Pictures with Santa

We went to Swanson's Nursery to visit Santa this year.  They have a great set up and the lines aren't too bad.  Lars wasn't too excited to sit on Santa's lap this year, he went limp as a wet noodle and tried to wiggle off his lap.  Odin didn't really care.

The photographer trying to convince the boys to look at him with Ernie

The beginning of wet noodle Lars

Mama steps in to see if Lars will stand in front of Santa instead of sitting on his lap

No dice

That's okay, we got to see the camel, donkey and reindeer afterwards

A photo of the final photo...amazing that the photographer got something!  It's difficult to tell, but Santa is holding onto Lars' arm to keep him from running away.

A photo of last year's photo for comparison.  Odin has the same expression!

The Locks

There have been several trips to the Ballard Locks lately...not by boat, but as a land excursion.  I always loved going to the Locks when I was a kid.  We usually got a picnic meal of fish and chips from the Totem House and after we had eaten, my sister and I would roll down the terraced hills, not to mention looking at the cool boats and watching the Locks themselves work to transport boats either up to lake level, or down to sea level.

It's really fun to take my own kids to a place I loved going so much.  Tor took both boys alone one day, then we had a great family excursion where the boys walked and walked and walked, and later I even had the guts to take Lars and Odin there by myself without a stroller.  It was just two little boys on their feet, with their monkey backpack harnesses in case they decided to make a break for it.  It all went great until we were headed back to the car and Lars decided to walk through a barrier protecting a planting area and an Army Corps of Engineers employee gave me a very stern look, even though I running after him to try and stop him.  Simultaneously Odin was eating a berry off of the black mondo grass.  Ack!  I can't be in two places at the same time!  I frantically googled "black mondo grass berry toxicity" on my iphone and fortunately it appeared to be non-toxic.  I was glad to get us all back to the car, but all in all we've had fun at the locks lately.

A trip with Papa to the Locks

Papa and Odin checking out the empty large locks

The empty large locks

Mama and Lars checking out the small locks

Cute Lars

Two little boys playing in sculpture 

Odin likes to point things out

Two little boys walking

self timer family portrait

I played with these same structures as a kid!

Checking for boats

These steps were endlessly fun!

First Kiss

Both Lars and Odin have been kissing adults for a few weeks.  There isn't any pucker yet, just lip touching and it usually leaves you wiping the drool off of your mouth, but it is the sweetest thing.  Today the boys kissed each other for the first time...I about melted!  Just had to share the cuteness.

Why Having Two is SO Much Fun

At 18 months we are really starting to see true interaction between Lars and Odin. They've always interacted with each other, but we are now starting to see true playing together and the beginnings of empathy. They play peek a boo with each other and it is hilarious!  They hide behind the couch and then pop up and scream with laughter as soon as they catch sight of the other.  A few days ago Odin was SCREAMING bloody murder while I was changing his diaper and Lars walked over with two trucks in his hands (gold in this house) and tried to give one to Odin to make him feel better.  That made my month!  To see the beginnings of empathy...well, it makes me tear up to think about it.  That's not to say we don't see toy stealing and pushing each other out of the way to get what they want, but luckily that usually only happens when little boys are hungry or tired.

I was able to catch some of the recent fun interaction with my phone video camera.  Lars was reaching over to take food off of Odin's tray and wasn't having any luck, so Odin decided to share.  The best part of it is the high five they give each other!

October Fun

It's been quite a while since we've updated the blog with pictures of the boys...this is an attempt to rectify that.

Wow!  A photo with both boys actually smiling at the camera at the same time...do you know how hard that is to do with 2 toddlers?

Doesn't Lars look like a big kid?  What's next, first day of kindergarten...first day of college?  Sheesh!

October became the month of playgrounds...we've been scoping them out all over the city.

Lars played so hard this day that he started falling down when walking around to the stairs from the bottom of the slide.  Yep, they slept well that night!

The tube slide was a big hit...though I had a hard time convincing Lars to go down feet first.

Odin at the bottom of the slide...we're working on the boys walking around to the ladder and not trying to crawl back up the slide.  

Another playground to try out

This playground didn't have a toddler size big toy, so Mama and Papa did a lot of climbing up too.  It's good exercise for all of us.

This is our local park...Odin's boots kept falling off so I just let him go barefoot

I LOVE the park Mama!

Digging in the sand is SO much fun!

Odin ended up doing a face plant into the wood chips at another playground by our house and scraped up his upper lip.

Happy Lars in the morning

The pygmy goats at the pumpkin patch we visited with our PEPS friends

Getting a ride to the pumpkin patch

Lars says...I'll take this one!

Handsome Lars

Mama, I'll take this one!  Says Odin

The cup filled with chicken feed turned out to be the best part of the pumpkin patch

Carving pumpkins!

Hey, this little pumpkin fits into the big pumpkin!

Odin was a big help cleaning out the pumpkin!

So was Lars!

Happy pumpkin carvers

The final product.  Do you see the similarity between Odin's monster shirt and the jack-o-lantern?

The final product with Papa

This is what it is really like getting family pictures!

Vikings pillaged the pediatrician's office on Halloween.  (yes the costumes are recycled from last year...the hats actually fit this year and didn't need to be stuffed with tissue paper)

Lars is working on the right fierce look worthy of a Viking

What did we do to get this stiff photo of both boys?

Papa and his Vikings before heading out to trick-or-treat

There's the proper Viking scowl Lars!

Odin...you look far too happy for a fierce Viking!

First ever trick-or-treating at our next door neighbor's house.  The boys got Halloween stickers!