The Keene Family

I just couldn't help grabbing my camera to capture this moment forever.... JT teaching Haley the alphabet. I wish you could hear her saying, "A... a... a" as she points. So precious.

We sure miss gymnastics and hope to be able to work classes for both kids into our schedule again soon. Meanwhile, we went to open gym today with our friends Juden and Sawyer (and mommy Shira and baby Quinn). We had such a great time! It was Haley's first time at open gym and she loved it. She tried absolutely everything and loved getting thrown into the foam pit. JT was so much more confident than last time and had a great time. They were both completely worn out by the time we came home. Headed up the big slide. Then she found out she wasn't all enough to reach the steps and had to be carried up. Big trampoline Little trampoline Small bouncy house - she could do this one without any help and loved it! Ready to go down the big slide Wheeee! JT, Juden, and Sawyer could climb all by themselves and went a bunch of times.

Well, really, it's not allllll about Haley's hair. But I'd like to point out all of our different hair dos lately! Haley's hair is finally long enough on top for a side pony with a flower or bow, and long enough on the sides for a ponytail in back. We have also tried the barrette-on-top style. It's been fun to try new things but my favorite is still pigtails. There are also some great pictures of playtime. Playing Trio blocks together... sweet. Watching WordWorld (which Haley can say now) One ponytail in back! (Do their profiles look similar at all? I've been wondering that.) Haley spent a loooooonnnnggggg time focused on getting this block tower. She ran and got me when she finally got it! Haley can finally put on her own shoes if she's lucky and has lots of time to try it. But putting on other people's shoes is so much more fun! Two shots of top-barrette style... and, of course, reading with Dad and playing in the ki...

This week has not looked at all like the nice weather we look forward to all winter long. Instead, it has hailed, iced, slushed, snowed, rained, pelted, and blown all over us. But there was a day a week ago that we got to go outside... Haley wanted JT to help her put her shoes on. "No, Mom, JT help." The kids rode bikes and drew on the sidewalk while I weeded the front flower beds, raked the yard, and swept the porch. It felt so good to get those things done! When JT abandoned his Harley tricycle for the broom, Haley had her chance... and she proved that she's now big enough to ride it.

I missed posting about my mom's birthday dinner, which we hosted. The first exciting thing was that my brother was in town and got to join us. Hooray! The second exciting thing is that I made a Chinese dinner that turned out great. I made sweet and sour chicken, pork fried rice, beef and broccoli, lo mein, and Oolong tea. We bought egg rolls because, really, I only have so much time. Thanks to all the people who replied with recipe suggestions on Facebook. It was very good! For dessert, my mom had suggested a chocolate family favorite but then, when we looked at what was for dinner, it seemed like light and fruity would fit the bill better. Jim was distraught over missing out on the brownie pudding cake, so I ended up making both that and Martha's shortcake cookies with raspberries and cream. I would highly recommend the cookies, which I made again later in the week and dipped in chocolate. YUM.  Haley spent about five minutes telling us that she wanted some chopsticks,...

I totally forgot to take a picture on Date Night #2 this year, so I skipped posting about it. But we went to Jak's and had an amazing steak dinner. We were supposed to go to Crystal Moutain and have dinner at the lodge, but it turns out they changed their schedule and only serve dinner up there on weekends. So we went to Jak's (better food anyway) and thought about hitting up the Issaquah Brewhouse for a brownie sundae dessert, but we were so full from dinner we just came home. On to Date Night #3. This week Jim picked me up from work, fresh from a hair cut and looking very handsome, and we went to the Ram for burgers for dinner. Then we went to watch the Seattle Thunderbirds play hockey. Jim got great tickets one row up from the ice right at the curve in the glass before the goal, where lots of action takes place. We had a great time, of course!

Is this not the most adorable picture ever? Today JT got to go to a birthday party for his friend Asher, who turned four. It was a superhero theme and JT got to go without any parents tagging along. He gave me a full report on the car ride home, including saying, "I loved it, Mom. It was ni-i-i-ce." He got this mask, cape, and shirt to keep as a party favor. Thanks, Jen and Brian, for hosting a great party and for this great picture of my son!

Guess what?! Haley had a GREAT checkup at the doctor today. Her doctor said several times that she was very happy with her growth in the past three months. She's grown 2.5 inches and gained 2 pounds. While she is still below third percentile in weight, she is up to the 25th percentile in height - which is closer to where she was between birth and one year old. Hooray! It's all that yummy table food she can finally eat with her eight teeth. We don't have to go back until her two year old checkup this summer. Wow! Haley's doctor was impressed with her word count (100 and growing now), her motor skills, and her obvious high energy (as she climbed on and off the kids' chairs in the exam room, oh, four hundred times). We talked about transitioning off a binky and on to a potty and she said that it sounds like Haley is ready for both, but not to make a big deal of either until she is 2 1/2. Still, we might order some extra small training pants and see how it goes....