Our Splendid Seneca Nation: July 2009

Lie-Berry Treats....and Snots and Sniffles

7/31/09

We spent our morning with our friends Chelsea and Calvin and Auntie Kate and her baby (for now....mind you) Izzy the Wonder Dog. We chatted over quiche and coffee while the kids had a little picnic on their favorite Lightning McQueen tablecloth.

The kids love having friends over and were teaching Calvin all their tricks - how to run and jump on the couch cushions while squealing "Suuuuuuuper Hero!" and stick a million Elmo stickers all over each other.

My beautiful friends, Chelsea and Kate!

After our play date, we headed out to Fred Meyer to pick up a birthday gift for a friend and then it was off to the library. Bubs loves the "lie-berry" cause "we gets lots of snacks and stuff". After letting me collect my loot, we headed downstairs and they had a great time searching for exactly what they wanted and then settling in to "read".

They sat in the little kiddie chairs and Bubs grabbed a counting book and attempted to teach Claire. She was having none of it - she found a book about mouse Princesses and everyone knows that's waaaaaay more interesting. I can't wait to see him try and teach her the ABCs when he goes to school! Cutie.

As for me, I was on a mission....I don't know if it's the weather or what, but I am obsessed with getting my craft on! I have my usual scrap booking and cross stitching but I want to be able to do fun projects with the kids that doesn't involve playdoh or markers for once. :) Bubs is at the age where he wants to "help" me do everything....make the bed, load the dishwasher, dye my hair...I think we'll be able to find something fun in the 6 craft books I got today, ha. There are a couple for Christmas (we'll be sewing an advent calendar you can hang over the door) one for Halloween (witchy candy apples) and my personal favorite, "The Big Ass Book of Crafts". What am I going to do when they can read??

I also picked up some great books about the War of the Roses, a "World History Fact Finder", and "The Complete Guide to the Kings and Queens of England". I was reading that one while cooking dinner!

I had to include this adorable picture of Bubs leaving the library with his loot. He raced ahead of Claire and I to "make sures there's no cars comin that could get us rearry hurt". What would we do without Big Brother??

We got home and I got started on crafting a delicious dinner - roasted chicken, potatoes (left over from breakfast....I'm no Martha) green beans with onion and bacon and whole grain bread, toasted with butter in the oven. I can always tell when Colin is excited to eat dinner - he comes in and kisses me hello but is staring over my shoulder at the oven the whole time....rubs his hands together and says, "Whatcha got goin on over here?". He was a fat and happy hubby after dinner and went outside and mowed the lawn. :) If you can't tell already....we like to eat. And take pictures of what we eat. Ha.

Poor Claire woke up this morning with a scratchy throat and some snots. She powered through the afternoon and seemed okay but boy oh boy.....when she woke up from her nap, she was a wreck. She tried to eat dinner the best she could and when I asked her if it was yummy she cried through her tears, "I. Liiiiiiiiiiie. Kiiiiiiiiit". Poor thing was soothed to sleep by her Daddy and a Pedialyte popsicle.

Colin and I are trying to get into "The Wire" from Netflix but are finding ourselves watching the British version of "The Office" again. It's the best, we literally grab each other's hands and cringe because Ricky Gervais is so awkward and hilarious. We re-watch the series all the time and it never gets old. Yay for the weekend tomorrow, we're going to focus on getting rest and working on the house...the usual!

Almost the Weekend.....

7/30/09

Today was an errand day. We were all dressed to be toasty warm in the cold, rainy weather and then the sun decided to come out for 2 seconds.....we got all fussy (That's right, we. It was that kind of day.) because we were over-heated and then were freezing 5 minutes later! This weather is playing with my emotions and I can't take it! It's supposed to warm up by the weekend so I've yet to pack away the summer clothes in frustration.

The kids and I headed to Costco in the morning to load up, and load up we did. I had 2 carts....both were full by the end of our shopping expedition and I had to have help loading up the car! Yes, that was me....I'm the frazzled Mom taking up space by the entrance, cramming in 60 lbs. of cheerios and detergent on top of the stroller I forgot to take out of the car. It was a workout but Bubs helped me unload and gave me specific instructions to "don't do it all by yourselfs. I's help ya get all the boxes". Such a helper man!

The kids enjoyed their usual "froop smoodie", a little blessing in a cup for me. Sucking through a straw = blissful silence. Cuties.

We came home for a quick lunch and nap for Claire while I worked on getting my family pictures into frames...I am obsessed! I ordered my prints through Costco, and this is what I ended up with...and I don't even have the huge 16 x 20 print yet! I just love every single solitary picture Ronalyn took, I had the hardest time deciding.

I need Daddy-O's assistance in hanging them so I'll have to wait until this weekend. He came home tonight and informed me he was "in the zone" in getting stuff done for the house...so off he went with Bubs to frame in the window and work on the siding outside. I am super excited to get the downstairs done this Fall....I guess that means I have to cut back on my Costco runs so we can afford the wainscoting I want!

I couldn't get the White Tornado (as my Dad calls him) to stand still, but here he is with his brand new school backpack he picked out today! He picked out one with the solar system on it because he said the other ones were "for babies and girls". Ha! He is soooo excited for school - everyday it's "Is today Preschool?". "No, one more month". Three minutes later....."Now is it Preschool time?". He cannot wait for his first day and told me he's bringing his "Queen stuff and markees" in his new backpack. :)

Claire had some alone time in the guest room with the DVD player while I made dinner. My friend Alisa gave the kids a bunch of Dora DVDs and Claire cannot get enough! She raids the stash downstairs and everyday it's "Mommy, open moooooovie peeeeeeease". She crawled up on the bed and pulled the pillow onto her little baby legs all by herself and got comfy. She's such a little lady, doing what she wants, when she wants! And thanks to Dora, maybe she'll be bilingual before Kindergarten? Ha.

I am listening to the dryer ding away, calling me to come fold towels so I can finally get our bedspread in the washer...that's what I get for bringing Colin nachos and a chocolate milkshake in bed after our ER escapade. The things you when you're in love.....:) My book and clean sheets are waiting for me upstairs, another day is done and we are tired as usual but I am determined to get a hot bath and whisper sweet nothings to my back massager my Mom got me for Christmas!

Wednesday Window Time!

7/29/09

Wednesday means playtime with pals! We had a great time with our buddies at the Hamey's new digs...what an awesome house! So much space for their babies, which is great for this crowd...there doesn't seem to be an end to the baby factory that we call Play Group. I had to get all the kids together for a group shot - it really is crazy how we Moms can learn to talk and share over the din of 13 kids running around, screaming. Well, Colin calls it clucking, I call it sharing!

Bubs and Sissy and their 11 pals....minus Baby Caroline May who was sleeping in her Mommy's arms.

Colin came home on his lunch hour to check his moose jerky that he had going in the smoker. Obsessed? Yes. Later on, Bubs came up to me and said, "Mommy! Smell me". I gave him a quick sniff and said, "Hm. What is that?". "That's moose. I smell like a moose cause I just ated one. I love to moose hunt with Dada". You should have seen Colin's chest swell with pride! It's so fun to wait and see what comes out of Bubs' mouth....it usually has to do with his Dad, trucks, dirt and food. A true little man.

And tonight was a night I've been looking forward to for over a year!! Colin put in the kitchen window! Finally....after re-doing the electrical, power lines, siding, etc...the time was here. It's perfect, I love it, and I love him! He got an extra helping of BLT and shrimp gumbo for dinner. I called my friend Babette and told her I wanted to bake a 14 layer upside-down cake that requires me to be in my kitchen for 6 hours, I don't want to leave the stove! There is so much beautiful natural light, it really makes a difference.

Before:

During:

After:

It has to be framed in of course but that is for another day when Colin is re-charged and it's *hopefully* not raining. Bubs got to stay up until 10 o'clock tonight, helping Colin by loading up trash bags with scraps and handing him the tools he needed.
Me: "Bubs, you ready for dinner?"
Bubs: "I'm helping Dada and I'm rearry super busy right now."
Well.

The boys taking a break and working on some moose jerky:

Claire was slightly annoyed that she was stuck inside with Mom while the boys had all the fun but she found things to do to amuse herself. She was very concerned about the "Beeeeeeeeeee!!!!" that was dead on the window sill and kept tugging at my leg until I went with her to look. She got real close and whispered "Shoooooo, shoooooo" over and over again. Poor thing was not buying it that the bug was dead!

We are just beat, headed to bed to gear up for a shopping trip to Costco tomorrow, always an adventure. I have to go stand in my kitchen and smile for a long time first. :)

Cookies and Crashing

7/28/09

Next year when I'm heavily sedated and can't walk, I'm going to remind myself not to come home and do laundry and eat 5,000 lbs. of food! This morning I was so exhausted and hurtin.....I had to call poor Colin at work and he came home with his laptop so I could grab 2 hours of sleep. What a dreamboat!! It was wonderful, and I felt like a million bucks when I woke up. So good in fact, that the kids and I made chocolate chip cookies. I set the timer and my little angels were literally silent and still for 7 minutes. I swear I do feed them.

I had master plans of a trip to the library and ice-cream cones but just wasn't feeling up to getting out of the ole PJs. Even if we don't go anywhere, the action comes to us! The landscaping guys came today to repair the huge trench that was dug in the backyard last week. I couldn't find the kids and kept calling their names before I found them in the guest room hollering "Heeeeellloooooooo" to the poor guys working.
Who needs TV when there's people to stare at?

Colin started work on the kitchen window, yay! He had planned to get the whole thing done tonight after the kids went to bed, but it's raining too hard. We're getting there....I can't wait to have all that extra light in the kitchen! Then I can finally do the backsplash, get matching blinds and curtains and paint! We have tons of projects lined up for this winter.....maybe we'll save some heavy lifting for Mom and Dad's Thankgsiving visit? ;) I was the official "Shop Vac Operator", it's all about teamwork while listening to Savage....he was on a roll tonight and we found ourselves only operating the tools when his show was on commercial.

My man is the hottest when he's working on building me junk!

We got two new Netflix today...we're starting "The Wire". We just finished "Sopranos", we're probably the last people on earth to have watched it! I'm trying to find shows that Colin would be interested in too...I think if I brought Masterpiece Theatre to bed, he'd willingly sleep on the couch. Tonight is the perfect night to snuggle in bed with my man....the kids are tucked in bed in their wintertime footie jammies (boo hoo....summer's pretty much over), the dishes and laundry are done, and I've got a craving for hot tea and pock! I sure am a lucky girl to have Colin for my husband.

Colon, Schmolon

7/27/09

Well. Today I have developed new-found admiration and respect for the 50+ people in my life.....going to see the gastroenterologist is no picnic. Actually, the colonoscopy wasn't the brutal part, it's the 1/2 gallon jug of the naaaaaastiest stuff (I call it Satan's Spit) you have to chug the night before. Yipes. I'm glad this will be a once-a-year kind of deal. The procedure was a success and the dr. proclaimed me as "clean as a whistle" (creepy) so I'm glad I won't have to be back anytime soon.

Lauren and Lindsay came over to watch the kids for us and they all had a great time. You know you have wonderful friends when they bring over chocolate chip cookies for you in anticipation of the gorge fest you'll have when you get home! I suckered them into a couch shot when the kids were too busy coloring to play.

We spent some time yakking on my bed and I remembered a box I had under the bed, stuffed to the gills with old grade school photos, high school journals and really embarrassing stuff. We have good ammo, so watch out Monroe Alumni. :) It was fun taking a trip down memory lane, especially since I was on a little trip myself - thanks to great sedation medicine.

Colin was extra super sweet and wonderful to me today. He handled the kids, rubbed my back, brought me snacks and Diet Pepsi - it was beautiful. He ran out with Claire and bought me all my favorites and we had a delicious dinner - Vietnamese Pho soup and beef fried rice with egg. Yummy! I made him a list (fatty) and I'm not ashamed to add that Doritos and a big cheesecake were items #2 and #3. He even brought me a trashy gossip magazine, which I know took all his strength to put in the cart!

Claire is currently passed out in bed from a busy day....she goes a million miles an hour, and here's some proof: Colin said, "Sissy, you ready for a bath?" and the poor child couldn't rip off her shirt fast enough. It's pretty hard to focus when you're screaming "Baaaaath!!!! Baaaaaath!!!" at anyone within range.

My boys are glued to the tube, watching the Outdoor Channel.
Colin: "Check out that deer, buddy. It's a big one!".
Bubs: "It's a rearry, rearry big and strong ones, like you".
Colin: "Yep".

A special Happy Birthday to my beautiful cousin Kara in California, we love you!!! And super special hugs and sloppy kisses to my neice Kara, who's a trooper with 4 little stiches in her little baby finger.

Lazy Tooth Fairy

7/26/09

I almost got into a fight with the Tooth Fairy. Bubs and I were looking through his Highlights magazine and there was a story about a puppy who loves to chew on his toys...Bubs said, "I use-da haves rearry strong teef" and then stuck him little baby tongue through the space where he two front teeth should be. Then it hit me: that lazy, good-for-nothin, forgetfull Tooth Fairy never came to visit Bubs....and he's been toothless for months!

We tucked his teeth under his pillow last night but not before Bubs held them up, gave them a good sniff and said, "Mmm....blueberries". He definitely gets that from Colin's side.

I decided to give the Tooth Fairy a chance before I called her up at the condo in FL that she time-shares with Santa Claus....and she did not disappoint. Bubs woke up one dollar richer and was thrilled!

The Dollar Store didn't open until noon so we headed to Fred Meyer and he spent a good 20 minutes deciding on what he wanted:

The water balloons were too small, the cap gun was too big, the bouncy balls were too nervous (seriously, that's what he said...nervous. Where does he come up with these things??) but he finally decided on a "thuper thticky monkey guy" that sticks to the wall when you throw it. He's a bargain shopper at 3 - it rang up for 40 cents.His Daddy is proud.

I am fasting today for my procedure tomorrow so we were living large last night and Colin made a delicious "Last Meal"....creamy salmon pasta!! It was sooooo good, I ate the whole thing and went to bed very full and very happy. I love it when Colin cooks!

Colin is outside with the kids and the clock is slowly approaching 6pm....I'm starving but will be lulled to sleep tonight by delicious thoughts of what I'll gorge myself on tomorrow afternoon! Can't wait!

Catching Up and Catching Flies

7/25/09

Remember how the dr. told Colin to take it easy and relax for a few days? He was a good boy yesterday and waited to go into work and came home at 3 but was at it again today.....grrrr.....he knows his body and says he feels fine but I still worry that he works too hard! After breakfast, he told Bubs, "Alright buddy, get dressed. We're going to the office". You should have seen Bubs fly down the stairs and scream at the top of his lungs, " MOM-EEEEEE!!!! I need my Lightning McQueen shirt!!!!!!". He was ecstatic to be going into work with Colin and they happily posed for a picture before leaving....each with their full bellies and briefcases. :)

Claire and I spent the afternoon with my friends Lindsay and Lauren. Lauren just moved to town with her fiance and Lindsay is a hard-working vet in Anchorage. We don't get to see enough of each other but sure enjoyed chatting and catching up. I kept threatening to take a picture of them for my blog, but I forgot and they escaped unscathed! They are coming over Monday to watch the kids for us while I have the dreaded (dun dun dun....) colonoscopy done....what did I do to deserve such wonderful friends?!

Colin is hard at work, smoking, vacuum-sealing and storing his fish. I've been helping him label each package.....team work! After packing away a ton of it in the freezer outside he looked at me and said, "Whelp, I think we're good on salmon". Ha! Knowing him, he'll try and get in a few more runs before summer is over. He says the bellies are the best for smoking, I can't wait to taste it....and send some to our family and friends.

The kids are very fickle with toys and what they're obsessed with at the moment. For the past week, it's been the program from Kate and Dwight's wedding, which they call the "Uncle White Book". They fight over it constantly and take it everywhere....especially Claire. When it's time for a book at bedtime, it's the only one she wants to read...and read I must. Seriously....."Prelude. Seating of Parents and Family. Processional"....this is what they want to hear! They sit there quietly and patiently and Claire screams, "A-GEE (Again)" when I've finished. Tonight it was Daddy's turn. They love anything to do with their Auntie Kate and Uncle White, especially fighting over them.

I spent special Mommy time with both the kids today....on the couch. They both wanted their backs rubbed, it was so great spooning them and loving on them....while watching some show about sharks with Colin. It doesn't matter what we're doing, as long as we're together. I must have fallen asleep, I woke up catching flies. But now I am rejuvenated and ready to mop the floors and finish the laundry.....and put the kids to bed. Yay!

Thankful

7/24/09

I always wonder what it is about my husband that makes me think about him 2,000 times a day. What makes me get butterflies in my stomach when we're on a date, what makes me look expectantly at him after telling him a joke...loving it when he laughs and gives me a big hug. What it is about seeing him in his tool belt, working on the house or showing Bubs the proper way to handle a hammer or reel in a fish. What it is about the big smile I get when I see him come home from work and the kids run into his arms and he bellows "Look at these kids!" when he scoops them up for hugs. How someone who's seemingly so tough, can get on one knee with his baby girl and say, "Oooohhh, Sissy....I like your hairbow". For all these reasons, I married the only man I will ever love...I chose him and he chose me and together we are raising a family - a family who has the strongest, most selfless, most loyal, smartest, most just, and loving leader, my husband.

All of these thoughts came rushing into me as we sat next to Colin in the ER last night. While he was out in the yard filleting his fish, he got a bee sting. After a few minutes he developed an awful headache and wanted to lie down because his chest felt tight. I was worried he was having an allergic reaction to the sting so we loaded in the car and raced to the ER. I dropped him off out front and sped off to park the car and get the kids out. While we ran into the ER entrance, I see 4 orderlies helping my collapsed Colin into a wheelchair, he is confused and disoriented and saying over and over, "Where's my family? I love you guys". I, of course, was a wreck and the kids were absolutely silent. My wonderful friend Kate came and took the kids home for us so I could focus on Colin. I stared at my handsome man and just cried and cried at the thought of anything ever happening to him.

After having fluids and steriods injected into him, and resting in the bed for 2 hours, we were sent home with orders to take it easy and get plenty of sleep. My poor Colin has been burning the candle at both ends for his whole life....a hard worker who has no concept of how much is too much. It was so scary seeing him incapacitated and hurting. From the day we met, for how much we've been through together and accomplished in such a short amount of time; I've never felt scared. Colin has always been my rock. I've depended on him for so much, now I know he needs me just as much as I need him. I'll be hugging him a little tighter tonight and will never take what we have for granted. :)

King of the Kenai!

7/23/09

Before our eventful trip to the ER, I was able to capture some really great shots of The King of the Kenai and his catch! Success! Colin came home from his dip netting adventure, with 25 delicious red salmon to add to the freezer! He spent the night in the truck, right on the beach. He was about 100 ft. from the mouth of the Kenai. He moved the truck way up the beach but at 4:30am had to wake up and pull up farther....waves were lapping at his wheels! He worked really hard for these slimy little suckers....we're so proud of him.

Sissy inspecting the "stinky fishies":

Trent and Daddy's big catch! While at the hospital, Trent rubbed Colin's head and said, "Daddy....you are rearry, rearry good at catching fish".
A boy who worships his Dad.

Tired but happy, and right before the bee sting :(

Hmmm....what should we have for dinner?

With ANOTHER dreary day ruining outside time, I needed to get creative. The kids are at an age where just putting butcher paper on the floor to color doesn't cut it. That would only occupy them for about 5 minutes...but taping paper to the stairs is a whole other story! Bubs had me laughing when he saw the paper. "Claire. You seein this?!". Coloring on the stairs?!! Mommy must be losing it.

Bubs helped me in the kitchen earlier in the day. We had a big, yummy plate of brownies for Daddy when he got home. :)

He loves being in the kitchen with me....I'm raising him right! He's really into "helping" me with the laundry too. I have to remind myself to have patience when it's more work to re-do what he's done. Pretty soon I'm going to have a hard time just getting him to put his dirty undies in the hamper! I will soak up all his Mommy-loving ways as much as I can!

Play Group Pals

7/22/09

A few girlfriends and I (and all our babies) have been meeting for a couple of years once a week, to let the kids play and allow for some "Mommy Time" over coffee and snacks. When we first started, we had a grand total of 6 kids, for awhile there were 11 running around and now we're cruising along with 9. We've had friends move away, some aren't able to make it every week, and some days our houses are filled to the rafters with kiddos when a friend of a friend stops by with their brood. No matter what, I always look forward to Wednesdays as a time when my friends and I can catch up and our kids can grow up together! We've all known each other since we were in grade school, and we're still learning new things. It's awesome to have wonderful friends that you can get parenting advice from and just laugh all day with!

Bubs with his buddies Dane and Maguire:

On the way home from Mary Lee's this afternoon, Bubs started counting in the backseat. I realized after awhile that he was counting mailboxes and when I asked him about it he said, "Yeah. It's just what me and Daddy do in the truck". So, that's what happens on trips to Home Depot...

The kids had a late nap today and were still pretty tired when I woke them up for dinner. We grabbed the 10 minutes of sunshine that decided to peek through the clouds today and headed outside. Thanks to the ML&P guys, we have a newly formed "way better than the other one dirt pile" (as Bubs informed me) in the backyard....perfect for these little ones. Are there any kids in the world that love dirt more than these two?!

I'm still trying to get a grip on the sass that is my daughter. I called up the stairs tonight, asking her to come down to put on her jammies. She was standing on the stairs flicking the entryway light on and off.
Me: "Claire?! Claire?! Get down here right now please".
Claire: "IN MINUTE!!".
Seriously? Yeah, seriously. I'm already having night sweats about Jr. High.

Wild Child!

We're missing Daddy tonight while he's doing his thing on the Kenai. He called after fishing for a couple of hours and had already caught 8! I'm hopeful he gets his fill, he's planning on spending the night and making a go of the early-morning high tide to catch more. He is happy and content to be smelly and fishy and sleep in the truck.....my man is a true Alaskan! I know for a fact he'd rather be combat fishing with strangers than watching "Confessions of a Shopaholic" and drinking tea....my plans for the night!

A Day With Kate

7/21/09

We spent the whole afternoon at Kate's house in Palmer, it was wonderful! Alisa and her boys, Brayden and Boden, came over too and we had a delicious meal. Kate has all sorts of fun new kitchen gadgets she got for her wedding...it was fun watching her in action! We had a yummy Rachel Ray recipe....gourmet tuna melts and fresh lentil soup. The kids took two bites and were off running! It was so nice just chatting with my girlfriends about everything under the sun - I'm sure if any of our husbands were there, they would have rather chewed glass than listen to us. Colin says when my friends and I get together and talk it's like "chickens clucking". How is it possible that the three of us married guys who are EXACTLY the same?!

I love my hardcore conservative girlfriends.....Alisa and I are kindred spirits with our calling into talk shows and raging. She and her boys went to a "Tea Party" rally in April with a sign that said, "Obama! Get your hands off my piggy bank!". Love it! I could see myself moving out to Palmer and living on a compound with my besties. :)

Claire was POOPED from her play time with the boys and fell asleep in Auntie Kate's arms...

She has mastered saying "Uncle White" (Uncle Dwight, Kate's husband) which thrilled us to no end. Kate and Dwight....adorable newlyweds and two of the greatest people ever. We absolutely CANNOT WAIT for them to have babies!

We got home around 4:30 and the kids were pretty tired so I plopped them in front of "Wow Wow Wubzy" so I could get dinner started. I have no shame in some TV action when I'm trying to get something done without being pulled in 17 different directions! They were very sweet together and Bubs told Claire he would rub her back if she had an "icky belly". I love spying on them when they're alone...that's when you really see the love.

After dinner they soaked up some Daddy time and read their favorites.

Colin was trying really hard not to speed through the books.....he is SO excited about heading out dipnetting tomorrow! He's even taking time off work and the man NEVER takes time off. He is outside right now getting his gear together and I'll pack him a little cooler of snacks too. He's going to sleep in the truck but I'm not worried - he'll have his .44 and nothing gets in the way of his catching his limit, not even bears. I'm tempted to give him the camera for his adventure but can I live without it for one day??
Probably not.

Diggers and A New Do!

7/20/09

Another rainy day in Anchor-town....the ML&P guys came over this morning to dig the big trench in the backyard for the power lines to the house...we are finally at the point in the renovation where we can start updating the archaic electricity. Colin came home on his lunch hour to "oversee" the operation and talk fishing with the guys. They were super nice and offered to let the kids sit up in the Bobcat and work the controls. Bubs was having none of it but Claire, of course, jumped right up. When she saw the guy was wearing boots she kicked her little legs around and screamed "MEOW BOOTS!!!" so he would be sure to check out her Hello Kitty rain gear. She thought it was pretty great!

Bubs was content to watch the action from a distance:

Later when I asked him why he didn't want to hop on the Bobcat he said, "Thumb kids are good on rides. I just like the candy and shocklit and pee-tending to drive the trucks. I'm getting bigger right now so I can get big and touch the pedals. I have big trucks and little trucks in my room". Whew! Man with a plan.

Being banned from the backyard for the afternoon is pretty hard on the Senecas so I hauled out the bubble wrap from the closet in the guest room and they went crazy. Claire was very particular about which bubbles needed to be popped first so she was not impressed with Bubs' way of getting the job done:

Bubs really had me laughing today when we had a conversation about marriage. He said when he grows up he's going to "marry a bunch of different people". When I asked him who he thought they may be, he said, "Umm....prolly Baby Kara or something like that". If he wants to marry Baby Kara (his cousin!!) we're going to have to start house-hunting in the Valley!

Colin came home early from work so I could head to the salon for a new do!

I feel 1,000 lbs. lighter with my new look. :) Colin even said I look younger, woo hoo! The best part was when I walked through the front door and Bubs saw me and said, "Oooohhh, I like that hair". Lump in throat immediately! Claire screamed "Mama hay (hair)! Mama hay! Touch! Touch!" so I knelt down and she felt my hair. She looked right in my eyes and said, "I. lie. kit.". Awww...my little babies lovin on their Mama - a perfect way to end the night before a hot bath and relaxing with a good book.