A Break From Swim Lessons

Instead we're working on coordination, strength and confidence:

Just for reference~ the two girls on the left are 4 1/2, and the two girls flanking Ella are also 4 already. Our little bean pole!

Garden

This summer was not a good one for gardening in Portland. Atleast in our yard. Last summer was so hot that I decided to not even try any greens. Apparently that was a mistake as this summer wasn't even hot enough to ripen our tomatoes before it started to rain again. Not a complete waste of time, lessons learned for next year and some food for us to eat. We got a few pounds of tomatoes and zuchini, some green beans, 2 jalapenos, 2 half ears of corn, several strawberries and 2 cucumbers. Ella helped me make some tomato sauce at the end of the season:

Strawberries, we think

Another development from earlier this fall. Hives! We are fairly certain she developed an allergy to strawberries, despite having eaten them for some time before having a reaction. Fortunately this is the only manifestation of her allergy, and strangely they don't bother her. The third time she broke out in hives, she was literally covered head to toe. This past week she got her first ear infection. We decided to treat it, and it seems she also has a mild allergy to ammoxicillin. Small hives. Boo. We're going to stay the course and discuss at her next appointment. Good news however~ her 6 week runny nose went away overnight once we started the meds.

Belated First Day of School

Ella started preschool at VCP again this year with Mrs. Broome and Mrs. VanDitti. Great names for fearful young ones, huh? Fortunately, they are amazing, teaching as a team for the past 14 years. Very much my speed, letting the kids lead, and focusing on the process not the product with art projects and other experiences in the classroom. Ella is fiercely loyal to her friendship with Lauren, and Lauren equally to Ella. They really are sweet together, but we are all working on making new friends as well. The two of them pair up with another strong two-some in the 4's class on the playground to play fairies and princesses. Rumor has it the teachers tried to break up Isabel and Sarah last year to no avail. So the four of them are kindred spirits! Starting next week, Ella will be going 3 days a week, wahoo!

18 Months

Our sweet Quinny is a year and a half. Where does the time go? This little one keeps us so busy, the days whirl by in a frenzy and here we are with a little person, not a baby.

Quinn is the most joyous child I have ever spent time with. She shrieks with laughter throughout the day (mostly at or with her sister), falls down and bounces back up again to keep running, and has this happy-go-lucky lightness about her.

She's my little caboose, trying to keep up with the big kids, but rarely gets frustrated with her role.

She climbs like a monkey (finally the whole length of our stairs, onto tables, play structures, etc.), slides, runs, dances, twirls, throws, kicks.

Shouts "Yay!" when she is excited about something (milk at the grocery store, breakfast, pulling into Jackson's driveway), says "coooooool" when she's fascinated, and loves to say "No! No! No!" and do the exact opposite thing we're asking her to do. Always. If we walk to the car, she goes back to the house. If we call her inside, she runs to the bottom of our yard and hides behind the bushes. When we catch up to her she pretty much always laughs at herself (or us?).

And yes, she has a flair for the dramatic, throwing herself on the ground several times a day to protest not getting her way. Wonder where she gets that from?

She is into everything~ flushing toilets, emptying q-tips, pulling toilet paper from the roll into the toilet, dog food into water dish, uncapping all Ella's markers while drawing on her face, spilling milk on floor and fingerpainting with it, climbing into dishwasher, emptying her drawers, the library is pretty much off-limits, climbs up slide and crashes down the the floor shouting "Weeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!".

Do you get the picture? If I wasn't so busy laughing at her I would probably cry.

We took away her "Bobble" a couple weeks ago. Strangely she drank her milk from a cup 3 times a day for 7 days before she realized she was mad about it. Then cried and pitched fits for 2 days. She still wakes up and calls "bobblebobblebobblebobblebobblebobblebobble" but happily sucks it down from a cup.

She weighs 30 pounds and is 34 1/2 inches tall. Over 97th% for each.

Her speech is increasing daily, lots and lots of words and she pretty much doesn't stop chatting all day long.

It is so sweet to catch the two girls interacting. Ella likes to explain how to do things, or why things are, or what to do, or what to say. Quinn mostly says "MINE" or "NO" to Ella (mirroring, possibly?), but also loves to give her hugs (essentially a tackle on the floor) and says "Nite-nite" and always keeps tabs on what big sister is up to. School days are difficult for Quinn when we're home alone. "Ewa? Ewa? Ewa?" She pretty much hero-worships her sister. They play chase, stroller derby and hide the toy where Quinn can't reach it.

Sorry, Quinn for not posting more monthly updates about you. If you weren't so dang active I might have. Sorry, too, for not having as many pictures of you as we did of Ella. You don't stand still long enough to get a clear photo, and if, by some divine intervention, we get a good shot of you, you inevitably have snot running down your face, or food smeared around your mouth. I swore I would keep it equal, but you learned to walk and my world turned upside-down.

Case in point~ Immobilized by the wagon, but face smeared with mud from face-planting in the corn maze and snot and z-bar goo. Lookin' good, girl!

Pulling out nasturtiums

At the Stone House on a hike with friends, trying to catch up to Jackson

Last swim of the season in the Franklin pool, late September

An early morning snuggle

Mini Vacation

After our plans to camp at Trillium Lake got cancelled due to cold weather, we decided last minute (around 10 pm the night before) to take a mini trip out to Mt. Hood. We had a fun picnic lunch and a walk/hike around the lake before heading up the mountain to Timberline Lodge. Thankfully we were able to get into our room early and Quinn got to take her nap. Phew. We had a great time walking around exploring, and definitely made use of the pool and hot tub. The kids were very well behaved which made the trip somewhat relaxing for us! Amazing that it only takes one night away to make a week off of work feel like vacation.

More photos HERE

Kaitlyn Hannah (ie Mom's weekend off)

I went to visit my sweet little niece (alone!) Labor Day weekend. It was strange to be away from my family for 4 days, but rejuvenating to not be needed and just catch a break with Becky, Gavin and Katie.

Is she not the cutest baby you've ever seen since my kids were born?

Mini-photo shoot while Mom and Dad were at work.

Looking at Mom from the bath.

An added bonus of visiting the DC area was a morning with the Hutchins family! Sweet Ada wearing an outfit I sent when she was born.

3 year old Max and Alexa. We had fun playing I Spy at lunch together. Scu-me. More I Spy please. What good manners!

On the carousel at a super awesome park I don't remember the name of.

Sisters

Ocean Shores

While the guys had their Fantasy Football draft, we wifes and kids had a weekend of our own in Ocean Shores, WA. Not the most beautiful place in the world, but great to spend some time together now that we're all spread out across the country.

A pensive Em, very pregnant Julie, and two busy girls.

Ring Around the Rosy with Toot, Puddle, Daphne and Opal.

A bath for four.

Hard at work.

Heading to the beach.

August Randoms

Not the best picture of the two of them, but evidence that they are starting to play together from time to time. Cue sigh of relief.

Elegant jumper!

Life jacket day at swim lessons. Hi-larious.

Sisterly "love" during a pool bath.

On the zoo train.