A Get-Away

Nathan and I enjoyed a weekend away for our 16th Anniversary. We went and stayed the night in Clackamas and went to the street of dreams. Thanks to everyone who helped get my kids where they needed to go for the day. I can't believe how hard it is to escape for less than 24 hours. We got to our hotel and found about 100 12 year old girl soccer players and their families staying with us for a tournament the next day. So much for escaping children. The homes were not as impressive this year as they have been in the past. I imagine the fear of not being able to sell them afterwards is a concern this time. It has gotten me motivated to start drawing designs for my kitchen. Ideas anyone!

Don't Scratch-easier said than done!

OK, so much for the supposed personal conviction that I am above being irritated by Poison Oak. I have family members who break out if they get within 10 feet but I have never had a reaction to Poison Ivy or Oak. Well my clean record has ended. I am so stinking miserable! Our back yard fence had a 20 foot section with Poison Oak growing into our yard. I didn't want to hire someone who might get it and Nate started clearing it and broke out. So thinking I don't break out I spend 3 days clearing it all back. Guess that wasn't so intelligent after all. At least I saved my kids and husband from the nasty stuff but boy do I ITCH!!!!!

On a more enjoyable note I thought I would give some in site into the difference between my two sons. We went to the library's discount day at Oaks Amusement Park on Wednesday. After a fun, long day I give Andrew and Zach the chance to pick one more ride each. Andrew picks the Spider and wants to ride with Becca "cuz she knows how to make it spin real fast". Zach picks the carousal and wants to ride one that "doesn't go up and down". Andrew put on his roller skates crying when I didn't do his first and went right out onto the floor without me. Zach couldn't stand up straight for anything let alone let go of a wall and spent most of the time crying in a corner to be done. I love all my children and it is fun to see them develop so differently.

The Lazy Days of Summer

Ok, I know I am a huge bum and haven't written in forever, but really-it is summer. So what is up with that anyway. When it is gray and wet outside and I am doing nothing but running kids here and there I find time to write. When I am actually doing things and being busy-possibly even doing something worth writing about but I can't guarantee anything, I don't write. Isn't that the way of life. We went and spent a week vacationing through California. Thank you for everyone who let us stay with them. We went on the best, crazy, intense roller coaster called X2 at Magic Mountain, saw Wicked in LA, went boating, beaching, and just lazy days with friends. It is good to be home. This week is dedicated to the obsession of the Twilight series. The fourth and final book is being released at midnight this Friday August 1st. Yes, the party is at Barnes and Nobles in Tansbourne Center off 185th 10-12pm. Get reading if your not done!

Vacationers return

So we took the family to that new water park Wolf Lodge up in Washington. It is what Roz really wanted for her birthday. It was fun but I agree with Dina who said it is a glorified Clackamas Water Park. It is a huge hotel and then the water park is all indoors and only people staying at the hotel can go in. It is still plenty crowded. They also had this "Quest" game set up on all the lobby's where you buy a wand and then you have these computerized quests and challenges that you run all over the place doing searches for gold, gems, pictures of things, etc. The kids liked that as much or more than the water. You got to save the fairies and fight off dragons with this wand which was computerized.

As for my sicko-Eliza is feeling great now and sees absolutely no need for the yucky pink stuff anymore. It's amazing how the first day she was happy to take it and it went down so easily and didn't taste bad. 5 days later and its not again, yuck and do I have to as she hides. Ah, the joys.

I want to add that my parents are still doing fine. I was happy to be able to go and help do some of those odd jobs around the house for them over spring break. My mom is a 24/7 care giver for my dad who still gets out and plants and works in the yard despite his physical limitations. It has been very fun to help update some of there rooms. It is always more fun to spend other peoples money! Mom, you have done a great job and the house is looking super. There are not two more wonderful people in the world.

sickness in our home

Well it has finally happened. View picture of Eliza sulking on couch. I have Amoxicillin in my home. Yes, that runny pick stuff that I have seen in so many other peoples homes but never in mine. I have 5 kids, my eldest is almost 13 and I have never been to a doctor for an ear-ache or strep, or any other drug needing illness. Broken arms: once with Roz and 2x for Zach, but never the nasty pink stuff twice a day. I feel like I have entered in to some right of motherhood somehow. You can congratulate me when my 8 year old quites melting down and telling me "I an going to die because I can't eat, I can't sleep, I can't swallow and I have to much snot!" Yes, motherhood continues.

On a happier note, Andrew graduated from preschool. So the directions to the unknown location of said graduation were to take 185th to Farmington and church is on the right. Well, unfortunately for me, I missed that immediate church, drove for 20 minutes in horrible Farmington Rd traffic, called a friend and had her google the name which sent me to some other Westside church out passed 217 and then on my way home 45 min. later having majorly scratched up the newly replaced bumper on the car making an emergency u-turn, I see the church and arrive with about 2 minutes before they call his name. This is the graduation that I saw no real point in going to because, yah, he's 4 and still has another year of preschool. He got the all important promised piece of cake that he didn't end up eating and is still sitting on my counter wrapped in foil. Nice.

Becca goes to Boston

Well Becca and I made it through our exciting trip to Boston Town. We flew out the red-eye on Thursday night and came back late Monday evening. It was fast but we actually did quite a bit. On about 2 hours of sleep we walked the entire Boston Commons park and the walking tour. They have actually painted or placed red bricks throughout the city to make the trail. We went to the top of the bunker hill memorial, all 294 steps. Then I got to spend time with my amazing friend Judianne Peterson who was kind enough to let us stay with her. We made it to Plimoth and visited the reenactment sites of the Indians and Mayflower settlers. I think Becca enjoyed shopping for tee shirts and souvenirs for the siblings the best. It was helpful as Roz was studying the time and area right now and I had all this data to share. We also toured the mansions in Newport RI. Becca said she was a bit tired and creeped out by all the heads on everything. One home actually had heads for all the arm chair handles. It really helps you to understand what they mean when they say "the gilded age". I can't imagine all that money and trouble only to have a few months out of the year for a few years most of these families got to use and show off their homes. America's royalty were very interesting. We also studied many authors of the early 1800's and toured their homes, countryside and even grave yards. Sleepy Hollow really isn't that scary. I was glad to find all my family still alive when I got home. Of course it was cold and rainy in Boston the whole time and sunny and beautiful here.

ELIZA JANE IS BAPTISED

OK, sorry I have been so out of the loop for a while now. I went to Cali to help my parents do some spring clean up. I was supposed to prepare and plant the garden and paint the main living areas inside the house. Well we got there and the lawn mower, rototiller and the garage door didn't work, the outside paint was peeling off, the wood work they had installed with the new floors never got painted, the window sills and door frames needed to be redone, the lemon tree taller than the roof of the garage needed trimming, the watering system had pipes broken all over..... and on. Yeah, I did a lot in one week only to come home and within half an hour have my in-laws come for the baptism. It was really nice of them to fly all the way from Chicago. I was very sad though because my dad spent half the week I was there in the hospital because my mom thought he had a stroke. It ended up being "his falling apart and there is nothing we can do about it" instead. That so upset my mother they decided she couldn't deal with coming. The first baptism in a streak of 15 so far they have missed.

The baptism went really well. The girls sang and my father in law put it on U-tube. I don't know if that is legal but he is an ex bishop and it could just look like them singing or practicing since it is not in the chapel. Legal or not-here is the link-http://www.youtube. com/v/GAxlFTYAEO Y

Three down feels good and no more little white dresses for me to find. Now I move on to suits. Thanks to everyone who came and who wished her well. It has been nice and after a week of digging a hole and hiding in it, I promise I will emerge again.