Friday, May 29, 2009

Let Me Introduce You


The other day I asked Stella the names of two of her favorite frogs. Since she's entering an incredibly creative and imaginative phase - one that you've probably noticed involves a lot of tea - I knew the answer would be good.

I had no idea it would be this good.

Without skipping a beat, Stella looked at the fella on the right and said "Guapo." She then pointed at the guy on the left and said "Waffles."

Guapo and Waffles.

You heard me.

Guapo and Waffles.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

A Long and Happy Weekend

Oh, what a fabulous holiday weekend! Rather than pack our bags, we decided to simply turn off our ringer and enjoy our own backyard this Memorial Day weekend. We enjoyed a few fun outings with friends, but mostly we just chilled with the wee Scout. We rode our bikes everywhere, played on the beach, rocked out at the local parade, tumbled in the yard and built an exciting (yet manageable) vegetable garden for Stella. So while the ever-present to-do list still sits patiently on the kitchen counter, we had a blast just relaxing and enjoying our little unit of three.

Of course, Stella believes every holiday weekend should be kicked off in style with a Memorial Day tea party. And EVERYONE is invited! Stella is intense about her tea. And she has a small group of inanimate buddies who regularly join her for a spot.


Here Stella shows Striped Bear how to knock it back.


This isn't the best shot of the parade. I must admit I actually enjoyed myself listening to the marching bands and watching Stella groove; I pretty much forgot about the camera. But we had a great time waving to the firemen with our pals Scarlet and Michael.

And yes, Brian shaved his head. He bared his noggin to help raise over $2000 for juvenile diabetes, and as Stella says, "Papa head fuzzy now."


Stella and Isaac soaked up the rays on a tiny beach in Fairhaven. I could tell Stella was a bit mystified as to how this rocky and somewhat inhospitable Northwest beach could in any way resemble the smooth sands of Costa Rica, but she was game nonetheless.

Don't you just want to nibble those cheeks?

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Happiness in Seattle

Since my parents are traveling in Europe for a few weeks, Brian and I decided to take advantage of their gracious hospitality and took a little mini-vacation in Seattle with the wee peanut. For three days, we lounged, we lazed, we played and we laughed. And it was spectacular. It was a fabulous break from an already wonderful life. Brian and I kept repeating the same mantra over and over - Man, do we love this girl or what? Oh and this one popped up several times too - We are so stinkin' lucky.

Stella loves her Papa.

This is an understatement. Stella adores her Papa. She and I are beyond tight and there are moments when nobody will do but Mama. But Brian and Stella have a love thing goin' on, and it totally kills me seeing these two play and love with such unabashed joy. Lucky kid. Lucky Papa.

We spent two gloriously sunny mornings soaking up the Woodland Park Zoo since. Stella was in heaven. While she's always been into the zoo, she was literally screaming "Otters!" and "Bears!" on the drive south. And we had an extraordinary treat when we arrived. We got to feed a giraffe. And dude - yes, this merits a dude - our peanut was so brave. She was quiet and focused and totally courageous as this enormous and otherworldly creature slowly ambled toward her tiny little fingers. When it was all over, she turned to both of us and said, "Again?" Needless to say, Brian and I were equally enamored and didn't want to leave our new gorgeous friend.

The first nibble...

...Angelina, eat your heart out...

...and a final happy munch.

Amazing.

We spent a good stretch watching the gorillas as well. Stella has been talking about the gorillas for days now and occasionally asks Brian to carry her like a monkey. As we were leaving the gorilla exhibit, we caught Stella sticking her well-worn blanket ("Cuddle") into the baby gorilla statue's nose. Don't be alarmed. She's normal. Or, at least we think she is. This is how Stella comforts herself. Oddly enough, she finds immense happiness in stuffing the corner of her blanket into her little nostril. I imagine she just wanted to comfort this little guy amidst all the crowds. That's our sweet, empathetic babe.

We topped it all off with a lovely visit with Uncle Bob and Aunt Cindie. (Stella loves these guys. She talks about them constantly and loved playing football with "Bop" and examining glass ladybugs with Cindie.) It was one of those vacations that reminded us of how fortunate we are with all that we have - a happy and healthy kid and a rockin' little family unit.

Tea for Two

So, for the last few mornings, as I've wandered into the living room to tell Stella breakfast is ready - she likes to chill out with her Panda and Giraffe pals as I gather the grub - I find this lovely tableau. Stella is nowhere to be seen and Vinnie is ready for tea. Then, Stella rounds the corner with another cup or saucer and looks thoroughly delighted that I might join them for a spell.

She insists that Vinnie likes sugar with his lemon tea.

I love these two.

A New Buddy


Stella's got a new buddy.

We were lucky enough to meet the one and only sweet Everett a few weekends ago when Everett's parents dropped in for a quick visit. Reconnecting with Everett's parents - we were pals back at Evergreen - was a genuine treat for us, and watching our babes (who are only three weeks apart in age) was really wonderful. We look forward to visiting Everett and his 'rents in Portland when we gather our wits and make the trek. Thanks, Nathan and Sara, for making the effort to stop by the 'ham! Stella is still talking about playing at the park with "Evett" her "new fren."

Monday, May 4, 2009

Catching Up


Hey Y'all! Life has been a bit busy around here, and I'm just now sorting through photos, stories and potentially blogworthy posts. We enjoyed a really fabulous mini-vacation in Seattle last week, but I'm having a bit of trouble downloading our photos for some reason. Once things become less wonky, I'll post our faves.

Stella is now a talking machine. This morning, she explained to me that "Cars drive fast, wheels turn round... rainy day, La La read stories." It's so much fun to hear her tell us about her adventures from the previous day every morning when we cuddle and read in bed. She's focusing on numbers and counting and, even more than before, is fascinated by bugs and animals. We definitely (and happily!) have a little naturalist on our hands. (The picture above is a common sight in our yard. Stella is downright obsessed with finding new bugs and hit the toddler jackpot the other day when she and I found ants, a potato bug, lady bugs, spiders and a caterpillar all in one afternoon. I must say that we're loving this phase. It's just so much fun to let our inner kid take over, sitting for long stretches to marvel at the true coolness of ants and ladybugs. What a gift.

Again, I'll post again soon once I work through these pesky technical difficulties. Soon...