Anders Turns 4

My little, sweet boy: You keep doing big boy things but I still keep seeing you as my baby. Maybe it's because you still have those round, kissable cheeks and cupid bow lips when you are sleeping. Man, you are growing up fast. Your imagination and love of role play such as superheroes and Star Wars is EPIC. And when you are not currently destroying villains and saving mankind, your kind heart and friendship to others shines so very, very bright. Gosh, I love you. More than all the stars in the galaxy (and even another galaxy - far, far away).

Birthday morning scone.

Cheesing with his best buddy George at his party.

Jedis on a speeder.

Funny Landon.

Sweet friend transformed to Kylo Ren.

That's my sweet baby boy!

Yum.

Again - our sweet little girl friends picking some fierce masks.

Young Padawans battling together!

Cupcake break!

Some friends brought their own light sabers. I provided robes made out of felt and cording - thank you, Pinterest!

The kids getting a kick out of funny birthday cards.

Landon Brick Build

Like many other kids these days, the boys have fallen into the black hole of YouTube when their screen time and settings allow. And YouTube for kids these days is a hoppin' scene. I imagine it parallels my obsession with CareBears and MTV at a young age. Anyhoodles, the channels Landon particularly enjoys are related to "Brick Builds" in which people put together Lego sets. And as life imitates art, Landon wanted to also make a brick build.

I totally forgot about this video we made after Christmas. Landon must have gone through a major growth spurt since then - he looks so young to me when rewatching this!

Memorial Day 2016

This past weekend we headed about an hour south to the Jim Creek Naval Recreational Area for a few days of camping with the boys. Catering solely to military members, the site was nicely maintained and they have over 5000 acres of land, largely untouched. We will definitely revisit when it is not raining and 50 degrees for three days straight. But you know what? Rain on a tent makes for the most delightful white noise when sleeping.

I threw together a quick video using some captures I got with my phone. Nothing fancy, but hoping it helps with my memory long down the road!

Anders vs Orange

One time, about a year ago, Anders was peeling an orange and a shprinkle of juice took a dastardly trajectory into his eye. And he still talks about it, affronted by the fruit and it's evil byproduct. But! He loves clementines and I commend that he came up with a solution - to always find a pair of sunglasses before eating an orange. This has been going on for a year and I so hope it continues for a long while because I adore this quirk of his.

Safely enjoying citrus.

You Do the Hokey Pokey

Man, I love a good roller skating rink. Armed with fantastic memories of disco balls and limbo bars from 25+ years ago, I took the boys last week to weigh down their little legs with some big honkin' skates. They asked about inline skates (and, admittedly, the rink did have them), but I wanted them to have the authentic experience. Let's lace up some 5 lb fungal hooves on your feet.

They practiced for a bit on pint-sized walkers and locked wheels. And then: we loosened the wheels and they skated awkwardly like little newborn giraffes trying to walk for the first time. I loved it and I think they did, too. When the lights went down and the laser lights started with some horrific Alvin and the Chipmunks cover of Destiny's Child songs began, they were all like, "Say Whaaaat?" And I said "What, boys. What, indeed."

The rink on a Tuesday morning is the perfect time for learning the Hokey Pokey on wheels.

Kindergarten on the Horizon

We have submitted the paperwork. We tried out a school bus. This is happening.

Random Parenting Tip #578

I haven't mastered much of this parenting gig, but I will say we successfully adopted a trick a couple years ago from a friend about managing transitions for the wee ones. And as anyone who has asked their toddler to "put away their playdoh so we can go to the grocery store where mommy will complain about the current price of grapes and avoid the odd cashier* in checkout lane number 4" knows, transitions can be testy.

Set a timer: pick a timer, any timer. For a solid year, we lived by the "When the clock goes 'beep beep beep'..." way of transitioning to other activities and errands. The only way the kids used to leave the park is if my phone went off using the "dog barking" alarm. Man, that was a good trick in my pocket for a while. Now transitions aren't that much of an issue anymore. There they go again, growing up and stuff. 

I think the timer method works because it puts the onus on a third-party; young children are dimly fooled into thinking it's out of your hands. Plus it acknowledges you are providing them remaining time to finish what they are doing. 

True story: when I came out of the shower a few days ago, I was confused why the boys were dressed and all ready for the day. It turns out they had set a 2 minute timer for themselves to see if they could get dressed (which explained the heavier breathing and twisted pants). I'm sure there's a childhood complex brewing somewhere in there**, but I'll take it for now!

*No, seriously. His name is Michael. But he pronounces it as "Meekayl" to be quirky. 
**At age 27, Landon's left side subtly twitches anytime a timer goes off.

In Defense of Not Having a Pet

A common line I hear often: "You guys need to get a dog!" 

No. No, we don't. Here is my blurb in defense of NOT having a canine companion in our home.

(1) Energy. It takes energy to walk a dog, feed a dog, play with a dog, chase a dog when he escapes, take care of him when he is sick, clean up his turds, etc. Even if I have the residual energy on some days, I'm not sure if I want to direct it towards those things right now. I rather be able to help a friend, accept a random beer date, read a book, insert whatever floats your boat here. 

(2) Time. See "energy."

(3) Money. Dayuuum, pets be expensive. I still remember the vet bills from our dog growing up, and for a self centered 13 yr old to be affronted by the cost of a shot and a dental cleaning says a lot. 

(4) Freedom. You can't take a dog everywhere with you. We like to travel. We like to do stuff. Kennels can be great, but they can be horrible and your dog comes out with PTSD symptoms. Also, the related cost - see "money."

(5) Cleanliness. Sure, there is likely data that supports folks with pets have better immune systems because they are constantly exposed to dander and germs and such. But I know what a dingleberry is and I don't like them. I don't need an itchy butt dog with extra pee dripping off his wiener, boot scootin' boogy-ing around on his ass on the same carpet that my kids roll around on daily. I'm purely only dealing with little human pee and poo at this point in my life.

I'd consider this dog. Cool trick.

Now that I've said my piece on the topic, know this: I love dogs. They are awesome. They are your best friend and your kids' best friend and act as this little epicenter of a family and they don't even know it (the most lovable characteristic of all). It can teach so many lessons for kids in patience, caretaking and friendship. This, I know. I fiercely loved my dog growing up and I so look forward to the boys having the same experience. Buuuuut, not now. Someday, yes, but not now.

Hope you have a dingleberry-free day!

Hello, hello

Why, hello there! Thanks for visiting the blog that I have been woefully lack in updating these past several months and overall in general. Life isn't crazy or anything. In fact, it is rather the opposite for the most part. And perhaps that is why there haven't been too many updates - I'm spending time laughing with hubby on the couch, watching shows in the evenings. The few preschool mornings to myself are spent working out and taking care of myself better. Weekends are spent helping the boys with Legos while Daddy is out running and then we spend time together as a family, farting around. I assume this is what it feels like to be a "normal" non-military family. So I am rejoicing in the simplicity of it all until things ramp up again for next year's deployment.

Not us. But I assume that's what a non-military family looks like...?

I have a personal goal to be better about writing and sharing pictures again, so buckle up for the next round! Things to document include Erik and I's journey on the Whole30 (food program), my "lazy" days with the boys as Landon closes the gap to Kindergarten in the fall, general parenting wins and fails, an ode to my missing IUD (spoiler alert: ends with a trip to the OR table), Erik's woodworking build of Anders' new bed (he can't stay in a half disassembled crib forever) and other fun stuff along the way. Well, fun stuff for us, at least. You're just here, killing time and procrastinating on much more important stuff to do. Thanks for being here - hello again!

Silence Can Be Sweet

As a mom of youngsters, I still have plenty of the "Why is it so quiet?" panic moments. If these guys aren't bouncing off of furniture and coming up with grandiose play ideas, silence usually predicates mischief of sorts. But sometimes I catch them just enjoying a quiet moment (and a morning sunbeam) for what it is.

We're Alive

Happy New Year! I haven't updated things in a while despite the fun-filled season (or because of it). Long story short: we survived Christmas and enjoyed a lazy start to 2016. Photo dump staaaaaarts... now!

Legos, legos, legos!

We had fun at Great Wolf Lodge - and made a video over on our YouTube channel.

Uncle Jamesy came to visit and we got lost in the rain in the woods for three hours - it was great!

Staying sharp for a visit from the fat man in the red suit.

Spoiler alert: Santa came to visit.

Took the boys sledding up towards Mt. Baker; mom suffered a minor concussion (no, really) but everyone had fun. Sledding in your 30s is a little different than you envision.

I found a little love note written in the early morning frost on my car as we got ready for school. Squeee!

Did I mention Legos? Millenium Falcon: check!

Sipping on smoothies in Safeway like a boss.

Little boy energy radiating throughout the house on short, gray winter days.