NO KID night!!!!

Yes.....its true....no kids!! From 5:30 onward! And we called Markayla from Jakes at 6:50pm and they were all down for the night!! Seriously!!! It was a little stressful getting away tonight...its weird to leave the kids!! But it was so good for a break with friends. After Jakes, we went to Cow Bay to take some pictures, walk around, laugh.......

take a few more pics....with people who are normally behind the lense taking the pictures....

It was good......

so good......

Isaac learns to Kneeboard!!

Seriously....this is the biggest week of isaacs life and i have to document all his 'Firsts'!!:

First Kneeboard - a total natural!! He even cut back and forth inside the wake!

First Bike Ride - see previous post!

First Fish caught - Last night out with Jeff, Kale and Chris, Isaac caught not one but TWO fish!

First Swim with no floatation - Swimming with Jeff and Kale at the canoe beach.....didn't swim too far..but he was over the MOON that he did it!!

Isaac learns to ride a bike....

Preparing for his friend Kale's arrival in a few days, isaac learned to ride his bike. Around 3pm today, i took the training wheels off....and by dinner, this was him!

Alot of things about his milestone developments don't get me teary....this did.

Mommy just cleaned them!!

Ok...here's the story......this little guy loves shoes.....see him admiring and modeling my new winter uggs?? Well....he loves shoes so much, he prefers to stick with one or two pair, and literally NOT change them. We have battled with a hyperventilating child when we offer him a new set of nice shoes (i mean, hello! If someone would bribe me to wear new shoes...i wouldn't freak like this kid does!)


So...he grows...that is what he does.....so the shoes are tight! So the strategic plan developed by Cristin and myself this afternoon at the forest museum (her initial idea, my follow-through)....was to go buy Elliot the same shoes...BUT in a bigger size:

i told him 'mommy just cleaned them!' (Think he believed me?)

Who knows?!!

But no, he didn't believe me....i had to bribe him with chocolate....sigh!

sigh.....

Maybe its the weather....maybe its my period (which, don't get me wrong, am always happy to get these days!! ;-)....maybe i am just feeling a little lonely for good, old, easy friends.....but i am missing these girls today......alot.

Quading Adventure!

Markayla and i took advantage of the boys being with Chris for a few hours this afternoon and went quading! Almost to the top of the mountain summit we were trying to get to, Markayla slowed down around a switchback and got stuck.....so i manoevered it down and got it prepped for the decent...i was starting to get a little out of my comfort zone taking a 'newbie' up that high! (see pictures for proof!)

On the way down, i learned that the brakes on my quad are pretty much non-existant...but its a light little machine, so i man-handled and walked it down many of those initial switchbacks that would have me go right over the edge and into oblivion......

But we made it......"Did we have fun?" you ask? DEFINATLY!!!

No Knead Bread

My first attempt......beautiful....isn't it? Try 'er out! Here is the recipe!!

Mom and Martha come to the Island!!

It was a quick trip...but mom brought Martha to the island to visit us last weekend. I had yet to upload my photos.....so here they are - a little backwards since they came to visit before we left for Washington! But isn't this a nice shot of the two sisters? Elliot trying to get a better view.......

Martha and I....

Isaac and I.....

The boys....minus a couple teeth!

Aw.....

impossible to catch everyone....but all their eyes are open--thats big!

i don't think i have ever seen Elliot look this expressive in a shot....

My big boy.....

And that was the forest museum! The only place i took out my camera during their 40 hour visit! It was nice that they made the long trek out to the island.....

"Operation 1 Child" Road Trip Part II

Guess where we are!! Again....guess!!

Isaac lovingly held my hand all weekend....i have always loved the feel of their little hands reaching for mine as we walk...it was a highlight, for sure.

This was a Monkfish...both Isaac and i had to touch it--it didn't look real!!

He loved Pike Street Market Place....

Lunch time!

My adventure companion...

My other adventure companion.....

Butterfly World at the Seattle Science Centre....

This is Isaac, get this...being STILL! Look how serious he is about the whole thing...he so badly wanted a butterfly to land on him....turns out i had one on my back...and didn't even know it till they caught me walking out with it!!

Me laughing at my 'still' little one!!

This is what toddlers must feel like!

Crazy rider.....

I only held my hands out to keep up with Susan!!!

Hamster Ball....

One of Isaacs highlights....the rocket!

Touchable tide pool!

Another highlight--the operating crane!

I am so glad we did this.....