A Trip to the Zoo

It took 1 year, 11 months, and 17 days for Kellan to go on his first-ever trip to the zoo.  That wasn't his fault, of course - Mommy and Daddy had promised Grandma and Grandpa as a birthday gift that they could be there for the initial visit, so we needed to coordinate availability.  We also figured Kellan would enjoy the animals more if he was at an age of basic understanding of them.  We had hoped to go on a nice, sunny day... but, living in the Northwest, sometimes the best laid plans can be thwarted by weather.  In the end, we went on a Saturday morning, when it was around 49 degrees outside, but not raining.  On the upside, the zoo wasn't crowded!

The first animals we saw were the penguins.  We spent about 10 minutes watching them swim about, playing in the water and on the rocky landscape.  Kellan seemed mesmerized.

The penguins' synchronized swimming performance was truly enjoyable.

What better place to warm up a bit than the Tropical Rain Forest Building.  This is Kellan pointing to the poisonous (albeit very colorful) dart frogs.

A brightly-colored toucan took a close peek at us as we watched him.

The different types of birds at the zoo seemed to be Kellan's favorites, as attested to by the many photos we have of him looking and/or pointing upward (more to come).

The animals Kellan did NOT like were the larger species, such as this gorilla.  Even the baby gorilla was frightening, though it was around Kellan's size.

Safety and comfort found on Grandpa's shoulders.

This is the bird Kellan and Daddy were watching build a nest...

...here in this photo.

The giraffe was another large (and thus, scary) animal for Kellan.  Mommy thought he was pretty cute, though.

The entire first half of the trip to the zoo, we were making our way to the elephant exhibit because Kellan said he wanted to see them.  Of course, we get there, and Kellan is desperately clutching to us, saying "no... no... no..."  Poor little guy.  Not even the dancing elephant above could capture Kellan's interest (too bad we didn't record a video, it was very entertaining!).

The siamangs were less scary than the larger animals, but Kellan still didn't find them to be all that enjoyable to watch (a shame, as viewing their grooming habits can be fascinating).

Here is one of the favorite animals that the adults of our group encountered - this was an orangutan, hanging out in a tree hammock, staring at everyone walking by.  It would have made a fabulous drawing model, it was so still!  Plus, the so-ugly-it's-cute face, right?

Finally, an exhibit that Kellan liked that didn't include birds - the meerkats!  I mean, who doesn't love a good meerkat show?

Whatchu lookin' at?

Hee, I'm just kidding.  Hi!

On our way out of the park, we passed the penguin exhibit again, though this time they had a special animal guest.

Mommy, Kellan, and Daddy, just before leaving.

Grandpa, Kellan, and Grandma, getting in one more squeeze before heading out.

 

Kellan very much enjoyed spending the trip with Grandpa and Grandma - obviously!

So fun!!  Maybe next time, Kellan won't be so frightened of the bigger animals, hm?

A Visit with Grandma Pat

April 2nd was Grandma Pat's birthday, so to celebrate, Kellan and Mommy drove down to Chehalis to take her out to dinner.  Kellan hadn't seen Grandma Pat's apartment before, so it was a lot of fun to check out the toys and games she had for him.

Grandma is showing Kellan how to twist the barrel open to find other barrels inside

Wow, Grandma!  There are more barrels inside I can unscrew!

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Before we left for home, Mommy changed Kellan into his pajamas, and Grandma read him a story.

Great to see you, Mom/Grandma!  It was a really nice visit. :-)

In other news...

Kellan got his first tattoo last week.  Imagine Mommy's shock at finding this on his forearm: 

Turns out he got it at daycare, though we're not sure if he picked it out or if he got it from someone special...?  Doesn't really matter, as it was pretty cool.  Also very long-lasting - it's still there over a week later!

Kellan and Daddy, having a good time on the floor

One of Kellan's new favorite things to do?  Put on Mommy and Daddy's shoes and try to walk around the dining area.  Here he is wearing some of Mommy's (short) heels.

(I hope this is just a phase)

A Day at the Park

A couple of weeks ago, Kellan, Mommy, and Daddy took a trip to Carkeek Park.  It was late afternoon and quite chilly, but plenty of people were about.  There were people flying kites on the beach, the strange and wonderful "bubble man" telling stories and creating bubbles on the lawn, and a family shooting air rockets at the edge of the forest.  We had perfect timing, as we were lucky enough to start our visit by watching the train zoom below us while we stood on the footbridge from the park to the beach.

Here's Kellan watching the kites in the sky from the footbridge (just before the train came)

Kellan was mesmerized by the train's noise and movement below

At the park, there is a special slide in the shape of a salmon.  This is Daddy and Kellan just before heading down the slide, as viewed from the inside.

"Mischievous Kellan", making a brief facial appearance

Kellan really enjoyed this turtle bouncer at the playground

I think Kellan's really going to enjoy amusement park rides when he gets old enough to ride them - he loves bouncing up and down, spinning until he's dizzy, and as in this instance, every time we stop rocking on a ride, he says, "more...more..."

I've been accused of not sharing enough about Kellan's recent developments, so allow me to give you a brief look at what he's been up to lately:

• Kellan's vocabulary is exploding - he's learning new words all the time, and he loves to repeat words we use. Some of Mommy's favorite things to hear Kellan say - "bear" (sounds like bee-yur), "bye bye" (as he waves at inanimate objects while leaving a room), and "Daaaaaaaaaaaaa-dee!" (when he is calling for Daddy).
• His balance is still a little unsteady, but he is starting to run - a LOT.  It's fun to chase him and hear him giggle with delight as we do so.
• At night, he always asks for "1 more" book, even if he is ready to hit the crib.  It's basically become the last step of the bedtime routine.
• And speaking of bedtime, he's great about going down to sleep.  He basically points to the crib once we're done reading books, we put him down, turn out the lights, and leave the room.  He often stays awake for several minutes longer (we can see him in our video monitor), but he usually just stares at the ceiling and runs his fingers along his blankets until finally falling asleep.
• He has a crush on a girl at daycare named Abbey.  In the mornings, if Kellan refuses to cooperate with us while trying to dress him or get his shoes on, etc., we simply mention, "don't you want to see Abbey?" and the answer is always "yes".  It's been a huge motivator for him and help to us.
• He loves, loves, loves lima beans.  Yes, we're a little shocked, too.
• Kellan is still totally obsessed with balls.  One day, when we went to pick him up from daycare, he'd corraled all the balls in the gym into a corner.  Daddy has a picture of him on his cell phone, standing in front of the balls, looking very pleased at his accomplishment.

And now as a to wrap things up, a couple of random pics for your viewing pleasure.

Looks like Kellan might share Mommy's fantastic frowning ability
(wouldn't you frown too if Daddy's feet were on the side of your crib?)

Nutella Poster Boy

Kellan's Pet Rock

Tonight after dinner, the family decided to take a walk to the nearby high school.  Early along the way, Kellan found a rock that he carried to the school, then proceeded to throw it, chase after it, pick it up, and throw it again.  Repeatedly.  It never got old (at least, not to K-Man)...

Just kidding - Mommy and Daddy love to watch Kellan having fun. :-)

Here's Kellan at the beginning of the venture - he loves to watch the soccer players practice

Occasionally, Kellan gets a far-off look in his eyes, like he's daydreaming of being a famous soccer player... or maybe just thinking, "I wish I'd had more lima beans at dinner."

He loves running - especially if he's being chased (notice Daddy's feet not far behind!)

Kellan has some mad skills when he's throwing - always straight, usually a decent distance, and mostly with a bit of a sidearm.  He'd easily be a baseball pitcher... if only there were a toddler league out there somewhere.

Isn't this the best rock, Mommy?  I'm going to keep it FOREVER!

Who knows, Kellan could be telling the truth.  If we hadn't taken it away from him before bedtime, he'd probably still be clutching the rock in his hand while he slept (you know, in case he wanted to practice tosses in the middle of the night).

Today's Post Is Brought to You by the Letter K and the Number 3

Oh Sesame Street, how I love thee.  I must've watched every episode as a kid, and I love it when Kellan gets excited to watch it - even if it IS only because Elmo's there.  Right now, Kellan is "bock-bock-bock"-ing like a chicken, even flapping his arms like wings... because Elmo's doing it on TV.  I wonder if there's an episode where Elmo sits down at the dinner table and completes his meal without throwing food on the floor?

It's been quite awhile since I last posted, so there are a few things to catch up on.

Between Christmas and New Year's, Daddy had a very special "playdate" with his friend Greg... and the #1 disc golf player in the world, Dave Feldberg.  That's right; Daddy got to play disc golf with THE top player on the planet.  And here's Kellan holding the disc Daddy had Dave sign (this was taken just before we hermetically sealed it into a bulletproof glass box) ;-)

It's so great when we get together with the Freemans - Kellan really looks up to his older cousin, Finley, and it's a lot of fun to watch them interact with one another. 

This picture was taken on a family trip to Cashmere in January - just look at the adoring smile on Kellan's face

From the same trip to Cashmere.  Mommy loves their expressions (and Finley's boots!).

This is Kellan showing off his "Giggle with Elmo" doll to Finley.

You see?  You shake him up and down, and he giggles!  Isn't that funny??

Kellan has also been enjoying time with Thatcher (who just turned 1 on Tuesday - yay!) .

Good times on the couch in Cashmere

Thatcher and Kellan, trying on some kid-sized Bavarian hats

See Thatcher?  You gotta put it on like this.  Good thing I'm here to help you!

I'm going to make you an offer you can't refuse...

(movie reference, anyone?)

Kellan is able to entertain himself with the simplest things these days.  Are you bored?  Check out what you can do with just two chairs!

It's a party!

And what's that you say?  You've only got a box big enough for you to sit in and a length of rope?

Add Daddy to pull the rope, and you've got yourself a homemade vehicle of fun!

The past few weekends we've tried to get out of the house and check out some downtown Seattle sites.  The first place we went was Pike Place Market.  We shared a strawberry and nutella crepe, checked out old books, played with wind-up toys, and even bought some flavored dry pasta and fresh garden peas.

Daddy and Kellan, having a good time together, just like always!

You may not be able to tell right off, but it was fairly windy that day

On a separate weekend, we decided to check out Seattle Center.  There was a yo-yo competition going on in the Center House, which was pretty fun to walk through.  It was also beautiful outside, but brutally chilly.

Despite the cold, we ventured outside for a bit, where Kellan was surprised to find... a leaf!

Mommy, Daddy - do you see the leaf I found on the ground?

He was so shocked whenever the wind picked up the leaf

We took the Monorail from Westlake Center to get to Seattle Center.  Here's an almost-complete family photo inside the Monorail (sorry it cut you off, Daddy!)

Hey hey!  Check out the big boy at the back of the Monorail!  Lots to see and point to there.