Kate Turned 3!

Last weekend Kate turned 3 and we celebrated by taking her hiking with friends. Not just any kind of hiking, but hiking up Candy Mountain (otherwise called Franklin Falls). As Kate, Willow, Hadley, and Aiden hiked up the trail they discovered candy that grew on the mountain. They were of course prepared with buckets for collecting said candy. They also had festive walking sticks to help them along the "rigorous" 1 mile trail. The kids made it all the way to the thunderous finish of Franklin Falls where our "candy growers" were waiting patiently. Thanks Turner Family! We weren't done yet, the promise of Bento boxed lunches lured them back on the trail to head back to the cars. Here is a recap of the morning:



All of this fun was preceded by getting a bike from Gigi, Papa Scott, and Aunt Skyann in the morning. Scott and Kate went to Kate's first theater movie: Shrek in 3D at the Imax, she LOVED it! We capped off the day with dinner with the Bennitt's and some more presents. And cupcakes of course. The hike was the following morning. Whew, what a great birthday weekend!

Favorite Things: 15

Rain Boots. Last year I managed to acquire a pair of knee high rain boots. Seeing as how it does nothing but rain here I wear them a LOT! It's amazing how a simple thing like dry pant legs can keep a day moving. No more gingerly stepping over puddles or trying to hike up my pants while I have my hands full of children. It pleases me to tromp through what nature has to offer right behind Kate. Now if only Leia's feet would grow so she will fit into her boots!

Favorite THings: 14

Organizing. I can organize and reorganize all day long. I don't like to organize other people's stuff though. I need to have ultimate authority in deciding what stays and what goes. I enjoy reorganizing the girls' toys (which turns out to be good for their brains). I also enjoy reorganizing the kitchen. This has an extra bonus in that it drives Scott nuts and I get a kick out of watching him flounder in the kitchen for a week trying to find a bowl. Some people are just jerks. =)

Favorite THings: 13

Being Crafty. I love when I make a scrapbook pages that turns out just right and captures the day. I love that I made baby books for both my girls that turned out really well. I appreciate the humor in the fact that I only seem to make party favors out of sticks and ribbon (streamers last year, walking sticks this year). I take pride every time I sit on my dining room chairs knowing that it was my hands that reupholstered them. My absolute favorite thing though about being crafty is when Scott tells me it reminds him of his mom. That makes me feel like I am doing something right.

Favorite THings: 12

French Toast. I could eat french toast for breakfast everyday. Sometimes I do. This morning I made a big batch of orange Challah french toast that I will freeze and eat for the next week. Yum! Truly I love all kinds of breakfast at any time of day but french toast takes the top spot.

Favorite Things:11

Date Night Adventures. Earlier this week Scott and I went to a Sounders game for a night out. I love doing something a little different than just going out to dinner. A few months ago we went to Baconopolis and were treated to many different bacon recipes by top chefs. This summer we are headed to Guest Chef on the Waterfront to sponsor Fare Start. It's not that our adventures don't include food, it's that they also include doing something out of the ordinary.

Favorite Things: 10

Sponging. This is the technical term for "watching my children actively learn." It is the neatest thing to watch a kid grasp a concept for the first time or master an activity. Listening to Leia pick up words and learn names brings joy to everyone. The moment Kate learned to pedal her trike I nearly tipped over with pride. The "sponging" come and goes in spurts but it never loses it ability to amaze.

Favorite Things: 8

Words with Friends. There is an App on the iphone that lets you play Scrabble with your friends. It's wonderfully addicting and is a nice quick mental break from playing Peek-a-boo all day. I love hearing the phone "ding" in the morning letting me know it is my turn to play. It's like my friends are saying "Good Morning, I'm up early too." It tends to "ding" a lot first thing in the morning, around nap time, and again before bed. Once again I get to enjoy the "ding" that says "Good night friend." There is the occasional "speed" game where a friend and I will complete a game in a few hours or within a day. That's when it's nice to know other people are having the same kind of day as you that allows for plenty of word play.

Favorite Things: 7

Grocery Delivery. I'm standing here in my pajamas, hair unbrushed, kids milling around...ordering groceries. I can walk around the kitchen with my computer raiding the fridge and the shelves adding to my list with a click of a button. I don't have to buckle and unbuckle the kids in the car, bribe them with a free cookie at the store, or wrestle bags from the car. Kate loves to help unload the crates on the doorstep after delivery. It makes a world of difference to a harried mom to know the groceries will be on the step when I wake up in the morning. Plus they deliver diapers. Excellent.

Favorite Things: 7

Teen Drama Shows. That's right, I have a ridiculous weakness for teen drama shows. I could watch them all day long. A good Friday is when the girls go to bed easily, Scott works late, and Pagliacci delivers me pizza. Then I get to spend a few hours reliving the high school years (which I hated when I was there and seem quite dull when I look back on them). They make me appreciate the lack of drama in my life now, that's a good thing!

Favorite Things: 6

Rain.
Sitting by an open window with a book while it pours outside.
Going for a run and jumping in a puddle just because I can.
Watching the glee it brings my girls to stomp in a puddle and watch it spray around them.
The clean smell when the rain is gone.

Favorite Things: 5

My Village. Since having Kate 3 years ago (tomorrow!) I have been undoubtedly amazed at the fantastic village of people who have become my "mother's helpers" in raising my children. And keeping my sanity. With the addition of Leia came a new wave of villagers to help encourage, support, and commiserate with me. I am so pleased when the two villages intertwine to form a community I could not live without. Scott could not live without them either as they provide me with adult companionship during the day so I don't go crazy, and an outlet to B$%&# to so he doesn't have to hear it!

Favorite Things: 4

Family Dinner. Every Wednesday we do dinner with Ben and Tiffany and every Saturday the girls and I do dinner with my family. I love it! I enjoy having a house full of people and food. It's also great to watch the girls develop relationships and grow closer to our family. I think they look forward to these dinners as much as I do. And there is the added bonus that I don't have to cook on Saturdays and Tiffany offers to cook Wednesday dinner occasionally. All I have to do is uncork the wine!

Favorite Things: 3

Laundry. I know it sounds crazy but I love to do laundry. There is something about the washing, folding, putting away that gives me a sense of completion. I certainly enjoyed it more before having kids when I could pop in a movie and spend some time folding peacefully. Today is a marathon laundry day and I am looking forward to spending the whole day at home completing the task.

Annual PDZA Trip

We took our annual trip to Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium earlier this week. It's a little more than an hours drive which is why we don't go more often. This year Kate walked the whole thing, which is pretty impressive since we were there for 3 hours. I love this zoo for the Meerkats, Walruses, and Sharks. Leia really seemed to enjoy the Harbor Seals and even said "hi seal" as they swam by. Kate enjoyed the Walruses and Sharks. I only took pictures of Leia on this trip, Kate was too busy to capture.

No fear of climbing into a hippo's mouth.

Mesmerized by the sharks

First carousel ride. She put up with it long enough to get a picture but then she was done.

Favorite Things: 2

Sleep. We put off kids an extra two years because of our love of it. There is nothing like sleeping through the night again after having kids. Naps are always welcome here. Watching my children sleep is incredibly calming and you know the day has been good when you tuck them in and they are out by the time you close the door. Tonight was not one of those nights! Sometimes I can't wait until the girls are teenagers and want to sleep in until 10am. And now, off to find my pillow.

Favorite Things: 1

Running. It is not my all time favorite thing but that I look forward to and that keeps me sane. Let me revise this: running without kids! Walking out the door, blasting music, and disappearing into my own mind, uninterrupted...that's the way I want to end my day.

A Month of Favorites

A few ladies I know are posting a daily blog about their favorite things. In a desire to do something positive everyday I am going to join them (albeit a few weeks late!). It's so easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day busy work I forget to take joy in the little things.
My goal after this is to do a year in pictures. One picture every day. I may end up posting a few at a time but I hope to take one everyday for the next 365 days.