Holy Timelapse, Batman!!!

Wow! It's been over a month since our last posting, and please accept our collective apologies! Life on Montana Street has been somewhat hectic of late, what with the start of school for Finn, Kim starting a new job, and of couse the change that comes with the arrival of the wee man Declan (yes, I know that was in June, but really, it DOES take a while to hit your stride, especially with number 2).

Wait, what's that you say? Kim starting a new job? Why yes...Kim is the new executive assistant/office manager for the City Club of Portland. This is the organization that holds all the Friday Forums wherein citizens can become informed about pertinent issues of the day. Just this last Friday, for example, former Gov. Kitzhaber and ex-Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babitt met to discuss the removal of dams along the Snake River in Idaho to facilitate the return of salmon runs-and you know how much we Northwesterners love our salmon! I think we hug them almost as much as we do trees, or say, the spotted owl or the marbled murrelet. And speaking of hugs, Kim is proud to report a Babitt hugging occured on Friday. She has taken quite well to her new position, as it is convieniently located to shopping, cart lunches and happy hours.

Finn has begun his year as a first-grader, and he couldn't be happier. MLC gives its first graders WAY more autonomy than its kindergarteners. They get to walk to lunch all by themselves (this, for those of you who do not have grade school age kids, is HUGE)! Plus they get to choose electives- Finn is currently taking Super Science Club and Word Games and Puzzles.
( A side note about those electives...the signup process resembled a White Sale at Macy's taken straight from an old 50's flick, except that there were kids involved. Mothers trying to push their poor kids into line regardless of who or what might have been in their way!)














Declan continues to blossom all the time and capture the hearts of all that meet him. He has achieved the milestone of the back-to-front and front-to-back rollover, and we can tell he is just bursting at the seams to get this whole movement thing underway. Finn is forming an amazing relationship with his little brother! I think that he is one of Declan's favorite people, always getting some of the biggest smiles whenever he snuggles up with him.



















My adorable little granddaughter came to visit us from Idaho. Her name is Aubrianna, and she is 18 months old. Finn is still trying to get his head around the concept of being an uncle...his usual response is, " I'm still a kid!". During the visit I learned that I am to be a grandfather for the second time, this time a boy is on the way! So everyone please wish health and happiness to my daughter Heather and her family as they prepare for their new arrival-I believe he will be an early spring baby.













Well, I am sure that there is SO much more that I could write, but I must be up early tomorrow. We will strive to be less lackadaisical in keeping current, but BABY, has it been a busy month!