Happy Birthday baby Fenner!!!

Not a baby any longer but a grown-up girl of one! I explained to Olan that we were going to have to drop baby from Fenner's name but I'm not sure that he got it. his response was "Baby Fenner grown-up lady now?". However, he was thrilled to hear that there was more candle-blowing-cake-eating happening in the world, we just wish we were closer so we could have some. :)

Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday to Aunty Aly!

We would like to extend warm birthday wishes to a sister and an aunty and a momma-to-be (again!) in Ottawa tonight! We hope you have many chances to use these faces...

A shoutout to the hippest godparents around

Olan received a very nice package from Jared and Katie, all the way from their new digs in San Francisco. 

One of the fun things it contained was this very cool hoodie. Perfect streetwear for my little music lover.

He wore it to school, with the equally cool bubble/planet shirt underneath (can't be seen in these photos) and he caused quite a stir. One of his teachers would like to arrange to have new godparents in SF to send her cool books and clothes. So if you see any likely suspects coffeekids, send on their contact info. :)

You may notice his little twisted fingers in the pictures. Lately they are always twisted all up in the craziest of arrangements. I've been trying to teach him to snap on the drive to work. He needs an instrument for the car other than the guitar (which I sometimes forget). He was trying SO hard to figure it out this morning and finally in an exasperated voice he said "Olan need use mommy's fingers please". 

If only life were that easy... need to cook a gourmet meal? Borrow a chef's hands for the night. Need to write a book? Call an author you admire and arrange to borrow their hands. 

Apple time

This afternoon we took a trip to the valley to fill our car with delicious crispy honeycrisp apples... there is no greater taste in the world right now.

King of the haybales

"I drive Mommy" This would tractor 1 of the 4 he tried today :)

"Small apple-eating boy comes free with purchase of pumpkin"

Party central!

The party was all that it should be... screaming friends, presents of all sizes and shapes, icing smears on the floor. It was two-year-old bliss. The topper was running outside to see the swingset Grandpa made for him. He still doesn't quite believe that it's his for keeps,  he keeps saying "one more time" as he flies down, as if we're at the park and have to leave.

The pre-party clean boy shot

A tool belt and hardhat, watch out Grandpa!

Figuring out the kazoo

Katie the big-kid helps him out with the barn

His "cappillar cake". A favourite book right now is Eric Carle's "The Hungry Caterpillar", Olan can recite the whole thing. This is what he picked as a cake... and then I had to figure out how to pull it off.

Getting ready to dive in

"I like it!" ... No shit, icing and cholcolate, what's not to like???

The big swingset unveiling...

Happy, happy boy

Big boy swing

Climbing up for another go, and another, and another...

Cleaning up after all his friends were gone...