Maddy’s starting her 4th year of existence. We are so lucky to have her in our lives.

This month so far has been…well…interesting.  Very busy.  It’s a good thing we enjoyed the sun of August, because the rain has clearly set in now that it’s September.  That said, we did get surprised by a wonderful sunny 80-degree yesterday and are learning to take full advantage of those rare days when they come.

In addition to the rain, this month has been full of travel, transition and sickness.  I went to London for work for a week, and to Sunnyvale just for a day, then Dave went to San Jose for a friend’s birthday weekend, and now he’s on a trip Pittsburgh and Albany, NY for an old friend’s wedding and some family time.  Maddy is feeling pretty bitter that she didn’t get to go on any of these trips, so we’re going to have plan a real family trip soon.

While I was in London, Maddy transitioned from her part-time preschool to a full-time class at the same school, and Hayden joined another full-time class there.  The adjustment was pretty rough for them at first, especially since Hayden caught something on day 3 and got pretty sick, and then kindly passed the bug on to Maddy, who kindly passed it on to me as soon as I got back from London.

I think they’re enjoying it more now – I asked Maddy if I can come play with her at school on her birthday tomorrow and she said “No mom, just drop me off and go.”  Sooo, I guess that’s good? Ugh.  And Hayden seems to have lots of fun with the social interaction and the great playground they have there.  I just wish they were both getting much more nap time during the day, but I guess you can’t have it all.

After we all recovered, we had the cousins over for dinner so we could pretend we hadn’t missed Eva’s party.  That was a lot of fun, especially since Gavin managed to come up with some pretty entertaining “competitions,” which were highly entertaining for both the kids and the adults.  Here’s a video of one (you can’t see it in the video, but Eva is standing completely still during the entire “race”):

We also managed to squeeze in some fun outings on a few of the nice days we had this month – a visit to watch thousands of Swift birds roost in the chimney at Chapman Elementary (which was mesmerizing t0 both Maddy and I), 2 trips to the zoo, and one to the park.

We’re a little more healthy now, although Maddy and Hayden’s noses seem to be producing rivers of snot.  That’s not slowing either of them down, though.  Maddy is more of a chatterbug every day, and loves to sing and make up imaginary stories/games for her dolls and toys.  She also loves to watch TV, especially the shows Caillou and Who’s the Boss.

Hayden really wants to talk, but isn’t quite finding any words yet other than mama and dada.  She’s making lots of noises though, and we get the feeling that once she figures out how to say a few words she’ll never shut up.  She’s walking and running and climbing and dancing and eating pretty much anything that we’ll give her.  I think she’s starting to gain more weight, but is still no where near graduating to a forward-facing carseat even though her legs are too long for the rear-facing one.

Now we’re ready for a week of fun in celebration of Maddy’s 3rd birthday – celebrations as home and at school tomorrow and Tuesday, and then a fun party with cousins and friends on Saturday.

Before the summer ends and we’re forced to adjust to a long northwest winter, we’ve been trying to get out and do as much as we can possibly find time for. Our adventures of the past few weeks have included:
- Blueberry & blackberry picking
- The “Pirate Park” (a cool park near where we live with play structures shaped like pirate ships)
- Swimming at Maren’s pool
- The Oregon State Fair (Maddy had NO FEAR on the rides – she couldn’t get enough)
- Cannon Beach

Maddy and Hayden have loved each and every one of these outings, and I just wish we had time and energy for more of them. Here are a few favorite pics…

In other news, Hayden’s 5th tooth finally came in and she’s sleeping much better back to 2 naps a day for now, thank goodness. Both she can Maddy are transitioning to full-time “school” (aka day care) next week, which I’m nervous for and they’re excited for.

And I’m getting ready to head off to London for a week-long work trip. I’m excited for my first-ever visit to the UK, but I’m very very nervous about my longest trip away from the girls. Wish us luck!