first week

i made it through week one and survived my trainer and the new eating regime. now i am even starting to feel pretty confident in my workouts, still just taking each day as it comes and dealing with whatever i need to deal with. long story short, pretty proud of my first week, i lost 5.6lbs. ever imagined what that 5.6 lbs might look like?

crash

today i hit sugar rock bottom. after 2 days on the protein shake meal replacement plan i have to do for a week i hit the wall and experienced the same emotional roller coaster that b spears must have rode when she shaved her head. for a second i considered it. thankfully my awesome husband walked in the door at that moment and whisked me out of the house to, "get me away from anything sharp or with shearing abilities." on the plus side of things found a super cute new dress at macys and it was like 3 sizes smaller then what i had to try on earlier in the spring. there is a concerning stain on the front, but i am pretty certain i can get that out.

this weekend, a quick trip to vancouver to help find a homecoming dress for a dear friends' daughter.

mama bear

Why is it that your first instinct as a parent is to eat the face off of someone that harms your child? Gah! I never thought I could feel as protective of someone in my life. And well lets face it, I am a pretty protective friend and sister. This must be how bears in the wild feel.

For some reason Jack got skipped by the sub when she was handing out her bribery at the end of the day. He ended up getting teased by the other kids because he didn't receive said bribery and is now completely broken hearted. Because he has a lot more of me in him then Randy (Randy never skips a meal or is every shy about making sure he gets treats) Jack didn't say anything. I am certain she just didn't know she missed him but tomorrow he has her again and I am forcing myself to not be the lady coming to school and forcing an altercation with said teacher.

midnight jack advice

Randy shared this little story from last night with Jack this morning. I guess it all happened while I was asleep on the couch.

11:30 Jack walks down the stairs
Jack: (whispering) Hey Dad are you down there?
Randy: Yeah buddy, what's going on?
Jack: Um Dad would please get me a glass of water?
Randy: Sure buddy
Jack: Dad, what time is it?
Randy: It's late, it's 11:30
Jack: Dad, maybe you should think about getting to bed.
Randy: Thanks buddy, I'll go soon. Can I help you to bed?
Jack: Sure Dad, thanks for the water.

I really wish I would have overhead that sweet little conversation. Randy howev did not go to bed until 2:40 when I woke up on the couch and wondered what time it is. Silly software developing husbands.

new direction

I've focused most of this blog on Jack, as that has been the direction my life has taken me over the last years. It's honestly been easier putting my son and husband first, so I wouldn't have to work on myself. There were a lot of well intended excuses but no more excuses, I have started making changes. I'm not sure when it happened but through the summer I found myself pushing to do things I never would have done before, there would have been an excuse in it's place. I've been much happier, much more at ease with myself. I think I needed the time to redefine myself - once again and to figure a few things out. I took a large leap this week and put myself out there.

I decided to work on the weight thing, it has really bothered me for years. I would have small successes and then gain everything back and then some, but this time I am doing it right. I have joined a weight management program offered through our health insurance and gym. The program is medically supervised and has had great success, needless to say I am excited that I have made the steps to start. Now that the appointments are all scheduled I just need to show up and do the work. And we all know that I am never late and hate cancelling appointments.

This weekend I started something new, I started a food journal to track what I eat throughout the day. So far so good, who wants to really write down that Friday they had a bad day and ate 20 chocolate almond clusters without even knowing it? I've noticed now that I am on day four and I have stuck to my meal plans that I really am not craving stuff at night any longer.

I will still post little anecdotes about Jack and our days with him, but to keep myself on track I will also be sharing about my progress and inevitable roadblocks and how I get around them.





Two of our meals from this weekend. Mini breakfast frittatas with 1/2 a whole wheat english muffin, 1/4 of a peach with greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey. Sunday night we had these cold sesame noodles with sugar snap peas.

Soccer

Jack starts soccer tomorrow. This weekend we had to pick up all the stuff he needed to play; shin guards, soccer socks, soccer cleats & well athletic clothes (see this post). I really thought we were past all of the super cute parts of raising a little boy until I saw him running around the park in his shin guards and cleats practicing with Randy.

He is so excited for Randy to come to a game. We were walking out to the car yesterday and we had this little conversation:
Jack: Mom, when is my first game?
Me: Well, you have a practice this Tuesday then you have a game every Tuesday after that.
Jack: (Turns around pulling his arms towards him making a yes! sound) Sweet Mom, Dad HAS to come to that one, it's my first game, he's gonna come right?
Me: I'm pretty sure he's planning on it.

Lunch Account Debable

When your 6 year old offers to pay for the mistake he made with his lunch account, is that when you know you are doing a good job or maybe sometimes take things a little far? It went down like this:

2 days ago:
Note comes home in the folder from school saying Jack's lunch account balance is running low. I also received an email from the online payment system informing me of the low balance. I think to myself, that's odd, he started out the school year with enough money for a month of lunches and he has been taking home lunch 2 times a week.

Yesterday, at the bus stop:
Eash: I think there must be a mistake with Aravind's lunch account, I got the notice home from school saying his account was low and I checked and he has been being charged for breakfast.
Me: Really, that's weird I got the notice too and I know I sent enough money for a month of lunches and Jack has been taking home lunch a few times a week.
Eash: Well Aravind did say he had breakfast a few times with Jack at school in the morning.
Me: Oh Really... (light bulbs and flashes going off in my head - OMG my son is the breakfast buying ring leader)

At this point we reach the part of the walk home where we separate & Jack went with Aravind to play at his house. I get home and log into the online payment system and OMG there are charges for 12 breakfasts on his account. Instantly I think there must be a mistake and almost pick up the phone to call the school, instead I hastily draft an email to his teacher to ask if she keeps records of who is taking lunch on what days and if she has a way of knowing if he really ate breakfast. Then I take a breath, re-read the email and discard it. That would have been one
crazy-mom-in-a-tail-spin sounding email if I would have sent it. Decide the best course of action is to ask Jack about it when I pick him up.

An hour later, walking through the park on the way home:
Me: Jack I have something to talk to you about and I want you to be honest with me.
Jack: (very sullen sounding) OK
Me: Jack, do you have something to tell me about your lunch account? And keep in mind I can log in and look at what you are buying.
Jack: I have been getting breakfast at school.
Me: (OMG! he was just honest with me - OMG!) Jack, you do know how your father and I feel about that right?
Jack: (even more sullen if possible - well this is Seattle, but it was a very sunny day) Big sigh, Yes.
Me: Why are you getting breakfast at school?
Jack: Because they have bagels with ham and melty cheese and they are really good Mom.
Me: Is this why you haven't been finishing your breakfast at home before the bus?
Jack: Yeah, and I'm just not hungry that early, but I get hungry when I get to school.
Me: What do you think we should do about this?
Jack: I think I should pay you back for the breakfasts.
Me: (Not sure what to say & a little confused as this whole conversation took place without any screaming or eye rolling & OMG! he just offered to pay for his lunch, my heart swells with joy and I just want to hug him, but keep up the bad cop act) Well for now you are just going to have to tell your dad about it when he gets home tonight.
Jack: (barely an audible whisper, head hanging down) OK

I guess I am a little concerned that he kept this from us for 12 days (OMG 12 days!) and was smart enough to just omit that from his daily conversations with us, I ask him what he eats for lunch everyday. Also he knew that we didn't want him eating breakfast at school and was doing it everyday for 12 days (OMG! 12 days!). Ahh! I know it's just breakfast, but it could also *just* be something else. The issue is that we have a very smart 6 year old on our hands that may possibly have learned something he shouldn't have learned for awhile. On the other hand, here is a 6 year old little boy that when confronted thought he should pay for the mistake with his own money. Are we too hard on him? I don't know, I do know it is a fine line between being just right and being too hard.

man dude date

Yes I know it has been forever since my last post. I feel like summer completely blew by us, but it was a blast. Jack and I had lots of fun visiting our family and exploring ND together. Jack is getting settled into the new school year and is loving his new teacher.

Yesterday Jack and Randy had a mini man dude date day. I spent the afternoon and evening hanging out in Seattle with some old friends from high school. Randy really seized the opportunity to get some good time in with Jack and even planned a little surprise in the middle of all of their events for the day. Lunch at Wendy's, swimming at the apartment complex pool (Randy got a leg cramp in the deep end - Jack nearly smoked him in a race), cooking dinner - just for men stir fry, games at chuckee cheese (that was the surprise), a trip to DQ and an impromptu stop at the park to watch a soccer match. I asked Jack if they missed me yesterday and he said, "Mom, we were too busy to even think about you."

it's happening

All too soon our little guy has gone from a fun little kid who needed us to this independent miniature man person. I don't know if other mothers of 6 year olds have experienced this before (sometimes I feel like the only one), but man, I have been doing a lot of smiling lately because the things that come out of his mouth just surprise the bejesus out of me.

Here is a snippet of a conversation with Randy yesterday:
Scene: Swimming lessons, Randy and I were engaged in a light conversation with another mother. Her son is in Jack's class and we were talking about the normal what school do you go to, what do you do business when she mentioned she was sending her son into the locker room to change on his own for the first time. As she seemed pretty worried, I told her Jack has been doing it all summer and has been fine. Granted the first time I was a little worried - but all has been well. Other mom seemed a little more relaxed about the fact that Jack would be in there too, but she was still pretty worried.

Randy (on the sly): Hey Jack will you help Ethan out in there and keep an eye on him, it's his first time, he needs to know where to go to change.
Jack: Sure Dad

5 minutes later Jack exits the bathroom sans Ethan and other mom looks SUPER worried.

Randy: Hey Jack where's Ethan?
Jack: Uhh, in there changing, I guess
Randy: You weren't with him
Jack: No Dad (accompanied with a huge look that conveyed um what the hell Dad - duh dudes don't talk in the locker room and it's every man for himself in there)
Other mom is practically doing paces thinking it is about time to call 911
Me: Hey Jack can you go in and tell Ethan his Mom is waiting for him?
Jack: I suppose (one eyebrow raised, still thinking what the hell is going on)
Other Mom: Hey little buddy I would really appreciate it (in her I'm talking to a little kid now voice)
Jack: OK

...this is nearly an everyday occurrence now. Jack is definitely growing up. I can't say that sometimes I wish he needed me for a few more things, but honestly him being so independent is probably a good thing.

1st anniversary

Well we made it. Tomorrow is our year anniversary. I can't believe this year has gone by so fast. Now that summer has come, I am remembering a few things that first touched my heart here. The farmer's markets, the parks, all the green. The ease of the "hot" weather here. If it is hot, you are still guaranteed to be able to open the windows and cool off the house by 7pm. Seattle, sometimes we fight and disagree and I know I have said and thought some mean things. But for now, this is where my family is and we have made a lovely little life here.

This weekend was our last weekend as a little family before the crazy of the summer kicks in. Next weekend we head to Portland for the 4th to see Randy's family (&hopefully a few old friends). My parents come the following weekend for a few weeks and then we will have a few weekends to ourselves before Jack and I head to ND for about 3 weeks. We spent the weekend looking for a new apartment and discovered the grass isn't always greener somewhere else. Did a little swimming in the complex pool. I got my first odd sunburn of the season and Randy discovered cell phones don't do well in the water, doh! Jack showed off everything he is learning at swimming lessons and we were quite impressed. Every time we have a weekend like this weekend I think to myself, 40,000 (student loans *ahh*) is a small price to pay for this kind of joy.


Jack playing a little game of frisbee in the park last weekend. Randy wouldn't let me spend $80 on RayBan Wayfarer Jr's for him - so the $2 gap kids ones will have to do.


I made some little peach mango turnovers to have for desert last night.


Jack went a little crazy for them :)

Fish Taco Face

This is what happens when you try to feed your 6 yr old fish tacos.



For the first 2 years of his life Jack only ate ham or turkey deli meat - anything else he just wouldn't eat. I tried in vain to get him to eat hamburger, chicken, turkey anything. Then one day it dawned on me, pink is his favorite color, salmon is pink, tell him it is pink meat. Needless to say I spent most of the night at dinner sitting there with my mouth open staring at him putting piece after piece of salmon in his mouth and loving it. "Mama, can I hab sob more pink meat peas?"

always and nevers: update

Sarah is making me do a list of always-es and nevers for me, she loved Jack's but wants mine, so because I always listen to my sister, here are mine:

Always:
1. MAC studio fix - I swear by it, it covers you skin great, has an amaizing range of shades to cover the range of skin tones out there. And hey - if it is good enough to cover a drag queen's 5 o'clock shadow, it's gotta be good enough to cover my little imperfections. Anytime I have ever swayed or strayed I have ended up regretting it.

2. Big bag - as a mom and a wife I am always carrying around other people's stuff. I need a bag that is cute and can also survive whatever they want me to carry in it. I am pretty picky about them too. I used to have a thing for designer bags - and believe me I still covet them - but for now I just need something that is gonna stand the test of time, make it through a few seasons and get me hordes of complements. These are the 2 I will be rocking through the summer along with the cute beach bag I got for the pool this summer:



and I have been searching for a good grey bag, i just think it will go with so much and work with browns and blacks.



3. Shoes - I wish I could narrow it down to one favorite - but all of my shoes are my favorites. I am sure parents of more then one child can relate - you can't possibly love one more then the other - well each pair is special to me and I picked them for very specific reasons. Yes, on more then one occasion I have been referred to as Imelda... Here are the ones I wear the most right now:



4. Navy & White stripes - I am sure my hubs is getting tired of seeing me in different variations of this. But I don't care, I love it, it makes me feel French, with my little striped shirt and ballet flats... or sandals... or red stacked heel pumps. It's just so versatile. Seriously if you haven't tried it, do it, you will love it.



5. Pedicures - OK ladies, if you bare your tootsies, AT ALL, ever, have them painted. It's my number 1 pet peeve. It grosses me out to see unpainted toes in public. And clear doesn't count, make it a color, have some fun. I just found the perfect shade of bright pink that I will be wearing through the summer - last year it was bright coral, this year bright pink.





Nevers
1. Skinny ankle length jeans or skinny jeans at all. Once again - I'm a little chubby and pear shaped. I really don't think these look good on anyone - even the super slim girls that wear them. They remind me of 5th grade and my acid washed girl jeans with the yoke waist and zippers with bows on the top. I was in Lane Bryant last week and seriously there they were on an end cap. Clothing designers of the world, us bigger girls just should not have certain choices. Some of us are going to buy them.



2. Sweatpants - in public. I will admit I went through a depressing period this fall when the rain came - but I have re-committed myself to not wearing sweats in public. This includes and is not limited to: fancy sweatpants (yes you with the words on your but) yoga pants as well as sweats you paid way too much for and now have to wear in public to get your monies worth. Remember a time when our mothers made us dress up to go somewhere so people would think the best of you and reminded you that first impressions count? I think we need to get back to that.



3. Long necklaces - not because I don't like them, I do love them and my sister is a jewelry designer, but I have a large chest - they just look funny on me and inevitably if I wear one, at some point it is gonna end up looped around one of the sisters and that is just not pretty.

4. White pants - OK I can see why people would want to wear them, they look so crisp and if you are rail thin, they probably will work, anyone over a certain size just looks bigger. But you have to find the perfect pair. And lets face it - about 90% of the people wearing white pants are not wearing the right pair and you can always see their unmentionables underneath. Dear white pant wearing ladies, we can see your thong and the print on your light colored underwear.



5. Maxi dresses - Again this is a mostly for me. I am 5'3"-ish. Most of the maxi dresses out there are longer then I am tall. I tried one on the other day and it was funny, I looked like a little kid in her mom's dress.



So there you go Sarah, there are my always-es and nevers - for me.

always & never

My sister tagged me.

The rules: make a list of five "always-es" and five "nevers." These must be fashion-related, I have to tag three people, and I can post any pictures I would like to post.

Since I am a mom and I blog about Jack and I, I figured I would put a spin on it and make it boy related. I find it difficult and depressing to shop for Jack because the choices are so limited. Sometimes I find myself longingly staring at the girls section just lusting after all the square footage devoted to their clothes. Granted a lot of it is crap and if I had a little girl she wouldn't be allowed to wear most of it.

Always
1. plaid - Jack wears a lot of plaid, most recently we have been stocking up on cool madras plaid knee length shorts for summer.



2. converse - Jack just got his first pair of high top chucks, he has been rocking the low tops for years. Right now he has a pair of graphic ones that are really neat.



3. jeans - always bootcut or skinny straight legged.



4. hair - we don't gel it or part it or comb it to a particular side, we wash it, muss it up and he is on the way. when i see kids with perfectly combed/gelled hair i secretly want to muss it up.

5. teeth - we brush them at least 2 times a day here.


Nevers
1. Character clothing - Since Jack was a baby I can count on one hand the amount of items that have cartoon characters on them, go ahead ask me if he ever wore them. He has one vintage super friends tee that he can wear on the weekends and jammies, I don't mind the character stuff on jammies. I distinctly remember a shopping experience where he asked for something festooned in sponge bob or the like. It went something like this:
Jack - Mom doesn't this t-shirt look cool? Can we get it?
Me - No.
Jack - But Mom Tommy and Kenny have it
Me - No Jack, you know I don't buy that stuff.
Jack - Mom, why don't you buy it?
Me - Jack, because I love you.
Also I just feel that it is generally not very well made and way over priced - if I am going to advertise something, I better be getting paid to do it.



2. heelys (those shoes with the wheels in the heel), character shoes & hiking/teva sandals. I read once where those heely shoes were causing a spike in emergency room visits and kids were developing Achilles heel problems. Also no velcro, he is 6 and has been able to tie shoes since he was 4.



3. no pleats, no carpenter pants, nothing baggy, nothing tapered. Jack is awesome, he wears mostly bootcut jeans and has one pair of skinny grey colored jeans that are pretty cool.

4. no sports jerseys or athletic stuff, which means no sweatsuits as casual wear - unless he is sick and is lounging around.

5. no message shirts, your kid shouldn't be walking around with some smart mouthed phrase on their shirt. enough said.

That's it, my always-es and nevers for Jack. I am going to tag my dear friend erika who does some really cool paintings and my friend kim who has the coolest little backyard garden in all of the world and that's it because I don't have any other friends who blog.

Mothers Day

Mothers Day morning I woke up to my guys bringing me breakfast in bed. I guess Jack had got up pretty early so he and Randy could finish their little project they had been working on. Somehow they managed to make the "Biggest Card Ever" with leftover butcher paper for the move. It was really cute, they both wrote some really nice things to me and the front of the card was decorated with flowers and bunnies and pudgy little bumble bees. I teared up a bit, the card was all I needed to know special our little family is.
For breakfast they brought me a cappuccino, my favorite tulips, a chocolate croissant and according to Randy the most expensive orange juice he has ever purchased.

mother's day letter

As I was cleaning out Jack's folder for school this morning, I found a letter that I am sure was supposed to wait for Sunday... here is an excerpt from my favorite part:

"Thank you for makeing me a suday with stroberry souse it was very good. Thank you for the choclot strobery too!"

I am sure more is to come, but this morning as we were quickly trying to get out the door. It stopped me in my tracks and made me remember what an awesome little guy I have and motherhood is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

Spring Break Part 1

Jack's spring break from school is upon us and it couldn't be nicer weather. We spent the weekend out enjoying ourselves in the sun and visiting some of our favorite parks. Jack is a lucky duck and gets 2 whole weeks off this year. See... I messed up the dates of his actual break from school and made travel plans for the week he was supposed to start back. Whoops! Good thing his teacher happened to ask what we were up to for break, otherwise Randy and Jack would have had an interesting start to the morning today. Can you picture the teasing I would have taken if they would have actually went to the bus stop this morning? Ha!

Saturday we spent the morning doing a few things around the house and then headed over to the Grass Lawn Park in Redmond. Man it was crazy. Jack brought along his bike. We caught a little bit of a soccer match, did some biking and he practiced playing well with others.


Jack rock climbing

Sunday we had a later lunch and headed over to Peter Kirk Park in Kirkland. Jack and I spent many days at the park this summer as our temporary housing was right across the street. With the sun and all the families out playing it was almost like we were transported back in time. I sure do love that area - I think we would actually consider buying over there, maybe when the time comes. We also had time to grab coffee at our fave little place, St. James Coffee, still as good as ever.


Randy and I at Peter Kirk Park


Jack and I after a little biking


Jack & Randy


Jack - doing his thing

Today Jack and I officially kicked off our spring break together. This morning we had a few errands to run for our trip on Wednesday, after that we headed back over to the Grass Lawn and wondered around and played for awhile before heading back to our place. I decided to pack a picnic lunch of peanut butter sandwiches and mangoes and we headed out to the park behind the house for lunch and we did some puzzles in the sunshine (I even think I got a sunburn). All this sun has made me anxious for summer and I just can't wait for it now.

Weeknight Date

Jack and I had a Friday night date this week. Randy met some work buddies at a bar for a friend's going away party after work on Friday so Jack and I were on our own for dinner. I decided to turn it into a fun night instead of focusing on Randy not being home. While Jack was at school I picked up a painting project, some cupcakes and a copy of Free Willy to watch.

Jack and I started the afternoon with the painting project, we are working on a gift for someone's birthday that just so happens to be coming up next week. Jack planned out the whole thing (I'll post pictures later as I don't want to spoil any surprises) from the colors to what we should use to decorate it with. Then we sat down to breafast for dinner. Which just so happens to be one of our faves that Randy can't stand, so we took the opportunity and made Banana Peanut Butter Pancakes and coffee for dinner or brinner if you will. I made Jack a cup of coffee too, just like my dear sweet grammy used to make for me when I was little-- with lots of milk and sugar and just enough coffee to turn the milk color a little bit. Jack, was not a fan but he enjoyed the story and thought it was pretty funny that grammy would give me coffee when I was just a kid.





After eating we started Free Willy, it has been years since I have watched it. It was funny seeing all the Portland scenery and I found it fascinating that someone could ride their bike through downtown Portland and end up at the coast. Jack jumped when I did the first time when Willy came up out of the water at Jesse the first time they met. It was a pretty fun night and a good start to the weekend.

Hyenas and Cantinas

Today Jack's class learned a new rhyme:

"Silly Sally went to town backwards and upside down.
On the way she met a _____, a silly _____ and, they ___________."

The lesson was to pick an animal and a place that rhymed, on Jack's turn he picked hyena and cantina and came up with:

"Silly Sally went to town backwards and upside down.
On the way she met a hyena, a silly hyena, and they ate at a cantina."

His teacher and I are still wondering how he knows the word cantina. She asked him if he knew what it was and he told her, "Yeah you go there to eat food and drink stuff." I guess it is better then the little girl who rhymed caterpillar and killer... yeah serious, it happened.

Leprechauns

This week Jack had a little creative writing assignment in class. I thought I would share it because I started laughing out loud when I read it. I happened to be in the classroom helping out when I read it and his teacher looked at me and said, "Yeah I know, it was pretty funny right."

"How to Catch a Leprechaun"
By: Jack C Tidd (he uses his middle initial when he is the "author")
I will climb a tree then I will jump on the leprechaun! Then I will run very fast and hide in a bush. Then I will take his coat off. Then I will eat 100 bowls of Luck Charms cereal. I will eat 10 blue moons to make me invisible. Then I will say, "Gotcha".

This makes me wonder- does he think Leprechauns live in trees and how does he know about Lucky Charms cereal and the magic of the blue moon shaped marshmallows inside?

Suprise!!

Jack and I had the best surprise arrive at our door last Wednesday. My sister flew in from Chicago for an early birthday celebration. For those of you who don't know, my sister and I have shared the same birthday, even though we are 2 years apart. I've always thought it was the most wonderful thing, well maybe after the age of 12 I decided it was pretty cool to have that special day together.

We did so much while she was here and it was so much fun, Jack even had a snow day last Thursday so we got to stay home, play in the snow and hang out with Sarah all day to ourselves. Last weekend we went exploring in Seattle, Monday Sarah and I attacked Ikea and then attacked my apartment, I would not have done it without her pushing me to make better use of the space. Tuesday we bummed around in the Fremont and Ballard areas and decided Fremont is way better in our opinions as far as little shops to explore and bum around in.

Sarah and I had the best time, I really just enjoyed having her here-- I feel like the house is so quiet without her now.

How lucky am I to have a sister who I am so close to? Sometimes I feel like we should have been twins because that would describe our bond better, I feel like she is my other half and I wish there were words that were bigger then love and sister and friend to describe my Sarah... I love you and can't wait for tomorrow. Thank you so much for coming to see me and I can't wait to see you again.

Valentine-ing

We started out the week by making these lovely Valentine cards for the special ladies in Jack's life-- the idea came via the ladies at Sugar City Journal. It was a fun project that only took Sunday morning and part of the afternoon. Basically Jack drew a Valentine inspired picture and I made copies of it onto card stock and I exacto'd out some of the picture and we mounted them on glittery scrapbook paper. It was pretty fun. Then Jack wrote out little greetings on the backs and we sent them off on their merry way.





Wednesday we made some cutout cookies and decorated them. Made ourselves sick with frosting and candy toppings, but it was worth it. They turned out pretty good-- Jack made a special one for his Kindergarten teacher and took it in on Friday with her little gift.





Friday night Jack and Randy planned to do my Valentine shopping-- apparently Jack devised a plan to get me something really good. Here is a little snippet of the conversation according to Randy (picture this in a jewelry store)
Jack: Dad-- I want to get mom earrings
Randy: Jack, I think we should surprise her and get her a new camera
Jack: Dad, I think she wants more jewelry
Randy: Jack, she has lots of jewelry and she has been wanting a new camera, I think we should try to surprise her with one.
Jack: Dad, giving presents isn't about you, it is about the person you are giving it to.
Randy: Which one's did she say she wanted?

I guess Jack could not find the earrings I had been eyeing in the case and looked at every single pair and settled a pair of aquamarine studs. They aren't typically something I would pick out for myself-- but I love them because Jack picked them out and I have worn them everyday.

Saturday morning I woke up to a quiet house, the boys woke up early and snuck off. They returned with daffodils and stuff for breakfast.



Saturday afternoon Jack had Sheldon's birthday party to go to and had a great time. I had already confirmed with his mother that we could just drop him off and have a few hours to ourselves. Randy took me to this little hamburger place he has been wanting to go back to, I know, but holy cow that was a really good burger. Afterward we decided to wonder over to Circuit City and see what was on sale- we ended up stumbling upon a 22" flat panel monitor we have been watching and got it for a really good price. After all that excitement we picked up Jack from the party and headed home.

We had a great weekend and now I have this to look at all week.

Salvaged Saturday

Jack had some major plans today-- his friend Sheldon's 6th birthday party. Jack has been extremely excited ever since he received the invite in the mail last weekend. Everyday he has been counting off the days, he had planned out the perfect gift for Sheldon. This morning Jack played a little Lego Star Wars with his Dad on the Wii and after a last minute personal hygiene situation, Jack was showered and ready to go. I picked up my cell phone to check the time and the unthinkable happened, there was a missed call and a voicemail-- from Sheldon's mom. OH NO! I checked my voicemail and learned she awoke to one very sick little boy and was having to cancel & reschedule the party. As soon as I hung up the phone I looked at Jack and could instantly tell we were entering the pre-stages of a very broody afternoon (Jack has the tendency to mope around like a mini tortured poet when things go awry--I seriously wonder if I have a 16 year old trapped in a 6 year old body).

Randy must have been on the same wave length as me as I see him walk towards the office and get on the computer. Through a little quick parent mini conference we conclude in 5 seconds to take Jack to Coraline and McD's for lunch. I know it is bad, but sometimes you have to play that card-- besides we never eat there anymore, so once in awhile it is OK, especially with the aforementioned broodiness.

We decide it will be more fun to surprise Jack with all of this and just tell him he is coming along with us for our errands and lunch we were going to during the party. I don't know if this is normal or not, but Jack tends not to get excited about anything-at all, so we try to surprise him to elicit some type of excited emotional response to something, it very rarely works. Needless to Jack is not excited at the thought of going to sushi and a tax appointment.

Stop #1- McD's, we get out of the car and he looks at McD's and says, "They don't have Sushi here" in a completely dead pan tone. So we take the trickery a little further and tell him we are just parking here and walking to the other side to the sushi restaurant. Once inside McD's he asks if he can get something there and we can just get sushi (Jack is also a great problem solver-- always figuring out a way to settle both sides of an issue) we then decided it would be good to let him know we were really going to have lunch at McD's and there was a little knowing glimmer of a smile. He told me he would just have his, "usual"-- which he says as his "uj".

Stop #2- Joann's, I really did need to pick up some scrap booking items for tomorrow afternoon's project, we are making Valentines for all the special ladies in Jack's life. It should be fun and I will post some pics. We also had about 30 minutes to kill before heading over to the movie theater and going to Joann's put us in the same complex as the theater.

Stop #3-- Coraline We popped the Joann's purchases in the trunk of the car and walked over to the theater and got the tickets. Once we were inside I turned to him and asked if he knew where we were going and he shrugged and said, "Um, Coraline?" The movie was AWESOME-- seriously good and very cute and wonderful, one of the best kids movies I have seen in awhile. Very, very, very good.

So I think I managed to salvage Saturday afternoon and now he has something to look forward to next Saturday, but I just really really really wish that maybe one time, he would get excited about something... just one time. He sure can play it cool though.

Pet Talk

Last night Jack and Randy had a funny little talk about the possibility of getting a pet. I overheard this from the other room and I about chewed my lip off so he would hear me giggle.

Jack: Dad, I think I would like to have a pet.
Randy: What kind of pet do you think you would like to have.
Jack: Not a puppy or a cat, cause Dad you are allergic. What are the things called that we saw at the pet store that run on the wheel?
Randy: A hamster?
Jack: Yeah dad a hamster, can I get one? What do you do with a hamster?
Randy: Well you hug it and squeeze it and call it George (hee hee)
Jack: Gross dad, I'm not holding it ever, I am keeping it in it's cage all the time. I would get lots of stuff to make it a cool maze that it could run around in and a wheel. So can I get one?
Randy: Before you get a pet you have show me you are responsible enough to care for a pet and then maybe when you are 7 you can get a pet.
Jack: How do I do that?
Randy: Well you can start by keeping your room clean, taking your dishes from the table into the kitchen and asking your mom what you can do to help her; without being asked to do so.
Jack: Oh, OK, and then I can get a hamster?
Randy: If you do all those things for another year, then you can come ask me again. Can you guess what I will say?
Jack: (Sigh) You will say No.
Randy: Right, and what should you say to me?
Jack: (voice lilting up with hope) That I deserve one?
Randy: No, come to me and say, but daddy I did all this stuff for a whole year and you said we could talk about it after I was 7.
Jack: (really excited voice) And then you will say yes?
Randy: No, I will probably say they are too expensive. What do you think you should say then.
Jack: (super convincing I really want this or I will not survive voice) Pppppplllllleeeeeeaaaaaaasssssee Daddy, they aren't that expensive.
Randy: No, you say, but daddy I have the money.
Jack: Why would I say that, then I would'nt have any money.
Randy: To show me how much you want the hamster.
Jack: Hmm, that's a lot of money dad.

The Mastermind

This afternoon I had a rather interesting conversation with Jack's best friend's mom while waiting at the bus stop about her son also not wanting her to fetch him directly from the bus. Apparently her son has been telling her that she doesn't need to come all the way to the bus stop, that he can meet her at the leasing office of our apartment complex or in the maybe mid-walk from the bus stop to their apartment. This all sounded remotely familiar to me and rather odd for her son's personality... but spot on for Jack. I had a sneaking suspicion that Jack may have planted a little seed in his friend's mind. Remember, he does talk about minions- a lot.

So on the way to run a few errands I decided to bring this up to Jack, it went a little something like this (keep in mind this whole conversation happens while I am driving):

Me: So Jack, Aravind's mom told me that he asked her not to pick him up directly from the bus stop.
Jack: Hmm, really.
Me: She said that he asked her to meet him on the hill or the leasing office and not at the bus stop anymore.
Jack: Does that mean I can meet you at the leasing office or on the hill?
Me: No. Have you and Aravind been talking about this?
Jack: Just once--why don't you trust me (the dreaded words, this means I will have to explain it just right)
Me: Jack it is not that I don't trust you, I don't trust other people and there are bad people out there in the world and need to be there to keep an eye on you. (seriously I looked up the sex-offender (big mistake, don't do it) database and man there are a lot in our area) You aren't growing up in the world your mom and dad did, maybe when you are older we can talk about it again
Jack: Mom when will I be old enough? I really want to walk on my own.
Me: I don't know Jack, maybe next year.
Jack: Next year (large sigh)

Sick Day

Yesterday I kept Jack home because he had what looked to be like the slightest little rash forming on his chin and he was developing a little cold. OK-- I probably overreacted, but I just had visions of the school calling me and asking me why I sent him off in this condition. This is probably do to the hypersensitivity his preschool showed to any form of redness on a child's skin. But that is neither here nor there. What I realized is that when you have to negotiate bus rides with a 6 year old to get them to stay home, you are in over your head.

Here's how it played out, I noticed a very small spot on Jack's chin after he got out of the shower. I call Randy over in that voice that means something like, "oh sh__ the arm just fell off our kid" and he rushes on over like he should saying, "what, what?" In an attempt to not alert our son that anything is "wrong" I try to convey to Randy to look at Jack's chin without saying anything. Of course this is crazy and does not work and it only looks like I have something in my eye. So I end up telling him to look at Jack's chin and he kind of looks at it and says, "huh". After the chin looking, we huddle in the bathroom and decide it is best for Jack to stay home because of the previously mentioned red spot. But now that Jack has started bus riding in the morning, missing school is a form of torture the army field handbook would not even allow.

Randy decides that he will break the news to Jack and instantly I hear Jack say, "but dadddddddddyyyyyyyyyy I want to see my fffffrrrrriiiieeennndssss!" I decide to rescue my waffling husband and march out of the bathroom with a stern but concerned look on my face (never let the child see you sweat or he will sense your internal fear) and tell Jack that he needs to stay home today. Jack launches into his counter-argument, I will briefly summarize:

Jack-- Mom I want to go to school, I haven't seen my friends all weekend and I don't want to miss anything new.
Me--Jack, but you might have a rash on your chin. (Jack hates rashes I think this might work)
Jack-- Mom if it gets worse my teacher will send me to the nurse and they will call you to get me.
Me--Jack I want you home where I can keep an eye on you
Jack-- Mom, I will check it when I get in from both recesses and not touch my face all day long (serious folks he said it)
Me-- Jack you are staying home.
Jack-- But that means I will only get 2 ride the bus home days this week if I miss today.
Me-- (I see my in and I take it aka I fell into his well woven web) Jack you can ride the bus home tomorrow. I will just leave from school a few minutes earlier then you and meet you at the bus stop.
Jack-- Really? OK then, Dad can I turn on the TV?

Oh and about an hour later I realized it was a scratch on his face and it probably just got agitated with the soap in the shower.

A fun weekend

This weekend we headed to Randy's Aunt and Uncle's house in Portland. Every year the Reedville Cafe in Hillsboro has a crab fest and we haven't gone in years, pretty much because traveling outside of Klamath Falls in the winter is no easy undertaking--it is not for the faint of heart. We took off after dinner and had an easy drive down, in fact we actually saw the I-5 drawbridge up for the first time, in all my years in Portland I had never seen it raised. Jack was totally excited to see it, but it was dark out so he didn't get the best look.
Saturday I got a chance to spend a few hours with one of my old friends. We had a fun time just hanging out at the mall and doing a little shopping. I never really realize until I am away from Jack and Randy, how little time we actually do spend apart. Which is pretty cool, but I do need my time on my own. Randy and Jack spent some time hanging out playing the Wii and mastering a few Lego Star Wars levels. We had a great time at dinner and I stuffed myself with crab. MMMM


The Crab!!

Sunday morning we woke up to a light dusting of snow that turned everything beautiful and white-- I tried to convince Randy that we were snowed in, but he didn't go for it. After a quick lunch with Bethany and Emily we headed home to start the week.

All Grown Up

So, this morning it happened. We got off to a late start this morning and by the time we were ready we had missed the bus and I had to drive Jack to school. This morning I decided I would try letting Jack out at the drop off area and letting him walk to the playground on his own. When he realized what I was doing, he got right out of the car asked which way he should cross and that was it, walked right off-- no hugs, no I love you's... nada. I was so stunned I wasn't quite sure what happened. But I felt better this afternoon when I got him from the bus stop and I could see him jumping up in down in his seat when he saw me.

Turkey Day!

Well we know it has been awhile... we just haven't been in the blogging zone as of late in the household. Today we finally had our turkey day. We did a lot of traveling for the holidays this year and the one thing we love the most (well Randy and I) about the holidays is all the leftovers and all the soup from the leftovers. But when you travel, you just don't get the leftovers you do as when you do all the cooking. I fully intended on cooking a turkey or turkey breast between Thanksgiving and Christmas but for some reason they were all sold out--then when the turkeys did come in they were all over 17 lbs in my supermarket. So Friday I ran into another supermarket to grab some on sale chicken (seriously what has happened-- I nearly gasped in delight when I saw chicken breast for 1.99 a pound) and noticed some frozen turkey breast were still in stock. So I grabbed us one and we are having our Turkey day tonight.

This morning Jack wanted to do something with me, so I thought he could help with the corn bread. As I had a Jiffy mix on hand I figured it should be simple enough for him to do mostly on his own and what a great way to practice our reading. I started baking with these mixes when I was around his age with Grammy, she would always let me experiment in the kitchen with her and I loved every minute of it. We started with Jack reading the ingredient list and making sure we had everything. He read the whole recipe and then we set the oven (he is still too young for that), we measured out our milk and I played the role of assistant. I told him a little bit about how I started baking with Grammy with these mixes and I used to make breakfast for my parents with the muffin mix. I think he was pretty impressed with himself.









After hitting the supermarket this afternoon we will get the rest of the items made up. I am keeping it simple; turkey, mashed tatoes, gravy, stuffing, green beans and something easy for desert...maybe denver chocolate pudding.

Well I scrapped the desert, but as you can see it turned out pretty well.