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!

October 1 - 15, 2017 - 3 years 3 months

We went out for sushi and Kadin did a great job with his chopsticks!

ARGGH.  He LOVED the calamari.  He actually ate everything but wasn't too excited about the raw salmon.

As a surprise reward for being so good in the restaurant and in Value Village, I let Kadin pick out a toy and he is super excited about his new pirate ship!

It even has little mini wheels so it can smoothly sail the concrete seas.

Soleil's Birthday Party!!! Soleil is the girl to the far left.  

Mr. Monkey Acrobat in the bath.

In aerial yoga, this would be the orangutan pose.

Throwing rocks and sticks and leaves and watching them sink or float down the coast like a pirate ship.  (Everything is a pirate ship these days!)

It took Kadin over an hour to finally work up the courage to approach Sparky, the fire dog.  Sparky was quiet and patient and eventually Kadin wanted to show him all of his toys and art.  He even started to "read" the fire activity book to him!

We visited Wendy for a lovely tea and biscuits and a fun romp with her dogs.  Kadin found a feather on her window sill and he let me put it in his hair.  I love his facial expression in this picture for some reason.  

Yes, he's still running around naked.  But the awesome thing is that he had watched me mop the floor a few minutes prior to this and then immediately picked up the mop, mopped the floor, and used the squeegie thing to get the water out.  Kids' amazing ability to watch and imitate never ceases to surprise me.

August 1 - 15, 2017 - 3 years 1 month

Kadin watches the other kids balance the plate on the stick after the Juggling Show.

And then he tries it himself!!!!   

Kadin, hanging out with his friend Alden, at the Juggle Whatever Show.

It's so fun to run into Kadin's friends around town… here Kadin is playing with Soleil at a sunny Live at Five show.

Kadin didn't want to get into the car when Live at Five ended, so he ran around the car several times, jumping into all of the mud puddles until his face was sufficiently splattered.

Fun on another sunny day at X Lake!  He would run and jump into the raft over and over again… see the video below.

Eventually, even Kadin tires out and he decided to chill in the raft for an adorable summer portrait.

Moose!  We pulled over so Kadin could get out of his carseat and actually see them.  Afterwards, everytime I put my brakes on or slowed down, he would ask, "Alce?" (Moose in Spanish)

I went into Conscious Coffee to order and thought Kadin was outside playing with the Tonka trucks.  Instead, I found him sitting on the couch, reading!  

We went out to the Talkeetna River on the other side of the trestle bridge and Kadin found a giant glacial melt pool to play in.  The water was icy but it didn't faze Dito… he played in it for an hour!

The best toy ever… a double roll of birch bark he found in the water… which became a boat zooming all around.  See video below.

A throwback to my days of artsy photos… Both Kadito and I love spirals, especially in nature. 

He saw so many boats cruise by when he was playing in the river the other day, that I booked us a tour up the Chulitna with Mahays.  Yay!!!

The boat tour included a stop at a recreated Athabaskan village where Dito could run around and play with moose antlers and fur.  (And scare the tourists when he'd eat the high bush cranberries without asking me first.)

What a busy couple of weeks!  It was Salmon Day today, and the Ranger Station and Susitna River Salmon Center put on events for kids of all ages.  

Kadin swimming and counting boats

Kadin jumping into the raft!

Kadin playing with his birchbark boat.

February 16 - 24, 2017 - 2 years 7 months - Chacala, Mexico, 3rd week

Another selfie! 

One of my favorite photos!  Mr. Cutie-Pie, happy as can be playing in the dirt!

Portable bathtub with bubbles! 

Town visit for groceries and bank. 

Kadin helps Concha's grandkids knead the masa for tortillas.

Boat ride up the Tovara River - on the look-out for birds and crocodiles. 

¡Cocodrilo!