All By Myself

Yogurt seems to be a big hit in my family these days. The kids seem to all fight over the lemon yogurt so I make a special effort to buy more of that flavor. Abby doesn't care what flavor she gets and is just happy to be eating. Today as I was about to feed Abby some yogurt I gave here a spoonful and then set the cup on the table far enough away so she couldn't grab it while I cut up some strawberries for Emma. The next thing I know Abby is reaching as far as she can to get the yogurt. Somehow she managed to grab the spoon which brought the yogurt cup a little closer. She was content to try and feed herself so I figured I would let her try. I placed the yogurt on her tray and let her at it. She was a complete mess by the end but she finished the entire thing of yogurt. Now when I go to feed her yogurt she refuses to let me feed her. She just wants to do it ALL BY HERSELF!! I guess I should be happy about it but I am desperatley trying to hold onto all of those last little baby things. With Abby probably being our last I realize that time is going by too fast. She is already 15 months and soon she will be 18 months and then 2 years. I just love every moment I have with her. She is such a joy and a total hoot to be around. There is not a day that goes by where she just doesn't make me want to smile!

Pt. Defiance Zoo

The kids had a half day at school today and after hearing of a few friends going to the zoo Emma and I quickly got a few things together and surprised the boys when we picked them up from school. The weather couldn't have been better and I knew the kids would have a really good time. We were so excited to learn that the carousel was FREE. We rode it once to start and then headed down to the outdoor theatre for the animal show.

During the show we got to see an iguana, parrot, and armadillo. After the show the kids got to go up and see them really close. Most of the kids were surprisingly interested in the armadillo. I prefered to look at the parrot. The colors were so vibrant and inviting. He was kind of a loud parrot though. The iguana was neat but I try and steer clear of scaley animals!

After the show Andrew had a little fall and scrapped up his knee pretty bad. We got separated from the group but that was ok. It took about 30 minutes for his knee to stop hurting and the poor kid was walking half bent over just to get back up to the entrance where the kid zone was. Peter was sweet to hold his hand and walk at his slow pace while I pushed the stroller up the hill. We spent some time there and after playing Andrew finally felt better. We headed over to see the elephants and were happy to run into some of our friends. We continued on to see the tiger, sea otters, and monkeys. We got really lucky to see the tiger close up. When we were first got there he was sleeping in the back but then five minutes later he got up and walked right in front of the viewing area. I quickly got Abby out of her stroller so she could see him. She was pretty fascinated by the big animals like the elephant and the tiger. We let her do some walking and she was in heaven. It was so cute to see her excitment to run down the path to see more animals. Our last stop was to the Aquarium to see the fish. Abby loved looking in the big fish tank to see the big fish and little sharks. Andrew and Peter were so excited to see all of the different kinds of sea life in the little tanks along the wall. By the time we were done with the fish we headed up to get an ice-cream cone and then to ride the carousel a few more times. I think the kids ended up riding it five times in a row. Abby was a little unsure she wanted to be on the carousel but after going around once and having me right by her side she became a little more excited. I just kept saying, "Wee Wee" and making horse noises. That totally helped her feel more comfortable. We ended up leaving a little later than expected and did run into some traffic going home but thankfully I took the back roads home and never ended up getting on the freeway. All of the kids except Abby fell asleep on the way home. It was a super fun day at the zoo! We will definitely be going back before it gets too cold!

Shhh....Don't Tell

Hi, my name is Sara and I have a Starbucks Vanilla Steamer addiction. I don't know what it is about that place that draws me in. Every year as it gets colder outside I long for a warm vanilla steamed milk. My kids all love it and so I am forced to share it when they are with me. I wouldn't say my addiction is all that bad after hearing a conversation between two women at the gymnastics gym yesterday. They were talking about how they had to have their coffee every morning and how they couldn't function without it. OK...that is pretty sad. I don't have to have my vanilla steamer each day...maybe once every week or two. Addiction is a funny thing because there are so many good things in life that can actually be bad addictions. Too much of anything isn't necessarily a good thing. So, I won't feel guilty next time I go and purchase my vanilla steamer and pumpkin loaf (they were out of that today...total bummer).

Moderation in all things is a great motto to live by and one many people hear in our church. As I have been trying to get my family to eat healthier I have been thinking a lot about this topic of moderation. I am willing to cut out many snacks and foods that are filled with perservatives and refined sugars, but I am not willing to give up those few things I enjoy every once in a while. In the end I guess it is really a personal thing that every person has to come to terms with and feel comfortable with the direction they are taking. Overcoming addictions and habits take time and sometimes that alone can be overwhelming. I have someone very close to me that has struggled with addiction. I have seen him struggle and I have seen him overcome his addictions. I think we are all a lot stronger than we give ourselves credit for! I know that I can be stronger in my will power to help me and my family lead a healthier life! In the meantime, I will enjoy my occasional vanilla steamer, chocolate chip cookies, and yummy breads!

Our First Cub Scout

When Andrew turned 8 this summer he was lucky enough to make the cut to go to Cub Scout Camp. He had so much fun at his first introduction to Cub Scouts and was able to pass off some things during his week at camp. Today was Andrew's first Pack Meeting and he received his Bobcat Badge, a yellow bead (wish I knew what it was for), and three belt loops (physical fitness, map and compass, and wildlife conservation). I guess it is tradition when a scout moves up in rank to have the dad hang them upside down while the mom pins on their new rank. It is really quite hilarious and all the kids just love it. Unfortunately we got started late and it was almost too dark for a picture. We are so proud of Andrew and grateful for the wonderful scouting program he will be in this year. He is excited to be one of the big kids now and enjoys doing the boy stuff with his friends. I just hope I can stay on top of it! I am sure these years of cub scouts will be tons of fun!

My Girl

Dear Abby,
I knew you were my girl at lunch yesterday when you saw oreo cookies on my plate and knew that they were something special. I have never given them to you before but you must have figured out by their dark chocolate color that they would taste so yummy. You grunted in excitement as you eyed my cookies. I could see it in your eyes how you longed for them but trying to be a good mama I told you that they weren't for you and that you needed to eat your sandwich and peaches. You reluctantly did as you were told and soon I snuck them in my mouth and you forgot about them. Today as I was making chocolate chip cookies I licked some of the batter off of the beater and you looked up at me and gave me that same grunt from yesterday and I knew you were telling me that you wanted some. How did you know that it was something so good? You must be my girl because my two favorite things are oreo cookies and MY chocolate chip cookies with a taste of the cookie dough. I couldn't resist so I gave you a little bit of cookie dough on a spoon and you just devoured it. Some would say that I am crazy for giving you raw cookie dough but I say it's good to live a little. What kid doesn't just love to lick a little cookie dough from the spoon. I am happy that we have the same understanding when it comes to sweets. I just hope I can hold you off a little longer. Who am I kidding...it's just too good to pass up! Don't ever let anyone give you a hard time about the simple chocolate pleasures of life!
Love,
Your Chocolate Lovin Mama

First Soccer Games

With both of the boys games at 9:00am at different fields Mike and I were forced to divide and conquer. I took Peter and Abby and headed up to Tacoma to watch Peter play in his first soccer game of the season. Since we missed the real first game last week I think Peter was anxious to get in the game and play today. He was an animal out there on the field. He was quick to the ball and even scored two goals. His team completely dominated against the other team with a win of 14-3. They have a kid on their team who has such a good shot on goal and probably the best ball skills of any other kid at his age in the league...hence the many goals for our team. I love how the coaches worked the swapping of players on the field. They stressed hard work and having fun more than how many goals to score. But being kids they were still excited about keeping score. I am really happy with Peter's coaches this year and all of the excited parents. The coaches are always keeping us informed of practices and games...I love that.

After we got home I got the report from Mike and Andrew about Andrew's game. Their team won...barely! Apparently the kids on his team were a little distracted on the field but pulled it together to win the game. Andrew told me that he had some good passes which is great. Hopefully I will be able to go to Andrew's game next time to see him play and to get a few photos of him!

Powderworks Park

We love our warm days!! Who knows how many of these we have left before the true FALL weather rolls around and we have to start bundling up in our sweaters and coats. I love that I can walk over to the park with my girls and have lunch. It is the perfect time of day to be out playing in the sun. It is especially fun for Abby now that she can crawl up the baby playground and slide down the slide all by herself. I just stood next to the playset and cautiously watched her as any paranoid mother of a 15 month old would. She could climb the stairs by herself and once she was up at the top she made the one step down which she has now mastered. She is finally able to go down the stairs backwards so this is a huge relief for me. When she got to the slide I would tell her to sit down and she would sit and try to put her feet in front of her. Most of the time she just went down the slide on her tummy feet first. After going down a few times I noticed that when she got to the slide she was grabbing onto the bar up above and trying to swing on it like she sees her brothers do at the other park. It's amazing how observant these little ones truly are. Emma enjoyed sliding down with Abby but her favorite part of the little kiddie playground were the spinning toys. She would sit in the spinning bucket and I would spin her in between Abby getting off the slide and starting back up the stairs. I loved watching her cute blond hair sticking straight up in the air and seeing the smile on her face. There is nothing better than two happy girls having fun at the park in the nice warm sun!!

Cannon Beach . Day 3

Well the weather saved the best day for our last day on the beach. Both Mike and I took turns running on the beach and I could tell that it was going to be a beautiful morning. I could see blue sky peeking its way out of the clouds. By the time we got the kids ready to play at the beach it was warm and sunny. We spent a couple of hours just playing in the sand and building sand castles. Abby wasn't content unless she could play in the water. She is completely drawn to the water and waves. Eventually we convinced her that playing in the sand was just as much fun. Since this was the first time in the sand she didn't know quite what to do with it at first. At the park with the bark she is used to brushing it off her hands. After realizing that it was ok to have it on her hands she finally started to enjoy it. The boys would build her little sand castles away from their creations so she would not destroy them. Eventually she found the moat around the sand castles appealing and we finally just let her have her way. Thank goodness for some great sun!

We were a little sad to pack up and leave but knew there was still some fun ahead of us. As major Goonies fans we planned on visiting Ecola State Park and Astoria to hit all of the classic spots from the 1985 Goonies movie. We stopped first at Ecola State Park right next to Cannon Beach and the view was so spectacular. This was also the spot where the Goonies looked through the dabloon with the sea stacks in the background. The Lighthouse Lounge where the Fratellis were living was also errected here just for the movie. On the way out of the park we spotted the road the boys biked up.

In Astoria we had fun posing in front of the Goonies house and the County Jail. Mike even did the truffle shuffle in front of the house and I walked across the street to the blue supermarket with my umbrella just like Rosalita in the movie. What a blast!