Brigg the Wildlife Photographer

Brigg took this shot while we were in Montana. He went out for a walk one evening, and literally almost tripped on this brand new fawn. Isn't is beautiful?

Mountain Man Reunion

We just got back from a Wappett family reunion in Montana. Stratton really got into the spirit of the mountain man theme. He was ready to follow Lewis and Clark! We had a wonderful time seeing everyone and being together for the first time in 2 1/2 years! It is so fun to see all of my nephews and nieces growing up. It seems like the oldest of the bunch should still be toddlers, not 9 years old already! Stratton loved having so many cousins to play with. There are 4 cousins within a year of his birthday, so there was a lot of negotiating turns and sharing, but they loved playing together. Dashell loved being held all the time and being the center of attention. My niece Meridian took especially good care of him. She can come stay with us whenever she wants- she would hold Dashell all day if she could.

This is Stratton taking turns fishing with two of his cousins, Wells and Hannah, in the little creek by the house. I think they could have fished all day. They were always ready to take another turn with the little red fishing pole. Sometimes I wish I could be as unfazed as they were at not catching anything. Although I'm not sure there were very high expectations of catching anything, seeing as the end of the line was a magnet, not a hook. Maybe they could have caught a steelhead.(Bad joke)

Brigg loved being out in the west in the mountains again. Here he is with Dashell showing off how he is still a tough guy. I think he felt like he was proving that he is still a mountain man himself after my sister told him he looked like a dad while we were traveling. Two kids can do that to a person. Good thing he's married to someone who looks like a mom.

Here is Stratton showing off his apple in front of a gorgeous view of the Bitterroot Mountains. It really wasa beautiful part of the country. We loved having the chance to explore, ride horses and spend time with everyone. It is a pity we are all so spread out across the country. Although we seem to be slowly gravitating back to the west, one at a time as we finish school.
Here is Stratton enjoying one of his favorite parts- the horses! The kids got to ride every afternoon, and Stratton did great! He is a natural. When the older kids started trotting while I was leading him on his horse he said, " Mama, my horse is too slow. I need to go faster!" Luckily, a fast walk was enough for now. Maybe in a year or two he can try for a little more speed. Maybe when his legs are long enough to reach the stirrups.

Things I Will Miss

It's that time of year when people start moving on. Brigg is now officially in his final year of dental school, with all that goes with it...you know, yelling "Seniors rule!" and stuffing first years in their lockers. Anyways, realizing that it will be our turn to move on next May, we have started to think about everything we want to enjoy about Cleveland before we go. Wait, enjoy about Cleveland? Cleveland? Really? Actually, we have really enjoyed our time here, and even though we will be excited to move on to the west and more space again, there are a lot of things about living here that we will miss. So in the spirit of really appreciating our remaining time, we have started to make a list of things that we will miss about Cleveland and city living, especially since this will in all likelihood be our last year in a city of any size as well. As for the number of food items that make the list, well, it's clear where my priorities are.
- Maple Syrup- the real stuff. One of our indulgences.
- Tart cherries
- Fresh peaches
- You pick farms for berries of all kinds...there is nothing as therapeutic as a day spent out berry picking.
-Apple picking with Stratton...he has a future in this field, I'm sure of it.
- The Farmer's Market- especially Gray House Pies...that man is a genius.
-Playhouse Square- we've only been able to go a couple of times, but talk about a great date!
- Kirtland, of course
- The zoo, science center, children's museum, etc.... I'm beginning to realize that living in a small town is going to take a lot more creative parenting on my part to keep both boys busy!
- My nurse midwife- she was great for both boys. And who ever wants to find a new ob/gyn?
- Our pediatrician- she has been wonderful
- Horseshoe Lake Park, of course
- Green, green, green and flowering trees. I love the spring here and all the green and flowers.
- Fall colors. It's like driving through a postcard
-Cuyahoga Valley National Park. We've had many happy weekends hiking here.
- Revive- my favorite hole in the wall to browse and encourage my inner hippie
- The Library- this is a big one. I am addicted to the library here. All the books, movies and music I could ask for. Our budget is not big enough to support my reading habit! I will feel so lost without the option of getting whatever I want from the library 1/2 mile from my house.
- Stratton's music class- his teacher and friends have really helped him learn to talk in public...well, at least a little bit if you listen closely!
- Geauga County Fair- if you've been and you've got a little redneck in you, I don't need to explain
- Silk Painting Classes- I've only been able to take a couple short ones, but they have been so much fun and have given me hope for my artistic side
- Anatolia Cafe, mostly for teaching us that we like Turkish food. We would never have known what Turkish food even tasted like without it.
- Outdoor pools- let's be honest with ourselves. Planning to move to Alaska doesn't leave the possibility for too much outdoor swimming in the future.
- On The Rise Bakery- the sweet rolls and chocolate croissants have a special place in my heart, especially when I'm pregnant.
There are lots more, but that's a good start for now. I'll try and add them as I think of them. Cleveland has been good to us, and I think our last year will be the best of all. We are planning to pack each month full!

Kissy Kissy

Today I went in to get Stratton after his nap and went to give him a kiss. He pushed away my lips and said "No kisses Mama. I push away da kisses." If only he is still saying that at 16!

Life with a 2 year old

Stratton has been growing up so fast and has so much personality, for better or worse. He definitely adds some humor to our house. And like he says, he's "2 in every way". His favorite story at the moment is the Gingerbread Man and he runs around saying "Running, running as fast as I can...you can't catch me!" He has also learned to negotiate. If you say no, he says "maybe yes?" or has figured that if he modifies his request to just a "little" of whatever it is, maybe it will change the answer. I thought these pictures might give a good snapshot of what he is like. This first picture is his current smile. Nice, huh? I call this his bathing Before shot.

Here is the After shot. Apparently, chewing up a whole bathtub crayon doesn't taste so good. Brigg had turned around to grab a towel, and Stratton munched the whole thing. I came in and saw his mouth totally full and was a little concerned...the bath isn't full of too many edibles. About the same time, he decided he didn't really like the crayon anyways, so this was the result.

The other morning Brigg let me sleep a little longer with Dashell, and went downstairs with Stratton. Brigg was letting the dog out, and Stratton said " I get a knife and cut a cookie, okay Dad?" Talk about initiative.And a healthy breakfast.

And here is Stratton 'playing' with Piper. Don't feel bad for her...she gives as good as she gets. Maybe this is why we are thinking about a Great Dane for our next dog.

Camping!

This past weekend we decided to take advantage of Brigg's day off from the clinic and make our first attempt at camping with two little boys. We had a wonderful time and learned alot. First, there is nothing graceful about getting in and out of tent with a baby. Second, Dashell is the sweetest baby around until he is been in his car seat for over two hours. Then his sweetness runs out. Third, when sleeping in a tent, little boys must stay in constant contact with their mom at all costs. So I shared half the tent with Stratton and Dashell, and Brigg enjoyed as much space as he wanted on the other side. And in case you think I'm exaggerating, at 2 am one night, I tried to roll over and Stratton woke up and said, "No mama, look at Stratton!" Just what I wanted to hear! Actually, both boys did great and Stratton kept telling me that he likes camping...a good thing to hear, because he's going to be doing a lot more of it!

Stratton learned that you can throw rocks in pretty places just as well as in ugly ones. And he likes bridges. Alot. We drove down to Hocking Hills and loved it. Because it was still April, there were hardly and people there, and because April weather is unpredictable here, it was 85 degrees! Piper loved all the time she got to run around in the woods off her leash and was probably the most disappointed to come home.

We also found out that the filmakers for Lord of the Rings could have saved a whole lot of money...they didn't have to go to New Zealand! Just Ohio. Slightly less exotic, perhaps but definitely more cost effective. And this bridge was already there! We had a great time and were pleasantly surprised by the boys resilience. I think we ae going to try again, but we may have to wait until the fall. The summers here are too hot for small boys!

Stratton wins the Lottery!

Yes, that is my front yard looking out our front door. Stratton and Piper were in heaven! Stratton pulled his step stool up to the door and sat with his dog, a cup of milk and snacks and watched for hours....literally. The men you can see doing such a fine job were from the gas company and thought there was a leak in the section of line in front of our house. And while Stratton thought he'd won the lottery, I wasn't so sure myself. Another accesible mud hole is hardly what a house with a little boy and dog needs! Having them dig up your front lawn adds such an element of unpredictability to your day. What fun!