Pumpkin Hunting

We went to a pumpkin patch today and had a great time; drizzle and cold aside. Stoney Ridge Farm in Everson is approximately 20 miles north of Bellingham and has three main crops: apples, pumpkins and Christmas trees.

We first visited the goats. They've built a fenced ramp from their pen up to a landing where a pully system allows visitors to feed the goats. Pictures may explain better!



Put in a quarter and get a handful of goat food.





Audrey helped put the food in the tin cup.





Excited goats come running!



They've got horses, cows, pigs, goats with 4 horns, and other farm animals to visit as well. We met a cow named Hannah and Cole tried out the low tech bucking bronco.



Audrey checking out the animals.



It was raining at that point so some hot apple cider seemed in order. We got cider donuts and apple pie as well. Both were very tasty.



Next we took a hay ride out to the pumpkin patch.









It's nice to know a rusted out tractor is still fascinating to Cole though he was calling it his spaceship.







Getting a good picture of both Cole and Audrey together is nearly impossible but we still try.



Next we explored the corn maze.





Heading back with our pumpkin.





We shopped at the farm "store" for apples and more farm produce.



Our haul in the back of the van. One carving pumpkin, 2 sugar pie pumpkins, a bag of apples and pears, a half gallon jug of cider, a squash and a bunch of corn stalks to decorate the front porch - all for approximately $23.

Christina turns 19

I met Christina the summer between 5th grade and 6th. She was 11. Now she's 19 and living on her own. Wow, I'm old. (a running joke between me and Alex) I'm so proud of her. She's really got her head on straight. She has conducted several interviews with program chairs and advisers to help determine a major. She's looking at either Anthropology, Political Science and Spanish right now. She's weighing her interests against potential career and life paths.

She and Lauren were over last night to watch the kids while I went to a co-op parent meeting. They brought their laundry, took a shower in a clean bathroom, and ate a home cooked meal. They both live in the dorms (not roommates) and are coming to terms with the downsides of bunking with another person in an 8*10 room, sharing a bathroom with 40 other people, and eating cafeteria food daily. Dorm living never did appeal to me!

September is a big month for birthdays! Christina, Aunt Gabe, Aunt Fran and Grampy (my mom's husband).

Taj threw a party for the Zecha girls a couple weeks ago.







See the family resemblance?!?  

We love Gabe and Taj!

Gabe and Taj took Cole to the Microsoft picnic this summer described by Taj as "kid nirvana".



Cole and Taj discover they've got matching tattoos.

The New New House

This picture doesn't really capture the nicer qualities of the house. I need to work on my photography skills!



Looking at the house from this vantage - the "great room" (living, dining and kitchen) is on the left above the garage. The master is on that level on the right. Audrey and Cole both have a room on the lower level. When you're in the kitchen you see only trees whether you look to the front or back of the house.



Both Cole and Audrey are in preschool now. Cole goes MWF in the morning for 3 hours and Audrey and I go to her class on Wednesday mornings. Cole is in a cooperative preschool run by Whatcom Community College that is very similar to the school he attended for the past three years in Seattle. I drop him off at 9:30 with his brown bag lunch. They have free play for 1/2 hour then a circle with stories/songs etc. They play for another hour after that, have lunch, and then have another longer circle time. They then go outside to play in a small but adequate play area and come in for one more short 15 minute circle. Only two parents help each day so the workday requirement is less for me. It's a nice transition to a more teacher directed school day. I was hoping for more structure this year for Cole, his last before kindergarten. Unbelievable!!

Cole's first day at Children's Cooperative Preschool.



He gets practice writing and drawing.



Combining two great loves - Star Wars and school.



The sandbox is always a favorite.



The kids like to climb in a laurel after school.





Audrey's school is run through Bellingham Technical College. It also is very much like the Victory Heights Toddler class she would have attended in Seattle. However, much less work for me. Phew. We basically just show up and play/sing songs/socialize for a couple hours once a week. There is a "parent education" aspect where we get to practice some separation. Half the parents leave the room for a short while to talk about parenting issues with the teacher while the other half watch the kids play and then we switch.

The Bellingham House Saga

We finally closed on our Bellingham House.  However, we did not buy the house on 5 Lost Lake Lane.  It's a long story but due to various reasons we backed out of the deal and purchased a different house entirely.  Though moving all our belongings again was both costly and difficult, I feel it was worth it.  I'm very happy that we've landed in this new, new house.  Just blocks away from the old, new house it is only 4 years old and well maintained. We've no house projects save landscaping.  Both Alex and I are relieved and pleased. Cole wasn't too happy about it but hopefully he'll settle in soon.

I don't have any pictures of the house but will soon.

Back to the kids!  Cole went to the barber with his dad.

Before:

After:

I have to say I like him much better with hair though you sure can get a glimpse here of what he'll look like as a young man.

Cole continues his absolute obsession with all things Star Wars.  We let him stay up late to watch the Clone Wars on TV last night.   It's a cartoon with the characters Anakin Skywalker, Obi Wan and Yoda etc.  We don't get expanded cable so he and Alex went over to my mom's to watch it.  Alex said he was practically shivering with excitement.  It's convenient that Halloween is right around the corner.  We picked up this mask at Fred Meyer the other day though Cole says he wants to be a Scout Trooper not Darth Vader.

Believe me, I'd never have thought I would give in to and even encourage my son's interest in such violent story lines but alas I have. 

On our own

Alex is back to work in Seattle so we are on our own again.  It's amazing how luxurious parenting can feel with both parents home.  I got to sleep in while Alex, Audrey and Tess took early morning walks around the neighborhood.  I ran errands with just one child.

We had a good day today.  We took Tess for a walk, built lincoln log gymnastics buildings while Audrey napped, picked Red Huckleberries in the front yard, got a library card and played at the Waldorf School playground. 

We lucked into a story time at the library.  It was "Big Kid" story time so Cole got a name tag and went into a separate room while Audrey and I tried to occupy ourselves in the main children's section for 30 minutes.  I'm struck by how differently my reading relationship with the two children has developed.  As I remember it Cole would sit on my lap and listen to books very early on.  Audrey is mostly interested in turning pages and will not sit for more than 1 minute.  She did however sit to "read" a book on her own today.  I was in Cole's room and heard a deliberate sing song while Audrey sat with the book Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?  When Cole was in Infant Coop we sang this at the end of the class every day.  This was also his "good night book" so we sang it every night.  I've tried to do this with Audrey's night time ritual but in my mind to no avail.  It seems to be sinking in though.  I think Audrey is just more independent from an earlier age.  She is also experimenting with feeding herself with a spoon.  This morning she couldn't do it at all (she got it on the spoon but then turned it upside down before it got to her mouth so the food fell off) and tonight she'd figured it out.  She is a bit of a firecracker.  She knows what she wants and she's not afraid to let you know!

We originally hoped to put Cole in the new preschool class at Whatcom Hills Waldorf School but we just don't have the finances.  The local cooperative school is much more affordable and has a wonderful classroom and teacher.  I went to the first parent meeting last night and felt right at home. He starts next week and I'm very excited to have him back in a social environment. It's been almost a month since his "summer school" ended at Seattle Preschool.

Mt. Baker

Today was "don't work on the house day" so we headed up to Mt. Baker. It was warm, in fact probably one of the last really warm days left until next summer (high 73 degrees). Even from Bellingham it's still a long drive up there, approximately 1.5 hours I'm guessing. We saw a lot of bicyclists with racing numbers on their way back down the mountain. It was Ride 542 - Glacier to Artists Point, 4300+ elevation gain in 24.5 miles. The road is closed from 7:45 AM to 12 PM until the last rider makes it to the top. Turns out it pays to be late getting out of the house sometimes.

Mt. Baker from Artist's Point.



Future rock climbers. Don't worry, she's actually standing on flat ground trying to scale the rock in front of her.



Cole could have stayed for hours and just made up games to play in the snow and rocks.





But this is how Audrey felt about staying.



Audrey and Dad.



Me looking skeptical.

Here we are

5 Lost Lake Lane



A picture taken from the street.



A view of the daylight basement where all the bedrooms are.



My first impressions of our new life in Bellingham.

• The kids in this neighborhood are very outgoing and friendly. We've met Madison, Emily, Madeline, Mariah, Mia, Isis, Christian, Noah, Naomi, Eve, Annabelle, .... Our street is very quiet and mostly people drive cautiously. Thank goodness since there is always a flock of kids riding bikes, playing ball or just meandering around in the middle of the street.

• Alex just completed his first work week since we moved into the house. I was dreading having him gone, gone, gone during his work week and it's actually worse than I imagined. I've been spoiled for many years. For one reason or another his schedule wasn't that bad with paternity leaves, working in the office as a Port Engineer, and working in Eagle Harbor when his boat wasn't on the run.

• Bellingham has changed a lot since I lived here. It's bigger with all the headaches associated with more people - traffic, less trees, more buildings, etc.

• We've not gotten away from house projects. The list of things to fix is rapidly growing.

I guess that's 3 negatives and 1 positive. That might be where I'm at right now. I think it's going to take awhile to adjust. I miss Seattle. I've decided that we'll have to make a fun game out of exploring all the new things to do and see in Bellingham and we'll keep you posted.