The Best of Logan 4.5 years to almost 5...

did you know ladyBugs eat Infants?!!! Wait... I mean aphids.

Toe naming by Logan: little, medium, big, large, humongo

"I have great news... I've decided to keep my imaginary friends!"

I dreamt that all the stars fell from the sky and became cookies and no one was hungry anymore

I just zipped it and swallowed the key so you don't have to worry about me yelling again.

help! Our dog is like a hyena and he's coming to get me!!!

good morning mama! I'm going to tell you a story but I need you to do the sound effects.

Charlotte: Logan I'm your girlfriend!

Logan: fine but I'm not marrying you!

(mumbling in his bedroom during a time out): I'm pretty sure that violated the code of chivalry...

are you taking a break from dresses today?! You can because it's Friday.

I'm so glad I picked you to be my mommy. I'm sure I wouldn't have loved any of the other ones

this tastes weird. It can't be organic

my wedding to Charlotte is going to be so awesome people will think it's a movie. Let's invite the whole town!

tree snails?! I've only heard of land snails!!

First Non-Family Sleepover

Logan had his first non-family sleepover at Charlotte's house this past weekend. I had to pretty much drag him away as he had such an excellent time with Mark, Diane, Charlotte and Henry. (although to Henry's delightful credit, he has stopped asking for a sibling!)

Logan had an amazing time at Gym 'n' Swim, the Museum of Flight, and just playing with Charlotte. Diane continues to amaze me with her amazing mom-skills and ideas (dying shaving cream to create paintings!!) while simultaneously doing everything else and cleaning her house. So amazing and lovely! We are so lucky to have such fabulous friends.

And on and on and on...

I have been derelict in my posting duties. So much has happened since last August.

September - Logan decided he should really be attending kindergarten as many friends were starting. It was hard to convince him otherwise.

October - Logan and I went to San Diego on our first mom/son vacation alone for a week. After visits to Sea World, the Wild Animal Park, and the San Diego Zoo he declared us "a family" and decided to be an animal safari rescuer (I am invited along to Africa should I choose to work for him)

November and December - Thanksgiving and Christmas all rolled together this year interwoven with a busy work and activity schedule. (Swimming, Soccer, and Gymnastics for Logan). He had a great time and received so many lovely gifts. Ever the charmed life!

January - School interviews for kindergarten began for me and Logan. Quite the process for him and for me.

Oh Happy Day...

The week is over, we own our condo finally, and the sun is out. In honor of these momentous and wonderful events, the following list of Logan-isms are an additional pick-me up for me:

1. I have a spot right here (running his hand down his left side) where I can put the raspberries after dinner.

2. As long as you don't be super super bossy I will get you something for your birthday.

3. School is gonna love how I smell!!!

4. Can you tell me the nut critter story? (that would be nutcracker)

5. There was a dragon upsetting my belly so I woke up early to fight him off with my sword and saw. I won and he didn't even burn me with his fire!

6. When we get to heaven will you ask God if we can be in the same area?

7. This is de-freshing! That's another word for delicious.

8. When Ollie grows up will he be a Mastiff?

9. Charlotte's going to be my baby's mama. She'll be the boss of our baby.

And my favorite:

10. I like to stop talking a lot but then I forget and talk again (at 5:30 a.m.)

Logan fits in a cubby and other things he has learnt at school

The other day I came to pick Logan up and he wasn't quite ready to go home. So, he climbed into his cubby... Hopefully this isn't a premonition of the years he will spend inside lockers in the future.

Logan is just starting to draw identifiable objects and allow them to be seen. Up until now, although he would draw them, he would instantly scribble it out. His teachers lately have convinced him to leave the drawings as is so I finally have identifiable objects to exclaim over. For the record, in the weekend news from school on the left, Logan notes that "Nana is the boss." On the left, he notes that we drove to Nana's and grandpa's and it took "like 80 days." No flair for drama, that boy. None.

Whale Watching on the Victoria Clipper - Our mini-cation

After a great many
"cations" had happened so far this summer (Charlotte-cation and Nana-cation), it seemed time for our own mini-cation. So, I booked a day long whale watching tour to the San Juan Islands.

It started out great (albeit somehow freezing due to the delightful wind), with us happily residing on the top deck of the Clipper. Approximately three minutes into the trip, Logan and I were pretty much the only people left up there. We ventured down below and spent the next three hours with Logan asking "Where are the whales?!?!" and walking up and down between the three decks of the boat. The scenary was gorgeous and the sun was out so it was thoroughly enjoyable anyway. (See happy Logan above in the Strait of Juan De Fuca shortly after Deception Pass).

Upon finally arriving in Friday Harbor we went out on our whale watching tour which was conveniently re-titled "Whale Watching and Sea Life Excursion." Note to self - when sea life starts to get included and includes an island populated by sea gulls this is not the best option for your child who has been discussing the "J-Pod" for three hours. Another three hours later and all we had to show for it was an overtired boy who has seen one Minke Whale and a few harbor seals at such a distance he assured me they were "just rocks."

What is a minke whale you ask? (I am not making it up - I swear) Minke Whales are solitary whales (not so awesome) that are shy (even less awesome). Fortunately for us it was a juvenile whale so we saw it's tiny fin 4 times. Yay! Seriously though, Logan was a little heart broken by the lack of Orcas and insisted that we sit inside the boat for the last hour of the sealife tour. He only missed the island of sea gulls anyway...

Once in Friday Harbor it was hot hot hot. Finally a little bit of summer! We walked the little town, ate ice cream cones, and went to a great book store where I had enough sense to buy a Richard Scary book.

When it was finally time to board the Clipper back home trauma struck our family. Logan's beloved (tiny) stuffed crocodile (which he had not looked at in a year but suddenly fell in love with at five am today) fell overboard amidst some wild hand gesturing as we waited at the dock. Logan began to wail as if his arm had been broken to the point where he was gasping for air and there was nothing I could do. The crocodile had fallen 15 feet into the water below us and all we could do was watch it slowly sink as there were at least 100 people in front of us on the pier blocking the way to the single file ramp to the crocodile's watery grave. Grown men around me were trying to figure out ways to rescue it but it simply could not be done. A lot of consoling and a small stuffed orca whale toy later (and perhaps a slightly illicit game downloaded onto my iPhone) we embarked on our trip home. Somehow the trip home was the best part of the day.

Very Sweetly, as we walked off the boat in Seattle, Logan decided that one of the "sea life" creatures we saw today would probably really enjoy his stuffed crocodile to play with and declared that he did have fun today. Thank goodness because it was a long day and there were not enough whales! :)

First Sleepover

Charlotte came to spend the weekend with us so her parents could move into their new home and she could practice having a night away before her new baby brother is born.

Day one - a trip to the park for Logan's school picnic and BBQ

Time at University Village getting books, playing on the playground, and trying on silly diver costumes.

Then home for pizza making, watching Tangled,and bath time together (scandalous, I know!)

Day Two - A trip to the aquarium, adoption of two new sea otters (brown for Logan and pink for Charlotte), and a ride on the carousel at the pier.

Finally it was time to go home and play on the new playground and treehouse at Charlotte's new place before saying goodbye. Logan had a great time with Charlotte and can't wait for the next sleepover!