Happy Fptheus Day Ben.

*This last box of goodies Avery made one night for ben after we all went to sleep. It wasn't for Father's Day but it shows how much Abe's does love her dad.

May Recap

May was rather eventful for us - events that deserve their own posts and definitely pictures. But if I wait till I get around to that I may have forgotten all that transpired. So here are my notes to myself, with aspirations that they will turn into something better in the near future.

First of all - the biggest news - is that we moved into our house. It's been a long time coming and we're in. Lot clearing and construction started on October 31 and we got an occupancy permit on May 13th. Not bad and worth the effort, sacrifice and wait. Once we are unpacked and cleaned up I will post a pictorial tour.

Upon moving in, we promptly packed up and went to California for vacation. We wanted to take advantage of the military offers for free and discounted admission at Disneyland as well as make the rounds with friends and family. We had a great great time and it delayed the unfun job of unpacking for a few weeks. Plus, since Comcast couldn't come to set up our cable for a few weeks, Ben needed to go somewhere to watch those awful basketball games known as the NBA Playoffs - with people who enjoy them just as much as he does.

Ben - Ben is probably the happiest of all of us to be in the new house. He is now closer to work and he has a garage. He scored a sweet deal on a weight bench and is eager to set up his work out facilities out there so that he can stay fit by working out once a month, while the rest of us normal humans have to put in hard time to get the same results. As if that, plus the fact that he can function without sleep, wasn't suspicious enough, he scored insanely high on his annual shelf exam. In one category (head and neck surgery I believe, not tiling and speaker installation like I assumed) he was in the 100th percentile. So among all ENT interns in the U.S. no one got a higher score, that is crazy to me. It also means that next year he has no where to go but down. Overall he did much worse and was like 96th %. For his achievement he received another Army Commendation medal - which luckily I learned about from one of his colleagues, because he probably wouldn't have told me - and he is supposed to get a free "pass" or extra day off, which I believe if he doesn't take soon, he loses. So hopefully we'll take a day trip to celebrate.

Ben also turned the big 3-0 while we were there. This is what he looks like.

Miles - Nothing noteworthy to report.

Avery - Avery had a busy May, with a trip to the ballet and a recital of her own. On Mother's Day weekend we went to see Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty with our friends Amy and Olivia. Afterward we went to a very princessy "tea" where the girls could meet the dancers and the mom's could indulge in yummy food.

Here is a picture of Avery after her recital helping her dad distribute topsoil around the property. The theater the recital was in would not allow photography or video so I only have a video of the dress rehearsal performance. I haven't decided whether it is worth it to post. It's mostly just grandparent material. (I decided to post it on the sidebar temporarily)

Avery also had her big kindergarten doctor appt. I think it's supposed to be the standard five year appt. but I will only go if immunizations are due or if are forced to meet a requirement. She had to get 5 shots. It wasn't a pleasant experience but we survived. Her recent dentist appt. however was a pleasant experience, or at least it seemed like it:

Me: Nothing noteworthy to report.

Alive.

By now I thought we would be sitting in our new house toasting our accomplishments and living it up. But we are just existing - sometimes it feels like we are barely doing that. We are in our new house, but we are all four living in the guest room while the place gets unpacked and put together, the finishes complete and the landscaping started. I spend equal amounts of time cleaning and unpacking, and we have ants. Ugh.

But we do have Internet now and we are alive. Pictures and more to come. If you are really missing us you can check us out on Sara's blog looking rather fantastic if I do say so myself. (I'd like thank Sara for teaching me the proper way to position my head, photoshop and my friends at Allergan...)

April Recap

The April Recap is shaping up to look much like the March recap but I'd better elaborate lest my children think they wasted two months of their childhood at Lowe's (it was really more like 6 months honies).



Ben - I always thought that Ben was a pretty cool guy, but these last few months he has bordered on superhuman. He did a Plastic Surgery rotation where he "makes the world a better place one breast at a time" or is it two at a time...anyhow, you get the picture. So by day he does his reconstruction work and by night he does his construction side jobs. And on more than one occasion he has had to return to the hospital after putting in multiple hours on the house. Tiling, concrete countertops, woodwork etc. There's not much he can't figure out. He even found time to take me to a concert and to dinner on my birthday (separate occasions).


Miles - His big achievement was the potty-training. Which I am sometimes regretting already b/c he wakes up and has to go in the middle of the night and he cries till we wake up to take him, or he has to go a million times when we are running errands for the house (Lowe's has a really nice bathroom by the way - with like 14 stalls - and I've never once seen anyone else in there).


Avery - Continues to simultaneously tire and energize me with questions such as "Why can't we see the dark side of the moon?"



She is the cultural ambassador on our house building projects. One of our painters came to me and said "your daughter speaks Spanish?" Turns out she had be trying out some of her Dora/Handy Manny vocabulary (which does not make someone bilingual) much to the delight of some of the contractors. I also found her about 4 inches from another contractors sons face saying slowly and loudly "I can't understand you. We-don't-speak-the-same-language". His dad was Russian, but I'm pretty sure the kid spoke English.




She's also launched a jewelry line made from leftover electrical wire. Below is one that she recently wore to church.

And she finally decided to give reading a real go and read a Step into Reading Level 1 - Barbie Ballerina book with very little help. Then she announced she was done with reading.

Me - Well between potty training one and getting the other to start reading I'd say I've had a rather successful month. I also turned 31 (yesterday). This is what I look like.

A gift to the earth.

What is more appropriate than a kid becoming completely potty trained* on Earth Day? It's the only gift a little guy, ahem, "big boy" can really give. No more diapers in the landfill from this dude. I was hoping that he would be trained before we moved into the new house but was thinking this might just be wishful thinking. But the Easter Bunny's gift of the undie megapack helped make a mom's pleas reality. At first he wanted to wear about five at a time - I get it, he was used to the padding- now he will wear one or two at a time and if they have a large character on the rear he insists that it go in the front (he's not the only one). Which looks a little uncomfortable to me. But I'm not complaining as long as he is keeping them dry. He's even amazingly waking up dry in the morning - I'm not going to risk going without a pull-up yet though.

His nursery teacher commented that when she took him potty he told her he wanted to stand on the potty to go. Oops, I guess this is what happens when most of your training happens in a porta-potty (at the lot) and now that it is warming up, I have been encouraging the go pee outside method. Yes neighbors - the Westbrooks are moving in...and marking our territory. (At home he stands on a stool and when we are in a public place I hover him over like an airplane)

Binkless and potty trained - now if we could just get him out of our bed at night...

--

*Who determined he was completely potty trained? Me, his mother. I am accepting accolades for this achievement (on behalf of Miles of course).

Found in the Sound

U.S.A - 1 Pirates - 0

AP (NAIROBI, Kenya) - Navy SEAL snipers on the fantail of a destroyer cut down three Somali pirates in a lifeboat and rescued an American sea captain on Easter Sunday. The surprise nighttime assault in choppy seas ended a five-day standoff between a team of rogue gunmen and the world's most powerful military.

Yo Ho! Take that. I don't know why but this story just made my day. Yes, I do know why, it's because I'm a news junkie and usually what I read is just sad sad sad. Generally I don't check in much with the computer or TV on weekends but I have been following this story closely because, like polygamists, these modern day pirates intrigue me and I found myself praying for this captains rescue, especially after he escaped once by jumping overboard and was recaptured.

Aside - I know Pirates don't make the best topic for an Easter Sunday entry so if you are desirous of something inspiring of a religious nature, I highly recommend this but read on...

So piracy (on the high seas and not just of digital media) in 2009? What?! I know Johnny Depp made pirate culture cool again but these "rogue" Somali's are taking it too far. I'm sure there are pirates from other countries too but right now the Somali's hold 12 ships and over 230 international mariners hostage*. A few days ago they took a French family that was out sailing hostage and death ensued.

This particular U.S. ship captained by the heroic Mr. Phillips had "been carrying food aid bound for Rwanda, Somalia and Uganda" when "crew members said they saw pirates scrambling into the ship with ropes and hooks from a small boat bobbing on the surface of the Indian Ocean far below". Ropes and hooks? Now all I can picture is Capt. Hook... I'm having a hard time getting out of fantasy land while at the same time understanding the horrific reality of modern real life pirates. Even Hillary Clinton recently chuckled when speaking about the growing threat of pirates. I don't know if she was picturing Depp or Hoffman when she committed her faux pas but we have to switch gears because pirates are now real. When Chelsey recently posted about going on a sailing trip I have to admit that pirates crossed my mind. Hopefully pirates aren't stalking Catalina Island but you never know. Before too long it might not be politically correct to have your kid be a pirate for Halloween or have a pirate themed party.

Aside #2 - For the record Ben has always thought it a crime for to wear pirate/nautical inspired striped shirts and I always get an "Arrrrr" from him if I dare put one on.

Anyhow, I applaud this ships captain who willingly offered himself up to save his crew, his crew - who regained control of their hijacked ship, the Navy Seal snipers who acted swiftly and accurately and Pres. Obama for not negotiating with terrorists of any type (eye-patch or no eye-patch) and for ordering the rescue effort.



* Plus we don't have a great history with this country - remember Black Hawk Down? If you read the book you probably remember the atrocities that occurred in the Somali capital of Mogadishu. If you saw the movie you probably have no idea what was going on. Even if you read the book first then saw the movie you would still have no idea what was going on. It was a terrible movie. But, I also want to say that I feel very sorry for the average - non-violent Somali people, I'm sure they endure many hardships, which I'm sure drives many to piracy and crime to survive.

Easter 2009

The night before Easter. Easter Morning

*The Easter bunny was quite generous this year. Considering that her parents didn't get Avery anything for her b-day (if we take you to Chuck-E-Cheese, that is your present) and the kids have been super patient while their parents slave away at the new house the Easter bunny must have felt it was his/her duty to indulge the children. He brought minimal candy - the Reeses Eggs were for Ben and I got a pack of gum. Wait, let's reverse that. The Easter bunny also must have hit up Target's $6 sale on movies, Barnes and Noble and Lowes for some gardening tools. That smart Easter bunny also brought Miles two packs of manly cartoon underwear which we will find ultimately leads to a very happy and diaper bag free mom.

Easter Miscellany

Cute stuff that came in the mail. The ceramic eggs came from Aunt Britt and they were full of candy but to get it you had to break the egg. This would have been an easy decision for Miles had we let him at it but Avery really suffered over this one. Ultimately hers had an accident and the candy was revealed. Then we poked a hole in Miles' and retrieved the candy out of the back, egg intact. I told Avery I would try to glue her egg back together....someday. The cookies and a box of goodies came from Gma Maggie and another box of goodies came from Gpa Mark makingthis one sweet Easter.

Happy Easter.

Some dates don't have to be marked on a calendar for you to know they are coming. Some you just feel coming. Yesterday was one of those days. Yesterday was 10 years without my littlest sister.

She would be 26 going on 27. She would be a nice person. She'd live near a beach. She would be a cool aunt. She'd still be fast. Other than that I don't know what she would have become by now. She might have gone to culinary school. She probably would have gone to college on a running scholarship. But to me she'll always be sixteen, the last to leave the nest.

Luckily, the memories haven't grown dimmer. I just realize that, while close, the age gap and self-involvement was enough for me not to have had as many memories as one might like. Some of you have memories I don't have, because you were classmates or friends or had a different familial relationship.

The memories I wish I didn't have lie in a box. It's round and has clouds on it. Inside are newspaper articles, an audio tape of the memorial service, a few pictures, a couple letters Ben wrote to her while on his mission, stickers, artwork, a cd, her chapstick. I don't look through it often. Maybe two times in the decade that has passed.

Time doesn't really heal all wounds, it just changes your perspective of the pain. While sad to lose a sister, I think now how exponentially harder it must be to lose a child. This perspective doesn't feel like healing to me. Losing someone close is also a devestating reminder of our own mortality, and thus I live life a little more guarded, if not fearful of sudden tragedy. This might be normal as one matures and grows more aware of the bitterness in the world - but for me will always be tied to a day ten years ago.

When is 60 degrees beach weather?

When you were expecting April to be spring like and when you woke up April 1st to snow. And April 2nd, 3rd and 4th to rain, wind and even a smattering of hail. And when your patience with the weather in the Northwest has just started to grow thin.

That makes sunny and 60 glorious. Flipflops, t-shirts and a few hours outside resulted in the pinkness of sunburn (as opposed to the pinkness of cold and wet skin) and warm feelings all around. What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon between Conference sessions than enjoying God's green earth - along with many other sun-starved humans. The kids even put their feet in the water (It's not that warm - I'm not sure if it ever get's that warm). Avery and I enjoyed it so much that we went back for sunset and low tide and were rewarded with the sight of two seals frolicking in the Sound. I now see the wisdom in the incredible length of the summer day here offset by stubby days of winter dreariness. In other words, wake me up when summer comes.

Avery convinced someone to let her walk their poodle.

Chocolate Sheet Cake.

"You're not going to make that from scratch are you?" Those are the loving words I was greeted with after announcing that I was going to make a cake. A cake I had been thinking about for two days. A cake I ran four miles for, just so I would not feel the least bit of guilt when I indulged. A cake I had to buy a new pan for because the other is in storage*

(I apologize in advance to any Catholic, Lutheran or other friends honoring Lent** by giving up chocolate. Or if you are on a chocolate-free diet. You may just want to skip to a post that won't stir any passions - may I suggest "Choosing Paint")

I defiantly continued to pull out the flour and cocoa from the cupboard. I was going to make it from scratch - despite my dismal baking record. It's only dismal from Ben's perspective anyhow. I have quite liked the things I make. But I can see why, maybe he wouldn't like my desserts. First of all, I don't bake often so maybe he's mad at me about that. When I do bake, I just can't bring myself to take the time to measure exactly. But I've found that if you say "close enough" when you pour the baking soda into the palm of your hand and toss it in that things generally work out fine.*** The most egregious of my baking sins however, is my need to add things to the recipe. Generally to increase the nutrition. Things like ground flax seeds and wheat germ tend to find their way into the bowl, even when I promise myself I will follow the recipe exactly. I just can't help it. And I should probably just stick to making granola bars.

But I'm glad I made the cake. And judging from the seconds and thirds that Ben had (darn him and his never expanding waistline) he was pretty grateful himself. So without further ado here is the recipe I stole from The Pioneer Woman. It won't be the last.

Pioneer Woman Chocolate Sheet Cake

Combine in a mixing bowl:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a saucepan, melt:
2 sticks butter
Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa.

Stir together.

Add 1 cup boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat.
Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In measuring cup, pour 1/2 cup buttermilk.

Add:
2 beaten eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture.

Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.
While cake is baking, make icing:
Chop 1/2 cup pecans finely.

Melt 1 3/4 sticks butter in a saucepan.
Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat.

Add:
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lb minus 1/2 cup powdered sugar (whatever that comes out to...?)

Stir together.
Add pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.
---

So I did use white 100% whole wheat flour (Trader Joes has a good one) and I thought it tasted a little wheatie at first but after it cooled it was unnoticeable. The cake isn't the point in this recipe anyway, it's the frosting. And since it was so healthy the four of us ate the whole thing in under 24 hours.



* My first choice was to make this cake- http://ugapo.blogspot.com/2009/03/molten-chocolate-cake-recipeheaven-on.html, but my ramekins are in storage and I figured an extra jelly roll pan will be more useful. But when I unpack I will be making this.

**I just learned how long the Lenten period is - I don't know why I always thought it was just one or two weeks. But 40 days (now I get the symbolism)plus x number of Sundays (46 days total this year) of going without whatever - that is quite a sacrifice - which I do realize is the point.

***Check before you use this method. The crook of my palm is a perfect teaspoon, yours may not be. ;)

March Recap

Choosing Paint.

A quick word to the paint companies:

"Garlic Clove" vs. "Cookie Crumb"? "Mayonnaise" vs. "Cream Pie"? The list could go on.

Why would you even put these names next to each other on a paint swatch? You think I am not swayed by the names you give your paint? I love garlic, but the thought of that being the color of my walls? Just thinking about it makes my house smell.

Name influence case in point - the colors I chose the first go round for my house: "Beach Glass", "Seashell", "Idyllic Isle", "Babbling Brook"... The only one that worked out in real life was "Idyllic Isle" and the jury is still out on the tastefulness of this choice. But you can see what images I am swayed by.

And another thing - the configuration of the paint chips. I admit, I am a sucker for Ralph Lauren and their perfect squares and silvery font - not to mention enchanting names - perfection! But Martha Stewart - for all the things she does right - paint swatches is not one of them. The problem being that each main color has complimentary color suggestions on the swatch. A feature, while helpful to some, I find utterly distracting.


With drywall up in the new house it quickly became time to make some decisions. So about $100 in samples and three days of checking said samples in differing light later - we have the winners.

Inspired by nature (like these rocks behind our house)...

Our main body color, can be found in the great room (kitchen/dining/living), entry, halls and utility room....drum roll please... "Overcast" by Benjamin Moore. As quoted by a designer in House Beautiful - "I think of this as celadon or blanc de Chine. It's the color of water in a bathtub, of the pale early morning sky. When you look at it on a chip it's not very exciting, but once it's up on the walls it reflects itself and becomes richer."

It's the color of masking tape.

Next up, master bedroom and kids bath. Afternoon Shade by FreshAire. The color can be seen on a wall here.

Master Bath: "Sneak Peek". Looks like a slightly greener version of Afternoon Shade.

Guest Bedroom/Office: "Beguile" by Valspar. Ben picked this one to which I replied "what color is that?" with a disgusted look on my face. Descriptor - bluish greenish gray. But guess what? I love it. It's one of my favorite colors we chose.

Lastly, the kids bedrooms. "Idyllic Isle" by Pittsburgh Paint and "Reflection" by Devine Paint. The kids bedroom are mirror images connected in the middle by a double pocket door. Which for now will be sleeping side (bunk beds) (Reflection) and playroom side (Idyllic Isle). Eventually this could end up being separate living spaces for them but for now we like the idea of one giant room.

Adios Mustacho.

The contest is over. The classification of Ben's win? "Most Likely to Run a Taco Truck"

I know I promised that once we left Hawaii you wouldn't have to view anymore pictures of Ben topless. Sorry, I was wrong. But it's a welcome sight (the shaving of the mustache) boobs and all.

Spring Forward!

Tonight is my favorite holiday of them all. (Technically I guess it's two am tomorrow) If they made cards for the occasion (I'm not sure that Hallmark doesn't) I would send one to myself. One more blessed hour of evening for the next 8 months or so in exchange for losing one hour of sleep - gladly. Even if you don't like Pres. George W. Bush for other reasons surely you can appreciate his lengthening of DST by a month.

Pres. Warren G. Harding ,who didn't like the idea of DST, said something to the effect of - "If you want more daylight then get up an hour earlier" Well that's fine, only this girl needs the time to change by government mandate to do so.

I don't know why we we ever "Fall Back". Of course I am very excited for that one day that I get to have one more hour in the day to do whatever I choose - unfortunately I usually squander it by watching an entire episode of SNL. And that hour we get is really just on loan until they take it back in the spring. So I can do without it for the greater good. We did without it in Hawaii and we survived just fine - maybe Pres. Obama with his island roots will institute the change.

Not that kind of Thank You.

Scenerio: I have just vacuumed the floor of crumbs in the kitchen. I am helping Avery soak her rose plant overnight. She tries to help by transferring clumps of soil from one side of the sink to the other. It gets all over the floor.

Me: Oh Avery! Thanks a lot.

Avery: I'm sorry.

Me again: I just cleaned the floor. You should ask before you do something like that.

Silence. A few seconds pass.

Avery: Mom, I know what you meant when you said "thanks a lot". You didn't mean thanks a lot like when you are smiling. You meant the kind of thanks a lot you say with a mad face. It doesn't mean the same thing.

Anger Diffused.

Binkless

Today marks four weeks of Miles without the bink. We weren't planning* on having him give it up just yet, I was still using it as a bribe for potty training, sleeping and general good behavior when we were in all of these stores we have to go to to pick out stuff for the house. But one day we forgot it and it just happened. The first couple days were painful - for me - I had to hide the binky stash from myself so I wouldn't give it to him. But he never missed a nap, and his behavior was the same. He asked for it for a few days, finally I gave him one I knew he hated to see what he would do. He said "not this one" and he and his dad had a ceremonial tossing (dunking really) of the bink into the trash. You could see the regret flash on his face for a second as he realized what he had done but was quickly cajoled into some chest thumping and celebrating his victory over that bit of silicone and colored plastic. We are now binkless.



*When Avery was two we were on the road - a new home every six weeks for a good portion of the year, thus we felt she and we, needed the binky. But as our travels came to an end we knew it was time to get rid of the pacifier - and give her a few months without it before a new baby came into the house and had one (which she stole all the time). But our great plan with her - because I think usually there should be a plan and some sort of explanation that the kid can wrap their mind around as to what happened to their little plastic friend - was that we would have accidentally left the binky on the plane and we'd have to get it next time we would be on a plane. She was a little sad, but our little scheme/trick/lie works and everytime she would see a plane fly by she would point and say "my binky!"

February Recap

February always goes by super fast and this one was no different. So here's the long of it for the short month:

Ben - Mustache still growing. Since I cannot stand to look at him for very long I don't know what else he did.

Miles - Ramped up the potty training to level two - venturing out of the house without a diaper. Unfortunatly, he also doesn't want to wear big boy undies - so commando it is - luckily when you are two, there is not much there to hurt. And while he is no where near getting the potty training achievment award he does insist on standing while peeing and can get the stool (the kind you stand on), pull down his pants and go by himself - and manage to get most of it in the bowl.

Avery - Started ballet and insists that she is as graceful as a swan.

Me - The list of things I did not get done in Feb is certainly longer than things I accomplished. For instance I didn't do: my taxes, finish writing thank you notes from Christmas/kids bdays, clean out my junkified car, organize the pile of stuff in my closet, get a Facebook account etc. etc. But I did go to a lot of tile showrooms, stone yards and hardware stores. And of course started my gymnsatics class.

I also got bit by our neighbors dog. I did cross over the electric dog fence to knock on their door so I guess I was just asking to have three large dogs rush me and bite me through my jeans leaving a puncture wound and bruising. I didn't know which dog it was until Ben got bit on the arm by the Weimaraner a few weeks later (He called it a nip but he had the same type of wound I did). Apparently this type of dog does not like strangers but are friendly to children and aggresive in play. Looks like we need to familarize ourselves real quick. And not go over the fence line.

Recap Continued...

I almost forgot the best part of my month. Valentines weekend! Usually I don't care much for the holiday. Ben and I are not super romantic so we don't worry about exchanging gifts or ordering flowers - although I was hoping for a Shop-Vac this year. And I did get some delicious chocolates via FedEx from my dad. The kids got some cards and treats in the mail too - always fun. But thanks to my mom who made a last minute trip up to see the kids and to Priceline which landed us a sweet deal as always, Ben and I had a getaway to Seattle. It was a quick trip - maybe not as quick as my mom thought it would be - she thought I was joking when I said she could find us at the Sheraton in Bellvue - and that we were only going to dinner. We did go to dinner by the way - a great one. I researched restaurants (Frommer's never fails) near our hotel and we ended up at the Seastar Restaurant where we never got past the appetizers and then skipped to dessert. We had scallops three ways, calamari "poppers" stuffed with spicy ahi, the Super Dave Roll - Scallop, crab, avocado, & tobikko (flying fish eggs) topped with salmon, crab bisque* and then some lovely chocolate caramel dessert with dulce de leche ice cream.

The next day we got a few things done in Seattle for the new house - such a different experience without the kids! We also went to Whole Foods where Ben salivated over the prepared foods and ordered a few different items - gaining him an apprecition of the store. When we got home the next afternoon grandma and the kids were out on the town. Avery came home with some white tulips for me - my mom asked if she thought her dad might get me some flowers to which Avery said "No, he's too shy". So that rounded out a delightful holiday weekend!

-

* When inquiring as to whether he should get a cup or bowl of the soup - the waitress said - well it's pretty rich. To which Ben replied- "well so are we". Poor waitress didn't know how to respond to that one and I couldn't decide if I should laugh at his joke or if that would make us look like jerks or if I should say "no we're not" which would then insult her ability to get a joke. And all I could see while I tried to decide what to do was that ridiculous mustache...