tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51950095202136741282024-03-13T12:09:46.947-07:00JAMMaloriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08992237932840161610noreply@blogger.comBlogger347125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195009520213674128.post-64810992748573268302015-05-10T10:46:00.001-07:002015-05-10T10:46:56.082-07:00Bonnie Vance Hall<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bonnie Vance Hall<br />7 lbs 11 oz<br />20 inches<br />Born April 5, 2015 10:38 pm</td></tr>
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Bonnie Vance Hall was born on her due date, April 5, 2015 (Easter!). Her birth was a wonderful event that went better than I had hoped. It was conference Sunday and Easter so we had a very relaxing day with the kids finding eggs and Jon making a steak dinner. I had been feeling different for the past week, so although I wasn't quite due I was in a state of expectation at all times. I was really hoping to start labor on Saturday because my doctor was on call, but it didn't happen. I had my usual spell of gloom that happens with each child before labor begins, although looking back now I realize Saturday was my crazy nesting day where I was getting everything ready. On Sunday I started having painless contractions more regularly after conference ended but I mostly ignored them as I had this happen a couple times in the past week. They continued to be about ten minutes apart and after we put the kids to bed around seven thirty we settled on the couch with some homemade chocolate ice cream and episodes of a show. I was highly content and hoping that my contractions would eventually disappear, as I didn't feel like being in labor all night and not sleeping. I had this dream of having a mid morning (after commute traffic, of course) birth that had always eluded me. I decided that I would start tracking my contractions at 8:00 pm, to see if they were still regular or if it was false labor again. Exactly at 8:00 I started the timer and my contractions started being 2-3 minutes apart, and a little painful. I told Jon with disdain that this was likely labor. He didn't quite believe me, but after 15 minutes of contractions two minutes aparp growing in intensity I suddenly felt the need to get to the hospital. Meaning, I needed to actually pack my hospital bag. I finished throwing all my stuff in there (packing a hospital bag is so simple, I don't understand how people do it weeks ahead--it's just me throwing a bunch of toiletries and a change of clothes in there) and called the doctor who agreed I needed to go to the hospital right away. We called Nina to come stay with the kids, who weren't even asleep yet but climbing on the window sill and being crazy, and I paced by the door ready to run out to the car. I guess my internal knowledge that I was progressing quickly didn't quite register outward because Jon asked me several times if I thought I was actually in labor or if it was false labor. But when it's real, you know. I hate traveling in the car while getting contractions (who does) so I mentally told myself that I was going to slow things down to about five minutes between contractions. I guess it worked because I had about three in the 18-20 minute ride. It was about 9:00 pm when we got to the hospital. I started asking everyone to start filling the tub because I knew with Margot I got to the hospital dilated to an eight and this didn't feel too different. But they waited until after being monitored, asked all the questions, IV etc. I was an eight when they checked me and I got into the tub as soon as I could, even though it wasn't very full. I couldn't really find a good position for my contractions—everything felt awkward and I was feeling some aches in my back. Dr Williams who was on call (and I hadn't met of course) made some comments about the baby's position and I started to ask which way she was facing, and inwardly checking my mildly flat looking belly, remembering my paranoid questions to my doctor about what to look for if your baby is posterior--one of them being your bump having a little plateau at the top. Dr Williams stated that she looked like she was trying to turn a corner, as my birth canal is apparently made up of a few hairpin turns. I started to mildly panic, but since we didn't know for sure and I was about to start pushing, I realized there wasn't much I could do. I hit the contraction where I almost felt her crown, and it really felt more intense than anything I had remembered with my other two. I flipped on my back and the doctor stated she would be born on the next contraction. I reached down and caught her as she was born, which was a mixture of instinct and with the intensity the need to make sure that she was really going to be out on this next push, because I had no intent on another. She was placed in my arms and there she had her first breath. She was chubbier than everyone expected and born with a full head of dark hair! I was in a bit of shock about that. Then the doctor informed me that she was born fully posterior (face up instead of down), and I was so glad she kept that fact from me! I was so grateful and amazed that she was born so quickly (10:38 pm) in one push, posterior, with a water birth, and no damage done to me. Jon was amazed we were done already. I knew it was fast but I would not have wanted anything any longer! Jon was the perfect partner, offering me water constantly, which is about my only need in labor. I love seeing the doctor hand Bonnie to Jon for the first time as they cut the cord and move me from the tub to the bed. It's such a special moment and he looked so happy. She latched and nursed amazingly right away. I couldn't sleep much that night due to my delivery high and those crazy uterine contractions that really do get worse with each child.<br />
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Most of my time in the hospital was spent quietly looking at Bonnie and trying to catch up on some sleep. Theo and Margot came to visit with my parents and they were so sweet and just loved her immediately. Margot was content to eat a cookie instead of hold her at first, however.<br />
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I was so glad my parents came for two weeks. Watching the kids is such a big task and while my recovery was overall great I had some bad mastitis that hit and I was so glad hey were both there to help me get to extra appointments and take care of everything. And weed my yard. So amazing! My mom hardly had help with twins and a toddler of her own, and instead of passing on a "I did it with little help, you should too" mentality, she helps in every way she can and it was truly needed!<br />
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Bonnie is a cute little girl with the best chubby cheeks. We love her so much. She might be our most temperamental baby, and after two weeks has colicky episodes in the evening. I'm glad to have Jon help so much when he can. I might be sending Theo off to his preschool carpool in a bathrobe most mornings, but we are all slowly adjusting to this life with three children and love our little Bonnie. Or "Bon Bon," as the kids call her. Jon was the champion of her name, as usual. She was almost named something else but he always felt like her name would be Bonnie, and when it comes to names, he's always right! I chose Vance as her middle name as my grandma Naylor and all the wonderful loving memories of her have been with me throughout this pregnancy, and Vance is her maiden name.<br />
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<span id="goog_1633119900"></span><span id="goog_1633119901"></span><br />Maloriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08992237932840161610noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195009520213674128.post-40111646610437251842015-01-27T17:55:00.000-07:002015-01-28T18:35:53.097-07:00Homeowners!It has been about five months since we bought and moved into our new home. I was feeling behind about writing about it but I have needed a some time to emotionally settle in and really be very content and excited about our new house. Our search for a home began and ended within a few days, not the leisurely pace I expected, where we would see enough houses to really feel comfortable and know which one was "the one." The real estate market in Portland is very strong and and so a well-priced home will be gone within hours, with multiple offers, above asking price. My exact nightmare scenario for purchasing a home. When we walked through our eventual home I felt more of a sinking feeling, knowing that this was the one, but not in an excited way, but in a "Oh man, we are going to probably buy this house and I have to decide right this second" kind of way. I don't process large change very well--I get overwhelmed easily and was essentially in shock. After it was done, I couldn't even remember the details of the house. I did not take any "before" pictures--it felt silly and like taking a picture of someone else's house. Also, the owner was always there and liked to make things awkward at all times. The original wood floors were in terrible shape, it needed all new plumbing, and all the finishes were either outdated or not to my liking. It's easy to picture changing everything when walking through a house, but after closing it suddenly felt like too much to handle. I also found out I was pregnant right around all of this so I was essentially a crazy person. However, before we moved in we refinished the floors and removed some popcorn ceiling and it really started feeling so much better. The floors came out beautifully and they are my favorite part of the house. We were really ready to get out of our condo and let the kids be loud and run around without sharing walls with angry neighbors. Even though we all share a bathroom now. But we have a garage! It may not have automatic closing doors or drywall but its practical storage is beautiful to me.<br />
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After my parents visited and we coated all the interior walls of the house in a nice bright white (my dream for so long!), my mind really started settling. Many months later, we are still configuring and reorganizing and I have loved doing things that feel more permanent and grounding than when we rented. More importantly than scheming about new kitchen renovations, we have moved into a great neighborhood near some good friends of ours and kids Theo's and Margot's age nearby, a great school within walking distance, and a closer proximity to anywhere we want to go. I also have a very nice maple tree in the backyard that just makes me happy. Jon is doing big-boy things like entering crawl spaces, buying small power tools and replacing small appliances (with help). We are the most inexperienced and unknowledgeable DIY-ers in the world but we are figuring it out one doorbell replacement at a time. I'm so glad I had Jon to hold my hand through this process and trust in his confidence that this would be a great move for us. It has been, and we are excited for everything the future holds!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After sanding</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished! I love all the different colors and character in the wood grain.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We got a pretty new dishwasher installed</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first night in the house we ate ice cream on the back porch.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Margot decided to start climbing out of her crib the first weekend we moved in. It's tradition!</td></tr>
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<br />Maloriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08992237932840161610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195009520213674128.post-50462517631266378492014-10-22T17:53:00.001-07:002014-10-22T17:53:07.081-07:00Outdoorsy attempts 2014I hate going backwards in my blog posts. But the last few months have been so crazy that I've fallen behind. Actually, I find that when things are really bad or really good, I don't blog as much. The really bad times are few, but the last year I would classify as a good/busy time. So I'm going back to summer a bit and I'll catch up to everything that's happened, like buying a house and moving. Oh, and being pregnant. That doesn't really deserve a post, it just is my state at present.<div>
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After camping once last year at the end of summer, we were excited to try to do it more this summer. We are camping/outdoorsy amateurs at best, and we hope that by the time our kids are older we will become seasoned professionals. So we selected a weekend in June and geared up. As the week approached the forecast said rain. But we're Portlanders, right? It rains for a few minutes, clears up and then gorgeous weather appears, mocking those who feared a little moisture and stayed home. At least that's how I imagined the weekend going. Not really imagined as much as expected. I was determined to camp for some strange reason. We got our stuff together, so much stuff--and our new 8 man huge tent, and food and all the clothes we would need for all the different weather we might encounter in the mountains. Choosing to camp in 70% chance of rain was probably our first mistake, leaving our coats on our bed was probably the second. (Note--don't do all your packing the day of the trip.) I luckily had a rain coat that saved my life, Jon had a light rain jacket that made things not terrible. We met David and Vanessa there, and in a tiny window of sunshine set up our tent. Then, it started raining more and to my complete and utter surprise, did not let up. All evening and all night. The Wilkes had bought a canopy shelter on the way that we used over the picnic table, otherwise I'm not sure what we would have done. Eaten hot dogs in our tents? The kids luckily still thought it was fun, running around in their rain boots (I had to buy some ugly ones from Fred Meyer on the way, as I foolishly got rid of mine during a great purge in a past move) and playing in our hotel tent. The campsite itself was really great, very private and woodsy. The adults stood by the fire in the rain all night, shifting every once in a while to drain the puddles on the top of our hoods. I honestly still thought it was fun. I am not quite sure why. Sleeping in a tent in the rain is the best part, because it drowned out any little noise that would wake me and put me in "bear alert" mode. The next morning, we made a fire in the continuing rain and walked over to Trillium Lake, which is a very beautiful place. Apparently you can see Mt Hood right in your face if it's not insanely cloudy. We just saw clouds. We also tried to fish for about two seconds, then packed up our tent in another lucky patch of sun/light rain and went back home. We were all rain drenched and dirty and tired and unpacking that van and hauling it up the stairs to our apartment was where my attitude finally shifted to a more dark place. But luckily on the way home we stopped at an estate sale that was a single woman who was a buyer at Nordstroms and had size 10 (!) feet and a ton of Ferragamo heels. They were actually all a little too big for me, but this event was so rare that I really just appreciated being there. I also got a pair of leather gloves. I usually struggle to even fit vintage gloves over my knuckles so it was a treat. This wonderful woman must have been tall. My odd large extremities were happy. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't look so sad, Theo. It's not raining! Also during both trips I found that all my photos were minimal and poorly executed. Kind of like what you would find in your 1991 family photo album at home, and part of me likes that.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half of camping.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nellie here is showing off what was officially our flashlight.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We weren't the only poor souls that camped that weekend, but at least we weren't stuck on a boat during the random and frequent downpours.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Say what you will about Forever 21, but this raincoat was waterproof and saved my life. So did my FM plaid boots.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Theo actually thinks he's doing something useful here.</td></tr>
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After that less than ideal trip, I wanted to try camping again, but in great weather. I couldn't end the summer with our only camping experience being a sogfest. In mid July we decided to start the process of buying a house, and five days later, we were sitting on an accepted offer and I was freaking out a little. Then the inspections and more inspections and blah blah blah... it was Labor Day weekend and we moved. (And Mackenzie's baby was born the morning of our move--it was a lot!) But I still wanted to go camping. So Jon booked the only site available in mid September and we and the Wilkes decided to try our luck again. This time, trying to pack ahead of time (almost did that, ish), going for two nights instead of one (never do one night unless you don't have kids, it's way too much stuff and too much work!). Still didn't get running water and flushable toilets, but oh well. (Not really, I'm not doing that again...) Our campsite was right on the Clackamas river, which is a wonderful whitewater river that provides the most amazing white noise at night. We even bought a little camping hammock and after the first night I sat in it and read while our kids played. The weather was beautiful, even a little hot. Margot and Theo had never ending enthusiasm for grilling hot dogs over the fire and roasting marshmallows for other people and just eating the raw ones. Margot got amazingly dirty, the kind of dirty I used to see in other young children camping growing up and dreaded. She looked like a coal mine worker, but they had a great time. Night time was full of Theo and Margot playing in her pack and play and goofing around, but ended up sleeping relatively well. The second night Theo was having a hard time sleeping because our rain fly was off the tent and the trees above looked all shadowy and spooky in the remaining light. I went in to see what was wrong, and he told me was scared, and then he asked me if we could pray so the Holy Ghost could come and protect them and make him feel better so he could sleep. He gave the sweetest prayer and then went to sleep. He had such a pure intent faith that it made my heart melt. The second day we went to another part of the river and tried fishing again (I wanted to get a little use out of my license I bought). I really had high hopes I would catch something, but between the hot weather and the tubers floating down the river, we got nothing. Maybe next year. I'm not sure what we would do if we actually caught a fish anyway...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second try, Clackamas River. I forgot to mention the morning we were leaving we had to go home a back way because the road by us was blocked due to a huge forest fire we had seen on the hill the day before. A little scary!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crawdad! Theo kept yelling, "Lomster! Lomster!"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get in a hammock, and this is what happens 90% of the time.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon reading to the kids. Theo in his sleeping bag, Margot in a wearable one.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our sling shot finally got some more use!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nellie and Vanessa are also in this photo. David's brother came and showed us up with his super deluxe double hammock.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vanessa took this of me fishing. I am so good at not catching anything. </td></tr>
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Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10428444891658939285noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195009520213674128.post-91287755506006127952014-08-14T10:49:00.002-07:002014-08-14T10:49:27.929-07:00Like weeds, I tell ya!Margot is two, Theo is four. We have a family with a couple of full-on children!<br />
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Margot at two is probably one of the most enjoyable things I have experienced. She is the bittiest, talkiest, sassiest, snuggliest and sweetest little girl. All notions of her calmness and extreme ease has been forgotten. She loves to sing (Let it Go of course, with all other Frozen songs mixed in by memory, lots of church songs, ABC's, you name it) and I have noticed she is awake from her nap more than once by hearing an extremely loud, shrill, high pitched voice launch into whatever song is her favorite at the moment. She will still have moments of shyness with strangers (and she has yet to sing a word in nursery), but today a guy asked her about her name, and while Theo has always answered for her, today she said "umm... umm.... I Margot." While the term "ear piercing" is a common term, it honestly describes Margot's scream the best. Sometimes I feel like I'm going to black out when I'm getting blasted by her siren. She loves telling you what she wants, when she wants it, and who it belongs to (always, MINE!! and "I had it, FIRST!!"). While this can cause some tension during her playtime with Theo, they have been playing very well together. They love to play hide and seek, or push each other in a car or their Thomas push toy, and play "What you having?"--where Theo and Margot ask each other the question, the answer is food of some kind, and they run off and come back and pretend to deliver what they wanted. It's very cute. Margot is very interested in Theo's Legos, although at first she would chew on them a bit and even stuck a tiny cone-shaped one up her nose that we had to shoot out. Using the method we learned during the great pinto bean episode, of course. She takes great pride in doing things herself lately, like putting on a dress, buckling her car seat, climbing into her carseat (sooo slowly!), and carrying around Theo's backpack. She only likes the frosting off of cupcakes and cookies. She eats well generally but has been skittish around trying new fruits and vegetables. Well, she doesn't eat a lot of different vegetables right now actually. She only drinks milk in a bowl with granola in it. String cheese might be her favorite food. Her curly hair makes me so happy, as well as her excited cries of "Mommy! It's MEE!!" when I get her out of her crib. She still uses a pacifier to sleep with, but after she wakes up quickly says "night night, pop" and drops it in her crib.<br />
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Theo right now is very vibrant and imaginative. Imaginary play takes up almost all of his time, and while he loves his Cranky crane and Matchbox cars, he got a small Lego set for his birthday and they are played with more than anything in the house. He's learned how to follow the instructions and make cars and helicopters by himself, which for me as the initial main builder is a relief. Although I secretly love to put them together. It might be strange to hear but while growing up around my brother's Legos I had no idea they had instructions to make certain things! I thought they were just random blocks that my brother magically made into jets. I made them into large stable rectangles and houses of varying sizes. I think they might be his next new "thing" and will probably be around for a long time. Theo loves playing with his friends. His best friend Elli recently moved away, which has been sad but we still have been able to see her a couple times in Hood River. He has a couple other friends from preschool and church that he gets along really well with, and they all cause their teachers some frustration together sometimes with their rowdiness. Theo is fairly confident, even on a playground with older kids he hasn't met. His favorite color is still pink, and I let him pick out some pink flip flops the other day. I'm not sure how long his pink obsession will last (although it's been a long time) and I really enjoy watching him derive a lot of pleasure from liking the things he does based solely on his own thoughts and feelings. I get worried about the peer pressure of others and dread the day he comes home telling me pink is a "girl" color (it's not!). He is very aware of "boy" and "girl" differences, things I don't tell him but he somehow picks up from other kids or shows or something. He's starting three day preschool soon and I know he's going to love it. He is in a gymnastics class now with just boys, and they have started working on more advanced exercises. He loves his teacher "Coach Dale"--he's a middle aged guy with the energy of the six 4-year-olds he teaches. Making him proud and earning a high five really makes Theo's day. Theo loves to snuggle in the morning still and will often tell me, "Mommy, I love you so much." He's so sweet and has the cutest little freckles on his nose that match his boyishness exactly. His long hair is gone--a few months ago after struggling to keep it out of his face for gymnastics, he refused any sweatband or hair tie ("it's for mommies and Margots!") and asked to get his hair cut. He became more aware the most boys didn't have hair like him and so we took him to get it cut. He looked so different it was like his first hair cut all over again! I loved his long hair so much but I also love being able to see more of his beautiful face. Theo loves babies lately and will always want to lightly touch them and remarks on their cuteness. He keeps asking me for a baby!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preschool at teacher Missy McConkie's-- From left Jacob, Theo, Truman, Rueben, Gabe </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Margot's birthday at the farmer's market</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mini Olympics with Teacher Jane</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Made Margot a birthday dress</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We have had a lot of warm days to swim in our pool this summer.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Theo's birthday party at a splash pad park, I got hardly any pictures but it was a bunch of friends squirting water at each other and eating pink cupcakes. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously, this was about they only blurry picture I took during the party. It was too much fun!</td></tr>
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<br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10428444891658939285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195009520213674128.post-23263939855617858502014-06-12T14:21:00.001-07:002014-06-12T14:21:48.658-07:00Us updateI guess it takes a lot of motivation to blog when your previous post was about Hawaii. Children's birthdays and subsequent updates are upon us but I decided that an adult update should come first.<br />
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I know I spent almost a year on a desert island where time was seemingly abundant and people un-abundant, but for some reason my personal development/hobbies were severally lacking. Maybe it was the infant baby, maybe the two year old tantrums, maybe the sadness--in the end living to see another day and catching up on hulu seemed to be my main goal most of the time. I did through necessity develop my cooking skills and knowledge, but I didn't feel hardly any desire to start any big sewing projects or try something new. (I think just living in the desert wilderness could have counted as something new--as well as cactus needle removal and snake avoidance.) I did knit, however, thanks to my sister! I know they (meaning Mary Engelbreit) say "bloom where you're planted," but I felt like I was a flower planted in the completely wrong climate. But now that I'm back in a nice, rainy, temperate zone, I feel a desire to branch out and develop those parts of myself that make me, me. I have felt much more motivated to become involved in things that make me happy. I made Margot her first dress ever for Easter. After sewing so many things over the years I can't believe I hadn't made her a dress yet, but I never felt like doing so until now. I also made a dress for myself, and have a goal to make at least 3-4 shirts for summer. I've been learning Spanish almost daily via an app on my phone for over six months now, and I'm still not very good at all but it feels really good to be able to speak very broken Spanish with Jon. Lately it's "How many patients did you see today?" Jon got me a mandolin for my birthday, and I'm working through a beginner book. I love learning a new instrument, especially one that comes pretty naturally after the violin. Pretty soon I'll be bluegrass jamming all over the place, if one can do that. I've also had many opportunities to play the violin in the church, including pieces that challenge me to practice regularly and often to develop a technique further than I ever have before. I've eaten a bunch of strange things (and liked them!). I tried a new weight lifting class (liked it!). I tried another fitness class that felt like interpretive dance (kind of liked it!). I started regularly washing my face. I had four houseplants. Now I have two, but I still want to try and have more. Ironically, probably more cacti.<br />
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I can't say I'm doing an adult update and leave Jon out, even though he prefers to be mentioned on this blog as little as possible. He is really enjoying his work at the clinic, and his patients have seemed to double since he started. I'm really proud of the work he does and the people he has helped who come to him in pain and distress. While he enjoys his work we all really enjoy his four day workweek and spending extra time together. He still runs as often as he can. He's the number one supporter and helper in my homemade ice cream/waffle cone habit. Jon also makes a delicious batch of stovetop popcorn, and his signature orange julius.Maloriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08992237932840161610noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195009520213674128.post-72956048203115466912014-04-07T16:37:00.000-07:002014-04-07T16:37:06.778-07:00My new happy place.<br />
I don't really know where to start when describing our vacation to Hawaii last month. Jon's parents had found a truly amazing house on the ocean in Lanikai, which is the windward side of Oahu in a reefy stretch next to two small islands. It was filled with terrible art, but when I fell asleep listening to waves crash over the sound of my sound machine all was forgiven. Now, I'm sure everyone knows how much I love to shred up the waves in a boogie board (and I do! Small to medium easy to catch waves are my specialty)--but the calm waters were perfect for kayaking, paddle boarding, and for the kids. The beach was uncrowded and filled with white, powdery sand. It was pretty much perfect, even with the rain and wind that we got on a few of the days. I was so relaxed I hardly thought about the world that existed outside the island, got to read a lot, and didn't even get a tan. So my ideal beach vacation.<br />
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We had fun exploring other parts of the island also. The snorkeling at hanauma bay was a standout experience for me. It had been many years since I had snorkeled and I declared that I was terrible at it. And while snorkeling is very easy, I was still amazingly proud of the fact that I dove deep underwater, came back up, and did not choke. It was something I never thought I would do. It's nice to set the bar low for yourself. I had been to Pearl Harbor before but it was more fascinating than I anticipated. I also instantly identified the narrator of the movie they showed as the First Lady from the West Wing. Unfortunately Jon is the main benefactor of my avid voiceover identification hobby, but he humors me. I have to tell someone or it doesn't count!<br />
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Theo and Margot loved the beach. (Pearl Harbor...was not their best day.) Theo started a little apprehensive of swimming in the ocean but by the end swam underwater like a fish. They also loved playing with their cousins so (so!) much. Margot was obsessed with Paige especially. They endlessly played in the sand and one day caught a small crab and kept it in a bucket for a little while. That was easily the highlight of Theo's life. Paige named the crab Theodore Crab (so sweet!). Hollyn, who is nine, taught me how to do those elastic band bracelet things with your fingers, and I got pretty into it.<br />
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We loved catching up with family, as well as taking advantage of the available babysitters as Jon and I got to do some exploring on our own. We kayaked out to the Mokulua islands, seeing several sea turtles and also from the house to Lanikai beach. We got the whole family in the two man kayak a couple of times, which they loved. Margot loved being on the "boat." We frequented Island Snow nearby, Obama's favorite for a reason--it was the best we had on the island. I hope I don't anger people by saying Matsumotos' ice was much more course--but that was our highly scientific analysis. But I think Matsumoto himself offered to take a group photo of all of us, so he gets nice points.<br />
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It was so hard to leave! The beautiful green mountains and scenery actually made Oregon look a little bleak when we came back. Sorry kids, maybe we'll never go to Disneyland. I'm looking to spend all our vacation dollars here.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On both plane trips, the kids watched movie trailers for hours. Usually the same one over and over. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Margot got really excited about chasing a bird and ended up far, far away. Can you spot her?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of of the kids' favorite activities at the house was finding "coconuts" and throwing them over the wall into the ocean.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Island humidity did amazing things for their hair.</td></tr>
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<br />Maloriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08992237932840161610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195009520213674128.post-11698023241230197442014-03-04T22:32:00.001-07:002014-03-04T22:32:39.418-07:00Monkey Marg<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yesterday, Margot and Theo were playing around on the computer desk while I was cleaning up the kitchen, and I heard a loud fall followed by The Cry. You know, the one that instantly makes you drop everything and run? Margot was on the ground and as I picked her up I saw drops of blood on the back of her hair, getting on my hands, drops on the floor. It's hard to describe the panic I felt but I'm sure you could imagine. I ran for a compress, asking Theo what had happened. My entire body started sweating all at once. Jon got a phone call that he dreads, which is me freaking out in a warbling voice and repeating myself. Luckily, this story sounds a lot worse than it was--Margot hit her head on the bottom of a chair when she slipped off of it, causing a cut on her scalp that was not too large or serious but bleeds just enough to scare. Theo found my sucker stash in my purse, turned on a TV show for her and was extremely calm the whole time. Margot, pacified, soon stopped crying and the bleeding stopped too. She had ice cream after dinner as well as a bowl of tortilla chips. She had a marshmallow this morning before breakfast. My poor little darling, I'll do anything to make her feel better after something so scary!<br />
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In other less traumatic news, Margot is a constant thing of cuteness. She seems to say everything. She puts new words with familiar objects constantly. She rote counts to six, then sticks and eight in there--it's her favorite number. She always asks me to draw an "A." Tonight I randomly asked her, "Margot, what's your favorite color?" And she replied, "Yellow." It might represent all colors to her right now, but the way she says it is adorable. She loves doing whatever Theo does. We went to an open gym day at his gymnastics place and she loved jumping on the trampoline and in the bounce house. Margot calls me "Mom Mom" right now. She says " eYo!" for Theo. She says "Uh huh!" affirmatively to all questions in the most dramatic, valley-girl-esque way. She loves to scream really loud if she thinks Theo is in danger of taking whatever she is playing with. She is obsessed with babies and points them out everywhere we go. She loves chocolate, cheese, not milk, chips, cheerios, and cucumbers. She has backed off of a lot of vegetables as finger foods, but does a good job with soups I make. Today when I picked her up from childcare at the gym she ran up and said "I play!" She asks for Daddy most mornings, he usually leaves before she wakes up but she is so excited to see him when he gets home. Margot still is a wonderful snuggler. She loves to sing songs. She loves my phone (of course) and goes from app to app, playing the games. But her favorite is the PBS kids app where she can watch clips of shows. The intro songs are her favorite part. I can't believe that she is so close to being two! She still seems like my little baby, my baby that now can rock a single ponytail. We all love her so much, even and especially Theo, who of course she fights with at times but play together more and more every day. I'll let them tear up the house if they are playing happily together. It's worth it.Maloriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08992237932840161610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195009520213674128.post-23323464905642110602014-02-18T21:49:00.001-07:002014-02-18T21:49:54.032-07:00Snowpocalypse!<br />
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In Portland, gentle flakes of snow falling from the sky only have one message--batten down the hatches and grab all the food you can, your whole world is going to shut down!! Hours before the snow arrived we found out the van battery was dead, but luckily Jon had the day off so I got one more gym visit before we became shut ins. It was a good thing too. Have you ever sat inside for five days, watching snow fall and figuring out what to do? Here's what you DON'T do (if you're me)--anything productive. No clothes were washed, nothing cleaned beyond normal. We ate the contents of our freezer and from a large box of Valentine's candy and Girl Scout cookies from my mother in law. (Say what you will about mother in laws, but mine hates chocolate but does not hesitate to send a lot of dark chocolate our way on Valentine's.) We went outside each day with the kids, but between our lack of snow gear and Margot's 10 minute cold limit, we spent most of it inside. I made a big batch of play dough without any food coloring, which makes it look like well, dough. Margot ate a lot of it. Jon got out on Saturday to get a car battery and a few things from the store and called me that a certain delicious bakery was open and my response was "BUY IT ALL!!!" Oh, and we didn't even try and jump the van, it was too hard to get to and we couldn't drive it out on the roads (there was so much snow!) so we just figured it was a goner and bought a new one. Because we are, above all things, <strike>practical</strike> American.<br />
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One of my favorite things we did was make a lot of indoor forts with our couch, chairs, and a walking stick from New Mexico. I had reading constantly on my mind as that is all I do when it snows, so we put a sheepskin rug and pillows in there. I told Theo we would make it all nice and cozy, and he internalized that phrase as "cozy and sweet." So he kept saying, "It's so cozy and sweet!" "I'm going to make it nice and cozy and sweet." When I hear the phrase "cozy and sweet" I feel very afraid because it is so adorable it instantly makes me want to have a million more babies that will make up more phrases just like that.<br />
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Some people got a little stir crazy but I have to admit I did not. Jon happened to have Thursday off by a miracle, work on Friday was cancelled, it was the weekend, and then he went into work late on Monday. And the Olympics were on. I would have liked to sled or something if the opportunity arose but I was perfectly happy eating homemade chicken noodle soup wrapped up in blankets reading books on my couch, all cozy and sweet.<br />
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<br />Maloriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08992237932840161610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195009520213674128.post-15950373865197962912014-01-23T16:29:00.002-07:002014-01-23T16:29:21.372-07:0019 and 42<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I think I'm about ready to admit to myself that I have a child and a toddler, not a toddler and a baby. Exploding is the only term I can think of to describe Margot's verbal awakening in the world. She has new words every day, said with insistence--bread, car, no!!!, cheese, I want that one. After screeching a command at me I ask her, "Ask nicely," and she responds with a gentle, "pease, nana?" I've completed my suburban mom trifecta of minivan and school drop offs with a gym membership and after a few times she now walks right into the childcare, not looking back. When she asks for things I have the hardest time saying no--I have thrown away all leftover candy. Her canine teeth are taking the longest time to break through so I've been a little overindulgent to her, and she has her pacifier constantly. But she's the lucky second child, so I know that these things happen for a season and then we will both move on and change. But hopefully she always still snuggles me as much as she does. <br />
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Theo is more insistent as well with what he wants getting closer to four, but his tantrums overall have decreased significantly. We can talk things over and come to a calm resolution, usually. If he's tired, well... it gives me good tantrum coping practice. He usually starts the morning snuggling with me until Margot wakes up (which is getting earlier, boo), sometimes falling back asleep. He asked me to get up with him the other day and I said, "But I love snuggling with you!" And he responded "But I love standing up with you too!" Got me. He love going to gymnastics class, his teacher talked to me last week because she wants to move him into an advanced class for kids who are "talented and focused." Honestly I knew he was doing well but still thought he was as squirrel-y as the other three year olds (his favorite thing right now is to swing back and forth on the rope swing instead of once in an obstacle course) so I was a little surprised. That lasted for a half second and now I am completely overcome with Mom Pride. And now I want to share his little achievement with everyone--family, friends, neighbors, the guy who pumps my gas.<br />
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At one point of the day when the three of us are squished into a chair reading books, I am the most content person in the world. Maloriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08992237932840161610noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195009520213674128.post-84270965758675476522014-01-17T16:29:00.002-07:002014-01-17T16:29:31.771-07:00A blog tutorial!<br />
One Sunday at church, I had to change Margot's diaper and she absolutely wouldn't let me leave her in nursery. So I stayed with her, and watched the kids play while she clung to me. All the kids were restless at the end of the day, and after "Ring Around the Rosy" they started playing one of their favorites, "Sleepy Bear." I started watching with interest as one or two boys (Theo and his friend in the lead) lay on the ground, pretending to be asleep. Then the rest of the crowd of kids come creeping toward them, yelling "wake up, sleepy bear!" until the "bears" spring up, growling and awake. Everyone squealed and ran away. They were having a lot of fun and had obviously played this before. At least, I knew I had--no one else in the room knew that I made this game up.<br />
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My method for making up kid's games is simple. Try to think of anything you can do to pretend to be asleep. "Sleepy Bear" started when Theo wanted me to get out of bed in the morning, and I was much too tired and comfortable to even think about moving, so I made staying in my bed the more fun option. I would pretend to be asleep, closing my eyes and snuggling in my comforter, and Theo would call out, "wake up, sleepy bear!" Then I open my eyes, make a weak "roar!" Then we play another round, not moving at all from my warm cave. Win!<br />
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Other renditions--"Sleepy Monster," (pretend to be asleep in bed while the other person rides up to you from the hallway on a scooter--our master bedroom is at the end of our hallway so it works well) Hide and Seek (play hide and seek, but your only options to hide are somewhere under the covers), and my personal favorite "Mommy needs energy to take you to the park later so I'm going to give you the iPad and you're going to let me take a nap."<br />
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<br />Maloriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08992237932840161610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195009520213674128.post-14558341105908329482014-01-04T13:35:00.004-07:002014-01-04T13:35:55.114-07:00Idaho Christmas It's a busy time of year--Christmas, New Year's, Margot is 18 months
old, our marriage turned seven! I'm going to just ramble about all of
these things (or whatever I have time for while Margot sleeps) because I
don't know how to separate them. I was in Boise with the kids for a
little more than two weeks, and Jon came right before Christmas. For
those of you who know Boise, or just know the tiniest bit about Idaho,
there isn't a ton to do there if you aren't into say, hiking or hunting.
The best part about that is I get to spend a lot of time reading,
pushing my kids onto their grandparent's care, have my kids play with
cousins, hanging out with my family, and more reading. I think I took
five phone photos.<br />
<br />
The trip there was my first alone
with both kids. I was nervous of course, mostly because Southwest
canceled their nonstop flight from Portland to Boise so we were left on
an Alaska prop plane, the kind you walk outside to enter and are as loud
as...loud. And we had to pay to check a bag, so we were hauling all
kinds of carry on luggage. The flight was great. I handed each child
their own electronic fun device (Margot does not understand sharing in
the least) and read The Economist. But that was after I mopped off
gallons of sweat from at times, carrying, pulling, cajoling, and
probably a bit of panicked barking. Theo had a new suitcase that he or I
can pull, or he can use as a ride on toy. While he did ease the load at
times and happily scooted through security, getting a three-year-old to
consistently scoot himself about a mile to a distant terminal is almost
impossible. Margot decided she wanted to walk the whole way herself,
and when that wasn't possible to squirm and squeal and make herself as
difficult as possible. And the coats! Carrying winter coats through an
airport is pure drudgery. Normally the terminal path is all motorized
walkways and flat lanes, but since we were going on a small airplane
powered by pedal strength and faith in the least used obscure terminal,
we had to walk it ourselves (!) and then hit an escalator. I guess I had
forgotten how long it had been since Theo had ridden one, because I
went first holding Margot, our coats, a large backpack, and carry on and
expected him to follow. He freaked out and refused to go, and as I was
already a third of the way down and now panicking myself, I SPRINTED up
the down escalator carrying the aforementioned items. Then my coat and
his suitcase went down first, alone. Luckily a nice man could easily see
how crazy things were getting and caught those things for me. I ate
three bags of snack mix on the plane, easily Alaska's main strong point
as they include things that are similar to Corn Nuts in the bag.<br />
<br />
When
my twin sister Mackenzie and I are in the same place, which is not
often since she lives in Pennsylvania, we think of many time consuming
projects to complete. We usually don't finish them all, but that's part
of the ritual. I actually brought an embroidered ornament to finish from
last year--still didn't get finished. We probably scaled it back this
year, focusing on making a Stump de Noel from the Baked cookbook (a sick
child is sleeping, so I have no time for links, sorry). It's a yule log
set on its end, only fatter than a normal yule log. All the reviews of
the recipe basically said "It's amazingly delicious! But the most time
consuming, intensive cake recipe I've ever made!" We were sold. It took
almost two dozen eggs, lots of chocolate, and Whoppers. It took most of
the day, but it was all enjoyable except when it got a little stressful
for me at the end when we were rolling the thin cake and it started
breaking on us. Luckily it is the kind of thing that is worth all the
effort and five sticks of butter (in the frosting alone). I love it when
a new Christmas tradition is born. Next time we will do the meringue
mushrooms, we didn't have the willpower left to make those.<br />
<br />
Theo
and Margot had a great Christmas, Theo especially was so into all
things Christmas this year. At our extended family party there was a
general call for random talents or songs to be sung and Theo immediately
shot up his hand and proceeded to sing a Jingle Bells solo (I helped a
little, in the way a sitting Mom tries to pretend she is singing at
regular volume but is whisper singing to bolster confidence) with a
grand bow at the end. He got a Postman Pat van and figurine and lots of
other things he loved. He loved all Margot's presents too, like her baby
doll and stroller and tea set. I admit to looking forward to Margot
opening up her carefully chosen baby since her birthday, so of course
she acted afraid of it and ignored it until we got home. The stroller
and doll bed were waiting for her after Christmas so I'm happy to say
she is now enjoying putting her baby to bed and strolling it around. She
showed everyone her loud and assertive side while we were around my
family, squealing and screaming loudly and chasing my sister's dog
around yelling "Gigi? Gigi! Gigi!" She also learned how to nod her head
yes to a question after shaking her head to every question which is
huge. I feel like our communication and understanding have increased ten
fold. <br />
<br />
Even though its wonderful to spend such a long
time with my parents, brother, sister and their families, it felt good
to be home. I really like feeling excited to be home. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SlbVnj1U6yg/Ushtcp1LHUI/AAAAAAAADn8/4e3PezEUV6k/s1600/IMG_9031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SlbVnj1U6yg/Ushtcp1LHUI/AAAAAAAADn8/4e3PezEUV6k/s1600/IMG_9031.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Postman Pat! And matching hats by Auntie Kenzie.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TSPW3mGw0Aw/UshtkrAOB7I/AAAAAAAADoM/Xfrdaj_TM58/s1600/IMG_9021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TSPW3mGw0Aw/UshtkrAOB7I/AAAAAAAADoM/Xfrdaj_TM58/s1600/IMG_9021.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THE CAKE</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H5QXX1Pe0fE/UshtkxhY0iI/AAAAAAAADoQ/V0cMreHjhew/s1600/IMG_9023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H5QXX1Pe0fE/UshtkxhY0iI/AAAAAAAADoQ/V0cMreHjhew/s1600/IMG_9023.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After Christmas Eve dinner, we sent the kids downstairs to watch a movie while we cleaned up. Theo fell asleep and never got to hear the Naylor Sibling Violin, Flute, and Trumpet Christmas Eve Concert Spectacular.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kHJfTSsri6I/UshtL_s6NPI/AAAAAAAADnw/Rj20B5oYziA/s1600/IMG_9042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kHJfTSsri6I/UshtL_s6NPI/AAAAAAAADnw/Rj20B5oYziA/s1600/IMG_9042.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrated seven years by escaping the kids at Hotel 43 and stayed until the last possible minute, just sitting and watching crappy cable TV. It was bliss.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ASyA3VjN33c/UshtC936CrI/AAAAAAAADnk/ETGnbOky5S0/s1600/IMG_9053.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ASyA3VjN33c/UshtC936CrI/AAAAAAAADnk/ETGnbOky5S0/s1600/IMG_9053.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bcqkkJHe2ok/UshtCGui6tI/AAAAAAAADng/nz7_kzzAr2E/s1600/IMG_9059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bcqkkJHe2ok/UshtCGui6tI/AAAAAAAADng/nz7_kzzAr2E/s1600/IMG_9059.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Margot still loves to do this in the airport. Our checked bags are always alone and deserted on the carousel by the time we get there. </td></tr>
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Maloriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08992237932840161610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195009520213674128.post-68089381900752389272013-12-06T09:00:00.000-07:002013-12-13T15:49:32.254-07:00Sunny Thanksgiving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We were able to take a week off to go to Arizona for Thanksgiving this year. We arrived in the middle of some substantial rain, which always makes me excited and filled with dread. Excited, because I get to be entertained by south westerners freaking out about these weird drops from the sky--and dread because every person I see who finds out where we are from asks if we brought it with us. It cleared up in time to eat Thanksgiving outside, which is always wonderful. Theo rode a donkey at Jon's aunt's house and Jon touched the rope, a big deal for someone very afraid of equines. All equines. Probably also mini-horses.<br />
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Among the highlights was a visit to a butterfly farm (technically called butterfly "experience"). The actual butterflies swarming around you was pretty amazing, but the best part was the 3D movie beforehand. I have vivid memories of watching Captain EO at Disneyland and it being so awesome that I reached out my hand to touch that weird little furry dude. I was six at the time, but I still had a high standard. This movie totally fulfilled it. We were in the front row of the main section of the theater, and Theo and his cousin Paige were standing up, hands in the air trying to touch the swarms of butterflies. I hope he remembers this in the future when he is disappointed by Avatar 11 in 3D in 15 years.<br />
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I was pretty busy prepping things to open my Etsy shop, but while I'm in Arizona it seems I can always find time to watch random people look at houses on HGTV. I used to watch other things on Cable but that's about all now. The only bad thing about Thanksgiving in Arizona is that we always eat around noon, which means I always miss the dog show after the parade, which is my favorite. And I always forget to record it. I really only want to watch the Toy category, so it's usually not that big of a deal.<br />
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Theo was so busy having fun with cousins that he hardly ate any food the whole time. I don't know how that works out but it somehow does. Margot ate a ton of food and really warmed up to everyone around her. She loves to be a little ham and make people laugh. She also has really taken to shrieking and being very assertive about what she wants. Before we got off the plane on the way home, Theo and Margot started randomly giving each other huge bear hugs, the kind that made you want to laugh and sob at the same time. I love how those two are really starting to have fun together. <br />
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<br />Maloriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08992237932840161610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195009520213674128.post-15723710964126444902013-12-04T15:57:00.001-07:002013-12-04T15:57:25.727-07:00Bow ties out in the world!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If anyone ever sees Theo at church, he is usually wearing a bow tie. When he was a baby Jon found an amazing clip-on one at an estate sale that seemed to magically grow with him--he still wears it. Inspired by the vintage one I had and not being able to find anything like it, I started making my own. Several prototypes and about a year of testing them later, I couldn't find the specific patterns I was looking for so I decided to make my own. I applied paint to some of my favorite cotton solids and I was excited with the result. These bow ties have been a staple in our lives, so I have been excited to share them. They are easy to attach to a wiggly toddler, stay in place, and will be worn for years (and years!).<br />
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Now that Jon is done with school, we wanted to find more ways to become involved in charitable giving, especially charities benefiting Cystic Fibrosis. This cause is close to our hearts as Jon's brother passed away from its effects five years ago. We will be donating 20% of the proceeds to the <a href="http://www.cff.org/" target="_blank">Cystic Fibrosis Foundation</a>, which funds research and medical advances with the goal of curing Cystic Fibrosis. <br />
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Here's a link to <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/littlechap" target="_blank">my shop</a>! Maloriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08992237932840161610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195009520213674128.post-81180615075190196482013-11-06T21:00:00.001-07:002013-11-06T21:00:24.716-07:00Everybody knows...his bright red van...?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There was a fall and a wheel mishap that almost ended trunk or treating before it started. Duct tape to the rescue! He was one perturbed delivery driver, though. Also, we are not good trunk decorators. One thing at a time. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turns out you only get one shot and five seconds to paint a 17 month old's face--you have to be happy with imperfection.</td></tr>
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Halloween is so much better with kids. And not just because you get to eat their candy. I used to never decorate or anything, but this year I actually bought those fake spiderweb things. Well, I bought two and only used one, because it turns out they are extremely annoying to put anywhere. Theo and I also made some fake spiders out of styrofoam balls and pipe cleaners. This is pretty amazing considering my history. This was the first real year that Theo understood Halloween costumes enough to choose what he wanted to be, and he immediately fixated on being a pink car. Then it changed to a pink van. And then pink van with Postman Pat. Then finally after double checking during our daily Postman Pat viewing, he decided that he wanted a red van like Postman Pat. So he wanted to be Postman Pat. For most everyone who doesn't know, here's a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postman_Pat" target="_blank">link about the show</a>. Theo started watching it and has seemingly never stopped. (And Netflix is taking it off next week! I don't know what we'll do.) I found a super sturdy moving box and duct-taped a van together, spray painted it and added some straps. The tap lights were a handy find from Target but made it a million times cooler. His whole outfit is stuff he already had except the hat that Jon found on one of his many lunchtime trips to the thrift store. I don't think we encountered one person who knew who he was, but everyone loved his costume anyway. I was just extremely happy that he loved being exactly what he wanted to be. <br />
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And Margot? Well, she was a cat. I didn't know how this Postman Pat costume would shape up, so I figured I would make something easy for her. Postman Pat's sidekick is a cat, after all, albeit a black and white one (I didn't feel like explaining two costumes) named Jess, although Theo will swear on his life that his name is "Chest." He is very, very (VERY) stubborn on this fact.<br />
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We had a church trunk or treat thing, which was denounced as boring by the old-timers but was still fun for us. Margot loved her plastic pumpkin bucket and dropping in a huge amount of candy. Until she found out that she could eat it and then just stuck to eating chocolate bars. We went trick or treating as a family for the first time ever on Halloween, and it was amazing. Theo's costume came in real handy from a safety standpoint, and Margot absolutely loved trotting up to the door with her pumpkin and picking out candy from strangers. Theo's "trick or treat" timing was a bit off--often saying it before the door was opened, but by the end of the night he was a pro. We were home by 7:30 and I was completely exhausted. Theo was on a candy high and didn't fall asleep until 9:00, I think. Maloriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08992237932840161610noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195009520213674128.post-83877953852385257362013-10-30T14:44:00.001-07:002013-10-30T14:44:16.269-07:00Doughnuts are in season!I've always loved fall, well scratch that. I think growing up spring was my favorite, because of my birthday. Which didn't make too much sense because I had a love/hate relationship with my birthday because I had to share it with my twin. But now I know fall is my favorite, mostly because I hate feeling hot in anything I'm wearing. I've been living in solid summer since May, and my fall last year was highlighted by me stopping by two deciduous trees that changed color practically screaming "LOOK! TREES!" And driving an hour and a half to sweat it out at a pumpkin patch. Then going back home to my cactus patch. Winter arrived soon after and along with crazy wind storms and a chill that carried away suitcases full of money used to heat our house with propane. There was just no savoring fall. This year a rainstorm of winter-like proportions in September scared everyone, but then two full weeks of sun balls on my iPhone and warm weather saved the day. I forget this is what a normal pacific northwest fall is like--tacking on a few amazing weeks to apologize for summer's late start. Technically it's not a late start, as summer always starts in July here--but we always have a small glimmer of hope that <i>this</i> year will be different. There are still some sunny days around but a chill has definitely set in, and the rain won't be too far off. And I still have dining room chairs on the back porch needing refinishing so I'm feeling a little panic. We are kind of the worst d.i.y.-ers ever so a seasonal push (or shove) is probably good for us.<br />
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But on to the real reason for this post--pumpkin patches! There are so many to choose from here and they have become so much more fun as my kids get older. We found a favorite out in Woodburn, visited twice (once with our visiting cousins) for its amount of activities (truth be told, we did not pick any pumpkins) and proximity to some good Mexican restaurants and ice cream shops. The kind we never quite found in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.<br />
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Mexican ice cream, paletas, agua frescas, and mini paletas are home made in this family run shop. We are coming back here for sure! <br />
<br />Maloriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08992237932840161610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195009520213674128.post-34431282969668547142013-10-21T14:45:00.001-07:002013-10-21T14:45:26.303-07:00"Don't touch spiders. They sting you."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Theo and I were sitting in his wagon on the patio today, just talking. He wanted me to play with cars but we ended up talking about everything we were seeing around us. I was pointing out a large spiderweb a foot away and the pattern it made.<br />
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Theo said, "It spins round and round and round. Like...the planets around the sun. In space."<br />
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He's constantly saying things lately I don't realize he knows, so I asked him, "do you know any names of planets?"<br />
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"Jukiter. And Neptcan. And we live on Earth."<br />
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I'm amazed at everything he remembers. And this week at the park he was playing with his ride on Thomas train with some other kids and told me afterwords how they had, "Persevered around the sidewalk. It was long but we persevered with Tommy!" <br />
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I've always talked to him after preschool, trying to glean any information about anything he does or learns. He usually says a few things but holds back a lot. When there are moments when I sit and listen to him talk and talk (which don't happen often enough, I realize), I hear the greatest things.Maloriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08992237932840161610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195009520213674128.post-3273067461727401392013-10-04T22:18:00.003-07:002013-10-04T22:18:57.633-07:00Summer's last light jacket<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The beginning of September was full of last minute swims and wearing tights to church when it was seasonably inappropriate. All seemed well and good until my coconut oil abruptly changed states from a liquid to a solid. And a million inches of rain fell. I'm glad we took the last possible opportunity to go camping on the coast a week after labor day. The weather was perfect, which was good because after our last soggy camping trip I was skeptical (it was <a href="http://jonandmalorie.blogspot.com/2011/03/sometimes-you-camp-just-to-inform.html" target="_blank">a while ago</a>). Our family has outgrown our four man tent in the time since, but luckily we have the all wonderful minivan that Margot slept in right outside of our tent. Camping with two kids is quite the event--so much stuff to bring! But they somehow make camping magical again, getting the biggest kick out of all the hot dog roasting, marshmallows, camp chairs and sleeping bags. We stayed in Nehalem and the beach was at its best, which means for me sweatshirts and little wind. We of course slept terribly, the kids slept great (besides Theo's 5:00 wake up), but we had such a great time talking with friends next to the fire that it really didn't matter. Because the next night we would be home.<br />
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The next day the guys went crabbing in a bay nearby. Apparently the best crabbing season is October, and apparently crabbing is so easy and fun, which must be why they caught not a single crab that was big enough. We watched everyone else cook their nets full of crab while we bought one to eat. We had spent time, money, and napping hours devoted to what amounted to a lot of chum smelling. I ate my first crab heart (don't worry, it just tasted like crab) and Theo kept yelling "I'm gonna eat you!!!" Then refused to take a bite. He took one tiny one, after a lot of coaxing. <br />
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On the way home we bought some huge chocolate chip cookies from a chocolate cafe in Cannon Beach, and what do you know? Both the kids were asleep so we had to eat them both.<br />
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*Side note: On the way there we went through Tillmook and decided to check out the other cheese factory next to the Tillamook cheese factory, because it was different and had animals. It was pretty lame, but there were those animals. Actually Margot kept touching their noses, which was a little scary and hilarious. <br />
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<br />Maloriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08992237932840161610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195009520213674128.post-31583354804633874362013-09-20T15:13:00.001-07:002013-09-20T15:13:14.636-07:00The figurative carrot, literallyThe other night Theo went to bed as usual, but unusually after Jon left his room he started crying out. Jon had to home teach, so I went in to give him what he always asks for, water. But he was not asking for water.<br />
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"Carra... I want a carra!"<br />
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I tried to figure it out--"Carra? What does that mean?" I asked him the only word I could think of that made sense. "Carrot?"<br />
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"Yeah."<br />
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"You want a carrot?"<br />
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"Yeah."<br />
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"Why?"<br />
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"Because... I want a carrot."<br />
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"We can't eat a carrot right now. We need to go to sleep," I said, very confused. I didn't believe him. He's never asked for a carrot in his life. Instead I tried to give him a toy wooden carrot on the floor. Maybe he wanted to sleep with it? But it seemed to make matters worse. I left him, thinking that like a midnight delirium, he would forget all about it after I walked away. But he didn't, wailing for a carrot for ten minutes. I went back in, and the tears were real, the carrot still desired beyond all else in that moment. I figured that giving in to a toddler's very unusual request for a nightcap vegetable wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.<br />
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So I got him one. And in the dark I heard a silent, content crunching, followed by sleep. <br />
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<br />Maloriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08992237932840161610noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195009520213674128.post-46044985591984256012013-09-10T14:26:00.003-07:002013-09-10T14:26:32.740-07:00Preschoolin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Theo had his first day of preschool today. It was a success, because I am sitting here while he is asleep in his room, something that has not happened in a very long time. I always thought it was a little crazy to have three-year-olds start preschool (only because that wasn't the norm when I grew up, but now I think it's great), and he's going to one held by a mom in our church with a small group of boys his age. Theo loves any social gathering so I could throw him into anything and I think he would be just fine. His teacher is very enthusiastic and loves what she does, which I find amazing because running a preschool is not at all something I would be good at. He came home and told me how the sun is made of gas and has black spots on it. He also just straight up wouldn't leave preschool, so that's something we have to work on. I'm really happy for him, and surprisingly not sad. Margot and I ate a chocolate croissant and leisurely grocery shopped after we dropped him off, so we had a great morning. I love being able to focus completely on her for a little bit, it makes me realize just how seldom it happens. <br />
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We also started him in a gymnastics class. The first few minutes he was shy and hesitant, which was understandable because he was in this huge overwhelming place with all this crazy equipment. We also got there a bit late and I was unbelievably frazzled, especially when we were trying to watch him on the floor and there was nowhere to stand and an instructor asked if we would like to move to the observation deck on the second floor? There's nothing that makes me (literally) sweat more than showing up to a place that has a distinct routine and method and not knowing any of it. Which is probably why Theo and I needed about ten minutes before we were comfortable. Soon I was up in the observation deck feeling like a dance mom and Theo was jumping into the foam pit and hanging on poles with enthusiasm. Our little boy is a full on kid. Maloriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08992237932840161610noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195009520213674128.post-43713168099636529822013-09-05T14:42:00.002-07:002013-09-05T14:42:18.734-07:00No weeds were harmed in the making of this weekend.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I used to think Labor Day was a pointless holiday, a day off from school just days after you started anyway, ruining the fun of new schedules and seeing new people. But then, that was probably because my family took the meaning of "labor day" pretty literally. This year Labor Day was more like a reduction of all of the feelings and activities of summer put into one day (minus swimming, pools were all closed already) so we could be ready to jump into our sweaters far too early. We spent it in Boise with my family and the best part was watching the cousins play outside until after dark. It helped bring back memories of when being outside and running around with no purpose other than the activity itself was the greatest thing in the world. However, the summertime adult activity of sitting around outside and doing nothing for the sake of doing nothing is also the greatest thing in the world. And no yard work was involved! Double win.<br />
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*Also, when I have a weekend like this, I usually only take two or three terrible phone photos. Just shows I was relaxed.Maloriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08992237932840161610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195009520213674128.post-80810747388776571432013-08-27T14:44:00.000-07:002013-08-27T14:44:51.106-07:00Smunch is the new everything<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A family night out recently--Theo couldn't help but come outside to make Margot laugh. Also, Margot has started screaming a lot lately. Happy screams, but loud screams. </td></tr>
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Theo has entered an age that I am much more comfortable with--reasoning and conversation! It is very exciting to me to be able to tell him why something happens and he gets it. Or I ask him how he feels about something and he can tell me. Even though he's not a docile little infant, I am relieved already by the ways he can help and listen, and most importantly that I can listen, believe, and validate the emotions and feelings he has about something. I also love that I now have a remote that opens the minivan door next to his car seat as he quickly runs inside and climbs aboard, only one buckle assistance needed. (I love minivans. Love love love them.) <br />
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Theo loves Cat Stevens probably more than me right now. We have plenty of other kid friendly records, but Cat is the favorite. We used to try and prevent Theo from touching the record player, but since it's a toy version anyway that we bought for $10, he has eventually learned how to work it, including moving the needle back to play his favorite song over and over. Theo also loves pink, and he has a new pink guitar that he strums along to the music. He also loves to dance, and basically it's a very cute thing to watch. <br />
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Theo has made up a new word recently that has quickly become one of my favorite words of all time--"smunch." I'm pretty sure it's a combination of "smoosh" and "crunch." Or "scrunch." It was introduced by Theo yelling, "I'm going to smunch you!" Followed by a body slam. <br />
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Theo can of course be as unruly and tantrum prone as any three-year-old, but he can be surprisingly polite, always saying "bless you!" after a sneeze and if that phrase is said to him, says "thank you." He's stopped napping completely--it's been several weeks since I read him to sleep in the afternoon, but he will fall asleep in the car.<br />
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He loves to look at Jon's old anatomy book, he calls it the "skeleton book" and will sit and look at it, asking what things are and describing you how food travels down the body until "the bum." He's starting a small preschool in a few weeks and I think he will love it. He also loves anything Margot does now and wants to do the same thing, which means he sits in restaurant high chairs again. Not a bad thing. <br />
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<br />Maloriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08992237932840161610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195009520213674128.post-45000095514466749272013-08-13T14:11:00.001-07:002013-08-13T14:11:56.859-07:00Mar 14 months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can't tell if this is a terrible picture of Margot or an amazing one--but it makes me laugh. Most of my pictures are like this, as she would rather try and grab the camera than patiently look at it.<br />
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Margot started walking this past week at 14 months, and has about dropped her morning nap. She has decided that this baby business does not suit her anymore, and would like to be as wiggly as possible. Theo and I play a game where she walks back and forth to us, and when she gets to Theo he wraps her up in a hug and drags her away until she wants to walk again. She loves to slide down slides, and has learned to climb up our little mini one at home. She says "mama," "dada," "wa-wa," (water), "k-hee," (kitty), and signs "all done." She loves to be friendly with anyone, until they try to hold her. But she went willingly to a friend who was staying with us recently, which is pretty amazing to me. She usually eats more than Theo and loves to eat our food when we go out. I am counting down the days until Christmas until I can give her a baby doll. To see her lovingly hug something is one of my greatest joys of my life.<br />
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<br />Maloriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08992237932840161610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195009520213674128.post-53008413085069301932013-08-08T15:40:00.005-07:002013-08-08T15:40:59.050-07:00Here's to the meaning of life, and discernable triceps. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were at the beach with The Goonies rock--Thanks to my friend Vanessa who told me later. I had no idea.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boathouse on the Willamette River.</td></tr>
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I was told recently by a friend that your late 20's to early 30's are prime "figure yourself out" time. My reaction was, "Crap." Because it's generally true. While my early twenties were devoted to discovering I liked wearing the cast offs of nursing home patrons, this point of my life seems to be all about figuring out my inward emotional stuff I avoided for ten years. It probably comes with being a mom. Children can bring your best and worst qualities to the surface, and once you see them they must be dealt with or accepted. Also, you actually have to divide your time efficiently among your interests/chores of life. But what are they? Will I fail? Why am I suddenly upset at things I used to not care about? Why do I have so much anxiety and shame and embarrassment when a lifegaurd yells at me? (It happened to me yesterday when I tried to go down a slide with Margot that was too small, and I wanted to shrivel up and pretend I wasn't born.) Life was so much easier when I was childless and self absorbed to the point that I was in complete denial of myself!<br />
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But while I don't have many answers yet, (just potential therapy bills) I have discovered how much I love water. It may have been living a year in a state almost completely devoid of it, although living above a beautiful but far away lake view often spared my sanity. This summer I love being in and around the water. I've been taking rowing/crew lessons, which I am loving and may always be a part of my life now. It gives you such a zen feeling while giving you a great workout. I've realized it's kind of the chess club of water sports, with speed boats towing wakeboarders zipping around you in circles and college boys chanting "Row! Row! Row!" And that somehow makes me all the more enamored. I've also tried paddle boarding recently, and I'm not very good but I like it. We also went to the beautiful Oregon coast this week and it felt so amazing to be there. Mostly because I love wearing a sweatshirt in the summer. Being on or around the water somehow dilutes (har) all that busy thought in my head that keeps me on the edge of a panic attack lately. It sorts my life into priorities, and makes the drama less dramatic. It's not a new tactic, I know, but it works.<br />
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I know I can't row a boat continuously until I'm 35, but while I'm in the middle of figuring out if I need to let go of a few old lady dresses (already know the answer to that--NO) I will take advantage of my four hour weekly water therapy. And Jon will take advantage of being able to run on the treadmill while watching his favorite zombie shows that I hate.<br />
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Now, what do do when the rain comes back? Maybe I'll take up seed bead necklaces or knit a huge blanket. Suggestions are encouraged. Maloriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08992237932840161610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195009520213674128.post-80618656739268654332013-08-02T15:12:00.003-07:002013-08-02T15:12:42.662-07:00Oh, Disease. You didn't!I have no picture to post with this. Because if I did it would be of a house that looks as musty as it likely smells, with three of four sad people in it all suffering from a summertime enemy called Hand Foot and Mouth disease. It isn't quite as bad as it sounds, we got a version that gave us all sore throats and fevers. Which is pretty bad and painful, but the name implies something you would get in medieval times when you drink from a communal water bucket, skin covered in blistering sores and turning green. Our communal germ factory was (I'm guessing) the library, when we saw a magician perform with about 60 other menacing illness-breeding children. I missed both my rowing classes, Jon gave up his only full accrued day of time off when I was incapable of getting out of bed, and we have basically missed a whole week of Oregon summer--almost impossible to make up. Water, yogurt, crackers--anything but pure whole fat vanilla ice cream and pudding makes Margot cry when it passes her lips. So ice cream has been on the menu for breakfast and lunch today. And Theo had some for lunch. Theo's feeling fine now, but just try to put a bowl of ice cream in front of your baby without your toddler noticing and throwing a giant fit. I had ice cream for breakfast too, then a hot dog for lunch. Ice cream does actually get old eventually, and I needed something extremely salty but equally unhealthy to balance it. It did sting a bit, but I'm an adult so I can power through. <br />
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Last winter we were hermits and our illnesses were infrequent and conveniently spaced. I think this is my first true experience of sickness with more than one kid, and it was not fun at all. The first day when Theo cutely cuddled on the couch watching shows was dear and heart warming. That night when he woke up screaming and writhing in pain and going to urgent care at midnight--not so much. I think I have watched every episode of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood at least three times. Mind melted.<br />
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However, I think we are on track to have a healthy, event filled weekend. But we might spend most of that cleaning our apartment and throwing away empty ice cream buckets.<br />
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It's not fun to continually stay home when you're sick, but sometimes you have to do it for the good of mankind. (Hear me, moms who take your sick kids along with your healthy kids to the library?!)Maloriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08992237932840161610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195009520213674128.post-84933982761557913172013-07-19T15:50:00.001-07:002013-07-19T15:50:18.649-07:00Party in the office<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do not attempt unless you have help, i.e. Dad.</td></tr>
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Thanks to a recent doctor visit, I now know that when I lug both children from the car into our apartment building, I am carrying an extra 48 pounds 10 ounces. The 18 and 10 ounces are Margot, Theo is 30. Theo is 37.25 inches, which is .75 inches away from heaven, meaning the play area at IKEA.<br />
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I have thought a lot about this doctor visit. I scheduled it probably a day after I knew we were moving for sure. I find security in the familiar--and I knew that in Portland I had a wonderful, Harvard-educated-but-used-to-be-a-schoolteacher pediatrician and that her assistant Helen would sling the fastest rounds of shots I have ever seen in my life. These type of details become paramount when I remember how I sat and watched poor Margot scream as a previous assistant in New Mexico gave three shots in two legs with long pauses between. Horrors!<br />
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So when I saw Helen's friendly face calling us back to the exam room, I almost got misty-eyed and I definitely gave her a side hug when she remembered us. I knew the potential for awkwardness was high but I did not care one bit.We were back! For reals.<br />
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Not every part of our move has been this hug filled. Sure, I was so happy to be back but the first week or two I did not anticipate how out of kilter and out of place I would feel, moving to a different part of Portland (technically not even Portland) that was not what I was used to. Even though the Portland I was used to was living in a dark, tiny, ant-filled cave off of a busy highway across from an Albertson's, and now we live in a much bigger lighter place that is still off a busy highway down the street from an Albertson's. I drove past our old place in the first few days and I missed it. I worried that this huge life decision of settling down in a location possibly for life may have been wrong. I was experiencing what you could call moving anxiety, which happens even when the change is highly positive and exactly what you wanted. Malorie from six months ago would have slapped me. Multiple times. But it just happens, turns out. It's a highly google-able condition and luckily passes quickly. I of course did not contract a full blown case of moving depression, which definitely happened in T or C and caused me to blow through almost all my placenta pills, which are magical little hormone capsules but did not magically transport me back to Oregon IN a tiny capsule. They can only do so much. Or so little? Maloriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08992237932840161610noreply@blogger.com2