Team Photo

Well, another session of Lil' Kickers is winding down, so it was time for team pictures. We missed out on the last ones, so I made sure we were there this time. So which child decides to throw a hissy fist and cry through the whole thing? Yes, that would be Taylor. So I stood next to him to calm him, hoping I could make a break for it when the photographer got going. But when I tried to sneak away, the photographer said "Stay there mom!" in a stern voice. Ok, great. The week I wear grubby clothes, don't put on make up, and throw a hat over my matted hair, I'm stuck in the team photo? Wonderful. Don't worry, I edited myself out of this one. :)

Night at the Ballpark

Last night we joined a bunch of my co-workers at Safeco Field for a night of baseball. They'd bought a handful of tickets so we could cheer on our nursing colleague Makayla, who was throwing out the first pitch for UW Medical Center night. Not only does she work there, but she also used to be a patient in our NICU. So we all came to give her some encouragement and to enjoy an evening of America's favorite past time.

It was also Taylor's first baseball game, so that was fun. He was all geared up in his baseball hat and full of hot dog (we bought $1.50 dogs from Costco on the way there, of which he ate almost a whole one by himself!). We were in the nosebleed section, but he still had a great time looking at all the excitement going on around him. He kept pointing to the Safeco Field sign directly across from us and saying "D!". (It is his favorite letter and can find it anywhere.) We got in on the wave together, which he thought was funny. He gave such sad puppy dog eyes to the guy behind us that he shared his kettle corn with Taylor. I swear, this kid begs for food like no other. Toward the end, Taylor took a turn holding one of the signs people had made to get us on the big screen. The local channel that plays all the Mariner games is FSN, so they had signs that said "Foxy, Sexy, Nurses at UWMC NICU", or on a more sober note "Fighting to Save Newborns at UWMC NICU". Taylor looked pretty convincing holding that sign, making a cute little face. Half way through the 6th inning we called it quits because Taylor was starting to get antsy, and it was already passed bedtime. The game ended up going 12 innings, so it was probably good we left when we did.

Mother's Day '09

Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful moms out there! I hope you felt loved and appreciated today. We had a great morning celebrating with my parents. First we all went to church together. Taylor had a nice card, a flower, and a kiss for me when we picked him up from Sunday School. Then it was off to brunch at the BluWater Bistro on Carillon Point, where we enjoyed a great brunch and the beautiful scenery of Lake Washington and the Olympic mountains. It was a gorgeous sunny day, so it was nice to walk out on the dock afterward and watch the boats coming in and out. Taylor was not in a picture taking mood, so I just captured what I could. When it was time to leave, my parents gave me a Mother's Day gift from Taylor. It was a heart shaped piece of cement with Taylor's name and hand prints on it. So creative my mom is! When we got home I put it out by the front door. Taylor promptly put his hands in his print and said "hans". I love that little guy.

Taylor and Nana looking at the boats

Checking out the water

Taking a walk

The Olympic Mountains & Lake Washington

Our family

"Hans"

Sunset Dinner

Since it was a nice warm evening, we decided to grab some dinner to go and take it to the park for a picnic. There is a nice grassy area by the Sammamish City Hall that looks out to downtown Seattle and the Olympic mountains. We enjoyed some KFC, then played a little Frisbee and soccer. Taylor quickly figured out how to throw the Frisbee, and had lots of fun with that. Then it was on to soccer. Jason and Taylor have become a bit more competitive in the "one-on-one" play, to the point that Taylor will now fake a foul when Jason "body checks" him. (I'm not sure if I'm correct in my soccer terminology, but I think that is right.) So now, when Taylor goes to soccer class, he can't run more than a few feet without falling to the ground and saying "oh" as if someone has just fouled him. Nice Jason, way to teach him the important stuff. It is kind of cute though. After a nice sunset, it was time to head home. I just love nights out with my boys.

Saying "hi" to the camera

Frisbee toss

"Watch out, Dad, I'm comin' for the ball!"

Trick moves

"Foul!"

Fake falling, and thinking it's funny

Blossoms

For those who are unaware, Seattle is gorgeous in the spring! Here is why.

Spring Day at the Park

Since it was such a nice day, we rode our bikes over to the park to play and enjoy the sunshine. Welcome back sun! We missed you!

Locked In

Boy, do I have a funny story for you. Definitely one I want to remember so I can tell Taylor some day and tease him about it. So yesterday we were up at the Oak Harbor dirt bike track with our neighbors and were getting ready to go. Jason was working on getting his bike in the truck, and I was making sure all our stuff was in the car. Taylor had crawled into the front seat and was hanging out there. I had the heat on pretty high because it was so cold. Well, in my hurrying, I closed the last door that was open to the car. Normally I always leave one open, just in case Taylor hits the lock button. So as I'm closing the door what does he do? He locks the doors! At first I couldn't believe what I had just done. Then I calmly started to try to figure out how to get Taylor out of the running car.

The trunk was open and the could seats fold down, but only when they are unlocked. The side with his car seat was unlocked, but we couldn't open it more than an inch. So while Jason was holding that open, our neighbor's 13 year old son tried to reach his arm up and over to the other lock release. He eventually got his arm up in there enough to get his fingers on it, but couldn't pull up and push the seat down at the same time. So then we had another guy in there to push the seat once he unlocked it.

In the meantime I was trying to get Taylor to push the unlock button. He had plans of his own though. First, he picked up Jason's cell phone and started "talking" on it. Who was he calling? AAA? Then he decided to pretend to drive the car, steering the wheel and turning on the windshield wipers/flashers/turning signal. I was tapping on the window and calling him, trying to point to the button he needed to push to unlock the door. So he came over to the window, looked at me, smiled, and tapped on the window too. He finally headed in the right direction and started pushing the button, but instead of the unlock button, he kept pushing lock...lock...lock. Finally, he picked the phone up again, turned the camera setting on, and held it up to the window, smiling at the screen and mouthing "cheese!". I had to laugh at that point because he was just so oblivious to the situation he was in. I wasn't too panicked, but I was getting nervous because the heat was on pretty high in the totally close up car.

Finally the guys got the seat in the back down and we got the doors unlocked. Taylor acted like nothing happened, and we all had to laugh. On the drive home Jason called his grandma to tell her the story, because he did the same thing to them when he was little. She had a good laugh and told him it was payback. From now on I will make sure to never close all the doors when he is in the car, but I will also make sure that the spare set is not in the glove box, totally useless. I'm bummed I didn't have my camera, too, because it would have helped paint the picture of the situation a little better. But I'm sure you can imagine how it all went down.

Dirt biking

Around October, Jason and I talked again about his wish to have a dirt bike. He had been wanting one since we moved up to Seattle because he couldn't surf anymore and he rode a lot when he was younger. I was hesitant at first, partly because his back issues started when he was riding, partly because it is somewhat expensive, and partly because I'm afraid he will break himself if he falls wrong on a jump. But I finally gave in because I knew he needed something that he enjoyed and would help relieve stress. He'd already been looking for a bike on Craigslist for about 2 years, so when he got the ok, it didn't take long before he'd found one. It was a great deal on a relatively new bike plus some gear.

Since then, Jason has been able to do a lot of riding, and is excited that he is improving each time. He is even talking about doing some races this summer. Yikes! He found a favorite spot to ride up at Oak Harbor. Twice Taylor and I have gone along to watch and take picts. It is a bit of a drive, but fun to watch Jason making jumps and taking turns on his bike. He has now become so close with the owner, that he is going to help set up a website for the track, which will allow him to ride there free whenever he wants. Sweet!

It is fun to see him so enthusiastic about it, and now Taylor is getting into it too. He likes to sit on Jason's dirt bike and "drive", and every time we pull into the garage, he makes his dirt bike sound (sounds more like a mad bear to me). I bought him a little toy dirt bike and rider for his Easter basket, which he quickly attached to and drives it all over the furniture, making it do jumps and flips. So cute. I know it won't be cute when he is actually riding one, which I think is inevitable at this point. When that time comes I'm going to have him so padded up that he'll look like the kid in A Christmas Story.

It has been nice that Jason has met some other riders at the track as well, so now he has friends to go with. He keeps trying to get me to want to ride, but I'm not sure that day will ever come. So I'll just continue to stay on the side lines, taking pictures and cheering him on.

Goin' For a Ride

Jason had the great idea of buying a bike seat for Taylor so we can all go for bikes rides this summer. We recently found an awesome deal on Craigslist for one, and I promptly got it secured to the bike and ready to go. We decided against the one that you pull behind the bike because we thought Taylor would much rather be up high and seeing everything, and we could talk to him easier while we're riding.

I took Taylor to REI to get his first helmet, and he was so excited about it that he ran around the store with it on. He still loves to wear it, thankfully, so the excitement hasn't worn off just yet.

Lovin' his helmet

As of now we've gone out on three rides, and we've been having so much fun. The first ride was short, but a good start. We went from downtown Redmond along the Sammamish River Trail back to Marymoor Park, where we took a playground break so Taylor wasn't sitting in the seat for too long the first time out. He talked a lot, pointing to the things he was seeing on the way, and beckoning me to keep up with him and fast daddy. The second time was more adventurous. We started from the same spot and went on the same trail, but went the other way. We found a playground once we hit Woodinville, then when we got hungry (and it was threatening to rain) we went to the Woodinville Cafe for some brunch (best strawberry crepes!!). On the ride back we passed a bunch of baby geese (so cute), and we almost lost a shoe (thankfully Jason noticed Taylor's bare foot before we had gotten too far from it). Our total mileage was 14 miles. Good start! A fun way to exercise, that's for sure! The third ride was today, and though cool, it was nice and sunny. We rode from the Sammamish State Park and meandered through Issaquah, up toward the highlands, back down by the Village Theater, and down Gilman Blvd back to the car. After a picnic lunch and some trips down the playground slide, we headed home for a nap.

Chilly day for a bike ride

Ready to go!

Baby geese

Watching the river

Helmet hair

"Hurry up mom!"

All in all, we are having a great time getting out as a family, getting exercise, and enjoying the more frequent sunny days. Maybe you'll see us out and about someday. We're the one with the Copilot on the back.

Jump Planet

Taylor and I recently went with some friends from work and their kids to Jump Planet. It is this big warehouse that is full of inflatable jump toys. During the week they are open in the morning for two different sessions, and on the weekends you can have birthday parties. This place has become a favorite for rainy days.

The first time there Taylor was very weary about the whole thing. I tried to "encourage" him to go into the bouncy house tall by himself, but he was not having it. Until, of course, I went in with him. Once I realized it was ok for me to join him on everything, he had a blast! We climbed the big inflatable slide, we ran through inflatable obstacle courses, and we jumped around in the bounce house. Taylor had a great time with his buddies Will and Luke (Taylor calls him "Gook"), and us moms got a work out with all the climbing and jumping around. The second time we went he was much more brave and was climbing and jumping all by himself! I've never heard him laugh so much! Thanks Katie for suggesting such a great activity.