{milestones} the little guy is ten

July 6, 20171 Comment

ten.

TEN.

10!

the little guy is not so little anymore.

don’t let his tough exterior fool you, he is incredibly caring and tenderhearted. he might like to play lacrosse, ride BMX bikes, and do all kinds of other crazy stuff, but he is sensitive to others needs and very loyal to his family and friends.

it’s really hard for me to put into words what an incredibly amazing person he is. i really enjoy spending time with him. he is one of my very favorite people. i love him to pieces.

i took a walk down memory lane of the last ten years with him in our lives. it has been filled to the brim, and many times is overflowing, with love, fun, challenges, and success. i cannot wait to see what the next 10 years brings.

as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so these photos should say many thousands…you can click on the photos below to scroll through them individually.

also, scroll all the way to the bottom to see the answers to the questions i try to ask him every year around his birthday.

Back Camera

Back Camera

i asked him some questions this morning to give us an idea of what he likes at ten…

favorite color: purple and chrome
favorite toy: fidget spinner
favorite t.v. show: battle bots
favorite game: destiny (ps4)
favorite snack: flavor blasted goldfish
favorite animal: turtle
favorite holiday: my birthday
favorite book: big nate
favorite song: where are you now by justin bieber and jack ü
what do you take to bed: stormy, his black puppy
favorite food: bailey’s burgers
favorite thing to do outside: go to the skate park
what do you want to be when you grow up: law enforcement, preferably SWAT team
what are you most grateful for: my family
favorite part of the day: night time
what makes you happy: food
what are you scared of: spiders
what makes me special: good with technology

home is…double digits!

it’s the middle of may already?!

May 14, 20155 Comments

just a few photos of what we have been up to lately…

i am going to miss my days with her when she goes to school all day in the fall…

when she was an infant and the little guy was only 2 i remember thinking, “how am i going to get through everyday with them?” and that the day would never come when they would both be in school full time. now, i am wondering, “how am i going to get through everyday without them?” and how did it get here so fast?

he still loves coffee…especially when i drink it outside in my favorite spot in the backyard…

the clubhouse is still a big hit…in this photo she was the police commander and they had a crime to solve…

the mild weather has been perfect for evenings filled with baseball…

also, due to the mild weather, the garden is going crazy…the elusive artichoke…

my happy place…

rhodies in the front garden…

i lightened up the mood in the playroom with this white granny square afghan…a thrifted find from a couple years ago…i also rainbowtized all the books…

fridays are for lacrosse…

he’s so tired by the end of the week, but he really likes lacrosse…

i can totally picture him as a goalie…

our first fishing morning of the season…the pink pole caught the first and only fish…

the little guy is so helpful…it’s amazing how they can actually fish on their own now…

there was a huge bullfrog under the dock…

we also saw two bald eagles defending their nest across the river…

baby girl had her mind set on a lemonade stand, so we made it happen…

it was a successful day…friends from the neighborhood (and all the way across town) came to get some…

i call this the best seat in the backyard…and it’s mine…

trying to get out with the dogs…this was the first of two runs on monday morning…odyssey is the best running buddy…

and, here’s crazy, i mean, rainy! she has some manners to learn and will be heading to “summer camp” in idaho soon!

we’ve got some special visitors coming in a couple of days…stay tuned!!

home is…full of springtime fun!

spring baseball

April 16, 20153 Comments

The little guy is playing in his 3rd baseball season this spring and it is a whole new ballgame.

Single A Little League is the real deal.

Playing by the almost real rules means that sometimes the players pitch.

He’s learning when to swing and when not to.

And, sometimes you don’t get a hit or get on base because they are actually calling strikes and outs.

He’ll learn a lot this season, and it’s not all going to be about baseball.

Baby girl is learning how to be patient while she watches her brothers games again.

She’s already a pro at looking cute!

home is…another baseball season.

{milestones} the little guy is seven

July 9, 20146 Comments

We celebrated the little guys seventh birthday recently.

Seven.

That’s big.

He’s awesome.

Physically, he can do anything he sets his mind to.

Rock climbing, bike riding, baseball, skiing, snowboarding, swimming…pretty much anything he tries, he is good at.

When I asked him what he wanted to do on our upcoming trip to the lake he replied, “I’ll try anything.”

And, he will.

He’s reading. Not voraciously into books quite yet, but I imagine it will only be a matter of time.

He’s brave. It’s hard to remember what it was like to go to a new, big school and have to make ALL NEW friends. He did a great job this year.

His favorite class (and teacher) in school this year was music. Music. What an awesome thing.

He loves his sister. Sometimes, it’s not cool to show his love, but most times he does. He reads to her, lets her play minecraft with him, shares his legos with her, and indulges in the play that she leads. He is the best big brother she could ask for.

As tough as he is, he has a real sensitive nature. He loves fiercely. His feelings can be easily hurt.

One on one time with him is amazing. He has awesome thoughts and ideas that he doesn’t always get to share unless we get time alone with him.

He loves science, nature, and exploring the outdoors.

He knows a lot about technology and is not afraid of it…he knows more about iPads and iPhones than I do!

He is creative and thoughtful.

He has boundless energy that can sometimes get him into trouble, but most times is just hard to keep up with.

He keeps us on our toes.

He tests boundaries.

He loves his family.

And, we love him. Like crazy.

I asked him some questions this morning to get a feel for how HE feels at seven.

favorite color: green, yellow, gold…well, actually, the whole rainbow
favorite toy: bike
favorite t.v. show: wild kratts
favorite game: minecraft
favorite snack: chewy chcolate chip granola bars and poppa’s popcorn
favorite animal: pronghorn
favorite holiday: christmas
favorite book: anything about minecraft
favorite song: welcome boys and girls (sung by his music teacher as they enter the classroom)
what do you take to bed: sweetie (his big yellow dog)
favorite food: pizza
favorite thing to do outside: ride his bike
what do you want to be when you grow up: zoologist or wildlife biologist
what are you most grateful for: ben and pop-pop
favorite part of the day: afternoon
what makes you happy: sweetie at bedtime
what are you scared of: spiders
what makes me special: my family

To be part of his life EVERYDAY and watch him grow is one of the biggest joys of my life.

home is…seven of the most rewarding years of my life.

another one for my “best days ever” list

March 26, 20145 Comments

I have been smiling from ear to ear since early today.

My baby girl officially went skiing today.

Remember this day?

Yeah, today also goes on the “one of my best days ever” list.

We had to make sure that her ski pants were pink.

She wore a skirt until we were actually skiing.

She put a skirt on as soon as she was done.

To be honest, I almost didn’t go.

Seasonal allergies, and an “introvert overload” almost kept me home (more on that later), but Ryan pushed me and I am glad that he did.

{Not to mention I felt super cool in my new Patagonia ski pants with my Patagonia orange belt…my first new ski pants in about 20 years! Darn you Patagonia for making ski pants that last so long…I’ve had 3 pairs in 25 years…all Patagonia…and I outgrow them…they don’t wear out!}

We had a blast!

Look at how her pink reflects in the tunnel!

She requested to ski with Poppa after only a couple of runs with Mommy!

And, our “old pro”?!

He’s now using the Go Pro!

He took a trip up the real chair lift…twice…with Poppa!

We’re thinking he’s ready to learn from a “real” ski instructor next time!

For those of you who might ask…

We ski at Mt. Hood Meadows up on (of course) Mt. Hood.

We buy the season pass for the kids which is $25 for the whole mountain…all season.

We buy a Spring Pass for us (which is $139 now, but we pre-purchased for $119). The Sprig Pass works out since we usually only ski during the spring…to break even we only need to ski 2-3 times…and the season can quite frequently go well into April and even weekends in May!

Currently, we rent skis from the shop at Mt. Hood Meadows, but we are looking into buying used demo/rental skis for the kids at the end of the season. It’s $70 a day to rent skis for the kids (WHOA!), so I am sure we could save A LOT of money buy either buying used skis or renting for the entire season.

We rent a locker for $10 a day and bring snacks and water. We are usually done by lunchtime, but as the days get nicer we plan to pack lunch, hot chocolate, and eat in the sun!

There’s a lot of snow up there and it was coming down today, so come join us for some spring fun on the mountain!!

home is…family fun on mt. hood.

when it rains…

March 5, 20149 Comments

…it pours.

OR, like we say around these parts…it Portlands!

So, you put on your Poppa’s muck boots, your fuzzy hat, and go jump in some puddles!

home is…dancing (or jumping) in the rain.

snow much fun

February 10, 20143 Comments

A mother nature imposed break from the real world was exactly what this family needed.

The forecast early in the week said we might get a lot of snow on Saturday.

When we had snow flying on Tuesday and they hadn’t even predicted it, I knew it was in the cards.

I started to stock up on the essentials on Wednesday.

Meal Plan:

Turkey Meatloaf
Chili
Chicken Soup
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

In no particular order. Just warm food for bodies that have been playing in the snow.

Additional food items:

Milk
Coffee
Hot chocolate mix
1/2 & 1/2
Wine
Beer
Fresh fruits and veggies

And, the fun stuff (all on clearance this late in the season!):

sleds
snowboard
snowball makers
snow shovels
hand warmers
hats
mittens

I picked the kids up from school after their early release on Thursday and the flakes flew!

This Colorado girls heart was full. I know I can always drive up the mountain for snow, but snow that “sticks and stays” in our neighborhood is so rare for us. The last time we experienced it was 10 months after we moved to our current neighborhood. Reece was about 18 months old and we just pulled him around the neighborhood in the wagon.

Five years ago.

We’ve had small snow amounts since then…enough for snowballs and a snowman that might last a day, but nothing “big” as far as Portland standards are concerned.

This was Lorelai’s first big snow.

This has been fun.

The kids aren’t whining about being cold.

They don’t want to be carried.

We are all having fun…TOGETHER!

And, with one more snow day today, we will make the most of what’s left of the snow before the rains melts it all away later today!

home is…snow much fun.

{at the craft table} gobble, gobble

November 6, 20133 Comments

I always love a good craft.

Even better if it is quick and easy.

Our craft table always has something going on…either for me, the kids, or both of us.

I’m not even sure how it happened, but Lorelai and I were sitting at the craft table. I was working on cutting vests out of paper bags for her class Thanksgiving feast, and she said that she wanted to do a craft.

I looked over to our craft cart, which I regularly change out with craft supplies for the kids or myself.

I grabbed…

crayons
pad of scrapbook paper (I buy them on sale or with a Michael’s coupon)
glue stick
paper cutter and/or scissors

I had Lorelai choose a few different patterns of paper that I cut into strips.

I then cut some of the strips into little pieces.

Now, neither the strips or the little pieces need to be perfect…this is supposed to be quick and easy.

Then, I told Lorelai to hold tight while I made an example for her to follow.

Here is what I came up with…

I traced my hand, closed up the bottom, and added legs.

Then, I drew the beak and waddle.

You know the drill.

Then I just put a little glue on the strips and pieces of paper and started to glue them to the tail and body of the turkey.

I was done in less than two minutes.

Lorelai LOVED it!

This was something she could easily do BY HERSELF.

Reece even made a few, but had more fun drawing pictures of him shooting the turkey, or taking pictures of the turkey, etc.

Either way, the kids were being CREATIVE!

I put the scraps in a bowl on the table with some glue sticks nearby.

This way, if they want a craft to do they can make another turkey, or two.

home is…creating with my kids.

this space

November 4, 20132 Comments

I’ve missed this space.

This space to write and share our adventures.

Like the one I went on with the little guy a couple of weeks ago when he had a day off from school.

We dropped baby girl off at school where he got to visit with all of his former teachers. It was just awesome to see him feel like such a big kid. He was confident, well spoken, and polite.

After that, we ventured high above the fog that was blanketing the valley down below.

He loves to climb and hang from things. His arms are so strong.

He also loves to observe and collect. A bobcat lives in this nature park, so we looked for her. We were talking a lot, so we never saw her, but we saw a lot of other beautiful sites, collected sticks, feathers, and leaves.

I got some awesome, dedicated one-on-one time to talk to him about what he likes, why he likes it, and what is important to him.

That’s important to me.

It was good morning.

Baby girl and I get our time together as well. She likes to go for stroller rides while I run. One of these days, I will miss pushing the double BOB.

We also talk and stop to look at the beauty that is fall.

Ryan got to have a special date night with baby girl when he took her to the school Octoberfest for the first time. The next morning when I took her to school she said, “Mom, last night was the best night ever.”

Halloween happened around here, too. I made all of our costumes…animals of the Pacific Northwest. The little guy and Ryan went as wolves, baby girl was a bat, and I was an owl.

And, now, it is officially the most wonderful time of the year.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday…I love the food, the football, the family. I love slowing down to just be.

My parents will be visiting us for a week over the holiday…I can’t wait. We have much to celebrate and give thanks for.

Stay tuned…I plan to share more in this space.

home is…what is important.

a good groove

October 7, 2013April 6, 2020Leave a comment

hello monday!

i think we can get into a rythmn this week…a good groove.

last week we got derailed by colds and strep. reece and lorelai were home from school all week. by thursday we found out that reece had strep and got him onto antibiotics. seeing my kiddos sick is always hard. i feel so blessed to be able to make the decision to keep them home with me on the days they are not feeling well…so thankful for how hard ryan works so that it can be that way.

today we are back to our “normal” routine.

we walked to school as a family today…the fresh air felt so good.

it made me so happy to see reece smiling again with his friends at school.

here are a few photos from this past week…

we were able to take care of some yard clean up after some heavy rain…preparing for late fall and winter.

odyssey and i have taken a break from running the last couple of weeks…he got “fixed” so he had to take it easy for 10-14 days…we’ll get back to it this week!