Sunday, August 31, 2008

Before Alzheimers Kicks In

"Leave a Memory"
Here are the directions:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you.

It's actually pretty cool (and funny) to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.
If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

My Best Man

So my husband is freakin' awesome. And I mean A.W.E.S.O.M.E. I've kind of been mopey lately, not sure why, other than I'm a female with hormones. Anyway, I really haven't had anything to complain about, the kids have been pretty well behaved and all our needs are met and stuff like that. Still, I've kind of been sad.

Last night after putting the kids to bed Jeremiah called me downstairs. He had some comfy pajamas ready for me and propped me on the couch with a pillow, under a blanket. He put on one of my favorite movies - Just Like Heaven (a comedic chick-flick) - pulled my feet out from under the blanket and started filing them using the Ped Egg. After that he gave me a nice long foot rub. It was so relaxing and such a sweet gesture of TLC.

I think I'll do something nice for him too. Who knows, I may go crazy and actually cook dinner tonight!

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Going... Going.. Or-Eh-Gone!

I promised myself earlier this summer that we would make some good family memories before Isaac went to school. And boy did I make good on that promise! This summer has been so filled with activities that I don't know now if I can remember all that we did. I had hoped to give each outing its own post, but since we were so busy, I never had took the time to actually do it. But I really would like to, at least, post about our vacation.

At the end of July we went to Oregon to visit relatives and pick blueberries. We had such an enjoyable time. Jeremiah's mom came with us and we all just had a blast. We stayed with Jeremiah's aunt (who actually isn't his aunt anymore) and she and her husband were so hospitable I wondered if I had died and gone to heaven.

While we were there we toured the Tillamook Cheese Factory where they had yummy cheese and the most incredible ice cream I've ever had. We also went in to Oceanside and played at the beach. That was where Jack thought he had died and gone to heaven. We stripped him down to his diaper and he wallowed in the sand, rolling in it like Ebeneezer Scrooge in his money. Isaac made quick friends with some boys there and they worked on a sand castle. Only Kenley had the courage to brave the water with the adults. She loved it when the water splashed her feet and she ran all over kicking up sand along the way.

After the beach we stopped at little hole in the wall restaurant for dinner. At first I was a little nervous because it was obvious it was an old home, barely renovated enough to be called a restaurant. But the home-style food was delicious and we even got to write our name on the wall, leaving our mark, as it were, on the little diner.

We also got to visit Jeremiah's Great Aunt Georga. We sat out on her deck overlooking Mount Hood and sorted through the berries that we had picked. She spoiled us with a delicious dinner and had little gifts for the children. She showed us some pictures that her kids had put together for her 50th wedding anniversary. It was fun to see her and Jeremiah's grandma as young girls. It was so great to get to visit with Georga.

After dinner at her home we all went to her daughter Kathy's home and had ice cream and an incredibly enjoyable visit with Kathy and her family. Their property includes some woods and the kids loved the charming, old, board swing hanging off the branch of a beautiful, much-coveted maple. We all had such a great time and we spent it with some of the nicest people I've ever known.

We were only there 2 days but we were able to squeeze in enough time to pick about 50 pounds of blueberries . The kids had a blast running around "Blueberry Valley" and eating blueberries while we picked. Kenley took on the responsibility of making sure Jack's mouth never emptied and I wished she were old enough to change the steady line of BLUE diapers that never seemed to empty.

It was a fun trip and our only regret was that it couldn't last longer. Oh, and that we didn't have the tires checked before we left, because it turns out that the front tires were bald and needed replaced. Luckily we found out not long after leaving my brother's home along the way, so we had some place to hang out while Jeremiah headed to the nearest Big-O. It was a bump in the road, but it was preferable to having a blowout in the middle of nowhere!

Friday, August 22, 2008

The Kindergarten Kid

Yesterday was Isaac's first day of school. I took him inside his classroom because he had told me that he was a little nervous. But he walked in and quickly forgot about me. This was very evident this morning when I told Isaac what yesterday's daily greeting was in his classroom. He looked at me incredulously and questioned, "How did you know?" I reminded him that I was in his classroom for just a few minutes and then he stated, "I didn't see you. I had to keep my eyes on the teacher." Although I was sad at how quickly I was forgotten, I was happy that he had already begun to learn good listening manners. That had been a concern of mine.

I really like his teacher. She was very enthusiastic without being gaggy and seemed to truly enjoy her career. It appears that Isaac likes her, too. As he got out of the van this morning he said, "I wonder how my teacher is going to be dressed today!" I'm wondering if he's got a little crush going on. When I picked up Isaac his teacher made a point of telling me what a nice boy he is.

He came home and was very excited that he got to have a snack at school, "Crackers...but only two." They had colored a school bus and he said that there was a moth in his classroom that wanted to see what they were learning. He played on the swings and the climbing wall during recess and ran along the black line 3 times around the gym during P.E. Isaac had a great first day and he was very eager this morning to go back to school.

Kenley had a hard time leaving Isaac at the school yesterday morning. She was very reluctant to leave the school without him. By the time we made it to the car, she was in lament. "I miss Isaac." After we got home it didn't take her long to realize that she was the biggest kid around. When she picked out a movie I was pretty sure that she was happy Isaac wasn't home exercising his veto power over her selection. That suspicion was confirmed today when, immediately upon our return from taking Isaac to school, she said, "I want to pick a movie."

I'm actually pretty relieved to have Isaac in school. It certainly is different without him home in the morning, but his excitement and quick adjustment helps to confirm that school is the right place for him.