A Herding of Dens

Cousins!

2012-01-28T20:59:00.000-08:00

Dining with Sydney and Maddie.

Enjoying a great milkshake with dad.

Big hams.

The fam!

Shoulder-riding friends.

Bye, California!

Splash zone!

2012-01-28T20:52:00.000-08:00

They also have a really cool place where kids can play with boats on water, kelp playgrounds, and more! Connor spent about 2 hours in this area.

Monterey Bay aquarium

2012-01-28T20:47:00.000-08:00

On our way in to the famous aquarium, we walked right in and saw a heard a people heading right out the back. We ran out with them and saw 3 whales migrating right past the aquarium, on their way from Alaska to Baja.

Sydney touching an urchin.

There were lots of fun things to touch,

including a starfish and

a stingray! Although it never came close enough to us to touch.

They have this really cool walkway where wave crash over you. It is pretty freaky at first, as evidenced by Connor's scream.

The kids loved the scuba diver cleaning the tank and feeding the fish.

Maddie and Connor hung out a lot.

In a circle of sardines!

Mesmorizing jellyfish.

A hammerhead shark chasing away the smaller fish.

The forecast called for rain, but we had a great day.

On the skybridge over the aquarium.

First night in your own hotel bed

2012-01-28T20:25:00.000-08:00

Dear Connor,

For the first night you spent in your own bed in a hotel, we forgot your pajamas. You slept in some not-so-cozy pants and a long-sleeve shirt that you hadn't slobbered over yet.

You hopped right in and asked if we were going to sleep with you. We did hang out for a bit--with Mark and I wedged in on either side of you--and we watched the only child-friendly shows we could find: cooking shows on the Food Network.

We thought you'd just nod off peacefully, but you stayed up until 10:30 that first night (11 on the second), and we nervously left you in that big bed after Mark stuffed all not-in-use pillows around the bed.

You slept well, but did wake up both days at 7 am asking if you could sleep with us, which of course we agreed to. Plus, it afforded us another 1 hour + of sleep.

Swimming in Monterey

2012-01-28T20:09:00.000-08:00

We spent the weekend at Monterey, and the highlight was the indoor swimming pool at the hotel. Connor had a great time swimming with Mark.

And standing on him...

...and learning his first swimming stroke.

He did want to swim with me a little bit. :)

A brief glimpse of San Fran in the rain

2012-01-28T20:02:00.000-08:00

The Golden Gate wasn't looking so golden this morning.

Bye, Marin.

One of Sydney and Connor before school. Connor spent a disproportionate amount of time in his pajamas.

The Little Farm

2012-01-18T17:25:00.000-08:00

Feeding the cows celery. Who knew they liked celery?

Connor and the goat are at a bit of a standoff.

Playing with some other kiddos.

Eating pizza at Cheeseboard pizza + bakery in Berkeley.

Napa wineries

2012-01-18T17:20:00.000-08:00

We visited Stag's Leap winery, known for beating the French wines in 1976 and bringing international fame to Napa valley. Their wine prices reflected the winery's lustrous history.

Then on to Signorello, where Connor and I investigated the lovely infinity pool...

...and Egyptian statues that dotted the outside.

We finished up the day at Downtown Joe's, one of a few craft breweries in the area. We also got to meet Alexis Jean!

Nighttime ritual + cousins!

2012-01-18T15:17:00.000-08:00

Watching Thomas (a universal favorite)

Bath time!

Maddie reading...

A conversation over trucks

2012-01-15T08:20:00.000-08:00

Connor: "Hey, Mr. Truck Driver. What's wrong?"
Pause
"Nothing, I'm good."
Pause.
"OK, have a good ride!"

I hope Connor's outlook on life stays like this for a long time.

A good hiding place

2012-01-06T15:50:00.000-08:00

Under the blanket is always a good hiding place in our house.

Connor's BFFs

2012-01-06T15:46:00.000-08:00

Lately Connor has insisted on having certain stuffed animals with him at all times. It's usually cute, but this morning he insisted on giving them breakfast. You can
see doggie's half bagel (with cream cheese), grape, slide of orange, and shot glass of milk.

I was 1/2 hour late to work today so I could make sure doggie had an equal breakfast to what we ate.

Self Confidence

2012-01-05T15:23:00.001-08:00

Two signs we know we've been giving Connor plenty of positive feedback:

1. While looking at a Christmas ornament he had made in school with his picture on it, he points to himself and says, "You're great."
2. While in the bathroom, I ask: "What are you doing in there?" Connor: "I'm looking at a picture of myself in the mirror." Pause. "How cute!", he says.

Christmas Day

2011-12-31T11:12:00.000-08:00

Searching for Santa by our chimney.

Opening present (after present after present).

Playing with trains.

And playing with his scooter!

Cookies for Santa

2011-12-31T11:04:00.000-08:00

We talked to Connor a lot about Santa this year, but I'm not sure he fully grasped the concept. After a long night playing with his cousins, we came home to ice our own cookies for Santa.

Granted, it was late and I knew I was pushing an already-tired kid, but I thought, "What the hay...he's been doing good so far."

Then the meltdown came. And tears, so many tears. Between the crying about not wanting to go to bed vs. the vigorous eye rubbing, Connor also spurted out, "I don't want Santa to come." Why not?, I asked.

"Because I'm being bad."

And that is one of my favorite memories of Christmas 2011.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-31T10:56:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas Eve at my aunt and uncle's house, and Connor had a blast playing with all the kiddos. He was a little shy about decorating the gingerbread sleigh, but he soon got into it.

Samantha helped him out:

Grandma M made sure he didn't fall into the sleigh:

All pooped out from a long day of playing:

Lazy weekends

2011-12-31T10:52:00.000-08:00

Pre-kids I always thought I'd never let them watch cartoons. After all, there are so many other things to do and ways to be productive. However, now that I have kids, I realize a bit of down time is sometimes just what the doctor ordered. And I admit, it's pretty cute to see my hubs and my kid snuggled up on the couch, both intently watching Seasame Street.

But of course, Connor's not at all tired.

Cookie Time!

2011-12-31T10:47:00.000-08:00

This year we started a new tradition of cookie making at the Den Herders'.

Connor was instrumental in the cooking--helping Grandpa D crush up the peppermint for our white chocolate peppermint bark.

Our loot! I made my favorite "heath bars", although Mark + family call them "crack."

Yoshiko made decadent mint cookies, and Grandma D made her traditional coffee bars.

And everyone helped decorate the sugar cookies.

My Christmas gift

2011-12-31T10:43:00.000-08:00

Besides being able to tell everyone our great news about having a second baby, I also got noise-canceling headphones. I have to admit, though, they look better on Connor.

Conversations overheard in our house

2011-12-29T18:39:00.000-08:00

Me: "Connor, there's going to be a baby in our house soon."
Connor: "Our house?"
Me: "Yes."
Connor: "Will she stay here?"
Me: "Yes."
Pause.
Me: "Do you think we're going to have a girl baby?"
Connor: "Yes. And she will be here in 10 minutes."

Later...
Connor: "Are we going to have a little baby girl or little baby boy?"
Me: "We're not sure yet. Would you rather have a girl or boy?"
Connor: "Girl."

Given the above conversations, and my doctor saying "If you believe wives tales, this one is a girl," I'm pretty convinced we're having a girl. But then again today I asked Connor again:

Me: "Connor, you know we're going to have a baby, right?
Connor nods.
Me: "Do you think it's going to be a girl or boy?"
Connor: "Girl."
Me:" Why?"
Connor: "Because I'm the boy. She can be the girl."

So, maybe it's just a wide variety of coincidences or maybe we really are having a girl. Stay tuned.

My letter to Connor

2011-12-15T18:04:00.000-08:00

After reading my friend's blog, Life of Dad, I thought I would take a crack at writing my own letter to Connor:

Dear Connor,

If I die tomorrow I want you to know you were always loved. Sitting in the hospital just days after you were born, you were surrounded by myself, your dad, and both of our parents. And that support and care has grown as you have.

You were also never supposed to be born: When I was young, I had some medical issues and was told I would never have kids. I'd love to meet that doctor today. You are healthy, active and incredibly creative. The way you speak amazes me. You give the best bear hugs.

Your dad and I have always been active, and we both love playing sports. Between the two of us, we could probably teach you the basics of any sport but football. If you ever have any questions about that, ask Uncle Jeremy. If I'm not around to teach you about soccer, ask Aunt Tana or Uncle Jamie.

It was so important to me to enjoy my work and have a career I was proud of. So far, so good. I hope you're equally lucky.

I feel it's important to try everything in life at least once, except things that are proven to be bad for you, like drugs. Don't do those. Drinking is OK in moderation, but don't be mean to your body. We made sure you ate healthy as much as possible; don't go ruining that with scotch.

Make sure you travel outside of the US; aim for one other first-world country and one second- or third-world country to give you some perspective on life.

If you're trying to decide if you love someone enough to spend the rest of your life with them, make sure they are an equal partner. I chose your dad because he challenges me, yet supports my ultimate decisions. We share many of the same values, and have a similar outlook on life.

I loved dance music. The kind that turns my car into a night club. I've often been caught dancing along to the music while zooming down the highway.

I've spent some time having a small group of very good friends, and having a large group of acquaintances. I'd choose the close friends every time.

Reading books to you while laying in bed, head to head and all cuddled up, was the highlight of my time with you. That memory will be hard to beat.

Stay true to Skyline. Gold Star just isn't the same.

And finally, you're going to be a great big brother to this new baby. I can't wait to see the two of you grow up together.

Love,
Mom

Decorating for Xmas!

2011-11-27T09:04:00.000-08:00

This year we're getting a head start on our Christmas decorating. We hung up our stockings with care (Connor has already torn one down), put the breakable decorations up high on mantels and railings out of little boy's reach, and put up our tree.

Saying "cheese" in front of the tree, yet not getting that he needs to look at the camera.

Checking out the snowflake lights.

Checking out the ornaments.

Hanging up the ornaments all by himself. He did about 4 of them then said "OK, you can do the rest if you want."

Santa's little helper seeing if there are any more cookies in the oven.

Festival of Lights, 2011

2011-11-27T08:57:00.001-08:00

Usually I go to the zoo's annual light show when it's freezing. But last night the weather was fantastic--almost spring-like. So while Mark headed to work, myself, Connor, g-ma and g-pa headed to the zoo.

The lights were really stunning, and very colorful. These gave the illusion that it was snowing.

G-pa, myself and Connor by the huge tree in the center.

G-ma pushing Connor after seeing the elephants and giraffes--both species were chillin' inside.

The lights and tree in the lake. Everything was very colorful.

Connor acting like a monkey. We only saw about 5 animals, 3 of which were sleeping. And we didn't make the train since the line was so stinking long. But we still had a good time.

Thanksgiving!

2011-11-27T08:53:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was pretty low key this year. We spent some time with my Aunt & Uncle in KY, and got to catch up with my cousins. Connor loved "tackling" the older boys.

Then we headed up to the Dens' for more food indulgence with Mark's Aunt & Uncle and Meadeville cousins.

Brandon took Mark by surprise as he casually stirred his coffee for him.

Connor unceremoniously eating my cake. He must learn to be a little more secretive next year.

Naked time + blanket + signing songs with grandma = a great end to a great (and filling!) holiday.

High waters

2011-11-27T08:51:00.000-08:00

Not really Connor related, but we both were awed by the high Ohio river, making the ferry passage seem a little more dangerous than usual.

Connor also loved seeing the barge go up the river as we crossed.

Hide-n-go-seek

2011-11-27T08:49:00.000-08:00

Besides legos, Connor's current favorite game is hide-n-go-seek. He doesn't quite grasp the concept, often saying "I'm here!" in response to "Where could that little boy be?" But my favorite is when I count to 10 to start looking, and he finishes counting for me.

Here's one of his favorite spots--in the TV cabinet.

Fall into Fun!

2011-11-19T11:45:00.001-08:00

Connor playing in the leaves at Gma and Gpa D's house.

At first he was very tentative. He'd run up to the outer edge of the pile and sort of lean into the pile of leaves. When we tried to bury him, he did *not* like it. But eventually he started loving it, and would jump off the little plastic kids' table Gma D has outside, run across the grass, and jump into the leaves. As long as they didn't go over his head, he was having fun.

And for part of the time, he seemed content to help the grandpas rake up the errant leaves.

Our lil' boy growing up!

2011-11-17T19:25:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been 2.5 years, and we're just now getting him his first pair of jeans:

And spent the first night successfully in his own "big boy" bed!

Jack-o-Lantern Walk

2011-11-17T19:16:00.001-08:00

This year we joined neighbors on both sides--Mya, Dylan, and Jenny--on a local Jack-o-Lantern walk. I thought it would be an amazing time, something we would end up doing each year.

But it was freezing. And there was a huge line. And Connor cried for the last 2/3 of the walk. Here he is in the beginning, while we're waiting in line. We brought glow sticks for the kiddos, so he enjoyed playing with those.

Mya enjoying Connor's stroller!

Dylan and Connor walking to get some end-of-walk snacks.

Next year, we're going early to beat the *huge* rush. Who knew so many country folk would come out for this shin-dig!

Friendly neighbors!

2011-11-17T19:09:00.000-08:00

A few weekends ago we were playing with our other neighbors, Jenny, and Connor had a blast. The two seemed to have their own game they were playing--slowly moving down the sidewalk.

It was also before nap time, and they laid down on their own. So I drew their outlines with chalk.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T20:01:00.000-07:00

Getting excited seeing all the kids out on the street.

Posing for pics with Dylan from next door.

Showing him his "trick-or-treat basket"

Smiling for a pic from Dylan's mom.

And they're off!

Neighbors Maddie and Jenny.

Still so excited, even though we're about 1 hour in.

Finally tired enough to let Dad carry him up the hill.

The fam!

What loot!

Halloween party, 2011

2011-10-31T19:50:00.000-07:00

Our neighbors have a Halloween party every year, and this year we had a blast joining them in the spooky celebrations.

All the kids in order of height.

Connor's scavenger team. Decker did a great job helping him keep up, but eventually he tired out and daddy stepped in.

Parky's farm

2011-10-31T19:43:00.000-07:00

On the way to Parky's farm, Connor had fun playing with grandma's gloves.

On the hay ride

In the ball pit inside the barn...

...and the mini tractors outside.

He *loved* playing in the bouncy houses.

I mean, loved it!

But we also spent some time in the fun house.

Through the wires!

And, back to the bouncy houses!

Save the Hooters!

2011-10-25T17:59:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago a bunch of my high school friends got together to walk in support of breast cancer, and in memory of our good friend, Diane. Di loved fall and owls, so this walk was particularly memorable.

Here's a great shot of Kristin wearing our awesome group shirt.

I have to admit Connor and I skipped the majority of the walk, checking in with the group at the banana and bagel stand before heading over to Fountain Square.

Playing with Lucy.

Trying to get all the kiddos to pose for a picture. It didn't turn out well.

He loved playing in the water so much, 90% of his shirt was wet within minutes.

Carving up some fun

2011-10-25T17:44:00.000-07:00

Last year we didn't carve pumpkins. Connor was too little to care, and our neighborhood was known for hellions who would crunch 'em. So I was super excited to start this tradition this year:

Connor feigned interest for a bit,

but then he played with Uncle Jeremy,

and helped me paint some pumpkins,

and everything else.

The end result,

all lit up!

Playing in the neighborhood

2011-10-25T17:34:00.000-07:00

Singing karaoke with Mya...

Digging in the dirt.

Frolicking in bubbles.

Being pushed by his chauffeur, Dylan.

We love our neighborhood!

Decorating with ghosts

2011-10-25T17:28:00.000-07:00

I bought these sticky ghosts at Kroger for less than 2 dollars. Yet they have provided days of fun for Connor. That's my idea of a great toy!

Cookin' in the kitchen, Part II

2011-10-25T17:17:00.000-07:00

Helping to create some pumpkin pie.

Licking every utensil he can get his hands on.

Whipping up a berry smoothie...

Making gingerbread cookies. He kept trying to use the cookie cutters before I could roll out the dough thin enough, so they got pretty thick.

However, I like to think the icing makes up for it:

On Potty Training

2011-10-25T17:11:00.000-07:00

Dear Connor,

If there's one thing your dad hates, it's when you pee on the floor and not in the potty. However, we were both strangely impressed by the height of your pee range on the closet door.

That is all,
Mom

On Connor

2011-10-23T11:44:00.000-07:00

Dear Connor,

Here are some things I want to remember about you years from now:

You have started calling Mark "Daddo", as in "Morning, Daddo! We don't know how it started, but we highly encourage it
You still say "I yam" or "I yam not". It's highly adorable.
You get about 2-3 notes per week from the teacher that say you aren't listening to her. We have "talks" about listening, timeouts...nothing seems to work. But now you've started putting yourself in timeout, and Mark and I try to hide our laughter when you run over to your timeout spot.
You still love playing cars and trucks and trains. We play at least 1 hour a day
You like to have a "family nap" most mornings, where you ask to "take a rest" in our big bed.
After a bath, you like to run around saying "naked bebe".
When I take off your pajamas to get dressed in the morning, I usually say "hands up, buttercup." To which you always respond, "I'm not a buttercup." It's pretty stinking cute.

Connor + Beer

2011-10-18T06:45:00.000-07:00

It's no secret Connor's grandpa loves his beer. One Saturday, we went up to hang out while he and Jeremy brewed a batch. Meanwhile, Yoshiko took these amazing pics:

Checking out the temperature with Grandpa:

Being careful not to touch it (he got pretty close a few times).

Smelling the beer, Connor said, "It smells like strawberries!" He got such a laugh out of this, for days after he kept saying that about everything.

Holding on tight to monkey.

Laughing!

Bluegrass festival

2011-10-16T18:00:00.000-07:00

Playing with Dylan in the train tunnel.

Holding hands with Mya.

Snack time!

Fall playing

2011-10-16T17:52:00.001-07:00

Playing cornhole with daddy...

Cheating at cornhole.

What's that, a train in the distance?

I love how Connor holds his hand to his ear when he traied to listen for something in the distance.

Remembering Diane

2011-10-10T12:57:00.000-07:00

I’ve been thinking about what to write next for awhile. How does one transition from the shock and rage expressed immediately after finding out about bad news to, well, the rest of her life that keeps trudging along? I find it easy to write while enraged; it’s harder to write when things turn back to normal.

But they have; turned back to normal, I mean. In the days after Diane’s death, I found it hard to even go on Facebook. How could the people I know (who didn’t know Diane) post funny cartoons and remembrances of drunken weekends when I was literally dealing with something much more life-and-death?

But, slowly I began to accept her death. I grieved with our close group of high school friends and felt better. I saw Connor’s smile and realized he knows nothing about death, and that to him I was the same and needed to act as such. And then I had a beautiful dream last night.

All of our high school friends, including their significant others and children, were celebrating Diane’s life in a sort of memorial. This memorial happened to occur on the top parking lot of Toys R Us, where Diane and I used to hang out (did I mention I was part of the cool group?!). There was a pool there, and all of our kids were splashing around in it. We were all conversing casually, and there was the sort of relaxed feeling you get at parties where you don’t feel the need to work to be involved—-you are by default.

Somehow, at the end of the dream, Diane was there interacting with us all just as she normally would. She was making off-hand, quirky comments that made you roll your eyes and laugh at the same time. Even now, I remember the hand gestures perfectly that she made. Then my alarm rang, waking me up.

I sat on the side of my bed trying to process the dream. Like many dreams, there weren’t too many “real” details I could hang on to, but the at-ease feeling was overwhelming. I felt safe letting her go.

Of course, I don’t know many people who met Diane who could ever forget her, and I’m sure I won’t. She’ll always be in the vintage dress you see at a thrift store, in the burlesque movie you stop to check out while paging through your Netflix queue, and any time I hear the word “LuLu”, I’ll immediately picture Diane’s short black hair, her birthmark on her chin (she’d kill me for bringing that up), and her eye for the artistic.

So I guess that’s how I’ll remember Diane. And I’ll celebrate her life by continuing on with mine and living it to the fullest. As my high school yearbook says, “LV4BSH”. I never remembered why 18-year-old me thought it important to put that acronym in print by my senior year quote nor what it even means, but I’m betting it has something to do with living every day as best you can. Either that, or I was declaring my love for dark chocolate.

My friend, Diane Naegel

2011-09-25T19:23:00.000-07:00

How do you celebrate life? Every day I celebrate by giving Connor and big bear hug when he wakes up and hearing him say, “Hi, mommy” in his little voice. Many times, I celebrate with a good glass of wine and a spot on the couch curled up next to my husband. Rarely, do I celebrate life by experiencing the death of a good friend and think back on all the good times we’ve had. Why? Because I’m only 31. And the people I know just don’t do things like get pneumonia, go to the hospital and pass away.

Today, we lost someone from the eclectic mix that was our high school group of friends. Diane was the kind of girl who didn’t really care what others thought. She was the first person I knew who was “in” to fashion and felt comfortable in whatever get-up she was wearing. She dressed passionately, which I haven’t said about anyone before, and likely will never be able to bring myself to say about anyone else.

I shared my first alcoholic drink with Diane in high school (sorry, mom). It was sweet vermouth. Straight. I’m still not sure how we choked it down, but I remember we thought we were so cool. Not surprisingly, we didn’t drink much again until many years later when Diane was likely on to much more sophisticated beverages than the Nati Light I endured during college. She was always more grown up than me; always seemed to know so positively what she wanted, and how to go about getting it. That’s just how it was with Diane—there was no derailing her.

She was a terrible driver, though. She would drive around the streets of the Westside without caution, as I would later come to think of her in life in general. Go to NYC? Sure. Come back home and start up her own business—successful business—selling hand-knit scarves? Check. Go back to NYC and make a wonderful home for herself there with great friends and even better experiences? Easy-peasy, one, two, threesy.

It’s hard to sum up all of my Diane experiences here, but I’ll give you some highlights of how fantastic my friend was:

One of our h.s. first dances, when I was still scared of boys, we all posed for pictures around her parent’s spiral staircase. Then a few years later, piling into a professional picture with all the SUA girls. That picture has a prominent place on my fireside mantel.
Waking up from sleepovers at her house to the melodious tones of her brother rocking out to whatever band he was into. And her mom making us huge breakfasts that always made me want to go back to sleep.
Driving to and from Drug Emporium, on Glenway, to TGIFridays, to school—as someone who lived just a neighborhood over, we were always driving somewhere together. And I’ll never forget her resonant complaining that a fellow carpooler owed her 50 bucks.
Walking around her neighborhood at night, looking at the stars, talking about how cool AOL was (yes, that really happened)
Arriving late to an AP test because of a supposed “worm” in her shoe, which was suspiciously never found, but caused her to be detained in picking me up for carpooling.
Seeing her design skills grow in college and stopping by her apartment to see cloths, thread and one humongous sewing machine take up most of her living space. And wondering if I would ever be that passionate about something.
Seeing her comment about things like typical 1920’s hemlines on Facebook, and being delighted by her lovely pictures from equally vintage theme parties and festivities.
Chatting with her and Don at my house over Christmas and seeing their relaxed interaction together.
Hearing her positive tone via email about how she was going to beat cancer, and how she wasn’t going to go down without a fight.

When I think about how I want to be remembered, it’s not by a handful of bullet points posted on a long-time friend’s blog. I want to be remembered in someone’s laugh, a great glass of deep red wine, or a particularly great trip someone had who might think, “Christine would have enjoyed that.”

But I’m not sure how else to celebrate Diane’s life. I want to fly to New York and hang out with her one last time. To see her in action at one of her Wit’s End parties. To share dessert with her at 4 am after a night of just driving around and talking about the future. Because Diane deserves a future. This just happened too soon.

Leiderhosen and Oktoberfest

2011-09-18T14:42:00.000-07:00

Can't have one without the other.

Pete bought this hat for $6! Much better than the $40 I tried to encourage him to spend on a nice green one.

Thanks for visiting!

Corn maze and food at Kinman

2011-09-18T14:39:00.000-07:00

Going through the corn maze. There were lots of "Children of the Corn" jokes.

Gotta have a walking stick.

Snacking on a Hug. Or "fruit barrels" as these were called.

Cheers!

Time to go back to the tractor! The wheels were so big.

Halfway through, the driver pulled into the field and stopped. "Time to pick out your pumpkin," he said.

We were surprised, but we all hoped out and picked out our pumpkin right from the vine.

Erin and Pete successfully found 2 beauties.

Connor held on to his pumpkin the whole way back to the start of the ride.

We also bought some gourds, and Connor enjoyed a ride in one of the "shopping carts."

He *really* enjoyed it.

Hay ride at Kinman

2011-09-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

We decided to go on the hay ride at the farm. This turned out to be Connor's "high" of the day.

Erin and Pete--gamely enjoying the Kentucky events.

The trip started out going slowly around a huge hole a front loader was working on digging out. Of course, Connor was enthralled.

Halfway through, the tractor dropped us off at a little shed with food, drinks and pumpkins!

Connor felt the need to decorate--he kept moving the gourds from one spot to another. Good eye, son!

Kinman farms

2011-09-18T14:20:00.000-07:00

With friends in town, we went to Kinman Farms, I place I had never gone but had heard there was a fall festival. Right off the bat, I knew it was going to be a good time since there was a large Elmo with a pumpkin.

Connor spent a good amount of time there.

There were also lots of animals, including some kangaroos and one camel named Joe:

llamas...

and mini horses.

Daddy's belt

2011-09-18T14:13:00.000-07:00

Mark has been taking Connor to daycare when he's off during the week. One day while chatting with Mark, he mentioned daycare might be a bit upset with him because he dressed Connor in something that might be hard to take off. Little did I know, Mark had somehow tied his belt around Connor's too-large pants. Here's how the little guy looked when we picked him up:

I was cracking up, and Mark said (while also laughing), "It's not that funny." Connor repeated the sentence, which only made me laugh a little more.

Daddy tried to fix it...

and tried...

and it worked for a little bit. Soon after playing, I found some acceptable pants for the rest of the week.

Playing at the Park

2011-09-08T19:32:00.001-07:00

Welcome, Fall!

2011-09-08T19:27:00.000-07:00

Birthday parties!

2011-09-08T19:15:00.003-07:00

Happy Birthday Vincent + Nolan!

Re-hydrating. It was hot!

Enjoying his bouncy cage.

Playing with the pinata. Connor scored some yummy gummies!

Seeing how he can play with the big kids on Vincent's Batman set.

Happy sushi morning!

2011-09-08T18:57:00.001-07:00

For a recent book club, I had sushi that we didn't quite finish. So Connor and I tried noshing on it the next day.

He really liked the rice, the crab and avocado.

The shrimp tempura and wasabi was a bit spicy, but he liked most of it.

On suspenders

2011-08-31T22:09:00.001-07:00

While out of town on a biz trip, Mark somehow found this shirt I had bought from MYHABIT.com, and was saving till Connor was a bit older.

Still, the tee looks pretty adorable.

The hilarity starts when some Amish kids joined Connor on the alligator with real life suspenders.

BFFs

2011-08-26T20:16:00.001-07:00

When looking for a house, one of my biggest requirements was that we look for a neighborhood with lots of kids so Connor can have local playmates. We won the jackpot by moving in next door to Dylan (his age and in his class at school) and Mia (his older sister by 1 year).

Eating yogurt outside on our little table.

Playing together one night outside.

Up in the swingset

Pretending to hide.

Even Mia enjoys playing with the boys!

Playing on the piano

2011-08-09T19:19:00.001-07:00

Reading Big Books

2011-08-09T19:18:00.000-07:00

Grandpa helped Maddie read this big Jack and the Beanstalk book to Connor.

iPad-ness

2011-08-09T19:16:00.000-07:00

Playing with Uncle Mike on the iPad.

Playing in the park

2011-08-09T19:03:00.000-07:00

There's a little park around the corner from their house, so we had a quick picnic in the park.

Sliding with Grandpa,

and playing with Maddie on the slide. I think they were pretending they were sleeping, then Sydney would slide down on top of them and wake them up.

Connor surprised me when I looked over and he was half-way up this park feature. He went on to climb it all by himself multiple times. Just another way he reminded me on this trip that he is growing up, and growing independent.

Maddie helping him around the park perimeter.

Sydney handled it all on her own:

Maddie hanging out with Connor, again:

Connor and Sydney rolling down the hill:

What a cutie!

On our way to San Fran

2011-08-09T18:56:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to Alameda to visit with the fam and attend Sarah's beautiful wedding. Connor had a blast on the trains, plains and automobiles that it all took for us to get there.

This basic little wagon continues to be a favorite:

Playing with Sydney in her motorized truck:

The motor died, but with so many girls in the neighborhood, they became enamored with Connor and pushed him anywhere he wanted to go.

Somehow, Sydney convinced Grandpa to push her.

Bed head

2011-08-09T18:52:00.000-07:00

Bye, festival!

2011-07-26T04:41:00.000-07:00

It was so hot, Connor chugged down quite a bit of water.

And we said good-bye to Grandpa M,

and Grandma M., all while relishing his green lollipop.

Festival games

2011-07-26T04:36:00.000-07:00

Besides Bars & Bells, which is my church festival obsession, we hit up tic tac toe, thinking it might be fun to waste a few dollars watching Connor throw tennis balls.

To our surprise, he won on his first attempt!

He picked out a snake. The woman at the festival said they were going fast.

Then we tried the fish, which he picked up two at a time with a fishing net.

After our 4 chances were up in two scoops, he switched to just picking them up with his hands. We had to pry the net out of his hands.

Fun at the festival

2011-07-26T04:25:00.001-07:00

Getting excited about this year's OLL festival...

He can't wait to go on the rides with mom!

First up, the rocket ship (yes, that's us in there).

He threw a tantrum wanting to go on the cars, and he was just over the height you need to be to ride, so we (hesitatingly) let him go. He looked like he could so easily topple off. But he hung on, even smiled for the camera a few times, and couldn't have loved a ride more.

Oh yes, we have video. Stay tuned...

Mom's bday, cont

2011-07-24T18:17:00.000-07:00

It was super hot outside, but all the kids ran around anyway.

The awesome trio who put it all together:

Dad said a cute speech, where he thanked everyone for coming and then told everyone to get back in their cars and crank up the air.

Mark and Connor hung out by the playground, and we kept trying to feed him more and more water to keep his face from being so red.

Happy bday, mom!

2011-07-24T18:07:00.000-07:00

This Friday we threw a surprise birthday party for my mom at Fernbank park.

She was so surprised, it was great to pull it off.

It was great to see tons of her friends, and all the in-town family.

My aunt helped so much with all the decorating, and inviting half the party.

My mother-in-law is a genius

2011-07-24T18:03:00.000-07:00

Janet said her boys used to help put away the utensils, so one day we tried it:

Jet ski morning, kayak afternoon

2011-07-08T19:21:00.000-07:00

It was a bit rainy when we rented the jet ski

Connor did go out with me the first time, but we didn't have a camera handy. William, however, had a great time riding with Nate.

Later that day, Connor and I went kayaking for a long time again.

More cousin time

2011-07-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

Connor loved playing with Will. All. the. time.

Connor and Molly *tolerated* each other.

Everyone was friends when roasting marshmallows were involved.

When that was over...

...time to go back to the house!

It's beginning to look a lot like vacation...

2011-07-08T18:47:00.001-07:00

Connor and Molly *finally* playing nice together.

Maybe because it was one of the few times Mickey Mouse was on.

And at night, Uncle Nate read to the boys:

S'more, please

2011-07-08T18:35:00.000-07:00

A bit of breakfast reading

2011-07-07T11:01:00.001-07:00

A little bit of this, a little bit of that

2011-07-07T10:59:00.001-07:00

Nate and Will taking a swim

And Molly loved Will's life vest so much, she preferred to wear it over her dress for the rest of the evening.

A bit of bubbly...

2011-07-07T10:58:00.000-07:00

Connor spent a good portion of yesterday watching grandpa make some bubbles...

And some more time *not* watching grandpa make some bubbles.

He also spent some time trying to pop the bubbles, just like this big one.

Connor, Molly and Will eating lunch

2011-07-07T10:42:00.003-07:00

And good-naturedly bugging each other, like only family can.

Connor's first kayak ride

2011-07-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

This is quite possibly the proudest moment of my life--sharing my son's first kayak ride, which he calls a "kaynack" ride.

The first day he wanted none of it, not saying no to a ride but not even really caring about it. But the second day, possibly helped by watching Grandpa and Uncle Nate go on a ride, he tried to push the kayak in the water himself he was so excited.

I let him paddle as much is possible for a 2-year-old, and we spent a lot of time just rolling on the waves and watching the boats go by. He was most excited that one boat "beeped" at him and a doggy on that boat barked. It is currently my favorite moment from vacation.

Messy, clean fun

2011-07-07T10:35:00.000-07:00

Dirty kids?

Clean 'em up with a "cousin bath"!

Yum, ice cream is good!

2011-07-05T16:08:00.001-07:00

Learning from Cousins

2011-07-05T16:02:00.001-07:00

Cousins are great for teaching new things, both good and bad. Fortunately, William passed along some good notes for how to peel an orange.

He was a fast learner--he ate about 2-3 of them for breakfast.

Later, he and Will shared the bike as a seat. Connor has called this little screened-in porch "the kids' room". It's pretty useful.

Reading with Grandpa & Playing with Grandma

2011-07-05T15:53:00.000-07:00

A child needs a grandparent, anybody's grandparent, to grow a little more securely into an unfamiliar world. ~Charles and Ann Morse

Harashuku girls have nuthin' on Connor

2011-06-27T18:35:00.001-07:00

Connor's Uncle Jeremy and Aunt Yoshiko gave him this adorable Japanese outfit several months ago, and he fits in it perfectly. I, personally, think it's adorable.

Connor didn't quite agree at first. You have to tie it twice (once on each side of the body), so he was a little squirmy getting in it. Then, he didn't want me to take his picture (just like his daddy).

But soon we were back to playing trains.

I think he looks very serene in this picture.

Hmm, now we're talking great picture material! Yes, grab the nun chucks, Connor (only time in my life I've said that).

OK, smile at mommy! Smile at mommy! Yes, you can have some of my birthday cake. Just smile at mommy!

Just another day in paradise

2011-06-27T18:25:00.001-07:00

Eating lunch outside. Yes, lunch consists of blueberries, 1/2 of a brownie, and a Capri Sun. We really phoned it in.

Tickling my feet...he loves this game.

Contemplating how to take daddy's sunglasses and wear them.

A close up of my little Dutch boy.

Once he has enough of us, he runs next door to play with the kids over there.

Photo essay: Drinking from a cup

2011-06-27T18:20:00.000-07:00

And not just any cup. My oversized Hanza beer drinking cup I lugged all the way back from the World Cup!

Lately, we've been encouraging Connor to drink from real cups instead of his sippy cups. His outfit is courtesy of a particularly chilly day, and we were taking a break from playing on Dylan's and Mia's swingset next door.

Happy birthday, mommy!

2011-06-27T18:14:00.001-07:00

Apparently when you turn 31, and have a toddler, birthday's get pretty lax. Even the cake your husband makes for you:

Especially the cake.

Connor did enjoy being on our shoulders briefly.

I think he's the only kid who doesn't like Cheerios and doesn't like riding on someone's shoulders. Uncle Jeremy was just mentioning how last time he tried to put him up there, he got kicked. Fortunately, I just get used as a pillow:

My birthday ended like most days--playing trains...

..and loving it.

Our little helper

2011-06-24T17:53:00.000-07:00

Connor's been "helping" me recycle over the past few weeks by taking an empty can or juice bottle to the recycling bin. Last week, he asked to carry the garbage can. I didn't think he would be strong enough, but the little guy rolled our big garbage can down the driveway all by himself. He only asked for help to push it upright by asking, "Help me, mommy, help me!".

Daddy's silly

2011-06-24T17:50:00.000-07:00

Lately, Connor's been loving the phrase "that's silly", which he applies to almost any situation. Usually, it's when daddy's being silly.

Our jumpin' froggy

2011-06-24T17:48:00.000-07:00

We received this little frog towel at one of our baby showers, and it's still adorable on Connor.

He's also started loving running around--with towel or with not--and it adds 15 minutes to our bed time routine, but is so cute, it's totally worth it.

Making pizza

2011-06-09T18:23:00.001-07:00

Tonight, Connor and I made pizza. There was a lot of organizing the pizza, which really resulted in a lot of eating of the ingredients.

Connor loved sprinkling the spices all over the pizza.

All done! Off to the oven to be cooked.

Hmm, OK, we're done with this project. Now to play with cars and trucks.

Showing off his new digger shirt

2011-06-09T18:20:00.001-07:00

2011-06-09T18:15:00.001-07:00

Connor is always so productive at grandma D's house. He checks in on the watering can,

right before he paints the patio,

and fills up his own can to water her flowers.

But he leaves a little time for play. Here, he's trying out the sprinkler again this year

right before he runs off to play with the other neighborhood kids.

Dear Connor,

2011-06-09T18:12:00.000-07:00

When you're between the ages of 12-17, give or take, I'd like you to remember a few things:

1. You bite. Not often, especially at 2, but when you do, you are swift and forceful.
2. You get excited to see other kids, but at heart you prefer to play by yourself. As long as I or Mark watch you, of course.
3. Reading to you at night is the best 15-30 minutes of my life, followed by the worst 1 minute. I love having you snuggle into my as we read book after book--even though I always say we can only read 3, and even though I always cave and read more. But putting you in bed and leaving your room tears my heart up when you cry and call my name.
4. You're pretty awesome, and you have just been getting more and more fun. Now that you've started talking, we can actually have pseudo-conversations about your day. You tell me what you like, and don't like, and that's better than not hearing anything. You say funny things like "Moses lives next door" for no reason. And you parrot everything, which makes for some hilarious times. We still crack up when tell Jeremy to "stop being so silly".

Ska guy, 2.0

2011-06-09T15:30:00.001-07:00

Al fresco eats

2011-06-09T15:28:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, before it got super hot, we all ate breakfast outside.

Connor, of course, had a banana and toast.

Somehow he ended up in this fancy chair...

...and Mark was stuck with Connor's seat.

Don't we all?

2011-06-09T15:25:00.001-07:00

During a baby shower at my former job, I received this shirt:

It says "I blame my parents". My parents got a hoot out of it.

More cousin time

2011-06-07T18:49:00.000-07:00

Stopping for ice cream after our long walk to the park.

Cousin bath! Connor had a great time.

Running around with his towel. He was pretty adorable.

William wearing his shark hat while Connor wears his dog hat. These two had a blast playing with each other.

I wish this picture would have been clearer, because these two look super cute.

Playing at the Park

2011-05-28T06:01:00.000-07:00

1, 2, 3...I see you!

Molly chasing those boys around.

Connor's favorite game, pushing the stroller!

Connor and Will playing with grandpa

There was some sort of hat game I wasn't privy too, but Connor and Will sure loved it.

Still...fun outside

2011-05-28T05:30:00.000-07:00

This was the first time Connor "climbed" up such a high ladder. I put climbed in quotes because Mark went up with him, rung by rung, to make sure the little guy didn't slip. He ended up going up a few times, with just one mis-step.

Will and Molly going to hide in the bushes.

Mark supervised a lot

Molly and Connor checking out the fun outside

Fun outside

2011-05-28T05:20:00.000-07:00

During a recent visit with the DC Dens, plus some visitors from Gma/Gpa D.'s neighborhood, Connor had a blast playing outside with everyone.

Neighborhood kids...

The Conman, looking pink and sweaty.

The neighborhood girl got a little too close for Connor's comfort

Will-squared

What a cute delivery!

2011-05-27T17:56:00.001-07:00

Connor has recently loved playing with the many Amazon boxes we suddenly have in the house.

And Mark loves carrying him around "delivering" him to the mailbox. Connor likes to tell people we're mailing him to Grandma's/Grandpa's.