In An Effort To Not Be The Lamest Mom In The World...

In an effort to not be The Lamest Mom in the World, I took the kids sledding. 

Of course it wasn't until the second to last day of their Mid-Winter Break from school that I started adding up the amount of time they spent in front of the television and I realized they would soon need glasses and anti-seizure meds if I didn't get them away from the screen and out of the house.

I am always shocked at how close to us in Seattle the mountains are. It was exactly 60 miles to a well groomed sledding hill with heaps of snow.
I have coworkers who have longer daily commutes to work.
Why can't I take my kids to the snow more than every other year?
In High School, my friend Sierra and I would drive 4 hours to Tahoe in the morning for a day of skiing, and then drive home. We would listen to The Steve Miller Band on the cassette player, and tape signs on the windows of the car for people passing us to see. (We were looking for dates.)
Those were the good old days.
**Note: Sierra was born in the Sierra Nevadas to a couple of Hippie parents. If my memory is correct, they had a dog named Rainbow. Sierra, her parents, her brother, and Rainbow all lived in an old school bus in the parking lot of Alpine Meadows Ski Resort when she was a kid. So Cool. When I met her in high school, her family was living in a gated community in Half Moon Bay.

I have my own version of a cool bus, The Eurovan! It has a table that is perfect for PB&J and Hot Chocolate after a day on the slopes.

And then we went home, and I gave myself a gold star (a Hefeweizen) for attempting to not be The Lamest Mom in the World.
(I am purposely leaving out the part where I screamed at the kids to quit the bullshit in the back of the car while I was driving in the snow. Nobody needs to know about those moments in a not-lame mom's day.)

Typos, Their a Pretty Big Deal

A typo turned this Super Hero in to someone's dinner.

Sadly, not even Spell Check could save him.

Power 10 in 3-2-1 STROKE!!!

You know when you've been going to the gym 3 days/week for 6 years, then you go on vacation for 9 days and it takes 7 years to get back to the gym? That's kind of what happened to me and blogging. 

We went to Ireland in August. When we came home, school started again for the kids and I was overwhelmed with how to summarize 2 weeks in Ireland and 317 photos in to a blog post. After that, I felt guilty posting anything else until I got the Ireland post up. Then, not posting became much easier. Then, I had major guilt about not posting. So, I made a poor effort to get back on that rowing machine by putting up Finn's 1st grade photo. Then, it just got worse. I stopped taking photos altogether. I don't even think I brought my camera to Christmas.

Well, now I feel like a squishy slob, so I need to get back to a steady gym routine before nothing fits me any more. 

Translation: I feel like a loser Mom who is going to forget what her kids looked like between September 2012 and May 2013. 

What's worse than forgetting what the kids look like, is forgetting who they are at ages 9 and 7 years.

Niamh is prone to meltdowns about her hair. She is learning to play the Ukulele. She continues to steal candy and lie horribly about it. She watches music videos by Taylor Swift, Avril Levigne, and Beiber's ex-girlfriend, Selena. And, she packs a 7lb, 300 page book in her back pack every day so that she looks like a big book nerd when she pulls it out, slowly, so everyone around can see the size of her reading material. She's not a big book nerd but I love that she wants to be....and love even more that she's failing at it. I think she's on page 12.

Finn has turned in to an athlete. He can really play both soccer and baseball. He analyzes the game once its over, and he always knows where he's going to make "the out" if the ball is hit to him. He has the smelliest feet North of Bell Town. He can eat 8 pieces of pizza and ask for yogurt 10 minutes later, go to the bathroom, and then ask for soup. And, he also steals candy, but is not as good as Niamh about lying about his crime. 

These photos are from my phone. Once I post them, I'm going to feel better.

Too Sarcastic?

I desperately want to get this for Niamh but sometimes she can be overly sensitive. 

Should I?

Finn's 1st Grade Photo

Well helloooooo there, Ladies. I'm Finn. My parents will let me date in 2021. Until then, we can be "friends".

Every now and then, Steve gives me this same look and I run.

Halloween 2012

We weren't very scary this year. 

Finn was the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man from Ghost Busters.

Niamh was the most docile Leopard this side of the Woodland Park Zoo.

I was a Giant Turkey.

Steve.....well, Steve was pretty scary as Ed Grimley from SNL. Its OK if you thought he looks like Pee Wee Herman. He was just as creepy. Keep him away from your kids, Folks.

We hosted this year's NeighborsMeetAndInhalePastaAndBeerGathering pre trick or treating. 

Finn was attacked by A Wild Thing, and a very chatty Leopard more than once before we headed out.

Help me, Rhonda. This gang is growing up.

Niamh, age nearly 9-Leopard; Anjali, age 7-Mona the Vampire; Kiran, age 4-Mailman; Ella, age 7-Witch (the good one); Simone, age 3-Leopard; Neighbor Finn, age 6-Wild Thing.

Their advanced ages were most noticeable while hitting the houses up and down our street. This year, they could all run and navigate stairs. Their speed and efficiency was greatly improved over last year. I think our typical route was complete in about an hour. I have no idea if they said Trick or Treat, or Thank You. I lagged behind jabbering to my adult friends and was never really at the same house at the same time as my kids. It was a successful evening by all of our standards.

 I'd like to take a moment to talk about Kelli.

Kelli is a young, cool, nice, popular, intelligent, beautiful, social gal. We don't know why she continues to hang out with us. Either she continues to be the geek she said she was in high school and has us all fooled, or she genuinely likes us. Finn and I really hope she likes us. Creepy Ed Grimley reminded me a couple days ago that for a while, after he first met Kelli, and before she started hanging out with us regularly, that he referred to her as Hot Nurse Kelli (not to be confused with Hot Nurse Jessica, Cute Nurse Meg, or Hot Friend Nicole. He really is a Creepster.) Anyhow, Kelli is up for anything. She's the same gal that comes camping with us. The only one without a kid, and she always gets assigned one to her. 

Halloween afternoon, Kelli texted me a photo of her dressed as a Bumble Bee with a couple of her Nurse Practitioner colleagues, and one of our Cardiologists as the Bee Keeper.  After making fun of her, I asked if she wanted to join us and the neighbors for spaghetti and trick or treating. She immediately said, Sure (after I confirmed that there would be beer and wine). AND, she showed up! She blows me away. I adore her. Finn has a crush on her that as a 6 year old, he can't verbalize, but he always wants to know what she's up to and if she is coming over, and when she does, he becomes shy but keeps his eyes on her. Its adorable. I totally approve of this relationship. I have a crush on Kelli too.

Enough about my 6year old son and my 39 year old husband and me and Kelli. 

November 1, I woke to Finn's voice: 77, 78, 79......The two were counting and sorting their loot, setting aside the peanut butter ones for me. Halloween 2012 was good.

It Happened

The day has finally come when she wears my old clothes. She has been waiting for this day since she was old enough to realize she wants all my shoes when I'm dead.

Here she is, wearing my circa 2002 Juicy Couture hoodie. Lucky for us all, I gave the pants away after wearing them through two pregnancies. I couldn't bear to look at them any more.

I remember buying this luxury item at the Westfield Fashion Square Bloomingdale's in Sherman Oaks, CA. I had to have one to fit in with the rest of So Cal. (I don't think I ever fit in.)

Niamh, may you get as much wear out of it as I did. I guess it was worth the $100 price tag.

She's Awsome

I guess when you don't hear it often enough, you just write it on your arm.

You ARE awesome, Niamh. I should tell you much more often. 

Maybe I should also spell it out for you.

Lakedale 2012

It was perhaps the most dramatic Rose Ceremony Camping Trip yet.

We had grown up tears, a kid with nocturnal emesis, bike crashes, long talks about life and love and the pursuit of happiness outside of the LA Area, and two dead car batteries. 

For next year, The Council has decided to take a vote before allowing pregnant campers to spend the night. I'm sure that our pregnant camper felt forced to stay...she was. I think we had to hide her keys, let her dog run amok, and strand her other kid in the lake to keep her there longer. I can't figure out why she even thought she should come at the height of First Trimester hormones (maybe because I begged her), but the Ferry was expensive and nobody wanted her to waste the fare.

For all the complaining we do about the set up, tear down, and kids waking up at the crack of dawn, we seem to manage a great time. For the record, we know we could probably scale down on our "necessities", but if the ball tent had kept Carson contained it would have been the most useful item Meg packed.

Meg and Katie, I know I have to trick you in to doing it again each year, but I swear you both just like to listen to me grovel and whine and tell you how nobody can make me laugh the way you both do. Geez, I'm pretty pathetic. Whatever works.

Aleah and Kelli, I can't figure out why you are both so willing to repeat history, but I love you for it. I need you two to help me convince the other two that we really are having fun. (We are having fun, right?) Finn loves you for it too, Kelli. In fact, Finn loves Kelli for everything about her. Finn plain old loves Kelli. 

I know I said that I was resigning as Camp Director, but nobody else wants the job. I booked Fort Worden for next August. Mark your calendars. NO excuses. You are all going. (Katie, you're still on probation. But, I think you prefer it like that.)

Go Team!

They have no idea how dorky this is.

Good thing I know... and had the whereabouts to capture the moment and share it.

Its No Wonder I Get Nothing Done

This morning I was reading a blog post by a dad speculating the thoughts that go on in his toddler's head. The list is chaotic, full of contradictions, and no thought lasts more than 3 seconds.

Just now, as I was attempting to get one productive thing accomplished before leaving to volunteer in Niamh's 3rd grade Classroom, I realized how my thoughts and actions are much like those of that toddler. 

Here is what I can remember to recap my morning since the kids left for school, I showered and had my pot of coffee, and scraped the tape residue off the front window.

 1. Its such a nice day. I'll walk to the school. I should leave around 1:00

 2. I want to clean the office.

 3. There's the new Anthro Catalog.

 4. I have to pee. I'll bring the catalog.

 5. Look at the Anthro site at more views of the outfits I like in the catalog.

 6. Head to the office to clean.

 7. Vacuum Dog Area

 8. Head to the office to clean.

 9. Find shammy to clean computer screen.

10. Clean Computer screen.

11. Look at REI.com

12. Head to office to clean.

13. Think about sharpening all the colored pencils.

14. Clean out the old cabinet in the office with the intent to take it to the curb with a FREE sign.

15. Start to carry cabinet upstairs and out to the curb.

16. Eat an apple.

17. Start a grocery list.

18. Change my mind about walking because if I drive I can just go get groceries when I leave the school and be back in time to get the kids from the bus. 

19. Check online to see if Amazon Fresh can deliver today so that I can still walk in the nice weather to the school.

20. Get flip flops from back porch.

21. Smile at the dogs cuddling in the sun.

22. Think about bathing the dogs today because its nice and sunny.

23. Take the cabinet to the curb.

24. Notice the mint growing up through a shrub of Lamb's Ear and think about adding limes to my grocery list.

25. Decide that blogging this can be finished before I have to leave for the school. 

 I need less coffee and more focus.

Gotta run. Now I might be late for my volunteer hour.

I Hope it Never Ends

70 degrees and October is just days away. Unheard of around these parts. 

The ice cream truck might just sell out of Sponge Bob on a stick this year.

We Need to Talk

I think Finn and I need to talk about mixing (and not mixing) patterns. I think Steve needs to stay out of the conversation.

Not a Single Nevaeh to be Found

In Ireland, weird names like Nevaeh don't exist. 

I should have taken a photo of the racks of personalized key chains for Aoife, Dearbhail, Saoirse, and Aodhan.

Leprechaun Safari

We are in Ireland on vacation!

The President of Ireland, the kids just call him Grandpa, invited us on a 2 week trip and we graciously obliged! 

So far, we have met countless cousins, aunts, and uncles, driven from Dublin to Wicklow to Meath to Wicklow to Dublin to Coon to Thurles to Coon to Kilkenny and back to Coon again. 

The kids are loving their Irish counterparts and the animals in each of their back yards....some yards have a dog, others sheep, chickens, and ponies. 

We've seen rainbows and 4 leaf clovers, thousands years old stone ruins, and a castle. However, the leprechauns continue to escape us. Uncle Tom says that there are a hundred of them on his farm but we have to be up by 6am to catch them. None of us seem to think that's worth the effort.

We will be back in a week with a sing songy accent, smelling like the Irish Sea, and 7 lbs of Cadburys heavier.