It was Little League day at Safeco field on Sunday for the Mariners vs. Tigers game. Cora and Harlan were pretty excited and they got into their uniform and we were off to the stadium.
When we got to the field, we got the chance to walk on the field as part of the Little League parade, which was a lot of fun.
The day was a lot of fun. We all shared a bunch of grasshoppers (yes the bugs) and the Mariners walked it off in the 11th.
This week we celebrated 5 years for Cora and Harlan. They were full of energy in anticipation for the annual bounce house insanity that we invite to our backyard. This year was special also in part because Cora will start Kindergarten in just under two weeks. We’re so lucky and grateful to have such healthy, strong, cheeky kids.
I know at some point they will want to have their own parties but I hope it isn’t for a long time.
Plus, how will we keep people thinking they’re fraternal twins if they have separate parties?
Harlan will no doubt appreciate this post in ways I can’t even begin to enjoy til he’s much older and has friends.
This picture amuses me most because Harlan really took being potty trained to heart in this moment, even if it meant we spent 45 minutes taking care of business at 10pm.
But I digress, this post is meant to be a celebration of progress! Harlan had seemed relatively uninterested in ditching the diaper and its convenience despite my insistence on starting at 15 months. And with an upcoming two week trip to Australia, I was getting real militant about being diaper free.
But H was not having it, until one day, he did undies all day with no accidents. Just like that. No doubt it was the team effort at preschool and home, but it still seemed somewhat magical in its transition. Like most things in child rearing, it’s not black and white, in dialers one day, completely in underpants the next. We’re still keeping the diaper making industry somewhat happy; you can’t beat the confidence of mess free on long trips (like our upcoming 15 + hour trip to Australia) so the pull up diapers are still on hand.
What has been the most rewarding of the transition to mostly diaper free was the change in H’s behavior and the pride in himself with using the toilet vs diapers. I have so few pictures to really capture the emotion, but his whole little face lights up when he goes any stretch without an accident.
Harlan was treated to a celebration dinner and dessert the week after we said goodbye to majority diaper. Here’s the evidence.
It was passport picture time for Harlan and an amazing thing happened. He took a pretty phenomenal picture. So phenomenal that AJ talked about getting him setup to be a child model (all in jest mind you). But judge for yourself, definitely one of the best passport photos I have ever seen.
Kneel before Harlan’s Blue Lightning Zoolander!
On this day, two years ago we celebrated your arrival.
Although you don’t look so happy about it.
You have blessed us with your big, healthy, and generally good spirited self everyday since then. Today we didn’t really get to look back on the years, now that we’re plural, but we are grateful for the present moments we shared to celebrate.
Still kind of grumpy.
But wait.
Here’s a little something to smile about.
Some favorites leading up to your birthday:
“Wake up, Cora!”
“It’s like trying to pick up a black hole.”
Hugger Harlan – Giving hugs and kisses for any size owie for any body.
Jumping on to my lap from any distance with a big smile.
Drinks at meal times make great dipping sauces.
Persistence in most tasks, and the “focused face”.
Trains, trains, trains.
Love for big sister. “Where Cowah?”
I could go on and on, but then I would never finish this post, and it’s time to get back on that wagon.
