Another humorous side of parenthood...
It didn't take us long to realize that turning the back of our van into a traveling restroom was a far cry better than most gas station bathrooms. (Or that Carson would always need to go somewhere between Amity and Rickreall - where a wheat field is almost the only option.) So for about five months now,we've just kept Carson's potty seat in the back of the van... open the hatch, and there you go! If you ever see a gray Odyssey parked on the side of the road and think, "Is that small child doing what I think he's doing?" The answer is yes.

We spent the very hot day at Tom & Cindy's hanging out with family, eating BBQ ribs and celebrating Nolan's birthday (again - with my side of the family this time), the 4th of July and (as is always true at Tom & Cindy's) the right to bear arms! Scott and company took care of a dozen boxes of clay pigeons, Nolan was completely worn out by the time we got him his cupcake and literally fell asleep several times while eating it, and Carson discovered the joy of "stomp rockets" so we had very tired, but very happy boys by the end of the day.

 

Ok, I'm a Christmas lover. I happily listen to Christmas music year-round and plop down with Carson whenever he wants to watch Charlie Brown Christmas (sorry Dad - I know, you tried). I find excuses to keep Christmas things in the house all year long (hey, it's a Guatemalan nativity set - it's good for Carson to have it around) and look for reasons to go to Costco in August when the holiday aisle appears. So, with that in mind, here's one of my favorite comics (which, of course, hangs in my office all year long) for a hot July day... 178 more days to go!

One year (and about three hours) ago Nolan joined our little family! We celebrated yesterday with the family in Seattle and today with a trip to the beach, along with lunch and brownies at Mo's (which might ring a bell for those who have followed our family for a while). Afterward we hit the beach to catch the end of the kite festival and spend some time letting the boys fly their kite on a super-windy, but beautiful day at the coast.

 

Today was a VERY quick "up & back" trip to Kirkland to celebrate Karen's college graduation - and an early celebration for Nolan's birthday with the Seattle family as well. We left late Friday night so the kids would sleep in the car and returned 24 hours later! (Sheesh!)

 

OK - so I finally got some videos from our trip loaded up and ready to go - in between loads of laundry, and suitcases that still haven't returned to the attic!

The view from our room at the Grand Mayan. We were in the middle of the center building, on the top floor so the view was about as good as it was ever going to be!

Trying to break into a coconut we found on the beach.

Carson does a happy dance after a day of swimming with dolphins, playing in the pools, walking on the beach and helping Daddy break into a coconut (to say nothing of the orange tic-tac diet he was on). Mommy and Daddy agreed that this was one of our best vacation days ever! Especially later when the kids both went to bed early and we could sneak off for a late dinner together at the Italian place downstairs. (No, we didn't leave them alone - the Harmon's were there!)

Carson and Nolan eating lunch together in our room... brothers!


This is one of my favorite pictures from the gallery, so I'll re-post it just for fun...

We spent the past week playing together as a family in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico!
It was our first big trip with both of the boys and they both did great... and we had a blast!! We really had very few plans other than playing in the pools and spending time together. We went with another couple and their 5yo son, which did allow us to sneak off a couple times, but for the most part it was all about hanging out and having fun. Pictures of our trip have been added to our Photo Gallery. Some video clips will follow, but for tonight... I really need to go to bed:) Enjoy!

Today was Carson's first official trip to the dentist! He did OK... we expected him to be hesitant, and he was, but he still let her clean his teeth and take a peek around his mouth. The hygienist gets two thumbs up from us for handling his desire to lay face-down on my tummy with grace, charm and some contortionism that made the cleaning possible. His next appointment will be in December and I'm sure he'll do even better when he knows what to expect. Nice job Carson!

I’m guessing most people that follow this blog have kids or have raised kids (If not, and you’re waiting for pictures or posts that do not involve our kids – good luck. That would involve us having free time and/or a life!), but just in case someone doesn’t have kids, or it’s been a while, here’s a glimpse into the lives of two parents:

 

2:30pm – Scott emails with a suggestion of dinner at the beach. (Ymmm… Mo’s!)

4:30pm – Scott and the boys pick me up at work and we head out.

5:30pm – Arrive at Mo’s (no line!)

6:30-7:30pm – Play on the beach (chase seagulls, bark for seals, watch the crab pots come in, kick logs into the water… tons of fun)

7:30pm – Head home with plan to stop at Starbucks for coffee and hot water for Nolan’s bottle on the way out.

7:45pm – Unable to locate an open coffee place (What?? This is Oregon??)

7:50pm – Decide Nolan is doing fine and keep heading home (Yes, we should have turned around and hit the McDonald’s for water… I know that now.)  

8pm – (Bedtime on the nose and 5 minutes out of Lincoln City) Nolan starts screaming.

8:20pm – Carson says he is “sick” and has a “broken leg”. (This is common when he gets tired.) Nolan is still screaming.

8:22pm – Carson throws up all over the back seat. (This is not common when he gets tired. Yeah, to Daddy for packing PJs that we change him into.) Nolan is still screaming.

8:45pm – Arrive in Grande Ronde & stop for hot water. Nolan is temporarily quiet when he gets his bottle.

8:55pm – Carson asks to stop to “go potty” – which involves throwing up again. Nolan finishes his bottle and starts screaming again.

9:10pm – Finally home! Nolan goes down, Carson watches some Curious George and then gets tucked in bed.

9:30pm – Carson walks in the kitchen and throws up on the floor. (What the heck??)

10pm –  Carson down again. Mommy starts cleaning nastiness out of the car seat cracks with a toothpick while Daddy starts laundry.

10:30pm – Daddy sneaks off to the fire department to finish some stuff for work before their open house tomorrow…. Mommy sinks into the couch and contemplates just how quickly the pendulum can swing from a great dinner and playtime at the beach to a crazy trip home!!

 

Just another great day of being a parent:)

 

We've come to realize that Nolan is a complete water dog! It really doesn't matter if it's a wading pool or the bathtub (or the dog dish or the toilet for that matter) he loves to play in the water. I've turned around and found him fully clothed in the wading pool outside after it rains and watched him struggle to climb into the tub by himself, only to be disappointed that apparently it isn't always full of water. And, yes, the dog dish is a favorite play toy whenever he thinks he can get away with it, as is the toilet if we forget to close the doors. It's a good thing it's summer! There are lots of opportunities to get wet in the next few months.