Scott & Trisha: October 2014

Our Maddox is two! The weekend before his big day, we went out to capture a few photos to document the milestone. He was easily distracted with all the happenings downtown, so we got plenty profile pictures and his concentrating look. We came away with several fun shots, and like most parents, can't limit our sharing to just a few:)

Maddox surprised us when we went in to wish him happy birthday that morning. First for him, no pants and no diaper when mom and dad came in the room. Luckily, it was just a wet mess:)

We spent most of the rest of Maddox's birthday enjoying some of his favorite things. We opened gifts from mom and dad, had waffles for breakfast, played at Pump It Up Jr., went to story time at the library, made Mac and Cheese for lunch together, built a fort and read books, Frito mix for dinner, then wrapped up with his favorite movie (Monsters, Inc.) and ice cream dessert.

Putting some finishing touches on the motorcycle rocker together. Maddox loves it!

We celebrated a couple times, including a little party at a nearby park the Saturday following his birthday. We had fun playing with a few friends and family, and enjoyed some snacks and ice cream cake (Maddox's choice). Maddox really liked all the happy birthday singing and blowing out candles. We're grateful to have such generous and supportive people in our lives.

Maddox's first forward-facing trip! I don't know who was more excited, Maddox or Scott...

Maddox's 2 year appointment.

Maddox at two:
-Still loves cars and trucks of all varieties, cooking, books, balls, tools.
-He likes to do a lot himself, but is quick to ask for help if he is struggling with something.
-Still speaking like a champ, and he puts his own words and ideas together to make little sentences.
-When you ask him how old he is, he'll say "5." Then you ask if he is two and he'll tell you "yes." :)
-He asks mom to "stop please" if I am doing something he doesn't want me to do.
-Asks us to "rub it, kiss it" if he gets an ouchie, but he is a pretty tough kid and doesn't cry often when he gets hurt.
-Is counting 1-10 pretty well, but will often skip over 2 and 4, and he loves to add in 11, 15, 18 at the end.
-He's getting colors down pretty well too. He will often say pink for red though.
-Loves riding forward-facing in the car and is excited to tell us, "light green, go!"
-He is still a pretty good sport about a lot of things -- he is very patient with other kids, well-behaved in public, and listens and follows directions really well for his age.
-He's pretty particular about things and is a creature of habit, especially at home.
Maddox really is just a good kid, and he brings a lot of fun and joy to our family. We love our Maddox!

Mid-September we went out for round two of camping. Scott left work early that Friday, and we headed to Lost Lake near Mt. Hood. My two complaints about this campground are that the tent sites weren't reservable (this is changing in 2015 though so it wouldn't be an issue in the future), and the facilities available were vault toilets (I am a soft camper!). Otherwise, we really liked this spot. Our site was really cute with stairs down from our parking and more stairs to where our tent was set up, a cute fire pit, and lots of foliage to help us feel secluded. It was pretty quiet again, and we didn't hear any noises at night (except right before we turned in when I heard critters in the trees and swore they were jumping from tree to tree above us planning an attack). Maddox slept really well again. It was a colder night than our last trip, but the days were sunny and warm. Overall, another successful camping experience!