Never a Dull Moment

Mom's Great Disney Adventure

2011-09-22T22:32:00.000-07:00

It's not everyday you get to go to Disneyland with out your kids. A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to win an award at work that did just that. Here are a few shots of my great adventure alone in Disneyland. Just me, my iphone and my mouse ears. I documented the journey for the boys and send them hundreds of pix texts along the way so they could live it right along with me.

Summer recap, part 2

2011-09-22T22:19:00.002-07:00

Summer recap, part 1

2011-09-22T22:19:00.001-07:00

Back to School, Part 1 and Part 3

2011-09-22T22:19:00.000-07:00

Back to school kick off party

Big 1

Big 3

Titan Run 2011

2011-05-07T12:38:00.000-07:00

Ian and his kindy peeps getting ready to run.
N8 getting started

Laps are marked each trip around -

1 lap = .2 miles

Ian ran 11 laps in 30 minutes

N8 worked hard to beat last year's record -

He did. He ran 25 laps or 5 miles in 1 hour.

Mom, Titan Run co-chair.

Thanks to all our sponsors!

First Communion

2011-05-07T12:32:00.000-07:00

Thunderbolts - Division Champs

2011-03-20T20:08:00.001-07:00

This winter we were able to play on a team of all HT kids (plus 2) which was great. These guys have been playing together since K and think they are hot stuff. All in all it was a fun season to watch as we are starting to enter the years of the beginnings of play, fake passes and great fast breaks. The Thunderbolts, as they named themselves, were undefeated and won the division champs for the 7/8 year old category.

Waaaaay behind!

2011-03-20T19:58:00.001-07:00

Bringing it up the court

Strategizing

Well, this poor blog has kind of died on the vine, hasn't it.

The curse of a busy mom, working parents, two kids, two teams, too much to do.

First, let's talk about Ian and his first ever team sport experience.

Ian just completed his first season of basketball. He played on a k-1 team that included 3 friends from his school. Ian, not surprisingly, was the smallest child on the team by far. And, as the season started, the most clueless. But in all honesty, he probably made the most progress. Ian went from game 1 - standing lost at center court for nearly the entire game, to averaging 12 baskets, a rebound and a steal every game. We are super proud of the little guy and he is pretty dang proud of himself as well.

Up next: T-ball.

Slip Sliding Away

2010-12-26T19:24:00.001-08:00

Getting ready to be towed
That's Nate and Ian in the yellow and Dave hanging on behind

Wee!

Here's what's great about living in P'town. Watching the news this morning Ian says he wishes we had snow. Well, Ok then, snow you shall have. 70-ish mile away - Mt. Hood. (70-ish miles the other way, we can get you to the Ocean.) So off we headed for an afternoon of sledding at Ski Bowl Adventure park. Two hours of snowtubing is just enough (a little more than enough for some!) and the best part is, they drag your lazy butt up to the top of the hill on the automatic tube tow! Made some snow angels, threw some snow balls and hot cocoa and we were home again.

Day

2010-12-26T19:09:00.001-08:00

Santa came!

Ian's most treasured and desired gift (thanks television marketing!)

No bad guys getting into this house now, Nate was fully outfitted with Spy Gear (thanks A and S!)

Ian getting schooled by Grandma about Creepy Crawlers

The Grand Finale - Razor Groundforce Drifters

Eve

2010-12-25T19:44:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Eve! Watched Santa on Norad all day, 55 minutes of Church (thanks Father Dave!) and the best lasagna dinner ever at Grandma's house with the Westby's and Voigt's. Pillow pets and Kung Zhu's and off to bed!

Holy Trinity - Tell Your Friends

2010-12-18T14:24:00.001-08:00

Can you pick out N and I in this video?

http://www.edline.net/pages/HolyTrinityCatholic/Admissions/A_Video_of_our_School

Taking a ride on the Polar Express

2010-12-17T10:58:00.000-08:00

The Polar Express is one of our favorite holiday movies!
One the train, getting ready to go

Kids wear their pj's just like in the movie

Hot Chocolate has arrived, Ian especially, was in heaven

Nate preferred the cookies

Santa stopped by and gave us our bells.

~We BELIEVE~

Going Solo

2010-12-11T09:04:00.001-08:00

Ian and Chester, the class bear, waiting for the concert to begin.
Super exited to get started

The K's are the bottom 2 rows, 18 in all. It's a small but tight knit class.

This week Ian performed in the Holy Trinity School Christmas concert (yes, we get to call it a Christmas concert!) Nate was home sick with the flu for the entire week so Ian was our star performer. Unlink his brother, Ian loves the spotlight and hams it up every chance he gets (although he did refrain from throwing the 'horns' at me like he did in preschool. I got a nice wave instead.) Way to go buddy!

Ian's post: O Christmas Tree, I love you!

2010-12-05T14:40:00.001-08:00

This one is just my size, but a little too small this year
We're getting warmer, this one is better. Let's tag it for next year.

Hide and seek trees

I found the perfect one and I can't wait to cut it down!

I gotta catch those guys who are carrying my tree!

*****

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree
You are the tree most loved!
How often you give us delight
In brightly shining Christmas light!
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,

You are the tree most loved!

*****

I don't know what it is about this year, but Ian was particularly invested in finding the perfect tree. It must have been the car nap on the way out to our new favoite tree farm CW Baggenstos, but he was a real ham running thru the hills looking for the perfect tree...and finding a few future opportuniites on the way.

The Great Hunt - for a Tree!

2010-12-05T14:28:00.000-08:00

Hay Ride,
Hot Cocoa,

Doens't get much better than this!

Got one for Grandma

Found one for us too!

Reconciled

2010-12-04T19:56:00.000-08:00

On his way up to sit with Father Dave
Spending a moment confessing and receiving penance

All done. Looks pretty good.

A moment with a good friend

Today Nate and his classmates celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation. For the non-catholics reading, this is the first sacrament a child celebrates since baptism at birth. The Catholic Sacrament of Reconciliation (also known as the Sacrament of Penance, or Penance and Reconciliation) has three elements: conversion, confession and celebration. In it we find God's unconditional forgiveness, and as a result we are called to forgive others.

A bunch of Turkeys

2010-11-26T14:15:00.001-08:00

There's never a dull moment when the cousins are together. The Spicciati family http://spicciati.blogspot.com/ and Grandma Rita joined us for a traditional, non-traditionally prepared Thanksgiving dinner. This year it was turkey dinner and all the trimmings and we didn't have to cook a thing. At the Holy Trinity Catholic School Auction a few weeks ago Dave bid on and won a gourmet Thanksgiving dinner provided by Zupan's market - one of the nicest grocery stores in Portland. It was heat and eat. This I could get used to!

The cousins have been inseparable since the moment they arrived. Wii, Lego building contest, bounce house, and shooting cans in the back yard with Uncle Dave. It was the perfect day. Now if only we could buy the Thanksgiving clean up afterwords next time...

Big time for N and C

2010-11-20T17:32:00.000-08:00

20,000 fans at a sold out Blazer game on Thursday and these two yay hoos get to bring out game ball on to the court. What a life! Thanks Holthaus family.

Fall Ball

2010-11-13T16:43:00.000-08:00

Pre-game prayer
Great ball handler

A decent shot

Just scored, very proud

The team

Meet Mario and Luigi and their friends

2010-11-01T06:52:00.001-07:00

2010-10-26T20:24:00.001-07:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Hey Kids - We have a Secret!

2010-10-25T20:27:00.001-07:00

Last Wednesday we picked the kids up from school at lunch time. We told them that since it was a 4 day weekend, we thought we would start it a little early. An hour later, we got in Grandma's car to do "do something fun" and 30 minutes later we were at the airport.

We are going to Disneyland!

Nate was thrilled. Ian cried. Then Nate convinced Ian that it would be fun and Ian was thrilled too.

And that was the beginning of our surprise, whirlwind 4 day Disney vacation.

And it was AWESOME!

And exhausting!

First day in park. Everything is decked out in Fall and Halloween. Its gorgeous! We took this exact same picture 2 1/2 years ago when the boys were 2 1/2 and almost 5. Feels like a lifetime ago.
Matterhorn - a favorite ride. We love roller coasters.

40 inches. The magic number. This time, Ian was tall enough to ride everything but Indiana Jones and California Screamin' (at California Adventure). He LOVED Space Mountain - themed Ghost Galaxy for Halloween. Unbelievable- many adults close their eyes for this one.

The Haunted Mansion was all decked out for Halloween. This was a must do (twice) on day 1.

We had fun meeting characters (well, I kind of force the issue. I love the character pictures!) ?Most 'fuzzies' had Halloween costumes on. We met Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Woody and Army Guys, Chip and Captain Hook. Dave regrets not getting a picture with Pocahontas.

The Great Green Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-17T16:56:00.001-07:00

After one of the crappiest summers in recent history, this was an ideal fall day to go to the Pumpkin Patch. Unfortunately, due to one of the crappiest summers in recent history, the pumpkins paid the price!

None the less, we headed out today to Lakeview farms in near 70 degree temps to stand in long lines, ride the short train and wander aimlessly thru fields of green pumpkins. All in all it was a nice afternoon. And then we went to Haagen and bought some nice perfect orange pumpkins, probably imported!

Bye Mom!

2010-09-09T20:49:00.001-07:00

We like to drag things our over here. Birthday's, chores, you name it. So it's the first day of school. Again, and Again, and Again. Nate started 2nd grade on Tuesday. He is in Mrs. Romero's class with his same group of peers, give or take a couple. Nate is thrilled to be the oldest grade in the lunch and recess slot he is in and super excited that Spanish has been added to the 2nd grade curriculum this year...and cursive.

Ian's first day was today - half day. And his first day is tomorrow - full day. Kinders start slow. They don't go the first 2 days, then a half day then a full day then a weekend. And they wear cute red tshirts at first so they stick out a little and get a little extra help from the older kids. That's one of the best things about HT- the older kids really look out for the little.

For me? I thought I would be sad. I though I would even cry. But really, I am not. After 3 straight years of fighting and crying and drama from Ian about going to school, this year is a thrill. He is so excited about kinder that he can't wait to go to sleep at night and wake up in the morning. He has literally been jumping up and down about it. I couldn't be happier that he is finally at peace about going to school.

It's still the Greatest Show on Earth...

2010-09-05T18:24:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. Hands down the Torres Family of 7 motorcycles in the 16 foot sphere was the coolest and scariest. Ian, in true Ian form, fell asleep during the first half but was awake for this cool stunt.

And Ian still managed to fall asleep during it. I'll give him this - the tigers WERE boring.
We loved the trapeze
And the parades - Circus people of 2010 use Segways
Elephants are cool, despite with the PETA people say

(thank you Droid 2 for your pictures, despite your 5mp camera size that is waaay to small for the Rose Garden)

Nostalgia

2010-08-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

5 years ago...

(and Ian pointed out 'airplanes' - Nate's blanket - is still there.)

Adventure time - The Big Explore

2010-08-14T08:17:00.001-07:00

There's an old logging road and old camp down below the TLC property. Adventure time is on and the boys like to go look for Lost Treasure. This trip we found some OLD fishing lures and flies and gloves.

Adventure Time - Hitting the open water

2010-08-14T08:03:00.001-07:00

Our ride has arrived
The littlest captain

A little sea sick - or just drama

Grandma the tour guide

Best snuggler

Self portrait

First mate Nate

Fishing with very little result - actually, result

What kind of buoy?

Adventure Time - Campfires with Grandma

2010-08-14T08:01:00.001-07:00

The Log Cabin = S'mores.

Adventure Time - Fishing the lake

2010-08-14T07:56:00.001-07:00

First night, feeling all right~

Back from Idaho for a week now and finally getting some pics up. Get ready for a photo frenzy and we'll get all caught up...

A boring breakfast, it is not

2010-07-17T09:30:00.001-07:00

This is how we do it

2010-07-11T20:01:00.000-07:00

Summer has arrived. Finally. After one of the wettest June's and springs on record, it's finally here. And we are fully taking advantage.

We joined the local health/racket club this spring and the best part is the wonderful outdoor pool system they have. The kids spend hours dipping between the pools, hot tub, slide and fountains. The first best part is they allow you to bring in all the food and beverages you want - including alcohol! We have been there for all afternoon swimming and dinner the past 3 nights! The second best part is that the boy come home absolutely exhausted at the end of the night!

Pyromania

2010-07-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July! We started the holiday weekend with the annual trip to Hillsboro for the Happy Days parade - aka the Hillsboro Hard Candy Parade. The boys have the parade wave down and are showered (and often pelted) with handfuls of star mint and butterscotch candy, the occasional tootsie roll or smarties pack mixed in. It's the same every year -I only care about the Reeser's float which throws beef sticks and the Hank's giant shopping cart which throws mini loaves of bread!

We went to a bbq last night and came back home for Pyro-time. THe boys made the trip to Vancouver during the week to buy the 'real' fireworks for our backyard display. Nate was particularly excited about the Blizzard and Ian loved the Bat fireworks that flew up in the air (super safe - not! Thank goodness it just rained because one is on our roof and one is in a large tree!)

Milestone - the boys wanted to stay up until midnight and we let them! Crazy parents - we must have had way too much to drink! Both literally hit the pillow like zombies. We'll see how this day goes.

This morning we wake to a nice burned spot in the grass and the carnage of the leftover shells. Totally worth it!

And now, a word from Nate

2010-06-27T15:49:00.000-07:00

I am going to steal the idea from Shannon (thanks sis) and publish some of the stories that Nate came up with this year as I am sitting here going through mounds of school work that came home last week.

They made a writing book, sprial bound, and this is a sampling - spelling errors not corrected.

On Friday I went to Idiho to see my Grandma and my cosins. My trip ended on Monday. I stayed in a hotel for three days. I went swimming with my cosins. My hotel name was Haladay express. My cosins hotel name was Red lion. It was fun. We had so much fun. There was funny at evry corner.

I like Mario super bros. for wii. I am on wold eight its four players. the charecters are Mario, Toad, Toad, Liuege. There are eight worlds.

I made a flower at school. We all day three peices of paper. And tishyou paper and I got blue. We all got little peices of green paper. we all got big pices of green paper then we put all the pices together.

I like sharks they are cool. They live in the water. They are very dangeris and scary. They are anamals. They live very deep down.

I like Ester becuase it is the day that Jesus came to heven. The Ester bunny comes. When he comes he brings candy and treats. I got a paper airplane set from the Ester bunny. It is very cool.

First Day of Summer Vacation

2010-06-21T19:55:00.001-07:00

They look so sweet when they are not trying to kill each other.

Sealed, for your Protection

2010-06-17T20:34:00.000-07:00

Remember that scene in ET The Extra Terrestrial where the scientists seal off Elliot's home with plastic to avoid alien contamination. Well, we have that. We are getting ready to film scenes from ET 2- Invasion of the moisture monster.

Just kidding.

A week ago we discovered a leaking hot water pipe. UNDER our house. Had we not had our hardwoods re-done recently, it might have taken much longer to notice. But all of the sudden, the floor started to cup (curl up), then discolor. When Dave tried to peek under the house he discovered a pond. And soaked insulation. And wet sub floor. And the big M: Mold.

One week later, one plumber later and 2 ServePro dudes who practically live here - we are drying out. We no longer have access to our laundry, downstairs bath, family room, hallway or nook. We have about 10 loud fans and dehumidifiers running 24/7 to dry out the sub floor and under the house.

Thank GOD Grandma lives across the street!

The moral of the story is: Go look under your house!

9504 Nw Bartholomew Drive, Portland, OR

2010-06-09T09:20:00.001-07:00

Click here to view the Virtual Tour

This beautiful 4859 square foot home has 6 bedrooms and 3.10 full bathrooms. It is located at 9504 Nw Bartholomew Drive in Portland, OR.

Have you seen Kyron Horman?

2010-06-08T19:38:00.001-07:00

This child is missing. Look at him. Look again. He is 7 years old. Kinda looks like Nate with glasses. It could be any of our children. He vanished into thin air.
This child is gone. Could belong to any of us. Missing from the school where his mom dropped him off and walked him in. Vanished from inside his very own school. It's 10 minutes from here, tops. It's a nice area. We are sick about this. Portland is sick about this.

Kyron is three feet, eight inches tall. He weighs about 50 pounds. He was wearing orange and black cargo pants, white socks, worn black Skecher tennis shoes with orange trim and a T-shirt with the "CSI" logo.
Anyone with information on Kyron's whereabouts is urged to call the Multhnomah County Sheriff's Office tip line at (503)-261-2847.

The 3 P's

2010-06-06T10:28:00.000-07:00

Since Ian has decided he is "allergic" to cake, we did big cookie pizza
And cheese pizza. All 8 kids had to squish around the one picnic table.

Pinata time!

Candle time!

And...we're done

After what seems like 47 straight days of torrential rain, (and a couple of near panic attacks by me) we woke up yesterday to a gorgeous, sunny, warm day. Good thing! We had Ian's birthday party at 11am, planned for outside, and a baseball bbq at 5 - both in our backyard!

7 of Ian's classmates joined us for the 3 P's - Pizza, Pinata and Playing! We were able to surprise Ian with a bouncy house for the party (oops, forgot to take pics of that!) and so far it is worth it's weight in gold. The kids have been bouncing non-stop for 2 days.

I think the week long birthday celebration that began last weekend at Waffle House, has come to an end. We can't belive our baby boy is 5! In my head he is still at chubby little 2 year old.

Road Trip! New Rules.

2010-06-03T21:46:00.001-07:00

Birthday singing is a litte embarassing!
Loves Sonic! Thanks cousins!

The Palouse

We made it.

Where's Ian?

Cousins, and a few furry friends

So we road tripped to Lewiston this past Memorial Day weekend. Following Ian's graduation and a half day for Nate, we hit the road. New road trip food rules: No Chain Restaurants. Only local hot spots. First stop, Kennewick. Hubby's pizza is famous for their thin thin thin crust pizza and yummy sauce. I wanted to try the pepperoni, sausage, dill pickle pizza but didn't get any takers. Cheese and pepperoni it was.

In Lewiston we discovered Waffles and More. Need I say more? And then there was Sharp's - we met the cousins there. They have the best 'secret fry sauce' around.

Finally, our on-the-way home standby stop is Cousins in the Dalles. Home cooking comfort food. Dave always has the pot roast and Ian likes the roast turkey and mashed potatoes.

Other than food, we had fun. Met the cousins there and had a grand time swimming and playing. We caught a NAIA World Series game with the local Lewis Clarke team beating their opponent, 10-5.

We visited with Great Grandma Sprenger and Great Uncle Tom and Aunt Janet, and met their new puppy Abby. Dave got to got to the shooting range with Uncle Tom which was the highlight of the trip for him.

At the end of the trip we got to celebrate Ian's birthday at the restaurant of his choice. He chose Waffle House, of course! The staff even sang to him over pancakes.

The Graduate

2010-06-03T21:26:00.000-07:00

Ian Thomas Shuster is proud to announce that he has graduated from Prince of Peace.
The Graduating 4's entertained a crowd last Friday with at least 15 songs complete with sign language and theatrics. Ian was front and center and was sure to make the most of it - jumping up and down and clapping and throwing the horns to mom and dad as much as possible.
\m/ \m/

With wonderful Mrs. Hull and a buddy from class

Always loves the ladies!

Happy Birthday Ian Thomas!

2010-06-02T06:10:00.001-07:00

Day 1
Finally 5!

'Nuff Said

2010-05-26T18:32:00.001-07:00

Soaked!

2010-05-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

The first balloon was from Coach Dan. A dad from the other team caught this moment for us. Just had to share it...

Field Day, Fun Day

2010-05-15T16:55:00.001-07:00

Wolf Creek Field Day was today. The Cardinals vs The Pirates was at 9am. Then we had field day activities including a coach soak. Dave was a trooper and soaked to the skin after his team had a shot at him.

We've had major improvements this season and have many an inning now where the cardinals score their 5 runs or keep the opponent from scoring all of their runs.

Going Green!

2010-05-08T17:27:00.001-07:00

Happy mothers day to me. Dave got me window tinting for a M's day gift! Super sweet!
Ian, the photographer, staged and shot this one. You can tell how short he is by the angle!

The new job brings new challenges - namely, the car, the territory and all those miles of premium gas in a V8. My super SUV days are over. Hello Hybrid! Meet Midori - my new Lexus HS 250H. Car. Man, it's strange to say that. It's been nearly 8 years since I have been in a CAR. She's sparkly white and gets 35 mgp. On Thursday/Friday I drove 420 miles in 24 hours on ONE TANK OF GAS that I paid $32 for. Welcome to the days of going green!

Titan Run 2010

2010-04-25T19:39:00.000-07:00

First Grade hitting the field On your marks, get set, go! (Nate, far right with one foot on rocks)

Staying focused

Mom joined in for every 5th lap

Finished! Not so bad!

Titan Run 2010 was held Friday! First grade was super excited and lead in fundraising efforts. (doesn't help that first grade moms were the committee, including yours truly). It was a perfectly sunny, 60 degree day.

The first graders ran for 1 hour. Nate the Great ran 21 laps. Let's keep in mind that 5 laps make a mile. Astonishing! No way mom or dad could have kept up with that. We are super proud and thankful to every one who supported this Holy Trinity Fundraiser. All funds go to support the school, pay for books and other items necessary to make HT a great place to learn.

Easter, a little late

2010-04-18T16:03:00.000-07:00

Nate's fancy egg dying technique

Ian making red and blue

Grandma offering support

Nate and Mom; photo by Ian

Family pic - these are hard to come by!

The long and winding...birthday

2010-03-28T20:20:00.000-07:00

And on the 7th day, we rest. Almost. 7 days later were are almost done celebrating being 7. Nate had a very, very small birthday party yesterday that was like a breath of fresh air. I took he and 2 school friends, and Ian, to see Diary of a Wimpy kid. 6 bags of candy, 2 jumbo tubs of popcorn and 4 Slurpee's later we brought this week long celebration of being 7 to end. And tomorrow - tomorrow everyone goes back to school. Whew!

A Whole Day - Nate's Way

2010-03-21T19:48:00.001-07:00

sleepover at grandmas
open presents - new skateboard!
get your name and picture on the morning news
see friends at church and stay after for doughnuts
wii
basketball
baseball
bike ride with dad
playdate with lifelong friend
dinner at Red Robin with friends - complete with singing and ice cream
cake at home
more playing with friends
sleepover in Ian's room

A whole day - Nate's way

The Early Bird gets the...Bike?

2010-03-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

Technically speaking, Nate's birthday is tomorrow. But we Shuster's really know how to drag out a birthday celebration. Yesterday it was school celebration day with balloons and cookies. And today, well, it's Saturday and they are predicting 7o and sunny. We couldn't help but roll out Nate's birthday gift one day early...a new bike. A Diamondback Cobra - 20", 6 speed, handbreaks. To me, this means nothing, but Dave assures me that every little boy wants a Diamondback. Who am I to deprive an (almost) 7 year old boy? ;-)

Green: Inside and Out

2010-03-17T19:11:00.001-07:00

For adults, it's corned beef and cabbage. For kids, all things green. Happy St. Patricks Day! We celebrated this fine 'holiday' by dressing the part and eating the part. A Leprechaun made a visit to Ian's school today and left green footprints and gold coins. For dinner they feasted on Shamrock pancakes, green jello, grapes and lemon lime powerade. We're hoping for a lucky 2010!

Commando

2010-03-11T19:01:00.000-08:00

What's the title again? Oh ya, never a dull moment. This story as told to my by Dave - I missed the whole event.
Ian goes to what we refer to as Pre-K on Tuesday/Thursday. It's an all day school/daycare program. He puts up a fight every single time. It's in his nature. Too many years of staying home with mama and he wants to stay home. Not the point....
Not unlike his Daddy or brother, Ian likes to be the center of attention. His teachers always have some sort of story about how sad little Ian shocks everyone with a funny antic of some sort.
Tuesday starts like any other day. Morning routine, Ian has to get himself dressed. Dave drops Nate and then Ian at school. Day goes by. Dave picks up kids from school. Teacher tells Dave a story.
Ian has to go pee and can't get his zipper back up so he goes to his teacher, Miss Tina, for some help. Miss Tina has to zip the pants down to zip them back up and lo an behold, Ian's peens and weens (as we kindly refer to them as) pop out. He's gone commando! And Ian loves to go commando. He loves to report that he is commando! Then Ian says, "Oh, I was just kidding."
Boy, do we have our hands full with this one.

Halem Globetrotters 70 vs Washington Generals 49

2010-02-20T19:28:00.000-08:00

Popcorn, licorice, cotton candy and Subway sandwiches.
A blowout game - Ian's first.
Guys with names like Hi Lite, Rocket and Moo Moo
Autographs and new basketballs.
Priceless

The "Other" Rose Garden

2010-02-20T19:19:00.000-08:00

Thank God for Global Warming today. It's mid February and we are enjoying a winter heat wave. Today we ventured to the other Rose Garden - not the one with flowers and fountains we visited last August, but the one on the other side of the river. And it has a view almost as great as the flowery one. Well, Nate might disagree. This one has a Blazers all over it. We weren't there to see the Blazers this time. This time it was the Globe trotters. And it was Ian's first ever basketball game. How nice when you see a blowout for your first game. See above post...

Brain like a sponge

2010-02-03T19:46:00.000-08:00

Ian busted out some Spanish today. And colors in spanish. And then informed me that jellyfish have brains but no bones. Hmmm. Good stuff.

Few and Far between

2010-01-11T19:53:00.000-08:00

As I got deeper and deeper into this whole working world my time to myself do do things like oh, cook, laundry, and blog are fewer and farther between. Stick with us...
Updates:

D: Super dad-ing and super realtor-ing. Finding the true balance between work and home, and yes, the dishwasher does get full EVERY DAY!

K: Out of training and sloshing through the world of cold calling and outside sales. Oh, you just hung up on me? No biggie, I'll call you back in 6 months. Not sure where the thick skin comes from but it'll do for now. Hanging tough and getting out in front of clients. Got stuck in the car during a recent spontaneous snowstorm - for 7 hours- with my boss.

N: Always the funny stories from one of the boys - this time it's Nate. Last night Nate was invited to yet another Blazer game with his buddy Cole. It was the dad's turn so Dave went along. This was probably the 5th or so game this year - he could tell you. Anyway, the goal is always to get on the Jumbotron, the gigantic TV at center court. The boys dress the part, wave stuffed fingers, stand on their chairs and cheer like nobody's business. Last night Nate and Cole got on the Jumbotron for the first AND second time! Nate's comment to Dave? "Hey dad, that kid on the Jumbotron is wearing the same shirt as me!" Look again son, it IS you! Today Nate had a trip to the dentist to have a cavity filled. Poor kid has inherited my cramped jaw. His little teeth are tight together, a cavity nightmare. Better start saving for braces now! He did great. Doesn't remember a thing and thought the whole experience was pretty darn neat. Thanks nitrous oxide! Nate's comment to me when he got home? "I wish it was a gold tooth; that would be so cool!"

I: Started "Pre-kindergarten" two days a week (aka YMCA daycare). In true Ian style he hates it but ultimately I think it will be a good thing for him to make some more friends and get out and about more while Daddy works. Still into Taco the dog, trying to convince Grandma to get him a puppy, Charlie and Lola and infomercials. Ian may have a future as a pitchman. "Mom, Emery Cat let's your cat file its own claws and if you call right now...!" We don't even have a cat.

Jumbotron, from a previous game

Look Ma, half my face is dead!

Chirstmas at TLC, NYE at home

2010-01-02T18:51:00.000-08:00

Have hat, will party!
Ian and his friend getting ready to ring in the new year

Our Charlie Brown Christmas tree at TLC

Dave's cabin tin can practice

Christmas eve concert, brought to you by N, I, S and A

Santa knew just what Ian wanted

Nate's new favorite game

Genetics

2009-12-21T22:18:00.000-08:00

Like Father, Like Son

Heaven

2009-12-13T12:40:00.001-08:00

Now THIS is Ian's version of Heaven.

Taco, Taco and more Tacos!

Naughty or Nice?

2009-12-06T20:47:00.000-08:00

This was totally just for show.
Acting wild

Getting Schooled

Today I forced a Santa visit on the kids. You'd think I was asking them to walk on burning glass. Barefoot. Nate has been a bit of a Grinch lately and Ian, of course, follows suit when it comes to this kind of stuff. So the begrudgingly got dressed (NOT in sweats, fight #1) and we drove downtown our best known Santa ("He's a fake mom, just a helper. Why don't you send the real Santa an email instead." fight #2) I bribed them with McDonalds and off we went to stand in a (thankfully) very short line. Stomping, whining, pushing and rough housing, the usual (fights #3-8). By the time it was our turn I was ready to kill them both but with a little coaxing, Santa got them to engage. And the Shuster boys got schooled by Santa. Big time.

Afterwards, Nate said to me, "Mom, that was the real guy, not some fake. He knew everything. He said we have to clean our rooms and stop fighting and wrestling and do things the first time you ask." Moods improved significantly there after, if only for a few minutes.

Turkey Day, a new way

2009-11-27T07:54:00.000-08:00

For the first time in 9 years, we are able to spend Thanksgiving in California with Dave's family.

We also drove this year, a first with the kids. Modern day travel is a blast. My laptop has an aircard so I can surf while Dave drives; the boys have new DS's, courtesy of Christmas coming early for the sake of the trip, a DVD player in the car, 3 PDA's and we are all set.

Dave's sweet grandmother arranged for dinner in the Wine Cellar at the Firehouse Restaurant in Old Town Sacramento (or, as I told the boys, the kind of restaurant mommy and daddy only go to when we have a babysitter!) The kids were relatively well behaved (thank goodness for the private room) they were able to get up and move around a bit considering we were there nearly 3 hours.

Dinner was 3 courses for the boys - they chose the fresh fruit salad with whipped cream and toasted marshmallows, roast turkey with stuffing and string beans and mashed potatoes, and for dessert a S'more creation with graham cracker cookie bars, brownies, toasted marshmallows covered with chocolate and carmel sauce.

I had the traditional turkey dinner, Dave had the prime rib. The potato leek soup and the holiday pumpkin torte was to die for.

Today we are hanging in our favorite hotel and maybe a bit of sight seeing. The boys get along really well with their cousins and are as silly as ever. More pics to come but in the mean time, happy Black Friday!

Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!

2009-11-22T17:08:00.000-08:00

Ah, the perks of being gainfully employed again. Hi everybody! Is anyone ever out there anymore? Three weeks ago I went back to work. The blog, and the laundry have suffered. I am doing great and having fun. They boys are adjusted and being Dave is Super Dad and Mr. Mom all at the same time.

One of the perks of being employed by a great big company is being 'in the know' when I might otherwise have been oblivious. Last week an email came thru the ol' inbox about a Meet and Greet with Blazer Rudy Fernandez. Nate, do you want to go? DUH MOM! OF COURSE I DO!

We invited a couple buddies and headed to the new Cascade Station VZW store to wait in line. You wouldn't believe it but it was gusting, hailing and pouring rain here all mornig but by the time we arrive, gorgeous and sunny. We waited about and hour and a half-my fault. We were super early but got in about 15th in line. And, the boys got all kinds of cool give-aways.

Rudy was very quiet and so were the boys. I am not sure anyone even spoke. I got a couple shots off in the mere 30 seconds we were there but it was again, totally worth it. We finished off the after noon with fries and shakes at the neighboring Red Robin.

Thanks Rudy!

First Blazer Game

2009-11-22T16:56:00.001-08:00

Getting ready to go, jump shot's are ready.
All fan'd out.
Where'd the lead go- we're getting serious now.

Nate and I attended his first ever Blazer game on Wednsdsay, thanks to a generous invite from a school friend and his mom. We had GREAT seats about 10 rows off the court just right of center. It was quite the way to see your first game, let me tell you. It was Blazers vs Pistons. For the first 3 quarters the blazers dominated; up 20 points and the end of the third quarter. It was a great place to be. But then the Blazers relaxed and the Pistons caught up within 2 points. The great part about the Blazers's losing their lead was the energy that whirlled up for the last, very long 2 minutes. The entire Rose Garden was on their feet and Nate was on his chair. Totally worth it. That kind of energy was fun to see him experience. They squeaked out a win - 87-81. $15 Subway sandwiches, giant popcorn, a long, late night. Totally worth it.

One side not, Ken Griffey Jr. was sitting a few rows in front of us. Nate took a picture of the back of him at half time.

Not tonight, I'm Broke

2009-11-10T20:51:00.000-08:00

Finally, another girl in the DKNI household! And she comes to visit almost every other day now. We invented her - to Poop Fairy. Not to be confused with the tooth fairy. She comes here too, but not so often.
Some know of Ian's "troubles" in the bathroom. We are making progress with the help of a wonderful probiotic and lots and lots of encouragement - but not too much! So a month or two ago, after several teeth lost, Ian was complaining of not having a fairy leaving money like Nate has the tooth fairy. Not so! We just needed to let the Poop fairy know she has a new customer. And so it began. Ian goes poo in the potty and the Poop fairy leaves a token of her appreciation, aka $.25.
We let Nate know that although the TF is real, we made up the PF. He was thrilled and loves to do the 'deed' after Ian is fast asleep, until tonight, that is.
At his bedtime, Ian was long asleep and I asked Nate if he would like to be the poop fairy tonight. He stopped dead in the hall, turned to me and in the tone of a person 20 years his senior said, "Well mom, I'd really love to but not tonight. I'm broke." I don't know why it was so hysterical but I burst out laughing both at his tone and the thought that I would actually make him come up with his own money for such a deed.

Smashing Pumpkins - More than just a great rock band!

2009-11-01T20:21:00.001-08:00

Trick or Treat?

2009-11-01T12:42:00.001-08:00

Reggie Bush, Army Guy, Darth Maul and X-wing fighter pilot ready for action
We mean business!

Waiting, waiting, waiting

It was all treats for these guys! 2 friends from HT and their families joined us for some great trick or treating. It was warm and dry so we made it until buckets were full and feet were tired.

Pumpkin Preview

2009-10-30T18:38:00.001-07:00

On our way to carve at the neighbors!
D's masterpiece, #0 from Slipknot, and K working on the bat. Where are the children you ask? They pooped out and went to bed!

Ian's bat pumpkin, named Taco the Bat Pumpkin, of course.

Glow bat, glow!

Nate's creation and Stewie from Family Guy

Ripe for the picking

2009-10-28T15:10:00.000-07:00

We picked Ian's pumpkin today. Our one prize pumpkin that outlasted the mildew that killed the blossoms when we were in Idaho this summer. It's cute and little just like Ian and I believe he has named it Taco the Pumpkin, go figure!

Build Him, You Must

2009-10-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

Giant Lego Store Yoda!

Busy!

2009-10-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

It's not often I go 3 weeks without something to post but it has happened. Life has been busy at every turn. We've been counting down to Halloween now for at least 38 days - with 8 left to go I hope the holiday doesn't disappoint! The boys pre-carved one of their many pumpkins. It has already met his maker and dissolved into a pile of mush on the front porch which was almost as interesting as the actual carving.

Ian started a gymnastics class for 4 and 5 year olds with his friend Kendra - you know he likes those blond ladies! He goes every Tuesday for an hour and seems to really enjoy it. I think it will be a good winter activity to get the wiggles out.

Nate continues with CYO basketball for another few weeks. He's doing great but the games are tough to watch as his team of nearly all 1st graders matches teams of nearly all 2nd graders. There is a shockingly huge difference between size and skill at this age!

The Pick-your-crop Fever: at least it's not the Swine Flu!

2009-10-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

Poor Ian always has a stuffy nose this time of year and after an afternoon at the pumpkin patch it was particularly bad, so I mentioned to him that perhaps he has a bit of hay fever.

Last night at bed the stuffy nose was back and Ian stood up in bed and announced "Mommy, my nose is so snuffy I think my corn fever is back!"

Strawberry Pumpkin Fields Forever : A photo journey

2009-10-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

Hay there- we went to the pumpkin patch
And it was really fun!

Brought to you by D and K
Once upon a time there was and Island, Sauvie's Island
with a big red animal barn, a giant corn maze, huge hay piles for climbing and lots of goodies.

And on it were over 700 acres of farm land for Pumpkins...

...and cabbage and corn and tomatoes and brussel sprouts, to name a few.

And after a fun hay ride, N and K went on a hunt for the perfect pumpkin, one that is "this big"!

And we think we might have found it.

I and D also hunted he perfect pumpkin at the patch,

And they found one too!

And we loved our new pumpkins.

Ian's pumpkin weighed in at 35 lbs.

Nate's weighed 20 lbs.

And after a visit to the animal barn, the country store and one more trip up the giant hay tower, it was time to call it a day.

The End.

Back to School for K too!

2009-09-29T09:52:00.000-07:00

Sometimes even mom's go back to school - in a matter of speaking. Last week I visited WSU for the first time in many, many years. It was so cool to go back and walk all over campus and see all the new changes and buildings. Nostalgia totally set in. Biggest shock? The new bookie (student book store) has moved to the CUB (Compton Union Building) and is now a two story monstrosity with a Starbucks, Borders, food court, video gaming area and a Clinique counter!!! Seriously, a Clinique counter!!??? Some things never change though, like Martin Stadium and good old Cougar Gold Cheese from Ferdinands and the calazones at Sella's.

(images from Blackberry)

First Day of School, Take 2

2009-09-16T15:22:00.001-07:00

Here is Ian on his second day of 4's preschool, actually. It was a bit chaotic on Monday so we missed our photo op. Ian is his wary self about going back to school but he will be fine. His bff from last year is in his class again so that helps.

A Rose by any other name...

2009-09-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

These were the best snow cones ever!

I, K, N, D
Stop and smell the roses (love my cliches today)

You didn't think we left Taco at home, did you?

A different point of view of downtown

"Big Pink" aka, Grandpa's building, RIP

Are these two ever serious?

One of my (many) goals these days is to expose our family to some of the many treasures around this town. We are SO BAD at enjoying that which is in our own backyard. Today we ventured to the International Rose Test Gardens, aka Washington Park, aka the Rose Garden(Portland is the City of Roses, after all). It is probably the most photographed place in Portland. Here is a little history I found on their website:

Founded in 1917, Portland’s International Rose Test Garden is the oldest
official, continuously operated public rose test garden in the United States. In
the beginning, even though World War I was raging in Europe, hybridists sent
roses from around the world to Portland’s garden for testing and to keep the new
hybrids safe from being destroyed by the bombing in Europe.

So, that being said, we packed a picnic and headed off to smell the roses!

...10 minutes later (just kidding) we headed down to the Children's play area where we ran into our good friends the Wrights and their 3 kids who were up visiting for the day from the coast. What luck!!! We played for a while and later they joined us for a spontaneous bbq.

Visit to Rose Gardens - check!

Enjoy some shots we took of the scenery (it was a big hazy- sometimes you can see Mt. Hood, but not today), the snow cones and the roses (aka me pretending I know how to use the marco button on the camera!)

Finally, it's fair

2009-09-12T11:31:00.000-07:00

All we ever hear is "it's not fair" about this and that. It goes both ways, they both say it. But when it comes to sleep-overs, it's particularly hard because Nate has always been ready and willing but Ian is a bit more timid about them. But he wants to so badly!

Last night after a fantastic "First Friday Friends" dinner at Mike and Angie's (thanks again, guys!) Nate wanted to stay over which was met by Ian's tears and "it's not fair!" (even though the invitation was extended to him, too!) BUT, Lauren decided that she would come home with us and Ian got to have his first ever sleep-over.

Giggling until almost 10pm and up bright and early, these two had too much fun. It's so fun to watch Ian relate to someone his own age and someone he has known all his life.

First Day, First Grade

2009-09-10T12:12:00.001-07:00

BMOC - no longer Kindergartener!
Annual family first day of school pic

Brotherly love!

Annual school sign pic

Big guy, big desk. Front and center to start the year!

Interview with an (almost) First Grader

2009-09-09T20:43:00.001-07:00

School Supplies labeled. Check.

Milk Card ordered. Check.

Volunteer sign ups. Check.

Emergency kit. Check.

Champagne chilling in the refrigerator. Check, check.

Tomorrow is the long awaited day of first grade. Long awaited by me anyway. Summer started out a bit rough but ended on a pretty good note. Today the boys got their back to school haircuts and Nate had his first (ever) soccer practice and scrimmage. Oh, you thought we were playing Fall basketball? We are. Only we don't have weeknight practices anymore. Don't ask me what we are going to do when we have dueling games on Saturdays.

So tomorrow begins First Grade. The grade with REAL desks, not just tables. The grade with REAL homework. Nate and I had a chat at bedtime about what he is thinking about first grade.

Name: Nate

Age: 6 1/2, well, almost

Shoe size: 12 1/2, but my soccer cleats are 13.

Teeth lost: 5, but trying to get out #6 before tomorrow

Most looking forward to seeing: Matthew, Cole, Nick, Samantha, Nathan

Most looking forward to what hot lunch: Popcorn chicken

Most looking forward to doing what on recess: Pokemon with Samantha

Best thing about first grade room: you get your own desk and it's closer to the bathroom than K

Best thing about summer: Playing Wii

The soccer get-up
I know someone who is going to be sad his brother is gone all day~!

Random

2009-09-08T21:00:00.000-07:00

What Dkni Means: D is for Daring

D is for Daring

K is for Kind

N is for Normal

I is for Influential

What Does Your Name Mean?

Blogthings: Quizzes and Tests and Memes, Oh My!

Our Lego Family

2009-09-05T12:02:00.001-07:00

Our Lego House
"I"

"N"

"D"

"K"

This is how stuff ends up on You Tube

2009-08-30T20:56:00.000-07:00

So there we are, hanging out in our chairs at the airshow. Ian starts talking to the little boy sitting behind us - he's probably about 3 1/2. They are discussing the upcoming Robosaurus.

Little Boy "I know how big the Robosaurus is, it's this big (holding hands wide apart)."

Ian: "No, I know how big the Robosaurus is, it's this big, all the way down to Hell. Do you know where Hell is? It's down here all the way under the grass... (stomping feet on ground). And he looks like he is as big as hell." (he does have a point)

At this point, the mom is nervously laughing and the people in front of us are intrigued - and turn around with their video camera rolling.

Mom "Ian, it's not nice to talk like that...uh, uh, uh..."

Ian: "Mom, hell is not a bad word. Its a place. So I can say Hell because that's what I know..."

Guess he told me. It's so hard not to laugh sometimes.

What is it about 4? Or is it just Ian? He LOVES to find a way to say words that make mommy irritated! We were watching TV a bit ago and he there was a Geico commercial, you know, the one with the Gecko. And the little reptile was talking about No Hassles, or something like that. Sure enough, Ian pipes up "Hey Mommy, that guy said No Assholes!" Over and over and over.

Right into the Danger Zone

2009-08-30T18:22:00.000-07:00

For DAYS now we have been running outside every time we hear "jet thunder". Finally today it was our turn to attend the Oregon International Airshow. This headliner this year was the US Air Force Thunderbirds, although, if you asked the boys, they only slightly outweighed the Robosaurus that picked up, crushed and burned 3 old beater cars (Cash for Clunkers, anyone?) It was hotter than h-e-l-l out there sitting in the sun all day, but we had plenty of water and Popsicles to keep us nice and sticky and momentarily cool.

I should also mention that I will be winning the Mom-of-the-Year Award. When we left for the show this morning it was completely overcast, windy and cool. I packed sweatshirts instead of sunscreen (even though I checked the forecast and it said high of 80 degrees today.) I never believe those guys - they've been wrong for days. It rained off and on all day yesterday - how should I know!?! Daddy to the rescue, he bought my poor sweating, squinting babies some new sunglasses (with flames, no less) and a second pair of industrial ear muffs! We're all a little crispy tonight, but we'll live.

Cool Beans!

2009-08-29T16:58:00.000-07:00

First ever Ben and Jerry's store cone - Cherries Garcia for Ian!
(And I just stole a bite of Daddy's cone!)

Cookie dough and Brownie Batter for Nate and Dave!

Ian's very well nurtured pumpkin
To-mah-toes. Finally ripening.

Our only two peppers - at least that makes it worth the cost of the plant.

Every 2-3 days we harvest our bean and carrots. Think it's time to get out the foodsaver!

Open Wide!

2009-08-28T10:28:00.000-07:00

I am so far behind on blogging. I will probably catch up someday soon, but for now, let's just start with the event of the week...Ian's first dental appointment. We prepared the night before by reading our Spongebob Goes to the Dentist book, and Nate pulled his own loose tooth. That was #5 for Nate.

Ian went third at the appointment. He watched me closely while I was getting my teeth cleaned and told our hygienist, Mary, "I'm think I am going to skip that part" about just about everything she did. When it came time for his turn, he had Taco the dog go first, then happily hopped into the chair and let Mary, count, rinse and dry his teeth a few times. She decided that we'd made big progress for the day and that was it.

Fish On!

2009-08-16T09:57:00.000-07:00

Day 1, fish one coming right up
The one that almost got away -this one almost swam away with the pole.

Like and old pro

Ian's first keeper!

Gotta earn our keep. Grandma gets to keep the fish.

Dave and boys out being pulled by cousin Peggy's jet ski!

Rock on!

Mom's turn!

We are back from 2 weeks in Idaho. Two weeks with out wifi and an really, dial up has gotten much slower over the past 10 years, I am convinced of it. I gave up on checking email and blogging. But we are back so get ready.

We arrived and were on the lake in minutes. The first several days were jam packed with boating, fishing and swimming. Day 1 Ian caught the first little lake trout off the boat launch dock. It took hours of casting and danging for one little fish. By day 2 we were on our cousin Greg's dock when I decided enough is enough. No more salmon eggs, garlic marshmallows and fancy lures - we are going back to basics. The boys and I dug some good old Idaho earth worms from Donna's garden and lo and behold -fish!!! Nate had his first fish on within 30 seconds (and that pole also ended up in the lake as we have gotten so lazy we just baited a pole and left it sitting on the dock.) Greg to the rescue and the boys had their first fish, and second, and third, and fourth......!!!

Is it hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk?

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

It's hot. For Portland, anyway. So we decided to try to answer the age old question, "Is it hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk?" Being the neat freak that we decided to 'preheat' a pan outside at the peak heat of the day (about 103-104 degrees today). In went two eggs and then the waiting began. Waiting, waiting, waiting. An hour and a half later, the eggs look a bit dry, a little lumpy, but not so much fried.

Me being me, I googled it. Here what I learned (good for all you crossword, Jeopardy types):

"An egg needs a temperature of 158°F to become firm. In order to cook, proteins in the egg must denature (modify), then coagulate, and that won’t happen until the temperature rises enough to start and maintain the process."

"The sidewalk presents several challenges. According to an experiment reported in Robert Wolke’s book, What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained, sidewalk temperatures can vary depending on the composition of the sidewalk, whether it is in direct sunlight, and of course, the air temperature. Dark objects absorb more light, so blacktop paving would be hotter than concrete. More often than not, sidewalks are concrete. Wolke found that a hot sidewalk might only get up to 145°F. Once you crack the egg onto the sidewalk, the egg cools the sidewalk slightly. Pavement of any kind is a poor conductor of heat, so lacking an additional heat source from below or from the side, the egg will not cook evenly."

Waiting, waiting, waiting

2009-07-26T21:07:00.000-07:00

We have been waiting, waiting, waiting for veggies to grow and mature in our garden, especially those darn pole beans that have been growing beautifully. Well, today we searched again and voila, we found about 5 mature beans. Two tomato plants a have lots of plump and green tomatoes and our yellow pepper plant has two peppers that are slowing coming around. And the squash, that pathetic squash that has been tiny and troubling all along, is giving us a bit of hope. The zucchini is still flowering, but the yellow have popped out a few little fellows. I've given up all hope of having cucumbers. It just wasn't meant to be.

(Oh look, you can see the whole Banzai in the background of the bean plant picture.)

Banzai

2009-07-26T20:58:00.001-07:00

Heat wave 2009 is due to arrive any minute so we thought we would get a jump start and rented a huge water slide that some friends of ours have. The Patterson kids joined us for an entire day (and evening) of sliding and squirting. I even took a couple trips down as it got hot sitting out all day monitoring the crazies. I never did take a picture of the whole thing but you climb up one side and there is a twisty slide with water showers down it that ends in a pretty good sized pool. Needless to say, the boys were asleep before their heads even hit the pillow tonight.

Summer Camp

2009-07-24T16:59:00.000-07:00

The boys finished up their first of 2 weeks of Sports Camp at a local Athletic Club. The favorite activites by far seem to be rock wall climbing and swimming. Today we stayed after to have some extra pool time. Nate and friends enjoyed the slide while Ian spent most of his time in the ~~hot~~ warm tub which is only about 3 feet deep and allows him to feel comfortable enough to swim like a fish.

He's going blond!

2009-07-23T20:54:00.000-07:00

Not a day goes by that someone doesn't comment on how blond (and TAN) Nate is getting this summer. He wanted photo proof so here it is. Look at those natural highlights! Ah, to be young again!

Name that photo contest

2009-07-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

I probably shouldn't post this photo, but hey, this is my life. Welcome to it! Ian came downstairs the other day and declared that he wanted to have boobies just like mommy so this is what he came up with. He actually got it on right. I am secretly glad he picked a cute bra not some dingy old one! hahahaha!

This is the week I have been waiting for

2009-07-14T15:07:00.000-07:00

The boys are in their first week of (9am-1pm) summer camp this week. This is the week I have been waiting all summer for! A few hours of freedom a day for me and a few hours of mandatory out of the house time for them is welcome. We are skipping swim lessons for a couple days to make it to camp on time.

Not a whole lot else is happening. I forgot to post pics from the 4th night so I will add those on here. Over the past week we have just been playing with friends and being generally silly. Last night for example, Nate and Ian decided to see how many items of clothing they could put on on top of each other. Ian was the clear winner with 14 pairs of underwear stacked on top of each other. It was HYSTERICAL! I should have taken a pic!

It's Raining Men Star Mints, Hallelujah

2009-07-04T12:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Independence Day! We trekked to Hillsboro this morning for the annual Hillsboro Happy Days 4th of July Parade! Thanks to my friend Kathy, we had a sweet spot that she reserves every year that is near the start of the parade AND fully shaded, which is HUGE considering we are on day 3 of 90 degree temps!

Nate and Ian, this year experienced candy scrappers, had their parade waves and cheesy smiles down to entice candy their way. It's hysterical though, as the parade goes on they get picky - "I don't want that one mom, it's just another yucky star mint!" and they start to let those go, along with all the rest of the hard candies. Floats love the star mints though, they must be cheap, they look festive and they don't melt. Mom's favorite? The Reeser's float thows Pepperoni sticks. All the grown ups hit their feet for that one!

Yep, It's hot!

2009-07-03T08:29:00.001-07:00

I think summer is actually here finally. 90 degrees at 7pm is the first hint! We busted out the slip n slide last night to cool off and Daddy even joined in (but threatened me to not take any pics of him!) Ian, who was deathly afraid of sprinklers last year was willing to give it a try although it was more of a crawl than a slide.

Cousins

2009-06-30T16:18:00.000-07:00

Merger

2009-06-27T18:03:00.000-07:00

Two Brothers Lemonade has expanded to 4 Cousins Lemonade! Customers were a plenty today with a 80 degees, a neighborhood garage sale and a soccer tournament going on down the street. We haven't couned the earnings yet, but I think it's about $45-50! The matching shirts really helped! ;-)

Camping

2009-06-16T19:30:00.001-07:00

We've got a tent. We've got a fire. We've got marshmallows.

Camping. Just the way mom likes it. Inside.

Belated Birthday Dinner

2009-06-13T19:11:00.001-07:00

The only place where my children eat more than the adults!!!