Welcome to Town-O

2007-10-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

The Boys

2007-10-14T19:55:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of the Boys that their Grandma sent me. Oy, I can't believe how grown up they look. Thanks Karen for sending the photos!!

2007-09-30T11:54:00.000-07:00

Here are the birthday photos!

Zion with his birthday treat from the Crazy Pepper

The boys wrestling over Zions new birthday wagon.

Everone at the Crazy Pepper

So Many candles

Birthday smiles

Juddah showing Zion how to put the candles on the cake

"I'm Ziggy-Zoney. I am Two"

2007-09-28T21:01:00.000-07:00

Arg, I don't know why, but blogger won't let me upload pictures, and I have some really great ones from Zion's second birthday.

Zion is two, and it is so hard to believe. I mean really? I have a two year old and a 3 1/2 year old? Time flies. Zion was so great on his birthday. Juddah showed him the proper way to put candles on his cake. There were 24 candles on Zions cake, including a big number two candle. The only thing was, we were at a park, and it was so windy, that none of the candles stood lit very long, no matter how hard we tried.

Zions birthday was full of parks, cake, balloons, new clothes, and fun toys. It was a perfect two-year-old kind of day.

Happy Birthday Zion. I hope I can put some pictures of you up tomorrow. You are such a sweet, wild, smart, wonderfully full of adventure and laughter kind of boy. It has been so much fun to get to know you and your funny little personality. You are larger than life, and I hope you always stay that way. Hip- hip Horray for being two! (this is only a week late, so in Mommy time, I think I am doing pretty good!!)

Hood River Berry Pickers

2007-09-04T12:37:00.000-07:00

I am at my sister Heathers house, and thought I would load some pictures she took of my boys while she watched them one day. Hope you enjoy them!

Thanks Wendy

2007-08-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

It came on Monday. Can't type, must keep reading!

Bumble Bees and Bruises

2007-08-06T10:02:00.000-07:00

Look what Juddah found in the backyard! A bumble bee! The bee was just dead, laying right in the grass. Juddah was very concerned for this big bee.

We put the bee into a little cup so we could look at it closely. We were surprised at how furry the bee was. After we were done looking at the bee we put it in our compost pile so nobody would step on it. Someone told me bees can sting even when they are dead.

The other night, while at the park, Zion was acting very independent. He would say "I need to Ruuuunnn!" and would take off down the field. Finally I called to him "Zion come back and play with Mom and Juddah, or we have to go home." So Zion came running back to us at full speed. The only problem was he wasn't watching where he was going, and ran right into bar that was head height. He fell flat on hit back with a big thud. He cried a cried. I felt so bad for the wild little guy. Just goes to show, you should always play by mom, and not wander off! As we walked home he kept saying "I knocked myself out mom. I knocked myself out right here."

When we got home he had a bruise starting to show up on his forehead. It didn't show up in these pictures, but I thought it was funny how happy he was to have his picture taken, even right after he "knocked himself out."

Sewing

2007-08-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

I "fixed" my sewing machine the other day. Ok, I only thought it was broken. The piece that holds the needle in place fell out one day when I was sewing about two months ago. I thought maybe the sewing maching gods were trying to tell me something because I could not for the life of me figure out how to re-attatch the needle holder thing. Two days ago, I was struck with an idea out of the blue, and was able to repair my machine. Since it was fixed I started day dreaming, and rearraagning furniture in my head to create the perfect sewing room set up. I moved our entry table to hold up the TV, the TV table to be my material cutting station, took books off the bookshelf and unpacked material onto them. Perfect, everything has a place, easy to locate corduroy, or prints, or solids. My dream come true. I have started a few projects, and my skills are a little rusty (not that I was such an expert before.)

I sew mainly patchwork, hippy type clothes, so I need a variety of colors and fabrics in just one piece of clothing. It makes a huge, gigantic mess. In previous sewing spurts of mine, I have used the dining room table as my fabric staging area, and then had to clean it up for every meal and art project. Loosing many tiny, but vital pieces of fabric in the process. I am so thankful to have this extra table, and extra room to sew in. I don't have any where in mind that I am going to be selling clothes like this, but maybe something will pop up; a farmers market, or store, or maybe I will figure out how to make a web-site. I just like having a creative outlet that has nothing to do with being a mom! Oh, did I say that out loud?

A half finished tank top with a flower applique. It will be reversable when it is finished.

My fabric table, what a wonderful mess!

My machines all set up and ready to rock, with the maaterial stacks in the background. Sweetness!

Garden Gloves

2007-07-28T14:42:00.000-07:00

Juddah and Zion just wanted to say Thanks to Grandma Roberts for the coolest gloves ever. And I wanted to say thanks for getting the boys their own garden gloves because, now I can use mine, and not have to wrestle Zion for them. It is not a pretty sight when a mom has to throw a tantrum; "Uh, not fair. They are my gloves, I get to use them now, waaa"

Put your gloves up

Also, Thanks Cousin Kate, for the note. Juddah felt pretty cool getting a letter from his cool older cousin.

Just a Few Random Things

2007-07-27T19:22:00.000-07:00

"It's too scary" I heard Zion saying the other night. He was crying, not the fake I-want-mom-to-hold-me-all-night kind of cry. So I went to investigate. Zion was curled up into a ball, sobbing. When I asked him what he was so afraid of, he said "the shadows on the wall, mom, are too scary. And the helicopter is too scary." After sitting in the boys room for a few minutes, I realized that when a car drove by, the lights would move across the top of the wall. But the scary helicopter? I have no clue. He also kept talking about the monsters in his room. I don't know what to do about this "too scary" business. I sit with them in their room until they are almost asleep, they have a night light and a fan on all night.

****
I finally have flowers growing in my yard. Like I have mentioned before, I started everything from seed, so if you compare my flowers to my neighbors (who bought pre-grown plants for their yard, humph) then my flowers are "late bloomers." It has been fun to see bright blossoms everywhere, and even pick some.

Speaking of picking, I have been harvesting lots if basil and oregano. We have enjoyed them fresh in spaghetti and lasagna. But the plants are growing so rapidly, we can't eat all that we have. I have been drying the fragrant leaves. I hope I can chop them up, and enjoy fresh herbs later. Any tips on how to preserve flavor?

Yesterday as I was dumping my compost, my neighbor popped his head over the fence, (he surprised me, I let out a little yelp.) He commented on how much bigger my tomato and pepper plants are than his. Then he added "But I only used organic matter in my garden so that is probably why." To which I responded "Oh, I haven't put anything on my garden at all. Hmm, funny." I know I sound like a meany, but he is so nosy and exhausting, it felt good.

*****
Juddah and Zion have colds. I thought Zion was coming up to me to give me a hugs. Wrong. He was wiping his nose on me. Thanks Zion. Or as he proudly calls himself "Ziggy-Zoney." Thanks Juddah for the great nickname!

Jewelie's Wedding

2007-07-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

Sarah and I carpooled down to Jewelies Wedding. Sarah's Volvo wagon was packed full of camping gear, kids, snacks, toys, movies, and music. We really couldn't have fit anything else in. It was a long drive, but the kids did great. Iris and Juddah tried to claim different songs and words as their "own property," exclaiming "No don't sing it. It is my SONG!"

Here comes the Bride. Jewelie and her daughter Emmerichgray (sp) right before the ceremony.

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Shultz

Zion and Iris in the tent. I shared my tent with Sarah and Iris. It was a little crazy getting the kids to go to bed, but in the end, the Moms won!

Zion and Wyatt, Roses son, loading up the gear, and getting ready to head home. I felt like we were so lucky it didn't rain he day of the wedding, but the next morning it was pouring rain.

Juddah, Iris, and Zion with is head in a backpack. There was a great playground for the kids to play on. It was in a very convenient location, so we were able to swing, and enjoy friends and family all at once!

Yesterday I was exhausted, but it was worth it! Jewelie looked beautiful. It was fun to see her mom, sisters, and kids. And have I mentioned the food? Jewelie and her sisters made all the food. Puerto Rican chicken and rice, avocado salad, cheeses, fruits, salads, steak and chicken kabobs, and oh my, two amazing cakes. Mmm, I am still dreaming of cake! All the happiness in the world to the newlyweds!

Ode to Onions

2007-07-17T14:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry Mom, I love onions! I grew up, never trying onions, but taking my moms word, that they were a flavor and food less than desirable. When I did finally try foods containing onions, I actually enjoyed them. My love of onions has only grown. They are included in just about everything I make. And being that I not a very creative culinary artist, chopping onions and adding them to dishes always makes me feel like a real grown up cook. Shoot, I should host my own Food Network show!

Onion Facts:
The best way to keep onions from sprouting is to put them in a paper sack in your fridge. Tried and true, it has kept my onions fresh for months!
The word "onion comes from the Latin word "unio" meaning single. Because unlike its cousin, garlic, an onion plant produces only one single bulb.
Onions contain high levels of Vitamin C, chromium, numerous flavinoids, and quercitin.
Onions help maintain healthy bones.
Onions contain Allium, a sulfur containg element, and that is why it has such a strong pungent smell.
Sweet onions, like the walla walla, or the vidalia, don't make your eyes water, only hot onions make you cry!

The facts go on and on about how wonderful onions are, but the real reason I am writing about onions today is because while grocery shopping I saw a bag of these, Walla Walla Sweets! When we lived in Oregon, my Dad would bring home boxes of these onions from farmers he knew. I can remember him trying to get them slipped into foods, but no one was very excited. I remember turning up my nose, and thinking "who cares what kind of Onions they are, I still don't like them!" I also remember my niece Hannah setting up a wheel barrow and sign on the corner, and selling onions all summer. I think she sold every onion my dad brought home, which was a good thing, other wise they would have gone to waste.
I am trying to make up for my lost onion eating time! Sorry Dad that I never took your word, and just tried an onion before the age of 19! But you were right, Walla Walla Sweet Onions are amazing, and I know this bag won't last us long!

New Look

2007-07-15T20:47:00.000-07:00

What do you think? I was crusising through blogs taht I haven't checked in a few days, made my way to "Fragile Flower" from Heathers blog. She mentioned she had just changed her look, and I thought I needed a change too! If you aren in need a a blog make over I suggest going to her site, and clicking on the links she has (I am not sure how to ad links to my blog, but she does!) Hope you like the new look. It feels like summer to me!

Let's Camp Out

2007-07-12T11:15:00.000-07:00

It seems like I use to be a more rugged camper. But when the boys asked, and begged to camp out in their tent, I just really didn't want to spend the night on the hard ground. The next best thing to camping outside? Camping in Mom and Dad's room. I set their tent up in our room, put lots of blankets in, and they were so excited to "camp out!" The best part? We made s'mores, the boys were excited to go to sleep, and I was able to sleep in my comfy bed!

When I checked on the boys they were so sweaty. I pulled their blankets off, and made sure the fan was on HI.

I am sure we will enjoy many camping trips together. And I will even endure a hard nights sleep, but as for now, camping indoors is just as magical!

You are getting very Sleepy

2007-07-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

So Tired

Going...

...Going...

...almost....

..gone....

It is so hilarious when kids can't keep their eyes open. Zion took a two second nap in the car, and decided that was enough for the day. So by dinner time he was so exhausted. He fell asleep, woke up once, and then was out for the night.

Dandelion Farm

2007-07-08T18:24:00.000-07:00

This morning as I was weeding in the backyard, the boys were so busy. Juddah and Zion brought me Dandelion after Dandelion. It was so cute. I kept putting them into my back pocket. When we went inside we put all the dandelions in vases. They were so pleased with their sweet gifts. The cheery little flowers made me realize that maybe I am OK with being a dandelion farmer.

This spring I tried to get rid of all of the dandelions using vinegar. When the flowers died, they left brown patches of dirt everywhere. I thought the bare dirt looked worse than the dandelions. So I resentfully let the re-born weeds live. Today, though, I was glad that so many of them survived. It isn't too hard to understand why dandelion seeds were brought across the ocean with the Pilgrims.

These are for you mom!

Zion proudly displays the flowers he picked

Juddah shows his lovely bouquet

Water World, are you strong enough?

2007-07-06T15:25:00.000-07:00

Here I am, held captive in my own home. My capture, lurks outside, waiting for any chance to attack. He is faster than I am. I have to be smart. How can I out think a professional? I desperately want to get the clothes off the line before he soaks them, but I may just have to count my losses and be grateful I got out with my life.

Ah ha, he looks away, I slip outside and wrestle the sprinkler out of his grasp. Victory is mine. I soak him until he can hardly breathe. He surrenders, and promises to never hose the house down or the clothes on the line. I think our agreement is fair, and I give him back his weapon. But then, unwilling to fight the temptation he shoots me in the back. A searing cold runs over me. Am I lost forever in this world of terror and sprinklers?

Hope arrives, he calls out, "I am done. Help me turn off the waaaa-terrrrr."

Anna'a Cabana

2007-07-02T11:02:00.000-07:00

Heather requested I post some more photos of my back porch. Here's to you Heather!

Our backyard if pretty barren. No trees, and all the plants, are plants that I started from seed, so nothing is higher than my knees. I was feeling exposed, and hot from direct sunlight. One day Juddah and I were laying in the back yard, and he said, "I can't see, the sun is too bright in my eyes." So we rigged up a sheet on some bar stools. As we were laying there I thought, "oh I need a hide away. Somewhere comfy to sit and enjoy the great Northwest summer air." On "top Design" a reality show on bravo, one challenge was to make a beach cabana. They looked so inviting. The way the wind blew the material around, and the comfy couches, and rugs. I rememeber watching it this past winter and thinking "wouldnt that be so fun?"

First I thought I would build a structure off the side of our house. Then I thought, wait, I have this great porch that I haven't done anything with. So I pulled out my giant linen curtains (I bought them at that sub-division sale. They were $7 for all four panels. When I first saw them, I thought, "Wow that is a lot of nice linen, for far cheaper than I could buy one yard, I can find something to make it into" but since then, they have just been in a box)I measured the curtains, and they were so long. Since I will be taking them down eventually, I didn't want to cut the fabric. I just did a quick stitch, and all the curtains have more than a foot of hem. I just used a staple gun across the top. I really just did a quick job. I don't want to buy curtain rods for my back porch, so I figured the staples would be easy to put up and take down.

Juddah and the porch. The boys and I spend a lot of time in the back yard. It is so nice to have an "out door room" now. I want to get a futon, or something comfortable to take cat naps on.

I love the way the curtains look when the breeze gets under them.

You can't quite make it out, but the trellis' I made for my two pots of peas are in the same shape that the curtains are when they are open. When the peas are fully grown, I think it will look really pretty.

I hope this is a good photo log of what I did with the curtains. It isn't anything fancy, but I really love the way it came out. I have become quite an expert at making do with what I have, to make something I want!

2007-06-30T17:34:00.000-07:00

Gosh, has it really been two weeks since I have written on my blog? Here are some photos of the boys and some other random pictures. I haven't been had any great inspiration lately for a creative blog topic, so I will stick to photos for now!

Zion by our new tree. One day we were playing at the park, and while we were eating our lunch, I noticed this small tree laying on the ground. The leaves were beginning to shrivel. I looked around for some evidence that someone was getting ready to plant it. There were no holes, and no other trees that had been recently planted. So the boys and I power walked home, got the car, and zipped back to rescue the little tree. It is doing so good. The original leaves are starting to fall, but new little ones are starting to grow!

Brain freeze!

The boys enjoying ice cream on a hot day. Mmm delicious ice cream. My new favorite is "Carmel Cone" by Hagen Daas. I wish I had never tried it, because it is truly sublime and very addicting!

My peas growing on their new trellis. I made it out of string. Since I have trained them to grow on the strings, they have been growing so fast.

Zion Gardening! Whoops, where are his pants? He has been very interested in potty training lately, so I was letting him go bottomless. No luck, back in diapers. One day, I will be free from my diaper genie, free I tell you!

Fathers Day!

2007-06-17T20:41:00.000-07:00

The boys and I have been ready for Fathers Day for weeks. They painted picture frames that Juddah found at Jo-Ann's Fabric. They did a great job keeping their gifts a secret, and only mentioned them a few times. Luckily, Dad had no idea what "picture things" they were talking about.
This morning we woke up early, hung our sign, took pictures, zipped over to our local Wal-Greens, waited forever for the pictures, then surprised Dad. It was a lot of fun. I think they turned out so cute.

The boys one-of-a-kind, hand-painted masterpieces.

Juddah posing under the sign. You can't see it, but he is standing on a bar stool, so he was a little nervous. When I was helping him down he said "Did you like my good balance Mom?"

Zion under the sign. He wouldn't stand on the stool, so he is just sitting!

Happy Fathers Day!

2007-06-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

The past few days have been full of rain. Needless to say, the boys have been getting pretty creative inside the walls of our house. We are usually outside for most of the day. I can hardly remember how we passed the time this winter, because these last few days have been dragging on and on, with one huge mess after another. Here are some of the funnier moments in pictures.

Before the rain; Iris and Juddah 4-wheelin'

Super Zion, well equipped with helmet and cape.

Camp out in the living room. Why don't they lay that still when it is nap or bed time?

Juddah in his super cape

My corn is finally starting grow!! I don't think it is going to be "knee high by the 4th of July"

Chopped up

2007-06-08T20:50:00.000-07:00

Despite everyones good advice and words of encouragment, I cut my hair. Well, I didn't personally cut my hair, but a friend of mine did (she's a hair school grad.) I am actually very excited about this new look. And actually, even though she cut my hair in a different style than I had it before, it looks almost identical to how it was in High School.

That's a big pile of hair!

I was so excited about my hair cut, I had to take pictures and post it on my blog asap.

The boys had fun watching me get my hair cut. Juddah was as unpatient as I was to see the end result. He kept asking "are you done yet?"
I hope you all like it, because I love it!! And I promise to stop complaining about my hair all the time!

Can I get some help here?

2007-06-06T09:37:00.002-07:00

I am having a bad hair month. It is just not looking good, no matter what I do. I am seriously contemplating cutting it. I need some feedback. Should I cut my hair into a choppy bob? Or should I trim it and hope that solves some of the problems? Should I change my shampoo? What to do?
My problem with my long hair is, is I never know if I am going to have a great hair day, or a horrible hair day. I do the same thing about everyday, and depending on, who knows what, it either looks great or bad. Which, isn't a problem when I am just going to go to the grocery store, but then when we have friends over, or I want to look good, I don't know how my hair will turn out. Here is my "hair" routine: Shampoo/condition with products that are suppose to control frizz and bring out your waves, brush with a soft comb, put in wavy hair stuff, scrunch, let air dry. Like I said before, sometimes it looks great, sometimes it looks terrible. When mom and dad were in HR, I used a blow dryer for the first time in about 4 years. It made my hair look great one day, then the next not so great.
The perks to short hair, if I remember correctly, is it looks great no matter what. Even when I would cut at it myself, not wash it for weeks, put lots of product or no product in, it looked alright. But then, it is the same everyday, and I like to think with long hair I have some versatility, even if I have no control, or how-to-fix-it knowledge. I try to be as free, or easy going with my long hair as I was with my short hair, but the results of not doing anything with long is so drastically different than with short.
Ug, I suppose I need to stop obsessing. Maybe someone will have some good advice for me out there, maybe, please, help, ahhhh.

Strawberry Fields Forever

2007-06-03T18:55:00.001-07:00

Look what we found in our garden today!! We have been waiting and waiting for these strawberries to be ready to eat. Every time we water, Juddah inspects the plants looking desperately for a berry to pick. Today he announced there were "tons" of red strawberries. We each got to eat one berry. They were so sweet and juicy. I am so excited for the other green bulbs to ripen. We are suppose to get strawberries all summer. I hope so!

Mmm, this is good

Are there any more?

"Can we check for berries tomorrow?"

Fun with Jonah

2007-05-25T14:40:00.000-07:00

Well, Auburn may not be as exotic as Hawaii, but it is still fun to have visitors! Jon's brother has been here since Wednesday evening visiting his son, Jonah. Jonah is ten, and Juddah and Zion are absolutely in love with him. Ryan and Jonah have had lots and lots of fun touring Seattle. We have enjoyed both of them at our house. Jonah played all night with the boys. They thought he came over just for them.

They played forever in our [awesome] backyard. They would come running inside, out of breathe. Juddah would beg, BEG Jonah to come play another game. Jonah even let Juddah play with his game boy. Juddah didn't exactly make anything go, but he sure looked cool with the headphones on, and game boy in hand.

With so much excitement the boys have had a hard time sleeping at night. Zion loves his uncle Ryan and Jonah so much. Night #1, Zion cried and cried at bedtime saying "uncle Ryan, No sleep, play guitar, Now. I need it." Night #2, Jonah got ready for bed the same time the boys did, so when Zion went to sleep he said, "Night Jonah, don't let bugs bite."

I think Jonah is staying the night again. Maybe I will snap some more photos. How fun to have a cool cousin so close to us. I hope he will come and play again!

Dandelions

2007-05-19T13:33:00.000-07:00

I have been waging an all out war against the dandelions growing in the yard. My front and back lawns are virtually covered with these dang weeds. When I heard that vinegar was an effective way to get rid of these pesky plants, I tried it out. The day after my "test spraying" of some dandelion leaves, the dandelions were brown and dying. I danced a little jig, made a special trip to Safeway, and bought a ginormous bottle of the sour smelling stuff. Yesterday while the boys were napping I started on the front lawn. Gosh, there were so many plants to spray. I went through 32 oz of vinegar, and I didn't even get them all. Not to mention I watered the vinegar down before I started spraying. I am so pleased with how effective it was.

See all those brown dots? Now I need to invest in some grass seed, and a scare crow so all the neighborhood birds won't eat my yard up.

I know dandelion leaves are suppose to be nutritious, and people drink dandelion wine and tea, but why, why, why did the Pilgrims bring dandelions with them? Didn't it take over their herb gardens back in the old country?

Nap Time

2007-05-16T14:41:00.000-07:00

How'd I spend nap time today? On hold, waiting for the "next Specialist to be available." I needed to do a change of address for my US Bank account (whoops, we've been here for a month and I still hadn't gotten it changed!!) I motivated myself to listen to the gauntlet of touch tone prompts. Once I finally navigated my way through, I had three and a half minutes for the next available operator. Not too long to wait, right? So I did a quick toy pick up, moved dishes to the sink to load... still waiting. Then I was connected to an operator. She couldn't help me so she transferred me to a "specialist." Sheesh, this change of address stuff is complicated. I had to wait fifteen minutes. All the while listening to "do do ba boom ba, la la la la, We appreciate your call. All specialists are with other customers right now. We are doing everything we can to help you take care of your banking needs. Please hold... Do do do do bop, wa wa" Over and over again. I even had time to snap this photo of me waiting.

I look so official playing spider solitaire, waiting to get my call through. Awesome! Anyhoo, banking stuff done. But the elevator music is still playing in my head. AHHHHH

2007-05-12T18:17:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Zion. I wish I had a picture of Juddah and, Zion and grandma

Grandma Roberts

2007-05-12T18:04:00.000-07:00

I also need to dedicate a post to my Mother-in-Law this Mothers Day.

From the first day I met her, she has made me feel like part of the family. After living on her farm I really got to know how this lady operates. I have never seen anyone multi-task like her. She can out-work anyone I have ever met. And she is so excited to tackle a new project everyday. She has taught me about farm animals and gardening. (I hope my flowers and veggies survive! We'll see how much knowledge I retained!) Karen has also been a great friend and garage sale companion to me. That woman loves a bargain!

Karen has truely been like a second mom to my boys. She would call and ask "Can Juddah and Zion come out to play?" It was always such a treat to leave the boys with her, and know they were all having the best time together. Our new distance has been hard on all of us, but I know the boys are the most sad about being so far away from Grandma and Grandpa's farm.

Thanks Karen for all you have done for us. I don't know how we would have survived without your love and support over the years. Happy Mothers Day!

2007-05-12T17:58:00.000-07:00

Grammy and a few Grandkids in Utah

My Mom, yep, Mine

2007-05-12T17:38:00.000-07:00

Let me tell ya about my Ma. First off, she raised seven beautiful daughters. I don't know how she did it. Just having two kids makes me feel all crazy and sweaty most of the time. I can just picture us grocery shopping at Raley's. Riding under the cart, hanging off the side of the cart, adding many treats to the cart, running around the store, and then the nightmare, the check out stand, so many treats to beg for and to grab. I know I forced her to leave many times due to screaming and crying.

I don't know how she got anything done. She was always sewing curtains, or clothes, or making blankets for us. She has also had many side jobs that she could do at home. She has made Christmas tree topper angles, tutored elementary kids, and has also made ceramic buttons, to sell at craft shows.

My mom has always kept nice flower gardens. Now she weeds almost two acres of raspberries. Oh, selling raspberries, there is another one of her at home projects.

My mom has the cutest laugh....Sigh! She also does a mean "shuffle off to buffalo." I have such a great picture in my head of listening to the nutcracker suite one Christmas, and my mom busting into a jig.

My mom has also been so positive and supportive to each of us girls. I know we have all done things that have been hard to swallow, but through it all she has loved us, and done anything for us. I can't believe some of the things I have put that lady through, ug. And now that I am a mom I expect to get my payback tenfold. I also understand more clearly the sacrifices she made to help us all grow up. What a time, and life, and money, and, and, and....etc investment she has put into us girls.

And the list doens't even end there. She has like a million grandkids, and she is such a sweet grandma to all of them. I know my boys love their grammy.

Thanks Ma. I love you so much. You are so cute and great.

Bombs Away

2007-05-11T16:49:00.000-07:00

The weather has been very nice here, and the last couple of days it has really warmed up. Juddah (who never forgets any promise I make to him)reminded me that we hadn't yet played with the water balloons. When I first started filling up the balloons I was surprised that the boys didn't try to throw them right away. After round one of the water fight, it was very hard to get a full bucket of balloons to throw again. It was so hilarious to throw the balloons at the boys. They squealed and ran around so excited. They both teamed up against me. And Lets just say, they won!

Juddah and Zion coming after me

half way through the bucket! Man, those tiny balloons are so hard to tie.

This backyard ain't big enough for the two of us...

Charlotte's Web

2007-05-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

This morning when I got out of the shower, Juddah came up to me, Talking about "Charlotte's Web." I assumed he was asking to watch the movie, until I suddenly noticed the "web" he had created.
Juddah intricately wove and wrapped a long black rope all around our house. It went from our coffee table, around a couch, to the table, around chairs, to the office, and down the hall.

He was so proud of his creation. We have had fun climbing through the web.

Thanks Grandma Roberts for sending us the movie. What an inspiration!!

Hood River

2007-05-08T16:01:00.000-07:00

Mom and Dad. Aren't they so cute?!?

"Tag Your it" Juddah and Peter playing "whoooo whooo" tag. I don't know exactly what "whoo whoo" means, but when you are the "whoo whooo" everyone runs away from you as fast as they can!

Auntie Ernie and Grampy

All the cousins, and Grammy and Grampy

Our Trip to Hood River was so amazing. The drive there and back were so easy too, which makes everything that much better! It is crazy how much that town has grown, and changed. It is still beautiful, it is just different. I had a great time seeing Rose and Jewelie. It was so fun to have a "girls Night out." It has been years!
Saturday We spent the whole day with family. The cousins all had a great time running after each other too. My parents were a pure joy to be with. Erin, mom and I spent time shopping in Downtown (might I mention, without the boys!!) We enjoyed Dairy Queens indoor playground (mmm and ice cream,) and just being with everyone was so much fun.
For me this weekend was such a treat. I was able to spend time with friends and family. The boys had a great time with Grammy and Grampy. They love Auntie Ernie, and all the cousins. It was hard to say goodbye. But, it has been nice to get back to the routine. Vacations are so fun, but there is no place like home.

2007-05-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we are heading down to Hood River to see my folks, a sister and her family, and some friends. I am so excited to see everyone, I hope I can get to sleep tonight. Scratch that, I am always so tired by bedtime, I know I will have no problem falling asleep! Anyways, the sun is shining and I need to get the last of my flowers in the ground. I think I need to start some tomatos again. The ones I planted look so yellow and sad. Everything else is looking great though. Here are some pictures of the boys playing around the house. Enjoy!

Around the House

2007-04-29T18:49:00.000-07:00

The boys have really been artists lately. Our back porch is covered with their original artwork. I traced the boys on the fence and we had fun coloring them in.

Juddah adding finishing touches

Here you can see the pictures of the boys. Exact replicas!

Port Angeles Weekend

2007-04-29T18:33:00.000-07:00

After working all morning out in our hopelessly ugly yard, Jon and I decided we needed a break from the city. We wanted tall trees, fresh air, and the salty smell of the Straits of Juan De Fuca. When we got to Port Angeles Sarah had an hour before work. So we hung out a little. Then we took Iris and our boys to play at the beach. The three of them had such a great time (I of course left my camera in the car, but I was able to snap some other fun pictures this weekend!) They threw rock after rock into the water. Then after about an hour they all had had enough and we were all so cold. We met up with Charlie and went to the restaurant Sarah works at for some great sea food. The kids did so well sitting and waiting for our food, which of course, makes everything so enjoyable. It was fun to hang out with Charlie. This was the first time I have ever been around him when there wasn't some big event (like a wedding or moving) going on. They convinced us to stay the night at there new house. I was surprised at how easily the boys went to sleep in a strange place, but I think they were rather exhausted. We woke up early this morning. We enjoyed donuts at a very cool park, and then headed back to the big city. It was so fun to be with Sarah and her little family. Their new home totally rocks. I hope they will let us take over their floor space again! Waa hoo for cousins!

Iris and Zion in a hammock

Sarah's and Juddah's heads at the park

Juddah on a cool boat

Zion Climbing with expert persission

Three cousins at the grocery store

Pictures from this week

2007-04-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

Juddah singing "Three little Ducks" He is such a rock star

Juddah and Zion in a heart felt rendition of "Monkey See Monkey Do"

My flowers, herbs, and veggies that really need to be planted, maybe at nap time... maybe tomorrow!

Juddah in the office. He likes to play with the camera, and the safest way for all of us is for me to snap a photo and then let him hold the camera and look at it.

Zion is King of the hats. He wants to wear hats all the time.

Yuck

2007-04-26T10:56:00.000-07:00

I feel so good today. Yesterday was another story though. I feel like such a loser. I know I am not a great cook, but I didn't know I was so bad at cooking that I could make my family sick. We had brats, beans and asparagus. The thought makes me cringe. I have never been in such pain. Today I woke up to a train wreck of a house, and energy to spare. The boys seemed happy to have me back, and I was happy to enjoy them, and clean, clean, clean. I think I am going to nix the meat out of our diet for a while. I am just feeling so grossed out by it right now, I don't think I could cook it, much less eat it!

2007-04-23T19:09:00.000-07:00

Zion in Mr. Potato Heads glasses

Juddah watering plants in Missouri

Triceratops in Utah

4x4 in Washington

More plants to water in Washington

Grammy is so fun, Utah

Camera Shy

2007-04-23T18:47:00.000-07:00

I thought I would post some pictures of pre-move, during move, and post move. I am going to have to do a couple of posts, and they won't be in any particular order.

I am so happy to have my camera back. This week I saw two of my sisters and their families. The boys had so much fun with their cousins. If I would have had my camera at Sarah's house I would have taken pictures of the boys and Iris sitting on the wet soggy grass, the three of them coloring with chalk, and eating lunch on Sarah's new back porch. If I had had the camera when I saw my sister Heather and her family I would have snapped photos of the kids greeting us as we drove into their campsite, the kids throwing rocks into a pond Abby and Peter found, Abby and Peter helping Juddah down the rocky beach, Rick digging clams, and Heather with Christine on her back. We had so much fun visiting everyone. I am so excited to live here on the west coast.

Juddah and Zion in a packed van with cool Easter shades on.

Juddah on Grandma Roberts farm by an old tractor seat

Grandma Roberts showing Zion the spring flowers

Juddah Lindsey, Zion and Grammy at the dinosaur museum

Rand at Grammy and Grampy's house eating some plastic cereal. Yum!

Very Superstitious

2007-04-13T14:19:00.000-07:00

Hey it is Friday the 13. Better watch out for black cats, ladders, cracks in the sidewalk. And make sure, be very extremely certain, to always knock on wood, when... hmm, why do people knock on wood? So many superstitions.

Online and feeling fine

2007-04-13T14:02:00.000-07:00

Whew, so it has been forever since I have posted anything. You will have to forgive me! Amid all the packing, driving, visiting family, driving, unloading, unpacking, organizing, and getting use to a new sleep schedule (Jon is out the door by 6am) I have been totally exhausted. I feel so guilty because I know Jon is tired too, and I have been taking afternoon naps (and being grumpy to the boys until they go to sleep too) I should mention, sweet delicious afternoon naps, that I wake up all disoriented and hungry from. The layout of our house is so similar to our last house, that when I am waking up, before I have opened my eyes, I forget where I am.

The house here is so great though. I love it. The kitchen has so much storage, I don't know what to do with it. I can't wait to hit up garage sales, and clearance sales for all the small things we need, like toy shelves, hand towel holders, etc. I have been busy making curtains. The windows are wide, but narrow. I hope the curtains don't look too "chinsy". But they work for now, and can be remade, or changed later. I made dark curtains for the boys room, hoping to inspire them to sleep later in the mornings. I want to get on a schedule where I stay awake after Jon leaves, have a quiet morning, and then be ready for the day when the boys wake up. I have stayed awake a couple of times, but like I mentioned before, I have been so tired. I am such a wimp about sleep, I don't know how I survived newborns!

It has been fun to learn how to get around a new town. Auburn is very easy to navigate. Yesterday I even went to Tacoma, and didn't get lost. I am so amazed at how slow and courteously everyone drives. I am use to people racing around me and cutting me off. Everyone drives the speed limit here, and uses there blinkers! Incredible!

Next week I hope to venture to some new sites. Maybe find some neat hikes for me and the boys. We will also make a trip to Sarah's to help her move to her new home. I am so excited to see Sarah. I think her little girl and my boys will have fun too.

***Stay tuned for pictures of our new place (as soon as I get my camera back, ahem ahem.)

Are we done yet?

2007-03-26T10:45:00.001-07:00

I feel like asking myself "are we done yet?" I am flustered with packing, and the raging mess my house has become. Piles everywhere, random items floating around the house. I feel like I need to be further along in my packing, but we still have a few days, and most things are necessary for survival. Even things I originally thought we could do without, have found their way back into the mix of things. I wish I could just teleport all our belongings, and meet them in Seattle.

OK, only a few more days of packing. Then the drive, then the unpack. This sounds like a lot. I think I will take a nap!

2007-03-23T18:47:00.000-07:00

Here's our new house!

Goin' out West

2007-03-22T12:24:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have an announcement. This Roberts family is officially high-tailin' it out of the mid-west, and heading straight for the northwest. Seattle, Washington to be exact. I know what you are all thinking "is she serious?" "Didn't they just move?" "Why?" "What about the cows?" Well, there are many reasons, the first being that job opportunities are just not readily available here in Rolla. Jon has had a rough run searching out steady employment here. So he started searching nationwide. He literally looked everywhere. Then he called a land-surveying company in Seattle. They were so excited to hear from him, they asked him to fly out as soon as he could for a face to face interview. He was nervous and excited when he flew out Sunday morning. He had a stack of other surveying jobs, just in case, and another pile rent-to-owns to check out. He was offered the job on the spot, and then set out to find us a place to live. After finding a great ranch-style home, he thought, "I can't believe how easy this was to get all of this taken care of. I found us a home and a job in one day."

While in Seattle he also visited Sarah, Iris and Charlie. He had a great time, and thought they were such a cute little family.

So Wednesday came, and Jon was ready to fly home. Once at the airport, he learned that the Chicago airport (where he had a layover) had stopped all traffic due to a lightning storm. The Chicago airport is the second largest in the country and has an airplane landing and taking off every 30 seconds. The airport was shut down for two hours, so you do the math. He left Seattle not knowing what was ahead of him. When his airplane got to Chicago is flew around and around waiting to land. Then it ran low on gas, so they flew to Indianapolis to re-fuel. They were on the runway waiting for fuel for three hours. When he got to Chicago, he had missed his flight to St Louis of course. All flights were cancelled, and so he was stuck in Chicago. After waiting in line a million hours, he finally went to the smaller second airport in Chicago, and caught a flight leaving at 7am. We met him at Lambert International at 8am. The boys and I went up to the big city for a quick-pick-up-dad-and-get-home trip, and ended up staying the night at his sister Susan's house. They were great to us, and we really had a fun time. Zion woke up around 2am, so I brought him into my bed, and what a nightmare. Gosh that kid doesn't even slow down to sleep!

Anyways, we are finally home here in Rolla. Well, it's our home until the last of March. I have been packing, and sorting. I am a pro packer, and should look into it as a career! I am excited to move back out west. I am also sad to leave this area that we have been in so long. I know the boys will miss their grandparents extremely. I suppose the most consistant thing in life is change. So here's to another big change in our life.

PS I hope I am still sane after the drive. Anyone want to go on a tour de freeways?

Pictures

2007-03-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of random pictures of the boys.

Finger painting.

Fun in a box

All smiles

Look what Juddah caught in his butterfly net!

A Whole New World

2007-03-18T14:06:00.000-07:00

It has been so long since I have posted a blog entry. I know all my fans (ok, family members)are just dying to hear about my life. The thing is, I always forget my camera when we go do fun things, and my blog entries are just better with pictures.

Lately we have had fun going to playgroups, library, parades, and yesterday, da da da da "Disney On Ice!" Jon's sister gets tickets from her work to all kinds of events. She snagged some for us. The theme was "the Princess Collection" So as you can imagine, Juddah and Zion were some of the only boys. It was a great adventure though. We had a special parking pass so we were able to park right by the doors. Juddah was so entranced by it all. The music and lights were great. Zion liked it for about 5 minutes, which was a long time for him. Then we spent the rest of the time running around the concessions. Juddah stayed with Ashley his cousin who is my age.

While Zion and I were running around I was awed by all the stuff they were selling. $16 whirly light things, $10 cotton candy, $14 snow cone in a theme cup, shirts, popcorn, toys, figures, fairy wings, etc, all extremely over priced and cheaply made. But people we shelling out the big bucks for all kinds of gear. Every girl around us had a light-up tiara, and wand, and sooo many treats. I am cheap, we brought our own treats, and didn't buy anything. Sorry Disney, I hope we didn't cut your profits by too much!

We really had a great time, and the boys slept great last night. Thanks for inviting us Auntie Susan!

Puppy Love

2007-03-06T10:40:00.000-08:00

Juddah always pretends he has a dog, or is a dog named "Lightning." We have talked on and off about getting a dog, but have always decided against it. On Sunday Juddah announced "I need a puppy." So Dad hopped online and found a dog he thought would be great. I didn't know for sure if he was going to get the dog, and then when he got home "surprise" a little puppy was in his arms.

Wow a new member of our family, and I didn't even get any stretch marks!

The boys have been so excited. The dog seems to love Juddah the most. She follows him everywhere. Zion runs around saying "chase, chase!" Juddah named the dog "Lightning." I have tried to convince him to name her something else, like Rover, or Kaya,or pretty much anything, but he insists, her name is "Lightning."

She is a really smart dog too. She is part Australian Sheppard, and part farm collie. Yesterday we took her to the farm, and Karen was moving the rams out of the field that the girl sheep are in. Lightning, ran right to the pasture, and separated the girls from the ram. It was amazing. We were all shocked that she knew just what to do. We hope we can train her to help us move cattle. We are working on house training her. Which, I have not been to consistent at. I can't really follow her around everywhere to make sure she doesn't poop or pee. I know it just takes time, but seriously, can she start picking up after herself?? So far so good. I have had mixed feelings about having a puppy, but she has been so fun.

So if anyone has any good potty training tips send them my way.

Catch o' the Day

2007-03-01T08:48:00.000-08:00

This morning at 3am the alarm went off. "It's three already?" I mumbled. Jon shot out of bed, excited for opening day of trout season. I heard him bumbling around getting all his gear on. At six I heard thunder, lightning and hail. I pictured Jon at Meramec Springs, disappointed that he wasn't able to fish. But when he got home he had two nice looking trout in his cooler. I asked him if he was scarred to be chest deep in a river while a thunder storm roared overhead. He said "I wasn't scarred, but I told the guy next to me if I was hit by lightning, he could have my pole!" The boys were so excited to see the shiny fish I could barely get them to eat breakfast. Now we have beautiful fish fillets in our fridge. What should I serve with fish?

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I figured out how to change the font size, so I hope this makes my blog easier to read, and it makes my entries look longer, double bonus!!

You Say It's Your Birthday

2007-02-26T10:54:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH!!!
My sister Sarah is the big 2-7 today. Things you should know about Sarah:
~She is my bigger sister, but I am taller
~She is a newly-wed
~Her hair is silky and so long
~Her little girl Iris looks so much like her, and she is almost 2!
~She HATES to have her neck touched
~She is a crazy dancer, and does the best "fiddler on the roof" impression
~I have always copied the cool things she has done (soccer, cheer leading, snowboarding, etc)
~She always says what is on her mind
~She always has millions of shoes
~She lives in the most beautiful place on earth
~She has worked as a scooper, baker, waitress, raft driver, and many other jobs
~She has a blog too- beanheadfamily@blogspot.com
~She would do anything for her friends and family
~She has a statue of a hula-hooper in her yard
~She's my best friend and I love her so much
Happy Birthday Smilin' Sam

Tag your IT

2007-02-25T19:11:00.000-08:00

My Sister Mary Tagged me

The Rules of the game:

1. Find the nearest book to you.
2. Name the book and author.
3. Turn to page 123.
4. Go to the fifth sentence on the page.
5. Copy out the next 3 sentences and post to your blog.
6. Tag three other people.

The nearest book is the phone book, so I grabbed the next nearest:

"Holy Cows and Hog Heaven" by Joel Salatin

" I think the central question each of us needs to ask ourselves at the end of the day is this: "today, which food system advanced because of me-- farm friendly food or industrial food?" That is really the only question that matters and the only one you are responsible for. I enjoy a snickers bar every now and then."
Funny sentence to end on, but he goes on to say that you don't have to "give yourself ulcers over your diet" just keep in mind who and where you get your food.

Who should I tag? Laurie were you tagged? Sarah were you tagged? I know Wendy, Heather and of course Mary have already played, who will be next???

Checkered Board Cake

2007-02-23T07:18:00.000-08:00

Here's my Secret:
To make the Checkered board cake you need two colors of cake mix, and two to four round pans (I had two and could only back two layers at a time). Start in the middle of the pan and glob one of the mixes. Try to make a nice round circle. Then with the next mix go around the first glob. You can do as many rings as you want, three has always worked best for me. It kind of looks like a bullseye when you are done. Make sure you make two choc, white, choc layers, and two white, choc, white layers. The cake I made could have been four layers but one of the layers broke. When you cut into the cake it will look like checkers, instead of rings. Genious! I saw this cake in an old Betty Crocker Book. It is easier than it looks, and is always fun to see how it turned out when you cut into the cake. My Rings are never very even, I haven't figured out a way to get them perfect. But it is delicious nontheless!

Birthday Boys

2007-02-22T08:58:00.000-08:00

The impossible checkered board cake. How is it done? You can write me for directions, if you feel you are up to it!!!

Blowing out the Candles. You may be thinking there sure are a lot of candles on the cake, but Juddah wanted more than three to blow out.

Juddah and Jon trying to assemble the train.

Race Cars

I don't know why this picture is sideways, but it is Zion trying so hard to get the balloons with his bubble wand.

Juddah and Jon's birthday party was so fun. We had a delicious meal of Leg of Lamb, cous cous salad, home made rolls, spinach salad, mashed potatoes, and of course cake. I am so terrible at decorating cakes. For Juddah's cake I had a grand vision, but by the time I had the darn thing frosted, I was spent. So I just wrote "Happy Birthday Juddah" and he loved it anyways! Jon's cake was a German chocolate cake. mmm so so good.

JUDDAH!!!

2007-02-17T11:26:00.000-08:00

Dear Juddah,
Tomorrow you will be three years old. I can't believe it! I can remember being pregnant with you and then you being a wee newborn, and thinking that you would be little forever. I couldn't imagine you getting bigger.

You are so much fun to be around. Your imagination is awesome. I love playing store, and bouncy ball, and cowboys, and painting, and playing with play dough. I love that you always insist on helping me make cookies, or rolls, or mashed potatoes.

I love how sweet you are. You always ask me if I am OK. I love that when we wrestle, and you pin me, you then tell me "It's alright mama. It will be OK." I think it is so sweet when you hug your little brother and tell him you love him.

You are always ready to sing and dance. I love it when you ask me "Do you like that dance move?" I think it is so cool that you try to teach me your signature moves, and even though I never quite do them right, you still encourage me to try.

Juddah, you are so good to your little brother. I know it gets frustrating that he always wants to do what you do, but you always include him. You are such a great teacher. You have taught Zion so many things. You taught Zion how to go down the steps on the deck without falling. You taught Zion how to go down a slide all by himself. You always share the snacks I hand you in the car with Zion. I think it is so cute that sometimes you can hardly wait for Zion to wake up from his nap.

I love you Juddah. Thank you for being my biggest boy. Thank you for being patient with me while I learn how to be a good mom for you. Happy Birthday Little Buddy! Now lets eat some Cake!!!

Mary Jane's Farm

2007-02-10T13:00:00.000-08:00

I was given a great magazine the other day called "Mary Jane's Farm." It is written by a lady who has lived on a farm outside of Moscow, Idaho her whole life. It is kind of a pricey magazine because she doesn't sell ad space to cover printing, editing, etc costs. It is a whimsical, fun and functional magazine talking about the old days, and modern ways of farming. I think it is really neat to read about people all over the US making a living on their plots of land. Even though we just moved to town, it makes me want to delve into the world of homesteading. I picture butter churning and soap making and gardening. I have dreamt up building a one of a kind building out of products harvested right off the land. It also gets me excited for spring, and summer (easy to forget about the humidity and bugs when it is 20 degrees out!) Ho hum, some day.

She also includes stories sent in from readers. One was about woman who learned how to sew on a treadle sewing machine. Her Grandma gave her the machine, and then when she could afford a new machine she sold the treadle and bought an automatic. Then several years later she was wishing she had the old machine. She found one in a newspaper and bought it, only to find out it was the same one she had sold years earlier! Which brings me to a question, Mom, do you still have your singer treadle machine? What would it take to make it work? I think it would be fun to come and visit and play around with the old sewing machine. Maybe make an apron!

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In other news, it has been int he twenties for so long. Today when we were out at the farm the boys and I went down to the pond to throw rocks into it. When we got down there we couldn't make any of our rocks break the ice. I eventually had to see how strong the ice was for myself. I got about 3 feet from the bank, then the ice started making loud cracking noises, so I walked back. The boys were amazed, and I told them never to try that. Sheesh, I am so stupid to have done that in front of them. I don't know what I was thinking!

Only a few more days until Jon and Juddah's b-day, and through reading my sisters blogs I have learnt that is falls on Chinese New Years! I think I will try to do something related for Juddah's cake. Jon gets a German chocolate. Mmm, Birthday cake!

Art Projects

2007-02-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

"Hey Juddah do you have the yellow crayon? I think I need it for the sun I am drawing"

Juddah and his birthday chain. We made it on my bed incase Zion woke up in the middle of production, and I would be able to hide the paper and scissors. Juddah has been reminding me a few times a day "my birthday is in just a few days, it is coming up really quick!"

He also tries to pressure me into letting him tear off more than one link a day.

It is cute how excited and aware of his birthday he is this year. This is the first year that he mostly understands that he has a special day coming up. The other day in the car he told me "My birthday is soon, and I will be big then. And then I am going to drive your car." I asked him " If you drive my car, can I drive your truck?" He said "No you are too big, it might break." Hmm thanks a lot!!

A Day Late, and a Dollar Short

2007-02-01T13:23:00.000-08:00

Sorry Ma and Pa. I forgot to post on your wedding anniversary. I emailed about it the day before, and now here I am the day after. Such a bummer. But the posts on my other sisters blogs were soperfect. I love you guys. Mom and Dad you guys have an awesome relationship. Waa-hoo 38 years, and goin strong!

Tuesday Update

2007-01-30T11:45:00.000-08:00

Today has been so great. Remember the disastrous music class last week? Well today was much much better. Zion stayed home with Dad, and Juddah and I went to the class. He was a little nervous at first and told me he wasn't feeling good. So we got some water, and went to the bathroom. At first he didn't want to take off his hat or gloves or coat, but I convinced him to atleast take off his hat and gloves. The first song I held him and danced, which is something that most the kids do. Then we all sat and sang a few songs. Then we got the musical instruments out, and he was so excited. He picked out some snapper things first. We were able to use the instruments for three songs, and Juddah picked out a new noise maker for every song. He marched and danced and ran around with the other kids from there on out. I was so happy. I was so proud of him for feeling so comfortable. When we were leaving I said "Juddah I had so much fun, did you?" He said "Yes I can't wait to go back!"
Today was also library day. We picked up Zion, got his coat and hat, some pretzels and headed to story time. The boys had fun at story time. The 10:30 group is huge, and there are lots of boys who also have a hard time sitting still so we fit right in. As I looked around at the kids I noticed the boys squirming, standing, bouncing, wiggling, jumping, and the girls sitting and enjoying the story, why is this? Zion and Juddah also enjoyed coloring with all the kids afterwards.
What a fun day, and so incredibly opposite from last tuesday. I am glad I only took Juddah to music class. I think I will continue leaving Zion at home, atleast until Juddah is a music class pro, and then I can focus on wrangling Zion.
Oh wild-Z...

Splish Splash

2007-01-30T11:24:00.000-08:00

We love taking baths. A bath before bed is just the ticket to get the boys settled down and ready to count sheep! The boys are so crazy about taking baths. They painstakingly pick out toys, and they have become very good at helping me get them undressed. When I was pregnant with Juddah I remember reading about getting babies on a routine so they know when bedtime is, and how a bath is a great signal to them to start getting sleepy. Since Juddah was a wee tyke I have religiously given him a nighttime bath. It is great that he loves it so much, and it is so fun to have Zion in the tub too. They are mighty splashers. So mighty I have to close the shower doors so the whole room doesn't get soaked. I am not so much a fan of closing the shower doors, but the boys feel a great since of freedom with them closed, probably because I don't have to hear "keep the water IN the tub" a million times from me. Along with splashing they love to dip the top of their heads in the water, take sips of the water (yuck), and slide on their tummies.

The boys in their towels. Hmm, too bad we only have one duck towel, Wendy! OK if you don't have time to make one, do you wanna send a pattern??

The splash squad just warming up.

I wish I had pictures of the boys firsts baths on this computer so I could post them here. Oh the first bath of the squiggly little baby body. I thought they would be traumatized forever because of it. I think they have forgiven me or forgotten about it, because nowadays they crying come when it is time to get out of the tub. I give a five minute warning, a two minute warning, and a pull the plug and wait for all the water to drain warning. It is hard to stop such a fun activity though, and sometimes there are tears.

Wrestle Mania

2007-01-28T18:56:00.000-08:00

My Sister Mary just posted a picture of her two kids wrestling, so I thought it would be funny to post some pictures of my boys wrestling. One time I said to Jon "Sheesh I think the boys have entered a wrestling phase." He said "A phase?! How about the rest of their lives!"

Around here it is wrestle mania at all hours of the day. There are many different degrees of wrestling. I try not to interfere as long as no one is crying, and they sound like they are having fun.

What a Disaster!

2007-01-24T10:46:00.000-08:00

One of the great things about living in town now is being able to go to so many new "fun" things. We have enjoyed play groups, walks to the park, etc. So a couple of weeks ago I signed us up for our first official kid class.

Juddah and Zion love music. When any kind of music is turned on they both start bouncing and dancing around. I thought a music class would be perfect for us. I knew Juddah would be a little shy, but I thought it would be a good experience for him. After all he will be attending pre-school and kindergarten soon.

So we get our coats off. We get into the circle, and the first song comes on. Zion is running around getting into peoples purses, and baby car seats, and toys. Juddah is glued to my hip. We chase Zion, try and get him to focus on some dance moves. Juddah keeps telling me he NEEDS to go outside. Then the music teacher brings out the fun instruments. Both boys love this part of class. Juddah bangs on a triangle, and Zion uses many different rattles, and drums. The only problem was, was that class as only half over. We had to put the instruments away. Then the box was placed just behing the teacher. Zion was very upset at having to give up his precious new toys. He kept dragging the box around, and I kept picking him up, and trying to get him to participate. Juddah is of course back on my hip (so picking up Zion was tricky.) Then Juddah started crying, screaming in fact that he needed to go outside. He needed to go right now. We stuck it out until the quiet last song came on. Then I calmly got our coats, and marched out to the car with the boys. I could feel all the moms eyes on us as we walked out the door. Oh yeah and the door stand got stuck while I was trying to close the door, so I had to pull the door back and kick up the stand and then close the door again. So embarrassing. Will we go back? Yes we will. But I asked Karen if she would watch Zion next week, so I can just take Juddah. I think Juddah will do better if I can focus on making him feel confident, instead of just chasing Wild-Z around.

But what do you guys think? Should I have left when Juddah started crying? Were we taking away from the rest of the class? Should I just get my money back on the class and try something else?

GrAy's Anatomy

2007-01-21T11:39:00.000-08:00

I am going gray. I am totally going gray. I am only 24 and I have so many gray hairs on my head. Right in the middle on the top. I am always spotting them and pulling them out, and they are hard to pull out. Today I parted my hair on a different side, and oh my gosh, There were millions of gray hairs. I don't mean to freak out, but I can't believe how gray I am. Should I start dyeing my hair? I don't even know how to pick out a color, or anything. Help!!

Nap Time Fun

2007-01-19T12:25:00.000-08:00

It is so easy to put Zion down for a nap these days. A few minutes of singing and rocking, and I can lay him in his crib and walk out of his room. Juddah has grown out of naps. Instead he enjoys a rest with a movie of his choice. Honestly I am so glad Juddah doesn't need a nap anymore. I made many mistakes with naptime for Juddah, and he required me to lay down with him in order for him to lay down and nap. When Zion was born I vowed not to make the same mistake and I am so grateful, so very very grateful to lay Zion down and have some mid-day "me" time. I can get so much done during these two hours. I can get the laundry done, take out the garbage and recycling, clean up the bathroom, make beds, check out blogs and email, and even watch some TV. It is muy fun. I don't know why I felt like with Juddah I couldn't just lay him down and let him learn how to fall asleep on his own.

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Sweet delicious nap time. I'd say it is better than chocolate or ice cream, any day. But If I can have chocolate or ice cream during nap time, now that is heaven.

2007-01-18T12:15:00.000-08:00

With all the ice and cold weather we have been feeding the cows hay in the mornings. We wake up and head to the farm as soon as breakfast is done. Ususally the boys stay with Grandma, but today the weather was a little warmer. We bundled up the boys and headed for the pasture. They were excited to ride in the truck, and splash through the mud. When we got out to the field and out of the truck, the boys were a little shocked at how big the cows seemed. They helped throw hay out of the truck. Juddah made sure all the bale-twine was picked up. Their little cheeks were so red, and their smiles so big! They both fell asleep as soon as we were on our way home. Such an exciting morning.

Music in Motion

2007-01-16T12:47:00.000-08:00

Today we were on the move as soon as we woke up. The boys ate breakfast, and I showered. I wrestled Juddah and Zion into many layers of warm clothes, coats, gloves and hats, and we made it out the door with time to spare. We were so excited to dance and make some cool music. Juddah couldn't stop talking about music class last night when I was putting him to bed. When we got the "the Centre" I looked around to see if any other kids and their parents were arriving. We were a little early, so I thought with the cold weather maybe everyone else would be a little late. After we got out of our coats, gloves, and hats, a very offical lady came in and told us that the class had been canceled due to the bad weather. We were bummed. The boys definatly didn't want to re-dress. Couldn't the lady have timed her announcement to the three of us two minutes earlier? We climbed back into the car. And then I remembered that is was Tuesday; Library Day!!! So we went to the library. It was so fun. The group of kids was small, which was great because Zion was "wearing" his dancing shoes and didn't want to sit still for a second. Juddah was able to answer all the questions because he was the oldest at story time. It was so fun. I am glad we went to the library, it has beed since before Christmas that we have gone to Story time.
Next week I will let you all know about "Music in Motion" and hopefully I will remember my camera so I can snap some photos. In the words of Juddah "Chao Baby"

Winter Wonderland

2007-01-15T12:40:00.000-08:00

It is so icy and cold out. The trees and fences, and toy trucks we have left outside are all covered in an inch of ice. Driving through our neighborhood I have to swerve to avoid fallen limbs. But it is so beautiful out. Eveything sparkles and shines. It is so wintry outside and so cozy inside.
I have candles and matches ready to go incase the power goes out. We have water, and wood, and lots of food, so we are ready, but no emergency. Our inlaws have not had power for a few days. I think Karen lives for these kinds of times. She has wood and food supply running out her ears. Without electricity, I think she could still make a big dinner with all the "fixins."
Zion and Juddah are so cute bundled up, ready for the cold. They are like marshmellows walking out the door. I feel bad squishing them into their carseats. When I was buckling Zion into his carseat today, I noticed he had slipped on two hats. He is so hat crazy. He always wants to wear a hat. Juddah is the opposite, he always tells me "I not need a hat, it's not cold out."

So here's to my first post! I hope this isn't too lame. I always seem to compose "blog ideas" in my head, but nothing was really coming to me today. Stay warm everyone!