North Country Family of New York

Stationery card

2011-12-17T10:35:00.001-05:00

Flurry Of Snowflakes Holiday Card

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Mini Vacation 2 in Montreal

2011-11-28T18:21:00.006-05:00

Where do you go when you want to take the kids on a short weekend vacation and feel as far away as possible? Well if you life where we live you would head to Montreal, CA. A little negotiating with Capt. Kirk for a half price four star hotel complete with pool and deck that over looks downtown and a short drive and it is a done deal. They both LOVE hotels. For some reason even watching TV in a hotel room is more fun...I never understood that one.

One high light of the trip was to visit the Botanical Garden. It is an amazing place cover many city blocks. Today we just went to the Chinese and Japanese gardens and did a quick trip past this hat display and a kid fun land.

Fun At Ausable Point

2011-11-21T08:40:00.006-05:00

Saturday the kids took a quick trip to Ausable Point to play in the sand and have a picnic. Hard to believe it is mid November and we are still having warm days like this. Both found a way to get very wet and sandy and cold. They always know how to have fun and enjoy life. :) Love how our lake feels like an ocean on some days...we live in an amazing place. This is just 15 minutes south of town.

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T23:37:00.000-04:00

Halloween has always been a big event for us because it is also Lucy's birthday in addition to being the most fun kid day ever. Willow requested that we both take her tick or treating, while Niko wanted neither...but was more open to his dad going than his mom...of course dad had to keep a mask over his face.

Last year Willow was not too into this event but this year she proudly went from door to door collecting her candy. "This is great!" was heard more than once out of that little mouth of hers.

Niko hooked up with another military buddy and a couple of his more beautiful friends. What a sight :)

Niko and Willow...Spring Accomplishments

2011-09-20T20:22:00.000-04:00

I am trying to go back in time now to post a few significant things from the past spring before adding current events. One of Niko's school accomplishments was his Science Fair Project/Presentation. He chose lasers and had plans to build a burning laser that would actually start paper on fire if that were what stopped the beam. Unfortunately, the laser never made it on time in the mail so he produced his board as he learned about lasers and then share with his peers how lasers work. He did a great job and to this day can still explain the basics of lasers to you. Below is his presentation board.

Another thing he did was this beautiful drawing/painting. This was displayed in the district art show.

Willow took on something even bigger...her first visit to the dentist. She was really cooperative and even had a good time at this check up. Unfortunately, she needed to return to get some cavities filled. For that she was a real trooper and cooperated and didn't cry once through out the whole appointment. Dr. Mintz (aka Dr. Bam) was very impressed. But poor Willow then broke down and cried in my arms the minute it was all over. But in pure Willow style she was all smiles and laughter the minute the offered the free toy and sticker. Nothing phases her for long despite her highly emotional personality.
Just to have fun we went to the Chinese Terracotta Soldiers at the Museum in Montreal. Unfortunately, we discovered that nothing is open on Mondays up there so we just checked out the street sculptures and had a crepe before returning home.

Year of Transitions...Willow and Niko Continue to Blossom

2011-09-10T14:36:00.000-04:00

Let go or be dragged Unknown

The last of human freedoms - the ability to chose one's attitude in a given set of circumstances
Viktor E. Frankl

We have had no more transitional year than this one...not even the year we adopted Willow. This is why we haven't posted in such a long time. Although we are still transitioning things have calmed and it is time to continue the story we started for our children, Niko and Willow. When it comes to them we have found we are blessed beyond words and that how we live with them is still much more important than anything we plan or give to them.

Niko has just entered Middle School after the most amazing school year. He had many supports but central to them all was Mr. Nisoff, his fifth grade teacher. Because Niko felt he could be himself and that his unique qualities were valued and supported, he loved to go to school. This also relaxed his mind in ways that had him made drastic improvements in his reading and writing skills. His school year could not have gone better and now he is enjoying the independence of Middle School in ways we did not even think possible just over a year ago.

Willow now is in Pre-K and loving it. Being an adventuresome extrovert and having loving teachers, she has always loved to go to school and continues to this year. She still has the same boyfriend, Abdu. And, now that she has become much more articulate she is all the more skilled at telling him what to do. One unfortunate event was that we realized Willow could not eat cold dairy products without disastrous consequences...this video is of her eating her last ice cream cone. While she looks happy eating it, the night was not one she nor Lucy wants to repeat.

Both Niko and Willow are as happy as they have ever been. :) Lucy and I now live a few blocks away from each other...life is complicated, unpredictable and often out of our control more than we would care to admit and that isn't a bad thing, it is just a thing and we accept that. While Niko and Willow do not get many chances to be around us both at the same time, they still know they have two loving parents who work together to make sure they are safe and continue to have every opportunity possible to blossom and be happy...and happy they are, so life is good. Hope you have a wonderful day. :)

Low Key 4th Birthday

2011-03-07T11:35:00.015-05:00

Willow was having a hard time remembering the number four when she would count. We figured she would have a better time remembering it after her 4th birthday. Birthdays are mixed for Willow. She doesn't like hats, cake or the birthday song but says presents are ok.

We practice "parties" with Willow as she had her first friend party. (The practicing didn't work. She was fine until the Mom called everyone from the tumbling to have cake. Willow ran screaming and crying in the opposite direction.)

So...instead of insisting on a party we just went with what Willow wanted. No hats, no cake and no birthday song. We went to The Tubes. She didn't eat anything but enjoyed the low pressure fun.
Niko brought a friend for ice cream.
Willow's favorite part was the "Barbie girl"....

and the ice cream. Willow told the counter lady that it was her birthday. "I'm four. Mommy tell the lady how old you are." The nice lady got a chuckle out of that and gave Willow a big bag of cookies for her birthday.

Totally ok with presents.
She loves her Niha* nightlight.

Happy 4th birthday Willow Pillow Bella Bella Peanut D*ra Princess. (The official name Willow has named herself.)

Creative Girl

2011-02-20T11:41:00.000-05:00

It kind of grosses her brother out, but Willow likes to eat soup with a dropper and two preferably.
I was surprised to discover that Willow had constructed the train track one day. I had told Niko he did a great job and he said he had nothing to do with it.

stringing beads
showing off her karate before knocking down her tower

Snow Angels

2011-01-24T02:31:00.000-05:00

Niko and Willow share a love for the snow.

This is Papa's first time using his new snowblower. He retired Grandpa's 1970something M*ntgomery W*rd model, tank that it was. This is Niko first time getting to used a snowblower.
A little work for Niko...
A little rest for Willow...

Greek New Year's Bread

2011-01-17T12:49:00.000-05:00

Papa made Greek New Year's bread, and this year Niko assisted with the cutting. First one is always for the "house." Then each piece for each family member from oldest to youngest.
Niko is always ready with a new idea. However, Papa insists on tradition and explains, "This is how it is done."
Willow gets the last piece....
Niko found the lucky coin in his piece thus gaining good luck for the new year. Papa's name day happens to be January 1st. St Basil Day.
Willow enjoyed the new experience.

Pinto

2011-01-14T15:12:00.000-05:00

Aunt Mary made a wooden horse for Niko when he was a year old or so. We brought it out when Willow first came home from China but she was a bit nervous about it. We brought it down from the attic when foraging for Christmas decorations and she immediately fell in love with it.
She calls him Pinto
and will tell you how much she loves her pony.

Sledding and Skating

2011-01-08T10:01:00.000-05:00

We went out for our first ice skating of the year. There is a little sledding hill that ends at the ice which makes for easy sledding and skating.

Willow has no fear especially with her brother.
We brought all kinds of equipment.
I like this picture.

Niko got nervous when he felt Willow was wandering too far off on her own.

VIDEO: skating

Christmas 2010

2011-01-04T11:28:00.000-05:00

Niko and Willow didn't wake up early Christmas morning. Niko never does which is nice to start the day with a full night of sleep. Willow was thrilled to see evidence that Santa had come.

She was mostly excited about the D*ra wrapping paper and cutting it with scissors.
Niko got each of us a special gift at the Grandma's Attic they hold at school. The buy a gift for a quarter and then it is wrapped for them. Papa got a snow globe.
Yiayia got a computer bag.
Dad got electrical tape.
I got a box of jewelry pins which was very sweet.

Niko always enjoys his stocking.
Willow's second favorite thing was cashews in her stocking.
Her all time favorite was her own 'puter.
Later in the morning she put Papa in time out.
She even brings the chair back and forth.
Niko played with his Hess truck while Willow played with the only toy she asked for, her own truck.
Niko was special with Willow's homemade centerpiece.
We all said what we were thankful for.
It's Willow's favorite part of the meal.
Nana and Aunt Mary joined us for dinner which was entirely made by Aunt Mary. It was exceptional as always and much appreciated.

Christmas Eve

2011-01-02T07:04:00.000-05:00

Willow was very excited about Christmas this year and eager for Santa to come. She learned about a naughty list from a D*ra video and liked telling each of us that we were on the naughty list like Sw*per the Fox and we weren't getting anything for Christmas.

They got to open one gift on Christmas Eve.
Willow got a handmade scarf from our friend in Colorado.
Niko got this year's Hess truck.
Santa's cookies and the reindeer carrots were put out.
Next the reindeer food was sprinkled then off to bed to wait for the presents to arrive.

Body Art

2010-12-27T14:05:00.000-05:00

Yiayia thought she and Willow were just going to "finger" paint...

First Snow of Year

2010-12-25T14:40:00.000-05:00

With the first snow Niko made at least a dozen snow angels.
Willow said she loves snow because it is like a big sandbox.

Paul took Willow and Niko sledding at the local hill. Willow enjoyed her first experience.

Santa's Workshop Northpole

2010-12-24T11:33:00.022-05:00

As soon as we entered Santa's Workshop Willow headed right for the snow pile. She loves snow.
We watched the Christmas Caper play which hasn't changed since I was a kid. Santa makes a grand entrance on his sleigh pulled by real reindeer.
One of Niko's favorites is the outdoor marshmallow fire pit. This year he upped the experience with a smore kit.

The North Pole itself is highlight.

My favorite place as a kid, and my brother's, and Niko's is the toy workshop itself. It is also Willow's because you can move the lever and watch the toys move on the assembly line.

Willow seemed a bit confused about what to call the "pony reindeers."

Another favorite attraction is the player piano at the restaurant. Here is Willow playing her pretend piano to the music.

Niko loves the roller coaster and really enjoyed bringing his sister on for her first experience. She wasn't afraid at all and when the worker clipped her in she said, "Buckle up for safety." The are in the third car in. Willow is just that glimmer of a hat above the top. She loved it.
There is always a meltdown at some point in the day when a nap need is not met.
We got in the last train ride of the day.

We got to see the reindeer grazing out in the snowy woods.

VIDEO: First roller coaster experience

Tower Power

2010-12-23T13:29:00.000-05:00

Willow having fun counting with Lil' Pup and stacking her tower.
Also she tries to blow the house down.

She is really good at stacking and re-stacking with graduated blocks.
It always ends with silliness.

Thanksgiving

2010-12-18T22:15:00.001-05:00

Since Christmas is one week away, I figure I should post the Thanksgiving photos finally. Willow made a record amount of turkeys in pre-school....6 in total.
Willow is thankful for her big brother....

and her cool sports coupe.
Aunt Mary single handedly made an incredible meal with even three kinds of fresh cranberry sauces. Niko and I think she could open her very own bakery as her pies, muffins and tarts are so delicious.
Willow loves to ask everyone one what they are thankful for. We do it each morning at breakfast so she gets lots of practice. Many times she is animated...that's our girl. The necklace I am wearing is something I am grateful for as it is Niko's artwork.

Here Willow is participating in a Greek cheer steineyasous which means To Your Health.
Willow loves her Aunt Mary. She says Mary so cutely.

VIDEO: My mommy gave me french fries and toast and I had piece in my mouth and I choked.

Journey to Becoming Friends

2010-12-16T10:48:00.000-05:00

When Willow first arrived home from China she tried to connect with her big brother through pulling his hair and spitting on him. She wasn't quite sure how to show she wanted a friend and her need for physical connection would push the boundaries. These days things are much more mellow although they still wrestle and argue. They have also found that they both enjoy burrowing into our closets...no matter how small they squeeze themselves in.

Two friends watching G*mby.

VIDEO: Friends

Saratoga Springs

2010-12-12T14:47:00.000-05:00

Niko will narrate this post: Still nauseous from the car ride down to my vision therapist 3 hours from my house. Dad, Aunt Mary and I stopped at a camp after the appointment. There was a geyser even though there was no hot spot.
That leaf was on the side of a wall with sufide pouring down the side.

We found a place where the water had caroded the wood on a bench and a whole structure we couldn't figure out what it was.

I was examining the different materials of rock. Some were ball pieces of rock.

We had a good time despite the long drive.

Girl of All Seasons

2010-12-11T08:00:00.001-05:00

Sometimes even a new hat and gloves can be a source of entertainment, struggle and excitement with our girl of all seasons.

Boy of All Seasons

2010-12-07T10:56:00.000-05:00

A machine is a machine...if it has moving parts Niko is intrigued and determined. He made many bean bags and even some for his sister.
And then there is the obsession with trees. He even plans to make a rope ladder to carry in his backpack for getting down from the trees.

Niko is always ready for designing, making things and any outdoor adventure.

Empty Bowls

2010-12-05T01:54:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago it was seasonably cold...
and then got unseasonably warm. So much so that it confused my rhododendron bush and it started to bloom with ice on the ground.
During this time we went to a special event called Empty Bowls to benefit our local food shelf. Niko's 5th grade class in conjunction with the art teacher made ceramic bowls along with the local college students. These were donated and used for a soup dinner. Everyone got to pick a beautiful handmade bowl to eat their soup in and then take it home as part of the meal ticket price.

This is Niko's beautiful bowl.
Here he is with this art teacher and an assistant in his classroom.
I picked a bowl with holes in the top...kind of cool.
Niko had an amazing time and commented on how much he really enjoyed the evening. He enjoyed being a featured artist; participating in an important fund-raising event and seeing some of his friends and families and eating with his own family.

So Lucky

2010-12-04T11:47:00.009-05:00

We are very lucky Willow just had ureter reconstruction surgery which will hopefully reduce the number of high fevers associated with UTIs she has had. We are also lucky that one side corrected itself with time, so she only needed surgery on one side to protect the kidneys. Fortunate for us an amazing hospital is just a ferry ride across the (ocean...according to Willow) lake. Willow was very excited to return to this hospital because everyone has been great to her during all of her other procedures. When we drove into the hospital car garage at 5am she cheered because she was going to get macaroni and cheese.

Jenny, one of Willow education specialist, gave her a gift of one purple and one green "Mama" washcloths for the hospital stay. When she opened them she said, "Ahhhh, Jenny!" She also brought her llama from Uncle Miles and Aunt Monica on the trip to the hospital.
Willow was very brave and did an amazing job.
We are so very lucky that this was a simple procedure, we have good health insurance, and Willow has a quick recovery. None of that we take for granted.
Willow feels lucky for dial-up room service and macaroni and cheese. Here I am putting in an order. She wanted it at 7am but had to wait a bit. The hospital also gave her a handmade polarfleece blanket, a handmade D*ra pillowcase, and a stuffed puppy she named Dinosaur.
Some last mac n cheese for the road.

Baba's 50th Birthday

2010-11-30T09:28:00.000-05:00

Paul turned 50 in early November and his sister Mary made the pumpkin birthday pie which just got Niko excited to have more on Thanksgiving. He, like his father, loves pumpkin pie.
Niko made a bat card with a mouth that opens and closes with the card.

Niko getting creative.
Paul with his Mom.

Haunted House

2010-11-28T09:00:00.014-05:00

Already passed Thanksgiving but finally on last Halloween post. Love Halloween so always lots of photos. Niko gets extremely excited about designing a haunted tree house as last year's was such a success. He and his father did a lot of thinking, designing, planning and working to help Niko's ideas come to life.
Poor old C*bbage P*atch doll from way back when...

Papa did a little gardening to help out.

The photos don't get it justice without the sounds and flashing lights.

VIDEO: Haunted House

Post Halloween Blues

2010-11-24T09:25:00.000-05:00

The final Halloween post...the day after. Halloween on a Sunday makes for a rough Monday morning.
Willow grabbed my pirate costume essentials and pretended she was Captain Feathersword from the W*ggles.

Halloween

2010-11-21T07:26:00.001-05:00

On Halloween, my birthday, Niko pulled out another special cupcake that he had inspired and the zip line card he made with the sign that said Happy Birthday.
It isn't easy to get them both in their costumes without one overheating and then have both ready to pose for photos at the same time. The grim reaper mask helped narrow down the variables. Willow is the Spider From Under the Barn.

She is showing how she plans to scare Papa as she creeps out from under the barn.

Whenever you ask Willow if she likes chocolate she says, "Not yet." On Halloween she ate a small H*ershey bar and excitedly kept repeating, "I like it now."

Willow practiced saying Trick or Treat before we left and she could tell you that you knock on doors say Trick or Treat and get candy. She did it about 4 or 5 times and then said she was ready to go home.

Niko was ready to keep going and joined up with some friends.

I brought Willow home for a warm bath to take the chill off and then she enjoyed seeing who came to the door. We can get 300 kids on Halloween as our street is one of the most frequented in the city. The highlight was having Elm* trick or treat our house. She couldn't believe that.

School Week Halloween

2010-11-19T14:03:00.000-05:00

Halloween fell on Sunday so we celebrated school and office Halloween on Friday. My French cuff links weren't so easy to maneuver, so I asked for Niko's assistance.

Willow wore her candy corn pants and black cat shirt to school. The many morning faces of Willow.

Willow loves umbrellas. Nana bought her this frog umbrella.

Always fun Halloween fun at my career and tech high school where I work.
A great group of people.

Niko was sweet and insisted on surprising me with black and white cookies for my Halloween Birthday as he remembered I loved them as a kid. He is a great kid. He has a great Yiayia who helped him to pull his idea off. He also likes to play with fire...

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Halloween Prep

2010-11-14T07:13:00.000-05:00

Yia Yia found a recipe for spider web pizza out of one of the magazines Nana gave her. Willow was excited to make pizza with Niko as she loves to be included in whatever he does.

However, she pretty much just gobbled up the cheese and olives by stuffing the cheese into the olive and declaring that she loved making pizza.
It turned out really well and tasted delicious.

Niko also drew his own pumpkin pattern and carved the original design himself.

Zombie Parade

2010-11-13T06:18:00.000-05:00

Our town had its first annual Zombie Parade prior to Halloween and Niko zombie walked with Aunt Mary and Dad. He said the makeup made him itchy, so he isn't sure he would do that part again. However, he had a good time.
These eyes are much too pretty to be zombie eyes.

Alright...they are scaring me a bit.

Day Long Hike

2010-11-10T09:32:00.000-05:00

I am very behind in my posts and just getting around to sharing Niko's day long hiking trip with Aunt Mary and Dad. I will have him narrate since I did not go on the trip.

We were headed on a hike but on the way we stopped by the old wooden bridge and I decided to climb up to one of the bridge windows and embrace the scenery.

Then we went down to the rapids that flow underneath the old bridge.

It was beautiful how the water flew gracefully over the rocks.

I saw that it was a nice picture scenery when I walked up the hill before my Dad and Aunt so I yelled for the camera from Dad and he yelled for me to come down and get it. Thanks Dad.
I found a magnificent walking stick but on the way up I kept hitting trees and rocks and eventually it broke the end off; I kept the end and it then split; eventually I ended up with two little stubs.
Here is one of my stubs as I run along the rocky top of the mountain.
Where was that? I don't know where that was. Stop that! Seriously stop!

Well, I decided to head down a different way because it seemed safer to me...more rocky, instead of the muddy muck we came up before. But I made a wrong turn. You can see the cravass right next to me; unfortunately I didn't.

With my two stubs I found a big sheet of Birch bark that I put around my chest and found a dead branch and noticed it looked like armour when I tried to put it on.

Silly Willow

2010-11-07T09:17:00.007-05:00

One day at school Willow's teacher told her to blow her nose and put the tissue in the garbage. She stuck the tissue to her nose, walked to the trash can, opened the lid and put her whole head inside...she likes to make people laugh.

She also likes to pose.
But sometimes she will surprise me with a spontaneous and tender moment.

Apples vs. Sand

2010-10-29T16:10:00.000-04:00

I am way behind in blogging as life seems to stand still in someways. Yiayia and Papa brought Willow on her school field trip to one of our apple orchards to pick apples, feed the animals and do other fun things.

Willow was not in the best of spirits, perhaps too much stimulation. She just wanted Papa to carry her and hold her.
She liked the eating part.

Poor Papa got tired and Willow was ready to go home early. Maybe next year will be a little more familiar.

Birthday Buddies

2010-10-19T14:58:00.001-04:00

Niko's 11th birthday was all that he had hoped for. We drove two hours to a lake resort town with his good friend and his Dad to skate, tag, drive golf and bounce.
Stopped to the local bakery for a birthday treat.
First...skating.

The golfing looked pretty serious.

But the driving got down right mean.

sons and dads
Warhead faces
No birthday is complete without cheap arcade prizes. Before our drive back we stopped for dinner and a blogging buddy recognized me as she has a daughter from China as well. It was very surprising and a nice treat.
Niko opened his birthday gift in the car, a gift card. He has his hopes set on a N*rf gun.

Paradise

2010-10-10T13:18:00.000-04:00

Friends of mine live in paradise, and we have been enjoying the fruits of their labor. I went down to pick raspberries at their house and then had to return because I didn't get to freeze any as we had an eating frenzy.
This is paradise. Raspberries and grapes with a spectacular view.
Paul's sister Mary came with me, and we couldn't believe how time moved so quickly and remained still at the same time. Three hours of picking didn't seem like three hours.

little brown frogs
Willow couldn't believe her good fortune when I came home. She shouted, "I like raspberries!"
Paul tried to take only one bowl away to start freezing and she said, "Don't take MY raspberries!"
They also gave us elderberry and blueberry wine which they make among others. Two different kinds of squashes and three pumpkins made their way into the van as well. Mary has made us raspberry bread; curry squash soup; and Paul has made raspberry pancakes. We also have a ton in the freezer to enjoy this winter.

The smile says it all.

Panda Socks

2010-09-27T13:32:00.001-04:00

simple morning pleasures

Three Pre-Birthday Parties

2010-09-26T19:22:00.002-04:00

Niko's birthday week began with bath/shower night.
Two fresh and clean children to start of a week of celebrations.
The next morning we listened to Niko's special 11th birthday announcement on our local am radio station. Willow was unsettled from the beginning. The streamers had her on alert and unable to start eating and the birthday song threw her over the edge into tears. This is not unusual for her. She can pretend with the song but as soon as it is a "real" celebration she gets upset. I think she finds it hard to feel the real emotions of a celebration, because she finds it hard to feel vulnerable; that is my theory anyway.
During snack time at school Niko shared brown rice crispy treats with flax meal that Yiayia made. They were actually quite delicious. That night we had a quick take out dinner with Niko's favorite Thai food. It was quick due it also being karate night, but it was nice of Nana, Aunt Mary, Yiayia and Papa to join in the special meal.
Tofu triangles, chicken satay, and Tom Yum soup...all Niko's favorites. He opened cards that had money gifts which is a pretty cool gift when you are 11. Also, our friend Shannon send him two audio books as Niko is a huge fan of listening to books. (He's just about done with Lord of the Rings.)
Willow enjoyed sharing Papa's chicken and veggie pad thai until...the birthday song. Then she cried and refused to sit at the table. My birthday is next and maybe we should try Jingle Bells or Five Little Monkeys as the special song instead.
After karate they both enjoyed a little snuggling.
The next night we had a no frills birthday celebration with neighborhood friends. I love Willow sitting in that big chair with a mouth full of stringy cheese.

Niko carries that crossbow with him everywhere, a birthday gift from Yiayia and Papa. We had to remove Willow from the celebration before the birthday song over the candle lit in an ice cream sandwich.
He sure loves that crossbow. Also, he was extremely excited about the bat house from Uncle Miles, Aunt Monica and Cousin Mateo (Tribeca too).

3rd Annual Street Party

2010-09-23T19:23:00.003-04:00

Our 3rd annual street party was a success, and we were very lucky to have another beautiful day. All of the kids can't wait for the street to be blocked off for 6 solid hours. It started off with some team building...
but it ended up with the girls beating the boys and enjoying bragging rights.
Willow began the party a bit tired as her nap time was rapidly approaching. She brought out her plastic birthday cake and plate to put on the buffet tables. Then we got name tags. It was downhill from there as she turned into a crabby patty and needed to be brought in for a nap.
I had my first deep fried turkey which was unexpectedly delicious...but I'm not sure it was worth the risk. It was a bit unsettling to look at.
The bike parade is the highlight of the party and all the kids still enjoy participating despite having more of them in middle school this year.
It is surprising how close we live to our neighbors yet we rarely get to talk to each other as we are pulling in and out of our driveways with busy lives.
All of the kids will look back on the parties as care free times...
hopefully, the adults too.
Willow woke up! She missed the bike parade, unfortunately. She quickly jumped on her bike and took off down the sidewalk to have a meltdown because she had wanted to go in a different direction. Everyone stopped and turned to see what type of pain she could be in to be making such noise...nope...no pain. This is one of the many ways Willow expresses herself.
Toward the end of the party this is what I saw creeping across the street.
One of our neighbors was getting a head start on the pre-haunted house that was going to be featured after the block party. Niko has the haunted house planned out in stages. Somehow he pulled off a quick run through even though there were so many kids it was like a mob with everyone having their own idea on how to run things.

VIDEO: bike parade

Island Adventure

2010-09-19T20:45:00.003-04:00

Paul and Niko went off on a kayaking adventure to sleep out on Valcour Island on Lake Champlain. He will narrate this blog:

When we woke up on the island we worried about paddling out because it was windy and there were pretty big waves and my Dad would have to take two trips to bring all of our stuff back. While I was fueling the fire, I felt a bone in the top of my foot feel like it was almost bending or something. A few seconds after I walked three steps it hurt so much I fell onto the ground and my Dad had to do some chiropractic maneuvers to try to fix it. I had to sit in the hammock until it felt better.
This is about half of what we were going to go up against.
While we were waiting for the wind to settle down we walked on the beach and found a tree that the roots had the tree up above the ground. My Dad had me take a picture of it.
We walked by the light tower.

I was obsessed with making a fire, but my Dad did not want to make one because of the high winds. He didn't want some flames to come out and burn the island down. The wind settled down a little bit, so my Dad said yes. Once we got the fire going the wind picked up again.Some folks offered us a ride back to shore, but the waves were so strong that one of the boat's cleat ripped out. So, they had to move the boats first. But on the same boat that the cleat ripped out the steering went out and we spun in circles and almost crashed to shore. Eventually, we had to drop anchor and another boat had to take us to the dock.
After we got to the other dock, I had to jump over the front of the boat and into another boat.
This is the boat we rode on back to shore.
They let me sit in the front seat.

Labor of Love

2010-09-12T07:32:00.000-04:00

Labor Day was a beautiful day and Willow had pre-school but Niko and I were off. So, I decided to take Niko on a hike in the morning and then lunch for Thai which is his favorite. Often times Willow's loud demands are met over Niko's quiet requests, so I wanted to spend some quiet time with him alone. The only problem is I never know when "The Teenager" is going to come with us. Niko turns 11 in a few weeks and sometimes there are teenager qualities that come out.

It started off quite well and Niko amused me and allowed a few photos as we walked from the car, down to the lake and over to the trail. He is getting bigger and is able to wear my clothes/shoes like this vest.
However, we were only on the trail for several minutes and I realized that The Teenager had come along for the hike. "How long were you planning on hiking anyway?" "My ankle hurts." "My legs are tired." "How far is it to the end?" I did my best to not respond quickly to my son bent down on the trail and reminded myself in a calm inner voice that I work with teenagers everyday and I am pretty good at it. They seldom get under my skin even when they are their most rebellious and this was nothing compared to what I am called on to deal with and get paid for. So, I told Niko that he could have a seat right there on one of the logs and I would pick him up on my way back. I cleared my morning because I wanted to spend time with him, enjoy the sunshine and get some exercise. I was not turning back but had no problem with him waiting for me. The teenager was speechless. He said nothing but his eyes said, "You would just leave me here?"

The Teenager took off down the trail and the fresh air, rapid walk, and small snack brought my boy back...

I have no silly ideas about never seeing The Teenager again. I know he will return, stay longer and then blend into a new creature that somedays I won't recognize at all; however, on this one day my boy held my hand on the way back out of the woods, all on his own. I will take that and ask for no more.

(Hopefully, The Teenager doesn't read this blog post any time soon or I am in trouble.)

Great Recovery

2010-09-10T17:56:00.000-04:00

Great Grandma took a fall and had a tough recovery from a broken pelvis and ribs. She was in a nursing home recovering for awhile and then came to stay for a few weeks until she could return home. Willow enjoyed bringing Great Grandma food from her kitchen and singing "Happy Birthday."
I insisted on a photo of mother and daughter, which isn't easy because both of them hate the camera.
So, then they made me get in the photo as well and Niko played photographer. Three generations...we should have grabbed Willow to make four.
Great Grandma is home now and will be returning to work soon. She's in her late 80s and still working full-time. It's her third job following two separate retirements.

A Few of Her Favorite Things

2010-09-09T19:17:00.001-04:00

These are a few of Willow's favorite things:

Baba, Daddy, Big Baba, Big Daddy, Paul...whatever she happens to call her father it is clear he is a favorite.
And her Sp*nge B*b bib is another favorite.
Willow is new to scooting and has become a favorite. She likes that she can be just like Niko.
She likes to go fast
and especially enjoys bumps.

Eating is what Willow does when she is not talking or moving...and Christmas is a favorite (bib is a bit out of season, but Christmas is a frequent topic of Willow's)
Willow adores her big brother and he can't resist when she asks him to read her a book. She is also wearing her favorite shirt, Painted Pony. (Tonight she was crying that she wanted to go on an airplane to ride Painted Pony. She was on the floor sobbing, but she doesn't quite understand that Painted Pony is over 3,000 miles away.
Ultimately, Willow just loves having fun.

VIDEO: Scooting

Second Child

2010-09-04T16:18:00.006-04:00

Willow had to go to Fletcher Allen Hospital in Burlington Vermont for more kidney testing. We need to see if she has outgrown her reflux, which I doubt given her UTI in Jackson Hole at the beginning of the summer. We go back at the end of the month to go through another VCUG and then there may possibly be surgery. On this particular day she just had a kidney ultrasound which was pretty easy but everything involving hospitals makes for a full day not to mention the travel to get there. We found ourselves tired by the end of the day; it was very hot and humid; and Willow hadn't napped. While driving to our favorite Vietnamese Restaurant to get takeout to eat on the ferry ride home, we decided Willow needed more food.

If she were our first child, I would have climbed over the seat and spoon fed her the potato salad to make sure she got each morsel and that the car didn't suffer from mayonnaise spills. Despite how tired and hungry I was, I would have wiped and packed up before eating my own meal.

Since Willow is our second child, Paul came up with a plan to put a fabric grocery bag on her lap as a large bib and give her the potato salad to serve up herself while we drove. I had second thoughts but my weariness won out.

The Outdoor Chef

2010-08-30T21:44:00.007-04:00

One of Niko's favorite things to do is have a fire in the backyard. Aunt Mary, Papa and Willow even joined us around the fire which is a huge deal, because Willow is very afraid of fire. Her first pre-school was overzealous with their fire unit and created paranoia. She finally agreed to come out to sit on Papa's lap as he would keep her safe. Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos of the earlier part of the evening before Niko began to cook and Willow began sucking suspiciously on a marshmallow.

After toasting marshmallows, Niko spiced up some corn on the cob and baked potato. This potato was a bit spicy, because Niko frantically asked for some water.

We've been using a cement trough for a fire pit. It has been working quite well, so we put off buying a "real" one even when we find one at a good price. This one seems to serve the purpose.
The corn:
The potato:

Transition

2010-08-27T21:44:00.010-04:00

Our last day in Missoula was mostly a work day. It is always a stressed filled do with more to do than time to do it. It is like dismantling a circus and moving to the next town. Paul and Niko did the last mowing of the lawn while I did the floors inside of the house. We were very busy but worked together to get things done as quickly as possible.
Here is where I would have posted pictures of our last night in Missoula. We had Bill and his friend over for some snacks and also did a quick toast and a party popper salute to Niko for all of the hard work he did this summer with his dyslexia tutor and neurofeedback clinician. Willow, however, accidentally deleted them as she kept watching the same video over and over of her good-bye hug to Bill. She must have clicked one too many buttons and all of the photos of that night are gone. Bummer...

We arrived in Burlington, VT somewhat uneventfully except for the episode in Missoula, MT airport where I had to be searched after claiming the applesauce and rice milk box as Willow's. I even had my palms swabbed and the sample tested. We were very tired by the time we landed in Burlington, so decided to get a hotel room for the night and start the day fresh. It was a good idea, since the kids were so excited to get home and see Yiayia and Papa.

Here they are holding hands on the drive to the ferry from VT to NY.

Willow adjusted easily to being home.
She reached a new level in development by problem solving with a tool. She pulled the stool over that Papa made so she could reach all of the fun barrettes and lotion on top of the dresser.
Niko didn't have much time home and he needed to drive to Albany with Paul for a two day reading evaluation. It was a grueling two days, so Paul stopped on the way home for laser tag in a three tier facility and go-karts.

My Friend the M

2010-08-21T07:22:00.003-04:00

Of the 36 days we were in Missoula this summer, I hiked to the M 33 mornings. It was a great way to start each day and a nice break from sidewalk running back home. I am going to miss my morning hikes and wish I had a mountain in my backyard.

Good-bye to my friend the M, until next summer.

As I pondered outloud on Faceb**k, this is why I love Missoula. Add to that...mountains in the backyard!

Why I love this Montana town...all possible in one day: walked by fawns curled in the lawn like kittens; conversed with a traditionally dressed Buddhist Monk at the Good Food store; bought fireworks, dry ice and wine in the grocery store; compared Medical Edibles in the local paper as Marijuana has a newly legal place;... and sat next to a nice civilian man at the park legally carrying a side arm. Call me crazy!

No Trolley

2010-08-20T06:20:00.002-04:00

Unfortunately, we waited until the last possible day to ride the trolley. It appears the trolley is broken, because there was an everyday bus in its place. We waited at the Farmer's Market for it to loop around but no luck.
We waited by the XXXXs which I just learned represent railroad trestles.

We couldn't really buy any fruits or vegetables as we only have one more day left. We stopped one last time to say hi to Ka, my former student, and take this photo with his daughter. He gave Niko and Willow huckleberries which they both love.

Good bye to the Farmer's Market for one more year.
We stopped by Break Espresso for me to have a coffee. In the old days, before kids, Paul and I used to spend lots of time there reading books, talking and writing. We only had a quick moment for me to down a coffee and for Niko to eat a biscotti.
We had to make it to the carousel for Willow to ride Painted Pony. She kept her diaper on all night so woke up asking to ride again. Here she is waiting with Baba an extra round because she didn't get Painted Pony the first try and she didn't want to ride any other horse.
Finally...the beloved Painted Pony, sometimes referred to as Blue.

Dragon Hollow II

2010-08-19T06:06:00.002-04:00

Surprisingly this year, we only made it to the second Dragon Hollow once. It was dusk, so hard to take photos with my camera.

Niko just slings Willow around when he needs to bring her from one place to another quickly. She just goes along with it.

Niko really likes this picture, because somehow he looks like a ghost.

When we came home one day Hazel was sleeping in this box with her nice soft doggy bed only a couple of feet away.

The Great M Adventure

2010-08-18T07:08:00.003-04:00

Niko was well passed due for a solo adventure and spontaneously decided to take Hazel and hike the M. Paul instantly said yes and I responded with a hesitant yes. He is going to be 11 next month and values his independence which we try to nurture as much as we can. So, armed with a cell phone, dog, water and snacks he walked over to the college campus for his first solo hike.

He wore a white shirt and I could see his progress from our driveway. He is the little little dot of white in the middle of the second to last switch back. My eyes are good enough that I could see the tan speck in front of him, Hazel. Niko loved eating his gummy bunnies on top and giving Hazel a peanut butter biscuit while calling Yiayia back in New York to scare her that he was on a solo hike. (He tells me that he just wanted to talk to her. He didn't know it would scare her...)
I called Niko on the cell phone a few times and almost told him to return at one point due to the threat of rain. (And to get his pizza order...feta and pineapple from The Bridge, of course) He made it down to the University campus before the rain but then a downpour hit.

Niko says he wants to hike the M everyday, only with the dog, before we leave.

Painted Pony Encore

2010-08-17T05:52:00.002-04:00

We were able to return to the carousel again for another ride on Painted Pony WHILE wearing a Painted Pony shirt. That is pretty darn cool for this 3.5 year old. (She tells people, "I three and a haaaaf!"
Yep, down right cool.
Here Niko is bringing her back over to me, because while going down the big slide together they bonked heads. She was sweet and actually asked him if he was ok, too.
Then she got Niko's water bottle and brought it to him.
What kind of face is this? Willow does everything with exuberance. Here she is telling me that Painted Pony is FAST!

Niko has a couple of favorites on the outside row of horses. This is Dispatch. He usually rides him or Silver.
He has gotten the gold ring twice this summer.
A couple of months ago Niko brought up the fact that he has never had a banana split in his entire life. He and Paul made some deal. I don't know the details, but it ended in this Big Dipp*r Banana Starship. Niko chose mint chocolate chip and huckleberry as his ice cream flavors. He willingly parted with a taste of whipped cream to his sister and that was it. I did insist that he not eat the cherries, however. After, he felt more than satisfied...a bit over the edge of full and content. He isn't eager for another one any time soon but did enjoy the experience.

Painted Pony

2010-08-16T07:57:00.002-04:00

Willow was finally able to ride on her favorite carousel horse, Painted Pony. During the day, Niko and I walked with her down to Dragon Hallow and she watched the carousel. She will not ride it with us and is willing to patiently wait until her Baba can ride with her. Niko is a little hurt by that and tries to convince her to ride with him. I explained how we each have a role in her eyes. Baba is the protector; Mommy is the nurturer and Gaga is the playful partner. He seemed to understand it and be ok with it, but he still wishes she would ride on a horse with him. I was able to buy her a Painted Pony shirt in the gift shop. It was the last one in her size, and she is very excited about it.

Niko always checks out the "castle" to see if there are any kids to play with. That is really important to him; to hang out with some kids his age even if for twenty minutes or so.

By Invitation Only

2010-08-15T06:44:00.000-04:00

Getting Willow to keep her diaper on at night and nap times is a chore. Tape sometimes works, but if she really wants it off and she works at it enough she frees herself. We have been rewarding her with rides on the carousel if we open the bedroom door and she is still diapered. We do a D*ra Hoorah song and then promise to ride the carousel. Well, she went for two days not being able to keep that diaper on, so we told her it was ok that eventually she would ride her favorite horse, Painted Pony, when she kept her diaper on. She finally did and we promised to bring her that night.

Prior, we ran into Bill at the Good Food Store and had soup and bread. Willow was patient. Then she and I swam at the indoor water park while Niko and Paul did the high ropes course together outside. (I really dislike water and water is cold to me if it is not as warm as bath water, but Willow loves it so much we swam for 1/2 and hour. She wouldn't believe me that the pool was closing and insisted on asking the life guard. She digested her response a minute and let clenched her fists and shook the pool room with her screams until I dragged her into the locker room.

Then we went outside to wait for Niko to get done. Willow amused herself with some rocks.
What flexibility.

She loves to go barefoot and will continue to walk across uneven and somewhat painful surfaces.
We finally got to the carousel after pumping the reward up to her. She was going to ride Painted Pony! Willow was so excited and had been talking about it all day. We walk in and the gift shop is dark but there are people riding the carousel and tables with fresh cherries and popcorn. We thought we hit upon a special event and then realized we were crashing a special event. It was Friday night and someone had rented the entire carousel for their own private function. We had to tell Willow she couldn't ride Painted Pony, that there was a party and we were not invited. She cried into Paul's shoulders and it brought tears to my eyes.

Niko was so mad. He sweetly distracted Willow with taking her down the slides
and on the swings.

Then Niko sneaked her over the fence for a secret pick up away from the carousel so she wouldn't see it as we left.

The next day we returned to ride Painted Pony, but it was too crowded and Willow wasn't able to get a turn on it. Niko rode on Silver. Niko likes to get an outside horse so he can grab the rings. I think this is the first summer he can actually reach them. So far, no gold ring yet. A gold ring gets a free ride and is highly prized by young and old.
Niko helps Paul get her off the horse so then Paul can dismount.
Last summer they couldn't have sat that closely in the backseat without screaming and Niko getting hurt.

Pattee Canyon

2010-08-14T07:34:00.004-04:00

I have no photos of our family hike up Pattee Canyon, because we had no camera. It was an adventure destined for failure but turned out surprisingly well. Bill joined us and we piled into the car with Hazel, the dog, for the short drive to the trail head. About 7 blocks from the house I realize we have no momma for Willow. Having no comfort object for Willow is disastrous, so we drove back for it. It was getting a bit late but we had no choice.

We piled out of the car and realized we didn't have the pack with water and snacks. I even had a chance to get it when I went back for the momma but thought it was already in the car. Paul thought I had brought it, and I thought he had brought it. We had the backpack for Willow to ride in, but how would we handle Willow who is "snack happy"? As soon as you hear the click of her carseat or backpack buckle she is usually screaming for a snack. We set off shaking our heads about another "shared brain moment".
We made it a few yards up the trail and Willow is demanding water. When I explained we didn't have any she began screaming and demanding which is her usual response in such situations. It is just hard to enjoy a hike with a screaming child; although, the positive is the Grizzlies and Mountain Lions probably stayed clear away.
Bill had one water bottle and I became Momma Bird to Willow and Niko as they would throw their heads back and have me squirt water into their mouths. They loved it.
We made it to the top as the sun set but was still glowing the sky. We passed by a few raspberry bushes and a huckleberry patch. I popped a few in my mouth and Willow's but with bears on my mind. I knew we needed to keep moving. Willow then says, as she is pointing and looking over my shoulder, "Mom, look behind you!" That sure made my heart race. There was nothing behind me. She did that to me two more times before we got back to the car.For some reason, she settled in and made the hike quite pleasant. We got home and hydrated Willow. Bill's friend stopped by and Willow did a gymnastic/karate performance for him complete with couch jump offs and head stands.

It turned out to be a good evening after all.

(I added these stolen photos after Bill posted them to his site www.williammartin.com. All photo credits go to him.)

Kidfest

2010-08-13T06:05:00.000-04:00

There is always something for kids to do in Missoula. It isn't unusual for us to stumble on an event or two. Kidfest happens every August, but we aren't always still in town to catch it. Niko has good memories of the balloon man, but we haven't seen him this summer.

Willow attempted the bean bag throw.
After this second failed shot, she walked up to the hole and got close enough for a direct shot. Good thinking, Willow.
Then there was a table with tattoos. Willow was cautious about this "sticker."

After the monkey was applied, she just couldn't believe what we had done to her and a few minutes later she made me rub it off.
She liked her balloon, though.

Niko, of course, was at the science table building a solar powered Leg* car.
The gymnastic mats were a good idea and Willow would have warmed up to the idea...
once Paul showed her what to do, but once through that tunnel the mats were in the sun and too hot for Willow's liking.
She liked the apple and orange table.
Finally, Niko's car was ready for a test run.

Apples and oranges were probably the highlight of the fest for Willow.
Paul went to the kabob booth and got frozen chocolate dipped bananas and strawberries and pineapple.
It was a great price and delicious.
The sun really tires the four of us out. We walked there, so had a bit of a trek back home. We had to squirt our water bottle onto Willow's head to keep her awake so she wouldn't ruin her nap time at home. She liked getting squirted and wiggled and giggled.
Later that night, Willow enjoyed ice cream in her D*ra cup.
I see a resemblance.

Kids' Science Museum

2010-08-12T06:22:00.000-04:00

The local science museum is really meant for young, but Niko is good memories of coming here. As well, there are cool things to build with and that is fun no matter what someone's age. And, of course, a water table gets everyone involved. Willow said, "Look! Baba is playing in the water too!"

Niko helped Willow get her smock on...a bit backward but it helped some.

Willow said she was doing dishes.

Niko build a dam and then had fun releasing it.
They also had Willow's second favorite thing: sand. Well, it was like sand but made of some material I couldn't name. It was a dinosaur bone excavation site. Once again, Willow will not look at the camera. She just completely ignores her name.

I finally get her to look at the camera by being silly...and then I look silly.

Food and Fun

2010-08-11T07:40:00.000-04:00

Paul picked up a flyer for a kids' fun place in Victor, MT with a corn maze, bumper cars, mini golf, bounce houses and more. Niko poured over the brochure and was eager to hang out with other kids doing cool things. We drove about 35 minutes to get there and the entire compound was empty with the big iron gates locked and a realty sign out front. Niko was beyond bummed and Willow was ticked that she couldn't get out of the car after the drive. So, we stopped in this one (short) street town to let Willow walk a bit. I can't remember if it was Victor or Florence.

Niko found this really cool old fashioned communication device.

Of course, the next thing he did after this photo was climb the railroad signal ladder. It was at the tiniest museum I have ever seen...not on a railroad track (yiayia).
Speaking of Yiayia, she taught Willow (and Niko) how to eat olives.
How do you like those purple rubber boots? (a nice Go*dwill find)
Cheese puffs seem to be the snack of the summer.
Last Thursday night while Paul was on his bike ride there was some bad weather, so the kids and I couldn't do too much outside. I needed to vacuum up all of the cheese puffs and Cheeri*s that Willow dumped in the backseat of the rental car. Niko asked if he could wash the car. He sure loved playing with the water gun.

We surprised Willow with a mini-carousel ride. Niko is such a sweet brother.

Then home for some Big Dipp*r ice cream: vanilla for Willow and cardamom for Niko.

The Fort

2010-08-10T07:19:00.001-04:00

Many years we are in town for July 4th and attend all the fun at Fort Missoula. This year it was much quieter as we walked around in August. During WW II this was used as an internment camp for Italian Americans and Japanese Americans. It is a bizarre thing to think about. Niko remembers all of his favorite things here like the train.
I was able to take some nice pictures of Willow as she enjoyed wandering the grounds in all of the open space.

She looks so tiny next to that train.

Niko, of course, wants to figure out every moving part.

Everyone moving part on everything.

On many days Willow would be happy to push her stroller everywhere or to push a grocery cart.
The fire tower is a highlight as well.
Paul took this shot as I was way down below getting water for Willow.

Inside the fire tower:

It was not easy, as usual to get them to pose for a photo for me. Niko is actually pretty cooperative, but Willow usually has her own ideas that don't gel with mine.

Here we have series of pictures of her wanting to show us her belly.

Mischief of One Kind or Another

2010-08-09T06:10:00.000-04:00

(1) Almost full bottle of B*rt's Bees lotion that I normally don't buy myself because it is a little pricey.

(1) Brand new Baby G*p shirt that was on sale but still $8.99 that I struggled over buying because I usually don't buy new clothes. This shirt was on for a total of 20 minutes.

Disclaimer

To the family who owns this couch (as we are house sitting), if you happen to see this Blog post: this mess actually cleaned up nicely. B*rt's has no artificial dyes or perfumes, so if anything the couch is even cleaner after my scrubbing. I was panicked, however.

Free Fun

2010-08-08T08:07:00.001-04:00

All my days are blending together. I guess that is what vacation is all about. This post is from a week or so ago on a Thursday I believe. Paul mountain bikes with a Thursday night group while Niko, Willow and I do things together that aren't Paul's favorite.

Two of those things are McD*nalds and the mall. We went to one playland which was meant for younger kids and Niko wasn't too impressed.
He did, however, play along and assist Willow.

Then we went to the mall to throw coins in the fountain and climb on the rubber train. Niko always loved the fountain and Willow was equally as excited.
Willow, however, kept ignoring my warnings and continued to play in the water.
Then we went over to the playland on the other side of town which is geared toward older kids. Willow did a great job this year and can even do it on her own. Niko stays right with her to guide her which is very sweet.

We've had quite a few deer jump the fence. The dog is brave if Niko is out there too.

Willow likes to do her homework while Niko is doing his. She knows that my name starts with L and Niko starts with N; of course, she also knows that Willow starts with W. She knows many of her letters; all of her colors and a few numbers. She knows that three is more than two. (For instance she bargained with me last night for 2 rides down the water slide before we left rather than 1.) However, she isn't able to write any letter or numbers yet.
Yiayia, we have been enjoying your popcorn and it is quite good.

Butte 100

2010-08-07T06:29:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I think Paul and I share a brain. I guess that can be read many ways but our most recent shared brain experience went like this: Let's go see Bill mountain bike race in the Butte 100. Ok, great. I will book a hotel room so we all can go. It is a 2 hour drive each way and with Willow we would need to spend the night. I get a room and then 24 hours before we are to leave I stand in the kitchen thinking...wait a minute...we have a dog. We are house sitting and responsible for 4 animals. How did that fact slip by us? The hotel needed 72 hours to cancel, so Paul and Niko headed off on a boys' adventure. That's ok. It is clear by the photos that Niko enjoyed a bit of time away from Mom and Sister...as wonderful as we are.
I think Niko's favorite part of the whole two days was hanging out with the gang.
Niko standing by Bill after the 108 mile grueling mountain bike race. Bill trained hard and long for the race and had many friends enjoy the journey of the experience with him. More than many sports I can think of mountain biking is an accepting place of many different kinds of people all in an environment of family.

Bill welcoming in the 1st place competitor in the women's division.
The weather was horrible on Paul and Niko's drive over. There were severe lightning storms and tornado watches.

I think these two photos sum up Niko's feelings on the trip.

Niko decided he wants to move to Butte, MT. He said it is relatively cheap to live there and maybe no one would notice he isn't a "citizen" and he wouldn't have to go to school.

A Little Hail Must Fall

2010-08-05T08:58:00.002-04:00

I am very impressed with how well Niko has been taking care of the animals we are in charge of while house sitting. He feeds the guinea pig; cleans, feeds and waters the bird; feeds the cat; feeds, waters and walks the dog...with the occasional poo duty.
He also helped with Hazel's bath and got quite a kick out of all the times Hazel shook herself and got us wet.
This was Willow's first time on the carousel this year. She watched Niko go on it twice and then on the third visit she decided she was ready to try it. She will only go on the carousel with Baba even though Niko and I have offered many times. She is willing to wait.
Sometimes Niko prefers to go to the Dragon Castle instead. Here he is practicing on the rings.
Red Ribbons is the horse Paul would always ride on with Niko, because it has the largest seat for two bottoms.

Then we got a huge hail storm while we were in the safety of the carousel house. Willow loved all of the puddles in the aftermath.

Niko loved running through the hail despite our warnings.
Paul got some great shots of the storm system being pushed out by another one.
The colors were amazing.

Look at Willow's face.

Pickled Peppers

2010-08-03T05:15:00.002-04:00

The farmer's market is one of our favorite things to do in Missoula. Following this market is the people's market with art work, lemonade, jewelry, handmade clothing and many more items of every description. It all happens down at the XXXX's near the train station.
Niko just can't take the sun; especially, when it is beating down on blacktop. He shuts down and runs for the nearest shade.
Paul loves to shop for vegetables. We saw one of my former students, Ka, at his family's stand. He is now a father of 4 children and selling the vegetables his wife and he have grown. The hard thing is he wants to give us all of the vegetables and won't take our money.

Willow got her first Flathead cherries of the season, right off of the truck. These are the Ranier variety.
I couldn't de-pit them fast enough. Niko would take off into the shade with them and Willow would yell, "Niko, your sister needs more."

The cutest thing happened at our favorite Chinese restaurant. They have a box with free toys for kids and they encourage Willow and Niko to get a toy each time. Willow had been watching a D*ra episode a few days before with Peter Piper and out of the blue asked for pickled peppers for dinner. "I want a pickled pepper!" Paul told her we didn't have any. Well, when she reached in the box at Hong Kong Chef and pulled out pickled peppers she couldn't believe her good fortune. "I've got pickled peppers! Look!"

Niko chose Willow's other favorite Sp*nge B*b and he and I played a few games..which he beat me." The loser had to sing the BINGO song really fast. You know..."There was a farmer who had a dog..."
I like this photo, because it captures her personality while wearing her favorite bib.

High Ropes and Horses

2010-08-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

The University Center has always been a favorite of Niko's and quickly became a favorite of Willow's. It is three floors with a glass elevator, lots of trees, greenery and even a small waterfall. Plus there are a couple of food places, a market, school store, and post office. Niko is explaining the waterfall to Willow.

They also both like to walk through the sprinklers on campus. There are always sprinklers on and when it is hot I don't mind pushing Willow's stroller through myself.

I also knew a cool off would be good for Niko as he was heading to the high ropes course. It is a great deal at $7 with unlimited climbing on Friday nights.

Those rings just aren't a good fit. Last year he made it to one ring and then dropped.
This year the same thing. He likes the ones on the ground...although, these are spaced quite a large distance apart.
Willow, Paul and I sat and watched. Willow didn't do too much watching though. She was more interested in her graham crackers and throwing a ball back and forth with me.

Then we have a little time left to head over to the carousel of an evening ride. This is Willow's first time on the carousel this year. She chose Baba as her partner, despite Niko and I trying to convince her to pick us.
Paul was hoping for Red Ribbons, because he always chose that horse with Niko. It has the largest saddle for two butts to fit on. Red Ribbons was taken, so they had to squeeze on this horse.

Flip Flops and Animal Crackers

2010-08-01T04:54:00.000-04:00

Weekly, we have been attending the Out to Lunch event at Caras Park. Willow likes the freedom to move around, dance, eat, talk loudly and pick flowers.

Niko likes Pad Thai with tofu, lime, cilantro and peanuts.
I love how she put her hand on him as she asked him a question.
As soon as he finished eating, Niko went right to the science tent and built a structure using flat wooden sticks.
He was proud of his triangular design. He doesn't get much time at OTL, because he usually meets with his tutor at 12:30. He doesn't mind though, because she is an incredible person who brings out the best in him.
This is the mower that I found in the garage to mow the lawn of the house we are sitting for. At first I thought, "Oh no." Then I thought, "Interesting. This could be fun." Then in 95 degree heat after 1.5 hours I firmly decided I was right with my first thought. I am, however, now sporting Amish muscles.
First box of animal crackers. Willow's new favorite thing to do is walk to the University Center, buy a box of animal crackers and eat them by the small indoor water fall. Then we go up and down in the glass elevator as she squeals with delight.
Willow has been asking for flip flops. I didn't even know she knew the word flip flop and just announced one day that she wanted some. We found a very very cheap pair that are a bit too big but are Sp*nge B*b. She thinks they are the coolest things and wears them every chance she gets.

Coconut Pineapple

2010-07-31T08:00:00.000-04:00

One day this week we went to the park again to walk, catch minnows and give Hazel an outing.
I like how this picture makes Willow look like she is on a beach somewhere tropical.
Niko takes good pictures.
After a walk in Greenough Park, we stopped by Big Dipper for ice cream but it was too crowded. We came home for low fat ice cream, not as exciting but Willow was very excited about her first cone. This happened to be coconut pineapple ice cream which isn't her favorite. She likes vanilla.

Calm before the storm...
Willow said, "I make a pile!"
Look at the foot using Niko's ear to push off of...ouch!

Dam Fresh Banana Shakes and Fries

2010-07-30T07:22:00.001-04:00

A long time friend of ours from grad school at the University of Montana, Jim, lives in Kalispell, so we drove to Polson (about a 1 hour drive) to meet him half way. We stopped in St. Ignatius on the way up to our favorite after hike stop for fresh banana shakes and fries only to discover, to our horror, that it had closed down 5 months earlier. We were devastated; Niko as much as us. It is an old time place with drive up order stations like a drive in.
We arrived in Polson and had lunch at The Cove Deli. Paul couldn't resist the pirate photo op.

We walked back down to the water for the kids to play a bit after the car ride.
Placing Willow in sand allows us a minute to actually talk with Jim.

Niko didn't accurately measure the water level and how it would match with shorts' level. He just can't resist trying to catch minnows.
Then we stopped at the Kerr Dam which has a magnificent view.

Just like last year, Willow warmed up to Jim and wanted to sit right next to him. He is a grandfather to a 3.5 year old as well. Willow can sense that.
She ran ahead of us down to the river and had me nervous. She picked up quite a bit of speed.

Niko took these three photos from the backseat.

We stopped on the way home for french fries even though we were sad they wouldn't be from Lynn's (our favorite drive in place). We ate them while driving and I noticed Willow had three sitting on her lap. I thought somehow they flew there when I handed Niko his fries in the backseat...then Willow woke up (after a 6 minute nap) and discovered her fries and ate them happily. Niko then told me he put them there, because he didn't want her to be left out. He can be so sweet.
Then the most unexpected thing happened. Paul stopped at a place in Ronan on the way home and asked where we could get fresh banana shakes. They said at Lynn's. When Paul came back and told me I thought he was joking...he, on the other hand, didn't make the connection that Lynn's is the name of our favorite place in St. Ignatius. It turns out that there are two locations! They look exactly the same and have the same menu. So, we got our banana shakes and fries after all.

VIDEO: Twinkle Singer #2

VIDEO: Banana Singer #1

Elephant and Rattlesnake

2010-07-29T06:44:00.000-04:00

This pawn shop is next door to our favorite Thai restaurant in Missoula. Paul got a chuckle out of the sign in the window. You sure don't seen signs exactly like that back in New York.

Willow was not shy about jumping on the elephant at the restaurant. She likes going out to eat and will say, "I want to go to a resraauut" Her all time favorite thing to do is lock the car door as Paul goes to open it to get her out of her car seat. He will unlock it with the remote, just as quickly she will lock it with her foot and giggle and say, "I lock Baba in."
We ate so much at dinner...well, I ate so much...that we went for a walk in the Rattlesnake. Niko enjoyed his new favorite Pad Thai with Tofu. We brought Hazel with us for the walk.

Niko is pretty obsessed with catching minnows.
Hazel likes adventures.

Paul took a couple of photos as the sun was setting and we headed out of the Rattlesnake.