ooh...pie

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T21:21:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year! We spent New Year's Eve home with the boys playing games, eating delicious treats and wearing funny hats. I am glad that 2011 is behind us and am hoping for a quiet 2012. Here's to a year of tinkering in the yard!

Tomorrow school is back in session. Sometimes, "business as usual" is just fine!

Almost Christmas!

2011-12-23T08:12:00.001-08:00

It's almost Christmas! Yay! Above is the star on the top of our tree. Below is our mantle with the stockings hung with care...

And... our Christmas tree! Lovely!

There are snowflakes and paper chains hanging around the room and lots of snowmen and Santa Clauses are hiding on bookshelves and window ledges. The gifts under the tree are not for us. We never have our own gifts under the tree until Christmas morning. I am so excited. This year, H is really, really into Christmas. He loves the lights and the stories and all the special Christmas activities. It is magical to see Christmas through his eyes.

New Baby!

2011-12-20T21:31:00.000-08:00

Guess what! There's a new baby in the family and it's a girl! A's brother and sister adopted a baby that was born Friday. She is beautiful and they are so happy. We were so glad to meet her on Sunday. She is just under 7lbs and 18 inches long, I think. I'll tell you her name if you email me. Welcome, Baby Girl!

Photographic evidence

2011-11-01T14:14:00.001-07:00

We were: Wile E. Coyote, Maid Marian, The Road Runner and Robin Hood.

On to November!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T11:07:00.001-07:00

Yay! Today is the last day of October and Halloween. The boys are terribly excited to come home from school and get dressed. We are heading up to Aunt Amy's house for our usual Halloween shenanigans. Even though trick or treating will be a little shorter this year, I'm excited for all the fun! Tomorrow I'll have photos of our costumes!

Third Grade!

2011-09-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

This kid is a 3rd Grader! This is epic because I remember third grade. I was at a new school and was terrified. My teacher was also new at school and we had the same first name. I LOVED her! I also had my first crush and my first long-time friend. Good Luck in Third Grade, T! Here's to a fantastic year of learning!

End of Summer

2011-09-02T08:24:00.000-07:00

Mema getting a ride from the little boys

I cannot believe that it is September already! I know people always say that summer ends so quickly, but shoot! We've really only had a one month break since our summer properly began on August first. Believe me, we've packed alot into those 31 days!

Now it's time to start thinking of school commuting and lunchboxes, fall yard chores, baking (!!!) and cleaning up the yard and house. To borrow a trick from our Sweet Auntie, here's a list of chores I hope to accomplish before the first freeze:

1. decide on a layout for raised beds in front
2. build raised beds
3. move bulbs around the yard
4. paint bedroom
5. remodel/fix basement bathroom
6. build a fence for the new chicks' coop

That's a long, expensive list. Wish me luck!

Boppin' Bo's

2011-07-24T08:21:00.000-07:00

Today we are going to the annual seeing GG Grace back to California sundae blast at Boppin' Bo's in Vancouver. If you're looking for a diner with gigantic ice cream deserts, this place is for you! Nothing is small and there are so many sundaes and other treats to choose from I have already begun to decide what I want. I went for a long walk this morning and I think we'll just eat veggies all morning to get ready for all the ice cream, chocolate and whipped cream. I'm thinking a chocolate malt with a side of fries!

It's my Birthday!

2011-07-20T07:00:00.001-07:00

Yay! Today is my birthday! I don't have anything really special planned, except hanging out with Auntie C downtown. We've had some kids staying with us and we're sending them home on the train this afternoon. We are going out for Lebanese food tonight for dinner and I made a yellow cake that will have chocolate frosting for dessert! YUM!

home again!

2011-07-08T08:35:00.001-07:00

We made it! T's surgery went off without a hitch and everyone is very pleased with the results. The cardiologist remarked how the donor's valve that was put in T's pulmonary position nearly perfectly matched his own valve. Strange, and lucky! T was a trooper the whole time and handled the discomfort much, much better than I anticipated. Legacy Emanuel was great and all the staff we encountered were very helpful and kind. One of the nurses even gave T a "Harry Potter" wand that her uncle makes for her patients. It was absolutely hysterical how T held each wand in his hand, feeling it's weight and checking it's action before choosing his perfect wand. Another nurse reminded us of our friend, Sally, and taught T how to swallow pills since the sweet syrupy pain medication he was taking always made him nauseous.

All of us especially enjoyed the Children's Garden at the hospital. We spent a good deal of time during the surgery in the calm, cool garden, only ducking inside to catch updates on T's progress. When T was well enough to leave his room, a trip through the garden brought color back to his cheeks and calmed his nausea. I took many photos of the garden throughout our stay. It seems that on each walk around, we spotted some new interesting this hidden among the plants.

I am so glad to have T home. He is feeling well enough to be bored and fight with his brother! After a week at the hospital we have tons of yard work to catch up on. I can hear the weeds taunting me as I write this. I have lots of photos to upload, I better get to work!

Vacation!

2011-05-31T20:43:00.000-07:00

We just got home from Auntie A's wedding (fabulous!) and then Lake Tahoe (beautiful!). We had a great time. This regular life stuff really takes some getting used to! I much prefer traveling around and not working. Ha! Anyway, I'm working on getting the bajillion photos of the trip uploaded, so bear with me. If you've never been to Lake Tahoe, it's worth the trip. The lake itself is amazingly beautiful and the surrounding mountains are also gorgeous. I'd love to go back when it's not snowy and hike around.

But, Mom, I like the long works!

2011-05-02T19:31:00.001-07:00

H worked on this montessori-adjacent work for a good chunk of the afternoon today. Look how happily busy he is! He knows all of his single digit numerals and is beginning to recognize that two numbers together make a new number (21! instead of 2 and 1). This age, although at times excruciating, is so fun because so many things start to make sense. He is beginning to know things and is gaining the ability to do and find things out for himself. Also, H read his first word today: dad! We are so proud of our little H-Bomb!

What we've been up to

2011-04-02T14:05:00.000-07:00

It is spring! Our yard looks great! The daffodils are blooming, the hyacinths are up. Even the tulips are getting ready to arrive. I've been working on some felting. That little heart up there is on our new dishwasher. We were having a slight problem of people opening the dishwasher while it was in the drying cycle. I'm hoping the "red light, green light" aspect of the heart will eliminate the problem. I didn't actually felt those red and green pieces. Mine turned out too think and rough for the magnets to work. This is just a couple of wool sheets stitched together. Still, I think it looks cute! I wanted the practice because I'm leading a felting project with T's class for their school auction next week and had never felted before. I'll post photos of the kids working and the final project. I hope it turns out great.

H and I helped plant a willow arbor at his school this morning. It is going to be a kind of tunnel that the kids can run through; about 10 feet long. H and I are in the middle of it up there in the photo. We got most of the work done before the cold hail began to fall!

Everyone's Doing it!

2011-03-02T17:09:00.000-08:00

create your own personalized map of the USA
or check out ourCalifornia travel guide

I really want to visit the East Coast! A's parents have talked about taking a tour of the East during the fall when the leaves change color. That would be nice. I'd love to visit the Appalachian Mountain region, too.

Snow Day!

2011-02-24T10:14:00.001-08:00

No school today! We are hanging out at home, playing in the snow and softening some butter for cookies! Hooray!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-15T18:15:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! We had Red Velvet Cupcakes for dessert. The frosting separated or needed extra fine sugar (I did not have any and did not want to go to the store). Next time I'll use the extra fine because the frosting tastes like whipped cream! Yum!

Valentine's faces! T is not exaggerating the mess on his face for the photo. He is unbelievably messy when eating. Seriously, he needs to be hosed off after a meal.

Here, the boys are dressed like mom. Mostly that entails wearing my shoes. They like wedges.

photos overdue

2011-02-10T10:50:00.000-08:00

It's early February and I haven't been taking many pictures, lately. It's kind of cold and yucky outside and the boys only want to languish in front of the fire with the animals. Photos taken inside always look too dark and claustrophobic to me, but here are a few anyway...

T and O shooting blow darts. A and the boys made the guns and darts last year. We've dusted them off since we're getting bored of the cold, dark weather (but we only have a little longer to wait for mild, sunny spring).

And, H got gum stuck in his hair yesterday on the way home from school, so it was time for a haircut. In order to trick them into the stool, I had to talk them into haircuts like Grandpa Rick. So here they are doing their best "Grandpa Rick" impersonations. I don't know the back stories for their poses. H always has his hands down his pants, lately and T is doing some disco style dance? Who knows, but it got them through the haircut without any tears, so Thank you, Grandpa Rick!

So Close to Spring

2011-02-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

This is the most difficult time of year. The days are becoming lighter and some days warmer, even. The bulbs have begun to to poke out of the ground and I think it may be next week when my first daffodil explodes yellow in the front yard. But it it dangerous out there in the garden. Often, I am seduced by those warm moments of dazzling sunshine into eagerly tossing seeds into the soil. Dreaming of fresh peas and bright flowers. Only to wake up to snow-crushed seedlings. Even as I know that we still have many days of freezing temps and could very likely have snow, yet this winter I have pansies in the front yard and today I scattered a few johnny jump-up seeds in the barren backyard. Cross your fingers for my flowers. It's time for brightness.

Great New Blog!

2011-01-28T09:53:00.000-08:00

My sister started a new blog over here! Go check it out!

Surgery

2011-01-23T14:50:00.000-08:00

It is coming. The day we always hoped would remain a "someday" has been scheduled. T was born with Aortic Stenosis that was diagnosed at birth. The only correction is valve replacement. T's valve transplant is scheduled for July 1st. The surgery will most likely be the Ross Procedure, but may be another, less invasive replacement procedure. In any case, we are all a little anxious.

It seems far way, but we always hoped that he'd be much older before having to undergo major surgery. T is concerned about scars and that he'll miss July 4th celebrations. I've assured him that we'll do some kind of fireworks before his surgery and we looked at a map of the hospital where he'll be and found that, depending on his room location, he may be able to see the city's fireworks. I'm sure he'll do fine as he's so strong otherwise. It looks like we'll have a slow summer this year. We are all still processing everything and it doesn't seem real. Probably because it's so far away. I'm sure that the reality of the surgery will smack me in the face, come June.

Getting Fit

2011-01-11T20:47:00.000-08:00

That's right, it's a new year and we're all getting fit! We've been pretty good for the last 10 days, exercising almost every night after the boys go to bed. We've also been playing a bunch of games after dinner, so yay! on that front, too. Right now, all the guys are downstairs doing push ups and pull ups with Tony Horton and the P90X crew. I am thankful that Mari Winsor has a 20 minute pilates dvd, because that's about all the "fitness" I can handle in the evenings. Cross your fingers it sticks!

3, 2, 1, Blast Off!

2011-01-01T15:29:00.000-08:00

I like this one because you can see the explosion around Song's legs!

This is how we spend New Year at our house! Happy New Year, everyone!

Holy Cow, It's Christmas!

2010-12-27T18:13:00.001-08:00

It's past Christmas, actually! We've had a great holiday together. Next week will be filled with lego assembly and finishing Christmas cookies. The boys have a week left of vacation. I think we're going to make it without killing each other. I'm posting some Christmas photos, so go have a looksie while you sip that last little bit of eggnog.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-28T10:54:00.001-08:00

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. Ours was very low-key and just what we wanted. Dinner was good, we were comfortable and there wasn't a big mess to clean up after eating. Also, we have just the right amount of leftovers! Tomorrow we're having turkey noodle soup for dinner. Yum!

H is 4!

2010-11-16T12:07:00.001-08:00

Look at this cute boy! H had a great birthday. I am glad he's happy and also glad this three day birthday extravaganza is behind us. Go check out the great pics from the weekend over on flickr!

Four Years Old

2010-11-14T20:18:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is H's fourth birthday! We had a big birthday party this weekend with the whole family. It was a blast. Tomorrow, H will open his gifts from the family and will have a birthday celebration at school. He is very excited for his school ceremony. I'm kind of excited, too. I've never seen a Montessori birthday ceremony. I hope they let me take a couple pictures! Now I just have to think of what kind of special treat to bring....

November!

2010-11-01T09:35:00.001-07:00

Here we are in all of our Halloween finery! We were: a monkey, Ken, Barbie, and a Dasdardly Villain! We had a blast trick-or-treating and the boys can't wait to look through their candy. Today T had school, so we did call it a night a teeny bit early last night. H doesn't have school today (they are smart over there at Puddletown), but A and I have a parent/teacher conference with his teacher. H is in heaven to have a day free from school, Dad in the basement and a bit of solo time with our friend Cary. We even managed to squeeze a quick bike ride to the video store this morning. I tell you, there is nothing that makes that kid happier than a bike ride!

Now that it's November, it's time to make pie and cookie dough, plan birthday parties and get ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Madness

2010-10-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

It was pumpkin madness this year at Bizi Farms! We went a bit later in the day than we usually go and there were so many people. The lines for everything were long! We had a great time and the weather was about 1000% better than last year. I saw kids running around in tank tops! I did take a bunch of photos that I'll upload soon. The boys and A also caught a cold this weekend, so I need to sanitize all the surfaces of the house before I get H home from school.

Too Long

2010-10-05T11:59:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a long time since I posted. There's been tons of stuff happening, too. H had his first day of school! It was a big success. He loved it! Our car broke down while A was driving home from Astoria and needs a new clutch. Not so great. Auntie A is coming to town this weekend for the Portland Marathon. It's going to be great! I'll post more pics later. This week is crazy and you might have to wait until next Monday when things have slowed way down. Sorry, that's just how it's gonna be!

Honk, Honk!

2010-09-07T10:01:00.000-07:00

Hey, today I have a new (to me!) car! It's really my neighbor's old car--the one I've been borrowing for several months. We bartered the car for rides home from school for his daughter. It's not that bad of a gig. I have to drive by her school to pick up T. The only hang up this year is that they get out of school at the same time. That means that D will have to wait for 15 minutes while I pick T up from school. T says that he doesn't want to go back to school, but I need him to get out of the house. The boys have become increasingly annoyed with each other and their bickering is making me old and stabby. H is going to school this year, too. He will start in October, so he gets an extra month of 'mom and boy' time before his four half days a week begin.

We're spending our last day of summer lunching with GG Doris. It's Tuesday, after all! We may even stop by the mall and pick up a new pair of shoes for my feet.

I hope all the kids in the PPS are having a great first day of school! The O'Boys will join you in class tomorrow!

Zzzzzz

2010-08-30T14:10:00.000-07:00

aahhhh! home from the coast trip. It sure felt good to sleep in my own bed last night. I'll have pictures forth coming. It was great hanging with the fam and Auntie A!

Birthdays, birthdays

2010-08-08T08:59:00.000-07:00

Today is A's birthday! Two weeks ago was mine and in another two weeks it will be T's. We are on the down hill side of summer. It's been great! Full of bike riding, lunch and crafts in the park, swim lessons and hanging out in the sun. I'm excited for the camping trips we have coming up at the end of August.

I tried a couple of weeks ago to post a pic of T on the treadmill, hooked up to the EKG machine at his cardiologist appt, but I couldn't get blogger to accept the photo. He looked very "robotical" He did a great job on the treadmill and his performance was in the 50th percentile for kids with normal heart function. Great Job! The bad news is that the Dr. thinks it's time to replace his damaged valve. He'll have the Ross Procedure sometime early next year (so we can beef up our medical insurance). Since he's so young he won't have a mechanical valve--they require the patient remain on blood thinners for the rest of their lives. We knew that some day he would have to have this surgery, we were just hoping that he would be bigger. It's a common procedure and has uniformly good results. Our doctor has done it TONS of times all over the world. He's very well respected in the pediatric cardiology community and it doesn't hurt that he looks like Mr. Noodle*! OK, bath time for boys!

* while looking for a photo to post I learned that the actor who played Mr. Noodle died! what a shame, but it is creepy how much he looks like our dr.

This Guy!

2010-07-12T11:38:00.000-07:00

Guess who can write his name?

Independence Day

2010-07-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth! We are celebrating in Portland this year due to our unusually high number of exchange students and teeny, tiny car. Anyway, I hope you all have a happy fourth full of (very safe!) fireworks and delicious barbqued foods.

Rainy Spring

2010-05-26T08:35:00.000-07:00

So, it's been raining buckets here in Portland. It's to be expected, it's spring. We usually see some warmer temperatures and a few more sunny days, though. I don't hate the rain. I kind of like it. I don't mind getting wet and I like the cleanness and greenness the rain brings us. One thing I don't like is the slugs. Slugs have completely eaten 3 of my vegetable plants. All the way down to the ground. You cannot even tell there was a plant there. The lonely, sideways plant tag sticking out of the ground just reminds me of the squash and cucumbers we could have been eating. Aargh! I'll just replace them, but holy cow! I would let the chickens check it out, but they eat the plant along with the slugs.

Gappy Smile

2010-05-04T22:27:00.001-07:00

Oh, my God, how cute is this kid?! He lost his third tooth this afternoon and you can see that the fourth is going to follow shortly. Holy cow, what a sweetie! I'm posting some new pics to flickr, but I'm making yogurt, so if I don't get too far, hang in there. I don't want to scorch my milk.

Back home

2010-05-04T09:06:00.000-07:00

H and I had a fantastic time at Auntie A's house! We are still full and tired, two marks of a great vacation. My chore list is written and I renewed my flickr account. You'll see new photos in a few days, so check back! It's been 5 months since I posted any new photos. I have tons! I am off to wash clothes and other mundane tasks. Ah, tuesday...

Spring is Here!

2010-04-13T13:25:00.001-07:00

Look what I made! It's Rhubarb syrup. Look at the beautiful color! Look at the tantalizing little vanilla seeds floating in the sweet syrup! It is so tasty! Here is a list of the things that I've done lately:
1. Made yogurt! It is thick and tangy delicious. My goal is to make yogurt from now on since it's Tons cheaper to make than buy.

2. Made fresh granola. No big surprise since I always make granola, but I thought fresh yogurt called for fresh granola. It was a perfect breakfast this morning with strawberries and bananas.

3. Rhubarb syrup. I had some rhubarb laying around after the strawberry rhubarb pie I made for Easter. I'd noticed the recipe for the syrup in a magazine and wanted to try it. I'm thinking of ways to use the 2 cups of syrup in my fridge. I'm thinking sparkling water, syrup and a squeeze of lime? Any ideas?

4. pulled out some size 4T clothes to see if H was ready to transition. Most of his 3's are getting a bit snug and short. Wouldn't you know it, he fits into the 4's. I have to cuff the pants, but the shirts are pretty much perfect. Darn kid. I told him he couldn't grow anymore and that I wasn't going to feed him, but he told me he was going to keep eating and was going to be big like T. Look how cute he is in his new (old) clothes:

Now that you know what I have been doing, here's what I should be doing:

1. mop the floor. This chore ranks right up there with cleaning bathrooms and folding as far as favorite activities go.

2. finish sewing all the pants and napkins I have cut out and pinned together. Especially since my kids seem hell-bent on getting bigger!

3. Weed. Having a hard time getting outside between the rain bursts today.

4. clean out the closet. It's getting hard to reach the back.

Nice Neice and Nifty Nephew

2010-04-08T08:35:00.000-07:00

I was a little nervous about my houseful of wee ones yesterday, but it turned out great. No one fought, no one cried or was hurt. We went to the park, had lunch and made banana bread. Tomorrow there is no school for T, so I'm thinking zoo? We'll see.

H.bomb

2010-03-31T14:16:00.001-07:00

My fingers smell like wishes!

Golf Ball fix

2010-03-02T10:49:00.001-08:00

Someone has been eating eggs! It's not a person or a rodent, it's a chicken! One of the ladies has been pecking eggs. I suspect it's Georgie, but am not totally sure. I've thought about culling her from the flock (we have a friend of a friend who takes care of these things), but she's also the dominant chicken. I don't know if her absence from the flock would cause a big uproar. Hmm, maybe the farm store peeps can help...

In the meantime, folk wisdom on the internet seems to say golf balls in the nest can dissuade chickens from pecking eggs. We'll see.

photos

2010-02-19T10:57:00.000-08:00

Look, the daffodils prove Spring is really on it's way. Yay, Sunshine!

Mohawk H! This was the only way I could get him to agree to a haircut. Now he's upset there is no mohawk on his head. I have to admit that it looked pretty cute above his chubby, round cheeks! Maybe when he goes through his adolescent "fat" faze (all of you in my family know what I'm talking about!) he can wear a mohawk.

H occasionally creates these crazy, architectural installations. When he was smaller he would build things with his silverware and plates/bowls/cups. It took him the better part of 30 minutes to arrange these chestnuts in just the right way.

Last, but not least: Thanks to Auntie A who sent me this totally cool shawlette! It's so soft and cozy, I love it!

H.bomb

2010-02-05T13:21:00.000-08:00

Just tuckered out

Almost Spring!

2010-02-03T14:24:00.000-08:00

Yay! There are buds waiting to open on the daphne bushes in front of the house and I found one little crocus getting ready to open, too. Yesterday was warmish and sunny sometimes and it makes me want to get out side and turn over the soil. I think I may try to talk A into those little seedling starting flat thingies to get our garden started. I will have vegetables this summer, dammit, I will!

Eggs (not) in a basket

2010-01-24T13:37:00.000-08:00

Here is the tattoo! I won't lie to you, it did not feel good. It felt like a continuous cat scratch. At least it only took about 30 minutes to complete. I think that if I'd had it done in a fattier part of my body, it would have been more comfortable, but I didn't want a tattoo on my butt. It was super tickly, too, which was almost worse.

The initials are T's in his own handwriting. When I asked him to sketch them out, he drew big hearts around his initials with little hearts all around it. I couldn't resist adding one little heart...

When H can write I'll add his initials. I chose eggs because I love to cook and the boys are my little eggs. If we ever adopt (I hope we'll add a girl to the household in a couple years), I'll add a cute little chick next to the eggs with her initials.

Tattoo!

2010-01-23T10:13:00.001-08:00

H wants to know what the doctor is doing to Mom's body?

Oh, yeah, here is a link to Icon Tattoo Studio where I had my tattoo done.

**I don't know why the underline is on or how to turn it off!

On the bus again

2010-01-08T15:58:00.000-08:00

At least they are getting along.

Disguise

2010-01-07T14:24:00.001-08:00

Ssh... He is a pirate, mask, spiderman. But, dont tell anyone

Back to the grind

2010-01-05T20:02:00.001-08:00

Christmas was fantastic, even though we were sick until the moment it arrived. My sisters were angels and sent cookies for Santa to snack on after delivering toys. My mom spent the night and woke up with the boys for Christmas morning. I posted the few pics that A took over on flickr, if you're interested.

T has gone back to school, begrudgingly. He hates being woken up for school even though it's about 6 minutes before he naturally wakes up. We've tried letting him wake up on his own, but he just can't get moving in enough time. H, on the other hand, is a whole new child who loves having his mother all to himself all day long. He demands hugs, snuggling and stories all day. I'm not getting much cleaning done, but he's happy and that makes the day go much better.

Closed for Christmas!

2009-12-22T12:07:00.000-08:00

We're busy recuperating from the flu and trying to get ready for Santa. My sisters were so nice and made extra cookie dough since I was sick and couldn't do it myself. I'm hoping to check out Peacock Lane tomorrow, if we're up for it. I'll be back after Santa comes with pictures of Christmas morning. Happy Holidays to all!

Heck, it's December!

2009-12-08T08:21:00.001-08:00

yeah, we're this Irish: our 3-yr old drinks** Guinness Stout, doesn't yours?
**no alcohol was actually consumed, of course

Ooh, our Christmas tree! Looks great, doesn't it? We had a good time with Grandpa Wayne choosing and cutting down a tree even though it was windy and freezing. Brrrrr! It's still cold outside!
T takes a break from decorating the tree to decorate himself. This kid loves to be fancy and sparkly. We discovered this day that his two front teeth are loose! I promised him an extra toy if he could wiggle them out by Christmas. Cross your fingers, it would be just perfect to see his gappy smile on Christmas morning!

See you next week!

2009-11-25T09:44:00.000-08:00

Hey, only folding/packing and clean the bathrooms left! Mt.Hood vacation, here I come! Hopefully T doesn't throw up before we leave, though... It sounds like the boys are upstairs taking a nap (gasp!). Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I hope your day is great!

List

2009-11-24T12:44:00.000-08:00

So here's my list of stuff to do before leaving for Thanksgiving:
1. Pie dough (for 2 pies)
2. laundry
3.sweep
4.clean bathrooms
5.pack
6.pre-make stuffing & pie fillings

I hope to accomplish most of these things, in no particular order before tomorrow at noon. Wish me luck! Also, we stopped by my new favorite coffee shop this morning at the recommendation of a friend: TaborSpace Coffee Shop. If you are on Belmont and want a good cup of coffee in a fantastic setting, please check it out.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful time, no matter how you spend your holiday. See you after with some great pics!

Recap

2009-11-02T08:37:00.000-08:00

Green Tomato pie!

Whoo! Halloween is over. It was a blast. The boys loved their costumes and they had a great time trick or treating. Aunt Amy and Uncle David were able to host dinner before trick or treating again this year. The boys really love hanging out with all of their cousins and A and I always have a good time with the grown ups. Cousin MK was a little disappointed that I couldn't get Clement to come to the party. She invited all of her friends. He was just too tired from negotiating with the sales associate at the ski shop (he got a screaming deal at US Outdoor Store) to translate more fast english all night long. Next time, MK! T lost another tooth yesterday. This time, the Tooth Fairy brought him a book. He was pretty excited this morning. Check out the photos on flickr!

Lost it!

2009-10-23T15:37:00.001-07:00

First tooth out!

Cats and Dogs

2009-10-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

It is pouring right now. It has been pouring rain all morning! It did let up enough for Moon and Clement to get to the bus, but now it's just dumping buckets of rain! I was thinking of walking to the car for some grocery shopping, but now I just don't know. All I want to do is curl up with some cocoa, a movie, and some knitting. Maybe lunch will warm me up?

Mustache

2009-10-21T07:50:00.001-07:00

Getting ready for halloween

Gurgle, gurgle

2009-10-11T18:02:00.001-07:00

We had a great trip to Sunriver! Here we are at the Newberry Volcanic Monument. The boys did a great job on the short hikes and we were able to find a few easy geocache locations. T is hooked, for sure. I'll have to sign up on the website and check out letterboxing, also! We ate lots of treats and lounged in the hot tub. This morning, we all started to feel a little gurgle-y. I thought it was maybe a little too much coffee, but then T didn't feel well and then A said he didn't feel that great... On our way home, we stopped for lunch and T threw up in the lobby (we went to another place after we'd defaced that one). Now that we're home, H seems fine, but T and A both have fevers and my tummy is still not quite right. We're stocked up on ginger ale, soup, crackers and all sorts of medications. We'll be back in no time!

Hey, it's October!

2009-10-07T21:05:00.001-07:00

practicing trick-or-treating today

Oh, man, I have got to get a handle on Christmas gifts! I have lots of plans, but plans require action and sometimes I am not so in to action. I don't want to leak any spoilers, so that's enough of that!

It is sunny and October and I love it! The weather has been cool, but sunny and the leaves are changing color and the chestnuts are dropping. The boys and I hung the Halloween decorations this afternoon and they decided to practice trick or treating. They dressed as a devil and a fireman. There was no candy (it was before dinner, you know) and they were on the inside of the door, but they still remembered how it goes.

Tomorrow the small boy and I are going to GG Hazel's to help clean out her boxes of stuff. I'm hoping to find a box of Nancy Drew mysteries and maybe some old photos that survived the fire in the original little house. We did find a few last time we were out there and I will post those as soon as I get copies of the scanned image. In the mean time, go out and enjoy autumn!

K and H on GG's lap.

Farewell, Jack!

2009-09-19T18:46:00.001-07:00

Our second exchange student, "Jack", left today. We had such a great time with him. Both boys adored him, especially T. He was very kind and patient and had a great sense of humor. Also, he was super tall--over 6 feet! T has been more upset as today got closer. Luckily, he was at Cousin J's birthday party when we took Jack to the airport. I don't think he could have handled it! Jack was upset when he realized that T wasn't going to be home and had to call him at the party to say a proper good-bye! It was very sweet. Hopefully, we'll see him again. He's not going home, just continuing his English training down in San Diego, then off to Chicago and New York. We currently have a student from Saudi Arabia staying with us and a new student arriving from South Korea next weekend. Whew!

Just Married!

2009-09-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

It's official, Amy and David tied the knot saturday. It was fantastic! Much love to them both, and I'll post more pics later on flickr, so check back for more. Congratulations to the happy couple!

Predators!

2009-09-11T13:51:00.000-07:00

At the zoo

Opt-Out!

2009-09-04T08:48:00.001-07:00

Hey, I've been surfing around the No Impact Man website and found a link to a permanent opt-out for junk mail. Check it out. There will more posts coming up dealing with this subject, so get ready!

Symphony at the park

2009-09-03T19:43:00.001-07:00

New Message

2009-09-03T19:41:00.001-07:00

5 + 1 =

2009-08-19T07:47:00.000-07:00

SIX!

That's right, people, we have a birthday boy in our midst! T is so excited about turning six years old. Cute! We're torturing him by making him wait to open his gift. It's sitting on the table wrapped in bright, shiny paper. Mwa ha ha! I think we're swimming today since it'll be so hot and then we'll have salad rolls and sundaes tonight. Our current exchange student celebrates his birthday on Friday, so there's cake on Saturday afternoon. Happy, happy birthday!

2009-08-06T07:24:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, we spent the day playing at Lost Lake. It was a long drive, but we were rewarded with a great view of Mt. Hood, swimming, canoeing and picknicking. We tried a quick jaunt on the trail that goes around the lake, but the mosquitos were so thick, we turned back after a few hundred feet. We were very happy to stop at a little country store for fresh berry shakes and pie on our way home. Yum!

On the camping front, I am furiously packing and listing for an easy drive saturday. It's A's birthday and I want it to be as nice as possible since we'll be driving 3 1/2 hours! Here's a list of what I still need to do:
Cook beans
bake snack and something for A's birthday
laundry (the latch on the washer door broke monday, so we've been waiting for the repair guy)
Get clothes in the bags (can't do it until I do laundry)
Buy a new swimsuit top (there is plenty of photographic evidence from the lake trip that the nips aren't concealed by my current situation)

I think this morning, I'm going to get the tent and chairs and other stuff out for ready packing. We're going to Thai on Friday night for A's birthday. If you're in the area, you should join us.

Just quick

2009-08-04T22:53:00.000-07:00

I had a great birthday! I've posted new pics over to flickr, but maybe haven't noted them all, yet. I am getting ready for the big camping trip, are you? This week is very busy. Ooh, we joined zipcar! It's fun, you should do it, too. Now check out those new pics!

Today is someone's birthday!

2009-07-20T08:09:00.001-07:00

Peter Parker cant believe i am 33!

Things I'd like to do today...

1. Garden
2. Go to the park (maybe the free swim?)
3. bake a blueberry crisp for tonight. I hope it's not too hot.

I'm off to get some new seeds in the garden for crop #2.

Vacay

2009-07-11T21:02:00.000-07:00

Summer! We're starting to to have a little fun around here now that we're bug-free on all levels. Big tie-dye party coming up on Monday... If you're in the area, bring a shirt over!

Summertime

2009-07-07T21:59:00.001-07:00

Look at these two just dying for a bit of trouble to get into. They are like the children from the Cat in the Hat. They are watching the construction crew take down a tree. I'm posting more pictures, so check back later. I'm just too tired to do it now.
Oh, yeah, here are the cherries and jam I made before the 4th. Yummy! And, I actually canned the raspberries. They are not thick enough, more like syrup, but I'll take it!

Getting better all the time

2009-06-16T20:18:00.000-07:00

Better, better, better. I didn't have to clean up any vomit today! H seems on the mend, even though he went to sleep at 5pm this evening and isn't awake at 8:30. I'll probably be up at 5 tomorrow! I'm trying to keep things interesting during the day without doing too much stuff and not giving the boys too little time to just do nothing. This flu has really slowed us down, but I think we're going to have a great summer! Just look at what we've already done (and check out new pics over at flickr):
Not only did T graduate from Kindergarten, but he's learning to ride on 2 wheels! He's just about got it, but is still a little too slow to keep himself from hitting things. I think that he'll be good to go in a few days if we really work with him.

Mmmm! Strawberry sponge cake! It is yummy!

Shitsville

2009-06-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

R.I.P. Buffy
We've had our first poultry casualty. Poor Buffy (the lady pictured in the previous post) was eaten by some animal in the night. A and T found her remains this morning. The other girls were alive, but agitated. We don't know what happened or who got into the coop (possum? raccoon? cat?). We'll have to work with the neighbor to strengthen our little chicken fortress. I'm sad it was Buffy. Even though she was a little slower than the others, she was sweet and soft and pretty. I hope it doesn't come back. I'd kind of miss their crazy-eyed, head-jabbing, dash to meet me at feeding time each day.

Strawberries
To celebrate summer we went berry picking last thursday. It was great. The weather was warm and pleasant. The farm wasn't too busy. The boys had a great time. We brought home plenty of berries to eat and mix into freezer jam. Then it happened. A few hours after we were home, H ran into the kitchen and threw up (what seemed like) cups and cups of strawberry red vomit. Luckily, one of my sisters was here to help since H and 1/3 of my kitchen were covered in puke. I thought he had just eaten too many strawberries, so we washed him up, tucked him into bed, cleaned the kitchen and went on with the dinner party that was planned for that evening. But, he wasn't done throwing up. He threw up. And threw up. On the third day, diarrhea joined in. Sometimes at the same time. I called the pediatrician's office only to find out that there is a stomach flu going around and it's most likely just a coincidence that it showed up on the same day as the berries. Hmm, what a coinky-dink! "Just keep him hydrated."
If you come to visit, we'll be tired, crying, still in our pajamas and folding a non-stop stream of linens. Please bring a sledgehammer.

Almost summer

2009-06-08T20:08:00.000-07:00

Look how much the chicks have grown! This one is Buffy. She has the softest feathers. She's very shy, but if you can get a hold of her, she usually settles quickly and seems to like being gently pet. I had a good picture of the whole flock, but accidentally deleted it. Oops!

H has been complaining lately about his hot head. Here he is with all of his blonde baby hair. I keep it trimmed, but his head has been extra sweaty lately. Today I gave him a hair cut....

Look how cute he is! Now he can run all over the place and not feel too hot. He looks so much older, too. More like T? I can see a different family resemblance now that his hair is short, but I don't know who it is.

Uh oh!

2009-06-06T11:43:00.001-07:00

Parade day!

2009-06-06T09:11:00.001-07:00

Hey Look!

2009-06-03T21:50:00.001-07:00

So, I uploaded some new photos to flicker. See? We went to the Bonneville Dam! Some of the photos are rated for friends and family only, so you have to log in if you want to see H sitting on the potty seat or stuck in the cat tree. The boys and I went fishing with Grandpa Wayne on monday and they had a blast. It was their first time fishing and they loved it. I thought we might have some tense moments when T realized that the fish were dying, but there were none.

I am still gearing up for summer break and am actually putting together a sort of schedule. I don't think I'm going to date it just plan out a week at a time and let the weather do what it will. No point in going to the beach if it's going to rain the whole time, eh? We've got passes for some of the local hotspots, so if you're going give us a call!

Four Things (in no particular order)

2009-05-26T08:32:00.000-07:00

H is nearly potty trained! We have no diapers in the house. It is hard work and I don't think he is entirely ready to potty train, but he does a pretty good job. He's still in "nap pants" for naps and night time, and has a hard time keeping his pants dry in the afternoon, but we're working together and getting better every day.

A and I are going to Skamania Lodge next month for two whole nights. Without the kids! I think it's been about 3 years since we did anything without the boys. We can't wait!

Rose Festival is here! T and I are excited for the Grand Floral Parade on June 6th. Are you going down to watch it? Can we sit next to you? I'll bring treats.....

Ahh, summer vacation is just around the corner. I am gearing up for three months with the kids, uninterupted. If you have any ideas of fun things to do, make, see please send them to me.

See you next time!

Hiatus

2009-05-20T13:06:00.001-07:00

I guess I've been on a hiatus for about a month. I'll post something soon, I promise.

Jack Hammer

2009-04-17T21:01:00.000-07:00

I am not kidding you, but as I write this, at 9:02pm, there is a jack hammer pounding into the street around the corner from my house! It must be a bad leak for some poor man to be out at 9 on a friday night!

For all you Mema's out there, I've posted Easter egg hunt pics over on flickr. I'm still weeding the pics from Easter Sunday, but I'll get to them. Cut me some slack, I'm trying to study over here!

Maybe A and I will watch a movie while we eat our slice of pie (!!!) to give the workers time to close up the hole they're digging. No one will be able to sleep anyway!

Plaid

2009-04-13T12:10:00.001-07:00

Can you hear the dueling banjos?

Aha!

2009-04-11T22:19:00.000-07:00

Here are the finished eggs. They turned out great, eh?! The orange and dark blue are not my favorite, but they look great for the most part. I think next year I'll try adding stickers and rubber bands for stripes and shapes. We are just about ready for easter morning. The risotto is made, the baskets are filled and the clothes are ready to put on. I'm hopping into the shower and then into bed. Sleep tight!

In Process....

2009-04-11T19:50:00.001-07:00

All natural dyes, in process! So far it looks like it's going to come out great! In the jar is pomegranat-blueberry juice, the yellow is turmeric, orange is paprika, purple/blue is cabbage and the red in front is beet juice.

Almost Easter

2009-04-11T16:58:00.001-07:00

The boys are dying, or coloring Easter eggs. They're using the Paas "snaps". I wanted to try natural dyes this year, but I knew the boys wouldn't have the patience to wait for 30+ minutes for the eggs to soak. They are great! for $1 the boys got to color on the eggs with a minimum of mess and instant results.
One egg rolled off the table before we had a chance to color it. We tasted it, to be sure they are edible, it was delicious! I'll post pictures of my naturally colored eggs once they're done. I'm using beets, red cabbage, paprika and turmeric.

Girls! Girls! Girls!

2009-04-08T19:41:00.001-07:00

Look at what cute chicks I picked up today! You can still have fun in SE! Now we have seven birds all together (we're sharing with a neighbor) and a good mix. I'll post more later, A has a good story to share...

Wahclella Falls

2009-03-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

We had a great time yesterday! Here are a few of the pictures. I'll post more later. We have a busy day today, but I'll work on it... I also have a website that lists local hikes that I'll add later. Talk to you soon!

Hike day!

2009-03-26T20:38:00.001-07:00

Wahclella falls

I learned how to knit!

2009-03-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

Look! I can make stuff with yarn and needles! The pink scarf is mine and the stripey one is for T. He chose the colors. It's an organic cotton yarn because he's sensitive to wool.

The stripes are cute, but they are kind of a pain in the butt. Next time, I'll make the stripes thinner or not there. It's a a hassle to tuck all the ends of yarn in and they never hide all the way. I think the one I make for H will be blue and white, but I need to find a good blue first. Then, maybe hats?

So, H was up the last two nights with a high fever. I'm thinking that potty training will have to wait. He's been all screaming and tantrums this morning peppered with moments of sweetness and delight. He's a surprisingly good patient. Pretty calm and doesn't cry and whine like T. Where T cries when you leave to fetch something, H says "o-tay" in a weak little voice and lays quietly waiting for your return with medicine/drink/blanket.

oh! What's that? H just peed in the toilet! Lets get out the jellybeans! See you later, cross your fingers for me, maybe we'll potty train anyway this week.

Baseball!

2009-03-20T12:47:00.001-07:00

H testing out his new big boy underwear. Next week, we're going to try putting them on his bottom!

Just Very Boring

2009-03-18T13:58:00.001-07:00

we have crocus in our yard! the daphne is beginning to bloom, it smells wonderful!

We have been very busy lately with nothing. The sort of nothing that slowly consumes your life while you're not looking. You don't realize until someone asks, "what's up?" and you don't have and answer other than school, work and chores. I haven't even been taking many photos recently, which is kind of crazy. Our yard is beginning to wake up and I'm hoping we will, too. Next week is Spring Break and I'm hoping to potty train H and get some plants in the garden. I haven't looked at the weather forcast, yet because I'm scared. I hope the weather is even marginally good. I'm not asking for sunny and 60 all week, but I'm praying we don't get snow and 28!

on a walk around the neighborhood on a sunny afternoon

brothers gotta hug!

Weekend!

2009-03-02T13:34:00.000-08:00

HJ and H hanging out together while I make breakfast. H is always tagging along behind our exchange student. T is excited to see him also, now that he's over the flu. We introduced HJ to A's family on sunday. It was fun to be out at Grandma and Grandpa's house. HJ was exhausted by all the english speaking and had to take a nap in the afternoon. GG Doris talked his ear off about the Phillipines, being a teacher and Grandpa Hal. When we got home, HJ just walked downstairs and sat infront of the TV for the rest of the evening. Poor kid! Everyone was impressed with his language skills and his friendly personality. He truly is a great person. We are very fortunate to have him in our home.
Oatmeal-chocolate and butterscotch chip cookies! I made these last week and they didn't make it to the weekend. They were delicious! The exchange students at Kaplan were brought samples and so we were on the hook friday evening to host dinner:
Here is our student and his classmates (also from Sout Korea). We had a great time and learned that cilantro is not a favorite flavor in South Korea. The students seemed to enjoy the indian food and marionberry pie. After dinner, A taught the gang how to play "uno". Good times!

On saturday, we had dinner with some of my family at Thai Thai Restaurant on Division St. It was AWESOME! The food was great and very prompt. There were only two other tables filled at 6:30 on a saturday night. I will be craving their food for weeks to come. If you have the opportunity to visit, skip the pad thai and go strait for the fried asparagus. You'll thank me!

Proud Parents

2009-02-27T14:42:00.001-08:00

T and his best friend.

T was nominated this month for student of the month at school. He is so excited! The assembly was today and A and I, as well as Grandma C, were able to attend. This month's assembly honored friendship. Here's what T's teacher had to say:
"T is one of the most accepting kindergarteners I have ever met. He likes everyone just as they are. When anyone is frustrated or sad, T is there to lend a hand."
He was the first student called up on stage to accept his award and was all smiles. His best friend, beside him in the picture above, was nominated as well. We are so proud!

You don't need language when you have...

2009-02-20T19:08:00.000-08:00

XBox! Our exchange student is fantastic! He's studied English for about a year and is able to speak pretty well with us at home. T and A (it's still funny to me!) have been sick since HJ (our exchange student) arrived. I've felt a little sad for all of us because I've been the only one up after 8pm. Let me tell you all that for a native speaker, I really don't know that much about English. A would be much better for advise on when to use may, might or will and the present continuing tense. The poor kid has to listen to me stumble around my own language! But, he's been very patient and has hung in there with me. He's getting along with H very well. There's no language barrier, and H is easily plied with candy. T's been so tired, he hasn't really been himself. I think sleeping all afternoon has helped him to feel better, though. I made Korean food for dinner that didn't turn out terribly and now all the boys are downstairs playing video games. I know it's only been a week, but we are very happy to have this opportunity to learn a little about another culture.

Renovation Project

2009-02-12T20:41:00.000-08:00

Well, maybe just a facelift. But the new room looks great, doesn't it? We're ready for our exchange student who arrives on Sunday from South Korea. We are kind of taking a break tonight, no studying, no painting or cleaning. Just popcorn, tea and The Office/30 Rock. It's going to be great. Ooops, there's my timer!

2009-02-09T15:13:00.000-08:00

T's new shoes. He didn't outgrow his old ones, just wore them out. Aren't these cute! Only 16.50 at Old Navy. His feet are finally thinning out enough that I can find shoes at a regular shop and don't have to buy exclusively at the wide-shoe hut!

Here are some other pictures of the boys at the park this weekend. It was super cold! The boy in yellow is a cousin.

In other news, we are getting ready for an exchange student to come live with us beginning on Sunday! He is 23 and from South Korea. That's pretty much all we know about him for now. I'll post pictures of his room once we get it finished. We're painting this week and then we'll have to put together furniture. We are very excited for this new visitor. If you're interested, we applied to Kaplan Aspect to host a student.

ps. Sorry for the wonky picture orientation, but that's the way blogger wants to be this afternoon. I'm blaming in on the cold, slushy rain-snow that's falling outside!

2009-02-09T14:19:00.000-08:00

National pie day was January 23, 2009. I made apple-cranberry hand pies and passed them out to neighbors. They were yummy!

Brothers are cute!

H is getting seriously big. Look at what a cutie he is! He's entering a phase where he looks like my dad. I can see it sometimes. It makes sense, I think he does look more like me than T. He's not really interested in using the toilet, but hopefully soon.

Aargh!

2009-01-28T08:16:00.001-08:00

Ready for school.

Accordian!

2009-01-27T09:57:00.000-08:00

Just like gg doris.

Get Ready

2009-01-17T16:59:00.000-08:00

Prepare yourselves, people, it's coming!

Usual Saturday

2009-01-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

What? Don't you sit around on saturday reading 3-D comics? Everything is back to normal around here now that A is back from his training. We made a welcome home banner and some tasty soup for A's return. The boys have been glued to his side every second and only want Dad to help them. Aah, it's nice to have him home!