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.

August 30 - 31, 2017 - The State Fair (3 years 1 month)

Ama and Maya came up to Alaska from Oakland, CA and we had a great time at the State Fair in Palmer!  

Kadin and I spent the night camping in Palmer and then rode our bike to the Fair the next day.  Yummy pizza for dinner!  And then off to explore the woods and the lake! 

Kadin and Maya, about 10 minutes after they'd met. 

We had a choice between posing with an alligator, a turtle, a snake, and a macaw and Kadin was adamant about the bird.  He was a little nervous about it being on his head but it was an excited kind of nervousness, especially when it suddenly flew to the ground in an explosion of red feathers.

Next, we saw the pony circle and Kadin took off without me to check it out.  He sat all by himself on a pony named Ringo and was enthralled.   

And then the "petting zoo", where Kadin got to play with some "kids" who were just as rambunctious as he is! 

After all the animals, it was time to check out the rides… Kadin had never been on them, but the first one he saw was the giant Ferris Wheel and he was super excited for it.  Absolutely no fear; in fact, I had to keep a hand on him so he wouldn't go too close to the edge. (The gate was locked, but I wasn't taking any chances!) 

We were deciding on our next ride, when he saw the green train… AKA the Wacky Worm Roller Coaster (for younger kids).  It was awesome!!! Just fast enough and curvy enough to put a huge smile on his face.  And when it stopped, he cried, "Mas, mas, mas!"  But we had to go meet up with Ama and Maya and so, no more Wacky Worm.

After the yummy pizza, we played on the dock near the lake and Kadin's imagination went wild… First, the dock was a big boat, a discarded bait lid was the power-on button, and we steered through the waters avoiding monsters, sharks, and crocodiles (and sometimes saved them and their babies too).  Then we were in the woods and the alder leaves were icecreams and he served up all his favorite flavors: frozen banana, berry, strawberry.  And finally, he would ask me to cry and then bring me things to cheer me up… 💚

There was a crazy show with a guy, 2 border collies , and 2 monkeys.  The monkeys rode the dogs like horses, with saddles and everything, and the "cowboy monkeys" had to round up a few sheep.  Afterwards, the guy talked about how he rescued the monkeys (I can't remember from where) and then walked around the audience letting everyone meet one of the monkeys.  Kadin was so excited and kept running around the fence to get closer.

Here, Kadin is checking out everyone else on the ponies and horses and is telling me how he doesn't need me to have a hand on his back like the baby in front of him.  He's such a big boy now!

July 17 - 31, 2017 - 3 years

We weren't able to keep Sally as a pet.  She wanted to eat our cat Birch and didn't appreciate Kadin's hugs and high energy on a constant level.  But we do still get to take her out for bike rides and forest frolicking which makes all of us happy!

And, we do have a new pet… meet Patch, our 6 year old Nigerian Dwarf goat! 

We went to T-Ball today, where Kadin picked up a bat for the first time and did great!
The "coach" kept trying to get Kadin to do everything just the way it's supposed to be done (one hand here, one there, you stand there, now put the bat here, etc…) and they both got frustrated.  I just handed Dito the bat and said, ok, hit the ball, and he did it – his own way.  It's a good thing to figure stuff out on your own, yet, if that trait sticks around, it might make school a bit challenging… 

Kadin was so excited to help me thin out the carrots that he went a bit overboard and started pulling all of our new-born baby carrots out of the ground and eating them!  They may be small but sure were yummy.

Kadin lined out all of the trucks at the playground today.
If it has wheels and moving parts, he's going to be interested in it! 

Kadito brought all of the mini-carrots he picked with him to show Mia.  I think in the end, Patch ate most of them... 

He was just so photogenic today!  I just can't stand how adorable my little Dito is.
(Of course, he'd correct me: "Dito no pequeño, Dito grande!")

Patch meets Kadin

Third time's a charm

June 16 - 30, 2017 - 2 years 11 months

Chilling in a tarp on the phone.   

Proud Mama displaying Kadin's first girth hitch.  He is constantly trying to tie knots and hook his various toys up to ropes/cords.  

You can't really tell, but he is asleep and still hoding his book!
I pulled this catalog out of the recycle bin and it's his favorite book - full of boats and wild animals.  

Kadin is bottle feeding Pinny, the one and only kid that survived Patches dystocia. 

Kadin and I at the first ever Talkeetna Pride Parade.  Not sure why my phone broke up the picture so much but this was the best one of the two of us.  Kadin was happy (he has icecrean, doesn't he?) but he was intently watching all the commotion. In fact, I had to carry him because if I tried to get him to walk he just stopped and turned around in circles watching everthing.  

Eventually Kadin got too heavy and I found a friend of ours on his tricycle so Kadin rode in the back with Bowie.

Can you find Kadin?   If not, there is a clue at the end of this post...

After all the Pride festivities, we went out for pizza, beer, and music at Mountain High Pizza.  Yum!!

Leftover fruits and veggies going into the Ninja.  Best way for me to get yummy greens into Kadin at this point.

Yummy!!

Kadin brings the cat inside for the night.  Birch loves Kadin and is amazingly tolerant! 

Random Talkeetna scene at the library.  Probably Granddad, his baby granddaughter, and his gun.  I love living here.

Video of Kadin bottle-feeding Pinny, the baby goat.

Another video of Kadin and Pinny, the baby goat (Patches' baby)

Clue for finding Kadin and I in the big Pride photo:  
(We are just to the left of the girl with the white hula hoop.  I am wearing a fuzzy rainbow hat.)

April 6, 2015 - 8 Months, 23 Days Old

Busy veterinary day, starting off with a lil' baby goat — not sure which kid was more fascinated by the other – Kadin or Roan!