December 16 - 31, 2017 - 3 years 5 months

Making cookies with an active and enthusiastic 3 year old is challenging… I mixed half of the chocolate chip recipe with half of the molasses cookie recipe and came out with something in between… Still yummy and fun in then end and with enough sugar, butter, flour, and chocolate chips, anything takes good, right?

El Capitán Kadito Finn  ¡Arrgh!  My Mom's yearly Christmas tree ornament gift for Kadito, in line with his latest fascination with pirates and boats.

Christmas Day

He was so cute with the Santa hat on but would NOT let me take his picture… this was all I could get.

Video:  Kadin with his Rocket Shooter on Christmas Day.  I have to admit, it might be a one-day-wonder, but I still want to try it at night and see if they really glow in the dark… it just has to get above 0ºF at some point.

December 1 - 15, 2017 - 3 years 5 months

Kadin pulls another kid with his awesome balance bike on skis during the Wilderness Woman's Contest in Downtown Talkeetna. 

An early gift of my original MatchBox Cars Carrying Case with about 20 of my cars that I've kept for all of these years.  I'm glad he was as excited to receive it as I was to give it to him.

This year we did a "composite" tree with two little sprucelings zip tied together to make one Alaskan Christmas Tree.  

Biking in the gravel pit at sunset – that means at 3:30pm.  Arrrgh!

After all that biking, Kadin didn't even want his hot cocoa and even with a cookie in his hand, he still was about to say, "Me no like fotos, Mama!"  Arrrgh!

October 28 - 31, 2017 - 3 years 3 months - HALLOWEEN!

December 16 - 31, 2016 - 2 years 5 months

I told Kadin these were our Christmas "stockings" and so he tried to put them on his feet and walk around!

Playing hide-and-go-seek with the lockers at the Wasilla pool, where we go occasionally to swim.

Making gifts for others.

All the gifts wrapped and under the tree!  Yay Mama!

Christmas day – train set and table from Grandma Baiba.

Naked chef boy loved his new kitchen!

Playgrounds have their challenges in the winter but they are still super fun!

New Year's eve fireworks!  Oooh.. Aaaah…!
Kadin loved them once I put his ear protection on his head.  Before that, the loud noise just made him cry.

December 1 - 15, 2016 - 2 years 5 months

Eating snow again!

New loft addition and Kadin's play room!

Alaskan Christmas tree… White spruce sapling from the forest around my home.   I try to cut one down that is close to the road and grouped around a bunch of other saplings, to feel a bit better about the sacrifice. ;-)

Yummy smoothie!

Future big-rig driver!

December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016 - 17 months and 3 weeks

Costa Rica!!  Our first week, arriving in Liberia and traveling to and around Monte Verde, the cloud forest.

First, the long, long flight (5 1/2 hours to LAX, another 5 1/2 hours to CR).  Kadin did great, I was exhausted. 

Then, two buses to get us up to Monte Verde.  Only minor glitches, but we had a great time waiting at the bus stop restaurant!

Sadly, these two were the only Tapirs we saw on our trip.

 Yay!  Finally out hiking in the cloud forest.  Kadin was so excited about everything he saw — leaves, bugs, birds, ants, etc.

 He was even excited to see other hikers!  Everyone was so friendly, he began running up to people, especially men who liked or had kids, and holding out his arms, asking to be picked up.   These two were from Spain.

This hike had some awesome suspension bridges.  My favorite spanned a huge green gorge and the clouds slowly descended upon us as we approached it.

Kadin got all excited and started pointing at the ground.  I went over to see what he found and it was a beautiful walking stick insect!  My little naturalist!

Hiking was always putting Kadin to sleep, to the point where we decided to take a photo during his naps to be able to show him what he missed!

Many of the places we stayed had resident dogs, and this 10 month old golden retriever loved Kadin.  Kadin liked him too, although he was a bit too rambunctious and mouthy for him.

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And now for a few beautiful nature shots… 

This is a venomous Side-striped Palm Pit Viper (Bothriechis lateralis)

And, a friendly Costa Rican Orange-kneed Tarantula.

Tons of hummingbirds at a coffee shop near the entrance of Monte Verde National Park. 

This is a Green-crowned Brilliant (Heliodoxa jacula)

This one is a Magenta-Throated Woodstar (Calliphlox Bryantae).

and this is a female Purple-throated Mountain-gem (Lampornis calolaema).