Friday, September 29, 2006

Where has time gone?

It's flying by right now. I can't believe it's the end of Sept. already. School has been going for nearly a month. The boys birthdays have come and gone. Scouts has started for the boys and Campfire is starting next week for Carissa. We're fully immersed in the hustle and bustle of life.

After some ambivelance about where Brian's career was heading, we've come to a decision and that's made looking ahead to the future easier. I'm already starting to plan for what is next.

October is Halloween and I took the kids to get their costumes already. Chase will be Dr. Toxic (crazy scientist) complete with radiation green hair and eyebrows! LOL Tristan is a ghost with rattling chains and a scary mask. Carissa is going to be Aleta from Barbie Fairytopia. They're all adorable and so fitting for each child.

November is Thanksgiving. Brian's working 12 hours that day so, of course, no plans for that day. Nothing to plan for, nothing to do. *sigh* We'll probably celebrate early or late with a turkey dinner. Or maybe do a little one here in the 2 hours we get to see him before he heads to work.

December is Christmas and I've begun working on that too. Have jammies, books and a few toys for the kids. And I'm watching the sales ... I'm such a sale shopper and I LOVE shopping for all these Christmas gifties.

But besides holidays there is also the kids activities. Chase wants to try basketball this year and that starts in January. Tristan has been asking and asking to start martial arts so we may look into that for him. And Carissa is trying to decide between ballet, hula and gymnastics.

More activities, more plans, so much more life ahead of us. And while I may be overwhelmed with it at times I am truly loving the life I live.

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Girl time rules!!!

Bek and I have returned from our scrap retreat. We had a GREAT time. We went with a group of 12 ladies, most of whom we didn't know, and stayed in a resort home in Sunriver. What a BEAUTIFUL place. The homes were gorgeous, the weather was nice, Sunriver was absolutely charming and it was just a great weekend.

We arrived Friday afternoon and did a little last-minute grocery (aka: chocolate and other munchies) shopping before heading to the house we were staying it. Bek and I were first to arrive and spent the first 1/2 hour in awe walking around this beautiful home. It was a 5 bedroom, 3 1/2 bath home, beautifully decorated and just absolutely perfect. We set up our tables and spread out our piles and piles of supplies and got to work. About an hour in we remembered that we hadn't picked up any alcohol. What's a girls weekend without a bit of girly drinks? So we headed to the store again for some alcohol. While buying our Mike's hard cranberry lemonade (yum) Bek and I got hit on by some toothless fellow, which made our day... or not. Apparently they aren't used to seeing too many girls or something because all the hunters there were gawking at us. And it isn't because we are such striking beauties either. It was just W I E R D. But we scored our alcohol and headed back to scrap the night away. We took a break to soak in the hot tub for a while. It was so relaxing and beautiful. 20 degrees outside but warm in the hot tub, absolutely clear skies and just filled with stars.

We headed to bed about 3:30 and sat up talking until 4am. Bek and I shared a room and I got to sleep in a bunk bed for the first time since I was 10 years old. Good thing it was sturdy! LOLSaturday morning we got up at 8:30 then decided to try to find the Sunriver Mall. Apparently the GPS was playing tricks on us because it kept making us go down a road, turn around, go down another road, turn around, go down another road, turn around, etc, etc, etc. But we finally made it to the mall to look around. We had coffee (or a vanilla steamer in my case, since I don't like coffee) at quite possibly the worst place ever. It was in a bakery with great pastaries but the man making coffee had NO idea what he was doing! Afterwards we went shopping at the used book sale, the little booths put up in the commons area and some of the nearby stores. I got a leather jacket for me and little red leather purse for Carissa. After shopping for a while we headed back to the house to scrap. We scrapped on and off through the day, enjoyed a few blenders full of frozen raspberry margaritas (so yummy!) and took another late night dip in the hot tub. We cleaned all of our stuff up before going to bed at 2:30 am.

We were up at 7am this morning and took off by 8:30am. We were both ready to get going but could have happily stayed one more day to scrap. We stopped by Trillium Lake (so beautiful!) near Mt. Hood and got a few great pictures there. Then we came home to our hubbies and kids. It was a great time and so relaxing and wonderful. I'm glad I went and had Becky there with me. Girl time rules!!!

Friday, September 22, 2006

Conversation of the Day:

Carissa: Mom, I'm in love with Ian.
Me: You're in love with Ian?
Carissa: I'm in love with Ian.
Me: You can't be in love with Ian. You're too little to be in love.
Carissa: Mom, I'm not little, I'm FIVE.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

OK, I've been sucking it up ...

I'm an awful blogger right now. Really I am. I have stuff to say but no time to say it. I didn't get to share Chase's 10th birthday or our trip to the Ringling Bros. circus. I want to but I can't. No time.

I'm busy packing for my weekend away with Bek. We're headed to a girls-only scrapbook retreat in Bend for 3 days. Can you say YEAH!!!!!!!!! We leave after dropping the kids off at school tomorrow and won't be home until dinner time on Sunday. We're both so excited and definately in need of "us" time.

So I'll say goodbye for now and hope to update you on all the goings-on when I return. Take care.

Lots of love.
Annette

Sunday, September 10, 2006

She can do it!


Once this girl decides she wants to do something, she goes out and does it. But it has to be HER idea.

No matter how much we encouraged her to try riding her bike without training wheels this summer, she didn't want to. And even when we got her to try she didn't try for long.

But on Wednesday Carissa came to me and said she wanted to ride without training wheels. Within ten minutes she was cruising down the road without my help. And by today, Sunday, she had mastered starting herself from a stop, turning (albeit little turns), riding and stopping.

Now she spends as much of her free time as possible outside riding her little bike around or riding with me down to the mailbox to check it.

It's so stinkin' cute to see this little girl on her little tiny bike. Of course, she has a bit bigger bike that she could ride and we keep encouraging her to try. But she won't ... not until SHE wants to.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

First Day 2006



Yes, it's happened. I'm alone. Just me, no kids. They're all at school, learning and laughing and having fun and I'm sitting here wondering where all the time went.

Carissa started Kindergarten this year. *sigh* She's going to school every weekday morning for 2 1/2 hours. So the good news is that she's still home in the afternoons and I'm not totally alone. But it's hard getting used to not have kidlets here when I've been with them every day for the last 10 years.

So, here's Carissa at her first day of Kindergarten. The first day was actually an orientation, so us parents went to a one-hour meeting and the kids all went to the library to watch a short video and listen to books being read. I picked her up after the meeting and she was so disappointed. When I told her it was time to go she whined "But Mom, we didn't get to *DO* anything." Yep, she's way ready to go. No seperation anxiety there. She doesn't even want me to take her to school and has been badgering me nonstop to let her ride the bus. *sigh* She's riding home from school on the bus today since she wants to so badly. But to be perfectly honest I wouldn't mind picking her up. I'm starting to feel a little less-needed already.

Tristan went to 2nd grade this year with the most wonderful teacher, Mrs. Palin. She was Chase's teacher in 2nd grade and he loved everything about her. I think Tristan will too. He's excited about learning a little spanish and doing math with her. Plus he's Carissa's helper around the school, making sure she gets to her class safely when they ride the bus to school. Thank goodness for wonderful brothers like Tristan.

Chase went on to the Intermediate school this year. 4th grade. Such a change already. He's excited about the move and loves that his classroom has a pet bird. He's into his friends and math and science. Oh, and you can't forget reading. That kid loves to read.

So back to school went off without a hitch and all the kids seem to be doing well. I think it affects me more than them! LOL

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Too Square

Brian and I went to the comedy club to celebrate our 12th anniversary. Mark and Jenn came along and we had a great time chatting before the show. The first comedian was great ... funny jokes and delivery. Really liked him. Then the 2nd one came along - almost all his jokes were about being high or drunk or smoking pot. Didn't really care for him. The headliner was last and he started out just like the 2nd comedian - jokes about pot or being drunk. That's when Jenn turned to me and said "We're too square". And it's true. She and I can't relate to jokes about being high or regularly drunk. We haven't been there, we haven't experienced that and we just can't relate to it. So maybe it's true, maybe I am too square. So what.