Just wanted to write a note about something that has been working really well for us for awhile now. It evolved out of Orion not wanting me watch him do certain things. Not sure what that is all about on its own, but it turned into something great with the carseat. I started opening the door and saying my eyes were closed and something about wondering if Orion would be in the car before I felt the carseat. He jumps in really fast, and then I feel him and wonder who it could be because Orion couldn't have gotten in so fast. Then I open my eyes and say how glad I am it is him. Sometimes I feel his body parts and guess what they are incorrectly. All sorts of silly things. It even works when he has wandered off and seems not into getting in. I will open the door and say my eyes are closed, and Orion could never get in quickly being so far away. He races right over and jumps in.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Rant about Teeth and Eating Habits
Today was another pretty slow day, so I figure it is a good day for a rant. :) Since Orion got his dental work done, I have been thinking about dental hygeine again and trying to do a better job. We already are very careful about his night brushing, and I was doing various xylitol products during the day, but I am trying to add some more brushings.
The thing that has always bugged me is the dental profession seems at odds with the best advice about eating. I like to let Orion eat all through the day whenever he wants. I think it is pretty well known that grazing is the best eating habit to develop, and letting kids monitor their own hunger levels as they are growing up is even more important to preventing food issues later on. But the sheet most dentists hand out tells you to try and do few discrete meals. Of course this makes sense if you have problems with your teeth. You eat, you clean them. But I guess that is why this is a rant. It just is so annoying that the healthiest way to eat makes for so much more work in taking care of your teeth.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Mostly a resting day
Today we mostly vegged out, but we did get out of the house a bit at the end of the day. When we first got into the car, Orion asked about going back to the tulip fields. I tried to explain about the festival being over, because I figured it was the jumpers and slides and such he was really interested in. But he said he just wanted to go back and see the flowers because they were so "boooteeful". Awww.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Silver Falls Day 2 and the Tulip Festival
Yes, the monsters did rear their ugly heads again, and he wanted to be under the sheet again. The intensity did not seem nearly as much, though, and it made me wonder if he was just "replaying a tape". Also made me wonder if this was something he would bring home as a souvenir from this trip. I thought for sure he would zonk after such and active day, but he still had a hard time getting to sleep. I also hoped I would sleep more soundly but didn't. :( But I woke up with my back still feeling good, so I can't complain!
We had scoped out the parking situation yesterday, and I was happy to see there was a small lot near Winter Falls that wasn't shown on the park map. That was perfect as the other falls I wanted to see was down a short connector trail from there, but too far from any of the other places I had seen parking.
Here is Winter Falls. Not as spectacular as some of the other falls in the park, but very pretty.
Our one and only family shot of the weekend.
Morning dew - my favorite shot from the weekend. Ron made an interesting observation that all the leaves had drops of water just around the edges, and it made for a cool picture.
More rock throwing on the trail.
Side view coming down the trail of Middle North Falls.
Heading behind Middle North Falls.
Falls from the other side.
From a little further away and from under an overhang. Ron and I both decided we liked these falls the best.
Orion in his niche. (AKA King of the Mountain this time)
Down the trail, ahead of Mom....
"My friend Slimy". I have never seen a kid so torn up about leaving a slug.
Little flowers growing on the side of the rocks. These were tiiiiiny.
And this was as close as we got to North Falls (the overview). After two uphill pulls out from Middle North and Winter, I thought I should call it quits. Plus, we wanted to make it to the Tulip Festival, so it was a great idea to get on the road.
And here we are! These horse swings were cute.
This was also a clever little set up. You had to pump the water out to get the rubber duckies to go down the ramps. And look how thin Ron looks!
"Yay, I got my duck to the bottom!" And notice the shirt he picked out at the Silver Falls lodge.
Trippy conveyer belt slide. So much creative stuff for kids to play with and on.
Aw, the pony boy.
"Look, no hands!"
Getting strapped into the cool bouncer thing. He looks so serious! I really wasn't sure what he was going to think of this as he can is sometimes afraid of things that surprise me.
But he liked it! Getting a little tentative air...
... and a little more.
At the end, the operator would give each kid some big bounces way up in the air. I think he got a little scared at this point, but he didn't call for him to stop.
Oh yeah, we came to see tulips haha. Here they are!
Orion tiptoes through the tulips. Yes, it had to be said.
Such a cute picture, even with the hands at peepee dance position.
Little tulip elf.
This is me trying to imitate Orion's standard goofy smile.
Belly, belly, belly
Required cheesiness.
This picture cracked me up when I first saw it because it looked like he was checking out my belly, but really he was just handing me a macaw.
Getting ready for a ride on the cow train.
Dad making the universal sign for train. He said he was so glad I didn't go as the thing had no shocks and the driver took pains to drive over every rut possible haha. He thought it would have destroyed my back.
More tulips...
... and sideways tulips. Wish it hadn't been such an overcast day.
More playtime. Notice the boy in the brown shirt. He was a couple years older than Orion, and they became fast friends. And I just love kids - he never did get Orion's name, and just called him "Dude" all day LOL. He was just one of those great boys that plays so well with younger kids. Forgive me for including so many of the next photos. Ron took this series with the multiframe, or whatever it is called, and the whole thing was just too cute.
I wish this had been more in focus because it is about the cutest picture I have seen of Orion in a long time.
Back to duck racing with his new friend.
More necessary cheesiness.
Peekaboo
And one of several belly shots we tried. And no point in hiding I colored the sky in Photoshop. It was my first time trying to do this, and it doesn't look half bad.
Tulip close up. Wow, this looks like a painting!
Last of the cheese, I swear. For a kid who is allergic to dairy, he is sure good at the cheese. :)
On the way home - whim shots out the sunroof of our new Benz. :) Sure, now we get some blue skies.
We had scoped out the parking situation yesterday, and I was happy to see there was a small lot near Winter Falls that wasn't shown on the park map. That was perfect as the other falls I wanted to see was down a short connector trail from there, but too far from any of the other places I had seen parking.
Here is Winter Falls. Not as spectacular as some of the other falls in the park, but very pretty.
Our one and only family shot of the weekend.
Morning dew - my favorite shot from the weekend. Ron made an interesting observation that all the leaves had drops of water just around the edges, and it made for a cool picture.
More rock throwing on the trail.
Side view coming down the trail of Middle North Falls.
Heading behind Middle North Falls.
Falls from the other side.
From a little further away and from under an overhang. Ron and I both decided we liked these falls the best.
Orion in his niche. (AKA King of the Mountain this time)
Down the trail, ahead of Mom....
"My friend Slimy". I have never seen a kid so torn up about leaving a slug.
Little flowers growing on the side of the rocks. These were tiiiiiny.
And this was as close as we got to North Falls (the overview). After two uphill pulls out from Middle North and Winter, I thought I should call it quits. Plus, we wanted to make it to the Tulip Festival, so it was a great idea to get on the road.
And here we are! These horse swings were cute.
This was also a clever little set up. You had to pump the water out to get the rubber duckies to go down the ramps. And look how thin Ron looks!
"Yay, I got my duck to the bottom!" And notice the shirt he picked out at the Silver Falls lodge.
Trippy conveyer belt slide. So much creative stuff for kids to play with and on.
Aw, the pony boy.
"Look, no hands!"
Getting strapped into the cool bouncer thing. He looks so serious! I really wasn't sure what he was going to think of this as he can is sometimes afraid of things that surprise me.
But he liked it! Getting a little tentative air...
... and a little more.
At the end, the operator would give each kid some big bounces way up in the air. I think he got a little scared at this point, but he didn't call for him to stop.
Oh yeah, we came to see tulips haha. Here they are!
Orion tiptoes through the tulips. Yes, it had to be said.
Such a cute picture, even with the hands at peepee dance position.
Little tulip elf.
This is me trying to imitate Orion's standard goofy smile. 
Belly, belly, belly
Required cheesiness. 
This picture cracked me up when I first saw it because it looked like he was checking out my belly, but really he was just handing me a macaw. 
Getting ready for a ride on the cow train. 
Dad making the universal sign for train. He said he was so glad I didn't go as the thing had no shocks and the driver took pains to drive over every rut possible haha. He thought it would have destroyed my back.
More tulips...
... and sideways tulips. Wish it hadn't been such an overcast day. 
More playtime. Notice the boy in the brown shirt. He was a couple years older than Orion, and they became fast friends. And I just love kids - he never did get Orion's name, and just called him "Dude" all day LOL. He was just one of those great boys that plays so well with younger kids. Forgive me for including so many of the next photos. Ron took this series with the multiframe, or whatever it is called, and the whole thing was just too cute.
I wish this had been more in focus because it is about the cutest picture I have seen of Orion in a long time. 
Back to duck racing with his new friend. 
More necessary cheesiness.
Peekaboo
And one of several belly shots we tried. And no point in hiding I colored the sky in Photoshop. It was my first time trying to do this, and it doesn't look half bad. 
Tulip close up. Wow, this looks like a painting! 
Last of the cheese, I swear. For a kid who is allergic to dairy, he is sure good at the cheese. :)
On the way home - whim shots out the sunroof of our new Benz. :) Sure, now we get some blue skies.
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