Brain Dump

* The holidays are here and I am determined to decorate for the first time ever. I'm feeling excited about the colors purple, silver and gold.

* I got to take a really fun trip to Portland last Saturday while Adam stayed home all day with The Bird. It was their first whole day alone together. They did quite well for themselves. She got soaked splashing around in the puddles of the cemetery and they visited a children's museum downtown with some friends. Then they went out for hot chocolate in the evening after both taking 2 hour afternoon naps. Nice job, I'd say! Sienna is very lucky to have such a good dad. My trip was fun because 1) I don't get out much, 2) I met one of my blogging idols, 3) I was surrounded by kindred spirits. Turns out that "getting out" is exhausting! It's a 3 hour drive to Portland both ways so waking up at 5 am and getting home at 10 pm was like, whoa! For this homebody, it left me feeling a bit out of sorts. But in a good way. Turns out my idol is not that personable in real life. Puzzling. But maybe that's why she's successful as a blogger. Because she's not engaging in person. I'm kind of relieved to have her taken down a notch so I don't have to worship her anymore. Turns out that I found kindred spirits with my traveling companions because they all had watched Thoroughly Modern Millie, we started out the trip discussing Martha Stewart and ended it with a several hour discussion about each and every celebrity we could think of. It was refreshing in a way that cannot be understood unless you are, yes, a kindred spirit.

* People keep threatening that the sun isn't going to come out until March. I'll believe it when I see it! Because I saw the sun yesterday! And it's supposed to come out again tomorrow! No, I did not see it today. But to the Seattle winter, I say: Do your worst.

* I've accepted that Sienna doesn't sleep through the night. And I feel good about it. Finally. No, I will not find hope in the fact that 3 nights in a row last week she slept through the night. But I do have hope she'll figure it out at some point. And that is the only hope I need to keep going.

* Sienna needs a lot more entertaining these days since she's dropped the morning nap. It has been daunting to wake up in the morning together and face the day. Welp, day, we have about 12 hours to fill, minus one or two in the afternoon. I'm trying to build in a little more structure in the morning - aka have a plan - so that I am sure to get outside with her doing something before noon. Yesterday we went to the Ballard Locks. Today we went to U Village shopping center for some kid activities. Those big activities are just for me, though. Sienna is most happy anywhere there is a leaf or rock or puddle. She still can't do a lot of things on jungle gyms and there ain't no way she's walking from point A to point B anytime soon. But she can pick up a rock and throw it in a puddle for HOURS. So, 12 hours of that and we're already at bedtime!

* We got our church callings recently. Adam is temple prep teacher. I am a CTR4 (4-5 year olds) teacher. Both great callings and very different from ones we've had in the past. Highlights from my kids so far: There is one girl who shakes with joy every time she talks. She grins and talks and her whole body quivers. One of her comments in class: "My dad choked me with my toothbrush." (Smile, shake, utter elation.) Sienna got a new calling, too: Nursery student. She hates it!

* Sienna is hugging and kissing a lot more. It's the best! She actually will go up to you, put her arms around your neck and rest her head on your shoulder. Sometimes she also pats your back and says "Ahhhh." And she's pretty good at kissing with her mouth closed. Ahhhh. It feels like she actually likes us or something.

* I joined a Christian moms group that meets every other Wednesday called MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) right when I moved here. Our ward is not so organized with the mom groups or groups in general, so I'm finding my own places to go. Plus, I need to meet people outside the ward. It's a new goal of mine - well, Adam's too: hang out with people not from Mormonville. It's been really great. Refreshing. Necessary. Anyway, at MOPS they have childcare and various get-to-know-you activities and a speaker or party. On the off weeks, the same group meets for a bible study, where they offer childcare as well. So, I thought it'd be great for Sienna, too, to get her ready for nursery. Not happening. I usually can't even stay the whole time because she's crying her guts out and they don't allow kids in the mom-room. Anyway, I like this new group. Maybe I'll even get to know some of them once I can stay long enough to have a conversation.

* And, finally, let's talk about my hair. I know it's been on your mind! I really am growing it out. I always say I am but this time it's actually happening. Thanks to the humidity that lets me scrunch and go and the general hippie vibe I feel around these parts that says, "Let it all out, man!" I am! Thank you very much!

Halloweening

Well. The decade + of hating Halloween is over! We have a kid who can walk. Thus, we soaked it up this year! Birdie dressed up as a ... wait for it ... BIRD! A chicken, chick-a-dee, duck, canary, whatever you want to call it. She was some kind of cute fluffy bird. I took advantage of three events to dress her up for: Saturday's Pumpkin Bash at the Woodland Park Zoo and the ward trunk or treat as well as today's trick or treating around a friend's neighborhood.

The photos are out of order (if anyone knows how to help me get the new blogger uploader set up with my two old blogs, please tell me!) so sorry for the jumping around.

We saw an elephant!

Bird chills out for a pretzel break in the rain.

This is I think the only picture we got of her with the head on. This was tonight ... more on that later...

Back to the zoo. Birdie running from the bird room.

A plump birdie in the distance.

Wandering freely at the zoo.

Sitting on the steps at the elephant exhibit.

Ward party. She tried a sucker for the first time.

Tonight our friends Kelly and Christian invited us over for dinner and trick or treating in their cute neighborhood. Their 15 month old son was a monster. Birdie is 18 months old (and had her first day of nursery today; it was rough).

I'm not sure who had more fun, the parents or the kids.

And DONE.

This Old House

Here's our house in no particular picture order. I'm too lazy to narrate at the moment so it's The Bird's room, then our front room and kitchen and our bedroom. The usual 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom thing. And no pictures of our bathroom. It's kind of depressing.

'Round Here

Here are some random pictures of our area.

Adam took this picture while on a boat trip on Lake Washington.
These next ones are of The Bird's and my exploration of the Puget Sound area down the road from our place.

This is our neighborhood. The Bird and I were out playing in the street when Adam came home so he's in a few of these. These houses are directly across the street from us.
This is our backyard. We live in a triplex and the 3 dudes who live downstairs enter from the backyard, so although they are super nice and friendly , Birdie and I don't go back there much. We stick to walks in the street. She just likes puddles and rocks more than grass, what can I say?
This is our entrance on the right side of the house. 2 girls live next to us and they enter from the left side. Sienna goes up and down these steps a million times a day.

This is the front of the house. Our side is covered by that giant tree. It's lovely for privacy and shade but on the rare occasion that it's sunny and warm outside our place is still chilly inside. So I'm getting used to wearing socks and pants and long sleeved shirts and sometimes my big, poufy bathrobe around the house.
We have a garage and that's The Fo in front of it. We park Zippy inside the garage. She will not be used much in the next couple years because Adam rides the bus to and from school.

Here's Adam coming home from the bus stop which is super close.

Birdie kneeling in the water and sampling rocks.

This is a different day when we were out when Adam was just getting off the bus. Birdie runs to say hello.

She thinks it's really funny that he carries a thermos of hot chocolate with him to school. Ha ha!
We are next door to this nondescript corner bakery. It bakes bread all day every day to be distributed to stores and bakeries. You can also walk in and buy your own loaf if you want. And we ALWAYS want. But at $4 a loaf, it's expensive. And sooooooo good. The smell is delicious torture, but good thing I have my trusty breadmaker that makes a loaf that is almost just as tasty for way cheaper.
Here is Crown Hill Cemetary where The Bird and I enjoy quiet exploration.

One last shot for you. THE BIRD! She's growing up and soooo insanely cute. She can now: go down a slide without me holding onto her, go down a few steps if there is a rail to hold on to, run, kiss with her mouth closed (video coming soon), hug, and loves saying UH OH! She'll also say Wuh Wuh when she sees a dog, Miii when she sees a cat, Buh Bye when daddy leaves for school, Yeah to every question asked (another video coming soon). And one more month until nursery!