Some photos and an update

Do you ever have those times in life when you know you are just treading water, hoping not to drown but knowing you don't have anywhere really to go? You assume that there will be an end to the madness, but you really don't know when or where. And it isn't bad treading water, but it is totally exhausting and not really fun.

That's where I am right now. I'm probably making it sound a bit worse than it is. Matt and I decided it was important for the kids to not be in day care full-time. We can't afford it, and kids should get to spend some days at home. So Monday, Wednesday and Friday the kids are at the on-campus day care, Tuesday and Thursday they are home with Matt and Saturday and Sunday they are with me. In a lot of ways, it's great. Matt gets to spend more one-on-one time with the kids, and we are equally involved in their daily lives and care. On his work days, Matt has a lot of evening shifts- great for the kids because they don't usually have to get up early with me for work. But it means that when I am home, he's not.

I love being with the kids during the day. I really miss it. I miss things like playgroup, library story time and meeting friends for lunch. At night, regardless of where they have been all day, kids need extra attention, and I have to make dinner, feed them and still try to find some time for play with both of them, all while they are tired, hungry and not at their best. I also miss Matt. Sometimes we don't see each other at all under after midnight. On most days, we don't see each other until after 10 p.m.

It seems like survival mode, but I'm still optimistic that we will find our rhythm. I just hope it's soon! If you have any make-ahead recipes, send them my way. I'm realizing that even cooking quick meals when I get home is an uphill battle.

In the meantime, we have had some fun this fall. We went to Yellowstone earlier this month. It was bitter cold, and the roads were closed for snow everywhere but West Yellowstone to Old Faithful, but we still had a great time! In her mall-girl ways, Anne Marie says her favorite part was staying in the hotel. I have no photos of the hotel, but here were the highlights according to me.

Our new van on its first excursion:

From yellowstone

Post-nursing van party- Anne Marie requested this photo:

From yellowstone

From yellowstone

Day 1 was only a little cold:

From yellowstone

From yellowstone

From yellowstone

From yellowstone

Day 2 was colder:

From yellowstone

From yellowstone

From yellowstone

But the sun came out eventually:

From yellowstone

From yellowstone

The van handled ice like a charm:

From yellowstone

From yellowstone

Also, some fall hike photos. We were a little early- the leaves hadn't really changed yet.

Anne Marie hiked with her "unca." She knows how to say uncle, and all her other uncles are uncle, but for Alex, "unca" is the only real name.

From fall hike

This is the butt tree. Our family poses by it every fall.

From fall hike

cute photo:

From fall hike

From fall hike

Anne Marie helped her unca over the log:

From fall hike

Anne Marie showing unca and grandma how to do it:

From fall hike

Fairin' It

I’m way behind on posting photos and other things. So, a month after it happened, here are some highlights from the Twin Falls and Eastern Idaho State fair.

From Twin Falls fair

From Twin Falls fair

From Twin Falls fair

From Twin Falls fair

From fair 09

From fair 09

This cracks me up. That kid has a face tattoo like Mike Tyson, and it looks like he's about to take out Anne Marie.

From fair 09

From fair 09

Post-fair dinner:

From fair 09

In other, more recent news, I think we might be over the potty-training hill. Anne Marie stayed dry the entire day yesterday, and kept telling me, “diapers are not forever,” the title of one of her current favorite books.
Thomas is pulling up on furniture and cruising around. He doesn’t crawl on hands and knees like a normal kid. Instead, he pushes his butt up with his legs straight and tries to stand up. When it doesn’t work, he army-crawls at lightning-speed across the room. His daycare providers have bets as to when the kid will be walking, ranging from before Thanksgiving to before Christmas. Scary! The kid is only 7 months old, and I’m not sure how he is lifting his short, stout little body up so quickly.
We finally got out hiking this fall, to a little trail we always visit near Victor. More on that trip when I finally download the photos.

Thomas- the first half year

From this:

From Thomas Michael

To this:

From Thomas six months

Let me just say- it's been a good six months.

To update, Thomas is healthy, happy and chubby. At his last check up, he was in the 79th percentile for weight, and the 19th for height. So, like Winnie the Pooh, he's short, fat and proud of that. Still no teeth yet, or even any sign that they might be coming.

He's also going crazy wanting to move- he gets on his hands and knees and rocks, but then he just dive bombs. His latest trick is army-crawling to me, pulling to a stand using my legs as support, then letting go. Of course, he can't stand on his own so he crashes.

Thomas and his sister are still getting along famously, most of the time. Anne Marie has decided that Thomas now is old enough to fight on occasion, but the times they spend sitting there giggling make up for it.

From Thomas six months

Watch out Hells Angels

Anne Marie and Thomas are coming.

Anne Marie-isms

I haven’t taken photos in forever, but I also made a commitment to keep up this blog, for my sanity if nothing else. So, in lieu of photos, here is a list of Anne Marie-isms.

The first needs some explaining. The other night, I told her that she was too wild, and she needed some yoga. She started posing, ala Madonna’s “Vogue,” saying with each pose, “Is this yoga? Is this yoga? Is this yoga?”

She has carried on this theme. She whacked her brother, and I told her that was a bad choice. She started her yoga poses again, “Is this a good choice? Is this a good choice? Is this a good idea?”

Other Anne Marie-isms:

After a failed attempt at the potty, I told her I had to go. Her response: “OK mama, but it’s not as easy as it looks.”
When I was successful, I was greeted with loud cheers and clapping, “Great job, mama! I’m so proud of you!”

In response to a discussion of fears: “I’m not scared of crickets anymore, because crickets are not real. I’m not scared of horses anymore, because horses are not real.”

In response to the dog knocking her over and her parents giggling a bit when she did all sorts of bizarre things to try to get up: “Do you think pushing is funny, papa? It isn’t.”

“Pretending biting is a good choice. Real biting is a bad choice.”

In response to Thomas waking up and screaming in the night: “Ahhhh!!! Thomas saw a monster!”

At the doctor’s office- running down the hall to catch him after he left the exam room: “You forgot to check my arm!” Dr: (checks her arm) “looks like it’s pretty healthy.” Anne Marie: “No, it isn’t. It has an armpit.”

July: a look back

From massacre rocks and fourth of july

From massacre rocks and fourth of july

From massacre rocks and fourth of july

From massacre rocks and fourth of july

From massacre rocks and fourth of july

From redfish 2009

From redfish 2009

From redfish 2009

From redfish 2009

From redfish 2009

From redfish 2009

From redfish2009

From redfish 2009

Four months of fun

It seems like the babyhood of a second baby goes by much faster than the first. I can’t believe Thomas is four months old already! Actually, he is already four months, 4 weeks. I will have to write a 5-month old post in another week or two.
Thomas has been busy in his four months. First on the list- performing a complete and utterly amazing personality change. When he was born, I wasn’t sure if we would make it. Now, he belly laughs whenever someone even looks at him, and is laid-back enough for us to take him just about anywhere.

From massacre rocks and fourth of july

Thomas has also been busy on the moving front. He’s sitting up full-time now, and just the other day he rolled onto his belly, stuck his legs under himself and got on his hands and knees. He’s going to be off and running soon.

From Thomas 4 months

He’s also eating solid foods- a lot of them. Most babies start out with a little bit at a time. Thomas took one bite of baby cereal, then immediately demanded that I feed him the whole bowl. It’s been that way ever since. I know you they say 4-month olds don’t really need solid food, but this kid does. He rips lunch meat out of my sandwich and tries to stuff it in his mouth. He is desperate.

From Thomas 4 months

Anne Marie and Thomas are still getting along famously- she thinks of her brother as one of her toys, and is fiercely protective of him. And he absolutely adores her. When she walks across a room, Thomas’s eyes follow her the entire time. When she looks at him, he gives her a giant, full-body smile. When he cries, Anne Marie rushes to his aid. I hope they stay the wonderful friends they are today.

From massacre rocks and fourth of july

In his first four months, Thomas has also had a lot of names. The ones that have stuck are the ones Anne Marie has given him. For a long time, she called him Toe. Now, she has stopped, but Matt and I still called the poor little man by that silly name.
Now, Anne Marie prefers T-bro and T-uck for names. He is also known as Tom, Tom the piper’s son, T-Bone, T-Rod and many more.
We’re learning a little more about his personality as well. He loves hiking, and can go in the back or front pack. He loves the fresh air. He really doesn’t like to sleep during the day, but most of the time he sleeps through the night. I think he doesn’t want to miss one bit of potential action.

From Shoshone Falls