The Santa Train

What a fun event! Our dear friends C and S have a little boy L, who is only 3 days older than Cooper. These boys are such sweet friends. They are very alike in personality and always have a blast together. What makes this friendship even more special is that Doug and C have been friends since they were 8 years old and C was Doug's best man. We are very blessed to have such wonderful friends! Anyway... getting back to the Santa Train.... they invited us to join and we are so happy they did.
As I have mentioned, Cooper is very into trains right now so this was the perfect event for him.


Two very excited little boys waiting for the train. Aren't they so cute holding hands?


The Santa Train!!


Looking out the window on the train.






Me and Fina playing on the train. Isn't her smile contagious?


Fina and Daddy


Our sweet girl

After about a 20 minute train ride, you arrive at the Northwest Railway Museum where you have hot coco and get to meet Santa Claus. What? No photos with Santa? Nope. Cooper was not interested in sitting in his lap, again. But, he did manage to tell him what he wanted from a safe distance. We purchased Cooper a train at the gift shop as a keepsake from the event. The photo below is very special to me and would be to anyone who knows our Cooper well. Ever since he was very small, he gets down to eye level with what he is playing with so that he can get a close look at the wheels. His new train was no exception. First chance he got, he drove the train along and got eye level with it to see how it worked. (I know you guys understand this Grammy and Po!)


Doug and I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to snap a few cozy family photos...


Cooper and Fina did NOT...
o well. It was a great day!!
Happy Holidays!!! I just love this season!!!

Thanksgiving At The Farm House

This was the second Thanksgiving in a row that we spent at the Hansville Farm House. We had good food, played games, relaxed, and spent time with family. It was so cute to see Cooper be part of the "kid" pack and no longer a "baby". He played hide and seek and many other games day in and day out. He has been asking to go back to the farm house every day. On Friday we hit the beach which was beautiful but cold!
On Saturday we came back to Seattle and went on the Santa Train. Photos and stories of that adventure to come. So far the season has been wonderful.
So Thankful for my family and for our health.
Cheers!

Fina rocking with Daddy while he relaxed and read a book.


Me and my babies at the beach.

"The warmest blanket we ever had..."

Even at his most difficult, Cooper has NEVER been anything but loving toward his sister. Never a sign of jealousy or resentment. Lately, while she is playing on the floor he says "I am going to find the warmest blanket we ever had and put it on Fina." Then he proceeds to wrap her up with the blanket. Many times, he wraps her up, pulls up a pillow for himself and grabs a book to "read" to her. I was lucky enough to capture it with a short video. Not only is he wrapping her up with a blanket but he is wrapping her up in a love that can only exist between siblings. They are so blessed to have each other and I look forward to watching their relationship grow.

Seattle Snow Day

It has been a snowy few days here in Seattle. It is quite funny how Seattle simply shuts down when it snows. People can't and simply refuse to drive, businesses close, the main freeway was even shut down (seriously).
I don't know what it is about snow that is so magical but I absolutely love it. The minute I see the flakes falling I want to run outside and savor it and then sit inside and watch it. I like being snowed in. I remember as a kid, whenever it would snow, my best friend and I would immediately call each other (remember this, Sara?). Then we would usually walk to one or the others house and spend all day in the snow. I guess snow reminds me of a feeling I had when I was just a carefree kid. I now have the joy of sharing snow days with my kids.
Yesterday we went on a long walk and did a little sledding and even built a snow man. Doug and Coop had a snowball fight and Fina slept in the ERGO. Today, we had some good friends over and let the kids play in the snow in the yard, then sat around and chatted over a hot tottie while the kids played and bickered.
What a great way to kick off the Holiday season.
Cheers!


Getting ready to go out in her first snow.



Dado sledding.



Ready...

Set...

Go!


Mr. Snowman


Me and Fifi.


Daddy and his Girl looking at the snow.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

4 Months Old And A Few Other Things...

I don't know where the past few weeks have gone. I feel like I was just saying "I can't believe it's November" and now it is half over. When you have kids your life just seems to go by so much faster. It's like their rapid growth is a constant reminder of how fast time goes and also how precious it is.


On Fina: Our baby girl is 4 months old, already! She weighs 16 pounds already (Cooper weighed 18 pounds at 4 months). She has proven to be the most peaceful baby around. I hate the phrase "good baby" but I must admit, she is pretty darn good. She just smiles and coos and laughs. She is content playing on a blanket or under her play gym for so long that eventually I think "wow, she has been there for almost an hour without complaining, maybe she is hungry" then I pick her up, nurse her, and she falls asleep. Seriously, she is such a trooper. She happily goes on our outings with us, always observing and adding her own commentary. She has developed a preference for our bed at night. That's okay. We don't mind. We learned with Cooper that sleeping with a baby is a pleasure that you can only enjoy for a short while. Soon, they leave your bed and sleep in their own room. While it seems like it will never happen, it will. I have Cooper to thank for peace about sleep. He was the worse sleeper on the planet and I was so stressed and consumed with it when he was a baby. Now, he sleeps all night up to 12 hours in his own bed and he did that on his own, without any special "method" or firmness from us. I am so calm about sleep when it comes to Fina, which is wonderful. I guess that is what experience does for a mama.
I can't believe how in love with her I am. I think it would be a lie to say that I wasn't worried about my ability to love someone as much as I love Cooper but boy was I proven wrong. I look at her and I just melt. I want to squeeze her and kiss her all day long. There are not words to describe my emotions for Fina. True love. I am just enjoying her so much.


On Cooper: This boy is a joy but we are feeling particularly challenged by him. He wants to be in control of most situation which makes day to day life tricky. He is very particular about things right now and really craving consistency so if anything changes or needs to change and he doesn't want it to, well lets just say he has a "tough" time. Sharing is tough for him right now too. It is very hard to discipline him. We want to find a way that is age appropriate and that respects him but that is effective. He is very verbal so it seems like he understands most things but we are learning that he actually doesn't understand as much as we think. He's only 3, after all. He love helping out around the house and loves his sister. He is living and breathing trains right now and really likes to have stories read to him. Long stories, which is fun for me.
Sleep or no sleep, challenges or no challenges, I am one blessed Mommy. I have two beautiful, healthy children and that's more than enough.

Halloween 2010 # 2

Can you tell which black cat is Fina and which is Cooper?



Pretty nuts, huh? Could easily be the same baby.....

Halloween 2010

Who knew that the holiday that if full of gore and fright, that once meant lots of partying, ahem, could bring me to tears? Well, I didn't actually cry, but I could have. Don't worry, tears of joy!
This year has been so fun with Cooper because he is at the age where all of these things are starting to be important to him, like birthdays, and now Halloween. About a month ago I started showing Coop magazines with fabulous costumes in them to get him going on picking out what he wanted to be for Halloween. He never picked one out and then one day he said "I am going to be a scarecrow fro Halloween". He thought it up all by himself and he stuck to it! Doug hit the local thrift stores, something he does regularly anyway, for the perfect items to put together Coopers costume. Cooper was clear on what he wanted and needed. With a little sewing from me, lots of creativity from Cooper, and lots of work from daddy, a scarecrow was born. He sat very still for the makeup to be applied, allowed daddy to tape straw to his overalls, and was very excited to get out in the yard and try it out. It was so stinking cute! I almost cried. He went out into the yard and stood very still in "his" garden to "scare the crows away so they wouldn't eat his seeds".
After he was all dressed up, we went to his school party so that he could show off his costume and play. Then, on Halloween we went to our dear friends house so he could spend Halloween with his best bud. They even trick or treated. It was so funny because each time they would go to the door of someones house they would actually go in the house and we had to call them back. A little old lady gave them an apple for a treat and both boys have not had candy before. When we arrived back at the house to sort their treats, both boys were most excited about the apple and ate it immediately! Too funny. I am sure this is the last year that will happen!
It was so cool to see him think up his own costume, help make it, and then become it. I was so proud of his creativity. I love this boy. So far three years old has been really fun! I can't wait for Christmas with him.
Fina dressed in the costume Cooper wore on his first Halloween. Photos of that later...

















Hope you all had a great Halloween too!