We've had lots of fun

the kids at the country's only municipal elevator

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the kids behind the wheel together

. typical photo of the kids

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[Note: The following highlights our week in Oregon. Some of this won't mean anything to anyone but me, but it's still fun to sing along. And really, who doesn't love to sing along with Cash?? The tune is I've Been Everywhere by Johnny Cash.]

We packed our bags and left the house at four thirty in the morning
Thought they would sleep on the drive down or board the plane with much yawning
No such luck made for a long first day, but we arrived smiling
Family, friends, relaxation - all things we have been craving
We missed Oregon but are happy to be south again
And we say, "Listen, guys! We've got plenty of room, you just tell us when!"
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(Chorus)
We've had lots of fun, guys
We've had lots of fun, guys
Flew from here to there, guys
Over one thousand miles, guys
To see family and friends, guys
We've had lots of fun
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We saw Grandma, Grandpa, eagle claw, Cole's first birthday
comfy booth, her new tooth, smart youth, fun cousin play
where we were, Doug Fir, Tow Mater, happy babies
small feet, lorikeet, no Uncle Pete, very tall trees
screen door, dinosaur, humidor, close down the place
boy Cushman, miles driven, Chinese chicken, I know that face
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(Repeat Chorus)
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tennis, old mattress, tortoise, Honda race car
Grandma's place, boat race, suitcase, drinks at a bar
old neighbors, toddlers, need diapers, elevator
some sun, no run, hot dog bun, alligator
icky colds, full households, no real scolds, shopping fun
long walks, some good talks, hear her squawk, hi Logan!
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(Repeat Chorus)
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great spirit, her vomit, big omelette, fun barbeques
super clean, Dairy Queen, one tough 'tween, day at the zoo
old peer, good beer, birthday cheer, tattoos on arms
lots of rain, delayed plane - what a pain!, no set alarms
IHOP food, we shampooed, warnings issued, I don't mind her
daily coffee, missed him madly, see what I mean, sir
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(Repeat Chorus)
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shiny chromes, childhood homes, free to roam, noisy beagle
learn to drive, we survive, high five, yummy bagel
videos, blow your nose, friends and foes, fun with brothers
mailings, borrowed things, bear sightings, friendly cobblers
Ground Kontrol, waterhole, vacant fishbowl, missed the city
tall cousin, girl cousin, fun cousin, oh so pretty
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We've had lots of fun, guys
We've had lots of fun, guys
Flew from here to there, guys
Over one thousand miles, guys
To see family and friends, guys
We will have to go again soon
We've had lots of fun
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Thomas enjoys jam with breakfast ~ Tow Mater

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feeding the lorikeets

thirteen months

Does 13 months get any cuter than this?

public works

The city's Public Works Fair this morning was perfect for Thomas. Garbage trucks, wastewater trucks, fire truck, police cars, a cherry picker, tractors, everything imaginable for the kids to view and some for them to even climb on. Thomas loved it. I also enjoyed the fair but didn't enjoy being cornered by the wastewater guy who really wanted to show me how his truck works... I guess I must have looked interested? I wasn't.

Thomas picked out these new Teva sandals yesterday after trying on every sandal and flip flop that REI sells. They are a size 11. The kid has very large feet for a just-turned-three year old. He was so excited to carry the box around the store and then place it on the counter for purchase. He was grinning from ear to ear when he told the cashier they were his new shoes. He wanted to nap in them yesterday. Sometimes new shoes make me happy like that, too.

sweet baby curls

Meredith loves to watch herself in the mirror

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Thomas' hair was pretty straight until right after his first birthday. Then his hair became curly and much lighter. Today we keep his hair pretty short because it begins to frizz when it's a little longer. Meredith's hair has always been dark and straight, but appears to be getting a little lighter also and definitely has a wave to it that becomes more apparent every day. It'll be interesting to see what her hair is like a year from now. As much as I love Thomas' hair on him, I hope hers doesn't go that direction!

fun

laughing together from c on Vimeo.

Yesterday and today we enjoyed hanging around the house and taking care of business. What kind of business? Playing in the spare room's closet, having a dance party, etc...


Untitled from c on Vimeo.

three

Thomas tackles Meredith and plants a kiss on her cheek

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Today was Thomas' 3 year checkup. He did great -- passed the vision and hearing exams, listened and followed directions given by the pediatrician and aides, and he didn't even flinch when they gave him a shot in the leg. He's such a trooper.

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height: 39" ~ weight: 36lbs

swinging together

Photos of the two kids together always look like this -- each child doing their own thing and neither really looking at the camera. They're candid and candid is good, right? Yes, but sometimes it'd be nice to have them both looking and smiling at the camera... Today Thomas tested the weight capacity of this swing at "my park, the cool park" while Meredith laughed on.

About six months ago I picked up these shorts for Meredith. M's response at the time was "Aren't those a little short??" Ha. I think shorts, skirts and dresses are probably always "a little short" for daddies.

Thomas is 3 years old!

T wanted a "car cake" made with strawberry cake and chocolate frosting

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Three years ago he entered our lives and changed everything.

Today... he's excited to be starting preschool next month, he inspects his trucks and other toys to figure out how they work, he makes connections and asks for explanations regarding everything, he thanks me for taking him to swim lessons during the drive home, he's kind to his sister, he has a great sense of humor and he's such a joy. Happy Birthday, Thomas. We love you so much!

strawberry picking

I don't know how Thomas even got on the kick of wanting to go strawberry picking (he's never been), but all morning he asked me to take him. So this afternoon, the three of us went. It took less than 15 minutes to fill our bucket with perfectly red, deliciously sweet and fabulously large strawberries. We whipped up a shortcake (compliments of Martha Stewart) and enjoyed this yummy dessert after dinner. Mmmmmmm...

So did Thomas enjoy the actual picking of strawberries? He did! They are his favorite fruit and he knew exactly which ones to pick and which ones to leave alone. Meredith, on the other hand, picked one and spent the whole time smooshing it between her fingers (and then all over me!).

Happy Mother's Day

Tulips on the table, a wonderful husband, two cute kids, a vanilla milkshake, frittata and a full breakfast by M including extra pulp orange juice (yum!), an afternoon nap, sleeping in, a phone call from my little brother, dinner out, an evening run with Bela and Greta... all my favorite things. Hope yours was equally happy!

Shamu & friends

seaworld whales from c on Vimeo.

We sat in the Soak Zone for the Shamu show. After seeing other spectators pull out ponchos, umbrellas, etc. as the show time neared, we purchased a $6 SeaWorld poncho from the moving vendor. We didn't get nearly as soaked as promised (we had two very large splashes so we would have been pretty wet!), but witnessed another section get hammered six consecutive times. Those poor folks were completely drenched. They aren't kidding when they warn you about the possibility of becoming very soaked in the Soak Zone!

SeaWorld

During our drive to San Diego's SeaWorld this morning I was explaining to Thomas how SeaWorld is different from the Zoo. When I said "We see giraffes, monkeys and elephants at the Zoo, but at SeaWorld we see animals that live in the water like seals, whales and dolphins", his response was "That's it?" At nearly three years, he's a hard one to impress! However, we all had a great time at SeaWorld today. Thomas says his favorite were the Clydesdale horses. Not the seal lions he fed? Not the Killer Whales leaping out of the water and onto the platform just feet from us?? Not even the large turtle he got to see up close and touch??? Nope, it was the horses. Granted they are quite large, but the horses?! [SeaWorld is owned by Anheuser-Busch, hence the Clydesdales and the Hospitality Center with complimentary samples. :)]

Thomas feeds the sea lions

sea stars, Clydesdales & us in the Soak Zone before the whale show

sea turtles sunning

On our way out of the park, Thomas told us he wants a turtle -- a big one to play with in the backyard and walk around. Oh boy!

picnic in the park

Who doesn't love a picnic in the park with two dozen other moms and their children? There was something for everyone in this large gathering. Thomas enjoyed games with his new pals Rowdy & Rorin (twin boys with the last name Lyons... silly, silly parents) and Meredith enjoyed checking out some new babies and a couple of girls her age like little Maia above. She loves riding these rocking dolphins.

fire station visit

Left to Right:

M's favorite were the hoses and the horns

T & his pal test every knob, dial, pedal, lever, steering wheel...

T stops to listen to the bell ring

M and the yellow hose

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This morning both kids had a blast visiting a local fire station. Firefighters are always so great with children and the crew at this station were no exception. They happily obliged requests for photos, let the kids roam free climbing all over a couple of fire engines, one dressed up in the full gear to show us what that looks like and they really just allowed the kids to explore and have fun checking everything out. We were especially lucky this morning to see not only two fire engines, but also one very old fire engine and a SWAT vehicle. Very neat! Thomas climbed in and out of fire engines, rang the bell several times, and simply just touched everything at least once. Meredith tried to do the same and left the fire house with the whole crew oohing and aahing over her. Fun morning!

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When we got home Thomas wanted to practice what he learned today - Stop, Drop & Roll. He thinks it's a song and dance which is pretty funny...

Cinco de Mayo!

Cinco de Mayo celebrated at our house this morning included sombrero sugar cookies, Mexican flag-inspired snacks of fruit and veggies, fresh blueberries...

toddlers crafting their own (cardboard) sombreros and (foam) tacos & tostados

...and a great time had by all. Except maybe Bela who appears to be thinking "when will the humiliation end?"

Now that the playdate of 12 toddlers and 9 mamas has gone home...? Un margarita, por favor!