My new part time job

Lizzie enjoying the texture (but not taste!) of gravel. How Lizzie soothes herself (finger in mouth, rubbing ear).
I call this one Lizziebuns.

I cant' really call Lizzie a "job" because I wouldn't be watching babies unless they were like her. She is the happiest, easiest little girl to care for. Even Larry (who gave me a scare today by passing out while sweeping the floor and has been dizzy ever since) said "you've got it pretty easy with her" and "I've never had a baby besides my own smile at me so much".

Seriously, when I agreed to watch my friends daughter I was a little apprehensive on how this would affect my family. But she is such a peach, I know that we are going to do just fine with Little Lizzie in our home a few hours a week.

Two facts I'd like to make you all aware of:

1. No, watching Lizzie does not replace my other part time job, it's in addition too.

2. No, Lizzie does not make my ovaries twitch. I love that fact that she goes home every day at 5:00. Love it.

Now, I'm off to make another pitch to my darling husband about the importance of going to his doctor! I did tell on him to his mother, telling on him to her always seems to help my case ;)

3 hunts, 2 days.

Bolt and Trax the Easter Camel were the biggest hits of the baskets (besides the abundance of sugar).
Brady found a golden egg!

Natalie enjoys the thrill of the hunt.

Katie really wanted to open her own egg...

Anyone know how to fix "evil eye" on dogs?

Brady psyching out the competition before the bunny hop at my friend Elizabeth and Amy's neighborhood hunt... it was a lot of fun despite the rain!

Little Miss decided to cop a 'tude. She doesn't understand why we people in the NW still spend time outdoors when it's raining...

Our super-cute neighbor Jack found the golden egg at our neighborhood hunt (with a little assistance from Brady).

Oh Kate... look what you made me do!

So Kate and I made a woeful attempt to make Bakerella's Easter egg cake-pops. They were oval lumps of sweetness, they will be kept for private consumption. While we were making the pops, Kate asks "did you see the Easter baskets today?" I ran to the computer. Then I ran to the store the second she left my house (they didn't have any mini chocolate bunnies, bummer). I even used Kate's suggestion to edge my cupcakes in coconut for that Easter grass effect.

And Pikachu? Kate didn't have anything to do with that one... I fell into that mess all on my own. But Brady at least validated my efforts by recognizing who I was trying to create. It's a marshmallow Peep that I pinched and painted.

Two Questions for today:

What do you do when your son finds your stash of Easter basket goodies? Now what am I supposed to do Easter morning when all the crap in his basket is all too familiar?

And I'm having an "argument" about symantics with someone over sentence structure. She wants me to exchange the word "ensure" for "assure". I say they are synonyms and there is no point in changing the word except to please her. Opinions?

Awaiting Eaglets

The Hancock Wildlife Foundation has live cameras on a few eagle nests The one we are watching is the O.W.L. cam in Delta B.C., and the other two are on or around Vancouver island. It's live streaming and it's pretty fun to check in on the eagles throughout the day.
Click on their name and it will take you to the live cam site and you can choose your eagle family to watch!

Not enough D

Two of my very favorite people:
Happy Birthday, Tracy!

2 of the 3 Eagles soaring over our head while we had lunch on our deck.

36!!?? Take that back! We don't like that kind of language around here!

Orange smiles at an impromptu picnic while moms weeded.

Filthy feet give the best ear rubs...

What do they teach these kids at school?

I was hoping that the wonderful sun on Monday would lift my piss-poor mood, but it had little lasting effect.

Not to say I haven't been having fun an being active all week, I'm just doing so with a furrowed brow. Maybe I fell on a stick while gardening and forgot to pull it out, I don't know.

I weeded our veggie garden (which Larry and the kids seeded today); scooped up a winters worth (of two 100 pound dogs) of poop (I think the garbage man was happy that his job is an automated one this week); planted my herb garden and some other bits in pots; walked around the track with the dog and kids (they have 3 dirt mounds at the high school; so Brady is thoroughly entertained); went to Everett with Kate and all our children to the Everett Children's museum and sat on the roof and soaked up some sun, had a late lunch at Carls Jr. (yes they have one in Marysville!); and then I had to work all day today. In a position I'm not really proficient at (I am not without skill, though). With a boss that said 1 word to me today (that wasn't strictly work related): bye.

But never fear! My family came running to greet me at the door with lots of hugs and kisses, and lots more hugs and kisses throughout the evening. Brady and I didn't argue once today! Sometimes it pays off being gone 10 hours of the day!

Happy Birthday Tracy!

I have pictures and such from the first beautiful, actually warm day of the year. And it happened to fall on Tracy's birthday!!!
I have suddenly become exceedingly tired and am going to go plop myself down and will post pic's tomorrow.

A mild case of baby fever, I think it's passed.

I'm pretty immune to "wanting" another child. Anyone who knows my children understands ;)
I actually really enjoyed being pregnant, I just don't like the first few months afterward. I like sleep, I like a little autonomy. And Larry and I both really enjoyed our vacation to CA last fall where our children were independent and we all got to enjoy our vacation (you know, going to the beach and Larry got to boogie board, I got to lay out, and the kids spent all day playing. No naps, no diapers, no bottles.)
And then I met Sebastian. He is my friend Jacqueline's son (Jacqueline was a good friend of mine from Shoreline CC). He's 6 months old. And he is one happy baby. We were visiting because Jacqueline's twins just turned 3 years old. Jacob and Victoria. They're pretty cute too. I was still holding Sebastian when it was time to leave, and even tried the old "well I've got my party favor" line to see what kind of reaction I would get. Are they too overwhelmed to have a baby right now? Maybe they would say "enjoy him! bring him back when he turns 3!". But no. I surrendered him vowing to myself that I would visit Jacqueline more.

Oh look, we having matching cheeks!
Jacob, mom Jacqueline, and Victoria. Yes, they're twins!

"You see, mom..." Old blue eye.
Princess Victoria.

Brady has always eaten his pizza backwards.