Visual Confirmation of Teeth

We officially have evidence of two adorable bottom teeth!  Cordelia is very excited to have nice chompers and will bite anything that comes within reach.  Scaredy Squirrel would be terrified as she now joins the list of biters along with bunnies, beavers, walruses, piranhas, and of course, Godzilla. 

We're Finally Back!

Sequoia and Cordelia 11/08/11

 Oh dear, we have been away for awhile!  I've really missed updating the blog, but now I'm back at home and I finally have time to work on it again.  Yaay!

Smiley Cordelia

Well, a lot has changed since the last update.  We welcomed our little Cordelia Rose on November 7, 2011.  She is a wonderful mellow and happy baby.  It is hard to believe that she is already 5 months old.  She loves to play with her panda toys and her Sophie giraffe.  She loves to drool (she's working on some serious teething).  She has mastered rolling and pivoting, yet the meany floor just won't let her crawl anywhere, so she'll yell at it in frustration, but she loves to try.  Most of all, Cordelia loves her big sissy.

Tree Climbing Sequoia

 Sequoia has grown so much over the past two years!  She has become a wonderfully goofy and sweet little girl as well as the awesomest big sister.  She is still a fearless climber, as demonstrated left.  She is curious about everything about the world around her.  She loves reading, coloring, and playing imagination games.  It is amazing getting to watch her grow and learn even more as she gets ready to start Kindergarten this fall.

Sequoia has also changed her mind a few times about what she want to be when she grows up.  She has recently decided that she no longer wants to be a goat feeder, but instead, a doctor.  Her favorite colors have also changed from the long loved pink and purple to pink and lime green.  She has recently requested that I sew her a green and pink princess dress.  She's really helping me embrace being the domestic goddess.

Dan at the Seattle Firefighter Stair Climb 2012

Dan is officially a firefighter/paramedic (recruit)!  He is currently in Fire Academy with Springfield Fire and Life Safety here in Oregon.  It is brutal, but he is awesome!  It is his dream job, so we couldn't be happier. 

He has also completed the Scott's Firefighter Stair Climb in Seattle twice (69 flights in full gear and breathing mask...no big deal =P).  We have a great time making it a family trip and have had the chance to visit with Laura, Mike, Addie, and Willa both years.

The Girls at Portland's Children's Museum

 I am making the transition from working full time at the pharmacy to being a stay-at-home mommy again!  I've started the Great Spring Cleaning Project, and Sequoia has been very helpful.  I've also been able to enjoy daily cooking and baking and am looking forward to setting up my sewing machine and learning how to use it!  I'm rather addicted to Pinterest, and find so many great projects, cleaning tips, and yummy baking recipes.  I have a very long wishlist of activities for us.  I just love being able to be home with my two wonderful girls!

We seem to settling nicely into 2012 up here in Oregon.  I'm looking forward to all our great adventures ahead of us this year and am so excited to be able to share them with all of you again!

XOXO
Katie

Columbia State Park Family Photo March 2012

Sequoia (aka Princess Buzz Lightyear) and her Summer Adventures

This summer has been very busy, but we've been able to squeeze in some fun here and there.


Sequoia started swimming lessons this year and is now in the second summer session. We did the first session with her in the parent/child class (the polar bears), and is now in the independent 3 year old class (the tadpoles). She swims twice a week and she loves it.






She is also becoming quite the puzzle master. She now has three puzzles (Disney Princesses, My Little Ponies, and Dora the Explorer) that are 24 pieces each, and she can do them all independently. I have always loved puzzles and I love that she loves them too!



We've also enjoyed a trip to Faerie Worlds--and we will definitely be going back in future years. It's much smaller than our beloved Celtic Faire, but it fit into that missing piece of our year. I took Sequoia the first night while Dan was away at a fire training event. We listened to great music (Brother was there--which I first heard about 10 years ago), enjoyed yummy food, looked at the fun costumes, and got Sequoia her first pair of fancy fairy wings (from the same vendor I got mine from about 11 years ago!) We brought Dan back with us on Sunday and enjoyed another wonderful day.

Here are some more pictures to enjoy from our summertime adventures =)

Further Adventures of Sequoia

Finally, a long awaited update! Sequoia has been taking us on wonderful adventures like ice skating (pictured left), train track building, Lego building, and excursions about town. She has also proudly begun her training in video game mastery. She has been playing Zelda on the the DS--she only stays in the main town, but she has already figured out how to control Link for walking in and out of buildings, throwing rocks and pots, talking to citizens, jumping into water, and how to continue (this happens often as she loves making Link jump into the water repeatedly).

She starts the next level of gymnastics later this week and it will be her first parent-free class. Very exciting!

Sequoia has also helped redecorate the apartment. Her bedroom is now all set up for her (her bed is back in our room, but she's sleeping in it and not our bed, so it is progress). She also is great at falling asleep on her own now (as long as Baby is with her). Baby is her constant companion now-a-days.



We also redecorated her play area in the living room. We have bins for each type of toy and a book shelf for all of her books. It keeps everything organized and she knows where everything goes, so she actually can keep her area all nice and neat.

We are also starting to look into preschools for the summer. She asks if she can go to school like Daddy just about every day now.

Here are all the pictures from our latest adventures!