I am Too Fat

August 27, 2008

Everyday when Forrest comes home from school he has a chore to do. Yesterday his chore was to empty all the garbages. This is one of Forrest's least favorite chores. As I was cleaning out the dishwasher Forrest was trying to convince me to let him do my chore and I would do his. This is how he went about it.

Forrest: Mom can I clean out the dishwasher instead of emptying the garbage cans?
Me: No, the garbage cans are really full and need to emptied.
Forrest: But mom you are too fat to clean out the dishwasher. I am skinny so I can go faster.
Me: I am too fat?
Forrest: You are a little fat, but look how skinny I am.
Me: So I am a little fat.
Forrest: Yes (lifting up his shirt and pointing to his chest.) You are really fat up here and it is making you go to slow. I am really skinny so I can go faster.
Me: Thanks for pointing that out to me.

The End of Our Lazy Days

August 25, 2008

Starting school seems to always bring different emotions. Relief because the kids have been driving you crazy the last couple of weeks of summer. Sadness because your baby is starting school and she is acting so grown up. Dread because I think I hate homework even more than Forrest does, and happiness that finally I will get a little alone time to actually get something done around the house.

Last night Greg gave both of the kids a father's blessing. Forrest was the first one to receive his blessing with Eliza next. I was a little worried that she wouldn't sit still, but after watching Forrest she jumped up in the chair and started patting her head. While Greg was giving her her blessing she held very still and would occasionally reach up and pat Greg's hands just to make sure they were still there. As you can imagine Greg and I were both very teary eyed by the end. She seemed to really sense that this was something very special.

This morning I had to wake both kids up, but once they were up they were very excited to get going. Eliza and I walked Forrest to the bus stop and watched him get on the bus. I then drove Eliza up to her preschool. When we arrived Eliza refused to take off her backpack and didn't want me to leave. After playing with her for about 15 minutes I told her goodbye and that I would be back and left. I don't know about you, but that is one of the hardest things to do. You know your child is scared, but if you back down now and go rushing back they will never learn independence and that it is okay to do things without mom and dad. Of course when I came back to get her she was playing happily with the kids and her preschool teacher told me she did a great job and never even cried. I guess she doesn't need me as much as I need her. They seem to grow up so fast.

Our fall schedule is quickly filling up. Hopefully everything will fall into place and we won't be too over scheduled. As of right now I am really glad I only have two kids. I just don't know how Liz gets it all done and never seems frazzled.

Five Things I Thought I Would Never Touch.

August 17, 2008

That is of course before I had kids. Here is a list of the five things I have had to touch this summer just for the enjoyment of my kids.

Caterpillars
Tadpoles
Frogs
Tarantula
Scorpion (the size of my hand)

The things I won't do for my kids. Yuck!!!

Washington Day 7

August 16, 2008

It is finally time to head home. Our great adventure is drawing to a close. Once again we tried to get an early start and once again the kids would not get up. After much prodding and poking we got both of them up and out to the car.
As we left the whole area was covered in fog. I made Greg stop the car so I could get some pictures. I knew that we would soon be seeing our desert landscape and I wanted to remember the beauty of this place for a little while longer.

Greg and I both decided to push on through. Lucky for us the kids were real troupers. Eliza ended up falling back to sleep pretty soon after we started out and both kids took a nap in the afternoon. When we left the beach it was 53 degrees, when we arrived in Utah it was 88 degrees. What a difference. We managed to make the trip in 15 hours. That is with stopping for lunch, dinner and gas breaks. Mapquest had said it would take 14 hours and 15 minutes to get home without stopping. We made great time.

When we arrived home the kids gratefully went to sleep in their own beds and Greg and I unloaded to car. The trip was awesome. Everything seemed to go perfectly and even the bad stuff like the car breaking down and not being able to see the top of Mt. St. Helens didn't seem so bad. When I asked Forrest what his favorite part of the trip was he told me he liked all the adventures that we had. I would have to agree with him. We had one great adventure after another.

Washington Day 6

August 15, 2008
Our crazy hours are starting to catch up with us. Everyone slept in today until 9:30. Once everyone was up and feed we headed down to Ocean Shores to check out this big tourist town. Karen has been telling us that everyone around here visits Ocean Shores in the summer. After driving around for awhile and stopping to see some sights we decided the biggest draw for this town must be the beach, because there wasn't much else to do. We did enjoy visiting the North Jetty, but for the most part we liked our beach better.

At about lunch time we headed back to our condos and got some lunch. When everyone was finished we suited up and hit the beach.
In the last year and a half we have been to the Pacific beach twice and the Atlantic beach once. And my kids have loved it every single time.
They love to have the waves chase them. They love to have the sand be swept out from under their feet.
They love building sand castles and burying their legs in the sand.
They even love chasing the birds.
What can I say they just love everything about the beach. So of course we had to spend the rest of the day out on the beach until it was time to head in for dinner.
After getting the kids all washed off and dinner for everyone we of course headed right back outside with our kites. Forrest started getting adventurous with his kite by letting it out a little bit more and trying to get it to move around.
Eliza also became quite a bit more adventurous with her kite. Once the kite was in the air she would let go of the string so that Greg would have to chase the kite down the beach. She had great fun with this game. Greg, not so much.

Once the sun started to go down we headed inside to start to pack up. We are leaving first thing in the morning to head home. Everyone is sad to be leaving, but I am getting a little sick of living out of a suitcase.

Washington Day 5

August 14, 2008

Yesterday only Karen and Colton went with us to Seattle. Jared and the rest of the kids have been there so much they were willing to stay home all day rather than face another tourist day in Seattle. While we were gone Jared was going to borrow our car to go and check on his beehives. When he got in and tried to start it nothing happened. When he called us on the cell phone I wasn't surprised. It seemed to good to be true to make it all the way through the vacation without any car problems. The funny thing is we had replaced the starter motor right before we left because the car was having a hard time starting up.

When we got back Greg diagnosised the problem as a dead battery. Karen gave us a jump and it seemed to be working fine. When we woke up on Monday morning we started to pack and get the car all loaded. When Greg went to start the car it wouldn't start again. Once we got it started again we decided to take the car over to Schucks (aka Checkers) and have them test the battery. The girl that tested the battery just thought the corrosion on the battery was what was causing the problems. Greg didn't really like that answer and wanted to pull out the Alternator to make sure that was working okay.

By this time it was 11:00 and Karen had a million errands to run, but didn't want to leave us stranded. Greg suggested that we all run to Wal-mart and pick-up the items we needed for the beach and Karen could pick up a couple of things she needed also. By the time we got back Greg had the Alternator tested and had ended up buying a new one because the old one didn't seem to be working very good.
Finally it was time to get going. Before we left we stopped at a beach that had a ton of rocks on it. If you turned the rocks over you were able to find a lot of crabs, hermit crabs, starfish and other weird see creatures.
At first we were only finding crabs and some really tiny starfish. Karen had told me that we could see starfish the size of dinner plates. When we finally found some all Forrest could talk about were the crabs. Even when I let him hold one he still just wanted to play with the crabs.
When we would find the starfish Eliza became very concerned about all the seaweed that was on the starfish. She would spend quite a bit of time cleaning each starfish off. After exploring for a little while we all piled back into the car for our three hour trip to the beach.
When we arrived at the condo the beach had a heavy fog on it, but it was still amazing. Our condo was right on the beach and even though the condo wasn't the greatest the location was amazing.
After unpacking we headed down to the beach. It was a little cold and the wind was blowing pretty hard. When we realized it was perfect kite flying weather we trouped inside to get our kites.

Forrest. of course had the biggest kite. He did a great job flying it. He really got a kick out of it. The wind was just right so he didn't have to work too hard to keep it up in the air.
After we finally wore out the kids we all headed into go to bed. Of course we had to stop for a minute to enjoy the sunset.

Washington Day 4

August 13, 2008

Today we are heading over to Seattle. Since Karen lives by Bainbridge Island we will have to take the ferry over. Hoping to save a little money we decided to leave the car parked at the Ferry stop and just walk around Seattle.
Once we boarded the ferry the boys rand over to the railing so they could watch the cars being loaded. When it was time to leave the captain blew his horn. Forrest did not appreciate the loud noise.

Our first stop of the day was the Seattle aquarium. It is nothing compared to Sea World, but the kids really enjoyed it. We were able to see an octopus being feed and the kids were able to touch and feel many different types of sea creatures. Eliza's favorite animal was the sea otters. She spent a lot of time just watching them play around. One of the coolest things was their big tank of fish. They had a diver in there that would show the kids the different animals and even play games with them like rock, paper, scissors. The kids thought she was fake until Forrest won a game of rock, paper, scissors: then they had a lot of fun interacting with her.
After the Aquarium we headed over to Pike's Market. We saw them throw fish around, got some tasty donuts and tried some new food. This was the kids least favorite place so we weren't able to spend too much time. Karen and both agreed that we needed to come back without the kids to truly enjoy exploring the place.
Once we left Pikes market we walked a couple of miles to catch the monorail to ride over the Space Needle. The kids were able to ride up front. Forrest still talks about how fun that was. When we arrived at the Space Needle it was pretty crowded. We talked about it for a little while and decided it wasn't worth the hour wait and $42 price tag. Instead we headed over to the Science center.

The Science center was one of Greg's favorite place. Everything was very hands on. We spent quite a bit of time exploring all the different exhibits. Eliza loved the Butterfly encounter. The Butterfly encounter even had a display of real cocoons that you could watch the butterflies hatch out. While we were there quite a few hatched out and the kids were able to watch the technician gather them all up. Pretty soon it was time to go. Everyone would have liked to spend a little more time there, but we had to catch the 6:30 ferry. On the way to the ferry Eliza crashed. We didn't get home until 7:30. By the time we got dinner all ready we were having dinner at 8:00. We all thought the kids would be tired, but they ended up staying up until 10:00. Obviously walking around Seattle all day does not dampen their energy level.

Washington Day 3

August 12, 2008

Today started off very laid back. We didn't get up until about 8:30 and we didn't leave the house until 11:00. It was nice for the kids to just run around and enjoy themselves. Our first stop of the day was the Poulsbo Main Street. There were several cute shops that we could browse through. We finally stopped at a pastry shop and had some donuts.
We headed down to the docks to enjoy our treat.
Forrest was in seventh heaven eating his gingerbread man donut.
There is this very large rock that they kids all had to try and climb. It took a couple of tries, but most of the kids were able to make it to the top. After the kids had climbed and mastered the rock we headed home to pack some lunches to head to the beach.
When we first arrived at the beach the tide was out and the kids were a little hesitant about getting in the water, but they soon warmed up.
Eliza was one of the first kids to get in her swim suit and head into the water.
For most of the time the kids played in the sand or threw rocks in the ocean.

Karen was able to get some Sea kayaks for us to try out. Greg has always wanted to do this so he was very excited. As soon as we hit the beach the men took off. They had joked about going clear across the bay, but by about a quarter way across they turned back. Karen and I were really happy we didn't want to have to worry about calling the Coast Guard when they ran out of steam about half way across the inlet.
Greg got a real kick out of Sea Kayaking
I even took a spin on them. The waters were pretty calm so Greg decided to take the kids out on them.
Greg loaded Eliza up and headed out. As soon as he was out a ways some big waves came up from a passing ship. Greg was able to catch seem pretty cool waves with Eliza in the boat. She didn't seem too happy the first time they went out, but after Greg was finished taking Forrest out she demanded that he take her out again.
Forrest wasn't too interested in them and only wanted to do it once. He was having too much fun playing in the sand.

After being at the beach for over three hours we headed home and attmepted to wash all the sand off four adults and five kids. It wasn't easy. After everyone felt a little cleaner we headed out to dinner at J&J Fish house. the food was awesome. Everyone really enjoyed the fresh seafood. Let me take that back. The adults really enjoyed the seafood, the kids enjoyed their grilled cheese sandwiches. After dinner we hung out at the rock again and then headed home. Everyone was beat so it was early to bed for everyone.

Washington Day 2

August 11, 2008

After a restless night with me sleeping with Eliza and Greg sleeping with Forrest we all woke up earlier than I would have liked, but that is usually how it works. After having breakfast we headed out to Mt. St. Helens.
The day was quite overcast and it was threatening to rain. We had been watching the weather all week and we knew there was a good chance that it would be overcast. Knowing that we were going up to the Northwest where it rains or is overcast a good majority of the time we decided to just stick it out.
Our first stop was at the Mt. St. Helens visitor center. Inside they had a volcano that you could walk in to see what the inside of the volcano looked like. They even had a hole dug into the ground that made you think you were seeing lava flowing under the visitor center. We were suckered into believing it, but the guide reassured us it is just lights and mirrors. After seeing all of the exhibits we headed outside. Every time we would turn around Eliza would stop and say cheese so we could take her picture. Of course she would never look at the camera or sit still long enough to get a really good picture.
Forrest on the other hand just wanted to count all the rings in the tree. I figured by the time he was done it would be about dinner time.
We did a little exploring and then went on to our next stop which was the retention dam. This is where we decided to stop and have some lunch.
While we were waiting for Greg to bring all the food. I took a little time to photograph the scenery. I just love how everything is so green and alive. I also really enjoyed all the wild flowers. After lunch we went on a little hike.
Greg and Forrest spent time playing with the walkie-talkies while Eliza just ran wild.

Our nest stop was probably my favorite. It was called the Forest Learning Center. It was really hands on and had a lot of information. The kids got a real kick out of it and spent a lot of time exploring. Unfortunately while we were enjoying the museum it started to get really dark and ominous. We decided we better head out to try and see the top of Mt. St. Helens before it was completely obscured. On the way up we saw some really neat things.
These mountain looking hills are actually chunks of Mt. St. Helens that were completely blown off the mountain. We also saw trees that had been buried by the mud flow and only now can we see them because streams are eroding away the mud.
You can also still see debris flow. The guide told us that the debris flow would continue until 2035. That is just amazing to me that they will still feel the affects of the explosion more than 40 years after it happened.

By the time we reached the top you couldn't see more than three feet in front of you.
If we had been able to see this is what we would have seen. I was really disappointed, but what can you do. Everything else we had seen was so cool it almost made up for it.

Once we realized we couldn't see the top we headed to Karen's. On the way Greg and Forrest would make me take pictures of whatever would catch their fancy.
Bridge anyone? No.
What about some aircraft carriers. Ya it wasn't that interesting for me either.

We got to Karen's house about 6:30 and settled in. We had pizza for dinner and then played some games. Forrest and Colton immediately took to each other. They were like two peas in a pod and loved to play and hang out together. By 10:00 we were all pretty beat so we headed to bed. Tomorrow is going to be more of a lazy day which we could all use.

We're Back.

August 10, 2008

I know you all missed us dreadfully, well at least Paul missed us. He seems to have this inner sense when we are gone. Of course when he calls us he is always surprised. "You are in Florida? I didn't know that. Oh well sorry to bother you." Needless to say if he calls us when we go to Las Vegas in a couple of months I will know it is a sickness.

We had a great trip. The kids did really well in the car, and we all had a great time. I Figured that trying to tell you about the entire trip in one post would be way too long so I am going to break it up by days.

DAY 1

Day one was a travel day. We got up early, packed the car, woke up the kids and were off. Waking up the kids was an adventure. Usually when I want the kids to wake up early I will open their door and start making some noise. After a couple of minutes I will then go into their room and open blinds. If this still hasn't worked I will resort to shaking them awake. On the day we were going to leave I opened both kids doors. This woke Eliza up immediately. Unfortunately all she did was get out of bed so she could shut her door and go back to sleep. When I saw the door was shut I peeked in to check on her and sure enough she was sawing logs asleep in her bed. It took awhile to convince her it was time to get. Forrest was a little easier, but not much.

For all of you who are thinking of driving up to the Northwest know that the first 7 to 8 hours is mainly desert and farms. Not very interesting scenery. When you hit The Dalles things start to look up. We drove this way before on our way to the Oregon Family Reunion. By the time we had hit this area both Greg and Forrest were asleep. Off to the right I could see huge cliffs covered with foliage and an occasional waterfall. When we were almost passed it I realized we could have gotten off the freeway and driven right by the waterfalls and then we could have gotten right back on the freeway. I was a little disappointed, but promised myself if we went of their again we would do it.

After years of talking about the waterfalls Greg was excited to see them. We got off on the scenic old highway. The scenery was breathtaking. We drove over old stone bridges and were able to stop at a couple of waterfalls.
The kids really enjoyed getting out to stretch their legs and Greg and I just enjoyed the scenery.
My favorite waterfall was the Multnomah Waterfalls. They were breathtaking.
You are able to walk up and over the bridge and then continue to the top of the waterfall if you want.
Here is where I took my life and my camera in my hands and lended over the edge of the bridge to get this cool picture. If you knew how afraid of heights I am, you would realize how brave I was to get this picture. I was positive someone was going to push me from behind and I would fall to my death. Morbid I know, but what can I say, I have an overactive imagination.
Once we hit the bridge Eliza was enjoying her freedom so much that she kept going. We hiked another half of mile before we called it quits and headed back down. On the trail we were on, one edge was a severe drop off. It was a little too much for our sanity to constantly make sure that Eliza wouldn't slip off the edge and plunge to her death. Once again with the morbid thoughts. I wasn't like this before. It is only since I started having kids that my imagination has started to work over time.

The whole detour added about 45 minutes to our trip, but was really worth it. We pulled up to our hotel in Kelso Washington at about 9:00 pm. When we checked into our room Forrest kept asking where the rest of the rooms where and why our room was so small. This is when I realized that Forrest has always stayed in a condo when we have traveled before. Boy is this kid spoiled. Both kids even drove up with their own DVD players. Once again I know, spoiled, but this time I was thinking about my sanity and not about raising kids that knew how to share. We can work on that when we are home and I can lock myself in the bathroom to get away from all their fighting.

After letting the kids jump around on the beds to get some energy out we finally settled everyone down and went to bed. All in all I thought it was a great start to our trip.