the eelfang chronicles

We wrapped up 2012 with a muddy (which was our intention) hike on a trail next to Lake Washington:

Sylvia, the biggest tree in King county

hugging Sylvia

Seth’s default photo face

Happy new year to you!

When we asked Seth what he wanted to eat on his birthday, he told us “Eat dinner at the Space Needle!” so we ran with that. Todd made reservations for lunch on Christmas Eve, and we had a blast:

riding the elevator to the top

While we ate lunch (which was very tasty, if also very expensive), Seth had a hard time staying seated for any amount of time. Because the restaurant revolves, the view was constantly changing, and people send notes along the windowsill. We had to of course read every one, and add our answer to questions like “What’s your favorite color?” and “what did you ask Santa for?”

eating the Lunar Orbiter dessert – an ice cream sundae that comes served over a bowl of dry ice

checking out the view from the observation deck

happy family atop the Space Needle

the International Fountain

an orca ride

a random pile of snow to play in – no idea why it was there, as Seattle has gotten no more than a dusting all season

Happy birthday, four year old!

You might be one of the millions who have already read “The Mom Stays in the Picture.” If not, read it here.

Here’s our most recent photo booth picture:

We have been making the most of these last few weeks of summer before Seth starts preschool on Monday (!!!). We went to Remlinger Farms with Grandma & Grandpa. It was a great place, as the price of admission includes unlimited rides, and Seth was the right size for all but one.

Teacup-style spinning ride (also, look closely at the front of Seth’s hair to see where his friend gave him a haircut while I wasn’t looking…)

Whirly Bird

On the steam train

Then only four days later, we went to the state fair:

First taste of cotton candy

Lumberjack demonstration

Then last weekend we spent the afternoon at some friends’ cabin. It was a lovely, relaxing time.

First time innertubing – Seth really enjoyed it!

These life jackets are one size fits all, right?

You should also head over to Gram’s blog to see pictures of Seth joining them for Papa’s company picnic, and our annual trip to Jetty Island (Part 1 & Part 2).

Last weekend we went on a trip down to Mount St Helens. None of us had been, and given that *someone* is a big fan of volcanoes, it seemed like the perfect mini-vacation.

Seth flew us down there in a helicopter – 3 1/2 isn’t too early to get one’s pilot license, right?

Kidding

There are many visitor centers and lookout points on the highway out to Mount St Helens. We stopped at the Forest Learning Center and the Johnston Ridge Observatory. FLC was free, and had a lot more to look at than JRO, including a hands-on room, where you could see how pumice floats, touch animal pelts and footprint casts, etc.

It really was awesome (and I have to admit, a little scary) to see Mount St Helens up close.

Then we got back in the car and drove down to Portland. The idea was to eat from food carts while down there, and eat we did. We had dinner at the D Street Noshery set of carts, including mini pies, Guamanian, Venezuelan and Indian food. For breakfast we ate at the Egg Carton and Seth played his first game of (modified) Apples to Apples.

After breakfast, we went to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

Notice Seth’s ever-appropiate shirt

For lunch we ate wood-fired pizza at Pyro Pizza, two ice cream sundaes at Sugarcube, and an amazing porchetta sandwich at Lardo (which is now a restaurant but started out as a food cart). The drive home was super long and annoying because half the people of Washington were on I-5 that day, but that meant we got to eat dinner and, yes, more dessert, in Seattle with friends. In general, a really fun weekend.

At the end of last month, we celebrated Seth’s half-birthday with a volcano-themed party. After a build-your-own tacos lunch, we headed out to the backyard for a game of lava tag. It was basically freeze tag, and having to avoid the “lava” (big pieces of cardboard painted red scattered around the yard). The times Seth was It, he chose to hang out on the lava instead of trying to tag other people:

Todd demonstrated how putting a mentos candy in a bottle of Diet Coke makes it “erupt,” then all the kids got to do it with their own bottles.

We then rinsed out the Diet Coke bottles, and made lava lamps. Pour in an inch or two of vegetable oil, add water almost to the top, color it with food coloring. Half of an Alka Seltzer activates the lava lamp effect.

We then came back inside for a piece of volcano cake, complete with dry ice vapor action. I made a double batch of vanilla bean birthday cake and baked it in four separate layers using two sizes of round casserole dishes. The centers got punched out, a tall glass baby bottle fit down the middle, and was filed with water and dry ice chunks. It certainly wouldn’t win any decorating contests, but the kids thought it was cool.

We had a great time celebrating! And now, every time people ask Seth how old he is, he says, “Three AND A HALF.”

Three weeks after the big snow, we went to the beach in sandals (well, and sweatshirts – it was windy simply because we were on the lake). We have also been spending loads of time outside in the sunshine, which has been putting us in fantastic moods. And who knew how fascinating taking a pair of scissors outside can be for a toddler? While our little friends were over, Seth started playing “cut the willow tree” (cutting the littlest twigs off our honeysuckle bush) – casting himself as Grandpa, me as Grandma, and Lisiebear as Seth. She was happy to play along, and they played it for probably an hour, before moving on to cut “medicine” in our herb garden for another good long while.

Cool sunglasses not required…

…but sticking one’s tongue out is.

All this last week, we got lots and lots of snow. Therefore, we got to play lots in the snow! We made two snowmen – the one in the front yard was named “Nam Nam,” and the one in the backyard was named “Lam Lam.” I pulled Seth around on a black garbage bag “sled.” But probably Seth’s favorite activity was simply eating the snow.

modelling Mama’s favorite thrift find of 2011 – a practically new snowsuit for $4.99!

January brought a visit from Aria! We went to the children’s museum, the Seattle aquarium, visited our wonderful counselor from the adoption agency, and hosted both sets of grandparents for meals. Other than that, it was just “play play play snacks snacks play play…” (as Seth likes to say when you ask how he spends his days). It was such a wonderful visit.

playing Santa

(We’ve been playing Santa for about a month straight. This version of it was to hide gifts – crayons & such – inside play dough and then cut it out with scissors to open the present.)

playing Wrecking Ball

at the aquarium

two amazing people

Forgive us as we play catch up with blogging – a lot has happened in the past month…

Seth turned 3 on Christmas Eve! We ended up having a nice, chill day. I had asked Seth about a week earlier, what kind of cake he would like for his birthday. I would have bet $5 that his answer was going to be chocolate cake, which was great because I was going to make a chocolate-banana cake with nutella frosting. But instead, he said wanted “carrot cake with chocolate frosting and toffee decorations.” Oh. Okay. So Todd and Seth spent most of the morning making his cake, which actually tasted pretty great.

smashing the toffee bar with a hammer

blowing out the candles

Then Ole and his family came over for a pot pie lunch and some playing. We then headed to the park for a little hike in the woods and a little zip line action:

After attending the family Christmas Eve service, it was back home for a dinner of hot dogs.

Can’t you see I’m trying to eat some cake here?