A PlayDATE at the Zoo

One of Kellan's closest friends at daycare is Abbey.  They've both been there since they were infants, and they are very close in age (Abbey's just a few weeks older than Kellan).  Since they have so much fun at school together, we thought it would be cool to invite Abbey to go to the zoo with Kellan on a Saturday morning a few weeks ago.  Abbey's parents agreed, and she and her mom met up with us for our first playdate together.

As you can see, Kellan was very excited to see Abbey

While we waited for Abbey and her mom to arrive, we were fascinated by a peacock at the entrance to the zoo

Look at the size of that peacock!  And it wasn't shy, either... obviously.

The first animals we saw were the giraffes.  Can you find all three?

Abbey and Kellan enjoyed looking at the hippos in the water together

The lion was conked out on the rock, as usual

One of Abbey and Kellan's many "discussions" - this one was while we were watching the elephants

We fed the birds at Willawong Station (it was the busiest we'd ever seen it!)

Abbey and Kellan tested the strength of some of the tree limbs at Willawong

Photo op on the rocks outside of the meerkat exhibit.  Don't they make a cute pair?

We played inside for a bit at the Zoomazium, then it was time to say goodbye

I guess it wouldn't have been a true first date without the awkward hug at the end

I hope we get another chance to chaperone a date between Kellan and Abbey... maybe we can end with ice cream on the next outing. :-)

Outdoor Fun and Other Favorite Things

It's been another long while since I've put up a post, so I've put together a handful of photos from the last couple months showing some of Kellan's favorite activities.  Enjoy!

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In the field across from our house, there are seven large rocks in a group that Kellan loves to climb on.  He's assigned rocks for nearly everyone in the family, and the owners change depending on who happens to be at the forefront of his mind.  His memory is impressive, however - he always picks the same ones for him, Mommy, and Daddy.

Lounging on Daddy's rock

Hamming it up on Kellan's rock

When the weather is nice, it's fun to take Kellan somewhere he can ride the red tricycle we've borrowed from the Freemans (thanks again, guys!).  He looks like such a "big boy" when I see him riding around on his own.

Just about to start pedaling!

One of our favorite places to walk or ride to is the Lakeside Upper School campus.  It's gorgeous and makes us think of Harry Potter for some reason.

Kellan, exploring one of the soccer goal posts at Lakeside

What luck to find a big, sturdy stick just lying near the track...

...and if one stick is cool, two is double the fun!

Here's Kellan performing two acts at the same time: tricycling and flashing a smile.  He's just so talented.

We had a perfect rainbow appear outside our house one afternoon.

(no, it wasn't a double rainbow, but we had our hopes)

One of Kellan's favorite places to visit is Grandma and Grandpa's house in Bellingham.  He gets to feed ducks, throw rocks into the lake, and watch Cooper and Connor run around the yard.  Oh yeah, he likes seeing Grandma and Grandpa an awful lot, too.

Kellan listens intently as Grandpa shows how he'll throw a toy for Cooper or Connor to retrieve.  The things "boys" will talk about...

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Next post will focus on something else Kellan has recently enjoyed... going on his first "date"!  Stay tuned!

California Dreamin'

Last month, Kellan experienced a number of "firsts" while on vacation with Mommy and Daddy - it was his first airplane ride (at least, the first one where he was cognizant of being there), his first trip to California, and his first trip to (drumroll, please)... Disneyland!

 

Kellan had some comfort items in hand to help ease any anxiety he may have had on the plane; namely, his blanket, his pacifier, and his stuffed rabbit, "Rabbit".


In an effort to transport the carseat and Kellan around the airport with ease, Mommy duplicated an idea off the internet to attach the carseat to one of our rolling carry-ons.  It was sturdy enough for Kellan to sit in the seat while we rolled the luggage around with us and worked like a charm!  We did get some funny looks, however...


Our first stop after picking up our rental car was Newport Beach.  It was a gorgeous day, and a surfing competition was being held while we were there.  So exciting!

Nothing like being able to take off your shoes and walk in the sand

There was a group of girls there - obvious beach veterans - that caught Kellan's attention.  They didn't seem to mind Kellan standing close to watch their antics.

Our vacation rental was situated across the street from Disneyland, which meant it was a short walk to get there.

We had dinner at Downtown Disney our first night.  This is Kellan occupying his time with an electronic game while waiting for the food.

We ate outside!


The next day, we went to Disneyland.  Kellan was wowed by the castles and characters.

We spent the week leading up to the trip introducing Kellan to the wonders of Disney, with a lot of emphasis on Mickey Mouse.  When it came time to meet Mickey, Kellan became incredibly shy... of course, as soon as we left, he remarked, "I like Mickey Mouse!"

We went on several different rides, but Mommy's favorite was going on the teacups with Kellan.

During our last bit of exploration that first day, we happened upon Pixie Hollow (where Tinkerbell and her fairy friends live).  It was built to make you feel like a sprite - blades of grass and flowers towered above us.  There was a cute, round door that reminded Mommy and Daddy of a Hobbit's house.

Mommy and Kellan, waiting in line for Peter Plan's Flight

The wait to go on Peter Pan's Flight was around 30 minutes at any given moment; thankfully, Kellan didn't seem to mind passing the time in line.

Kellan and Daddy in the car outside of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride

We couldn't take Kellan on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad train ride due to height restrictions, but he did love watching the train whiz by with Daddy.

We can't wait to go again!  Hopefully by next time, Kellan won't be so shy to meet Mickey and his friends.

And Kellan Is His Name, Oh!

Here is a random assortment of Kellan photos I'd like to share with you.  They were taken over the last couple of months.

Remember View-Masters?  They came with cardboard disks with 3-D images you could view and alternate between by pulling down a lever on the side of it.  Mommy found one in a box of older items, and Kellan was fascinated by it.

One of Kellan's many mischievous looks.

Finley and Thatcher came over for a visit one evening and played "fire emergency" with Kellan, Daddy, and Aunt Justyn.  "Fire emergency" is a game that consists of one person being the fireman and the others playing people in need of help from the fireman.  Usually Sesame Street figurines are used to represent the people and Kellan's firetruck (specifically, the ladder) is used to help rescue the people from the couch cushions... it's an exhilarating and fast-paced game.  You'll just have to take my word for it. 

One of Kellan's favorite things to do is have Daddy spin him around in our desk chair.  Kellan wanted Finley to experience the thrill, too, so they both took a twirl in the chair together.  The smiles were endless.  Well, until the chair stopped spinning, I mean.

I really like this photo, even though it's horribly out of focus.  Can't you just imagine their laughter as the chair whirled around?

Kellan helped Mommy make a batch of mini oatmeal muffins one day.  He poured most of the ingredients into the bowl by himself and even greased the muffin tin.  I think he feels especially important wearing his very own apron (a fabulous gift from "aunt" Jennifer, made by Jenn's sister, Janelle - you can see more of her stuff here).  It's hard to make out, but at the top of the apron is Kellan's name embroidered in green.  Too cute!

Believe It or Not, Kellan's Walking on Air

A couple weeks ago, we joined the Ludwigs at the FunZone Indoor Inflatable Playground at Magnuson Park.  Kellan had a great time climbing around in bouncy houses and going down slides with Faith.

There was a special inflatable area designated just for 3 year olds and younger.  Kellan's face lit up when he got inside and started playing.

Once the smiles started, they simply didn't stop...

Kellan loved the slides!

Back in the 3 and younger area, Kellan played "follow the leader" with Faith.

You just can't have a bad time when you're running and jumping on air!

But, eventually the fun did have to come to an end. :-(

Aw, don't be sad kiddos.  We'll be back!

A big thank you to the Ludwigs for introducing us to this extremely enjoyable indoor play area!