Variations on a Theme

Better late than never, I suppose...

2011-12-30T12:47:00.000-08:00

I did not make my shirt, or Andrew's hat, but everything else was sufficiently stressed over. :) Now maybe by February, I might get some Christmas pictures posted. ;)

It' that time of year...

2011-09-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

Sewing season! Not that I don't sew anything the rest of the year, but this is definately my "busiest season". And naturally, Andrew's costume includes a challenging coat (as usual), so now that it is out of the way, I can move on to some of the simpler to sew items. Well, until I get to my own. Think I may have bitten off a little more than I can chew. So! Thought I would take a minute to look back at the last couple of years of creations. I only have two Halloweens under my belt, so it's a short look. And I realized that I do not have any good digital photos of last year's of just our costumes. Bummer. And I did not sew the boys skeleton costumes.

A Scary, Friendly Ghost

2011-09-25T20:33:00.001-07:00

After dropping Liam off at the bus stop one morning recently, Caleb and I were driving on some errands and he began the game of "Pretend you heard a spooky noise, and you didn't know what it was". So I played along, and in my best frightened voice said, "ooh, I hear a spooky noise, and I don't know what it is". Then he proceeded to make his best "spooky, ghostly sounds" and started talking like a ghost. The conversation when something a little like this (with his best spooky voice throughout the entire thing):

"I'm a spooky ghost."

"A spooky ghost? Oh no! That's so scary!"

"I'm a spooky, friendly ghost"

Me:"Oh, a spooky, friendly ghost like the ones at the Haunted Mansion at Disney World?" (there's been a lot of talk about that ride in our house lately, even though neither of them have been on it)

Pause.

C: "Yes, I am supposed to be at the Haunted Mansion."

Me: "Oh no. What should we do?"

Caleb (still in spooky voice): " You're going to have to take me to Disney World!"

He's definately creative in his arguments for the things he wants. :)

I'm beginning to understand...

2011-09-25T20:19:00.000-07:00

Why my mother cried at touching scenes in movies, moving talks in church, and poignant moments in life.

When I was young, and whenever she began to tear up at so many of these things, I found myself looking at her a little strangely and wondering what had made her sad.

Today was a thought, and tear, provoking day. At church there were some wonderful talks given by an amazing couple who had been through some heart wrenching things, and their testimony of the power of the Priesthood blessing their lives was so powerful, I cried. Then I let myself get my feelings hurt about some silly thing or another, got frustrated with my son's disrespectful treatment of me, and I cried. I arrived home from church to find the neighbors dog emptying his bowels on my front lawn (the mystery of the multiple deposits left over the last few weeks was solved), and I was so angry I thought about hitting him with my car (of course, I didn't), then came inside the house and cried.

The boys have never scene the Wizard of Oz and on the way home from church today, Caleb kept asking for "the Dorothy story". Once I had finally figured out what they meant, and they had determined that we had the "real movie of it", they wanted to see it. So, following my meltdown over the animal control issue, I put the movie on and we watched it, Caleb snuggled close at my side. And I cried...multiple times. As I stifled a sob toward the end of the film, Caleb, who felt the sharp intake of my breath, turned and looked at me. And I saw in his eyes the same question I had as a child looking at my own crying mother. I smiled through my tears and said how much I loved the movie, but I knew he didn't understand. And that maybe someday he might.

I get it now, Mom. And when I say that I am turning into my mother, I can't think of a better person to become.

Recent Roundup

2011-07-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

So it may appear as though we have stopped doing anything interesting since March (not that picking crocus and breaking rules is particularly interesting, but it's something, right?), however, that is not the case. There have been plenty of activities, vacations, family trips, etc. to keep us busy, so I thought I would do a quick roundup of recent events and include some pictures. A lot of pictures, actually.

There was a trip to the Peninsula, Andrew and I went to Hawaii, the boys did swim lessons all summer (Liam's backstroke and butterfly are amazing! I can't even do the butterfly), we had a fantastic 4th of july at the Beach with friends, we went camping in Deception Pass (first family camping trip and it was a HUGE success! more on that later), and Andrew did the Warrior Dash (for which the boys ALSO wanted to get dressed up). It may not have been very warm this summer, but we have still managed to have a great time.

Thinking I will try to keep up a little better with blogging and pictures. Maybe when school starts for the boys, I will have a little more time. Ha ha. :)

Lovely Crocus

2011-03-16T14:29:00.000-07:00

Sitting at my computer while the boys played in the backyard (or so I thought), the doorbell rang. Delivery! I thought. My shoes? The boys' shoes? Some other thing that I had forgotten I had purchased online? Then the doorbell continued to ring... again and again, and I realized it was NOT a delivery person. Hurrying to the front door, my suspicions were confirmed. It was Liam and Caleb, in the front of the house, where they are NOT supposed to be, but smilingly bearing purple crocus blooms they had picked from the front yard for me. Such a sweet and utterly disobedient gesture. Love those boys! Now get back in the bak yard, ya' hoodlums!

Our latest activities...

2011-03-14T14:40:00.000-07:00

Have discovered a new and unexpected love of sewing. Might have to see my doctor about that, but I have been having a good time trying to come up with cool ideas for the boys... jersey-lined rock star pants, anyone?

Then, today was just a regular old rainy day at home with nothing new to do...

Is summer here yet?

My new love...

2011-02-03T18:17:00.000-08:00

My tiny little Singer that I bought Walmart cheap 9 years ago, and that I have no idea how it lasted so long and made it through so many Halloweens has finally gone the way of all plastic sewing machines. Mid-project, no less. *sigh* So, I wheeled and dealed (with the husband, not the store), and made a late night trip to procure a solution. I'm seriously in love...

It's just a machine...no worries, hon. :)

Tangled

2010-12-21T21:26:00.000-08:00

Saw Tangled yesterday. By myself on my "mom's day out". Loved it! I thought it was totally in league with some of the great Disney Classics like Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, and completely on par with the 90's animated revival hits like Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. I am constantly in awe of storytellers and animators who can take a fable, spin it in a manner so complex, and yet so clearly all at the same time, and create characters that you adore. Giving facial expressions to chameleons and horses alike that make you laugh out loud. And creating a princess so stinkin' adorable, you want to put her in your pocket and take her home with you. Not to mention wanting her super cute messy 'do at the end. I stand in grateful awe of all those creative individuals.

I laughed. I cried. It was better than Cats.

Secret Mess

2010-12-21T09:23:00.000-08:00

I've decided that my house is a reflection of myself. The rooms that people see look clean and put together most of the time...just don't look in the rooms behind the closed doors, cause that's where the real mess is. Such a metaphor for my life.

It's that time of year again...

2010-10-17T14:40:00.001-07:00

A little trip with the boys to the P-Patch on a beautiful day:

Someday, My Post Will Come...

2010-10-13T14:06:00.000-07:00

Fun with Facepaints

2010-10-12T17:57:00.000-07:00

Or practice for Halloween, whichever you want to call it... But the boys are loving a new face everyday.

Note to self...

2010-08-31T18:13:00.000-07:00

Dear Future Self,

Listen, friend, do yourself a favor. The next time you think it will be a good idea to get some fake nails...get some professional help... and I don't mean psychologically. Go to a nail salon, my friend. Don't be tempted by the perfect looking, seemingly simple packages of fake nails in the drug store for $6.99. Don't be fooled by all promises on the package. Marketers are not your friends (no offense, hon). Easy to apply? No. Chip-proof? No. Fast-drying glue... well, yes, but remember this moment, and that several layers of skin missing from the right thumb (that have been inconveniently redistributed onto the nail of the left middle finger) is not a pretty picture, and so not worth the inexpensive price. Remember that, future self. And please tell me we've lost that last 5 pounds...

Brothers

2010-08-15T21:50:00.001-07:00

Natural Waterslides

2010-08-15T21:39:00.000-07:00

Took a little trip up into the mountains recently for some hiking to a place that has some natural "water slides". The place was packed (very popular, obviously), and the boys had a great time. Not sure who or what made Caleb so mad in the one picture, but it cracked me up when I saw it because it is SO him. It was a good hike, not too hard on my knees, and we all had fun. We might even go there again... if I can ever convince Andrew of the merits of returning to somewhere you have already been before. :) Next time, I might even remember to bring my sunglasses.

More thoughts from a two year old

2010-07-14T08:46:00.000-07:00

Caleb with either be a great linguist or...well, something when he grows up, I don't know, but he has taken to making up words and sounds a LOT. The boy has been speaking quite clearly in complete sentences for a long time now, but in the last few months he has started just making up words and sounds and talking a whole lot of nonsense. Like I said, most of it is nonsense, and sometimes, he doesn't even know when his sounds make actual words. His latest obsession that keeps coming up in conversation is "Captain Sarabi". No idea who this mysterious Captain is, but apparently he and Caleb are pretty good friends. Yesterday, however, I met a new member of Caleb's word entourage: Captain Kegel. He has no idea how funny that is to me.

Stupid Blogger

2010-07-04T20:58:00.000-07:00

So, I went to edit my blog appearance and it deleted my blog list. Now I have to go through old emails, blog stalk through other people's blogs, etc. to get all the addresses of everyone's blogs again. The whole reason I put them on my page is that to have them all in one place and avoid that kind of hunt in the first place. Oh well... this could take a while...

And The Living Is Easy

2010-06-12T20:54:00.001-07:00

Summertime! Summer finally came to Seattle! Okay, so we've had some really beautiful weather throughout May, but the first two weeks of June were rough. Not entirely surprising, as it has been this way at least for the last two summers as well, but rough, nonetheless, when you can't wait to get to outside activities and kids start getting cabin fever, etc. So, to honor the gorgeous 70-something degree weather we had today (have I mentioned how much I adore summer in Seattle... seriously... gorgeous, but I digress...), we went for a hike/beach trip at Discovery. The boys were troopers and did mostly the entire thing by themselves (Caleb had to be carried once or twice just for a few minutes). And mom was a trooper, too! Re-injured toe and all. (Yes, a couple of days ago, I slammed my newly healed broken toe into a large metal hand weight that had been left in the middle of the floor, hiding under a blanket... living room forts are dangerous things). Anyway...

Not to mention, it was low tide, and I did the ultimately momly thing and trudged out through the muck and seaweed to look at cool things with my kids, touch detached crab claws, open up empty clam shells, and show them the difference between clams, oysters, mussels, and abalone shells. That's right, I AM patting myself on the back right now. It was one of those rare moments when somewhere in the back of my brain, all the seemingly useless trivia that I have stored up from years of animal planet, discovery channel, and various other facty tidbit shows and books all came together and I was able to sound really smart and amazing to my 4 and 2 year olds. Go, mom! Although, mom DID forget to bring a camera and consequently has no pictures to document said event. Oh well, you can't win 'em all, I suppose. And now I am off to sew a zillion tiny ties for Father's Day Keychains... Good times.

The Prayer of a Two Year Old...Boy.

2010-06-06T20:45:00.000-07:00

Warning...totally inappropriate, and potentially sacreligious, content ahead.

My two-year old is obsessed with bums. Bummy heads, bummy bums, bum anything. Sometimes he just calls people bums for fun. They were at a friends house playing one night, and when I came to pick them up and I told him to say bye to his friends, he shouted, "Bye, bums!" (to a chorus of snickers and laughter, of course... everything seems cute when you're two, right?)

I don't think I realized the extent of the obsession until tonight's prayer before bed. Caleb has taken to saying his own prayers "by himself" before bedtime. Liam's often include being thankful for the house, the street, the parks, the parking lot, and all the people, and anything else he can think of in that moment. Caleb, apparently taking somewhat of a cue from Liam, said a prayer that went something like this:

Dear Heavenly Father,

I love to eat my food. (pause)

I love to eat...(pause, at which point he clearly lost his train of thought...I hope)

All the people's bums and parts and everything.

Yep. My little angel.

Just One Of Those Days

2010-06-03T17:27:00.001-07:00

Thought I'd be a good mom today and take my kids to the zoo...spent the whole time being frustrated and playing "mean mommy". Thought I'd have some comfort food, but can't eat much of anything due to a sore mouth (my own fault from too many potato chips this week - lame!). Watching Cash Cab and realizing that I didn't know any of the answers...even the $25 ones. Talk about feeling not so smart... *sigh* Here's hoping tomorrow will be a better day.

Trying to catch up

2010-06-03T08:20:00.001-07:00

Most of my recent posts are outdated already, but I am frantically trying to catch up on what has been happening of note lately. So today, it's Caleb's chin and stitches.

In April, Caleb fell while climbing on the retaining wall and split open his chin...on a Sunday evening about an hour after his doctor's office closed. It was a pretty bad gash and wouldn't stop bleeding, so after a brief moment to calm him down and look up online where the nearest emergency room was, we headed out. Horrific experience with my 2 year old crying and shouting "Don't hold me down, dad! I have to get up! Don't hold me, Dad!" By the time they were done with his four stitches, he was like a cornered animal...didn't want anyone to touch him or hold him or get near him. Cried his way out to the car, clutching his juice cup (which he would not drink...probably didn't trust me anymore, so didn't know what I put in it, poor guy).

The following night, he tripped on the stairs and hit his chin again. It pulled the wound a little more open, but not enough that we were going to put him through that again. We figured a little more noticeable scar would not harm him in life. The first of many, I'm sure...

Self-Governing

2010-05-27T12:09:00.000-07:00

Liam put himself down for a nap at noon today. Told me he was hungry at 11:30, ate his lunch, then announced he was going upstairs to take a rest. When I went up to check on him, the lights were out, the curtains drawn (as best he could), and he was snoring peacefully. Huh. Now if only Caleb would be so open to rest time.

The "After"

2010-05-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

And "after":

I'm a so thrilled with the way it all turned out! It's totally us, and I think we managed a nice blend of Andrew's desire for modern and my desire for a little more traditional. The tub is amazing and the boys love it. And having two sink has done wonders for the fighting over who's turn it is to brush and wash. All along I have said that as soon as it's done, I will not remodel anything for a long time... and now, all I can think about is what I would do in the downstairs bath... hmm... :)

The Before

2010-05-27T11:51:00.001-07:00

Everyone always says you are supposed to take pictures of a room before you renovate/redecorate, etc. right? Well, when you don't actually plan to renovate you don't exactly do that. So, since our bathroom reno was "spur of the moment", shall we say? I realized that I have no pictures of the "before". So, I sorted through my photos, found the few that had, combined them with a few of the partial demolition (which shows the tub and shower tile still intact), and took a few of the downstairs bathroom, which had the same vanity, light fixture style, etc. to get a sense of the before...and here they are:

The downstairs bathroom

The half demo-ed upstairs

The story...

2010-05-27T11:11:00.000-07:00

The bathroom saga begins.

So, this is going to be a long one. I'm writing it down for me, so that I can find it funny someday. Here is how it all happened:

The boys are no longer napping so we were trying upstairs play time while mommy does her stuff, also known as "mommy time". (We are no longer doing this due to the events of the day in question). The boys were upstairs playing and I was on the computer and watching some TV. I heard someone washing their hands and listened carefully to make sure the water went off. it did. Or so I thought it did. I heard them playing in the bathroom, which is not that unusual because they love to play skateboards in the empty tub, so I didn't give it much thought. I heard the water go on another time or two but figured someone had use the bathroom and was washing their hands. And I listened each time to make sure it went off, and it did. Turns out it didn't! They were apparently turning it just low enough so that it sounded like it was off. They're devious! They are 4 and 2 and they are already devious! Anyway...I digress.

As I was sitting downstairs, I heard the sound of dripping behind me, so I turned to look at the window and realized that there was water steadily dripping from the top of the window box. Considering that their bathroom is upstairs in the middle of the house, and the window is on the outside wall of the downstairs...let's just say I was more than alarmed. I rushed upstairs to fins them both sitting naked on the countertop in a flooded bathroom. They had plugged the sink and turned the water low enough to be not be heard but to fill the sink. And they

were splashing...everywhere. And throwing water at each other and the walls. There was water covering the entire floor, and pouring down the heating vent (which, as it turns out, is how to travelled to the various places it did). After a total freak out, and naked boys in their bedroom timeout, and several large soaking bath towels later, I calmed down enough to call Andrew and figure out what to do. By the time I started calling "restoration" places, it was well into the evening. So, cleanup did not even start until almost 9pm. The cleanup guys started their assessment, moved some furniture, put in some fans and scheduled to come do demo the following day. Three days of fans and destruction, days of having half a family room, and weeks of construction ensued, and I'm getting typing tired, so now I will just post some pictures:

Our Half a Family Room

The other half of the room

A Good Time

2010-05-17T18:10:00.000-07:00

Took the kids to the park today for "scootering". They had a wonderful time. I tried not to think about all the things at home that I was not getting done. It's hard to care, though, when your two year old says such adorable things as he does. I was sitting on the bench and he would "scoot" over to me and climb up and sit down for a minute or two. Then he would climb down and say "I had a good time with you, Mom, but now I have to go scoot." Love that kid.

Incidentally, their favorite bedtime story is about a little boy "scooting". Well, at least it starts out that way. Dexter Bexley and the Big Blue Beastie. Such a cute book!

Memory Loss

2010-05-14T15:59:00.000-07:00

So, at the Home Depot today to return a few things and pick up a few things (now that the bathroom is done)...got some things returned, but neglected to even look for the few things I needed for the bathroom (a tightening screw, and some other watchamacallits). That's right... no list, no memory. Sheesh. But, at least the boys are in the backyard enjoying all the beautiful sunshine today. :)

The Grand Salon...

2010-04-26T18:19:00.001-07:00

Okay, so really this post is about the bathroom, but once it's done it will be so much nicer than any other room in the rest of the house that I have decided to start calling in the Grand Salon...or something.

I feel like it's never going to be done. The vanity cabinet was supposed to arrive today, so the crew should be back either tomorrow or Wednesday to finish putting things in... and fix my upside down vanity light fixture. :) Countertop people were scheduled to come on Friday, but that didn't work for us (we still have to live our lives, no?), so that might not be until next week. I'm sure it's making Andrew crazy, but I am trying to have a very relaxed attitude about this whole timeline thing because, let's face it, no amount of stressing, complaining, and endless amount of phone calls is going to make this go any faster, so I am going to save myself the worry and go with the flow.

In the meantime, the tile and tub are done, and here is a little preview of how it is all coming out...pre-grout, of course...

A Day on the Island

2010-04-26T15:26:00.000-07:00

Spent this past Saturday on Bainbridge... it was so beautiful! The weather was perfect, sunny and cool, and the boys had a great time at the beach. We decided that when we are older, or if the commute was not an issue, we would love to live there...just a nice quaint little 4,000 sq foot home overlooking the water. ;) A girl can dream, right? :)

Ooh, and on a side note...turns out the doctor missed a stitch (thought it was a piece of the thread simply imbedded in the scab, but it turns out the knot was still there, too), I discovered it on Saturday, so I grabbed my handy dandy tiny scissors out of my first aid kit and removed it myself. Go me! See, Andrew: scabs, survival stitch removal...I told you I was gonna man up on the blog. :)

Man Up

2010-04-21T22:26:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I think Andrew might be suffocating from all the estrogen that has been pouring out of our "family" blog lately. I guess I need to man up and stop using it as my personal journal (although, that really is what I consider it). Sorry, hon. I promise the next post will have no "reflections" or "emotions" or any other other flowery, girly junk in it. Just manly stuff like knives and survival hikes and stuff. :) Or better yet... war wounds... more on Caleb's stitch experience to come... with photos! ;)

Warning: Deep Mommy Thoughts Ahead

2010-04-21T22:00:00.000-07:00

The drive home from the cousins house today was so beautiful it was almost painful. Coming down the hill in the sunshine through the wooded area that is vibrant with new spring greens everywhere. And white blossomed trees and bushes on both sides of the road. It was gorgeous! And since both boys fell asleep immediately in the car, it gave me plenty of time to reflect. It's no secret that I've been... um... shall we say... "challenged" by the boys lately. Feeling like I can't win, like no matter what tone I use, or tactic I employ, no matter how kind and patient I try to be that it always ends with one or both of the boys screeching, yelling, growling, or otherwise disrespecting me when they don't like what I have to say (this is true confession time, here).

My wonderful mom always reminds me that there is "a time and a season for all things", and I especially have to think about this at my current stage of life. There will be a time to do and accomplish all the (unnecessary) things that I'd like to, be it performing in theater, singing in the choir, keeping on top of the laundry, the list is endless... but now is not that time. Right now is the time to focus on my children... appreciate the stage of life they are in (for better or for worse), NOT wish away their childhood, and to try... really try (which is often not easy) to remain happy and positive and patient and loving in my interactions with them. Because I want them to be happy and positive and patient and loving people. And if I don't teach them that, who will? (Besides their dad, of course). :) I'm trying...and that's all I can ask of myself.

When it rains...

2010-04-19T15:14:00.001-07:00

...And a Sunday night trip to the Emergency Room for 4 stitches in Caleb's chin.

Happy Belated Anniversary, Seattle!

2010-04-17T21:26:00.000-07:00

So, amidst all the chaos at our house over the past month (boys flooding the upstairs bathroom and family room, bathroom remodel, and all the fun events of the past two weeks), I realized that I missed our 2 year anniversary of living here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. In some ways, it doesn't seem like we have been here that long. But then I think about our time in the downtown corporate apartment and that seems like a lifetime ago. When I look at the boys now, especially Caleb, it is so strange to think about what they were or were not doing yet at that time. Caleb pulled himself to standing for the first time in that apartment...and he hasn't stopped moving since. And Liam had just turned 2, and would only eat pasta and and Cheerios (okay, so not THAT much has changed). :) Can't believe how much they have changed in two short years.

Clearly, Liam still loves to climb. :)

Back in the saddle...

2010-04-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

Three bouts of cold/sore throats, two battles with pink-eye, two trips to the doctor, a broken toe and 7 pounds later...we're back on track. :) And as soon as I find the cords to reconnect my camera with my computer (post family-room reconstruction), I will post some current pictures: boys, bathroom remodel, etc. In the meantime, here are the boys from our most recent (February) trip to the Aquarium:

Perspective

2010-04-15T23:19:00.001-07:00

In the quiet night (in between boy wakings), it's so easy to see all the things I did wrong with the boys today, and try to figure out how to do better tomorrow. But the quiet night doesn't last very long... Now if I can just remember it all in the tantrum-filled, defiantly yelling daytime.

The Adventure Continues

2010-04-09T16:13:00.000-07:00

Everything has a learning curve...some are more "curvy" than others. I am learning a lot about the process of remodeling. Our unplanned bathroom renovation (more on that later) is moving forward, and it seems at every step, there is something else that I have done wrong, or chosen the wrong item: A tub that is non-standard and requires specialty plumbing parts and non-standard measurement faucets, etc. Things got sticky for awhile...not sure if I could find an affordable tub spout in the same finish as everything else that would work with the tub...but it appears as though everything is going to work out.

As I take a moment (a much calmer and confident moment than yesterday when everything seemed disastrous and out of control) to ponder this whole renovation thing I have a come to a few conclusions:

-There are showrooms that I would DEFINATELY work with again to help me find exactly what I need (thank you, Best Plumbing), and ones I would NOT (no names named to protect the arrogant).

-I need more professional help than most. Building and designing professional help, that is...my need of the other kind of professional help is not really that big of a revelation.

-I will purchase and supply most of the fixtures, etc. myself. One, because any "contractor rate" that can be purchased on most items, does not end up benefitting me all that much, and two, because sometimes the control freak in me comes out. I like to have everything in my own house ready to go.

Am I picking out the right things. Apparently not. Do I have all the information I need before picking things? Apparently not. Am I asking all the right questions to have said information? Apparently not. Needless to say it has been a little stressful, emotional and a bit of a roller coaster for me, but I'm learning. I know what I would do differently in the future, and there's a first time learning curve for everything, right?

Now I just keep my fingers crossed that there are no more "surprises" or unexpected expenditures. Ha ha.

Self-realization

2010-04-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

So, today, I came to a significant self-realization. I have no love for the gym and working out. No, that is not the realization. :) I've realized why working out, getting/staying in shape, eating super healthy is a challenge for me. It's because I think I look better than I actually do. My sister and I have have talked a lot about this, and we both have the same problem (if you want to call it that): No matter what our weight and size, we think we look really good. I'll see someone in the grocery store or wherever that, in reality, is exactly my size and I think in my head "I'm smaller than that." Totally delusional! :) So, when you have this uber-healthy self-image (deluded as it may be), it makes it hard to tell yourself to do those extra 10 minutes on the elliptical (or get to the gym at all, for that matter), or that extra set on one of the weight machines. And is certainly no help when it comes to avoiding the Funyuns, Peanut Butter M&M's, and Cheeseburgers. :) I thought about posting a picture of me in a swim suit on the fridge to help motivate me (we've all done this at some time or another, right?), but then I realized that if it was an older before-children photo, I would simply look at it and think "that's what I look like now", and if it was a current photo of what I actually look like in a swimsuit, I would look at it and think "Dang, I look good!" :) In many ways, it's wonderful to have such an unrealistic positive image of myself, but a little realism sure would make the healthier eating and motivation to exercise easier. :) So, on that note...I think I hear some Peanut Butter M&M's in my cupboard calling my name...

Sleeplessness

2010-03-17T09:47:00.000-07:00

So, I am not allowed to read good books before bed anymore. I always stay up a little later than planned (only a little *wink*), but the real problem is that when it's a really good book, then I lay in bed afterwards, unable to go to sleep because I can't stop thinking about the story. I loved "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins! I wasn't planning to start reading it because the third book doesn't come out until August and anyone who knows me knows that once I start a series, I simply have to finish it...soon. However, due to a power-outage, sleeping kids, and ZERO desire to be productive and clean or do dishes, I chose to read, and that was the book that appealed to me the most. Post-apocolyptic "Most Dangerous Game" meets "The Lottery" and "Survivor". By the first three chapters, I had already cried several times...when I did become so soft? All in all...thoroughly enjoyable!

Then, of course, Caleb chose to have an episode at 4am...good times.

Green Eyed Monster

2010-03-11T14:34:00.000-08:00

All these people I know going to Disneyland is KILLING me!! *sigh*

Is it over yet???

2010-03-03T13:24:00.000-08:00

Just when the end was in sight...kids were over their colds, the noses had almost stopped running entirely, and we were ready to dive back into our normal sanity-saving routine: mornings at the gym, Liam's preschool twice a week, afternoons at the park, etc. Liam has an earache. pbbbbt! (That's me blowing a raspberry, by the way). So, not only did he miss the first day back to preschool (after the scheduled month long break), but he is now even whinier and crabbier and more difficult to deal with than he has been for the last week and half. As if that was possible.

*sigh*

SARCASMO

2010-02-28T19:37:00.001-08:00

It's official...We've discovered Andrew's super-villain secret identity.

Another beautiful day

2010-02-22T13:45:00.000-08:00

Just another beautiful day! A trip to Walmart for "slippy pants" (what Liam calls track pants) that actually fit...they grow so fast, don't they? Then a trip to the park, and some time in the back yard, which naturally ended with the boys in the creek, soaked to their waists and covered in mud.

Planted an apple tree recently and the leaves are breaking through. The lilac tree is budding, and everything is green and beautiful. Even the landscaping "construction" zone in the back of the yard looks nice to me in the sun. We will just soak it all in until the rain starts again. :)

Shout Out!

2010-02-19T21:33:00.000-08:00

Have to give a shout out to Jeramie Shoda of Shoda Photography. He took some fantastic family pictures for us recently and I'm so grateful to him. He was a total professional and the results were amazing! Here is just one of my personal favorites:

And don't worry, grandparents...there are plenty of closeup shots where you can see the boys cute faces. :) I posted this one because it is simply gorgeous photography.

A Day Off

2010-02-19T20:47:00.000-08:00

So, it wasn't a day off for me, exactly, but Andrew took the day off and we went to the zoo. Gorgeous weather, and a wonderful time with the boys! Liam seems most interested in the animals that can't (or at least that he doesn't realize CAN) eat him. You know...lizards, frogs, zebras, jaguars, kimodo dragons and such. :) Not too keen on lions and elephants. And they both LOVED the indoor bird station where you can feed the birds from a popsicle stick. All in all, a fun and happy family day.

Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T19:08:00.000-08:00

So, I found this card for Valentine's Day and it made me laugh, so I got it for Andrew. Then when I got it home, I started to realize that it reminded me of someone...

Now all he needs is wings and a little bow and arrow. Happy Valentine's Day (from our own little Cupid)!

Creativity...toddler boy style

2010-02-02T14:47:00.001-08:00

I will admit that I am a bit of a control freak. Especially when it comes to kids' activities involving paint, markers, glue or any other form of crafty destruction. Sometimes, however, I try really hard to reign in my control freakishness and let them express themselves however they would like...which usually ends up like this:

Yes, Liam's hands ended up covered completely in black paint.

But we ended up with some lovely artwork. I even painted one myself.

It's not anything great, but it felt good to pause from housework, laundry, etc. to just hang out with my boys and stretch my creative muscles (which, clearly, are in desperate need of stretching). :) I should probably do it more often.

Thank heavens for washable paints. :)

He's a lover...

2010-02-01T12:24:00.000-08:00

So, while driving in the car today we passed a dance studio with a sign out front and Liam asked me what the sign said. I told him, and our conversation proceeded like this:

"Mom, am I going to be a dancer when I grow up?"

"If you want to be a dancer when you grown up, you can. Do you want to take some dance lessons?"

"I don't want to wear the pink stuff."

"No, honey, you wouldn't wear the pink stuff. Boys were something else. But we can sign you up for some fun dance lessons, if you want."

Long pause. Then, in an enthusiastic tone...

"Will there be girls there?"

And that, my friends, is why I say he's a lover, not a fighter. :)

I'm SO that girl...

2010-01-11T12:01:00.000-08:00

You know the one at the gym with her headphones on that's mouthing all the words and making the Metallica face and bobbing her head while she works out, practically dancing on the elliptical trainer. I must look hilarious! But there is nothing like a really great new workout mix to make you feel good. The kind that makes you smile with each new song that comes on. yeah...it was that kind of day at the gym. And I am that kind of girl. :)

Liam is 4!

2010-01-10T18:24:00.001-08:00

Had some friends over for Liam's 4th birthday...it was a crazy fun morning with a house full of boys! They ran around yelling and chasing and hitting each other with balloons and laughing. And although Liam and I were sad that his friend, Sarah, was out of town and couldn't come to the party, it was probably better for her....as the only girl, she might have been a little overwhelmed by all the general "boy"-ness. He's gotten so big in the last couple of years, I just can't believe it! Happy birthday, sweet boy!

Things my kids do...

2010-01-10T18:12:00.000-08:00

...that they probably shouldn't.

I'd tell a story about them, but I think the pictures pretty much speak for themselves...

My Inspiration

2010-01-07T14:48:00.000-08:00

I love my local YMCA. It inspires me to exercise. Not because it has amazing facilities, cardio and weight rooms, a full-size pool, basketball courts, rock-climbing wall, etc. And not for any of the many many options of classes they have: Zumba, Pilates, Family Yoga, Family Circuit Training, just to name a few. No, my local YMCA inspires me to work out because it has a wonderful child-care setup that my children love to go and play at. Lots of kids, activities, and a huge playland (like the one at McDonald's, only cleaner). And since my children love to go, and I think it is good for them to get out and about, play with other kids, and be with other people, I go. Even if I don't want to.

This morning, for example. After a pretty rough night night with the boys...okay, boy...I was more than a little tired this morning. "Get up and go the gym" I kept repeating in my head as Andrew got ready and left for work. I kept repeating it as the boys ran in and out of my room bringing me cups of playdough to open, cars to fix, and then to show me their latest playdough creations. Finally, Liam climbed on my bed and wanted to snuggle, so I told him we would be going to the "play place" (what they both call the gym). He excitedly started telling me about one of the boys he played with last time and wanted to play with again, and as I rolled over onto my side to talk to him, I experienced an excruciating sharp pain between my left shoulder blade and spine. Now, I am no stranger to back pain. Have dealt with various forms of it most of my adult life, so it takes quite a kick to make me gasp for air and cry out in pain. poor Liam had no idea what my problem was.

So, I grabbed the old ice pack, lay on it for 15 minutes, then seeing the look on Liam's face as he was processing this information and how it was going to effect his chances of going to the play place, I sat up, said, "Let's get dressed and eat, boys", fed them, dressed them, dressed myself (thought I'm sure everyone at the gym thought I looked totally homeless with my paint-stained baggy scrubs pants, oversized pirate t-shirt and huge zip up hoodie - hey, who feels like getting dressed when you hurt), and headed to gym. I took it easy so as not to hurt my shoulder area more...did the treadmill (that was a first), and the bike, and lots of stretching. And that is why my local YMCA inspires me to workout. Good for the kids, good for me. Now what can I eat...

No More Naps

2010-01-03T20:01:00.000-08:00

So, in hopes of beating the bed-time battle (and middle of the night craziness) that has become the norm at our house, we decided we would try to have a go at no more naps. Now, the first time we tried this we ended up with a 9:30pm waking that was pretty much like a demonic possession as far as Caleb was concerned. Half an hour of screaming, running in and out of the room, throwing himself head first against anything...the floor, us, the sides of his crib, walls...yeah...it wasn't pretty. Needless to say, we did not move forward with the experiment.

Then, after a very successful "no nap" experience while staying over night with their cousins (thanks again, Allison and Dodie!), we decided we would give it another go. So, for about a week now, we have had some success. I say "some", because let's face it...until I get a whole night's sleep without being woken up then I don't consider it a complete success. A girl can dream, right? :) So, the number of night wakings have lessened somewhat and we continue to move forward. The transition is toughest on Caleb, of course, and most days last week he reached a point in the late afternoon where he couldn't take it anymore and just passed out...in my arms, on the couch watching a show, etc. The funniest one was when I put on a show for the boys, went to the bathroom, came back downstairs and found the following:

He was apparently so worn out that he didn't even mind being used as an armrest. Didn't even flinch when Liam said, "Look, Mom, Caleb fell asleep, see..." and proceeded to poke him the eye a couple of times.

WWF...Little Guy Style

2009-12-30T15:27:00.000-08:00

Just a regular day full of "Cars" tattoos, fire pants, and a little WWF. And "bad guy" faces.

A Growing Boy

2009-12-18T21:37:00.000-08:00

I forget sometimes that Caleb is so big...he always seems small next to Liam. And then I see him next to other little ones, like his cousin, Avery, and realize how big he's gotten. So strange to think how much he has changed in such a relatively short amount of time.

My Next Attempt at Craftiness

2009-12-15T10:59:00.000-08:00

So, I had this brilliant idea that this year I wasn't going to buy any presents for the boys, but make everything instead...using things I already had. Countless trips to Joann Fabrics and who knows how much money later, I ended up with these:

The first few faces turned out pretty rough, but by the time I was finished and had refined the face making process, I was too tired to go back and remake the earlier ones. It's all about evolution, I suppose. After I finished them, the other homemade projects I had in mind fell by the wayside me and the toy section at Target became great friends (not that we weren't already). Merry Christmas, boys!

My Friend, Santa

2009-12-12T16:09:00.000-08:00

Last year, Liam was very insistent about going to see Santa in order to say "super hi to my friend, Santa". This year, the visit to see Santa was more about crying and complaining, and whining and dragging his feet throughout the morning. Ah, the three year old. :) But, we made it. Santa was a little distracted, Liam didn't want to sit on his lap, and Caleb was yelling everything in his emphatic voice so dear Santa had no idea what he was saying and probably assumed that Caleb thought he was hard of hearing. Good times.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T21:44:00.000-08:00

I'm thankful. For many things. I often forget that when I get caught up in the day to day harried feelings (or the melee, as I like to call it) of raising two small, very energetic, boys. So, I'm always grateful when this time of year rolls around and I am "forced" to think about my blessings. :) So, as I frantically ran around the kitchen, trying to time everything of my first Thanksgiving meal just right, constant interruptions from two toddlers, I thought about what I was grateful for. (Caution: touchy-feely expressions of gratitude ahead...potentially not for the weak of stomach).

First off, I was grateful for a mother who taught me how to cook. As my own boys take an interest in "helping" me cook, I am amazed at how much patience my mother must have had to let us all help her, and sometimes cook on our own as we were growing up. Kudos to you, mom. I'm trying to follow your example. Come to think of it, a lot of the things I thought about that I was grateful for were a result of my mom: sewing (I may not be great at it, but I can whip up a pair of crazy-print elastic waist pants for little boys in no time), crocheting (okay, so my mom taught me to knit, but the desire to create all things yarn related came from her), etc. Maybe I should save some of this for a Mother's Day card, or post, or something...hmm...

I'm also thankful to my mom and sisters who put up with my constant "recipe phone calls": "I need your (insert favorite family food name here) recipe. And Karen, the pie crust with Butter Flavored Shortening worked out delightfully. :)

Other things I am grateful for:

-Andrew, for a zillion reasons, but most recently for the fact that he has done all the dishes this whole Thanksgiving weekend!

-Liam and Caleb, who test my patience and give unconditional love...especially when I'm mad or sad.

-the fact that Caleb sounds like a miniature Arnold with his deep voice and rounded vowels "We bahk to we haus, mom" (Translation: "we're home")

-Andrew's job

-Our family's health

-Our wonderful home

-Good friends

-Times when my sewing machine works

-Electricity

-Modern plumbing

-The grocery store

-The Schwan man

The list goes on, but I'll wrap it up for now. And now, just because it's a virtual impossibility for me to post without including a picture of some sort, here is the latest from our most recent trek with the boys...they both hiked about a mile and half with no help, and at least a third of that was pretty hard uphill stuff. Andrew couldn't be more proud. :)

So, Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I'm liking the brunette look... :)

2009-11-09T13:04:00.000-08:00

Glad I decided to get a good wig.

The costumes

2009-11-02T10:30:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more photos of the actual costume pieces. I have to admit, I'd pretty proud of the work I did, and while I may never sew Halloween costumes again ;-) I was very happy with the way these turned out.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-02T10:20:00.001-08:00

Well, after lots of sewing and much bribery convincing the boys that no, they did not want to be bats, our little hobbits made their debut. They loved carrying swords, and LOVED all the free candy from trick or treating. We tried to let their hair grow out as shaggy as we could in such a short amount of time to complete the look (of course, haircuts this week all around...), and here was the result:

We went down in to the creek to do a little woodsy photo shoot...unfortunately, none of the photos turned out as great as I would have liked, but we managed to capture the mood of the costumes, I think. Andrew went as Aragorn, and I went as Arwen. We didn't get any pictures that really capture my dress (and I didn't have time to put the dark hair on for this impromptu photo shoot), but that's okay...it's really all about the boys anyway, right? :)

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-14T18:52:00.000-07:00

Took a little trip to the P-patch with the kiddos. They had a great time in the Hay Maze, on the tractor-driven hayride, but mostly in the Corn Pit. The corn pit, for those who have never seen one, is like a ball pit (at McDonald's or Chuck E. Cheese or wherever), but instead of balls, it is full of dried corn kernels. Seriously. Five kabillion tiny corn kernels. They had a blast!

And Farmer JT (our tractor/hay-ride driver) had a little song with hand motions to keep kids sitting that I think I will have to use at home as well:

This is the hammer (Fist pounding on palm of other hand)

This is the nail (Pointer Finger tapping in the palm of other hand)

When the tractor is a'rollin (Lasso motion in the air above your head)

Keep your bottom on the bale. Thanks, Farmer JT!

And thanks to Ashley for the great photos!

Backpacking Copper Lake - August

2009-10-04T20:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm a little late in posting photos from my backpacking trip in late August. I went with Rob Lee and Rob Harrill (I made up fun nicknames for them during the trip - they loved that) to Copper Lake in the Alpine Lakes Wildnerness, about an hour or so Northeast of Seattle. It was about 3.5 miles to the lake and nearly killed us. For some more fun, we hiked another 4 miles that day to Big Heart Lake (after dropping off the heavy packs at Copper). Total round trip ended up being about 14 miles. It was a great trip, we walked around four lakes total, several waterfalls and had a great time - except for the ever present mosquitoes of course. Each time I do these trips I wonder how I ever talk myself into them, but a few months go by and I want to do one again.

New Inspiration

2009-09-29T13:09:00.000-07:00

So, I used to cook. Well, I mean, I used to like to cook. I still do, I have simply found that since my children won't eat "real" food (and by real, I mean anything that isn't finger food, or dipped in syrup), cooking holds a little less appeal for me. Making two separate dinners for grown-ups and kids is not my idea of a good time. Now, I'm sure there are people who are thinking (Andrew probably included), "Why are you making the kids separate food? You put the food in front of them and if they are hungry enough they will eat it. You've done this to yourself by caving and giving them kid food in the first place..." blah, blah, blah. Until you've walked a mile with my kids...please don't judge. I personally cannot take the whine and meltdowns that come with them being hungry, so I feed them what they will eat, try to get a little nutrition in them, and cope, recognizing that there was much I would not eat as a child, and I have come to love all of it. But I digress...

So, you can only make scrambled eggs, pancakes, french toast, pasta, chicken nuggets, and peanut butter and honey sandwiches so many times before you lose all sense of what tastes good and what you like to cook. But I have been inspired...

I have several friends who write food blogs, and after reading a couple of them (particularly Mindika's Moments - can't wait to try the rainbow cupcakes, and Chemistry Cooking - thanks, Amy, for the SuperCook link), I have again felt inspired to cook. Not sure how it will go, but so far two bites of broccoli (covered in homemade cheese sauce) made it into Liam's body (not happily, of course, but it's a start, right?). And maybe I can rediscover my love of cooking and rejuvenate my relationship with food. Let's hope.

Thinking about it...

2009-09-24T11:48:00.000-07:00

(It's just a ponytail, by the way...)

A Wicked Good Time

2009-09-21T09:50:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday Andrew and I went to see Wicked at the Paramount Theater with some friends. We went out to dinner before hand and then walked over to the theater (or should I say "jogged", practically). It was such a fun evening and I am so grateful to our babysitter that night who succeeded in getting the kids to sleep - yea, Melissa!

Before we left for dinner, Andrew went to go run an errand for me and when he returned, he said he had a surprise for me. Flowers and a Wizard of Oz themed journal, in honor of our night out. So sweet! You're the best, hon!

Loved the show, again! Andrew suffered through it for me (although I did see him laugh out loud a couple of times...I'm on to you, babe). So, although it was very much a "girl musical", I think he enjoyed it for the most part. :)

And Speaking of Caleb...

2009-09-16T15:03:00.000-07:00

So, I always tell the boys not to throw stuff all over the floor. And I am forever telling Caleb that he shouldn't step, or stand, on everything that's on the floor...the DVD cases, books, toys, etc. "Things will break and be gone forever, or you might slip and hurt yourself," I say. "Always better the step on solid ground, Caleb." (I'm sure there's a gospel parallel here somewhere, but I digress...) Does he listen? Of course not. He's two.

So, they were playing in their room the other day, and when I went upstairs, they had strewn pretty much everything around their room, including Liam's super-slippery sleeping bag (you know the kind), which happened to be laying on top of a slick-covered board book. Caleb was throwing the ball, jumping around, landing and running over everything on the floor, naturally. Up goes the ball, up goes Caleb after it, down comes Caleb on to the sleeping bag/book death trap, out fly Caleb's feet and down comes his face on the edge of the window seat in their room. *sigh* Screaming ensues, and when he stands up his cheek bone is already purple and swollen. Poor guy. The cautious and sometimes slightly accusatory looks that I have gotten in various public places (particularly when the children are throwing a fit and making scenes in public) have been an absolutely delightful after effect of the whole traumatic experience.

The best part is that he only cried for a minute or two, and then jumped up and started throwing the ball again. My little tank. :) The sad face he put on today while I took the picture makes him look even more pitiful...

In other boys misbehaving news...today Liam went into a timeout and was in his room for some time...quietly...uh oh. When I went up to have a mom-boy heart-to-heart (ha ha), I was greeted by the following (the explanation of which was that he wanted to color a picture for me...on his arm). Good thing I buy washable markers. :)

Bad Mommy

2009-09-16T09:01:00.001-07:00

Well, bad mommy let Caleb's birthday come and go without so much as a post. Sorry, K-Bob. :( So! Caleb turned 2 last Monday (the 7th), and we celebrated on Sunday night with Chocolate Cake and ice cream. As soon as he blew out the candles, he started licking the cake (before it was cut). The boys love chocolate as much as their dad. :)

He is currently displaying all of the classic 2-year-old behaviors: Obstinance, arguing with everything, "No", asserting the opposite of ANYTHING you say, "mine", etc.

He is also displaying some delightful things that are adorable and loveable and (somewhat!) make up for the terrible twos. My personal favorite is that he has taken to calling me "my pretty mommy". And telling me I'm "like a princess" anytime I am wearing makeup or a skirt or dress. (Of course, he also says he's "like a princess" anytime he holds a towel, or cloth or anything the looks like it could be a skirt, in front of him). Love him!

The Work Of An Afternoon...

2009-09-12T15:24:00.000-07:00

Okay, so maybe a couple of afternoons...and mornings...and evenings... anyway, the point is that after two long days, we finished it. Go team Griffard! The boys are super excited, and they even managed to stay out of the way (for the most part, ha ha) while we were working on it. I, for one, am very proud of us, if I do say so myself. :)

Now if I could just get going on those darn Halloween costumes... :)

The Company Picnic

2009-08-16T16:29:00.000-07:00

Now that we are corporate working, two kids, SUV-driving, home owning adults, we did what grown-ups do...we went to The Company Picnic. Amazon put on a company event up in North Bend for all employees and their families. Complete with free t-shirts, kites for the kids, food (a great selection of BBQ foods, sides, and desserts), rock climbing wall, broom ball tournament, bouncy house, bouncy obstacle course, and bouncy sprinkler run for the kids, paddle boats, arts & crafts booths, pony rides, hayrides, motorcycle show, and an honest to goodness Cher impersonator. It just doesn't get any better. :) The boys had a blast flying kites and running through sprinklers, and Liam did the bumper paddle boats all by himself without a single meltdown! Caleb mostly just wanted to run through the sprinklers. It was a lot of fun, and we can't wait until next year's event!

Caleb's First Haircut

2009-08-13T12:31:00.000-07:00

No need to panic, Halo-lovers. It was just the matted knot that had to go, not the curls. The knot he gets everyday from twisting his hair while he drinks from his sippy cup, or watches tv, or lays down for sleep. Cute kid.

I would have posted a picture of Caleb after the haircut, but with all that hair, and all that curl, it didn't look any different. :)

Get me To The Church...er...Temple...

2009-08-09T19:09:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we drove to Idaho for Andrew's brother, Alexander's wedding. We drove to Boise on Thursday, spent the night there, then drove down to Twin Falls with Andrew's parents and our nephews (and our own children, of course) to stay the night there before the sealing Saturday morning in the Twin Falls LDS Temple. After the sealing and much chaos for the big group photo, we all headed over to the luncheon where there was wonderful food, and more chaos for more photos. :) Then AJ and Kristy were off and we headed back to Boise for the night. Andrew and the boys and I then drove home Sunday morning. Yep, it was a lot of driving. :)

All things considered, the boys were really good, and we had an enjoyable trip. But we don't plan to get in the car anytime soon. :) Wonderful to see family and to see Alexander so utterly happy! Congrats, AJ and Kristy!

We also took a trip out to the peninsula, and I will post on that soon...just trying to get one event blogged at a time. :)

Grounded

2009-07-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

So, I have recently grounded myself from craft supply stores. I always spend too much money and come home with too many projects. i go in for the supplies for one project (i.e. yarn for a baby blanket), and I come home with multiple yarns, fabrics, etc. thinking that "one day" i "could" make such and such with this one, and such and such with that. I have a sickness, people. Anyway, so I grounded myself from fabric stores and promised myself that I would use up what I have first.

So today I made a baby quilt for one of my friends. I just started sifting through the bits and pieces of fabric that I already have and managed to put together some cute ones. Now, I realize that I am not an amazing seamstress (my hems aren't perfectly straight, may fabric patterns don't line up perfectly horizontal or vertical or whatever), but I have to say I was pretty happy with how this turned out. Not too shabby for "use what you've got". So, I just had to share. :)

Just Your Average Monday...

2009-07-14T08:04:00.000-07:00

So, I'm usually pretty strict about the kids not jumping on the furniture, but a serious lack of sleep and a migraine tend to make me a little less "gestapo" (thanks for the word of the day, Elizabeth!). They were, of course, thrilled that I was not well...

A proud moment...

2009-06-18T20:47:00.001-07:00

And no, I'm not about to talk about my kids. ;) Call my nerdy, people, but I'm very excited about my latest "project":

It was like the First Zucchini Ever. I'd post more pictures, but I think I've embarrassed myself enough for one post. :)

Mantrek 2009 - Seaside, Oregon

2009-06-10T21:20:00.000-07:00

For the last weekend of May, 4 other guys and I went to Seaside, Oregon for 3 days/3 nights of childish fun - all the photos are below. This was courtesy of Rob Lee (beach skiing behind the truck below) and his parents' beach house. After our 3 days of only 16 hours of sleep (lots of wee hours Rockband and Call of Duty 4), we wrote the below entry in the official beach house diary. We thought all the sappy entries about beach sunsets and happy strolls needed some manly flare.

Five guys, three days, one truck.

It began with naked midnight swim, and got better.

Recovered with four hours of RockBand2 on xBox 360.

Watched the dawn. Listened to birds’ song. Lovely.

After four hours of sleep, walked to Pig’n Pancake for greasy griddle revival.

Continued another 45 miles to the Safeway for supplies.

Gearhart Beach; sand, surf, truck madness.

Dragged Crazy Rob behind the truck on the skim board.

Trespassed on gov’t. property thru bomb impact area.

Lunch and boogie boarding.

Service project; dug sad couple’s truck out of sand.

Saw: shipwreck: Heard: Shipwreck Talk.

“Is it still sinking?”

Truck-in-motion driver, passenger changes.

Relaxed with “Angels and Demons” and Tom Hanks.

BBQ’d hamburgers – yummy.

Dug impressive beach pit for massive bonfire.

Fire leaping, only one man down.

Set upon by eleven wine toting bachelorette partiers. Grumpy Rob’s efforts to turn them away were met with a barrage of personal questions to gauge the group’s fun level. Married? Yes. Great! Children? Yes. Great! Drinking tonight? No. Ohh…”Okay, here’s the deal. Either you’re leaving or we’re leaving.” We enjoyed the rest of the fire in glorious maleness.

Back to xBox: Call of Duty 4. Death by DeathVolk.

After breakfast, crusty cowby at Sea Ranch Stables took the measure of our souls and matched us to the horses desitned to be our soulmates.

Mountain biking on beach with wind at our backs. Cannon Beach.

Caves, tide pools, boulder climbing, Hug Point.

Strenuous biking snapped chain, drawing first blood.

Leatherman multi-tool and rocks with Kung Fu Grip Rob saved the day.

After attempting to resuscitate prehistoric fish choking on shrimp buffet, rode to parking lot facing headwinds to encounter Peruvian panflute lothario.

Zombies and Deal or No Deal at Funland arcade.

Scooter rentals with Jake and Peg-leg “are you boys looking for fun?” Sally. Terrorized the town while eluding Sallys spy network.

Pizza. Cav’s game. Burp.

Bumper cars. Beach football. Bike surfing.

More manly fire while entertained by Chrystal the Gaelic-singing minstrel singing for her s’mores.

Reenactment of ancient tribal fireball throwing ritual.

More RockBand grooves.

Horse whispering of sweet nothings to Chance, Bart, Navajo, Gordita and Waffle while playing “Planet of the Apes” at Haystack Rock.

Climbed halfway to heaven to reach Hiker’s Camp and Tillamook Head lighthouse viewpoint. Found Dharma Station 13.

Race to the trailhead won by Ironman Rob.

Final performance of Midnight Swim of RockBand to cap the weekend and begin the housekeeping.

Found boyhood again

At sunny seaside retreat

Can’t wait ‘til next year.

2009-06-10T21:18:00.002-07:00

Full photo set here

2009-06-10T21:18:00.001-07:00

2009-06-10T21:16:00.001-07:00

2009-06-10T21:13:00.000-07:00

2009-06-10T21:12:00.001-07:00

2009-06-10T21:11:00.001-07:00

2009-06-10T21:10:00.000-07:00

Goldilocks

2009-06-10T15:31:00.000-07:00

And I was worried that he wouldn't ever have any hair.

Here he is in July last year:

And here he is today:

Making a mountain...

2009-06-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

Moles. *sigh* I am in a mole quandary. Do I call a professional to have them removed?...will that do any good, or will they just return?...Is it worth it to have them around to get rid of the slugs that try and destry all my plants?...Is my lawn destined to become uber-lumpy?...Will they destroy all the hard work that Andrew is currently putting in to the retaining wall? I have so many questions and so few answers. Maybe that's why all my neighbors have dogs...

Summertime

2009-05-28T19:37:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been beautiful summery weather here lately, and the boys have been loving being outside. I have been trying to grow vegetables (in containers), and am stewing about what to do about the mole situation in our yard, before I try planting anything in the ground. Darn all this wildlife in the Pacific Northwest (although I have not seen Chip the Giant Raccoon stroll the backyard recently).

Andrew continues "The Great Yard Project", clearing the junipers, holly, ivy and other various random and challenging items (trellises, pots, stumps, and large pieces of logs) from the side and back area of the yard. Maybe someday we'll have it done. :)

Liam has been teaching Caleb how to do gymnastics...

Outlet Shopping...or Returning

2009-05-08T18:07:00.000-07:00

On a recent trip to the outlets to return a few things from my Portland trip... Although the price and varieties have increased on these bad boys, it was a fun flashback of the three-horse carousel in front of Kmart when I was a kid. *sigh* To be young again. :)

Outdoor Fun

2009-05-01T17:22:00.000-07:00

A beautiful day for playing in the sprinklers...

Nap Time with Dad

2009-04-14T17:50:00.000-07:00

Another Anniversary

2009-04-09T11:43:00.000-07:00

One year ago today, Andrew and I were making our way through airports with mountains of luggage, carseats, stroller, and boys in tow. People passing smirked at us as though we were the parents who seemed unable to pack light and felt like we had to take everything on our "trip"...not realizing that we weren't just going on vacation, but were actually moving our whole life.

I still remember the woman at the ticket counter in Burbank telling us that my suitcase was over the weight limit by a few pounds, and then asking if we would like to take something out. Um...where exactly did she want us to put it, I kept wondering? We were maxed out in bags, weight, everything and I just wanted to laugh. I said there was nowhere to put it, and was there some kind of fee we could pay? She responded in a very serious tone with an expression on her face that made me certain she was going to tell me the fee was $150 or more and said "It's $25." I almost laughed out loud again, and told her that was fine, we would pay it.

I think my favorite part of the experience, though, was all of us, including Caleb (who was 7 months old at the time) getting wanded down at security because something on the stroller had set off the machine. The stroller couldn't fit in the scanner so they had to wipe it down and scan the cloth and apparently, we came up with Nitro-glycerides, or something...can't say that remember exactly. I do, however, remember the security manager coming up to talk to us after we were all cleared, and telling us what had come up on the handles of the stroller and then telling us that it was a pretty common ingredient in a lot of lotions and hand soaps, etc. Again, me with the slightly bitter laughter bubbling up... The funniest part is that they were not going to let Andrew or I hold either of the boys when they were going to be wanded. Hilarious! Finally, realizing that it was a ridiculous request to expect a frightened 2 year old to stand still away from both his parents while some serious-faced stranger waved something around his body, and that a 7 month old baby HAD to be held if you wanted to wand him...well, let's just say, they decided it would be okay if Andrew and I participated. Good times. :)

The flight was uneventful, getting everything to the rental was fine, picking up our keys to the apartment and finding the place, in the heart of Chinatown all went relatively well without incident (that I remember at least). We were exhausted and hungry and I was feeling considerably displaced. The next few days were a whirlwind of house-hunting, finding our house, making an offer, and signing the preliminary papers all within 5 days. Crazy! Happy 1-year Anniversary, Seattle!

It's amazing to think how fast the time has gone by, and how the boys have grown since then...here are some favorites from our apartment. They loved hanging out in the low window and watching the buses go by.

Tagged

2009-03-30T12:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, so my friend, Kelly, tagged me (admittedly a while ago), but since I did not have access to my photos yet (lack of computer), I couldn't post anything. I am supposed to post the sixth picture from the sixth folder in my photo library. I don't have my photos organized into folders like that (just a mass library of them in iPhoto), so I am improvising. I closed my eyes, scrolled down and randomly chose a picture. And here is what I landed on:

One of my many experimental shots testing out different depths of field with my camera. I like that this angle makes him look like he still has the chubby cheeks he had as a baby. Like these:

Your Wallet or Your Waist

2009-03-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

So, after dropping the Liams (mine and his friend, also named Liam) at Joy School, heading to the YMCA for a nice long workout, then picking the boys up again and dropping Friend Liam off at his house, the boys and I were starving and Liam was clamouring for chicken nuggets (we had driven past a McDonald's on the way to Friend Liam's house). By this point, Caleb was done being in the car and crying and whining and we were right next to Burger King so I decided to stop. Okay, so I'm a drive-thru junkie, whatever. Contemplating the fact that I had just finished working out, I rationalized that I could order a grilled chicken sandwich with little or no sauce and not feel guilty or gross after eating it, and then I looked at the menu board. Their most basic chicken sandwich was 3 times the cost of a regular cheeseburger....3 times! It appeared as though my choice was my wallet or my waist.

While I appreciate that fast food

places are making efforts to offer some healthier options for those of us whose children don't want frozen chicken nuggets from home but "the real kind", it's very frustrating that that "healthier food" costs so much. Not that it is surprising...I have long fought the battle of "the budget versus the bulge", recognizing that o

ften, the healthiest foods are often not the cheapest (does anyone want to talk about the price of Ramen versus the price of...well, anything else). I know, I know, it would have been cheaper and healthier all-around to just go home and make some lunch. But I didn't...whatever.

Anyway, it frustrated me as I sat in the drive-thru deciding what to eat. I won't bother telling you what I ended up ordering, but suffice it to say that next time, I will just have to pack a tuna-fish sandwich before I leave home.

Adventures in Wheat

2009-03-21T13:36:00.000-07:00

So, today I went to the Dry Pack Cannery in my continued quest to amass large quantities of dry food to be consumed in the event of the apocalypse. Covered in the dust from Flour, Fruit Drink Mix, and Powdered Milk, I left feeling quite satisfied with my work and my acquisition of supplies.

In preparation for this event, I have been recently contemplating how to use wheat. Just plain old hard wheat. In the past I have not really considered wheat a great option for food storage for us personally (mostly because I figured I would never get my kids to eat it), but after recent conversations with my sisters and some other friends, I have been inspired to look for more and more ways to use wheat. So yesterday, I found several recipes online and starting experimenting with some wheat that I had already. You're right, Cindy, wheat blender pancakes rock! (OK, my words, not yours). They were so tasty and the boys LOVED them...although that might have more to do with syrup than the pancakes themselves, but at the very least they didn't spit them out and continued to ask for more. I guess that just means I need to make sure and have brown sugar and such to make mom's syrup (in the afore-mentioned post-apocalyptic scenario where I cannot buy syrup at the grocery store, of course). But I digress. I've seen several different recipes, and I will have to try a few more, but here is the recipe that I found that I liked:

1 Cup Whole Wheat

1 1/2 Cups Milk

1/2 Vegetable Oil

1 Egg

3 tsp Baking Powder

2 TBLS Sugar

1 tsp salt

And now that I am looking at it, I realize I only used 3 teaspoons of sugar instead of 3 TBLS (apparently I cannot read, but whatever), and that seemed sweet enough, so I think I will stick to that.

I also tried making cracked wheat cereal like my Grandma Wahlquist used to make. I used my Ultimate Chopper (food processor) to chop the wheat up coarsely and then added it to boiling water and salt and simmered it a long time (just like you said, Mom). I think I need to keep trying. :( The fresh cream from the farm might have had something to do with why Grandma's was so good, and since I don't have a cow... :) Oh well.

Anyway, those have been my adventures in wheat. Other ideas that I have recently heard and am ready to try: Cooked wheat (crock-potted overnight) in Oatmeal, Spaghetti Sauce, Hamburger, etc. Wish me luck!

Photo Flashback

2009-03-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

Well, We finally got our new computer and I can access all my photos again! Yea!! So, I have been sorting through and cleaning out the unbelievable masses of photos that I have taken in the time that Andrew and I have known each other and have had a great time flashing back. Liam's cheeks were so big, I had forgotten how round his face was. And the 4th of July parade at Mom & Dad's...well, who can forget that. :) Good times!

Kiss Me, I'm Irish!

2009-03-01T14:25:00.000-08:00

Okay, so the clovers might be a little much, but I thought it being St. Patrick's Day soon and all that I needed to embrace my Irish Buckley/MacGuire roots and style the blog up right. :) Don't worry, Andrew, it will be subtle and masculine again soon enough.

This past week has been pretty busy. My sisters were here to visit (which was so fun!), I taught Joy School this week (not as much fun), went visiting teaching, then hosted a baby shower for a friend. I know, I know, it doesn't really sound like that much stuff, but I am finding that I am less organized than I used to be, and the addition of small children to the mix cause everything to take a little longer...at least for me, anyway. Anyway, it was a good full week, but I'm glad it's over (except for the sisters' visit).

These were the flowers I got for the baby shower (Baby Lily and Mommy Rose). I love flowers.

Things I Never Thought I'd Do

2009-02-17T20:40:00.001-08:00

Disclaimer/Warning: The following is not for the feint of heart/stomach, or those who think children's bodily functions are inappropriate to blog about...which is me...usually. Momentary lapse in propriety, I guess, but..sorry. Just look at the cute pictures and skip over all the silly words. :)

Things I Never Thought I'd Do:

1. Speak the phrase "Throw up on Mommy!" Yes, words I never thought would come out of my mouth, but when you have a sick 3 year old and it's a choice between me (with blanket), both of which clean fairly easily, and the couch, which does not...well...

2. Dance around the room with my two children singing a song about...well...potty (Thank you, Karen - and Elmo's Daddy of course-, for the song). But when are trying to potty train a 3 year old and have had no success you will do almost ANYTHING when you do have some success. Yes, success! And that is worth a song and dance as far as I'm concerned. And a few phone calls to important people (Dad, for one). In fact, I was so excited that when we went to Liam's doctor's appointment today for his "Owee sick", as he calls it, I had to fight back the urge to share our triumph with the doctor! (Seriously, what's happening to me???) But I think my mother would be proud of the self-restraint I exercised. :) As for the dancing...the kids love to dance around anyway and watch their mom be totally silly.

So there you have my week. A sick 3-year old who apparently felt like being sick was the perfect time to take an interest in potty training. A haircut, managed through tears, screaming and Peanut Butter M & M's. And Caleb, who has started shouting "No" about everything and is practicing his faces: Mad Face, Surprised Face, Scared Face, etc. Here he is doing his Surprised Face:

To Sew, or Not to Sew

2009-02-15T20:48:00.000-08:00

So, I sewed. It is only the second sewn quilt I have ever made in my life...I tend to crochet more than sew, but I was pretty happy with how it turned out. My bobbin quit about 3 seams short of finished, of course, but after many fights with it, counsel from others (thanks, Mom! And Karen!) and letting my machine rest overnight (ha ha), it finally got completed, and just in time. Happy birthday, Charlie! And love to proud parents, Jim & Kate!

(And my picture loaded sideways for some reason...hmm.)

A Little Behind

2009-01-28T14:02:00.001-08:00

So, I'm a little behind on my posting, but I wanted to get up some of the pictures from the hiking we did with the Olsen's a week or two ago. It was so beautiful up there and the boys loved being in the mountains. I was about done halfway through, so the girls (myself, Allison, and Avery) rested on the trail for a while, then headed back to the cars, while the boys pressed on the see both waterfalls. Thanks for not letting Caleb fall out of the backpack and into the rushing river at the dropoff, babe! :)

The boys were exhausted afterwards.

My Favorite Things

2009-01-23T08:44:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post with some pics and some of my favorite things that the boys are saying, doing these days:

They are both obsessed with ramps (for cars, balls, anything that rolls)...they'll make a ramp out of books, cardboard, pillows, my body, anything that works.

They both love to play chase! We run around the kitchen/entryway, living room circle taking turns chasing each other and they just squeal and laugh the whole time. Talk about cardio!

So a week or so ago, Liam put on his pants all by himself for the first time, and I cheered for him and told him how proud I was of him and gave him a big hug, to which he grinned and replied: I'm proud of you, too!"

This morning: "You look so pretty, Mom." Aw...

"Baby K-Bob, you're making mom so angry up." (I think he means angry and upset)

And my personal favorite from the other day, "My life is so hard, Mom." Wonder where he heard that one. ;)

Well, what do you think? Look familiar?

Snowshoeing in Boise

2008-12-30T21:42:00.000-08:00

I went snowshoeing again this year in Idaho. This time it was the day after Christmas up at Bogus Basin ski resort in the mountains just north of Boise. My brothers Alexander and Sam, Sam's friend Tyler and I were at about 6,000 feet and it was 15 degrees the whole time and snowed a bit - luckily, we made it out alive and didn't even have to eat each other. It was great.