February 28

Will was still feeling under the weather today, so we did a whole lotta' nothing. In an attempt to get him to eat breakfast, I made french toast. Marc and I enjoyed it, but Will wasn't really interested in anything but the syrup. Will was in a great mood all day, but he was pretty tired and lethargic. Consequently, he ended up watching more t.v. than we would have liked. Marc and Will even had a great time watching Muppet video clips on youtube.

February 27

Today Sarah and I presented to all of the 5th grade teachers at our in-service day. Right when we were cleaning up for the day I got a call that Will had thrown up at school so I rushed out to pick him up. When I walked into his room at school, Will looked at me and said, "I spit on Joelle's floor!" Poor little guy! For having a fever and throwing up, he was in remarkably good spirits. Will didn't want anything but "white crackers" for dinner and ended up eating at least half of sleeve of them!

February 26

We woke up to only a trace of snow but school was two hours late because the roads were icy. We took advantage of our extra time by having breakfast together at the table. Marc went to the bakery and got us coffee and quiche...yummy! It was a great way to start the day!

February 25

Will likes to sit on the toilet rather than his potty chair, which is a problem since we have to hold him up. Today Will got his new stepladder/potty chair combo that fits right in front of the commode. He was SO excited. Here's a recap of how it went: up the ladder, sit and wait, down the ladder, back up, try to turn around on the seat, climb down, back up the ladder, try to sit backwards on the seat, down again, move the ladder, back up, sit, try to go to the bathroom but get too excited, turn around to see if anything is in the toilet yet. Nope. Sit some more and actually go to the bathroom. Get down, move the ladder, fold up the ladder, try to sit on it folded, fall down. Get drug out of the bathroom by mom to get a big boy diaper on. Mom is almost successful until Will yells, "pee pee!" Back in the bathroom to do it all over again. At least he really had to go and wasn't just trying to play with his new toy again. (We're happy with the purchase...it gives Will the independence he needs to go to the bathroom by himself even if it does make going to the bathroom a nearly 10 minute affair.)

February 24

Today was busy! After school, Will and I headed to the store to get some food for our school potluck tomorrow. We raced home to put away groceries, picked up Marc and were off again to dinner and a performance at school. Will had a great time at the performance - he enjoyed watching the 6th graders dance and sing. At the end of every song, he'd exclaim, "Again?" We got home and put Will to bed but my day was not quite over yet. I spent the last hour of my night making chili for our potluck lunch tomorrow. I'm ready for bed!

February 22

My back is doing much better today and I was even able to walk around without too much pain. We took a family trip to the grocery store and picked up some artichokes. Wanting to savor every bite, we timed it so that they would be finished cooking after Will went to sleep. We watched the Oscars while enjoying our buttery 'chokes!

February 21

Due to my back, I was hardly able to walk, let alone help take care of Will today. I am so fortunate to have such a great husband who let (made) me rest on the couch all day. Marc did everything today - from taking Will to gymnastics, to cleaning the house, to making dinner. I did manage to snap this shot of Marc taking a well deserved break while Will was napping. I couldn't help but giggle when I saw that both he and the cat had their right arms outstretched.

February 20

I bent over to pick up a pencil today at work and tweaked my sciatic nerve. I hobbled around school all afternoon...not fun! When Will and I got home I had no choice but to put on an "Eddie" video for Will so that I could rest my back. Hopefully it will be okay by tomorrow!

February 19

Uncle Kevin had a show in town tonight, so he stopped by for a visit first. Will loved spending time with him and, in fact, ushered Marc and I out of the room several times. He wanted Kevin all to himself! He was really interested in Kevin's Bob Dylan t-shirt and kept pointing to the "man", "name", and "glasses." It was funny to watch Will do all he could to get our attention when we were talking - dumping all his toys out of their boxes and onto the floor, screaming, yelling, etc!

February 18

I didn't have anything to take a picture of today, so I used it as an excuse to head to Dairy Queen for one of my favorite treats. My biggest weakness after chocolate cake - a Peanut Buster Parfait. Mmmm!

February 17

We had a nice time visiting with Grandma and Great Grandpa today. Will enjoyed having them read stories to him, which they graciously did almost the entire time they were here. Dianne brought her famous pot roast and it was delicious! Marc and I are so glad that Will has been able to spend time with his Great Grandpa!

February 16

Today we had another fun day in Seattle. We started our day by eating breakfast at one of our favorite restaurants, Blue Star. The scones were still just as good as we remembered them being! We then went to visit Grandma and Grandpa Richards at work. Will was thrilled to drive a big truck, as well as Uncle Kevin's boat. He also couldn't stop talking about Uncle Kevin using the forklift! We then headed to Richmond Beach, where we spent some time playing in the sand. At first, Will was a bit scared of the water and he made Marc throw the rocks and sticks into the surf. After a little while, he loosened up and enjoyed tossing shells into the water himself. It was a beautiful day and it was so nice to spend time outside. It was a fantastic end to a great weekend of friends and fun. Most importantly, it was a much needed break from our regular routine!

February 15

We met the Ressas at 9:30 and began our day as tourists in Seattle. We started with a visit to aquarium, followed by an eventful lunch with three toddlers (complete with a bird pooping on Marc's head) at Ivar's Fish Bar. Will loved our hotel room, especially his pack and play, which he called his "boat bed." Livi and Mia tried to play toys in our room, but Will had a difficult time sharing. We ended the day at Azteca for a reunion with Jason/Amy, the Dotys, Ressas, and Giron-Ringolds. A dinner with five toddlers was messy and busy, to say the least. After dinner, Marc and the rest of the boys went out like old times, while Will and I went back to our room. We had a great time "cuddling up" in the big bed while watching t.v. and reading some books. I took our picture in the mirror across from the bed - someone had a fun time staying in a hotel!

February 14

Today I made cupcakes for my two Valentines. I enjoyed taking the time to make something sweet for my guys to enjoy. I'm very lucky to be loved by two of the greatest people in the world.

February 13

Parent's Night Out! Marc and I started our big night on the town with some drinks at The Mark. We had a great time sipping cocktails and talking with one another. For dinner, we headed to Fall's Terrace Restaurant and had a fantastic meal. Before we left, Marc surprised me with some yummy Ghirardelli chocolate and a dozen beautiful roses.

February 12

Will made some Valentines to take to his teachers tomorrow. My son does not have the patience for crafts - hence the few small dobs of glitter glue and smattering of stickers and pom-poms. True to form, Will was mainly interested in eating his art supplies!

February 11

School was two hours late today due to the ice from yesterday's snow. I spent a few minutes this morning trying to get a picture of the ice hanging from the branches of the trees. I wish I had been able to isolate the branch a bit more...I feel like all of the other stuff detracts from the focal point.

February 10

After December's storms, I am sick of snow. Today we were surprised with about an inch and a half of snow. I know it's not much, but it was supposed to stay south of us! Will really wanted to make a snowman but, surprisingly, he didn't touch the stuff. He was simply content to watch me build our little snow friend.

February 9

Since it was a sunny afternoon, Will and I took advantage of the weather by going to play at Roosevelt. With it being winter and all, it has been quite some time since we've played on these toys and my how Will's grown! I turned my back for a moment and, before I knew it, he had climbed the ropes to the top platform of the equipment. He certainly couldn't do that last fall!

February 8

Marc and I both felt like "doing something" today, so we decided on a spur of the moment trip to Seattle. We took Will to the Children's Museum, where he had a fantastic time playing with new exhibits and, of course, seeing "Monkey George." We then went to Grandma and Grandpa Richards' house for a few hours of visiting. Will was very excited to visit their house and talked about it throughout the drive. He was most concerned that Uncle Bob leave Kuma at home. In fact, when we arrived at my parents, Will was extremely apprehensive until I picked him up, took him on a tour, and he realized that there was no dog. Will enjoyed feeding the birds and squirrels, as he always does when visiting. The highlight of the visit (besides seeing Uncle Bob) was playing in the inflatable pool toy. We left Seattle around five o'clock and we were a little worried about how he'd do on the way home. I sat in the back and Will and I conversed the entire drive home. Literally. He told me stories about school, we looked for "tvs" in other people's cars, he reviewed the day's events, and a whole bunch more. He is amazing!

Februay 7

What a busy day! Will had his first "gymnastics" class this morning. Marc and I were pretty disappointed, as the "instructor" barely interacted with the kids and it was essentially open play with gymnastics equipment. Plus, it was freezing cold in the room! Will had fun and I suppose that's what is important. I don't think we'll be continuing our "lessons" after this month is over.

This evening we had Aimee, Marna and their respective families over for dinner. We had a nice time catching up with old friends - well, as much of that as you can with four little ones running around. Ben, Will and Xander are all January babies - '06, '07, and '08 respectively. Aimee also has a 10 month old named Aaron. Will and Ben had a great time together and spent the last half an hour running circles around our house. Maybe it was the ice cream they'd had for dessert, who knows!

February 6

At my annual check up last week, my doctor and I realized that I had never been tested to make sure that my diabetes was gone after Will was born. So, I had to take the day off to get a glucose test. I picked Will up at 2:30 but still needed to clean the house in preparation for guests tomorrow. The vacuum is the latest trick in my arsenal to keep Will occupied while I try to get things done. He likes to "help Mommy" while I clean, so I have him use the vacuum hose to pick up goobers off of the floor. I have even been known to throw cheerios on the ground to keep him entertained by the vacuum for just a tad bit longer. Today we had our first toy fatality - Will accidentally sucked up a measuring spoon from his new kitchen. Luckily, he thought it was funny so we avoided a meltdown!

February 5

Today Will received "Sea Creature" pop up book as a belated birthday gift from Ben, Sunny and Diego. He was very excited to get to open a new package and even more excited to look at the intricate fish inside. He affectionately referred to it as the "Funny Book." Marc and I think we may put it away for the time being, since after only 15 minutes of reading a few of the pop ups are already on their last legs. Sometimes Will just gets too excited to remember to be "gentle!"

February 4

These two bottles of antibiotics have been far too common in our house over the last two years. Hopefully they will clear up Will's current ear infection before too long because we want our happy son back! Marc and I fear he is entering another phase of "disequilibrium" but for the time being we can just blame it on him being sick. Let's hope we don't have too many more days with a cranky, demanding toddler.

February 3

Lately it has been pretty foggy in the morning and today was no exception. As I was driving to school this morning, I saw the sun trying to burn through the fog and pulled aside to try to get some pictures. It was a bit difficult since I was in the middle of the city and there were light posts and houses all around, but I think I managed to get a good shot. I've never photographed landscapes in the fog before, so this was a first for me.

February 2

Today Will woke up with a gunky eye, so Marc stayed home to take him to the doctor. Luckily, no pink eye - just a sinus and ear infection. (Wait...didn't he just get ear tubes?) Marc took Will to Charlie's Safari after his nap today and I met them there after work. Luckily, it was not at all crowded, so Will had a great time in the bounce houses and on the slides. We grabbed dinner at Top Foods and picked up some blackberries. Will ate an entire pint in the span of only a few minutes. See above for the results of this berry-fest.

February 1

Today was Super Bowl Sunday - Steelers vs. Cardinals. Though I don't care a bit about football, it is a nice excuse to get together with friends to enjoy snack foods and adult beverages. We watched the big event at the Jones', along with Trina and Nelson. Marc's choice of beer - Heineken Light - was a source of jest for Nelson and Matt throughout the event. Hey, it's not that bad!

Will had a great time playing with all of Sophie's toys. Unfortunately, he wasn't so good about letting Sophie play with her toys. Sophie and Will enjoyed reading books and attacking the cat together. It was fun to watch them play.