except a shorter life.  'Cause they suck out all your blood."

-E

Giraffe House video

*Apologies for the shaky camera work...I was a little preoccupied, but you get the idea.

Go Dog. Go!

N is so into cars, planes, trucks boats and trains!  His top favorite books to have read aloud are: Go Dog. Go! & Cars! Cars! Cars!  Not surprisingly comprised of the two winning elements (dogs and autos).  His top fave look-on-his-own books are: Planes & Trucks by Byron Barton and the stacks and stacks of lift-the-flap books he has.  But really the kid loves flipping through just about anything, he'll carefully skim through any of E's chapter books without tearing a page.

* Here's a fun version of Go Dog. Go! I found on YouTube!




* Here is a small example of what we would do ceaselessly while in his little floaty on the water on vacation...little motor boat.

Friend of a Friend of a Friend

 We had a fabulous day at our zoo this afternoon!  Kathleen, a new family friend was in town and her friend (who works at Woodland Park) took us around the zoo and even behind the scenes!  For such a hot day the animals were for the most part fairly lively.  And our experience in the giraffe house was out of this world!  Thanks so much Kathleen and Uncle John for introducing us!  Of course the only way I could follow up that amazing day was with a bowl of cucumber sorbet with hot fudge...heaven!

Toe Sucker

NDB words

The lexicon of NDB:

Mama: mom or dad
Dada: dad or mom
Eh-Nuh: Ellanor
Papa: Papa
Buh: book, ball or balloon
Boo-Tah or Tuh: Please, I want that, More
Uh-oh: oops
Uhm: Yes
Duh: duck
hi-ya: hi
Up: up & down
Aht: help
Tt: Train

More often than not we have to look for contextual clues to point us to what he's talking/humming/verbalizing about.

You've met my Daughter, Right? Defender of the Free World?

I jumped at the chance to grab a shower after I put N down for his nap and called E into the house from the backyard until I was out.  She's usually pretty predictable; coloring, reading, playing on her Leapster or whatever.  But not today...oh not today.  And all that beautiful Stumptown coffee...

Download now or listen on posterous

Ellanor Quote.m4a (3004 KB)

Backyard Kitchen

I picked up this free little kitchen from the side of the road a few months back, and N just discovered it in our backyard yesterday.  Bright and early this morning  he was very busy talking on the phone (and then putting the receiver in the microwave) and splashing in the sink.

Wednesday

Grilled pizza and cousins on the swings.

N with our Ax, not yet 4 months old...

Tuesday

Started the day off at Blue Saucer for coffee and bagels, and ended it with friends in the backyard.

Lake Chelan 2010

This year was a bit different, we usually sleep in a tent and eat out of a cooler.  This time we slept in clean sheets and ate meals prepared in an oven!  Although looking thru the slue of pictures, they still look about the same; our days centered around water and in the sun.  Not a bad vacation.

E took a Bear Claw necklace class

Nasty learning-how-to-walk bruise

Papa taught E how to fish

N loved the kiddie pool

E did this completely black-out water slide 5 times!

First water slide for N