Day 1 Tacoma Trip

The first day was mostly getting to Tacoma and checking into our hotel.
We did get out to the "Tot Lot" though.

Day 2 Tacoma Trip

We spent the entire day at Point Defiance Park. First we went to the zoo, they had a really cool kids zone with small exhibits and a playground. We saw the sharks being fed, we fed and brushed the goats, and Eli's favorite we watched them mow the lawn. It's a nice zoo, but a little smaller than what we're used to.

Eli loved the Beluga Whales.
We sing the song and have a book about them at home, so Eli got to finally see them live.

Eli had his first ride on the Carousel

We visited the Botanical Gardens

Eli wanted to get in the duck pond

Day 3 Tacoma Trip

We went to Odyssy 1 indoor play place in the morning. It's like a McDonald's play structure on steroids. It was only $2 for Eli to pay and we didn't have to pay to supervise (play).

We spent the evening downtown. We walked around the Museum of Glass
and had dinner.

This cone is the Museum

Ben loved all the unique bridges of Tacoma

Rock Candy glass sculptures

Part of the display on the Bridge of Glass

We didn't actually go inside the museum, a toddler and a museum full of glass doesn't sound like it would mix well.

We got a treat at Hello Cupcake!
They taste delicious, but were a little rich. We paid for it with stomachaches all night.

Day 4 Tacoma Trip

We started the day at NW Trek
We almost didn't get in because they weren't accepting credit cards due to a power outage (who carries cash anymore?) I guess a watermelon truck had hit a power line in the middle of the night and the surrounding area was without power. They took our credit card and we ran to catch the 10 am tram.
The tram ride was fun and we saw Moose, Elk, Bison, Deer and Mountain Goats up close and in their natural habitat. Everything was great until the hour long ride ended up being 15 min too long for Eli. We had a baby melt down on a scenic nature tram, not too fun.
We thought after we got off of the train he'd be more interested in seeing the other animals. The electric fence was up and running by this time, so they had let out the bears and big cats out.
Eli was unable to recover and we had to flee the park.
We did get to see the watermelon wreckage on the way out.

Later that evening we went to Salter's Point beach and Eli got to throw some more rocks in the water. There were railroad tracks close by and we got to see a huge freight train barrel through going top speed.

Day 5 Tacoma Trip

We started the day at Wapato Park, but it just wasn't too fun. So, we packed up and headed to the next park on the list where we found a lot to do.

McKinley Playfield

Eli getting dizzy in the spinning bucket

Ben wants to be like Eli

Eli wants to be like Ben

The spray ground looked cool, but the weather wasn't warm enough for us to get wet

Just for Chris

Thanks Uncle Chris for the cute Hawaiian outfit! He'll need it to help him stay cool this summer.
Eli says "hdxnHBIU FRFJFCJINRFE L;,W2Xn"

New Duds

I bought Eli his first dress shirt and tie yesterday. I waited until now because he's been growing out of things so fast I didn't think it was worth it. He looks so cute (and he thinks the tie is hilarious) I wish I had splurged earlier!

The Coast

We went to the Oregon Coast today!
We checked the weather before we left and it said 85 and sunny.
We didn't bring jackets, and regretted it. Ben had to wear a towel, but it wasn't like we were going to be using it for anything else on a day like today.
We visited the Cape Mears lighthouse, and a giant Sitka Spruce tree.
We headed to the Tillamook Cheese Factory for lunch. Eli was fascinated with the cheese assembly line, and of course who doesn't love German Chocolate Cake ice cream?
We had fun, just not the kind of fun we envisioned when we left the house. Maybe we'll use the pail and shovel next time.

Timothy Lake

We went camping again this weekend!
We stayed at Gone Creek Campground on Mount Hood, which is possibly the most beautiful place I've ever camped. The water was clear, the trees were green and the mountain was majestic. Our site felt private, our neighbors were quiet, and they have bathrooms.
What more could we ask for?
Eli slept better this time with the pack-and-play set up in the tent. I was impressed with how quickly he fell asleep, and he still slept 12 hours on both nights. That's right, we didn't have to come home early this time! It was pretty warm the first night, but last night was freezing.
Eli spent a good amount of time chasing chipmunks around our campsite. He kept holding out his hand and saying "nice"(which means he wants to pet it). The rest of the time he played at the edge of the river, what more could a little boy want than water and rocks?
We hiked a little bit around the lake, but Eli gets tired after a short distance and the umbrella stroller isn't all terrain. The Kelty Backpack won't fit in our tiny car with all the camping gear, I think we need a rooftop carrier for our next adventure.

Where's the dip?

Eli wants dip with everything he eats. Ketchup seems to be the favorite, but anything will do.

The other day he was saying "Num Num", so I stopped and picked up some chicken nuggets for him. I thought this would hold him over until we could get home, but it backfired. He held up his chicken nugget and cried the rest of the way home, apparently he was unable to eat it because I wouldn't give him dip in the car.

His greatest challenge to date has been "how to dip a drink", he worked hard and came up with a successful technique. Please watch the following demonstration including chocolate milk and ketchup.

First: Dip the spout of the sippy cup

Second: Soak to ensure saturation


Third: Sit back and enjoy

At the River with Grandma Rowe

While Daddy went on a three day backpacking trip, Eli and I went to visit Grandma and Grandpa Rowe in The Dalles. We drove during nap time and, with the help of Harry Potter on tape, the 2 hour drive seemed short. Eli loved playing with his Cousins (sorry no pics) and exploring Grandma and Grandpa's house. He could open all the doors (including the front door) so nothing was off limits, although the pantry seemed to be a favorite for obvious reasons. He slept great in the Pack and Play (this was the first time we've used it) so this gives us hope for our upcoming Tacoma trip. Thanks for a fun weekend Grandma and Grandpa Rowe!

The (little) Man I Love

Camping

We went on our first family camping trip!

We stayed at Lost Creek campground on Mt. Hood.
Eli thought camping was great, and sleeping in a tent was the most fun thing he's ever done. We got in bed at 9:00 and thought he was really tired. He ended up running laps around the tent and dancing until 11:15. He took a great nap on Saturday so we had high hopes for Sat. night, but Eli had other plans. He started with the dancing and gymnastics routine again, after about 45 min. I called it quits and we came home early.
There was a neat little nature trail in the campground, we walked it a couple of times. Eli loved throwing rocks in the creek, and of course we made smores.
Ben went on a "Bear Grylls" adventure during nap time, complete with a swim.
Overall it was a success and we're looking forward to going again in a couple of weeks.

Climber

The other day I was doing my hair and noticed the lights in the bedroom turning on and off. I peeked out and there was Eli on top of the dresser. I finally caught him on film the other day, usually he does it when I'm not looking. I just can't believe how strong he is!

Sprinkler Fun

Elmo

I found this Elmo at Goodwill today. It's a brand new Target "salvage" item, so no one has owned it before and it works perfectly. At first Eli only liked it when it was quiet, as soon as Elmo started dancing and singing ELMO to the tune of YMCA he got a little upset. He got over that pretty quick and was dancing around the kitchen with Elmo.

He wanted Ben to hold him and dance while Elmo sang to them.

Conversations with a 1 year old

Me: Eli where's Jesus?
Eli points to Jesus
Me: Can you say Jesus?
Eli: DaDa
Me: Say Jesus
Eli: Mama
Me: Jesus
Eli: Elmo!

4th of July Parade

Catch me if you can!