Malcolm cooking vegetables

This is Malcolm cooking vegetables-kale to be precise-at school. I told y'all he eats green stuff as long as he knows I can't see him! See how happy he is about it too?!
Now the chef is really concentrating!

All About Being a Superhero and a Fireman

Malcolm and Sophie love each other. They are about the same size and body type and temperament so they spend lots of time together, hugging, and pretending. It is sooo adorable it makes me want to burst and this picture of the two is just too much, pretend time, best friends and music. Who could ask for anything more?

"Ok, I got rid of Ms. Sophie. Now it's time for some serious business!"

Malcolm and his Friends

Drummer Boy!

He can barely reach the drum, but he can sure play it!

Mountain Valley

We are in love with Malcolm's pre-school Mountain Valley. Malcolm is happy there. He missed his friends over Spring Break and we kept them alive in our minds by naming all his rubber duckies after people in the school during bath time. He had a wonderful spring break though, he got to connect with people from our church community. They took him on lots of field trips including the zoo, the park, The Portland Barack Obama Headquarters, a restaurant where police officers were having breakfast, and the neighbor's yard for flower picking.

He got ride bikes, ooh the Obama people by shouting Obama's name when he saw his picture ( that's my boy!) make flower arrangements, play with trains, and visit the alligator in the zoo. The kid definitely loves community! I am really glad. He is so connected to so many friends and loves so many people.

Mountain Valley also really nurtures that sense of community and I always feel that he is in a safe and nurturing environment. Here is a picture of the school and I am posting other hilarious pictures from his times there as well.

Funny Things Malcolm Does These Days

Today he put his dolly on his little potty, that he himself does not know how to use yet. He said, "Dolly, potty." and then put his dolly on his potty.

He knows how to chant O-bam-Mah in a pretty adorable way, yes I am politicizing my child but what do you expect social change runs in the family.

Malcolm Turns Two!

Stockings, Presents, and Other Merry Activities

All He Wanted for Christmas was a Bicycle!

Yes, this is all he wanted for Christmas, but he still can't quite reach the pedals. I think that we can adjust them, but getting this trike back to Portland will be tricky.

The Snows of Colorado

In these pictures you can see Malcolm with his new little wheely backpack which will make a great diaper bag. His cousin Matthew is also featured in one photo.

Christmas 2007-Part 1-Colorado

Well, I finally have a moment to write. December has certainly been a whirlwind! We moved on December 1st, then there was unpacking, and Christmas preparations, and still need to do more planning about the big guys birthday. We have also had a lot of challenges. Malcolm's Baba has been working nights and I am still working days so we only see each other on Sundays and sometimes Malcolm does not get to spend quality time with his Baba for the better part of a week, but we are making it through. We have had other challenges well, but I have tried to keep the focus on Christmas and love and peace.

We came out to Colorado for about five days while Baba Malcolm is working, then we are going to do a family Christmas in Portland when we get home. That is why the title of this posting is Christmas part 1, but I am now posting several pictures from Christmas so far. It has been pretty cool, complete with a small Christmas miracle, and snow on Christmas Day.

Malcolm made his grandma a very special cup at Mimosa Studios in Portland. We were supposed to pick it up on Friday so we could have it on the plane on Saturday, but their kiln shut down in mid job which had never happened before and they had to ship it. It was upposed to arrive on Christmas Eve, but it didn't and I was worried and preparing my speech to the company, but it arrived on Christmas Day as we were still unwrapping presents so it was great. We will start with the picture of grandma and her cup then, and then post others as we go along.

I hope that everyone out there is doing well, let's hope for the sake of the children that 2008 is a year that brings more peave, more understanding, and some real change and care for our planet.

Catching Up

It has been a while since I have really written anything significant for this blog. Mostly, I have just been filling it with pictures and hoping that they would speak for themselves, but I think that some reflection is in order.

Life has been moving fast lately. I have been increasing my hours at work, and that has been hard on Malcolm. He does not really accept my being away on Fridays well, and that has made having less time off even harder on me, but I think that we are starting to adjust. I may send him to his nursery school on Fridays soon, and that may help. He is so nurtured and loved there and I think that he really needs time with other children now.

Malcolm is also learning all kinds of new things. My favorite thing is that he has started nursing his teddy bear from time to time. I have not been able to catch on camera yet, but one day I will and then I think that I will send it in to Mothering magazine for all the world to see because it is too darn adorable. However, I must mention that he is not fond of me trying to nursing his teddy bears that results in a lot of jealousy.

I have attached a little picture of him a few weeks ago. I was getting his bath water ready for him so he could take his bath in the little basin, and his Daddy called me to ask a question. When I turned around Malcolm had climbed on in clothes and all and was washing his sock! I thought it was pretty funny and that I would share it with you all. We have not had many adventures lately, still recovering from October, but we are moving so there is much commotion on the homefront.

Happy Halloweeen 2007

Check Out My Baby's Fine Motor Skills!

Look at that grip! My baby is going to be a writer like his mama!

It Just Wouldn't Be Pacific Northwesty Enough Without a Picture of a Spotted Owl

.....So here it is!

Playing in a teepee

Dancer at the Powow in Wy-Kan-Ush-Pum Village

Here is a picture of a dancer at the small pow wow that they had at Wy-Kan-USh Pum Willage. I can now tell you that Wy-Kan-USh-Pum means the Salmon People. See, I get more muli-lingual by the day! :) Malcolm loved the drumming and took off into the middle of the circle dance which is like a community dance, but her did not want to dance with me. He wanted to dance with everyone else. I didn't get any pictures of that part because I was too busy dancing!

Malcolm and Baba playing in the sand next to the river

Beautiful Boy on the beach

Oxbow River

This is the river in Oxbow Park. I had never been there before and I was impressed by its beauty. It was great to be out in the fresh and crisp autumn air, surrounded by color and beauty-oh yea and a lot of people who are positively loopy over salmon. :)