Delaware

Ah Delaware...what a great time! We spent a lot of time relaxing, sometimes in the sun and sometimes at Oma and Opa's house, it was FANTASTIC.

We spent one morning digging in the sand at Cape Henlopen beach. Zane charged right into the water and was not scared off by the hoards of horseshoe crabs. A local informed us that this is the time of year when the elder crabs beach themselves so the shallows were filled with them. I was happy to learn that they don't sting or bite...but that doesn't mean I wanted those creepy looking things touching my ankles!

Thanks to Mason's Aunt Katie for sending me this pic.

 

Oma's church held a weekend retreat at a gorgeous lodge in the woods. We went one afternoon to hang out, eat dinner and dessert, throw rocks in puddles, and run laps around the ramps.

Zane and his new little friend, Sophie, thought this puddle was THE BEST.

We set out to try out the free bikes available from nature center but since it was overcast and threatening rain we settled for some exploration around the trails and on the fishing dock. 

Ocean! Papa was brave enough to get in, but Zane and I stayed safely and warmly on the beach.

 The loud waves were a bit much for the little guy...plus he may have had sunscreen in his eyes.

Oma and Opa live in a great neighborhood with lots of space to run and explore. We took a walk every day to let Zane and Zoe (their pooch) run.

Mason and I left Zane in the ever capable hands of Oma and Opa one night so we could have a date night on the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk. We were so happy to hear that little man was great for them (he even fell asleep in Oma's lap!!) while we played games in the arcade, stared at the ocean, had delicious fruity drinks and dinner, and afterwards had to try out this ice cream place. Read the flavors carefully...some of them are a bit odd. Mason had Bacon/Diesel Fuel and I had White Wine/Holy Purple Cow. We were both satisfied with our selections.

 Oma and Opa have a great screened in porch that wraps around 2 sides of the house. We spent a lot of time out there playing with Opa's golf balls, putting the big dog in and out of the hammock, and enjoying general lounging.

 A dandelion for you.

Arlington

We just returned from a fantastic visit with family on the east coast!! Zane did a phenomenal job of acclimating himself to the new surroundings and schedule. He adjusted to the 3 hour time difference with minimal effort from Mama and Papa and even though sleeping in a pack n' play is never his favorite, he thankfully made an exception this time around.

The first few days were R-A-I-N-Y. Not like the constant Portland drizzle, but drenching downpours...good thing we brought our rain jackets.

This is where is all started folks. Mason and I met while working at HTO in Pentagon Row.

Grandpa and Grandma had been diligently seeking out playgrounds for Zane, so once the rain broke we headed out. He LOVED it!! It was different than ours and had a fence all the way around it so we didn't have to worry about rogue babies. And, we heard about 4 different languages being spoken by the nannies...I thought that was neat. We brought his pinky ball with us so we could play catch, but the downside (in Zane's mind) of playing catch is that the ball ends up on the ground a lot and that means his hands get dirty. In his words "Ew!" Luckily Grandma was there to save the day.

 

After this trip to the playground it is clear to me that we need Grandma closer to us. She kept up with Zane as he scooted from activity to activity and half the time was leading him!! Go, Grandma, Go! Thanks to Mason and Grandpa for "keeping an eye on the stroller" for us :)

He stole my smoothie. I had to go back in and get a separate cup and straw for him.

Happy 9th Anniversary Dave and Doris!! We went out for a nice dinner at the Lebanese Taverna in Pentagon Row. Zane tried octopus and hummus. Let's just say he didn't go for seconds of the octopus, but inhaled the hummus.

The day before we left we hit the square again for some running and fountain splashing. He thought putting his hands in the water was the coolest thing EVER!

The next post will be our Delaware adventures!

Bizarre

Saturday was the St. John's Bizarre (appropriately spelled that way on purpose) and our good friend Jo was one of the main organizers so Z and I spent the morning at her house hanging out with Leo (and Ollie for a little bit). 

We enjoyed the Bizarre for a little bit too. In the span of one block we ran into 4 sets of friends we know...Love it!

We are taking off for an east coast vacation tomorrow morning and Zane has taken it upon himself to do some last minute home repairs...

...and cleaning. 

These next two shots are Zane's artistic genius at work.

We'll be back in a week. Cross your fingers that the travel gods are nice to us!!

Sunshine!

The Sun finally came out in Portland today, so we celebrated by hanging out in the front yard.  Uncle Adam and Auntie Erica provided the most excellent "adult" freeze pops for us.  We attempted several photos, and this was the best one...

 Isn't Zaney quite stylish with his haircut?  Although both Mama and Papa have made heroic haircut attempts in the past, it was clearly time for a professional.  Notice the cowlick...its never going anywhere.

 Quite stylish, indeed.

 We live close enough to the airport that, on a clear day, you can see many planes pass by overhead.  Zane loves this phenomenon, and also loves to point out each plane that he spies.

 A future aviator, perhaps?

 Snapshot with mama!

Papa's Birthday

Zaney puts the finishing touches on Papa's custom birthday card.

And he also helps us make the cake.  Let the sugar high begin!

Later, we played with some legos and blocks.

Then we decorated the cake with some "Fun-fetti".  Let the sugar high continue...

Okay, we still need some more sugar.  Get that icing over here!

Our only choice was to run it off after a birthday dinner!  People down town were very impressed with our speed and form.  Thanks to everyone for such a great birthday!

More Egg Hunt

Here are a few photos taken by the talented Mr. Brad Mosher during the egg hunt at Officer's Row. Thanks Brad!

 Maggie gave Zane an egg.

 He tried to put it in his pocket.