Big Week (Make that Two)

Ok, I found this post from August sitting in the to be published box. Can I remember ANYTHING else about this post?? No! But, I started it, there's a couple of pics, so enjoy...



I started this post LAST Sunday and now I'm just hoping I can remember all the BIG events from the past two weeks...
Hannah and Shad collaborated on a sculpture to enter in an art contest for the summer reading program at the library (Jackson County, of course, as we still don't have one!). You can see them hard at work below. They worked together on the flower and Hannah made the ladybug and worm all by herself. Shad made the caterpillar for Sarah. I delivered the flower, ladybug, and worm to the library and Hannah won one of the prizes- a gift certificate to a local bookstore- she was really proud and tickled!

And so it goes...

Summer, that is. August. Really? Where did that come from? It is almost unfathomable to me that six weeks have passed since last I blogged. Ah well... we've been going so fast that the calendar for July is literally empty- there wasn't even a chance to write anything down! And calendar #2, the one I maintained on the fridge for scrapbooking purposes- is still on April (at least it is another "A" month now, right??).

Late June found us in Bend for Shad's Summer Regional Meeting at Seventh Mountain Resort. It was fun for the girls and I to meet some new people and see some that we've missed for the past year. Here's a timed family pic from the award banquet evening:

We drove down to Ashland for their annual Fourth of July Parade and festivities- live music, food booths, etc and were home and the girls were in bed before dark- no fireworks this year (neither the good ooohh-and-ahhh in the sky kind nor the not-so-good screaming fits of rage kind- it was a nice balance!).

Shad and some of the other EJ offices in town hosted an ice cream social on June 12- there was a live band, clowns, face painting, gallon upon gallon of ice cream (and maraschino cherries). Shad's first jobs at She She's and Freddy's Ice Cream Shop came in handy as he gave the other Financial Advisors a quick lesson in scooping ice cream. Grammie, Oma and Opa were all there as well as Sam, Hannah's bff from preschool and her brother and dad.

DFD sent me to Seattle for three days in mid July for some DonorPerfect training. The training was great and it was a wonderful opportunity to expand my knowledge of this area of our office. Traveling without the girls was liberating in a my-load-is-lighter kind of way. I took the stairs instead of the elevator, ate when I was hungry, read two books. I apparently have also matured to the point that traveling by airplane just isn't really very exciting- definitely better than cars for long trips, but the novelty has worn off for sure.

When I returned home the girls and I packed up for a weekend in Corvallis enjoying Da Vinci Days in Corvallis with our wonderful friends, Amy, Ryan, Aidan, Lauren, Bethie, and Ryan's family. The weekend was full of live music, arts, crafts, science, frisbee dogs, solar powered car racing, kinetic sculptures, etc but the highlight for sure was spending time with friends and eating Indian food (in that order). Hannah and Aidan seem to have matured so much now that they are 5 (har!) and can enjoy each other's company and we see Sarah and Lauren entering some of those tough two-year-old times (will we have to wait three years for them to interact in a more socially acceptable/enjoyable way??).

This past week we had some family photos taken and on Thursday we hosted a tie-dye party for some of our dear friends- eight children between the ages of 2 and 7, five mamas, a hot day, all kinds of white clothing. It was definitely an event! In the days leading up to it I knew that I would be lacking some key organizational and preparation points (I worked three days that week!) and I decided that it was more important to have the party and have fun than to be the ultimate hostess-with-the-mostess. This is a huge step for me. Luckily, I am surrounded by four amazingly capable women and together we pulled the whole thing off. And, being as there were four scrapbookers there, it says a lot that we don't have a single picture of the process! :)

And now we're in the less-than-a-month til school starts countdown- gasp! We've got the fair, an art class or two for the kiddos, library days, a visit from the Mayfields, and as much Katie time as we can cram in to look forward to.

I'll leave you with a few pics!

I think Katie is pretty enterprising- she's got the girls thinking that washing her car is a great way to spend a summer day. For what it is worth, she is WAY more diligent than I when it comes to sunscreen- which is good given the pale skin we've got around here!

This picture melts my heart. The girls have been spending some quality time playing together. I love it when they pretend Hannah is the baby and Sarah is the mommy. It's a hoot, actually. (Sarah's new word- as in "I'm Pocahontas, actually.")

Cutest little bag lady out there! Don't y'all wish you could pick some of this lovin up at the store??

Wonderful, crazy week!

I never cease to be amazed at just how quickly our schedule goes from empty to overflowing! This past week is a prime example:



Monday: Hannah and Sarah were absolutely tickled to have the company of M & E for a few hours Monday afternoon. These girls have been friends for coming up on 4 years and we've missed having regular playdates together as the girls have gotten older and school schedules have gotten more complicated. What fun they had playing dress-up and staging little plays.


Tuesday: Hannah's last official day of preschool. I went to work that day and Katie picked the girls up from school and took them to lunch.



Wednesday: Sarah's last official day of school til fall. I worked all day Wednesday and Super-Dad and Super-Oma manned the ship including drop-off for Sarah at school, lunch out with Oma and a super-fun shopping trip to Wal-Mart. (And they obviously did an excellent job, I love coming home to happy kids and family!)

Here's a picture of the completely installed swingset (note Hannah playing in the fort) and, in the foreground, the new tree I won at a silent auction at work. The swingset is getting A LOT of mileage. It was a very sound investment and the girls, especially Hannah at this point, use it a lot. She runs out there by herself quite often.

Thursday: Playday at Hannah's school for all the students in her preschool program and the toddler group that Sarah attends. It was a blast! The play area was filled with teachers, kiddos, parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, 2 bounce houses, face painting, bubbles, and picnics.

Hannah and Sarah decided on matching lady bugs at the face painting station.

It is a mixed crowd. There are students leaving for kindergarten, students who will be returning to the preschool program next year, toddlers who will move up to the preschool program, and toddlers who will be returning. There are also a few families who will attend a different preschool next year (although I cannot begin to imagine why!).

Here's a group of special friends: S, Hannah, Sarah, M, and E. Oh how we'll miss seeing those smiling faces each morning...

And Teacher Julie who has been Hannah's lead teacher in the Purple Class for the past two years. We love her and will miss her horribly until Sarah starts the preschool program there in a year!
The students who are moving on to Kindergarten get a special diploma in an informal ceremony during "Closing Circle" where we all gather together to share a book and a song. Here are S and Hannah with their diplomas. What big kids they're becoming!
Shad brought little balloons home to the girls on Thursday night as an end-of-school year surprise and we took them out to dinner to celebrate Hannah's moving-on from preschool. Hannah chose Matsukaze and we ate traditional-style at the low tables on the floor. Those girls can pack away the miso soup, chicken teriyaki, and rice!

I love this picture of Sarah just because it shows her absolutely crazy hair. I cannot believe how fine it is! It curls and waves every which way! ;)

Friday: Katie came to play ALL DAY while I went to work. It was a long day and it ended when I sprained my ankle trying to unload a bale of hay from our trailer (after Shad asked me not to, of course!). A trip to the Immediate Care and Pharmacy later and we were all tucked safely into bed for a good night's sleep. Shad is an excellent nurse and took superb care of me this weekend.

Saturday: Frog O' Faire. Hannah was heartbroken when we decided that it wouldn't be in the best interest of my ankle to traipse around the uneven ground at the park for this fun and exciting day. She's been anticipating it since the flyers went up over two weeks ago! Of course, Shad had an appointment scheduled and couldn't take the girls. We were very thoughtfully rescued by the P family who answered our call for help and took Hannah along with them. Hannah, E & M had a great time at the park. So much so that Hannah decided she wanted to go home with them for the whole afternoon and we didn't see her until almost 5! What a blessing- fun for Hannah and friends, naps for mommy, productive work time for Shad.

And, finally, Sunday: Father's Day! We slept in, went grocery shopping, took both girls to see Kung Fu Panda (Sarah's first movie at the theatre), and ended the day in the most appropriate way- eating barbecued burgers and corn on the cob on a blanket in the backyard, swinging on the swingset and in the hammock, and playing in the kiddie pool. Wahoo!
Yes, it is a strong a hammock. :) And no, I'm not actually laying on the ground, but I CAN feel the grass on my back! ;)Happy Father's Day Shad!! You Rock!!

And THE BIG NEWS is that THIS MORNING Hannah learned how to pump effectively. She keeps walking around (or swinging up high)saying "I am so proud of myself!" We ALL are! :)

So there you have it. More than you ever wanted to know about how we spend our time! I always heard that staying-home was all laid back and flexible schedule but I've got to tell you- I'm looking at our schedule in total disbelief at how the summer is filling up. Hopefully I'll survive these allergies (and all the meds I'm taking to try to alleviate the symptoms!) and update the blog again SOON- exciting times lay ahead!

Here's to summer adventures and time with friends (new and old!)- two of my favorite things!

Late March and all of April!

I've been thinking and thinking and thinking about updating the blog... just goes to show that thinking doesn't always get you very far! Thanks to Evan for asking his mom when he was going to see some new pics of the girls on here!

In late February we enjoyed a week at the beach with Oma, Auntie Audrey and Uncle Dave. We were in Brookings this year (yay for shorter drives!) and the weather was mostly cooperative. We got down to the beach and in the hot tub almost daily (sometimes twice a day!), had a fun visit with Dave's daughter and grandson Derek who is Hannah's age. The girls had a great time having Mom, Oma, Auntie Audrey and Uncle Dave at their beck and call and Shad even drove over for a night and was there on Easter morning.
Here's a shot of Sarah holding Hannah up on a piece of driftwood. ;)

I was lucky to snap this shot of three of my most favorite things on our drive home! :)

The weather here has been absolutely wacky this month. (Yes, I know, we live in Oregon, what do I expect??) These photos were taken earlier this month while Hannah and Sarah were playing outside in the hose. That was mere days before the snow and hail. Yes, snow. It was less than two weeks ago that a nearby mountain pass was closed because 16" of snow fell one evening, two days after 90 degree temps!!!

And this last one shows the girls after we planted our little circle garden (tomatoes, strawberries, pumpkins, cukes, radishes, carrots, herbs) the Sunday after the 90 degree day. Just days before the snow. We were a little excited, I guess, that spring was actually here (not!).

Needless to say we replanted some of those plants this weekend (sadly we lost some, even with Shad's commitment to covering the garden on those frosty nights!).

We're looking forward to summer! Out of school, visits with friends, picking berries, playing in the hose (and the new found hobby of mud-pie making), swimming, a possible visit with long distance cousins... if we can survive the heat, the next few months will be most enjoyable. And then kindergarten... but we're not thinking about that yet. (haha)

Brave and Tender Soul

I could write post after post after post about parenting. My parenting, that is, or these girls, or the million different thoughts or doubts I have each and every day about almost every single decision I make (or neglect to make, as the case may be).

Twice in the past week my heart has literally ached over Hanna's absolute (and resolute) bravery.

Last week Hannah had her 5 year well-child exam and I knew that she was due for shots. I decided not to mention the shots until the morning of the appointment. She knew she had an appointment, though, and out of the blue, the night before, she asked me how many shots she was going to get. (That girl's memory is AMAZING! Last year the nurse mentioned that Hannah was caught up on shots until she turned 5 and I'm sure that is where the shot question came from. Seriously, I could give you example after example of her long-term memory. Short-term, on the other hand....) I honestly told her that I didn't know. I hoped only one, but maybe two?

At that point I figured the gig was up. I tried to be optimistic but I was fully expecting to have to physically drag her, screaming, to the doctor, sit in reception while she melted in my lap, and wrestle her down for shots. It wasn't some unknown fear we were facing here- it hasn't been that long since she's seen Sarah get shots. Fortunately Katie was able to come play with Sarah the next day during Hannah's appointment (I think her last trip to the doctor and three shots were VERY fresh in Sarah's mind and she was VERY happy to stay as far away from there as possible!) which allowed me to be fully available for Hannah. On the way to the doctor she told me that she thought that getting some ice cream afterward might help her feel better (what is she, a mind reader? Or do four-year olds have some kind of secret training for this stuff??) and that was an easy agreement to make.

We went. She was weighed and measured (43 pounds and 42.5 inches tall), all her vitals were checked, Dr. P came in and looked and listened to all the normal stuff and then the nurse came back and told us Hannah was due for 4 shots- wow! Didn't see that coming... But she did it. She sat on my lap and watched Brenda clean her thighs and she watched as shots 1 & 2 went in the right leg, took a deep breath as Brenda went to get shots 3 & 4 for her left leg. Watched those go in and the band-aids go on.

Then she looked at me and her little eyes were so bright with tears, her cheeks were pink and I said, "Hannah, it's ok to cry if you need to." I think one or two little tears escaped and that was it. Even the nurse (who has been our nurse since before Hannah's birth) commented on how remarkably brace she had been.

Then we celebrated at Baskin and Robbins where Hannah discovered bubble gum flavored ice cream... (Which, surprisingly, is a flavor of ice cream that I can totally live without. Blech.)

On Tuesday the father of one of Hannah's classmates brought in some mounted "specimens" of bugs to help kick-off the new theme "Gardening." What we first heard was that he had brought in a tarantula (which we've seen at one of the local pet stores) and when Hannah looked up at me and said, "Let's go look at it Mom!" I was pretty blown away. Unfortunately when we got over there it wasn't one live tarantula it was a couple of small display cases with about 40 preserved bugs (butterflies, beetles, a tarantula, etc) and I was quick to point out to her that they were no longer alive. Suddenly she lost it- she was completely melting, head tucked into my neck, sobbing, clinging... I was bent down with Sarah on my hip (ready to leave, of course) trying to maintain my balance. Of course I tried to talk her through it- yes, it was about the bugs although she couldn't (and still won't) tell me exactly what the issue about the bugs was.

Soon the bugs disappeared and Hannah's teacher gave us a little book to read together (http://www.amazon.com/Things-Scary-Florence-Parry-Heide/dp/0763612227) about all different kinds of scary things (good-scary, exciting-scary, scary-scary). Hannah brought it down a few notches while we were reading and after the book, when they played the clean-up music that signals the beginning of Circle Time, she took a deep breath, looked up at me and said, "I'm ready for you to go now Mom." Oh my. There were still tears in her eyes. I think I even asked her, "Are you sure??" because I was so wholly unprepared for that. But yes, she was sure. She knew what was going to happen next, she was ready to welcome the day with her school-mates, she didn't need me there. I gave her a kiss, I turned around to walk out and I looked back- her face was bright from crying and she clutched a kleenex in her hand, but she wasn't even concerned about me walking away.

Oh this girl of mine. Oh my heart. You know, of course, that this child who has taught me so much of parenting, of stopping, listening, and being patient, this girl still wakes up in the morning and goes to sleep at night needing to touch me. She still has moments where she is so clingy that I absolutely wish I could just shrink out of her grasp (am I horrible for feeling that way? For writing it ?) and then there are moments like these. This push and pull, I imagine, is just a constant now and in the future. Needing me close, seeking her independence, making her own decisions, wanting advice or approval. Just another reminder, I suppose, to slow down and treasure these days- while I am still her closest confidant, her trust in me is 100%, her heart and arms are open. Now is not the shrinking time, it is time to step forward, arms open, and embrace her, all of her.

Just a few photos...

Here are a couple of pictures from Hannah's 5th birthday celebration-

Hannah can barely contain her excitement as Katie helps open a gift. This is the mostly dye-free funfetti cake that I decorated for the family party.

Apparently blowing out 5 candles (Yes, I got the right number on her cake- way to go Mom!) is pretty challenging- it took several tries but she finally did it! Yay!

The fairy-licious cake we bought from Dairy Queen (can you say Chocolate Covered Strawberry Blizzard Ice Cream Cake? Probably not without taking a deep breath and practicing a few times, eh? Anyway, if you know me well you also know it was the OBVIOUS choice, and one Hannah supported 100%.) came complete with this wholly unnatural blue frosting on top (our choice, we needed a pond-like setting for our fairy to sit in) which turned the girls' tongues blue and was thoroughly enjoyed by all. That was a REALLY long sentence! ;)

And finally, I've been remiss with goat pictures and, thankfully, it is NOT snowing here right now- just grey and rainy. These are from the big snowfall January. Billy and Babs (above) were not particularly excited about said snow and Buddy and Bonney (below) didn't even know if they want to come outside!
Brrrr!!!!

High Five!

Look at that amazingly radiant face- it is the face of my sweetest, my nearly five year old girl...

And as I type this pre-birthday post in honor of Hannah and the celebration of her journey into this world almost five years ago, I think back to where I was at this moment five years ago. My closest guess is that Shad and I would have just called the hospital and would be walking out the door of our house as a family of two for the last time. Less than 3 1/2 hours from now I will mark the moment that this precious child was placed in my arms for the first time.

I hope to start a tradition with this first-ever birthday interview (idea gratefully borrowed from Lucia at http://bagelsandcrawfish.blogspot.com/2008/02/five.html ). Here goes:

J: What are you going to do when you are 5?

H: Go to the park, start kindergarten, and learn how to ride my bike without training wheels!

J: What is your favorite food?

H: Ice cream (especially hot fudge sundaes) and cheeseburgers.

J: What is your least favorite food?

H: Ranch dressing.

J: What do you want to be when you grow-up?

H: A scientist.

J: Any particular kind of scientist?

H: Just a scientist.

J: Who is the funniest person you know?

H: Sarah

J: Who is the smartest person you know?

H: Amy M.

J: What do you worry about?

H: I don't worry.

J: What's your favorite thing to play with right now?

H: Lily Rose (doll mentioned in previous post)

J: What do you like most about school?

H: Motor room (this is like inside playtime with scooters, a play structure, swing, big "motor" movement), table time (structured activities), and recess when it is not freezing outside.

J: If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go?

H: To China- to eat potstickers and get lots of pretty clothes.

J: Anything you want to add?

H: I love summer!!

And, in honor of the girl, I will not editorialize this interview. Just the facts, no mommy opinions here!

I love you Hannah-Boo. Thanks for making me a mom, your mom. xoxo