Amanda pushing LK on the pedestrian bridge over Rainier and MLK on the way to Mt. Baker Station

Amanda and LK at Columbia City Station

Fish Tacos (and rogue jalapeño popper) at El Sombrero

21 NOVEMBER 2009 : SATURDAY
As usual, no sleeping in for us with the Kai around. I made pancakes for bfast. Amanda and Lonan Kai went to visit her coworker Laura and her kids for a playdate. I did not go because I felt like some organism was trying to invade me, so instead I stayed home and cleaned up and whatnot.
I made LK grilled cheese when he got back, and Amanda and I had garlic bread and leftover chili for lunch.
We spent his naptime catching up on life administrative tasks.
Once the Kai awoke, we decided to go on a train adventure downtown. We simply walked to the Mt. Baker station, took the light rail to the Westlake Center, walked around fo a bit, and then returned. We thought about taking the monorail to the Seattle Center and going up the Space Needle, but we decided the monorail would not be worth the $8 round trip (we still get to go up the Space Needle for free, though).
The train back was blocked in the transit tunnel by a broken down bus. I think it was delayed over 45 minutes; normally the trains come every ten. We were talking to a guy who had been waiting for at least that long, and he needed to get to the airport. After waiting a bit in the packed cars, we went out to check the schedules for the 194 bus to the airport for him, but at that exact point in time the train started moving again. But that was alright with us, as that train was packed to the gills with people. We just waited for the next one.
We took it to Columbia City and had dinner at El Sombrero. Amanda said she appreciated the fact I accede to her desires for Mexican food when I am not really into it. It started raining harder on our walk home, but we did not get too wet.
Back home, we put the Kai to bed and watched a nature documentary. Amanda fell asleep during it.

10 NOV 2009 : TUESDAY

Amanda was on call all evening, but we thought we might luck out and she would not have to go in. Alas, there was a laboring woman, so after picking her up from SIHB we drove to Swedish. There was massive traffic in between, so although we only had to go a mile, it took quite a while to get there. Of course, Amanda was already working, so there was no need to get stressed out by the traffic… the hospitalist (who would be there anyway) would take care of things until she arrived.

We thought we could have dinner in the cafeteria, but since it is H1N1 season, children under 12 were barred from the facilities. The Kai was very disappointed as he thought he was going to have an adventure, and he and I left Amanda at work and went back home.
I had partially made dinner (orzo with wild mushrooms), but since Amanda was not around I stuck everything in the fridge. I had not added any stock, so it would keep until later. We just had leftovers. Amanda had another laboring woman come in, so she ended up just staying at the hospital.

11 NOV 2009 : WEDNESDAY

The Kai and I left in the morning to pick up Amanda from the hospital. She did get some sleep that night, fortunately. The Kai had gotten up very early, but spent the the time after 5am using me as a mattress and break-dancing every few minutes.
Since Amanda was post call, we went out for bfast at Geraldine’s Counter. As it was Veternan’s Day, there place was obviously much busier than normal (although I have never been for bfast during the week). The one waitperson was very very very busy.

After bfast we called up Ann and Mike and arranged to meet them at Madison Park which is not surprisingly in the Madison Park neighborhood. After many days of rain, the sun had come out, but it was still a bit chilly. The holiday and sun had brought out many people and kids.

We saw a fellow daycare parent Elaine there which her kids Sylvie and Eva. Sylvia had been in Lonan Kai’s infant and waddler rooms, but she is a few months older and is currently in the toddler room. We found out that she lives a few blocks from us and also knows our neighbor Kelly B. because they were in the same residency program. The are Family Medicine people around everywhere. She had the position in Kent that Eve took; she now works at Swedish because she got burned out doing community health care. Family Medicine is a small world it seems.

After LK’s nap, he and Amanda went to visit one of her coworkers Laura. I did a bit of gardening and harvested some chard for dinner. There was a kid there who thought I was Native American (Amanda would be shocked. Shocked!) I finished making the orzo and mushroom dish from the previous day, sautéed the chard, and made Garlic! Bread! as LK would say. As Ann noted, Lonan shouts everything. We had an inexpensive pinot (“apple jus!?!” according to Lonan) as well.

12 NOV 2009 : THURSDAY

Thursday is Amanda’s long workday, but she managed to get home by 7pm. We had veggie chili made with our own canned roasted tomatoes and chili. It was scrumptious. Lonan Kai loved it as well.

13 NOV 2009 : FRIDAY

We had an early start to the day. After dropping off LK, I took Amanda to Swedish so that she could round on patients. I got a tea and waited for her in a little cafe. After dropping her off at clinic, I dropped the car off at the shop to get some new tires mounted and various other things done. I walked to the Central Library and worked on things.

Now I took a break to write this entry, although it was started on Wednesday. I will pick up the car later this afternoon. Hopefully, I can get back home to make dinner before retrieving the Kai and Amanda.

I love the grunt sculpins at the aquarium. Lonan Kai does not really appreciate them, though.

It is still raining. Amanda is on call tonight. Yesterday, she went on a ride along with the “house call” company she might work for part time. I filled out a bunch of insurance forms last night as I am changing from one catastrophic health plan to another. It’s crazy how close am I to being automatically denied for such things (Washington has a standardized insurance score thing that everyone uses). Health reform can’t come soon enough for me.

I bought a heavier water-resistant coat thing for the Kai (with a coupon and 50% off…Susan would be happy). It would be nice to get him a really waterproof coat, but they are too expensive and he would grow out of it in a couple of months. And he does not like jackets anyway, so layering will be the solution for him.

07 NOV 2009 : SATURDAY
It has been raining a lot. Today was no exception. We went over the Ann and Mike’s in the morning for a playdate with Connor. Liam is not old enough to play. Mike’s parents were there visiting. Ann and Mike had to go to a funeral in the afternoon which was sad. Otherwise everyone had fun.
I dun forgot what happened in the afternoon. The ginkgo isn’t working, but I still take it anyway.
I feel asleep in the evening while putting the Kai to sleep. Amanda wondered what had happened to me, but she eventually came upstairs around 10pm to get me to move to our room. I was tired most of the day because the previous night the Kai had kept me up between midnight and 3am zipping and unzipping his sleeper and chortling in the dark, so perhaps it was not surprising I passed out.
08 NOV 2009 : SUNDAY
We had pancakes and hash browns for bfast. It rained a lot again. So obviously we went to the aquarium. Parking was bad as there was a football game I think, but we were early enough that we did not have any trouble.
The aquarium was fun as always. They were doing some mass water changes, so a lot of the tanks were bubbly and low on water.
We stopped by the Broadway Farmers Market in Capitol Hill on the way home. We may start going regularly now that the Columbia City one is done for the season. Although it seems that there will not be much fresh veggies over the winter even though the market is all year.
Amanda stuck a shopping list on my new iPhone that is automatically created when one plans meals. I suppose we might keep using it. I did use the iPhone to find the closest ATM for us. Magical!
We worked on updating our Quicken file back home while the Kai napped. I also tried to find our camera; we have not seen it since we came back from Canada. I do remember taking pictures with it on the ferry between Sidney and Anacortes. Who can say where it is.
The afternoon consisted of grocery shopping, cooking, playing with the Kai, singing Beatles songs, yadda yadda. Amanda made a nice stuffed squash thing for dinner.
It was Amanda’s turn to fall asleep in the Kai’s room. She admitted it is very warm and comfortable in his room (the adults do not get heat during the winter you see).