The Ditmars Family Blog

Cuteness :-)

2012-03-06T18:08:00.000-08:00

Cloud Dough Sandbox

2012-03-04T15:54:00.001-08:00

Found this on Pinterest and decided to make it into a fully functioning plaything rather than just a bowl of dough for one time use. This stuff feels like flour, but acts like damp sand. It keeps it's shape, just like when you make sand castles. For every 8 cups of flour, mix in one cup of baby oil by hand (until it starts keeping it's shape). It doesn't go bad, and the baby oil in the flour smells SO good! It's probably great for your hands to play with this stuff! Be prepared, some of this stuff will end up outside of the bin for sure, just like any "sand box". But if you confine it to the kitchen and monitor the play, it's not so bad, and it sweeps up easily. I keep mine lidded and on top of the fridge, and only take it down when I'm up to dealing with the mess it makes. It really is a great thing to have on hand for a rainy day!

Family Leaves Dream House to Experience More Frugal Living Conditions?

2012-03-04T15:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I walked into the family room to find a very empty dollhouse. I asked Carlie where all the furniture went. She shrugged her shoulders and said, "The family moved out."

After a little looking around, I discovered they apparently moved into the bookshelf....

The parking garage....

And the upstairs TV cabinet.

Watching Logan

2012-03-03T14:08:00.000-08:00

On Thursday I started watching our nephew, Logan, during the day. The kids have been so thrilled having a baby around to admire and play with. Carlie can't stop saying, "He's SO cute!", and Mason keeps "petting" his head and saying, "Do you know I wuv you Baby Logan?" Carlie's really great with him and wants to help me in every possible way. When he is laying on the floor she loves to help him play with his toys and show him picture books. And Logan delights in us singing him Itsy-Bitsy Spider in unison. He seems to really like Carlie, as he is very smiley whenever she comes around. It's fun having a warm little baby to cuddle and care for during the day, especially when you get to give him back to his Mommy at the end of the day and relax (well, relax is a relative term considering I still have two little one's of my own, lol)! I took some photos of Logan's first couple days here, as I know his Mommy and Grammy would be delighted to see all the cousins together. I'm thinking this is going to be a really great arrangement. I like having the little guy around :-)

Hopefully one of these days I can get some better, more well thought out portraits of the three but these are still pretty cute!

Playing on his beloved Jungle-Mat....

I think I need to find Mason a tumbling class, lol, as he has been doing somersaults and funny stretches all over the family room lately.... And there's cute little Logan chillaxin' in the Boppy....

Carlie reading to Logan. He really liked this!

It really relaxed him and he fell asleep at the end of the book, LOL!

And here he is during a real nap. He earned himself some sock hands during his pre-nap rub eyes and scratch face session. He fell asleep with his little sock hands over both eyes and it was super cute. I went to get my camera, but when I got back he'd moved one of them. But seriously, it looked hilariously adorable.

Old Blue Eyes

2012-02-22T16:49:00.001-08:00

He's almost three. Just a few more weeks....

It doesn't seem to matter how old he gets, he's still my baby. And he still looks as precious as the day he was born. I know there will come a day (sooner than I want to think about) when I have to pretend I don't see him as my baby. It will be hard. There's something about a son. They come to us as sweet little babies, helpless and cuddly. They leave us as grown men, with whiskers and muscles, and being all tough. Only the mothers remember who they were before all of that. I will never forget this little buddy of mine, the way he is right this very moment. Someday he will be all grown up and tough, and that will make me happy and proud too. But just let me savor this time, as it passes too quickly, and I'll never get it back. I love you Mason Ditmars...

My Little Rain Enthusiasts

2012-02-22T01:15:00.000-08:00

Words to Describe....

2012-02-20T23:24:00.000-08:00

Mason is.....

Caring

Affectionate

Imaginative

Adorable

Observant

Cautious

Sweet

Loving

Mellow

Funny

Cuddly

An animal lover

Diligent

Detail oriented

Carlie is....

Intelligent

Wise

Cuddly

Eager

Sweet

Shy

Easily-devestated

Creative

Pretty

Rambunctious

Talkative

Tall

Wholesome

Expressive

Observant

Loving

and of great comedic relief.....

Valentines Day With My Kiddo's

2012-02-16T12:46:00.000-08:00

I kind of view Valentines Day as a kid's holiday. Mostly because choosing a specific day to be romantic seems like a lot of pressure and no one ends up feeling romantic, they just feel obligated. I'm a member of the "I'd rather receive flowers randomly when it truly means something" club. Randy and I were sort of like the Heck's on that show "The Middle". Did you see it? They nonchalantly agree not to do cards and flowers because it seems so pointless and decide they'll just get a bucket of chicken. Hahaha, yesssss! That show is awesome and has married couples pegged, BIG-TIME. Anyway, Valentines Day is a great time for little crafts and sweets with your kids. So we observe it with them.

I love to surprise the kids with heart shaped food.

(the pure sugar breakfast was ridiculous, I know. In my head it sounded healthy... toast, yogurt, and a little dry cereal. It wasn't until I saw it all on the plate that I saw it for what it really was.)

Carlie made a Valentine for Daddy. Between her nice cutting job and her writing, I was pretty proud.

Randy said I dressed Carlie nice, but made Mason look like a bum, because he was wearing a tee shirt and sweat pants. What-evs. His Valentines shirt from last year still fit, so I went with it. Carlie just happened to have a cute little hand-me-down dress.

We made Valentines Butterfly's.

(umm, yeah, you just ignore that mess falling out of the closet on the left side of this photo.)

And after dinner Carlie and I made Whoopie Pies.

So there you have it. Those were our Valentines Day festivities. The end.

(I would normally write more heart felt thoughts about the day, but I'm whipping this blog out super fast because the kids are starting to ask about lunch. I gots to go, motherly duties are calling!)

The Peninsula

2012-02-13T19:44:00.000-08:00

We headed over to the Peninsula on Sunday for an afternoon at the Game Farm Park. The kids always love a ride on the ferry.

This place never gets old. These animals are not shy about sticking their head in your car window, and it can make for some seriously funny moments.

And look who we found on our way back! Our friend, Matt!

And here's a random seagull, just because.

Morning at the Beach

2012-02-09T16:58:00.000-08:00

The kids and I stopped by the beach for a while this morning. It didn't matter that it was a cold, drizzly morning. We're sort of used to that around here, anyway. I just needed to go. There's something about the land ending and the water beginning that makes you feel you're at the edge of the world (never mind that Earth is round and without an edge). I wanted to be at the edge, as far as I can go, breathing in the chilly morning air, listening to the light Puget Sound waves gently lapping against the rocky shore. I wanted to feel alive and reflect on things. I had a lot on my mind and just needed to find some beauty in my morning.

I gave the kids little buckets to collect treasures in. I only made them sit for a few photos before putting the camera away so we could focus on playing. They threw rocks in the water and laughed when they made big splashes. They sprinted crazily along the beach toward the ferry when they saw it coming in. They used their hands to scoop wet sand into their buckets. They climbed on the driftwood.

We made our way over to the playground and Carlie laughed herself silly on the little spinny toy. Mason, on the other hand, decided an hour playing on the beach was enough, and began to whine and cry that he wanted to be picked up and wanted to go home. Then he tripped on something and cried even harder. Then he decided the sand stuck to his hands was unbearable and walked around with his hands sticking out and crying like he couldn't touch anything with sandy hands. Carlie was having a blast, but I decided it was time to go. But then suddenly Mason realized he had lost his favorite shell somewhere and became frantic over it. He cried like he'd lost his best friend. We stopped on the beach one more time to look for a few more shiny rocks and ~~broken~~ shells before we left.

I'm glad we went. It lifted my spirits, and I really needed that today. Plus, Mason slept in the car afterward. Thank goodness.

A Rough Couple of Days

2012-02-07T09:12:00.000-08:00

Mason has a cold. He's a basket case. The problem is, just before getting sick, he had decided he's too good for naps. Knowing a lot of kids give up naps around age three, I went with it. Then the crisis hit. I tried to reverse the no-nap required thing, but he's having none of that. Apparently, his heavy eye-lids didn't get the memo. He keeps falling asleep sitting up. We try to lay him down when it happens (just wherever he is, not even in his bed), and he wakes up angry and shouts, "No, I not tired!" Then he cries and looks all miserable and eventually drifts off again. Sigh. On the one hand I feel bad for him, and then on the other hand I feel annoyed that he insists on being so stubborn. Yesterday, he was such a wreck we couldn't even take it. We had to put him to bed at 6:30 because he couldn't even function and was ruining everyone's evening. I bathed him, fed him dinner on his own (which he didn't really eat), and tucked him in. Then Randy, Carlie, and I sat down for the "real" dinner. I felt guilty that I didn't miss Mason at the dinner table. It's just that he's always such a stinker at dinner. He doesn't eat what I make, ends up crying, then gets down from his chair and tries to climb all over me while I'm eating. Randy gets stern with him and tells him he need to leave me alone, and then he runs off screaming. It sure was peaceful to have just one child at the table, happily eating what I made, and acting all sweet with us. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Mason, even if he is a grouch lately, but every once in a while, it's nice to take a breather from the "terrible two's"-laden child. But....we made up for lost time at 9pm, 12am, 3am, and 5:25am.

(Yesterday around 4pm.)

They Are My Sunshine

2012-02-04T22:49:00.000-08:00

The last time I posted, we were in the middle of a snow and ice storm. It hasn't been too long, but check out this difference in the weather....

Yes, it's true, the Northwest occasionally enjoys a parting in the clouds (and a break from the rain) at some random point in the middle of winter. And we all act like it's summer. And our seasonal depression lifts temporarily and we do productive things like clean out the garage. Well, that's what I did yesterday anyway. And I sent the children to play in the backyard while I was doing it. And when I decided they were being too quiet, I went to check on them. This was the scene. They'd dug out their lawn chairs and placed them in the one spot where the sun was coming through the trees. There they sat, side by side, soaking up the sun (and Mason was apparently cheering it on with some plastic golf clubs?). I raced for my camera and crept up behind them to capture this. It was too precious of a moment not to share.

Snow Angels

2012-01-18T16:01:00.000-08:00

We keep getting more and more snow. I'd say at least a foot of snow has accumulated in the last few days.

The kids eagerly trotted into the deep drifts of snow in our backyard today. I couldn't help but giggle from the window as I watched their little legs sink deep into the depths of fluffy snow with every step they took, looking tiny and helpless in a vast sea of white. I pulled my boots on and took a few photos from the comfort of our deck, which was far less snowy since Randy shoveled the snow off it last night. The height was great, because I was able to shoot downward and capture this sweet photo of Carlie making a snow angel.

The kids didn't last too long out in the cold. Randy made a fire and I made hot chocolate. Now I'm going to make no-bake cookies. Maybe we'll just eat our way through the rest of this snow day.

Winter Wonderland

2012-01-16T23:58:00.000-08:00

On Saturday afternoon the big fluffy snowflakes began floating down. By early evening there was plenty to play in. The kids ran around the backyard excitedly throwing fistfuls of snow at each other and laughing their sweet little laughs. I showed them how to roll the snow for a snow man, and soon it was dark and there were wide green lines criss-crossing the lawn where all the snow had been used up, and a cute little snowman stood in the middle. We thought it would all be gone in the morning.

Instead, we woke up on Sunday to a true winter wonderland! More snow had fallen, and had filled in Saturday's bootprints and covered the whole world outside our window with white. And it was Daddy's one day a week off! So all four of us headed over to the neighborhood sledding hill.

(Carlie and Daddy flying down the hill on the Sno-Blaster. I love Carlie's face! Oh, and don't worry, I'm not right infront of them about to be plowed over, I'm at the bottom of the hill with a telephoto lens, LOL!)

(Check out the bottom right photo in this collage. Randy's preparing to throw a snowball at me, and Carlie just nailed him in the back with one. Carlie is very protective of me. This photo just cracks me up! Look at her face!)

(Mason decided rolling down the hill was just as fun as sledding. Daddy joined in too! I love the progression of photos that shows Randy lifting his legs up over Mason as he rolled past, LOL!)

(Mason taking a break to eat some snow!)

(Me and my snow angels!)

This evening Randy took Carlie back over to the sledding hill when he got home from work (Mason isn't feeling good and was napping). Oh my goodness, he captured THE CUTEST video on his phone! Check it out!

(You might prefer to click the little pause button to the blog music so you can hear the video better. It's at the very top of the side-bar.)

They are saying it might snow even more tonight....

Fiery Skies

2012-01-14T11:34:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while, the sunset is so intense the sky is just set afire. Around here, we don't get many noticeable sunsets. Typically the sky just gets dimmer and dimmer until it's dark, and you know that somewhere behind the many layers of rain clouds, the sun must be setting. Yesterday was not one of those days. I was in the middle of begrudgingly tossing toys into bins in Mason's bedroom, muttering to myself that the mess was ridiculous. I was annoyed and tired. But then something happened that changed my whole mood. His window shade was closed, but I noticed there was this amazing pink light illuminating it. I curiously opened the shade to see the entire street was being bathed in a pink hue. I got very excited, because I know if it's pink outside the front windows, the sky is on fire out the back windows. I dropped the toys back onto the floor and ran to the back deck to be greeted by the warmest sunset I've ever experienced. Suddenly the toy messes inside my home were completely unimportant, and I was back in touch with what's important in life.

The kids came to see what I was doing on the back deck, and even though they only caught the moment just before it's pure twilight, they were still in awe of the pink and periwinkle blue hues gracing the sky.

I went inside with a new frame of mind, and prepared dinner.... happily and without any muttering ;-)

Looking Back

2012-01-12T16:59:00.000-08:00

I sort of miss the chubby stage. My babies had the fattest cheeks, especially Carlie. Mason wins for best double chin though. I was looking through old photos and fell in love with how these two photos show them at the same age, with similar composition, so I thought I'd share. Funny, except for the chub, you'd never know these two are related.

Both Carlie and Mason (3months old) with their double chins and fat cheeks....

Okay I'm shamelessly tossing this one in too...

Carlie, The Little Baker

2012-01-07T17:17:00.000-08:00

Carlie made brownies for everyone to enjoy after dinner tonight. She is way too cute in an apron. And I think she's watched one too many shows on the cooking channel with me, because she narrated most things she was doing.

"It's good to use the spatula on the sides of the bowl to make sure we get it ALL mixed in."

Home made chocolate-peanut butter brownies, ready to go in the oven!

Laughing So Hard! I Wasn't the Only Angry Mother!

2012-01-03T16:45:00.000-08:00

Oh my gosh, NO WAY! Do you remember this?
http://carliesmommy.blogspot.com/2011/09/dear-crayola-we-are-so-over.html

Well check out this news:
http://www.komonews.com/news/consumer/-Crayola-agrees-to-class-action-settlement-over-washable-bubbles-136617788.html

Eight Year Wedding Anniversary, and Some Nostalgia

2012-01-01T02:50:00.000-08:00

Our wedding photo....taken with a one-time-use camera in a purple chapel when we were 19 on New Years Eve, LOL! Yeah. We eloped. Can you tell?

Dear Randy, December 31st, 2011

It's impossible to deny we must have lived many lifetimes together before. I feel as though we simply picked up where we left off. Everything about our love and marriage has come so naturally. I see in you my best friend; someone who will protect me for eternity. Someone who nurtures my soul, shelters my heart, and lifts my spirits. Never have you failed me. You are uniquely suited to cloak me in a special kind of love. You are my soul mate. I feel blessed for every moment I lay in your arms, for every smile you flash me, for every laugh we share, for every knowing glance we exchange, for every memory we make. There's a lot to learn in life, but our love makes it easier, and provides a stability I simply can't function without. I love the way you love me. I love you, and I hope I provide you with that same loving cloak you do me. I love our children. Thank you so much for them. They have completed our life in such a beautiful way. I love the peace I feel being your wife. There has been no greater joy than growing with you, learning this life's lessons, and knowing we are at each others sides through it all. Thank you for clasping your hands gently around my fragile heart and never letting it go. Even when you chuckle lovingly at my overly emotional and spiritual insights, I can tell you are also upholding my need to be that way. I love that when you catch me crying over almost nothing at all, you smile at me with this adoring look, like you just really can't believe I'm crying over something so stupid, but you love me for it, and you laugh, and make me laugh too. You always pick me up when I am down. You always know the right thing to say. You always brighten the dreariest of days. When you come home and wrap your arms around me, all is right with the world. You always seem to know exactly what I need. You always call when I'm needing you most. You always roll over and hug me in the middle of the night when I'm awake and drowning in too-deep-of-thoughts, as we like to call them. I truly believe we were destined to meet. I believe our love is eternal. I believe you rescued me from a lot of things, but most of all, I believe that was the plan all along. I love you so much for so many different reasons. I love your sense of responsibility and commitment. Not just in every day life, but in the way you treat me. I often think of how differently the years before I met you would have gone if you'd been there. You would have never let me fall. You would have never let me crash. You would have never allowed my heart to hurt longer than a minute. I am so lucky you finally came into my life, and took me away from it all. I love your drive to succeed. I love your desire to learn. I love your curiosity, your interest, and your wonderment. I love the way I can ask you anything and you have the answer. I love the way you always know how to fix things. I love the way you love our children. I love when I go to your work and see their pictures all over your desk. I love when you put Mason on your shoulders (even if I sometimes panic and tell you to watch your step every five seconds), and I love when you try so hard to put Carlie's hair in a pony tail and I just have to re-do it anyway. I love when you call from work and ask to talk to them. I love that you love them so much. Thank you for being my husband, Randy. The past eight years have been wonderful, and I know the next 50-70 years will be equally as wonderful. When those 70 years come to an end, I will still be with you, and I will still love you, because our love is eternal. Happy anniversary, Baby! Sorry for making you read so much, but you know I don't have it in me to make this short and simple. XOXO (But please stop calling me 'Sha-Kay-Kay"...)

For our anniversary, we went to Seattle. We spent almost every evening in Seattle when we were dating. We lived an hour apart, so it was the middle meeting point. We'd park down at Myrtle Edwards Park (this was before they replaced the parking lot with a really ugly sculpture park), and walk to the Tully's by Pike Place Market. We'd sit there and sip hot chocolate (because we weren't coffee drinkers) and I'd pretty much write Randy's english papers for him, because I loved doing it. When Tully's closed at 7, we'd walk down to the waterfront and grab some dinner at Red Robin. Our waiters name was Ryan, and he knew our orders by heart, and often gave us our drinks for free. He was awesome. Some nights we would walk all the way up to Westlake. We'd roam the mall, explore the Convention Center, and hold hands. Randy had a black wool coat that zipped. I had a black wool pea coat. We were sort of like twins. At the end of the night he'd get in his truck, and I'd get in my crappy little Saturn, and we'd drive away, waving goodbye through our car windows where Randy had to go straight and I had to turn right. Memories...

Anyway, we went to Seattle for our anniversary, and ate at our Red Robin, just like old times. Then we played with my camera. We took pictures at Alki Beach and then at Kerry Park. It was freezing. We used the tripod and got some pictures to commemorate our history with Seattle for our anniversary. I had fun being out with my Ran. =)

(Look! you can see the people in the observation deck of the Needle! Yay for telephoto lenses!)

Happy Anniversary, Randy! I love you always and forever!

Christmas with the Greens, Mitchells, and Owens!

2011-12-31T20:24:00.000-08:00

On Monday we concluded Christmas with one final celebration with Randy's side of the family at our house. After a pancake breakfast (err... lunch?) we headed down to the family room to let the kids tackle their last presents. We were a little surprised to find out their Grammy had gotten them a train table! LOL! What? Spoiled, you say? We couldn't agree more. Hopefully the kids are still little enough that they don't remember this and expect the same next year. It was one crazy year, and one we aren't likely to repeat. But they sure LOVE the table. It was a very exciting and generous gift!

Opening gifts. I love how when they open something that excites them they come running over to show it to you! It's so adorable, and it makes you feel sort of special that they care to share the moment with you!

She hopped up so fast I didn't even have time to focus my camera!

These hats are so cute! I see a photo shoot with these hats in their future.... (my kids just might win the title of the most photographed children of all time.)

Chillaxin and gazing at the cuteness on top of the ottoman.

Carlie showing Haley her Tinkerbell camera.

S.P.O.I.L.E.D. But look how happy he was!

Most of the afternoon consisted of Randy and Derek putting together the train table. I think it took two hours. Mason "helped" too.

Doreen and Nikki loving Logan.

Doreen, Haley, and Logan.

Carlie cheesing it up after Haley helped her put on her little accessories. And also Carlie feeding her Baby Alive from Santa for the first time. She was so excited that this doll pees and you have to change it's diaper. Yeah. Guess who had to change the diaper? ME!

Baby Logan (in sepia of course, for DeAnna).

Later that night, when the party was over, Carlie and Mason were quite content wearing their new Jammie's and finally having some quiet time to enjoy their new toys!

Well folks, that's a wrap! Hope your holidays were as enjoyable as ours! Have a very happy new year!

Christmas at my Parents House

2011-12-29T19:23:00.000-08:00

My Mom made the BEST lasagna EVER for Christmas dinner. Oh my gosh. I get hungry when I think about it.

Here are my favorite photos from the night!

Mason and Grandpa checking out his giant gift bag....

Carlie and Grandma! Carlie was SO happy and excited to get this special mini-van for her new dollhouse! She even slept with it that night, LOL!

Grandma's tired guy....

Me and my Holls =)

This was candid. We were exasperated by the frustration of not being able to get a good photo. Plus, we had just spent 15 minutes hiding in the shower in a dark bathroom just so our kids couldn't find us so we could have a grown up conversation. I'd say this photo pretty much sums up how we were feeling that night, LOL!

I have photos that include Matthew, but he said I can't post them on my blog. I don't blame him. We all look pretty retarded in them, hahaha!

Tomorrow night I will be posting the photos from our day after Christmas gathering with Randy's family!

The Kids's Christmas Morning

2011-12-28T22:13:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning was a whirlwind this year! The kids were delighted with everything Santa brought! Carlie was so happy to see the dollhouse. She gasped when she walked into the room and saw it. Mason seemed confused about the car when he saw it. I'm pretty sure he didn't even think it was for him at first, because he looked really intrigued by it, but then veered away to check out his stocking, almost as if he didn't want to get his hopes up and run up to the car in case it wasn't actually his. To be honest, if I saw one of those in my living room when I was his age, I'd probably think Santa left it for a grown-up, too, LOL! After opening presents, we had our annual cinnamon rolls and sweet orange rolls for breakfast, with hot chocolate! It was raining, so we couldn't take the police car out for a spin just yet, so we let them sit in it and watch Mason's new DVD (Cars 2) until the rain stopped. Then we all got dressed and finally got to play with the car outside! I think my favorite part of Christmas morning was when we first got up and I read the kids their Christmas scrolls from Santa. It made me really happy because they both sat and listened happily, and were interested to hear what Santa had to say. I was worried they would be annoyed and want to run downstairs right away to see their presents, but they were actually happy for me to read the scrolls. So the first year of our new tradition was a success! I'm happy. Christmas made me really happy. I love my family. They are just the best =)

Carlie stopped to ask if each present was her "Baby Alive" doll before opening it. She'd been asking for a Baby Alive doll for the last year. It was one of the last things she opened, so I'm pretty sure by then she thought she wasn't getting it. I took some photos of her opening it. The look on her face was priceless!

Mason was excited about all the die cast Disney Pixar Cars he got. You know, "Maydah da do truck" (Mater, the tow truck), and "Whitning Meween" (Lighting McQueen) and such.

He also got this car carrier truck, and a giant road map rug to play with all his matchbox cars on. He was cute, because after opening the rug, he then proceeded to bring every new toy he opened over to the rug to play with it.

Carlie was ecstatic to receive a new outfit for her water baby since it's been naked for some time (it's only outfit had been ruined).

Checking out the Police Charger...

The first ride!

Tomorrow I will be posting about Christmas dinner at my parents house!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-28T02:26:00.000-08:00

Okay folks, here's the deal. I took 388 photos over 4 different Christmas gatherings in three days. If I try to make one giant Christmas post, I might make myself crazy trying to sift through all the photos at one time, trying to decide which ones to use. In order to preserve my sanity, I will simply post the photos from one gathering at a time, over the next four days. So I will begin with Christmas Eve at Randy's Great Grandmother Sylvia's, house.

We love, love, LOVE Sylvia's tree! She has the most beautiful ornaments. Randy and I drool over it every year....

There's a new addition to the family this year: Nikki and Derek's little guy, Logan. The next series of photos are portraits I took of DeAnna with her now three grand kids. She's been looking forward to having some photos with the grand kids since Logan was born, so hopefully these make her happy =) I did them in Sepia because she LOVES sepia photos! Hopefully I can get some even better ones soon!

Thanks for taking this one, DeAnna =) Thanks for bombing it Carlie, LOL!

Speaking of Carlie and photo-bombing.....

Here, this one's MUCH better!

Can't forget about Grandpa and his buddy.

Great Aunt Lisa gave them the beater bars! Yummy =)

Trying to talk Mason into eating the annual rice pudding....

Mason loves this piano. He was a little natural, too.

Thanks to Great Aunt Lisa for the first presents of Christmas! Mason squealed with delight when he opened this and said, "It's just what I wanted!"

Carlie was thrilled to get a new beach Barbie and Barbie clothes! Look at her face =)

When we got home it was pretty late. Carlie and I had to scramble to decorate Santa's cookies before she went to bed. I couldn't seem to find the frosting we were going to use in the cupboard, so I frantically lathered a few cookies up with Nutella and let Carlie go to town with the sprinkles. Santa thought they were extremely rich and sugary, LOL. Here's the tree on Christmas Eve after Santa came. Santa sort of spoiled Carlie and Mason this year. It all started when a certain someone decided his son NEEDED this police power wheels, and then another somebody had to make sure her daughter had an equally exciting present under the tree so as not to create world war 3. This spoilage is SO not MY fault!

Tomorrow I will be posting the photos from Christmas morning!

Carlie and Mason Visit Santa

2011-12-23T16:20:00.000-08:00

We finally made it to the mall last night so the kids could visit Santa. They were so excited! When we arrived, Santa was on a break to check on toy production at the North Pole (lol), so the line was really piling up while he was gone. Everyone was just sitting on the ground camping out waiting for his return. I decided we should head to the food court and get some dinner to kill time, in hopes that they would get through some of that hideous line while we were gone. It was later in the evening, so I thought for sure the line would get shorter, not longer. NOPE! When we went back to the line it was twice as long! Randy looked at me like he was going to kill me. I laughed so hard! But hey, even though we did wait in line for about an hour, it actually went by really fast, and our children miraculously behaved the whole time. No meltdowns. No trying to run away. No crying to be held. No complaining. Like seriously, they just stood around like it wasn't a big deal and followed the line. Thank goodness for that! As we got closer to the front of the line and Santa came into view, Carlie and Mason became very giddy. When someone from Santa's workshop gave them the go ahead to go on up to Santa, Mason happily ran to him with his arms wide open! They sat and talked to him for a minute before the picture. I'm sure Carlie was letting him in on her rather large wish list. Mason was quite fascinated with his shirt, and happily played with the buttons on it until it was picture time. I was so thrilled because they both looked at the camera and smiled nice smiles. Usually Carlie does this really weird forced smile that doesn't look like a smile at all. You can tell she is genuinely happy in this picture! The Alderwood Mall Santa is THE best Santa, and I totally love that he wears his casual attire, because it's very realistic! Carlie has been extremely into Santa this year! I'm loving it! Mason is also pretty into Santa, and it's funny because when Carlie was two years old she didn't understand it, so he must just have a better understanding of it due to observing Carlie's excitement. To see last year's Santa photo and read about their reactions from 2010, click here.

A Little Reminder

2011-12-20T12:04:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you just need to paws and remember to put your feet up once in a while....

Carlie's Gingerbread House

2011-12-19T14:44:00.000-08:00

Christmas Lights and a Homemade Snow Globe!

2011-12-19T00:07:00.000-08:00

Tonight we did our annual Christmas Lights tour. We dress the kiddos in their festive jammie's after dinner and drive around searching high and low for the best Christmas light displays. And of course stop to get Starbucks hot chocolate! Carlie was a doll this year. She gasped with delight over every display, no matter how small, and cried out, "LOOK! LOOK!" every five seconds. There was one fabulously decorated neighborhood being sponsored by a charity, where Santa stands on the street to collect donations from all the cars, and Carlie was elated! Mason had the pleasure of handing him our donation since Santa was on his side of the car, but Carlie (who generally refuses to make eye contact or even reciprocate a simple hello to any strangers) shouted gleefully across the car to him, "Merry Christmas, Santa!" I was taken aback by the absolute joy in her voice. She was a happy little ball of energy after that. You could just tell the utter excitement of her brief but joyous encounter with the elusive Santa Claus had really lifted her spirits. She raved about the mini candy cane he handed her as if it were a priceless gem, and kept reiterating how nice he was to give it to her. She rolled out questions one right after another about the North Pole, and can Santa see in the dark when he drives his sleigh, and how do the elves makes the toys? She was brimming with happiness. The kind of happiness that only a child who just encountered Santa can possess.

Oh yeah, and I made a homemade snow globe. All you need is a jar, some epoxy, distilled water, glycerin, glitter, and something to put inside. It's on Martha Stewart's website if you want to make one! I used Martha Stewart's tinsel glitter in the color crystal. It was the most like snow. I want to make a bunch of these next year, but I plan to visit a hobby shop to get little spruce trees and deer and such for the inside. I just used an ornament this time. Next year I want to make a bunch of these in different sized jars and with different scenes inside, and then group them all on a display shelf. There is just something so whimsical about a home made snow globe in a real glass jar. =) Actually, I think I'm ridiculous, because it's such a happy little thing it makes me want to cry. Sometimes the beauty of being human overwhelms me. I love that we can find so much happiness simply by simulating a simple sprinkle of snow within a little glass jar, shaking it with anticipation, gazing into it, wishing so deeply the little world within that jar could be real for just a moment....

New Tradition and a Special Gift

2011-12-16T00:49:00.000-08:00

I'm starting a new tradition this Christmas. I'm calling it "The Christmas Scrolls". Every year on Christmas morning, I want our children to wake up and find a thoughtful letter from Santa next to their bed. And when they no longer believe in Santa, it will be from Mom and Dad. It will discuss all the wonderful things we've seen them do that year, and why those things make them the wonderful person they are. I want these letters to recognize who they are on a soul level, and to pay tribute to their good deeds, to praise them for their personal triumphs, and to offer understanding about any difficulties they're facing. Basically, I want them to read it and feel completely loved and appreciated for who they really are deep down inside. No matter what they encounter in the years to come, or what kind of relationship we have in any particular year (I guess I'm foreseeing the teen years here), I want them to know they can count on waking up to that Christmas scroll that makes them feel good inside and reiterates the absolute unconditional love we have for them.

(This years scrolls)

Speaking of Christmas, I have a special present for Carlie this year. It probably won't be the most exciting present she opens, but I made it just for her from my heart, so I'm pretty excited about it. She loves to set up tea parties with her play food, but doesn't have a table for it, or the appropriate dishes. She will lay a blanket on the floor and use paper plates. She gets very frustrated that she doesn't have the items she needs to make it fancy. Well, for Christmas I bought her a very pretty tea party set (tea cups, saucers, plates, tea kettle, and serving tray) as well as a toy cupcake stand complete with the cupcakes. But the special part is that I picked out some adorable fabric and sewed her a special table linens set. I made a tablecloth, place mats, and napkins. I bought one of those three-legged "decorator tables" (you know those one's made from particle board that you put a table skirt on and a glass table top?) for $8, and I'm going to have Randy saw the legs down to be a bit shorter so it's the height of a children's table. Now she will be able to set up very pretty little tea parties. Here's some photos...

(The full setup. Still need to make the legs shorter though.)

(Cute little ball fringe!)

(In the box, ready to wrap!)

Space Needle and Downtown

2011-12-11T22:25:00.001-08:00

(Daddy and the boy enjoying the view!)

(It may have been a teensy-weensy bit freezing and windy at the top! Not that you'd ever guess from the wonderful expression on Miss Carlie's face....)

(It's official. My telephoto lens is the best Christmas present ever! Check out how far I was able to zoom! If you know Washington, you know Bellevue should look tiny from the Needle!)

(My handsome Hubbs! This picture makes me happy with his glistening eyes and the way he was looking at me. Oh my gosh, I'm such a sap.)

(Heavenly! Why would you live anywhere else?)

(I took some shots of the Needle on the way there from the freeway and then solarized them. The outcome was awesome!)

(When we were done at the Needle we treated the kids to a ride on the monorail to downtown. They got to ride the holiday carousel and we walked around a bit. I wasn't really able to get any good shots of the kids on the carousel because they were on the inside of it and it was getting pretty dark. But here's a little landmark collage. The Macy's star, the Westlake Christmas tree etc.)

(Okay, I'm weird, but the sunset and the people walking into it got me in my "people are so beautiful and cute and the world can be so magical" frame of my mind, so I stopped and took a photo of it while we were walking. Whatever. I can have my head in the clouds if I feel like it!)

I would just like to note that my favorite part of the whole day was when we asked the kids what they thought of the Space Needle, and Mason called it a "guy-raper" (skyscraper). Cutest things ever.

Mason

2011-12-10T15:57:00.001-08:00

(Mason outside today)

This is the cuddliest little guy you will ever meet. He spends most of his day on my lap. He has an addiction to all things soft and cuddly. We can't leave the house without his favorite silky blanket. He sometimes tucks himself into bed on his own for a nap. When he is done with his food at a restaurant, he requests to lay on someones lap. When I tuck him into bed he lays his hand gently on my cheek and says, "I wuv you so much". He is in no hurry to grow out of babyhood. I don't really mind. His favorite thing to do is play with his cars. He just loves to line them up and admire them. He has no use for food that is green. He loves to bring me ornaments from the Christmas tree and claim he was "just looking at them" when I give him my stern face. He loves to use tools just like his Daddy, and I love it because I want him to grow up to be just like him. He completed our family. Oh, and he just took a sip of milk and spit it all over the floor for no other reason than to see my reaction. Did I mention he is two?

Portrait Bloopers

2011-12-03T15:57:00.001-08:00

Before I get any "good" poses from my kids, I usually have to endure a series of these poses first. I wouldn't include them in any Christmas cards, and yet I think 20 years from now these will be my favorites. So I keep them. :-)

Christmas Portraits

2011-12-02T21:20:00.001-08:00

I had it in my head that I wanted to do a plain white background for their portraits this year. Sort of like they do at Picture People. I looked into buying a 6' wide roll of white seamless paper online, and the price with shipping was horrifying. I was pretty disappointed. But I wasn't as disappointed when I ended up scrounging around the house for props today and managed to come up with this setup using my backdrop from 2009! (Click here to see the portraits from 2009!) My only frustration is the single shots I did of Mason have slightly different lighting than the rest, because I forgot to bounce one of my lights off my gold reflector panel while doing his, so he doesn't have the same side-lit effect. That, and he wouldn't put his other hand on his lap so he looks like he's missing an arm! But I'll take what I can get from a two year old!

Can't wait to send Christmas cards out! I made some with my Cricut last week that actually match these photos perfectly (unplanned!)

Thank Heaven for Little Girls!

2011-11-29T10:00:00.001-08:00

Carlie's cousin, Angela, was nice enough to pass down her old pink Christmas tree to Carlie for her bedroom. Last week, at Target, I bought her a set of small silvery ornaments for it. They were pretty cheap, and I didn't think much of it, I just knew she'd need something to decorate her tree with. But last night I pulled her tree out from her closet, fixed the lights, and got it set up on her dresser for her to decorate. I stepped back to look at it, and suddenly I saw it through the eyes of a little girl. It was gorgeous. Pink. Fluffy. Magical. She was so elated when she came into her bedroom and saw I'd pulled it out for her. I told her she could decorate it after I got Mason tucked into bed (because a two year old, jealous brother wouldn't make it very much fun). So I got him tucked in and poked my head back into Carlie's room to find her sitting silently on her floor, looking up at her tree with great awe and anticipation. Precious. I dug her special ornaments out from their hiding place, and showed her how to attach the hooks to each bulb and hang it on her tree. I remembered purchasing the ornaments and how I'd thought it might end up being a nightmare to give a four year old (who can't seem to keep anything she owns off the floor) her own tree and glass bulbs. Yet before my very eyes my four year old, rough housing girl who can't keep her things off the floor was transformed into a precious princess of a child, who suddenly had a delicate touch, treating each beautiful bulb as a piece of sacred treasure. And I looked at the ornaments differently too. When I bought them they were just a $5 package of silvery bulbs. But now I could see they were not just silvery. They were packaged in a beautiful star shaped container, and they were embellished with delicate glitter and frost, and some had intricate etchings. I could understand how a little girl would be in such awe of them. She talked with a soft little voice, and admired the ornaments, showing her adoration with oohs and awes, and said "thank you soooo much" countless times. She hung the ornaments with great care, and made me extremely proud. I enjoyed watching her so much. What a magical thing for her. When she was done, I turned her bedroom light off so she could enjoy her finished tree with the magic of the twinkling tree lights illuminating her carefully hung ornaments and fluffy pink branches. She was so proud, and so mesmerized by the beauty. I love her more than anything already, but in that moment I somehow felt even a million times more in love with her. I'm glad she has a special tree to call her own. I can't wait to wrap up a little present with pretty pink wrapping paper and a big silver ribbon, and place it under her little tree for her to find on Christmas morning. Then she will know Santa stopped in to admire her pretty little tree, and not just the family tree. All I can say right now is thank heaven for little girls.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T23:20:00.001-08:00

(Like their head dresses? I used my Cricut machine for the turkeys. So cute!)

Today we went to Randy's sisters house for a little while, and then to my sisters house after that. Apparently it was a bit much for Mason, because he fell asleep on the way home and I put him straight into his bed when we got back, just to have him wake up and cry an hour later. I went into his room to comfort him, but he was inconsolable. He wouldn't tell me what was wrong. He just kept crying, uncontrollably. I tried posing yes or no questions. Are you thirsty? Are you scared? Are you cold? Does something hurt? More crying. I brought him out of his room and sat him in front of Randy on our bed, mostly to make sure Randy had to join in on the fun of dealing with our inconsolable child. I also thought a change of scenery would calm him down. Nope. More crying. Next, I brought him out to the kitchen, sat him on the counter, and gave him some water. He took one sip. More crying. I'm hugging him this whole time and trying to get him to say something. Anything. I start asking him ridiculous questions, like pointing at a photo of Emily on our fridge and asking him if it's Angela. Pointing at the cars on his jammie's and asking him if they're airplanes. Just hoping he would feel compelled to correct me and finally utter a word, such as no. It didn't happen. Finally, after some time, he took a deep breath, looked at me all confused, and so innocently asked, "Is this our house?" There was my answer! The poor kid felt so shuffled around and was so out of it when I tucked him into bed tonight, that he didn't really know where he was when he woke up, and must have felt overwhelmed by his confusion. I guess not remembering the car ride or being tucked into his bed must have been scary for him when he woke up. Poor baby. I scooped him up, kissed his precious face, and explained how he fell asleep in the car and that he was home now. I had to tell him a few more times for it to truly sink in. Then he asked to go back to bed. Oh my sweet, sweet, baby. Those are the moments that make you remember just how hard it is to be so very little in this great big world.

Book Display Shelves

2011-11-22T16:44:00.001-08:00

I've seen a couple of people re purpose these IKEA spice racks into front facing bookshelves. It's one of the cutest ideas I've seen, so of course I had to try it. Especially since the kid's bedtime stories actually were in need of a home. Carlie's were always just thrown all over the top of her dresser, and Mason's were in one of his toy bins (a big no-no when you're trying to teach your kids to value their books). We have an entire bookshelf in the family room downstairs devoted to storing their books (if there's one thing I don't believe a child can have enough of, it's books), but it's nice to keep the absolute nicest, beloved stories in their rooms to enjoy at bedtime. So the kids and I went on an hour long drive down I-5 to IKEA last week, and picked ourselves up some of these $3.99 spice racks, as well as some 'thank you for behaving while Mommy shops after I made you sit in the car for an hour' toys from the children's section. Carlie chose a stuffed dog, and Mason chose some wooden cars. I love the way the shelves turned out! Totally. Worth. It.

I embellished Carlie's shelves with these cute wooden butterflies and ladybugs I actually already had. I bought them from the craft store three years ago thinking I would find a use for them in her room, and I finally did!

I would have liked to add something cute to Mason's shelves, but we'll be changing his theme soon into something less babyish and I don't know what that will be, so I opted to simply paint them to match his Mason shelf, since I know that won't be changing. Actually, I'm determined to find a theme in these same colors if possible!

"The 15% of the 99%"

2011-11-17T13:26:00.000-08:00

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
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The Fish Have Arrived!

2011-11-15T22:07:00.001-08:00

The day Carlie could pick out her fish finally arrived! With a bit of help from the people at PetSmart, she chose three Black Skirt Tetras. They are schooling fish, and will grow to 2" each. She named them Goldie, Sarah, and Manna. They are Mason's fish too, but he isn't at an age where he cares about naming things or claiming ownership to them. He's just happy to see them swimming around the pirate ship he picked out. It's kind of cool to have a "pet" again. And seeing them swim around their colorful aquarium is pretty magical, even for me.

(The proud little owner of some fish. And she did her forced crazy smile. LOL....)

Something New

2011-11-13T15:07:00.001-08:00

Once upon a time, I had a lot of pets. A hamster. A rabbit. A cat. I bought the hamster when we got our first apartment. Randy was pretty annoyed when he came home from work to find a hamster cage in our living room. I'd say it was our first fight, but truly our first fight was weather or not to keep the dish soap on the kitchen counter or underneath the sink. Isn't that ridiculous? More ridiculous, was that because we don't actually "fight" (we've never yelled, we've always just pouted until one of us gives in and says, "can we just be over this now?") we spent one of our first days living as husband and wife separated in different rooms as a show of poutiness. Sigh. What dorks we are. And for the record, I won the dish soap battle. It sits on the counter above the sink to this very day. I have, however, been thoughtful enough to transfer the soap into beautiful dispensers that match our decor, since Randy's complaint was the soap didn't match. How did I get so far off track? Anyway, we ended up with three pets eventually, and it was incredibly sad because it seemed anytime we started a new chapter in our lives, one pet would exit our lives. When we bought our first house, my hamster died before we even moved in. I was devastated. Then I got pregnant with Carlie. My rabbit promptly mysteriously died. Then Mason was born. We had to give my cat away because he wouldn't stop peeing on all our baby things. So we have been pet less. Oddly enough, I have been quite happy being pet less. Mainly because it's hard enough to keep my house clean with two kids, let alone a shedding, muddy pawed animal of some sort. Someday we will get a dog. But I'm not up to the extra responsibility right now, and I'd rather not get a dog that will pass away while our kids are still kids. So maybe when they are in elementary school, we will let them pick out a dog that can see them all the way through their years with us at home. I want a husky. Randy wants a german short hair. Our kids will probably each want something different too. Gee, I don't think there will be any fighting, err, pouting involved at all. But now I come to my main point. Our kids have been noticing that people have pets. This morning I had the bright idea we should go buy a fish. Amazingly, Randy took the bait. (Pun intended). Well our concept of a goldfish swimming around in a little bowl went right out the window when we walked into PetSmart and saw the amazing deals on full aquarium sets and such. And so my friends, I present to you our new aquarium.

We were told we have to set it up and come back in 2-3 days to pick out our fish, since the aquarium needs time to neutralize or something like that. I don't know, ask Randy. I was too busy having minor heart attacks every 5 seconds as I chased my kids around the pet store trying to keep them from breaking things or pulling shelves over on themselves to listen to the directions from our fish expert. Anyway, Carlie was a little disappointed that she couldn't bring "Goldie", as she has named her not yet chosen fish, home today, but she perked up when we explained her and Mason could pick out the rocks, plants, and ornaments today. Mason picked out a pirate ship. Carlie picked out a pink carriage. And Randy was only a little frustrated when Carlie chose girly pink, purple, and neon green rocks. I made Carlie a calender to help her keep track of the days until we get to bring our fish home. Each square is a fish tank that represents one day, and she can fill one with fishy stickers each day until it's time to go get out fish. She got a little carried away with the stickers. Another perk of our aquarium idea, is we finally have something to put in our weird empty spot. Doesn't everyone have one of those spots in their house where you know you're supposed to put something there, you just can't find anything? In closing, I had way too much to say about a fish tank. Jeez. Is anyone even still reading this?

He is His Father's Son

2011-11-11T12:48:00.001-08:00

From the time I met Randy eight years ago, he has worn jeans, a white tee shirt, and his baseball cap. Unless he is at work, that's what he's wearing. So when I decided to take pictures of Mason that reflect his Daddy, I knew the wardrobe would be simple.

Oh wait, better throw a phone in there. You know how Randy is with his phone.

Today...

2011-11-08T14:26:00.000-08:00

Post Bad Day Wrap-Up

2011-11-07T20:50:00.000-08:00

I had a bad day today. So when Randy came home at 3 o'clock I ditched him with the kids (something I do so infrequently I can can count the times I've done it on one hand). I grabbed my shoes and coat and snuck out to the garage before the kids could notice I was missing. This is sometimes necessary to decrease the severity of their crying and begging to come. Right before I got into the car I heard Mason jiggling the doorknob and crying my name. I stood there wincing and hesitating for a moment before I finally left. I pulled out of the garage and saw Carlie in the front window watching me leave, looking all sad. They hate it when I leave. I rolled down the window and waved and blew kisses to her, feeling even more guilty now. When I got on the road I found the perfect sad song on the radio and turned it up nice and loud. Then I cried. Just a little. I thought about my life. Where I once was. Where I am now. Wondering where it will take me next. I don't cry much anymore, so it was kind of weird for me. I enjoyed being alone and yet felt oddly lonely. I went shopping. For the kids of course. I wandered around the store for two hours, in complete awe of how easy it was to think without two kids in my cart fighting, whining, and trying to pull things off shelves. I bought them warm winter coats, hats, mittens, and holiday attire. I bought Mason a pair of sneakers with Cars on them, and Carlie a new pair of rain boots. And I bought Randy new socks. He goes through socks so fast. I admired all the holiday decorations I would like to buy but won't because I'm a penny pincher. Yeah. It was actually weird of me to buy the coats and shoes. I normally try to make do with hand me downs. I made small talk with the cashier and really liked her. I love how a complete stranger can make you feel better without them even knowing it. I got back into my car and drove home. It rained a little, and it felt fitting. I was majorly frustrated because I couldn't find the perfect song. I drove the long way home, hoping the perfect song would come on if I drove just a little longer. It didn't. When I walked through the door, silence greeted me. Very nice. Randy was upstairs, giving the kids a bath. When I went to see them they looked so adorable. All the things they said were ten times cuter than normal. This happens when you get a break from your kids. It's that whole absence makes the heart grow fonder effect. Mason asked to get out of the tub as soon as he saw me. I dried him off and hugged him tightly, feeling like I could cry again, for reasons unknown. I made them toaster waffles for dinner because I felt lazy. I decided not to feel guilty about it. They certainly didn't complain. Then I showed them all their new stuff. They acted like it was Christmas. They played in the family room all bundled up in their new coats, hats, mittens, and shoes. It was ridiculous, but cute. They threw a fit when it was time to take them off. I remembered why I had a bad day. We put them to bed and Randy bought us Taco Bell. Because feeding the kids waffles for dinner means we should eat bad too. I was all annoyed because I messed up my chip to cheese ratio. I could have used way more cheese for each chip than I did, and now I just have a half-full cup of delicious nacho cheese with nothing to dip in it. Man. This sucks. Tomorrow I'm going to do better. I'm going to take the kids to the playground so they can strut their new coats. I'm going to work out on the elliptical and pretend like tonight's Taco Bell didn't happen. I'm going to make sure the house is clean for Randy when he gets home. I'm going to cook a good dinner. I'm going to have more patience with the kids. Most importantly, I'm going to try to let go of the heavy feeling in my heart that made me cry today for no apparent reason.

Say Cheese!

2011-11-04T21:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the tongue picture, Carlie!

Lately, Carlie just wants to make silly faces when I take pictures. You wouldn't believe what it takes to get this kid to flash a normal smile! Most of my picture folders are filled with images like these....

She's kooky, but I love her.

Trick or Treating

2011-11-02T23:40:00.000-07:00

It didn't rain, and that's all that really matters for trick or treating to go well. Costumes, candy, fresh air, two happy kids....

Isn't it always so nice to come back to your warm home, peel the costumes off, and sort the candy?

October 31st!

2011-10-31T14:01:00.000-07:00

(Mason is napping...)

Pumpkins

2011-10-30T15:11:00.000-07:00

This weekend we finally got around to doing something with our pumpkins.

Pumpkin Acupuncture?

These are supposed to be bats (I know, it's hard to tell). Cute, right? It's like "Light Bright" for your pumpkin!

This one is for you, Holly.....

Six years ago, Holly and I got together to carve pumpkins. We drove to the store together to pick pumpkins out first, and Holly chose one for it's gorgeous, tall, curly stem. It really was spectacular, and she was delighted. I told her we should put the pumpkins in the trunk of my car for the ride home. When we arrived home and opened the trunk, she was horrified to see her beautiful stem had broken off while in transit. Her pumpkin was completely stemless. She was so broken hearted and just stood there staring at it with grief on her face. All I could manage to say was, "Sorry about your stem." And then we both started to laugh hysterically. Since then, it has been our inside joke. Every year around Halloween I simply text her, "Sorry about your stem." And we laugh all over again. This year when we went to the pumpkin patch together, she was jealous when I found a pumpkin with a nice tall stem. Well guess what? It broke off when I picked it up yesterday. Karma? So Holly, this is for you.......

Moving on.....

Today we had a second round of pumpkin crafting. Mason painted his. Carlie was supposed to draw a face for me to carve out for her, but opted to just draw all over it instead, LOL. Randy and I carved ours. They aren't super great, but they made the kids ooh and ahh.

(She wrote her name on her pumpkin, do you see it?)

Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes

2011-10-29T00:45:00.000-07:00

I made these for Randy to bring to his class tomorrow. They are pumpkin spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. I tried one, and not to toot my own horn or anything, but they are super moist and delicious. It's a good thing I am sending these away with Randy, because I can see myself gobbling these right up otherwise (I did set aside a couple for the kids though!). I have a weakness for anything pumpkin flavored.

Also, I was really excited when I found this box in the baking aisle at Michaels. It looks so professional! And yeah, I'm sort of a dork.

History Repeats Itself

2011-10-28T15:54:00.000-07:00

Like mother, like daughter?

(This made me laugh! Especially when I held up my picture to show it to Carlie and she said, "It's me!")

Carlie's New Dress

2011-10-28T15:49:00.000-07:00

Dear Gramma,

I LOVE the owl dress you sewed for me! Thankyou so much! When we got it in the mail yesterday, I tried it on over my clothes and then refused to take it off. I am very excited that I get to wear it all day today! Mommy took some portraits for you!

xoxo,

Carlie

Pumpkin Patch Attempt #2/Holly and Cousins Visit

2011-10-24T02:07:00.000-07:00

Holly, Adam, and Angela came up for the weekend. We went to Craven Farms, and somehow got through it. It was extrememly muddy and windy, and Mason once again decided he didn't want to walk when we were in the pumpkin patch. He kept getting his foot stuck in vines, slipping in the mud, and wanting hugs -aka- to be carried. In hind sight, we probably shouldn't have ventured all the way to the back of the gigantic patch with a whiny two year old in tow. Also, a bug flew into my eye. It was growse. When we got home we had a festive pizza party. Then Holly and I stayed up until 4am talking, because we never get to have a real conversation when the kids are awake. It's just not possible. I love my sister. I'm so happy to have her. I love that we are sharing the tiumphs and tribulations of motherhood simultaneously, and helping each other along the way. I don't know what I would do without her to laugh with during all the crazy moments!

(Holly, Adam, and Angela in the pirate ship)

(All four kids in the truck)

( Adam 'driving')

(Mason enjoying the tractor)

(The canoe)

(Adam looking adorable amongst the cornstalks)

(Holly and Adam. A total aww moment!)

(Carlie and Angela navigating the patch together)

(Mason always stops to appreciate the little things.)

(Adam is a cutie pie!)

(Carlie found the pumpkin she wants!)

(Mason decided he was too tired, and it was too cold and windy for him to walk any farther.)

(Searching, searching, searching....)

(Carlie protecting herself from the wind)

(Adam)

(Me and my little guy. Always with the pouty face lately, LOL...)

(Back at home, having a festive pizza party. This is called rotten apple punch. It's just apple cider with frozen apple cider balls with gummy worms frozen into them to look like rotten apples. So cute!)

(Angela excited for some pizza!)

(Yummy!)

(Skeleton and spider cupcakes I made for dessert)

A Few More Photos From Pumpkin Patch Attempt #1....

2011-10-23T23:15:00.000-07:00

(Yeah, you know Mason loved getting to play in this truck. Our little car loving boy.)

(Carlie playing in the pirate ship. And if she was looking at the camera this picture would have been pretty fantastic.)

(Playing on the tractor.)

(The hay ride.)

(Carlie hitching a ride in the wheelbarrow.)

(So many pumpkins to choose from....)

(Mason admiring a flower he found. And Daddy admiring Mason. Aww.)

Pumpkin Patch Attempt #1

2011-10-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

We went to the pumpkin patch today. We did the hay ride and picked some pumpkins. The kids were hungry for lunch and Mason wanted to go home and take his nap. A two year old who's hungry and tired is not too excited about picking the perfect pumpkin. Or stumbling over pumpkin vines. Or posing for pictures. Lesson learned: remember that "getting up, eating breakfast, and going" actually means "getting up and spending the next 2 hours struggling to get everyone out the door and then arriving at our destination right when the kids are getting tired and hungry again." Story of my life. Luckily, my sister is coming up next weekend and we're taking all the kids back to the patch together. So I'll get a second chance at the perfect pumpkin patch outing. I sort of look forward to it all year.

Oh yeah, and I made pumpkin pancakes this morning in honor of our outing.

Mason's Costume Reveal

2011-10-03T01:49:00.000-07:00

Mason is going to be...... drumroll please.....

A Police Officer!

Officer Ditmars, you are the cutest cop I've ever laid eyes on!

The Costume Reveal

2011-10-01T21:20:00.000-07:00

For Halloween of 2011, Carlie has chosen to be.... drumroll please......

TINKERBELL!

I think she makes a gorgeous Tinkerbell!

I am hoping to take Mason's costume portraits tomorrow, so check back tomorrow night for his big reveal!

Another Milestone....

2011-09-28T21:45:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, I brought home a tiny baby boy who just looked lost in his crib because it was so big and he was so very small....

He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was nice and plump in that crib, and I had to keep reattaching the crib bumper to the rails, because he always ripped the ties and made a big ole' mess out of his crib. I refused to take that bumper out of his crib no matter how many times he ripped it, because I just didn't want to admit my baby was getting too old for his bumper....

Then one day I went to get him up from a nap and found him STANDING! He used his crib rail to pull up for the very first time. He was ecstatic, and so was I....

And who can forget the time a pair of little hands got into the Balmex cream and slathered up those rails nice and thick with it? Well that was an oh so lovely mess to clean up....

My point is, this crib has been through a lot, but it's always been there for us. It's kept my baby safe. But today, I pulled the crib rail up after tucking him in for a nap for the very last time. For six months I've been putting this off because I just don't want to admit my baby is no longer a baby. But today I decided to come to terms with it, and I took the crib rail off.

Randy wasn't home, and I couldn't figure it out at first, so Mason told me he would help me, and ran to get his (toy) power tool. He put it right up to the screw I was fiddling with, laughed, and said, "Here Mommy, I do it." I cried because he's just like his Daddy, and it melted my heart....

Well the two of us finally got the rail off. I made up his bed, and took pictures of him as he jumped and rolled all over it, laughing and shrieking with excitement. His exact words were, "I LOVE THIS!" He's never said that before. It was beyond adorable. He also got his stuffed sheep and put it in the corner of his bed up by his pillow, stood back, and said, "Perfect!"

Tonight he was so excited to climb into his big boy bed. I read him his story, pulled his covers over him, and went over the rules one last time. "Now Mason, just because there's no rail on your bed doesn't mean you can get out of your bed at night. You stay in your bed ALL night. In the morning when the sun is up, you can get out and come find us." Then I hovered a little longer, feeling nervous to leave his bedside. I kept saying extra I love you's and tucking him in tighter, and nestling his cuddly's up to him....

He was as cool as a cucumber about the whole thing. I finally left, snapping one last picture of him as I turned the light out and he waved goodnight to me. They grow up way too fast....

Goodnight, Mason. Please don't fall on the floor in the middle of the night.

The Zoo!

2011-09-28T14:24:00.000-07:00

We met Lauren, Emily, and Alex at Woodland Park yesterday. We lucked out and had awesome weather. We totally thought it was supposed to rain. The kids had a great time running around together, seeing the animals, playing in the Zoomasium, and enjoyed a special ice cream treat.

Fall Portraits

2011-09-27T20:17:00.000-07:00

I finally figured out how to put rounded corners on my portraits. No seriously, it took me HOURS. You'd think it would be simple enough, but it wasn't! I'm so happy I finally got it! They look so much more professional this way! But of course Blogger had to go and ruin it by framing them in a rectangle anyway!

Yeah. I totally goofed and took this horizontally. I did realize it and started taking them vertically, but it turned out the only one he was actually smiling and looking at me in was the one I had taken horizontally. Oh well. Can't win em' all.

Dear Crayola, We are SO Over!

2011-09-24T14:54:00.000-07:00

COLORED BUBBLES!?!?

Seriously, Crayola? We are SO over!

For the record, I did not purchase these. They were a gift, and while the kids delighted in covering themselves, me, and our exterior in these "colored bubbles", I have come to the conclusion Crayola has lost their marbles. An extremely colorful bath, a hosing off of our exterior, and washing all fabric involved no less than three times, and I have laughed myself silly over what a terrible idea this was.

Also, it reminded me of THIS infamous morning, and that is SO not cool!

Last Boating Trip of the Year, Day 2

2011-09-14T17:34:00.000-07:00

On Sunday morning we explored Bremerton in the daylight. They have a beautifully updated waterfront with fountains galore, improved ferry waiting area, and museums. After we enjoyed the sights, we toured the USS Turner Joy, which was awesome except for trying to get the kids up and down all the ladders in the ship. We tried to go out to lunch, but the restaurant we were thinking of was closed, so we ended up eating in the boat. We left Bremerton and cruised to Poulsbo. Mason passed out on Randy and he was so cute, I could hardly stand it. In Poulsbo we again enjoyed the sights, and took the kids to the playground. We also spent a lot of time just relaxing on the boat in our slip. Randy grilled steaks for dinner, but somehow our grill was malfunctioning and cooked them way too hot. They were certainly well done, LOL! Check back tomorrow for the conclusion of our trip!

Day 2- Bremerton to Poulsbo

(Bremerton)

(There were tons of starfish around our slip, so Randy grabbed one to show the kids. Don't worry, we put it back in the same spot.)

(Touring the USS Turner Joy)

(I thought this was really cute, LOL.)

(If you ever take your children on a tour of a war ship, be prepared to be really annoyed with all the ladders. Especially if one of them is only two, and you're also trying to carry a purse and a huge camera....)

(Back on the boat, making the journey from Bremerton to Poulsbo.)

(Oh look! I do exist! LOL, when you are the photographer in the family, you rarely get to be in the pictures, unless you take them yourself, as pictured below!)

(The kids enjoying their toys and some down time. And no, that is not my foot.)

(Randy grilling our steaks.)

(Conclusion tomorrow....)

Last Boating Trip of the Year, Day 1

2011-09-13T01:20:00.000-07:00

Randy starts his reserve academy on Wednesday, which means he'll be very busy for the next six months. We decided to take one last boating trip before summer wraps up, to get some quality time in as a family before Randy's schedule becomes quite chaotic. We left Saturday afternoon and arrived home Monday afternoon. After launching out of Seattle (Shilshole Bay Marina), we headed over to Blake Island only to find their docks were already full, as were the mooring buoys. We weren't all that shocked. So we cruised to Bremerton instead, arriving at dusk. Fabulous marina. We got the kiddos into their Jammie's since it was nearly their bedtime and wanted them to be comfy, and then we went exploring on the boardwalk and up to the ferry terminals. The kids said they were hungry (again), so we bought them a pizza to share at the Subway that's alongside the ferry waiting lines. I loved watching the kids run around in their Jammie's, exploring a new place, and up past their bedtime. I could almost feel their excitement. I remember being a kid and feeling that way when my family would go on our big moves across country. Anyway, check back tomorrow for my second out of three installments of our boating trip!

DAY ONE: Seattle to Bremerton

(Goodbye, Seattle!)

(Sunset)

(Docked in the marina)

(USS Turner Joy)

(Bremerton Marina)

(Heading up from the boardwalk to the ferry terminal)

(One of the fountains at Harborside Fountain Park. Many more pictures from here tomorrow.)

(The kids enjoying a bit of a midnight snack)

More tomorrow.....

Sillyness at Dinner

2011-09-09T21:07:00.000-07:00

What a couple of goofballs!

An oldie, but a goodie

2011-09-09T11:41:00.000-07:00

Aww. Doesn't everyone need a really embarrassing yet really adorable photo of kissing their sibling when very young? I took this last winter, but never posted it..... until now. Sorry, kids!

A Girl and Her Doll....

2011-08-30T18:45:00.000-07:00

Carlie recieved a beatiful new doll at her party, as well as a travel high chair and a carseat. Yesterday we decided to go get some lunch. Carlie exclaimed, "Since Baby has a carseat now, she can come with us! And I want her to eat with me in her chair!" Wish granted.

Also, I asked her, "Isn't it cool that your doll has a carseat just like Baby Alex's (Laurens new baby)!?" To which she replied, "Yeah, but what about a toy for her to look at like Baby Alex has?" Once again, wish granted, LOL!

And last but not least, look where I found her new doll's shoes....

Oh Carlie, I love you!

Carlie's 4th Birthday Party

2011-08-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

Carlie had an Olivia the Pig themed birthday party this weekend. She was so excited for her party this year, so I went all out with the decorations and food. I spent the entire day before her party preparing desserts and stayed up until 2am trying to get the decorations ready! It was totally worth it. It ended up being a lot of fun, and probably the most successful party yet. We had a whole dessert table (chocolate cupcakes, red velvet cupcakes, cool whip and raspberry parfaits, strawberry-brownie kabobs, and candies), and a scrumptious barbecue (hamburgers, hot dogs, Smuckers uncrustables, corn on the cob, watermelon, beans, chips, and veggie-dip cups). Carlie was spoiled rotten with lots of cool presents, and the kids all loved their favor boxes (Olivia goodies for the girls and firetruck goodies for the boys). Carlie pulled the magic string on the pinata. After the festivities we enjoyed some time in the backyard watching the kids play until dinner time. Thankyou so much to everyone that came to share Carlie's birthday with us. She loved having you all there, she was talking about it weeks in advance, and you all made it a celebration she won't soon forget!

I just have to say: LOVE my little girl. She is so awesome, and I feel so blessed to have her as my daughter. She is so sweet and yet so full of spunk. It's amazing that 4 years have already gone by. They have been 4 of the most fulfilling years of my life. Tomorrow is her official birthday. We are taking her to the fair to go on rides and eat scrumtptious things.

The decorations.....

The barbecue....

Proud parents....

Opening presents....

(Guitar and drum kit from Mommy and Daddy)

(Bracelet crafting set and stuffed pig from Great Aunt Doreen and Haley)

(Olivia books and puzzle from Lauren and Emily)

(Glow marker/book set from Uncle Matthew)

(Doll carseat from Aunt Holly)

(Keyboard from Aunt Nikki, Ladybug drawing from Angela)

(Doll, clip-on high chair, Olivia coloring book, and letter tracing book from Gramma and Grampa)

(Barbie clothes, Barbie pool, coloring books, markers, and bubbles from Grammy and Grandpa)

Checking out their party favors....

Cake and Desserts....

The Pinata....

Enjoying some time outside....

The end.

Carlie's 4 Year Portraits

2011-08-29T17:51:00.000-07:00

I took these the other day to make a slide show out of on our digital photo frame to display at Carlie's birthday party. I was so happy they came exactly like I was hoping them to. I feel like they capture her essence! Photos from her party coming soon....

The Simple Things

2011-08-24T01:45:00.000-07:00

Never let yourself be too busy to stop and smell the flowers.

Olympic Peninsula

2011-08-24T00:40:00.000-07:00

On Monday I talked Randy into driving over to Sequim (that's pronounced scwim, not seecwee-um), to visit one of my faaavorite places, the Olympic Game Farm. It is a drive through zoo experience, where the animals approach your car and you can feed them. The animals are mostly retired from the entertainment industry (I know, kind of sad), so they are very well behaved and seem to enjoy interacting with the visitors. Not only do I totally dig this place, but I was excited to take the kids again. We usually go once a year, and since they are so little, every year is more exciting than the previous, because they become more aware of how cool the experience is. Plus, we always enjoy a ferry ride and a nice drive. When we arrived in Sequim it was lunch time, so we stopped at the golden arches (that would be McDonald's) for a bite to eat and to let the kids run around the play area and get some energy out. Then it was on to the Game Farm. It was enjoyable as always, and we always spend a great deal of time laughing over the car getting slimed by yaks and buffalo, and watching the bears "catch" the bread when we throw it. We grabbed some Dairy Queen treats to enjoy on the drive back to Kingston to catch the ferry home. I'd say that was a major highlight for the kiddos! Also, the kids were just as excited about the ferry on the way home as they were on the way there. You'd never know we are on the water all the time, they acted like they'd never been on a boat before, LOL! I guess it is quite a bit different though. I love, love, LOVE trips to the Peninsula.

The End.

I suppose this is one way to play in a sprinkler....

2011-08-17T22:05:00.000-07:00

Wait for it.....

Wait for it....

And there it is....

Oh how she makes me laugh....

"All About Me", (Because sometimes you have to write it all down to figure it out!)

2011-08-16T01:16:00.000-07:00

Feel free to skip the following blog, as it is more for me than anything, LOL. But I like to include anything I want to remember in this blog, and that includes my big long list of who I am today. I wrote it out of boredom, but grew to enjoy it as I went along. It starts out so typical, but then I have to start really thinking about it, so there's lots of totally random off the wall "about me" points. It makes me laugh to read all the weird crap I thought of.

I love to decorate for holidays. I love planning my kids birthday parties and baking their cakes. I love photography. I don’t like scrap booking but do it anyway because I love the finished product. I love keeping up on my blog. I love listening to music and day dreaming. I love eating at restaurants. I love cruising around in our boat with the wind whipping my hair. I love reading to my children, and watching them play. I love going for long drives with my family. I love surfing the web aimlessly for hours at a time on occasion. I love to write but rarely do it because it’s emotionally draining. I love getting a magazine or a thick catalog in the mail. I love everything about the fall and would gladly embrace it year round if it were a possibility. I love talking to my sister into the wee hours of the night. I love standing under a hot shower until the warm water runs out. I love baking bread, but more importantly I love eating it. I love a good old pizza night, especially if there’s Hawaiian. I love watching the previews at the movies. I love the feeling of walking through the mall but hate mall shopping. I love turning the music all the way up when a favorite song comes on the radio. I love shopping for furniture, and wish I could update my living room every year. I love walking through Lowes or Home Depot because I love the smell of fresh wood and paint. The dollar spot at Target is the coolest place ever. I hate grocery shopping. I always take the complimentary soaps from hotels, even if they’re crappy. I love when something makes me laugh so hard that I can’t stop and everyone’s looking at me like I’ve lost my marbles. I hate pumping gas, I feel so awkward standing there waiting for the tank to fill up. I love baking apple pie even though I’d rather eat pumpkin pie. I hate driving around my hometown because it’s full of sour memories. I love following the 24 hour news circuit during election season, it’s addicting. I cry when I get too close to guns, and I don’t know why. I like to smell my husbands shirts. I love to iron, it’s very rewarding. I love to dust for the same reason. I love the history channel and the science channel. I hate small talk, a lot. I love moving. I’m afraid of fire. I like my bottled water room temperature. I am bad ass when it comes to moving furniture, I grow muscles when I get it in my head that a room needs a change. I can’t eat tuna fish ever since watching Whale Wars, and yes, I know tuna is not a whale. I only watch Whale Wars because I’m waiting for them to get ship wrecked. I hate the Puyallup fair, yup, I said it…. I go with high expectations and end up hot and bored. I don’t need to see 200 cow butts in a row, and I don’t need to walk past hot tub and sauna dealers on an 80 degree day. I love folding my kids clothes, they are so tiny and cute. Chocolate covered gummy bears are the bomb. I love buying a new journal, but feel I’ve ruined it the moment I put my pen to the paper…sometimes a lot of blank paper is more gratifying to see, because it’s all about the potential. The newspaper is the least relaxing thing to read, because my arms get freaking tired from holding the paper out like that. I think people are adorable…. sometimes I see someone walking down the street and my mind goes into overdrive wondering what they must be thinking, where they are headed etc. The best one is when it’s an older person walking with a grocery bag… I assume they made the trek to the store to buy their dinner, and they are walking home thinking about how much they are looking forward to getting back and having something to eat. Why I think it’s cute, I don’t know, but my husband thinks I’m super weird for calling people cute all the time. I love fountain sodas… there is just something about the straw and the crushed ice that makes me feel like my drink is more special. I hate the term “African American”…. I don’t refer to white people as “European American”… We’re all just AMERICAN, OK? I think the movie City of Angels is BEAUTIFUL, and I bawl my eyes out at the end EVERY TIME. Also, LOVE Nicholas Cage. I loathe Coach, Lui (yeah, can’t even spell it) Vitton, etc. I will not pay hundreds of dollars for a purse with C’s or LV’s on it, that is butt ugly, just because it’s a status symbol, and NO, I don’t buy the crock about it being an investment or better quality. I buy $15-35 purses, and they’ve never fizzled out on me. I’ve wanted a chinchilla for the past 6 years, and am pretty sure my husband is never going to let it happen. I believe in reincarnation, and that our soul grows through each lifetime, working out karma. I don’t believe Earth is the only place inhabited by humans. I believe in universal consciousness, and a God who is far too great to tie himself down to a bible, or to request souls follow specific rules. Hence, while I believe the bible includes many historical events and truths, and should be valued and respected, I also think it was written by God’s people, and not necessarily under God’s authority. I hate saran wrap, like seriously. I love when it gets really dark in the middle of the day and starts to pour. I hate Oprah with a passion. I also dislike Dr. Phil. I love when Mexican restaurants give you tootsie rolls with the check….. Waaay better than a mint. I cannot stand when restaurants name their food obnoxious things like, “Buttermilk Hotcakes”, but you just order “pancakes“, and they feel the need to correct you. I can’t stand when people talk to the waiter/waitress like they are a second class citizen, and don’t even say thank you when they come by to refill your water glass. I like to show them they are totally making my day by remembering to refill my drink. I am getting really tired. Yup. I think I’m done for now. You should really try this. It is very affirming to read back exactly what makes you YOU.

Now that I've bored you with all of THAT, here is a photo Haley sent me from Nikki's baby shower. It makes me happy seeing my little girl on my lap. I looked at this and thought, WOW, she is not my BABY anymore, she is my truly my little GIRL, when did that happen?! She fills my world with sunshine!

Jump Planet

2011-08-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

These are quite possibly the worst photos I've ever published to my blog, as they were taken with a dinky camera and mostly without a flash, but I just had to share the fun morning we had at Jump Planet. It's just a huge warehouse filled with inflatables, and it was totally worth the $12 we spent to get in. (AWESOME deal!) Best of all, it's really just down the road, so I think we'll be going many more times! It completely wore the kids out, which is nice. When I was putting Carlie's shoes back on I commented her energy was all out, and she said, "Yeah, we have to come back here next time and put my energy back IN!" LOL! I felt like a kid again in this place. Thumbs up Jump Planet!

Bathtime With Baby

2011-08-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

Duck.....Duck......GOOSE!

2011-08-08T16:20:00.000-07:00

We went to Silver Lake Park today. After a picnic lunch, the kids played on the playground and then we went down to the water to feed the ducks. Along with what seemed like 100 ducks, some huge geese came up to enjoy the bread crumbs we were offering. I kept thinking one was going to eat my children. They were quite intimidating!

Country Village Kids Day

2011-08-08T15:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to Country Village for their annual "Kids Day". We used to live right behind Country Village, but oddly enough, we don't frequent it. I found out about their kids day though, and thought it sounded like a great family outing for a Sunday. It took the kids a little while to warm up (they were being very shy about everything), but after a little picnic lunch they were much more playful, so perhaps it was just hunger. On top of playing on the great Pirate Ship playground, they got to ride the 'train', play in the bounce houses, and Carlie rode a pony. There were lots of kids booths too, with face painting and things like that, but our kids aren't really interested in that stuff yet (in fact, Carlie was very distraught over seeing a little girl with her face painted like a tiger, lol). I LOVE the photos of Carlie on the pony ride. She was such a ham, smiling for the camera the whole time, lol. Another Mom standing next to me commented she was a natural in front of the camera, hahaha! By the way, the giant 15' chicken to the right is the landmark for Country Village. I think it is very cute!

(The Pirate Ship)

(A sandbox made out of an actual steel boat)

(Running through the caterpillar tunnel)

(Enjoying their lunch)

(Mommy's girl)

(The outdoor train set at the train station. Mason had a massive crying fit over not getting to play with these model cars. He stood at the fence crying about it and causing a scene and Carlie and I ended up riding the train alone while Randy took Mason back to the car to finish his fit and inevitably take a short snooze in his car seat. He got to go on the train ride later when he calmed down. That boy and CARS. OMG!)

(Carlie LOVED the train ride!)

(Pony Ride!)

Crossroads Water Park and Playground

2011-08-06T00:05:00.000-07:00

Today Lauren and I took the kids to Crossroads Park in Bellevue. What an awesome place, the kids loved it! We had a picnic lunch and then watched the kids run around the water park and playground. I never get tired of watching these kids play together. They are so adorable, the three of them! Carlie is 10 months older than Emily, and Emily is 9 months older than Mason. Wait, that sounds like the start of a word problem in math class, lol. Anyway, they are a cute little bunch, check out these photos....

Out For a Stroll

2011-08-04T14:02:00.000-07:00

I don't know why, when I asked Carlie to turn around and smile, she turned and did a full pose, complete with her hip popped out, but it sure did make me chuckle! Also....

Dear Mason of the future,

I am sorry I sometimes photograph you doing things that you will kill me for later. But you must understand, as your mother, I must soak up all of your sweet, non gender bias moments NOW, before they are gone forever.

XOXO,

Mommy