Labor Day Weekend

Grandpa Dale and Oma Barbi hopped a flight to Seattle for a quick 3 day weekend. There are a lot of fun pictures so I will keep the comments fairly brief.

Soon after their arrival, we enjoyed a long walk through the park and picked wild blackberries. It was the peak of the season and the blackberries were plentiful, plump and sweet. The past few weeks we took Harrison for some walks just to pick a handful of berries to enjoy. This is something else he will ask for "more more" of. Grandpa also said that he remembers picking blackberries off the side of the road when he used to visit family in Pennsylvania when he was a kid.

First escalator ride on his own two feet!

playtime with everyone!

We went to my favorite doughnut shop to pick up a doughnut each for breakfast. Grandpa was shocked that I would pay as much as $3 for a doughnut; that said I think he thoroughly enjoyed the two fritters he devoured :) By the way grandpa, I scored a couple special 60% off coupons so a dozen is only $8! Come back to visit us soon and then we can eat more doughnuts nearly guilt free!

this photo has nothing to do with dougnuts, although he looks like he is eying one...

 Our big activity was a visit to the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe, about 20 minutes from our house. Harrison loved all the animals and although he cannot say the animal names, he knows many sounds. Ba ba (sheep), neigh neigh (horse), moooo (cow) and bok bok (chicken) were most prevalent. As it turns out, our child couldn't get enough of the horses and kept asking for "more more" horses.

Whenever Harrison is out of his element, his meal possibilities suddenly blossom and he is open to eating all types of food. While there, he samples fair scones, a gyro, a buffalo onion burger, green apples and an elephant ear (fried delicious dough with jam)... usually it's tricky to get him to anything that is not fruit or anything not smothered in cheese!

Neigh Negihs!

Chainsaw wood carving resembling Winston!

Chainsaw ice carvings!

moo moos!

Oma, show me the pigs!

Michael's Birthday Weekend

Michael's birthday was Sunday, September 12th so we had the weekend to mark the ocassion. Saturday morning we walked to the Starbucks and Harrison enjoyed his first Starbucks beverage... a steamed milk! He LOVES drinking out of straws so he practically swiped it out of my hands before I could hand it to him. I had the barista make it 100* which is the equivalent to luke warm but Harrison has been drinking cold milk for so long I think it caught him off guard. Every third sip he would hold the milk in his mouth and then let it dribble out in a slow waterfall down his chin and onto his shirt, pants and the bench. What the heck?!

Aaron arrived around noon so he, Michael, James and a friend were off to the 4pm Husky game while mom and toddler did some shopping and playing the rest of the day. I managed to find a 2T size Nike Husky sweatsuit (which he can't fit into until next year) as well as a UW t-shirt from Old Navy (I'm a sucker for Husky gear that is on sale!!). Harrison also enjoyed some playtime at the play area at the mall; it has a dinosaur theme so in this picture he is inside a giant dinosaur egg!

Sunday morning we let dad sleep in while we picked up some donuts and coffee after doing some grocery shopping. Harrison "picked out" a cool Husky long sleeved thermal Tshirt to keep dad warm this season. Since the Seahawk game was on at 1pm, I took Harrison shopping with me again for a bit so dad could watch the hawks win. Sunday evening Harrison hung out at grandmama's while mom and dad went to Bellevue for dinner at Bis on Main which was a wonderful meal (truffle oil infused pommes frites anyone?).

While Michael did not comment specifically on his new age, he did mention that he is indeed feeling old after a light tailgate left him snoring on the couch at 9:30pm! Harrison thinks he has the coolest dad around and surely that's all that counts!

Sunday BBQ at Casa de Fein

Left to right in family pods: Emily, Brian, Darcie & Brooke Coyle; Justin, Hudson, Harper & Ali Weber; Michael, Harrison & Raina Fein; Aaron, Irene (and baby) Hansen; Joe, baby Tyler & Holly Kernkamp; Krissi, James (and Gavin) Tutrow; Bridgette, Justin & Amelie (and coming soon Dash) Smith.

We have a very close knit circle of friends, especially our friends from college, so when the Webers flew in from Denver we threw a BBQ bash at our house. Michael made some ribs that were so delicious and spicy that Krissi went into labor at 3am the next morning (already 11 days late!). For the kiddos, I basically moved our playroom into our empty dining room on the first floor so they had a place to romp.

Below is another group photos from a tailgate in Nov '08... from the earlier picture we went from 2 babies & 1 preggo to 7 kiddos & 3 preggos!

Sunday at the Mariners Game

The Fein & Coyle families enjoyed a Sunday out at the old ball game, the Seattle Mariners versus the Minnesota Twins. Emily (3), Harrison (1.5) and Brooke (1 month) all scored a free kids M's jersey and best of all, got to run the bases after the game (the Mariner's even won!). Truth be told, dad probably had more fun than Harrison who howled when mom left to find a spot to take pictures. Once he calmed down from my departure, he screamed when he saw a giant mascot belonging to a bank dancing around near first base... no, dad, no, don't run us towards that thing! ahhhh! Once they rounded third he was willing to run on his own two feet while holding dad's hand and they crossed home plate together as father and son.

18 Month Stats

Harrison had is 18 month check up on 8/4; here are his stats:

• Length: 33.5" (55th percentile)
• Weight: 24lbs 4oz (30th percentile)
• Head Circumference: 18.5" (30th percentile)

Here are some things worth mentioning:

• Sign Language: in addition to previously mentioned signs, he has expanded his vocabulary to include "airplane" and never fails to tell us when he hears a plane engine in the distance overhead. His teacher told me today that he signs a lot more than the other kids. He signs a lot of words he won't even try to say
   
• Words: Emma (the neighbor) is his clearest word and he says it very enthusiastically! He also says: up, down, open, night night (sleep).
• Singing: we read a book that includes some sheep singing "Home On the Range" which you sing using "ba" sounds. One night I sang it and he joined in with a special high voice, "ba, baaa, baa!"
• Bedtime: he recently started telling me "nigh nigh" (night, night) at bedtime. We used to finish books, turn off the light and I would sing. Now he won't let me sing, says "nigh, nigh" and points vehemently to his crib. He will give me a kiss, I put him down, he smiles back at me and then he turns over and falls asleep within a minute.
   
• Bottles: we started officially weaning him off of bottles this week; we had put it off because he is SO attached to them and we knew it would be hard. After 3 days, he is now ok without his morning bottle... now it's just the night time bottle we need to talk him out of.
   
• Favorites: Harrison's interests include bugs, cars, dogs, airplanes and dinosaurs. It's really amazing how he developed all these "boy" interests without any prodding from us. Although the bugs and cars probably came from watching the pixar movies 200 times...
   
• School: he recently graduated to the Toddler room with the 18-24 month olds and is doing very well. He gets to play outside more and he suddenly started to "talk" more (or at least tries to) which I attribute to being around the older kids.
   
• Moving: he loves to run and climb up slides; we were at the park a couple months ago and while we were talking to friends, I look over dad's shoulder to find Harrison half way up a very tall slide... I don't know if I have run that fast since high school. Two weeks ago he also reached for a bar on the play structure that was in front of him but high; I called out to be careful and as I started to move toward him he tumbled forward head first but manged to do a somersault in the air (tucked his head) and landed on his back on the bark covered ground. Sounds horrific but I picked him up and he only cried for 10 seconds. I did find an abrasion on his head latter that night. He can nearly walk up and down stairs without holding on to anything (he holds my hand but I can feel he doesn't need it)
   
• Whining and tantrums: he is a spoiled toddler, whining and tantrums occur daily! We have instituted time outs and he would sit and smile for his 90 second sentence but after about 3 weeks, he has figured out that it isn't a prize to be put into time out. 

Most of all, Harrison is FUN! We really enjoy playing, wrestling, going to the park and everything in between.  When he is really having fun, he will give you a big belly laugh that puts a smile on your face for an hour.

Dad & Kids Camping Trip - 2010

Last year, Harrison and dad made the 2 hour drive to the Dad & Kids Annual Camping Trip spot only to realize they had arrived a week early... no one was there! When they revisited the site the next weekend, dad and 6 month old Harrison relaxed, waded into the lake and returned later that night. 

This year, Harrison entered camp as an 18 month old toddler and if you stop to think about a typical campsite, you pretty much have a child proofing/safety nightmare on your hands. Although I am strictly forbidden to set foot anywhere near the campsite, Michael reports that he spent much of the time chasing after Harrison keeping him away from the fire, knives left on the tables, etc. They spent Saturday canoeing, playing in the lake, eating man food and hanging out with Zaidy, uncle Stephen, Aunt Rae Ann, Aunt Alexis and Great-Papa-Hugh. Father and son shared a tent and since it got pretty cool at night, dad slipped him into the sleeping bag and Harrison slept blissfully next to dada (he never sleeps in bed with us so that was a treat indeed!). Just before settling in for the night, Harrison spontaneously vomited in the tent, however dad handled it so the grossness dirtied items that could be put outside the tent and left the sleeping bad unsoiled!

Sunday evening Harrison ran through the door to greet mama with a weary dad following behind. They were immediately sent upstairs to shower and bathe as the pair reeked of campfire smoke and the dirt was very visible... Harrison had dirt under all his fingernails (as expected) as well as dirty finger like streaks all over his face and body (huh? they were only there for 1.5 days!).

the little explorer, scootching down the hill on his behind

Getting ready to canoe

The two dads

Captain Zaidy!

The rocking of the boat lulled a tired boy to sleep so dad put him down in the bottom o the boat!

Shutter Bugs

This momma loves to take pictures. My momma instilled this in me as a kid even while my brother and I griped about posing and smiling for a zillion photos; it seemed like her picture taking would never end! Now I can't get enough of it and have tried to better my skills with a few classes and blog reading. Last weekend, I gathered three of my friends and we hit the streets of Seattle, joining Seattle Shutter Tours with one other photo loving visitor and our tour guide, Valentina (check out her website, there are photos of James jumping off a window ledge). While we all have nice cameras, we all wanted to better learn how to use them and Valentina was patient and knowledgeable guiding us through aperture, white balance, shutter speeds, etc. Here are some of my favorite photos from our three hour tour (some are taken by my friends, check the captions).

The "Gum Wall" in Post Alley - Raina

Wall opposite the "Gum Wall," Post Alley - Raina

Raina & Kristen, Post Alley - Valentina

Nectarines, Pike Place Market - Raina

Farmer stand, Pike Place Market - Aaron

James, Raina, Kristen, Aaron, Post Alley - Valentina

Pike Place Market - Kristen

Pike Place Market  - James

Hammering Man, Seattle Art Museum - Kristen

WaMu Courtyard, 2nd & Seneca - Valentina

WaMu Courtyard, 2nd & Seneca - Valentina

Raina through a cafe window - James

Tia Raina

Last weekend, I left the boys at home for THREE DAYS. This was by far the longest I have ever been away from my baby and it was evidently harder for me than my son. I asked if Harrison seemed to miss me and Michael said no, not really. I like to think that he would have missed me but dad just kept him too busy to think about me. Right? Michael never complained and handled it like the Pro Dad he is, keeping busy and tiring Harrison out taking him to play grounds, parks, a street fair, a Mexican restaurant and brunch with his family.

Harrison evidently has a new found taste for black beans!

I spent my three days in Boston visiting my six month old niece, Argenta. You wouldn't think it possible to be so cute until you meet her and she exceeds your already high expectations!

Jon asked me what I would like to be called as Argenta's aunt. I hadn't really thought of this and had so far referred to myself as Auntie Raina. They suggested a Chinese word (indicating the eldest aunt on her paternal side da gu) but I felt I didn't really fit it... Audrey's two sisters speak Chinese and Chyna embraces our Chinese heritage more than I do... to be frank, I am her "white aunt!" Ironically, as we walked near Harvard Square, Jon had a brainstorm - "tia" is the Spanish word for aunt and we thought Tia Raina had a nice ring to it. But then I had my own epiphany... Tia Raina translated from Spanish means "Queen Aunt." Let's just say I was more then eager to proclaim myself Tia Raina. The rest of the weekend I used my very limited Spanish vocabulary to speak to Argenta. Te amo Argenta!

Behind all the curtness, you may notice they have some vintage Playboys hanging on the wall... very cool, especially in the industrial loft (used to be an old light bulb factory). Next to those (out of sight), they actually have a deconstructed piano on the wall!

Tia Raina gives a glimpse into Argenta's future... with hair!

Jon and Audrey graciously let me bunk in their already full loft; my sister Chyna was there (as part of her 6 week summer stay), Audrey's sister Irene was there for one of the days and Audrey's mom Sandy lives with them to take care of Argenta for the next several months. It was nice to "sleep in" until 9 (well, 6am in Seattle!), take naps (Argenta and I napped together for a couple hours) eat out and not have to get up and down with a needy child and shop for a few hours with my sister (we visited the Urban Outfitters Bargain Basement more than once)... all things that are nearly impossible to do at home. That said, I missed home and my boys quite a lot and was very happy to come home Sunday night.

The middle window reads "Dewey, Cheatum & Howe," the fictional legal representation and radio studio for the NPR show, Car Talk, which I love (Harvard Square)

I had a great weekend in Boston, Thank You Jon & co! I arrived home around 11pm Sunday night. Michael woke up at 3:30am to catch a plane out to Chicago for work and got home Tuesday night around midnight... we literally saw each other for about 10 minutes in 5 days!

Utensils Optional

Our little guy is becoming more proficient using utensils, however he certainly lives by the mantra "utensils optional." He usually begins his meal using his spoon and although food often drips onto his bib and smears his mouth on the way in, all in all he does a fine job for a 17 month old. However about half way through his meal, he seemingly decides that surely it must be more "efficient" to eat using his fingers directly without this bothersome middleman of a spoon.

Spaghetti sauce all over his face!

No big deal when he's eating cheese or some other solid food particle, but when he consumes yogurt or pureed veggies (he doesn't like them "hard"), madness ensues. The tell tale signs of this toddler are everywhere... all over the chair, on the table in front of his chair, on the floor around his chair (deftly missing the large, plastic mat), on the sliding glass door and the wall behind his chair...

This doesn't even take into account his actions when not eating; when Harrison decides he is uninterested in the food before him, he starts "dropping" it on the floor (or into Winston's mouth waiting eagerly below during most meal times) with the most innocent "uh oh" you could imagine.

Last night for dinner, I resorted to making him french toast with some syrup (don't judge me!) and at some point, he picked up his plate, tilted it so the remaining pieces fell to the tray, then placed the plate upside down on top of his head. When he removed it, the syrup left lots of little drops all over his hair and resembled quite closely a spider web full of morning dew (wish I had a picture of that!). If he wasn't so darn cute, I would be ridiculously annoyed by this behavior!