Sequim (pronounced "Skwim") and Dungeness (like the crab)

It was a sunny day in Seattle. Just as rare as a rainy day in the desert. Joe has a huge test tomorrow for which he has been studying all weekend, and planned on going to school to study for today. He left for the bus stop, and I was kind of depressed because it felt like a holiday and it was sunny, but I did not really know what to do to keep the kids and myself entertained. About ten minutes later Madison said "Dad's here," he came in and we formulated a plan to enjoy the good weather! Don't worry he is studying now, so I think he will still do well on the test.

We took the Kingston Ferry over to the Olympic Peninsula and drove out to Sequim where the Dungeness Natural Wild Life Preserve is and also the home the the largest sand spit (FYI: I hate the words Sequim, Dungeness, and spit so this is kind of hard to write about even though it was a fun trip). The spit is 5.5 miles long with a lighthouse at the end of it. We didn't quite make it out that far, but enjoyed being out on the beach. Madison and Joe went for a walk and found some interesting shells and wildlife. Hayes and I looked for uniquely colored rocks and chased some of the waves. We could see Mt. Baker, the Olympic Mountains and Canada from the beach. It was pretty impressive. We left at sunset and got a nice final view of the water and the mountains.

Bye Bye Baby

Yesterday was Hayes' 2nd birthday and I feel like we are leaving babyhood behind! We took Hayes and Madison to the Children's Museum by bus (Hayes' preferred mode of transportation). It was nice to go on a weekday because it wasn't so busy. Hayes and Madison love one of the rooms where the have constructed models of storybooks, like Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Arthur's Pet Business (one of our favorites) and play where their favorite characters live. They also love the kid-sized Metropolitan Market where they can drive around shopping carts and purchase the foods they like! Hayes had a great time.

After the Children's Museum, we hit the real Metropolitan Market to get Hayes' birthday dinner. He is our little vegetarian. He loves fruits and vegetables, so we loaded up on produce. He really got into the present opening this time, and was thrilled that I had wrapped everything in orange, his favorite color. We finished off with the orange cupcakes that he helped me make.

5 Things About Hayes:

1. He can peel a tangerine all by himself. He loves them so much, I always catch him sneaking them, meticulously peeling them, and then devouring them.

2. He LOVES to read. When he won't go to sleep at night, he sits in his crib with a stack of books reading, until I come in later and he is face down in a book asleep.

3. He is very mercurial. Usually he is an easygoing guy. But...if he gets mad, he gets mad, and I am at my wits end trying to decide how to handle him then!

4. He is a true mama's boy. He is more of an introvert than Madison. Last Sunday was the first time he stayed in nursery without Joe or me since our move to Seattle.

5. He likes to tell jokes. If you ask him what's for lunch or dinner and he will say "cheese" or "cookies," and expect you to crack-up because who has cheese or cookies for a meal?

Humanitarian Bowl

The pinnacle of my Christmas break would have been the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego, but Boise State lost by ONE POINT, so I am waiting until next year...

The new high point of this holiday season was the Humanitarian Bowl at BSU last Tuesday. I went to the game with my brother Max, my dad, and grandpa, Joe, and some others. The Nevada Wolf Pack and Maryland Terrapins had the priviledge of playing on the blue turf this year. The weather was pretty good, not too cold, and the game was fun to watch! Unfortunately, Nevada lost, another blow to the WAC (my second love, behind the Broncos). This was my first bowl game, and it was awesome, just knowing that I was probably in some crowd shot on ESPN is satisfying. I am definitely going to the BCS bowl game that the Broncos make it to next year! (Side note: who would have thought this post would have ever happened five years ago?)