Notes About Nothing

One year?!

2010-12-06T09:20:00.000-08:00

Since I blogged last.... ok, not quite. It's been a while. Things have been happening, important things, but I got caught in the trap of "It's been so long--too long to catch up, but also too long to move forward without explanation." This is the same trap that catches me when it comes to my sporadic journaling, keeping up with old friends (sorry guys), and mopping the kitchen floor...

But, on this, our one year anniversary of moving to Texas, I had to post. We love it here. Really, really love it. An example: for the past three weeks straight its been sunny and in between 70-80 degrees. This week is chilly (60s), but still sunny. Relatedly: there has not been one muddy paw print in my house. Yay!

We have had such an enjoyable time. We bought passes to Sea World (2 hours away in San Antonio). There is a Children's Museum downtown that Tony thinks is the coolest place ever. Any my personal favorite hangout: the dollar theater 10 minutes away. Even the notorious Texas-size bugs have only got the better of me a few times.

We're ready for Christmas to come! Tony helped get the tree ready.

The presents are (partially) wrapped

And the sounds of the season are ringing through the house

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDbZbwyRp2I

Hopefully I'll be back into blog mode now that I've gotten this Back on the Wagon post out of the way. If not though, Merry Christmas!

Frustration Is

2010-06-21T12:37:00.000-07:00

When your library religiously enforces it's LAME policy of only having ONE copy of any particular book, which is of course currently checked out.

When, in desperation born of new resolve to be financially conscious, you hold fast to the rule of not buying a book until you have read it and know that you like it, so you resign yourself to option number 2: book on CD (note: with the funds spent on purchasing the audio book, the library could have bought two or three more regular copies).

In order to listen to said book-on-CD, you must dig out that ancient and otherwise obsolete item: your portable CD player (because the whole household objects to listening to your book on the living room stereo, dooming you to the solitude and uber-gooberness of the Level 2 Walkman) and hope it still works, despite being found in the bottom of a toddler's toy box.

After having dedicated 21 hours and 19 minutes (probably 3 or 4 times longer than it would take to just read it) listening to the story, otherwise ignoring your real life (except for things you can do simultaneously like wash dishes [yeah, right] or play Marple*), you finally reach the end, and your only response is, "wait, what?! that's it?"

*Marple: App Store it.

Quotables

2010-06-17T14:51:00.000-07:00

Just now we were sharing a cookie and I ate the last bite (I am the mom, after all--it's my prerogative!)
T: Can I have some more?
M: Sorry bud, it's all gone.
Tony runs to the kitchen: Let's go get some more! Come on, Mommy!

Walking around the store today, Tony grabs his pants.
T: Mom! My bummy rash hurts.
M: I'm sorry. Should we put some medicine on it?
T: Yes. And you need to kiss it.

Don went to Washington DC for the week. We took him to the airport on Monday. Every day since then:
T: Daddy went on an airplane! He'll be home Friday. Today is Friday.

This afternoon.
T: I like Rocket. We need to watch some.
M: Nope, not right now.
T: But we haven't watched Rocket for DAYS!
M: We watched it yesterday.
T: Oh, that's right.

When I come out of the bathroom (sorry for the visual)
T: Great job going potty Mommy!
M: Um, thank you Tony.
T: Do you want a sticker?

His new responses to just about anything.
For yes: Oh YEAH!
For no: Nah, probably not.

When he shows you something he's proud of
TA-DA!

As Ususal...

2010-06-17T06:13:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I last blogged, as pointed out by a Grandma who shall remain nameless. In an attempt to appease her, I have returned.

I will begin with a couple more funny sleeping pictures because they are fun :)

You can't see it, but he's got his feet resting on his pillow (which he calls his Milk Pillow because it has a white pillowcase on it. He also calls Don's white shampoo Milk Shampoo. ha.) These are the special things he needs for bed. Good thing we have four free bags to take on our trip to Oregon (beginning NEXT WEEK, btw:D)

He ate lunch while I was in the shower. Tired much? hahaha.

Joyful in a laundry basket spaceship.

Helping Don tighten the chair screws.

Testing out his new church duds.

Not Stuffy, but...

2010-04-30T13:33:00.000-07:00

We've all had a lousy cold the last few days. Tony wasn't too sick to be funny though; he'd come up to me and squinch his nose, saying, "Mommy I need a tissue. My nose is fluffy."

In other news...

Tony is now out of the crib and sleeping on a mattress on the floor. He calls it his Special Bed, and he couldn't be happier to go to bed like a big boy. Of course, sometimes things go awry; just this morning I peeked in on him and he had rolled off the bed and halfway across the room, partly under the crib (which is still up, just in case).

Here are a few pictures of other naps gone slightly wrong:

Must have been exhausted from heartfelt prayer... haha.

Apparently he was too tired to make it the two more steps to the bed, so he zonked out just inside the door

Something New

2010-04-21T11:17:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to get more good things done, and I've come to realize that I need more time. Mostly because I just can't let go of doing my most favorite thing (reading all. the. time.), so in order to accomplish anything else, I started getting up earlier. Like, WAY earlier. Since we have been blessed with a great sleeper I normally don't wake up until almost nine, and Tony is content to hang out in his crib for a while so there's usually no rush to get out of bed. Glorious!

But, that late start combined with my inclination to ease into the day means that nothing even starts getting done until like 3 pm, and then Don gets home at about 5:30, and I find myself thinking "Alright! Time to just relax" (I know, that's what I'd been doing all day, right?)

So, to combat this massive un-productiveness, I came up with a schedule of when exactly I'll do chores, and go to the park, and read, etc etc. To fit everything in, I started getting up at 5:30 in the morning to go running before Don leaves for work (thereby avoiding having to push Tony in the super awkward jogging stroller). My friend and neighbor Julie has agreed to this insane plan and she joins me for the run. While it has been a great way to start the day, with getting the exercise out of the way, and doing more by 830 than I usually do in a whole day, I have felt pretty good. Except, I'm so tired! I've been going to bed at 10pm, but I've been so anxious about a number of things, not the least of them being that I won't wake up on time and then Julie will be waiting for me and she'll have gotten up early for nothing... So by the time I do fall asleep (130 ish) I am so worried about how little time there is until wake up, that I am constantly waking up to check the time. Ugh.

I'm hoping I'll get into a new normal and then it won't be so hard, but for now I'm beat!

His Mother's Son

2010-04-12T15:24:00.000-07:00

Driving home Saturday night
Tony: "Mom, will you sing the Brownie song?"
Me: "I don't know the Brownie song (having never heard of it before). Will you sing it for me?"
Tony: "Yes. Won't you bake me a brownie, na na na naaa; Won't you bake a brownie for Tony pleeeease? Na na na naaa."

The Potty Chronicles, Part I

2010-04-07T10:59:00.000-07:00

We just got Tony one of those toilet seat-smallerizers (that's a word, right? ha.) so that he can sit on the potty without fear of falling in. Yesterday (Day One) he had a small success, which was accompanied by much laughter, because even though he's not quite two, it is instinctual: little boys just know that bathroom sounds are funny. So he laughed and I clapped, trying to emphasize the greatness of this moment. Grandmas were called, and more praise was heaped upon him.

Day Two: This morning while watching his all time favorite show (Little Einsteins, aka "Rocket") he tore his eyes from the screen and informed me that he wanted to go potty. Thinking the motivation was to get some pre-lunch chocolate (m&ms have figured prominently in the the build up of excitement for going potty), I laughed inside at the lengths children go to for candy, and put him on the toilet. Well, much to my surprise, barely a moment passed before he was fully engaged in the business at hand. More laughter, more clapping.

I was impressed by his knowing that he needed to go, and actually telling me about it beforehand. While it's much to soon to get my hopes up, I am relieved that so far, it's going well.

Picking Easter

2010-04-05T13:44:00.000-07:00

We went across the street to take some pictures with these bluebonnets, which Tony declared to be Easter flowers.

He came up to me and said, "I picked you some Easter, Mommy."

Here's Tony embarking on an Easter egg hunt, armed with his Thomas the Train "basket" and followed close behind by his trusty sidekick Roobin. If the video I took would only load, you'd see how this detective duo sought out and recovered all of the eggs, losing the contents of only one in the process.

In my Inbox

2010-03-11T10:01:00.000-08:00

50% off a Trapeze Class!

Tempting.

Cows get tired too

2010-02-23T12:55:00.000-08:00

At least he was polite enough to take his nap on the side of the road, rather than in the middle.

Prayers

2010-02-19T08:41:00.000-08:00

So over the past couple months we've been teaching Tony how to say prayers. He's getting really good, actually! He will repeat what we say, but he likes to add in his own things too. Usually it's blessing our cousins down here, who Tony just loves and talks about all day. He always remembers Roobin too, and sometimes grandma and grandpa. So yesterday he woke up from his nap and was talking to himself, so I snuck up to listen.

I heard him say "Heavunly Faaather, bless papa at work, bless Megan, bless Jack, bless Monkey, bless light, bless door. Thank you for papa and friends, and thank you for kitchen..."

It was so sweet. I love this kid!

Busy

2010-02-06T09:08:00.000-08:00

I haven't been posting much, but it's with good reason: I'm busy! The 'Texas Mieka' Project is going smashingly well, in that I don't just waste ALL my time dinking around on the internet or re-reading books I know by heart (I still do that, just less). Here's a small sampling of what I've been up to:

Laughing at Tony. He says and does the funniest things
Building towers and knocking them down
Writing for fun, but taking it seriously
Running (it's true!)
Other forms of exercise- in fact, I have two exercise buddies
Being friends with people (hence, the buddies ^^)
Playing some wii, but not too much
Kicking the ball for Roobin, and laughing when Tony helps me
Cooking new foods, though none of them are healthy.
Hanging out with Megan, who is the missing pea from my pod, as it were.
Enjoying time with a now much-happier Don

Life is good, my friends. Life is good.

Oh! This morning I read Eve's Diary by Mark Twain, and I thought it was cute. You should read it too :)
http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/EvesDiar.shtml

Waiting for Daddy

2010-01-06T09:41:00.000-08:00

Tony Says

2009-12-30T20:28:00.000-08:00

While playing alone in his room, Tony hears Roobin barking outside.
"Roobin, arrrrrg. No no barking!"

Looking for Monkey
"Yar you Monkey? Monkey? Ooohh nooo."

He likes peanut butter, and he likes to say it really fast and really loud
"pahbeeta, pabeeta, pa pa pa pa pabeeta PA-BEE-TAAA!"

Texas Mieka

2009-12-07T08:03:00.000-08:00

exercises every day

tries new food

doesn't overreact with a GROSS face when the new food is less than delicious

is brave

goes places, instead of staying home just wishing she did

is outgoing and friendly

thinks before she speaks, at least some of the time

is patient

is tidy

is a work in progress

I swear, I'm still here

2009-12-06T20:44:00.000-08:00

("here" having recently become Austin, by the way!) We're in the midst of a whirlwind; we had 10 days between getting home from India and moving here to Texas, and we're currently staying in a hotel -thankfully on the VA's dime- while we hope and pray for a tenent to rent our house. India was amazing, and hopefully I'll have some time soon to post about it. Hope you all are well, and happy December!

I'm Leeeeaving on a Jet Plane

2009-11-01T01:48:00.000-07:00

We're off to India! We'll be gone until November 23, but with any luck we'll have some internet access; if so I'll try to post an update, or at least some pictures. Woo hoo! Wish us luck :)

December 7th

2009-10-27T15:33:00.001-07:00

That's the official day Don starts work at his new job in Austin.

I'm so very, very excited!

Here it is... The BIG NEWS

2009-10-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

We're moving to Austin, Texas.

Don was selected for a position with the VA Central Office, stationed in Austin. We are very excited, and anxious to find out the details, like when exactly they want him to start and so forth. Right now the only date we've heard is December 6th, but that has not been confirmed. Hopefully we'll have a little longer, since we are leaving for our three week trip to INDIA on November 1st. We will be getting home the Monday before Thanksgiving, which would leave us less than two weeks to pack up all our stuff and get down to Texas. Yikes! When we know more I'll be sure to post about it. For now, if you know anyone who wants to buy a cute yellow house in Portland, give them my number! Ha.

Pumpkin Patch 2009

2009-10-16T11:17:00.000-07:00

Picture Post

2009-10-14T14:08:00.000-07:00

Day at the Park

Post-shower hair (and farmer tan)

Mouth stuffed full of scone bites

Sporting new jammies

He wanted to wear both hats; how could I say no to this face?

Holy Ticking Clock, Batman

2009-10-07T16:11:00.000-07:00

Who knew that it's been over a month since I last posted? Where do the days go? Funny how time flies when you're reading books, walking around parks and stores and the yard, falling into dog poo, getting cleaned up from said fall, eating peaches like there's no tomorrow, trying to keep the house passably clean, watching too many episodes of Law and Order because you have DVR and cable and you just can't resist, learning how to shake hands, climbing onto the furniture then back down and then back up again, planning a trip to the actual other side of the world (countdown: 26 days till takeoff!), etc etc etc. As you may have perceived, some of those things are what I've been doing, while others referred more to the recent amusements of young master Tony (I'll let you wonder about who exactly it was that fell into the poo). In short, we've been busy.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for what may be huge news, and if not, at least some *hopefully* mildly entertaining anecdotes and pictures of, if I do say so myself, the World's Cutest Kid. Until then,

Happy Autumn everyone!

A few things

2009-09-01T20:28:00.000-07:00

New favorite place: in the cupboard.

New favorite toys: the contents of said cupboard.

In other news...

Tony had his 15 month check up today; he's 25 lbs 1 oz and 32 inches tall (57%/75%), and doing great. He had 4 shots which he did not like one bit, but after a swig of milk and some animal crackers he was over it.

Don has applied for the dream job in Austin, TX so any prayers in support of that are most welcome and appreciated :)

We've painted our house from icky tan to happy don't-you-want-to-buy-me-right-now yellow, and as soon as I do the trim touch-ups I will post pictures. Thanks for all the help, everyone!

I am now a fan of Marshmallow Mateys, thanks to the beach trip re-introducing them into my life.

1 year, 2 months, and 3 weeks exactly

2009-08-17T08:55:00.000-07:00

That's how long we made it with no poo in the bathtub. The streak ended last night. The new streak was quickly wiped away. With a bleach cloth.

Put this in the back of your mind

2009-08-10T19:02:00.000-07:00

Sabatino

It's a name. It may be the name. Of whom, you ask. Our second son, that's who! No, I am not pregnant, nor do I plan to become so in the near future. It's just that we were talking about what on earth we'd do if, when the time comes to have another baby, it turned out to be a boy. You see, Anthony was the only boy name we could agree on. We have a number of perfect baby girl names to choose from, so we're hoping to avoid the whole mess by simply producing a female the next go-round, but since there's no guarantee (at least not on our budget), we are considering everything. In our discussion, I mentioned that I've recently fallen in love with the name Sebastian. Don is less than enamored with that, and I have one hang up: there's not a natural nickname for Sebastian. Basty? Seeb? I think not. Today one of us blurted out Sabatino, and we both paused for a moment. Hmm. Sabatino. Yes. Sabby- good. Tino- not as good, but could work in a pinch. It passes the nickname test, and Don likes it because, once again, it would sound like a tough guy (think: mobster) Sabatino Valdivieso.

Why do I mention this now, years and months before it would even be of importance? Because it is kind of an odd name, and I want you all dear friends, to have grown accustomed to it should the day come when we call you up to announce the birth of our baby. You'll say, "Oh, congratulations! What's his name?" And we'll (maybe) say, "Sabatino [insert super cool middle name here]" Then instead of you going, "Oh (awkward pause) that's nice" and thinking 'what the heck- where did this come from?? They're nuts!' you can say, "That's right, you mentioned that in a blog post some time ago. Great! I'm sure he's just the cutest little baby ever..." You see, I'm helping you out by freeing you of the initial shock that may cause an embarrassing conversation in the future. You can thank me later :)

Where's Tony?

2009-08-10T08:55:00.001-07:00

I was getting ready for church yeterday and while I couldn't see Tony, I could hear him laughing and laughing, so I figured he was fine. After a few minutes some of his giggles turned to grunts of frustration, so of course I went to see what was wrong. It took a moment to find him...

It seems he was playing with his ball, and when it rolled under the crib he went in after it. Seeing there was something to climb on, he couldn't resist.

Heat Wave

2009-07-28T09:10:00.000-07:00

Notice the sweaty hair and flushed cheeks... This is from last night, when it was 80 degrees at 11 pm.

Walking!!

2009-07-21T15:23:00.000-07:00

Tony took his first steps about a week and a half ago, but I haven't been able to catch it on video until today. We went up to the park to play at the splashpad (this water-spraying area) for the first time. I didn't know how well Tony would like it, but it has been nice and hot here so I figured we'd give it a try. He loved it! Even when the big kids shot the water cannon at him (rrg), he laughed and laughed. So anyway, here is the video:

Cousin Time

2009-06-28T21:39:00.000-07:00

Seth, Lisa, and the boys stopped by for a little visit, so of course we had to take some pictures :)

Dillon is the one most willing to ham it up for the camera, so we got a few of him and Tony sitting next to each other. Notice the striking contrast in skin color- Tony's 1/4 Mexican-ness is really starting to show! hehe.

Tony embarked on an investigative journey of Ethan's face which, as you can see, was less than well received...

Tony's First Joke

2009-06-12T21:01:00.000-07:00

I was in the office the other day and Tony was playing in the living room. He comes zoom-crawling in, looks up at me, rips a big fart, and zoom-crawls out, laughing his head off.

Zoo

2009-06-09T21:40:00.000-07:00

The day finally came! I've been wanting to go to the Zoo for so long, and Don was able to get today off so we all got to go together. It was a bargain, because it was $2 Tuesday, and if you take the MAX they reduce the admission by $1.50 so for the three of us it was only ONE DOLLAR to get in!! (You're probably thinking, "wait, what? 3x($2-$1.5)=$1.50; Mieka you really need to go back to school, etc etc." Little do you know, that kids 3 years and under are FREE! so my initial computation is correct.) What a deal, considering normal adult admission is like 10 bucks per person! To celebrate getting in for such a steal, we purchased, and promptly devoured, an Elephant Ear (effectively rendering our savings moot. SO worth it! hehe).

Anyways, here a *ton* of pictures from the day:

zebra

giraffe

zooming

walking with Papa

scenic (except for that bucket)

snack time

big fish

sun bear

wolf

black bear

sunny leaves

Doctor

2009-06-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

Lisa's post reminded me that Tony went into the doctor on Monday for his one year check up. He's doing great! He's now 31 inches tall and 23 lbs ( 84% and 54%, respectively). They had to draw some blood via a fingertip, and he did not like the bandaid they put on him afterwards. He had it off in no time. I don't like fingertip bandaids either- I think it's because I know when I take it off it will feel like my nail is getting ripped out by the sticky stuff. *shudder*

Birthday Fun

2009-05-28T17:00:00.000-07:00

Some pictures from our little family party on Tuesday night.

At first he wasn't sure about the cake so he had some bites from a spoon,

but eventually he got the hang of it.

Wash it down with some milk

Must...Keep...Eating...

Bath time!

Happy Birthday Tony!!

2009-05-26T10:10:00.000-07:00

In honor of this momentous occasion (and since we won't have any new pictures to post until later), I have re-posted Tony's birth story. I can't believe it was a whole year ago!

Anthony Chase

So, I had a baby. Believe it or not, it all went down 4 weeks and one day ago. To save you the trouble of grabbing your calendar and frantically searching for the day I'm referring to, I'll just tell you: May 26th, 2008. At 11:19 am, to be exact. I'd like to say that it was the most amazing thing I've ever done in my life, and I wouldn't trade a minute of it, but that would be lying. Let me clarify something- Tony IS amazing, and I wouldn't trade him for anything, but the actual bringing him into the world, well, that is another story.

That story began on Saturday the 24th in the evening- oddly enough, it really was a dark and stormy night (lightning, thunder, the works!) I had contractions less than 5 minutes apart for hours, but we waited to call because I didn't want to be one of those ladies who get all worked up and go in, then get sent home a few hours later with the knowledge that what they believed to be contractions was in fact just indigestion. So we waited, and I passed the time chatting with Sarah and watching Frasier on DVD.

By 130 am there were other indications that it may be TIME, so we called the hospital and they invited us over. We checked in around 2 am, at which point I was about 2.5 cm dilated and 80% effaced. [To anyone unfamiliar with preggo-speak, that means labor had started, but there was still a long way to go] We settled in to wait, with Sarah as an unexpected, but very welcome audience member. We walked, watched tv, etc. It was exciting, yet at the same time tedious- surely things were progressing in there right? Nope. The on call doctor popped in around 830 am to announce that nothing had changed. She went merrily on her way, leaving us in disbelief- all those hours wasted!

Making a long story shorter, I'll just say that the following 24 hours went along exactly the same, with the occasional checks revealing little or no changes. By Monday morning we were exhausted (we, at this point, refers only to Don and me, as Sarah had left on Sunday). A new, more enlightened doctor was now on call, and he told us that there was a possibility that the baby wasn't coming any closer because he just couldn't fit through the pelvic bones. If this was the case, a C-section was the only way to get him out. Rather than letting the suffering continue, we decided to go ahead with the surgery.

I was wheeled to the operating room just before 11 am, loaded up with more drugs, and then the procedure began. Don was there next to me, looking rather dashing in his blue scrubs. Within minutes of cutting me open, Tony was born! He came out screaming and stretching.

6 pounds 5 oz

19 inches

Dance Baby

2009-05-18T14:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T18:07:00.000-07:00

Yay for Moms!

Now that I am one, I can certainly see with more clarity why it is that we need a Day. In actuality, I'm sure we could use more than just the one each year, but we'll take what we can get! I, for one have had a marvelous celebration of my first official Mother's Day (the past two years I was participating under the title of Dog-Mom). Last night my dear mother and I attended the Celtic Woman concert at the Rose Garden! An odd choice, you might be thinking, considering our complete lack of knowledge of, or connection with, anything Celtic. Nonetheless, it was amazing! If I were more techno-savvy I'd post links and music by them, but since I am not I'll leave it up to you to check them out on YouTube yourself :)

Anyway, just wanted to wish all you moms a Happy Mother's Day!

Dada

2009-04-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

Beach Trip!

2009-04-17T19:37:00.000-07:00

We went to Lincoln City last weekend for a small getaway. We did quite a bit of shopping for The Spud at the outlet mall there. It was rainy and windy the first day, so Don bought Tony a new coat. He hunkered down and was just a face!

We stayed at the Surftides Hotel. They had a pool and I was so excited for Tony to test out his baby boat. It was only fun for a couple minutes though, because the water temperature was too cold for him.

Our room had a big jacuzzi tub, and since the pool was such a bust we let Tony try again. He had a lot of fun swimming around in his bubble bath.

The hotel was built right on the beach so the view from our balcony was pretty awesome.

In the Fast Lane

2009-04-14T10:41:00.000-07:00

That is where Tony is living, now that he can crawl. He started really doing it around mid-March, which you may have noticed coincides exactly with the time I last blogged. You see, when your baby changes from one that for the most part stays where you put it, to one that goes wherever it wants whenever it wants, life as you know it goes right out the window. Where it lands in the mud, and is trampled by the four giant paws of the beast that plays in said mud. (Who, by the way, is doing so much better on his restricted diet that we haven't had to give him any pills for a whole month now!)

Anyways... Tony loves to crawl. He goes super fast when he's on the attack, but slow when he is in trouble. He pulls himself up to standing and then the real fun begins. He has discovered the magic of drawers and doors, the buttons on the TV, and that the tray on the high chair will fall off when he touches the brown part. We always know when he wakes up because he can reach the lightswitch from his crib. As if he could read my mind, the light just flicked on! His Majesty has awakened, and he beckons me to come hither and change his royal bum.

From His Nine Month Photo Shoot

2009-03-24T23:08:00.000-07:00

My new favorite picture

He's sucking in his belly, which is funny because I do that for pictures too.

"Toss it in the oven!"

70/30

2009-03-15T22:19:00.000-07:00

When it comes to most creatures of the deep, I'm 70% freaked out and 30% fascinated, but in regards to sharks it is always 100% freaked. Needless to say, I didn't appreciate the close up of a Great White that appeared when I clicked "sign out" of my Hotmail account today.

D*** you, MSN.

Random Pictures

2009-03-13T11:29:00.000-07:00

He loves it when we go out to eat, partly because of the new food bites he gets to try, but mostly because he loves checking out new places and people.

His new goofy grinShopping for shades
Scarfing down a zwiebeck toast.

Happy Birthday Roobin!

2009-03-07T21:30:00.000-08:00

Roobin turned two years old this weekend!

We had a family party for Roobin today. I made a bone-shaped cake for us, and Don BBQ'd a chicken breast for the guest of honor.

I was so happy he wore his party hat long enough for me to snap a few pictures.

Tony was also very good wearing his hat. He was fascinated by the candles.

My sweet pup is so grown up now. Here is the day we brought him home. He was cold and wet so we had him bundled in a towel for the car ride.

Waving hello in the long grass

He's kind of a pest sometimes, and his vet bills are more than we bargained for, but we love him. He is such a good family dog; always gentle and loving to Tony, and he loves snuggling with Don or laying by my feet. He's the best!!

More Cousins!

2009-03-04T14:54:00.000-08:00

Don's sister and her four children were up visiting from Utah last weekend, so Tony got to meet some of the cousins on that side of the family.

The kids had so much fun pushing Tony around in this big mixing bowl at Grandma's house. He spent most of the time there in that bowl, and he thought it was pretty neat.

Patty Cake!

2009-02-28T17:25:00.000-08:00

Look what Tony started to do on Friday! Sorry the video is sideways, but I can't figure out how to rotate it.

Kindergarten

2009-02-25T11:53:00.000-08:00

I loved kindergarten. My teacher let us call her Mary Ann, we sat on colored stripes on the carpet rather than in desks, there was a water table to splash in, and one time we actually made green eggs and ham.

There were only 2 things I didn't like:

First: there was a tooth-tree, so when anyone lost a tooth they got to write their name on paper tooth and hang it on the tree for everyone to see. I didn't lose a single tooth that year so I was the only kid unrepresented on that stupid little shrub.

Second: On a letter-writing test I once got -1 because while making a small "b" I did the loop part directly from the bottom of the straight line instead of starting from the center of the line. I got the correct end result, but apparently the process mattered. Hmph. If only she could see my b's now!

My best friend was Haley Baxter. We were like two peas in a pod. One of our favorite things to do was to trap this boy named Kyle by charging in to sit on either side of him on the floor. He was cute, and as far as we knew, that was the appropriate course of action. Ah, to be 5 again... I decided way back then that if I ever have a daughter her name will be Haley, in honor of my dear friend.

Seth was in second grade at this time, and one of my few memories of recess was me getting mad at him and his buddies, and kicking them where it counts. I had to sit in time out, but I felt it was justified. Sorry Seth.

In the picture above, my hair was crimped (thanks Dad), a huge departure from my normally straight and somewhat snarly style, and that t-shirt was from the Saturday Market in Eugene. It was my favorite shirt, and I probably wore it everyday. Kids are like that.

Nine Month Checkup

2009-02-25T11:35:00.000-08:00

Tony went in for his well baby visit- here are his stats:

20 lbs 12 oz (71%)

29 3/4 inches (91%)

Remember how he was so tiny when he was born?

Look at him now!

Fun at the park

2009-02-20T15:56:00.000-08:00

Today I actually got up off my duff and took advantage of the beautiful day! I packed Tony into our sedan #2 (aka the stroller) and set off for Columbia park about a mile away from our house. When we got there Tony had his first ever fun in the swings!

Swinging has always been one of my favorite activities, so I'm glad that Tony likes to do it too. Though the day was warm enough when in direct sunlight, it quickly got chilly in the shade, where of course all the swings were. We left the playground for warmer pastures and set up a picnic in the big field (by picnic I mean a bottle of milk for Tony) He really enjoyed being outside and watching all the people and dogs go by on the path.

Random pictures from this week

2009-02-17T21:22:00.000-08:00

Family cookie party

(Of course, we didn't let him actually eat the cookie, he just had a taste)

Tony's first pancake

Basketball Jones

Happenings

2009-02-12T11:30:00.000-08:00

We haven't really done anything in the past few weeks. Just the same old stuff: Don goes to work, I try to entertain Tony, while mixing in the occasional chore and dog-scold. Don comes home, one of us exercises, dinner, relax with a book or a show, put Tony to bed, more relaxing, then it's off to dreamland.

Tony is getting bigger. He has finally returned to eating his pureed foods with some rice cereal mixed in, which he did great at before he got sick in December. This week he's branched out significantly and eaten a total of 3 cheerios, two goldfish crackers, 4 Ritz, and two teeny bites of broccoli. Progress!

He has learned a lot about the intricacies of whining from Roobin, our lovable but oh so noisy dog. Somehow we got a dog that makes bird sounds and whistles out his nose. He also has quite the vocal range, which he demonstrates frequently through a succession of whines. Tony has learned from the master, so a good portion of the sounds I hear all day are a two part harmony of whines and whimpers. Lucky me.

The Spud loves to jump and cruise around the edge of his crib, and his favorite expression is one where his nose is scrunched up. Like this:

B&W Close Ups

2009-02-12T10:37:00.000-08:00

**P.S. If anyone knows how to make these pictures be 2 per line, side by side, I'd love to hear how! I can make it be like that in the preview, but it doesn't stay when I actually publish. Thanks!**

Biter Biscuit Fun

2009-02-12T10:25:00.000-08:00

For Grandma!

2009-02-09T09:39:00.000-08:00

New Jumperoo

Our Own Version of Goundhog Day

2009-01-22T14:39:00.000-08:00

Every Tuesday from 4 pm to 730 pm things go exactly the same for us:

400 Leave home to pick up Don.
445 Sit in traffic and rue the day we chose to live in Portland.
515 Get to Costco in Tigard. Shop, then eat dinner at Costco.
600 Cross the street to Winco to do grocery shopping.
645 Get Dollar Scoops from Baskin Robbins.
650 Leave for home. Tony cries.
715 He's still crying.
730 Get home. As soon as we walk in the door Tony is all smiles.

*Note: ^^these aren't supposed to be in militay time or anything. I just hate adding ":" over and over.

There is something about Tuesdays and I-5 that send this kid spiraling into fits of rage. Why?

It is one of those things to add to my list of Questions to Ask God the Next Time I See Him.

I just ate a Peanut M&M

2009-01-21T12:25:00.001-08:00

but it tasted like burnt broccoli.

Sad.

I guess I'll have to have another one...

A Few New Things

2009-01-18T15:35:00.000-08:00

Roobin loves his new shirt, which we gave him for Christmas. Last year he got a blue one, but he likes this one better because it matches his collar. He also said he likes it because it "accentuates his forepaws." I don't know why that matters, but apparently it does...

We also got Roob a new bed because his old one was, well, old. And in case his constant itchiness had anything to do with it.

Tony has been growing so quickly that the time has come for the next level of car seat. It is just as well, since I nearly herniate any time I try to lug him about in the infant seat.

The old:

The new:

Tony also has a new favorite game (Grandma, you may want to avert your eyes)

Simple Pleasures

2009-01-12T15:20:00.000-08:00

Clean Sheets Night.
When a good song starts right as I turn on the radio.
Smiles from Tony. His whole body spasms with joy when I walk in the room.
Phone calls from family and friends.
Non-junk mail.
Good books.
Heat.
When something I've been waiting for finally arrives.
Chocolate chip cookies.
Notes from Don.
The feeling after I exercise.
A clean house (especially if I didn't have to do the cleaning).
Afternoon naps.

Mopping

2009-01-11T14:30:00.000-08:00

As a kid I wasn't too wild about doing chores (who is?), at least not the ones assigned to me, i.e. sweep,vacuum, dust. But, there was one task that I thought looked fun: mopping. Whether it was the bucket of sudsy water, or the shininess after the fact, for some reason I was fascinated by the whole process. As any responsible mother would, my mom kept this project to herself while we children were young, so the magic of the mop remained a mystery.

When we lived in Pleasant Hill we had two regular babysitters- the great one, and the pretty one. Being a superficial 6 year old, I preferred it when the pretty girl was the babysitter; my mom on the other hand, preferred the girl who was actually responsible. That girl took great care of us, and she would tidy up after we went to bed.

One evening, because the good babysitter was unavailable Seth and I were being tended by the pretty one, so I took it upon myself to help out Mom. I decided to do the mopping. What a good daughter, right?

So I got out the supplies: mop, check; bucket of water, check; cleaner fluid, hmm. What does she use to make those bubbles? It must be shampoo- that is what I use when I want to take a bubble bath. Ok, shampoo, check.

I knew the mop goes in the bucket and then is rubbed around on the floor. What I didn't know was that in between the bucket-dip and the floor-rub, is the squeeze out. I just assumed that little lever halfway down the handle was to make steering easier.

Fast forward 3o minutes: the pretty babysitter hangs up the phone and exits my parents room, in preparation for the imminent arrival of said parents. They come in the door, pay the girl and she is on her merry way. Mom, meanwhile, does a quick check of the house; living room fine, bathroom fine, kitchen soaking wet, bedrooms fi-- wait, what!? She hears a clunking in the closet and opens the door to see me holding the mop, one foot in a nearly empty mop bucket, wearing pants wet up to the knee.

I quickly show her how I was almost done- See Mom, the bucket is almost empty! I did it all by myself! It was supposed to be a surprise for you- I know you usually do it, but I was helping!

I don't really remember what happened after that, but I'm sure it involved early bedtimes, more of my regular chores, and probably some sort of mop ban for the next 8 years or so.

Just a Short Video

2009-01-08T13:19:00.000-08:00

Christmas!

2009-01-02T14:35:00.000-08:00

As one would expect from a lifelong procrastinator, I am just now posting about Christmas. We went down to Cottage Grove to my parents house this year. It was all kinds of fun, once we got there. The snowstorm caused quite the delay, so what is normally a 2.5 hour drive became a 8.5 hour pilgrimage.

Tony's first piano lesson

In a flashback to yesteryear Sarah, Whitney, and I had matching Christmas Eve jammies

Christmas Morning

Tony did great grabbing at the paper and playing with his presents. He sat up by himself for over a half hour with this one.

The excitement of it all finally overwhelmed him, and he succumbed to the morning nap about halfway through the presents.

I love Christmas, and it was so much fun spending the holiday with my family! Love you guys!

Catching Up

2008-12-27T21:50:00.000-08:00

I have been very busy lately, and I just realized that I haven't blogged in like two weeks! So I've added a few posts about what's been going on; tomorrow I'm hoping to post about Christmas.

Snow Days

2008-12-27T21:07:00.001-08:00

As you are all aware, we were recently doused in about a foot of snow, all over the Portland area. It was on the ground for over a week, making travel risky and difficult. We are lucky that we were able to chain up the car and go out a couple of the days, so we could get some groceries and the Christmas presents that we still needed.

Roobin's first snow.

He loved playing in it and zooming around the yard, until it got a layer of ice over it. After that happened he wouldn't go out anywhere on his own. Don had to trample and dig a path for him to his favorite potty spot before he would go pee.

This is the mini snowman Don made in the early days of the storm.

Tony checking out the snow and watching Papa put the chains on the car

Pictures in the front yard.

This is funny because Tony was sitting up just fine on the ground, but right before the camera clicked Roobin came over and sniffed him, and he lost his concentration and toppled over.

Random Pictures

2008-12-27T20:29:00.000-08:00

A selection of photos from the past few weeks.

Family Pictures

2008-12-27T20:20:00.000-08:00

We get Tony's pictures taken every month, but this time we had some with Don and I included since it seemed like a good time for official family photos. I didn't post them sooner because they were also a surprise present for my mom. So here they are:

We had a couple more, but I'm sure you've seen enough :)

Fibber

2008-12-15T11:37:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, when Don and I were dating, I was at his apartment making a milkshake. I had the ice cream, milk, and oreos all set out on the counter. My first mistake was thinking I needed to use the entire sleeve of cookies in order to make this treat extra special. After the blender was going for awhile I noticed that the mixture was too thick (because of the 15 oreos I crammed in there) so I figured I'd better help things along. Here is where my second mistake was made: for some reason, unbeknownst to me, I decided to break up the clumps with a knife. While the blender was on. Yep- I, a girl of 20 and with much experience in milkshake-making and blending in general, stuck a metal knife in an operating kitchen appliance.

When Don came in, it was to this scene: me with globs of milkshake in my hair and on my glasses, standing next to a blender oozing brown goo from a hole in its side. He asked what happened, and when I didn't answer right away (because I was trying to decide how to not show what a dope I can be to this boy whom I was hoping would someday be my eternal companion), he went on to say, "Oh, did that just break?" At that instant I had an epiphany: just go along with this story. He'll believe it because the blender was a cheapo Wal Mart one, and that makes me come across as the innocent victim of Sunbeam Appliance's faulty manufacturing practices. So I replied in the affirmative, and proceeded to give a flimsy account of rouge blades and weak materials, all the while hoping he wouldn't notice the slightly bent knife and corresponding hole shape.

After much sympathy and reassuring words, I was comforted and we went on to joke about why the heck I used so many cookies, when probably four or five would have been plenty. In my shame I kept the truth of this incident locked within my heart, until sufficient time had passed (i.e. after the wedding).

He Tries...

2008-12-12T12:43:00.001-08:00

Roobin's attempt at giving us a White Christmas

Tony's New Look

2008-12-12T12:26:00.000-08:00

This is the face that Tony has been making a lot lately. It looks like he's sad, but he isn't. It cracks me up.

Elf Dance (Watch Above)

2008-12-08T20:29:00.000-08:00

Hehe. I was sent this link by a friend, and it's pretty funny

Bear Suit

2008-12-02T10:48:00.000-08:00

Winter Stroll

2008-12-02T10:32:00.000-08:00

We went on a family walk yesterday to enjoy the sunshine. Tony got to wear his bearsuit. He was so warm and comfy that he conked out after about 30 minutes.

11 Days

2008-12-01T20:22:00.000-08:00

A record has been set; I think I'll call the Guinness Book, for you see, I have not yawned in eleven days.

I have tried many times over the years to suppress a yawn, but it has never really worked, as the yawn always returns moments later, and trying to stop it results in soreness of jaw. Well, it turns out that said jaw ache is nothing in comparison to the agony of stretching and flexing the back of one's throat after a tonsillectomy. So I have used up every ounce of strength that I can channel into my lower face in order to halt 11 days-worth of yawns. I didn't think it could be done, but much like the mother lifting a car off her child, when the need is dire, we humans will find a way.

Christmas Tree!!

2008-12-01T13:38:00.000-08:00

Yay- It's Christmas time! I *love* this time of year- the lights, the presents (I'm not ashamed to admit it-hehe), the food, the joy...ahhh. Hooray. So we got our tree this weekend, and I love decorating it and beginning the present pile. I'm extra excited for this year sine Tony is here, even though he won't really know what's going on. We got him a special Christmas Bear, who I named Davis. I had to post some pictures of Tony and his first Christmas tree:

(Tony insisted that Floyd be included, though he is neither an ornament, nor a Christmas Penguin)

Tony with his pals, Davis and Floyd

Six Months Old Already!

2008-11-26T17:51:00.001-08:00

Testing out his new winter hat

I just can't quite believe it-where oh where did the time go? We took Tony to his checkup today, and he's now 27.5 inches tall, and 17 lbs 2 oz! I never would have guessed he weighed that much...so he's in the 85th percentile for height, and the 45th for weight.

Practicing sitting up

Funny face

New Fun

2008-11-25T22:45:00.000-08:00

Tony has a new favorite activity: coughing. He has discovered how to make this fun noise whenever he wants, so now he does it constantly. It's actually pretty funny, because I picture him making the same phony sounds in a few years when he wants to stay home from school. He tests out different mouth and tongue positions to hear the variations, which results in some pretty humorous faces. The down side to this new pastime is that occasionally he will cough himself into a small barf. If I can ever get a video to upload, I will let you see it. (The coughing, not the barfing!)

Tonsillectomy Update (WARNING:PHOTOS)

2008-11-24T21:59:00.000-08:00

Hello all. I thought I'd let you know that my surgery went fine, and I'm recovering pretty well. There is a considerable amount of pain, which I guess should get worse in the next couple days :(

I've been able to eat soup, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, pudding and applesauce. Oh, and a Frosty. And today I ate a donut. It was sooooo good, but kinda scratchy. It's probably for the best that the donut hurt and the Frosty made me sick, otherwise my scheme of losing some weight during this ordeal will be foiled.

Now, because some of you may be morbidly curious, I will post some before and after pics of my throat, so if you don't like that sort of thing,

DON'T SCROLL DOWN!

This first photo shows my gigantic tonsil on the left

Here is the view right after the surgery (the black spots are where they cauterized blood vessels)

This is what it looked like yesterday- the whitish/yellow is the scab I guess.

Pretty gross huh?

Highchair!

2008-11-20T08:28:00.000-08:00

You Can Do That?

2008-11-17T13:13:00.000-08:00

The joy, the excitement! Being unable to wait a minute longer to experience it for yourself... it was a wonderful day when I first heard the news: you can record the radio. I was a lowly fourth grader, riding the same old bus on the same old route, when a wise-to-the-ways-of-the-world fifth grader first told me. Her name was Krissy, and she opened my eyes to the magic of the record button on my Sony tape player. Apparently, if you have the radio on, and a tape is in the cassette drawer, by simultaneously pressing the record and play buttons you can capture the music and have it forever.

Needless to say, that afternoon I scoured the house for blank (and some not so blank) tapes for my stockpile, and then got down to business. I'd listen with my hand poised over the buttons, and as soon as the best songs started I'd press them with glee. The drawback was I kept missing the beginning of the songs. I realized it was better to just let it record straight through, and then I'd fast-forward the commercials and DJ jabber. If I didn't catch any good songs I'd record over it.

I was forever changed; in the past my musical enjoyment was at the mercy of 104.7 Kduk, but now I could have Waterfalls and Gangster's Paradise booming on my Walkman all the time. Thanks Krissy.

Under the Knife

2008-11-17T09:56:00.001-08:00

In case you've been thinking, "Hmm, I wonder what Mieka will be doing this weekend?" I'll tell you: I'm having surgery. That sounds all dramatic, but it really isn't anything cool- I'm getting my tonsils taken out. I've had chronic tonsillitis for years, and I finally found a doctor who diagnosed it and will do the -ectomy. I guess they don't like to do them for adults very often, but thankfully I qualify.

The procedure is on Friday, and Don will be taking 2 weeks off work to take care of Tony while I'm on the drugs. Yay for Don being home, but boo for me having only liquid and mush for meals. To make up for the upcoming dinner-deprivation, this week we are having my favorite meals, so I am pretty excited.

If any of you feel like praying, it would be great if you could include something about me losing like 20 pounds during the recovery. Hehe. Thanks :)

Car Wash

2008-11-15T21:35:00.001-08:00

One day in the summer of 1998 I was broke. Actually, pretty much every day that summer and all the days before and after it... anyways, I was short on cash but I wanted to go to the mall with a couple of friends. Since neither of them had any money either, it became imperative that we come up with some funds or the whole trip would be a bust. "Hmmm," we thought, "what can three 14 year old girls do for some quick cash?" After wracking our brains for awhile, we struck gold with that ever popular fundraising event almost everyone participates in for one reason or another: Car Wash! Now, being children of goodly parents, we didn't want to lie, but when the inevitable question, "What is this car wash for?" came up, we had to have a worthy cause. We reasoned that since we were all on the same basketball team the previous winter, and we would most likely be on the same team in the upcoming season, it would be an acceptable stretching of the truth if we told customers that the funds were in support of our team.

We called up WalMart and asked if we could use their parking lot. They agreed, and even offered to match the amount of money we received! I knew that would be crossing the line, so I politely declined (which I'm sure was curious to the lady on the phone, but she didn't press the issue). We made posters and collected buckets, soap, and sponges. We were there for a few hours, and it went pretty well. We made 36 dollars, so 12 bucks each. Boo-Yah! Gateway Mall, here we come!

If there were any customers who thought it a bit odd that there were only three kids participating in the event, and not a supervising adult in the vicinity, they didn't mention it.

Bedtime Fun

2008-11-12T13:01:00.000-08:00

First a bath with Ferguson

Then a bedtime story

And snuggles with Lamby

Sweet Snuggler

2008-11-12T10:35:00.001-08:00

Next Stop: Loony Bin

2008-11-10T15:09:00.000-08:00

My anxiety has risen to new heights.

Background Info: This weekend we were driving around looking at houses for sale as a way to pass the time. When we came across a development of homes ranging from 395K-450K we decided to play "Let's Pretend" where Don was an engineer, and I think I was a neurosurgeon. We mosey into the model home --which can I just say, was probably the most beautiful house I've ever set foot in-- and started talking to the guy. He asked us if the price range was about what we were looking for, and Don, cool as a cucumber, says, "Well, it's a little high," haha- a little! Anyhow, we look around a few of the houses (all of them with names from 1990s sitcoms, like, The Banks, The Tanner...) and secretly plan to stop at the nearest gas station to buy some lottery tickets. Anyway... one feature that caught my eye was the staircase and upper landing area. Fancy railing, big windows and so forth. Very nice.

Fast forward to about 1 am: I'm lying awake in bed thinking about how great it would be to live in The Winslow, when I realize that if we lived there, Tony would probably climb over the armchair I'd have in the reading nook at the top of the stairs, lean over the railing, and he'd lose his balance and plummet headfirst onto the hardwood floors below. So then I start thinking about how dangerous staircases can be, and I come to the conclusion that not only will we never live in a house with more than one story, but also that Tony will never even step foot in any place that does.

Crazy, much?

5th Month Pictures

2008-11-08T22:06:00.000-08:00

These are the photos from Tony's most recent trip to JC Penny. In the spirit of the season we did most of them in his penguin suit.

With Floyd, his best penguin pal.

Queen

2008-11-06T16:54:00.000-08:00

My favorite game to play when I was a kid was Queen. This most enjoyable pastime was the brainchild of a haughty child's brain (mine). I have what some may consider a bossy streak, and there were few things I liked more than lording over my siblings. I found that the best way to do this was to make it a game. I'd get all the pillows and stack them in the recliner, tie a sheet about my shoulders, and ascend my throne. Poor Sarah and Whitney, they were my unwitting prey; I would let them play with me, but their character assignment was always 'Servant'. So I'd sit upon my feather dais and order them to fetch me milk and cookies, or my book, or occasionally I'd trick them into doing my chores ("Time to sweep the kitch- uh, royal stables!").

To enhance the experience I made myself a tinfoil crown, found a very shiny robe in the dress- up box, and I wasn't above having blankets spread out to serve as red carpets. Many a reflector-on-a-stick went missing from the end of the driveway because they made for a much more realistic scepter than the wire whisk I had been using.

After a few years, the girls no longer accepted being my humble slaves, so I promoted them to Princesses. Little did they know that real princesses don't have to get the Queen snacks and rub her feet. Seth played sometimes, but the highest title he received was Captain of the Guard.

Cousins

2008-11-05T13:19:00.001-08:00

Dear Pants-Makers,

2008-11-04T09:55:00.000-08:00

I write to you today on behalf of women between the ages of 22 & 45. We as a group would like to bring our existence to your attention. We have been wading through the atrocities of fabric that you like to call pants, and we take issue with not only their deplorable condition, but also with the way they fail to accommodate the majority of us.

Are you aware that most people don't look like the cast of Gossip Girl? That some people actually like pants to cover their entire bum, rather than just the one inch above their thighs? That there is no 100% positive correlation that the bigger the waist the taller the person? That perhaps there are some ladies who would like their jeans to come sans stains, holes, fading, ragged edges, glitter, rhinestones, patches, etc?

And to those of you who design the petite section- Is it so hard to believe that women may be short their entire lives, not just at the end? Yet you continue to make pants suitable only for the shuffleboard courts of Florida's finest condos. There is no law that says if you are short you have to like ultra-tapered pants that start mid-ribcage and end just above the ankle. Nor do we only like pastels.

Sincerely,

Just another 10 Short

Ding, Dong The Witch is Dead!

2008-11-04T08:40:00.001-08:00

Ok, she isn't actually dead, but she did move away.

As many of you know, our next door neighbor has been a thorn in my chubby side for quite some time now. Mostly because she complains about Roobin, my sweet, but occasionally vocal, puppy. She yells at him all the time, and I suspect she threw a clod of dirt on his precious face. She even went as far as to say that the reason her stupid house hasn't sold for a year is because of his barking. Now, is it just me, or has anyone else noticed any other factors that may have contributed to her having a struggle to sell an old 1000 sq ft house for 230K? Hmmm...

I could go on and on, but I won't, as today is a day for rejoicing: her crackhead boyfriend told Don last night that she has moved away, and that he will be leaving soon as well! I don't know if they ever sold the house or if they're just renting it out, but either way she is gone for good. Yippee!

Who wouldn't want to live by this handsome fellow?

Chunky Monkey

2008-11-01T10:06:00.000-07:00

I was looking through some old pictures of Tony, and I was inspired to do a quick comparison shot. I recreated the scene as best I could:

Now, at 5 months

Then, at 7 weeks

Haha- what a little oinkus! It's fun to remember how tiny and scrawny he was back then...

Halloween Fun

2008-11-01T09:49:00.000-07:00

Tony was a penguin for Halloween. We visited Don at work during the day,

In the evening we went trick or treating at Grandma and Grandpa V's house.

Quirky

2008-10-29T13:03:00.000-07:00

I was making my lunch today (which, by the way, I was WAY too excited for...) of a ham and cheese sandwich with mustard, on good ol' square, white bread. I've been having whole grain bread for the last year or so- bleh. Dumb health. Anyways, I was creating my simple, yet delightful feast when I realized something: I always put the cheese right next to the mustard. I don't like them to be apart. Reflecting on this oddity I was inspired to compile a list of other quirks I have, not because I think you will read them and all of a sudden say, "wow, that is a super cool girl right there!" but merely to give you a little more, albeit unwanted, insight into the off-kilter workings of my brain. Lucky you.

When putting on socks I always start with the left foot
For lotion and makeup application, I start on the right side of my face
I put my left contact lens in before my right
My three pillows have to be arranged in an upside down U-shape for me to sleep
I eat the center of cinnamon rolls first, then the outer rings
Apparently I never hold my silverware the customary way
I like grapes, but hate grape-flavored things
My bedding must be un-tucked all the way around
Books in a series must match- I do not mix paper back with hardback anymore (oh, the follies of youth)
If something is cute and small, I will most likely want it
I really like kittens but I'd be fine if I never saw an adult cat again.

Something tells me I better stop here, lest ye be overwhelmed with the absurdity.

Jack-O-Lanterns

2008-10-27T08:01:00.000-07:00

All Aboard!

2008-10-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

My train of thought, while I was washing my hair and looking out the window:

Yay, it's not raining! I hate rainy days... What's that saying, about saving stuff for a rainy day?... Food storage... I like to stock up on things when they're on sale... Cereal was on sale a couple weeks ago... I like cereal, but it doesn't keep me full for very long... It's good we have so much because it is easy to make, just add milk... Too bad we don't have a cow, then we'd be set!... Actually, no because there's no way I'd drink milk straight from a cow... eww, what if it was still warm... I need my dairy products pasteurized... What is involved with pasteurization? A lot of heat?... I'd just burn the milk if I tried to do it myself... The 1800s aren't for me... Neither are the Middle Ages... Knights are well and good to read about, but if it was my field they were jousting in I wouldn't much care for them... I need to get that King Arthur book from Borders... Arthur is coming live to the Rose Garden next month, I wonder if it's about His Majesty, or that cartoon animal from PBS... What the heck is he?... Maybe a mouse?... Aw crap, the hot water is gone.

Pumpkin Patch!

2008-10-22T18:45:00.000-07:00

We went to The Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island this week, and it was everything I'd hoped it would be! I've been really excited to get some pictures of Tony atop a pile of pumpkins, so I was overjoyed to see the huge mound of orange at the entrance.

After pictures at Mt. Pumpkin, we journeyed into the fields with a trusty handcart as Tony's chariot.

We selected the gourds that best represented each of us, and soon our cart held three pumpkins and a Spud.

Here is the obligatory one-arm-out family photo.

We lucked out with the weather; it was sunny and warm! In fact, I would have liked to take off my coat, but considering my choice of an orange shirt combined with my short & squat physique, I was afraid I'd be camouflaged amongst the produce...

Friends

2008-10-21T22:45:00.000-07:00

Tony had his friend Jonah over on Saturday morning. The last time they saw each other Tony was only 2 months old, and he was more interested in his bottle than in socializing. But this time they had lots of fun. Tony showed Jonah all his favorite things:

Inauguration Day

2008-10-20T11:53:00.000-07:00

Our dryer died last week, and despite Don's efforts to achieve an electrical resurrection, it has remained dead. We went shopping for a new one on Saturday and though our washing machine still works great, we figured we might as well get a matching set. We got a great deal at Lowes, and the new machines were delivered Sunday morning. I decided it was an occasion that deserved to be documented, so I took a few pictures.

The Inaugural Load

It all fits- hooray!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-10-19T10:33:00.000-07:00

I'm 25 today. I don't really mind being that old, but it is such a remarkable milestone (not remarkable like "amazing!", but rather, a day to be remarked upon). A quarter-century, halfway to 50, etc. I am so lucky to be who I am, and to have the life that I do. I can honestly say that I have everything I've ever wanted: an amazing husband who loves me, a baby, a house, a dog, and as of 12 am this morning, the first season of The Jetsons on DVD. What more can a girl ask for! I am thankful to all of you who have made these 25 years so wonderful, and I love you!

I've Never Felt Worse

2008-10-18T22:23:00.000-07:00

Tony woke up screaming tonight, but I couldn't tell what was wrong. There have been times before where he's cried for no obvious reason, but this wasn't "I'm sad" crying, this was like getting shots times a million, screams of agony. I thought for sure his arm was dislocated or something had ruptured inside. Don was away (with our only car), and after 20 minutes of both of us sobbing, he finally calmed down. It was a blessing from the Lord, because I was one minute away from calling 911. He's fine now, and back asleep, but it was by far the most scared and helpless I've ever felt in my life. I've heard other parents say how awful it is to know there's something wrong with their child, and to feel bad for not being able to do anything for them, but I didn't really know until tonight.

What's even scarier is knowing that this is only the first of many times I'll feel this way throughout his life.

My heart hurts.

Movie Review: The Duchess

2008-10-18T01:01:00.000-07:00

Two thumbs down. Fun costumes, but depressing story. Definitely not worth 20 bucks. Also, the popcorn at Clackamas Mall theater gets thumbs down as well; too salty.

Notes About Nothing

One year?!

Frustration Is

Quotables

As Ususal...

Not Stuffy, but...

Something New

His Mother's Son

The Potty Chronicles, Part I

Picking Easter

In my Inbox

Cows get tired too

Prayers

Busy

Waiting for Daddy

Tony Says

Recommended Reading

Texas Mieka

I swear, I'm still here

I'm Leeeeaving on a Jet Plane

December 7th

Here it is... The BIG NEWS

Pumpkin Patch 2009

Picture Post

Holy Ticking Clock, Batman

A few things

1 year, 2 months, and 3 weeks exactly

Put this in the back of your mind

Where's Tony?

Heat Wave

Walking!!

Cousin Time

Tony's First Joke

Zoo

Doctor

Birthday Fun

Happy Birthday Tony!!

Dance Baby

Happy Mother's Day!

Dada

Beach Trip!

In the Fast Lane

From His Nine Month Photo Shoot

70/30

Random Pictures

Happy Birthday Roobin!

More Cousins!

Patty Cake!

Kindergarten

Nine Month Checkup

Fun at the park

Random pictures from this week

Happenings

B&W Close Ups

Biter Biscuit Fun

For Grandma!

Our Own Version of Goundhog Day

I just ate a Peanut M&M

A Few New Things

Simple Pleasures

Mopping

Just a Short Video

Christmas!

Catching Up

Snow Days

Random Pictures

Family Pictures

Fibber

He Tries...

Tony's New Look

Elf Dance (Watch Above)

Bear Suit

Winter Stroll

11 Days

Christmas Tree!!

Six Months Old Already!

New Fun

Tonsillectomy Update (WARNING:PHOTOS)

Highchair!

You Can Do That?