Sky's last football game!

Today is the big day...Sky's last football game of the season!  Woo-hoo!  

Did I mention it is 40 degrees here with wind?  Sweet.

So, not too much going on right now.  Alex's obsession with Barney is slowly being replaced with Happy Feet.  Kinda happy about his.  As much as I loved "I love you, you love me"....thirty times a day, it was getting old.  He hasn't completely decided that Barney doesn't rule the world, but we're working on it!

Alex is still obsessed with gum.  If you're looking for a present that will put little Al over the moon, buy him a pack of gum.  He'd choose it over a bag of gold!  About 1/2 the time, it even makes it's way to the garbage can.  Are there actually any reports of people having tummies full of childhood gum when they die of age after a long, long life?  That is just a myth, right?

Skyler's school had a winter program this week.  It was so cute!  The kindergarten/1st grade choir was my favorite part, of course.  ;-)  Skyler sang along, and signed to "Silent Night", and was as well behaved as I've ever seen him.  I was so proud!  He was, too.  He came home from school the next day, thrilled to tell me that his behavior had earned him extra free play time.  

Alright...off to freeze my butt off!

Sky requests prayers for his dad.

I request prayers for Sky, too.  

Please send your well wishes to Sky's dad and his family!

Been There, Done That (and you will too)!

I have a new project.  Come check it out!

http://beentheredonethat-youwilltoo.blogspot.com/

Notice to all germs, viruses, allergic reactions and "yuckies":

You are hereby banished from our family.  You are not welcome.  Ashley will have to wait and learn about you all some other time.  

In related news- I am offering a reward to anyone who can actually figure out how to build me a bubble.  One that I can put the whole family in, so as to keep germs out.  The catch is that we do need to function normally, so this will need to be a 1 way bubble.  Kids on the football field would think it odd if Skyler was in said bubble and the ball bounced off of it, seemingly from mid air.

Alex is over his fear of daycare, Skyler is on the mend!

Today was daycare day for Alex.  This used to be such a dreaded event.  Today, Sky wasn't going to school or daycare because he needed one more day to recover from a bout of strep throat.  So Dusty (who let me sleep in!) was planning on taking Alex to daycare around 10am.  Well...8am rolls around and Dusty says to Alex: "You go to daycare today".  Alex responded with "STACY???" (this is his favorite girl, and as a result, ANY childcare provider in Alex's world is now named Stacy).  Dusty assured him that, yes, he'd see Stacy.

At this point, Alex starts jumping up and down and screaming "STACY!" at the top of his lungs.  After a minute, he ran to his room and yelled for his dad to help him get dressed.  Alex then came in and woke me up, excitedly sharing the news that he was off to daycare.  He even brought his backpack in to show me he was all ready!  So, Alex went to daycare 1 1/2 hours before he would have...and apparently loves it there!

Skyler will be going back to school tomorrow, and is very excited to get back!  He had a good time going to work (a.k.a. Grandma's house) with me, but is ready to see his buddies again.

Hope everyone is having a good week!

A happy day, but a sad morning.

Ok, I try not to get too political on here, but right now I can't help myself.

First of all, I am thrilled that Obama will be our next president!  I honestly feel that he will be a great figure in our nation's politics.  I did not vote Obama because he was a democrat, or because he won the party's nomination.  I voted for him because I believe in Obama and what he stands for.  So, I couldn't be happier with last night's results.

I also felt that  McCain gave an amazing concession speech.  I think we saw that man who was labeled a "maverick".  I think he showed class, good will and genuine human spirit.  

But...all my election night elation is on the back burner for the moment.  I just checked in on CA's Prop. 8, and it put a damper on my mood.  Prop. 8 was a measure writing the definition of marriage as one man, one woman in to the state's CONSTITUTION.

I am appalled that on the same day I get to explain to Skyler that our country has overcome racism enough to elect a black man as President, I have to explain to him that our country discriminates against people for their sexual orientation.  It is just sickening.  

I have heard all the arguments FOR Prop. 8, and I'm sorry- you CANNOT give a valid argument FOR DISCRIMINATION.  It isn't possible.  People tried- remember the civil rights movement?  Slavery?  Women not being allowed to vote?  You can dress it up and call it "protecting marriage", or "protecting our children from being taught about gay marriage"- but it is still and always will be discrimination.

I am saying many, many prayers today.  Today, I am praying for the safety and emotional well being of our new president-elect Barack Obama and his family (I can't imagine the emtional roller coaster of his grandmother passing during this time).  I am praying that our country can come together to move forward, now that the vote has spoken.  I am praying for every CA couple that wakes up today to find out that they are no longer married, that their family isn't seen as "valid" in the eyes of CA voters.  And I am praying that some day, discrimination will not be something we can vote for.

I want my kids to live in a better world.  Isn't that all we want for our little ones?

(OK, done with politics- on this blog.  If you give me a glass of wine & invite me over, I'll discuss it all you want!)

Trick or Treat!!!

And another Halloween has come and gone.  Sugar highs and stomach aches are sure to follow!

SpiderMan and Peter Pan took to the streets in a quest to find some candy on a perfect night.  Mild temperatures, no rain, and Dusty getting off work were a great backdrop.  

The night began with a house down the street, where both the boys forgot to say "trick or treat", but the neighbor thought they were so cute that she gave them candy anyhow.  This got Alex really excited- he finally understood what we meant by "going on a walk to get some candy".  At the next house, they let the kids choose.  This was a big choice for Alex, who was finally given one of everything when the owner of the house got tired of waiting after a good 4 or 5 minutes of Alex touching every single candy, then putting it back.

Skyler was a great big brother, pushing the doorbells that were too tall for Alex and letting Alex push the ones he could reach.  The highlight for him was a neighbor who had an actual snake on their porch, along with numerous other decorations.  This, to a 5 year old, is REALLY cool.  After the older kids started coming out, we came home.  This was mostly because Alex was nervous about the big kids in scary costumes, which presented some problems when they tried to accompany him to the door.  After one last stop at our direct neighbor's house (she had saved some candy especially for them), we loaded up in the car and drove out to trick or treat at Grandpa Mike's house.   This was a great way to end the night!

As of 6pm last night, Dusty is on vacation.  We have a big week planned!  Today we all went to Skyler's football game (they WON!  Go Jets!), accompanied by Shane (who doesn't wake up that early but did it just for Sky).  Alex is still sick, so he'll be sleeping the day away and trying to get better in time for church tomorrow.  This week will be full of fishing, hunting (for Dusty), and birthday celebrations- as Dusty turns the big 26 on Wednesday!

Happy November!

Pumpkin Patch, continued.

Family Day at Liepold Farms.

What is that saying?  Better late than never?

Well, here is the run down on our family day at the pumpkin patch.  It was a marathon day!  First, Skyler and Dusty got up way before Alex and I care to, and went fishing.  They didn't catch anything, but it's more about the memories anyhow, right?  Then, they got home.  We ate lunch, dressed the kids in sweaters (after I wouldn't give up on that argument- I wanted them in sweaters for pics, Dusty thinks kids dressing up to go to a farm is nuts.  In Dusty's defense, he was right- but I can be REALLY stubborn!), and took off to the pumpkin patch.

At the pumpkin patch, they have a little play area with a ball pit, and a carosel.  This, of course, is heaven on earth to Alex.  They also had 2 mazes- 1 dark maze and one light maze.  Not only did Skyler rock the light maze, but he and I managed to get through the dark one.  If you know Skyler or myself, this is a big deal!  He earned a glow stick as a reward.  I earned another grey hair.  

Once we made it outside, Alex discovered a new love- stomping in mud puddles.  As of about 1:30 pm that afternoon, if there is a mud puddle within 1 mile, Alex will find it.  His new shoes (and his mom) are thrilled.  Dusty and I discovered that one bag of kettle corn isn't necessarily the best idea, and that Skyler is allergic to hay.  The boys learned how to fling pumpkins with a giant slingshot, and we spent a long time picking out the perfect pumpkins.

It was a very fun afternoon!  Afterwards, Grandma Val watched the boys and took them on a bike ride.  They slept well that night.  Yay!

Things I learned today!

So, another day in the life around here.  Today I woke up and decided that the kids and I were going to church.  I've been meaning to get around to it for awhile, and had planned on the "aroundtoit" to come next weekend.  But today seemed right.  So off we went, Alex insisting we were going to Target and Skyler wondering why we were suddenly going to church.

Here are some of the lessons learned:

1) There are people in the world who are very, very kind to strangers.  Seriously.  I think sometimes in the hustle and bustle we forget that some people are just good.  I met many today.

2)  You know you haven't taken your kid to church in awhile when he looks at the altar and says "Mommy, why is there a big "t" hanging on the wall?".  Oops.

3)  A 2 year old  who has never been to church does NOT just know to be quiet and sit still.  

4)  People think it is adorable when a 5 year forgets his inhibition and starts singing, loudly, to a song he doesn't actually know.  The 5 year old, however, thinks it is horribly humiliating.

5)  Church wears kids out.  They fall asleep on the way home.  BONUS!  (Y'all want to get religious now, don't you?!?)

6)  When those kids wake up, they have WAY too much energy.  Grr...

7)  2 year olds, hammers and 2 year old vehicles do NOT mix.  

8)  Yes, I learned #7 from experience.  

9)  If you stop a dishwasher, start it over, stop it, start it over...and let it fill up and never drain every time...it'll overflow on to the floor.

10)  If #9 is repeated 30 seconds after the mess is cleaned up, it'll overflow again.

11)  The 2 year old taught me this.

12)  Kids will do anything for ice cream.  It is possible for a 5 year old's room to be cleaned in 2 minutes.  Just offer ice cream.

13)  If you try lesson #12, don't look in the closet unless you've had a glass of wine, Xanax, or 3 extra strength Tylenol.

14)  If a child is in need of getting clean, the floor of the bathroom will be soaked.  It does not matter wether they shower or take a bath.  It doesn't matter if they take 3 minutes or a half hour.  The position of the shower curtain has no bearing.  The bathroom will inevitably be soaked.  There is no way to avoid it.

15)  Desperate Housewives Rocks.  What a good way to make my life seem not so hectic after a long (but good, minus the car meeting a hammer and floor being flooded) day!

I am very, very lucky.

Tonight I sit here, kids tucked in with Dusty by my side, thinking that I am a very lucky woman.

I would like to take this chance to remind you all of something you probably already know- LISTEN to your body.  If something feels off, look in to it.  Please.

On Saturday I was diagnosed with Steven Johnson's Syndrome, a potentially fatal reaction to medication that I was taking.  This syndrome is not caused by any particular medication.  It is very rare, and is essentially a very severe allergic reaction.  I thought I was going in simply because Dusty insisted on it. I was certain I had a cold and maybe a viral rah. As it turns out, SJS is really serious.  And very scary.  I am lucky that is was caught essentially as soon as the rash began.  Really, as soon as it began to form I was being treated.  

I am getting better.  The rash has cleared up now and the headache has basically gone away.  At this point, I think the biggest thing we're waiting for is for me to come off the medication.  I need the medication- but it makes me feel crappy!

Anyhow, just wanted to tell you all that I am ok.  And I am lucky.  And I really, really appreciate all the love and support that has been sent my way!

Thank you,

Brianna

Trying this domestic thing out.

This year I decided to give the whole "domestic decorator" thing a try.  I figured that the kids are old enough to like decorations, so we should probably put some up.  Here goes!

We have an amazing neighbor couple.  I spoke with the wife and told her that we were trying to decorate this year.  She is great!  She has brought over a bunch of corn stalks, grown in her garden.  She also dug out some decor that she isn't using and brought us a broom for the door, some little figures and a pumpkin that she grew in her yard.  We are so lucky to have someone so wonderful around us.  When she dropped of some of the decorations, I mentioned that Alex was sick.  Later that day they brought over a book for him and a note wishing him well.  Sure makes the world seem smaller and more cozy when you have good people around you!

Skyler and I drew a pumpkin family to add to our fall decorations.  Can you guess who is who?  I drew them, but Skyler cut and taped them under Dusty's supervision.  I pulled in the driveway after work to find them up, and thought they were the perfect touch.  Hopefully next week we'll go to the pumpkin patch and add a few real pumpkins to the mix.

Alex is getting better.  Still a sniffle and a low fever, but nothing near the scary night of being up with 104 degrees.  I think those nights are just made to break me in before the kids start getting sports injuries!

Skyler the football player!

So after years of standing on the sidelines of football games, cringing at every tackle, it was time for me to let Skyler subject himself to getting bowled over by 15 boys trying to get the same ball.  It isn't my thing, but hey- he loves it!

Skyler has been practicing for a week and a half.  His first game is coming up this weekend!  He is so excited!  His team will be green (Skyler says "YEEEEESSSSS!  We're the DUCKS!) and has a great coaching staff.

Here are a few pictures from from Skyler's practices.  Most are of Alex because I usually spend practices chasing him and keeping him from running on the field.  Alex LOVES "buball pa-tice"!  Ah, the joys of boys.  

If anyone will be in town on Saturday, please let me know!  Skyler would love to have a fan club for his first game!

Video Overload!

Hey everyone!  Check out the videos I posted!  Two are from our last family bike ride.  The boys are really falling in love with bike riding!  

One is Alex playing the piano.  Skyler like to play, too, but was too shy to go on camera.  If I can sneak a video of him, I'll put it up!

The other video is of the boys, dressed as a dog and a lion, jumping on the bed.  Whats that, you say?  It isn't halloween?  Huh.  Who knew?

A puppy and a lion play jumping bean.

Alex the performer!

Alex rides!

Sky rides!

More Pictures!

Thank you so much to Grandma Val, for giving us the inside view!

Breaking News! (In our world)

Sky is home from his first day of school!!!

After deciding to calm down the obsessively protective mom thing, I walked Skyler to the bus stop at 7:25 this morning.  He was super excited at the bus stop.  Once he saw the bus, he got a little nervous, but he walked right on with no problem.  Well, one little snag- I had told him to sit next to the bus driver, not realizing that those seats would have kids in them.  Right as I was fighting the urge to rush on the bus and say "It's ok, honey, sit with that little girl", he figured it out on his own.  And I was reminded that sometimes I just don't give my little guy enough credit.  (At this moment, images of Finding Nemo are flashing in my head.  I'm seriously comparing my parenting to that of an animated fish.  Oh, boy.  Motherhood has overtaken my brain!)

So he gets on the bus, I go inside and down a cup of (decaf) coffee and pace around the living room.  Dusty reminds me that many kids go to school every day.  And that Skyler will not magically disappear in the mile bus ride down the hill.  So, after a call to the school to make sure he got there ok (I know you're rolling your eyes.  But it was his first day!), I switched my energy from wondering if he got there to watching the clock and counting the minutes till he got home.

So, Alex and I went to get Skyler at the bus stop.  As it turns out, the bus stop on the way home is outside our back gate.  Sweet!  And when the bus stopped Skyler emerged, backpack and all.  He was in one piece and in pretty high spirits.  Apparently this school thing (bus included) is his type of gig.  He loved it!

I asked him to summarize his day.  Here it is:

"I met lots of new friends!"

"Grandma kept snappin' up all different pictures of me!"  (Thanks, Grandma Val!)

"It was good."

And...thats about all I could get out of an exhausted 5 year old.  

While we were sitting and talking about his day, I noticed that Sky's tooth was sitting on it's side.  I went over to him, looked at it, and sure enough it was hanging on by a string.  So, not only did Skyler go to school, he lost a second tooth!  There is already an envelope (sealed, so as to make sure the tooth fairy gets it) under his pillow.  He is now zoning out on the couch, trying his best not to fall asleep.  

On a related note, every sound Alex hears from the road is now a bus.  Ever since we saw big bro get off the school bus, we get to hear Al every 30 seconds say "I want ride bus!" or "I hear bus!".  He was just in heaven getting to be THAT close to a school bus!

Note:  In the pictures of Sky waiting for the bus, I know he doesn't look excited.  He was!  Blame the sour look on nerves and the fact that it was 7:30 and mom forgot to grab him a jacket.  Oops!

Shamelessly begging for donations...

So, I just read that Skyler's school will be participating in Box Tops for Education.  They accept Campbell's soup can labels and General Mills Cereal box tops, then turn them in for money that goes towards the parent teacher committee budget.

I totally understand if your labels go elsewhere, or if you don't buy overpriced cereals and soups when the stores provide similar products at store-brand prices.  But if you do buy Campbells and/or General Mills, we'd appreciate the donations of these labels!  If any are sent Sky's way, he can take them in to his school and contribute to the fundraiser.

Thanks everyone!

Our pretty much perfect day. (Sky can ride a bike!)

In the interest of preserving memories, I think that our latest family adventure is worth writing out.  I don't have any pictures, though- I decided to focus less of "capturing the moment" and more on being IN the moment!

So, after a long day of running errands the other day, Dusty and I needed a way to tire the boys out.  We had promised the boys ice cream at the Costco deli (a.k.a. dispensary of incredible amounts of yummy tasting saturated fats), but wound up walking right past it in an effort to get a tired 2 year in the car before the entire warehouse realized he was, in fact, a toddler.  Poor Skyler, in an usual act of patience, actually believed us when we said he had a treat coming to him later in the day.  So...guess that meant we needed to figure out a treat!

It was a beautiful day.  Since we're now in that season where you spend every sunny day wondering if it is the last, we thought we'd better get the kids outside.  So we loaded up their bikes (or bi-chi-chles, if you ask Al) and took them down to the trail for an evening ride that we figured would mean a LOT of work on our part.  After a small disagreement over wether or not Alex needed elbow pads and knee pads to ride a bike with training wheels (I won!  Alex looked like a knight in all his body armor), we were off.

Here are the highlights:

-Both boys needed their seats raised.  (sniffle)  They are getting so big!

-Alex proved that you CAN go fast on a toddler bike with training wheels.

-Alex also proved that you CAN tip over on a bike with training wheels.  (And mommy was right about the body armor!)

-Skyler showed that he could go forever on a bike ride. 

-Skyler also proved that he can ride faster than I can run.  But still insisted that I keep up with him.

-Skyler learned how to push off on his own!!!  Everyone within a 2  block radius heard "I CAN RIDE MY BIKE MYSELF!!!"

-Alex is a trooper.  At one point he was so tired, his eyes were closing.  But those little legs kept spinning round and round!

-Dusty and I actually got to enjoy ourselves!  The boys are big enough to ride ahead a bit and be just independent enough to enjoy themselves without us  helping non-stop.  But they are still young enough to not go TOO far!

After the bike ride, we went to Sunny Hans.  We haven't attempted eating out with the boys for quite awhile.  It was amazing!  They sat and ate!  I think we almost came off as a nice family eating dinner, as opposed to 2 stressed out parents and 2 unruly little ones.  Woo-hoo!

So, that is it.  My account of a perfect evening.  I don't know if the boys will remember that day forever, but I sure will.

A plea to toy makers:

PLEASE start making toys that don't frustrate my kids to the point of insanity.  Or me, for that matter.

For example, if a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle is supposed to be a skateboarding reptile, PLEASE make sure the skateboard can stay on the ninja's feet for at least 30 seconds at a time.  PLEASE?!?!?

If I hear "MOOOOOOMMM, the skaaaateboard won't stay oooonnnn!!!!" one more time today...

Edited to add: So I just googled it and apparently a turtle is a reptile?  Who knew?  Huh.  I always thought they were amphibians.

A sad election time reminder.

So this isn't going to be funny, or very entertaining.  But something is weighing on my mind, and I'm going to let it out.

Yesterday I was at a local elementary school, in the office.  I witnessed something really sad.  A little girl and little boy were sitting in the office, waiting to be picked up.  The little girl was crying and saying she wanted to go to school.  The secretary was on the phone saying "Well, you need to prove you are in the country legally" and "they must have complete immunization records" and "you'll need to come get them".  She got off the phone and told the kids that their mommy would be there soon.  The little girl just had a breakdown.  She wanted so bad to be there.  My heart hurt for her.

Every message board I read is full of politics.  Unfortunately, most of the "politics" on these boards are full of mudslinging.  Not all, but too many for my taste.  So, this is my call to whoever cares to read my blog:

We aren't going through this election just to give us a reason to bash one another.  This is not just a chance to call people names for believing differently.  We are in the midst of election season for that little girl.  And all of the other children we cross every day, some whom we know and love, some we will never meet but could grow up to do incredible things.  They need us to help determine the course of their future.

I don't care how you intend to vote, that is up to you.  I'm proud of you for voting.  Sure, I'd love for you to vote for MY candidate, MY beliefs-  but that isn't what a democracy is about.  The problems our country faces are complex, and the answers are not just easy to come by.  It is confusing, and I'm sure that there will never be solutions that are perfectly fair to every person in the country.  And that is why we live in a democracy.  So that we ALL have the opportunity to look at all the issues we face, look deep inside ourselves to discover what the right answers are, and vote accordingly.

My heart broke for that little girl yesterday.  She may be here legally, she may not.  She may have access to immunizations, she may not.  While not everyone agrees on how to deal with those issues, I'm sure we can all agree on one thing- that 6 year old could not understand why she couldn't go to school.  And THAT in itself is sad.  Right, wrong, indifferent- it was sad.

And then I come online to read about a VP candidate possibly getting knocked up before marriage and how a candidate for the presidency may have been raised with religious teachings other than that of mainstream America.  Does that put all this mudslinging in to perspective for anyone else, or I am just overly emotional lately (admittedly that wouldn't be too far a stretch)?

I am tired of debating about things that won't help my children.  I am tired of hearing about "issues" that will not matter 40, 50, 100 years down the road.  So I am asking- regardless of which political theory you subscribe to- that we keep in mind a few important things: WHO and WHAT we are wanting to fix/protect/etc. and HOW we feel that can be done.  I want to look at my kids 30 years down the road and tell them that I have done everything I can to make their world better, regardless of my personal political philosophy.  I think we all want that.  So lets not talk about issues that should be left only to tabloids and entertainment news shows...lets talk about how to fix the challenges that we face as a nation.

Thanks for reading!

And, August goes out with a bang (or should we say CRUNCH?)!

You know, there are times in my life when I start thinking that this domestic stuff seems boring.  Each day seems to be the same, the kids don't seem to care wether it is Monday, Thursday or Sunday, and I just start itching to get out of the house.  On those days, if Ashley is in town, she comes to my rescue.  

Today I woke up late (thanks, Dusty, for giving me that extra sleep) to find that Alex had broken a snow globe on the tile.  And decided that his underwear were, in fact, an acceptable toilet.  Twice.  After gulping down my coffee quickly and dodging the Nerf baseball bat flying constantly through the air in connection with the Wii, I was telling Ashley that the day is shaping up to be like just about any other day: noisy, clumsy, and full of mess making fun (for the kids).  

Ashley and I were talking about how amazing it would be to do some leisurely window shopping.  Since I didn't have a sitter, Ash came up with a brilliant idea.  Let IKEA babysit the kids!  Sure, it means we have to shop...Ok, twist my arm!  I'm in!

On the way to IKEA, Sky's illusive loose tooth finally lost the battle for the buck.  Sky was quiet for quite a long time, then suddenly "I got it, Mom!  My tooth came out!".  Sure enough, that little sucker that caused both of us so much grief when he was a cranky, teething baby, was right there in his hand.  

So we get to IKEA as Sky is dreaming up 101 ways to spend his cash if the tooth fairy keeps her promise.  Shopping was fairy uneventful.  Sky showed every kid in the play area his toothless grin, and Alex (who was about 1 inch too short for the play area, even WITH his hair) spent his time in Auntie Ashley heaven.  Well, Auntie Ashley and the-bathrooms-have-automatic-paper-towel-dispensers heaven.

So finally we pick out a bed for Alex, who has been sleeping on a foam mat for months (long story, not that exciting).  Yay!  So much for window shopping...

Now comes the good part.  Ashley and Sky go to get the CR-V and pull it in to the loading dock so that we can try to figure out how on earth to fit a twin bed & mattress in a compact SUV.  As she is waiting to pull in to a parking spot (you know, people in front of you stop, you really can't go anywhere!), a rented moving van decides to back in to a spot, too.  Unfortunately, Ashley being where she was didn't fit in to his plans.  So as Alex and I watched from the sidewalk and Ashley felt helpless in the driver's seat, the bumper of my car met a very big moving van.  Poor Ashley!  I think she deserves the Crazy Weekend award!  Oh, and a ton of thanks for moving the car the minute she did in order to avoid any injuries or further damage.

So, a few hours later I'm home with 2 cranky kids.  By the way, you CAN fit a twin bed and mattress in a CR-V.  It involves removing everything but the driver, who has to drive with her nose touching the steering wheel, but it CAN be done.  At this point I'm thinking that for all the hassle, Alex is going to sleep in this bed tonight.  As it turns out, assembling a bed, then rearranging the room to fit the bed, then throwing out all the packaging while two cranky kids "help" can not possibly done "just real quick".  Just an FYI.

So now, the kids are asleep.  Sky has $2 under his pillow, and Alex is happily dreaming on his new jumping platform/big boy bed.  And I have a glass of red wine.  I will NOT be complaining tomorrow morning that life is monotonous! 

Sky has loose teeth & Alex is potty trained!

Wow, these kids are growing up fast!

Skyler starts school in two weeks and Alex is totally potty trained.  Yay!

Skyler's two front teeth are loose, and he is anxiously awaiting the opportunity to milk the tooth fairy for a few bucks.  He's no so certain on the specifics of the whole tooth fairy thing though (Is she invisible?  How does she get in to his house?  Does she sell the teeth on the black market?).

Alex is talking like crazy and is obsessed with Wii baseball.  He loves "BASE-ball".  Seems to be following  in big bro's footsteps!  He is going to be in a begginer pre-school program this year!  The other day, Dusty and I couldn't believe it- he sang the ABC's!  Alex is also big doing "I do it!".  Fun for Al, S L O W moving for me!

Skyler begins allergy shots this week.  He is a little nervous, but he knows it'll help him in the long run.  Hard to be a baseball player and golfer when you're allergic to grass, trees and weeds.  He'll be great at dealing with this, I'm sure!  Sky is a tough little guy.

Both boys are missing Pappi and Grandma Marcia like crazy.  We had  a great time hanging out with them this summer!

Here are some more recent pics!  These are from a backyard waterfight involving the boys, Auntie Ashley and Uncle Brian.

Hello all!!! Dusty here. I know, I know... not very typical :P Anyhoo... Bri and I had such a WONDERFUL time, I thought I'd share some more pics just for fun... Here they are :D 

More vacay pics...

Ok, here are a few more!  We went hiking on the way home, it was great!

Oh, and if you're ever in Hood River- you HAVE to check out Naked Winery!  

Ah...relaxation!

Dusty and I had the amazing opportunity to have a little getaway.  It was fantastic!  We spent the whole time feeling like we were honeymooning.  

Thanks, mom, for watching the kids!

Hope you all love these pictures.  This whole vacation was refreshing for us as a couple, as parents, and as Oregonians.  Sometimes the Pacific NW's beauty is easy to take for granted- having the chance to rediscover it is a blessing!