Chef Bored-Are-We

Sometimes you have to make your own fun:

Hide and Seek for Couch Potatoes

Attention all parents and grandparents of young children:

Tired of playing Hide and Seek? Walking from room to room, pretending you don't see those little feet sticking out from under the bed?

There's a new way to play. A minor change, yet revolutionary. Instead of shouting, "Ready or Not, Here I COME!" just shout, "Ready or Not, Here I GUESS!"

I have a feeling it will be a huge hit in our house.

Luke's second cousin Ellye, mastermind of HSCP:

Third Time's a Charm

Luke's first and second attempts at cake consumption weren't anything to write home about. Even though these cakes were both made with love by mom, they didn't quite capture his affection the way this one from Shaws did:







For the record, we are DONE with parties now. Special thanks to Stef for the photos!

Good Night Baby

This is my favorite lullaby. Recently Luke started singing along, "Baby, baby, baby" in a soft sweet voice I want to bottle up and save forever.


Good Night, Baby, I hope you have sweet dreams,
We've turned the page on this day, and now it's time to sleep.


Good Night, Baby, it's faster than it seems,
I used to be the baby and my mom sang to me.


Good night, good night, I watch you as you sleep.
The world loves little babies, you are the world to me.

East Meets West

Before Luke's Big Day and a haircut, there was a play date with Carter. His mom Leslie (an avid reader of this Pulitzer prize winning blog) used to be my housemate before moving all the way out to Seattle. Carter was born in April 2008, and this was my first time meeting him. He is an impressive little boy whose best party trick is making animal noises on command.

Carter: "Luke, get a haircut! The monkey goes oo-oo!"


Luke: "Okay Carter, maybe I'll get my two little teeth whitened while I'm at it."

The Big Day

Last Saturday, we really celebrated Luke's birthday...a trip to the spray park in the morning, and then a delicious BBQ in the afternoon. If you are coming to Luke's final party this coming Saturday, you are in for a real treat. Jamie has turned into quite the griller!

Hangin' with the cousins:


It isn't a party until you figure out how that water tower works:


I can't wait for my cake!


It's here!


Um, I don't really like it. Dad, can you grill me up some of them Cheerios?

Luke's Birthday Day One

They say the first birthday is really for the parents. With three "parties" down, and the big bash still to come (August 15th), we're definitely making sure our little guy's entrance gets some attention!

On Luke's birthday, he woke up at 5 am, ready to get the party started:


After a walk, swings, and some playtime at home, he napped and woke up a few minutes shy of his exact birthday time (11:27). WARNING: I am super annoying in this video, but the kid is cute.


Luke ate a quick lunch, and then we met his friends at Together in Motion, an indoor play gym.


We came home for nap #2, and Luke's grandparents, uncle, aunt, and cousins arrived in the late afternoon. Showing true dedication, they traveled through a torrential downpour to get here. We ate a pizza dinner, and Luke had his first cupcake! Not too fond of the cake, but the icing was pretty tasty.



A busy, fun-filled day, and that's just Day One. Stay tuned for more birthday adventures!

Fright and Delight

Last year at this time, I took Luke for walks past the spray park in our neighborhood. I thought ahead to this summer, and I pictured Luke and his friend Ryan toddling through, squealing with delight. It didn't really work out like that. The boys aren't walking yet, and it's more like Luke squeals with fright every time I put him down to crawl around in the puddles. He will, however, do his signature "Luke-happy flailing dance" if someone is holding him.

Having a blast, as long as dad is near:


A family trip through the rainbow bars:


Getting dumped on, per my niece Anna's request:

What do you think?

Which one is cuter?

Exhibit A:


Exhibit B: