Do you think when we’re gone Slider plays with the kids’ toys? Sometimes when we get home they are mysteriously moved…

We had our friends the Schmalzes over for a barbecue last week. JT and Gracelyn are such good buddies. They played for well over three hours without a single angry word or tear. If you know toddlers, that’s impressive! They got a little crazy and played in the rain outside and wore each other out. When they saw each other the next morning at workout class, they were both a little groggy. 🙂

Poor Tyson was stuck on the deck with adults and Haley. Soon he’ll be old enough to play too!

We made smores and we certainly had to cut the kids off early for fear they would never calm down. We had a great time!

Got a little behind here… so this is what the end of last month was like! One afternoon, Grandpa and Grandma Cole came for dinner and we made homemade pizzas. Here JT is making his pizza.

The caption for this picture should be, “You mess it up, you clean it up.” JT’s scissor activity got a little crazy. I suggested he could vacuum it up himself, and he did a great job!

Haley had her first wagon ride. I think this is her first picture in a long time with a binky in. I have noticed that she doesn’t need it like JT did. He would want it while he was playing at this age, and she rarely has hers outside of bedtime and car rides. But alas, she wasn’t very happy before we got in the wagon and instead of a screaming picture I have this.

Playing with big brother…

Just thinking about getting to all fours… As of this week, Haley can get from sitting to tummy and back to sitting all by herself. She scoots backwards on her tummy all over the place but hasn’t figured out forward movement. We’ll get there.

We took the Bonnells out in the boat with us for lunch one day. It was supposed to be beautiful but ended up being overcast. No big deal, at least it didn’t rain! Brady and JT enjoyed watching the family of ducks come to the boat.

Haley eventually fell asleep. We think this picture looks a lot like JT!

We got some yard work done over the weekend, which felt great. Haley helped me weed the flower beds.

JT helped Jim wash the truck.

We are so lucky to live within an hour of two different zoos. After going to Woodland Park in Seattle last week, we went to Point Defiance in Tacoma this week. (I’m also glad we have the Boonshoft pass, which gets us into both!) Jim came with us this time, so it was “as a family,” as JT would say.

The first thing we saw was the same first thing we saw last time – the zoo peacock, strutting his stuff.

We ventured into the aquarium because JT said he was most excited to see the sharks.

JT did not want to touch the sea anenomes or the sea stars in the Puget Sound tidepools exhibit.

Because we obeyed the “no strollers please” rule in the aquarium (unlike some other moms we saw pushing double wides through the crowds… just saying), Jim went around and picked it up from the other entrance. JT was very patience waiting for him to come back and was pretty happy to see him again!

On to the bigger beasts… the tigers were napping but the elephants were up and around.

We got lucky and timed our lunch just right: we walked up to the Outdoor Theater just as they were starting the show. We picnicked in the grass on the hill and enjoyed a great show. Jim kept trying to convince JT to “nap like the tigers,” but JT wasn’t buying it.

My two 🙂

Off to the arctic tundra and rocky shores… the Oomingmak is my favorite from this trip. I learned that it can survive in climates that are “hostile to all other living things.” I think the Oomingmak looks a little hostile too.

Haley turned nine months old on Saturday and had her check up today. Jim had to take her because I had to work, but I promised him there wouldn’t be any shots. Haley now weighs almost 14 pounds and is 26.5 inches long. That puts her under the zero percentile for weight and the 15th percentile for length. Apparently she is just going to be a little petite. Her head is the only thing that is moving up the charts, now in the 30th percentile (and still smaller than JT’s at birth!).

With these statistics, Haley’s doctor put her on a high calorie diet. It is too bad she will never be able to appreciate it… we are now buttering her crackers and adding cheese and sour cream where possible along with serving other high calorie foods. We are even under orders to start scrambled eggs and meats. Unfortunately, it may be Haley’s genetics that are keeping her from being average size. As a baby, I had the same growth chart. I was smaller at age 4 than JT is currently. So we’re taking it in stride and are pleased that Haley’s doctor also pointed out that she is a beautiful, happy baby. 🙂

She isn’t crawling yet, but who needs to go somewhere when you’ve got a big brother to bring you anything you need? We’re going to have to work on some more tummy time, though, so she can get moving all on her own.

Speaking of big brother…

We are so very thankful for our precious baby girl!

Haley has been waving for awhile but today she realized that she could make me wave back. We did a lot of waving before I thought to grab my cell phone and record it!

This morning when I told JT we were going to the park after workout, he got out Haley’s play phone and called Gracelyn to ask if she was going to meet us at the park by the play structures. Good thing I’d used my real phone to text Gracelyn’s mom already. 🙂

We had a sunny lunch and play time at the park. Gracelyn taught JT how to lay on the swings.

Tyson and Haley enjoyed some swing time too… Haley’s first swing!

Haley waited by the play structure while JT went down the slide.

More sliding from Gracelyn…

Taking a rest… getting ready to go home.

But not without playing in the bark chips one last time!

JT, Haley, and I planned to go to Woodland Park Zoo today and we got so blessed by great weather! Haley and I were ready by 8:15. JT had to be roused from sleep and given breakfast to eat in the car.

Stroller configuration 1 upon arrival: second seat on top. JT rides on the front kick plate on his knees when we have a ways to go, and it worked well at the zoo all morning.

I paid the extra $3 and we saw the new Dinosaur exhibit. It was pretty cool! JT was very brave although he was physically shaking and clinging to me at this last T-Rex. The dinosaurs moved and made noises and it was a little Jurassic Park.

JT said his favorite part was the elephants. We were bummed that the tigers and lions were all hidden away, sleeping in the grass. We did see a beautiful jaguar climb a tree, which was pretty amazing to watch.

Love this picture!

We had a nice picnic lunch before continuing to the Family Farm.

Then came stroller configuration 2 – JT had tired legs and was ready to ride. And since we were done with lunch, we didn’t really need to get to the bags. (Did I mention that I’m still in love with my stroller?)

I told JT he could go in and pet the goats. He walked around, patted each goat once on its back, and said “Okay, I’m done.”

Meanwhile, Haley got a little punchy with her full tummy and apple slice and had a giggle attack in the stroller. Then she got her shoe off and thought that was hilarious.

Back to the car we went before someone had a meltdown. (I will never forget my friend Katie saying, “Why do we stay places until our kids are losing it? Can’t we just leave 15 minutes before that and leave happily?” and that has stuck with me!)

While I loaded the car, JT went and sat on the curb and looked through his zoo bag from the Home Habitats exhibit. I turned around and he was reading the literature we got. What a grown-up little man he is!

Lately JT has been enjoying sitting at his little table for lunch. He sometimes invites me to join him. 🙂

Haley has been so interested in everyone else’s food. She is eating bits of sandwich crust, cucumbers, apples, and celery now… all with no teeth. Last night she really wanted some popcorn like everyone else. When Grandma Cole tried to placate her with a cold celery stick, Haley looked at her like, “Are you kidding me?” Pretty funny.

Last week after lunch JT helped me make some cupcakes for Wednesday night Bible study group. He was a big help cleaning up.

The second batch turned out beautifully… beware of those cute foil cupcake liners. Cut your bake time way down! They should write that on the package.

Haley wasn’t much help in the kitchen but she did enjoy some play time without her brother in the way. That is, until she got another visitor!

The other day, JT had me drive the boat (aka sit on the coffee table facing the opposite direction) while Haley held the flag (aka sit on the coffee table facing the skiier). Then he decided he wanted to switch lakes… so Haley and I pulled the boat out of the lake and put it on the trailer, launched the boat in another lake, and patiently waited while JT got out his ski, found the soap, put on his gloves, put on his ski, grabbed the handle, jumped in the water, and said “Hit it!” Then we pulled him around the lake twice, signaling the skiier for turns of course, until he was tired and Haley got to put up the flag.

If you’re skim reading, you may think we were on an actual lake. Nope! This entire scene was pantomimed and narrated by my child’s vivid imagination and uncanny recollection for the details of skiing. I took some pictures afterward when I had to clean up the lunch dishes and JT was freeskiing on his own. 🙂

Haley attending observer training

Crash!