Ms. Leah's house

I am so happy to report that....

....we LOVE our home day care!

Seriously, what a relief it is to know that our kids are being engaged and having tons of fun while we're away from them.  Other than a scuffle with one of the infants, things are going swimmingly.

(Finn loves the babies there, but decided to pull one's hair.  She quickly responded with cat-like claws on his cheek.  He walked away with some scratches and a lesson learned.)

Ms. Leah and Ms. Rachel are a mother-daughter team from Kenya.  With the help of Ms. Isabelle, their assistant teacher, the kids have been learning and playing their hearts out all summer. 

Today was an extra special day for two reasons....Koen successfully learned how to pump himself on the swing (a feat he's been attempting to master for two months).  And Finnie pooped on the potty!  Yay!  We did a potty dance, and he got stamps on his hands.  

Total party!  :)

Enjoy this short clip of the swing-fest at daycare today.  Once Koen had it figured out, he couldn't bring himself to get off.  I think he continued to swing for about 30 minutes straight while I waited.  Then he complained all the way home that his arms were sore from hanging on so tight.

Hugs & Kisses!

Ps.  Their favorite songs this week (which we've heard repeatedly for days on end) are "Let's Go Fly a Kite" and "Take Me Out to the Ball Game".  It's pretty cute to hear them carry on.  Koen will start singing the first line of the ball game song, and Finn will pick up where he left off, singing "Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks!"  We definitely see another Mariner's game in our near future.  I'm sure their eyes will pop to hear the entire stadium sing along with them.  Fun!

January Highlights

I feel like we got 2011 off to a good start with a busy and playful January...SO busy, and SO playful that I just plain didn't have time to blog.  But I can at least offer a photo summary of the month, if nothing else?

Let's begin with Mariner's Fan Fest 2011.  This was a 'Boys Only' event...for Clay and the kids anyway (I relished in some rare 'Erin time' while they were gone).  Koen and Finn had the opportunity to sit in the dugout, see the Mariner Moose, practice their batting and pitching skills on the field, and run the 360 foot stretch around the bases (even more impressive when your legs are only 12-18 inches long)!  They came home exhausted and as happy as too little boys and one big boy can be.

Finnie says, "In twenty years, look for me right here, in this very spot...in uniform!"

I took the boys on a nature walk one Sunday morning.  The air was crisp, the sky was mostly blue, and the mud was abundant.  Luckily, I thought to bring our rain boots, just in case....whew!  Koen charged the trails ahead of us.  With his hands grasping the pretend steering wheel of his pretend car, he rambled all over the rocks and logs.  Finn delighted in tossing pebbles into the slow moving creek.  One after the other, he shouted, "Pass!" (meaning splash!).

Teacher Sandi hosted an impromptu Take Your Sibling to School day.  Finn was beside himself with joy!  He always tags along when I pick Koen up from school.  We sit through ending circle time for songs and dismissal, but Finn always wishes for a little more.  On this day he finally got more!  The little kids had free reign of the climbing room, the play dough, the water table, the art station, and the bouncing stallions.  Koen also enjoyed the opportunity to show his little brother around his 'big kid' school.

Seriously...just look at the smile on his face 

as he discovered the mini-sofas in the reading loft!

Can you find the little Greenleafs in this photo?  

They both sat very still, not fully participating, but definitely taking it all in. 

Finn!  Lie down with the other kids!  

He wasn't sure he wanted the parachute coming down on top of him, 

but he wasn't willing to do anything to prevent it either.

That's all for now.  Just a peek into a few of last month's outings.  Hopefully, February will have even more to offer!

Hyak Sno Park

Just a quick trip up to the pass, and we found this crazy-cold, white stuff at Hyak Sno Park.  The kids got a sled for Christmas and we were on a mission to break it in!  This was Finn's very first time playing in snow.  As expected, he was wary and whimpered a lot at first.  But soon Koen's contagious giggles infected him and we caught him smiling a little.

Just the beginning.
Finn is definitely concerned about his attire and the forthcoming activity.

By now, Koen has decided he never wants to leave this wintry playground.
Finn, however, is still questioning everything.

Snowball fight!

How does it taste, buddy?

This was one of many trips down the little hill.

This is the only way to go back up the hill!

I decided it was a good idea for both of us to go down on our backs...head first.

Our weak attempt at a snowman.
Koen body slammed the poor guy as we left.

Sweaty and blissful.

What a perfect Saturday outing!  We're hoping the snow sticks around a little longer so we can go back soon! 

Oatmeal

I just thought I'd share this sweet moment with everyone. Koen loves to feed Finn lately. If get up from my chair for more than 30 seconds, I return only to find him sitting in my spot, feeding his brother. It's precious and he does a wonderful job. I can tell that Finn enjoys this new sort of interaction with his big brother as well. Do take note of his excessive cheesiness. He's becoming a camera poser.

So keep up the good work, Koen! Next we'll learn garbage take-out, toilet cleaning and laundry! You think I'm kidding. The other day as I was mopping the floor, Koen watched me with utter curiosity (yes, I don't do it that often....totally busted). After a few minutes, he asked, "Mommy? Maybe when I'm bigger I get to do that too?" Yep! Don't you worry...I'll teach you how to mop!

Anyway, enjoy the sweetness (and don't forget that you can pause the music if you want)....

Halloween comes early?

Nope! It's Fire Prevention Month!

We attended Firefighter Story Time at the local library. Most of the kids wear anything and everything that remotely resembles firefighter gear. Koen's outfit was by far the best this time (we attended last year, too). He was so excited to wear all this stuff. The helmet stayed on even in his car seat...he refused to take it off.

About ten firefighters were there to read stories. Most were situated on the floor throughout the crowd, helping us follow along in the books as the main guy read aloud up front. And, as if to make the experience come to life, they suddenly got an emergency call on their radios. We all fell silent, listening to the dispatcher as she said, "Station 31, Station 31". One fireman looked around at his peers and said, "That's us, guys. We gotta go."

It was hard not to get a chill down your spine as they all jumped up and practically ran out of the library amidst the cheering kids and parents. It was pretty cool. Many of us adults were talking to our little ones who didn't understand the commotion, saying, "They're going to save some people!" Then we listened for a minute after they left and heard the sirens driving away.

Luckily, they had planned for this very interruption. There was one fireman who stayed behind to finish story time with the kids. Koen was very focused as watched him don his gear. He has recently been scared of firefighters, ever since we saw a life size 'fire-mannequin' at the children's museum. It was a little bit creepy, I must give him that. The mannequin was propped up in the corner of a room wearing a big oxygen mask. His eyes were the hollow kind that followed you around the room. At one point, Koen tugged on my pant leg and said, "Mom, that 'cary' man's lookin' at me". Poor guy.

Anyway, ever since then I've been trying to convince him that firefighters are nice and that we like them because they're brave and they save people. I sure hope this new experience reassured him.

Here, Fireman Ben was showing the kids what he might look like to them if they were ever caught in a fire and needed his help. He said we wouldn't believe how many kids shy away from him when they see him crawling toward them in a burning house. Gee, ya think? Could you imagine being a little kid and seeing this image come at you through the smoke? Yikes!



We took a moment to pose with the fire engine out front. Koen had no interest in following the other kids inside the truck. No, he just wanted to see it from a distance. And by the way, the fire fighters gave him big compliments on his gear. They love their fans!

My Gasoline Boycott

While driving by our neighborhood gas station, I noticed the price of REGULAR gasoline (are you sitting down?)...$4.27.  I KNOW!  I almost drove off the road.  Right then and there, on the way home from the grocery store, a mere 4 blocks from our house, I made a pledge to drive as little as absolutely possible!  Seriously, I live in one of the most accessible cities in the country, what am I waiting for?  And as if I needed a sign to drop out of the sky, C came home last night with the free annual bus pass (a benefit offered by his new employer)...it's worth about $1000!  O.k. now I have no excuse, nor did I want one.

So we started off today by walking to library story time in the rain.  Yep,

it started to rain (not sprinkle), 2 minutes before we were about to walk out the door.  For a half-second I thought..."ehhh, I'll start my gas-free pledge tomorrow" but then quickly checked myself.  My dear, you live in SEATTLE!  It rains 80% of the year....buck up and walk!  So we donned the rain gear and headed out.  It turned out to be a fun adventure, and when we got there and parked the stroller in a room with about 25 other wet strollers, I realized I'm in good company here.

My friend from college met us there with his 2 year old.  Afterward, we walked across the street to this great indoor play area for little kids.  The little boys had a good time playing and socializing with about 100 other little kids with the same idea.  It was our first play date, and turned out to be super fun.  I look forward to many more fun days like this one!

   

Vocabulary

Moving day outfit...no comment.

A few things special K likes to say:

ball="bah"

dog="dah"

Oski (our dog)="Ah"

shoe="siew"

Zeus (Nana & Papa's dog)="zoo"

eat="eee"

hello (while holding a phone, or other object to ear)="hee-low"

water (my favorite)="oo-wah"

pee-pee="pee-pee" (with much emphasis on the "p" sound)

hat="hah"

juice="ziu"

car="cah"

balloon="boo"

food="foo"

spoon="poo"

yep="yep"

Collin="kah-yee"

teeth="tee"

elbow="bow"

head="hee"

nose="no"

kitty="kee"

choo-choo train="choo-choo"

more="mo" (plus the sign for more)

snap="nnnap"

baby="beebee"

spin (the ball)="pihhh" (and it lingers as the ball spins)

He also says the following with complete clarity:

Dada

Mama

nope

yep

Nana

Papa

eye

key

no, no, no

And by his own discovery, a dog has never barked...it says "hah, hah, hah, hah."  That was Oscar's contribution to K's education.

What did I tell ya?

Like I said...I'm not so good at this keeping up to date thing.  My last/first post was mmm, 9 months ago?  So I'm just going to start here...today.  And, yes, I am keeping this record as more of a journal for K.  He does so many new things everyday, I can't keep up in my journal.  Plus, this will never get burned up in a fire, or drown in a flood, right?  Forever memories.

So here's to a second beginning.  I've posted a photo of K on the slide at Forest Green Park in Ogden, UT.  We have now moved back to Seattle, but we were able to spend about four weeks with Nana & Papa (C's parents) before we left.  We had a great time watching their TV, eating their food, breaking their things, and letting our dog dig up their yard.  Then as we left, we accidentally forwarded their mail with ours!  I'm sure their glad to see us go!  :)   But seriously, we couldn't have done it without them.  They helped us move up here, too.  I tell ya, the airport experience alone would have killed me if I didn't have Nana there to help!

Thanks you guys!  We owe ya!

Anyway, below is a little video of the slide...so cute.  And here's to many frequent future posts.