Sunday, November 9, 2014

October +

In backwards chronological order (because flipping the order of the pictures is WAAAY too much work):
This last weekend I went to Time Out for Women in Portland.  My good friend came along and we had an aMAZing time ditching the hubbies and kids and having some much needed overnight Girl Time!

The ever goofy presenter Mary Ellen Edmunds has a thing for crazy socks. Here we showed ours off together
 Just as we did last year, the Corvallis Community Band performed a concert for the 4th graders and I was ecstatic to have my own in the audience!  Also super fun was to see all his friends and some of my own as parent chaperons.  I loved playing this!  They used the graphic Brian created last year, which was nice to see again.  I'm so proud of Brian's talent.


Because everyone needs a blurry selfie in a church bathroom.  Duh.
 Halloween was crazy busy but fun.  We, because I'm nuts, rode the bus downtown for the festivities there.  I was prepared to hurry Kieran-in-stroller onto the bus like I'd done in the past, but the bus driver firmly announced strollers have to be folded!!!  O.k.  So I unbuckled Kieran in about half a second, threw him into Brennan's arms and cried "Please carry him onto the bus for me!" while I dumped out all the supplies sitting in the basket (a kind neighbor/rider grabbing much of it for me to help me out), folded the stroller, and jumped on.  (Product shoutout to the Mountain Buggy Nano stroller.  I had in folded in like 3 seconds to the bus driver's much impress-ment).  I hoped on the bus and there were my 4 children, sitting quietly, all together, with all their stuff.  Hollyn smiled and showed me the seat she'd saved for me next to her.  Brennan continued holding Kieran for the whole ride, lovingly resting his head on his little brother in a hug.  It was so sweet.









Tiger and Tigger








Kinda random, but I was getting a kick out of the way Kieran was sitting.  Actually the fact that he WAS sitting for more than a millisecond was amazing. ;-)  I enjoyed capturing Brennan during his piano lesson at the same time.

Me 'n' him are mashed potato lover twinsies
 The only pictures I took of our day at the Pumpkin Patch were back shots on the hay ride.  We had fun, although as usual the day became unbearably muggy and hot.  We always hit the corn maze on THAT October day.




Awesome Hair Day


This was super cool
This, 2 minutes later, was an outright miracle!


Beautiful warm October evening.  I LOVE a pleasant-weathered evening ♥



We missed Daddy while he was away

Especially her
 One day I looked out my bedroom window and was just struck with the beauty and lushness of where I live.






We're just tooooo funny

Wait, what?

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Yay!

Well, I did it!  I've officially lost 20 lbs from my high (post-Kieran's birth)!  I'm pretty darned excited.

I would like to thank myself for my hard work and effort.  I would LIKE to, however I can't for I neither worked hard, nor exerted much effort.  At least not for the last several months.  The trick is, folks, to have your life spiraling into such stress that you feel regularly nauseous and unable to eat.

Sigh.  Well, silver linings are good I guess.  The means I wouldn't choose again, but the end is pretty nice.

So congrats to me!  A 20lb lighter me!

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Goings On

 

Brennan’s hearing was noticeably down again all summer.  It’s a pattern – I begin every school year explaining to his new teacher that he can’t hear very well at this time.  However, we were also focusing on KIERAN’S ear issues (he too has fluid in his ears, same as Brennan and Asher, at least previously).  Brennan saw our ENT and had a hearing test that he failed.  We were warned he needs to be careful crossing the street because he couldn’t hear a truck coming, and to be cautious approaching unfamiliar dogs as he can’t hear them growling.  And it was recommended for him to get his THIRD set of ear tubes.  This time, they’re long-term, meaning they stay in years instead of months.  We’ll have them taken out in about 3 years in his case.  Hopefully by THEN he’ll have outgrown this issue.

DSCN1001

The surgery took place last Thursday.  Here we are arriving at 6:30, still the middle of the night as far as we’re concerned.  A HUUUUUUUGE thanks to my Mom for coming over at 6am, and getting Asher off to school and the littles taken care of!

DSCN1003

Getting all gussied up in the hospital jammies.

DSCN1004

He’ll be going back soon.  The doctors and nurses and everybody is so nice.  And Brennan is an old pro at this.  But he still felt scared when the time came.  He’d been looking forward to the surgery until the car ride there.

He was full of SO many questions.  He’s such a nut.  As he rattles off “why”s one after another, Brian and I just have to laugh. (It’s that or get very annoyed).  I hope someday he’ll put this naturally high curiosity and inquisitiveness to good use in his career.

 

Brian got double the birthday celebrations this year.  We spent his real birthday in Sunriver and all the rushing to get out there meant I forgot the things I DID have, plus I was waiting on some late-arriving gifts.  So we got a dinner-date out there at the resort and dessert, but after the gifts arrived we celebrated again.  Happy 34th to my man!

DSCN0991DSCN0992

Wow.  They don’t look related at.all. do they?

DSCN0993DSCN0994DSCN0995

I didn’t take a lot of pictures of our little vacation at Sunriver.  We had a great time though.

IMG_20140907_121400413

Family bike ride.  Made possible because Asher F.I.N.A.L.L.Y learned to ride his bike.  I’ve been working with him on it for a year.  He just wasn’t into trying.  I’d get frustrated, he’d weep and wail every time he fell at all… it wasn’t good.  So I asked Brian to take him out and practice and he goes outside, gives Asher the same advice I do, and Asher just does it.  Ugh! Well it worked.  We rode out to the playground and it took Asher a while.  He kept veering off the path when others would ride past.  At one point he was unable to stop while going downhill into where the our path crossed the street.  So he had a very AFV crash in the road.  He lived to tell though. Smile  He kept practicing every chance he got after that, silently slipping outside and just riding around the dead-end loop of our street.  Even after getting home he’s been riding for fun!  I never ever, EVER thought I’d see that happen.

IMG_20140907_124349692IMG_20140906_121653826IMG_20140906_121700197IMG_20140906_121711218

DSCN0974DSCN0975DSCN0979DSCN0984DSCN0985DSCN0986DSCN0987DSCN09542014-09-19DSCN0958DSCN0955

I love, LOVE this picture!

2014-09-19(1)

Now we’re just back at home enjoying the end of summer/almost fall season.  

2014-09-16

Kieran has finally learned how to go down stairs.  Now we’re baby gate free AND I don’t have to rescue him whenever he goes upstairs like I’ve done the last few weeks.  He’s become a lot happier with this new freedom.

2014-09-19(2)