Lights, Camera, Action!!!

Sydney made her 'official' acting debut at the end of June.  It was a local interpretation of The Lorax, and Sydney nailed all of her lines.  She delivered her parts with such passion and raw emotion, I wouldn't be surprised if some talent scouts soon came knocking on our door :)  If that happens, she already has a list of demands for items that must be waiting for her in her dressing room...oh well.

Recently, the Tooth Fairy also struck again.  Sydney is now a tooth-loss veteran with her second tooth out.  She wiggled and wiggled for days and it finally popped out.  I’m sure she was excited that she got a couple of bucks from this mysterious being, but for us it’s just a reminder of how quickly she continues to grow.

Sydney's fans after watching her acting debut.

In Corwin news, he’s been doing great with just about everything.  He’s becoming a pro at his balance bike, his vocabulary continues to explode, and he’s become a natural at the potty.  Although he still has the occasional expected ‘accident,’ he’s mostly batting a high percentage of success.  The perk for us is that it also includes number two J  Hopefully soon, the days of any diaper changes will be over.  In fact, he’s down to nighttime diapers which may disappear in the near future.  Hooray for us!...I mean him J Good job bud!!!

In other news, Nana has made her long trek (no, not Star Trek), to Bellingham.  She completed the sale of her home in Billings, Montana, and is now going to be a Washington State resident.  Until she finds a new permanent place of residence, she will be staying with us.  This comes with some consequences, as she has already been exposed to Frozen tattoos, cartoons, sibling rivalries, and other activities that Nanas can usually avoid.  For now, she’s been spared from face painting.  I’d like to place the emphasis on ‘for now…’ (insert devious laugh here).

Well, that’s all for now.  We are looking forward to having the Eastmans with us next week, as they make their annual trip from Japan.  Then, later in the month, we’ll get to take our very first trip to Hawaii. 

A puppy and a pirate...interesting choices for
some random fun at home.

Face painting at school during
'field day.' 

Happy 4^th of July!!!

The Hottest Thing on Two Wheels!

There are many milestones throughout a lifetime.  The early years seem to be riddled with them.  First step, first word, first birthday, first tooth...and so on and so on.  But as we get older, there tend to be fewer milestones.  Sydney, at the ripe old age of six, just happened to experience another milestone.  She rode her two-wheel bike on her own for the first time.  One day she came up to me and asked if I would take her training wheels off.  So, with a wrench in hand, cranking away with mild skepticism about this new endeavor in my mind, her training wheels came off.  She was determined, and in no time she was balancing, riding, and pedaling away.  I was surprised because she had so little practice in the scheme of things...after all, Sudden Valley is riddled with steep hills and is not the best-suited place for little-girl bike riding.  But, there you have it, another milestone down...way to go Syd!!!  Corwin is taking note of this, and he is even improving at his balance bike.

The original deck during the demolishing
stage...now three feet longer!

In other news, our house has recently been under construction again.  There is a never-ending list of home maintenance, home improvement, and the all of the other things that must be done to make a happy wife.  This recent project was at least outside, and it was to expand the deck.  I say expand because Karen wanted a bigger deck, but in reality it meant completely taking the entire old deck apart and rebuilding another one from scratch.  It's resulted in weeks of sore muscles, plenty of small scars on the hands and other body parts, and just general exhaustion.  We did install Trex, so hopefully the long-term benefit will be less time in maintaining it.  And, now that it's almost done, we can start to enjoy it.  It should give us more space to BBQ and sit at the table, and with two sets of stairs we'll now have better access to the yard.  It was fun working with Karen's Dad, Don, and we got to make regular visits to the Happiest Place on Earth...oh, well, not that one...the other one, Home Depot (they also make dreams come true!).

First haggis!!!

We also made it out the the Scottish Highland Games today.  This is an annual event that takes place in Ferndale, at Hovander Park.  It's a great event to see some dancing, some traditional Scottish games, eat some traditional Scottish food (hooray haggis!!!), and listen to some pipe bands.  Sydney has had haggis in past years, so I was intent on having her eat some more this time.  It was fun for us all, but Corwin was the one who sported the best attire for the occasion.  The question is...like traditional Scots, was there anything on under his kilt?  I'll leave that one a mystery for ya!

Pipe bands were fun to see!

I hope the two people that actually read this blog are doing well!  Until next time, enjoy your June!!!

Getting his kilt in order for
the games!

Ice cream at home...oh, and sitting on the new deck their
Dad helped to create!

Corwin at the Ferry Terminal...hanging
out with Dad before a work event.

Wild and Hairy Beasts

I know what you are thinking...with a title like this I can only be talking about my brother, or perhaps Sydney or her brother Corwin.  Well, I'm actually referencing a recent trip Sydney and I took to the Woodland Park Zoo.  This was Sydney's first ever 'spring break,' so while she had the entire week off I decided to take a couple of days to spend with her.  She greatly enjoyed her spring break camp, but I think she also greatly enjoyed a couple of daddy-daughter days, too.

She was so excited she could
hardly bear it...haha!

Speaking of small beasts, we obviously had the same great idea to visit the zoo.  There were a million other people that were also on spring break, and there were little creatures everywhere.  Camps, families, children, strollers...it was the busiest I had ever seen the zoo.  In terms of animal viewing, though, we really lucked out.  Most times you will get at least a few favorite animals that are sleeping or hiding in their enclosures.  Surprisingly, we basically saw everything.  Most animals were out and even active.  We even caught the snow leopard eating his lunch.

It was fun seeing all of the animals, but Sydney wanted to stop and get a picture with each statue we saw.  It was little more time consuming than just visiting the exhibits, but each time there was a line by the statues Sydney would just say, "we just need to have a little patience, daddy."  Wise words, but ones that left me thinking "who are you?" and "what have you done with my kid?"  I had been planning on the zoo trip for a couple of months, but ironically, we also found out later that her spring break camp would be going to the zoo on Friday (fortunately we went on Thursday).

In other news, Sydney continues to play soccer.  She usually scores two or three goals each week, but amazingly, she's quick to point out that "it's not about winning or losing, but only about having fun."  Once again, not sure what this little blond girl has actually done with my daughter...the one that has to beat me up the stairs each night, or needs to win each of the games we play at home.

In terms of other little creatures, Corwin continues his 'adventures in potty training.'  Although some days are better than others, he is getting it down and making great progress.  He's even managed to get a NUMBER 2 on the throne.  With that, I guess you could say he's making some good movement in that respect...ha ha!  We have mostly abandoned the portable little-john that you can take and stick anywhere, in favor of a little seat that gets added to the regular toilet.  Most adults would decide to remove the seat prior to use, but I find it as more of an extra challenge, sort of like a game and if you succeed, you get extra points.

In other news, we recently finished fencing off the back yard.  Karen's dad came and helped get a bulk of it done last month, and we recently finished up all of the remaining items yesterday.  We now have containment, which means the kids can play in the back yard without much worrying on our part.  Unfortunately, they both have discovered how much fun it is to 'ride bikes' in the front of the house.  Oh, well!  It's been a great April so far, and we've enjoyed being out in the sun as much as possible.  I hope you enjoy the shots of Sydney on the gorilla statue over the years, as well as the other comparisons.  We hope everyone else is doing well, too!

Potty Time!

I don’t get an opportunity to ‘post’ as much as I used to.  While the downturn in the frequency of posts has left me feeling negligent and guilty (especially as Corwin will have less to look back upon), I have gradually accepted that this is how life changes when you have two kids and four people in a household who all have busy schedules.  And with Karen’s multitude of ‘photo’ and ‘comment’ posts on Facebook, I assumed I wasn’t completely devastating the three people who may actually read this blog.  So…now that I’ve got that confession out of the way….

Life has been busier than ever.  2015 has already found Corwin start and finish his first swim class.  He is also looking at moving up to the next ‘age’ room at school (aka daycare).  His words are accumulating at an exponential rate now so we are having to make sure we don’t let any unintended words slip out.  We are also now in full swing with potty training.  He’s had a pretty successful week, all in all.  He’s had a few accidents that have required some cleanup by people in orange space suits.  Although he now has a little seat that sits on the real toilet, he had started out using the little portable potty.  It sat in the living room for a week, and it got me to thinking how awesome it must be to do your business and not have to even wait for a commercial break.  Although it may not be the most aromatic thing in the open living space…man, think of the convenience!  Despite all natural human instinct to try it out, I resisted the urges.

Sydney continues to play soccer.  She’s had two games already, and last week she scored three goals.  She’s done great, and she realizes it’s all about having fun.  I’m just super excited that she actually plays the game instead of picking flowers like she had done a couple of years ago.  Other than that, she continues to excel at reading and school, and she’s enjoying every bit of it.

With spring here, it’s naturally meant a review of the old ‘to do list’ for the home.  We recently finished fencing in our back yard (aka child containment), and we are looking at building a new back deck in May.  This has led us to take multiple trips to Home Depot.  One one occasion we were able to get a couple of pictures with all of the kids in a cart together…the hairy one is Corwin…the super-hairy one is Olive (Don’s daughter).

Oh, and I thought I'd share a few more pictures from our recent trip to Disneyland!!!  I hope you enjoy them.  Have a great weekend!

A Visit With the Mouse

We recently took a trip to Disneyland.  This had not been part of our vacation plans this year, but we managed to fit in a short 4-day vaca this month.  Since we had only decided last month, we thought it would be fun not to tell Sydney that we were going.  She had to know that we were traveling ‘somewhere,’ so we told her that we were going to Oregon for a ‘work-thing.’  Although it was a true test of character for us, we never told her or let slip where we were truly headed.  Our plan succeeded until small hints began to surface at the airport in California.  “Why does that sign say Disneyland Express?”  Of course, my casual response was that it was just advertising…after all, Oregon is next to California.  We managed to keep it a semi-secret all the way to the hotel, distracting her from the obvious signs that we were literally right next to the park.  In fact, we managed to get about 100 yards from the park before she was certain we were at Disneyland.  We passed about a dozen garbage cans that said Disneyland on them.  As we rounded the final corner, she said “it’s weird this looks a lot like DL.”  I agreed and said it was strange that this convention center had so many similarities.  Finally, she looked at Space Mt. and said, “but what’s that then?”  Okay, if you’ve ever seen it, there really is only one Space Mt. (except for the other Disney parks).  I told her that was an odd shaped building and moved on, but by that time she basically had it figured out.

                Aside from the fun of keeping it a secret, this was a fun trip because Corwin was old enough to enjoy the park and even go on a number of rides.  And let me tell you, that little dude has serious thrill issues.  I was a little nervous, at first, about taking him on some of the fast, twirling, or spinning rides, but the reality is he loved it.  He had no trouble grinning and laughing on the rides, and it’s almost like he already rode them his whole life.  Okay, I know he’s 2, so perhaps a ‘shortish’ lifetime so far.

                Sydney also enjoyed all of her favorite rides, plus a few new ones.  Beyond the rides, it was helpful that Sydney and Corwin like the movie Frozen, because everything was about Anna and Elsa at the parks.  In fact, Disney’s marketing experts had done such a great job they just asked us to turn in our wallets as we entered the park.  They could just install bins with a picture of a wallet that reads “Deposit here.  You won’t be needing this back.”  Ha ha!  On the Frozen theme, one of the cool things (I guess literally) was an indoor area dressed like a scene from the movie.  In this building, every 10-15 minutes snow would come down from the ceiling (the real stuff, not confetti).  I’m sure the locals were ecstatic since they rarely see that white stuff falling from the sky.  Syd and Corwin both loved playing in the snow, too…but what kid doesn’t?

Playing in the snow...inside!

                Unfortunately, trips like this are never forgiving to the waist line.  Churros, ice cream, and park food are not a recipe for a slender figure.  But, as they say, “when in Rome.”  That’s a strange saying, and I don’t know how it applies to Disneyland, but I will use it anyway to feel better about the quantity of calories consumed.

                All in all, it was a fun trip to ‘Oregon.’  With that said, it’s always nice to come home.  Plus, that also re-sets the countdown for the next trip.  I hope you enjoy pictures from our most recent adventure!

 

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year!!!  Okay, so it's almost February, but I think etiquette lets you say it at least for the first full month.  If the first few weeks of the new year are any indication of how 2015 will go, then we should expect to be in for another busy year.

Sydney continues to stay busy.  In fact, sometimes I think she needs her own personal activity coordinator.  She's loving school, and she's recently taken up acting.  She's taken it up around the same time I did.  Actually, this was the age when I starred in a play with an actress that later won Academy Awards...but I won't name drop since I told Hillary Swank I wouldn't do that, ha ha!  Actually, I'm sure it's the opposite and that she name drops me all of the time! :)  Sydney's acting is coordinated through school, and apparently she will be in the Lorax sometime later this year.  I'm sure it'll be a while before they assign parts, but I know she'll do great, whatever part she is...and if happens to be a tree, I'm sure she'll be the best, most lifelike, inspirational tree anyone could possibly ask for.  In other Sydney news, she is also signed up for soccer.  Soccer doesn't start for a while, but she's been asking about it for quite a while.

Corwin is also not void of activity.  Fairly soon Corwin will start his swim classes.  He'll start out in the pollywog or tadpole class, or some sort of little slimy creature that hasn't mastered swimming yet.  I'm sure he'll love getting in the pool and flexing his gills.  I just know we'll have to invest in another critical piece of equipment for his class, and that is the swim diaper.  I don't want to go to far down this path, but let's just say he had an accident in the tub last week, and we can't have the same occurring at the kiddie pool.  In other Corwin news, he just continues to amaze us everyday with his new vocabulary, and his sense of humor.  He loves laughing and saying "that was funny."  And believe it or not, he actually has a good sense of what is funny.

She is always so serious!

Karen has taken on some new direction at work, and she will begin taking the lead on some of the new projects.  This will be a good challenge for her, and I'm sure keep her from spending her days shopping on the internet (oh, I meant it'll keep her busy...ha ha).  On the home front, Karen is spending some time going through all of the infant/toddler stuff that has outlived it's purpose in our household.  We've been making some good donations, and consigning some of the rest.  It's fun to see some of the old stuff and reminisce, but it's even better to get a few things out of the house that no longer serves much purpose.  So, if you know of anyone looking for clothes or toys that have been heavily drooled on, just let us know.  

We are also looking forward to a trip to Hawaii in July.  None of us have been to Hawaii before, so we are looking forward to a little relaxation and fun.  I know what you are thinking, and you would be absolutely correct in thinking it...it's speedo time!!!  Someone will have to rock it on the beach, at the pool, and at local luaus.  My challenge will be to find a matching one for Corwin.  After all, what could be more awesome than a dude in a speedo than a dude and his kid both in matching speedos?  If you come up with an answer let me know, because I don't think one exists.  Five of the seven days we'll be at Disney's Aulani resort.  It has plenty of fun things to do for the kids, including a massive pool, snorkeling area, splash pad, man-made stream, and everything else that offers you plenty of chances to prune up your body in the water.  We'll also be spending time with the Eastmans on this trip, giving the little ones some great time with friends!

Well, there is always a lot more I could say, share, or make up, but I'll just leave it at that for now.  Have a great weekend!!!

Who's your Daddy?!  Oh wait, I guess
that's me!

Sydney and her artistic gifts...

It’s the Most Wonderful Time…

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…I think that’s how the song goes anyway.  And while the holidays mean plenty of fun and plenty of family time, it also means a much busier schedule in general.  To get through these busy patches (at least for me anyway) I make sure there’s plenty of coffee on hand.

This year was a little different for us, as we were hosting family Christmas for the first time.  I’m not sure if it was just nervousness around not having enough food, or just general stress trickling into the grocery list, but we had enough food for an army.  I instructed Karen it was mandatory to have turkey, but she was dead set on having a roast.  Soooo, we ended up with some of both…but I wasn’t aware of what I was really in for.  I’m not going to lie; I was a little in shock at the big hunk of meat that I saw when I opened the fridge.  I guess 15-18 pounds of beef may not seem like a lot, but that’s already in addition to the 7 pounds of turkey.    22 lbs of meat later, I wondered if there was a small village coming to our house that Karen had forgotten to mention.  We did end up with about 17 people in total, but when some of them are 2, 3, and 6 years old, they don’t really consume the portions necessary to decimate a good portion of a cow’s whole body.  I know I was stuffed after dinner, but the desserts were too irresistible to ignore.  A small dessert sampler and I’m sure 23,000 calories later, I knew I was done for the day.

Nana joined us from Montana and flew in on Christmas Eve.  She was able to help us participate in the ritual of going to my Grandma’s house on Christmas Eve for snacks and drinks.  She was then indispensable in helping to prepare all of the delectable food that no doubt will make my trips to the gym so much more important over the next month!  Although she Skypes every weekend, it was great to have her here in person.  I’m sure it’s much more entertaining to experience Corwin’s latest developments, Sydney’s new interests, and everything fun that comes with that, in person.   

Of course, Christmas morning was full of wrapping paper flying everywhere, toys being tripped on, and the general fun chaos that is expected.  We were able to Skype in my uncle from Florida at one point and my brother and his family from Oregon a short time later.  Even though we wish they were all here in person, it was great to see them, talk to them, and share in some experiences with them over the holiday!  Although the gifts were all great, and the food amazing (as it will continue to be over the next few days with leftover meals), nothing was better than having family and friends together and just having fun and enjoying our time together.  There's much more I could write, but I need to go sleep off some calories and lapse into a food coma.  I hope everyone else had a very Merry Christmas!!!

Somebody is hungry!  I'm glad I moved my fingers in time!