Sunday, August 15, 2010

R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Find out what it means to Oliver

They sometimes survey the kids in Oliver's class on the meaning of words. Last week's word was "Respect."  What does that mean?  Before that, the word was "Love."



Oliver's Dino Land artwork. He writes his name now on most all of his creations.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

10th Anniversary


Thursday, August 12th was Keith and my 10th wedding anniversary. Hard to believe that it's been 10 years already. Once again we headed up to the Rose Garden for a picnic. We're fortunate that our anniversary falls during Portland Parks and Rec's free summer concert series. This year we listened to African Drumming.

The family
Oliver posing.
Zaeda chowing down. She ate the entire time.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Zaeda's photo shoot

Here are some shots from Zaeda's photo shoot. We've been going to the same photographer for about 6 years and after each session I always wonder if she captured anything. I was really doubtful about this session with Zaeda. Zaeda was fussy, kept running away and was overall a bit challenging. Once again Kellie came through with some great shots.
Kellie really captured our sassy little girl in this shot.
Every girl needs a tutu or
two!
Zaeda in one of my dresses in the rocking chair Keith got for his first birthday.

Zaeda nows says "yeah" and nods her head vigorously. "Mine" is still a favorite and she is starting to use a fork. I love that I can ask her to put clothes in the hamper and she does it!

Monday, August 02, 2010

July July July

Earlier this month, Oliver and Zaeda went to stay with their grandparents in northern California. It was rodeo week in Fortuna, with parades and horses and carnival rides. It was also a chance for Zaeda to meet some family down there. Oliver spent many hours riding an electric quad around their property. Both kids had a great time.



Jenny and I had a weekend alone and we worked a bit more on repairing the ceiling in the living and dining rooms – a messy job of plaster and dust. We spend more time prepping and cleaning up than actually doing the work. There is still work to do, but we’re getting there. Midweek, we drove down to the San Francisco area to see our friends and family for a few days. As much fun as we had, we missed the kids so much by the end of that week that we could barely wait to see them as we drove back up the coast to Fortuna.

Popsicles on a hot day
  
Zaeda now explores the house with confidence. Today Jenny turned her back for a moment and discovered that Zaeda had gotten up onto an end table and was going through her purse! Her vocabulary is pretty much “mine” “Mamma” “Dadda” a complicated but consistent set of syllables I’m pretty sure is “Oliver” and a lot of indistinct babbling. She dances to music. She helps fold the laundry. Best of all, she’s really engaging her brother in play. She likes to hug him and really likes to wrestle. She’s usually the instigator of a wrestling match with him, and he’s surprisingly gentle with her. There are far more giggles than tears with the two of them these days.

Oliver is exploring all the answers to the question “Why?” It’s a stage I always looked forward to, and it’s fun, except when the why? is more a reflex than an expression of genuine curiosity. Giving honest thoughtful answers is a test of our ability to explain the most fundamental aspects of life.

  • “Daddy, why don’t you drive off this cliff?
  • “Why is this bread?”
  • “Why does this bridge go up?”

Other quotes:

  • (Struggling with the last piece of drawing paper on a roll) “How do I stop this paper from turning into a telescope?”
  • “When I get growed up, I want to be a diver” (or a pilot, a girl, a dinosaur, etc.)
  • "What do pterodactyls eat?"

Camping

We set up a tent in the yard last weekend to give the kids a taste of camping. It was a test-drive – the kind with a DVD player. Once the tent was full of mattresses, sleeping bags and pillows, it was a nice little romper room for them to play. Meanwhile, we set up the grill to cook hot dogs and roast marshmallows. I think the experience was useful for me and Jenny most of all. We learned that camping with the kids at this age is a lot of work, and that we should bring lots of napkins and patience. Oliver and I slept in the tent that night, and he didn’t go to sleep till midnight. I also learned that the pad I used to sleep on when I camped in my early 20s just doesn’t cut it any more. I need to get something more comfortable. I woke up sore – and alone; Oliver was up at the crack of dawn to get his breakfast with his mom.

Fishing

Yesterday we took the kids to meet my parents at a fishing pond for kids near Estacada. Dad is still healing from his foot injury a couple months ago, but he managed to get down the trail on crutches with a minimum of cursing. Uncle Joe was there to help. Oliver had a new fishing pole and we took some time getting it set up and baited. Then we cast it into the pond and handed it to Oliver with instructions to wait and watch – not the easiest things for a 3 yr old to do. He made it about 2 minutes before the pole was dropped and he was tossing rocks into the water. We didn’t catch anything.


Oliver drew the story of the lion and the mouse (note the thorn in the lion's paw)


A T-rex chasing a duck