We’ve had quite a big week with Hayden doing a lot of new things. She learned how to kiss the other day, which is the cutest thing ever, and she increased her quantity of walking from about 20% of the time last week to all the sudden more like 90%:

She also discovered how to fight back when Maddy is being pushy – Maddy now has a lovely bruise on her calf in the shape of Hayden’s 4 little, yet sharp, teeth. However, the sisters still love each other. Just check out this great dance video as evidence:

In addition to all this, we had my brother Gavin and my sister Lorna’s family over for the 4th of July, which was a blast. Dave cracked open our new grill, and the kids got a kick (much to my chagrin) from the firecrackers and sparklers he let them play with on our deck (which is made of wood, btw). The best part was that Lorna and crew stayed overnight and us grownups actually got to hang out and enjoy adult conversation over some games of cards after all the kids went to bed.

Then on Tuesday, we Phamsters had a mini-celebration in honor of Hayden’s actual birthday. Dave picked up some yummy cupcakes on his way home from work, and we gave Hayden her birthday gift – a fun toddler band set with cute “instruments” for her and Maddy to play. The best was the look on Maddy’s face when we decided to use a leftover sparkler since we didn’t have any candles for Hayden to blow out.

On Saturday, we had a fun family party in the park near our house with my Portland siblings and their families, my grandparents, and my aunt Sydney and her family. The kids had a blast on the playground, learning tennis from Dave, and blowing bubbles. Then we went back to our house for cake and ice cream. Here’s a slideshow of all Hayden’s bday festivities:

And today, we took Hayden for her 1-year check-up, where the doctor told us she has reached the frightening distinction of being in the 1st percentile for weight for her age. I’m trying not to let that stress me out. She weights 16 lbs 9 oz, is 28.5 inches tall (28th %), and her head is 43.5 cm around (10th %).

Now it’s off to Sunnyvale for me for a couple days…

So, this week I started “school.” But mom and dad kind of tricked me, I think. Because in all their talk about school, they never mentioned that they wouldn’t be there with me. And, I was lead to believe I’d be going to the big red school across the street from our house – but turns out I still have to get bigger before I can go there.

On Monday morning, after daddy left for his first day at work, mommy drove me to this other school (definitely not the one across the street). I was pretty excited, especially when I got there and saw ALL THE TOYS! But then all these other kids started showing up wanting to share the toys with me. And then mom started talking about leaving. Hmmmm, I was not happy about that.

But, I was brave and decided not to worry about it and just focus on taking in all the interesting stuff going on around me. When mom left I whimpered a little, but held it together. However, when she came and picked me up after lunch, she asked if I had fun and I said “yes” and then she asked if I wanted to go back the next day and I was honest with her: “no.” I told her that I didn’t like it there because it was yucky and there were too many people (that’s me in the middle of all those yuckies below – even though I seem happy, don’t be fooled). However, I did tell her that Tennis – yes tennis, just like daddy! – was my favorite part of the day.

She still made me go back anyway! I know dad understands how germ infested those places are, but mom didn’t seem to care. I cried and cried when she left, but eventually recovered when the face painting started and managed to survive the day because I had an awesome butterfly painted on my face. Despite the cool songs I learned (”Do your ears hang low?” and “Where is thumper?”), I still told mom that I wasn’t interested in going back.

On Thursday, we went back AGAIN and I was okay at first, but then when mom tried to leave I yelled out “I don’t like these people!” and she STILL made me stay. Geez, doesn’t anyone listen to me anymore? I’m actually glad I stayed though, because we got to go outside and play in the water, and when my nanny Angie picked me up after lunch I told her that I wanted to go back again.

I’m still not really sure how I feel about all the other kids in my class (mostly boys), but at least next week is Basketball week – yay!

Oh, and I had SO MUCH fun at my new Kindergym class yesterday, and next week swim classes start, too. I have such a busy life.

- Maddy

It’s been busy busy times in Phamsterworld.  We’ve been unpacking, hosting visitors, teething, enjoying lots of family gatherings, taking trips to the zoo, working, complaining about the rain, unpacking some more, singing songs, preparing Dave for a consulting gig in Turkey, surviving fatherless for a week, learning to walk, watching “Bob the builder” construct a huge house in our backyard (kind of), working some more, finding a nanny, reverting from a big girl bed back to a crib, going to the park, marveling at the hail, hiking, sleeping in closets (the only rooms without bright light), selecting window coverings, going to the Rose Festival, working some more, etc.

…and now it’s the middle of June so the title of the post is no longer appropriate but I feel a need to leave it just so I can laugh at how long it’s taken me to get this up. Here are some highlights and media galore from our past 6 weeks that I haven’t had a chance to capture for the blog yet.

The first weekend in May, we had a wonderful visit from cousin Addi, Aunt Crystal, and Grandpa Busath, who flew up to Portland from Utah for my nephew’s blessing. We got to host them at our new house and test out the “guest quarters” in our basement, which worked out nicely. Maddy loved having Addi around for 3 whole days, and has missed her a lot ever since she left.

Below are a couple photos from that awesome weekend.

Since then, we’ve also had lots of other playdates with the rest of the cousins, which we always enjoy thoroughly despite the intensity of the chaos that ensues every time that many toddlers and babies converge (hence my lack of photos of said playdates). If it weren’t for naps and distance, we’d get together with them every day.

In addition to our fun cousin time, Maddy has been lucky enough to go on a couple other cool outings of her own when weather permits. I took her out for coffee with a friend at the cutest little coffee shop and Maddy got a kick out of playing with their dominoes and chess set while drinking a very grown up milk next to my cup of coffee. I also took her to the Rose Festival, which is a fun waterfront fair they have in downtown Portland. She loved the fire truck ride we went on, but was a little scared by the hot air balloon ride. Dave also took her back for the Dragon Boat races on a different day, which amazed and thrilled her – she seemed especially smitten with the drums they have on the boats.

Today she went to her first gymnastics class, which we hope gives her a safer place to practice the “routines” she’s been performing for us lately (basically rotating through a few yoga poses and then running around in circles). Next week Maddy starts preschool/summer camp three mornings a week! We’re very excited for her to meet some new friends up here, because she definitely misses and talks about her Cali buddies all the time, especially Sydney, Sierra, Lily and Chloe.

Oh and here’s the only video we’ve been able to get so far of Hayden’s little steps, a fun one of her giggling, as well as great videos of Maddy reading a story to her “babies” and then taking them to the “dentist,” Maddy “performing” with Uncle Gavin, Maddy “dancing” to New Kids on the Block, and Maddy at gymnastics class: