B.C. Before Chirstmas

Why have I not been posting?  Busy with family, traveling a bit, holidays and life.but ultimately it is because of  the death....of our main computer.  We have not been computerless, but it has complicated my process of uploading and editing photos for Ethan's blog.  Forgive the lack of editing.  Here are some highlights of Ethan B.C., before Christmas.

 Christmas is coming!

 Taking a break from trail running with Mom and Dad at Beaver Marsh

 The Patient

 Dr. Ethan cares for his sick fish.  I believe the fish is recouping in watered down coffee

 Painted up as a kitty and sharing a cookie with Mom at the Portland Children's Museum.  We had so much fun!  Ethan was asking to return for days.....

 I forgot my phone at home when I went to yoga....this is one of their better selfies;)

Ethan and I went to Spokane for an early Christmas with Papa Dan and Grandma Colleen.  It was awesome to spend so much time with my Dad!

Trapped!

Ethan really enjoys playing doctor.  He giggled as I tried to convince him the xrays of snakes and birds were pictures of his body at the Children's Museum in Spokane.

 We had a fun night looking at exceptional holiday lights with Grandma and Papa.  We began the night here, at the conservatory at Manito Park.

Ethan helped "the bear find Christmas" by moving him daily with Grandma to count down the days until December 25th.  We found a little bit of early Christmas when Papa Bear and Nanny T brought gifts the Friday before Christmas.

On Christmas Eve, our family plus Auntie E skyped with a sick Uncle Jason, a sick Auntie Cherie, Carly, Silly Drew, and a soon to be sick Papa Dan in Arizona.

Ethan has a Cold

Ethan and I have had colds for a few days.  We are actually on the mend after doing nothing but lying around and watching the Lego Movie about 100 times.  These are pictures from last week before the congestion and coughing began....  

Ethan wanted to "play boats" by putting leaves in the puddle and watching them race.

Full of mischief because he knows I am trying to take his picture

Halloween

Luck was on our side as the heavy rain stopped just as we were beginning our trick-or-treating.  Ethan was the cutest fire truck!

 Ethan wanted our pumpkin to have a silly face

Dad is attaching the modest hose to the engine.  Ethan is making the sound of water shooting out a hose.

He ate his fill the morning after Halloween.  Then after opening and sorting the remaining candy, he cooked with it.  It was really interesting for him to see what the candies did when combined with water.  He made gooey, sweet smelling, gray colored "soup" and "cupcakes".  He loved using the unusual ingredients, I love that the candy is gone;)

Wonderfully Ethan

This is Ethan's "If you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it" face.  Love it!!

 He is so cool!  He told me he was working and I was to do deliveries with the crane.

 He draws circles now!

Daily he creates something interesting in the kitchen

Pumpkin Patch

Joe's Farm creates a charming area to play, take pictures and get pumpkins in the fall.  The past 2 years we have gone to a much larger event and we have really enjoyed it! However, the simplicity of this year was refreshing.

 Climbing and crawling on hay bails

 They were sold out of standard pumpkins!  Ethan pulls our mini pumpkins to the cornstalk maze.

With Grandma and Papa in front of the cornstalk tepee 

In a Pile of Leaves

Happy Birthday to Grampy!

When we told Ethan we were going to have a birthday party for Grampy he was very excited.  It was crucial to Ethan that we hang streamers.  He made pretend pinatas filled with pretend candy.  We made a real cake shaped like a bear.  That was fun!  I toasted coconut for the first time, Jeremy helped me create the bear with basic shapes and Ethan placed the bear's features insisting the bear have a belly button. 

 Happy Birthday Grampy!

Our bear holding a candle covered balloon

I love this picture

Silly on his tower

Playing blocks with Grammy.  Ethan usually says he is making a playground but yesterday he told me we were building a castle cafe that only sells blueberries.  Awesome!

The Very Busy Roberts Family

We have been very, very busy.  My Aunt Elena has been recovering for almost 7 weeks from bilateral knee surgery like a rock star with help from our family.  For Ethan and I this has meant daily trips to Auntie's, nearly 20 doctor visits, later naps and bedtime and lots of hurrying which is not a strength of any 3 year old.  He has been a trooper though and an interesting result is he plays doctor regularly and talks of bones, blood and xrays in a charming childlike way.

Ethan continues to amaze Jeremy and I daily.  His vocabulary is massive.  His curiosity never stops.  He is so mechanical and so smart.  He is funny.  He says "Oh yeah, I forgot" and then laughs with a funny head tilt.  He closes his eyes, pretends he is asleep, and snores when I am trying to discipline him which is wrong and makes me furious but come on, that's funny too.  He has never seen anyone do that.  No one taught him that.  That is 100% Ethan's unique, natural personality!  He thinks it is super funny to make both arms into handles and be a sugar bowl instead of a teapot when I sing the classic song to him.  He's just got so much excitement, passion and joy.  He asks Jeremy every day if it's his day off as he loves having Daddy home.  He loves hiding and giggles until you find him.  He is really into cooking pretend food and making art.  He really enjoys being sung to and it is precious to catch him singing jumbled up nursery rhymes and his own funny songs.  We love our little boy, Ethan!!

Ethan went through a phase where his art used a lot of glue.  He likes drawing, clay, plah doh, stickers, painting, using scissors, but he does not like coloring.  Give him fresh crayons and a coloring book and he will quickly take the wrappers off the crayons and move on.

This pumpkin was from a rogue plant that grew near our apartment.  It was a warm up for the larger pumpkins we will get at our 3rd annual visit to the pumpkin patch with Grandma Sandy and Papa Bill to celebrate our birthdays.  Grandma's birthday is on Halloween.  Fun!

Making "cake" in Auntie E's back yard.

What a cute boy!  He is in Auntie's ice and compression machine wrap.

Raising the flag he made with Dad

Mud pies!

Our first time to Wintler Park.  Auntie E spotted a bald eagle perched in a tree right near the walking trail.  Very cool.

He loves trying to fix things whether they are broken or not.  He is pretending that Jeremy's headphones are proper ear protection as he uses his little toy wrench on his duplo truck.

He's Cute!!

Yoga Brushing

 Robot Craning

Chopping

Little Tiger

He wanted his face painted.  We waited in line.  When it was our turn, he got shy and wouldn't show the woman, painted up as a zebra, his face.  There were other kids waiting so we moved out of the way.  He got sad.  He really wanted his face painted!  We stood in line a second time.  This time he found his bravery, sat on my lap, and got transformed into the cutest little tiger.

 Showing his paws