Someone is reading this!

And, that someone gave me an award!  I'm not sure why although, I deeply respect her and everything she has to say.  I think she's honest and forgiving and should write a book someday.  I'm seriously honored that she awarded me with the love only a fellow Mommy Blogger can give... an e-award.

I guess I'm supposed to tell you 7 things that you may or may not know about me.  And then pass some awards onto those that I think deserve some blogging love.  Will do.

1)  I have a deep, irrational fear of birds.  Sometimes, it manifests itself onto other winged creatures like butterflies or moths or dragonflies but usually it's just birds and bats.  Anything that flies and can get near me makes my skin crawl.  They make me want to shrink inside myself, scream ear-piercingly loud, thrash my arms wildly, and almost choke myself with fear.  Note the irrational part of this fear.  

2)  As deep as my fear of birds is, my love for green sea turtles is deeper.  I fell in love with them when I was in Hawaii with my fam at the age of 13.  I started sobbing tears of joy when I saw one of these magnificent creatures swimming on the Great Barrier Reef when I was 16.  My heart swelled.  I could not wipe the grin off my face.  They are the purest form of beauty in nature to me and if I had no strings to hold me down, I would devote my life to their sanctuary.  My inner tree-hugger wants to move near a turtle beach and get all Sea Shephardy about saving them.

3)  I used to think ketchup was too spicy.  Now, I like to eat salsa.  Taste buds change as you grow and I will continually offer my kids foods that they turn down just in case one day they like it.

4)  Contrary to the griping I did, I really enjoy being pregnant and I LOVE going through labor.  I would do it again a million times but I just don't think I can handle the newborn stage again.  I don't think I have the immense patience it takes to raise more than two children.  And, my brain does weird stuff when it's on hormones.  If someone wanted to rent out a ute, I'm all yours.

5)  I think my husband is really funny.  I like the banter he gets into when he's around friends and I wish we lived closer to the Yakima peeps cause they are a riot together.

6)  My favorite band is Depeche Mode.  It's not a common favorite band.  I never went through a black leather-wearing, fish net arm sleeves, rebellious, new wave punk phase.  Dave Gahan's voice is so damn sexy and he's not so bad looking either.  Something about their music just gets me.

7)  You know people that are OCD and have to have things a certain way?  I'm the opposite.  I can't stick with anything for any amount of time.  I change my mind frequently, change my interests even more frequently, and could care less if things get done.  I'd rather have little knowledge of tons of things than excel at one specific thing.  I can't get motivated to do anything unless I have either a deadline or an intrinsic need to do it.  I am a typical Aquarius.

So, there you go.  There's seven things about me that you may not have known.  How many did you actually know?


And, here's the people that make me sit on the edge of my seat just waiting for new post.  I love their style and have become a better person just by reading their blogs.  I am a teeny, tiny fish in the big pond of blogs and some of these people are big, huge piranhas.  They still need to know that someone, somewhere appreciates them and likes what they have to say...

Kristin at http://www.mysweetheartmoments.com/

Cassie at    http://adventuresofthelopezs.blogspot.com/     <---  seriously?  That girl takes some amazing pics.

Beth at http://karingforkeegan.blogspot.com/

Emily at   http://emilyweaverbrownphoto.com/blog/    She took my maternity photos and is an AMAZING photographer.  You rock, Emily!

Pass the award onto someone's blog who knocks your socks off!  And, write 7 things about you that we don't know.  Cheers!

We've created a monster

This is a long one.  Bear with me.

Dustin and I are avid WSU Cougar fans.  We went there, met there, graduated from there, and most of our closest friends are also shameless fans of the Cougs.  For crying out loud, our college slogans are:
Win or lose, we drink more booze.
Our drinking team has a football problem.

Our cheerleading team is kind of a joke.  Every dozen years or so we end up with a good team.  Somewhere in sports.  We look forward to those early season football games against Southern Methodist or NorthEast Michigan United College of the Arts (<--- I made that one up) because we know we might have a shot at winning.  We spend the rest of the football season carefully calculating which teams we think we will beat and usually end up allowing ourselves a 2-10 or 3-9 season.  Optimistically.

We wear our colors more often, in more places, and for no good reason other than the fact that being stranded 300 miles from a city in the middle of wheat fields tends to bring people together.

We have encouraged the rivalry between WSU and UW in our household since before it was even a household.  And, Dustin and I are- by no means- the most rabid Coug fans we know.  Not even close.  And, yet somehow, by hanging out with these people, the rivalry has rubbed off on Breckin.  He's been around watching football games with us, Bobby, Bull, the girls, and Uncle G since he was born.  He knows that Derek and Kait root for the other team and we should say boo.  But, today's events...... I don't know.  They kinda warmed my heart.  They kinda freaked me out.

On our way to the zoo (yes, I know, what about a lovely blog post recounting the zoo trip?  No.  I can't.  Not after this.) we have to drive past the college campus of the University of Washington.  We start up the slight hill on I-5 North bound, just past Lakeview Blvd., where the top of the U is coming into view.  Breckin sees the office building formerly known as the Safeco Tower.  He sees that it is emblazoned with a giant purple W and the words "University of Washington."  And, then.  This conversation.

Breckin:  Mommy.  I know what I want to be when I grow up.
Me:  Oh, yeah?  What's that?  (we've had a string of these conversations lately so I'm used to it)
Breckin:  I want to be a crane truck driver with a huge wrecking ball on it so I can drive that truck all through that town down there.  See that big tower?  That's the bad W and I want to knock it down and flush it down the toilet.  I will SMASH right into it with my wrecking ball!
Me:  Yeah!  That's awesome buddy!  I mean, NO!  Honey, you can't just knock buildings down.  We don't want anyone to get hurt!  We might be rivals, buddy, but we can't just knock their stuff down.  That would hurt their feelings.

Me, internally:  Wow.  This kid gets it but is already crossing the line.  I can't believe I just cheered him on as my initial response.  I love that he is feeling the rivalry but I have to discourage terrorist behavior before he takes some kid out on the playground for wearing that big purple W.  Foreshadowing?  Maybe.  It does my heart good, however, to hear his passion for the underdogs.

Breckin:  Oh, ok.  But they shouldn't wear that W with that purple.
Me:  Yeah, I know hon.  It only bothers us because they are our rival- they aren't really villains or bad guys.  It's just about the schools and the sports.

Me, internally:  Phew.  Maybe that diverted his energy and redeemed my motherly skills.  Remind me to tell our adult friends to tone it down during the next Apple Cup.  Wait, nah.  Nevermind.  THAT'S not going to happen.

Moving on.  Great day at the zoo.  Kids are fantastic, well behaved, and Breckin made Ella squeal with delight during our lunch break.  Everyone around us groaned with parental approval.  And, on our way out of the Zoomazium play place at the end of the trip......

Breckin (to some poor kid, probably 6 or 7 yrs old, on his way into the play thing):  Hey!  That boy is wearing purple!  Mommy, he's one of THEM!  He has that big W on his shirt.  Hey guy!  I'm going to flush you down the toilet.  Wolves are stinky!  Go Cougs!  (He still thinks wolves and huskies are the same thing.)
Me:  Breckin!  That's not nice to say.  He can cheer for whoever he wants.

Me, internally:  His father has gotten to him.  Dammit, Bobby and Dustin and Clark.  That's enough.  Wait- no- it just needs to be redirected.  He needs the preschool version of cheering for the Cougs.... not the drunk Vegas version.  I'm mortally embarrassed because even though we talk this way amongst our friends, I really don't want my kid taking it to heart like this.  It's just not as cute coming from a five year old.  I promise, we are not creating a terrorist.

The kid's Dad:  Husband a Coug or you?
Me:  Nods sheepishly.  Yeah, we both are.  Sorry 'bout that.
The kid's Dad:  Hey, don't worry about it.  Sounds like your little guy is off to the right start- just for the wrong team.  Grins, grabs his son, and walks away.
Me:  Thanks.  Have a great evening

Me, internally:  Hmmm.  If some kid shouted Go Huskies at Breckin, I'd encourage him to turn around and say Go Cougs right back.  Thank God we had our first Clark moment in the company of someone who appreciates the rivalry and can take it with a grain of salt.

I think I'll be encouraging Breckin to keep his NCAA pride contained to football games in the future 'cause you never know if the person on the other end is as forgiving.  

Oh, hello 75 Degrees. There you are!

And, we kick off the 1st of our Thursday afternoons at the beach.  It's a summer Girls Night tradition that started long before we had kids and now it includes them.  The tradition has changed.  It started with spreading out blankets on the grassy spot at Coulon Beach, sitting down in our work clothes, ordering root beer shakes from Kidd Valley, and chatting about what bar we'd be going to that weekend or who Court was dating.  ;) 

Now, it involves pre-packing a tote bag the night before (at least for those with 2 kids) with towels, sunscreen, extra clothes, water bottles, sand pails, bottles, baby food, diapers, and the camera.  Dinner is a little more planned.  And, we are plopped in the sandy, noisy kid area followed by trips to the playground.  Breckin and Natalee are corraled by which ever Auntie is looking.  Ella- since this is her first trip- sits in her carseat happily in the shade. 

Three of us were missing tonight and the operative word there is missing.  I miss them.  Like, almost to the point of tears.  Our group has ebbed and waned as life has changed for each of us.  Beach or not, we'll always be close.  Girls night or not, we'll always be the soul mates that Carrie Bradshaw eloquently pointed out.  We started out with the common ground of watching the Bachelor.  And, let me tell you what, Aaron got stuck in a few of those nights but he still, to this day, does one of the best impersonations of a snarky, bitchy female because of it.  The group grew as more friends graduated and we've gone from the best surprise birthday weekend ever to buying houses. Everyone getting a dog to numerous BBQ parties. Three pregnancies to a fabulous, upcoming 2011 celebration of the next Mr. Girls Night. 

Watching Breckin and Natalee play in the sand is a tribute to how far we've come.  They are entering Kindergarten and we've been friends, Aunties, sisters, and- if you know us well enough, we can say this- brothers for 10 years.  Some of us, even longer.  Every other relationship- whether it be high school classes, spouses, or corporations- throw themselves a huge 10 year bash.  I say we do the same.  Jetta has been pointing out her fabulous girlfriends lately, and I want to do the same.  I love them.  Here's to another 10 years, ladies.  Let's plan a party to celebrate us.   

Breckin, meet your match

On Tuesday nights, Dustin has bowling league.  So, it's up to me to provide dinner for one carefree adult, one exhausted child, and one relentlessly happy baby.  It's up to me to entertain said group and it's usually up to me to put those three to bed.  Unless, one some occassions, Dustin gets home earlier than bedtime and stirs the sleepy pot with Daddy excitement. 

Last night, this carefree adult, partially exhausted child, and happy baby chose hot dogs and mac N cheese for dinner.  Don't knock it- everyone was fed and pleased.  Then, because the sun appeared, we wanted to play outside.  At the tube slide park.  Up the hill.  Cool.

I didn't want to have an aching back (silly, me) so I thought, hey!  Why don't I stick Ella in the front seat of the double stroller w/o her car seat so she can see where we are going and not get so hot in that thing?  Great!  Bust out the stroller, get Ella set up, Breckin jumps on the back running board and away we go. 

Two houses down.

We invite Kellen and Mikah along with us- the more the merrier at the park, I say.  They play so well together... I'd take them anywhere.  Except, my master plan of alleviating my back gets trashed.  All three of the age 5+ children hopped on the running board together.  Superfun!  Folks, that's 150 lbs + of children.  Plus the 20 lb one up front.  Plus the 20 lb stroller.  Dammit- why didn't I just strap the Ergo on and make Breckin walk?

I don't know but up the hill we go.  Up and up and up the hill.  Breckin says "Yay!  We are finally there!"  Kellen says "I thought we weren't going to make it in time for my bedtime."  Oh, Kellen.  Go play, sweetie.  Mommy's arms are no longer attached and I can't feel my calves.

Play play play.  Everyone had a great time.  We leave at 7:55.  Everyone hopped back on for the ride back- downhill is just fine for an overloaded stroller.  In fact, it's more fun cause it feels like it's out of control.  Whee!

Breckin:  We should have a playdate.  I like playing with Kellen and Mikah.
Kellen:  We don't want to have too much excitement.  When I get exhausted like that, I just fall asleep.

Seriously?  That's pretty wise thinking for a 5 year old.  I don't think Breckin meant right that minute- maybe a later date.  But, it's words like those for why I love Kellen and think he's such a good match for Buddy.  They bust out with some of the funniest things I've heard and they are both comfortable with punching each other in the middle of the back like it's the greatest form of love.  Kellen, I'd take you to the park anyday.

Ok, this is the 3rd post of the day.

But, wait.  Why did I start blogging so frequently?  To try to remember the milestones as they happen, right?  Cause I'm not doing a traditional baby book.  As much as I love blurting my thoughts about religion and reminiscing about a quieter moment, I do actually have to keep track of stuff.  So, here's the laundry list of growth.  In the past few days, Ella has:

• Started sitting straight as a tack all on her own for more than 10 minutes.  She can reach for toys at will and not topple over.  Unless, of course, the dog walks by and she needs to wrench her head around like an owl to see where she will go.  Then she tips.
• Pushed herself up on her hands and knees while pretending to enjoy tummy time.  That girl hates tummy time with a passion after about two point oh minutes.  She got her knees under her while at the cabin and was pretty tickled about that. 
• Scoots backwards while said knees are under her. 
• Continued her exploration of all things pureed.  We are into blended foods now. 
• Grabbed a can of Gerber Puffs off the shelf at the grocery store while I was perusing the formula cans.  So, I figured she knew what she wanted and bought them.  We tried one last night- no gagging or choking.  We tried five more tonight- most of them stuck to her sticky little palms but she managed to eat three.  Food works.
• Re-read that one above.  Formula.  Ella has self-weaned and I'm okay with that.  My goal was six months and we made it almost seven.  Pretty good for pumping for four of those.  She can rock an eight-ounce bottle in 10 minutes and is much happier than dealing with Mommy's slow method. 
• Slept 12.25 hours straight- no waking for extra food or ridiculously soggy diapers- the night after we got back from the rafting trip.  Who wants to go again?  Mommy likes sleepy babies.

Ok, there.  I got the necessary stuff taken care of.  Continue on down to the posts below to read some actual thoughts.

My Favorite Part of the Rafting Weekend.

I wanna touch the earth

I wanna break it in my hands
I wanna grow something wild and unruly

I wanna sleep on the hard ground
In the comfort of your arms
On a pillow of blue bonnets
And a blanket made of stars

I wanna be the only one

For miles and miles
Except for maybe you
And your simple smile
Cowboy take me away
Fly this girl as high as you can into the wild blue.
-Dixie Chicks

This place was so pure and simple.  As soon as we drove up the path to the cabin, I heard this song playing in my head.  Ella and I hung out a lot in the fields and forests around the cabin and did absolutely nothing.  She felt the breeze, the ants on her toes, the light grass on her fingers, and did nothing.  No squeaky toys.  No phone ringing.  No radio.  We sat out there for about 2 1/2 hours just listening to each other breathe and she was content.  I am forever indebted to the Zahajkos for bringing me back to appreciating the beautiful sound of silence. 

I like different perspectives

So, I'm pretty comfortable with my version of faith.  It's taken a lot of years and a lot of different churches to put my faith together but I like where it's at.  I'm not going to get into The Christian-ish History of Holly right now but let me just say this:
              Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to the garage makes you a car.

Thanks for that one, Mom.  It's true.  That combined with "I'll call him God but you can call him/her/it Buddha, Muhammed, Brahma, Tao, etc" basically sums up my views.  I'm not monotheistic.  I like what a lot of religions have to say and I think a lot of them are saying the same thing.  It's a damn shame that we let semantics get in the way.

Intense, huh?  I don't mean it to be a heavy subject, per se.  And, I ran across this via a Facebook status of an old friend (yeah, Danny Clark, I just called you old). 

            Christianity Definition: The belief that some cosmic Jewish zombie can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him you accept him as your master, so he can remove an evil force from your soul that is present because some rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree.

Now, if that doesn't sound funny, I don't know what does.  Can't we all get a little perspective from that one?  Doesn't it sound ridiculous when put that way?

What do you believe?  Can you handle it when others re-word something so sacred into something so trivial?  I can.  I think it's hilarious. 

Leave a comment on this one.  Let's start a grown-ups conversation about it.  I'd like to know what you think whether I've known you forever or just met you via the Mommy Blogger world.  Nothing mean, nothing rude, and for the love of God- don't take anything personally.  Go!