Merry Christmas and Happy 2011

Sometimes I get so caught up in the day, always running late, always running the list of things to do in my head, and forget to thank God for how richly I have been blessed.

The holiday season this year has been even crazier than any year we have ever had. Mostly because we closed on our new (to us) house in Snoqualmie Ridge on December 15th, moved on the 18th and closed on our Issaquah Highlands townhouse today.

Our new home is more amazing that I could have ever dreamed of, thanks largely to the generous investment of my parents, Mark and Judi, who concluded that helping us buy a bigger home is a better alternative than the blow-up mattress on the floor of my office entryway, or buying a whole condo that they would only stay in when they came to visit. Since my step-dad Mark is a pilot for Delta, they are able to visit from Michigan frequently, but our small townhouse never felt very welcoming without any kind of guest accommodations. The new house has a HUGE guest room and 3rd bathroom with shower. It also has a great big bonus room and separate rooms for Hayden and Brooklyn. I'll post more photos when we get it furnished and set up better, but here are some from the listing:




It was a bank-owned home so we were able to get a crazy good deal on it in exchange for quite a process in purchasing, and an 'as-is' condition, meaning minor touch-ups the house will need over time to make it 'perfect'. But it's practically perfect already, so I really can't complain.

So what else is new with us?

I have been working a lot at this awesome design agency called The Medium. The projects offer a lot of variety, from websites to brochures to logo design, and they keep coming! They have a lot of work and so far it's been a win-win with helping alleviate some of their overflow work needs and my desire to pick up a few more hours to help with our new mortgage! On top of The Medium, I also have some other great clients who I continue to work for, so I am busier than I have ever been and just trying to find that right balance so I'm not up until 2am working too many nights in a row. Sort of brings me back to my UW days of all-nighters!

Hayden is doing really well at Joyful Heart Christian Preschool. His teachers are very experienced, nurturing, and attentive. He comes home with several craft projects everyday and talks about his teachers and classmates with excitement. Though, half the things he tells me I don't really believe, and the teachers say they only believe about half of what the kids tell them about us! Ha! Hayden sure has an imagination so that is good! The other moms at the preschool are very nice and we have monthly Mom's Nights to get to know each other better. Even 2 of the families I know from our PEPS group go to that preschool too so it's nice to have good friends continue through life with us.

Hayden is still really obsessed with cars and trucks, but also loves crafts like painting, drawing, gluing, cutting, and play-dough. His favorite movies are Cars and Toy Story. He knows all the characters and repeats lines from the movies. His memory is astonishing and any fears I ever had about his vocabulary have completely vanished. He doesn't stop talking now!! We've lately had to crack down on a 'No back-talking' rule, since he likes to say the opposite of whatever we say. Overall, I'd say he's still a really well-behaved toddler, though we've had our share of tantrums and tears with him.

Brooklyn is ridiculously fun, and a lot of work! She loves to dance! She also likes 'talking' on the phone (or remote, or anything that resembles a phone). At the end of her conversation, she pulls the phone away from her ear and says "BYYYYYYE". It's been fun watching her try to do things Hayden does. She is also a pretty picky eater so mealtime can be frustrating, but she certainly isn't hurting for calories (still off the charts for height and weight, I'm sure) so we're just trying to offer her the veggies every mealtime and usually end up picking them up off the floor. If she had her way, she'd eat cheese for every meal.

She gets into EVERYTHING! She climbs like a little monkey, opens drawers and cupboards Hayden never even thought to touch, and ransacks purses, diaperbags, and closets at every opportunity. Babyproofing has gone to a new level. She is so curious and really skilled at opening things - ziplock bags, makeup cases, pen caps... oh boy! Keeps me on my toes. She also likes to be held and has major separation anxiety with me, so it's hard for me to get anything done around the house, like dishes, laundry or cooking with her tugging and fussing at my legs and trying to climb up on the oven and dishwasher, and unfolds any laundry faster than I can fold it. Sometimes I swear it is her mission to make the biggest mess possible.

Phil has been very busy at work in his new department for computer peripherals. I'm amazed he still has energy at the end of the day to help put the kids to bed, then do all the clean-up and dishes from the day while I head into my office to my work. We could use more time together, so it will be nice when my mom comes to visit more to have some scheduled 'date nights'.

We are really looking forward to getting settled in our new house, meeting our neighbors, and enjoying the peaceful space we now have.

Exploding Vocabulary

Before I forget, I wanted to take a moment to write down all the words that Brooklyn is saying now. It's so fun to hear her talking. She is much more of a babbler than Hayden was, and she tries to mimic things Hayden, Phil, or I say. I really need to get the video camera out soon! Here are some of her "first words":

- Truck
- Cookie
- Cheese
- Daddy
- Hi
- Ball
- Bubble
- Go
- Off
- Ick
- No
- Mom (not "Mommy"!)
- Teeth
- Shoe
- Up
- A-goo-goo (what she calls babies)

She also likes to make animal sounds: Horse, duck, dog, and cat.

And her other new favorite trick is pointing to all the different parts of her face - she knows: eyes, nose, mouth, teeth, cheeks, chin, ears, hair. She likes to play this game during meal-time. With food all over her hands. :)

Video coming soon. Of course, as soon as I get the camera out, little princess Brooklyn will decide she is NOT a performer!

Family Photoshoot

Maybe it's vain, but I never tire of looking at pictures of my family. Hayden pulls out our family photo albums several times a week to look through and I happily flip through with him. Since he was born, I have diligently printed the 'best' photos each month and archived them in our multi-album photo tower. All 20 albums (holding 100 photos each) were full before Brooklyn was born, so I had to re-evaluate 'the best' and archive several hundred in a photo shoebox. I'm currently caught up through the summer, so I have a little work to go through September's photos, and I plan to do that soon. I have a good system in iPhoto of flagging them when I import off the digital camera, and then once a month or so, I go in and crop, retouch and upload about 25-40 of the 'best' to Costco photo center. It stresses me out when I'm behind more than a couple months. The hardest part is deciding which ones are 'print-worthy'!

I am a big sucker for good photography. I wish I was a good photographer, and I'm working at it. I am so envious of Kelle Hampton's blog with such stunning photos, not to mention her way with words.

And I have major Mom Guilt because we haven't really done many professional photos of Brooklyn, except when she was first born and a 3x3 grid of body details when she was about 7 months old, and here she is already one! The thing about photography is, you miss a moment and it's gone forever. As each month keeps slipping away (HOW is it already mid-October?!) and the kids are doing new, amazing things every day, I have a deep sense of urgency to capture each precious moment as much as I can.

So my awesome photographer friend, Christy Cowan, took our pictures a couple weeks ago at the Bellevue Botanical Garden. Given the nearly 2 hour photoshoot with a 3 year old and one year old, I am incredibly impressed that the photos turned out so well!

Here are some of my favorites:










Thank you so much Christy for blessing our family with your talent. Now the hard part is really going to be deciding which are 'print-worthy'.

Turning 30 and loving life

Subtitle: Another long post in an attempt to catch up.

So, where do I begin? We've had a pretty spectacular end to our summer. After Brooklyn's many birthday celebrations fizzled down, the rest of August and early September has continued to be non-stop celebrating! Phil and I celebrated 11 years of marriage by kayaking on Lake Union on a beautiful Seattle day.




ELEVEN YEARS?! Am I old enough to be married that long? I guess when you get married at 18...
It has gone by fast, but when I look back, it really seems like FOREVER ago. You often hear people who are going through a divorce say, "He's just not the man I married" - well... Phil and I are not the same people we were when we got married, and that's a GOOD THING! We started out as college students, navigated our way through establishing careers, developing friendships, growing in our faith and in who we are, trying to zero in on the important things and working on letting go of the things that aren't. Discovering what makes us happy and what we really want in life. On our anniversary date, I realized somewhere along the way, we have forgotten about having fun together. We've been so busy doing the 'grown up' things like paying a mortgage, juggling careers and kids, operating non-stop to the point of exhaustion - we just don't take the time to have fun as a couple anymore. Sure, as a family we do fun things like Fox Hollow Farm Days, Children's Museums, picnics at the park, but since we've had kids, we've honestly let our marriage take a major back-seat in the 'having fun together' department. So, a new vow on our 11th anniversary: LET'S HAVE MORE FUN!! Cheers to that!

And to get it all started, I had THE FUNNEST, Totally Awesome 80s karaoke party for my 30th birthday! Everyone dressed up in their best 80s attire and we invaded a little dive bar in Ballard called The Waterwheel Lounge - voted "Best Seattle Karaoke" and I don't think a smile ever left my face, even when I was singing!! :)






Talk about having fun! Best costume prize went to Katie, who got extra bonus points for MAKING her costume by acid washing their jeans and smacking them on the sidewalk for that authentic 'stonewashed look' and sewing her legwarmers!


Though I have to give a runner-up shout-out to Christy in her super hot pink '80s Punk' outfit (and made her gloves from lace knee-high stockings!) Best Hair went to Shaun with his giant afro wig, and Best Karaoke went to my friend Rachel, who brought down the house with her renditions of Madonna's "Like a Prayer", her harmony vocals on the group performance of Tiffany's "I Think We're Alone Now", and then holding it together when a crazy dancing drunk guy fell down on the dance floor during her Britney Spears song. Yes, it was a night to remember!


And the cherry on top? The kids spent the night at Grandma & Grandpa Lott's so we got to sleep in until 9:30 and eat a peaceful breakfast with no distractions! It's amazing how refreshed I felt! Thank you to my in-laws for that gift! And thank you to all my friends who helped celebrate my 30th birthday with me in such style! Man, I almost wish I was actually living in the 80s now, but I don't think my hair would like me very much if I teased it like that every day.

Before the glow of my 30th birthday had a chance to wear off (and get my voice back!) we were off to Chicago with the kids over Labor Day weekend to go to my step-dad's cousin's son's wedding (confused?). It was really nice to see my step-dad's family again. I saw them all 2 years ago at a family reunion (they use to do them annually) in Michigan, and since then there have been several new additions. It was fun introducing everyone to Brooklyn and meeting the other 2 babies that were born within 2 weeks of Brooklyn.

The kids were troopers through the festivities. Lots of late nights, late eating times, and new places. The wedding was gorgeous! I don't know if I've ever seen a more stunning bride!



We took a zillion pictures and danced until our feet hurt and our poor, exhausted kiddos started to turn to zombies.



After the wedding, we spent an additional 3 days in downtown Chicago (the wedding was in a suburb called Naperville), with my mom and step-dad in adjoining hotel rooms. Traveling with small children can definitely be a different experience, and we tried not to be too obsessed about getting them naps so that we weren't hostages in the hotel room, but sometimes, it was just better for everyone if they got a good nap. So, we didn't do everything on our list, but we sure had fun in the parts of the city that we did see. The Shedd aquarium was fabulous and the kids also really enjoyed Navy Pier.






For those who know my pretty strict adherence to a schedule for naps, eating, and bedtime, you would be impressed with my flexibility in trying to go with the flow a bit more. We even ate dinner one night, with the kids, at 9:30pm at Bubba Gump Shrimp! OK, I was sort of a wreck of bad-Mama guilt over that one, but the world didn't end.

The flight home from Chicago left at 7:30pm and was, well, tor-ture for 3 hours while we tried to get Brooklyn to sleep, or just be quiet, or just stop screaming, or just stop flailing her body back and twisting and kicking in an epic 2 hour tantrum. Boy, I profusely apologize to all the passengers around us on that flight. It was bad. Really, really horrible. I wanted to cry.

You know when you get home from a busy, whirlwind vacation and you think, "Boy, I need a vacation!"?
Well, the amazing thing is, I actually got to go on a "real" vacation just 2 days after returning from Chicago. One of the Moms in my PEPS group has a family beach house about an hour north of here and our group of 8 Mamas headed up for a 3-day weekend retreat. Just the perfect mix of relaxing, drinking wine, talking, girl time, shopping at the nearby outlet mall, and sleeping in til I felt like it. I couldn't help but think several times during the weekend that I don't think I've ever had such a great group of friends. So supportive, loving, hilarious, encouraging, inspiring.



We had so much fun, and it could not have been more perfect timing. Phil stayed home with the kids and said the 3 of them had a great time, the house didn't fall apart, they ate, slept, and played and it was so wonderful to come home refreshed and give them all great big hugs.

The next day Hayden had his first day of preschool.

I love his school and his teachers. I'm so excited for what is to come this year. I hope my expectations are not too high, but I just have a feeling that preschool is going to be a great experience for him and I can't wait to see how he grows. For a kid who hasn't really grasped the concept of peer socialization, I know it might take a bit of nudging out of his comfort zone. But I think these teachers, with 22 years of experience, know the right ways to love and respect his personality while encouraging his growth.

And finally, this weekend we went to the Puyallup Fair. An annual tradition I think I've only missed a few years in my entire life. My grandparents joined us and Brooklyn and Hayden both just adore them! Hayden loved the rides - a smile never left his face! While Brooklyn loved the animals - she got to pet goats, baby chicks, a bunny, a huge sheep! She kicked her legs excitedly and tried to leap out of my arms when we were looking at the cows! She wanted to pet them too! And she makes an adorable puppy-like noise when she sees animals. This girl is an animal lover like no other!




So there you have it. Our exciting and eventful end of summer/start of fall. All caught up now.

Brooklyn Turns One!

It's hard to believe that one year ago, on August 6th, 2009 at 12:03pm, my little (ok, BIG) Brooklyn came out of my body and into our lives. What an incredible year it has been: Adjusting to a family of four (and the extra time that means to get anything done or get out of the house); Watching her big brother learn about what it means to have a baby sister; Enjoying her adorable outfits and sighing in disbelief when I have to pack away yet another outgrown outfit she wore once; Wishing I had a built-in camera covering my eyeball so that I could capture that moment I am witnessing to cherish it forever; Cuddling every last inch of her irresistibly soft, warm, pudgy body and being secretly thrilled when she lets me rock her to sleep.

Oh, sweet Brooklyn, how you have entered my heart and made this family complete. Where did my baby go? She is walking all over, feeding herself (for the most part), full of personality and opinions, studying the world around her and surprising me with something new every day.

The hardest moment so far was when it was clear that breastfeeding was a losing battle, about 2 months ago. After much anxiety and tears (on my part!), I threw in the towel and resorted to formula. But the world didn't end. She is still happy and thriving and I'm certain our bond has not been affected. Now, she's drinking cow's milk and loving it. But there's just something about seeing my girl toss back her bottle of milk one-handed that makes me miss my little nursing baby.

She had an eventful birthday weekend. My mom, step-dad and little sister came out from Michigan and we started off her birthday on Friday with lunch at Red Robin. She liked them singing Happy Birthday to her and loved the ice cream sundae even more. Then we all became kids again at Chuck E Cheese for dinner that night! I knew Hayden would love it, but I wasn't prepared for Brooklyn's reaction!

I was only able to catch a little bit of her horseback riding performance on video, but she had us all busting with laughter as she flung her head back several times and squealed with delight as if riding a bucking bronco!

She had a BLAST! Everyone did.

Then her birthday party was a couple days later on Sunday afternoon at my sister's apartment complex's pool and cabana. The weather decided not to cooperate and it was a chilly mid-60s day, but at least not raining so several people still enjoyed the swimming pool and most of all, Brooklyn, my little froggy!

It was a really fun party, complete with 4 wardrobe changes for Brooklyn! I made a 'scrapbook' poster board for a decoration and that was fun to put together and see her whole life in pictures.

After all the festivities were over, I put together the pictures and video into this little montage, which is why this posting is so late. Enjoy!



(Note, you can close the annoying pop-up ads by clicking on the X in the upper right corner of the ad space)

And of course, the "ONE YEAR" posting wouldn't be complete without the official stats:

As of August 9, 2010
Weight: 26 lbs - 97th percentile
Height: 30" - 75th percentile
Head Circ: 19.3" - 97th
Teeth: 12! (all 8 front teeth and all 4 one-year molars)

I should mention that we started seeing a new pediatrician, who is actually an ARNP, who takes a more holistic approach to health care. I love her already and we have really similar philosophies on parenting and health care. She said Brooklyn is the 'model for a healthy one year old' so I'm sure that's why I like her, too.

Some more fun facts about our little Brooklyn:

LIKES:
Dogs and Cats - A LOT!
Actually, most furry, soft animals, too - stuffed or real.
Mommy's keys
Mommy's phone
Mommy's camera
Mommy's lipstick
Mommy's wallet
Toilet Paper
Shoes
Balls
Trucks - wonder why?! ;)
Yogurt
Cheese
Ice Cream
Spinach
Swimming
Bathtime
Being chased and then tickled

DISLIKES:
Getting her face washed
Getting her diaper changed
Getting out of the bath
Brushing her teeth (just started getting better)
Broccoli
Long car rides / doesn't sleep well in the car

ABILITIES:
Walking everywhere (doesn't crawl at all anymore)
Climbing up and down stairs
Climbing on chairs or low stools
Babbling
A few words: "Uh-Oh", "Mumumum" (for Mommy, or More), "Kuck" (for Truck)
Waving Bye-Bye
Dropping balls and shapes into holes
Kicking a ball
Turning pages of books, one at a time
Playing Peekaboo with a blanket or shirt
Kissing (lips pop!)
Feeding herself
Drinking from a straw and from an open glass
Dancing - belly dance style!!
Clapping
High-Fives
Jumping - feet off the ground, even, if she holds onto something!
Shaking her head no
Blinking on command
Cuddling on command
Sniffing on command
Sleeping through the night (usually about 7:30pm - 6:30am)
Unraveling a complete roll of toilet paper in about 10 seconds.

I love my kids, but...

...I hate my life.

So was the lead story in my weekly e-Newsletter from Raising Happiness, a division of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkley. According to the research, American parents are, on average, less happy than adults without children. Click Here to read the quick article (it will open in a new window and I promise is not a virus!)

I went on to read the New York magazine cover story that was referenced. An interesting (long) read. Click Here to read it, if you're interested and have time. I can certainly see why so many parents are unhappy, and while I myself have been frustrated by a constant theme of over-scheduling, running late, lack of sleep, and too many chores, I examine my heart and conclude that I DON'T HATE MY LIFE and actually, wouldn't trade it for anything.

I recently became addicted to Kelle Hampton's blog: Enjoying the Small Things, and her intentionally positive attitude that is so contagious I find myself enjoying the small things a lot more in my own life. Her incredible writing and gorgeous photography make it impossible to feel anything but inspired.

In case I ever find myself starting to feel like some of those parents in the New York magazine article, here are several Small Things about being a mom that I truly enjoy.
1) The smell of my children's hair after a bath
2) Reading books to my children that I can remember reading as a child, even for the hundredth time
3) The cold, squishy feeling of Play-dough and the smell it leaves on your hands
4) Looking in my rear-view mirror and seeing Hayden pass Cheerios to his baby sister - their tiny, not fully-coordinated fingers managing the exchange.
5) Pizza and wine dinner at Zeek's (helps that it's across the street!).
6) Laying my head in Phil's lap after a busy day and having him play with my hair and massage my head.
7) Getting to re-experience the firsts of life from a fresh perspective - the feeling of grass, the challenge of a straw, beginning to recognize letters and reading, petting a soft bunny, cracking an egg, new tastes, textures, sounds, I could go on... it's all new and interesting again.
8) Having an excuse to watch all the awesome Pixar movies
9) Looking through photos and taking new ones, getting them printed and putting them in albums. I never get tired of looking at pictures of my kids. It always makes me smile.
10) Picking out what cute outfit Brooklyn gets to wear today.
11) Giving Hayden a sweet treat, and not feeling guilty about it because he eats so nutritionally 95% of the time.
12) Blueberry Pancakes on Saturday mornings (and a chocolate chip one for dessert!)
13) Brooklyn falling asleep in the Ergo/Moby - her body limp and warm and peaceful against mine.
14) The Minivan.
15) Going to the library, nurturing Hayden's love of books.
16) The monthly Mom's Night Out with my PEPS group moms who mean more to me than they could ever know.
17) Our household agreement that whoever cooks doesn't clean up.
18) Planning date nights.
19) Family getaways to the Oregon Coast and Suncadia.
20) My mom and my mother-in-law, and knowing that when my kids are with them, I can relax.

Wow, I could go on.

But while there is a lot to be happy about, I know there are areas that need some improvement. I recently purchased Christine Carters new book "Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents" and am following the online book club (see Greater Good link at top of post). Such good stuff. Highly recommend it. I catch myself practicing happiness habits more and more and it's working!!

BUT nothing kills the positivity vibe better than a speeding ticket. Dang. My first one ever - last Sunday on my way from enjoying a fun shopping solo time at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale to meet Phil and the kids at the Bellevue Way Park & Ride to go to the Bite of Seattle together. Should have been a great day. Well, it still was. Take THAT, Bellevue PD!!

Day Out with Thomas

One of the really awesome things about having a toddler is the excitement of new experiences and a new definition of 'celebrities' - like Thomas the Tank Engine. Today we met up with several of our PEPS friends for the Day Out with Thomas at the Snoqualmie Railroad Museum.




Before I had kids, I had a vague sense of who Thomas the Train was. Little did I know that this 'cheeky' little blue train from books (originally) now movies and the TV show "Thomas & Friends" has a mega merchandising presence and more 'friends' than you could possibly imagine. In just about a year of even knowing about Thomas, Hayden already has acquired about 10 different Thomas & Friends trains/vehicles, a bowl & plate, a flashlight, pajamas, T-shirt and loves the "Thomas Breaks a Promise" book and the "On Site with Thomas" DVD. His collection is tiny in comparison to all that is out there.

During the summer, a full-size "Thomas" Engine tours various cities across the US for the "Day Out with Thomas" sold-out event. The weather was beautiful today and we enjoyed the 25 minute train ride, pulled by Thomas, and passing the majestic Snoqualmie Falls (which we were too busy admiring to take a picture of). There is currently construction on the dam leading into the Falls, so Hayden got an EXTRA BONUS train ride in getting to see all the exciting construction equipment.


Brooklyn also really enjoyed the train ride. Lots to see, and Thomas music piping over the speakers (of course, there is a Thomas Soundtrack, and yes, it is annoying.) And it's just the right length of time for the little ones.



Back at the Railway Museum, the grounds were bursting with Thomas excitement for us and several hundred other Thomas Fans to enjoy. A bouncy house, live music, puppet shows, crafts, temporary tattoos, train tables galore, and a huge merchandise gift shop tent with more Thomas stuff than I even knew existed.




We waited in line for a photo opp with Thomas, but when we were 3rd next in line after about 15 minutes, the train had to depart again for its next trip. Super disapointing, but Hayden handled it surprisingly well. This is the only shot we caught as Thomas pulled away from the station and a line of sad toddlers left to wait another 25 minutes for his return (which we decided against).


Like how Hayden doesn't quite get that he needs to look AT the camera, so the shot is the back of his head and the staff persons rear? Nice.

Luckily, a little while later, Phil was able to take some photos as Thomas returned to the station, but we didn't want to wait in the line again, so imagine Hayden smiling cheerily next to Thomas here:


We grabbed some hot dogs for lunch and Hayden set about concentrating on his newest addition to his Thomas & Friends collection, "Madge" a flatbed truck he has never heard of before, but that's the one he wanted, and we knew we weren't leaving that tent empty-handed! (We also got him another T-shirt and some more temporary tattoos).




All in all, a very fun day was had by all. Worth every penny to see your kids light up like that.