Birthday Part 2

Cara had a fun birthday party, being old enough to enjoy the company and attention. Not to mention having outgrown her wheat allergy, so she was able to fully enjoy a birthday cake. Joining her celebration were friends Ida and Megan (who is her companion in our nanny share). Megan had just returned from a visit with family in Taiwan, so she wasn't quite as energetic as the other two. But she woke up in time for the cake!

Birthday dinner - yummy pizza.

Having fun with friend, Ida.

Love those balloons!

Birthday cake.

Blowing out candles.

Cake crumbs galore.

Birthday Part 1

Ravenna Playground

Playground options were somewhat limited this summer, as Ravenna Playground, just 2 blocks from our house, was undergoing renovations. Cara still got plenty of playground time, as Ms. A was diligent about getting the girls out and about every day, and we explored the many other playgrounds in the area. But it wasn't quite the same as having our playground.

By mid-August things were taking shape, and in one wonderful weekend the primary play structures were installed. Much of the neighborhood came out for the "playground raising"; C and I put in about 12 hours between the two of us. We still had to wait a few weeks for the finishing touches, but by early September the new playground was open for business.

As we helped put the playground together we thought it looked like it would be tons of fun, and Cara definitely seems to think so. It is fun watching her gradually figure out how to climb on different parts of the structure and grow more comfortable going down the slides. More and more we here "self!" as she exerts her growing independence and ability.

Halloween

Last year Cara was too young to much appreciate Halloween. But this year we decided to start her Halloween tradition, introducing Cara to the joys of pumpkins, ghosts and costumes, skipping only the gut-busting candy consumption. She'll have plenty of time for that later.

We started with the pumpkin, and Cara was very happy to help her mom scoop out the seeds and pulp. She was intrigued by the slippery strings but was mostly happy to use a spoon for the task at hand. Given her penchant for smearing food around, mom was surprised at how little mess resulted from the process!



We weren't sure how Halloween night itself would go, since Cara had been resistant to previous attempts to put her costume on. She definitely wasn't thrilled about having the lion costume pulled over her head. Some tears were initially shed. We considered aborting the whole attempt, with a backup plan of having Cara go as a lion tamer, carrying the lion costume. But a little distraction in the form of a basket and some of our own candy supply to go in it and the tears dried up. Soon Cara and mom were ready to join the neighborhood kids for some trick-or-treating, with a rendezvous at the street.



Cara wasn't quite sure to make of all the kids (and some adults) dressed up in funny costumes. She was willing to walk to a few of the houses, but mostly wanted to be carried. Taking a piece of candy from the proffered bowl was not, however, a problem. She even managed to say "trick" a few times and always said "thank you"! Her little basket soon filled up, and given that we were rapidly approaching bedtime, mom decided to end things on a happy note and head home. Once at her own front door, Cara thought she should get some more pieces of candy from the bowl Daddy had!





The biggest surprise of the evening was how attached Cara was to her basket of candy. She hasn't eaten any yet, so it wasn't even the anticipation of the sweets. But she loved the brightly colored, crinkly packages and kept the basket close for her bedtime routine of stories and teeth-brushing. It took a little gentle persuasion on convince her to relinquish the basket, and last bag of M&M's, to get int her crib, but fortunately no tears were shed.

Breckenridge Part 2

We had a mellow day on Wednesday, with grandma and J's aunt going to pick up some bikes in the morning, leaving grandpa and J to take Cara out for a walk along the river in town. Cara and her grandparents bonded over playdoh and cookies in the afternoon, while J took off for a short run, exploring some of the local trails. At dinner in a local Mexican restaurant, Cara stole the show and was remarkably well behaved. Tortilla chips were a huge hit.


On Thursday we decided to try for more excitement, a nearby hike on Spruce Creek Trail. Cara slept for most of the hike it and, finding ourselves less than a mile from Mayflower Lake with Cara still in good spirits, we decided to make it a somewhat longer than expected trip. The extra time and considerable extra effort was well worth it, as we had Mayflower Lake and views of the surrounding peaks to ourselves. Luckily J's aunt brought extra goodies, since we had only packed snacks for our supposed morning outing!


After some food, the adults rested, enjoyed the scenery and watched Cara's delight in exploring the muddy shore of the lake. She pulled up rocks and happily splatted mud everywhere. What could be a better reason to hike! The only complaint was when Mom finally decided it was time to go and took Cara out to a slightly deeper spot for a good rinse. But Cara soon recovered her good spirits and consented to start scampering back down the trail, holding Mom's hand for the rough spots. Throwing sticks for the two dogs, and chasing the sticks herself, helped keep Cara amused for much of the return trip down the trail.


No trip to Breckenridge with children is complete without a hike up to the visiting horse camp. Cara was definitely impressed but couldn't decide if she wanted to pat them or not. She prefers animals a little more on her own scale.



Too soon we had to head back to Denver for our flight home. We gave ourselves time to take the scenic route, heading over Loveland Pass and getting out for a brief walk to take in some of the spectacular views. Unfortunately the wind was as breathtaking as the scenery, so we didn't get as long a walk as we had hoped for. Next time!

Breckenridge Part 1

Cara and mom flew into Denver airport on the last Sunday of August. J's aunt had invited us, as well as J's parents to her condo in Breckenridge, and we were happy to join Aunt L and her two miniature poodles. A week of hiking and visiting seemed like a great way to start September.

While the flight into Colorado and drive out to Breckenridge were uneventful, the first night was a little rough. Cara didn't know what to make of all these people, dogs and strange surroundings. So sleep was a bit challenging.




The first day was spent getting our bearings around the town of Breckenridge, doing some grocery shopping with a late afternoon drive up to Boreas Pass. There we explored the remnants of an old railroad town and admired the amazing views, especially in the low angle evening light. Not surprisingly, Cara was more impressed by logs to climb up on (and jump off). Unfortunately the late hour and brisk breeze drove us back to the car before we could do much exploring. Definitely a spot to return to.




On Tuesday we set off for a real hike, destination Lily Pad Lake. Cara slept for much of the hike in, waking up just as we dropped down to the bigger of the two lakes. We all enjoyed eating lunch at the lake, looking at the view of Buffalo Mountain above us. The dogs, Athena and Murky, kept hoping to get some of Cara's lunch but she wouldn't share. After eating, Cara found the lure of the lake irresistible and had fun splashing around at the water's edge.

Too soon it was time to turn our feet back towards the car. A little short on sleep and still getting used to the altitude, Cara opted for being carried most of the way down. As an added bonus, a loving grandparent gave Cara her first cookie at the end of the hike, which Cara happily consumed. Even with the extra food, our tired girl fell asleep almost soon as she was in her car seat.

Party Time!

(place keeper)

B is for Berry

Early this summer, Cara discovered the joys of fresh berries. After a winter of reading “Jamberry’ (a wonderful story about a rhyming bear and a boy who make their way through a variety of berries) without every having tasted the real article, Cara became rapidly attached to the blueberries and raspberries acquired on our weekly trips to the farmer’s market. “B’s” became one of her early words, and no summertime breakfast was considered complete without a bowl full of her favorite treats.

Himalayan blackberries grow like weeds in Seattle. We nurture blueberry and raspberry bushes, but mercilessly battle blackberry incursions. That said, when the blackberries ripen in late summer, Seattleites can be found diving though the bushes in parks, next to the Burke Gilman bike path, on the roadside and nearly everywhere else (as the bushes pretty much grow everywhere) harvesting buckets full of sweet, juicy berries.



Thus Cara and dad struck it lucky on a hike down the bluff and onto the beach at Discovery Park. We ambled down the trail on a warm, ‘partly sunny’ Seattle day, watching hawks play overhead and marveling at the boats traveling about in Puget Sound. Dad was thinking of a playing with sand and driftwood on the beach, followed by a picnic lunch. Several friendly dogs demanded attention on our walk down the bluff, after which we struck out along a trail that paralleled the beach. Which was where we discovered tracts of blackberry bushes, all bearing lovely, ripe berries. Our timing was perfect- we’d found ripe bushes that had not yet been picked over. After devouring handfuls of berries dad picked for her, Cara decided to pick some herself (‘self’ being a much-used new word to tell mom and dad that their girl wants to try doing something without their help). Although unsure of what to do about the thorns and a little unclear on the concept of ripeness, Cara managed to pick her fill of berries.



Dad filled a small container with berries to be saved for lunchtime and then persuaded Cara to leave the bushes to play on the beach. Although our girl insisted on keeping a berry or two in her hands for the rest of the morning, Cara and dad did manage to enjoy some digging in the sand and a bit of toddler driftwood sculpture. A little lunch, more blackberries, fun with seaweed, more blackberries and then the climb up the bluff and back to the car. All of which left a tired little girl who fell sound asleep in her car seat on the drive home.

Boardman Lake Hike

It was a few more weeks before we got Cara out for another hike. C was busy with work, but Cara's Auntie D was more that happy to join an outing to a mountain lake. The weather was finally warming up and, given that it was the first week of August, we were pretty certain the area would be snow free.

Cara's timing was impeccable. The drive was slightly longer than she really wanted, but just as her complaints about being stuck in her car seat were getting a little loud, we turned off the main road onto a gravel road. The bumps and rattles kept her amused for the next fifteen minutes, until we stopped at the trail head, unloaded and prepared for the long hike ahead -a whole mile!



Cara is always eager to get into her backpack at the trail head, but once we're actually moving she realizes that she would much prefer to walk. Less than 1/4 mile from the trail head Cara made it very clear she wanted to be on her own two feet. She scampered along for the next half mile. We found various ways of entertaining her on the trail including playing hide and go seek and jumping off logs. Her energy flagged a little at the last uphill section. Sensing that the lake was near and that it was almost lunch time, J carried Cara for the last rocky, rooty wet 1/4 mile down to the lake.



Some lunch in the sun restored all our spirits. Cara enjoyed her own crackers and cheese, but thought Auntie D's lunch look pretty good, too! After we all ate enough, the lake beckoned Cara. The first dip in was a little chilly on her feet, but she soon discovered the joys of dropping rocks into the water and seeing them splash. Even better was the mud! The mud was slightly warmed by the sun, and Cara had a fine time smearing it around, gushing it between her toes and bringing Auntie D handfuls. She is very conscientious about sharing!






Eventually we had to pack up and head back down the trail. J expected Cara to tire quickly, given all the playing on the lake shore. But Cara was happy to walk and run down much of the trail. She eventually tired and consented to being carried, dozing off
for the last five minutes or so of the trail. Worn out from all the excitement, she slept for the whole drive home. Another busy day for our Northwest hiking girl!

Mirror Lake Hike

We finally had a weekend free and were ready to take Cara for a hike. The weather forecast wasn't perfect, but with there was only a 20% chance of rain. Cara is a tough NW girl, and we were sure we would all have fun. Okay, and the lake was a little over a mile from the trailhead so we couldn't get too soaked.

The trail started out going up a logging road but soon ducked into forest. While overcast, it wasn't actively raining yet. C carried Cara up to the first lake, Cottonwood, where we met another family with children coming down from Mirror Lake. They had spent the night and applauded our venturing out with Cara. We surreptitiously took note of some of their kids gear, as we are planning ahead for backpacking
soon.






Cara was eager to walk the remaining half mile, so we slowly made our way upward, stopping to enjoy the numerous downed logs along the way, picking up sticks and generally exploring. Eventually we arrived at the scenic lake and found a pleasant spot to have some lunch. The gray mist had become intermittently more rain-like, but we didn't let that chase us away. After lunch Cara had to dip her feet in the water, despite the chill! We did our best to keep the rest of her dry.






On the way back we stopped to explore a snow patch near the lake, and Cara was clearly fascinated by the texture and coldness. We made her some snowballs to hold; she hasn't learned the throwing part yet! She found the slipperiness of the snow to be a little disconcerting. Then it was back down the trail, alternating walking and being carried. We did our best to keep her out of the various puddles and streams along the way, much to Cara's disappointment. The cool summers of the Pacific Northwest aren't always ideal for water play.


Cara fell asleep almost as soon as she was back in the car. A long day for her short legs! And C and J felt fortunate to have only had some light rain, since as we crossed Snoqualimie Pass it was pouring.

Summer in Seattle

Summer brought several new experiences for Cara. We did our best to ensure that she started her summer out right, with a trip to the Fremont Solsitice Festival. In good Seattle tradition we cycled there, with Cara in her trailer. To our delight we discovered that Cara actually likes wearing her bike helmet! We all had fun strolling
around the booths, watching jugglers and listening to the street musicians. Unfortunately we had to head home before the famed parade, so Cara could have her nap. And our departure was good timing; Cara fell asleep soon after we started cycling home. It was hard to comprehend that she could sleep with her head in the helmet, bouncing as we rode home, but she must have been a tired girl.



Part of the festival fun was that all the kids were given orange balloons. This was Cara's second balloon, and they both made big impressions. 'Balloon' was quickly added to Cara's growing vocabulary. Unfortunately balloons are very transitory playthings, quickly loosing their helium and deflating to nothing. But maybe that is part of their allure, that they never stick around long enough to become boring.


Warmer weather also meant more opportunities to play with water. Seattle is blessed with many wading pools, so when the weather cooperated, Cara had several opportunities to splash in the water. A trip to a park on Lake Washington was less successful than those to the wading pools, since Cara didn't really like the waves. She was, however, happy to visit the beaches on Puget Sound where the main focus was playing with the sand. And mom supplemented some of her outdoor water play with an occasional after meal splash. It's one way to make sure her hands get clean!

Fathers' Day

Cara got a double dose this year for Fathers' Day, celebrating with her daddy and also her grandpa. What a treat! Grandma and Grandpa drove up from California with a trunk full of goodies for our little girl. They were clearing out C's childhood treasures, including matchbox cars and tinkertoys that will wait for a while before Cara is old enough to play with them. The rocking chair, however, was an immediate hit.

Cara clearly remembered her grandma and grandpa, enjoying the extra attention and audience.




For Fathers' Day itself, we all set off for the waterfront portion of the Arboretum, hoping to enjoy views of some boats and maybe feed some ducks. Cara walked most of the way out to the waterfront portion of the park where we had a picnic lunch overlooking Lake Washington. A few friendly dogs allowed Cara to pet them, a real treat.

On the walk back we stopped at a pond to feed some ducks (grain, not Cara's crackers). Cara was both fascinated and scared by the ducks with their big beaks. Mostly she kept her distance (and the ducks theirs), but she was definitely tempted to try to touch them. All in all the outing was a fun way spend time with dad and grandpa!



The visit with Grandma and Grandpa went way too fast. Grandpa helped out with our ongoing efforts to finish the window interiors, and Grandma helped me find curtain fabric for Cara's room. Not that I'll have time to make the curtains anytime soon, but we have some lovely fish fabric now.