Mariner Game - June 08

Justin’s work sponsored a Mariners night on Friday. The plan was for me and the girls to meet Justin downtown. After an already stressful week, dealing with traffic and trying to find a free parking spot just about threw me over the edge. I finally pulled into a $15 parking area and decided to just pay the hefty price. Unfortunately, I only had $7 of cash. That was the last straw. I told Justin to come out of the ball field and meet us (with thousands of people walking around that was an ordeal of its own). The girls and I went inside while Justin parked the car (miles away in a free parking spot… sometimes I think we are way too cheap.)

There were only 3 rows higher than ours and it was a cold, windy evening. Winter coats, gloves, and blankets would have made things much more comfortable. We had plenty of snacks though. Justin’s work provided a goodie bag with lots of munchies for the game. (That kennel corn is seriously addicting!). In addition, Justin bought the girls a big pack of Starbursts and a Snickers bar for me.

(Not the best seats in the stadium, but free)

(We had a great view of the Seattle skyline)


We lasted til the bottom of the 7th inning. The Mariners were not having a good night… maybe it was the whole Friday the 13th thing. The girls were on a serious sugar high and talked non-stop all the way to our free parking spot and during the drive home. We had a good time in spite of the stress and cold.

(Meeting the Mariner Moose - Carly had just gotten hurt in the kids area so she wasn't the most excited to put on a happy face)

Cruisin'

Jason’s movement update:

• Although he first rolled over way back in January, Jason hasn't rolled much until the last month, he is finally rolling both directions without difficulty
• From a sitting position he can slowly turn himself in a circle
• He can occasionally pull himself up onto something into a standing position
• He can not get into or out of a sitting or standing position without help
• He is cruising around furniture (see video below)

Mariner Game - May 08

Memorial Day week was a long work week for me. I had Monday off, of course, but worked late each evening and did not see the kids again (awake) until Saturday. I had promised the girls a while back that I would take them to the game on the Sounder train. I talked up bringing treats and playing at the playland near Safeco's center field and riding the really tall escalators. While we went to the game, Holly stayed home with Jason. Abigail and Carly were excited to get free "Marineros" caps upon entering the ballpark. I guess the theme was celebrating Latin America baseball or something like that. Anyways, we got a big bag of caramel kettle corn and brought a few snacks, too. I learned you can never really bring enough snacks to the game. The girls could eat them nonstop. Abigail and Carly thought it was pretty cool to watch the roof cover the field as the rain started to fall. Riding the train that dad rides to work was a thrill as well though Abigail complained it moved too slow. I think the girls had a really good time, at least enough that they want to go back this week on the tickets provided by work!

I will always remember going to a Mariner game with my dad a couple years ago. Behind us was a dad with his two girls probably between 10-12 years old. These girls were amazing. They knew the stats of all the players, how the players stood in the batter's box, their fielding position, their number, everything. I was so impressed. This is my attempt at perking the girls interest in these types of sporting events. I figure if they have good experiences now maybe they will have more interest later.

Rain, Rain Go Away

I can’t believe its June already. It feels like March here. It’s been cold and rainy for way too long. Abigail only has one week left of school… maybe then we’ll see some sunshine. I know it’s been a long time since I’ve posted. We’ve got a lot going on right now, but we’re all doing well. Here are a few pictures from the past few weeks:

While Justin was working late, the kids and I ate dinner at the park (one of the few days it didn’t rain)

Jason likes to spend most of his time on his feet and has started to “cruise” around. Few problems with that: #1 - he can’t get himself onto his feet (not quite pulling himself up very well), #2 - he’s not very stable, #3 – he can’t get down (occasionally he’ll fall gracefully, but more often he just falls).

Look Mom, I’m on the wall

Note: His Grandma Fletcher gave him the shirt pictured here. It says “If you think I nap a lot… you should see my Grandpa” (with a picture of Grandpa snoozing in his lazyboy)… so true. Speaking of sleeping, Jason slept in this morning until almost 10am (going to bed at 7pm) and I didn’t have to get up at all during the night to feed him or help him find one of the many binkies in his bed… yeah, Jason!

10 Years

This is my family.

This picture was taken 10 years ago, on my 21st birthday. It was a week after we found out my Dad had an inoperable brain tumor. My Dad past away two months later. His funeral was the last time all my siblings have been together. This afternoon I received an email that all six of us will be together this summer at our family reunion. I’m thrilled!

10 years
6 marriages
3 divorces
11 births
2 deaths

Needless to say my family has changed a lot in the last decade – time for a new family picture… ten years is too long!

Random

Cursed - (Genesis 3:17-18) “…cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles (weeds and mushrooms, too) shall it bring forth…” Our family spent Memorial Day outside. The girls played with neighbors and friends while Justin and I did yard work…. all day long. It amazes me how long it takes to weed our small yard. My legs are still sore from all the squatting. In the end it was worth all the hard work. My backyard makes me happy.

Does anyone know how to get rid of mushrooms??? I can’t seem to keep them away!


Bravery – Abigail had her first cavity filled yesterday. According to our dentist (he tends to be overly cheesy at times) “she is the best young patient he’s had in 28 years of dentistry.” I think he said the same thing when she went to the dentist for the first time on her 3rd birthday. They’ve always been able to take all the x-rays on both my girls. I’m not sure where they get their bravery from. I have a very low threshold for pain. The girls don’t even cry getting immunizations. By the time each of the girls went in for their two year check-ups they were brave enough to endure it without a tear.


Aliens – Stephenie Meyer released her first adult novel this month, “The Host” and I got my copy last week from the library. However, I didn’t want to start reading it before our camping trip. I wasn’t sure I could handle reading about aliens invading human bodies while sleeping outside in a tent. The five minutes around the campfire talking about bears was bad enough (and yes Chrystie, we do have bears in Seattle). So I started reading Saturday morning and finished yesterday. 619 pages in three days (with three kids) is fast for me. I obviously really enjoyed it and couldn’t put it down. Not as much action as the Twilight series, but well worth the read.

Tip of the Day

Do you ever have problems with your aluminum foil and keeping it in the box as you unroll it and tear it out? My mom dropped by while we were camping on Friday night and shared a little tip. On each end of the box of aluminum foil there is a little notch that can be pushed in to hold the roll in place. There have been so many times when that roll comes out and to think I had no idea there was a solution for it. I especially have problems tearing out the clear plastic wrap out of the box. Same solution available. Amazing I never knew about these.

Camping

We’ve been camping every Memorial Day weekend since Carly was two months old. Our favorite campground is in Carnation. There’s plenty of open area for the kids to play, a paved loop perfect for riding bikes, a river to cool off in, flushy toilets and hot showers. In previous years we’ve camped in the pouring rain (unfortunately more often than not) and the blazing heat. This year we had near perfect weather. It was even warm enough on Saturday for the girls to play in the river. We set up camp early Friday afternoon and stayed until Saturday night. Justin and I successfully cooked meals in our Dutch oven and made a delicious peach cobbler. I wasn’t sure how well Jason would do, but he slept through the night and even took his naps in the tent without any objections! It was a short trip for us, but we all had a great time.

Getting ready for smores… yum, yum!

Carlyism

My Dad used the term “Hollyism” to describe things I said that didn’t quite make sense. Although, they always made perfect sense to me.

In our house we have “Carlyisms”. I really need to keep a notepad handy so I can write these things down. She cracks me up! Here are a few she said recently:

A recent prayer went something like this, “please bless that we didn’t run into anyone and crash their car and then take us somewhere.”

Carly: Can I have a bar?
Mom: A what??
Carly: From him who makes them (pointing to the picture of the Quaker man)

This morning as I was feeding Jason some leftover baby food, Carly said, “If he finishes those two I want to give him chicken little dinner.” (chicken noodle)

Yesterday I was listening online to the popular song “Apoligize” by OneRepublic. The chorus repeats the lyrics “it’s too late to apologize”. In her adorable four-year-old voice Carly sang, “it’s too late for papa johns.” If you listen closely it really does sound close.

I'm Ready

I just read over the last post (written by Justin). He doesn’t post very often so I’m sure as some of you started reading it, you may have been a bit confused. Holly went to DC? Holly went to DC with her DAD?? Wow, that would be an incredible trip considering my Dad past away nearly 10 years ago. Washington DC isn’t on my list of places I most want to visit, but to be there with my Dad, I’d go anywhere. Justin and I aren’t in the best position to travel together (without children) so I’m glad he was able to take advantage of the opportunity and spend that time with his Dad. I think it’s my turn to start planning a trip. Wouldn’t you agree? Justin says as long as I only spend as much money on my trip as he spent on DC. Unfortunately my boss isn’t nearly as generous as his. Actually, I think Justin realizes I could use a little time away as well and I think a week with the kids would be good for him too.

Justin's Trip to Washington DC

My dad and I spent the week in Washington DC last week. We were able to build in some sight seeing around 3 days of tax training sponsored by Georgetown University. We took the Sunday night redeye to Baltimore (BWI) and arrived early Monday morning. I requested to be seated in a row with no one else in it so I could lay down and sleep the whole way. As my luck would have it, I picked a row where none of the arms go up. Luckily another lady volunteered to switch rows with me. My dad ended taking advantage of the 3 empty seats while I took his emergency row seat. Planes really are not built for the comfort of tall people.


A few of the highlights:

Holocaust Museum

Newseum

Library of Congress

Buca di Beppo, Fuddruckers, Cosi

Tour of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing(where money is made)

Monuments

(Washington, WWII, Vietnam, Lincoln, Korean War, FDR, Jefferson)

Smithsonian Museums

(Air & Space pictured here)

Mt. Vernon (George Washington's home)

Arlington National Cemetery

Capitol Building

JOY

We all encounter faces that bring us instant joy. Maybe it’s the huge smile your baby greets you with in the morning. Or the look of a child completely absorbed in a book. I have no doubt that all parents love seeing the peaceful face of a sleeping child. This is one of the faces that always makes me smile.

Jason moved out of his infant seat this week (long overdue). And although he’ll still be rear facing, his new seat won’t allow me to see him watching me while I drive. I love turning around and seeing those big eyes smiling at me.

Park

Last night we headed to the park for dinner and some family fun.

Nine Months!

I know people say this all the time, but seriously, I can hardly believe my baby is already nine months old. I was holding him in front of my bathroom mirror today and he’s gotten so big. Today he had his checkup with the pediatrician. He currently weighs 21 lbs. 3.4 oz and measures 29 ½ inches long.

I mentioned that we had some "rough moments” last week between Jason having a cold and cutting his first tooth. Today the doctor noticed Jason has a lot of fluid in his ears. Apparently he may have also had an ear infection. As far as I know this is the first ear infection any of my kids has had, although I’m still unclear if Jason is getting over one or if he may be getting one. Anyhow, the Dr. said if he started to act cranky to call in and they’ll prescribe some antibiotics.

Other than that, Jason is doing really well. I was encouraged to give him some more tummy time. Jason still chooses not to roll over and doesn’t seem to have any desire to crawl, but he loves being on his feet.

I took this picture yesterday. I rarely see him sleeping. He always goes to bed awake and never falls asleep in my arms. I went into his room to wake him up so we could get the girls to swim lessons (oh, how I hate waking up a sleeping baby). He had his blanket up over his face and when I pulled it back he didn’t wake up. I couldn’t resist taking a few pictures. So sweet.

Working the System

Two years ago our yard underwent a complete renovation – tons of hard work and quite a bit of money, but we’ve loved the results. However, there’s one variety of plants that started to spread and little shoots would pop out in nearby areas. Check this out:

(We couldn't save that poor purple plant in the middle)

I called the warranty lady at the landscaping company (kindly explaining that we made it clear we wanted a low-maintenance yard) and after several weeks she agreed to send someone out to help pull out the shoots and prune them back. The plants are only under warranty for the first twelve months and they would only replace dead plants, not plants we don’t end up liking. So they could have easily told me “Too bad, your loss.” Anyhow, when a gal came out she tried to fix the problem, but soon realized it wasn’t an easy task (she didn’t want to do it herself). We talked it over and decided it would be an on-going problem (they will continue to spread, even if we pull out this years shoots). I told her I’d like them completely removed then. She said she would send one of their employees out do it another day. She took several pictures to show the warranty lady and we bonded as we talked about how horrible the situation was. I was friendly as I expressed my disappointment about having to be liable to replace all the plants (we planted 17) and asked her to relay all we discussed to the powers that be. Within a few hours I received a phone call and was told not only will they pull them all out, but they will replace them all and bring in new dirt and bark to make it look as great as it should. Wow, I hoped for this result, but didn’t really expect it. I was hesitant to call and look stupid thinking they owed us anything, but just shows that it pays to ask.

Here’s a picture of a few of the plants after they were dug up. The plants filled up the entire back of their work truck. It took the guy over five hours to fix everything.

Over the years I’ve gotten some killer deals on things. I think you have to expect great things, but not demand them. Here’s one of my favorite and proudest:

June 2005: Our freezer wasn’t working great. It was no longer under warranty but I decided to pay for them to come out and look at it. They ordered a part to get it fixed. In the meantime they gave us a credit so we could purchase a freezer until they could get ours working. It was a big enough credit to purchase a large upright freezer which we put in our garage. I even purchased one that wasn’t their brand and they still paid for it. THEN, they couldn’t get the part in to fix the freezer in the house, so they ended up replacing the entire 4+ year old fridge and freezer for FREE and we got to keep the freezer they bought in our garage. Best deal we’ve ever gotten and I didn’t even have to pay the small fee to have them come out in the first place.

I like to think that I am an awesome deal getter, but maybe, just maybe, this is one of the blessings we’ve received from always paying a full tithing... Maybe it’s a little of both.

Sunshine

Saturday was a beautiful day. It seems like I always go into a weekend hoping we will get lots of things done around the house, but we hardly scratch the surface. Disappointing for me, but I think the girls would say it was a perfect day for them. Justin and the girls went on a long bike ride and ate lunch at the park. They both LOVE riding along with their Dad and want to go any chance they can. I wouldn’t be surprised if Carly is riding on two-wheels this summer.

Like me, Carly needs her shades on anytime the sun is out. The sunshine is so foreign to us lately that we didn’t think to put sunscreen on the kids. The both have sunkissed cheeks and bright red farmer tans.

The girls also played outside with a few of the neighborhood kids (always a great time). That evening we enjoyed our first outdoor BBQ of the year. Love that Famous Dave's BBQ sauce!

Jason has finally mastered drinking from a cup – yippee!! What a big boy… he’s nine months old today!

They're Here

For the last year it’s seems like our house has been all about losing teeth. As fun as that is, I’ve been waiting for Jason to get some teeth. He wants to eat everything we are eating and I’d feel much more comfortable giving him food if he actually had some teeth to chew with. Jason will be nine months old on Sunday so it’s about time. Abigail got her first tooth at six months and Carly was five months.

Okay, so I know the whole snot situation is a little disgusting but it’s the best I could do. Between cutting his first tooth and dealing with a cold, we’ve had some rough moments this past week.

All sorts of crazy...

Abigail has allergies: she’s allergic to nuts, eggs, fish, trees, dogs, cats, etc… She used to be allergic to milk, peas, and beans, but she’s thankfully outgrown these. Almost a year ago we took Abigail off of Singular, an asthma medication she had been taking for three years. Things seemed to be okay. Her asthma would really only bother her when she was sick or traveling. The past week though she’s been coughing a lot. It’s so hard to tell if it’s asthma or a cold. She’ll seem fine otherwise until the end of the afternoon and then she’s so wiped out she’ll just lay around for hours. I kept her home from church on Sunday, but she’s been fine at school all week. Then this morning she’s wiped out and not sure she can go to school… What’s up? One minute she’s running around the next she’s out. I rarely take my kids to the doctor, but a few more days of this and I may have to.

Then there's our little man Jason. It’s nearly noon and he still hasn’t woke up!! Justin put him to bed last night around 7 pm. He did wake up last night around 1 am and struggled to get himself back to sleep, but come on… isn’t this a bit extreme?

So not to leave out our crazy little Carly, I’ll share part of her prayer she said at lunch last week. “...please bless Daddy that he won't get taken from the policeman and that he'll be grateful to be at work." I’d love to look into her thoughts and see where she was going with this… so funny!

Little Mother

Have I mentioned how much I love this girl?!?

Last night Jason woke up a few times so this morning I was even more tired than usual. I could hear him in his room this morning babbling. As usual Abigail was already up and quietly reading downstairs. She came up to my room and asked me if she could go talk to Jason… the girls are always excited to be the first to greet him each morning. So for the next half hour she played with him in his room. I finally got up and got him out of his crib and laid him on the floor. Abigail again spent the next 15-20 minutes entertaining him while I rested. (I sound horribly lazy, don’t I?) Eventually I dragged myself out of bed, again, and dressed Jason in the clothes Abigail had already picked out. We came downstairs (Abigail carried down a pile of diapers to the garage) and I put him in his chair with some cheerios to keep him happy while I went into the office to check my email. When I returned several minutes later Abigail had put a bib on him and was feeding him his leftover applesauce from the fridge. It was then that I recognized how amazing my six year-old daughter is. She essentially took care of Jason most of the morning without being asked. She is such a huge help to me everyday. While I finished feeding him she got out her leftover pancakes from last nights dinner and heated them up in the microwave for breakfast. I love this girl!

The Instincts of a Mother

I’m sure I’m not the only mother who has worried about her baby falling out of bed on those nights they’ve slept next to you. There have been times I’ve even dreamt of my baby rolling out of bed. I wake up as I desperately try to save them, only to find that they are sound asleep in their own room. Last night I had some crazy dreams.

I could sense my baby rolling near the edge of the bed. I lurched toward him to catch him from falling. He hollered out in pain. It wasn’t my baby. It was Justin. And I didn’t save him from falling, but I did stop him from rolling over.

This morning as Justin was getting ready he noticed that I left a two inch scratch across his chest.

Thank heavens it wasn’t my baby!

What's for dinner?

My friend Chrystie tagged me. I’m supposed to post what we eat for dinner during an average week. Chrystie thought she was bad, but I’m about to make her look really good.

I never know what time Justin will be getting home. It depends on IF he can get out of the office in time to catch his bus into Seattle AND whether that bus gets to Seattle in time to catch the train home. If he drives to work that usually means he’s either coming home just in the nick of time for me to leave or he has to work late – either way we don’t eat together very often. To try and have a meal ready when he gets home from work doesn’t work for us. Besides that we’re pretty frugal when it comes to groceries. Neither one of us can just go to the store and buy whatever we need for a meal. If it’s not on sale, chances are we won’t buy it. Now that I’d expressed my excuses… lets get on with it. I thought it would be easiest to just go over what we ate this past week.

Sunday: Justin is a good cook so he usually cooks on Sunday since that’s the day he actually has the time. This past week he cooked chicken enchiladas. They turn out different every time, but always yummy. We heated up a can of black beans and a box of Mexican Rice-a-Roni. (He makes really good Mexican rice from scratch too, but he wanted to take the easy route this time). Justin also makes paella at least once a month.
Monday: I can’t remember. Typical meals include: spaghetti, funeral potatoes w/country fried steak (frozen), and stir-fry. I have a few other favorite meals, but since they require more time we don’t have them as often.
Tuesday: I was at the dentist till nearly 7 pm so Justin was on duty. He said they just had leftovers.
Wednesday: The Papa Murphy’s special on Wednesdays is a 3-topping family size so we end up picking up a pizza at least once a month. Justin also takes a quick survey so we get free breadsticks too… delicious!
Thursday: Out to dinner at the local BBQ restaurant with Justin’s Dad.
Friday: Justin worked late so the girls and I ate leftovers.
Saturday: Justin went to the general priesthood meeting so the girls and I shared a Pasta-Roni boxed meal. But to my credit we made Panini sandwiches for lunch… they were fantastic! We’d typically either eat out on Friday or Saturday night.

So, there you have it. All you ladies can give yourselves a huge pat on the back and all you husbands can be grateful you married the women you did. In an effort to hide the shame I feel having revealed my poor cooking habits, I dare say no other mother of three spends less on groceries than I do (Justin can be proud of that).

I’ll tag Tami B. because I hear she’s looking for uncontroversial topics to blog about. ;)

Anyone game for a lock-down?

Since Jason was born I’ve had this constant feeling of being behind. On any given day I have several different things that NEED to get done. Hundreds of things that I WANT to get done. And thousands of things I SHOULD do. I usually accomplish all the NEED’s, but beyond that I barely scratch the surface.

Today as I run around the house straightening up, doing laundry, and taking care of the needs of my three children I found myself wishing for a mandatory lock-down. A week where we can’t leave our houses. No kids to get off to school. No husband spending all day (and sometimes all evening) at work. No errands to run. No extra-curricular activities to chauffeur the kids to. No pressure to squeeze in time at the gym. No phone to answer or emails to respond to. A complete cutoff from the world. Nothing but getting things done around the house. I wouldn’t just clean. I’d like to read a book without feeling guilty. Hang up the pictures I purchased several months ago. Watch a movie together as a family. Help Justin organize the garage (cause the likelihood of it happening without my help is slim, but I love him for trying.) I would start Jason’s scrapbook. Play games with my kids. Plant my garden and weed the yard. All important things, but things that constantly get neglected because of life.

Sitting at the Big Table

Last spring I sold our high chair at the garage sale for $15. It had been through three children (my two girls and one of my sister’s triplets). I decided I didn’t want anything that large taking up precious space in my kitchen. I don’t miss it at all. Our neighbors gave us their old booster seat that simply straps on to one of our existing chairs and wha-la.

Jason likes sitting at the table with us too.

It’s Spring???

For all you Utahns this is not unusual, but for us it is… especially in March.

The girls couldn’t resist any longer. They got bundled up and headed outside. When Justin got home from work he went out to join them (along with all the neighborhood kids).

It’s now 8:00 pm, dark outside, still snowing, and they are still out having fun.

Our Visit to Utah

As many of you know, Thursday, March 13th my Mom's husband, Jack passed away. Jason and I took the first flight to Utah on Friday morning to be with her and Justin and the girls drove down and arrived on Sunday afternoon. The funeral was held that Monday morning. All of my Mom's seven sisters were in town for my uncle's funeral and were able to attend Jack's as well. It was great to visit with my extended family, but wish it would have been under different circumstances.

Justin was able to take the entire week off of work so we could stay through Easter. While we were there we were able to celebrate my niece, Brynn’s eighth birthday.

My sister signed us up for the Easter Dive at the local swimming pool. There actually wasn’t any “diving” involved since the younger kids gathered eggs around the play area in the shallow end. It was fun to watch and the girls had a blast. Carly lost track of which basket was hers so there was a lucky little boy with a basket full of eggs. Thankfully, some other kids must have gotten confused as well because Carly still ended up with some eggs to trade in for prizes after all. After the egg hunt the kids were able to stay and swim too. Lots of fun (except for the lifeguard jumping into the pool to save Carly’s life)… Justin swears she was fine – better safe than sorry.

(Abigail's wearing the blue swimsuit in the middle)

Easter dinner was held at my brother’s house. With two funerals during the past week, we’d all had our fill of ham and funeral potatoes so they made yummy kabobs instead. While the Easter eggs were being hidden in the back yard, the younger kids did an egg toss in the front yard. It didn’t take long for the seagulls to catch the scent and come clean up… it was like a scene from the old black and white movie “The Birds” (minus the bloodshed, of course).

Here’s the cousins after the family Easter egg hunt (minus three who weren’t able to be in town).

The kids enjoyed spending the rest of the evening sorting their candy and playing store (I think my girls got taken advantage of by their older and obviously more bargaining experienced cousins)… they didn’t come home with hardly any chocolate… lots of jelly beans though. :)

Jason got lots of attention from everyone and was willing to let anyone hold him. Yeah! Too bad I couldn’t pass him off to someone else at night. Jason quickly caught on that if he made any peep at night I would be at his side in a split second, willing to do whatever necessary to keep him quiet. This made for some long nights. Thankfully, our first night home he was back to his “normal” self.

(Jason met his Uncle Ray for the first time)

I'm grateful to have been able to go to Utah to be with my family at such a difficult time. Jack was a great husband and my Mom was his world.

J's Photo Session

I have a lot to blog about with our recent visit to Utah, but I need to attack the mounds of email, laundry, and mail that’s accumulated before I look through all the pictures I took. (We just got home last night) While out of town, I received a cd with pictures of Jason I had taken a month ago. He wouldn’t smile for the camera and kept sucking in his lips, but I think we still got some cute ones.

Hoppy Easter!