2009 Blazer Season Opener

We bought season tickets this year with some friends and split them up. Antonio and I decided to take the boys to the opening game. It was so much fun! The boys were great (thanks to a bit of bribery with cotton candy) and the Blazer's won. We are very excited for a great season!

Pumpkin Patch

It was wet and muddy at the pumpkin patch this year. Even so, the boys had a blast. Uncle Gee joined us with Snooks and Buzz, and Mammie brought her preschool crew, of course. I didn't get many pictures because it was raining so hard and I didn't want to ruin my camera.

Worms!

Uncle Gee and Baby Buzz

Finished products

Tacoma Trip - 2009

Antonio has a client in Tacoma, WA, so the boys and I decided to take a spur of the moment trip up there. We drove up one afternoon and joined Daddy for dinner. The hotel is in a beautiful part of the city in Point Defiance and right on the water (literally). We enjoyed walking around the area and seeing the amazing colors of fall. The boys and I visited the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium while Daddy went to work the next day. My mom, Uncle Gee, Snooks, and Buzz drove up to enjoy the day with us also. This is such a wonderful zoo. They have a great variety of animals, and it's always so quiet there. Not like the bigger zoos that get a lot of traffic.

Our hotel is built out on the water. Our room was on the back corner so we had a great view.


The love of Gambit's life....for now.

Basilla, the blind walrus, who spent the afternoon basking in the cool, crisp air.

Triage

Ninja tried cutting an orange by himself today and this was the result. Good thing I love medical stuff and don't get grossed out (I was oddly excited to clean and dress the wound). But, with my novice expertise, no stitches necessary. And yes, he still refuses to wear clothes.

The Family Comes Home!

My parents, Jules, and Winsk arrived back home from their around the world trip a few days ago. We all were very excited to have them back and to welcome Uncle Gee, Aunt Bee, Snooks, and Buzz to the area (they just moved here).

Bathtime

As Gambit was washing his hands after going to the bathroom, he decided that the rest of his body needed a bit of washing too. This is what I found when I went in to get him.

The Annual - Rear Facing Rocks!

Once again, here I am encouraging all you parents out there to take a few mintues to seriously think about car seat safety. It's something that we often dismiss, but in just a matter of seconds our lives and/or the lives of our children could be drastically changed by a car accident. The single greatest thing you can do to maximize the safety of kids in the car is keep them rear-facing as long as possible. Previously, most convertible car seats could hold a child up to 35lbs in the rear facing position. However, three new carseat companies are paving the way and there are now 3 models that can hold children up to 40lbs. This easily enables parents to keep their kids rearfacing into the preschool years....a fantastic safety benefit.




Ninja rides in a Sunshine Kids Radian 80. It holds children up to 40lbs rear facing. He is 4 years, 9 months old and weighs 37lbs. I chose this particular seat over the others because it has a very low profile design and gives him the most leg room. For the record, bent legs or legs touching the backseat IS NOT a safety hazard, not is it generally uncomfortable for children. They are much more flexible than and adults and usually prefer to sit with their legs close to their body anyway.



Gambit rides in a Sunshine Kids Radian XT. It also holds up to 40lbs rear facing, though Gambit is 31lbs and 2 years, 11 months old. I chose this seat for the same reasons as Ninja's, but also for the added protection the "wings" give. They help protect the vulnerable head in side impact crashes.

Safe and snug in their rear facing seats. Please watch this video for some great info and pictures of children who comfortably ride rear facing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvyIv9QVRBE&feature=player_embedded

And just for fun....What I do when Gambit falls asleep and I REALLY don't want him to wake up: