Snow Days, Snow Days....

Snow days, snow days, dear old golden rule days. Okay, so they're not exactly the right words. But thought it a catchy tune to modify for our snowy weather. Monday school was delayed by 1 1/2 hours.




Tuesday it was business as usual. Wednesday I didn't bother checking the school closure reports since there was no new snow. Boy, was I surprised when I pulled up to CSR's school to find it closed. What a waste of a perfectly good school day. So much for getting some Christmas shopping done. Of course, today was a different story. Snow, snow and more snow. I took the boys for a quick toboggan ride down the lane. They loved it. Until we got back in the yard and the toboggan tipped and RTR ended up doing a face plant. Then he was ready to go inside.

Counter Intelligence

RTR is proving each day just how intelligent he is. His brain is always working, figuring things out. One of his latest tricks is pushing one of the kid size chairs to the corner of the kitchen counter, climbing up on the chair and then trying to reach whatever is there, preferably food or a sharp knife.

Santa Claus is Coming To Town

We met up with Santa Claus this afternoon. Anyone looking at this picture might wonder, hmm... how come CSR is in it and not RTR. Well, RTR burst into tears when we placed him on Santa's lap. So that will be how the professional photograph will turn out. It will be ready in a week. I was able to snap these pictures of CSR and Santa. Before they looked at the camera, CSR was talking to Santa. Being too busy working my camera, I didn't have a chance to hear what they were chatting about. Hopefully, it wasn't ALL about what's on his Christmas list.

Medal-worthy Mothering Moments?

This morning as RTR and I were leaving our co-op preschool class, I was in a bit of a hurry. I had a table to load in the car and it was raining. But RTR wasn't really that into hurrying to the car. So I took the time and decided that yes, I could slow down and let RTR go at his own pace. So he splashed through all the puddles on the sidewalk, despite not wearing the proper footwear. He became particularly interested in the deepest puddle which was being fed by the leaky rain gutter, dripping steadily. Of course splashing wasn't enough. He had to walk through the stream coming from the rain gutter--several times. I thought, okay... the table can wait. He's having fun. What's a little water? Of course, by the time RTR was finished, he was soaked and I didn't have a change of clothes for him. I rushed to load up the table and raced home in time to change RTR before we had to go pick up CSR. I thought, yea for me, mother of the day for letting RTR splash around.
Now it's an hour later and we're walking home from picking up CSR's school. The light rain turned into a cold drizzle. Not even before we left the school yard, RTR was mad and pulling to get out of the stroller. Foolish me for braving the rain. Halfway home, I had to take him out of the stroller and carry him. He had gotten cold and wet from the rain. Thankfully CSR was very cooperative and willingly pushed the stroller the rest of the way home. So now, I withdraw my nomination for mother of the day. RTR did bounce back after a grilled cheese sandwich, tomato soup and some warm milk. But still not one of my smarter moves.

Oh Christmas Tree

It took a little bit longer than I would have liked, but finally we have our tree up. Helping increase the Christmas spirit around here. We drove out to the same farm yesterday we went to last year. This year, only a cloudy sky. Last year, we trooped out to the farmer's field in the middle of a big snow storm. I'm sure if you look at last year's blog post, there are full details there.

CSR was really eager to get the tree decorated. He really got into looking at all the ornaments. Our collection of special ones grows each year. I think they're crowding out the "filler" ornaments, the basic glass bulbs. It was fun looking at them all and talking about them, where they came from, what they represent. One of my favorites is the snowman I made for Tyler back in 1999. I can't remember the significance exactly. But I thought my construction was pretty ingenious-- using a twig for the arms, making a tiny felt hat and the teeny carrot nose.

The little blue stocking for RTR's first Christmas.


The glittery pine cone marking the summer camping trip with just the boys.
It will be interesting to see how RTR reacts to the tree tomorrow. He was in bed by the time we broke out the decorations. Most of the ornaments within his reach aren't delicate or breakable. Nothing that a little glue couldn't fix. I have a few others that need some repair work.

Reading is Fundamental

I can't believe my luck. We checked out a "Books to Grow On" theme kit on manners from the library. When it came due, I couldn't find one of the 12 books that came in the kit. I looked high and low, inside, outside, every possible place I could think of. I made CSR look for it too, even denying him a trip to the library when he couldn't find the book either. The librarian told me I could hold onto the kit a little longer in hopes the book would turn up. So I waited, accruing ten cent a day fines for nearly a month. And then having $200 for the kit billed to my overdue fines account. Last Monday, I decided to take one more look around, checking the kit case before returning it to the library and paying for the lost book. As I counted the books again, I noticed a small label on the inside lid of the case. It said "Missing 12/2007 No! David", the exact book I had been looking for for the past month! I couldn't believe it. Boy did I feel foolish. On the bright side, when I told my story to the librarian at the desk, she kindly knocked half the amount of the overdue amount for the kit.

Multi-tasking Mama

It's amazing what a mother can get done when there aren't any children around! This afternoon CSR was at a friend's house and RTR was taking a nap. During that time I was able to bake some bread (in a bread machine), talk on the phone, bake a batch of cookies, have another conversation on the phone and assemble a lasagna (actually two, one for dinner and one for the freezer). Not too shabby. Just don't ask me about the condition of the rest of my house.

Our Little Ham-ster

We're probably headed down a slippery slope when it comes to RTR and his eating habits. As I mentioned in an earlier post, he's a bit of a snacker and pretty much begs for food anytime anyone is in the kitchen, regardless of whether they're doing something food-related. Last night, grandpa was slicing up the ham for our dinner and all the while he worked there was RTR at his knee begging, saying "Ham, ham, ham." Of course, gramps couldn't refuse, giving our little "Ham-ster" bits and bites while we put the finishing touches on getting dinner on the table. I thought when it did come time to actually sit down and eat, RTR would be full. But he did eat some of the food on his plate and of course begged for more ham. Now if only I could get him to beg for veggies the same way. It also seems ham and hi are two of the words RTR says pretty clearly.

Football Fans

The Seahawks may not be having their best season, but here are some of their fans watching yesterday's game against the Dolphins.



Hmmm, should I be appalled by the condition of the living room?

Halloween is the New Christmas

The month of October culminated with the annual ritual of trick-or-treating. We headed out just as it got dark on Friday night. I think we were the first ones out in our neighborhood. Around the corner, we met up with one of CSR's classmates and her brother. Since they were coming from the other direction, they were wanting to trick-or-treat at houses we had already been. While we tried to get CSR to wait on the sidewalk, he wouldn't do it. He went ahead with his friend, but when it came time to get the treats, he told the people at the door, "No candy for me, I've already been here." What manners. Of course it didn't matter that he didn't "double dip" at those houses, he still came home with a sack overflowing with candy. And on Saturday morning, a neighbor who wasn't home Friday night, dropped off little treats for both boys.



I think Halloween may be becoming the new Christmas. It's turning into a month-long series of events-- from field trips to pumpkin patches and corn mazes to class parties and community events--everything from carnivals to "haunted" parks. Not to mention that we also hit Pumpkin Prowl, a goody-laden event at the Woodland Park Zoo. And it probably doesn't help that many stores have already started stocking their shelves with Christmas stuff. Last week, next to the Halloween candy, I noticed stacks of Christmas-themed candy at Bartell Drug. I know Costco gets an even earlier start-- maybe after Labor Day. CSR told me that after Halloween, Christmas starts. I tried to explain that Thanksgiving came in between and that we don't start our Christmas celebrating until AFTER Thanksgiving.

Pre-Natal Tests

When I was pregnant with RTR two years ago, I remember feeling a little anxious when it came to a couple of those pre-natal tests... the ones used to determine whether more testing is needed for Down Syndrome or Trisomy 18. I read a little about what Trisomy 18 was, but didn't give it much thought. Tonight while watching Oprah (it's replayed at 9pm in our market), there was this bawl-your-eyes-out segment about a baby born with Trisomy 18. Elliott's parents ended up celebrating every day of his life-- and now a small part of it is on YouTube. Made me realize how important it is to slow down and celebrate (not in a cake and ice cream sort of way) each day we have with our children.
The top picture was taken tonight... moments after the cute part. I ran to get the camera as RTR sat down in the hallway next to CSR, both enjoying an after dinner cookie. I love that RTR grabbed the biggest cookie in the container. The second picture is of them in the yard this weekend, helping their dad. Start 'em early on those chores.

Snack-o-lantern

I saw this t-shirt at Old Navy and couldn't resist-- it was like it was made for RTR. It's hard to read in the picture, but it says "Snack-o-lantern." He is our little snacker, always looking for something to eat. Maybe he's part cow, always grazing. His eating habits make me doubt sometimes that I'm feeding him enough at mealtimes.

Blue Cheese Boy

Ah ha! After weeks of worrying about RTR consisting on a diet of mostly fruit and crackers, we think we've figured out an answer-- blue cheese salad dressing. The discovery came Sunday night at dinner... left on RTR's plate, papa's grilled chicken and some potatoes. When it didn't look like RTR was going to eat any more, Tyler suggested using a little blue cheese dressing for dip. And lo and behold, he ate it, he really ate it... both the chicken and potatoes. I figure if a little salad dressing gets you to eat your veggies (and entree), so be it!

It's My Birthday

I love cake. But probably the best cake is the homemade one my mom and CSR made for me. CSR told me on the phone yesterday (as I was out enjoying my free day with my husband) he used chocolate chips to write "Happy Birthday Karen (my last name)." I also found $5 in the street. Plus have received good wishes and kind words from dear friends and family. So, what a great day.

Mmmmmm Brownies!

We baked brownies from scratch the other day. CSR thought we should make a cake and as I looked through the recipes, I found I didn't have all the ingredients for the different cakes. But we did have everything for brownies. Nothing special, just your basic Hershey's brownies. But what makes these so delectable is what's in the freezer. Topping an average brownie with a scoop (or two) of Dreyer's Peppermint ice cream. Actually it's not ice cream, Dreyer's calls it a frozen dairy dessert, which basically means it's main ingredient is not cream (I didn't realize that until after I bought it).

Smiley on the Front Step

Did I ever tell you that October is my favorite month? And that's not just because both my birthday and our anniversary are in October. I love the leaves changing colors, visits to the pumpkin patch, deciding on Halloween costumes, pumpkin pie and setting up our scarecrow. I guess he's not really a true scarecrow, sitting on our front porch in a folding lawn chair instead of hanging out in a corn field somewhere. But anyway, we set Smiley up last week. That's what CSR thought his name should be. We surrounded him with the fruits of our backyard pumpkin patch... seven pumpkins about as big as beach balls-- green beach balls. We had to take additional action to get them to start turning orange. Once they're carved, in the dark though, no one will be able to tell if they're orange or green.

We're Going on a Leaf Hunt

While we're having plenty of chilly fall temperatures, the leaves are still in the early stages of changing. But that didn't stop us from going on a leaf hunt with some good friends to Washington Park Arboretum. Here are some pictures of our adventures. Next time remember to wear rubber boots.

I (heart) Farmer's Markets

We're pretty fortunate to live in an area where farmer's markets are so plentiful. Pretty much on any given day of the week, you can find one. We've been to the Lake City Farmer's Market in the past couple of weeks. What better place for the boys to get the best kind of free samples-- peaches, berries, apples, cheese, fresh baked bread. RTR even ended up with an inadvertent sample-- grabbing an apple from a box while I shopped at one booth. I didn't realize he had the apple until after I had paid for my produce and was off to another booth. When I returned to where the apple had been lifted, the people running it were gracious and thought it was cute. They were also amazed RTR was enjoying such a tart apple. He ate practically the whole thing-- I retrieved the stem and seeds from his juicy hands and chin.

I've got a little food anxiety-- if you haven't noticed. I recently read (most of) Michael Pollan's "In Defense of Food," where he talks about how most of the items in our grocery stores aren't really food-- but food-like substances and how it got to be that way. I like his call to eat food, mostly plants. Also, never eat anything your grandmother wouldn't recognize. Have you ever read the ingredients list on the food in your cupboard? I try not to buy anything with more than ten ingredients or with ingredients I can't easily identify. What is hydrolized food starch or dough conditioner? There was an article in today's paper about new food labeling rules that must state what country the food comes from. Not only a good idea for people trying to eat foods grown closer to home, but also for anyone wanting to avoid food from countries with suspect hygiene or poor quality control-- Chinese melamine anyone? Cadbury had to recall or pull candy made with Chinese milk products because of melamine.

Life at 15 Months

RTR just had is 15 month check up. I guess not getting in to see the doctor until RTR is almost 16 months (as of tomorrow), shows what a great (popular) doctor we have.

Anyway, here are the statistics:
He weighs in at a lean 21 pounds, 14 ounces. That puts him in the 15th percentile.
He measures up to a tall 31-3/4 inches. He ranks in the 70th percentile for weight.

Tall and skinny. I can't even compare it to his one year visit because I can't find the info. sheet from that doctor visit. I was surprised he weighs only 21 pounds. I thought he was a little more hefty. The nurse also freaked me out when she asked how many words RTR says clearly... and I had to say none. But then the doctor came in and said, no, the count of 4-6 words at this age is sounds of intent, not actual words. Thank goodness! Our little willow of a boy has at least 4-6 distinct sounds that we recognize. Da is dog. Dree is drink (milk). Bah is ball. Ha is hi--usually into a telephone--either a play or real phone. Mom-mom-mom-mom seems to be his version of more. He also signs more, but more what is the bigger question.

As Seen on TV

We've joined the 21st century... at least in one small way with our TV. We used our government coupon and got the HD converter box for our TV. Yes, we do not have cable or satellite TV. In addition to crystal clear reception, we have a few extra channels including a kid's channel called Qubo. At first glance it seemed an okay alternative to PBS, but now we're seeing the side effects of commercial TV. CSR has told me I should get the Pancake Puff pan. It also makes pizza puffs too. That was the first thing CSR pointed out. He also thought I could get a lot of use out of the Pasta N' More Microwave Pasta Cooker. The comical thing about all this is the way CSR pretty much quotes word for word the sales pitch with the same TV tone of voice. I should appreciate the fact that he thinks that I could use some help in the kitchen!

Fun in the Backyard

We're having some beautiful weather. Now that it's September, summer is here. Here is a little video of the boys enjoying the warm weather. Before I went in and got the video camera, CSR was dancing around in the water and RTR was doing his own version. Of course, once I got the video going, they wouldn't really do it again.

It's Getting Better

Day 4 of kindergarten went better. Not nearly as many tears or carrying on this morning. Our co-op preschool teacher (former kindergarten teacher and dear friend!) gave me great words of encouragement and advice. She said this week would still be hard for CSR, pointing out he only went to school two days last week. Among her gems, reminding me to encourage CSR during the difficult times that "tommorrow will be better"...something we can all use and learn from. She also advised ice cream for lunch. So yesterday, as we walked home from school, when I suggested that, his face lit up--like he couldn't believe that his vegetable-pushing mom was going to let him have ice cream FOR LUNCH. It was totally worth it. It also helped that as I got the ice cream ready, he asked for a turkey and cheese sandwich.

We also discovered that the girl CSR sits next to in class lives around the corner from us, so that should be fun to have a friend in the neighborhood.

Kindergarten. It's getting better.

The First Day of School

Today was CSR's first day of kindergarten. Does he look like he's excited?


Tyler took the day off from work-- partly for this big day and also because he worked on the weekend. It was a beautiful day so we walked to school. CSR rode his tricycle. We took a couple of pictures outside the door and then went in the classroom.


The teacher had name tags on the tables so we helped CSR find his. Things seemed to be going pretty well. Then it came time to say goodbye. Oh boy, big emotions set in. He grabbed me and did that silent teary sob thing he does. Brought tears to my eyes too. What to do? My friend Suzanne (who's a teacher) had advised me a few days ago to make the goodbye quick and not linger. Okay, I could do that I thought. Easier said than done. I drew a heart on his hand and one on mine and said he should look at that during the day and think of me and I would do the same. That seemed to cheer him. So Tyler and I started to leave. He jumped up and grabbed me, in tears. Tyler got him back to his seat and talked to him for a few more minutes. I waited outside where we'd left RTR parked in his stroller. Watched other parents too and was glad to see we weren't the only ones with tears.

We Like to Camp, Camp, Camp

We survived our first camping trip with RTR. The four of us spent two days at Lake Wenatchee State Park. It was a lot of fun, once we got past making do because of the things we forgot (pump for air mattress, coffee cups, dish cloths, garbage bags). And we are feeling pretty smug about camping in the rain. The water resistant canopy we bought at GI Joe's was one of the best camping investments we've made. I highly recommend getting one-- not only good for shade, but keeping the rain off your picnic table too. While the first night was pretty rainy, RTR fared really well, going to bed pretty easily and sleeping through the night. It probably helped that he didn't get a good nap on Sunday. Monday night was a different story. He woke up around 1AM crying. He didn't appreciate our efforts to warm him up, our thinking that he was cold. So we then tried some milk. A couple of sips, but then, no dice, more crying. One of us jumped up and grabbed a banana out of the cooler. Ahhh. Much better. RTR snuggled in to the nook of Tyler's arm and chowed down. He reminded me of a baby gorilla at the zoo, all content just eating a delicious banana. But an entire banana was not enough. So Tyler grabbed a granola bar (!) for RTR to gnaw on. We lived dangerously, with RTR using his nine or so teeth to power through a small chunk of granola bar. Yikes. So it goes with those second borns, doing things you'd have never done with the first baby. Sorry for the long line of pictures, I don't know how to group them together through the blogger software.

It Just Goes to Show You...

When it comes to kindergarten, it's no cake walk. It turns out that thought I had about the kindergarten teacher (see previous post), was right. It's the same teacher, she just changed her name. And not just her last name, her first name as well. Strikes me as strange. According to the school office, the teacher got married a few years back and decided to now change her name. I understand changing the last name, but the first name too? Makes me think something else is up. I think Tonya Harding's ex-husband petitioned to change his name from Jeff Gilooly to Jeff Smith, to escape his criminal notariety. Of course, if memory serves, many of the Jeff Smiths of the world protested his name change. Ahhhh, what's a mother to do?

It All Started in Kindergarten

Kindergarten has turned out to be stressful-- for me. We've spent months trying to figure out which school would be the best for CSR. Darn the school district for giving us choices! It all started when a parent (and former teacher) told me about her experiences with the kindergarten teacher at our neighborhood school. It was not positive. Next came two more parents (and teachers) who also added their knowledge of this person. Again, not positive-- one going to far as to say "that as a parent in good conscience, she could never put her child in that teacher's class."

I had already been looking at the school district's alternative school as another choice. But by the time I made up my mind, there was a waiting list. Applied anyway. In the end, maybe all this work and stress and talk didn't matter. Today a letter arrived from our neighborhood school for kindergartners... and it's signed by a completely different teacher than the one I had been worried about. Of course, in the back of my mind, I'm wondering, did that teacher get married or something and change her name? Here's to the first day of school...where ever we end up.

Photographer In Training?

Another sign that we're raising an electronic generation-- CSR's obsession with the camera. He will take it, go off and in just a few minutes will have taken dozens of pictures. He's also somehow changed a setting on the camera that has reduced the number of pictures you can have on the memory stick. So usually before I can take any pictures, I have to go through and delete CSR's work. Thank goodness it is digital and not film. Some of the pictures are quite interesting, so I don't have the heart to delete all of them. Mostly the unflattering ones of myself or the blurriest ones. Here are some that he's taken.