Big News

I realized that I had blogged in about forever and couldn't figure out why until today.  My children have not slept at the same time in about forever.  In fact, the boy has decided that naps are for babies, wh-what???  But, but you ARE a baby!  Apparently he is not, but today is a FANTASTIC day because both children are sleeping, at the SAME TIME, and have been doing it for hours!  Whoo-hoo!  

There is some big news around these parts, Lenorah rolled today from her back to her front, only I totally missed it.  I was busy reading Dietrich a story, turned around and Lenorah was on her belly checking out the world.  Sneaky little girl!

 And in Dietrich news: he is very nearly potty trained!  I feel like this is kind of a sore subject among the toddler mom's, definitely not something you are allowed to brag about.  And I'm not, only I totally do a little happy dance every time he says "potty!" because I am really OVER changing and washing diapers for two!  So it's a very big deal and I guess that makes him a very big boy.  He's now in underwear full time (except over night) but we still have an accident every now and again.  Still accidents are better than changing diapers I think! Yeah, that probably just qualified as bragging.

 Dietrich has also decided that it's super fun to ROAR at Lenorah because she jumps and cries.  Who knew we would have to start saying "leave your sister alone" so early!

And of course they continue to grow like weeds, making me wonder where the time goes...

Cuteness

Time for a bunch of pictures to make you say "awwwww"

 Dietrich can't wait for the picture to be taken before he's yelling "I see it!"  This reminds me of back when I had a film camera and a little girl wanted to see the picture after I took it.  My kids will never know what it's like to wait months to develop film and then go "wow I don't even remember taking this picture!"  The will just say "I see it" and see the picture right then.

 Rocking the animal print...

 Caught this sweet boy reading a story to his sister.

 Our friend's Corbin and Griffin came to play.  Corbin is a month older than Dietrich 

and Lenorah is a month older than Griffin.  

Patio!

It's SUMMER project time!  As you know, every summer brings a big project to our house and this year it's a NEW PATIO!  I can't find a before picture for your viewing pleasure, but imagine a big rectangle of dirt with some gravel and a few paving stones thrown in, got it?  Yep, that's what this area under our deck looked like.  I'm turning 30 this year, whoa, and Bryce decided we should have a patio so that the backyard looks great for an outdoor BBQ party.  He was trying to decide if he should start with a patio or the sprinkler system out back when a very wise friend (Jeremy) said that he should do the patio first, so he can sit on it and drink a beer while contemplating the sprinkler system.       

                                                                                                                                                

                                     

 Our friend Rick suggested bringing the brick out here to the slab that comes off the stairs from the deck so you don't have to walk/trip through the grass to get to the patio.

 And then when we had lots of extra brick my mom suggested bringing it out in front of the slider so that again you don't have to walk on the grass to get to the patio but also dogs and kids will have a few more feet  to clean their feet off before getting in the house.

Bryce really got a work out doing this project, to properly prepare to lay a patio he had to dig out about 6 inches, then fill in with gravel, compact the gravel, and then fill in with sand.  The sand had to be leveled and compacted as well (this all sounds so quick and easy just writing it out, but it was several evenings of hard labor). Then the brick laying was quick!  And thanks to the wise Jeremy for coming over and helping with the brick laying.  Then he had to put down more sand to fill in between the bricks as well as put in a barrier on the edge so that the bricks won't move out into the yard.  We were really surprised at how HUGE this area is now that it's not a dirt patch.  We are loving it!  At least we will be as soon as it stops raining and we can go sit on it and contemplate the next project!

Not about the house

We have actually been doing some projects around our house, but I'm so distracted by babies that I haven't blogged about those yet.  They will be coming though, I promise!  In the meantime, here is a blog about poop (you're welcome).

We started today with a trip to the kids' Doctor, shots for both of them, yay!  If you have never been in an exam room with a screaming 2 year old and a 2 month old, you should try it, it's awesome!  You think you feel bad letting them poke your baby, wait until your trusting two year old starts screaming "OWIE!!!" and looking at you like "OMG MOM! You just let these people HURT me!"  Also, awesome that Dietrich can say HURT.  "Hurt, owie, hurt!" as if that doesn't break a mother's heart. 

But we made it through that and ran some errands, after Costco I sighed and said "we made it" Dietrich copied me.  It's pretty hilarious to hear that come out of a two year, I'm sure the mile long lines and crazy Friday traffic at Costco really stressed YOU out Toddler.

So we are home, and baby is sleeping away, good girl.  And I'm working on things in the kitchen when I look down at the baby's swing, what the heck happened?  Why is it full of poo?  She hasn't even been in it!  And it dawn's on me, Dietrich has been sitting there.  Oh yes, he exploded, in a most explosive sort of way.  So I quickly escort him to the bedroom for an entire outfit change and sponge bath.  After that I start packing things to the basement to put in the laundry, including his jeans, shirt, and the cover off the swing.  I come back upstairs to grab the diapers and I am greeted with "CUTE! CUTE!"  Dietrich has opened one of the birthday presents for tomorrow and is showing me the "Cute!" outfit inside.  Gee thanks!

Then I go back downstairs with the diapers and when I come back up I am greeted with a very happy "MORE!"  Yep, he got himself more cereal.  Well done boy, well done.  

Pete Yorn

I usually try not to post twice in one day but today I'm going to.  One of the blogs I like to read wrote today about hearing a Pete Yorn song and it bringing back all these memories of her time traveling alone through Europe.  Every time I hear Pete Yorn I remember this trip I took with my boyfriend at the time from Spokane to Bellingham.  We went through Seattle and it was January.  I don't remember why he rolled done the window on my side but he did.  And then...then it wouldn't go back up.  We had to take his truck because he couldn't drive my car, it was a stick shift.  Then the window wouldn't go up. I rode for at least two hours with the window partly down and the cold January air blowing all over me.  I sort of wore my coat and used it to protect my face from the cold air blowing in.

All I could think was, I cannot believe I am with someone who A. can't drive my car (which is a way nicer car by the way) B. can't fix the window and C. hasn't offered to let me drive and get out of the wind.  During this lovely freezing cold part of the trip we listened to a Pete Yorn CD.

When we stopped about 20 minutes from our destination he and a friend tried to cover the window with a coat or something when the friend realized that if he carefully pushed the window up while someone else rolled the window up they could get it closed.  I cannot tell you how angry this simple fix made me.  But especially how little the boy seemed to care about my discomfort for the past few hours.

While at our destination he left me with his friend's kid for a very long time.  As if I was there to babysit?!  He told me he loved me on this little weekend getaway.  Really?!  He stayed up until the wee hours of the morning drinking way too much with his friends the night before we needed to leave.  I had told him I was happy to drive part of the way as long as it wasn't through Seattle, you know small town girl, not a lot of traffic experience.  Guess what?  I had to drive all the way through Seattle because he had to sleep off his hangover.  Now I was mad because I could be driving my car instead of his stupid truck if he knew how to drive a stick shift.

I was driving when we headed up Snoqualamie pass.  It's a nasty pass mostly because there is so much traffic and a lot of people on it who aren't really used to driving in the snow.  Of course the pass was closed while we were on it and we had to sit and wait for several hours (this sort of thing used to happen to me ALL the time).  Then when we got going again it was so slick and that stupid truck slid all over the place (my car would not have).  We had to stop at the first place we could to get food and use the bathroom and do you know that I got stuck trying to go up the hill into the parking lot and then, THEN I drove that stupid truck into a huge hole in the snow.  And it was REALLY REALLY stuck.  I jumped out of that truck slammed the door and told him I wasn't driving anymore.  Then spent a good 30 minutes waiting in line to use the bathroom.

He got the truck out and I slept most of the drive home.  We broke up shortly after that trip and I vowed to never marry anyone who couldn't drive a stick shift (my mom prefers rules like "never been to jail" but you know, to each their own).  When I met Bryce it was one of the first things I asked him, and he can drive a stick shift.  He can also fix a broken window and would never make me ride in the cold without at the very least feeling really badly about it.

It is amazing the memories that a song can bring back.

Lovely Lenorah

It has finally warmed up around these parts, yay!  Enjoying the sunshine and warm weather.  Lenorah even got to wear short sleeves for the first time!

 Here she is playing on the floor, always with the cars parked next to her.

 Wearing a pretty bow on her towel, what a girl!

Great Weekend

It was Lenorah's big weekend, her baptism!  She also got to meet Uncle Paul for the first time, which was so great.  I wish he could be here all the time :(  We miss him.  And since his visit Dietrich just keeps saying Unc Paul, be back?  Here is a sweet baby sleeping on the couch.

 And a a very upset baby laying on the couch.  But her outfit is so cute! (I especially love that there are cars parked next to her.  I often find them in her blankets and laying on her belly as well.  Something I never thought I would say "you're sister is not a road")

 And now a beautiful baby in her special Christening gown.  My grandma hand sewed it 60 years ago for her first child, and all of her children and grandchildren have worn it.  Lenorah is the first great-grandchild to wear it.  Grammy Laurel made a matching bonnet and shoes to wear with the dress, they are so sweet!

 Four Generations!

 Enjoying some warm weather and sunshine.

It was a great weekend, beautiful weather, time with family, and a special day for Lenorah!