what i've been up to (besides blogging, obviously).

yes, yes, my record-breaking blog-break has ceased.

i have hundreds of pictures on my blackberry just begging to be uploaded, but don't have the energy or patience to mess with it...maybe one of these weekends that i either don't have some kind of training, family event or out-of-town obligation i'll catch up. Kai's pretty much doubled in size since my last post for cryin' in the night....

so where-oh-where do i begin....

my job.

you know you are in the right profession when you find yourself thinking, while working, i get paid for this! i'm always encouraging my seniors and career-class freshman to find a job that involves something they LOVE doing and are passionate about--and then "work" becomes play and is so much more than just a paycheck. i am so very blessed that i have a job like this. i love what i do. i love that no single day is the same. i love that my sole purpose on site is to listen, encourage and help. i love that i get to work for a small district with kiddos from kinder-12th grade and that i literally know every single student's name (well, getting there, at least!). i love that i work with an awesome, supportive staff and administration. even on the hard, hectic, sweaty-by-10am-"where's my duty-free lunch?" type of days...i wouldn't want to be doing anything else.

Homecoming Week! (at work)

 Nerd Day.
This one was my fave.

Celebrity Day.

I opted for "tabloid girl": oversized glasses, starbucks venti, dog in purse, and like, omg, don't forget the cell phone...

neon day.

i forgot to have a pic taken at school that day so Kai and I did it after school :)

there was also super-hero day and i just wore a vintage batman/robin tee with jeans and chucks.

it was thursday. i was tired....

half-marathon training(?)

yeah, so i'm attempting to run 13.1 miles in exactly one week from Saturday. heaven help me. i did really good with my training right off the bat (late July)...and after putting in a 30+ mile week WAY too soon (i got a little too excited and overdid it. so typical) ended up with a MOTHER of an IT band strain. that sucker HURRRRRRRRRT. and took what seemed like forever to heal. of course i stayed busy with spin, Jillian and the elliptical but it was quite frustrating to not be RUNNING. well, i'm back at it but not nearly as often as i should be. i'm probably running, at best, 3X/week. one long run, one short/up-tempo run and one mid-range run. (p.s. beckyjo, i have been quite inspired by your blazing half-marathon pace and have pushed myself harder in my runs, so THANK YOU!!). i would run more, and longer but the whole work/daycare/kai/no-husband combo is really NOT ideal for training. oh well. Kai comes first. Prayers will be appreciated for me on the morning of October 15th. I hear they serve beer at the finish line so thats a plus....

Kai, Honey & me are logging lots of after-school miles, though. and Kai's new thing is holding Honey's leash, so actually Honey is walking Kai?? (and I get to run alongside!!!)

Yes, passerby's laugh....

Puke.

nope, not mine. Kai's. i was quite spoiled all throghout Kai's infancy as he very rarely spit up. well, i'm confident that this last weekend made up for the months of spit-up free life i had for so very long.

my poor baby boy came down with his first bout with the stomach flu last weekend. here's the kicker: we were out of town. he was a bit fussy on the drive to portland--i just thought he was tired so somehow he we managed to eat almost an entire bag of red vines (you do what ya gotta do on long rides with fussy babes. don't judge!). early that morning i awoke to my sweet red-haired boy covered in the most foul-smelling chunky pink vomit. i was sure it was fresh because i surely would have smelled it had it been there for too long. however, he had managed to roll in it. it was in his hair, down his jammies, in his ears...bleh. i threw him in the bath and his bedding in the washer (this was around 6am mind you) and we began our day. the plan was to continue north towards Mt. St. Helens to do a bit of hiking and then head to the lodge (in Ariel, WA) for cousin Amber's wedding. We did all of the above and Kai continued to puke. About every 45 minutes-2 hours. mostly just water/pedialite since that was all that was in his poor little tummy...but when/if he did eat, it inevitably came back up. he threw-up in my hands. he threw up in he blankee. he threw-up ALL over in his carseat. one time it splattered all the way to the dashboard. he never cried, though. not once. he just looked at me all confused like "what's going on? why is this happening Mommy?" and then would curl up on my chest exhausted and relieved. it was horrible to not be able to make it stop. and to not be able to get the smell of puke out of your nose.

we finally made it home late sunday night. since then he's been puke free and i've done EIGHT loads of pukey laundry--not to mention dismantled his entire carseat to sanitaize, wash, and re-wash every washable component of that nasty thing. but i will say one thing: it was sure nice to snuggle. especially yesterday staying home with him--he fell asleep on my chest...something he hasn't done since he was an infant. i just laid on the couch and listened to him breathe on me and cuddled. it was a welcome change from chasing him all over the house, yard, street, garage, store......

thankfully he's on the mend. still snuggly and wanting to be held, but it's less and less with each immune-boosting minute.

Kai! (just a few for good measure):

such a big boy.

eating AT the table w/the cousins AND with a FORK!

snuggles with Elmo

(or "Mo" in Kai-speak)

playing on a tired Daddy :)

and that is what i've been up to since we last met...

20 things i heart about summer.

i know i've been coming on a little strong with all of my overexcited seasonal posting.

but really, i love summer....

and here's just 20 reasons why:

1. putting "yard & garden" appearance over house cleaning, or weeding over laundry.
2. tank top and flip flop tan lines.
3. sunglasses. cute ones.
4. no work (public education, baby!), only play.
5. taking chlorine baths, a.k.a. swimming instead of showering (not ALL the time, just sometimes...).
6. dirt underneath my fingernails. no-minimal makeup. natural hair.
7. pedicures and the standard black(ish) polish! (can't help it if i know what i like...)
8. falling asleep to the sound of crickets with the bedroom patio door open and waking up early to the sound of birds and sprinklers.
9. country music with windows down.
10. spending {most} weekends away on adventures--which means never fully unpacking the travel bag!
11. dinner outside. fresh cut grass. bbq.
12. farmer's markets = HERMISTON watermelon!
13. parades, fair(s), rodeo(s), concerts and rides.
14. afternoons at the river with a happy Honey and very sandy Kai.
15. happy hour. preferably patio seating. preferably with a view.
16. boating...rafting...floating...friends....
17. flowers of all kinds.
18. reading for pleasure. maybe in a hammock or on a towel in the sand?
19. late nights and early mornings. ICED coffee.
20. sunshine. on my skin and in my soul.

via

camping with KAi...

Camping with a crawling 11 month old is not for the weak in mind, body or spirit.

You can only pack so many clothes for a weekend trip, and well, whatever I packed was most certainly NOT enough. I was only able to snap a handful of pictures because, well, Kai did NOT want to be held, let alone contained by anything (i.e. pack-n-play, swing, cage, box...). Oh no. Kai wanted to crawl through the dirt, through the fire, through the brush and down the steep rocky cliff right into the rolling rapids of frigid snow melt. Needless to say, we kept him alive. I'm thankful that I had the brilliant idea of bringing his swing, which was the only way we really got him to nap, and worked well as a last-ditch effort when he was NOT going to be held.

G and I lay atop our air mattress in our tent with Kai between us and marveled at how different this camping trip was from the last pre-Kai trip. NIGHT and DAY. Not all bad, though. I LOVED throwing Kai in his backpack for cool early morning hikes, and it was fun letting him "drive" and splash in the water. It wouldn't feel right not bringing him along, but I will say that I look forward to the day when he is a tad more independant and less unintentionally suicidal!

Alas, it was breathtakingly beautiful and refreshing to spend a few days with mother nature out in the wild, nestled warmly in our sleeping bag, party of 3.

when Kai met Seattle.

first, Kai wants to showcase a fun little trick he recently learned from daddy (volume needed!):

G also taught him how to head butt. yeah, like that one's NOT going to backfire down the road.

it's pretty cute right now though. perhaps i'll post proof of that soon?

Now for our wonderful little weekend escape to my favorite US city, SEATTLE :)

i love that i lived there for a few years as i feel that i am able to more fully experience the city in a shorter and more convenient amount of time as i know shortcuts and backroads and what's worth seeing/doing and what's not.

we got to see auntie beckyjo (and i HATE myself for not getting any pictures!!!!) which was long overdue and SO wonderful. we don't connect often by phone but it amazes me how we can just pick up right where we left off, like we have never moved apart. that's the mark of a best friend.

saturday was, unfortunately but not suprisingly wet and rainy. so we didn't brave the overcrowded and sloshy fremont festivities. instead we mall walked and celebrated with mommy when she bought jeans that were 4 SIZES SMALLER than the last shopping trip! yeah, i splurged a bit, but haven't done that in a LONNNNNG time. it feels good to have new, properly fitting clothes!

later we spent a few hours walking along the beach, docks and paths of Golden Gardens off of Shilshole bay. Kai loves being outside and really enjoyed crawling around in {more} sand and bird/people watching. we even enjoyed a nice light lunch at a little cafe by the bay.

then we made our way downtown to my parents hotel so Kai we could enjoy a refreshing dip in the beautiful top-floor pool at my parent's hotel (the Westin--i highly reccomend!)

once our little water bug was all tuckered out, my mom (nana) let us sneak away to our favorite Seattle dinner spot for a little Father's day/decrease in jeans size celebration (Chinooks!)

then on sunday, it was all about the mariner's game. which was perfect...

the weather AND the company.

there were several delicious meals, sights and sounds in between,

but here is a bit of what i captured from the good ol' blackberry....

golden gardens

 

waiting for some delicious hot clam chowder (he loved it!)

 

can you spot the little orange mohawk?

 

the. best. salad.
[ahi tuna, tomato, avocado, mango, papaya, sliced almonds and a sprinkle of wonton strips w/a basalmic vinegerette]

 

hit it here!



happy [father's day] to papa!



jude passed out on uncle G in Kai's backpack after the game... (Kai was stuck in her stroller!)

and now, i'll leave you with a little musical treat:

 a sweet vagabond singer who traded us a beer out of our cooler for a little jingle.

Kai was appreciative of the show....

this trip rekindled my desire to visit the city that still has so much of my heart.

there is still so much i want to introduce Kai to and do and see and taste and experience.

we are so grateful to have friends who generously open their homes to us

 (thanks to beckyjo & darrick and dallas & misty! you guys rock!)

kai's first trip to the sea...

"The sea, once it casts it's spell,

holds one in it's net of wonder forever."

~Jacques Cousteau

  we knew Kai would love the ocean,

and have looked forward to his first visit to a place that has

always been so sacred and special to us...

he had the time of his life crawling around in the sand...

and playing with beach toys!

 we even took him down to the water, where he wanted to dive right in!

it was cold, but we let him wade in the waves....

and he got wet and turned into a sandy mess...

and kept putting pieces of the wet sand IN HIS MOUTH (of course)!

he dug, and crawled, and splashed and played so hard...

 that he crawled his dirty little body right up into mommy's lap

and drifted into peaceful sleep

to the sounds of crashing waves, seagulls and laughter.

just as he should.

carseat chronicles.

since the birth of baby boy we really haven't traveled much. well, G has for work but me...not so much. shoot, the last time i even flew on an airplane was when i went to BRAZIL for spring break of 2009!

however, the travel miles we have logged with a newborn/toddler is certainly no small feat. it's exhausting enough just packing up to go to the grocery store, so preparing or even envisioning a trip that requires hours of travel time (carseat time) and packing to sufficiently accomodate baby needs at either a hotel or guest home is quite intimidating (prepared mom's must always pack for worst-case scenario!).

here is a sample list i'd make for just a weekend get-away:
(with something neccesary inevitably missing!)

• bottles (several), formula, baby food (jars AND fresh in a cool-pack), quick (clean) snacks for the drive, sippy cup, bibs
• several changes of clothes because crawling babies get dirty and ALL babies have diaper blow-outs!
• bath stuff (baby shampoo, lotion, wash cloth, towel)
• diapers, diapers and more diapers. wipes, diaper rash cream
• pack-n-play AND several blankets
• stroller
• travel toys (just a few)
• and something i FORGOT but will never forget again when staying in a hotel: dish soap to wash bottles!!!!

....and then I have to think about packing for myself, and by that time i'm so flustered and tired i forget things like my hair straightner, socks, a jacket, etc.

i think the actual travel time is actually easier the more newborn the babe is, because once they are independently mobile and becoming increasingly vocal it takes more effort to keep them entertained/quiet. AND newborns sleep WAYYYY more, which is ideal for travel. kai takes naps, but is definitely awake for the majority of the travel time.

but we've done it. mostly weekend trips over our beautiful native northwest region (boise, portland, wenatchee, etc.), nothing major.

it's undoubtedly tiring, but always a fun adventure.  

this most recent adventure was the most fun yet. i attest this to 10 months of "packing practice" trial and error AND the fact that, well, Kai is just starting to really enjoy new experiences!

G is working in Vancouver (WA), possibly for a month or longer. we had tenatively planned to spend the long weekend in seattle, but with the condition of my allergies/sinuses and the on-call nature of the job he's on, we both decided the best bet was for us to stay close to his job site....AND the fact that we had parents heading that direction for the weekend was even more of a deciding factor because that meant i didn't have to drive and would be free to keep the little stinker happy and occupied QUIET! (woo hoo!)

kickin' back and sippin'...

i'm happy to report that Kai did not have one SINGLE carseat tantrum/melt-down. he got close, though. twice. both towards the tail ends of the destination (enoughs enough!) but he never reached his breaking point.

why, you ask?

#1

 #2

 SUCKERS!!!!!!!

see, Kai really hasn't been introduced to any kind of non-fruit based sugars and, well, desperate times called for desperate measures. it was definitely an enjoyable experience watching him enjoy his sticky, sugary treats. he kept shoving it toward me, wanting to "share." so cute. he literally sucked them both down until i was forced to finish them off due to jagged edges. some parents may frown upon this, but ya know what? I'D I WILL DO IT AGAIN!

{almost} meltdown #2 began at the LONGEST stretch of the drive home from Portland. you know, that dreadful stretch of dry desert highway that extends from Arlington to Boardman to the Hermiston exit. bleh. i DESPISE that part of the drive! and, ofcourse Kai did too. I'd kind of hoped that he would fall asleep after we stopped and ate in Hood River, but, no. he fought and fought and fought sleep, but was quite content until the barren stretch. then i broke out the sucker, hoping that would get us home.

 the little stinker fell asleep literally right when we pulled into the Hermiston city limits.

You can learn many things from children. 

How much patience you have, for instance. 

~Franklin P. Jones