Favorite phrases

Graeme's favorite answer to any question these days is: "Yeah, sure!" or "Yeah... Sure." Pretty funny for a little guy, though doesn't sound that funny as I write it. ("No!" is a close second.)

Gavin's favorite phrase is: "Otherwise, I'll..." For example, "You need to give me this toy, otherwise, I'll... eat you up!" He's also started coming up with fairly elaborate explanations for why we should go camping (centered around marshmallows) or go for a drive in the dark (because we have lights).

Girls Weekend!

A little out of order, but last weekend I went to Victoria for a girls' trip. Very much needed and so much fun! Here are a few pictures from our night out. Thanks ladies!

Colonnade Mini Rippers

Yesterday we took the boys to the Colonnade bike park under I-5 in Seattle. It is covered, so we thought it a good (and somewhat experimental) option for a rainy day. The boys LOVED it! A more successful trip than we planned, but almost too much fun for them. (Can of worms officially opened.) We have some video of them riding on the pump track area, which is pretty benign in terms of risk, but Graeme has THE CUTEST giggle every time he goes over a bump! Priceless!

Scouting the BMX track

Yesterday morning Craig watched some BMX motocross racing with Gavin in the morning. Gavin turns to me and says: "I want to go THERE!"

So, I find myself looking up BMX tracks in our area. There is one just north of us, so we packed in the car to check it out. We brought the bikes just in case. Of course, as we were getting off the freeway, it started to rain. Bummer. Then, the park was all locked up. Double bummer. It looked pretty cool, but totally understandable that they don't want people riding it without supervision. Could be dangerous, though certainly not for me and my two skilled riders! I'll have to email the park and see when my monkeys might be able to check it out. Hopefully when it isn't too busy with normal sized riders.

Then I got a little bit lost, as the park is in an area that I don't know very well. Gavin looked like he was going to cry... then we happened upon a doughnut shop. All was right with the world again! Chocolatey goodness to the rescue! Gavin agreed that a chocolate doughnut was a good consolation prize.

End of the Season

Today I'm taking down the garden. Sniff. It is just too wet out and everything is getting moldy. Sniff, sniff. I don't know if it was me or the weather, but the garden wasn't as exciting this year as last year. The spiders seem to like it though - we've got lots of those!

Graeme helped me pick the rest of the tomatoes a couple days ago. (He was a good helper because he usually picks all the green ones anyway, so this time that was actually helpful!) I had one tray to dry and then the rest are ripening. But we ended up with only two pans full, opposed to like 5 last year. Still, I can't complain really.

As for the beans, the purple ones seemed to overtake the planting space and there weren't many green beans to speak of... but neither were as abundant as last year. The purple beans were flat, though, and even if they did produce tons, I don't think I would have pickled them.

There is one lone brussel sprout, that I started from seed, which seems to be doing quite well. It will stay just in case it produces sprouts we could actually eat!

Morning hugs and random cuteness

This morning I carried Graeme downstairs to play (he's like a clinging monkey when he wakes up) and Gavin (who was already awake) set his cars down and gave his brother a hug! That's what I like to see. Then, after a little pause, Gavin turned to me and said, "And then I picked a boogie!"

I love that the boys are still wanting to snuggle, even though they are getting big enough to do most everything on their own. Graeme's first words to me this morning were (as he stood bright eyed and smiling in his crib): "Mater!" (who he sleeps with sometimes) and then "Cozy jammies!" (because he was wearing his slipper onesie jams, since it is getting colder already).

They've both taken to calling me "Chicky Mummy!" which is cute, but I'm not sure where it came from! I like it better than "Cara" or "Mother" - both of which Gavin uses to address me at times. I like "Mummy" the best... even if it is "Chicky Mummy!"

Biking Maniacs

As most of you know, the recent development in our house is that Gavin took his first runs on his pedal bike without training wheels this week. It's pretty amazing, and quite terrifying. I think I need to get some new running shoes. Here the link to the short video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orhyDZ-rBvA

Here's a link the the long video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lROZHJ-5XBc

Graeme is right behind him too. On the bike track in our backyard, there is a small drop off in the corner of the yard that goes from the ladder bridge down a hill. Yesterday, Graeme attempted that drop off. At first, I think he saw the other kids doing it and thought, 'Hey, I want to do that!' So, at first he asked for "a slow down" where I hold onto the back of his shirt so he doesn't go too fast. By the end of the day, he was apparently flying over it no problem on his own. Equally terrifying (but very cool)! We've talked with our friends about how some kids have a healthy sense of fear and reservation toward more daunting feats. Graeme doesn't seem to have much of that.

I took both boys to the local BMX/skate park a few times so far. It is a great place since there is the biking, but also a little playground as well. (And the boys don't stray too far.) Gavin is usually fine when he rides on his scoot bike - with the occasional wipe out. Graeme, however, will push his little bike up the ramps and then proceed to fly down whatever crosses his path. So, I need to trail him and redirect a bit when he attempts to sail down the bigger ramps. Luckily at this point, I can keep up and he is small enough that I can pick him up, bike and all, and turn him around. On the last visit, however, I realized...

It's time to get a proper first aid kid for my car. Or maybe past time, but I really should get one.