Theological Discussions w/ Tanner

Tanner: "Dad, is heaven up above the clouds?"

Dad: "It depends on what you believe Tan."

Tanner: "Do you believe that heaven is up above the clouds Dad?"

Dad: "I do Tan. What do you believe?"

Tanner: "I think it is too"

Dad: "Why do you believe that Tan?"

Tanner: "Because, in Tom and Jerry, when the cat dies, he flies up to heaven above the clouds."

Well okay, then!

Spring is Here (check it out, I made dirt!)

I composted last year for the first time. I thought it went okay, I got a bin and we filled it up. I didn't rotate it like I was supposed to. I didn't add any worms or grow starters like the websites said. To a certain extent I kind of forgot about it and gave up. This year when I was geting ready to start the garden I figured I'd just use whatever was in the bin just to get rid of it and then dump the thing.

Lo and behold when I opened the bin after months of neglect.....dirt! I made dirt! I savored my creation in God-like awe. This was awesome, I barely had to do anything and I turned a bunch of what would have been garbage into thick, rich, planting soil. I spent all of today turning it into the Richard E. Simonich Memorial Vegertable Garden, adding some other organic fertilizer (I figured what the hell, you can't over fertilize can you?). I need to do a couple of sprinkler repairs, get the scarecrow back up and the bird repellers in the ground, but we're getting close.

The soil looks great and there's rain the forecast for the next few days which will work the nutrients down in the soil. I can't wait until it warms up to get the plants in the ground.

Farewell to Paradise

Okay, overstatement for dramatic effect, but still, I do feel a true sense of loss. This is the Playland at our Fred Meyer Grocery Store. Backstory....we upped our grocery budget about a year ago and started shopping at the Fred Meyer instead of the much cheaper Walmart because of the free childcare. Yes, FREE CHILDCARE. Now it's only while you shop and it's limited to an hour, but that hour became a lifesaver sometimes on the weekend.

Marisa would stop and get her Starbucks, I would get a Red Bull, we would drop the kids off and for an hour while we shopped, we could talk and enjoy some peace and quiet. Yes, I know, it's sad....but it was like "date night" in the middle of the day. We haven't been able to figure out why we feel the need to both go grocery shopping together, but we like it, even though is officially the least efficient way to get it done.

But, back to the sense of loss. The kids can only go into the Playland until they turn 6. The daycare ladies love our kids (not like we don't) so they have been letting Jake in for the past year, but said they would get in trouble if they let him once he turned 7, so he went shopping with us today. He doesn't like shopping and to be perfectly frank, I don't like taking him shopping, so we're gonna have to figure something out.....we need the groceries after all....

Hockey Night in Idaho

Sometimes (scratch that, A LOT of times), I feel like the scientific test monkey. You know the one, you've heard the anecdote, the monkey keeps punching the food bar but gets an electric shock each time. Eventually, the test monkey figures it out and stops punching the shocking food bar. I just keep punching it and keep on getting shocked because I apparently have no short term memory, and can't figure out the cause and effect. Anyway, the reason for this observation...

We took the kids out to the hockey game last night. Now I'm sure that you, as a resonable person, with a short term memory, are saying to yourself, "Boy the last few times they've done that the kids have been really crabby the next day", because we've written about it on multiple occasions. But we can't seem to remember (or have blocked it out). So we went out to the game anyway.

We were just supposed to take the boys and Faith was going to stay home with Cori. But Faith somehow got wind of this plan and was having none of it. She was crying and screaming, "No, I want to go". In a rare example of patient fathering, I sat her down and tried to get her to verbalize why she wanted to go. All she could say was that she wanted to sit at the game. I kept asking her and eventually she got up walked over to Marisa and cried, "I don't know what to say!". So at that point she was going with us.

The game itself was great as always. The Steelheads lost 1-0, but it was exciting and we had the best seats we've gotten so far. We got home at around 10:30 and just like that little monkey, boy are we paying for it today.

Baseball Paradise

We got back from AZ today after three days of sunshine, friends, baseball, margaritas, good food, and three nights of peaceful,uninterrupted sleep. We stayed the first night at the W Hotel in Scottsdale. It is a really modern hotel and definitely "too hip" for us (but it was really fun mocking the pretentiousness of the people around the pool (called, "Wet") and the pool bar (called "Shade"). That night we enjoyed what was quite possibly the smallest portion of food for dinner at a ridiculous price than we had ever experienced at Roku Sushi (in the hotel). 19 dollars for three scallops??? 7 dollars for two tempura shrimp? We felt like we were on candid camera. We actually went back to the room and ordered room service: french fries, dessert, and diet coke. (And I wonder why my treadmill workouts aren't working????) We had so much fun the first afternoon/evening just hanging out without the kids and laughing and talking while wandering the streets of Scottsdale in search of a drugstore (we forgot our sunscreen and 2 miles down the road we finally found a Walgreens) and hanging out drinking mojitos at "Wet".

The next day we met Sheila and Wayne downtown for the first of two baseball games. The weather couldn't have been any better. We even got to see Lincecum working out with Rigetti behind the ballpark before the game (that's him- ant-sized- in the above photo). It was so great to spend time with friends and catch up without herding the kids! No interruptions.... unheard of in our daily life!

The best part may have been that while we were in baseball paradise, the kids were being spoiled by Grandma Mary, Auntie Sue, and Nana. I don't think Jake and Tanner missed us at all! They played countless games of Uno and Old Maid and Go Fish and had Movie Night and sleepover night (complete with new jammies, of course!). The relationship the kids have with their Grandmas and Auntie Sue is so great. I love watching them together. It makes me so happy to see how much they adore my kids and how much my kids adore them.

We came back on Sunday to dinner having been prepared and weekly grocery shopping already done. There was a "Welcome Back Mom and Dad" sign that the kids created and handmade bookmarks for each of us.

We had an amazing time in Arizona and having time alone was wonderful, but there's nothing like going away to remind yourself how much you love being home.

Leprechauns and Birthdays

Tanner came home from preschool on Tuesday before St. Patrick's Day on fire about the leprechauns that had apparently paid a visit to his school while he was at recess. The green little people had caused chaos in the classroom, tipping things over and messing up tabletops. They left behind gold coins and chocolate for the kids, but all escaped before Tanner could meet any of them. He was so excited about the leprechaun's visit.

Then Jake came home that and leprechaun mania continued. He told us all about how he had built a leprechaun trap at school- he showed us how it is done (using bits of candies as bait instead of Lucky Charms- even though, according to his teacher, Lucky Charms are really the leprechaun's favorite treat!). He set up his trap and checked it many times prior to bedtime, even asking us to make sure it was still working before we went to bed that night.

After he was asleep Brian and I drew little leprechaun footprints on the trap, bit parts of the candy off, and tipped over the plastic cup (the trap). When the boys awoke they were very surprised and excited to see that the trap had almost worked and figured that the leprechaun must be hiding somewhere in the house. A search ensued until it was time to leave for school and I reminded them how difficult it is to catch a leprechaun and suggested that perhaps he/she was long gone until next year. Jake insisted on bringing his trap (and partially eaten candy) to school to show his teacher. Very fun.

Birthday celebration continued for Jake that evening. Auntie Sue had arrived on Tuesday so we did his family b'day on St. Paddy's Day night. There were card games with prizes (thanks, Auntie Sue!), his favorite dinner (sugar ham, peas, cheesy rice), and ice cream for dessert. He opened presents from all of us. Tanner had decided to give him the paper plate octopus he had made at preschool that day. He had me wrap it all up for him to present to Jake. Bless Jake's heart.... when he opened it he feigned great excitement and gave Tanner a big hug and a sincere "thank you" as if it was exactly what he wanted.

Happy 7th Birthday (for real this time) Jake!

Jake's 7th B-Day Party

Jake's actual birthday is a few days off still, but his party was today. He invited a bunch of his buddies from school and sports teams and said he wanted to have a sports birthday party. He wanted to play basketball, football and baseball, which we were fine with as we didn't really have any other better ideas.

Well imagine our surprise when we woke up to 3" of snow this morning. Luckily, the streets stayed clear and we were able to have the party still. The boys decorated their own team "jerseys" and then we moved up to Tanner and Jake's hoop in their room for the first event of the day, "The Jake's 7th Birthday 2 on 2 Basketball Tournament". We split up into teams and played three games of the first to three. Jake's team came in first. Then it was downstairs for pizza. The sun came up and it warmed up to a balmy 35 degrees.

After pizza it was three on three flag football in the street out in front of our house (the grass was soaked from the snow). Jake, Jonus and James v. Tyler, Ryan and Sean with Jackson (the 2nd grader) as full time QB. Tanner and I were the ref's. He had a flag for penalties and I belw the whistle to clear the field when a car came through. We played for the better part of the hour and I was frozen solid by the time we went inside.

Jake wanted donuts instead of birthday cake (what kid doesn't like cake?), so after donuts and juice they boys went up for a free throw shooting free for all. Then back out into the freezing cold for a final game of three flies you're up.

Jake had a great time. He ended up getting two footballs, a football mouthgaurd, a foot ball board game and some nerf guns from all his friends. It was a good party and pretty low key all the way around. He did great in all the games, there was no showboating, no fits and he did really well playing will all his buddies.

We just got the email from the Little League Coach (not me woo hoo!), letting us know the season starts April 10th. Marisa and I head for Arizona this week for a little Spring Training Giants break without the kids (woo hoo again!), daylight savings time starts tonight, so even with the snow, we can't have much longer to go until spring.

Faith Turns 3

She has been anxiously awaiting what she calls her "happy birthday" for many weeks. In stores she would point at things and tell us, "I want to get that for my happy birthday!".

She wanted a Dora cake and asked to ride a pony. Those were her only requests, so I figured we could make that work. I made the cake myself- for those of you who know me well, you know that I am not Martha

Stewart and generally just buy the cakes for my kids, but this was something I figured I could do well enough to please a 3 year old. It turned out really cute! Nothing fancy for sure, but cute nonetheless.

Grandma Mary arrived the day before her birthday, then on Saturday we went to the Merc for

breakfast where she was treated royally by the people that work there. We came home to open presents and she fell in love with her Dora dolls, Angelina Ballerina doll/book, dollhouse, pink Leapster, and pretty spring dresses. Tanner got her Dora ponytail holders and Jake got her a My Little Pony. She threw off the wrapping paper with a flourish and played with each item before opening the next.

After nap we headed next door to the barn. Just up the road from us, past the apple orchard, a family opened a horse stable last week. They are offering lessons and summer camps, so I called to see if they could do a pony ride for a three year old and they were more than happy to oblige. We weren't expecting much more than what you get at the pumpkin patch: an older pony attached to a lead that walks in circles for a few minutes. What we got, however, was so much more.

They greeted her at the barn with a Tinkerbell balloon and cupcake, then let her pet and feed the

big horses in the stable. The people that ran the place were so kind and knew just how to work with Faith. They fitted her with a helmet and took her out to the corral for the ride. They put her on the horse and she sat there looking so comfortable- just like she had been doing it forever. They had her do different tricks- holding out her arms to the side, having the horse walk over poles on the ground, etc... She followed all of their directions to the T and took the experience very seriously! After the ride she brushed the horse and gave it a treat.

It was such a great day for all of us. Nana and Grandma Mary and the boys, Brian and I all watched her in awe. I think that riding lessons are in our future!

Brian took her out for a father/daughter dinner to the place of her choice (McDonalds, of course) and to end the day we watched "The Little Mermaid" together. She was beat and ready for bed after such an exciting day.

I know, I know, I know I say this all the time, but WHERE DOES THE TIME GO? It was only yesterday that we had the shock of our lives when that little pink line appeared 10 days after picking up our lives, quitting our jobs, and moving to Idaho. We could never have anticipated then the joy that this little girl would bring to us and to our family. We are so blessed to have her in our lives. Happy Birthday, Faith!

Jake's New 'Do

At Fred Meyer yesterday Jake announced that he wanted to get his hair cut short enough to "spike and put in a mohawk". Let me tell you how fast I had him in that barber chair! He was looking so shaggy and I wanted to see his sweet face again instead of that surly teenage mop in the eyes. He told the stylist what he wanted and watched nervously as the hair collected at this feet. It is shaved to 1/2 inch on the sides, and long on top so he can spike it, wear it in a "faux hawk" or lay it flat. Of course the mohawk is his favorite style and first thing this morning he had the gel out perfecting the look.

Tanner's New Shoes

Tanner has a bad habit of leaving his shoes wherever he happens to be when he takes them off: the middle of the kitchen, at the foot of the toilet, on the couch..... you get the idea. We reminded him and cajoled him to put them where they go- in the basket by the door- but he simply did not do it on his own without us forcing him to. Then, last week,we were at the shoe store buying shoes for Jake (who is growing out of things faster than we can buy them) and Tanner found a pair of "tie shoes" that he really wanted. So we made a deal: We would buy the shoes but he was not going to be allowed to wear them until he put his shoes away ON HIS OWN for 7 days.

I guess our middle child is really motivated by footwear because that's all it took. He came home from the shoe store and immediately asked me to make a chart that showed 7 days so he could cross off each day that he put his shoes in the right basket. Without fail that week he came home, took his shoes off, put them in the basket, and then crossed off the appropriate day of the week on the chart, always telling us how many days he had left until he could have his new shoes. He was so excited on Saturday when he woke up and was allowed to wear his new shoes. He was so proud of himself that we just had to take this picture. Now he puts his shoes where they go everyday without being asked. Of course, he knows that if he leaves them out, he loses them for the day, so that might be part of the continued motivation!