TREE! ME!

Last weekend there was a break in the weather and we decided

to go cut down our xmas tree.

We hopped in the truck and drove out to the tree farm.

Mikey fell asleep on the way there. Figures.

And, so, we selected our xmas tree minus one family member.

Don't get nervous (I was). Huzbend stayed near the truck while Katie

and I scoped out a tree. The parking area is actually right next to the trees.

Here is a shot of typical PacNW xmas tree hunting weather.

Cloudy, cold and very muddy.

"Need some help with that, Dad?"

And this, my friends, is why we

still have a gym in our basement.

YEAH BAYBEE!

"Did I miss it?"

Yep. Sorry, bud.

There's always next year.

Mikey likes to help take care of the tree.

He also likes to pull on it, hide behind it and eat it.

For obvious reasons, I decided to limit

the ornaments on the tree this year.

I decided to use candy canes.

They do look nice.

The only problem was that I let Katie put them on the tree.

Don't get me wrong, she did a great job.

But, she can't quite put them high enough so that things

like this don't happen......

TAAAA-DAAAAAA!

The finished product.

On the home front, we got Katie a Lego Advent calendar this year.

It's full of Lego Pirates.

Please pay no attention to the Mon Calamari to the left.

In her search for new artistic avenues, Katie

has recently picked up our digital camera.

Here is one of her latest:

A Close Up

Subject: Breathes Fire All Over The Place

(Really. That is the dragon's name.)

A cute "gingerbread house" Katie made at preschool.

That brings us to this weekend.

I am now 37 years old.

But, you know what? It doesn't matter.

You know why?

'Cause when I woke up on my birthday morning, I came downstairs and

THESE were waiting in the kitchen for me.

Dare I say it again?

YEAH BAYBEE!

The evening was topped off with a me-made

pudding pie.

I call this one the "Smores Special". It was muy tasty.

Um, yes, that is a 1st bday candle. It was the only one we had.

Huzbend (along with Katie and Mikey's help) picked up

a hand-held vacuum, some nice fuzzy warm clothes and

the next World of Warcraft Expansion Pack for me.

Dance of joy!

Thanks to all for your bday well wishes! Much appreciated.

The day after my birthday was even better!

Thanks to a preschool mom friend, Huzbend and I were able to go out together! On a date!

Indian lunch buffet followed by a viewing of Tron: Legacy in IMAX 3D.

Awesome!

Just like my 37 year old self.

Some Goings On

I'm not sure if this is typical younger sibling behavior, but Mikey feels

compelled to do anything and everything he sees

Katie doing. Sometimes, the result is hilarious.

Check this one out.

Katie found a pair of my high heels shoes the other day.

Katie has been frustrated with our lack of holiday decorations.

She decided to take matters into her own hands.

Behold! Our lovely hand made Christmas decorations!

Here is a stocking......

An ornament and a stocking.

And another ornament.

Katie never, and I mean never, had any interest in our fireplace.

Can't say that about Mikey.

Did you know that our house is now an art gallery?

Here is one of my favorites.

"The Fairies" by

I E

K A T

And Since It's December 6th.....

.....I figured I would post about Thanksgiving.

Man. I really gotta get on the ball.

Holiday shopping, holiday shipping, holiday decorating, and holiday parties amoungst many other holiday type thingies are keeping us wayyyyyyy too busy.

I guess that's not really something to complain about, huh?

On to the pics!

Ever heard of the Infinite Monkey Theorem?

Well, we decided to try it out using a toddler.

Katie has recently found her inner artiste.

She goes through a sketch pad a week and fills the pages with all sorts of cool stuff.

She has also made the jump from drawing to abstract sculpture.

Here is her latest work : "Scarecrows On The Floor"

In the meantime, Mikey has decided that he will be the

next Gunther Gebel-Williams.

No, this is not a pear.

It is a grape.

Seriously.

We got snow. Yep. A whole, like, two inches of the stuff.

And here, two inches is enough to make people abandon their vehicles

on the side of the highway and to shut school down for two days.

I guess that's one day per inch. Nice.

We made sure to get out and have some fun.

Here is Snowman.

Katie REALLY likes the snow.

Huzbend REALLY likes the snow too.

Here he is, on his way to work.

I'm not so sure about Mikey.

We didn't have any snow boots or gloves for the poor little guy.

Notice the socks on his hands.

Here is Snowspider.

"CHEEEEEEEEESSSSSSE!!!"

And then it was Turkey Day!

Gobble, Gobble!

As tradition dictates, we all sat to enjoy the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Well, everyone except Huzbend who was busy prepping

manicotti.

Mikey liked the big balloons.

Later that day, we headed over to our neighbors house for dinner.

They sure laid out a nice spread.

"OOOOOOOOOOOO, PRETTY!"

Katie and Mikey got their first experience sitting

at the "kids table".

Dessert was enjoyed by all.

Some enjoyed more than others.

And now for your viewing pleasure, two videos full

of whacky antics.

Enjoy!

Since It's Almost Thanksgiving.....

I thought I would FINALLY post some pics about Halloween.

What? A sunny warm October day?

Time to head to the pumpkin patch!

Here's Katie and Mikey waiting patiently for the bumpy ride out to the field.

Katie's an old pro now. She's seen a few pumpkins in her time.

Mikey was totally confused.

Here's my pumpkin!

Well, if you can't figure them out, might

as well join them......

A very picturesque shot, I must say......

A few weeks later, it was time to Trick or Treat!

Flintstones, meet the Flintstones.

They're your modern stone age family.

I know what you're thinking.

I just exude awesomeness.

It was almost impossible to get Mikey to stay still long

enough for a good shot of his costume. But, I think this one

is pretty decent. Dude loves to move.

Trick or Treat!

I've probably said this before in last years Halloween post.

There is another sucky part to having food allergies on Halloween.

The only candy that Katie can eat just happens to be

the worse possible candy for your teeth.

Lollipops, gummy bears, Skittles, Sweetarts, Nerds, etc.

This year her Halloween candy trade-in toy was

Mr. Pteradon.

Here he is enjoying some Halloween Haul.....

Harsh Re-Entry

There is nothing, and I mean nothing worse than going grocery shopping the day after you get back from Walt Disney World.

What a cruel way to re-enter the real world.

There is nothing so mundane and so ordinary. Ugh.

As you walk the aisles you think to yourself, "I could be sitting on a shady bench next to the Enchanted Tiki Room enjoying a refreshingly cold Dole Whip right as this VERY moment. But, nooooooooooo, instead here I am picking up three boxes of Cheerios and four gallons of milk."

Sigh.

But then we encountered something much worse than grocery shopping. Puking your guts out. Yeah, I'd say that kinda sucks too.

A stomach bug was picked up while on vacation (just ask my sister about that - her whole family got it WHILE they were on vacation). It took a week for that nastiness to cycle through our family. Curiously, it skipped Katie. Weird.

After that, we all picked up a nasty cold that we are STILL dealing with.

Double Sigh.

So, now you know why I haven't posted in, like, forever.

Add onto that all the Halloween goings-on and we pretty much disappeared for a while.

I've got pumpkin patch and Halloween pics that I will get up here soon. I promise.

The Need

I have this need.

No. It's not a "need for speed". Ugh. Puh-lease.

When I was a kid, I had a friend and this friend had access. I mean TOTAL access. He went at least once a year. Sometimes even more. He would come back with stories. Ohhhhhh, the stories he would tell me! Stories of fantastical worlds where imagination is king and the sky is the limit. Fireworks - every night! Parades - every day! You want ice cream - a kiosk on every corner! You want fresh baked chocolate chip cookies - they pipe the smell out in to the street! Roller coasters, safari boat rides, geodesic domes! Oh my.

And then, I got to go to that place.

I have not been the same since.

That place is Walt Disney World.

It makes me happy. Purely and utterly happy.

This time, I got to share it.

I shared it with my mom and dad, my middle sister and her family, my little sister and her husband.....and most importantly with Huzbend, Katie and Mikey.

To say the trip was different this time around would be an understatement. Doing WDW with kids is HARD. Damn hard. Tiring too.

From a Park Touring Commando's point of view, we did not accomplish anything. We rode only a handful of rides and saw only a few shows in each park choosing instead to head back to our resort to relax in the pool and chill out. It may have gone against every bone in my body to do this, but the results were awesome. Katie and Mikey were happy and content most (not all) of the time we spent at the parks. And that, my friends, is what I really wanted. Everyone to be happy.

Katie had a great time hanging out with Granma, Granpa, Aunties and Uncles but most especially her cousin, Joey. Her favorite thing about WDW was, "the pool" with "meeting the princesses and fairies" coming in a close second.

Mikey wasn't too sure about the whole thing but, as Mikey tends to do, he went with the flow. I think his favorite thing was eating breakfast in the morning - eggs, pancakes, biscuits and discovering orange juice. Other than that he was either being carried by me the entire time or trying to get down to run around.

Huzbend and I had low expectations for this trip. I mean, it is always unpredictable when you set foot out of the house with a 4 year old and a 15 month old. We couldn't imagine the temper tantrums and chaos that awaited us at The World. And while I can't say it was a completely meltdown free trip, it was a lot better than we anticipated.

As much as I want to recount every day we were there in detail, I'll have to pass. I just don't have the time anymore for Trip Reports and the like.

My brain will remember the awesome stuff, like:

Katie jumping into my Dad's arms when she first saw him in the hotel hallway.

Katie and Joey jumping up and down together in excitement.

Eating Mickey Mouse ice cream bars as a family.

Joey puking on the sidewalk at Hollywood Studios.

My Mom dancing with Mickey Mouse.

Katie eating chocolate chip cookies and a brownie for breakfast.

Riding Dumbo as a family.

Mikey falling asleep on me in the Haunted Mansion.

Katie falling down the stairs at the hotel restaurant.

Watching Katie talk to the Princesses.

Mikey having a diaper blow out at dinner in Cinderella's Castle and having to wear just a shirt and diaper for the rest of the night.

Watching the Main Street Electrical parade with Mikey in my arms pointing and "talking" the whole time.

Riding Expedition Everest with Huzbend (thanks to Granma & Granpa).

Enjoying Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor starring Uncle Nick, Uncle Andrew and Auntie Kari.

Katie dancing with Goofy at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.

Katie screaming in fear on the Finding Nemo ride.

Katie talking to Crush.

Claire de Lune totally embarrassing my Dad at the Hoop De Doo Review.

The look on Katie's face right before we met the fairies.

Watching Great Granpa and Mikey share chocolate cake.

Mikey screaming for an hour on the plane ride home.

I'm sure I've forgotten some, but we made some great memories. Disney Parks are good at that sorta thing. You know what else Disney Parks are good at doing? Getting you to want more.

As I was walking down Main Street on our way out of the park on that last day, I cried. I always do. Usually I do it because leaving means a return to the mundane, the ordinary. I admit there was a little of that in there, but I think it was because I got to spend these moments, these memories, with not only some of the most important people in my life, but with my Huzbend and my two children. And I will never, never forget it.

There are some pictures, here.

And videos, here....

Say It Ant So

Remember these guys?

Yeah. The Ants. I promised I would give an update.

They came, they ate, they dug tunnels......

.....and then they started to die.

And now, there is only one.

This Ant must never escape his enclosure. Do you know why?

Because he must be one strong and totally insane Ant.

Just think about it.

He has spent the past 30-odd days trying to find a way out of this cage with invisible walls. A cage in which food and water drops from the sky and huge alien creatures gaze upon his anguish on a daily basis. He has watched his entire colony die and still he does not give up on his quest for escape.

If this Ant got out I'm thinking we'd have a Rambo-like situation on our hands. And there ain't nothin' Colonel Trautman could do to stop it.

They drew first blood......

More Words

I don't know how I could've forgotten this gem from Katie.....

"What's the heck of that?!?!?!"

I just had to get that one down somewhere lest I forget it's total uber-cuteness.

Just in the past week she's figured out how to say it correctly. So, I won't be hearing it any longer.

The best part about watching your kids learn language is the little mess-ups they make in trying to use their new found words.

Sometimes Katie likes to "complicate" stuff. I'm not quite sure what she thinks that means.

Then there were a couple of girls at preschool singing their version of "Who Let the Dogs Out". It went something like this, "Who likes to dog sit? Woof Woof Woof Woof".

Hilarious.

But, there is still one word that Katie doesn't say right and I just love hearing it. That would be "mavilla" for vanilla.

I know that It seems like I'm stuck in a rut with the blog right now. Don't worry. I'll have some new material in about a weeks time.

Stay tuned.

Words, Words, Words

Recognizable Mikey Words:

Da da da da da da da (Daddy)

Maaaaaaaaaaaaaammmmm (Mommy)

MA! (more)

Dat (that)

Dis (this)

Yight (light)

At (hat)

shhhhhhhh (cheese)

BAH! (Katie)

UH, UH, UH (kind of like a caveman noise - means any kind of animal he sees)

hhhhhhaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh (like a long exhale - his whisper)

Katie's Words:

Upon being told some of her ants were dead....."Don't worry. We don't have to get more ants, we'll just get a dog."

"Mom. There must be lots of people dressed up like Mickey Mouse all over the place." Sigh. She figured out that wasn't really the same Mickey in all those parades.

After explaining to Katie that she shouldn't tell other kids the park character Mickey Mouse is not real...."If Joey knows that Mickey is not real, then I can tell him that he's not real."

"Mom, your pancakes are super yummy."

I called Katie over to tell her a secret the other day. She came over and I whispered "I love you" and gave her a big hug. She told me, "That's my favorite kind of secret."

"Look! My belly is sticking out just like Mommy's! Her belly sticks out because she eats lots of food."

First Day of School

Monday was the first day of preschool for Katie. She's in the PreK class this year, which means next year it's on to "Big Kid School."

Wow. That was fast.

She had a great time and was excited about all the new stuff she does at school now - practicing writing her name, doing some simple math, leading lines, setting tables, practicing manners, and having her own journal among other things. They certainly keep the kids (and the parents) busy.

Thanks to a friend mommy for this great first day of school pic:

Mikey had his first day of toddler class on Tuesday. I totally forgot to bring my camera. Things were a bit hectic because I was on snack duty. Sigh. Second child gets the shaft....again. Oh well. I'll try to remember next week.

He was a little apprehensive being surrounded by so many new grownups and all the kids. Even though there are two kids younger than him in the class, he definitely looks the youngest. He's still got that baby hair goin' on and is still not walking exclusively.

He spent his time mooshing paint into his hands (and onto my shirt), playing with some toys, splashing in the sensory table water and sort-of interacting with other kids. He was exhausted by the time we left.

I tell ya, this year is going to be crazy. We've got preschool four days a week and most of those days I'm either watching one of the kids friends or dropping my kid off to be watched. But, when I get to work at the preschool and see how much my kids are enjoying their time there and how much they are learning - academically and socially - it's totally worth it.

Pluots, Ants & Legos

Since both kiddies are asleep I figured I'd get in a quick entry. Who knows when this will happen again! Hmmmm. Maybe I should be sleeping....

No matter! On to the posting, my friends!

Did I mention that Mikey loves to eat? He now tells me what he wants to eat.

For example, he'll point at the fruit bowl, I'll carry him over and then he will select his fruit of choice. On this day it was a super ripe pluot.

Watch the mess unfold.....

STEP 1: GET A FIRM GRIP OF THE PLUOT AND TAKE FIRST BITE.

STEP 2: SHOW MOMMY YOUR HALF EATEN PLUOT.

JUICE MUST DRIP DOWN ARM.

STEP 3: FINISH PLUOT. SIT QUIETLY AND HATCH

PLAN TO GET ANOTHER PLUOT.

Katie has some new pets. Meet The Ants.

Yep. The ants for the ant farm arrived this past weekend. It was my job to get them into their new home. It was kinda creepy. I had to put them in the fridge for 15 minutes to make them sleepy so that they wouldn't try to escape the tube they were shipped in. I guess, from what I read, the suckers can bite. I took them outside after their cold shock treatment and tried to pour them into the farm. Well, some of them must be cold resistant 'cause about 5 of them tried to escape by crawling up the outside of the tube. The resistance was quickly smooshed.

I have to say the ants are pretty awesome. They immediately got to work. They moved the dead ants off to the side of the farm and started digging a tunnel. They took the sand from the tunnel dig and mounded it on top of the dead guys. Weird....but fascinating. I'll try and post an updated pic of their tunnels.

We've also gone Lego crazy around here. We've been thinking about redo-ing our kitchen and, I guess, our entire downstairs. To get an idea of how our new plan would look, Huzbend built it out of Legos. Yeah. I know. HOLY NERDDOM, BATMAN.

One caveat, only the upper half of what you see below is actually our house remodel. The lower half including the horse, Admiral Akbar napping and the StormTrooper powwow are Katie additions.

Here is our new living room set up....

And here is our new kitchen/dining room lay-out.....