Screen door fun

More random photos so Daddy (and others) can see what our beautiful children have been up to, how much they're growing and changing in just the six or so weeks since we've been in Idaho...

This one cracks me up:

Watching Grandpa mow the lawn

First dentist visit

Well, I was expecting it to be a lot worse. And there was still screaming, when the dentist and I tilted Jack backward so his mouth could be examined... but all in all, we had a good first visit. Jack came out of it with a new "Cars" toothbrush, some stickers, an eyeglasses-funky-nose-and-mustache mask, and a scoop of Baskin-Robbins "Baseball Nut." And no cavities!

Start of the siblings' trip

My mom and her sisters left this morning for a beach house on the Oregon coast. They've been planning this trip for the past year. It was originally supposed to be the culmination of a year of weight loss for the three, a competition to see who could lose the most. Each put a dollar a day into a pot, and the winner gets the whole pot. But the focus has strayed from the competition to just being together. Their older brother, my Uncle Nick, just recently widowed, agreed to join them to round out the grouping. He'll fly into Portland and meet them at the house tomorrow. They packed games, my grandma's old journals, and lots of warm clothes for a wonderful and much-needed week together. Selfish me, I'll miss my mom greatly while she's gone. But I'm glad she has the chance to do this.

Tale of a red wagon

We made a trip to Spokane two days ago to pick up my Aunt Stefani. Before due at the airport, we were able to spend a couple hours downtown, one of my absolute favorite places! We lunched at Red Robin (where Kate enjoyed the bottomless fries and the admiring glances from ladies and waiters), and made jaunts through Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, and Williams-Sonoma. And went up elevators and across walkways of the Riverfront Park Square shopping area, as requested by Jack.

AND... the best part... the humungous red Radio Flyer wagon slide in Riverfront Park! We went at the wrong time: some preschool or daycare group was causing mayhem at the top of the wagon, where kids were lining up to take their turn down the slide. I had to accompany my passive little boy and fight off several other youngins, all itching to cut in line anywhere they could. Of course, as soon as Jack launched himself down the slide, he stuck out his limbs in a desperate attempt to get back up top. The kid behind him gave him an impatient shove, and finally Jack made it to the bottom, into the waiting arms of Grandpa Gary.

One month shy of a year

Poor Kate, feeling a little under-the-weather last weekend, paid a visit to the doctor this week. The one good thing about taking a kid to the doctor? Finding out the exact measurements! And, of course, hearing the rankings as compared to other kids' sizes at the same age (which is just over 11 months). Kate, it turns out, is measuring up like her brother: skinny with a big head.

Height: 28" (25th percentile)

Weight: 17 lbs, 5 oz. (7%... yikes!)

Head circumference: 45.75 cm (18 inches, 80%)

The other great thing? By the time we got to the doctor's, Kate's temperature was normal and she was back to her ornery self. Phew.

Mothers' Day

My first Mothers' Day as a mama to two was wonderful! An absolutely heavenly brunch at the Red Lion with the Giblers and Perdues, some homemade cards, a package from the hubby (can't wait to play Scrabble Slam!), yarn and knitting needles, candy, and a walk/bike ride along the levee bike path. For the first time in weeks, the sky was blue all day, the temp stayed around 75, and although Kate was feverish and teething, she held it together well. We did miss Brian, of course, but life is still good.

Renn Fair

In spite of the rain, wind, a little bit of hail, and a massively muddy park, we braved Moscow's Renaissance Fair yesterday. Avi dressed up as "Mr. Tie-Dye Man," only to find out that the kids' costume contest had been canceled. But he did get to walk in the dragon procession!