Second Father's Day

It all started with a card. H was super excited to use a pen.

Then H gave Daddy the prized card and gift.

Then H helped Daddy with his workout.

In the afternoon, we took a trip the Marina.

It was SUPER windy. H decided to hang with Daddy...

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Until we found a less exposed area and a nice patch of dirt. Where we played for while until we decided to go home for dinner. Salmon cakes and corn and tomato salsa. Yum.

Water baby

The warm weather is here and H is in love with all the water time that comes with it. If you would please join me for a stroll into our backyard to see the water baby at work.

As we walk further into the back we can see...

H and J setting up H's water dispenser! We have been enjoying the hose recently but it involves a lot of adult involvement as well as a lot of water and so we went on the hunt for an alternative water set up. The hunt was not long or hard. Working in education has its perks from time to time and this is one of them. I feel like more often than not when I find myself needing help with H I can turn to teachers to give me tried and true solutions and sure enough we found it. This dispenser is cheap and just right for H. With a little work H can easily fill his buckets and watering can. He is in love with this dispenser and wakes up wanting to go outside to play.

I don't think we will have any trouble keeping the plants watered this summer. H is making sure everything is getting the water it needs.

More kitchen fun

The table that we were using as H's art table is now being used for both art and kitchen activities due to limited space available. So, the most recent activity available is pouring water. H discovered this activity after waking up from a lovely afternoon nap and was thrilled at the sight of the little pitcher and glass. I showed H how to pour water from the pitcher into the cup and then drink out of the cup. After H waited patiently for my turn to be done he carefully took his own turn, thoroughly enjoying the entire experience.

To watch H gingerly pick up the pitcher and and attempt to carefully pour the water out was almost too cute for words. It is so amazing to observe him as he takes each step very carefully and deliberately. It feels like he is growing up so fast right now and gaining more and more independence each day.

Beautiful morning

At 7:10am this morning I awoke to sound of H playing with his blocks in his room. 7:10! Normally we would be awoken anywhere between 5:30 and 6:15am by H calling to us. But on this beautiful Saturday morning H decided to wake up and play instead of coming to get us out of bed. It wasn't until 7:30 that he came and got us. It was so awesome.

Growing up, kitchen style

H is simple crazy about the kitchen. He loves to wisk, splash, pluck, and dance. For well over a month H has spent a lot of his time with his basket of kitchen items sitting on the floor or working at his table happy and engaged. Often when H wants to be picked up it so he can see what is up on the stove top. If H and I are coming in the front door and he hears J working in the kitchen he goes running in to see what is happening.

A few week ago we asked H's teacher what she would recommend for H given his love of all things food related. She said that we should include him in as many ways as possible in the kitchen. Some specific recommendations she gave for a 14 month old are peeling bananas, pulling grapes from the vine, and pouring water. In addition I am trying to include H in as many cooking activities as I can. H helps tear spinach and lettuce for salads and sandwiches and I try to prepare and assemble things at H's level.
Stay tuned for more kitchen stories and recipes coming soon!

A month through snapshots

You call this thing a backpack? Hmm...the straps feel interesting.

Contemplating life and the stove with my my backpack on.

Saddle up, cowboy!

Who are you lookin' at?

Tissue paper is always enjoyable

Who doesn't love morning hair?

More morning hair

Hard at work

One tired daddy

Hmmm...the window is open
These plants are AMAZING!

Loneliness

In looking over our blog today, I realized that it has been a month since I posted last. My apologies for this. Our lives have been very busy with work, home, family, friends, and the whirlwind of emotions that goes with all of those things. The good and the bad, the happy and the sad that accompanies life.

So, it is May 23 now and H is in bed and J is out of town for the night and I find myself sitting alone getting ready to head into the kitchen to make food for tomorrow for H, and I feel lonely.

Ever since H entered our lives the world has changed, it has gotten bigger in some ways and smaller in other ways and always fuller than it ever has been before. Most of the time I have too much to do to think about how I feel about anything, but then there are these moments, such as now, in which I find myself catching up with myself and it feels like I have been running too long and too fast and didn't notice and now can't catch my breath. And in those moments of breathlessness I can feel any number of emotions, joy, awe, worry, sadness, etc. But tonight the feeling I have is loneliness.

As with all emotions I try to give them their space and not rush them out or push them down. So tonight I will try to sit with my loneliness and not let it scare me. I will invite it to spend the evening with me as I get my tasks done before tomorrow. We will have a glass of wine together and chat. Loneliness will listen patiently as I bring up all of those things which make me feel lonesome and overwhelmed right now. And as we hang out in the kitchen, L and I, the baking and cleaning will feel good and I will reassure myself that it is ok to feel lonely at times. And then I will brush my teeth, get into bed, and rest before tomorrow.