A walk with Max

I have walked a half-mile in Max's shoes. It took 40 minutes.

JB was pushing the double jogger and I was walking beside him around the park. But for some reason (the memory is fuzzy) JB may have let Max out to walk beside us. We now know a universal parenting truth: Once you let a child out of a stroller, there's no getting him back in.

Max loved it at first, scampering beside us as we powerwalked up the hill. But he kept lagging behind. JB told him "Mommy can't carry you. If you are tired, jump back in the stroller." "No! I'm fine!" He'd say and keep running.

Well, eventually JB just kept heading for home with Benny peering back at us, and Max and I meandered through the looonnnnggg route back.

It kind of went like this.

"I'm tired. Hold me. "

"I can't hold you, you weigh 50 pounds."

"Look momma, a rock!"

"Don't throw the rock. Ok, don't throw it again."

Some moments of peace, some walking.

"Wow, a tractor! Can I go over there?"

"No Max, let's keep walking this way to our house...."

"Oooohhh, a school bus, wow!"

"Yeah, it's yellow and rectangular."(A teaching moment. He wasn't listening.)

He saw a tractor. I don't think I can spell out the excitement over that one.

We passed the high school and some skateboarders. He stopped and stared.

"Let's keep going, Daddy is waiting for us."

We slowly start again.

He found a stick and stopped again to dig in the dirt. By now I'm looking at every passing car wondering if JB has come to rescue me. It's been a half-hour since we waved goodbye.

"C'mon Max, only a couple more blocks."

"But I have this stick! I have to dig!"

Not two seconds later: "Hold me mommy, I'm tired."

"I can't carry you, you weigh 50 pounds!"

Finally we made it. JB and Benny were looking out the window for us. Max took the stick into the bathtub with him. They both needed it.

Seattle Odds and Ends

JB researched before our trip and found some amazing places to eat. On our first day, Thursday, we ate at Red Mill, near the zoo. Fantastic smoky sauce on the burgers, and the next day at the reception Natalie told us it's a family favorite so that felt good!

On Friday we at at Mike's Chili Parlor, featured on one of our favorite shows, "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives." The chili was delicious. The wind, not so much.

On Saturday we popped into Niketown, and JB found a remake of the Air Pegasus, the very first Nike shoe he ever owned as a young lad.

On Saturday we ate lunch at El Puerco Lloron, a place Alicia and Natalie's uncle recommended at the reception. It's tucked into a corner in a landing on the way down the stairs from Pike's Market to the waterfront. Amazing pork. So yummy. Plus real sugar CocaCola from Mexico.

Here's another picture of us on the streets of Seattle. I like this one because the guy told us to crouch down so that he could get the Market sign in the background. It looks like I'm hugging JB's leg.

We saw this little doggy in a front pack at the Museum of Flight. JB pretended to be taking a picture of me, but I think the woman knew what we were up to.

We packed as much as we could into two and a half days, but I would have loved to have seen this cute girl (my friend Autumn's little sister) and this talented girl (my cousin's wife). Next time we'll take our little boys to see their great-grandparents and Uncle Michael. Next time we are definitley eating more seafood.

Seattle Part Three

Saturday was our last day in Seattle so we packed it full. In the morning we went to the Temple.

We also went to the Museum of Flight, where I pretended to be an astronaut and we toured a retired Air Force One. President JBR waved to the crowd.

Then we went over to my brother Michael's house. He now works for Amazon and he and his wife Bethany and son Nathanael love it in Seattle. What a cutie boy too.

We ate at Ivar's, a place my dad recommended. Great clam chowder and fish and chips. We all also had fish and chips and chowder at the Island Grill in Oak Harbor with my grandparents and loved that meal, too.

Sunday morning we flew home. Next post, some odds and ends about what we loved about Seattle, and more awesome eats in the city.

Seattle Part Two

On Friday we explored Seattle. We fell in love with this cool city. Pike's Market was really cool. I've never seen so much fresh seafood!

We are pointing to what we wanted to eat for lunch. Then we had some, at The Crab Pot. It's on the waterfront, and they tie bibs on you then pour out onto the table a pot of steamed crab, mussels, oysters, shrimp, sausage, red potatoes and corn. SO GOOD.

Then on Friday evening we went to Alicia's open house. It was so good to see her again. She's a gorgeous bride. We lived together for a summer at BYU.

I also knew her sister Natalie in college. She's such a hoot and so talented -- she planned the wedding, while being quite pregnant.

I knew their cousin Meredith first at BYU, and was bummed she couldn't be at the wedding. She's halfway around the world for her job. But it was fun to catch up with her parents.

Next post, more exploring, eating and playing with my brother and his family in Seattle.

Seattle Part One

We are back from a wonderful (though too short) trip to Seattle! It was our first time. Well, that I can remember. When I was 8 years old my family visited my grandparents in Oak Harbor, but the memories are dimming. The first thing we did when we landed Thursday afternoon was go see my Grandpa and Grandma Ruth.

They live in the same house my dad grew up in. I hadn't seen my Grandpa in a few years (they have stopped traveling as much), and it was fun to see how much he reminds me of my dad. In mannerisms, not age, Dad!

While on the Island we checked out the gorgeous view.



We took the ferry, which was a fun adventure (and windy). We also were given a minivan at the rental place, which was good for us to see if we eventually want one. The jury is still out.

You'll notice our little biddies were not with us. Max and Ben played with JB's parents during the weekend, so that we could attend a wedding reception and the temple. More on that in the next post!

Growing pains

My boys are getting big. I mean really big, really fast. Max weighs 50 pounds and is the height of a 5-6 year old, at 3.8 years old. Benny weighs 25 pounds at least, but we haven't had his 15 month check up yet and he's almost 16 months (whoops).

Anyway it was about time we got them into new clothes. Last weekend was Friends and Family discount at the Gap/Old Navy etc, and we got Max set up for a while. We bought two new shirts for Benny but I brought up the storage bin from the basement of 18-24 month old clothing Max wore. I should have done it a few weeks ago. Look at the short overalls he's wearing in the pictures above!

By the way the overalls Max is wearing used to be JB's. He loves wearing them, and has slept in them too. I like them because he can't take them off like his other pants.

Here's another picture of my (big) baby.

AI fans and foes

All ye American Idol fans, check out this post from the brother of my friend who was at last week's taping. The inside scoop is very interesting.

And did Megan Joy throw up last night on stage?? I'm guessing it was just coughing but watch this video to see for yourselves.