Together Again

Yes, it's true, Tashi is living with us again! After living with Papa & Nana in Portland for 14 months, Tashi came back home in late September. It has been so much fun having her back - even Mommy & Daddy agree! She is such a good dog and she lets me hug her and play with her. Most of the time she just likes to sleep but she also loves to run around the back yard like a crazy dog. When we take her for walks I put her leash on and I hold it for a little while until I'm ready to give it to Mommy. Daddy and I call Tashi "Muttly" - she is such a sweet dog and I am so glad she's back!

Happy Thanksgiving!

What a great Thanksgiving weekend we had! We went to Portland for the long holiday weekend and we had so much fun. We saw just lots of friends and family- cousin Alyssa, Auntie Shaunmarie and the crazy boys, Hannah & Cameron...

On Thanksgiving Day, I supervised while Papa carved the turkey and I helped Nana make the gravy. It all looked delicious but I wouldn't know what it tasted like - I ate Cheerios for dinner! But I did have some pumpkin pie and some pecan pie off of Mommy's plate. The pies were yummy!

On Friday morning, we took the bus downtown and watched the parade with Auntie Shaunmarie and the crazy boys. There were marching bands, bagpipes, dancing trees and Christmas presents, llamas, and Santa Claus, too! After the parade ended, we went to Starbucks for a snack and to warm up. We stopped in Powell's Books before Daddy & I took the bus back to Papa & Nana's. Mommy and Auntie Shaunmarie stayed downtown and did whatever grown-up girls do when they get together.

On Saturday, we went to dinner at Hannah & Cameron's house - and I made up for not eating any Thanksgiving dinner. I had appetizers, lasagna and chocolate fondue. I love fondue!

Happy Halloween!

What a great week! I celebrated Halloween all week long, starting on Tuesday at Ballet. Everyone wore their costumes to class and we got a treat (a sticker) at the end. I was a ladybug this year and I wore the costume Granny made for me. My friend, Ella, was Snow White (and her Grandma made her costume, too!)

My school party was on Wednesday and it was so much fun. Mommy and I were in charge of bringing sugar cookies so we baked them in the shape of pumpkins, ghosts and cats. Someone else brought frosting and sprinkles and we got to decorate them at the party.

Finally, the big day arrived and boy, was Friday a busy day. I had school in the morning and I wore my sparkly pumpkin top and my orange pumpkin socks. Mommy and I baked pumpkin muffins after school and then we went to my friend Colin's house for a party. Colin and his mom had made sandwiches shaped like bats, spiders and pumpkins! After that, we came back home and, along with Daddy, we went down the street to Maren & Zoe's house where they were having a soup & chili buffet before we went out trick-or-treating.

Daddy took me trick-or-treating and even though we only went to the houses on our street, I got a LOT of candy. I even got a little ladybug toy from Joe & Barbara Erak (I wonder how they knew I was going to be a ladybug).

After trick-or-treating, we went across the street to Owen & Andrew's house for another party. I had one piece of candy, a lollipop, but then I was ready to go home. My friend Lily and I were both pretty tired at that point so we left to go home to bed. But what a fun day. I love Halloween!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

We helped Daddy celebrate his birthday on the 18th. It was a great day - we took him to breakfast at Voula's (his favorite breakfast place) then to Home Depot for some tools. For dinner, we took the bus into the University District to Schultzy's, a pub that serves yummy sausage and another one of Daddy's favorite places. Oh, and I almost forgot that Mommy and I baked him a birthday cake and I helped him blow the candles out!

Cousins

Last month, cousin Alyssa came up with her parents, Christy and Brian, and stayed overnight with us. We took them all to the aquarium and then we babysat Alyssa while Brian & Christy went to a wedding. It was such a fun weekend and I had a great time with Alyssa - and I loved being a babysitter!

I also have a new cousin in France - Xander Whittle was born on October 1. His mom is Auntie Hannah, daddy's youngest sister. Here's a photo of him that Uncle Justin took on his camera. I can't wait to see Xander at Christmas! I bet he'll look different.

So much to do, so little time

I have so much to do lately there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to get it all done. I go to school on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. When I stay for Lunch Bunch I have been taking yoga and learning some French. I really surprised Mommy when I said "s'il vous plait"! On Tuesdays I have ballet and on Thursdays I go Aunt Barbi's. In between there are walks to go on, construction sites to check out in the neighborhood, books to read, play dates with my friends Lily and Maia and gardening to do.
















The pumpkin seeds that I planted in late May are now ginormous vines that curl around the back garden - there are two orange pumpkins already and one that is still green and still growing. I'll have so much fun at Halloween carving my very own pumpkins that I grew by myself!

I fell asleep while Nick & Rosie were talking!

First Day of Preschool

I had my first day of preschool last Monday and I was so excited I had to dress up and wear my new school shoes. I am back at The Childrens' School again but this year I am going to school three days a week - on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I'm really looking forward to staying for Lunch Bunch this year. My friends Carly and Jacob are in my class again this year and I'll get to see my other friends Tyler & Karsten on the playground and at Lunch Bunch. My teachers, Mrs. Jacques and Teacher Cinda, are very nice and I like to play school when I get home and pretend Mommy and I are my teachers.

Sailing on Puget Sound

Uncle Bob and Auntie Joyce invited us to go sailing on Sunday. It was a beautiful sunny day and it was so nice out on the water. Daddy helped put up the sail and we had great wind most of the way across the Sound. When the wind dropped off we just drifted for a bit and enjoyed the warm sun, blue sky and gorgeous scenery. After the wind picked up again, we sailed back to the marina and had dinner on the boat. It was so much fun and I can't wait to do it again!

Can you spot the sea lions on the buoy?

Labor Day Weekend at the Beach

We spent the last hurrah of summer at Cape Meares on the Oregon coast. The weather was absolutely beautiful, sunny and warm. We had bought a new kite and the first couple of days were perfect kite-flying weather. Although I did learn a lesson - never let go of the kite string! I did and the wind picked it up and blew it up the hillside. Daddy the Brave climbed up the hill and rescued my kite - then he slid down in a mini-landslide. I'll never do that again!

Flying the kite with Daddy - it's up really high!

Strolling the beach with Daddy & Tashi

Papa and Nana were there, along with Uncle Brian, Auntie Christy and Cousin Alyssa, and Uncle Michael. We went to the Tillamook Creamery (twice!) and had yummy ice cream cones. I now have two new flavors to add my favorites: huckleberry and wild mountain blackberry.

That's Daddy in the background flying our kite

I loved running on the beach with Tashi. We let her off her leash and she ran and ran. It was also fun taking a beach bucket and making sand castles, parking garages and freeways. I collected rocks to use as trucks and cars for the parking garage and the freeway.

Running with Tashi, leaving Papa & Nana far behind

With Mommy & Daddy at Pacific City

Ballerina Catherine

I've been taking ballet all summer with my friend, Ella. It is lots of fun and I've learned how to pirouette and leap and do lots of other fun things. We even dance with scarves during ballet - everyone knows how I already loved to do that! The summer session ended this week but Ella and I signed up to take ballet again this fall.

Ready to leave for ballet

Listening for instructions with Lita and Ella

Getting ready to twirl

Meet Me At The Fair

Mommy took me to the Evergreen State Fair. There was so much to look at and so much to do. I had a great time. We saw a ginormous sow with her piglets (they were only 3 weeks old!) and they started eating - I thought it was so funny! There were cows and sheep and goats and chickens and turkeys... We went on the carousel and watched the grown-ups on the scary rides. We went to the petting farm and the pretend grocer. Finally, I got a blackberry ice cream cone - yummy! It was a really fun day but I was so tired I fell asleep in the car on the way home.

Pretending to milk a cow
Choosing an apple at the pretend grocer
The petting farm

Giving the donkey a hug

Ahoy, Mate!

Our neighbors, Bob & Joyce, sailed into Shilshole Marina this afternoon and we were there to meet them. I loved wearing my life vest and in honor of Bob's pirate flag I wore a pirate hat.

Peek-a-boo!

They have a beautiful sailboat and I loved exploring inside and even pretended to steer. I told everyone I was sailing to Arizona but they told me I couldn't so I decided to sail to Hawaii instead. I really loved being on the sailboat. Maybe Daddy can teach me how to sail one day.

Happy Birthday Papa!

We drove to Portland last weekend for Papa's big 70th birthday bash. What a fiesta! There was even a mariachi band. The party was so much fun and there were lots of people there. I do love a party - I didn't get to bed until almost 10 o'clock!

We took Papa out to brunch in the morning and I helped him open his present.

Alyssa and I played maracas for Tashi

Papa and I danced to the mariachi band

Papa wouldn't wear the funny birthday hat Nana got for him so I tried it on!

Introducing the "new" Catherine

Look at me, I got a hair cut! I have short hair now and I love it! Everybody tells me how cute I look and Mommy really likes it because there are fewer tangles to comb out. I love to look at myself in the mirror and admire my new haircut. I got it cut while Daddy was gone and I surprised him at the airport - he said he almost didn't recognize me!

Summer Fun

I love the summer! The weather has been so nice and I've had swim lessons at the outdoor pool down the hill. It is so much fun and I've even started putting my face in the water. My friends Lily & Sophie, Karsten, Jacob, Britta & Gunnar are taking lessons, too. Some days Mommy and I stay after my lesson ends at noon, we eat our lunch and then swim some more. We don't get home until 4 o'clock. Life is good!

Lily and I getting ready for our swim lesson

Daddy was gone on a business trip all last week so Mommy and I tried to keep busy. We made fresh raspberry pancakes for breakfast and had picnic lunches at the pool. We went to a concert at University Village on Wednesday. We ate dinner there and I got a balloon shaped into an airplane. Mommy danced with me to the music.

All of this fun is hard work, too. It makes me so tired that I sometimes ask to go to bed, even before 7 pm!

Aloha!

I went to Hawaii with Mommy, Daddy, Papa & Nana. It was so much fun! There was a great pool at the hotel and I went swimming every day. We went to the beach a couple of times but I really don't like the sand (it's hot!) and the waves splash me. We did see a sea turtle at the beach one day and that was really neat!

We watched the surfers off Waikiki.

Daddy said that Uncle Michael and Uncle Justin can teach me how to surf.

We did lots of fun things - we went to a luau and learned the hula, went to the pool, to the zoo, to the pool, to the aquarium, to the pool, and we took a train around the Dole Pineapple Plantation.

Hey, Mommy and I are giant pineapples!

All that swimming makes me tired.