#305 AKA Lucky

As I was busy cleaning our house and Mike was finishing the dishes from breakfast we were startled by a horrible screeching sound coming from our back yard. We both ran to the window and were surprised to see the most beautiful Seagull who was obviously hurt and very scared. I don't know if he was crying out of pain or fear or both. We both realized very quickly there was a problem with his wing as he was holding it a bit funny and although he tried several times he couldn't fly.

Being the animal lovers we are we knew we had to do something to help this bird. We called our local Audobon Society who said if I could catch him and get him there they would do what they could to save him and return him to the wild.

So, in my PJ's and a blanket in hand I went into the back yard and wrangled the poor thing. I think Mike got a kick out of watching me as I ran around the yard chasing him down. I cornered him and tossed the blanket on him which immediately calmed him down. After that I put him in a box and drove him to the Audubon Society where they were expecting him.

The Audubon Society of Portland, for those of you who don't know is a volunteer ran facility which is devoted to saving birds. They had a beautiful Falcon in the lobby area who they rescued in 1992 after it got hit by a car. The bird never fully recovered and so they have kept him there where you can see him and he seems very safe and happy. They depend on sales from their gift shop and also from private donations in order to stay afloat. They were so friendly and seemed to take great pride and care in helping our feathered friends. I was very impressed and relieved they were there.

They did a quick check and found out our friend had what seemed to be just a flesh wound. They are going to do an X-ray just to make sure the wing isn't broken but it looks good so far. They named him #305 but I thought that was a bit impersonal so I've named him Lucky. They told me I could call tomorrow and check on his status and also find out just what kind of Gull he is. They did say they didn't know for sure as he is much different than the other gulls indigenous to the area.

Anyway, I'm sure Lucky (#305) will be back in the swing of things before he knows it.

Teddy Bears, Terrorists, and Baby Kisses

Mornings are great fun at our house. After I get Mike and Michael off to work and school, Hayden and I have the house to ourselves. We spend quite a bit of time in the play room while I check my email and Hayden... well, Hayden does lots of things.

Today Hayden decided to paint and then give kisses to his favorite over sized Teddy Bear AKA "Terrorist Teddy" due to the fact it was my first Valentines gift to Mike. When I bought the bear I carried it with me on a flight from Dallas to San Jose. While patiently awaiting my flight in the airport bar a news flash came up on the TV explaining fears that Terrorists may try to smuggle bombs hidden in Teddy Bears. So there's me sitting at the bar with a great big Teddy Bear trying to look innocent but I'm sure somehow looking guilty. So, that's the Terrorist Teddy story. Needless to say Teddy made the flight with no issues and all stitching remained intact. I will also add the Bear worked because Mike proposed to me that weekend.

Anyhoo... while Hayden was in the mood to give out kisses I was fortunate to capture him in full pucker.

Enjoy!

Easter in Portland

We had a great Easter this year. On Saturday we met some friends and had a blast running in the Easter Egg Hunt at Alpenrose Dairy. Michael and his little girlfriend Kyla stuck together and got a lot of eggs in their race. The Dairy also holds the Mommy Easter Egg Hunt where they give away diamond earrings! I couldn't pass that one up so I of course pushed my way thru along with my friends Lisa and Michele. I tell you what, it was like a mad rush of hundreds of women pushing, shoving, tripping over each other. Basically it was a cross between NFL and WWF and it only lasted about 10 seconds. It was amazing how hundreds of eggs could be picked up in such a short amount of time. In the end we came home with a couple pounds of chocolate eggs, a Frisbee (won by Hayden) and a $10 gift certificate for Applebee's won by me. Not to mention some fun memories.


On Easter Sunday we stayed home and had a great time just being together. The boys hunted for their Easter baskets. It was so cute watching Hayden when he found his basket. He didn't know what to make of it but he knew what to do with the chocolate bunny he got. Michael found his a lot faster than I thought he would I thought I hid it pretty good but next year I'll try harder. Since it was raining outside (go figure), we had our personal Easter Egg hunt indoors. It was fun anyway and there were tons of places to hide the eggs. Lovely pic of me isn't it? I had just climbed out of bed... Not as scary as I would have thought. It's funny but if you want to get even one picture of a special moment of children in sheer delight on Christmas or Easter Morning you have to be prepared to run at a moments notice and run the risk of capturing yourself on film pant-less and makeup-less.


In the afternoon Mike took Michael to see Horten Hears a Who for the second time and we made a family decision to finally go buy the PlayStation3! We would have bought it yesterday but the entire world was closed for Easter, again, go figure. So, we searched on line to get the best deal and next Saturday we'll go get it. We can't wait! If anyone has any tips on good games please feel free to comment!

It's Official. We Have Contact.

"Mommy!"

Hayden is obviously making contact! He babbles constantly and has for months but in the last day or two has began calling out to me with bright happy "Mommy!" So, I answer him, and he either shakes his Fully Body "NO!" where Hayden says "NO!" with the entire upper half of his body; or he gives sort of a "heh!" sound of approval.It's so funny because he seems to understand everything I say yet he can't the words out of his mouth. This makes communication rather difficult so we have a game of twenty questions for a minute or two but we usually find an answer in the end. I've been talking to him since the day he was conceived but now it's almost as if someone turned the channel on a radio and we finnaly got reception.

I know in the next few months he will be actually talking. My baby's growing up!

Hayden and the Scooter

Hayden has been cooped up indoors pretty much his entire life! Now that the weather is starting to change and he is mobile, he is up and rearing to go into the back yard to discover all the great things nature has bestowed us. We have a great backyard. There are lots of places for a little boy to explore and it's park like setting makes it a really nice place to spend time.

We have trucks, bikes, and scooters for the kids to play with. Hayden has taken a liking to a particular Spider Man Scooter which used to be Michael's. He drags that scooter all over the yard. He tries to ride it on the cement and in the grass. The wheels are really slow moving so it's great for his little self to learn how to ride. He has insisted on bringing it into the house when we come inside so he can ride it and drag it around the house. He truly loves this scooter.

I'm really looking to summer so the kids can spend a lot more time out there. We'll get a Slip N' Slide and maybe a kiddie pool. I'm hoping it will be "the place to play" with a lot of kids running around the back yard with Popsicles in hand. I see myself watching the brood while reading a book and sipping a Vanilla Coke Zero. After frolicking in the sprinklers we can all walk down the street to the park and take long walks on our trails along the Tualatin River. Maybe pick a few blackberries along the way. Yep, that's how I'll be spending my summer for sure!

Cookies Thanks to Grandma

My Mom sent a cookie decorating kit to the kids for Easter this year. It came with some really pretty cutters and some sugar sprinkles in springtime pastels. So, the other day I bought some Pillsbury sugar cookie dough and a rolling pin and told Michael what we were going to do. Well, today it's raining and Jayden was not able to play so Michael and I decided it was a perfect afternoon to do our cookie project.

Michael had a blast cutting out the shapes and decorating with the sugar... he likes to go heavy on the sugar. We popped them in the oven and out popped some beautiful and colorful cookies.

After they were cooled and Hayden was up from his nap we all had a cookie to try them out. I'm happy to say we were successful and they were really yummy.

Thanks Mom!

Houston We Have an Aquasaur!

After months of trying we finally have hatching! I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to see the speck of a thing swimming about it the Aquasaur bowl. The first batch I tried on Christmas produced zero prehistoric swimmers so I wrote to the manufacturer and they sent me a new batch of eggs to try. I decided to wait until the weather warmed up a bit to try again. So, Sunday I decided to give it a go once again. Yesterday I was slightly, but not surprisingly disappointed when there was still nothing to speak of swimming around. Today I decided to put the lamp over the bowl again to see if that would help...

Voila! Two hours later we have two swimmers. At this point they are about the size of Horton's Who's but who cares! As far as I'm concerned I have succeeded in breeding these three-eyed freaks of nature.

Stay tuned to see how they grow!

Springtime

One thing I do love about living in Oregon is the change of seasons. Although, I could do with a lot less of the rainy season. Well, change is in the air around here and it's so refreshing. Flowers are blooming, leaves are budding, and tress are beginning to blossom. It's also been raining a lot less and so the boys are able to once again enjoy the back yard and play outside.

This change of season also for some reason gets everyone in the mood to get busy and get stuff done. I always think of a Bonanza episode where Haas gets "Spring Fever" and kind of goes crazy... well that's how it feels. I've been cleaning the house and organizing thing's that have been neglected for a while... Mike has been busy in the yard clearing out the flower beds and getting rid of all of the damage winter has caused.


Hayden, now old enough to explore the back yard is in awe of all the cool stuff there is to do and see. He toddles around and picks up every rock and goes into every nook and cranny. His favorite game is "_____ the baby" which Michael and his friends love to play too... (just fill in the blank with what ever you choose and that's the game).

The birds and the squirrels are going crazy for the food we put out. Pretty soon I'm sure we'll see little baby squirrels . I saw a humming bird the other day right outside our kitchen window.

Anyway, I can't wait for it to warm up just a bit more so we can really enjoy spending more time out doors. But, right now the air is electric and the mood is in full swing. Portland is getting ready for spring and summer and I'm happy about that.

Hayden's First Haircut

Well, I finally couldn't deny it any more. Hayden needed a haircut. His hair is special to me because it's just like mine except it's a beautiful blonde. I have been so in love with his hair I was reluctant to get it cut. However, I didn't want to follow in Kate Hudson's footsteps and have my boy looking like a "girlie boy" so I caved.
We decided Michael would go first so Hayden would have a clue about what was about to happen to him. He sat in his stroller and watched his big brother get his hair cut like a champion. Michael has always been pretty cooperative when it has come to grooming. Hayden on the other hand proved to be rather squirley and would not let the lady cut his hair. I don't know how we didn't loose an ear that day because cutting his hair was like landing a 747 on an aircraft carrier. But, in the end his hair was trimmed perfectly and looks great! I'm so happy with the way it turned out. It's still a tumble of curls but now it's just under control.
It's funny, I HATED my hair growing up. It wasn't easy having a frizzy fro especially when the Charlies Angles "wings" were so popular... I didn't truly know how to work with my hair or the power of product until I was in my 20's. I always hoped my kids would not get cursed with my hair but now that I see Hayden's I am so protective over it and so proud of it. Everyone comments on it when we go out. I no longer see it as a "gene gone bad" but now see it for what it is... beautiful.

True Joys of Motherhood

Today as I was putting Hayden down for his nap I experienced one of the true joys of motherhood. Those of you who have kids will know what I'm talking about. Every now and then something happens and you connect with your child in such a way that it stands out. It becomes a memory that you will always carry with you; a connection that etches your heart.




So, as I was changing his diaper and he was on the changing table he puckered his lips to give me a kiss. It's a silly pucker. He sticks his bottom lip out and looks up at you as if to say "kiss me!". So, I welcome this because he seems to be rather giving with the kisses with everyone except me. So, if he's offering a kiss than I'm sure going to take it. So, we play kissie until he's all changed and dressed then I pick him up and he rests his curly head on my shoulder. I rubbed his back for a second and he looked up at me... gave me a kiss, then rested his forehead on my forehead and patted my cheek. All the time he wore an adorable smile on his face.

It was a brilliant moment I will never forget. It felt like he was saying "I love you, Mommy".

So, I gave him a hug and into the crib he went. When he wakes up he probably wont remember that moment. But it's ok. I'll carry it for the both of us forever and ever.

Bugs, Backyards, and a Boy

Well, springtime is almost here! The Daffodils have bloomed, the sun is shining, and the bugs are beginning to re-enter the world of the living.



Enter Michael. Yesterday I found him sitting at the patio table watching something. It turned out to be a slug. Well, to those of you who know Michael, he LOVES bugs. He will hunt in the back yard for hours and isn't afraid to pick them up and play with them. Usually, it ends in an unfortunate demise for the creature but it keeps him entertained and happy so it works for me.

I learned a fact about slugs from Michael. Slugs are not slimy as one may think. They are sticky. They can also withstand quite a bit of handling without squishing, and can carry many hundreds times their own weight. (I learned this after telling him to get the table off the slug.)



One day last fall Michael asked me for a baggy. I gave him one and he went to the backyard obviously on a mission. When he returned to the house a short time later he was very proud of his catch... he caught a number of spiders and put them in the zip-lock. "NO SPIDERS IN THE HOUSE!" I boomed. (for those of you who know me spiders are not my friends) "But, they can't get out!" He replied. In the end Mommy Power prevailed and the spiders were hastily evicted from this house.


Note: No slugs were hurt in this blog.

Michael's new Best Friend

Since Hayden turned a year old his nap schedule changed and so we spend a lot more time at home these days. When Hayden was younger he could nap just about anywhere in his carrier... we'll now he takes one long nap in the afternoon and needs the crib so our social life has changed dramatically.

So, in the afternoons we've been coming home after Michael gets out of school and he has been left to his own devices to find things to do to entertain himself. I could tell he was getting bored and was asking for friends to come and play. So, last weekend he caught up with the boy across the street. His name is Jayden. He is 7. A bit older than Michael but they seem to be on the same wavelength. They play great together! I have yet to see either one of them get angry at the other, which at this age is a common occurrence.

It's so great to see Michael having a good time with a friend. And being that Jayden lives across the street it's convenient to play with each other. They go back and forth between Jayden's house and our house... they love to ride their scooters in the back yard and since they both have play rooms, there are a lot of toys to choose from.

I remember being Michael's age and having friends in the neighborhood. Some of those friends are still friends of mine today. I remember waking up in the morning and begging to go outside... I think I woke up dressed and ready to go! Today Michael was begging from the get go to go see if Jayden could play. Ironically, Jayden's Grandpa (who he lives with) said Jayden was begging to come at 7 AM!

I know times are changing with Michael... I'm expecting the phone to ring anytime now with a girl on the line wanting to talk to my son... they grow so fast!