Blogging lull

No great reason why, I have been on-line everyday, just lacking creativity.

I have sick kiddos right now and that is consuming of all my non work time. Owen, I am happy to report is now at the 50% for his size, versus the -5% we had to gain from. He is 31 lbs and 34" and has a mop of blond curls. I think I am going to get him a haircut tonight before we go see all the great grandparents in WA in a couple weeks. That generation has issues with long haired hippie boys ;) He looks adorable either way, but very different looks. He has a hearing assessment tomorrow to see if there is any loss or need for tubes. Matt is deaf in one ear from infections as a child and we have been fortunate to only have had one infection with him and none with Gwendolyn. His speech assessment is a year out, damn Alaska and too few specialist. I think his issue is more of a speech one, but want to make sure he isn't having trouble hearing prior to trying to think about how to say it.
He is still infatuated with Spider Man and Super Man, who started as a combined name of sabaman, which morphed into soopman, and can now be called their true names, though not always the correct character. I brought out a geotrax train set that I had picked up at the used store the other night and the kid is in heaven.

Gwendolyn has had a persistent cough for well over a month and her cousin was just diagnosed with walking pneumonia. I am afraid that Gwendolyn has it as well and will get her checked out tomorrow. She is very excited to get to travel on an airplane down to Washington soon. We bought a temporary membership to the athletic club here at a fund raiser and have been using it this past month. It has a pool with 2 water slides and a low diving board. She is amazing for a 4 year old swimmer!! Down the slides like they are nothing and off the board without a thought. The first couple times were with a floaty belt and me waiting for her to not drown in the deep end. She did great and didn't need me or the belt. The rest of the times are without me or the belt. She goes on her back, belly, feet or head first. She even tried a complicated sideways maneuver. We have had a different lifeguard every time and she has had to re-prove herself again and again. Without fail, like a swimming champ, she passes by swimming to the rope and back.

I have lots of new great pictures and a home computer in the shop, so words are all you get for now.

Actually.....

Is the word heard most often in my 4 year old world lately. She manages to use it as practically every other word. Still kinda cute, but I can see it getting old.
She happened to ask me today if I knew what actually meant. I asked what, curious what her answer would be. Turns out she thinks it means "yes" is Spanish. How funny she is!!

Another way.with.words conversation took place this morning. I was late getting us to the starting place for the parade we were walking in. As I try to drive into downtown, I come across a baracade ( should have known better ) and exclaim to the cop who cannot hear me "your killing me!!" I turn around and head another path into downtown and the parade I am afraid will start without us and she asks what I mean by he is killing me? I let her know I was just fustrated and it was an expression meaning he was giving me a hard time. She turns it around to work for her and says "oh, he's giving me a headache". Good answer babe.

Summer fun so far....

We went to a kids craft event at the University Museum and had lots of fun
They are sewing purse/pouches
Matts natioal debut party his BF threw
Can't resist holding a baby
We spent an afternoon at Pioneer Park, outdoor kids place and tourist trap. Riding the train
Running in the sprinklers
Creeping up on the sprinklers
Still getting hosed
Helping brother with the water fountain
Lookin too old and sassily grown-up
Brother has to get in on the action of posing
And finally, we attended an air show this week, Owen loved it


And the view of us from the toddler standpoint, LOL

Hic-up boy

I had a fun conversation with Owen the other day. He had the hic-ups (if that is even how you spell them) and I asked his where he found his hic-ups at. He turned to me and smiled, opened his mouth and pointed inside, and replied that he got them from his mouth. Then he proceed to start giggling and proclaimed, "silly Owen". I love that boy!!

We are ruining him

We tried to force the boy to eat macaroni and cheese (oh the horror) a few months back and he didn't budge, in fact he seemed even more picky the following day. We backed off.
We decided this week that he didn't need an afternoon nap anymore since he lays awake in his bed for 2 hours every night, just waiting to fall asleep. It was bearable for the first few days and as more time progressed it added up on him and he became unbearable in the evening. He is now napping and we will just limit it to no more than 1 hour. We had been doing this already, but I am not convinced that others watch the clock.
Where I think we have ruined him is he has taken to screaming no and not wanting to go to bed, whereas before he would very willinginly go jump in bed and cover up. I NEVER said we knew what we were doing with parenting, but he has very different ideas than us and right now he seems to be in charge.

Happy 7 year 1 day Anniversary

To Matt and I.
We were able to slip away for dinner and Indiana Jones last night and followed up with a nightcap after.
I have come to care a little less if Matt acknowledges our special day with a card, mainly that he doesn't forget it completely. I gave him a card on his pillow before we went out and was pleasantly suprised to find a cute card on my steering wheel this morning, announcing a happy 7 years and 1 day. His effort is cute.
It would piss me off bad if it was my birthday, but acceptable for our anniversary.

Checking in

I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth, but have so much going on in my life that there is no space for anything I want to do.
I have resigned from Youth Court and will work out at the family business a few days a week and then have a couple more days with the kids. This transision will take place at the end of June.
I have one fund raiser done, the one for my friend who had triplets and have one more MAJOR one to go that will be in the planning for the rest of the summer. It is a fashion show in October, the 49th annual. Benefiting disadvantage women and children and the deaf and hearing impaired. I am nuts and agreed to co-chair the fundraiser.
We had a garage sale this last weekend and may have it again this upcoming weekend. It was nice to sit around in the sun and relax.

Life goes on and I am looking forward to the changes that will come.

Cuddle Bug Boy

Owen was still a little sick this last weekend and ended up sleeping with me off and on all night friday. He had to have everypart of his self touching me, all-night-long!! Cute, but not sleep conducive for me.
He was in their room Saturday night and I went to peek in on him as I went to bed. I came in right as he was trying to climb over his sister and get into her bed to have someone to sleep with. TOO ADORABLE!! Gwendolyn was waking up at the same time and asking "Owwwwen, what are you doing?" I grabbed him off and tucked him back into his bed with a kiss and hug.
Such a sweet cuddle bug.

In-State travel is doomed

Last summer we tried to travel as a family and I ended up with an ectopic pregnancy and had to fly home. This winter we drove to Anchorage and had to cut our trip short due to hand foot mouth disease rearing its ugly head 20 minutes from our destination.
This weekend we took the motorhome to Anchorage for a hockey tournament for Matt. Gwendolyn was just getting past the worst of her cold and Owen was just starting. I was chalking up Owens fever to the same thing Gwendolyn just had. Today it progressed worse and he looked so miserable. He had a rash on his cheeks and his arms were starting to show signs of rash. Doing what any mother of my generation does, I googled his symptoms. Scarlet fever and fifths disease were the two possibilities. We decided that it was enough to warrent a trip to an unknown location containing an unknown doctor.
He was a terror for the poor dr, crying if she even looked at him. She was able to see well enough into his mouth during a scream to see the misery he was in. Yep, strep throat was the verdict. She gave me the option of amoxacillian twice a day for 10 days or ONE shot in the leg. Heck yeah I will take the shot option. He didn't like my choice, but it was so much better than trying to force medicine into him. That normally results in him barfing up half of what I give him. 5 hours later and he is back to his normal self and the rash is almost gone. Amazing. I just hope he doesn't give it back to Gwendolyn. We should be good to go in the next couple days that we will be able to have fun during out weekend.
But I am starting to think there is a curse on our In-State travels.

She must be listening....

I brought Gwendolyn to a work function with me last night. I was present to parents and teens about the consequenses of minor consuming alcohol. I was co-presenting with a PTA mom who has a daughter with a DUI as a senior at that high school. Gwendolyn was listening as the other lady was giving her scare story. At one point in the lecture the lady used the word "stupid" and Gwendolyn turned to me and wispered "that lady said a bad word". I was just please that she realized it was not a nice word.
Though I am afraid I may have taught that very word to Owen this past week while driving him around. There were many stupid drivers and I felt the need to make the profound statement that they were stupid, even though they couldn't hear me. I felt a little better, till I remembered my son was sitting behind me. Oops, it has to be a little better than teaching Gwendolyn "dammit".

polite, lazy, and stubborn....

That sums up my boy!!
He will bless anyone who sneezes and even pulls off a "bless you" for himself, too cute.
But that child will NOT climb the stairs by himself. I will leave him down there for upwards of 20-30 minutes, crying his fool head off while I promise and threaten from the top. Will.Not.Move!! I normally go get him and then put his snotty face in time out in his room.
Does not change a thing!! This is where the stubborn title comes into play. If he does not want to do something, it aint happening.
Polite, Lazy, Stubborn, but darn cute!!

Seperation Anxiety at 4 years old??

I don't understand this new change that Gwendolyn is going through. She has always been this super outgoing, doesn't need mom, kind of girl. It started on Easter Sunday, she was happy to be going to Church, practically skipped up to the door of the church. The second we enter the doors she put her brakes on and wouldn't move and wouldn't look up, just kept saying she was scared. We were late and the Church was packed, so I didn't handle it well, I just dragged her crying self to a seat and scolded her odd behavior. She then didn't want to see her Grandma who was sitting with us and didn't want to go to the nursery where Owen was. Once we got her to the nursery, she sat by the door for the first half of Church before she would go play and join in. I tried talking with her about it later and all she would say is she was scared. Yesterday I went to drop them off at the daycare lady they go to one day a week. She has been fine going there for many months, once she got used to it. Yesterday, not so much. From the minute she woke up she insisted she didn't want to go the Cheryls, she wanted to go to Grandmas. I tried letting her know that wasn't an option, grandma had work to do. She was quiet on the way to Cheryls and started whining once we were there that she didn't want to stay. I tried letting her know she could call me at work anytime she wanted and that Daddy would be home from snowmachining that night and we would all play a game together. Still crying and clinging bad. Owen is off playing, amazingly enough. I don't know what to make of it and finally just leave her there like that. I call later and Cheryl said she was just fine minutes after I left. It hurt like hell leaving her there like that though. Again this morning with the pre-school drop off. Normally she runs in ahead of me and is gone, I have to hunt her down for a kiss good-bye. Nope, she wanted to be carried, she didn't want to go off and play even though two little girls (Callie and Bethany) each came up and asked her to go play with them. I held her and hugged her, thinking she just needed a minute of that. Never got better or out of her funk. Finally just handed her off to her teacher and left with her crying. This SUCKS and I want it to end. I talked with my cousin for a few minutes after drop-off and was able to peek in and see that she was fine, sitting a little off from the circle, but fine. I just wonder what sort of effect me bailing on her is having on her poor little mental state and motherly bond. I get the anxiety when there is a change and she is just starting a new routine, but we have been doing this same thing for over a year.

Baby conversation with my oldest baby

I was busy getting ready for work on Friday and Gwendolyn was watching. She pokes me in the belly button and I tell her to stop.
G - Is there a baby in there?
M - No (thanks alot kid) it is just mommy
G - Why isn't there a baby in there, I want there to be a baby in there.
M - (I'll give her the excuse that Matt gives me, LOL) We don't have room for another baby, we have 2 bedroom and 2 kids and 2 parents, no room for more (yet??)
G - (Thinks for a split second) I'll just sleep on the couch and when the baby cries I will get up with the baby and will rock the baby (picture her little body bouncing back and forth) and will pat the baby (picture her patting a imaginary baby in her arms) and will make the baby happy and I will bring the baby to you if the baby needs you.
M - You are preaching to the choir, you need to talk to your father.....
G - Why (damn perpetual whhhhyyyyyyyyy)
I did relay the conversation to Matt that afternoon and he teased me that I am turning the kids against him, with a smile on his face.

Owen favorites

"I like this cookie Momma"

Owen had the priveledge of his first Oreo the other day and after asking for more and more, as I was distributing 1/2 a cookie at a time, he proclaimed the above statement. Normally you can only pick out a few words out of every statement, but each one of these were crystal clear :)

He received a Buzz Lightyear costume to wear for his sisters birthday party. He was in a slight waking up daze when he was first shoved into the costume. That quickly turned to awe of what he now was. He has a Buzz alterego and becomes an animal with a goofy sense of humor and it is amusing to watch when wear Buzz.

4 years later

and I can't imagine life prior to you.
You have the ability to make me smile and cry in the same breath. To make me pull out my hair in fustration the only a daughter can do to a mother, while laughing till it hurts.
You have a thing for skirts and dresses, yellow color makes for a perfect outfit. You can be found singing random made-up songs or ones we listen to often. You like when your skirts can swirl because you are often twirling around and the skirt gives the added effect you desire. You are most content wearing a long sleeve t-shirt (a warm shirt) and your grandmothers slip from when she was a little girl. This is your idea of perfect pj's or house clothes. Fortunately, grandma has a few and we cycle through them at both houses.
You love your little brother on your terms, meaning you can be a big stinker to him, just because you can. I think it must be written into the big sister manual that only big sisters get to see. You fondly call him BubbaJoe Owen, since that is what you have heard me say to him for the last 2 years. He is now correcting you that he is in fact "Owen".
You have a true talent at swimming and gymnastics and have just started showing your natural ability with motorized toys. You and Owen received a 4-wheeler for Christmas and you can whip that around Aapa's yard and throw your weight to make the back end wing around without stopping. All while wearing a skirt under your snowpants.
You had a very specific dress in mind for your costume party 4th birthday. It had to have purple and ribbons and feathers, down to here with feathers up to there. You would spend 5 minutes telling anyone who would listen what this dress was going to look like. You are blessed enough to have a Grandmother with the talent to make this happen. You two spent the weeks leading up to your birthday designing and constructing this dress during Owens naps. Mommy wasn't allowed to see it till the big day. It came out stunning!!


Your little brother got to dress up as his hero, Buzz Lightyear

Your Grandmother had one more trick up her sleeve, she made you the best cake!! A princess castle that tasted as good as it looked.

Suddenly you think 4 means all grown up and it makes me wonder how much you were looking forward to this birthday. You can now be found saying "I'm a big girl now" and thinking you don't have to ask permission for anything anymore. We will soon put that theory on the right track.
For now, I will enjoy every minute and pray to slow it down and take it all in.
I love you Gwendolyn Mary, sweet baby girl!!

Weekend of snow playing

We had lots of family fun last Sunday in the snow. There was general playing around and swinging and sliding. Then we got down to business sledding down the driveway, daddy and the kids, and mommy would follow with the snowmachine and pull them back up on sleds hooked to my snowmachine. Kinda hick and cheating, but we lasted longer that way, it is a long driveway and steep enough to sled well.



Then we decided to ride out to the road and get the newspaper, one mile away.
Gwendolyn is the caboose

Owen and I are in the middle, he is curled up in a ball on my lap at this point because he is cold.

And Matt is driving us

My self portrait sucked so I'm not posting it :)

Pictures promised

The ill fated vacation to Anchorage that wasn't a vacation




My sweet valentines
Owen and I at our breakfast, that I hope to make a tradition out of

Gwendolyn is her pretty dress Grandma made her, she wore it for three days in a row, at various times of the days

Boasty Bunch

I know this is boasting, but I was so proud of myself so that negates some of the boasting.
I decided to get crafty and sew Gwendolyn a skirt. She loves yellow (not sure why, not my favorite at all) and I had some cute yellow flannel with red roses embroidered on it. It was a very basic pattern of three tiers. Turned out cute and she had a matching red long sleeve t-shirt to go with.
My point is, I went to drop her off at school this morning and one of the teachers commented that it was cute and I (bragging inside) pipe up with I made it last night. Both teachers look at me with mouths open, "oh you made it last night, when I want something new for my kids I have to go to Fred Meyer and you just whip something up. Lucky girl." I love that I can do this for her and that she will wear it as I am sure that will change. I am no where near the ability that her Grandma is, but I am enjoying learning.
Although I have been having to throw down with my new Serger and I am not winning. That thing is stupid and complicated. I couldn't get it to do the rolled hem and I seriously spent 3 hours rethreading and trying again. It kept snapping thread, I would change the tension, still snapping. I took it to the store, rolled a perfect hem, kid.you.not!! Won't now though, back to snapping thread. I decide screw it, table the rolling hem thing for a while, now I can't even get it to do overlock hems. I give up for now, but I will be back for another round. My plain Kenmore sewing machine doesn't do this to me, old faithful.

Valentines with my sweeties

It was a wonderful day overall.
Matt left at 7am to drive to Canada for a hockey tournament, so I gave him his valentines present the night before, a new movie for the road trip. We are not consistant on V-day gifts, so I had no expectation of a gift. I just assumed, kinda to not get my hopes up, that I wasn't getting anything since he wouldn't be here. I went to load school Valentine party crap in the Yukon in the morning and there was a beautiful vase full of red roses (how cliche, but I'll take it) and a card there. He said there was a rose for every year he has loved me and 3 for Sassy (G) and 2 for Bubba (O) and 1 from the furry one (Duke the dog). It was so sweet!!! The sentiment was wonderful and I needed it.
After I dropped Gwendolyn at school, Owen took me to breakfast at Dennys and we had a nice time together. We then ran errands and went back to school for Gwendolyns party. Grandma Mary had made her this beautiful valentine dress and she looked so sweet, I really need to download the pictures from my camera.
After work was done in the evening, I went to pick the kids up and the inlaws were already done with dinner but had a plate made up for me. The table was all cute with candles and flowers. It was sweet that they made the effort for each other and they shared it with my kids and then me. It was yummy chicken cordon bleu and potatoes and poached pears with a yummy sauce and whipped cream.
Then Gwendolyn chose last night to sleep in my bed while Daddy is gone. She didn't last long on Daddy's side of the bed, but yet neither does he. It was nice to snuggle her all night.
Matt called to check in from White Horse, they are on to Dawson City today for the weekend of tournaments.

Kids quips at dinner

Owen dropped his fruit cup container on the floor and followed up with "uh-oh daisy"
Such a cute attempt at oopsie daisy.

Gwendolyn didn't want to eat the fajitas that I made because "spicy food makes her ears water" ??? What????
Daddy decided that she was trying to say the it makes your eyes water, but she was pretty sure about her response.