A Couple Eggs Short Of A Dozen

2011 So Far...

2011-04-21T13:03:00.001-07:00

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A Pictoral Update

2010-06-07T12:02:00.000-07:00

I have been a terrible blogger...will try to do better. For now, a few updated pics of the kiddos.

Austen

Owen

Will

Jack and Ben (looking for trouble)

Emma

Pink Heaven

2010-02-24T14:21:00.000-08:00

As everyone knows, our home is bursting at the seams with all things blue and boyish. As much as I adore everything about my boys, we've been dreaming of a change in color scheme for some time now, pretty much having given up on the possibility. It was quite the shock to hear that we are in fact having a baby girl...and no sooner did the words "It's a Girl!" escape the sonographer's mouth than I was off and running, buying all things pink and girly. Today I received the most girly and frilly package in the mail. I had ordered a bow-headband for Emma to wear home from the hospital from pinkbowtique.com, and it arrived in all it's splendor, complete with a bonus bow-headband. Unwrapping this package was pure pink heaven.

The Box, wrapped in pale pink ribbon...

The inside, wrapped in pink and brown tissue paper...

The contents, the pink tiara bow and the bonus pink and brown bow...both made my heart swell with delight..

A few more pictures of Emma's room:

A plaque bearing her beautiful name...

Emma's coming home outfit...

The shoes...

Misc. views of the room...

52 Days Until Emma

2010-02-22T19:12:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in the longest time, but there has been a lot going on around here. We are finally having a baby girl, due to arrive around April 15th. The boys are ecstatic to be getting a baby sister and I've been having a blast buying girl clothes. Her name is Emma Katie-Belle and we can't wait to hold her in our arms.

I've been getting her room ready...assembled a very pink storage unit:

Brought my childhood dresser from my mom's house:

Started collecting clothes and shoes:

I've had some generous friends and family buying stuff already and Sarah and my mom are throwing me a shower next month. Many more pictures to come...

More Mural Progress

2009-07-24T13:35:00.000-07:00

The mural is just about complete, although I'm likely to add more to it in months to come (and there still is the leaves to put up), but overall it looks pretty good.

I added some ivy and a flower box to one tower...

A moat on the other side...

And smaller towers and a crest in the middle...

The entire wall (including the still-yet-to-be-fixed hole in the wall)...

Jack enjoying some books under a tree...

Next step...painting the floors!

Mural Progress

2009-07-22T10:24:00.000-07:00

I began the task of painting a mural in the playroom a YEAR ago. I just never seemed to find the time, or motivation, to finish it. Sometimes motivation has to be forced, and this was just such a time. I forced myself to tear out the horrible playroom carpeting and to tackle the remainder of the mural. Progress is finally being made.

After I finished the base (sky and grass), Michael contemplated the hole in the wall. A small crack in the plaster was too much of a temptation for the daycare children, who went to work trying to remove the wall during nap time.

Added some tree trunks...

And leaves...

Our fireplace is morphing into a castle...

My little helper...

The Fire Pit

2009-07-14T08:34:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the fire pit at Grandpa's house (and the fun we had roasting marshmellows), Michael and I decided to make our own. In a matter of hours, we transformed a patch of dirt and weeds next to the deck into a nice place to hang out as a family. We enjoyed the fruit of our labors with a evening Smore's roast.

BEFORE:

Michael getting ready to move some dirt...by texting?

Dirt...

The Ol' Weed Patch...finally looking a bit more presentable

Our little helper...

AFTER:

The "Chimichunga" as we call it...

The Finished Product...

Lighting the fire...

Enjoying the fruits of our labor...

Images of the Fourth

2009-07-08T12:31:00.000-07:00

Our Fourth of July was spent at my friend Katie's house. There was lots of good food, great company, tons of fire works, and happy kids.

Ben and Jack in their patriotic garb...

Playing outside...

Playing Guitar Hero...

Eating watermelon...

Setting off fireworks...

La Pine...Part Two

2009-07-03T20:23:00.000-07:00

La Pine Positives:

1. The Great Outdoors.
2. The boys can play freely without worry because my father-in-law's acre is fully fenced.
3. Gorgeous lakes in every direction only a short drive away.
4. The boys LOVE it there and talk about it for months after we return, which equals great childhood memories.
5. My father-in-law foots the bill, insisting on providing all meals and paying for our gas. Free vacations are always good.
6. It's like camping, but we can shower and wash our clothes and have access to a real kitchen and indoor plumbing.

La Pine Negatives:

MOSQUITOES!!

The positives outweigh the negatives, so we will continue to venture there in the coming years. Until next time, we will have these memories...

Teenaged boys making weapons out of anything they can find...

and little brother's copying them...

The boys making friends with the wildlife (aka Grandpa's dogs)...

Lying on Grandpa's unusually lush lawn (for the High Desert anyway)...

The accommodations...

And the nights of roasting marshmallows around a fire pit...

La Pine 09...Part One

2009-07-02T13:52:00.000-07:00

We made our second annual trip to the high desert town of La Pine Oregon to visit my father-in-law and to enjoy the great outdoors with the seven boys. We were quite the spectacle wherever we went, Michael and I with seven boys trailing behind. Besides being eaten alive by mosquitoes, we hung out at Twin Lakes...

where the kids played in the dirt...

and in the water...

tried their hands at fishing...

and paddling.

Randy going after one that tried to get away...

Success!

Ah, brotherly bonding...on a boat.

Honoring Jason

2009-06-27T21:51:00.000-07:00

Today we traveled up to the Seattle area to celebrate our nephew Jason's graduation from high school and departure into the army (he leaves tomorrow for boot camp.) My sister-in-law outdid herself with decorations, food, activities. The kids had a blast.

The party was a Army theme, complete with tons of Army favors (parachute guys, army men, bubbles, etc.) which my boys were all over...

Ben, in particular, coveted these balloons...

and finally got them (and a static hair do)...

Owen finding joy in a squirt gun...

And Ben being patriotic...

Randy...

Jacob...

Jason(with blue cap), Tori, and Matt...

Our Seven Boys...

Michael with his brother, sister, and mom...

Face painting fun...

And Ben in Candy Heaven...

Arranged Marriage Anyone?

2009-06-25T13:44:00.000-07:00

My friend Katie and I have already secretly arranged the marriage of my son Will and her daughter Kimy. They are just 6 days apart in age and are the best of friends. Look at these cuties...I can imagine the cute grandkids now (I'm so bad!)

At Last!

2009-06-24T08:22:00.000-07:00

Sarah NEVER lets me take pictures of her, which is a pity since she is beautiful. Yesterday she actually allowed me to photograph her with her boyfriend Will. My little girl is a woman, a WOMAN. I guess that makes me OLD.

Harvest Time

2009-06-23T16:17:00.000-07:00

Our garden has, for the most part, been over taken by weeds. The one success is the strawberry patch. Today Will and I harvested the berries.

I Tried!

2009-06-19T21:37:00.000-07:00

I am planning on taking pictures of all eight kids together this weekend, in hopes of producing just ONE frame worthy photo. Today I practiced on the little boys...see for yourself...

This will have to do...

And what does Ben think of the process?

Time With The Boys

2009-06-18T12:05:00.001-07:00

We are really enjoying this time with Randy and Jacob. The little boys are following them around like shadows and can't get enough of their big brothers. We are enjoying hearing about their lives and watching them show off their skills, which include skateboarding, driving and overall goofiness.

And a couple of pics of some of the littles...

The Past 24 Hours

2009-06-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

In the past 24 or so hours, we spent our first day at the water park, I went to urgent care for what turned out to be a scratched cornea (ouch) and Randy and Jacob flew in from Maryland for a visit (a bit later than planned due to a mishap with their connecting flight.) Despite my temporary eye pain and blindness, it couldn't be a better day!

The Water Park

The Water Park is all about climbing trees...

swinging from the monkey bars...

playing in dirt...

and WATER...

MORE water...

LOTS of water...

some chillaxing...

and a cute baby in a swim diaper.

The Boys Are Back!

Or should I say the MEN are back!

When did these sweet little boys

turn into these two giant men?!

Randy showing us some of his moves...

and some of Jacob being goofy on Sarah's bike...

Oaks Park

2009-06-10T15:01:00.000-07:00

Austen graduates this week from grade school and is moving on to the world of middle school (scary stuff) and today I chaperoned the annual 5th grade field trip to Oaks Park. Despite the initial down pour, the kids (and I) had fun riding roller coasters and the Disk-O, the Scrambler, a ferris wheel and much more. We had a picnic lunch and I got to hang out with a great group of 11 year olds.

Faux-hawk Cuteness

2009-06-09T12:54:00.000-07:00

A Nice Day Outside

2009-06-09T11:47:00.001-07:00

McGillicuddy enjoying a ride with a friend...

Fascination with what's growing behind the garden gate...

Clothes on the line...

A dear old friend...

Up the slide...

A beautiful boy...

Today's Favorite Pics (yes from the new camera)

2009-06-08T20:26:00.000-07:00

IT'S A CAMERA!

2009-06-05T18:51:00.000-07:00

After the untimely demise of my old camera, I began courting other cameras immediately. The one I wanted was way out of my price range, so I lowered my standards a bit and today we bought the Nikon D60. Truth be told, I'm not the most talented of photographers, but I'm pretty impressed with the quality of the pictures I took today.

My cute Will...

Hot Soup chillin' on the grass...

And some of my daycare kids as photography guinea pigs...

IT'S A GIRL

2009-06-05T18:44:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not pregnant (darn it). Michael's daughter Kelsea called us quite unexpectedly the other day, putting to rest many unanswered questions. On July 31st, Michael and I will be flying to Arizona to reunite with the daughter he has not seen since she was nine months old. We will be celebrating her 13th birthday while we are there and plan to spend several days getting to know her. The boys will meet her at a different time, but they are very happy to have another sister. We've told them about her over the years, but now she is real. I plan to take lots of pictures with my NEW CAMERA!!!! Finally, I can take some decent pictures.

Owen's Birthday (A Belated Post)

2009-05-12T15:58:00.000-07:00

On May 9th, my sweet Owen turned seven. He was the baby I begged for, my "just one more" baby (which in hindsight seems so funny now that he has three younger brothers!) Owen is quiet, shy, athletic, always trying to please and trying to avoid trouble, a complete and utter mama's boy (such bliss!) This year marked the first time he was interested in having a real birthday party. He's never been one to seek attention and tries his best to avoid it. Having scores of people sing to him and watch as he opens gifts and blows out candles is not his cup of tea, but this year he wanted a party with friends. We booked a party room at Out of This World, invited his friends (and some family), made some Pokemon cupcakes and had a blast. Owen was social and outgoing, ran wildly, opened his gifts with reckless abandon and sat patiently through the Happy Birthday song (and blew the candle out BEFORE the singing began.) He must be growing up...

Owen was very excited to get some cash...

Owen and his Peekichu cupcake...

Pokemon cupcakes...

And how it began...

My Boys

2009-05-11T17:59:00.000-07:00

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I Won! It's Good To Be Me!

2009-05-06T14:30:00.000-07:00

One day, while perusing this blog I decided to enter for a chance to win an outfit from this company and I won!!! It was a day worthy of frolicking in the rain, howling at the moon, dancing a jig in the middle of my kitchen..I never win anything, so it was definitely a cause for celebration. The outfit arrived in the mail today and I promptly dressed Jack in his new fine duds and made him model out in the dreary weather...barefoot!

Where Are You Going Jack?

2009-04-30T21:22:00.000-07:00

My dear son seems to favor hanging out with other people BESIDES his mama. One of his favorite pals is Big Will, who is ever so patient with this energetic three year old. A couple of days ago, Big Will entertained Jack in his car outside our house for a good hour. He allowed him to play with the windows, climb over the seats, and take control of the wheel. I was rewarded with this picture taken by Big Will titled Checking His Blind Spot.

My Camera RIP

2009-04-20T07:15:00.000-07:00

My camera has been dropped MANY many times, but somehow survived...until now. Two days ago Jack dropped it for the last time. Goodbye dear camera. Should I feel guilty that I've been courting other cameras, coveting ones with more updated features? I'm seriously jealous of those that can take their own awesome pictures without the aid of a professional photographer. Oh, the money I could save...oh the money I must save to buy the camera of my dreams. Yesterday I took the boys to the zoo. The weather was amazing, but all I had to capture the day with was my cell phone. NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!!! Ah well...the boys are still cute.

Pug Tug

2009-04-13T10:27:00.001-07:00

I just had to add a second quick post. The two young pugs, Phoebe and McGillicuddy love to play tug-o-war. It's so cute, I had to share.

Sugar Fest 2009

2009-04-13T10:09:00.000-07:00

We aren't ones to celebrate Easter for it's intended meaning (we're such HEATHENS!!!!). For us it's all about the sugar...candy,cookies,cupcakes. Mmmm...all GOOD! I'm a sugar addict, I'll admit it. This is one happy mama when a basket of peeps is placed in front of her (and my dentist thanks me for keeping him in business.) The boys and I colored eggs on Saturday and I made my version of Bakerella's Easter basket cupcakes. On Sunday, the boys woke to sand buckets full of goodies: bug catchers, beach balls, bubbles, puzzles and candies, of course. The day was spent eating way too much at Grandma's house (where Grandma presented each of us with some toys and treats including a gigantic basket of candy) and an indoor Easter egg hunt. The day ended with a soaking of all the boys' dress shirts, which were covered in strawberries, chocolate, and a myriad of Easter candy colors.

The Cupcakes

The Cuties

The Candy (from Grandma)

McGillicuddy

2009-04-03T13:48:00.000-07:00

There's a new man in the house. Phoebe's baby brother has joined the family.

Disneyland 2009

2009-03-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

We arrived home yesterday morning after a loooong 24 hour car ride back from Disneyland (and California Adventures and San Diego Zoo too!) The ride there was equally endless but the anticipation of going to Disneyland carried us through. The long ride cooped up in the Suburban with five fidgety boys was worth it. Disney did not disappoint! Despite an initial downpour the first morning in the park, all was sunny and warm. The boys were on their best behavior and few complaints were heard. Everyone had a blast and I, at long last, rode my beloved Pirates of the Caribbean. Lines were fairly short the first two days (the rain did not scare these Oregonians away!) and we avoided rides with long lines on the third day, opting to use Fast Passes and Switch Passes for those rides. On our last full day in California, we went to the San Diego Zoo. The boys loved all the animals and I enjoyed the tour bus ride after many hours of walking and pushing the double stroller. We decided that this is a trip worth repeating soon.

Here are the boys in their matching yellow shirts, ready to leave for our first day at Disneyland (we were staying at Uncle Brian's.)

The boys excitedly waiting for Sarah and big Will to arrive so we could go in...(little Will excitedly picking his nose!)

They finally arrive and join the group...

Hats...

Snacks...

Souvenirs...

Naps...

Rides...

And Fun...

The Zoo

And the Animals....

Party On....

2009-03-16T09:40:00.000-07:00

We spent much of Saturday celebrating birthdays. Our little friends Kimy and Joey celebrated their fifth birthday at a fun indoor play warehouse, complete with giant play structure, inflatable jump houses and slides,climbing wall, a raceway with push cars and much more. The pizza is good too!

Here is Ben enjoying one the of alien cupcakes that my friend Katie made for her twins' party. She also made some awesome cupcakes for my boys' party.

Kimy and Will bonding on the climb wall (arranged marriage anyone?)

Mmmm..chocolate icecream!

Later the same day, we celebrated Will's fifth and Jack's third birthdays at Papa's Pizza. The boys love the play area and I love that it's all enclosed in glass, sound proof glass! And that there are no tokens ala Yuck E., err Chuck E. Cheese.

My Sweeties waiting to open presents...

Oooh, what did you get? (Translation: what can I take from you later?)

Thank You Katie for the amazing Diego and Panda cupcakes!!!!

Will wanted pandas...

Jack wanted Diegos...

Two satisfied birthday boys...

5!

2009-03-11T08:52:00.000-07:00

Five years ago I gave birth to William Jeromey, the baby we longed for after two tragic losses, our beautiful nephew Jeromey and our tiny unborn baby. Will gave us a reason to celebrate and feel joy again. He continues to bring sunshine into our lives every day.

Here's my sweetie the day after he was born...

A year old...

Two years old...

Three years old...

Four years old...

And our big five year old...

Happy Birthday Will...We Love You!!!!!

17 Days And Counting....

2009-03-03T10:37:00.000-08:00

Disneyland Here We Come...well, in 17 days anyway, oh and a couple extra days for travel also, but who's counting? ME, me, me, me!!!! I can hardly wait, in particular because it's been 15 years since I've ridden on the Pirates of the Caribbean. Every time I've gone in the last 15 years it's been closed for refurbishment, always a bitter disappointment. This time we are not only riding this ride (many times over) but we are also having dinner at the Blue Bayou, a small dream of mine since childhood. Anyway, to mark our upcoming trip, I'm going down my own Disney memory lane...here are pics from a couple of Disney trips past.

Big Boy

2009-02-20T08:02:00.000-08:00

Why must they grow up so fast?! My BABY is now a little boy, wanting to sit at the table with his older brothers, trying to do the things they do. He's still very much the mama's boy (like all my sons) but he striking's out, exerting his independence, making this mama a little sad..and very proud, too.

Happy Birthday Jack!

2009-02-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

Three years ago I gave birth to this beautiful baby...

Who became this adorable chubby one year old...

Who became this mischievous two year old...

Who became this amazing three year old...one of the loves of my life!

Progress? No...PUGRESS!

2009-01-22T11:39:00.001-08:00

Phoebe has gone political...O-Phoebe, O-Phoebe, O-Phoebe.

Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls...MMMMMM, Good!

2009-01-18T16:16:00.000-08:00

I've been craving a Cinnabon cinnamon roll ever since Sarah and I shared one a couple of weeks ago. The problem is, I neither wanted to drive the distance to buy one or pay the cost for one (at over $3 each, the frosting should be laced with gold dust!) Not being able to put my cravings aside, I decided to try my hand at baking some myself. I found a promising recipe online, bought some yeast and went to word mixing, kneading, rolling, and baking. This was the result...

I had some very satisfied customers as well...

And here's Ben waiting for a chance to get one of his own...

Three Posts In One

2009-01-15T09:19:00.000-08:00

Post Part One: There's A Monkey In The Cupboard!

Ben loves to climb into the daycare cubbies (and throw their contents out!) He is so small he can stand upright in them.

Post Part Two: Hair...Long Beautiful Hair!

Jack and Ben are hippies! They have long hair and I cannot bare to cut it. Cutting it, to me, signals the end of their babyhood. Cutting it means I have to admit they are becoming Big Boys (same thing goes for the binky!) Oh but they are so sweet with all that hair if you ask me.

Post Part Three: The Family That Closets Together, Stays Together!

The Family Closet...an absolute necessity, IMO, for anyone with a gaggle of kids. The shear volume of laundry generated by my kids is overwhelming in itself. Add to that the folding and trekking up stairs to put it all away, it causes even the strongest person to swoon at the mere thought of it. We are very fortunate to have a small spare room kiddy-corner to our laundry room, and adjacent to our downstairs bathroom. I have converted this space into a family closet.

Here we have two sets of shelves for storage and hanging clothes.

Here I hang Jack and Ben's shirts and a few of my own. The top shelf houses clothes Ben needs to grow into, the boys' swim suits, and hats and gloves. The middle shelf is the clothes I fold for the teens and dh that they are supposed to transfer to their rooms.

On these shelves I hang Austen, Owen and Will's shirts. The middle shelf houses my toiletries (the little boys have a hay day if I leave my make-up out where they can reach it), the boys' clean sheets and a few odds and ends. The top shelf holds baby clothes in various sizes and a box of Christmas stuff that needs to find it's way back into the shed.

These colored drawers hold the Austen, Owen, Will and Jack's pants and t-shirts (large ones) and pajamas (small ones.) The two drawers (green) above hold Ben's socks and jammies.

This dresser is for my and the boys' socks and underwear.

On the opposite wall (not pictured)is a larger dresser/changing table where I store the rest of Ben's clothes and all of mine.

Bargain Update

2009-01-14T10:03:00.000-08:00

I went over all the clothes and added up what they cost before the super discounts....$614.39!!! I saved close to $473!

Holy Bargains Batman!!

2009-01-13T23:02:00.000-08:00

I got a tip that a certain Target was giving an additional 30% off their clearanced clothing and I being a bargain junkie, made a dash to check it out. It was AWESOME!!!! I bought 66 clothing items for a total of $144.88. I'm talking shirts, sweaters, hoodies, pants, sweats, button down dress shirts, even some cute girly shirts for a friend's daughter. I got clothes for all five little boys, Michael, and my friend's twins. 66 items for $144.88!!! That's an average of $2.15 each!! Tomorrow I'm going to figure out exactly how much I saved. I'm high from my bargain binge...

Austen is Eleven!

2009-01-10T10:17:00.000-08:00

This is a bit late in posting, but Austen turned eleven on the 8th, a birthday shared by Elvis as well as our new pug Phoebe (There ain't nothin' like a pug dog...) Austen was born on 1/8/98...in room 28...at 8:28. That's a lot of 8's! Anyway, he was born on Elvis' birthday and our last name is Priscilla Presley's maiden name (cue Twilight Zone music now.) It has been a wonderful eleven years with this amazing boy. We presented him with a scroll that told him how much he means to us, and what his birthday present is...

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T11:49:00.000-08:00

We had a very low-key New Year's Eve. I bought the boys some party hats, horns, and party crackers. We munched on a ton of junk food and ended the night with hot fudge sundaes and The Simpsons Movie. The little ones and I turned the lights out at about 10 minutes til midnight (I was exhausted) but I let the two older boys stay up to ring in the New Year (I laid in bed listening to them tell each other "Happy New Year!" and to the fireworks outside before drifting off to sleep.) The only pictures I got were a couple of blurry ones of Ben..Oh Well!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-30T11:03:00.001-08:00

The Christmas festivities began with the annual opening of the Christmas Eve Jammies. What would Christmas be without new jammies to wear whilst opening gifts on Christmas morning. If my kids weren't presented with new pajamas on Christmas Eve, they'd take it as a sign that the end times were upon us!

Poor Will accidentally opened Owen's jammies and was not pleased that Owen, in turn, got to open his.

The Night Before Christmas...after a grueling round of wrapping presents, everything was set up under the tree, waiting for eager little children (and a couple eager teens) to wake...

Awake at last and opening stockings...

What did Santa bring?
A play structure for Ben...

Are you excited Ben?
Yeah...Whatever!

A Nintendo DS for Austen and Owen...

A Leapster and Power Ranger for Will...

A bed for Jack...

The BEST gift of all...a visit from Uncle Bri-Bri

And what does Phoebe think of all the mayhem?
Yeah...Whatever!

After all the gifts were opened and Toy-R-Us officially threw up in my house, we had breakfast, some of us got dressed while others chose to spend the day in their jammies (I included) and we headed off to Grandma's house for another deluge of gifts.

It was a wonderful Christmas spent with family, too much snow, a ton of food, and too many awesome gifts to count. We look forward now to a new year of hope and exciting things to come.

Let it Snow!

2008-12-14T16:01:00.000-08:00

I woke to the shouts of joy from my children "It's snowing, it's snowing!" Michael quickly leapt from bed and went outside to investigate (yes, after putting his clothes on first.) He informed me it was indeed snowing and sticking..hooray! I bundled the boys up and sent them out until they returned, red-cheeked and numb. While Sarah watched the kids, Michael and I ran a few errands as he was eager to drive on the whitened streets. We bought groceries for the next few days (chicken and dumplings for dinner tonight...yum), picked up a Christmas tree for Sarah's boyfriend and had lunch. When we returned, I made the boys peppermint hot chocolate and Michael lit a fire in the pellet stove. As the song goes..."The weather outside is frightful, but in here it's so delightful.." It's really beginning to look like Christmas.

Michael is like a kid with his coffee and some snow

The boys with their peppermint hot chocolate

And Ben just being cute...

39 years ago...

2008-12-12T11:26:00.000-08:00

my mom became the luckiest woman on the planet when I was born...Hee Hee! Yes, today is my birthday, one year away from 40! No, I will NOT be posting a picture, unless I can scan and upload one of my baby pictures (and I was a cute baby!) Tonight, my mom, Sarah and I are going to a movie (Australia) and back to mom's house for a "slumber party." Tomorrow morning we are having breakfast at my favorite breakfast restaurant in Portland, Mother's Bistro and then we plan to do some Christmas shopping. Michael gave me a gift certificate for an hour-long massage and this morning Owen and Austen proudly presented me with the gifts they had chosen themselves, a pair of dangly heart earrings and a dove holding a pearl necklace. I'm wearing them with love!

Will's Musical Debut

2008-12-10T08:06:00.000-08:00

Last night was the Pre-K/Kindy music program at the kids' school. Will was an excellent (and very cute) performer.

Why do people think it's OK to be rude? At the performance, there was a man that was video taping the entire show. He held the camera over his head, blocking the view for many, I included. Despite being asked to move the camera, he refused and even went so far as having his daughter stand on her chair, further blocking the view...and he was absolutely smug about it. I was so flabbergasted at his lack of consideration that I took a picture of it.

My Little Elves (doing a jig.)

2008-12-08T10:50:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Loads of December Fun!

2008-12-07T18:49:00.000-08:00

Michael was able to score free tickets to the Festival of Trees (as it was, in part, sponsored by his work.) Always one to grab at the chance at cheap entertainment for my kids, I couldn't turn them down. I invited a couple of my mom-friends and their kids (one of which used her connections to get free MAX tickets) to go along. What I believed would just be a giant expo hall full of decorated trees, turned out to be a child-focused activity-filled extravaganza. The highlight of the event was the free teddy bears and the Teddy Bear Hospital. The boys picked and named a bear (Benjamin, Jack, Austen Two, Sonic and Teddy) and took them through many "treatments" complete with bandages, shots, x-rays and the like.

The boys also enjoyed the craft room; coloring pictures, making bell necklaces, stamping gift bags and making foam Christmas decorations.

Ben had better things to do...ZZZZZZZZZZ!

Later that same day, we took the boys (and my mom) to Loch Lolly to get a Christmas Tree. We've enjoyed many visits there over the years, and the boys were especially looking forward to the free hot cocoa. I looked forward to the tradition of buying a couple of ornaments in the gift store. It was a beautiful day, chilly yet sunny with only a smattering of clouds. It rained torrents the next day and we were all glad we had chosen to go on Saturday.

Here is the sunset that hung over Loch Lolly as we were packing up the tree to head home.

On Sunday, I took the boys for professional pictures (to be shared later) and then we spent all afternoon baking Christmas cookies. We made cookie cutter cookies and decorated them with frosting and a myriad of candies (mmm...red hots!), my favorite Russian Tea Cookies and a new treat, Oreo Truffles. As one friend said after tasting one, "These are heaven in a ball!"

10 Things I Love About Christmas..in no particular order

2008-12-02T13:05:00.000-08:00

1. Black Friday kicks it off with a sleep-deprived bang!

2. An excuse to listen to the Chipmunk's Christmas album.

3. The smell of cinnamon when you enter any craft store (scented pine cones anyone?)

4. Russian Teas Cookies!

5. My mom's Christmas decorations...knowing she'll eventually pass them down to me.

6. Going to the tree farm and cutting down the tree (and feeling guilty that I hacked to death a living thing, and rationalizing it, and then worrying about my tree karma...make it stop!)

7. Christmas Eve Pajamas.

8. Gluttony at it's finest. Mmmm...chocolate!

9. The lights...on other people's houses, and getting to chuckle when they are still there in June.

10. PRESENTS..duh!

Santa Pugs

2008-12-01T12:13:00.000-08:00

I did it..I've lowered myself to the level of dog dressers. I subjected my pugs to canine humiliation. But how can any decent person resist a pug in a Santa suit?

Halloween...a couple weeks late.

2008-11-15T13:07:00.001-08:00

OK, I had every intention of posting pics of Halloween the day after Halloween, but such is life with "28 kids" (as my brother likes to jest.) We had a party at Katie's for our daycare kids, and our kids too. The kids made popcorn hands, ate Mummy Pizza, watched The Nightmare Before Christmas, and gobbled Cauldron Cupcakes. The green goo..uh, I mean frosting, sparked a costume change for Jack in time for Trick-or-Treating. In the evening, we gathered at grandma's house for soup before setting out to panhandle a sickening amount of candy. Mmmmm...Almond Joy! At one of the first houses, the kids were greeted by a blood covered, monster-masked fellow wielding a giant bowl of fun-sized chocolate bars. All the boys, save Jack, were a bit spooked. After receiving a couple of treats, Jack fearlessly said "Thank-you Monster!" It certainly melted this mama's heart.

A Kickin' Good Time

2008-10-27T15:05:00.000-07:00

The soccer season has come to an end. This was Owen's first year of soccer, my first time as a genuine "soccer mom" (I'm almost inspired to go out and get me a bobbed hair-do and some khaki capris!) We ended the season with a party at Papa's Pizza. The team had a room to ourselves where the parents hung out, ate pizza and chatted while the kids played in the glass-enclosed play area. What I love about this place? No Tokens. No Tickets to redeem for crappy plastic "prizes". And very little noise (yay for sound-proof playrooms!) What I dislike? Eventually as a parent you are forced to enter the playroom to retrieve your kids...it smells like FEET in there! A balloonist (yes I know..but what do you call the guy who makes stuff out of balloons?) made the kids balloon swords, hats, poodles, etc. and a a balloon joust broke out amongst several of the kids (mine included!) Each team member received a trophy and "goodie bag" (thanks to this soccer mom) and the team presented the coach with a pizza-and-movie-night gift box (a popcorn box filled with pop, popcorn, candy and gift certificates for videos and pizza.) Owen is excited about playing soccer again next year!

Fun on the Pumpkin Farm

2008-10-10T19:26:00.001-07:00

Last night it rained, poured, drenched all our hopes of a dry trip to the Pumpkin Patch at Lakeview Farms, but we awoke with renewed enthusiasm as the sun beamed through our blinds. I just could not imagine enduring a cold, wet, muddy trip to the farm with 16 kids in tow! Alas, the weather decided to cooperate and it was a beautiful day. We were greeted at the farm store by a lovely woman who ushered the kids and adults in and gave us a lesson on how wheat becomes flour and flour becomes bread. After getting our tickets, we boarded the train, a child-sized metallic wonder from which I feared catapultion (is that a word?) at the slightest bump. The train clicked along the track, through a "haunted" tunnel and left us at the pumpkin patch, alone with the kids and a wheelbarrow. The kids were each allowed to pick a soccer-sized pumpkin, run rampant through a hay maze and then we were jetted back to the other shore by ferry (complete with lake monster sightings!) The day ended with lunch at McDonald's where our boisterous group raised many a local eyebrow! Good times!

Pirate Party...Aarrgh!

2008-10-09T11:07:00.001-07:00

A couple weeks ago, the kids and I went to our friends house for a Pirate Party. I read to all the children (mine, my two friends' kids and all our perspective daycare children) a story about pirates, then each child was given a Treasure Map. The children followed the map to different locations, finding such prizes as Eye Patches and Pirate Hats along the way. X marked the spot on Katie's garage door, hiding behind was the TREASURE! The children each received a bounty of treats...a Pirate Cupcake and Chocolate Coins. Can you say AAARRGH?! Good times Maties!

Post Two...A Trip To The Farm

2008-09-19T13:11:00.001-07:00

We have been in great anticipation about our upcoming trip to the farm. I made the decision to plan monthly field trips for my little ones and daycare children, inviting my two daycare-doing mommy friends to come along. Today was the big day. The drive through the winding country roads was beautiful (making me ache to move out of the suburbs and take up goat farming) and when we pulled into our destination, we proceeded with caution, feeling a bit intimidated by the rusty farm equipment, overgrown gardens, and lack of human inhabitants. But proceeded we did and were greeted by a nice young woman carrying a crate of kitten, and an overly affectionate black "Puppydog". Two women took the kids (10 of them) and us three adults on a tour of the farm animals, providing boxes of day old bread for the kids to feed the animals. We enjoyed a menagerie of foul...ducks, chickens, roosters, geese, guinea hens and a turkey or two. Then it was horses, various sized pigs, a frightening emu (who took to eating one of the little girl's hair), a goat and a calf. The children also took their turn at holding the before-mentioned kittens and baby chicks. My friend Katie kept one kitten as a souvenir. After the tour, the kids were allowed to pick either a pear or apple to take home. We all agreed, the farm was worth a revisit.

Post One..A week of Firsts

2008-09-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

Owen's First Soccer Game

Ben's First Birthday

Will's First Day of Pre-K

Sleeping Like a Baby

2008-09-04T09:04:00.000-07:00

My kids can sleep anywhere! Last night after nursing Ben to sleep, I placed him in his car seat. I still had a couple hours before I could go to bed and I wanted to spend some time on the computer (when else do I get the time..uninterrupted?!) I heard him fuss, then quiet down, but my instincts told me to check on him. I found him sleeping on his belly, in the car seat! His older brothers Will and Jack were also asleep in the playroom. I guess beds are overrated.

First Day of School

2008-09-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

The first day of school is always full of anticipation, and a few butterflies. Things I love about the first day of school?

1.New Supplies. I love the smell of crayons, the newly sharpened pencils, the unmarked Pink Pearls, the empty potential of spiral notebooks.

2.Autumn. The new school year means a change of seasons, and the impending holidays.

3.Buh-Bye kids...no further explanation needed!

At Least I Was Looking At The Camera

2008-08-31T16:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to the zoo to see Rose-tu's new baby (elephant that is.) We waited patiently in a winding line, reminiscent of Disneyland, partly in mud while being chastised by grumpy middle-aged zoo volunteers for stepping over some imaginary boundary. 45 minutes later, we were herded past a glass enclosure, I trying not to hit the heels of the folks in front of me with our double stroller while craning my neck for a quick peak of the slumbering gray heap, partly camouflaged by tufts of hay. All this while the before-mentioned volunteers kept telling us to keep it moving. I brazenly asked if the baby had a name yet (how dare I!) only to get a scolding reply "No, no name but keep it moving." "I'm trying but it's not like I can plow down the people in front of me." I joked. Not even a twinge of a smile in return. Ah, well. After that ordeal, I wanted to get a picture of the boys and I together. They were less than enthusiastic. At least I was looking at the camera.

The pug is living proof that God has a sense of humor. ---Margo Kaufman

2008-08-25T16:07:00.000-07:00

I love pugs! Plain and simple...I think they are the BEST! Who can resist that wrinkled brow, squooshy face, smooshy snout, protruding tongue, the curly tail and butt-scooting run? They will take a beating from my gang of boys, and come back begging for more with a wag of their tail. Every time I see someone walking their pug down the street, I have to slow down and gawk at the cuteness, as if forgetting I have two of my own little puglets at home. I just never grow tired of them.

The Mural

2008-08-21T22:00:00.000-07:00

While watching Trading Spaces one day, I was enthralled with the mural Frank painted for a little boy's room. It was pretty basic, blue for the sky, green for the grass, white clouds and cars, trucks, trees, and what not. It was adorable. Surely I could do something similar in my daycare room! And so it began...the mural. Turns out it was neither quick or easy. After weeks of stealing brief moments to paint here and there, I finally had one wall complete...ONE! There are FOUR walls in this room, as any decent room should have, which means (of course) I still have three walls to complete. This post, therefore, will Be Continued...

The Natural

2008-08-06T08:02:00.000-07:00

I know this is a shameless brag, but Owen is a natural athlete. He started soccer last week, and having never played before, he already has some pretty impressive moves. During yesterday's scrimmage at practice, he was the only one to make a goal..and it wasn't the goal itself that impressed, but the technique he used to accomplish it. He slid into the kick, much like a pro. Oh how I wish I'd have a video camera at the time. I'll include a picture of an example of what I mean. Owen was certainly the cutest player on the field, as far as I'm concerned!

Two Days

2008-08-03T20:53:00.000-07:00

In the span of two days, Randy and Jacob came and left, Owen started soccer, Will finished camp, and we spent a lovely day at the park. I am exhausted!

Jack looked so cute wearing his friend's sunglasses

Back on the Bandwagon

2008-07-30T18:22:00.000-07:00

Oh, how embarrassing! It's been six months since my last entry..and why is that? Because I couldn't remember my sign-in info!!! I've since bookmarked this page and changed my sign-in info to something I can remember. Must be a sign of getting older. Summer has drifted quickly past the half-way mark and the new school year is quickly approaching. We've spent a lot of time at the park, in particular the "water park". The kids get to play on the playground, and if weather permits (and in Oregon it often doesn't), the kids get to run through the fountains. This is pure bliss as far as Jack is concerned. The kid is a water rat! During the second week of July, we took the 5 little boys to visit their grandfather in La Pine, OR. They had the run of the property, made friends of Grandpa's dogs, spent lazy days at the lake, went fishing (Austen, Owen and Will ALL caught a fish, much to their grandfather's amazement!) and ate ice cream treats to their hearts content. It was a very memorable trip.

Brothers

2008-01-21T11:46:00.001-08:00

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

Halloween at the Zoo

2007-10-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

The boys and I spent a lovely day at the Oregon Zoo on Sunday. The zoo sponsored a scavenger hunt with clues leading to various animals. When you arrived at the correct animal exhibit, a zoo volunteer stamped the boys' papers and gave out treats. When all the animals were found and all the stamps were collected, the boys were rewarded with goodie bags full of treats. They had a blast. The weather was unusually warm and sunny, but cool enough to draw the animals out. We saw the bears and giraffe that had eluded us all summer. I'm so thankful that we purchased the zoo membership this year and it has long since paid for itself. The Zoo Lights were already being set up while were there, and we look forward to revisiting the zoo one evening before Christmas.

My First Blog

2007-10-29T13:26:00.000-07:00

Woohoo, I'm getting with the times, starting my very own blog! I've always been a little envious of people with their blogs, showing off all their cute kid pics, etc. I thought to myself, "Heck, I've got some pretty cute kids, some pretty cute pugs, some good pics, and maybe a few good words to share." So, here I am. Right now we are in the throes of a plumbing nightmare. Our kitchen sink has been out of commission for 5 days now, the dishes have been piled up for as long, and we've been living on take-out. I feel so guilty for the lack of fruit and veggies in my kids' diet right now. On top of this disaster, both toilets are hopelessly clogged AGAIN! Why do my boys feel the need to flush toys down (also toothbrushes, razors, their big sister's makeup...). Michael and I can remove the toilet, fish out the culprit, install a new wax ring and replace the toilet in less than 30 minutes. It comes from LOTS of practice! Hopefully by days end, we'll be able to wash the dishes and flush at least one toilet. Dare I dream it?