October 2015 Recap

October feels like a lifetime ago, but I'm finally getting a chance to share some highlights with you. Fair warning: it was a very photo-heavy month.

To start the month, I spent a night away in beautiful Bellingham and treated myself to dinner and a pint at Boundary Bay Brewery and Bistro. I just love Bellingham.

The next morning, I ran my third half marathon, Run Like a Girl Bellingham. I don't really know how to explain it besides an anti-race. There's no mandatory distance (anything up to a half marathon) and no official starting time or time keeper while the finish line includes hunky firefighters and a necklace as a finishing medal. The course, partially hiking trails and partially old logging road perched above the bay, is gorgeous, especially on a sunny crisp fall day like we enjoyed this year. I'd really like to make this an annual event. 

George brought the kids up to cheer me on, and I convinced Madeleine to run the last 10 yards or so with me. Afterwards, she told George, "Daddy, Mummy and I have to go potty because we just ran 8 miles!"

Meanwhile, Miss M has learned how to plug in our fun electric car.

She continues to do lots of role play with her stuffed friends. This particular day, Elliott's room was converted into the nap room at school.

"Mummy, it's an e!" It sure is. It used to be the tube of a Nosefrida.

One of Madeleine's practical life works at school is coffee grinding. When she brings home the ground beans, we let her help with making the rest of the coffee, starting with pouring her beans into the French press. 

Madeleine went to her first school friend birthday party, which felt like a bit of a milestone for her and her parents!

Of course, we couldn't let October slip by without running down to our neighborhood pumpkin patch to pick out some decorations. 

The little peanuts from last year have grown up!

Speaking of growing, Elliott still isn't walking (much), but he sure can climb....

...to the sink to wash hands

...to the top of the special park

...on the kid table

...on chairs

Elliott completed his first session of toddler yoga. It's hard to tell yet if he likes it as much as Madeleine, but he sure does love flirting with all the other moms.

He is very charming indeed.

 One afternoon, I managed to keep Elliott busy for quite a while with this simple Pinterest game. Empty tube + Painter's tape + Pompoms

While Elliott was occupied, I got started on the quilt I'm making for Madeleine's "big girl bed" out of fabric from her 52-week photo project. You can follow along here.

Toward the end of the month, we took a trip to San Jose. George went down for work, and I braved my first solo flight with two littles to join him for the weekend. I don't think I'll be doing that again anytime soon.

The first morning we were there, Madeleine woke up at 5am, vomiting neon yellow, so we got to spend most of our first day in town at the ER.

Fortunately, it only took about 24 hours for her to rebound and be able to hang out with her buddies.

The scenery has changed quite a bit from our days hanging out 80-100 feet below the ocean surface, but I wouldn't say that it's any less fun. Look at all those smiles!

Before we left, we managed to snap a kiddo group photo. Elliott is catching up!

We made it home in time to celebrate Halloween. This year, the kids were Daniel Tiger and Katerina Kitty Cat of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood fame. I loved every moment of making their costumes and hope they get lots of love throughout the year as dress up costumes. 

Phew. It was a very full month. No wonder I went into November utterly exhausted.

Seaside, Oregon

In early August, we spent a fabulous long weekend in Seaside, Oregon with our friends, whose family happens to include our kids' friends. As a bonus, the trip wrapped up on my birthday, so I got to kick off my new year with donuts and a spirited preschooler version of happy birthday. It really was a special trip!

We stayed in a large condo south of town, rented through this agency. When looking at accommodation, we had two primary requirements: oceanfront and large enough that most, if not all, of the kids could have their own rooms. With five bedrooms, the only ones who had to double up were the preschoolers - one on the bed provided and the other on this great bed. We all expected it to be a complete debacle, but it ended up working out pretty well. The first few nights provided plenty of entertainment for the adults watching on the video monitor; by the last night, they went to bed without a peep. Naps, on the other hand, were a fail, but you win some and lose some. Overall, I'd absolutely go back to this location. The beach was right across the street and down a short path, and the condo was well-appointed.

Photo Credit: Kelly/Rob
The younger siblings have a budding friendship.

Not a bad view toward town, eh?

What the beach is all about: piggies in the sand.

The beach was the main attraction. If not for meals and naps, we'd probably have spent all day every day on the beach. All of the kids were really into the sand and gentle surf and that made the adults very happy. I wasn't surprised that Madeleine loved the beach, but I was (pleasantly) surprised at Elliott's relative beach maturity. There was a minimum of sand-eating but lots of digging and pouring. Both kids loved to chase the birds on the beach, and Elliott's army crawl trail was pretty hilarious.

Photo Credit: Kelly/Rob

Hmmm...where has Elliott been?

Despite the constant (and sometimes chilly) wind, they all enjoyed splashing along the edge of the ocean. We typically tried to keep the kids from moving toward the water until our beach time was getting short because, once they were wet, chattering teeth and blue lips were not too far behind. That said, there were a few times when I was cold and the kids held out for more and more beach time.

These two are two peas in a pod.

Elliott was ready to crawl across the Pacific.

Having phones, and therefore cameras, at the beach is both a blessing and a curse. We were able to capture a lot of the special moments, but I had a hard time saying enough is enough and just enjoying the moment. Perhaps it was a good thing we had our phones on hand, though, on the afternoon when a stranger wandered by with several serious cameras hanging around his neck and generously agreed to snap a group shot for us on one of our phones. I'm pretty sure that we wouldn't have gotten a picture of all eight of us together otherwise.

When we weren't at the beach, we ventured into town. I feel like there are two different Seasides. Along the promenade, there are lots of carnival and fair type activities - such as bumper cars, arcades, a carousel, fried food, the amazing Zinger's ice cream and cheesy gift shops. A few blocks inland, you run into this cute downtown area with a pretty terrific antique mall and some restaurants, including the very (very) kid-friendly Seaside Brewing Company. Both areas were fun, just in different ways.

Enthralled by the bumper cars but not yet ready to ride themselves...

Photo Credit: Kelly/Rob
Madeleine insisted on ice cream, and we all thoroughly enjoyed our Zingers...except poor egg-allergic Elliott.

We got to watch the bulldozer leveling the mounds that had been created for fans watching a volleyball tournament.

For me, one of the perks of being at the beach was getting to run on and along the beach. I'm currently training for my second half marathon, so I did both a long run around town and a tempo run on the beach on my birthday. Running on my birthday takes me back to my high school cross country days, and it always makes me feel grateful for starting my new year with a bit of fitness and good health!

Photo Credit: Kelly/Rob
Run? Check. A little yoga on the beach? Check. Time to face reality.

Photo Credit: Kelly/Rob

We eventually had to pack up and head home, but I am so grateful for the memories we got to take with us!

Going back through these photos makes me that much more hopeful that we'll get to revisit Seaside again. Until next time...

June 2015 Recap

Are you ready for another photo-heavy post? June was a really busy month for us with lots happening.

At the beginning of the month, we visited Ohio. 

Shortly after getting back, I ran my first half marathon and braved the expo the day before with the kiddos at lunch/nap time. Madeleine was unsure of the gecko, and Elliott was focused on his snack.

It was the hottest June on record, so we spent a fair bit of time doing this. 

Elliott discovered built-in musical instruments, and Madeleine happily joined in the (loud) fun.

Madeleine loved picking (wild) raspberries from our backyard at every opportunity. I love anything that bears fruit and requires nothing of me. 

We celebrated Father's Day by inviting a favorite chef to make dinner for us and another couple. Yum is an understatement.

"I need some help, Mummy. Elliott wants to wear these." And so it begins.

We thoroughly enjoyed hosting our cousins (my first cousin and his family), including taking them to our wedding site at Gas Works Park. 

Around town, Elliott was incredibly patient to adjust naps or take them on the go.

Standing on the steps where we said our vows had a lot of extra meaning given that it was the day of the (awesome) SCOTUS decision clarifying marriage. 

The birthday girl jumped for joy at riding a ferry for her birthday. 

Once she opened her bike helmet, she refused to take it off, even during birthday cake time.

I will never tire of this. 

...or this.

Summer, must you go so fast?