The Bear Necessities

Today Gabe was listening to 'The Jungle Book' on tape and so, of course, he was later walking throught the house singing Baloo's theme song. So adorable in his off-key voice. But my favorite was him singing the line "forget about your worries and your stripes..." Because, really - who doesn't want to forget about their stripes?!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all had a wonderful day. Ours was very nice - our first time hosting. And we didn't burn a single thing! Yay! We truly did have a wonderful day, full of many things to be thankful for. Not the least of which is my friends and family.

Best Quote of the Day...

"So, Gabe - how do you like being 5?" "I sure like it, mommy. How do you like being 100?"

Yeah, he thinks I'm 100. He was really rather shocked I am only 28...grrreeaat.

Super Gabe turns 5!!!

Happy Birthday, Gabie!

What a day! The celebration started this morning with waffles, went on to a fabulous, fun party at Chuck E. Chesse's with his friends (and lots of gifts), continued with going to see Happy Feet as a family and ended with watching Survivor (his favorite) together, with lots of playing in between! Gabe showed his usual exuberance throughout the day and enjoyed every moment of it. He is such an amazing kid! I could not be more crazy about him. I just can't believe it has already been five years since I brought him home! All big blue eyes and a shock of dark hair. And now I am all weepy just rememering him as a baby. There's no turning back now, though - Gabe is full-throttle ahead as always. I can't wait to see what new adventures he brings us over the next five years. Mommy loves you, Gabe!

Weekend Getaway!

This past weekend, Aaron and I took a much-needed trip by ourselves. We left the kids with our friends Saturday afternoon and headed out to Charlottesville, which is about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Chesapeake. The drive itself was just beautiful - trees full of color the whole way. Granted, since it was rather flat, we could also have been driving in circles the whole time and been none the wiser! Once we were just outside Charlottesville, the land began to get hilly and the views were gorgeous. We have missed looking down into valleys!

We quickly found our hotel, dropped off our things and drove into town. Charlottesville is a college town, home to the University of Virginia and in keeping with college towns, it was very hip, there were great art galleries and there was so much to do. We explored the historic area downtown, shopped, ate and people-watched - also keeping in the tradition of college towns was the very eclectic mix of folks in any given direction. Quite amusing. The next day we set out for the real destination of our trip - bad weather be damned! - Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. Stunning! Amazing! Soo fascinating! I have become quite a history buff since moving out here and I loved learning more about such an important and complicated man.

The best part of the trip, though, was spending alone time with my dear hubby and being reminded just how great he is. He's wonderful! We talked and talked and it was also nice to realize that we are actually pretty smart, interesting people when we are allowed to finish our thoughts and speak in full sentences!

Does anyone else have this problem?

I just spent a good deal of time writing out birthday invitations for Gabe's upcoming 5th (!!!) birthday party. And as I wrote, I noticed I have a real issue writing some letters. I just cannot do it well - the kicker for me was the "Cheese's" in Chuck E. Cheese's. (Yes, we are having the party there, but that is a whole different issue!) Anyway, all those e's - ick. I just can't do them well. And - ugh - I live in Chesapeake - I hate writing that one out, too. It's the same with 5's. They look completely messed up when I write them - and oh, when there is a 5 and an s by each other, like in an address - forget about it! I can't tell you how happy I am that I no longer have to send stuff to my mom at 4705 South!!!

Am I alone in this?!

I Love Fall!

Happy Halloween (two days late...)

I hope everyone had a very festive and fun Halloween! We had a great day. We baked lots of yummy goodies, carved pumpkins, went trick-or-treating and visited with friends. And most importantly the boys had a blast and looked adorable in their costumes. It was a success!



Gabe was Aang from the cartoon Avatar and Dylan was Yoda. Random, I know, but cute nonethess!



You need to see Dylan with the ears to get the full effect!

Peeves

I really cannot stand when words are messed with and made to end with an "x" in stead of "nks" Banx. Thanx. Spanx. Blech. And have you heard about the new trend in baby names? It's to spell Jackson with an x. Jaxon. JAXON. Are you kidding me?

And why, oh, why must we ever be affronted with the very offensive c-changed-to-a-k?? "Kar Kleaners" "Kat Kare" "Kool Kars" Krap, krap, krap.

Lastly, this is not grammar related, but I really just HATE when I see those magnetic ribbons on cars ("Support our Troops", "God Bless America", "Find a Cure") and they are friggin' sideways, so as to better read the message. Who are these morons that don't know the loop goes on the top? We don't need them crooked to be able to read them!!! Aack! I just can't handle it.

Oh, and uh, I am equally opposed to genocide, child abuse, animal testing and all that other stuff. Ahem.

Thanks, I feel better.

The Bay Keeps On Giving

So, yeah - I mentioned all the fun beach treasures that we found Thursday, but failed to say we brought some home with us. And I have gotten pretty particular about what we take, because last year I found the coolest cluster of snail shells and brought them with us only to have them start moving when I tried to rinse them off in the back yard. ICK. Anyway, new goal is to always check things for signs of inhabitation/life before leaving the beach. And check I did - mostly all we had were some pretty shell pieces and a couple sticks of twisty drift wood, but Gabe did have one cool, big snail shell. Upon inspection it looked empty enough and Gabe played with it throughout the afternoon at the beach. When it was time to leave, we gathered our collection into a bag and put it into the trunk. That was the last I thought of it until this morning when we all piled into the car to go somewhere and Aaron says "Kristen, what did you leave in your car?!" I had no idea, but I did know that the stench that was pouring forth was not a good sign. We frantically tried to pinpoint the source and once I popped the trunk, the source revealed itself: the sack of shells, of course! I had been right, there was no snail inside that shell. There was, however, one very dead and stinky hermit crab! Poor little guy.

Moral of the story: just never, ever bring home a snail shell. Ever.

Rest in peace, Hermie.

Horseshoe Crab

After being stuck inside all week, the boys and I dedcided to take advantage of yesterday's gorgeous weather and head out to the beach. We went to Chick's Beach which is on the Chesapeake Bay. The day did not disappoint and we had a blast, as well as the beach to ourselves. Due to recent stormy weather, all sorts of debris had washed ashore. Reeds everywhere, shells and all sorts of sea life including a few horseshoe crabs. The biggest of which had washed up close to our blanket - and I do mean big! Half the size of Dylan big - and Dylan was not having it. He first went over and examined it, then began jabbering away about it and motioning with his hands (first picture), then he got downright annoyed and let the thing have it (second picture)! After giving the poor (dead) crab an earful, he turned on his heels and walked away, no doubt satisfied at having defended his turf.

Does it get any cuter?

I think not. Rhubarb leaf hats. How can you beat that?!
These were taken last month in my sister Janie's garden in Idaho.

Summer in Virginia & Update

Oh, how I love summer! Even with the humidity and crazy heat, I still love it. And summers here are just a-buzz with life. Literally! Critters everywhere. I was walking with a friend the other night and we walked past a pond and I heard the strangest sound - sort of equal parts groan/yell/belch - turned out to be a male bullfrog looking for his Mrs. Hey - whatever turns you on...

One of the biggest reasons I am loving the summer is, as you could have guessed, the beach! We have been having so much fun going there lately. I have always loved the beach, but I am usually stuck on the shore, barely getting my feet wet. When my nieces, Caitlin and Marissa, were in town with my sister, Tammy, they helped me to reawaken my inner child and remember just what a total blast it is to actually swim in the water and play in the waves (and it didn't hurt to have someone there to help watch the boys). Dead jellyfish aside (they were everywhere), I couldn't have had more fun. Now, whenever we go, I make it a point to go all the way in, even if I get clobbered and a bathingsuit full of sand (both of which, usually happen) and I have been having a lot more fun. The key is to learn just the right time to jump so you go up with the wave rather than get smacked in the face by it. There is a learning curve to mastering this skill, though, and have gotten more than my share of sandblasting because of it! Who needs to go to a salon to get exfoliated, right?! Anyway, since my family left I have made it a point to go at least once or twice a week and it has been wonderful! Gabe is such a water baby anyway, so he is in heaven. Dylan has taken some more convincing and as evidenced by the attached picture (note the pile of sand on his ear), he was more of a sand baby at first! He is starting to get over it and enjoys the water now, but has just as much fun wandering around and beach combing.


When I got on to write this I saw a draft I had written in April and never published. The boys have changed alot since then, but I still though it was worth putting out there. Gabe is now done with soccer for the season and about to start swimming lessons at the YMCA. He can count to 100 and sometimes higher, but that quickly turns into "111, 2,064, 3,898, etc." And even though he can count so well, he is still learning the actual meaning of the numbers - "14-11" and "64-8" are common around house. Dylan is a little walking dynamo! He started walking the end of May and hasn't slowed down since. He is into EVERYTHING! There is usually a trail of random items spread throughout the house, so you can always tell where he's been. He is very focused, though and does what he does deliberately. He'll walk over to my dresser, pull out a shirt and then walk right over to the trash and put it in; next, over to my nightstand to grab my chapstick and put it under his blankets on the changing table; then into the bathroom to pull out what he can reach through the child locks on the cabinet and drop it all into the tub. It goes on and on like that and he never seems to hesitate - he is on a mission and knows what needs to be done! It is exhausting to try and keep up with him, but lots of fun to sit and watch.

MIA

Okay, okay - sorry to have been gone for so long, but yay - I did figure out how to get back to posting. Apparently I had 3 seperate log in names. D'oh! Anywho - I am back now, however, my sister and her two daughters are arriving late tonight to spend the week, so I imagine I won't write again until after they leave. But since I know what you all really miss is the boys, here are some pictures to get you through! Lots of Love! K

Time to move the ficus...

Life update

Ever since I started blogging I have been a bit at a loss as to the format I wanted to follow. Everyone seems to do it differently and I haven't found my niche. But since the main point of blogging was to keep in touch with my friends and family across the country, I am thinking I would like to do a few more journaling-type blogs than I have been.

So far, this spring has been very nice. Dylan is growing like a weed and getting into EVERYTHING! He is also teething again and has been biting. Fun for everyone. He mostly just bites me on the shoulder, but he has also gotten Aaron on the toe and arm. You gotta be careful around the little bugger. The thing that keeps us from getting mad is that he thinks he is giving us kisses and always has a big grin and giggle ready when we yelp in pain. So, maybe it's half out of love and half out of amusement that he does it. He is really such a doll. And he is going to be 1 year old on May 8th! I can't believe it. Gabe is also growing lots - he has gotten to be such a big boy. He can make his own PB&J's, pour his own juice, get himself dressed and is a little dynamo on the soccer field. He can count to 50 or 60 and knows his ABC's and most importantly is a little tender heart who will tell me how much he loves me and provide me with an endless supply of hugs and kisses.

What I'm Reading Now

My sister gave me this idea for my blog and I said I would put it up here the night I read it. Two weeks later, I am finally doing it! Such is my life. Anyway, here is a list of all the random books I have going right now, what they are about and why I am reading them:

You're Wearing That? Understanding Mothers and Daughters in Conversation by Deborah Tannen
This is such a great book! I am only about 1/3 of the way through it, but it has already helped shed some light on why my mom does what she does and why it makes me feel the way it does. I recommend this one.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
I have had this book for almost a year now - Aaron's dad brought it with him when he flew out right after Dylan was born - and I just barely started it. We both felt I should wait and read it when I was "more emotionally stable" - my words, not his! I figure I am about as stable as I am going to get, for a while, anyway, so the time is now. It is really interesting so far and is about two friends growing up in Afghanistan before the Soviet occupation. I can tell already I am gonna shed some tears over this one!

Created To Be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl
A radical book! Recommended by my sister Janie, this book discusses the importance of the woman's role in a marriage as the husband's "help meet" and support. It is in no way "P.C." nor would it be popular with the feminist crowd, because they would immediately dismiss it or pass judgement. While there have been a couple of things I have disagreed with and taken issue with, I have also been amazed at the changes that have taken place when I actually followed the advice given. It is basically saying "Forget about yourself and focus on him". Good advice for any marriage.

Between Mothers and Sons Edited by Patricia Stevens
This is a collection of essays written by women writers about their sons. I just checked it out yesterday and I haven't read too much of it, but I am already hooked. My boys are so wonderful and amazing and I just don't want to ruin them! I feel like reading and learning all I can about raising them and reading other moms' perspectives is part of that. Other moms can provide just as much pertinent information as a doctor can. Wish me luck!

Please share any books you recommend or anything you are reading now. I love to read and always find it interesting to see what other people are reading. Do tell!

Happy Easter, one and all!

I hope all of you have had a wonderful Easter! We had a very nice day ourselves. The boys, of course, were spoiled rotten by that dang Easter Bunny - who, oddly enough, has the very same induldgent ways as my hubby. Go figure!

Another Thing I Love About Virginia or Where I Went Last Week...

My niece and nephew, Vanessa and Kaden, were in town last week and we all had such a great time. Here are a couple of pictures from when we went to the Jamestown Settlement - as you probably guessed, the place is a recreation of the original settlement and is adjacent to the actual site. It's really neat and actually pretty humbling to go walking around a place like that. And where else can you find mini-armor for a photo op like this?!

The boat is a recreation of one of the boats that carried the settlers over - you wouldn't believe how small they are, especially considering how many people were crammed into them. I never would have made it! There is a reason I was born when and where I was!

Do not adjust your screen...

Yes, my new purse is green. And I love it. LOVE it. I am using the word love here, about my new purse.