living the good life

As everyone I pass tells me - I'm surrounded by cuteness. A Kodak baby and Kodak puppy as one person told me. I've noticed that strangers have taken to calling me "mama"... on the bus or at parks. Not sure what I think about this new name but find it rather amusing. Having both a cute puppy and a cute baby is a deadly combination that passers-by can't seem to resist. I exchange greetings with a lot of people these days. A couple interesting characters on the bus but thankfully no shady encounters yet - I've had a good experience with city folk so far.

My life is filled with taking the two little ones on outings to parks and playing with them both (and cleaning up poo... the dark side of being a mother and dog owner). Margaret is looking so grown up with her two teeth. And she's a voracious eater, eagerly asking for and devouring almost everything that we eat. It's nice to be able to all sit down at the table and "break bread" together. She loves smiling at everyone and saying "Haaaaa" which is her version of "hi". Baldrick is getting bigger too. He knows how to come, sit and stay so far but doesn't always do them perfectly. He's a quick learner but also incorrigibly mischievous. I've never seen a friendlier dog. Yesterday we went on an adventure to Mount Tabor State Park after church. A gorgeous area in the middle of Portland built on an extinct volcano. Due to the beautiful fall weather it was filled with picnickers, screaming kids, bikers and dog-walkers. Baldrick was set on running towards every person within 50 feet of us and if we restrained him he would flop down in protest. Fortunately for him most people were quite excited about meeting him too so it took us a while to make our way along the trails. We went on a surprisingly extensive hike despite this setback. Margaret happily sang and talked to herself in the stroller the entire way. Afterward she shared our dinner at a quaint authentic Thai restaurant and loved it so much that she kept begging for food even after it was all put away. It was a wonderful Lord's Day.

Another Monday has come and so starts another week's rhythm. We'll stay busy going for walks, taking the bus to visit Clay for a weekly lunch date downtown, grocery shopping and whatever else comes our way. If I'm ambitious enough Margaret and I may venture to the zoo again by ourselves to enjoy the animals and fall weather during a quiet weekday.