Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Breckin's 1st Paying Job

Last weekend, Breckin hit a milestone.  He had his first gig.  He had to wear a special uniform, show up on time, do some pre-job training, and some last minute on-the-job re-training.  The interview process took about 5 years and we don't know who the other candidates were but he was the right choice.  We greatly respect his first employers and were proud to hire him out for the day. 

Here he is.

































He was the ring bearer in Clark and Andrea's wedding.  Let me tell you what.  He, as well as all of the guests at the wedding, were spoiled rotten.  They thought of everything.  He was mailed a book about how to be a ring bearer ahead of time.  He was thanked and oohed and aahed over and high fived and sincerely loved by both groom and bride.  Every little detail of the wedding was impecable.  Seeing these two start out so thoughtful brought tears to my eyes and I CAN NOT WAIT until they are parents because their children will be so lucky to have them. 

Not only that, but after getting home at 8 pm on Sunday night- the wedding was that morning!- Breckin dashed through his usual night time routine, threw on his jammies, ran down the hall into his room yelling "You only have to ask me once this time, Daddy!", jumped into bed, shut his own door, and was not conscious until 8 am the next morning.  Andi- YOU are an ANGEL!  He was thoroughly exhausted but elated and on a cupcake high. 

There were other details to the weekend, of course, but the best part was the wedding.  I have not so thoroughly enjoyed a wedding, apart from my own, ever.  I got to reconnect with some dear friends who, as most people can relate to, we don't see near enough.  The bloody marys were phenomenal.  The toasts were funny but not embarrassing.  The food was to die for.  Her gown was dreamy and yet she actually looked comfortable.  And, the groom got choked up on his vows.  I LOVE to see grooms get emotional about their wives.  Love it. 

I also love to see my groom get lovey with his baby girl.














Great weekend!  Saturday was kinda free time for me and the kids.  Dustin was busy hangin with Clark and the boys so Breckin, Ella, and I went exploring Portland.  We hit the Children's Museum- it ended in minor meltdown- but what a cool place.  We attempted to go to Voodoo donuts but with a 2 hour line around the block, it was 6 pm at night, and two homeless shelters/rescue missions right next door, and I was alone with the kids looking very suburban.....  we skipped it and settled for Fred Meyer donuts instead.  Remind me to spew my one black cloud moment of the weekend another time.  I have never been so judged by another mommy and I have to say....  I'm still replaying it in my head and thinking of what I should have said....  Later.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Two, two, two posts in one!

Post #1:  My Kids

My Kindergartener.














Ella wears her new shoes and LOVES her doggie.














Post #2:  Mc Fatty Monday- revisited
Remember this mess?


It was the disaster formerly known as my craft space.  A dear friend of mine eloquently said something along the lines of you won't make a change until you are mentally ready to do so.  I really wanted to get this space under control but I never really had a reason.  No project looming or other reason to get it whipped into shape.  And, I had other things on my mind like a new baby and a busy body child to take care of.  I just didn't make time to clean.  Well, with a lot of energry surrounding me in the house (Dustin's rock band) and no access to the TV, I did it.  There's still nothing on the walls but the table top is clean, most of the stuff under the table is gone, and the shelves have been rearranged.  All photos are now in the front room and more boxes are stored up high.  Here it is now.


Shortly after this picture was takn, the rest of the stuff on the table was dealt with.  I have two bins of papers that need to be filed or shredded.  The white notebook you see in the middle of the table was my wedding planning book.  Yeah, it's been buried long enough.  I saved some stuff and trashed the rest.  I gotta say.  It feels good to have a clean table.  Now to trash it again with Halloween costume making.  Ahhh.



Monday, September 13, 2010

Twas the Night Before Kindergarten

Last Thursday was the highly anxious Day Before Kindergarten.  I figured we all needed to wear ourselves out thoroughly so we went to Bounce It Up in Black Diamond one more time.  This time, we brought Daddy and the entire Davenport crew.  Thanks to Kirsten for snapping the pics of the Daddys battling.














And, what do you know.  After we were done bouncing and battling, there were firefighters pulling up behind the bouncy place to train some new recruits.  They let the kids sit in the driver's seat, wear the headphones, and turn on the lights.  We stayed to watch them practice with the hydrant and the fire hoses.  Breckin was in heaven.  He slept soooo good that night.  Mission accomplished.
 

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Today was a growing up day

Most days cruise on by with your basic, average, run of the mill things.  We go through the motions like it's no big deal.  I know, somewhere deep inside, that my kids are growing every day.  I notice it when Breckin asks for second helpings of food and ends up eating more than I do.  I notice it when one day Ella's face looks EXACTLY like Breckin and the next day looks nothing like him.  I notice it when the onesies in the wash from the day before don't fit when they are put on that evening AND I used cold water. 

But, today.  Today was it's own BOOM day for growth. 

Ella's favorite game is pattycake.  She doesn't really care about the spider who went up a waterspout.  She could care less about her head and shoulders and knees.  The noble duke of york is not so interesting.  But, the baking of cakes and marking them with b's is really her declared major in the college of babies.  Today, she clapped along.  Mark that down for 9 months and 12 days old for learning to clap.  She did it again at dinner, on the changing table, and while jumping in the exersaucer.

She also loves to roll around on the floor.  And, get up on her hands and knees and wiggle around then shover herself backwards.  But, today?  Not good enough.  Today she rolled and twisted until, magically she was sitting right back up again.  The look on her face was great!  She could all of a sudden reach her gumball machine again and was so tickled that she snatched that gumball machine right up and whacked herself in the face.  Well, perfection isn't necessary the first time.

And, Breckin.  Not to be left out of the major growing of the day.  He is always read two stories at night before bed.  It's one of my favorite parts of his routine and today it changed ever so slightly.  Instead of me reading them to him, he read them to me.  Entirely.  And, one of the books was one he hadn't read it a long time.  He pointed at each word and even read the author's name (I always read the author's name when we read books.  It's ingrained in me from my teaching days).  He's read sight words here and there and the few times that he's read books to me, they've been ones that we've read a few days in a row so part of it was memorization.  This time, it was pure reading.  And, for me, pure bliss.

I'm so proud of my kids.  Now will some please contribute to the Armstrong Chicken Nugget Foundation for the next growth phase?  ;) 

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

It's A Small World After All

Guess what?  Breckin's Kindergarten teacher was my 4th grade teacher.  Seriously.  And, I'm 42 miles from where I went to school.  (I just made that number up, I don't really know how far and am too lazy to go google it.)  We got the letter saying he had Mrs. Blevins and I thought to myself, Hmmm, I had a Mrs Blevins when I was in elementary school.  Isn't that weird.  But, that was 20 years ago-CHOKE- and there's no way it's the same lady. 

Wait.  She was doing her student teaching or maybe 1st year of teaching as a "helper" in my 3/4 split class.  The main teacher was Mrs. Singer and Mrs. Blevins was sooo young.  Like maybe 24 or so.  Plus the 20 years between my 4th grade class and now.  So 44.  What does the nice secretary at school tell me?  Oh, she's probably in her mid 40s and has taught for a long time.  Huh.  Weird coincidence.  Go to meet Mrs. Blevins today at Breckin's "meet the teacher" before school actually starts.  I knew from the moment I saw her it was her.  Same face.  WACKY BANANAS.  She taught at Sunrise for 14 years after I was there.  Guess what happened THE YEAR after she left to move to Maple Valley?  I did my student teaching at Sunrise to finish my Masters.  We missed working together by 1 school year.  WACKY BANANAS.

Let's all sing together now.  It's a small world after all, it's a small, small world.
 

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

And, Ella, too.

Ella, not to be outdone in the world by her big brother, has updates.  She's been cruising through the various stages of baby food:  pureed, thick puree, blended mostly, chunky puree, yogurt, diced canned pears, and now- in the last four days- actual food.  We started the actual food category with none other than- Cheerios!  I was hesitant cause it takes actual teeth and knowhow to take on Cheerios.  Gerber puffs work when you're on old lady denture status but Cheerios take actual chewing.  And, she handled it like a pro.

Now, we've moved right up the big girl food ladder to small seashell pasta, steamed broccoli (the very tops of the trees, not the chunky stems), stewed tomatoes, turkey meatballs, rice pilaf, pancakes, and scrambled egg yolks.  I have to say, this girl LOVES to think she's a big kid.  She gets the biggest kick out of having real deal food on her tray and grabbing it with all five fingers, squashing it down with her fist, and swiping her entire hand across the general surface of her face until something falls in her mouth.  If she really concentrates and stops making googly eyes at Daddy across the table, she can pick up something with just two fingers and delicately place it in her mouth for her two, tiny teeth to mash.  But, usually, she's looking around trying to get noticed and half-assing it.

Also, now that she has actual food to power her super chunky legs, she's a moving machine.  Not crawling by definition but still able to get from nice, cozy playmat to the power outlet before I can say childproof!  Sure she jumped from the 50th percentile at 6 mos old to the 95th percentile at 9 mos old at a mere 21 lbs but that's only because she is gearing up to motor like no one's business and needs some extra chunk on her knees and booty to get that baby body moving.  She LOVES to stand on the couch and peek over the back at Daddy.  I would not be surprised at all if she crawls for 9.2 nanoseconds and switches right to walking.  You go, Ella.