The Holidays

And then the holidays were upon us. We went Halloween day to pick out a pumpkin. It was hard to find a time that Michael and I could go at the same time, and the time we found was a very muddy day.Dade had already picked out a couple of miniature pumpkins from the grocery store, and had lost of fun running around and picking up muddy pumpkins at the patch. I really wanted to go so that I could turn a real pumpkin, instead of a can, into a pie. I bought two, and gave one to my sister. It was very tasty, and I had some left over to make a pumpkin pie shake. Very good also. Michael didn't care for the shake too much, but liked the pie. Dade did not have a halloween costume this year. We couldn't think of anything that we wanted to make or buy, and he didn't really have anywhere to wear it. As far as trick-or-treating, Dade doesn't eat candy, and Michael and I certainly didn't need any.

We don't have any pictures from Thanksgiving, but had a very good dinner at my sisters house.

Then Christmas preperations were under way. Gotta love tinsel and lights.
This is the picture that we used for our Christmas cards. A couple of people said that they didn't even notice the tree at first.

We had a very nice Christmas morning thanks to generous family members. Dade didn't really understand the whole wrapped present thing, but enjoyed the toys that we unwrapped for him.

He started with one train...

and ended with a whole train set complete with tracks. We set up the tracks for him, and he rarely leaves the table.No snow on Christmas this year, but you won't hear me complaining. It's either none or too much when it comes to snow. My family in KS is definitely in the too much category right now.

New years is just a couple of days away. It's been a very eventful year, and hopefully next year will go even better.

September Fun

I'm sure that you can tell by the length of time between the last post and this one, that we've been very busy. So I'll just quickly catch up with some of my favorite days.

For Dade's birthday in August his Mimi Watson got him a tricycle.He loved it from day one, and used it all summer.
He got very good at driving himself, and especially loved going backward.

Another activity that we tried to do on every warm day was visit the local water park. He was usually apprehensive at first, but would be soaked by the end.

Sometimes we would bring his trike with us and he would ride it through the water.

One fine Day we decided to try something new and headed off to Whidby Island. Dade really loved the ferry.
We tried to find a good hiking trail, but got very lost among all the campgrounds. Eventually we found a map and followed a very steep trail down to the beach.

The beach was perfect, and you can tell by this last picture that Dade had a lot of fun.
That was really the end of Summer. We still went to the park on mildly warm days for him to ride his trike. Here is a video of his backwards expertise.

Happy Birthday

So the last post I was complaining about no camera, I forgot about our old camera that was stuck in the back of the closet. It's almost impossible to take a good picture with this camera. Someday I would really love to have a well functioning camera.

Anyway, we used this camera to document Dade turning two. As I said before it was a very low key day.Dade really loves his train set!

And of course birthday balloons are fun to wrestle with.

And here we all are with the remains of Dade's cake.

I bought a little personal sized cake from Central Market. We cut it in half so Michael and I could share, and so Dade wouldn't have a tummy ache. It was really yummy.

Yeah for birthdays. Maybe next year we'll have a party. Dade will actually know what's happening and will care more.

Dade has changed so much this year. He's learned so much more about how to get around in the world since his last birthday. He has definitely improved on his climbing skills for one. He has also become very adept at letting us know what he wants, even though he doesn't talk yet.

He loves to run and spin and play outside. I love to make him smile and laugh. It's so much fun to have him in our family.

You'd think with it being so long since I've posted we have so many fun pictures from the Summer...well guess again.

Here is one of the last pictures from our little camera before I dropped it into the Puget Sound in June.

This is Dade helping my good friend Ely dig out a geoduck to check out. I didn't get any pictures of the gigantic clam like creature, but if you want to see one just google. (it's pronounced gooey duck - go figure)
This Summer has been pretty busy. I work three days a week and only see michael after 9:30 at night, unless it's Sunday. Sunday is the only day we have off together. There have been lots of visits to the park, the pool, and the beach. But even after all that time outside only got a very nice farmers tan on my arms. I hope that the warm weather isn't over for the year. It's been raining and chilled all week. Such is Seattle I guess.
Last weekend Michael flew to Alabama to see his lovely oldest niece get married. He had a great time with family, but really didn't like the humidity. I chose not to go with him because then Dade would have gone too. It would have been really nice to see Michael's family, but not so nice to travel with an almost 2 year old. Especially since his terrible twos are here in full force.
It's almost funny how mad he gets about the weirdest things. The other day I started whistling and he yelled and fell on the ground until I stopped. I guess he doesn't have an appreciation for my tunes. But on the other end he is growing so fast, and learning new things all the time. On Sunday in nursery we sang "roll your hands" a couple of times, and all day today he has been doing the action. I started singing the song every time he started rolling his hands and he just loves it. He'll laugh and then fall on the ground. hmm, I think he just likes falling down.
The next trip planned is me flying to KS to see my best friend get married Sept 25th. I'm so excited to see my parents and KS family. I wasn't sure if I would be able to go, but my boss gave me a very nice bonus this week for holding down the fort. The rest of the girls from work (all 8 of them) went to Vegas for the work trip. They left Wednesday morning, and so I worked alone Wed and today. I was invited, but since I don't gamble or drink I figured I'd be more of a downer then anything. There is only so much time you can spend by the pool and read before you get bored.
DADE TURNS TWO TOMORROW! I can't believe it's been two years since our baby Dade joined our family. Last year we did a big party, and this year we have nothing planned. We were thinking about having people over on Sunday for cupcakes, but sick kids brought that plan up short. It's okay though, We'll just buy a couple of fancy cupcakes and get a balloon for him. That should be good. He does have a couple of presents to open, hopefully he likes his gifts.

When you have little kids the days are long and the years are short.

Who know where we'll be this time next year, but hopefully by then Dade will be talking instead of yelling.

spinning is so fun

Dade invents new games all the time.   Sometimes they are not the best, such as climbing on chairs, but his newest invention was just too funny.   Sorry the camera was shaking so badly, I was laughing too hard.( no toddlers were harmed in the making of this film)

Memorial Day Weekend

We had lots of fun this past weekend, even though Michael had to work for most of it. 

On Saturday night our friends came and stayed here while we went to see Star Trek for our anniversary date.   We both really liked the movie, and I'd recommend it to anyone -trekkie or not.

Then on Sunday after church we went to Richmond beach to enjoy some sun.  Dade didn't have as much fun as I would have hoped.  It might have been because he is always grumpy when he takes a short nap after church, but I think it bugged him the the water was so close to us at high tide.  Usually at the beach he'll go stand by the water a couple of times, but it's too loud and unpredictable.   Mostly he sat on my lap and covered my legs with sand.   and later he let me return the favor.

He was very interested by how the sand felt in between his toes. By the way, did you notice anything different in that picture. We'll for one thing it's me with Dade, and for another it's me with really short hair. That picture doesn't do my hair cut much justice, but I'm really enjoying having short hair again. Michael got a pretty good picture of Dade's curls. and of Dade letting us know that it was time to pack up
He decided to wear Daddy's sun glasses on the way home. Such a cool dude.
Monday Michael worked all day at Guitar Center, and I worked all day cleaning the house. I decided not to go anywhere since it was so busy everywhere. Then yesterday I had a really fun day with my friend Ely. We went to the aquarium where Dade proceeded to ignore all of the fish and even the larger sea mammals. oh well. It was fun for us at least.
Michael and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary on Monday. It's hard to believe that it's already been three years, but then again Dade is almost two.

a walk in the woods

I heard about a fun short walk through the woods that is just a little ways from our house.  A couple of weekends ago we decided to try it out.   It took awhile to find the trail head, and so Dade wasn't as excited until he found a giant stick to drag around.


doesn't Dade make a cute hiker?

The woods were very peaceful and we were having a fun calm walk...until

Dade discovered the stream. He was mostly content to put his stick in the water, but I had to keep my hand on him so he wouldn't step in himself. Last smiles!!

birthday fun

Last year I almost forgot about my birthday, but this year I was reminded often by coworkers, friends, and family.

Last Wednesday I arrived at work to find my desk covered in streamers, balloons, and presents.

My new coworkers weren't too sure what I would like for my birthday, but they did a great job with cute frames, reed scent diffusers, and comfortable PJ bottoms.  

Then on Sunday Michael made a yummy breakfast, I got a big chocolate bar at church (since it was mothers day as well), and then we went to my sister Sarah's house for dinner and cake.  She made me Shepherd's Pie just like mom used to make.  Then a delicious carrot cake for dessert.  

She also gave me Twighlight the movie, and a cool book of patterns for little crochet patterns.

It was really nice to have everything drawn out over the week.   

Now I'm going to get a haircut with birthday money.  Hopefully my stylist and I can figure out a good really short style to try.   A coworker is taking a head shot of everyone on Monday for the website, if that picture turns out I'll post a link.

I had lots of fun at work today!

We have weekly chores that rotate, and this week mine was washing the windows.  I decided to be brave and washed the outside windows too since my boss bought that windex outdoor scrubber.  (It's awesome by the way if anyone has big windows)  I did a good job I think even though I almost fell down on top of a car, and was chased around by a bee.   Then later we had the door open since it's so nice today and a yellow jacket snuck in.  I tried to be the brave one, and since it landed by one of the lights on the ceiling I tried to catch it.  It fell in the cup that I was using, that I then dropped because it startled me.    We closed all of the blinds so he couldn't see the windows, and turned off the lights and he went outside.   

A very eventful day since I'm allergic to bees.

Warm days

Here in Washington we've had a very slow starting Spring.  Every week we'll have one or two decent days, then back to cold and rainy.   Two weekends ago I took Dade to the Beach, which turned into less relaxing and more wrestling him away from other peoples things.  First it was a shovel (even though I brought one with us), then a ball, then another ball, then a stroller.   He also at one point wanted to run into the water.    Next time we'll go on a less crowded day.   But that does explain why the only pictures I really got were when we first got there and he was content to sit and dig with his own shovel. 



The next weekend Michael went with us to a park where Dade loves to swing, and again play in the sand. I really don't understand why playground sand seems so much dirtier than beach sand.

The weather is very tricky.  Right now it's looks really nice outside, but it's still jacket weather with the cold wind.   We might go out to play later.

a good mother

"Everybody know that a good mother gives her children a feeling of trust and stability.  She is their earth.  She is the one they can count on for the things that matter most of all.  She is their food and their bed and the extra blanket when it grows cold in the night; she is their warmth and their health and their shelter, she is the one they want to be near when they cry.  She is the only person n the whole world or in a whole lifetime who can be these things to her children.  There is no substitute for her.  Somehow even her clothes feel different to her children's hands from anybody else's clothes.  Only to touch her skirt or her collar or her sleeve makes a troubled child feel better.  And often when a child wants her this is all a mother has time to give.  She is always moving.  She has so many things to do.  She can't sit down in a chair and talk nonsense right in the middle of a busy day.  Sometimes a child has a great urge to talk what its mother calls nonsense.  Sometimes even a child's worry about death and about the beginning and the end of the universe seems like nonsense to the busy mother when she knows by taking one quick animal sniff of him that there is nothing wrong with him."

The above is a quote from The Little Locksmith by Katharine Butler Hathaway.    If you ever get the chance I would suggest picking up this book.  It's an autobiography of a very insightful woman.   

the benefits of blog surfing

(you can click on the article to make it bigger)

I was following random links from my friend's blog the other day and found a really cool post that I wanted to share.   I thought it was really cool and wanted to share it.  Sometimes I can't figure out why I'm so tired at the end of the day,  when I can look around and not see anything tangible accomplished.   This is why.

happenings

We received our tax refund last week and were really excited to not only pay all of our bills at once, but to look for a new couch.   Unfortunately all of the couches that would be worth it to get are $500, which is just too much to spend on one thing right now.  So instead we got a new computer chair from Target.   I didn't take any pictures of the old chair for comparison, but believe me when I say that it was dead.   Dade has found a new favorite place to play, and a new game involving being disobedient.   He will stand on the arms of the chair and when you walk towards him to get him off, he will laugh hilariously.  

In other news last Wednesday we had Dade evaluated for speech delay, and then today I took him to the Children's Hospital for a hearing test.   He can hear just fine, but he does qualify for help with his speech.   A therapist will come here once a week and "play" with Dade.  They'll also help Michael and I learn how to help Dade more.   I'm sure that he is just fine, but I really would like to be able to communicate with him better.  And by better I mean Dade having more words than "Uh-oh", and "this".

Two weeks till Spring and this is what we had to deal with Sunday morning ~10:30

The snow flakes were huge and really wet.  I found out the next day that there was a Saint Patty's day run - in the snow.
This next picture is the same day at around 4:30.Who knows what the weather will do next.

I got a job!  yea!   I am working in an off site medical billing office.   I like my work for the most part.   With any job there are always a couple of things that are necessary, but not fun.   I also really like my boss, and most of my coworkers.   And the last plus and the biggest is that as of March 20th I will only have to walk 1/2 mile to work.   Michael is still working two jobs, and is staying up late every night to work on his side projects.  Right now Michael and his business partner are trying to impress a band by mixing one of their songs so that they can get paid to mix the whole album.    The good news is that Michael is being considered for a management position at Guitar Center -then he could quit Aaron Brothers.    Life would be less stressful, and we would see him more.  plus plus.   

All in all life is going well right now.   Busy, but I have been happier these past few weeks.   

My next plan is to start working out 3 mornings a week.  Nothing big, just 30 min on the elliptical before work.   We'll see how I do.

I'll leave you with a video of Dade rocking his way.   He loves to do things his own way.

SNOW!

As I was walking out to my car to go to work this morning it started snowing.   Apparently it is supposed to be Spring in just two weeks, but I don't buy it.   It wasn't snowing at work, but around 10 AM it really started coming down.   Up North in Lake Stevens (North of where we live) they actually had to close some roads down.   By the time I left work at 4:30 it was sunny with no snow anywhere.    It was really funny driving home to see cars coming from the North covered in snow, and all the cars from the South free and clear.    There was about an inch on the ground in Lynnwood, but I'm sure it will be gone tomorrow.    I don't think I could want a warm day anymore than I do now.

More on my job and other recent happenings later on this week.

growing up is hard to do...

I'm looking ahead to when Dade will be able to understand reasoning.  Like, "if you throw your food on the floor, than you are done eating", or "when you pull up the drain on the tub, the water drains, then bath time is over."   I know that Dade is growing by leaps and bounds.   All I have to do is visit my Sister and her brand new baby boy to see how far a year and a half can take you.    I just feel like if he could only understand me, and could communicate with me what he wants, life would be less stressful.  My not so great attitude may have something to do with the fact that Dade woke up 3 times last night.   Once Michael sat with him, then I rocked him for an hour before laying him back down.   He's been sick this week, or we would have let him put himself back to sleep.   Saturdays are also the longest day of the week, since Michael works all day, and its hard to go out because everyone else in Lynnwood is out.    The bright side of today was the walk that I took with Dade (even though it was cold), we went down a side street and all I could hear was the wind and the birds.  The moment made me really miss the quiet out by Clinton Lake in Lawrence. 

Now for family updates, the biggest is that Michael now has two jobs.   Most of the week he is at Guitar Center, and the rest he is at Aaron Bros Framing.    He is also starting a recording/mixing business with a former classmate from the Art Institute.   If your interested you can check out their my space page at www.myspace.com/penguinaudioservices.com  

I've been job hunting the past couple of weeks, and finally have an interview on Tuesday.   It's for an offsite medical billing office.   I'll probably be doing to same kinds of things that I did at my job in Texas, I just won't be in a Dr's office.    I think that will take the stress down a few notches not having patients and front office people.   I really hope that I do well in my interview since I've gotten really lucky getting my last couple of jobs.    

The biggest news of all is that Michael shaved his mustache.   He just felt like it was time, and I wasn't about to argue.  

Last Friday Michael was off and so we went to the Bellevue children's museum.   It is free after 5 pm on Fridays so we felt it would be worth it.  It is smaller, but full of fun areas.   Dade really loved the music room, and patiently waited his turn on this drum set.   Then we took him over to the water area where the aprons were all one size, huge.   He had fun painting rocks with water, but couldn't bend down to pick up anything because the apron was so stiff.   It was a funny sight.

Can you see the curly hairs on the back of his head? I can actually play with his hair now, its very exciting.

This next picture I took a few weeks ago and is Michael's current favorite.    Dade really loves his books, and also loves to climb. 

Lastly here is a video of Dade's new hideout.   Just an FYI after this video I cleared out everything metal, so now Dade has a fun Safe place to play.

The Life of a Day

In December I went to my sister's book club, where everyone brought a poem to share.  One of the books that my sister chose from was; Good Poems -selected by Garrison Keillor.

I used to listen to Garrison Keillor read poetry on NPR as I drove to work in Houston.    I've never been much of a fan reading poems, but it's always good to expand your horizons.   I borrowed the book from my sister and have found a favorite that I wanted to share. 

Its called The Life of a Day by Tom Hennen.

Like people or dogs, each day is unique and has its own personality quirks which  can easily be seen if you look closely.  But there are so few days as compared to people, not to mention dogs, that it would be surprising if a day were not a hundred times more interesting than most people.  But usually they just pass, mostly unnoticed, unless they are wildly nice, like autumn ones full of red maple trees and hazy sunlight, or if they are grimly awful ones in a winter blizzard that kills the lost traveler and bunches of cattle.  For some reason we like to see days pass, even though most of us claim we don't want to reach our last one for a long time.  We examine each day before us with barely a glance and say, no, this isn't one I've been looking for, and wait in a bored sort of way for the next , when, we are convinced, our lives will start for real.  Meanwhile, this day is going by perfectly well-adjusted, as some days are, with the right amount of sunlight and shade, and a light breeze scented with a perfume made from the mixture of fallen apples, corn stubble, dry oak leaves, and the faint odor of last night's meandering skunk.

I still prefer poetry that isn't too complicated.   Here is one that Sarah read at the meeting that I also like.   It's called I Stop Writing the Poem -by Tess Gallagher

to fold the clothes.  No matter who lives

or who dies, I'm still a woman.

I'll always have plenty to do.

I bring the arms of his shirt 

together.  Nothing can stop

our tenderness.  I'll get back

to the poem.  I'll get back to being

a woman.  But for now

there's a shirt, a giant shirt

in my hands, and somewhere a small girl

standing next to her mother

watching to see how it's done.

I copied this poem as printed because I'm sure that the author had her reasons how she organized the lines.

With most books that I read it's pretty straightforward what everything is intended to mean.   With some poetry there are many different levels, and it's interesting to have Michael read the same poem that I've just read and talk about it.

The good parts of vacation....

Here is the happier post that I promised.   Now that Dade is feeling better(apart from still taking his medicine) I've had time to download the trip pictures.   Unfortunately most of the pictures didn't turn out since our camera isn't really the greatest.     Also I didn't take nearly as many pictures as I wanted since Dade got so sick.

Here is Dade and Brielle playing in the airport play area since everyone's flight was delayed.

Here is Grandpa Thurman, Poppa Bob, and Uncle John fryin' a turkey.  When in Texas...
The turkey looked a little scary after, but it was really yummy.

Here are some pictures of the family. I really wanted to take some with everyone gathered, but I ended up upstairs with a screaming Dade Here is Michael and Dade meeting new cousin Xander held by Cousin Katie.

We went to Dallas to see my brother's family and my parents.

Here is Michael reading to Joel's daughter Maeve.

Here is my brother Joel and his wife Cynthia with my newest nephew Jude.

And here is my mom working her magic with baby Jude.

For some reason I didn't get any pictures of my Dad, Michael's mom, and most of Michael's sisters. If anyone has any good pictures of family from Christmas week I would be very grateful if you could email them to me.  someday I'll have a camera that takes decent pictures all the time, and not have a sick child.   We loved spending time with our families this Christmas and look forward to our next reunion. love to all.