Just Call Him Dr. Frankenstein...

I want to emphasize that Connor did this completely on his own, without any help for either his mother or I. We were watching an episode of Bill Nye, the Science Guy about the Heart, and Connor noticed that his mother's yoga ball pump was just like a heart (complete with red and blue ends) and that the shower caddy ...that was going to be donated looked like a rib cage, esophagus and stomach, and it just snowballed from there. The end result is as follows in the pictures. I just have to say that unschooling rules!

The first picture is of the overall body with the various parts labelled, and the second is a close-up of the "inner workings" labelled with Connor's rationale for why each part was chosen. (Click on each picture for a bigger image)

Bedsharing Love!

Checking on the Horses and Garden Plot

Our apartment complex offers horse boarding. These fuzzy guys are right next to the garden.

Cover crops growing strong. Our garlic is already sprouting, too. Hurray for mild winters!

The garlic is up front in the photo. The kids are digging around the clover, grasses and legumes that act as "green manure" to restore nitgrogen to the soil and prevent erosion.

Impromptu Baby Carrier

Deirdre uses a necklace to carry her mermaid around.

Picnic in the Playroom

The kids gathered random things from the kitchen for their "picnic." PS - those aren't pills on the floor. We filled empty bottles with different things to make shakers.

More Naked Bathtub Painting

A favorite passtime.

Christmasy Things

This was Bryan's family advent calendar growing up. Each day the bear moves around the house, looking for presents. Connor would point to the number, and Deirdre would look on the house for the spot. For example, one day the bear looked under the stairs, do Deirdre found the stairs, and then Daddy pinned the bear on them.

Our Nativity Set was a combination of Veggie Tales and schleich animals.

Notice the Christmas triceratops.

Also, the Christmas lionness.

Daddy made one with Disney Cars.

Stockings hung over the fireplace. Those stockings were made by Bryan's mom and grandmother.

No presents were put under the tree until the kids were in bed Christmas Eve. Otherwise, they would have opened them.

Opening presents Christmas morning!

daddy Comes With Us To The Marine Center

Bryan finally joined us on a visit to the Bellingham Marine Center. It's only $1.00 per adult and 50 cents per child so it's a nice distraction on a rainy day.

Daddy didn't realise you can get so close to the octopus.

When he moved, he was red and smooth.

When he settled, he changed right before our eyes, becoming more spiky and lighter colored, like the rocks.

Connor has been on an octopus kick lately, so he loves this place.

Deeda showing Daddy the fish and crabs.

This is the first time this viewing dome has been clear, so the kids loved it.

Silly fishes!

Old Halloween Pictures

I just realised I never posted pictures from actual Halloween.

Daddy was a werewolf.

Connor rode a TRex. This was awesome. We had tried to make him a costume but it did not turn out, so on Halloween he was sad. Then he had some birthday money arrive in the mail, we took off for Target, and this was the last TRex costume, piled in a corner, in his size. PERFECT! And they both use it for dress up play now.

Deeda just wore her dragon costume.

The city community center put on a candy-free carnival for the kids.

Going fishing for a prize.

The kids did not like this monkey. Most of the kids there avoided it. Connor finally grew brave and played the game (bean bag toss) but then talked about the scary monkey for days.

Pumpkin bowling.

Stuffed toy toss.

Deeda getting her face painted.

The ghosts outside of the community center.

We played in the park with other kids until it got dark, then found a neighborhood nearby for a few blocks of trick-or-treating. It was a very fun night!

Merry Christmas!

Deirdre at a Healthcare Vigil

It Snowed in Bellingham!

2009 Birthday Party

Both children had pink eye and other unpleasantness for their birthdays, so we schedule a combined party while our friends, the Walkers, were visiting. We also had our nieghbors and their son, and a mama and her daughter from our Natural Mamas playgroup.

Mommy made felt birthday crowns.

We divided the birthday ring and put a 4 on one side and 2 on the other. Then the kids took turns picking what ornaments they wanted.

Connor blowing out candles on his cupcake.

Deirdre actually didn't like the candles!

Friends playing in the living room.

Daddy, Deirdre, Mommy, Connor, Hunter (our neighbor), Jillynn, Chris and Eve.

Thanksgiving 2009

Our dear friends, the Walkers, came to visit us from Utah.

We had a very traditional Thanksgiving meal of smoked salmon pesto pizza! The roasted chestnut soup was also scrumptious. That recipe was definitely a keeper.

Bath time!

It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without a ride on the Harvest Triceratops.

Sleepy cuddle time with Daddy.

Connor Ood

I had just finished crocheting a head for a doll and left a long tail of yarn to sew it to the body when Connor picked it up and said "like an Ood!" So we grabbed his stuffed squid/octopus (still haven't decided what it is) and took this picture.

And for reference, here is what an "Ood" looks like. It's a creature from the moden Doctor Who series. Connor LOVES LOVES LOVES Doctor Who.

Deirdre Learns The Montessori Coat Trick

Montessori has a neat trick for teaching kids to put on their own coat. They place it on the floor, stand at the top, put their arms in, and flip it over their heads. Connor's been doing this for a while.

And Deirdre has starting copying him.

If you haven't received a birthday present or card thank you yet....

don't fret. We've been having them paint thank you notes, and after Deirdre's birthday, we'll send them all out together!

Evening Silliness

The kids always get really silly about 2 hours before bed time.

Pumpkin Patch and Halloween Party

The following Halloween party was held by our apartment complex. Both costumes are courtesy of Aunt Jennie. Deirdre wore the dragon costume that Connor wore last year, and Connor dressed up as a knight.

Here Connor is listening to a ghost story with his new friend, Hunter. Hunter lives in the apartment right across from ours.

Daddy made Connor a sword with cardboard and foil.

All the kids lined up for a costume contest. They also took this picture for the complex's website.

Connor won the contest and received new crayons and pens as a prize. When it was his turn to say what he was, he said "Iron Man" instead of "knight," which was Hunter's costume. The judge thought he was too adorable to pass up. All the kids were then given little bags of candy, playdough and fake vampire teeth.

PS - That's not our chair. That's in the apartment club house.

No, Don't EAT The Paint!

Daddy Tossing Deirdre In The Air

Bellingham Marine Life Center

The Marine Life Center is just this one room, and it has a little donation box - $1.00 per adult, $.50 per child.

You are allowed to touch the animals, rocks and shells in this little touch pool.

There is also the larger pool with animals you shouldn't touch. My pictures of the fish did not turn out, but some of them were quite big, and came close to the surface.

Nice, big star fish climbing up the wall!

This octopus lives in what I think is a way-too-small tank. He was fascinating to see so up close, though.

Radishes

Radishes only take 5-6 weeks from planting to harvest. As you can see from the scattered bunches of them, I let the kids plant them.

Deirdre did not like testing them with her finger to see if they were big enough. She just pulled!

Checking for trolls under the bridge. I made those pants for Deirdre with one of my old maternity shirts.

Whatcom Falls Park

This is our new favorite.

This playground is one of two in the park.

You can see the kids peeking out the grates. This bridge is only a few yards from the playground.

And this is what you see from the bridge. This doesn't do the waterfall justice because there is nothing you can see for scale. Bryan could stand up in that cave, with several feet to spare.

Speaking of Bryan, we brought him the next day because we knew he would love it.

That's the other side of the waterfall, looking from the end opposite the playground.

We hiked up a ways to a spot with slower flowing water.

I almost got Bryan to cross this fallen tree...

It was absolutely serene. We spent a long time there!

Updated Wish Lists

Dear family and friends:

I've updated the kids' wish lists on Amazon.

Connor:     http://amzn.com/w/6EOJU5KWL9RK

Connor would love to add to his Schleich animals and Disney's Cars collections. If you want to skip the list, he loves animals, playing dress-up, Spongebob, Curious George, Disney's cars, playdough, and legos.

Deirdre:     http://amzn.com/w/29JN0LMXFNA6T

Deirdre picks out Baby Signing Time videos almost every time we go to the library, and has most of the songs and signs memorized. She also loves building things and could use her own set of wood blocks. If you want to skip the list, she also loves animals, mermaids, cats, Spongebob, Disney's cars, and painting.

We had to sell the kids' play kitchen when we moved and they miss it. They played with it almost every day. If anyone would like to pitch in for a new one, that's what we're saving for.

Used, thrift store books and toys are fine.

FYI: Bryan usually makes battery-operated noisy toys disappear fairly quickly...

Catching Up on Old Pictures

Cuddling and reading with our friend, Eve

More Eve playtime during the move

A visit from Grandma King

Making pumpkin pie for Daddy's birthday

Choosing the ornaments for the birthday ring

Voila.

Zuanich Park

Elizabeth Park

That's Deirdre coming off the slide

Cornwall Park

If you look close - those are deer in the middle

Bellingham Library

Community Garden and Apple Orchard

This is behind our building, a large green area in a circle of apartment buildings.

 This is the path that takes us to the gardens, horse paddock, greenbelt and apple orchard.

Crossing the bridge...you can see the community garden in the back.

It's a good thing it's surrounded by a tall fence that also gooes into the ground. We saw two rabbits and two deer while we were out tonight. Unfortunately they were too fast for my camera!

My little plot, with the tomato, eggplant and bell peppers that I brought with me. We also planted radish seeds because they only take about a month to grow. Bryan has never had a radish - he says his mother doesn't like them so she never served them. If I had spinache seeds, I've had planted them, too, since they only take about 5 weeks. We had to sign a contract agreeing not to use chemicals in the garden - huzzah!

Behind the garden is the path that takes us around the green belt to the apple orchard.

Straight ahead to aaple trees! This is where we saw the deer. I'm sure it's no coincidence that there were almost no apples on the ground and very few hanging within reach.

The kids gathered apples they found on the ground and gave them to a very sweet and appreciative horse.

Connor and Deirdre were in heaven!

Connor climbing. I climbed this tree to reach some apples. The rest were too high. For the sake of our family, we will have to invest in a small ladder...

Deirdre wanted to carry an apple in her shirt like mommy.

New Apartment

We are the top right apartment.

Living room, dining area, open kitchen

Wood-burning fireplace.

Cutie balcony with a tree whose branches reach over the railing.

Directly across from our front door.

Road Trip

Staying Cool, Preschooler-Style

A Visit To Centennial Park

Daddy Listens To Connor Tell a Story

When We Say Deirdre's a Sprawler - We Mean It.

Look! I Cut My Own Bangs!

Springville Library Park

This park is awesome. It has 3 sections; short, medium, and tall. Each section has a climbing wall and slide. It's right outside of the public library, so there are bathrooms nearby.

Deirdre told me she was a "pirate" while she played with the stearing wheels.

Connor has always been a climber, even as a small toddler.

Swim time with Eve!

5th of July

Cookies make me sleeeeeepy...

Blowing bubbles

Somehow, some way, we will get a picture of the squirmy cousins!

Voila.

Waiting to pose for pictures.

Great-grandma!

4th of July

Splash pool and water guns with Cousin Isaac and Aunt Caitlin

Waiting for hot dogs and watermelon


Parked on the hill to watch fire works

Connor found something fun to sit on in the field.

The 3rd of July

My mother made a quilt from some of Bryan's late grandfather's t-shirts. We presented it to Bryan's grandmother this evening. She cried, Bryan cried, I cried, everyone cried. It was Mom's first quilt on her new quilting machine.

Cuddle time with Daddy.

Grandpa has saved all the state quarters for the grandkids. Here Deirdre is looking at the "pennies."

Bryan's parents rented a house in Draper for their weekend. The bottom floor has a game room. Here Connor is playing skee ball for the first time. Two balls at once!

Air hockey with cousin Isaac.

What?

When the sun went down, we set off fireworks. Deirdre did NOT like it, so I had to walk down a ways until she felt safe, and she still clung to me and told me she was done and wanted to go back to the car.

Huddling with Daddy for safety.

Painting With Daddy's Homemade Paints

I made promises that involved painting, and when I told Connor that I couldn't find the paints (we moved recently), he actually burst into tears. :-( So, we pulled out our favorite art book for kids and found a recipe for homemade paint.

Daddy spearheaded the homemade paint project.

Q-tips replaced paintbrushes and an ice cube tray held all the colors.

The paints looked like watercolors.

Looking Out The Window

Reading "The Far Side"

Grilling Hot Dogs In a Thunderstorm

In the garage to keep out of the rain and wind.

Deirdre likes the "pink drink."

Being silly while we wait.

Beating The Heat

Temple Square With Old Friends

Fairy Day, June 24

From our Monday Walk

Library Time!

Climbing the stairs to the Provo Library

Checking out the displays in the children's section

Stopping for a drink

Pretending to use the computers

Hey, I never get to do this at home!

One last look before we go

Reading Together in Daddy's Library

Reading with Daddy!

Nap with Daddy!

All three randomly fell asleep and then STAYED asleep for TWO HOURS! Mommy crocheted and caught up on Bones episodes online. It was divine.

Col Pah-cull!!!

Deirdre was just walking around the house saying, "Col, col, col, col, col," and looking distressed. So I asked her what was wrong, and she handed me her popsicle that was dripping all over her hands. Then, she put 2 words together for the very first time: she said "Col pah-cull!", or, "cold popsicle."

In other awesome Deirdre news, she likes to sit on the potty and make a "psssss" sound, but doesn't know she's supposed to actually pee in the potty yet. She makes the sound, asks me to help her get down, and then flushes. That's still pretty good for an 18 month old, I think!

Deirdre Models For My New Butterfly Doll

A Day In The Life of Deirdre

Deirdre wakes up, usually around noon, in mommy and daddy's bed.

She helps feed Gnocchi the guinea pig.

She plays with crochet hooks or other toys while mommy checks her email and waits for today's poopy diaper. Deirdre almost always poops within the first 30 minutes of waking up.

Bath time!

Deirdre's first of many outfits for the day. Here she is helping mommy get the mail.

Backyard time with Connor and daddy, who built a ramp for the cars. Deirdre has her own idea on how to use the ramp. She's also already in new clothes because she got jelly all over her dress.

Yep, it's sturdy!

Deirdre loves to water things. Here she's watering mommy's bulbs.

And by water, I mean "drown."

First nap happens to be during mommy's birthday lunch at Tucanos for Brasilian churrasco.

Deirdre is an EXCELLENT eater. She even likes chili and spicy saulsa.

Playing around the dry fountain outside of Tucanos.

Nana! And yet another outfit. Nana bought her some new summer clothes and she wanted to wear her new shirt.

Some quiet thinking time. Here Deirdre explores Montessori geometric shapes. Mommy doesn't name them or do anything complicated with them yet, just lets her hold them and figure out which ones stay put and which ones roll off the table.

Goofing off on the car seat. She dragged it from the kitchen all the way to the front door so she could sit in it to watch television.

One of several breastfeeding breaks. Sometimes she likes to play a game called "how far do mommy's nipples stretch before she yells out or puts me down?" Fun game.

Oooooo.....camera!

Deirdre LOVES to help with laundry. She will get angry if you do laundry without her.

Mommy puts the clothes down on the dryer, and Deirdre pushes them off into the washer.

Deirdre likes brushing her teeth (translation: Deirdre likes eating the berry flavored kids toothpaste)

We had some bedtime pictures but Deirdre's so squirmy they all ended up blurry!

Worms!

Mommy found a long worm on the wet sidewalk and brought it in for a closer look.

Connor didn't want to touch it but Deirdre was enamored.


No fear here! Must be a King girl!

Deirdre LOVES helping with the dishes