Tent 1

I plan to take Corbin on an overnight bike trip to Larrabee this summer, probably in August. Corbin's slept in a tent before. One trip was when he was about 8 weeks old. That was easy. Last year we went once and it was a major pain, since we were trying to use the pack-and-play and he was still nursing at night and I was sick and it turned into a generally unpleasant mess.
I decided we needed to practice before this trip, since I don't really want to pack up the bike and ride home in the dark.

So we started last Saturday. Corbin got a new sleeping bag and was really excited to sleep in the tent. We put on warmer, zipped pajamas. We went through the regular nighttime routine, and I let him choose two extra stuffed animals to take out with him. We headed out to the tent. I read him a couple books and talked with him about sleeping and not playing. Then I went back inside. I had the monitor hooked to an extension cord, but he was really quiet. Much quieter than when he's in his regular bed. We were a little worried that it would be too light out for him to get to sleep, but he sounded like he was doing fine.

After maybe half an hour he started to make a little noise. We just ignored it until he sounded a little fussy and got a bit louder. I went out to check on him and talk to him more about sleeping.

I peeked into the window of the tent, expecting to see him laying in his sleeping bag, wide-eyed, smiling and saying, "Hi daddy." Instead, he was squatting down in the middle of the tent, Blu-blue hanging out of his mouth, with only his diaper on. I managed to get a picture. Here it is.

So anyway. I climbed into the tent, we put his pajamas back on, settled in again, and had a little talk about sleeping. Then I left again. We were only halfway through the movie, after all.

It didn't take long this time before he started being noisy.

Pssh. Pssht. Pssshhh. Monitor hisses and crackles.

"What's he saying?"

"Getting dark out."

So I went about getting myself ready to go out there with him. Maybe I should have just gone out there from the start, but dang, it was only 8 o'clock then.

I was closing up the chickens when I heard him yelling. I rushed back inside and through the house. Don't want the neighbors thinking crazy stuff. I opened the front door to tell him I'd be out in a second...and there he was. Standing there. He even put on his Crocs, which were sitting outside the tent.

"Getting dark out, Daddy."

Uh, yeah. I know.

Sigh. So he knows how to work zippers. Pajamas, tent doors, whatever.

We went back out. This time we both settled in, and I talked with him, again, about sleeping. And he laid there relatively quietly, in between reminding me that it was dark out and running his fingers along the side of the tent. Eyes wide open. I just laid there with my eyes (usually) closed. After quite a while, I broke out my last resort line: "Corbin, if you don't go to sleep, we have to sleep inside." After all, he had been so excited about sleeping in the tent. I figured this would be a sure-fire winner.

"Sleep inside. Yeah."

OK.

It was at this point that I realized he never thought he was actually going to sleep in the tent. He thought we were playing "sleep in the tent." And it was getting dark out, so he was thinking, "Uh, it's about time to finish this game and head in, Daddy."

So at 10:30 we abandoned this first attempt. He was asleep instantly in his own bed, two hours after he usually falls asleep. And of course, he woke up in time for Germany-England at 7 am.

We'll try again soon.

* * *

Also:

Corbin helps me make this year's batch of garlic scape pesto

Birthday Extravaganza!

Corbin turned TWO on Thursday! Crazy. I can't even begin to talk about all the things he is doing now that he is two... it would be a full book! He had a little bit of a rough day the day before and on his birthday. I think he wanted to let us know he was turning 2. His last upper 2 year molar was also trying to poke the last little bit through too but overall it was a good day! He woke up early, 6:30 am, on his birthday. I don't know if he heard Adam getting ready for his last day of school or he was excited about his birthday. He has been singing "Happy Birthday" to himself for weeks.

We really wanted to get Corbin a kitchen for Christmas but decide to wait till his birthday because Adam was going to make one. Ha ha... with the end of the school year wrapping up, me being pregnant, graduations and other celebrations, and the garden needing to be attended, we just didn't get there... so we decided to just order one. Here is his new kitchen.

It was also Adam's last day of school. Adam has been making pancakes for his kids every year on the last day. He makes them from scratch (of course) and has the kids follow along with the recipe. It's a fun tradition and this year, Corbin got to come and have pancakes, one of his favorites, for lunch with daddy's students! The kids were also excited to have Corbin join them, especially the girls! 4th grade girls love little kids and little kids love to ham it up for the girls :-)

When Adam got home from school we opened presents. He LOVED the crane truck we got him at the consignment store. He also acquired a pin-wheel, a book, a pocket kite, some plastic animals and a car from some far away friends.

Then it was time to go out for his BIG present. The one he has been talking about. When we asked him what he wanted for his birthday it usually went something like this "bike, skate board, scooter". We were pretty excited about getting him this bike...

Corbin knows what wrapped presents are and what to do with them but apparently the gifts (kitchen too) that are not wrapped take him a little while :-)

And that was as far as we got. It's a little too big for him and he got really frustrated and didn't want to try it again. His feet just barely touch the ground. He was tired and so we might try it again when he is in a better mood. It was kinda anti-climatic and kinda a bummer for us. Hopefully he will grow just a little or give it another chance.

Even though we had pancakes for lunch, Corbin wanted waffles for dinner. Since we were going to have cake at his party, he got candles in his waffle!

After dinner we skyped with my parents and he opened his gift from them. A mini bike jersey! He loved it!

Then on Saturday we had a double birthday party with his friend Alden whose birthday is today. Susan and Mark and Mark's sister, Kim and her husband, Alan, came up for the party too.

Corbin just wouldn't smile for the camera!

And homemade vanilla and chocolate ice cream!

And of course because it was a party, we had to have some croquet. It was a busy but good day! And today is Father's Day! And we will have a calm week until next weekend when guests arrive for a wedding, unless the baby comes this week. I am almost ready with everything at home. But it sure feels good for it to be summer!

Use that pumpkin 12

Pumpkin bars

Buds

These were taken yesterday after having to strip them both down after a very dirty sand box play. This is their last week together with Melissa. How fast the year has gone....

Use that pumpkin 11

Southwestern pumpkin burgers

Documentation

Since I use this blog to document things in our lives... I am a little behind. So here is another catch-up post.

A couple of weeks ago Jill (and Miles), Jill's mom, Daylen, Aimee (and Uma), and I went out on the town for Ladies Night. A bunch of downtown stores have fun free events, food, drinks, and sales going on. So Adam stayed at home with the boys, Corbin and Alden. They had just as much fun as we did. They made pizza, played, and then had a mini-sleep over!

I am so glad that Adam documented their fun sleep-over night!

Then later that weekend Jill, Becky, and Daylen hosted my baby shower. I opted for a girls only shower this time. Adam said one baby shower was enough for him. I have such wonderful girl friends up here. The food was yummy, the company GREAT and the activity fun.

Jill made potato stamps for decorating white onsies. It was fun to get a little creative and now baby girl will have all kinds of fun hand painted shirts to last her 18 months!

Even Miles joined in on the fun.

The finished products!

Then last weekend was Ski to Sea! Many of you know that I used to participate for years on just for fun recreational teams. Then one year I hurt my back and I was able to just spectate. It was a whole different experience. Then I was pregnant, then out of shape, and now pregnant again. Although I must say, I like cheering everyone on almost as much as participating. For years Adam was my cheering squad and then once I stopped he started :-) 3 years ago I connected a teacher at one of the schools I worked at to my brother for a team. Jed came out and competed with the Baglery Team. That first year they won, then won again the 2nd year! So this year they were defending champs 2 years in a row. They had a lot to live up to this year.

Jed and Kara came out for the weekend along with my parents. My dad was acting as wax tech for Jed and Adam's skis. While they were up at Mt. Baker testing skis on Saturday, Corbin, my mom, Kara and I joined a bunch of other friends to watch the Ski to Sea Parade. I have never watched it in all my 12 years of living here! But kids means parades. He loved it. There were a few floats that I was a little skeptical of but Corbin loved every minute of it. We did have to brave the rain but it was still fun.

On race day, my brother, dad, Adam, Kara, and I headed up to Mt. Baker at 5:30 am along with the other 450+ teams. Some teams even tried to do the whole race car free, which means they had to get to each leg without a car...going up Mt. Baker Hwy with your skis on a bike...and then race. Wow!

Here is a little video of the mass start for the x-country. You can't see Jed or Adam but I know where they were.

The other teams brought in some real ringers for x-country skiers this year. Jed still did awesome by finishing 10th!

Adam was looking a little tired as he came in to do his 2nd loop (just after Jed finished).

He got some energy back after speeding past everyone on the downhills (thanks to his awesome wax).

It was a fun day! My mom and Corbin stayed home and met us in Fairhaven for the finish. The Bagerly ended up finishing 4th overall and 3rd in the Open division. It was tough competition this year. Adam finished 192 overall and his team finished 408th in the recreational mixed. Everyone was pooped by the end of the day.

Phew... today was probably one of our last days where we didn't have anything going on. Yesterday we had a garage sale and got rid of a ton of stuff and even made a good amount of money! Adam was supposed to go down to Kevin and Meghan's today to help with their chicken coop but they finished. Which was good, because we needed a day to rest! It's busy from here on out.

Nightime

Corbin woke up last night two times needing comforting. He hasn't done that for months. But as I was sitting there rubbing his back to comfort him or rock him, I listened to his breathing. I realized that my little baby is almost 2. He "asked" me to rub his back and within the month I will have this new little being too, not just him. This new little love. My heart jumped thinking about it last night. I know they say you have room for it all and more and I got just a little glimpse of that. I remembered all those first nights lying in bed listening to Corbin's new born breathing (must different than a 2 year old), thinking wow, I am so close to doing this again. When he woke up the second time, he asked to be rocked in the chair. My non cuddler who won't eve sit on my lap any more asked to be cuddled and rocked in the chair! He curled up over my big belly and just relaxed. He fit so perfectly. It was so precious. As we rocked, I wondered if this would be the last time before the baby comes. Was he giving permission for someone else to take this place or saying, "mommy, I still need you too"? I just felt so much love for him. I am so excited for this new baby to enter our lives and last night was.... I don't know, I don't have the words for it. Oh, and each time he woke me up, I was having a continuous dream about birth. I have not dreamed about birth yet... it was all just so interestingly timed.