Dey Call Me Chompers! Chompers, I say!

"Say, how are ya? I'm good. Real good. What's that? You wanna know how many teeth I have now?"

"Well, c'mon over a count 'em up, why don't ya?"

"Get close."





"Closer..."

Hillbilly Toy

You can take the boy out of southern Oregon...

Sounders, Sounders

Thanks to a nice guy at Dustin's work, we received tickets to a Seattle Sounders soccer game. We'd never been so we were eager to go! It was loud, late, and totally worth parking 18 million blocks away to get there.



Dustin got a player's signature on the ticket, I got to cheer a little (still my favorite sport next to heckling), and Alden enjoyed his first and last bite of stadium nachos.

Breakfast of Champions

To an outsider, Dustin looks like a man encircled in a shower curtain. I look like a woman street advertiser. Alden looks like a little cupcake. Close. But we are supposed to be a cup of coffee (Dustin), a sugar packet (myself), and a donut (Alden). Whatever.

Baby loooooves his first DumDum lollipop. Coconut flavor!


Alden totally got the hang of Trick-or-Treating and was knocking on garage doors even to get his goodies! He made some good choices for his first haul of candy.

You know you live in Seattle when even the Halloween candy is all organic. Jesus, people, really? I'm a mom now and can't even get behind that one. Just one day a year, let's let the little guys have some unadulterated, sugar infused good times. Totally reminded me of the house on Washington Boulevard in Grants Pass that used to give out toothbrushes every year. Climb off my back, ok? I promise to brush AFTER I eat ALL of the candy.

This is the only time I could get him to get near the donut. He liked looking at it but not wearing it. The frosting dollop hat totally works for him though.

Clean Up Crew

I recall reading that the Leo baby is interested in cleanliness, organization, and rules. I knew, months before we had Alden, that this kid and I would get along! Now, I can really know for sure. I was proud when he took his first steps but this? This is stunning.

Wonder Where He Gets His Fashion Sense?

Yes, that is a kimono.
Yes, he wears it every morning. By choice.
Yes, we are proud of him.
Yes, I take all of the blame.

A Flash Forward to Alden Studying for S.A.T.'s

Tell me he doesn't look about 19 here. So studious. So disciplined.

Dustin's Birthday Soo-prize

Dustin's job keeps him pretty busy. So busy that he hadn't even gotten to put his signature gray on everything. Well, for his birthday, I made my own stab at rad and decorated his office. With the help of Josh, too!


THAT is a live moss ball chandelier. In my spare time, I stuffed dirt in old baby sock's toes, formed them into balls, fastened them, cut of the excess and pinned moss from Discovery Park (illegal?) to them. I then kept them hidden for over 3 weeks in our house with Dustin none the wiser.

This all wood (over 26 pounds) ram head was spied by the two of us in Grants Pass when we moved there. As we were leaving, I couldn't help myself. I bought it. And moved it into our new home with, again, Dustin unknowing. It was on the floor of his closet and he never even noticed. I'm still waiting for him to notice that I had the baby. Sheesh.

Eat Our Dust, Laura Ingalls Wilder

At the beginning of September, Dustin and I were on a mission to become more self-sufficient in the kitchen. Honestly, I have been prompted by Megan's tireless canning AND the price of groceries. Since when does bread cost $5? Where are we? Hawai'i?

Dustin's mama instructed me on making a pie crust. I had always been under the impression that pie was VERY difficult to make because of it's scarcity during the year. Why only Thanksgiving? Now that I can make a crust, we shall have pie any damn time we want it. Like now. And now.
And now.

Our second attempt with mozzerela. Waaay more successful both in process and end result. Shiny and tasty... just like in the Five Dollar Store.

Walker, I Am

He is much smoother since this video but this is too precious not to share. Note the hands in front harnessing his chi.

house pics

When we were moving, I came across these pictures that we had printed off at the San Diego Public Library so that we could sketch out our ideas on them. God, what a dump. A dump that we fell in love with...

Proof of Seattle Life

I am not delusional. I know that Alden is a boy. I know that he is not Amish. But, c'mon, doesn't he make the cutest little Amish girl?

West Seattle sound water waves. Just 20 degrees colder than San Diego. If you just ignore the hippie with his socks covered feet stuffed into 1990's Teva's you could SWEAR that your in Southern California. Not.


There. There is the Space Needle and the awesome International Fountain. We do live here.

Again with the Ferry Ride... Seven Years Later

The first time we had lived in Seattle, we spent our 2nd anniversary on a day trip to Port Townsend by ways of a ferry ride. Now, seven years later, we spent our 9th anniversary with our Alden on a ferry ride to Bainbridge Island. Tradition? Perhaps one in the making... every seven or so years.

Wait a Minute...

If corn oil is made from corn and vegetable oil comes from veggies and olives produce olive oil then where does Baby Oil come from?



Ooooh. Those poor over-squeezed babies.

Diggin' Fer Gold

Trying to get a little culture, we drove north to Mukilteo for their Blue Grass Festival. We heard some great artists and enjoyed the last of the summer days here near Seattle. Alden bopped along to the music and entertained several folks around us. Especially with this new obsession of his...

Magnolia Baby Race

You know you live in a family-centric community when there is an Annual Baby Race held during the summer festivities.
Alden did not win the race but he was the first baby off the starting line. Once everyone cheered for him, you could see his overwhelm and tears start in. Just like how daddy starts off every Monday morning...

Teamwork

Y'all has made it clear that we are on the top of her "People I am Utterly Disappointed With" list. It started when we left San Diego in May 2008. She loved it there. She had the sun, cool ocean breezes, her very own window to gaze out of, pretty birds to watch, and a neighbor cat, Nermal, to chat with. Then we moved back to Grants Pass, got Curtis, and brought Alden home. She went from one and only to sad and lonely in a 2 year period. But, in a moment of soft forgiveness, she allowed herself to enjoy Alden as we do. We each got something out of this little blissed out nap time. Finally, Y'all gives back.

An Odd Source of Comfort

Right when I think that Alden will never sleep longer than the 27-32 minute time span he has held fast to for over 13 months... he finds solace in my left foot.

He slept like that for over 90 minutes while I worked on a project.

See? Tranny feet are good for things other than struttin' down a cat walk in acrylic heels on amatur night.

The Second of First Birthdays

We hosted Alden's next first birthday down in Grants Pass so that he could be surrounded by all of those that have known him the longest... grandparents, greatgrandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and their children. It was great to come home and even greater to be surrounded by all that love!

Grandma Robbie let us host at her lovely home. Perfect day for some sun and fun.
We had some watermelon-mint lemonade, strawberry jam and Nutella sammies, artichoke spread, along with cucumber, carrot, and hummus faux rolls.

Yes, that is a stuffed felt birthday candle headband. Yes, I insisted he wear it just for 0ne picture. I carried him around for 9 months, labored for over 12 hours, and have been faithfully by his side ever since he arrived... I figured he owed me one.



He had a lot more experience this time around with the cake. It was everywhere... and I mean EVERYWHERE.
Ooooohhhh, that was fun. Let's do that again next year!

The First of First Birthdays

Alden was a great host at his very first birthday held at our new rental home in Seattle. We had a quaint group of attendants that we've maintained close friendships with since our last time living here. I am quite sure that none of them ever imagined that they would be attending our child's birthday... and not just because they are really crappy friends who shouldn't get invited anywhere... but, over 5 years ago, we swore up and down that we were going to remain childless for the rest of our lives.

Having such a fine son in Alden makes us both so proud and glad to have changed our minds!

Sadly, little birthday man had a hiiiiiigh fever and wasn't interested in eating his cake. But he still had a pulse and couldn't resist smashing and smooshing it to goo.

Our friend, Sniffany (Stepha-roo, Stephanie), proved a qualified lap to rest on. Alden actually fell asleep as we laughed and ate and carried on around him.

Later, while watching the video, I realized that I had sort of blacked out while singing the "Happy Birthday" song to Alden. Similar to walking down the aisle or graduating, Alden's birthday was one of those moments that I had been waiting for my whole life and didn't even know it. Cliche, I know, but it really does feel like a second ago that we were laboring and delivering him. Now, 18 pounds, 28 inches, and 1 year later, he is a crawling, squealing, pointing, laughing toddler. And so it goes.