Life With Huck and Duke

Playdate

2012-02-02T04:00:00.000-08:00

We invited a friend over to play and boy did the three boys run wild and have fun. There are three boys in the tent in this picture - hidden in the tent causing all the commotion.

There was climbing, jumping, throwing and chasing. Kincaid actually did quite a bit of hitting a ball with the pool noodle. I taught him how to hold the "bat" and keep it behind him a bit and he could hit the thing if I tossed it. I was quite impressed.

Duke got awfully tired as he had a terrible night sleeping. He took a break to read a shark book during one of the climbing up on the bunk bed times. It is hard to control the chaos, but it is really good for them to have someone else here. They have to interact differently and I can see them learning new social skills all of the time. It just is a lot to take sometimes with having to referee and say, "use your words" or "don't kick someones head" or "we don't push people off the bunk bed". Good times though!

Warm!

2012-02-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

It was a veritable heat wave here - we skedaddled at 15 above! The boys were loving it and Duke thought he should be able to take off his mittens. This is Kincaid using his walking stick to get to the top of the sledding hill.

I had a great time sledding as the boys mostly enjoyed rolling down. One time, they said "Mom, you are leaving us!" Cracked up my friends at the top.

Duke was tired due to lots of bad dreams, poor guy. He yelled two times in the night, "Give me my hat!" I don't know where that came from. Here, he is slurping down some hot cocoa to get a bit warm.

We had to unearth the playground equipment and it was like walking in a minefield. You would take two steps on packed snow and then fall in up to your hip the next. The kids all loved it though. Duke was frustrated the wheel was frozen and wouldn't turn.

Kincaid had a lot of fun as there was an older kid there. They had a restaurant and made everyone "snow food". It was hilarious to get "snow bananas" or "snow cookies". He did not want to leave, but for once, Duke was crying to go home. His hands were really cold when we got into the car and he was happy to hold a hand warmer.

Scenes from my day

2012-01-31T04:00:00.000-08:00

Salmon for dinner. I also made some fresh bread. I have started to really enjoy baking bread. The Kitchenaid does the kneading and I put it in front of the fire to rise. So wonderful. It isn't helping the waistline, but Kincaid loves bread with butter.

I love walking around the house and finding things like this. I thought Duke had done it as the sheep is one of his favorite toys these days, but I later found out Bop was the designer. Just made me smile at how proud sheepie looks as a boat guide.

These are just about 1/4 of the sharks that joined us in the bathtub tonight. I finally bought a little rubbermaid so Kincaid could use it for a transport. The problem now is that we also go to sleep with the rubbermaid of toys, but at least no one gets lost at night this way.

Here is Kincaid watching his nightly show. I asked what he wanted to do more than anything in the world, 'Go fishing'. He also said that when I 'grow down' (as opposed to get older) he would teach me how to fish. Then, he asked if I was a boy when I was a baby. I love the way his mind works.

Strange Boys

2012-01-30T04:00:00.000-08:00

The creativity of my boys is always astounding me. Kincaid was hunting for porcupines and decided he needed shoes for protection for his feet. He then realized that he also required hand protection and got some mittens. The "torch" (flashlight) is for finding the critter in his hole.

The boys have decided that they love to go to the store. They love to go to the clothes and run wild. They stay together pretty well and I can usually find them if they hide with their giggling and feet sticking out!

We brought up the wetsuits (needed for a costume) and Kincaid tried on my mom's suit. It is a shorty (shorts and short sleeves), but is long on him. He said it was "just perfect." He cracks me up constantly!

Close Encounter

2012-01-27T04:00:00.000-08:00

The boys got excited because the neighborhood moose was in the front yard. I was a bit sad as she wasn't with her baby anymore.

No fear! Baby was in the backyard. We got a wonderfully close up view of this young moose. He was pruning the bushes and trees quite nicely.

They loved being able to see his teeth.

Quite fun indeed!

I love that you can get much closer to a moose at our house than at the zoo!

Alaska Three Bears

2012-01-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

Kincaid has been wanting a book about Little Red Riding Hood. I downloaded and wonderfully illustrated version, but deleted it after the wolf eats the grandmother and then the woodsman uses scissors to cut them out. I fast forwarded through to where another wolf tries to get revenge and goes after Little Red Again. So much carnage for a children's story.

We couldn't find a version at Fred Meyer, but they both decided on another wonderful book. (I was looking for Thunderfeet, a favorite of my cousin, which they didn't have either.) It is Alaska's Three Pigs complete with bush pilots, canned Yam (not spam), igloos and a big, bad, bear that gets frozen into an ice block. It is wonderful. I highly suggest this as a toddler gift. There are lots of words, but I don't mind that for a bedtime story!

We went to the zoo!

2012-01-25T04:00:00.000-08:00

Our skedaddle at the zoo was not our most popular outing as only one other kiddo came. It was fun nonetheless as Duke enjoyed playing with the little guy.

We were the only people at the zoo oddly enough. We had to warm up in the Coffee shop with hot cocoa and a cookie.

Kincaid was not amused about this outing, but was a good sport.

Duke stayed warm playing with his friend. They played tag for a while and I think it helped to keep him warm.

You can see the sun coming up behind them as they are up on the moose view point. I always think it is amusing that we get closer views of moose from our window.

In all fairness, it was 3 below I think. It was so nice to have the joint to ourselves and it was so pretty with the snow.

Just another day...

2012-01-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

I made some wonderfully yeasty rolls for dinner with this recipe. Quite easy and fast with rather pretty results. The boys liked that they pulled into three rolls - three things to butter!

*We also are supposed to have another solar flare resulting in northern lights. We have too many street lights around here to make them easy to see. I remember my grandpa calling late at night, pulling on boots and a coat over our night gowns to go into the parking lot next door to see the sky. Good memories. Too many lights now though.*

We didn't do too much, just some errands and grocery shopping in the morning. Kincaid found a set of prehistoric dinosaurs that he had to have. I gave in as it got us to the next store and home without a fuss.

Duke didn't enjoy them as much. He preferred playing with his "Bear Grylls" and the airplane. He sails around the air and then jumps out. He is so tough he doesn't need a parachute.

Museum, ice eggs and outside!

2012-01-23T04:00:00.000-08:00

We made ice eggs. The kids weren't as excited about them as I was it seemed. I filled balloons with water and put them outside. Tore off the balloons and we had huge ice eggs. The boys just wanted to stab and cut them, but no luck. They are now in the back yard looking odd.

We went to the museum on a well below zero day and ventured upstairs to the Alaskan History section. The boys loved the miniatures - especially the whale killing and salmon fishing village scenes.

This was on the wall at the museum. I felt an earthquake this weekend as well. It was small, at 3.67 and just a jolt really. The boys were sleeping and didn't wake up thankfully.

My hands were so darn cold. Look at the color of my face compared to the light blue of my finger tips. I was cold to say the least.

Sunday it heated up to 12 and we zipped out of the house. The boys were so darn happy. I was quite glad to get outside into the fresh air as well.

I was wondering why the sled was so darn heavy with just two boys...

They had a wonderful time as is evident from Duke's smile!

Minus 20 degrees

2012-01-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

It was minus 20 and of course I forced the boys out for our Thursday hike. It did not go well. I should have known better. It was cold - my eye lashes were frozen, my nose was making icicles and the hand warmer for my camera felt cold almost immediately.

Kincaid was cold and made his wish to return to the car known. It was fueled by my irritation at being late and being a bit short. Alas. Duke fell asleep within about 5 minutes of being in the sled. Apparently, the cold doesn't bother him as much.

It was so beautiful out. My friend took this shot of us as we were turning around.

I wrote on the skedaddle blog about acceptance. I would accept my children wanting to do most things, but I have had a hard time accepting the idea that they might not want to be outside as much as I do. I was stubborn and refused to let them stay inside and tried to squelch their complaints and whines. I am going on record with an apology for them and an attempt at acceptance.

I am going to encourage them to do outdoor activities, offer all the opportunities that I can and encourage them some more. I will also listen to them and if they decide to be hobbits, I will try my darndest to accept that. It will be hard, but I will do it for them.

Just look at the sun, it was amazingly beautiful so I could have this epiphany.

Here he is warming up his hands in the car. This made him quite happy indeed.

We saw this guy on our way out of the park. From my Facebook naturalist contacts, it has been identified as a grouse. The little guy was slower than molasses and with that brown coat might not last too long this cold winter!

Pumping it Up

2012-01-19T04:00:00.000-08:00

I took the kiddos to the bouncing place for some indoor fun as we are hiking on Thursday and could use a reprieve for a day. We had trouble finding it, but asked a moose (he was just munching on a tree) and found our way soon enough.

It was loud with the fans for keeping the slides inflated and Kincaid had to wear his hat. I can't imagine it kept much noise at bay, but it made him feel better.

Duke enjoyed driving the small cars.

Kincaid is quite a good climber.

We had a really good time and both boys took naps that afternoon.

Not the best shot of either kiddo, but it was to show that Duke had trouble climbing due to carrying Bilbo everywhere.

They both made it up the big slide.

I love this shot of Kincaid at the end.

You would think it would be crazy crowded, but other than our friend there were only 2 other families. Great for us!

Here are some pictures my friend sent:

2012-01-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

Here are my little skeletons. I love it when I put them in these matching jammers. They look so cute, don't you think?

Skedaddle was a mite cold at -13, but we went. There were actually 5 other parents there as well. I think we all needed to get the heck out of the house.

The boys lasted about 30 minutes and I was pleased with that. They did some climbing up the rocket ship and a bit of swinging too.

Then, I let them sit in the car with the heater on to eat their rice crispy treats. Bribery works wonders I am finding.

The sun was just poking up over the mountains and was so pretty. So cold, but so pretty.

Boy Toys

2012-01-17T04:00:00.000-08:00

I am so amused by how the boys play with their toys. I just want to take pictures of all the little scenarios. Kincaid gives a stream of consciousness, play by play the entire time. "The frog jumps into the water. The fish splashes. Then, the frog catches the fish." It goes on endlessly.

Duke doesn't give a play by play, but will play with his fisherman or stack blocks for a bit now. I love watching him focusing on something intently. This new found independent play is giving me a bit of time to knit! Woo Woo - I have a baby gift sweater on the needles right now!

Nam has been sick and Kincaid was trying to play with her. Nam wasn't as interested in the fishing expedition though. We played at a friend's house in the morning and then inside the rest of the day. It was a high of -4 and was -17 when we headed out - a bit cold for even my taste!

This is Bear Grylls catching a Sacker Trout. I think he made up that name by himself or it is a new species I have yet to meet. Tonight at dinner, Duke ate more salmon than anyone else. I think it was more than any two other people combined. I think I might need to get some new clothes as this might be a growth spurt!

Over!

2012-01-16T04:00:00.000-08:00

This pretty much sums up my week. It was a long and hard week. I have never felt so defeated as parent! First the sick child, then the whining set in and then they both went on an independent, argumentative and screaming tear. It is over. They are sleeping (for now) and next week is a new one.

We did go and get some hair cuts from our friend. We made her Schnoodle Snacks (bones) - the boys helped roll them out and cut them. Here is the recipe.

Kincaid wanted his hair to be "spikey" so Jan found some product.

Here is the finished product. Doesn't he look like a hair model?

Duke had some trouble sitting still as every time Jan touched his neck, he got a tickle and a shiver. It was so funny to watch.

He is doing so well.

He was not so sure about the clippers. They didn't last long.

Kincaid finished off the afternoon with the boys. He watched some football and played cribbage while eating a roll with butter (or mainly butter).

Snow

2012-01-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

(just FYI, it is Friday the 13th in case you are superstitious!)

I don't know the totals, but we received a lot of snow! I shoveled two times. The last time I forced the boys out of the house against their will. Duke refused mittens and cried almost continually due to, what do you guess?, Cold Fingers. Yes, his shovel is broken. I did that while working on the snow tunnel. I have another one for him.

Kincaid was a bit happier to be outside, but wanted to go in quite quickly. I made them stay out until I was done with the front and then let them inside. I guess they are just out of practice of being outside with our week of forced house arrest. I had to get out or it could have gotten ugly. Hopefully the roads will be nice tomorrow and we can get to the store!

Exhausted.

2012-01-12T04:00:00.000-08:00

(Duke wearing Kincaid's bathrobe as Kincaid refuses to wear it)

I am a bit exhausted right now. It has been a long few days with my sick boy. He is better than yesterday, but still not well. He feels pretty good this second as I let him watch a show if he took medicine. Bribery worked wonders.

I had to pull out all the tricks today for low key, indoor activities. I found some of dad's wood cutouts for mobiles and brought them inside (thanks dad!).

They painted sharks for a bit.

Duke enjoyed it more than Kincaid, who most enjoyed painting the bowl. A creative soul. Hopefully they sleep well tonight during the deluge of snow we are allegedly getting (8-16 inches). I am excited for the prospects!

Sick Day

2012-01-11T04:00:00.000-08:00

(better days!)

1. Housebound.

2. Kincaid still sick. (Duke very well. He is very energetic)

3. Broke down and went to doctor.

4. Looks fine, except for fever of 102.8 and rapid breathing.

5. Sent home with urging to take medication.

6. Kincaid refuses all medication, he actually warmed to the idea of a suppository (I am a bit against).

7. I just heard a laugh from the other room.

8. Hopeful for a bit of a recovery tomorrow.

Sickness in the House

2012-01-10T04:00:00.000-08:00

I won't go into details, but Kincaid is sick. Duke is the diametric opposite with running in circles, talking up a storm at a high volume and lots of fishing (with diving off of the boat). We were house bound and there was a lot of moaning (only a bit from me). Poor kiddo just gets pummeled by this sickness.

Here, he finally fell asleep.

On a lighter note, the invasion of the waxwings started yesterday. They move through the neighborhood in huge swarms eating the berries off of the trees. They have amazingly bright swatches on their tails and make such a racket. I noticed it as tons of snow was falling from the trees.

One moves off and then they all follow suit. I once watched bats leave a cave in Florida and it is much the same. The sick kiddo just woke up, must run.

Snowy Weekend

2012-01-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

We all played outside in the new and deep snow. It was beautiful and the boys had lights clipped onto them. Kincaid also wore a headlamp, which came in handy when playing under the slide (apparently, there were lots of snakes).

Sahale loved bounding around in the snow and chasing the boys down the hill. Parker used to love the snow too!

The boys climbing through the tunnel at the school. Duke had to be pushed through by Nam as he couldn't get any traction.

We were supposed to go out to Birchwood, but the beautiful snow caused havoc on the roads. It was a good thing as Kincaid is sick again. Fever and lots of moaning. He did nap though, poor kiddo. Duke kept him company.

We also had Bop help with an idea from Kincaid. We put two huge eye bolts into the bed for hanging the hammock (the same eye bolts that hung my hammock in high school!). They really like swinging and reading in there. Maybe they will sleep in there someday...

Coldy, but Goodies

2012-01-06T04:00:00.000-08:00

It was in the upper digits today, but still single. I opted out of the hike due to bad roads, but needed to get out of the house. The boys decided on a walk to the lake. They were cold and wouldn't let me run as it made them too cold. See the frost on my hair - cold.

They didn't get want to get out of the sled, so we headed back. Duke fell asleep quite happily in the sled and Kincaid almost fell asleep too.

I also went with my mom and her friends for a ski. I skied over to the school to meet them and then we headed off into the white oblivion.

Here we all are right before the woman in the middle surprised us all with a treat. Dark chocolate covered nut clusters. So tasty mid-skI!!

We didn't wait around too long as it was chilly!! We headed for home and the boys (and bop) had survived in my absence. Whew!

AND, my new bag from Timbuk2 arrived. I have been stalking the UPS site for days watching it inch closer. No pictures tonight, but I am sure you will it with me in the future. Thank you Kory - a fantastic gift!!!

Wild Bear, Solemn Shark

2012-01-05T04:00:00.000-08:00

We braved the wild and crazy Toddler Disco Extravaganza again this year. The boys both wanted to dance on the stage, but only last a minute. It was too loud for them and a bit loud for me as well. Kincaid kept wanting to go down, but would get near the stage and cover his ears. Duke was fine, but only wanted to be with Kincaid of course.

They had a great time running around at the back by the chairs. Their friends were there and they played tag, sat in the chairs and ran up and down the stairs. I wonder if this is how they will be at school dances?

They did wear their new hats from aunt Lani. I love how they look. They have matching mittens as well! Little paws for Duke and biting sharks for Kincaid.

We finished the afternoon with lunch at a restaurant. The boys were so well behaved!

Sledding at -7

2012-01-04T04:00:00.000-08:00

Don't they look happy to be outside in subzero temperatures? They weren't happy at all. They got their millions of layers on without the usual fighting. They did not want to get out of the car, but I forced them. I guess I actually told them it would be so fun sledding and we would warm right up walking back up the hill. They believed me until we hit the bottom of the hill. It was darn cold on my cheeks with the little bits of snow. Two other parents were there amazingly enough! I love not being the only insane lady in town.

We left soon after that one and only run. I think we last about 20 minutes from putting the car into park and then into drive to leave (and it takes about 5 minutes to get them out of their seats and 5 minutes to get them back into their seats). I didn't once complain about the weather as I had to hold my tongue during the previous hot winter weather (40s). As a wonderfully wise family friend always said, 'It is what it is." No use getting mad at things totally out of your control!

Next time, I will try to cover their faces up a bit more and maybe even have them wear goggles!

Playing Around

2012-01-03T04:00:00.000-08:00

The man is actually being saved by his perch friend. The man jumped out of his helicopter and into a crevasse. Apparently, the could not do a self rescue and needed assistance.

The boys are playing independently and together more and more. It is so interesting to watch them (or observe them!). The stories they imagine and act out do tend to start from a show, book or event and then run wild. The other day, Duke had all the Fischer Price little people using the potty and then his dinosaur took a turn. They all got M and Ms for doing their business.

They also love physical play. They like it when I turn their tower on it's side so they can use it as a boat or car. This typically ends in a fight or head being smushed, but they have fun until that time comes.

I didn't leave the house on Monday. I think it hit 1 degree above and the cold sapped my motivation that was already low due to a cold. I took my night time cold medicine too late and had a hangover for much of the morning. Urg. I felt better throughout the day and will only take half a night time medicine tonight!!

Old Year and New Year

2012-01-02T04:00:00.000-08:00

Mom came with us to the Imaginarium. The boys love this ball contraption.

While we loved the Jellyfish, they were excited to see their replacement. Kincaid was trying to figure out how to get one out to hold.

The gators were nice to look at as well.

New Year's Eve was wild! It was mainly centered around the poppers.

They had amazing prizes like a tape measure, screwdriver bits and mirror. The boys loved them.

Kincaid did not love getting his picture taken. he refused, but was being held in place.

We brought out lunch to Birchwood and the sunset was amazing with pinks and bright blues. Kincaid kept saying, Look at the beautiful sunset, look at the mountains. I guess he is starting to appreciate how amazing Alaska is at a young age.

Snorkel

2011-12-31T04:00:00.000-08:00

Just getting ready for Spring Break snorkeling!

Inequality?

2011-12-30T04:00:00.000-08:00

My little sister was blown away by the inequality evidenced in this picture. While Kincaid often lets Duke sit with him in the big chair, more often than not Duke has to sit in the cushee (the booster seat for the dinner table). He doesn't mind it at all that his big brother has the comfy, Lazy-boy. I am looking for a small chair that he can use for his show in the evening in case he begins to feel that his brother is getting preferential treatment!!

Bear Grylls

2011-12-29T04:00:00.000-08:00

Apparently, I have been depriving my children. This is their first action figure. The boys say it is Bear Grylls. He had a wonderful bath time diving into the water, has been attached to balloons as a parachute and often spear fishes. Tonight, he spent a long time riding his horse. We couldn't keep from laughing as Kincaid pushed him across the table on this horse with wheels. I don't know exactly why it was so amusing, but it did make for wonderful dinnertime entertainment.

(No cookie tossing today, just "snotty" as Duke says. Whew!)

Sick Day

2011-12-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

I am so glad that we got through Christmas, but now the boys are sick. Fevers and lovely viral stuff that necessitates Kincaid being near a bucket at all times. The first time he used it he said, "That was not good." I hope this passes quickly as they both spent most of the day watching "shows" or being read to. Poor kiddos. Duke has an amazing reaction to medicine - within about a half hour he is back to his old self and I can tell the minute the medicine wears off! He does have a crackly and scratchy throat making it sound as if he should have stopped smoking years ago!

(My mom made these wonderful luminaries on Christmas night - so pretty)

(how they spent their day)

(after taking medicine, back to getting caught in his net)

Empty Nest (mostly)

2011-12-27T04:00:00.000-08:00

It is going to be so quiet around here come noon as Kory heads back home. We will miss everyone so darn much. It was so fantastic having everyone here - at our beckon call for playing spades, having mimosas at breakfast or just talking.

I know it will take a bit for the boy to adjust to just having each other for playmates.

We had so much fun with them this holiday and hope we have more times all together soon. Oh yeah, we will all be in Hawaii in March. No complaining on flights for us as Lu and Bex will fly to us from Seattle (no biggie), but fly back to the East Coast (22+ hours).

It was my best Christmas yet! (I think I say that each year, but it is true). We played a game (Loaded Questions) and one question was what one word describes your life and I choose "Serendipitous" (an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.) My current life path, wasn't the one I had planned, but I am finding that it has amazingly wonderful benefits!

"We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us."

~Joseph Campbell

Holiday Weekend

2011-12-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

The boys taught their cousin how to fish, but he still needs some work.

Aunt Kory read to the boys

We did some sunset sledding

Kincaid used his machine. He can pin the throttle down and hold the bars, I held onto him and only helped him steer when needed. He did buck me off the back with a throttle push a few times. Crazy boy.

Kory did some more reading (see a theme?)

Kincaid ate his chocolate fish until it melted in his hands.

More reading, this time with some help from Meg.

Lu and Bex

We took a fabulous 2 hour ski on Christmas morning in all the new snow!

The boys' favorite present from Aunt Kory - a Cabella's fishing set

Duke loved the knives from Nam... blunt butter knives that they love

Kincaid got a new hat from Bear Grylls

Christmas Tree 2011

2011-12-23T04:00:00.000-08:00

The boys waiting for their snow machine to be ready! No snow yet!

The secret tree hunting spot - the snow out there was thigh deep for me. I actually crawled around looking for a tree!

Lu did pull the boys for a short time in the sled

Toph and Bex in yellow so they didn't get lost in the snow

One group heading back on a machine

The skiiers

Cousin Will with big snow flakes falling

My cousins heading back - look at the snow coming down now!

Duker got tired out and fell asleep

Look at our authentic Alaskan Christmas Tree! The boys helped put the balls (unbreakable balls are a wonderful invention) on with minimal redecorating needed by me.

Solstice Walk, Gingerbread and Santa

2011-12-22T04:00:00.000-08:00

We walked to the lake on this short, Solstice Day. Duke slept on the way there in Bob.

Lani Pulled Topher who was carrying Bex at one point

The happy crew

Kincaid fell asleep on the way home and slept all the way in the sled

The yearly gingerbread making, the boys did quite well. I made the structure and they decorated it and then stabbed it with a knife.

The houses

More houses

and more.

Then we saw someone at the door.

Duke loved it and Kincaid was quite tentative. He did have me tell Santa that he wanted a "catfish" then later jumped onto the floor and told Santa about his wound from a leopard.

Kincaid liked the story.

Bex really just wanted to go back to bed

The crew with Santa! Good Times!

Pictures

2011-12-20T04:00:00.001-08:00

Few words as it is way too late and the boys are still awake. They went to the airport to pick up Aunt Kory and are still jazzed. Hopefully they will crash into bed soon!

Bonding with cousin Bex

He made Duke laugh

We went sledding

Kincaid and his friend made snow angels

We all sledded. It was quite warm, but grey outside!

Gingerbread Men (and women and babies)

2011-12-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

We invited our good friends over who are home for the holidays. I thought decorating gingerbread people would be fun and it was! The kids were great with the frosting and candies (especially eating them). They spent quite a while making their masterpieces! I think they look quite tasty don't you? I love that the set my mother bought has a male, female (with bow and dress) and tiny person.

Little chefs hard at work.

They learned that the frosting is the glue and helps stick the candies to the cookie

Duke loved frosting.

Such great cookies

Some amazing feats of decorating genius

Story time after the cookies.

The boys playing "pile on" with Bop

Then calming down a bit with Nam and a good book

Gingerbread House!

2011-12-19T04:00:00.000-08:00

The Captain Cook Hotel does a huge gingerbread house town and we took the boys.

They liked looking at it for a short time, but it is amazing.

They were more interested in finding all of the whales in the lobby. They found quite a few!

Duke liked the reindeer and the bells they had on their necks.

We also played outside a bit. Kincaid wanted to take his fish that "had an injury" so we finally put him in a backpack. He wore him the whole time (almost 2 hours) we played. My mom said he looked like he was going on a Denali expedition. When we got home, he asked where his fish was as he forgot about the backpack. Silly boy.

2011-12-16T04:00:00.000-08:00

I stayed up way too late knitting and watching television tonight. It felt naughty and like I was breaking some sort of rule of not watching Curious George or Bear Grylls. The boys are starting to stir (their first wake up of the night) so this will be short!

We hiked at Ruth Arcand Park. The road in was horrible. It is in town, but they got the dump of snow and the parking lot had not been plowed. I was sure I would get stuck every second (it is a short road) even in 4 wheel drive, but we made it in and out without trouble.

The winds of the last week left trees down on the trail. The boys had to get out of the sled and bushwhack a bit.

They quickly got back in the sled though! The trail was soft and I should have been wearing snow shoes! Good times. We got home, had some lunch and headed back out to play in the yard! It was mainly fishing in a crevasse (don't ask), jumping into the Caribbean Sea to warm up and checking our crab pots and the stinky bait. Interesting Boys.

No Beautiful Scenery Shots.

2011-12-15T04:00:00.000-08:00

Just the cutest couple ever pictures! We are so happy that our wonderful friends are back for the holiday. We went out to breakfast with them and it was so funny to reflect on how much they have changed. The last time we went out to eat (about 6 months ago) was insane and the amount of "stuff" on the floor afterwards was amazing. While it still takes a lot of direction and supervision, they were much better. Yes, Kincaid was there, but he didn't make it into the couple pictures. He had his grouper (fish toy) and was happy.

Here are the photos of L and Duker.

Can you hold hands?

Yes!

This is my girl.

We should pose just like this for our Senior Prom picture.

Beautiful Day

2011-12-14T04:00:00.000-08:00

We had a great skedaddle in the morning downtown. Not too many people came, but we had a great time. Kincaid most enjoyed pushing Duke and then chasing him down the hill for me to pull them back up to the top. Just look at his face in the second picture.

He also did a lot of looking at the sky to rest from all that shoveling.

We got home and had some lunch. I built a fire to dry out the clothes so we could put them on again and head outside. We did some work on the melted shelter. He needed a tunnel so I got out the good shovel and got to work. I did enlarge it a bit after this picture.

It is just amazingly gorgeous right now with the snow on the limbs. We did clear some of the snow off of the pines as they looked so weighted down. Duke loved that!

Doesn't our view look like a postcard? Amazing.

Snowy!

2011-12-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

We got a dump of snow. It was such wet and heavy snow that a branch across the street cracked and snapped off, scaring the heck out of the kids and I. Thank goodness for the snowblower as my back could not have taken shoveling that mess. It had a hard time and kept clogging, but I didn't complain as the people across the street were shoveling. Three cars got stuck and got themselves out before I came to their rescue (thankfully!).

We played outside a bit and then hooked Sahale up to the sled and she helped me pull the boys over to the school. It was hard going, but awfully fun! They even cancelled schools - so Nam got to come home by noon. Woo woo!

Reviewed Weekend

2011-12-12T04:00:00.000-08:00

Their favorite place at Fred Meyer. Duke says, 'Fishing Section".

We headed out on Sunday in grey weather.

Brandenburg Mountain had been built!

The front was perfect for the sled and the side great for sliding on the butt. Kincaid was catching Duke.

They did a lot of snow eating.

Just wanted to get a picture with a boy.

Kincaid did some skiing. He does pretty good with me holding his hand.

They put up the creche.

Kincaid also ate some batter - he really enjoyed it!

2011-12-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

It was a gray colored day, except for Duke's neon coat! We walked with our friends from a park. I just brought the sled to encourage walking and it worked for quite a while. The start of the trail was icy with huge holes from feet - the strollers had a hard time, but the sled just glided over the mess. It then was nicely packed snow and the boys walked a bit after finding suitable walking sticks (Santa might be brining a set of trekking poles - one for each kiddo). We made it to a playground where they were so happy to find that they could dig in the pebbles as it was protected by the structure. It only snowed a little bit and I would like a HUGE dump of snow to cover the dirt, ice and mess left by the melting! Come on mother nature - throw us a bone!

Rocks! No, you may not eat them.

Snow, yes, you may eat that.

You can't really tell from the picture, but Duke is sleeping. He fell asleep while being pulled.

Brothers

2011-12-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

It is just an amazing moment when I realize the boys have been all too quiet for all too long and I find them reading together. They are starting to play cooperatively more often. They will sit with the same book, fish on the same boat or even cook in the same kitchen (they even helped each other filet their respective play dough snakes the other day). People said it would happen and I am so glad. Of course, the fights, screaming sessions and hits far outweigh these serendipitous events. Nonetheless, I hold firmly onto the Pollyanna-esque idea of a future of them being the best of friends and playing together all of the time without a single squabble.

On the Mend.

2011-12-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

I thought I was feeling good enough to go to skedaddle, but realized when getting ready that that was not going to happen. We stayed home and I tried to rest up a bit and rehydrate. Consequently, no exciting action shots from today. There is a shot of Bopper taking care of the kids (and dogs apparently). He was trying to read and they were not very good at staying still! The next shot is from the Gala that my family went to in San Francisco - it was a speakeasy theme and such a good picture!

2011-12-06T04:00:00.000-08:00

Boys are healthy as horses, but mom is a sick puppy. I am surviving on Ginger Ale and swore off food (but did have some saltines and a piece of bread today). I am hoping it was food poisoning (sounds strange, eh?) as that is not contagious. I can barely deal with myself being sick all night and day. I can't imagine if they got sick. I also had a great video to post, but blogger was being difficult, so it will have to wait. Hopefully, I will wake up a new person!

Wild Weather!

2011-12-05T04:00:00.000-08:00

We got a warm spell over the weekend. A really warm spell. We took advantage and played outside. It was wet, but Duke loved that he didn't have to wear his mittens.

He ate a lot of snow. It was mostly off of a stick that he used as a spoon.

We tried to build a slide down the side of the fort. It was either too steep or too flat. I couldn't get the angle right.

They got bored and decided to do some fishing in the backyard.

The weather then got horribly windy (gusts of 115 on the hillside!) and warm (I think we hit 45). We are in break up and losing all of our snow. I hate it when people complain about the cold, so I am trying to be accepting of the strange weather. The dogs were weird and stayed outside in the wind and the rain for some reason.

This is the after on Sunday night of the snowman. Look back at the first picture to see him in his better days. Poor little man now!

Hike

2011-12-02T04:00:00.000-08:00

We had one of our better hikes today. Both boys did some hiking and some time in the sled that I pulled. The hike started out with a great downhill. The boys hopped into the sled and I kneeled on my backpack on the back and steered with my feet. It worked amazingly well and we didn't hit a single tree or tip over! Woo Woo!

Kincaid loved using our friend's hiking stick and I think it might be on his Christmas List (they are adult size, but collapse to his size). The only problem was that he kept falling and trying to "self arrest". Silly boy.

It was so beautiful as the sun peaked above the mountains. This was at about 11:30 - almost high noon.

Duke almost fell asleep in the sled at one point. He is in the sled, laying back on my backpack and he was quite relaxed.

At the end of the hike, the boys played in the snow for a bit. It was in the mid-twenties, but quite windy. Duke kept inching his chin strap over his face - I guess I should have had them wear their neck warmers! It was a fun time nonetheless.

The Sink

2011-12-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

My sisters and I spent hours playing with this little sink. I remember washing dishes, filling up our little orange, tupperware pitcher and having so much fun. While the boys were in the garage the other day, I opened a cupboard and found it! I was so excited and the boys gave me a sideways look. How could a sink be so exciting?

I brought it out and put towels on the floor. I filled the reservoir and they pumped the water into the sink. They washed for a few minutes, but soon they filled the sink for... Fishing of course. They called it a lake and fished for hours. They filled it with beads to cover the fish with weeds. They washed the fish and their filet knives. Boys are a different breed of animal altogether.

(Yes, Kincaid is in underwear during the day. He has the occasional accident, but is doing amazingly well!)

Sledding!

2011-11-30T05:55:00.000-08:00

This was the wonderful sunrise this morning that was so pretty. It just kept getting more beautiful as it illuminated the peaks with a pink glow. It was just amazing. We sledded and it was so nice to be up on the hill and seeing the mountains all around. The kids had to listen to yet another talk about how lucky we are to live in such a wonderful place!

Duke kept wanting me to pull him up and then down again. He really enjoys sledding and might be growing into a bit of a daredevil. I remember reading a study about adrenaline and how risk takers seem to need more and more to get them to a "jazzed" level of normal people. I hope he doesn't begin this cycle now!

They sledded with some of their friends, but it was really hard for me to pull them all back up the hill. It was slippery and I couldn't get much traction!

Kincaid enjoyed rolling out of the sled and then rolling down the hill. I was happy he was walking (or trying to) so he could stay warm. It was about 6 degrees and we lasted for an hour before their hands got cold and soon afterwards their feed. I need to learn to leave before this happens. I had to open hand warmers for the ride home to quiet the screaming from the back seat!

wild

2011-11-29T04:00:00.000-08:00

It was a wild day with way too much conflict, screaming, meowing (a favorite pass time of the the boys), pushing and crying. It started off quite well and the activities that usually prove intolerable (shopping) were great and those typically great (fishing) were horrid. Just an upside down sort of day. We did go out into the balmy weather (14 degrees) to play outside.

We worked on the shelter, took a "nap" in the shelter and made snow ice cream in our snow kitchen. Good times (until we went inside and the fighting resumed!).

Weekend in Review

2011-11-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

We went sledding with some friends at Russian Jack. Duke enjoyed riding backwards down the hill to avoid the spray. He loved to go fast.

It was in the single digits and the boys hung in there for quite a while.

Kincaid mainly wanted to sled all the way down the hill to Australia and then further down to Southern Australia.

It was in the single digits, but beautiful.

The crazy sledders!

What I was thankful for all weekend.

On Sunday, we went to Konrad's workshop to play with clay.

Kincaid and Cassie hand printing a bowl

At the beach with Konrad!

They mostly enjoyed poking holes in clay.

They also enjoyed rocking on the Toucan.

Though Kincaid wouldn't let go of his Shelly Crackers.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T04:00:00.000-08:00

I am writing with a stomach full of Tofurkey (pretty good actually), chocolate raspberry pie, pumpkin praline pie, potatoes, cheese and other assorted goodies. What a wonderful Thanksgiving for me. So many relatives, so much food and the boys were so good. The boys are now screaming in chorus from the room and I probably should sign off before they get sore throats to the neighbors call the police. At least they are giggling in between the screaming. I hope you had a good day!

The chocolate pie with chocolate turkey

Relatives munching

One of the many things I am thankful for

Duke fishing for the crowd

Pre-Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

I remember a Thanksgiving while living in the apartments in Spokane with a bunch of other people. We made up a little family and were the "dog people". We had Thanksgiving at one of their apartments and the hostess, Susan, wanted everyone to go around and say what they were thankful for that day. She was laughed at, but I loved it (and miss her!). I remember saying that even if I could not be with my family, I was thankful for a family of good friends.

I could never have imagined that I would be where I am at this point in my life and am Thankful for so much. I love living in Alaska, spending so much time with my boys and having my family close (even though they might prefer a bit more distance!). I could go on and on, but the boys are screaming at Bear Grylls (I am thankful for the DVR). I hope you have a good Thanksgiving and find something to be Thankful for today!

(I love cranberries!)

Skedaddle-less

2011-11-23T04:00:00.000-08:00

No one signed up to skedaddle with us, the wimps. It was 2 degrees with a bit of a breeze and the roads were a bit "slippy" (Bear Grylls' word) due to some amazingly fluffy snow overnight. I wasn't too upset at not having to get the boys into the car.

Instead, we bundled up and headed out to the front yard. We had to do some work on the snow fort. We are just piling up snow and digging into it to make a cave. Kincaid and Duke spent most of the time eating snow food.

It didn't take long for their cheeks to get red. They said their chins hurt too, but refused neck warmers to put over their faces. I got a polar buff for my birthday and it is heavenly on days like this.

They just kept licking the snow and even needed some when we came inside. They ate it and drank hot cocoa to warm up. Silly boys.

Wild Boys

2011-11-22T04:00:00.000-08:00

Boys were wild and I am tired! I just finished reading them Peter Pan for the millionth time. They both love the story and have it memorized. Just to keep myself amused, I change a word here and there. They always catch me. Tonight, I changed creature to animal and Duke was on it in a pinch.

Another amusement from the day is how much my kids hate high Pulp orange juice. Duke says there is Dog Hair in it and Kincaid wanted to filter out the pulp. So funny!

He finally stayed still for more than a second, but it was nip and tuck.

This was as close to still as he could stay. He is modeling the shirt from my cousin, but it is a little large.

They love to play hide and seek and jump with my curtains. I tell them not to pull on them, so it doesn't last too long as they can't resist.

Duke's Birthday Weekend

2011-11-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

We started the weekend off with friends over for decorating cupcakes. Duke really enjoys this activity and also loves to eat frosting.

He decorated long after the other kiddos were finished!

We opened presents throughout the day to keep his interest. He really likes this cardboard blocks from Nam with Charlie Harper pictures.

The boys loved it when the "delivery man" brought balloons from aunt Kory.

Duke was smitten with the "baby beluga" balloon!

I slaved over making a "humpback whale breaching out of the water" cake as wished by the birthday boy. I made a whale out of a sugar cookie and he loved it, so I was happy!

One of the balloons that is helping him learn that he is 2 years old and not "three months old" as he typically says.

He opened a gift from a friend, but he played with the stickers for a while.

His IKEA tool belt with softie tools.

Kincaid liked the broccoli man!

Then, his brother helped him blow out his candles.

He ate cake and ice cream. We spent the rest of the weekend blowing up a 72 inch inflatable whale from aunt Lani. I just don't know how we survived without him.

Saturday Special

2011-11-19T08:45:00.001-08:00

(zero years old and one year old)

Happy Birthday to my little Duker! He is two years old today!

Running on the Track

2011-11-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

It was a bit chilly (0 degrees) so our hike was moved inside to a raised track. It is above a hockey rink and the kids loved watching them skate. There also was a little Olympic Hopeful (about 4 years old) doing spins on the other rink. The boys ran wild with their friend.

They are having some sort of pow wow. Their friend is closer to Kincaid's age, but Duke is catching up to him quickly on height! They spent a lot of time running and then falling onto the floor. Good exercise.

They then got to do one of their favorite activities: drink from a water fountain. It was hilarious to see them helping each other drink with the button on the side. They figured this out themselves! Good boys.

Sorry this is so short, but I got back late from a community council meeting. My friend and I presented our Anchorage Outdoor Family Network. I was sure it would meet with blank stares, but people were excited. They had ideas, wanted to share events and find ways to get involved. They praised us for starting this group - gave me warm fuzzies.

Climbing!

2011-11-17T04:00:00.000-08:00

It was cold, cold, cold and windy today. I didn't have the energy to bundle up the kiddos in a million layers and trudge outside for a few minutes. It was about 6 degrees with 25 mph gusts making it awfully prickly on the skin.

The boys were climbing the walls and I thought I should let them climb something more appropriate. I found the step ladders in the garage and brought them in for some fun. It occupied them for a long time. They climbed up, jumped off onto the couch, wore a wing suit (not a cape) and fished off of them.

It might not have been the safest option, but sometimes you can't fight the will of two toddlers.

Sledding in the Single Digits

2011-11-16T04:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, the expedition is getting prepared. Or, me and the boys are getting ready to go sledding.

It was in the single digits. Chilly! The boys had a lot of fun, until suddenly Duke's toes started to hurt and Kincaid's fingers got cold apparently.

We had lots of fun sledding. This hill is great and I am so happy that the boys love sledding now. It was fast and they asked me to keep pulling them up the hill (good exercise!).

There was an amazing rainbow due to the frozen moisture in the air. Gorgeous!

I find that a blanket in the sled keeps your tush a bit warmer on the ride down!

We came home, built a fire and had some cocoa while lunch was cooking. I know I am amazingly lucky, you don't have to tell me.

Almost forgot!

2011-11-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

I almost forgot to post and what a kink that would've most likely put in your day! (as if!) We spent the morning at a friend's house so we could chat about our lofty idea of starting a non-profit. We were going along smoothly until I ran into the IRS form for getting non-profit status. That thing is a bear and not a nice bear, a big burly thing! We are searching the group for an accountant who might be fluent in such mumbo jumbo.

She has a boy and the kids all get along quite well. They played, yelled, hugged, fished, attempted legos and ran wild. No pictures we taken, so here are some oldies.

I had a seemingly brilliant idea to make a piñata. It was doomed from the start even with my idea to do it in the kiddie pool. Alas, we only got a few highly goopy pieces of newspaper on the poor balloon. We will revisit this in a few years!

Weekend in Pictures

2011-11-14T04:00:00.000-08:00

We got another wonderful dump of snow over the weekend. It gave us a chance to keep working on our snow cave. I started digging it out. I am building a big berm of snow to keep digging into so it makes a cave. Kincaid liked hiding inside and Duke liked poking with his stick. No, he is not wearing mittens yet. I let him keep them off and was glad when he asked for them after falling out of the sled and getting a total whitewash.

We also spent some time at the playground. It is so great to not have to deal with the unruly pre-teens and teens that love to hang out there in the summer. It is all to ourselves! I had a great time going down the slide - so fast. Kincaid would get a few feet air at the end and land in the snow.

It was beautiful as the sun started to poke out, just as it was getting ready to set. I love all the snow on the equipment.

My ever thoughtful father snowblowed (snow blew?) a path from the front of our house, around the side and to the school. He even made a path through the snow berm that my kids loved as the edges were over their heads. I am sure the school kids will be glad not to have to wade through thigh deep snow to school!

If you are bored, another new time sucking website! Food Gawker (search by most popular of all time)

Saturday Special!

2011-11-12T04:00:00.000-08:00

Tubbing in the snow is so much fun,

especially when you get to eat Bicycles

(what Duke was calling icicles for a while) in the water!

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Snow and Skis

2011-11-11T04:00:00.000-08:00

It was an amazing Alaskan afternoon. There aren't that many other places where you can grab your skis out the garage, put them in your driveway and ski down the street. The sun was shining and made everything glow. I skied to where we walk the dog and on the bike trail to meet my mom at her school. I just felt so lucky skiing through the woods with the sun shining.

The sun was magnificent through the trees at Russian Jack Park. I skied with my mom and her friends. It was perfect conditions.

I did start the day by playing outside with the boys. It was cloudy and a real blizzard, thus the baseball hats under the winter hats. We did dog assist sledding, snow fishing and some more work on the snow fort.

We had a great time and I even got Duke to wear his mittens, most of the time.

Sal seemed to enjoy herself, even when being forced to pull the two kiddos.

random

2011-11-10T04:00:00.000-08:00

"I have not taken a nap yet and either has my brother!"

We didn't get out an about on an adventure today. Well, we did take the Explorer in to the get the 4WD fixed. Woo Woo!

I have started doing "school work" with Kincaid each day, which amounts to doing pages in a workbook. He is really good at rhymes and drawing lines between things. He is starting to trace letters, but I am not pressuring the kiddo. He likes it so we will keep doing it. Duke likes to do work as well, but his consists of drawing on a piece of paper for a short time and then ripping it into shreds.

Kincaid drew a picture the other day and described it this way, "It is a common dolphin with an eye and a fake eye and he ate a fish." He is an amusing chap to say the least.

Just to add to the randomness of this post, I will tell you about dinner. We had amazing salmon (so red it looked like beef) prepared ala Tony Knowles (1/2 c soy, 1/2 olive oil, 1 tsp garlic and 1 tsp grated ginger and 2 green onions but I add more ginger and garlic - marinate for a bit and then broil it). I also tried out a recipe for 30 minute biscuits and they were quite good and no fuss at all.

Sledding and Moons

2011-11-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

I started the day off with some wonderful Peanut Butter, Nutella, Oatmeal and Banana Muffins that were quite healthy and tremendously scrumptious. I thought it was an oversight to not add chocolate to a peanut butter and banana creation, so I substituted 2 T of Nutella for some Peanut Butter. These would be a great cupcake as well with some chocolate frosting. Everything is better with frosting.

We had a great skedaddle at Nunaka Valley for sledding. I brought hot water and my boys drank lots of hot cocoa. It is so handy to have snow to cool it down a bit! The boys screamed a bit, got cold, sledded, played on the playground and then were content in a "shelter" (underneath the branches of a big spruce made a little great little play fort). It was in the single digits according to everyone else (who apparently have thermometers in their cars!). I think about 10 other parents showed up - it always amazes me!

I didn't think the boys were going to nap, until after reading my upteenth book (Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel) Kincaid dozed off and I nursed Duke to sleep a while later. Kincaid slept for nearly 2 hours I think - Duke only about 30-45 minutes. I guess he was all tuckered out from being outside! Duke was rolling over him and screaming, but he slept on.

We had been missing the moon and it finally appeared beautiful and bright tonight. The kids were thrilled. Duke has been wanting to take a helicopter up to find it as it was "behind the mountains". Thank goodness it came back!

Mush!

2011-11-08T04:00:00.000-08:00

We got another dump and thank goodness Bop has a snowblower as that little shovel (and shoveler) are not the most effective! He does enjoy it so much now that he can get his thumb into the right place in the mittens so he can grab.

Duke still can't grab and I refused to let him take off his mittens today. He was happy with me pulling him around though. He also liked the neck warmer to keep him toasty. This boy likes to stay warm.

I am glad that Sahalie hasn't gained too much weight. She still fits the harness! She is such a tolerant dog and helped me pull the kiddos up and down the street and across the church parking lot numerous times.

Look at those thighs - she is pulling about 70 pounds, what a muscular beast!

The boys really enjoyed it as you can tell from their faces. You can also see Kincaid's mitten totally open. He said it was cold and when I took it off, it was filled to the brim with snow. This boy doesn't mind the cold quite as much!

Snow, Snow, and Snow!

2011-11-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

We finally received a healthy amount of snow! The boys loved seeing it falling and really had a fantastic time playing outside as well. We went out two times on Sunday and that is a feat for me. I have already started streamlining the getting dressed process.

We walked at the lake and the boys had so much fun walking on the trails. They loved seeing the dogs in coats as well.

Duke is modeling his new (and quite warm) hat that I won from Stonz wear! It is reversible, but I like this side the best.

They loved breaking off these long stalks from the old Cow Parsnip. They make you quite itchy in the summer, but are great in the winter. They are hollow and perfect for spear fishing.

Duke collected sticks for making a fire.

I also learned that between Salmon season and ice fishing is "snow fishing" season. It is hard to get a bite, but they didn't seem to mind.

This is Kincaid after our big dump of snow. He loved "swimming" in the snow and sledding! He didn't like that too much last year. I have high hopes of sledding a bunch as he can walk up the hill maybe.

Duke loved shoveling, but wanted his mittens off and then they were "freezing". He finally kept them on if he could eat "snow lunch". We played outside for a long time and they had such a great time. Duke could pull Kincaid a bit even (he is strong as an ox that one!).

Just a day.

2011-11-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

We opted out of the hike today as it was down the Seward Highway, snowy and on a bike trail. We weren't excited and so we stayed at home. Duke got up early and helped me make crepes, which he and his brother ate with syrup. Why they didn't want Nutella inside I will never understand... We did take a walk in the blowing wind and snow. It was cold, but the kiddos were warmly tucked into the Wump. Duke fell asleep immediately and Kincaid took a while longer (he had to hike a bit and fish in the snow).

I am remembering how much longer it takes to get kids ready for winter adventures. It amazes me how much time it takes to get snow gear, mittens, hats and boots on them. I seriously think it takes about 20 minutes, if they are cooperating. I won't even look at a clock if they are resisting!

We ended the day with some potato soup and biscuits. Yes, they are eating them while rolling around the floor after their bath. It seems they don't wear clothes much around here much anymore. Oh well, at least Kincaid is almost day-potty trained! He had an accident yesterday, but the other two days were dry. I haven't broached the subject at night yet. I will get there in time...

Just a boy and his fish

2011-11-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

Kincaid is refusing to take a nap unless in a car at the perfect time or stroller. It is actually really a good motivation for me to get my tush up and out the door. I just have to realize that it is winter and takes an additional 20 minutes to get snow suits, coats, pants and boots onto tired children. Duke had just woken up from a nap and Kincaid just fell asleep. He slept soundly in the "wump" and Duke just rested on his shoulder for the ride. I got to power through the walk and let Sahalie run wild at the dog park.

Duke has recently become quite attached to "Walleye" and hates to leave him anywhere. He needs his "pike" in the tub though as Walleye can't get wet (he is a stuffed animal). Kincaid seems to find something to have during the day and takes it to bed with him. No matter how half asleep he is during the night or morning, he asks for whatever he carried to bed. Such a good memory!

Snow Day!

2011-11-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful day at a wonderful park, once I found it. I wrote the directions and they were wrong. Luckily, I was near a post office and they helped me out a bit. They have great maps there with all the addresses, good stuff. The first postal worker seemed a bit miffed at me asking the question, but the other woman was nice so not all postal workers are disgruntled.

The park was so much fun in the snow. I pulled kiddos around as I have been complaining to myself about a lack of exercise and increase in eating. I think it worked off a cookie or two. Kincaid asked about his skis so I put them in the car for next time and Duke wants his snow machine. He will have to wait until Birchwood for that one!

Halloween

2011-11-01T04:00:00.000-07:00

I started off our Halloween festivities with a toddler cookie decorating play date. It was amusing. Most of the kiddos put on frosting and then licked it off only to repeat the process again. I was amazed that the only errant frosting was on mothers and not the floor!

Kincaid had napped late, woke up poorly and screamed for about an hour prior to get costumed. Duke was excited to go and really enjoyed saying "trick or treat" and "thank you". It was fun!

We trick or treated until the kids said their hands were "freezing off", which amounted to 2 houses this year. It was chilly with wind and snow and I didn't mind heading back as they already had quite a few pieces of candy.

They sat on the floor and ate up some, but their favorite were the Famous Amos cookies (which we were handing out).

They enjoyed giving other kids treats for a bit, but then headed to the bath tub.

You can see the snow already accumulating on the poor Jack-o-lanterns!! Good times. It just wouldn't be Halloween without down coats and winter boots!

Weekend in Review (again)

2011-10-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

First of all, I need work at taking pictures inside. Bear with me and I will get better ones of the kiddos in costume on Halloween.

A chef and a fisherman went to the carnival at my mom's high school.

They had some trouble at the Jenga station, but enjoyed knocking the blocks!

Duke was quite amazing at the bean bag toss (he is a righty and brother is a lefty it seems)

Kincaid won a cake at the cake walk! Yummy.

We got our first snow and on our walk Kincaid had to "stop so I can eat some more snow"

Duke played outside and then fell asleep on the walk, the entire walk.

We carved the pumpkins. Duke was disappointed no one could make a humpback whale pumpkin and Kincaid just wanted to use a knife.

They waited patiently for a few seconds.

Then enjoyed "scooping out the guts"

Duke liked using a "not sharp knife" (butter knift)

THey loved them with candles, but felt they were "asleep" when blown out for the night!

Eagle River Nature Center

2011-10-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

The boys and I headed out to our Thursday hike even though I thought of numerous reasons why we should stay at home. The easy (and warm) option is rarely the best one in the long run I have found. It was just over 20 degrees at the start of our hike and Duke was in a snow suit and boots, while Kincaid was forced into a coat, but only had long johns and fleece pants on his bottom. So different.

Kincaid ran with his hiking buddy, Leo, who Kincaid calls Cleo (from Pinocchio). They had so much fun and Duke just stayed in the stroller. I turned around when both kids started screaming and crying. I didn't know what was wrong and I thought they were freezing. Duke fought me to get into his car seat again, but was asleep within a minute (literally). Kincaid fell asleep soon after. Apparently, waking up every two hours at night is taking its toll on them too!

It was a great hike though and I am so glad that we went. The boys are so different after a nap. They made up a new game that they played for quite a while - one sits on the chair and the other spins it around. I was taking bets if they would bleed or vomit first. Neither happened thankfully!

These are two shots from the building of the shelter or bed.

Big Boy!

2011-10-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

It is so nice to have a personal carpenter on staff at the house. I made a request for a loft bed in hopes that one of the two boys might sleep in it someday. I had lofty ideas, such as no post, fitting over my current bed and super sturdy. Within an hour, the plans were drafted and in less than 48 hours it is completed. Talk about speedy service. I might have to give him a big tip!

We went to Costco with two of the crankiest boys on the planet. It took both of us to get Duke into his car seat. He has amazing "planking" power when he doesn't want to get into his seat. They immediately cheered up when riding on the mattress at Costco. We got lots of curious looks.

You can see the cable hanging the floating corner and rope with knots to help Kincaid get up into the bed. He can do it some time, but needs a bit of a pillow assist. Duke needs a full body assist. (you can see Kincaid wearing his boxer briefs - he stayed dry all day! He has been doing pretty darn good and I have been encouraging, but letting him take the reins. Thank goodness I found Panda bear treats in the Dollar spot at Target!)

Both boys like it and Duke likes the part underneath. I was optimistic and put Duke's mattress underneath in the "shelter". That is what Kincaid called the bed while it was being built. He really seems to like it, but I will keep you updated if anyone ever sleeps up there! I hope so because it is so darn nice and so well built. Thank you so much Bopper!!!

.

2011-10-26T04:00:00.000-07:00

We skedaddled and the boys played and cried for about 45 minutes and I finally put them into the car. They stayed in there a bit as I packed up - Duke driving and Huck in back sitting on a pumpkin. Good times. They both are sick now - sniffling and snotting everywhere.

We did make it to the last race of the season. This picture cracks me up as they both were really happy and smiling until this exact second I guess. We had fun running with the kids in costumes and getting candy along the way! Duke was wearing a frog hat from my ballet costume when I was 4 maybe. He didn't like it and pulled an eyeball off, but it was repaired. Nam was a "good witch" (per kincaid). I wore a chef hat and apron!

Kincaid ran for a long ways and then got candy and needed to get into the wump. He rode and coughed for the rest of the way, but had fun. He was Jeremy Wade (the fisherman on tv). It was so warm, about 38 degrees. It felt so nice, but was pure dark as we left! Winter is coming allegedly!

Whew!

2011-10-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

Kincaid is sick with "germs" and is begging for medicine every ten minutes. Poor kid is full of snot. Consequently, this blog is a bit of a cop out. I am sorry. Stick with me and the exciting life of a toddler mom will continue tomorrow, hopefully!

My mother made me a wonderful carmel frosting for my birthday cake and we found a new ways to keep the boys quiet for over 5 minutes. Give them a bowl and spoons - it is amazing. We all relished in the relative silence!

It seems that everyone I know is pregnant, so I have been using the kids' bath time and early bed time to get some knitting done. These are little sweaters with three buttons for easy head entry. The pattern calls for them to go all the way the entire side, but I realized that as a mother, I would not want to have button all those little things! Maybe I am just a lazy parent!

Sunday Swimming

2011-10-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

I am so happy that the boys are getting more comfortable in the water. On Friday, we went to the waterpark for "toddle time" or as I like to call it, "Let the children run wild while I shiver and freeze with mild hypothermia." They love it - Duke likes the little slide and even dips under now and then while Kincaid likes to sit and run a bit. He does not tolerate water in the face very well. At the swimming pool on Sunday, Kincaid will release his death grip now to "swim" to the side. Duke will, but his life jacket tosses him to his back. Alas, they love it though. I just need a full body, dry suit so I don't get so darn cold.

Nature is Necessary

2011-10-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

I think that my children are destined to live most of their life outside. It is by sheer necessity that I get us out of the house. I can see when they older than when they get unruly I will say instead of "go to your room", "go to the back yard". They are a million times less recalcitrant when hiking, playing at a park or on a walk. It is amazing. They should do a scientific study on this phenomenon. We fought getting into the car, but at the hike life was good. Grumpy and screaming at home, into the wump and they were happy as clams. I finally stuck them in the bath when we got home as I couldn't keep them outside any more.

Kincaid found a friend a year older and they had a fantastic time running around and hiding.

Duke has started to love "driving" and he will say that he has his "boy license" .

A Long Day Is Over

2011-10-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

It was a really long day with two really independent, feisty, unruly, verbal, screaming and wild toddlers. I finally forced us out to take a walk and was moping and muttering to myself when I saw Kincaid leap into the lake. He says he jumped in, but it looked a bit like he slipped. He said he saw a trigger fish and was diving in to get it. He was soaked up past his waist. I stripped him down and put on the extra pants before wrapping him in the blanket. I stuck on the hat (sometimes it is good to be over-prepared). We walked back and he was asleep before we got home and cozy and warm. That was the highpoint of the day unfortunately. It did snap me out of my self pity and frazzled state.

Full Day of Fun!

2011-10-19T04:00:00.000-07:00

We had a full day, which makes it just fly by to me. The pictures are not in the correct order, but blogger isn't being very cooperative, so you will just have to muddle through I am sorry to say. We started off with some skedaddling, did some babysitting followed by a little nap and then we were off to the races! It is now bath time and in the interest of keeping the computer only slightly damp, I will sign off now!

All three boys had to ride the wheeler!

This is why I love to have the boys' buddy come over to play.

Races! Yes, Duke carried the fish and apparently he only dropped it one time.

Kincaid is getting his pre-race mojo going. Actually, we are away from the starting line as the music was akin to being front row at a concert. A loud concert.

He is ready to run. The fish is also ready to swim!

Duke was not himself at skedaddle. He was whining and upset and then fell asleep while nursing. I think he was cold.

His brother (in a polypro shirt and little fleece) was happy as a clam and hot. We built a shelter and life was great.

The brothers on a hill. Can you tell which one was cold this morning?

Wild Child

2011-10-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

It was a long day, but we did manage a walk around the lake and a dinner of wonderful quinoa with almond crusted halibut (tasty and easy!). I have no pictures to show from the day, just the start of a few gray hairs I am sure. Here is a picture my mom took of us the other day in the hot tub. It is a genetic problem that my father and I have - we hate to get rain in our eyes while tubbing. Hats are necessary and when the boys saw mine, they needed theirs as well.

For your amusement, you know you might have a wild child if he enjoys this type of pre-bed activity only able to be completed by a grandparent.

Reindeer Farm Fall Festival

2011-10-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

We had a blast at the Reindeer Farm for their fall festival. It was a million times better than the other Fall Festival we went too out there. The boys saw these guys on the way in and so we made a bee line for the horses after parking. They loved touching their noses and getting up close.

The boys even got to go a loop on a pony being led around. Kincaid had a smile and loved it, but wanted me to hold his hand during his ride.

Duke was behind us and he held on tight with a huge smile too!! Name was with him during the ride, but stepped aside for the picture. Don't worry.

We then hopped onto the hay ride (pulled by a tractor). It pulled us by the reindeer pen and a huge pen with loads of Elk.

The ride dropped us off at the maze. There was a tootsie roll bandit (handing out candy if you caught him) and the older kids zoomed off in chase. Kincaid chased the kids and loved it. He would fall down and get up and run off again. It was a great maze - difficult enough to be interesting, but Kincaid picked the choices and got us to the Candy Fairy and then out to the exit.

It was a breezy and cold day, but the mountains are so pretty aren't they?

They loved the maze and the lollypops.

Kincaid needed to take a rest and we plopped him up on a big hale bale and of course Duke needed to be up there as well.

We couldn't leave without feeding the reindeer. The boys were fearless, but I was a bit nervous due to the antlers being on the same level as their eyes.

I really liked this part and so did Duke who really likes reindeer currently.

Tyey are majestic, but this guy was losing his velvet leaving a bit of a bloody mess behind. It was not pretty and he kept rubbing up next to me, but nothing was left on my coat thank goodness.

Walking

2011-10-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

This trek was an uphill battle, literally and figuratively. It was icy and really hard to walk, which drastically lessened the enjoyment factor for the boys. There was a bit of fishing in the ice river on the way up, but the way down was a whine fest (and not the good kind). They both wanted to be held and that just was not possible. I did really well (tooting my own horn) not getting as irritated as I usually do. I tried to see it through his eyes and mind - he couldn't take a step without slipping or getting slapped in the face with grass. We muddled our way down and all came out the other side unscathed.

I love that picture as it reminds me of the opening scene from Goonies or Stand by Me. They love their friend O in the bright blue coat and like the boy with glasses, but Kincaid was in a bit of a foul mood and said to his mom, "I am sorry, but I do not love your baby. He is a bad baby." She has a good sense of humor and laughed it off and I tried to talk to Kincaid about being nice...

There were amazing ice formation and some that looked like stalagmites. In the top picture, there is a moth that the kids "rescued" by poking it off the ice with a stick.

It was an amazingly gorgeous day and the sleeping lady was under a bit of a blanket. Good times, Good times.

Wild Day!

2011-10-12T04:00:00.001-07:00

There were highs and lows of the day, but it went by altogether too quickly and I have little to show for it. We have had a few days of not much sleep and I think it is wearing on all of us. It might be a coincidence (or not!) that it happened right about the full moon. Interesting... Here are the boys not getting ready for bed as I so wish they would be doing. Alas, at least I am not a person needing a full 8 hours of sleep. We shall get through this and move on out the other side.

Kincaid had his 3 year appointment and was deemed healthy. I was talking to him about his shots and he said "A needle is sharp and it will give me an injury". Smart kiddo. He got a flu shot and did agree that it only hurt for a bit. He hated the band-aid though and wanted it off as soon as possible. He is 3 1/2 feet and just under 40 pounds - a website said it was 95% and 96%. He is already an overachiever at such a young age.

Skedaddle and Races!

2011-10-12T04:00:00.000-07:00

It is getting a bit chilly at the races. We are now wearing hats, even though Duke kept taking his off and handing it back to me to put it back on him. Kincaid ran a good bit at the start, but then rode. He got on my case for "running too fast".

The sun was setting through the trees and was so pretty.

It didn't take us that long to finish, but the moon was rising as we walked to the car. Kincaid said he wanted to grab it, but needed an airplane. He then saw a cloud near the moon and said "Oh No! That cloud is grabbing it!"

Here are the pictures from skedaddle. This is a strange slide that looks an awful like a tongue. The boys mainly just ate the frost. It was mid-20s and pretty chilly, but the boys refused coats and mittens at the start (Duke wanted one mitten later on - so he could hold a stick with the other and then switched mittens later).

They fished for almost two hours. I sat on the edge and ate their snacks as they were catching "perch, trigger fish and fresh water eels" and then cooking them over a fire.

How lucky am I to live in a place that is this beautiful?

Puppies! No words needed.

2011-10-11T04:00:00.000-07:00

I found a long lost family friend on Facebook and recently, one of sled dogs had some puppies! They are all named after mushrooms and are the most adorable little pups ever. She made it sound as if we were doing her a favor to let the pups socialize with kids, but I couldn't thank her enough. Kincaid is still howling and requesting to be called one of the dog's names. At least he ate some dinner, as we said it was the same thing that sled dog puppies eat. They both were quite good with them and no one was injured (dog or child) during the socialization session! Kincaid did ask while holding one, "When can I take this one home?" Sorry kiddo, they are staying with their family to grow up to be sled dogs!

Fall is Here!

2011-10-10T04:00:00.000-07:00

I took advantage of a sunny Sunday for a walk around the lake. The boys were beyond difficult on Saturday. No words can express the constant fighting and opposition. We finally drove out to Birchwood to force them to sleep and give us a break! They slept there and back - whew!

The boys were wonderful today and I love being outside with them. They are different people outside and it changes a mood from grumpus to happy kiddo in no time at all. This picture is of them "climbing the mountain to get their bearings". Hilarious.

Of course, no outing is complete without some fishing. One brought a lure and one brought the "pole", they did some trading and finally both settled on a pole (as I found another). They are getting pretty good about "trading" when one has something the other wants.

They were great fishermen and caught many eels and trigger fish.

Westchester Walk

2011-10-07T04:00:00.000-07:00

It was an absolutely gorgeous Fall day. We walked from Westchester Lagoon and came upon a moose walking along the trail. Literally, he was on the trail and went over the bridge. There were some people visiting and loved seeing him or her, no antlers.

THe boys stayed in the Wump most of the ride out and then back they did a lot of walking and spear fishing. Kincaid talked about himself in the third person, "Bear Grylls would like a sandwich please" or "Bear Grylls needs to get out." Duke said he was Jeremy (from Monster Fish). Oh my...

We ended up playing at the new playground (still under a bit of construction) at the lagoon. It is right by the old Covy Cafe that looks to be gone. It is an amazing playground with new and cool stuff. Come and visit us and we will show you around!

It is amazing how quick these guys are growing up. I knew everyone said that it goes fast, but I didn't believe them. They are such wonderful kids (most of the time!). They can fight and whack each other over the head with fishing pole one minute and be climbing under "crumbly sandstone" together and helping each other the next. I can be having a terrible day and feeling a bit down, but just looking at them smile (or sleep!) makes me feel like a million bucks! I am so darn lucky.

George, Peas and Races

2011-10-06T04:00:00.000-07:00

I finally got onto the internet. It was nip and tuck if I would get blogged before heading to bed. Whew! I let the boys watch a show (or two!) before bed and lately it has either been Bear Grylls in China or Curious George. As far as cartoons go, I actually like George. He teaches concepts (you can make a metal detector with a calculator and transistor radio) and has consequences for his actions. I just wish I had the patience of the Man with the Yellow Hat. Just look how enraptured Kincaid is watching the show.

Duke has started enjoying shows as well. He sits on the cushee (the soft booster seat for the table) and seems to like it. He even wants Orange cheese like his brother.

Just look at the little monkey - he is pretty cute!

They also requested frozen peas after dinner. I think it is a rather good snack!

Here is my favorite picture from the races. Just look at the sun shining! Mom and Duke were zipping.

Beautiful Day!

2011-10-05T04:00:00.000-07:00

It was such a beautiful day from start to finish. It was nice to have Mother Nature make such lovely weather as we had to say good bye as Kory headed back to Portland. It was sad at the airport, but the kids recovered quickly. They kept saying how she had to get back to take care of her cats and that "she will be back soon!". The boys sure do love their aunt - she makes them popsicles, reads endlessly and takes them to the waterpark. What a great aunt indeed!

(they were so excited to see their buddy and he brought brownies! they are getting to be quite good friends, the three of them)

(the boys spent a lot of time making animal traps and hammocks in the woods - don't ask...)

We had skedaddle and it was in the low 30s for some chilly fun. We then ended the day with the Tuesday night races and we biked over to avoid parking. It was so pretty as we left with the mountains turning pink - I don't think there is much more gorgeous than when the tops are snowy and pink. Kincaid ran a lot, but then did some riding and making me "run up the hills mom". It was nice training, such a great coach! Duke just talked the whole time as usual - with a smile on his face.

More Aunt Fun

2011-10-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

This does look a little demonic doesn't it? His aunt brought him a play food set from Ikea and he loves it - especially the knife. He cuts things and puts butter on the toast.

This is Kinciad eating his "tentacles" the other night.

We went to the water park and I froze my tail off the whole time. The boys loved it. Kincaid ran in the water, used my camera as a fishing lure and "breached" out of the water.

Duke went down the slide a billion times and loved putting his hand in the water spray. I love his facial expression in this picture. He had a great time too.

Weekend with Kory

2011-10-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

Happy October! How did that come so darn quickly? It amazes me each time I flip over a month on my calendar. Kory has been here and we have been having such a wonderful time! Here is some of what we did this weekend!

We went to the zoo. It was a fast trip as Kincaid kept saying, "Let's keep moving." Duke loved all of the animals as usual. His current favorite seems to be the caribou.

Both boys commented on how long the bear's claws were. I got this picture of one of the big guys. I can't imagine the terror of being chased by one.

We did spend a long time at the seals. They were swimming around and around. They watched them for quite some time.

My sister and I did something I had been wanting to do since moving back here. We went to the Chocolate Lounge. Basically, a coffee shop catering to the chocolate crowd. We both tasted the drinking chocolate in spicy and silky and then decided on having it mixed with hot milk (hot chocolate). I liked the silky even though the spicy was quite nice. I also got a hazelnut truffle - heavenly. My sister bought Kincaid a blueberry truffle with anchovy on top. Yes, you read the right. He liked the truffle and loved seeing the little fish, but "it wasn't so tasty."

This is him trying a bite and spitting it out. We went out for Chinese food and he asked the waitress, "I would like some octopus with tentacles". They didn't have any, so we ordered tempura squid. He loved it. He ate lots of it. Strange kid that only likes vanilla ice cream, but desperately wants to eat tentacles.

We also got liquid starch and glue (equal parts) to make Gak. Kincaid loved it as he said it was "fish guts".

Duke also loved squishing it around, but then asked to do playdough, "not the sticky kind".

It was so fun, but zipped by with happy kids, grumpy kids, laughing kids and screaming kids.

Muddy Muddy Muddy

2011-09-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

We hiked up towards Symphony Lakes even though they were working on the trail. The trail isn't technically closed until October 3rd, but apparently they are getting a bit of a head start. The tractors had made the trail quite muddy and we slipped and slided for a while. Kincaid walked all the way to the spot where we found a few rocks to eat some lunch. It took a while as he kept turning over all the rocks "to find berries". Duke rode on my back and was a nice partner.

Kory spied a few moose off the trail and we watched them a bit. There was a huge moose with a large rack and a three lady moose harem. I would have walked right by them! We packed up when a bit of snow started to fall. The way back was a bit more difficult as Kincaid was tired. Both Kory and I fell down in the mud as well. Whew! Our boots are so caked with mud I undressed right into the washing machine. I had a great time nonetheless!

Yogurt land

2011-09-29T05:01:00.000-07:00

We just got back from picking up Kory from the airport. I love how much Duke enjoys Yogurtland, but am quite disappointed by Kincaid. He only wants vanilla with no toppings. So sad.

Run Kincaid, Run!

2011-09-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

Kincaid ran the entire Tuesday Night Race. He was amazing. Zooming down hill, walking through the grasses and fishing with his spear all the way. I held his hand and he was so great. I can't overlook how amazing Duke was on Nam's back. He ran like the wind too.

I love these races. Everyone (in the munchkin division at least) is so happy and supportive. I just love seeing everyone out with their families. Warms the heart! It was 39 degrees when we finished, but it seemed warm to me!

Here are pictures from skedaddle today. It was a great little park up on Government Hill with a train play structure. Kincaid and Duke closed out the park - Bear Grylls had to keep pushing the train out of the mud so he could get back to South America. I love that boy. And his sidekick, Duke. Such amazing little creatures that I am lucky enough to call my own!

Leaves!

2011-09-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

It was so beautiful yet again. This fall is rather different than the grey and rainy days I seem to remember being typical. The kiddos played in the leaves with some raking and Kincaid made a nest. He had to sit there until his Teranadon (dinosaur) babies hatched - it was quite a while.

I have again gotten excited about taking pictures. I only use the automatic settings as every time I try to figure out all the fstops and shutter speeds, I get really disinterested. The pictures seem to turn out fine though. I think that it would be fun to do it "for real" (as in for other people), but I can not stand poses, props and corny staged shots. That could be my tag line - Photographer, but it has to be my way. Sounds good doesn't it? I am sure my sister could make the most lovely business cards to make even that look good!

Happy Birthday Bopper!

2011-09-26T04:00:00.000-07:00

It was Bop's Birthday yesterday and we spent most of the afternoon out at Birchwood. We christened the firepit with a round of hotdogs and marshmallows. While the boys wanted to roast their dogs "by self", I needed to help them a bit so they didn't just fall right into the coals. They boys ate raw marshmallows, but I made a Smore. I used really old grahams, but had some Ghiradelli super dark chocolate that was quite good!

(We planted the carrots a bit late, but Kincaid ate about 2 dozen of this tiny carrots)

My mom was gone so we will really celebrate tomorrow with the cake (I made an ice cream cake) and gifts. I hope Bop had a great day! We had a wonderful time and feel so lucky we got to spend so much time with him!

(We are going to Shelly's to not watch a show)

(Boy on trampoline with trusty cat, Peaches)

(I just liked these two fall pictures - the cow weathervane and very pretty leaf)

Fall is Here

2011-09-23T04:00:00.000-07:00

We made it out to Kincaid for the hike. We started from the Jodhpur entrance instead of the typical way by the chalet. This is the motorcross way and is a lot less crowded. The trails were so beautiful with the leaves falling and making a nice covering on the path. I loved this until we started encountering very steep hills. By steep, I mean I almost didn't make it up two of them. I slipped on one and almost was run over by the wump! It was a good glute workout though.

Kincaid did lots of running at first and then got rather tired and wumped the rest of the way. Duke was chattering as usual until silent all of sudden and I looked in and he was zonked out. He was breathing so I pressed on to the car!

(Yes, they are nude in the pictures. We are working on potty training when at home. I am moving into the underwear phase and they are not quite as good with that for some reason)

They were a bit wild at home throwing snakes and casting salmon so I brought out the paper and "Crauns" (how Duke says crayons). That kept them a bit more subdued for a bit. I got a breather and that was lovely. Kincaid now is watching Bear Grylls again at night so I am getting a break from Curious George. That makes me happy as well!

Lazy Day

2011-09-22T04:00:00.000-07:00

We had errands to run in the morning and then took it easy the rest of the afternoon. We did some playing, dancing and art. It was mellow and rather nice. So, I will just explain the pictures as some might be a bit confusing.

These are from the last Tuesday night race. Duke loves riding on Nam and Kincaid loves the Bar. I love how his Salmon is biting my ear. He kept saying "I am tucking him safely under my arm".

Kincaid used scissors for the first time (his size and allowed) and it was priceless. He did lots of little cuts around the whole paper with that same expression. I started to tell him how to use them correctly, but then thought it was his first time and should not force things. He did switch them between his right and left hand interestingly. We did this as Duke napped so he wouldn't try and use them too.

We capped off the evening with glow sticks (thank you Kory about three years ago) in the bathtub. Kincaid stayed in there for almost an hour. I must say that I enjoyed it as well. They lit up the water and made normal things so much more fun! I recommend this for children and adults. Just think how fun an evening pool party would be with these floating (well, they sink though). You could use them for diving too! Endless entertainment.

Late Night

2011-09-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

We just got back the Tuesday Night Races! Kincaid ran a bit more this time and I have high hopes for making a runner out of him yet. He was hampered by carrying a very large Salmon under his arm. Duke really wanted to get out and run, but we wanted to make it back before midnight so he rode on Nam like a champ.

Look at the snow on those mountains! I am guess it will be much lower when we wake up. I asked Kincaid what he was looking forward to with winter (snowmachine, ski, sled...) he said "eating snow" "is snow a food?" Such a silly boy!

We did our normal Tuesday Skedaddle and the boys spent most of the time in the car. Kincaid gets a bit overwhelmed by large crowds and Duke just wants to be with him. They played outside and then on the playground, then in the car and then outside again. It used to bother me, but now I think it is rather smart of him that he knows he needs to take a break. So emotionally intelligent don't you think?