September 16 - 30, 2017 - 3 years 2 months

Grandma Baiba and Grandpa Butchie come to Talkeetna for a visit!  First stop… Twister!

While the grandparents are resting, Kadin and I wander through the railroad station and Kadin enjoyed his time behind bars. 

Butch shops the local "produce" while Kadin races around on his bicycle.

Weeeeeee!!!

I had to stop into the VFW to meet up with a friend and Kadin was instantly fascinated with the pool table.  He watched every shot, gave recommendations, and waited for the ball to travel from the pocket to the storage underneath.
Physics scientist or pool shark to be? 

Finally, a break in the rain and we get to be back on our bikes.  If you can see how muddy his legs are, on this trip we went looking for all the big mud puddles! In fact, he had a communication melt down when I went onto the bike path… yelling, no, no, bdda, bdda, (or something like that) and pointing across the street to the dirt trail.  I wasn't thinking in English and it took me forever to figure out he was saying "Puddles!  Puddles!"  I confirmed it with, "Oh, ¿quieres charcos?" Yes!!!!!
We turned around as soon as I figured it out and had a muddy fun time.

Fun little BBQ and bonfire at Sarah's place with Sarah, Drover, and Franny.  Kadin and Jorie ran around like crazy, ate hotdogs and roasted marshmellows, and then finally chilled out by the fire.

Silly times with bubbles.  Somehow Mom stopped this video just before Kadin ran after the bubble and came back telling us there were Trolls behind the building. 

addendum after Baiba's comments:

Kadin's beautiful and silly and wonderful Grandma Baiba…. Alaska's cold in September!

September 5 - 15, 2017 - 3 years 2 months

Daycare dress-up - ladybug outfit with a safety orange construction hat.  And note how he learned from all the girls in daycare how to hold the edges of the skirt up! 

Well, we missed the blueberry season this year but didn't want to come home empty handed.  Lots of high bush cranberries everywhere! 

What a fun time!  We were at the playground when it started raining so we headed home.  But then I had to pull over at the overlook because there was a rainbow… Pfff. Rainbow.  The next thing I knew, Kadin was running around like crazy, putting all of his firefighter gear on and putting out fires left and right.  We must have spent an hour there, having too much fun!

Hanging out at the Station parking lot, Kadin on his bicycle.  Notice the little froggy harness thing his wearing?  It's a leash!!  It had just arrived in the mail and I was trying it out on him… for use in Mexico and big cities for my little independent explorer.

And, last but not least, Patch, hanging out on the couch with me when Kadin isn't here.

Video:  Kadin putting out "muchos incendios" (many fires)!

Video: Kadin up on the old firetruck and climbing back down.

July 13, 2016 - July 15, 2016 - 2 YEARS OLD!!! A 3-DAY CELEBRATION...

Happy 2nd Birthday, mi amor!!!

We had a mini party for him on the 13th… with carrot cake and paper airplanes, a bunch of kiddos and a baby pool.  Fun, Fun, Fun.

The morning of his actual birthday, the 14th, we enjoyed a mellow morning with leftover cake for breakfast and silly antics with balloons.  I haven't laughed so hard in a long time!!  

(you have to see the video to really get the silliness)

He received a cute card that sang out "Happy Birthdaaaaaayyy" and within minutes, my little engineer had taken it apart and found the battery and circuit board.

We then packed up the car and headed to Byer's Lake, for two nights of camping, pack rafting in the warm water, and enjoying the long summer days.  

Kadin's friend Farah came up with her mom Rachel to help celebrate!

This is Kadin's new "smile for the camera" face...

Kadin had found a speck of pollen and carried it all the way to the lake.  He'd drop it and miraculously, we'd look around and find it every time!

Making friends with a random doggie...

Kadin's first marshmellow roasting!

Here's the link to the video if you can't see it on the blog: https://youtu.be/QfnUmQ-IrMk

Here's the link to the video if you can't see it on the blog:  https://youtu.be/nufSkr2ZHAE

And of course, don't forget about our tadpoles… who now have hindlegs!!

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!!

June 15, 2015 - 11 Months, 1 Day Old

I spent the night and this morning on an EMT shift at the north edge of the fire.  It was a quiet night, but scary to see the flames so close to the road and sad to hear of all of the property and acreage burnt. 

The rest of the afternoon, I was pretty tired and let Kadin entertain himself with Danial's dog door.  Out he goes!

I'm coming back in now! 

January 4, 2015 - 5 Months 21 Days

Kadin is mesmerized by the flames of the fire and we are happy that his walker stops at the curb of the hearth!