Ashley
Pictures of the immutable one
The family took a trip to the Portland Zoo to try and get out of the house after a long weekend of being sick and crabby. Ashley wanted to get out of the house herself. We got there nice and early and saw animals, apes being grotesque, elephants and other animals being depraved and generally animalistic. So while we were barfing in our mouths at the motions of the elderly chimps, at least we didn’t have to fight crowds and we got nice close in parking.
Mom got Ashley a set of paints and stuff the Ikea. So they put down some cardboard and went to town. Much more than just the paper was dabbled on, but all in all it was a pretty fun exercise in messing up Mom. There were many cools paintings and even a special I Heart Daddy painting.
First she spends time making a mess, and then demands to help cleaning it up
We went with Auntie Laurel to a dirty farm filled with filthy farm animals. It was a pretty cool time. There were goats, pigs, deer and a wallaby. The wallaby didn’t know what the hell was going on (I think it was drunk) but the other animals were pretty happy to be there. Ashley rode on the ponies and confirmed the stereotype that little girls like ponies. So if anybody wants to “pony up” (zing) and help get the fund started it would be pretty groovy. Mom and Dad don’t want to participate in the horse shenanigans,...
Ashley got a ton of movies for her birthday. I think her metamorphosis into a actual slug will complete before summer is up. So, no salt at the house please.
Step 1: get born Step 2: live two years Step 3: party like there is no tomorrow
We went the children’s museum. We all took public transit and basically it was one of the most hectic days on record. Sam wound Ashley all up, and she in turn put the monkey’s in his backpack so there was a lot of chasing kids around. Plus it is probably just irresponsible to put out a water exhibit in March.
It was a nightmare of color and panic, but the carpet made it through just fine.
It was a nice day and Ashley wanted to prove she could ride down the slide by herself. Nicely done
Ashley graduated from a crib into a new bed. Mommy picked it out and made a very nice bedroom for our baby to sleep and play in. The bed will expand all the way out the length of a twin, so Miss Ashley has some room to grow in it. It was pretty much the greatest thing to the the little princess, and she took to swimming in the bed like a crow takes to corn. Admittedly there was a “falling out” incident the first night, but since then it has been almost perfect.
The family and friends took a new years trip to the bowling lanes.
Chritmas 2008 was in Salem and saw the introduction of the Rocking Cow. Ashley was not impressed with the whole ordeal, but she wasn’t particularly upset with it either. It was a real take it or leave it day, but her cousins had a ton of fun. I know this video is about a year late. I know I know I know.
Mom and Ashley weren’t able to fully clean up the holiday mess after we got back from Athena. So we took our last Sunday in the long weekend and put all the decorations and tree away. We put away all of the new toys, cleaned the cupboards, organized the pantry, picked up everybody’s rooms and did several loads a laundry. Go Mom Go. Go! Go! Go! For his part, Dad took Ashley on a red wagon ride around to the park and rode swings. Christmas was great, but I think we are all glad to be home. ...
Ashley and the gang traveled to Athena this year for Christmas. We left Thursday the 24th packed to the gills with presents and a happy baby. We arrived to a house full of people in Athena and had a rocking couple of dinners, breakfasts and more snacks than a pelican could fit in it’s beak. Ashley learned some new life skills with cooking in the kitchen with Grandma and reloading shells with Grandpa. The uncles showed Ashley how to ride a skateboard and Aunt Tylee taught Ashley the fine art of light saber fighting. We caught a...
Christmas 2008 was Ashley’s first and we tried to start a family tradition. The plan was to have Christmas Eve at home, travel to Salem and spend Christmas day with the family. Well, Snowpacolypse got in the way. The snow came down hard and heavy for many days. Instead of having a nice evening in front of a fire, we had to bust open the presents at the drop of a dime at 2:30 in the afternoon. The news said it would be warming up and raining, and we didn’t wait around. We celebrated with Ashley and still got...
We have been traveling to and fro, meeting and gathering with our friends and family. It has been very nice so far. I am not sure why exactly it is this year, but the entire Christmas season is seeming far less commercial than it usually does. Perhaps I haven’t been looking, or maybe I don’t go out enough to be buried. Maybe it is because we don’t have cable tv anymore or possibly because my job is pretty secular. Whatever it is in the world, perceived, real or otherwise I am happy that it is so. I have spent...
My kid is staring to want to sit on the toilet after going potty at 21 months. Her timing is off but the will is there; once we get the timing right there will be nothing but songs from our bathroom. (Our potty training toilet sings when you use it) She might not have a lot of hair. She might not have a lot of teeth. She might not string sentences together. But she craps where she is supposed to. Hell yea.
Ashley is a better bowler than either of us. She was charming at the lanes and basically a good sport. Part of being a good bowler in Ashley’s world is charming the glitter off of the nice ladies in the lane next to us and the nice server lady. Everybody was impressed. Ashley scored a legitimate 30 (without weak bumper usage) in her 4 frames.
I think that it wasn’t really the swine flu because by all accounts the whole family should have been sicker than dogs for over a week. That just didn’t happen. Mom and dad escaped with little to no effects. Sure we had headaches, coughs, runny noses and general malaise, but since nobody got all the symptoms at once or any kind of temperature I am willing to chalk it up to poor health in general related to our sedentary lifestyles and Delta Burke poor eating habits. Ashley felt much better the next couple of days as well. She perked...
Ashley got into a fight with the swine flu. The sign on the door at her daycare one Thursday night claimed that at least two kids were infected with a case of the porky plague, and of them was in her room. The room teachers were valiantly cleaning and sanitizing the room as I entered that evening, but bless there hearts there was no stopping it. Mary and I did wonder aloud (half joking half serious) what it would be like. Friday we found out. Our little baby was as hot as an oven. For our...
Grandpa Ducky’s birthday was in Newport, OR at the Embarcadero resort. We spent some time crabbing in the bay, boiling crabs and everybody but dad spent a lot of time gutting and pulling crab apart so mom could make some delicious crab cakes, crab salad, crab dip and a bunch of other stuff. It was a very fun weekend that everybody got to relax. Ashley had a great time, slept well and learned that she likes to go for boat rides. The weather was fantastic for the weekend, and on a shopping trip with Grandma, Ashley got herself a...
Some times in the morning getting ready for daycare. Daddy will continue to have less and less time for getting ready each morning for the next 18 years. I guess he will have to start getting up at 4:00am.
The pictures from the roaring springs trip were taken with waterproof digital cameras. Some of the photos were too blurry, some had my thumb taking up too much of the screen. There are a few good shots of Ashley and the boys. Sometimes you have to squint to see someone you know, but they are in there. (Dear random people who are photographed here. Sorry.)
The first week of September we traveled to Boise, ID to visit with Ashley’s great grandparents and go with Grandma Marsha to Roaring Springs Water Park. Ashley and the team traveled from their house to the airport and back on the public transit, and in true style Ashley was a sweet heart the whole time. In fact, she was so good on the plane ride to Boise, a couple of people took the time to tell us how sweet and quiet she was, which made for two very proud parents. Some of these photos were taken with our...
Ashley does stuff and there isn't enough for a gallery
Ashley knows how to be cool. Mom suggests it is because so many people compliment Ashley on her sunglasses, that Ashley wears them to be an attention hog. Daddy is inclined to agree.
Ashley and the family went to visit Grandparent Zwemke in Salem on a nice afternoon. We had a barbeque and Ashley played in the water and with her pretty necklaces.
Ashley and Daddy stayed home together because they were both sick. It wasn't a great day for anybody.
The YMCA had a family picnic and we only stayed for a little while. After the picnic we went to the Jennings' home to celebrate Micah's birthday.
Ashley is starting in our her independence phase. I know it will be great to have a little person around the house to do my chores and bring me the tv remote, I will still miss my little baby who was all dependent on her daddy. Gone already are the days when Ashley needs Mommy or Daddy to spoon her food or hold her hand, but with our camera we can capture it forever and be sure to dole out the embarrassment for years to come for Ashley.
Ashley is growing up so fast. Here is a quick montage of the things that Ashley has been doing around the house. Having some teddybear pancakes, walking in Dad's shoes, learning how to shave, looking cool with her sunglasses and other awesome stuff.
Ashley was taking a bath and playing with the bubbles.
Free stickers in the mail
Ashley and the team met Grandma Marsha in Hood River to do a child exchange and play on the big toy. The big toy was great; old splintery wood, lots of levels and real tires. A super dangerous super fun playground.
Hood River is a pretty nice place from what we saw, but very steep and windy. It was suspected they don't worry much about snow.
For the week of 6-15-2009 through 6-19-2009 was Ashley's biggest week ever. We had the departure of a long time companion and favorite baby sitting Aunt Tylee. Ashley and Tylee were tight like tigers, and we are sure that Ashley will miss her Aunt lots. Tylee was great the short time we had with her, and Mary and Chris will miss her as well. But it is a new beginning for Tylee in California and the whole family wishes her the best and we know she will make the most of the opportunities in front of her. Say bye bye...
The family took a three night trip to FT Stevens in Hammond, OR for a much needed break. The Jennings came along and we all had a good time.
The Jennings and the Zwemkes went to Cannon Beach for the annual sand castle building contest. The sand castles were pretty weak but the sand was delicious and Ashley really came into her own when it comes to eating sand and playing in the mud.
Memorial day 2009, Mary's coworker and friends Paula and Lou generously offered us the use of their home in Lincoln City. Right on the beach and close to some fun Chris, Mary, Ashley, Marsha, Tylee, Kutter and Kage all went for the weekend.
The family went to the beach to fly kits, build castles and some general horsing around. We all took a trip to Newport, OR to visit the Oregon Coast Museum and the Wax Works. Lunch at Mo's in Otter Rock (home of the Devil's Punch Bowl) rounded out our trip as we drove home.
We had to go to Salem for a car swap and shine, so while Mary and Chris went out to shop for new furniture(!) they picked up a sprinkler toy.
It seemed to have been quite a bit of fun.
Ashley was gifted an inflatable school bus for her birthday from Grandma Zwemke. Since there it has been the repository of choice for everything Ashley finds valuable. Toys are in there, as well as the plastic balls, peices of paper, balloons and her binkys are all buried treasure that only Ashley holds the map to finding.
It wouldn't be so bad except that we need those binkys sometimes.
There is a special swing built in the backyard of the grandparent's house in Salem. As with most of the swings available to her, Ashley adores it.
It was finally a nice day in Portland. Not only a nice day, but a day when we were both home, had no work, no shopping, no chores and time to burn. Mary and I took Ashley to the park to get into the swings. Ashley really likes to swing.
So Ashley and her folks went to the park at the end of our block to enjoy the first sunny day of April in 2009. The swings were a favorite but walking herself home was the real treat of the afternoon.
The real news is that Ashley is now a...
We have put up a new web page finally to display Ashley's photos. This new site has some neat tools like customizations you can use to fit your tastes
IT was one of those normal nights, but Ashley decided to unleash a storm of heck. Mary found it less than easy to deliver a nutritious dinner. Eat it or wear it indeed.
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Wrestling With The Family
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Ashley's #1 birthday party was held at our local Portland Parks and Rec center. It was pretty great. While I am normally able to find fault in all things, I was very pleased with how the party went. We had more people than we had space at the center, and Mary and I are so thankful to everybody that took the time to show up and sing for Ashley.
Ashley is clearly loved (and perhaps a bit spoiled) and we are glad we captured pictures and video of the event so she can look back at all her friends and...
Ashley got all dressed up for the weekend. Daddy fed her something orange and tried to take some photos. These aren't all winners, but there are all there.
Ashley's first time swimming was at the Portland Parks and Rec center. Aunts Katie and Becky came along and showed Ashley how to have fun.
For Chris' birthday the family got to rent a cabin overnight at Silver Falls State Park. We went for hikes and had a campfire. The Jennings came up to visit and a good time was had by all.