It's (99%) Finished!

Well, here it is.... our most "complete" room in the house. Amazing what a coat of paint does to make a room feel finished. Of course, he needs a headboard and frame, more matching "Hit The Road" stuff and a bookshelf.


BUT - we are all sooooo happy with it! I can't seem to keep myself out of his room because I have to keep looking at it. Yay!

When The Kid Is Away....

The parents are extremely productive! My Dad took Evan for 2 nights this weekend - for the single purpose of us getting to WORK. My (realistic) goal was to sort and organize every single toy in the entire house. Man, there are a lot!

You see, we have this closet. In the 3 years that we have lived in this house, it has never been fully utilized. It has collected "things" - and it's one of those closets you NEVER open for fear of those things falling out. Junk. Embarassing.

I need not say more, other than "Take a Look at Me Now!!!"

More to come..... we finished Evan's new room too - yippee!

May I introduce.......... The Toy Closet!

An Evening On Foot

We did the most spontaneously wonderful thing tonight! Ryan got home, and we didn't feel like eating what I'd planned to make for dinner. So, what does our family do WAY too much of - eat out, of course!! Only this time, I suggested we WALK to dinner. Evan happily rode in his stroller while we walked about 1.25 miles up the hill to NE 18th Street, exchanged a video at Blockbuster, then crossed the street to Pizzicato. Our pizza was fabulous - Evan was well-behaved (a little antsy, but well behaved), and we encountered just a tiny sprinkle on the way back home. We were gone for 2.5 hours - an evening SO much better spent than in front of the TV. We're so proud of ourselves!

Our Tukwila Trip

Evan called this the "spider web".



We spent two nights in Tukwila (just a few miles south of Seattle) for a leadership conference Ryan attended. Evan and I spent a GIANT amount of time at this awesome park very close to our hotel. Fort Dent Park, complete with soccer, baseball and football fields, a pond with ducks, and three play structures was the highlight of our trip. We were the only ones there Thursday morning, until a lady and her son arrived. Get this - her son (who turns 2 in July) was named Devan, and HER name was Melanie!!! Crazy, huh?


We also went to the Rainforest Cafe - I LOVE that place!! It's pretty spendy, but well worth the experience. Evan was a little afraid at first during the thunderstorm, but with each one afterwards, he kept saying, "See? I'm getting more and more brave!"


We also had dinner along downtown Seattle's waterfront with my sister Maria the first night we were there. The weather was perfect, and we can't wait to go back and see more things - especially the Children's Museum! (sorry Casey, we didn't make it there this time.)

Room In Progress

It's very slow going, but we have finally started painting Evan's new room. We're halfway finished, and are waiting for next weekend (when my Dad has him overnight) to complete the process.

Here is a BRIEF shot of him helping... and a picture of "Honey Bird", the color.

Hit The Road, Jack!

We are in the process of switching rooms! Evan has chosen the guest room, and will give up his current room to the new baby. We are making the move relatively soon, to give him plenty of time to feel adjusted and not "kicked out".

He chose a new comforter, "Hit The Road" from Target - which I adore! I love the cartoon cars and traffic signs and the bright colors. For the walls, "Honey Bird" - a warm, bright yellow. I began the fun task of taping today - you know, the blue painter's tape? Man - we've got a lot of dumb little corners! :) I would have gotten further, but I realized that I do not have a paint roller. I swear it is around here somewhere, and I'm sure I will find it one of these years.

So.... yet another trip to Lowe's tomorrow - and hopefully a nap for Evan, so I can sneak in some painting!

A NICE surprise!

For any of you who rummage through your coupon books (PayBack, to be exact) looking for new places to eat - we found a gem! You would NEVER know from the name "C.T. Cafe" or location (McGillivray / 164th) that this little restaurant would be so delightful!
We walked in for lunch, and what a cute, asian bistro-style place! The small, bright lights above the tables, nice bamboo work on the booths, and VERY clean floors (we did notice, because Evan was pretending to be a cat) were just the beginning. Though their menu isn't huge, they do offer a good variety of American/Chinese fare (we opted for a chicken burger and a hamburger). They even serve breakfast (until 2:30pm) with those nice, big sausages. Not the cheap little stick ones....
The owner (who adored Evan) was very friendly and accommodating. Evan wanted breakfast with SELECT items, and she kindly brought them out in a beautifully decorated plate.
We are raving about this place - and wanted to share our good fortune with friends. Please support this local business - it was a pleasure being their customer!