Adventures in Apple Valley

The Man I Married

2011-08-11T09:22:00.000-07:00

At the end of this week, Tyson will have worked 10 'doubles' in 12 days. A 'double' is a 16 hour day. Some were forced, some were swaps so he could get this weekend off to spend with us in Santa Barbara, and some were scheduled overtimes. Regardless, we have missed him!

Dawson started asking about his Dad at bedtime last night and wondering when they would get to hang out again. When he was little, a few nights of not seeing Dad just translated into acting out and being extra naughty for him, which made for one cranky Mom. It was a strange milestone to have him be able to say he missed his dad and ask when he would see him, and for me to be able to explain that he was working hard to earn some extra time with us, and he would be home in 2 days.

When I tucked Anabelle in, she was also uneasy. This is my kid that will sleep any time, any where, any time you tell her to. She NEVER has trouble falling asleep, and never has. I have pictures of her at age 4, sound asleep in a teeny little shopping cart in the middle of Michael's craft store. So when she talks about not wanting to sleep (this ONE time, ha), I pay attention.

She said she was afraid of falling asleep because she has been having bad dreams. The other night, she did wake up terrified of something she couldnt explain in her state of delirium, but had forgotten what it was about by morning. Last night at bedtime, the nightmare finally resurfaced fresh enough for her to talk about.

Evidently there was an awful nightmare involving a trip to the moon with her Dad. Her voice grew tight and panicked as she explained that they were exploring and then he just LEFT her there. She saw him get in his rocket ship and leave, and she needed to find a way to get back to grandpa and grandma's house at the earth, but she was all alone and scared of the aliens. Then she dreamt right after that of watching me drink toilet water, and she watched as I 'started to fade away'... and the dream ended with me dying in front of her.

Yep. Traumatized for life.

And she probably is too (haha).

Anyways. I explained all this to Tyson when he got home late last night, and he was particularly sensitive to it. I also mentioned that his son was missing him, and he should leave a note or something in the morning since we will have a busy couple days and they may not see each other until the weekend.

When I walked into the kitchen this morning, these little gems were sitting on the counter...

For Anabelle:

For Dawson:

I seriously feel like there is NO free time these days. I am looking at our calendar realizing we are pretty booked until NOVEMBER. We are having the time of our lives shooting bb guns and baking and coloring and swimming and biking and shopping and projecting ourselves to death with the kids, planning parties and outings and adventures with and without the little rascals, attending gatherings and orientations and races and get togethers of any and all kinds, but one day... when life slows down...

I have a dream...

I want to write a childrens book, and I want my husband to illustrate it. He is really REALLY good. Not many people know this about him, but the man can draw! He doodles on napkins things that my brain could never imagine. He sees pictures from angles I never realized were there. He even has a unique 'style' that I could pick out of a book of a thousand pictures. The man is a natural artist who has never explored his potential. I realize I am gushing over these cheesy little note cards, but he seriously slapped them out in 30 seconds flat. You should see what he can do when he actually TRIES.

Anyways.

Now I've said it. I've 'put it into the universe,' and Im hoping it resurfaces again one day when the days pass a little more slowly, even if our grandchildren are the only ones who ever take the time to read it.

Im off to watch my kids grow before my eyes!

xo

Living Like A "Rock" Star

2011-07-21T14:26:00.001-07:00

This is it... the highly anticipated Half Dome blog. Get it? "Rock" star? Elissa Parrish, I know you love me for this...

So... its been a doozie of a week or so.

I took 2 days off at the end of last week to celebrate with some old friends from high school... our class reunion at my parent's house was a nice relaxing time to catch up on some familiar and dear old faces that have been missed over the last decade or so! It was a decent turn out, I think a little more than 1/3rd of the 30 that graduated were able to make it.

We were so busy catching up, roasting s'mores, playing 'high school trivia,' eating, drinking, being merry, and just plain old hanging out... there aren't a ton of pictures but we all had a great time. I think. ;)

On Friday we recovered from a late night the evening before and slept in, then met up with whoever was around in SLO for lunch and wine tasting and some of our old favorite hang outs.

I still have cool friends... yesss!

Saturday it was family day in Yosemite.

Maybe I should back up a step and say that my youngest brother, Kyle, got an amazing opportunity to spend 8 weeks this summer working for the California Youth Conservation Corps in Yosemite National Park.

He is literally sleeping in a basement on a cot and working his butt off blazing trails, backpacking, building tepees for the Indians that summer there, and being a mountain man all the live long day. It was good to see him... he looks GREAT and I know he will have a new appreciation for his own bed when he gets home in a few weeks a $RICH$ man with a fancy resume! ITS A PAID POSITION!

Chelsea and Wady (my high school bff and her husband) were planning a visit for the reunion and since it happened to overlap with these grand Yosemite family day plans we decided to drag them along and make the most of it. We made plans to just stay over night in a neighboring town and take a little day hike the next morning on some obscure little wilderness trail called... Half Dome.

(WHAT THE HELL WERE WE THINKING!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?)

It was breath taking.

Literally.

No, but seriously.

Did you know you can't breathe up there? (I didn't!) But then we found out real fast.

We started our hike at a little after 6:30am. The hotel we stayed at the night before was in Oakhurst, so we were still a good hour and a half from the trail head the morning of the hike. You do the math... we got up earrrly. Or late. Or something.

We saw some pretty amazing stuff.

We had some pretty good laughs.

We walked some pretty steep miles.

We made some pretty cool friends... who shared their permits with us since we are slackers that didn't realize SIX MONTHS AGO when they sold out online (seven seconds after they went on sale) that we were going to hike half dome on July 17th. Wild. Anyways. We scored the paper thanks to these kind hikers. That's all that matters. Without the transfered permit that we were totally chancing on getting ahold of, we would not have been allowed to hike past the cables once we got to the top. Which would have been a long hike with a big bummer at the end.

I did a little but not a lot of research before we hiked. I was protecting myself from too much information... Its a weird thing I have a habit of doing. I can't over think anything or else seeds of doubt creep in and mess with my head. Hindsight, this was a good move.

We all knew just enough before hand to make sure we had good hiking boots with lots of tread.

We knew how much water to bring per person and what kind of food to pack.

We knew how many miles, how long it would take us, what the temperature would be...

We were NOT prepared for this:

The pictures do no justice to just how terrifying it is to be standing there looking at this thing you are supposed to do with all the other millions of morons at varying skill levels that are trying to do the exact same difficult thing as you at different speeds and abilities.

Some people had gloves and ropes and real mountain climbing GEAR!

Some people were families... that were taking all the years of aggression from around the dinner table out on each other at 7500 feet as our lives dangled in front of us by one tiny cable. No, but seriously. This one guy and his teenage daughter were YELLING at each other to "SHUT UP! SHUT UP!!! NO YOU SHUT UP!!!!...." as we all held on to the same life line praying and concentrating... slightly stressful.

Some people didn't speak any English, which makes communicating hard (which is kind of a luxury you want to take advantage of if you have it). I totally came home and Googled how to say "tell my children I love them" in Japanese so I'll have it handy for next time.

Speaking of kids, some people had CHILDREN with them!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, not like baby children, but like 8 and 9 year olds! Wild. I think my kids are pretty tough cookies... but truthfully I don't know if theres any age that I would feel OK watching them do that at. Sorry, Mom. But its totally true.

When we got close to the top it was literally just giant steps cut into granite rock that we had to scale. That part was scary enough because once you get about half way up those steep little boogers, you turn around and look back and think about how ugly you would look smeared across the face of the cliff you accidentally just climbed without realizing it.

And then, you get to the top of the accidental cliff climbing, and there is a teeny little tent with a volunteer ranger who looks all of 14 years old who basically sits there and laughs at all the idiots (like us!) who suddenly have tons of urgent questions and concerns about how the heck they are going to make it to the top of the impossible.

Chelsea and I made it to the bluff before the cables a little ahead of Wady and Tyson. We couldn't see them but they weren't far behind. Then, there was a crack like the sky was splitting and Jesus was coming back, and the whole mountain we were standing on shook. I thought for sure it was an earthquake and half dome was about to end up on the floor of the valley a mere eight thousand feet below where we were standing. But... turns out... it was just a harmless little avalanche on the mountain across from us that was still capped with snow. Terrifying.

Anyways. The view from the top is incredible.

I took a little 'rest...' and may have even dozed off a moment... only to wake up because I was literally fighting to breathe in and out. It feels like someone is standing on your chest holding a towel over your face while you inhale. I think I'm in decent shape right now over all... it really stressed us all out! It was probably a blessing in the end because if it had been that comfortable up there I might still be up there for fear of the decent back down the death wires.

Down the mountain wasn't half as bad, surprisingly. I think the worst part about down was just knowing we were all TIRED! And it was still nine miles of downhill hike back to the car. The altitude also made us all bloated and puffy... our new hiking shoes were being mean to our fat feet, my fingers looked like sausages (tasty!), and poor Tyson's joints were killing him. Down hill is meaner than up hill! He says he'd totally do it again, but not without poles. Hiking poles, not Polish people. Just to clarify.

By the time we were back at the car, the trip had taken us a good 12 hours, and then we drove all the way home. It was a super duper late night and we had plans to go deep sea fishing out of Rose's landing in Morro Bay the next morning at 6am. We got home close to 1am, and I think that might be the most exhausted I've ever been, including running a marathon and giving birth.

Anyways. That was our crazy mountain adventure. Its been a busy month or so, and I have more to blog about! And for once... it doesn't really involve my kids. Gasp! I almost feel guilty typing that. Almost.

;)

Party in the USA

2011-07-04T16:13:00.001-07:00

Happy 4th of July weekend everyone!

We've been going and going and going... I'm ready to blog just for an excuse to sit down a minute! Lucky little you. ;)

Poor Ty had to work alllll weekend. Except for this morning. So, instead of moping around and hopelessly pining away for him, we decided to load the car and head to a little known haven called... LOS ANGLES.

Evidently we weren't the only ones with that idea... erhm. It took FOUR HOURS to get out of LA on the way home. Those were some dark, dark, dark, dark hours people. Not pretty at all.

Peed in some strange places.

Cried real tears when the technology ran out of battery.

There was yelling and hair pulling... I'm not telling if it was the kids or me.

But we made it. And it was SO worth it to spend a few hours with some of my most favorite faces!

Carly and Dave were visiting for literally 5 minutes. We got at least a good 2 of those 5 minutes, it was a treat! There was a wedding Carly was part of, and Ann and Joe were also attending. The next day (Saturday) we rolled in to town around lunch time, and they braved the blazing hot and unfamiliar freeways to come meet us for an afternoon in the shade at KJs pool. KJ got off work shortly after and we all swam and ate and had a grand old time, until we were STARVING and Jessica got off work and met us for a delish family dinner.

The only complaint of the entire weekend (besides... wait, did I already mention the traffic? ;)...) was not having Ty there to enjoy it with. But there was still a LOT of giving on every one's part to make the afternoon of bliss happen and it was so fun and I'd ~probably~ do it all again.

But without the traffic. That I barely even noticed.

Ahem.

Anyways. With all that TRAFFIC that took us FOUR HOURS to get thru before the real drive could EVEN START... we had a sweet little MUCH NEEDED pit stop in Santa Barbara with Auntie Marlene who fed and hydrated us, washed my filthy daughter's stinky little feet, and showed us to her neighborhood playground where the kids blew off GOBS OF ENERGY PREVIOUSLY CONTAINED IN THE SHRINKING CONFINES OF THE BLISTERING HOT CAR. IN LA TRAFFIC. Traffic sucks. Heh. I think I'm done now. Maybe.

Needless to say, with all the adventure we packed in to the weekend we got home super late and our 4Th of July plans included a bright-n-early 5k that involved driving out to the middle of the wilderness (where only escaped convicts and the witch from Hansel and Gretel call home) to run 3 miles in the sweltering heat. Do we know how to have a good time, or WHAT?!?!

No, but seriously, it was a really really good time.

Anabelle was the cheerleader this time around. Which was probably a good call, since she stayed at the finish line with a good friend who reported that she couldn't even bring herself to STAND in the sun and wait for us to cross. Ha. Disaster adverted. ;) Score one point for team parents.

Dawson was quite a contender...

He finished under 40minutes and placed THIRD in his age group. WHATS UPPPPPPP!?!?!?!? I am so proud I could explode. He won some pretty cool stuff... a nIcE Asics duffel bag that he already determined he can fit all the way inside of and zip the zipper... an ExCeLLeNt quality in a duffel bag... er... so Im told...

He also won these awesome sunglasses. I ~might~ be borrowing them. Pretty often. Or we can call them 'thanks for the awesome first race, Mama!' ;) Juuuuust kidding... probably.

I also set a personal record despite the presence of my EVIL arch enemy... HOT WEATHER. Its literally kryptonite to my Clark Kent. I was shocked I did so well for myself, but ILL TAKE IT! After the race there was a tasty breakfast and lots of other cool prizes. We left with some fun loot. Its a cool tradition. Or a hot tradition. You know what I mean.

We stopped by Grammies on the way home to cool off...

Man, are we bonafide country folk or WHAT!?!

If the boot fits... ;)

Grammie does a really great job giving any holiday or occasion a festive flare... our country's birthday was no exception.

There are more pictures of the food spread because I'm one of those weirdos who likes food por... I mean pictures... But my computer is being lame so maybe if I get ambitious later Ill upload them. Don't wait by your laptop tho.

By the end of the festivities we were SOO TIRED we came crawling home and everyone took naps before Ty had to work. Hallelujah (sang the heavenly hosts)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was a great weekend, and I am so so so thankful for safety on the road as we passed so many horrible accidents and stranded travelers... and also, for what its worth, I am thankful to be an American despite our country's quirks and imperfections. My children drink clean water and pray to our God any time and any where they want, America is BEAUTIFUL, and there are men and women willing to die to protect our countless freedoms and allow us sleep each night.

Hope everyone had a hot dog and a beer, and managed to find some sparks in their day somehow.

xo

Kids These Days

2011-06-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

So, last month our awful cat disappeared.

She just wandered off into the hills, and was never seen or heard from again. Ah, sweet relief. That's probably the nicest thing she's ever... oops, i mean, we've all been utterly devastated and searching around the clock for her to no avail.

I was beginning to enjoy not having to get up in the middle of the night to swat her off the screen outside our bedroom window she regularly climbs while moaning like a laboring zombie when she wants in at 2am. I was getting used to the idea of not having to rake the logs out of the landscaping bark outside our front door that she decided were more inviting than her litter box. I was noticing how nice it was to not have to vacuum clumps of matted cat hair stuck to whatever area of carpet looked freshest.

But then. One beautiful sunshiny morning as we walked out of Target... one of Tyson's co-workers mysteriously ambushed us outside the store as we were heading to load our car- holding...

A KITTEN.

Its almost as if it had been pre-arranged somehow. But I know that's not possible, since Tyson and I had repeatedly discussed all the disadvantages (there are so so so many!!) of cat ownership, and how it was delightful to be rid of the chains once and for all. It was pure happenstance... odd coincidence!... and this poor kitten soul needed a home, immediately!!, or surely she would perish and a jewel would be removed from our heavenly crown for our lack of compassion on one of God's creatures.

Anyways. This blog is not supposed to be about the spawn, I mean kitten.

Its about how adorable my kids are-

There was a knock on the door and 'someone' left a suspicious box.

Dawson immediately tore it open, and scooped her up,

with Anabelle hot on his tail, I mean trail...

They were pretty excited.

Then, without any prompting what-so-ever... Anabelle pipes up...

"I think Dawson gets to name her, because I got to name the last kitten."

He thanked her, and not 5 seconds later said very matter of fact "Her name is Rosemary." As if he'd been thinking about it all his life and had never been more certain.

Both kids have really been enjoying her, but Dawson is especially adoring.

He thinks about her constantly.

He worries that she will be lonely, or cold, or get lost in the garage she is banished to sleep in.

He doesn't want to leave the house because she can't come with us everywhere we go, and when we finally get home, he races to rescue her and acts like its the first time they've met all over again.

Yesterday he made her a present...

A scratching box.

Tyson says its marketing brainwash at its finest and that perhaps we've allowed a little too much time on the electronic devices in our household... but I personally think its a testimony of how brilliant, creative, and caring our lovely little boy is (duh!).

First, he tied some string to the box 'to get her frisky.'

Then, he drew instructions:

1. No standing on the box.

2. No cutting the box with scissors.

3. No zzzzzz sleeping zzzzz on the box,

4. (Stick figured) Kittens only.

Seems pretty reasonable to me.

Then, so as not to waste valuable advertising space, theres an added bonus!

This scratching box received a 5 star customer rating!!

And also, loyal customers are eligible to win big prizes. Somehow.

So. freaking. awesome.

This kid doesn't miss a singe detail of his surroundings. We've never discussed the 'instruction labels' on the shopping carts or on product merchandise at all, but obviously he's on to them.

And... 5 star rating?

Thats just funny stuff right there.

These kids are a riot. They are proving hard to keep occupied so far this summer because they just want to

DO EVERYTHING!

And BE EVERYWHERE!

And they're always dirty and never ever tired.

Hopefully Rosemary will be a good summer babysitter, oops, I mean companion for the both of them.

And hopefully one day our marriage will recover from the ultimate betrayal.

Although, I must admit, it will be hard to stay mad for long at something that makes my kids look this happy...
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Whirlwinds of Change

2011-06-11T20:28:00.000-07:00

When I was a new mom, and just learning to adapt to all the drastic life changes that brought along with it, I would often let my mind wander a year or two down the road... toward the flicker of hope in a time when the kids would be less dependent on a constant basis. When I could eat a meal with both hands again, or without being interrupted mid-spoonful by a starving infant. When I could finish a conversation with the friend I had bumped in to without having to rush home for an afternoon nap schedule. When I could take a shower without the fear of the world's most daring baby climbing out of his crib and falling onto his head and I wouldn't even be there to hear his screams.

Recently, I'm realizing these 'less dependent' days... they aren't coming anytime soon. Maybe not ever. While all the above issues are no longer top concerns, I have entirely brand new sets of crisis management training skills ranging from "were late for gymnastics and I can't find a leotard that doesn't have magic marker all over it" to "why can't I wear my roller skates in the grocery store... past this display case of glass bottles?"So life is exciting round here! Its a whirlwind. But I've noticed how I've stopped looking down the road, and started to really breathe in the scenery as its flying past.

Tomorrow and someday arent a daydream anymore... they are TODAY! Right now! We are enjoying these moments!

I was remembering that a blink ago I was sitting here blogging about Dawson's first day of first grade with a glass of wine and tears on my keyboard because I just wasn't sure he was ready. I didn't know if he was strong enough to handle the demands and challenges of first grade. It honestly was a really tough transition for us, but then, suddenly, it was Christmas vacation, and then oh! Where did March come from?! And then it was May! And then, my little sea star was saying goodbye to all his first grade buddys and his 'stern and demanding' first grade teacher... who actually ran such a tight ship that I'm proud to say confidently, my baby boy is the most confident, effective reader/speller that I've had the pleasure of knowing. With the neatest handwriting, and correct grammar and punctuation, and a strong sense of self confidence in his gift for drawing because of the recognition and encouragement he received throughout the year from his 'tough' teacher.

This year made me realize all the more, teachers have the hardest job. And I appreciate that this one recognized she wasnt there to be my kid's friend, but to teach him about the potential within and the standard we learn by. Tough lessons, but ever so valuable. I'd call it a successful year.

Fun side note~ every morning we would wait til very last thing to comb Dawson's hair, and he'd beg me in my frazzled get-your-coat-on-stand-up-look-at-me-dont-forget-your-lunch-box mom state to "puh-leeeeeze make him hair like Two Face on Batman." I'd say... "uh, no." Because... I dunno... I wish I could be that uninhibited artsy mom that says 'be who you are! Who cares! Let them stare!,' but really, I care... and I didnt want him looking like he came to first grade straight from a night on the Las Vegas strip. On the last day of school... I finally caved...Cutest little wanna-be villain around. I'd say we definitely upstaged last years mohawk. ;)

Anabelle also is at a milestone, with her final day of pre-K last Thusday. Thats it untill Kindergarten for her~ she's SO beyond ready! That girl is also a reading/writing machine. I was speechless the other day (a first for me!) when she picked up Green Eggs and Ham and started sight reading from the middle of the book... FIVE whole pages without help. WHAT!?

They had a promotion chapel last week, so the daycare kids and I took a little field trip... we busted Dawson out of school and met both my parents and Tyson's mom at the event. Anabelle planned her whole outfit, and wore her flower girl gown and her princess tiara from the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique at Disneyland for the special occasion... and she acted every bit the part she dressed to play. They recognized each kid for a character trait that stood out in them, and my daughter was awarded for her encouragement to others. Beams of pride from her dad and I.

Then they called out each name, and when they handed them the promotion certificate they asked into the microphone "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

The little heartfelt responses were so moving and so thoughtful and sincere... some hilarious, some sweet... some completely unrealistic but charming just the same.

One child said a doctor. One said a captain of a ship. There were future firemen, poliece men, teachers, ladybugs, even vampires... one quirky soul said "bone collector" and gave us all a good laugh (and some food for thought).

My daughter's big announcement: she's going to be a princess, naturally (I know you're SHOCKED).

Maybe its time to stop replaying the recaps of the royal wedding for us to watch together on YouTube... and TYSON! The beauty sleep mask from the dollar store you surprised her with- NOT HELPING THE ISSUE!

(Actual conversation after the promotion...)

Me: "So, Anabelle... what exactly do princesses DO?"
Anabelle: "Oh, well, they like to clean and stuff."
Me: "Well. I suppose I'm definitely a princess then?"
Anabelle (rolls eyes!): "NO, Mom. You never clean ANYTHING!!"

i give up.

So ya. Shes charged with plenty of personality to go around, and ready to roll right in to kindergarten with her posse of preschool pals. A good handful of the younger siblings from Dawson's class will be in her grade, and another good handful from around the block. Its strange how many more familiar faces there will be the second (and last) time we do the first day of kindergarten. Definitely not rushing these lazy days of summer, realizing that after this there is no going back: we will officially have 2 school aged children.

So that brings us to the official start of summer! Ty will be home a lot more, he gets a whole week and then some off in July. Its great to have him around, he is such a help with the kids and the daycare and just in general around the house.

Its a good thing, too. With these little monsters, I need all the help I can get. (Gulp!)

Close Call

2011-05-17T09:32:00.000-07:00

So, don't be alarmed, but I have some disturbing news.

Yesterday, seemingly out nowhere, our house suddenly and mysteriously burst into flames! Well, OK, technically it was our playhouse...

...the flames were so intense they were almost impossible to see... ;)

It was really touch and go for awhile, and a pretty close call over all, but FORTUNATELY, we all got out in time, and its looking like the structure may be salvageable.

The smoke inhalation alone was nearly unbearable, but thanks to the heroic bravery and quick thinking of 2 of the most adorable firefighters I have ever laid eyes on, nobody was seriously injured.

How did they do it, you may ask?

When the measures of mere garden hoses alone weren't enough to vanquish the flames, Captain Dawson keenly recalled an age-old trick that's said to save lives every time... PULL THE ALARM!

...but alas, there was no alarm to be pulled. So... he drew one! And the flames magically went out! And I am proud to announce, we all learned a valuable lesson on fire safety and being prepared~ our playhouse is now officially up to code. Or at least it was until today's rain, when the chalk washed off. ;)

Thankfully, my garden was not harmed in the tumultuous process of the fight. Which I am eternally grateful for, since I have already replaced my tomato plants- twice- due to the later frosts this season (or my over-eager welcoming of Spring, your call).

My Mom picked me up a couple bigger sized plants from Cal Poly's annual tomato plant sale (which is a brilliant resource, so I'm told). If these new guys die off... I might just give up and start eating chemical produce for the rest of eternity in a rage of protest against Mother Nature.

In addition to 2 varietys of organic heirloom tomatos, we have strawberries (already producing), blackberries, sweet peas (already producing), onions, parsley, basil, and chives so far.

I'm also really excited about our artichokes! The plant was teeny when I bought it a couple seasons ago, I had almost given up on it as it seemed to be unhappy and/or slow growing for ages. But then, all of a sudden! there were these little beauty's just happy as can be and all but begging to be picked and eaten at once! Dawson is obsessed with artichokes, and the plant was his idea to begin with, so he got the honor of the first harvest. He said it was delish, and we are all looking forward to trying them out for ourselves shortly!

And last but not least... in other "organic and home farming news" (Haha, do I sound like I know what I'm doing now or what?! Fooled ya!)... my parents are taking another brave attempt at Operation Organic Eggs. They had a coop a year or 2 ago, and we all really enjoyed watching the chicks grow into laying hens. The parts they (my parents) did NOT enjoy were the initial workload of keeping the hatch-lings warm/fed/watered/nurtured, waiting around for the girls to get old enough to be busy little egg layers... and the part where the night predators quickly figured out how to break into the hen house and decapitate all the little cluckers in a bloody massacre while the rest of the world slept peacefully. JUST as I was getting used to ingesting brown eggs with fluorescent orange yolks, too! Darn you, varmints!

So my handy dad built a super-coop. I wish I had pictures, no words do it justice. Maybe in another blog, tho no promises with my flaky blogging tendencies these days.

And mom found a lady who cut a deal on a batch of half grown chicks and threw in a couple full grown layers, too. So we're back in business!

All this to say- my daughter looks SO cute holding those Lil peepers.

Dawson hasn't seen them yet.

If the weather ever starts co-operating, its shaping up to be a fun summer down home on the range.

Stay tuned! Carly is married! I signed up and paid for my first triathlon! 10 year class reunion plans in the mix! Anniversary trips! Weddings! Babies! OH MY!

There is so much to be thankful for, and so much to look forward to ahead.

xo

Being Their Mother

2011-05-08T15:54:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up early and set out for a nice long run with a dear friend.

When I got home, Ty and the kids had made a delicious breakfast burrito feast with all the trimmings, and built a shrine of flowers, cards, and home made gifts in my honor.

One of the sweet joys of the kids getting older is seeing certain traits pop out that remind you of yourself or your spouse. Dawson LOVES presents SO much he is always working on the sweetest surprises for me... and half the time, I get them a little early because he likes to spoil me and neither of us can stand to wait! I love that kid.

He made this beautiful little card for me at school...

Sorry, I dont know why it won't rotate, but anyways, I just about cried it was such a sweet little creation. It says:

My mother is very special.

She has sparkling eye shadow,

and curly hair,

and a lovely smile.

She likes to go to the gym

and likes to run

and go to Von(e)s.

She makes the best fish sticks.

She helps me make mud pies

and bug pies

and hot cocoa

I like when we bake cakes

and go to Round Table.

I love my special mom.

I have to say, lately I'm exhausted. The kids have joined activities in the evenings during the week, and theres just a lot going on in general. Sometimes I just feel like there isn't enough of me to go around, and I'm not doing a good job of meeting everyone's needs. I've had to give up some little things, like blogging regularly, in attempt to make sure everyone gets lunches, and clean underwear, and homework turned in.

But I have these 2 great kids, who keep me laughing on a daily basis, and are growing into kind and generous little people that I am so very proud of.

These pics are from Easter Sunday- which was supposed to be its own post, but, you know... theres that darn time issue again, and how there isn't ever any of it.

I guess what I'm saying is... I am enjoying having my cake and trying to shovel bites of it into my face as fast as I can between activities, too... but whether I am just cramming it all in as fast as I can or I actually find a moment to sit and savor each bite (which is the exception rather than the rule these days...) cake is good no matter how you can get it. And so are these kids. And so is my husband who sent me shopping yesterday so he could keep the munchkins home and make home made pencil flower crafts so they could show their love for me on Mother's day.

I love being the mother of this family. I am so proud, and so thankful to them for giving me the honor.

My Front Porch Lookin In

2011-03-28T09:06:00.000-07:00

What a (lazy) weekend!

It was kind of awesome.

Its been raining and raining and raining.... rain makes me feel fat and lazy and like the world may never see the hope of sunshine or Spring ever again. I know, drama queen. But its what the voices tell me when it rains for six.days.straight. and the babies run circles around me and tie me up and cast evil spells on me. And that's exactly what they do... promise!

Saturday we spent a rainy morning in SLO as a family just wandering the streets and window shopping. We splurged and ate lunch at Firstones (SO.DELICIOUS) and took the kids to the candy store. It was a nice treat and a great family day. When we got home, Ty went to work, and I sat on the couch in my sweats with my kids and watched TV. Ahh the beauty.

Sunday I drug my poor kids out of bed "in the middle of the night!" (according to my dramatic daughter... NO idea where she gets that...) ;) and we headed up to Lopez Lake to watch these little miracle moms kick some serious triathlon tail.

Ya, they rule pretty hard. They've been training like rabid dogs for months now, and although I was 'invited,' I talked myself out of it this time around. I want my maiden Tri voyage to be 'fun,' and learning to swim in the rain and dark even with the luxury of a heated pool was not my definition of a good time. Bethany and Kari are seasoned swimmers and gifted athletes that never cease to encourage and inspire, and I am now (finally) SO excited to learn to swim (or at least not look like a drowning cat...) I can hardly stand it.

But... for this race... being the cheer squad was a perfect fit...

My kids loved being there. I loved having an excuse to wear a tutu in public. Dawson asked me if he could do a triathlon last night. He was SO pumped he actually had himself convinced that he could swim in that lake no problem! He was almost in tears when I told him he needs to give it the summer and practice a little more before I just throw him off the pier... tempting as it may seem to do it at any given moment... ;)

When we got home Sunday, my Dad paid us a visit to make good on his Birthday present promise to me...

Tah-DAHHHHH!:

New screen door. We installed a whole house fan last summer to save energy and cut our power bill down. The fan sucks in the cool air from outside and blows the hot hair out thru the attic. In order to make it work effectively, we need to open doors and windows while we run it at the end of the day and early in the summer mornings. Having a screen door is a key element of this process, plus I LOVE that now I can open my front door and hear all the kids playing in the street in the afternoon. Such a simple joy... but I'm sure my poor Dad wouldn't be so fast to call it 'simple.' He wisely reminds me on a regular basis in all my wild ambitions..."there's no such thing as an easy project!" And when you are as meticulous and thoughtful of a craftsmen as he is, that's the absolute truth.

Anyways, THANKS DAD! I adore the door. And you. xo

And... I'm not the only one...

My kids LOVE having Grandpa around.

Playing in the back of his truck is a close second to Disneyland in the world of curious kids...

Yep. That would be a saw blade 2 inches from their feet. Good thing we have insurance.

Anyways- SUNSHINE is in the forecast for all this week. I may put a hit out on our local weatherman if he lied this time... (this message will self destruct....)

Have a great week, everyone!

xo

Honeymoon

2011-03-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

Dawson is officially enrolled in Karate... more on that later, but its amazing.

Yesterday was his second class, and he begged to invite his friend (who Anabelle is particularly fond of) from across the street.

After the lesson, we were all piled in the car heading home in the rain, and I said some lovey comment to Tyson without realizing I had an audience. I can't even remember what exactly I said now, but Anabelle pipes up from wayyy in the back seat ...

"So, what... are you guys, like, going to go on a honeymoon now or something?..."

We couldn't resist a giggle and of course I dramatically leaned over and said

"OF COURSE WE ARE! Lets run away together, TYSON!" and planted a big fat smooch on him.

Dawson groaned in disgust as loud as he couldn manage from the backseat and said

"GUYS. PLEASE. You are EMBARRASSING Kaeden...!!!!!!! STOP IT."

Wow.

How are they already this old?!?

This could get fun.

xo

Hawaiian Haystacks

2011-03-24T08:36:00.000-07:00

Alright, I'm obsessed with food. I know, you're all shocked.

Since I'll eat anything and am not particularly refined or choosy on the kind of food I want to devour at any given moment, I don't have that many recipes worth sharing that are out of the ordinary. But that darn Bethany Sobraske is always introducing me to more excellent things than I ever thought possible in life, so not surprisingly this fantastic recipe is hers. We had it last night- its an undeniable winner.

Hawaiian Haystacks

Saute in a pan 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts with a pinch of olive oil and garlic until cooked thru. (You can also use pre cooked leftover chicken, or rotisserie chicken).

When the breasts are cooked, add 1 can cream of chicken soup and 1/2 cup chicken broth to make a delish creamy gravy.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, steam up 3 cups rice of your choice. I used Jasmine, but brown rice or whatevs would work too.

Spoon cooked rice into bowl, add generous scoop of chicken gravy lovin to the top.

THEN COMES THE GOOD PART.

Top that deliciousness with:

Diced Celery
Shredded Cheese (Which I forgot to add, but didnt miss at all!)
Chow Mein Noodles
Cubed Pineapples
Mandarin Oranges
Red Bell Pepper (I used green- its what I had)
Shredded Coconut
Sliced Green Onions (Yep. Forgot to add those too... still delish without)
Sliced Almonds

Yah, I'm that freak that takes pictures of food masterpieces.
You're welcome.
:)

So there are kind of a lot of ingredients, but as I mentioned in my lovely recipe narration, if you don't have a few ingredients or leave a couple out, you still quite a masterpiece.

I was also pondering the fact that you could easily make this a vegetarian dish if you wanted to omit the chicken part and use cream of mushroom or some other variation instead.

Anyways. DO THIS RECIPE. You won't be sorry.

(Unless you eat too much of it, like I did. Burp.)

xo

Prayers

2011-03-21T19:25:00.001-07:00

I had a really sweet conversation with my son tonight as I tucked him in.

Bedtimes have gotten pretty hectic around here as the kids get older. Its such a struggle to get everything fit in to the day, and the last 30 minutes feels almost as rushed as the first 30 minutes. Time is only going faster and faster every passing moment.

But tonight, the hands of Father Time were as tired as I was, or so it seemed...

I managed to master the race, and had both kids bathed, jammied, properly nourished, read to, and in bed by 7pm. I know. Insane time warp.

This gave me a moment to just lay in bed and talk to the suddenly not-so-little boy I happen to adore so much.

He shared about how he thought it would be so fun next year when Anabelle was in Kindergarten, that he could pick her up from class and ask her how her day was, and then they could come find us or another grown up they know to get a ride home together.

If you've ever heard my lovely son tell a tale, you know he has my gift with words (ie: he never shuts up, he will make a one word answer longer than a sleepless night with a sick baby). The way he carried on, and the enthusiasm in his voice was just so genuine, it was such a sweet thing.

It didn't take long for Miss Anabelle to realize she was missing the party as she lonesomely pinned away for mommy time abandoned in her bedroom down the hall. Not knowing if she was invited or not, she padded cautiously into the room, clinging to the ragged blankie that is the only thing left that reminds me she is the baby of my life.

She hopped in next to me, and Dawson sweetly goes "ANABELLE! Know what we were just talking about?..." And proceeds to tell her all about the adventures that next year will hold for her in the wondrous promised land called Kindergarten.

I let it go on for awhile before I finally realized their stall tactic was working, and shifted the conversation towards our bedtime prayers.

We've been praying for a lot of things at bedtime lately. Life has handed us a lot of recent opportunities to have meaningful yet sometimes difficult conversations about why people get sick and some get better and some don't (we miss our grandparents!), how you know if you are marrying the right person or not, what happens to the people after natural disasters occur, and whether we might be next on the list for tidal waves and earthquakes.

Tonight, Anabelle started her prayer "Dear God, thank you SO much that your hand is over us, that you are our Father who loves us so much... please help the people who got Tsunamied and earth-quaked. Help them to have people come and fix their homes, give them food, help them not to be sad... and please bring the dead ones back to life. Amen."

Dawson took the reigns from there, and also offered a fervent prayer about the Tsunami victims and the people who need help in the world.

Their prayers aren't always this meaningful, sometimes they are downright silly, but tonight they were both feeling it.

When Dawson finished his prayer we sat for a moment in the dark, and I just drank in their smells and their soft breathing, realizing this was a special moment and I have the best kids that ever lived and that the gift of childhood doesn't last near long enough (except for on the days when you're sure it will last forever and you are a miserable failure of a parent).

The silence hardly lasted long enough for me to finish this thought, however, because Dawson (also lost in his thoughts, evidently) screeches out of nowhere...

"ANABELLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHY WOULD YOU PRAY FOR PEOPLE TO COME BACK TO LIFE, ANYWAYS!?!!? YOU KNOW THAT CAN'T HAPPEN, and IF IT DOES, THEY ARE ZOMBIES, and THAT'S JUST GROSS AND SCARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I have never thought I'd be changing my kids sheets because I peed their beds, but for as hard as I was laughing, it was a close call.

I am thankful for this night.

xoxoxox

A Winning Bunch

2011-03-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

So Dawson is really, really into 'running' since the Turkey Trot last Fall.

We got a flier back then for the Hares N Hounds race in March that benefits our local high school booster club.

Dawson never forgets anything. He has been begging to train for it ever since.

And... the crazy part is... he actually follows thru with it!

Anabelle humors him too... being the little sister that doesn't want to be left out and all... we've been doing some 'drills' in our living room...

And last week we even met up with our Hammies for a few laps around the park in some beautiful Spring Sunshine!

I figured they would poop out after a lap or two. They lasted a long time! A little friendly competition between the big kids (Kailee and Dawson) and the little sisters kept it alive for quite some time... Dawson kept shouting "Im the hare, youre the tortise!" over his shoulder. The grown ups had a good chuckle and Kari asked him if he was familiar with the story. Dawson goes... "YA! The hare is so fast he stops to take a nap... then he looses!" Haha. Alright. As long as he knows what hes putting his name on...

We sat on a blanket and watched as they took lap after lap around the dirt trail... they worked hard!

...OK, maybe some a little harder than others. But still! These kids meant it! And still had tons of energy left over to climb apple trees and wander around as far as we would allow.

On Saturday it was finally race day.

The kids were SO PUMPED, they even got numbers to wear this time.

I had some butterflies for them... it felt strange to be spectating!

We made them a sign, and Kari and I stood nervously at the finish line with several other friends and acquaintances from our little town and watched as tons of our little friends and neighbors took off as fast as their 4inch long legs would carry them.

...Kailee's legs are much longer. They are at least 6 inches long. ;)

I am SO impressed with this herd.

Kailee ran the mile in under 8 and a half minutes!

That is about what I run on a good day!

Dawson was just about a 10 minute mile

(which was about my average pace a year ago)...

I'm sure he would have taken the title for the whole entire race (haha) if the sweetest little boy God ever handmade hadn't stopped to PICK HIS MOMMY SOME FLOWERS to hand me at the finish line.

(Yep, I definitely cried).

Addie and Anabelle weren't far behind...

They stayed together, naturally. Addie even slowed her naturally athletic stride to encourage an older friend from the hood to keep it up after the girl got a side cramp. Such sportsmanship!

Tyson (father of the year, according to ME), showed up in his Greyhound orange and ran the race with the kids to get all these snazzy pics (and make sure no slow and undeserving kids passed 'em up! Haha).

At the finish line, they were handing out participant medals.

Addie and Anabelle were beyond perturbed to discover they had run out of them by the time they crossed. Look at their annoyed little sour faces! I don't blame them.

Addie had to run out her aggression... by running the half mile race that took place following the race she had just participated in.

That girl is hardcore! And I am delighted that my daughter has a bff that tough to have her back thru the perils of childhood. ;) They are a fantastic pair.

Rumor mill has it that they will be sending medals in the mail to those that didn't get them at the finish line. Hope its true... or Anabelle may develop an extreme hostility toward the United States Postal Service. Maybe I shouldn't put that in writing... ;)

All that to say... these kids are extraordinary.

I remember in Jr. High, when our PE teacher used to make us run the mile. It was scary, and hard, and I hated doing it ( I wasn't the only one!).

I think at this rate, these particular kids may just finish that assignment before the coach has time to blow the start whistle, and ask for extra credit for miles 2-5. I hope it makes them aware of the fact that our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made machines, built to meet goals and overcome challenges. This is a great way to push yourself mentally and physically, and build lasting relationships along the way. I am thrilled something that means a lot to me on a personal level has sparked an interest to them, and I hope they push themselves to the best they are capable of for as long as they can~

Oh, and maybe remember stop and pick some flowers every now and then... just in case they happen to find someone they love (me, ME!) waiting at the finish line.

These kids are winners.

xoxo

NEW THINGS!

2011-03-14T08:52:00.001-07:00

I'm sitting here in a quiet napping house in SHORTS! Spring is Springing! Birds are chirping! Life is full of so many simple pleasures.

I've been particularly blessed lately. There are a lot of new things happening in my world.

Some of them are small, like my NEW HAIR!!!!!

I've been dying for highlights since I got rid of my last ones... 3 years ago.

These little beauties showed up just in time for Carly's wedding in MAY (its getting close!!).

Moving right along...

Who remembers that awful dream they once had when they came over to my house, and we were all having a really nice time, and then all of a sudden you had to use the restroom, and you walked in, and all you saw was this VOMITING GREEN MONSTROSITY glaring back at you?!

(The vomit part is the paint... not the Tyson. Not that I needed to clarify... ahem.)

Yah.

I had the same dream. Every day since I painted my bathroom right after we moved in almost 5 years ago.

But, then I did a little homework and went to a few home-improvement-projects-gone-bad group therapy sessions, and suddenly the dream is looking a lot more peaceful.

HUGE shout-out to my Dad for the use of his wonderland of supplies and tools from his shop and his handyman tips on demand, my father-in-law for giving up a Saturday to re-plumb my bathtub to fit the swanky new (high maintenence!) fixtures we had to have,

and of COURSE the star of the show, TYSON...

The man manages to pick up overtime, help in Dawson's classroom, be the carpool guy for 2 different school schedules, and still make time to learn how to lay tile all by himself while I run a daycare under his nose as he does it.

There is nothing this guy is afraid to try, I love my new bathroom and my good 'old' husband. ;)

Also in recent headlines, I am now officially broadcasting from the mature perspective of TWENTY EIGHT YEARS OLD!!!!

Happy Birthday, ME! ;) I've learned to embrace these age advancing occasions in my "Camelot" years of life.

I enjoyed a a pre-celebratory bday feast with Tyson's family the night before that included wine, cake, and PEEPS! Then, after a good night's sleep, went to coffee with my parents followed by a Home Depot run to pick out a new screen door my personal fixit man (holla, DAD!!) is slaving away to install for me, and came home to an AMAZING lunch that my girlfriends made me.

There were flowers, sandwiches that are so good I cant talk about them or I will cry because they are all GONE, LOTS of kids I happen to adore running wild everywhere just the way kids should, and then, later that evening, I got the pleasure of being in the company of both brothers (and mom!) on my day.

I don't know what more I could have wished for... except then, I got this:

Bethany's mother-in-law is an artist, and she doesn't even know my family, but a few months ago Bethany mentioned that she had a recent masterpiece that looked JUST like Anabelle and I at the beach. She texted me a pic, and I fell in love with it. I mentioned it to Ty and he remembered! I love it so much I feel like no room in my house is good enough of a spot to hang it! I have so many good people and good things going in my life... I don't even mind that I'm getting any older. Yet. ;)

ARE YOU STILL WITH ME!?

If you are... good.

Two more new things.

My son is getting old. He is six now, you know, and he popped out of bed the other morning while I was at the gym (that means it was before 7am!), got himself dressed head to toe including jacket and shoes and socks, and then packed his own lunch...

Apparently he prefers his sandwich with a cheese stick chopped to smithereens and light on the meat, heavy on the pickles. No mayo. It was so so cute and such a milestone since mornings can be quite a shenanigan around here. He was completely ready to head out the door by the time I got home at 7am.

That entire day was quite a mommy love fest evidently, because after dinner he suspiciously kept asking if I needed to go potty. I didn't think it was all that strange because Ive been known to ask them frequently if they 'need to go' if I see them being antsy.

But when nature finally did call... I discovered why he was so anxiously waiting for this occurrence...

Oh yes he DID write me love notes on the roll of toilet paper. And oh yes it DID bleed thru several layers. I was laughing SO HARD at the thought of wiping with purple marker soaked TP I almost had an accident. For reals. You KNOW someone loves you when they proclaim it from the seat of their throne!

Ahh, Dawsie. I love you, too.

And last but not least by ANY measure.... speaking of love... if you made it to the end of this long catch up blog, then here, oh good and faithful reader, is your reward...

Something that has never happened to me before is about to happen.

Something amazing and wonderful and surprising and emotional... something I've looked forward to forever but never expected to be blessed with so soon.

My (extended) family is growing.

KJ and Jessica are making me an AUNTIE for the very first time, and I have tears of joy in my eyes as I type the words.

My brother and I are 6 years apart, which is a big age difference, but I believe it made us close for the reason that I remember all of his life.

I remember being an only child, being lonely in that role, and wanting a sibling so much.

I remember the ultrasound that the Dr squirted jelly all over my mom's tummy at, finding out it was a brother, being disappointed until I found out my best gal pal at the time was also having a brother and we started a "baby brother club."

I remember the hospital tour, the 'big sibling class,' then day my Grandmom showed up to pick me up early from Kindergarten because my Kenneth Joseph was on his way into the world.

I remember being so confused about why he wasn't instantly mine to take to the park and play Barbies with, changing his diapers, blowing raspberries on his tummy till he was belly laughing so hard he was pink in the face, watching him scoot across the hard floor of our house on his little red firetruck toy.

I remember his big baby fine blondie curls and his very first haircut, his first day of preschool.

I remember when he fell off the monkey bars and scared us half to death, the time he almost poked his eye out with a stick, and the time he shoved the rock up his nose that warranted a trip to the ER.

The school plays, the lego fettish, the birthday parties...

Theres just so much about this baby boy that I adored from the moment I laid eyes on him, and I just can't believe he's grown into a kind, strong, capable man who set sights on such a lovely girl for our family to love, and here I get to have the joy of watching him grow his very own miracle to enjoy.

I hope he loves his baby experience as much as I loved having his babyhood a part of my life.

(But I already know he will, and then some).

YOU GUYS WILL BE THE BEST PARENTS, and one thousand congratulations.

Look out, world!

Harkness is about to get a whole new generation.

(And I am about to spoil it rotten).

xo

The "Fodder Dodder" Dance

2011-03-07T08:42:00.000-08:00

If you're a loyal follower, you may recall the Father/Daughter sweetheart dance Ty took Anabelle to last year.

Its a shindig the City of Atascadero puts on annually and its an excuse for local fathers and daughters of all ages to get dolled up and spend a little quality time together.

Anabelle has literally talked about this event at least once a week since she attended last February. She prays about it at night, "...and thank you that I got to go to the Fodder/Daughter dance with daddy..." she looks forward to it like the other regular milestones in a child's measurement of time... Christmas, her birthday, the dance... She points out outfits she thinks we should buy ..."for when its time to go again..." and asks on a regular basis if I will style her hair like I did for the last event (that took me the better part of an hour to do...).

This year Tyson took the entire week off work because he isn't allowed to 'swap' days off until his one year hire date in April, and he was not about to chance missing it. But, since it was costing him an entire week of vacation time, we had to plan our Disneyland trip into that week as well... and it ended up being quite a juggling act to squeeze it all in.

We woke up in LA on Friday morning.... went to Disneyland until lunchtime... loaded up and flew like pixies down the freeway to make it home in time to get ready and party some more. We got home at 5:30pm...

Did a magical little song and dance the forest animals and birds and fairy godmothers taught us to sing that magically transforms carsick sleepy toads into sparkling princesses in an instant...

...and WHA-LA! We were ready to meet our friends the Moens to head out by 6:30pm!

I think they clean up pretty splendidly, if I may say so. <3

How adorable is this... my daughter is only five years old... already on her second formal dance date ever... and strapped into a booster seat with her little gal pal.

Don't be surprised if I try to talk her dates into this ritual for the rest of her life... I'm sure they make booster seats for 17year old girls who have boyfriends with drivers licenses?

Of course I'm hoping said 17 year old boy will not stand a chance...

These girls were pampered and twirled and "juice-boxed and dined" and treated like the princesses they truly are all evening long by some pretty great menfolk we happen to know and love for being the Dads most girls only dream of having.

(John and Julie)

(Jeramey and Isabella)

(Jim and Sarah)

Their daddies have some pretty big...er...jackets to fill.

So as the night wore on, I'm told my little flower began to wilt from all the excitement of Disneyland and the dance of her dreams...

In the true spirit of girl-friendship... Isabella (who had carpooled with Ty and Anabelle) agreed her friend Anabelle was indeed very, very sleepy and should head home a smidgen early to catch her beauty sleep appointment with Mr. Sandman.

It was definitely a hit, I think the girls all had a blast and... they were certainly some heaping slices of adorableness.

Meanwhile back at the ranch...

Nobody was AT the ranch, because Dawson and I had ourselves a double date night too!

What... you didn't expect us to sit around like wallflowers and cry about not getting asked out all night long did you?!

Connor and Meg joined Dawson and I for an enchanting evening of Gnomeo and Juliette (Yes. Its an actual movie title... the story of Romeo and Juliette... acted out by Garden Gnomes. And it happened to be a decently cute movie, I was SHOCKED!), followed by a trip to Powell's Sweet Shop and then burgers and fries and milkshakes (oh, my!) at Good Times Cafe.

Dawson and Connor rocking their respective afros... pretty awesome.

My favorite part about this date was the fact that my son insisted on wearing his Indiana Jones costume and carrying his jewel pouch and whip the whole time...

You just never know when you may be called to defend the woman you love from some killer animated garden gnome come to life.

Ah, these kids.

We love them so, and this has become one of my favorite family traditions. I hope when they are 30 years old and finally allowed to go on 'real' dates, they remember the fun and innocence of these nights together, and feel the eyes of their parents on them AT ALL TIMES! ;)

xo

Our Magic Kingdom

2011-02-26T21:27:00.000-08:00

So we went to Disneyland a couple weeks ago. Tyson got an entire 9 consecutive days off, and we are finally back into the swing of family life after being somewhat out of touch with routine and reality.

The last time we were at Disneyland, it was a completely last minute trip, and we only went for one day. The kids were 3 and 4 years old at the time, and I don't think they remembered a whole lot about the trip, except for that Dawson remembered he had battled Darth Vader (and WON!) and Anabelle remembered that her tummy got sick on one of the rides and there were princesses.

This was a whole different ball game. We bought annual passes, planned a three day trip, got the whole fam damily involved, and showed up prepared.

Now might be a good time to mention, our lovely Jessica works for Disney and got us the ROYAL hook up. She takes her Disney pretty seriously~ which is one of the many reasons I adore her so. All that said- she actually got all TEN of us special Disney t-shirts to wear... so we were actually that cool family that all looked like we belonged there and had money to burn. She ALSO called me wayyyyy back in the fall when the uuuuuber expensive authentic Disney ball gown costumes went on clearance after Halloween and offered to use her discount for our favorite little princess. Since the gowns HAPPEN to be, oh, a cool $75, once you're inside the park... I gladly obliged.

So... day one... Dawson was Woody, and Anabelle was Cinderella (in a wedding gown).

Side note: if anyone ever needs a super affordable, super clean, super great value hotel for Disney, I would HIGHLY recommend the Candy Cane Inn. Between the fact that its next door to the main entrance (we walked), it also has a pool, spa, kiddie pool, free shuttle, and free poolside continental breakfast. Its around $100/night. Brilliant.

So... the first stop the first day was the Bibbity Bobbity Bo-tique, where my daughter was transformed into a true Disney Diva before my very eyes by her personal fairy godmother (all pre-arranged as a birthday surprise by Jessica and KJ, the Disney miracle worker(s)). She got to choose her own hairstyle, her own tiara, her own ring that Princess Jasmine plucked from the cave of wonders, got her nails polished, her makeup done, and her own private bath in pixie dust. She was completely dumbfounded and hardly spoke the whole time... but not a day goes by now that she doesn't apply makeup to anything that breaths and sits still long enough to be tortured. I think its safe to say, it made an impression (our cat has never looked or smelled more beautiful...)

And so our day1 of adventure continued. We hit up all the rides we wanted, and never waited once. The weather was 70 degrees and sunny. There was minimal whining, and plenty of energy to go around...
Yep. She's pretty well taken care of I'd say...

We ate our weight in cotton candy...

Dawson raced race cars, 'wasn't even kind of a little bit scared' on the haunted house, couldn't WAIT to ride 'Tower of Terror," and was the first kid chosen to vanquish Darth Vader.

Anabelle was admittedly "too shy," but adored watching her brother from the sidelines.

Anabelle was particularly looking forward to discovering the mystery of the Tiki Room...

...and had no problem what so ever letting me know promptly and LOUDLY that she was "kinda bored of this ride" not long after the first singing plant number was concluded. She's a tough crowd...

We saw several beloved Disney characters, but only made it a point to pose with the favorites. Dawson has had a Jasmin fetish since I can remember. I asked him once why he loved her so much (we rarely watch Aladdin!), and I assumed he would say he liked the tiger.

Guess again.

My little ladies man will maintain to this day... Jasmine is his favorite because he "loves her jewels." I hope he uses that as an actual pick up line one day. It would be a great story to tell my grand kids. ;)

We concluded day one in California Adventure.

Anabelle ADORED Soaring over California ride, and, not gonna lie, I cry just about every time I go on it. I think I just really, really feel pride of the Golden State! I know I'm weird. Anabelle just squealed and kicked her feet and laughed the whole time and was SO AMAZED and kept asking over and over "are we really flying?!? Is this for reals?!" It was a bonding moment.

I mentioned earlier Dawson couldn't WAIT to ride the Tower of Terror. When he told the kids at school he was going to Disneyland and how he couldn't wait to ride the Haunted Mansion (which I made a big deal about not knowing if they were ready for), some little booger planted seeds of wonder in my innocent baby's head about the evil Tower. The cool boys at the lunch table all told him it was awesome and super scary and he absolutely must ride it. He told us over and over again about how it said something about saying "goodbye to the earth!," and throughout the day at Disneyland I would catch him staring longingly at it off in the distance. He had a lot of questions about the structural integrity as the time approached to ride it, as it was built to look old and falling apart... I assured him Grandpa the builder extraordinaire wouldn't allow his family inside a building that wasn't built to code. He just about had a nervous breakdown once we got inside he just couldn't take the suspense. Anabelle had no qualms at all about the giant free fall she was about to take (ignorance is bliss!). After the ride was over... I think they had both had about enough terror to last a lifetime in them. They were sososososoSO scared.

Anabelle said "It hurt my tummy so bad I couldn't even scream!" and Dawson said it wasn't as bad as he thought... but did NOT want to ride again.

Valuable teaching moment and life lesson: Don't listen to the cool kids at school. They lie. Listen to mommy. And sometimes daddy. ;)

Day 2 was just as fun. Anabelle was Jesse from Toy Story, and Dawson dressed in his size 3T pirate costume from our dress up archives. He looked SO CUTE in his skull bandanna... which lasted long enough for this ONE picture...

...and then it was 'hot and it itched his head and it was bothering him and wahhhhh!' so he took it off... and looked a LOT like Sir Elton John in the younger years with his frilly shirt and cool shades. :)

Whatever. Pirate or aspiring rock star... he still pulled it off. What a kid.

Luckily the Elton getup was temporary... because Dawson chose the coolest souvenir of all...

An Indiana Jones set complete with a gun, a whip, a hat, a pouch of jewels (that he didn't have to steal from any princesses!), and a treasure map! What a MAN this kid is... he must have known deep down his Mommy has had a crush on Indiana Jones since she was 6 years old herself. *SWOON*

I won't bore you with every single detail. We all had a great time.

Anabelle was very particular about which characters she would or would not take a photo with.

I feel like she used good discretion.

The days all ended with the kids being carried home half awake begging and pleading for the mercy of bedtime and snoring away with dirt and sticky still caked between their fingers in a matter of seconds.

The mark of any good time is complete and utter exhaustion...

Watching them have the time of their lives and getting to spend quality family time in the beautiful sunshine in the dead of Winter for three whole days was the closest thing to actual magic a mom could ask for.

<3

Take No Prisoners

2011-02-25T14:52:00.001-08:00

Yep.

Today, daddy got HIS massage.

He also got a wedding veil.

Anabelle said she can be a bride. And Tyson can be a bride. But I am not allowed to be a bride, because I already got a turn when I married dad.

Alrighty, then. Noted!

Spa Day

2011-02-22T13:39:00.000-08:00

Don't be jealous...

But I had the most ah-maaaazing massage experience this weekend.

It was affordable!
The location was convenient!
The masseuse was incredibly gorgeous!
The atmosphere made me feel right at home...

Oh, wait.

I was at home.

My sweet little boy masterminded this afternoon of pampering for his Mom since I "worked so hard at the grocery store for him," and he "thought I should just come home and they could do all the work for me the rest of the night."

Gulp.

(Im so incredibly touched/ afraid of the aftermath of this idea...)

But. It ended up being awfully adorable, and quite entertaining!

He got his lovely assistant involved... Dawson sat on a 'stool' and worked my feet, back, neck, each finger, and even my scalp, while Anabelle got me water in a sports water bottle, set out puzzles for me to do 'in case I got bored...' and even got her singing Aurora doll (thanks, Auntie Jessica...) to serenade me for a little background music (right next to my ear).

Dawson must have seen this happen somehow or heard the spa experience talked about. He frequently asked if I was comfortable enough, if I needed anything else, like a drink (Absoloutely!, I'll take a house chardonnay please!, oh, sure, creme de la juice box is a great second option...), if the lighting was OK, or did I want the curtains closed so I could sleep, and complimented me several times on liking that I had "large spots" for him to rub. I'm guessing he was comparing them to Anabelle?! Hmmm.

Then, I glanced over my shoulder, and noticed they had dragged THIS little gem out... that I made them for their hot cocoa stand at Christmas time...

No such thing as a free lunch, people!

Even with the tip, I'm pretty sure I came out ahead...

I was so enjoying my rub down (it wasn't actually half bad!) that I accidentally told them so, and the kids figured why stop there? ;) Miss Anabelle Drug out all her hair accessories and her new makeup stash from the Bibbity Bobbity Bo-tique at Disneyland!

They carefully laid out all my accessory options... and asked how I wanted to be styled. I asked what they could do... and Dawson said "Um. I don't know, lets find out!"

Uhhhh, that doesn't sound scary. Nope. Not at all.

At one point, I opened my eyes when Anabelle started muttering something about just needing to take a little bit since it was pretty long... and literally this is what I saw:

AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Check, please.

In all seriousness tho, Anabelle proceeded to do her makeup...

My makeup... (bright pink Rapunzel braids and hot pink hair bow *barely pictured*, compliments of Dawson)...

And yes, i'm afraid to say by the end of our activity, even Dawson fell victim to Anabelle's newly discovered talent.

I will say, not half bad for a budding artist! Although I must say, in the future I will be sure to put the scissors up high until after she passes the State mandated beautician's test...

By the end of our little play date, I felt like a queen (and probably looked like one, too... queen of some martian territory, that is!).

Know who else looked like a queen?...

Don't worry. The kids assured me she loved every moment of it.

I'm choosing to believe them.

The best part is how I specifically told them I don't think she minds the hair clips, but absolutely no lotions or hairsprays allowed...

And this morning, when poor pretty kitty smelled like a potpourri factory exploded on her and I interrogated the little delinquents about why that may be?, Anabelle looked at me with the guiltiest look I have ever seen on her face and said...

"... Well...She smells like that because we did exactly what you told us not to do..."

HA!

At least she's honest.

I wanted to die laughing. And I really really want to give our poor cat a bath.

But truely, that was the sweetest experience. They even cleaned up the giant mess they made, which the mother in me was secretly obsessing over since the house was as close to clean as it gets when they started their brilliant idea.

My kids are so good to me.

Who needs a 'real' massage, anyway?

xo

A Day of Love

2011-02-14T11:07:00.001-08:00

This morning, I am reminded of how rich I am to wake up to these lovely little faces every single day.

I feel blessed by how simple it is to make my children happy, and try hard to focus on the fact that Disneyland is just as special to them as waking up to parents who leave them cheesy little Valentine mementos and are available to build forts and eat candy kisses with them.

I am thankful for the simple things in life, like a home, being healthy, and having jobs that cover our basic needs and even a few of our "wants."

I am the luckiest girl that ever was for the girlfriends that keep me sane and laughing till my insides hurt.

My kids have the most amazing tribe of grandparents, and aunties, and uncles, and friends, and neighbors.

And my husband is just lovely for appreciating my distorted humor, being patient with my quirks and insecurities, and his exceptional kindness and gentle loving spirit toward the tiny darlings. He manages quite well at keeping me entertained in the most unexpected ways even a decade after the I DOs are said and done...

My life is so full of love- today and every other day.

Chocolate and home made cards are always a nice touch, tho. ;)

Hope you are all feeling the love!

X0X0X0X0X0X0

All Hail the Queen of 5!

2011-02-07T09:42:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow our baby turns 5.

FIVE.

I just can't believe how fast it went. Every day, I just miss my sweet natured, belly laughing cartoon character of a baby girl that rolled across my living room and danced in her crib the minute you opened her bedroom door... but I am also completely smitten with this sweet and spicy little girl who pours me pretend tea in her beloved mermaid ball gown and begs me to sing to her and tickle scratch her back every night.

Tomorrow we are taking a family trip to Disneyland. This time, the kids are as excited as we are which only makes us more aware of the fact that we are undeniably grown up ourselves.

I am especially aware of time these days as Tyson and I have both lost grandparents since the start of 2011. I am proud of our families and each member who plays a part in making our daily fairy tale possible. I appreciate these passing moments so much more, realizing the good ones and the awful ones are all so temporary. And, I feel so incredibly hopeful and inspired for the future of our family that awaits our beautiful little legacies.

SO. With that said... here is a glimpse of the beautiful Anabelle Lee, and what her heart looks like at five years old:

What is your favorite food in the whole world?:

Fruit snack gummys!

What is the best thing about having a brother?

That we can share toys

What is your favorite thing about your Daddy?

That he plays with me, and he takes me to the Father Daughter Dance.

Favorite animal:

Deer

Favorite color:

Pink

Favorite thing to wear:

Costumes!
Favorite game:

Dawson's video games when he lets me play them

Favorite place to go:

Yogert Creations and DISNEYLAND!

What is the best thing about your mommy?:

That you are finally letting me turn 5

What is the best thing about YOU?:

I have the best friends.

What are you really good at?:

Drawing pictures for you

What are you not so good at?:

Nothing.

Who is the best singer?

Taylor Swift.

What do you want to be when you grow up?:

A gymnastics teacher.

Ah, Anabelle Lee.
How deeply you are loved, your heart is beautiful, and your dreams are too.
You may turn 5 for now, but in the words of your precious Taylor Swift... Don't you ever grow up!
xo

Backgrounds, Frostbite, and Unicycles

2011-01-10T12:49:00.001-08:00

Hello faithful reader (s?)!

Well,well,well... Lookie here.

A new background! I spent the weekend with a hunky tech support extraordinaire learning the foreign language of blogger command script. It was no small undertaking! Who knew there were so many little details to perfectly line up?! There are still a few things that aren't mastered in the new layout... but its a welcome change for now. Thanks, Tyson! I just might be ready to mess it up... I mean... try doing it myself next time!

Getting excited (and by excited I mean sweaty palms, pit in my stomach, would rather eat a handful of live bait lets get this over with) about learning to swim soon. Step one in operation amphibeth: stop whining and sign up for a tri already (I still havnt committed to which one Im doing). Just as soon as it warms up a smidgen... I'll be hitting the lanes, and deciding how long I need to prepare. Its been fffffreezing cold around here lately!

On Saturday, Bethany and I started off early for a rather ambitious bike ride/run route we had all mapped out. We got about 4 miles down the road and just about drove head first into on coming traffic to end the icy misery it was so cold. That is the closest I've ever come to frostbite/hypothermia, there were nasty visions of trips to urgent care and amputated body limbs flashing in my brain. 2 days later I am finally feeling (almost) warm again, and have regained feeling in my toes and fingertips- which I wont be taking for granted anytime soon! Note to self: invest in windproof gloves, pronto! Do not pass go or collect $200 until obtained.

Speaking of $200...

I had a sweet lead on a guitar from a craigslister. I got real excited about it... and in typical craigslist fashion, he didn't get back to me like he promised and fell off the radar. The search continues to find the right beginner for me to learn on... I'm trying hard to be patient and not buy a piece of junk, but not get more than I need or will use either. I did find a great teacher... and I have a hunch we'll really hit it off. She was really hard to get in to... she has a tight schedule with her demanding friends, work schedule, family life, and all the athletic ambitions she is continually aspiring toward... Bethany Sobraske, you've got your work cut out for you, but I can't wait to get started! ;)

The kids are back in school and I think its been a welcome event for all of us. Dawson got to be the "sea star" of the week the first 2 weeks back from Christmas vacation so he had that to look forward to. His pals Sarah and Connor are sharing the honor with him, they have a special wall dedicated to them for the duration of their shining moment, and Dawson filled out the cutest survey I have to share. I could kick myself for not taking a picture of the finished product but here are a few highlights from what I can remember:

Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Artichokes.

Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?
A: A daddy.

Q: What is something you are really good at?
A: Playing video games with my dad.

Q: What is something you need to improve on?
A: Unicycle riding.

Imagine a world where every adult thought being a dad was a dream career, and the thing they fell most short of was riding a unicycle.

Kids are so stinking precious. I hope mine never grow up.

Bucket List

2011-01-01T22:46:00.000-08:00

I don't know about resolutions. I think its good to have a business plan for your life... and keep it updated regularly. Its strange to me that theres all this pressure to, like, make a list of all your shortcomings that you intend to improve on just because its January 1 and you're supposed to.

I do, however, think self improvement is ALWAYS a good thing! Its hard to make a list of things you want. Theres that weird pressure when its in writing... like you're on the hook to follow thru! Its kind of scary and dangerous... at least that's what I'm telling myself. So here are a few new items for my list of life goals this year.

I want to do a triathlon. I will probably hate it and do only one, ever. I don't swim. I don't like it at all, its icky and creepy and cold. But I will follow the girls I roll with right off a cliff... and they tend to jump off some pretty steep ones. The crazy thing is, I find myself enjoying the fall right along with them! I would never have dreamed this would be any ambition of mine, but thanks to Bethany and Kari... I can honestly say I want it. Even if it means I have to swim (gulp!). I am going to start with a sprint distance and go from there. I haven't officially signed up yet for any yet... stay tuned~!

I want to learn to play the guitar. Before Im 30. I have awhile to go... but I have a pretty full plate. Its going to take me some time. Its just something I've always felt like I needed to be able to do, but never got around to making it a priority. Funny thing how nobody just hands you time and money and materials and says "OH, did you want to do this?! Here you go!" So ya. I want to do that. Part of it is for me, but the bigger reason is my kids. I want them to see that its never too late to try something new. I want them to not be intimidated by new experiences, but be interested and challenged. Even if its not the guitar. I just want them to know that if you want something bad enough, make it happen. And I want to know that myself too. Its a small thing, but I think it will be a good thing.

I really really need to get better at technology. Am I the only 27yr old woman on the planet who doesn't know how to load her own Ipod or burn a CD? As you can see... I changed my blog background. It was an accident. I can't fix it. The tech department is a little backed up around here and... ya, basically its just ridiculous. I need to learn to do these things. I don't want to, I have no interest in it... but I think my kids will laugh at me, and I may become socially obsolete before my time if I don't join the rest of my peers in the 21st century. Dang it.

So yah. Those are a few things Im thinking about in terms of self improvement this year. We have a wild agenda in 2011... looking ahead we have a family trip to Disneyland planned in February, A wedding in the Springtime (Carly's gettin hitched!!), A class reunion this summer, our baby girl going to kindergarten in the Fall... Tyson is turning THIRTY!!!!, and by golly... WE ARE going on some kind of honeymoon for our 10 year Anniversary in September. Yep, thats right. I said 10 years. I can't believe it either. And I can't wait.

Christmas Suprises

2010-12-27T21:41:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all!

This month has been a blur. We've been keeping up with all the festivities... and trying to stay sane in the midst of a WEEK of rain. Its been a test of patience... but the sunshine the last day and a half has almost melted my heart of holiday stone.

Christmas Eve was same as always...

We got all dressed up and headed to Tyson's parents house for fancy family dinner and church...

We didnt get around to Christmas cards this year... but pretend we did and pretend this was the picture on it, mmmmmmkay?

We shook all the presents before we left and tried to guess the best we could what was waiting for us...

Dawson and Anabelle scored! Surprise, surprise.

I spent Christmas Eve SICK. Sick, sick, sick. (Nope. Not pregnant). I'll spare you the details... there was not a lot of sleep involved, and Santa was a little on the distracted side of things...

But he managed to deliver none-the-less.

He even ate the cookies by some miracle (he has a really amazing helper).

Note the adorable festive Disney jammies that KJ's girlfriend Jessica scored the little darlings. Love that girl, what perfect taste for perfect children. Heh.

Also... Carly and Dave are visiting from Seattle!

We are taking in the moments we have them and planning away... more on that later.

This year Christmas is a little strange. Tyson has a new job and a new schedule, there was a LOT of family in town which is GREAT! We LOVE(d) having so many dear faces around... but there are never enough hours of daylight. And did I mention how I got sick on Christmas Eve? Talk about a party foul. The last few days have been a blur and I feel like Im not taking in the moments as fast as they are flying by.

Don't think I'm crazy... but I went for a run today, and I saw this one tree that had knobby little fur buds on the end of its stark naked branches. It gave me this strange bubble of hope... the New Year is coming, and Spring is inevitable, right? RIGHT?!?!? Im tired of being cold, and wet, and feeling sluggish and chunky. Bring on the blossoms and the chirping birds!

Anyways- Stay TUNED! I have big news to report on (I already said Im NOT pregnant)... Kyle is home! Carly is getting hitched! Spring is only a moment away (just humor me)! There is a LOT to look forward to in 2011... we are EXCITED for the new year, and feeling beyond blessed once again.

xo

My True Love

2010-12-19T06:49:00.001-08:00

Anabelle has a nasty cough, and since its been cold and wet I didn't want to drag her out yesterday evening to run a shopping errand.

I dropped her off at my parent's house and Dawson and I headed out for a rare moment to ourselves to do our Christmas bidding's.

He was singing his heart out in the backseat his very best attempt at the 12 days of Christmas... and suddenly stops mid-tune and asks...

"Hey, Mom...? What's a 'true love?' "

I explained that a 'true love' is the one that was meant for you to be with forever, and the one you will love for your whole life no matter what happens along the way.

I finished my explanation with "...its usually the person you marry or want to marry..."

and he was quiet and thought filled for a moment and then he said...

"...you know... the song could be talking about a Mom and her kid... thats also kind of like a true love..."

And then I melted into a puddle faster than Frosty the Snowman on a Miami Beach.

I am seriously in tears just writing about it.

I have the worlds sweetest little boy.

And yes, he is absolutely right... this is true love.

Why I Love the Trots

2010-12-15T13:20:00.000-08:00

I should probablly begin by saying sorry this is sooooo last holiday season. I've been hoarding it half done for awhile now... and just got around to posting. We're busy in these parts this time of year! Hopefully I'll catch up soon...

I LOVE Thanksgiving!!

I love the food.

I love the smells.

I love the colors.

I love the spirit of family, friends, and general thankfulness that seems to float everywhere around me.

I love the casual prelude to the arriving holiday season.

But MOST of all... (alright not MOST of all... but its up there...)

I LOVE all the turkey puns... they are FAT, they are UGLY, they are creepy and awkward and stupid and beady little beasts with shriveled gonads hanging off their nasty little faces and everything about them just that just BEGS to be mocked!

So what do you get when you add such a lovely holiday to my second favorite past time (which is running... that would be second to eating, naturally)...?

******************NIRVANA********************

...And a perfect opportunity for yet another favorite thing of mine... slightly slanted humor and potty themed puns!

With that... I give to you ladies and gentlemen...

(My) Second Annual Templeton Turkey Trot!

(Group shot of everyone who did the runs. Giggle.)

This was quite an occasion for several reasons.

First of all... exactly ONE year ago... I had the pleasure of rekindling an old spark with my friend (and former team mate...!) Bethany!!!!

So... it was our "friendaversary!"

Bethany is SUCH a blessing to have in my life. I love when the circle of friends expands and she has gracefully become such a natural part of my life that I can't imagine how I ever lived without. I AM THANKFUL FOR BETHANY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AND.

I am also thankful for KARI... you all KNOW how I rave on and on about our Hammies... they are our sister tribe... I didn't set out to make this blog about all the wonderful things my friends add to my life because honestly, I don't think theres enough space on the Internet to say all there is to say... but on a superficial note... know this. The circle has gotten smaller... Kari and Bethany go to the same church, and Kari has arranged and juggled her hectic post-third-baby life around in such a way that she has now re-joined our running fad, and with that said...

...feel the point building (T.W.S.S!!!!!)...

...with our peer pressuring powers combined...

We (finally!) got Bethany to RUN a RACE... IN A PINK TUTU!

(If you know Bethany... you are now stupefied~ 'nuff said).

The SECOND reason this was a momentous occasion was... not only are we running pals... we are all official proud owners of ghetto fabulous (that's code for 'last season's model') Go Go Gadget Garmen running watches!:

Kari was the latest to join the legacy... hers came on Trotter's eve, courtesy of her adoring, assertive, doting, and wickedly SMART husband, who wisely didn't force her to wait it out til Christmas. ;) Awwww!

The THIRD reason is... well, err... this is awkward.... I know its a little braggie... sorry bout that... I'll say it fast so we can move on... I ran at my fastest pace ever, and set a new personal best. Average pace was an 8:24 mile... for 6 miles!

I'm not generally into my times like that, but there is some substantial progress there, and I feel good about it. Weee!

The FOURTH reason is.... I got to make 'trotting' jokes to my hearts content allllllllll over facebook, and to my girlfriends, and to anyone else who (foolishly) cared to mention the upcoming event beforehand... AND... I got to gobble obnoxiously all morning long which leads me to...

The FIFTH and really most substantial reason I LOVE the Templeton trots (heheheheh!!! Yep. Still funny. )...

I had a wee little co-gobblet in tow this year. There is a 1mile kids trot. And... my sweet little turkey boy happened to be old enough and have an interest in participating.

He did amazing.

And in the perfect picture of an epic finishing moment... just as I rounded the bend for the home stretch to the finish line in the 10k course, oh what to my wondering eyes should appear?! BUT these cute little turkeys gobbling toward me for their very own finish in the end of the 1mile loop... and we met up, fought the good fight, finished the race, and crossed the chalk line together hand in hand.

Yep. It was a moment. I love that kid, and I am SO proud.

And of course, I'm proud of our Kailee Bear too...who was also participating in her first race, and actually did quite well for herself with her graceful long leg advantage. Don't let the Star Wars helmet at the after party fool ya... these are some cool kids.

And last but certainly not least... my sweet husband was there to cheer us all on... take pictures... be our (my) tech support... and just generally rule the world. ONE DAY I will drag him across that finish line with me... but until then, its nice that he holds down the fort, exercises the camera, and makes me signs.

I may be way late in posting this... but I am one thankful little turkey in a tutu. And that's true all year!
xo

Touche

2010-12-10T21:35:00.000-08:00

No apologies this time, I blog on my terms now.

:)

Here is a holly jolly little conversation I had with Dawson the other night on the way home from Grammie's house...

****************************************************

Dawson: "Mom... why don't kids have any money?"

Me: "Well, because they have grown ups in their lives to take care of them and make sure they have everything they need... "

Dawson: ...."I need some new toys."

Me: "Nice try. You dont NEED new toys. You want new toys. Do toys keep you warm at night? Do toys put food in your belly..."

Dawson: "Well... you could buy me an Easy Bake Oven..."

Touche.

(Somebody save me... theyre getting smart.)

The Arrangement

2010-11-24T17:11:00.000-08:00

My son has a sweet admiration for the loveliest little girl... and always has. He just really adores her. He would follow her straight into an active volcano infested with bad guys and pumpkin slime. And she tolerates him so well!

I wouldn't normally encourage or nurture any such spark at the tender age of six... except that I completely understand how he feels because his mother happens to be one of my most favorite people that I would run thru a desert and leap over cars with fire coming out of them for. HA!

Kailee is just a sweetheart. She is patient, kind, nurturing... and bossy in every best intention! I'm just sure it reminds him of his mommy, and that has to be why she is his (third) favorite girl to be around (I am his first, naturally and I will give his sister the silver medal... or she might make me sorry...). :)

Dawson started going to Good News Club that a local church sponsors after school one day a week. Kailee brought him the first day, so they gave her an In-N-Out gift card! Being the sweet soul that she is, she immediately offered it to Dawson (see why I like my kid to hang out with her?! She's teaching him to give! Priceless!!).

Dawson in turn didn't think it was fair that she give up free In-N-Out since clearly she had earned the burger. So he told her they should go together and share it.

She agreed!

Then, he suggested they go for frozen yogurt afterward using the gift card the Hunters gave him for his birthday.

She agreed!

The kids both came home and explained the plan to their over protective mothers who would normally never condone such an arrangement... but when we realized it would mean we get to hang out together and spy on our kids enjoying their childhood... and then have a blackmail story to taunt them with when they are teenagers and that is, like, SUCH an embarrassing story... we were as good as there.

Plus... we had it chaperoned by the best bouncer around (Kailee's little sister and Anabelle's BFF!):

And of course her trusty yet fearsome sidekick (little bro), Joshua-bear!, who's only known weakness is the sweet distraction of his first taste of frozen yogurt heaven.

Who could blame him?

These kids kill me with their cuteness.

...So Im hoping I'll be invited on all his dates yet to come since I set such a careful standard this time around. And hopefully it doesn't happen again for at least another decade (and a half).

xo

Passive Aggressive Much?

2010-11-20T19:43:00.000-08:00

"MOOOOOM! (tears)... Minerva just BIT me and SCRACHED me, and ALL I WAS DOING WAS LOVING HERRRRR!

(sniff) ........... "maybe if I draw her a picture she will want to be friends with me...?"

~A few moments of silence followed by pitter patter down hall, SLAM of front door...

"Well. The picture idea didnt work out so... I just went ahead and threw her out in the rain."

Oh, Anabelle Lee.

I love you.

A Glimpse Into the Heart of Six

2010-11-15T19:31:00.000-08:00

I'm going to try really hard to start doing this at every birthday, and I'm sad I didn't start doing it earlier. Here is my son's first exclusive interview as a six year old... you should consider bookmarking it. It may be worth money some day when he publishes his first medical journal. ;)

What is something your Mom always says to you?
I love you. And don't turn 6.

What makes your Dad happy?
He's proud of my homework at school.

How does your Mom make you laugh?

She tickles me. A lot.

What do you think your Mommy was like as a little girl?

You liked Daddy.

How old is Mom?

22. ( Daws: But how old are you really? Me:...27. Daws: "Oh. can you write that instead?") ~ Ha.

How tall is Mommy?
28 inches.

Whats Mom's favorite thing to do?

Tease Dad and snuggle and watch movies

If our family became famous, what would it be for?

You and Dad would be movie stars.

What is something Dad is really good at?
Playing Nerf guns with me.

What is something Mom is NOT very good at?
Shooting guns. Because you're scared of them.

What is your favorite thing to eat?
Artichokes.

What are you the best at doing of anyone you know?

I spying with my little eyes.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

A police officer.

Who is your favorite person to hang out with?

Kaeden (across the street).

If you could go anywhere in the world right now where would you want to be?
Somewhere beachy... Hawaii maybe? Or else Washington state.

Whats your favorite animal?

Snakes and spiders. Because they're insects.

Six Six Six

2010-11-14T17:49:00.001-08:00

I've had a day.

Its been the best sort of mom insanity I could have ever hoped and dreamed for, and its every bit as fun as I imagined it to be...

But I am overjoyed, none the less, that it is now the end of the day... and its just me and my iced cold beer sitting mindlessly at the computer amongst the smoldering ruins of streamers and jelly beans gone astray from perpetual party weekend.

My son is 6.

He had his first sleepover. There was just one other boy that spent the night.

It was quite a hit.

And THEN...

We took 5 kids to Chuck E. Cheese.

They all had a blast.

We managed to have a good time too... thanks to BOTH SETS of grandparents that made the 45 minute trek to lend their eyes, ears, and helping hands (BLESS THEM).

I can guarantee you that it was hundreds of times more pleasant than a good majority of the day I was having 6 years ago to the day. Yet there is still something distantly painful about these little anniversaries of the first time I became a mom. It just goes by faster and faster every moment, and it doesn't seem to be slowing down at all...

I just recently found the opportunity to playfully beg Dawson not to turn 6.

He shot right back "Oh, so would you rather I get sick... and die?"

Thats right, folks. My kid is old enough to be witty. My reputation for being the class clown is feeling a little threatened...

I couldnt be more proud of my little legacy in the six years I've had the pleasure of knowing his beautiful face.

xoxoxo

Halloween

2010-11-09T18:42:00.000-08:00

I know, Halloween is, like, SOOOOO last month.

I'm behind.

Apologies.

I'm more than a little embarrassed to say... with my darling children gaining independence, they are exercising some interesting liberties.

I am a firm believer in choosing battles. Bedtime? Non negotiable. Homework? Non negotiable. Halloween costumes? Alright fine. Be whatever you want...

Dawson wanted to be a skeleton, of course, because I think they're icky and scary. Anabelle? Well. She's got one foot in the powder room... and one foot in the grave apparently. What do you get when you mix the most feminine Disney princess wannabe alive with a burning passion to "one-up" the awesome big brother?...

Why, that would be a skeleton MERMAID, of COURSE!!!

(AKA: Mom's worst nightmare).

Her second choice was Lady Gaga. In the meat dress. I think Skeleton mermaid was actually the less morbid option! ...and... the attire does kind of have Lady Gaga award show written on it. So maybe she got to have her meat suit and eat it too... either way... I'm pretty sure I lost. But whatever. Kind of funny? Later maybe?...after the condescending and judgemental glares of the neighborhood as she parades around proud as a peacock are faded from my short term memory...?

These are some of the sweetest girls we go to church with. HOW EXCITING! We all have matching costumes!... er. Kind of. Look at the expression on poor Eva's face. Oh, my my my.

Anyways. My parents kindly were the candy dispensers once again this year. They're quick studies... no use closing the door and gettin cozy between the greedy little goblins that troll this here neighborhood. They pitched their camp on the front porch and even managed to smile the whole time. Thanks, guys! :)

Ty had to work (bummed.), so we didn't make any huge plans. We didn't have to tho... our neighborhood is kind of insane on Halloween. Some neighbors reported going thru 20lbs of candy. WILD.

Anyways. That said... I was sad to be 'alone' with the masses... so my sweeeeeet friend Bethany not only showed up to be my better half for the night... but in costume no less!

I was actually really excited to dress up to take my kids trick or treating, because I scored this great flapper costume at a yard sale a couple months ago... for $2. Including the boa. WEEE!

My kids, of course had NO idea what a flapper was.

I explained it to them, of course, like a good mother ought to...

Anabelle, in turn, innocently made sure to let people know that her mother was dressed as a "flasher."

Awesome.

We were just about finishing the candy loop and thinking about calling it a night. We found our beloved Hammies who were handing out candy and chatted for awhile...

It was getting cold, and since it was a school night we were contemplating a return to the home front instead of attending the free carnival that a local church sponsors right across the street from our development....

And then Bethany's phone rang.

It was her childhood bff, who (small town!) ended up being my neighbor and knew we were together that evening. Bethany hung up and said "YOUR BROTHER IS AT THE CARNIVAL!!!"

And sure enough....

The Grizzly boys in the 3rd platoon were kind enough to oversee the evening, and among them was our beloved Cadet Harkness!!

My parents, of COURSE, immediately left their candy post and headed up the hill for a family reunion~!!! It was a brief visit, but a visit none the less, and how cool is that!?!?! I can't believe we almost skipped it and missed out...what a bummer it would have been to have him so close and not see him... and Im SO THRILLED my neighbor recognized him! He was probably 5 years old at one of my softball games last time she laid eyes on him.

Who say's the Holy Spirit hides on Halloween?

~"Not I," said the Flasher.

The Stores A Bawt Dawson

2010-11-08T20:25:00.000-08:00

My son is officially an author.

Yah, that's right.

He wrote a book.

On his own.

Behind my back.

JUST FOR FUN!!!

DO YOU REALIZE WHAT THIS MEANS!?!?!?!?!?!!?

The boy IS related to me after all! He may look, talk, stand, sit, eat, smell, laugh, scratch, burp, and be every other physical likeness of his father... but the boy has blogger blood, I can smell it!

Anyways. The book.

Its a juicy autobiographical TELL ALL about a young boy's most intricate inner workings... and I am absolutely head over heels about it. Add it to your Amazon wish list ASAP. Its sure to be in most high demand once Oprah catches wind of it.

Since he is spelling phonetically, and his spellcheck was clearly not functioning on his MacBook the day of publication... (Yah, Tyson, that's right. I know what a MacBook is.)... you'll have to use your own translating skills. But I bet money he gets his stroke of literary genius across to you juuust fine thankyouverymuch.

Ahem.

The Stores A Bawt Dawson.

By Dawson.

Illastrated by Dawson.

Wuns a pon a thear wus a cid namd Dawson and he liced gowing to the prck.

One day Dawson fowd a black widoo.

The necst day Dawson saw a plan.

One day he saw a costoom and he ask his mom if he culd buy it his mom sed yes!

**************************************

TAH-DAHHHH!!!

Were you hanging on every word?

Do you like how the climax was clearly the "black widooo" (a nod to his dear Auntie who is deathly afraid, I am certain!), and were you not completely riveted at the end, when you waited to hear his mom's response to the "costoom" proposal (which technically *didn't actually happen* but clearly it was slightly elaborated for dramatic effect to keep the captive audience guessing)??!?

I dunno. I think Clark Kent may have some competition over at the Daily Planet one of these days in the not-so-distant future.

Move on over, Superman, here comes your kryptonite in the brave human form of Dawson Matthew! You can use one of these empty boxes from his book signings to clear out your desk...

(I just totally had one of those Scrubs moments where I stare past the heap of dishes stacked on the counter in front of me and daydream peacefully about all of that Dailey Planet crap actually happening. What a happy place to stay awhile....)

Ah, reality. Highly over rated.

Speaking of reality...

Here's a sobering thought:

The boy is six years old... in six days.

Six is the devil's number.

He can't really be that old.

...HoLy CoW, I have a six year old, and he writes books. This is heavy. Superman, maybe youre not fired after all... stick around awhile longer...?

Little Pumpkins, Big Pumpkins

2010-10-30T21:39:00.000-07:00

I'm really trying hard these days to relish the moments that pass with my babies...

who currently adore nothing more than reminding me constantly OUT LOUD! of all the ways they are, in fact, no longer babies.

I can still hear my mom and dad laughing and joking around as my very own 6 year old self frantically tried to choose just the right pumpkin in an overwhelming patch of opportunity... "you can have the biggest one you can carry back to the car all by yourself!!!" they would say.

This year, they tagged along to the patch once again. As the grandparents.

Evidently that whole "biggest pumpkin I can carry" crap doesn't apply any longer (!?!?!?!?). But you know what? I happened to be wearing my big girl panties that day.... and didn't even throw a tantrum. They rewarded my good behavior by purchasing my kids the biggest pumpkins they could carry each.

WEEEEE!

So ya. I'm trying hard to drink in every cup of cocoa these cold Fall mornings.

Every first candy-apple making experience.

I'm trying hard to just run with the idea when my daughter decides she wants to be a "skeleton mermaid," and my son can't decide if he wants me to hand make his skeleton costume, or just "buy-this-one-RIGHT-NOWWWW!"

At the end of the road, I want to remember every Taylor Swift/ Kelly Clarkson dance party in the living room, and the look in my daughter's eyes when she learns ~from her mother of all places!!~ that a hairbrush can double as a super awesome lip-syncing microphone!

I want to remember how my little boy utterly despises the feel of pumpkin slime, but he forces himself to be a little more convincingly brave each year for the sake of the carving cause (and the excuse to use all the awesome sharp toys the task involves!).

I want to remember Anabelle's disgusting Lady Gaga fetish (try not to judge me), and her hysterical giggles as she proudly belts out "He ate my heart!!!...he ate-ate-ate my heart...." at the dinner table... as we are eating artichoke hearts.

I want to remember each of these days like they happened only moments ago, even decades from now...

Each of these beautiful,

...wacky!...

...crazy!...

...and really, just plain old lovely moments that are whipping by faster than a kid on a sugar binge.

Tonight at Target, Dawson was rather impressed with the pair of black stilettos he spotted, and thought I should most definitely have them.

"But MOM!" he said... "EVERY witch needs a pair of black heel shoes!"

..."But Dawson!" I whined back... "I'm not dressing up as a witch tomorrow night, remember? I'm going to be a flapper!"

(evil grin spreads across dirt-smudged and snot crusted face...)

..."I know you're not dressing up as a witch, mom...."

I just cant believe how big my little pumpkins are. And how funny they are. And smart. And perfect in all their imperfect ways.

What a big responsibility this parenting gig is! And what a complete joy.

Alright. This witch is tired. Better get some shut-eye... I've got a hot date to make over a skeleton/mermaid tomorrow in hair and makeup!

xo

We Like 2 Bike

2010-10-24T21:06:00.000-07:00

A couple weekends ago, we done busted Kyle out of the dark dungeon of military boot camp hell for a weekend of fun and relaxing family time.

Evidently it gets so bad there at times.... he was delirious enough to agree to a 50 mile bike ride thru the middle of forsaken nowhere during his brief moment of 'relaxation' while he was home!

(SUCKA!!!)

I'm kidding about Grizzly being bad. I mean, I'm sure he's not always thrilled to get up before some of us go to bed and sweat and take cold showers... but over all, it was cool to see him and hear first hand about all the awesome stuff they are being 'tortured' with. He's a freaking man. I can't believe that kid... I kind of want to go there. I think it would make a lot of people better parents (me, MEE! PICK ME!!)! SURVIVAL TACTICS, PEOPLE! ;)

Anyways. The bike ride.

It was the same ride Kari and I did last year... only we trimmed off a few miles due to over committed schedules and sparse training opportunity. Well, that's my excuse anyways... Kari did just make a whole new person and all.

Kyle on the other hand... has probably not ridden a bike since it had a spider man horn on the handle bars and beads on the spokes!

But sure enough, he headed out to battle like a trooper at the crack of dawn....

The ride was gorgeous as expected. We pretty much just meandered along at a slow pace and drank in the countryside. It was just a ride... not a race. My kind of event!

We met up with Melinda and Larry a few miles in, and mostly rode in a pack of 5 the whole way! Melinda is the sister of my good friend Stephanie... we knew last minute they were riding but didn't expect that it would turn out to be so convenient to have a few extra pals to ride with!

I can honestly say... the first 30 miles or so were an absolute blast.

But then... the sun came out... and the tarantulas. The hills started getting MEAN, and the rest stops started closing down (we started later than we expected...) which meant we had to hustle! or else risk loosing our opportunity to rehydrate!...

..... and then...

...we all DIED.

Ha. Alright, we didn't die. But I think all of us were soooo over it by the cruel and bitter end (with the exception of Larry maybe... who I don't know all that well, but he miiiiight just be too nice of a guy to whine as loud as the rest of us!).

Next year I will DEFINITELY be training a little more seriously before I go committing myself to those wretched blistering hills.

And maybe Kyle would prefer a road bike... instead of the monstrosity of a mountain bike he had the pleasure of driving up those demon hills! Live and learn! ;)

*********************************************************************************

In other cycling news... I think I mentioned this *big event* in a previous post?:

..."Look, Ma!! No training wheels!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Well, over the weekend (thanks to craigslist!) we upgraded our baby girl.

Is it just me, or does she look 16 on that thing?

It IS a little big for her. We may be storing it and finding her a 18inch for another year or so (we hope!).

Even so... looking at my baby on this monster puts a lump in my throat.

Lucky for me, as long as the band-aids are too high for her to reach, I think she'll be keeping me around for awhile.

xo

Sunrise, Sunset

2010-10-17T18:15:00.000-07:00

So the kids are both currently locked in their bedrooms. I sent them there after their unauthorized wrestling match in the hall resulted in Anabelle damaging her fragile who-knows-what, and as my interest to the matter decreased, the sobs increased in volume until my ear drums (and every dog in the neighborhood's) hit their limit. Dawson was banished promptly behind her for laying in the floor mocking her every move, as his copy cat wails also got louder and louder, as did his cackling and snorting in between.

That's pretty much life in a nutshell here at the McDermott's these days.

The bloggage gets fewer and further between as I literally don't have the time to sit and process all the hilarious/rotten/life changing things they do as the moments whip by at the speed of soccer-mom-on-the-way-to-the-E.R.

My kids are flourishing.

Dawson is slowly but surely adjusting to the first grade madness that hit us full speed. That was (is!) a doozie!

He is a budding artist, and can read and spell and sound out words at a level that is beyond impressive to me. He is making friends, talking about "mean girls!" that chase him on the playground (that he says with a suppressed smile and a glimmer in his eyes that slightly concerns me). He says phrases like "DUDE!," and "like," and "SO AWESOME!" all of the time, and never forgets anything I say. The boy can do 30 consecutive push-ups (lets just say more than I can do for now...), and has taken on the 100 push-up challenge with me. He loves to run and bike, and play anything involving a ball on the playground at school... he comes home with a new game to be obsessed with every day it feels like. I can't even believe the boy has another birthday approaching... my Mother-in-law asked if we could freeze the kids in time today and after my initial snarky remark (you KNOW I can't resist me one of those...), I realized... whoa. This actually wouldn't be such a bad time to stop the clock. He is just so darn great.

Our Anabelle Lee still has no idea she is the little sister, and I'm starting to think she may never catch on. Every thing Dawson does, she wants to do. That girl will have NO trouble getting her tasks in this world accomplished or otherwise delegated. She is already sight reading a lot of short words (thanks to a great pre-school curriculum, and of course to Dawson for his own interest in reading to keep her motivated to compete). I cant tell her ANYTHING she doesn't already know. You can, but not her mother. Unless it is a bedtime story, or tickle scratch. She keeps me around for those things, so guess I'm safe for now. She just recently requested (demanded) we remove her training wheels, and like her brother before her, she TOOK OFF down the street with no help from her useless parents what-so-ever. Only as she flew by (with NO HELMET!!! &^&#*Y$&#*^$&#*$^!!!!!!) and my voice froze in my throat and my jaw hit the ground she chanted "Nah-nah-nah-nahhh-nah!" at me... (as in "I told you I don't need you, mother!).

But I know one day she'll realize she that she actually does.

We are in a foreign land of nightly homework, and early (but never early enough) bedtimes... which basically just gives us one more thing to be running late for.

Ty is gone a lot in the evenings, which we anticipated with his new job. Its been easier than expected in some ways... the kitchen is never dirty when I go to bed. But the house is lonely and quiet without him, and it makes me (and the kids) realize how sweet it is to have him around to read a bedtime story, or cover bath routine while I run to the store so the kids have lunch tomorrow. The best news is that he gets a whole week off around Thanksgiving! Now THATS something to be thankful for. I don't know which family member is most excited!

I suppose this blog is getting border line boring. Its purpose is simply to acknowledge that I know there seem to be a lot of conglomerated updates now a days. Its just that I am feeling a little bit sad, and also (if I'm being completely honest) a little bit free...

My kids are big. I see it loud and clear on days like today, when we attended two 1st birthday parties that were relocated indoors because of rain... and I sat, and watched, and enjoyed with the other adults while my kids (for the most part) practiced good manners, self restraint, and appropriate indoor behavior. I kept seeing images of just yesterday when my own little chunky blond baby boy greedily piled fist fulls of red dye #5 sugar paste into his sweet little face, and feel overwhelmed that now, my little girl is the big kid at the party who thinks its her personal calling in life to control all chaos caused otherwise by children smaller than she.

Don't blink, people. Look what happens.

Sister Suprise

2010-10-09T21:43:00.000-07:00

We had the BEST last minute company in town recently.

With a few days off work stacked on top of each other, a free ride here, and a cheap ticket home, Auntie Carly dropped everything to come home to visit us for a long weekend!

We all adore our Carly, but my kids really really "Mommy when are we going back to Washington and will she come see us at Christmas and for my birthday" miss her. They didnt know she was coming since it was so last minute and I knew they would be crushed if it didn't happen. But it was SO fun to see them excited to see her, and great to have her around in the midst of our weekend.

Poor Carly drove alllll night, and we wisked her right off to the Avila Valley Barn the MINUTE she set foot in the house! It was our lovely friend Andy's 2nd birthday party... and who doesn't adore any excuse to pay a visit to the barn?

On Sunday, Carly took Dawson on a special date to church with her. He felt SO important and of course looked handsome as always in the company of his gorgeous auntie. Quite a pair, these two.

Carly, that weekend went WAY fast. Come back soon now, ya hear?!

We've got some pumpkin raviolis to make!
xo

Local Paradise

2010-10-09T19:14:00.000-07:00

Tyson and I really wanted to do something fun together this year for our anniversary (as we usually do), but were bored with the idea of dinner and a movie. Not that we'd complain, getting out in ANY form is always great... but since we planned a little ahead, we actually put our heads together and came up with a plan for what turned out to be one of the best days.

We utilized our amazing grandparent resources once again and managed to send the kidlets on their merry ways on Thursday night. We've discovered a method we like to call "dividing the risk..." where we send one to each grandma, under the premise of 'special time.' Not that they ever need an extra nudge away from us anyways, but it really does make them feel cool to get to be the center of their grandparent's universe(s) individually once in awhile.

We went to a nice dinner (thanks, Mom!) in Cayucos that evening, and I accidentally ordered duck liver and then managed to accidentally eat it thinking it was a portobello mushroom. The best part is... I actually got TYSON to eat it too! He doesn't eat mushrooms to begin with, so it was appalling to him before he even knew what it actually was! I just couldn't believe how much it tasted like meat (thinking it was the mushroom), so I talked him into trying it, and he described it as "smoky and cheesy." When we found out what it was, it was HILARIOUS and yes... we wanted to barf. In the most sophisticated way possible, of course.

The next morning despite the overwhelming temptation to sleep in in a quiet kidless house, we got up EARLY in order to tee off before 7:30am for the early bird golf special. It was my first time golfing. Tyson is nice, and took this picture of me looking super focused and skilled.

...but because I believe in honest, fair, and impartial journalism... this is what he was actually doing MOST of the time...

(That would be chasing my ball off in the wilderness).

I think we still managed to have a good time. I would do it again, although I have a LOT of room to improve. And... I'm glad it was only 9 holes. Just sayin.

The next item on the agenda involved a highly refined lunch at the Costco food court. Tyson had been craving a hot dog... can't beat $1.50 lunch! We browsed inside after with no shopping cart and no kids, and didn't buy ANYTHING because we wanted EVERYTHING... as it usually goes at that little wondrous retail jewel.

After that, we had a very important appointment with... absolutely nothing at all. We brought our blanket and chairs down to the beach... and just sat. I'm not very good at just sitting. There is ALWAYS something I should be doing, or somewhere to be. But for over an hour... we just sat on the sand and soaked in the sun in our bathing suits and listened to the crashing waves and all the other parent's with screaming kids. It was brilliant.

And then... just when we thought we couldn't possibly be ANY more relaxed... we packed up and headed to our final activity of the day.

Sycamore mineral springs, you are my new favorite daydream!

We've both lived here and loved each other most our lives, and somehow I'm realizing there is so much we haven't done together right in our own backyard! We rounded out our hot tub soak with a couples massage... a first for Tyson that he was previously uninterested in... but I managed to persuade him since I was willing to try on the golf course.

I don't think I'll have to convince him at ALL next time we get that opportunity. ;)

We headed back toward SLO early evening, and after a quick dinner at Firestone, Ty met up with a couple friends and hit the Jimmy Eat World concert while I headed to pick up the little ones.

Its amazing how a day and a half away can do amazing things for Mom morale. Especially when you're in the good company of the man you married.

Love you, Ty. Thanks again for the BEST day.

xo

The Garden of Toga

2010-09-29T20:31:00.000-07:00

Tonight, in a moment of exhaustion and temporarily lapsed judgment I somehow accidently agreed to take my kids to the wretched Halloween store up the street (!?!?!?). I suppose it was just one of those instances where it seemed completely logical to just say yes than to consider why it wouldn't be the wisest choice right before bed... (rookie parenting mistake #4289,) but anyways. We went.

The littles were browsing the aisles and I was busy frantically trying to guide them away from the greusome parts of the store and keep them in the costume section, when all of a sudden Anabelle lights up like a Christmas tree and shreiks "OHH, MOM! We JUST learned about this in school today!!"

She is holding a picture of a college couple posing in Toga outfits!

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Slightly embarassed by the looks we got from the 2 other people at the end of the aisle, I started asking some questions since I dont seem to remember that being in the cirriculum at my alma matter... a little tiny conservative christian school... paricularly at a preK level...

Finally annoyed at all my interest, she rolls her eyes and goes "Mom. You know. The story... about the apple tree? In chapel? I learned about them. What are their names?"

"Adam and Eve...?"

"Yes. Thats what I said. Thats who I learned about at school today."

Um. Thats NOT what you said. But ok, Anabelle. Glad you won't be attending your first Toga themed party any time in the near future.

xo

Dear Tyson,

2010-09-28T13:51:00.000-07:00

The other day, on a bike ride with our beautiful daughter, I caught her staring straight past the shores of the sparkling toxic green lake to the Pavilion building that sits on the other side. I could tell from her wistful gaze and starry eyes that she was enjoying a daydream of you and remembering the sweetheart dance you made her feel like a queen at last Winter.

As I silently read her mind, I enjoyed a little daydream of my own about a different set of children who existed nearly a decade past, and had their own set of fond memories in that very same spot...

I hardly know those kids anymore, they are long past and a new set of children are now centered in our hectic lives that the sun rises and the moon sets over day after day after day.

But every once in awhile, I get a glimpse of that time and place in a rare quiet moment, like that one by the lake with our Anabelle, and it just reminds me...

I am so glad I grew up with you, and that we are here in the land of reality where there are a lot of hard days and every so often an easy one that make the rest worth while. I am proud of you, and of us, and of what we've accomplished together in just under a decade. I mean, we practically conquered puberty together! Thats a task! ;)

You know I'm slightly superstitious about odd numbers, but 9 years feels like something to relish. Its gone by fast... guess that must mean we're still having fun...?

In the words of your son, I love you far past the Polar express, and past all the chocolate rainbows in the sky. And you know how much chocolate and rainbows mean to me.

Thanks for an almost-decade of playing house with me, its been an exciting ride.

Next year... lets play 'tropical getaway' instead!

xoxo

Ghosts

2010-09-14T20:06:00.000-07:00

I had a strange opportunity last weekend.

My wonderful in-laws offered to spend some quality grand kid time with both little munchkins, and since Ty was working until late that night, I was left with several hours all alone.

I dont mean to scare anyone who reads this blog and doesnt have kids of their own (yet)... but I dont know that such a thing has ever occured for me in my entire motherhood experience. I mean, I've been alone here and there since I had them for specific reasons... and gone on a few weekends away and certainly dates with every boy who asks me (dont get all excited, its almost always Tyson). But I dont know that I've ever had nowhere to be and nothing on my agenda.

I thought it would be heaven. And now that I think back to its rapidly fading memory... it was heaven. But the entire time, I felt anxious! It was strange stuff. I definitely think I need some more of those occasions so I can get comfortable with the experience... Ha.

Anyways. In the end, I managed to fill my time quite adequately if I do say so myself. I've been hearing fables and parables and haiku's and love sonnets about this mystical land of running warehouse in San Luis Obispo. Its supposed to be, like, the mecca of all central coast runners. I've yearned to go there for oh so long... but the thought of hauling my kids in there while I tried to pretend I was legit enough of a runner to get the sales clerk to invest their undivided attention in me seemed like a lost cause. In hindsight, now that I had my golden opportunity, Im glad I listened to my inner mom voice and left the banchees on the island with the rest of the killer dinosaurs where they belonged.

OOOOOMMMMMMGGGGG it was so fun.

I got to run on the special treadmill thingy that video tapes you, and analyzes your stride and points of impact (special treadmill thingy is the official technical term for the device, Im sure you already know that).

I run with some pretty amazing girls. All of them are faster than me, and more athletic over all... but they all seem to have quirky body aches and injuries and yet little shorty squaty old me only has aching love handles and doublechindenitius to whine about aside from the occasional chafe-age and blistering.

I've always pondered the mysteries of what makes up an ideal running shoe, and am perplexed at the wide variety of price ranges for someone like me, who has no injuries to speak of and would definitely like to keep it that way.

So yah. Long story short... I ran on the thing... my pants almost fell off in the process... and I found out in the end I have a 'neutral stride.'

Doesnt that sound boring?

IT IS BORING!

There is nothing wrong with me or my stride. Yippee! So as 'vanilla' as it is to be average, I am excited that now, I posses the mystical knowledge and capability of cracking the code on running shoes boxes when I go to buy a new pair. And it issss about that time. My current Asics that ive had since marathon training (and never been particularly in love with I might add) have HOLES in the toe box. Imagine the padding if the toe box has holes. Crikey!

And speaking of never loving at all... I DID happen to fall truely madly deeply in love while I was in the store. This is the part where my screaming children could have come in handy. I am in much less of a mood to spend money at reckless abandon when I am comtemplating how to word my threats in public so as not to alarm innocent (childless) bystanders. But when I was there all alone... and the clerk introduced me to a bold, handsome, colorful pair of sparkling new top of the line and oh so this season pair of orange and grey Brooks Ghost3s... I'd be lying if I said I wasn't in a hot fit of passionate temptation.

But I didnt do it.

I came home, and Googled faithfully, and I think I found a pair I'm close to buying that are a few seasons old, but a fraction of the triple digits from the warehouse.

Anyways. Im sorry if you hate running and exercise, and people who blog about them as if the rest of the world should care. But indeed... these are the luxuries I fantasize about all day long, and sad as it may sound... it got me thru the day today.

And now, if you'll excuse me I think I heard a Ghost calling my name. That, or it was a peanut butter M&M...

xo

Grizzly Cadet Kyle

2010-09-12T18:43:00.000-07:00

So, my brother has been at Grizzly Youth Academy since July. Its a charter school for kids in their mid-teens that is run by the national guard. Basically, its military school.

Kyle was having a hard time with typical teenage everything at our local high school, and was given this option to get out. Up until the moment he left, I wasn't completely convinced he would choose it. We were all nervous, but when it came down to it, it seemed like a really sweet opportunity if he could stand it. So he gave it a shot.

When I say military school, I mean it. They are up at 0500 every day, running up mountains with 50lb packs strapped to their backs. They march in line. They speak when spoken to... but really, they just don't speak much at all. They work hard all morning, and then work hard some more on school work in the afternoon. They live on base- for 5 whole months- and are allowed one phone call home per week, and are permitted leave twice over the weekend several months in. He can receive letters, and is allowed to write back only with the time remaining after every stitch of academic work is perfected and turned in. On the weekends, they go on education field trips and help out with community service events. They are on an extremely tight schedule.

So I haven't seen or talked to my brother in weeks. The kids and I write him as much as we can, and he mostly writes my parents since his free time is practically non existent. We got one letter from him weeks ago, and he warned us that it was a rare treat. He didn't sound miserable at all in any of the letters I saw, but I miss my brother, and worry about him of course...

So finally this weekend it was September 11th. I never thought it would be a day I'd look forward to... but this year, it meant family day at Grizzly Youth academy. We all got to go and check it out, and spend the entire day watching his platoon's marching demo, meeting his comrades and superiors, and just bbqing and hanging out.

Without knowing exactly what to expect, I just have to say... I was blown away in the best possible sense of the phrase.

Kyle looks so different in all the best ways possible.

He sparkles and shines, and is definitely standing taller than I've ever seen. He's made a couple friends, nice ones!, who introduced themselves... and called me ma'am! He showed us his latest report card... with a bigfat4.0 on it. Not so much as an A-. He has stories that he is proud to share. He marched in line like a man... and out of several hundred kids actually managed to win recognition for his superior level of physical fitness.

(front row, far left, getting recognized)

His chiefs and lieutenants sought out our family, personally introduced themselves, and told us how much leadership and maturity Kyle possesses. He is one of the youngest kids they took this academy, and in December when he graduates he will have all the credits he needs to finish High School and I believe even a couple college credits since he is taking some extension classes offered thru our local community college.

I am so proud of my littlest baby brother. To be a part of this at sixteen takes a lot of strength physically and emotionally. I know for a fact I couldn't have done it at his age. He is beyond brave, and even tho he isn't quite half way done, I can tell for certain he will make it, and when he does he will be getting a HUGE return on this investment in his own future.

Love you, little Grizzly Bear Kylie! And I'm SO looking forward to eating your dust at the RockNRoll Phoenix half marathon this January.

xo

To Think Its Only Monday...

2010-08-30T21:15:00.000-07:00

Don't be fooled by the illusion of peace and innocence portrayed below:

This day was bananas.

b-a-n-a-n-a-s!

Tyson worked his first 'alone' shift yesterday- and was 'forced,' meaning they required him to stay and work a double. We got a heads up, so we had plenty of time to make back up arrangements to get Dawson to school and such, but it was a definite reminder of what a luxury it has been to have him back in the picture again!

My Mom was kind enough to step in and take the morning carpool responsibility (thanks again, Mom!).
Of course, last week he developed a toothache, and I had to make him a dentist appointment the second week of school (star parenting moment, for sure).

Since we are still getting into the groove of things (read: its utter and complete confusion) I had NO idea what time lunch was. I was guessing not to pack a lunch since the appointment was 11:10, but I sent a snack. Welp... evidently, the kids don't eat snack at morning recess anymore (?!?!?!?!?). Thankfully my Mom insisted he scarf down a string cheese on the car ride over, but even so he was STARVED when he got home, and couldn't eat for an hour and a half until the anesthetic wore off. It was almost the end of both of us.
Then, after his meltdown last week just to tug at my fraying heartstrings a little bit more... evidently when my Mom went to pick my baby up, the office paged him, and when it was taking longer than expected for him to appear in the office she offered to start walking toward the classroom.

Good thing, too!
My poor sweet boy was wandering around lost, and finally heading back to his classroom. He had no idea where the back door to the office was, or how to get there, or any way of reading a sign that said 'office' even if it had been as bright and flashy as the Vegas strip!

Ahh, growing pains.
Back to school night is Thursday.

I'm looking forward to feeling more informed after that.

So. Now is the part where I have to rant about the actual dentist. First, let me say... we brush. Usually. I mean, lets be honest. We're a busy family of 4. Bedtime is hectic on a good night. Our kids don't stay up til midnight and eat candy corn for dinner, but... we get distracted sometimes. And we definitely haven't been faithful flossers.
However.

I had NO IDEA a massive cavity could form so fast for a five year old! I am shocked. I shouldn't be... he is my kid. And I have mean teeth. Mean like horrible and rotten, not like lean and mean... just to clarify. Anyways- we learned Dawson had 2 cavities when he went to his last appointment at the beginning of summer. I figured we'd put it on the list of things to save for... and then all of a sudden he said it hurt! It felt like 5 minutes went by in between.
So... after today... one cleaning/exam and 2 fillings later... we have already maxed his annual limit of $1k out, and paid $240 (plus $75 out of pocket for the exam!) in addition to what we pay monthly for our insurance.

And they found 2 more cavities today. And quoted me $500. With a discount.

Holy smokes. Who knew being a daycare dentist was so much more lucrative than being a daycare hag?!?! ("Not I," said the hag!).

I would also like to throw in the fact that I had to get a new cell phone recently. Which always puts me in a bad mood. Technology is not my thing. Thats one of the many reasons my husband is so good for me! He does all the homework and gets me a new phone when I need it, sets it up, and shows me how to use it. Its not that I couldn't do it myself. I think he just kind of likes it, and I kind of despise it... so it works out.

But this time... its already broken. It does this thing where the back light stays on, so the battery dies in like, an hour. And... it answers itself without ringing first. So, I never know when someone is on the line. Which is awesome when you have your phone in your pocket while you're "motivating" your kids to get out the door after you overslept. Or scolding your daughter for flashing the entire bank her underwear while you were trying to make a deposit.
So, I decided to be proactive since Tyson worked tonight, and went down to the wireless store to tell them my sad story about my brand new defective phone.... when all of a sudden I entered a mystical land of unicorns and leprechauns, and in that garden of all flawless technology the stinking phone magically started working.

How do these things happen?!?!?

I thanked the man behind the counter for listening to me whine about my imaginary problems with my brand new phone... left the store... and found out ten minutes later it was broken again.

When I got home, it was a mad dash to get the kids in bed early so tomorrow could be a smoother start (ie: Mom not oversleeping, Dad being home, etc.).

Dawson asked if he could help make dinner while Anabelle took a bath. I said sure.

I was so distracted by my son, who thought the broiler was "so interesting!" (his choice of words) that he nearly put his entire head inside of it, that I forgot to tell my darling daughter to shut off the bathwater. I didnt think at 4 I should worry about drowning. But evidently my little disney princess wannabe needs a reality check, because she isn't actually a mermaid in real life, and the bathtub was seconds from overflowing by the time I got there. We have really deep tubs.
My dog almost bit my hand off playing fetch in the back yard.

My kids left their clothes they changed out of everywhere, and didn't put their laundry away despite the fact that I asked them repeatedly and they promised it was done.

It was a craaaaazy Monday.

Good thing there's only one of those every week. And I think maybe God is trying to give me an extra dose of peace about sending my daughter to her first day of her last year of preschool tomorrow... which I am SO looking forward to.
Especially after a day like today.

xo

A Day of Firsts

2010-08-24T21:36:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, my first baby boy had his first day of first grade.

The weight of it all didn't hit me until THIS moment:

HOLY Cow.

First grade is MUCH different than kindergarten. Its the real deal! And... it tricks you, because you think you already did the real deal when you kissed him goodbye last year!

Kindergarten was basically fancy (and FREE!) pre-school. At least that was our experience. Dawson still learned a bunch, but because his sweet angel of a teacher had SUCH a gift, and had SO much experience... there were no surprises, unless they involved personal notes and ribbons and maybe a runaway gingerbread man or two.

I was dancing at the thought of having Dawson back in school. Hes been much harder to entertain this long summer, we were all going stir crazy. But then... all of a sudden, there we were, dropping him off. Just like that!, he was sitting in his very own desk, the bell was ringing!, and we had to just say goodbye, and pick him up a whopping SEVEN HOURS later. Thats never happened in Dawson's world! And it hasn't happened in mine for... well, you can do the math. Its first grade level. ;)

The desks were positioned in clusters, and there are a couple kids we know and love that he is with or next to. A good half of the class he knows from last year, and there are four kids from our street alone that are in the same room. That poor teacher, wait til she finds out theres a small herd of kids that can bicker like siblings right under her nose.

This is his friend Sarah... they are buddies. Unless they aren't. :)

Another highlight of the morning was that Tyson was there to enjoy it all. With nowhere to be until 2pm. In fact, at least until January, he will be taking the kids every single day, and hopefully volunteering in the classroom as well. What a breath of fresh air its been for each member of our family to have him around more.

Ah, the little moments.

When I picked him up and he climbed in the sweltering hot car (thermometer read 112! YOWZA!), the first words out of his mouth were... "Ohhhh, boy, Mom, there is a TON of homework... but its ALL FOR YOU!!!"

Har, har, har. What a funny little man.

I expected him to be a little vague so I made sure to ask direct questions, which he politely answered. He talked about the big playground, and the picnic they had on the grass. It sounded like a good day, but I knew I would get the real story at bedtime.

When we were finally snuggled in, and the exhaustion had gripped him, the flood gates opened (as somewhat expected).

He explained to me that all day he felt funny and lonely (LONELY! He actually said lonely!, his mother's worst fear!), and he was afraid of nobody wanting to play with him or be his friend at recess. He said how he wanted so badly to tell the teacher how he was feeling, but she didn't pay attention to him when he raised his hand, and it made him feel so sad. He said he didn't know if he could do first grade, because there would be homework, and it might be too hard for him...

Are you crying into your keyboard yet?

It was everything I had to not bawl my eyes out right there with him.

I did my best to gently explain that every kid... and teacher, for that matter!, feels scared or nervous about making friends the first couple days.

I said how the teacher doesn't know most of the kids, and has to learn all 29 names! That's a lot of homework!

I reminded him of what we talked about just last Sunday at church, how we are to share the love of Christ with everyone, and we don't ever have to be afraid because God is always with us.

I told him that tomorrow is ALWAYS a new day, and a new chance to make a friend.

And, of course, I reminded him that even on his worst day at school... his Mom and Dad and Anabelle Lee would be waiting patiently to hear all about it, and we would love him no matter what.

Overall, it was a day of so many firsts... and something tells me we've got quite an exciting year ahead.

But with the kids I have... 'exciting' will NOT be a first.

Bring.It.On.

xo

Little Boy Treasure

2010-08-22T22:08:00.000-07:00

Just had to share the harvest of tonight's Dawson laundry when I went to swap his clothes from the wash to the dryer.

Here's what I scored!:

I'm sure theres a technical term for each of these items I am not familiar with, but in "laymom's terms" the contents included:

One wooden guitar pick thingy (that has no apparent function I can imagine),

One piece of some kind of coated electrical wiring (!??!?!?!),

One screw,

One even bigger screw,

One red spaceship/dreidel shaped squishy thingy I'm almost positive my Dad gave him out of his personal stash of non-mom approved toys from his super cool worker man toolbox,

A glass bead,

A woodworker's pencil,

A plastic animal cookie, made for a play kitchen (I dont share desert either, can't blame him there...),

And the grand finale....

A good sized clump of coarse black hair I can only hope (best case scenario!) came from a giant stuffed monkey he bought with his lemonade stand earnings from the neighbor's yard sale this weekend.

The things this sweet sleeping angel is capable of accomplishing in one day patrolling the neighborhood.

I have a very, very busy little boy, who I have enjoyed immensely this summer (wild ambitions, tantrums, sandy mud pies and all!)... and its hard to believe that when he wakes up tomorrow, he will be off to first grade where they fill his mind with all kinds words and colors and dreams, and rob him from his mother who loves him and misses him all day long.

But judging by his carefully selected wardrobe patiently waiting for sunrise on his bedroom floor... he's not looking back.

And I will look forward to unfolding the mysteries of his days away by checking his pockets more carefully.

xo

Leave Me Breathless

2010-08-07T21:56:00.000-07:00

2.More.Weeks.

...until school starts.

But whose counting, anyways?

(ME. MEEEE! I'M COUNTING!)

My.children.are.BONKERS.

I have tried, TRIED, I say!, to keep them busy.

We've read books. A lot of books. Chapter books. Picture books. Educational books, old books, new books, library books, and books that I actually feel dumber after reading.

We've been for long walks, short hikes, bike rides, wagon rides, bike rides PULLING wagon rides(thanks, fun Uncle KJ!). We've been frog hunting, snake hunting, BB hunting, deer watching, and dead animal spotting.

We've picked blackberries, cherrys, apples, zucchinis and peaches.

We've made necklaces, finger painted, water colored,

strung keychains and built and painted model airplanes.

Im pretty sure my kids could bake almost any dessert I make better than I can with their eyes closed, along with a few new ones.

We have manicured, pedicured, beauty shopped, and hair dressed.

We've movie-nighted (inside AND outside!),

and (of course!) slip and slided.

We've bobbed for apples, and run thru sprinklers.

We've swimming pooled and bubble blown to our hearts content (despite the unseasonably cool LOW 80 degree weather ALL SUMMER LONG!).

We've been bike riding, face painting, garage sailing, picnicking, birthday partying.

We've been to the neighborhood park and all the city parks, to the zoo, the golf course (gentlemen only ladies forbidden, naturally),

Done vacation bible school, the drive in movie theatre and the regular movie theatre,

the children's museum (thanks, Grandma!), the beach, and of course swimming lessons.

So yah.

We've been keeping busy.

And I haven't so much been blogging.

Forgive me....

I am UTTERLY EXHAUSTED.

Despite all these fabulous summer happenings... any guesses on how do my kids prefer to spend their spare time during the day?

(If you guessed terrorizing each other until someone is crying or bleeding, leaving behind as many dirty fingerprints and making as much noise as possible in the process... you are likely a Mom that has spent a few summers home with her children. Extra triple heaping scoop of rubies in your heavenly crown, you beautiful creatures!....now come close, and whisper your secrets).

What A Turd!

2010-07-22T22:12:00.000-07:00

I think I've blogged a time or two about our (cursed, wretched, loathed, despised, good for nothing) family cat, Minerva, and how she loves nothing more than to leave us 'prizes' all over the place.

She likes to dig up the decorative bark right by the front door and use it as her personal litter box, despite the fact that she HAS a perfectly functional personal litter box in the garage... not to mention that the entire field next door to us, and the rest of the neighborhood as we know it is her personal port-a-potty.

She likes to leave us dead creatures as presents ALL.THE.TIME. I know you're thinking this is typical feline behavior, but she does it in such a way that I've come to believe she is intentionally assaulting me personally. Its like she strategically positions these treasures. I've stepped in them... barefoot... more times than I can count. And I will NEVER, EVER forget that time Anabelle had just learned to crawl and was putting everything under the sun in her chunky little mouth when she had the beautiful (mis)fortune of encountering one of Minerva's rotting delicacies under the picnic table in the back yard (gasp, gag, dry heave... moving right along).

She likes to lurk outside the front door and find juuuuuust the right moment where I am most vulnerable (I'm actually vulnerable a lot each day, I know, you're shocked)... when I have a kid with a potty emergency, or an arm load of groceries and the phone is ringing, or the kids are fighting and I am talking (yelling) over them and trying not to throw a mom tantrum in front of the happy neighbors... and she ZOOOOOOOMs underneath my feet and then... POOF! vanishes somewhere in the house until I am forced to give up searching for her and she can finally take her well deserved (HA!) 23 hour nap.

Sometimes she gets locked in the house when we leave by mistake. Once left inside, I suppose she may argue that a cats gotta do what she's gotta do, and hey. If we aren't home to let her out WHEN she wants out... things get ugly. Which brings us to her new favorite trick: LICKING herself clean inside the house... and then, leaving nasty gray surprises of slimy shed cat hair souffle in inconspicuous places for us to find at the end of another exhaustively endless day in paradise. Like inside Tyson's nice pair of dress shoes. Or on a pile of freshly washed blankets. Or in the middle of our daughter's room... which Anabelle, naturally, steps in immediately following her evening bath.

I bet you think this blog is going to be all about our cat.

Negative.

She's SO not worth her own blog.

This is about my hilarious, wicked, brilliant, warped evil comedic genius of a son, who evidently watches and listens to his mother at ALL the moments I am ranting about the cruel injustices of pet ownership and devises himself a plan to join in the torment, inspired by carnal feline-evil (he really does love that beastly cat).

******************************************************************************

Im in my happy place, watering the garden at the end of a long hot summer day, letting the cool hose water wash over my tired feet like an old friend and just enjoying the soothing sounds of a summer evening, when all of sudden... what? What's this I see? Just yonder... on the SLIDE!?! Where my DAYCARE KIDS play, and put their little hands and faces all day long!?!?!:

OH.NO.SHE.DID.NOT!:

I dont remember exactly WHAT I spouted off, but Im pretty sure its not family friendly enough to repeat on my sweet little blog. Naturally, I turned to my husband who ADORES when I come to him with animal related mishaps... and he chuckles and stops my rant cold.

He goes... "You like that?"

Um. I most certainly did not.

"Dawson made that for you."

"say WHAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!"

...and sure enough, the little rat fessed up. Or something like that.

He spent the afternoon the day before meticulously concocting this scientific little mud mixture so it would perfectly resemble... cat crap.

Just for little old me.

I feel so loved.

And so grossed the frick out.

And, not gonna lie... slightly amused (and even proud?) that my son likes to laugh so much, and shares our (slightly warped) family humor (alright, maybe it just MY humor).

So there you have it. Sh*t happens. The best you can hope for is that it was left behind in love by someone you cherish as a twisted joke.

Speaking of cherishing, and all things warm, fuzzy, and twisted (pun intended)....

Even when they're in trouble, I just don't get how they can manage to be this stinking adorable all the time.

xo

The Almighty Dollar

2010-07-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

We are on DAY2 of a new reward system we have implemented in the McDermott household.

I know its early, but its been A-MAZING.

I attended a pampered chef party last week and the mother of one of the girls in Dawson's kindergarten class was the consultant. After the show ended, we were chatting about summer, and I asked how she was keeping her girls busy. She responded that 'she keeps them on a pretty tight schedule.'

I think my kids are 'on a schedule' too, in the sense that we do the same things around the same time each day, the rules don't change, and we don't spend the days in front of the TV in our PJ's as a general rule. So I asked what her definition of a 'tight schedule was,' and she grinned and began telling me about how her older daughter is very 'financially motivated.'

Well, obviously I am thinking of how I'm not going to pay my kids for doing things they are required to do as functioning family members. But then she begins to explain her system... which is brilliant.

I came home and called Kari, who had already created a system in her own home. She thought it was brilliant also. So then she introduced the money aspect into what she was already doing, and shared it with me.

On Sunday, I spent a half hour throwing to all together. Heres what it looks like on paper....

Basically, the tablet in the left pocket of their charts is just an excel spreadsheet of the things they are required to do each day. Get dressed, make bed, brush teeth, feed dogs, pick up living room, comb hair. They get a sticker for each task completed, and $1 for each sticker (the stickers are fun and cute, and they help keep track of the dollars in case I don't have time to pay out right then). So they earn about $6 just for getting up and starting their day.

Then. We made a list of other chores that sometimes need to get done. They aren't all things that have to be done every day- but things that will give them something to do and ways to earn extra $ when they are 'bored,' such as setting/clearing the table for the next meal, putting away my laundry/matching socks, cleaning dog poop and changing dog water, reading quietly for 30 minutes (which they like doing anyways), picking up backyard before sprinklers go off, etc. Each of these are worth a dollar amount, depending how big the task is.

There is also a list of 'rewards' they can spend their hard earned dollars on. They are things they have been getting for free up until now (doh! what was I thinking!??!), such as $2 for 30 minutes of TV time, $1 for a sugar snack was added recently (like a popsicle, or hot cocoa in the morning), family walks to the park, or a bike ride after dinner. There are bigger rewards they can save up for, such as $50 for an ice cream date, $100 for the drive in movie theatre with snacks, $50 to choose a movie at Red Box, $50 for a trip to the dollar store, $25 for the 'prize box' which is a stash of cheap toys I got in the clearance bin at Michael's, most of which are marked below a dollar each.

The last part is where it gets good. They LOOSE money for bad behavior. There is a list of fineable offenses, with a written dollar penalty. Bad table manners? Bummer. You owe me a buck. Not listening the first time I asked you to stop? $2, please. Hitting??! Whoops, looks like you just lost $5. Throwing a fit?, tattling?, yelling?, running in the house? All more money for mom and less money for fun.

I have never seen my kids more motivated to do good without being asked! I have never seen them more proud of their rewards for their dollars well spent. They feel empowered! They are making their own choices, and living on their own terms in a way. Dawson earned AND lost several dollars yesterday, but at the end of the day ended up with about $8. He spent $3 for a family walk to the park after dinner, and saved the rest to save toward a big reward. THEY ARE LEARNING TO BUDGET! And count money! I am less frustrated with their behavior, and feeling less guilty about being too busy to keep them busy. There is always something to do. 'Go read a book in your room for 30 minutes, and earn some money!'

Anyways. Like I said, I just had to share. My kids are a short season older than most of the other kids we hang out with, so I feel like since I have to make the first mistakes with the things I am doing wrong for all of you to see, I should probably also share the successes that come here and there in between as well.

Here's to the almighty dollar, and hoping it doesn't deflate to less than its worth before the summer is over.

Cheers!

Reporting For Duty

2010-07-10T22:01:00.001-07:00

So, my husband is officially official.

He is all sworn in to his new life...

...he graduated on Friday!

I am PROUD.

His brother made it up from San Diego, where he is stationed in the Coast Guard. And Ty is excited to be working along side one of his best and oldest friends, John. These boys have been friends since boyhood. How adorable are they?!

It was such a privilege to be there... and hear about all the 'fun' things they've been up to the last few months. The kids have been really curious as to what the new job is all about, I know it made them feel special to finally be invited to be a small part of it (plus, you KNOW my daughter loves her an excuse to 'be fancy!').

(Almost) Tyson's whole family was there (move home already, CARLY!). My family was out of town, but they were supportive in spirit!

We had a little 'after party' at the parent's house when the ceremony ended.

The family and I all chipped in to buy a fancy flashlight for our officer's cool new belt. John ended up having to work at the last minute (part of the call of duty, as I know we will learn first hand,) but his sweet wife (and my good friend!) Rachel still walked over with their kids and hung out while we all relaxed and ate.

I know I may be the slightest bit biased, but I think we've got a handful of the sweetest, cutest kids around in our lives.

We are beyond blessed.

Its A Good Thing Olive My Kids...

2010-07-08T12:41:00.000-07:00

OK, sorry. I couldn't resist the stupid pun. Call it comic relief.

I am having 'one of those days.'

Actually, a couple of them.

In a row.

With my own children.

(read: They.are.running.me.ragged.)

Despite my efforts to paper doll, craft, lego, swimming pool, bake, sing, and even televise them to their little hearts content... they are STILL near impossible to keep entertained and out of trouble.

And they eat whenever they are not occupied. Eating is expensive. And it fuels them with more and more raw energy. You can see the storm brewing in the direction of where this logic is headed.

(Side note: Dawson has grown more than 2 inches in 6 months. Yipes!):

Today, I decided to make an early lunch in an effort to take the edge off. I'm down a daycare kid, so I thought I'd take advantage of the 'quieter' scene, and make a big plate of nachos for my kids to share.

I opened a can of olives, sliced a few on top... turned around, and saw my son licking his fingers.

The can was empty.

We're talking a whole can. Of BIG, BLACK, RICH olives.

GROSSSSSS.

I was scolding Dawson for 'making himself sick' with his tasty little appetizer, when I heard Anabelle mutter "Uh-oh..."

I twirl around, and. Welp. Here she is!:

Covered head to toe in gooey nacho glory. The picture does it no justice, it was everywhere. Down her arms, back, shirt... in her hair... all over the floor, up the fridge...

This is DEFINITELY a better definition of Livin la Vida Loca. Aye Car rumba.

(PS- As I type this, they are BOTH sitting in timeout. Its 1:15pm... and it hasn't been the first one today. Or the second one... S.O.S........S.O.S.......S.O.S......!!!!).

My Little Wild Thing.

2010-07-06T13:03:00.000-07:00

My son just wrote his first song.

It goes like this:

Stop to pick a peach, and you'll have a peachy day (x3... to a tune I don't recognize, so I guess its an original...)

If you eat a peach, its the only thing you'll ever eat.

***********************************************

I just have to say, my kids are cracking me up this summer. Don't get me wrong, they're driving me insane too. But when they're at school all year, I miss out on all the hilarious things they say and curious questions they come up with that just make the whole world look shiny and beautiful and safe.

For instance: Dawson was searching for a 'beauty mark' on my face the other day, and after searching high and low he pipes up "I can't find it, Mom. All I see are lines everywhere!"

And he is completely mesmerized with the wonder of a Venus flytrap. And what makes a hot air balloon float. And how they make plastic. And why on earth a cat would want to eat a poor little gopher.

How does a mom even begin to answer any of these mysteries!?!? Thank the LORD for YouTube.

Don't even get me started on booby traps. But let me just say... if anyone tries to hop the fence around or near his 'fort' in the dark... they might be in for a surprise. Don't say I didn't warn you in case you were considering a (bad idea of a) practical joke anytime soon.

I am so thankful for my little wild thing and all his mischief and spunk and germs and snakes and snails. And I'm also thankful that school now starts in August, as opposed to the Tuesday after Labor Day like it did when I was a kid... CAN I GET AN AAAAA-MEN?!?!!?

July 4th

2010-07-05T20:25:00.000-07:00

A lot of people I know say 4th of July is their favorite holiday.

I'm starting to understand why!

Its just SO casual. Its lazy, there is ALWAYS something fun to do... and I happen to like the colors. Sorry Christmas... I think Old Glory may be stealing some of your edge!

Started off the day doing a 5k out in the sticks with some of my favorite people.

It was a fun little event, only a couple hundred people in a teensey little town (can you even call it a town?). I haven't been running too much since the marathon, and actually realized I miss it a little. A LITTLE.

The fam wasn't there to cheer old mom on this time around... Ty ended up working most of the day. He was out at the gun range exercising his 'right to bear arms'... on the clock... so although I missed having him around I didn't feel THAT bad for him knowing he was enjoying life.

After the 5k I rushed home, showered, and met the kids at church. Then we farmed out to good old Grammie's for a splendid front yard bbq!

She's always great at making a holiday festive. Cream soda floats and all. Thanks, Grammie! xo

My daughter was a mess around the middle of the day. It was my fault, I said something in my facebook status about 'my kids not melting down anymore from not sleeping enough' or something. Evidently it wasn't real wood I knocked on. Turns out, she needed a party break, and she put herself to bed between events. Lucky for ALL of us.

...but she sure is cute.

We rounded out the day with a brief appearance at the neighborhood block party, followed by a potluck of sorts at our friends vineyard that happens to back up to a bigger vineyard that puts on one heck of a firework show every year.

Its absolutely breathtaking, and always good food, good friends, good wine, and a GREAT time.

Doesn't really get more American than that if you ask me!

Dawson was SO proud of his glow stick hat that he won for memorizing a bajillion (I'm pretty sure thats a real number...?) Bible verses at Sunday school. He had asked me to buy it for him the day before at the dollar store. I wanted to say yes, but something told me not to. I was already buying some less exciting sticks for all the kids, and the hat would have been just for him and a little excessive I thought. The pride he felt when he 'earned' it with his hard work the very next day made me realize (again) that saying yes isn't always doing my kids a favor, and nothing feels better than hard work paying off and finally getting something you want out of it. Even at age 5.

The night ended with minimal traffic on the way home, and Dawson fell asleep in the car (which NEVER happens!).

This morning, there was a nasty black ring around the inside of the bathtub. Yep. The true mark of good time the night before!

I am thankful for a nearly perfect 4th of July... my freedom, my faith, my family, our health... cream soda floats, Kari's caramel apple salad, running water... God Bless America!

We are beyond blessed.

Lets Get Physical

2010-06-23T19:15:00.001-07:00

EUREKA!

I think I've stumbled upon the most genius cure for summer boredom yet.

Wait for it....
Wait for it...

Jillian Michaels... for the KIDS.

I can't believe the answer was right under my nose all along and I didn't see it!

Dawson has been begging to do 'my workout video' on and off for weeks now.

With all the marathon training, I stopped 'shredding' during nap times. I had forgotten that months ago, Dawson was really, REALLY into doing this little bonding exercise with me.

Today, I caved in and put it on just for him.

He immediately requested level 3 (the hardest one). I had forgotten there were levels at all.

Anabelle made it thru the first couple rounds... and then joined her mom and a couple babies on the couch while we proceeded to watch Dawson do THE ENTIRE WORKOUT.

...with pretty great form, I might add.

At the end, he was dripping sweat, and I could practically see the endorphins glistening in his eyes.

My kids are so weird. And cool. And at this rate, nobody will ever dare to steal their lunch money. hiiii-YA!

xo

Some Like It HOT!

2010-06-21T09:10:00.000-07:00

Today may be the first 'official' day of summer... but we've been seeing some surefire signs of its impending arrival for weeks now...

Starting with the official end to my son's kindergarten year of school.

We celebrated with all his classmates and their sweet families at a local park one evening, where the kids played in the water and sang us silly songs, and then all the parents did the chicken dance.

This year was particularly special, since we hit the kindergarten experience jackpot with his gem of a teacher Mrs. Romera. She announced recently this was her last year of teaching as she is retiring. We were so blessed, those are some BIG shoes Mrs. Firstgrade will have to fill...

This is the final picture of my kid as a kindergartner, taken the last day of school.

What a rebel. He is ready to rock first grade in a few short weeks!

We recently harvested our first crop of CHERRY'S from the tree in our front yard.

When the little red berries appeared late this spring, I almost couldn't believe my eyes! We purchased the tree a couple summers ago from a local nursery, and the tag on the tree promised fruit with no cross pollination required. When we got it home and it started to mature and the first season produced no fruit, I assumed it had been mismarked.

Evidently, good things come to those who wait. And those little red cherry's... were... SPLENDID! I couldnt believe how many we got, and we can't wait to gobble them up again next year. SLURP!

With school ending I am trying to think of some fun activities to keep the kids busy. I plan to do a lot of reading with them, so imagine my delight when a dear family friend passed these sweet little books on to my children.

Anabelle has been bird watching and thank-you card writing, while Dawson has taken a particular interest in "How to make a water bomb."

...I might have to mind what he reads a little better. Its true what they say... knowledge IS power. The last thing I need around here is an evil genius of a first grade boy. ;) Just imagine when he discovers you can fill them with substances besides water!

Im kidding, of course. I just adore how he has taken such an interest in learning, and reading... and his insatiable sense of adventure and curiosity. He is a wonder.

Speaking of adventure... another sure sign of summer... THE CREATURES ARE LURKING!

(Yes, this is my sweet little girl, holding a giant gopher snake)

And yes, it is real. It was spotted slithering across the Hammys driveway one afternoon when none of their children were home, and we had the (mis)fortune of stopping by at just the (wrong)right moment. It spent the afternoon being passed through the hands of all 287 children on our street, and has been released back into the wild since Mom decided a brown paper bag stapled shut on the floor of Dawson's bedroom was NOT an acceptable place to keep such a pet. Call me crazy.

EW.

Moving right along... Miss Anabelle Lee has completed her first 2 weeks of swimming lessons already this summer.

We got really lucky, and she was able to take lessons from her preschool teacher at her home just around the corner. At the beginning of the session, she wouldn't even get her eyebrows wet. By the end of the session, she was swimming with arms and legs moving, eyes wide open under water. That woman is a miracle worker, and Anabelle is a quick study this year compared to last! I am proud.

I'm also proud of my husband, who recently ran a 5k leg with the torch for the Special Olympics with his academy.

He even got this picture published in the local newspaper (far right). Tyson has been a fast driving, torch running, bad-guy wrestling fool these last couple weeks at 'work,' (school) getting ready for graduation the second week in July.

He came home recently with his 'belt' which included a set of real live handcuffs.

The kids say they work great.

It feels like we've already done a lot this summer... and school has only been out for a week. So far, its been remarkably cool, but I know better than to believe that will last.

Looking forward to some sizzling hot days, a new routine for Ty (he should have a 'normal' schedule by the beginning of the school year), and lots and lots of down time with my two great kids in the long and lazy days ahead.

26.2

2010-06-14T14:10:00.001-07:00

So... its finally over.

On 6.6.10 my little lost boy of a brother (KJ) turned 21 years old, became a real live bonafied grown up... and ran 13.1 miles in the San Diego Rock and Roll half marathon to commemorate it!

I'm proud.

Bangarang, KJ!!!

And I'm also proud of us:

These women I know are extraordinary. They make me better. I never EVER knew I had marathon potential. EVER. I have no words for these giants... but I'd like to think they already know what they mean to me.

That said, I would have been proud to WALK 26.2 miles in an entire day and live to tell the tale of it a few months ago.

But we ran hard, fought the good fight... and finished the race!

Bethany: 4:35:49
Elissa: 4:51:36
Beth: 4:51:36

It was one of the hardest and best things I've done so far in my life. It hurt like the blazes, and it was FUN. Isn't that a weird thing to say?

So true, though.

I keep comparing it to childbirth. Maybe that's not fair... because obviously my kids are more to me than ANY silly run... but its the same kind of experience. The anticipation, the fear, the thrill of knowing its going to be here soon, and you can't really turn back now that you've come this far. The feeling of utter panic when you realize the night before that YES, this is GOING to happen no matter what, and you were dumb enough to ASK for it... and the way the whoooooole time it seems impossible and hurts like a mutha*^&*#^&*#54784... you just keep picturing how amazing you will feel at the end (and dear Lord, it better not come out ugly...bwahahahah!).

...and then (as soon as the blisters are popped, muscles are iced, and the chafing has been slathered with enough diaper rash cream to supply Octomom for an entire year)...

you.feel.amazing.

This was a great experience for SO many reasons, but highest on the list to me was the support I felt of just about everyone I'm fortunate enough to have in my life.

I learned A LOT about myself (just for you, Kari).

I learned that other people think I'm capable of more than I think I am... which is sad, because I wonder how much I've missed out on because I've been afraid to fail.

I learned that I am way better and more motivated by being on a team than by being a competitor (which I already mostly knew). But honestly, I would NEVER have gotten my butt out of bed that early that often to train for this if I didn't have a couple hard core nazi's waiting in my driveway, salivating for an excuse to storm into my bedroom and drag me out by the hair.

I learned that its literally one.mile.at.a.time... because if you look at the entire mountain, it seems completely overwhelming and unattainable.

I learned that running away only takes 'the edge' off a little bit... but every little bit counts.

I learned that apparently I am highly susceptible to peer pressure. Lets leave it at that. ;)

I've learned that heatstroke and stinging nettle are the enemy... and salt capsules and body glide are the light.

I learned that nothing feels better than seeing your kids take an interest in something that you are working at.

I learned that Tyson might not want to run a marathon with me any time in the near future... but he MAY do a half. Someday. And he happens to be one heck of a cheerleader.

Which is more than great by me.

Thank you SO much girls... husband... family... friends. If you care enough about me to read my blog regularly (NOT CHELSEA!!!), chances are you're sick of hearing marathon talk come out of my mouth between seeing it here and hearing about it again and again and again every time we talk in real life.

Now all you will hear about is how I'm sad its over, but glad its been conquered.

And how I am feeling a little confused about where to go from here... and whether to hike, bike, run, or swim there. But one thing is certain... there's always another mountain. (Boo-ya, Miley!)

Getting Away With the Girls... and Boys.

2010-06-03T10:41:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day weekend kiiiind of ruled.

It was the debut of SATC2. If you don't know what that is... you wont be into this blog at all... sorry bout that.

We've been planning this moment since the LAST movie came out. This time, we decided to bring the boys. I know what you are thinking. Why on EARTH would a bunch of dudes want to hang out with a bunch of girls painting their toenails and playing dress up all weekend? I think its because we all managed to find keepers that love us A LOT. But I dont feel that sorry for them, because they all seemed to manage themselves a good time.

I was a little nervous about leaving the kids. For some reason, when the opportunity to get away comes up, I always panic a little at the last minute. I know theyre in good hands when Im gone, its just the anticipation of leaving them behind. I definitely felt it this time, but the HUGE difference: when we called to check in, they had NO INTEREST WHATSOEVER in even SPEAKING to us. Like, we were inconvienencing their weekend away from us or something.

It was hilarious... and slightly heartbreaking. Our babies are independent kid-people now, who could care less about our whereabouts under the right circumstances.

Anabelle DID try to talk us in to coming along when she saw all the fancy things I was packing...

...of COURSE she had to try it all on. She almost could have fit right in... but in the end, I think we both had more fun our separate ways. ;)

Terese and Lyle have a beautiful new home in wine country! We spent lots and lots of time doing THIS kind of thing...

...that is to say... sitting around sipping something wonderful, and eating (emphasis on the eating).

Lynn taught me about these little beauties:

...I may forgive her someday for introducing the two of us if the little round balls of cellulose that suddenly appeared all over my body ever go away.

On Saturday night, after a nice long relaxing day of basking, sipping, chit-chatting, and primping... we were ready to hit the town for the big event.

Fun x infinity.

The movie was adorable. The theater we went to actually had nice appetizers (which we werent in the mood for since we had a nice time at a swanky hotel before we went...) but they also offered champagne and wine while the movie played. I had heard urban legend that such a thing existed in bigger metropolis outside the ragged edges of Atascabama, but it was ridiculously fun and unreal to actually get to do live in the flesh. That is what happens when you're the Charlotte (minus the hot nanny).

The whole night was nothing but a good time.

The next morning was Sunday, and Mike and Krista had to say goodbye. They have a little dude at home they had never left for 2 whole nights before calling their names. It was just as well for them... before they know it, he will be begging them not to call and interrupt his time with his fun grandparents.

We had a last supper at Starbucks to see them off, and took this perfect and adorable picture of the 4 of us in all our State Farm (alumnus for me) glory:

Awe. The good old days.

After the Biron send off, the remaining 6 of us packed a tasty picnic and headed out in search of some vino and spirits.

(...isnt he pretty?):
We found them.

This is such a great group of girls (who happen to also all have great taste in boys!), and I just treasure each of their relationships so much. Much has changed in all of our lives since we all worked in that little Goleta office on Fairview so long ago. Almost nothing is the same. I havnt been a working woman (outside of my house) for going on 5 years now! Most days, I wouldnt trade the opportunity I've had to watch my kids and all our friends grow up before my very eyes. But most days I also really do miss them, and how it used to be, too. And I really think its so special and extrordinairy that we've all managed to stay involved with each other the way we have since moving our separate ways.

Thanks, girls, for a fantastic weekend escape, for sharing your lives with me, and for showing this haggard mom a good time.

And Terese, for sharing your gorgeous new home and flawless hospitality, and planning a perfectly balanced agenda.

And Grandparents, for the opportunity to sneak away and know that our kids are in good hands and won't even notice we are gone.

Not gonna lie. It was a little more than tempting to stay... maybe just one more night...

The McHappenings

2010-05-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of bloggage.

Its been a wild couple of weeks! I have lots and lots of good reasons for being so preoccupied.

We've been completely cram packed full of wonderful events that are WAY more exciting than blogging!, such as...

Welcoming THESE beautiful baby boys into the world,

Joshua Michael Hamilton!,

Born April 29th, 2010

a 6lbs 12 oz bundle of miracles, might, and pure JOY!,

and....... a big fat congratulations, Hutchinson Family (of three!!):

on the brilliant arrival of

Marshall Ford Hutchinson!,

born May 3rd handsome and wide eyed at a solid 8lbs 3oz.

My amazing friends had VERY different journeys through pregnancy and delivery, but I can tell you I am SO tremendously blessed to have been a small part in each of their lives during this special time, and to get to watch the hand of God forming each of their little bundles and preparing these amazing women and their family's for the new arrivals. I feel like I've grown as a mom, a friend, and a person in getting to be at the sidelines through all of this... I'm still processing it, but words can't say how SO incredibly happy I feel for these flourishing families.

Love you SO SO much, Hammies and Hutchies!

In all the free moments I'm NOT waiting for the phone to ring and new lives to be joining the world... I've been running. A LOT. Like, 40 miles+ a week a lot (wahhhh! Im too tired to blogggg!).

On Saturday, my fabulous friends and I completed the last long run before our marathon. It was 20 miles long in lovely San Luis Obispo.

It was fun, and hard (at least for me... they made it look EASY!), and kind of unexpectedly emotional. This has been SO much of my (non-existent free) time and focus over the last few months. When its over, there will be a void. A lovely, quiet, non-sweaty and blistered void... but still. I'm definitely going to need a new project.

We've also been busy wrapping up the school year- my very own little baby boy who was just a 7lb 14oz bundle himself a blink ago will soon be a first grader.

We recently attended his school's open house and got to see the world's most adorable kindergarten classroom. There was SO much to see, the kids have worked SO hard and their teacher is up there at saint status with Mother Theresa. Tyson (being the proud father he is) took pictures of EVERY painting and project our son made/drew/participated in, but I wont bore you with those details.

I WILL bore you with this ONE little morsel...

In case you can't read it it says... "When I'm big- I want to be a TV fixer. I'd have 'ratches,' wires, and hammers. I'd wear a belt and a helmet. I'd make a hundred dollars for a little bit of time. I'll live with Kailee by my street in San Luis Obispo. I'll see Mom and Dad every day by walking to their house."

Weird how he didnt mention wanting to be a zoo-keeper... I mean daycare provider... ;) But awwww. My son LOVES his Daddy.

And just in case you dont already know... Here is the famous Kailee my son adores:

I hope they're very happy together in San Luis Obispo.

Speaking of happy...

We are LOVING our summertime weather and all the creatures it is bringing. A few years back it never would have occurred to me that just moments down the road I'd be spending my days googling "how to make a toad house. "

...but I wouldn't trade it for the whole pet-store. Pineapple the toad was very VERY happy in his toad-home, I don't even think he minded being fondled by a classroom of kindergartners AND preschoolers within 48 hours of each other. He has since been released back into the wild common areas of Apple Valley and reunited with his slimy little family.

And finally, on Friday, I suddenly realized I was officially living the soccer-Mom dream when I pulled an SUV with 4 screaming kids, a toad terrarium, and a cake for the school carnival's cake walk into the school parking lot.

But pictures like the one above make me feel so.incredibly.full inside I could just explode.

Perhaps its seeing my friends welcoming their new babes. Maybe its the fact that Tyson and I have been sleeping in on the weekends, and having important discussions with the kids about real issues!, like what happens to goldfish when they die, and why its important to be a good t-ball team mate. But I have to say... I'm suddenly SO aware of how fast time is flying by, and how mind-blowingly awesome my kids are.

It gives such an appreciation for the increasingly rare moments like THIS one... where they are snugly, and tranquil... and getting along with each other. ;)

Happy almost-summer everyone!

I'll be resuming normally scheduled blog-casting after June 6th in San Diego!

Holla!

The Money You Could Be Saving

2010-05-16T17:13:00.000-07:00

America's powerful marketing strategies have officially leeched their way into the mind of my adorable son... who also happens to be ridiculously creative, and has a WICKED sense of humor.

So, without further ado... Here's the money you could be saving with Geico:

I was off running the streets of SLO with the girls on our last long run before the big day (June 6th, baby!), and Ty was home with the kids. We are just now arriving in the beautiful parenting phase where your kids can wake up and occupy themselves while you sleep in a little bit.

Tyson tells me this morning, the boy got up, came into the kitchen, and crafted this little handy dandy reminder all on his own while daddy snored away obliviously.

I am kind of amazed at his creativity, and fascinated by the things that interest him. Like a stack of money with eyeballs on top. Check out the way he used the tape to make the eyes dimensional, and the way he even feathered the dollar bills underneath.

Child prodigy, for sure.

And you know what...? I juuuust might be getting a quote from Geico in the near future...

Man Mischief

2010-04-27T14:14:00.000-07:00

Last Friday at Dawson's school they celebrated books. Each kid was supposed to come dressed as a character from their personal favorite literary masterpiece. I was a little nervous... my mind went straight to Amelia Bedilla, Ballerina Kitty, Fancy Nancy... all the girly books. I told Dawson I could be in charge of helping with his costume (gah! stress!), but he needed to pick what to be... I was at a complete loss. But he didn't hesitate one little bit- he knew immediately he had to be Curious George!

How perfect. That is SO him, I can't believe its never crossed my mind! He is quite the explorer... with all the best intentions...

Thank you thank you thank you THANK YOU, Rachel Hunter, for the wardrobe loaner. It could not have been more fitting or perfect... and I know I am biased, but seriously!?!?!? He is the most adorable thing I've ever seen.

And I just have to say, in case I haven't mentioned how thankful I am lately... my kids are in heaven having their daddy around so much more now.

Mom just can't make lizard catchers quite the same as he can...

Ew.

And speaking of 'man'ners... and the utter lack thereof... I couldn't resist sharing this shot of the McDermott men at the dinner table last night... sporting their matching spaghetti sauce smears across their face as they inhaled their dinner.

Oh, Boys.

Can't live without them.

xo

Heres The Latest

2010-04-19T12:57:00.000-07:00

So, on Friday, my super handsome husband went to work in uniform:

Isn't he sharp?

The academy lasts until the second week in July, and after he graduates he will be shadowing the other officers to get a feel for each shift for about 6 weeks. Then he will be assigned to his own shift, which will stay the same for a year.

So far, so good for all of us! Weeee!

This is a little out of nowhere, but I just had to mention the sweet nature of my kids. My mom surprised them with a treat of donut holes last week for breakfast (which they were thrilled about since they rarely get them), and instead of eagerly plowing all 5 in one giant gulp... they each kicked some into the pot, and labeled them with love and care to their hard working Dad, so he could have a special snack when he got home.

I just love when they think of sweet little ways to show they care all on their own. xo

Speaking of... this is a new thing:

All of a sudden... they want to sleep together every night. We've tried it a couple times in the past, and unless we are traveling or there is some odd circumstance that makes it a necessary evil, it does NOT work out. They just giggle, and talk, and play... anything but sleep. But recently that's changed, which is not only adorable to see when we go in to tuck them in one last time for the night, but also solves the issue of having to kick them out of our bed throughout the night because of the monsters in the closet, or whatever. Its a win/win.

In other family news, last weekend was quite the family event.

It was my Dad's birthday on Saturday (Happy Birthday, Dad!), and it happened to coincide with the annual Miracle Miles for Kids 10k that is a beach run from Morro Rock to the Cayucos Pier.

When Kari and I did it last year, it was my first organized running event, and it was lots of fun.

This year was WAY different...

...since the entire family got to be included!

Tyson was working last year and didn't get to participate, but this year I managed to trap my whole family into coming along, and I'm SO MAD AT MYSELF for not getting a picture of all of us together. My Dad (is crazy and) agreed to push the kids in the jogger (with a little help from Kyle and Destanie) while my mom, Tyson, KJ and I ran ahead.

The race itself was TOUGH for me. Lets just say big fat bummer there are no bathrooms along the way. And Tyson and I got separated somehow, and my running gal pals started before I did since I lost my timing chip and stood in a line that never moved until after the race started.

Ughhhh. Oh well. It was still a great time and a beautiful day at the beach with the family, and I could not be more proud of my super kids, who at just 4 and 5 years old managed to walk just about the entire way! That jogger ended up being more of a hassle than necessary!

If you ask Dawson about this event, he will tell you he won. He is telling the truth... kind of. He did cross the finish line before his sister. I guess that's the biggest competition you could possibly face in the land of 5 year old boy.

Oh, Dawson. I have no idea where he gets his racy humor from:

We finished off the day exhausted, sunburned, and famished!!! Luckily there was a feast in the birthday boy's honor at my parent's house.

We wouldn't want to go burning all those calories without replacing them properly now, would we?...

So there you have our recent family events. We are keeping plenty busy this month getting used to the demands and new routine of Tyson's job, and planning the summer months ahead.

If anyone has any brilliant ideas for how to face an entire summer with 2 kids who are used to being challenged and entertained most of the day... I could sure use a refresher course.