Saturday, September 30, 2006
Spellbound
Two my beeloved reeders. I just want too say soree four all the tipe-oz. Eye haven't figurd out how two use spelchek on blogger and sometimez when I tipe to fast I misspell wordz. Pleeze don't think I am incompitant, cuz I reelee am a smart wuman. Thankx four you're understandin' on this isshoe.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Fabulous Food Friday
HomeMade Macaroni and Cheese
I have been meaning to post this recipe for a while now, however in light of recent blog entries about losing weight you may question my timing. No this is not "diet" food by any stretch of the imagination, however, my kids love it and I would much rather have them eat homemade mac and cheese that the kind you can buy for .25 a box. Here's why...look at the ingredients in the box variety:
ENRICHED MACARONI PRODUCT (DURUM WHEAT FLOUR, WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, FERROUS SULFATE, THIAMIN MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), CHEESE SAUCE MIX (WHEY, GRANULAR AND CHEDDAR CHEESE [MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES], WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SALT, SODIUM TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, YELLOW 5, YELLOW 6).
Compare that with homemade ingredients that you have actually heard of:
1-2 cups macaroni* (depending on how many mouths you have to feed)
Boil macaroni in a pot of water for about 7 minutes. Drain.
Cheese Sauce
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour*
2 Cups milk
1 clove garlic
1-2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
In a sauce pan, melt butter on medium heat. Saute garlic. Wisk in flour. Slowly add milk, continue to wisk to avoid clumps, bring to a soft boil, then turn down heat and simmer for about 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Keep stirring so sauce doesn't curdle. Add 1-2 cups of your favorite cheese. I usually use cheddar, but it is creamier when I combine it with about 4 oz of cream cheese and or American cheese. Stir until all cheese is combined and melted. Add salt and pepper and onion powder (or garlic powder). Place macaroni into saucepan and mix well. Then transfer to a casserole dish. Sometimes I add chopped ham or homemade croutons to the top for extra yumminess. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.
* To make this more wholesome, I use whole wheat pasta and whole wheat flour
Since I am on a mac and cheese kick today, I thought it was worth mentioning that if you want the best homemade mac and cheese from a restaurant, go to Gravy on N. Mississippi in North Portland. You will not be disappointed!
Picture of the Day 9-29
This picture reminds me of my favorite song Natalie sang in her first year of preschool.Fuzzy Caterpillar
Fuzzy caterpillar, wiggled up a tree, he wiggled once, he wiggled twice, he wiggled right at me.
I put him in a box. Don't go away I said, but when I opened up the box...a butterfly instead.
I could never make him, even if I tried, only God in heaven can make a butterfly.
It's much cuter when a three year old sings it to you for the first time!
Weightloss Challenge...Ready...Set...Go!
Have you exercised yet today?
Our goal is to lose some serious weight by Christmas. Anyone else want to join us? Since we are all mamas who love to scrapbook, our motivation and rewards are scrapbooking related, but yours can be whatever you want. We are here to support each other in our weight loss efforts.
So girls, since this is a rather personal endeavor, would you like me to set up a new blog, or would you like regular updates and accountability to continue on this blog. Let me know your thoughts.
(and yes, RHM we do still need to find a way to get on Oprah!)
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Picture of the Day 9-28
Teddy Bear Picnic
Today was the teddy bear picnic at Zander's preschool. They also sung a teddy bear song, had a teddy bear parade and a bear hunt. It was a fun day to be 3.
Today was the teddy bear picnic at Zander's preschool. They also sung a teddy bear song, had a teddy bear parade and a bear hunt. It was a fun day to be 3.Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Another Sunny Indian Summer Day
Today we had a playdate with my nieces, Becca and Alexis. They had so much fun runnng around in the sprinkler. While Hayden was napping and the older 4 kids were out playing in the sprinkler, Tami and I were inside stamping cards. She was making thank you cards for Becca's upcoming birthday party and I was making thank yous because I always seem to need them!
Picture of the Day 9-27
Fundraiser Update
I just wanted to thank those who have helped Natalie with her school fundraiser. She was so excited yesterday after school because she earned her mysery bag...Here she is holding her bag. Inside was a bubble container that doubles as a whistle, a temporary tatoo, a top and some weird sticky worm thing. She was thrilled. Her fundraiser goes for one more week, so you still have time if you haven't looked through the catalog.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
I lost 10 pounds...AGAIN!
My long rant about weight loss (aka cheep therapy!)
Here's the deal. It makes me so crazy how our society puts so much emphasis on being thin. Our nation's obsession with dieting is out of control. When I was thin, I didn't think twice about my looks or what was okay for me to eat. I didn't compare my self to anyone, I was treated like a "normal" person. Now that I am about 25 lbs overweight, I constantly think about it. I know people in my family must wonder what happened to me. Back when I was a skinny girl, I recall several times where "fat"people were criticized by Dan's family. I remember thinking...wow, that was rude! Now I'm thinking...do they think that about me? Of course they don't, they are loving people, but what about the people who don't know me, what do they think? Do I worry about them, no...not really. When I am surrounded by people I don't know do I look around, compare myself and feel relief when I see that I am not the biggest person in the room...sadly, yes. Granted, I am not huge. You would not look at me and say she is obese, but I am overweight and in my mind, I am judged.
I have a hard time taking compliments. I try to make excuses. The other day when I was wearing a skirt a neighbor said to me"wow, I'd show off my legs like you if I had slim legs." To which I replied "Yea I wish my mid-section was slim though."
As a former skinny person, I still think of myself as thin, but then the illusion is shattered every morning when I get dressed. I never in a million years thought I would struggle with my weight like I have. When I was in track in high school someone once said to me "you're so skinny that your spandex running tights are baggy." But something happened around the age of 24 or so...a shift in my metabolism. I started noticing back fat. Weird, I thought...I better go on a diet. Like most who diet, I could lose the weight, for a time. At 27, I got pregnant with Natalie...then Zander. I nursed them both, but never saw the weight drop off like all the books say it will. I finally managed to lose all the baby weight by the time Zander was 2. I enjoyed the skinny life for awhile, new clothes, compliments, renewed self esteem, then I got pregnant again.
The messages from the media about dieting were everywhere. It was after I got pregnant with Hayden and was no longer in weight loss mode that I noticed the incredible number of commercials advertising weight loss programs. LA Weight Loss, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Metabolife, Trim Spa, NutraSystem, on and on...diet pills, programs, count this, drink that...sign up now. YIKES!!!
I was appalled the other day when Natalie, a very, very thin 5 year old, came to me and said "mom, I'm feeling a little fat today." It just about crushed me to think that the media's warped priorities have effected my little girl already.
Am I excited to have lost 10 pounds? Yes and no. I'm trying to be optimistic, but I've actually lost 10 pounds several times this year...unfortunately, it always seems to find me again. This is so completely frustrating to me that I can hardly get excited anymore when I do lose weight. Since this last pregnancy, the weight just does not want to come off. In fact, I weigh more now than when I delivered Hayden a year ago. This is in part due to the fact that I am a classic stress eater... and this has been a stressful year. Having a very colicky baby who didn't sleep through the night until 7 months, didn't help. Having to sell our home was another stress. Then packing up all our belongings, for the most part by myself while Dan was busy siding the house, was indeed very stressful. Getting adjusted to a new place, new schools for the kids, new neighbors, although exciting, it was exhausting. I kept telling myself, once we're settled, then I can get back on track again.
Over the year I would resolve to lose weight, but found that somehow I would end up sabotaging my efforts in one way or another. With such a large family it seems like there is always a birthday or some kind of celebration where snack foods and dessert would be present. Even when I told myself not to eat that stuff, it (the food) would be out, looking so yummy. Eventually it became too tempting and I would cave in and eat it anyway...then I would feel horrible and the downward spiral of bad eating would begin all over again.
This happened to me in a major way on our anniversary. I had just lost 8 lbs. Then we went away to our favorite B&B on the coast. I started determined not to skip a beat. I ordered healthy things like fish and salads when we ate in a restaurant. Then Dan surprised me with chocolate truffles (4) and champagne! What girl can resist that? The Sand Lake Country Inn, is known for their 24 hour supply of homemade chocolate chip cookies...who can have just one? Although I did have a few treats, I was making wise choices at meal times. We went on a 10 mile walk on the beach one day and the next day we kayaked for an hour. I thought I was burning all those bad calories away, but NO! When I got home, I had gained 4 lbs back...in just a weekend. I was shocked and so disappointed.
Then on August 1, the day after my 33rd birthday, I resolved once again to lose weight. Only this time, I vowed not to throw in the towel if I had a treat. Keep pressing on towards the goal (Philippians 3:14). Here is what my current 10 lb progress looks like:
At first I was losing about 2-3 pounds a week, which I felt was great. It gave me motivation. Then I would go for a spell and nothing. Or I would gain a pound in one day and it would take another 3-4 days to get it off again. If you notice the flat line in the middle...that was our trip to Idaho. I was so proud that I didn't gain a single pound. It gave me more motivation to lose...and I did. So I am sitting here trying to be optimistic. My goal is to lose 15-20 more pounds by Christmas. I don't want another family picture to be taken where I am concerned about my looks. So, please help me out here.
To my friends and family...if you are coming over for lunch/dinner, leave the chips, cookies and other temptations at home. I am eliminating processed foods from our diets (more on this in another blog), so that means white sugar and white flour are out as well. It's just too addicting and unhealthy. I am in the process of using up our current supply, but then I won't be buying it or things made with it anymore. (with Christmas time and birthdays as the exceptions).
I am finally able to work out at the gym a couple days a week when the older kids are both in school. This should help a lot. It sure accelerated my weight loss a few years ago when I lost 30 lbs in 3 1/2 months.
Whew!!! Writing this blog entry was more for me than for you today. I hope I didn't bore you to tears, but it felt good to get my thoughts out there. I'm sure I will have more interesting things to say tomorrow.
Here's the deal. It makes me so crazy how our society puts so much emphasis on being thin. Our nation's obsession with dieting is out of control. When I was thin, I didn't think twice about my looks or what was okay for me to eat. I didn't compare my self to anyone, I was treated like a "normal" person. Now that I am about 25 lbs overweight, I constantly think about it. I know people in my family must wonder what happened to me. Back when I was a skinny girl, I recall several times where "fat"people were criticized by Dan's family. I remember thinking...wow, that was rude! Now I'm thinking...do they think that about me? Of course they don't, they are loving people, but what about the people who don't know me, what do they think? Do I worry about them, no...not really. When I am surrounded by people I don't know do I look around, compare myself and feel relief when I see that I am not the biggest person in the room...sadly, yes. Granted, I am not huge. You would not look at me and say she is obese, but I am overweight and in my mind, I am judged.
I have a hard time taking compliments. I try to make excuses. The other day when I was wearing a skirt a neighbor said to me"wow, I'd show off my legs like you if I had slim legs." To which I replied "Yea I wish my mid-section was slim though."
As a former skinny person, I still think of myself as thin, but then the illusion is shattered every morning when I get dressed. I never in a million years thought I would struggle with my weight like I have. When I was in track in high school someone once said to me "you're so skinny that your spandex running tights are baggy." But something happened around the age of 24 or so...a shift in my metabolism. I started noticing back fat. Weird, I thought...I better go on a diet. Like most who diet, I could lose the weight, for a time. At 27, I got pregnant with Natalie...then Zander. I nursed them both, but never saw the weight drop off like all the books say it will. I finally managed to lose all the baby weight by the time Zander was 2. I enjoyed the skinny life for awhile, new clothes, compliments, renewed self esteem, then I got pregnant again.
The messages from the media about dieting were everywhere. It was after I got pregnant with Hayden and was no longer in weight loss mode that I noticed the incredible number of commercials advertising weight loss programs. LA Weight Loss, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Metabolife, Trim Spa, NutraSystem, on and on...diet pills, programs, count this, drink that...sign up now. YIKES!!!
I was appalled the other day when Natalie, a very, very thin 5 year old, came to me and said "mom, I'm feeling a little fat today." It just about crushed me to think that the media's warped priorities have effected my little girl already.
Am I excited to have lost 10 pounds? Yes and no. I'm trying to be optimistic, but I've actually lost 10 pounds several times this year...unfortunately, it always seems to find me again. This is so completely frustrating to me that I can hardly get excited anymore when I do lose weight. Since this last pregnancy, the weight just does not want to come off. In fact, I weigh more now than when I delivered Hayden a year ago. This is in part due to the fact that I am a classic stress eater... and this has been a stressful year. Having a very colicky baby who didn't sleep through the night until 7 months, didn't help. Having to sell our home was another stress. Then packing up all our belongings, for the most part by myself while Dan was busy siding the house, was indeed very stressful. Getting adjusted to a new place, new schools for the kids, new neighbors, although exciting, it was exhausting. I kept telling myself, once we're settled, then I can get back on track again.
Over the year I would resolve to lose weight, but found that somehow I would end up sabotaging my efforts in one way or another. With such a large family it seems like there is always a birthday or some kind of celebration where snack foods and dessert would be present. Even when I told myself not to eat that stuff, it (the food) would be out, looking so yummy. Eventually it became too tempting and I would cave in and eat it anyway...then I would feel horrible and the downward spiral of bad eating would begin all over again.
This happened to me in a major way on our anniversary. I had just lost 8 lbs. Then we went away to our favorite B&B on the coast. I started determined not to skip a beat. I ordered healthy things like fish and salads when we ate in a restaurant. Then Dan surprised me with chocolate truffles (4) and champagne! What girl can resist that? The Sand Lake Country Inn, is known for their 24 hour supply of homemade chocolate chip cookies...who can have just one? Although I did have a few treats, I was making wise choices at meal times. We went on a 10 mile walk on the beach one day and the next day we kayaked for an hour. I thought I was burning all those bad calories away, but NO! When I got home, I had gained 4 lbs back...in just a weekend. I was shocked and so disappointed.
Then on August 1, the day after my 33rd birthday, I resolved once again to lose weight. Only this time, I vowed not to throw in the towel if I had a treat. Keep pressing on towards the goal (Philippians 3:14). Here is what my current 10 lb progress looks like:
At first I was losing about 2-3 pounds a week, which I felt was great. It gave me motivation. Then I would go for a spell and nothing. Or I would gain a pound in one day and it would take another 3-4 days to get it off again. If you notice the flat line in the middle...that was our trip to Idaho. I was so proud that I didn't gain a single pound. It gave me more motivation to lose...and I did. So I am sitting here trying to be optimistic. My goal is to lose 15-20 more pounds by Christmas. I don't want another family picture to be taken where I am concerned about my looks. So, please help me out here.To my friends and family...if you are coming over for lunch/dinner, leave the chips, cookies and other temptations at home. I am eliminating processed foods from our diets (more on this in another blog), so that means white sugar and white flour are out as well. It's just too addicting and unhealthy. I am in the process of using up our current supply, but then I won't be buying it or things made with it anymore. (with Christmas time and birthdays as the exceptions).
I am finally able to work out at the gym a couple days a week when the older kids are both in school. This should help a lot. It sure accelerated my weight loss a few years ago when I lost 30 lbs in 3 1/2 months.
Whew!!! Writing this blog entry was more for me than for you today. I hope I didn't bore you to tears, but it felt good to get my thoughts out there. I'm sure I will have more interesting things to say tomorrow.
Picture of the Day 9-26
Pout, Pout, Pout.
This is what Hayden does when his is mad. He looks just like a little ostrich putting his head in the sand.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Yesterday was a Great Day!
Can you believe the weather we had...86 degrees! It was a perfect fall day. In the afternoon, Dan and Natalie went in the pool while I watched nearby, laying in the sun. We all enjoyed home-made popcicles (I use leftover smoothies to make ours...yum!). After a while Dan decided to mow the lawn...with kids in tow.
While they were busy on the "tractor," I rescued our blueberry bushes from our overzealous grape vines. They were climbing up over the trellis and onto nearby bushes and trees. Now you can actually walk under the trellis. Some day, I'd love to put a bench or a swing under there.
The concord grapes are begining to get ripe and they smell amazing...can't wait to juice these beauties!
When Dan was out mowing, he stopped and chatted with the neighbor behind us who was hauling horse manure to our other neighbor's yard. On his way over he gave us some too. Free compost for our vegetable garden next year. We missed out on a garden this year due to the move. I can't wait to start planting next spring!
Picture of the Day 9-25
On Tuesdays and Thursdays I have about 45 minutes to kill from the time I drop Natalie off at school, until I have to drop Zander at his school...a mere 8 minutes away. When the weather is nice Zander and I go to a nearby park, but the last couple weeks have been rainy, so instead we would sit in the parking lot and read stories...Thank goodness the sun came out again! Last week I thought it would be fun, for a change of pace, to do a photo shoot of Zander before school began. This was taken at Natalie's school.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Ask and Ye Shall Receive
My friend sweetktea asked to see a sunset picture. This is one I took the first week of September in our front yard...it's the most recent. Isn't it gorgeous!!! I'm a freak when it comes to taking pictures of sunsets (well, of anything for that matter), so I'm sure there will be more sunset pictures to blog about.
Picture of the Day 9-24
Room with a view!
This is the view out my bedroom window. You can see Mt. Hood peeking out in the distance. We have been very fortunate to have lived in homes with views of the mountain. Our last house had an amazing full view of Mt. Hood. Now we have a partial view, but we get to enjoy beautiful sunsets without nearby houses getting in the way.
This is the view out my bedroom window. You can see Mt. Hood peeking out in the distance. We have been very fortunate to have lived in homes with views of the mountain. Our last house had an amazing full view of Mt. Hood. Now we have a partial view, but we get to enjoy beautiful sunsets without nearby houses getting in the way.Saturday, September 23, 2006
You have been Warned!
I just wanted to put the word out there that Natalie's school is doing a fundraiser. She is VERY excited about helping her school. After I picked her up from school the other day, she told me "Mommy, I'm going to sell 5 things so I can get a prize." Wow! Setting goals already. Yesterday, she upped the anty. Now she wants to sell 8 things so she can get a mystery prize grab bag.
So here's the scoop, you can go to www.cherrydale.com and see all the things for sale. (gift items, Christmas, chocolates, gift wrap etc.). We also have a catalog, but if you want you can order online by using this school code 129195. If you decide to order online, let us know so we can keep track of how many orders she is getting. The great thing about this fundraiser is it's not based on the total dollar amount sold, the kids are rewarded based on the number of items sold...so now you have been warned!!! I hope that you can help Natalie with her goal(s). Thank you in advance for your support!
In addition to this fundraiser, the school is also selling Entertainment books for $30.
And last but not least they have movie tickets on sale for the Hood Theatre in Gresham. For only $7, you will get a pass for 10 matinees featuring some favorite kids movies. The best part is 2 adults can get in for free!
Here is a list of the movies:
Oct 6-12 Garfield
Oct 13-19 Over the Hedge
Oct 20-26 Cars
Oct 27-Nov 2 Ice Age
Nov 3-9 Monster House
Nov 10-16 Barnyard
Nov 17- 22 The Wild
Nov 24-30 RV
Dec 1-7 The Ant Bully
Dec 8-14 The Shaggy Dog
Let me know if you are interested in any of these. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
So here's the scoop, you can go to www.cherrydale.com and see all the things for sale. (gift items, Christmas, chocolates, gift wrap etc.). We also have a catalog, but if you want you can order online by using this school code 129195. If you decide to order online, let us know so we can keep track of how many orders she is getting. The great thing about this fundraiser is it's not based on the total dollar amount sold, the kids are rewarded based on the number of items sold...so now you have been warned!!! I hope that you can help Natalie with her goal(s). Thank you in advance for your support!
In addition to this fundraiser, the school is also selling Entertainment books for $30.
And last but not least they have movie tickets on sale for the Hood Theatre in Gresham. For only $7, you will get a pass for 10 matinees featuring some favorite kids movies. The best part is 2 adults can get in for free!
Here is a list of the movies:
Oct 6-12 Garfield
Oct 13-19 Over the Hedge
Oct 20-26 Cars
Oct 27-Nov 2 Ice Age
Nov 3-9 Monster House
Nov 10-16 Barnyard
Nov 17- 22 The Wild
Nov 24-30 RV
Dec 1-7 The Ant Bully
Dec 8-14 The Shaggy Dog
Let me know if you are interested in any of these. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Picture of the Day 9-23
Good Night, Sleep Tight
Lately, Natalie has been going to bed with her headband around her eyes...proving that she is a perfect mix between her daddy and mommy. Dan likes to sleep with a pillow over his face to block out the light and I can't have anything covering my mouth and nose when I sleep. (I don't like breathing warm air). So, it looks to me like she found the perfect solution.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Fabulous Food Friday
Rachael Ray may wow you with her 30-minute meals, but I have a meal that will save you 10 more minutes. I made this last night in about 20 minutes...so easy...so yummy and so good for you!Menu
4Blackened Tilapia4Sauteed Zucchini and Onions4Dot Noodles
First coat a casserole dish with olive oil. Then place tilapia fillets in dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. I added a blackening seasoning that I purchased from the Salty's booth last month at the Bite. Now it is ready to go into a 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. While the fish is cooking, boil some noodles for about 7 minutes. While you are waiting for the water to boil, turn on the stove to med and heat up a saucepan or wok with about a tablespoon of butter. Now slice 1/2 to 1 zucchini, 1 onion, 2 cloves of garlic (minced) and 1/4 of a green pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasonings/oregano and saute until tender. When the noodles are done, drain off water and return to pot. Add a tablespoon of butter and about 1/2 teaspoon of poppy seeds, stir. About this time your fish will be ready to take out of the oven. That's it, you're done! Serve with a lemon wedge (not just for garnish...it really does taste good on the fish.) Bon Appetite!
Picture of the Day 9-22
Extreme
Home Makeover
This morning as I drove up the driveway I heard a "creeeeeek" and sure enough, our neighbor's house was being torn down. They built a great house just feet away from this one and moved in this summer. Today was the big day to tear down the walls of their old house.
Home Makeover
This morning as I drove up the driveway I heard a "creeeeeek" and sure enough, our neighbor's house was being torn down. They built a great house just feet away from this one and moved in this summer. Today was the big day to tear down the walls of their old house.Thursday, September 21, 2006
The Secret Fort
Back in the first part of July, I was trying to find the kids who had gone outside to play. As I walked passed some bushes I overheard this conversation:"Zander, this is going to be our secret fort. You can't tell anyone about it. I brought some toys in my backpack to play with...a pink pillow, a dog toy, and a piglett toy. Now let's play!"
It was so sweet and reminded me of all the forts my brother and I used to make outside.
I was finally invited to see the new fort and it I think our kids have found a great fort in our new yard. It is so roomy, even grown-ups can stand up inside. These pictures were taken last week. The next day it started raining, and it has been raining ever since. The first picture is of Natalie going into the fort, then in the next one she is just walking through (I am taking it from inside the fort). Next you see Natalie and Zander sweeping their fort with a broom made out of a branch.
Picture of the Day 9-21
This week, Zander was King of the Jungle at his preschool. He got to tell the other kids in his class all about what he liked and he got to be the line leader all week long. Here he is standing in front of the bulletin board with all his pictures on it.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Kid's Health Fair
Last Saturday we went to the Kid's Health Fair at Mt. Hood Medical Center.
(Click on the photos to enlarge)
This is as close as Natalie would get to the fire truck. She is so much like me at this age. I remember being on a preschool field trip to OMSI (back when it was near the Zoo) and I got super nervous when they wanted us all to go in the airplane outside. She also gets nervous around big vehicles and so you won't see many photos of her.
Zander, on the other hand, wanted to see it all. Here he is in a fire truck, an ambulance and in the back of a police car!
Here, the Gresham Fire Fighters demonstrate how they can save lives by ripping open a car. We got there right as they were taking the whole top off...an instant convertable!
Here is Zander getting a pretend red cast put on his wrist. Then we waited in line to get Zander a bike helmet (for only $5). Now we just need to get him a bike! I looked, but they weren't selling bikes for $5. Drats! Hayden liked to hang out at the Lego table.
Now Dr. Zander, assisted by a surgeon, uses a special grabbing device to remove the candy inside the teddy bear's tummy. In order to locate the candy, Dr. Zander had to look on the monitor that showed the inside of the bear's tummy. I'm happy to report that the surgery was a success. As you can see, we had a great time.
(Click on the photos to enlarge)
This is as close as Natalie would get to the fire truck. She is so much like me at this age. I remember being on a preschool field trip to OMSI (back when it was near the Zoo) and I got super nervous when they wanted us all to go in the airplane outside. She also gets nervous around big vehicles and so you won't see many photos of her.
Zander, on the other hand, wanted to see it all. Here he is in a fire truck, an ambulance and in the back of a police car!
Here, the Gresham Fire Fighters demonstrate how they can save lives by ripping open a car. We got there right as they were taking the whole top off...an instant convertable!
Here is Zander getting a pretend red cast put on his wrist. Then we waited in line to get Zander a bike helmet (for only $5). Now we just need to get him a bike! I looked, but they weren't selling bikes for $5. Drats! Hayden liked to hang out at the Lego table.
Now Dr. Zander, assisted by a surgeon, uses a special grabbing device to remove the candy inside the teddy bear's tummy. In order to locate the candy, Dr. Zander had to look on the monitor that showed the inside of the bear's tummy. I'm happy to report that the surgery was a success. As you can see, we had a great time.
Picture of the Day 9-20
Hayden looks so cute in his camo pants...and just look at his smile...so much better than when he is fussy!Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Picture of the Day 9-19
Arrrrg! This picture is from December 2005, but I thought it was fitting for "Talk Like a Pirate Day!"
Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Pirate's Life for Me!
At our house we often talk like pirates even when it is not an official day, so today I thought it would be extra fun to incorporate the pirate theme into our lunch. As you can see, we feasted on Black Beard's Blackberry and Cream Cheese Pirate Ship Subs with a Walk the Plank Pickle and a glass of Blue Lagoon punch to wash it down. Before they could eat, I asked the kids to swab the deck (table) and they replied with a hearty "I, I Captian!"
Later for a treat, we will have Sweedish fish gummy snacks. Then for dinner I, Captian "Cook" will serve Pirate Potroast with stuffed Zucchini "ships." For their bedtime story we will read How I Became a Pirate.
For those of you in the Portland area, there will be the Portland Pirate Festival this Saturday from 10 am - 10 pm at Cathedral Park. I'm going to try and talk Dan into going.
For more pirate fun go to www.talklikeapirate.com where you will find answers to burning questions like this:
Later for a treat, we will have Sweedish fish gummy snacks. Then for dinner I, Captian "Cook" will serve Pirate Potroast with stuffed Zucchini "ships." For their bedtime story we will read How I Became a Pirate.
For those of you in the Portland area, there will be the Portland Pirate Festival this Saturday from 10 am - 10 pm at Cathedral Park. I'm going to try and talk Dan into going.
For more pirate fun go to www.talklikeapirate.com where you will find answers to burning questions like this:
Q. OK, settle this once and for all. Is it "Arrrrrrr," "Yarrrrr," "Yarrrrgh" or what?
A. Ol' Chumbucket has always held that the preferred exclamation be "Arrr!" and not, "Arrrgh!" because "Arrrgh!" is the sound one makes when one sits on a belayin' pin and no pirate would intentionally do that.
But the fact o' the matter is, thar be pirates what says, "Arrr!" AND pirates what says, "Arrrgh!" and thems what say, "Yarrr!" or even "Yarrrgh!" (Although "Yarrr!" tends to be a British variant and "Yarrgh" seems to be favored by the Dutch.)
But we don't care how ye say it! Your "Arrr!" should just come from yer heart and yer bowels and be a fully formed expression o' yer own Pirattitude!
Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day!
Did you miss me?
I missed you!!! I love my blog because it gives me a chance to journal about my day and keep my friends and family in the loop, especially our family in Texas and New York.
So, last week when I woke up and saw the note on the computer that said: "Computer down, don't turn on. Call Adam," I was totally bummed. As it turns out, Dan had tried to delete some files and accidentally deleted the system folder. Now, we are Mac people and so we are not accustomed to our computer just crashing like that, but fortunately we have a great computer guy who has become a great friend too. He reminded me last week that we have now know eachother for 10 years. At any rate, he is a computer genious and always gets us out of any mess we could possibly get in to. Thanks Adam!
Late last night we got our computers back. Mine didn't crash, but Adam added a DVD drive so I could back-up and store all my thousands of photos. He also got my computer hooked up so I am on-line now and don't have to sneek on to Dan's computer when he is not working! Hooray for ME!
Over the past week we have gotten so much done without computers to tie us down. I got all caught up with my laundry. My downstairs is all picked up, the kids' bedrooms are picked up...I did some scrapbooking (check out my "Paper Capers" blog link on the left)... I read a book "Natural Cures, Things They Don't Want You to Know" ... and I got my husband back for almost a week. He couldn't work on the computer, so he had more time to spend with us. Saturday the whole family went to the Kid's Health Fair at the hospital and had a good-old time (I will blog about this later today.) It was nice while it lasted, but it just showed us what a huge time-suck the computer really is. So, here I sit at the computer once again, typing away, happy as a clam.
For those of you who have been posting and wondering why your posts have not shown up, I have solved this problem. As it turns out, I had accidentally turned on the 'moderate comments' button, so all of your comments were saved and were waiting for me to "approve" them. Well, thanks to my friend sweetktea who clued me in, you can now read your posts. Please let me know if you have any trouble posting. As you know this is a highlight for me and I love to read your thoughts.
So, last week when I woke up and saw the note on the computer that said: "Computer down, don't turn on. Call Adam," I was totally bummed. As it turns out, Dan had tried to delete some files and accidentally deleted the system folder. Now, we are Mac people and so we are not accustomed to our computer just crashing like that, but fortunately we have a great computer guy who has become a great friend too. He reminded me last week that we have now know eachother for 10 years. At any rate, he is a computer genious and always gets us out of any mess we could possibly get in to. Thanks Adam!
Late last night we got our computers back. Mine didn't crash, but Adam added a DVD drive so I could back-up and store all my thousands of photos. He also got my computer hooked up so I am on-line now and don't have to sneek on to Dan's computer when he is not working! Hooray for ME!
Over the past week we have gotten so much done without computers to tie us down. I got all caught up with my laundry. My downstairs is all picked up, the kids' bedrooms are picked up...I did some scrapbooking (check out my "Paper Capers" blog link on the left)... I read a book "Natural Cures, Things They Don't Want You to Know" ... and I got my husband back for almost a week. He couldn't work on the computer, so he had more time to spend with us. Saturday the whole family went to the Kid's Health Fair at the hospital and had a good-old time (I will blog about this later today.) It was nice while it lasted, but it just showed us what a huge time-suck the computer really is. So, here I sit at the computer once again, typing away, happy as a clam.
For those of you who have been posting and wondering why your posts have not shown up, I have solved this problem. As it turns out, I had accidentally turned on the 'moderate comments' button, so all of your comments were saved and were waiting for me to "approve" them. Well, thanks to my friend sweetktea who clued me in, you can now read your posts. Please let me know if you have any trouble posting. As you know this is a highlight for me and I love to read your thoughts.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Pillow Talk
When Natalie was about a year old I went to the fabric store and bought some pink flannel to make a cute little decorative pillow for her crib. It was the perfect size for a baby. As she grew older, this became her travel pillow and it came along with us when we went camping or when we went anywhere overnight. This pink pillow has now become her security 'blanket' of sorts and she tells me every night "Mom, I can't sleep without my pink pillow." When she was in preschool she brought her pink pillow for show and tell on numerous occasions. She has loved on her pink pillow so much, there are holes in spots and the corners are all chewed on. On it's last trip to the washing machine, pink pillow lost some stuffing and so I decided it was time for pink pillow to have an extreme makeover. A few weeks back Natalie and I got some new fabric on our girl's day just to fix her pillow. Then this morning when I was sorting through my sewing stuff, I found left over fabric from the original pink pillow, so I made a pillow case for it, sewed up the holes and re-stuffed the pillow so it is now fluffy again. When she came home from kindergarten today, I had it waiting for her and she was so excited!
Natalie's pink pillow before and after reconstruction. The picture with the pink "N" shows the new pillow case. See how much the old fabric has faded.
Not wanting to leave Zander out, I made a pillow for him out of fabric featuring his favorite Toy Story character, Woody. He has been asking me for months, "When are you going to make my pillow?" Well, now he has his too!
Natalie's pink pillow before and after reconstruction. The picture with the pink "N" shows the new pillow case. See how much the old fabric has faded.
Not wanting to leave Zander out, I made a pillow for him out of fabric featuring his favorite Toy Story character, Woody. He has been asking me for months, "When are you going to make my pillow?" Well, now he has his too!
Monday, September 11, 2006
Five Years Ago Today...
Five years ago, on September 11, 2001 I awoke just like any other day when my clock radio alarm went off. This time however, there were school closure announcements. Half awake I recognized some of the names and areas from my visits to New York. I wondered "why are they announcing New York closures on our station?" In my gut, I just knew something was really wrong, so I jumped out of bed and immediately turned on the t.v. The first World Trade Center tower had just been hit. I woke Dan up in total confusion and we watched the coverage. Soon Natalie, just 9 months old woke up, so I brought her downstairs and put her in the highchair. Another tower was hit. Then later the Pentagon, then a fourth plane went down in Pittsburgh. I was glued to the t.v. all day, some out of curiosity, but mostly out of fear and deep sadness for what just happened. This was indeed a very significant day.
I remember thinking "What kind of a world am I raising this baby in?" I felt so unsafe and unsure about the future of our country. I couldn't turn the t.v. off. Even at night, I would watch until I fell asleep. I had nightmares about planes crashing into our home and would wake up with my heart just racing. It was an eerie time, even on the west coast. There were no planes flying over our house (and we were in the flight path for PDX). It was strange to go outside and look up and see no commercial planes, no private planes, or jets, or helicopters anywhere...just silence.
As the days past we watched with goose bumps as President Bush addressed the nation from Ground Zero. We saw him in church and we saw him hugging the widows of the firefighters who died trying to save lives. Our country was changed, we were unified and for a short while, political differences and agendas were set aside and people were civil to one another. Leaders from other countries sent their condolences and rallied behind us. Everywhere you went people were displaying the American flag. On their houses, from their cars, on their clothing, bumper stickers, pins, you name it. Patriotism was alive and well in America. Suddenly cheering "God Bless America" was politically correct. Large numbers of people began praying to God and seeking comfort from our Savior.
It was nice while it lasted, but fast forward to 2006 and our country couldn't be more divided. It's amazing what can change in five years. Now people are fighting to get the words "under God" removed from the Pledge of Allegiance. The 'war on terror' has now deemed us the bad guy, Muslim nations hate us and we are loosing American lives in Iraq daily. Although I support the work our troops are doing overseas, it just kills me to watch the news...so I don't anymore; it's too depressing.
Every year on this day, I take some time to reflect back and remember those who died, those who survived and those who became heros. I wish our country was in better shape. Morale seems low. For now I will continue to pray.
Here are some photos that were taken on our 2003 trip to NYC. We flew back with Natalie (then 2) and Zander (4 months) to visit my grandparents on Long Island and got to hang out with my Aunt Sue and cousin Jennifer too! Wish we lived closer...and we look forward to visiting again soon!
"The Sphere" from the World Trade Center was moved to Battery Park where it stands as a monumental reminder of 9/11.
Workers in the clean-up effort stop and gaze at the devastation below.
This building was not far from the WTC and you can see the destruction to the brick as well as the windows. A black cloth draped the entire sky scraper. On one side (not in this picture) a huge banner, over 23 stories long, reads "The human spirit is not measured by the size of the act, but by the size of the heart."
Through the fence, you can see the workers still hard at work a year and a half after the attack. It is really amazing to look up and see the space in the sky where there are no buildings. Almost everywhere else in the city is closed in by tall, tall sky scrapers.
Security was high on Wall Street. Just walking down to the NY Stock Exchange building we passed by several armed security guards carrying HUGE, I mean HUGE machine guns. Many tourist attractions were barricaded off, including the stock exchange building, so we just looked from outside. Love the gi-normous flag, don't you?
I remember thinking "What kind of a world am I raising this baby in?" I felt so unsafe and unsure about the future of our country. I couldn't turn the t.v. off. Even at night, I would watch until I fell asleep. I had nightmares about planes crashing into our home and would wake up with my heart just racing. It was an eerie time, even on the west coast. There were no planes flying over our house (and we were in the flight path for PDX). It was strange to go outside and look up and see no commercial planes, no private planes, or jets, or helicopters anywhere...just silence.
As the days past we watched with goose bumps as President Bush addressed the nation from Ground Zero. We saw him in church and we saw him hugging the widows of the firefighters who died trying to save lives. Our country was changed, we were unified and for a short while, political differences and agendas were set aside and people were civil to one another. Leaders from other countries sent their condolences and rallied behind us. Everywhere you went people were displaying the American flag. On their houses, from their cars, on their clothing, bumper stickers, pins, you name it. Patriotism was alive and well in America. Suddenly cheering "God Bless America" was politically correct. Large numbers of people began praying to God and seeking comfort from our Savior.
It was nice while it lasted, but fast forward to 2006 and our country couldn't be more divided. It's amazing what can change in five years. Now people are fighting to get the words "under God" removed from the Pledge of Allegiance. The 'war on terror' has now deemed us the bad guy, Muslim nations hate us and we are loosing American lives in Iraq daily. Although I support the work our troops are doing overseas, it just kills me to watch the news...so I don't anymore; it's too depressing.
Every year on this day, I take some time to reflect back and remember those who died, those who survived and those who became heros. I wish our country was in better shape. Morale seems low. For now I will continue to pray.
Here are some photos that were taken on our 2003 trip to NYC. We flew back with Natalie (then 2) and Zander (4 months) to visit my grandparents on Long Island and got to hang out with my Aunt Sue and cousin Jennifer too! Wish we lived closer...and we look forward to visiting again soon!
"The Sphere" from the World Trade Center was moved to Battery Park where it stands as a monumental reminder of 9/11.
Workers in the clean-up effort stop and gaze at the devastation below.
This building was not far from the WTC and you can see the destruction to the brick as well as the windows. A black cloth draped the entire sky scraper. On one side (not in this picture) a huge banner, over 23 stories long, reads "The human spirit is not measured by the size of the act, but by the size of the heart."
Through the fence, you can see the workers still hard at work a year and a half after the attack. It is really amazing to look up and see the space in the sky where there are no buildings. Almost everywhere else in the city is closed in by tall, tall sky scrapers.
Security was high on Wall Street. Just walking down to the NY Stock Exchange building we passed by several armed security guards carrying HUGE, I mean HUGE machine guns. Many tourist attractions were barricaded off, including the stock exchange building, so we just looked from outside. Love the gi-normous flag, don't you?
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