Snow Business

pictures of Charlie from my phone

2011-11-20T22:00:00.002-05:00

Fortion

2011-11-15T00:42:00.003-05:00

It's been a long time. This is my first post since...a lot. Since we got back from New Zealand, since Jayson started school, and since our sweet Charlie Boy died. Oh, we miss him! There just isn't any way to describe the depth of our grief. I feel like I'm standing just outside of a black hole and I don't know how I haven't been sucked in. What would we do without our faith? How do we go on? How do I find the motivation to get out of bed every morning? I have asked myself so many unanswerable questions in the last weeks since that very dark day. The only things I know for sure are: I love that sweet boy and miss him horribly. God loves me and although I feel sorrow He continues to bless me through the kindness of others. Jay and I are closer than ever...we are in this together. I'm trying not to ask myself any other questions at this point, especially the big "W". Why? WHy? I can't know yet. We have invented a word in our family to describe how we are living right now. Fortion. Spelling is questionable. Forward motion. But I like how they sound combined, like force. Once we force ourselves or each other into forward motion we catch ourselves smiling again.

I've been wanting to send out a million thanks and hugs and so many things to our dear friends and family who have carried us through this, but fortion only carries me so far right now. Instead, for those of you who read this and were not at Charlie Boy's funeral I've cut and pasted two letters that were read. One from us to everyone and one from Jay to his son.

Please don't forget to pray for us yet! Think forward motion....

Dear Friends and Family,

I cannot tell you how much your love, prayers, and support have meant to us during the past few days. You have sustained us and strengthened us and have made our burden of sorrow lighter. We thank you! We ask that you continue to think of us and pray for us in the coming days and weeks.

I also thank you for loving us without blame or judgment. We are doing our best to follow your lead and find a way to let go of the guilt associated with Charlie’s death. We are not going to dwell on the unanswerable questions such as how or why. I hope you’ll help us by reminding us of any happy memories that you can share of Charlie. If you remember any little impression or “conversation” you’ve had with him, please write it down and share it with us. Help us to replace the pain with a cheerful remembrance of how much of a blessing his short earthly life was for everyone who knew him.

Oh, our sweet Charlie! As a baby he never wanted to be put down. He demanded to be held so I resorted to carrying him in his baby carrier wherever I went, even as I mopped the floor. From the very beginning, Jay woke up with Charlie every night and sometimes held him for hours… maybe that’s why when Charlie started speaking he called Jay “Mom”. They have had a special bond.

Jayson, Aidan, and Charlie were inseparable… like the 3 Musketeers, or more accurately, the 3 Stooges. They rolled and wrestled under my feet like 3 bear cubs while I cooked or did dishes. He is missed by his brothers. There is a quiet in our home that is lonely and uncomfortable… an ever-present reminder of our sweet boy that made noise wherever he went. One day recently I was upstairs when I heard something… the sound of wooden puzzle pieces being thrown on the floor. After a few minutes I came downstairs to discover that Charlie had thrown the pieces of 8 puzzles all around the room. I looked at him and asked what had happened. He looked right back at me and said, “Oh no! Aidan did it!” I had to laugh.

We feel an ache in our hearts that, according to what people tell us, only time can heal. That ache is so consuming that it could be intolerable if it were not for our firm belief in God’s plan. I take comfort in knowing that the veil between this life that we know on earth, and the next life in what we call heaven, is thin and a relief to pass through. It brings me a sense of peace to imagine Charlie passing through that veil and feeling no pain or fear. I imagine that there to meet him, and immediately surrounding him, are people that he knows and loves. I imagine that Jesus Christ Himself holds Charlie tight and Charlie wraps his little arms around our Savior’s neck and feels at home.

We feel sorrow and pain and loss, but Charlie does not. He feels peace and light and joy. We feel lonely, but Charlie does not. He understands that through the Atonement of our beloved Savior we can and will be reunited as a family unit as we each go to join him when it is our time. Because of the eternal nature of the family, I look forward to the day that we will all be together again in God’s presence. Until then we will endure with a hope of that day.

Love,

Stephanie (and family)

To my dearest Charlie,

You were a beaming light in my life. Every day I looked forward to the joy and happiness you showed on your face when you woke in the morning. Sometimes I would go in to your room early just so I could be there when you awoke. It was better than watching any sunrise. That happiness and joy never left you. Everywhere you went you had an air of life and exuberance. You got such joy out of everything. Everywhere you went you seemed to shine brighter than everyone else in the crowd. Life bubbled out of you.

The day you died that light went out for me and the darkness has been unbearable. I never knew the depths a person could love another until you were taken from me. Now I realize that that love is larger and deeper than I could ever have imagined. The pain of losing you seems endless but I know this is only because my love for you has no end.

I miss you so much. I miss you greeting me in the morning with a big smile on your face and the hugs and kisses you were so generous giving. I miss the sound of your voice that seemed a constant stream from morning till night throughout the house. The house feels empty without it. I miss sharing an ice cream with you. I miss sharing anything I happened to be eating with you, since you always wanted to eat what I was eating even if you had the same thing on your plate. I miss knowing I would see you the moment I saw any of your brothers because you seemed to be attached to them at this hip. I miss the mischievous smiles you gave any time you did something you knew you shouldn’t. I miss the innocence in your beautiful blue eyes that never left even when you were saying “Aidan did it” when caught red handed. I could never be angry with you. One look would melt my heart.

Most of all, I miss the moments I had with you alone when you would put your little arms on my shoulders and would squeeze them and say “I love you, Daddy”. And you would give me a kiss and you would hold on to me and never want to let go. I had that every night as I put you down to sleep and sang you a lullaby. No matter how tired you got you would still cling to me. I cherished that time and made it a priority to ensure that I was the one that put you to sleep each night. Charlie, I miss you.

I want to thank you for every day I was blessed to be with you. Thank you for being so full of life and love. Thank you for being such a good boy. Thank you for loving me so much, and so deeply. You called me Mom long before you called me Dad. And after you started calling me Dad, you still called me Mom half the time and I loved it. I was always the proudest parent in every room I entered. Thank you for making the last two years of my life joyful ones.

Charlie, I want you to know that I know that you are in a better place now and that you are at peace. I know you are happy there and I know that it is Gods will that you are there. It is more difficult than I could ever have imagined, to do as Christ said and “be as little children” and “submit myself to the will of the father” because I miss you so deeply and want you here. Your brothers have been such great examples to me of children who are accepting of God’s will and I love them even more fore it. Your mother has been an incredible strength and she misses you too. I know that we will be together again someday. I love that knowledge and I long for that day. Until then I will miss and always love you.

Love Dad.

On Holiday....

2011-04-21T17:10:00.008-04:00

Jayson has a two week holiday from school and we're really trying to A live it up! We attempted to hike to Rainbow Falls but it started to et dark and we had to turn back before we made it all the way. We went back the next day but decided to just park at the falls rather than at the other end of the trail. Less work, but still rewarding! Aidan found a bird's nest that he took for show and tell, which made up for some of the disappointment of not making it. The hike is sobeautiful that I decided to go back without the kids and run it. It's only about 7km so it's perfect to do once a day for a little recharge.

If you look closely at this picture, you can see why they call it Rainbow Falls....

Poor Aidan missed it....he was at school.

Walking back at dusk

If there is an accident waiting to happen, Aidan finds it! At least mud is soft.

When I took this photo, Jays and Aidan were having a brotherly moment (the good kind). Aidan told Jayson that he was his best (pronounced breast) friend. Jays very seriously replied "you're my best friend. I love you."

Jay took several pictures like this and claimed that he didn't do it on purpose. Was he fibbing or has my face become obsolete?

Another day we collected all of our cardboard to burn and built a little fire to roast marshmallows. They don't have graham crackers in New Zealand so we used some other kind of biscuit to make s'mores. Then Jay helped the boys peer through the telescope. The boys had the best time of their lives. As a matter of fact, Jayson really wanted to say the prayer for breakfast the next morning so that he could thank Heavenly Father for the camp fire. If that's all it takes, I have been trying waaay to hard.

Here's a picture of the back of the house. We live in the white half. Jay's parents built the top first then lifted it up onto beams to build the basement later.

The lens I had on my camera could not get a wide enough angle to show even half of the garden. Row upon row of tires stacked up with every plant imaginable sprouting out of them.

One day during the holiday we went to Rainbows End, New Zealand's only amusement park. What is it about boys and fast rides?

Charlie got to ride on his first roller coaster!

New computer=New Post!

2011-04-13T18:59:00.012-04:00

Hooray for a new computer! Today I catch up then I can make smaller posts more often (ideally). March was a busy month for us...Jay and I spent a lot of time pulling up old carpet, painting, furniture buying, etc. We only have a bit more to paint and have new carpet. We're almost done with all of the light fixtures, and in another month or so we'll replace the toilet and old linoleum. We've got new curtains and curtain rods and a new (used) oven (a real oven! It only took me two days of scrubbing!) We drove down to Auckland last weekend to buy our new (very used) jilopy. It's just right for towing a sailboat and it seats seven. It is also very rattly. While we were in Auckland, we spotted a Pukeko! We also played at the beach.

There's an old tennis court hidden behind the trees and reeds down the road from our house and the boys like to go there to play. There's also a swing set.

We spent Jayson's actual birthday with Dean and his family, and Jay and Dean were up to the old antics, as you can see. We went to an indoor playground area called "Squirrels" or "Chipmunks" or something like that. The boys loved it.

Since we knew it was supposed to rain on his actual birthday, we kept Jayson out of school one day so he could come fishing with us. He caught a little thing that we threw back but the experience was worth it to him.

We spent the day in Paihia for Mum's birthday. After lunch we had ice cream and played at the beach

We usually have our lunch and dinner outside, which is great for cleanup.

Jayson noticed one day at school that he had a loose tooth! He was so thrilled and just couldn't stop checking to make sure it was still there. Later that day he was just checking on it while jumping on the trampoline. We recommend that method to anyone trying to pull a tooth out. That very night he had a visit from the tooth fairy. He was truly amazed that he didn't even hear her come in! He figures that she must be very small, like a fly. He also decided that she just turns the teeth into money, because why would she need all of thoseold teeth, anyway?

Here are a few pics of Aidan's school. They put their shoes in the shoe box when they get to school...it's generally considered very disrespectful to wear your shoes inside.

View from our breakfast table

We took a walk one day along the property line. The cows kept us company. That's what the big sticks were for.

The chickens were 100% "free range"until Jay decided that we were done with both roosters crowing right outside our windows.

Bad Timing

2011-03-23T00:39:00.002-04:00

Due to the untimely demise of my Laptop last week (names will not be mentioned, but there was a certain three year old invloved) I haven't gotten to post anything new until today. I've got plenty to tell, but never enough time (why was I afraid of being bored here?). I have taken so many great pictures, but won't be able to post those just yet either. We've been painting like mad, Jayson and Aidan LOVE their schools, and Jay and have lost and gained weight (just like previous trips to New Zealand, I've gained and he's lost). The feijoas have fallen from the tree and the tamarillos have ripened. We've been eating tomatoes, carrots, watermelon, swiss chard, and TONS of Kumi-kumi from the garden. I made zucchini muffins lastnight and we are eagerly awaiting Pink Lady apples (Jayson's favorite). We went fishing today and next week our carpet will be installed and we may even buy a car! We are finally beginning to feel settled, and it's sinking in with the kids that this is home now. Jayson asked just a few days ago when we would be leaving to go to the next house. I told him that we were here to stay. "Awesome!" was his reply. Kerikeri, New Zealand is truly beautiful and the kids are safe and happy here. We still miss our friends in Virginia and are hoping that everyone is saving their pennies to come and visit because this place will not disappoint. More next week.

Kiwi Connection

2011-03-07T02:19:00.010-05:00

One of my favorite fruitstands

Contrary to popular belief, our family are all alive and well. We've become Kiwis, which are rather shy birds, and we only come out at night. Night in the U.S, anyway. After a whole month of vacation we have finally arrived in Kerikeri! I like vacations a lot. I like breaking out of our regular routine, not making our beds, visiting friends and family (and Mickey Mouse). I was quite enjoying it! Then we arrived. After catching 6 or so of the hugest black crickets I've ever seen and letting them out of the window (too messy to step on and too hoppy anyway) we climbed into our beds fell asleep to the singing of a few other crickets that were too allusive to be caught. The next morning we woke up to the sound of a rooster crowing it hit me. We are no longer on vacation. We're not exactly farmers (the only stuff we're really cultivating at this point are children), but nothing here is fast or easy! I had several good cries that day and the next while we cleaned and took inventory. Then I realized that crying over the lack of a Gap in Kerikeri (or New Zealand, for that matter) and not having any good friends here would not improve our situation. Of course, it didn't help that I was having a visit from "Annie Brown", as they like to call it here in New Zealand, and that it poured for 48 hours straight! But the shock of it all is wearing off and the boys LOVE it here, so it's growing on me.

Jayson's first day of school

An average day for us starts at 2 a.m when Jay gets up for work. He goes out the dining/living room/office and works until 6 a.m then has a break to go running with me (shall I say this is an ideal example?). Now that Jayson and Aidan have started school this week, the boys get up and eat (fresh eggs from our chickens, of course) and got to school barefoot like all of the other Kiwi children. Today was Jayson's first day, actually. I was very emotional and he was not (replay of his first day of preschool). As we were preparing for today he told me that his biggest worry was that he wouldn't be able to understand what people were saying (it can be very difficult,

especially if people use slang!) so when I picked him up I asked him how that went and he said

"none of them had an accent, Mom." He's been here for one week and can't even hear the accent anymore! Also, as a side note to Tina, Jayson had so much fun with McKinnon and they are like two little peas in a pod, so when Jays made a friend with a boy who (he claims) not only looks like McKinnon but sounds like him too (I don't know yet about the accent) he was very happy and they stuck together all day. My biggest worry about the day was that he wouldn't eat anything for lunch and would be feeling sick by the end of the day and sure enough, he said that when they sat down to eat lunch he was really going to try to eat but then he started talking to all of

his classmates and "suddenly" remembered to eat but took only one bite before the bell rang. So much for that. He did eat some things in the morning, though, for mid-morning tea. No tea

served, of course. Tomorrow he will wear nothing but his togs (swim trunks) and a shirt to school, for swimming, which they have three times a week. Jay spoke to the teacher about it and

she asked him if Jayson was "shy" and Jay said that he could be sometimes and the teacher said that there is another boy who is shy so won't go in the water. Jay realized that she was referring to the water, asking if Jayson was afraid of it. Jay quickly explained that he's not at all shy (which in my opinion is true on all accounts.) Aidan will start on Wednesday at Little Legends, which I think is a silly name, but the best school we went to (out of a lot!) They even have a garden that the kids planted and pick from to cook with. And a pet goat. This would never

happen in the U.S. "He's a bit big", the teacher explaind, "so if the kids don't respect him while

he's eating he bowls them over". This is a good thing, though because it teaches the kids to

respect others.

Aidan meeting the neighbors

Playing rugby with Uncle Dean and the cousins

While Jayson is at school, I can be seen stopping at the various fruit and veg stands that are up almost every driveway in and around Kerikeri. Right now, farmers pick their passionfruit, figs, avocados, feijoas, corn, and almost every vegetable early in the morning and sell them that day. I cannot get enough of the fresh stuff here! Since the kitchen is so small and we only have a hot

plate to cook on, we are attempting to fill ourselves with all of these other things instead.

I'm also trying to keep up on the laundry since during a rainy spell you can expect to wait at least two days before the clothes are dry. I spend a lot of time rotating things from the outside clothesline to the inside clothesline and back. I've also chosen some color swatches for paint and carpet and we're in the process of shopping around for those right now. We're still driving a rental car because although fresh fruit is very easy to come by here, vehicles are not.

Charlie and Aidan are doing what little boys do best...causing havoc. They chase all of the animals and in spite of the mommy cat's best efforts, Aidan discovered the kittens the 2nd day we were here. He came out from around the corner with the tail end of a kitten tucked under one arm sort of like a football. "I found the kiddens, Mom!"

When Jays gets home from school, we are very close to the park and tennis court, and of course the ocean. We've yet to get out on the boat, because taking three little boys out on a boat in the ocean in an attempt to catch fish can have some logistical hang-ups, but I might sneak out with Jay's mum...I think the ocean fish call out to her to catch them like they do to me.

I could go on and on about the beauty of New Zealand, and the kindness of the people here. Today a man stopped us in the parking lot of the grocery store and gave Aidan a pinwheel "just for fun" (he had a whole basket of them and was giving them to all the kids. Pervert? Perhaps, but still...) but there are some things that will take some getting used to. For instance, why do men have to wear Daisy Dukes, otherwise known over here as rugby shorts? One thing that I will always hate is the separation of hot and cold water. How are my children supposed to wash their hands? Put them under scalding hot water for a second then quickly cool them off by putting them under the cold? I miss our dear friends. I miss my lovely kitchen. I miss the mall. And Wegmans. I do not miss the winter weather. Or the traffic. Or the close proximity of our neighbors.

To be continued....

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-26T14:06:00.006-05:00

On Thanksgiving morning, the boys played football with friends from church for a few hours while I wrangled with the turkey.

Our friends came over for Thanksgiving dinner and games for the parents after that. We also held our annual pie baking contest and Kuiipo won. It was a major upset, since either Jay or I have won for the last 7 years. Of course, this was the first year anyone else competed against us..

On Saturday after Thanksgiving we drove down to Jamestown Settlement so the boys could see what it might have been lie for the first settlers in America. We talked a lot in November about the way American Indians lived, especially the Powhatans.

"I tried 100 times I just couldn't do it and I really wanted to be a spy but I tried and tried and tried until I got to be a spy and I'm so happy". All in a day's work for Jays.

We've recently been experiencing a renewed Lego frenzy at our house. Charlie loves them most of all...loves the taste of them, that is.

Making gingerbread cookies. Yum!

We heart NY

2010-12-21T21:48:00.007-05:00

Why is it that whenever I get really busy with things this blog gets neglected the most? Why not laundry one day, blog the next, kids (?) the next day, blog the next....

Until I have found perfect balance in my life, I suppose I will have to settle for a few more

catch-ups.

So, where were we? New York! Oh, we love that city. I did my best to infect the boys with the boys before we went, but if they didn't love it before we got there it didn't take long for NY to work it's magic. Here are a few highlights:

FAO Schwartz and it's giant piano!

Statue of Liberty

Carlos' Bake Shop in Hoboken (Cake Boss)

Carriage ride through Central Park

Empire State Building

Riding the Subway

usually Aidan's the one picking his nose! Lucky shot, I guess.

Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular! with the Rockettes!

LEGO STORE!!

Times Square

Toys R Us ferris wheel

We couldn't afford beds for everyone. ;)

I will update this blog...I will, I will!

2010-11-23T22:49:00.002-05:00

Jay's New Profession

2010-11-04T23:21:00.010-04:00

...Best Halloween week EVER! Jay also discovered his new passion: pumpkin carving. Whittling. We went to the zoo one night for dinner and stayed to play in the gopher tunnels after dark. Very spooky. Note to self: stop trying to post blog entries after midnight...no...brain...power..left...

We made popcorn balls with M&Ms,

and carved pumpkins. Jay became and was a professional pumpkin carver for almost three hours on Saturday morning. He got a blue ribbon at the church Halloween party that night. People couldn't believe it was real. I just couldn't believe that he actually spent that much time on it. Jay designed his own pumpkin and I carved it. Aidan tried to eat some raw pumpkin seeds.

The master at his work.

Charlie was the cutest pilot ever thanks to some swim goggles.

We watched a scary movie together as a family (Casper) until they started using profanity (PG!). Scaaaary!

Trick or treat round one: Ward Halloween Party complete with chili cookoff and trunk or treating. Beep, beep...what else could these techy robot lovers be!?

After the party, home to take inventory. It was a late night.

Round two: After church on Sunday we frantically ate dinner and finished just as we were getting our first trick or treaters. Then the boys took off and didn't stop for a whole hour! Great little robots!

a reenactment starring us.

Monday morning: A recount. Yummy.

This month we are focusing on Thanksgiving, naturally. Early American history, Native Americans, farms, turkeys, counting by 5s, punctuation, famous sculptures (like the Statue of Liberty, which we will be visiting next week!)

turkey books

painting a Native American mural with feathers

popping Indian corn

Soap monsters

We have rediscovered the fun of swords lately. Danger.

Counting by 5s with turkey feathers

Hooray for Family Pics!

2010-10-28T14:43:00.008-04:00

We got pictures back from Traci Rampton and she did a great job....completed the impossible task of keeping all three boys happy and followed of the mysterious rules of photography. AND didn't get a ticket for taking these right on National Parks grounds, which apparently is very fine-able offence. Think "Newsies". Starting with my favorite.....

2010-10-26T21:11:00.008-04:00

October is SO FUN!! Halloween is coming and the boys have been busy making all sorts of spooky crafts....

The boys and I went to Cox Farms to slide down slides, jump from rope swings, ride in the hay wagon, and of COURSE, pick out pumpkins!!

So sad to say this....we lost Auntie Crystal to New Zealand this week. We went to send her on her, but not before having one last piece of Cheesecake Factory Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake!

The next morning Jay and the boys dropped me off at the Doc's for a little Septoplasty and some other stuff. A few hours later they picked me up a little worse for the wear...

Monday there was a fungas among us...at Nature Quest.

I'm starting to look better...less drugged, anyway.

Museum Crazy!

2010-10-17T21:46:00.012-04:00

In the last couple of weeks we've had a lot of rain. It seemed like the perfect time to visit a few of the great FREE museums in DC. I love this city and will miss having access to so much for the boys to see and experience. I never have any problem finding something to demonstrate what I'm teaching them at home.

National Building Museum with Jackson and William

Cabbage experiment with dancing during the wait.

Lake Accotink for playgroup and lunch

Leaf Imprints

On Columbus Day we thought we had Nature Quest but it was cancelled so we hiked around the pond and "explored" like Christopher Columbus.

Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria

Jayson's soccer practice.

Our little guys finally hatched, one at a time. Two days later they mated. They're just gross.

We studied Africa this week so we went to the Zoo to see the African animals. And play in the prairie dog tunnels. We spent most of our time staring in horror at the Goliath Bird-eating Tarantula. Except Aidan. He couldn't look at it. Too creepy. (okay, obviously I'm not a bug lover. I'm not a bug hater either. There's just something so repulsive yet so fascinating at the same time. Like pimples or bacteria.)

National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center with Jackson and William. This trip reignited space-frenzy in our house. Get out the astronaut suits, Mom! We're not taking them off for at least a week!

Astronaut ice cream!

Making space/air stuff

Dedecohedron

Hat weather!

It suddenly got very quiet during our night time prayer. Thirty seconds later...

Sneak peak of Family Pictures....

2010-10-14T15:07:00.005-04:00

Homeschooling After the Honeymoon

2010-10-06T21:14:00.015-04:00

Unfortunately, the honeymoon is over. For the first few weeks Aidan was so willing, so obedient. I was a well of patience and good will. Those were good days. There came to an abrupt end last week. The show goes on, however, with Aidan yelling and banging on the other side of the locked door or not.

Last week Jayson made some excellent play dough bug

s and I wanted to preserve them so I put them in the oven. They became sort of melty so I took them out. They're still melty almost a week later. I guess one should not attempt to cook play dough.

Another failed attempt at impressing my boys with a bottle rocket.

Milk planets are very impressive, though!

First of many road races for Jayson and Aidan. The video is soo funny! Just before the director said "go!" I yelled to Jays "stay with Aidan and help him!" As you can see from the video Jayson did his best for about 4 seconds. Then he seems to have lost his wits with all of the excitement and left us all in the dust. Jay and I had decided that I would keep my eye on Aidan, he being the slower runner and I was carrying Charlie (he got many cheers for being in the race in a backpack) but Jay had the camera and was so involved in filming Aidan that Jayson got away from both of us...all of us, actually. He ran right past the turn off at the end of the r

ace until he got to a lone stream of bright yellow balloons which he assumed must be the finish. He told us later that he was so excited and thought to himself "I won. I won the race!" and he raised his hands above his heads and started jumping up and down (according to his demonstration later). Then he realized that no one else was around and by this time Jay and I were panicking and Aidan was crying because we were at the end of the race. Somebody spotted him though, and due to his slightly unusual choice of running hat, we were able to pick him out in the crowd. After the race we went to Silver Diner to hail our conquering young heroes. With milkshakes.

For the week in school we learned about Europe...especially the food. Crepes with Nutella, Belgian Waffles with strawberry preserves, Swedish rye bread, pasta, Italian style pizza. Yum.

We've got caterpillars! They came in the mail. I had no idea they were so gross. The whole process...they grow everyday and make webs all over. Then one day after about a week of eating they hang upside down and their heads fall off and their skin pops open to reveal a chrysalis sort of gleaming underneath. There they sit for now. It's all so "Aliens".

Garbage day!

Aidan came down with a little virus for a day or so, so while he snuggled with Tiger and watched Team Umizoomi Jayson and I carried on. Charlie was there...either eating or sleeping or ogling one of his brothers.

Dino week: Dinosaur identification books and a Dino Diorama

Science project: cornstarch SLIME. Very slimy. A non-Newtonian liquid. Jayson's hands were blue for 48 hours. He was disappointed when the food coloring faded.

On Thursday morning Jayson woke up early with me to make sticky buns! I ate far too many and felt extremely sick but managed to save a few for others..like Auntie Crystal. She came to babysit for us while we went to Cirque du Soleil at National Harbor.

We couldn't take pictures inside the tent so this is as much as you get to see...

On Friday the kids and I took a trip to the E.R after I unsuccessfully attempted to cut my finger tip off to serve along with the apple slices I brought along for the kids. 5 very Frankenstein looking stitches. Just in time for October.

This week we went to the cupcake store before Jayson's soccer practice. Yum.

We got to the soccer field early, just in time for Aidan to become covered in mud. Then they announced that practice was being moved inside so I rummaged through the lost and found so Aidan didn't drop mud clods all over the shiny racquetball courts.

I found Charlie panicking a bit after his nap today when he got one arm out of his shirt.

This week: pumpkins! Pumpkin pudding, roasted pumpkin seeds (that we counted and graphed) and pumpkin cookies that my friend Stacy dropped off for us! How did she know? We also planted pumpkin seeds (more for the fun of it than anything else). Notice how Aidan seems to spend a lot more time eating than helping. We also studied leaves, Australia, and fire safety.

There they are. Creepy.

ADULTS ONLY POST!!!

2010-10-06T14:49:00.002-04:00

This is really oversharing, but some stories are too good to be forgotten. We will laugh at Aidan for this in many years to come. The other night I got home late from doing the grocery shopping, and was too tired to put everything away (I came very close...perishables check, laundry stuff check, condoms...not quite.) The next morning I slept in (did I mention it was a very late trip?) and awoke to the sound of an elephant stampede (we don't do pitter patter in our house) then the door slowly swung open. Jayson and Aidan tiptoed in and Jayson said "don't get too close Aidan...come sit over here and wait for her". Wisely, Jayson decided that they should sit at their little table. Which also just happens to be where I tossed a large box of condoms the night before. Aidan sat down next to Jayson and said "Ohhh, candy!" Jayson said, "hmm. C-o-n-d-o-m-s. " He then began to read the smaller and much less appropriate print on the box. I jumped up laughing and said "Oh!" and took the condoms. After a moment of fear Jayson began laughing too. He was laughing out of sheer relief that I was laughing and not roaring like a bear that's just been waken in the middle of hibernation. Aidan was crying. I had taken the candy.

Ketchup Part 2

2010-09-22T22:12:00.021-04:00

Week One: First day of school, the World, continents, classifying, Music: steady beats, "A", Jack be Nimble, 10 Apples Up on Top, Seasons, Apples

This kids will eat anything within arm's reach. Like a potato. Raw. Play dough? Yummy. Marbles, bugs, dirt, uncooked pasta and beans (ok, I drop a lot while I cook.) banana peal

Trip to the zoo to see the new elephant facility. We learned a lot about elephant poop.

Making Play-dough

Studying Maps: compass rose, continents

Jays writes 3 sentences a day and Aidan is a puzzle maniac.

Week Two: Asia, John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt, Egg Carton Trains, "E", magnets, books: Arnold's Apple Tree rub-ons. Lines. Apples, two kinds of trees

Nature Quest: BUGS. Buggies.

Painting with apples and trying out new varieties

Music: Loud and Quiet

Popping popcorn while it's still on the ear. Fascinating and delicious!

Lunch with Dad, ride on the Metro. Tour of underground Pentagon City. Very Harry Potter.

Baby Zara's 2nd Birthday. Cupcakes and fresh air. Ahhh.

Science: Will soap boats float? Sadly, no. The don't. But sponges are very fun!

We read the book "The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree" and made our own versions.

Apples: Apple picking at the Orchard

Learning to ride a bike

Week three: Space, rockets, Colors, Europe, the letter 0. Music:Fast and Slow, Rhyme: Star light, Star bright.

Science: Making a horrific bottle rocket

Jayson at British Soccer Class

Apples: Apple Dumplings

Nature Quest: Pine Cone Bird Feeders

Science: Mixing Primary Colors

Making a lava lamp

Jayson: robot, frog, snowshoer extraordinaire

Ketchup No. 1

2010-09-21T20:58:00.004-04:00

After we broke yet another camera I stopped posting. Part One of my catching up will involve a totally awesome family vacation to Pennsylvania among other things. Part Two is all about the first three weeks of HOME SCHOOL! These are can't miss.

On our way to Dutch Wonderland we stopped in at Cracker Barrel for a rousing game of oversized Checkers.

Then we were in.

A Dutch Wonderful time.

Aidan saw a little girl eating cotton candy and said "eeewww. That's disgusting!" It took a bit of coaxing to get the first bite is (Jayson's opinion helped a lot) but after the first bite there was no going back. Dutch wonderlicious!!

Yes, Dutch Wonderland has it's very own chapel. In the middle of the park. Could this place get any more perfect?

Next stop: Cherry Crest Adventure Farm in Lancaster, PA. We caught the train from there and had a beautiful ride through Amish Country.

Jayson entered a corn shucking contest and was sooo cute (although not the winner). Even after the winner was announced and everyone was cleaning up, Jayson kept at it! He did not give up! When he finished he held it up for the judge to see that he had finished.

Last stop: Gettysburg!

In Gettysburg we launched Jayson's rocket that he built with Jay. The video on this is a must-see.

My Bliss is....

2010-09-05T07:57:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we had a beautiful moment. I felt pure joy as I helped the boys get their running shoes on (well, maybe that part wasn't pure joy. Jayson was trying to convince me that his shoes were too small for him and Aidan was licking the storm door.) We went for a family RUN! Does life get any better than that? It was only to the school down the street to fly kites (perfect day for it) but as we ran side by side I had a glimpse of future life. Honestly, I spend a lot of time not understanding boys. The aggression, the "we're best friends so we beat each other up" stance, the frenzied energy. This run was a gift. Jay pushed Charlie in the stroller and Aidan wanted to hold my hand. Then he decided it would really be best if I carried him. On my back. Then Jayson started to act like he was hyperventilating. Like I said...a beautiful moment. No pictures of the occasion either (or of the boys first pro soccer game last night, as awful as the DC United are). Our camera is dismantled on our kitchen counter because a little person jammed the lens. We went to Pennsylvania last week and Jay finally got to see Gettysburg. The camera broke before that. Fortunately Auntie Crystal saved the day again and will be giving us a copy of all of her pictures, including Jayson's first ever model rocket launch (first of many).

Happy, Happy Birthday Baby!

2010-08-18T23:29:00.004-04:00

Charlie is a year old today! He's not an infant any more. Sniffle, sniffle. However, on a more positive note, we still have a whole year left before he becomes the Twoaberribilis that poor, misunderstood Aidan is (that's two and terrible put together with a twist to make it sound more like a real name for something). We really cannot understand Aidan. Literally. His pronunciation seems to get worse as he gets older. This is a post about our Charlie, though. Crawling, attempting to walk, not saying a word but very happy...right on track for our Snow babies. Up the stairs in 10 seconds flat, mouth open for the next bite before I've got the spoon back to the food from his mouth. Weighed twice at the last doctor visit because the nurse thought maybe the scale was malfunctioning. Curly, wild hair and wild noises (mostly growls) to match. Yes, coming right along...our little Charles Patrick. Is it time for another already?

2010-08-13T10:13:00.005-04:00

In an effort to take advantage of all of the great performing arts in our little part of the world, Jay and I have seen a couple of great performances recently here. First we saw Shear Madness at the Kennedy Center. It's the second longest running show

on stage in the history of American theatre, and I can see why. It's an interactive murder mystery, so the ending changes depending on how the audience decides. It was really fun!

Lastnight we saw the musical Chess at the Signature Theatre in Arlington. We love that stage and saw a few of the cast members that were in Les Miserables when we saw it there. It was awesome.

This entry is mostly for myself, since my mental capacities seem to be diminishing even as I write this, and I no longer have the ability to remember anything at all really.

Next week Jayson and I will be taking in Mary Poppins at the Kennedy Center! We're hoping to see every performance there before we move to New Zealand. Unfortunately, we won't get quite as much live theatre there so we're trying to get our fill.

"Don't, don't, don't bite your friends!"

2010-08-12T16:36:00.005-04:00

As a mother I find myself saying the strangest things but saying them in a very monotone, normal way, such as, (and these are the examples I actually remember which means they must be VERY recent) "why is there a baseball in the freezer?", "please stop kicking each other in the head", "don't pick your nose and eat your boogies, please", "if you continue to throw your food you are going to have to live at the zoo with the wild animals" (Aidan's response: "okay Mommy, bye bye Jayson!) "you are not a robot, you are a boy. You can get wet." "I cannot drive like a reace car. I have to go the speed limit (sort of)", "don't spit on your brother"..."don't punch your dad"..."for the millionth time, don't put your face or any other body part on the sliding glass door!" By the way, my title is a link to a song that has become one of Aidan's personal mantras.

"She smiled at me!"

2010-08-08T12:54:00.003-04:00

Charlie's hair is getting longer, and it's cute and curly. I remember this age with Aidan...it doesn't seem to matter what we dress these boys in, everyone wants to call them girls! Last night we went to one of our favorite local chains, Uncle Julio's, for dinner. When the hostess brought the high chairs out she brought one for "him" (Aidan) and one for "her" (Charlie). The server asked what "she" (meaning Charlie) would like to drink. Later a woman walking by said, "oh, cute! She smiled at me!" Will we...can we... have a girl next and can she please look just like her brothers?

Maybe it was the bow...

Jaysonism #1,967,394

2010-08-08T12:43:00.004-04:00

This boy has me in stitches for the better part of a day. He takes after his Dad that way. Sometimes he doesn't mean to be funny at all...it just happens. True talent. This morning Jay was making brownies for us to take to our friends after church. Jayson and I were upstairs and I said "yum, I smell chocolate!" Jayson said, "that's because Dad is making something called chocolate turtle." I laughed and said "Jayson, you crack me up!" and Jayson said "no, Mom, really. That's really what it's called! I read it on the box. Chocolate Turtle!"

2010-08-05T20:53:00.005-04:00

Aidan did me a huge favor today and cleaned under the oven with a chopstick. He didn't find nearly as many things as I'm sure we've lost under there so I guess the centipedes have carried the other stuff off, along with the socks that have not emerged in the laundry. Thanks, Aidan! If only he could've found the croc that he lost earlier today....

Is this a house of small boys or what? Plastic glow-in-the-dark ant, hot wheels tractor trailer, blue car (I've NEVER seen this in my life!), marbles, fruit snack (Aidan: "yummy! foot nack") kix cereal, really old shriveled blueberry, cookie cutter, flosser (used), dried fusilli noodle, and the magnetic letter "O". Or the number "0".

Super Why!

2010-08-01T22:41:00.003-04:00

Yes, our blog is disaster....

but here is a little preview of future posts until I get this figured out!

Starting with poor Charlito's teeth. They were with us for such a short time....

2010-07-17T10:30:00.007-04:00

HANNAH BANANA HOY

Hannah, my youngest sister was recently married. I flew to Washington state for a whirlwind weekend and got home just in time to drop Jay off at work on the way home from the airport (and the longest flight EVER!!) We had such a fun time, and I got to spend a bit of one-on-one time with each of my sisters and almost two whole minutes with my brother so it was a good trip. As you can see, in spite of last-minute snaffoos, Hannah looked gorgeous and Nicc...well, he showed up. Along with his drunken woman-insulting entourage. To see the pictures closer-up or bigger, click on Hannah's name in purple. It's a link to my mom's facebook album.

2010-07-17T09:20:00.002-04:00

Conversation with Little A

A: Daddy, I need help!

Daddy O helps little A get his underwear back on.

A: Thanks, Dad.

D: You're welcome.

A: Daddy...I had a nice time at the pool today.

D: I'm glad, Aidan

Our little wild puppy is showing signs of tameness after all.

2010-07-16T21:04:00.011-04:00

We went to the National Aquarium in Baltimore again this year and the boys loved it! Dolphins,

4-D movie, and 4 stories of fish exhibits!! Think giant aquarium scene in Jaws 3-D. What? What do you mean by "you haven't seen it"!?

Jays and Aidan had a fantastic time and provided much entertainment for our neighbors at the restaurant while they played with their army men while we waited for our food.

Jayson and I would happily live in hotels from now until forever, but other members of our family prefer their own beds, etc. Humbug.

look at the pair of 'em, naturally photogenic...my husband Jeremiah Johnson, and little Charlie.

After church we went to the beach for the rest of the day. People (including myself) kept trying to save our kids from drowning only to discover that they were "diving" for seashells. In spite of their best best efforts, the boys didn't drown and we went home after a super-fun weekend.

Yesterday I noticed that Charlie had gotten really quiet so I went to check on him in the living room where I had left him. Not even Sesame Street could keep Charlie away from those stairs any longer! I found him halfway up to the top! I quietly pulled the camera from my back pocket and snapped a picture before he noticed me! Of course, as soon as he heard the camera he turned, smiling, and so proud...and lost his balance! Thank goodness it happened when I was there! Time to put the gate up.

Nadia and I went to see a movie and right when we got there we had a HUGE storm! It was a monsoon! We had to improvise....only Nadia could pull off a child's rain jacket and a sun shade for the windshield and make it look this sexy! We saw Robinhood and loved it, in spite of our wet-fresh out of the bath- clothes!

Boys in the car....

At the pool...

Jayson finished swim camp on Thursday! He is such a good little swimmer (see video!) He can swim half the length of an Olympic sized pool all by himself! Amazing!

Aidan is so independent that he hates to ask for help with his pants after using the toilet. Unfortunately for him, he has to pee all the time and does NOT like to walk away without having his "big boy" underwear and his...ahem...shorts(?) on. Something doesn't seem quite right....

Some stuff from our little container garden. If only we could grow mozzarella! Or a buffalo!

2010-07-16T20:56:00.004-04:00

Pool Party!

We've been hanging out at the pool a lot lately, and Crystal came and spent some time at the pool with us one day so we decided to celebrate and go out to my FAVORITE Italian restaurant, Pane E Vino for dinner. The boys love it too because they make ravioli with blue cheese. The cheese is florescent blue! So awesome!

2010-07-16T19:18:00.003-04:00

You're a Grand Old Flag!

We had the best 4th of July! We rode the Metro after church to see the fireworks on the National Mall and of course Auntie Crystal, who brings fun and excitement to every event, met us there. After a spectacular display we had ice cream and rode the (very crowded) Metro home. So fun! The boys stayed up later than they ever have before and I think it was worth it to them. The only downside was that Aidan, being recently potty-trained, refused to go in the porta-potties (and who could blame him!?) and really needed to go. I finally put one of Charlie's diapers (which he found very degrading) and he still couldn't go. So Auntie Crystal saved the day by giving Aidan her airplane pillow. He sat on it like a toilet seat and peed in the diaper. Ah...relief.

2010-07-16T19:13:00.001-04:00

2010-07-06T22:24:00.012-04:00

Aidan has been potty-trained! More or less. On Saturday we went to have ice cream and were eating it outside when Aidan announced that he had pooped! I picked him up to carry him to the bathroom in the the restaurant to change him. Halfway through the restaurant Aidan said, "oops." I looked back and...there..on the carpet, surrounded by tables of innocent families, a poop lay. It had fallen out of his pants! I considered my options: pretend not to notice and continue walking to the bathroom or stop and pick it up. I consider myself a person of principle, unfortunately. After I quickly scooped it up with a wipe, I cleaned Aidan and we won't be going back for awhile. Fast-forward to this afternoon, at the pool. Speaking of person of principle...every time Aidan needed to pee he got out of the pool and stood on the edge and peed a puddle very obviously. Just in case the lifeguards missed it he announced "I peed. Right there." Moments later a lifeguard would appear out of nowhere to hose the area. I would then drag him to the bathroom to rinse him off and try to convince him to pee in the toilet. He would simply tell me he didn't need to go anymore. The lifeguards know us all by name and probably groan when they saw us walking over. "There's that nutty woman and her three crazy children!"

"Coming in for a crash landing!"

At the farm with Jayson's class

Happy Birthday, Daddy-O!

Tantrum mania at our house

Jayson's last day of preschool :(

Camping with Dad

My trip with Nadia to Philly

Little A's toes pre-callus from the pool

With Aunty Naomi!

Air and Space Museum, we love you.

At the Washington Nationals baseball game

2010-05-20T17:12:00.002-04:00

Pee Pee in the Potty! OR NOT....

If you happen to see Aidan lately, you'll know that this potty-training thing is all for show. Aidan's hair says it all..and his face in the third picture down. That's how we both feel about it.

2010-04-26T10:04:00.002-04:00

(to be sung...) Announcement, announcement, announcement!

We are excited to announce that we will be moving! To New Zealand! We've decided to take a collective leap of faith all the way down to the southernest southern part of the Southern Hemisphere and officially live as Kiwis (for awhile, at least.) It's something that we've been considering of for a while, but I finally managed to talk Jay into it. Beaches, environmentalists, and family close by, gardening year-round, and the Rugby World Cup are just a few of the things we have to look forward to in 2011. We're blowing this American popsicle stand sometime in February (fingers crossed!) We are so excited for the boys to run barefoot through cow pies at Grandma and Grandpa Snow's house and hopefully Jay's life will be be a little more stress-free. I'm going to compost and learn to say things like "hun-eye" (honey) and "st-eye-nky" (stinky). We will live in Auckland but I have a feeling we'll spend a lot more time in Keri Keri at the farm or in Hot Water Beach digging in the sand. Hooray!

2010-04-26T09:54:00.003-04:00

Charlie's bath with the big boys!!

He likes it...

..Or does he?

Yes, He likes it...it's just the getting clean part that he doesn't like (typical boy!)

2010-04-25T21:49:00.016-04:00

This weekend we went to the Earth Day celebration that NASA hosted on the Mall. Jayson was in heaven surrounded by science and space stuff. Aidan was happy too because they had bananas and balls to throw. Charlie's always happy. We also went to the French Festival in Georgetown and met the most amazing balloon animal guy! He made Aidan the cutest Odie the dog and Jayson an alien/astronaut.

Jayson is coming along at swim.

I never know what I'm going to find when I open the doors of our house! Jayson was experimenting in the bathroom sink with stuff that floats (or not).

It was that time of year again! Jayson's school recital did not disappoint. And of course, Auntie Crystal was there to see it.

I felt so bad about our first trip to the zoo that I decided to take the boys back. It was another unfortunate trip...we lost poor Tiger! Later that night out of desperation Jay bought a new version of Tiger at Toys R Us. At first Aidan wasn't sure about the nose. But after a few tosses in the air and some kisses on the nose he said.."I like it!" Kiss, kiss.."I love you, Tiger!"

Jayson and the boys are so excited that warm weather is coming and we're getting our garden going.

Aidan's antics!

Happy Easter! Happy General Conference! This year Easter Sunday was on the same weekend as our church's semi-annual General Conference so we had just hung out at home on Saturday and Sunday and our good friends Nadia and Isaac and their kids came over for an egg hunt and Easter dinner. And...ta da! A two-layer pavlova!

Reading books with Dad...

The boys and I went to the beach one day during Jayson's Spring Break. It seemed like such a good idea, and they had a lot of fun! It's HARD to keep 3 kids happy and out of the ocean all by myself! The next day we went to the zoo, which was even harder...so hard in fact, that I didn't take a single picture!

Oh, I love these babies!!

we had the best time at the Kite Festival on the National Mall! It's held every year to kick off the Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival. It was a lovely clear day and Crystal came and we met some friends as well. Jay and Jayson flew our transformer kite like pros.

Happy Birthday to our favorite five year old!! In astronaut style, Jayson turned five on March 26th. Our heroine Auntie Crystal came to watch Charlie and Aidan so Jayson and I could go to the Air and Space Museum. Then we rode the Metro and met Jay in the underground tunnels where he works near the Pentagon and had lunch. After that we came home and had a solar system cake with hilarious planets made of rice crispy treats. Lumpy? Yes. Round? No. Delicious to no one but Aidan? Yes.

I've been practicing my pavlova skills (the official dessert of New Zealand)

I made a cake for my friend's shower...

2010-02-17T23:27:00.002-05:00

Hello, World!

We have had WAY too much snow during that last couple of weeks. I don't seem to have any photos of the boys playing in it because it seemed as though as soon as we heard the storm warning and rushed to the grocery store with all of the other unprepareds in the DC area I began to become deeply and immediately depressed. The boys and I did not drive the Expedition for a week and a half! We played outside at first, but then it just got yucky and it was cold and...and...we were BORED! Jay was fortunate that he got to go back to work after a week and I just stopped getting dressed. Ate a lot of M&M's that were supposed to be for Jayson's Valentines Day party. Watched Masterpiece Theatre. Read one of my fave books...Joy of Cooking. Did some online shopping. Charlie and Aidan were thrilled to stay at home day after day. Aidan discovered a new vocation: cookin' a dinna. He gets every pot, pan, utensil, etc. that he can reach out onto the kitchen floor and fills them with toys and balls and the occasional scrap of food and "cooks" it. If we try to move anything he tells us that it's hot. "Cookin' a dinna, cookin' a dinna!" Jayson began to develop a textbook case of the "Mean Reds" as described by Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's. He was as overjoyed as I was when school started again (yesterday).

Just before the snow Jay's nephew Mitchell stayed with us for a couple of days to get a better look at SVU. He has decided to look into his other options. I think he should be a professional tourist...he left in the morning with Jay and came back with Jay at night. He watched obscene

amounts of college basketball and one day got lost on the Metro which shook his confidence so the next day he walked like 20 miles. Jayson is a little bit in love with him and refers to him as "Mitchy".

Jayson's M&M filled Valentines had these pics on them with the caption "love is in the air". The kids got store bought cards with Toy Story pencils, due to my embarrassing weakness for candy...especially when snowed in and not showering. What's the point?

AND....drumroll please!! Happy half birthday Charlie Snow!!

2010-02-01T22:53:00.002-05:00

I just got an email from Tina and enjoyed it so much that I decided to

just post it on our blog! Tina...I hope you don't mind.

Hi Jay and Steph-

Just wanted to say thank you so much for letting Lily and me come hang out last weekend. We loved your blog entry, and wanted to email you copies of photos too. So, sorry about the multiple emails.

You'll be glad to know that my stomach returned to normal and Lily's nose cleared up the day after we got home (of course), I did find Lily's sippy cup lid in the middle of my luggage, I did finally remove the tag (our address) off Lily's diaper bag, and I have been pondering on the deep meaning behind a little boy running to win shoes... so life is pretty much back to normal.

Jayson- McKinnon loved your picture, thinks robots are even cooler now, and thinks that you need to get into legos. It is his new obsession! Aidan- Lily sure had a good time. Charlie- you stay healthy now, OK.

Thanks again for showing me around- I will be dreaming of Amish pretzels for some time to come I think, and the thought of crab cakes have been making my mouth water for days. We are keeping our spare room clean in hopes that you guys will use it some day- you are always welcome to come stay- Steph, I'm serious about the "I'll watch your kids while you hang out with your sister" thing. Anytime! Hope you guys are great!

Lots of love,

Tina

P.S. Steph- can I get your recipe for the yummy curry dish you made??? I'd love to have it! Thanks!

2010-01-31T20:40:00.004-05:00

"Hey...I'm in Hoboken!"

So Nadia and I went to New York City this weekend to see (No one mourns the) WICKED! It was so fantastic. We stayed in New Jersey the first night then caught the metro into the city and stayed in Times Square the next night. We went to Hoboken, Times Square, 5th Avenue (PETA would have a field day there...everyone wore fur!!), Soho, and the East Village. We went to the Met (the art museum, not the opera) and met one of Nadia's good friends from London, and to Pommes Frites which has become quite famous on the Food Network. We ate at the Trump Tower (Donald Trump lives there, but no sign of that famous tupe) and walked through Tiffany's and Barney's. We visited the MOMA store and walked and walked and walked. We rode the Subway, Taxi, NJT train, and light rail. So fun! Nadia and I had such a great time and Wicked was amazing! We are both happy to be back with our boys though. Yes, I am frowning in every picture but I did it for good reason (aside from the fact that it was literally 1 degree and cold on my teeth)...I have an idea for a picture book to make for my boys. They will laugh and laugh when I finish it. I really did have the best time though and it was actually really hard not to smile!

2010-01-28T21:07:00.007-05:00

We Are Obsessed.

Aidan.

Currently obsessed with drums and guacamole.

Jayson. Obsessions: Robots, Reading.

Charlie. Recent obsessions: Daddy, Sleep, Daddy.

My obsessions: drums, guacamole, robots, reading, sleep, my boys boys boys. And cake.

2010-01-26T21:48:00.005-05:00

End of an Era

Sadly, tonight was the last night of cake decorating class. I don't know how much I actually learned, but it was so fun getting together with a bunch of women that I otherwise would never have gotten to know like that. When our class started at the end of September Charlie was still so tiny and I felt like I was trying to do everything underwater. Cake class was my weekly release. My two hours of stress-free laughs. We started with about 15 in the class and by the time it ended we were down to just 6 (but the best 6). I will miss my new friends, but hopefully I'll see them again soon...there is rumor of a 5th course! And next month I'm starting another round of classes.. spinning and gourmet cake baking! Good thing we love cake in our family!

Unfortunately, something else came to an end this week. Our poor Beta (AKA Siamese Fighting Fish) named Leall (pronounced Le-el) was with us for almost a full week before swimming on to his Heavenly home. Jayson is very excited about the prospect of getting another fish so we can give him another strange name. Hopefully we can break our record for number of days we keep the fish alive.

I was doing laundry the other day and came upstairs to this...and Aidan saying "hot. Hot Mommy. Hungry?" He always says hungry in question form. If you're wondering where he was when I took this picture...I'll tell you. Being punished. Sitting on the stairs and not very happy about it. I just took this picture to record how difficult it's been to keep him alive and without any major injury to himself or others.

2010-01-25T22:49:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday to Me!

Guess who's 30 again? Wow, to put it down for everyone to see makes me seem even older. I had the best birthday! While I went shopping all by myself (boring? No way!) and went out to lunch (I got to read my library book while I ate!). While I was out, Jay and the boys made a birthday cake. First they had to go to the store and I had all of the car seats, double stroller, and baby carrier in the car so Jay walked to and back to the store carrying Charlie and letting Jayson and Aidan walk. I don't know how he did it but I feel confident that he won't want to do it again. The important thing is that everyone survived. Hmm. My standards as a mother have really reached an all-time low. Maybe that's good...so I'll be pleasantly surprised when things go even better than just "everyone survived".

Over the weekend we had Crystal, Tina, and cute baby Lily with us. We had so much fun! The boys were gentle and sweet to Lily. It was glorious having a little girl in our house! Since they were only here for a couple of days, we stayed up way too late and squeezed in as much as we could. We went to National Harbor and drove to the Amish Market for lunch. After a fun day with the kids Auntie Crystal (Jayson's FAVORITE auntie...I don't know how many times he told her that over the weekend!) stayed home while the other adults went out for a late dinner. Sometime that night we realized that poor Charlie had more than just a little cold so Jay took him to the ER and we found out that he has RSV! Poor little guy! Needless to say, we cancelled our plans to go to Baltimore for the day. Tina and Lily flew out later that day and we were sad to see everyone go. It was so nice to see them though, and it's good to have Crystal back from New Zealand.

2010-01-23T11:39:00.002-05:00

I've recently begun to scan photos and other papers onto our website and Jayson was so excited to publish some of his recent masterpieces:

2010-01-16T22:43:00.002-05:00

Charlie LOVES his brothers. As long as he is near one or both of them he is happy. No wonder though...look at these handsome boys!

2010-01-08T23:05:00.003-05:00

Made With Love

Tonight I made "pink pancakes", a recipe that I tweaked from Jessica Seinfeld's book Deceptively Delicious. Pureed beets make the batter pink so I shape them like hearts. Some look less like hearts and more like other anatomical features (see below). Jayson LOVES them and asked me why these pancakes taste so good. I told them it's because they are made with my secret ingredient (beets as mentioned and grated apples. AND ricotta cheese. Yummy! Protein, fiber, vitamin C!). That secret ingredient is love. It's secret because I'm not telling him how I get it into the pancake. When Jay came home from work Jayson sat by him while he ate and explained it all to him. Jay was distracted however by the bottom shaped pancake he was eating.

And...presenting...our new dining room table! This will help me reach my goal for the new year of entertaining guests at least twice a month.