The never-ending eye color debate...

While most folks tell me what a handsome blue-eyed blondie I have, to which I simply say thank you, I have forever been struggling to determine if my son's eyes are hazel like his Dad's or just brown. Because they're clearly not one way or the other, guess I'll stick with hazel since it makes the most sense. Hmm, I may have too much time on my hands...

Arizona, my hero.

Boy, did I choose the right time to visit the parentals. 22 inches of snow in the Hood and I'm in flip flops. Arizona's retirement community did us proud and a big thank you goes to our hosts for allowing us to stay in their 30 foot trailer for 9 days. Not only that, but they stocked their fridge with all the foods we like best, and took us to all the things we wanted to go to. You know who you are, thanks a million!

Highlights: swimming every other day with my favorite water rat and his Omi, taking slow walks around the park while Ko "managed" the stroller, watching this kid thrive in 80 degree weather, late night with Jimmy Fallon, "watch Cars, eat popcorn" Friday night, drinking coffee in the morning and snuggling with Koen on our awesome air mattress with sun and warmth pouring through the windows, great food the entire trip, being transported to childhood on all the amazing playgrounds, Bloody Monika's and Darrel-tinis, watching M and D bust a move to their favorite Beattles songs, playing in the dirt across the road from our trailer, watching all the old ladies (and men) run to Koen because he was a real live boy just like they'd seen on TV! The list goes on...

Unfortunate downsides to the trip: falling ill the first week and dropping my new cell phone in Ko's bathtub rendering it useless. All that pales in comparison to a sweet escape to the land of sun.

Two point Five

My attempt at setting up a family pic from a windowsill in Leavenworth, WA

Yes, that is gorilla tape. No washer means no cloth diapers, which means getting every last bit of mileage out of those Huggies. They ripped from top to bottom when I went to secure the tab, cheap!

Now someone looks like his daddy. Minus the washboards in center field.

Thank you Grandma for this awesome snowsuit find.

It's a Corona Christmas 'round these parts.

Koen is 2 1/2 now which means a lot of things in our world. It means...

• Graduating from the nursery at church
• Speaking eloquently at times, yet indulging in his own made up language because it still sounds cool
• Playing intently by himself leaving plenty of time for me to relax or get things done
• It means being able to tell me exactly what hurts and why
• Readiness to potty train if only I could remember to put him on the toilet and let the magic happen
• It means hearing a faint "Bless you, Mama" coming from the kitchen after he's heard me sneeze in the bathroom
• Giving me the tightest hug and kiss on the cheek in appreciation for taking him swimming in a hotel pool, or rewarding his good behaviors with one tiny chocolate chip, or letting him watch Curious George during our one-hour drive to Portland
• It means he still has an appreciation for Elmo, but is welcoming Thomas the Train and Land Before Time into his life
• It means he's strong enough to damage his parents when he gets a wave of energy
• He can tell us he's sorry and mean it to avoid a dreaded one-way ticket to time out
• It means he's gentle to all animals while I'm watching
• Recognizing inconsistencies like "Mama's wearing a bra, but noooo bras for Koen"
• It means 2 1/2 years of pure blessing that we are lucky enough to have him in our lives

Our new roommate

We've officially moved our little man into our bedroom because as of today the water heater has been ripped out of Koen's closet and tomorrow begins demo of his entire bedroom, the bathroom and laundry room which share his walls. Poop. That means no hot water for who knows how long. Thank goodness we have family five miles away, because I'd hate to knock on the neighbor's door and ask if we could shower, do our laundry and wash our dishes. Lately Koen has been a little on edge when it comes to change so we'll see how he handles this relocation. (example: recent freak-out when I placed a stuffed animal in his bed that belonged on the floor next to his changing table).

Family photo ops

Time for family photos, which I'm terrible about doing each year. So this afternoon I decided to kick Dad off football and kid off Elmo and we headed down to the horse barn to make the magic happen. The big smiles show me that, although unenthusiastic to begin with, my boys ended up having a fairly good time... mostly because they enjoyed watching me dance around like a monkey for giggles. And I'm one step ahead on Christmas cards this year. Woohoo!

Fall is upon us

Last days of summer and the hose/sprinkler obsession

Our neighbors happen to own a pumpkin patch. What a special surprise!

I think he likes it!

When it's pouring outside you go camping.

Koen and I are definitely housebound today with rain coming down in solid sheets outside. We've done it all - play in the sink, puzzles, wrestle, tackle house chores together, and camping indoors which proved to be a huge success.

I glanced back at older pictures of this little man and I can't believe how much he's changed in such a short period of time. He's getting so tall and strong and independent these days. He's been in his big boy bed for some time and handled the change easily. We took the front off the crib and put a mattress guard up so it's safer for him to get in and out. No longer do I get to wake up slowly while he waits for me to come get him. He bounces out of a dead sleep with no transition whatsoever then comes and jumps on my face. "Mama outside". I'll ask him to cuddle and sometimes I'll get two minutes then he loses patience.

He's fascinated with how things work and spends most of his time breaking things then trying to put them back together. I'm slightly happy the weather is turning because we can give the sprinklers and fans a break - his longest-lasting obsession. All in all this kid is as easy as it gets and I must remind myself that when I'm close to losing my temper. He can be directed out of a meltdown or doing something naughty quite easily if I am patient and take my time with him. Love this kid more and more each day.

Laugh in a box

My trial run at adding video to the ol' blog