June 16-30, 2018 - 3 years 11 months

The kids had the chance to disect a squid at Library Hour today.  Kadin LOVED it!!!

Yoga class at the library with Miss Geri.  Kadin did okay; some days he was really into it and others he just wanted to run around and do flips.  This was an "into it" day as he does the table pose (the cat and cow were next!).

Grayden, Dean, Kadito, and Ben climbing the fence together after T-Ball.

Funny face selfies on the computer.

Calvin, Kadito, and Jorie hanging out at Twister Creek.

He gets a bit of screen time at the library, at home, and occasionally with friends, but usually in the car, a book, toy, or conversation are plenty to keep him entertained. 

Pride Day.  He ran right up to these two guys to admire their bikes and they popped him on one for a photo op.

T-Ball.  OK, I know I got a bit too excited when he hit it.  ;-)

We made homemade pizza with pineapple and hotdog slices (didn't have his usually favorite, pepperoni).

June 1-15, 2018 - 3 years 11 months

Shut yer mouth, kid!
(just kidding, he did it to himself, for fun!)

Munching on some curly fries and at Live at 5.

The dogs LOVE his dump truck!

Mama, me do this?  When me hombre?

Spending quality time with Kadin, catching mosquitos as they feed on me, putting them into the spiderweb, and watching the spider wrap up the tasty morsel.  Kadin now loves spiders and doesn't kill them.  Yay!

Hey Mama, is that plant thirsty? It want agua?
(We had a sudden downpour of rain and he rain out onto the patio at Twister and was essentially showering in the drips from the rain gutter as he filled up the bucket to give to the plants.)

Watch this Mom!  Just like the Dukes of Hazard!

How did he get so big?  Relaxing and reading a book while I go inside and order us some food.  

Happy Birthday to me!  "Jota para ti Mama!"  ("J is for you Mom"

Kadin loves hanging out with Mr. Ernie and his grandkids at the library.

April 16-30, 2018 - 3 years 9 months

The Elementary School had an art show… this is the group project of The Scream! 

The next day, it was Earth Day, and Kadin spent most of it up in this alder, trying to climb as high as the older boys and girls.  In this pic, Sawyer is the boy to the right.

We are trying to grow some sunflower starts this year since last year they never flowered when we planted them directly into the soil outside.  Whatever they do, it's a fun activity with Kadin.  We poured the soil in, made a little bed for each seed and then covered them up with a dirt blanket.  When we were done, he said, "We plant seeds, go to bed, and tomorrow we eat plants!" 

I have one or two of these shots from when Kadin was an infant.  It still feels just as amazing now, 3 years later.

Biking, biking, and more biking.  He LOVES his new pedal bike and is out riding in rain or shine.  See videos below…

Of course, jumping off the bike to dive into the snow bank is just as much fun!  Even in the rain…  He tried to get me to join him but I declined.

Video of Kadin taking off on his bike without my help…

Video of Kadin swinging like a monkey in Gymnastics Class.

Video of Kadin and Luke sharing some raspberry silliness!

Video of Kadin climbing the alder tree downtown.  

He is saying, "Down, ok. That's how you go down.  Me show you how go up, alright?  This, do that, do that.  OK Mom?  Mom want to climb tree?"

And, last, but not least, Kadito in action… Fun times with puddles, snow, bikes, and Bucky.

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!!)

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!

November 1 - 15, 2017 - 3 years 4 months

That's one happy kid!

Yum, ice!  With his bare hands no less!  Brrrrr.

The gravel pit, with it's snow-covered "mountains" makes a great place to explore and play and run along the mountaintops.

Near the gravel pit, Kadin led me into an alder and willow grove, that I called the fairy forest.  It was a perfect Kadin-sized forest too.

Kadin snuggles with Tony while Mama Trinity sits close.  We fostered a mom and her two kitties for a while.  In the end, I decided not to keep any of them.  The kittens were a bit shy/nervous/feral and needed a quieter home.

Eating snow again… Captain Snowbeard!

Kadin was working really hard to push up this hill.  It's a bit steeper than it looks in the photo.

After all that biking, Kadin crashed in the sled and I pulled him the last bit down the road to the car.

Kadin working hard again, this time my little "alpinista" is summiting the mountain.  Half way up he says, "This hard Mom," and towards the top his asking me to wait where I am while he goes the rest of the way up.

Kadin bike-skis down a hill, with Denali and the beautiful Alaska range in the background.  In the beginning of it, I wasn't sure what he was saying, maybe "run"?  Then he says, "Mama mas cerca arboles," which means, "Mama, closer to the trees."  Ie back up!