Dressed like a bear

Mike thought that Derek was dressed like his bear so he grabbed a few pictures. Very cute

We had a nice and relaxing weekend. We took the dogs on several rides in the car as Alex wasn't quite ready for a walk. The rides were also afternoon nap time for Derek. He is not a fan of napping on the weekends as he doesn't want to slow down from playing with Daddy. We finished off a nice weekend by going to small group. Small group is always a great end to the weekend. Our group is a place of honesty, care, and laughter.

Derek was so tired from our weekend that he slept in this morning. We think he is in the middle of a growth spurt. He is eating a ton. Last night he had his first happy meal- hamburger and apples. I drank the chocolate milk for him :)

A boy and his remote control

Derek loves his own remote control. Mike gave him an old one that he took the batteries out of. Derek crawls around with it--and then bangs it on everything he comes to. He is quite entertained by the buttons.

This weekend, Derek also figured out how to climb up on the fireplace hearth. He began by using something else to climb up onto it but then figured out how to do it without the use of anything else. He is now trying to figure out how to climb up onto the couch on his own. The poor dogs.. this is their last place of refuge right now.

In our continuing saga of dogs and the vet, Alex had surgery this week. She had a small tumor removed. She is home resting comfortably. We think she will be recovered enough to take a walk today. Alex is 13 but still spunky and full of life and energy. We are thankful that she remains in great health. Lucky is very happy that her buddy came home safely. Unfortunately Lucky did not get the memo that Alex is to rest and was trying to get Alex to wrestle within hours of being home.

Tooth #3 is here

Derek has had two teeth for several months now. His third tooth finally appeared yesterday. Mike discovered it while getting Derek ready for bed last night.

Derek is in a funk with naps. He is resisting them each time. After being fussy for a long time he will finally fall asleep.. and sleep for 40 minutes. This is not long enough which is evident by his crabbiness as bedtime approaches. Poor little guy. He tries so hard to be happy but is just so tired. He is quite funny to watch though. He is incredibly ticklish and laughs hysterically when he is tired. The flip side is that he cries too. Hopefully he will nap better soon.

That being said, Derek is usually very happy. He loves to chatter and make noises. He is quite funny when he is ready to touch something he knows he shouldn't.. like the mouse. As he crawls closer to the object he starts laugh and squeal. Not much for stealth but easy to find! And here he comes now...

Getting closer

Derek is getting closer to walking. Last night when Mike got home he walked behind Derek's walker to show him how to do it and told him to try it out. In previous tries he (Derek hah) has only taken two steps with it. Well last night he took off and went down the hallway by himself. Go Derek. He even figured out how to guide it away from the wall when he ran into it (he must get that from me... the running into the wall bit).

Well we voted.. by mail. Oregon is voting by mail only. As much as I like filling out the ballot in the comfort of my own living room, I miss the feeling of satisfaction when the machine beeps and says it has recorded your vote. Plus I really miss the sticker. On the plus side I did get my free coffee at Starbucks for voting. Too bad there is not a Krispy Kreme very close for the free donut. I am really really bummed that Kopps is 2000 miles away... I really would like a custard!

I realized the significance of the opportunity to vote when a friend of ours was over for lunch a few weeks ago. He is from Vietnam. You are required to vote in Vietnam- it is closely regulated. Unfortunately, your vote doesn't matter as they are a communist nation. So you must vote but the decision has already been made (and everyone knows it). Nice.

Looking Dapper

fun party

On Saturday we went to a great birthday party for our favorite twins, Alexa and Sienna, who turned one. We were also celebrating their mommy and daddy and an incredible first year. I have watched Angie love, nurture, and adore her little girls. What an amazing mom! All the kids loved playing at Gymboree. Derek loved the bubbles. Both Mike and I enjoyed playing with Derek. Derek also had his first little vanilla cupcake. He picked it up and was waving it around. What a fun time!

A family of penguins