Poor Gump

Yesterday it snowed. A lot. And I took Jackson to school. And then went to the grocery store because I refused to go to the grocery store on Superbowl Sunday. And on the way back from the grocery store I tried to turn the corner into our neighborhood and the car did not want to turn the corner so it kept going straight. I said to myself "Oh boy, yep, this is it, we are NOT going to stop. We are just going to keep going and run into that curb and I really hope we don't hit that electrical box looking thing that is just past the curb and ohhh shhhhh....$*(*$!!!" And then I hit the curb, but not the electrical box. I wasn't hurt. Holden wasn't hurt. In fact, he wanted to know why we were stopping. I tried to drive but the awful grinding sound coming from below the car made me stop. Then I tried to drive again. And again I stopped. The two front wheels were bent. Lovely. Fortuitously a tow truck stopped and asked if I needed a tow. I turned him down, and called Shawn instead. He made me realize I did need a tow. Duh. So I called a tow truck. And then Holden had to pee. In the snow or in a cup, those were his options. He chose the snow. He was thirsty and hungry. We were 1/2 a mile from home. For reals, half a mile at the most! But luckily we'd gone to the damned grocery store so he drank a water-capri-sun and ate goldfish crackers. He seemed very confused as to why we were not driving, and he made this confusion very clear to me.

Then Shawn showed up and sent me, Holden and the groceries home in his car while he waited for the tow truck. How awesome is he??! Very. So the tow truck came and towed my baby to the repair shop. And there my car sits, my beloved Subaru Forrester - Gump (get it Forrester Gump, har har), waiting for repairs. Thank heavens for insurance (Allstate officially ROCKS) and accident forgiveness and rental car being included. I'm back in business. Not sure how long Gump is going to be at the beauty parlor, but I'm grateful no one was hurt - usually that is a very busy intersection and fortunately no one was behind me or in front of me when it happened. I'm grateful for car insurance (I heart Allstate - did I mention that?). And my sweet husband who has worked from home for two days now until I got the rental car thing sorted out. It could have been a lot worse. So while I'm greatly annoyed at the slippery white stuff, it was a non-incident type of incident. Thankfully. And I miss my Gump.

Gump, in happier days

Do You Shadow Box?

Shawn bought me this sweet little shadow box a few years ago. I filled it with mementos from our wedding that were previously tossed in a memory box. Our wedding invitation - designed, printed and assembled by us. Wildflower seed packets given out as gifts to our guests - also put together by us. My something old - a pearl pin that was my sweet Granny's (also borrowed by my little sister when she got married a few years later). My something blue and new- a handkerchief with our wedding date embroidered on it (and slightly tear stained). The borrowed, pearls from Ruth, were returned after the wedding of course. Oh, and a few of the roses from my bouquet. A beautiful day that we get to relive daily now that it is shadowboxed, hanging in our hallway. I'd much rather display these treasures; see them every day and let the smile spread across my face. My boys even ask about it and I explain the significance of the day to them. They want to know why they weren't there. You were boys, in a way, because our wedding signified our commitment to each other and our future together, and to the two sweet little boys who would one day fill it. Do you have some sweet memories that could be shadowboxed?

And while we're at it, how come in this day and age marriage equality is still an issue?? Shouldn't all people be able to marry whomever they love? Blows my mind that this is an issue at all, and that so many people are against this ideal. Whatever happened to equality for all people?? This country was built on freedom, and yet we refuse this human right to millions of individuals... sorry for my tangent, but this is one thing I just do not understand, and talking of my own wedding just reminds me that there were beautiful friends who attended my wedding, who cannot marry at all....

My Take On Nutrition...well, not mine, my friend's....

Have you checked out my friend's new blog - My Take on Nutrition? It rocks! Brandy is one of my oldest friends. OK, she's not old, she's actually younger than I, but I've known her since we were 5 years old. How awesome is that? And she is a nutritionist and an amazing cook. I recall very clearly my 18th birthday - she threw me a surprise party, and she made the most beautiful birthday cake. It was basket weave, made by hand. So impressed. I still remember that cake - it has been over 18 years since that birthday (ahem). It stands as probably my favorite birthday celebration ever.

Bran's new blog is chock full of simple, easy tips on keeping your family healthy with nutritious and delicious meals. No muss, no fuss, just honest to goodness...well, goodness!

And in honor of her pursuit to make the world a healthier place, I'm, gulp, attempting to give up my beloved Diet Coke. Why? Because I know it is full of chemicals. I know it is making me sluggish. I know that it doesn't help my water consumption (or lack thereof). I know that it is part of why, at the age of 36, I still have acne. I know it is not good for me. So I'm going to give it a go. If I'm a total bear in 3 days time, call the authorities. Today is day one. It is close to 9pm and I did not have one the entire day. I don't seem to notice any differences, yet. I craved one close to noon. And again around 4pm. Those are my usual times to indulge. But I declined. I had water or watery-juice instead. And you know what, I survived!

I'm putting this out there so I will hold myself to it. Is a couple of diet cokes a day really all that bad? Well I don't know. I'm sure, as mentioned above, that they aren't great for me. But honestly I can't keep complaining about how I feel - sluggish, acne, dental work, unless I'm willing to do something about it. So I hope Bran's blog will keep me motivated. I hope I don't cave to the brand new 12 pack I just bought last weekend before I decided to make this step. It sits, unopened, in the cabinet. I hope a cup of coffee or two will help me over the hump. Oh, yeah, I'm not giving up coffee. One demon at a time.

Check out Brandy's blog - http://nutritionponderings.blogspot.com/

And tell her hi!

Identity Crisis

I'm going through a bit of an identity crisis right now. I wake up each day knowing exactly what is going to happen - and I'm not so sure that is a good thing. I am feeling a big time itch these days. To head back into the work world. I miss it. Shhhh...did I just say that, out loud? Yes. All I ever wanted was to be home with my boys, and here I am, living the dream, and I am yearning for something more. Is it boredom? Maybe. A little. Oh I have plenty to do. Plenty. But some days I am not up for another load of laundry. Another game of Candy Land. One more time unloading the never ending dishwasher load. My brain calculating the last time my toddler went pee on the potty. The last time perhaps I went pee on the potty. Meal planning. Sewing up knees of busted out jeans. Grocery shopping. Craft time. Star Wars. Putting on new rolls of toilet paper. Paper towels. Art paper. Planning activities. Paying for activities. Budgeting for activities. Putting shoes in their proper places. Wiping out the sink. Wiping bums. Wiping out at the end of the day from exhaustion. Is this boredom? Or is it something else? I look at this list and know how fortunate I am. I know how lucky I am to see my boys, be with my boys, every day, all day long. I take them everywhere, and I treasure the small moments just as much as the big moments. 'Cause in a blink it is going to be over. They'll be bigger, on their own, and I'll long for the days of laundry, dishes, glue sticks, play dates, car pools, soccer practice, swimming lessons, healthy meals, happy meals, school activities, messy sinks and tubs, ear wax, finger nails, bottoms, and yes, boredom...or so I call it. Maybe it isn't boredom at all. Maybe this is life. Maybe it is the pressure of doing what I'm supposed to be doing versus what I want to be doing. And honestly, this, the right here and now, is what I want to be doing. I think.

Sunday in Colorado

8:11 am - fighting over the Wii begins

8:32 am - coffee brewing

9:02 am - search online for fun things to do around Denver for kids because I can't find my book entitled the same

9:27 am - shower

10:32 am - everyone dressed, hair and teeth brushed, shoes tied, car packed

10:33 am - realize we don't have directions to where we are heading

10:40 am - Prius is on the road

11:22 am - pee break, lunch at a random Burger King in a desolate area of Denver. Jackson insisting he's eaten here before with Daddy, and demanding we sit in the booth they sat in on their previous visit (note: we have never been to this Burger King before and in all likelihood will never frequent it again)

11:23 am - change seats

11:23 am - change seats again, eat

11:40 am - back on the road

11:41 am - argument over Burger King crowns featuring "Twilight" characters. (I have no idea who is who and neither does anyone in the car)

12:05 pm - arrive at "WOW! Children's Museum" in Lafayette, Colorado. Park right in front. Score

12:08 pm - totally "WOW'd" by said museum. Awesomeness. Truly awesome.
2:20 pm - tell kids we have 5 minutes left until we leave the museum

2:42 pm - leave museum with tears and tantrum from eldest child

3:20 pm - cookies, cocoa and lattes on Pearl Street in Boulder

4:02 pm - back on the road, heading for home, thankful that there is a stew cooking in the crock pot, awaiting our return home, and "UP!" playing on the portable DVD. Long conversation between Mommy and Daddy with barely a peep from the back seat

5:15 pm - home.

5:16 pm - Wii is turned on and Lego Star Wars reigns supreme... but noticeably less fighting

Good day in Colorado. With my family.

When it's cold out...

...we do a lot of this...


I'm ready for spring.

"new" shoes

We should all have a goal of learning something new every day. Thanks to the wonderful world of the blogosphere, I do learn something new just about every day. My girlfriends will tell you that 60% of my conversations start by saying "I read on a blog the other day...". My husband will fill in my sentences (such as he did this morning): "Yes, I know, you learned it from a blog." And he's right. I did and I do. It is an amazing world of knowledge out there. Now I'm not using blogs to self diagnose any diseases or wire my house, that would be crazy. But a little tip here and there has given me shinier wood work, crisply painted trim, oversized dominoes in my basement game room, and a plethora of other wondrous ideas and tips. I {heart} the blogosphere.

Wanna know my latest tip? Shoe stretching with ice! I have a wonderful pair of Danskos that I've owned for about 3 years now. I love them. I love Danskos. They are the most comfortable shoes in the world. And they give me an extra two inches in height which also rocks. I have a brown pair and a black pair (and a 2nd pair of oooooolllllllddddd brown ones that I use when I'm working outside - 'cause you know, I do that so often). Anyway, the black ones, the left foot only, have always been a tad to tight. They are handmade shoes, and leather, so there are slight discrepancies in each and every shoe. And if I were smart I would have returned them when I got them but I thought they would stretch enough. They haven't. So that left foot always aches just a tad if I wear them too long. It is why I usually reach for my brown ones.

Yesterday I had had enough. I Googled "shoe stretching" and found I could buy an expensive shoe stretcher or take them to a cobbler to be stretched. These are 3 year old shoes. They are in great condition, but I'm not going to pay to stretch them at this juncture. I'll have new ones in another year or so I'm sure. But I also found a way to stretch them out with ice! Yes, for reals! Check it out:

http://www.threadbanger.com/post/13203/stretch-your-shoes-with-ice

And you know what?? It worked! I half filled a ziplock baggie with water, sealed it and put it in the shoe. I then put the shoe in the freezer overnight. Much to my husband's dismay when he opened the freezer this morning to grab some waffles. I let the ice thaw for about half an hour and then dried the shoe out, slipped it on my foot, and ta-da! - it worked! The shoe is stretched just enough for true comfort. $100 shoes saved! Who'd a thunk it?!?!

I {heart} the blogosphere!

evidence

Jackson had a friend over after school today to play for a few hours. I'm always happy to have his friends over. It is a goal of mine to make our house the "cool house" for the kids to hang out at. Why? Because I'm a glutton for punishment? NO! Because then I always know where my sons are. Clever me thinks! And so, evidence of most play dates gets strewn about. I didn't even photograph the playroom. That's where the real nightmare begins.

(from top left)

1. carefully placed home decor now askew - check!
2. art supplies and snacks in various locations throughout the house - check!
3. little brother banished to the office to play on the computer - check!
4. snow boots (it hasn't snowed in 3 weeks) and black cape left strewn on the floor - check!
5. tunnel leading precariously down the stairs into the basement, landing on overstuffed bean bags and couch cushions - check!
6. spilled toy box
7. Darth Vader mask - check
8. happy boys watching a movie with popcorn for all of 18 minutes before coming up with a new scheme to play - check!

(click to enlarge)

the big apple in '10

Shawn and I are trying to get ourselves to NYC. We've been trying to get there for 10 years now. It's a silly thing. Because we've gone other places including London, Disneyland, and Vegas, and a few other smaller destinations in between, and yet we can't get our butts to New York City. We aren't "vacationers" really. We go on a few random trips here and there but we don't plan big vacations all that often. It is a big step for us to just start even thinking about going on a trip of this caliber. I haven't been to New York since 1998. I remember the trip well. I remember having just bought the CUTEST Ann Taylor sandals with at least 2.5 inch heals . I was a saucy single gal in those days. And I traipsed around the city in those blasted shoes until my feet hurt so badly that I just took them off and went barefoot. Yes, in New York City. You see I have several friends, good friends, from college, who live in that fine city (including Adam, my very best friend in college, and Ruth, my"backpack-through-Europe travel buddy) . I've been there half a dozen times in my life. I love it there. It isn't the kind of place I could live - to be honest. Even after 8 years in the city of Seattle, the city of New York is just a wee bit too big, too loud, too dusty for my taste. But I DO love it. It is vibrant and big and loud and dusty - that's its appeal!

But my hubs has never been. And he's always wanted to go. And I've always wanted to go with him. Well, always as long as we've been together which is ten years now. And yet we can't seem to get ourselves there for reasons that escape me. Well, they don't really escape me -- it is expensive to go to New York. There's no denying that. And it means leaving our "babies" - which is hard even though I know they would be in the very capable hands of their grandmothers. And it means Shawn taking time off work. And heck, me taking time off work (though let's be honest, I'm the peanut winner compared to the real bread winner in this family). And now that the kids are older there is school to arrange, and activities, and all the other little things that make up our every day. It is hard to make that commitment.

But last night we decided it was time to make the commitment. We actually looked up hotel rooms on the Internet. It's a start.

The "babies"

These are all the "babies" from playgroup - each of our last babes to be born. It's an odd feeling to know you are done having babies. I remember Shawn and I deciding for ourselves "yep, let's start a family!" That was 7 years ago. And now here we are, two babes in arms, done with babies and bottles and burp clothes. We are now onto swimming lessons and school trips and Spiderman sweatshirts. But these 3 babies here will, I do believe, be "babied" just a little bit longer simply for the reason that they are each of our last babes.

Holden- hardly a "baby" at 3

Charleigh Jo - just turned two and full of spunk!

Tripp - 1 year old and garnering all the attention due as the littlest tyke in playgroup

Photography News...

I don't mean to be a bragger. But there's an update on my photography website that I just can't resist sharing over here. Mainly because it was such a huge part of my life this past fall. It may be a small accomplishment for a more seasoned photographer, but for a gal just over a year in business it is something I'm very proud of. Take a peek!

www.cribtalesphotography.com

Happy Friday!

Play dates

Did we have play dates as kids? I don't think we called it that. I just remember my first best-friend Erin calling me to see if I could come over and play, and I either hopped on my bike or walked over to her house a block away. No one walked me over there or called to make sure I arrived safely. And I don't even remember if her parents were there or not. We pretty much went down into her basement and stayed down there for a few years. We made up dances and sang rock songs and walked to Eckerd's Drugstore to buy candy and slid down her basement stairs in sleeping bags and built forts and ate bean dip and played hide and seek and danced in the basement some more. We just played, and played hard. Eventually we each found other friends, went to different schools, found different interests, etc. But I remember clearly our years of being the best of friends - we couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 I don't think. Eventually I lost touch with Erin completely. Until Facebook came along and I found out she was living in Lubbock and owned her own business, and that we even overlapped a year living in the same city (Seattle) a few years back. It is fun to find an old friend, and remember how much fun we had when life was so very easy and so very carefree.

I see my son finding this path in life right now. He's just started having independent play dates. He goes to play at a friend's house, or a friend comes to our house, and as a parent, I'm not involved at all except to drive the car, make the snacks and insure that no one is leaping off the loft bed. Pretty easy stuff. The kids just play and have fun and try and ignore that I'm around . Very different than a year or so ago when I still supervised play dates like a hawk for fear someone (ok my someone) would bonk another child in the head.

Just a few weeks ago Jackson informed me that his friend Lanae and he had exchanged numbers and were going to have a play date. Sure I said, no problem. I didn't really expect that he had given her my cell phone number. Sure enough, Saturday rolled around and a call came through for him -- from a girl -- and it was Lanae. And he was invited over for his first official un-mom-supervised play date. And he had a ball. And the following weekend Lanae came to our house to play, sans parents. And yesterday his friend Keenan came over to play after school. It is a whole new world opened up to him! And you know what, it is a whole new world for me, too. I actually worked while he played! A novel idea. And the kids even included Holden, too, who felt especially mature playing with two fun fiver year olds. And the only thing I was needed for was snacks, driving and to stop the jumping off of the loft bed. Which got me thinking - - did Erin's mom know we were sliding down the basement stairs in sleeping bags? I doubt it.

Boy oh Boy

It really is a weird phenomenon that I have two boys. I am a very girly-girl. Not that I expected a girl in my life. Well, honestly, I did, because I come from a family where women have only girls pretty much -- I'm one of three girls. My sister has three girls. My mom was one of three girls. The boy thing was way out of left field. And honestly, both times, I wanted boys. I wanted something a little out of the ordinary. Oh boy, did I get it. But it got me thinking. I think God, or the fates, or whatever it is that you believe rules the Universe, gives to us what we are supposed to have in this life. I really do believe this. We are destined for the babies that we have -- whether we give birth to them ourselves or they come to us via another means -- they are our destiny. And my boys are mine.

As a young girl, a young woman I guess, I was pretty much afraid of boys. Boys my own age. From about the age of 10, up until I was about 17, I was deathly afraid of them. That might explain why I didn't have a real boyfriend until I was 16. But I was unsure how to talk to them. Act around them. So I clammed up. I became very shy around the opposite sex. In retrospect this probably came across as my being very stuck up. With apologies, I was just very, very unsure of myself. I'm not certain when that turned around for me. Probably not until I found my husband. But I think part of why I have been graced with two beautiful boys in my life is to make some sort of amends for my shyness as a girl. It also makes me very much want to raise boys who are kind, and sweet, and thoughtful. Who will be good spouses and fathers, should that be the route they take in life.

In having my two boys my world has been rocked. Forget pink and dolls and tea parties -- I know about Star Wars and Spiderman and guns and light sabers (I thought there were called life savers) and all things "boy." There are many skinned knees and burps and farts and other goofy faces, noises and smells. It is a whole new world. But I'm thrilled by it and in awe of it all at the same time. And my shyness is all but gone -- you gotta buck it up with so much testosterone going on in one house. Mama's gotta be heard.

Swimming School Drop Out

I don't like the idea of "letting" my kids quit activities. I feel they should finish out whatever they start. I don't mind if they get bored with something and are ready to try something else, but they have to finish up what they started. However, we are now 3 weeks into round two of swimming for Holden. And he has cried,no sobbed, every single lesson. He hates it. Does NOT want to do it. Sits in the pool and cries big heaving sobs. Finally I have given in and let him quit. I'm bummed about the money going down the drain. I'm bummed because learning to swim is an absolute MUST in my book. But mostly I'm bummed because he was doing so well with his first round of lessons, and I don't know or understand what happened to make him so freaked out all of the sudden. He won't say why. So we'll take a little break. Hopefully he'll continue to watch big brother swim and want to get into it again some time soon. Ho-hum.

Holden in happier swimming times:

Vintage

He's 5.75 now - are you kidding me?!?!?

Prayers for Haiti

No words can describe the devastation that land is facing right now. It is heartbreaking, heart wrenching. It is hard to watch the news, but also hard not to. Like when Katrina hit or the Towers fell, it just makes you ache for the loss of life, and the broken lives that are shattered along the way.

The quake in Haiti also reminds me very much of my cousin Sonya, who lost her life in Haiti 19 years ago. She was a missionary over there, working in an orphanage. I remember the pictures she sent back to us all with all the beautiful children, most of whom had lost their parents to AIDS, and many of whom were also suffering from the disease. The poverty would take your breath away. She so selfishly put college aside to serve her Lord and the Haitian children. She passed away, suddenly, in a terrible car accident on the way into Port Au Prince one afternoon - where yesterday's earthquake hit the hardest. It was a horrible loss to our family, her friends, her church, the orphanage where she worked. And I know today that my aunt and uncle, and my cousins, must be thinking even more of Sonya. Of the life she gave to help that small, desperate land. I pray for them, to help ease their hearts, because I know a day cannot pass that Sonya does not cross their minds. She was such a beautiful, sweet girl. We had such good times growing up. And she is so very much missed. And I pray, desperately, for the Haitians. This catastrophe will forever change that land. They were so desperate before, and now...there are just no words.

And I am reminded again (and again, and again) how blessed my life is. How fortunate I am to live where there is such an abundance of everything.

To donate:

http://www.yele.org/

Crib No More

Big boy changes at our house. I may have to change the name of my blog because there is no longer a "CRIB" in my home!! Holden is now in a big boy bed, complete with 3 pillows (he's very excited about the 3 pillows) and cowboy sheets. Wowsas, how did that happen?? I feel like it was about a week ago that Shawn and I hit the Baby Burlington in Shoreline and picked out our sweet, simple, pine crib for baby-boy#1. I loved it then and I love it now. But it is in pieces in the spare room, waiting for me to list it on Craig's list. Yeah, I'm selling it. I'm not so sentimental that I need to keep the crib around for posterity's sake. I'm not one for clutter if I can help it.

So little man H is sleeping in his awesome new bed - it is sweet and simple and pine, but NOT a crib. It is a big boy bed! I promised him I'd make him a tent canopy since big brother has a loft bed, and he deserves a little something special as well. I'm still working on figuring out how to make that. I've got plans a-brew'n though!

And I should add - he is also diaper free day AND night! So he's in a big boy bed, sans diapers, and he's rock'n it! So proud of him. So in shock that my days of lifting a sweet smelling baby out of a snuggly crib are over. But I totally love snuggling up on Holden's new bed, reading him bedtime stories. It is sweet and simple...and quite magical.

New Kicks

This kid loves boots. So much so that he was wearing his snow boots to school every single day, even when there was no snow on the ground. I promised him I'd get him a 2nd pair of boots, something a bit less cumbersome than snow boots. I found these at my favorite store - Ta-jay! So cute. I put them in the middle of his room on the floor and told him to go upstairs when he got home from school. "AWESOME, OH MY GOSH!" I heard from above. Mission accomplished!

The Office: Sans Pam and Michael

I've never been one for new year's resolutions. I probably could use a few, but I just never got into it. I always know I should drop a few pounds, exercise more, spend less money, be more organized, but I don't always adhere to this. Knowing and doing are two separate things. But for the past 2 weeks I have been on a mission for organization. I feel like a woman possessed. Call it a new year's resolution, or just call it "my house is overflowing with junk!" But the room that needs the most organization by far is my office. It becomes the dumping ground for everything in the house that doesn't have a place. It is where I pay bills, check emails, edit photos, keep paperwork, manage Jackson's school stuff, do my crafts, etc. I'm in here a lot. So I made it my goal this weekend to get the room in shape -- and on the cheap. Not easy!

I managed to get the room organized for less than $100. Not too bad. I bought a new paper shredder on sale for $20 (score!). Our last one died because I neglected to use the special lubricant sheets on it. So I shelled out $9 for those. I also converted my files from letter size folders to legal size folders. I spent $16 for 40 folders. They were half off (score #2)! So that got me started. Then I really wanted to work on my built in book shelf. It is really tall and wide and holds just about anything and everything - cameras, cards, photos, tools, sewing machine and supplies, books, magazines, etc. I wanted to corral everything on the shelves in an organized (and cheap) fashion. I hit Michaels looking for my bargain. I was in sticker shock seeing that the cheapest baskets were running $10 and up, and I needed a dozen of them. NO THANK YOU! Then I saw some awesome mesh-like collapsible boxes on sale for $3.40 each. I emptied their stock out buying 11 of them in black and white (score #3)! I was set!

I spent most of Saturday going through paper work and shredding documents - some of which I'm ashamed to say dated back to the purchase of our first home in Washington is 2002! Crazy! I now have 2 large boxes filled with shreds to recycle. After that I was on to sorting, labeling, organizing, and filing. That took up the rest of Saturday and a good portion of Sunday as well. Thank goodness for my amazingly wonderful husband and Batman Wii to keep the boys busy!

And so, of course, I had to photograph the final results of my hard work. Without further ado...

Before: Sorting paperwork, ready to shred, ready to file

After: Tidy!

Book shelves with a place for everything

Cute, cheap bins!

I covered a plain box with pretty paper and labeled it for Jackson's art projects. Need to get one for Holden, but here's a start...

Files - I have 3 drawers of organized folders now, everything from taxes to warranties to bills, to craft supplies - love it!

Homemade tags - cute and cheap!

ps - my title is in reference to the awesome TV show, The Office

37

This guy is 37 today. I love him. I mean realllllly love him.

All 37 years of him.

Happy Birthday Schmoop!