Mt. Rainier

Two year old with 200 foot, 1000 year old trees.

Diana and Dad Visit Seattle: April 2015

This is long overdue:

In April, Diana and Dad made the cross-country journey to visit us in Seattle.  We had reasonably good weather (better than New England!) and enjoyed a lot of the Seattle sites.

Diana and I walked Elsa down to the University Village shops where she played on the playground and enjoyed the fountains:

We had dinner at Aqua Verde, a mexican restaurant and kayak rental boat house along Portage Bay. Afterward, we had a walk along the waterfront:

Diana, Dad, and I visited Pike's Market (where the fish are thrown). We enjoyed sampling chowder (smoked salmon and seafood) and had a drink in my favorite Rachel's Ginger Beer storefront. There's nothing like a Moscow Mule in the afternoon!

We walked to one of our local playgrounds at Bryant Elementary school.

Our ferry ride out to Bainbridge Island was clouded by the classic low hazy clouds of the Puget Sound, but after exploring the main town, the clouds cleared and we had a sunny return ride:

On the island, we enjoyed a morning coffee, strolling along the shops, a visit to the local bookstore, and a lunch with a view of the marina.

We spent a lot of quality time together at home, reading books, listening to Dad play the piano, and eating great meals.

It was such a great visit! Looking forward to the next one!

Elsa age 2

At age 2, Elsa is really blossoming into a busy, active, expressive child. 

She is walking, jumping, running, and walking up and down stairs by herself. She dances to music and can do forward rolls. She likes to say, "Elsa do" when she wants to try something herself and I've recently seen her tucking items under her elbow to carry them up the stairs.

She is interested in art and will paint, scribble, and otherwise color anything we place in front of her. yesterday, while painting she said, "May-may kitty." I guess she was painting a picture of our cat...

Her language has really blossomed in the last few months and my favorite phrases are those she copies from Sam like"Oh, maaaan!" and "Watch this!" She used to do roll-call, especially at meals time: "Dadda here? Mamma here?" and now she keeps track of everyone in a new way: "Mamma love me, dadda love me, Teeb love me..." She still can't quite say the "S" sound, so "Sam" remains "Day" in Elsa-speak. I often catch myself nearly referring to Sam as Day when talking with Elsa.

Elsa likes to help, just like (and often mirroring) her big brother. She helps unload the dishwasher by placing the plastic kids tableware into the correct drawer. Lately, she's been helping me sort the cutlery. She is also excellent at putting clothing away. She knows exactly where Sam's clothes belong.

While she sometimes seems like she is quietly studying everything about her, other times she is spunky and full of laughter. It has been a wonderful year watching her blossom into a toddler and I'm excited to learn more about her as she grows!

"Elsa Birthday?"

Elsa's been asking us for a few weeks, "Elsa birthday?" So she knew it was approaching. Yesterday was the day and everyone seemed to remember the moment they woke up! We had cupcakes with candles after dinner. A birthday party with the neighbors is slated for the weekend.

June Fun

Sam's art work from zoo camp. Flamingo, giraffe, and artwork representing "shelter." Not pictured: a paper metal award for awesome penguin waddling.

Early summer

Bike riding under our deck and Riding the Ducks with cousin Yvette!

Sayulita, Mexico

Sayulita is a village of 4000-5000 people about 30 miles north of Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific Ocean. Despite being "discovered" for it's great surfing, the town manages to balance ex-pats and tourism while maintaining much of its local industry (fishing) and charm. The small town plaza is centered around an active Catholic Church. Walking down the several surrounding city streets, one can find wifi coffee bars, fish taco stands, traditional Huichol art, and co-op galleries.

Sayulita street, looking toward the plaza.

We drove through twisting unmarked streets and up a large hill to get to our house. I thought I'd never find my way back to the beach, but we quickly discovered that the town is quite small and very manageable.

View from our "tree house."

Our "livingroom" with plunge pool.

The kitchen and diningroom. We had a stove, microwave, dishwasher, and two small fridges.

Bedtime reading with Kyle.

Playa de los Muertos: a small beach to the south of the town. Named for the nearby colorful cemetery.

Elsa, Sam, Olivia and Ailee discovering "Sandy" the hermit crab.

After lunch in San Blas, prior to our boat ride in the mangrove swamp.

This guy was fenced-in, but we did see a few from our boat.

While Elsa napped, the older kids had storytime with Scott. They read all of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Traditional dancer and fire performer.

Elsa loved everything about the beach. Including being half-buried!

Sam was pretty much swimming by himself by then end of the week.
According to him: "If I don't come up for air, then I sink."

Surfs up! As a Mother's Day gift, Rachel and I were gifted a surf lesson. We were able to accomplish more than we had imagined. I started envisioning future mother/daughter surf lessons. Righteous!

Mother/daughter swim.

She loved going underwater!

Happy guy on the way home.