Guess Who's Swinging?
Oliver has taken to the swings. As long as we lean him forward he loves it.
Kennedy preferred this style of swinging too, and still does as you can see! She was playing catch-the-soccer-ball-while-swinging with Mommy Susan.
Labels: Beans
Picture for Mimi
Kennedy grabbed my hand this morning and asked "Would you come take a picture of me and Oliver to send to Mimi?" Who could say no to that. Instead of sending it, I'm posting it.
Labels: Beans, Clark Family
Toe Grabbing
Here's Oliver showing off his toe grabbing skills. Kennedy likes to lay next to him and encourage him in his new found abilities. She's a great big sister.
Megan came in for a brief stay in Portland and stopped by for a visit.
Labels: Beans
Tilamook Cheese Factory
A tour of the
Tilamook Cheese Factory is a must when family visits. We love this cheese! And when you're in the factory it feels like you're walking into a Mr. Rogers episode, or viewing an elaborate Mouse Trap game set up.
There was a lot of cheese being pushed through when we visited. Here's Kennedy at the viewing window; she had fun watching the process.
Oliver just enjoyed being carried around.
Ryan W., Stacey and Ryan T. Ryan W is a friend of nephew Ryan T.
Labels: Beans, Sanford Family
Old Traditions New Traditions
Mmmmm... Pinto beans and fried potatoes, a Brandenburg and thus Sanford family meal tradition. Here's Mema frying the potatoes. After our long hike on the Tilamook Head trail we couldn't wait to get back to the beach house and eat.
Oliver and Kennedy sure enjoyed being with family. Here they are with Aunt Gayle.
An emerging tradition is to have Stacey perform accupuncture. She has a skilled hand in the science and art of accupuncture. This is a picture of Ryan getting a treatment.
Our week at the beach house went by fast. Here we all are, including Kennedy's Tinker Bell balloon, on the deck before heading back to Portland via Tilamook--more about that soon.
Labels: Beans, Sanford Family
Indian Head Beach
It was really nice to reach Indian Head Beach at the end of our Tilamook Head trail hike. Here's our group down by the water.
Kennedy went right for the sand play.
Robin supervised Kennedy who said she was "digging to China."
Labels: Beans, Sanford Family
Tilamook Head Trail
Here is a group photo at the Tilamook Head trail entrance. When we started we weren't really sure how long we were going to stay on the trail. It goes all the way to Ecola State Park. We ended up going to Indian Head Beach. It was a big hike, especially with Kennedy and Oliver in tow.
Oliver started off with me. This small group photo includes Sheryl, Oliver, Gayle and Shelly.
Kennedy did the first twenty minutes of the trail all by herself before it got a little too tricky. With her here are Robin and Stacey.
Eventually Gayle carried Oliver. Here they are with Mema.
This is a good picture of David. He's such an explorer on the trails.
The two Ryans were climbers and off-trail explorers. We got nephew Ryan to stand by his mom Gayle for a picture.
Stacey and Robin shared Kennedy carrying. This is Stacey with Kennedy.
Score! The explorers found a geocache. They wrote in the log and left behind a Hard Rock Cafe bandana from Washington, D.C.
Labels: Beans, Sanford Family
Sunset Fire on Seaside Beach
We hauled some chairs and wood down to the beach for a fire one evening. Kennedy kept warm under Mema's jacket. Oliver stayed warm in the ergo carrier with Susan.
David got a nice fire going. It was a beautiful fire and a raucous group with lots of laughter and singing. Seen here are Gayle, Alex, Robin, Ryan T. and Stacey.
The djembe also made its way around. Here's Stacey beating a rhythm.
Labels: Sanford Family
Big Big Sister Stacey and Cousin Robin
It sure was nice having both Stacey and Robin visit. Here is Stacey with Oliver.
And here is Robin with Oliver.
Since Kennedy is also a "big sister" she calls Stacey her "Big Big Sister." Stacey made a special pancake plate for Kennedy.
Labels: Beans, Sanford Family, Stacey
Doo Rag, Carousel, Butterfly and Oliver's 4 month Check-Up
We couldn't find the beanie bag so Oliver got to wear a
doo rag to cover his head. This is Aunt Shelly holding Oliver.
We loaded up the kids in the burley and took off in search of the famous seaside carousel. We found it but it wasn't our favorite carousel experience. It was small and fast.
Stacey and some of the others went shopping in Cannon Beach and Stacey brought back this butterfly puzzle for Kennedy.
This is Oliver in the beginning position of an attempt to roll over. He went for his 4 month visit yesterday. He is about 14 1/2 pounds (50% range) and 25 inches (75% range)! Our Pediatrician, Dr. Pritchard, said people will think he is a 7 month old.
Labels: Beans, Sanford Family
Windy Cold Cannon Beach
Cannon Beach was windy and cold on our visit, so we put up a shade tarp for a wind barrier. Here's Mema warming up under a blanket.
The Texas contingency were pretty cold. The area was warm for Oliver even though, as fate would have it, he wasted no time in having a huge poopy blow-out. Seen here are Susan with Oliver, Stacey and Mema.
Kennedy coaxed Aunt Gayle into sand play.
The two Ryans began their hole digging modus operandi here.
They were motivated by the rock they found while digging this hole.
Some of the group, including Oliver sleeping in the sling, took the walk to Hay Stack Rock.
Later we got out of the cold wind and had clam chowder at Mo's. Kennedy stuck with her favorite, macaroni and cheese.
Labels: Sanford Family
Crescent Beach, Ecola State Park
Before I dive into Crescent Beach photos, I have a Kennedy story. Picture Kennedy with green coloring all over her mouth and chin.
S: Kennedy, what are you doing?
K: I'm eating my green m&m.
S: Why are you eating it like that?
K: Because I don't like the seeds.
I think this is a direct result of our recent experience of learning to eat around cherry seeds. Ha!
The boardwalk (really made of cement) at Seaside made for fun walking and biking away from traffic. We made our way up and down several times. Here's another photo of Stacey biking Kennedy in the trailer.
The beach house also had a hot tub which was a big hit, especially after long hikes. Here are the two Ryans in front and Stacey and Gayle in the back.
We drove to Ecola State Park, about 7 miles from our beach house, to take the hike to Crescent beach. Here's Robin, Shelly and Stacey at the view point overlooking the walk-in beach.
Here are Gayle and mom (MeMa).
Though the beach looks close from the look out area, the hike to it is much longer at 1.5 miles each way with about a 600 foot elevation. The trail wasn't a good one for an almost 4 year old. It was at times steep, wet and narrow. So, we took turns carrying Kennedy in her pack. Stacey did the lions share of the work. Here's she is carrying Kennedy.
Once we got there, the beach was awesome. Quiet, secluded, not too windy.
Kennedy of course took off her shoes and ran right for the water.
We stayed on the beach for a bit playing and snacking and then hiked back out. Kennedy again started off with Stacey. Those are jelly bellies Kennedy is carrying. She was very protective of her jelly bellies. She would hand them out to people one or two at a time.
Oliver went in the ergo pack with Alex who sang beat box sounds and
George of the Jungle to him all the way back to keep him happy.
Labels: Beans, Sanford Family
Seaside
We loaded up the family and spent a week on the Oregon Coast. We rented a beach house in Seaside. Here's Stacey taking Kennedy for a ride in the bike trailer.
We took a few walks on the Seaside boardwalk and the beach. In this photo you see Mema, David, Gayle, Ryan W. and Stacey heading down a beach path.
Kennedy immediately wanted to play in the sand.
It wasn't long before she moved to the water and coaxed others (Gayle and MeMa in this picture) into walking her in to the water and waves.
Little Oliver slept on Shelly in the Ergo carrier. Ryan is seen on the bike.
We have many more photos to post of our coast vacation adventures. Stay tuned.
Labels: Beans, Sanford Family
And They All Rolled Over...
A quick post from the midst of vacation on the coast... Oliver Del delighted us all yesterday with his newfound trick of rolling over from his back to his belly. He's so proud of this new skill that he's been showing it off frequently. Much to our amusement (and his frustration) he hasn't figured out how to get back and winds up wiggling around trying to get back over.
Blogging today from my phone. we'll try photos later.
Meeting Oliver
Oliver on the cot with the red sleeping bag. We have a lot of cots and beds set up around the house for our family guests. Woohoo!
Here's Mema with Oliver.
And Robin with Oliver.
And Ryan and Ryan inspecting kumquats. They didn't like them.
And Gayle and Oliver.
We took out for a bike ride today and went along the Springwater Trail. Here's mom on her bike. It had been years since she had riden and she had a blast.
Labels: Oliver Del; Sanford Family
Beating the Heat in the Shade
Our friend Mo got to the zoo concert early and scored a rare spot in the shade for us at the zoo concert. Kennedy and Lucy had a good time playing together.
Oliver enjoys being outdoors, but most of all he likes people watching.
Labels: Beans
More Bike abouts
Earlier this week I met friends Becky and Shaun on the eastbank esplanade and we biked off down the Springwater trail. Here's a photo of the city looking north from OMSI.
Kennedy and I took a brief ride this morning. She's like my little tour guide pointing out things along the way that she knows and as if she had never seen them before. When we got home she said "Are we turning around and going back now?"
Labels: Bean, Bike abouts
Katie and Oliver and an Engagement
We didn't get many photos of Oliver this past weekend. We're ever conscious of the second-child-minimal-photos phenomena so I went back in and found this one of Katie and Oliver at the 4th of July bbq.
On the engagement front, Stacey and Carl got engaged! She called this weekend to give us the good news. Stacey is flying in this weekend so we'll get to hear more of the details.
Labels: Oliver Del; Stacey
Will there be Crafty People on Venus?
Laural stopped by for a visit this past weekend. Here's Kennedy showing her the planet she wants to live on when she grows up -- Venus.
Laural turned us on to www.etsy.com, the crafty version of ebay. Sweet. We are seeking ways to be more crafy with the tactiley inclined Kennedy and think that "craft" is a good way forward. She made the 4th of July hat she was wearing at school.
Labels: Bean
Our July 4th Show
We bought some Oregon fireworks (read: one step up from sparklers)and coaxed a few friends into coming to see the show. Uncle C.K. helped Kennedy learn how to stop a tricycle from rolling down the driveway into the street.
The real "show" though was not fireworks, but Uncle C.K. on the tricycle.
And Kennedy put on her ballet outfit and performed moves in rhythm with the explosion of fireworks, such as they were.
Labels: Bean, C.K.
About Town
Yay - all hail to the bike trailer! We're super jazzed to have the opportunity to get out and about with both kids. Now that Oliver is a bit bigger we invested in a
Burley bike trailer and love having the freedom to pile both kids in the back and take off for long journeys. (yeah, right - really we're talking about 10 blocks to Starbucks but hey, it's a start!)
Oliver certainly wasn't excited about the new helmet but he adjusted after a few minutes and was ready to go.
While we were getting ready, Kennedy was busy picking me a 'flower' from our weed garden - sweet girl. Here are both kiddos ready to hit the road.
Labels: Kennedy, Oliver Del, Our Family
Zoo Concerts and Independence Days of Differing Varieties
The kids do love the zoo concerts. They embody summer for us. This week's concert was a particularly fun one as it came at the end of my independence from working at the County. After nearly 11 years of employment there I am cutting the ties in order to pursue other adventures. The Brandenburg side of me said
Don't Do It! A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. But the Sanford side won out again saying
Life is either a great adventure or nothing! (Helen Keller) and so here I am, celebrating my own variety of independece day. And it feels great.
Part of pursuing great adventures in life include having as much fun as possible with Oliver Del and Kennedy this summer. Here's Oliver stretching out on our blanket at the concert.
Kennedy and Halle had fun playing together. Halle celebrates a different variety of Independence Day too in that her birthday is on July 4th.
Labels: Beans
Oliver Makes the Rounds
Oliver Del is the only boy in our little dinner group. This was his third gathering with us and now that he's nearly four months old, he is starting to make the rounds. Here he sits with Becky.
And here he sits with April.
We went to
Bay Leaf, a vegetarian restaurant on SE Division street. The presentation of the food was spectacular but the seasoning was on the bland side.
Labels: Beans
Gifts!
Our friend Laura and her family sent some gifts for Oliver and Kennedy. Kennedy enjoyed opening Oliver's book,
On the Night You Were Born, as much as she did opening hers,
Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go to Sleep.. Sweet books. We will read them many times over. Susan was most excited about seeing the new wrapping paper which apparently has sticky sides ala post-it note style.
Labels: Beans
Dance Performance
Saturday we attended the first of what we are sure will be many dance performance recitals. Here's Kennedy with her trophy and certificate.
Uncle C.K. brought Kennedy a gift, a Dora themed Chutes and Ladders. They had a lot of fun playing the game.
Labels: Bean, C.K.
