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!

Lincon City

Finally we are all recovered from the flu. It has been a long two weeks but at last we are all better. Our biggest scare was on Wednesday when Michael woke up he couldn't walk. We tried bribing him with ice cream but that didn't work. At that point we realized he might be serious so we took him to the Doctor just to be sure. Apparently the flu virus settled in his leg muscles and was so painful for him he couldn't walk for two days. Finally on Friday he was able to get back to normal.

So, when Saturday came we decided we earned a family day out. So, we packed up the kids, threw some extra clothes in the trunk and headed west to the coast. We decided to take a different route and try a different part of the Oregon Coast to visit. We headed southwest on 99W and ended up an hour or so later in Lincoln City. Lincoln City is a beautiful town which I'm sure in the summer is filled with tourists. Condos and beach houses line the coast and Coast Highway is lined with Art Galleries and restaurants.




We stopped and had fish and chips, clam chowder, and Mike enjoyed some Oyster Shooters at Mo's. After lunch we let the kids play in the sand and get their feet wet. They were such a mess and covered with sand but they had a blast. Sea Lions played in the water and they seemed just as excited about a rain free day as the rest of us.

Nick, you would have been in awe at the surf. I didn't see anyone out there and it looked like it would actually have been really hard to paddle out but the waves were incredible. I'm sure they would have given the Australian coast a run for their money. Albeit, the water in Australia is probably a lot more welcoming.

I forgot my camera but found some pictures of the area we actually played.

In other news we decided I would stop working on weekends. Since I've been working weekends we hardly ever get the chance to get out an explore as a family. We had such a great time yesterday and felt like we needed more time together. Mike works so hard on weekdays and his hours are often long and demanding. We both believe family time together is important and we want to create memories we can all look back on.

So, I'm looking forward to filling this blog with a lot more of our family memories.

My little VanGough

I've just got to share some of Michael's love of art... this kid is so funny. He will spend hours doing his artwork and he takes it very seriously and he is so proud to show it off and show how he does it.



Ever since he was really little I noticed he had a good eye for art. He would bring things home from school when he was just over two years old that I was amazed he created. Well, that amazement has just continued over the last few years and I can't wait to see if he puts this talent to good use when he grows older. I think he takes after his Uncle Nick.





He likes to do his work inside the playroom at his art table and also outside when the weather permits.

Vasovagal syncope

So I had an exciting afternoon yesterday! I was minding my own business in my kitchen while the boys played. Michael and Hayden were in the living room running around and being good. I decied to take my vitamins. So, I grabbed a bottle of water and popped the first vitamin in my mouth and washed it down. Then the second two at the same time and I gulped a big drink of water but this time it felt like I got a lot of air in the swallow too. As the vitamins, air, and water went down my throat it felt as if my esophogas was bulging way too big. IT HURT BAD!!! I wasn't choking as the air way was not blocked but the pain from the big gulp was pretty intense. I've felt this before but never this bad. I leaned over in pain muttering to myself "Holy Cow that hurt!". The next thing I know I'm thinking to myself..."Oh my God, I'm soooo tired". I then realized I was laying flat on my back in the kitchen. I passed out! My bottle of water had spilled all over the floor and Hayden was splashing away and having a great time. Michael never knew anything had happened at all and was still running around. I don't know how long I was out but it couldn't have been long.

So it was an episode of Vasovagal syncope. It's happened a few times in my life (once I sneezed and held it in... ouch that hurt and next thing I knew I was laying on a friends couch). So, it's common and kind of exciting. But, also I have to say it was a little scary being the only adult home at the time. I think Michael would have been really scared if he knew what was going on.

Well, to all of you out there! Take only one vitamin at a time and don't take too big of a gulp!

The Old Grey Mare....

So, another year has come and gone. I've made it to the big 38. Whoo-F'n-hoo...

I remember when birthday's were so exciting and full of anticipation of a piece of cake, a few presents, and a new world of possiblities because I was getting older and with each year my boundries grew.

Now birthdays are a reminder of my mortality. I find myself reading the obits in the paper just to see how old people are when they die... I find myself not wanting to do anything for my birthday but would rather let it pass as just another day. Everytime I go into a store and see the sign saying "anyone born before this day cannot buy ciggaretts" I realize I could have a child who is old enough to buy them and if I had started early I could have a kid old enough to drink alcohol.

How did it happen? How did I get here? And the biggest question of all is HOW THE HELL DO I GET BACK THERE??? I've got hair growing from my chin, I have wrinkles on my forehead, and two kids and a big weight loss have left me with indigenous anotomical features!!!

So, yeah, no... I don't want another birthday. I'm not ready to be 40 and it's almost here... but alas, I don't think it can be helped. I don't think it can be stopped... just look at those who try too hard to stop the ageing process (I'd rather not look like a plastic doll who got too close to a fireplace thank you!)

Anyway, to those of you who are younger than I... enjoy it while you can. To those of you who are older than I... well, I don't know what I was going to say cause the thought got away from me.... ironic, isn't it?


Edited.... 2/3/08

So, the actual birthday was pretty good. I worked all weekend and I can't say I didn't have fun. The couple who own my resturant bought me a BEAUTIFIL sweater from my fave store, Ann Taylor Loft. It is a beigh, zip up sweater with a fur collar and really cute cuffs and pockets. I LOVE IT! I was so surprised they got me anything... I think I'll keep this gig. My customers are also really great and so it's always nice to see them each week. It's like seeing a bunch of friends.

I also got two awesome hoodies from my Mom and Howard. Not to mention something I've been wanting for a couple of years now... The Madagascar Vanilla perfume from Florence, Italy. It can only be bought in Florence and I've been wanting it for so long. To those of you who have never had the pleasure of smelling it your self all I can say is it is the most delectable smell there could be... just like cookies.

My boys got me a beautiful plant. The big boy wanted to get me a box of See's Candy but I found out and nipped that in the butt... (could it be he is trying to sabataoge my diet??? Trying a little too hard to win the diet bet perhaps?). Anyway, it was changed to a beautiful blooming plant that will last a life time in my window instead of the lower rear end of my indigenous anatomy.

Thankfully, I'm not willing to loose this bet. I have afterall, a gift certificate to Macy's which I will happily spend once I've reached my goal. This was given to me by my Gramma and Joe who always know a girl loves to shop!

All in all it was a pretty fun day and I felt special. It's great turning 30. ;)