Fun in a box

2 kids + 1 big box = lots of crazy!



Sarah, giving Jakob a hug after poking his eye - she got a bit crazy with all the fun in the box!

Garden Therapy

As some of you already know, Amber and Josh have a gigantic backyard and are going to be planting a huge garden. We stopped over on Sunday for an impromtu visit/drop off stuff visit. Jakob was so excited to dig in the dirt, as was Mark (mostly for the Vodka Tonic that Amber so graciously provided him while he was shoveling). Jakob has never been one to like the dirt or even one to want to pick up bugs or anything wet/slimy etc. Well, that went out the window on Sunday, he was finding worms left and right (I have never seen such big worms before, he actually had to coax me to touch them). He literally sat, fell, touched, and dug in the dirt for a couple hours - unbelievable! He really wants to go back to dig! He has requested that we grow snap peas - so we'll be bringing those seeds over to plant and take care of thru the summer. So fun and so nice to be able to be a part of a kind of community/friend garden!

Here is the garden plot from above, the blue spot is Jakob!
Digging away
Found a few small worms
A "big fat one"!

What the kids are doing these days...

Loving swimming lessons


Trouble......

A Sunny Monday

Of course, the warmest day of the weekend - came on a Monday! We had a nice day (minus the sick Daddy in our house), we enjoyed the sunshine! Spent the morning with Dr. Joel, the kids both had check ups (both are ok, Sarah is on a non dairy diet for 2 weeks - good idea Carla - then to the ENT, Jakob is off to the allergist on Wednesday to see what might be triggering his asthma. Sarah is 15 months and 27 pounds, yes she is our butterball - as Mark so lovingly calls her (she has also been on predisone and eating like a horse, hopefully that is what caused her weight to spike), and Jakob is 4 1/2 and 40 pounds - hopefully he will have a growth spurt soon or Sarah will slow down somehow!!!). After that hour and half visit with Dr. Joel (I was mentally exhausted), we then went grocery shopping (not ideal to do with both the kids, but we needed some basics), then home for lunch, naps etc. We had a nice late afternoon walk/scooter ride to the park and river. Roxy really enjoyed the swimming, it's been so long since she's been in the water.

It was 80 degrees here today, crazy, since it was 50 degrees three days ago! I think this year has been the hardest on me, I haven't been affected by weather in the northwest until this year, and we've been in the Northwest for 4 years now (3 in Portland). Maybe it's the combo of the harsh Winter we had, having a toddler and a 4 year old (in the Winter weather), all of us having multiple colds, stress of work and the economy, and missing our friends and family in CA - any of the above have really affected me. But, today I got a little recharge after seeing life coming back to Portland:

Also recharged with a visit to the river, in the hot sun - just feeling the cold water on my toes, was so refreshing. I know that the kids liked it too - especially Sarah, I couldn't get a picture of her with her feet in the water, as she would literally just walk right out into the river, if she wasn't holding my hand!

Cutie pie in the sunshine!

My little lady, loves the dirt and anything having to do with it. She was sitting in wet sand, rubbing her dirty feet into the sand, and truly enjoying it. (I should mention that I don't have a picture of her from her digging adventure at Amber's house on Sunday evening, she was in a sweet little dress, and sitting/rolling/digging in the dirt with Jakob. Jakob was actually sitting in the dirt and digging for bugs and sometimes picking them up with his hands - amazing! We will be calling on Amber and Josh to help with some future dirt play/therapy!)

The kids coloring in the morning sun. Jakob made a sweet picture to bring to Dr. Joel, he now draws people with sky and grass (in every picture), it's really cute!

Sarah's new moves

Jakob's Latest Dance Moves - Wach out Elvis!

Beach Day!

Yesterday we made a trip to Cannon Beach with the Brink family, it was about 50 degrees there - but still had some fun! Unfortunately the ride home was a drag, the alternator on our Volvo went out, so it was quite the disaster - luckily we've got some really great friends here to help us out!!! Thanks Josh, Peter, and Julie (for sacrificing your kid in the front seat so that we could all get home)!!
Jakob, getting some serious height, jumping off a dune.

Jakob and Ian "Digging to the sea."
Jakob has a new cowboy/sun hat (w/bonus of UPF 50), but was cold so he wore his beanie underneath - quite the look!
Racing down the sand hill. 
Sarah, digging and feeling her toes in the sand!

Just a cowgirl, enjoying her drink!

Quick Rant About Ears

Poor Sarah, she is on her 2nd month of ear infections - basically since February, she has been on antibiotics for ear infections. She also has conjunctivitis - Pink Eye. Poor, sweet girl, today she had a shot of Rocephin - awful stuff - she was a champ though, always is, I'm sure it's all the fat on her thighs that helps, and the Elmo sticker that she got!

 I am so tired of ear infections, I could scream - as much as Sarah does! Anyhow, she will be heading to the ENT soon for an evaluation for tubes - hopefully that will help this poor girl! I'm pretty sure I also have an ear infection, just trying to ride it out myself. Anyways, I don't think ears were designed when we had so many "super bugs" going around (obviously), I am just questioning this "intelligent design"! Don't you think there would be some kind of evolution of the ear that would prevent this. Maybe my kid was passed over on that! 

OK, I'm done ranting and raving. 

Sweet Boy

So, as some of you know we are going to be moving in May, to another place, in Portland. It's been a hard decision for us, but we found a cute place, with 3 bedrooms and it's close to our friends (Amber and Josh and the Brink family) and in a great neighborhood (Multnomah Village)! Plus, it makes good financial sense, so we are doing it. I have been nervous and anxious about moving, mostly because of the change on the kids - mostly Jakob - but I know he'll be fine.

Before I told Jakob about the move, I was making dinner and he said:

"Mommy did you know there are kids in other countries that don't even have food. They ask their Mommy for food and their Mommy says that they are sorry that they don't have food and they are hungry too." "Isn't that so sad Mommy."

Me: "Yes, Jakob that is really sad,  we are very lucky to live where we live."

Jakob: "Yep, that's why people want to move from their country to ours, to have food."

Me: "That's right honey." "Aren't you glad we live here and that we have all the choices of things to eat, where to live, and jobs to pay us to buy food."

Jakob: "Yeah"

Me: "Jakob, we are going to have an adventure, we are going to be moving to another house, the one we saw over the weekend."

Jakob:"Oh, that's ok with me, we will have stairs and the park is close to us there, and we will have Joe (the neighbor who showed us the place, who is very nice)"(Jakob actually looking at the postive part of the move - so great). "We will need to put everything in boxes and in a truck (how he knew that, I don't know, maybe from a TV show?)."

"Will we take Roxy...will we take this (the kitchen sink)...will we take Sarah...will she sleep in my room still?"

Me: "Of course we will take Sarah and Roxy - you goofball! Do you want Sarah to sleep in your room?"

Jakob: "Yep, I need to be there with her to help her, she might be sad from moving, but I will protect her."

Me: "Jakob, we could live anywhere and be happy anywhere, as long as we are all together, right?"

Jakob:"Yeah Mommy, even if we were in a tent, we are family."

Me: Eyes watering now, "That's right sweet pea."

So, we are in the mindset of packing and moving, wish us luck!! I know it's not our ideal place, but it will be great - especially for visitors as we have an extra bedroom now!!  I think my kids will do just fine and we'll survive the great recession of 09!

Happy Easter!

We had a nice and fun filled Easter Weekend, beginning with egg dying on Friday and Saturday nights (Auntie Amber helped on Saturday night). Jakob and Ian had swim lessons Saturday morning, followed by yet another Birthday party! Today, the Easter bunny came to our house in the morning, dropped off a few things and then made a second surprise visit to the Brink's house, where we had dinner. 

Peter, Ian and Dillon's Daddy, had a great project for the kids to do outside (bubble making, complete with Dry Ice, which somehow made the bubbles able to be held), it was raining so this was done on the porch. Jakob, didn't want to partake in the bubble holding (not surprising as he is much like his Daddy and doesn't like anything gooey in his hands), but he had fun watching. While they were outside the Easter bunny snuck in and hid some things for the kids. Julie (Ian's Mom), said she saw a white tail hopping out of the house, I wish I had a camera for the kids faces - they were so surprised and so determined to find that Easter bunny, they ran straight for the back door and looked around, but the bunny was gone! He left some great things behind though!

Egg Dying

Serious concentration
Auntie Julie, has the best head bands!!


Ian holding some bubbles!

Finding some treats!


The whole gang, showing off their loot! (Jakob and Ian got butterfly nets - which of course were used for many other things)

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday and cheers to Spring!!

Sweet, sweet girl

It was 76 degrees here today, almost a record! Of course it felt like 85, since it's been in the 50's everyday, our poor bodies aren't used to such wonderful weather!
Sarah and I were home today, took lots of walks, planted some plants and enjoyed walking in the grass barefoot - well kind of! Sarah didn't like it at first, but got used to it. She also didn't like wearing a dress without pants or tights or baby legs under it, she kept pulling her dress down over her knees saying "Oh No", but she got used to it pretty quickly.

Sarah, trying to fight the sun hat, before she realizes what her feet are on!
Immediately sitting down, once she feels the grass on her bare feet. She also had a bite of our fertilizer with her pretzel - didn't like that much either - you can see some dirt on her chin. I wish I would have caught a picture of her face with the dirt on her tongue, it was hysterical!
Later in the day, with shoes and socks on getting ready for a walk to the park, with a quick inspection of our flowers. 
Cutie pie!

Video of her running like mad, down our street. 

Hurray for the sunshine!

The sun has finally come out in Portland, and so have the people! Not too sure what to wear or how to feel without having to wear a hat or long sleeves! We actually got a bit of a sunburn on our faces - totally worth it!

Jakob had a big weekend, 1st swim class of the spring session, a bowling birthday party and he decided he would ride his bike without training wheels! He rode quite a bit this weekend without the training wheels, to the park, New Seasons Market and around the neighborhood. He's really getting the hang of it, only a couple falls so far (and I'm glad we put the elbow pads on for those). He really just needs help getting started now.

Taking the training wheels off.


Taking off, no problem!
Found some ladybugs at the park - Spring is here for sure!
Showing the ladybug to Sarah

Racing with Mommy at the park
Oh, checking in on the status of the bellybutton.
Throwing sticks for Roxy
Here's to more sunshine, hopefully it will hold out for Easter!