Fun, on a budget

I just got home from a walk.  I was having  a very nice walk until a too large cat walked across the street.  It was a cougar.  I was slightly afraid.  I wasn’t sure what to do when it looked at me so I ducked behind a truck.  I waited and I’m not sure where it went, but I turned around and walked the opposite direction.  Geez, I’m glad it wasn’t dark out.  I might have been scarred for life.

So I made a huge mistake this morning.  We had to drive Elyse to school today because we all slept in and she missed the bus.  SO, since we were all in the car I decided to run to Lowes and get Camille’s replacement window screen.  We got the screen and then I had a last minute thought that I should run into Costco quickly to get baby wipes.  OK, you can NEVER go quickly into anywhere with a 1  yr old and 5 yr old, and especially not to Costco.   That’s like saying I’ll just eat one potato chip.  Remember my last attempt to go to Costco with the kids?  Nightmare.  This visit, no better.  Since we are expecting house guests this weekend I couldn’t help but feel obligated to also get some extra food too, and we were low on diapers…so hundred dollars later, we are ready to leave the store when I realize we absolutely HAVE to get more laundry detergent (or risk all of us breaking out in a skin rash again from the toxic powder Chris got last time).  Where is the laundry detergent??  In the absolute BACK of the enormous store of course.  This is why I should NOT go to Costco, ever.  Too big.  So  I abandoned my cart near the front and run back carrying Harry in my arms.  Dumb idea #2.  I have to carry Harry in one arm and the laundry detergent in the other.  My biceps are fairly strong in a static hold position from Harry, but trying to carry 20 lbs of  Tide in one arm and a flailing toddler in the other is not easy.

SO we get through the checkout and unload the groceries into the car only to realize that somewhere in the store Harry has lost a shoe.  YEP.  We have to go back into the place where we were just going to QUICKLY run in and search the entire store for a stupid shoe.  UGH.  One hour later, we finally leave the store, one shoe lost, and really grouchy.  Good thing we got cookies at Costco.  Cookies, and chocolate make everything  better.

That’s ok I figure.  We can have a good afternoon instead.  The girls have been wanting to go to a kids’ yoga class for a while now.  After much research and calling around I found a Wed. class at 4:30 in Issaquah (one suburb over).   We load everybody up and the girls are so excited to try yoga.  They even have their yoga pants and shirts.  I thought I knew where the Yoga Barn was, but I got anxious and turn ed too soon.  I then ran into a shop and asked where it was.  They directed me to a yoga studio a block away, but it was the wrong one.  So I asked in a toy shop, they told me another one around the corner, but it was Hot Yoga so I  gave up (it was 20 minutes into the class anyway) and drove back home.  Turns out, who needs yoga.  Wait till you see what the girls did instead…

Today I was on the phone catching up with my brother when Camille excitedly informed that a package had arrived.  It had my name on it so I opened it.  Uh-oh.  It’s a laptop.  I don’t think I was supposed to see that.  Hmm, I can’t figure out why Chris got me a laptop…I mean, I’ve asked him off and on to please fix my old laptop for months (since Easter in fact), but why did he buy one now, 3 months later?  It’s not my birthday, and mother’s day was last month.  Maybe he feels guilty because I got him some small kitchen related father’s day gifts?  Hmm.  Don’t know.  So, I close the box back up and wait for him to come home. 

Segway…

Now, lots of people have stories about their in-laws, and usually the stories do not reflect very positive aspects of their family.  I, however am very lucky when it comes to my husband’s family.  In addition to the fact that I have known them since I was in high school and feel very comfortable around them, they are just thoughtful people.  They have only ever said the most positive things about our kids and our parenting, they are respectful of our needs as a family, and when they visit us, they spend their visits working on home improvement projects and always leave the house much cleaner then when they arrived.  They are also excellent gift givers. 

Turns out, the laptop is not from Chris.  It is from my thoughtful in-laws.  Because they know Chris and how he operates, and that it may be years before that thing ever even gets looked at, they went ahead and got me a nice compact little blogging machine.  It is light years faster than my old one.  I will be able to put the camera card directly into the computer and put pictures in my blog with ease.  It isn’t missing the letter “T” or the F5 button.  I don’t have to constantly move my finger around the touch pad to keep it from freezing.  AND, it actually remembers the date and time after it reboots.  So I know today is the 23rd of June and that it is 9:24 pm.  It doesn’t beep incessantly if the power comes unplugged (like mine old one is doing right now).  I’m not sure if there is anything I will miss about that old thing.  But it was better than nothing.  THANK goodness I have this new little beauty though.  THank you thank you Dave and Sarah.

So, I have a little story about the age old question of “what’s for dinner”.  I have really been trying to get the dinner question resolved before 5:45 when everyone starts melting from hunger.  Here are two examples of how despite my best intentions, dinner is just NOT my thing.  So last week I was all proud of myself.  I had a recipe for a shrimp and cous cous dish that I figured was well within my grasp.  (from real simple magazine–this is about my cooking level).  We had frozen shrimp and Chris has always just thawed the shrimp by running it under cold water right before he cooks it.  However, I am a rule follower.  The bag of frozen shrimp says “do not force thaw”, with no further explanation.  So, I panic a bit.  If I try to cook, and it tastes badly, than I will be a failure.  SO, I decide to just do all of the prep work so that when Chris comes home he can throw it all together in minutes.  I will be his sous chef.  And for whatever reason it’s ok if he breaks the rules, as long as it’s not me.  So I get all of the ingredients meausured, cooked, chopped, etc.  Chris gets home and I tell him everything is all ready for him to throw together.   I’m practically beaming with pride.  Until he points out that the ingredient in the  pot that I cooked is actually quinoa, not cous cous.  Now, I actually know the difference but I had been wanting to use this quinoa for a long time and got so excited about the recipe and having all the ingredients (well, amost, it turns out) that I slipped up.  Turned out the dish ended up being fine with quinoa instead, but the point is, that was one of the main ingredients and I botched it.  Ugh.  What is my problem??
Take 2.  Today, set out to have it all ready for when Chris got home from work.  He’s been working late and everyone gets buggy around dinner.  SO, I make veggie meat loaf, salad, potatoes, rice, hamburgers for the girls, and the girls made a fruit salad.  Dinner was actually ready, table set, food even ON the table by 6.  Only problem was Elyse had a friend over and the friend’s mom didn’t pick her up until 6:15 or so, and by the time we were done chatting it was 6:30.  Food was cool.  And everyone knows that the butter won’t melt on a cool baked potato.  Potatoes are supposed to be steaming hot.  Dinner was ok, but darn I just can’t seem to coordinate dinner.  I will try.  And, I’m thinking I’ll have lots and lots of chances to practice.  But, what I wouldn’t do for a personal chef…

The “first steps” videos below were probably taken a few weeks ago.  Sometimes, I would try holding one hand and he would walk beside me, but he would drag one of his legs along like the knee didn’t bend and so I didn’t do that often.  It looked too unnatural.  My mom tells me that my brother walked when he was 14 months.   It seems that Harry is taking after his Uncle Ben in this regard.  He is 13 1/2 months and is now taking occasional steps on his own.  They aren’t much more stable now than they were a few weeks ago.    He doesn’t have any idea how to get himself up to a standing position without pulling himself up on someone or something, but all in good time.  I am glad it’s my 3rd kid who is a later walker because luckily I am in no hurry for him to accomplish this.  When he crawls I still feel like he is little, but once he walks, he’ll seem much less of a baby.  I’m in no hurry for little Harry to be big. 
The painting vidoe reflects his newest obsession.  ART.  He sees the girls drawing and painting and writing all of the time, and so, he wants to do all of these things too.  We keep the markers in a clear container that locks closed so he can’t get into them, but he cries and screams in frustration at this.  I wish I had more time to sit with him and let him play and explore with paint and markers, but I don’t.  Maybe when both girls are in school in the fall.  When I leave him unsupervised, he tends to get artistic in inappropriate places.  The other thing Harry wants to do just like his sisters is eat cereal with milk.  Up until recently he has enjoyed his oatmeal with applesauce every morning.  BUT, the past few mornings he has a fit because he wants cheerios with milk like Camille eats. 
He has figured out nodding — for example today, after being in the car, the stroller, and then back in the car for 3 hours straight today I asked him if he wanted to get out.  His little head nodded up and down with enthusiasm.  He also understands and responds when I ask “do you want to eat” and sign “eat”, he’ll sign “eat” to say yes.  He’ll put his head to the side and lay it on his flat hand to say he wants to sleep.  His favorite thing to play with is his tent that is in the shape of a school bus.  It has 2 “rooms” inside and he crawls in between them and out of the 2 doors and it’s even more fun when Elyse & Camille play too.   “Ssss”  “Ssss” is bus.  That’s really the only age appropriate thing that he’ll play with.  Otherwise it’s all cords, cds and other “no no’s”.  His most endearing trick is blowing kisses goodbye.  When Chris leaves for work he puts his flat hand to his open mouth and violently blows kisses to say goodbye.  I’ll try to video it sometime.
Today for father’s day Chris wanted to take the family hiking in Cougar Mountain which is just minutes away.  But, by the time we got cleaned up from lunch and got everyone ready to go (appropriate clothes, shoes, diapered and pottied) the dark clouds started rolling in.  We pile everyone into the car anyway and pull away just as HUGE drops of rain fall on the car.  I glance at Chris, he glances over at me and we just start laughing.  I see lightning, then we hear thunder as we turn onto Lakemont Blvd.  We drive there anyway and sit in the parking lot for a few minutes and the girls in the back are echoing me: “We are not walking around in this“.  It’s just a sprinkle, says Chris.  It’s POURING, the girls correct him.  After a few minutes we give up and decide to drive toward Seattle.  The sky is actually blue in parts as we get closer to the city.  Traffic is bad in spots, but we go a different route than the highway, and arrive at Green Lake.  We were told it was about 3 miles around, but I think it’s actually a longer walk than that.  It was beautiful though.  It was sunny, and there were ducks with their babies swimming behind, paddle boats, and a very family friendly loop.  There are also a couple of beaches and there were people swimming.  The thermometer on the way home said 67 degrees.  But here, people swim in a lot cooler water than I would.  Anyway, it was so nice to be in the sunshine that I was glad it poured in the mountains.  We had a very lovely afternoon at Green Lake.
I have been lucky enough to find a gym that I liked after a year of looking.  I have gone  a handful of times and have been pleasantly suprised by the good classes so far (spin, kickboxing, and muscle conditioning).  These 1 hour workouts have given me new energy at home with my domestic chores which is good.  The house is cleaner, food is prepared before dinner (instead of at dinnertime) and it is so pleasant to live in a tidier home.  Camille seems to like to go to the gym’s “Kid’s Club” and Harry does ok because Camille is there to entertain him. 
Between the gym, the housework, and my latest reading binge, I haven’t been blogging.  We don’t have too much news.  But I always like to hear what is going on with everyone, so email is always appreciated.  When I check my friends’ blogs and they haven’t updated them I feel starved for news.  That’s when I usually turn to facebook which is totally unsatisfying (it’s always the same few people updating their status) and then I’m left hangin’.  SO my friends, either email me or update (or start) the blog so I feel connected to my peeps:)

Video Dump

Hi Everyone. Trying to catch up on all the video’s we’ve taken.

Flyin’ Solo

Chris was out of town this weekend.  His grandmother passed away and although he wasn’t able to make it in time for the memorial service on Thurs morning (he had a big launch on Thurs. night and had to work all night and into Friday morning) he went for the weekend to Modesto, CA.  I talked to him briefly one night and heard the sounds of my nephews in the background.  I have never met Sam, who is 5 months older than Harry, and the last time I saw Ben was when he was not much older than Harry is now.  I was feeling just the slightest bit sorry for myself about missing this family gathering, but then I had a moment of clarity.  Wait, how nice for Chris.  He can actually be an uncle, and a son and grandson, without having to be a father of 3 and a husband of 1 pain in the neck.  When was the last time he had this?  never.  (Well, he had a month where he  got to be just an employee while the kids and I lived with my parents last July but I don’t think that counts for much. )  And so although I was sad the kids and I were missing this family gathering I was reminded of why we sent Chris alone in the first place.  He could focus on those who needed him most right now.  And the kids and I managed surprisingly well on our own. 

For example, this morning I got up at 7:30, showered and blew dry and styled my hair, as well as  got all 3 kids’ teeth brushed, hair brushed, dressed, fed, cleaned up after breakfast AND unloaded the dishwasher and arrived EARLY to 9 am church service.  Holy cow.  Most Sunday mornings Chris and I can’t accomplish half of that between the 2 of us.  Dishes are left on the kitchen table, hair gets brushed in the car on the way there, teeth have to wait til we get home, etc.  The funny thing is Chris says the same thing about when it’s just he and the kids without me.  They have an easier more efficient time without me.  What’s up with that?
Anyway, after church we rushed home so that I could drop the kids off and I headed to my childhood friend Gwen’s baby shower.  I arrived  EARLY to this too (wow, early twice in one day even!).  The luncheon was lovely, view overlooking Lake Washington,  and Gwen has some very nice friends.  Here is what I notice in many circles in this area.  There is no 6 degrees of separation here.  Everybody knows everbody else by only 2 degrees of separation.  For example, I asked one woman how she knew Gwen.  “Well, my son Micheal and Gwen were friends growing up and then Michael ended up marrying Julie who is friends with Gwen’s good friend Debbie and Gwen’s cousin is from the same hometown as my husband and our dogs went to the same doggie camp for the summer and our boats were parked next to each other on the same pier.”  And I’m NOT even exaggerating.  This is the same sort of thing you hear from every person in there!!  It is crazy, as an outsider, of course.  But, i did find out that Gwen’s good friend’s daughter was at the same pre-k as Camille & was a little girl I knew.   And, I ran into Camille teacher at the gas station.  So give me about 30 yrs. and maybe I’ll only have 2 degress of separation too.
Anyway, I wouldn’t be telling the whole story if I didn’t also mention the fact that we had lots of help this weekend in my weakest department — feeding people.  Friday Camille had lunch at a birthday party and that evening we went to a neighbors for margaritas and snacks.   Those snacks, plus a hard boiled egg was “dinner”.  Sat night Jennifer and David  (pictured in crazy hiking blog below) had us for pizza and I brought leftover guacamole that I had made for the margarita party.  Sunday I was fed lunch at the baby shower and Leslie the babysitter fed the kids.  And for dinner tonight, David & Jennifer had us over again (yikes we owe them BIG,  Chris) and I brought salmon that Chris cooked before he left.  I think if none of us needed to eat, I could actually do just fine on my own rather regularly.  Hmm.  Don’t think not eating is an option though.  And this is why we LOVE and MISS Chris who is SO GOOD at feeding people  Here’s to a safe flight home for Chris.