The Welch Family

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T17:00:00.003-08:00

Michael got to party it up at school.

And Colin got to party it up with his little buddy (a.k.a. Olivia).

Cats and Dogs

2012-02-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

These two have been at each other's throats lately.
What one has, the other one wants and vise versa.

The one place they do seem to get along is the tub.
So here you go... about 30 seconds of camaraderie.

Sunny Days

2012-02-06T18:30:00.000-08:00

Dinner Party

2012-02-05T19:36:00.000-08:00

Michael has been wanting to have my parents over for dinner in the worst way so he invited them over for a Saturday night dinner party. He has been asking my mom all week about what he should serve. From what I heard the conversations went somewhat like this, "Mimi, do you want my mom to make noodles and sauce?" "Pa is coming too right?" "Do you want a vegetable tray?"

We started off the dinner party prep with a batch of chocolate chip cookies.
Michael and the flour got in a fight.
The flour won.

We really wanted to add some pizzazz, so we took the vegetable tray to the next level with a green pepper dipping bowl.
I know. I'll give you a minute to soak it all in.

Here Mike is modeling how user friendly the dipping bowl is.
An added bonus- When you get to the bottom you can taste a hint of green pepper.

The entertainment of the night- Legos.

And dinner dress up.

All in all, a pretty successful dinner party.

FYI

2012-02-05T11:37:00.000-08:00

I'm not off the Interwebs!

We have just been really busy.

Busy checking off To Do Lists, fulfilling obligations, and just plain having fun.

By the end of the day I realize I have no pictures, and no time to blog.

When I haven't been busy child rearing, I have been on Instagram. It's such a fun way to get a quick picture update on what everyone has been up to. You can find me @swelch.

Life Via Instagram

2012-01-30T20:43:00.000-08:00

B-Day's

2012-01-27T20:55:00.000-08:00

A BIG happy late birthday to the best husband ever (Mike).

Doughnut cake for Mike's birthday morning.

And a BIG happy early birthday to the best Mimi ever (Jenny).

I will leave you with a little picture collage from our recent celebrations. And yes, my kids do always wear pajamas.

Our Weekend

2012-01-22T20:58:00.000-08:00

(Power outage induced lantern lit breakfast)

Instagram Life

2012-01-19T18:17:00.000-08:00

Holy Snowmageddon Batman!

2012-01-18T13:46:00.000-08:00

There were naysayers out there that said it wouldn't happen, but we woke up to about 7 inches of snow and it's still going.

I'm pretty pleased with our snow prep around here. Our stockpile of carbs and Cook's is coming in pretty handy right now.

And I owe Liz a big one. She pretty much searched all of Tacoma and surrounding areas yesterday for the last 4 sleds available to ~~man~~ Pacific Northwesters.

She finally found these bad boys at Ace.

It's the place.

Now that I've warmed up, blogged and have a decent Mimosa buzz going I think we are going to head back out.

We have a snowman to build!

Enjoy your day!

Eating it up.

2012-01-16T17:36:00.001-08:00

Snow!

2012-01-15T20:33:00.000-08:00

Please take note to the fact that Michael is trying to put a snowball down Colin's shirt.

Dinner Club : Bring Your Favorite Tapa

2012-01-15T14:21:00.000-08:00

Kate and Johnny hosted this month's dinner club. I was super pumped about the theme and so was Mike. Come to find out he misread the invite and thought it was, "Bring your favorite tattas."

There were a plethora of tattas, I mean tapas to choose from.

Our little Dinner Club mascots were there.

And they had a blast playing Liar's Dice.

~~Mike wanted to make sure that everyone knew he was the winner.~~
Mike won!

Thanks for the fun night!

TGIF!

2012-01-13T14:59:00.000-08:00

We are off to Dinner Club tonight.
Colin is currently helping me with our dish (stuffed mushrooms).
My mom is picking up Michael from school and guess what?
Wait for it.
Wait for it.
He is spending the night.
That's right, we are down one kid and ready to party people.
Happy Friday!

Little Jedi's

2012-01-10T20:02:00.000-08:00

Michael's 5th Birthday Party

2012-01-09T20:07:00.000-08:00

Michael decided to have a Star Wars Lego themed birthday party at Jump this year. This was his first big party that wasn't at our house, so he was pretty pumped.

The Invites
I found these cupcake toppers on Etsy and ended up having the same girl make the invites. She was great. If you ever need anything made I highly recommend her.

The Party

I was having a hard time documenting the action, so I handed my camera over to the talented Steve Gorder. The following photos are compliments of him (thanks Steve!).

Retro Star Wars masks found here.

Allow me to interrupt Steve's work with a peek inside the goodie bags.
Galactic Play Dough, Lego and Star Crayons, Chewbacca Chews (Skittles), Star Wars Fruit Roll-Up, Candy Stick, and Glow Celling Stars (not pictured).

The End.

May the force be with you.

The Lantern

2012-01-04T21:07:00.000-08:00

Our power went out the other night and now Michael is scared that it will go out again and he will be stuck alone in the dark. After reassuring him for the last 72 hours that he will be fine, Mike took matters into his own hands and came home from work with this lantern. Seems to have done the trick...

New Years Eve Pre-Funk

2011-12-31T19:59:00.000-08:00

Michael's 5th Birthday

2011-12-31T19:37:00.000-08:00

We had a great day celebrating Michael's big day yesterday.

He woke up to a couple of Star Wars Battle Ships which pretty much made his life.

He told me several times that this was his best birthday yet.

We then headed outside so he could test out his new bike from Mimi and Pa.

Colin took the ol push car for a spin. Don't worry, he brought a snack.

Michael has been begging Mike to take the training wheels off but we convinced him to keep them on for a week or two so he could get used to a bigger bike.

Later we had a little pizza party. His "friend party" is next weekend so we wanted to do something on his actual birthday.

I told him I was going to steal his Yoda, so he was teasing me with it all night.

BTW he chose to eat on the floor...

Colin even got his own little present from my grandma.

After everyone left Michael headed upstairs and put this whole car thingy together all by himself.

It was a good day.

Thanks for all of the kind words you left on his birthday post!

Five

2011-12-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

Wow Michael, today is your birthday. How can it be that you are already 5???

At 5 you are really funny. You are full of personality and surprise us daily with the things you come up with.

The other day your dad was outside and when he came back in you were laying on the floor and your brother was crying. When he asked what was going on your response was, "It's a long story." At 5 you LOVE school. You especially love the fact that you get to see your best buddies everyday. We cannot believe how much you have learned this year. You will sit down and write numbers by yourself and you can read! You are so determined to sound out new words by yourself and love to practice reading new stories with me. At 5 you are always "busy." Even after a long day at school, you will come straight home and start "doing your work." At 5 you love Legos. I think your dad secretly loves them too because he keeps on buying the sets that take hours to put together. Your favorites are the people, but you are beginning to follow directions and can put the small sets together on your own. At 5 you want to be just like your dad. When asked what you want to be when you grow up your response is always, "I want to work in an office like dad." You also want a truck just like his and tell him daily that I drive you crazy. At 5 your favorite place on earth is still Mimi and Pa's. I really believe that you feel most at home there. You always have the best adventures with them and are never ready to leave. At 5 you love being outside. You are still really into looking for bugs and creating habitats for them. There isn't anything (nature wise) that scares you. If there is a spider in the house I will ask you to kill it, but you always just pick it up and put it outside. Lately you have been telling us that God wants us to take care of his creatures. At 5 you have a major sweet tooth. If we didn't cut you off, you would eat pastries, cookies, candy and cupcakes all day, everyday. I would even go as far to say that you are addicted to sugar... At 5 you are always ready for an adventure. You love being on the go and experiencing new things. At 5 you are getting really independent. You can make toast and sandwiches on your own and are getting pretty handy in the kitchen. At 5 you still love a good project. You actually come up with a lot of them on your own now, and all I have to do is gather the supplies.
At five you are really protective of your brother. I bet you would score high on "protective instincts" like that guy on the Blind Side. I can't tell you how many times you have stopped Colin from touching a hot stove, putting something small in his mouth, or running in the street.
At 5 I am starting to see how life gets easier as kids get older, but if I had a chance to go back 5 years and do it all over again, I would in a heartbeat.

At 5 we are very proud of you.
I think Aibileen from The Help said it best, "You is kind. You is smart. You is important."

Happy Birthday Michael.
We love you very, very much.

Colin's first haircut.

2011-12-28T20:12:00.000-08:00

Colin was in need of a little trim so we took him in for his first haircut today. I'm not ready to say goodbye to his little curls, so I gave specific instructions to keep those intact...

If you don't mind I will just let the pictures tell the story.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-28T20:01:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. I am lacking in photos this year but I will share what I have!

Santa paid us a visit.

He also worked late into the night to build a Lego ship. Unfortunately he didn't get to the castle, so Mike had to spend the next 2 nights working on that.

He left us a nice little thank you card for the cookies.

The elves obviously liked the doughnuts.

Even Rudolph left a present outside.

Mike did an excelled job this year setting the mood with a Yule Log.

This was the year that most things needed to be identical in order to avoid fights over toys.

Therefore both stockings were exactly the same.

Michael's favorite present of the morning was the ship, followed by a long board.

Colin's favorite thing of the morning was an English Muffin, followed by a battery operated car.

We headed to my parents for the day. This is where my lack of pictures becomes evident.

Oliva enjoying her first Christmas.
Even Gus got a stocking.

And thats where my documentation comes to a screeching halt.

The end.

Getting ready for Santa.

2011-12-24T21:42:00.000-08:00

We have all been busy tonight getting ready for Santa's visit.

Michael prepared a nice tray for him and his elves.

Elf doughnuts compliments of Pinterest.

He didn't forget about Santa's faithful reindeer.

Mike has been doing his part by building a 1000+ piece Lego set.
I have been on Michael watch. Every time I hear his pitter patter I have to block him off at the staircase.

Poor Mike is almost done but still has the Harry Potter Castle to contend with.

Now if only Michael would fall asleep, Santa can pay us a visit and we can get some sleep!
Merry Christmas!

Santa Tracking

2011-12-24T11:31:00.001-08:00

Pretty Standard

2011-12-20T20:16:00.000-08:00

My days consist mostly of cleaning up Colin's messes.
Here for instance he has decided to empty out the cabinet and use the contents as blocks.

I know, impressive right?

This here is his typical mess... Pouring water into empty pots. I wash a lot of pots.

Today he upped the ante and decided to sit in the pot and proceeded to splash the water around on the floor.

On the up side, my floors are clean now.

Oh Colin, how I enjoy cleaning up your little messes:)

TGIF

2011-12-16T19:41:00.001-08:00

This is life changing.

2011-12-13T17:14:00.000-08:00

The other day as I was frantically toasting bread I casually mentioned to Mike that a 4 slot toaster could probably increase my life expectancy.

Low and behold look what he brought home today.
Looks like he wants to keep me around for awhile.

Update Bonanza

2011-12-11T18:59:00.000-08:00

Lets talk about the elephant in the room. What's up with my blog header? Mike called me the other day from work and asked ever so gently why my blog looked so ghetto. Being the techie that I am, I obviously DO NOT know what happened. I am just hoping it somehow remedies itself.

Anyways I have some blog worthy updates.

These two started off the weekend like any typical almost 5 year old and 18 month old would. By sharing a slice of pizza in an infant seat. Duh.

And Mike started off the weekend by putting together yet another dog house for Gus.
I know what you are thinking, Gus is going to have two dog houses? Ha, ha. No silly, Gus tore apart his old dog house with nothing more than a handful of teeth and an extra strong jaw bone. Mike ~~thinks he~~ is going to outsmart him this time with an ultra modern metal casa.

Remember when I told you I was a tad obsessed with Pinterest? Well when I saw a pin for reindeer food I knew it would be perfect for Michael's class gift....

18 bags of Magic Reindeer food-

Check.

And guess what. My craftiness didn't end there. I decided to make star and Lego shaped crayons for stocking stuffers and to add to treat bags for Michael's upcoming birthday party.

Its super easy. Just peal, break and sort crayons by like color. Mike helped me with this so it went really fast.

Add to a silicone mold and cook in a 250 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Let cool for about an hour and pop the bad boys out.

Colin will eat anything,

which is nice.

We cleaned out the playroom this weekend to make room for this teepee that Colin will be getting from Mimi and Pa for Christmas. I ended up moving a shelf from the playroom into Colin's closet. Now he has his own little play area just like Michael.

He digs it.

Michael continues to teach Colin bad habits.

But he always ends up making up for it.

Hope your weekend was as eventful and fun as ours.

deck the halls

2011-12-06T21:22:00.000-08:00

We have been busy getting ready for Christmas over here. Seems like there is so much to do this time of year. I'm off to decorate the tree, which will be soon undecorated by Colin.... Hope all is well in your neck of the woods:)

The Swiper

2011-12-02T20:33:00.000-08:00

Colin loves to eat. He eats his food, my food, Mike's food, Michael's food, the neighbors food.... Even if he has the EXACT same thing Michael has he still tries to take it. Below is how a typical meal plays out at our house, minus the picnic on the floor (I was being fun mom that night... it happens).

Acting casual. Nothing to see here. Nothing to see here.

Going in for the kill.

Back to business as usual.
Notice how Michael doesn't miss a beat and goes right back to his show? Its as if he has been desensitized to this whole process.

Happy Weekend!

"Kid's" Trees

2011-11-30T18:25:00.000-08:00

As I was saying, Michael and Colin cut down their own trees this year. We were thinking that they would choose two little ones being that both boys are under the tender age of 5, but Michael is apparently going on 45 because he came home with a tree that is bigger than our ~~fake~~ family tree. Not surprising.

We decorated Michael's tree last night and my mom was genius enough to pick up shatter proof ornaments for the kids. Kudos Jenny, I mean Mimi.

The final product.

Now onto Colin's more age appropriate tree.
Please excuse the unsightly extension cord. I am planning on replacing it ASAP.

His new favorite activity is pulling all of the ornaments off.
I am actually bracing myself for the day that the tree topples on top of him.

So there you go. Our 2011 "Kid's" Trees.
Happy Holiday's Friends!

Michael (and Colin's) Second Annual Lesson in Manhood

2011-11-27T21:15:00.000-08:00

My parent's took our men in training to the Manke "Tree Patch" to meet up with Olen and Justine for the second year in a row. Michael's kid tree was so impressive last year that Colin decided to jump on the band wagon and get one of his own (pictures coming soon)!

Thanks to Mimi and Pa for watching the kids so Mike and I could go on our own little adventure up north to the Apple Cup!

TGIF

2011-11-25T18:08:00.001-08:00

I am thankful

2011-11-25T08:26:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving Eve

2011-11-23T20:04:00.000-08:00

Colin has officially taken over my cranberry sauce duty.
Hope your Thanksgiving prep is going well.
Enjoy your day!
Gobble, gobble.

Counting my blessings.

2011-11-21T18:05:00.000-08:00

Eat your heart out Emily Post.

2011-11-20T11:38:00.000-08:00

TGIHW

2011-11-16T18:04:00.000-08:00

(Thank God Its Hat Weather)
Fo Shizzle.

Cruising for a Bruising

2011-11-15T19:47:00.000-08:00

Is it just me, or does it feel like forever since we last talked?
I feel like I hardly know you anymore.
Allow me to reintroduce myself.
My name is Sarah. Wife. Mom of two. Animal ~~lover~~ owner.
I like long walks on the beach, romance novels and Eskimo kisses.
Kidding (about the last 3).
Any who.
Things are CRAZY around here.
I don't know if it's the weather or the fact that we are NEVER home anymore but I feel very unmotivated to pick up the camera these days.
I hardly have time to cut my toenails, or the other 30 toenails in this house much less blog.
Kidding again.
Mike cuts his own toenails.
Most of the time.
I guess what I am trying to get at is, I KNOW I AM BORING RIGHT NOW.
Bare with me.
This has been known to happen before, then all of a sudden I get awesome again.
Swear.

Oh, and the Solar System is still coming soon....And we forgot to discuss how Colin is a teenager now.

Life Lately

2011-11-14T17:45:00.001-08:00

Solar System

2011-11-11T07:21:00.001-08:00

Coming soon.

Its about time he starts pulling his weight around here.

2011-11-08T14:12:00.000-08:00

Weekend Wrap-Up

2011-11-06T19:30:00.000-08:00

The word of the weekend was family. We made our way from Gig Harbor, to Tacoma, to Seattle to spend some time with the ones we love...

Saturday at the Zoo with Justine and Olivia.

Play Dough bonding time at home.

Cousin Sophia's 4th birthday in Seattle.

Sunday dinner at home with Mimi and Pa.

Michael was all buisness.

Colin was not.

Please excuse my lack of blogging as of late. I have been sucked into the world of Pinterest. Addicting much?

I'm going to try to slowing wean myself off, pick up my camera and blog my little you know what off...

Until then, enjoy your week!

Insta Hump (day)

2011-11-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T21:32:00.000-07:00

Behold Yoda and a Race Car Driver.

The Race Car Driver was actually supposed to be a Storm Trooper (hence Yoda) but after 2 non-returnable costumes later, he is the same thing we was two years ago.
You know what they say... If it ain't broke.

We made our annual trip to Trick or Treat at Ralph and Lib's. It's such a fun tradition that we always look forward to.

Then we returned home for a quick bite with my family and then it was out to Trick or Treat in the hood.

Hands down, best Halloween yet.

Halloween Pre-Funk '11

2011-10-30T20:53:00.000-07:00

Mike and Michael carved pumpkins this afternoon.

I think you will find that Mike really knows his way around a knife (and a pumpkin for that matter).

All designs were based off Michael's loose sketch (including the coveted uni brow).

Note to self: Clean chair.

Final masterpiece.

Don't forget to save the seeds. Toss in olive oil, sprinkle with salt and toast on medium heat for about 20-25 minutes (stir constantly) until brown. Delish.

Enjoy your Halloween!

New Moto: Kid's are Washable

2011-10-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

We painted pumpkins today. The old Sarah (like the Sarah from yesterday) would have spent the entire time freaking out about the mess. The new Sarah decided that she can just throw said mess in the bath. Is it creeping you out that Sarah is talking in 3rd person? Thought so.

Mostly Michael, a lot of animals and a bit of Colin.

2011-10-28T13:47:00.000-07:00

We had pretty much the best visit ever to the zoo. If you are ever wondering the best time to go I would shoot for late morning, on an overcast day that calls for rain, in the fall. There were maybe 4 other people there, all of the animals were out, every toy kiosk was closed and they weren't serving food! Yippee!!!

Blast from the Past

2011-10-26T21:34:00.000-07:00

I'm knee deep in a Sister Wives marathon in these parts, which sent me on a little stroll down memory lane.
Specifically Halloween circa 2008 FLDS style yo.

And yes, this is OFFICIAL FLDS garb. Did I mention that we did order this from the OFFICIAL FLDS website whose proceeds helped support abandoned FLDS families in Texas? Okay I did? Good. Just wanted to make sure you knew it was OFFICIAL. Don't hate.

Happy Hump Day

2011-10-26T16:25:00.001-07:00

Spread the love.

2011-10-24T19:52:00.000-07:00

Last year we were Ghosted, this year we were Booed. No matter what you call it, I love the idea of paying it forward and spreading Halloween cheer.

A few days ago we came home to find a cute little Halloween treat on our porch.

Fast forward a few days...
I finally got my act together and picked up a few supplies for our "Boo" then we headed out right after dinner to deliver the packages.

This year Michael picked out the houses we booed all by himself.

Start a Boo near you!

Insta Sunday

2011-10-23T18:57:00.000-07:00

Our Sunday brought to you in iphone pics.

(On the right- Noah's Ark made out of paper and animal crackers)

Mad Fashion

2011-10-20T18:16:00.000-07:00

Someone caught the crafting bug.

Falling into Fall

2011-10-18T20:10:00.000-07:00

Michael's Mini Me

2011-10-17T17:58:00.000-07:00

Colin has always thought that Michael is pretty much God's gift to brothers, but now that he can somewhat "keep up" with him it is becoming even more obvious.

He currently has to be involved in everything he does.

He stares at Michael in awe when he puts his converse on, so Mimi and Pa bought him his own pair.

And the highchair is so last month. Now he eats at the big table with his very own tray.

Colin, I hope you are always the peanut butter to Michael's jelly.

Spooner Farm 2011!

2011-10-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

Does anyone have some Calgon?

2011-10-12T17:56:00.000-07:00

This one has been skipping his afternoon nap and breaking 4 new teeth. Let's just say by the time bedtime rolls around I am ready for an ear-ectomy.

It's party time.

2011-10-10T21:36:00.000-07:00

We had a busy weekend jam packed with two parties.
First up, a Dinner Club shower for Jordan and Lisa's little bambino.

Next, a birthday celebration for Olen and Justine.

In case you were wondering, we are not vegetarian.

Michael couldn't make it because he caught a cold from Colin, so he stayed at home with Mike to do a little of this.

Back to the party...

Congrats Jordan and Lisa and Happy Birthday Olen and Justine!

Bring it on Fall.

2011-10-06T20:02:00.000-07:00

It's official.
The heat is on, pajamas with feet are out, decorations are up, school is in full swing, pumpkin spice candles are lit and the leaves are falling.
Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!

If this doesn't convince you to get Satellite Radio I don't know what will.

2011-10-04T18:24:00.000-07:00

Tidbits

2011-10-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

We are knee deep into Lego's and wrestlers in these parts.

And its causing nothing but problemos.

Why you ask?
Because this guy is "not allowed to touch them."

Luckily Mickey Mouse Club House and Special K bars keeps him entertained for a few.
Say What!?!?!
My 16 month old is eating diet bars and watching TV?
That's right.
Deal with it.

Can I please brag about how cute my niece is for a minute?

We had a little photo shoot yesterday and she pretty much brought her A game.

Work it.... Work it....

You will never guess how old she is.

We are back into our old stomping grounds (a.k.a the empty lots in front of our house).

It's perfect for bug hunts,

and dandelion picking.

Lookie, lookie, the two of them together.

So this is where it gets a little awkward.

I have a few more pics to share but nothing else clever to say about them.

Just act casual.

Phew, we're done.

Nothing more to see here.
Move it along folks.

Brushin'

2011-09-29T20:31:00.000-07:00

A good 10 minute time killer before Mike gets home-

Its safe to day that we have the dirtiest mirror and cleanest teeth in town.
Happy soon to be weekend yo.

Burning the midnight oil.

2011-09-28T20:23:00.000-07:00

270 pieces down. 196 to go.

P.S. Don't get into Lego's. I repeat, don't get into Lego's. Save yourselves while you still can. I am being as serious as a heart attack here people.

Lately

2011-09-28T19:11:00.000-07:00

Tidbits

2011-09-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

We had a little birthday party for my grandma on Friday night.
Pretty much everyone was there.

Michael put together a few gifts for her.

Some of the highlights included a cookie cutter and 5 sharpened pencils.

My mom had the table all set...

but we ended up eating outside because it was so nice.

Bean connoisseur.

Olivia.

If I had to come up with a title for this pic it would be,
The Feeling is Mutual.

Saturday started off with a car wash.
I had to chuckle because Michael even vacuumed his 4-wheeler.

We also got ready for Dinner Club.

This months theme: Fircrest Fair

Colin tagged along. Michael spent the night at Mimi and Pa's.

Fair Food-
Mini Corn Dogs

Scones (obvi)

And Burgers.

So fun.

Nothing new to report on the Gus front except...
Wait for it.
Wait for it.
He is now a home owner!
Interest rates are so low, he decided it was time to get in the market.

Playa.

That's all folks.

I'm out.

Remlinger Farms

2011-09-25T20:12:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all!

We headed to Remlinger Farms this morning for our nephew Logan's 2nd birthday party. After uploading all of these pictures I discovered that I don't even have one of the birthday boy himself (I know, I suck). In my defense, I was preoccupied with getting pictures of the 3 oldest cousins running around and having the time of their lives.

Colin was really into all of the scarecrows. I thought this one was a little PG13. Word on the street is she is single.

Michael was really into all the photo opps.

We arrived early so we had the corn maze to ourselves.

There were animals...

and rides!

Here are the 3 oldest cousins I was telling you about...
Michael,

Sophia,

and Aiden.
Can you believe that Michael is the shortest out of all of them? I guess there is a first time for everything!

Colin was too little for most of the rides, but this lady was nice enough to give him a duck to play with.

Mike's mom, Grandma Luana.

Thanks for the fun afternoon guys!

We had a blast:)

Hi

2011-09-22T19:09:00.000-07:00

Catchy title huh?

I'm officially off the line. The Great Strike of Tacoma Teachers came to an end today. I know not everyone out there agrees with the strike, but I am pretty proud with what we were able to accomplish. I want to formally thank Mike, my family and friends for all of their support during these last couple of weeks. Now that this is over I'm ready to start having fun again! We have an exciting and fun weekend ahead of us. Stay tuned!

Week in Review

2011-09-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

A.K.A. Tidbits.

Things have been busy 'round these parts, so busy in fact that I really haven't had chance to pick up my camera. Hopefully we will start to settle into our new routines and get back into the swing of things.

These two are hot and cold.

One minute they are best friends and the next someone is getting hit on the head with a wooden hammer or having the door slammed on one of their extremities. True story.

Colin's favorite activities of the week-
Shopping around the kitchen...

(Yes, that picture frame is empty, and yes it has been up there for close to 4 months. Don't hate.)

And brushing his teeth.

Michael's favorite activities-
Talking to his best friend on the rug at school (word on the street is that they have been permanently separated).
And impromptu play dates.

Fierce.

It dawned on me about a month ago that Michael should be somewhat computer literate at this point. I ended up putting a sticker on the mouse to show him where to click, put him on PBS Kids and let him have at it. He is pretty much a pro now and is able to navigate around the website, learn new games on his own and use the mouse like he has been doing it his whole life.
I know....Brag much?

Colin's sleep training is going well. Thanks for asking.
We now put him in his crib awake and let him fall asleep on his own. He is sleeping in longer stretches and much happier in the morning. I really wish I would have done this months ago.

I am still on strike:( At this point the only positive thing about this whole ordeal is the fact that I have lost a few lb's.

Last but not least- Colin's new afternoon nap spot.

Have a great week!

Peace (in the Middle East).

Solidarity

2011-09-16T21:07:00.000-07:00

Teachers, paraprofessionals, parents, students, bus drivers, longshoremen, community activists and multiple representatives from surrounding teacher's unions showed up today at the Central Administrative Building to show their support.

We started out taking up only one block surrounding the building. Within an hour we had to spread out to cover two blocks because our numbers were so large.

It was awesome.

There were even a few supporters in the building. Shhhh, don't tell anyone.

Longshoremen are no joke.

There were dozens of students who walked with us.

They even made up cheers.

You can't tell from this picture, but a high school band was set up behind the picketers. It was my favorite part of the line (as in picket line... I'm really picking up some lingo out there.)

Lots of interesting signs. There was even a man walking around with a ball and chain. Wish I would have gotten a picture of that one.

If you are curious, here is a link to the current contract proposals. Also for any of you who are worried about my rap sheet, the judge didn't issue any sanctions against teachers today.

Happy Friday!

2011-09-16T06:44:00.001-07:00

Strike Day Uno

2011-09-15T18:24:00.000-07:00

I have been picketing with my staff for 3 days now and am overwhelmed by the support we have received from both the students and the community. Despite what the has been portrayed in the media, this is not about money. This is about a proposed evaluation system that's subjective language leave staff vulnerable to involuntary transfer and displacement. For more information click here.
If you see us on the picket line tomorrow we love honks and waves, but we don't need to be told we are number one. We already know that;)

Tuesday Tidbits

2011-09-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

The highlight of our week and probably Michael's life was visiting our friend Chad (a.k.a. Chaz...no relation to Bono) at his family's Sunset Beach house.

Michael and Chad's nephew became fast friends.

The tide came in pretty quick so life jackets were a must.

Michael's favorite part was when they tied a rope to the kid's life vests and let them jump in.

So, so sad this picture is blurry.

I missed the first time Michael jumped, but Mike said he was happy for him because he was so proud of himself.

Thanks for the sweet invite Chaz.

In other news...
Colin is climbing.

Everything.

For real.

And guess what????

Wait for it.

Wait for it.

A little bit longer....

You ready???

I'm sleep training.

It only took me 15 months to bite the bullet, but its working and everyone is much happier.

That's all for now.

Have a great week!

A few more because I love 'em.

2011-09-12T12:23:00.000-07:00

Insta Weekend

2011-09-11T13:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday

2011-09-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

List of happy.

2011-09-07T18:53:00.000-07:00

I have been in a bit of a funk lately (it happens) so instead of getting worked up about stupid things, I thought I would make a list of all the things that have been making me happy.

Here we go. 10 things that have made me happy this week in no particular order:

1. Colin just started saying, "Mama".
2. Waking up to freshly brewed coffee made especially for me by my doting husband.
3. Afternoon walks with Colin and my mom while Michael is in school.
4. Curb Your Enthusiasm every night on On Demand.
5. Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream. Holla.
6. Michael wants to marry me when he grows up (Thought for sure I would be third in line behind my mom
and Mike).
7. 80 degree days in September.
8. Michael's love for his uniform.
9. Colin's baby hair.
10. Carrots from the garden.

What has made you happy this week?

Tuesday Tidbits

2011-09-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

We started off the long weekend with an impromptu BBQ at our house.

Colin wowed us with his cycling skills.
(Please take note to Colin's smirk. He is turning into a little ball of mischief these days and usually sports this look before he nails you with any large object that he is holding at the time.)

And Michael wowed us with is frog catching skills.

Obviously he isn't the least bit concerned with Mike's blood pressure.

Colin is still all about the dip...

And still refuses to let us help him eat.
Mr. Independent.
I think he has a bit of Beyonce in him.

Mike continues to make the best burgers on earth. I am almost embarrassed to admit that we have been living on a steady diet of salmon and burgers this summer. None of which have been prepared by me. I can't help it. I am addicted to these bad boys.

Colin vacillates between wanting to be like Michael and wanting to clobber him.

Mike and I joke around that we will have to tell Colin to take it easy on Michael and his friends when they get older.

Brothers are fun.

Summer is still in high gear around here.

Spending Labor Day in a swim suit...

Not too shabby.

Our awesome neighbor gives us free reign on his berry bushes.

They are messy.

Colin is becoming more and more steady on his feet.
After a few face plants, he finally perfected the lawn mower.

Being sprayed by the hose is fun.

Sort of.

Stay cool my friends.

It's going to be a hot one.

xoxo.

Happy Labor Day

2011-09-04T21:34:00.000-07:00

Hope it is labor less.

Cell Phone Snippets

2011-09-04T21:01:00.000-07:00

Man, what a busy week!
Michael headed back to school, I headed back to work and Mimi is back on duty.
Colin and I are trying to get used to afternoons with just the two of us and navigating the school parking lot for pick up (It's crazy!).
Lots to get used to, but looking forward to this coming year.
Hope your long weekend is treating you well!

First Day of Pre-K

2011-08-31T14:26:00.000-07:00

Michael headed off to his first day of school today. I was honestly fine with this until about 2 hours before he was supposed to go, then I had a mini panic attack when I realized this is REAL school. They have big kids there. There is a library, a lunch room and a gym.

This is the big leagues.

Luckily we ran into Noah and Mason as soon as we got there so it settled my nerves (Michael was fine).

The parents stay the first day so the kids can get acquainted with the new classroom. Luckily Mike could come because Colin was in rare form and had to exit the room.
The following photos are compliments of my photog husband.

The kids met on the rug to introduce themselves and listen to a story.

Michael got to go first.

So far so good. Then it was time for a self portrait. Michael decided that he should be depicted as a Bee Boy. Complete with a stinger in a place that could be considered controversial.

Let's just say the teacher was quick to offer another piece of paper for a redo.

I think it is going to be a good year.

*Note to Jessie and Becky- I think we should take one of these in the same spot every year.

Good luck boys! I know you will be great.

Tuesday Tidbits

2011-08-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Yo.

Last week's "randomness" post left me feeling free and invigorated. I decided to make it a tradition, so I will be posting random tidbits every Tuesday. Don't worry, I am still planning on popping in between tidbits with breaking news.

Try to contain yourself.

We headed to my parent's house for happy hour last Friday.
Michael hunted for bugs the entire time.

He is really into making habitats. He has several habitats operating at any given time. Frog habitats, beetle habitats, pill bug habitats... you name it, he has had it.

Mike is currently trying to limit his habitats. I believe these paired with my somewhat "forgettable behavior" is responsible for his high blood pressure.
I lost my keys the other day and he estimated that his blood pressure shot up to 220/140.

Justine and Olivia showed up for happy hour too.

Colin is really into dips. He loves to dip veggies and chips into anything that is available.
Remind me to tell you about the time he dipped a Mexi Nugget into hot sauce.

Michael had his last swim lesson of the season on Saturday.

Colin enjoyed his last jaunt in the kiddie pool.

Michael's favorite part of the lesson is diving for rings, er jelly fish.

We ventured down to the lake, which is right below the pool to look for fish.

Sort of sad our trips to the pool have come to the end, but am starting to look forward to fall.

Speaking of fall, my garden is drying up and Michael's sunflowers and pumpkins are just starting to take off.
I heart sunflowers.

Old Gusertons. What can I say about you? You haven't pooped or peed in your pen in a while...

Colin is into real people food. I try to feed him the plain, simple meals that Michael likes and he just throws it on the floor. Hand him a piece of halibut, and he goes to town.

Michael starts Pre-K tomorrow. I am feeling anxious for him, but know that he will have fun.
His uniform is pressed and ready to go thanks to Mimi who informed me that she will be taking care of his school clothes for the year. Something about me not ironing...

That's all for now.

Have a great week!

Warning:

2011-08-28T20:08:00.000-07:00

I feel a phone purge coming on...

Guess who took 5 steps all by himself the other day?

2011-08-27T21:18:00.000-07:00

This guy.

He was whipping up a little something something in his kitchen on Thursday, turned around and started to walk towards me.
All at the ripe age of 15 months and 1 day.

He was so shocked that he hasn't really attempted his new trick since.
Instead he has reverted back to toilet paper play.

Men

2011-08-26T12:29:00.000-07:00

Since Michael woke up this morning (at 7:30 am) I have been telling him that he needs to clean his room before he can watch any of his shows.

Well lets just say that it is now 12:22 pm and he has done everything but clean his room. In fact he has made even more of a mess, tried to convince Colin to clean it for him, and told me that his hands are too tired to clean.

I was getting sick of nagging, so I took out a garbage bag and set the kitchen timer for 20 minutes. I told him that whatever was left on his floor when the timer went off would end up in the garbage bag.

I was feeling really pleased with my parenting at this point and fully expected to find a sparkling room....

The timer just went off and this is what I found.

His room is still a mess for the record.

TGIF!

Randomness

2011-08-24T14:52:00.000-07:00

I have so many pictures from the last couple of weeks to share, so I thought I would just throw them together for a little bit of randomness. I may actually start doing this more often:)
Colin has been "riding" his bike a lot. He loves it. He will spin around and around in circles and now likes to get off and get back on to look like a big boy.

Speaking of a big boy... He just got his first pair of real shoes. I didn't realize that they make such a big deal of it at Nordstrom. They gave him a little stuffed animal and took his picture. Thinking back, I think I just went in by myself to get Michael's first pair, so he missed out on all of the pomp and circumstance.

Can we talk about how cute they are?
I'm not normally one that goes for "cartoony" things, but I couldn't resist when I saw these. Colin loves them. He will try to put them on by himself and points them out to anyone who will pay attention. He's not walking yet, but he did shuffle to me the other day and you would have thought I won the lottery with my shrieks.

Michael and Gus have a love/hate relationship.

One minute we will hear Michael say, "Sit Gus, sit. Now that's a good boy." Then the next he will be shrieking, "Bad dog! Bad dog!"

I have a love/hate relationship with him too. Especially when we eats all of the peppers out of my garden.

The three of us went to the zoo today. It was a much better experience than the last time.
I brought the right stroller (Michael can sit on the front) and enough snacks to last the entire visit.

Notice Colin's shiner??? He can now go from a sitting to standing position on his own, but he fell on the cement the other day when he was trying it. So sad.

I did make the same mistake of buying toys at the beginnning of the trip. What can I say? I pick my battles.

Last but not least, I'm back.
I lost my phone last week and was moping around so much that Mike bought me another one.
I decided to try white out this time and was able to get all of my Apps back.

Thanks Mike, I feel like I'm whole again:)

Happy Hump Day

2011-08-24T08:11:00.001-07:00

More swimming, lessons and a carnival!

2011-08-21T21:29:00.000-07:00

We continued our Staycation at the pool today. We are trying to get in as many lessons as we can while this weather lasts.
Michael, Colin and I arrived early for the lesson, then Mimi and Pa met us for dinner and the carnival.

Colin loved watching Michael show off his skills.

Nothing like a bounce house paired with a wet suit.

Yum, baked beans. Colin's fave.

Michael made Mimi get the first tattoo.

Once he saw it was safe he got his own, then ended up going back for 2 more.

Ending the day on a sweet note.

Have a happy Monday!

Oh, and Mike is done painting the fence! Yay!

Staycation

2011-08-20T22:27:00.000-07:00

Mike had a fence to paint today (poor Mike), so we headed to the pool with my parents for lunch and a swim lesson.

You may or may not remember that Michael is a swim lesson drop out. We had him in lessons for a couple of months last year and he went in the pool a total of 2 times. And I use the term "went in the pool" loosely. Very loosely.

Now we can't seem to keep the guy out of the pool and he has pretty much taught himself to swim underwater. He will hold his breath, dive down and swim to any spot you point out. I have to say I am pretty proud of him.

Today he sported a life vest for the first time to try out some above water swim action.

He kept on telling us and the life guard that he didn't want a lesson, but when it became time he had the instructor promise she wouldn't let him go and he went for it.

Behold the first successful swim lesson of his lifetime .

Colin was worn out from the kiddie pool.

Pa was happy to have a break from swim duty.

And I was kid-less for a whole 30 minutes! Weeeee!

Perfect day in the 253. Headed back for round 2 tomorrow!

P.S. I lost my phone......Sorry I have to compose myself. I am devastated. I fully acknowledge that I am addicted to it. I think I put it on top of my car when I was getting Colin out then it flew off when I ran an errand later in the day. Now I'm just left with so many questions. Where is my phone? Did someone find it and take it? What happens to all my Apps? How will I communicate with my peeps?

P.P.S. Yes mom, I tried to retrace my steps to find it.

P.P.P.S. Yes mom, I cancelled my service.

Cruisin for a Bruisin

2011-08-19T11:05:00.000-07:00

Just because....

2011-08-18T19:36:00.000-07:00

I think they're pretty cute.

We Heart Discovery Village

2011-08-16T20:09:00.000-07:00

And Colin apparently hearts that shirt.

Sunriver

2011-08-15T20:21:00.000-07:00

Like I was saying, we headed down to Sunriver, Oregon for our good friend's wedding. Both Mike and I grew up going there but haven't been back in YEARS, so it was fun going back.

I was in the wedding, so my parent's came down to help with the kids when we had events to attend.

It was pretty much awesome.

The first morning we were there, we walked into the village.

Obviously the first stop was the toy store.

Followed by the bounce house.

After all the excitement we had to refuel,

and rest.

My parent's arrived later that day and we enjoyed a quick BBQ before Mike and I headed out for a cocktail party.

While we partied, they headed back to the village.

Check out the sweet condos we stayed in. "Condors" if you speak Michael.

Day two started with a trip to The High Desert Museum.

Michael apparently also developed a strut.

They should have called it a museum/zoo.

Great Horned Owl.

Bald Eagle.

Warning: Not for the faint of heart.

Rattlesnakes.

Gila Monster.

Tortoises.

Water Turtle.

Lynx.

Obviously the chipmunk is used to people.

After the museum we hit the world's best pool.

And ran into Kinsley.

Olivia showed up too.

View from the pool.

Later that night, the gang hung out without us while we attended the rehearsal dinner.

BTW, on the night of the wedding my mom gave the kids grades on their behaviour.

Olivia- A+

Michael- B

Colin- D-

Say what!?!?

Talk about an upset.

In case you were wondering where Gus was during this excursion....

He spent a week at Howllywood.

And received an A+.

Colin my friend, you have some work to do.

Yo

2011-08-14T20:15:00.000-07:00

Long time no see.

Please excuse my typing.

I am going through withdrawals from a week off the Internet.
We just got home from a little vacay in Sunriver for our friend Kate and Johnny's wedding.

So fun!

Anyways, lets get reacquainted with a little phone purge from our week on the road.

We left a little late for our trip so we decided it would be best to refuel before the 6 hours in the car.

We actually prefer to travel by night. It's the only way to go if you have young kids in our opinion.

A few shows,

then it's lights out before we hit Lakewood.

Holla!

Before we knew it it was 1:00 am and we were in Sunriver.

We hit the pool first thing.

This particular pool was on crack. It caused Mike's blood pressure to hit peak numbers.

We got word that our reinforcments were about to arrive so this guy was pretty excited.

Say hello to our sanity.

Olivia came too!

Kate's flowers on ice.

We scoped out a different pool next to the golf course.

Much better for Mike's blood pressure.

Heading home after a fun filled vacation.

Okay, I feel much better now that I'm back on the WWW.

Weekend Snippets

2011-08-07T20:59:00.000-07:00

The Hood

2011-08-04T22:41:00.000-07:00

We took a little walk around the neighborhood this afternoon.

Looks nice and peaceful, huh?

Well that wasn't the case last night.

We were the victims of a hate crime.

Yep. That's right. An egging.

Apparently the kids are still doing that.

Specifically kids swerving like maniacs up and down the street in a convertible Jaguar at 10:00 at night.

Ya, we saw you.

I think we were targeted for being a little too awesome.

At least that's what I was telling myself as I was crying on the floor of the shower after the attack.

Just kidding. I was trying to be really dramatic right there.

It was only one egg.

But seriously, who does that?

Island Living

2011-08-04T14:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, truth be told its not an island, Michael just calls it that. Its his favorite spot and I'm sure its going to be Colin's too. Extra bonus- Mike works down the road so we can stop in for a chat or lunch or both, which is just what we did today.

Yo.

2011-08-03T16:32:00.000-07:00

Can you take a message?

I have to practice my walking skills.

Okay, that's enough of that.

What? They say it is completely normal not to be walking by 14 months.

A boy and his dog.

2011-07-31T22:16:00.000-07:00

Help! Lost Caterpillar

2011-07-31T18:24:00.000-07:00

Last seen on the floor by Michael's dresser.
Yikes.

Afternoon at the Canal

2011-07-30T22:09:00.000-07:00

Man we are getting spoiled with the beach invites...

Olen and Justine had us out to her families' house on Hood Canal today.

We headed to the beach as soon as we arrived.

Colin and I dug while the rest of the gang gassed up the boat.

We soaked up some much needed Vitamin D.

Ready for some serious crabbing.

Continuing some serious digging.

Olen tried to claim he wanted me to take a picture of the crab pots.

Sure.

Ready to party during Olivia's napping marathon.

Chilled chardonay in an Olive Garden tumbler.

Don't hate.

Colin was thrilled to watch Justine's uncle's plane land.

Pa made it just in time to drop the pots.

Warning: The following picture makes me very uncomfortable....

Welcome to the gun show.

Poor Michael:)