Sweetsauer Photo Hunt #2 {Results}

I’ve been on the hunt all month for the Sweetsauer Photo Hunt. I don’t know how well I interpreted some of the items, but I did my best. Drum roll please. Here are the final results.

1. A View from Above (Looking down from the 11th floor at St. Pete’s Hospital)

2. A Macro Shot (Dandelion in our front yard) 

3. Laughter (Einstein laughing on the swing)

4. Relaxation (Relaxing in the tree)

5. A Celebration (Celebratory Graduation Cupcakes)

6. A Sunset (Sunset while driving on an overpass in Lacey, WA)

7. Sun/Lens Flare (The view from my sister’s hospital room at Tacoma General Hospital)

8. A Bridge (Bridge on the Playground Equipment)

9. A Shadow (Iron Gate at Cheney Stadium) 

10. A Garden (Some sort of rock garden at St. Pete’s Hospital)

11. A Park (Woodland Creek Community Park)

12. A Street Scene (Tacoma General Hospital)

13. Signage (Price of Gas at Costco)

14. A Summer Activity (Fishing)

15. A Summer Treat (Dairy Queen Ice Cream Sandwich)

16. Earth (Globe)

17. Air/Wind (The wind blowing the streamers)

18. Fire (Camp Fire at Cub Scouts Cross Over)

19. Water (Slip ‘N Slide)

20. Something Vintage: pre-1980 (A 19th Century Cabin at the OHOP Pioneer Farm in McKenna, WA)  

21. Something Made of Glass (Starbucks Peppermint Frappuccino Bottle)

22. Something Made of Wood (Clothespin)

23. Something that Floats (Fishing Float)

24. Something Railroad Related (A Thomas the Train Toy)

25. Something Round(Bakugan)

If you like any of my pictures be sure to jump over to Photo Hunt Challenges here to vote for your favorite.

Take Me Back Tuesday {2nd Grade Me}

Looking at this picture just makes me giggle to myself. I used to keep my hair long, and I hated brushing it. Now I’m all about the wash-and-wear styles. I guess that’s what happens when you become a mom (well, in my case anyway. I know there are moms out there who are STILL divas *smiles*).

I guess my in-laws were right about my baby Einstein looking just like me in my “old school” pictures. Especially in this one. We even have the same decaying top front teeth (which, by the way, Einstein will be losing very shortly. Yesterday he discovered that the right side was loose. The very same tooth that his big brother is, also, in the process of losing. Isn’t that funny? I’ll HAVE to get a picture of them both missing the same tooth together. Hahaha!). LOL. See, look at the picture below and compare them. Or, here’s a side-by-side comparison.

I guess my side of the family has some pretty strong genes. =)

Jump over to Kari’s blog here to see more “Take Me Back Tuesday” participants.

***Note: After I posted this I started to wonder if I was in 2nd grade or 1st grade when this was taken. I'm not really sure because none of the pictures are dated (REMEMBER to date your photos, Moms!). I actually could have been in Kindergarten. The only thing I know for sure is that I was a student at Kapunahala Elementary school, in Kaneohe, Hawaii at the time. So that would be in the 70's, folks.

Weekend Wrap-Up {2009-06-29}

Well, just two more days left in the month of June, and I think I’m going to succeed at my NaBloPoMo challenge for the month. I didn’t really stick with the theme of “growing,” but our family DID grow, a couple weeks ago, with the addition of my brand new nephew. Next month’s theme is “routine.”

Anyway, the boys and I had a fairly busy weekend. We were supposed to go to a wedding on Saturday, but we ended up spending part of the day at the hospital waiting to find out the progress of Todd’s grandma. She wasn't looking too well and didn't respond to us being in the room. It's just a waiting game right now. I'm glad I was able to take this picture of the boys before she was moved into the critical care unit, where the boys aren't allowed.Yesterday the boys spent some time climbing the tree in our front yard. That seems to be their new favorite thing to do.

Then we went to the Mushroom Festival that was held at the new Lacey Regional Athletic Complex. The first thing that caught the boys’ attention was the bouncy toys! Who could miss ALL that YELLOW? The best part was that they were FREE. But my mom and I tortured the boys for awhile before letting them loose on the bouncies. We had to walk around first. They spun a couple of wheels at different stations to win prizes. Then we went on a pirate ship. Then we headed on over to the Kettle Corn booth. OMG! This stuff is majorly addictive! I just couldn’t stop eating it. THEN we let the boys loose on the bouncies while we stood around eating popcorn.The one below is one that the boys had to work for, before getting their reward. They climbed up about five or six levels to reach the top of the slide. Einstein struggled to reach the top the first time. But once he got the technique down, he was able to reach the top a lot quicker. They made about four rounds. When we got home they wanted to play on their Slip ‘n Slide to cool off. I don’t think it was as fun as they thought it would be. The novelty wore off after about 20 minutes. They had fun while it lasted, though. This morning we made donuts out of refrigerated biscuits. There was a recipe for baked donuts on the package, but I decided to try frying it instead. Einstein was my little helper. We had fun making them, but the monkeys didn’t rave over the taste. I thought they were pretty good, but that’s just me. Maybe I’ll try the baked recipe next time. I wonder what else I can make with refrigerated biscuits? Ideas, anyone? Okay, if you made it to this point then you’re either a dedicated visitor or you just scrolled through the pictures and didn’t even read my post. That’s okay, I don’t blame you. I probably would have done the same thing. LOL. Have a great evening. See you next time.

SOOC Sunday {Dandelions}

I, only recently, discovered that dandelions open and close. So I took pictures of our very own dandelion garden in the morning and in the evening. I know these are weeds, but they’re so pretty when the flowers are open.

Jump on over to Jan’s blog here to see more pictures “straight out of the camera.”

Tacoma Rainiers Baseball

On Friday we attended our very first Tacoma Rainiers baseball game at Cheney Stadium. Actually, this was MY very first baseball game ever. If you know me at all, you know that I’m NOT a sports fan. I’m anti-sports. Never did take an interest in it. But Picasso’s Cub Scouts Pack bought tickets for the game on Scouts Night. Picasso needed to attend some sort of sporting event in order to fulfill his requirements for his Tiger badge. I must say that I DID have a lot of fun. We couldn’t have picked a more exciting game to attend.

At the end of the 8th inning the score was 7-5 Las Vegas. I just figured the game was over for the Rainiers. But they actually tied the score in the 9th inning. Then they had the bases loaded with ZERO outs and won the game! (Are you surprised that I even know THAT much about baseball?LOL)It almost seemed like something that would be written for a movie. It seemed too perfect to be real, but it was. I think I may be a new Rainiers (and possibly baseball) fan. But only if it’s live. I still don’t think I could watch it on TV. I know I’m definitely a fan of Rhubarb Reindeer, the team mascot. (Yes, I know he looks like a moose, which is what I thought he was all this time. But, no, he’s actually a reindeer.) He kept the crowd entertained during the down periods of the game. They did a little dance routine to the hit, “Thriller.” Probably a tribute to the late Michael Jackson. He threw a bucket of water on one of the guys. I have no idea who it was. And he played tug-of-war with a young female spectator.

The game was followed by a fireworks display. I tried to take a bunch of pictures just to get one or two decent ones. I think they came out okay. Below is a little slideshow that I put together instead of inundating this post with ALL my pictures. Remember to pause my music at the top of my page before viewing the show—it has music. And, BTW, I know there is at least one typo in my slideshow captions, but I didn’t notice it until after the fact, and the process to correct it wouldn’t be worth it. Just so you know that I DO know how to spell. *smiles*

Saturday Photo Hunt {Flags}

Here’s  a trio of flags. I took this one last October while on my Hawai’i trip. It’s the American Flag, Hawaiian Flag, and McDonald’s Flag. I knew this picture would come in handy one day.

Jump over to tnchick’s blog here to see more of today’s participants.

Company Girl Coffee {2009-06-26}

Happy Aloha Friday! It feels like it was just yesterday that I was sipping coffee and talking story with you. Yet, it’s been a whole week. Yay, one week of summer break down. How many more to go? I’ll have to check my calendar so I can start counting down the days. Most of the week has been good because we were out of the house and doing things. However, yesterday was one of those days that I was wishing the boys were back in school. I was trying to get some cleaning done and start tackling their “war zone” of a playroom. The boys were running around the house acting like we were LIVING in a war zone. I need to get one of those blow horns just to get their attention to tell them to bring their volume decibel down a notch. WHY, oh WHY do they need to be so LOUD? I was starting to feel like I was at Chuck E. Cheese’s on a very busy day. And I HATE Chuck E. Cheese’s because I can’t hear myself think! So I’m hoping for a more peaceful day today. We’re supposed to go strawberry picking with Davina and the boys, weather permitting. It’s SUPPOSED to be sunny. I’m crossing my fingers. We need to get out of the house.

Tonight we’re going to a Rainiers baseball game with the Cub Scout Pack. This will be my very first time attending a semi-pro baseball game. I’m not a sports fan. I’m actually only interested in seeing the fireworks after the game. Picasso needs to attend a game to fulfill his requirements for his Tiger badge. The Pack is covering the cost for all the Scouts and also picking up $6 for the rest of the family members attending. I thought that was very generous of them. That basically covers the hot dogs and baseball cap (which I could do without. I think it’s pretty lame to force the public to buy a baseball cap with their tickets).

So can you believe that Michael Jackson died? Wow! I was totally shocked! He was so young. I still remember the “Off the Wall” album that I had. Man, whatever happened to all my albums? They got lost in the shuffle during one of my moves. Maybe that album would be worth some money now. Oh well. RIP, Michael.

Well, BOTH of the monkeys are awake now. So it’s game on. Rachel is on vacation but you can still jump over to her blog, here, to see what the other Company Girls are up to. Have a great weekend.

Thursday 13 {Week 1 Summer Break Photos}

I’m We’re surviving summer break—so far. The boys and I have spent most of the week away from home. On Tuesday we met Davina and her ‘ohana at the park. She and I walked a few laps while the kids played. I also ran in to a few other moms that I knew. I guess the park was THE place to be on that particular day. It was fun to catch up with everyone and see what they’re up to.

Yesterday we met Davina and the boys at the theater for the first week of their free family movies. We watched “Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything: Veggie Tale Movie.” It was a fun movie. But I realized that the movie, while it’s norm is to teach a biblical and moral message, seemed to be edited toward the secular audience. Gone was the usual bible verse at the end of the movie. And God was never even mentioned. Just an observation that I made. It was still a fun movie, though. Can’t expect much for FREE. And I did NOT support their snack bar either. There was absolutely NO WAY I was paying $7.50 for popcorn, $4.25 for a drink, or $4.25 for a bottle of water. But Davina did. Hehehe. (Mahalo for sharing, Davina.) Then when the boys got thirsty from all that popcorn I made them walk out to the water fountain for a drink. Yeah, I know, I’m cheap.

We also made a stop at the library to see what was new. Nothing much. We just picked up our supplies for the summer reading program. I checked out a few books, and the boys played with the toys and computer games. Yes, our public library is VERY kid friendly.

So here are thirteen pictures from the first week of summer.

This is Picasso’s favorite “ride” at the playground. He finally figured out how to climb up there by himself. I don’t think the engineers had this in mind when they designed it. I wonder how many kids will fall off of it and get hurt.

Einstein was having fun zipping around on his bike. I don’t like watching him ride fast, but he loves to do it. 

Okay, does anyone else find their kids’ socks in the strangest places? I usually find them on the floor in their room, under the couch, in between cushions. But this is the last “straw.” LOL! I crack myself up sometimes. Yeah, I reached into the drawer for a straw and was greeted with a pair of socks! Kids do the funniest things!

Check out the formation of these clouds. It’s like a wall. I thought it was pretty cool.

Here’s the infamous water dispensing machine. I thought I was hallucinating.  No thanks, I’ll drink from the fountain for free. I DID notice that the machine was still full.

Einstein thought it would be fun to try this cowboy hat on for size. He was saying, “Yee haw!”

The boys are visiting with the black bears at the library. I thought it would be fun to compare this with a photo I took last year. I’m sure it will be evident that Einstein has grown a couple of inches.

And here’s Einstein making bubbles with his new bubble wand.

And Picasso with his new “Explosion 3D” coloring book. I should try to take a picture through the lenses of the 3D glasses. It’s pretty cool.

That’s about all for now. I’m sure I’ll have tons more of photos to share throughout the summer. To see more “Thursday 13” posts jump over to their site here.      

Mostly Wordless Wednesday {Toilet Boy}

In keeping with yesterday morning’s fiasco I thought it would be appropriate to post this photo of a two year old Einstein sitting IN his throne. I don’t know what his fascination with the toilet was. Apparently, he hasn’t outgrown it.

Back to yesterday. I sent the boys upstairs to brush their teeth so we could go to the park. The next thing I knew, Picasso was back downstairs whining to me about his brother scrubbing the toilet with his TOOTHBRUSH! Sure, I guess enough time has passed now so that I can look back and laugh. But I was NOT happy about it yesterday (it doesn’t help that I’m a bit of a germaphobe). I don’t know if this was an isolated incident or if my little Einstein had done this on other occasions. I wasn’t going to take a chance. ALL toothbrushes went straight in the trash. And I’m seriously thinking of putting my own toothbrush under lock and key. Just in case he gets upset with me and decides to do a little cleaning to cool off. LOL! Do you know where YOUR toothbrush has been? 

Jump over here to see more “Wordless Wednesday” posts.

Take Me Back Tuesday {Baby Fat}

Yes, that’s Baby “Fat” and NOT “Phat.”  I must’ve been about two years old in this picture. Look at all those rolls on my chubby little legs. I decided to use THIS particular picture because I think I’m reverting back to my chubby days. I’m starting to get my rolls back, but it ain’t baby fat. It’s just FAT! I need to lose fifteen pounds. Are you feeling me? Why is it so much easier to GAIN weight than it is to lose weight. I lose one pound then gain back two. I’m sick of squeezing into my FAT jeans. I’m sick of the muffin top staring back at me in the mirror. I need to get things under control. So this summer some things I plan on doing are...

1. Walk laps at the park while the boys run around on the playground equipment.
2. Cut down on my snacking.
3. Drink my 64oz. of water every day.
4. Work out more regularly on the WiiFit.

There. It’s out there now. I’m counting on you to hold me accountable. Just fifteen pounds. Starting today.

Anyway, jump over to Kari’s blog here to see more “Take Me Back Tuesday” photos.

Keeping Up My Daily NaBloPoMo Streak

Today is the boys’ official first day of summer break. Since they spent the night at Grandma and Grandpa’s I had most of the day to do whatever I please. So I caught up on some laundry, did 30 minutes of WiiFit Training (yay me! THAT’S an accomplishment. And I have 15 pounds to lose), and moved the air hockey table (well, more like helped Todd. See the photos below) from the boys’ playroom to the garage. We have some major over-hauling to do before Uncle Alan and Uncle Curtis get here. And we have two weeks to do it. Good Will, here we come!

Yesterday I saw my nephew again. It seems like his looks are changing every day. See how cute he is!

We were going to attempt to take some pictures of him to use in his birth announcements. But he went back to sleep before we could do it. Maybe I can use one of the million that I’ve taken already.

Today I finished listening to “City of Ashes.” Wow! I love this series! If you like fantasy fiction and action, you should check out Cassandra Clare’s books. I’m already starting to listen to “City of Glass.” I’m so glad that I didn’t have to wait for each installation to be released because I would have been getting impatient. The end of the previous books keeps you in suspense! I hope the one I’m listening to isn’t going to do the same.

Anyway, the day is coming to an end and I just had to make a quick post to keep up my daily NaBloPoMo streak. Can’t blow it now. And I’m off to make some homemade chicken nuggets and fries. Have a good evening. Aloha!

Birthdays at the Park

It’s official! Summer, that is. Maybe our summer-like weather will return, now that it’s in season. We were lucky to have decent weather yesterday since we spent it at the park for a double birthday party. We packed up the bikes, food, and extra clothes and headed to the park. When we got there I realized that the birthday present was still sitting on our dining table. So I headed back home to get it. Can’t have a birthday party without presents.

The boys had fun riding their bikes. I think one of them will actually cause my heart to stop one of these days. They like to ride fast while I have visions of them making one false move and falling flat on their face. I’ll admit that with age I get more paranoid.

Here’s my little Einstein making one of his “faces.” I don’t know where he comes up with them. He’s just a living cartoon character.

Can you tell what the party theme was? Yes, Spider Man was everywhere. But he took a beating-literally.

See, the kids made him spill his guts!

Then they all rushed in and picked up all the pieces!

Then Grampa Scott put the piñata back up for another round. A few more kids gave it a few whacks before Picasso knocked it down.

And it stayed down so that Sebsatian, one of the birthday boys, could slaughter it.

Does anyone else think that the piñata promotes violence in kids? I was afraid (very afraid) while any ONE of those kids had the metal bat in their hands. I was waiting for the first casualty to happen. But, luckily, it never did. The only casualties were Spider Man and the mini cake (below) that Alex, the one year old, attacked.

After lunch, cake, and the piñata, we packed it up and headed across the parking lot to the playground. It was crow-ded. The kids really enjoyed themselves, though. Picasso was spinning on one toy or another. He must’ve spun on the tire swing for a good thirty minutes. I don’t know how that kid can spin non-stop and not get dizzy. Sometimes I can’t even WALK without getting motion sickness. LOL!

And Einstein was off making his rounds on his favorite toys. This “Playmotion” thing being one of them.

Yes, it was a long day. But the boys burned off a lot of energy. And I didn’t need to hear the “I’m bored” thing all day long.

SOOC Sunday {Ferry Boat}

Here’s a picture I took of one of the Pierce County Ferry Boats while it was approaching the pier in Steilacoom. I was trying to get a shot for the “Sun/Lens Flare” item on the Sweetsauer Photo Hunt #2 list. I know that all the items on the list are to be interpreted by the photographer, but I have no idea how to fulfill this particular item. Anyway, I’m not sure if I’ll be using this one or not. Either way, I think the shot is pretty cool with the reflection of the sun on the water (and, of course, the fluffy clouds on the horizon).Jump over to Jan’s blog here to see more photos “Straight Out Of the Camera.”

Saturday Photo Hunt {Creamy}

Here’s MY “creamy” photo that was taken just yesterday. When Picasso finished his last day of school we went over to my sister’s house to visit for a while. We weren’t the only visitors that she had. At one point, the house was over-run with BOYS. There was a total of three sets of sibling brothers. How funny. I just realized that. They had fun running outside, playing hide-and-go-seek. Uncle Kamu gave them ice “creamy” treats to cool down. Some of them had Dairy Queen ice cream sandwiches, one of them had a plain old vanilla ice cream cup. Can you guess which one I took a picture of?

To see more photo hunt participants jump over to tnchick’s blog here.

Company Girl Coffee {Winding Down}

Good Morning, Company Girls and Non-Company Girls alike! Happy Aloha Friday! Come on in and have a cup of coffee with me while we talk story. Looking back at just one week ago today, I can definitely see the contrast in the pace of my morning. Compared to last week I feel as if I’m on cruise control today. Last week was such a whirlwind of activity and excitement. I raced home from the hospital, where my sister was having her baby, to tag team with my husband, so that I could get my monkeys off to school. Then raced back to the hospital just in time to witness the birth of my nephew. Or so I thought. It wasn’t so. My poor sister pushed for three hours before the doctor decided to deliver the baby via C-Section. What was it that his Daddy said? Something like, “He was trying to body surf into the world.” Baby “K” was at a weird sideways angle which was making his exit VERY difficult, if not impossible. But he’s such a cutie! Here’s my new desktop that I whipped up yesterday. It’s actually a pre-made one designed by Irene Alexeeva at Scrap Orchard. I just dragged my photos onto it.Einstein’s last day of preschool was Wednesday (I still need to load those pictures to share). He graduated for the second, and final time, on Monday. I’m sure he’ll miss his friends and teachers, but he’s definitely excited to start Kindergarten. He keeps asking when he starts.

Today is Picasso’s last day of the 1st grade. He brings home his report card today, but I know he’ll get excellent marks. Yesterday he brought home some papers saying he’s ending the year reading at the 4th grade level! So while I was congratulating him on that achievement he asked, “So can I just skip the 2nd and 3rd grade then?” Ha ha ha! He’s so funny. He’s always in a big hurry to grow up.

Last night I attended my very first PTA meeting. I volunteered to manage the PTA webpage (for the upcoming year), which I didn’t even know existed (I guess I would know these things if I was a member), and was asked to be at the meeting.  Anyway, I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I think I was overloaded with information. They (and I say “they” because I just observed and took notes without giving any input. I didn’t have any thoughts to share. What do I know? I’m the new kid on the block.) discussed the possibilities of a drama club (which I think would be awesome. I’m thinking it would be something that Picasso would be good at if he got over his stage fright) and the goals of the PTA for the year: fundraisers, family programs, school beautification, etc. The meeting lasted for nearly two hours. I came home, tucked the monkeys in, read with Picasso for a little bit, then fell asleep while listening to my audiobook. I was worn out.

Well, thanks for stopping by to chat. I need to wake up Einstein monkey to get him ready to start our day. Jump on over to Rachel’s blog [here] to share a cup of coffee with some of the other Company Girls. Have a great day!

Things I Love Thursday {3 Musketeers Mint with Dark Chocolate}

My favorite thing of the day isn’t anything new. It’s been around for a while but ever since I made Einstein’s candy lei last week (see the photo below, where I’ve circled the minty morsels of heaven), I’ve been in a “3 Musketeer Mint with Dark Chocolate” frenzy. As of last night, the frenzy has come to a halt, though, because we ran out =( Yes, I like anything mint (especially mint chocolate chip ice cream and peppermint mochas), but this candy is absolutely amazing. It’s everything I could ever want in a candy: mint flavor and DARK chocolate (I LOVE dark chocolate), refreshing and satisfies my chocolate cravings (temporarily, anyway). I haven’t taken notice if it’s a seasonal candy, but I don’t think it is. Just to be on the safe side, though,  I think I’d better stock up on the minis to stash in my freezer. Yes, I like to keep my chocolates in the freezer. I don’t know why, but chocolate just tastes better to me when it’s frozen.

To see more things that are loved, jump over to “The Diaper Diaries” here.

Wordless Wednesday {Rising Gas Prices}

Jump over to “Wordless Wednesday” here to see more of today’s participants.

Take Me Back Tuesday {Ocean Shores}

Here’s a random picture from September of 2000. I think Todd and I took Tiani and her best friend, Lynette, to Ocean Shores shortly before the new school year started. This was the first time Tiani and I had been to a “beach” in Washington. We were expecting the white sand beaches that we were used to seeing in Hawai’i. We were very disappointed. We said, “Sand? This isn’t sand. This is DIRT.” LOL! And it was cold too. I guess that’s to be expected in September.

Todd and I want to take the BOYS to the beach some time. Maybe during the summer when our uncles are visiting from Hawai’i. Yeah, that’s a thought. Have the uncles fly all the way from Hawai’i, where their beaches are beautiful, to see the dreary Washington beaches. Well, if anything, it’ll make them appreciate the beaches back home.

If you want to play along or see more “Take Me Back Tuesday” participants, jump over to Kari’s blog here.

Make Something Monday {Sweet ‘n Sour Meatballs}

Today was Einstein’s preschool graduation followed by a potluck. The families were asked to share some sort of finger-food to nibble on after the ceremony. I decided to bring meatballs using my mom’s recipe. It was a big HIT, and several people asked me for the “recipe.” LOL! I should have told them it was an ancient Hawaiian recipe. But it couldn’t be any simpler than a trip to the store =) You can take my word for it, or try the recipe for yourself.

Sweet ‘n Sour Meatballs

• 1 Bag of pre-cooked frozen meatballs (I used the brand sold at Costco)
• 1 bottle of “Sweet Baby Ray’s” barbecue sauce
• 1 8oz. can of Pineapple Chunks
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

1. Prepare the meatballs according to package directions.
2. Heat barbecue sauce in saucepan over low heat.
3. Add pineapple juice and brown sugar.
4. Add the pineapple chunks last.
5. After meatballs are heated, pour sauce over them and toss.
6. Enjoy!

I also made candy leis for my little graduate. He was nice enough to give one of them to his brother when he got home from school.Below are a few more pictures from the graduation. This fall he’ll be moving on to Kindergarten. Yay! He’s so excited. It feels like he’s growing up too fast. He’s riding his bike without training wheels. He’s reading. And now he’s entering the public school system. Next thing you know he’ll be graduating from college. Here he is with his “Me Body.”

And with Grandpa and Grandma.

And with his graduation gift from Grandma and Grandpa. After the graduation we ran a couple of errands then stopped at the park for an hour, so that Einstein could ride his bike. Look at the beautiful blue skies.

SOOC Sunday {Baby “K”}

This is going to be a very quick post just to get my photos on here. With all the excitement over the past few days, with my new nephew coming into the world, I didn’t get around to doing the things I was SUPPOSED to be doing to prepare for Einstein’s Preschool graduation tomorrow. So I have the rest of the afternoon to put together a candy lei and his brag book that I want to give to him.

So, to celebrate my brand new nephew, I’m sharing a couple of pictures of HIM. Who else?

Here’s one of myself and Baby “K” (that’s what I’ve been calling him in my own head because Baby Kamuela is a mouthful) shortly after he was born. Isn’t he adorable? This little boy is SOLID. He weighed 8lbs., 3.2oz. but he felt a LOT heavier when I picked him up. Here’s Baby “K” with his proud mama. It’s a little early to tell, but I think he looks just like my sister. And, again, with Grandma. And here’s a solo shot of him during one of those rare moments when he was actually awake. That’s it for now. I’ll try to finish up my posts of all the fun stuff that’s been going on with the monkeys. But I really have to run so I can meet my deadline for tomorrow. If you want to see more straight out of the camera participants, jump over to Jan’s blog here.

Saturday Photo Hunt {Lock}

I know, this is more of a knob than it is a lock, but there IS a lock in the knob. This photo even has the key that unlocks it. Bonus. And now I’m off to another Cub Scout activity. We’re doing community work, helping to get a tennis court cleaned up. I hope it turns out nice because we want to use the tennis court this summer.

To see more photo hunt participants, jump over to tnchick’s blog here.

Company Girl Coffee {2009-06-12}

Goooood Morning, Company Girls, and whoever else may be reading this. I’m posting on the fly, again, because I’m helping out at Einstein’s preschool for “Water Field Day” this morning. But, come on in and help yourself to a cup of coffee. I’m having mine EXTRA strong this morning because I pulled an all-nighter at the hospital last night. I DID, get SOME sleep, but not much. Ugh, it was a very long day.

It started at 9:00am, when Einstein and I met my sister at the hospital. She was having contractions from the wee early hours in the morning and checked herself into the hospital at around 8:30. That’s a guesstimate because yesterday is a blur in my mind. They had her walk around to help with the progression. Then they sent her home at around 11:00. We all went back to my sister’s house to hang out until it was time to go back. I was hoping she would give birth before it was time for me to go back home, at 3:30, to meet Picasso at the bus stop. But, no such luck. We actually went back to the hospital at around 7:30 last night. She made progress, but about as slow as a snail. After checking her in triage they decided they were going to keep her and put her in a birthing room. That’s where I spent the entire night along with my mom, brother-in-law, BIL’s friend, and my sister’s friend. After a while we all picked a corner to try to get some rest.

While I was there they gave her a dose of phentinol (I have absolutely NO idea how to spell that) through her I.V. to take the edge off the pain. Then they called in the anesthesiologist to administer her epidural, which didn’t work. So he had to come back and re-do it. My poor sister was in a lot of pain. One observation that I made was that it’s a LOT different being a visitor in the birthing room. Seeing my sister in all her discomfort brought the memories of my own birthing experiences flooding back. Yup, I’m ABSOLUTELY done having kids. But I made that decision a long time ago.

Anyway, before I left the hospital this morning she was dilated to 8cm. That’s a progression of 1cm in nearly three hours. I’m hoping she holds out until I can get back at noon. I hope I’m even able to drive back. I’m already starting to feel the effects of not getting enough sleep. And I still need to go to school and work with preschoolers for a few hours. Speaking of which, I need to get out of here. I’ll talk to you later. 

And if my post sounded gargled and didn’t make sense, blame it on the sleep deprivation.

Just Hanging Out, Waiting for the Baby

Well, no baby yet. We were at the hospital for just over an hour before they decided to send my sister home. So when we left we stopped at McDonald's to get a Happy Meal for Einstein. We (my mom and I)are now hanging out at my sister's house, waiting for SOMETHING to happen. Todd showed up here to take Einstein home with him so that I could hang out here. The way things are going (or NOT going), I don't think Kristy will be going back to the hospital until late tonight or tomorrow morning. Right now everyone is just resting. I, on the other hand, decided to attempt to finish the post I was working on before I left the house this morning. But I'm doing it old school style because my sister's computer doesn't have the Windows Live Writer that I always use to do my posts. So, if you see any typos or quirkiness in my format, please ignore it. It's only temporary until I get on my own computer.

Okay, on second thought, I'm going to save the field trip post until I get back home. I've been working on this post for a while now and it's taking me forever. There's no way I'll be able to make it through this entire post without wanting to pull my hair out! So, instead, I'm going to take advantage of this quiet time and read my book.

Or maybe we'll be going back to the hospital sooner than I thought because it looks like Kristy's contractions are getting stronger. We shall see. I'll talk to you later.

I’m Gonna Be an Aunty!

Well, I WAS working on a post with pictures of Picasso’s field trip from Tuesday, and his Cub Scouts Cross Over Ceremony, but I’ll need to finish that up later. I’m now headed over to the hospital to wait for my nephew to be born! Woo hoo! FINALLY! So check back later for ALL the latest news.

Wordless Wednesday {19th Century Cabin}

To participate or see more Wordless Wednesday posts jump over here.

Take Me Back Tuesday {Shared Treat}

 Every Tuesday Kari, over at “A Giveaway Addicted Mommy” hosts Take Me Back Tuesday. It’s a place where we can all come together and share our old, pre-digital pictures that we’ve been working diligently at scanning and archiving. Actually, I’ve fallen way behind and will need to start catching up before I run out of photos to post. But, in the mean time, here is my photo for today.

This one was taken in February of 2000 when Tiani, Todd and I flew from Washington to Hawai’i for my best friend’s wedding. I was the maid of honor, and Tiani was the ring bearer (I think). This was also the trip that made me want to move back home. So we did just that the following year. But I digress.

In this photo we’re at the Honolulu International Airport waiting to board our flight back to Washington. Tiani and I shared a Lappert’s Ice Cream cone in the mean time. Doesn’t it look yummy?

Birthday Splash!

We had a full day yesterday. Well, I did anyway. I was at church at 7:30 to set up the lyrics and scripture for the 9:30 sermon. This was only my second time, but I’m feeling a LOT more confident. While I was there Picasso called me from his daddy’s phone twice to find out when I was coming home to take them to the birthday party. I didn’t even know he KNEW HOW to make calls from Daddy’s phone. Daddy was sleeping while his son was making phone calls.

I got home just after 11:00 and took a quick cat nap before it was time to go to the birthday party.

We left home at around 12:45. The boys rode their bikes there, since the party was in our neighborhood. When we got there I found out it was a water party. So I walked back home to get the boys’ swim shorts. I left the boys with Angie, and told Picasso I’d be back with their clothes. But before I left I took a picture of Einstein and myself. Picasso didn’t want to be in the picture.

When I got home I had to go on a scavenger hunt to find all their things. I decided to drive back to the party so that I wouldn’t have to carry everything. Just as I was getting ready to pull out of our driveway I saw the boys on their bikes at the entrance of our cul-de-sac. I honked my horns at them to tell them to park their bikes in the garage so that they could ride with me in the Durango. Picasso wanted to put up a fuss because he was insistent on riding his bike back to the party. He got one warning to park his bike or we would be staying home. He still didn’t obey, so off the engine went and in the house we went.

Poor Einstein, the innocent bystander, was crying because he wanted to go back to the party. Picasso had the water-works turned on full blast too. When we got in the house I gave him the riot act. First for leaving the party without telling Angie, and secondly for disobeying me. I tried to apply a technique that I read about in one of my books (Home Improvement: Eight Tools for Effective Parenting).

1. Asked him what he did wrong.
2. Why it was wrong.
3. What he was going to do differently next time.

I think these questions engaged him into thinking about what he did, and diffused the situation. I made him take a ten minute time-out before going back to the party. And when we got to the party I made him apologize to Angie for leaving without telling her. He seemed to feel remorseful for what he did, so I let it go.

Other than that, the rest of the day was fun. The kids played on the slip ‘n slides in the backyard.

Played with the NERF guns.

Scored candy from the piñata.

And had birthday cake.

After that they went back to the water, then back to the NERF guns. They really liked those NERF guns. So you can imagine how happy Picasso was to open his birthday gift from Angie (she had it since December since they couldn’t make it to the birthday party) and found a NERF gun and Bakugan T-shirt. He walks all over the house with the gun. He even asked me if I wanted to take a picture of him with it so I could put it on my blog. Hahaha! That’s too funny.

So that was the highlight of our weekend. And now I need to help Picasso with his homework then head outside to watch them ride their bikes.

Friend Makin’ Monday {Summer Things}

 

Good Morning, Everyone! Today, our task is to share TEN things that we LOVE about Summer. What a perfect task, with Summer being right around the corner. So here goes nothin’ . . .

1. Longer Days. Growing up in Hawai’i we pretty much had only one season. HOT. I didn’t know what Daylight Saving Time was. I had no idea that the sun stayed out until the wee late hours of the night during summer months and went down super early during the winter. Anyway, I’ve been living in Washington for a cumulative total of about eight years now, and it still amazes me. Try getting the kids to bed at a decent hour while the sun is still shining.

2. Not having a schedule to follow (unless I WANT to). We’ll just throw caution to the wind and take it day by day.

3. No Homework! I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, “Why do 1st Graders need to have homework? Because it only leads to the parents having to do more work themselves. I’m so tired of homework. I already did my time in school and everything that goes along with it. But, on the brighter side of things, Picasso has come to the point where he can do MOST of his homework unsupervised. Hopefully, he’ll be able to do the same in 2nd grade.

4. Warm Weather. This one actually should be NUMBER ONE on my list. While everyone around me complains about the heat, I take it ALL in while I can.

5. Shorts and Tank Tops. This one goes hand-in-hand with number four. I love being able to dress lightly.

6. Vacation Bible School. The kids have a blast and it gives me a little intermission after they’ve been driving me crazy, being home with ME 24/7.

7. Not having to pay for school lunches. $2.40 for a kid’s school lunch is outrageous! And the prices will be going up a quarter next school year. Then I’ll have TWO kids in school, so you can multiply that by two. Well, not really. Einstein will only be in school for a maximum of three days a week. But, still. I think they’ll be brown bagging it most days.

8. Lounging in the warm sun with a glass of chilled wine. [grins] That says it all.

9. Ice Cream. Mint Chocolate Chip, usually. It’s a lot more fun to eat a nice cold scoop of ice cream during the warm summer months than it is to eat ice cream during the frigid winter months.

10. The Monkeys Playing OUTSIDE. The monkeys have more opportunity to play outside during the summer. And now that they can both ride their bikes without training wheels you can bet they’ll be out in our cul-de-sac a lot more.

 

If you want to make more bloggy friends, jump over to Kasey’s blog here.

SOOC Sunday {Glass}

Here’s a picture of a Starbuck’s Frappuccino bottle. What am I doing with an empty bottle? Sometimes I like to collect them if they have an artistic value to them. Then when I get tired of looking at it I throw it out in the recycling bin. [giggles] But this particular bottle was actually full shortly before I took this shot. It was a seasonal flavor (peppermint mocha, I think) that had been sitting in my refrigerator for who knows how long. All I know is it was way past the “best by” date (I checked because I was going to drink it, but was disappointed when I saw “2008” stamped on it). What a waste. I think I just forgot about it because it was disguised as a salad dressing bottle. Anyway, I decided to take a picture of it for the Sweetsauer Photo Hunt #2 to use in the “Something Made of Glass” category. I’m not sure if I’ll use it or not. I just like to have options. I also need to have something to refer to when trying to remember how to spell “Frappuccino.” LOL. Sometimes I spell it “Frappaccino” using an “a” in place of the “u.”  Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I still have the bottle. I moved it to my kitchen window sill. I just think it’s pretty. Haha!

To see more “Straight Out Of the Camera” photos or share one of your own, jump over to Jan’s blog here.

No More Training Wheels!

Just yesterday I was saying that Einstein didn’t get very far practicing riding his bike without training wheels. What a difference one DAY makes! Today he and his brother were out riding their bikes. I kept peeking on him while I was cleaning the garage. His big brother was helping him. The next thing I knew I heard them yelling at me to come and watch because Einstein could stay on his bike longer. Within thirty minutes he was whizzing around on his little bike. I was so proud of him. And more importantly, he was proud of himself. I think I underestimated him. I always think of him as being less than graceful because he has a history of being accident prone. But he got right on that bike and mastered it in less time than I thought he would. Way to go, Einstein!

Here’s a short video of his HUGE accomplishment.

I guess the first thing we’ll have to do when he gets his new big-boy bike for his birthday next month is remove the training wheels. [grins]

While we were outside our neighbor’s little mini pincer dog (I think that’s the breed) named Rocky escaped from his yard and wandered all around the cul-de-sac “talking” to everyone. He was out there for about an hour. The boys weren’t bothered by him. Rocky’s bark is bigger than his bite. Towards the end of the monkeys’ riding session they had a little collision after Picasso got too close to his brother. Both bikes were lying in the middle of the road. Einstein brought his back in the garage while Picasso walked away from his. At that point Rocky decided he’d follow Picasso. Picasso got nervous and started moving away from Rocky. Then Picasso started running. I told him not to run because Rocky would chase him. But, in true Picasso form, he ignored my warning and ran down the cul-de-sac with Rocky hot on his heels. This picture is small, but you get the picture. You see who’s chasing who.

Do you see just how big Rocky ISN’T? [holding back a laugh]. Picasso would just have to flex his leg in the direction of Rocky (hopefully making a connection) and call it good.

Anyway, I’m off to bed now. I have an early day tomorrow. I need to be at the church at 7:30 to set up the lyrics and video for the 9:30 service. Then we have a birthday party to go to in the afternoon.

And the Award Goes to…

…oh, me! First off, I want to thank…just kidding. Every once in awhile I get tagged or awarded by a fellow blogger. It’s rewarding and a privilege to be recognized by my peers. Mahalo to Tawnya at “The Life of a PTSD’s Spouse” for passing this award on to me. Go ahead and show her some bloggy aloha by jumping over to her blog.

And on to the “passing on” part of the award. I’m supposed to pass it on to 15 newly discovered blogs, but I don’t know if I have that many. So I’ll just pass it on to 15 (give or take) blogs that I follow regularly. So, in no particular order, the awards go to…

1. Go Graham Go!
2. Home of the Lazy Dog
3. Latte’ Buddies
4. Mi Vida Occupada
5. Seven Matters
6. The Mighty M Family
7. A Giveaway Addicted Mommy

Um, okay, that’s all I can come up with at the moment. If I left anyone out, I apologize. I can’t really concentrate while both of the boys are home and doing crazy things causing a distraction.

If you’re here because I gave you an award you’re probably wondering, “what’s next?” I’m glad you asked.

1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Have fun!

Preschool Bike Rodeo

Yesterday was a fun day at school for Einstein because they had their annual bike rodeo. All the kids brought their “wheels” to ride. Einstein brought his little two-wheeled bike with training wheels. He didn’t want to bring his Razor because he wanted to sit. He soon realized that he probably should have gone with the Razor. His rear tire was so bald, from skidding with his brakes all the time, that he had no traction. Hahaha! Every time he pedaled the tire kept slipping. I lost count of how many times I had to give  him a push-start. He made it through the day, though. (In first gear.)

He went through the obstacle course from start to finish to get his “driver’s license.” He went straight, zig-zagged, stopped, did a U-turn, right turn, and parallel parked.

    

Once he passed his test he signed for his driver’s license.

Then his group did a little bit of free riding. A couple of the kids made me nervous. I’d hate to see these speed racers driving a car. Here’s Einstein showing me how he can pedal while standing up.

The kids made license plates at the last station. Einstein went with the streamers and ribbon.

After the kids all went through each station it was time to line up for the rodeo. Well, it was more of a bike parade. They went around the building then ended up at a cul-de-sac across the street from the school to do a few laps before heading back to the beginning.

When we got back to the school they had an indoor picnic. Hot dogs, chips, and cookies were on the menu.

When Daddy got home from work Einstein was in full biking mode and wanted Daddy to remove his training wheels so that he could practice.

He didn’t make too much progress, but at least the training wheels are off and he worked on his balance. Daddy also filled my bike’s tires with air. Actually, it’s my mom’s bike that she’s loaning to me since she won’t be riding for awhile. It was fun to get back on a bike, but my butt was hurting. Hahaha! If the sunny weather returns then I’ll go riding in the neighborhood with the boys. Come ooooonnnnn sunshine!

Saturday Photo Hunt {Advertisement}

This picture was taken in Mililani, HI back in 2006 before we moved to Washington. Whenever I drove by this “advertisement” I had to laugh to myself because although the sign may say “fresh poke,” it’s pronounced “fresh po-kay.” It’s raw fish seasoned with lots of secret ingredients. Just kidding. Raw fish (usually Ahi) IS the main ingredient, though.

To see more photo hunt participants jump over to tnchick’s blog here.

Company Girl Coffee {2009-06-05}

Good morning! And happy aloha Friday! I have fresh coffee brewing so help yourself. How was your week? Was the weather in your area as beautiful as it’s been here in Washington? We’ve had so much sunshine that I don’t know how to act. The thermometer hit 95 yesterday. Will it continue through the summer, or is THIS our summer? I hope not. After the nasty winter that we had, we deserve a nice long summer season.

So I have to brag on my monkeys for a little bit. They just never cease to amaze me. Picasso always brings home little reader pamphlets (that’s what I call them) that they’ve read in class. I’ve been putting them aside for Einstein to read when he was ready. Yesterday I found out that he’s definitely ready. I had him read the three most recent ones. My jaws dropped when he just read through the books like a pro. He needed some help with a few words, but that was about it. I had him stop and asked him if his brother had read them to him. No, he hadn’t, and I didn’t think he had, but it just seemed illogical to me that a preschooler is reading at 1st grade level. I was so proud of him. I have no doubt that Kindergarten will be a breeze for him.

And did I mention how much more comfortable Einstein has been talking to people? His shyness is the sole reason that we gave him an extra year before enrolling him in Kindergarten. I didn’t want that trait to hold him back from his full potential in school. Over the past month I’ve come to the realization that it won’t be a factor anymore. I sit back in awe when I see him actually having a conversation with people other than the ones he lives with. LOL. And just yesterday I witnessed him putting up a fuss with one of his classmates who wasn’t sharing a toy on the playground. I had to giggle to myself. That was a sign to me that I won’t have to worry about kids that are more aggressive than he is bullying him in school.

Then there’s Picasso. I don’t know if I mentioned that he was tested for the “Talented and Gifted” (TAG) program recently but didn’t score high enough to qualify. I wasn’t surprised at all. The test was to measure his cognitive ability and not his intelligence. He’s very smart, but he uses conventional ways to get from point A to point B. He’s not a “think-outside-the-box” type of kid.

Unfortunately, his school doesn’t offer any type of accelerated programs for the kids that are a little more advanced, but I did learn something interesting after talking to the principal the other day. Next year they will be implementing a new combined grades class, and 2nd/3rd grade will likely be one of the combinations. The principal asked me to fill out a survey and he’d make sure that Picasso would be placed in that class. This is another hint of how God works in our lives. Is it coincidence that this new program will be kicking off just as Picasso is going into 2nd grade? Maybe. But I still think it’s a God thing =)

Last night the school had a “Reader Celebration” assembly. Throughout the year the 1st graders have been logging their reading minutes to earn medals. Picasso missed the silver medal by about 400 minutes. But I was proud of him for not putting up a fuss. He’s normally such a sore loser and gets upset when he doesn’t win. He was very happy with his bronze medal and little bear that he named Crystal.

The first graders broke the record and read a combined total of 188,188 minutes. That’s pretty amazing.

Today is “Bike Rodeo” day at Einstein’s preschool. I hope I remember to pack his bike before we leave. The kids will be riding their bikes and scooters to different stations to do different activities before assembling a parade around the block. They needed parent volunteers, but I’m going to be selfish this year and pass so that I can travel with Einstein to take pictures. I volunteered last year and wasn’t able to take many pictures of him.

Anything exciting going on for you this weekend? Maybe I’ll become a new Aunty if my sister gives birth. As of June 3rd, my nephew is officially overdue.

It’s going to be another busy one for us. It’s my turn to do video at church, and the boys were invited to a birthday party.

If you want to visit with some of the other Company Girls jump over to Rachel’s blog here. Have a great weekend!

TILT {Similisan Allergy Eye}

I don’t know about you, but my allergies have been playing havoc on my eyes lately. It’s bad enough that I have to pop a pill and use a nasal spray every morning. Now I have to add eye drops to my list. But I LOVE these eye drops. They’re a life saver. My eyes have been burning like crazy for the past couple of weeks. Even Picasso has been complaining about his eyes burning. You KNOW it’s bad when you can see all the white, cotton-like STUFF floating in the air like snow. After getting  recommendations from a couple of the moms at Einstein’s preschool I finally broke down and bought a bottle of eye drops. But not just ANY eye drops. No, this is a homeopathic product. What does that mean, exactly? I guess contains all natural ingredients. I don’t know. I’m not a doctor, and I don’t pretend to be one. All I know is that it did miracles for my burning eyes, and that’s ALL that matters. Just a couple of drops in each eye and the burning was gone. Just a little caveat, in case you’re planning on buying a bottle. It ain’t cheap! Wal Mart sells it for $6.25 but, of course, that part of their shelf was empty. I ended up paying $8.99 plus tax at Walgreens (and that was their sale price)! But, like I said, it was worth every penny. 

What do YOU love? Jump over to The Diaper Diaries here and share.

Let’s Go Fishing

As stated previously, Picasso’s Tiger Den met at the park yesterday to do a little fishing. The fish weren’t biting at all. Which is just as well since I still don’t know how to scale and clean a fish. Since we only had one fishing pole Einstein had to wait his turn to cast the line. Here we are waiting patiently.

Here’s Picasso and Daddy reeling in the tangled fish line. I think those fish were playing tricks on the boys. Hahaha.

And here’s an interesting shot with the sun setting behind Picasso.

And here’s Einstein finally getting a chance at fishing. We really need to get him his own pole so the monkeys can fish together.

Picasso is trying to put the power bait on the hook. I told him to try using the pink this time because he might have better luck. But he wrinkled his face and said he didn’t want to use pink because it’s for girls. Whatever.

I took a few pictures of the sun setting behind the clouds. I even climbed up the “spider web” to do it. I don’t know how the monkeys climb up that thing effortlessly over and over. They have no fear. I was hanging on for dear life when I was up there. Then again, I AM afraid of heights.

See, this is a shot that I took looking down at my feet while I was at the, almost, top of the spider web. LOL!

I also snapped a shot of Einstein while we were both up there. You can see the height a little better in this shot.

It was such a nice night to be at the playground. It was still warm at 7:00 at night, but the sun wasn’t beating down on us. I think this was the last Tiger Cub meeting. Next week the boys will be crossing over to the Wolf Den. So Picasso will be “Team Wolf” and his mommy will be “Team Cullen.” Hahaha. Just kidding. A little Twilight humor there.

I’m now off to a parenting group at our church. See you next time.

Wordless Wednesday {Playground at Dusk}

 

Last night Picasso’s Tiger Den met at the park to do a little bit of fishing before ending up at the playground. I’ll go more into detail in my next post. But while we were there I was in full photographer mode. These are a couple of my favorite shots. I love the wispy clouds in the top photo. And how gorgeous is that sun setting behind the clouds in the bottom photo?

To post your photo or see more, jump over here.

Take Me Back Tuesday {Mt. Rainier}

August 13, 2000 Mt. Rainier

Okay, this one takes me back to the days when I only had one child and a paying job. What does that mean, exactly? That means that I actually could afford to pamper myself and get my hair cut and styled more than just the measly twice a year. If you look closely you’ll see that I actually had some highlights.

But, on the brighter side, I’ve been blessed enough to be the stay-at-home mom that I always wanted to be. It’s been very rewarding to be able to be with my boys for more than three hours a day (although, sometimes I wonder). Yeah, it’s definitely worth the trade. Long gone are the days of dealing with rude, demanding, and outright nasty bank customers. And here are the days of raising children who love you unconditionally and do the cutest things (sometimes) that just put a smile on your face.

If you’d like to share a photo that “takes you back,” jump over to Kari’s blog here.

Sweetsauer Photo Hunt #2

Thanks to Kristi for reminding me about Photo Hunt #2. Yes! I’m definitely in! I only missed one day of potential photo hunting. It looks like an interesting list of items to photograph. And I’m up for the challenge. Ready. Willing. And able. See the list below…

1. A View from Above (looking down)
2. A Macro Shot
3. Laughter
4. Relaxation
5. A Celebration
6. A Sunset
7. Sun/Lens Flare
8.  A Bridge
9.  A Shadow
10.  A Garden
11.  A Park
12.  A Street Scene
13.  Signage
14.  A Summer Activity
15.  A Summer Treat
16.  Earth
17.  Air/ Wind
18.  Fire
19.  Water
20.  Something Vintage (pre-1980)
21.  Something Made of Glass
22.  Something Made of Wood
23.  Something that Floats
24.  Something Railroad Related
25.  Something Round

If you want to participate jump over to Kristi’s blog here to get all the details.

New Moon Trailer

Okay, I know I’m a little behind in the game but I’ve been too busy spending time out in the beautiful sunshine this past week. This is a rare treat we have to take advantage of here in Washington.

I finally got around to watching the New Moon trailer on my iPhone last night after Davina text messaged me asking if I saw it yet. While watching it on my little iPhone I was blown away by the CGI. But I was even more impressed after watching it on my computer. WOW!

What are my thoughts? (for anyone who cares) I think the special effects with the CGI technology is going to be AMAZING. Definitely NOT a low budget film this time around. Also, just from the short bit that’s revealed in the trailer, any die hard Twilight fan can see that the movie storyline has been switched up quite a bit, which is to be expected. But to what extent? We’ll find out on November 20th. I know I’LL be there =)

Oh, and one final thought. Is it just me or did Jake look totally buff? He wasn’t kidding when he said he worked hard to get even more fit for this movie. He’s come a long way for this sequel. And I’m glad that he has short hair for this film. The wig in Twilight just wasn’t working for me.

In case you haven’t seen the trailer yet (haha, I know you Twi-hards already have), you can take a little look-see below. Oh, make sure you pause my music at the top first. You don't want to miss ANYTHING.

<a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/movieawards/2009/" target="_blank">The Twilight Saga: New Moon 'Trailer'</a>

The Twilight Saga: New Moon 'Trailer'

Park and Party Time

Saturday was the day that Picasso finally had his training wheels removed from his bike. I think the fact that he’s grown a few inches made a big difference. He can touch the ground more easily. So I decided to take the boys to the park before going to the birthday party they were invited to.

Our first stop was the gas station to put more air in their tires. Remember when you could go to the gas station and get air and water at no cost? Geez, now you have to pay 75 cents for about five minutes of air time.

The monkeys played on the playground equipment for awhile before riding their bikes.

 

Picasso is loving riding without training wheels. He says, “Now I can go a lot faster.” That makes me a little nervous, being the daredevil that he is.

We went straight to the birthday party from the park. The kids started off with the bubble wands in the backyard.  

Next on the agenda was a treasure hunt. Here are the kids gathered together to get instructions from Julie.

They were going to be led by Paul, Sam’s dad, who would give them a rhyme to lead them to the next clue. He didn’t read them from a paper either. He had them memorized. The kids had a lot of fun. I did too.I was impressed by his creativity.

The payoff to the treasure hunt was the goodie bag.

After Sam opened his birthday gifts it was time for homemade cupcakes and ice cream.

When we got home the monkeys decided they wanted to play in the sprinkler. So Einstein changed into his swim shorts and put on his water shoes.

Picasso decided he wanted to go back to riding his bike. He was having a good old time until the neighbor let her dog out (WITHOUT a leash), which then decided to chase Picasso while he was riding his bike. We don’t know this dog from Adam (or Eve, whichever the case may be) so Picasso got scared, panicked, then charged, full speed ahead, toward the Durango, in an attempt to escape the dog. He had no intentions of using his brakes. Then, in a split second, he collided with the Durango creating this lovely piece of artwork.

He’s taking his artistic ability to a whole new level. Needless to say, I was a little upset that our neighbor allowed her dang dog to run loose. Picasso was outside riding his bike long before the dog came a running. I don’t think our neighbor has common sense. Or maybe she’s just oblivious. Or maybe SHE’S never been chased by a strange dog in her life, causing an anxiety attack. I’m just thankful that Picasso wasn’t hurt. The only casualty was the bumper. What did I learn from this little episode? Move the Durango and make more space while Picasso is riding his bike.

Lattin’s Country Cider Mill and More

We had a fun weekend. With all the sunshine we’ve been getting, how could it NOT be fun. I was going to write one post about our weekend but decided to break it down starting with Friday when Einstein’s preschool class visited Lattin’s Country Cider Mill. I didn’t want to stuff all my pictures into one LONG post. But be warned, this post will probably contain a ton of pictures anyway ;-)

Einstein and I met up with everyone else at 9:30. We were there a little early (just the way I like it. I try to be punctual) so we took a few pictures before the tour started.

The owner gave a little history of the cider mill. I wasn’t really paying attention because I was more interested in checking out the goodies on the shelves. The most I got out of the story was that the mill has been around for over thirty years. “Do you know how long thirty years is? It’s about how old your parents are.” (Really? Don’t I wish.) It must be part of her script because that’s what she said when we went to the cider mill last fall.

Everyone got samples of their apple cider and apple cider donuts. Both were very yummy.

I took a dozen of the donuts home for Picasso and Todd. I think Picasso ate most of them. He couldn’t stop eating them. I was good and had about two total.

When the sampling was over we headed outside where Farmer Gina gave the kids instructions before visiting the animals. “Keep your bag of food behind your back because the goats WILL grab them.” She wasn’t kidding because it happened while we were there. The goat grabbed on of the kids’ bags and started chewing on it. I guess they eat anything.

We saw your typical farm animals: peacocks, goats, hens, sheep, cows, turkeys, pigs, etc. There were a couple of baby goats that were only a couple of days old. And the peacock was flaunting  his feathers  the entire time we were there. I told Einstein that he was trying to impress the ladies. Of course, he had NO idea what I was talking about (thank goodness), but I thought it was funny. Hahaha.

At the end of the animal tour Einstein dumped the rest of his oats in the pig pen for Arnold (just kidding, I don’t know what the pig’s name was) so that we could wash hands and go to the maze.

Here he is, leading the way through the maze. I’m pretty sure his sense of direction was more keen than my own. He only led us to one dead end.

And here he is at the end of the tour, disguised as an apple tree. Or is it an apple?

But we couldn’t go home empty-handed. Einstein got a butter cookie shaped like a bunny, and I got a rocky road brownie (that LOOKED a lot better than it tasted).  

After leaving the cider mill we ventured over to the Barnes and Noble book store. We browsed around for a bit. When I spotted Starbuck’s inside the book store I thought I’d use my gift card to get us a couple of cold drinks to cool off. AFTER I ordered our drinks the girl informed me that they don’t accept Starbuck’s gift cards because they’re run by Barnes and Noble. How dumb is that? They should just get rid of the Starbuck’s sign, put up a Barnes and Noble sign, and say that they serve Starbuck’s coffee. Or at the very least put up a sign warning customers that they don’t accept Starbuck’s gift cards. Anyway, we both had Mint Chocolate Java Chip Frappuccinos. Mine with coffee and Einstein’s without.

Our last stop for the day was Wal Mart. The Kellogg’s Racing car just so happened to be there so I took a couple of pictures of Einstein in front of the trailer.

The car had a racing video game in it. I didn’t get a good look inside the car, though.

When Picasso came home from school they invited themselves over to the neighbors’ house to run in the sprinklers with the other kids.

Then they decided they wanted to ride their bikes. I had to go back in the house to get ready for the school district volunteer appreciation night, anyway.

As soon as Todd got home I headed over to pick up Annie so that we could go to the dinner together. It was a fun night. They had a cute little Italian Soda bar set up. Not exactly my kind of bar, but we made the best of it. I started the night off with a Strawberry Italian Soda and ended the night with an Orange Italian Soda.

One of the high school choirs did a little…what’s it called when a few songs are performed from a musical? A medley? Anyway, they did a few songs from their Grease play. They were pretty good. They even donned leather jackets (for the guys) and “Pink Ladies” satin jackets (for the girls).

There were quite a few door prizes but, of course, I didn’t win anything. Nope. Somebody else won the Jamba Juice gift cards, Coffee and Chocolates gift pack, basket of Scholastic Books, and four pack of tickets to the Great Wolf Lodge water park. I came home with the coffee mug and smiley face pen :-/

Whew! That sure was a long day! The next day was just about as long. I’ll save that for another post.