It’s been a rockin’ autumn… and it’s not even Halloween yet! We’ve been to Whistler, there’s been plenty of sunny days (or sunny hours of days), and Eli got his first taste of the Oregon Zoo and the Seattle Aquarium.
Oh, and he’s walking like a CHAMP! I’ll have to take some video of his newly acquired strut, but in the meantime, here’s some pictures and stories of our autumn adventures.
Father and son "hike" (Whistler, B.C.)
In early October, Eli and Nate spent a weekend in Portland, and in addition to playing with his cousin Hazel, Eli got to check out the Oregon Zoo. Apparently, everything was a “dog,” since that’s one of the few words Eli can say. Nate would point out the elephants, and Eli would say, “dog!” Nate would point out the lion, and Eli would say, “dog!” You get the picture… and speaking of pictures, I’m sorry to say that I have none Babies and animals are hard to capture together on a iPhone camera.
"I'm having so much fun in Whistler!!!"
"I'll drive, Mom."
I do however, have plenty of pictures and video from our Whistler weekend. We decided that a family weekend away was just the thing, so we packed the truck and headed north. It happened to be Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, which meant nothing to us except Whistler was having an enormous ski swap and sales galore. Yay!
I don’t recall the last time I was in Whistler in the fall, but I think we’ll make a tradition of it. It was GORGEOUS, and we all had so much fun! We even ran into our Vancouver friends, Marc, Ann and their kids Luciano and Nico. As it turned out, we weren’t the only ones with the idea to spend the weekend in Whistler!
Eli really started walking with confidence, and he toddled all around the Whistler playground.
Our hotel comp’d us some tickets to a kids show, and Eli toddled all around the concert hall as well… err, when he wasn’t being bumped by big kids that knocked him down.
He’s gotten so good at walking around, in fact, Eli walked all through the Seattle Aquarium last weekend. It was a rainy day, and rather than staying at home and feeling cooped up (like our chickens), we decided to visit the aquarium. As it turned out, we couldn’t have picked a better way to spend a rainy Saturday morning!
Eli’s just at the right age to take in and absorb the sights. He walked around pointing at various fish tanks and exhibits shouting, “Oooo!” and “Whoa!”
Eli takes it it
"Oooo!"
We’re pretty sure we blew Eli’s mind at the aquarium that day. And we can’t WAIT to go back, which won’t be too difficult, given we bought an annual membership. Seattle Aquarium, anyone?
I can only imagine that shortly, we’ll have memberships to all the kid-friendly places in Seattle: the Aquarium, the Woodland Park Zoo, the Pacific Science Center… What am I missing people? Post your recommendations here!
Well, all I can say is that I’m loving this age. He learns new things every day, and everything is amazing and new.
Cousin Hazel lives in a three-story town home. That means there are a LOT of stairs. On a recent visit, Eli became a stair master. You’ll see what I mean…
Eli loves spending time in Portland with his cousin, his aunt, and his uncle. Hazel gets a little jealous sometimes, because we all know that she’s a pink princess and therefore deserving of all the attention. I think she might have gotten upset after her mom pushed Eli on the swing instead of her. Eli didn’t seem to notice or care… he was having too much fun!
Why is the pain and suffering of toddlers so funny sometimes?
If the first video hasn’t already convinced you, Eli’s becoming quite the mover and the shaker. He crawls and walks ALL around. I mean ALL AROUND. The playground bark makes it pretty easy to track him…
This morning, my picture feed popped up an awesome fall photo of Hazel back in 2009. She was walking, albeit unsteadily, and the fall colors were absolutely gorgeous. It made me smile, because Eli’s at a very similar stage right now.
I thought you might enjoy this as much as I did. As a point of comparison, here’s Eli and Nathan, walking to school:
Soon, we’ll post some video from the past two glorious fall weekends: During first couple of days of October, Eli and Nathan spent some time with the Barkers in Portland. The next weekend, we Kaisers took a field trip up to Whistler. Pictures and video of both weekends are precious. Here’s a preview:
The days are getting shorter in the Pacific Northwest. I’ll admit it. I’m not ready for fall. Mostly because it’s been an AMAZING summer.
Granted, summer weather only arrived in late-August, but we were lucky enough to travel east of the Cascades a few times to feel the heat (above 80 degrees counts as heat in my mind) and relax at the cabin. And we took a couple plane trips to warm destinations and family reunions… both my side and Nate’s. So, I’ll reiterate, it’s been an AMAZING summer.
We celebrated my grandfather’s 85th birthday in August, even though his actual 85th birthday was yesterday, the 24th of September. It didn’t matter when we celebrated; all the Ngs gathered in Lake Tahoe, and I’ve discovered my new favorite destination. Lake Tahoe is gorgeous, and one of these days soon, I want to see it in the winter.
We're on a boat!
Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe
Happy 85th Birthday, Yeh Yeh!
Our summertime visit wasn’t nearly long enough, but we made the best of it by visiting the beach, eating at an all-you-can-eat buffet (cuz where there’s casinos, there’s buffets), swimming every morning with Eli in the pool, taking nearly the entire fam on a 250 hp pontoon boat around the lake (we could have water skied behind that thing if we hadn’t maxed out on people!), and singing lots of birthday wishes to my grandfather… a month and a half early!
Also in August, Eli had his first camping experience, and I discovered how much my little Pig Pen likes dirt! I had already found out how much he likes sand when we were in Tahoe (playing in it, digging in it, eating it…), but Eli took things to a whole new level at Lake Cushman with the Kaiser sibs and his cousin Hazel. This kid discovered dirt, and dirt + the dog dish + a little bit of water left in the dog’s dish = hours of good times.
Pig Pen aka Eli
dirt + dog dish = good times!
Not to mention Eli absolutely adores his cousin Hazel.
Eli got to spend another 5 whole days with Hazel while at the Kaiser ranch in September. We traveled on the same plane to Texas with Aunt Ailey, but we met up with Aunt Eryn and Hazel at the Houston Airport, and from that point on, we were all travel buddies. Nate’s grandfather turned 80 on September 15th. Unlike my grandfather’s celebration, there are not casinos nor gorgeous lakes in Yoakum, Tx so we spent considerably more time in one place–that would be the ranch, and we at considerably more meat–as in BBQ.
OMG, so much BBQ! And so much cake! And so much happy birthday! We were lucky enough to arrive in Texas just as a cool spell hit and just as the rain drops started to fall. It was the first time in months that Texas saw rain, so everyone was celebrating (not just us, the party-goers)!
Party goers gather, post party
Doesn't this say, "80th birthday"?
Eli and his Great-Grandaddy
Happy 80th, Sydney!
Through all these summertime activities, Eli’s developed into a full-fledged toddler, who can walk (sort of), talks back (mostly in high-pitched squeals and sign language… an odd combination, to say the least), and feeds himself (and his ears, and his hair…) We are really loving having a toddler around the house and watching him grow and change quickly!
So, I guess this is Happy Fall, everyone! To the leaves changing, and to the many changes to come! We’ll try to keep you posted
Without a doubt, you are the most amazing woman I know. From our first meeting to seeing your face before I go to sleep at night, I count my blessing to be in your life. You bring such wisdom, patience, caring, joy and love to every encounter and in each you are my mentor and role model.
My dear and wonderful Marissa, happy birthday. I so look forward to all our future years together.
A few weeks ago, I posted on Twitter and Facebook that @EliKaiser was walking.
“The word: @elikaiser is walking! He hasn’t done so for @nkaiser and I yet, but Eli’s grandparents swear by it!”
And since I didn’t see Eli taking steps, but I was shooting lots of video and lots of pictures, I posted this picture of a very proud Eli:
Eli's proud "walking" face
That was on August 24. It’s now September 11, and Eli chose this day to take a few steps–for real! And I got it on video! Enjoy!
Maybe it was the presence of Allison Koester, visiting from D.C. after moving from Seattle 2 months ago. Or maybe it was the influence of 19 month old Marion Smith, who walked circles around Eli all day yesterday at Grandma and Grandpa Smith’s house.
Eli watches Marion making "soup" in the dog's dish
Either way, he’s walking. It’s exciting and scary, all at the same time.
It was one of those days in New York where you absolutely knew that it is going to be a scorcher of a day, and yet there was a slight chill in the air. The skies were blue and, simply, it started out as one of those days where you were happy to be living it.
On my way downtown that morning, I specifically got off a train stop early to take advantage and enjoy it.
I was at some small conference or another a few blocks from the World Trade Center when we felt the room and building around us shake. My immediate thought was that there must have been some type of subway accident, as the amount of energy needed to move the building must have been huge…
It wasn’t until I received an email on my pager from my mother in Seattle that I learned what had actually happened.
I left the conference and walked outside and saw, not the towers (it is really a built up part of town), but rather the burning debris and embers that were slowing falling to the ground. It was all so surreal and beyond my limited understanding that I stood there awestruck for quite a few minutes.
Fortunately, I was able to get home to the Upper West Side before the subway system was shut down and was horrified to see the second tower come down on CNN with the rest of the World.
I lived through a number of things that permanently changed my perspective on life that day and the following few days after:
I try never to take family, friends and loved ones for granted.
Regardless of how “divided” people say this country has become, it is a huge and complete lie. I saw amazing unity in those days, and I still see it.
People are amazing, whether individually or as a group.
I love New York City.
One memory that I hope will live with me for the rest of my life is the one where I was walking south on Broadway to Lincoln Center. The news had mentioned that emergency services had set up a blood donation and volunteer area there. That if you could help, please head down there.
I started walking. From 98th St. The closer I got with every passing block the harder it got as the throngs of people kept getting larger and larger. People were coming out of the woodwork to help, to volunteer, and to give blood. We still didn’t know quite what had happened or why, but it didn’t matter. People wanted and needed to help.
It was just one of a number of powerful realizations.
Another, was the horrible, tragic and sorrowfully beautiful memorials. Every park, square, and open space was turned into a living memorial of those that had been lost. Flowers. Candles. The photographs. It was such to wrench the soul. Whole parks began to embody the loss of that day. Trails through the mementoes of loss and love began to form and every single person who gathered and shared in those moments paid silent homage to those that were no longer with us.
New York is not just a city. It is a living, breathing entity of our creation. It can rejoice, it can grow and stagnate, and it can experience pain and loss. It will always hold a special place in my heart and soul.
My family was true to every definition of what it means to be a mother, father, sister, brother.
Lastly, to those who head into danger whether for duty, job or calling. You are the true heroes of this world. I thank you.
I believe the one taken of my father was sometime around 1960. The one of Eli was taken this evening… Marissa thought the similarity was a bit uncanny.
After my last post, I think a little cute is in order …That and the fact that my dear friend Nicole Adams specifically asked for a baby Eli update, and I can’t disappoint her. Eli’s been doing a lot of traveling around the state. Over Memorial Day weekend, we all went to the cabin in Eastern Washington. We went again last weekend for Uncle Clayton’s graduation from Central Washington University.
In a couple of weekends, Eli’s looking forward to spending some time with his cousin, Hazel. They’ve practiced playing together at the cabin and it’s pretty cute, if I do say so myself.
Eli doesn’t mind the car ride. He especially likes it when there’s sun coming through the windows. Eastern Washington is good for that.
A happy kid in his carseat
Where's Uncle Clayton among all those robes?
Congratulations, Graduate! (Eli is asleep in the pack)
Nathan and I have been pretty melancholy as of late. We’ve said good-bye to too many friends and relatives throughout April and May, and, no matter how much we celebrate their lives, their passings are really, really sad. Throughout all of this, Eli’s been amazing, and his presence shines over these moments of mourning, bringing overwhelming joy. So there’s been a lot of ups but also a lot of downs.
10-month old Eli is starting to feed himself!
Ups
I can sum this up in one word: Eli. The fact that he’s the light of our lives is pretty obvious, but please indulge me as I elaborate with a few stats. Eli is 10-months old now, and he crawls like a maniac. The kid is FAST. And he really loves being mobile. It affords him an element of independence–he can pretty much go where he wants, when he wants–and he’s having fun trying to get there. We’re on higher alert these days, but even if Eli crawls out of our sight, we can hear the ‘smack-smack’ of his hands on the hardwoods and his heavy breathing–he gets a little breathless when he crawls because he’s so excited about it! It’s hilarious! Just trust me.
Eli figured out how to crawl in earnest way back in March, but he’s just now figuring out how to pull himself up to a standing position. We’re really glad he’s not yet ‘furniture walking,’ but I’m sure that will come soon!
He’s also eating more variety of foods–pretty much whatever we’re eating but in a blended up, mushy format. His favorite foods right now are apples, pears, pancakes, and his long-time staple: sweet potato. He’s still evaluating fried rice and tofu stir-fry, but he enjoyed the chow mein. The other day, he insisted on holding his own spoon. It was a little messy, but so worth it. He’s getting his 7th tooth, and we figure we’d better save up now for orthodontics!
Other ups
After two-and-a-half months abroad, Ailey returned home for a couple of weeks before heading back to Liberia. Yeah, it’s dizzying. My sister-in-law has seen more countries and more rural parts of countries that most of us can imagine. She’s doing field work research and advancing land rights in the developing world. I’m so proud of her! So I’m looking forward to kickin’ it with her tomorrow. We’ve got a happy hour and a girls night planned. Fruity alcoholic drinks and a chick flick are in my near future. This is definitely an up!
And we’re headed to Portland this weekend to kick it with our niece. We’ll get to see Nate’s other sister and her hubby briefly, but mostly we’re chillin’ with the kids in P-town. Another up!
One more awesome thing that I can’t believe I forgot to mention before: I got Lasik!!! After more than a decade of not being able to see without my glasses or contacts, I wake up in the morning and open my eyes to… clarity! My old alarm clock used to be hitting Nate and asking for the time. Today, I just lift my head and look for myself! They corrected my vision from a -9, which is a massive correction of near-sightedness. Now I’m a +2! I [heart] Clearly Lasik in Renton. Even if they have had some drama in that office.
Downs
I’ll go in rough chronological order, since it’s easier to list. Throughout this 2011, we’ve lost a number of friends and family members.
November 2010: Uncle Carl (89) and Eli (4 mos)
Our neighbor, Gerry Heffernan, passed away with Alzheimer’s earlier this year. His memorial was last weekend, but we weren’t able to attend.
An inspiration to the Seattle startup community, Tom Music, suddenly lost his battle with lymphoma in mid-April. We honored him with an Irish-style wake and drank lots of beer.
While we were drinking, Susie was returning from a memorial service in Texas for their relative, Carl Chandler. Carl carried the namesake to Nathan’s middle name, representing the branch of Chandlers that first came to this country. He served in WWII, miraculously making it through the D-Day invasion as a medic in the first wave. Later in his military career, he was given the honor of dancing with England’s Princess Elizabeth, now the Queen. He would have been 90 this year.
Our old friend and ‘parking landlord’ of the past 5 years, Fred Cloonan, passed away from a sudden heart attack. Fred also served in WWII as a merchant marine, and he continued his service in the navy, fighting in the Korean War as well. We celebrated his memory and his 80th birthday on May 1.
We learned at Easter that Nathan’s former tennis captain passed away of a sudden heart attack.
Most recently and most poignantly for me, my grandmother went on to heaven on May 9. She passed, surrounded by her eight kids and many of her grandkids. I gave a eulogy on Saturday, but I think it’s still sinking in… She was such an awesome woman. I’ll post the eulogy in a separate message. And this is why I’m especially sad these days. It’s a bit cumulative, but I really miss my PoPo.
Eli got sent home from daycare yesterday because he threw up. Sometimes, Eli throws up because he eats too much. Yesterday, it was determined that he is really sick. Poor kid.
He didn’t eat much of anything at all, and he didn’t keep much of that down. So last night, Nate went out and bought Pedialyte (which I’m calling Gatorade for babies), and we deliberated about what to do next. Eli was banned from daycare, so we called my mother-in-law. (My own folks have helped out and watched a sick Eli on numerous occasions in the past. We just thought we’d see if Susie was available this time.)
… And she WAS! Sort of. So we all agreed that I would take Eli to work with me, and Susie would pick him up after her doctor’s appointment.
In the meantime, Eli had a marvelous time at my office, napping on Amy’s lap.
Now, he’s playing at Grandma’s.
I’m wondering if his “sick day” was just a ploy to play with cute girls…
ZONKED. No really. Another coworker came by to see what all the heavy breathing was about
This past weekend we finally had a chance to try out Eli’s bike carrier. As you can see, Eli has grown a bit since we received the carrier for Christmas. Photos like this surprise the heck out of me. In only four months he has gotten so big… Latest tally: six teeth, 1/3 of a head of hair (a natural mohawk ), and now he is high-fiving, crawling, and pulling himself up into a standing position.
Last weekend, we packed up the truck and the kid, dropped the dog off at a friend’s, and headed to Packwood. Ailey had organized a Kaiser-kids ski weekend (sans Clayton, who had some prior commitments), and we all piled into adjoining cabins at the Mountain View Lodge, conveniently located 20 minutes away from White Pass Ski Resort.
Hazel's pretty pink ski boots
Since our small Kaiser clan is still getting the hang of packing up for a ski weekend, we were a few hours off our desired arrival time and completely missed the pizza dinner. Miraculously, Hazel was still awake to greet us at 10 p.m., and stayed awake staring and sometimes crying as Unc Nate, Aunt Ailey, Uncle Ritchie, and her dad drank beers into the late evening. Eryn managed to sleep thanks to earplugs and an eye mask, and I never really woke up from the car ride thanks to some powerful muscle relaxers. (Just my luck, the very morning we planned to leave for White Pass Ski Weekend, my back went into spasms. This is the first re-occurrence of back pain since before I was pregnant… Sigh. I REALLY didn’t miss it.)
We all managed to wake up in the morning somewhat rested (despite the fact that Eli woke up and cried several times throughout the night), and we hit the ground running with a hearty breakfast and a lot of ski and baby gear… and some baby ski gear.
Hazel and the stickers
Eli and the stickers
I learned what being a “lodge mom” is all about, and I even managed to get a little work done. The conditions were meh, so I didn’t miss much except for maybe a beer in the ski yurt. What I got to enjoy instead was some really precious time with Eli and Hazel, and I don’t regret not skiing. Eli is enamored with his big cousin Hazel, and Hazel shared her toys, her books, and her stickers with Eli.
Hazel also had a big milestone that day: she skied for the first time without anyone holding her. Brian said he almost shed a tear, right there on the magic carpet. We were all very proud.
But the most precious moment of the weekend had to have been that evening. We were all back at the lodge chilling, relaxing and getting dinner ready, while the kids played around. We decided to set Eli next to his aunt and his cousin and this cuteness ensued. I LOVE this video!
Oh, and in case you haven’t had enough, here’s some more:
How do I adequately describe how awesome Girls Ski Weekend 2011 was?
I can’t, so I’ll have to leave you with some pictures from the slopes.
Bomber Cliffs are RAD!
Backcountry gals
Fist bump. Blow it up!
Checkin' out the ridge
Yeaahhhh!!!
Oh, and since we didn’t all ski and I don’t have pictures of two of our awesome bad-ass girls, I’ll share a few quotes from the weekend.
“Follow the Chumstick Highway to Beaver Valley.” (I kid you not, these were part of the directions to get to our lodge. Given that two of our crew are middle school teachers who’s minds will ALWAYS go there, we had endless giggles about these directions.)
“You MUST try the ramp!”
“I want a dog named ‘Meat.’”
“I’ve skinned a moose before.”
“I have a list for that too.”
Andreas Keller – Where you can eat a pickle with a knife!
“Let’s all hike the Ridge!”
“Are you texting?” “No, I’m writing down all the funny things you say!”
Babies and animals are hard to capture together on a iPhone camera.
