Vance's 18 month checkup

The baby is growing. Here's his stats from the 18 month (almost 19 month) checkup:
Height: 34 1/2 inches (93 percentile)
Weight: 27 1/2 lbs (62 percentile)
Head: big (93 percentile)

Everything was good by Dr. Roger. And despite getting 5 shots at the end, the big boy was done crying by the time we walked out to the reception area to schedule a well child check for Zoie.

Time spent at home is the best

Other pictures from April. . .

These steps have "secret messages". . . .aka chalk scribbles.
The first time it rained and they were washed away, she was crushed.

Vance climbs up the playground . . . notice the chalk marked. As he was coloring, he leaned too far forward, and gently fell on his hat and cheek.

Vance watches out the front picture window as the snow fall on Sunday, April 20.

Big sister Zoie went grocery shopping with me while Vance took a nap.

Her treat was strawberry fruit bars. They are good.
Learning to draw . . . . Beware with crayons and this little boy. He will color on anything, including the kitchen floor. Thank goodness for Mr. Clean 's magic eraser!
Nana bought them a Dora jeep. Here they are giving all her puppies a ride.

Being Tulip Tourists

On our way home from the store and school, I decided to be a tourist and snap some photos of my kids in the local tulip fields. So I pulled into a tulip field with all of the Canadians and other non-Skagititonians. I thought it would be a quick stop, but Zoie wanted to see the yellow tulips. Thank goodness the ground wasn't too muddy cause little buddy wanted to be carried most of the time.

I asked her to kiss Vance. He was not in for being kissed.
And he off . . while I have to chase him in my work clothes. Quite a sight to see.
Here you go mom! (Notice the crooked haircut in the front -- that's cause he cried during the entire last haircut so the barber worked very fast. It's time again for another cut)
The last picture I took. Notice the strawberries around her mouth. We stopped at the fruit stand in Burlington before heading to the recycle and home.

"Vance come back here. Mom wants to take our picture"

"Yeah right. . . Catch me if you can"

"Quick mom. I got him"
"OK mom, take it now while I am here without a binkie"

My blue eyed baby boy, how I love him with all my heart.
Two good looking kids :)

Yard work

Now that Zoie is 3, she is no longer scared of the things that have bothered her before. Here she rides on the lawn mower with Ty and Vance. They were very excited to wave to me. She had been riding her bike, which she has outgrown since last summer like many other things, that helps explain the helmet. Ty had a difficult time steering the mower at the end because Vance had a strong grip on the steering wheel.

Zoie goes to school

Thursday, April 24 was "Take your daughter to work" day. Zoie rode the bus with me and visited both schools I teach at. She was great! I think she sharpened the kids pencils about 10 times each during the 1 1/2 hour class. The kids loved her and want her to come every class period.

The bus ride up to Bellingham takes 45 minutes.
Zoie colored a picture for the morning bus driver. She also colored another one on the afternoon bus. They were thrilled.
Zoie is working on her math assignment.
Kevin is showing Zoie how to freeze the document camera and take a picture of herself.
Cheese!

An April sunset

No filters, no editing, this is exactly what I shot with my camera. . . I saw the sun going down . . headed past my house to an open field this is what I got.

Tulips

Although I took 100's of pictures, none scream "This is the best one" and none really blow my pants off. But here are some of what I snapped on Thursday evening in the cold blowing wind.

"A view from the driver's seat"

Members of the hispanic community tend to the tulips and other seasonal crops in this area. In this particular field, there was an old school bus that is now used for farm workers. I hopped inside and snapped the first photo.

I really like the above picture . . . it reminds me of Zoie hugging Vance or giving him a kiss.

Spring Break 2008 "Happy Times"

Despite the cold weather, the kids and I played outside bundled up like snowpeople. We did lots of work in the yard and I required their help as a trade off for things later in life that they will want from me (Mom, can I have $10? Can I go to the movies? Can I go skating? Can you take me to the mall? etc. I know it is coming) Zoie and Vance were great helpers as I had 6 yards of cedar playchips delivered for their play area out back. It looks fantastic now but it was a heaping pile to begin with. Thanks Mom/Nana for keeping Z & V distracted so I could run the wheelbarrow back and forth! Beside that, I moved our garden, planted new flowers, seeds, and 2 cherry trees, transplanted flowers, got a new chain for Buster the horse so he is not dragging on the ground, took Zoie to the dentist, teeball pictures (which took an hour in the freezing cold -- poor thing was frozen by the end) & her second game, skated on Tuesday, and kept up the house chores. It was a great week.

1. Zoie was having a tea party in the princess playhut (background) with her puppies when Vance came barging in. Oh was she mad!

2. Vance did not want to skate on Tuesday. He was happy fixing his skates though. When it was time to go, he laid on the floor screaming and crying (he was tired, but others didn't know that). Some other skaters tried to console him but to no avail. Then he came over to me. Now I was embarassed that everyone knew he belonged to me. (Not really)
3. Zoie action limbo shot
4. Saturday's temperture reached nearly 70 degrees! Wow since it had been in the upper 40's all week. At 3 1/2, Zoie is not longer afraid of everything she has always been timid of -- like the riding lawn mower, or the sprinkler. After playing in the sprinkler, she had to have a tea party with her puppies on the picnic blanket.

Skagit Valley Tulips

The valley's tulips are not quite ready to open.

Here's a preview of what the valley looks like now.

Ty has a strong dislike for the flowers since he has to spray them for work and deal with the out-of-town lookee lou's.

Oh Canada! I love my sand

While playing with the magic sand, Zoie enjoyed making Canada. I don't know where she got it from, but her little sand globs were called Canada. We have never been to Canada or talked about it. She also played under the table with the sand before we had to clean it up.