Author Archives: joel

Storyland

Posted on June 24, 2009 by joel
We went to Storyland while we were up north. The last time we were there, Sean was still pretty small, and Carter was still in the womb. It's amazing the difference a couple of years can make. Sean tried -everything-. He was happy and enthusiastic the whole time, which was a very welcome surprise. Sean even went on the flume ride and the roller coaster. We've got a picture from the flume ride that I will scan and post soon. It's a hilarious shot - Sean is happy, Lori is happy, Carter is indifferent - but Daddy's eyes are shut tight, and his knuckles are white as he grips the rails.


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Black Cap

Posted on June 23, 2009 by joel
While we were up north, we took the kids on a hike. I wanted to give them their first taste of the mountains, but I also wanted to make sure they could actually -do- the hike. So we settled on Black Cap. It's a little over a mile to the top, with a relatively easy grade. We had to carry them off and on as their legs got tired - or they got bored. :) But once we got to the top, they had a great time. Sean and I explored the summit, and he was climbing rocks, running around, jumping in puddles, and just thoroughly enjoying himself. The only downside is that the whole region was packed tight with fog, so we couldn't see anything from the summit. I would really have liked to see what the kids thought of the view.

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Condo Pool

Posted on June 21, 2009 by joel
While we were up north, we spent a lot of time at the pool. The first day, Sean was too nervous to go in, even though he really wanted to - so this led to the kind of breakdown we've come to expect whenever we try something new. It makes us sad though, because we know he'd have a blast if he could just get over his initial anxiety and go in. But the second day (and every day after that), he did just fine. By the time we finished our vacation, he was swimming all over the pool in his lifejacket - including the deep end. He tried some swimming in the shallow end without his lifejacket, too. Carter played on the pool stairs, and was more than happy to just climb in and out of the pool for hours at a time.

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Condo Playground

Posted on June 20, 2009 by joel
We were up north on vacation earlier this month. It's nearly a three-hour drive for us, so once we got there we took the kids right over to the playground to burn off the pent-up energy they had after the drive. Last year, Sean was afraid to go more than a couple of feet up the climbing wall. But this year, he shot straight up the wall with no hesitation. Unfortunately, Carter had a harder time. She was incredibly concerned about all the bugs - she couldn't have any fun, because every time a bug came anywhere near her, she would freak out. So Daddy pulled her into his coat, which seemed to cheer her up.

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Extra Extra!

Posted on June 9, 2009 by joel
Read all about it! Twice in the last couple of months, Lori and the kids have shown up in the newspaper. Once (in the left-hand photo) while Lori and Carter were at the library for story time (Carter is the left-most child in the photo), and another time while Lori, the kids, her Dad, and her little brother were all at the beach.

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School Pics

Posted on June 9, 2009 by joel
School photo time has rolled around again at Sean's school, and this time Lori brought Carter along for some of the action as well. The woman who shoots the photos must be a natural with kids - just check out how cooperative they were! It boggles my mind.


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Happy Days

Posted on June 2, 2009 by joel
Now that the weather is getting so nice, the kids are spending a lot of time outside. Have you ever seen three happier kids?

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A Safety-Minded Lass

Posted on May 31, 2009 by joel

We've started potty-training Carter lately, and she's been doing well. She's consistently using the potty every night before bed, and a little less consistently first thing in the morning. Hopefully this will go a lot easier with her than it did with her big brother. But as you can see, she observes her own complete set of safety rules for this endeavour.

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Zonked, the Return

Posted on May 28, 2009 by joel

Yet another picture of Carter passed out while playing, in the middle of the day. This is starting to become a pattern. She's just like her Daddy - I can nap pretty much anywhere, if I've got the time.

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Olivia

Posted on May 27, 2009 by joel
A couple of weeks ago, Lori and I babysat Ryan and Olivia so that Tracy and Mike could get out alone for a bit. While they were here, we got a couple of cute pictures of Olivia.

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