The Wilkinson Family Blog: August 2015

Well folks, it seems that the number of children directly impacts the ability to keep up with a blog detailing the lives of said children. For those still checking - apologies for the overdue post.

I have no idea what's happened over the past three months, I'll just get that out there right away! I will give you the broad strokes highlights and then post some photos and videos. Because I know you all are just here for the photos.

Theo: He's walking! Or at least toddling. He can take 4 steps pretty comfortably, and has gone up to 6. He tends to be pretty uninterested in working on the skill until about 30 minutes before bed, when he pulls out all the stops and goes crazy with the walking/standing. Here's a video from a week or so ago.

He has also been undergoing a vocabulary explosion over the past few weeks. He's annunciation isn't super clear, but his "words" are consistent. For example: Bye = "Dah!"; Cat = "Cah!" He's also perfected the "uh oh" - along with the innocent expression as he tosses his food off his high chair.

Clara: Clara graduated from Tumbleweed and moved over to Grady's school. She is starting to learn some French - she can say car, little, medium, big, and count from one to seven. She is really excited to be with Grady at school. She clearly feels very grown up. The transition went smoothly at first, and then she had a few weeks of rockiness, but she seems to be coming through it now. She has been riding her strider bike like a BMX rider, running around everywhere, doing tons of imaginative play, singing songs, and making poop jokes.

Grady: Grady got into a local charter school for French immersion and, after a lot of debate, we decided to give it a chance. We are a bit nervous about it, but also very hopeful. He seems totally fine with it, and thankfully he will have at least two friends from his current school starting with him. He understands probably 80 percent of what his teachers are saying in French, but rarely speaks it, at least at home. When he does, his accent is fabulous. I've been trying to practice with him, which he grudgingly allows.

Grady also learned how to ride a bike (see the video). He loves to ride, and is even trying to ride one- and no-handed.

Some general highlights:
The big highlight was going to San Diego to visit with Uncle Cliff, Aunt Susie, Cousin Brandon, and the baby in Susie's belly. Our three were a bit more than what the Swaps were used to, but they were very understanding - if tired by the end of the visit. We got to go to the beach, a playground, and Lego Land - which is more Disney Land than a pit of Lego as I was picturing. They made us delicious food (even if we did somehow lose an ear of corn) and shepherded us around San Diego. I hope they will have us back again at some point!

Cousins on the swings

Brando on a mission

(Very) early morning shenanigans

Theo's first carousel ride

(I think this is a happy/excited face?)

These are definitely happy/excited faces

Splash pad at Lego Land with the cousins

It has been a crazy hot summer here, so we took one impromptu trip to the much-cooler Oregon Coast. Grady would live there if he could. (Though after that New Yorker article we may not allow it.) We spent a beautiful, non-windy day at the ocean, followed by the pool and a dinner out with more french fries than we previously knew existed in the world. We were all a bit sad to get back to reality (and 100 degree weather) the next day. Apparently we were too busy having fun to take many pictures.

As usual, we have done a lot of berry picking - strawberries, pie cherries, blueberries and black raspberries so far. We will do apples once they are ready. We've made lots of jam, vinegar, syrup and other delicious stuff and are going through it all at an alarming rate.