Fear

I felt fear today. I am not talking about the dog running at you full speed or car swerving into your lane adreneline type of fear. I am talking about the clenched stomach, take a deep breath and brace yourself for what is to come kind of fear.

At the dentist, while Abby braved the chair alone, I was quietly pulled into a back room. There the hygienist told me that she had found a swollen lymph node in Josh's neck, had asked the dentist to feel too, and he too had been concerned because "well...with his history...I am sure that it is nothing, but...well, we think you should call the doctor."

So. Well. Instant fear. I keep outwardly calm--I am well-practiced at this. I called the oncologists and explained to the nurse; she seemed unconcerned (her typical day spent fielding calls about severe blood infections, chicken pox exposures, and high fevers in immune compromised kids makes this seem pretty inconsequential, I'm sure) but did ask that I take him to his pediatrician.

I called them, and was given an appointment at 3:30, four hours away. I went about my normal day. I worried while I made lunch. I packed for our camping trip with a knot in my stomach. I also played the "what's the worst that could happen" game in my mind while I watched a movie with the kids. Fun game.

Four very long hours later, we left for the appointment. We got in quickly, and the doctor came in less than a minute after the nurse left. Turns out that Dr. H. was feeling a little fear himself. He had already ordered labs and was anxious to check for every sign and symptom. Glands? Swollen, but normal. Any unusually placed swollen lymph nodes? No. Liver? Normal size. Coloring? Good. Spleen? Normal. After each thing checked out, Dr. H. was visibly more relieved. And so, I was too. He sent us on our way, sure that all was well, and knowing that the blood work would just confirm it.

Josh was NOT happy about the blood tests. He, like his mother, needs prep time for such things. But he sat there, with big tears threatening to spill over, and got five vials of blood drawn.

And they were, as expected, all normal. His wonderful doctor checked on his laptop and e-mailed me the results tonight since a lab problem was going to cause me to have to wait until tomorrow morning. Which is why I love him. (Also he taught me how to check for liver size--he's quirky like that.)

Josh didn't really know what was going on all day. Mostly because I didn't say a word to him until we got in the car to go. I don't like the idea of him having to worry about a recurrence. As he started to figure it out, I could see him getting upset. I tried to talk to him about it, and he burst into tears. And what, you may wonder, was he upset about? Not himself. Nope-- he sobbed out that it wasn't fair that Ursula and Liam had to die. Faced with the idea that the adults around thought a recurrence of cancer was possible, he only worried about the ordeals of others. I love that he always has confidence that he will be fine. No fear for him.

And though today has a happy ending, it will take a while to forget MY fear.

Miss Independent, Part Deux

If you use Blogger (or maybe it's Windows or Google or I don't know because I don't really get computers, like, at all), you know that when you start to type in a new post title, it pulls up the titles of other posts that start with the same letters (kind of like how search engines sometimes pull up something like "Bimbos in Bikinis" after you type the first two letters of "Bikes for kids")

Annnnnywaaay, when I (not so originally, apparently) decided to name this post Miss Independent, Blogger let me know that I had already named this post with that oh-so-clever name. I also found several more with the word Independent in them. All about Abby. I guess she really IS an independent child.

All three kids went to the dentist today. My kids LOVE the dentist. In a very freakish way. Like this: "Hey guys, we have those dentist appointments today." "WHAT? YES! I LOVE THE DENTIST! HOW LONG UNTIL WE LEAVE? OH MAN-TEN MINUTES? THAT IS FOREVER FROM NOW!" Maybe it's the sweet ladies who work there. Or it could be the video games and unlimited supply of kids movies for the TV in the waiting room. Or the free drinks in the mini-fridge. Or the massage chair. Or the TVs next to each chair. Who knows?

Our dentist prefers that the kids go back alone. I will admit it caught me off guard when Josh first went there five years ago, but over the years, I have found that it really is best. But this morning, while her brothers practically ran away from me to get back to their chairs, Abby was a little hesitant. She has only had one real appointment before and was nervous. I told her I would be happy to go with her and informed the hygienist that I would be accompanying her. She smiled and nodded and off we went. As we headed back, the lady working on Josh stopped me and told me she needed me to sign a new treatment form (for the replacement sealants that she was currently doing for FREE) so I stopped for a minute. By the time I got back to Abby's room and entered with what I hoped was a very reassuring smile, Abby was up in her chair and holding a giant mirror. She glanced over at me, heading over to hold her hand and comfort her, and said, "Oh, Mommy, I don't need you. I don't want to you stay in here with me." (Geez, knife to the heart!) So I left. Sniffle, sniffle, sob.

A few minutes later, I snuck back to check on her and saw her reclined, getting a full mouth of sealants, legs crossed, calm as could be. Forty minutes later, she skipped (literally) out and said, "When can we come to the dentist AGAIN, Mommy?"

(Hey, all you French speakers, I think I need to know the French words for the numbers three through three hundred since I'll be writing at least that many versions of this post.)

Belated Birthday Bash

James turned 6 almost three weeks ago, but summer birthdays are a pain for the party planner. At the beginning of July, I sent an e-mail to all his desired party guests asking which days in July they might be free to attend his party. With the exception of one family that I didn't hear back from, yesterday was the magical day that everyone could come.

James planned his own birthday party. He wanted to go get pizza, eat chocolate cupcakes with blue frosting, and go to the movies. And that is exactly what we did. He had his three best buddies, two soccer buddies, and Mary and Laura, of course. The younger kids plus the four big kids I asked along as helpers, the kid count was an even dozen. Then because I could not face this party alone, I told Teresa and CB that it would be FUN! And they should totally come along. And because they are good friends, they did. The party went as planned: pizza, video games (I brought 24 dollars worth of quarters with me!), cake, presents and then walking across the parking lot to the movie theater for Ice Age 3. (I did think we might actually melt in the 105 degree heat, but we made it the fifty feet from door-to-door.)

Even though no one else could probably tell (what with his very serious face and his underwhelming response to everything), James had a great time! It was just what he wanted, and his presents were all the things that he loves: pirates and knights and Nerf guns and Spongebob. When we got home, he sighed and said "I love all my presents so much." Do I wish he would show a bit of that to the friends who had painstakingly chosen his gifts to be just right? Yes. I really do. But James is James, and that's that.

Probably the cutest thing I have seen this summer was the kids in the movie theater. The two big girls (Diana and Maddy) sat in one row, with Laura joining them. Right behind them, still far away enough to qualify as big kids but not so close as to imply actually sitting with the girls, were Josh and Zac. The grown-ups plus Mary, who still likes to be near her mom in the dark theater, sat behind them. Then next to us, all in row, were the six nearly first grade boys. They belly laughed, explained jokes to each other and all had big smiles on their faces. They even reassured each other when the scary parts came too. It was so cute!

The party guests.

A moment of smiles and visible excitement. Could have something to do with the fact that just before he opened this, the gift-giver said, "Wait til you see this present. It's gonna blow your mind."

I guess what he really wanted for his birthday was JUST blue frosting.

All in all, a great celebration. (Now, I'm off to give James some lessons in outward gratitude and showing excitement. When I told him that he didn't seem like he had liked his presents, he said, "But I did like them. I loved them." I said, "I know, but I don't think the other kids could tell you liked them." And he said with a shrug, "Huh. That's weird. Because I did." )

Guess what James Can Do?

Yep! It's true. No more training wheels for this boy!

Since late last summer, I have been offering to teach James to ride his bike without training wheels. His answer was always the same: "No thanks, Mom." He wouldn't even consider it. At his six year check up, the doctor asked about it. I told him that I was sure that he could do it, but that he wouldn't try. James said, "Yep, that's probably true, Mom."

Yesterday, he was out with the neighbor boy at my mom and dad's house. He is a tiny bit older than James, but still heading into first grade too. James watched him riding sans training wheels with interest. Pretty soon, he came in and said, "Mom, could you come teach me to ride now?" I explained to him that it didn't work like that, that it would take a lot of time and that he wouldn't be able to to just jump on and ride with the other boys. He shrugged and said, "But can you show me?"

This will not be the first time in my life that James will prove wrong. Not by a long shot. It took exactly one minute. And then he was off. I didn't even have to hold the back of the bike. Not even once. Then he proceeded to spend the day practicing, teaching himself how to take off and how to stop. He fell a few times and hopped right back on for more.

Then today, my mom and I were talking about it. I said that it was funny that he hadn't had any interest, but then suddenly did and went about learning to do it on his own. He didn't even look up and kind of mumbled, "That's how I do everything." Very insightful and VERY true.

This is how James feels about it!

At Grandma and Grandpa's

My oldest friend is in town for her annual visit from the East Coast. We've been friends since we were two years old when our parents moved into houses with adjoining back yards. Both sets of parents still live in those houses!

We came to stay at my mom and dad's house on Thursday night, knowing we would have a visit with Emily and her kids and then go over for Thursday night at my grandparents' house. I rarely get to go, but every Thursday, everyone in my family who is available meets up at their house. I try to make it for a few Thursdays in the summer too.

Then I learned that John was going to go crabbing/fishing, leaving on Friday night and gone all day Saturday. So to make a long story longer, we have been at their house since Thursday afternoon. We'll go home tonight, but have had a good time!

Abby and James spent a lot of time with their little friends who live across the cul-de-sac from my parents. Josh is a good sport and hangs out with them too. I've read an entire book, we've spent a ton time outside, Henry came for an afternoon, and James used his new found bike riding skills. A lot! Josh got a new bike (with gears!) as an early birthday present from Grandpa and spent some time learning the ropes. My mom and I went shopping (I got a maxi dress that I love) and had gelato for lunch, and the kids have been in the sprinkers. Every once in a while, my mom and I would look at each other and smile, and she would say "I love summer!" Me too!

Emily's and my kids, posing for the annual photo. From left, Colin (nearly 5), Abby, Josh, Clair (18 months), Megan (8) and James (clearly smitten with pretty Miss Megan)

Commando sprinkler boy.

Josh with his buddy, Henry.

The only bad thing in the past 48 hours? Abby took a tumble Friday morning. She nearly bit through her lip and scratched her face. The inside of her mouth looks much better today and the swelling has gone done, but the outside looks way worse (bright red and kind of oozy--I decided to spare you the picture. You're welcome.) This is in the immediate aftermath. I love her expression. It really says it all.

Why I Should Not Be Allowed to Have Doors

When my sister was younger, she slammed her door one too many times. My dad removed the door from the hinges. She was horrified and much drama ensued (because ACK! She needed PRIVACY!), but she had simply abused the privilege of a door. I am thinking that maybe my dad should come remove the doors at my house too. Not because I slam them (although I may or may not have done this a time or two, perhaps when I have finally gotten through to a PERSON at the insurance company and some child will not stop bugging me) but because of this. . . . . . .

I call this "truth in blogging." This is my front coat closet, which I converted, in an effort to use every available bit of space in our little house, to a game closet last year. I got shelves and organized the games so that the kids could easily get to their favorite games. But then, life happened. And once or twice (or five hundred times) something didn't get put away properly. I wish I could blame the kids, but it is only partially their fault. And soon enough, this is what we ended up with. And it just got worse every time someone played a game. Or someone just chucked spare pieces in and slammed the door. Ahem.

So on my To Do List for the summer was to organize the game closet. I decided to tackle it today. And this is what we have now. . . . .

My kids haven't played so many games since I created the game closet. Don't you love that linoleum? That was also in the entry before we got our Pergo floors. Jealous?

And now, I have accomplished exactly one thing on my summer to-do list. Stay tuned for "Weed the Backyard," "Train the Dog to be Less Annoying," and "Clean the Laundry
Room Out So I Can Actually, You Know, Do Laundry." And also, "Find the Bottom of the Laundry Baskets."

Such Cuties

I know that everyone thinks that their kids are cute. But I think mine are REALLY CUTE. Josh is getting so grown-up and so handsome, James always has a twinkle in his pretty eyes, and Abby is just darling. People stop me in stores to tell me just how cute they are, and even though I really want to say "I KNOW! Did we not produce the three most beautiful children ever to walk the Earth?" I try to stay humble and just smile or say thank you. (Abby has not learned this skill and when told she is cute or her hair is pretty, she smiles a very sassy smile and says "I know.")

My mom took some pool pictures on our vacation (good thing since I took exactly zero--I'm so glad that I dug out the battery charger and got it all charged up.) Behold how adorable these three are. (And my modesty. It is something to behold as well.)

My mom says he looks like a royal. I can see it. Prince Josh--I like the sound of that.

This boy just melts my heart.

Such a pretty girl!

Thirteen Years

Thirteen years ago, at this time, I was at The Old Church. I was waiting for pictures and thinking 1) that my hair looked GREAT, 2)that is was a good thing that John had taken over the making of my veil before I destroyed it with a hot glue gun, and 3) maybe not eating for an entire 24 hour period wasn't my very best plan.

John and I have been together for over half my life. We have gone through the deaths of three grandparents, infertility, four miscarriages, two horrible months when we didn't know what was wrong with Josh and 30 long (but not as horrible) months of treatment, the recovery from two knee surgeries and two C-sections, and the stomach flu more times than I can count. But we have also brought three amazing children into the world, watched them grow together, spent time with family and friends, gone on trips--just the two of us and with our little family, gone camping, and grown up. I can honestly say that I wouldn't want to experience the good or face the bad with anyone else.

We are different people. Very different people. I could probably fill a book with the things that we don't see eye to eye about. And so, we disagree, we fight, we get frustrated. But at the end of the day, we love each other and we have worked to make us work. We've been together for more than 18 years, and we know each other better than anyone else does. I love him for many reasons, but one of the biggest reasons is that he is different than me. It might be easier if we were more alike, but it would be a lot less interesting! Here's to another 13 years!

Oh, Man, are we ever in trouble!

We are home from our trip. And just like every year, it was great. Movies, meals out, arcades, shopping, swimming, swimming, and some more swimming.

This year, the kids had a lot of spending money. A LOT. They all had some left from Disneyland and their allowances saved up, plus we celebrate all the great-grandkids's birthdays while we are there, so they ended up with money and gift cards galore. And then they spent a wonderful week of shopping and getting to spend to their heart's content. I know that I could have limited the spending, putting some aside for savings accounts and other such responsible things. My kids are not wanting for anything. BUT, I do say no to things each and every time we are at a store of any kind. And it is pretty fun, just once or twice a year to say yes. And then say yes again and again. I'm sure that it is really irresponsible parenting, but I just don't care.

Miss Abby had seventy dollars to spend. And spend it she did. (I KNOW. MY IRRESPONSIBILITY IS OVERWHELMING EVEN ME.) And I know that we are in big trouble with this one. She bought:

*twin baby dolls (I know we have 27--and yes, I counted--baby dolls at home, but these were identical twins. Just like her identical twin cousins. ULTRA cool);

*a purse with puppies on it--puppies wearing tiaras. I mean, come on, how could she NOT buy it? Please;

*a PJ Sparkles doll that LIGHTS UP;

*Princess dominoes;

*Princess Yahtzee (sensing a theme here?);

*a Hannah Montana notebook;

*a big huge Mickey and Minnie play ball (perfect for fitting into our already packed car on the way home);

*a blow up Dora swim ring (her cheapest and most used purchase);

*four various lip glosses from Justice (coming in a close second in the most used department);

*AND. . . . .Princess press on nails from her favorite store EVER: Claire's.

To be honest, this list embarrasses me. How did I go from the person who swore that her (someday) daughter would not be sucked into the "princess culture" to the one who pointed out the pink-tiara-wearing-puppy-purse? The thing about Abby is that she is a force to be reckoned with. Her enthusiasm for everything she does and everything she loves is completely infectious. And somehow, when faced with her million-watt smile and adorably funny way of saying everything (like this "Ohhhhh, Mommy! Wook at this bootifuw puwse! It is amazing, isn't it Mommy??), I melt into a puddle. A puddle who allows her to purchase, and WEAR, press on princess nails. Because to be fair, they are pretty amazing. I mean, seriously, they have glitter tips.

Could you say no to this face? And no, your eyes do not deceive you--she does in fact have every clip she could find in her hair. Yet another thing I can't say no to.

Top Ten....

...things I love about Medford:

10)Traditions. Same dinner spots, same shopping trips, same parks; I'm in heaven.
9)Six movies in six days.
8)Sleeping in. (All of us until 9 yesterday.)
7)"The big cousins" staying up late talking and laughing.
6)Celebrating all 8 great- grandkids' birthdays on the same night.
5)Ten year old twin girls who think playing with Abby is the greatest of privileges.
4)James saying yesterday, "I am having SO much fun!" (His favorite person in the world, my aunt Sally, spent three hours with just him yesterday, playing games and snuggling on the bed reading stories. He just could NOT have been happier.)
3)The float suit, which has been making it possible for Abby to be in the pool with previously mentioned twin cousins while I watch from the side, dry and NOT in my bathing suit.
2)Eight doors in a row, each with a little hair band attached signaling to my kids that that room is a "family" room and is a safe place to enter.
1)Knowing that my kids get to experience this great tradition, just like I did at their ages--my grandparents, their grandparents, my cousins, their cousins. Swimming non-stop. Shopping and movies. Taking over a restaurant. Spending their Medford money. And most importantly, seven days of twenty plus people who love them.

Whew!

It is about 1pm as I type this. There was at least one day this past week that found the kids and I still in our pajamas and eating cereal straight out of the box at this time. Because we could. But today? Today was a different story.

I stayed up to pack last night until about 1am. Because if you leave all the cleaning, all the laundry and all the packing for a week long vacation for one night, well, you are a fool. A tired fool. A tired fool who probably should have gotten dressed before 1 on a few of those mornings.

I fell asleep around 1:30, and 3 hours later, I awoke only long enough to hear John quietly leave. He was going to wrap turkeys for the big annual Turkey-Rama BBQ. If you don't live in our town, don't even try to understand this. Suffice to say, on this day in our town, 800 turkeys are BBQed and sold. It is apparently the biggest turkey BBQ in the world. And also:really weird. Anyway.

Then, at 7 am, just about the time the kids and I were getting up and ready, he headed over to the Turkey Trot, an 8k race. If you don't already know this, John has undergone a "lifestyle change," but his is real. He has changed his diet completely, and he exercises. A lot. He doesn't like to talk about it, but he has lost a lot of weight, and I'm really proud of him. He started running a few months ago, and has worked up to longer stretches at a time. He decided to do the 8k, and just had the goal to finish.
The kids and I wanted to go to the finish line and cheer him on. He said he thought it would take an hour, so I gave myself plenty of time. And when at first, we couldn't find a parking place or the finish line, I wasn't too worried. It had only been fifty minutes since the race began. But as we rounded the corner to head to the finish line, there he was--already done. Bummer for us, but great for him-he finished a full 10 minutes earlier than he thought he would!

We hung out until they posted finishing times just so we could see his name on the finisher's list! Then the kids and I headed to Josh's baseball championship game, and John headed to the showers before he came to the game.

Josh's game was awesome! They won (eight to zero), but more importantly, Josh had a great game. He had hits and runs and he finished out the game as pitcher, striking out two batters to end the game.

After the medal ceremony (which is a nice way of saying stand in a line while we throw a medal around your neck) we headed home to load the car, eat a quick lunch and hit the road. We are headed to our annual family vacation. We anticipate getting to Southern Oregon around 7, after the tradtional stops at the mall arcade (to spend 10 dollars to get 1 dollar's worth of prizes) and then the slimy duck pond (which just happens to be the last duck pond in America where you are allowed to give the ducks stale bread. Not very shockingly, I had some stale bread.) Ducks, little random birds, and scary huge geese--here we come!

July 9

Dear James,

Here we are again. Your birthday. I can't believe you are six! I remember being six. And how can it be that six years have passed since the day you were born?

It has been an amazing year for you. You discovered reading and soccer and school. You surprised me by being a quiet, studious student. You didn't surprise me at all by being amazing at math. You had many, many injuries, but you never made a trip to the ER. A small miracle. You grew your hair out and grew taller. You began to ask me many unanswerable questions: "I get that two cells come together to make the baby, but how do the cells get in the mommy and the daddy?" "Is God real?" "But can you see God?" "Who made God?" "I know I can make a choice, but how do I know what a good choice is?" You are so much more grown-up than you were a year ago!

I am so proud of how hard you worked this year. Your stubborn streak is turning into a quiet determination, a great quality to have. As you get older and your personality becomes more obvious, I find that I love you even more than before. I didn't know that was possible. I thought you would grow up to be like me, but I am finding that not to be the case at all. You are your own person. I am happy to see you leaping out of the nest, and it makes those moments when you return to me all the sweeter. I can't wait to see what another year brings for you.

Happy Birthday, sweet boy!

I love you,

Mommy

I love family pictures

Last night, my kids and I and went to my sister's for a birthday dinner for Henry. Which was funny because he ate exactly one bite of corn, three bites of chicken and some watermelon. He did, however, eat a hundred potato chips, spill four glasses of pop and eat only the frosting from his cupcake and then chuck the cake carcass into the grass. You really have to love two year olds.

The rest of us enjoyed the delicious dinner, and the four cousins had a really good time playing in the back yard. Henry was pretty thrilled to be the center of attention, and he told anyone who would listen that he was two. . . year. . . old. (Only if you asked him his name. If you asked how old he was, he would answer with a big smile "Henry!!") He was a very verbal little guy, and he kept us laughing with all the funny things he said. Like when he got some stretchy rubber bugs from Grandma, he kept practically cramming them up his nose and shouting, "Mmmm, 'mells good!"

Before we left, my mom decided to try for a cousin picture. It took some effort, but she got one.

Oh, this makes me want to take the four of them to Picture People and watch the photographer sweat and smile through gritted teeth.

I think you can read the expressions on their faces pretty easily here:

Josh: Oh man. I am going to keep on smiling even though my pants are getting wet from Henry's sprinkler soaked pants. Because I know this lady. She will not stop until she gets her picture.

James: Why do I have to be over here? Figures. Well, I'll suspend myself here in the air--might as well get some monkey boy practice while I am exiled on the side.

Abby: Help! Does anyone realize that Henry and I are almost the same size? And wow, is my arm tan. Could someone please tell my mom what sunscreen is?

Henry: Please. Someone rescue me. Anyone. I have some rubber bugs and play cut-up fruit calling my name. Mama? Papa? Anyone?

(Not) Cleaning

I am not what a person would call a "housekeeper." Unless that person put the word "bad" in front. I am more of the let-it-get-so-bad-that-I'd-be-embarrassed-if someone-came-over-and-then-grudgingly-do-what-has-to-be-done kind of person. There are always PILES of dirty laundry, usually dishes in the sink, and it takes me several days to vacuum up things that visibly need to be vacuumed. It is a flaw, but I have other good qualities. Right? (crickets chirping)

My kids take after me. They are totally fine with their beds having only enough room to lie completely still at night. They will push things to the side at the table to eat a snack just so they don't have to clear a space. They usually have at least eight unused toys out each. And their bathroom drawer? Oh, the horror. John (who is just like me in the cleaning arena) and I, true to our nature, just moved our toothbrushes and things out of that drawer and began the simple process of ignoring it. There is toothpaste EVERYWHERE in the drawer. There is floss, pulled from it's container, stuck in the toothpaste. There is a usually a random toothpaste covered toy or hair pretty in there for good measure. And sometimes, if we are really lucky, one of those plaque finding purple tablets gets opened and the water from the toothbrushes hits it--instant purple goo.

Each of my kids has a household chore that they beg to do. For some reason, cleaning the toilet (James), emptying the dishwasher (Abby), and making beds (Josh) seem to be privileges. I have done nothing to discourage their beliefs! And James, occasionally, decides to take on an unusual chore. He never asks me first or says a word. It is one of those "It's been too quiet for a LONG time" moments. I'll realize I haven't a heard a word, a giggle, or a screech from James for quite some time and call to him. And he'll emerge with a proud grin. And then I know that, for better or worse, James has just completed a "chore." Today, it was the dreaded bathroom drawer. I guess maybe he got tired of the ever-encroaching plague of toothpaste making the drawer nearly impossible to open. And today, he ASKED to be photgraphed and featured on my blog. So, I am happy to oblige.

I would have preferred not to have the toilet in the picture. Blech. And if you look closely at the left side of the drawer, you can get an idea of what the whole drawer looked like before he started. PS Josh is not happy that his deodorant shows. Because-gasp-now people know he wears deodorant. Occasionally.

Happy Birthday, Henry!

Dear Henry,

Two years ago today was lucky day. Everyone wanted to have a baby born on that once a lifetime day: 7-7-07. And we were in luck, because on that day, we got you! It was certainly MY lucky day because I finally got to be an auntie, a job that I love so much!

How can I even describe you, sweet boy? You are full of life, full of energy, and one of the smartest kids I have ever met. You have an empathy beyond your years and a streak of daring beyond MY years. You may always have a bruise (or twelve) but you will truly LIVE your life.

Before you were born, I just couldn't wait to meet you. I couldn't even imagine what you would be like, but now I can see that you are a beautiful blend of your two great parents. You have your dad's sense of humor, smiling in that mischevious way when you know you are being funny. You have your mom's kind heart, feeling for other people even at an age when you shouldn't be able to! You are quirky and fun and emotional, just like them, and I know it will serve you well in your life.

I can't wait to watch you grow up and see your personality develop even more. You are an honorary monkey in the Eitzen Zoo, and we love you!

Love,
Owl/Owlison/Allison

Yum! What a cute little guy!

Getting so grown up!

Hey, Momma! I'm Hannah Montana!

Abby loves Hannah Montana. And once I got over the horror of my three year old even knowing who Hannah is, I started to like it a little myself. Sure, it's cheesy and silly and Miley has got to be one of the most annoying people of all time (second only to her father, of course) and it does have a pretty disconcerting message about lying when it suits your purposes, but it is basically harmless, silly fun. They don't swear and the wildest thing that happens is a kiss, and it often makes me giggle a little. As long as I am sure no one can see me. She knows the episodes by name, and her show choice for the morning is often the same episode she has already seen eighty times. She knows all the words (songs AND dialogue) and mourns just a little whenever an episode is removed from Disney On-Demand.

So today, when I heard her say "Hey Momma! I'm Hannah Montana!" I wasn't at all surprised. But when I looked up? Hmmmm......

It may be a little "Miley Cyrus caught by the paparazzi after a hard night of partying" (see: smeared lipstick; see also: the wobbly walk necessitated by the gajillion-dollar-because-we-bought-them-inside-Disneyland-princess shoes) but I think she pretty much nailed it.

Fourth of July 2009

There are a few short posts with pics below--my phone will only let me post one pic per entry for some reason...
We slept in again today and then got up and headed to the zoo. It is a great zoo with a big aquarium, a free carousel, and a huge kids area. The highlights were seeing the sharks get fed, seeing the big fat walrus sitting like a fat old man posing for pictures and riding the carousel. It was really fun and not very busy. After lunch, we came home to swim, and then take naps. The kids slept from 4-6, which set us up nicely for a great evening! We had a pizza party (a tradition we have where Nevin makes homemade crusts and then everyone chooses from twenty or so toppings to make their favorite pizza.) Then, it was back to the pool, ice cream, a little five card draw, watching fireworks and a nighttime dip in the hot tub. The kids were so excited to turn on the hot tub's colorful lights and even had glow jewelry to wear in the tub. Courtesy of Aunt Lori, of course.
That wall of windows I mentioned earlier? Turns out that in addition to a great view of Puget Sound and Mt. Rainier, it also provides a great view of fireworks! Lots of fireworks! We saw at least four professional shows as well as those of every law breaking citizen of Tacoma.( Fireworks are illegal in Tacoma, but apparently, NO one cares.)

What a great way to spend the holiday!

Did Abby have a good Fourth?

I think this picture says it all.

The Incredible Floating Head

This is what happens when you take three lotion and sunscreen coated children and put them in a hot tub with the jets on high.

Future Blackmail Material

I can barely even explain what is happening here. We got this floatie suit for Abby to try, and although she refused to wear it (it covered her awesome new TWO PIECE swimsuit,) James wanted to try it on. And then posed. Like a fashion model. His brother said "Cool-it's like a bullet proof vest!" Which, of course, it is. If you are the policeman from the Village People.
PS As soon as the picture was taken, he said "Hey! I don't want that picture to end up on your blog!" Sorry, buddy.

Great trip!

I have no pictures for this post (I haven't even carried a purse for the last 24 hours, let alone a camera) but we are having a great trip so far!

We arrived in Tacoma last night around 11-it sounds miserable, but it wasn't at all. We did have a brief moment in the Centralia Safeway when Josh was miserable and crouched down on the floor feeling dizzy. We finally realized he was exhausted and nothing else, and all has been fine ever since. (He told Lori about it when we arrived, and said, "that kind of thing happens to me a lot." Indeed it does.)

We slept in this morning and ate breakfast looking at Mt. Rainier against a pure blue sky and the sparkling Puget Sound through the floor to ceiling windows in the dining room. I LOVE the view from their house so much!

Then it was off to the art museum for two hours of Open Studio. If you have been around James and Abby for more than thirty seconds, you know that they are not known for their long attention spans. But they were amazing at the art studio--they quietly and intently worked on their projects the whole time. Abby made, among other things, a bracelet primarily of seed beads--it took her forever, but she was so HAPPY! And somehow amazingly, we had the studio to ourselves the whole time.

We had Mongolian grill for lunch (yum!) and then came home for pool time. Lori and Nevin bought a pool for this weekend (one of those three foot deep, soft sided ones) and while the kids did enjoy it, they enjoyed the "hot pool" (aka hot tub) even more. I wouldn't have guessed that a hot tub on a 90 degree day would feel good, but they keep it pretty cool, so we all loved it.

After late afternoon naps for everyone, we headed to a baseball game. The local Tacoma team was coincidentally playing the Portland Beavers, and because it is the weekend of the fourth, they had a fireworks display at the end. We had a tiny ticket snafu and ended up sitting one adult and one kid. I got Abby, who did amazingly well. She didn't see much baseball, what with all the charming new words she was learning from the family behind us and the taking on and off of her shoes and the huge root beer and licorice rope she was consuming, but she was happy and well-behaved. Josh (who sat with Lori) and James (with John) did well too. And then at the end, we got to go sit together on the field to see the fireworks! It was really cool!

Once we got back home, we sent the kids to bed (past 11 again) and headed out for own dip in the "hot pool." And now, I am up too late because I took a late afternoon nap too. Oops!

Literal Girl

Josh has (as he often does) chapped lips. Last night at dinner, he was near tears because every time food touched his lips it hurt. I dug through my purse and found some Burt's Bees. I handed it to him, and he instantly launched into a overreaction of an epic nature.

Josh: OOOOOOH! AHHHHH! OOOWWW!
Abby: Does it hurt, Josh?
Josh: Oh, OW! OW! OW! OWWWWW! OWWWIEEEE! OW! It stings! It stings!
Abby: (pointing at the label) Ooooooh, I see. It stings because it has bees in it!

Zoo

At the beginning of the summer, I asked Josh what he would like to do over the summer, and on his (long) list was the zoo. And we all know I aim to please. I looked on-line to see the zoo hours and saw that it opens at 8 am in the summer. Um, 8 am? Yikes. But, I know that in the summer, even on the weekdays, the parking lot fills up FAST. And since I am apparently not green enough to sacrifice my sanity for the planet and ride public transportation alone with my three cherubs, I wanted to get there early enough to get a parking spot. And also to, you know, actually get to see a few animals without hundreds of people shoving my three year old out of the way to see the baby elephant. (I did see her, and she is so cute that it may actually be worth knocking down a little kid to get a peek. Almost.)

Getting there early made for a perfect zoo trip, though, so it was worth the bedtime drive to my parents to be able to get up early enough to get there. My very nice dad also woke up early--to take my kids to breakfast--and so the three well-fed and happy kids and I arrived at the zoo just twenty minutes after it opened. My sister met us a few minutes later and we enjoyed a lovely morning. It was still cool, there almost no people, and the animals were out and playing! Everything went well, and exactly according to plan. We saw the baby elephant at the appointed viewing time, we got up close and personal with a hawk during the bird viewing time and we didn't have to wait to see a single animal. And hey, we even saw mating turtles! Does it get any better? The boys thought they were "wrestling" and we moms had a laugh when we realized that the girl turtle was turned around so that her head was, well, in the wrong area for reproduction. I'm not sure if they were just really confused turtles or if we accidently wandered into the "adult film" section of the turtle tank, but I don't really want to know. At all.

The four cousins always have fun together and all four love the zoo! When we first got started, there were literally no other people in sight, so the combination of open space and joy over seeing each other had Abby and Henry pretty hyped up. They took off running down a hill and I turned to my sister and said, "I give them five minutes and one of them will be bleeding." We laughed because ha-ha-ha, I am soooo funny. It took about thirty seconds. And it was both kids. I guess if I used parenting strategies there were a little less snarky sarcasm and a little more pro-active prevention, things would go differently!

By noon, we had seen every animal, pretended to be chimps in the chimp maze, had a picnic in the grass, and in another parent-of-the-year award winning moment realized that the sunscreen wasn't doing much SPF blocking inside the bottle, inside the bag. Plus, it was getting busy and hot, so we headed to my parents via 7-11 for Slurpees (seriously, do they put crack in Slurpees? I can't seem to get enough of them) and spent the afternoon relaxing. Then after dinner, we headed home. The kids went to bed, and I left for a mini mom's night out. One more great summer day!

Waiting for Henry to arrive. He got there right after, but I have no photographic proof--he is one fast little guy and very hard to photograph!

Eating lunch.

In the chimp maze, you made your way through the maze by correctly answering questions about chimps. Once you got to the center, they had chimp activities to try out, like long arms to put on and practice walking on your hands AND legs, monkey bars, a chin-up bar, a rope swing and dress up.

On the monkey (or better yet ape) bars. Josh looks like an actual chimp!

"Chimp vests" to try on. Number one, since when does chimp fur grow only in the vest area? And number two, these look more like something that rhymes with "chimp" vests. Like maybe they should have high heeled leopard print boots to go with them. . . . .