Most of my team

(Two of my guys are missing)

Fun! Altho don't I look tired?!? :)

Sight seeing

My team dragged me out to the Space Needle tonight. I kinda just want to go soak in the big tub in my room. ;-)

Willows Lodge

Another thing I've noticed with age: I prop my suitcase up on the luggage rack and actually UNPACK it when I arrive! I used to never do that as a young(er) adult. *sigh*

Our offsite is at the Willows Lodge in Woodinville wine country. What a wonderful place! I can't get a pic of the entire room but there's a fireplace and patio overlooking nice gardens behind me. In front of me (in the pic) you can see a "window" cut out which has a gorgeous bathroom with full sized soaking tub on the other side. 

I call this piece: Conveniently placed port-a-potty

What an amazingly engineered process!

The bottling line was definitely the coolest part of the tour. 450 bottles per minute! :)

Redhook Brewery Tour

I took my team out to the local Redhook Brewery for a tour and dinner afterward. It was fun!

Here, I learned: the average drinker drinks 4 pints a day (WTF! That's a lot of beer!).  It would take that person 45 years to drink this full tank. :)

Sharing

Because we're a close knit team. ;-)

Loganism of the day

As I'm hugging him goodbye this morning:

I miss you Mommy!

Ouch! Right in the belly and the heart.

Luggage

These three bags are pretty much on standing rotation, living in our bedroom all summer.

I'm flying up to Redmond for the week, leaving in a few minutes. Jon flies to Amsterdam on Thursday. We won't see each other for two weeks. How do you like them apples?!

Aging

I found a cluster of white hairs last weekend - see what boys will do to you? ;-)

It feels early to be spotting white hairs, but my stylist says he's surprised I've gone this long without any yet.

JEEEEEEEZ.  Way to make a gal feel old.

Escape Artist

Notice the leg sticking up and out the side of the cart. He'd bring it back in and down every time I turned around.

What a goof.

But boy do we love him! :)

Always sync your phone

My lemon of a phone started acting screwy (and not at all useful) a week or so ago. Unfortunately, it was so hosed that I lost all pics, videos and other stuff that I had not yet sync'd to my computer, like one special video of Callum learning to jump. :(

Anyway, I just replaced the phone this weekend and am in the process of resetting everything up as before. I don't like the default pics it comes with so I'm using that as an excuse to fill it up with new pics of my boys. ;-)

Cocktail rings are in!

I'm starting up a new collection to rival my shoes. ;-)

16 months old

I should probably start titling these posts "XX months old + XX weeks" right?

This last month has been a blur. In fact, this entire summer has been a blur. I use the weekends to catch my breath and spend as much quality time with Jon and the boys that I can, but even that is gone in a blink. Speaking of a blink, my boys are growing like weeds right in front of my very own eyes!

So, Callum. Sixteen friggin' months old!

Callum has always been willful - since day one. But I do think the power struggles with him has increased tremendously this last month. Changing diapers, getting into the car seat, feeding himself - OHHHHhhhh, the FEEDING. HIM. ALL. BY. HIMSELF. It's a constant struggle, argument, negotiation, battle of the wills. And sometimes stern unblinking stares.

It's also exhausting.  Ummm duh, we have a toddler.

Callum is becoming more and more curious, deeply involved in the world around him. He is very observant - he'll watch you do something, like unscrew the cap to a water bottle, and then he wants to do it himself (nevermind that the bottle is full of water and he could dump it on your lap), just LET ME DO IT MOM!

Like I was saying. Willful.

I've noticed he's also able to sit for longer periods of time. Which has become handy, since I'm running around the house like a maniac feeding the barking dogs and the whining cats and wiping poop off my other boy who is singing from the end of the hallway "Moooooooommmmmmm, come wipe my buuuuuuutttttttt" Thankfully, I've got our trusty ol' Mr. Babysitter AKA Mr. Vizio LCD TV (what! don't tell me you don't let your kids watch TV sometimes!) which keeps Callum still for a few minutes longer than it used to. YAY FOR TV!

Though Callum is content to hang out in his chair and bounce to the singing of Word World, he'll only do that for so long. Because, the kid is also active. He LOVES his time outside. I mean L-O-V-E-S it. He can't get enough of it. The minute the door is open he RACES out of the house (and straight for the street - ugh). Lately, he's discovered the doggy door is a very easy way out of the house, to the glorious outdoors. He's becoming an expert escape artist, that kid.

He's also just learned how to JUMP! It's super cute and funny and so very adorable. He started by using the handle on the oven or the freezer (ours is a lower freezer), and using that as a balance bar, he'll stand and practice his jumping over and over again. He'll jump EXTREMELY high and then laugh with glee. He has starting letting go more and more, trying to jump on his own without the added support. His jumping is then only about an inch off the ground, but when he does it, he beams up at me SO VERY PROUD.

Yes, we are very proud of you, baby boy!

Where's WALL-E?

Want this. Gotta have this! ;-)

Loganism of the day

Mom!  You're driving me crazy.  You're freaking me out.

(Just a few minutes later)

Mama, you're freaking me out again.  But you're not driving me crazy.

(Go figure)

Bite mark

At first I just thought this was a stamp from school because it was so perfectly round. Yeah right, thought Callum, I'm sure. :/

Learning from the Master

Robert is the best player of Angry Birds I've seen yet. ;-)

Who can resist this guy?!?

After haircut shot. ;-)

Happy birthday Robert!

Robert's birthday party is at a cool park with a ton of geese hanging out waiting for some good food. ;-)

Callum's First Haircut

He was really really good!!

A Day in California

My aunt sent this to me.  Simply magical.


A Day in California from Ryan Killackey on Vimeo.

Boys and Swords

Balloons!

Sadly, Callum's balloon popped after about 5 minutes of playtime.

School Carnival

Can't go to a carnival without getting cotton candy! :)

I come bearing gifts

A little something something from NYC.

What a great sight!

Home again. Yay!!

Just in case you didn't know where you were going...

Peace out NYC!

Just went thru the body scan at security. Colossal waste of time. :/  But so glad to be going home!

Yarn Bombed!

Rooftop Lounge

Hip hangout in the Meatpacking district. Last night out with my cool coworkers!

Another hip outfit

Thank god I have my tennis shoes actually. We've been doing a lot of walking!!

Daniel

I forgot to post this last night. We hosted a customer appreciation dinner at Daniel - world renowned flagship restaurant of Daniel Boulud. It was simply fabulous. I can't wait to come back with Jon. :)

Ready for the streets

Tennis shoes with my dress. New Yorker or dorker? ;-)

Chrysler Building

Also from the Empire State Building.

Times Square

From the top of the Empire State Building. :)

My view

Staying in Times Square, on the 24th floor of my hotel. Whoo!

NYC Bound

Although by the looks of the neon lighting, it could very well be Vegas. ;-)

Already missing my beautiful boys. Will be back home later this week.

Move

Eleven countries, one film, one minute.  If you're not bit by the travel bug after watching this, I'm not sure what will do it.  :)


MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

Mommy and Callum time

Love, love, love!

Master Iz

Pretty sure Iz just knocked over this box so he could lay on it.

Water play

We don't have a pool so sprinklers are the next best thing on hot summer evenings. ;-)

What is that sound?

Had Callum's ENT check up today. His hearing is perfect and his ears look great. His tubes are still in, which is good to hear.

He was fascinated with the audio room where the hearing tests are given, so we had to tour it again on our way out. :)

Question of the day

Mommy, do you have a baby in your belly?