CRW: 18 Months

Active. Coordinated. Sweet. Independent. Curious. Strong. Silly. Crazy. Wild. Confident. All BOY.

My baby keeps getting older.  At 18 months old, Cameron continues to crack me up and overwhelm me with joy.  He and his sister are the best of friends and often the best of foes.  He copies her every move.  His dimple and his mouth full of teeth make his smiles infectious.  He is obsessed with cars, trucks, trains, buses, planes, diggers, and any moving object.  He prefers to play with older kids.  And he can keep up... He has no fear, no second thought, and no concern for injury. He's thoughtful and purposeful.  He can joke. He is curious and mischevious.  He is a little rascal who flashes his trademark smile and bears a glint in his eye as if he can do no wrong.  I already have a difficult time disciplining him; although he just threw the toy car at the window for the 14th time despite my warnings or although he just climbed up and stood on the glass coffee table, he smiles with such joy, such pride, and such awe at his own accomplishments, that I back down.  His giggle makes anybody laugh.

(In perfect timing for a post about his active lifestyle, he got injured.  Note the scab near his eye!)

He could stand at a train table all day long and play (if only he would stop throwing the magnetic trains in frustration every time they pull apart).

Cam took this photo himself.  His first selfie. 

He did have a diaper on, but he was staging a strike on pants during this particular day. 

He is such a rascal.  This boy makes us shake our head, roll our eyes, and throw our hands in the air! What will we do with him?!!

3 generations of Whitfield and Cam representing Australia

We love you, Cam-man!

D and E à Paris!

Last week, Doug and I enjoyed a trip to Paris.  It was an amazing voyage filled with delicious food and drink, miles and miles of walking and exploring, visits to historical masterpieces, and appreciation of the French culture.  We loved our time together, and it was a bit unnerving how rarely I thought of the kids who were home in Boise with Papa and Grandma-extraordinaire....!!! Thank you, my D, for such a memorable vacation.  Paris is a beautiful city to experience and there is no one else in this world with whom I'd rather travel there!

enjoying a Saturday Parisian market

our view from the top of the Arc d' Triumph

view from our hotel room

top of Notre Dame

documenting our day to day details while sitting in an outdoor cafe 

midnight in Paris

loving my life

riding bikes along the Seine to the Eiffel Tower

buying Christmas gifts in another outdoor market

the only photo of me leading the way on bikes...the rest of the time I was dodging cars, people, monuments to keep up with D.

our walk up the Arc

Parisian love

Le Louvre

my awe of Napoleon's apartment

"kids? What kids?"

Find Elizabeth in the cafe

at Jardin Du Luxembourg

The next three photos document one of the most hysterical "lost in translation" moments in my life.  Doug's main meal came out as raw meat.  It had been pounded thin and came with three dipping sauces.  The waiter said "bon appetit!" and left.  We waited a few moments, but there was no indication that this was an incomplete meal.  Here is photo #1 as D prepares to take his first bite:

And then photo #2 to show him continuing to eat.  Despite my protests of concern and my pleas to not eat the raw meat, Doug said that it tasted good and that it was OK.

10+ minutes later, the waiter came back with a hot stone intended for cooking the meat.  Here is Doug's face at that realization:

direct quote from D after the waiter left: "A little heads up would have been nice."

I laughed until I cried.  And then I got nervous that Doug would be ill for the rest of the vacation. But he has a stomach of steel, and in fact, he maintains that the raw meat tasted better than the cooked meat.  We are going to spend more time brushing up on our French before the next visit to avoid any other confusing situations like this! 

our favorite crooked street

rainy day at Le Sacre Couer

A wonderful D and E adventure!

The Close of October

Boise, the City of Trees. 

To close out this month, here are extra photos of Sophie's birthday, a few photos to document October adventures, some cute and not-so-cute (see: Doug) images from Halloween... 

I'm obsessed with this photo. 

...And with this photo, too!

I can never get enough of group photos of kids.  They just crack me up!

My sweetheart.

hiking at Camelsback Park

I don't know what I am, but at least I'm not as disturbing as D....

Doug as "The Dude" from the movie, The Big Lebowski.  If you aren't familiar with the movie, Google it, so you understand what Doug is doing in this photo.  Disturbing. 

Giant Halloween party with friends pre-trick or treating

THANK YOU, OCTOBER, FOR BEING SUCH A WONDERFULLY JOYFUL MONTH.