Seattle

This weekend, we made our own long weekend in Seattle. We did some shopping and spent some time just hanging out.

Kiera remembers the trip we made last November and associates Seattle with watching the movie "Cars" and eating popcorn in the hotel room at the University Inn. Since we stayed at a different hotel this time, she was asking us all weekend when we were getting to Seattle.

At the hotel, we did watch some of "Madagascar" and "Fox and the Hound 2". Since we were upgraded to a two bedroom unit, we had space to spread out. We had enough space we could each have our own bed, TV and telephone. Kiera kept using the hotel phone to 'call' her friend Melissa and her Grandma and Grandpa to give them updates on the vacation. (An odd thing to have a memory of, but at one point, sharing a bed with a sleeping Kiera, I was kept awake by kicks from both my kids.)

We went to a few new places this trip:

Sunday morning we went to Alkai Point in West Seattle. Kiera gave Ken a workout running up the hill after her and 'flying' her back down again and again and again...

and we searched for interesting rocks.

Kiera tested out the minivan's wireless headphones for the first time.
After a nap at the hotel, we went to the new SAM Olympic Sculpture Park by the waterfront downtown.

My favourite was this one by Beverley Pepper. "Stainless steel, polished to a mirror finish. The idea is that from whatever angle you view it, the voids look filled and the solids seem empty."
Kiera's favourite was this grate that made great noises when you jumped or ran on it.

Monday we went to the Children's Museum at the Center. Kiera loved it! Each exhibit we went to became her favourite and where she wanted to stay. We spent the most time at the water table,

and the market where you could shop

and ring up your selections.

Kiera was getting a little overloaded so we took some quiet time and read a few stories in a gauzy tent.
After lunch, there were more exhibits to see and Masterpieces to be created in the Imagination room.

Overall it was a great trip. We all had fun and wished we could stay longer.

Fishin'

Kiera and Melissa saw others fishing at Sardis park and decided to try it for themselves.

Redheads and Red Wagons

Earlier this week Kiera got to meet her cute new cousin Braden who was visiting from Memphis. Kiera was more interested in the 'vintage' Fisher Price toys but the adults had a nice visit. (Braden's Mom is my cousin Megan from the toy box photo.)
This morning Kiera and her friend Scarlett rode Scarlett's wagon down to Mill Lake to watch the ducks.

A Full Weekend

This weekend was a busy one. (and we were having so much fun I took very few photos.)

Kiera talked her Dad into painting her toes. We helped clebrate two 2nd birthdays. Cat's at Cultus Lake
and Cade's at DeLair park.
We also had a great visit with Auntie Donna and Robin who were down from Vernon. They came with enough stuff to spoil Kiera with that you would have thought it was her birthday too!

Big Girl Bed

Kiera was pretty excited when we finally converted her crib to a Toddler Bed Tuesday night. She tells everyone all about it, she just isn't so sure about actually sleeping in it.

Two and a Half

To chart Kiera's growth I've taken photos of her with Granville the Groundhog on the big chair. Here she is at one weeksix monthsone year18 months two years
and two and a half

Kiera is a lot of fun and is constantly amazing us. I thought I would include a snapshot of some of the things Kiera is doing right now, mostly for me to look back on and remember later.

She has just discovered Auntie Reena's library of Disney movies and we've seen AristoCats several dozen times now. Dora has currently lost favour to the Land Before Time series of dinosaur movies that have been on TV over the summer.

Kiera loves books. Some of the most requested right now are: Curious George, Blues Clues, Nursery Rhymes, Little Red Riding Hood, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, and Once Upon a Time. In Once Upon a Time, Kiera loves that she can choose parts of the story herself, but, in one case, she is very traditional: the princess must always marry the prince, never the astronaut or rock star.

Kiera loves to make beds and nests for her dolls and stuffed cats Charcoal and Marmalade. She engages in lots of imaginative play that sometimes mirrors something that has happened earlier in the day or week. She likes to match toys or objects and make families with Mommies and Babies. Themes of family and rescue are common in the dinosaur movies and often emerge in her play as well. Other favourites right now are the Beatle Bug game and pre-bedtime pillow fights with Daddy.

Kiera loves blueberries, minigo, popsicles and chicken fingers. She also eats lots of peanut butter sandwiches and crackers with cream cheese. She likes going to the White Spot for a Pirate Pack or East Side Mario's for the mini ice-cream cones. She also loved walking down to "Old McDonalds" for a Happy Meal treat with Grandma and Grandpa.

A three hour afternoon nap is the usual, but there are also days when she doesn't nap. This week we plan to set up Kiera's toddler bed, which she is looking forward to. She climbs into her crib on her own, but it hasn't yet occurred to her to climb out. We've also started potty training.

And finally, not without a learning curve on my part, a movie clip of Kiera singing her ABCs.

Beach Babies

The ocean is one of those things you take for granted living in Vancouver. I loved the ocean views from my dorm at UBC and our apartment in Kerrisdale, but when we lived that close, we didn't go down to the beach that often. Live farther away and you do miss it.

Yesterday we had a great afternoon with friends in Tswassen and after dinner went down to Centennial Beach. Kiera had lots of fun wading in the water...

saying "cheese" for the camera...
and throwing rocks.It wasn't long before Dayne joined in on the fun. We were amazed at how long selecting and throwing rocks kept them busy. (And amazed that there were no casualties: no matter what way they aimed, every rock seemed to veer towards someone's head.)
Showing off sandy feet.
For these two beach babies, the days as the baby of the family are numbered. Dayne will be a big brother any day now and Kiera has only four months to go before she becomes a big sister.