Ethan and Willa at the Photo Shoot, hamming it up

Hey, Wake Up!

Assuming the kids aren't wkaing up at 5:30 and thinking it is morning, many days now start this way:
7 am - Ethan wakes up, looks at clock, sees it is 7 and quietly leaves the room (per our discussion a week ago where we told him that if it isn't 7 yet, he should try to go back to sleep if he can, but after 7 he should just get up - as opposed to sitting in bed calling to us to tell us he is awake), and goes to the couch and curls up there.

7:05 - Probably awakened by Ethan's vain attempt at a quiet exit, Willa wakes up, hits the ground, opens door, slams door, clomps downstairs, and, with a "don't-even-think-of-messing-with-me look, demands "Read me a princess story!"

It is good to be a parent.

PS: Willa has been in her big girl bed without a pull-up and without bed rails for about three months, maybe a little longer.  However, about twice a month she either falls out of bed or wets the bad - not bad for being barely three.

Willa'isms

Besides her tendency to name her animals things like "Hopping Through The Forest" and extended conversations with herself that are basically nonsense, one of Willa's most endearing traits is to spout her catchphrases - she in not quite Arnold from Different Strokes with his, "What you talking about Willis!", but her use of, "That's the point!" to emphasize things (which she cleverly purloined from Olivia) and "That's what I'm talking about" to clarify things is really funny.

Camping

Lots to say about our camping trip to Cougar Flats.  But, most importantly, it was lots of fun.

Went primarily with Ethan's friends, Ike and Carter, and their families.

Karri and I were up late on Thursday packing and preparing, then early Friday to load the car.  Also, I was up late on Tuesday making spaghetti sauce.

Started with overcast Seattle skies and a light drizzle (also a little worry that we would bespending two nights with weather in the low 60's - high 50's.  Fortunately at about Greenwater the skies turned to blue.  Of course, we followed Google directions and started climbing up the side of a mountain on Forest road 70.  Big mistake since the orad ended and did not connect with 410 (we tried to cut off two sides of a triangle.  After our hour delay, we still managed to be the first to the camp site.  Pitched the tent and got set up.  Beautiful location by a river with a good wading spot and lots of logs to cross.

Friday was hot dogs and smores.  Perfect camping food.

Saturday we did a great hike through a cave.  Only about two miles roundtrip, so not too far for little legs, but an opportunity to wear headlamps.  Ethan was a little nervous on reaching the cave entrance but about half way through he decided it was cool and fun.

Willa was a big girl and hiked the whole way, much of it holding hands with Ike and Ethan.  Also hopping by the edge of the trail, which scared the dickens out of her mom.

Back at camp more wading, rock throwing, bug hunting, and fun.  That is until I lost my sunglasses in the water while foolishly jumping in with them on (Karri and I need to work on our hand signals (but not her fault - all mine)).

When we tried to get Willa changed into pants and a clean shirt, a mini fit ensued, but before it got out of hand she fell asleep in my arms - too cute.  ALthough a little grumpy on waking up.

Saturday evening was a big pasta feed (three or four pasta choices, three sauces, garlic bread, salad) and more smores.  I think Ike's parents had never eaten smores before - I was surprised that was possible.  Willa loves smores.

Ethan and Willa were super brave the whole time - walking across logs without a second thought - while my legs wobbled and I was super nervous that they would end up in the river (so walked close behind or holding their hands).  Ethan even ended up on a log in the middle of the river, just enjoying being a big boy.

Willa made a big girl friend and at one point ended up in our car watching Toy Story with her new friend.

Willa rolled out her new phrase "no stank you!" for the trip.  Super cute when she says it.

John and Linda even drove up on Sunday to spend a little time with us before we headed back to the drizzle of Seattle (it was sunny when we drove up, but just as it started raining when I was loading, it started raining while I unloaded).

All in all a really fun weekend.

That's the point...

This may be Willa's new favorite phrase.  Her new favorite activity may be hopping.  Yesterday she came home and spent the next hour hopping around the house.  She would hop until her jeans fell down around her ankes.  It was hilarious.  Then, when she was in her nightgown, she hopped on the bed for another 15 minutes.

Ethan's new thing is Percy Jackson.

Willa - no bed rails

In March we took the bed rails off of Willa's bed.  She has done a great job of staying in bed, which must be hard for her.  However, there was one night about 2 weeks ago when we heard crying - Karri and I looked at each other with the look that says, "who is going to have to deal with Willa."  It was me and I found her lying in a mess of comforter, lovey, blankie, and a pillow.  She had fallen off.  Fortunately it was a soft landing and she was unhurt, but she was surprised and unhappy to not be in her bed.

These are a few of my favorite things...

In the case of Willa, it goes something like this:
Willa: Is that a girl? [pointing to any illustration in a book with a dress, wearing pink, with a bow in her hair, or long hair]
Us: Yes.
Willa: I like her; she's my favorite.

Why ask Why?

Willa's current favorite question - "why?"  She may ask this between 10 and 200 times a day.  Sometimes 5 or 6 times in a row.  Often, it is unclear what the "why" even refers to.  If she wasn't so adorable, could be awfully annoying.  Ethan has taken to answering "beacause, the end," which he learned from Karri.

A little update

I feel bad since it has been over a month since I did anything besides send pictures from my phone to the blog.  Oh well, none of my readers have been complaining.

Ethan is getting really good at bike riding and I am letting him ride in the street with me (he knows to stay back and to the right of me for safety).  Two days ago Willa went on the third whell for the first time.  She can't peddle, but she can hold on to the handlebars and rest her feet on the peddles.

Ethan has decided he does not like his lunch at school most of the time, so he now has a lunch box and he gets to choose two days a week when we pack lunch for him.  X-wing fighter lunchbox is a big hit.  Willa also gets a lunch on those days, but we still hope she eats at KidsCentre.

Ski lessons are over - overall, not a big fan.  Ethan did not seem overly happy with them and not sure how much he learned.  However, he loved riding the chairlift and skiing down Julie's chair with the harness.  This weekend I think Willa will get her first shot at skiing.  Probably mostly on the magic carpet.  Zayde will come up and ski with Ethan on the harness, while I help Willa out, should be a hoot (yes, a hoot.)

It is back on with birthday season for Ethan and Willa's friends.  Girls this year are getting Princess Stories with Attitude.  In honor of Willa our little princess with attitude.  Boys are getting one of Ethan's all time favorites, the story of Thelonious Chipmunk.

Sometimes we think the kids are conspiring against us, taking turns being the late sleeper (I'm cold, I'm hot, Where's purple bat, Where's baby furrball, I need a drink, I had a bad dream (when he's only been "asleep" for 5 minutes)) or early waker (pre-6 and sometimes pre-5:30).  However, by comparison to what I have heard from others, we have nothing to complain about.

Looks like our next three family vacations will be Maui (fall 2010), Disneyland (spring 2011), and Florence, Italy (summer 2012) plus camping, beach, and grandparents.  No current plans for a kid-free vacation, but I'd like to take Karri to New Orleans at some point, maybe fall 2011.

Dad retired about a month ago - was really great to hear all those people that he worked with say what a good person he was (I was pretty sure he was a good doc and he clearly practiced during a revolution in cardiology, but to hear the people that he worked with speaking so highly of him as a person was great.  Also, kids got to see Boobie as she was in town's for Dad's retirement.  Nice to be able to make that connection for them.

Now, we are just on pins and needles waiting for a week from tomorrow when we get the news on kindergartens.  It would be a big financial sacrifice, but I think Seattle Country Day would be worth it.  Pretty sure UCDS would be a great school.  Evergreen and Bertschi will take some serious family conversations before making the final decision.

Willa

At 2 2/3 we may be expecting too much, but man Willa can still throw some fits.  It is often Willa's way or the highway.  The fits are becoming less frequent and we are doing better about laying down the law, but Willa is still a force to be reckoned with.  Mornings are especially challenging.

On the good side, Willa is becoming potty trained.  She pretty much wears underwear during the day and only puts on pull-ups for night and naps.  Occasionally she needs a pull-up so she can stand by the couch (no one can look at her) and squeeze out a poop.  I am thinking by end of January, she may be 100% potty-trained.

Does Willa need a new home

I am probably mis-quoting Ethan from this morning, but we were at breakfast when he asked Karri and I whether we should find a new home for Willa.  It was a particularly Willa morning - up early, rocking and cuddling, not wanting to sit on the potty, not wanting to get dressed, not wanting to eat her breakfast.  You get the picture.  At which point Ethan, mimicking what we say to Daphne, said, "Willa do we need to find you a new home."  Priceless.

One month of bike riding

It's been a bit of a busy month as Karri finishes out a mini-busy season. During that time we have done a lot of bike riding at the "usual" playground (Coe), so the bikes have mostly stayed in the back of the car. Ethan now has 2 - 16" bikes, one with Hot Wheels styling that he got from Anthony (who, along with his dads, is moving to Dravus St. -we'll miss them).

We had a trip to Toppenish and the fair. Lots of rides. Both Ethan and Willa had the unlimited rides wristbands - Willa had to stretch to make it appear she met the height minimum. Was a slight issue at the ticket booth, but not a problem for any of the rides. Ethan really liked the roller coaster. I think Karri, Linda, and I each rode it with him.

We joined the Science Center - not too expensive and will give us another rainy day activity.

We signed Ethan up for skiing lessons, which start in January. I am not sure who is more excited, Ethan or Zayde. Ethan will be going to Cascade ski school, same one I went to 30 years ago.

Karri's aunt died, so she went with her family down to Reno for the funeral, which meant I had 2 nights by myself with the kids for the first time. Went smoothly. We are lucky to have such great kids.

On the other hand, Willa still thinks that wake up time is at 6:20, so I have been spending the first 30 minutes of most days reading her stories while Karri gets ready and Ethan sleeps. And, at least once a week, her up time seems to be 5:20 - yikes!

If you call Willa by one of her nicknames Willa-beast, Willa-bean, Wilhelm von Wilhelm, Willie, Wilson, etc. she loves to respond with "I am not X, I am Kathryn Lapin!" Too cute.

Potty Training #2

Willa seems like she will be easier to potty train than Ethan. She poops pretty regularly once a day and likes to tell you she is "poopy" when she has poop in her pull-up. However, last night I did get a little surprise. After putting the kids to bed, I sat down on my chair in the living room and touched something on the seat cushion. I picked it up - brown, slightly oblong, a little smelly - poop! I think it may have been Willa's from when she was wearing her princess underwear and said she was poopy. On the other hand, it could have been Daphne, who may have accidentally shot one out when she was excitedly barking at a passer-by. I am not sure which I would have preferred.

Willa apologizes with feeling

Occasionally Willa can be naughty and sometimes she accidentally hurts Ethan (fortunately, being super-cute it's hard to stay mad at her). If she realizes it, or if we tell her, she will apologize, saying, "I'm sorry Ethan." Recently, she has taken to saying "I'm so sorry Ethan," as though to emphasize how bad she feels. However, a couple of nights ago, after being put to bed, we heard Willa "practicing" her apologies, over and over again, so, maybe she doesn't feel "so sorry".

Not a lot new, but...

Things have been a lot of the same at the Lapins lately.
Ethan eats pancakes almost every morning for breakfast, followed by Jeff Corwin watching, then off to school, home for a couple rides around the block on either his scooter or his bike, stories especially the Fog Mound trilogy, then bed.
Willa is still jumping off the bed and being her crazy lovable self. I think she sometimes likes to be a little naughty. Every Monday is pink dress day. Humpty Dumpty spoons and forks are very important to her. She likes books, but especially pink ones, so Fancy Nancy is a hit. I think Karri said that if she wasn't so cute, she'd be pretty bratty, but it is hard to get angry with her, and of course she knows it.
This weekend we are off to a Mariner's game with our PEPS group. Willa has never been, but Ethan has been each of the last two years. It is Ichiro jersey day, so we will need to make sure we get there on time, although we will likely leave early.

I like to ride my bicycle...

Fourth of July weekend was big at the Lapin's house.
Friday was pretty typical with a trip to the playground, scootering and WeeRiding, followed by a trip to Macrina's Bakery. Karri got a little break and got to ride Grover. Afternoon, no
Saturday was go-go all day. In the morning we did a great hike just past North Bend - Twin Falls. Daphne came too. Picnic lunch. Dipped our feet in the river. We estimated that Ethan hiked about 2 3/4 miles and Willa about 2 1/2.
After getting home, Michael went to a memorial for Dick, who lived across the street. Explaining to Ethan that Dick had died was tough.
Then, when Willa woke up after about half an hour, it was off to Mollie Moon's for ice cream - honey lavender, strawberry, scout mint, and salted caramel.
Then, over to the wading pool at the digger park in Wallingford.
Then, the twins, Nick and Parker, came over to play with Ethan and run through the sprinkler.
Sunday was less crazy-busy. We were at the playground by about 9:30, but that is relatively late for us. It was great because we hooked up the "third-wheel" to my bike and Ethan and I took a long ride all over Queen Anne. He loves it. Then, later in the afternoon, when Willa had woken up from her nap, she decided she wanted to ride a bike too, so we took Ethan's old 12" bike and attached a push-bar and away she went. She is a natural and will probably be going full tilt without any assistance by this weekend.

Pink Song

Yes, songs can be pink - according to Willa. And the one that she will listen to, spin to, and dance to is We Got the Beat by The Go Gos. Good thing the iPod has a repeat button because that is also the only song she will listen to. You can listen to the song here.

Father's Day Weekend

Saturday - brewed beer with Dad. It was great to spend 3 1/2 hours catching up, shooting the shit, and brewing beer. Most of the time when we hang out, there are so many other people or there is something to do, this was just us and mellow, which was really nice. On the way up, Dad picked up Willa's big-girl bed and on the way back we picked up a twin mattress at Costco.

Sunday - by 9:30 we had taken Willa's crib apart, built the big girl bed, and made it. By 10, Willa was jumping off the edge, rolling on the bed, and very excited by her "pink" bed. Ethan and Karri went to Up! - the Disney movie (PG). He loved it, but when they came back he had Karri tell me the whole story. While they were gone, Willa and I went to Top Pot and we both had pink doughnuts; we both ate our whole doughnuts. Then when she went down for her nap (she had a little lunch), I took her pacifiers and told her big girls sleep in big girl beds and don't use pacifiers. So far she hasn't asked for one since. Woo Hoo!

Of course there was lots of scootering and a couple trips to the playground. And our monthly trip to Costco.

Hopper likes 2 Scoops

Willa is a big fan of hopping, so one of her nicknames is "Hopper". She likes to jump off things like the last stair anywhere and anytime the flooring changes in the house, especially between the kitchen and dining room.

Willa also likes raisins and she can be seen many mornings carrying a little yogurt container full of raisins and happily munching them. However, as 2 is her favorite number, she always likes to make sure there are 2 handfuls of raisins in her cup and will let you know if there are not enough in there when you hand it to her. Some mornings she asks for those raisins as you are picking her up out of her crib.

Pretty in Pink...

Thanks to the Psychedelic Furs and John Hughes for creating the theme of Willa's 2nd year.
Or, as we like to say sometimes - today is being brought to you by the number 2 and the color pink.
Or, as we also joke - pink is the word, is the way we are feeling.

Feel free to ask if you don't get the jokes.