The Artist...

...being watched.

Super Oden Thursdays

We have been having all sorts of fun Cousin Oden times on Thursdays!

 We do quite a bit of snuggling and lounging when he shows up in the morning...

These two almost melded into the couch together!

LOVE this picture!  That hair...and those cheeks!  Does anyone else see Papa Scott in this kid?

Ione Train Ride, 2012

On October 20, our family went on the Lyon's Club Train Ride to Ione and back.  It was a fun time in cozy, BEAUTIFUL surroundings.  Lunch afterward amidst 50 trophy animals on the wall almost beat the train ride.  :)

These [Fall-ish] Days...

Gracie, these days...

• Is trying to say, "I have no preference," instead of "I don't care."  We both agreed that the former sounds better than the latter.
• Is just discovering Tic-Tacs.  I got them for her because sometimes her formula gives her stinky breath and we are in too much of a rush to brush teeth before we leave for the morning.  She likes them, but today toward the end of the Tic-Tac experience she thought it was too minty tasting, so she gave it to Joshy to crush up in his mouth and swallow.  Sort of defeats the purpose, I suppose...but if they share, I may save money in Tic-Tacs!  :)

• A few months ago, during an early morning snuggle/snooze, Gracie must've heard me say, "Five more minutes," one-time-too-many...because she sternly replied, "MOM! It's time to engage!"  I started cracking up as I rolled out of bed, thinking that we'd been watching far too much of "The Incredibles." :)
• Is trying to manipulate the yard rules...  We say that whenever the kids are out front, a parent has to be with them.  One day last week when she didn't want to wait for me to come out with her, she said with exasperation:  "Mom, no one will SNITCH me!  Everyone knows where I live!"  Apparently we need more practice in personal safety...

• Is writing her name!  She surprised Jeff and I the other day by bringing a colored page to him with her name on it!  Eh, just a little trick she picked up...no big deal.  She's also getting into those fine motor skills I was convinced she was delayed in...coloring, chalk drawing, sticker manipulation, writing...something has just clicked!
• She loves reading her "Highlights" magazines.  She'll pick those over books most days.  The Silly Pictures, stories with Spanish words in them, the Hidden Pictures...she loves them all!

Joshy, these days...

• Is blossoming into quite a ham.  He loves to crack himself up...by calling Uncle Drew "Uncle Rico," by calling Oden "Mrs. Oden," by putting his jammie bottoms on his arms each night, by replying, "I love G'MA JOAN! (and Mommy...)" when I tell him that I love him...  A common phrase coming from his mouth is, "I'm SILLY," or "Just kidding!"  We are beginning to think that the writing was on the wall with this kid when we found out his due date was April 1.  We may be in for it...
• Coming down the stairs after nap one day, he asked to be carried and I replied,  "No prob, Bob."  He didn't miss a beat and replied, "No prob, Elastic Girl" [pronounced, "e-wastic go-wa"].  It took me a few seconds to realize he was making a connection to one of his favorite movies:  The Incredibles.  Mr. Incredible is BOB, and his wife, Helen, is otherwise known as, "E-wastic go-wa!"

• Is completely into little figurines, or characters.  He calls them his "guys-es."  "Where are my guys-es?"  he often says throughout the day.  His favorites right now are his Toy Story figurines.  He has "Little Woody," 3 Buzzes, Emporer Zurg...and the day he found an ALIEN at the free bin at Other Mothers was probably the best day of his 2-1/2 year old life.  How exciting that God arranged a special treat just for Joshy that day!
• He made his daddy's day one Saturday morning when he stood at the top of the stairs--that lead to our TV room--and said, "I want to watch football!"  He is so cute in his Seahawks jersey--best $1 deal at a yard sale YET!--and he's been trained to raise his arms to shout, "Touchdown!"

• Is having fun pretending to be Swede.  I know this when he crawls up to me, panting, and starts licking my shirt sleeve.  He's decided that he can play fetch with a tennis ball, just like Swede, and we spend several minutes tossing the ball in the living room to give him a little exercise.  
• Just turned 2-and-1/2 OFFICIALLY last week.  He's started saying that he's "two-and-a-haff" and BOY is he ever playing the part!  He is often saying, "Do it mySELF!" or "I do it!"  We are quite excited that he's becoming such a big boy...and our patience is tested daily as he exerts his independence in climbing into his carseat, opening the door himself, taking off his own pull-ups at potty time, and putting on his rain boots--all at a two-year-old pace.  Joshy is helping Mommy and Daddy to slow down a bit...and we are teaching Joshy to focus on the task at hand, THEN be silly.  Some days are better than others...  :)

Sweet laughter...

I love how families all have their "inside jokes."  Growing up, my family was always referring to ourselves as the family who "lives close by, OF COURSE,"--all because one year in G'ma Caroline's Christmas card, she was listing what each of her kids were up to, and when it came to Dad's turn she wrote, "And Greg's family lives close by, of course."  I think it was the ending clause that boosted that phrase into infamy from that day forward--surfacing in conversation whenever an unsightly G'ma chore (or fun outing) came up.  We also say that our family is "eunuch" because someone mispronounced "unique" at one point.  And we all say that our dad is "buff" because when Ben was little, we overheard him telling this to his friends.  Ah, the stories and phrases that family members share...

I'm just starting to notice a few of our family phrases that, to an outsider, may appear strange.  When I wash the kids hair in the bathtub, they often say, "Ooooh, feels good, Miss Fanny!"  This is all because of a book that we read where a 90-year old lady gets her hair washed once a week by her daughter, Wanda.  Often we reply back, "No problem, Wanda."

One night the kids asked what vegetable we were having for dinner.  After listing a few and mentioning corn, I replied, "Corn is a possibility."  Apparently this tickled their eardrums, because they now run around giggling, "Corn is a possibility!" whenever they're feeling silly.  And of course, whenever we really DO have corn, this phrase surfaces again and again.

And wrestling time brings out the phrase that Gracie coined:  "I'm keeping you forever!"  She'll wrestle and suction herself onto Jeff and giggle these words.  Josh will jump on Daddy and say these words.  The kids will run away from Jeff and he'll capture them back and he'll kiss them while growling these words.

As these little phrases make their way through our family days, I wonder which ones will "stick."  Which ones will they remember as adults?  I keep writing a few down so we don't lose them...

A Girl and her Bike

Gracie has recently decided that riding her bike is SO MUCH FUN!  She learned how to ride this summer in Sunriver, but she had a spill that made her timid for quite a while.  This week, she decided to get the bike out again and try it.

 And here's little "Me-Too."  (Me-Two?  :)  Actually, 2 1/2 this week!)

She's riding up and down the sidewalks, now!  The day these pictures were taken, she had snuck into bed with me at 7:00 AM and said, "Can I go ride my bike now, Mom?"  I could barely keep her inside long enough to get coffee in my system and the camera in my hands.

Debbie and Randy were here visiting and Gracie kept dragging them outside to watch her ride.  :)  This morning they were gone and Grace said, "It doesn't feel normal to ride bike without Auntie Debbie and Uncle Randy not here."

And fall is upon us...the geese are flying...and those nasty pine needles are falling to the ground like rain.  :)

The BEST Gift of September

MY Vote:  Baby Oden has been the best present of September!  We LOVE having Drew and Annie so close again--and we've been blessed to be able to see Cousin Oden two days a week, when I am working, and then when Annie is working!

Oden is such a big guy!  Born a premie, but small, no longer!  This boy can EAT!  :)  And he loves watching Gracie and Josh...  Most of the time his eyes are wide open, taking everything in--and smiling when Gracie and Josh get down close to drizzle him with baby-talk.

Our kids have been having so much fun with the baby toys that we've brought back out from storage.  It's like Christmas, all over again!  Exer-saucer, bouncy seat, singing toys...meant for Oden, but entertaining a 4-and 2-year old, too!

With all this gear, Gracie has discovered a whole new play-land for her baby.  Here, Oden is inspecting this dolly whom he found harnessed into HIS car seat.  I guess "baby bear" thought this chair was just right!  :)

Gracie's Vote:  Aunt Annie has been the best present of September!  The kids think that having Auntie all to themselves is pretty great!  On Tuesdays, I often come home to find Gracie playing Memory with Annie, or eating a snack while playing a "Which is Bigger?" number game, or recapping what happened in preschool that day.  Joshy's a fan too.  I knew this when, after two days of being with Annie, I woke him up in the morning on my first day off to see him immediately frown and say, "Where's ANNIE?!?"  This boy is getting pretty silly.  So it's pretty easy to know his vote...

Joshy's Vote:  Uncle Rico! has been the best present of September!  I don't know where this name came from, but Josh has decided that Drew is really Uncle Rico, and Josh tells (and retells) the story about how Drew fell asleep while watching the Olivia movie with the kids at G'ma Colleen's house and Joshy peeled his eyelids open, saying, "Wake up, Uncle Rico!"  (pronounced, "Un-ko Wee-ko!) They both have a funny bone that I'm concerned may be genetic...

Don't Forget...JEFF'S Vote:  Swede! Jeff can rest easy on days when Swede comes over with Annie, knowing that the safety of his family is at an all-time high.  Swede is vigilant in keeping away squirrels and birds, neighbor dogs, and (Jeff's favorite) pesky neighborhood CATS!

Happy Birthday, Angela-la-la!

It was so fun having Angela's party at our house this year!  All the Lochhead/Mietzners made it...even Drew and his family who have just moved back to Spokane!

Oh, September...

Whelp, it's the 29th of September!  With October in sight, I have two final September-thoughts:  1) PHEW!  We made it!  We have transitioned from summer routine to school/work routine and we're all in one piece!  2) Where in the world did September go?  Luckily, I picked up the camera once or twice in the last few blurred-together weeks, reminding me what we came through!

Isn't he so precious when he's sleeping?!?  This picture sort of captures our month of shell-shock:  6:45pm, right after dinner was done, Jeff's head hits the table and doesn't come back up for 45 minutes.  He's so tired!

This year Jeff's teaching geometry again at RHS and has taken on an AP Psychology course.  He's also coaching girls soccer again, so he's out the door before six and home around six...  We went to check out his classroom one night right before school started, so here are the kids with Daddy in his room!

And Gracie started 4-year old preschool!  I had to work on her first morning of preschool, so Daddy took the morning off to take her.  I was a little bit sad, so Daddy had her pose next to me before I left for work.

She's so big!  Daddy took a great picture of her near the hydrangea bush, per request.  :)

Gracie was very excited to start school again, though this year she moved preschools, so she was a bit nervous.  We had met her teachers the night before at an ice cream social, and on the way there that night she informed me:  "Mom, I'm going to be shy with my teachers."  Just an FYI.

Daddy got to spoil her on the way...a stop at the Rocket Bakery was a must, where she was served a scone-the-size-of-her-head.  :)

And here she's ready to go!  She has quickly adjusted to her new teachers and surroundings...and now when I drop her off she races to her teachers to give them hugs.  The shyness didn't last too long...

Spaghetti Squash and Silly Friends

This is a spaghetti squash from our very own garden!  We kept waiting for it to turn yellow, like the ones we find in the stores, but finally realized that it may take over our garden if we didn't harvest it soon.

 Those crazy Van Sickles...the night before school started.

 The girls were trying to get a picture together and Joshy kept trying to join in too.

 Alea, Gracie, and Kalei