cheap {free} thrills

Avery & Cayden's new favorite way to beat the heat? Staying up waaaay past their admittedly too-early bedtime to run through the hose while we water the plants. Every night this week they have gotten drenched from head to toe and climbed into bed without drying off. But shhhhh, don't tell Josie.

"cooling down" to a high of just 100 today!

We are in the middle of a heat wave here in Portland. Only the term "heat wave" to me infers that it's just a temporary thing, whereas this seems to be slightly more than temporary. Check out these high temps while keeping in mind that our average high for the months of July & August is 79:

Saturday, July 25th: 90
Sunday, July 26th: 93
Monday, July 27th: 102
Tuesday, July 28th: 105
Wednesday, July 29th: 106
Thursday, July 30th: 100*
Friday, July 31st: 93*
Saturday, August 1st: 94*
Sunday, August 2nd: 92*
(*Forecasted Highs)

Yesterday, we were forecasted to hit 107, which would have tied the record for the all-time high ever in Portland. I was really hoping to hit 108 because hey, if it's going to be that hot, I'd rather have something to show for it at the end of the day. Sadly, we made it up to a measly 106 so we only broke the pathetic record high for the day of 100. Seattle, Vancouver and oodles of other places did break their all-time highs though, so whoopty-doo for them.

It was no surprise that it was going to heat this hot... the weather folks on TV had been predicting it for over a week. So I tried my best to brace for it and accept it for what it is: hot. But after 4 days in the 100's and 6 days in the 90's, I'm feeling done. Everyone is cranky. No one is sleeping particularly well (a/c can really only get you so far when it's been this hot for this long). We still have places to go and things to do, and getting to/from the car is torture. I try to "pre-cool" it but it takes a good 10 minutes before it's less than sweltering. I know this is nothing compared to lots and lots of places, but those places are theoretically used to hot weather stretches, right?

And the worst irony of all is that I'm complaining about the heat with a scorching laptop on my lap. Precariously placed on the very side of my leg so I don't feel as much hot air being blown on me. Time to retreat to the basement.

wordless wednesday #37

to pre-preschool or not to pre-preschool

I hadn't given much thought to Josie's future preschool career until a few days ago. Naturally, she would start at the co-op where Avery & Cayden went in the fall of '10, once she's age 3. I have been telling people (all the people who think she's already 3 because of her height and long hair) that she will be home with me for another year. I had prepared to be proactive about signing up for classes and scheduling lots of playdates so she (and I) don't get bored.

Then I ran into one of the moms who was new to the kids' old preschool the year we were finishing up our 4 years there. She and I were pregnant and due at the same time, so now we both have 2-year-old younger siblings who are very ready for something more stimulating and exciting than just being home with mom. She started talking about this parent-run cooperative pre-preschool that she recently signed up for that's for kids 18 months-4 years of age. I was immediately intrigued by the concept of sending Josie to school now... mostly because the thought had never even entered my mind to do anything different than what I'd done before.

I contacted the Membership Liaison for the school and bombarded her with my bazillion questions, probably subconsciously trying to lure her into coming up with a "deal breaker" answer so I wouldn't be conflicted anymore. But honestly, the school sounds great. It definitely has some cons, but it has a lot of pros too. Josie and I went in for a visit today, again with me half-hoping to hate it right away so I could walk away without any hesitation. That sounds horrible but being part of a cooperative preschool is a huge commitment and while I'm excited and prepared for putting in the 2 years at our old school, I'm not sure if I'm ready for 3. More than anything, I don't want to be that parent who is completely burnt out, flaky and unreliable by the end of their co-op years.

So now I'm totally confused about what to do. On the one hand, I could really use 2 kid-free days a week next year for all the ridiculous commitments that I've signed on for. But on the other hand, it would mean adding on a "preschool job" as well as weekly parent-helping (the kids go 2 days on their own and 1 day with their parent) to the already packed schedule. And who knows if Josie's even ready for school? She had a blast today but I was right there with her. None of our kids have had huge separation issues, but they do tend to be pretty reserved around new people.

What to do, what to do...

something to look forward to

Tonight in the car...

Avery: Mama, your birthday sure is going to suck this year.

Me: Why's that?

Avery: Well, that's the day your driver's license expires, our zoo membership expires and Daddy's leaving us*.

Cayden: Maybe all the gas stations will close for your birthday and we'll run out of gas too!



*Just to clarify, Andrew will be traveling for work, leaving the day before my birthday. He's not leaving us leaving us.

a wedding story

I've been trying to carve out a few minutes to write a post about Joe & Julia's wedding for a couple of days now, but haven't seemed to have the time or the energy (just downloading all the photos was a job in and of itself!). Lots of people have been calling and emailing to hear how it all went, so I obviously have waited too long to update!

In a nutshell, it was p-e-r-f-e-c-t.

It was a whirlwind of a weekend to say the least... how J & J made it through, I have no idea. They planned a whole wedding weekend celebration that spanned from Friday afternoon all the way to Sunday. Many people camped out at the wedding site (Camp Angelos) all weekend in cabins or tents, but we decided to come home at night because we're city folk at heart. It was just a 30-minute drive, so it was no problem to make the trip a few times.

Friday night was the rehearsal and dinner, where we got a brief taste of the heat to expect on Saturday. The ceremony itself was held in a grassy field on a cliff overlooking the Sandy River. To say it was breathtaking is a total understatement (I'd love to go back when it's not quite as hot so I can really take it all in), but there was not a smidgen of shade to be found. The kids worried me a bit because they were tired from the birthday party and swim lessons, and it was hot hot hot (did I mention that already?) so they got cranky fast. Thankfully my mom agreed to keep Josie that night, so we just had the older 2 to keep from falling apart. Cayden had a meltdown during the rehearsal because he wasn't sure when he was supposed to bring up the rings (and it was hot). Needless to say, we decided to head home pretty early to get a good night's sleep.

The next day was non-stop. We headed out to the camp at about 12 to get ready and for pictures. It started out hot and got hotter from there, but everything went off without a hitch and was so much fun. The ceremony was beautiful, touching and funny and very, very sweet. I got a little choked up at times, but with all the sweating going on, it was hard to tell. We heard rumors after the fact of some people who had a little bit of heat stroke going on, and Joe himself said he almost fainted during his vows. It was blazing hot. Nonetheless, each of the kids performed their jobs perfectly. Cayden brought up the rings at just the right time and Avery & Josie lined the aisle with flower petals for Julia and her parents.


The reception was held in a shadier part of the grounds, so it was a huge relief to get out of the sun. Everyone had a great time mingling and eating delicious food. Lots of organic fruits & veggies, along with a roasted pig. There were about 50 pies for dessert, each brought to share by a friend or family member.

[I know this looks sunny, but by dinnertime it was shady. Honest.]

My mom once again stepped up and saved the day by letting me bring Josie by after dinner. The festivities were going well into the night and with no nap, she was in no shape to stay past her bedtime. She even fell asleep in the car on the way home, which is no small feat for her. Once I got her tucked safely into her pack-n-play, I headed back out to the gorge for the rest of the party. There was a talent show at the campfire for the die-hard wedding guests. Cayden showed off some of his tae-kwon-do forms (of course, what else is there?), while Avery & Brianna did the chicken dance with another girl they had just met. There were several acts that included some major talent and others that included.... well, not so much. It was a total blast and the perfect way to end a long and exciting day. By 11, we were all wiped out and ready to head home!

Many, many congrats to Joe & Julia! It's been obvious to me since the first time we met Julia that the two of them are a perfect pair. They compliment each other so well... and really know how to throw a sweet party!

a party for the cousins

One of the benefits of a big family event is getting everyone in one place at one time. Andrew's brother, Isaac, his wife Stacy and their kids Brianna & Jacob are here all the way from North Carolina for Joe's wedding. The last time we saw them was about 18 months ago, so it's been fun to see how much all the kids have grown and changed since then.

Brianna & Jacob both have birthdays in July, so we thought it would be fun to throw them a belated birthday bash while they were here, since we've never celebrated their birthdays with them before. With swim lessons and dress rehearsals and great-grandmas to visit, it was tricky to find a time that worked for everyone... so 10am it was! Sure, it was a little chilly, but no one seemed to mind too much.





Brianna is one year older than Avery, almost to the day, and the two of them always hit it off immediately.


Jacob and Cayden are just 3 months apart in age and aren't quite as obvious with their affection towards one another as the girls are, but I suspect they'll be good buddies once they get a little older.

Happy Birthday Brianna and Jacob!!

someone should teach these kids better...

...and that someone is clearly not their mother. I had to use this opportunity to get Avery, Cayden & Josie (mostly Avery & Cayden*) involved in the on-going war between our family and 2 others. First there was the TP (a few times), then we moved on to twinkies, and most recently the 4-foot tall plastic gerber daisies for Becky's birthday.

Today, it was marshmallows:

250 of them in all, on 250 tiny little toothpicks, split up between 2 yards. The 2 yards belonging to the 2 sets of friends who just happen to be returning today from a 4-day camping trip that we weren't able to join in on (get it? camping? marshmallows?).

All this darned glorious sunshine made it hard to capture the scene on camera, but here's my best effort:




*I think Josie might have possibly eaten 8 marshmallows during the whole ordeal. She just sat there, watching with a puzzled look on her face... eating marshmallows.

wordless wednesday #36

sneak preview

The Big Day is still a week away, but despite what my husband might believe it is not breaking any rules to post a picture of the kiddos in their wedding attire. I couldn't help myself really... once they were all dressed to make sure everything still fits, I had no choice but to get out the camera.

Joe & Julia, any last-minute objections?

No?

Oh good. I was hoping you'd say that.

(Yes, Cayden's going to get a haircut before the wedding.)

guess who?

Josie has become quite fond of the game Guess Who? lately. Today while I was cleaning the kitchen and bathroom after the backyard-pool-party-turned-mudfight that her siblings & cohorts decided was a good idea (a story better left untold), Josie occupied herself for 45 minutes with that game... which is about 5 hours in toddler time. She's had lots of experience watching other people play, so I could overhear her flipping up the tiles and asking, "Has hair?," "Has eyes?," "Has glasses?"

The other children were banished to their rooms (punishment for the aforementioned criminal mischief) so it was just her and her game, cute as can be. I kept going in to check on her (to make sure she was still breathing and all), and she was perfectly happy each time. I would never admit it to Avery & Cayden (because I'm still mad at them), but cleaning up their disgusting mess wasn't actually half-bad with Josie so fully occupied. If she'd been at my feet the whole time, it would have been ten times worse.

So now we start the weekend with a clean house.

TGIF!

alarm update

I had dozens of people contact me after my post about Cayden's alarm. Some friends with older kids had tried the alarm with amazing, overnight results, while some tried the alarm with little to no results. Other friends with younger kids were just dismayed to hear that this is such a common problem (sorry about that, by the way). I promised everyone that I'd update them on Cayden's progress, and here it's been 6 weeks already.

We noticed positive results with Cayden almost immediately, but we suspect that had more to do with the precautionary measures we were taking than the alarm itself. We were getting him up to pee before we went to bed, and were more vigilant about limiting his fluid intake during the PM hours. During the first couple of weeks, the alarm was going off most nights, but usually stopping Cayden from peeing much.

After 3-4 weeks of use, the alarm started going off less and less. Cayden was getting up most nights to pee on his own and we stopped getting him up before we went to bed. He wore pull-ups on just a few occasions (while spending the night at friends' houses and during our camping trip) and they were dry each time. When he was completely dry every day for 2 weeks, we let him stop wearing the alarm to bed. That was about a week ago, and he hasn't had a wet night since. So, as of right now, I'd say that we have been extremely pleased with the results.

All of that is not to say that we think we're necessarily out of the woods yet. The best I can tell, the alarm has trained Cayden to be a lighter sleeper, thus helping him recognize the cues that he has to go to the bathroom. I've noticed a huge difference in how easy it is for him to wake up (he's waking up when I go in to check on him before I go to bed, whereas I used to be able to flip him around in bed and he wouldn't stir a bit), which is great... I'm just not completely convinced that this will be a permanent thing. I could easily see him slipping back into a pattern of deeper sleep as he goes longer without wearing the alarm. Basically, I think the alarm "scares" him into sleeping lighter.

It's obvious that Cayden is very proud of the progress he has made. I definitely let him know that I am pleased with how often he is dry, but I've purposely never made a huge deal about it. We never started a "reward schedule" where he'd get a prize for being dry for X number of nights, etc. Although I'm not opposed to rewards in most cases, I don't think this is something that he has any conscious control over... and I don't want him to think that he's done something wrong when he's not as successful.

I'll be sure to keep everyone updated with any new developments. For now we're just crossing our fingers that we're close to the end of this saga!

called out

Sometimes on these really hot, seemingly-endless summer days, I reach a point where I have to give myself a time-out. I retreat upstairs, just for a moment, leaving the whining and bickering behind. We still have a baby gate at the bottom of the stairs... specifically and only for that reason.

This morning, when I had had enough of the bubbles being spilled all over the porch (accidentally on purpose) and the cup of milk being spilled all over me (totally on purpose), I saw my chance for a getaway. Josie went downstairs to retrieve her Bear so I snuck upstairs to just sit in the quiet. It was just a few seconds before I could hear her paddling up the basement stairs, at which point she began looking for me. I could hear her look back in her room and then in the bathroom, asking for "Mama?" Really it wasn't as pathetic as I'm making it sound. She wasn't at all upset (Avery was here, after all) and she was really just looking for someone to whine to/at.

Perhaps she got a hint from her older sister or maybe she just picked up my scent like a police dog, but within no time Josie was up at the baby gate at the bottom of the stairs, obviously aware of my escape path. I could hear her trying (unsuccessfully) to try to climb over the gate and then started yelling at the top of her lungs....


"AMBER! AMBER!! AMMM-BERRR!!! WHERE YOU IS???"



Moral of the story: You can never escape from your children. No matter how hard you try, not even for a moment. Until they turn 18.

wordless wednesday #35

escape to the water

Some people tell me that it always looks and sounds like our kids get along so well. My initial response is always to laugh and tell them that we clearly need to spend more time together! But truthfully, most of the time things on the sibling front are good. I'm thankful every day that their relationships are as good as they are. But that doesn't mean they're perfect... far from it in fact.

Our summer "honeymoon" has been over for a little less than a week now. No longer are we enjoying each others' company all day long, playing nicely and getting along. Reality has sunk in a bit. Give or take a playdate here and there, we're pretty much stuck with each other for the next 2 months. The days are long and spending so much time with anyone (especially siblings) in a stretch is hard.

By the end of last week, I had pretty much reached my wit's end. Andrew had to work late on Thursday and if it wasn't for dinner out with an equally-frazzled friend and her kids, I'm not sure I would have made it to 8:00. After 12+ hours with these kids, sometimes I think I'm going to lose my mind. So on Friday, we wasted no time kicking off the weekend once the work day was done. Cayden, Josie and I (Avery was spending the night at a friend's house) met Andrew at work the moment he was out of his last meeting of the day. We headed to the Pearl for some dinner and then to Jamison Square for some much-needed fun.


Like a weird sign from above, it started to pour the second we parked at the fountain. Cayden's initial reaction was priceless--he was devastated to think that we might have to turn around and go home. But we weren't about to let a little rain stop us... after all, it was still over 85 degrees. The shower lasted about 15 minutes, which was almost enough time to cool things down a bit.



After about an hour, the kids had managed to get out most of their wiggles, and I was started to feel a little bit refreshed. Cayden and Josie were definitely tired... I swear, there is nothing like water play to wipe the little ones out!


I suspect we will be frequenting Jamison and other fountains around town this summer. It's the first year (you know, of all 3 in her lifetime) that Josie has had any interest in the water, so it's no longer a battle of keeping her entertained while everyone is splish-splashing away.

2 toddlers are busier than 1 toddler

For the first time in I-don't-know-how-long, I had 2 toddlers in my care at the same time this afternoon when we got to play with Henry so his Mama could go witness history being made*. Both toddlers slept for the first 90 minutes, so I was thinking this gig was pretty easy. Then they both woke up at the same time and for a brief moment, Avery & Cayden had me convinced that they were both poopy. Luckily, the stench was all Josie so there was just one dirty diaper to be changed. Phew, that was a close one!

Since it was such a beautiful day, I had the brilliant idea to go play outside. Of course I forgot that Josie only likes to play out front because she only likes to draw with sidewalk chalk (the backyard has no cement on which to draw). But 2 toddlers in the front yard right by the street didn't scare me one bit so out we ventured.

Josie wasted no time getting Henry his own piece of chalk and showing him how it works:


He tried to look interested, he really did. He even drew a few lines to humor Josie:


But the chalk was just not his thing. The balls, on the other hand, were very much his thing. Balls, balls, balls... that's all that boy ever talks about! He tried to get Josie to play ball with him. But like I said, all she likes to do is draw with chalk:


Thankfully, you don't have to ask twice in this house to find someone to play ball with you. Cayden was right there, happy as can be to have someone to toss back and forth with:


And that is when 2 toddlers out front right by the street stopped seeming like such a good idea after all. Balls were flying everywhere and kids were trying to run in the street and going inside sounded much safer.

The rest of the playdate was completely uneventful. A little bit of snack, a little bit more play, and before we knew it Christie was here to whisk Henry back home. Josie is hoping he can come over again another time. She is sure that with a little more coaxing, he will come to appreciate the sidewalk chalk just as much as she does.


*After 6 years of hard work, our friend Ms. A. McMiller had her dissertation defense seminar this afternoon and (presumably, barring any unforeseen catastrophes) has now officially earned her doctorate! We are all so proud of her huge accomplishments and are more than happy to tell everyone we know about our doctor friend who's going to cure cancer. You rock, Dr. A!

wordless wednesday #34

head over heels

I am totally in love with this girl right now. This pre-preschool year is my very favorite, when kids are talking enough to get their point across but still jumbling words enough to be irresistibly adorable. Josie hasn't reached the point of being opposed to everything for no particular reason, so right now she is the agreeable, happy-go-lucky child that I so deserve after two tougher-to-please little ones before her.

She is obsessed with all things ballet right now, hence the new ballet hair. She wears her "dance skirt" all around the house, doing her pretend little ballet moves that she's learned from watching Sissy's recital video over and over (and over...) again. When I asked her if she wanted to go to a real ballet class, she ran off to retrieve my phone so I could call to get her into a class right that very second.

Here is a slightly longish video that's my latest (failed) attempt to get the whole darned alphabet on tape in one try. I swear, Josie just freezes up and/or tries to show off so much when the camera is on. I love how she's clearly done performing once the waffle is found (under the couch?!).

nine

Happy Birthday, Avery!

You are swiftly turning into a young lady and to be quite honest, that scares the sh*t out of me. But so far you're a polite, obedient young lady so if we could just keep it that way, I'm sure everything will be alright.

As usual, your birthday has already managed to turn into a weekend-long affair. I guess having a birthday two days after a national holiday in the middle of summer will do that. We've had half the family over for a BBQ (with corn, but that goes without saying), opened presents at a park on 4th of July in 95 degree weather, had a pool party, picnic in the park (a different one), and are now in the midst of a (suspiciously quiet) slumber party with 5 friends. You've still got the traditional bowling trip with my mom and I'm sure a few other celebrations that will linger throughout the week. Your birthday is always exhausting... but so much fun!

The obligatory birthday greeting from Josie:

ballet hair

I think I might have finally found a second hairstyle (the first being her daily side ponytail) that will work for Miss Josie. Given her most unfortunate double-cowlick situation, it's not easy to do much of anything with her hair so believe you me, I'll be milking this one for all it's worth!

To her credit, Josie has got to be the most patient child I've ever seen when getting her hair done. Since she needs some type of clip every day (or else all her hair just falls right into her face), she's used to sitting there getting fussed with. When she saw this new 'do, she was pleased as punch... running around showing everyone her "ballet hair." You see, Avery wears pigtails every week to ballet, so it's a natural conclusion.

Then there was some showing off of the belly button whilst standing atop the dining room table. Just another day, folks.

tetanus schmetanus

I admit it, I don't exactly have a high tolerance for pain. And I have a completely irrational, but terrifying nonetheless, fear of needles. So when the doctor told me yesterday that I should have a tetanus shot (that very same day--with no time to prepare myself!), I wasn't exactly thrilled. No surprise, the shot itself barely even hurt. It really never does hurt all that bad, but the fear doesn't subside. Go figure.

But (there's always a 'but,' isn't there?), the aftermath from the shot hasn't been all fun & games. Last night I had an ache at the injection site, which slowly turned into a sharper pain throughout my upper am, and then into a throbbing pain pulsing up and down the entire length of my left arm. Today my arm hurts so bad I can't lift it to reach my head. Who am I kidding, I can't lift it 4 inches without shrieking in pain. Which makes it difficult to left a 30-pound toddler. And to drive a car. And to push a stroller. And to maintain a moderately-pleasant demeanor.

At this point I'm just trying to remind myself that I would not in fact rather just take my chances and rick getting tetanus, as much as I might be thinking that (or telling anyone who will listen to me complain). But if it hurts this bad tomorrow, I'm telling you now that I am not going to be a happy camper.

Ouch.

Hurts to type too.

(Such a baby.)

wordless wednesday #33