Ma's Blog
• Jul. 20, 2008 - July part 2
I'm sitting here on a Sunday evening, enjoying a berry smoothie, made by my spouse.
Summer is cruising along at a steady pace. Heather is nearly 12 and this is the first year that she's noticing how fast the time flies. It's hard to believe that in just a couple of weeks, Kevin and I will have been parents for 12 years. When Heather was born, I had a 13 year old sister. My sister is now 25 and just last year, became a parent herself.
So anyway, we have a birthday coming up and the thing that Heather is looking forward to is the trip to the jewelry store to get her ears pierced. We've also been gathering gifts here and there, and before we know it, it'll be the morning of her birthday. She'll wake up to presents at her place at the breakfast table and she'll be anxious for us to get up so she can open them. We'll have a get together with family here at the house and then perhaps the following weekend, we'll take both kids and hopefully one of Heather's friends to Chuck E. Cheese for an afternoon of constant noise and arcade games. Pretty close to Heaven for kids I think.
Speaking of birthdays, this weekend, we went to my nephew's 1st birthday party. He was pretty cute and my sister put on a great party for the little guy. I'm guessing that she and my brother-in-law were exhausted and possibly took a nap when they came home.
I guess that it's time for me to close this entry. My daughter has brought out the game "Apples to Apples" and she's ready for us to play.
Lp |
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• Jul. 11, 2008 - Keeping cool
Summer seems to be in full swing. The required heat is here too. I don't mind having the sun as much because we need it for the garden to produce the veggies that we planted. There's just something about harvesting your own food and having it for dinner or at least preserving it. It's a pretty good feeling.
The summer heat also provides us with a reason to make smoothies too. A few weeks ago, Kevin bought a heavy duty blender, that crushes ice. So on Friday nights, and sometimes other very hot weekdays, he can be persuaded to make smoothies using the frozen berries from last year's garden. They're very filling and very good, and not as fattening as what we'd normally get at Dairy Queen. Kevin made some smoothies tonight and they were soooooo good!
And finally, summer is bringing birthdays. Between last Saturday and the end of August, we will have a birthday party every two weeks. My grandma turned 90 last Saturday. We celebrated with a family dinner at Marie Callender's. My aunt & uncle joined us from out of town and my nephew, who will be 1 in a couple of weeks, was the main entertainment. Next weekend is my nephew's birthday and then two weeks after that is Heather's 12th birthday and 3 weeks after that are the birthdays of my dad and brother-in-law. It's a busy birthday summer.
So that's the latest with this report. Due to the rising price of gas, we aren't doing much traveling, so most of what we'll be doing will be here at home.
Lp |
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• Jun. 24, 2008 - My real name is "Mom"
We've told our son, Kylin, several times, over the years, what our names are. My real name is "Elizabeth", but I've gone by "Lisa" for most of my life. So today, Kylin asked me what my middle name was, I told him. He repeated it back adding the "Lisa" to it. So I asked him what my real name was. He thought for a minute and then said, "Mom". Maybe I need to have my birth certificate changed to reflect his perception of me.
I'm currently watching a videotape that Kevin took earlier today of some local trains having a railroad crossing demonstration. I'm starting to think that my voice is sounding alot like my mother's. Yikes! When I mentioned that, Heather started to get a little worried that the same would happen to her. I told her, "Behold your future!"
Kylin's latest responses to the following:
1. When he asks us a question that we don't know the answer to, or when he asks where something is that we have no idea of it's whereabouts, he says, "Well you should have known!" or "Your lying"
2. When we tell him that he needs to get his chores or his schoolwork done before he can play, He'll say, "I'll do it super sloppy!" (and "super sloppy" has been the reason that my dishes have received more chips in the last month when the dishwasher is unloaded). I finally heard the word "sloppy" way too many times and finally started to take away minutes from his computer/video game time. He's a bit more aware of when he's about to say it now and sometimes manages to stop himself, but he does slip up a bit.
The weather is finally nice enough that we can eat outside. Kevin cleaned up the patio, and cleaned up the patio furniture, put up the umbrella, and brought out the cushions. So for the last 3 days, we've been having dinner outside. If the nice weather continues, we be doing this every evening.
Kylin's pretty happy with the warmer weather as it means that he can go outside and play which is a good way for him to burn some energy. Heather is ok with being outside, but she doesn't play really. She's happier sitting out in a chair reading her latest find from the library.
So that's my latest tidbit.
Lp |
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• May. 22, 2008 - A Bang up and a Birthday
I thought that since I had put in an earlier status message that I was taking care of an injured husband, I should probably elaborate a bit.
This past Sunday afternoon, Kevin went out for a bike ride with a friend. We had had some rather hot weather so Kevin took some water with him. What wound up happening was that after riding for 6 miles, and then resting in the car, he tried to get up and walk and when he did, he passed out, hitting his head on the pavement. He had some short term memory issues and so his friend called me, and I went to pick him up and take him to the ER. The doctor said that he probably had been dehydrated when he fell. Kevin did get a CAT scan and thankfully, there were no major injuries other than a mild concussion. The doctor also said that the memory issues would go away too and by the next day, his memory was much better. After two days to stay home and rest (he was really sore and still is), he's back at work gaining sympathy for the scratch under his eye and telling folks that I beat him up ;)
Then on Tuesday, our "baby" turned 10. He'll be the first to tell anyone that he's not a baby. We have a new Chuck E. Cheese in town and Kylin wanted to have his party there. His party consists of mostly adults, and we discovered later at the party that adults really can't visit in a restaurant where there are little kids yelling, and screaming and marching around chanting "Chucky, Chucky.....". Kylin did have a good time. He likes noise. He likes to contribute to noise and has been since he was born. He and Heather played in the arcade and "won" all sorts of little prizes like tattoos and stickers and candy etc. Kevin was hoping that Heather wouldn't want to go there for her birthday, but she does. So we will probably change the plans to where the adults can come to a more quiet environment, like our house, for the family party and then one of us will take Heather, Kylin and maybe a friend back to the noisy Chuck E. Cheese. |
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• May. 12, 2008 - The Day After Mother's Day
I only mark this one as "The Day After Mother's Day" because I didn't have a chance to blog yesterday. We had a full day of celebrating and by the time we came home, I was too tired to type.
So, today, I write.
Mother's Day, at this house started with my husband waking up with a headache, sinus pain and not having slept very well. Yet he crawled out of bed, and took a steamy shower (hoping to relieve his headache) and set out to make Mother's day happen for me. While he was in the shower, Kylin came in and asked if he could take the next shower and when I told him that he'd have to wait until his sister and I had had ours (due to having to wait an hour between each shower for the water to heat up and that we needed time after washing our hair, to fix it), he had a meltdown and a major conniption fit. So Kevin worked on adjusting that attitude with the boy. After that Kylin said that he'd have a good attitude and wait for his shower. So, all is borderline "well". Kevin drove down to the store and picked up a Sunday paper and a magazine for me to read while I was going to be confined to my room while he made breakfast. He also stopped at a coffee stand to buy me a delicious vanilla latte. The person at the coffee stand asked him how the day was going so far and he said, "Well I woke up not feeling well, I have a cranky kid and I'm trying to make Mother's Day nice for my wife!". So he came home and gave me my reading material and set out to cook breakfast. Trying to judge by the smells coming from the kitchen, I could only guess that maybe he was making an omlet with green peppers (I could definitely smell those) or biscuits & gravy. Finally he arrived with breakfast and the guessing was over. I have fried eggs, vegetarian sausage, O'Brian potatoes and english muffins. He also made homemade "egg McMuffins for the kids. However Heather didn't like hers because the english muffin was whole wheat. I looked at it later and discovered that she didn't eat the egg inside either and when I pointed out that she still could have eaten the contents, she said, "I hadn't thought of that!". She still didn't eat it. When I finally came out to the livingroom, there was a flower on my desk and Kevin told me to look out of our front door and I saw the hanging plant that Kevin had put together for me. It was full of dark pink and purple flowers. What I like the most about it was that he put it together himself. Then it was time for Kylin's shower and he asked me what he could wear. When I pointed out that he could wear his nice yet casual shirts, he had another fit because he wanted to wear a play t-shirt (and they were still drying in the closet. Plus we were going to someone's house for a family dinner, it wasn't like I was asking him to wear a suit). He finally dressed and we started hoping that his attitude would be better during the day................at someone else's house.
After we were all showered and spruced up, we headed over to my grandma's as she was going to join us on the drive to my dad's in Creswell. On the way, Kevin asked if I had been to my mom's grave recently. I haven't in at least two years. It's been 12 years and by now, going to the cemetery isn't what it used to be. In the first few years after my mom had passed, I did go more regularly, but now, it's like I put the flowers in the built in vase and see the headstone that I've seen many times and then what else does one do except go home. I didn't have plans to go yesterday. I may this week because we did have Mother's day and the cemetery just happens to be where she is.
We picked up my grandma and headed to Creswell. She was happy to spend the afternoon with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Of course when my sister and her family arrived, everyone wanted to play with my little nephew. He's nearly 10 months old and he had changed a bit since we saw him at Easter. Yesterday was also my sister's 25th birthday. Back when I turned 25, my then 9 year old sister informed me that I was "half of a half of a century old. So, in the last couple of years, I started "training" my daughter to say the same thing to my sister when it was her turn. That came yesterday. My sister was expecting it though. My dad made dinner as usual, but decided to save himself some clean up work and he used paper plates and cups. So he was actually able to sit and visit a bit more rather than being in the kitchen the whole time.
In the early evening, we left my dad's, we took grandma home (along with two hanging plants from her children), went to the store, picked up pie and ice cream, and went to visit Kevin's parents. Kevin bought his mother a metal lunch box with pictures of Elvis Presley on it. She loved it! She loves collectibles and music from the 60's so that gift was just right for her.
We arrived home after 9 and we were so tired. Other folks think that mother's get the day off to kick back and relax. I don't think that it's my turn yet.
Lp |
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• May. 3, 2008 - Yard Work!
This weekend has seen the return of the nice weather. It's not too hot but warm enough to start working on the yard.
Yesterday, I took a couple of hours to transplant flowers that I had just bought to the flowerpots on the porch. Then I looked over and saw the weeds along the walkway and started working on them. I woke up this morning, already thinking about pulling weeds, and I wasn't even out of bed yet. Now, it is evening, and the flowerbed that goes along the front of the yard is about 75% weed free. Now, the herbs we have planted there look alot better surrounded by dark, rich dirt.
I never thought that I would wake up in the morning looking forward to yard work! What I wonder sometimes is why I enjoy this now as an adult when I hated it as a kid. When I was growing up, my mom would constantly send me out to the garden and tell me that I was to pull weeds for an hour. I never thought that it was fair because I never saw her pulling any of her weeds (not even considering that she was tired from working all week and trying to be a single parent, and then later trying to be a stay at home parent to a teenager who wasn't used to her being around). But I was a kid then. Somehow, when I grew up and had my own yard, my viewpoint changed. I discovered that I love flowers, and I loved them in my yard, so I needed to weed out the things I don't like, but naturally grow there, and I like it.
Kevin spent the day working on that last bed in the garden and finished transplanting the tomatoes and peppers
So now, I'm sore, all over, Kevin is too. But it's worth it because something was accomplished. We also treated ourselves to a treat at the DQ. Ice cream is always a good reward! I bought Kylin some "ice cream" bars made from tofu (because he's not consuming dairy for now) called "Tofuti Cuties". They aren't bad. They taste just like real ice cream.
On another note, my husband Kevin, ventured out and got his ear pierced. I won't elaborate, now as I have pictures to go with the story behind that. It was a little weird at first. I'm used to it now. Heather thinks that it's really weird and it's something to shock her friends with. So far, she's told one friend and that one didn't seem so shocked.
Time to sign off and rest.
Lp
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• Apr. 20, 2008 - What Season is it really? Someone please tell me!
I don't think that I'm the only Oregonian who is confused on this issue.
Last weekend, we had beautiful weather. It was 84 degrees (if my dad still had his boat, it would have been a great day to go to the lake) and it looked like the spring weather was here to stay. However, the weather cooled during the week and this weekend, we had a dusting of snow during the night. Hmmmmm......
Since we did have a weekend of nice weather, Kevin turned over one of the beds in the garden and then planted bush beans, peas, carrots, and 4 grape starts. And then over the past week, we've been wondering if they'll survive the sudden drop in temperatures at night.
We took the kids to the model train show last weekend as well. Kevin and Kylin are definitely more into trains than Heather and I are. Heather really would have preferred to stay home, but we reminded her of the times that her brother came to the events that she liked and he didn't, and we pretty much made her go. She was a pretty good sport and didn't complain.
One of these days, I will start posting pictures with my blogs. I've noticed other bloggers who do that, and quite frankly, when I read what other's have written, I like a picture or two to help me see what the writer is trying to convey to the reader.
I have started reading a bit more, at least trying to fit it in. I'm currently reading "Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself" by Alan Alda. I read his previous book, titled, "Never Have Your Dog Stuffed". I do like to read autobiographies and I really liked that book. This one is good, it take a bit longer to get through, as it's not entirely autobiographical, but also a bit philosophical and I don't always agree with his beliefs. I did just finish Amy Grant's book, "Mosaic: Pieces of My Life So Far" and I did enjoy that. I used to listen to her music when I was in Jr. High, but haven't in a long time (I'm more of a Newsboys/ Hillsong listener now).
So, as I mentioned before, I will try to start putting pictures up. Spring is here, hopefully the really nice weather will come back soon and stay, and I'll have some more interesting things to blog about.
Lp
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• Apr. 1, 2008 - April Fools..........for everyone else!
Happy April 1st!
I've already heard the "April Fools!" from my husband. We've changed the calendar (almost an event with the kids), and Kevin and I are wondering, "Just how fast will THIS month fly by?".
We really can't do any pranks around here. Kylin just doesn't understand jokes (though he certainly has attempted to tell his own). He takes everything that is said so seriously, and if we say something that sounds a bit ridiculous, he'll say, "Are you joking?" or "Are you lying". Then he'll get really upset. So, we really try not to do that. Kylin will meet enough folk in his life who will probably play pranks on this day and we'd like for him to know that he can at least trust his parents and his sister to be more considerate of him.
Last week, we had alot of rain and hail and even some snow. Not the kind of weather one would associate with late March. This week, we have sunshine and I even heard birds outside. I have a new birdfeeder and a fresh bag of birdseed ready to set out, and new flowers to put in the planters.
When I was growing up, my paternal grandparents lived a couple of miles outside of a very small town. They had a house up on a hill, sitting in front of a little set of woods, which held a cemetery (and after watching "Night of the LIving Dead" when I was 14, that cemetery concerned me a little bit..........but I did get over it). Anyway, in the mornings, we would eat our breakfast in "the sunroom" (a room with alot of windows) and watch this family of quail come down out of the woods and eat the birdseed that she had scattered for them. At first, it was hard to see the quail because their color blended in with the bark that was in the yard and we'd only notice them when the "bark" would move. Sometimes, if the weather was really warm, we'd eat our breakfast or lunch out on the deck and listen to the sounds of the birds.....the cow from about a mile away.........a rooster working overtime in reminding everyone that the sun is out..........and a donkey wanting attention..........and the sound of fresh air. Yes, it does have a sound. Anyway, those are some of my memories of spring.
Lp |
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• Mar. 22, 2008 - Spring Has Sprung, The Grass is Rizz.........
Spring is officially here. However, the weather hasn't really coincided with the new season, and that has bothered Kylin quite a bit. We recently had rain so the ground is still damp and the weather is still chilly. Kylin has been asking me for the past few days, nearly every hour, to check the temp online to see if it's risen enough for him to go outside. This boy has been waiting all winter for the weather to be dry and warm enough to go outside. Once that happens, he'll play outside all day until the sun sets, running around the yard, and making ponds and rivers in the flowerbeds.
My husband Kevin has finally bought a drumset for himself. It's electronic so as not to disturb the neighbors who go to earlier than we do. He's been wanting to learn to play the drums since he was a teenager. He bought a pair of drumsticks when he was 15 and then after that, asked for a drumset for every Birthday and Christmas. He was never given one. So now, at age 39, he finally decided to go ahead and buy a set and start learning. He still has the pair of sticks that he bought as a teenager, and a practice pad that he received for Christmas last year. He also has a lesson book, so he's been working with that and has been diligently practicing. I would have to say that he does really well. He doesn't think so, but I've heard him and I'm impressed!
My large purchase this year was a treadmill. I can't always get away to walk around the mall early in the morning (when it's been raining) so Kevin found one on craigslist for a great price and it works wonderfully. Sometimes Kevin will practice his drums at the same time I get my walk in. Certainly not a time for chatting as he needs to concentrate and I get too winded to talk.
Tomorrow is Easter, and even though my kids are nearly 10 and 12, they still like to get Easter baskets, eat candy, and hunt eggs. As the kids get older, I have had to rethink what non-edible goodies to put into those baskets. It was easier when they were little and I could put little toys in them. But now, they're older and the goodies include books, new flip-flops (because after all, it's spring), and......because we have the drumset.............and they seem remotely interested.................a pair of drumsticks for each of them (I did pick up a new pair for Kevin too, as well as a pair for myself). So, I guess drum lessons are next.
The kids both seem to have the potential to play the drums. I think that Heather will practice more. Kylin can keep rhythm, most of the time, but he's also more interested in making up his own songs. Songs about losing his video game time and how the cat somehow has the authority to give it back to him.
Hmmmm........
It's late and everyone in the house is asleep except me. So I guess that is my cue to stop typing and go to bed
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• Mar. 14, 2008 - Just some ponderings....
Just a few thoughts to jot down.
In the past few months, I've seen some really miraculous blessings and provisions from the Lord, and then just as I'm feeling really good about those, I get sideswiped with something that I hadn't expected. I've come to the point to where I know that if I say that things are great or fine when someone asks, that I should expect to the unexpected (and it's not the good kind) to come out of nowhere and overshadow the obvious hand of the Lord in my life. It's these things that God's enemy uses to try to discourage me from praying, and tries to plant seeds of doubt and disbelief in my heart.
I'm continuing to pray and press on, and stay in the Word, and really put my trust in the Lord. I will say that my prayer life has improved......alot, and I'm slowly discovering just what it means to put ALL of my trust in the Lord, he's the only one who is truly trustworthy and he's proven himself as a provider. It's nice to know that he's there to lean on during hard times.
Lp |
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• Feb. 20, 2008 - Our February Update
Hello,
I noticed that it's been nearly a month since my last entry. I don't have alot to report because we haven't done much outside the house.
However, the exciting things for us this month so far have been:
-A new bed! For us, this is exciting, because we've been needing a new bed since we bought our last one (used) nearly 12 years ago. Our previous one was a basic mattress in a waterbed frame. The new one is a pillowtop and much softer.
-We finally got rid of our 17 year old Mercury Grand Marquis, (named "Ol' Drippy" because of it's inability to hang on to the oil we constantly had to pour into it). Kevin put it on craigslist as a free parts car to whoever could drive it home. Two guys showed up with a gallon of old motor oil and managed to get it running and smoking down the street (possibly like the car that John Candy drove in "Uncle Buck" but without the backfiring). These guys planned to drive it all the way to Cottage Grove (a 30 minute drive on the freeway). I hope they made it!
-Valentine's Day came and went and we've all had our fill of chocolate. The kids feel that they need more, but Easter will be here soon enough and they'll get another large dose then.
-My sister had her family pictures taken at JC Penny's, and the photographer thought that my nephew was so cute that they asked my sister if his picture could be shown in all of the Penny's studios. So in the near future, if you happen to be at a Penny's studio and see a picture of a jolly baby with big blue eyes, that is probably my nephew (and his auntie is very proud).
-Kevin's birthday is next week. He'll finally be the same age as me. I'm really glad that he no longer refers to me as "the older woman" (I'm only 2 months older). The kids and I have some gifts for him and we'll get a pizza from Papa's (great pizza!) and we'll either have a fruit pie or a birthday cake (he usually wants pie and the kids always want cake).
-We've only had one sad thing happen and that was my granddad's funeral at the beginning of the month. He was a really neat guy, and was able to live a really full life. More than most folks his age.
So that sums up February. As I'm typing this, my son is spinning around in circles. Then he falls and says, "I wish I could do this right!". I'm wondering what it is he's trying to get right. You spin, get dizzy and fall over. I think he's succeeded.
Lp |
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• Jan. 27, 2008 - We Finally Have Snow!
Well in my last entry, I was lamenting the forecast of snow and the absence of it.
Well the snow is here and fat & fluffy snowflakes consistently coming down. My kids waited until after their favorite show (Green Acres) was over before they bundled up and headed outdoors.
Heather had picked up a few ideas from one of her "Calvin & Hobbes" comic books. She built some snowmen (she calls them "snowgoons") in front of our old car that would give the impression that they were actually pedestrians who were hit by the car. Kylin actually attempted to build his own snowmen in the backyard. He later told me that they were penquins.
The last time we had such a decent snow was about 3 years ago. It was so decent that Kevin wound up staying home from work. Of course, with snow like this, we tend to wonder if it'll be like the snow of '69. I was about two months old, and it was in February, and it snowed so much, we had snow up to the windows of the Chevy (my mom took pictures). My dad worked at my granddad's dairy and wound up taking a sleeping bag with him and staying there for the duration of the snow. Hopefully, it won't snow that much.
So anyway, Happy Snow Day!
Lp |
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• Jan. 24, 2008 - It Be Very Cold Here!
Yet no snow. My kids would love to see some snow and make a snowman that will probably melt before noon.
There is a new treadmill in our garage. After two days of walking on it, I can honestly say, "ouch!". The last time I had such a workout, was two years ago when I was working a paper route. But it's good for me.
Cold weather means soup too. I made a beef vegetable soup (with vegetarian "meat") and it just hit the spot on a cold day. The kids aren't really into soup, but my husband had seconds and thirds. It's nice to know that someone likes my cooking. A good cookbook helps too (Better Homes & Gardens is my favorite).
Today was our weekly trip to the library. So the kids have something new to read in the evening before bed. I didn't bother to get anything for me to read. I bought a book called "Love & Respect" at the store the other day (I may blog on that more after I've finished) and have just started reading it. I've also read two other books since the beginning of the year. If anything, that could be a New Year's resolution: To read more books.
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• Jan. 1, 2008 - Happy New Year! 2008
Well another year flew by. What is sort of scary is that we know that this new year will fly by and we'll be celebrating Christmas again and trying to stay up until midnight waiting for 2009 to ring in.
Our kids asked if they could stay up until midnight. I told them that I'd talk to Kevin about it. His answer was "no". By 4:30 in the afternoon, I was ready to put my son to bed. He really likes to be outside, and since it's been cold and wet outside, he's had to stay in, so I think he has cabin fever and we all get to "enjoy" it with him.
We did let the kids have Martinelli's and ice cream before going to bed. Surprisingly, after all of that sugar, they did go to sleep fairly quickly.
We decided that we'd try to stay up though. When we were younger (in our 20's) we seemed to be able to stay up until 2 or 3AM, sleep 3-4 hours and get up and go to work and be fairly fine. Now, we're really pushing ourselves to stay awake until 11PM. We watched our new DVD's until midnight, caught a glimpse of Dick Clark on TV and then went to bed. Our neighbors set off all sorts of noisy fireworks (our poor cat tried to hide behind the toilet in our bathroom to get away from the noise). If anymore fireworks were set off, we slept through it.
Today, we're starting the new year with internet surfing, laundry, and putting away decorations, and wondering what lies ahead for us in 2008. |
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• Dec. 18, 2007 - Just one more week.....
Just one more week until Christmas. Are we ready? Not really. Last minute projects and clean up have us rather busy.
I am finished with the shopping for the kids. The presents are all wrapped (to make them more difficult to peek into). The kids continually count them to see if we've added anymore to the stack.
Kevin has been doing last minute shopping, and tying up loose ends at work so he can enjoy the next two weeks that he's chosen to take off for a vacation.
We have family coming to our house this year. Kevin's parents will be joining us on Christmas morning. Then in the afternoon, we're going to my dad's to celebrate with him and my grandma. So it'll be a busy day.
Kylin has been keeping track of the number of days on our kitchen white board. It keeps him busy.
Lisa |
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• Nov. 25, 2007 - Bring On Christmas!
Hi There,
For those who are reading this, I hope that your Thanksgiving weekend went very well.
Our "holiday weekend" actually lasted for the whole week as Kevin took a week's vacation from work. He was able to sleep in this week and since the kids are old enough to fix their own breakfast, I thought I'd see if I could try sleeping in as well. It was rather nice not to be startled awake by an alarm.
Thanksgiving day started with warm Cinnabon cinnamon rolls (ok, they were Pillsbury's version of them), and hot latte's & steamers. The kids were anxious to watch the Macy's parade on tv. There were a few comments from them such as "those girls look cold in those costumes". Yes, I'm sure that the Rockettes and the various cheerleaders were a bit chilly. The kids are more excited about the balloons, wondering if their favorite characters will be made into one.
For our Thanksgiving meal, we went to my dad's house. He's been hosting for nearly 10 years now, and when we think of family dinners, we think of his house. The kids were looking forward to seeing his new kitty, Tonto. However, when we arrived, we got a glimpse of Tonto and it was obvious that he was not looking forward to meeting us. He hid in a back bedroom and never came back out. However, there was other entertainment. My sister, brother-in-law, and 4 month old nephew were there. We haven't seen the baby since August and he had changed alot. A bit rounder, and more smiles. He seemed to be more entertained by the kids than the adults.
When we came home in the evening, Kevin surprised the kids with their own copy of "Ratatouille" on DVD. They were thrilled, and for two hours, quiet on the couch watching the movie (giving us a chance to relax as well).
On Friday, we steered clear of those holiday sales. There were several stores open at 4AM and folks who had camped outside all night in 24 degree weather to take advantage of those sales. I'm sorry, but there is just not one thing or no sale worth risking hypothermia for. We slept in (of course) and then prepared to decorate for Christmas. Kevin went outside and cleared out the yard, preparing to put up Christmas lights, which took up most of the day. While he was doing that, I put away the fall decorations and pulled out the Christmas ones. I still don't have everything set up yet. Heather has been helping Kevin with his lights. She's been a pretty good "apprentice". One day, she'll be lighting her house with her kids and keep the tradition going. Kylin was completely overwhelmed with joy about those decorations. Kevin hung the lighted snowflake outside of his window and Kylin was so happy and excited, that he literally had tears in his eyes. Then later, I pulled out his stuffed snowman, that plays music when you squeeze the hand, (and that we usually don't replace the batteries in right away), and Kylin was giddy and happy and dancing around the house. Fortunately, the toy doesn't play as loudly this year.
On Saturday, I had to venture out to run some errands. Traffic wasn't too bad, and the crowds at the store weren't too bad either (I realized later that there was a football game going on, so that would explain where most folks were. And our team lost too (no Rose Bowl for us I guess), so maybe no one felt like shopping after that. I've done most of the Christmas shopping for my own kids, so I was in search of something for my nephew. I had asked my sister if she cared if the toys made noise. She said that it didn't matter, so I bought one small noisy toy. It's hard to find a toy that doesn't make noise, and I don't want to totally alienate my sister, so I may just stick with the one. I don't want her to ever feel the need to retaliate and give our kids something that is noisier (as I've seen this happen in other families).
So, now it's Sunday, Kevin has to back to work tomorrow. The kids have school again, and life goes back to normal (about as normal as it can be during a holiday season). Feeling pretty well prepared as I have most of my shopping done (and wrapped so no one can peek). I have a bit of a cold, and it sounds like perhaps others in the house have it too. It sounds like Kevin will be out in the cold again today, putting up lights. Once it's finished, I'll try to get some pictures to post. He always does a fantastic job. I'm glad that I married a guy who likes to do that sort of thing.
Lisa |
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• Oct. 1, 2007 - Happy October!
It's hard to believe that Christmas is less than 3 months away!!! It's amazing how we can go from weeks of hot weather to suddenly cooler weather with a cold breeze and see leaves falling all over the place. And the rain is back! I don't mind the rain in the early fall because, it's nice to have the windows open and listen to it pattering on the ground.
School is in full swing. There has been a change in the house. Our neighbor had some issues with our cats, so we brought them back in. Our house is only 1,000 square ft and we have 5 cats and a catbox (again). I'm not all that excited about that last part. We're talking about putting it in the laundry room or garage in the near future. The VERY near future.
October also means going to the local farm/produce stand and riding the horse drawn wagon to the pumpkin patch and maybe going through the corn maze. Last year, it took us about 20 minutes to go through it. There were two little girls who had entered the maze before us and we had crossed paths with them a couple of times. When we emerged, we saw two sets of parents who asked us if we had seen their girls. I wonder how long it was before they made it out and I wonder if the parents finally had to go in and find them.
- Lisa |
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• Sep. 7, 2007 - First Week of School
We have made it through the first week of the "new" school year. Actually we took about 3 weeks off of schoolwork after we came home from Seattle. I had planned to get right back into the schooling when we returned, but I had to get a birthday party put together for the following weekend and I just decided to wait until the day after Labor Day.
So our school started on Tuesday, and I wound up sleeping in until 8:00, unintentionally. When I got up and came into the livingroom, Kylin met me in the dining room and said, "Well Hello there!" Heather had already taken care of their breakfast (cereal) and they had their books on the table, ready to go. Wednesday worked pretty well too. However Thursday came and Kylin was no longer in the mood for school. He did the work, but not without some comments and protests.
Everyone is looking forward to the weekend for a break. But we made it and so far, so good.
Some of Kylin's observations today:
1. Earlier we were leaving to take a walk, and Kylin noticed our elderly neighbor out taking a walk with his walker. He pointed to the guy and said rather loudly, "There's that old man walking really slow! He needs to be in the slow lane."
2. Later this afternoon, we were watching a show where the narrator mentioned "Ethiopian cooking". Kylin looked at me and asked, "Mom, what is OBEDIENCE cooking?"
Lisa |
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• Aug. 14, 2007 - Things That My Son Has Declared as "Illegal"
I have a 9 year old son, Kylin, who is a really great kid. He has Aspergers which is a high functioning form of Autism. So, having this has presented some challenges for him (and us, and his sister, Heather). Anyway, one of his challenges is accepting changes to the schedule or his plan or the plan we told him about that didn't happen. He used to throw huge fits, but over time and with guidance, we've managed to get him to the place where he just will tell us how he feels (maybe with the slight hint of a meltdown).
So, that being said, now when things don't go his way, or there is a change in plans, he'll say, "That's illegal!" and wants to call 911. So I've been writing down everything deemed illegal and thought I'd post them.
Things That Kylin Feels Are Illegal:
1. Too much rice at dinner (he'd prefer NO rice)
2. Waiting in line (for anything)
3.When Heather beats him to volunteering to earn $1
4. When Heather gets to sleep in the hotel bed first
5. Having to correct his math (or any subject for that matter)
6. He couldn't see the fat cat across the street (cat moved before Kylin could look out the window)
7. Mom (me) forgetting to play his tape of favorite songs in the car (uh, he forgot about the tape too)
8. Cats hissing at each other
9. Not being allowed to have a parade (involving our cats pulling their catbox around the yard......he had a drawing of this idea) for Heather's birthday party
10. Not being allowed to draw one more picture when called for dinner
11. Anyone else messing his room
12. Mom telling him that he'd need to wait for her to move his bed (pinched nerve prevented me from doing so).
These are just a few days worth of "illegals" that are declared around our house. Hard not to laugh at times. |
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• Jul. 29, 2007 - We're back from Seattle
We are finally back from our trip to Seattle! We arrived home at nearly midnight last night, unloaded the car and crashed into our own beds. We had a very full week, so I'll just recap how it went.
The week really started to get busy on Monday. I was still packing the suitcases and was hoping to have the car packed by the time Kevin came home. I got a little behind. My sister also gave birth to her first child that day too. I really wanted to see her and my brother-in-law & new nephew before I left. So as soon as Kevin came home from work, I hightailed it to the hospital so see them. I won't be posting any pictures of the little guy here, that's for his folks to do. But I will say this, he's really cute!
The original plan for leaving on Tuesday was to leave at about 8 or 9 AM, but we wound up leaving at about 10:30. Kevin did make a latte run at 8, because we really needed some caffiene! The plan was to go to McDonald's for breakfast, but we hit the drive thru 3 minutes after they stopped serving breakfast. So we went to Carl's Jr. Next time we go on a trip, I think we'll try to leave earlier so Micky D's can provide the morning meal. So we actually wound up leaving town at 11:30AM. We drove to Corvallis to see if there was anything added to the Extreme Makeover house. It looks like a fence is going being put in.
After viewing the house, we hit the freeway going North, and we had no traffic issues until we reached Portland. Kevin missed the turn he wanted to take and we wound up in downtown Portland and getting detoured by construction. I kid you not, there was literally road construction at every turn. It took us nearly an hour to get back on the freeway heading to Seattle. Soon we crossed the bridge into Washington and I soon noticed that Kylin looked like he was going to take a nap. It wasn't long before I found out that he was sick. After another incident, we finally stopped at a WalMart for some "cleaning" supplies and I prayed the rest of the way that he'd be okay. So the stops due to that and the one where we picked up some lunch, added to our travel time, making our 5 hour trip an 7 hour trip.
We stayed at the Silver Cloud Inn in Bellevue. It's a great hotel, our only issue with it is that their parking spaces are small and almost all of them are for compact cars. But the room was wonderful. Soft beds, flat screen tv, high ceiling etc. We settled in and then drove around and assessed our surrounding streets (checking to see where the coffee places were!). We stopped at a Safeway and bought some lunch-making supplies for the mini-fridge. Then we went back to our room, and settled down for the night.
For the 3 days we were there, Kevin had training during the day, so while he was there, the kids and I would check out the town a little, go swimming (a must for the kids). We had a shopping mall nearby and we went to Build a Bear and the kids each have a new friend. The mall had a Lego store, and two different Macy's stores (one for clothes, and one for home). I bought some beach towels there and was told that because I was from Oregon, I was exempt from the sales tax. Only one salesperson told me that, so I guess I need to ask to be exempt the next time I'm in Washington.
In the evenings, we would pick Kevin up from the training site and then drive into Seattle. Kevin took us to the Space Needle, the Sci-Fi Museum, a ride on the monorail, and to a Mariners baseball game. The game was on our last night there and I think that Kylin had been out and about and up late too many nights, because he had a meltdown while walking to the stadium. It took him awhile to warm up to being at the game. Heather loved it though. After the game, we found a Krispy Kreme and ordered some doughnuts through the drive thru. We don't have one of those stores here where we live, so it was a treat for us. We also went to Pike Street Market. Unfortunately, though, it was closed when we arrived, but the first Starbucks was open.
Speaking of Starbucks (and coffee places in general), the caffiene dependent person will never be without it in Seattle. There were Starbucks stores and other coffee places on every block, and across the street from each other. The thing that there was not plenty of in Seattle is parking. And then there are right hand lanes that become parking lanes after 6PM which can be hazardous if you're not from there or expecting the car in front of you to just be sitting in the lane you're in.
Between Bellevue and Seattle and all of the towns in that area like them, the traffic is so busy. We kept saying to each other, "We are not city people". It's fun to visit big cities and shop and see the sights, but the every day stress of driving in that traffic isn't appealing to us. It could also be that the only traffic we really saw was the rush hour traffic because that is when we were on the road.
On Saturday, we checked out of our hotel and drove down to Federal Way, where we went to the Wild Waves water/amusement park. We decided to ride the non-water rides first, and then put on our swim suits and check out the wave pool and whatever else they had. A couple of the rides were a little steep like the rollercoaster. Didn't like that freefall feeling and Kylin's only comment was "It went too fast". I did tell them at the beginning that they couldn't ride on anything that went upside down. They didn't seem to have a problem with that. Heather rode a zipline into one of the swimming pools and did very well. She had alot of fun. She has no fear of the water, or the water getting into her eyes. She just had a blast. We left the park just after 6:30 and drove home.
Restaurant recommendations: Papa Pete's Pizza in Castle Rock, WA, and Mama's Mexican Kitchen in Seattle.
So today, we have sunburns, but we had a good time. I am washing all of the laundry, but we had a good time. We're really tired even though we slept in, but we had a good time.
Lisa |
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