Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Terrible Mom Part One:

Today I was asked "Ducky is 13 years old. Are you crazy? Indy is a sweetie, but why now!?! What could you have been thinking!?!?!"

My reply:

"I was thinking, "I can handle another shot of Jager, no problem!"

(actually Indiana was a planned baby, but I couldn't resist the stupid answer to the stupid question.)

My Two Sons:

I love both of my sons. I have loved one son for longer than I have loved the other, because he has been with us for so much longer. Sometimes I don't think about how hard it must be for him for his mom to suddenly have a new son in her life. I ran across this cartoon when looking for fun Christmas-y things and I wonder... Could this be my children? Probably.



Fun Christmas Pics


Seasons greetings.

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

It's Tree Time!

We spent almost all of our day today selecting and putting up our Christmas tree. We had to rearrange our entire apartment to make everything fit in such a way that the Tree was visible from everywhere and yet totally inaccessible to a mobile baby. So, we pinned it into the corner behind the couch, in front of the big window. Indiana did the proper ooh-ing and aaah-ing, and a little wiggle and a little giggle when we lit the tree. He likes it so far.

Monday, November 28, 2005

Mommie's Little Monster

I have always shared Indiana's precious moments. I enjoy snapping pictures of him hamming it up. Sometimes we pose him (as in the toy picture in the last post). Sometimes it is totally candid! But, I have noticed that in every shot he is charming and handsome and well, cute. He isn't always that way in real life. I don't know why no one believes me when I say he is a little terror. Maybe it is because when we have company he is a darling. He already has company manners. Well, I finally have proof that I haven't been just begging for sympathy! Here is my darling boy:

Sunday, November 27, 2005

Toy Boy

I can't come up with anything witty to say about this picture. It says everything about what is on Indiana's Christmas list.
Clothes. HAHA!
(Does anyone else think of the movie ET when they see this picture?)

Saturday, November 26, 2005

Basketball Hoop!

Indy's aunt Kathryn came home with a great gift for my sons. It was WAY WAY WAY TOO BIG for Indy's room, so we sent it off with Brother Duck. I just looked it up online and found THIS! This, is what it would have cost if Aunt Kathryn hadn't gotten it for free from her work. WOW.

I hope Dakota enjoys it.

Chillin'

It is such a nice weekend. Chris has four days off in a row! So, we are all just relaxing and making this weekend count as a "home vacation". A time to hang out together and rest, and just enjoy one another's company. Chris is getting a chance to really "bond" with Indiana in a way that the graveyard shift normally denies him. Indy is loving it.

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Brother Duck called and said that the thanksgiving on the hill was all right, although everything was "healthy" to accommodate his grandfather and his cousin who is very ill. We love Cousin Macy and our prayers are with her during her illness. As we learn more about it I will share it here with you all, and ask that you keep her in your thoughts.

Friday, November 25, 2005

The Long Weekend is Here.

Indiana drooled over his turkey; bone and all. We had a great thanksgiving, Thank you to all of you who wished us well for the holiday weekend.
A few of my friends were not as fortunate as we were. Go over and visit Our Girl Jessica, and her boy Zach and give her your condolences. Her grandmother passed away thanksgiving morning. (She also has some great pictures of Zachary just a few posts down, he is a cutie. seeing him is worth the visit.)

We are thinking of you, Jess. If you need us, we are here for you. A phone call away.

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Happy Thanksgiving

I ate Apple Pie
Chris ate Pecan Pie
Indiana ate Pumpkin Pie filling.

I love Thanksgiving.

Oh yeah, I promised a short "thankful" list didn't I!?! I kept procrastinating. Of course I am thankful for my children. I am thankful for my spouse, and my home. I am thankful for lots of stuff, but mostly right now, I am thankful for Pie.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

BUG!

So, we spent our day wiping our hard drive with an "area 51" disk. That's right, we got a BUG. This one was particularly heinous, even going so far as to completely annihilate our Norton's anti-virus program, causing it to have total fatal errors. So, we put the baby pictures on disks, and music on disks, and a few programs we didn't want to hunt for and wiped the computer back to factory specs. I HATE BUGS. We seem to have gotten this one from a blogspot blog. Indy's dad was cruising the blog-o-sphere using the "next blog" button conveniently located in the upper right hand corner of most blogs that are powered by blogger. He got to one that proclaimed "HA HA YOU ARE INFECTED" and indeed we were. So, be careful out there folks! And for those of you in the US, happy thanksgiving. I will be spending mine re-installing all of our crap back on to the computer instead of watching football. Sigh, Damn BUGS!

Let's Go Retro!

My number one son. I call him Brother Duck. That would be the 56-14 kind of Duck. The type of Duck that wears green and yellow and Quacks after each touchdown. Dakota. Him of the bright yellow rain boots, and silky blond ringlets. Him of the race car t-shirts and odor-ific feet!
He is my pride, and my heart. My teenager that I see far to rarely. My first taste of real love.
(this post took me 35 minutees to write!)

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Neat Toy

Jenny (867-5309) turned me on to this fun TOY!
(click on TOY! to check it out... click on Jenny to check her out!)

Local Color

For today, Indiana and I went walking and decided that we would like to share some of the beauty that we see within just a block of our home. Late Fall is a wonderful time here in Oregon. I hope that these pictures can help us to share the coolness of the crisp air, the delicate scent of wood burning in fireplaces, and the brilliant sparkling blue of the sky with each of you. Oh, and of course, share some of Indiana's delight in all of these things!

Look for your own beauty!




Monday, November 21, 2005

Just Standing Around

It's so nice to have a smoothie and just stand around smiling. I love when Indy is just happy to hang around and be a sweet heart. No crazy, cranky, screaming. Just chilling out and being a great kid.
Indy has an addiction to Costco Berry Smoothies. Today I walked Indy, in his stroller, to Fred Meyer, and we got to try out their smoothie. He got a banana, strawberry, blackberry mix. It was seriously good! I had to put some into a bottle because I couldn't shovel it into his mouth with the spoon fast enough!

If it wasn't for bad luck...

The other day I ranted about Fisher Price. Sure, they used to be THE premier kids stuff maker. So, I called them and explained how bad they sucked to their customer service people. We will be getting some replacement parts, some refunds, and some gift certificates from them.

So, today I was listening to Dean Martin on the brand new Bose system that we purchased less than ten days ago. It stopped playing, for no reason. The power just shut off on it. So, I thought maybe it is the fuse box... Wait! The rest of the stuff plugged in there, and on that fuse have power. Maybe it is the "plug in - outlet thingy" it is plugged in to... Nope, other stuff works when plugged into that outlet. So I thought maybe one of the wires came loose in the back... Nope all in and secure. It just wont turn on. It has no power to it. It has my Rat Pack Christmas CD in it!

So, now I think that I am just not lucky. Maybe Fisher Price doesn't suck, because I KNOW Bose doesn't suck however it appears that MY Bose does. So, maybe it isn't that Fisher Prices products are shoddy, maybe its just that I AM THE ONLY PERSON IN THE WORLD WHO GETS CRAPPY PRODUCTS FROM EVERYONE!!!

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Michelle

If you ARE visiting from Michele's , ignore this post!!
If you ARE NOT here visiting from Michele's Blog and are wondering what all those folks mean, in the comment section, when they say: "Hello, Michele sent me" - Head on over to her site and join in spreading the comment cheer. She is having her weekly three day meet and greet! Come, play along.

(This post is dated Sunday so it will be on top through-out the meet and greet weekend!

(edit: As some of you noticed... I am terrible at spelling other people's names! i have gone through and hopefully fixed the "double L" issue! thank you for pointing it out, i do try to be acurate!!)

Christmas Candles and Lights

Indiana is finding our holiday decorations quite to his liking. He is interested in all of the "new" things sitting out on the tables, or hanging from the windows. I am constantly rearranging things, and moving things out of his little clutches. I am really looking forward to getting the tree next week, as I KNOW he will be enthralled.

I am also looking forward to driving around and looking at all the Christmas lights. I love the look of wonder that comes across his face when he sees our pitiful display. The thought of his reaction to the Grotto, or the Ridgewood Neighborhood display in Gladstone, or the city of Kaiser's display, it just delights me. Even the Pepsi plant in Corvallis's display and Albany's "story book land" should be wonderfully new for us this year, as we see things thru our young Indy's eyes.

Saturday, November 19, 2005

Civil War


VS

They may just call this one the fog bowl. This is the 109TH meeting of Oregon State University and University of Oregon, affectionately called the Civil War. It is being held at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.

The score at half time is: Ducks 28 Beavers 7.

UPDATE --- FINAL SCORE:

DUCKS 56 BEAVERS 14

on a side note: "Wa-Zoo" (WSU Cougars) won the "apple cup" leaving the Washington Huskies as the big losers this year! Go Cougs!

Photo Shop

I am learning how to use our photo shop, i am still not real good at it, i notice i made his hand look funny, but i am getting better! With my usual humility, i will just say that perhaps i only think i am good at it because my subject is so photogenic and makes all pictures of him look good!

Friday, November 18, 2005

"Today's Hap's"

Santa's little helper was grandma's little angel today. While we were at the movie, he (supposedly) behaved beautifully for my mom. He isn't the grand-daughter she was hoping for, but I think she loves him, none the less. And I KNOW he loves her. He had a little tantrum when she left. But was soon soothed by a carriage ride to the music store.

The movie was fantastic. That is all I have to say about that.

37 days until Christmas!

Harry Potter IV

We are off to see the much awaited Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I have read all the books, and really enjoy the movies. We own the first three. I wont give anything away, I swear. My mom is coming over to baby sit for us. How awesome is that!?!?!

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Always On The Go!

It seems like whether he is trying to get away with munching on a shoe, or trying out our new dance pad, or trying to play the piano, or even trying to eat the receipt for that dance pad, he is always active and busy busy busy. I wish I had just a tenth of his energy. This group of pictures was taken in a ten minute time frame. None of these photos were staged! Some of them I called to him and he ignored me, continuing to play. Some of them I called to him and he looked up, guilty. He knows he shouldn't be eating my shoes or paper!

Lights, Camera...

We got out the snow suit and headed outside to start hanging the holiday lights! We hauled out and hung up three packages of blue icicle lights, and two packages of regular small string lights (the red strand has a bulb out... I have to go through them one by lousy one to find out which one is out. That should drive me crazy in short order...) The wreaths had to be hung and some "rope style" tinsel inside the window, too! Indiana seems pleased with the whole thing, or at least with the excuse to hang-out outdoors in the cold!

Realizations

Here it is midnight-thirty. I have just had my epiphany. Everything is so clear. I am the grown-up. Not just an adult. A GROWN-UP. So many things pointed me that way. The fact that I couldn't drink my body weight in booze anymore. Heck, two fingers of brandy makes me sleepy. That's a clue. The fact that I say to my sons "Because I said so" and feel perfectly okay about it. Yeah, another tip. But, the thing that made me really see it... I am mourning the loss of a beloved cheese grater. The plastic frame long ago broke away, leaving just one stalwart blue piece on the end. I told myself "one more burrito. Its good for one more quesidia." One more is past. It has shredded its last bit of Tilamook Colby Jack. It has presided over its last "taco salad night buffet". Now I have to replace it, my beloved shredder that has been with me for so many years. Being a grown up sucks.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Seven Months

Has it really been seven months since this moment?
It has.
Time is going so fast.
You are growing so quickly.
One day you will be grown and gone.
I do not regret a moment of staying home with you.
I never thought I could love another child as I love Dakota.
I do.
I love both of my sons.
I am so proud of them.
It has been Seven Months to this date that Indiana joined this world.
It has been Thirteen Years, One month, and 25 days since Dakota joined this world.
My love for them continues to grow every day.
Being their mom rocks.

Ready... Set...

It is that time of year again. In the US we are preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving in just eight more days. And then just a month after that we have Indiana's first Christmas! Today we broke out "The Christmas Box". I started going thru lights, tinsel, stockings, boxes, gift bags, Santa hats, millions of holiday decorations, ornaments, candles, and cards. Indiana, as always, is incredibly helpful. Well, perhaps not incredibly helpful, but incredibly cute, none the less!

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Forgiveness

I think that Indiana has forgiven me for my role in his shots today. I was the lucky one that got to hold him down. His dad claimed that he had been the one to do the dirty work last time, which made it my turn in the sharing of parental duties. I wonder if I can use that line next time I smell a toxic Diaper!?!

At any rate, I wandered into his room when I heard him chattering after his nap. I found a smiling, chattering, yakity, goofy boy standing up inside his crib. I know I should have some humility, I know that I should. BUT, look at that face!!

The Dreaded Doctor Visit!

That's right, we got SHOTS today!

Polio
Haemophilus Inflluenzae Type b (HIB)
Hepatitis B
Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis
Pneumococcal Conjugate
YUCK!
Our young Indiana Jones:
weighed in at 19 pounds 11 ounces
he is now 27 1/2 inches tall
head circumference of 17 and 3/4 inches
That is the Seventy-Fifth percentile in everything. Which means (for those of you without a housefull of kids) that he is bigger than 75% of the other kids his age out there.

Monday, November 14, 2005

TTT : The Tootsie Tragedy

There is but one Halloween Tootsie Roll left in our home. It is all mine. I am hoarding it. I put it in a place my husband will never be able to find it. I seem to have made a slight tactical error. Has anyone seen where I put the last tootsie?

Anytime is Playtime

Playtime is important to any kid. Indiana is getting to that age when playtime is all the time. Toys fascinate him. Rubber Spatulas fascinate him. Plastic cups fascinate him. Anything shiny... You get the idea. But, happily for me, he will occasionally take a moment to smile up at the camera, or as in this picture, look up at me and yell! He loves to hear the sound of his own voice, and will happily yell at his toys for hours. If I am not sufficiently impressed, he will then yell at me with the look of "hey mom, look over here and see how wonderful I am" upon his face.

Some days are just good days.
Today was one. Today was a day I let the dishes wait to be washed, and instead sat on the floor with Indy and rolled the ball. Today, I let the laundry wait until tomorrow; Instead the neighbor and I took our sons walking in their strollers in the warm fall sun. Today, I made memories with my son that will make me smile for years to come. When I look back on this time in Indy's life, I want to remember these days. It wont be the folding of the laundry that I recall. It will be the pink cheeks on Indy and his friend Ethan in their strollers as they yell back and forth. It will be the laughter of the babies when we blow them kisses.

Sunday, November 13, 2005

Confidential to Chris:


Thank you. Posted by Picasa
I would do it again.
Honestly.
I love you.

Happy Birthday!

Today is my brother Michael's birthday.
He is a wonderfully funny guy.
I am fortunate to have him as a brother.
Happy 15th birthday!

Saturday, November 12, 2005

Duets!

Indiana has to be right in the middle of the action, all the time. If we sing, he gets to, too! So, Indiana and his daddy settled down for some serious Karaoke Revolution Party time! They had to do something to raise their spirits after Stanford took out their beloved Beavers 20-17! At least the beavers are consistent. Sure, its constantly BAD, but it IS constant! heheh GO DUCKS! (Gee after all that trash talking, I have to really hope the ducks win tonight or I will be eating those words!)

EDIT: 34-31 Oregon Ducks win it by a field goal kicked with just 3 seconds left on the clock! Time for Mama to gloat!

Friday, November 11, 2005

He Sings, He Dances, He Charms!

Indy has taken to "singing" into his microphone. Actually this is the microphone from PS2's Karaoke Revolution volume Three. It broke, we don't know why. However, today we bought Karaoke Revolution House Party, and got another mic like this one. We also have a headset mic for playing solo. Anyways, Indy inherited a microphone and a controller, as they ceased to actually work when plugged into the ps2. Now they work as dangerous baby nooses... We watch him when he has them, honest, so we aren't actually trying to kill him.

In other news... DayQuil is a mom's best friend. I am still sick, but I feel much better. It helps me function at a level i couldnt otherwise.

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Stuffy nose for mommy!

I don't feel real well today, so I don't have anything to say, just another cute picture to share. He was yelling at his toy, and I grumbled about not feeling good and for once could he be quiet and he smiled and drooled up at me. He went right back to yelling, but at least he is cute about it! So, anyways, I may be a little slow in posting and visiting in the next few days until I get feeling better.
Stay Well, All.

No Surprise Here!

Indiana Jones
79%

You scored as Indiana Jones. Indiana Jones is an archaeologist/adventurer with an unquenchable love for danger and excitement. He travels the globe in search of historical relics. He loves travel, excitement, and a good archaeological discovery. He hates Nazis and snakes, perhaps to the same degree. He always brings along his trusty whip and fedora. He's tough, cool, and dedicated. He relies on both brains and brawn to get him out of trouble and into it.


Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0 created with QuizFarm.com

Was there ever any doubt?
Thank you to Baby Wings for finding this test!

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Good Night Moon

Occasionally, we do get a bit of peace and quiet. Of course, even then I get a little nervous. Today, Indy took a header into the coffee table. He used the gator to climb and stand up, then the little monster LET GO. He stood solo for about 30 seconds. Then he went down... Head first. There was a big CRACK, a momentary silence, then a WAIL unlike any previous wail. He has a mild bruise and seems ok, but every nap he has taken today made me think concussion.

Worrying is a mothers job, I guess.

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Fisher Price Rant

When we go out to buy our children "stuff", a lot of us look at the brand name. There are some manufacturers that we know we can trust to give us a quality product for the vast sums of money that they demand. I used to be a believer in Fisher Price . Not so anymore. We spent a hundred bucks (on sale) on the fancy fisher price ocean wonders swing. We bought the ocean wonders portable swing, too. We got him the ocean wonders high chair. We had to return the larger swing because it didn't EVER work right. Even the replacement wasn't that great, we hardly ever used it, and now there is a hundred dollar swing in pieces in his closet. Sigh. Today we had to return his high chair (the one I showed ya'll just last week, when we bought it)and get it replaced (driving to a different town to get the replacement). Indy's grandma donkey bought him a little musical fisher price toy. It broke in the first 3 days. Just stopped working. For NO reason. He didn't break it; No one stepped on it. It just doesn't work. So, if anyone has a suggestion for a different, more trustworthy children's "stuff" maker, I am ready to buy from someone else now and would welcome input!

Beauty

I just needed some beauty in my life today.
So, I thought I would share this photo.
Taken in September, on the Oregon coast.
Remember, there is beauty everywhere,
if you take the time to look.

Monday, November 07, 2005

Dinner Time!

The best part about the high chair is that Indiana can sit in it and enjoy" dinner time" with us. He is learning to feed himself (which doesn't seem hard since everything goes in his mouth anyways). He loves his little crackers, biscuits, and banana flavored baby puffs. He also likes to have a spoon in his hand when I give him stuff from a spoon (if I let him try eating with the spoon that has the food on it he ends up looking like an "extra" from the animal house movie food fight scene!) It is just wonderful not to have to eat in shifts anymore. ("here you eat while I entertain the baby, then I will eat and you can entertain the baby"... I had two hot meals in the first 6 months!) Sure, I TRIED to arrange meals around nap times, but he was HUNGRY, he smelled food in the house and he wanted to share in the experience, even from the earliest days, even if he was totally one hundred percent asleep. My dad says Indy gets that particular trait from him.

Tornado rips thru Evansville Indiana

I have heard conflicting reports, but it sounds like as many as 23 people have perished in a massive tornado in the southern part of Indiana. I have tried mightily, all day, to refrain from making jokes about our Indy being quite the little tornado. I just want to say that my heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones due to this years amazing number of natural disasters. We have been fortunate here in Oregon so far (knock on wood). No major earthquakes, and we haven't had a bad flood in a while. I guess i am starting my "thankful for" list early (which thanks to Telfair Douglas i will be making that list soon)

Stay safe out there people!

(i lifted this picture from one of the many news sources about the aftermath of the tornado... And i have forgotten which one now, so i cant give the credit on the picture the way i should)

Sunday, November 06, 2005

A Real Lady

Every now and then we have the privledge of meeting a real lady or gentleman. I had such good fortune long ago, unknowingly. But this year we have renewed our acquaintance. I hope she isn't offended by this, but i asked my mom before i posted this. I told my mom that i had great respect for this woman. My mother concurred with me, and said she, too, had great respect for this woman who was so kind to my sons, my husband and I, when she really didn't have to be. And honestly, i never gave her a reason to be. , Some people are just good people, and She is one of those rare people. I want to publicly say thank you to Wanda. My dad married her several years ago, she helped him raise some wonderful kids (my four brothers that i mentioned in a previous post), she sends cards when we are sick and for holidays. She buys gifts for both of my sons, one of whom she has never even met. (and i hope he remembers to send a thank you note because she bought AWESOME gifts!) She is kind to us, and makes us all welcome in a family that i never really knew. I don't know how to thank her for allowing me to join into the ranks of her family at this late date. I don't know how to say thank you for being the great lady that she is. I feel priveledged to have her join the ranks of my parents, even if i am all grown up. I am proud to have her as one of "the folks".
my dad is lucky to have her in his life, and so are we!

Clock link

i just updated it today, I'm a little slow.
i forgot to change the time on the blog clock.
so i just changed the whole clock.

Saturday, November 05, 2005

Third Shift

What is wrong with this child!?!?! It is midnight. He woke up, hungry, he consumed an entire bottle, and fell asleep in my arms. i carted him back to his bed, plopped him in, and wandered blearily to my own bed. Within minutes i hear IT. The little whimpers that imply a big scream is in the making. Sure enough, WHAAAAAAAA! grrr. He will not be rocked back to sleep. He wants to be UP, playing and chatting with himself, me, his dad, and/or any nearby toys. He started yawning and rubbing his eyes. I KNEW he was tired. i hauled his little behind back to his crib. Ran to the bathroom. When i came out a moment later, all was quiet. I crept into his room to cover him with his blanket, and instead got a nice smile for the camera. Sleep, i need SLEEP!

Holiday Dinner

It really is weird to have a holiday dinner this early in the season, but Chris's office party was today. It was the closest to Christmas that they could book the room at Spirit Mountain Casino ! Dinner was all right. We won a door prize, which was fun. The bosses gave away gift cards to the employees for gaming. Our girl Jessica was there with her boyfriend (yes the Daniel and Jessica relationship seems to have worked out fine!), and we actually ended up giving them a ride home. Indiana stayed home with his grandma donkey. It was a nice break for us, and some quality grandma time for her. So, all in all, as strange as it is to have Christmas dinner on November 5th, it was a pretty nice day!

Friday, November 04, 2005

Nap Faker!

Sure at nap time i put him in the crib, and say nite nite and walk away. Sure after about 30 seconds it gets really quiet. Well, i always thought he was asleep. Today i crept in to put a toy away that we had left out. What to my surprised eyes appears? A little boy, playing with all his toys; cheerfully chewing on three things at once. He spots me after just a moment. Perhaps he could hear my stunned silence!?! He grabs a rail and struggles to his feet to "chat" at me. I get much daaa-daaaa geeee-geeee and a few girlish squeaks. I suppose if he is going to play quietly, alone in his crib, who am i to argue. For this one, i think i am going to just count my blessings and move on! Peace and quiet, no matter how it comes about, is too rare to quibble over!

Book 'em Dan-o!

The piggies had finally been thrown out, the apartment was finally empty next door. The new property manager asked me, if i heard noise coming from that apartment, to please call the police. Last night the people who used to live in that apartment kicked the side door in, and i called the police. within ten minutes the police were here, and both the old neighbors were in handcuffs. It took about an hour, but they were hauled away for breaking and entering and burglary! I only wish I could post thier mug shots. Kharma baby, its all about the kharma!
edit: does the title of this post show my age?