Cabin at Hyatt Lake

We haven't taken a break from work in what seems like forever.  A family that loves to travel, we usually take at least one two-week vacation (usually including international travel) per year, and visit with our family several other times per year. I've really been having a hard time seeing how/when this will all be over, as my cup is truly filled by respite and time away from work and different scenery, and while there is so much else to be saddened by (the loss of this year of in-person public school for Iver has been atop my list), this has been a hard loss for me to grieve during this pandemic (as privileged as that statement is, which I fully recognize).  

A co-worker told us that she and her family made a weekend trip to a cabin in the wood outside of Ashland, Oregon (about a 4.5-hour drive from us) in January, and that it felt totally COVID-safe as they could pack in and cook their own food and stayed far away from anyone else. Eager to see some new outdoor scenery, we (not sure how COVID cases or weather would look but having taken Presidents' week off to take a break from work) tentatively booked a (partially refundable) three-night stay there this week.  When you've been at home for so long, venturing out of your *safe* space comes with its own amount of stress in packing and travel anxiety, but we are so glad we went!  

There were a few travel hurdles-- a rockslide north of us on Hwy 101 the day before our trip necessitated a re-routing (east and then north) inland through Redding, adding at least an hour to our drive (which took a total of about 5.5 hours) but without the risk of coming across a winter or weather-related road closure (and thankfully, which Kelvin found out the night before we left!).  Not having spent this much time in the car in a long time, Niall in particular was bored and whiny despite snacks and favorite soundtracks. However, we had good weather for the drive up, and after passing through Ashland, we made our way the rest of the 45-min drive up the mountain without needing chains. 

Our pet-friendly cabin was in a group of cabins at the south end of Hyatt Lake (or Hyatt Reservoir). There was fresh-appearing snow on the ground (and piles everywhere!) when we parked, and after getting settled, we headed out to explore!

This was the most snow these coastal Cali kids (and Kelvin, a Vietnam-California transplant) had ever seen!

Iver climbed a snow drift as high as a cabin! 

    

We walked along some trails overlooking the (snow-covered) Hyatt Lake.

We woke up each morning to fresh snow. 

Iver got good as a shoveling assistant (Kelvin reported he's extremely glad he doesn't live somewhere where he has to shovel regularly!).

On the first morning, we drove a couple of miles to nearby Table Mountain Snow Park, where Iver enjoyed a bona fide sledding hill and I stomped around in snow shoes.

Snowboys/snowmen

(Kids in various stages of cooperation for photos with the very pandemic-useful selfie stick)

The kids really loved playing in the cozy cabin-- which had stairs (a novelty!) to a loft (where they slept), warm heat, and a back-deck hot tub!  I enjoyed some quiet time with tea and a great book (Shuggie Bain), as well as evening Australian Open tennis watching.

Reading in the loft with Papa 

Doing art over the heater vent

 Snuggling on the couch

Iver loved the hot tub (Niall not so much)

"It's snowing!" 

Snack time (including a hot cocoa treat!)

We found a small hill to sled on a short walk away from our cabin.

Walks in the woods were so peaceful (except for some whining about it being tiring/having cold hands). Pepper isn't as much a fan of walking in snow as she was in her younger years. We didn't even cross paths with anyone else! 

hydration station

While a winter snowy Southern Oregon getaway surely wasn't in our 2021 plans and there were a few hiccups, we really had a pretty delightful, cozy (and entirely physically distant from other people) time at our secluded mountain cabin in the woods. The kids loved seeing so much snow, and we think this is a place we could try to re-visit some summer (or other even non-COVID year) as it was fairly accessible from our coastal home (the 101-South was also open for one-way traffic on our return trip, which was really smooth and shorter in duration). Two (eight?) thumbs up!

Niall is THREE!

It's hard to believe that our littlest guy (who arrived after a concise 3-hour labor!) is THREE!

Niall:
- weighs around 25 lbs (we think; we're skipping his well child visit this year as he's up to date on shots so we don't know for sure). He has a big head (that often gets bonked), very long eyelashes and a great smile including cute dimples.

- wears 18-24-month pants, 2-year or 2T tops, and size 6 shoes. He still loves boots and slip-ons more than anything. He likes wearing zip-up hoodies but not pull-overs, and has two slim-fit cotton pants (one with triangles, one with stripes) that he would wear 100% of the time if we'd let him (and if they weren't dirty). He is starting to be particular about what shirts he wears and we let him choose his own outfits for school (which ends up being like a four-outfit rotation). He can undress and dress himself.

- is a pretty good eater, but consumes close to 60-70% of his daily calories before noon most days and sometimes has no appetite for dinner, especially if he has an afternoon snack. He wakes up saying "I want to eat!" He loves noodles, soups, tofu (including straight out of the package!), eggs, shrimp, peanut butter, nuts, anything with cheese (including cheese sticks, quesadillas, mac 'n cheese, pizza), yogurt, and most fruits (particularly watermelon, strawberries, and blueberries). Other than meatballs (like those found in pho) and sausage/pepperoni, he's not a big fan of meat (we still call him our little vegetarian and is the opposite from Iver in many ways). His favorite veggies are peas, broccoli, carrots, green beans, cucumbers (and pickles), and corn. We have to restrict his milk intake, because he'd drink it all day and has a history of (infant and likely iron-deficiency) anemia, which can be exacerbated by too much cow's milk. He sits in a booster seat at the table with a protective tray (for spills) and a catch-food bib.  He loves chocolate as a treat/for our rare desserts.

- has been completely day (and reliably) potty trained for many months (with occasional poop accidents when he's constipated and sometimes pee accidents at childcare when he's very excited). He still wears a nighttime pull-up, but it's often dry, and I imagine that this will be phased out soon (for Iver, it wasn't until well after age four). 

- does really well at childcare with his teachers and friends and recently transitioned to the "preschool" room. He has always been easy to drop off, and is very happy with many different caregivers and gets along well with the kids (sometimes, he doesn't want to leave school!). He's been wearing a mask faithfully and without complaining for almost a year.

- is a very big talker. He is way more chatty than I remember Iver being as a toddler. He speaks in full complex sentences with contractions and prepositions all the time, including using words like "actually."  Like his brother, he has a great memory and is a quick learner. When we were playing in the snow a few weeks ago, he told us "Gravity is pushing me down the hill!" (Iver had been working on a Little Passports STEM  project on forces and gravity the previous week). He'll say things randomly like "Aaron Burr shot Hamilton." He's picking up many words in Spanish, as his brother learns, and can say "mas leche, por favor!" as well as many animal names (jirafa, vaca, caballo, etc.).

- adores playing with his brother. He's developed somewhat of a "Papa preference" in recent months, often accompanying him on errands while I hold down the "after-hours homeschooling fort" with Iver. 

- is starting to be a bit defiant of instructions and pushing some boundaries, especially at bedtime. He definitely can (physically) fight back/antagonize Iver as well, often whacking him with random objects like magic wands for no reason!

- still loves reading books. He'll page through books or our "me-readers" on his own, but also loves to be read to and has memorized many books in our library (calling us out if we miss a word!). His favorites include Pete the Cat , Berenstain Bears, and Curious George. He climbs, builds, and loves playing with stickers and sticker books above all things. He's able to color between the lines really well with markers! He knows shapes and can count. He loves music, listening to soundtracks, and has pretty good pitch when he sings along. He loves tubs, showers, and playing with water.  He still likes to be held/carried at times. We recently flipped his carseat forward and he's a big fan. He doesn't get any regular screen time, but has watched parts of The Lion King, Mary Poppins Returns and Hamilton with the family.

- still naps daily from about 1-3 pm. He is easy to put down (i.e. we put in him in bed, shut the door, and walk away) and occasionally wakes up from naps cranky, but is not grouchy for very long. At night, he sleeps in the same room, and usually in the same bed as Iver.  After a bath/shower and books, the boys get into their bed(s)/room around 8pm. Due to his nap, he seems to be a bit less tired than his brother at night and sometimes messes around a bit more and does some room-escaping at bedtime, but sleeps well through the night until about 6 a.m.  He likes to sleep in footy pajamas, with a blue cozy personal blanket and sometimes a stuffed animal like "Snowy" the snow leopard or "Serpiente" the snake.

- has a great sense of humor, and is a very fun person to be around!!

 boys on Lunar New Year

Crazy hair day at "school"

Newfound skill: coloring in the lines!

Mango lover!

Iver & I made little Instant Pot "lava cakes" (with his favorite middle, PB) for him.

Little Passports gift from Grandma & Grandpa

Stickering is his most favorite thing! (these are re-stickable Colorforms, also from my parents)

Giraffe backpack from Co Zaza (aunt Theresa)

More books for our library to celebrate Black History during his birthday month

His one birthday request: BALLOONS! 

Here's what Iver was doing at age three.

Here's what Niall was doing at One and Two (before our world changed).

We love you, little big guy! 

(Co)-V-Day

Like Halloween, Valentine's Day is a holiday I can surely do without, but the spirit (er, candy) is fun for kids. 

(Parents of young kids everywhere... or is it just us?)

Iver hand-made Valentines for his public school KG classmates, and gave store-bought ones (featuring The Descendants and unicorns) for his childcare buddies.  (He also hand-made a cute card for us-- but I'm not sure why Kelvin got "Dad" and I got a first-name greeting!).

The kids had a great day/week/"party" at their respective schools, with lots of fun art, treats, and love.

Lets spread love, but not COVID. 

We truly do have a lot to "celebrate" this time of year!