Cocoon

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Not only was this last birthday really special for Rooney and Ailbe since they were turned 5 and 1 respectively but they also had a whole lot of grandparents out visiting. Grandma and Grandpa Wade happened to be out for their annual visit to the lake house and Great Grandma and Grandpa Morse also happened to be out to visit Grandma Peggie in her new house. We all had a lovely visit and I'm not really sure if this type of get together will ever happen again so hopefully Rooney will somewhat remember it. He still remembers his visit to Chicago about 4 years ago. This is due in most part to a solar powered butterfly Grandma and Grandpa Morse had in their backyard. He calls it a robot butterfly. He was also convinced for a long time that Grandma Peggie lived in a red house because she happened to be there during our visit. But thanks to my due diligence this picture was taken and the family trees can somewhat be explained since the start of most of our branches are in this picture.

5 + 1= A Lot Of Fun

This year we have some really special birthday milestones to celebrate. This month Rooney is turning 5 and Ailbe is turning 1.  I know it has been a constant theme throughout this blog me asking where the time has gone, and still I am wondering.  Rooney is becoming such a big boy and I am so proud of him.  He had been through a lot the last 2 years with my pregnancy.  He just rolled with it and adored his little sister once she was born.  I am constantly reminded what a great kid he is by the sweet things he says and does and fully realize just how lucky we are to have him.  This is our final year of buddying around and I think I'll miss the little guy when he starts school next Fall. 

This birthday party at Flying Pie Pizzeria for the kids was really special for us because not only is Rooney turning 5 but we get to celebrate a whole year with Ailbe.  I know a lot of people think it is silly to have a party for a 1 year old but when I think about all the trouble we had getting Ailbe here and now she's been here a whole year it is definitely worth celebrating.  I can't imagine life without her anymore and she really rounded out this little family. We wanted to have a party not only to celebrate Roon and Pip's birthdays but also a little celebration for all our friends that really helped us out and made it alot easier to bring Ailbe home.  I don't think I was able to convey that during the party so hopefully everyone there gets to read this.

Lastly, this celebration was really great because Rooney and Ailbe had several of their grandparents present as well.  Grandma and Grandpa Wade were still here from their annual summer visit to Lake Morton and Great Grandma and Grandpa Morse were visiting from Chicago.  Plus Grandma Peggie lives here now and I don't know when that will/would ever happen again.  So many reasons to celebrate.  We are going to have small "on the day" birthday parties for both the kids but for now I'm going off to cry about losing my babies...

Sneaking Up On Daddy

Today Rooney, Ailbe and I met some friends at the new Microsoft Visitors Center.  They took out the cool museum they used to have and added a visitors center where people can get hands on with video games and a few other neat features.  Rooney had a great time trying to play some of the games and just being able to get his hands on some of the gadgets that Mom won't let him play with at home (like her phone!).  We didn't see Daddy but we were able to get Rooney a security badge just like his Dad's. 

  

Just in case Dad ever needed a day off.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Overall September was a pretty exciting month for us.  So many visitors and several adventures.  Before Grandma and Grandpa leave we wanted to do something kind of touristy and something we have not done before.  So yesterday we went downtown to Ride the Ducks and had a fun family day.  The tour was kind of like a booze cruise without the booze but it was enjoyable.  We got to hear

alot of corny jokes from the Captain, Rooney got to wear some silly hats and we got to cruise around town in a amphibious vehicle.  Ailbe entertained several of the other passengers dancing in her Ergo while we cruised around town to YMCA.  She's proving to be a little ham just like her big brother.

The next day, Grandma and Grandpa watched the kiddos for Mike and I while we went with Grandma Peggie, Aunt Annie and Uncle Dana to climb a rope obstacle course.  We had a great time and really got to test ourselves physically.  Maybe even psychologically since we were 50ft off the ground.  Having the rope course set up right outside of Redhook Brewery also help to ensure that we had a nice if you know what I'm saying.  In September the weather can always be iffy here in the PNW but as you can see we really lucked out.  This was a great summer and the last two days were a really nice way to wrap it up.

The Girls Turn

This weekend Aunt Kristi and Uncle Andy came out for a visit while Grandma and Grandpa are here.  Last time we saw Kristi and Andy both Kristi, Kim and I were expecting.  We finally got to see the kids new cousin Lexy.  Rooney was moderately excited but I was excited to see Lexy and Ailbe together since they are only 5 weeks apart.  They seemed to be little buddies right away.  It's unfortunate that we cannot all live in the same area, let alone the same state, because it would be so great to have Ailbe, Lexy and Tori able to grow up together due to closeness in age (and being cousins!).  The picture of Ailbe and Lexy are of their first meeting and we finally got a picture of the 3 girls together right before people had to leave.  This is the family shot that Grandpa used for the Christmas cards.  Rooney had some goofy thing going on in all the pics and at least all the adults are looking at the camera and smiling in this one so it was the winner!

Time For School

This picture is blurred by my tears

Today Rooney started his second year of preschool.  He is pretty excited and asked me several times during the summer "Why can't we go to preschool during the summer?".  I really hope that his excitement for school doesn't wane after kindergarten like it did for a lot of us.  Roon will be going three days a week this year.  Hopefully that is enough time for Mom to get in some workouts but I've found from last year 2-1/2hrs just isn't much time to get much done.  Fingers crossed he'll get into all day kindergarten next year!

The Second Summer Begins

Grandma and Grandpa Wade are here!  Grandma and Grandpa Wade are here!  On the 4th Jim and Liz drove into town.  Their Prius was stuffed to the gills (I don't really know this) and they coasted into town.  Rooney is always excited when Grandma and Grandpa come to town because I think he has really good memories of the lake house.  He talks about it often and knows that it is located near Nannie's (Aunt Annie's) house.  The last couple of years they have talked about renting a different house but for whatever reason it hasn't worked out and they stick with their usual.  It's a great house and truthfully when they finally do rent a different house I think we'll all be a little sad.  The weather this summer is not as good as last year and I don't anticipate much swimming in the lake for us this year but the ducks are still there and presumably the canoes as well so the kids can still have fun on the water.

On the 10th was Rooney's preschool orientation.  Roon got to see all his old school friends and actually remembered a few of their names!  Parker was there so that's all that really mattered and they reconnected with their beloved Tinkertoys. 

Lastly today I ran my second Iron Girl 10k.  I finally feel like I'm getting back into running shape and the race felt good.  I tried very hard to pace myself this race, but maybe a little bit too much.  I finished the race in 1:03:03.  I was aiming for under 1 hour and I feel I could have done it but I kind of stopped paying attention to my time and was kind of people watching.  For some reason the last quarter mile seem to come up on me and I decided to kick it up a notch.  I shaved 4 minutes or so off my previous time so for several reasons this race really felt good to do again.  Tomorrow starts my running group that I am doing with AMAT.  Not sure what I was thinking starting it the day after my race but I'm excited to be able to run with Ailbe while she's still light and hopefully get some other moms involved in running.

Summer's Over?!? What Summer?

This summer was great!  We really enjoyed having our pool membership, Rooney's swim team, Casey, Aiden and Becky's visits, getting back into running shape and the late summer days.  The only regret I have is that we weren't able to have as many BBQ's as I originally planned.  I thought this year we would do alot of entertaining since last summer my social calendar was changed to bed rest.  We never really even had a chance to work on the backyard like I wanted but we did get the front yard in shape so at least we had curb appeal.  The pool isn't officially closed yet but the weather says it is.  That makes us a little sad but we do have Grandma and Grandpa Wade's visit to look forward to and the kids will finally get to meet their new cousin Lexy (along with seeing Aunt Kristi and Uncle Andy) when they come out to Grandma & Grandpa's lake house.  Ailbe and Lexy are only 5 weeks apart so it will be kind of fun to see how they are together.

Casey's Return Trip

I know!  I know!  It's been months since I've updated.  It's not that I haven't been thinking of you it's just don't know where the time goes.

Luckily I have been taking pictures the whole time and thanks to Blogger's Post Options I can go back in time and create posts in real time.  Sometimes technology is so cool.

At the end of August we had a great treat.  The kids Uncle Casey (my younger brother) and their cousin Aiden came for a visit.  The last time Rooney or I had seen Aiden was over Thanksgiving nearly 5 years earlier.  Both the boys have changed alot.  The day Aiden came Rooney and I were actually scheduled to go fishing with AMAT so I asked Casey and Aiden if they wanted to come along.  Casey being a vegetarian decided not to come along (I don't really know if that was the reason but it seemed like a good one) but to my delight Aiden and Felix decided they would.  It was great to have all 3 boys together.  Rooney and Felix fell right in with adoring Aiden and I got a chance for a little one on one and to get to know him a little better.  What a great kid!  During the week Casey and Aiden were here we were able to do alot of "family activities".  It was kind of nice to have a visitor with a kid because all the kid activities we normally do translated pretty well and since Mom, Annie and Dana were working some of those days we weren't always trying to coordinate 12 people.  We were able to go bowling, play miniature golf, spend the day in Seattle at the EMP/Science Fiction Museum (I've never been there!) and of course a couple of family BBQ's.  We had such a great visit with Casey and Aiden it was really hard to have them leave.  Thankfully I think this visit opened the door to more visits and I think they're due up here again this winter.  Can't wait to see 'em!

Going On A Bug Walk

Today Rooney, Ailbe and I got to do something we have not done in a long time (and Ailbe never)...we did a nature walk. Sadly the kids and I probably wouldn't do much of this on our own. Rooney and I appear to be afraid of bugs (Rooney more so than I) and if we had to flip over rocks, old pieces of wood and dig through owl vomit the amount of hand wipes we would use would be utterly ridiculous.

Fortunately for us, but mostly Rooney and Ailbe, mom started a moms group to force us to do such things and you know what? It was fun, the Seattle Parks Dept Naturalist made it very interesting, we got to see our friends and all hand sanitizing was done at the end and only required a dollop. Rooney learned how to catch bugs without squashing them, he found a garter snake (but chose to just look at it with his eyes), had the opportunity to try berries out in nature (also just chose to look with his eyes), got to mist spiderwebs with a squirt bottle, visited the largest bug trap I've ever seen (the mens bathroom at Camp Long), search owl vomit for rat bones, carried a bug net and even got to carry around a red ant in a magnifying bug box during the whole trek. Seems like the perfect outing for a little near 5 year old boy. If he was able to poke something with a stick it possibly could have been the best day ever!

Fighting Barracudas (A Tribute To Carmen)

As you know this summer we signed Rooney up for swim team at the country club where we live.  We thought this was a great opportunity for Rooney to expand on his swimming skills,we could get to know our neighbors and Rooney could earn a trophy which he desperately wanted.

The season was great.  Thankfully the Itty Bitty Barracudas were non-competitive exhibition only races.  We only had to attend home meets and the Itty Bittys always swam first. This is really nice when you have a baby and the meets are around dinner time.  Along the way through the swim season I hit along alot of emotions.  Excitement, trepidation, disappointment, frustration, pride, relaxation, and happiness.  Beside becoming comfortable at our community pool we met alot of great people.  I didn't always think that was true but midway through something happened.  One day I was sitting watching Rooney practice pool side.  I liked to sit close because a month or so prior I had to pull a kid out of the water.  He was close to the steps but couldn't get back to them without going under water.  I grabbed him and pulled him back onto the steps.  It wasn't too big of a deal but it made me want to keep a close eye.  So I am watching Rooney from the lounge chairs that line the pool.  Since the Coaches have the kids sit on the steps in the shallow end while they take individual kids out in the deeper water of the pool, I had to turn to the left.  While Ailbs and I are watching Rooney do his thing in the water a woman comes along and starts to talk with her friend who was on my left.  The woman is decently tall and her young daughter has a huge backpack on her back.  Of course since I have to watch the practice from an angle on my left they are standing smackdab in my way.  I assume the chit chat will be quick and then they will move on.  That didn't happen.  The two women are in a full on conversation, the daughter is now involved and dancing around with her huge backpack and the longer the talking goes on the more irritated I become.  I really couldn't believe how rude some people could be.  Eventually I get up, probably making a big huff as I have to unlock the wheels of Ailbe's stroller and move my bags, and move over to the right which gets the lady and her daughter mostly out of my range but then they walk away.  Ugh! 

Practice went on fine without too many obstacles when I see the woman, her daughter with the backpack and another older girl come out of the locker room and walk up to the edge of the pool.  I heard the woman (whom I will now call "the mom") ask Rooney's coach while pointing at Rooney "Is this Rooney?".   Of course I am thinking 'What the?" but then the mom proceeds to introduce her older daughter Carmen to Rooney and said she was the Swim Buddy we had signed up for at the beginning of the season.  Doh! 

It turns out this women and her daughters, who I thought were incredibly rude, are the sweetest people.  For Rooney's first swim meet with Carmen as his buddy she brought him a toy diving shark she purchased for him in Florida before they met.  The mom, Caroline, always came over to say hi to me and tell me how cute and great Rooney was.  She would cheer for him during the meet and took all but one of these pictures for us.  She said Carmen took her duties as Swim Buddy very seriously and she did a great job getting Rooney to the block on time and introducing him to the Coaches for the older kids (evidently some of them wanted to meet this kid Rooney).  

I am so thankful for Carmen and Caroline and I'm so glad that my original impression was not true at all.  As a matter of fact I feel really guilty for even being put out to begin with.  I'm pretty sure we will be signing Rooney up again next summer for Swim Team and we have already confirmed with Carmen we will ask for her again.  So a swim season that started as a frustrating and overwhelming experience really turned into a great season and Rooney EARNED the trophy he received.