Will work for food.

I took pictures for a friend today in exchange for dinner.  I think I got the better end of the deal, it was delicious! .. and just tooting my own horn:

Thanks Carolyn!  This was a learning experience for me, I can look back and see what I can improve on for positioning families in group shots ...  It's strange trying to get a "formal picture together" -- I prefer the candid kid photos, they're the best :)

Sometimes we wonder what you're thinking...

Levi was asked to sit on the "uncooperative mat."

"I can't sit over their... it's too ploopy!"

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We are no longer "mommy" or "daddy" but -- "poofy mommy" or "poofy daddy."

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He has a lot of made up vocabulary at the moment which we find quite comical.

Retrograde blogging

I'm feeling a little under the weather today ... so why not blog eh?  There are a couple moments that I've been meaning to capture.

Once a month Seth brings a snack to Montessori, and on his snack day he is able to bring one thing to show his class.  Typically it has been a favorite book that he will read to the class ... well, he wanted to bring his favorite blanket so he packed it away snugly in his backpack.  When I came to pick him up from school that day his teacher Mr. Adam (who is fantastic! and Seth idolizes) came up to me laughing ... apparently Seth showed the class everything  in his backpack including: his blanket, a book, baby bear, a pencil, a drawing and his underwear.  Yep, Seth nonchalantly displayed a pair of his lightning McQueen underwear as part of his show in tell. His classmates apparently thought they were really nice. Later I figured out why there were a pair of underwear in his backpack.  I had put underwear in the small compartment of the backpack for backups while Levi was potty training!  I wonder how many other forgotten pieces are hiding?

Swimming!  Both the boys have finished up for the semester and they did great!!! Like really, they are awesome.   Levi moved up to the next level even though he's just barely three years old and will start learning how to float on his own and whatnot. His instructor was surprised and impressed at how comfortable he was in the water and at how well he follows instructions.  I love that my kids are so ready to learn. ... and Seth improved so much in his class that he's almost completed the gator level.  That probably doesn't mean much to you so I'll go over some of the stuff that he's learned: streamline glide front and back, kicking w/alternate breathing, intro to elementary backstroke legs, sculling 5 yards, overarm recovery for front and back crawl, elem. back stroke arms, reverse direction while swimming on front and back. -- as much as we have all enjoyed swimming it's nice to have a break!

Seth's talk in Church.  So apparently a lot of people were impressed with Seth's talk given during the primary presentation. Like I've had around 15-20 people come up and talk to me afterwards, whether it be for advice or to just share their amazement.  But ... I mean I've said frequently that Seth's reading level is like a 1st-2nd grade .... but maybe it's more? I don't know, now I'm even more concerned about Seth starting Kindergarten. And what if I told you that my little Levi is reading three letter words.... ahh, it's stressful. Anyways, Seth did great during his talk ... I love how he reads stories, that he is confident to put emphasis in places where needed, that he was confident to look at the audience while he talked.  He's amazing.  I was more impressed with his stage presence.

What else... I have bangs, that's big news right?  Usually I regret it, but I love them.

Last night we went to a friend's surprise birthday party.  The kids were doing really well in the dark, waiting for the surprisee. The doorknob turns, the door opens .. in runs their dog,
Raya: "DOG!"
The rest of us: "Surprise..."
She may have given it away.

Also, we had family pictures taken a while ago:

It's been a while...

Raya is 15 months! .. but before the update: look at these boys.  I was making dinner while they were playing with play dough at the dinner table and I laughed every time I looked up from cooking.

ok, Raya: I get an eighties hair-band vibe from this photo:

 To me it seems that children go in waves in learning, where all of a sudden they just explode with new skills. Raya is there.  Raya is "talking" -- she sounds like an ewok .. but she talks constantly.  She has a lot to inform the world, and has the pointiest little index finger to direct with too.  But I'm starting to hear mini sentences from her jibber jabber.  She loves to play peak-a-boo and I can hear a slurred, "Where's Raya" when she wants you to play peak-a-boo with her.  I love that Raya doesn't just cry when she wants something -- she'll cry and roll the high chair too you and then point to the seat.  She knows what she wants and she'll tell you! I really do love that about her.

Words she says: mama, daddy, grandma, dog, cat, bird, duck, blanket, banana, book, more, bye, hi, shoes, car, baby, Raya, .... you can tell she tries to say other words but they're not as distinguishable .. like "Seth" and "Levi."

Signs she knows: more, baby, all-done, please, thank-you, cat, bird, book, ball, banana.

Raya can also follow directions, she loves putting things in the trash (training them young!), she'll run, dance,sit when you ask her.  Really, Raya can basically understand anything we say to her (that happens on a daily basis). ie.  Lets go get our shoes, lets go, we need to change your diaper, be careful, uh-oh, lets go to the playroom, lets read a book, where's your spoon, lets brush our teeth, run Raya! Get Daddy! etc.  She hears, understands and does.

 Her favorite toy is the stool.  She loves to sit and stand on it and will carry a stool all around the house.

 Raya loves to dance and sing, she's an entertainer and will perform on command (something the boys never, ever, ever, ever did) She loves legos, books, cars, babies, wrestling, cuddling, her blanket (a lot). Dress-up! She's been getting really into putting on her tutu or hats, shoes, she pretends random toys are jewelry.  She's a lot of fun.

Random picture: Levi, this is how he comes in from playing for dinner.  He definitely has his own style.  He's always had an artistic musicianist flair to him.

Awkward Family Photo

Merry Christmas from Joseph, Mary, an angel and two shepherds!

 In attempts to make Christmas more Christ centered Jeff and I took the kids to a Creshe -- a public display of nativities from around the world.  There was also a free photo op of playing a role in the nativity.  

These pictures really make me laugh ... ahh, my kids are really cute.  

Top off the night with a Church Christmas dinner and a drive-thru nativity play and we've had a very festive day!

Good-bye

Carseat.

You're old, torn, colored on, peed on (pooped on), you're visor is broken and you're infested with goldfish crackers.  You have also brought our three children home from the hospital and have been our surrogate crib for the first four months of our children's lives.  Jeff wants to keep you.  We compromised with a blog post.  Here it is, your blog post.  Thanks for the memorable times car seat!

REALLY? really.

It's been a glass cup stuck in my garbage disposal (I still can't get it out), locked my kids in my running vehicle -- kind-of-a-day.

a.n.n.o.y.e.d.

Really, college dude in your 1990 junked out Honda?  Do you have to tail gate me while talking on your cell phone? You may not have noticed but there's a foot high of slush, and ice beneath... and we're going down 

HALL STREET!

Really, neighbor ... you are my neighbor right?  Why, oh why do you scrap out your driveway, sidewalk path --- and side street parking area IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET WHERE I DRIVE!  Like 10 wheel barrels full.

At least I have my children to make me smile:

Raya came wandering into the living room with this on her head, she had been raiding the laundry basket (don't worry, it was clean)

... and then Levi:

 Levi makes the world a better place.

 Hi Raya 

I love these hats, and these boys

A little of this a little of that

All ready for her first snow adventure!  -- in 5 degree weather ... I thought it would be fun to ride the transit with everyone and pick up the van from Les Schwab with Jeff, so we brought our sled and the boys alternated sitting with Raya.  We dragged our kids to the bus stop, and then on to Safeway to pick up snacks for our road trip and by the time we had finished shopping the van was ready to be picked up.  It was impeccable timing.

Jeff's lovely chocolate mint cheese cake I made for his birthday.

And just because I thought it was cute.

Amazed.

There were a couple of times this past weekend where I had "a moment"  -- when did my kids start growing up?  When did they get so smart?!

Seth was curious about volcanoes, so Jeff and I were discussing how volcanoes are formed, what a dormant volcano means, tectonic plates, the Hawaiian Volcanoes and Mauna Kea (you know normal stuff for a four year old, right?)

Moment 1)
So Levi pipes in, and starts explaining to us about Venus that it is the hottest planet and has a lot of volcanoes.

yes Levi, yes it does.

Moment 2)
Seth is playing trivial pursuit ... he was on grandpa's team.  At first I'm sure it wasn't thought that he would be like an equal contributor ... until

Q. Where are a cricket's ears found?
Seth.  "On their legs!"

Q.  What character was Templeton in Charlotte's Web
Seth.  "The mouse!"

Q.  What city has the most taxis in the world?
Seth.  "New York City!"

... you get the idea.

Thank You

Thank you Seth and Levi for once again making us smile:

 I love that Levi is sleeping on Seth, that Seth decided to sleep without his shirt on and that they're sleeping on the floor...

The Snowy Day

I loathe snow... It makes me feel claustrophobic, I'm trapped in my house and it's cold ... and I have to pay for heating..  But when I see my kids play in it, I don't mind it so much anymore.