The Adventures of Will

Before you're awake...

2009-02-15T13:45:00.002-08:00

I am... with Will.

On Saturdays, I get up with Will when he wakes up at 5:45 or so. I get him out of the house so Katie can sleep. She takes Sundays.

Last Saturday, he was up at the usual time and we were out the door by 6:15. It's pretty hard to kill time that early in the morning, but here's what we did.

First, a trip to the McDonald's in Aloha. Why Aloha? It takes a good 25 minutes to get there, so that kills some time. They also have flat screen TVs with cartoons on at 6:45 in the morning.

After that, we went to Beaverton Toyota, so I could get a headlight replaced. Will enjoyed that.

But then it was still only 7:30. We had a lot more time to kill. So we went to the Rose Garden at Washington Park and walked around there. It's kind of eerie there right now. No roses. Everything is barren. And at 8 a.m., there is no one there. Here's Will at the Rose Garden.

That got old after just a little while. Plus, it was hard to be out of the car for more than 10 or 15 minutes since it was about 35 degrees. So we drove to... Sauvie Island!

Will was pretty pumped about being at the beach.
Throwing sand.
Look, a big ol' boat!

Then it was back to Portland and off to a playground.

And that, my friends, is how you keep a toddler occupied until lunchtime on the weekends.

Snow!

2009-01-20T11:03:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, last month Portland had its biggest snowstorm in 40 years. We made a little video. To get the full effect, make sure you have your sound turned on.

Will gets a train for his birthday

2009-01-07T22:17:00.001-08:00

As you may or may not know, Will is very into trains. His Nonna, Gramps, Aunt Dee Dee and Papa pitched in to get him a super cool train set for his third birthday.

Thanks for the great gift, everyone!

Blast from the Past

2008-12-20T16:01:00.000-08:00

Since it's the Christmas season, I thought I'd post a video from Will's first Christmas, back in 2006. Check it out.

Snow 1 (first of 2 posts)

2008-12-15T22:45:00.000-08:00

It only snows once or twice each winter here in Portland, so we get pretty silly and excited when it happens. Here are a few pictures from our adventures out in the cold, windy snowstorm.

Snow 2 (post 2 of 2)

2008-12-15T22:42:00.000-08:00

And a few more...

Halloween!

2008-11-02T22:15:00.001-08:00

Just a few pictures from trick or treating with some friends on Halloween. Will went as Sammy, his favorite dog in the world (who lives with his Nonna and Gramps).

Getting the fearsome dinosaur (Scarlett) in her car seat.
Cute little buddies.
Sometimes dogs and cats can be friends.
Ridiculous men.
Will likes Halloween.

Ready for takeoff

2008-10-05T19:59:00.000-07:00

We parked our van on Marine Drive by the Portland airport to watch some planes take off and land. Katie took some great pictures of Mr. Will checking out the action.

Tiger on the swings!

2008-09-27T22:48:00.000-07:00

We were at Laurelhurst Park today for a picnic hosted by Kate's boot camp instructor. It was a lot of fun. I ended up participating in a sack race, several relay races, an egg toss and a push up contest against a 10-year-old girl. To make it more fair, Will sat on my back during that showdown. Just for the record, I still totally won.

After the picnic, we wandered over to an area that Radio Disney had taken over. They had free face painting for kids, so we had Will done up as a tiger. Here's a picture I took with my cell phone. Pretty cute.

USC-Ohio State Game Day (1 of 2)

2008-09-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

We'd all been excited for this day for a long time. #1 USC vs. #5 Ohio State. We got up in the morning, decorated the house, put on our game day gear and then... we need to kill some time. I mean, the game wasn't until 5 p.m.

So it was off to the park. As you can see, it was a very nice day.

Up.
Down.
Trojan pole dancing.

USC-Ohio State Game Day (2 of 2)

2008-09-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

After the park, we headed over to our local Obama campaign office to pick up some yard signs. As we were walking in, some guy in a truck drove by and yelled out, "Go Buckeyes!" We thought it was adorable.

Then it was off to do some grocery shopping. Several people struck up conversations with us. We also got plenty of dirty looks from people who are not Trojan fans.

Following the store was lunch, then Will went down for his nap. When he woke up, we still had time to kill. So we went for a walk down near the river.

My two best friends.
This is the pose Will strikes when you ask to see his muscles.
He needed a boost to reach the water fountains.
And then he ran some sprints.
Then it was back to the house, where we watched USC destroy Ohio State 35-3. Still #1. I'm feeling really good about this year's team.

Company Picnic

2008-08-24T20:21:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, OCP (my employer) held the annual company picnic at Oaks Park, a delightful little amusement park in Southeast Portland.

Immediately upon our arrival, Will demanded that we go on the ferris wheel. So we did.

One of my co-workers was doing face painting. So the Petersons got kitty faces. This was especially amusing when we went to the grocery store after the picnic. I mean, who wouldn't want to see a family of kitties buying produce?

Here's Will trying to figure out this hula hoop business.

I gave it a try, too. And it turns out, I'm really good at hula hooping. Who knew? It was excellent timing, too. All of the OCP head honchos happened to be looking and were appropriately amazed at my skills. I'll be shocked if I don't get a promotion on Monday.

Scarlett's birthday party

2008-08-11T21:37:00.000-07:00

Will's friend Scarlett turned two a few weeks ago. She invited Will and some other friends to Fernhill Park for a party.

Will and the birthday girl get busy with some juice boxes.

Drunk on juice boxes.

Obviously, he was too juice drunk to drive. I mean, look at him.

The Whale Slide

2008-08-10T08:29:00.000-07:00

Will splashes down the slide in his pool in an action shot taken early this summer.

Out for a walk

2008-08-10T08:10:00.000-07:00

We took a few pictures of Will when we all went out for a walk.

He always likes to stop and check out this car. I see an ill-advised mid-life crisis purchase in his future.

What a weirdo.

On the bench (1 of 2)

2008-08-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

This morning, I said to Will, "You look especially cute today. Is it okay if I take some pictures of you on the bench before we go to school?" And Will said, "YEAH!" Here are the results.

On the bench (2 of 2)

2008-08-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

And then it just got silly.

Trip to Michigan (1 of 6)

2008-07-20T22:40:00.000-07:00

Kate, Will and I went to exotic Paw Paw, Michigan for a summer vacation/Pilkington family reunion at the Lake Brownwood compound, a.k.a. Grandma Jenny and Grandpa Dave's house.

Here are just a few photos from the trip (and if you need more, visit www.thetinneys.com).

Here's pretty much everyone. Kate's uncle Kirk took the picture.

Kate's roommate from college and one of the coolest people ever, Risa, is seen here hanging out with a bad crowd. The cousins, (from left) Will, Jack and Jacob.

Vacationing is hard work. Will and I needed a nap.

You know what else is exhausting? Hosting 30 people at your house. Grandma Jenny could be found in this position frequently throughout the trip.

Trip to Michigan (2 of 6)

2008-07-20T21:40:00.000-07:00

Time for a boat ride!
One of my favorite pictures from the trip. Someone bought little patriotic window decals that spelled out "I Heart America." However, the E tore. So then we had an F. One thing led to another, and we ended up with I Heart Farts. Mallory, Kate's cousin and just about the most awesome 12-year-old in history, enhances the sentiment with her enthusiasm.
Silliness.

Trip to Michigan (3 of 6)

2008-07-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

This picture shows how pretty it is at Grandma Jenny's house. And it also shows that some seriously questionable characters (Kate's uncles Kevin [left] and Richard) were around.
You know what's hard? Getting three little cousins to look at the camera at the same time. This was the best option out of about 30 shots I took.
Will says, "Where the party at?"

Trip to Michigan (4 of 6)

2008-07-20T21:27:00.000-07:00

Brian, Jon and I took a trip to Indiana to get some (okay, A LOT) of fireworks. Callie took the pictures you see here.

Trip to Michigan (5 of 6)

2008-07-20T21:25:00.000-07:00

Aunt Callie with her buddy, Will.Cousins Madison and Jack spending some quality time with Uncle Ben.

Cute little buddies Madison and Will.

Trip to Michigan (6 of 6)

2008-07-20T21:15:00.000-07:00

Kate with Grandpa Dave and her brother Jon at the campfire.Buddies for life. Jack told Will on one of the boat rides, "You're my best friend."

These dudes were singing songs while I pulled them down the road. It was fantastic.

Backyard fun 1

2008-06-28T12:40:00.000-07:00

Will wouldn't go on the slip 'n slide by himself. So I had to help him out.

Yeah!

He forgot to hold on.

Backyard fun 2

2008-06-28T12:20:00.000-07:00

Just another fun afternoon in our outstanding new backyard.

Backyard Fun 3

2008-06-28T12:18:00.000-07:00

Just a couple more...

Finally... some new Will pictures

2008-06-22T21:42:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been so long. I know some of you (Mom) have been growing restless. Here are some fun pictures of Will at the park today.

More from the park

2008-06-22T21:30:00.000-07:00

And a couple more...

2008-06-22T21:25:00.000-07:00

And another one!

2008-05-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

That's what Will says every time he sees a fire hydrant, his latest obsession. I never realized how many fire hydrants (or hire fydrants, as he often says) there are around. Seems like a really good system to me. Yay fire safety!

Anyway, this weekend Will got the chance to get up and close with one of his heroes, this red hire fydrant. How cute is he? Will, not the hydrant.

PS - He loves looking at this picture, he says "look, hire fydrant friend!"

Lake Tahoe is bitchin'

2008-05-21T20:10:00.000-07:00

It is. In that breathtaking beauty kind of way.

Will, Katie and I met up with Nonna and Gramps for a fun long weekend in Tahoe Vista. We stayed at a place called Tonopalo, which is Washoe for "stainless steel appliances."

Here's the view of the pier on the Tonopalo beach.

Will and me showing off our Portland tans.
There were a bunch of these little dudes in the lake.

Tahoe 2: Kayak Fever

2008-05-21T20:05:00.000-07:00

Hot kayak action.

Katie, Will and me. When is this kid going to learn how to hold a smile?

Nonna and Will. At least I think it's Nonna. It might be Karl Lagerfeld in a feminine hat.

Nonna and Gramps head out for an adventure.

Nonna striking a pose. No, wait. That really is Karl Lagerfeld.

Tahoe 3: The Donut

2008-05-21T20:03:00.000-07:00

Will ate a donut.

Tahoe 4: Emerald Bay

2008-05-21T20:02:00.000-07:00

The family took a quick trip to Emerald Bay.

Love this girl.

Will decided he absolutely had to climb up these rocks.

Gramps does his best to make sure Will doesn't fall to his death.

Katie was nearby, too.

I'm pretty sure he was getting in trouble right here.

Stolen Friday

2008-05-13T19:21:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Will's day care was closed and Katie was laid up in bed with a sore neck. So I stayed home to watch after our boy. We decided to head over to the zoo.

Here's Will looking extra cute while we sat in some seriously bad traffic.

And here he is in a super sweet zoo stroller.

Silly dudes riding on the zoo train.

Nice weather returns...

2008-04-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures from our day at the park yesterday. He's cute, huh?

Big red playground

2008-04-13T13:39:00.000-07:00

Today, Will and his dad went out for some adventures. After boring trips to Wilshire Park (someone took away all the swings... weird) and Grant Park (just a lame vibe there today), the Peterson men thought to themselves, "Maybe there's something cool to do in Washington." So they left the state of Oregon, responding to something that was calling to them from across that Interstate Bridge. But what was it? And more importantly, where? The boys had no destination in mind and recklessly dared fate to be their compass.

And fate did not disappoint.

Just over the bridge, they took the Mill Plain Blvd exit. His dad saw some nicely manicured grass. Perhaps a good park for playtime? No, in fact, it was Clark College. Will and his dad decided to check it out. And then... their destination was revealed.

A gigantic, fire engine red and white play structure, right there on campus. Seriously, it was amazing. Ben managed to catch a few pictures on his cell phone.

A Very Good Day

2008-04-12T22:11:00.000-07:00

Today was the first legitimately warm and sunny day of the year in Portland. We definitely made the most of it.

After mom showed Will how to blow on a dandelion...

... we went to Grant Park.

A Very Good Day... Part 2

2008-04-12T22:10:00.000-07:00

After Grant Park, we headed home so Will could take a nap. When he woke up, it was off to Oaks Park.

He loved this car ride.

And here he is with his dad on his first rollercoaster. At this point, he was nervous/excited.

Who's not smiling in this picture?

A Very Good Day... Part 3

2008-04-12T21:55:00.000-07:00

And then to finish the day, Will played in the sprinkler on our new lawn.

Will Updates: Get 'Em While They're Hot

2008-04-08T20:54:00.000-07:00

This just in... there's fresh news on Will Peterson. And now, the report.

After extensive questioning, Will revealed that when he grows up, he does NOT want to be any of the following:

Actor
Fireman
Football Player

He DOES want to be the following:

Writer
Dancer
Dump Truck Driver
Businessman
Professional Bowler

The other day, I asked Will who this was:

He said, "Eeyore." I can see his point.

More updates and pictures soon.

The Latest and Cutest

2008-04-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

Worlds Cutest Bunny Impersonation

Killing time at the airport

So happy to be riding his new friend BART the train

Cute Picture, Must Be Seen

2008-03-24T15:32:00.001-07:00

This picture is a few months old but I never posted it. But it's just too cute to be missed. We pulled the exersaucer to lend to Will's younger friend, Adam. Of course Will wanted to relive his glory days.

All the Will News I Can Think Of

2008-03-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

So clearly this blog is suffering because I'm so busy with my other one. I've asked B to spearhead this one and he agreed. Hopefully he'll find time and posts won't be so few and far between.

Just to catch you up, here's what Will's doing these days.

* Will has joined a Tumble Tots class every Saturday morning. He jumps on the trampoline, walks on the balance beam, and climbs all over the gym. But his favorite thing is the toy bowling set. Like father like son, I guess.

* He figured out how to climb over the baby gate on his bedroom door and came downstairs the other night, long after he was supposed to be asleep. Problem solved though. We got a second gate and put it above the other one.

* He's getting really good at singing Head, Shoulder, Knees and Toes. And he can "read" several pages of Goodnight Moon. He often speaks in sentences and is connecting multiple concepts. Talking with him is feeling more and more like an actual exchange.

* He's really into Tom & Jerry cartoons right now.

* He knows where Russia, China, America, Australia, and Egypt are on the map. He really wants to go to Egypt.

* He's a fool for oatmeal. That's pretty much what he wants to eat all the time. Considering how hard it can be to get toddlers to eat anything (nutritious or otherwise), I think we're pretty lucky on this point.

* We have a bit of a nose picking problem on our hands right now. Not cute.

And of course he's still really really good looking. Need proof?

Cute Picture of Will & His Mom

2008-03-02T20:18:00.001-08:00

Family Fun in the Park

2008-02-25T14:42:00.000-08:00

Taking advantage of the dry and relatively warm weather we've been having, we took Will to the park on both Saturday and Sunday. And yesterday we remembered the camera. Man, he's cute.

Will in Boots!

2008-02-20T15:35:00.000-08:00

This weekend he put on Aunt Callie's boots and literally asked to 'walk the streets." He really said that. Hilarious.

Will in Jammies

2008-02-04T16:50:00.001-08:00

Just a weekend morning at home, playing with Lucie.

Puerto Vallarta

2008-01-26T22:42:00.000-08:00

These are a few pictures from our time exploring the Malecón (boardwalk) in Puerto Vallarta.

More vacation pictures

2008-01-26T22:04:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more from our trip.

Will and his dad in Cabo on Christmas Day.

Will meets some hot ladies on the beach.

Super cute Will hanging out with Señor Frog, who seems to own most of Mexico.

There are no words.

Christmas Day!

2008-01-23T20:52:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from Christmas Day. On a cruise. In Mexico. It really didn't feel like Christmas.

We opened presents for Will in one of the lounges. He refused to let go of the harmonica from Papa.

A bunch of Petersons at an entirely inappropriate resort on Christmas Day in Cabo. Seriously. There was a bar in this resort that had giant beds instead of tables. It was one of those hedonism places. Ho ho ho.

Will with his mom. Super cute.

Will with his Dad. Hottest men on the planet.

I wish we were back here. It's 21 degrees in Portland tonight.

More vacation pictures

2008-01-23T11:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, so there are a bunch of other photos from our recent Mexican Riviera cruise. They're all on my computer and I've been lazy about getting them up on the blog. Sorry about that. I'll be putting up several posts over the next few days. -Ben

The following are some pictures from our time in San Pedro before we got on the boat.

These guys aren't authorized to operate this equipment.

Terrifying.

Ben: "...and that, Will, is the difference between a 4-3 and 3-4 defense in football."
Will: "Water! Fountain!"

Big Boy at the Doctor

2008-01-22T22:19:00.000-08:00

Will had his 2 year check up last week. He measured in at 37.25 inches (100%+) and 30.4 lbs (75%). He had to get one shot and he cried pretty hard until he saw the Elmo sticker the nurse gave him. Oh, and he's still super duper healthy!

Will Turned Two!

2008-01-08T12:04:00.000-08:00

And we didn't even say anything about it here. Oops!

We had a party on Saturday and did a terrible job of taking pictures. But we did a pirate theme and lots of friends came, including Nona and Gramps. Here are the few that I got.

More Cruise Fun!

2008-01-04T16:02:00.000-08:00

We're Back!

2007-12-31T12:52:00.000-08:00

On this final day of 2007, our little family is enjoying a low key day at home after a week long cruise to Mexico. A good time was had by all but most importantly, here, we got some very cute pictures of Will. Too many to post in one day so I will trot them out over the next week or so. This first batch is from the days we flew to LA and spent in San Pedro before boarding the ship and then right after we got into our stateroom.

Festival of Lights

2007-12-13T21:34:00.000-08:00

We are all hanging out after dinner when Ben suddenly suggested we take Will out to see some Christmas lights. There are a few good spots to see some great displays, one of which is The Grotto. It's this Catholic Center and chapel place....I honestly don't really know much about it. There's a cliff and a cave, it looks pretty cool. Anyway, Will loved all the lights and I think he especially liked being able to run around outside at night. The cutest thing he did while we were there was when we came upon a small group of musicians playing Jingle Bells. Will paused for a second, listening, and then yelled "HEY!" Cause that's the part he knows. Here are some fun pictures.

A Whole New Blog

2007-12-11T20:00:00.000-08:00

So I finally started a personal blog and I'm ready to share it with everyone.You can check it out here: http://kateofalltrades.blogspot.com I've also added a link to the left. This one is mostly about me and what I'm thinking about. Will stuff will still be here.

Speaking of Will, he's just the cutest thing. We were listening to Christmas music tonight and Happy Holidays came on. He listened for awhile and then started singing along, "Happy HaHaday!"

Oh, that reminds me, we are going to do New Year's cards instead of holiday. So don't freak out when your new picture of Will doesn't come before Christmas. It's coming, I promise!

Since you're here, how about a few Will pics? It snowed on Sunday, not enough to stick. but we took Will outside and here's the proof.

Lazy Saturday Morning

2007-12-08T14:36:00.000-08:00

Ben has been laid up a for few days with a pulled back muscle so we've been laying low. We enjoyed a quiet morning watching Little Einsteins and playing with toys. I got these cute pictures of Will relaxin' and maxin' with his school bus.

Fire Marshall Will

2007-12-04T22:16:00.000-08:00

Here are just a few pictures of Mr. Will in one of his favorite shirts.

Almost time for a haircut.

Okay, so this one's a little blurry. But we wanted to put it on here because this was his response when we asked him to smile for Gramps.

Trying to grab his dad's ears.

Going potty is fun!

Yay Sand!

2007-11-27T20:44:00.000-08:00

I know our loyal readers are expecting a Thanksgiving post but I don't have those pictures on my computer. But I do have these cute pictures of Will having a super good time in the sand box at OMSI. Beggars can't be choosers....I'm talking about you grandparents!

PS - It really is freaky how grown up he looks right??

Over the River and Through the Woods...

2007-11-13T08:28:00.000-08:00

...to Nona and Gramps' house we went! Here are some cute pictures of our boy taken on our recent trip to CA.

Will reads the alphabet!

Nona and Gramps take Will to ride the steam train at Tilden.

The two most popular men in the family. Sorry Ben.

These glasses don't do much for his face, too large I think.

A Different Day in the Park

2007-11-07T21:44:00.000-08:00

These pictures are from about three or four weeks ago but the cuteness should not be missed.

A Busy Saturday

2007-11-05T18:59:00.001-08:00

One of the cardinal rules of parenting, if you have any sense of self-preservation at all, is that you MUST get the kid out of the house each day. It seems simple but in actuality is not all that easy when you are the parent of a toddler. It has been our experience that there aren't that many places to take Will. Playgrounds generally feature structures that are far too big for a little guy, the ageism is pretty appalling. And any 'for kids' spot can be a very dangerous place for a toddler due to rogue big kids running around not paying attention to a thing they are doing. I don't know how many 7 year olds are on my "list" but it's very long.

So you can imagine how excited I was to notice a park about 3 miles from our house with what appeared to be a Will-size playground, I had barely caught a glimpse but hope swelled. Despite the cold morning, we ventured out Saturday to see if this had just been a mirage or the answer to our prayers. What we found was the perfect little playground for our perfect little boy. He had a lot of fun playing on the toys and was, no doubt, relieved to find that his parents could chill out for 10 minutes and just let him be. There were several other little kids there and one especially nice boy named Cohen made friends with Will and showed him lots of fun things to do like playing with dirt. It might be hard to spend much time at the playground during the winter months but I can tell you, we'll be regulars come Spring. God bless the planners who considered our dear toddlers!

Later that day Bruce and Eryn brought Adam over for the first Peterson/Kehe USC Gameday of the season. Will was enchanted with young Adam. He was very gentle and careful when he was near the baby. We were sure to get photo proof that they have been friends for almost their whole lives.

Trick or Treat!

2007-10-31T19:54:00.001-07:00

Tonight we took this spoooooky vampire out trick or treating. He both charmed and terrified the few who were brave enough to answer the door. Mwah ah ah!

More Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-28T13:55:00.000-07:00

After we said goodbye to all of the animals in the barn, Will and I took a hay ride out to the big pumpkin patch area. Will learned the words "hayride" and "tractor" during our trip. And we worked on perfecting "pumpkin" as well.

On the hayride out to the field.

Pumpkins! Tons of 'em!

Mr. Will finds a winner.

Waiting for the hayride back to begin, Will seems pleased with the activities of the day.

While out in the patch, there were a lot of super gross, rotted pumpkins. Will looked around on many occasions and said, "Ew... gross." He's the cutest little dude ever.

Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-28T13:45:00.001-07:00

Katie is out of town this weekend, so Will and I needed to entertain ourselves. We decided that a trip to the pumpkin patch on Sauvie Island would be an excellent way to spend a fall Sunday morning.

Big Will by the llama in the animal barn.

He thought this cow was funny.

When Will saw the chickens, he said, "Bawk, bawk, bawk! Chickens!"

Will in Boots

2007-10-14T19:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I bought Will a pair of rain boots. When we got home I put them on him and ever since, he's been begging to wear them. So here he is this morning in his PJs and then this afternoon after a diaper change but before his pants made there way back on.

Will Eats Oatmeal - and it's ADORABLE

2007-09-24T13:51:00.001-07:00

Chasing Dad

2007-09-23T20:57:00.000-07:00

Will thought it would be fun to chase his Dad and throw sand on him. He was right.

On the Beach

2007-09-23T20:51:00.001-07:00

Mr. Will working hard down on the beach.

Trip to the Coast

2007-09-23T20:29:00.000-07:00

Here's the first in a series of photos from our trip to the coast this weekend. We stayed at an amazing house with Ben, Siobhan, Matt and Laura.

Mom and Will on the balcony. Nice view, huh?

Just because we're on vacation doesn't mean we get a break from potty training. Dad really seems like he's getting the hang of it.

Game Day - USC vs. Nebraska

2007-09-23T20:05:00.000-07:00

Paige came over to help cheer on the Trojans as they traveled to Lincoln, Nebraska to take on the Cornhuskers. As I'm sure you're all aware, USC won 49-31.

Will loves game day. Now he yells, "SC! SC!" any time he sees a football game or anything cardinal and gold.

Will and Paige are in love.

Yikes.

Game Day!

2007-09-09T20:13:00.000-07:00

The first USC game of the year finally arrived. Unfortunately the game was pretty boring, with USC smacking Idaho around with very little creativity. But Game Day at the Peterson house is always a good time.

Emmitt and Jamie get ready to see USC's next great tailback emerge...

Paige and Will cuddle before kickoff.

Will secures the best seat in the house for start of the game. If he has any USC-related questions, he knows Gina is the best source of information.

Fire up the jet boat!

2007-09-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

Portland is divided by a river, so one of the best ways to see the city is to check out the view from the water. While Jamie and Gina were in town to visit, we all took a trip on the Willamette Jet Boat tours. A good time was had by all.

Here's Dad and Will (sorry about cutting off a lot of Ben's head in this picture)

And then there's this one of Will and Gina. Will really liked how FAST the jet boat went.

The whole jet boat experience took a lot out of Will and he fell asleep the minute he got in his car seat.

Please Ignore the Badly Matched Outfit

2007-09-04T07:46:00.001-07:00

Yeah, his outfit may suck but look at this cute face! These pictures were taken a few weeks ago but Mr. Will looks too adorable in them to be missed. I really love the mid-sneeze on at the end.

Sick Day!

2007-08-28T15:55:00.000-07:00

Will was sent home from school last Friday with a cold. The non-stop snot onslaught did not hamper his desire to play like a hyper puppy though.

Behold, my favorite picture I've taken of Will so far. He's so pretty.

Get in the Oven Turkey!

2007-08-27T09:05:00.001-07:00

If you shout this out to Will while upstairs in his room, this is what happens!

Perfectly Naughty

2007-08-09T19:37:00.000-07:00

Even when he's bad, he's soooooooo good. Will was put to bed over an hour ago. But he's been butt-buttin' around a bunch, I can hear him on the monitor. I went upstairs to check on him and because I am a little bit naughty too, I brought the camera. He had thrown his blankie and his goya goya (pacifier) on the floor. And look how delighted he was to have a visitor, especially one who gave him his things back. Once you've seen these pictures, please tell me just how I am supposed to be an appropriately tough and objective mother? Impossible!

PS - Just 10 minutes later, all's quiet on the toddler front...

Hoses are Fun!

2007-07-29T10:08:00.000-07:00

On a hot afternoon last week I decided to water my roses. Will really loved that idea and somehow he ended up looking like this.

He Takes it to a Whole New Level

2007-07-25T08:08:00.001-07:00

Our friend Kari got this shot of Will at a party we had here over the weekend. Is this kid ridiculous in front of the camera or what?

Summer Vacation

2007-07-08T19:54:00.000-07:00

Our little family just from our 4th of July trip to Lake Brownwood in Paw Paw, MI. That's where my mom, her husband, and my brother and his family live. Many of my mom's siblings were able to come with their families so there were about a million of us there. We had a fantastic time that felt distinctly American. What more can you ask for for on the 4th? But the pictures pretty much tell the story, so without further ado....

Jacob posing for the camera, Will seriously getting to know that bucket.

Will. Adorable.

Driving the boat with Grandpa Dave.

Watching the water go by.

Jack feeling sick. His daddy's hand makes a good pillow.

Summer Vacation (more boys)

2007-07-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

Summer Vacation (the adults)

2007-07-08T19:29:00.001-07:00

Ben being fierce on a kayak.

Jacob and his daddy.

Callie being weird.

My men.

Aw yeah, beaver on beaver action.

The Scene

2007-07-08T18:17:00.000-07:00

The view from the beach outside Mom & Dave's.

The house that we rented with the Tinneys

Mom and Dave's house (Brian, Callie and Sarah too)

This gi-normous bird bath is just down the road. It's really weird.

Outside!

2007-06-24T14:35:00.000-07:00

Before a June rain shower moved in yesterday, we spent some time playing in the back yard with Will. Here are various shots of him displaying his cuteness in an outdoor setting.

Putting his best side forward.....

He's really nailing his pose in this one.

Yeeeeeeee!

This is not the best idea he's ever had.

Ewww...dirty!

Will Gets High on Sugar

2007-06-21T20:20:00.000-07:00

Last week Will was sent home from school with a cupcake because his little buddy Ava turned two. I was fortunate enough to catch him in stages; mess, sugar rush mess, and clean up. Adorable all around, of course. The last picture here is of Will with his great aunt and uncle Pat & Larry who were in town for a quick visit this weekend.

I Think my Thumb Looks Greenish

2007-06-21T20:18:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pretty pictures of some flowers from my garden. Despite my mega-grumpy attitude about gardening, I am working hard to develop that interest, here are some fruits of my labor.

BONUS!!

2007-06-04T10:57:00.000-07:00

My sister, Callie, and her family went to Florida last week for a vacation. This family picture is too cute not to share!

Behold, the Tyrannical Tinneys, aargh!!!!

Cute Will in the Summertime!

2007-06-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

To brighten up your Monday, here are some of Will's latest!

Will playing in the backyard on Memorial Day.

The whole family being cute at the park.

Dad & Will take a walk in the rose garden.

It's my Will in a box!

And still more beach

2007-05-20T18:09:00.001-07:00

More Beach Stuff

2007-05-20T18:07:00.000-07:00

I guess it's feast or famine

2007-05-20T18:01:00.000-07:00

OK, here are some from Will's first beach trip. We spent a weekend in Lincoln City with Nonna & Gramps a few weeks ago. A good time was had by all! I'll probably break this up over a few entries all in a row.

OK, here are some from Will's first beach trip. We spent a weekend in Lincoln City with Nonna & Gramps a few weeks ago. A good time was had by all! I'll probably break this up over a few entries all in a row.

I know, I know, it's terrible!

2007-05-20T17:43:00.000-07:00

We haven't posted in so long. What can I say? We've been busy? That's true, we have been doing a lot of projects at our house like switching bedrooms with Will (he's in a big boy room now). We've been sick. That's true too, Will keeps bringing crud home from school and we keep passing it around. But mainly there's not much of an excuse. We have waned a bit on this project but we're trying to pick it up again. Please stay tuned. But for now, here are some slightly outdated pics from TN. I guess I'll just try to get up to speed over the next few days.

More Dirty South pictures

2007-05-01T15:33:00.000-07:00

I'm far too large for this stroller.

I just stepped in a big pile of Tinneys.

Will loves Aunt Callie.

Rockin' out.

Heeeeeeyyyyy!

Just A Little Taste

2007-04-07T14:28:00.000-07:00

We just returned from our Southern Adventure in Tennessee and Misissippi on Thursday. Today we're having a dinner party for 6 so I don't have a ton of time to post. But I know our loyal readers are eagerly awaiting some cute pictures of the boys. Will and Jacob had a blast together and watching them enjoy each other was the cutest thing I have ever seen. I'll do an expanded post this week but for now feast your eyes on these!

An Easter Present For Will

2007-03-20T12:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday a huge box arrived from Gumps while Will was sleeping. It was addressed to him but I'm the mom, I can open it if I want. So I did. Inside was this easter decoration from Aunt Dee Dee. She gave a snowman at Christmas and Will loves to watch it swing back and forth.

I knew Will would be just as excited about the big box it came in so I set both out to play with for when he got up from his nap. Here are some pictures of Will's fun times with a big box. What a cutie!

Just a few camera phone pictures

2007-03-15T21:17:00.000-07:00

So cool!

Will has a mop on his head!

Will checking out a bunny at the petting zoo!

Katie and Will near the super aggressive goats at the petting zoo!

Oh no! The baby's on the stove!

2007-03-07T18:07:00.000-08:00

Our Little Froggy

2007-03-05T08:31:00.000-08:00