3 Already

He joined us with a ferocity to be reckoned with. Big in stature and personality. He gives his 7-year-old sister a run for her money every day. He's a sweet and strong headed, bright-blue-eyed and brown haired hurricane. He's 3 today.

I delivered him here at home he weighed in at 10 pounds 12 ounces!

He was a little slow learning to walk, but practically runs everywhere now!

Give this a guy a shovel and he's happy for hours; at the playground, beach or in the garden with Mama.

Like many boys wheels are his thing.

Downtown Christmastime

This afternoon when N woke up from this nap we shuffled the kids into the van, drove downtown to find a parking spot and did our yearly Christmas outing. It was just us, and we had a really nice few hours. N even wore underwear the entire time without an accident! We didn't do everything I had on our list; we forgot about the giant gingerbread houses until we were already back in our seat on the monorail, we skipped ice skating on purpose because neither D nor I wanted to wait on the sidelines with a 2-year-old rubber ball bouncing off the walls. But the miniature train was pure magic for N, the aforementioned monorail offered a lovely view, and the carousel is a must. This year we also stopped in for a scheduled snow flurry inside a mall (not much to write home about, but now we've done it). All in all it was a really nice time with my family.

Ready, Set, Raspberry!

You would be hard pressed to find a fruit that I love more than a fresh raspberry.  And now I'm growing my own!

Slip 'N Slide

I have very fond memories of the Slip 'N Slide my parents finally broke down and bought us kids.  My dad tried to talk us into making due with an old tarp and hose for a while, but the grommets riped into our legs and it just wasn't long enough; a really good run at it would send us off the end, hurtling and tumbling onto the worn grass.

I found a decent deal on one a few weeks back (when I assumed summer was actually starting for real) and brought it home for the kids. Today's weather finally showed some promise of warmer temperatures so we fished it out of the garage. The only dilemma was where exactly to put it...The backyard has a nice slope, but it ends at a chain link fence and is frankly covered in 2" long pine needles...The side yard would have been nice, but ends at a very busy street. So the front yard it was; not as much on a decline but softer grass and over-slipping would put them in the driveway. Not ideal, but safer...sorta.

E was soooo excited to try it out, and N just looked on for a bit and tested the waters with his toe.  After a few practice runs that girl was flying down that thing in her preferred kneeling pose. N went down a few times with a little help, but mostly just really liked watching his sis. And no one ended up on pavement.

Tie One On

So, if you're the proud owner of what most little girls consider to be the most awesome shoes around...you gotta learn to tie 'em up.  She did it!  We've been practicing on and off this summer, but what with the Velcro and slip-on versions of summer foot apparel there wasn't much of a push to get the job done.  But her Gram & Papa bestowed on her for her 6th birthday a pair of the sparkliest, shiniest, light-up shoes you'll ever see and...they have laces.  So in classic E 'go-get-'em spirit she sat down on the stairs and with very little coaching from me pulled it off.  Good job Babe!

Six!

"Look Mom! 2 Hands!"

-photo by Noah Kim

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.

Spring Break - Day 1

The weather was in classic Spring form, literally changing every 10 minutes from gray downpour to warm springy breezes and back again. I threw the kids and a few snacks in the car, grabbed a coffee before I got in line down at the ferry dock for N's first ferry ride (he loved watching the birds soar & dive and feeling of that wind in his face). Then I piled everyone back into the van and drove about another hour on the other side to see our friends in Port Townsend. But not before the moment when I drove off the ferry and the thought crossed my mind that; "Hmmm, I kinda missed this place." I admit it everyone, it took 5 years, but yes, I did have a twinge of nostalgia for this place we called home for 3 years. When we packed up E, who was only 11 months old at the time and moved back from the peninsula I never looked back, and would in fact balk whenever anyone foolishly asked me if I missed it. Sure that place has some good memories, memories with people we already knew and loved before transplanting there. But much of that past life is better left behind, far behind. I'm glad to be back where we are now I have a vast network for support while D is gone, and I know this place like the back of my hand, it is home.

It is nice for a day and I did really enjoy our brief visit today. And herein lies the aforementioned exception to the rule; Lisa & Brian. They have been part of our life for at least 15 years or so, and these get-togethers always prove to be effortless and a comfortable ease. E spent the better part of the afternoon playing outside with Henry & Jess (their dog) while, N hung out on the floor with Oliver, and Lisa and I chatted. During our lunch I mentioned that E was really enjoying the Miss Piggle-Wiggle series by Betty MacDonald. Lisa told us that Betty MacDonald used to live not too far from them and there was a road on the way in named for another of her famous books...so we found it on our way home. Thank you Olson's, what nice way to spend our day.

* I love this last one of N laughing in the wind, he looks so much like his dad when he was younger.

Raspberries

When I pop a raspberry into my mouth I am instantly transported into the sunny backyard of my grandparent's home in Everett. My grandpa was a great gardener, there's no doubt that it's from him and my mom that this life in the dirt is so alluring to me. His backyard fence was lined with raspberry bushes on both sides, and picking them each summer was so much a part of our visits when we were young. Oftentimes it seemed my mom and grandma were in the kitchen cooking them up for jam just as fast as we could pick them.

When my grandparents moved from their home my uncle took a few of the plants to his house. For years I've dreamed of getting a few starts from him, and having a little bit of grandpa with me in the backyard. But year after year goes by and I've got nothing to show for it. So, this year while I trudged the kids up and down the aisles at Wights I flirted with the idea of just getting a few plants and see how they do. Kind of like babysitting before you have your own kid, a trial run before the real thing. I bought 3, well, 3 pots of dirt with dead sticks poking out from soil. The lady I spoke with about which variety to invest in assured me that soon we should see little leaves and by summer we'd have enough berries for jam! I relayed to her that it was because of my grandpa's berries that I was buying any at all and she pointed me to 'Meeker's' saying, "Then you probably want this one, an older variety; for the real raspberry lover." I am so so excited!

Magic Penny

I think we all learned this back in the day, didn't we? Well, E learned this golden oldie this week at school. She originally tries for an impromptu Rock & Roll version, but gives up and goes all out with motions and everything! N does back-up maraca.



P.S. Thank you Crafty Crow for the very sweet hearts!

Hey! I've Been There!

D sent me this shot of him in Utrecht, Holland with the same windmill in the background as the picture of me 6 1/2 years ago!

Under the Tree

This Christmas was easier in so many ways. E is into all sorts of typical little girl things; art supplies, books, movies, games and music. She loves music, she sings all day, she can't help but wiggle, twirl and bounce whenever a tune is playing so we thought it was time to get her own music player. An iPod seemed a little over the top for a 5-year-old (however carefully she tries, things get dropped...). So with a little research we settled on the SweetPea3, a very kid friendly player with a decent built-in speaker and headphone jack.


E has taken an extra special interest in marine animals within the last year, especially dolphins. And has hopes of opening an oceanarium here in our small town when she grows up. So when I came across the nearly 4 foot stuffed dolphin on Melissa & Doug's online store I just knew she'd freak out! She lugs this thing from room to room with her talking to it (she's it's trainer, of course), and requests to snuggle up next to it in bed, which makes for fairly tight sleeping quarters as you can imagine.



N hasn't been able to demonstrate any real affection for any of his gifts, but there are a few things that repeatedly catch his eye:

I found a few reissued Fisher Price toys down at our local shop and couldn't resist the Chatter Phone! And this clever little guy; he has a crank on the bottom instead of using batteries and plays 3 songs that correspond with the 3 blinky push-buttons!
This sweet little picnic basket is full of friendly faces on soft food items that jingle, rattle and crinkle as well!

Another little ingenious guy I found, is this nightlight for his room. It projects a starry sky on his ceiling. E's jealous of this one and often asks to have my put it in her room after N's fallen asleep for the night.

*again shaky camera work as I'm lugging the baby too, sorry.