Bringing You Current and Our Oregon Coast Weekend

Warning: This is very, very long. You might want to grab a cup of coffee or something before you start reading. Oh - and a bathroom trip might be a good idea, too. :)

Ok - so when you last heard from me it was the day after Valentines Day. Since then, I've been running here, there and everywhere. Friday morning I had an appointment at Picture People to have an annual shot of the kids and I done. I learned a painful lesson: when you are having your photo taken with two young children who are pushing you this way and that; it is good to remember that you need to reposition yourself because the photographer is so busy getting the kids to look at the camera that she doesn't tell you that your neck is being shoved forward giving you the look of having 15 trillion chins. *sigh* Oh well - what's done is done and it didn't turn out that awful.



And here are a couple other shots we were able to get before the kids melted into complete silliness.



While we were killing time at the mall I went by the boys section at Penney's and found a sale on cute shirt and tie sets for Kelton. Regularly $22 they were on sale for $17 and since I've always found it handy to have dress clothes for him, we went about trying some on. He settled on a dark purple shirt and I have say, he looked incredibly dapper in it. He wore it home so he could show Dakota.


He was so proud of himself and kept saying "I look just like Uncle James!" So darn cute!

Fridays are Dakota's big study day and she normally heads over to her moms house to study (she lives really close and it's quiet enough there for Dakota to get in good quality studying - as opposed to if she stayed here. The kids just can't leave her alone. Can you blame them?) but this Friday she was studying here because she had a pretty nasty cold and didn't want to expose her mom to her germs. Trying to keep the kids quiet and away from her was difficult, at best. We showed off the photos and the shirt to Dakota and then Kelton bee-lined for the computer to play while I settled Kaylen down for her nap. All was quiet for about an hour and then Kaylen woke up. All bets were off as I struggled to keep both kids quiet enough for Dakota to study...oh yeah - and I had to keep them from hanging all over her, the table and the chair. *sigh* It was exhausting. I love having Dakota in the house with us but I definitely see the advantages for both of us to have her studying at her moms. :)

Finally, she was done and we headed out to The Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner. It's a great, inexpensive place and very kid friendly. After a good meal, we headed home and soon the kids were tucked in tight.

Saturday morning dawned far too early for my liking so Dakota took the kids into the living room and let me sleep for another hour. (She is a goddess!) Soon we were up and at 'em and somewhere between coffee, breakfast, showers, watching the kids get completely soaked and muddy in the backyard sprinkler (hey - it wasn't *that* cold and the sun was shining beautifully!) and breakfast dishes we hit on the idea of escaping to the beach for a couple of night. It took a bit of doing but Dakota was able to talk her mom into tending to the pets and secured us a hotel room. The kids and I were bouncing off the walls with excitement as we went to throw stuff together. We were out the door in an hour!

Traffic sucked big time and it took us about 90 minutes longer to arrive at our destination than it would have. We didn't go to our usual beach town (no availability at any of the hotels) and instead drove to the place that Dakota went to back in October for the family law conference.

We stayed at the Salishan Resort and Spa which is between Lincoln City and Newport Oregon. Now I know a lot of people love that area but honestly, it's way too "city-ish" for me. I want the small coastal town feeling so for me, Cannon Beach and Seaside are just the ticket. I can see a WalMart and a Walgreens at home. I want things like The Picnic Basket, kite shops, etc. I just want that feeling like I'm away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Now don't get me totally wrong - Salishan itself was peaceful and beautiful! I could just do without the traffic and the big chain stores.

Shall I pause here to let you make a bathroom run or so you can get more coffee? :)

Ok so anyway....we arrived around 4:30 and settled into our hotel room. Can I just tell you that the beds were to die for! They were so plush and wonderful that I wanted to crawl in and stay forever. But alas...a small child stood near me yelling "BEACH MAMA! BEACH!" Yes, it's true. My girl is a beach bunny. So we packed up extra clothes (because what would a winter trip to the beach be without pouring rain?) and sand toys and headed out. We found a beach - more of a cove or an inlet really but it had sand and water and since it was getting dark, it was as good as it was getting.

Sadly, in Kelton's excitement to reach the beach he didn't see the curb and took a header onto the sidewalk. His hands were full of sand toys so his poor little face took the brunt of the impact. It was awful!! At first look it wasn't bad: scrapes above his eye and a bit of blood. I wiped away the sand, dried his tears and we were off and running. Ten minutes later his eye and forehead looked terrible! So bad that Dakota and I quickly discussed finding an emergency room. It was grossly swollen and absolutely white. I've never seen a bump look that way before. He seemed fine. Oriented, focused, speaking well, looking and acting fine. We decided to watch him closely for a bit.


Since it was freezing cold we didn't stay on the beach too long. Instead of heading into Lincoln City for dinner (at The Pig'nPancake - which is my favorite place and they are scattered up and down the Oregon coast.) we headed back to the hotel to get ice for Kelton's face. All still seemed well with him so we adopted the "wait and see" approach. It was still bad looking but it wasn't getting worse.

After a bit we decided to head into town for dinner. It was late, mind you. Going on 6:30 which is late when you are a kid who is usually heading to bath and bed at that time. Still, we had a good dinner and were back to the hotel and in the pool (our hotel routine!) in no time. The kids were out like tired little lights by 9:30 and, I admit, Dakota and I were only minutes behind them.

The next day found us in Newport for breakfast. Ummm....actually it found us in Newport trying to find breakfast. After much searching we settled on The Shilo Cafe. The view was amazing. Which is all the positive things I can say about that place. On a busy three day weekend is it *really* that much to ask for that you have soap in the bathrooms? And what is with places not having kid-friendly cups to drink from? Like a two year old isn't going to spill milk from a filled to the top GLASS container? Yeah right. I'm just saying. But like I said - the view was breath taking. Too bad I left the camera in the car (which was parked way too far away).

After breakfast we headed to The Oregon Coast Aquarium. Not at all as I had expected but still very nice. Kaylen loves watching the seals and birds and well...just about everything. Kelton, on the other hand was in meltdown city. There are several outdoor exhibits and there are large carved rocks that you wind through, along the way there are windows to view creatures and whatnot. Wait! Did I just say you have to wind through carved rock? Like tunnels? Yes. Yes I did. And there lies the crux of the day. Kelton does not like tunnels. Apparently he does not like octopus. Or darkened exhibit halls filled with fish. Or hallways. Or anything inside a building. Or anything outside a building. Do you see where I'm going with this? The boy was a mess. Screaming, crying, begging, pleading. Nothing says a waste of $31 like that scene.

According to the map, there was a "nature trail". Finally something he would agree to do. We walked, he bounded like an excited puppy with too much energy, along the trail. It lead, as I knew it would, to the undersea exhibit building known as Passages of the Sea. Luckily, the lobby was light filled and had those really great "squish a penny to make a souvenir" machine (a highlight on our vacations) so Dakota and the kids got busy picking out a couple designes to make. I went to see the exhibit. I didn't see much of it when I realized there was no way we would be able to talk Kelton into seeing it. It was dark and very noisy. It wasn't until later that we realized we entered at the bottom of the ocean and if we had come in at the top of the ocean, we probably would have had a shot right off the bat since it was lighter. I didn't go in far before turning back. I stayed with Kelton while Dakota took Kaylen. Umm..yeah - she took one look at the darkness and the fish swimming around and under her and she wanted nothing to do with it either. Dakota brought her back out. Kelton, meanwhile, found some internal strength to stand at the entry. Before I knew it, he was back out begging Kaylen to go in with him. She still held fast to her "no way!" no matter how much he tried. Finally he got his nerve up and went with Dakota. He had a great time and was so proud of himself! They went completely through the exhibit and then, because it dumped them out at the other end of the aquarium, wound their way through the carved rock because they figured Kaylen and I had gotten tired of waiting for them (they were gone forever!) and would be out looking at the seals. Was Kelton scared? Nope. They were on a mission and he wasn't scared at all....except for the place where the octopus lived. No way would he go near there! He is such a silly kid sometimes.

Kaylen and I *had* gotten tired of waiting and I had convinced her to cover her eyes and bury her face in my neck so I could race through the exhibit looking for them. I got through it without finding them (and without really being able to look at anything) and said "Honey, I think we need to go back through in case they went around to find us." Nothing doing! She would have no part of that. So....I had no choice but to walk the long way back to where we had been waiting.

When we got there, Kelton and Dakota were there. Kelton was beside himself with excitement and wanted to take me through. I went happily while Dakota walked Kaylen back the other way. After checking out the seals again, Kelton decided it was time to go. I thought it was a good call. Kaylen was tired. So was I. All that 4 year old angst earlier had been exhausting for me.



We drove back to the hotel while the kids slept. Kelton woke upon our return so he and Dakota went in the room while I stayed in the car with Kaylen. She finally woke and I took her inside only to have her promptly fall back to sleep.

Seeing that she wanted no part of being awake, I suggested Dakota and Kelton go to the toy store in the shopping area of the resort. They were up and out in no time. Finally Kaylen woke and we went and joined them. Kelton found a couple of fun games, Dakota and I got a much needed mocha and then we headed back to the room so the kids could have some down time.


See those rocking chairs? I MUST have one! They were so comfortable and it was great to just sit out there and rock while looking across the driving range. I admit that I thought about how I could tie one to the roof of the car. I'm sure the price would have been more than worth it. I LOVE rocking chairs!

So after playing for a bit, we once again headed to The Pig'nPancake for dinner. Kelton was out of control. Seriously. So not pretty. Dakota took him outside once (to get a grip) before the meals arrived but before I could even finish my Eggs Benedict (OMG! If you ever go to this place you MUST have the Eggs Benedict. No one makes them like they do and I should know...it's just about the only thing I ever order when we are out.) I had to take both kids to the car. He just wouldn't settle down and it sure isn't fair to other people to have to listen to him carry on, kick the table, bang his silverware, etc. Kaylen, while I know she was just mimicking him, was doing the same so out she went too. Dakota stayed to finish up and pay the bill.

Finally he calmed down enough to be allowed to go swimming (the pool is a huge thing for the kids whenever we stay at a hotel. A huge, huge thing! They are both water babies.). After the pool it was time to head back for bath and bed. Since Kaylen had taken such a long nap she was difficult to get down - she tried but she just couldn't fall asleep so even though she was quiet and resting, we couldn't do anything until she was asleep.

Finally she passed out. Dakota and I turned on the TV and watched Desperate Housewives before we went to bed.

Yesterday morning we went to a great little hole in the wall place called Gracie's Sea Hag. It was fun and left me feeling like we had finally had a "coastal experience". Kicked back and relaxed. The kids were even well behaved which is always a plus.



After breakfast, we headed out to the beach. It was pouring but we promised them they could play in the sand and fly a kite before we left. We did both those things and were drenched to the skin.


We headed back to our room for the final time and changed into dry clothes. We finished packing and hit the road. It rained a good deal of the way home which wasn't much fun but thankfully, the kids napped for the worst parts so it wasn't as stressful as if they had been awake and talking.

We finally arrived home - safe, sound, tired and happy. We had navigated through injuries and meltdowns (too many of those to count), temper tantrums and a fair share of "You go away! I want the other mom!" episodes which I will touch on later this week. Let's just say that a 4 year old can say things that can hurt an adults feelings so deeply. I know it sounds unreasonable. I'm an adult. I should be able to shake it off and chalk it up with child behavior and yet...when your son looks and you and screams "I don't like you - GO AWAY!!" it hurts. A lot. More than maybe it should.

Sunday night, as I tossed and turned in bed because of the incredibly rough day (I was trying to figure out what was the cause behind the onslaught of obnoxious behavior that was directed at me all day) I was formatting my blog entry. The jist of it was "What a huge waste of money this weekend was." But you know, as the hours stacked up between then and now I saw that, sandwiched inbetween all the yuckiness, there were some really great times. And today when Kelton and I were talking about the weekend his whole face lighted up with excitement as he talked about all the great things we did and saw. Suddenly, and without warning, I found myself feeling really happy that we went.

I'm such a sap and all but, for me, there is a lot of truth behind the thought that if my kids are happy, then I'm happy. Today life went back to usual. Dakota went back to work and school. My daughter continued with her happy go-lucky, hero worshipping ways and my son returned to his sweet little self with a tad of obnoxious thrown in for good measure.

Yeah - it was a great weekend! :)

Missing in Action

Yes, I know. I've been MIA for about five days now. The nice thing I learned through my absence though is at least a few people out there would miss me if I vanished. For those who wrote to check on me - thanks! :)

Things are fine here. We actually escaped the craziness of regular life and headed to the coast for a spur of the moment, long weekend. It wasn't restful nor relaxing but a different kind of craziness shakes up the same ol' same ol' and is good for a family. :) I'll write all about everything later today (or probably tonight once the little ones are in bed). I have photos to share too but first, I must get them off my camera and onto my computer.

The kids and I are having a low-key day. We all need to recuperate. So stay tuned. I promise it won't be five days before you hear from me again. :)

Missing My Babies Being Babies

Yes, they will always be my babies but I am at a point where I am really, really (did I mention really?) missing my kids being tiny babies. I suppose I'm at the point where people start thinking of having another baby (and believe me - I've entertained that thought...after all, when Kelton was two we were already working on Kaylen) but honestly, I've boiled it down to the fact that it isn't a third child I am wanting/needing....I'm wanting to re-live, from the very beginning, my own children's infancy. I want them to be tiny again. No...further back then that. I want to go back to being pregnant with Kelton and start all over again. No...it's not another baby I crave...I just want to rewind time and start again.

And it would be really great if I could take the knowledge I have *now* back with me to then. :)

So in honor of all my baby-longing tonight, I made a baby page. This is Kaylen when she is two days old. Breathing unassisted but still attached to far too many wires and monitors. This is the day I was finally able to hold her all I wanted and I did. The nurses kept coming to give me pain medication and tried to convince me to return to my room to rest(I had Kaylen via c-section). Nothing doing. I stayed with my baby all day long. I'm sure more baby pages will be coming in the days ahead. Just call it therapy. :)

credit: Sweetly by Andrea Burns

Talking on the Phone

This was much cuter the first time when it was unprompted and she was just carrying on a conversation on her own. And yet, I still think the cuteness factor of this one is pretty high. :) This scene is pretty standard around here - I have a feeling that she'll be a phone hog in her teen years (or earlier since she already runs to the phone whenever it rings and she has been known to carry on quite the conversation with Dakota. *grin*).


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Time Change

Am I the last person on earth to know that we are changing time a month earlier this year?

Did you know that on August 8, 2005, George W. Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005. This Act changed the time change dates for Daylight Saving Time in the U.S. Beginning in 2007, DST will begin on the second Sunday in March and end the first Sunday in November. The Secretary of Energy will report the impact of this change to Congress. Congress retains the right to resume the 2005 Daylight Saving Time schedule once the Department of Energy study is complete.

Ummm...why? Does anyone know? I detest changing times. It messes everything up (and this year it will cause a special brand of chaos since computers, VCR's, etc are pre-programmed for the time change dates years in advance. I understand Microsoft is sending out a patch in an update (and I also heard the first patch has a bug....)). Kids need to adjust their sleeping times, waking times and eating times. It's a pain the rear! At our house we start trying to adjust the Friday of the weekend it takes place - there is just no way we can all get into the swing of thigns with one day. It's madness. Why not just leave the clocks alone? Craziness, I tell you. Craziness.

You can go here to read more about it.

So How Was Your Valentines Day?

Mine was pretty good. This morning Kelton had gymanstics, the first class in the new session. I went back and forth over signing him up given all the stuff that took place last session but he pleaded with me and promised me he wanted to do it again. Ummm yeah. After 30 minutes on the 45 minute class he melted down and said he was just "too tired to do gymnastics anymore." I had explained upon signing him up that that he would need to stay for the entire class and participate. I quickly gave him the run-down of what leaving class would mean - no more gymnastics. And no other activities that cost money for a while. "That's fine." came the terse reply.

I quickly thought about how much money this was costing me - I may as well just have flushed it down the toilet. And then it hit me - I wondered if they would put the rest of the money towards classes for Kaylen this session. I asked and yes! They would. So Kaylen and I will be in the parent/tot class for the remaining three weeks. I have no idea how she will like it but I figure at least I'll get one more class out of it if nothing else.

So then it was home for Kaylen's nap and Kelton's quiet time (He was "too tired" you know so he had no option but to rest. I'm such a mean mommy sometimes.). Once Kaylen was awake we headed out to Dakota's office to exchange little gifts (my girl knows me! I got a coffee mug and a Starbucks gift card. I gave her the movie "The Lake House" which we both loved when we saw it. The kids each got a small box of candy.) and then go out for a bit as a family. Since it was raining, walking around was out so we opted to go to a nearby Burger King to play in their amazing play structure. The kids and Dakota had a blast running all over that thing. I admit that even I had fun. A lot of fun. It wasn't one of those cramped structures that leave you feeling claustrophobic (which I can't stand!) and I even ventured down the roller bar slide. It was fun! :)

After about an hour we dropped Dakota back off at her office and headed home. Traffic was awful and it took us almost 90 minutes to make the drive (usually 30 minutes). You'd think it never rained here the way people tend to freak out about it.

By the time we got home it was dinner time (no one was hungry) which was quickly followed by some play time, clean up time and bath time. As a treat I popped a bag of popcorn and we snuggled in my bed to watch the Blues Clue Love Day episode. It was actually really fun to just be there with my kiddos. They were happy and tired. A great combination.

Kelton went to sleep very easily but Kaylen decided she needed a bit more wind-down time (if you don't catch her sleep window just right it slams shut and you have to wait for the next cycle to come around. It's frustrating but once I understood that about her, it became much easier to deal with.). She sat on the livingroom floor and "read" some books to herself. About 30 minutes later she was ready for sleep.

All in all, it was a great "Love Day" around here. I hope your day was filled with love as well.

credit: Dani Mogstadt and Shawna Clingerman's Year of Memories

PS...Keep reading. There are two new posts below this one. :)

Spin Art


Remember this from when you were a kid? Dakota and I sure do and when we say it at Toys to Grow On we knew we had to get it for Kelton for Christmas.

Tonight Kaylen decided that she simply had to do art and there was no way of getting around it. Spin Art is just the thing she wanted to do. I was skeptical as she had only been a casual observer in past Spin Art sessions but thought "Why not let her try?"

Check her out! She had a blast. :) When I took the photos, the spinner was going at full tilt - I think it's pretty darn amazing how clear, and still, the paper look in the photos. She was so proud of herself and I have to say, her art turned out really amazing! I guess it's official: I have to artsy kids on my hands. :)

Questions and Answers and Learning Way More About Me Than You Ever Wanted

On my Moms To Babies listserve group today, I posed the questions "What do you think makes a good stay at home mom (SAHM)?" and "If you are a work outside the home mom (WOHM) and money wasn't an issue, would you want to stay home? Why or why not?"

This was in response to a thread I was watching unfold whereby people were saying that they were not stay at home material. By asking the questions I did, I think I was trying to figure out what people think it takes to be a good stay at home parent. Maybe I wanted to measure myself against the criteria of others - a reality check to be sure I was actually a good stay at home mom. I don't really know. I just kept reading things that said, in essence, "I need to work because I'm not SAH material." I just wanted to know others definition of "SAH material".

Someone responded with their input and then asked me if I thought I was a good stay at home mom and then asked me "If money weren't an object, would you
want to work outside the home?"

Here is my response:
******************
I'm happy to answer. Do I think I'm a good SAHM? Most days, yes. I think I'm a really good SAHM. I love being with my kids and doing things with them. I love reading stories and making up games. I love teaching them everything they know. I love knowing what they are doing each and every second of their day. I love having complete and absolute say over every aspect of their lives - from what they eat, watch on TV, the amount of fresh air they get to who they spend time with. I love knowing that my morals, beliefs and values are the ones they are in contact with 100% of the time during these incredibly informative years. I love that I am the one answering all their questions about everything (which I'm finding really important with Kelton right now since he has been asking about where babies come from, why men can't have babies, dying, war, etc).

Is being a SAHM what I thought it would be? No. It isn't. It is SO much harder than I ever dreamed. It is also the best thing I have ever done. When I look at the incredible human beings my babies are turning into I am in complete awe that I am the one who is hugely responsible for it.

As for working outside the home, I will honestly tell you that no, it is not what I want to be doing. I would not be good at it anymore because I would be too worried and too focused on my children being in the care of someone else. Now I know that isn't true for others and I certainly am NOT implying anything negative to anyone who isn't a SAH-Parent. I just know it's true for me. Outside of Dakota, there is absolutely no one on this earth that I would trust to care for my children. No one. Maybe that makes me a control freak but considering the things that happened in my life, things that I am determined not to let happen to my children, that is just how it is for me.

I think it's great when parents know they aren't meant to be at home fulltime with their kids, when they know they are better parents when they work at a paying job. Dakota, for instance, could never be a SAHM. Being with the kids for the limited amount of hours she is, is very challenging for her. She does not have the high level of patience that is required. She loves to play with them but gets very frustrated with the rest of it. She has an impossible time working in kid time (which is radically different than adult time) and I know (and she agrees) that she can't wait until Monday morning rolls around and she can escape to work. That said, she is still a good parent. We all do the best we can and we are all the best parents we can be.

Now all this being true, I know I am not a perfect SAHM. I have bad days when I question why we had kids and why I am at home with them. Not unlike the bad days at work when I questioned why I was there and why didn't I quit. I also know that I am less than the parent I want to be once dinner time rolls around. I'm tired, lonely and running very short on patience and still have hours and hours of solo parenting ahead of me (and I'm not sure I count Dakota coming home at 10:30pm and leaving at 5:30 the next morning as a stop-gap in the solo parenting part. Sure - she is there if Kelton wakes up at night but I'm still on all night with Kaylen.) . I didn't sign up to be a parent alone day in and day out so yeah, I get really frustrated that it often feels like I'm in this parenting thing alone way too much of the time. But life is what it is and I know it won't always be like this.

BUT...long (very long!) story short: Yes, I do feel like I am a good stay at home mom and there is nowhere else on earth I would rather be than with my kids day in and day out.
***************

So there you have it. I am exactly where I want to be and I think I'm a good stay at home mom. Even on the really hard days. :)

The Party

Two year olds sure know how to throw a party. Friday night, around 11:30 I noticed that she felt warm. Really warm. I was concerned but wrote it off to probably being warm from her actually being *under* the covers instead of them being kicked off. All night, whenever she stirred or woke (which was often - very often) I noticed how warm she felt. Not hot - but definitely warmer than usual.

She woke at 6 in the morning and there was no convincing her that it was not time to get up. So - she and I went to the livingroom to watch Blues Clues. She was still warm so I retrieved the thermometer. 99.2. Not as high as I had feared. And hardly anything to make a note of in a small child. I dosed her with Tylenol and hoped that this was just a fluke and that she was fine. After all, what were the chances that we'd have to cancel her party again this year? (Last year she had the real flu, (influenza, and yes, she had her flu shot - thank God. I imagine it would have been much worse if she hadn't. As it was it left her with two heart murmurs) and we had to cancel her party.)

She asked to take a nap at 8AM. She wasn't all that warm anymore but she was a bit crabby. After she woke from her 30 minute rest, we went to the store to pick up her cake and groceries for the next two weeks and then we came back home. She still wasn't running much of a fever. I put her down for her nap and then we decorated the house for her party, which we had decided to go ahead with since it was a very small family gathering (grandma, grandpa, an aunt, an uncle and a cousin, More had been invited but well - things happen, I guess.). I ran out to get the balloons and while I was gone Kaylen woke up. Her fever was gone!! She was cool to the touch.

I was so relieved that it seemed to have been a short lived thing. She had been complaining about her mouth hurting so I guess it is possible it was teething related (two-year molars and all). Whatever the reason, it seemed to leave as quickly as it came and the party was set to go without me feeling guilty! Always a good thing! :)

Kaylen really had a good time. She opened her gifts (with Kelton's help, of course) and immediately tried to put on the clothes she received. She is such a stereotypical girl sometimes! When Kelton was 2 (and 3) you would have thought he was being punished when he opened up clothes. He would throw them over his shoulder as if he was saying "I can't believe you have the nerve to give me clothes. Where are the toys?" It was a kick to watch her get so excited. It was fun to watch her - her eyes lighting up with delight. She would say "Mine?" and look at us to validation that these were really for her.

When it was time for blowing out the candle she did really well. Kelton cried at both his first and second parties when people sang. I think it scared him. She cried last year but she didn't this time. She even blew out the candle (well - tried. I think Kelton finally got it out.). She seemed to have a really good time.

I still can't believe she is two. We have come so far from that teeny tiny miserably unhappy newborn that she was. When I look back I can hardly recall all those hard days, weeks and months. Ok - that's a huge lie - I can recall them very well, I just know that the time between now and then has dulled the pain. :) From the moment she was cleared to leave the NICU it seemed like all she did was scream.

Someone told me that some newborns just hate being newborns and that sure fit the bill with her. As she grew and could do a little more (and I'm sure it helped that we started figuring her out better) she settled down but those early months of holding a swaddled screaming baby while we bounced for hours on the exercise ball (the only things that had much effect on calming her ) or slept with her on our chests while we tried to sleep on the couch were well.....hard. Really, really hard. I never, in a million years, would have guessed that the incredibly fussy and unhappy infant she was then would grow to be the fun-loving, incredibly happy child I have in my life today. It's really amazing to look back and realize all the ground we have covered in the past 24 months.

Childhood really is a magical time. At least, I know it is for me. I just can't imagine not having either one of these little guys in my life. Time though - it is just flying by. Two years old. Is she really two already?

The Birthday Party

I'll write all about it later but for now, here are some photos of Kaylen's 2nd birthday party. I still can't believe she is two. Although, if you ask her how old she is she will tell with, without question, that she is three.

Not yet you aren't, little one! Not yet.

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!!

My baby is turning two years old on Saturday. I can't believe it. Here are a couple pages I made in her honor.

credit: Gummy Grins Girly by Sarah Meyer

Journaling reads:
How in the world is it possible that you have been with us for two years already? It seems like just yesterday you were born and yet when I look at you there is no denying that you are no longer that newborn I held in my arms. You are such an amazing child - so happy and full of life. You love your baby dolls, bouncing on your hoppity hop ball, reading books and watching Blues Clues. Your brother is your hero and you try to be just like him. I love nothing better than to watch you two play together. In the middle of whatever game or activity you are doing I never fail to hear Kelton say “I love you, Kaylen” and I know that in just a second it will be followed by your little voice saying “Love you, too, brother.” You are a miracle and every single day I know how lucky I am that you are in my life. Yes, it’s hard to believe that it’s been two years already but then again, I feel like you have been part of my heart forever.
My life is more beautiful because of you.

Just Another Day in Paradise

That's exactly what today was. Paradise. Not all of it, of course, but a huge portion of it. This afternoon the kids played so well together. Instead of watching TV or playing computer games (or begging me constantly to do either or both)they both played together and separately for hours. I'm talking hours! I don't think I've seen anything like it - ever. I only had to step in a couple times and even that was easy. No real fussing from either one of them. It was heaven!

And then tonight, they again played together without issue. The gathered up all the "friends" (as Kaylen calls her stuffed animals and dolls) and "buddies" (as Kelton calls all his) and piled them on top of themselves, giggling like fools. Then they put them on the floor and rolled off the couches onto them. Later they were in Kelton's bedroom playing with his building sets and other toys. Playing happily together. Happily!!

Again, no requests/demands for the TV or the computer. At one point I was thinking "who *are* these kids?" It was seriously bliss.

At bath time I gave the kids the option of not having a bath (Kelton considers this a treat better than most others) since I had let them play much longer than usual and it was creeping quickly towards lights out. Kelton took me up on the opt out but not Kaylen. She wanted her bath. Fine - easy enough. Not long after I finished washing her Kelton came in asking if he could play mom and watch her in the tub while she played. Sure thing! So I went off to do a couple things. Next thing I knew, he was brushing her teeth for her and then he got her out of the tub. He dried her off, carried her (!) to his room and was helping her get dressed. (Now don't think I'm a bad mom...I heard all of it and reappeared in the bathroom at the start of the tooth brushing. I just let him continue on with his role play.) I snatched up the camera and got some really cute pictures. I love the one of him trying to get her diaper on! :) It was fun to watch them together. They really are sweet with each other.

There are a couple factors that could be coming into play in this "about face" I've seen this week. The first is I think Kelton knows I'm standing firm on things and, having tested me endlessly the past few weeks, has all but given up arguing with me when I say "This is what we're doing now. We can look at doing XYZ later." In fact, all I have had to do these past few days is say "Please don't speak to me that way." or walk away if he fails to calm down quickly and he will rapidly change the direction of where the situation was heading.

The second thing we did we removed several of his "favorite shows" from his list of approved television. We realized that he had been picking up the obnoxious tones and sayings found in some of the tv programs he watched. Given that these were mostly Disney Channel shows, I've never given them much thought but last weekend Dakota and I sat down and watched a few with him and decided that some of them had to go. American Dragon, Jake Long and Timon and Pumba (which is horribly obnoxious when it comes to rude behavior, tone of voice and treatment of people) were the first to go. We're replaced them with shows like Blues Clues, Dora and Diego which we let him stop watching last year because they were "boring". Maybe they are boring when you are looking at turning 5 in a couple months but they are good shows that teach respect and manners. And besides, with all his bigger kid shows there never seemed to be time for Kaylen to watch things like Blue (whom she has fallen in love with!). You know what though? After only a couple complaints he has settled right down and is actually selecting Blues Clues to watch! And the improvement in his attitude speaks volumes! Volumes, I tell you!

I don't know if these are real magic bullets I've found but for now the house feels more calm and I feel like I have a better handle on what is happening and how to quickly change the direction if things are going well. It feels good. Really good.

Bring on more days like this.

I Love Days Like These

Talk about a 180 from Sunday. Today was one of those rare, often dreamed about days when everything runs smoothly and meltdowns are virtually unheard of. A perfect day when my preschooler runs off happily to join his gymnastics class (even though he doesn't like the coach....and who, frankly, neither do I) and follows directions. He spoke up when an activity was too frightening for him to do (there are a few things that really scare him - he is not a child who enjoys heights) instead of just melting down (I was soooo proud of him!). When we stopped by the mall after class to pick up something, both kids were perfectly behaved.

Instead of having a fit about stopping at our MOMS Club event (as I had planned to do), he simply said "Mom, I think I'm too tired to do well there today. Can we just go home instead?" Again, I was so proud of him for using his words instead of having a tantrum.

Once home, he happily watched a tv show while I settled Kaylen in for her nap. Then we snuggled together and watched Clifford's Really Big Movie which was a big deal for him and, I'll admit, really fun for me.

Then later he played well with his sister and even "read" her a few books. He ate his entire dinner without complaint and used his good manners. He helped straighten the house, too.

I'm telling you, THIS kid is welcome to stay as long as he'd like. His evil twin, not so much. :) But seriously - it's just been a really, really good day. I wish I could understand what makes one day horrendous and another day picture perfect. I wish there was a secret recipe I could follow...something....anything. For the life of me I don't know what started off differently today. It felt like any other morning to me but clearly *something* was different.

Whatever the reason - I am very, very grateful.

Water Baby

Remember back in August when Kaylen developed a fondness for playing in the kitchen sink? Remember when I thought she would outgrow it or forget about it? Umm...yeah...never happened.

Not a day goes by that she isn't begging to get into the sink to play in the water. And it's a rare day that don't oblige. She is just so gosh darn cute sitting in there playing. She asks for cups and then one by one she fills them up, places them on the counter and puts the lids on them. Secretly, or maybe not so much secretly, I love this game of hers. It freezes her in time for me and let's me forget that on Saturday my baby is turning two.

Then:




Now:




WOW! It's hard to be in denial when you look at the sets of pictures together. She has grown like crazy!!!!! Impossible.

It's Home!!!!!!

Look what is home - finally! It's been a very long NINE days of being without my car but as of 5:10pm tonight this lovely piece of machinery is safely back in my driveway.

Does it make me sound like some sort of loon when I say I almost cried when I slid behind the wheel and turned the key? Freedom! The sweet sound of freedom!

YIPPIE!!!! WAHOO!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!
*doing a dance of happiness*

OY!

It's been a day. I feel like I want to run screaming from the house to places unknown for a night, two, maybe more. I want to run away for a while.

My son seems to have been possessed by....what? I don't know. Maybe just possessed. He has been sassy, rude and obnoxious. He has had horrifying and mortifying tantrums in public; both which warranted a swift removal from the public venue. Once with the shopping cart full of things ready to be bought left hastily in a row (I was alone with him at the time). The other time he was removed by one parent while the other finished the sales transaction.

He has been so incredibly difficult today. Sometimes I wonder how I make it through days like this without completely losing my mind. My thoughts now reside in getting through the rest of the night and then wondering how I am going to get through tomorrow, alone, if he is still acting the same.

I'm at the end of my wits today. He is pushing every button I have...and several that I had no clue even existed. How, in the blink of an eye, can such an incredibly amazing, bright, sweet and sensitive child turn into someone I want to leave on someone else's porch?

Please, please, please, please let tomorrow be better.

And Speaking of Smart...

...like I did in the post below this one. Check out what my little guy did this morning. I am so excited for a couple of reasons. The first being that he has decided that it's ok to write his name by placing the letters in the right order and in a straight line. You have no idea how long we've been enduring the "No Mom. I want them all mixed up." phase. And the second because he wrote "love" for the first time just by having my spell it for him. I'm so proud! :)



And in case you are wondering...it's a chair with feet and then he added his and Kaylen's faces and that stuff to the right is hair. Oh - and ears on top of his head, of course. He is nothing if not creative! :)

From The Mouth of a Babe

"Tuffy Mama? Nose?"
"Yes baby, mommy's nose is stuffy. I have a cold."
"Blow?"
"Yep, I ned to blow my nose."
"Me get!" (and off she runs to the bathroom to get a tissue)
"Here Mama, Blow." (she says and she holds the tissue out for me)
"Thank you, honey."
"No tuffy?" Mama? No tuffy?"
"No honey, I'm not stuffy now. Thank you."
"Away. Away Mama." (she says pointing to the tissue)
"Yes honey, I'll throw it away."
"Germs. Away. No sick me."

Is she smart or what? :)

How Is It Possible?


Will someone please explain to me how, in 10 days, my baby girl will turn two? TWO! How is that possible?

It seems like just two weeks I had my ultrasound and confirmed my instincts that we were having a girl:

And just last week I swear I was having pregnancy photos taken with my little 2.5 year old son:


A couple of days ago she was born:


A day ago they took away all her machines and tubes and I got to hold her as much as I wanted:


And yesterday that we came home from the hospital:


So tell me - how is it possible that she will be turning two in 10 days? Not possible. It's just not possible. And don't even get me started on the fact that in two months my first baby will be turning five. FIVE? I'm thinking that there must be a time stealing gremlin lurking around my house. I refuse to believe they are growing up. I flat out refuse to believe it.

It's a good thing she is small, loves to snuggle and basically has the nighttime sleep patterns of a newborn. I can still live in my land of denial for a while longer.

Comment To Your Comment?

Do you love and not love them? What I mean is when you leave a comment on someone's blog, do you like it when they comment back to you? If you like it, do you like it done in the comment section of the post you commented on or emailed to you privately?

I have no real reason for asking - it's just been on my mind.

I know, that for me, I love when people comment back to me in the comment area of their posting. It lets me know they read what I wrote and they care enough to respond. I'm not a big fan of the emailed response to my comment because well, let's face it; I love to read the comments posted back to all the comments. I'm nosey that way. :)

Now that said - I suck at commenting back to the amazing people who leave comments on my blog. I try really hard to do it but the comments come in through my email, I read them and then I *mean* to go over to the blog and comment back but more times than not, I don't. *sheepish look*

I have to say though - I LOVE getting comments. And yes, even the privately emailed one that come. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!! And I try to leave a comment on each and every blog I visit because if *I* love comments this much, I know others do as well.

So? What about you? Do you love comments back to your comments or no?

I Miss My Car

It's sad really but I am missing my car terribly right now. We are on day 3 of being house bound and the kids and I are going bonkers. Sure, I could dig out the stroller, or go without one, and go for a good ol' fashioned walk but it's cold out there and I don't feel like repeating 50 million times "Kelton, stay with us. Kelton stay on the sidewalk. Kelton stop bugging your sister." I suppose I'll use that for my last resort later this afternoon if push comes to shove (and I mean that literally. Kelton has been pushing Kaylen lately. *sigh* We're working on always using kind hands when you touch someone.)

It's not so much that we go someplace every day - it's the idea that we *can*. Without the car, we can't. End of story. What would we do if we had the car? Nothing exciting...it's just that we could use a few grocery things - not like we'll die without them but they would be nice to have. Kelton already missed one gymnastics class this week and while it's not a huge outing, it is something. I could have maybe set up a playdate - though maybe not since we all seem to be coming down with colds (which I will take over the stomach viruses that has plagued us this winter). Like I said - nothing earth shattering and in truth, we might still have gone nowhere for Monday and today (gymnastics is Tues/Thurs) it's just the cold hard truth that we can't. I don't enjoy having my choices limited.

And besides....we are all going bonkers with no other interactions. Speaking with another adult would be great and yes, even if that adult is the clerk at Safeway.

I'm really looking forward to having Dakota's car to use. And hey - if Dakota's mom brings over her car early enough this evening, I just may toss the extra carseats in the car and hit the drive-thru at McDonalds. Probably not since I am not a fan of driving other people's vehicles but still - just having that option makes me happy. :)

A Few More Pages

I'm light years behind on pages so you will probably be seeing autumn, winter and Christmas layouts well into the summer. :) Enjoy!

credits:elements from Santa Baby by Dani Mogstadt.
Sorry - no clue onthe paper. It was a freebie I downloaded sometimes last year before I knew to save the credit info. Oops!


Credit: Christmas Breeze kit by Dani Mogstadt

Thanks Rick!


Thanks to Dakota's office mate, Rick, we have located and purchased the a/c compressor (and the part the repair facility forgot to tell us we needed) for half the price we were quoted yesterday. And yes, it's a new part. The downside is we'll have to wait for it to be shipped to us and then we have to take it to Mieneke ourselves. The company wasn't able to ship it to an address unless it matched the credit card. The credit card Mieneke had has their corporate address which was no help at all. So...the parts should be here sometime Friday and, with luck, I'll have my car back Saturday afternoon.

Oh - and they did a brake inspection. I had them inspected about 6 months ago and they figured they were good for another year. Turns out, not the case. So for a mere $125 I'll also be getting front brakes. The funny thing is, after all the big numbers we've been throwing around the past 24 hours, $125 feels like nothing. Sad.

Dakota mom is going to bring her car over tomorrow evening so that D can drive it to work and school Thursday and I can drive Dakota's car so that Kelton doesn't miss another of his gymnastics classes. I mean sheesh...we paid for him to go eight times. It would be nice if he went at least six.

It's still a lot of money but at least it's much better than it was yesterday at this time.

THANKS RICK!!!!

Did You Hear That Sound?

It was money being flushed down the toilet. A lot of money.

See that picture? It's my vehicle. Right now it is sitting in the repair bay at Meineke where it has been since yesterday and where it will stay until probably early afternoon on Wednesday (unless a miracle happens; then it will be late tomorrow afternoon).

Yesterday I drove up to a nearby shopping area to get my haircut. About three business' away from my desired location I heard a horrible noisy squeal. I wasn't sure if it came from my car or one of the cars ahead of me. Ever in denial, I opted to think it was someone else. I pulled into a parking spot and went in to get my hair cut. I returned to the car and started the engine. No denying it now. My car was making a horrible noise. Since I was only 6 blocks from home I thought I would attempt to get there. Then I could wait until this morning to call AAA and have it towed somewhere.

Um...yeah..the best laid plans and all. I hadn't gone very far when white smoke starting billowing from the back, followed by a nasty burning rubber smell. "Ok," I thought to myself, "it's a belt. I need to stop." I pulled into a parking space and called D who was at home with the kids (and this is where I interject that I am SO thankful they were not with me! There was enough stress happening.). Then I called AAA.

The tow truck arrived about 30 minutes after my initial call and hooked up the car. I jumped in the cab and took a ride to the repair shop. Dakota met me there and took me home. We weren't too upset because these things happen. It's all part of owning a vehicle. At least everyone is safe and after a few hundred dollars in repair cost, everything will be as good as new.

Yes. You may laugh hysterically now. I know. I'm so naive.

This afternoon the phone rings. The conversation quickly moved from pleasantries to "Do you have an extended warranty on the vehicle." We all know what that means, right? "Um..no. I don't." It's a 2002 and we have never, ever bought an extended warranty for any of our vehicles before. I may be rethinking that in the future.

The air conditioning compressor, which continually runs if the engine is on, seized. The belt that turns the unit was still trying to turn it: hence the burning rubber smell. These things happen, the nice tech explained. He also explained how the vehicle cannot run without the compressor so.......

There goes a whole lotta money. By the time the part (over $1100), labor and tax is added up we'll be closing in on about $1800. $1800 that we, of course, don't have just sitting around. I tried not to cry when he told me. I tried to act like it was no big deal - like I expected it and was ready for it, relieved it wasn't higher. I think he was reading me like a book. He said he was really, really sorry. Yeah, me too. Stupid car! I gave the go ahead. What else could I do? I can't *not* get it fixed.

Today, of all days, D forgot to take her cell phone with her and she was, at that very moment, enroute to her day class. So while I waited for her to get to school and log into her IM account I had a nervous breakdown.

I talked with D who assured me that one way or another we'll be ok. It'll all work out. So then we focused on the positive side of things:

1) I stopped immediately so there was no damage to the engine.
2) I wasn't driving fast so it didn't cause an accident.
3) The kids were not in the car with me.
4) The kids are healthy and so are we.
5) No one we know died.
6) It's "just money". (I'm still processing that. It's a LOT of money and will stretch us beyond our limit. Hopefully tax time will be good to us. REALLY good to us.)
7) It's something that we can throw money at and fix - unlike if, God forbid, one of the kids were really sick with something terrible. We couldn't fix that no matter how much money we threw at it. (So true!)

So it's going to be ok.

Somehow.

Somehow it will be ok. I just have to have faith that things will work out like it should.

And from now on, I'm going to take a long hard look at buying the extended warranty for a vehicle. (Although this is actually the first time in all my years of vehicle ownership that I would have been able to use it.)

*sigh*

Another Page....Finally

Apparently when I take a scrapping break, it becomes difficult for me to jump back in. It's almost like a creative block - I scare myself into thinking I can't do it. So tonight I decided, to steal the Nike catchphrase, to "Just Do It".

Here's what I ended up with:



The journaling reads:
We finally had snow to play in and boy did we make the best of it. We all bundled up and went outside several times each day to ride on the sleds, throw snowballs at each other, wrestle in the snow and take snow walks around the neighborhood.

Although we can’t agree on the one best thing about snow we all do know this:

SNOW IS FUN!!

We hope it snows again this winter because there is nothing better than a snow day with the ones you love!

What a Day

It started about 6:10 this morning when Kelton came in to wake me up; "Mom...when are you going to wake up?" "Not yet...please leave me alone." It had been a long night with the girl and I wanted another hour. Fifteen minutes later he was back. And then 15 minutes after that. *sigh* Up I got while the girl slept on. Of course.

The reason he wanted me up was because he couldn't access his new favorite site; IKnowThat.com. He's been glued to it for days and since it's educational and fun, it's fine with me. Anyway, for some reason it wouldn't load. At all. For the entire day. He was beyond frustrated and to be honest, so was I.

I wrote to our service provider to see if this was something they could help with. They could but it meant an on-line chat with a tech. Yeah - that's fun to do with two little ones underfoot, in your lap, hanging on your shoulder and asking a bazillion questions about "Is it fixed yet Mom?" About an hour into the chat, after running diagnostics and queries in DOS (which I now know way more about than I did this morning. Or ever before. Let's just say I now know how to "ping" an IP address.) it was determined that the problem most likely was coming from our wireless router. I needed to disconnect it and reconnect the CPU directly to the cable connection. If the web page was accessible to me after doing that, the router was the issue and we need to contact and NetGear to discuss that with them.

I called Dakota and told her about the conversation and that we would need to disconnect, reconnect, etc when she got home tonight. I'm not someone who likes to mess around with cords and wires and whatnot. Way too much can go wrong. I'm just not up for it. Dakota said, and I quote: "That sure doesn't make me look forward to coming home tonight." Not exactly what I was looking to hear after spending most of the day dealing with this stuff. (And honey - I know you are reading this. I love you like crazy but maybe, just maybe, a "Sure. I'll help you with that tonight." would have been better received. We both know how well I took the first comment. *grin*)

Anyway, I was less than happy....ok truthfully I was pretty pissed off that she didn't want to help me figure it out (but to be fair I know that it's not something a person *wants* to deal with when they arrive home at 10:15 at night. Also to be fair, it's not something *I* wanted to deal with either.). Yes, she did agree to help me but by then I was a bit over the edge so after I hung up the phone and got the kids eating their dinner I started pulling the computer cabinet away from the wall so I could reach all the zillions of wires. After a bit of cursing I did locate the cords I needed and disconnected the router (well..what I was hoping was the router). Like magic, when I turned on the computer, the web page appeared.

A happier boy you have NEVER seen! He was dancing around squealing with joy and he kept hugging me and saying "You're amazing Mom! I love you!" How can you *not feel good about that? :)

We called Dakota and let her know it was done. She was really happy for us that Kelton was back on-line. And oh - I should mention that Dakota had called me back somewhere in there and apologized for her earlier comment. I, of course, forgave her. :) She also told me her final grades for last semester and let me tell you: SHE ROCKS!!!! :)

So at the end of the day I know how to "ping" something, I know how to disconnect the router and reconnect the cable to the CPU, I carried on a conversation that was dripping in techie speak while dealing with two kids AND I made my son one very happy boy.

All in all, a pretty good day. And honey, I'm sorry I came a wee bit unglued. :)

One Year Ago

One year ago today was, without a doubt, the worst day of my life. The moments of that afternoon will echo in my heart forever - each and every second is seared into my memory and every fiber of my being. It's the first time that Kaylen stopped breathing.

And yes, I said first.

The first was the worst. And while I will never, ever get used to it, my heart doesn't stop now like it did that first day. I know the things to do now to get through it. I know she will start to breathe again...even if those moments feel like a million lifetimes. I didn't know that the first time. For those moments in time I was sure I was holding my dying child. I have never been more terrified in my entire life. Never. Not ever.

Kaylen has what is called Pallid Breath Holding Spells which is an involuntary response to sudden trauma such as a painful fall (usually when she hits her head) or to something that terrifies her (again, usually when she hurts herself). For some reason she stops breathing and passes out. I wish it was as easy as it sounds but it's not. At least not for the Moms.

One year ago. It seems like this has been going on for forever and yet, at the same time, the terror I felt that day truly does feel like it was just yesterday.

*Happy Sigh*

Kate Moennig. Shane McCutcheon on The L Word. She just has a way of making me very, very happy. :)

Baby Adelaide

For a while now I've been reading Mieke's blog. I started reading it because Mieke was a visitor to Dakota's blog and, at the time, was looking at going to law school. Dakota would tell me about the conversations the two were having about the hardships of being a parent while pursuing a law degree. Since I am always trying to understand the "I'm a full-time working mom who is planning to add law school to my crazy life with small kids" mind, I started reading her blog. Fast forward a year and I'm still reading. Anyway....Mieke has a close friend who had a baby a year ago. Shortly after Adelaide was born, she was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis.

As you know, this is a devastating disease. And, at this point, there is no cure. Last year, Mieke helped raise $18,000 for the CF Foundation. This year she is hoping to reach $25,000. Here is where you can help Adelaide and others like her. If you have clicked on the links in this posting then you have seen her face - she is just a baby with her whole life before her. You can help by donating whatever you can to the Great Strides donation site for the CF Foundation. Mieke has an account set up and it's super easy to process a donation. Every single dollar helps. Every single one.

So seriously, if you can spare a few dollars please do. I did. I would love to see Mieke reach her donation goal. (And yes, your donation is tax deductible.) So what do you say? Will you join me?

New Glasses

Ok - so for most of you you have no idea what my old glasses looked like but still - this is exciting for me. I haven't had new glasses in over 10 years (or had my eyes checked in over 5. Wow - did my prescription needs change since then! No wonder I've been getting nasty headaches lately.) so this is was a fun adventure yesterday.

I think they look pretty good on me. (And yes, this is where you are supposed to be nodding your head and saying "Wow! They sure do!" *grin*) Kelton said they make me look "sassy!". How's that for a compliment. :)

In case you were wondering.....

This is why people in this area take snow days and why schools close.

(PS...Keep reading, if you haven't already as I posted last night, too.)

Back to Reality

*sigh* Our two and a half days of snow-induced family bliss is over. The temperature reached high enough today to clear the roads which meant Dakota headed to class this afternoon. I have to say that I am no where near ready for snow time to be over. I love it. Seriously love it. I love that it feels like the rest of the world has slowed to a stop and that the four of us are left alone to just "be". No errands. No "have to's". Just time to be together.

I don't think I could ever live where snow is common place (or worse yet, doesn't happen). I love the magic of it - the way life comes screeching to a halt. I know it's a strange concept to those of you who live life with snow all winter since life just continues on despite snow falling from the sky. But see there lies the difference between your worlds and mine: it's not common place here. It's special. It's rare. It's amazing.

We don't have snow plows at the ready with chemicals and road crews. I'm not even sure the city I live in *has* a snow plow. The city across the river has a couple. Why would we? The last time we had any snow worth talking about was three years ago. Last year we had a flurry of snow activity that left us with a dusting for a few hours. That was the sum total for the winter. The winter before, nothing. Kelton was 19 and 21 months the last time we had a "winter storm". It was November 2003 and January 2004. January was an ice storm that kept us under lock and key for almost a week. I have those days, those moments, implanted forever in my memory. Sitting at the backdoor while Dakota braved the ice to bring Kelton and I icicles so we could fling them across the yard on the ice. I can still hear the branches creaking as they tried to sway in the cold wind but couldn't because they were frozen in place. I remember the plastic blow up whale shaped ballpit that took up a good portion of the livingroom. Dakota and Kelton played for hours in that thing. I remember the baking that was done. I can practically smell the brownies.

So all you people who have snow every year, all winter long, you can keep all your snow plows and your chemicals. I want to keep the magic and wonder of snow. I want it to be a miracle each time it falls to the ground. I want to keep my snow days and the time it gives me just to be with my family. To us, an inch or two is just enough to ice the roads, slow things down and bring life into focus.

I don't get cabin fever when it snows. I do, however, feel incredibly sad when the ice and snow melt and life goes back to being the same as always.

Here are a few pictures from yesterday.

I'm Loving All The Snow!

But talk with me in a few days to see if the crazies have set in. The ice is supposed to be bad tomorrow and Thursday which means we aren't going anywhere anytime soon. As Dakota so rightly put it this morning: "Dakota doesn't drive in snow and ice." and I echo that quite loudly. What is the point? For us it's all about staying safe and keeping our vehicles in one piece. We know we aren't the world's best snow/ice drivers and we are absolutely sure more others in this area aren't as well.

Dakota stayed home today. Thankfully, for a variety of reasons, she was late getting out the door this morning. By the time she made it into her car, the snow was starting to fall. Listening to the radio brought news that areas around us were already turning ugly. She came back in the house to watch the news and wait a bit. The snow kept coming! One of the people she works with called her cell to say that he wasn't going in - conditions were just too awful in his area. Her supervisor sent word that she wasn't going in either. Soon we learned that even the law school was closing for the day.

A snow day!! Now that is my idea of a slice of heaven. :)

I know lots of you think it's crazy but I love getting out in the snow and playing with the kids. I love pulling them on the sleds, chasing them around and hearing their squeals of laughter and I love, love, love watching Dakota and the kids wrestle in the snow. So much fun. So much laughter. It was awesome.

Tonight while I was putting Kaylen to sleep I asked her if she had had a good day. She looked up at me with a huge smile and said "MmmmmHmmmm" which is baby speak for yes. I asked her what she liked the most today and she tensed up her little body and yelled "NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" which is baby speak for SNOW! She was so cute. :)

Needless to say, even though we all had naps this afternoon, the kids went down with a thud. They were wiped out from the hours we spent playing. I have to admit, if Dakota wasn't sitting at the table behind me studying, I'd probably be snug in my bed too. I'm exhausted! It's tiring to have so much fun. :)

Here are a few pics from the day. For a number of reason I don't have too many from today. #1 is I was having too much fun playing with them to keep taking off my gloves, locating my camera in my coat pocket, snapping a photo (trying desperately to capture a moment that was most likely well over), putting the camera away and putting my gloves back on. Too much work and I was missing out on too much. #2 is well..let's face it: same kids, same snow pants and coats. Hard to tell the difference between last Thursdays snow pictures and todays. :) That's a lame excuse, I realize. So sue me. :)

Anyway - here they are:

( Yes, it was icy enough for a 4 year old to pull a sled containing a mom AND a sister!)

Dakota wrestling with the kids.

Just hanging out.

Little snow eater!

And my all time favorite:

I LOVE this one! :)

Snow Snow Snow!

We have snow!!! Again! About 2.25 inches fell this morning and it's a beautiful sight!

Enjoy your day. :)

One Night Down; A Lot More To Go

The day actually went quite well. Dakota didn't have work today so we were able to spend some family time together early on. Kelton had his first gymnastics class so Dakota took the kids and went to that while I waited at home for Safeway to deliver groceries (which should have been here last week but they cancelled our delivery because of the snow and ice). All three of them arrived home jazzed from the excitement and fun of the first day.

After telling me all about it (complete with demonstrations using the couch cushions, of course) Dakota had to pack up and leave for school. Monday she has an afternoon class so instead of being able to be with us all day and not go in until after dinner, as would have been the case last semester on a "no work but yes school" day, she had to leave at noon. The really sucky part is that her class was over at 3:30 and her next class wasn't until 8pm. Oh how it would have been nice to have her here for those 4.5 hours but it doesn't make sense to drive back and forth and it was a good opportunity for studying.

Anyway, the kids had a hard time letting her walk out the door (as did I but I didn't call her back a zillion times to say good-bye like they did. Not that I didn't want to but I was *trying* to be more mature about it. *grin*). I promptly got Kaylen down for her nap and returned to spend time with my sad little guy.

The afternoon went by fine as did the evening. The weird part is that I'm fine doing this on my own (well let's not get crazy....I'll qualify that with "on the good days I'm fine doing all this on my own..."), it's just that I miss her, really miss her when she isn't here.

Out of the past 71 weeks I've been on my own with the kids for the biggest part of 48 of them. So clearly, I can do this but even as I move about fixing dinner, cleaning up, playing with the kids, managing conflicts, etc. I find that I have this intense feeling of just plain missing her and being lonely for her company. I miss just knowing she is in the house. I don't know - I doubt I'm explaining this so it can be understood. Maybe what it comes down to is this: I am fine on my own. I can care for the kids alone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I am a whole person in my own right and yet....whenever Dakota isn't here, I feel like part of my heart is missing. And I'm lonely for her. *sigh* I guess that's true love. :)

Wow - am I rambling or what? Here's the point of this posting: The day went fine. One day down, a lot more to go. :)

A New Semester

The new semester starts tomorrow for Dakota. Wish us all luck.

The big challenge will be making sure we keep the lines of communication open which is going to be a bit tougher than last semester. Last time she was home by 8:30 three out of four school nights. This time she won't be home until 10 or 10:30 four nights out of four. Ugh.

It was so nice last semester to have the kids in bed when she walked in so we could talk, catch up and then just hang out together until bedtime. It was *almost* like she wasn't in school at all in regards to being able to be together. That becomes much more challenging when she walks in the door as I am ready to tumble into bed and as she is more than ready to do the same.

But - it's only 16 weeks. Sixteen weeks and then she will be on summer vacation and we will have successfully navigated our way through one half of the 4 year program. Now there is a reason to celebrate if ever there was one.

Hang on tight...............here we go!

Snow Fun - Day 2

Ten Years Ago Today

Ten years ago today the sun was shining but it was bitter cold. Snow that had been on the ground for almost two weeks was all but melted away. We had had a big storm come through that left us with 22 inches of snow - which is a whole lot of snow for an area that rarely sees more than an inch a year.

Are you wondering why I know the details of the days weather so well? It's because I laid on the freezing ground for 20 minutes wearing nothing but jeans and a shirt. No sweater, no coat. Why was I lying on the ground? Well you see - ten years ago today I fell 6 feet and broke my back. I also cracked my head open but that paled in comparison to the broken back.

I had been jumping a fence on a return trip from capturing our run-away "inside only" cat who loved nothing better than to escape and jump the fence into the neighbors yard. Not wanting to bother the elderly woman who lived in the house with said yard, I declined when she offered to go through the yard and unlock the fence for me. The carport lead to an easy drop down into the yard and I easily accessed the yard, grabbed the little furry run-away and handed her back over our back fence to Dakota's waiting hands. I then returned to the carport area and climbed upon the fence. Sitting there a thought went through my head - a thought that clearly meant I was feeling a little too full of myself. I was 32 years old and sitting on top of the fence I thought smugly "Wow - jumping this fence was so easy. It's not like I'm 18 anymore...." and there my thought ended and I toppled backwards and slammed flat on my back and head. What did I land on? Broken up pieces of cement from the previous walkway they had recently ripped out. Ouch.

After the initial shock, I realized that I couldn't move. At all. I screamed for Dakota and used all my strength to move my legs off of the side of the house, on which they were sort of propped. Dakota jumped our back fence in about 2 seconds flat and attempted to help me up. But I had smacked my head open and there was blood so she gently put me back on the freezing cement pieces and banged on the neighbors window to have her call for help.

Long story short, the ambulance took me to the hospital where it was discovered that I had indeed broken my back. Now this was also the week we were to have the first insemination for trying to get pregnant. Clearly *that* dream was shoved into a deep dark corner of a closet somewhere.

18 months later I had spinal fusion as my back was refusing to heal properly and I was in constant pain.

4 years later we were finally back on the mommy track and now, 10 years later I have 2 amazingly beautiful children and a back that reminds me constantly that I was once laying on the cold ground for 20 minutes wearing nothing but jeans and a shirt.

I can't believe it's been 10 years. In some ways, it feels like a million lifetimes ago and in others, like it was just last year. It's weird how a single moment in time changes your entire life.

Finally!!!!!

We have snow! Now I know this is a paultry sum compared to what a lot of you see but to our two little ones this is a winter wonderland to be sure. Here's hoping the temps stay low so it can hang around for a day or two. WE LOVE SNOW!!!

Family Photos

We had our annual family photo taken last Friday and even though the kids were umm...well...challenging....I think we got some good shots. :) My babies sure are growing up quickly.

Fingers Crossed

I think we may be on the upswing of things with Kaylen. Yesterday was a horrid day; the poor thing wouldn't agree to being put down as long as she was awake (which made for a long day and a very sore back for me). She did take three naps throughout the day which I was both thankful for and worried about. It's just not her style.

By dinnertime, she was starting to perk up. We had a bunch of "jump to high alert" situations last night and early this morning and I know we aren't out the woods yet as far as bodily fluids but I think we're starting to move in that direction.

The best news is that she is acting more like herself. I can't even begin to tell you how good it felt to have her playing and laughing with me this morning. Yesterday felt so...well...dark and scary but today feels much, much lighter.

Now as to why she seems to contract the stomach viruses so flippin' easy - that's a question that I have no answer for. Yes, Kelton did start a preschool program 7 weeks ago and I suppose he could be carrying home a thousand bugs. Sounds entirely possible. But why *just* the stomach bugs? Why no colds? Colds I would totally get but stomach bugs? This many times? *sigh*

This is the last week of preschool for this semester. He won't start again until spring. However, he is starting gymnastics next week so who knows what he'll bring home from there.

Oh the joy of kids and germs. :)

NO NO NO!!!

The girl is puking. And has diarrhea. AGAIN. How is this possible? Short of keeping the child under lock and key in a sterilized room what am I supposed to do? She seems to gets every little bug that walks by and looks sideways at her. What is up with this?

And of course this is the first week since mid-November that we would have had a playdate with friends and various other fun activities. Today I had hoped to convince Dakota that we should take the kids to the local community pool to go swimming (it's a year old and we keep telling Kelton that we will go swimming there). Clearly that isn't happening.

Next weekend I want to take the kids up to the snow so they can romp and play in it. She needs to be well by then. But let's not kid ourselves....she needs to be well soon or I just may lose my ever lovin' mind.

*sigh* Back to Puke-ville I go. Seems like I barely left that place.

Pren-Cess

Is she not the most adorable, delicious one in the world? I LOVE the way she says Princess. :)


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(If you haven't already, scroll down and keep reading. There is a post from earlier today and one from last night. I couldn't have you miss them after all the work I put into them now could I? *grin*)

Locked in a Room

Yesterday while I was chatting on the phone to Brenda, my son decided to lock his sister in my bedroom. He came running out to me and said "Mom! Kaylen is locked in your room and I can't get her out!" Since I couldn't hear her crying, I calmly walked over to the cabinet and pulled out the handy dandy screwdriver set. I had practiced for such an emergency on the bathroom door so I knew that I could turn the lock using the hole in the handle. I kept chatting to Brenda because I was confident that I would have my little girl out in 5 seconds flat.

I tried to unlock it while Kelton stood there talking to her, Saying things like "It's ok baby girl...Mom's going to get you out. Be brave." It was so cute. He got down on the floor to talk with her under the door and touched fingers with her. He tried saying "Honey, turn the knob. That thing I turned to lock the door. Just turn it, ok baby girl?"

It was really cute the way he was talking with her. She stayed completely calm and I could feel her trying to reach the knob (she is too little to actually do it though). I kept trying to unlock the door using different screwdrivers. I got a flashlight but it didn't help me see any better. I just couldn't get it to pop open. I started to worry. I hung up with Brenda and kept working and working.

Kelton very sadly told his sister "Honey, I don't think we're going to be able to get you out." He sounded so sad.

Suddenly it dawned on me. There was a sliding glass door from our room onto the patio. I went out the kitchen slider, walked over to the bedroom slider and called Kaylen over. I showed her the lock that needed to be flipped (which I knew she could do since I had watched her locking and unlocking the kitchen sloder earlier in the day) and within 2 seconds, I was able to get into the bedroom and unlock the inside door.

Kelton was SO happy to see his sister. :) Something tells me he won't be locking her in there anytime soon. Well...for at least a few days anyway.

Clearly I need to figure out how to unlock every single door in this house. Just because I can pop open one of them clearly doesn't mean I can open them all. *sigh*

More Fun Than One Family Should Have

We had the best time last night playing Play-Doh. Kaylen got her brother the Play-Doh EZ 2 Do Zoo kit for Christmas (man that girl has good tastes in gifts! *wink*) and it was so much fun! I cannot recommend these kits enough. Seriously - it's fun for the entire family especially if you are like me and have not a creative bone in your body when it comes to playing with Play-Doh.

Check out the fun!



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and

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

and

Update?

I know, I know! I need to update. And I will...I promise. I have new pictures to share of our Christmas celebration up with my family in Seattle and I have a couple of super cute videos of the kids to post (I find nothing cuter at this point than how Kaylen says "princess" - it kills me every time she says it so you just *know* I had to get it on video. *grin*). But when to find the time to upload photos and video?

And then there is the whole new year resolution thing. I didn't get whacky or anything and I have a sinking feeling it's the same as last year but my goal for the year is to declutter this house! (I think last year was the garage - which is did do and which promptly gathered more items as the kids outgrew clothes/toys/etc.) I am swimming in "stuff" and it's eating at me. To jump start my goal yesterday I took an entire truck load of stuff to Goodwill, sorted through and crated up a bunch of outgrown toys to donate to our new MOMS Club chapter and gave away a bunch of baby gear through Craigslist. It's something anyway.

Dakota is off school for another blissful two weeks. Then the schedule from hell takes over and she won't be home until 10:30 or 11 four night of the week. It's going to be quite the shift from having her home at 8:30. :( The kids won't notice a difference but I sure am going to. I keep trying to tell myself that it just means I will have tons more hours to scrapbook. I'll let you know when I finally convince myself that the new schedule is good. :P

It's just 16 weeks though. Sixteen. It sounds short enough. I just wish it *felt* short enough.

Until school starts though, the kids and I are enjoying all our evening time and weekend time together. The kids are both over the moon when she walks in the door at 4:30. It's like Christmas every day for now. :)

That's it for now. Bath time if over and I need to go take charge of one of the munchkins. Fun!