Our Silly Pup

As winter starts to fade and spring starts to show its pretty face, Huck has been asking to spend more time outside. (Really, who can blame him???)

A few days ago, he was out on our deck keeping watch over the neighborhood when I heard his tell-tale "I'm up to something" prancing sounds. I peeked in on him and was highly entertained to watch him play with the prickly husks of our horse chestnuts that the squirrels left behind.

You would have thought he found the best toy EVER with his reaction to the husks! Silly puppy!

DISCLAIMER: I have since swept the deck, so it now looks better .... until the next wind storm sweeps through town!

White Stuff

We Seattle residents tend to be very skeptical when the weather forecasters predict snow for our area. We've been burned too many times to have much faith in the fluffy white stuff actually visiting our neck of the woods.

When we were at Eric's parents' house for Thanksgiving (that blog post is still pending... sorry for the delay), we heard that we might get snow. Naturally, Annika and Conor were thrilled about the news. Eric and I tried as much as we could to let the kids down easy and explain that it is very hard to predict the weather for our area because of so many factors... two mountain ranges, nearby saltwater, wind from Canada and the Pacific, convergence zones galore, etc. Of course, we didn't want to crush their childhood optimism (we'll let the weatherman do that), but wanted to warn them as kindly as possible that the reality was snow probably wouldn't happen.

OF COURSE, Mother Nature had to prove to our children that their parents have no clue what they're talking about.

Saturday morning, we awoke to a lovely blanket of the predicted snow, and the kiddos could hardly wait to get out into it. Understanding the pattern of quick snow, quick melt that we often have, we understood their excitement and didn't do much of "not quite now" dissuading. We did, however, (being the cruel parents that we are) require them to get out of their PJs and put on proper snow attire before going out to play. (I know, we are jerks through and through.) ;)

The snow was really dry... not at all good for snowballs, but that didn't stop the kids from having a marvelous time throwing it at each other, making snow angels, eating it (much to their mother's chagrin), and running around like the crazy people they are known to be. Shockingly, our cold snap lasted a few days and we still have a few spots of snow on roofs and in shadowy patches of yards around the neighborhood. Not enough to play in, but enough to make things look pretty.

How does the snow taste, Conor?

Why do we bother buying groceries? Our kids obviously prefer eating snow!

Conor making it snow

Snow angels

Annika making it snow

Gotcha!

Mr. Peek-a-boo

Annika throwing a snowball at me

A Late Summer Carkeek Excursion

Today was cool, slightly breezy, overcast, and threatening thunderstorms.... in other words, the perfect day for a trip to the beach in Western Washington!

Annika was invited to a play date at her friend Joe's house, so while she was out and about, Conor and I decided to head to Carkeek Park for some beach time. Conor is a kindred spirit when it comes to playing at the beach. Annika would much rather play at the playground at Carkeek than spend her time digging in the sand. So, with this being a Conor and Mama outing, I knew there wouldn't be any reason leave the beautiful beach anytime soon.

We had a marvelous time. Conor explored the beach and let his imagination soar. Fairly soon after our arrival, he decided that each and every rock on the beach needed to be thrown into the Puget Sound. He flung them, lofted them, scattered them, and shoveled them into the water. Soon after his beach redecorating task was complete, he decided that one of the driftwood logs was his pirate ship and he was the captain of a crew of Neverland pirates on the Never Sea (thank you, Jake and the Neverland Pirates). His play was incredibly detailed and mighty impressive. Before we headed back home, we dug holes and made a few sand castles for good measure.

All in all, it was a perfect day with a very sweet, imaginative boy!

Boys at the beach run...

See what I found? 

Flying rocks

Dig, dig, dig

FLING!

When at the beach, a boy must always bury his feet...

and whack at a log with a stick...

and go on expeditions...

and fight off enemy pirate ships...

and discover hidden treasures...

and shun shoes...

and trek here and there

and walk the deck of his mighty ship...

and plunge into the Never Sea to swim with the Tick Tock Crocodile

Fun at Bitterlake

As I've said before, we have had a marvelously beautiful summer this year. Recently, I took the kids to Bitterlake Park to burn off some energy and enjoy the morning sunshine.

We had the playground to ourselves, which is always a perk; it makes it much easier to keep track of the kids and know their whereabouts at any given moment. And, of course, as soon as we get to the play area, one kiddo heads 180 degrees from where the other one goes. These are the times I really do need eyes in the back of my head!

Both kids had a fantastic time playing and exploring the play equipment. They went up and down (and up and down) the slides, across the monkey bars, across the wobbly bridge, on the merry-go-round, and much more. I loved watching our kids play because this was one of the days they found a perfect balance between independent play and playing as a two-some.

Love how he wears his hat at a rakish angle ... he's so stylish!

Annika mastering the monkey bars

Conor after his journey down the twisty slide

Annika flying around the merry-go-round

Conor in jail ... OK, not really .... just at the top of the climbing structure

Annika swinging on the rings

I've realized that her feet weren't on the ground in any of these
pictures .... that's a pretty accurate representation of the day!

Someone had looped the swings around the upper bars, making the swings too
high for the kids to sit on; that didn't stop Conor from having his fun, though!

Little Drummer Boy

Mud Boy Returns

Just in case you thought Conor's muddy face shown recently was a unique instance, I decided to prove that, in fact, it wasn't. Oour boy LOVES to play in puddles and with the wet weather we've had lately, he's come home looking like this more often than not. On an up note, we sure know he's having fun at daycare! :)

The kids in his class love the mud puddles so much that their teachers posted a sign on the classroom door that asks parents to bring LOTS of extra clothes, including pants and socks, for the kids to wear post-puddle jumping.

(Please ignore the funky color tone... I used my phone's camera to snap these pics.)

Antici......pation

Our kids dress up in random outfits almost daily. Sometimes they are royalty, other times they are on a picnic adventure. This day, they were preparing for a huge snow storm. Their play was interrupted by the fact I put something in the oven and they wanted to watch its progress. They were just so darned cute that I couldn't help but snap some pictures.

I loved how they were in their jammies, as well as snow boots, hats, gloves, scarves, and parkas ... all while happily seated on stools parked in front of the oven.

Princess Day

A stomach bug has attacked our kids. We've done more laundry and cleaned up more bodily fluids than we care to think about. After much Gatorade, homemade Jello, and chicken soup, we seem to be emerging from the land of illness.

Eric stayed home with the kids yesterday, so today is my turn. The kids are definitely rebounding and back to playing a bit. They decided to play dress up and as soon as Annika donned a princess dress, Conor insisted on being a princess, too. They are having a wonderful time, aside from the drama caused by us only being able to find one magical wand. We own about 6 wands, but can't find more than 1 of them ... they truly are magical! They disappeared!!!

Conor hanging out in the castle

Princess Conor and Princess Annika (the knocked-up princess)

Stylin'!

Princess Annika tending her new baby ("Snow White")

Combat-ready Princess Annika
(you can't quite see it, but she's wearing a camouflage soldier helmet)

"Abra-ca-da-bra-zap!"

Fun with the Bubble Man

There are a number of celebrities who call this part of the world home. Some are known on a global level, including professional athletes, musicians, and a few TV/movie stars, while others are more in the "local celebrity" category, such as JP Patches and the Bubble Man. The local celebrities give us flair and a greater sense of community.

While at Carkeek Park last month (yes, I'm late on creating this post ... I've been busy, ya know!), the kids and I planned on just hanging out and burning off some energy. Instead, we were treated to an impromptu performance by the Bubble Man (aka Garry Golightly). Even before we had kids, I loved watching his performances and would squeal with delight when I saw his unmistakable purple van around the city. On this day at Carkeek as I parked the car, I gasped with joy as we drove through the parking lot and saw his bubble-covered van. Oh, the lightness that filled my heart when I thought there was a chance we might get to have some bubble fun ... and boy, did we!

The weather was a bit daunting (thunder and lightning ... no rain), so the Bubble Man only brought out a few supplies at a time, just in case the skies opened up and poured like they had the day before (and drenched him during a performance).

Before long, though, bubbles were sailing through the air and kids are running this way and that. What started out as our kids and me staring at him hoping for a show quickly morphed into a rather sizable crowd of families smiling with happiness at the sight of bubbles floating around us.

Whenever I watch the Bubble Man perform, I'm struck with the realization that he loves what he does as much as (if not more) than the kids who are watching him. He is pure energy and amazing with the kids; I can't help but wonder if he has a background in education. Our kids loved every minute of his bubble show, and we are so fortunate that she took some time to play with the kids at the park.

Annika enjoying the Bubble Man's jokes

Conor taking in the show

Bubble girl!

The Bubble Man ... pure energy

Conor got distracted by a chocolate lab puppy ... who could blame him?

These bubbles were made with ski poles and quick
ties... clever recycling project!

Pretty bubbles!

Foamy bubbles

Conor trying to pick up the bubbles

Pop!

Reeeeeeeach!

The mother of all bubbles

Annika going in for the kill

Victory!!

Conor taking in all that the Bubble Man had to say
I can just hear his internal dialogue now: "You are the man! Blow those bubbles!"