Life Moving Forward

It's been over six months since I've posted. I suppose in the blogosphere, fortymama is toast. But I've been feeling like picking it up again, so here I am. It's completely overwhelming to consider recounting everything  since July, and that also seems really boring, but allow me one look back.

I can't move forward without a nod to my sweet, sweet Palo. My first baby.  I love this picture. It intimately shows the tenderness and trust he was capable of. Traits that German Shepherds are known for with their families. But he wasn't perfect by any means. He was unpredictable around other dogs, and sometimes he scared people (although at times that came in handy). But he came through on the most important task of all: being trustworthy with our children. He survived twin toddlers without ever snapping, always just slowly rising on those aching joints and walking away when he was fed up with yet another pink sunhat.

This sensitive dog named after Pablo Neruda left this world on December 3rd. It's still hard to believe, he's been in my life for so long. His ashes are still at the vet. Yes, I've been procrastinating picking them up. But it's time. Time to hold them, honor him, then let them fly into the sea air.

Hurray, it's Summer! Or is it?

Yep, just another Northwest July day.

So...what's been happening this summer? Let's take a look, shall we?

In June, I went to Alaska on a ten day sales trip. (Which, is a very long time to be away from your children!)

I visited customers....

 caught up with friends....

and saw beautiful scenery: this is outside of Palmer, just off the Parks Hwy.

We enjoyed the local wildlife: this Northern Hoarder was spotted in Fairbanks.

Then, our granddaughters arrived from New Mexico. It was wonderful to have them here.

 We enjoyed fun, summer beach days (noticed how we're bundled up?)

 Our annual Olympic Game Farm trip.

 The kids had a blast together.

Then it was off to Spokane with their cousins to see my parents.

This is Ana's favorite pose these days.

My brother & sister with my nephew & Ana on the Tilt-a-Whirl. I was impressed that my Dad took Jack, (it makes me totally queasy these days), but after the ride he was heard to say, "I don't need to do that ever again."

Spokane's Riverfront Park was our amusement rides, no nap, max out on sugar, late afternoon meltdown day. Actually, it was alot of fun!

My parents have property in Spokane and lots of animals and rusted out farm equipment. Apparently, that's what happens when you become a farmer, you have to keep everything for spare parts.


My Dad found his new calling....Cow Whisperer


and Chicken Whisperer....

and the Goose Whisperer.

So what more adventure does the summer have in store? 

 

Hopefully some sun, since we're going camping soon (are we crazy?)

It's Spring! And it's freakin cold!

 Hurray...it's Spring!

  But don't get too excited, it's still really cold

At least we have Easter...

dyeing eggs...

 stickers on our faces...

 eggs in our hands

 I kind of hate all the junk that PAAS puts in their eggs now: stickers, plastic shrink wrap, glitter (which, in theory is cool, but it makes a total mess), glue. We had one brown egg left so we dunked it in purple (then in orange, and green and purple again...remember, these are 3 year olds). But I love how it turned out.

This is a my favorite, the absolute anithesis of an Easter egg, but it looks so organic & natural, like a river rock. Boo did it at preschool in black watercolor. Too bad we have to eat it.

Playing with Balloons

One week ago Friday, we lost our 12 year old yellow lab, Dune. I told the kids that Daddy was taking Dune to heaven. I thought that would be a simple explanation, one that my parents had told me once, but it turned out to be a bit more complicated.

"Where's heaven?"

"In the sky, in the clouds"

"How are they gonna get there?"

"Ummm... well, he won't really be up there, it's his spirit really.."

"What's a spirit?"

"He needs a HELICOPTER!!!" my little boy interjected

"When is Dune coming back?"

"Honey, he's not coming back"

"He can play with Bear's balloon!" 

About a month ago, Bear had a helium balloon that we all watched float away, which inspired many discussions. Where was it? Would a bird bring it back? So now Dune gets to play with it. OK, pass the Kleenex!

"Are you a little sad Mommy?

"Yes"

Then my daughter gave me a big hug and said "Do you feel better now?"

I realized later that I never mentioned the "D" word. I skirted around it. Somehow saying "dead" sounded harsh and final, but the kids would only have the meaning that I put on it. I suppose I was avoiding too many questions of explaining what "dead" really means. A full explanation of it seemed too much, but the next day I said that "Dune died". Boo just repeated it..."he died?" And that was it...for now.

So now we have just one, nearly deaf dog padding around the house and a cat that is deathly afraid of toddlers.  I always wondered who would be left out of the merged-family menagerie we started out with (4 dogs-3 cats), and ironically, the animals that were mine (which seems odd to say now) are the ones still here. Dune will be missed tremendously, just like his sister Boston, and his brother Zeus, but life does go on. The kids make sure of it.

A New Decade

Just when you're about to go crazy, they sit up and do something like this.
(Blue food coloring in the tub, not tidy bowl)

I have exactly five minutes to write this post before I absolutely, positively MUST begin dinner. Why am I even posting? I've been reading other blogs and I'm feeling inspired and guilty that I've neglected mine so much.

So far the new year has begun like the last two, with kids coughing and sleepless nights. Not that I'm complaining, we begin this new decade potty trained (!), counting in Spanish and Mom actually completing her to do lists. It's day five and I'm on a roll. Resolutions? I'm considering them, but do they have to start on the first? I've decided they do not. So for now, I'll contemplate Weight Watchers, the pedometer, the art of listening, adding more romance to my life and jazzier clothes to my closet. I'll let you know when I start.

At it Again...

---Boo just called down from her room. (She usually has a litany of requests after I put her to bed: potty, cold feet, a blanket fix.) Now it's, "Mommy, I have a booger". I really, really, really don't want to go up there. I can't believe I just told her to "wipe it on the carpet". Hmmm, probably not the best response....I think I'm getting desperate. OK, ok, I'm going up to get her a Kleenex!

--Back again, both kid and carpet are clean. Now, where was I?

The craft bug is biting me again. Actually, this is a project that I've been working on for a year now, but it was put on the back burner while I played PTA mom. Now that this volunteer project from hell is almost over (notice the word "almost"), I can get back to my own stuff and try to get something done by Christmas.

I'm creating a felt name book for each of the kids, each page will have a letter and a picture from their name.

No letters, yet, but here's sneak peek...I'll post better pictures once it's finished.

Bikes

I love sharing these photos of the kids with their best friend, K. The kids love their bikes, we've even started riding at the local BMX track. And when I say 'we', I mean the whole family! M says, "It's surreal that I'm riding bikes with three* year olds!". It's true, they ride so fast and go down these big hills that you forget their age.

(Technically, they're actually still two until early December, so it's even more amazing.)

Life Busy, More Later

My poor blog has gone by the wayside. Between houseguests, business guests and one pesky volunteer project that just won't end, life has been busy. For now, you'll just have to settle for picures.


Digging a hole with Dad (I suppose that's obvious!)


Ready to be a flagger!


Fresh from a haircut from Big Sister, V. Think he's ready for the Disney channel?


One of our granddaughters, with V's dog "Stewie"


Posing in a tree



Another free haircut!

Safeway...aaaargh!

C'mon, I spent eight bucks. Do I really need all this paper?

P's & Eeews

Contrary to my last post, we are enjoying a bit of Indian Summer. I'm savoring these last few sunny, long shadowed afternoons--riding bikes, climbing, swinging, peeing...yes, peeing. It happens everywhere these days. Bear just finished his first week being diaper free and he's doing great! He always tells me when he has to go: right after I strap him into his car seat, or in the shopping cart, or as we enter the playground. Never before an activity, always during.

There’s a multitude of things I had no clue about before children, poop and pee are two of them. Especially how much more of it there is now that they're out of diapers. When I excitedly bought the sweet little potty chair at Target, all I heard was the siren song of "potty trained". However, between diapers and potty trained there's a lot of pee: on carpet, in the pants, not to mention the dumping, splashing and cleaning of that sweet little potty chair; and when your kids decide to help by carrying it to the toilet (more splashing, more rinsing, more carpet cleaning). Then there's the poop: in the pants, on the hands, on the floor (when it falls out of the underpants they've removed cause they're ‘poopy’). I can only be grateful they've never painted the walls with it.

My "aha" moment was when Boo yelled, "Mama! Poop on the table!" and I realized that I wasn't even phased to see little brown nuggets on the coffee table. (Future houseguests: I do sanitize things, usually before you arrive.)

In spite of my griping, I’m so happy that we’re moving out diapers and into our next phase. These kids move forward so quickly, I know all of this poop & pee will soon become a distant memory. But I may never want any yellow or brown in our home décor again.

Some Days, You Just Need a Tutu

Birthday Weekend

So...I had another one of those pesky birthdays this weekend, and I'm happy (well, working on it anyway) to say that I'm now 45! I don't know how it happened, but here I am. We had a wonderful family weekend, it always helps when the town has a big festival in your honor. Well, maybe it's in honor of Rhododendrons or something, but let me have my fantasy.

What more could you ask for? A carnival with rides...



..then a parade.





The next morning the kids made me waffles and Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.


Then they were official "Hi-Fiver's" at the 12K Run on Sunday (which goes right by our house).


We even had a babysitter for an evening so Mommy & Daddy could have a date! After all that, we were zonked.


I guess 45 ain't too shabby after all.