Oh Spokane How I Have Missed You!

18: Hours spent in the car (read: solo mama, 2 kids, many stops, broken DVD player, and alive to blog about it)

3: Times we went to McDonalds (read: great for getting the wiggles out for the kids but bad for my mid section, butt and thighs)

15: Pieces of garbage fed to the Garbage Goat (read: the reason we spent the remainder of the weekend collecting and saving garbage..."for next time")

17: 10 Adults and 7 kids that came to the BBQ (read: amazing catch up time with college friends, spouses & kiddos)

7: Peaches picked (read: excuse to ride the tractor)

30: Seconds it took for Carly's son Andrew and Kadyn to become best buddies (read: hard to leave)

4: Hours spent in the hot tub having girl time (read: totally needed that)

70: Feet I had to stand away to take any of these pictures (read: broken lens & determination to document amazing weekend)

2: Major events (Trey Anderson's wedding and my 10 year high school reunion) I missed by making this impromptu, totally unexpected visit (read: not sad to have missed a reading of my entirely ridiculous and off 10 year prediction, but sad to have missed Nampa friends and Trey's wedding...but at the same time, totally worth it)

1: Gracious Host! Missed Husband! Crazy Mama!

1,000,000: Memories made and laughs had (read: even harder to leave)


Riverfront Park

Feeding the ducks, aka really mean geese/swans

The Garbage Goat! (You "feed" him garbage by means of hoover)

Carousel

Train ride around park

Green Bluff! One of my favorite fall activities (and yes, it felt like fall) Kadyn rode the pony, Kai wanted nothing to do with it.

If that isn't his dad, I don't know what is...

I LOVE profile pictures from behind...

Getting ready for the BBQ. Kai, ever wanting to do what his big brother is doing, is watching Kadyn. Did I mention I love back profiles? (This would have been a super cute picture of him watching Chris and Kadyn on the swing--see picture below--if I didn't have to stand so darn far away to get the picture...the shot would have been over)

Eating with 2 of Carly's boys, Andrew (4) and Levi (2)

T-R-O-U-B-L-E (Seriously, they all got along so well! Here they're looking for frogs)

Crazy? Maybe...but totally worth it!

Beautiful, gracious host, Kelcy

Sorry boys, she's taken...by a keeper, Chris! (My kids LOVED them both...they will be AMAZING parents!)

The girls! (Apparently I needed a flash...this is what I recovered from the picture)

To come...more car travel tips when traveling alone with kids...

Letter to Life

Dear Life,

Please slow down. I opened a box of clothes to find the next size up of hand-me-downs to give to Kai and got tears in my eyes.  Is it really possible that almost (well, 3 months away) 2 years ago Kadyn was wearing these clothes? Is it really possible that he wore those the day we brought Kai home from the hospital? Have you REALLY passed 2 years since then? (sigh). Don't get me wrong, some days I like that you pass quickly, but the years? You could slow those down a bit. Some days I come home and feel like they've grown up while I've been gone...for the day. Really? Is that necessary? Life, you've been good to me. Very good to me. And for this, I am grateful. But, please slow down.

Ever grateful for your consideration,

Mommy

Lake of the Woods

This past weekend we went to Lake of the Woods with our good friendsDave and Majell Beach. We had a great time enjoying a few days of relaxation, friends, and memories.

Obviously playing in the lake and canoeing were highlights. We also had a great time biking, being carried on a walk, and hanging out with Dave, Majell and Silas 

Kai is also getting a hang of this whole word thing. New to the list...

1. Duck

2. Moo (when looking at cows)

3. Yell-o (yellow) and appropriately can pick out something yellow
4. Upp (up)
5. Bye (instead of Ba)
6. Momm-ie, Dadd-ie, Nann-ie
7. Eye
8. Poo Poo
9. TT (Aunt Taylor)
10. Eeeett (Eat)...yes, this would be one of his favorite words now wouldn't it?

I'd be concerned that he only has a fist full of words, but this child understands EVERYTHING. Even understands how to joke around.

Deschutes County Fair

We ventured to the Deschutes County Fair again this year. My memory is a bit too good and I remembered that evil roller coaster ride from last year ...almost didn't got on any rides because of it. (Click on the "last year" and it will take you to the post from last year)

But alas, the lure of the helicopter was too strong and I took flight.

And then, well, the race car looked pretty fun too. Kai was very, very upset that he didn't get to go on one of the cars. But, he needs to be as tall as me in order to do that.

Because Kai so desperately wanted to go on the cars, Mommy thought he might enjoy the canoe.

Since the canoe went over so well, we moved on to the horses. One horse thought Kai tasted pretty good. 

I tried to show him how to be brave. 

Kai decided that the best place to be was in the stroller having an icee. 

Uncle Anders was bummed there weren't any camels to ride this year.  (We were trying to get a group shot with Uncle Anders but the sun was SO bright)

**This may be a fun tradition each year to see how the pictures progress...there are a lot of the SAME exact pictures from last year...on Uncle Anders' shoulders included! Cute!**

Just one more kiss

Today I dropped him off at Summer Camp and watched him settle in.
He blew me a kiss as I peeked back in the window from the hall.
As we always do, I blew him one back and we both reached to the sky to catch our kisses and plant them firmly on our cheeks.
He's growing up so quickly.

Today he stretched out his little arms for me to pick him up.
He buried his head against my neck and gave me his famous smile.
He cried out because he didn't want me to leave him.
He's growing up so quickly.

Today's Mommy I love yous will quickly become tomorrow's Mom I need these...
Today's cuddle times will be tomorrow's carpool shuttles.
Today's back scratches will be tomorrow's did you wash behind your ears.
Today's little boys will be tomorrow's grown men.

So I'll pause in this moment today and relish just one more kiss to store for one of those tomorrow days.
Today I'll take a second longer to sing one more song.
I have a minute to spare to play one more game.
Because tomorrow will come quickly, and they may not want just one more kiss.

I love you Kadyn and Kai...Today, Tomorrow, Forever.

Unplanned potty training

Day 1 of unplanned potty training goes like this:

Wake at 9:15 with a poopy diaper--fortunately with a onsie on. 

Dry diaper until 11:30am at which time he insists he needs to go...and he does successfully go pee-pee in the potty. 

Down for a nap at 1:00. Wakes at 4:00 with another poopy diaper...decides that diaper needs to come off because it's poopy and he needs to show dad. Gross.

Dry diaper--insists he needs to go potty at 5:30, tries unsuccessfully and throws a fit that I wouldn't give him a candy. Throws a FIT. 

Insists again (still a dry diaper) at 6:30 that he needs to go--Pee-pee in potty. Yay Kai!

I'm hoping this sticks because this whole poop thing is getting a bit much. We're going to have to start having him wear onsies ALL THE TIME because 90% of the evening he was trying to get his clothes off (successfully!) to "poo-poo."