Welcome

Wilco Joel Richards

Born September 30, 2010 at 3:55 p.m.

7 lb 13 oz, 20.5 inches long

We're all excited he's here. Even her:

What Happened in McCall

A couple weeks ago, we attended another very fun Dougall family reunion in McCall, Idaho, a charming mountain resort town right on the beautiful Payette Lake. I've since been told that this part of Idaho is America's best-kept secret. I believe it.

Anyhow, a few vacation highlights included:

Lots of swimming. Or "slimming," as Riley ironically/appropriately (I can't decide which) calls it.

Broom hockey for dummies. (Tennis shoes on an un-Zamboni-ed skating rink.)

Ice skating for dummies.

S'mores.

Ice cream. Lots of it.

Basking in the sun.

Pony rides.

Goofiness.
(My sister's keen observation this particular evening: "Riley, it seems you change your socks more than your outfit!")

Happiness. Lots of it.

Not pictured:

• Boating, jet-skiing, & water-skiing. (Except for the hugely pregnant attendee. Me.)
  
• Picnic and lovely outdoor concert in nearby Podunk, ID.
• My sister's surprise announcement that she's expecting cousin number twenty-something (I've lost count). I'm especially happy knowing our baby will have a cousin close in age.
  
• Game night. (Every night.)
• Cousin time. Lots of it. Riley's still experiencing withdrawals.

Mini Vacation

We took a quick trip to Seattle last week. It involved a pleasant Amtrak train ride, the best-ever salami sandwiches, a children's museum visit, an aquarium visit, and a healthy amount of roaming the city.

The highlight, however, may have been the evening my sister Sheri, who recently moved to the area, babysat Riley so Matt and I could eat out. Our meal was amazing, and Riley had a great time, as evidenced by these photos. I mean, sunshine, ice cream, running amok, and jammies: what more could a girl want? (Thanks Sheri!)

Doting Aunt

Awhile back, my nephew Tanner requested I mention him on my blog. I'm sure he assumes I've forgotten (as he well knows I tend to do).

When I was 18, Tanner was 4, and I spent a lot of time babysitting him, taking him to Chuck E. Cheese's, and dealing with his precocious ways.

Now he's 18. And as precocious as ever. But he just received his Eagle scout, is about to graduate high school, and is headed to college shortly thereafter. Can you tell I'm proud?

Meanwhile, I'm dealing with my own precocious almost-4-year-old. And it brings me great relief to know precocious children everywhere can turn out as well as Tanner.

Tiptoe/Trample Through the Tulips

Riley spent Saturday with my dad and my sister Sheri (who she affectionately calls "mommy's dad" and "mommy's sister") at the local tulip festival. She must have had a great time, because she was wired and ravenous the rest of the evening.

The next day, I got this e-mail from my sister:

"Your child is impossible to photograph, but I know that is no surprise to you!"

She's right. No surprise here. So I was pleasantly surprised that she and my dad managed to capture these cute photos:

I Heart Multitasking

Riley has been dying to celebrate Pink Toy's (aka Love-a-Lot Bear) birthday. We decided Valentine's Day would be the perfect day. Mostly 'cause I was planning to bake anyhow.

We had my family (including 6 adults and 4 kids) over to celebrate (under the guise of Valentine's Day) with chocolate custard cake. It was the most hoppin' party I've ever thrown for a stuffed animal.

¡Viva Mexico!

We just returned home from a lovely trip to Mazatlan with my parents. We spent the week swimming, reading, swimming, playing games, and swimming. We even managed to relax a little, despite the un-relaxing kid, thanks to consistent tag-teaming and daily nap times.

And excuse me briefly while I brag: The day we arrived, Riley, who considers this swimming, was leery of the pool. By day 7, she was totally comfortable, freely propelling herself underwater (can I call that swimming?) several feet between Matt and me.

As usual, we didn't take enough photos. (And somehow, Matt and my mom didn't end up in any of them...) Anyhow, here are our favorites from the very slim pickings. Enjoy!

Sunset. (Trust me, it was prettier in person.)

Me, Riley, and Mommy's Dad.

Poolside happy hour. Happy, indeed.

Riley and Zelf, maxing and relaxing.

Christmas Catch Up

Since it's been more than two weeks since Christmas, I figure I ought to finally post the remaining batch of photos from our Christmas trip.

Zelf's surprise cameo in SkyMall magazine.

Riley enjoying the snow. Momentarily.

Riley's cookies for Santa. (Um...thanks, but no thanks.)

The Christmas tree, procured from the cabin's backyard.

The cousins on Christmas morning. (Can you spot the crying kid?)

Bandaids! (We could've stopped there. Maybe next year?)

Merry Christmas, Julie

My sister told me it's unacceptable that I haven't updated my blog in 26 days. So this little update is for her. (And anyone else who agrees with her.)

Here's what happened during December:

• I turned 32. Happy birthday to me.
• Matt worked like a dog. The holiday rush always keeps us busy, but this year, Matt added a commission to the mix. He worked very hard, and we didn't see enough of him. (But we know better than to complain about having lots of work.)
• Zelf's face got mutilated in an unfortunate stroller accident. Adding insult to injury, later that same day, he fell out of my pocket and disappeared while we were Christmas shopping. Sad, sad day in the Richards household. Thankfully, he reappeared the next day with new clothes and a fixed up face, so Riley assumes he briefly returned to the North Pole for reconstructive surgery.
• I performed a violin duet of Away in a Manger on three different occasions. Which I hope makes up for three solid years of neglect.
• We spent Christmas in Utah with Matt's family at their cabin in the mountains. We had a great time playing in the snow and not working.
• Riley got chap stick, band-aids, and a pink re-useable bag from Whole Foods for Christmas. (Along with a few other things.)
• I gave myself permission to neglect my blog.

Genealogy

Having two sets of involved grandparents is confusing, isn't it?

So instead of asking "Which Grandma?" Riley has just created new names for them: Mommy's Mom and Daddy's Mom.

And the Grandpas? They're Daddy's Dad and Mommy's Dad.

Zero points for creativity. 101 points for accuracy.

We were lucky enough to have Daddy's Mom visit over the weekend!

Mutually Beneficial

While we were in Utah, my sister Emily volunteered to babysit Riley at her home one evening so we could go out to eat.

Emily recently sent me photos of their evening together. Turns out, in additional to being a kind and generous sister, Emily is a brilliant and resourceful aunt.

Summer: The Abridged Version

One of life's little ironies is that when there's a lot to blog about, there's so little time for blogging.

We have been so darn busy maximizing our fun this summer that I've got this backlog of blog entry ideas that, let's be honest, I'm just never going to get to.

So instead, here are the ClifsNotes highlights of our past few weeks:

• Riley's joint birthday party with her friends Anna and Vivian, who all celebrated birthdays within a week of each other.
• The Sesame Street cupcakes my friends Ginger, Lissie, and I made for the joint birthday party.
• Riley's three-year checkup, during which I learned that shots don't faze Riley at all if they're quickly followed by a bandaid.
• Portland's heat wave: A week of 100-plus degree weather. No a/c. Bleh.
• The mobile Matt, our new employee Ben, and I stayed up 'til 2 a.m. finishing just before deadline.
  
• Our trip to Salt Lake City to visit Grandma & Grandpa, Riley's cousins (who were in town from Houston), Matt's extended family, my sisters, and a few good friends.
• Riley's birthday party #3, thrown by Matt's mom and sisters.
• Lots of fun activities during out trip.
  
• Riley's new best (stuffed) friend, Pinky the bear. Sorry Zelf. (And thanks, Grandma!)
  
• Our eighth anniversary!

Whew.

So. If you don't hear from me for a few more weeks, don't worry. We're either busy enjoying our precious final days of summer–or recovering from the past few weeks.

the birthday girls

the cupcakes

the mobile (in process)

the grandma and cousins

the birthday party #3

the pinky bear

Your Wish is My Command

Here's a recap of Riley's birthday yesterday (not necessarily in chronological order):

"I be three. I eat cake."
(For the record, she specifically requested a pink cake. Which pretty much melted in our super-hot un-airconditioned condo.)

"I go swimming in the water with my swimsuit." (She actually spent more time biking in the water with her swimsuit.)

"I see Madison and Carson."

"I go to the painting place."

"I eat ice cream." (Not pictured, but occurred at Ben & Jerry's AND the family party.)

"I get chap stick."

"I get bandaids."

"I paint my fingers and my toes." (To somewhat appease Matt, I got a slightly glittery clear polish. Barely noticeable!)
There. Every single wish granted.

Have I set a bad precedent?

For the Record

My child does own a bathing suit.

In fact, it was her festive outfit of choice for our July 4 festivities. (Gorging on cherries, listening to tunes at the farmer's market, and hanging out out at Grandma & Grandpa's. But swimming? Not so much.)

Cousins

While we were in Utah, Riley's cousins, Alex and Shea, were visiting from Houston. It was our first time to see them since Christmas 2007. We still can't believe how much they've grown up–they've become excellent babysitters (with Grandma's supervision, of course). And to say Riley adored them would be an understatement.