My new favorite picture of B.
Brady's new shoes for fall.

I hope he still likes them in the fall, and that they will fit still. My favorites are the red and orange ones, and they are B's fav too. I love the blue and green ones, but fear they may be to "little boy" for him by the time Kindergarten rolls around. If so, Natalie can sport them no problem.

They were clearancing out all their boutique stuff at Little Bugs yesterday, and these were selling at wholesale cost, so I grabbed the largest sizes they could. It's near impossible to find cute boy stuff. It all seems to be so mature looking, and I'd like to pretend that my guy isn't growing up quite as fast as he really is.

And B is also learning the art of patience, it doesn't come easy to the first born. Nat has a dance class on Thursdays, so he and I have to sit around for 45 minutes while she prances. A superball entertained us this week, until I bounced it up and over a wall leading to the sprinkler room. So then I pulled out the camera and took silly pictures of B to pass the time. And in the middle of all the silliness, I got this sweet shot.

The sun will come out...

Actually it came out around 2:30 today. And my mood lifted tremendously around 4:00 (and again at 5:30 when I cracked a beer. Mothership Wit. It's organic. So I'm doing my part in the world, right?).

My blog is public once again.

We've instituted the marble incentive program in our house (and car) and it seems to be working out so far. B and N have jars to earn (or lose) marbles in, and when they reach a certain goal (don't ask what that is yet, we haven't figured it out) then they earn privileges and treats. Like Brady wants to see several movies this summer. And Natalie wants to go to Chuck E Cheese (gag).

I'm still waiting to eat dinner, I pulled a salmon burger recipe out of this months Cooking Light, and I can't wait to test run it. The burgers are 'setting' in the fridge now. I lesson I already learned is to buy frozen fillets or something. I bought a whole salmon last night, because it was on sale. Problem is, I'm not the go-to gal on removing salmon skin. So the money I saved by buying whole is now in my garbage can.

And I got this new toy for the kids at the consignment store today, it's a water carnival. Keeping my WT roots alive and kickin. But Natalie and Riley sure had a good time. Notes of photos: This is Natalie's first bikini. I have resisted buying them because I don't think 3 year old girls should be wearing skimpy suits but she is so damn lanky and they suits were only $2 I figured they would be appropriate for backyard activities. And Larry would like to highlight the small wound on Natalie's side. It's her first road rash from cycling (or triking in her case). As a veteran bicycle racer Larry and Rusty (fellow cycling enthusiast) are so proud that she has her first wound from the "sport". Natalie told our neighbor to let go of her trike when she was at the top of the cul-de-sac. So she did. So Natalie at the curb.

The girls figuring out how to work the water carnival.



The first hit. It went downhill fast after this (with girlie screaming and giggling included).



Natalie shooting blind. (now you can see her road rash.)

How do you cure a sneak?

Natalie is regressing. In the last month she has:
stolen 2 bottles of nail polish and dumped them (on my carpet. 'nuf said); she has taken red Sharpie to her face and shirt (Brady stole the pen, then left it out); she snuck into my scrapbooking stuff to take a jar of buttons (you know what happened there); she kept sneaking into my mom's guest room today to sneak Andes mints (even though she was told no more after my mom gave her 2); she covered her body with hand sanitizer today; she (and Riley) climbed on top of her dresser to get the fish food that was placed about 3 feet over MY head and dumped the entire jar of food, along with some knick-knacks into the fish tank, effectively suffocating several fish. The list goes on and on. And the longer I make it, the worse I look on paper, like I'm never around to monitor this.

But she is sneaking around to do this crap. So everything "appears" hunky-dory, but she is hatching a plan.

And at 3 years old, I thought my follow-the-baby-everywhere days were easing up. Nope.

She is, however, confirming that Terrible Two's are a myth. It's Three that might kill ya. Or her.

Any ideas on how to stop a sneaky vandal? She is so pathetic when I punish her, you have no idea. "I"m suh-suh-suh-sorry Mommy!" "I won't do it again!" "I wu-wuv you, mommy!" "You not angry at me anymore?" "See? I'm a good girl, now. Does that make you happy?" She works it, you try to keep a clear head when she starts flinging that at you.

Man, I feel like a woman...

In ode to Shania's pending divorce...

Today, after I dropped Brady off at day camp, hosted my last (almost!) meeting as President of MOMS Club, checked on mom's countertop progress (none), picked up Brady from day camp, came home so Larry could leave for work, took Brady to preschool (at the elementary school), ran back over to mom's to check on countertop progress (installed and beautiful!), and back home in time to meet Brady (he rode home from school with some neighbor friends); after all that I PRESSURE WASHED. Arrr, arrr, arrr (a la Tim Taylor from Home Improvement).

I love to pressure wash. The problem is so does Brady (and Larry too), so when we actually get around do doing it, there is a three way battle for the gun. I won today. It's just so satisfying, as you see the scuzz disappear. I only got about 1/8th of our deck sprayed today, and the table and umbrella. Our deck out back is huge, but you can't really tell just how big it is until you try to clean it. I'll have to measure it and take photos of my progress tomorrow (cross your fingers it doesn't rain, although I have pressure washed in the rain. I mean, look where we live! How much work would get done in this part of the country if we didn't work in the rain?) But I don't think I'll be measuring or photographing for you if it's raining.

On a side note, I found out today that Debbie (excuse me Deborah) Gibson holds the world record for being the youngest artist who wrote and perfomed her own #1 hit songs. I had a boyfriend in High School (I guess he's the one I'd call my high school sweetie), and he had a major crush on her. And Duran Duran. He and I differed greatly in music taste. I was a The Cure girl. But thinking of older bands... What was your first concert? I did see The Cure in high school (with my friend who dressed up as Robert Smith. Scott always did have a flair for the outrageous). But my very first concert? I went to the Opera House at the Seattle Center with Sarah Blakemore and her hippie dad (from Vashon) and saw Tiffany. I can remember it like it was yesterday. Except I was 12. But I still found the humor in a hippie dad taking us to see a girl who covered Beatles songs.

Another holiday, another ER visit

Actually, we averted a trip to St. Joe's tonight. The on-call nurse saved us a couple hundred bucks.
Tonight Natalie came rushing out of bed and proclaimed that she had a button stuck in her nose. Yes, this is the same kid who only a few weeks ago swallowed a smuggled marble. We searched for the damn button to no avail. I called the ped's office just in case they had their after hours clinic still open. Nope, but the nurse said she should either sneeze it out if it's still in her nose, or else she will swallow it, it she hasn't already. Unless we see some irritation tomorrow, then we know it's hanging out in there still. She can breathe out of both nose holes though. She'll be in bed with me tonight, that's a given.

So. That makes the tally: button in nose for Memorial Day; Nursemaids elbow for Easter, and a broken tooth for Labor day. Brady has only been to the ER once, on Christmas eve because he was a little baby and had a good fever brewing. And I bit my lip in half when I was a kid on Easter too. Still got the scar to show for it! Oh... and Natalie pulled a Christmas stocking holder down off the mantle on her 2nd Christmas... we learned a quick lesson that day, and she still has the scar for that one too (just missed her eye by about 1/4 inch).

Oh, and both of my children got bloody noses spontaneously today. In front of all the neighborhood kids. I'm sure that helps their popularity. I have never in my life had a run-down-my-face bloody nose, yet both of my children seem to fall into that category. I try to play it cool, but it freaks me the hell out. The human body should not spontaneously spew blood. No way. I'm not buyin it. But it happens quite often around here.

Saturday's

Natalie likes to practice her product modeling during lessons.

This is how we're spending our next few Saturdays. Brady woke up and was a total grump all morning. That is, until he put his clubs on his back and walked out to the chipping green at Lake Padden. All of the sudden, his mood lifted, and he was striking up conversation with Coach Phil, and just having a great time. It's days like this that show me how much B is like his dad.

After golf, we met my mom and watched the Ski to Sea Grand Parade. It was a lot of fun, lots of great floats, organazations, and of course marching bands. The only thing that was kind of gross is that inchworms kept dropping onto the ground in front of us from the tree we were sitting under. We thought it was cool at first until we realized where they were coming from, then my mom and I couldn't stop shaking our hair out. Gave us the heebie-jeebies.

Brady spent Sat. night with Grandma Honey and Papa, and last night Natalie stayed over. It was nice to get one on one time with each kiddo for a little bit. It seems I never get alone time with B, so we really soaked it up.

Carney Lovin'

Carnivals that is, not the actually Carney's. One had 3 teeth and a bum hand (like a dog mauled it, it was splinted and covered in bandages). Another was your typical ex-con lookin' kinda guy. And another was what I assumed was a woman. She seemed to have a carney groupie hanging around her. The groupie had plenty of teeth (they were horse-size) and she was sporting the ponytail-mullet. Spikey on top and a stringy piddly ponytail in the back. And the carney baby she had harnessed into one of those baby leashes (actually good parenting in a carney environment I bet, it would be scary to lose one from town to town. Or in Bellinghams case, from parking lot to parking lot).

But nonetheless, I gave my kids tickets to ride on rides assembled by each of these people (hey, it's a paying job that offers them room and board, and apparently an endless supply of cigarettes, but hey. I am happy to support their employment rather than their UN-employment).

I think Natalie got bored on the helicopter ride, so she resorted to doing this every time she came by.


Apparently Brady and another boy bonded while waiting in line to ride the airplanes, because although they were the only 2 on the ride, the decided to ride in the same pod.


Natalie took her very first roller coaster ride this day too. I think her and I are on the same opinion of roller coasters and things like that. No, thanks. But she was a trooper. She had her hands in the air until the split second the roller coaster took off, then she was glued to the safety bar. And I think her face started to splotch up a bit. But she never let on that she was terrified. No crying, she even took time to stick her tounge out at her brother as she passed by. Now, this is a 3-year old sized roller coaster. So don't go thinking I threw her on Splash Mountain by herself or something. Sheesh.


But of course I only had enough money to whet their palate, and tantrums ensued when the rides were over. I promised them a better experience when the County Fair rolls into town.


You can take the girl out of the county...

I was a goner...

Before Brady even walked out onto the podium, I was done for. Mrs. Burgess started talking about the kids and she is so sweet and loving, it just broke my heart. Then they came walking out to 'Pomp and Circumstance' with little sashes that said "Preschool Graduate". Of course I made my mom and mom-in-law laugh at my pitiful sight.
It started by me looking thorough Brady's "Preschool memories" book that Mrs. Burgess made for each child. It has some art work and photos from throughout the school year. Then, on the last page is a picture of his class and this poem:

You are a very special person
And you should really know,
How I loved to be your teacher,
How fast the year did go.

Please come back to visit me
As through the grades you grow,
Try hard to learn all you can,
There is so much to know.

One thing I tried to teach you,
To last your whole life through,
Is to know that you are special,
Just because you are you.

Love, Mrs. Burgess

Now, tell me how was I supposed to survive after that?

Take that, Jen!

Since Jen is gone on a family holiday, I'll take this opportunity to try to live up to her golden standard and she can't knock me off my pedastal at least until the weekend is over. I don't think they have internet service in Canada. It's just moose and tooks, right?

So anyway, last night I was watching Clean Sweep (I'm addicted to that and Clean House, I love it when I find people that are bigger pigs than me) and the host was berating the woman for her gigantic pile of artwork that her children have compiled, and then I looked into my art closet. There are my two portfolios for my chilren, with a pile of artwork next to them. Not in them. Just next to. Then I thought of a recent post that Jen had up on her blog. And then I realized I'm no better than this schmuck on TV.

The purged pile.

I pulled out that pile (and found the other 4 piles lying around the house) of my childrens creations, played art critic and purged about 60% of their lazy day art, and actually labeled and filed the rest away! And I even made labels for the rest of the pockets in the portfolio. That wasn't a good idea, because by the time I got to the last pocket in Natalie's portfolio, it was 2015. Oh. My. God. Why, why did I go too far with the labeling? 2015 is a lifetime from now, right? RIGHT!? Somebody say RIGHT!

Such a nice neighbor

My next door neighbor, Sandy, brought me this huge bouquet of lilacs from her yard yesterday, my whole house smells like a garden now! She is so sweet to think of me!
I feel so bad for them too, they had a beautiful weeping willow in their back yard that came down last winter during a storm. It was like 30 feet tall, and it was finally big enough for them to build on to their deck and have a nice private dining area. They got to enjoy that privacy for one summer. So I feel terrible when we are outside playing, and I can see them trying to eat their dinner out there. And I loved that tree too!

If you inflate it, they will come.

Tonight we had most of the neighborhood kids in our front yard. It was awesome. I love that our street is so neighborly, it reminds me of Pine St. when I was a kid. Kids running in and out of each others homes, and knowing that your kids are safer because you have neighbors that care and watch out for them too.



I think R is channeling Michael Jackson a bit, no?





The mob crashed, won't this be a great picture when they're all in high school?




Nat took her turn at the smash face (I actually have a series of expressions from her doing this, very funny)

Natalie's last day

She is officially a preschooler now, I suppose. They had a little ice cream party today, and presented the parents with little booklets that included self-portraits through the year and some candid photos of the school year. It was very sweet. Luckily, Natalie will have the same teachers next year before moving on to the older class.
Today wasn't nearly as bad as I expect Friday to be, when B graduates... and Natalie already has a couple of playdates set up for this summer. And a couple of classmates will be in the same program with her next year too, which takes a lot of the sting out of today.

Strep A

That's what the nurse said Brady has in his finger. But it is reacting nicely to the antibiotics, cleansing and soaking. Poor guy! So he has to do a 10 day round of the pink stuff to make sure it's dead. I guess Strep A is the same thing you get in your throat. Huh. Apparently little boys can get it from sticks in the woods, too. Here are some shots that actually caught the injury in action.

Little Kid Heaven

Natalie sporting her freshly painted nails.


Would you just look at how this kid looks at his mama? And those dimples!


They found a hole on the top of the turf mountain. Their "fortress".


Hey Christian, whatcha gonna do with that piece of sod? Cuz it looks like trouble.

We found a little slice of heaven today over in Erin's backyard. An excavated field and the mound of turf and dirt from the excavation. Oh, baby.

If we didn't have to snip wires to sneak into the field, it would have been that much more fun. Especially since Erin and I could have sat on her back porch and drank margaritas. But, the kids had a great time (while Erin and I squirmed from all the people staring at us standing in the middle of a completely fenced off area).

In other news, we took Brady to the doc today. They swabbed his finger puss (heh, didn't see that word coming, did ya? *puss* Doesn't your nose kind of crinkle?) and started him on a 10 day cycle of Antibiotic. The doc thinks he got a kind of strep infection and also thinks there may be a sliver in there, but we can't tell with the swelling and... puss. I thought you only got strep in your throat. Shows how much I know.

On the way to the Dr., Brady asked me if he was going to cut his finger off. I chuckled and said "of course not, honey!" Then immediately regretted my response. What if he had a flesh eating bacteria and he did lose his finger? There was that kid in Ferndale who lost half his face from a little cut! Would my son ever get out of therapy after that doosy of a lie I told him? What if they HAD to cut his finger off, and he says "But mom, you promised this wouldn't happen!" Oh, god. The guilt. I would have made a great Catholic. I carry too much guilt for one person. Especially an Agnostic person. I mean, where am I supposed to release this guilt upon? I can't pray it away. It just sits here and festers and makes me kill myself trying to do right in this world. Ugh.

OK, I'm calling the doctor (queasy stomachs look away)

Last Tuesday (as in May 6th) Brady was playing with sticks and dirt with his bff Christian. He got a little "burn" from the stick and complained about it. We washed his hands at dinner, and I bandaged it up, and forgot about it. Boys are constantly marred in some way, right?

Then Wednesday (May 14) Brady complained about his finger again. We look at it, and the sore is still there, so Larry puts a blister band aid on it (He said it was medicated. He was full of shit). Brady kept asking me what this thing was on the band aid, and I kept telling him it was part of the band aid (the blister ones are squishy, turns out it was part of his finger I think). I noticed his finger was a teeny bit big, but I thought it might be because the band aid was too tight.

This morning Larry calls me at work. His finger had swollen up and was almost completely a solid blister. I left work to help hold down Brady while we doctored it up. It was disgusting, and I'll leave it at that. But I was(am) shocked at the sight of his finger. We sterilized it and covered it, and I've cleaned it several times today.

This is his finger at 10 pm tonight. I'm calling the doctor in the morning.

Ski to Sea parade, kiddie style

Natalie is releived that the parade is over. That girl loves an audience!


Brady on the other hand... he told me to go throw his scooter in the dumpster.

So on the hottest day of year (so far!) what do we do? Go find the largest crowd in Bham and stand in the middle of it.

We had to stand around for about 30 minutes (once we found our group) waiting for our turn to head down the parade route. The natives got restless, but luckily one mom bought a bag of cotton candy to bribe good behavior, and the pirates on another float distracted the mob of children.

The kids actually rode the entire parade route, it's the longest trip Natalie's made on her trike (including walking from Cornwall/Alabama through the entire parade crowd and back to our "group", then riding in the parade!). And it was HOT. But they had fun, I was happy to get them to participate in a little tradition of our city as well as some good ol' Americana. Or whatever.

Then, I realized that our walk home was slightly uphill (not easy on a trike) and it was dinner time. I had put myself in quite the pickle!

My survival tactic was this: Eat a slice at Chichitti's Pizza, then catch the gold line to our car. It was worth the 12.75 (dinner & bus fare!). We hopped off the bus, jumped in the car and cruised home. And let me tell ya, I made the right decision. Someone wouldn't have made it home alive.


Moods are better with pizza in your tummy and a 'free' ride home!

Notes from the video

Yes, Brady owns long pants and real shoes, but getting him to wear them is a chore.

Yes I tried to talk him into wearing these things warning him that things like crashing might happen. But the talk seemed to make him panic more, so I dropped it.

Yes he has knee and elbow pads, but he threw another tantrum when we suggested he wear those. He believes those are for the sole purpose of scooter riding.

We want to take him to the track, but it's hard when Larry is only home until noon (I don't think you're allowed on school property during school hours) and then when he is home at night, the marching band or track team is down there. I think we'll get him down there this Sunday.

That high pitched noise you hear at the very beginning of the video is my 110 pound Lab, Norman. Such a manly woof, huh? Very intimidating. Maybe they took too much when they neutered him?

First attempt

We've been talking to Brady for a few months about how this summer would be when he would ride without training wheels. So what did he do? He completely abandoned his bike to commit to scooter scooting. That boy knows how to avoid situations, let me tell ya. We went to REI for their big sale, and started talking to B about how we would let him pick out any bike he wanted if he showed us he would try riding without wheels. I could see his wheels were turning inside, but no way was he going to give in that easily. So finally yesterday, Larry had B help remove his training wheels and they went out for a test run. I can see that Brady is totally capable to ride off independantly right away, but he is slow to warm up. Then Larry went to pat him on the back or something (refer to the film) and Brady bit it. Bloody knees. Next time we're going down to the track (rubber). Once the marching band leaves (they walked through my neighborhood today, tee hee

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Ah, Mother's Day

So I woke up at 7 am on Sunday (I was SUPPOSED to get to sleep in!) but my migraine from 10 am Saturday was still hanging out. I got out and the kids and Lar made me coffee and fetched me the paper, and let me lesiurely linger over the ads while my pill kicked in.

Then the kids re-presented me with their terrific gifts that they made me at school (love another excuse to ooh and ahh over them), and Larry bought me the Costco assortment of gifts (there is comfort and sweetness in the predictable). I got the new trio of ice cream toppings (uh, OK), some new mixing bowls (I love mixing bowls!), and a beautiful orchid in a really tall glass vase, it's really nice.

We connected with Ma and her friend Jan, then called Tracy and Gosh to wake them up (at 10:30). Since we had a large group, and I did absolutely no cleaning or shopping for food the day before (damn migraine!), we didn't have any plans for brunch (as it was to be a pot luck at my house). So we all converged at IHOP, just like all the other high class families in the county.

Service was actually really great, and despite the crowd, we all had a great afternoon. It was just a bummer that we couldn't linger over coffee and talk more (angry patrons still waiting in the lobby).

Gosh and Tracy couldn't get away from the kids ( a simple meal wouldn't do for the kids, they need their Josh time!!!!), so they headed back to our house to visit some more, while Mom and Jan went antiquing (my inheritance is shot). Overall, it was a wonderful day (with a nap thrown in for good measure!), and I can't wait to do it again next year!

(OH, and no pictures... I was in no mood while I was still in pain; and who wants a family photo sittin inside IHOP?)

Mothers Day Today

Natalie peeking at me on the Wickersham Train.


Brady at his first day of golf lessons (like he needs them!)


All the moms on the train today rode for free and received a rose.


Since Larry is going rock climbing in SEATTLE tonight after work (yeah, I know) I don't have great hopes for a big shabang tomorrow for Mothers day. So I took myself, the kids, my mom, and her friend Jan (who is visiting from Bakersfield) on the Wickersham train today. And I even packed a picnic lunch.

The kids and I rode the train last summer, and it's a nice little treat. All the operators are volunteers and they have a real enthusiasm for what they do. We rode the old train to a clearing and played around by a waterfall and rode a hand truck (like the one from the movie "Oh, Brother, where art thou?") and listened to a fella play the banjo on the ride back. Very charming.

Last summer, we ran into Jim's mother, sister, and brother-in-law who were also riding the train (it's about 40 minutes out of Bellingham). Today we rode with Natalie's classmate Julien and the rest of his family. I also saw a chick that I've seen scrapbooking at the same places I scrapbook, but she kind of drives me nuts, so I ignored her.

Now... I think I have a cosmic connection with Julien's family. I worked with his dad at Costco. I noticed his last name was the same as someone I grew up with. Sure enough, they're cousins. Then his wife made my veil for my wedding (that is their business). We lost track of each other when he quit Costco to work full time on their family business. Then I hear that they had a daughter 2 weeks after Brady was born (which was really only 4 days after Brady's due date, but I was induced early). Alright, whatever. Then, all of the sudden their daughter enrolls in Brady's preschool class (later moved to a different time). Then I find out that they had another child, Julien on February 22. Four days before I had Natalie. And now those 2 are in the same class too. And lately I've been running into them all over town. I think we're on the same plane (definately on the same "cycle").

Have you ever had people in your life that you aren't particularly close to, but you seem to ride on the same wave? I've had 2 other people like this. My middle school math teacher (my family would run into him all over the state several times during vacations); and some weird dude with a pony tail here in Bellingham that I've seen several times a week ever since I moved to Bellingham.

Ponderous man, really ponderous. (do you know the song?)

Normans prognosis

So I picked Normous up from the vet today at lunch. He came out of the back room quietly, and actually laid down on the ride home. He had only come out of anethesia about an hour prior. Usually when I've picked him up from procedeures, they warn me that I may get a groggy dog, but he always comes bounding out cross-eyed and panting. But today slowed him down.

He had a scope down his throat (he had lung x-rays too, but those came back clear) and the good news is that there isn't a growth inhibiting his breathing (he has been aspirating on his kibble and was heavily wheezing at Clayton beach, causing me to finally take some action). But the bad news is that he does have larangeal paralisis. It's moderate now, but will progress as he ages (he's 10). So I have to keep him cool this summer (not easy for a black dog) and he's not allowed on any more strenuous hikes (Clayton beach isn't that bad, but he's also gettin arthiritis in one of his hips, so...).

Then the kicker: I'm to keep him from getting too excited. I told him I would need a bulk supply of the sedatives he prescribed. Norm is a perpetual puppy. He leaps over everything he can think of, he eats all kinds of non-food items (most recently 3 of Brady's bicycle helmets and the Radio Flyer wagon). So asking him to be calm is like asking a hummingbird not to fly.

There isn't really anything we can do for him. They suggested a surgery that would pin one of his larnyx flaps open, but then he would be prone to pnenomia and lung infections (from foreign matter getting into his lungs). So we will just have to alter his lifestyle a bit. And he most likely will have some episodes of respitory failure. It makes me really sad, but I'm not the type that extends a life for my own emotional protection.

Of course he perked right back up from the sedation as soon as we got home, and he couldn't wait to go tell Katie all about his adventure and get some lovin' from his old lady. He's a sweet old pooch.

Boom Boom bada Boom

So I live across the street from a high school. And today one of my favorite things started. The marching band started practicing outside.

Every day around this time, I start hearing the bass drums keeping beat, then the snares rat-a-tat-tatting. Then, every once in a while, when they finally get their marching down pat, the rest of the band joins in.

I think it's a little treasure to live here and be serenaded every day. Luckily, I never had to march in high school. I hated pep band, I think I would have died to have to play in marching band too. I'm an orchestra girl. But I tear up (I am not kidding) at parades when the marching bands go by. The dork in me refuses to die!


I wouldn't call us band geeks, would you? Those 2 boys were freshmen hanging out with us (juniors) and grew up to be very handsome, very cool guys. And they had to be cool to be hanging out with May and me at the Hard Rock Cafe, right? (Hawaii band tour 1992)




OK, there are only 2 people here that AREN'T band geeks (me and the other long blonde haired girl that looks like me, I'm sitting on the ground in the SWHS shirt) Marrowstone Music Festival 1991.

Madeline

Natalie is watching Madeline right now. Carly has gotten her several books over the holidays and she really likes them.

So when I found the video at the consignment store, I decided to pick it up. 1. Because she seems to like the books and 2. most of our movies are geared to entertain Brady, not Natalie.

So she has been in here several times saying that she has a small cough, and she needs some medicine (see, look down my froat, mommy). Then she came in and said that she was a doctor here to take my temperature. Then she came in so simply say "poo-poo" dismisivlely.

Who knows what will come out of that girl's mouth next!

Mothers Day Tea

Some of my Mother's day loot.


Declan, Carter, and Brady represented "September". They refused to say their line, instead saying "We look hilarious!" at the class presentation of months of the year.


I had a day that mini-van moms have nightmares over. Up and out the door early with Brady to take him to school (he and Natalie usually start at the same time). His class and others put on a performance about the months in a year. The boys were September, representing the first day of school. They all wore backpacks and Brady held an apple (my idea). Then they sang a song to the tune of BINGO, but instead it went: 'and mommy is here name-o. M-O-MM-Y...' Very sweet, I have to admit I had a little tear. I think this may be the last time I hear such a sweet song sung by my little boy, who refuses to stay little. And I noticed for the first time he towers over most of his classmates. I don't know if they are on the shorty side, or if he is on the tally side.

Then... run back home to say goodbye to Larry before he took Natalie to school, then I turned around again to go back to school to retrieve Brady. Got some lunch in him and dropped him off at the elementary school to spend the afternoon in their preschool (he's getting a little speech therapy and getting comfortable with the school before he starts Kindergarten in the fall). Then raced BACK to have tea with Natalie and her class. I ended up being about 10 minutes late (trying to be in 2 places at the same time). I sat down and everyone was giggling at the two of us. Apparently since I was late, Natalie switched my mommy-size slice of cake with her kiddie-size piece. That was my penance for my tardiness, I suppose. Very precocious, that girl. Then we sang and danced for quite awhile to all the tunes they frequently sing in class.

Then back to the elementary school to pick up B. I get the impression that he really enjoyed himself, he gave me just a tidbit of information about what they did, which in Brady terms means it was great.

In the photo above is a portrait of me that Brady drew. And behind it are some words he wrote about me (Natalie's to come, it's in Larrys truck):
-My mom has long hair. She has eyes like ours. (I don't have either)
-My mom likes to eat Lasagna and Spaghetti. (he's got me pegged as a carbo-addict)
-My mom likes to go to Morrie's with me (true.)
-My mom likes to go to a restaurant with my dad (I feel a food trend here)
-My mom doesn't like to eat worms. (I don't know if I don't like them, I've never tried them)
-I think she is 20 years old. (Alright, Brady gets ice cream for dinner!)