"Fair Days"--Kiddie Rides!

How could I forget the Kiddie Rides??? This was the best part. So we totally intended not to put Arseny on any rides thinking that he was too small. However Emma was riding the rides and as we entered "kiddie land" to find Emma and her mom Arseny threw up his hands with glee and just squealed with delight. He saw all the lights and music and kids and of course Emma riding rides. Matt and I looked at each other with a "what do we do" look??? So we searched around and saw that on the Carousel a parent could accompany little ones. We bought our tickets and Matt and Malenky got on. I thought for sure he would cry and want off but boy was I wrong. All I saw going round and round (as I was trying to get pictures) was a big GRIN from dad and smiles ---all smiles from the Malenky. I don't think I've laughed that hard in a long time. It was just precious to see.

"Fair Days"

So every year around the Labor Day Weekend the SE Washington Fair happens here in Walla Walla. Every year we don't go! People who know Matt pretty well tend to know that he doesn't really like the fair---I know, party pooper---however this year it was a little different. We had Malenky!!! and we wanted to make an outing of it. So earlier in the day Arseny and I went to the fair with our friends Denise, Asher and Selah while dads were at work and checked it out. He rode the John Deere Tractors through the Hay Bale Maze and then of course didn't want to get off. Then we went over and checked out the roping and riding of horses and hay bales. In the picture above our friend Gustavo is trying to rope the hay bale steer but Arseny is in the way taking "the bull by the horns" it was fun but very hot so after a good nap at home we trucked on back in the evening with our friends the Philos to visit Old McDonald's farm and check out the kiddie rides. I thought the dad's complete with strollers in the picture above was quite funny as we were passing the animal barns---OH how things have changed! Then Arseny got to see all the animals at the baby animal farm. Here's Matt and Malenky staring down the Llama...we weren't quite sure if it was going to spit or not so we stood back a little bit. Then Arseny got to pet the baby horse, and he saw goats, pigs, bunnies etc. He LOVED it! So did we, it's amazing how excited you get for your children when they get to experience something for the first time. Amazingly we got in the car to go home and Matt said "that actually wasn't too bad and surprisingly pleasant" I couldn't believe it! We did have a really good time!

So what's going on lately?

So what have we been up to lately... nothing really exciting, we're just trying to get through the remainder of August and into September and we're almost there! In the mean time we've been doing a lot of playing in the house (too hot and muggy outside this week). Here's Arseny with his bucket--and yes that's pregnant me drinking starbucks (gasp) I tried to crop it but it didn't work... Anyway, Arseny loves his little red bucket we got on vacation and tends to pack it around everywhere. It's fun to look inside it every once in a while to see what's in there---often it will contain everything from goldfish crackers to tennis balls and other trinkets he finds...by the way "KOH" was the mystery word last week. Matt and I couldn't figure out what "KOH" was. We knew it was associated with "want" and "more" and finally Arseny added the "KER" to the end. He's been trying to tell us "Cracker" "KOH KER" So now he officially has a new word and we don't have to play the guessing game anymore when he's asking for goldfish. He's also learning how to eat "big boy" sandwiches which he prefers ---He lets me know if I happen to forget and cut them into bites. He's also is still spending a lot of time hanging out with his baby. He and baby spend quality time in the pic above relaxing in Daddy's big chair. Oh and if I haven't mentioned it before...Arseny loves Balls any kind...it was actually one of his very first words. Anything that remotely looks like a ball gets squeals of excitement and we get to hear all about it "ball, ball, ball". At the same time we're working on what's ok to throw and what's not ok to throw in the house. Trucks are not ok to throw but Nerf balls are ok......so mom won the best mom and wife award one day when at walmart I went looking for nerf balls and I just happened to pick up a 2.99$ over the door nerf ball and hoop set. Now Arseny and Dad play regular games of hoops whenever they can. All for the price of a Happy Meal! Happy Daddy and Happy Malenky = Happy Mommy!

Getting Ready for Little Sister

We have couple of friends who happen to have newborns. When we've spent time with them Arseny has been both curious and not exactly gentle (which is totally normal for his age). However, this got us thinking...we need to see if we can't better prepare Arseny for little sister to enter Malenky's world. Matt thought it would be a good idea if we let Arseny have his "own" baby. Luckily we had a "baby" that Arseny had inherited from the Chantel girls. So we brought out baby complete with a tiny outfit I had dug out from his newborn days and started to explain how we hold and love the baby. He is absolutely thrilled with his new baby and packs "her" around carefully hugs her and lets Matt and I hold the baby and him at the same time. He loves that we give so much attention to the baby and reinforce how careful we are when holding her. So baby has been going everywhere with us and Arseny has been learning words like "gentle" and "careful" and how to love the baby as opposed to poking it's eyes out which he seems to have down to a perfection. Unfortunately it's one of his greatest skills...

For a while there we were having a problem. Arseny plays with a few boys who have 2 or 3 years on him who started to be really careful around him and say "I don't like that baby" or "that baby hurt me" for a while they would make a wide swath around him when veering into his path. Like I said...we're working on poking eyes. Some kids go through a biting phase...well mine's a eye poker... discipline and working on behavioral skills has literally snuck up on us and bit us the rear. I don't know where I've been (La La Land) ? but apparently I didn't realize that my 16 month old went from baby to little boy. He understands WAY more than I had previously given him credit for. It's such hard work and a never ending task in order to help them learn appropriate behaviors. Ok, I know he's is only 16 months old, however he's fully aware of when he throws things in a tantrum and doing things he knows he's not supposed to like sprinting to the open bathroom shoving his arm into the toilet as fast as he can all while he's looking right at you...oh it's so much fun to see what will make those parents react. Needless to say we've got our work cut out for us and we are constantly asking other parents that we trust and reading parenting material to get new ideas and and to help us learn what we can do. I'm trying not to let my head spin at the thought of having two. It will be an adventure!!!

More Vacation Pictures #2

More Vacation Pictures

Cruising along in the San Juans

We just got back from our vacation in the San Juan Islands. It was BEAUTIFUL there and we came home refreshed and golden brown from the summer sunshine---it was so hard to stay out of it...even on a cloudy day you were wearing sunscreen---or else! The weather was superb, not too hot and not too cool and there always seemed to be a breeze. We stayed on the outskirts of Friday Harbor in a farm house that had plenty of relaxing things to do. Amongst our little party was our dear friends the Sturgills, the Moyers and their little ones Aidan (our Godson) and their newest little one, Blaise and of course Arseny and I (because of Matt's new job he was unable to get the time off...so Matt stayed here in WW and had his own little vacation!) He didn't seem too dissapointed in that though, and I think he really enjoyed the time to himself. Apparently he did a lot of reading and sleeping in which is good because come baby #2 its all over---enjoy while you can!!!

OK, so back to our little vacation spot...There was a pond with a little boat, a small orchard, a big yard and deck, and a badmitten net that always seemed to be in use. We did a lot of relaxing and lounging in chairs, grilling and of course chasing the little ones around. It cooled off in the evening and deer would come up into the small orchard nearby. Some of the other things we got to do that week were, ride the ferry to Orcas Island, hike up trails at Lime Kiln State Park and we had a picnic lunch there, Arseny threw rocks at a little cove at the nearby San Juan park where Mike and Dennis put the Kayak in. Aidan got to go in the Kayak with his dad and Grandpa and saw seals swimming around. He now says Kak kak---which is Kayak! We spent time cruising all the little shops in downtown Friday Harbor and we got to see much of the Island by driving around. It was a ton of fun and definitely a place I would like to go back to. I learned that I depend on my husband more than I realize...he was dearly missed and Arseny learned a lot of new things...like holding mama's hand, how to climb "down" stairs, and how to share toys. He experienced bubbles for the first time, got to see boats and planes, and absolutely loved riding the Ferry boat. It was a great experience all around and we were thrilled we got to spend it with our dear friends and my Godson Aidan. Here are some pictures... The first is Arseny on the Ferry, then we have some pictures of us just kicking back with Dennis and of course there's always room for Ice Cream which Elizabeth treated us to one afternoon down at the harbor. More pics to come...

Sugar 'n Spice and all that's Nice

Well, I must begin with our most very recent news! Today we had an ultrasound and found out that we are having a girl! So Arseny is going to have a little sister to play with. Matthew was grinning ear to ear...he thought for sure it was boy boy boy but after an unclear picture on the last ultrasound and a gut feeling I had a hunch that it was going to be girl. We're thrilled and will be waiting to see our new little daughter come the end of October!