The Falls

We're so lucky to have had visitors already! It probably helps that there are other grandkids nearby that enable some "kill two birds with one stone" type of action! We visited Snowqualmie Falls with Nana & Papa and our cousins last weekend. Beautiful! Unfortunately I left my camera in the car for the other festivities (a campfire complete with watermelon messes galore, roasting "Woof 'ems," and enjoying the gorgeous summer weather) so more to come whenever I figure out whose camera I hijacked!

The very wiggly Miss M and her papa

Miss M, Nana, and Papa

The 4th and Belated Birthday

We were still a little woozy from the traveling of a day or so before, but we managed to tag along with the right peops for the 4th of July festivities! Thanks, M&M, for letting us join your fun! We started with a "Fun" Run, pancake breakfast, and bike parade in the AM. Needless to say, our crew had been up for hours in what was, I'm sure, "anticipation" of the big day.

Mr. A thinking he's the next Lance Armstrong

Mr. A's dad making sure he's not the next ER visitor

Miss H making sure that Miss M doesn't get too far in her constant motion train

After we had sufficiently stuffed our faces (well, kind of - as stuffed as they get with Krusteaz mix - I'm married to a pancake snob who has rubbed off on the rest of us), we moved on with the rest of the day's activities. They involved naps, building sheds, trampolines, hot tubs, super burgers, watermelon-eating, birthday-celebrating, and a fireworks show!

A note about the cakes: these are what we lovingly call "white trash" cakes. I may have spoken of them last year, but this is what DH grew up with (I'm sure you're dying for the recipe)- it's Angel Food cake layered with your favorite kind of ice cream (Haagen Dazs PB Chocolate for DH), covered with Cool Whip, and drizzled w/Hershey's Syrup or Magic Shell. Even now that he has his choice of any kind of cake, this is what he asks for every year. This year, however, I tried to make it a bit more festive with the appropriately colored fruits (I don't think many appreciated my "tainting" of the cake - sorry!).

Trying to get all 3 of them to look my way (ps - can you see Miss M's cute curls? she's starting to get ringlets and, I have to admit, they are so adorable)


Impossible - Happy Birthday, DH!

Questions of Every Day

We hear each question at least 2 to 3 times a day --

Mr. A: "Mom, can I go to Aunt Michele's house and see S and W?"

"Mom, can I go to Uncle Mike's house and jump on the trampoline?"

"Mom, can I go to Uncle Mike's house and go in the hot tub?"

Apparently our house isn't so fun. I guess that's alright for now!

Made It!

One six-hour long plane ride

Two wiggly, tired, curious, kind of behaved children

Three hours of sleep the night before (note to self - try very hard not to do that again)

Four rental cars tried before getting the two that worked best

Five bags we started to walk out of baggage claim with

Six bags we actually checked

Seven new toiletry products I have to buy (the old ones got left in one of the two rental cars we DIDN't take - figures)

Eight great cousins and aunt and uncle we got to hang with this afternoon

Nine hours of sleep I hope to get (at least)

Ten weeks (at least) until I can psyche myself up for another 6 hour plane ride

Eleven times we heard Mr. A say "I can't believe it's Seattle!"

Twelve weeks of fun ahead!

To Seattle in the Summer.

The Wise One

A year older, but more importantly, a year wiser. Happy Birthday to a really great dad, a very supportive husband, and a really fun friend. I love to laugh with you. I love to celebrate you. I love YOU!

Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!

Some of you may know that my job a few years back entailed much work with NASCAR. I had to attend races quite often - all around the country. It was some of the most fun I've ever had. I always wanted to go into Sports Marketing - I just didn't think it would involve stock cars! DH took full advantage of the "perks" of my job at the time and was able to accompany me quite often. Mr. A, however, was too young to appreciate it all. So, when we were given the chance to attend a race nearby, we jumped at it - and at the opportunity to introduce Mr. A to the cultural experience that is a NASCAR race (if you haven't yet had the privilege, you really should try it at least once).

He talked about "the race" for days - "when are we going to the race?" "today we go to the race?" "Mom, are we at the race yet?"

We scored with primo parking and suite passes (I don't think I would take a 3 yr old any other way) and the first thing he saw - "Lightning." He was in heaven from the get go.

We did a "trackside tour" where we walked on the track and could see the cars just over the wall as they came out of the garages. We met one of the drivers (KH - #29 - Mr. A still calls him Mr. Kevin), saw the activation area and were ready for the race.

Once the drivers had been introduced, anthems sung, and F-16s flown over, the engines started and away they went. Mr. A cheered loudly for about an hour. After the first 100 laps, however, he found the stairs in the suite and the brownie tray far more fascinating. We stayed for just over 1/2 of the race and are so glad we took him.

He says he wants to go again. I'm sure he will someday - maybe at another track. After all, Lightning doesn't strike the same place twice, right?

The Legend to a 3 yr old
Taking it all in

Trackside Tour

Like father....

...like son

The Monster

The view from the top isn't all that bad

Finally

For chronological sake I posted Miss M's birthday pics here and Girls' Weekend here. Extra, extra! Read all about it!

Be-HIND

That's me. Right now. So I'll make an attempt at catch-up but I may just pick up from here. We'll see. Where to begin. This post will be about random things - with random pictures - of random summertime activities (that took place before it decided to be the April showers month re-do; hopefully that will pass after this week and we can have summertime back just as July begins - TBD).

Whenever you say "hi" to Miss M, she immediately puts up her hand to give you a hi 5

I'm not a celebrity, but get me outta the house!

Mr. A's first time going "real bowling" - gotta love the "lining up" of the ramp

Fely trying to help Miss M practice walking - she's kind of lazy - probably because Fely is so nice and carries her around all day!

Mr. A and his buddy, Mr. C at the Dogwood Parade

Lots of fun! More to come on Miss M's b-day, Mr. A's first stock car race, and I am finally going to publish my San Antonio Girls' Weekend post (it's been sitting in my queue for weeks patiently waiting for me to find the cord to the small camera to download the pictures).

Here's to a weekend of catching up, going to sleep early, and starting to pack for 3 months away from home. And, of course, celebrating DH and all the fathers in our lives. I'm relaxed already.

Kindness

kind: of a sympathetic or helpful nature (adj.)

While talking to a my soul sist-ah (that's what our husbands call us, apparently) on the phone the other night, she so eloquently expressed, "I just don't want my kids to be losers."

And neither do I. I replied, "I just want me kids to be KIND." Is that so much to ask? Sometimes I feel like it is.

Not because they don't want to be or know how to be. Not because I don't want to be or don't know how to be. I'd like to be all the time. At home I don't always succeed, but at least I know it's my own fault when I stray.

When I leave my home, however, I find that sometimes kindness doesn't necessarily begin with me. Even when I'm kind others are not.

The word seems so juvenile. I even remember some cheesy quote about it: "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle." It seems so simple. So 1920's. So pre-school-ish.

But it's not. Kindness is a trait that should be admired in all ages. I wish it were something that more people cared about or tried to behave with and treat others with. I admire those who manage to treat others with kindness even when not being treated with it in the first place. i'd like to be more thoughtful in my kind approaches when my kindness is not being reciprocated.

i hope for my children that they will always be kind to others - at any age. i hope they will try often to treat one another with kindness (they will most certainly need to band together at some point against their crazy parents). i hope i can be an example of kindness - now and in all my ages to come.

Kindness doesn't hurt - ever. And it matters - always.

Miss M's Birthday "Party"

Miss M's birthday party menu:

• Homemade Mac n' Cheese (her dad's specialty)
• Applesauce
• Peas and Carrots
• Blueberries

Attendees at Miss M's party:

• Mom
• Dad
• Mr. A

Miss M's Birthday Cake (I made one for her and one for the rest of us - and a good thing I did):

• A giant cupcake cake (ordered this mold)
• Cake Flavor: Devil's Food
• Homemade Frosting Flavor: Buttercream
• Decorations: Easter M&Ms (which I pulled off as soon as she started trying to pick them off)

Miss M's Bath after consuming her cake: Chocolatey

WARNING: A plethora of pictures follows...we were a bit excited by just how much she got into it (Mr. A - not so much).

Auntie Lexy sent some jammies to be consistent with her "theme" of the day

She'll forever have her big brother looking out for her - they are so cute together