March 16-31, 2018 - 3 years 8 months

Due to a last-minute realization that we were both going to the start of the Oosik ski race, I got to spend a few hours with Kadin in the middle of March (the 17th).  He was super excited to see me and we played on the giant snow mountain and had a wonderful time.

Here's the first snowman we ever built together!  He has hair on top of his head; Kadin's addition.

Sliding down the hill, over and over again, with Bucky chasing after us.  I felt like a river otter!  Weeeeee!

A few hours later, Kadin takes on a more contemplative look…

 And then, there were two more weeks of 

"beznjenica" 

which I just learned is Serbian for 

"a space or time without a loved one".

Kadin was back with me again on the 31st, just in time for Easter egg dyeing and pizza!  

After the eggs and pizza, we went out to the river to play in the snow with Bucky.  I love you Kadin.

Kadin would climb up the willow trunks and go "nnneeighhh!" like a horsey.

Even the walk back to our car was an adventure, as Kadito climbed up and traversed the snowplow ridge alongside Main Street, navegating steep hills and icy downclimbs.

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And these last two shots are candidates for a Historic Downtown Talkeetna Calendar, highlighting two of our local establishments with a classic style. 

 (I swear these are not posed… Kadito hates posing for the camera!!)

March 1-15, 2018 - 3 years 8 months

I only had Kadin with me for two days in March: the 1st and the 30th… A whole month without him.  Even as I write this in May, I feel the knot of emptiness come back.  It was horrible.  I survived.  

I love this little boy more than I thought possible.

Playing out on the river, with a beautiful view of Denali in the distance.

Kadin shows me the 5 cars he wants to take with him to the "other house" for the next month.  

This sums up how I feel all of March, while Kadin is "not with me". 

At least Bucky keeps me from sitting on my butt all day!

March 16 - 31, 2017 - 2 years 8 months

March 5 - 15, 2017 - 2 years 8 months

Back in Alaska!  

It was a beautiful day with a biting wind...

Kadin always seems to get these red lower eyelid lesions… always on the right side.  He gets a water balloon compress on it and if he lets me do it easily enought, he gets to play with the balloon afterwards. 

February 28 - March 4, 2017 - 2 years 7 months - Chacala, Mexico, 4th week

Can we take him home?!

Digging his teeth into a yummy mango-on-a-stick!  My little "mono salvaje"!

Abuela Baiba took a photo of this and so, of course, Kadin had to grab my phone and take over 40 photos of it.  Baiba told him this was what we were having for dinner that night!  Yum!

Saying "adios" to Abuela Baiba.  :-(

Last day in Mexico, at our fancy place near the airport.

Last day in Mexico, at our fancy place near the airport.

March 23, 2016 - March 29, 2016 - 20 months and 2 weeks

We spent Easter Sunday through Tuesday at Byer's Lake, Cabin #3, which is about an hour north of Talkeetna.  So wonderful to leave 40ºF (4ºC) and rain in Talkeetna and enjoy an actual winter wonderland for a change.  It was around 25ºF (-4ºC) and snowing the entire time we were there.  

Super fun sledding, skiing, lounging in the cabin, and, of course, Kadin's first ever Easter egg hunt!

Kadin always seems so happy outside, playing and exploring the world.  Best cure ever for his fussiness! 

Six eggs and one orange.  Eggs dyed with blueberries (blue), tumeric (yellow), and paprika (didn't work so well). 

And he's off, empty basket in hand.  I just told him to go look for the eggs and he knew exactly what to do!

This was the first one he saw, and it sort of freaked him out.  They had a stare-down for a few seconds and then he slowly approached.  It does have a sort of evil look to it, completely unintentional. 

After conquering his fear of the evil snowman, Kadin tried to grab the egg but it proved a bit awkward with his fleece dog-booty mittens.

Mittens gone, Kadin easily picks up the eggs on the porch.

And another egg and choco/pb cup on the sled.

He was trying to give me his peanut butter/dark chocolate cup but once I opened it up for him, he understood and kept the rest for himself!

This Easter egg hunt was way too easy for him!

Yay!  Another one!

After he found all of the eggs, Kadin tried to figure out what was inside them.  He had only had scrambled and fried eggs up until now.  What a surprise! 

He really wasn't that excited to find a hard boiled egg inside.  It's like someone had already told him about the plastic ones with candy and money inside!  You have to watch the video...

These two hooligans (and Bucky) had to stay inside during the hunt.  I'd already caught Buck trying to sneak away with one of the eggs in his mouth.

March 16, 2016 - March 22, 2016 - 20 months and 1 week

Kadin still loves eating snow.

Afternoon walk with little Miss Annie.

Ended the day with Bucky entertaining Kadin with his amazing snowball catching abilities!

He's so good at it, the snowball was headed right at right at Kadin and… whoosh… in comes Buck to save the day!

Here comes another one….

Ooops.  Bucky is still trying to figure out what happened to the snowball.  Kadin could have told him if his mouth wasn't so filled up with snow!!