look out world

we almost didn't make it

So we went to the North Cascades on Friday. We arrive a bit later than planned and dark was creeping in while we scrambled to pitch our tent and feed the kids. Jeff gets the tent almost up, it is almost completely dark out, and Lucas suddenly realizes that sleeping in the woods in a tent might not be quite what he imagined. He bolts for the car begging to be let into his carseat and crying, "Go home! Go home!" Jeff pleads with him a bit and then finally heads over to take the tent down. As Jeff works on the tent, Lucas begins to explore the campsite. (Meanwhile I am eating the pureed peas and brown rice that Wren didn't finish because I am starving and in the midst of all of this there really is no time to fix big people food. I am also having to hold Wren because every time we set her down she crawls off and begins to stuff her face with pine needles). The tent is totally down and Lucas, thanks to his exploration and the encouragement of a neighboring camper, decides that maybe he'd be okay sleeping here and that hiking in the morning sounds cool. Jeff puts tent up again.

At this point we were all totally wiped out and went to sleep. Thankfully the kids slept great and the next day we got out and did a beautiful hike. Wren was happy to let us cart her along wherever we went and Lucas did a great job of hiking 3 miles in his Crocs (I promise, Lucas, I'll get you some decent shoes to hike in next summer).

simplifying

I am grateful for the times I get out on my own and for the books I read besides picture books, but I am also very thankful for the daily conversations I have with Lucas that keep me solidly earthed in the simple things. So, he's doing pretty darn well with the potty training. Yesterday as he peed in the toilet I said to him, "That's all that milk you drank earlier coming out." He looked up at me and eagerly proclaimed, "Lemonade!" Clever boy.

A clever boy who is about to get a wake up call. Wren is officially crawling as of the past 2 days. It is slow, but she gets what she wants. Even before she was mobile Lucas spent half his day taking toys from her saying, "No Wren! Don't have that Wren." (We've been trying to teach him to trade if he insists on taking what she has but then yesterday I caught him somehow attempting to trade her a toy for something with an xacto blade in it. I've got to work on that child proofing again...).

Oh, and one more story. Lucas really is a good big brother. This week he's attempted to spoon feed Wren, push her in the swing, and comfort her in the car as she wailed on the way home to bed. ("It's okay Wren. Mama take care you, Wren.") And, melt my heart, he told me "Love you!" for the first time out of the blue at the play ground on Sunday. Sweetie.

somethin' fishy

Watching the fish. It's a great time of year to watch the salmon migrate or check out the aquarium.

summer's eve

six months

Wren will be six months old this coming week. She's sitting up all by herself, getting up on her hands and knees and rocking, and managing to maneuver herself after toys. What happened? Last I looked she was sleeping in my arms while I was chasing after Lucas. Now there are two little people with abundant personality occupying my living room floor. Our days are filled with Lucas saying, "Here ya go Wren!" as he hands her toy after toy--soon followed by Wren's howls as Lucas decides to take back whatever toy she's picked up to suck on.

I was really hoping not to start her on solids til, oh, another week or two but Wren decided she was going to find a way to eat whether I wanted her too or not. So, she's now feasting on rice cereal and bananas and is eagerly anticipating her first taste of phad thai.

not so lazy summer days

But we try to fit in the fun. It helps to have a playground, a wading pool, and a beach all in walking distance.