shameless photos of my adorable kids

Today we went and played in the leaves down on Officer's Row. It was lots of fun (mostly). Aren't my kids adorable?

I got an award!

My friend Julie gave me this award for my mommy melt down post! Thanks Julie!! I'm going to think about who to pass it on to. Actually no. I'm giving it to my friend Beth. She always makes me smile. She is my tree hugging veggie eating yarn weaving artsy fartsy friend and I love her! Check out her blog...she makes incredible stuff!

Here's to you bethy boo!

The BIG 3-0

Well, I'm 30. I'm fine with it...I keep hearing I will love my thirties! My hubby says 30 is the new 20...As long as he thinks so!

I had a great birthday. I spent the morning shopping with my mom, it was really fun (and she bought me fun stuff and pampered me). We shopped around, went to Starbuck and had lunch at Baja Fresh, which I love.

Then my best pal Selene picked me up at 4 and took me to Northwest Portland where we went to Starbucks (my people know what I like!) and then took me to Dosha Day Spa for a FABULOUS pedicure! It was so fancy! I usually go to the $20 non english speaking places so it was a really good treat. And the best part was we spent hours chatting and just really enjoying each others company. (She took pics, and I'll post them later when I get them from her.)

THEN, I thought we were meeting our hubbies for dinner, but to my shock and surprise...there was a surprise party waiting for me! It was SO FUN. It was a the Rheinlander and the fondue was flowing! YUMM. It was alot of fun to have my different circles of friends collide and meet and I really enjoyed it!Thanks everyone! I got lots of fun presents and a birthday Polka-Yodle was sang to me...never had that before!

It was a really really fun birthday. My kids spent the night with my parents so I had some romanticizing with my husband and a wonderful nights sleep to top it off !


PS, I never knew my friends had such strong feeling about chickens! I do know that I can have hens in the city (I'm sure there's a limit to how many, but I only want 3). I do plan on having them fully contained at all times in what is called a "chicken tractor". It's like a little chicken a-frame with a hen house at one end. It's only about 5-7 feet long and maybe 3-4 feet high. We are planning to buy the house we live in within the next few months, so we'll wait to purchase them until spring probably. (Upon the recommendation of my chicken rearing friends).

I think I want some Chickens...

I do! I want to get like 3 hens...actually I want to get them as chicks, so Hayden can be involved when they're babies. Then have hens....I don't think you can tell what they are at first...

2 of my friends (Michelle and Delores) have chickens and I'm really jealous of thier fresh eggs. Plus, I want to plant a garden, and I hear chicken "droppings" make fantastic fertilizer! Some of you probably think I"m nuts...my sister in law is one. She's a little phobic of chickens after a crazy chicken raising incident when she was a kid. But, I day dream over this book I have called "A Slice of Organic Life" that is full of ideas on how to be "organic" without living on a commune or your own farm. Like having potted fruit trees and having a worm composter. Basically, how to have your own little farm in the city. Anywho, one idea is to have a few chickens. Aren't they kind of cute?



Also, thanks to all of you for your kind words about my mommy melt down. You make me feel normal. I am laughing at myself about it today as I reread my post. Ah, it's nice to have somewhere to vent it.

Good Night!

ONE MORE, then I'm done for the day (hey, I'm catching up!)

My friend Julie started a "Confessions of a real mommy" blog. I posted a few, but yesterday I had the Mother of all Mommy Meltdowns.

Let me start a few days ago...Matt was hunging for the weekend so I took the boys shopping (need I say more? but I will). We were in the dressing room and Hayden was holding Jack on his lap, decided he was done and shoved him face first to the floor. Blood and spit dribbling from the face. Rug burn on the chin, lots of tears. Fat lip. That was Saturday.

Sunday, went to Ikea (yes, instead of church.)The boys were out of town, so us girls pretended we were too. I put Hayden in "Smaland"whatever swedish word that is. They paged me after 45 minutes. "Are you Hayden's Mom?" the girl asked me. Not wanting to admit it, I say "yes.". "He went #2 in his pants". Great. I have sleeping Jack in a sling and I managed to clean up the poopyness in the bathroom and throw out the beloved Lightning McQueen undies. We survived the rest of Ikea, incident free.

Fast forward to yesterday. Hayden peed his pants. (never does this, I'm wondering what is going on). Jack slips while crawling, re-injures the fat lip and gets a bloody mouth, AGAIN. He's generally cranky and crabby all day ( I think He's on the verge of 2 more new teeth in addition to a bashed up face...who wouldn't be crabby?). Afternoon, Hayden POOPS his pants...AGAIN! What the heck! Realizing, I'm about to have a melt down, I decide to fill up Hayden's water table (it's dry now) with rice and beans for a new thing to do. I put it in the garage so I dont' get beans and rice in my house. I think, WOW, this is a great idea! He's playing so great out there and honestly, I think to myself...giving me some peace and quiet! Jack's napping, all is well. About 30 minutes go by, and I realize...this much quietness is never a good thing, so I go check. BEANS AND RICE ALL OVER THE GARAGE. Apparently, this activity is better when supervised! he had been flinging cup fulls of beans and rice all over for the past 30 minutes.

Fussy baby wakes up. After cleaning up the beans and rice, I'm barely hanging on to my sanity. I tried to sit on the couch and relax for a minute (so I don't loose it on my kids) and they just won't even give me 12 inches of space. so, I put fussy baby in the high chair with some crackers and turn on Thomas. I retreat to my bed, covers over my head, and have a good 2 minute cry. I hear my hubby come home. By now, fussy baby is crying again, and Daddy says, "where's mommy?" I say "In here." He comes looking but doesn't see my lump under the covers. "Where are you?" "Under the covers, hiding from our children". sniff. sniff.

I think he thought I was having a nervous breakdown! I felt much better after a good cry. We had a happy dinner, and then I happily went to Target, ALONE, for toilet paper and baby tylenol. My husband is so good to me. I apologized for him having to come home to a nutty wife half the time, but he said he understands that it's hard sometimes and he was okay with me leaving for awhile. Today, I can laugh about it...yesterday, not so much.

Today is Preschool! YAY!! Is that bad?

I miss Rachel!

My sister in law Rachel, moved to Texas almost 2 years ago exactly. She's one of my dearest friends and our babies are almost the exact same age (our boys are 5 weeks apart and our little ones are about 7 weeks apart). We shared our first pregnancies, our first houses were super close to each other, and we spent lots of time together when our big boys were babies. I miss her so much! Here's to you Rach! All things I miss...

I miss our long talks about important stuff (even though we still do it over the phone sometimes, it's not the same!)
I miss taking our kids to get pictures taken together.
I miss the pumpkin patch!
I miss your laugh.
I miss sharing our crazy family stories.
I miss your babies!
I miss getting pedicures together.
I miss talking about our walks with God.
I miss swapping stories about our crazy days.
I miss swapping stories about the "Keslerness" of our husbands.
I miss our dinners together.
I miss having someone so close to figure this mom-thing out with.
I miss your kindness and sweetness.
I miss the way you always squeeze a tight hug and tell me you love me.

Love you friend! I'm so glad you're my sister!

Pumpkin Patch

We went to BIZI farms pumpkin patch on thursday and it was so fun! It's a pretty fantastic patch as far as they go. I was a little shocked at the regular non-feildtrip price...8 bucks per person! ouch. We only paid 4. But they have alot of cool stuff to do, a hay bale maze, petting zoo (chickens, turkeys, bunnies, goats, sheep, pigs, geese, donkey, cow...) pumpkin launch, hay ride, and an awesome pumpkin picking patch. I hate the place that claim to be a pumpkin patch and are really just a mud hole with already picked pumpkins laying there. I want to pick my own stinking pumpkin right off the vine.

Grammy came with, and boy am I glad! I don't know how people do it with more than one kid and only one adult. All and all it was great...but I was a little sad. My sister in law and brother in law...Sterling and Rachel and us started a "family tradition" of going to the pumpkin patch when our babies were born. Seriously, Hayden was 6 weeks old the first time. Then after our 2nd annual trip they moved to Texas...I'm still holding out that someday we'll be able to revive the tradition! Anyhow, I was sad that they weren't there, and Daddy was working. I imagine we'll make another trip together to get us all a pumpkin (we only got one on thursday). Anywho, here's the pics I promised!



Jack was skeptical of the Hay Pyramid!
And here's what I get when i say "smile Hayden!"

hi friends!

Dont' really have much to say today, but I've gotten notes from a few of you that you miss me. I just wanted to say I miss you too, and have realized what an internet junkie I am. My mom said, "you used to come to see us, now you just use us for our computer!" Ouch...

I miss reading all of your blogs and posting about my day. Tomorrow we're going to the pumpkin patch for Hayden's first preschool feild trip! Maybe i'll post some pics soon. E

Busted Computer...

I'm so annoyed! My little darling, Hayden, yanked my laptop by the cord, while it was open, off the countertop and onto the floor. This is not very good for computers. Mine didn't like being treated this way and decided to go to sleep, permanently. We've been told she sustained permanent screen damage, and since it's a few years old, it's not really worth repairing because the cost of repair is equal to the value of the computer. We are trying to decide our next step. My hubby thinks he may be able to repair it himself for minimal cost (after his extensive computer repair education on Google). grrrrr. Thus, my recent poor blogging! I know, I know, you all can barely get through a day without my blog...but I'm sure you'll make it.

Right now, I'm trekking across town to my Mom's house to check email and read all of your blogs (yes, I'm addicted to all of you!) So, for now, I'll just be mostly lurking around your blogs and not posting very much.

Have a great Saturday!