Las Otras Dos Mamas

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T22:34:00.000-07:00

I hate Mother’s Day. I apologize to all who that offends however it’s the truth. I know there are others who feel as I do and we all have our reasons. I love my Mother. She is an amazing woman and worthy of a day in her honor. I am blessed to have her as my Mom. I am a Mother and feel like I should celebrate with gusto for the sake of my proud children who honor their many Moms. So... why then do I despise this hallmark holiday meant to bring so much joy, happiness, and revenue? Mother’s Day 2002! On a beautiful spring Sunday, May 12, 2002, to be exact, I spent a nice morning having breakfast with my Ex-partner, Our Daughter Megan, and her birth parents. Celebrating our first Mother’s Day as real parents. We went to church and came home. I sat with her on the couch her napping on my chest and me talking sweet whispers in her ear. That was the day that I made a promise to her that I would be her Mama. It was a peaceful day with great meaning. Simple words of unexplainable significance. A true change in my heart that day. I committed myself to no longer being her caregiver but being her Mama. Four short days later she died and again a change in my heart forever. Mother’s Day for me is like opening day to mourning week! So it is with great sadness, tears running down my face, and a pain in my heart that I recognize yet another Mother’s Day where I am here dedicated to being your Mama forever sweet baby girl but you are not in my arms to celebrate.

Found Egypt at OMSI

2011-05-02T13:33:00.000-07:00

Went to OMSI yesterday with the kids and Carrie. I love having a membership. We saw a laser show and a star show in the planitarium. Above all though we were there to catch the last day of the Lost Egypt exhibit.

I really enjoyed looking around the exhibit and have renewed my desire to one day visit Egypt for myself. Should those planets from the planitarium show ever align just right and I have money, a passport, time-off, and a stable country to visit all at one time. It was really fascinating to see the real mummy "Annie" and think about that whole mummy thing. When we were in the room with her Eph just kept telling me it was "creepy".

Ten Tidbits To Catch Up

2011-04-29T22:59:00.000-07:00

I got this idea from another blogger. She posted 10 photos off her cell phone and a little blurb about them.

Halloween 2010
One Scary Princess and Heatblast from Ben10

Frances Turns 8!
We went out to Safari Sam's to help celebrate. Fun for all!

Escape Goats!
Ben Finn and Billy Birch let themselves out of the pen. In my attempt to get them back in I let out all the chickens. It was a scene of hilarious farm chaos!

Everyone Said Goodbye-
Gracie stayed with Grandpaw Woody in the hospital as he passed. It was an amazing end of life journey and I can only pray that I will go so peacefully, with such dignity, and surrounded by those that love me.

Ruby's Handmade Christmas Present for Ephraim-
I imagine that he fails to see the love that was put into this but to me it's the most beautiful gift that anyone got this year.

Mop Top Beauty Shop!
We put some (ok a lot) of pink highlights in Ruby's hair and decided while we were at it that Lucy should have a pink mohawk. It was totally fun and despite the fact that Ephraim HATED the dogs hair pink everyone had a good time.

3rd Anniversary
We woke up on the morning of our anniversary and I decided that I needed a new tattoo. I wanted 3 small hearts to represent "past, present, and future" and "Judy, Ephraim, and Ruby" and I loved that I would be getting it on our third anniversary. Judy wanted to get the hearts too however she took a huge leap of love and got my name put on as well!

Lila
A snake for Ephraim had been in discussion amongst the Mom's for awhile and we decided it was time. Lila the young cornsnake was a trooper and was very much loved by her boy. He tried to take her to school in his pocket. He played with her way too much and we were sure that would bring an early end to her life. In the end it was a tragic escape and death at the hands of cats.

The Sock Monkey Hat
Judy has been in search of the perfect sock monkey hat for Mom to make her for nearly a year. A friend guided her to a newly posted pattern on ravelry.com and Mom was able to produce the most loved hat ever! It really does suit her.
Click on the picture to get to the pattern.

One Broken Arm
The kids are madly in love with their razor scooters. Ephraim took a spill on his on a Sunday evening. Everything seemed in working order no swelling or bruises so we thought maybe a sprain or strain. When it was still hurting him enough for him to complain in the morning we went to the doctor only to find out it was broken! Doh!

Job Fair - Fairly Interesting

2011-04-29T21:35:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday I was able to work with the fabulous people Judy works with at the annual PCC Cascade Job Fair. It was a full day setting up to the break down and all the people watching in between was priceless. I'd like to offer up a few of my favorite observations.

If you ask a question and you don't like the answer, you're not going to get a different answer by asking the same person the same question AGAIN!
If you can't play nice with others while standing in a line outside waiting to get into the Job Fair then odds are good you're going to have one heck of a time trying to work with others.
First impressions are important, with that in mind, don't walk into a Job Fair with your breast hanging out and child attached. I am totally fine with public breastfeeding and could personally careless about seeing your boob flopped out for everyone to see cause your kid was too busy checking out what was going on to eat. I just think you might want to reconsider the impression that makes on an potential employer.
You know I believe that pajamas can be worn anywhere you want to wear them. EXCEPT THE JOB FAIR!!!!
If you can't follow a simple request to fill out a survey as a means to gain admittance to a free event that might help you and/or 1300 other people than you have no business bothering to look for a job because heaven forbid they ask you to fill out an application!

A Lesson Worth $24.95

2011-04-28T22:20:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure I already mentioned that I was back on the blog again because of a class. The assignment was to create a blog and have the blog meet certain criteria. I talked to the Insturctor and received permission to resurect this blog instead of starting a new one. I've been excited about this since I got his reply. When I first sat down to blog again I just wrote. Then I came back to update the page design and play with the links and things. Since then I've started going back over the old entries. I very quickly discovered something very sad... the majority of the images used in my blog were gone. Empty black squares with nobody home. My subscription to my Flickr account where they all were stored had expired taking with it access to the nearly 600 photos over the free account limit. Ughhh! So at a time in my life where $25.00 feels like $250.00 I chose to restore my account. I needed access to those photos. It felt like such a loss to no longer have the slideshow of the making of our wedding rings, the pictures of the kids, Bagby campouts with good friends, and the snow of 2008. I feel so lucky to have these memories returned to me. I think one of the reasons I felt that I had to get these memories back is that I believe I've permenantly lost the kids blog. I clicked on the link yesterday to go read and start migrating more of the entries there over to here or at least put them somehwere safe. It's gone!!! The page is gone and it refers you to migrate over to WordPress. Which had I known about the blog going away a mere month earlier I might have done it. That's right.... I most likely have lost some incredible documentation on our crazy life. I'm just sad and dissapointed and not sure how to handle it. The first step is to figure out what exactly the email address was that I used to set up the blog because I apprently need it to request help. So... to those that read this and may remember the good old days... what address did I used to send the kid stuff from? Your help is greatly appreciated. In the meantime I'll start saving my pennies and hope that it costs less than the $24.95!

Grandpaw Woody - June 18, 1918 to December 4, 2010

2011-04-28T06:04:00.000-07:00

Copied from the Daily Astorian - Tuesday December 7, 2010

Woodrow L. “Woody” Nance, 92, of Seaside, died Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010, in Seaside.

He was born June 8, 1918.

Mr. Nance is survived by two brothers, Bill and Edward Nance; a sister, Edith Mickey; a son, Lenard Nance and his wife, Debbie; three daughters, Mary Lou Dawson and her husband, Leland, Linda Essex and Carol Jo Horn; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, cousins, nieces, nephews and other relatives.

A memorial will be held May 29 at Grandview Cemetery near Madras.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to erect a flagpole to fly his Veterans USA Flag to Connecting Cultures in Christ, P.O. Box 12647, Salem, OR 97309.

Image From Grave Walker

Old posts about Grandpaw:
Las Otras Dos Mamas: A Weekend With Grandpaw: "Life is curious. This weekend we played Guitar Hero on the TV at Granny's. Grandpaw Woody, age 90, watched on with amusement and fascinatio..."

Posting Backwards - Spring Break 2011

2011-04-27T02:55:00.000-07:00

This year the Dawson family had a fantastic Spring Break. We spent the week out at the coast at Granny's house. We were fortunate to be able to include our friend Jenna in the adventure. Some of the things that we did:

Trip to Astoria to visit the wreck of the Peter Iredale - including a trip to Goodwill for dry shoes for the kids, and a Costco run to keep everyone fed and happy for the week
Time in Seaside letting the kids play at the arcade while the adults raided our favorite candy store the Buzz on Broadway. We were able to get the kids on the Carosel for what might be the last time as there were many protests about being "too old". The whole tribe enjoyed a visit to Seaside Mostly Hats in the Carosel Mall for a photo shoot of their fun hats.
Trip to Tillamook to visit the Tillamook Cheese Factory with a detour through the Tillamook Country Smoker.
A visit to Granny's friends farm. We got to meet the new ducklings, help feed the lambs, heard the sheep in from the pasture, and just spend some time enjoying the farm life.

Communication Isn't Just For Facebook Anymore

2011-04-23T13:05:00.000-07:00

Our world is an interesting place. It's busy and full of suprises. I've been away from the blog for awhile and so much has changed. I've been drawn back as a part of a class assignment but even as I type this I know it's something I've been missing. I think I partially have Facebook to blame for the demise of our blog. It's so easy to feel like I'm doing a good job of connecting and providing information on the goings on in our family with a quick Facebook update and the occasional posted picture. In reading back over the blog however there is so much more here. The entire story isn't summed up in 20 words or less. Whole feelings and reflections aren't posted in a single line. I've missed the opportunity to ramble and to really be a more robust version of myself. My goal is to blog three times a week for the next 4 weeks. Under the current circumstances I believe this to be a reasonable goal. Should things change drastically I will reevaluate. With that let the blogging begin!!!!

LIFE UPDATE:
Angie: As of the beginning of February I became a happily unemployed student. Well the student thing isn't new but the unemployed part definatly is. I have to say that for the most part I'm enjoying the fact that finding a new job is going very slowly. Financially we're finding a way to keep a roof over our head and the majority of the bills paid to the point that nothing has been turned off (yet). As a part of my new status I have had the amazing privilage to become the Mama I've never gotten to be. I pick the kids up everyday after school, I do all the doctors visits, therapy, running around that was taking us all away from work. The kids are actually enjoying the amount of time they get to spend with me and I with them. I'm really not sure how we managed to do all this stuff without a stay at home parent. I'm hoping that out of shear convenience the universe will see fit to have the right job come along just in time for Jen to be home with the new baby so that we can keep this up for the kids. (Sidenote: Yes..... new baby..... The Girls have a newborn bio-sibling set to arrive the first part of July.... more on that later) I realize it's no where to be found on the blog but I've been in school now for over a year. It all started with a desire to take Spanish with Judy and be able to spend more time with her. I've been taking computer application systems classes and really enjoying it. There was a definate slow and painful learning curve to getting back into the swing of school and to be honest being unemployed hasn't really helped that. There always seems to be something other than school that needs to be done. This term I'm taking all online classes which seems to be allowing me more freedom to get my work done as needed. As the super procrastinator I am that's not always the best but so far so good. I refuse to have a repeat of the end of last term. I'm far to old to stay up all night that many nights in a row. Hence the realization that maybe having another baby isn't for us.

Moving Some Old Posts

2010-07-21T16:53:00.000-07:00

I'm going to move some old posts from the kids blog over to this one. Enjoy.

September 11, 2008
Kindergarten - The Morning Of Day Two
And It Wasn't Pretty
Yesterday I celebrated the fact that we made it through the first full day of school. This morning Eph and I walked to school and I was subject to at least 82 repetitions of the phrase "Mama, I don't want to go to school". Drop off at school was ugly to say the least. As I walked away to catch my bus my phone call to Mommy went something like this, "Hey, could you bring our son dry pants he decided to pee them to get out of school. Oh, and he ran away from Ms. A and Ms. B and when they caught him by the street he bit Ms. A. Ok, so I'll tell them that his clean shorts and underwear are in the front pocket and that he's supposed to be working on not running away so he can earn a Popsicle. Thanks for the help. Talk to ya later." While this is an average conversation for us, I found myself looking longingly at the other Mom's and Dad's who were just walking away after giving their kid a reassuring hug. Hey... but my kids got skills.... not every kid thinks to pee his pants at will!

September 11, 2008
The First Post That Didn't Post
The Lights
Today along with Eph’s first full day of Kindergarten, Roo started her new school. Though her experience at the old school wasn’t as negative as Eph’s it was time to move her to somewhere new that was better suited to her. Our fear was that she wouldn’t like it, or would have a hard time with the transition. Mommy said she’d come back and pick her up at naptime to make the first day easier. When she arrived for pick-up she was turned away by a Roo that was excited to stay for rest. “They even turn the lights off for rest time”! So, it’s the little things when you are four. She actually enjoyed school so much that when Mommy returned to get her after picking Eph up from school she said she wasn’t finished and that she wanted to be picked up later. Her wish was not granted but at least it’s good to know that it was a success. I hope there are many more days like this to come.

September, 13, 2008
Day Four - Your In and Your Out
WHAT THE HELL ARE WE GOING TO DO?????
Yesterday passed as just another day with Eph and Roo home with Mommy. The day of suspension passed with many phone calls by Mommy to all the parties who knew the right things to say and to focus on at our meeting this morning. We arrived at school and met with Principal, Teacher, Ms. A, Ms. B, and Moon from the district. Egad! Mommy led the discussion from our side and everyone had their chance to say their part. We’re so frustrated that they are going to expel him every time he hits someone. I get it but it seems like we’re going to spend our whole year suspended. This is Eph after all. It feels like the school is trying but that no one is trying the right thing. I watched him through the door this morning as he lay on the floor and kicked and was totally awful. I wish I knew why he’s totally unable to maintain in this classroom. Is it the people, does he just need time, do we need to move him to a B class. Today after we all had a chance to watch him in the class and see how much of a distraction he was and how he wasn’t even close to being able to participate we decided to look at a B class. No decision is made but we want to see what one looks like and if seems as though it will be a better placement. We think there is one at the school by the house. Today I just feel like a fish out of water.

September 14,2008
Better Luck On Pizza Day
I talked to Eph on the phone tonight and learned that we're really excited for school tomorrow because it's pizza day! I say whatever motivates the kid we give it a try. I'll order him his own pizza every day for a while if that's all it takes to get him to curb his behaviors enough to adjust to his class. Mommy went in and took another week off work. I feel lucky she was able to do this for all of us. C-Mom and I have used up all our paid leave so she's the only one with anything left. Hopefully by the end of next week we'll have him stable somewhere. At least enough so that we can get everyone back to work.

September 15, 2008
One Down.... Five To Go
Just Bribe Him With A Tweaker Caterpillar
We made it!!!! Well... ok... he made it through a half day. We decided that it would be a good choice to pick him up after lunch so he would have a successful day. He made it. I'm not sure of how it really went. I know that at one point they called Mommy and asked her to come get
him. She said she would come and calm him down but that we didn't want to take him home again and perpetuate the cycle. On her way to pick him up they called and again and said they got him called down so she went and sat in the coffee shop around the corner reading her book just in case. He is earning 6 gold stars so that he might have a remote control tweaker beetle that isn't a battle but is really a caterpillar. I say whatever it takes.

September 15, 2008
Parenting Sucks Sometimes
Go To SLEEP!!!!
Today in the grand scheme of things was good until this evening. Here is what I want to know. How is it that when the kids are at my house something ALWAYS happens! The bathroom gets flooded, 25 pounds of hay gets thrown around the living room, and the number 10 finds itself written on my furniture, walls, counters, and many other household items. Does anyone else see the humor in the fact that as he was going around the house writing in marker all over that when he got to the fridge he decided to write "NO" instead of 10? I think if you are smart enough to write it you should know how to use it. I was upstairs giving Roo a bath and left Eph on the computer playing Arthur's Pet Chase, which is usually hard to peel him away from. Apparently not today. When he came upstairs for his turn in the tub he informed us that he had been writing all over the house. Tomorrow we get a lesson in washing it all off! With my last nerve a little frayed everyone got ready for bed and then Roo set off on an evil streak. I asked them both tonight if they would ever act this way at bedtime at Mommies house and they both said "No". Great, so not only do they refrain from episodes of mass destruction but they go to sleep without copious drama. There has got to be some kind of bad behavior that they do for her that they don't do for me. There just HAS to be!

Our Little Camper

2010-07-18T14:16:00.001-07:00

So, I picked up our little camper on Friday afternoon! There is no doubt that she loved it. Here is what happened about 20 minutes into our drive:
Ruby: Mama, What is homesick?
Mama: That’s where you miss home so much that your tummy hurts and you are really really sad.
Ruby: Mama, then I’m campsick!!
This was followed by 2 hours of crying about how she needed to go back to camp, she was never going to see her friends again, and how could we not send her for a whole week because she knew she was going to like it why didn’t we. EGAD!!!! Not even Dr. DQ or the iTouch fixed it. Egad!!!
So… needless to say we’re going to start saving to send her somewhere next year. We informed her that it might not be Whispering Winds but Westwind or Namanu and she flipped a nut that those were not “HER” camp. I swear we are so in trouble. Anyone want to buy a whole lot of Girl Scout cookies. I feel like a traitor to my Camp Fire heritage.

Facebook Killed Our Blog

2010-07-16T09:07:00.000-07:00

It seems that ever since we started using facebook on a regular basis the blog has gone away. So very sad. I’m hoping to bring back the blog. We’ll have to wait and see as I believe I’ve promised that before.

So today I’m totally excited to go pick Ruby up from her first time at overnight Girl Scout camp. I remember going to overnight camp as a kid and I loved it so much. I’m hoping when I pick her up today that she had a great experience and will look forward to the years to come. Hopefully tomorrow when I post I’ll have a picture of her at her camp.

Don't Blog On Ambien

2009-06-16T21:25:00.000-07:00

I tried re-reading the entry from yesterday and I have to say that I have no idea what my point was. I'm sure I had one and it was semi-eloquent in my head. Didn't make it to the blog now did it?

Tonight I'm going to have to take a pass on blogging on anything actually interesting because I went for a "walk" with Christina. Now in her defense I was given the option for the two mile walk however, that felt like it wasn't enough so I went for the full meal deal. Yes, I'm an IDIOT!!!!

View The Walk in a larger map

That's 6.2 Miles People!!!!! So, I'm going to limp over to my bed and passout now.

Longevity

2009-06-15T22:31:00.000-07:00

Today I got an envelope of pictures from Granny. Some I already have in my collection but not this one. This is my the kids Great Great Grandmother. I remember meeting her more than once and going to her birthday parties. I don't remember anything about her as a person though, only the stories that I've heard about her over the years and they are all from when she was younger and Grandpaw Woody was still at home. It made me realize how lucky I was to have my Granny Sheldon. She was my connection to the great grandparent generation. While it's very weird for me to think of Grandpa Bud as a great grandpa the kids not only have a very young one and then they have Grandpaw Woody who really isn't. He turned 91 last week. I remind myself that he has longevity on his side since his Mama lived to around 103. It amazes me when I think about Grandpaw as I would have remembered him and who my children will remember him as. I am grateful that they have experienced life with him not just seen him for a rare family occasion. There are pictures that mean so much whether it be the next shot of Grandpaw Woody listening to Ephraim play cars or this picture from long ago that shows the generations of our family. This post was headed somewhere and then has taken a quick slide into nothing due to the taking of the evening medications prior to writing the blog. It is with that knowledge I will retire from this true ramble and come back and try to clean it up in the morning.

Nature or Nurture?

2009-06-10T22:57:00.000-07:00

Or to nurture nature!

Our daughter is now a first grader! It is possible we will never be parents of a kindergartner again. We celebrated with some ice cream and then played in the back yard. The kids have a hideout in the bushes, it even comes with it's own stone Bambi. Judy and I took the opportunity to prune a few things that were bugging us, like the four leaves left on one of the totally butchered rhododendron bushes. If it's going to be a giant twig sculpture than it needs to be all twigs. No need to throw the fact that it's supposed to have leaves in our face. Ruby was a fantastic help with the yard debris. It was fun to just get out there and play. Judy found and gave them a slug that they decided was too slimy. He went on his first solo flight through the air (not an adult sponsored disposal). Then Ruby found a worm that she was carrying all over the yard. She climbed up in my lap while I took a break with her worm and announced that she was "nurturing the worm". Wow! Good to know. I really hadn't thought that was possible. The dynamic duo went off to find Eph a worm and instead Ruby found a potato bug. As Ruby ran across the yard with her potato bug in search of Phil the flying slug, Ephraim explained that the potato bug was "doing yoga"! Where do they get this stuff? I sure do love them! Kudos go out to my lovely wife Judy! She may be temporarily triumphing over the blackberry bushes that were trying to take over the back of "Judy's Sanctuary" (aka. the laundry and storage room).

Exciting discoveries in the back yard.....

1. the baby plum tree has furry fruit which means correct me if I'm wrong it's a peach or apricot.

2. the big tree (really big tree) in the yard is covered with 10 million plums! Woooooo Hooooo! Judy wants to know if we can freeze them in slices. I'm thinking we'll have to google that one. Plum pudding anyone? Oh and you'll all be getting plum jam for Christmas. Please send me your best recipes.

Take Slow Deep Breathes

2009-06-09T19:13:00.000-07:00

Two posts in two days! I have the perfect spot and this is Judy's last night of class so it's just the dog and I. it helps to have this perfect little setup on our back porch. I really love this house. It's so nice to have "our" house. Even though we shared the apartment and things were all moved around and Judy had her influence everywhere (hence why you could see the floor, not every hard surface was covered with stuff, and you could find a place to sit). It was still mine and not ours. I just thought of something I didn't cover yesterday.... Hand Surgery. So I had this gangleon cyst in my palm pushing on the nerves in my finger. So after complaining about it for months here and there Judy made me call the doctor. A trip to the doctor resulted in a referral to the Hand Specialist. Dr. W asked me two questions, pushed on my hand, and said "Yep it's a cyst do you want to do surgery?" He explained why the other method wouldn't work for me. He asked me if I wanted a second opinion or time to consider surgery. He was my second opinion and cut it out if that's how you can fix it. Next thing I know the nurse is sending me over to the hospital for tests and I have a surgery date in 5 days! The big surprise was that my anxiety was a blip on the radar instead of the firestorm it usually is (ok to me, not sure I wasn't making everyone else nuts!). We made it there, the procedure went well, and it was the best nap I've ever had. Judy was a great nurse. Home I went to bo be tortured by hours and hours of Inspector Gadget!!! Now a reasonable individual might have noticed we just moved! Yep, I had hand surgery the weekend before our move. I am still married afterwards. I was amazed at how helpfull one can be with only one hand. Here it is 3 weeks to the day and it's looking great. I don't have any of the zings or ache I used to have. I still getting my strength back so if I look like I'm giving you the bird, I swear it's not intentional (or maybe it is).

I'm On The Blog Again....

2009-06-08T20:31:00.001-07:00

...or so I hope. Were you signing it to the tune of "On the Road Again"? I don't expect anyone to believe it until they see more than one entry in a row.

the list from of blog topics from before has grown and some of it has actually changed. Let's revisit the list:

~The Family Vacation to Disneyland~ We had a great time. The kids were so good and everything came together fairly seamlessly. The parents all survived to tell the tale and there are lots of great pictures. I think this is still going to be it's own entry someday and when I do I have to make sure to tell the tale of Bitty!

~Ephraim's School Expulsion~ There is so much to say in this department. Several entries really. A quick update is that after 5 1/2 weeks Ephraim started at a new school where he actually enjoys going to school every day. Really can you ask for more?

~Run for the Arts~ The kids had a great time. They ran less laps than last year but only because Eph needs to work on pacing himself and Ruby had friends to talk to this year. I missed out on the event so I don't have much more to say on that.

~Ruby and the Wizard of Oz~ I'm so far behind we actually had another play yesterday! It was a dance theater production of Cinderella. She was the wicked step-mother and this was by far the best play yet. I'll have to see what we can do about getting them on the web.

~Judy the Karate student~ICE! This one will have to wait partially because I'm not sure what I can say without getting a chop to the middle of my head. No wait that's what I keep doing that Judy can't seem to block. Who is really learning this karate stuff. In all seriousness she's kicking butt (almost literally) and taking names. Oh, and she's cute in the outfit too. ~The Return of Tonks The Dog~ Got Tonks. Couldn't have Tonks in apartment. Invaded Katie's house sometimes with Katie still in it. Found new house. Snuck Tonks into apartment because what were they going to do, evict us? Now happily living in new home with Tonks the Lactating Dog. Yes. you read that correctly. I was sleeping on the dog yesterday when I awoke and noticed something white on her nipple. I went to wipe it off and it was MILK! Yes, I squeezed the dogs nipples to check how many of them had milk and Judy has decided I am dog molester. It turns out that dogs actually have a high occurrence of false pregnancy. So we could be at this for another month before the imaginary puppies are born! We are accepting donations for her spay! (actually we found a good deal on it through the Oregon Humane Society.)

~House Hunting~ Our marriage actually survived finding a house. Not that our relationship is that fragile rather house hunting sucks that bad. If you have unlimited resources for rent you could live anywhere your heart desires in our fair city for just $1250 a month. However if you want to live in a 3 bedroom anything that allows dogs that weigh 50 pounds and you refuse to live in Gresham than your screwed. We also discovered that certain property management companies in the area exist only to make money off multiple denied application fees. I will not name names but I swear to you.... they will someday go to Hell for the wrongs they knowingly committed (and I don't even believe in Hell so you know it's bad).

~House Finding (I pray that will be a topic very soon)~It's not only a topic but we've done gone and moved into it! So our new home is so very cute and absolutely perfect for us. We've moved out to the suburbs and live a few blocks from good friends. The owners couldn't be nicer people. The neighbors are friendly, the street is quiet, and I think our yard is 5 acres. Ok, maybe .5 acres but when you are mowing the lawn it feels like much more.

~A Tiny Tidbit on Work~ Not sure why I ever said I'd add a tidbit on work. I never post about work only that I work. Must not have been thinking at the time.

In Addition........

~Ruby's Birthday~ The beautiful and talented Ms. Ruby turned 6 years old. I swear it can't have been that long. Really! She has matured so much these last few months it's crazy. I feel like she grows before my eyes.

~Ephraim's Birthday~ Mr. E turned 7! It's crazy and I do mean really crazy. He loves his birthday so much it was really fun. On the morning of the actual day I called him to say "Happy Birthday". He was telling me about his presents when his bus came. He hung up on me to run and get his bus. That's how well school is going! We took him to the nickle arcade on his birthday and he spent nearly all his nickles on his favorite jump rope game. It's a good way to burn off some energy. He played the same game at Chuck E. Cheese for Ruby's birthday but he had to take turns with other kids so having the machine all to himself was like a birthday present all on it's own.

~Teeth~Eph's teeth have been falling out right and left and some of them are actually growing in again already. He lost the two top front teeth and I thought he couldn't get any cuter. Then the bottom ones fell out on either side of his front teeth and it's the cutest carved pumpkin grin ever. The tooth fairy had the opportunity to come visit our house on the last tooth and that was really fun.

~Hilda~ Did you know that the Candy Witch (of Halloween Fame) has an evil sister? Actually neither did we! However, one day we were informed that Hilda not the Candy Witch had taken away all the pez. I think Mommy might have had something to do with this version of the story so as to preserve the good name of her dear friend the Candy Witch. None the less, we ended up with Hilda who only visits the kids at our house and is "super greedy and a very mean lady"! When we were packing up the kids room to move we even discovered correspondence left under Eph's pillow begging Hilda to be his friend and give back the pez. Apparently his pleas did not fall on a heartless Candy Witch's Evil Sister Hilda! In his bed tonight when I went in to take pictures of his room, Hilda had returned so many pez and they were all tucked snug in his bed. I can't wait to see what Ephraim thinks when he comes over next.

~A Washer and Dryer~ We have our very own washer and dryer! Ok well they are Jeanna and Katie's that we are babysitting for them. They are hooked up, washing, and drying. I realize this may be something that some of you take for granted. I'm just so thrilled not to have to trudge to the laundry room, spend quarters, and still not get my stuff all the way dry. The other option has been trucking a car full of laundry to the Property to wash it for "free". This only works when we actually get to go out there and the way things have been lately our clothes would have been walking and talking if we'd waited. As part of having a washer and dryer some things that really needed to be washed but we couldn't justify that cost found their way into the washer.

So that's that for now. It's late and the bugs are eating me as I'm sitting out in my nice backyard with my cute Wife studying for her math final!

9 Days and Counting

2009-04-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

Eph's been out of school now for 9 days and I'm not sure when he'll be returning. We received a call the Monday before last saying that Ephraim choked the teacher. Jen picked him up and we did the suspended thing. When she went to have the return to school meeting on Wednesday we discovered it was an expulsion hearing. We hadn't gotten the letter about the incident or letting us know what was going to happen. Jen rescheduled the meeting which was good. It gave us a few more days to investigate what the possible placement options might be. We toured the pioneer school and while it could be really good it also has the potential for being locked in the seclusion room that is so scary to us. I would doubt Ephraim would get to that level but none the less it still makes me sick to my stomach knowing it's possible. It was interesting to me that when we went to the tour the woman who came to the end of the incident on Monday also believed Ephraim had reached up and choked the teacher which is what we were lead to believe. When we got the letter finally on Wednesday we found out she'd been wearing a scarf that he pulled on and was choking her. It doesn't change the fact that there was an incident and that he is responsible for his behavior but there is a big difference between your kid choking someone with their bare hands and them pulling on a piece of clothing that consequently the teacher shouldn't have been wearing in this setting anyway. We have the big expulsion hearing this afternoon and an IEP review/update. I'm very nervous as there is a lot of tension surrounding this specific event and his needs and rights. We have a lawyer from DRO joining us as well as a OPTI advocate. I hope we can get what Ephraim needs out of this so that he can return to school and be successful. He's been having a fantastic time away from school and it's been nice to have time with him. I'll write more with the outcome and any insight I gain from the meeting.

When You Need It Most....

2009-04-30T11:15:00.000-07:00

there is no time to actually blog. I really need to get back to it though as there are a million things that need to be said, remembered, or ranted on. I'm going to make a list today and starting tomorrow I'm going to blog on one of them per day till I'm all caught up. Look out world!

~The Family Vacation to Disneyland~
~Ephraim's School Expulsion~
~Run for the Arts~
~Ruby and the Wizard of Oz~
~Judy the Karate student~
~The Return of Tonks The Dog~
~House Hunting~
~House Finding (I pray that will be a topic very soon)~
~A Tiny Tidbit on Work~

Hmmm.... if I think of more I'll either come back and edit the list or just have to do extra entries. I've really missed this.

Eye Surgery

2009-03-04T21:45:00.000-08:00

I realize now that it's over and I've had a few posts, emails, and text messages that I might have left out some details about our happenings today. Ruby had eye surgery to fix her wandering eyes. It was just an in and out thing and we would have been there even less had her Doctor not needed to see her this morning. She was the bravest girl ever and her Mama managed to save her meltdown for after she went into surgery. She is going to make a really fun drunk when she's 37 if the medication today is any indication! She was happy to come home and be done with it as are all the Moms. The sheer numbers of Mom's really messed with some minds today. She's got some double vision to deal with for a little while but other than that she's already back to bossing her Brother and basking in the attention! She might need some reading glasses to help while her eyes learn to adjust to their new alignment but other than that we should be finished with the eating and hiding of the glasses for good. Oh... and just in case I forget.... we'll be doing the same thing with Ephraim in June or July!

Another Birthday...... Trying To Be Happy

2009-02-28T17:22:00.000-08:00

My Darling Fairy Princess,
Here we go again, another birthday! Seven, can you believe it. So many things have changed since the day you were born. Some things haven't. I am still so happy to be your Mama and so very grateful you came into our lives. Without you I would never have become who I am today. You taught me so much about what and who is really important. Today your Brother and Sister helped me to make your birthday cake. Your Brother read the directions off the box and your Sister told us all exactly what they meant and how we should be doing it. Had you been making it with us I wonder what part you would have played. Would you have been fighting to crack the eggs or to be the first to poor the batter? We got balloons for your party and worked on your card. It's so strange for me to think about your different birthdays and how your Brother and Sister have changed as we mark each of them. Remember the scribbles they used to leave on your cards, and then when you could finally read their names. Today they both wrote in their best writing "Happy Birthday Sister Megan!" and gave your their love. Your Brother even wrote you a special note that makes me the craziest mix of happy, proud, and heart broken. His note read "Sister Megan I know you died a long time ago but I love you. Love, Ephraim". There really are no other words more true and pure than that my sweet Daughter.

Happy 7th Birthday My Fairy Princess! I know it's been a long time since you died but I love you! Love, Your Mama!

From One Kind of Helpless to Another

2009-01-14T19:07:00.000-08:00

Ok.... so I've spent the last two days absolutely sick about what has happened to my Son. The pictures of his head from the day it happened are horrifying and it's still not pretty today. This afternoon the investigator for the state came to talk with the kids about what happened. You want to know what happened?.......... My daughter is a big fat liar and took her brother down with her! AGHHHHH!!!!!!! Really does parenting suck sometimes or what. So tonight has been all about talking, making I'm sorry cards, and more talking. With Ruby it included a nice roll play where we accused her of kicking the dog and we played on it for awhile till she was good and bothered by it and hoped it would sink in. The question is... has it? If you use bedtime as a measure.... NOT ONE BIT!!!! I asked her if she'd gone to the bathroom, she said yes. I asked her again knowing full well she hadn't and she said yes again. I asked her if she was lying and she said YES!!!! I took away her story time and put her to bed. I hope it takes both of them a really long time to fall asleep tonight so they have lots of time to think. I know I'm horrible for saying that but I'm not sure there is much else I can do at the moment. Tomorrow we're hoping to have a meeting with the daycare people so they can make their apologies in person and so we can all talk about what happened and what is going to happen going forward. There is such a weird line between wanting to punish them till the cows come home and needing them to understand that when they make a mistake (or LIE) that they need to tell us what happened and that we may not like it but it will be ok. I just wish all parenting could be as easy as 1-2-3 Magic. Somehow though I just don't think that would help right now.

*1-2-3 Magic is the idea that when your child doesn't want to do what they are asked you say...."Ok, I'm going to count to three and if you don't take your art stuff up to your room by three then I'm taking your Bakugan's away. That's one......"

Helpless

2009-01-13T17:55:00.000-08:00

I have such a feeling of anguish and helplessness at the moment. Two children were out on the playground and one child got really hurt. The account from the child who was hurt is that the boy who was picking on him shoved his face into the fence. The adults missed the whole thing and thought he had an accident. I am so angry that my child has been hurt at the hands of another. Even though I know he's been the one who has hurt others in the past. He at least has a reason for his behavior and nothing was this severe. What was this child's motivation to hurt him. Was he frustrated with him, was he just being a bully, were they playing some stupid kid game and played too rough? I want to know what exactly happened. All I really know is that my child is hurt both physically and emotionally. He is afraid to go back to a place that has always taken good care of him where he has good friends. He doesn't understand why someone did this and it's so hard to help him when neither do I.

Dear Son,

Mama is so sorry this has happened to you. I know that there are going to be times in your life when I can't protect you from the world. I wish with all my heart that I could. I know that if I did it would only interfere in your growth into the competent adult you will be someday. It hurts my heart so much to know you are hurting and I wish I could fix it. Just know that you are loved and that your Mama will do anything to teach you that this is not how the world should be. That there are far more people out there who will treat you well and love and care for you than these terrible few who will cause you harm. Please don't lose your trust in the good. Please give us a chance to prove it to you.

With more love today than yesterday and less than tomorrow,

Your Mama

We'll Miss You Bill!!!

2009-01-06T13:31:00.000-08:00

PORTLAND - William "Bill" Ardeel, 73, Portland, died Dec. 26, 2008, at his home.

Private interment rites will be at Willamette National Cemetery, 11800 SE Mt. Scott Blvd., in Portland.

Mr. Ardeel was born Nov. 26, 1935, in Hillsboro, a son of Art and Erma Meltabeke McGahey. He was raised and received his education in the North Plains community.

A veteran of the Korean conflict, he joined the United States Marines Dec. 3, 1953, in Portland. He served three years and received his discharge Dec. 2, 1956, at Camp Pendleton, Calif., at the rank of private first class.

He was a sheet metal worker for Gunderson Brothers in Portland for many years, until he retired.

_____________________________________________

Bill was our next door neighbor, our watchdog, our friend. He was always in his dark denim overalls. He was not a man to flash you a gratuitous smile but when you got one they left you no choice but to smile back. He was grumpy and somber and so looked forward to his death as he wanted to join those who had gone before him. Under that though he had a sweet caring side that was really enjoyable in the times it showed itself. Things don't seem right in our little complex without him. I expect to go out to the car in the morning and see him standing getting his little walks in, or doing his laundry, or impatiently waiting on the mailman. Some would consider him the nosey neighbor. He just always made me feel safe. I knew when I wasn't home that any funny business would be known. I used to tease him that if he saw anyone stealing my stuff to let them have it and if he had anything he wanted new to give his old stuff to them as well! I remember the time he gave Ephraim two red cars that I think came in his cereal boxes. Ephraim loved those cars. Anytime the kids would lose something on the walkway or by the cars they would be waiting on his chair outside his apartment for the next time we walked by. We will miss our friend Bill though we will keep his memory alive each time we trek down to "Bill's Restaurant" for a neighborhood breakfast, just like he used to do.

We're happy that you finally got what you wanted Bill. Though we do miss you!

A Really Great Weekend

2009-01-05T11:10:00.000-08:00

A Three Hour Circle

2009-01-04T22:05:00.000-08:00

We did not get lost, we did not plan, we just had to!

So this evening it started snowing. We checked the weather last night and knew we needed to get out by 3pm to beat the wind and rain (nothing said SNOW!!!!). We tried to leave at 2pm but as all good plans with good intentions are thwarted it seems, we left at 3:15pm. As we were driving out Hwy. 53 it started snowing and sticking to the road. Judy was driving great and then the car slipped a little and we traded drivers. It was snowing and slow going but it was going along fine. We got about 35 miles toward home when all traffic came to a stop. We sat and waited guessing it was an accident before we say the State Trooper pulling up to each car and talking to them. So when it was our turn we rolled down the window only to find out that without chains you were to turn around. With studs or 4 wheel drive you could continue with the knowledge that "when" not "if" you got stuck it was a $145 ticket. Needless to say with the kids in the car there wasn't much of a choice as to what we were doing. (well that and we just have front wheel drive) So as we started back we made the necessary calls to advise Granny we'd be back, Jen & Courtney that we weren't coming back, and Bo that Tonks (the worlds best dog) wouldn't be coming home either. The drive was slow and SNOWY and we had a little trouble getting over the pass after Camp 18. We couldn't take 53 as it's too unpredictable (and curvy) in the snow. So.... we drove out to the ocean and around. Though the snow stopped the rain and wind kicked up! Egad...... what a day for driving. A little over 3 hours later we pulled into Granny and Grandpa Noisey's driveway parking exactly where we had been earlier. DOH!!!!

Having A Fun Weekend

2009-01-02T21:56:00.000-08:00

This weekend is really good! We're having a fun time. I'll post the weekend hopefully soon but here's a couple pictures.

The Mexican Snowman

2008-12-23T23:13:00.000-08:00

So.... in an effort to avoid the projects inside the house, I decided to lengthen our outdoor cleaning of the walkway (which the majority of was done by our fabulous neighbor) by building a little snow sculpture. Something simple to brighten Grandpa Noisey's day before he has to drive a crazy long way back home to the Coast in the snow. I suggested we make a Grandpa head in the snow with a hat and mustache and such. We went inside to find suitable materials and here is what transpired. Judy found a lime to cut in half as eyes. Judy found carrots for a nose. Judy found a hat. I found a piece of ribbon for a mouth. We return to the snow head and start our work. Suddenly she exclaims "Ah, I have an idea for the mustache!!!" and returns with a "Rattle Can" or spray paint for us non-Mexican folk and takes over. Our Grandpa Noisey art would never have been nearly so cool. As I was taking a picture to send Granny it occurred to me that it's going to snow another 3 inches or something stupid and he won't even know it's there by 5:30 am! It's the thought that counts.... RIGHT?

Let It Snow..... Let It Snow.... Let it STOP Snowing!!!!

2008-12-21T19:20:00.001-08:00

I have to say that I think I've had enough. With being home all last week laying low and watching it be cold it sure would be nice to get a little melt. Making trips to the doctor, drugstore, and having a lay around and chilling with the kids almost literally between news reports of snow, ice, wind. It's been really beautiful and the car has done an amazing job getting us everywhere we've needed to go even without chains. We've had the chains in the car for a year now and when we went to put them on the car we found out they were the wrong size. Luckily they were the perfect size for Katie's car! Merry Christmas! I'm going to post some pictures from yesterday and today. At 5:30 pm last night we had about 3.5 inches of snow and when we went out at 5:30 pm tonight we were up to 8 inches. There is a total thick layer of ice between the snow. When we stepped outside our front door the snow doesn't even break. Apparently we're going to be living in this stuff for the rest of the week. I'm really not sure how that's going to work out. I'm looking forward to trying to get to work tomorrow.

If This Doesn't Make Sense....

2008-12-17T01:12:00.000-08:00

it's because I'm totally drugged up** and it's the middle of the night. (**correct dose of prescription medication)

I have acquired one of those odd medical maladies that makes you question the phrase "modern medicine". It baffles my mind that in a time when we cure cancers, expand the life of those with terminal diseases in many multiples of an anticipated duration, and have the ability to prevent so many things with the knowledge we've gained that there are still times when a Dr. has to resort to "Go home and get worse for a couple more days so we know exactly what this is." I can tell you that a prescription for painkillers just doesn't make up for the fact that I'm sitting here enduring increasing pain and discomfort, praying that the weather will allow for us get to my appointment in the morning, and finally that there will be an diagnosis with a RESOLUTION.

Phone Call To Santa

2008-12-08T18:17:00.000-08:00

As a Parent there are many things we do that we never could have imagined having to do. Last Friday my phone call went something like this.......

Mama: Hello is this Santaland?
Santaland: Yes. How can I help you?
Mama: I need you to give Santa a message for me. I know this is a weird phone call. You see, my kids came to see Santa the other day and we found out they have LICE.
Santaland: You think Santa gave your kids Lice?
Mama: NO! I wanted to warn Santa that my kids may have given him lice. We were there and there were no other kids so they had a whole lot of time with Santa.
Santaland: So he should check his suit.
Mama: Well I was more worried about his beard but his suit would be good to check too.
Santaland: What day did you come and was it morning or afternoon?
Mama: Wednesday afternoon.
Santaland: I'll let Santa know.
Mama: Thanks, I really appreciate your help. Merry Christmas.
Santaland: You too.

RID kit, shower caps, and petroleum jelly $20.00
Good Flea Comb to get out the nasty buggers $7.98
30 Loads of Laundry to wash everything in your house that could be infected $50.00
Having to call Santa and warn him your kids may have given him Lice. PRICELESS

Something To Really Give Thanks For

2008-12-03T18:15:00.000-08:00

I've been away from the old blog. Doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about all the things I want to post. Just haven't had the time to do it. We had a very nice first Thanksgiving together Judy and I. We got a text message from Andy that he had something special for us when we arrived at the coast. We were excitedly hoping it would be a special something we've been waiting for. What an amazing thing to mark our Thanksgiving. Our Rings!

Going A Little Crazy

2008-11-13T14:57:00.000-08:00

That title is true in so many ways. I've got a case of the bi-polar blues but saw the doctor yesterday and am working on it. So.... if I am a little reclusive at the moment or just missing in general please be patient.... I'm a work in progress. As for the reason I actually put the title on this post.... I still have my Bend-The-Rules quilt to send. I feel so guilty that I lost my partners address and though I've contacted the swap co-ordinator still haven't received it. If I were my partner I'd be really starting to wonder what happened. Jennifer if you read this.... email me your address!!!!!! I come to work everyday and see it's box sitting here and just feel like a total goober! The quilt swap really got me back into quilting. We finished Ruby's quilt for her swap this weekend and Judy's first quilt is done except for the binding. Which I am sewing on slowly. :) Seeing as all the projects were finished we got to go enjoy the Fabric Depot Veteren's day sale the other night and got some really fun stuff. I'll try and get a picture up. Some of it is for Christmas presents so of course that won't get posted but some of it is just for us and I can't wait to share the greatest find for our first Christmas Quilt. Guess that's all the news (and lack of news) for the moment. Ohhh.... except for..... I GOT MY FLU SHOT.... Have You?

Found These In My Desk Today

2008-11-11T13:00:00.000-08:00

Look at these little babies! Wow.... so long ago!

My First Quilt Swap Completed!

2008-11-04T20:58:00.001-08:00

My quilt is finished and waiting for a mailing address for my partner. I'm not sure what I did with her address but it's somewhere safe. I think it turned out pretty well. I hope Jennifer will like it. I received my quilt back from Andrea last week. It's amazing. I love the way she put the fabrics together. She put some beautiful embroidered flowers on it and it just makes me feel so special. The kids think it is just the best and fight over who gets to lay with it. If you see this Andrea...THANK YOU!

An Event In History

2008-11-04T20:10:00.003-08:00

I am sitting here with chills and tears welled in my eyes. Barack Obama has taken the Presidential election of 2008! Not only am I so happy to have a democrat back in power but to see the arrival of a minority as our President seems unreal. Watch out world, give us another 50 years and we'll get a woman or heaven forbid a queer!

Halloween Pictures

2008-11-04T13:46:00.000-08:00

Blogging just isn't getting done these days. However.... I've still got pictures to share.

I’ve Started Two New Swaps

2008-10-29T10:45:00.000-07:00

I was making up some lunch box notes to leave over at Jen’s today when I see the kids and I thought how great it would be to start a note swap. We’ll see how my attempt at being a swap starter goes!

Lunch Box Notes For The Girls!

Lunch Box Notes For The Boys!

The Judtober Celebration Pictures

2008-10-28T16:31:00.001-07:00

I don't have the time to tell the stories about this yet. I wanted to get the pictures up though!
Enjoy!!!!

Visiting Others In The Blogosphere

2008-10-27T12:30:00.000-07:00

My blog is turning into an advertisement page for fellow bloggers! Not that it’s a bad thing after all I wouldn’t post anything I didn’t think was totally awesome. I actually have some really great pictures and a fun story to tell of our Saturday adventures for Judy's birthday celebration. The pictures are at home so that'll have to wait for an evening that I have time this week. I was browsing through the comments on one of my favorite sites and found a link to yet another great site. So, I’m sharing. Maternal Bliss has started a fun shop called the Peony Paperie. She makes really great personalized cards. What really drew me to her work was the crisp simple beauty of her work. I also really liked her “Mommy Cards”. I am hoping that I’ll win her drawing so that I can get some, that or maybe I’ll just have to splurge. I love the idea of having cards to give out to other parents that say I’m Ephraim and Ruby’s Mama. I can’t tell you how many play date names and phone numbers I’ve lost because they are written on some scrap of paper that I’ve meant to hang on to. My work cards feel way to boring. The other thing is I really believe in supporting other Moms. I wish I had a talent that could manifest into an Etsy shop but since I don’t I make it my job to point others in the direction of the good stuff. Please take a moment to visit the Peony Paperie and if you see something you like go back to Maternal Bliss and tell her about it. You might even win a set of her cards (if you do…. You can always share them with me!)

Other Bloggers Blogs

2008-10-24T14:56:00.000-07:00

It’s becoming more and more evident that I am developing a blogging problem! I can’t believe all that I’ve been missing. I love seeing the work that others are doing and wish that it were possible for me to help support everyone. One of the blogs I follow on a regular basis by Alissa Jacobs of Quiltish is having a contest for some of the new Amy Butler fabrics from Sew Good Fabric. Please take a minute to check it out and put your name in the hat. If you happen to win don’t forget me, I’ll help you use some of that great fabric! You can click on the cute little button (my first try at button making) in my fun things I’ve found section. Or the link below. Please make sure to not only take a look at Sew Good Fabric but make sure you visit the Quilitsh Etsy Store and see the great things Alissa is making as well. Thanks!

A Post About Our Saturday

2008-10-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

I wrote this letter for one of my swaps but wanted to post part of it here because it was a good account of our day on Saturday.

Last night was one of those nights where I am reminded that a double bed really isn’t big enough. It was an ever changing mix of bodies. With our houseguest in the kids room they are sleeping on the floor in our room. Bad dreams, wet beds, and just plain being a kid resulted in me waking this morning at 6:00 when Ruby climbed back into a bed already full of three people and then complained that she was falling out of bed. Gee, I can’t imagine why. It’s not like Judy and Ephraim had anywhere to go except to fall out of bed on the other side. So I took her downstairs for a snuggle and a movie. As we got all cozy in our blankets and watched the current installment of the Bernstein Bears from the video store, I’m pretty sure I snored through the whole thing. After Ephraim woke up I confess I started the video over again and snuck back upstairs to the now fairly empty bed and sucked up every last snooze to be had. Hunger triumphed over the Bears and I was needed to rectify the situation.

I made blueberry pancakes and as fast as I could cook them there were more being requested. It’s so hit and miss with them. One day they eat 2 pancakes a piece and yesterday I lost count at 6. After everyone was fed we loaded ourselves into the car and got the day started. We went over to our favorite donut shop to get some “birthday” donuts. It’s tradition in our family to have donuts for breakfast on your day. Judy’s birthday is Tuesday and since we don’t have the kids on that day we celebrated early. The kids were thrilled with their donuts covered in baby m&m’s, two treats in one. We tried some of the other flavors and Judy has added the Captain Crunch donut to her list of favorites. I added the grape donut to the “that’s disgusting” list. There is always something new and interesting to try.

We then went over to the local Bi-Mart to get the kids some new rubber boots. Everyone has outgrown their old ones and after taking them through the horrible muddy Corn Maze the night before I really didn’t want to have to clean up another pair of shoes if we encountered more mud. The kids found little rubber boots that look like cowboy boots. Pink for Ruby and Black and Red for Ephraim. They were so excited and wanted to wear them out of the store. We picked out some snacks for Mr. I’m Hungry and we are finally on the road.

We drove up the scenic highway to Crown Point and the Vista House. It’s a great place to be able to look out and see the Columbia River, The George, the fields over on the Washington side all green and all the fall trees changing colors. We left there and drove down to Multnomah Falls.

It occurred to me that the kids and I had been here a year earlier almost to the day. They’ve grown so much this last year. We got hot chocolates and walked up to the bridge. It’s one of those places where no matter how many times you’ve been it never stops amazing me with its beauty. We waved down to Judy who stayed at the bottom since she wasn’t in the mood to conquer her fear of heights. Along the trail there was a really cool little pool of water in the base of a tree that was covered with moss and beautiful red and gold leaves. The kids noticed tadpoles swimming in it when they were checking it out. They wanted to bring one down to Judy but I vetoed adding to our home frog collection and advocated for their extended life by remaining in the tree. I am such a spoil sport. We lured Ephraim back to the car with the promise of another snack to curb his perpetual hunger and headed on to the Fish Hatchery.

I haven’t been to the hatchery in years and forgot how cool it is. It’s so fun to see all the fish that you know are in the rivers but you just can’t see them. The adult Salmon were in and so we were able to watch them trying to jump up into the pools where there friends were. When you looked out into the holding ponds you saw so many fins sticking out of the water. I don’t remember ever seeing so many. The kids were thrilled with them and would laugh and squeal when the fish would jump. We then walked up to the ponds where you can feed the trout and the home of “Herman the Sturgeon”. He’s about 70 years old, weighs 400+ pounds, and is around 10 feet long. For a fish he has a pretty cute face. I love doing things like this with them because you get to experience something as it’s being seen for the very first time. It puts such a fresh cool perspective on things. After wandering around the Hatchery and letting them run off some of that energy it was back into the car.

We headed onto Hood River for a stop at one of the local pumpkin and apple farms. Rasmussen’s has a fun little corn maze that you read the story as you walk through. It’s much different than the one from the night before which I think the corn is just a bonus and it’s grown for the maze. This is a regular old corn patch with a path and this year a Cinderella story and diorama’s to follow as you go. Ephraim amazes me with his reading skills as he read us the story at each stop. There are so few words he actually needs any help with anymore. After the maze we went over to a dark little hay house thing they had for the kids to run in and out of. I supervised them from the outside as Judy went in search of a wagon to help us with our Pumpkins. Then it was off to the Pumpkin Patch. We started walking out into the field and picking the perfect pumpkin is so hard. I had a certain shape in mind and apparently none of those grew this year. Judy found her pumpkin first. The kids ran off after being told to stay close and I wandered in yet another direction to attempt to prove a point. I figured as long as I could hear them their actual safety wasn’t at risk. I was hoping they’d get scared and then I could revisit the importance of staying close. Nope, they found me on their own and could have cared less. So much for the teachable moment. Dragging that wagon back out of the patch with the two of them sitting on it, keeping the pumpkins from rolling away and playing with the worms stuck to the dirt of my pumpkin was HARD work. Even with the two of us. I recommend smaller pumpkins or something next year because really that was nuts. Ephraim asked for a new worm because his broke in half. I distracted him with the need to weigh our pumpkins. 33 pounds for the two of them. We picked up some brussel sprouts, some apples, and some pears. The kids got popcorn and caramel apples and it was time to get back in the car. All the sugar and fresh air caught up with them and they were both sound asleep in minutes. We let them sleep and woke them up as we got back into town.

A Little Too Much Judtober!

2008-10-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

I just couldn't stay up last night to enjoy the festivities. As guilty as I felt about it at the time..... I am so over it. I woke up every couple hours to the sound of bad 80's Karaoke and happy giggles. At about 5 am I heard "We're Not Gonna Take It Anymore!" at the top of their lungs. When I finally got up for the day I heard Steph slipping off to bed and this is what I found when I went downstairs! If this isn't birthday fun.... what is? She called me just a little bit ago and while she's technically still alive the jury is out on whether that's a good thing or not! Sorry Honey! Have some water and some aspirin!

Happy Birthday Judy!

2008-10-21T15:23:00.000-07:00

We've been celebrating the month of Judtober one day at a time and we've finally reached the pentacle of the month. Happy Birthday My Love!

Oh Blog It!

2008-10-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

Things have been so busy these last few days that I haven’t had a chance to really get to my blog. This makes me sad. Really, I’m pretty sure I could have made the time but since I have a lot to write it’s seemed a little daunting. So…. Let’s get started.

Friday – October 10, 2008
My amazing and beautiful family (I’m not biased) picked me up from work and the kids and I got to enjoy a fabulous fall evening at the park. They ran like crazy and played tag with our friend Gary and his friend Calvin. Nothing better than little kids running after teenage boys to insure a good night of sleep.

Saturday – October 11, 2008
We had a fantastic chill morning at home before taking the kids back to Mommies. There must have been something in the air that screamed dress up! Ruby created a rather fabulous outfit for herself at our house and then as we were getting ready to leave Mommies she came out with a purple mohawk mask. We of course had to take turns getting our pictures with it. What silly fun. After we left Mommy and Mimzy’s we were off to the coast for a fantastic weekend of quilting and tamale making. We took our time and just enjoyed the beautiful fall colors and the company of the four legged wonder Tonks. It’s so fun to have a part-time dog. Sometimes there are moments in life where you really wished you had your camera, any camera for that matter. I just wish for some way of sharing the image so that others can appreciate it for whatever it is. Judy finally got to drive one of the four wheelers over to George and Kelly’s on a mission to pick up a new cutting blade for the rotary cutter. Gracie (Granny’s Basenji) and Tonks went along for the run. On the way back apparently Gracie decided to follow her true Basenji nature and go off on her own. Judy feared the wrath of Granny on returning without said charge. So… the chase was on. Basenji (and child) rule number one (well maybe not rule one but definitely in the top 10)….. do not chase them it turns it into the best game ever. I can just see in my minds eye Judy with Tonks at her side chasing after the fast and naughty Gracie. With much patience and perseverance the little dog was captured and as Andy and I stood in the driveway watching Judy round the corner upon her return and there on her lap looking over the handle bars of the quad was Gracie! I laughed so hard I almost peed my pants. She looked like the Queen of Sheba! You have to love other people’s pets! That dog is a hoot.

Sunday – October 12, 2008
TAMALE TIME!!!! We were graced with the presence of some of the women from Leland’s work and their amazing tamale talents. I wasn’t much help seeing as my mind was one track on trying to get the quilt top finished. Even so I got to experience the making of tamale’s using the banana leaf method. I found it really interesting because the masa is so different from the stuff we used for the corn husk tamales we made previously. The masa was made with broth and pureed tomatoes, onions, and peppers. It isn’t a dry consistency but rather left as something similar to Malt-o-Meal. You use foil to keep the banana leaves rolled and holding all their goodies together. Adding to the fun aspect of working together on this was the fact that the group of people assembled was a fun and truly enjoyable group to be with. Listening to Judy speaking Spanish always makes me smile anyway! We managed to make 156 tamales though I’m not sure how many exactly were left after we all took our turns trying them out. Erika and Granny made some extra tasty sour cream cookies to offset the healthy nature of our tamales. I managed to get everything done on my quilt before we left except for the hand sewing of the binding. I have to say I’m so proud of my work. It’s the first quilt where I’ve done everything myself and even took on the binding this time. I can’t believe what a chicken I’ve been about it, after Granny showed me the trick to the corners it was a breeze. We drove ourselves home and enjoyed a quiet evening getting ready for yet another long week of work and school. It was sad to return the fabulous Tonks back to her other Mom but I think she was ready. We managed to wear her out to the point that she slept the entire drive home!

Monday - October 13, 2008
I brought my quilt to work today to share with some friends and to be able to get started on the hand sewing. I forgot a needle! Good thing too! After posting to the BTRS sight that I was almost done with two weeks to the deadline I was thwarted. I called Mom to give her another idea for the great Judtober holiday to be celebrated on the 21st and she brought up a concern. I might need to take my quilt to the quilting shop and make sure they think it’s been quilted close enough together to get the desired effect. AGHHHHH!!!!! What a silly thing to not have considered. There was a part of me that screamed “It’s FINE!” and there was the part of me that knew she was right. I went on-line to the BTRS Flickr group and discovered exactly what I didn’t want to find. The quilts that look the way I want mine to turn out are quilted much closer together than mine. So it's off with the binding. Where is that dam seam ripper anyway!

Tuesday – October 14, 2008
First Swap-bot swap is completed. I sent out my postcards to my Partner. I sure hope she enjoys them. I was really hoping to send them out one at a time but with being out at the coast and Monday a postal holiday they all went in the mail together. It was sure fun though to write just a little something each day and also to know that there will soon be something fun in the mail for me. It's especially nice to know that since Judy has been banned from checking the mail until after her birthday that I will get to enjoy actually retrieving it from the box too!

Mental Health Day

2008-10-09T21:25:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just need one. I'm not talking about the kind of day where you'd rather be out in the sunshine so you call in with a case of food poisoning. I'm talking about those days when it's just too hard to get out of bed, everything seems way too overwhelming, and your just feel like the only cure is a break from the world. Now those of you who read this and know me are looking up the number for my Mother to tell her I haven't been taking my medication! Alas, while this may be a little bit of my seasonal psycho cycle, I'm taking my meds and actually feeling really good. Taking good care of yourself sometimes is just exhausting! While staying home comes with a hefty financial thwack on the toosh these days I still called in mental today. After getting over the guilt of making a wise decision however pricey and frowned upon by the work police I had the most perfect day I. I slept. I started cutting out a new quilt with Judy for her friends new arrival. Everything was so calm, quiet, and down right rejuvenating. I slept for a few more hours this afternoon and didn't wake up with that groggy, why did I take a nap feeling, but rather a renewed energy and need for some kind of accomplishment. I tackled another "Angie Bag" (Angie Bag - any type of container in which I shove all sorts of stuff in order to "clean" up) in Judy's honor. That makes two less junk bags hiding around our house in one week. I need to be careful and pace myself or she'll start to expect them all to disappear. I cleaned up the sewing and started dinner for the kids. This is stupid but I felt totally zen. I feel so centered again after today like everything is back in line the way it should be. Judy brought home the kids from daycare on her way home from school and we had a really nice evening. The kids turned their yucky days from yesterday around and both had great days at school today. They make me so proud. Ruby showed us her "homework" after dinner and evenly divided the weekly announcements between the two of us. We reviewed the newest of her reading words and it's so fun to watch her starting to be able to read. I just took for granted how easy it was with Ephraim. He had Miss. Melissa and his oh so one track mind to thank. With Ruby it's different. I love watching her figure them out and making the sounds. Tonight as we lay in bed and read our stories I realized just how much they are changing right now. Egad! Who are these little people, no longer my babies. They are so independent and smart. Ruby asked if we could snuggle while they fell asleep tonight. It's been so long since we all just cuddled together both of them in my arms and drifted off to sleep. What a fabulous gift. They sleep, I am winding down for the night, and tomorrow is another day. One which I will most definitely be at work.

My Swap Fabric Has Arrived!!!!

2008-10-08T17:48:00.000-07:00

I am so very excited. I got my swap fabric in the mail today. It took it a little while to come because it had to come from Erskine in Alberta Canada! Jennifer if you happen to look at my blog I love the fabric and I'm so excited to be able to work on a quilt for you! I feel like a kid! This really is such a fun thing. I'm going to add a picture to this of the great fabrics later. I'm thinking I may start working on it tonight while Judy is at school. Thanks Jennifer!

To Swap or Not To Swap

2008-10-07T12:35:00.000-07:00

Is that really a question? Nope... I'm really getting into this. I discovered Swap-Bot and it could be a problem. I'm actually feeling like I've made a smart start though. I've joined 4 swaps. I know it sounds ambitious but relax and read on. The first that starts next week is a diary postcard swap. I'll mail one postcard a day to my partner. The biggest problem here will be picking which postcard and getting my toosh to the post office for some postcard stamps. I don't want to post them with the meter. The next swap is a letter swap. I will be writing two letters with a theme of what happened that day and sending them off to my partners. I'm looking forward to this. It will be fun to share whatever fun things are happening in our life that day. I feel like I'm a fairly decent writer and that I will hopefully be able to bring a smile or at least a break in life. Equally exciting will be to receive my letters and get a look into a day in someone elses life. My third swap isn't till the middle of the month and will require the most thought. It's a no-spending swap and requires the sending of at least three items from your stuff that you think your partner will enjoy or use. I already have some ideas but I'll definitely need to know about my partner for this one. I like this because you get to send a little care package and get one in return but it has to be from things you already have. I would like to limit my swap involvement to the cost of postage. It's so tempting to get involved in other things that require so much more, like the BTRS Quilt swap (don't be fooled... I put my neck out for another one of these too but it's for Ruby and I together, guess that makes 5) . The 4th swap-bot swap is a postcard stash exchange. I have so many of my old vintage postcards to share. I'm not exactly sure that I will use all of them as it might be fun to have a combination of things but it sure will be fun to send some of them. Gives me an excuse to sit and go through all of them again. They are spaced out over the next month or so and I really think I've made a good choice in spacing and giving myself a realistic start. I'm such a jump in over my head person that I actually feel like I've turned a new leaf with this. Oh... and as for another quilt swap, that's still up in the air. I bumped into a lady who wants to put together a possible swap for her 4 year old son. Ruby had such fun with her quilt I bet she loved to sew one for another kid. I'll keep everyone posted on how this goes.

Update: Already found something for my no-spending shop while digging through my desk drawer for a Pepcid Complete, (one of the best things ever created). Just wish I would have found one of those!

A Rainy Weekend At The Coast

2008-10-06T07:31:00.000-07:00

This weekend was our first rainy blustery weekend of fall. We spent the weekend out at Granny's and Grandpa Noisey's and had a really fun time.

Things we do when it's raining:

QUILT- Ephraim and Ruby were helping me earlier in the week with a baby quilt I'm working on. So I decided to see what scraps Granny had that would let Ruby start her own quilt. We found what I considered to be the anti-stash. She liked nearly all the pieces and all I could see was ugly chaos. As we sit on the bed and sorted them into color piles however it became apparent that she has the eye. She and Granny could nail some of the fabrics that even after squinting and standing back I was still befuddled as to which color it read. Ruby is really into Rainbows at the moment seeing as her classroom at school is the "Rainbow Room". So I suggested we arrange the quilt like a rainbow. She sat and laid out nearly the entire quilt. She had definite ideas of what should go next to what and could see where you changed something on her. There was even a pile of rejects out to the side, pieces that didn't belong in her quilt. (note to self no dead fish or stupid ferns for Ruby) Upon getting her final artistic approval we started the sewing. Judy, Granny, Ruby and I all took turns sewing. We even had a little help from Gracie in reorganizing the layout. We have managed to pass the quilting bug on to Judy. I was so hoping that would happen. When we left the project laid out on the floor at the end of the weekend it was amazing to see what the mess of squares was turning out to be. I look forward to getting to work on it more and sharing the final piece of art.

CARS, CARS, AND MORE CARS- Well this activity isn't really exclusive to rainy weekends. Where there is an Ephraim there will be at least one HotWheels car. This weekend he and Grandpaw Woody were playing cars together which proves your never too old for HotWheels.

SLEEP- There may not have been naps for the Mama's or the Kids but the Grandparents were all a little sleepy this weekend. The sign Grandpaw is holding says "Dawson Retirement Center".

A BLAZING FIRE- This may have contributed to the napping. It definitely made it a good 90 degrees upstairs where we were sewing. We had to open the windows. It wasn't quite cold enough for the fire but it sure felt cozy and inviting.

BAKE- Granny made a beautiful apple pie. Judy made her marvelous enchiladas. I stayed out of the kitchen which is always the safest most edible bet for all.

BATH- This was a fun place to spend a little bit of the day. Granny has a great tub and bubbles.

Patience

2008-10-03T11:07:00.000-07:00

Patience is a virtue. One that I apprently do not posses at the moment. Well, I guess I just don't have patience for certain facets of my life. I have no patience with work. I think I'm totally burnt out and just need a vacation. Funny but I'm pretty sure I won't be having one of those for at least another 4 months. I'm tempted to just take all three weeks off at one time and just wallow in it. Who cares if we have to starve the rest of the year for days off. Everything feels like it's supposed to be "right now". I'm not sure if that's this years October bi-polar swing or if I've just gotten spoiled in my happy life lately and have forgotten what patience is about. One item that's making me nutty is that my swap fabric hasn't arrived. I check everyday and I'm literally freaking out that something has gone wrong. Maybe they didn't send it, maybe it's lost, maybe I didn't get a partner. I swear after writing that thought it's totally got to be that I'm a little nutty right now. On the patience and quilting note though. I'm going to finish up the baby blanket for my co-worker this weekend. I'm over half way and it's just killing me not to be finished with it. That and the little one is ready to come out at any moment. I really hate how jaded I've become on pregnancy and childbirth. I'm always waiting for the worst. It's not even my child or my life and yet I always fear that there will be a loss. I think it's all the time I spend on the MISS boards. I just hope this little one joins us soon and safe. This entry is all over the place. Just like me right now.

Anyone Had One Of These????

2008-10-02T12:57:00.001-07:00

I'm Living IT!!!!! AGHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Swap Fabric Is Going In The Mail

2008-09-29T10:44:00.001-07:00

I had hoped to have this done sooner but at least it's not past the deadline. I had a great time at the fabric store on Saturday and my swap fabrics are going in the mail today. I'm excited and really hope my partner will enjoy working with them. It was nice to have Judy go with me to the fabric store and she was helpful in making some decisions about what fabric to keep and which just didn't go. However, it is vital to all future fabric store missions to ensure that she is properly fed and watered before going, that or only go when there is a football game on and leave her with the other husbands in the TV room! I could have wandered for hours and she was dying of thirst which thwarted my plans. I can't wait till my swap fabrics arrive. I have a baby rag quilt I'm going to be working on over the next few days to get back into the swing of things. I love quilting so much.

Blog Blog Ago.....

2008-09-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

In a land not so very unlike ours..... I wrote a blog entry about our future wedding rings. I left the pictures on my Parents camera out at the coast though. So I waited until today to finally post the entry but I kept it original date. Click the picture to the left to check out the entry.

Blackberry Season

2008-09-24T08:04:00.000-07:00

So we've been down to the coast nearly every weekend since mid August just waiting for the blackberries to really be on and ready. Judy and I picked some early in the season when we were hanging out with Grandpaw for the weekend and they were few and far between and tart. Two weekends ago we were invited to pick but we managed to stay too busy. This weekend I knew was potentially the last. The berries are starting to get mushy and there was rain in the forcast. So Saturday night we left Judy up at the house to work on dinner and Uncle Andy, Daphnie, the kids, and I went down to the Neals where we'd been invited to pick and went to it. Uncle Andy doesn't really pick he just enjoys using the loppers to get you into the places with lots of berries. The kids ate. I mean they picked, however they picked right into their mouths. Daphnie and I managed to fill a half flat to the top and overflowing. I was happy because it meant we'd be able to make up the low sugar blackberry jam I was hoping for. Ruby was a blackberry mess. She was down in the downstairs kitchen playing under the stairs and Granny got a cute little shot of our blackberry girl before she got a bath. In the morning Granny and I started on the jam. Ruby was a good helper in stirring the berries while they work cooking down. Letting her around the stove always makes me extra nervous and I think she sensed that my paranoia was going to thwart her full participation in the activity. She quickly abandoned us. As we cooked each batch and processed the jars I was ever so thankfull to be spending time with my Mom doing something to benefit my family in the year to come. Mom and Judy had this experience over 200 jars of tuna a few weeks ago. I can't handle the smell of fish even for a cause as worthy as the worlds best tuna. I look forward to next year in hopes of being able to put up salsa with my Mom, that's what she did all day Saturday while we were off playing at the waterfall. Together we'll be able to can more and maybe not let her spend the entire day in that basement.

The Blogosphere

2008-09-23T10:34:00.000-07:00

It seems so strange that someone like me who has been living on or around the internet for many a year is just now really discovering the fabulous world that exists in the Blogosphere. I've been jumping around just enjoying different things but was having a hard time finding my way back to things. I decided that I'd start by clicking through a friends blog roll one at a time.

I managed to get myself involved in a quilt swap that I'm so excited about through a link to Angry Chicken. I was so excited because I though tomorrow night was fabric shopping night and then I realized Judy has school. Ooohhh I can't wait to get my swap package in the mail.

Today I found one of the coolest ideas at Thinking Mama. She makes these coffee sweaters which are a reusable coffee sleeve made of wool and also she ventured into making covers for kleen canteens. Since I've come up with this crafty little idea of making cool reusable lunch kits for christmas gifts these will be the perfect addition. I have the common sense to know I can't make them myself and have them be so cute. I hope she'll make a couple for me. Follow the link on my blog to enter to win one of her cool coffee sweaters or just visit her etsy store and buy one for yourself.

The Saddest Fabric Story Ever

2008-09-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

Really it's not that sad as my Aunt is still alive, my daughter is still alive, I'm still alive, and it was just a possession. Any one of those would have made this one of those true heart breakers. None the less, in my book, it's still a tragedy.

One weekend I went out to the coast to spend a few days with my Mother. My Aunt Evelyn happened to be down for the weekend too. Which if you've ever been down to the Dawson compound you know it's not unusual that we have a gaggle. I think Mom and I were working on Ruby's nap blanket at the time and needed something from the fabric store in Wheeler. (Creative Fabrics Highway 101 Wheeler, OR 97145 - 503.368.5900) Any excuse really though. While we wandered I discovered a pair of fabrics that screamed "ANGIE".

I showed them off and told everyone someday I'd make something out of them. In the same trip I found a great bag pattern by Amy Butler that I loved and really wanted to make.

So my Auntie being the fabulous and talented woman that she is decided to make the much loved bag out of the much loved fabric. It turned out perfect! I loved it and took it everywhere. I received so many comments and just couldn't have been happier with it, it was so me. One day the little love of my life who happened to be having trouble not disturbing all her friends at nap time was supposed to bring a bag of stuff to quietly do during this torcherous time of the day for her. Due to a communication breakdown between the Mom's I got to school and had to throw it together with things from my car. The only thing to carry the goodies was my beloved bag. I figured it would be fine for one day. I was wrong. There was no bag when I went to pick her up and we looked all over. It didn't turn up over the next days, weeks, or months. After they lost and returned Ephraim's Special Blankie months after we no longer attended the center I finally had to acknowledge that it's never coming back. Immediatly upon the discovery it was missing though we started looking for more of the fabric just in case. Apparently there are many a fabric monger out there who are hiding it in their stash or have already put it to good use in a project because we've never found more than fat quarters. Why post about this now? I've been struggling with the direction I want to go with my BTRS lap-quilt. I can't let my love of that fabric go. I keep looking on-line for something that will speak to me like that one did. I want something that my partner can have fun with and will be able to know that I am so in love with the fabrics that whatever they do with it will only bring me more joy. I went through Mom's stash this weekend and pulled out the one piece of my favorite fabric we have left and am praying for inspiration when I go to the store on Wednesday night to pick out the things for my swap quilt.

Arr.... Me Be Forgettin It Be Pirate Day.

2008-09-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

I canna b'lieve I forgot 'tis gentleman o' fortune tide! We`ve been celebratin' this holiday fer th' last several voyages an' tho 'tis totally silly we sure do be havin' fun wi' 't. Life be so busy I totally forgot till I saw a wee blurb on th' MSN fore page. Maybe next voyage we`ll get aft t' an actual party. We`re goin' ou' t' th' coast fer th' weekend an' I be lookin' fore t' goin' into th' quilt shop t' pick up me fabrics hopefully!

http://talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html

Kids and Germs

2008-09-17T09:50:00.001-07:00

Don't you ever just wish you could put your kids in a bubble. Some kind of protective something that would keep them from catching and bringing home every virus that walks past them. Oh wait.... I think that's called an immune system. Poor Ephraim, his system just doesn't have the same strength as Ruby's. He got sick with a nasty fever thing last Thursday night. He was feeling well enough to go to school on Friday but then quickly took a turn for the worst and I ended up having to go get him from school. Judy did a great job of taking care of him for the rest of the day and handled his barfing like a champ. He was just a sad little sick boy. Every time the fever would go up he'd start barfing until the next dose of medicine got the fever back down. On Saturday we ended up taking him into the ER at the advice of his endocrinologist and got fluids and hydrocortisone and he was like a new kid. Unfortunately trying to get the compounded prescription filled on a Sunday was a real treat but in the end we got it all figured out and he has been doing well. We kept him home from school the first day to continue his recovery and yesterday because the steroids were making him a rage full little man and we were afraid he'd just get suspended. I'm curious about going to see Dr. Thompson today and what she'll say about it. For some reason I am having a lot of feelings right now about this. I was talking a little to Jen about it last night and she wondered if it might have had something to do with Megan's death and the guilt feelings of wondering if we shouldn't have done something sooner. I don't know. I can't put my finger on it. I do know that I don't like it. I feel so insecure, like here again I don't know what my child needs. I think that's actually a lot closer to the issue. We've gotten so used to Ephraim as Eph that knowing what to do for him and when is routine. Now that is shaken. Parenting is sure a roller coaster.

What Have I Done?

2008-09-12T09:03:00.000-07:00

Ok I'm really excited about this and totally freaked out at the same time! I have always wanted to join a swap and now I have. I've joined the next Bend-the-Rules Sewing swap. It's a lap quilt. I'm actually really really excited about it.

http://btrsswap.blogspot.com/

Who Knew Getting Tomatos To Grow Would Be So Hard?

2008-09-11T15:01:00.001-07:00

We have spent all summer nursing these our little plants along and we finally were able to harvest a non-green tomato. It looks like we might even get a couple more. The peppers were great and so easy but these tomatoes have been nothing but trouble. They grew big and leafy with lots of flowers but had no fruit. Now we've managed to get a few fruit on each plant but it's going to be October before they ripen. I think we actually may have to consider putting plastic over them or moving them inside.

A Wedding To Plan

2008-09-11T10:27:00.000-07:00

I think the world might stop spinning on it's axis. I, Angie Dawson, am going to have a wedding. The getting and being married is of no real surprise to those who know me and know how much Judy means to me. I have never though in any of this imagined myself as the bride type. In fact it scares the crap out of me. My social anxiety and desire not to be the center of attention makes me totally freaked about this. Yet, there is nothing I want more than to go before my friends and family and have them recognize our life as it is. That this amazing woman in my life is more than just my friend or lover, she is my partner for life, she is my wife. She is a gift that I didn't believe was even possible and one that I neither felt I deserved or desired. She has shown me true love and what it means to find your soul mate. My life is still my life with her, only now it feels whole. There are still good days and bad days. My bi-polar still effects my life daily, I still have children with special needs, I still have to work and pay bills. It is that I am able to live those things to their fullest now with Judy by my side. She accepts me as I am, my children for who they are and the potential they hold, and supports me in the every day things of life. Where before I struggled now I thrive. I am so very lucky. However..... a WEDDING???? I get excited then I freak out. I want it to be great and fun and just right for us. We are almost 100% that we want to have it at the Nehalem Bay Winery. Well... we are 100% that we will be having Oregon Riesling and the Peach Wine at the wedding so why not just have it their at the winery and save the wine travel! I said we're getting married in hoodies and jeans. However, it seems that we may be opting for something a little more formal. I think though we are seriously going to make hoodies and jeans the dress code for our guests. More plans to come.

A Weekend With Grandpaw

2008-08-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

Life is curious. This weekend we played Guitar Hero on the TV at Granny's. Grandpaw Woody, age 90, watched on with amusement and fascination as rocked our guitars and played some serious tunes. To him the technology of today is mind boggling. I remember showing him the ipod and him saying he just couldn't imagine how they do that. The part I found so interesting was last night as we sat at the dinner table listening to Grandpaw's stories it was my mind that was boggled. Grandpaw made $.12 an hour as a field laborer at age 12 when he had his first job. When he was married and had a young family he was making $.62 1/2 cents an hour or $5.00 a day. I almost make as much in a hour as he made for a whole week of work. It's so incredibly different that it doesn't seem real. I know it was but yet how they ever did it, I don't know. Last night we spent a good hour at the dinner table, just Judy, Grandpaw and I and we just listened to everything he wanted to share. I learned more about his dad "Pops" than I've ever heard. He had stories of going to have Sunday dinners with all the cousins. My favorite story was how Pops chewed tobacco and when they would ride in the car everyone would fight to sit on the opposite side of the car as Pops because he would spit and it would come back in the window. YUCK and funny too! There used to be used car lots on both sides of the road at Killingsworth and Union and that's where Grandpaw bought his first car. He bought a 1928 Chevy. He had $15.00 left after he bought it. He said he was broke from then on. It's days like the ones we shared this weekend that make me feel so very lucky to have Grandpaw still alive and able to share these things with us.

With This Silver Dollar I Thee Wed!

2008-08-16T14:13:00.000-07:00

I used to think that I didn't want to wear a ring. I contimplated getting a ring tattoo when it was time. I wanted it to be something different and if I were going to wear one I wanted it to be permenant. As soon as it became something that I needed to really figure out how I felt about it I found it funny that all I could think about was getting that ring on my finger so others would know the signifcance of Judy in my life. Suddenly it hit me. I have always wanted Andy to make me one of his rings. How special it would be if he could make our rings. When I asked him he was more than willing and even excited about it. We went to pick out our silver dollars that would turn into our rings. It was a crazy little adventure with too much going on. We just looked at them, picked two that were 1879 and 1880, because they were right next to each other in years and tried to escape the coin store with as little Ephraim tantrum as possible. (That boy loves his money!) Later we inspected them and discovered something very special..... one of the dollars is stamped with the initials A. J.. Who could ask for a better sign that this silver was meant to be ours.

Adoption Day Anniversary

2008-08-08T13:21:00.000-07:00

It amazes me that two whole years have gone by. I am still amazed that she's ours. A friend wrote an amazing piece for Ruby on that day.

A little girl I know got adopted today by two mommies who love her very much.
Sweetie,I don't know if you will remember this day but you were surrounded by people who love you. Your moms, your brother, your grandparents and uncles, and friends of the family all showed up to let you know how loved and important you are in our lives. You were a little tired - the court time was scheduled during your naptime - and you didn't want to go up to the judge's desk, but she understood and came down to see you. Your moms and brother stood around you while the judge talked about what an important day today was. She could see that you already had a lifetime family, that you didn't need that little piece of paper to say who your mommies were or to explain to the world who loves you and cares for you, but she signed it anyway. I saw your mama wipe the tears from her eyes (I had to wipe mine too!) and your mommy held your brother while you told the judge who the most important people in your life are. It was over so quickly and I could see that you were beginning to be overwhelmed by the attention. We took pictures with you, brother, Mommy and Mama, and the Judge. We got a minute or two when you smiled and danced in the aisle of the courtroom in your new fairie dress which, I'm sure, your brother wanted to wear almost more than you.I just wanted to let you know how honored I was to be there for this day. Don't ever forget how much you are loved.

The original is posted at her site: http://auntie-ems-blog.blogspot.com/2006/08/you-are-ours-forever-and-ever.html

Sometimes I Amuse Myself....

2008-08-04T12:44:00.000-07:00

Not exactly sure when I wrote this. I saved it just in case and stumbled across it today while looking for something else. It holds true in that the reason I write this blog and the kids blog is so that we'll have something other than just my memory to look back on. My life is filled with so much I want to remember for my children. I want them to know who I was when they were too little to remember. I confess there is a part of me that wouldn't mind being able to reconstruct myself for them and leave out the parts where their mother wasn't always the brightest bulb on the shelf or didn't make the best choice. However it's who I am and how things were and are. For now I share with you and someday when they are older and care this will be for them.

"Sometimes ideas swarm around you like a persistent mosquito out for a snack. I have found myself flailing my arms, spraying on the repellent, and swearing at it to go away time and again like a pesky mosquito. Today I smashed the bug on my forehead and the proverbial light bulb came on. Why not? I’m as good as anyone else. Maybe it might even be a little sweeter? Dear mosquito I am so sorry for putting up such a fight. I will let you have this one bite, I’ll itch like hell but in the end I’ll have shared a bit of myself with you and maybe that will make the world a little bit brighter. Just don’t come back and ask me to do it again! As you may have already discovered, I’m not so good with analogy. I was attempting to say something smart about writing out the stories of my life. If nothing else it will serve as a source of humor and embarrassment for my children when they grow and can read and understand it. At best it will hopefully bring them insight into who I am and what I might have been thinking during the events in our lives. In the most fabulous of worlds maybe we’ll make a few dollars for a vacation to Disneyland. So whether you are my child, my family, my friend, or someone I didn’t actually have to pay to read this, “Welcome” and “Enjoy”. "

My sweet Ephraim and Ruby, I fear there is no hope of paying for Disneyland as I'm way too inconsistent to write an actual book anyone would like to read. However, I promise we'll get there someday, somehow and I'll write all about it for you!

Happy Birthday Mama!

2008-07-29T10:48:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm the big OLD 33 now. I am more excited about life than I have ever been before. My birthday wish for this year is to simply continue to live my life as it is now. There are manageable ups and downs and days that of course could stand to go without repetition. However, I am truly content and happy with my life. What a wonderful realization. There are wants of course (who wouldn't want a MILLION DOLLARS). They are just wants. My needs are met. I have amazing friends, beautiful children, a loving family, and a perfect partner (not that she's actually perfect, she's perfect to me). I look forward to this year and hope that my wish comes true.

My Real Life

2008-07-16T14:54:00.000-07:00

This is my life and it is GOOD! Yes, Martha, it's a "good thing". It has ups and downs, it's not perfect if you want to get all technical. I could use more money, less work, laundry that washes itself, and 50 pounds to magically jump off my body. With the understanding that life isn't perfect and that's what makes it life I can say that my life has turned into something down right amazing!

Dead Like Me

2008-07-10T09:48:00.000-07:00

First of all.... I've seen three episodes and I really like this show and I look forward to watching more. I think it's important to state that fact before I continue.

Grief is an odd little duck! It messes with your mind, your heart, and your soul. Here it is 6 plus years after Megan's death and it still hits me sometimes so hard it feels like yesterday. Last night I watched this show and it hit me so hard it felt like my heart was breaking in two. It seems like such a contradiction sometimes because how do I know if my amazing children would be here if she had lived. I wouldn't know what I was missing but life is so weird. I feel like I'm somehow belittling the gift of Ephraim and Ruby when I feel such despair and crave with every part of me that I could hold Megan in my arms again. What would she be like as a little 6 year old. I look at Eph and Ruby and try and imagine and I just can't see it. That hurts. I still visit the MISS website to this day. I read of others who have lost their children and are all in varying places on this journey. Sometimes I feel I should move to the advanced group. Like somehow it's time for me to be there and that I'm failing at grief by still visiting the newly bereaved group. I try and force myself to stick to the Adoption Option because that's where I feel like I can contribute my support. The rest of the time I just wonder and feel lost. I hate that there are so many of us on the site and reading of each new baby but in a sick way it makes me feel so much less alone. 6 years and I'm still lost. I think of her often, I have her picture up at my desk, my tattoo is right there on my arm allowing me to talk about her, and yet it's never enough. The only thing that will ever make it better is to have her back in my arms and I can only hope for Eph, Ruby, and Judy's sake that that is a long long long time from now.

Camping As A "Family"

2008-07-05T19:57:00.001-07:00

It is times like this weekend that I realize how extraordinary our family is. We confuse people with the number of Mom's we have and there has yet to be a standard form with enough spaces for us all. However, I can't explain what it's like when we come together and do things together with our kids. We each have strengths and weakness that overlap and form this completely awesome family. We managed to change our plans for the 4th of July weekend at the last minute and through some totally amazing teamwork by Judy and Jen we were able to pull off a camping trip. They did a great job getting us packed and finding us a spot in the Mt. Hood forest outside Estacada. Courtney, Ephraim, Ruby, and I followed as soon as we were done with work and swimming. We had a great spot right along the river between Harriet and Timothy lakes. The kids ran around like crazy and had so much fun. On Friday we hung around the camp and played. Ephraim lost his first tooth in the morning when we tried to tie a dental floss lasso around it like Dr. Roxas had suggested. He was so excited. He's been patiently waiting for the tooth fairy to come. Later in the day after naps and chilling out we had some dinner and got ready to go into Estacada for fireworks. We arrived just as the fireworks started and managed to score a front row seat by double parking in the high school parking lot. It was great. We pulled in and got out and stood next to the car. Watched the fireworks and then hopped in and drove away. We purchased a few fireworks to set off with the kids and then had a nice drive home. Today we took the packing slow after taking a morning trip to lake Harriet and letting Baxter go for a morning swim. We had planned to take the kids to "Bagbean" but when we got there the parking lot was full. Judy and I looked at the map and scouted out a small lake that looked like we could have fun with as an alternate. It was a great adventure but there was definitely NO SWIMMING! We are happy to be home. Everyone is so tired. I look forward to our next adventure.

Is it Genetic or a Choice?

2008-07-01T21:58:00.000-07:00

You might think this is the proverbial question of gayness? Nope. I could care less. Live your life. I have a much bigger and far more controversial question. Is it a learned behavior that we keep throwing the Mexican under the bus or were we just born that way? There is no politically correct answer here so give up now. I'm just a little curious how exactly my children have decided that Judy has to do everything. When you fart.... blame Judy. When you don't want to clean your room, offer to supervise Judy doing it. I mean really people???? It's a little scary. Now we all know that really this is because she's the newest member of the family and all but it's kinda funny that they didn't volunteer me. A scary thought just came to me as I was typing. Maybe it's because at age 6 my Son already has it figured out that I, his Mama, need a supervisor of my own to get things done. Nah.....that can't be it. I mean after all who was the one out in the fields last night picking 3 times the strawberries and not eating them on a pick one to eat one ratio. Now Judy was totally standing there bitching about the white girls always dragging her out to the fields to pick the crops closest to the ground. She was also pointing out obvious strawberries I should pick with her foot. Damn... I do need supervision. This is so not how I intended this entry to go. It was supposed to be some introspective examination of our culture and it just turned into the realization that I need to face facts and rejoice in my full time supervisor! Thanks Judy! Job well done!!!!

What's With The Fortune Cookies????

2008-06-30T14:17:00.001-07:00

There Must Be Me Time!

2008-06-30T07:53:00.000-07:00

Someone wise I know wrote:

"Had I let myself believe that the only way I could be a good parent was to sacrifice every moment to them... I would have been a grump all weekend and I think that rather than remember the field trip, they would remember the grumpy cranky mommy who never wanted to do fun stuff like let them drag all their toys out back for a wedding or edge the front yard with scissors. I have no doubt that they will always remember me teaching them to gently blow on a bee if it alights on a flower that's too close to them so it will fly away. Those are the moments that childhood and parenting magic are made of... but we have to be present in our minds and bodies in order to make them with our children." Should I have gone on the field trip? I don't know!!!! But I do know that if we don't take care of ourselves (even if you don't have a psycho job like I do) then we cannot take care of our children. Everyone uses this analogy to death... but they do it because it's true and it works: You have to put the oxygen mask on yourself first if you want to be able to get it on your child! If you try to do it the other way around, chances are you'll just pass out. Or worse, you'll leave your child to try and put it on you... and children are not supposed to be taking care of their parents!!" mimz-n-mum

I wish I could have expressed exactly this so eloquently. It's so stupid that as Mom's we are made to feel like there is something wrong with us for taking time to ourselves. I find that even now after years of being a two household family and having plenty of time to adjust to the fact that I don't have my children 24/7, I still feel the guilt. However it is because our family is as it is that I can be the kind of parent I want to be for my children. I have built in me time which allows me to keep them as my focus whenever they are with me. Now more than ever with a supportive partner I find so much more joy in my time spent with them. It doesn't feel like everything else is fighting for my attention. Yes work is work, and the household chores are still there. Work will wait till Monday and the two of us can tackle the chores later (oh, calling me on my lie.... OK, Judy will tackle the chores later!) I think the biggest thing we can do to dispel this belief is to support others in taking time for themselves. When you hear a Mom going at lightening speed, ask her what she has planned for herself. The more we talk about what it's really like to be a Mom and what we think parenting is about the more chance we have to fight the mainstream bullshit that tells us we're bad Mom's who never do enough for our kids.

Another Joins Our Team

2008-06-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

Last night there was a voicemail from a friend who needed an urgent return phone call on an important matter. These are the messages that always make your heart race. Your mind wanders to death, jail, broken hearts, or other dark possibilities. Something less dramatic but still life altering for their family, a 15 year old came out to her Mom. Doesn't matter how much you love your queer friends when it's your kid everything seems to short circuit.

Things Change....

2008-06-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

.....sometimes when you are ready and sometimes when you are not. Yesterday we encountered a big change in our life and decided it was best if we let someone else make dinner for us. Though we may not be willing to admit it to others, the universe has a way of throwing you the right message at the right time.

The Dawson-Talbot Family

2008-06-10T08:22:00.000-07:00

This is a space for the Mama's to share our thoughts on parenting, relationships, and the general life of being a couple of queer Mom's in a family of 2 Houses, 4 Mom's, 2 Precious Children, and a plethora of pets (dog, cats, fish, & frogs).