Brock Buzz

Snow

2012-01-17T21:26:00.000-08:00

The storm of the century is upon us in these parts. It started snowing on Saturday and hasn't stopped, extending the long Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend indefinitely. It's piling up around here - about a foot and a half in some places! That's the most snow we've ever had and the "big storm" hasn't even arrived yet!

Of course these two cuties don't seem to mind too much. Their sled has been getting a good workout and I've been busy making sure there is no shortage of hot cider, hot chocolate, homemade chicken noodle soup and apple crisp.

Jason spent most of the day on Sunday shoveling the driveway - a task I view as both time consuming and futile, but which he seems to enjoy.

After it snowed most of the day the girls started having to wade through the fluff to play outside.

Isabelle has mastered her snowman-making technique...

...and Madeleine has become a skilled supervisor.

By nightfall our poor Japanese Maple was almost buried, Isabelle was knee deep...

...and Maddy couldn't walk far without falling.

In the end it was just more relaxing to sink in and look up at the "marshmallow trees".

The storm has not been without its mini disasters. We were without power for over 2 hours today. While I'd like to say I channelled my inner Laura Ingalls by stoking up the bonfire and toasting potatoes to be used as hand and foot warmers, it was really more a feeling of impending doom that settled over me as the minutes ticked by. No heat, no working appliances, a quickly fading cell phone battery - it all added up to a feeling of being cut off from the outside world in our eerily quiet neighborhood. With no status updates coming in from friends it was easy to imagine the world had been taken over by brain-eating zombies and we were the last outpost at the ends of the earth. Okay, I know I'm being overly dramatic - but have you SEEN The Walking Dead?!

Thankfully the power came back on and I was able to check in on my newest obsession - The Pioneer Woman. I know I'm probably the last to discover her amazing blog but she's totally my new best friend. Plus, she has a Saturday morning cooking show on Food Network?! I'm in love. If you haven't checked her out, go ahead and click on the link - I dare you not to join me in fanatic land.

Well, no school again tomorrow - I guess we'll be home enjoying our winter wonderland!

Tonsils - Who Needs Them?

2012-01-09T14:21:00.000-08:00

It all started at her 3-year-old well child visit with an innocuous: "Does Madeleine snore? She has some pretty big tonsils. She might have obstructed sleep apnea." Which then led to me panicking thinking Maddy would surely stop breathing in the middle of the night, which then led to a slumber party in Mommy and Daddy's room to monitor her air intake. A couple weeks later we found ourselves at Children's Hospital, seeing the Otolaryngologist. He too seemed dismayed at the size of Maddy's tonsils, "Wow, they're almost touching! They're taking up almost her entire throat!" Geez, he must see thousands of throats a year but it's our daughter he labels with circus sideshow-sized tonsils. Well, they are pretty miraculous.

Bright and early Saturday morning we loaded Maddy into the car and made the trek back to Children's. This was all very thrilling for Madeleine, who was quite pleased her beautiful tonsils were chosen to go in a jar in Dr. T's office. She only had a brief moment of uncertainty the night before when I told her she would be just fine. She gave herself a good look in the mirror and said, "Well...I hope so."

Upon our arrival, she was treated like royalty: a new stuffed animal, special jammies, heated blankets and a special bracelet. Not to mention the undivided attention from a huge team of doctors and nurses. Plus, she was going to get to breathe strawberry air to put her to sleep!

I was able to be with her in the OR until she went to sleep. Everyone at Children's was SO great! We are very lucky to have such a great facility for children close to our home. The procedure itself only took about 20 minutes but we were there for several hours including the pre-show and waiting for Maddy to sleep it off. When she was finally wheeled back to us she looked very nonplussed and regal, sitting up in the crib, holding a giant Popsicle. She was a bit groggy but insisted on removing her own IV before we left, much to the amazement of the nurses. (She also prefers to administer her own medication and, had the anesthesiologist not arrived promptly, would have preferred to remove her own tonsils as well.)

While Madeleine was otherwise disposed, Isabelle was having a terrific time spending the night and morning with her best friend Delaney. In fact, Isabelle was so well taken care of by my friend Erica, and had such a great time eating out, going to Build-a-Bear and picking out best friend jewelry, it's a wonder she wanted to come home at all!

Maddy's first few hours home were great since she was still pretty loaded up with pain killers and morphine. We were able to get some fluids into her and get her settled on the couch. The first night home was pretty rough with Maddy being up several times with pain but I do see she's improving. She's now just taking regular Tylenol for pain.

One would think that having all the Popsicles, ice cream, pudding, and jello one could want would be pretty fantastic. Unfortunately, even for a 3-year-old, sweets grow tiresome. Maddy is still not eating very much, although last night she was sitting on my lap at the dinner table, fake sleeping, when all of a sudden her hand shot across the table, grabbed my sandwich and got a bite in her mouth before I could stop her. Luckily it went down okay and now I know the sneaky lengths she'll go to to have what her tummy desires - despite the pain.

Now all we need to do is keep her home resting on the couch doing low-key activities for the next week. That shouldn't be too hard, should it? Yes, that is the vomit bucket on her head. It also serves as a great top hat.

A Jolly Good Time

2011-12-27T20:40:00.000-08:00

Christmas may be over but we certainly had a wonderful time this season with all our family and friends.

Madeleine visited Santa Claus (and delivered a letter from her big sister who's still a bit wary of the guy). I think she was most pleased about the candy cane he gave her. Maddy and I also spent a wonderful afternoon at my friend Teresa's beautiful Christmas house where Maddy indulged in her first real grown-up tea. She's still talking about it. What 3-year-old wouldn't love a house decked out attic to basement in holiday finery? Not to mention the rope swing hanging from the banister and all those secret rooms!

After weeks of hanging by a thread Isabelle finally twisted out her first tooth, right as we were trying to rush to ballet. We did make it on time after a quick rinse. :)

Last week we headed to Eugene for a few days to visit the whole fam. We had a blast at my Aunt Bonnie's house visiting with cousins...

...and Super Grandma (Great Grandma).

Maddy is always up for a snuggle.

Then it was back to Seattle for Christmas! My sister Darla hosted us on Christmas Eve where there was much music and merrymaking. There was also a delicious prime rib dinner. Pictures were taken but are too gratuitous to post. I'll just tell you there was a LOT of beef consumed that night.

Uncle Eric even broke out his saxophone. What a treat!

When the big day finally came it was so nice to wake up in our own house and have the girls run down the stairs in the morning to see what Santa had brought.

Even though Madeleine has been talking about nothing but Jessie from Toy Story for weeks, it was still a shock to see Jessie standing there on Christmas morning.

Isabelle was equally happy with her new Zhu Zhu Pet set up. Thank goodness Santa came through on this one because Mommy is not a fan!

Even though the season culminates with gifts on Christmas morning, we are most grateful for a year filled with health, happiness, good friends and wonderful family. We hope your holiday season was as magical and memorable as ours!

The Christmas Season

2011-12-26T23:57:00.000-08:00

After a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner (three little turkeys included), we dove headlong into the Christmas season.

We set up a dazzling light display for the girls - with only one broken bone to show for it! (Jason didn't really use that left hand too much anyway.)

Then we were off to Farmer Brown's for our Christmas tree. Daddy found the perfect tree within the first 10 minutes of our trip. However, Mommy just wasn't satisfied until after two more hours of searching. We ended up with Daddy's tree.

While I should feel bad about the prolonged trip I really don't. After all, we only do this once a year and Jason didn't seem to mind too much.

After cutting the tree down with one good hand...

...he got a pretty good reward...

...and the girls went home to relax after all their hard work.

Don't you just love a cozy Christmas room?

Not to mention the excitement of little girls when "the fanciness" is put out.

Isabelle and I are very lucky to have season tickets to the ballet this year. Seeing "Nutcracker" was so much fun!

But, my favorite performance of the season was Isabelle's first grade production of "The Mitten". Jason and I took the day off so we could visit her at school and see the show.

Pre-show hugs from one of her besties.

If you've ever read the classic tale of "The Mitten" you know how important a role the snowflake cheerleaders play (as in so important they didn't make the final edit). But, Isabelle asked for the part and was thrilled to wave pompoms and wear a snowflake t-shirt. What more could you ask for?

She did a fantastic job!

More good friends celebrating a terrific show!

Look! Snowflake cheerleaders jump rope too!

It's November 14!

2011-11-14T17:29:00.001-08:00

That means it's this little darling's birthday! (I almost used the word angel but those who know her well would surely scoff at the thought!)

Spunky little Madeleine turned three-years-old. Here's how she felt about it in her own words,

"Yippee ki yi yay!"

Maddy wanted monkeys at her birthday brunch yesterday. She definitely got them!

What 3-year-old doesn't want coffee cake and baked eggs at their party?

Vilia looks suitably impressed with Maddy's big number.

What did Madeleine want more than anything? (Besides a pony of course.) - Scissors! And, if Mommy and Daddy are dense enough to buy a 3-year-old scissors for her birthday, they will have to learn to tolerate little bits of paper confetti strewn all over the house. A small price to pay for the look of sheer delight on her face when she opened them.

Maddy cuddled up in her new sleeping bag pillow pet...

...and banged the tune right out of the glockenspiel from her cousins.

My favorite pic. of the day - a look at the party through Madeleine's eyes.

Today Madeleine took cupcakes to daycare...

...and celebrated at our favorite Mexican restaurant. Can you tell she was thrilled by the sombrero? P.S. Her big sister would NEVER want this to happen on her birthday, but Madeleine ate up the attention.

As Madeleine turns three today we can't help but be so thankful that this sassy, happy, expressive, sensitive, brainy, loving, hip-hop dancing sprite is our little girl. So, even though she tried to send me to time-out for not getting her snack quickly enough this afternoon, we wouldn't change one curly hair on her sweet little head. We love you Maddy!

October

2011-11-06T18:27:00.000-08:00

October seemed to fly by so quickly with all our events and what seems to be the annual fall rush. We've been having so much fun I haven't even had time to upload any pictures!

We decorated...

...and went on field trips.

We had a blast with Isabelle's dance team at the corn maze! It was dark, it was muddy, and we put total faith in making it through in the hands of children under 10 years old. It won't surprise you to discover it took us several hours to complete - serves us right!

Madeleine loved it too! (Of course she did - Jason carried her the entire time except for the bonfire break in the middle with s'mores and hot cider.)

We carved pumpkins...

...and ended the month dressed as royalty for Halloween.

Cousin Vilia came dressed as her favorite thing in the whole world - a sweet little teddy bear!

Baby Shepard was there too, also dressed as a bear - albeit a more confused one.

Trick-or-Treating in our crazily decked-out neighborhood!

Home at last after a fun night - even Princess Cinderella complained of sore feet!

Shepard chillaxed after his big night.

The best part of the night - candy sampling!

Fall really is my favorite season - it's time to bring on the pumpkin pie!

Just Dance

2011-09-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

Since school has begun we're back into our regular fall schedule with dance too. Isabelle still absolutely loves shakin' her groove thang and is even on the dance team at her studio this year! She's the youngest one and is trying her best to keep up with the other girls, some of whom are 4-5 years older than her! She had a blast at dance camps this summer and spends much of her time dancing around the house or perfecting body contortions like the splits and holding her foot above her head. Ewww!

Pics. from her recital last June:

Look who's joined the dance crew!

After years of gazing longingly at the dancers through the studio windows, Madeleine's day has finally come. She took a "Tutus for Tots" class this summer and is now in "Creative Movement".

Like most things "Maddy", we're never quite sure what she'll say or do (e.g., yelling out, "Hey dude! You look like a lollipop!" at the grocery store). Luckily she's been following directions like a champ, despite the fact she thought Miss Amy would be teaching her break dancing in addition to ballet this term. For now we're spending four days a week at the studio - happy girls = happy parents. :)

In Case You're Wondering...

2011-09-07T21:38:00.000-07:00

...Isabelle did not flunk out of kindergarten. She did indeed graduate and I'm quite sure that had "honors" been bestowed she would have received them. Luckily, Isabelle is moving onto first grade despite her mommy's lack of blogging about said graduation. Three months late isn't too bad, right?

Here's how it went down one warm evening last June...

Isabelle donned the requisite caterpillar costume for a profound reading of Eric Carle's, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and received her diploma from her wonderful teacher Mrs. Odegaard.

She then mingled with friends...

...and had a lovely time on the playground.

Fast forward a couple months and it's time for one last barbecue. We were so glad Grandma and Papa could visit for a couple days.

And cousins came too!

And here it is. The first day of 1st grade. As you can see, Madeleine is under the impression she too is heading to that wonderful place called school. You can also tell we didn't correct that assumption until after the picture was taken.

Is it just me, or is Isabelle growing up too fast?

The Dog Days Are (Almost) Over

2011-09-02T21:57:00.000-07:00

Well, it's come down to this. One final weekend of frivolity before heading back to the classroom for another fun-filled year of kindergarten. The summer has gone by way too fast, probably because the sun really just decided to stick around for a few days last week. The irony is not lost on me that the weather forecasters are predicting the warmest days of summer to hit on the first day back to school. Ugh!

Before closing the season, here's what we did to keep busy these last few weeks...

Play dates! Nothing better than Twister.

Isabelle hosted her friend Laney for a slumber party/junk food fest.

The girls were gracious enough to let Madeleine join in the fun.

However, when it came time for the goodnight sundaes, they enjoyed some private big girl time.

Madeleine had her boyfriend Aiden over for a BBQ...

...while big sister Isabelle chaperoned.

Isabelle practiced her photography skills...

...and Madeleine was only too happy to pose.

We were super excited to visit with our friends Rachel and Wade from Minnesota at Rachel's parent's house.

Isabelle and Madeleine had a blast playing with Liam and Lucy!

But, what we mostly did this summer was wake up late, linger over coffee, dance while doing the dishes, and dress up in our most fashionable clothes, modeled here by Maddy. Our motto is: "Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize." (That bandaid is not covering an owie - it's just what's trending for Fall.)

But, just like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get when it's time for the 360 spin...Really, Maddy? I think you may have forgotten something important.

What I will remember about this summer is laughter, some tears; playing, some squabbling; big sisters helping little sisters...

...and my little girls in their tutus and tiaras.

Goodbye Summer - we hardly knew ya'!

Staycation

2011-08-19T21:06:00.001-07:00

We finally had a beautiful weekend here in Washington so we decided to stick close to home and have a little adventure. A trip to the tide pools was in order so we strapped on our waterproof shoes and headed into the slimy green sludge of Puget Sound.

The girls were fascinated by the chitons, crabs, sea anemones and seaweed we found.

After a yummy lunch at the fish bar on the wharf the girls enjoyed their first ever taste of soft serve ice cream. The sticky drips were everywhere!

Then it was back home for a camp out! Isabelle has only been camping once and Madeleine never has, facts made clear when I told them to get ready for bed in their nice warm camping clothes. Maddy heard the word warm and paired her wool-lined boots with shortie pajamas...

...while Isabelle decided ballet shoes and a gown would be appropriate attire.

Of course there was a campfire to warm our hands by...

...and spooky ghost stories, including the legendary tale of "The Creeping Hand" (my family will know this of course morphed into "The Creeping Behind" when the mood needed to be lightened. After all, how scary can a creeping behind be? :)

Snuggled in cozy for the night.

I'd love to share pictures of our chocolate chip pancake breakfast but that would also subject you to pictures of morning camping head (at least 100 times worse than regular bed head) - only our closest neighbors were privy to that.

Did You Hear the News?

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

I have a precious new nephew!

Born at home (to my superstar sister) on July 24th

Shepard Miles

9 lbs. 4 oz.

Look who's delighted!

Disney Wrap-Up

2011-08-04T20:54:00.000-07:00

By the end of our week at Disneyland the girls weren't having any problems sleeping soundly (and sideways).

Madeleine especially enjoyed waking up each morning in her sister's arms. (Slumber parties have continued since we came home just because they like to be snuggle bugs.)

The day before we left we explored the Downtown Disney area and stopped in at the giant Build-a-Bear-Workshop to stuff a new friend or two.

Sadly, our last day came and we started the morning with Mickey Mouse pancakes at the Riverbelle Terrace. Yum!

There was one final meet and greet with the princesses. Thank goodness we finally found one of our favorites - Princess Tiana!

Isabelle practiced her curtsies as a princess-in-training...

...and the girls danced around the Maypole.

A little more adventure...

...and it was time to say goodbye...

...and not a moment too soon.

Of course the other highlight of our week was the mid-afternoon swim. While the girls aspired to look like bathing beauties...

...they usually looked like space creatures from another planet.

Fantasy Days

2011-07-18T20:42:00.001-07:00

The girls had waited with much anticipation for the day they would finally ride Dumbo. Since this ride usually has one of the longest waits in the park we made a beeline for it on one of our early entrance mornings. We were the first ones on and the girls were thrilled! We spent the morning exploring Fantasyland including Pixie Hollow where we ran into Tinkerbell and Vidia - two favorite fairies.

Ever wonder what happens to my girls when they stay up past their bedtime?

On the 4th of July Isabelle and Madeleine had a date with the princesses. After six days at Disneyland we still hadn't met up with one so we were very happy to have breakfast with them at Ariel's Grotto.

The moment Madeleine realized Snow White was headed her way.

Did I mention they adore Belle?

Of course there were more rides, shows, opportunities to get wet and character encounters on this day...

...but there's nothing like finishing the evening with a little break dancing.

More Disney Fun!

2011-07-13T21:32:00.000-07:00

Disneyland just kept getting better for the girls on our next couple days. We started the morning by heading over to the Grand Californian Hotel for breakfast with Chip, Dale and other woodland creatures.

Since we were staying at the Disneyland Resort we were able to sneak through the secret entrance to California Adventure a little bit early to be the first to get on the new Little Mermaid ride. Lucky us!

Maddy made a good friend at Hollywood Studios Backlot. This picture was taken after they played a long game of tag together. I guess Goofy won!

The next day we set out for a special early entrance into Toon Town back at Disneyland. On the advice of my favorite Disney guidebook we bought a double stroller to save the girls from all the walking. I'm pretty sure it was also responsible for us retaining our sanity on this trip.

Finally face to face with the Big Cheese!

We weren't surprised at all when Madeleine turned out to be a daredevil. She was only tall enough to go on a couple roller coasters but once she got on she didn't want to get off. Somehow I ended up being strapped on this one about 4 times in a row.

Yes, I am the type of parent who lets her child have a lolly at 10:30 in the morning while on vacation. Why not?!

Suited up for the Davy Crocket canoes.

Back at California Adventure Isabelle discovered another favorite ride - Grizzly River Run. After getting completely soaked with Mommy...

...she jumped on for a second time with Daddy. My favorite sequence of pictures from the entire trip: "The Geyser" (Jason is in the blue shirt with Isabelle just to his right)

Musings on treats (couldn't Jason have kept the camera on the children? Geesh!)

Vacay at Disneyland! - Part 1

2011-07-09T20:34:00.001-07:00

So, I thought about condensing eight days at Disneyland into one blog post but then I decided it's not as though I'm holding you hostage and forcing you to watch a slide show of our vacation. You're all free to desert this blog whenever you'd like - although I'd strongly advise against it as there is a lot of cuteness coming your way!

After waking the girls up at the ungodly hour of 4:15 in the morning to make our early flight to Anaheim, they were in good spirits (and so was Mommy) after a stop at the airport Starbucks.

Don't the girl's seats look large and luxurious? How come they didn't feel that way to me? :)

I'm a big planner when it comes to Disney. It may sound ridiculous to have an itinerary for each day but I'll tell you - we never stood in a line for longer than 20 minutes and while other children were having crying meltdowns all around us, our built-in rest/swim time everyday kept Isabelle and Madeleine low-key and happy.

As soon as we got to Disneyland we headed straight for Main Street Station to board the train for the grand circle tour around the park.

"Here it comes!"

Then it was off to It's a Small World to see the "dollies sing".

While waiting for any parade or show Maddy entertained us (and everyone else) with her dancing and hijinks.

Here comes trouble!

We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel, which was fantastic! I'm afraid the girls got a little too used to turn-down service and chocolates on their pillows every night. A fireworks display on the headboard was an added bonus.

Tucked in and ready for the first full day of adventure!

Breakfast with Minnie Mouse was the first order of business. Can you tell Madeleine looooves the Disney characters?

On the infamous Winnie-the-Pooh ride. If you've been reading my blog for awhile you know the last time we were at Disneyland (several years ago) Isabelle made us go on this ride 15 times. With two cajolers I think we rode it at least that many times this year! Madeleine quickly learned the layout of Disneyland and whenever we got within a half-mile radius of Pooh she would stretch out her arms with waggling fingers and shout, "Give me the Winnie! Give me the Winnie!" How could we say no?

The Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer's Island had us searching for treasure.

Even with stops along the way for goose sightings...

...the girls still managed to find some booty.

Our day ended with a harrowing ride on Autopia.

Who's Mommy's little speed racer?

How our adventure began...

Six-Year-Old in the House!

2011-06-19T21:41:00.000-07:00

The invitations were sent...

The food was made...

...and ordered.

The decorations were set...

...(even though some got damp) (:

There were even live ladybugs!

(FYI: There is nothing ladylike about 100 bugs crawling on your kitchen counter while you try to capture them to put in the "ladybug carnival". There was definitely more than a minute of panic as the creepy crawlies sped, flew and raced for cover as I tried to wrangle them. Note to self: When instructions say to place container in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to slow the bugs down, this means they will slow down for about as long as it takes you to open the jar and expose them to fresh air, at which point they will become refreshed, free and unmanageable.)

Don't worry though, the carnival made a great centerpiece for the arts and crafts table.

Isabelle's friends arrived, made ladybug bracelets and tatted themselves up with ladybug tattoos.

Madeleine had her own personal helper all day.

Games were played...

There were winners...

...and people who tried really hard. :)

They ate...

...played...

...and opened presents.

There were cupcakes...

...and love affairs.

And then there was this:

But alas, all good things must come to an end.

Happy Birthday Isabelle!! You're the sweetest little bug of all!

Spring Concert

2011-05-25T21:18:00.000-07:00

Last week we had a lovely time attending Isabelle's kindergarten spring concert. Isabelle's teacher had an international themed evening as so many children in her class experience more than one culture at home. Awesome! Because stats make sense to me, (and because sometimes it's the quickest way to blog), here's the rundown:

45 minutes to get both girls picture ready and fabulous

30 minutes to drive to the performing arts center at the high school

1 hour spent waiting in the rain to get the best seats for the performance (come on, I know we're not the only crazies out there who do this!)

6 songs sung by Isabelle's class

12 minutes of glorious onstage time for Isabelle

2 proud and beaming parents

1 adoring little sister

Madeleine was engrossed in the program.

Can you feel the love?

Isabelle with friends...

...and with her wonderful kindergarten teacher.

It wouldn't be an event without a treat afterwards!

Tough Break

2011-05-04T20:56:00.000-07:00

It's happened. The first (and hopefully only) broken bone. And it happened to the little one. Poor Madeleine fell at daycare right before I picked her up the other day. She was a little teary when I got there but seemed to be fine. It wasn't until I took her out of her car seat when we got home that something seemed to be wrong. She wouldn't lift her left arm and screamed when I picked her up. A trip to the walk-in clinic confirmed a broken clavicle. Yikes! I thought I was probably overreacting and that she probably just had a bruise. Boy am I glad I took her in. Madeleine was delightful despite her pain. She carried on a lovely conversation with the nurse, was happy to oblige when asked to put on her costume (radiation apron) and even said, "Cheese!" and smiled for the x-ray camera.

Maddy has been quite pleased with her broken bone. She loves to carry around the picture and show it to anyone who might be interested - even the cat ("See Annie, this is my broken clavicle. Do you see?") After the first day she hasn't had any pain medication. Unfortunately, despite the broken bone Maddy hasn't slowed down much.

The sling is just for show (a weak attempt at slowing her down, but mostly to warn others to be careful around her). Her clavicle is broken in two though and we need to be careful for at least six weeks.

Day One - Codeine Coma

So, there will be no games of princess chase...

...galloping Daddy...

...or pony rides. Just weeks of reminding a two-year-old that when she gets knocked down, she really shouldn't get up again.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame?...

2011-04-19T21:17:00.001-07:00

...not so much. Did you know 44 of the last 48 days in Seattle it has rained (or snowed)? Since I'm about halfway through building my ark in the backyard, I'm pretty aware of this fact. This dreary statistic has affected my gardening plans but, more importantly, the rain has totally drowned Isabelle's first t-ball season.

Here are her stats:

Time on team - almost two months

# of practices held - 3 (2 in the rain)

# of practices cancelled - 3

# of games played - 0

# of games cancelled - 1

Pictures taken - Yes! (but under tents in the rain)

I was ready with my camera on our lone clear day. Isabelle is an official "Frog".

They look good, don't they? Don't let this shot fool you into thinking they've got it together. Practice is really a comedy of errors. Knowing what first base is is a major accomplishment, let alone finding it on the first try when it's time to run!

Go team!

Where Have I Been?

2011-04-11T22:29:00.001-07:00

If you're a teacher you've probably heard of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. If you're not a teacher I'll forgive you for probably having no idea what I'm talking about.

I already have a state teaching certificate and a Master's degree but the National Board certificate is the highest level of teaching certificate one can acquire. To be granted such certificate one voluntarily signs up for (and pays several thousand dollars for) hundreds of hours of work to assemble a "portfolio" and then be tested on a series of essay questions. Sounds fun, right? Well, after spending the last few months working on this almost nonstop I've realized it wasn't so fun after all.

When I first signed up our state was offering a fairly significant yearly bonus to those teachers who "certify" (only 40% of teachers who apply actually receive certification). I thought this would be a great way to put some extra money aside for the girls' education. This was how I reconciled the time I would have to spend away from them to get this project done. Unfortunately, midway through the process the bonus was cut from the state budget. So, now I'm out a chunk of change and time with the girls. Not to mention all the blogging I've missed out on! Well, my portfolio was due by March 31st (Done!) and I'll take my test on May 24th. I won't know if I passed until at least next November. For now, I'm enjoying getting back to our regular schedule!

Did I mention there were 400 pages of directions? Concise, eh?

Enough about me - we just finished spring break and had about 2 hours of sunshine the whole week. It even snowed, in April. Geesh! However, there was lots of sister love this week (you know, in between the squabbles).

Maddy worked out hard.

Snuggle Bugs

Someone loves her some coffee!

Playing "car"

The Look of Love

Cinderella

2011-02-26T20:21:00.000-08:00

Isabelle and I had a fabulous time attending Pacific Northwest Ballet's magical production of Cinderella a couple weeks ago. We are so fortunate to have such wonderful artistic venues in our area and, let's face it, getting to dress up every once in a while isn't too bad either. The sets were fantastic, the costumes lovely and the dancing magical - especially with a sprinkling of fairy dust.

Of course we couldn't take pictures during the performance but I borrowed these from the PNB website.

Isabelle's favorite was the Fairy Godmother in her glittery lavender gown.

After sitting mesmerized through the entire show (plus a post-performance discussion with the artistic director, Cinderella and the Prince) Isabelle came home dancing...

...while also trying to figure out what this was.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T21:26:00.001-08:00

We just love a good excuse to get crafty and do some baking around here! Isabelle, Madeleine and I grabbed our bows, glitter and scissors last weekend and got to work on our creations.

Maddy was happy to grab a marker and do some coloring,

while Isabelle carefully printed each of her friends' names.

Then came Madeleine's sheer joy and bliss at having discovered an entire basket of lollipops.

"How delightful! And yes, I will take two!"

Isabelle waited to have her lolly until she had stamped, glittered and finished all her cards.

We also thought strawberry scones for some of our favorite people would be nice - the girls didn't mind a quality control test or two either.

Since Valentine's Day falls on a dreaded Monday this year we went out for Valentine breakfast Sunday morning at Cabbage Patch, an old house converted to a restaurant. It's very antiquey (sure, that's a word) and charming. The girls were quite taken with the relics - especially the old-fashioned curling iron in the bathroom that looked more like an instrument of torture than a beautifying device.

Maddy was also quite taken with her daddy.

Happy Valentine's Day from these two sweeties!

Hair

2011-02-09T20:12:00.001-08:00

Have you seen Madeleine's beautiful curls? If not, you have to know she has a lot of them! We comb, condition, moisturize and fluff the heck out of them but until this weekend there had only been three styles - headband, barrette's or puffs.

Maddy hasn't seemed to mind...

...and has been perfectly cute and content.

But, after reading a recommendation for the tangle teezer on Happy Girl Hair and heading over to Sally's to pick one up I felt ready to tackle something a bit more challenging. I also picked up a satin pillowcase (Geesh! Somehow it took me forever to find one!) and a new rat tail comb. Now all I needed was a two-year-old willing to sit for an indeterminate amount of time while I detangled, parted and twisted her hair.

Success!...Sort of - the parts are definitely not all straight but I did manage twists all over head and Maddy loved her new 'do. She ran around the house shaking her head back and forth and couldn't stop staring at herself in the mirror. Before she went to bed I gathered the twists into pigtails to try to protect them better while she slept - I'm not sure if this helped or not.

Is it at all ironic that Maddy is wearing her Rapunzel nightgown? We're definitely equal opportunity princess around her!

"Check me out!"

The next morning I just spritzed with moisturizer and added a couple clips. After a few days they stopped looking tidy so I took them out but hopefully I'll get better at this and they'll last longer.

Are you wondering how long this cherub sat while I played with her hair? 2 1/2 hours plus another 30 minutes to take it all back out three days later. What a trooper!

Disney Channel, I couldn't have done it without you.

Cousin Concerto on a Musical Monday

2011-01-24T20:07:00.000-08:00

"Where's Winnie-the-Pooh's Vagina?"

2011-01-15T19:01:00.001-08:00

Sorry Grandma, I bet that's not the title you expected to see when you logged in today. But, that is what's on the little one's mind these days.

Madeleine, being the inquisitive two-year-old she is, has nothing but questions. Many months ago, in the midst of mastering all the body parts, I discussed this one with Maddy too. Isn't that what the parenting books tell you to do? You know, to avoid embarrassment when they're teenagers? Unfortunately Madeleine was so highly successful in learning this concept that the "v word" pops up quite frequently around our house, much to the dismay of any unsuspecting adult within earshot. For example, on Christmas morning a brand new Mrs. Potato Head was turned over and Maddy was delighted to discover that she too had Maddy's favorite body part - no matter that Mrs. Potato Head's legs were inserted there.

Today, Madeleine was playing with her Winnie-the-Pooh toy and was disgruntled to discover that poor Winnie was lacking in a certain area...hence the title of this post. And then I was tasked with explaining why bears, boys and plastic toys don't have the same body parts as she.

Now, the best part of the story is where this important and embarrassing conversation took place - in the middle of the "Bite Me" cupcake shop. And...scene.

Thus concludes my most off-color and lewd post ever.

A Brand New Year

2011-01-01T17:30:00.000-08:00

Even though I headed back to work today my thoughts are still on vacation. The girls and I had a great end to our two weeks off, despite the frigid temperatures. The small dusting of snow, combined with a lot of ice made a few trial runs on our new sled possible.

The girls had fun playing with all their new Christmas toys but quickly resorted to their own invented games. This one is called: "Ballerinas with Grimy-Toes on Mommy's Clean Windows"

Game 2: "Do Maddy's Hair with Play Dough Accessories"

On New Year's Eve we headed to my friend Erica's house for a great party.

Looks like Laney's had too much to drink again. :)

Madeleine was doted on all night by Emersyn. I think I could hire her as a babysitter - Maddy was in Heaven getting to play with the big girls...

...she also spent the evening trying on an array of party hats.

Look #1:

Look #2:

Look #3:

While the kids played the grown-ups practiced embarrassing dance moves.

Thanks for a great time Erica!

Since it's a new year I guess I must make a resolution. After bingeing on holiday yummies for the last two weeks I'm definitely putting the chunky in Chunky Monkey and not in a good Ben and Jerry's sort of way. So, you can guess what my resolution is. The house has been cleared of anything tempting, although I do wish I could rig some sort of aversive therapy in the bakery aisle of the grocery store. A few electric shocks never hurt anyone, right?

P.S. If you're out shopping and see me reaching for a box of donuts feel free to slap me upside the head. I'll thank you.

We Had a Merry Little Christmas

2010-12-28T15:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come and gone, leaving behind only cookie crumbs, half-full bottles of wine (working on that) and about 10 pounds of our 16 pound ham (not even wanting to work on that). The girls made the "nice" list, paving the way for Santa's yearly visit - they even got to sit in his sleigh before he made his rounds!

Cousin Vilia came over for Christmas Eve dinner - Let the ceremonial belly-showing commence!

Maddy to Vilia - "Jealous??"

Cozy new pajamas were opened, ensuring a long snooze on the eve of the big day...

...and Vilia regaled Grandma and Grandpa with a classic game of peek-a-boo.

We really did eat dinner but by the time I got around to taking a picture most of it was in our tummies. We still managed to find room for chocolate mousse, snowball cookies and two pounds of See's Candy. At this point in my post I would like to point out that I myself only enjoyed 2 pieces of candy. I won't name names but the rest of you candy hoarders know who you are.

The stage was set for Christmas morning...

...and the girls ran downstairs to see what the big guy had brought.

New dollies...

...and a sled!

We had a very merry Christmas...

...and hope you did too!

2010-12-21T20:26:00.000-08:00

On Saturday Isabelle, Madeleine and I took the train to Eugene for some pre-Christmas festivities. After almost eight hours on the rails we arrived safely and were welcomed by the delicious smell of my Mom's beef bourguignon as we came in the door.

Yesterday we visited my Aunt Bonnie's beautiful new home and were treated to a live National Geographic show when it was time to feed her turtle. Maddy's mouth dropped open when the live worms were dropped in the tank.

The experience was both horrifying and mesmerizing although Isabelle did not stop chewing on her candy cane, despite pointing out the blood in the water.

"Thanks Aunt Bonnie! We've never seen anything like that before!"

The thrills kept coming when Bonnie showed the girls her bird. Madeleine was beside herself with excitement and kept asking to see the "real bird" - I don't think she's ever been that close to one before.

Later that day Aunt Darla and cousin Vilia joined in on some sugar cookie decorating fun.

Maddy and Vilia tried their best but ended up doing a lot more eating than decorating...

...while Isabelle took her time and has yet to eat one of her creations.

Today the girls rested from their visits to all their family members before we head back to Seattle for our first Christmas in our new house - not to mention the first Christmas we'll sleep in our own beds on Christmas Eve in ten years! We're looking forward to it!

Madeleine was all smiles mid-afternoon today but after not being able to fall asleep at nap time and coming down with a cold, she melted down in the middle of dinner tonight. Hopefully she's back to her happy self in the morning.

Cozy Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-15T18:48:00.000-08:00

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

2010-12-04T21:23:00.000-08:00

On this frigidly cold, sunny day we headed out to Farmer Brown's to search for the perfect Christmas tree. After warming our tummies with hot chocolate and eating a few doughnuts for sustenance we made it to the farm and the hunt was on.

An hour later, after chasing down Madeleine and being led by Isabelle, the sun finally shone on the perfect tree.

Time to decorate!

The oldest sister gets to put the angel on the tree.

The youngest sister was just fine with that - she snuck a few extra cookies while the rest of us were otherwise disposed.

The award for Best Use of a Tree Skirt went to...Isabelle!

Madeleine helped her daddy water the tree.

All done!

Turkey, Snow and Pumpkin Pie

2010-11-28T21:21:00.000-08:00

Dear Snow,

Thank you for coming early this year and letting me have almost a full week off work for Thanksgiving. You know I love you when I'm snug and warm, drinking hot chocolate and eating cookies by the fire. Somehow you knew I was several days behind in cooking preparation for turkey day and without a day off it would be 2 AM bedtime for me. You also knew I wouldn't be content with just one snow day, because I'm greedy like that.

Thank you snow for delighting my girls so, especially Madeleine who enjoyed your white fluff for the first time (that's right, I did notice you didn't make an appearance last year). Even if we were woefully unprepared, lacking a sled, our cardboard box was kind of fun.

Thank you snow for not overstaying your welcome. You melted just in time for Grandma and Papa to make it here safely for Thanksgiving.

Thanks again, snow! We can't wait to see you again!

My snowballer toughies. Yeah, I wouldn't want to meet them in a dark alley either.

From this...

...to this.

Baking pumpkin pie. Yes, I do realize there is a large bottle of Jim Beam whiskey next to Isabelle in this picture. And yes, it is a necessary ingredient.

Back out in the snow on Thanksgiving day. Isabelle and Jason built this snowgirl together over the course of several hours while the rest of us stayed warm in the house.

Jason grew kind of attached.

Dinner? You bet! A bit of this...

...a bit of that...

...and several plates of this.

"Delicious!"

Culture

2010-11-20T20:25:00.000-08:00

We had a fantastic afternoon today at the new Ethiopian Community Center in south Seattle. It opened a few months ago but the event today was the first one we were able to go to. Several local adoptive families organized an afternoon of eating and dancing, topped off by a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony. What could be better?

After napping for the first twenty minutes (truly, dead-to-the-world-napping) Madeleine was thrilled to wake up to a roomful of new faces and proudly ran around showing off her "Opia dress" to everyone. She was one of the youngest but gamely joined in during all the activities. She also devoured an entire roll of injera and a mound of doro wat to boot. This girl loves to eat!

As soon as the coffee ceremony began the smell of incense filled the room and it was almost like being back in Ethiopia.

The children all crowded around to pass out the popcorn.

Maddy didn't need to fight her way in though - she was content to stare at the kernels that fell on the floor...

...and then protected them with fervor (as though anyone else wanted to eat dirty popcorn). I watched her closely as she played with this popcorn for 10 minutes. The moment I looked away, satisfied she wasn't going to eat it, down the hatch it went. Ughh! I wonder how many disgusting floor germs she swallowed today?

Last weekend I went to a Central Asian Traditions cooking class at PCC Natural Market with several women from my Kazakhstan adoption group where we learned how to make Kazakh Mantu, as well as dishes from neighboring countries. How lucky we are to live in an area with such rich culture!

Happy 2nd Birthday Madeleine!

2010-11-14T20:14:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrated Madeleine's second birthday. I can't believe she's already two! In honor of Maddy here are just a few of the wonderful things we love about her:

We love that she can hear a song once and be able to sing most of the lyrics.
We love that she'll tolerate being Isabelle's "patient" for an hour while playing "doctor", complete with ear and mouth checks and broken arms.
We love that she has an opinion about everything she wears and it usually involves being "fancy". This morning she was adamant she put on one of her frilliest outfits but was okay with taking it off at lunchtime so it wouldn't get dirty. After lunch we were sure she would want to stay in her cozies but no, she wanted the dress back on right away. She also loves to put on fashion shows. As soon as she opened a new outfit today she tried to squeeze it on over what she was already wearing.
We love that her favorite toys are all books. She can sit for hours going through her picture books or being read to.
We love that she laughs all the time. She comes up with her own games and cracks herself up. Tonight she kept shouting the words, "movie premier!" while running through the house. I don't know what that was all about but she sure had fun! (Where did she even hear the words movie premier?)
We love that snuggling is one of her favorite things. She even loves to snuggle with Isabelle. She is very affectionate and gives hugs and kisses all day long.
We love that she is so verbal. It's pretty amazing to carry on a conversation that makes sense with a just-turned-two-year-old.
We love that even though she can sometimes be impatient (usually at mealtime) she has about the cutest pout face in the world.
Most of all we love that Madeleine has brought so much happiness to all of us. Her sweet little smile, and even her cries make every day better.

Happy Birthday Madeleine!

We love you!

Her chosen outfit...complete with clips for her hair.

Another thing we love...her facial expressions. She was pretty sure she was reading this card.

She thought this bag would make a good purse. In the middle of opening her presents she said, "goodbye!", tossed it over her shoulder and took off.

Saying, "roar!" Jason and I got her new bedding for the big switch to her toddler bed.

Taking a "happy birthday" phone call.

So proud to have a big pillow and blanket.

While we were transitioning from crib to bed Isabelle and Madeleine read books together.

It's finally ready!

Even though it was bedtime Madeleine couldn't wait until tomorrow to put on one of her new outfits.

Isabelle and Madeleine doing "sister power!"

Tucked in for her first night as a big girl. When the rails came down for Isabelle she never once got out of bed. She would stay in bed until I came to get her in the morning and continued to do this until she was four years old. It's doubtful Maddy will do the same. Let's just say she has a different energy than Isabelle. But, as of right now she's staying put and is fast asleep. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

This is how our day started off. Madeleine loved every minute of it!

So Long Pampers, Hello Risky Business

2010-11-10T21:35:00.000-08:00

That's right. We are a diaper free house. For about a month and a half Madeleine has been wearing big girl underwear! Now I'm not saying we are free and clear on potty training but we're doing pretty well. She stays dry all day and we're just working on getting her overnight/sleep trained. We are also very lucky to have a daycare provider who really helped things along when I started back to work.

Madeleine's new favorite thing to do is take her pants on and off. She seriously practices day and night. When I check on her before I go to bed her pants are off and her little legs are freezing cold. I guess she falls asleep before she can get them back on.

Sometimes she attempts the "flamingo fit"...

...later it might be the "sit and pull"...

...but sometimes it's just easier to to go with an entirely new look.

Maddy turns two this weekend so I kind of feel we're ahead of the game but I would love any tips you have on how to keep children dry at night. We put her in pull-ups at bedtime and they're not too wet in the morning, but how do you make the transition? Isabelle potty-trained later (2 1/2) and the day she figured out how to use the toilet she stayed dry all night.

We're pretty proud of our Maddy-Moe in her cute Fancy Nancy undies! And now she doesn't have to deal with that unflattering diaper-booty look!

Did you Happen to See...

2010-11-05T21:01:00.000-07:00

...the cover of Adoptive Families this month? If you did, you know my little sweeties were the grand prize winners of the annual cover photo contest! Our wonderful social worker sent me the link to enter the contest so to oblige her I submitted their picture. I think that was way back in June and I had forgotten all about it. But, a few weeks ago I got a phone call from the magazine asking for more information about the girls. When I called back I found out that after going through over 5,000 pictures ours was chosen as the big winner! We really can't believe it! The big prize was the cover of the magazine but we also won a $200 gift card to JCPenney portrait studio (Yay, free holiday cards this year!) and a digital camera!

But, even cover girls have bad photo-ops. Maddy couldn't stop looking at herself and Isabelle kept closing her eyes every time I tried to take a picture this morning.

In this picture Maddy is actually shouting, "Maddy cover girl! Maddy cover girl!"

Isabelle took a copy to school to share and when her teacher asked why she was on the cover of the magazine Isabelle said, "I don't know, we're just famous." Fame hasn't gone to their heads at all has it. :) Enjoy your 15 minutes girls!

Halloween, 2010

2010-11-02T21:58:00.000-07:00

We had a beautiful Halloween here in Washington. Clear skies, mild temperatures and plenty of ghouls, goblins and ghosts. I'm going to count this one as Madeleine's first meaningful Halloween. As in, she could walk, say "trick-or-treat" and collect candy with the best of them. Madeleine loves the Disney characters so she went as Minnie Mouse this year. After searching endless costumes online Isabelle finally selected a lovely butterfly costume. Neither of my girls could walk by a mirror without staring at themselves in awe. Maddy went so far as to plaster her lips against the mirror when she saw herself because even she can't resist giving that sweet little face kisses.

A newly walking cousin Vilia joined us for the evening. She went as...well, we're still trying to figure that out. Vilia doesn't like to be pinned down to just one label. She kept things loose by going as a pirate/pumpkin/future gang member with a propensity for saying, "boo!"

Trying to get three children out the door at the same time was the challenge of the night.

We finally had everyone and headed out.

Note to self: While training child for first trick-or-treat outing it is important to tell them they should not hightail it into the homes of the candy giver, as Maddy did at the first house we visited.

Back at home the loot was examined while we drank steaming mugs of hot apple cider. I just love Halloween!

I don't want to accuse Vilia of being a lightweight...but the evidence speaks for itself. At least she didn't mind that we ate her candy. :)

Back from Computer Combat with Halloween Preparation Fun

2010-10-30T19:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes computers are just a lot of trouble. You care for them, you buy them things like wonderful new programs, you come to rely on them and then, they turn on you. They get sick and eat through your firewall. They start devouring your financial records and try to gulp down your precious pictures (we rescued them just in time) and then, they do the worst thing of all: they cut you off from the rest of the world by refusing Internet access. It has been a week since the virus hit and today we had to come to terms with reality. The soul of our computer was gone and we needed to move on.

Even though we live in the land of Microsoft we found ourselves taking our first tentative steps into the Apple store. Three hours later we walked out with a new laptop, printer and 2 iPhones. In our defense we had been planning on getting iPhones this weekend because Jason's job is now mandating their use. I do feel guilty as I sit her on my new MacBook Pro, as though the sad eyes of Bill Gates are watching me with disappointment. I will get over it.

In more important news, Halloween is in full swing around here. Madeleine relished cleaning out her first pumpkin and Isabelle thought long and hard about what type of face to give her jack-o-lantern. A fun time was had by all - even when the entire bowl of pumpkin guts and seeds spilled on the floor, eliciting cries of "Oh no! What a mess!" from Maddy.

Maddy had so much fun cleaning the pumpkin out she decided putting the goo back in could be just as much fun! I have some great video but blogger isn't interested in loading it right now. Is there no end to the computer madness?!

Isabelle designed this pumpkin with the crooked smile all be herself.

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate...

Did I Mention I Love Fall?

2010-10-17T19:08:00.000-07:00

Because I do. I really do. It's my favorite season by far, and not just because of pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins and pumpkin scones. I love the slight chill in the air on crisp, clear days, the changing leaves and harvest time. And, my favorite thing of all? Spending a day on the farm, picking pumpkins, petting animals and this year - going on rides.

It was cousin Vilia's birthday weekend so Grandma and Papa came up to spend the day.

Aunt Darla with her biggest fan.
Isabelle, Vilia and Madeleine

Madeleine thought the giant inflatable scarecrow was delightful!

Vilia loved her first day on the farm too!

Isabelle was pretty proud to be holding her little sister on the canoe ride.

A train ride is always exciting!...

...but Maddy loved petting the rabbits even more.

One of Isabelle's favorite things was driving everyone around on the antique car track.

Even Maddy took a turn.

Anyone up for flying pumpkins?!

Pony rides too!

We usually pluck our pumpkins straight from the vine but there was so much to do at Remlinger Farms we were kind of tuckered out and opted for selecting from the pile.

Then it was time to go home and finish decorating our porch. What a great day!

A few days later we decided a batch of caramel corn was in order.

Yummm is all I can say!

After a full day of raking and playing in leaves...

...the girls settled down for a taste of that caramel corn. (Except that Maddy actually had animal crackers since she still only has 12 teeth. She didn't care though - a treat's a treat!)

We even had enough caramel corn left over to make treat bags for Isabelle's teacher and bus driver and Madeleine's daycare provider. How fun!

Now, I just have to get busy baking some pumpkin bread!

Wanted

2010-09-17T20:47:00.000-07:00

Last spring in the rush to get settled into our new house and get organized before company came I left one of my school bags sitting in the garage right outside our door. All summer as I opened the door to go into the garage I passed by the bag always thinking, "hmmm, I really need to bring that inside." But, I just never did. The bag was full of books, my day planner and one item I had forgotten all about...a Trader Joe's chocolate bar given to me as a gift by one of my students.

About a month ago I realized I needed one of those books in my bag so I gamely went out to the garage to recover it. As I peered into the black bottom of the bag I saw the shiny wrapper of the chocolate bar. Yay! Then I noticed the wrapper was in tiny bits and half the bar had been nibbled away. I quickly pulled my hand out of the bag knowing there must be a chocolate-loving creature lurking inside. As I was the only one home I did what I believe most people in my situation would do: I decided I didn't need that book after all, turned on my heel and calmly walked back into the house. I then willed myself to forget what I had seen and continued walking by the bag for the next month.

A few days ago I realized I did indeed need that book so I took a second peek in the bag. This time there was nothing left of the chocolate bar but a pile of shiny gold wrappers. Jason was home so I apprised him of the situation (there was some eye rolling on his part) and sent him to the garage to rid the bag of the scary creature that was surely inside. I retreated to the family room where I soon heard banging, running and maybe a tiny shriek. The culprit was still in the bag and this is what he must have looked like while enjoying my chocolate bar:

Somehow in my mind the only thing that could have been in that bag was some type of disgusting, creepy-crawly bug - or a rat. A mouse is entirely different! As you know, we've been trained from a young age to love these tiny rodents. I've been inundated with cute mouse images forever!

Like this one!

And have you seen this? Pretty cute!
Mice are heroes as evidenced by children's literature:

And clearly they have a sensitive side.

So, when I went out to take a look at the little mouse quivering in the corner of the garage behind a bookshelf I was horrified to hear Jason say he needed to get one of these:

"Not on my watch Jason!"

After more eye rolling on Jason's part (he thinks I'm crazy) he spent the better part of the next hour trying to get the mouse to run for his life out of the garage, which he did.

But darn that mouse - yesterday he came back looking for seconds. Now he's wanted: dead or alive.

Kindergarten

2010-09-11T11:03:00.001-07:00

I can't believe Isabelle started kindergarten this week! Even though she's gone to two years of preschool there is something different about starting "big kid" school. And, even though I teach kindergarten and am used to the chaos of 600+ children ages 5-11 running every which way, it is much different when your own child is dropped in the jungle and expected to survive. I am thankful I know the chaos is actually fairly organized and everyone gets to where they need to be.

Of course the very first event at her school conflicted with my schedule. Our open houses were on the same day at exactly the same time! I was so appreciative of her teacher when she arranged to meet with us earlier in the day so Isabelle could see her classroom and feel comfortable starting the first day. We looove Mrs. Odegaard! She is kind and sweet and really the quintessential kindergarten teacher.

Isabelle didn't seem nervous to start school at all. She was all giggles and smiles, even telling me there was no need for Daddy to follow the bus to school - "I can find my room by myself." (Clearly this was not going to be an option and Jason was waiting for her when the bus pulled up to school the first day.)

After carefully selecting her outfit it was time for the obligatory "first day photo shoot". Isabelle was even happy to pull out her best poses! It was raining though so we were confined to the porch. I am so glad that every morning I will get to put Isabelle on the bus. We had to arrange with transportation for Isabelle to get on at the first stop in our neighborhood so I can make it to work on time (sort of). Jason has arranged his schedule so he'll meet the bus after school right next to our house (the last stop in the neighborhood).

Check out Isabelle's huge smile! Her bus was the very last one to arrive at school. Settling in and writing her name.

On the second day Isabelle thought Madeleine might have felt a little left out so she wanted more pictures taken with her sister. So sweet!

I'm glad Jason could meet her at school so I could see this:

Isabelle is the only child in our neighborhood going to all-day kindergarten (everyone else is half-day) and she went to preschool near where I work so we were pretty sure she wouldn't know even one person in her class. We were happy when she got home and we heard this:

After school Isabelle's best friend Laney called to talk about their first day of school. After being together almost everyday at daycare I know Isabelle was really missing her now that they're in kindergarten at different schools. I tried not to eavesdrop on the conversation but, to my dismay, what I did hear was Isabelle saying to Laney, "now, when are you getting your driver's license?" What?! Come on girls, it's the first day of kindergarten! Ah, well. It's very apparent we only have 13 more years before she goes off to college. We're going to enjoy them!

Summer's Last Hurrah

2010-09-07T20:10:00.001-07:00

That's right folks. Summer has officially come to an end. How can this be? I'm pretty sure that as long as I don't flip the month on the calendar I can still pretend it's August. But, with the end of August comes the Evergreen State Fair and since we'd never been we piled into the car and headed down the road for some fun, excitement and healthy food. (There was a piece of lettuce in the gyro I ate.) :)

Isabelle and Madeleine loved visiting all the animals.
We even saw two-day-old piglets! The "awww" factor on that was pretty huge.

There were pony rides...

...and thrill rides.

Did anyone else notice that Jason went on all the spinning rides? That definitely was not an accident.

Look at this delicious cuisine! Curly fries and elephant ears - delectable! At any other time I would probably turn up my nose in disgust but every once in a while we go a little crazy. However, not crazy enough to sample the fried Twinkies and candy bars. Look at Maddy reaching for the elephant ear! She couldn't get enough!

As if the seasons were plotting against me, the next morning the weather changed and all we could do was stare glumly out the window at the rain.

Right before the fair we had a fun visit from Uncle Jeremy, Jason's brother.

Isabelle and Madeleine had so much fun with him!

And so tomorrow it's back to school for me and the beginning of school for Isabelle. I can't believe that in a few short hours she'll be a kindergartner! Believe me, the camera will be poised and ready as I hold back tears and sniffle through the day.

Summertime

2010-08-21T15:57:00.000-07:00

School doesn't start for a couple more weeks and we've been busy enjoying the last of summer here in Washington. Here's a recap of what we've been up to the last couple weeks:

More backpacking... ...time with Aunt Darla and cousin Vilia...

...where Vilia displays expressions of concern and wonderment regarding her crazy cousins.

We rented a bike contraption on vacation that Isabelle insisted upon. Of course she wanted to ride it...she and Maddy sat in back while Jason and I did all the work!

The fam on holiday!

There was swimming...

...and more "vacation ice cream".

We held strongman competitions...

...and roasted marshmallows by the fire.

Isabelle and Madeleine made...

...and consumed endless popsicles.

We've had pizza nights...

...and made "water mixtures".

We've even managed to squeeze in a few play dates.

I guess what I'm trying to say is we're making sure summer ends with a splash!

Do Your Kids Do This?

2010-08-01T21:01:00.000-07:00

While helping me in the kitchen the other day Isabelle and Madeleine began singing one of their favorite songs together. They must have sung "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" through 50 times before I finally decided I needed to grab the video camera and record the cuteness for posterity.

As soon as the camera appeared here's what happened:

And even after they finally decided to sing for the camera they decided they'd forgotten half the words. Ah, well. They're still cute. :)

Dance Recital, 2010

2010-07-27T21:16:00.000-07:00

It happened a month ago but late dance recital pics. are better than no dance recital pics., right?

Isabelle takes dance classes at Turning Pointe Dance Centre with the year culminating in a spring recital. This year she took two classes: Tap, Jazz, Ballet and Ballet 1. We had originally signed her up for just T/J/B but her teacher thought she needed to be challenged more, so suggested Ballet 1. However, Isabelle didn't want to give up her tap dancing shoes so she stayed in both. I guess she loves to dance!

We aren't allowed to take pictures during the actual recital so these (as well as the videos) were taken at the dress rehearsal. Isabelle's favorite part about dance is definitely the costumes and getting to wear make-up.

Onstage ready for her first number (Ballet 1) The girls in this class ranged in age from five to eight years old. Isabelle was the youngest at four years old.

Tap, Jazz, Ballet (I think Isabelle and her friend Laney were the youngest in this class too!)

Before the big show!

We were so proud of her performance. She smiled through the whole thing!

Madeleine sat through the whole two-hour show too.

With the fam.

After the recital we all went out to lunch and then headed to the nearby beach...

...where Papa seemed to be on granddaughter duty.

Tweedledee tap number

Ballet 1 Number

After a nice break from dance over the summer Isabelle is anxious to learn some new moves. This year she wants me to sign her up for ballet, jazz and hip-hop. We'll see how that goes...

Yellowstone

2010-07-15T18:40:00.000-07:00

The last two days of our trip we spent at Yellowstone, which I liken to a trip to Disneyland, except a bit more crowded and overpriced. After the relative serenity and calmness of Grand Teton I think we were surprised by the hoards of people on every trail. Not to mention the frustration we experienced watching people ignore the numerous signs to stay on the marked paths and away from the wildlife.

Yellowstone had some beautiful spots as well and at times the landscape was so unusual it felt as though we were walking on another planet rather than just a thin crust of earth. Isabelle thought the stinky sulphur smell was pretty gross but at the same time I think she was delighted by it.

Guess where we are!

We had dinner at the Old Faithful Inn and enjoyed the amazing architecture.
Old Faithful in all its glory.

The beautiful Lake Yellowstone Hotel.

After having breakfast we sat in the sun room and I couldn't help but think it was very Great Gatsby-esque.

Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone definitely didn't disappoint with regard to wild animals. We saw herds of bison (several very close), elk, pronghorns, moose, pelicans, a wolf (stalking bison), a black bear and, the best sighting of all, a mama grizzly bear with two little cubs running behind her.

At the mud volcano.

These two look like they're up to no good don't they?

It's very hot and steamy in geyserland. The different colors in the water are microorganisms that can survive in the heat.

Castle Geyser

In Mammoth on our way out of the park.

One last ice cream stop. On our second day of travel on the way home we stopped in beautiful Coeur d'Alene, Idaho for lunch at Beverly's (great calamari and lobster bisque!) and to stretch our legs a bit. Even on our last day the girls were still smiling. Amazing!

Taking on a huge road trip like this was definitely an adventure but I'm so glad we did. We saw so many stunning sights driving in our car that we would have missed out on had we flown. Since I had so many hours to think while cruising the open road I compiled a top-five list of why I heart Montana, Idaho and Wyoming:

1.) Breathtaking mountains, rock cliffs and rivers

2.) Cowboys

3.) Bears and Bison

4.) It's possible to drive hundreds of miles through prairie land and not go through a town with a population larger than 200

5.) Huckleberry ice cream

On the other hand, I also had time to compile my list of why Washington will always be my home:

1.) I can only read so many Ivan Doig novels

2.) Over-sized belt buckles with too-tight jeans

3.) Driving down the road it's possible to see a pick-up truck loaded with hundreds of bloody animals pelts

4.) See #4 above

5.) The culture of a "red state" is very different - as evidenced by Glen Beck being the main event at the 4th of July fireworks show. I'm definitely a "blue state" kind of girl.

**.) BONUS: If we thought our family got noticed frequently in Seattle you can just imagine how much we stood out in Wyoming. I don't think we made it through even one meal without being asked questions and once the "geriatric league" even laid in wait for us outside the loo to try to take pictures. I don't often compare myself to Angelina Jolie, but paparazzi are kind of annoying. Geesh!

So glad we're home again, home again, jiggety-jig...at least until tomorrow when we meet up with my family down in Oregon. See you in a week!

Fun on the Fourth of July

2010-07-14T21:01:00.000-07:00

Our last days at Teton Springs were fun and relaxing.

Right Maddy?

The girls played...

...swam...

...wore huge helmets that must have been for preventing aliens from disrupting brain signals...

...and rode bikes.

On the Fourth of July we went to Teton Village outside of Jackson Hole for a delicious dinner and a ride in the gondola.

I absolutely HATE gondola rides and was coerced by the entire family to get in and ride to the top. Even though I am smiling in these pictures, if they had been snapped a few minutes earlier you would have seen a look of sheer terror on my face, mixed in with a few tears.

Isabelle finishing dessert at Il Villaggio Osteria. This restaurant makes their own pastas, cheeses and sausages. Sooo delicious!

After dinner we played on the playground...

...danced to live jazz music...

...and practiced "To infinity and beyond!"

The next morning we were sad to say goodbye to Teton Springs but were excited for the next leg of our trip. On to Yellowstone!

Grand Teton National Park

2010-07-12T20:38:00.000-07:00

The morning after our cowboy adventure we woke early to head over to Grand Teton National Park for a day of hiking. Yes, we really are that brave with our two little ones. Our hotel had printed out a day tour that was just right for us - only about five miles of hiking but we were able to see some beautiful sights. They even recommended a couple of great local places to eat. We had the best breakfast ever at Nora's Fish Creek Inn, even though it took us over an hour to eat. The town of Wilson only has a population of 200 but I'm pretty sure all 200 were eating breakfast the same time we were.

Back over Teton Pass we went, this time stopping at the summit for a great view of Jackson Hole.

After entering the park and driving several miles down an unmarked, dusty, windy road we made it to our first trailhead. Two miles round trip to see Phelps Lake. Madeleine was strapped in and ready to go.
Grand Teton is probably one of the most beautiful national parks I've been to. In comparison to Yellowstone there was hardly anyone there and it was far less commercialized. Look closely below and you'll see Jason, Isabelle and Madeleine making their way up the first mountain.

Isabelle was pretty proud to make it over numerous streams and rivers all by herself.

At the top of the mountain, overlooking Phelps Lake. We could have continued for the next 20 miles around the lake but that would really be pushing it.

Maddy was as conscientious as ever about not over-exerting herself.

After safely making it back to civilization we toured the visitors center and checked out some animal tracks, which came in handy when we got to Yellowstone.

Then it was on to our next destination - a boat ride across Jenny Lake! Maddy wasn't sure what to make of it...

...but Isabelle thought it was fantastic!

On the other side of the lake we hiked a couple more miles until we came to Hidden Falls.

Here we are at the rapids gushing down the mountain about a 1/2 mile from the falls.

We made it!

After riding the boat back to the other side we made one more trek up Signal Mountain and came to this jaw-droppingly beautiful view of the Teton Mountain range and Jackson Lake. The picture really doesn't show how gorgeous it was but it's definitely a must-see if you're near the area.

Of course all that hiking and clean mountain air made us pretty hungry so we stopped at this great wood-fired pizza place on the way out of the park. Isabelle and I shared a delicious appetizer of pita points and assorted tampenades. Yummy!

Cowboys for a Day...

2010-07-11T20:22:00.000-07:00

...if cowboys start their day with a dip in the pool.

After several days of seeing the sights we all needed a day to sit back, relax and eat lunch by the pool.

Isabelle couldn't wait to dive in and practice her swimming skills.

Maddy preferred floating leisurely and letting Mommy do all the work.
In the splash zone Isabelle enjoyed giving herself a colonic.

Madeleine got out of the pool early and quickly managed to arrange herself comfortably, put on her shades...

...and partake in her favorite beverage.

After we'd sufficiently recuperated we headed over to the Bar J Chuckwagon, a working cattle ranch for dinner and a show. Isabelle was on the lookout for "real live cowboys" and she hit the jackpot.

Before dinner we had some time to explore the ranch and were able to taste some yummy biscuits straight from the kettle, cooked over the open fire. There was fresh honey too, which we eagerly slathered over our biscuits. All you parents out there have probably already realized that the honey stuck around for the remainder of the evening, finding its way onto clothes and into hair. You know, all the places it should be! Wagon ride!

Another bear sighting - this time Maddy got up close and personal. I believe she's discussing proper chin care in this picture.

Maddy also modeled the latest in coonskin fashion.

Finally it was time to eat. They loaded our tin plates with barbecue beef and chicken, fresh applesauce, a baked potato, baked beans, cornbread and spice cake - just like the real cowboys eat. As you can see, Isabelle didn't waste any time digging into that applesauce.

We were then treated to a cowboy concert...

...which made Madeleine very happy.

Jackson Hole Happenings

2010-07-10T19:25:00.000-07:00

After a very good night's sleep we took a short drive (thank goodness) over Teton Pass to explore Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Our first stop was at a kitschy children's park that had a giant maze and an area where you could pan for gems. Isabelle had a great time in the maze, hunting for clues. Alas, we do not have pictures of this fun time because a certain adult in our group (hint: it is not the author of this blog) felt the need to race his daughter through the maze and taking pictures would have slowed him down. Congratulations Jas. You beat a five-year-old.

We do have pictures of our little treasure hunt though...

Off to downtown Jackson Hole where we encountered our first bear!

Isabelle begged to have her picture taken with this prince. How could I not oblige?

Lunchtime! Are you thinking what I'm thinking? - That's a whole lot of dead elk, especially when you consider these archways were scattered throughout the city. Does PETA know about this?

In the summertime on Snow King Mountain there is a wonderful miniature golf course with waterfalls, bridges and intriguing obstacles. We played a round while waiting for the big attraction to reopen after a possible storm blew over.

Luckily the sun came out and held off the electrical storm that was brewing in the mountains. Isabelle and Jason headed up the chair lift for a wild ride down the mountain on the alpine slide.

When we got back to the hotel we couldn't keep the girls away from the pool any longer.

Spaghetti dinner at home after a long, exciting day.

All cozy, watching So You Think You Can Dance in bed. What a treat for Isabelle!