Sometimes all we ever really need is a nap

And sometimes, a nap is too much.

Ellie's at the age where she doesn't nap every day. Which is good and bad. She still needs a nap. But then on the days she does take one, if it lasts longer than an hour or so, she's wired at bed time. On the plus side, when she's up while Campbell's down, we get some time together one on one. That makes it easier to do a craft project or play with her Thomas trains.

Campbell? She's still good for 1.5-2.5 hour nap in the afternoon. She can go without one if we keep her active but we try not to do that to her too often.

Because I said so.

I remember, long ago during some idyllic moment in my life, thinking that I would never, ever say those four words to my kiddos. I even thought that just a few months ago. Heck, I might have thought that two or three weeks ago.

Ellie is a great little conversationalist. She's usually very happy to listen to banter back and forth with us. She's an inquisitive kiddo and that's a great thing. We want her to talk to us, ask questions and learn to converse. Heaven knows, I talk enough. I'm pretty sure this is God's way of rewarding me for being the talker that I can be. Or just some kind of joke on me.

One thing we have learned, though, is that if Jennifer and I are in the car together, there is no way that she and I can talk for more than about 30 seconds without Ellie deciding that she needs to tell Mommy something. She'll peep up with "Excuse me.... Excuse me..." We'll stop talking and ask her "Yes, Ellie?" And then we'll get some random question about the Backyardigans or Thomas the Tank Engine. Or "Where is the sun/moon/that airplane she saw 5 minutes ago. It's pretty funny in a way. I still ask a lot of questions as an adult. Ask Jennifer. But we've learned that, if we have anything important to talk about, during a car ride is usually not the place to get it done. It used to take a lot to shut me up. Now, I just need a talkative 3 year old riding along with me.

Fortunately, Campbell is quite content to sit in her car seat just babbling with the occasional grunting for a cookie or pointing at her penguin stuffed animal that she threw on the floor. She can't say "Excuse me.... Excuse me...." Yet.

But after a while, especially when we're in the car, it turns into the Battle of Why with Ellie.

Ellie: Where are we going Daddy?

Me: To the grocery store.

Ellie: Why?

Me: Because we have run out of things we need like milk.

Ellie: Why?

Me: Because you and Campbell drank it all.

Ellie: Why?

Me: Because we played all morning and you worked up a big thirst.

Ellie: Why?

Me: Because playing too hard dehydrates you.

Ellie: Why?

Me: Because playing hard makes you hot and so you sweat.

Ellie: Why?

Me: Because your body heats up and the evaporation of sweat cools you off.

Ellie: Pool? Pool! Pool?

Me: No, I said cool, not pool. We're not going to the pool.

Ellie: Why?

Me: Because it's too cold.

Ellie: Why?

Me: Because it's winter.

Ellie: Why?

Me: Because we live in the northern hemisphere and we get less direct sunlight.

Ellie: Why?

Me: Because I said so.

Ellie: Why?

Me: Hey, do you want to listen to some "Jack's Big Music Show" music?

Ellie: Why?

Bless her heart.

Trick or Treat!

One of the perks to being back in the real world is being able to take the girls out for some real trick or treating. While in Alaska, we were hampered by the dismal temperatures (it's 23 in Fairbanks right now) and because we lived in a remote place on post. Too cold and too far to walk around mooching candy. We were a bit worried that our neighborhood might be a tad quiet tonight since there are so few children around. But I talked to one of the only other moms in the subdivision this afternoon and she told me that they had gone around last year and had fun. That was good news because I had spent the past few days scoping out other neighborhoods around in case we decided to bail and try someplace else.

Ellie was quite aware that we would be going out to get some candy. Campbell was just thrilled to be dressed up. It was kind of sweet when Ellie asked us if we were going to drive to the hospital for the candy. At Ft. Wainwright, the hospital turned itself into a giant trick or treating party with each department's staffs handing out candy and decorating their floors. I was surprised that she remember that. Once we explained that we got to go for a walk and visit our neighbors, she was gung ho and ready to go. Ellie was standing at the door telling us that it was time to go. As we walked down the driveway, she was pulling and tugging on me to hurry up.

The weather cooperated today and we had pleasant temperatures and no rain. Ellie was her usual shy self. When we approached a house, she would hang back but once she saw the bowls of candy that were being offered she got a dose of bravery. And as we walked from house to house, she was happy to tell us about how much she loves chocolate. And sweets of just about any and all kinds.

Campbell was a lobster and Ellie was happy to reprise her role as a lion. Both of them really enjoyed getting dressed up. After 8-10 houses, Ellie informed us that she was ready to go home. We were concerned that she was scared of being outside in the dark or maybe from meeting new people. No, she wanted to get back inside and eat some candy.

We only saw one other group while we were going door to door so we thought maybe it would be a quiet night. But within a few minutes, we had a few kids come by. Over the next 45 minutes, we had 30-35 trick or treaters and each time, Ellie and Campbell were thrilled to greet them at the door and check out their costumes. Lots of pirates this year. And there were several costumes that I'm not really sure what they were going for. And while we thought not many people would be giving out stuff, I'm pretty sure that most of the kids who came by didn't live in our neighborhood. Evidently, word is out that the Danbridge subdivision gives out good candy.

Jennifer's mom has been in town for the past two weeks but she leaves tomorrow. It's been great having her here. I got to have a few breaks during the day and my kids have been able to eat some real cooking a couple of times since she's been here. I don't mind cooking but Linda makes some things that I could only dream of doing as well. It has motivated me to expand my repertoire and try some new things. The girls are relatively adventurous eaters and if I screw something up, making a grilled cheese sandwich is always a quick alternative. We'll miss having her around. I keep trying to convince her that she needs to stay for another week or four.

Now there's something you don't see every day

Campbell can't be deterred when she decides she's going somewhere. Not only is she walking with abandon but she's climbing on everything. She can walk our house in seconds flat. And she now uses her mobility to not only play and have fun but find new and unusual methods for wreaking havoc. Objects within reach on a table, chair or flat surface of any kind is fair game. She really doesn't want to play with it or use it, she just wants to pull it down, spread it out and the move on to the next item to mess with. Leave a door open to the bathroom? Well, be prepared to find her either playing in the toilet (Ewwww, right?) or the entire roll of toilet paper on the floor. Trying to sort clothes in the laundry room? Forget about it. She's tossing things left and right and dragging the other stuff back out into the hallway. Leave the gate on the stairs open? 10 seconds later, she's upstairs running down the hallway preparing to make a mess with whatever she can find. But there are some positives. When I cut up some banana and put it in bowl for her, she makes a beeline for her denim chair. She knows it's snack time. Matter of fact, she might beat me to the chair. I remember thinking "Man, once Campbell is walking, things might be easier for me around here." Heh. I kind of miss the days when she could only roll around to grab the things she wanted. Much more so than Ellie, Campbell hates to be "confined." When she decides she needs to be on the move, she's GONE.

Big sister still has her moments of defiance but she can be a great help. Campbell likes to just be around her and Ellie takes it in stride. With a few exceptions, Ellie seems to understand that Campbell is more interested in knocking over the blocks or tearing up Thomas the Tank Engines tracks.

The other day, we went to the grocery. Now, when we go to Fred Meyer for groceries, Ellie assumes we're there to eat. It doesn't matter whether we just had a meal or not. Well, we had just eaten lunch. We get in the door and I was prepared to hear "I want a hamburger... no, a cheeseburger. I want a hot dog. I want a milkshake." Then I'd have to retort with "You'll get nothing and like it." At first, Ellie tells me that we need "macky-roni." When I tell her that we're only there for a few things and that we just had lunch, she continues with her need for macky-roni. So I look for a compromise. "How about some animal crackers in a few minutes?" That buys me some time. As I continue grabbing the things I need, we finally get to the cracker aisle. Those little boxes of Barnum's Animal Crackers are lifesavers. I grab a one of the shelf and crack it open. I hand her a cookie. She hands it to her sister and tells me "Campbell is hungry too." Altruism at it's finest, right?


Have I mentioned lately that I have the best job in the world? I work longer hours now than I ever did working for some company. At the last job I worked before we moved to Alaska, I had to track my hours. Shortly before I gave my notice, I was working 60+ hours a week. Now, I'm working 85-90+ hours a week and I'm on call pretty much all the time. I've had every kind of bodily fluid that exists pooped, spit up, puked, etc. on me. I have to juggle all sorts of things that I never even imagined just a few years ago. But I love it. My wife is completely supportive of me being a House Dad and I have the two best kiddos ever. I've been home now f0r over 3 years and it's been a blast. Each day, either Ellie or Campbell does something that amazes me. Or wears me out. If you don't have kiddos, it is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.

Funky Monkey turns three

And you know how excited a three year old gets about a birthday. We thought ahead and kept the presents out of sight. There is no way we would have been able to keep the wrapped or in the gift bags. After she fell asleep for her nap, we hung some streamers and balloons, got out the presents and took the cake out of it's hiding place. When she came downstairs after waking up, she knew something was brewing and she knew it was for her. She has been ready for this since Campbell's birthday last month. Now, she knows hers is in September. I don't think she understand yet that September comes after August but she did know that Mommy and Daddy had been shuttling boxes that had arrived in the mail out to the garage without opening them. And for about a month, she's been asking about when her birthday is. By the beginning of the week were just saying "Later this month" because we knew she was getting excited about it. So when the time came to open the presents, the wrapping paper was in trouble. Campbell was quite happy to play with the empty boxes. Ellie was ready to supply her with them. When we brought the activity desk in from the garage that we had gotten her, the living room was a wreck, Ellie was in heaven and Campbell was somewhere under the paper and boxes.

A couple observations about kid's toys:

1. Who's the brainiac who invented colored pens that have smells? Sure, this sounds like a great idea. Guess what three year olds do when a pen smells like fruit?
2. If something needs to be put together in advance, the directions will stink, it wont fit together like the schematic says and one or more of the screws will strip out.
3. A one year old doesn't comprehend that the point of Thomas the Tank Engine is to set the track up and play with the trains. Campbell likes to waddle into the middle of the setup and then play Godzilla. It would only be funnier if Ellie knew Japanese and could point, panic and run.

So after all of this, the cake beckoned.
Ellie was quite happy to get all hopped up on frosting. And Jennifer is wondering how she got it in her hair. On the back of her head.
And Campbell, well, you know.

A Trip to the Beach

Jennifer has some time off between quarters at UW so we decided to take our first family trip. We'd traveled a bit with Ellie but so far, Campbell's adventures had been limited to playgrounds and zoos. After looking at our options around the area, we headed over to the coast for a few days. The Navy has resort in Pacific Beach about 2.5 hours from here. It's open to anyone on active duty so we took advantage of the Navy's hospitality and rented a cottage. They will start renovating in October and I hope they do more than just slap on a new coat of paint. But the price was right and we were only there two nights. Heck, the Holiday Inn down the shore was $170 a night for just King suite. We paid less than half of that for 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, a full kitchen and a separate living area. It sure was nice having a full size fridge and cabinets filled with dishes. And Ellie was thrilled that we were about 20 yards one of their playgrounds. We discovered that the town of Ocean Shores is only about 2 hours away so it's within day trip distance. Before it gets too cold over there, we'll definitely make a few more trips. Now that we know how easy it is to get over there, I will probably take the girls over during the week when Jennifer is back in school. Anyone up for a swim on 45 degree water?

As you can see, Campbell liked the ocean air. And Ellie loved to watch the waves. The weather was a bit nippy. We had highs in the upper 50's but there wasn't much wind so it was still bearable. I had forgotten how desolate yet beautiful the Pacific Northwest beaches are. Deep drop offs from the bluffs down to long beach expanses. For stretches of the area, you can drive quite a distance along without ever getting on paved roads. For now, we were quite content to chase Ellie's ball across the sand and let Campbell try to walk a few steps. Oh yes, Campbell has started to walk. She rambles on for 5-10 steps before she either forgets where she was off to or takes a tumble. And then she gets up and keeps going. Watching her try to pitter-pat her way across the sand was quite entertaining. The afternoon was quite entertaining. Ellie discovered that the water is quite a bit colder than she expected. She had been telling us that she needed to put her swimsuit on. But I think she was quite content to stay on the shore and away from the cold. I'm not where any tidal pools are but if we can find some, the girls will be enthralled at watching sea creatures up close.

An evening thunderstorm

It's been over 3 years since I've seen/heard one. About 45 minutes ago, lighting flitted off near the horizon. Then, a bit later, the slow retort of distant thunder. The flashes grew brighter and the salvos boomed more frequently. I actually wondered whether it would wake either of our girls up because neither has experienced one during their young lives. I stood on the front porch kind of dazed and delighted by the streaks of light. I've always liked thunderstorms. The light show coupled with the accompanying uneven, ragged music is different every time. It was coming in from over the Sound and I thought about grabbing my camera and heading to the overlook just up the road from the house.

There was that indescribable, incredible smell of rain in the air as the storm drew closer. And then the sky let loose. For a good 30 minutes, the rain pelted the ground with small fury. The earth consumed as much of it as it could and the remainder flowed out into the street to hurry down to the storm drains. Slashes of white played across the dark and was reflected back up off the wet ground. The cannonade of sound echoed back and forth. And then it quieted. The storm moved on it's way to some place else. Right now, I can here the last remnants of rain lightly drop down onto our house. The barrage fading into our past. Then, showers glanced across the area but without the symphony of sound and flashes that had come before.

Sweet music to tired old ears. And I miss Texas.

It finally happened...

I swore that it wouldn't. I promised myself that I would never let it happen. Not to me. I'm too groovy and funky. Someone would have to drag my butt, kicking and screaming the entire way. But it did. I drive one of these now...

And yet, it's not that bad. We were just out of room in the CR-V. We couldn't fit more than 5 in it and with the girl's car seats in the back row, it was nearly impossible to carry anything bigger than a stroller or some groceries in the back.

The Odyssey rocks in some pretty cool ways. The sliding doors are pressure sensitive. That means if something is sticking out in their way, they will butt up against it and then pull back open. The doors can also be closed and opened from the key fob. And it rides a lot smoother than the CR-V. We'll get about the same MPG as the old Honda too. Plus, we can fit 7 in it without a problem and 8 if we really need to. And we have 15 drink holders. Top that!

It's official, I am fully domesticated.

Gramma Hydes comes to visit and Campbells turns 1!

You know the expression "Time flies when you're having fun"? Well, it really does. Campbell turned one on the 8th. Doesn't seem possible that over a year ago, our second blessed little gift was born. Tom and Linda came up on the 6th so they got to watch her have great fun destroying her birthday cake. She still only has the her two bottom front teeth and as such, she can really only gum her food. But some cake and frosting was a great hit and she made a grand mess out of it. She's about ready to start walking too. This week, she's started being able to stand without needing support (albeit for just 5-10 seconds at a time.) She can definitely cruise along the furniture and she decides to go some where, there's no stopping her. And now that she has some mobility, she hates being left out of games and horseplay. I just wish she realized how firm and powerful her pincer grip is. Campbell can do some serious damage when she puts her mind to it. Ellie enjoyed eating cake for dessert the past few nights. She informed us yesterday that she needed cake for lunch. When I told her that wasn't going to happen, she asked if ice cream was ok. But then again, Ellie thinks ice cream is one of the four major food groups.

My mom drove up from Redding last week. She had not seen Campbell and it had been over 2 years since she had seen Ellie. She was thrilled to spend some time with the girls. We went out to Owen Beach at Pt. Defiance and to the Proctor Street Fair too. The girls had fun and I know my mom was just in awe. We really enjoyed having her here and hope she can make it up every so often while we're here in Washington. And as only grandparents can do, she spoiled (in a good way) the girls with attention. Of course, we were the ones who got to try and settle Ellie down for bed when it was time to lay down! We've been debating about driving down to Redding to see my grandparents and other assorted family that live there. I just don't know if we're ready for an 8-9 hour drive with a three year old and a one year old. It's much easier when Grandma drives to see us!

Kennedy's birthday was a blast

We are lucky to have some family in the area. My mom's sister Sandy and her husband Ken plus two of their daughters live over in Puyallup. They have been a great resource for our move. Today, we headed over to my cousin Sarah's house for her daughter Kennedy's third birthday festivities. Ellie was a bit perplexed about the departure plans. We were trying to explain that the party was for Kennedy, not her. We got on the road and she was quite happy to participate in the day's activities. Sarah and Josh (her husband) went all out for this. Their house has an awesome, large backyard with a built in swing set/playground. Also, they had rented an inflatable "bouncy" playscape set up in the backyard for the kiddos to go crazy in. There were fruit and veggie plates to snack on and then the pizza showed up. And you know how kids like pizza. After a few minutes, we adjourned to the living room so Kennedy could open her gifts. She was a gracious and kind birthday girl, thanking everyone for her presents. After the presents, everybody got a piece of Dora the Explorer cake and some ice cream.

Campbell was kind of a tweener today. There were a bunch of kids over 2 and then a bunch of little babies. But, only as Campbell can do, she got her fair share of attention. She's so full of energy and determination. Honestly, sometimes I forget that she's not even one year old yet (just a few more weeks!!) She wants to do everything Ellie is doing. The past few days she finally figured out crawling. For the past 2-3 months, she's done this elbow/knee thing. She's darn fast at it but it's really funny to watch. This week, she's finally getting up on her hands and knees. And she's figured out how to climb stairs. I used to be able to assume that if she was out of my line of site that she had just found something interesting to play with in the living room. The past two days, I have learned that if I can't see her, there's a good chance that she's half way up the stairs. She's great going up with no worries. But she has yet to figure out that coming down head first is not a good idea. She hasn't done that without one of us there to stop it from happening on more than one stair but I think it's time to break out the safety gates again. Ellie's gonna hate that but in the interest of keeping the little sister safe, we're going to have to limit the big sister's freedom.

Jennifer's sister, Lisa, was in town this past week. The girls and I drove up to UW, picked up Jennifer and then drove down to Redmond to meet her for dinner. Unfortunately, I did not bring my camera so we didn't get any pics. Ellie was up to her usual "guest" shenanigans at dinner so that was an adventure. Campbell was content to sit there and eat steak fries. Typical baby, keep her tummy full and every thing is A-OK. :) Hopefully, now that we're back in the real world, we'll see Lisa and Tim a little more.

We broke in the new grill today

It was finally time to cook something outside. I bought a Kingsford barrel grill a few weeks ago but we just hadn't used it yet. Ellie went with me to the store to get some fixings but as we were on the way home, she was very perturbed with me that we weren't going to the playground. I told her that we'd try and go after dinner. That kind of placated her but she reminded me several times over the next 5 minutes that we were now going to the playground after dinner.

Jennifer whipped up some excellent onion rings while I got the fire going. Ellie was great at supervising. At one point, she told me that the flames were "hot and high." Fortunately, she knows that hot means stay away. Once we got the coals going, Ellie informed me that we needed to eat right then. Jennifer brought out some veggies and Ranch dressing to assuage her. Ellie devoured some zucchini, cucumber and carrots. She's also fascinated with the sidewalk around to the gate. I'm just glad that the latch is up high enough that Ellie can't reach it (for now.) I'm pretty sure that Ellie was eye balling the gate as a potential escape route.

At this point, I realized that Campbell was just going to keep begging to come outside so we moved her bouncy out. She alternately played with a piece of zucchini and nibbled on it. I'd bet that she'd like some Ranch to dip it in but I'm not sure we'd want to deal with the after effect of that experience yet. Everybody sat around our patio table and we chowed down. The burgers and onion rings (at least the batter) were a hit with Ellie. Campbell was content to eat the mashed up sweet potatoes that I was feeding her. Ellie did the typical toddler thing and ate her burger in stages. She started with the cheese, then the bun and then finally the burger itself. I'm still adjusting to the fact that we can sit outside in the summer and the temperatures are only in the mid 70's. There was a slight breeze and it was downright perfect.

Oh, and when we got done, we cleaned up and went to the playground. Ellie was quite thrilled with that.

The joys of parenthood

If you have kids, you know how this goes... We're still trying to get Ellie back into a nap routine. At this age, she still needs an afternoon nap. Lately, Ellie doesn't agree but the facts are that she does. On Thursday, I got her all snuggled in at about 1:15. I recounted the tale of Goldilocks and then the Three Little Pigs. And then I told her it was nap time. Five minutes later, I heard her door open. I got her back in bed and told her that she needed to take a nap. Her music was playing and I mentioned that she needed to lay down, close her eyes and stay in bed until the music stopped. Another five minutes went by and I hear her door open. Ellie meets me at the top of the stairs and tells me "My music all done." Her CD is 65+ minutes long. It's been about 25 minutes since we started this dance. As I walked back in her room, I notice that her CD player is UNPLUGGED. Yeah Ellie, the music is all done. She didn't get a nap that day.

Campbell is going to walk before she ever really crawls. She does this weird "Ranger" crawl where she scoots on her elbows/forearms and knees around the house. I have yet to see her ramble around on her hands and knees. But just on her elbows, she's pretty darn fast. When she wants to get somewhere, she is gonna get there NOW!!!

Today, we went down to the Ft. Steilacoom Park. This playground has a "tot" area next to the regular one. Ellie likes the swings on the tot one but the roaming space on the other. The main playground looks like a castle. We climbed around on the different playgrounds for about 45 minutes before we got rained on. There was a McDonald's with a covered playground just up the road so we headed there for a weather break. We went back to the house for naps and Ellie kept trying to convince me that it was no longer raining even though it was. Within 10 minutes of laying down, Ellie was conked out. And later when we ran an errand in a downpour, Ellie was insistent that there was no rain and that we need to return to the castle playground.

I kind of miss the old playground...

At Ft. Wainwright, we had two playgrounds right across the street from the house. The closest one, to the new digs, Colgate Park, is a 5-10 minute car ride away. The trade off (and I think it's worth it) is that Colgate is shaded and has a fence around it. Ellie (and Campbell any day now) can't really get too far. And it's darn nice to spend an afternoon playing while it's 75 degrees outside and shady. I know, 75 isn't that warm. I don't know if I'll be able to live in Texas again after summers in Alaska and Washington.

Campbell is a big fan of the swings. She thinks they're groovy. Ellie likes them too but since she's mobile, she gets bored and wants to go climb on the playground after a few minutes. But then in true toddler fashion, she's back to the swings. And then back to the playground. And then the swings. And then the playground... You get the idea. A little farther north is the Titlow City Park. This one has two playgrounds, a duck pond, a swimming pool and a large walking path. We went there the other day for a picnic but the train that runs right beside the park freaked Ellie out big time and we ended up going back to our regular haunt at Colgate.

I'm pretty sure that if we let Ellie, she'd live at the playground. Down on the Sound is a town called Steilacoom that has a really nice surf side beach park. We'd go more often but since we're not Steilacoom residents, we have to pay $5 to park. Ellie can see the playground whenever we drive by on the back way down to Ft. Lewis. And every time, she tells me that we "have to" stop. I noticed some free parking up the hill near the small downtown so maybe I'll break out the double stroller and take them soon. Ellie also thinks that whenever we pass Fred Meyer's (a local grocery chain) during lunch or dinner time that "have to" stop in for their Macaroni and Cheese from the deli. I got in the habit when we were grocery shopping in Fairbanks to hit Fred's once a week during lunch time and we'd stop in the deli and get food. And now, Ellie only wants to eat it there. She doesn't want to get it to go. We have to eat it RIGHT NOW!!! Of course, I don't really object. They have better than average corn dogs in the deli too.

Tomorrow, we're going to hit one of the Tacoma Farmer's Markets. There are probably eight or nine Farmer's Markets within 12-15 miles of our house. I found a website listing some of the ones throughout Washington state. There are almost 125 statewide. Granted some of those are over in Spokane or north of Seattle. But compared the Fairbanks one, we should be able to get a much bigger selection of fruits, veggies, bread, etc. I will say one thing about the Fairbanks Farmer's Market... There was a woman there who sold the best English Cucumbers I've ever tasted. And Ellie definitely concurs. Puyallup supposedly has a nice one as well that takes place in downtown. We'll swing by there on Saturday to check it out.

Campbell is still just using her arms and legs to kind of "Army crawl" but dang if she isn't fast at it. We're starting to think she's going to walk before she ever really crawls. She's pulling herself up on things quite a bit. The other morning, I went in to get her and she was standing there holding on to the inside of the crib. We might need a crib canopy to prevent a jail break. Ellie thinks that Campbell is the perfect size to lay on. For the most part, Campbell doesn't mind. It's just when Ellie wants Campbell to give her a horsey ride that things get a little out of control. They get along really well though. When Campbell starts getting fussy in the car, Ellie is very helpful in trying to get her relaxed. They love to laugh and giggle together. I'm pretty sure that they are going to be ganging up on me very soon.

25 nights in hotels, 392 items tagged for moving...

And we're still unpacking. We moved into the new house two weeks ago. Our furniture arrived a week ago. But when you have this much stuff (and two kiddos underfoot) it takes a while to get it all put away. The downstairs is mostly done. Jennifer's office is still under construction but we have all the kitchen stuff put away and we can now cook more than just macaroni and cheese.

Ellie is sleeping in a big girl bed. We have yet to find some suitable rails for the sleigh bed we bought but with a body pillow in bed with her, she has yet to roll off onto the floor.

As you can see, the laundry room is a popular place to play. Campbell is happy being in whatever room I am right now. I don't have to be entertaining her at all, she's just content to be around.

Jennifer thought she was going to start classes on Monday (the 18th) but she found out today that none of her sections meet until at least July 5th. Hopefully we'll be able to get the house done and then maybe we'll take off for a day trip to the coast.

A day at the Zoo and Aquarium

We had some great weather last week. Highs in the mid 70's with a breeze most of the time. We headed up to Seattle on Thursday for a day trip to see some animals. Ellie had been to the Indianapolis Zoo when we were on vacation last Memorial Day but I doubt she remembered. This time, Campbell got to go too. Ellie had a great time. Campbell was a little more interested in getting a nap in. All in all, everybody had a good time enjoying some sunshine. The Seattle Zoo is not particularly big but it's easy to get around in and has a lot of natural (like) habitat. There is a lot of open space with grass and picnicking is encouraged. Had we known this, we could have skipped the burgers and fries at the food court. But Ellie got a monkey sippy cup out of it so I think she was happy. If you're in the area, the Zoo is just 4-5 miles north of downtown. It's an excellent side trip with kids and they have a cool carousel (sadly, it was out of action while we were there.)

Campbell is a lot like Ellie was as a baby... Just happy to be here. She's content to be around us and likes to just check out the scenery. She's usually only fussy when she's hungry or tired. Even though nap and sleep schedules have been totally messed up the past 3 weeks due to the move and being in hotels, she's been a pretty happy camper. Today, we went over to see some relatives of mine on my mom's side of the family. Campbell didn't have any problem being held by my Aunt Sandy within minutes of arriving. Actually, I think Sandy said something along the lines of "I'll hold her" but it was really more of a command. :) It was ok by me. Ellie saw the swing set in the backyard and was itching to go outside. My cousin Sarah has a daughter (Kennedy) who will be three in July and My cousin Lisa has two kids (Mason and Madison who are 5 and 4 respectively. It was great to see Ellie around kids her own age for the first time since we left Fairbanks. She still asks me where Cody, Jacob and Livie are. Today, while we were driving around, she had my phone and was "talking" to those three.

We found a house in University Place just west of Tacoma on the peninsula. The area is very quiet and we're only about a mile off the Sound. There are walking and bike trails all around us. Hopefully, I can burn off some of this hibernation weight I've been carrying. Of course, most of it was with me before we moved to Alaska, so I can't blame it on cold weather. The house is supposed to be ready by Thursday or Friday. Depending on route, Jennifer will be 15-30 minutes from Ft. Lewis and 20-25 minutes to downtown Tacoma to catch the train up to UW for school. I-5 is a freaking disaster. Traffic in this area is just insanely bad. It can take an hour to go 15 miles and that's normal during rush hour. Just too many people without any alternate routes.

We are so ready to be in a house after three plus weeks in hotels. The girls have been super troopers but it's time for some more space. Remember when you were a kid and you thought eating out for lunch and dinner every day would be cool? Well, by the third week of restaurants for lunch and/or dinner, it's not so cool anymore. I'd kill for a home made grilled cheese sandwich right about now.

A few more pictures of the trip out

Here are some more memorable shots of Alaska and Canada. One last shot of Denali as we stopped along the Richardson Highway for some great shots at a pull off. Ross was dying to get a good view of it and we had been socked in with clouds on Sunday. We actually drove 10 miles west down the Parks Highway on Monday morning for some pictures before heading back to east. About an hour outside of Fairbanks, we took a slew of pictures from this vantage point. This is one big mountain. By contrast, Mt. Rainier dominates the Seattle skyline and it's only just over 14,400 feet. Mt. McKinley is over 20,000. I read on Wikipedia that Denali has a larger bulk and rise than even Everest. Partly that's due to Everest being on the Tibetan Plateau where everything is already 10-15,000 feet above sea level. Just so you know, people in Alaska don't call it Mt. McKinley. Denali means "the high one" in Athabascan. In 1897 the Mountain was officially named Mount McKinley, after U.S. president William McKinley. As the decades progressed Indian-rights activists began increasingly to view this renaming as colonial and disrespectful. When Denali National Park and Preserve was established by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, December 2, 1980, the Alaska Board of Geographic Names changed the name of the mountain back to "Denali." However, the U.S. Board of Geographic Names maintains "McKinley". Alaskans tend to use "Denali" and rely on context to distinguish between the park and the mountain. There have been several campaigns to officially switch the federally recognized name of the mountain back to "Denali". However, the name "McKinley" is well-known and has support as well. The name "McKinley" also allows visitors to differentiate between the mountain and Denali National Park, in which the mountain is located.

The Sign Post Forest in Watson Lake, Canada was a trip. People from all over the world have stolen, borrowed or bought road signs to put up here along the highway. There have to be thousands of them. The town just finished rehanging them this spring. Some of the wooden poles needed replacing due to weather. It was amazing how many European (particularly German) signs there were. And Texas was represented well. Thankfully, we did not see any Aggie signs. Those jokers have embarrassed Texas enough over the past few years. I really wish I had thought this through a little more. With some luck, Ross could have brought us a sign to hang. Oh well, there's always next time. Heh. I'd like to find a giant Longhorn to put in there. That'd be memorable, right? Watson Lake is also where we discovered that Chinese food is available in the strangest places. The town sports a population of just over 1,500. There were three gas stations and two Chinese food restaurants. Go figure.


Our last full day on the road was spent working our way toward Whistler and then down to Vancouver. It was a truly beautiful and remarkable drive. From Prince George, you wind through some scenic farm country and then into the Fraser River valley until you run into the Fitzsimmons Range of which Whistler Mountain is part. Whistler is a mix of cool and kitsch. The skiing there is supposed to be awesome but the town itself is a tourist trap. We had an excellent meal there so it wasn't all bad. On the way out of town we caught a great sunset and then wound our way down the Sea to Sky Highway to Vancouver. I regret that we didn't stay downtown. We ended up in a suburb about 25 miles east. As with most things in Canada, by 8:00 pm there was not much to do around our hotel. Since we had eaten in Whistler, we were content to find the hotel and sack out for the night.

2,400 miles is a really long way to drive

I mean REALLY long. It was a lot of fun and I'm glad my friend Ross came up to do it with me. We had a blast and I'm glad I had someone else in the car with me. I would have been going a little stir crazy by about the middle of the third day. We had some unreal conversations. Some philosophical; How do we deal with immigration or should kids have to take music lessons until they leave the house. Some not so much; How many Nilla Wafers can you stuff in your mouth at one time? (he won with 12) And my personal favorite, How many midgets could you fight at the same time? We saw an amazing amount of wild life.

I'll post more pics later but here's a basic list:
6 Moose
7 Black Bears
10+ Mountain Sheep (The bighorn kind)
50+ Bison
10+ Caribou
10+ Elk
20+ Deer
1 Bald Eagle

The Bald Eagle was flying right at us while we driving. He sort of dive bombed us and then pulled up and over to the right. It was so fast and sudden that we didn't get a chance for pictures.

Seeing all the bears was kind of funny. On the drive up to Alaska, Jennifer and I only saw one. I told Ross that seeing a bear was going to be sketchy. Then, on the afternoon of the second day, we saw two within 5-10 minutes of each other. A few hours later, we saw our third. The seventh one was just 60-70 miles north of Vancouver on the drive out down from Whistler on day 4. By that time, we were just kind of "Eh, another bear." Thank goodness for good camera lenses. This pic was taken from about 30 feet away as we stayed in the car for safety sake.

Definitely the coolest thing I saw were the bison herds. I had never seen a bison in person. When we drove through Wyoming and Montana in 2004, I was hoping to see one of the private herds that roam around there. In 2006, I drove up Richardson Highway from Glenallen back to Fairbanks but never saw the heard that lives near Delta Junction.

We first saw a group of three but there might have been more in the trees. A few miles down the road, there was a larger group of 10-12. The biggest pack we saw was around 15-18 about 20 miles away from the second group. There were probably more in the tree line. Bison were the least skittish animals that we saw. They just stood there and ate the grass. They hardly paid any attention to the cars and trucks that were (sometimes) flying right by them. We slowed down because we wanted to take pictures and we also didn't want any horns or hooves impaled on the front of the Dadmobile. The only other animals that even approached the non-chalant manner of the bison were the bighorn sheep. Those little daredevils would stand right on the side of the road and eat the small flora that was growing. They would stand there while traffic buzzed by but tended to move away when we slowed to take pics. Not sure why, but they were not phased by fast moving traffic, just the slow moving ones.

A couple of things about the stops we made along the way:

Whitehorse: A pretty town set along the Yukon river. But get there early if you ever go. EVERYTHING except McDonald's and KFC shuts down at 9:00. We got seated at a restaurant and then got told that they were closing when we left. Our waitress all but kicked us out shortly after our food came. Matter of fact, she left before we did and she peeled out as she did.

Liard Hot Springs: About halfway between Whitehorse and Ft. Nelson. It's well worth the stop. It was 70 degrees outside and when we got out of the water, we were both a bit chilly. The water is amazing.

Ft. Nelson: There is NOTHING to do there. It's an oil patch town with a few hotels, some gas stations and not much else. It's kind of a necessary stop unless you want to try one of the roadside motels either before or after it but that's a total crap shoot. Not to mention that lot of them look permanently closed.

Prince George: It's a lot bigger than I remembered it being in 2004. We stayed at the Treasure Cove. The restaurant next door (called Publik) had great food and was showing the Spurs/Suns game.

Vancouver Area: We took a detour and drove down through Whistler instead of the farther eastern route. It was well worth it. The mountains are beautiful and the drive is breathtaking. Just remember to follow the road signs regarding speed. We did and our breaks still smelled burnt after the final switchback descent into the valley where the Whistler and Blackcombe ski areas are. BTW, they're still skiing up there this time of the year. Our waiter told us that they will ski until at least mid June. They stop for a few months and then start back up again in September or October. I really hope we can get up there this winter. It's a pretty town and I can only imagine what it looks like with snow all over. Vancouver is hosting the Winter Olympics in 2010 and Whistler will handle the skiing events. We ended up staying a little bit to the east of Vancouver and I regret not staying downtown. Like most Canadian cities, it was clean and full of people, even at nearly 9:00 pm when we drove through.

Well, I'll post some more pictures once I sort through them. But I really want to thank my buddy Ross for making this a memorable and fun trip.

It's official: Alaska really is a 3rd world country

Things are different up here. I've come to expect AND accept that. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Alaska is the farthest north redneck state in the country. But our hotel experience as we prepare to depart has been funny and sad all at the same time.

There's a brand new hotel out by the airport called the Alpine Lodge. For the first three weeks that they're open (starting on May 1st), they're offering a $59 special on regular rooms. The other comparable places in town are all over $100 a night this time of the year. When I called to reserve a room, I was told that they had some family and business suites that had separate bedrooms from the living/work areas. The family suites were all booked but they had a business suite. Cool beans. We'd take that and have a place to put Campbell at night without having her and Ellie in the same room. The rate was a little different ($75 vs. $59) but I'll take more room for just $16 any time. And then I checked in.

On the door as I arrived was a printed out sign saying something like "Please be patient. We are still preparing the hotel." No biggie. As long as we have our room, I'm good. I check in and walk to the room. When I go in there are two queen beds, just like I expected. And other than that, there is not much else in the way of furniture. The TV is sitting on a small table. There is no nightstand, dresser, desk or alarm clock. Other than a small kitchenette and a bathroom, there's nothing else. When I got back to the desk, I'm told that the business suites are not ready yet. And wont be until 5/11 at the earliest. Well, we'll have to make do.

Linda, my mother-in-law, came up to help Jennifer while I'm on the road. She gets a room across the hall from us and we decide that Campbell will sleep in there at night. Linda is a saint. She's been a tremendous help with the girls. Between Jennifer and I, we were able to sit at the house with the movers while Jennifer continued to out process. Starting last night, I got on the clean up and painting that needed to be done. Without Linda here, we'd be screwed trying to get the house ready for clearing.

So tonight, I walk out to the car to get my backpack. When I come back in, my room key wont work. I go back to the front desk and they re-key the card. No dice. We try a third. Nada. Well crap. Jennifer and Ellie are asleep in the room. I really don't want to knock on the door and wake them up. Our options seem limited. We're on the first floor and our window is open so I'm all for cutting the screen and going in SWAT style. Jim at the front desk starts making phone calls. After an hour, he finds out from the maintenance guy that there is an airplane like black box that he can use to reset the door. With a walkie talkie connecting him to the front desk where the other night clerk relays info over the phone from the maintenance guy, he gets it open.

So, here I sit, at 11:30, 1.) hoping that this is our Murphy's Law moment for the trip out and 2.) starting to count the hours til I can leave this 3rd world country and rejoin civilization.

For the record, as of right now, I'm under 80 hours. That's 4800 minutes or 288,000 seconds for those scoring at home.

Something odd about the Army

Well, there's a lot that's odd about it. But for whatever reason, there are several guys who are married to Army Docs/Nurses who stay home too. I know of 4 others who are here right now. I'm not sure why but Army Medicine seems to attract that combo.

Our pediatrician's husband stays home with their three kids. I've been told they don't have a TV. I'm not real keen on letting kids watch too much TV but there are times when it's a life saver. And in the fall, I need it to get my college football fix. Jennifer knows that, on Saturdays, from early September until late November, I will be planted in front of the TV, with the remote blazing across 4-5 channels, watching as much college football as I can. I've been fortunate the past three years. I only missed two Texas games on TV. One was against North Texas in 2004, the other was against Sam Houston State in 2006. In other words, I really didn't miss anything. But I'm not giving up my TV. Let me rephrase that... Ellie wont let me give up "her" TV.

In two weeks, I'll be in Canada

Time is FLYING! But we have so much to do. In the next two weeks, we still have a ton of stuff to get done. We've been telling Ellie about our move and preparing her the changes. She's grown quite attached to the kids in our building. Hopefully, we'll meet new kids her age but it is kind of sad because some of these kids she's known her entire (albeit short) life. She is pretty happy that we're moving some place with a zoo.

Cleaning the house has been fun. We have to try and get the carpet clean enough to clear our inspection on the 14th. To the naked eye, it's fine but the Housing guys up here use a black light to look for, ahem, spit up, poop and pee. With two kiddos there's gonna be some poop and pee that we missed after the 38th time one of them had an accident. I have to put primer on the walls that we painted, which is nearly every room. Hopefully some of the PFCs from Jennifer's office will be enticed by the offer of cash and free pizza to come help me out.

The movers come on Monday the 7th to start packing up our stuff. We still need to pare down the things we aren't going to take with us. Besides stuff we brought up here that we didn't need, we have baby clothes that we're just not going to use again. We also need to get Jennifer's car shipped out. It will take 14-20 days for it to get down to Seattle. I thought moving to Alaska was a pain in the butt. Moving out of Alaska is even more so.

My best friend Ross is coming up on the 12th to drive out with me. This is going to be a blast. We haven't hung out since October 2005. I promised Jennifer that we'd behave. We'll try. Heh. Nah, we will. We'll be on the road for 4 nights and 5 days. Our stops are scenic Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory and then Ft. Nelson, Prince George and Abbotsford, B.C. When we came up, we caught the ferry part of the way. I'm pretty psyched about driving the Alaska Highway. We'll have some long days but it should be fun.

Jennifer's mom is coming on Friday. She's going to fly out with Jennifer and the girls when they leave around the 16th. I bet Linda's thrilled that this is her last trip to Alaska. She wont be the only person not missing the winters up here.

Jennifer found out today that school wont start for her until early July (not June 18th.) So we'll have 5-6 weeks in the Seattle area to find our bearings. We're looking at homes in Puyallup or south of there. Jennifer's going to have a bit of a commute the first year but hopefully she can catch the train to downtown without too much trouble.

There will be things I miss. It's 9:30 right now and the sun wont be setting for another 45 minutes. There's nothing quite like sitting outside at 10:00 with a good book and a cigar in broad daylight. It's a really odd feeling. For nearly 3 years, I've been waiting for the day when we'd leave Alaska. It will be here soon. We've been here for more than 1000 days. I thought this would be a completely happy occurrence, something that I'd be 100% ready to do. But I'm not.

We cooked out with our neighbors last weekend. Our kiddos ran helter skelter around outside as we grilled. We watched them play in the sand box and draw with chalk on the sidewalk. I held my youngest on my shoulders as I flipped the steaks and made some hot dogs for the kiddos. It was beautiful weather wise. 60 degrees in the sun with just a slight breeze.

After dinner, Ellie and Campbell got baths and went to bed. I ran to the store to get hamburger fixings for the next night as we had all decided to grill again. As I drove home, the sun was still up. I was wearing sunglasses in the car at nearly 10:00 pm. My sunroof was open as I jammed to some Marley and thought about the day.

I know why I'll miss Alaska. It wont be the -40 winter days. It wont be isolation from home and friends. It will be the days like this. Sure, we'll have experience like this some where else. But as I watched my oldest daughter play, I could see her with our neighbor's daughter. They are about the same age and have known each other their whole lives. Short lives yes but they are "best" friends. I could stand outside and watch the sun not be ready to set for another few hours. I am in the only home my kids have known so far.

I will miss Alaska. I really didn't think I would say that.

Welcome to House Dad's world

This is something I should have done quite some time ago.

It all started in Alaska. My wife and I moved up to Ft. Wainwright in 2004. She was pregnant with our first daughter when we arrived. Kiddo #1 arrived in September. And so began my journey as a house dad. We had always planned on me staying home. And I thought I was ready for it. Oh boy.

It's been two and a half years now. Kiddo #2 arrived 8 months ago. Two kids is not just twice the work. It's more. And I love it.