First gorgeous Saturday of the season

Up here in the left-hand corner of the map, we don't care if it's still 55 degrees, the sun's out! Let's lay around at the beach! From top:
*Waving at Canada
*On a mission (to eat seaweed)
*Changing out of wet, sea-soaked clothes in the parking lot. Classy.
*Funny bronze tortoise
*Train tables at our local bookstore. Who likes them more, big dude or little dude?

Helping

Bounce

April visitor: rainforests and beaches with Grandma Kathy

Matt elected to serve as Obama delegate for Congressional District Convention in May, and will go on to the State Convention in June!

From top:
*Matt prepares to speak for the record breaking County Democratic Convention crowd of over 300 precinct delegates
*At the last minute, before Matt's speech, Gus wanted Daddy--so Gus caught a little limelight during Matt's speech to the floor
*Waiting for the results
*Democracy is exhausting
*The dudes made the paper (Gus' first time)! Matt was elected out of the huge pool to go on in May and June (we're hoping to go all the way to the National Convention in Denver), and his speech was one of a few featured in the newspaper. The caption reads "'I want the government that he deserves,' Matt Vadnais says on behalf of his baby son, Gus, during Saturday's Democratic Convention . . . [he] drew cheers in support of Sen. Barack Obama."

Now We Are One! Scroll down for the full 4-5-08 report!

This kid is a wonder. We love you sweet darling boy.

Birthday Morning

Mama woke up and made him a birthday breakfast of grapefruit, local bacon, and toast. While he was waiting Gus told Mama about the adventure he was going to have that day.

The Birthday Adventure

Gus loves aquariums, and so to celebrate his first birthday we went to the biggest aquarium in the wettest city in America. Gus was truly overcome with wonder, and Mama and Daddy dealt with a little under-eye weather of their own watching him take it all in. He learned several new words that day (Fish! Sea! Light! pronounced ish! seeee! white!) and was the definition of delighted. Matt described it as the second best day of his life. You already know the first.

Birthday Accommodations

Birthday Adventures must have the right ambiance, and so we stayed at the very, very French Pensione Nichols in the middle of Seattle's Pike Place Market. Here we enjoyed a birthday repast of Seattle's famous Pagliacci's Pizza (cheese and tomato--this kind of pizza was Mama's primary craving throughout pregnancy and is a proven Gus favorite). Then, because no birthday is complete without cake, the city's beloved Top Pot Doughnuts made a special unglazed, wholewheat chocolate doughnut for Gus. Oui!

Morning After

The morning after his birthday, the hotel concierge prepared a special breakfast for Gus, he watched the city bustle right outside the window, and then we enjoyed walking around the Seattle Public Market looking at the fish throwers, Puget Sound, and then collapsing into the dreams of not-so-little boys.

That was then: first birthday eve retrospective

Talking on the phone with dad is still boring



Afternoon sofa naps haven't lost their charm, even if the pillow's gotten mysteriously smaller


First bath leads to weekly baths with cups and spoons


We're ready for the next year together, which starts tomorrow when our little family departs on his first Birthday Adventure. Stay tuned for a full report. We're sure Gus will spend the entire day asking his new favorite question, over and over: "dat?" "dat?" (What's that? What's that?)

Our Original April Fool: Happy 10th Birthday Louise!

You're a good dog. Thank you for being patient with the addition, we were worried you wouldn't understand. But what's not to understand about a constant food source who also enjoys crawling around on the floor putting everything in his mouth? That's right: simpatico.