Making Treats

Tuesday evening, it was Keegan and I to fend for ourselves as Cobey had some extra, afterhours work he had to do.  After a somewhat dicey start, with one stubborn little boy who refuses to take his own shoes off, though fully capable, things simmered down.  We each had a bowl of cereal as a snack (yum!).  Then I got out the cookbook and told Keegan, ‘Let’s find a treat to make.’  Thankfully he “choose” carrot cake right off the bat (i.e. randomly pointed to a picture of ‘cake!’).  Carrot cake is a much easier and kid friendly project than some of the others in the book.  We got to work getting our ingredients out and putting them in the bowl.  He’s my “super stirrer” and, as far as he’s concerned, he did all the stirring.  Though, his main duty quickly morphed into “entertainment,” as he made some wonderful music with the metal measuring cups while singing along.  He had so much fun making cake with mom that we proceeded to make our Enchilada dinner which, without thinking I set the red Enchilada sauce down right in front of him and he stuck his hand right in it.  Attempts to keep him from touching anything until I could clean it up ensued.  Fortunately, there weren’t any major clothing fatalities on the night.  After dinner we sat down and enjoyed our treat!  And let me tell you, he REALLY enjoyed it!  What a great evening of cooking and baking with my fun loving little boy!

Thneeds

My belly is getting bigger and the little one is getting more and more active. I swear, he never rests, just constantly kicks my belly, bladder and kidneys. Keegan never rests either. Okay, that’s not completely true. He cherishes his sleep like a good boy should and also loves to cuddle with mommy! Last night we were reading bedtime stories and I started to notice he was finishing the rhyming phrases. So I started to stop and let him finish them for me. I was very impressed!! The Lorax is read to him so much that, I believe, a lot of those were recited from memory, but some he obviously didn’t know or forgot. When I paused for him at the end of the phrase he would say a word that rhymed, fitting the rhyme pattern of the phrase! I think I was having WAY more fun than him with story time as I squealed with delight every time he would rhyme! It was one of the neatest moments to listen to him doing that.
I also got a good chuckle out of one passage from the Lorax. It was the only one he didn’t rhyme along with as, I believe, his counting skills/logic won out. The phrase was “He thought that the Thneed I had knitted was great, and he happily bought it for three ninety-eight.” But it was actually recited as: “He thought that the Thneed I had knitted was great, and he happily bought it for three ninety-TEN!” He was very excited that he knew ten came after nine(ty) and he shouted it. I love my little cutie! He brings so much joy to my life!

2 already!?!?

Recently, I stubbed my toe real hard and gave out the most painstaking “ouch, ouch, OUCH!” Keegan came running and I said “ouch my foot hurts!” He replied with “Sawrry Mommy! Kiss Foot!” Since, like most moms, I kiss his bumps and bruises to make them better, it was only natural he wanted to help me with kisses. So he kissed my foot and I said “All better! Thank you!”

Since then I’ve been a magnet for bumping into furniture and objects that I swear jumped out in front of me! Every time now Keegan says “Sawrry Mommy! Kiss Foot!” and he won’t “let” me be better until he kisses my foot, even though that hasn’t been what I’ve been injuring. It’s so sweet!

Last week Cobey and I took a visit to the doc for the 20 week ultrasound. Of course we had to find out the sex of the baby since I am an extremely inpatient person! And to my extreme excitement (and surprise to the doctor when I screamed for joy), we’re having another BOY!!!! Half way til complete insanity in our house!

Also last week was Keegan’s 2nd birthday. We had some friends of ours and his over on his birthday for snacks and cake. Keegan really enjoyed himself and so did we! I can’t believe how fast he’s growing up! We continue to be blessed by wonderful events and people in our lives!

Pictures

Keegan LOVES spaghetti. I think he just loves making a mess really.

On the trip home from visiting Grandparents. Keegan naps with his trusty dog Kona by his side.

Keegan really loves bagels with cream cheese too.

Our team of dogs running the last day of 2011.

Happy New Year

Hello everyone! Sorry I haven't been keeping up on this. As the sledding season has begun I've spent my time blogging on our site www.bydog.org about time out with the team. Things are going well for our family. I hope your holidays treated you well. We had a good time with Cobey's family over Thanksgiving and got to meet the, then, most recent Williamson, Brevin. Since then another brother has had a baby girl. The next Williamson is due to arrive in June as Cobey and I are pregnant and Keegan will soon have a much needed sibling.

Over Christmas we visited my family in the Tri-cities. Always fun to go home. We got to see Makena much older than the last time I saw her. She was quite a lot of fun and it was entertaining to see her and Keegan interacting.

Keegan is continuing to grow and impress me with all the skills and words he's learning. Just yesterday we were playing with blocks when a song started playing that he liked. He said "good one! All done blocks!". Then frantically put the blocks away so he could dance to the song. It was quite humerous and surprising. Guess I never realized how often we say "good one" when a good song comes on. Having a kid makes you realize a lot of things but one being your quirks and phrases you say a lot. I mean I never knew my dance moves were that silly ;)

I posted from my phone. Was hoping to add some pictures from my phone but can't see how to do so. Hopefully I'll get some pictures up soon. Have a great new year!

Swimming in a Sea of Plastic (literally)

Last week, Cobey and I, separately stumbled upon some especially disturbing images and information reminding us (yet again) of one of the horrible atrocities humans are perpetrating upon this planet….plastic. I came across a series of pictures on the NPR website that Chris Jordan had taken on Midway Atoll in the Pacific Ocean near the Pacific Garbage Patch. They documented Albatross chicks that had died and were decomposing exposing the undigestible contents of their stomachs, large handfuls of plastic bottle caps and other plastic parts. The overwhelmingly saddest part for me (being a parent) is that the parents of these chicks had been feeding these plastic pieces to the chicks mistaking them for edible sea catch. Cobey came across similar pictures and more information while watching a TED talk by Captain Moore.
This began a discussion over stopping the use of plastic at our home. As the discussion continued we realized this was a HUGE undertaking. Cobey claims impossible, I claim INCREDIBLY difficult but possible. To qualify Cobey’s statement, he means impossible to the average family. Which is true, only the most extreme people would an undertaking to reduce their plastic purchase and “consumption” to zero. It’s a sad reality. The assertion that in a capitalist society the people decide what they want and do not want does not apply here. Maybe it is true in a capitalist society but, at least in the not truly capitalist America we live in, it is not. EVERYTHING we consume is wrapped/packaged in plastic and it is no small feat to eliminate plastic from our purchases. The amount of time, energy and money it would take, makes it impossible for the average family to enact. I’m positive there are good majorities of people that would prefer not to purchase so much plastic but not willing to go to the extremes it requires seeing it through.
Even so, I proposed to Cobey last night that we at least do so for a month. He seemed skeptical to the idea but I am serious and will continue to push the idea.
Here is a short list of things that come to mind that we may have to do without or find a direct source (like a farm) if this proposal passes the family debate:
milk (BIG issue with a little milk chugging toddler in the house)
cereal
cheese
toilet bowl cleaner
toilet paper (while toilet paper is paper….the large packages sealed by plastic make it off limits)
yogurt (oh my beloved yogurt!)
….honestly the list continues into the night, but you get the idea, almost anything packaged will have plastic…
We would be allowed to buy things in glass, paper or metal but nothing with plastic. If taken to the extreme, it will still include many glass items (such as peanut butter) because of the plastic seal over the lid. Obviously, we wouldn’t go without toilet paper, we may have to boost some from restrooms or find a source of toilet paper not wrapped in plastic. Seeing how this goes, maybe we could make a “national day' of it, much like “Bank Transfer Day.” But until then, you can be sure we're going to do our best to reduce our plastic consumption/purchase. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. And they're listed in that order for a reason!

Back home!

It’s been a busy last month! During labor day weekend, we had some visitors to our humble abode! The Larimers!!! It, sadly, had been a year since we’d seen them last. It was great to see them again! They have a little boy who is a little over 13 months old. He was crawling all over and pulling himself up on things. It was interesting to see Keegan interact with him. He is the first child about Keegan’s age to visit in our house and while Keegan shares well at daycare this is a whole different situation for him. He had a bit of trouble with it. It was good for him. They were old buddies by the end of the visit. On the way back from a short hike, I thought Keegan was talking very boisterously to me to find when I looked back that he was talking to Ethan and Ethan thought whatever he was saying was hilarious. Victoria was pretty sure Keegan was telling him dirty jokes in toddler talk; I wouldn’t doubt it.

We went to the Ravalli County fair on Saturday the 3rd of September. We checked out the exhibits. The photo I entered of Keegan got a red ribbon. Then we went to the rides. Keegan only rode (with help) the carousel. Ethan rode a car ride and the super slide (with help) as well. Keegan showed some interest on wanting to ride the car ride….until it jerked to a start. Then I’m sure in his head he said “oh no way” and walked away. The best part of the night, as always, were the 4-H animals. Keegan really enjoyed the sheep and wasn’t so keen on pigs. I’m not surprised with how neat and clean a guy he is. The Reserve Grand Champion pig was so fat its legs stuck straight out and didn’t touch while it lay on its side. Kind of looked like bloated roadkill. Dan made the comment that that pig was already well on its way to being bacon.

The next weekend was the wedding of my old college roommate (high school classmate and HS and college track teammate), Allie. Since the fires were really cooking around that time in the Bitterroot valley Cobey was unable to join Keegan and I for the trip. This was Keegan’s first airplane ride. He did REALLY well. Many people commented on what a good boy he was and one older man told me I was a great mother! That was very sweet! At one point during the flight, Keegan got the chance to look out the window and much to my surprise he started to freak out and say “down, down, down” with eyes and wide as grapefruits. I didn’t think this was cognitively possible for a 19 month old but I am absolutely certain he meant he wanted the plane to go back down to the ground. I calmed him down by pointing out all of the exciting things on the ground like cars, tress, houses, etc. The travel was the easiest part of the trip. We had so much fun flying and hanging out in airports. The 3 hour layover, on the way home, in the Seattle airport was the most fun I’ve had during a layover in a while.

Allie’s wedding was beautiful and different all in one. The ceremony was beautiful and their ring exchange was very unique, something you’d only get from a physicist or chemist! The sun was attempting to melt us and had the ceremony been any longer it may have, but we survived. I was very thankful, too, that Keegan slept through the entire ceremony. After arriving in Portland, he decided to enter the terrible twos phase and reduced me to whimpers and tears the night before at the rehearsal dinner. The reception was the “different” part. I’d only been to weddings receptions with lots of dancing. There was no dancing and, in fact, no music simply lots of food, drinks, and games! Unique and definitely lots of fun, especially for the kids! I spent most the night chasing Keegan around instead of getting to catch up with my other two college roommates, Carley and Becky, as well as the Larimer’s and another college track teammate, Amy.

This last weekend Keegan and I visited the Tricities as a surprise to my mom for her 50th birthday. We arrived just in time to sit down at a table at Red Lobster with Alece and her family and surprise her as she walks in. Actually, we originally were in the parking lot when my dad pulled in too but thankfully mom didn’t see us. We rushed inside before them. Hayley showed up later that evening after dinner. My mom thought that was it. Her birthday surprise was her 3 daughters home. Little did she know, there was more coming. We told her that Brandon was prepping for a surprise birthday party for Alece and that she needed to stale Alece for us. All the while, Alece was really staling her. It was great fun and when the surprise was actually sprung upon her it took her a while for it to sink it. She had a great birthday weekend. As did the rest of us. Keegan (and I!) got to see his greatgrandmas and a bunch of 2nd cousins. It’s been a busy last few weekends. They’ve been enjoyable but this weekend at home has and will be glorious!