Tonight we had some popsicles. Levi commented that "they're like penguins." I asked "Oh, is that because they're cold?" "Yeah. They come from the freezer."
Levi: "I want some cranberry juice."
Me: "Are you thirsty?"
Levi: "No, I am thirsty for cranberry juice."
Wants to be sure I don't sneak him something boring, like water, I suppose. :)
He has a comical way of pronouncing the word "together." It's more like "ah-geth-ler," so we are working with him to start with "to" instead of "ah" He gets it when reminded.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Levi notes
Today Levi counted to sixteen. What made it particularly charming was his use of "five-teen."
Putting together a USA puzzle this evening we realized we had a well-traveled toddler. He has set foot in the following states:
WA, OR, CA, ID, MT, MD, PA, WV, VA, and Washington DC (not a state...)
And if you're counting airports: IL, OH, and TX
Putting together a USA puzzle this evening we realized we had a well-traveled toddler. He has set foot in the following states:
WA, OR, CA, ID, MT, MD, PA, WV, VA, and Washington DC (not a state...)
And if you're counting airports: IL, OH, and TX
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
A day in the life...
This morning Ellie woke up about 5 am and all she wanted to do (after breakfast, of course) is...bounce! Stand and bounce. Crazy little baby. I wanted to go back to sleep!!! Our sleep schedules are all out of sorts right now. Last night I fell asleep with her on the sofa from about 9-11 pm. She usually doesn't go down for the night until 11, thus the early morning exercises this morning.
It has been incredibly hot here this week - triple digits. Today was forecasted to be the hottest of the week so we decided to use our 'rain checks' from the Milton-Freewater pool and take the kids to cool off after I got off work. We all had such a great time. I put a swim diaper on Ellie under her bathing suit and hoped for the best. I was terrified she would spit up all over the pool and they would make everyone get out for 45 minutes while the water circulated. Well she sported a bib and thankfully she hardly spit up at all. She loved the water. I sat with her in the shallow end and she kicked and splashed and smiled...drawing the attention of several onlookers. I had three people ask me how old she was. I think she was the youngest, though we did see a couple of other babies in the 6-9 mo range. When Matt and I traded offspring he was lifting Ellie up and down, bouncing her in the water and she was laughing! That is a first for her. Levi also had a terrific time, it is great to see his confidence growing. He went under the water mushroom and also hung out under the sporadic water-dumping cones for a long time too. After about 75 minutes Levi's lips started looking a little blue so we called it a day. What fun!
As time progresses it is getting easier with the two kids. It took Levi these past two months to adjust to the idea of a little sister but now the hardest part seems to be over. (knock on wood) She adores him and he seems to be quite proud of his new role of big brother.
It has been incredibly hot here this week - triple digits. Today was forecasted to be the hottest of the week so we decided to use our 'rain checks' from the Milton-Freewater pool and take the kids to cool off after I got off work. We all had such a great time. I put a swim diaper on Ellie under her bathing suit and hoped for the best. I was terrified she would spit up all over the pool and they would make everyone get out for 45 minutes while the water circulated. Well she sported a bib and thankfully she hardly spit up at all. She loved the water. I sat with her in the shallow end and she kicked and splashed and smiled...drawing the attention of several onlookers. I had three people ask me how old she was. I think she was the youngest, though we did see a couple of other babies in the 6-9 mo range. When Matt and I traded offspring he was lifting Ellie up and down, bouncing her in the water and she was laughing! That is a first for her. Levi also had a terrific time, it is great to see his confidence growing. He went under the water mushroom and also hung out under the sporadic water-dumping cones for a long time too. After about 75 minutes Levi's lips started looking a little blue so we called it a day. What fun!
As time progresses it is getting easier with the two kids. It took Levi these past two months to adjust to the idea of a little sister but now the hardest part seems to be over. (knock on wood) She adores him and he seems to be quite proud of his new role of big brother.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Ellie updates
Ellie is discovering her hands - staring at them and starting to grab things. She also loves to have us hold her up in a standing position. Bouncing is another favorite activity.
Conflicts.
It's hard to be a parent sometimes. Case in point; I am currently struggling with weekend time. I work full time while Matt is home with the kids, so evenings and weekends I feel is my chance to spend quality time with the munchkins, and to give Matt a break.
The conflict is in horse ownership. Now that I am no longer broken-legged or pregnant, I do need to be riding. However it's hard to get motivated to leave the house when that means leaving the kids. I assume it will get easier as they get older (my schedule really is based around Ellie's needs right now). I had one ride planned for later this year. ONE ride. I thought surely I could get myself and Sinwaan conditioned up for an LD ride in the fall. Well, the ride was cancelled. So now I don't have a specific goal to work towards. I never imagined how much that would change things for me, it's terrible.
Another factor is Matt's movie projects. He has a couple of short films in the works right now so it is hard to justify taking time away from his goals when I don't essentially have one this year. He has always been accommodating of my ride time so it feels like it is his turn, he is due. Therein lies the conflict.
I do feel that it is important for every parent to have something they enjoy doing, that they are able to take time away to recharge. And for me, that one thing is riding Sinwaan. Before my accident I looked forward to riding, it was my chance to get away from it all, to clear my head, to think out everything that was happening in my life. This year, however, it feels more like a chore. That is, until I get to the barn. Once I am out there I remember why I went. And like today, even though it was a challenge, I left feeling much better about myself and Sinwaan. I had accomplished something, even if it was small. It was worth it.
I guess I am in the hardest segment right now and it will work itself out by winter. I had forgotten how time-consuming and life-altering it is to have a nursing baby. On one hand I was relieved when the ride was cancelled. No more worrying about having a 4-mo old in camp. Or how I would possibly find time to ride as much as I would need to between having Ellie and the ride date. On the other hand it is discouraging to just flush a goal down the toilet. Now what? Well I am going to have to make a new goal: I need to ride once a week, or at least spend an hour at the barn. That seems reasonable. Now, can I do it?
The conflict is in horse ownership. Now that I am no longer broken-legged or pregnant, I do need to be riding. However it's hard to get motivated to leave the house when that means leaving the kids. I assume it will get easier as they get older (my schedule really is based around Ellie's needs right now). I had one ride planned for later this year. ONE ride. I thought surely I could get myself and Sinwaan conditioned up for an LD ride in the fall. Well, the ride was cancelled. So now I don't have a specific goal to work towards. I never imagined how much that would change things for me, it's terrible.
Another factor is Matt's movie projects. He has a couple of short films in the works right now so it is hard to justify taking time away from his goals when I don't essentially have one this year. He has always been accommodating of my ride time so it feels like it is his turn, he is due. Therein lies the conflict.
I do feel that it is important for every parent to have something they enjoy doing, that they are able to take time away to recharge. And for me, that one thing is riding Sinwaan. Before my accident I looked forward to riding, it was my chance to get away from it all, to clear my head, to think out everything that was happening in my life. This year, however, it feels more like a chore. That is, until I get to the barn. Once I am out there I remember why I went. And like today, even though it was a challenge, I left feeling much better about myself and Sinwaan. I had accomplished something, even if it was small. It was worth it.
I guess I am in the hardest segment right now and it will work itself out by winter. I had forgotten how time-consuming and life-altering it is to have a nursing baby. On one hand I was relieved when the ride was cancelled. No more worrying about having a 4-mo old in camp. Or how I would possibly find time to ride as much as I would need to between having Ellie and the ride date. On the other hand it is discouraging to just flush a goal down the toilet. Now what? Well I am going to have to make a new goal: I need to ride once a week, or at least spend an hour at the barn. That seems reasonable. Now, can I do it?
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Smart dad, smart kid
Levi: "Daddy put baking soda in the gas tank."
Shana: "Yes, he did, to get the rust out of the tank."
Levi: "Uh huh."
Shana: "That's a pretty neat trick huh?"
Levi: "No, that's because daddy's smart."
This is in reference to a motorcycle Matt is currently working on building. He bought two junk bikes for $300 last year sometime and now is getting close to having one of them road-worthy. One minor problem: no titles to either. Last licensed in Idaho in the 80s and the former owner is dead. Hmmm. This could get interesting. The bike will be for his latest short film.
Shana: "Yes, he did, to get the rust out of the tank."
Levi: "Uh huh."
Shana: "That's a pretty neat trick huh?"
Levi: "No, that's because daddy's smart."
This is in reference to a motorcycle Matt is currently working on building. He bought two junk bikes for $300 last year sometime and now is getting close to having one of them road-worthy. One minor problem: no titles to either. Last licensed in Idaho in the 80s and the former owner is dead. Hmmm. This could get interesting. The bike will be for his latest short film.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
2 months
July 18 with OmaEllie had her 2 month check-up on Monday. Granted, it was a week past her actual 2-month mark but it was the soonest we could be seen. Dr. Jen is a popular lady! She weighed in at a whopping 12 lbs 13 oz and measured 23 1/2 inches long. I believe this put her in the 92% for weight and 89% for length, but I could be slightly off there. I just know she is big. Seems like every day I have to pack away another 0-3 mo outfit or two. We went over the list of baby accomplishments and she is right on track. Lifting her head, turning to follow movements or sounds, weight bearing on her legs, cooing and making other little sounds....etc.
Unfortunately she also had three shots on the docket for today. Neither Matt or I had remembered to give her baby Tylenol ahead of time. Major fail! We passed on the option to start the rotavirus oral vaccine series. Camille gave the shots quickly and Ellie wound up.....what a face, poor baby. Camille said "breathe girl!" and finally she did start to wail. By then however the Band-Aids were on and as soon as I picked her up she quieted down. I nursed her for a bit and then we headed to reception to make our next appointment. It is a bit frustrating that there never seem to be openings when Dr. Jen tells us she would like to see her again. 2-4-6 months... well instead of four months it will be closer to five for her, so I got on the wait list for a sooner opening.
Monday was kind of a rough day for her after that, she was a little cranky. But to her credit, she went to bed about 11 pm and slept until 5 am, then right back to sleep. While I am thrilled that she is starting to sleep through the night on occasion, these 5 am feedings are way harder on me than the 2 or 3 am feedings have been. When she gets me up at 5 am I drag all day and fight to stay awake about 2:30 pm. I am exhausted all afternoon and then when it is time to go to bed I don't crash like I know I could have earlier in the day.
This evening at dinner I was holding Ellie on my lap, facing out, and she was happily kicking her feet, trying to connect with anything to push off of. Levi was standing on a step-stool next to me so she kicked him a couple times. I told him "You know, your sister thinks the world of you Levi, she reallyl looks up to you." Levi said "That's 'cause I'm three!" Wow - shock. Until that moment he was still trying to convince us that he was two years old.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Confessions of a toddler
Oma KP came over tonight for a visit. Levi loves to tell her everything. For example, last time she took him to Wal-Mart he confided in her that "Daddy spends special time with me" Awww so sweet!
Well tonight he announced "Daddy's scared of cats. Daddy have gun to shoot cats!" WHAT!? We both looked at each other. Matt has talked many times about buying an air gun to scare the numerous neighborhood cats off our property. They have gotten to be nuisance lately. My dogs bark at them and want to chase them. They tried to steal my chickens. They poop in the garden. The usual neighborhood cat debate. Anyway we never did buy a gun. Matt tried to clarify that he wants to scare the cats, not the other way around. Mmmhmmm Levi says. Yeah.
So many other interesting conversations that have escaped me at the moment.
Well tonight he announced "Daddy's scared of cats. Daddy have gun to shoot cats!" WHAT!? We both looked at each other. Matt has talked many times about buying an air gun to scare the numerous neighborhood cats off our property. They have gotten to be nuisance lately. My dogs bark at them and want to chase them. They tried to steal my chickens. They poop in the garden. The usual neighborhood cat debate. Anyway we never did buy a gun. Matt tried to clarify that he wants to scare the cats, not the other way around. Mmmhmmm Levi says. Yeah.
So many other interesting conversations that have escaped me at the moment.
Puzzled
Levi got a new puzzle for his birthday. It is 35 pieces and rated for 4+ years but it is Thomas the Train themed so Levi was excited to open it and give it a shot. Matt and I have helped him the first couple days (he wants to put it together many times a day) and last night while I was preparing dinner Levi sat there and put the entire thing together in about 15 minutes. I could not believe it!! He got some money for his birthday so I think we will use a little of it for more puzzles. What a great way to spend quality time together.
This morning Levi had finished his puzzle without assistance yet again and wanted to do "another puzzle." Matt told him we had a grownup puzzle of the Winners Circle so Matt had him open the cupboard and found it. They got it out and as Matt went to open it Levi was beside himself with excitement and said "This is going to be so much fun!!"
Ellie is growing fast! She is already making the transition into 3mo clothing. She really enjoys weight bearing on her legs and bouncing when held. She is doing great at following with her eyes and notices when I walk into the room, and looks for me. She wakes up incredibly happy and often just wants to stare at me and grin. Bath-time is her favorite thing, she kicks and splashes with her hands. I think we'll make the jump to size 2 diapers this next week. Her 2 month check up is scheduled for Monday so I am looking forward to seeing what she weighs!
This morning Levi had finished his puzzle without assistance yet again and wanted to do "another puzzle." Matt told him we had a grownup puzzle of the Winners Circle so Matt had him open the cupboard and found it. They got it out and as Matt went to open it Levi was beside himself with excitement and said "This is going to be so much fun!!"
Ellie is growing fast! She is already making the transition into 3mo clothing. She really enjoys weight bearing on her legs and bouncing when held. She is doing great at following with her eyes and notices when I walk into the room, and looks for me. She wakes up incredibly happy and often just wants to stare at me and grin. Bath-time is her favorite thing, she kicks and splashes with her hands. I think we'll make the jump to size 2 diapers this next week. Her 2 month check up is scheduled for Monday so I am looking forward to seeing what she weighs!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Someone's had a birthday...
Today was Levi's 3rd birthday. Wow! Three already?! Where does the time go? I woke up this morning to the sound of "Mawmaw come change me!" I looked up at the clock...8:34...not bad. I told Matt, "we better get going if we are going to be ready in time" A quick calculation, yep only about 2 1/2 hours and we still had a lot to get done.
* * *
A bit of a back-story - I found these adorable little "happy meal" desserts on a blog I frequent. We decided it would be fun to adapt them for Levi's birthday cake. My other attempts at full-size cakes haven't turned out great. Quite edible, but not anything fancy or awe-inspiring. I wanted to change that. :) These, being from box mixes, looked easy, albeit time-consuming.
We got to work on them Saturday night. Matt did all the printing and cutting of the burger boats and fry holders. I did some folding and then he did the taping. Meanwhile, I did the baking of the cupcakes, brownies and sugar cookies. It was pretty fun. I am not a fan of sugar cookies but I must admit, even I had a hard time staying out of them when the "fries" were hot from the oven! We were up until about 2 am with all the baking and paper assembling.
* * * *
We had thought about making Levi something special for breakfast, like blueberry pancakes, but he said he wanted cereal. So Matt made him some banana muffins to go along with his granola and blueberries.
After breakfast Matt mixed up the frosting with three colors - red for ketchup, yellow for mustard, and green for lettuce. He was having a hard time getting the shades right. This is harder than it looks! Our red was more of a pinkish purple so he went down to the store to buy plain red icing. I put the "mustard" on the burgers...starting to look real! Finally got those done, and also had to shuck 2 dozen ears of corn. Levi helped me with that! He's getting pretty good at it.
We hurriedly packed up all the food we had bought for the party and loaded up the car(s). Matt has the wagon purring again and hopefully as a result we will see better gas milage too. We had a goal of getting over to my moms at 11 am - an hour before the party was to start - but forget it! We were lucky to get out of our door at 11:50 am!
It didn't matter much anyway, no one was on time. My mom was out working on a mediation. Matt had to run home because we forgot Levi's present, and candles, and I forget what else. Jerry and Gail came and helped with the grill. Gail took Levi out and they picked some raspberries right about the time Jenee' and Maddaly got there. We expected about 20 people but some couldn't make it for one reason or another so it was just a small family turnout with a couple friends. It was nice. Not too overwhelming. It ended up being a very hot day so we were all glad for mom's AC!
The food was excellent but I didn't get to pig out the way I would have liked to. I helped Levi with his food for awhile and then Ellie called, so I took care of her and in-between got in some bites. We had Grillers, Big Franks, Linketts and corn on the cob from the grill. I also boiled some corn on the cob but forgot about it on the stove and no one ate any. Mom had made potato salad, Debbie and Warren Rood brought watermelon and buns, Gail brought a relish plate. We brought juice and chips - let Levi pick them out, he chose Doritos 2-flavors bag with Pizza and Ranch. Venetha also came. I think there was about 12 of us. Plenty to eat!
Once everyone was about done eating Matt started assembling the burgers - last minute touches like putting the sesame seeds on top the 'buns' and puttng the "fries" in their pouches. He put together enough for everyone there and then we put three candles in the top of Levi's and set it in front of him. He asked "You put fire on there?" and I told him Yep! We would light his candles! Matt lit them and fast as a wink Maddaly blew them out. She is good! Oops! So we lit them again. Levi blew them out. Wait Levi, we have to sing to you first! So we lit them again. We sang. He blew them out. By now it was so much fun he wanted them lit again. So Matt re-lit them a couple more times so he could blow them out again and again. Then he asked "Do I eat it?" and I said Yep! So he had Matt help him at first and then he got the hang of it. It was so cute seeing the kids holding onto the little buns and eating them just like hamburgers. The fries were a real hit too.
I think everyone loved the idea and execution of this birthday cake. Something different! It was rewarding.
After cake my mom finally made it home so she grabbed some food and we let Levi start in on the presents. He got some really fun stuff that I know he will enjoy.
Well after all this excitement it was nap time for a certain little boy, so we loaded up the car again and made our way back home. He resisted but was soon fast asleep! We had heard that our neighbor's birthday was on Friday so we printed out a fry holder for him that said "Happy Birthday Bruce" and took it over next door. He got a real kick out of that. Everyone crashed except for me, I used the time to get started on downloading photos. Before I knew it, it was 5:15. Everyone still sound asleep. I decided to wake them up at 5:30 so we could head for the Milton pool. It was a hot day! No sooner did we get the stuff into the car then Matt says "Sure looks like a thunderstorm." What? No! We picked up my mom and headed for the pool anyway.
It was breezy and pretty cool by the time we got out to the water. I put a swim diaper on Ellie and tried on one of her bathing suits (Thanks Joanie!). It fit pretty well even though the label said 6-12 months. I never did get her in the water though. Jenee' and Maddaly had gotten there earlier and were done swimming, they were cold! Levi plunked right down into the water on his hands and knees and had a great time playing with Oma KP until the lifeguards announced that because of lightening they were closing the pool. Oh dear! They gave everyone rain-checks so I hope to go back on the next hot day!
We talked about taking Levi to the theatre to see "Up" but when we got home and checked times it was not playing again until almost 9 pm - too late for a little guy! There wasn't anything we wanted to watch with him on instant netflix either so we decided to eat - he scarfed down a hot dog and some corn on the cob, chips and another "burger." He also got to visit with grandma Susan on Skype. After that we wound down by putting together one of his new puzzles from his birthday party. He is really getting into puzzles now and it is something we can do together that we both enjoy. After he got it all put together he wanted to take a photo so I gave him the camera and he took his time figuring out how to do that.
I think he had a pretty good birthday. We'll have to fit in studio photos some other day. This one was cram-packed.
* * *
A bit of a back-story - I found these adorable little "happy meal" desserts on a blog I frequent. We decided it would be fun to adapt them for Levi's birthday cake. My other attempts at full-size cakes haven't turned out great. Quite edible, but not anything fancy or awe-inspiring. I wanted to change that. :) These, being from box mixes, looked easy, albeit time-consuming.
We got to work on them Saturday night. Matt did all the printing and cutting of the burger boats and fry holders. I did some folding and then he did the taping. Meanwhile, I did the baking of the cupcakes, brownies and sugar cookies. It was pretty fun. I am not a fan of sugar cookies but I must admit, even I had a hard time staying out of them when the "fries" were hot from the oven! We were up until about 2 am with all the baking and paper assembling.
* * * *
We had thought about making Levi something special for breakfast, like blueberry pancakes, but he said he wanted cereal. So Matt made him some banana muffins to go along with his granola and blueberries.
After breakfast Matt mixed up the frosting with three colors - red for ketchup, yellow for mustard, and green for lettuce. He was having a hard time getting the shades right. This is harder than it looks! Our red was more of a pinkish purple so he went down to the store to buy plain red icing. I put the "mustard" on the burgers...starting to look real! Finally got those done, and also had to shuck 2 dozen ears of corn. Levi helped me with that! He's getting pretty good at it.
We hurriedly packed up all the food we had bought for the party and loaded up the car(s). Matt has the wagon purring again and hopefully as a result we will see better gas milage too. We had a goal of getting over to my moms at 11 am - an hour before the party was to start - but forget it! We were lucky to get out of our door at 11:50 am!
It didn't matter much anyway, no one was on time. My mom was out working on a mediation. Matt had to run home because we forgot Levi's present, and candles, and I forget what else. Jerry and Gail came and helped with the grill. Gail took Levi out and they picked some raspberries right about the time Jenee' and Maddaly got there. We expected about 20 people but some couldn't make it for one reason or another so it was just a small family turnout with a couple friends. It was nice. Not too overwhelming. It ended up being a very hot day so we were all glad for mom's AC!
The food was excellent but I didn't get to pig out the way I would have liked to. I helped Levi with his food for awhile and then Ellie called, so I took care of her and in-between got in some bites. We had Grillers, Big Franks, Linketts and corn on the cob from the grill. I also boiled some corn on the cob but forgot about it on the stove and no one ate any. Mom had made potato salad, Debbie and Warren Rood brought watermelon and buns, Gail brought a relish plate. We brought juice and chips - let Levi pick them out, he chose Doritos 2-flavors bag with Pizza and Ranch. Venetha also came. I think there was about 12 of us. Plenty to eat!
Once everyone was about done eating Matt started assembling the burgers - last minute touches like putting the sesame seeds on top the 'buns' and puttng the "fries" in their pouches. He put together enough for everyone there and then we put three candles in the top of Levi's and set it in front of him. He asked "You put fire on there?" and I told him Yep! We would light his candles! Matt lit them and fast as a wink Maddaly blew them out. She is good! Oops! So we lit them again. Levi blew them out. Wait Levi, we have to sing to you first! So we lit them again. We sang. He blew them out. By now it was so much fun he wanted them lit again. So Matt re-lit them a couple more times so he could blow them out again and again. Then he asked "Do I eat it?" and I said Yep! So he had Matt help him at first and then he got the hang of it. It was so cute seeing the kids holding onto the little buns and eating them just like hamburgers. The fries were a real hit too.
I think everyone loved the idea and execution of this birthday cake. Something different! It was rewarding.
After cake my mom finally made it home so she grabbed some food and we let Levi start in on the presents. He got some really fun stuff that I know he will enjoy.
Well after all this excitement it was nap time for a certain little boy, so we loaded up the car again and made our way back home. He resisted but was soon fast asleep! We had heard that our neighbor's birthday was on Friday so we printed out a fry holder for him that said "Happy Birthday Bruce" and took it over next door. He got a real kick out of that. Everyone crashed except for me, I used the time to get started on downloading photos. Before I knew it, it was 5:15. Everyone still sound asleep. I decided to wake them up at 5:30 so we could head for the Milton pool. It was a hot day! No sooner did we get the stuff into the car then Matt says "Sure looks like a thunderstorm." What? No! We picked up my mom and headed for the pool anyway.
It was breezy and pretty cool by the time we got out to the water. I put a swim diaper on Ellie and tried on one of her bathing suits (Thanks Joanie!). It fit pretty well even though the label said 6-12 months. I never did get her in the water though. Jenee' and Maddaly had gotten there earlier and were done swimming, they were cold! Levi plunked right down into the water on his hands and knees and had a great time playing with Oma KP until the lifeguards announced that because of lightening they were closing the pool. Oh dear! They gave everyone rain-checks so I hope to go back on the next hot day!
We talked about taking Levi to the theatre to see "Up" but when we got home and checked times it was not playing again until almost 9 pm - too late for a little guy! There wasn't anything we wanted to watch with him on instant netflix either so we decided to eat - he scarfed down a hot dog and some corn on the cob, chips and another "burger." He also got to visit with grandma Susan on Skype. After that we wound down by putting together one of his new puzzles from his birthday party. He is really getting into puzzles now and it is something we can do together that we both enjoy. After he got it all put together he wanted to take a photo so I gave him the camera and he took his time figuring out how to do that.
I think he had a pretty good birthday. We'll have to fit in studio photos some other day. This one was cram-packed.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Give me a favor?
This morning Levi says to Matt "Would you give me a favor?" and Matt asks him "What? Would you do me a favor?" and Levi says "yeah, uh huh...would you do me a favor?" Matt says "Sure." And Levi asks "Would you get me that car up there?" I am continually amazed by his sentence structure these days.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
July 9
Tonight we were out shopping very late, and Levi did not get to bed until about 10:30 pm. Oops. He was very upset and crying after Matt put him down, so I went back to give him a hug. He gripped me tightly and whispered "I love you maw-maw." (I don't know why he has started calling me this southern version of mommy.) It was so sweet. Hard to believe that earlier tonight when I gave him a kiss he told me "No, I wipe it off!!" I asked him if he was hungry - thinking he's up so late past his bedtime, it's been a long time since dinner. He whispered "Yes, hungry." So I asked him "Do you want a piece of bread?" And he says "Bread will make it better." He is learning to say "___ will make it better" (Fill in the blank) It can be pretty amusing at times. So we fed him a PB&J and strawberries and put him back to bed, a much happier little boy.
A couple days ago I had set Ellie down propped up in the crack of the sofa and was making dinner in the kitchen. Matt comes in and tells me "Come here, you have to see this!" As I peek my head around the wall, I see Levi with his musicbox, entertaining Ellie. Ellie was all grins, smiling at him and cooing. So neat to see the siblings bonding. I told Matt to get a photo!! These do not show her big smile, but you get the idea. And yes, she IS my little princess. :)
Update on the wagon - Matt got it started and drove it home. He thinks it may be the ignition, as the (new!) tailpipe is incredibly sooty. I don't know why it would run fine and now suddenly start acting up like this. But man, I love my suburban! I forgot how much I enjoy driving it. Even with all the squeaks and rattles it has now.
I took the motorcycle out to the country to take care of some animals this evening. The pig gave me no trouble. Happy day! Tomorrow will be a whirlwind of party planning. Can't wait to post photos when it is all said and done! I am pretty tickled about my idea this year.
A couple days ago I had set Ellie down propped up in the crack of the sofa and was making dinner in the kitchen. Matt comes in and tells me "Come here, you have to see this!" As I peek my head around the wall, I see Levi with his musicbox, entertaining Ellie. Ellie was all grins, smiling at him and cooing. So neat to see the siblings bonding. I told Matt to get a photo!! These do not show her big smile, but you get the idea. And yes, she IS my little princess. :)
Update on the wagon - Matt got it started and drove it home. He thinks it may be the ignition, as the (new!) tailpipe is incredibly sooty. I don't know why it would run fine and now suddenly start acting up like this. But man, I love my suburban! I forgot how much I enjoy driving it. Even with all the squeaks and rattles it has now.
I took the motorcycle out to the country to take care of some animals this evening. The pig gave me no trouble. Happy day! Tomorrow will be a whirlwind of party planning. Can't wait to post photos when it is all said and done! I am pretty tickled about my idea this year.
This and that. Nothing much.
Life has been challenging this week. We've been busy!
Monday night Matt had the guys over to discuss and do some test footage of the latest idea, a motorcycle movie. I went to bed as early as Ellie would let me - 9:30, not too shabby.
The middle of the week was a blur. Gail stopped by at one point with her dad and dropped off a toddler bed frame and we talked about where to build a sandbox for the boy.
Last night we went out and did some shopping for Levi's birthday party. Nothing exciting, just double-sided tape and some different kinds of paper products. (You'll see why later) But that was at Staples. We also stopped by Fast Eddies to purchase some fry boats. They sold me 20 for $2. Hope it's enough! Had some other errands to run as well, got home after 9 pm.
Ellie went to bed about 11 pm, woke up at 2 am, and then slept soundly until about 7 am. Matt reports that she slept from 8-noon and he was able to get a lot of things done!
This morning driving into work the car (wagon) was hesitating at the stop light. Pulled into the parking lot and it DIED on me. Would NOT start again for anything. I think I may have flooded it. A nice gent helped me push it back into a spot. Tried starting it at lunch, it started but would not stay running. Matt thinks its the timing? Perhaps? So I hitched a ride home with the car-seats and drove the motorcycle back later.
Matt took some cute photos the other day of Levi entertaining his sissy so will try and post those soon.....
Monday night Matt had the guys over to discuss and do some test footage of the latest idea, a motorcycle movie. I went to bed as early as Ellie would let me - 9:30, not too shabby.
The middle of the week was a blur. Gail stopped by at one point with her dad and dropped off a toddler bed frame and we talked about where to build a sandbox for the boy.
Last night we went out and did some shopping for Levi's birthday party. Nothing exciting, just double-sided tape and some different kinds of paper products. (You'll see why later) But that was at Staples. We also stopped by Fast Eddies to purchase some fry boats. They sold me 20 for $2. Hope it's enough! Had some other errands to run as well, got home after 9 pm.
Ellie went to bed about 11 pm, woke up at 2 am, and then slept soundly until about 7 am. Matt reports that she slept from 8-noon and he was able to get a lot of things done!
This morning driving into work the car (wagon) was hesitating at the stop light. Pulled into the parking lot and it DIED on me. Would NOT start again for anything. I think I may have flooded it. A nice gent helped me push it back into a spot. Tried starting it at lunch, it started but would not stay running. Matt thinks its the timing? Perhaps? So I hitched a ride home with the car-seats and drove the motorcycle back later.
Matt took some cute photos the other day of Levi entertaining his sissy so will try and post those soon.....
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
Happy Independence Day!! We started the day out by eating breakfast. 
It was a pretty relaxing morning. Levi enjoyed watching trains go by, and airplanes fly overhead. I was able to catch up on the blog. We thought we would try and go to the Portland Children's Museum after lunch on the way to the coast. Wes and Joanie had bought Levi some birthday presents so he got to open them early. Binoculars, Legos and beach toys. Levi loved his new stuff!
For lunch we had some great holiday food - Scrapple, potato salad, chocolate covered fruit, corn on the cob. Mmmmmm.
By the time we were done eating however, we determined that we would not have but an hour to spend at the PCM, and knew that traffic could be bad headed to the beach so we gave up on the notion and just packed up the car to head out.
The first part of our journey went well, the kids napped and we were able to drive along at the speed limit. We stopped at a DQ for bathroom break and blizzards and at that point everything changed. Hwy 26 was slammed headed west with lots of stop and go with an endless line of traffic. Ellie was very unhappy. She woke up and started screaming. Not your "I'm an unhappy baby cry" but rather "I am steaming mad and getting overheated I am screaming so hard!" Oh boy. We inched along and finally came to a little day-use park on the right so we pulled off and I nursed her and changed her and we all had a break for about 30 min.
Ellie seemed content, if not a little tired. So we loaded up and forced our way back out into the long line of cars. Almost immediately Ellie started screaming again. Geez! What do you do? This time I knew she wasn't hungry or wet, and she has been known to fuss when tired, so we let her cry it out. (I am really not comfortable getting a baby out of their carseat while driving). She did finally fall asleep. It didn't help that her brother poked her in the forehead with a juice box straw. :-o
After what seemed like the drive that would never end, we finally made it to the 101 junction and were able to move again. We went down to Manzanita Beach, the same spot we took dad last year for his birthday in May. We hauled out chairs and blankets and snacks and beach toys. I could not believe the temperature, it was downright cold! There was a wind blowing that made it worse. Levi sat near me and took a shovel of sand and as he dumped it, it blew all over all blanket. Oh dear. Matt took him down near the water and he had a great time running around and digging in the sand. He came back and reported that he had seen a jellyfish! Something else we saw was a two-man couple that needed to get a room. Wow. Wes and Joanie and mom took a walk and when they were done (about 6:45 pm) we packed it up and went downtown for dinner.
We ate at Marzano's Pizza Pie and it was really good. I got the Greek with artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and greek olives. Matt got a 4-cheese with roasted garlic. We ordered two larges for the five 1/2 of us and we ate all but two slices. Ellie slept the whole time. After we ate we got back in the cars and drove over to Seaside for the beach fireworks show. Ellie woke up and was again unhappy. When we arrived at Seaside the town was packed. We parked a couple blocks from the beach behind a small church. The whole walk over Ellie screamed and cried. She was too mad to even suck my finger. I had just changed her again so I knew that wasn't the problem. I had her swaddled in a fuzzy blanket because it was getting chilly again and I think perhaps she didn't appreciate the confinement. People kept glancing over at us with furrowed brows. But they were too annoyed to hang around.
Viewing the beach I was in awe. I have never seen anything like it. A large portion was barricaded off for the firework station and an earthmover was parked out there too. There were two porta-potties with a line about 50 people long. I shudder to think of the condition of those toilets. Thousands of people swarmed the beach and sidewalks. Many were already shooting off fireworks from their spot on the sand. There were tons of fire pits dug out in the sand with vendors selling firewood. It was fun to walk along and see the different spots that people had claimed and customized in the sand. Some had carved out deep recliners to sit in. Others had dug a trench for their feet and built a little counter for their beverages. There was a section labeled as "family-friendly, no fireworks" so we ventured in through that area. Wes had some friends in there somewhere and eventually we found them and set up our blankets and chairs. We settled in about 9:15 pm or so. I nursed Ellie and the stood up with her and let her take it all in. She quit fussing and stared at all the bonfires and personal fireworks. It was really an incredible experience. There were speakers all along the beach with music playing from 94.9 and later an announcer came on to talk about the firework display. Just as the show was about to start at 10 pm I glanced down and saw that Ellie was fast asleep.
When the show started it grabbed at my heart with the BOOM! BOOM-BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! vibrating through my pant legs. That first part of the show was the best. We had front-row seats. I relaxed with Ellie in a folding chair, while Matt sat with Levi on the ground wrapped in blankets. It was COLD, I could see my breath and I am not sure why since on the drive home the temperature said 59 degrees. The announcer bragged that this was the biggest fireworks display on the west coast, but I am hard pressed to believe that California wouldn't have something bigger. The professional show lasted 30 minutes and while it was an impressive display, Wes was very disappointed in it overall because there was so much smoke at times you couldn't see the fireworks! He thought they must have used cheaper fireworks this year because he has seen the show before and said last year it was so much better. Oh well, it was really cool and an experience to be sure. Ellie slept through the whole entire show, through the whole walk back to the car and wouldn't you know as soon as I belted her into her car seat she woke up and started wailing again!!
Wes had gotten something in his eye and had to rinse it out so I got her out and nursed her, hoping that would give us all peace. Well it didn't. As soon as she went back in she was mad again. Then began the trials and tribulations of getting back home. There was a line of traffic and it was not moving. We sat there for so long that Matt finally said "I think you'll be fine getting Ellie out of her car seat here since no one is moving." Ok well I took her out and held her and she was happy immediately and went right to sleep. We sat there in the long line of cars for 1 hr 30 min and only crept up about two blocks in that time, and that was because people got tired of waiting and pulled out of line to turn around. The whole time mom had to go to the bathroom. We finally made it to Safeway and we all took a break. Sitting in traffic is tiring! Wes and Matt both got coffee for the drive home - normally about 90 min drive but coming in it took us 2 hr 30 min with all the traffic. Thankfully this time Ellie was asleep when I put her in the car seat and she didn't wake up!!! Levi was sacked out also. The kids slept the whole way home, and I napped a little also.
We finally pulled into Wes' house at 3 am. The kids woke up briefly but went right back to sleep. Yay!
At first when we got to Manzanita I commented to mom that I wouldn't plan on doing this again! Then when we got to Seaside and experienced all the people and music and campfires I started having a lot more fun even though I was still freezing. I think if we ever do decide to go again, I will be better prepared and dressed in layers!
Chatterbox
Today Wes taught Levi a new phrase. "There is junk in the trunk!" Oh dear. I guess my uncle taught me cool stuff that my parents probably wish he hadn't so I just have to laugh.
Levi has been speaking with a bit of a South Jersey accent lately, which everyone seems to enjoy greatly. My mom tells me that I spoke the same exact way. Some of his other current phrases are "Do we eat ____?" Fill in the blank with anything new. I am glad he asks, I am sure the nickel taught him the value of this.
There is more I wanted to add that have escaped me at the moment...
Levi has been speaking with a bit of a South Jersey accent lately, which everyone seems to enjoy greatly. My mom tells me that I spoke the same exact way. Some of his other current phrases are "Do we eat ____?" Fill in the blank with anything new. I am glad he asks, I am sure the nickel taught him the value of this.
There is more I wanted to add that have escaped me at the moment...
Friday, July 3, 2009
Vacation
It's a long weekend, and since the 4th of July is on Saturday this year, I got Friday off work. My mom has been itching for a chance to get out of town so we all decided to go and visit my brother Wes & wife Joanie in Portland.
Thursday night we really were not able to accomplish much at all in the way of packing, but did get a lot of laundry done. I was hoping to be able to go out blueberry picking after work but we were just too busy, and I heard later that they were closed anyway due to lack of ripe berries.
Friday morning I was up and trying to encourage everyone else to get up too so we could get packed and out of town before it got too late. My mom had said she'd be over about 9:30, and I had planned to get the dogs delivered to their "home away from home" about 9 am also.
Ellie ate her breakfast and promptly fell asleep, and slept until 11 am so I had my hands free to pack and load up which was great. (Athough I had to wake her up to feed her before we headed out of town).
I delivered the dogs on time but that's about all that was on schedule today. After that Matt left to take some equipment to one of his crew, and my mom took Levi for a walk down to Andy's to get some ice for our cooler.
We were finally loaded up and ready to leave town about 11:30 and I had to take a blanket out to Buddy on the way out of town. I think we got to Pendleton about 12:30. We decided we should eat while we were there so we went to the Cookie Tree. Their oatmeal chocolate chip giant cookie was very good. My mom realized at this point that she did not have her cell phone with her. She thought maybe she left it in the stroller when she took Levi to Andy's earlier. Hmm. Too far to go back for it, Oh well!
We drove along for about an hour and then Ellie woke up so we stopped to feed her. Seems like we stopped every hour for one reason or another. I had forgotten how time-consuming it is to try and travel with an infant. Levi has become such a great little traveler that I have taken it forgranted. Needless to say we did not get to my brother's place until 5:45 pm and he was worried sick. He came out and demanded to know where we had been, said he had called the cops and half the people in the family. I guess my mom usually always calls him when she leaves and then again when she's almost there. She had told him we'd leave at 9 am (WHAT?!) so he expected us by 1 pm. Poor guy, I had no idea he'd be so concerned about us. I never travel with a cell phone and just figure we get there when we get there. The other bad thing was that even if we had stopped to use a pay phone, my brother changed his number recently and neither of us had his new number on us.
Well the car got unloaded and everyone settled in and then Wes and Joanie made us a fantastic dinner of grillers and hot dogs (from the grill), fresh cherries, and potato salad with chips and juice. Yum!
Levi was trying to be helpful and went into the bathroom to throw away a diaper for me, didn't realize the door was closing and ran into it. Poor guy got one hell of lump on his forehead and the skin split a little bit too.
Matt went to bed early (tired from driving) and the rest of us headed to the pool. Levi had a great time playing with Wes, Joanie and Oma in the water with his floaties.
After that Wes made us fruit smoothies. Levi sat on a stool in the kitchen to drink his (most of the time, he needed reminders) then Joanie read him a book and then I took him upstairs to brush his teeth and put him to bed. He climbed right in his portable playpen and snuggled up with his night-night blanket and went to sleep.
Joanie also made some chocolate-covered strawberries and cherries, which I indulged in when Levi wasn't looking. :)
After Levi went to bed we watched Along Came Polly and Joanie snuggled with a sleeping Ellie.
Thursday night we really were not able to accomplish much at all in the way of packing, but did get a lot of laundry done. I was hoping to be able to go out blueberry picking after work but we were just too busy, and I heard later that they were closed anyway due to lack of ripe berries.
Friday morning I was up and trying to encourage everyone else to get up too so we could get packed and out of town before it got too late. My mom had said she'd be over about 9:30, and I had planned to get the dogs delivered to their "home away from home" about 9 am also.
Ellie ate her breakfast and promptly fell asleep, and slept until 11 am so I had my hands free to pack and load up which was great. (Athough I had to wake her up to feed her before we headed out of town).
I delivered the dogs on time but that's about all that was on schedule today. After that Matt left to take some equipment to one of his crew, and my mom took Levi for a walk down to Andy's to get some ice for our cooler.
We were finally loaded up and ready to leave town about 11:30 and I had to take a blanket out to Buddy on the way out of town. I think we got to Pendleton about 12:30. We decided we should eat while we were there so we went to the Cookie Tree. Their oatmeal chocolate chip giant cookie was very good. My mom realized at this point that she did not have her cell phone with her. She thought maybe she left it in the stroller when she took Levi to Andy's earlier. Hmm. Too far to go back for it, Oh well!
We drove along for about an hour and then Ellie woke up so we stopped to feed her. Seems like we stopped every hour for one reason or another. I had forgotten how time-consuming it is to try and travel with an infant. Levi has become such a great little traveler that I have taken it forgranted. Needless to say we did not get to my brother's place until 5:45 pm and he was worried sick. He came out and demanded to know where we had been, said he had called the cops and half the people in the family. I guess my mom usually always calls him when she leaves and then again when she's almost there. She had told him we'd leave at 9 am (WHAT?!) so he expected us by 1 pm. Poor guy, I had no idea he'd be so concerned about us. I never travel with a cell phone and just figure we get there when we get there. The other bad thing was that even if we had stopped to use a pay phone, my brother changed his number recently and neither of us had his new number on us.
Well the car got unloaded and everyone settled in and then Wes and Joanie made us a fantastic dinner of grillers and hot dogs (from the grill), fresh cherries, and potato salad with chips and juice. Yum!Levi was trying to be helpful and went into the bathroom to throw away a diaper for me, didn't realize the door was closing and ran into it. Poor guy got one hell of lump on his forehead and the skin split a little bit too.
Matt went to bed early (tired from driving) and the rest of us headed to the pool. Levi had a great time playing with Wes, Joanie and Oma in the water with his floaties.
After that Wes made us fruit smoothies. Levi sat on a stool in the kitchen to drink his (most of the time, he needed reminders) then Joanie read him a book and then I took him upstairs to brush his teeth and put him to bed. He climbed right in his portable playpen and snuggled up with his night-night blanket and went to sleep.Joanie also made some chocolate-covered strawberries and cherries, which I indulged in when Levi wasn't looking. :)
After Levi went to bed we watched Along Came Polly and Joanie snuggled with a sleeping Ellie.
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