New Year's Eve

Last post of the year...and of the decade. Wow. And, post #100!

We had a really nice day today. This morning, we did a small Goodwill donation drop off, then drove down to Federal Way to visit Stanley & Halina. She made a delicious casserole of chicken, brown & wild rice, corn, kidney beans and 2 cheeses. Pretty simple, but perfect for this rainy day. The kids had a good time playing there. Vincent loves to run around their house. Stanley was very surprised & impressed to hear Vincent address him & Halina by their names. He just couldn't believe that he knew their names. Tyler was a little shy at first (he had fallen asleep during the car ride down & just woke up), but by the time lunch was over, he was giving Halina kisses on her cheek. So sweet.

Both kids fell asleep on the ride home. Tyler continued back for a nap when we got home, but Vincent just stayed awake, resting, in his room. During the time he was in his room, he got up and peed in his potty all on his own. He came downstairs to get me & tell me. Of course, he ended up pooping in his diaper a little later. Oh well, eventually he'll get there. David and I took a little nap as well.

The rest of the afternoon, we played with the kids, had dinner, and played some more. During dinner, we toasted to the new year. We've been showing Tyler how to toast, thinking he probably won't get it for a while. But, tonight, he did! He kept raising his sippy cup to clink glasses with us & got such a kick out of it.

After dinner, we went in the living room and danced to George Michael's "Freedom '90". Then, Vincent requested that we do the dance workout video for a little while.

Right now, the kids are both in bed, David's messing around with the T.V., & I'm posting...we both have a goal to be in bed by 10pm and sleep through the countdown to midnight. I know, boring & uneventful, especially for the last day of the decade. We plan to ring in the new year a tiny bit more rested.

Anny's New Year's Resolutions:
1) Visit Stanley & Halina with the kids more often; goal of once a month.
2) Cut out chocolate...there's a lot of it in the house right now. This'll be a hard one.
3) Less late night snacking.

David's New Year's Resolutions:
1) Get us to the gym on Saturday mornings.
2) Only snacking after dinner once a week.
3) Bring lunch from home to work once a week.

A Merry Christmas Indeed

We had a really great Christmas this year. This year, it felt a little different, since it was spent with only each other, but we were able to connect with both sides of our families on the web-cam.

Here are some highlights from the past few days.

Christmas Eve, decorating cookies for Santa. I got the recipe from MSN's delish.com (http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/roll-cut-sugar-cookies-recipe?click=recipe_sr), which was surprisingly good. Vincent did great with decorating. Although the picture looks like we're calmly decorating, it was actually a bit of a mad rush trying to get them done. Vincent would do a little decorating, then run around, and then repeat, while Tyler would crawl around the floor tugging at our legs. Vincent picking out cookies and putting them on a plate for Santa.

After Vincent carried the milk and cookies to the fireplace and we opened it up for Santa, he happily posed for a picture for us.

Santa arrived and left a loot!

Christmas morning! Vincent and Tyler come down to see that the cookies and milk are gone, and their stockings have been filled.

Vincent pulled this gift out of his stocking and was so thrilled. He kept shouting, "CHICK! IT'S CHICK HICKS!"

We had planned it out in our heads that we would let the kids take their time opening gifts and playing with each one as they opened them. We figured it would take all day to get them all opened. That's how it was the last two years. Well, Tyler was happy for that, but Vincent was ready to open them up all at once. We had to slow him down. When Vincent opened the gift from Santa and saw that he got what he asked for, he was so excited and said, "I got the 'Lightning Thing'! I was being good!"

Today, we went and visited our old neighbors and dropped off some cookies. We were only able to see two of them, but are happy to report that they are both doing well.

Merry Christmas!

Some cute things done by Tyler

Tyler is so cute! Although David had taken him this morning so I could sleep a little more, I couldn't sleep because I was thinking about the cute things Tyler is doing, and had to get up to post about them, so that I can look back one day and remember.

Cute thing #1 - "Aaarrrgghhhh." He says this in sort of a piratey, drawn out way when he is feeling happy, and I think a little sassy.

Cute thing #2 - If he is sitting on his bottom and something makes him happy, he does this sort of "happy dance" where he uses his legs to spin around on his bottom. Sometimes he will add in a little squeal.

Cute thing #3 - Self-feeding. So cute. In the photo above, I decided to try letting Tyler sit at Vincent's little table with him while the two had a snack. To my surprise, he sat there and did great! Luckily, the chairs we have are plastic armchairs, which help keep him contained.

Okay, I only have 3 right now, but pretty much everything he does is cute.

Oh, one more! #4 - Climbing up the stairs.

Happy Birthday Vincent, Part 2

Here's what happened after Vincent's nap today.

We had to wake him up, since he was sleeping past 5pm. David gave him the birthday card he received in the mail from cousins Anabelle & Ashton. It was a talking Transformers card. We was blown away by it and kept opening it to listen. After a pasta dinner, which Vincent barely ate, he opened a gift from Aunt Diana & Uncle Ken.

It was a Duplo yellow bus! His first bus toy of any kind. He was over the moon, and started singing the Yellow Bus song that he loves.

Time for a birthday cupcake!

Family photo.

After the cupcake, Vincent opened the gift from A-ma. Ooh, and he pooped in the potty!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Vincent Hunt!

We had celebrated Vincent's birthday a couple of weeks ago when David's parents and sister were in town. We had cake, a balloon, hats, blower things, and we let him open his presents. We told him that it was an early celebration and when his actual birthday would be. He seemed to sort of understand it. So, here are the photos from the birthday party, followed by what we did today for his actual birthday.

Soon as the cake was in front of him & we finished singing the birthday song, he immediately blew out the candle without hesitation!
Lightning McQueen cake, of course.

With his balloon and baby brother.

A few days later we were at Red Robin and had to have them sing to Vincent.

He even got a sundae!

Actual Birthday

Vincent requested to go to the Museum of Flight today. He's been saying this is where he wants to go for the past couple of weeks. So, we obliged. While there, the 2nd new Boeing 787 was making its first flight today, and we got there in time for its landing. We stood outside for about 15 minutes waiting, but it was too cold, so we opted to go in. We did see it touch down, but it did drive right past us on the runway.

Vincent and Tyler lying on the floor in the space station module looking at a video of Earth, as if we were way up in space.

He is officially old enough to go on this ride. Don't look too excited, Kiddo.

He really wanted to go on this, and seemed to like it, but was really quiet & sort of confused when he was on it.

Me and my boys outside the Concord.

A Picture Says a Thousand Words

You might not believe it, but there is so much more to this picture than just a happy boy in a box.
1) The box - it came from Costco. It's the one I mentioned yesterday that I reused. After it came home with us the first time, it became a tunnel for Vincent's cars and trains to go through. It also became a nice, dark napping spot for Stella. Then, some time ago, it became a car. Yesterday, it was the engine of a short train. Today, it is a sled. As you can see, it's not all the way up on the floor, but halfway hanging off, waiting for Vincent to tip it forward and slide down the two steps into our living room.
2) The yellow and the blue strings - they are attached to a "Happy Birthday" balloon floating above. The balloon was Vincent's "crane" that helped him lift the box up to the top of the steps.
3) The thing on Vincent's head - it is his birthday crown that he got to wear in class today as they did a mini early celebration for him and his classmate, Liam's, birthdays. It says his name on it, and it has a snowman on top. The snowman indicates that this is a cold time of year, and near the holidays.
4) The happy boy - super excited to be playing this little game, and a little bit amp'd up on sugar from the treats at school and the treat he got for having just pooped in the toilet. AND, it is rare that we can get this kid to pose and smile so well for pictures anymore these days, so this is extra special!

FYI, I did not mean for Vincent to look like an elf in this picture.

Costco, in 15 minutes!

Vincent and I went on a date today, running errands. I had an appointment at 11am at the consignment store near our house, but also wanted to go to Costco and take Vincent out to lunch, and be home for naptime. I tried to move my appointment earlier, but couldn't. I looked online and saw that Costco actually opened at 10am (I thought it was 11am). So, I quickly decided to rush there (less than 6 miles away, but no direct route from our house) and make it back for the 11 o'clock appointment. I had less than one hour...

We pulled out of our driveway at 10:10am and arrived at Costco at 10:30am. Vincent and I zoomed through the store so fast, got all the things on my mental list and even some other stuff (cuz you can never just buy what you went in there for), made it through a fairly short and quick check out line, and was loaded up and in the car by 10:45am. And, I even saved a box because I brought back the one from our last trip. Unfortunately, I didn't get us to the appointment in time...10 minutes late, but there was parking right in front.

A few weeks ago, after slamming my finger in the trunk of our car because I was so flustered by all the people at Costco & the crazy busy parking lot & the person waiting for my parking spot, I had vowed not to go there again for the remainder of the year. Well, that didn't happen, but at least I was only there for 15 minutes.

Thanks for the help, Vincent!

Runs In The Family

Vincent's preschool had their annual Winter Festival and Snowflake Jog-a-thon today. Vincent had to get pledges for the amount of laps he would run. We didn't know how big the laps would be, but decided to give him $1 a lap. The course was tiny, but not easy. I mean, there were corners they had to get around, lots of children (and adults) to dodge, and so much action to distract them. But, Vincent did great! He must've ran at least 2o laps, and barely stopped. He slipped once because he ran into a cone. Here's the footage!

At the front of the pack, ready to go. And, he's off!

Rounding a corner...

Having such a fantastic time!

Everyone earned themselves a candy cane. This is Vincent's first one ever (I think).

We were one of the first families to get to the party, and while we waited for everyone else to arrive, many of the kids were running around chasing each other. Tyler wanted to get right in with them. I could barely hold him back.

Tyler at 9 Months

Today, Tyler is 9 months old. Wow. He's closer to being a toddler now than he is a newborn. It's amazing to me how fast time is flying. I mean, those first 3-4 months seemed to last an eternity, and now we're already thinking about plans for his first birthday.

I spent a couple of hours today with the 3 gals I went on my yoga retreat with last summer. We all had babies this year, although I was the only one pregnant during that retreat. Two of them have 4 week olds and one has a 3 month old. As we sat talking about different newborn/infant things and about those first few months, I realized that I hardly remember much of what was just a few months ago. So much of it is a blur now. I wrote down much of what was going on, when I had the time, and thank goodness for digital cameras and blogs!

My sister took this one back in August at my cousin's house in L.A. She got so many great close ups of him, I want to frame a few, but just haven't had a chance. I look at this picture and it really makes me think of all the sweetness that is Tyler Hunt.
Who doesn't love a baby's booty?

At 9 months old, Tyler can sit in the bathtub unsupported. We can't let him take the whole bath like this since Vincent tends to get too excited (and rough) and Tyler ends up slipping under water at some point - just for a second. Once he's all washed, we take the mini tub out and let them play for a few minutes.

Tyler still sucks on his left thumb. The way he positions his hand is so unique & cute.

Fun things Tyler's doing include crawling, pulling himself up to standing, making this funny grunting "urghhhhhh" noise, tackling Vincent, making a "mum, mum, mum" sound, self-feeding, drinking from a sippy cup, starting to push his walker/car around, and sleeping a bit more.

Tyler's dislikes:

-When either Vincent or I walk out of the room.

-Getting into his carseat.

-Getting his face cleaned.

Tyler's likes:

-Baths

-Eating. Ramen noodles are a favorite.

-Playing with toys

-Exploring new things

-Our cats

Tyler loves:

-Us. It's so heartwarming to walk into a room and have him beam at the sight of you. He has started to get excited when David comes home from work. He LOVES Vincent. My favorite part about picking Vincent up from preschool is seeing the two boys greet each other by putting their foreheads together.

-Laughing. He's super good at laughing.

-Snuggling. He's a little snuggle bug. I love it.

-Wrecking things that Vincent put together, like the train track.

-Putting things in his mouth...that's a given.

Lastly, some nicknames. I call him Tyler, Ty, Ty Baby, Tyler Baby, Ty Ty, Sweet Pea, Munchkin. David calls him Tyler, Ty, T-man, Ty Ty. Vincent calls him Tyler, Baby Tyler, Di Di, and his favorite thing to call him is Tylie. He came up with that one all on his own.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year, in our own house. This was our first time hosting Thanksgiving dinner, and my first time cooking a turkey. We had two other families here, the Demsey and the Hildebrandt families. Vincent and Evan, the toddlers, did very well playing together. Eating didn't go as well, but only because they hardly ate. Here are some highlights. For the full details, click on the "Family Meal" link to the right...and then I have to tell you about Black Friday.

I've just stuffed the turkey (7.17 lb heritage turkey from Thundering Hooves). Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the final result. Our table is ready...and so is Tyler.

Tyler's 1st Thanksgiving dinner aftermath. Not too bad.

The day after Thanksgiving, we took the kids on a bus ride downtown. Once there, we hopped on the monorail and went to Seattle Center. Vincent got to pick out two rides. Both ended up being his favorite, the little cars, once before lunch and once after. Sadly, the ferris wheel and the carousel were no longer at the Fun Forest.

Tyler watched happily as Vincent came around in the car.

For lunch, we ate at Quincy's in the Center House, and happened to be there for the lighting of the Christmas tree and the kick off of Winterfest. Men playing bagpipes marched to the stage and Mayor Greg Nichols did the countdown for the tree.

After lunch and one more ride on the little cars, we took a different bus back home. Tyler fell asleep while waiting for the bus and woke up right before we walked into the front door of the house (of course). Luckily, we were able to get him back down to sleep. Whew! Vincent was yapping away on the bus ride back, but was really so cute. It took him a long time, but he did finally fall asleep in his room.

While the kids napped, David and I set up the Christmas tree. It's so exciting to have the tree up so early in the season.

Now...BLACK FRIDAY...

After all our guests left Thursday night and the kids were fast asleep in their beds, David and I sat down at the kitchen table and talked about whether or not we wanted to partake in the Black Friday deals. We looked through a pile of ads, and talked about what we would get. At 11:15pm, David set off for Toys R Us in Bellevue, to arrive for their midnight opening. Yes, midnight.

He got there about 20 to midnight and got a spot in line about a block from the entrance. When he got into the store, he said that he just had to go with the herd of shoppers. We had decided on getting 3 things. Only one was on sale, but we also had a $10 coupon for a $100 or more purchase. With the 3 items, we would make that price. The one sale item was worth all the hassel, we think. We saw it on amazon.com for $149, Toys R Us normally sells it for $99.99, and we got it for $69.99, plus that $10 discount. Now, we are pretty much set for the kids. Maybe one more thing for Tyler.

How did you spend your Thanksgiving this year?

Already?!

Exactly one month from today, Vincent will be turning 3 years old. I can't believe how quickly the last year has gone by. I really do feel like he just turned two. I have been thinking of posting about Vincent for about a week now, and haven't gotten around to it. Today is the day. I'm sure on his birthday I will post about him again, but for now, I wanted to make sure I put down what he's up to these days. Let's start with dislikes...
-Having his hair washed. Hates it. Lately, he's been okay with letting me wash it for him, but he must cover his eyes with a washcloth.
-Being asked to use the potty. Makes him very upset, even though 9 times out of ten he'll have some action if we sit him on the toilet.
-Tyler playing with his toys or knocking down something that he has just spent time building or setting up.
-The cats going into his room.
-Getting his hands all grimey.
-Sitting while eating.
-Tags on his shirts.
-Washing his hands. Yeah, weird, since he doesn't like his hands dirty.

Things he likes:
-Going to preschool.
-The library.
-Milk.
-Green beans.
-Taking a bath.
-Play dough.
-Jumping/hopping. He's getting so good at it. I would call him a late jumper/hopper. But, now, he's fantastic.
-George Michael's "Freedom '90"
-Holding my hand when we walk.

What Vincent LOVES:
-Trains. Especially pretending to be driving a train.
-Actually, he loves all things that "Go". Planes, helicopters, boats, trains, cars, trucks, etc.
-Speaking of pretending, he's very into pretend play these days. Very imaginative. One of his favorite things to pretend play is "Harry Potter." He is Harry, of course. Tyler is Ron, I am Hermoine, and David is "Stinky Monster" (the troll from the first book).
-Stories. Vincent loves it when we tell him a story, either made up or real. You can tell him about something that happened to you or to someone else or something in a dream. Pretty much anything can become a story to him. Eventually, he wants to become one of the characters in the story. Harry Potter is a good subject for a story.
-Pixar's Cars. Huge fan of Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater.
-Jeff Gordon. That's who he was for Halloween.
-Breakfast, especially pancakes.
-Lollipops.
-Dessert. It can be fruit, but if it's sweet and you call it dessert, he's all over it. His favorite flavor for anything is chocolate vanilla swirl, or as he says it, "choc'lat ganilla squirl."
-Dance workout. Yes, that's right. I have a dance workout I've been doing (sort of) and he participates with me. He's so into it, he'll ask to do it even without me. He does lunges, squats, and salsa. He even does the sexy arms.
-Bubbles. I play our "bubble music" which are a couple of old Dave Matthews Band songs, "Satellite" and "Ants Marching." He dances around and pops the bubbles.
-Books. Loves to be read to, and will "read" to himself a lot. He has memorized many of his books so he recites them as he flips through the pages.
-Being carried by Daddy when they walk.
-His two NuNus & his stuffed animals.
-And, best of all, he loves his family...That's us!
Yes, Vincent is still in his "terrible twos." I can't count how many tantrums he has everyday or all the many things he demands of us. He definitely keeps us on our toes. He's sensitive, in challenging ways, but also in very good ways. I used to think of him as an extrovert, but now I'm not so sure. He's compassionate. He's funny. Gosh, is he funny! It takes him FOREVER to fall asleep, but once he's asleep he's super hard to wake up. Once, he fell asleep on our walk to the frozen custard place. When we got there, we couldn't even wake him up with ice cream on his lips. He's not very messy & is good at tidying up. Vincent speaks very well - beautifully, actually. We understand what he's saying the most, though. This kid is smart; he's at least convinced his parents he is.

Best of all, Vincent is absolutely adorable, both inside and outside. He's our super snuggly big boy. He's an awesome son and an awesome big brother.

Tyler's Crawling!

Yup, today Tyler took a bunch of crawly steps on his knees. I don't think he actually realizes that he can do it, as he will go back to creeping on his tummy if something seems too far. Usually, he just takes about 2-3 steps on the knees and then goes down to his belly. Just now, I got him to do many more because I kept scooting the box he was trying to get to away from him when he would get close. I got him to go around in a big circle.

Babies are so cute when they crawl.

Turkey Day Comin' Up

This year, I will attempt to cook my first turkey. I thought I would blog about it, just for fun. But, not here. Go to our Family Meal blog (yeah, the one I hardly ever update, even though we do eat). http://ourfamilymeal.blogspot.com/

To entice you a little, here is what I have planned for the menu:
-gougeres
-one small heritage turkey, approx. 7 lbs
-chestnut and wild mushroom stuffing
-mashed potatoes
-gravy
-brown buttered kale with delicata squash, cranberries and pinenuts
-apple cinnamon muffins

Pretty traditional, I think. We shall see...

Banking Impaired

That would be me. At least that's what I think the teller must've thought of me when I went into the bank with both kids in tow inquiring about our accounts. I specifically remember going to the bank to set up the accounts, but I couldn't remember if it was a checking or savings, and if it was a checking account, if we had ordered checks. I've never seen checks come from them, so I figured the answer was "no", but I just needed to double check. The teller gave me the run down of what would happen when I come into the bank to make a transaction. Yeah, got it! At least I was able to make my transaction, which was really why I had gone there to begin with.

One more!

I believe, in all my life, I have never NOT been eligible to enter some sort of contest/sweepstake due to knowing someone who works for that particular company...until today. I got this - http://www.bingcashbacksweeps.com/Main/Prizes.aspx?utm_source=hotmail1109&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=microsoft&fbid=NB_BIOW3khM# - in my inbox today, and I read the official rules - "You are NOT an immediate family member (defined as parent, sibling, spouse, child regardless of where they live) and do not reside in the same household as a Microsoft employee, an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary, or a person involved in any part of the administration or execution of this Sweepstakes. "

C'mon, $10,000 in L.A. won't get you too far will it? Nonetheless, if you don't fall into the NOT eligible catergory of this contest, maybe you can be a winner.

Daddy Rules!

Since I posted the picture of me from our honeymoon yesterday, I thought I should post this one of David, sitting across from me during that lunch. He's so cute. And, yes, he totally rules! This morning, David woke up at 5:30am. No, wait! He woke up before that because Vincent came into our room complaining about a pain in his eye. He got back into bed, but not for long. Awesome Daddy took an early bus, plus a connection, down to Katterman's Pharmacy and stood in line to get our kids the H1N1 vaccine. He was able to pay for it and get us a time slot so that all I had to do was take them there and get it done. Our line today consisted of about 4-5 other families ahead of me. Yesterday, oh, about 1000; ballpark guess. Daddy rules! Of course, as I was driving to the pharmacy, I got a call from our family medical clinic telling me that they have the vaccine available for the kids (the were on a list).

So now, the kids are set until next month, when I need to go hunting around for their booster. That is a-ok with me.

Me

This is me, having lunch by the sea with David on our honeymoon, more than 4 years ago.

I saw one of my first friends in Seattle this week. He was in town from Boston for a couple of days, and I was so fortunate to see him, even for just 30 minutes. Since then, I've been thinking a lot about my life in Seattle.

I moved to Seattle over 7 years ago. It amazes me when I think of all that has happened for me in less than a decade. Next week, David and I will have owned our house for 4 years. Four years! Wow. And, I am already thinking about plans for my second child's first birthday. Wow, again.

So, I look back to then, and look to now...

Me, single - Lived in a studio apartment with a desk, a bed, and a futon. Owned a little pickup truck that I hardly drove because I walked or took the bus to work. Worked full-time cooking in a restaurant with awesome people. Went out just about everynight after work until the bars closed (hey, it's hard to go right to sleep after getting off of work from a restaurant; one needs to unwind). Grocery bill: $50/2 weeks.

Me, dating David - Lived in a 2 bedroom apartment with 2 desks, 2 futons, 1 bed, dining table and chairs, and a whole bunch of hockey stuff. Still had the pickup truck, but still didn't drive it much. Worked full-time cooking in a different restaurant that I loved, with some of the same awesome people. Went out most nights after work to unwind. Grocery bill: $75/week.

Me, married with no children - Lived in a 2 bedroom house which we owned with the same furniture from before. Sold the pickup truck, drove David's Jeep when needed. Still working full-time at the same place, some different people. Went out on weekend nights after work, until I got pregnant, and then I was asleep by 9pm. One cat. Grocery bill: same + cat food.

Me, husband, one child - Living in the same house, same Jeep but driving it more, new furniture + baby furniture, working full-time as a Mommy, lucky to go out past 9pm, 2 cats, cooking at home, sort of sleeping...Grocery bill: $150/week.

Me, husband, 2 children - Trying to sell the house, renting a bigger house, driving a minivan all the time, more furniture, still not working, actually going out a little more, cooking a lot at home, frustrated with two cats, lucky to get sleep. Grocery bill: I've stopped keeping track.

I don't miss the days I was single, but I do miss those friends I hung out with (most have moved away now). Somedays, I miss when David and I were just us, simply because of the ease of doing anything, but I'm not in a hurry for the day when it will be just us, again. Although, I am Asian, which means Vincent will have to take David and I in one day, and then the tables will have turned. Heeheehee.

H1N1

I found out yesterday that there's a pharmacy nearby doing the swine flu shot for ages 6 months and up today & tomorrow; high risk, of course. Walk-in only. I had intended to get to the pharmacy right at opening with the kids to stand in line. Well, so did all of Seattle, it seems. We got there late, 9:15am and the line was around the block. By 9:45am, they were sold out. Argh! I guess some were in line this morning at 5:30am, and it's a holiday. David and I now need to decide if one of us is willing to get our butt out of bed early tomorrow morning, catch a bus down there and stand in line. Our kids are on a waitlist at the doctor's office, but who knows when they'll actually get the call.

Lately...

Our little family has been so busy. I feel like I've posted some stuff, but there are so many things that happen (big and small) that I don't want to forget someday. We've all been sick recently, which makes it even harder to find time to blog. Tyler got his first fever last week - poor baby. It's nice to have photos to help remember, but kids do things so spur of the moment that you can't always catch it with the camera.

I'll see what I can remember about what all is going on with us...

Tyler has been getting better and better with self-feeding. Tonight, he had rice and beans. I don't think he managed to get any rice in his mouth, but he did get most of the beans. I can't rely on him to feed a whole meal to himself, but it's fun practice for him to have some finger foods. He is really getting into it. Vincent started preschool in September. He goes two days a week for 3 hours each day. Tyler and I pick him up in the alley behind the school, and it's so cute to watch him come out of the gate and look for us. Usually he has some sort of art project in hand to show us. It has been a very good experience for us all, and he loves his school.

We were so lucky to have a visit from my Aunt Melinda and Uncle Ben recently. It has been since Vincent was born that we last saw Melinda, and even longer since we saw Ben.

Vincent is now mostly wearing "big boy pants." Starting November 1st, we told him that he will only wear a diaper for naps and bedtime. I wouldn't say he's 100% potty trained, as we are still having to remind and ask him to use the potty. Each day, though, he seems to get a little better. Tonight after dinner, he left the dinner table and then ran downstairs shouting, "I gotta go, I gotta go!" He's probably going to hate me one day for posting this... This Halloween, Vincent and I carved our first jack-o-lanterns together. The last couple of years, I didn't want to tackle such a project with him, since I feared I would have more frustration than fun doing it. I'm really glad I waited. We had a good time. He actually just painted a pumpkin while I carved three. He did help take some of the pulp out, but didn't enjoy it.

November 1st, daylight savings ended. We made our annual drive to Maltby Cafe for an early breakfast. Look at the size of that cinnamon roll! Vincent got his own plate of food, which he surprisingly ate most of.

Vincent and Tyler are starting to play together a little bit. Just a little. Most of the time they're doing their own things. Vincent will be building something, and Tyler will come over & destroy it. It makes Vincent very upset. Sometimes, Vincent will initiate a little wrestling with Tyler. It usually involves Vincent tackling Tyler and rolling him around on the floor. Tyler just puts up with it. Here they are pretending to be riding in a boat. Vincent is the driver, as you can see.

Tyler has two little teeth! Unfortunately, this is the best picture I could find with his teeth, since he doesn't show them off very often. Look very, very closely, and you can see two little white things sticking out the middle of the bottom. Try clicking on the picture, and maybe you can see a larger image.Inspired by the rice krispies treat Vincent got from his Aunt Diana for Halloween, I decided to make some myself. It's been many years since I last made these, but I think I'll be making them more often now. So addictive and good! Vincent helped me measure the cereal, stir & melt the marshmallows, add the cereal to the pot, and finally, taste test it.

A couple of weeks ago, David started to try putting Tyler to bed on his own. In fact, he has put both kids to bed on his own twice now so that I can go out with friends. So sweet. Tyler still will not take milk from a bottle. He won't take milk from a sippy cup, either. He drinks water from a sippy cup now (so cute), but was pretty upset with David when he tried to give him the milk. Instead, David just comforted him to sleep, and I immediately nursed when I got home. Not ideal, but at least I got to go out.

We are settling into our new house. It's coming along slowly, but still not as organized as I'd like it to be. We are loving the extra space and the garage. Our car didn't fit at first, but with a little bit of moving stuff around, it does now. And, just in time for the rain. As long as we live in the Pacific Northwest, I think I will always need an attached garage. Or, at least until the kids are a bit older. Our new neighborhood is nice, too. There are restaurants and shops within walking distance. We definitely miss our old neighborhood and the business that we would walk to over there. It's not that far from here, but there are several steep hills to climb up to get back there. REALLY tough pushing two kids up those hills in the stroller.

David and I are going out on more dates recently. Not as often as we'd like to, but it's an improvement over how it was in the past. One weekend, we went out two nights in a row!

We're looking forward to the holidays this year, even though we have no plans to travel to see family. It makes us sad not to see them, but we are happy to start making our own holiday traditions. I'm planning to cook my first Thanksgiving turkey. We're also very excited about Vincent's 3rd birthday. We'll be in town the next few months, so let us know if you are visiting Seattle. We'd love to see you!