Day 155

Rebekah turned five today and we helped celebrate her birthday at a community park in Sandy. They had a GIANT play structure, which Parker loved and a little creek to wade in, which both kids loved. Here's Les and Parker walking back to the picnic area to partake in a birthday sundae (perfect alternative to cake on an 80 degree day).

Day 154

Since it's Birthday Week for Les, Kaitlyn and I made blueberry muffins for breakfast. Parker was still in bed so this was the first time she got to help all my herself.

Day 153

Another cute dress for Kaitlyn (thanks again to Rebekah for the hand-me-downs), but this time with a hat. It's pretty cute but I was only able to snap a picture or two before she took it off and wouldn't let me put it back on.

Day 152

Happy Birthday Daddy!

For some reason Parker decided that he wanted to wear his pajama pants, but not the shirt. Which is a switch because one of his favorite phrases of late has been "No pants."

Day 151

Kaitlyn finally got a pillow of her own (so that she'd stop stealing Parker's) and she was so excited. She looks so serene and peaceful in this photo, but it's really just her posing for the camera again. I asked her to lay down so I could snap a picture and she just closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. She is just starting to understand the concept of "pretend," so I am pretty impressed with her acting ability.

Day 150

I know, it's another picture of Kaitlyn hamming it up for the camera. But she is too cute to resist. I can't believe how skinny her arms and legs look - she's such a petite little thing.

Day 149

Kaitlyn has really started to love books - both looking at them herself and having them read to her. However, sometimes she can't decide which she wants . . . it's as if there is an internal battle waging between the toddler desire of "MINE!" and the love of being read to. So lately she'll bring a book over that she wants you to read to her and about halfway through she'll snatch it out of your hands.

Here she is spending a quite moment reading on Parker's bed while it's his turn to get his jammies on.

Day 148

Thomas the Tank Engine has officially arrived at our house. Parker had a couple of the toys, but for his birthday he & Les picked out two engines (Thomas & Percy) and a train station. Since Kaitlyn is not allowed to even look at the trains (let alone touch them), Train World has be relegated to the dining room table. In this particular instance, what you don't see in the photo is Parker admonishing me to stop taking his picture. Apparently the paparazzi are not allowed in Train World.

Day 147

Summer seems to have arrived early in the Pacific Northwest this year. Summer has arrived at our house this year in the form of cute sun dresses for Kaitlyn - and sandals, of course. I've created the summer dress rule as follows: if it's going to be over 80 - dress for Kaitlyn. (Which is of course the scaled down version of my own hard fast rule of no socks between Easter & Halloween, regardless of the weather.) Thus far it is a toss up for what she likes best about the dresses: twirling around or flashing the matching diaper cover to anyone nearby. And honestly, sometimes the first accomplishes the second. And really honestly, if you had a giant lady bug decal on your panties, would you want everyone to see it?

Day 146

Parker's first word was "ball" - not "mom" or "dad" but "ball." Ever since that first word, "ball" has sat atop his toy pantheon. This evening Parker spent a solid 25 minutes bouncing this small rubber basketball around his room. He'd toss it at the wall and then scramble after it . . . over and over again . . . I took a ton of pictures but they were all so blurry because he never would stop moving. Finally I had to con him into standing still for a moment. Oh, and who can resist a boy in monkey pajamas with a smile like that!

Day 145

In this photo Kaitlyn proves that she has mastered the formidable "type by AA battery" method of typing that is an elusive feat for the most proficient typist.

(Oh, and did I mention that we got a new computer?)

Day 144

We visited a new park after work this afternoon. It's a little play yard next to a church and it is totally fenced in, so that I could take the kids by myself. The slide was wide enough that the kids could race each other down. Which they did over and over and over . . .

Day 143

Kaitlyn you weren't pulling the DVD's off the shelves were you?

Day 142

Hug Time! Parker is wearing the Buzz Lightyear jacket that he got for his birthday . . . who knew that the reflective strip on the arm would be so . . . reflective?

Day 141

The weather was so nice that Les decided to do some yard work and the kids and I set up the water table out on the deck. It was the first time Parker had worn his new Buzz Lightyear swimwear and he spent most of the time shouting "To infinity & beyond!"

Day 140

To celebrate Parker's birthday, we had a BBQ picnic with family and friends at Hammerle Park. Parker was the lucky recipient of two golf sets that were well used by the end of the day. There were so many pictures to choose from, but I really liked this one. Parker looks for all the world like he is on a golf course heading off after a ball.

Day 139

Miss Carrie came over and we had a picnic dinner in the "park" at Burgerville. Kaitlyn & Parker had a ball chasing each other all around the grass. At one point, Parker decided to lay down and look at the sky. Kaitlyn laid down next to him, but as soon as she saw the camera she got up and said "Cheese!"

Day 138

In addition to drumming, Kaitlyn rocks on the guitar too. Here she is about to demonstrate how to smash it against things . . . all with the innocent "who me" look.

Day 137

Parker turns three!

Les & I brought mini cupcakes to Parker's preschool to share with all the kids in celebration of his birthday. He really got a kick out of wearing his crown and having everyone sing to him. (He was also very pleased with his new Buzz Lightyear shirt & pants.)

Day 136

Teeth brushing is one of the favorite activities in the house these days. Kaitlyn is now tall enough that she can reach her toothbrush in the water. I am not sure which is her favorite: playing in the water or licking the toothpaste off the brush . . . Parker, on the other hand, probably likes pushing Kaitlyn off the stool the best.

Day 135

Les finally arrived back home from his week long trip to Philly & Baltimore. The kids got to spend a little time with him before bed. Kaitlyn is clearly delighted to have Daddy home, but Parker seems distracted by the TV. It's so hard to get him to smile for the camera any more . . .

Day 134

For Mother's Day, Les and his sister's family went to a baseball game in Baltimore (Orioles vs Yankees). After Les cooked his sister Maria breakfast, of course. Here are Les & Maria posing in front of the Johnny Unitas statue.

Day 133

Saturday morning, Mom and I took the kids to the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport. We were there in time to see both the Sea Otters & the Seals being fed. Parker got a little hands on time with some Sea Stars and Anemones.

After the Aquarium, we met up the Grayson, Kelly & Cecil and played at the beach & the park. Then we went to Lil' Sambos for dinner. Parker entertained the entire table (and some adjacent ones) by taking his orange slice and dunking it in his butter & syrup and then swirling it all over his plate. We were all fascinated & he was quiet, so I wasn't complaining.

Day 132

With Les back East (both for business & to visit his sister), my mom & I took the kids down to Lincoln City for mother's day weekend. We drove down Friday afternoon and after we unpacked went to the beach. Just over Mom's head is this GIANT windsock (100 ft long?) . . . that should really be an indication of how windy it was. It was too blustery to stay too long at the beach, but afterwards we went to a local park and enjoyed the sunny afternoon.

Day 131

Matthew McConaughey's got nothing on my naked drummers.

Day 130

Kaitlyn's new favorite play thing is the travel high chair. She worked very diligently until she was finally able to get the two pieces of the buckle to snap together and was very proud of herself. Then she realized that she cannot unbuckle them. Screeching ensued. So now it usually goes: Buckle, Screech, Parent Unbuckles. Then as soon as Parent sits down again, there is usually another perfectly timed screech. This goes on and on and on . . .

Day 129

Parker has been doing really well in his new bed. He hasn't fallen out at all. However sometimes when we come and check on him, he is not quite how we left him . . .

Day 128

Ring Around the Rosey



Pockets full of Poseys

Ashes, Ashes . . .

We all fall down!

Day 127

After nap time & taking advantage of the dry weather, Les took Parker down to Hammerle Park to have a little Daddy time. I still can hardly believe that he is big enough to climb to the top of the slide all by himself (it's got to be at least 8 feet off the ground). It seems like each day he is becoming less "toddler" and more "big boy."

Day 126

Okay, by now you are thinking: "How many picture of Kaitlyn smiling for the camera are you going to post?" The answer has to be "tons." How can I not pick this photo for the picture of the day? Her eyes all squinty because she is smiling so big . . . It's too cute.

This was taken at Red Lobster during out Saturday family dinner with the Les' dad, no Deemer family this week. It still amazes me that we manage take two toddlers out to restaurants once a week. Well, what actually surprises me is that we haven't been kicked out of said restaurants. Generally speaking the kids are well behaved (meaning, at least they are mostly quiet & don't disturb other patrons too much), but some Saturdays the only way to keep them on best behavior is to end up both of them sitting in my lap. Oh well, I've learned to eat fast and never to order ribs when dining with children.

Day 125

Kaitlyn got new jammies. Les said she looked like a sixties flower child in them. And I have to admit that the sleepy expression on her face and her crazy hair both enhance that image.

"Like, cheese, man."

If only she had been holding up the Peace sign . . .