First Day of Preschool

Evan had his first day of preschool today along with his friend Alec. They both seemed to really enjoy it. In this particular program (which is through a local college) the parents stay with the children throughout class. Every week the parents alternate and go into an adjoining classroom for parent education. This first week was my turn and Evan surprised me and did not seem to mind at all that I was not in his line of sight.

The classroom set-up was great, perfect for this age group. They had a little kitchenette with pretend food, an area for dress-up, areas for art and play-dough, and areas they could just make a mess with shaving cream. In another room they had a soft, large ramp for the kids to push vehicles downhill - this seemed to be Evan's favorite. We're looking forward to a fun school year!

Evan's First Concert

Evan's First Concert from Jennifer Campbell Ling on Vimeo.

This video was taken at Evan's first concert; The Brian Waite Band playing in Kirkland for their summer concert series. He LOVED it, he danced for almost the entire hour.

More pictures from our trip to the south

Evan Turns Two!

We celebrated Evan's 2nd birthday in Georgia and spent a lot of quality time with our family and friends during our two weeks there. I got the chance to see two friends I had not seen in 10 years and Evan loved spending time with his grandparents, aunts, cousins and uncles. This birthday was neat because Evan was aware of all the things associated with birthdays and he is still talking about cake (see the awesome cake his Gram made below), blowing out candles and presents! His 2nd birthday gifts included a train table with a Thomas the Train set and a John Deere front loader!

Haymaking!

We've spent a lot of time at Kristoferson Farm in the last month spending time with family and hanging out while the family was baling hay. Evan and I had a ball exploring (slugs, birds, flowers, rabbits) while everyone else was working hard (sorry guys, we'll put Evan to work soon enough and I will start pulling my weight!). He and I hiked around the property while he was in a backpack on my back. As we observed everyone in the process of raking, tetting and baling Evan got the haymaking lingo down and now uses those terms when he plays. For a little boy obsessed with trucks and tractors he is in his element there!

Highlights of the last 3 Months

The last three months have flown by, I apologize to the two people that read this blog... Evan and I have spent the greater part of the last few months sick or recovering from sinus surgery (me, not Evan thankfully). We are on the tail end of a cold right now and fortunately it is on its way out; I cannot wait for this extended cold season to go away! We also had a fun-filled visit from Evan's Gram and Grandpa which included climbing down to Snoqualmie Falls and visiting the Cougar Mountain Zoo. And Evan is still talking about the Easter egg hunt we put together for him at the farm.

Evan turned 23 months old today. He's becoming more independent as we enter the 2's. He surprises us everyday with everything he's learning, it's amazing to realize just how much they absorb (especially when they repeat words you don't want them to and in exactly the right context!). He continues to love music and just learned every verse to 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star' (which is just about the cutest thing I have ever heard). He does a good job of entertaining himself at times but needs much more stimulation now or he gets antsy. To combat this issue I enrolled him in Gymboree as a trial a few months ago. We are now doing classes three days each week - Art, Music and Play & Learn at Gymboree. He loves it and even with all of that I still struggle to keep him occupied! His personality is really developing as well and he says some of the cutest things. My favorites are: 'sure' (when you ask him if he wants something in particular), 'let's go' (which he says in the most excited voice) and 'show mommy/daddy' (he says this about 20 times each day).

Let Me Do It!

Evan just uttered his first four word phrase and wouldn't you know it was "Let me do it!". Here he is with his Dad earlier this evening while Aaron took him for a walk. I have been sick and house bound for over a week so Aaron has been taking him out for walks every evening when he gets home. Poor child is bored out of his mind!

No Longer a Teen

Evan turned 20 months last week...he is no longer in his teen-months. It seems like his next birthday is just around the corner now. We had a rough February when he had four molars coming in all at one time, he was not a happy kid. Now he is back to his previous happy ways. We bought him a starter Thomas the Train set and he is loving it. He is also really into cars and trucks (he loves to make engine noises) and attempting to play sports with whatever happens to be around him (i.e. using his drum stick to hit a tennis ball and yelling 'golf!'). He is getting into imaginative play quite a lot, he likes to play trains with Elmo or his monkey and bear (which he always says together as one word 'monkeybear') while they sit across from him at the table. He gives his stuffed animals water, snacks and has them play soccer. He even tells them 'good job' when they kick the ball! He is also getting more interactive with his friends so the play dates we have been having since he was born with my girlfriends' children are finally fun for him and not just me! The pictures above are of Evan with his friend Jack (they just got up from their naps so their hair was especially wild). Jack is only 7 months older than Evan but as you can see he is a head taller (sorry Evan you are genetically destined to be a short guy...).

Work Day at the Farm

Visit with Nana

My Mom came to Seattle for a visit last week and Evan had a great time getting to know her better. He is talking really well now which made it even more fun for them both because he could clearly communicate with her. We had a busy week taking Evan to the park several times, Pike's Place Market, Snoqualmie Falls and running lots of errands that are hard for me to do when I am alone during the day. My Mom is fabulous at organizing and she helped us get the house more in order and more lived in (hanging curtains, decorating, etc).

Saturday after we dropped her off at the airport we headed up to the Farm for the afternoon and he kept looking around for her saying "Nana?". It was so sweet and sad at the same time. It is so difficult living so far away from her. Miss you already Mom...

Whale Calls

We had an awesome time in Maui (how can you not, right?). Our daily ritual consisted of the beach and/or the pool...rough life! We heard whales calling to each other while we were snorkeling one day. I had more whale sightings on this trip than I have of all my other visits here combined. It is amazing to sit on the beach and gaze out at the ocean and suddenly see their massive bodies flying out of the water followed by a huge spray of water as they go back under.

Evan was tentative about the water the first several days but by the end of our trip we were both running after him when he took a beeline for the water out of no where. He loved digging in the sand and exploring the beach. Aaron took him to the tide pools and Evan kept asking to touch everything he saw. (For awhile now every animal he sees he says "touch?" asking permission before proceeding). We met a family from Seattle with a boy just two days younger than Evan and hung out with them for a couple of days on the beach. I am not a very outgoing person if I don't know someone but it is amazing how children can make you talk to just about anyone.

Evan got to spend some quality time with his Papa and Momo on our trip which was great as well. They took him to the aquarium one afternoon and Aaron and I spent a lazy afternoon sipping cocktails and relaxing by the pool relishing the fact that we could sit still for more than a few minutes at a time. They also babysat one night so we could enjoy a nice dinner out which was fabulous! We had an awesome family vacation and hope to make it a yearly event!