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!!)

April 1 - 15, 2017 - 2 years 9 months

A kid in a toy store!

All that excitement, including a new tractor, is exhausting!

Comparing candy with Soleil after the Easter egg hunt.

Kadin chose Tinkerbell as his stuffed toy gift at the Easter egg hunt - she can fly!  And her feet are fun to chew on! 

Playing with selfies with the computer's camera - and Kadin is showing off his Matchbox police car (that was mine when I was a little kid!)

September 20 - 30, 2016 - 2 years 2 months

Kadin took this photo of Mama and su cafecito.

This is another shot of Kadito the photographer.

Kadin put this sticker on his nose in a silly moment, which was perfect, because poor Mia was in the hospital on her birthday and we sent her this photo to cheer her up.  Happy Birthday!!  Hope you are healed up soon Mia!

Kadin, practicing his tree pose.

Namaste.

My friend Leighan painting a gorgeous sandhill crane on my wall.  It's Kadin's growth chart.

Putting the finishing touches on the crane… 

Now you see me...

Now you don't!

I think he was removing the rock from the road, 

Mi cocinero made scrambled eggs this morning, from getting the eggs out of the fridge, cracking them, mixing them, pouring it into the pan, scrambling them and serving them onto a plate.  The only thing I did was light the stove and help hold the heavy cast iron skillet!

Yay! Biking and high bush cranberries!

I'm going in!  Brrr… it's a bit chillier than last month's swim.  Didn't stop him though!

Since Kadito went in, his Mama had to follow suit, both in our birthday suits, of course!

Video of Kadin biking down a hill, making funny faces.

Here's the link: https://youtu.be/ujIryQOFeLg

May 11, 2016 - May 17, 2016 - 22 months

Frog eggs!  and now in our house!

The next night, after mucking through our pond for the frog eggs, we jumped in the plane and met up with a bunch of other out on a gravel bar of the Chulitna River.  4 or 5 planes, at least 10 adults, 3 dogs, and 2 wild and crazy kids.  Sky, the other kid, borrowed my camera and most of the pictures posted here are hers, so pardon the blurriness, but I loved seeing a 3 year old's perspective!

Maybe Sky covered half the frame on purpose… for privacy.

The photographer's self-portrait!

OK, I took this one… too cute!

Two nights later, I was inspired by Teresa and wanting to find a yummy way to hide broccoli, so I made my own little ravioli.  The dough was part whole wheat, white wheat, and rice flour, so I don't think I would have wanted Teresa there to judge them, but Kadin liked them, and that was the main goal!  Stuffed with ricotta, tofu, veggie sausage, and, of course, broccoli.

We enjoyed the ravioli outside, in the buff, with red wine, of course.  

(That's the Italian way, right Teresa?)

After dinner, Kadin wanted desert and spied 3 high-bush cranberries off in the forest.  So he took off after them, crashing through the shrubs barefoot and naked, until he found a prickly rose bush and then asked Mama to carry him the rest of the way.  

And, last but not least, we ended the week with a bike ride to the Flying Squirrel cafe, about 3/4 mile away, and Kadin biked the whole way!  He loves this balance bike!!

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.