Our Kokamamie World

Sleepless in Seaside

2011-10-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

Some pictures from our recent trip to Seaside, OR:

Kaylee Zingers

2011-08-31T20:26:00.001-07:00

Just had to record a few from today:

"Mom, drive home quickly, I'm really hungry!"

"I will get home as fast as I can, but I don't want to get into an accident"

"I mean SLOWLY drive home quickly!"

And later....

"Well... I got the burps today"

First Day of Kindergarten

2011-08-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

She was so excited, Hudson was sad, and Mom and Dad were so proud! :)

Birthdays

2011-08-30T08:43:00.000-07:00

I completely forgot to take pictures of Hudson's cake and balloons. Fortunately, we got a lot of video of that occasion! Birthdays were fun. Hudsons came on a Saturday. The day started out with waffles, then we went to a playground all morning. After naptime Jeff came home and we celebrated with a special dinner, balloons, cake, and presents!

Kaylee's birthday happened on Jeff's day off. He took her to a pool and playground during the day. We also had balloons, cake & lots of presents to open for her. She had fallen asleep on the way home from the pool, so Jeff went into work to fill a bunch of balloons. She woke up on the way home surrounded with balloons and didn't seem to indicate that it was anything strange or unusual. :)

Shave and a Haircut

2011-07-30T12:26:00.001-07:00

Check it out, the reverse mohawk is back in style. Hudson is all over this! He found the clippers I had absent mindedly left on the desk, which I thought was completely out of juice, but apparantly had enough to do this!
Yes, that's a 1/8th inch shave, people!

I lost the charging cord for the clippers and had just ordered a replacement. I hope the UPS man brings it soon. In the meantime I decided I like it. It makes me laugh and I hope it makes other people smile.

The Things Kids Say

2011-07-02T17:42:00.001-07:00

We all know how kids say the strangest things. Well, Kaylee is being adorable by drawing a picture of heaven "to give to Jesus and God". Then she says she's going to die like this (open arms & eyes closed) so she can give it to them. This makes me choke! I suggested maybe we MAIL the picture to them instead. So as she's putting the picture in an envelope she says to me "This is much better!"

All Cooped Up

2011-05-05T09:47:00.000-07:00

The coop is built, the run is fenced in, and the chickens are free to run around :) They haven't quite figured out the ramp yet. Last night I had to put them back in the coop by hand.
My good little helpers, helping me clean out the coop.

And plant and water the garden!
And clean the windows too :) that's more fun!

3D Tournament

2011-04-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from a 3D tournament I did today (and will finish up tomorrow)...

There were lots of fun animals to shoot at. Some dinosaurs, a jackalope, a pink panther... and some fun shots. One challenge shot that was optional but double points was to shoot at a metal cutout of a bear, with a hole in the middle for the dot. If you didn't hit the dot, you hit metal and wrecked your arrow! I'm happy to say I didn't lose any arrows today!

The Beauty of Math

2011-04-29T20:19:00.000-07:00

All these images come from ONE formula. Only one parameter is changed in each case...the initial value. From 1 to infinity, any number you choose will result in a unique image. These special type of Iterated Function System (IFS) fractals are called "Special Attractors"

Archery

2011-04-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

All of you know that I enjoy the sport of archery, but I have never posted any pictures or news about how all that is going.

During the winter we have indoor league. There are two different games that are played, both of them shoot at a range of 20 yards. One is called Multi-Color (or Vegas Style). In this game, you shoot 3 arrows per end, 10 ends, with a maximum score of 300. I think my highest score was 290.

The "10 ring" is the bold inner circle on the yellow. The "x ring" is the smaller circle inside the 10 ring. We use the X count for tie breakers.

The other is called "Blue Face" or "Five Spot". A lot of people don't like this game because there are a lot more arrows and the spots are bigger, so it's kinda easier. Here you shoot 5 arrows per end, 12 ends, for a total of 60 arrows. It's a stamina game for me. I like the challenge. If you hit anywhere in the white, it's 5 points, blue is 4, anything else is a goose egg! My goal was to get 5 x's and I managed to do it only twice this winter:

(you only need to touch the line in order for it to count)

But the REAL fun begins in the spring an goes on through fall! OUTDOOR SHOOTING!

There are some beautiful archery courses around here, with beautiful scenery. I need to start taking more pictures.

One outdoor game is called "3D" - this is very popular for hunters. It's good practice for judging yardages and hitting an animal in the right spot.
If you can't see, I hit the inner circle on this foam 3D target above :)

My favorite game is called "Safari". You go around and shoot at paper targets of different safari animals. It helps to have a big orange dot to aim at!
Two arrows per target. In the target above, I was shooting 36 yards uphill at a 10 degree angle and into the sun. I was very proud of this shot because I could only see a silouette of the animal and just guessed where the dot was...twice... and my arrows ended up in the spot and touching!

That's a good thing to have happen in archery!
This was at 50 yards.
This is my proudest moment so far! I got these two arrows in the spot from 101 yards!!!! That's the farthest distance I have ever shot, and this is the first time I hit the spot TWICE! :)

I'm soooooooo addicted!

Eastery Time

2011-04-24T19:17:00.000-07:00

My Munchkins

2011-04-17T08:33:00.000-07:00

Hudson is 2 1/2 and it shows! He's still my sweet boy at times, but he is STUBBORN! He gets a crazy idea into his head and he will not let it go. When he gets upset about something, he will cry and say "Uh oh... Oh boy!..." He is very into Thomas the Train and loves to play with his own train set. When Hudson wants me to follow him he'll say "Come on Mom... psss psss", like I'm a dog or something. I don't know where he picked that one up!

Kaylee is 4 1/2 and full of spark and energy. She wants only to wear summer clothes and play video games! That's not entirely true. We have had a lot of fun together lately. She will often exercise with me or go shoot our bows together. She loves her preschool and her many friends there. I can't believe this fall she will start kindergarten.
She can't seem to take a bad picture.
I have a hard time choosing!

Andrea is now 3 months old. She's not quite sleeping through the night, but that's a small price to pay for the easiest baby in the world! She is always so happy and full of smiles. I like to call her my sunshine :)

Andrea's First Trip

2011-04-14T16:27:00.000-07:00

When Andrea was a week old, we decided it was time enough she got to travel down to our timeshare at Seaside. This was a first for Grandma too. It was so neat to be able to share this wonderful place with her.

Hanging out... warming up by the fire :)

We drove down to Tillamook for some ice cream, only to find they were closed that day. But at least we got to see this!
So we drove to Cape Meares to see the lighthouse and see the sights, including the Octopus tree.

We arrived for a kite festival, which was neat to see. We also had to bring out our own little kite!
Love this picture!

Yes, we had to physically refrain Hudson from eating the sand again :(

As always, beautiful sunsets!

Andrea Ruth

2011-04-14T15:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, I can't believe it's taken me this long. Sorry everyone. Well here's the story of little Andrea Ruth:

We had an induction scheduled for January 13th, but on Wednesday morning (the 12th) we got a call from the hospital asking if we'd like to come in that day instead. Apparently, they didn't have anything going on and we getting quite bored. :) So Jeff got his wish in that I called him home from work saying, "time to have a baby!".
We got to the hospital and settled in. After three or four hours they got contractions started. Grandma brought Hudson and Kaylee over for a visit. They had to wear special braclets

Then the contractions got really bad:
Just kidding!

Well Grandma informed me that my Grandpa Lange was born on January 12th, so I started hoping that I would have Andrea before midnight. Long story short, I got that wish! As happened with Hudson, things kinda puttered along all day, then towards the end got fast and furious. She kinda just started coming out without any pushing. One push and she was out. :)

Jeff had a hard time leaving the hospital with the kids... but it wasn't because he missed me :)

Andrea was born January 12th, 2011 at 11:45 p.m. She weighed 7 pounds, 6 oz and was 21 inches long.

Coming Soon...

2010-12-27T17:17:00.000-08:00

New Years Day is my due date. Can't wait!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-27T17:07:00.001-08:00

It was a great Christmas this year. The kids were sooooooooooo excited to open presents.

Kaylee showed us an ornament that she decorated at preschool:

They were very excited about thier new train pajamas and have practically lived in them since!

Christmas eve we spent alone as a family. Jeff got done with work early and we got everything ready for when the kids would wake up from their naps. We spent the evening eating, talking to family on phone and on skype, and of course, opening presents and playing with new toys.

Christmas day we went to church and Uncle Brian came over for the rest of the day. The kids just go wild over that guy!

I just LOVE this picture of my little man:

This is adorable as well:

Now that Christmas is over, we look forward to New Years and the arrival of baby #3.

Halloween 2010

2010-12-27T15:42:00.000-08:00

NEMO
and a Unicorn!

We were fortunate to have Jeff parents visiting with us over Halloween. I don't think I could've been brave enough to take the kids out trick or treating without some help! This year we went to Sunset Square and visited all the shops. It was a little chaotic, but a lot of fun. Hudson seemed terribly confused by it all. I suppose he wondered why he never got free candy in these stores before, but since he dressed up as a fish suddenly people were practically throwing it at him. :)

Girls Day Out

2010-12-27T15:28:00.001-08:00

Kaylee had her first salon experience in October. I wasn't sure how it would go, being that she screams anytime Jeff or I try to detangle her hair... a price you pay for such beautiful curls. But she seemed to have faith in my stylist. She is a professional, after all!

Combed out and getting some layers to help avoid future tangles (worked for a week)

Now for some relaxing time under the blower, catching up on her gossip.

and finding things to buy...

Next Kaylee and Mom went to the archery shop to get a little practice in. First you gotta say hi to "mustache". Rub his tummy for good luck.

This was the first time I presented Kaylee with her "new" genesis bow. She was excited and had fun during her first lesson. I think it's going to be a while til she's really ready for it. Her attention span wasn't so great. But I'm just glad she enjoyed it.
Future archer:

Seaside Long Ago

2010-12-27T15:09:00.001-08:00

Last OCTOBER, yes, I said October, we took a family trip down to Seaside, OR once again. I'm a little behind on my updates, sorry!

We had great weather and a splendid time. I had fun wading in the water with the kids. We liked to walk way out to meet the waves. When one came in, we'd turn and outrun it. Of course it didn't take long for the kids to get sopping wet and sandy, but that's beach life, isn't it?
Jeff enjoyed building sand castles with the kids. Once again I forgot buckets and shovels, but we made do with jello cups and driftwood shovels.

There's never anything quite as fun as a big hole to jump and play in. Hudson is stylin in his shades...

Looking real cool until he accidentally falls into the hole! :)

Here is the first of Jeff's creations. Hudson had a good time smashing the towers as soon as they were built.

Incidentally he also found a love for the taste and texture of sand. We let him take a taste, thinking he'd freak out and not try it again. Much to our dismay, we had to start restraining him from digging into it again and again. The beach was one big buffet for Hudson. That was one messy, gritty diaper after that day! EWE!

Of course we had to make our trip down to the cheese factor at Tillamook, followed up with a bit of Tillamook icecream!

Can't wait to go again...

2010-12-07T16:10:00.000-08:00

This morning the kids were enjoying their breakfast when Hudson exclaims "Go Gurt!" Kaylee corrects him and says "No, it's YOgurt", then with perfect comedic timing, she pauses and adds "I'm always right".

I about squirted juice out of my nose. Of course Kaylee had no idea what was so funny.

Pumpkins

2010-12-04T20:08:00.001-08:00

Back to Stoney Ridge Farm! We got out twice this year. Once on a day I was feeling particularly crazy (to be explained later), and again on the day Kaylee's preschool went out there.
So far so good. We played in the playground, looked at some animals, and took a tractor ride out to the pumpkin patch.

Do I really have to choose only one pumpkin??

So we got our little pumpkins and then went to find some apples. Hudson thought they looked like fun balls to throw. Oh dear...

Kaylee was very sweet to find a baby apple for her baby sister...

Here's the crazy part. Eight month pregnant Mom decides she can not only carry the baby pumpkins and the apples, but also thinks some big pumpkins would be good too.

Kaylee found this love 50 pounder!!!!

Thankfully they have wheelbarrows or I never would've made it!

Whistler 2010

2010-10-27T09:44:00.000-07:00

We thought we should squeeze in another trip to Canada before baby #3 arrives and we can't stay in those 4 person condos anymore. Whistler is always lovely in the fall. Beautiful colors and not too many people.

It was a little on the rainy side but we managed to explore the village thoroughly and say hello to our old friends... like the cow:

Kaylee showing us where to milk the cow:

And the moose:

They have rebuilt the playground that was torn down for the Olympics, and making it better than ever. We spent a lot of time at the playground this time.
Unfortunately every pool, both at our condo and in Whistler (and along hwy 99 for that matter) was closed for maintenance. Instead we went to some nearby waterfalls we hadn't seen and did a little bit of hiking. It was another great time in Whistler!

Busy Bean Box

2010-09-22T17:42:00.000-07:00

Why is it that finding something that keeps your kids completely entertained all day so that you don't need to makes you feel like you're an awesome mom?

I don't know, but that's how I feel today. Kaylee's favorite thing at preschool is the bean table and today after dropping her off, I decided to make something similar at home. My kids have been playing with these beans ALL day! I know that soon it will lose it's newness and I will get tired of cleaning up all those spilled beans, but for now, I just feel good that they're so happy and entertained.

We found lots of things to do with it already. Scooping and pouring. Measuring (I was showing Kaylee how many 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4 cups fit into a whole cup). Burying and finding toys. Making ramps for toys to roll into the beans. Etc...

BTW - today I asked Kaylee why the leaves were falling from the trees. She says "because it's a holiday".

Potty Project and Other Things

2010-09-22T17:24:00.000-07:00

Well Hudson started to use the potty chair on Jeff's birthday. He did really well for a few days but we have a ways to go! This is the poor little guy just waking up from a nap, using his potty chair while Kaylee is pestering him.

Hudson is always saying, "Can I help you?" (which actually means, can you help ME?) I don't know why, but everytime he says it I think he really wants to help me and then I find out he really wants MY help!

Another recent saying is "Did you see that?!" Its pretty cute.

Well Hudson was impressing Kaylee's preschool teacher the other day. Hud and I went to her class' Teddy Bear Picnic last Friday. Hudson noticed the carpet squares on the floor and started saying the numbers on them... he found 8 and 9. The teacher overheard him and asked how old he was. I told her he just turned 2 and she seemed impressed. I asked if that was good for his age and she said that many of the kids in the preschool wouldn't know those numbers by sight. When I told Jeff this story he says "Well that doesn't say much about their program there, does it". I laughed pretty hard, but it's a good thing he wasn't there at the time! :)

Hudson also impressed me the other day when we were writing on the chalkboard. I helped him draw a t and he starts making the t sound! But then when I tried other letters he kept making the same sound. Oh well.

I am impressed with how he continues to see pictures in other objects. He spilled some milk the other day and ran a finger through it. Then he points and says "airplane". Today when we were working in the garden he was finding other shapes in the dirt that spilled on the wood border. I can't remember right now what it was, but it's always neat for me to get a glimpse of the world through his eyes.

I forgot... he's also been into counting objects. The other day he looked up at the kitchen ceiling and said, "5...6". I looked up and saw he was counting the 6 can lights up there. He's been doing the same thing with his toy cars. He is just a sponge these days!

Where is God?

2010-09-15T22:06:00.000-07:00

Tonight before bed, we watched a Veggie Tales video called "Where's God When I'm Scared". After the show I turned off the tv and shuffled the kids towards the bathroom to get ready for bed. Kaylee began complaining that it was dark. I asked her what we just learned on the video...that God is always with us and He's bigger than anything we might be afraid of.

"But I can't see God", she complained.

"Yep, God is invisible, and He's always with us to keep us safe" I replied.

"Where is He? Maybe He's in the walls" (knock, knock)

"Hmm...could be. I never thought of that."

:)

Bunk Beds

2010-09-10T15:35:00.001-07:00

We are entering into a new phase of our lives. The kids will share a room as we make ready for baby #3.

Wish us luck, and please, pray for us!!

p.s. check out the amazing quilt my neices and Mom made for Hudson's bed!! They made it out of everyone's old jeans and denim shirts. Very special!

City Bus Adventure

2010-09-10T15:26:00.000-07:00

When we're driving around town, my kids LOVE to look for busses. City busses, school busses, big busses, and little busses. For a long time I contemplated going on a bus ride field trip. Finally I just decided to go for it.
Step one. Gotta look cool.

Step 2. Make sure you have the right amount of change for the bus fare.
Step 3. Know the route, the schedule, and have a plan.

This is the bus we were GOING to ride until I realized I needed fare for the return trips. So I had to herd everyone back to the car to steal some change from my daughter's piggy bank. Really...I did that. I'm not ashamed. I figure she owes me.

So we had a great time waiting for the NEXT bus to arrive a half hour later.

We rode the bus to a park and had a wonderful afternoon of swings, slides, and throwing rocks into water. Then we rode the bus back to the station and went out for some Mc Donalds. Pretty fun adventure.

First Day of Preschool

2010-09-10T15:23:00.000-07:00

Kaylee started preschool this month. She is going to Evergreen Christian, which is only a few miles from our home. She LOVES it! She loves her teachers Mrs. Rogers and Mrs. Van. She loves that her best friend Emily is in her class. She will be there three days a week for three hours each day. Hopefully this will also give Hudson and I some quality alone time that he's never had before.

Harvesting

2010-08-29T09:38:00.000-07:00

This is year #2 for my garden and I'm figuring out what works and doesn't work well. We've got good soil but limited sunshine. Carrots did a lot better this year. I know they looks small but actually I should've picked them sooner. I grew the little lady fingers which are supposed to be small and sweet. Beans and peas do very well also. My lettuce grows well but I find I have no appetite for it. I keep thinking about the slugs that might have left their slime behind...yuck! Potatoes do okay. Corn, onions, berries...not so much.

Hudisms

2010-08-23T21:39:00.000-07:00

Jeff pointed out to me tonight that Hudson will say "Bless you" when ANYTHING comes out of your mouth. So if you burp, Hudson will bless you.

Tonight we went to a friend's birthday celebration. There was some really good food there. Steak, chicken, beans, fruit... Hudson wanted none of it. He was happy to graze on the cat food instead.

Oh BOY!

Funny Things Kids Say

2010-08-19T15:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was putting a bandage on Kaylee's hand where she scraped it earlier. We just finished cleaning and drying it when Kaylee broke into tears. Between whines and sobs she says to me "Mom, I'm having issues!" It was so hard not to crack a smile!!

Today as I was cleaning up a dirty diaper, Hudson was laying there insisting that it's "just gas". I said, "Look, this isn't gas I'm cleaning off your bottom here buddy!". But he kept insisting it's not a "stinky" (as he calls it) but "just gas".

a FAIRly good day

2010-08-19T13:33:00.000-07:00

Hey Grandma, your blanket is already being put to good use. It's great for taking in the car and on trips like today.

Jeff had to work the Fair today up in Lynden, so I decided I might as well bring the kids up and see what trouble we could find.

First (and last) stop was the bunny barn. We also visited the chickens, the goats and sheep, the dairy cows, the horses, and a reptile tent.

Kaylee being a ham with some cute young Jerseys in the back.

Macaw?

The reptile tent had lots of snakes, turtles, frogs, and an alligator.
Near this exhibit is a little tent that had a straw mound for kids to dig through and look for little prizes. It was a fun activity for the kids. Hudson found some toy frogs and Kaylee found a couple pencils and a candy braclet.
Hudson loved the bunnies. They had some for sale... it was SOOOOOOO tempting!
I really liked this guy.
We lasted about 3 hours. Now it's nap time for everyone. G'nite!

UPdates

2010-08-14T14:26:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've updated on the kids.

For those who are not aware, we have #3 on the way, due January 1st. So far this is the easiest pregnancy, and I can say that now that I'm not in the first trimester anymore. I always get so tired and have no energy. But now things are mostly back to normal and I'm feeling good. Quite often I forget I'm even pregnant. Then I have that momentary panicky feeling when I finally remember! But mostly I just get excited. It'll be strange to have a winter baby. Both Kaylee and Hudson were born in early August.

So yes, we just celebrated their birthdays. Grandma L came out for that, and it was sooooooooooo nice to have her here. I will make another post for that and have pictures galore. For this post I just want to share a few things about the kids' development.

Kaylee is now 4 and is very proud of it. She has her big girl booster seat (which is SOOOO nice because it's easy to move around when needed). She is fully potty trained and has been for about a year now I guess. She knows all her letters, their sounds, colors, shapes, and has been known to count to 100 a few times (with a little help). She is very excited to start preschool in a few weeks. Personality wise, she is much less shy than as a baby. She is rambunctious and very athletic. She loves pretend play. I like to sit and listen to her playing with her toys and the conversations she makes them have. She also has my Praise Baby CD pretty much memorized. She has her favorite songs on there and I love to hear her sing praise songs! Today she started singing "Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord". She said "...to see you high and lifted up, shining in the light of your BORING" (ha ha ha!!)

Hudson has changed so much, so fast! His vocabulary has increased quite a bit and now says some short sentences. He is learning his lower case letters and colors right now, and I hope he's listening as I go over letter sounds with Kaylee. He often says the abc's while he's playing, for no apparent reason. Grandma discovered he can count, at least to 5, but I heard him count up to 20 once...although taken out of context I never could've known what he was saying once he got to 11! When Kaylee is in preschool this fall I plan to spend a lot of one on one time with him. I feel like I've neglected him in that way a lot. He seems to be very intelligent, but apparently them kids don't teach themselves :)

One interesting thing I've noticed about him is that he sees abstract things in objects. That's the best way I know how to say it. For example, he sees an open clam shell and says "butterfly", he bites into chips and says "sailboat", he eats into a sandwich and says "U". He does this all the time with lots of different objects. I wonder if that indicates any specific type of learning style...

I plan to continue with letters, colors and shapes, as well as potty training this year. At some point we're gonna have to break him of his pacifier addiction as well. He is also very attached to his blankie. He carries it everywhere, drags it through everything, and loves to find the corners and play with those in his hands. But I don't think we need to break him of a blankie habit. It's just those pacifiers that I hear can cause issues with their teeth.

The kids say and do the cutest and funniest stuff everyday. I need to keep a pen and paper with me at all times cuz it's so hard to remember it all. Just now Kaylee says to Hudson, "You're kinda crazy, kid." He says "Why?"... "Cuz you are!"

Kamping

2010-08-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

This summer I had planned to take my kids on many fun camping adventures. Well we didn't even get "summer" here in the Northwest until July while we were on our family trip down in San Diego (where it never got above 70 and rained almost every day!). So upon our return from the cool shores of California, and inbetween archery tournaments, I managed to squeeze in one camping trip with the kids.

I took them to a KOA about an hour away from our house. I chose this location because these campgrounds are very kid friendly. It was helpful to have the playground across from our campsite while I was setting up and tearing down camp, but in between it was sort of a pain.

I took a lot of pictures with my phone and now I realize they don't transfer well...at least not when you send them to hotmail. There's an option to "send to blog" and I will try that out one of these days and see what happens.

So we camped 4 nights. Thursday to Monday. It was exhausing and a lot of work, but I think a good experience for the kids and a learning lesson for me. Next time: use a SMALLER tent, or better yet, rent a cabin!

One morning I loaded the kids up and went to explore the Baker Lake area, to which I had never been. I pulled off to a boat launch area and found a nice picnic area and swiming beach. This is pretty much the only time I took out my camera, sad to say, but better than nothing!

The view from the beach.

Before they wandered into the water. I was just hoping for some rocks to throw, but the water was just too much for the kids to resist. I didn't bring swimsuits along, so we improvised. Luckily I had some extra clothes in the car.

Doesn't it look like they're sharing so well? Ah, the magic of pictures! :)

Cute.

Cute too.

Super cute. I gushed so much over this picture that it's become Kaylee's signature pose.

Hudson came up to me and said "heart, heart!" He is always finding shapes in things. I looked at the rocks he had found and sure enough, they looked like hearts. What made it so special was that once Jeff found a heart shaped rock and I took a picture of him with it.

I forgot to take a picture of our tent, but here are a few at the campsite:

SUPRISE! and a trip to MN

2010-08-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

I bet you all thought I'd never make another post! Well my apologies. It's been so long. First with the pregnancy wearing me out and the nice summer weather we have, it's not easy to find time to sit down and blog. I think if I get caught up though, I'll do a bit better. That's my plan anyway.

So we left off last APRIL when I took the kids home for a visit to MN and Iowa. My last post was our time in Iowa with Jeff"s parents, so this will be about our time in MN with mine. I'm not sure I really remember much, other than we had a great time, so I'll just go with the pictures I took.

Hudson paying close attention to the wisdom of his Auntie.

Grandpa with his hands full!

One day Grandma and I took the kids to the Children's Museum in St Paul. It's got lots of wonderful exhibits for kids. You can really just let them go and explore. The most popular place for my kids was of course, the water room!

I can't believe how short I once cut Kaylee's hair! That's the main reason I put the above photo in.

This was a great room too. It's an enclose space so you don't need to worry about the kids sneaking off. Lots of places to crawl, climb, and explore.
I only took a couple pictures of our trip to the zoo. Cousin Heather made both pictures!

Iowa

2010-04-17T13:52:00.001-07:00

Recently I took the kids on the Super Duper Grandparent tour of 2010. Both sets of granparents were within a few hours of each other so it was time to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.

Above is the church and parsonage where Grandpa K filled an interim position over the cosy winter months in Sully, Iowa. Sully is a lovely little town not too far from Des Moines.

The night we got there, we went to an auction/dinner/carnival fundraiser at the local Christian school. There everyone in town and neighboring countryside instantly knew who we were and very graciously welcomed us.

Even though there's not a lot to do in Sully, the kids had more fun than you'd ever believe.

Grandma K set up pop can bowling in the hallway.

The quickly melting snow outside was fun to play in as well.

The bus driver lives across the street. Seeing a bus is the biggest thrill for little Hudson.

Kaylee found some nice ice balls that were not very fun to be hit with.

Wearing grandma's shoes is more fun than anyone but Hudson would've guessed.

They borrowed some toys from the church's nursery and turned the big empty front room into a grandkid's wonderland.

But the kids favorite toy by far was Grandpa. He's much more fun to climb!

I'll make a post of the Minnesota part of this trip on another day...hopefully not too long from now! ;)

Floating to an Island

2010-04-10T06:55:00.000-07:00

HA! Here I am again. Want to say hello to my most devoted fan - Heather - for hanging in there and checking here each and every day that I neglect to add anything new to this blog. And to my sister for her not so subtle hints.

Well here's a trip we took one weekend recently to the lovely San Juan Island called, strangely enough, San Juan. You see me below in a self portrait...am I talented or what.
We are on the Yakima. Someone tell Hudson that this is a life preserver... not the helm. You're not driving the boat buddy!

Jeff's version of a self portrait... maybe a little better than mine.

The real reason I couldn't do this post for so long. I just couldn't pick a favorite picture of Kaylee. I captured so many great moments. So I'm just going to throw them all on there.

See what I mean? How do you pick just one?!

For Hudson, it's not so difficult. He doesn't sit still for one second to take a picture. Most of the ones I have of him are blurry.

The view from the ferry looking back towards Mt Baker.

This is the place we go to on the south shore of San Juan Island. This beach has the best rocks. You look south towards the Olympic Mountains - all capped in snow. The sun was just too blinding that day, so I took a sidelong shot.A long way to go to throw some rocks!

Updates

2010-01-24T10:44:00.000-08:00

It's been too long since I've shared some new happenings with the kids.

Let's start with Kaylee. She reminds us that "Daddy calls me 'bug' and Mommy calls me 'sweetheart'". She can be both, believe me!!

She has just started into the "Why" phase. Some days it gets to be annoying. I took up some advice from a friend of ours. Whenever I get annoyed and want the questions to end, I simply say "Because elephants have flat feet". You know what? It works! Only now when I say it Kaylee has to add in "And they're too big!" I can't remember why she started saying that, but you know what? It stops her "why" questions real fast!

Kaylee still loves to travel. It's gotten to the point now that we don't tell her we're going on a trip until we're about to leave. She is always ready at a moment's notice to go to the ends of the earth and it's pure torture to know a trip is coming up but that we can't leave yet...even if it's the next day or after nap time!

Kaylee is thinking about growing up. She talks about how she will be getting bigger but other times she wants to stay little. She likes to pretend to be my baby. But she also likes to be my "mommy" and tuck me in for naps (my favorite game!!).

Kaylee is quick to hug and give kisses. She often says "Oh, I love you so much!" or "Mom, you're the best!" One day after telling me she loved me, she got a real sad look on her face and said, "But, I love Daddy best" It was so cute. I know she was meaning to say that she missed daddy because he was at work, but she didn't quite know how to say it.

Hudson... oh Hudson! What a character! He loves to dance and jump. He loves to sit and cuddle with me. He loves to try on everyone's shoes and walk around the house. He can climb up on chairs and tables now (yikes). When he walks he sometimes squats like he's going to pounce. That kid has some serious thigh muscles, let me tell you!

But the most amazing thing about Hudson right now is that his brain is just a sponge. At 14 months old he started pointing to letters and saying them correctly. He knows all his ABC's - capital and mostly lower case as well. Although for M he says "emma" and with W he says "double". He's got most of his numbers 1-10 down as well. It's funny the difference with kids. I remember being concerned at Kaylee's 18 month appointment because she only had a few words at the time. Hudson not only has tons of words, but he already knows his ABC's. I guess it helps having an older sibling. It also helps that his favorite book is an ABC book.

One more thing on Hudson so I don't forget. He says banana as "obama". Kinda cute. I wonder if he things President Obama's name is really President Banana. :-)

Christmassy Fun

2010-01-11T20:22:00.000-08:00

This year I finally had the energy and lack of sanity to do some fun Christmas "crafts" with Kaylee. Hudson helped pick up any strays that made their way off the table.

We made some sugar cookies to go with our tea.

I also glued together some graham crackers as a lazy way to make gingerbread houses. How lazy was I? I used store bought canned frosting too! I figured the kids wouldn't know any different. This was a project we did on a day that Kaylee's friend Emily was over to play. I've never had these kids occupied and happy for so long!

Here's Kaylee's house:

And here's Emily's house:

The Sunday before Christmas was Kaylee's very first Christmas play performance. She's always been so shy. I've often wondered just what she'd do if she was put in front of a crowd like that. But she did great. She was well behaved and often tried to sing along - with very exaggerated mouth movements (very funny), but of course was easily distracted by the other little ones around her.

The teachers told us they thought she would probrably be the dress lifter this year (there always seems to be one every year, right?) So we joked about drawing something on her belly, like "Amen" or "Hi Mom". Turned out she was able to refrain this time. Oh well...

For those of you who get our yearly video, you'll get to see it next year!

And of course, no Christmas program would be complete with out a bag of treats!!

Sno Fun

2010-01-11T20:09:00.000-08:00

Our one and only snowfall of the winter (so far) brought this little bit of happiness to our day.

My Birthday

2010-01-11T20:02:00.000-08:00

This was my birthday present - a waffle maker! I always wanted one. It came with a recipe for "overnight waffles" that is amazing! They are light and crispy and unbelievably good.

Good call, Jeff!

Waffles are becomming a new Sunday morning tradition!

My Park

2009-12-28T13:24:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures of me and the kids in my favorite place during my favorite time of year: "my park" during the fall in MN:

Kaylee almost made it the whole way around the lake...

Spontaneous Trip to MN

2009-12-13T19:17:00.000-08:00

Alright. Here's the thing. I have a tendancy to post pictures from these trips chronologically and say a little blurb about each one. I'm sure there's a much more creative way to do things. After all, less is more (so they say). But remember, not only am I sharing this with family and friends far and wide, this is my only form of journaling or scrapbooking. So here goes.

I found out that I had a week off of doing daycare so I decided to check into a trip home to MN. It was the end of October and I knew I wouldn't be able to make it home over the holidays, so I thought this would be the next best thing - Autumn in MN - is there any place better?!

We arrived on Saturday, Oct 31st. The kids did GREAT on the plane, despite the fact that the DVD player only worked for an hour on a 3 hour flight! The next day we went to "my park" to hike around the lake and play at the playground.

Later, Heather treated Kaylee to a fun project called "cookie painting". It was a fun and delicious idea! Here's Hudson flashing his irresistable smile!

Another day Taylor came with me and the kids to the Children's Museum in St. Paul. What an amazing place! We could spend an entire day there and not see half of it! So many fun things for the kids to do.

I loved that I didn't have to worry about the kids getting into anything they shouldn't. Nothing is off limits there. Everything is very hands-on!

My favorite shot of the day:

This was a neat room for the toddlers. An enclosed place to climb, slide, run, bounce, build, and just go crazy in general. Even Taylor had fun in this room! This is the widest shot I got of the room.

Hudson loves to push things. He was inseperable from this cart (until he turned his back for a moment and a bigger kid whisked it away).

Look out!!! Baby driving a bus!

The water play area was by far the biggest hit. Kaylee loved sending the boats down this slide. Hudson just enjoyed playing in the water.

Hudson pushed Kaylee all the way from the museum, back to the parking ramp!

Off for a walk to the park!

You saw this already, but it deserves some explanation. This is us at the "red park". One that we frequented a lot during our visit. There is also the yellow, blue, and brown park. It seems every playground in MN has its own color scheme.

Hudson also likes to climb into things as you can see: and here:

Had to throw this picture of grandma in. Isn't she beautiful?!!

I think Hudson wants to STOP!!!

He's double fistin it - milk and juice:

This is cute...

This cardboard box ended up being the most loved and used toy during our trip. I don't know that the kids played with any toys at my sister's house. Mostly they took turns playing in the box!

"LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

See ya later!! :-)

Christmas Lights

2009-12-13T18:42:00.001-08:00

Just thought I'd share some pictures I snapped tonight as Hudson and I were playing out in our dust of snow. It was snowing a lot harder in Lynden when we were at church this morning. Kaylee and Hudson had a great time playing on the church lawn in the snow. This is the first time Kaylee enjoyed the snow instead of being freaked out by the white stuff sticking to her shoes. Hudson was delighted with the snow and seemed to have no fear.

Anyway here's the front of our house...
Our lovely wreath...

And our "red, white, and blue" Christmas tree...

We usually have white lights on the tree. Last year we thought we'd try blue. It was a little to "dark" for my taste. So this year we decided to put them both on. With the red bows and many red ornaments, it turned out to be a very patriotic tree! I love it.

Oh, and one more picture of my manly little man on his big sister's tricycle. Real men ride pink!

p.s. Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I just got pictures from my spontaneous trip to MN in early November and I also will be posting from our recent trip to the WA/OR coast. So stay tuned!

Reading Between the Sniffs

2009-11-16T10:13:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't update in a while. I took a very impromptu trip to MN with the kids to visit my side of the family. The kids did very well on the flight despite the fact that the battery in the mini DVD player only lasted an hour of the 3 1/2 hour flight!

I relied mostly on my mother's camera while there, so when I get the pictures from her I will be sure to make a post about the trip.

In the meantime I have a few things to record about the kids:

Kaylee has been perfecting her pout. When she's fake-crying about something I can always tell because it goes "whiiiiiiiiiine, sniff sniff". Ever since I started noticing the little "sniff sniff" at the end of whatever she's whining about I've had much easier time dealing with it. I have to hold back a laugh everytime I hear it. It sure helps to keep me positive when otherwise I would be pulling my hair out!

If there was an Olympic sport for trying on different outfits, Kaylee would surely take home the gold. She's been very into dressing herself for a while now. When we returned from our trip to MN she immediately set to work reaquainting herself with all the clothes we left behind in her closet!

Kaylee often asks me whether or not something makes Jesus sad. I guess in the past I tried to tell her about lying, pushing, and other such things can make Jesus sad. Now she asks things like if the water that Hudson spilled makes Jesus sad. I say "Well, no...that was an accident." So she says "It makes Jesus happy?" So in Kaylee's mind it's either one or the other. Apparantly, Jesus is not ambivalent about spilled water!

Hudson has been such a cutie lately. He's learning some signs and also speaking some new words. He can sign "milk", "bath", "more", and "please" and he says "nana" (banana), "peas" (please), "no", "up", "mama", "daddy", and "yeah".

He reminds me of Linus the way he likes to carry his blankie around. He mashes it in his hands, while it drags between his legs as he walks. Other times it goes around his neck. Still other times he tries draping it over his head. It's fun to watch him run around and bump into things! But it always must come with him when he gets up from bed. A simple man with simple needs - gotta love it!

Hudson has been gearing up for his terrible two's - which for Kaylee as well as it seems Hudson, seems to come early! He has been seen stomping his little feet here and there. Kaylee did that too and I can't help but think it's the cutest thing! Hudson's trademark move however is to sit down and throw himself backwards wherever he happens to be. Quite often he knocks his head on something. If I'm nearby I like to help slow his dissent and I don't know, but I'm sure he appreciates it. Last night Hudson was saying "up" to me and I was trying to train him to say "please, up". I think it upset him. Although he didn't cry, he immediately sat down and very, very slowly laid down, with a very serious expression the whole time. That got a good laugh out of me, but he didn't see the humor in it.

Living in the Moment

2009-10-28T20:28:00.000-07:00

It comes so naturally to children...

...and it's something I am learning from them.

In moments like these, I tend to live behind the camera...in the after-moment.

But these kids aren't smiling at the camera...

...they're smiling at me.

They can't be bothered with lighting, poses, or composition.

They don't feel they must rely on photographs to remember the fun they're having.

They just live in the moment....and that's where I want to live too!

Please Pray for Little Olive

2009-10-26T18:35:00.000-07:00

I have some missionary friends who are living in the rural areas of northern Thailand. Their daughter was born prematurely and is fighting for life as their parents are seeking the best care they can get for her amidst many obstacles.

You can read up on their situation at their blog site: http://www.rustylynette.blogspot.com/

They have some specific questions and needs that maybe someone who reads this might be able to answer. Otherwise they can use as many prayers as they can get! Thank you!!

Good Morning!

2009-10-25T07:47:00.000-07:00

What a lovely, frosty beginning to this wonderful day of rest. See the ducks? You probrably have to click on the picture and enlarge it to see them. Someone needs to tell them they're going the wrong way!

I hope that whichever way you're going, you have a great day today!

Fall Cleanup

2009-10-24T14:37:00.000-07:00

We're having a nice sunny Saturday out here in WA state. Every year Kaylee likes to help me rake up the leaves. Traditionally, we get a wind storm the night after so the next day we can pretend all that hard work never happened! Our neighbors have come to use us as a weather indicator.

Kaylee's strategy is to scatter all the leaves I painstakingly gathered into piles.
I wondered if Hudson would help out. He usually likes helping me, but today he was too busy to even stop for a picture. This is typical Hudson when he gets outdoors. He's just go, go, go!
Thanks for getting that one leaf!

Cute, huh?

Then we decided to plant some bulbs for next spring. Every year I plan to do it. This was the first time I actually did (Yeah, for me!) Notice Kaylee has a new leaf in her hair!

Lets hope they grow well. I just LOVE hyacinths!

We also planted tulips, daffodils and crocuses... crocai??

And here's a treat... my little man stopped for just moment to wish you all a happy fall! (sorry, I just feel like rhyming today)

His collars go up on their own. He's just that cool!

My Little Stinker

2009-10-24T14:15:00.000-07:00

He's sweet and charming, and so disarming.
But a twinkle in his eye gives truth to the lie,
Then he's off doing something alarming!

I just came up with that. Oh Hudson - I just love, love, love this little man. I'm so thankful to God for him. I love that he likes to help put things away. He especially likes to put the spoons from the dishwasher into the drawer. I love that he sometimes sits on my lap and lets me snuggle him for MINUTES at a time. Oh yes, that is good for my blood pressure!

But he's also a little rascal. Yesterday I scolded him when he decided to walk into the street. Not two minutes later he stood at the edge, looked me straight in the eye - as I sternly said "NO!" - and then with that outlawish grin went ahead full speed back into the street! That earned him another pat on the behind and no more being outside!

(Yes, Mom, I can see you smiling. She's laughing as she reads this because she remembers me sticking my toe over the line of the street and looking at her defiantly. Yes, it's pay back time!)

Hudson is starting his terrible two's a little early (he's only 14 months). Lately when he gets upset, he plops right down where he's at and throws himself to the floor, crying like there's no tomorrow. He wants to be held but he wants to be free. It's a tough time for the poor little guy.

Thankfully I know of a few things that can make him go from crying to perfectly content if not down right giddy. Give the boy some food, stick him in the tub, or take off his diaper and watch him streak off faster than the speed of light!

Yep, I sure do love that little stinker!

The Village House

2009-10-20T23:19:00.000-07:00

Everytime we go to one of our timeshares, Kaylee gives it a name. This past weekend we went to Whistler Village and stayed in... the Village House (aka Cascade Lodge).

Kaylee is a trooper when it comes to travel. She LOVES to go new places and stay in different "houses". I hope Hudson turns out to have an adventurous spirit as well. I can imagine taking the kids on trips during those times when Jeff has to work tons of hours and isn't around anyway. If Hudson is anything like Kaylee - easy sneezy!

Our timeshares in Canada have a 4 person limit. The one we stayed in this weekend has only one bedroom with a hide-a-bed in the main room. It's snug and cozy. You don't really mind the small space until it's the middle of the night and you have one kid up and crying and you're just praying the other doesn't wake up as well.

Hudson had the best spot of all of us. His bed was situated in a bay window of sorts with a smackering of fall colored trees just outside.
Kaylee was so excited about a bed hidden inside the couch, she wanted to skip reading books and go right to bed. Of course, she was way too excited to sleep!
Here are some pictures we took around the village during our stay:

Oh, the gorgeous fall colors!

We like throwing rocks at water!

As you may have heard, Whistler is hosting the winter Olympics this year. There has been a lot of construction going on. The roads are pretty well done - and may I say - they are very well done! But in the village there are still many areas under construction. I was very disappointed when we came to the ONE playground in the village only to find it had been plowed over to make some kind of plaza... as if they don't have enough of those. Hopefully they'll put a bigger and better playground in there before it's all done, but I imagine it'll turn out to be something specifically for the Olympics. So below is a picture of a detour we had to take around what is no longer a playground. grrrrrrrr....

This cracked me up:

This little guy creeped me out:

We arrived at the Village house on Sunday afternoon and spent that evening walking around the village. On Monday we went to the Medow Park Sports Centre, which is 3 km north of our condo. They have wonderful swimming pools there as well as an indoor skating rink and "gym" facilities. The kids pool is enormous and goes from 0 to about 3.5 feet deep. When they have all the gizmos going, there is a "river", a whirlpool, and some sprinklers, but we've never been there when they had them all on. There is also a kid friendly hot tub that cascades warm water down into the main part of the pool. So Monday we spent most of the day there. That afternoon we returned to our condo, tried to get the kids to nap, then went for another walk around the village and found some water to throw rocks at. We got back to the condo in time for Jeff to heroically make dinner and a big pot of tea for me just before the power went out. Kuddos to my kiddos who didn't let the lack of light scare them. We tied a flashlight to the chandalier and had a very dimly lit meal together. Soon power was back on and things continued on as usual.

Whatever we did up there, Kaylee was always anxious to get back to the village house. Over and over she'd say "I love this house!" I think it's great how much she loves new places. She'd be in total bliss if she could sleep in a different bed every night!

I really enjoyed having a lot of time together as a family. I LOVED being unplugged from the TV and other distractions so we could simply be together. It was so relaxing - even though we are now very sleep deprived!

On the way home we stopped at Brandywine Falls. It's a short and very lovely walk!

We tried to set the camera to take a family photo. Our first attempt was priceless:

Kaylee looked after George. You gotta love those rubber boots! Not the best choice for hiking, as she soon discovered.

After this little hike we had a picnic lunch in the car then hit the road. It wasn't long before the kiddos were fast asleep.

And now... that's just what I need to be doing. Good night!!

Stoney Ridge Farm

2009-10-09T14:54:00.000-07:00

Fall is my very, very favorite time of year. I love that we have a yearly tradition of visiting this farm for pumpkins, apples, animals and... donuts! Yes, this farm has donuts! I think I could get used to farm life, especially if it's a donut farm!

Waiting for the tractor... Last year Kaylee was too scared to go near the tractor. This year, she couldn't wait! Hudson is just drawn to anything that's loud, so he was no problem!

It didn't take long for Kaylee to find her special pumpkin.

Hudson can't wait to get down.

Typical... Kaylee likes the cute little ones. Hudson heads off full speed across the way to where all the big pumpkins are!

Our first ever corn maze:

It was all I ever dreamed of, and more...

Again, it's impossible to get a decent picture of Hudson. He's too busy to be bothered. He doesn't seem to care about anything but just going wherever he's going. Occasionally he'll stop, but only when there's some good dirt and rocks to be found.

Time to get mom & dad's pumpkins.

Here's our pumpkin family:

Then we got some apples.

Then it's back to the farm to see some animals.

Hmm....

Grandma K, this one's for you:

They had goats, pigs, chickens, rabbits, ponies, horses, cows, ducks, and peacocks.

This is why I don't usually let Jeff use the camera. Apparantly, this is more interesting to him:

Well, at least one of us thinks he's funny!

Last year a freak downpour forced us into this little bit of heaven. That's when I discovered the cider donuts.

Yummmmmm!!!

The last stop was the playground. I love letting the kids have fun outdoors getting as dirty as they please, then scrubbing them clean in the bath tub at the end of the day. There's just something so satisfying about that!

Kaylee climbed her first tree:

Then back to the car for lunch on the drive home. Hudson passed out about halfway and didn't even stir when I put him down to bed. When the kids wake up we'll have a pumpkin-washing party outside!

***Scratch that... Three hours later and those kids are still sleeping! I guess I'd better go wake them, as much as I'm enjoying this long reprieve. I just went outside and noticed we got a nice chill breeze coming out of the northeast. I think we'll leave the pumpkins as they are and put the kids in a nice warm bath instead!!***

Sweet Surprising Sister!

2009-09-30T20:18:00.000-07:00

A few Mondays back I got a call from my sister, whom I like to call "Sister". She surprised me with the news that she was coming out to visit over the weekend! It was SO nice to have her out here. I wish she could've stayed longer, but I don't think my neices would've allowed it! :)

Here are our pictures from a visit to Boulevard park on an evening much like the one in which I forgot my camera. So now I feel better!

Here's my bench:

A view south towards the boardwalk from outside the coffee shop:

Then looking back north:

Hard to get a decent photo of this guy. He's always too busy to bother looking over at me. I must've resorted to saying I had some food for him in this one:

This little cutie is finally being able to pose for us when we ask her to. It's so nice not having to act like something amazing or shocking has just happened so that she'll look over!

This time I positioned the camera down by the rocks he was so diligently looking through...

Oh, I think he found some....

Now for my sunset pictures (in no particular order as you will see)

Oh, Joy!

2009-09-23T13:30:00.001-07:00

This morning was the first day of women's Bible study at our church. We are doing a study on prayer using the book The Joy of Prayer by Alvin Vander Griend. The description used at the link I just inserted can't even come close to the richness found in its pages. It was a great surprise that the author of the book came to share the first lesson (in lieu of the 15 minute video that the rest of the lessons will begin with). It turns out that Dr. Vander Griend lives right here in Lynden! What a great opportunity to listen and interact with the author of the study. If any of my local lady friends want to join, you are most welcome. Call me and I'll get you some more information.

Afterwards I took the kids to the Million Smiles park. I was so glad that I thought to pack a lunch. It's just a gorgeous, gorgeous day out here! I also took my sister's advice to keep a little point and shoot camera in the car in case an unexpected need should ever arrive. I was glad I had it so I could shoot this little bit of video. Today I set aside my mother-hen tendancies and let Hudson try going down the slide all by himself... and he did! So here's a little bit of Hudson history in the making for you:

Now my kids are fed, tuckered out, and down in their beds for a (hopefully) long afternoon nap! Oh, joy!!

Kick Me!

2009-09-21T08:52:00.001-07:00

Anytime I decide to go anywhere in this beautiful state and think I don't need to bring my camera, just kick me!
Last night after dinner we decided to drive down to Boulevard park and walk along the pier. We parked up above and walked over the bridge for the train tracks and down the stairs. The sky was clear blue, the low sun reflecting brightly off the silvery water. The air was perfectly luke warm with just a hint of the cool dusk descending on us. I have no words to describe the beauty of that place last night. I mourned not having that camera. I'm not even sure pictures would adequately portray the beauty of the moment. The conditions were unlike any I have ever experienced before and would unlikely ever experience again. It was a singularly beautiful, perfect moment. One that I wish I could share - mostly because my memory is so bad that I'm likely to lose it if I don't record it somehow. But it was great to share with Jeff and the kids none the less.

We found a bench and sat down to watch the sun slowly descend behind the horizon.

I got home and looked online to see if I could find any pictures similar to the sunset we saw last night. These don't come close, but the best I could find. I just typed in "bellingham bay sunset" and found a bunch of pictures on Twitter. Again, these are not my photos...

A gorgeous sunset picture taken from the Taylor St dock that goes out to the pier.

This is my favorite bench in the park. It's shaded in the heat of summer under the sprawling branches. My parents might remember this bench. I think I always point it out everytime we go here.

This is the closest picture I could find, but it still is not right. The colors are wrong and the sun is too far north... and of course you can't feel and smell the air, nor can you hear the waves and the birds, but it's still a nice picture.

In the end, I guess it's best I didn't have my camera. Sometimes when you can't quite put in words or show through images, how wonderful something is, it's best not to try, lest you take something away or cheapen it somehow. But in the future, if I ever decide to leave home without my camera, just kick me!

2009-09-17T22:22:00.000-07:00

Today Kaylee ran up to me and gave me a hug, saying "You make the best tea ever!"

(as if she knows all about tea now that she's three!)

The Hudson Report

2009-09-17T21:58:00.000-07:00

Hudson has been walking in earnest now since last week. I'm still not used to it. When I hear little feet coming up behind me I turn, expecting to see Kaylee, and am always surprised that it's Hudson.

One time I was in the bedroom and he comes walking in with a shoe - my shoes - in each hand. He had brought them all the way from the other end of the house. I was actually getting us ready to leave the house. He must've known I would need my shoes. What a little helper!

Yesterday I was sitting in Kaylee's room and he comes walking by the door. He looked over and saw me. His face lit up and he ran over to me and gave me a big hug. That was a first. What a great moment!

Today Hudson started signing. I haven't been as consistent with teaching him signs as I was with Kaylee. Probrably because I don't seem to have my hands free as much these days. Today however, he started signing "more" and "please". I guess he really liked my banana bread! (Little does he know I made it with whole wheat and added flax seed meal and spinach puree.) It was neat to see him sign.

He has a few words now too. He's had them for a while, but I don't think I've written about it. His first word was "out". At least that's how it sounds to us. He says it a lot and he always races for the door whenever it's opened. It's starting to give me a complex. His second word was "mama" (YES!). This is great because Kaylee always said "dada" and never "mama". I always thought it was a little unfair. Hudson also says 'dada' now as well. But before that, his third word (or phrase) was "uh-oh". Hmmm... maybe he hears me say that a lot. Next he made his Daddy proud by learning a quote from the movie "Wall-E". He copies Mo when he says "whoa-wa-wa-wa-whoa whoa whoa!". Jeff and his brothers are always quoting movies, so it's really cute that Hudson has already started. And finally, closely related to the last one, Hudson also says "no no no", really, really well. He knows what it means too. He also shakes his head "no" in a very big and funny way.

Hiking

2009-09-16T15:08:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was a lovely day. After Hudson's morning nap we decided to head out for a hike and picnic lunch with the kids. My favorite trail has always been Chuckanaut Ridge, but the road that takes you up there has been closed all summer due to some washouts. Since we were pushing the jogging stroller we figured this road would make a good trail for us, especially since it ends at a nice lookout spot.

Here's hiker Kaylee. She has boundless energy! She gathered quite a collection of sticks within the first 5 minutes.

There have been some improvements since we last were there. There is a bathroom, three picnic tables on cement slabs, and this sign:

To help figure out this view:
The view was worth the climb!

Time for lunch.

I made Jeff take my picture because very occasionally I like to make an appearance on this blog. After lunch the kids discovered the parking area was a virtual sandbox. I liked looking up and watching the clouds roll over the ridge, seemingly right over our heads. Once they got out over the water a little ways they would dissipate. The way the clouds curled over, they made me think of elephant valley curves on a Mandelbrot set (fractal talk).

Here's one of the reasons they blocked off the road... yikes!

Hudson got his afternoon nap in on the way back down. I could hear his little baby snores. So cute!

Kamping at the KOA

2009-09-14T09:52:00.000-07:00

This was our home sweet home for the weekend. "Kabin" number 6... my lucky number. We had wonderful weather. The mornings were cool...the kind of cool that you have to put on your sweater and wool socks. But as soon as the sun popped up over the mountains, it was suddenly quite warm...the kind of warm where you're stripping back down to a t-shirt and digging through your bag to find your deodorant.

Here's the easterly view from our front porch swing:

I know that staying in a cabin sounds kind of like cheating when it comes to camping. But let me just say that most people nowadays stay in air conditioned RV's with satelite TV. At least in the cabin we were without running water and had to contend with massive spiders!

So... our "new house" (as Kaylee calls it) had two rooms. The front room had my bed, a shelf, a chair, some pegs on the walls and some windows. The back room has two sets of bunk beds, a bench, a shelf, and a window.

I am only Type A when I am camping. If I'm at the campsite I'm usually cleaning and reorganizing everything. I don't know why I can't just sit down and relax.

Kaylee and Hudson never seem to sit down and relax either. But they were quite entertained with the porch swing, the step, and the many spectacular rocks around the cabin.

This campground is really catered to families with young children. They have a swimming pool, hot tub, and a kiddie pool. There is a playground, a mini-golf course, and a huge bouncy pillow thing.

The first night I set up the telescope after putting the kids down. I looked at Jupiter and its moons and also at the Andromeda galaxy. Jeff was able to come down the second evening and join us for the potluck with everyone else from our church who was there. He had to work the next day so he wasn't able to stay long. It's nice that the campground isn't too far from home.

The morning we left I snapped a picture of Hudson chasing after his shadow. I wish I had some video of it. It was quite funny.

Spontaneous Fun

2009-09-02T20:41:00.001-07:00

Hudson took a late morning nap and Kaylee was starting to squawk about not wanting to take a nap ever again. I once again felt the call of the road beaconing me to drive and see where I end up.
Heading south on I-5, I took the Fairhaven exit and headed south on Chuckanaut Drive which winds along the water. Above is a view from one of the pull outs... and also below. There are some gorgeous stretches of road along there.

I decided to take the backway down to Hwy 20 then head over to Deception Pass. Kaylee was thrilled to hear we were going to the ocean and throwing rocks in the water. Of course, this is Puget Sound, which is connected to the ocean, but it's all the same to her.

The bridge at Deception Pass. I have better pictures in my files from times I've gotten out and walked over, but this is just a quick one I snapped today.

Lovely tree, isn't it? Look closer:

I get a laugh everytime I go to this beach and see those seagulls perched up in a tree!

We're very happy to be here on such a beautiful afternoon, throwing rocks into water! I'm sure the fisherpeople were not too fond of us though.
Everytime we go here, there are always jets flying right over us. It's LOUD. There is a base nearby and it seems another jet goes screaming over our heads every few minutes. I don't know the names of the different military planes, but there was everything from fighter jets to big commercial sized planes landing there.

They're a lot closer than what the camera makes it seem. Above is a cropping of the photo below.

This might give you a better idea of distance...

So loud!

I asked a lady who was camping there about the sound of the jets. She didn't like it much but says it does quiet down at night and doesn't start up too early. I would love to camp at Deception Pass State Park - it's a gorgeous campground - but it will have to wait until our kids are at an age when they do not need to nap anymore.

Hudson had to sample many varieties of rock. Here he's laughing everytime Kaylee throws a rock in the water. I used to think I must be pretty funny. Now I realize my audience is just really easy to entertain.

Hudson walking on the beach. This is a new thing for him. I still get very excited when he stands up and walks.

An attempt to get ME in one of these pictures. I never take good pictures of myself, but this is okay.

This one is a little better...

I was so surprised that Kaylee actually got in. The waves used to scare her. Not that they're real big or anything... but she saw me do it and wanted to try. Then I had a hard time getting her out.

We made the slow progression from getting a little sand on our feet. To getting our toes and hands a little wet. Then soon our clothes are soaked and we're covered with sand. We stopped short of completely diving in.

Here's Hudson doing the crab crawl. Looks like he's a real sand crab!
A beautiful wide shot. If it weren't so cloudy, you'd see the Olympic Mts across the water.

Here are the treasures I found today:

I found two pieces of sea glass. I get so excited when I find sea glass, especially when one is such a pretty green!

Great trip! Sure beats sitting at home trying to get Kaylee to take her nap!

Window Paint

2009-09-01T20:35:00.000-07:00

Today I tried out a new painting recipe. We mixed 2 parts washable paint with one part liquid dish soap. Kaylee had a great time painting the glass door.

I had a great time spraying it off and discovering our doors are now sparkling clean.That's what I call a win-win-win!

Now and Then

2009-08-28T20:47:00.000-07:00

A year ago...
and a few days ago...

Time flies. They really do grow so fast!

Vancouver Zoo

2009-08-24T18:39:00.000-07:00

This is how we roll!

Jeff had the day off today and it was the PERFECT day to head up to the Greater Vancouver Zoo. (as opposed to the Lesser Vancouver Zoo which is near downtown and there are some strange looking people on the sidewalks!)

This cute and fuzzy little guy greeted us soon after we arrived. I love hearing a lion roar. It's certainly unmistakable. He walked around and "barked" at his lady friends. This is as close as I ever want to be to a lion!

Another highlight for me was this other cat - the cheeta. I couldn't get enough of her. Jeff and the kids went ahead and I took a zillion pictures of this gal. I'm not actually sure if it's a gal or guy, but sometimes you just gotta pick one and stick with it.

Isn't she cute?

And isn't she cute, too?

And isn't he cute too?

Hudson was confined most of the trip, but Kaylee certainly got her excercise!

Nice camel shot here.

We ate lunch by the camels and then headed to the playground so our kids could get extremely dusty and dirty. Before we left we had to go say hello to the giraffes.

This "little" one is the baby. I don't think you're supposed to pet them, but I couldn't resist that soft muzzle.

That is, until it opened it's mouth and tried to lick me! YIKES!

Check this out. No, that lady doesn't have a beer gut. She's quite pregnant.

These Canadian women are a hardy bunch!

2009-08-22T13:27:00.000-07:00

Hudson took his first solo steps last Sunday, August 16th at the age of 12 months. Way to go!

2009-08-21T22:34:00.000-07:00

Grandma K sent us a copy of this picture. What a cutie! Jeff would say that she got all her good looks from her mother, because he still has his.

Kaylee's favorite saying these days: "Wall-E's my best friend. He's a good guy!"

More Reasons to Love WA

2009-08-21T11:46:00.001-07:00

Free blackberries!

This morning we went down to the waterfront. I picked blackberries while Jeff walked with the kids on the beach. I wish I had my camera because I "found" the largest hunk of petrified wood I have ever seen! It's a big huge boulder sitting right there by the parking lot. I couldn't believe it. Now I have to go back again and take a picture to show you all.

Then we headed over to what we now call the "kite park" to play on the playground and fly Kaylee's kite again. It's so nice to live so close to such neat places.

So... today I think I might make a blackberry pie!

p.s. This is my 200th post. I'm definitely making blackberry pie.

(UPDATE: Here are pictures of that rock. You tell me, does it look like petrified wood to you?)

Grandparent Fun

2009-08-21T11:35:00.000-07:00

Recently Jeff's parents came up for a visit and I thought I'd share some pictures from our time with them. I think Grandma K took a lot more pictures of our time together, so until I get them from her, here are the best of my bunch: Playing at the fountain down in Barkley center after a fine dining experience at Bob's Burger.

Kite flying with Grandpa down by the waterfront.

A visit to the tall ships docked in Bellingham. Grandpa and Grandma are at the helm of the Lady Washington. They're standing on the same deck that Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom stood during the filming of Pirates of the Carribbean. Wow!

Here's future sea captain Kaylee at the helm of the Hawaiian Chieftain:

She Cracks Me Up

2009-08-19T15:37:00.001-07:00

Today Kaylee said that Hudson was pushing buttons on the phone. I told her that sometimes she does the same thing to me. Then I watched as the light blub went off in her head and she said, "You're like a phone!"

Sharing the Love

2009-08-19T14:21:00.001-07:00

The first time I saw an image of a Mandelbrot set I fell in love and became completely hooked on fractals. I love seeing fractal geometry in the world all around us: the clouds, weather patterns, plant growth, mountains, rivers, coastlines, music, dna, planets, galaxies, the universe in general. I love to create fractal art like the image above. I loved the PBS special I saw on TV last night called "Hunting the Hidden Dimension".

I just want to share the love. So if you have time, watch this!

If you want to explore fractals up close and personal, download a trial version of this software. This is the software I use and I believe it's also the software used in the Hidden Dimension show.

Kaylee Turns 3

2009-08-18T09:09:00.000-07:00

Just three days after Hudson's first birthday, Kaylee turned three!

Kaylee requested a cake with sprinkles. So here's how the monstrosity turned out.

Kaylee's birthday landed on a Sunday, so it was nice for the whole family to be home all day. We also had Grandpa and Grandma K and Uncle B over as well. Jeff took Kaylee on their weekly run from Barkley down to Whatcom Falls park. Hudson and I dropped them off at Barkley, went to Haggens to get some supplies, then picked them up at Whatcom where we spent some time playing at the playground first. Then we drove to Jeff's work and filled up the balloons for Kaylee. We came home and had some yummy danishes for breakfast before heading off to church.

This was the first year that Kaylee seemed to understand and look forward to her birthday. It was so fun to share her excitement. This was also the first time that she actually opened her presents herself.

The big present from us was this dollhouse. I've noticed that whenever we're anywhere that has one, she is inseperable from it. I had been looking for something for quite some time and it wasn't until a couple days before her birthday that I finally found it. It had just come into the consignment store with loads and loads of furniture and accessories.

I soon learned that I needed to weed out the more intricate accessories from the hardy solid plastic pieces. She is just fine and dandy playing with the 10 or so pieces of furniture and dolls. We've got about 10 bags of extra items that we can add over the next however many birthdays and Christmases. What a find!

Everyday leading up to her birthday I asked her what she wanted for her birthday dinner and she consistently said spaghetti. I wasn't sure she really meant spaghetti because she never seemed that thrilled whenever I made it before. This time however, she seemed to like it a lot. Maybe because she knew it was made just for her.

Then some birthday cake to top it all off.

Happy Birthday Kaylee!

Hudson Turns One

2009-08-09T20:13:00.000-07:00

I couldn't find those little candies that go on cakes, so this year I had to do it all by hand:I think it looked a lot better in person :)

Grandma and Grandpa K and Uncle B were here this year to celebrate Hudson's first birthday. They made dinner for us that night and we feasted on pork ribs, new potatoes, beans, and french bread. It was fantastic - and the buttered bread made Hudson's face all shiny.

Kaylee was really sweet about it being Hudson's special day. Many times throughout the day she would give him a hug and kiss and tell him happy birthday.

Hudson enjoyed opening presents (rather, having Kaylee help him open presents).

Later we sang "Happy Birthday" to him. He laughed and clapped his hands.

Then of course we ate some birthday cake.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Hudson update:

Since he's turned 1 now, I should probrably do an update. For the last three months or so Hudson has been very clingy to me. Outwardly I discourage it as much as possible, but inwardly I melt every time he cries and reaches for me.

He's starting to test his boundaries. He knows very well the things he should not be touching. He seems to enjoy testing those boundaries, almost like it's a fun game to him. As his hand goes for those electronics, we say "NO" and he looks back at us with a big grin.

My nickname for him is "stinker".

He cannot sit still for a diaper change or for dressing. I have to hold him down with my feet in order to get a diaper on him. As soon as the old one comes off, he rolls over and takes off. It's the same with clothes. He cannot stop whatever he's doing for one second to let me get his pants on.

He's an interesting combination of sweet, sensitive and very strong willed. His smile can light up a room, but he has quite a temper too. His face gets red, his veins pop out in his head and his arms go flying. He always speaks up for himself, especially when I start making dinner. He doesn't quiet down until he is in his chair with food on his tray. Then as soon as he feels he's done eating he demands to get out of his chair. So strong willed, that boy!

He has the greatest laugh. Today he started doing this thing where he'd tilt his head back and then down again - almost like he's nodding an exaggerated "yes". I copied him and then he kept doing it over and over as he laughed and laughed.

I've learned that Hudson has very tender feelings. If I can't pick him up right away or if someone (Kaylee) borrows (takes) a toy, his face just crumples as he drops his head. You've never heard such a sad cry.

Hudson loves books. One of his favorite activities these days is to sit in his room and go through the basket of books that's on the floor. He also loves to take toys that have been in his mouth, pull them out, put them into my mouth, and then put it back into his own mouth again. I don't know what that's about, but it's funny.

He's really close to walking. I was sure he'd have done it by now. In everything else, he's been right at, or slightly before the age that Kaylee had done it. She was walking at 11 months. He took one step on his birthday, but that's it so far. He can totally do it, I'm sure of it. He's strong enough, balanced, can easily walk along with us holding one hand... but when we try to encourage him to walk to us, he quickly drops down and crawls. I suppose one of these days he'll just start walking like it's the easiest thing in the world.

So that's the latest and greatest on our little one year old.

Experiencing History - Tall Ships

2009-08-03T14:04:00.000-07:00

Well here it is. I mentioned this the other day... the "tall ships" as I've learned they are called, are in port. The Lady Washington and the Hawaiian Chieftain sail together up and down the west coast, offering tours, educational programs and sailing trips.

Once I learned they were in town, I looked it up on the internet and found that you can go on sailing tours. I got so excited, I just HAD to go. It was a typical last minute, spontaneous decision on my part. So... I went alone. But I made new friends and had an amazing time!

I got to ride on the Hawaiian Chieftain.

I thought I left with enough time to make it to the landing by 10 a.m. But I wasn't exactly sure where to go and I ended up going to the Lady Washington instead . There they told me I had to be on the other side of the marina. I ran over there only to see the ship had already cast off. What a horrible, sinking feeling! I walked to the end of the dock and since the ship was still right there, was able to talk to the crew. They said they had been looking for me. I felt so foolish. The captain said if I wanted, he'd turn (which he had to do anyway) and then pull up to within a few feet of the end of the dock so I could jump on. That sounded fun to me, I was game!

He masterfully brought the ship around and pulled within two feet of the dock (WOW) and I jumped on as everyone clapped. Yep, that's how you make an entrance. Later I thanked him for going through the trouble of letting me on and he graciously replied that it was no problem and that it was actually pretty fun for him.

So then we were on our way...

Here's Stu the first mate, talking to an anxious-to-climb-up-to-crow's-nest Canadian boy named Michael.

I started out sitting up on the poop deck. (I had to look up why it's called the poop deck!) Everyone headed for the front of the ship, but I liked being in the back... or I should say - stern - of the ship! You're up higher, it's not as cold, and you can see what everyone is doing.

Here are a few pictures I took back there.

Then folks started figuring out that the poop deck was the place to be, so I walked around for awhile and ended up on a bench right near the helm.

This is Stu again... not the captain. Although Stu is a good name for a captain, don't you think? Patrick Stuart... Captain Stubing... I thought Stu looked pretty authentic with that hat. They're getting ready to "hoist the main sail"

The captain looks north and spies... CANADA!

It's time to come about... (look at those beautiful sails!)

...the captain consults his officers...

and then we fire...at CANADA!

That'll show 'em!

Don't mess with the Hawaiian Chieftain!

A word about the Hawaiian Chieftain... she's a replica of a typical merchant trader around the turn of the 19th century. You can click on the link here to find out more information.

On the way back in I snapped a few pictures of the Lady Washington. She's the ship that has been in a few movies. She plays "The Interceptor" in Pirates of the Caribbean and it's also in Star Trek Generations. She's the official ship of Washington State.

She is an exact replica of the original Lady Washington, built around 1750 in colonial Massachusetts (I can never read or spell that word!) Originally a freight ship, she became a privateer during the Revolutionary War. Afterwards she was refitted for an unprecedented trading voyage around Cape Horn. She was the first to make landfall on the west coast. A pioneer in Pacific trade, she was the first American ship to visit Honolulu, Hong Kong, and Japan.

The tall ships leave Blaine tomorrow and travel down here to Bellingham for a few days. I plan to visit them again with my kids. You can do a walk-on tour for a small suggested donation.

Although I hoped for more pure sailing and historical story telling on the trip, all together I was very happy with it. In fact, I didn't want it to end!

I've only sailed once before and it was enthralling. I guess that memory is what prompted me to go on this tour. That and I'm also interested in the old "tall ships" and their history. I think I'm hooked... I'm done. I got the salt water in my blood and I will always wish to go back out there. I love the rocking of the boat and how it stays with you even after you get back on land. I love the creaking of the ship, the flap of sails, the lapping of water, the cry of seagulls and the camaraderie of the crew.

To anyone who reads this blog and lives on the west coast... try and get out to see these ships. They will be in Bellingham from August 4-10. Dockside tours are on Aug 5-7, from 12:30 to 6 pm and on Saturday, Aug 8th from 10-1 pm. There are battle and adventure sails on Aug 8th and 9th. You can buy tickets online by following this link.

Support this wonderful organization and the rare educational opportunities they offer. It's a wonderful way to EXPERIENCE history and I highly recommend it.

Twin Brook Creamery

2009-08-01T15:15:00.001-07:00

This afternoon we went up to visit a local dairy farm that is owned by friends from our church. My brother-in-law is going to be working for them and we needed to pick up some paperwork. I thought it'd be fun to go along and bring the kids to see some cows. I've always wanted to try their milk and today I finally did!

Here's a little video I found on youtube about their dairy: Twin Brook Creamery

They're a unique dairy in that they bottle their own milk from their own cows.

Jersey cows! Aren't they cute? Jerseys produce a milk that is higher in protein and butterfat than the standard B&W holstein. This makes for a better tasting milk in addition to it being more nutritious. Larry (the owner) told me that the skim milk will taste more like 1% because of the enriched flavor... and you know... he's right. He knows what he's talking about!

These are some happy cows. They are pastured in grass fields for as many months as weather allows. They raise their own calves so they have a "closed herd", greatly reducing the chance of disease. They're not given any hormones for artificial growth or milk production. So what you get is "the most natural milk a cow can produce".

Their milk is gently pasturized at low temperature to kill off harmul bacteria and is not homogenized, which alters the natural state of the milk. Because of this, the cream naturally floats to the top of the container. So you can buy whole, 2% or 1% and either skim the cream off and use it in your coffee, on your berries, or shake it up and drink it all. I think that's pretty neat!

During our visit Debbie (the other owner) gave us a pint of chocolate milk. What a treat! It was so good!

And my little Kaylee who NEVER drinks milk - even chocolate milk - couldn't get enough of it!

This gets me excited about the possibility that I can get her started drinking milk. With Uncle B working there, we can have him be our own personal milk man! Or else I can go to the Co-op to buy some of course, but I like the idea of home delivery. (They don't really have a home delivery service, I just mean on account of the above mentioned family member working there... just to clarify)

Behind Kaylee is the delivery truck Uncle B will be using...

So after getting all that sweet chocolate milk running through our veins, it was time to burn off some energy. Ever the thoughtful hosts, Larry brought out a tricycle for Kaylee to cruise around on.

And Debbie showed us the swing set in the back yard.

Disregard the chocolate milk and dirt-smudged face below, and notice the look and gestures of the next two pictures. Is it just me, or does Hudson look like he's in a play?

"But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon..."

To top it all off, they even had horsey rides!

Larry heard that I was really anxious to try the milk - and of course I could just go to the Co-op and get some (but that means getting a membership and ya-de-ya-de-ya), but he wouldn't have me go home empty handed. He sent us home with some fresh milk to try. What a generous man! This milk is so good. I highly reccommend it. Not only because it's local and owned by friends of mine, but because it's healthier too!

Now if only I knew someone who raised chickens...

What a Morning

2009-08-01T10:23:00.000-07:00

I LOVE this state! I love living here. Here's another reason why:

This morning our kids were up again in the lovely hour of 5:00. Since we have house guests that I didn't want to disturb I decided to load my kids up in their pajamas and go for a drive. We stopped for a latte (for me) and a muffin (for the kids) then headed off. For some reason I was drawn to the border town of Blaine. It's only about a 15 minute drive, so we cranked up the Miss Patty Cake CD and watched the sunrise as we drove.

We headed down to the public fishing pier. It's a rustic looking pier that you can drive onto. From there you can see the Peace Arch at the border crossing, Mt Baker looming large to the east, the beautiful resort community of Semiahmoo across the water, and of course the water itself and the seagulls.

As we walked around the pier (of course we were the only ones there this morning) I was thrilled to see a bald eagle fly right over my head. Now bald eagles are not an uncommon sight up here in the PNW, but I've never seen them near the ocean (or more precisely - Puget Sound). They're usually fishing the rivers - just not often by the water.

Anyway he landed on a small outcropping of rock not 50 feet from the pier. I watched him for a long time and wished and wished I had grabbed a camera on the way out the door. But I resolved to burn the image in my head - the golden morning light glinting off the gentle waves and that regal head looking about. Hudson and Kaylee were not impressed.

Eventually a van pulled up and a man got out. He proceeded to start taking pictures of the eagle. I went and told him how glad I was that someone was able to capture the moment! He offered to email me a copy of his pictures and I cannot wait to get them! He also told me that the Lady Washington was in port. That was another amazing surprise! This famous replica has been in two movies that I know of - Star Trek Generations and Pirates of the Carribean (the HMS Interceptor). How could this treasure just be sitting there in plain sight with nobody around oohing and ahhhing?! So we stopped to see the boat on the way back through the marina. I did some reading when I got home and found out that they're giving some kind of sailing tour this week -first in Blaine then in Bellingham. Jeff has some time off and with the grandparents here, I'm thinking this is something we HAVE TO do!

What an amazing place to live!

If you click this picture and enlarge it, you can see me standing on the dock on the far right side near the telephone pole.

2009-07-27T10:49:00.000-07:00

Please pray for Stellan.

A Precious Moment Lost

2009-07-26T13:21:00.000-07:00

I really need a back up battery for our video camera. Today as I was getting the kids ready for their afternoon nap, they were being SO cute. Unfortunately our camera battery was depleted. So I watched as they lay next to each other giggling and snuggling. Kaylee was holding Hudson and he was trying to look inside her mouth (he fascinated with teeth and tongues and stuff). They were both laughing histerically. I willed my brain to burn that image into my head so I'd never forget. But of course I will forget... and I won't be able to share it... unless I can recreate that moment with a fresh battery in the camera!

A Day on the Farm

2009-07-24T14:56:00.000-07:00

We are so lucky to have such a wonderful park like this to go to! Hovander Homestead Park has so much fun stuff to do and see, but the best part is that it is FREE! On a much clearer day, you would see Mt Baker behind this barn.

Kaylee arrived, prepared for any weather:

They have some pretty smarmy animals living here at the park:

The rocks on the ground are pretty interesting too.

These are such gentle goats. This little gal didn't mind Hudson grabbing her eyes and nose as I was trying to get a picture taken.

Still, goats creep me out. What's with their eyes? Thier pupils are horizontal!

Creepy... but cute.

They have a nice little playground there.

So we ate a picnic and then got all dirty in the gravelly playground. At least that is what I am leading you to believe by the order of pictures here. Come on, would I let my kids get terribly dirty and then shove food into their mouths? Not me!

I was happy to have brought the bucket and shovels. Soon a herd of small children flocked around us and we got to share the joy of shoveling rocks with them. It was almost comical how all the kids completely ignored the swings and slide as they dug and poured.

On the way out I walked my kids through the gardens around the homestead house. I've never had the chance to go through the house (which is decked out like a little museum with antique furnishings)

But the gardens were amazing. There are flower gardens, an apple orchard...

vegetable gardens (they're using the square foot gardening technique that I am also doing this summer!)

Believe it or not, they even have a weed garden! This is a "Weed Identification" garden. I've never seen anything like it before!

This park also has trails that lead to Tennant Lake and to a boardwalk that tours some wetlands. There is another house surrounded by a "fragrance garden" (very nice!) and also a few towers to climb up in and get a good view all around.

What a great place to visit!

A Purply Day

2009-07-24T14:13:00.000-07:00

The other day I decided to do some crafts with the kids. I read about this idea for little ones: Use corn syrup and food coloring on their high chair tray. They can swirl it around and mix the colors. I just happened to put red and blue on there.
Hudson was loving it.
The best part is that it doesn't matter if it gets into their mouth. It's yummy sweet! The only bad part... clean up.Kaylee and I made some play dough. I let her choose which colors she wanted to add. Strangely enough, she also chose red and blue. She's getting to an age where she can start to see and understand that mixing colors sometimes makes a new color.

Here we're taking cheerios and stringing them onto spaghetti noodles.

But the best part for Kaylee is playing in the flour. She likes to scoop some up and then clap her hands together. What a mess!

A Week (or Two) in Minnesota

2009-07-20T14:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been way out of town! We recently went to visit my family in MN. We had such an amazing time - I just have to tell you all about it.

First of all, Grandma came out to WA to help me fly home with the kids. I left about a week before Jeff was able to come. In those first few days we got adjusted to the new hours and the new routine of doing a whole lot of nothing! It was soooo nice!

Grandma went out and got a second swing so they wouldn't have to take turns. (just teasin G'ma!)

My neices were happy to help them on those swings.

The second day there I decided to walk my kids to the neighborhood park. On the way I did something to my lower leg and ended up having to hop around for a couple days. Thankfully, it healed up within a few days so I could participate in the many upcoming activities.

I should hurry up and say that we didn't bring our camera on this trip. The photos we have are from my Dad's camera.

My sister and I chatting and enjoying the cool weather - felt like home to me!

The kids had a pool set up for them with some really, really cold water. That never stops Kaylee though!

Breakfast on the deck

Here we're setting up for our fancy shmancy tea party with real tea cups and finger samiches.

We went to the local parade on the 4th of July. Thankfully it was overcast and even a little rainy. Us Northwesters don't handle the heat too well ya know!

Jeff arrived the next morning. It was so fun to see the kids' reaction when they realized he was there. They really missed each other.

On Monday we took the neices and Kaylee to the Mall of America where we visited the American Girl doll store and went on some rides. Jeff and I got to go on a roller coaster together and it was a great little mini-date. If you've been there before it's the one that goes straight up and then straight down and around and round. It was so fun to just let go...to laugh and scream with absolute abandon!

The next day we met up with my aunt and cousins at the zoo. It was great to see them, but such a hot day for running around outside! Our kids got real cranky in the afternoon so we took off early for a nap. Helps to live so close to the zoo! We went again the next day to see all we didn't get to see the day before. (also helps to have membership passes!)

Soon after this we went up to Duluth for a few nights. We stayed at a really fun water park resort. They had a nice little splash pool for the little kids with slides and spouts all over. Kaylee still talks about the big bucket that goes "ding-ding-ding-ding- SPLASH!" There was also a lazy river and two four-storey water slides! Ah, it was so much fun. The family also got a day trip up to Goosebury Falls and Split Rock lighthouse, but I stayed home with the napping kids. I just love the north shore in MN. It had been years since I'd been up there and it brought back a lot of memories. Now we have more special memories. I hope we go back again someday!

Family Photo

2009-06-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

Grandma took this picture for us down by the water. Thanks g-Ma!

Mommy is SOOOOOOOO Sweet!

2009-06-26T20:34:00.000-07:00

That is a direct quote from my Kaylee girl. Yesterday I poked my head in her room to say goodnight and that I loved her while Grandma L was reading her stories. After I left she says to Grandma - "Mommy is SOOOOO sweet!" When my mom told me later, my heart just melted.

Other times she'll come up to me, seemingly out of the blue, give me a big hug and say "I love you so much!" Be still my heart!

Hudson Loves...

2009-06-24T22:43:00.000-07:00

his crib

playing with the shade on his window

blue lights on various electronics

to squirm and crawl away as soon as I take off his diaper

bath time

toilet paper rolls

the water in the toilet

rugs, especially the corners

remotes

the vcr

banging on the sliding glass door

dropping things from his high chair

dropping things from everywhere else

throwing toys and chasing after them

socks

rocks

anything edible

anything inedible that he can put into his mouth

wheels on toys and trikes

to bounce on my lap or in my arms

to check out the inside of my mouth

to blow raspberries on his big bouncy ball

anything on my plate

good night moon

copying sounds I make - like coughing

fish

Kaylee jumping and dancing

when I DON'T go farther than two feet away from him

to smile

to laugh

and to make me smile and laugh!

Dryer Lint

2009-06-19T15:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, something is definitely wrong with me. I feel the need to post about dryer lint. I've been spending a lot of time preparing for at-home preschool for Kaylee so my mind is ever in the mode of crafts and experiments. I look at everything in my house in the light of "now what could we do make with that?"

So... dryer lint. Today is laundry day. I often wonder what I could do with dryer lint. I remembered that I had a recipe in my wonderful Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions for making Laundry Lint Clay. It got me wondering what else I could use it for. I suppose you could collect enough to make filling for a doll's pillow. You could leave it outside in the spring for birds to gather for their nests. I wonder if pet stores or animal shelters use it for any of their "nesting" creatures.

Maybe I could use laundry lint in place of cotton balls in making some kid art. Like glue the lint onto toilet paper tubing and make it into a sheep or something.

Got any other ideas for me??

Pray for Stellan

2009-06-19T09:33:00.000-07:00

Stellan is back in the hospital with his heart issues. This little boy reminds me so much of my Hudson. My heart breaks for his parents! You can read up about them at www.mycharmingkids.net or get updates from Twitter: http://twitter.com/MckMama

Go Fly a Kite!

2009-06-14T21:45:00.000-07:00

What do you do on a breezy, sunny, Sunday afternoon?

Fly a kite of course!

Look at Kaylee go - her first time flying a kite! I can't lie, I got a little misty seeing her so exuberant, not to mention so grown up!
My cuties!

We started out at Cornwall, but the trees blocked the wind too much.

So we went down to the marina instead. What a beautiful park! This is where everyone goes to fly their kites (and with good reason). There's usually a strong breeze coming off the water. Cool and clean... I just love the air out here!

The kite was good entertainment for Hudson.

It was good entertainment for this border collie as well. Jeff played with him for quite a while. I love how those dogs are so focused!

Random Cuteness

2009-06-11T14:34:00.000-07:00

I downloaded a month's worth of accumulated photos from my camera today and I just can't decide which ones to include on my blog. So for Grandmas and Grandpas sake - here are ALL my favorites!

Hudson loves to open and close things: drawers, doors... anything that can pinch his fingers. He seems to have good depth perception and doesn't try to crawl out onto the deck when SOMEONE leaves the sliding door open (Kaylee!).

He likes to mimic my facial expressions and if somebody coughs, he copies it. It always takes me a while to figure out who is really coughing and who is faking. Now that Kaylee knows Hudson will copy her, I think most often they're both faking!

Hudson is still a sweetie pie, but has been more fussy and clingy lately. I think it's probrably teething. He's always sucking on his hands. He also loves food. He wants anything and everything we're having, and he's pretty good at asserting himself! He gets the biggest laughs when he takes the bowl and shoves his face into it.

G&G K were here for a week or so. The kids really took to them.

Kaylee cracks me up on a daily basis.

I recently had to go in and give her bangs a trim. I wanted to let them go naturally, but she'd never let me clip her hair. Or if she did, it wouldn't stay in long before she'd pull them out. I got tired of her looking down her nose at me because of the hair in her eyes.

Kaylee surprised me the other day with drawing faces for the first time. I think that's some sort of developmental stage. She also recognizes letters in some of her scribbles. The other day she showed me a "C" she had drawn. I don't think she intended to, but it was neat that she saw it afterward.

If Kaylee "asks" for something and we say no to her, she'll either say "I say yes!" or "Mommy, you be naughty!" Like I said, she cracks me up every day.

It's nice to be able to spend a lot of time outside these days.

Love them g-diapers!See ya later...

That's all the random cuteness I have for today.

Our Trip to Yellowstone - Day 5

2009-06-06T15:12:00.001-07:00

Our second day in Yellowstone park was greeted with sunny blue skies. The temperature started out cool but then grew to a sweltering, nearly 70 degrees! For me, that's warm enough. I'm a cold weather girl!

Here's the Madison river with some elk and bison in the background.

This day we drove up to Mammoth, with a couple stops on the way, and then back down again with a stop at Norris. It was lucky that we did the loop around Canyon the day before because the snowfall was enough to close the road the next day.

A little stop at a spring whose name I don't recall brought us face to face with some buffalo. The kids stayed in the car this time. Hudson was napping and Kaylee was way into her Blues Clues. Also, I didn't want my kids so near these big guys with nothing between them and us!

See? This is the boardwalk. Nothing to stop them if they get upset at you.

I did not edit the picture below. I snapped this picture real quick and got back to the car. I didn't like the way he was lookin at me!

Gibbon Falls:

Roaring Mountain:

In Mammoth:

It was very cold and windy here. In about a half hour it starts to get really warm. The weather there is CRAZY!

At Norris:

This is Emerald Spring... so beautiful.

Steamboat Geyser

I love this sign too.Look really closely at the picture. See the man on the left running for his life? I don't expect too many people look closely enough to notice it. I thought it was hilarious!

Steamboat Geyser erupts infrequently, but it's a lot bigger than Old Faithful. Wouldn't it be neat to be there when it erupted? I'm guessing that picture above may have been taken on the date below:

Kaylee was wiped out by the time we got to Norris. As soon as we put her in the stroller she curled up on her side (with George of course) and went to sleep.

When I see the picture below I can smell the sulfur.

It was hard to get a picture of those guys. One second it'd be clear and the next moment we'd be enveloped by steam. I used to gag at that smell, but now I LOVE IT! It reminds me of my favorite getaway that has relaxing geothermal heated pools. There was a crisp wind blowing here at Norris. One moment it'd be cold and the next moment it'd be all warm and sulfury. That mineral mist is so good for your skin!

One of my biggest questions that I still have to research is how in the world did they lay down all the infrastructure throughout the park? How many people were injured or killed in this land with such a thin crust everywhere? Looking out over this valley of geysers and hotsprings I have to wonder - who had to go out and lay down this boardwalk? How did they figure out the best and safest way to go? Anyone know?? It'd be interesting to read up on that.

On the way back "home" I spotted two of these guys along the roadside. After much confusion and debate we have concluded that they are not wolves, but coyotes. I happened to catch a special on PBS about Yellowstone the other night. They showed the coyotes and then the wolves and that cleared it up really easily for me.

Basically after this we went back and used the pool facilities again. We packed up in the morning and took a wrong turn in Ennis, MT. We passed through an authentic old west town called Virginia City and went a very back way into Butte. It probrably put an extra hour on our time, but it was a neat drive. I really like the rocks around Butte and we got to see them up close and personal!

Back in Coeur d'Alene we stayed one more night at our timeshare and then drove home the next day. Hudson woke us up early that morning and we just decided to get up and get it over with. We got home around 1 pm safe and sound, thankful to have all the rest of that day to relax before life started up again the next day.

Pool Time in West Yellowstone

2009-06-06T14:58:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share a few cute pictures of our kids enjoying the kid pool at the condo.

It's nice that it has a fenced in area with only one gate. There's a much larger pool for older kids and adults as well as two hot tubs.

I snapped a few pictures of the common room - just because I liked it so much.

I wish I had time to sit by the fire and read a book. Maybe next time.

Our Trip to Yellowstone - Day 4

2009-06-06T14:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's taken so long. Now I'll finally share some of our pictures from the park! We woke the morning of our first day in Yellowstone to see snow coming down. Snow doesn't happen much in the NW, so we get excited whenever it snows.

We got into the park and were almost immediately in a bison traffic jam. We were able to get through it rather quickly because they were blocking the opposing traffic more than our lane. (The bison were traveling towards and past us, whereas the opposing traffic was trying to weave around them as best they could). As we drove by, I felt sorry for the people in the long line of cars - many of whom couldn't even see ahead to where the bison were. I think we caught up with that herd on the way home because we got into the same sort of traffic jam. It took forever to get through!
I like to take pictures of funny signs. This one is a common one around the park. I thought the mom pointing and screaming was funny, but I couldn't believe the dad would just walk away. According to Jeff, the dad was walking away because he TOLD the boy not to go out there! Men! :)

This day we drove south to Old Faithful then made a big loop around to West Thumb, Canyon, Norris, then back to Madison where we turned back to West Yellowstone. The Old Faithful area has a lot of construction going on. There are lots more shops and eating places here than I remember as a kid. We walked the long way around and eventually found the lodge - came in through the back door - said "ooh" and "ahh" then left the front door and found the temporary visitors center to find out when she was scheduled to go off. Luckily we only had to wait about 30 minutes. So we watched a little movie about Yellowstone and then went out to the geyser.

It was a pretty cold day. We had snow, rain, sunshine, and clouds... a little bit of everything.

Kaylee can hardly contain her excitement as the steam starts to build and the "fountain" is about to start.

There she is! I learned they have a web cam and you can go online to watch it live from anywhere! If I had known - and if we had our cell phone with us - I'd have called our family and friends and had them look it up so we could wave to them from there.

On the way to West Thumb it started to snow pretty hard. I snapped this picture of some pelicans out the car window. They had just opened the road from West Thumb to Canyon.

Now our kids were tired and napping. When we got to Canyon (our favorite place I think), we took turns walking down to the vistas. It's just what you gotta do when you have little ones. It was snowing pretty hard at the time I took this picture:

Jeff took this gorgeous picture of the canyon:

One of the many elk we saw. We never saw any bulls though... that was strange. Maybe they only come along during rutting season.

Our kids had enough of the car by then, so we headed back to the condo so we could have dinner and spend some time in the pool. Sure enough we got stuck on the way back. Those bison are such road hogs.

Oh, look at the little babies!

Happy Mother's Day you beautiful buffalo, you!

Think Your Commute is Bad?

2009-05-27T21:37:00.000-07:00