Lindsin Along

Tuesday evenings, through all kinds of weather, Lake and I, we go Lindsin. Lindsin with the Lindser… and we have so much fun! This spring we established a new routine. We meet at the UW Tower courtyard fountain when I get off work to make the most of our daylight. Jo meets us there to drop off Lake, all outfitted for adventure. Dry double nappy, a single spare, and windbreaker or sunscreen as appropriate. Lindsay works super early so sometimes she even gets her hair done before meeting us at 5.

So we meet up, play a little,

then we go adventuring. Yea! Lake loves it too!

We have a set start time, but we keep our Lindsin itinerary open. So we can enjoy the spontaneity. We are very agreeable and like-minded so it has always worked out beautifully. Gasworks is a standby.

If it’s nice weather and on these long days we also favor Greenlake Park.

And sometimes, not too often, we meet on a different day. Like this week, we met for a day hike on Saturday and went with the whole family out Lindsin. We Lindsed out past Gold Bar and right up under Mt. Index. We Lindsed all the way to Lake Serene and jumped in for a swim!

We made it to Lunch Rock! Time for a swim!

Fremont Fair

This was a day for a bit of the outlandish… we saw many “firsts”, surprising fresh cat musicians and the old standbys the famous (notorious?) painted bicyclists. Lake and I were seeing them for the first time.

It was quite a sight and quite a scene. There were also other parade floats and many people.

In spite of a bit of rain sprinkles we made a day of it. We had a fun full day complete with hand pies from Michael’s favorite pie place: Piea. It was fun to reminisce about last year when we came down to Fremont for the fair on Sunday, Michael’s first Fathers Day. This year we came on Saturday and so many things have changed in the meantime, Lake first and foremost, but the love of pie and our love for Lake and each other has stayed strong.

Father’s Day Hike

We beautifully executed our first day hike of the season…. so timely for Father’s Day! Today we joined Michael’s Bellevue cousins and headed for our version of the freedom of the hills: Twin Falls. We were aiming for a level of ambition commensurate with our current ragtag skill set and conditioning status. This pretty little trio of waterfalls out I 90 east, not too far, nailed it perfectly. Fresh forest air, impressive waterfall action and daring wooden foot paths, bridges and overlooks. Lake had a blast! He loves his Daddy and he loves “hiking” in the carrier. I think the feeling is mutual. We ate lots of trail snacks and also relished a big family barbecue afterwards. A perfect day! Happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful husbands and fathers, and most especially mine!

Father and son hiking along, all smiles!

Walk-On

Over the weekend Lake and I went to Bainbridge Island to visit Grandma Julie and Grandpa Greg. Daddy was working so he stayed in Seattle, but he gave us a boost by accompaning us on foot to the Link station. It was graduation day, making it extra fun to walk all the way through campus and reminisce about our own graduations.

Lake loved the ferry ride. We walked on. We were “walk-on” passengers.

In spite of mummy’s misgivings about the cleanliness of the deck, Lake insisted on crawling all over it. He still loves to crawl even though he’s mastered a few steps now. He’s a pragmatist. Crawling is faster, though that may suddenly unidirectionally shift in the near future. Friday he took his official first couple of steps. They were sporadic and rare for the next few days, but by Sunday evening he was getting more and more comfortable. By the end of the weekend he was walking eight steps in a row.

We had a fantastic visit! Lake had a chance to eat lots of good food: oatmeal, rice, lamb, sauerkraut and some lettuce leaves, as well as dirt, from the garden. We went exploring in Rolling Bay at low tide. We relaxed… it was mellow, just what the doctor, well, wise mother-in-law, ordered. Thank you Julie and Greg!

Beetfomercial

It’s so nice to have a little family dinner. Michael makes it super funny with his tempting beet “lollipop dance” on the fork. “Nature’s candy,” says Daddy. I’m basically withholding them from Lake due to their extreme juiciness and practically unparalleled staining power. Then, I can’t even begin to describe the frolicking this beet and Daddy’s face enjoyed. Suffice it to say beets would be incredibly popular if there was Michael on TV doing beet commercials. Lake is enthralled, then he enthusiastically points and says

I’ll have what he’s having!

Michael considerately offers Lake a bite sized piece sans extra juice. Lake couldn’t be happier with his score! Beet: it’s what’s for dinner!

Eat the Roses

In general Lake likes to eat things. A bit before this picture it was dirt. Then the watermelon. A bit afterwards, it was rose petals. It’s really nice on so many levels to have an evening walk after work. I’m super appreciating having the longer daylight hours and having Ardeth in town!

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After dinner (and a big bowl of melon!) Ardeth and I set out for a walk around the Ravenna Park neighborhood together with Lake. Something tells me it must be June. There are suddenly so many roses out blooming!

We are enticed to pause and smell a few roses and then it’s addictive! We can’t stop. We walk from rose to rose all down Ravenna Boulevard and then all the way north on 20th Avenue to Third Place Books. Hand over hand we go snuffling and snuggling along.

Some of the roses are as big as Lake’s face. He loves it! He takes a fancy for eating the petals. As we sniff, he munches. We take the time to stop and eat the roses.

A perfect day. I’m glad I spent it with you!

Memorable Memorial Day

Beautiful backyard gathering with family and friends

This was a wonderfully memorable Memorial Day, as it was Lake’s first birthday anniversary! Lake turned one on Memorial Day! Happy Birthday Lakers! Zum Geburtstag viel Glück!

We had a great party!

There was so much food! Delicious, nutritious and festively colorful!

We had a plentiful banquet thanks to Nana!

In lieu of the cake smash, Lake did a dirt smash! While his guests were enjoying Trophy cupcakes, he ate some melon and then gave himself a “chocolate cake” face out of garden humus.

There was a veritable birthday bonanza of presents and gifts. The girls had a wild time assisting in the unwrapping. It was quite a show! Now, thanks to the generousity of our friends and family, Lake is fully equipped to launch stylishly into his second year!

There were so many presents! So many friends! So much food! It was a heavenly day! Lake had a blast! We had so many laughs and shared so many memories, old and new. Thank you generous revelers!

Reaching out of Auntie Jessica’s arms for the party snacks!

Lake having the “time of his life” with Hazel and Milly!

After the partygoers went, Uncle John Riley stayed on and he and Daddy put together an extensive and comprehensive drip irrigation system for the gardens. A gift for Lake and mummy, the de facto gardener. As dusk settled and brought Lake’s first birthday anniversary to a close, Nana and Lake and I walked around Greenlake. A gentle decompression from an excitatory celebration. It’s also a golden opportunity to remember and reflect on this landmark day.

One year ago, the beginning of the life-giving, life-changing journey of his birth day weekend:

What a year! An amazing 365 perfect days, many of them chronicled here. It has truly been an honor and a blessing to share them with you.

Zootastic

We had a perfect day at the zoo. I’m glad I spent it with you! And you, and you, and you! Our best friends are in town… double the fun!

Lake’s two little friends are Hazel and Maicy. They call me Aunie Tolle, and this surprises and delights me every time that I hear it. Lake is Baby Lake. Hazel lives life fearlessly, leaping from furniture to adventure without pause. Whereas Hazel is fearless, Maicy is brave. She takes care of everyone and tests my comfort zone with Lake. She wants to take him on the slide, on the swing, feed him. She’s always looking out for him.

Tomorrow, technically he won’t be a baby anymore. He’ll be ONE YEAR OLD!

Looking up

It’s coming up on one year with my son in the world. A time of great reflection. All in all things are looking up. I love being a mother. There are definitely challenges and triumphs. When I get bogged down, I shift the focus and think:

Sometimes you gotta turn things upside down for a new perspective.

I put my feet up, look at the sky, feel the earth under my back. Give Lake an embrace. Engage in some funny game like peek a boo, gobble Lake’s neck, or play rushing “up and down” to elicit the giggles. Lake has the best giggles! And then things really start looking up!

For me, perspective is huge. It helps me to remember how dearly I yearned to be a mother for so many years. I consistently arrive back at the same point: that I’m fulfilling a longtime dream. And what a good dream. Some kid! We’re blessed to have such a beautiful being joining us for the journey.

I love you Lake! Things are looking up! And it helps to have a great crew.

Magic Moment

Lake’s first word was Dada, meaning Michael. And his second word was “ticky” for kitty cat. This evening he even pronounced it clearly and said “cat”. Plain as day and several times. We were out walking around Greenlake with Lindsay after work… Lindsin around, and came across the fattest cat I ever have seen. Blimp cat. It was a bit mangy and the short white fur was dirty. But beautiful… one eye was yellow and one eye blue. Even for being tragically overfed, it acted starved for affection trotting after us on the sidewalk and rubbing up against my leg. Lake pointed and waved,

Cat!

He exclaimed.