Fam of 4

Where have i been?

2010-02-28T20:50:00.000-08:00

There is a direct correlation between the number of blog posts and the departure of my coworker who moved back to New Zealand. Darn you Tessa - i'm still blaming you for not getting my stuff done :). We are adjusting workwise, but it's been a bit of a challenge. Even more challenging when Zach & Natalie's buddies are parading around in bathing suits. We've skyped a few times, but it's hard with the time difference. I'll also blame lack of blogging on the new computer which i haven't been able to "talk" to my other computer which houses the pictures...i'll add that to my list of things to do!

Yesterday, I had opportunity to go for a yoga retreat at my dear friend's yoga studio - Bainbridge Yoga House. It was 6 hours of yoga, relaxing, visiting, eating and having nobody ask me to get anything. I'm sore today - but that good sore. Getting to yoga usually twice a week has been such a blessing these past 2 years since she opened her studio. It's my chiropractor, counselor, exercise and sometimes social scene all wrapped into one!

Kids updates - Zach is still adjusting to life without our neighbors and his 24 hour/play date. They were forced to move out when the owners moved back in. We were pretty displeased about the whole situation - even more so when the teenagers had a party last weekend. UGH! Zach is getting ready for t-ball this spring, is in swimming lessons again, and really just enjoys riding his bike, being outside, playing legos, drawing, watching or thinking about Star Wars. He continues to be a really good big brother most of the time. We just signed him up for full day kindergarten for next fall! He's doing really pretty great with the glasses.

Natalie is 2 1/2 in a big way. She is tall, active and talks a ton! She has become picky about her clothes, but has learned that if she doesn't choose, mommy will choose for her and she probably won't like it so she better pick herself. She loves Curious George, running around the house and playing with friends. She is actively choosing princess dress up clothes these days. Sadly many of her regular clothes don't fit her for long - she's already wearing size 4 in most things. I'm hoping the growth will level off as I'm getting through hand-me-downs at too quick a pace. And she's already over-taken 2 of the girls that were giving her hand-me-downs! She still sleeps in the crib, has started to protest some of her naps but fortunately for all of us, she will still nap most days because we all need her to! Mommy learned after battling with Zach for a long time to stay in the bed that the crib for a longer period of time is a great, great thing! She continues to make great strides on potty training - i haven't bought diapers for months and she only needs them at night, not even every night. Accidents are more profuse than with Zach's potty training but he was 33 months and she's still only 31 months. Please note the batman costume which is adorable and Zach's last year. The boots she only will wear if she's bribed - she hates the feel of boots - and these are just so cute, it's a tragedy!

Zach adds glasses

2010-02-08T07:18:00.000-08:00

Zach got glasses several weeks ago - turns out he is farsighted. They are very cute - he has done great with them - except for the occasional reminding to look through them rather than over them. On a sad note, our neighbors had to move because the owners moved back in to their house. So we have lost our 24/7 playdate options. We're making the effort and the kids get together once or twice a week - but it's definitely been an adjustment. Their youngest came over yesterday during Superbowl Sunday for nap and playtime. Zach did quite a job orchestrating "his band."

(This draft was forgotten when I tried to download the video of them playing "band" and realized that the cords and ports aren't "matching" so i need to figure out how to get the video downloaded).

Potty Training?!?!

2009-11-28T16:32:00.000-08:00

I strarted doing this several weeks ago and then it was left in drafts . . . so now it's the October-December update...

OK - so Natalie had her little friend Arden over last weekend and she was wearing big girl undies so of course Natalie decided she was ready again. So I busted out the little potty and remembered what a pain it is to potty-train! (Later note - who potty trains between Thanksgiving and Christmas - DUH)

I'm a bit behind on blogging. Against my better judgement, Natalie was a cheerleader for Halloween - how stinkin' cute. Maybe if I put her in it now, she won't be one when she's older (no offense to all my cheerleader friends, it's just i don't get it). Zach has gotten a ton of mileage out of his Seahawks Uniform he wore.

Christmas was good - crazy, but good. Happy to be in 2010. Zach is now 5. We took him ice skating for his birthday - trying to make a decent thing out of him having a Christmas Eve birthday because truly, he does get a little short-changed. Natalie went to daycare and we had a Daddy, Mommy & Zach day. I think this is a tradition I could get behind as it's so fun to have either one of them one-on-one. He was so very proud of himself which of course makes us proud.

Christmas Eve, Daddy was working so we went for a visit to the Fire Station and then headed up to Auntie Shannon's for presents and hanging out with cousins and grandparents. Zach had a great time, Natalie was a little wacky without a nap, but held up pretty well. I have a great cousin picture but my computer doesn't want to bring it up, so I'll have to try later.

After Christmas with my family we went to Alderbrook Lodge - it was great except that Natalie didn't nap and wouldn't go to sleep in the hotel room, so Ryan had to take her home.

Zach loved playing with his cousins, getting to stay up late, swimming at the pool and hot tub. It was definitely fun.

Nat's First Haircut!

2009-10-16T14:11:00.000-07:00

Natalie had a mullett so it was time. I finally made her appointment. She did great and it's really cute, but there is something about cutting a girls hair that makes me nervous.

We are still trying to keep her bangs long but I was sad because I knew her sweet curls were going to be going away. She did great, the gal who cut her hair was pretty amazed how much hair she had for a two year old.

Zach also had his haircut, but he's been doing it every couple months for almost 4 years :).

She was pretty excited about the lollipop, not so much about the "pretties" she got at the hair cutting place!

My Little Bruiser

2009-09-17T11:44:00.000-07:00

Poor Natalie had a rough Sunday. First she slammed her finger in the door. Her finger is all bruised and I'm sure her nail will get all black and gross. Then she was flopping on the bed and bonked her head on the wall. Then she was outside after throwing balls for dogs and climbed up the play set ladder (which she has done a zillion times before) but lost her footing and bonked all the way down.
She looks horrible but it's getting better quickly. She's tough :).

Zach was outside playing and I heard the water running (which usually alerts me that something is amiss. And I went out to find this cuteness. "Mommy, I'm fighting a fire." As luck would have it, it was 9/11/09 when he did this.

The other cuteness in our house is the Saturday soccer Zach is doing. It's so cute it makes me want to cry. A team of mostly blonde little boys running up and back on the field trying to kick the ball into the goal (hopefully the correct one). Zach told me after the first week - in which he scored 2 goals, "Mommy, we beat the yellow team, the referee told me so." Mind you, they don't keep score. :) Competitive already!!! They improved markedly from the first to second halves. Ryan is coaching with our friend Elizabeth.

In true 4 year old fashion, Zach had a break away and went all the way down the field. He was so proud of himself - he was just beaming! He was sick last week so didn't make it. He is eager about this weeks game and especially his shin guards and jersey!

I want a wife . . .

2009-08-04T17:00:00.001-07:00

First let me preface that I don't claim to be any hugely fantastic wife but I can hold my own... and Ryan is a really involved husband and dad and certainly pulls his weight around here. But I must say, I'm often reminded that there is a TON to do to manage a household. We had Septic inspection the other day and the guy left his tool. Needed to go out, find tool, put back where kids wouldn't get it, call Septic guy. Then a week later, the alarm starts going off with more regularity - after a toilet was left running which is no big deal. During Ryan's 4:30 a.m. shower before work, WAY bigger deal. So it's another call to him to take a peek and figure out what he messed up. Fortunately he's a self-sufficient guy and I don't need to be here when he shows up - timer has been replaced, hopefully problem solved.

But then there are the doctor's appointments, Ryan's appointments, kids birthday party scheduling, camp transport (thanks to neighbor Jen, I don't even have to pull my weight on that one), scheduling play times for socialization (again thanks to neighbor Jen for moving in and providing a nearly 24 hour
playdate opportunity for both kiddos), signing up for activities like soccer, swimming. Oh and not to mention the constant laundry, feeding kids, (mac & cheese again). I made 4 appointments today alone! It's crazy - I don't know how parents of more kids do it - except to hire things out or to keep the wife or husband from working! Oh and the bill paying, scheduling my own physical therapy, getting my 30+ hours of work done a week, scheduling house cleaner twice a month (and picking up before they arrive), working in the yard, scheduling family gatherings & time with friends, arranging babysitters for our Soccer Date Nights, getting Family Photos from brother-in-law from LAST August, creating my own photo album, editing video of kids . . . it just goes on and on. Oh - and let's not forget clothes and toy organizing which could possibly be the worst job as a parent. To get rid of things you have to do it on the down-low or you could face a full on TANTRUM!

It's a crazy, beautiful life - most of the time :). As I was sitting in yoga studio with a precious extra 20 minutes in my life this morning I was thumbing through a spring magazine (I'm a little behind as usual) and came across this lovely quote: "We should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting the laundry." - E.B. White

And dang it if that means I eat chips and salsa with my beer for dinner, and watch the kids play in the kiddy pool, then so be it! Because not cooking brings me happiness.

Also - so do 2 year old girls doing yoga on the mat!

Natalie is 2

2009-07-30T14:55:00.000-07:00

Sweet Natalie is 2 today. Hard to believe. After waking this morning, Zach went up to her room and sang Happy Birthday to her - it was pretty cute. She and I went shopping this morning, got oil changed in the car, went to Costco so she could pick out a birthday cake. She is a happy girl - except when it comes time to have her teeth brushed, hair brushed, or hair in a pony tail. Then we see her "Leo"ness.

It's a HEAT wave here! On Tuesday the kids played with Jobe & Mia - in buckets of really cold well water put into their sand pit. They had a great time and it was a good way to beat the heat. We've been holding steady - i make my rounds in the morning opening ALL the windows and then once it warms a little outside, I close everything off. Then once it starts to cool down at night again, i open the downstairs back up to air out a little. We've been lucky that it's been staying in the low 80s in the house when it's been upper 90's low 100's outside. But the best thing ever happened yesterday and a neighbor passed along an unused window AC unit and so now the office is quite pleasurable!

Seeing the pictures of the sand pit reminded me of where we were 2 years ago . . .

8/3/07 Zach, Natalie, Mia & Jobe

At the time the girls were born, the boys seemed so old (Jobe was 2 years 4 months, Zach was 2 years, 7 months). But when I look back now, Zach looked really little.

7/28/09 Mia, Natalie, Zach & Jobe

So Happy Birthday Natty! We're so glad you've completed our family!

Booty Shake

2009-07-25T08:22:00.001-07:00

Natalie has some rhythm. It's so darn cute and I finally got video downloaded last night - so i'll try and post more video. Enjoy

The birthday banner went up today, 5 more days till i have a 2 year old.

Credit Cards & Shoes & Golden Retriever Puppy Pictures

2009-07-19T20:39:00.000-07:00

So Zach received his first credit card offer the other day. I was SHOCKED to say the least. Thanks Alaska Airlines for releasing his frequent flier information so that he can start racking up debt at age 4! Unbelievable. We did just tear it up and throw it out.

Both kids are growing like crazy and my sweet little Natalie is getting opinionated about her clothes. Whoa. So we'll see what she thinks about these - first time I've ordered shoes for her online. It's a darn good things we get so many hand-me-downs - because there are just so darn many choices for girls when you are buying . . . but she is missing size 8 dressier shoes/sandals. And we love "flipper-floppers" as she calls them.

And then I also saw these sweet little ballerina slippers that are so cute, I had to order a pair for her little friend Arden who is quite fashionable and always thanks me for the dress up shoes I got her for her birthday. And the fact that these were only $2.99 made a pretty good deal. I love Pumpkin Patch clothes - my absolute fave for the kids.

On an unrelated note . . . Mitch has been with our family for 1 year now. We got him July 8 last year. He is already calming a bit. And if anyone is wondering what I was thinking last year - just look at this cuteness.

These pups were just so darn sweet. Mitchell had a problem with his ear which is why Ryan wanted him so badly. For the life of me I can't tell which one is Mitch (he had a brown string).

He's a good boy. Loves to play ball with Ryan and Zach. He doesn't knock Natalie over very often. He is still healthily scared of Steve the cat which is truly hilarious given their size differences. I'm so glad we got him, he really is a nice addition to the family. He loves Maggie, who is not doing great - her blood sugar is all over the place again, and she's really skinny. We don't want to put her through much so we are tweaking her insulin to see if that helps her at all. She's really blind, getting so deaf that the fireworks didn't bother her as much this year, but she still loves playing on the back deck with Ryan.

How are we all related??

2009-06-29T20:25:00.000-07:00

So Zach was laying in bed tonight and wanted to know why the cat was black. I said "Because cats come in all kinds of colors. So do people. Uncle Anthony is black." Zach replies, "no he's not, he's brown, that's his choice if he wants to call him black, but he's brown." :)

Then he wanted to know who my uncles are - which made me think for a moment - because i have 3 but don't have much contact (especially with the deceased one). Then he was trying to figure out why his uncles are not my uncles but they may be brothers or brothers-in-law. I'm sure having a lot of siblings in my family doesn't help matters. When he went to cousin Koltin's graduation, I was explaining that Koltin's other mom was going to be there. A lot to digest since he he assumes Shannon (Ryan's sister) is his mom (she's been step-mom for 15+ years) so he was very confused on why Koltin would have 2 moms . . . I tried to explain the marriage-divorce-remarriage thing, but it went right over his head! I just love seeing the wheels turn, comparing his life to everyone else. There really is an amazing amount to learn about the world works!

Zach playing baseball with Uncle Travis

Zach & Natty going for a spin on the motorcycle.

Zach at 4 1/2 is a pretty happy dude - very confidant on the bike without training wheels, still asks a million questions, loves to do anything physical, is getting a little more expressive and comfortable shaking his booty or singing. He finished up at preschool for the summer but fortunately their 2-day a week daycare stays open all summer. He loves to help with projects. He and his buddy Kai (next door neighbor) are having a great time running back and forth, shooting dart bullets, riding bikes looking for bad guys.

Natalie 4-11-09 (20+ months) Zach 10-31-06 (22 months)

Natalie will be 2 in a month. She has learned lots of great potty talk and spitting from you-know-who (ugh!) and No is one of her favorite words. But she is sure sweet when she wants something :). She is talking a ton - "Where did Zachy go?" "No, that's Natty's ball" "I want more licorice please" She has thrown a couple tantrums that are quite funny as she will be sprawled out all over the floor but is really easily distracted. She is giant - moving in to 3T clothes with her crazy long torso. I used to think her girl energy was so different from Zach's (which it is) but now that I'm seeing some other little girls, I am thinking her brother is rubbing off on her! She's quite the go-getter. She loves that brother!

Hawaii

2009-05-31T15:14:00.001-07:00

We managed to escape to Hawaii for 2 weeks in late April. It was super relaxing and actually a vacation, thanks to bringing our dear friend and old babysitter Samantha for the 2nd week. We ate out, played hard, enjoyed the sun and the water.

Zach really liked the USS Missouri at Pearl Harbor. Probably the most mind-boggling thing that happened was after visiting the USS Missouri, we were getting lunch and some yahoo comes barging into Ryan while he's getting mustard for his burger so he spills it all over. Ryan was shocked and was like "What the heck?" and turned around and it was a coworker from the Fire Department. It was hilarious - they were also headed to Maui so we wound up having dinner with them one night. Ryan worked with Fernando his first year in the department. What are the chances?!

I managed to read 3 books which felt like a pretty big accomplishment! We were on Oahu for 5 nights at the Marriott Ko'Olina which was really nice. Then we went to Wailea (Maui) for 2 nights and then 7 nights at the Westin Villas. Fortunately this trip we saved the best place for last - they resort was AMAZING. It is why people buy timeshares - although we didn't . . . I'll have more pictures from the Pirate Pool which Zach adored. He also was able to do the waterslide with a little help from mom or dad.

Waiting at the airport to head home . . . we watched one mom and probably 6 year old daughter actually MISS their flight to Los Angeles and then to Boston. They ran up to the gate after the doors were closed and after they had been paged several times. It blew me away because I felt sorry for the daughter that they missed it but thought regarding the Mom, "How the heck do you not get to your gate way ahead of time when you are going home???" (They had already checked in too...)

Hanging at the beach at the Westin . . . some friends from Bainbridge were staying there also, so we got to hang out for a couple days - their 5 year old was a hit for Zach. I asked him what he was going to miss about Hawaii once and he said "Justin" but I reminded him Justin lives here.

Zach hanging out with Sam - a teeny tiny sunburn, but it looks worse than it was. The kids both did great with sunscreen. He ate so much food on our trip . . . it was hard work playing in the pool and the beach. It was nice to have Natalie nap every day because it forced us to have a little down time for Zach.

Kids sitting on our windowsill in Ka'anapali. Natalie really turned blonde on this trip!

Kids at the beach at Wailea - in front of the Grand Wailea. The sand was so fine, it wouldn't come out of Natalie's bathing suit . . . it still is in there.

Wailea - just had to show the bathing suit.

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Natalie - curly hair . . . she LOVES the beach and the sand!

Hotel in Wailea - a quieter place (Diamond Resort) but clearly a nice view. We were only there 2 nights. Kids liked the Turtle mosaic in the pool.

Natalie in her bikini - holy moly mom just couldn't quite get enough of the girl bathing suits!

Zach getting ready to go swimming in Oahu

Jumping on the bed in my Turtle swimsuit.

In front of the waterfall at our Oahu hotel. Clearly this was our one bad weather day - as per Zach's sweatshirt. It was our second day there but after that it was pretty nice the rest of the trip.

We were ready to come home but truly not until that last day. So next time maybe 12 days, but seriously, when the kids take 3 days to the time change, the thought of only going for a week makes me crazy. So we won't go as often, but we'll go for longer. Thank goodness for my parents taking our dogs for the entire time . . . but it is better than leaving the kids with them i think!

Close to finished product

2009-05-24T16:28:00.001-07:00

These guys are crazy hard workers . . . they are so close to being done it's amazing. I didn't have the ability to conceptualize what we planned to do when we originally talked about what it could look like, but it really came together great! I just knew that whatever we did was going to look better than it did previously.

It has completely transformed our yard. And I love that it has only been 3 days worth of work. We still need to finish the rock wall around the 3rd planter area and we'll re-grade the driveway, but truly amazing.

The view from my kitchen window (well standing in the yard in front of it).

The view from our driveway looking upon our house.

Landscaping Mania

2009-05-24T10:19:00.001-07:00

We cleared in October . . . let it sit and Thursday got an estimate for work to be done. They started Friday morning at 6:45 a.m.

Zach has been enthralled, Natalie signing "tractor"

Progress is swift - especially with the big tractor. For someone who doesn't like to make decisions, I've been forced to just figure it out because the guys are here.

More to come . . . just wanted to post some pics!

Sounders FC Excitement

2009-04-01T21:42:00.000-07:00

Natalie (20 months) and Ryan, throwing the ball for Mitchell (Natalie's favorite thing in the world right now). "Throw, ball, Mitchell" is heard when she wakes up, when she talks to Ryan on the phone, when Ryan walks in the door.

Ryan bought season tickets to the Sounders FC. I didn't play soccer and have probably have had Offsides explained to me a dozen times by Ryan, but i have had so much fun at the 2 games we have been to so far. Their season is perfect because there is only 1-2 games/month. We have great seats by the North Goal so we get to see a lot of action. While I was in the bathroom, the guy behind Ryan caught a ball that was kicked in disgust by the goalie into the stands. Of course, I was curious what happened and why Ryan didn't have it . . . oh well. Maybe next time.

Seattle is seriously on board - thanks to losing the Soncis to Oklahoma, and a not-so decent football and baseball team.

And I have to say, I love the gear - I love the green of the jerseys, it's so vibrant in an otherwise cold and dreary "spring." And it was awfully cute watching dad and daughter out there in their 'matching shirts.'

No More Training Wheels

2009-03-01T13:58:00.001-08:00

Zach has been riding a bike with training wheels since Natalie was born. Today he took the "big boy leap" and we took off the training wheels. Our almost 5 year old neighbor has a bigger bike with no training wheels and his buddy Jobe also just started to ride without training wheels. My $150 oil change at WalMart yielded a Balance Buddy to help us out. He was so eager to take off the training wheels, but then was really nervous so didn't want to ride. So I went back to working in the yard and then after about an hour, he decided he was ready to try. After 15 minutes of instruction from Ryan, he really was doing it by himself. The starting and stopping is the harder part but it was so exciting.

Meanwhile, Natalie, who is on her second round of antibiotics after developing 2 ear infections while on the first antibiotic, was out there having a blast.

Runny nose and all, she was stomping through the puddles like a pure toddler.

We are so happy to see March arrive. We have not been a healthy house for the ENTIRE month of February. UGH! HAPPY MARCH EVERYONE!

My $150 Oil Change

2009-02-13T20:31:00.000-08:00

As promised, here is Natalie's picture from this morning. Mind you this is MUCH better than it looked yesterday. My poor baby girl. She is gagging on the antibiotics to the point that I can't hide them any longer in the yogurt. She's not biting. So after a call to the doctor's office, we have a new antibiotic and eyedrops. Unfortunately, I also have to take Natalie back in tomorrow to have her eye checked again. Cautious is good, I appreciate that. Doctor's office 3 times in 5 days, not good.

So, I needed to run a few errands today. I was all prepped to take Natalie and leave Zach home with Ryan but when Ii told her to say goodbye to Dad, she got the saddest look either one of us have seen and started crying. We tried a second time and same response. So Ryan asked if she wanted to stay home, which she was super excited about. I left before she could change her mind. You know it's bad when going to Walmart by myself sounds good. So I needed an oil change and thought it would be perfect timing because I had no kids and could get in and out and get a few things. When I asked how long I expected to wait, I had no clue that each car takes 20 minutes and I was #3. UGH. So I marched in not wanting to spend much money, but pleased to have time to shop without anyone asking me anything or asking to buy something or throwing something on the ground.

I came away with many things I needed: new shaving cream for the kids when we are in the shower, new black socks to replace some of the ones I have with holes in them, a Valentine's Day card for Ryan, Mini-muffin paper liners, Wheat Germ and Flaxseed Germ to put in "yet-to-be-made" mini-muffins, frosting, an orange peeler, a new yoga mat that is hopefully a bit thicker than the one i have now, new sippy cups for Natalie because the sock monster is stealing them, a Seahawks hat for Zach, new toothbrush for Zach. But the best one of all was the Batman pajamas I got him. He thanked me probably like 10 times. They also have a cape, which was so exciting that he was thrilled to have his picture taken. Too bad my $30 oil change wound up costing me $120.

"Mommy, can you take a picture of my cape too!"

Don't you get to rest on the 7th day???

2009-02-12T19:51:00.001-08:00

So i've been a tad behind on posting. First on Super Bowl Sunday, Ryan was battling some stomach virus and was quarantined to the bedroom during our Super Bowl Party. He's a pretty decent sick guy so it wasn't so hard on me. But then last Wednesday (8 days ago) I made it to Yoga, then came home and was getting ready for bed when Zach woke up throwing up around 10 p.m. It seemed like every time he lay down, he would gag and then hurl. I wound up trying to sleep on the couch with him, but after an hour or two, we gave up, got in the shower at 12:45 a.m. because we both were so stinky, then tried his room - which is the exact reason that boy has a queen size bed. That was the first time I've ever been up ALL night. We would sleep for like 20-30 minutes and then wake to his gagging and puking. YUCK. It probably equaled 12 loads of laundry. The next morning he sat on the couch from 7:30 until 2 without getting up. Poor guy. The fever came on, the poor kid didn't eat for like 3 days so now his clothes don't fit. I dragged him to Grandma & Grandpa's house on Saturday because I had a work meeting - much to his dismay "Mommy, I don't want to get in the car, I want to stay home!" Sunday - still low grade fever and coughing and now pink eye. Monday, Natalie joined in on the fun with a really runny nose and pink eye. Tuesday I trekked to the doctor with both kiddos. Zach had a double ear infection. Natalie's ears were fine, but we took a wait and see approach with the eyes.

Zach cleared up and went to school today. Natalie went back to the doctor with really red, swollen eyes - the look in the doctor's eyes was like "Oh, crap, that is bad." She woke up this morning and after nap and couldn't open her eyes because they were so crusted over with gunk. She's now on antibiotics as well, so i'm hoping she'll start rebounding tomorrow. However, giving her the antibiotics is like getting the puppy to use a kitty litter box - next to impossible. But I have Mommy resolve and I will win this battle because it is day 8 and I'm not getting any work done and I'm tired. Ryan of course is back to work today, but it doesn't really matter anyway, because Natalie only wants Mommy since she feels so cruddy. Yesterday she said "Eyes, hurt." Poor peanut. If her eye still is yucky in the morning, i'll post a picture.

On another note - those of you that know me have heard from me that I'm psychic and probably have blown it off. So with all the facebook goings on and reconnecting with old friends - last week I started looking for some friends from La Jolla Elementary School but came up empty. Then today, seriously out of the blue, i got an email from one of my best friends, Danny Robbins. He wasn't on Facebook, he just happened to track me down. Now that my friends, is more than just random. I haven't been in contact since - well - i can't even remember the last time. Weird, eh?

Honey!

2009-01-25T09:27:00.002-08:00

Natalie (18 months) has started talking a ton! "Butterfly, No, No Bark, Go Away Dog, Mater (Tomato), Milk, Uh-huh, Da-da, Crocs, Lia (babysitter)" But today may take the cake. She stands at the bottom of the stairs of "Ryan's room" and is yelling "Honey, Honey." At first I wasn't sure what she was calling and thought it was Maggie. But after asking are you calling Honey, she said Uh-huh. So cute. Oh and How cute are the pony tails! I LOVE them!

Zach has taken to figure out ways to keep Natalie happy when she is upset. If she cries, he will make funny faces, offer her a piece of food, or a drink of milk. It really is sweet. And a far cry from that 3 year old Alien that lived in our house last year. Love the 4 year old!

Zach and his favorite TV character - Curious George!

Reflections and Looking forward to 2009

2009-01-05T14:33:00.000-08:00

Life with 2 young children is not easy. In our house, Ryan and I both pull our weight but probably feel like we each do so much which may explain why we are both always tired. Probably doesn't help that he goes to work and is woken at night either. Finding balance in my life continues to be a tricky, balancing act. I love working, I do find it quite rewarding, but it's a fine balance of not working too much. The weeks I work 25-30 hours/week it's great. When i get more than that I feel overwhelmed and bad at everything. Too little and I find the kids to be challenging. Also, I strive to have balance with exercise, time alone with Ryan, time with friends, time to work in the yard, and house to keep it in order, etc, etc.

Last year at my Bookclub, one of the members suggested we go around and share a word to describe how we thought the next year would be. Mine for 2008 was "Journey" - I felt like I was in the throws of a 3 year old and 5 month old, amidst challenges that would affect my marriage, work and social life. A wise sister once said that the first year of life with that 2nd child was one of the hardest of her life. She was right... but now Zach is 4 and Natalie is 17 months so we are more "settled."

I learned a lot in this past year - it was definitely a year full of many journeys. I am really looking forward to 2009 as I feel like it will be a better year. So as I move forward and get ready for my next bookclub (which was rescheduled due to INSANELY inclement weather), my new word is "Change." I'm ready to welcome change. For 11 years I lived in my house with wallpaper in one bathroom that I absolutely hated. It never really occurred to me to change it until this past year. So on a whim, Samantha (babysitter to kids, friend, former vball player) and I tore out the old wallpaper. Ryan was a little shocked to say the least, but later said we did a pretty good job not destroying the drywall. The bathroom now is a vibrant orange and has great new bathroom fixtures (again, HATED the old ones). Kids are in a constant state of change and with it come challenges, but out of those challenges, they usually are better off, as am I.

Other changes I'm looking forward to:

The change in leadership of the country,
Planting a garden,
Lessen my carbon footprint by composting, not buying as much,
Change the amount of "stuff" in my house so that I can live more efficiently.
Having a 4 year old instead of a 3 year old. Someone also told me that the year young kids drop their naps was their hardest of parenting and I will attest. Zach always seemed tired but if he napped he wouldn't go to bed, so away went the naps most days.
My cleaned out garage (thanks honey . . . can't wait to get to my side).
Continued growth and change as a wife, mother, friend, sister, daughter, aunt and woman.
Change in the weather - or at least getting to Hawaii in April.

Christmas Recap

2008-12-30T15:17:00.000-08:00

Daddy & Zach shoveling the walkway before Christmas.

December 24: Christmas was a success! Ryan worked Christmas Eve, so I celebrated with the kids for a birthday lunch at Aunt Dru's with Grandma & Grandpa driving over from Sequim. I braved the elements and took the kids to Christmas Eve Church Service at Grace. It was lovely for the first hour. The last half hour was spent in the nursery playing with the kids. Thank goodness we were sitting near friends.

Adrian (11), Jackson (13), Zach (4), Mom, Julia (9) & Sofia (7)

December 25: Santa was generous to Zach and Natalie but he was perplexed what to do since Ryan was getting off work on Christmas Day and wouldn't be home until 9:30. Should Santa come the Day after Christmas or should the kids wait until Daddy got home, or should they just get their presents upon waking? Santa decided on the latter. I have decided one of the best things Ryan's family did growing up was that Santa presents are NOT wrapped. This would have never worked in my family because my mom was a planner and we all were snoopers.

(Natalie in Zach's old jammies & Zach on Christmas Day)

Christmas Day - Ryan's mom (Nana) and Grandma (GG) came over. They watched the kids open WAY too many wonderful gifts. One of the best parts was Nana and Zach play football in the house and Zach laughing so hard, we were all laughing.

Natalie & GG (Her great-grandma)

December 26: On the 26th, we headed to Sequim to celebrate with my family. Again, WAY too many gifts but the kids had a good time. Then we also were able to gather as a family and spread Grampsie's ashes before heading out to dinner.

December 27: Rest, Relax (Put away Christmas Stuff, Bake for Zach's birthday party)
December 28: Zach's Party - Party was fun after the first hour. "Mommy, can you make everyone go home." Pinata was a huge success. But next year when he says he only wants one friend, i'll let him do that :).

White Birthday?

2008-12-21T15:15:00.000-08:00

So we are hit again, the 2nd snow in 1 week - but this is a full on dumping.

(Motorcycling in the snow earlier this week)

Before the "big one" hit, I took Zach down to Aunt Dru's for his first sledding experience. After wanting to watch for the first 15 minutes and variations of "Mommy, I'll watch you go", "Mommy, I'll push you down," "Mommy, I'll push the slide down with nobody in it,"I finally told him, if he didn't go we were going home because I was cold. Reluctantly, he climbed aboard with mommy & aunt Dru and off we went. He was curled in a ball in my lap, but then we got to the bottom and he said "Ok, this time I go by myself."

The tree is on an incline . . . just FYI - it looks worse than it really was. After 30 times or so up and down the big hill, we went home. At dinner, his head was on his arm at the table - needless to say he was POOPED! So fun.

Today we have weathered 2 power outages lasting 45 minutes each. We had 7 inches and that was a couple hours ago and it hasn't let up.

It truly is beautiful but the cabin fever is a little much. Thank goodness we had football on today and I managed to sneak in to the city yesterday to drop off Christmas presents. Unless it really warms up, we may have a White Birthday for Zach and a White Christmas as well! 3 days until I have a 4-year-old!

In Less than a Week

2008-12-14T10:29:00.000-08:00

Today we woke to snow. It's fun, but boy is it cold! A week ago today we were at Disneyland where we could wear a light sweatshirt and shorts. Ahh, welcome back to the northwest.

On Disney - it was really fun. Zach LOVED it so much - he wound up going on Space Mountain twice and liked Big Thunder Mountain - we were both really impressed . Natalie liked the mellow rides - some of the ones with dips she wasn't too happy about (Dumbo, Pirates of the Caribbean (just the drops). Her favorite was the carousel - she cried when we took her off the horse. And I knew it was a good ride when she would start dancing.

Had a great time, but boy was mommy pooped after the "vacation." Happy to be home but now the things I've been putting off (Christmas Tree, Christmas shopping, planning Zach's 4th birthday party) need to happen.

Getting Ready for Vacation

2008-11-30T21:23:00.000-08:00

So we're headed to California this week - a visit with Ryan's dad and step-mom, visit with cousin Michelle and Byron, Disneyland with Eric & Jen and their girls Avery and Sydney. Here are a few snippets from my "to-do" list:

Camera, Extra Batteries, Diapers,Wipes,Pictures, Amanda Christmas,Mei-Tai Backpack,Ryan GPS thing, Shaine clothes for 6 days, Zach clothes, Shorts (4),Pants (2), Shirts (5 – 3 short, 2 long), Sweatshirts, Shoes, Socks, Toothbrushes, Silkies, Jammies and then Natalie - Pants/Shorts (5),Shirts (5, Jammies, Blankie/Kitty, Sweatshirt, Bathing Suit

Other tings to do: Dogs to G&G (Tuesday?), Fill up cat litter and food,Stop Newspapers, Mail key to Dru, Call Disneyland Ticket Lady (Jen), Switch Purses, Change Work Voicemail (Fwd to Mom?)

What we bring with us: Stroller, Car Seat (N & Z), Diaper Bag, Ryan DVD Player & Videos, Things for kids, Laptop, Gum, Snacks for kids, water bottles.

This list doesn't even include all the work things I need to do too! The only problem with vacation is that it takes so much work to go out of town, one begins to wonder if it is worth it (I think it will be once we arrive in Long Beach and I don't have to wear a coat). This is my first "go" at packing for 2 kids and myself . . . this is Natalie's first airplane trip, a test-run before we go to Hawaii in April. Hmmm, wondering what crazy mishaps will occur and what i'll forget. Must remember snacks for kids on the plane because I am NOT paying $5 for crappy airplane food.

On another note, Martin Family Thanksgiving was quiet at my parents house (which is definately the exception to the norm). Zach said he was thankful for his kitty Steve. Natalie napped and I am thankful for happy, healthy kids. Right now, I'm thankful for sleeping kids. Hope everyone had a nice holiday! Let the Christmas madness begin!

A day in the life

2008-11-13T14:53:00.000-08:00

Natalie is FINALLY walking. She still prefers to crawl, but she is walking. It's so very cute. Instead of having only 2 parents ogling over her, she also has a very proud big brother.

On another note, I decided to cook the other day . . . and this is what happens when mommy makes dinner:
Natalie takes out every tupperware piece

And Zach puts Mascara on to look like a football player (please note the pretend gun in his hand)

And the dog just sits there . . .

The Cuteness

2008-11-01T19:35:00.000-07:00

Early in the week, they dressed up for school.

(Natalie, our 15 month old, "I am too stubborn to walk because I'm the world's fastest crawler . . .")

I'm not one to go on and on about my kids being so cute . . . well maybe a little bit. But Natalie takes the cake in her butterfly costume.

Trick or treating downtown Bainbridge yesterday was crazy but cute. Zach always takes a few minutes to warm up, but then gets pretty into it. We went with a friend and her kids (Elizabeth, Kepler & Arden) so we had 2 blonde Spidermen and their companion Tinkerbelle and Butterfly little sisters. It was pretty cute. The boys especially liked pointing out the really scary costumes.

The day started with a trip to Seattle for some errands and trick-or-treating. Our dear babysitter Alyssa was in a horrible accident August 1. She is still in a wheelchair at the hospital but will be released in a week or so . It's only the 2nd time we've been to visit her. Poor Zach, he has a hard time with his emotions about visiting her. Last time we saw her she was still in bed, with casts. When we left, he cried on the way home, "Mommy, go back to the hospital and bring Alyssa home now." This time, he was too nervous to go into her room until I literally dragged him in there and he realized that she is the same Alyssa but with great, purple hair and a wheelchair that zooms around.

Progress on the Yard

2008-10-26T22:22:00.000-07:00

So we have lived in our house for 10 years and have never quite known what to do with a lot of our 1.2 acres. So we started clearing our "middle" area that our driveway loops around. I must admit it is partially so I can see Zach riding his bike riding around our loop from the kitchen.

After some clearing by Ryan, myself and finally Uncle Travis, we called upon the rental store for a tractor. Ryan worked the tractor while Uncle Travis chipped up piles upon piles of debris from our yard - I managed to keep a bit of an eye on the kids until Sam stopped in to help for a bit and I was able to get out and do some clearing of scotch broom. It was incredibly productive and really nice to see results - there is definitely something to be said for instant gratification.

And as a bonus, Ryan was able to clear (and use) some dirt from the side of our garage and was able to get in to our "forest" to make a few paths in what was 6-8' high brush and native plants.

Before

After

We are excited about the progress, but not nearly as excited as Zach was about riding on the tractor with dad. It was priceless.

Before the day began:

At the end of the day - the grin is even bigger:

The Tides are Changing

2008-10-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

I GOT BACK SOME OF MY PHOTOS! I've been so traumatized, I haven't been able to blog. Many hours later, many attempts at undeleting. www.recuva.com - it was amazing.

The Little Things

2008-10-07T09:26:00.000-07:00

I know showering alone shouldn't be considered a luxury, but in my house it is. There are very few days when I am in there alone. Today, I was that lucky. Of course I had to wait till both kids were at school, but nonetheless, it was sheer bliss. My shower is 3 feet long and 3 feet wide. You put a large 3 year old, a mom, and a mobile 14 month old and there isn't a lot of room left - for anyone. The best is when both kids are sitting down, so there is even less room. Of course, they do love the shower, it keeps them out of trouble and gets them clean. I probably have the cleanest kids in town because there are many days they will shower with me in the morning and have their evening bath before bed. They love getting out the shaving cream (Zach's own of course) - it's a royal mess in there.

Imagine a picture here of Zach and Natalie playing in the shower with shaving cream.

(I wrote this Tuesday and then started to look for my last photo I took of the kids in the shower and then realized it somehow was deleted off my external hard drive which i had backed up from Ryan's old desktop... i am still looking to find lost files - it's about 6 months of pictures of the kids - UGH!)

Do You Believe in Karma?

2008-09-30T19:45:00.000-07:00

So I am a big believer in "what comes around, goes around" and it always amazes me when Zach is doing something he shouldn't be, karma always seems to have a way of getting him. If he's not listening the first time I tell him to go inside, he'll wind up slipping and falling. If he lets the dogs in when we don't want them in, they wind up taking his toys and he gets mad. The list goes on and on and it's a shame I can't recall some of the "finer karma" moments - because they have been classics. So I have been known to use the phrase, "karma is biting you in the butt." For a while he would get really mad and say "karma is not biting me" but somewhere along the way it sank in.

Tonight 14-month-old Natalie was standing in her high chair and after looking at me, I would tell her to sit down at which point she would get the sweetest grin and sometimes sit and sometimes remain standing. So after going to her maybe 7 or 8 times and helping her back on to her bottom, wondering why I am ready to part with the strap-in high chair, she stood up and then slipped a little and bonked onto her bottom. It didn't hurt her much, but she looked a little shocked. And then Zach chimed in, "Natalie, that is Karma biting you." It was so cute and nice to know that he is listening.

No more grandparents for me

2008-09-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

Zach at 3 weeks with Grampsie
The last of my grandparents has died. My Grandpa (Zach & Natalie's Maternal Great Grandpa) - Grampsie - passed away last Thursday. He turned 99 last month. He had lived with my parents for the past 18 years - pretty amazing. The last couple years have been pretty tough on my parents and my brother Travis who helped care for him up until they had to put him into an assisted living facility 5 weeks ago. Tonight Zach said, "Mommy when do I get to go to a funeral?" I told him he goes in a couple weeks to celebrate Grampsie's life. His response, "O.K. Mom, I'll bring him a card and a picture and a toy I don't like." Hmmm, thoughtful, confused, bratty or just 3? He was pleased because Grandma gave him the tractor that was decorating Grampsie's room at the new home. He thinks Grampsie is playing with Parker (old dog who died in February) in Heaven - which is very sweet. Truly a life lesson for the little ones when someone they know dies. Zach still talks a lot about a dear friend's baby girl who died after 18 days. "Mommy, you went to a funeral and you cried for baby Willoughby." I do love that about Zach, he truly says it like it is - no filters, no holding back.

So I better get back to yoga soon since 99 is 66 years from now and that sounds like a long time.

Why is it hard to make decisions?

2008-09-20T19:29:00.000-07:00

I have difficulty making decisions because I'm a Libra - or so the excuse goes. But when it comes time to pick out pictures of the kids, it's no wonder. My friend came to our house to take shots of Natalie before she started crawling. Now the hard part is figuring out what to order - I want them all, but that's not very financially responsible.

These 3 don't even scratch the surface. I love the candid shots - looking back through them reminded me a lot about life with a 3 year old and 8 month old . . . WHOA. That day of the photo shoot, Zach got into Ryan's hair gel and put goo all over, it was a complete mess. Fortunately it doesn't show in most of the photos. Everyone says it is harder to go from 1 child to 2 children but I never got it until #2 arrived. Easy as she was and continues to be, 2 kids is no walk in the park.

Natalie is almost 14 months. She has much more (and curlier in the back) hair, many more teeth - the last of her molars broke through last week. She is on the verge of walking, is the speediest crawler, loves crawling up stairs, is signing anything we teach her - she is pretty amazing. Zach is still showing me light at the end of the tunnel, started soccer today and LOVED it and is a fantastic brother. Today we worked on how to trade toys with Natalie to get the one he wanted. It was a success - for now at least.

Many Rants...all at once

2008-09-12T21:06:00.000-07:00

Where do I start:

1. AAARRGH - nothing like computer problems to completely throw my week off. I downloaded a new program that is ginourmous. It completely messed up my computer. I have since taken it off, lobbied work for a more powerful desktop and have been able to resume productive work.

2. I am also trying to sell our old Volvo and thought I had it sold, but winds up not. Huge pain. The guy had it inspected and found too many problems - that was in the contract that he could return it but then tried to say he wanted me to drive to Chehalis. Is it my fault he lives in Portland - I don't think so. We said NO. We'll see if he caves.

3. Also, several weeks ago, I bought new shorts for Yoga only to put them in the Washing Machine and never see them since then. This happened to me once before when a brand new shirt and tights for Natalie stuck to sheets that were put away folded for 3 months.

4. I keep telling all my friends who have difficult 3 1/2 year old little boys (I know, I know, Difficult 3 1/2 year old boy is redundant) that I am FINALLY seeing light at the end of the tunnel with you know who and then he decides to say "Oh yeah, Mom, you think so, eh, well how about this . . ." So more bedtime battles, more tantrums. They sure know when the reserves are down. Smart little critters. This is a picture from one of our previous bedtime battles. I had friends over that night and he kept getting out . . . finally, i went upstairs to find this . . . .

5. We have volleyball games scheduled for Monday & Tuesday. We find the other team cancelled the Tuesday game for no apparent reason. Then we call to confirm Monday's game and find out the other team has it down for Tuesday. OK - workable. Then the school bus breaks down on the way to said game on Tuesday. At least we won!

The good news . . . I did tear my house apart looking for a library book that was due that I could no longer renew - I was beginning to think I was just losing it. Alas, I found it - sitting on a bookshelf of all places - darn housecleaners. I know I am not the most orgnized person in the world, but seriously, I usually keep track of these things.

Circus Time

2008-09-06T13:04:00.001-07:00

So Zach and I went to his first Circus - Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey were visiting Everett and we went with Nana (Ryan's mom), cousins McKenna, Kiley, Bella, & Mia. It was great entertainment for a wide eyed 3 year old. His favorite part was the motor bikes and "the elephants pooping while the guy was catching the poop" (it was pretty funny). So it was entertaining as well for the 2 adults . . . except when we asked how much the programs were - $15. Holy cow. We passed. The kids were all great because none of them got any toys, snowcones or cotton candy ($12) - HIGHWAY ROBBERY. The animal part was neat for the most part - horses, llamas, dogs, pig, ponies - except I did feel badly for the poor elephants and tigers. It made me think a lot about when circuses began - i don't even know how long ago - I think I have a great, great aunt on my dad's side that joined the circus. The high flying trapeze artists were pretty impressive. All in all a fun night - fortunately Zach had napped so he wasn't a complete mess since we didn't get him home and in bed until 11:30. Thanks Nana for a fun night!

Volleyball is upon us

2008-08-27T22:12:00.000-07:00

For me, fall arrives in late August when i head back to volleyball tryouts. We had 39 girls this year for 3 teams. Pretty good competition and lots of indecision. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh and the University of Washington Volleyball program are both doing amazing things to inspire mini-volleyballers. Tryouts are complete. The teams are chosen. A few cuts were made. I have 6 sophomores and 6 freshmen. It reminds me of where I was a year ago. Natalie was 3 weeks old when the season started last year. I have actually planned both my kids around volleyball season (Natalie not quite as well planned, but i was able to get her out before the season). The other coaches decided they were game to have me bring her, so we made it work. This is our manager Thea (who used to play for me). She was fantastic with Natalie and really threw her dad (who is our C team coach) into a tailspin whenever she would "wear" Natalie. Natalie would go from Mom to Mom during the games (and head coach Julie, who was a baby whisperer). It was great fun, but looking back, i really cannot believe I was able to pull that off. And of course, it's all in addition to my regular work. This year, the kids are either going to be home with Ryan or home with a babysitter. It'll be crazy around our house for the next 9+ weeks, but I absolutely love it and am thrilled to back in the gym.

Our New Ride

2008-08-23T20:50:00.000-07:00

We took the minivan plunge. We are the owners of a gently used Toyota Sienna Minivan. I wasn't seeking one out but a similar one to the one pictured found me. More about that in a minute - first a sidebar:
On Bainbridge Island there is a Yahoo group called IslandMoms. See an article about IslandMoms here. I'm addicted. One time I went to a party and someone said they post things on IslandMoms all the time and I wanted to know her name to know if she was one of the "more controversial" posters. Turns out she was a neutral poster. IslandMoms is a topic of conversation - usually when someone posts something controversial - nothing like a wild comment about parenting styles to get 1200 women and men all fired up. Way back when, people used to put things for sale on the site and I bought a glider for Zach's room. It winds up that the woman (who was one of the cofounders of Islandmoms) was the facilitator for my Mom's group (PEPS group) with Natalie. Small island . . . After some time, and too many posts for sale items, the group has encouraged participation in several similar groups - a Bainbridge Island Freecycle where you post things you don't want but think someone may so you don't have to have a garage sale. I've gotten rid of an Exercise Bike, Cat Litter Box (yep, you're reading that right) and more. There is also a Online Yard Sale - a localish Craig's List/Ebay type thing. I've gotten scads of great deals on here too - patio furniture, washer/dryer, bathroom cabinet, gotten rid of toy organizers. So here is where my car comes in. The other co-founder of IslandMoms (who I know through Yoga) recently posted her Minivan for sale. I pounced - it was a great deal with really low miles. I decided I could live without the sunroof and leather (at least I can for now). She and her family are sailing off into the sunset - literally. They sold most of their things, moved onto a boat with their 3 kids and are just going... pretty unbelievable. Read more about their story here. So long story short, we bought her van. It's roomy, has a gazillion cupholders, lots of storage, fold down seats, one automatic door. I have officially given in to mom-dom (because of course the volvo stationwagon doesn't scream mom). Now . . . i have a 2003 Volvo for sale if anyone is interested.

Boys & Motorcylces Take 2

2008-08-10T19:58:00.003-07:00

Every year Zach receives some Toys R Us gift cards from sympathetic, generous family & friends for being the product of poor parental planning with a Christmas Eve birthday. The idea is that we will find him a 1/2 birthday present. So Zach was smitten at a birthday party with a 4-wheeler that hauled (in mom's opinion). And I knew (really, hoped) I had found his Achilles heel. But I just don't want him to feel like he gets everything he wants, so we made him EARN it by staying in bed for 7 nights (without getting out of bed). It didn't need to be in a row because I thought that might be too hard. We printed a picture of a 4-wheeler and each morning he could cross off a night. Of course the first night, it was my turn to do bedtime and he failed to earn the checkmark. Of the 7 nights he stayed in, 5 were for Dad and 2 for me - no surprise there. Ever since he has moved into a big boy bed - 16 months ago, he and I have been going round and round on bedtime. I have read parenting books, visited websites, talked to friends and family, tried many methods to try and keep him in bed, or in his room - hard love, lots of love, taking toys away, keeping toys, nightlights, no nightlights, gate, double gate, star turtle, flashlight, cuddling, not cuddling - you name it, I've tried it. He's fallen asleep on the floor, in his bookshelf, on the bed most nights - but needless to say, it's not been the highlight of my parenting. So I finally found a 12 Volt Motorcycle on Craig's list that was much more reasonably priced than Toys R Us so I jumped on it. We brought it home Thursday night and charged up the batteries. He was ready to ride on Friday, but the batteries were duds, so off to Toys R Us to get the new batteries - thanks Auntie Grammy, Pops & Samantha. Bedtime Friday night - different night, same story. He was out of bed for me 3 times - UGH! So we held tough and no riding Saturday - it did help that it rained. This consistency thing is SOOO challenging at times. But Saturday night he was great - for Ryan of course, so this morning he asked about it first thing after waking up. I don't think he got off the motorcycle more than 3 or 4 times before the batteries died - the kid was in Heaven for almost 2 hours! Ryan is off to Vegas for 5 nights for the International Association of Fire Fighters Conference, so I'm going solo for several nights. 1st night - so far, so good. Maybe that is why parents buy their kids cool toys, so they have something to take away if the misbehave :).

Here's some pretty big grins from our "dude." As I looked at the pictures, he is smiling in EVERY single one of them. And anyone who has ever tried to take a picture of Zach (or with Zach) knows that he isn't always game for pictures
(which we are working on by trying to take more and more).

50th Anniversary

2008-08-07T19:25:00.000-07:00

From Anthony's wedding (2006)

So my parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last Saturday, August 2nd. Pretty amazing. All 7 kids and our 8 kids descended upon Sequim for family pictures and a party with some of their friends. We surprised them by taking their old family films from the early 1960's and having them put onto DVD (a wonderful new service thanks to Costco). I noticed that 80% were of Scott (the oldest), 20% of Scott & Dru and ZERO of the rest of us. I'm glad I'm stopping with 2 kids. The cousins (ages 13, 11, 9, 7, 7, 7, 3 & 1) had a blast playing together. To top the week, my almost 99-year-old Grandpa has finally moved in to an assisted living facility. He has been living with our parents for the past 18 years. They soon realized that once our brother Travis moves out to go to UW this fall, it will be the first time in 45 years that they have lived alone. That fact may be more amazing than the 50th anniversary. I explained to my mom that I do NOT want to follow in her footsteps. Congrats David & Cynthia . . . 50 years is a long time.

Boys and Motorcycles

2008-07-30T11:32:00.000-07:00

With Ryan being forced to commute daily to Bellevue while recovering from surgery on his hand, we decided to get a motorcycle. Besides the fact that gas was costing us his other hand and a leg, the ferry costs alone were $100 per week. Instead of $20 Round trip for the car, it is now $8 for the motorcycle. Amazing! Besides, there is nothing better for a 3 year old than his dad having a motorcycle. Although the day we picked it up and followed him home, Zach sobbed most of the way because he thought the motorcycle was scary and didn't want Dad to drive it. He has come around and even puts on "his" motorcycle helmet (Uncle Scott's 25 year old one) and drives his motorcycle (his wheelbarrow) around the yard. The motorcycle helmet does double duty because he learned he can use his whiteboard markers on it.

Natalie's 1st Birthday

2008-07-27T13:15:00.001-07:00

Natalie had her 1st birthday party with family and a few friends. Hard to believe she is almost 1. Her new tricks: speed crawling, pulling up to her knees and very soon to be her feet, signing "more" "water" "sleep." Her words include "da-da" "ma-ma" "dog" "Zah" "Uh-oh." She LOVES her dogs, her brother and anything within reach. She loves to dance to her musical toys. She has 8 teeth, is wearing 18-24 month clothes (we have big babies). She remains a flexible, happy girl. We are very lucky to be her parents.

Cousin week

2008-07-21T21:33:00.000-07:00

Zach went for a sleepover at Aunt Dru's on Wednesday - played with waterguns, went to the beach, had a fabulous time. The next morning, we were off to Lynnwood to puck up our first overnight visitors since Natalie was born. Cousins Mia (4) and Bella (6) came to visit. Zach was enthralled to have them visit, but was a bit annoyed to learn he couldn't stay up as late as they could to watch movies. We had so much fun they wound up staying 2 nights. The kids had a blast playing in the pool, painting, having cake, watching movies, visiting Grandma Cynthia & Grandpa David's house (and Uncle Travis).
But yeah, I was tired after all was said and done. Glad I only have 2 kids :) - although if I were to have 4, i would definitely want 3 girls and 1 boy - that boy energy is sure different than girls. I think Bella especially was a little surprised by Zach. At one point she asked me, "Does he ever have to stand in the corner?" Which of course he does, but it's a little hard when we are in the car, 30 min from home and i want to get home as quickly as possible!

Meet Mitch

2008-07-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

Maggie (9) with her new brother.

Meet Mitchell "Mitch" Brown Schramling. Mitchell's mom Carmel was turned in to a shelter in Port Ludlow very pregnant. Several days later she delivered puppies. We found out about her from a dear friend who thought we were CRAZY to be looking at a puppy. Her exact words in the email were "I really should not forward this to you, but here you go. See below and attached." It included pictures of the puppies and a link to the Evergreen Golden Retriever Rescue. Can I just say that there is no possible way to view the pictures of them and read their story and NOT apply to get one! The lady who had them also tried to talk me out of a puppy saying that I already had one baby, I didn't need another. But we were smitten. You can read more about their story or in their newsletter. Maggie is a happier dog after a little settling in. It's going well, but a little crazy, but what isn't crazy about 2 young kids? And potty training a puppy in July is way better than November or April (which were our last 2 pups).

First Go at a Blog

2008-07-03T19:26:00.000-07:00

So i must admit, i am copying friends. I religiously read 2 friends' blogs - one who has been blogging for 3 years and one who just started. As a mom of young kiddos, there isn't much time to keep up on all these technological gizmos, but i thought I'd give it a whirl. What i have learned is that I call the one friend less frequently because I already know what is going on in her life. We are beginning to enjoy our summer. Natalie's first time in a pool and her too small bikini was just too good to pass up. Both kids loved being in the pool.