Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, everyone! I hope you are enjoying this scarecrow and pumpkins and candy time of the year as much as we are.

Wait... what? What do you mean it's still September? That can't be right!

Somebody did not get the memo.

I'm just not one of those people - the type who can plan a themed party with matching crafts, piñata, outfits, goodie bags, hay tunnel, scarecrows, and food.  

Betty Kate's mommy is one of those amazing people who can really plan a party, and in this case the party was in honor of Betty Kate's THREE AND A HALF birthday. I am both amazed and overwhelmed by this, but mostly I just enjoyed it. 

(I take it as a sign of my aging wisdom that instead of being intimidated or, frankly, nauseated, I am simply reminded that everybody is different and that this is what makes the world beautiful. Plus Dan would NEVER let me buy so many holiday themed decorations.)

But, oops, I did buy the kids matching shirts ;). Hey, give me a break, there aren't very many opportunities to have matchie-babies when you have a boy and a girl. And in case you are wondering, these glow in the dark!

Hey September, Where Did You Go?

Well, it is almost the end of September, and we've been too busy to update the blog. So here is an all-in-one-September-to-date post. Grab yer coffee!

We went to a Mariners Game

They played the Red Sox - and won! This was the kids' first baseball game. Most of the fans there that day were rooting for the Red Sox, which was a little strange. The game was super fun. Next time I will bring some weights to help hold down the kids' seats - they aren't quite heavy enough to keep them down on their own.

We hosted a sous vide party

This is the fancy new method of cooking where you shrink wrap (we used zip locks) your food and cook it in something slightly warmer than bath water for a super long time. Surprisingly delicious, but requires patience.

Not sure what made me include this picture, except that Dan and I hardly ever drink things like whisky (can't stand the stuff, myself) and it seemed very fashionable to have it at our trendy cooking party ;).

I took the kids to the Puyallup fair

With Abby N, Abby H, Susanna, and Lydia

September: Elliott

Is 17 months old

Weighs a little less than 22 pounds

Got 12 new teeth in September (yes you read that right - although technically I'm not sure if the 12th has poked through yet). Two of these teeth were preceded by eruption hematomas.

FINALLY sleeps through the night (however... sometimes "night" ends at 7am and sometimes "night" ends at 5am)

Loves to drive, run, throw, wrestle, bounce on the trampoline, swim, and get dirty

Thinks he can fly

Climbs like a monkey

Is learning to go down stairs the hard way

...Falls a lot... (but is very robust)

 Still enjoys eating, although he has gotten pickier

And, the real bummer of September, Elliott has discovered that he wants whatever Nory has and is not afraid to fight her for it.

September: Nory

Is 3 and... a few months

Weighs about 32 pounds

Loves school. Loves loves loves loves loves school. Spends almost all of her "pretend" play time being a teacher and playing school with her dolls, doing "schoolwork," singing the line-up and clean-up songs, and talking about her new friends and teachers.

Sometimes has trouble being kind to her brother (but sometimes, is unbelievably sweet)

Is an awesome swimmer, and loves her lessons

September: Mommy

Had a birthday!

Swam across Lake Washington

Is running like crazy in preparation for the Snohomish River 1/2 Marathon at the end of October.
And between that and Elliott's 5am alarm clock... I've been very, very, tired (which is probably why this blog is so far out of date).

September: Daddy
Has a new iPhone
Kayaked with us on our swim

Has been such a trooper watching the kids so I can run and swim and run some more
Baked a cake with Nory for my birthday(!)

Joined a wine club

We also had a visit from nana and papa this past weekend!
See, I told you we've been busy!

But fall is knocking on our doorstep... bringing shorter days, cozy weather, and hopefully a slower pace (and a Pumpkin Spice Latte or two).

Preschool

Nory's first day of Preschool is next Tuesday!

These pics are from the open house yesterday. She is a little scared and a lot excited for this new adventure. I think we all are!

"Kids, take home your school bags and decorate them however you want." I'm thinking tie-dye.

Kleins

What a treat to get all of Dan's family together! Grandma and Grandpa came out for a quick visit last weekend which motivated Linden and Elsa to hang out with us for a day. And what do Kleins do when they get together?

Well we do lots of things, but mostly we hike. This time we picked Annette Lake, about 8 miles round trip. The trail was perfectly maintained and the weather was beautiful. Nory walked for about 1/2 mile going up and probably 2+ on the way down. What a good little hiker she is! 

Unlike our somewhat disastrous Father's Day hike to Lake Serene, this time, we had pack animals to help haul the kids.

(Unfortunately, this particular piece of luggage insisted on being hauled by mommy and occasionally daddy for a lot of the time)

Nory and Uncle Lindy have a well established game called "Ladybugging" which involves Uncle Lindy running ahead and hiding a ladybug that Nory finds as she hikes along. The rules are a little vague to us grownups, but they are very well defined in Nory's head, and woe to the person who breaks them. For example, no grownup is allowed to see the ladybug before her.

Here is beautiful Lake Annette. I had somehow imagined that the kids wouldn't want to swim because it would be too cold in the lake so I didn't pack swim suits. Mommy failure.

Woah, hair.

On the way back down. I love this picture of Auntie Elsa and Elliott.

Shhhhhh... don't wake the baby!

It ended, as all good hikes should, with plenty of cold beer and yummy food at Redhook Brewery.

This wonderful day was just one more reason we think Grandma and Grandpa should pack their bags and move to Washington!