Friday, July 24, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
What to do???
We had early bedtime around here because everyone was tired. First to bed about 7:25 was Ethan. I kept Zach up to help him on the computer because I promised him a game or two. Ethan was not real happy about going to bed without Zach, that combined with being tired...he cried for a few minutes and then it became silent. I thought he had given up and went to sleep!
I finished the few games with Zach, brushed his teeth & took him up to bed. To my surprise, Ethan was awake and NAKED in his bed!! He had taken off his sleeper & diaper! There he was laying on his belly with his bare buns sticking up in the air!! Lucky for me there were no surprises in his bed!
He has started trying to take his diaper off more during the day but I can usually prevent it with the shorts that are too hard for him to get off! I can see some fun days ahead if he keeps this up!!! I just pray that he does not top the Nate poop incident!!
I finished the few games with Zach, brushed his teeth & took him up to bed. To my surprise, Ethan was awake and NAKED in his bed!! He had taken off his sleeper & diaper! There he was laying on his belly with his bare buns sticking up in the air!! Lucky for me there were no surprises in his bed!
He has started trying to take his diaper off more during the day but I can usually prevent it with the shorts that are too hard for him to get off! I can see some fun days ahead if he keeps this up!!! I just pray that he does not top the Nate poop incident!!
Sometimes I feel
like a really horrible mom! This morning was one of those days. I was on the computer trying to figure out where to take the boys for their golf lessons. It was not going well because my confirmation did not have an address for the golf course & I was trying to figure out where it was.
Suddenly I am hit with a toy in the head. I think Ethan was trying to give the toy to me but was less than gentle. My anger level is rising with my throbbing head. I ask Josh to please play with Ethan so I can figure out where we need to go. Suddenly I hear Josh yelling that he is going to barf. I look over and Ethan has his pants all the way off & his taking off his diaper which happens to be filled with poop.
At that point, I reached my limit & lost my temper...yelled at everyone! I was so frustrated & annoyed. I was trying to work out details to take THEM to golf lessons & couldn't even get a little help.
That set the tone for the day & I just felt angry most of the day. Angry at them because sometimes I really feel like I am not appreciate and angry at myself for blowing up and yelling at them.
After we dropped the boys off at golf, I had 2 hours to kill with Ethan and Zach. The golf course is too far away to make it worthwhile to go home. I was hungry and decided to go get something to eat. The little boys and I went to Taco Time...there is a point...so we sit down and eat. None of us are really saying too much and all of the sudden Zach pretends to read this sign and says "You are the coolest mom ever" and then looks at me with a big smile. So, I felt a little better & a little less guilty!
Sometimes when things go bad, the only thing that is easily seen is the bad. I see this in Nate with his sports. When he has a game, he will focus on the one thing that went wrong and not the 5 things that were great. That morning I fell into the same trap. At that point, my entire life sucked & I wished I could be anywhere but sitting in the living room trying to figure out where golf lessons were while also dealing with a poop mess. I hope next time I don't let the bad moments overshadow all the good times! Sure, it is hard work to be home with 4 little boys but what greater reward can there be then to have one of them so sincerely tell you how much you matter!
Suddenly I am hit with a toy in the head. I think Ethan was trying to give the toy to me but was less than gentle. My anger level is rising with my throbbing head. I ask Josh to please play with Ethan so I can figure out where we need to go. Suddenly I hear Josh yelling that he is going to barf. I look over and Ethan has his pants all the way off & his taking off his diaper which happens to be filled with poop.
At that point, I reached my limit & lost my temper...yelled at everyone! I was so frustrated & annoyed. I was trying to work out details to take THEM to golf lessons & couldn't even get a little help.
That set the tone for the day & I just felt angry most of the day. Angry at them because sometimes I really feel like I am not appreciate and angry at myself for blowing up and yelling at them.
After we dropped the boys off at golf, I had 2 hours to kill with Ethan and Zach. The golf course is too far away to make it worthwhile to go home. I was hungry and decided to go get something to eat. The little boys and I went to Taco Time...there is a point...so we sit down and eat. None of us are really saying too much and all of the sudden Zach pretends to read this sign and says "You are the coolest mom ever" and then looks at me with a big smile. So, I felt a little better & a little less guilty!
Sometimes when things go bad, the only thing that is easily seen is the bad. I see this in Nate with his sports. When he has a game, he will focus on the one thing that went wrong and not the 5 things that were great. That morning I fell into the same trap. At that point, my entire life sucked & I wished I could be anywhere but sitting in the living room trying to figure out where golf lessons were while also dealing with a poop mess. I hope next time I don't let the bad moments overshadow all the good times! Sure, it is hard work to be home with 4 little boys but what greater reward can there be then to have one of them so sincerely tell you how much you matter!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Traded to the Orioles
Nate started summer ball tonight. They don't continue with exactly the same team as Spring because not everyone signs up for summer ball. They get new teams & he is now an Oriole!
There were a couple switches in the rules. The kids can now walk. In Spring ball, the pitcher threw 4 balls then the coach would come in to pitch. They kids can also steal bases!!! Tonight Nate walked 4 times! He stole several bases including home plate one time!
There were a couple switches in the rules. The kids can now walk. In Spring ball, the pitcher threw 4 balls then the coach would come in to pitch. They kids can also steal bases!!! Tonight Nate walked 4 times! He stole several bases including home plate one time!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Boring day...
We did not do too much today. It was a recoperation day from the long weekend. We also cleaned the house. I set up a schedule in the morning and it seemed to work well. I told the boys when they would have to help clean & when they had free time. I let them know that there was about 3 hours of play time for each hour of clean time, that seemed to satisfy them! The all did a pretty good job cleaning. I have found one secret to success is not to give them a project (such as clean the toy room) but give them one task at a time (such are pick up the blocks). I think this is a bit more manageable at their level plus I can strategically give them tasks that keep them apart to prevent fighting and/or playing!! :)
We did spend a few minutes goofing around with the camera and taking pictures. Here are a few of the pictures we took:
Got to love Ethan's cooperation in this picture!
We did spend a few minutes goofing around with the camera and taking pictures. Here are a few of the pictures we took:
Got to love Ethan's cooperation in this picture!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Weekend at Papa's pool!
We headed over to my parent's house for the weekend & spent most of our time in the pool! The boys were so excited to swim in the pool, there was a countdown on all week! Temp was 99 when we arrived about 2:00 on Saturday. The older boys quickly jumped out of the van & into the pool. Zach was a bit cautious/nervous about getting in the pool but quickly got over & was a water bug. Josh was our water rat & stayed in the longest on Saturday night. We had to drag him out for fireworks. He was up the earliest the next morning & first question was to ask when he could get back in the pool. Ethan never warmed up to the pool. He was happy to play with the hose & get squirted but cried anytime we tried to get him in the pool. One good thing that came from the trip was a re-prioritizing of Jim's to do list. The van has been without AC for quite some time now. Since I drive it all the time, he has not had to deal with it too much. The trip to & from the Tri-Cities was SOOOO hot with no AC. Jim is out reading the car manual right now trying to figure out what he needs to do to fix the van! We came home a bit sunburned & really tired! Everyone should sleep well tonight! 
Ethan playing "at" but not "in" the pool. 
Nate's dive:
Josh's dive:
Ethan playing "at" but not "in" the pool. 
Nate's dive:Josh's dive:
4th of July
We had a wild and crazy 4th of July celebration in the Tri-Cities with family.
Here are 9 cousins waiting for the fireworks to start:
Zach said it was "AWESOME". Josh had lots of fun helping Uncle Doug. Ethan seemed pretty interested & amazed by the fireworks.
Unfortunately, Nate was not feeling well. I think he ended up a bit of heat exhaustion or just plain exhaustion. He said he did not feel well, watched the fireworks from a distance & then went right to bed. Luckily the next morning he was refreshed & ready to go again!
Sparkler Fun!
Ethan putting down his cup to clap & cheer for the fireworks:
Happy 4th of July!
Here are 9 cousins waiting for the fireworks to start:
Zach said it was "AWESOME". Josh had lots of fun helping Uncle Doug. Ethan seemed pretty interested & amazed by the fireworks.
Unfortunately, Nate was not feeling well. I think he ended up a bit of heat exhaustion or just plain exhaustion. He said he did not feel well, watched the fireworks from a distance & then went right to bed. Luckily the next morning he was refreshed & ready to go again!
Sparkler Fun!
Ethan putting down his cup to clap & cheer for the fireworks:
Happy 4th of July!
Friday, July 3, 2009
My day with Nate....
One of my goals for the summer was to take each of the boys out for some one-on-one time. Today was Nate's turn.
Our day included a trip up the Space Needle, a stop at the ceramics store to paint a new piggy-bank & lunch at Qdoba.
It was a pretty fun day. Nate seemed to think the Space Needle was cool, although I think painting the new piggy-bank was on top of the list. It was a nice chance to talk with him a bit more than I normally do with all 4.
Here are a few pictures from our day together:
Thought this was cool. Inside, you can go through an entire day to see what it looks like at night, sunset, sunrise, etc. We took a picture because we could see our reflection.
Doesn't he look happy with his pig?
Our day included a trip up the Space Needle, a stop at the ceramics store to paint a new piggy-bank & lunch at Qdoba.
It was a pretty fun day. Nate seemed to think the Space Needle was cool, although I think painting the new piggy-bank was on top of the list. It was a nice chance to talk with him a bit more than I normally do with all 4.
Here are a few pictures from our day together:
Thought this was cool. Inside, you can go through an entire day to see what it looks like at night, sunset, sunrise, etc. We took a picture because we could see our reflection.
Doesn't he look happy with his pig?
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
A trip to zoo today...
..we are taking advantage of this beautiful weather in Seattle & staying really busy. Nate had not seen the new penguin exhibit at the zoo so we decided to head over. It was a fun day & in control! I was a bit risky & went with no stroller...figured everyone could walk & get exercise. I had the boys all pick their top 2 must sees & planned a route accordingly, hoping Zach and Ethan made it! I was a little worried about all 4 by myself. We took turns holding Ethan's hand and it all worked out well. There were a couple reminders to slow down & not climb but other than that it was all good!
I remembered from the last trip to the zoo that there was a place to feed the giraffes. I thought I remembered it being $2 a person & asked the boys if they wanted to try it..they thought it was a cool idea. Unfortunately, my memory was off on the price & it was twice as expensive but we went ahead. Here are some pictures from the day!
We found out (some of already knew) that giraffes have very long tongues. I didn't know that they are dark colored to keep from getting sunburned. They spend so much time eating & their tongues are out of their mouths that if their tongues were pink like ours they would get sunburned.
Here is Zach pretending to be a giraffe and seeing how far he can stick his tongue out.
Here are a few other pictures from the day:
I remembered from the last trip to the zoo that there was a place to feed the giraffes. I thought I remembered it being $2 a person & asked the boys if they wanted to try it..they thought it was a cool idea. Unfortunately, my memory was off on the price & it was twice as expensive but we went ahead. Here are some pictures from the day!
We found out (some of already knew) that giraffes have very long tongues. I didn't know that they are dark colored to keep from getting sunburned. They spend so much time eating & their tongues are out of their mouths that if their tongues were pink like ours they would get sunburned.
Here is Zach pretending to be a giraffe and seeing how far he can stick his tongue out.
Here are a few other pictures from the day:
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Nate's first
JOKE!
Lately we have been eating lots of popsciles. They come with jokes printed on the sticks. Things like:
What can you steal and not get arrested? Second base.
What has ears but can not hear? A field of corn.
You get the idea. The boys all enjoy the jokes. Even Ethan will bring me his stick to have me read the joke...after I finish, he always laughs as if he really gets it! He seems very aware of everyone around him & what they are doing...much of his actions are based on copying what he sees around him.
But I digress from the original reason for this post.
Today in the car, Nate asks a question (and we didn't realize is was a joke).
Nate says, "Why is there no one in the ice cream store?"
Jim and I both both ask, "What ice cream store?" (because we see none around)
Nate says, "Because it was deserted!!" Then laughs & laughs, he continues
by asking if we get it and says, "Get it, ice cream is a dessert, deserted"
It was a good play on words & impressive that he came up with it! There you go, a joke by Nate!
Lately we have been eating lots of popsciles. They come with jokes printed on the sticks. Things like:
What can you steal and not get arrested? Second base.
What has ears but can not hear? A field of corn.
You get the idea. The boys all enjoy the jokes. Even Ethan will bring me his stick to have me read the joke...after I finish, he always laughs as if he really gets it! He seems very aware of everyone around him & what they are doing...much of his actions are based on copying what he sees around him.
But I digress from the original reason for this post.
Today in the car, Nate asks a question (and we didn't realize is was a joke).
Nate says, "Why is there no one in the ice cream store?"
Jim and I both both ask, "What ice cream store?" (because we see none around)
Nate says, "Because it was deserted!!" Then laughs & laughs, he continues
by asking if we get it and says, "Get it, ice cream is a dessert, deserted"
It was a good play on words & impressive that he came up with it! There you go, a joke by Nate!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Our first trip to Mt. Rainier
The weather was perfect today so we decided to head up to Mt. Rainier. We opted to the north side instead of Paradise on the south side....saved an hour of driving both ways. So off we headed up to Sunrise!
When I first told the boys we were going to Mt. Rainier, both got really excited & Nate said something to the effect that he can't wait to stand on the top. I had to tell them that we were not going to the top but just part way up & told that going to the top was a several day hike that takes lots of preparation & training. They seemed a bit disappointed but still decided that they wanted to go!
We ended up near the White River...in fact we ate lunch in the river bed. It is a river that runs much fuller in the early Spring when the snow melts. There was still a river running but it was contained to a small section of the river bed. It was pretty cool! We walked along the river for a bit & then hiked the Wonderland Trail...okay, hiked a SMALL portion of the Wonderland Trail. The Wonderland Trail is 93 mile trail that circles that mountain. We walked maybe a mile in & then back. Our best views of the top of the mountain were at the river bed during lunch. Our hike in did not reach any other view points. Next time we are headed to the south side of the mountain where there are short family hikes up to view points to see not only Mt. Rainier but other mountains in the area.
A glimpse of Rainier through the car window on the way down (just before we got to Enemclaw).
View from White River riverbed where we had lunch.
Up Sunrise Entrance there are two spots to stop. The closer is White River & farther along in actual Sunrise stop. The boys were STARVING and needing to stop to we picked the closer White River stopping area. It was 10 more SLOW miles up the hill to Sunrise...which is the highest point you can reach on the mountain by car. Here we are stopped for lunch...
Ethan skipped most of lunch & was happiest throwing rocks into a small puddle that was next to us....probably the best part of the trip for him!
The "bridges" to cross the river were pretty interesting. They were just logs that had been cut & grooved to create a walk-able service with a bit of a hand rail added.
On the trail! Once away from the river & into the forest we were really secluded.
When I first told the boys we were going to Mt. Rainier, both got really excited & Nate said something to the effect that he can't wait to stand on the top. I had to tell them that we were not going to the top but just part way up & told that going to the top was a several day hike that takes lots of preparation & training. They seemed a bit disappointed but still decided that they wanted to go!
We ended up near the White River...in fact we ate lunch in the river bed. It is a river that runs much fuller in the early Spring when the snow melts. There was still a river running but it was contained to a small section of the river bed. It was pretty cool! We walked along the river for a bit & then hiked the Wonderland Trail...okay, hiked a SMALL portion of the Wonderland Trail. The Wonderland Trail is 93 mile trail that circles that mountain. We walked maybe a mile in & then back. Our best views of the top of the mountain were at the river bed during lunch. Our hike in did not reach any other view points. Next time we are headed to the south side of the mountain where there are short family hikes up to view points to see not only Mt. Rainier but other mountains in the area.
A glimpse of Rainier through the car window on the way down (just before we got to Enemclaw).
View from White River riverbed where we had lunch.
Up Sunrise Entrance there are two spots to stop. The closer is White River & farther along in actual Sunrise stop. The boys were STARVING and needing to stop to we picked the closer White River stopping area. It was 10 more SLOW miles up the hill to Sunrise...which is the highest point you can reach on the mountain by car. Here we are stopped for lunch...
Ethan skipped most of lunch & was happiest throwing rocks into a small puddle that was next to us....probably the best part of the trip for him!
The "bridges" to cross the river were pretty interesting. They were just logs that had been cut & grooved to create a walk-able service with a bit of a hand rail added.
On the trail! Once away from the river & into the forest we were really secluded.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Happy Anniversary to us!
Today is our 11th wedding anniversary...hard to believe. We spent the day in downtown Seattle. No picture because I left the camera at home.
We went to the top of the Space Needle...really cool view! We walked down to the waterfront & eat seafood! Our 5 hours went way too quick!! It was a great day!
We went to the top of the Space Needle...really cool view! We walked down to the waterfront & eat seafood! Our 5 hours went way too quick!! It was a great day!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
It's raining & pouring....
Seattle just hit tied a record for May & June of 29 days without rain. We almost beat the record but the rain started 11 minutes too early to beat the record with 30 days...that was yesterday. Today the rain continued & I think we got the 29 days' worth of rain in a matter of minutes. Check out these pictures...it POURED & flooded streets around us!
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