Sunday, January 26, 2014

Choo-Choos

One of Matthew's new words is "choo-choo," especially since he got his train set for Christmas. Since we were headed out to run errands and explore the Snoqualmie/North Bend area, we decided to take advantage of the sunny weather and walk through the trains outside of the train museum. Overall, I'm not sure that Matthew made the connection between the cartoon trains that we watch on YouTube or the toy trains that he has at home. Nonetheless, we had a great time exploring the outside of a few trains before going shopping.



While in Snoqualmie, we also enjoyed a great lunch at the Snoqualmie Brewery. We're not quite sure what they put in the peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but this is the first time ever that Matthew ate a whole sandwich in a single sitting! It was quite the sight! (Note that we had to make a wardrobe change after lunch due to the messy nature of the delicious sandwich...)

After our shopping excursion, we pushed the limits and stopped by the North Bend Bar & Grill for dinner. Not one of our finest moments as diners, to say the least! Just after being seated in the restaurant, Matthew began playing with one of the menus -- launching it into the only glass on the table with a lid, tipping it over, and sending a river of water onto our table. (The other two water glasses, sans lids, stayed upright -- that takes some talent!) There was so much water that the staff had to bring over rags and a mop to soak it up! Not the worst thing to happen, but it was one of the first times that we felt like "that" family with the noisy kid who threw his toys in the walkway and was generally not happy to be there. I'm sure that we've got many more dining experiences like this ahead of us.... sigh.

Overall, we had a great time together exploring, shopping, and generally enjoying ourselves. So glad that we get to make these memories -- both fun and not so fun.

Sunday, January 05, 2014

Clean Slate: Pondering the New Year

As we've rounded the corner into 2014, I've been thinking about what I want to do with the New Year. What changes do I want to make? What things to I want to keep the same? How to I want to approach the blank canvas of the next 365 days? How will I make the most of this 'clean slate' that we've come upon?

While we were driving to meet with friends on New Year's Day, I joked with Lennie that Matthew's goals were pretty clear:

  1. Widen his vocabulary -- soaking in all of the new words, sounds, and communication skills that lay before him -- and help us to better get to know his personality, wants, and needs.
  2. Widen his food palette -- experience new foods and tastes, and broaden the list of 'acceptable' foods that we can put on the menu in a regular rotation. (This mom can only make so many chicken nugget dinners without feeling guilty!) 
My goals don't seem as cut-and-dried. I'm still pondering what I want to do with this clean slate, but the old standards are echoing in my brain: 
  1. Move more; get more active, get out and about, see more of the beautiful area that we live in!
  2. Drink more water. Water's good for you, so why not be mindful of what I take in and how hydrated I am? Added bonus: this is the first step to making better nutritional choices, etc.
We'll see what comes of this "clean slate" that's before us in 2014. So far, I have a feeling that this is going to be a great year, full of potential and exciting opportunities. 

What are your plans for your "clean slate" in 2014?