Me - Now

Raise your hand if you.....

2011-10-31T07:54:00.000-07:00

Want to go trick-or-treating! I'm scared of how in character they are.

This was a great year! She was just young enough to be in awe of being handed candy...loving the dress...and just a little scared of the costumes of the big kids! There was plenty of shoulder boxing going on to be first - but it turns out the most fun was handing out the candy. I guess that does make you pretty cool if you are friends with the big Kindergartner that rides the bus and knows all the girls in the neighborhood!

"Is this really all mine? Well... as much as you can eat before we do!"

89 vs 80 Inches

2011-10-27T14:56:00.000-07:00

How to get 540lbs of 89 inches through a standard height door. We don't know yet - because a normal pallet jack, my hand truck and 2 guys couldn't figure it out. The refrigerator (I should have paid more for) was taken away. They said they would be back tomorrow, but I'm not holding my breadth, this delivery was rescheduled 4 times already. All I can think about is the dark dirty warehouse it sits in potentially getting damaged.

Amazon one click you strike AGAIN! I thought a car was the weirdest thing to order online...

Day in the City

2011-10-22T15:01:00.000-07:00

We took a jaunt into the city and discovered riding the bus

and looking at street entertainment was pretty cool for the under 36" crowd.

We did some shopping and

had some lunch at the counter....

then hit the road for home in time for nap time!

We're Back!

2011-10-15T14:16:00.000-07:00

After a season off the grid - we're back in the Apple pie. Since having kids I feel like I was living in a cave - but since buying a (fixer'upper) house I feel like I've had my head in a hole in that cave. Today we came up for air and are feeling a bit like we're getting back to normal. Normal does include having skis and outdoor blinds in the formal living room, and wall mounted toilet brushes (to be hung) on the kitchen table, but I'll take what I can get. So while Jon is sitting around talking to Siri trying to figure out if his stuff is in the cloud or on the computer and who's account he should be using....I'm trying to hit the sewing machine. My whole life I wanted to create costumes for my little princesses...suddenly I have one! YIKES.

This is not finished and she would only hold still for half a second. I thought I was being cool and cut the skirt out to be a size 6 (I was making a size 4). But the skirt is just gathered so no big deal I wanted LOTS of gathering. Well, that plan most likely worked but it did make the job harder. The sleeves are my favorite. Instead of just appliqueing the red splotches I created box pleats of red. I had to re-draw the sleeve pattern to accommodate the inserts. Overall it meets the "Halloween costume" fit requirements, just a little loose in the chest. I might try for some chest darts to fix that and I might not. Considering the likelihood she puts it on at all...

Gum Pop'in

2011-09-30T18:57:00.000-07:00

These ladies are getting ready for some action. I listened to them say - "come on girls" and then I swear I heard some gum popping and saw some hip popping. They had every right to get fired up, they were about to lite the rehearsal dinner UP with some Greek cheese. It was awesome. Three ladies, six balls of fire -

three kids wondering why adults are playing with fire...

"Do we really have to wait for the bride and groom to start the party?" (I'll let you decide who the rule enforcer is in this scenario)

Tractor Pull

2011-07-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

After rescuing the tractor from the yard, its rolling again (strangely not mowing...). Almost repaired enough to beat the power of the HPX. We did a few laps again this weekend - the driver is the important part not the metal.... she navigated at rabbit speed between the vet and truck without scratching a panel - much to our astonishment. I think my favorite part of this toy is that technically there is no break. You remove your foot from mashing the gas and it automatically applies a break - which on blacktop results in a skid stop, very cool for a 2 year old.

And finally the slip-n-slide, you know 40% clearance at Fred's cause its July 24th. However, this is only day two of temperatures high enough to hit the outdoors in a 'kini. It was a bit short resulting in some skid stops on grass. No problem, we have grand plans for the DIY Slip-n-Slide. Its a terrible thing when you sit and discuss what mill strength would work best.

Grass

2011-07-10T13:51:00.000-07:00

The new house has surprises around every corner, some fun some not so fun. Jon has explained many times the benefits of a larger mower deck on his riding lawnmower...that he hopes graduates to a John Deer One Series...but a deck as large as his truck?! This is a little ridiculous. We've had lots of good luck so far, it seems an investment in a new 'tractor' would be smart. The hot tub is working with less than $500 investment (new pump and new sensor), the kitchen is solid, bathrooms work (with your eyes closed) - the move so far hasn't cost a significant investment in surprises.

One very nice surprise is our cul de sac of neighbors - supportive and yet respectful. That second 'tractor' down there is the neighbors. As Jon stood scratching his head and replacing his hat (as he does when he is super angry and no one is there to yell at) - the neighbor cruised over with a spare (and then very respectfully left Jon to his space). The grass will not grow another week. The thought of cutting grass with 2 or 3 weeks of growth is the only thing I can think of that gives men nightmares. During another episode of mowing (at dusk in the rain - concluding in calling me at 9pm to get more gas), another neighbor brought Jon hot dogs...these guys must know to stick together!

Now I know why farmers sit and watch the grass grow - they are planning their route and thinking about the next time they mow. I'm sure many more discussions about 'the grass'.

Does a Marriage Good

2011-06-20T21:48:00.000-07:00

Earplugs, they work as good for a U2 concert as they do for marriage. June 20 marks 13 years down this road. I was hopeful the road would lead to Hawaii...but turns out this flight has a layover in Clearview, WA. Thats okay, I hear the views are spectacular.

Daddy's Day 2011

2011-06-19T05:29:00.000-07:00

Chalkboard Heart Dad Father's Day 5x7 folded card

Shutterfly cards for Mother's Day, Valentines Day, Birthdays & more.

View the entire collection of cards.

Fathers Day 2011

2011-06-14T17:21:00.001-07:00

Classic White 5x7 folded card

Modern greeting cards and party invitations by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Shock and Awe

2011-06-13T21:38:00.000-07:00

They talk to friends and family on cell phones and iPads. They cross continents in mere hours (despite how long it feels). They have unlimited movie selection at the click of a button. They bowl, golf, ski and surf...at home in the living room. They live - onDemand - in more ways than one yet, making popcorn in something other than the microwave shocks them. I was my 13 year old self this weekend, babysitting 3 kids. We colored, played toys, made cookies, made popcorn, made pizza and watched a movie (or two). I really saw the different personalities of kids and can't imagine having three myself. I also learned I am not smarter than a 5 (or 3) ((or 2)) year old....and yes...I did repeat the words of the great adults before me..."because I said so" ....

Everything did end well. I'm told I've earned the chance to have 1 adult night out bi-monthly in exchange for competing with my neighbors to be the 'fun house'. Its ON! I think I still have a record player around here somewhere.

Write it Down

2011-06-07T20:59:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure someday I'll want to remind myself this once occured. Ching Ching to my perfect sleeper and eater....see ya in 12 when you tell me go away sunny.

Hunting....Easter Eggs, Florida Style

2011-05-20T21:35:00.000-07:00

Sew Little Time

2011-04-02T17:01:00.000-07:00

Dads shirt to lounge pants. I read this blog a while back that made me want to try this - and then I came across it again the other day. I was just lucky enough that Jon has ruined yet another shirt - so I had materials! In about 2 hours I whipped these up from the Kid Pant Tutorial at MADE. They don't fit perfectly and are way too long, but the pattern was for HER son. My task now is to figure out how to refine the pattern to fit Os measurements more precisely.

And Little Red Riding Hood from Oliver + S from Little Things to Sew (little is good). They have the greatest advertising that gets you to fall in love with the patterns. This is helping me learn the basics.

Get ready grandma...here we come!

Rumpelstiltskin

2011-02-28T06:57:00.000-08:00

I finally finished 'doll bed with bed linens'. We have one in our house and gave one to a neighbor ....not sure how long it will take to find one of these at a garage sale...my house or theirs!

I did all the sewing and was the creative muscle behind this initiative; however I did require assistance. I basically made one bed - it didn't quite work (my hands were cold) and so I just quit{cue garage door slamming behind me}. Someone in my house can't stand to see materials put in the trash. He pulled out all the crooked air nails and had enough materials to make 2 beds... So like Rumpelstiltskin, I had gold in the morning. Then I made the mattress, pillows, fitted sheet, top sheet, pillow case and comforter.

Next I'm thinking about building (having him build) a highchair so we can have 'yunch' with the babies.

Round and Round we go

2011-02-20T16:24:00.000-08:00

I swear I was just at Christina's bday party....has it already been a year? This year we were treated to unlimited carousel rides, popcorn cupcakes, pirates booty and pizza. Truthfully...I don't think I ate as much pizza in college as I have with kids....and its still BAD pizza! We gifted Mary Poppin's DVD to Christina in honor of the Carousel ride at her party.

See any traffic out there?

2011-02-19T18:53:00.000-08:00

'Yunch'

2011-02-19T18:52:00.000-08:00

Team Sport

2011-02-19T18:50:00.000-08:00

Sittin' around in my jump suit and rollers all day.

2011-02-19T18:49:00.000-08:00

Valentine

2011-02-14T19:00:00.000-08:00

Peas be my Valentine!

Super Bowl

2011-02-06T21:21:00.000-08:00

Its the wrong team and all - but at least the same sport and besides its a great pic!

Taking Turns

2011-02-06T21:19:00.000-08:00

Life teaches us many things every day. Olivia is learning to share and take turns. Sometimes she'll share some things and other times not. Food is typically something not easily shared. We hypothesize this is the result of group eating she experiences daily with some very sneaky stealers. At dinner time under no circumstances do you take a 'bite' from her plate. If you do - our tattle tale will expose the thief and wince until apologies and hugs and kisses are administered. Recently she's been very accommodating with toys as long as 'turns' are taken. At a birthday party I was pleasantly surprised to witness sharing of a necessity (water). Back and forth the bottle went...probably not the last time we'll be seeing (or hearing) about this from these two.

Traveler Advisory

2011-02-03T07:02:00.000-08:00

We have a long list of guests traveling to our house this year so I wanted to be sure we updated you on the latest home improvement project... So the good news - 1. I heart my Roku device (and Amazon on demand, Netflix and Pandora). This little box turned our television into an on demand device. I watch the NBC nightly news when I want to - without commercials. Shoot...once I even watched it at 5:30 and its not even broadcast until 6! Sometimes I'll just watch the today show and skip Bryan Williams all together. No more do I need to stay home glued to the television living my life according to the schedule of television executives (because I won't pay a subscription charge for a DVR). We have converted our Comcast cable bill into a $9.99 Netflix subscription (which I might drop to $4.99) and get Amazon Video On Demand for Free, and Pandora radio for free and a slew of other channels. It also turned our television into a huge digital picture frame - scrolling through our Picasa Albums. The Roku is wireless and works perfectly - get yours now and call your cable company and break those chains! The bad news....I'm guessing you figured out. We no longer have broadcast television. So if you can't survive a weekend without seeing a commercial for Empire Floors you might want to make alternative arrangements. Oh...and in case you need that constant talking head spewing what Rupert Murdock wants you to hear...the only one of those we get now is Al Jazeera - its free!

I think she likes it

2010-12-05T08:44:00.000-08:00

We barely made it to the month of December before breaking out a xmas (or was it a bday) gift early. She seems pretty happy. I'm not sure if her smile reflects the excitement of knowing at 2 she's in charge of the household (and a lifetime of getting presents early) - or the train is just that cool.

The microwave has left the countertop...

2010-11-14T16:47:00.000-08:00

Over cinnamon toast crunch it was decided to move the microwave. I had been dying to take a saber saw to the cabinet myself - but was told no construction was allowed until all the pieces were in hand (we need a new custom size door/drawer). I don't know what effect vacation had - but he must have missed his saber saw. Today at 9:30AM he thought it would be a good idea to just jump into the project. And now at 4:30 the project is complete (minus the door) and he's vacuuming my car. Somethings up, stuff just doesn't work like this in my universe. Our help was even helpful. I only heard a couple complaints about tools walking away...the level seemed to have grown legs and walked away (in Olivia's hand no doubt). Kitchen remodel of 2006 is almost complete, just need to finalize the refrigerator. I'm almost beaten down to accept a 38" standard depth rather than the 42" which will require drywall work. I hate cleaning up drywall dust.

Pretty Girls....

2010-10-10T08:44:00.000-07:00

Know how to get dirty too! Big brothers birthday party was a Mighty Machine theme complete with chocolate cake. We made them put on their super soaker stain resistant wear for the cake eating ceremony.

Gymnastics

2010-08-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

Turns out the best part of gymnastics is the sticker and cookies presentation at the end of each class. Hmmm...thats a farily expensive set of 5 cookies. Oh well - Olivia is progressing very nicely learning to do pizza's on the uneven bars, jumps in the hot-tub, donkey kicks, somersalts and back-rollovers - not to mention the climbing happening all over our house now. Whose idea was this again?

Waddler

2010-08-18T14:05:00.000-07:00

We waddled up for a visit with Mr. Wadlow this past weekend.

2010-07-07T19:54:00.000-07:00

Amazon Prime puked toys into my backyard and all Olivia has to say about it is MORE MORE! When I knew I was having a baby there were a few things I could not wait to purchase. The first was a play kitchen and somewhere on the list was a parachute. The kids are not quite old enough to get the parachute game, but they totally love 'kid popcorn' and the magic carpet ride. The adults are getting the work out with these games!

Moooooovies

2010-07-07T19:48:00.000-07:00

Movie night is back! And this year we've set up dual amplifiers in the TV room - I mean MEDIA room. One controls the inside the other controls the BOSE and rock speakers outside. We've also discovered what 'monitor out' means and have a 75ft cord running from inside out through the sinus cavity direct to the projector. Its awesome. Jon still has to "get in the hole" to get it routed properly - for now its running through the window - but I don't care - I'm watching movies! We debuted the new system with an on demand showing of Greenberg. The movie was pretty bad and we're not sold that component video is high enough quality. I cannot even believe I can tell a difference, but after watching on HDMI you actually can. Ridiculous.

Summer finally has arrived in Seattle. Sweet! Only 3 more weeks 'till Fall.

crown

2010-07-05T22:42:00.001-07:00

I've always known things just look better wearing a crown. I don't leave home without mine. We finally got the crown installed in the kitchen and wow does it make a statement. The cove lighting and under cabinet lighting don't hurt either. We have rope lighting LEDs in the cove and xenon spot lights under the cabinet. We also have digital dimming switches that have two switches in one gang plate. These were extra special not carried at either Lowe's or the Dep...but they were PRIME from the Zon. There is still some trim and putty work, but set one is complete.

We've learned alot in this project so far and the second set of cabinets is currently under construction. Some of the lessons learned:

1. Shoot straight for crown on cabinets (angle on ceiling)

2. Don't cut an electrical box out with a saber saw (you get to re-wire the entire circuit as a bonus project)

3. Light bulbs can give off a different color (change the bulb not the fixture...)

4. Fish tape is your friend

BBQ Weather

2010-07-05T16:28:00.000-07:00

Good thing it wasn't BBQ weather this July 4th cause the new grill was delivered with two forklift holes in the box. Sucks. The grill head survived the trip but the cart wasn't so lucky. We perched the grill on a folding table until we get the cart. I thought I found such a great deal and even skipped the eBay mark-up buying off the grid. I'm convinced this eBay authorized seller is pimping rejects of some sort. I can't figure how he's got this gig working from HI shipping from CA....hmmm but I want to join him! The grill worked remarkably well on the folding table. Now its time to experiment with the smoker box, flavor bars and rotisserie. Our last grill was converted from propane to natural gas. The conversion didn't go as planned so we drilled the holes a little bigger...that was a big mistake. The orifice allowed so much fuel through we melted two of the three burner knobs and flames would shoot out the sides. Only the center burner was NSF approved for cooking. It was Fred Flintstone style grilling at our house. Finally we are approved for general audiences once again.

Date

2010-07-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

The word date hasn't been in my vocabulary for a long time - a very long time... We've entered a new 'date-ing' arena, the "PLAY Date". And you may as well do it up right we had toys, wine, coffee, cookies, a princess (big sister joined us), gossip, dancing and a couple of biters! It seems Olivia and her friend CAS are among the strong personalities in the classroom. Its been reported it is necessary to keep these little love-birds separated.

We decided maybe a little one-on-one time might help tame the teeth. So we made a 'date' to get the families together at 10AM on a Sunday. This is certainly the earliest start time of a date I've ever had, I think a few ended at this time, but never started.

The future class clown and most likely to succeed will hopefully be friends for a long long time (despite the scars!).

Second time's a Charm

2010-06-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

It seems we always do things twice around here. In this episode we finally bit the bullet and got a range hood. I searched and searched learning about 3 1/4" X 10" vs. 9" round; internal vs. external blowers; sones - more than I ever really wanted to know about air blowers. The prices for these hunks of petroleum are unbelievable. I was dead set against ordering the one that matched the stove due to the location of the 'branding'. Shopping around I found them for $1500 but then you also had to buy the blower! Oh my - so when our local discount warehouse showed me a beautiful Italian brand for $250 I jumped on it. It arrived, we installed (with the normal fanfare) and on the low setting...it squeaked and not to mention 1:00pm was 13:00 on this fine Italian stallion. I couldn't handled the time change and I certainly was not going to listen to what sounded like a bad serpentine belt. Not to mention since the removal of the microwave I'd been running into the garage to cook - you have no idea how many times a day you use that little electron exciter. I was getting desperate. So - my longtime best friend Overstock.com had something that appeared to be sufficient. It arrived - we did the install dance again and its beautiful. Now to finish the crown, under/over cabinet lighting and find a place to install that new microwave. I can't have it on the counter but can't find a cabinet I'm willing to sacrifice either. We'll see how long it sits on the counter I can't have it on.

Toy Tester

2010-06-29T22:35:00.000-07:00

Only 185 shopping days left! The retail buyers are putting their orders in now. They were checking their list and checking it twice to be sure the toy experts would be happy with the selection. We took part in days of play to trial some stuff.

Animal House

2010-06-29T22:27:00.000-07:00

Vacation Vacation Vacation

2010-06-20T19:23:00.000-07:00

We were so proud at this moment. We're on our first family vacation; a long weekend over Father's Day / Anniversary at Lake Quinault staying at the national park lodge. No TV, no Phone, no 3G and wifi only in the common areas - so we thought. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. We departed about 11AM (would like that to have been earlier...but not a disaster), stopped for lunch in Olympia at 1PM (this is when I should have reconsidered my comfort level). Lunch was at Water Street Cafe and Bar. The menu was fabulous - so me per-baby. The problem was this was not a baby place and the waitress must not have remembered what kids are like. They had high chairs so its not like Olivia was an alien - lunch took 90 minutes - they wanted to preserve the 'experience' I guess. We swapped duties of playing in the park and eating as each course arrived. Then back in the car all set for nap time, this worked perfectly. Awake upon arrival ready for some playtime. We hit the pool at 4:30 with a reservation for dinner at 6. We ordered a bottle of the Lake Quinault Red had a somewhat 'normal' dinner; playtime and then bedtime routine with the picture above taken at 19:59. We spent the rest of the evening playing memory on the iPAD. I beat the pants off of JR. The lodge being so old was a bit loud. Lots of squeaking floors, people walking down the hall and talking and then at very odd hours clanging from the steam heater.

Day 2 started somewhat earlier at around 2AM when I had to rescue Olivia from being stuck under the bed. I tried crawling back into bed with her but she was all over the place. At one point I laid on the floor with her - that sucked - then she finally collapsed and we slept till 8AM or so. Everyone woke up tired; a coffee and some breakfast helped. Hiking the morning away in the splendor of nature - we did our best to stick to the routine - so at 12PM EVERYONE was down for nap time. No one stirred till 4 at which point we woke HER up! For an afternoon activity we hiked to the largest western cedar in the world and took a walk inside. During our drive around the lake we saw a few for sale signs and discussed the idea of a vacation home. Then dinner at the Salmon House (excellent) a shopping trip at the Mercantile. Tonight I'd thought it would be excellent to go swimming then hit the showers in the locker room as 'bath-time'. Also we were thinking wear her out = a full nights sleep. So we closed the pool at 10pm, shower and then a cold walk in a towel back to the room (cause you can't put on nighty nights without a diaper!). Then to bed - again no problem. I was granted a 'vacation' to sit in the common area to surf. Once the snoring began, I went to bed - I was no fool - JR surfed till midnight suddenly wifi was reaching our room!

Day 3 once again started a bit early. The first sounds of life began about 1AM - but those were quickly eased. Then 2AM it was our favorite wiggle worm once again in the (queen size) bed. We fought the bird for 2 hours and the bird finally won. At 4AM - we all got up turned the lights on showered, packed and got the heck outta there! All that pride in that photo evaporated as we were those loud people in a hotel room at ungodly hours - baby crying, doors slamming, talking, walking in the hall, luggage squeaking and hitting the wall (this family doesn't make two trips) - all of it! Back in the car she slept the ENTIRE way home. Jon was all gung-ho to stop at Lana's for blueberry pancakes. That would have meant breakfast at 7:15 - but I said no doubt Olivia will be asleep by then and I'm not moving her. Jon asked - are we going to order and eat separately (to me that meant breakfast would take 2X the normal amount of time). I said no, just bring my plate to the car. I think he was too embarrassed to do that - and knew I was serious - so it was McD's in Aberdeen for breakfast and home by 9:30AM. Considering we couldn't get our act together to leave for vacation prior to 11AM - arriving home from vacation by 9:30AM is definitely a lesson learned.

Class of 2026

2010-06-14T10:12:00.000-07:00

Kid Table

2010-05-30T08:37:00.000-07:00

Not so sure when the kid table became the only table! The adults are out in the yard...or more specifically running back and forth from the food to keep these smiling faces happy. I'm not sure I ate at all! Hurry up and eat...we've got an ice cream sundae bar in the kitchen!

Its almost barbecue season with movies on the patio and sunset at 10! You wouldn't know this is the first gate to summer in Seattle with the rain and 50 degree weather this 3 day weekend.

Caption

2010-05-24T21:20:00.000-07:00

This picture speaks to me and says: "i don't want this old technology (blackberry)! Give me that iPHONE!". She loves both the iPhone and iPad. The applications they have for kids are amazing. Even with piano playing, coloring, and animal sounds...her favorite thing is to watch videos of Olivia! She is definately going to be a member of the Apple generation.

Pre-flight

2010-05-23T20:54:00.000-07:00

I think she's checking to make sure JR is doing a proper walk around - cause she's not the first officer....

Here we are safely landed about to start running for the bus!

The long road home

2010-05-23T20:47:00.000-07:00

I did it. Something I've wanted to do for at least 3 years. I completed the destination yarn tour of 25 Puget Sound Yarn stores! Olivia did too - although she didn't qualify for the big prize. It took me 3 of 4 days - I even took a vacation day to get a head start. Driving and respecting the nap time, snack and meal times, not to mention diaper changes was quite the challenge. Saturday we flew to Whidbey island for two stops. We confirmed in advance transportation from the airport existed. At the first stop near Oak Harbor we arrived about 11:45; Google said the first bus wasn't 'till 12:20. I convince JR (with Olivia on his back) to just start walking - we'll get to the next stop about the time...and just then the bus passed us! We started running; luckily this is Whidbey island and the driver stopped...and then started to back up to get us! SWEET! On the bus I bumped into a girl I met on day one in Bellevue (then also in Renton) who was doing this tour by bike. Yes, bike (now go look at the map where all these stores are with that in mind). Back to the plane and heading to the beautiful town of Langley. Unfortunately Google was incorrect on the bus transportation options and we found ourselves with two options: (1) walk the 2.5 miles to town and back (with Olivia on JRs back) or (2) ride courtesy bikes the 2.5 miles to town and back (with Olivia on JRs back). We chose option 1 and 2. It was downhill all the way...and uphill all the way back. Sunday was the long haul to Bainbridge for the cutest shop of all - Churchmouse Yarn and Tea - this shop owner has her business model perfected. I didn't know till now but she has avoided going 'online' - perhaps the secret to her success? Finally, Sunday afternoon a quick whirlwind around Seattle and finishing in Mill Creek at my 'neighborhood' store. So glad I did it; don't have to ever again.

Serenity Garden

2010-05-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

This is the serenity garden as JR refers to it. It is the resting place of the hanging baskets I loved for such a short time (till they died because of lack of water). But NO MORE will I have water run down my arm or get mud on my leg from dragging that hose around (we have the heaviest darn hose on earth). I now have this feature for my beautiful baskets! I'm hoping the flowers will touch the ground before the summer is over.

Sourcing Strategy

2010-05-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

My yard needed two additional Redtip Photinia in the standard (tree) form. Of course nothing else would work it was this plant or nothing. I called and visited the best nursery's in the area hoping to find them with no luck. I purchased two of these in 2006 and hesitated but ultimately didn't buy any in 2008 and now you can't buy them. Nursery's only sell the shrub version due to some fungus the plant is very susceptible to. Well...I'm not one to let that stop me. I hit the Internet - I'll find someone who will ship them to me! Unfortunately that didn't work either. I found myself randomly spotting MY TREES in other peoples yards. I would comment on their height and bushi-ness and then make plans to dig them up by moonlight. Instead of going to jail I found a better option. A church happen to have about 20 of these planted on the eastern property line. The plants looked to be very unhappy in this very windy location and I knew they would be very happy to relocate to my yard. So I decided to turn to the black market of horticulture. I email the church office and offered money to take their plants - and they accepted! I was totally shocked. It took about 90 days to finalize the contract , but ultimately I got 3 humongous Redtip Photinias and they are now in my yard. I'm now able to remove the green awning from the kitchen window and have an instance privacy hedge. LOVE IT! So now where there was 2, now we have 5.

MINE

2010-05-05T16:33:00.000-07:00

The newest word in the growing vocabulary is MINE. This must be a daycare phenomenon - there's no way she learned that from me. I might not drive often these days but its MINE.

Home Ownership

2010-05-02T20:23:00.000-07:00

Just another trip to the Depot with the daddy. This weekend was all about installing a new hot water heater. We were not in an emergency state with no hot water - that was until we disconnected it... but we had a leak so we decided for full replacement. It sounded easy and everything is easier the second time right? The hardest part was shimmy-ing this heavy round hot dog into a very tight space. Everything was seemingly going fine until we fired up the pilot light and the flame would not stay lit. Additional research revealed lots of problems with GE brand (Rheem Manufactured) 50 gallon water heaters. Reviews on the Depot site were all 5 stars...but Google told a different story. The thermo-couplers on units manufactured in CA have issues. The very courteous customer service manager explained we could have our new thermo-coupler without any problem by Wednesday. WEDNESDAY? Ah, excuse me - we'd like to shower at least every other day. Fortunately, we returned and re-purchased (after swearing to never purchase another again) and now its installed. Only one of use had to suffer through a cold bath. Now we have a cool new pan with an overflow valve going to the outside. Nice, and it only took 2 full days to get done.

Polka!

2010-04-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

Doesn't everyone do the hokey-pokey at their birthday party? Who doesn't have an accordion to play the happy birthday song? After this we went out to the garage, danced under the disco ball and lights and sang "I'm in the garage, I'm Olivia...and I'm great!". Genetics...its amazing what passes through...

We're watching you...

2010-04-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

A camara in front and a camara in back. Just a quick message to Olivia when she's say....16....we're watching you. I can see through walls and hear noise from a few states away....don't ever think I can't see or hear what you are doing in the TV room. I know your not "just talking".

Beach-yyy

2010-04-19T10:26:00.000-07:00

Definitely not a beach bum. She's much more a pool girl. The beach was apparently too sandy, salty, dirty, hot and sunny?! Go figure! I'm not a beachyyy sort of person myself. I'd much rather be at the pool...at the beach. Terrible I know, but true. JR would have a party in a mud puddle if it was available.

Where are we?

2010-04-15T09:11:00.000-07:00

If you guessed Florida you'd be smart...but if you guessed an airshow (where else would these two look like this) you'd be brilliant. We made our second trip to the Sun n' Fun airshow. The weather this year was much cooler and with a 16 month old versus 4 month old things were alot easier... Liv did not enjoy the noise (and we forgot her pink headsets...but carried them all the way to Florida...) but she did like seeing the airplanes in the air.

House Call

2010-04-06T08:58:00.000-07:00

Hard Knock Life

2010-04-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

Cinderella's work is never done...

Happy Easter

2010-04-03T16:19:00.000-07:00

We went to the hunt at the Big Park and were surprised to find Mr. Bunny! Olivia did a fair job at finding the treasures - she likes scrambled eggs so much every egg she 'found' went directly into her mouth!

Mr. Bunny (aka Amazon Prime) delivered a fantastic new bike. The Caaaar is starting to get too small - Olivia was complaining about the horsepower... So we got the Kettler Air Trike. She's a bit short for now - but it also includes a push bar for the same hair-raising downhill experiences the Caaaar provided. However, these are non-slip rubber tires - no 720's in the street anymore. It also includes stupid expensive accessories - in the mail is a basket, seat belt and the tandem seat. I can't wait to see her all decked out!

Tyson's rematch

2010-04-01T14:42:00.000-07:00

I think we met Mike Tyson at school today - no one can verify cause no incident report was filed - but the bruises don't lie (and this is 5 days later).

Spring Fashion

2010-04-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

Hitting the runway this spring is a new collection from "mom's closet" - Sweater Pants and Turtle Pants. The Sweater Pants are a fantastic merino wool from Banana Republic - honestly one of my favorite 'gray' sweaters. But one day after putting it on and feeling the tightness of being mistakenly dried ...I knew I could find a better use than the garbage. This successful attempt at the sewing machine caused me to try the advanced turtle pants... The Turtle Pants incorporate the turtle neck of an old cotton sweater with small snags from loving the kitty kat like a baby. The turtle neck just barely fits over that belly with the legs and 3/4 sleeves create a very nice gathered ankle.

Where is everybody?

2010-03-18T08:26:00.000-07:00

There was a bit less fanfare for this take off (and landing) but we were there (small black dots near the hangar)! And very excited that a fully outfitted Dreamliner has hit the skies.

Manager Trainee

2010-03-12T08:29:00.000-08:00

This was really a tough one but its been on the list for a while now and with the new backyard experience...it was needed. I'm sick of dancing with a sprinkler trying to avoid watering the concrete! So this year we finally have irrigation AND flower basket drip lines. OH the money I've spent on hanging baskets I've killed should easily pay for this project. So we dug out the credit card (Schwab 2% cash back on everything no minimum no exceptions - have you heard) and paid someone else to do it! Three days later and some insprirational words from the peanut gallary - and its done!

Torch in Gaol

2010-02-23T12:26:00.000-08:00

We "busted her out" as JR likes to say - he called scuola and explained she was sick -eh, eh - and she wouldn't be in today. As he hung up he turned and said to Olivia..."that's how its done"...hmmmm not sure we need to teach this skill set. But whatever we headed to Vancouver to see the Olympics.

Sweet Dreams

2010-02-01T15:52:00.000-08:00

She's a great sleeper...I'm not sure what she's dreaming about...but I'm not interested in changing it! She can sleep through the burr of an airplane, the garbage man, recycle man, and compost man - but you walk into that room and she hears the click of the door - WATCH OUT! Those arms hit the air faster than you can squeeze yourself through the door crack and the bookshelf. Its amazing, how does she know. I swear she's half asleep - but you ain't gettin' outta there so just pick her up and settle into the rocker. We've learned from experience. No one in this house is allowed to 'check the child'. We don't want to see her till morning anyway. No news is good news and you can hear her snoreing thats good enough.

We've settled into a routine of nice afternoon snoozes (enough for a movie on a Sunday afternoon..have you seen Extrack?), nighty-nighty time starts about 8pm and lasts basically until 8am. It works out to be perfectly enough time to do the dinner dishes, pick up the toys and throw yourself on the couch for some terrible national broadcast television (I wish Frontline was on everynight). Now if I can just get her to be totally asleep in time to hit the couch for Survivor - my one and only TV indulgence outside of DIY.

2010-01-17T15:47:00.000-08:00

It took a daddy and a grandpa to get this hotrod back on the road and I do mean the road...

I guess that is one way to get jogging into your daily routine.

One going on...

2010-01-15T09:25:00.000-08:00

I guess going on one - when exactly do your kids take over every aspect of your life? Olivia continues to be 100% excited by any electrical or audio visual device. The remote, blackberry, iPhone you name it. She pants and gets very excited when she finally gets her hands on one of these little slices of baby gold. We are now accustomed to thanking her for finding the device since we can't remember where we last placed it to "hide" it from her.

What a difference a year makes

2009-12-22T13:20:00.000-08:00

No need to brave the long lines at the mall for this! We unexpectedly bumped into Santa while shopping for a birthday hat. Thats not surprise and excitment on her face...

She was lucky in one way - she got to play toys with Santa for a bit and that seemed to be a-okay but don't get too close...

Mrs. Robinson

2009-12-08T21:20:00.000-08:00

Officially a graduate, the oldest in the class and it shows. Her next best friend is 6 days younger, then it drops off fast to several months. She and Dec 25th really have command of the room. They've explored every nook and cranny. I typically take part in 'school' sitting on the play kitchen or sky box stairs trying to coral my little mover and shaker. While the other babies try to roll over or sit up, Olivia is in and OUT of the ball pit 2 or 3 times. She made quite a splash in the ball pit recently - stopping the conversation with a belly flop - a shock for all.

Evergreen State - Sold Out

2009-12-06T13:12:00.000-08:00

It might be Olivia's second xmas, but its our FIRST xmas tree (second ucut location attempt). After we cut it down I did the math and it will take 6 years to pay for a fake tree vs. going through this every year. And the storage oh the storage - we've got nothing left - so real tree it is.

Olivia is a holiday or two behind. She's more interested in the leftover Halloween candy than the xmas tree. I wonder...how many licks does it take to get to the center of the tootsie-pop when you start from the wrapper?

Smiles and Slobber

2009-12-02T10:01:00.000-08:00

Its my dress and I'll slobber on it if I want too or cry which ever gets me picked up. Olivia wasn't digging picture day today. I'm very worried what professional picture day is going to be like. We've got the wardrobe, just need a willing model - she's very demanding!

Birthday Month!

2009-12-01T22:01:00.000-08:00

Miss December is ready to party! She got out her sequins and is ready for a fantastic birthday month - not to be confused with xmas of course.

Seeing Red

2009-11-27T22:14:00.000-08:00

Halloween is over, thanksgiving is behind us, time to put the orange and brown away and get out the RED! The stroller got an update for the season. All she needs is an integrated iPod for me to take credit for pimping her ride - all the other cars have it...

Swimming in December

2009-11-27T22:11:00.000-08:00

I'm considering switching up the holidays. Birthdays near xmas totally suck and as the saying goes "xmas in July". I'm thinking that might not be such a bad idea!

Good lookin' bird

2009-11-26T23:28:00.000-08:00

The most work on Tday we planned was figuring out which drive-thru to hit...but something got the best of me and I found myself at the grocery store and all these thanksgiving ingredients found their way into my cart. Very happy they did because this bird is perhaps my best yet. I've steamed a turkey I didn't give enough time to thaw, burnt one and must have undercooked one - but this time I finally got the perfectly browned skin figured out. I believe the secret to my success was room temp, right size and olive oil. Also, PBS and America's Test Kitchen. Olivia enjoyed Turkey the most, tolerated yams and basically liked green beans. She thought pumpkin pie and whip cream were worth the messy hands and took a bite or two. My favorite accomplishment this week is the use of a straw!! YAHOOO. I hate the sippy cups we live with they drip drip drip - but a straw - oh the possibilities. I might actually take her to a drive thru.

Jail Bird

2009-11-12T19:30:00.000-08:00

We finally got the baby gate, resistance was futile. The result is sooo nice. I sat on the couch about 5 seconds after it was installed and watched her crawl around the corner out of sight. Suddenly a sense of relief (instead of dread) passed over me as I remembered I could just stay put...she's in lock down. Ahhhh...but relief is short lived. A baby gate is great but it seems you can't do this....

'cause she'll do this....

Ins and Outs

2009-11-05T17:07:00.000-08:00

Just learning the ins and outs of pit ball...errr I mean the ball pit. This little contraption (who am I kidding - this ain't little) has been a real hit. We've all enjoyed it from time to time. Currently we are getting most of the laughs as we watch a swan dive into and out of 'the pool'. She's learning to stand unassisted - its the throwing herself over an object I'm concerned about. The crib rails were promptly lowered.

In addition to squirming in the balls, Olivia is quite adept at 'palming' a ball. Here's little Michelle Jordon at it now.

Pictures are worth a thousand words....but video can be used to embarrass you forever!

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T21:06:00.000-07:00

From Yoda, Luke and Leia.

bummer

2009-10-21T13:28:00.000-07:00

The guy on the street got this picture perfectly - exactly what we wanted - to highlight the sign. Thank you very much streetwalker, next time I'll put a twenty in your box at the stoplight.

Sleep Wars

2009-10-19T19:13:00.000-07:00

Our latest strategy to induce fuss-free bedtime is Triptophan. Olivia will eat - anything basically - chicken specifically is a favorite. Tonight we added turkey and laughed about the hopeful side-effect! Apparently Olivia has already devised her counter-attack. She taught us that kitcat also likes turkey - as she dropped pieces to a waiting dinner guest... We've NEVER fed this cat table food so this is all new and all Olivia. I guess at least we don't need to get a dog.

Spitting Image

2009-10-16T18:37:00.000-07:00

...of parents at a wedding with a baby. You've seen them. The ones in pretty clothes carrying a baby drowning in silk. That was us - I bounced during the toast, rocked while they cut the cake and thought of what to feed a kid as I cruised the buffet line - suddenly my plate is not my own. I actually considered tossing her in the crowd for the bouquet toss. Whats the age limit for that...she's a single lady! I actually really wanted someone to play "all the single ladies" - I think she would have stood up and danced all by herself. Here we are at the end of the night. The parents look more tired than the kid - I'm not particularly in a picture kinda hair satisfaction mood. This wedding was outdoors - imagine heels, soggy grass, a tent, and a downpour - all features of this outdoor wedding (destination wedding Olivia...destination wedding...not fall in PNW) Did we get a single photo in her ruffle-butt tights, dupioni silk dress and patent leather Mary-Janes? Nope, nada - only a pic in her pjs ready for the drive home. She couldn't be more excited about the whole process.

Quality Control

2009-10-14T18:49:00.000-07:00

Olivia provided close supervision for the latest decor addition to her room.

I think the image speaks for itself - she's not satisfied with the final result!

I think this is the one...

2009-10-03T20:34:00.000-07:00

We didn't end up with this award winner, but we did keep the little pumpkin we already have, and found a few good candidates for the front porch.

78 days 10 hours and 8 minutes

2009-10-03T20:15:00.000-07:00

Car keys, purse, lipstick, sunglasses - check check check - baby wipes, baby toys, baby...nope. We left those necessities at home for the first time in...well...a long time. A night out for dinner, drinks, a concert and adult conversation - that revolved around the baby! Jesse Cook was in town and it was the perfect time to head out sans Olivia.

A Too-ffer

2009-09-28T18:25:00.000-07:00

A two-for-one as they say is how Olivia delivered her first tooth (teeth). She was particularly a pain, which is not the norm, we thought - oh man the streak is ending! No more great sleeping, happy baby, dinner and independent play. She's been abducted by a whining awake at random hours alien. And then we figured it out - she has pain in her mouth (and a fever)! A couple doses of Tylenol and chewing on a pacifier (the wrong end...but still) and we discovered two bottom teeth starting to poke through. We can't lay a finger in her mouth unless she's sleeping, when I sit, rock and rub her gums. I just can't get over that mind game of where something you feel seems SOOO big, but with your eyes seems totally normal in size. And these things are hard - teeth hard! I'm so used to her mouth being full of soft gums. Hitting a tooth with the spoon seems so strange! Her favorite teething item is the blackberry - mom or dad variety doesn't matter - blackberry is enough.

How many baby monitors does it take to...

2009-09-05T10:02:00.000-07:00

It was another wild and crazy Friday night in the suburbs. We had generic beer, baby monitors, and Wii on the 100". We golfed, bowled, danced, boxed, walked the tight rope and did a little yoga. We had plans for some movies but we'd had so much to drink our neighbor was talking about how it was a good idea for him to cut a hole in his wall for a hall closet...it was time to call it a night. Besides we had to get home before the kiddos woke up and wondered where all the adults were!

I see another wood project in our future. We need a mini-pergola to house the screen. It should be about 3 feet deep and capable of holding plants that can cascade down for a lush jungle look - 'cause next year we'll have irrigation!

MNO

2009-08-29T11:17:00.000-07:00

Here is the new 'bar' scene. A mom's night out with craftiness. I've always wanted to go to one of these places. The RSVP instructions requested participants to bring something to share. Most people brought a bottle of wine or some cheese and crackers...I brought Heineken. Turns out I was the hit of the party. I like wine, but when you are painting - just seems more like a beer event. Seems like some other mom's agreed! Olivia now has custom made drawer pulls just like in Anthropology magazine - only these weren't $22 each. I might end up buying the real those when I see how these turn out...

Happy Birthday Daddy

2009-08-18T08:09:00.001-07:00

Amazing how long it takes to light all these candles! The freaking cake started to melt before I could even get it done! Then one step out to the patio and woosh...a gust of wind just about blew them all out. What a dud!

We Did It

2009-08-01T16:48:00.000-07:00

It doesn't happen often that you look to your partner, smile and think - wow...we did it... We got the house, cars, jobs, kid and inflatable pool. Wow. Whatelse could we hope for?~! I must admit I NEVER thought I would put myself in a kiddie pool in my backyard. But thanks to our local warehouse discount store - this is not your ordinary kiddie pool. We have sprinklers, bench, waterfall, slide, deepside AND shallow side. And most important two cupholders. Its full scale integration of the backyard experience. Who knew. We're already talking future projects - a lap pool maybe? Until then this is a good proto-type.

This doesn't end well

2009-08-01T16:38:00.000-07:00

...if you are the bird. Kitcat is probably feeling a bit like the new 30... She's getting older but proving she's still got it. It was a bad week for birds. She took out 2 in the same day.

Not a Public Announcement

2009-07-28T07:57:00.000-07:00

Today was another field trip...luckiest kid in the class... Olivia's lesson today was about the immigration process. We witnessed 145 individuals become US citizens (2 of our friends specifically). I heard them all swear to denounce all other sovereigns, princes and the like. It was something. My three observations of the ceremony - (1) it was like graduation - no matter how many times you ask people to NOT cheer, they still will, and the announcer looks like scum asking them to hold applause till the end (2) its a contemporary ceremony not traditional - I was expecting some marching band music but instead the country song "I'm Proud to be an American" and (3) a greeting from Obama - just think of all the administrative hoohaw that happens with a new president! JR and I joke about the marketing expense of WAMU becoming Chase (signs, stationary, deposit slips...) the US government is no better!

Congratulations new citizens!

Christmas in July

2009-07-26T10:44:00.000-07:00

Good thing its not Christmas yet. I'm really hoping something I make for this child will fit. I had big ideas that her infant wardrobe would be fine knitted cashmere and silks. Instead she regularly wears cotton from Carter's with the most retarded wording. "mommies dream come true! - Grandma's sweetie!". I'm a bit of a sucker for these things at times...but I don't want a walking billboard unless it is for the brand "stephani marie". We'll see how long I can keep her from promoting the Fortune 500 brands - I'm sure Bert and Ernie will soon be blazing from her clothing. I sure hope not.

I made a collection of winter gear last July. I went a bit crazy - but I was performing a stash busting event trying to use all the yarn possible. Next time I'll make a variety of items rather than one item in a variety of colors. I had enough yarn for two Santa hats so I planned ahead (just like her wardrobe) and made the infant and small versions. Looks like the small will fit just about right come December. I can hear it now "Santa will you bring me..."

Nah thats not it - it'd be..."Santa I'll trade you a hat for a..." Now THATS my girl!

Record Temps

2009-07-22T17:58:00.000-07:00

100.8 - that is the temp of her head not the air temp in Seattle. We have our first cold. Its mild and so is her complaining. No kids with 'the fever' are allowed at 'the daycare' - so we're home juggling email, conf calls, baths, snot and tylenol.

Seattle is recording some of its highest temps of the season. JR and I do a high five for A/C on a regular basis these days. The ROI on that silly, impractical investment...turned out to be pretty good!

Full Service

2009-07-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Remember the days of full service gas? These days that is a rare thing. I remember grandma NEVER filled her own tank, she always got full service at Pie Town. The guy would fill-up, clean her windshield and then bring the little tray with the receipt to sign (did she tip?). Even way back then she was ahead of her time using credit for everything...wonder if she got cash back? JR and I both hate the fill up - we'll argue over who has to do it. I typically pull the girl card and play up chivalry (and win). I've been known to drive home with spark plus mis-firing to avoid stopping for gas. Lawn mower fuel is my savior!

This weekend was a trip to the Lavender Festival. Unfortunately it was a bust. We have become accustomed to spontaneity (aka procrastination) but life with baby is keeping us - me - more on our toes. Last year we did our research, hopped in the plane, landed, walked across the street and enjoyed the free transportation to all the lavender farms. This year we skipped the research, hopped in the plane, landed, walked across the street and found Angel Farm was closed...no free transportation to town and the main festival. Crap. AND we had our first lap child event so no car seat on this flight - which means no cab to the festival. So back in the plane we went and flew to lunch at the Howard Hugh's place I can't remember the name of. Decent recovery but hopefully someone learns their lesson! I think in this photo Olivia is trying to tell dad he's coming in a little hot and should go around...

Who was that?

2009-07-12T08:13:00.000-07:00

We must have quite a lot of blog readers. Olivia keeps getting photo requests...and they are not just from me! We were playing tourist today. We hit the market and Starbucks. Olivia was in her chariot and it seems she was very popular. A photo request occurred on more than one occasion. People could not get enough of her or her 'ride'.

This is also a good example of her new 'smile'. I'm not sure what happened but she now is closed mouth smiling with a sprinkle of crinkly nose and a snort or two. Its quite funny. In this photo she is not only displaying her new smiling skill...but her grab your hair and pull skill...poor groupies...they don't complain.

Got Spinach

2009-07-05T15:42:00.000-07:00

She's a regular Popeye the Sailor. We made baby food today and in the process thought we would let her have a taste or two. Well we must have forgotten what time it was or something because she sat down and had Thanksgiving dinner for one. She chowed down big time on spinach - you couldn't get it to her black hole fast enough. Then I thought lets finish with some fruit, some desert to finish the meal you know. In the meantime I kept making the rest of my bounty. After the fruit disappeared she licked the blender from the green beans and washed it down with a sippy cup of milk. We don't know where she hid everything that went into her mouth - but we're pretty sure which side we'll be seeing it from again. So far she's experienced - avocado, cucumber, oatmeal, banana, fruit cocktail, strawberry, blueberry, green beans, spinach and carrots. I'm not sure which was her favorite...eating seems to be enough of a favorite - what doesn't seem to matter.

Self Port 2.0

2009-07-05T15:30:00.000-07:00

We had pretty much perfected the self portrait. Several of our best shots are taken from Jon's own arm. We had finally gotten so good - Jon's self portraits are actually much more reliable than the generosity of others. We typically turn down offers from passers-by to 'take our picture'. What they create is generally not worth the digital memory. Our next challenge is to determine how to get Liv into the self port. This weekend was our first attempt. It took several attempts, but we got close to something worth keeping. We've got to teach Liv about timing her smile...but we'll get there. Practice makes perfect!

The new pre-flight

2009-06-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

In addition to checking the oil, fuel and a bunch of other stuff I don't want to know anymore about....pre-flight for this Captain also includes check stroller, diaper bag, headsets (the pink variety), sophie, blanket and mom.

We celebrated Anniversary/Father's Day weekend with a flight to Roche Harbor for lunch and then dinner at East Sound. We arrived a bit late in East Sound - unfortunately all the stores were closed or closing. Totally a bummer...it was 3pm on a Saturday -hmmmm someone tell these folks might sell something if they stay open a little longer.... We couldn't even manage to find a coffee. That's pretty bad for the greater Starbucks, er I mean Seattle area.

Papers

2009-06-18T08:40:00.000-07:00

Oh the places we will go! She has papers and we're ready to hit the skies (in the major airlines that is). In addition to making sure we have kid, stroller, bag, purse, blackberry(ies), camera and the endless list of must-haves....we have to be sure not to lose one of these. Up to now all travel included the strict instructions to monitor your own required equipment (passport, money, etc). I don't think she qualifies for that regulation - so who will be the one...to lose...I mean hold the passports. I think, I might be on the top of the list because if it is lost in say...France... I know what to do! With that in mind I think the next must pack list will include a couple extra passport photos. Life is just easier with those in your pocket.

This is becoming a pattern

2009-06-08T16:47:00.000-07:00

Skipping school that is. Today was a field trip! It was bring your kid to the fishbowl day. At Ziggy's specific request kids were welcomed to the event. He is selling his new album - Family Time - and gave a little taste to the worker bees. Pretty sweet. We didn't win the raffle but of course little miss sunshine won the heart of everyone around her. Ziggy smiled, laughed, asked her name, was curious if the sound level was to be a concern and then asked if it was her first concert. Well...yes it actually was (Dave didn't play anything). He dedicated one song to the cutest little boy for an obvious reason - it was called cry cry cry. He dedicated the final song to O - it was the title track. Unfortunately at this point in the show, Olivia would rather eat than dance...so she almost didn't make it through the whole set. We survived and then bolted to a private room for lunch.

Roll Class!

2009-05-30T07:46:00.000-07:00

Olivia's first day of school was a success - she'll be going back...just not today. We rolled class and watched 'crete instead! On her first day she had to go to the office because she was on hunger strike...and now day 2 she didn't show up and mom didn't call. We got busted by the skip patrol. Oops. But my check cleared...so I'm not crying too much. I can already tell we're going to be 'those parents'...

First Day Outfits

2009-05-29T13:38:00.000-07:00

I think there is a song from Annie that says You're Never Fully Dressed without a Smile! Well no first of anything is complete with out a new outfit, hairdo, purse or something around here. Olivia is gifted with the DIY parents that we are - so her first day at school included a new outfit (of course). Only this outfit was more functional that normal. It included a letter from 'Olivia' to her teachers about what she likes and a translation of her sounds and peculiar movements. Like for example she will hit her belly with her hands when she wants to be picked up or if you cough she'll laugh. We kept it a big secret and dressed her in some overalls so the letter would be found by the teachers sometime during the day. Just a brief reminder she has people who love her and we'll get you if you hurt her... I also included some marks on the sleeves that said "I'm the new Kid" and "Its my FIRST day!" And one extra special message in a quirky place that pointed out Jon's favorite fact - "Diaper rash free - so far!!" I chose not to mention the wireless camera I had rigged up i and that she can text us on her own personal blackberry.

Pouring on Friday

2009-05-28T17:26:00.001-07:00

Generally, you don't want to ever hear these words in Seattle (we do more than we'd like) - unless it means concrete! That's right we're POURing on Friday!!! The concrete man just keeps coming back. Its almost 500 square feet of beautiful stamped concrete. We've been de-greened (in more ways than one), formed, re barred and even customized. After several wire chasing projects inside we wanted to be sure to accommodate future wire projects outside. So we requested a sinus cavity to allow for future customization of a 'tribal counsel' theme, lights or some audio/visual project of some sort. Next up is a new grill and patio furniture! July 4th barbecue is at OUR HOUSE!!!!

3 Day Weekend

2009-05-25T15:15:00.000-07:00

Just your typical safety glasses required weekend at our house. The hall door installation is complete. The neighbor said it looks like its always been there. Success an OEM quality improvement not an aftermarket improvement. We have lots of dry wall work to do but for now the vacuum, stroller and car seat fit just fine. The integrated flooring to match the main room really perfected the look. Thank goodness we saved that wood all these years...but thank goodness that dreadful box of scraps of GONE! I'll keep daydreaming about shelf configurations till winter.

The patio guy finally made an appearance (twice) and we currently have a mud pit. Forming supposedly to occur on Tuesday with pouring next day, week, month? Who knows. I think next week. We're gearing up for a 'project minimum' summer this year. The couch will be delivered tomorrow, patio complete in May (cross our fingers), plants have been moved just need a photinia or two and I'll call it quits. The irrigation system is on tap for next November or March. We'll tackle more bigger projects when we have more labor. Currently some of us are working harder than others...at least somebody knows what 3 day weekends are for!

Separated at Birth

2009-05-23T17:24:00.000-07:00

Separated at birth not for anything other than the act of getting attention for doing this. It seems next to the discovery of her hands and feet, is the discovery of the tongue. She goes around all day sticking this out - because she can. Its actually very entertaining to watch her public encounters. Most people smile at a baby to get the baby to smile back. This new trick causes people to mimic her. I've never seen so many tongues - some I want to, others I'd rather skip. And of course this new thang has caused a conversation for...who's tongue does she have? You can now logoff and visulize that conversation for a minute or two...