My New Trick

Why do they keep this stuff hanging off the wall?


It seems each day Evie Lu gets more determined and persistent. Small distractions no longer work and I spend a great deal of my day picking my daughter up from an undesirable location and placing her in a desirable one. (Desirable for my sanity at least.) Sunday seems to be the day she attacks toilet paper.

What? No, wait, this was on the floor when I crawled in!


Last week she discovered the toilet paper hanging on the wall for the first time. She also discovered the law of physics which states a roll of toilet paper in motion will stay in motion until there is no more paper on the roll. Kaia didn't get a picture of last week's adventure, but when Evie Lu did it again Kaia was ready with the camera. I think my buddy Chris had a dog that did this same trick and I don't know how to feel about that.

If you're taking pictures of me you must not be that mad.

Waxing Nostalgic

I think I look good but Evie Lu and Dean don't approve of my dipping.

Every family has their own traditions when it comes to the holidays. We were invited to participate the tradition of some congregation members who make beeswax candles the Friday after Thanksgiving.
Dean is a beekeeper and along with collecting the best honey I've ever tasted he makes candles. This was a fascinating process. You start with a wick tied to two washers so that you get straight candles. You dip three times into the wax and then let the wax cool before you do it again.

The whole operation


It takes 10-15 rounds of dipping until you get a candle about an inch in diameter. This is not an activity for people who like to see instant results. This is the activity for people who love to socialize and have some good fun. The person Evie Lu likes better than me, her Aunt Kaitlin of course, joined us for the festivities. (Look pictures of Kaitlin!)
We now start the countdown until my mom's visit. Evie Lu needs another grandma fix!

Look there!

Getting Down To Eating

Evie Lu gives the thousand yard stare.


We had five guests join us for turkey day and it was a blast. Two of Kaia's classmates, their significant others and Kaitlin broke bread with us. Evie Lu's Aunt Kaitlin has established herself as Evangeline's favorite person in the world. Usually Kaitlin only gets to see the evening about-to-go-to-bed Evie Lu, but for Thanksgiving there was a ton of wide awake playtime.

Green beans and turkey!


Evangeline ate turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans and even a little pie crust. I almost got my little girl a taste of pumpkin pie, but my scientist wife caught me. Mmm . . . pumpkin pie. Celebrating Thanksgiving with Evie Lu this year has me anticipating next year when she'll be eating everything we eat and a full participant in the activities.

Hold me mom, it is all too much!

Dressing Up For The Big Day

Enough with the pictures, let's eat!

We have quite a few pictures to share with you all from our great Thanksgiving meal. Not only was this Evie Lu's first Thanksgiving, but it was also the first Thanksgiving meal Kaia and I have hosted. We took care of the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and vegetables. Evie Lu was a great sport as her parents ran around like crazy people and she was overjoyed when her aunt Kaitlin arrived to play.
Tune in tomorrow for more goodness!


I can see the food behind you.

Happy Thanksgiving

Oof. I'm done.

Evie Lu is thankful for all of you. Happy Thanksgiving!

Showing Off Her Legs

Oh yeah? Well what if I scrunch up my nose at you?


It has gotten chilly for our part of the country and that means Evie Lu doesn't get as much time just to run around in bare legs. She moves so much faster when unencumbered by skirts or pants we try to give Evie Lu some bare leg time now and then. Really, with all the insulation she has on those legs you wouldn't think getting cold would be a concern.

I've got socks in both hands and I'm trying to stand. It is too much!


Yesterday Evie Lu stood on her own for two seconds. She let go of the couch and just stood there. I was amazed as I watched Evie Lu balance forward then back before gently lowering to the floor. I've been known to get excited about things that don't really mean much (I am a Cubs fan after all) and this may seem insignificant, but it was exhilarating to see my little girl get a bit closer to walking. Who knows, she may be chasing us around at Christmas.

Guilty? Why would I look guilty? I didn't do anything.

A Baby For The Baby

Isn't my baby cute?


Several weeks ago Evie Lu was given a baby doll by her Grandma Bev, but Evangeline had no interest in cuddling her baby until today. For some reason Evie Lu decided it was very funny to hold and caress the doll. These days you never know what will tickle Evie Lu's funny bone.

This is how you feed a baby.


Imagine as you look at each picture squeals of laughter as Evie Lu is showing me different poses for her doll. I think I took a dozen pictures and each one cracked me up. It won't be long before tea parties are happening at our house. Hilarious tea parties I hope.

Look, she's walking!

Great-Grandpa & Great-Grandchild

No, they're not related at all.

This is a picture from this summer, but I just received it. How great is this?

Go Huskies!

Will the Huskies win??


Yesterday our little family enjoyed our first Husky athletic event, and it was Evie's first live football game. Despite the rainy weather, we had a lot of fun. It was a really good game, with lots of touchdowns and even a blocked kick. The halftime show featured William Hung, though Evie and Will missed it (didn't miss much). They were looking for a changing room to change Evie's soaked pants, and had to settle with a gurney in the first aid station. Despite the diaper mishap, Evie was a trooper. She even took a short nap in the first quarter (!). We stayed until the end of the exciting game to see the Huskies hold onto the win. I guess we have a little Husky fan on our hands!

Evie and her dad discuss the technicalities of the flea flicker.



The view on the field:


The view looking outside the stadium:

I See You!

Okay everyone, the babies are in here.

Some games never get old. Peek-a-boo with Evie Lu is one of those games. These days she doesn't even need us around to play. I found Evie Lu having a great old time playing the game with the babies in this book. The best is hearing her talk to the babies. I wonder, how long will she wait for a response?

Can you help me find them?


Friday will be a busy day for Evie Lu with trips to Costco and Guitar Center, but tomorrow is the banner day. Evangeline is going to her first college football game. Kaia and I are not what you would call huge fans of the college game, but a congregation member gave us tickets so Evie Lu will hang out with 70,000 of her closest friends and root on the Dawgs. Will they win? Probably not, but it will be a great time and free fun.

I found a baby.

This Is Your Fridge DJ!

Dad, all I know is every 108 minutes I have to press this button.

The quiet of the morning is shattered by a voice announcing, "This is your fridge dj. Time for classic tunes!" Evie Lu has pushed the button and begun her day long routine of bouncing from room to room. Evie Lu will always stop in the kitchen to start up a song about letters, numbers, or a classic children's song.

Her latest trick is not letting the entire song play, but pushing the button over and over. What Kaia and I have grown accustomed to hearing is, "Let's sing Old MacDonald (button push) Twinkle, Twinkle little (button push) Take me out to (button push) The itsy bitsy spider . . ." For some reason Evie Lu does like to listen to The Itsy Bitsy Spider. On the rare occasions she does let an entire song play, Evie Lu dances away. It is quite a sight, but a little tough to capture on camera.

Cheap Fun

Hey, look at what dad gave me.


Now that Evie Lu gets into everything everywhere, the game Kaia and I play most is distraction. Evangeline has a sixth sense for paper, magazines, sharp table edges and you know, all the things we don't want her to get into. I was out of ideas when I spotted the little yellow Wilson tennis ball in our hall closet.

Mmm . . . fuzzy.


Kaia and I bought cheap tennis racquets when we were newly married and I think we played twice. Evie Lu has now gotten far more use out of the tennis equipment than we have and she's far more adept at the game already. (As long as you don't notice the drool.)
Oh, and what is the most important item on her training table? Donuts, little chocolate donuts. Those things will take you all the way to the Olympics.

Look out pro-tennis world here I come!

Now We're Swinging

Is this going to hold? I weigh 24 pounds you know.

One of the great things about our place is the park across the street. Our little park has a playground with the swings designed for Evie Lu sized kids and those were just too tempting this week. Evangeline loved the swing. Of course, she may have been just as thrilled with seeing other kids playing.

Let's get pushing!


There are things you imagine doing with your child when they are born. For me piggy back rides and pushing Evie Lu in a swing were two of those activities. I'm excited that my mom will be out in a month to go to the park with us!

The action shot

This Is How I Roll

Hey, what vintage is this truck? It tastes great!


When I was single there was a great excitement at receiving packages in the mail and I'd say, "What did I get?!?" Then Kaia and I got married and excitedly we'd open packages and say, "What did we get?!?" Now when packages come in the mail we excitedly say, "What did Evie Lu get?!?"
Evie Lu's Minnesota grandparents sent a (mostly) farm themed care package which included the awesome truck she's playing with in this picture. When you roll the truck his eyes sort of wink at you and it cracks Evie Lu up. Of course the next step is eating the truck. Seriously kid.

Helping With Chores

Alright, push the door closed and now I'm done.

Now that Evie Lu is more like Spiderman than a newborn, we find she wants to be close to us when we are doing chores around the house. When I walked into the kitchen and found this scene it sure looked to me like teamwork.

Mom, what is taking you so long?

Isn't It A Little Early For That?

Evie Lu pines fir a tree.


There are many things that fall under the job description of "pastor" and one of my favorites the last two years has been finding the Christmas tree that will stand in our sanctuary. This year Evie Lu came along as a consultant. Dean from the church and I went out to see Emil who grows the trees to pay for his daughter's college education.
Emil is one of those great guys who is living out the ideals of the peace movement of the sixties. He lives in a yurt with his two ducks and grows organic trees, flowers and cooking herbs. (I've yet to see inorganic trees and flowers growing, but what do I know.)
Dean, Evie Lu and I picked a great tree that will continue to grow until we cut it down next month. Evie Lu was not too thrilled with the texture of the Christmas tree. I think it was just a little too prickly.
In the picture below Evangeline is smiling, but her lamb coat is hiding her face.

Dean, Evie Lu, and Emil pick a winner.

A Tribute To Evangeline's Grandpa

My dad played with a wide variety of musicians over his life and one of the groups he played with was the local community band. (He even dragged me along a couple of times, but a hack guitarist is no asset to a concert band.) Yesterday the Billings Community Band and the Shrine Band (even though he wasn't a shriner, my dad played with them too) put on a concert entitled, "Listening Through Ralph's Ears." The local paper had a nice write up and this picture which was part of the tribute to Evangeline's Grandpa Ralph. I hope my little girl inherits the passion and gifts for music that her Grandpa was blessed with and shared freely.

My New Friend

Ann, look over there.

We have discovered Evangeline loves smiling doll faces. Whether it is the face of her lamb, the face of her learning puppy, or now the face of Raggedy Ann Evie Lu loves to smile back. First she smiles and then she attacks. Evie Lu does not know how to play gently yet, which makes the treatment of the new baby doll her Minnesota Grandma sent a little disturbing.

We can play together!

Let All Things Living Eat Chicken And Rice

Spoons? Where we're going we won't need spoons.


Although I do most of the cooking for Kaia and I, Kaia has been doing the cooking for Evie Lu. (I automatically add Tabasco to everything and Kaia doesn't think Evangeline is ready quite yet.) Here Evie Lu is tackling chicken, rice and green beans. Granted the chicken and rice have made a magical journey through a food grinder and look nothing like food. Evie Lu really likes it. Soon she'll learn how much better chicken and rice can be with a dash of spice.


Do you see something on my face?

Getting Sneaky In The Kitchen

Alright, it looks like I'm in the clear.


The kitchen has become the place Evie Lu loves to hang out. I don't know if it is the linoleum or the smells of cooking, but Evangeline gravitates that way if we let her. As a result, Kaia has made the cupboards Evie Lu safe and placed some toys where we used to keep appliances.

I'll just put this down here.


When Kaia and I bought this rolling cart, we were living in Minnesota and were a long ways away from even thinking about an Evie Lu. Thankfully it does support the weight of our crawler.

And now I can be where I want to be!

Scenes From By The Window

Contemplating


Our little place has a lot of big windows, so it amazes me that I never thought to sit with Evie Lu and look out one of those big windows. When Evangeline's Grandma Bev came to visit looking out the window was one of the cool new things to do. Evie Lu waved at a mailman and enjoyed watching the cars go by.


Waving


Ever since we've spent a little time each day just looking out. Kaia and I constantly say, "No tv for babies" but the window television is perfectly okay. With the advent of laptops and all our fancy technology that focuses us inward, it is really something to stop and look outside. It can freak some people out as they walk by, but mostly like our mailman the people smile.

Attitude


In the grand scheme of things Evie Lu will not be amused with just looking out the window for very long, but we are taking full advantage of this time. You never know what you'll see when you sit and look out your window.

Unbridled joy