Saturday, October 27, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
A sad sign of the times
A week or so ago Fuller's school held their yearly lock down and evacuation drill. I'm torn between feeling terrible that my kids live in a time when this is necessary, and being thankful that at least they're prepared. I'm not sure of the exact explanation the kids are given, but Fuller says it is practice so they know what to do if someone with a gun is in the school. Apparently the teacher locks the door and closes the curtain, and the students have to get on the floor and be silent, until they are told it's time to evacuate the building. Then they actually practice evacuating all 800 plus students to a church about a block away. As people who know Fuller I'm sure know, he is a worrier. I'm sure practicing for something like that has been weighing on his mind.
Then this morning there was a report of a gun on one of the elementary school buses, which put both Fuller and Grayson's school's into lock down. Grayson wasn't at school yet, so my neighbor Paige who drives him to school got to keep him for awhile, until the school was reopened. He apparently thought it was "cool". When I dropped Fuller off everything seemed normal, but apparently he stepped through the front door right as they were initiating the lock down. So, he was greeted by some grown up he didn't know yelling at him that the school was in lock down and he need to get to the detention room. I guess all the kids that were in the building, but not yet in their classes were sent there. He said there were around thirty students in there. So my worrier of a child got to spend the first 20-30 minutes of his day sitting silently on the floor, in a strange room with a bunch of kids he didn't know, with little information to put his mind at ease. Poor kid! I know it affected him because he was so out of sorts when I picked him up from school. He's too much of a big kid now though to have really let anyone know what was bugging him today.
Thankfully there really wasn't a gun. According to the letter they came home with, some kid had brought a rifle scope with them on the bus. So much trouble over something so stupid! I guess it's at least good to know that the school district and the police know how to act fast if there's ever a real emergency.
Then this morning there was a report of a gun on one of the elementary school buses, which put both Fuller and Grayson's school's into lock down. Grayson wasn't at school yet, so my neighbor Paige who drives him to school got to keep him for awhile, until the school was reopened. He apparently thought it was "cool". When I dropped Fuller off everything seemed normal, but apparently he stepped through the front door right as they were initiating the lock down. So, he was greeted by some grown up he didn't know yelling at him that the school was in lock down and he need to get to the detention room. I guess all the kids that were in the building, but not yet in their classes were sent there. He said there were around thirty students in there. So my worrier of a child got to spend the first 20-30 minutes of his day sitting silently on the floor, in a strange room with a bunch of kids he didn't know, with little information to put his mind at ease. Poor kid! I know it affected him because he was so out of sorts when I picked him up from school. He's too much of a big kid now though to have really let anyone know what was bugging him today.
Thankfully there really wasn't a gun. According to the letter they came home with, some kid had brought a rifle scope with them on the bus. So much trouble over something so stupid! I guess it's at least good to know that the school district and the police know how to act fast if there's ever a real emergency.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
My guy- 50 fun facts about Paul
Written with permission of course.
1. Was born in Wyoming, but has lived in Oregon for most of his life.
2. Is the oldest of 4 children.
3. Lived on Guam when he was little, and was swimming on his own in ocean when he was three.
4. Spent his Junior year of high school living in a tent on a lava flow in Hawaii.
5. Would love to be a contestant on "The Amazing Race" but doesn't want me to be his partner- something I take no offense at, I would totally be begging to go home after just the first few days!
6. Loves 80's alternative music (Depeche Mode, The Fixx, Oingo Boingo, The Cure, New Order)
7. Graduated from high school in a small town in southern Oregon- there were 7 people in his graduating class
8. When he was in high school he moved out of his parents house and lived in a converted chicken coop on their property
9. Is a really good student- even though he just had to earn 75% or better while he was becoming an electrician he studied really hard and always received 90's or above, finishing second in his class.
10. Has an impressive comic book collection- over 600
11. Was stationed in two really extreme places when he was in the air force- Iceland and Las Vegas
12. Dreams of acreage
13. Has swam all the way across the Columbia River- from Washington to Oregon
14. Would love to finish the Portland marathon, but has injury problems when he tries to train
15. Would much rather read than watch TV
16. Loves nonfiction and documentaries (the history of chess and the biography of some famous physicist are among recent interests)
17. Is one of the best cooks I know- but just likes to make complicated foreign food, not everyday dinner items
18. Gets excited at discovering new little hole in the wall foreign restaurants- anyone up for Afganistan cuisine?
19. Hates yard work, painting and laundry
20. Never forgets a face- but unfortunately can't always remember the name to go with that face
21. Is very calm and level headed, almost to the point of being irritating sometimes
22. Has a great sense of humor- which I largely attribute to his dad, who has a fabulous sense of humor
23. Is quiet, but not shy
24. Was planning on becoming a naturopath when we met
25. His first car was a red 1974 Volkswagon bug- this is what he was driving when we met- I loved it!
26. Loves the movies 1984 and Repoman
27. Doesn't watch sports on TV, with the rare exception of the Olympics, Tour de France and other more "off the beaten path" athletic events- this is much to the chagrin of Fuller who loves ESPN
28. Really "gets" our boys, and does his best to convince me that they're normal
29. Is a fantastic husband!and father! (I guess I probably should have put that one first)
30. Is still disappointed that I wouldn't let him name one of our children Erskine. Just to spite me, he has named our ipod Erskine!
31. Has been to: Canada, Mexico, Guam, Iceland, the Virgin Islands, Austria, Italy, Spain, France, Denmark, Switzerland and Germany
32. Really wants to go to India- and has already told me he's not taking me with him, which I'm not offended by, (I get car and air sick, hate being in the heat, and don't like questionable dietary choices)
33. Loves red velvet cake
34. Is always well liked and respected by the people he works with
35. Appreciates the humor of the 3 Stooges, Looney Tunes, and Spongebob
36. When he had his appendix out he swore it was just the cookie dough ice cream he had eaten that was making him sick, he hasn't eaten cookie dough ice cream since, even though it's been almost 16 years
37. Is not a crier, the only times I can really remember him tearing up were at the births of our children
38. Hates it when people curse, but has to listen to it all day long at work (gotta love those construction workers!)
39. Collects cool old clocks (if you've ever been in our kitchen you know what I'm talking about!)
40. Is incredibly hard working, will work 60 -70 hours a week with almost no complaining
41. Gets allergy shots
42. Gets very excited about gardening (somehow this is different than yard work)
43. When we met he was living in a one bedroom apartment with his brother Jason. Since he's the oldest he claimed the bedroom for himself and his poor brother was sleeping in the hall closet!
44. He likes to research purchases and decisions to the extent that it drives me crazy, then half the time he rethinks the decision afterwards anyway
45. Likes estate/garage sales- appreciates a good deal!
46. Was a great labor support person! When I was in labor with Fuller I spent several hours in a hot shower, but needed someone to put pressure on my back (to combat the back labor) so Paul put his swim suit on and spent those long hours in the shower with me putting pressure on my back, even though he was freezing the whole time since I wouldn't share the hot water with him!
47. Loves a good road trip
48. Gets sad when he thinks about how fast our kids are growing up.
49. Loves watches! already owns way more than he really needs, but would still like to get more
50. Enjoyed the book "The Art and Science of Dumpster Diving", and wishes I'd let him try it.
and one more that Fuller felt was important to add-
51. Mourns the loss of the farting tape that he and his brothers made when they were young and gross.
1. Was born in Wyoming, but has lived in Oregon for most of his life.
2. Is the oldest of 4 children.
3. Lived on Guam when he was little, and was swimming on his own in ocean when he was three.
4. Spent his Junior year of high school living in a tent on a lava flow in Hawaii.
5. Would love to be a contestant on "The Amazing Race" but doesn't want me to be his partner- something I take no offense at, I would totally be begging to go home after just the first few days!
6. Loves 80's alternative music (Depeche Mode, The Fixx, Oingo Boingo, The Cure, New Order)
7. Graduated from high school in a small town in southern Oregon- there were 7 people in his graduating class
8. When he was in high school he moved out of his parents house and lived in a converted chicken coop on their property
9. Is a really good student- even though he just had to earn 75% or better while he was becoming an electrician he studied really hard and always received 90's or above, finishing second in his class.
10. Has an impressive comic book collection- over 600
11. Was stationed in two really extreme places when he was in the air force- Iceland and Las Vegas
12. Dreams of acreage
13. Has swam all the way across the Columbia River- from Washington to Oregon
14. Would love to finish the Portland marathon, but has injury problems when he tries to train
15. Would much rather read than watch TV
16. Loves nonfiction and documentaries (the history of chess and the biography of some famous physicist are among recent interests)
17. Is one of the best cooks I know- but just likes to make complicated foreign food, not everyday dinner items
18. Gets excited at discovering new little hole in the wall foreign restaurants- anyone up for Afganistan cuisine?
19. Hates yard work, painting and laundry
20. Never forgets a face- but unfortunately can't always remember the name to go with that face
21. Is very calm and level headed, almost to the point of being irritating sometimes
22. Has a great sense of humor- which I largely attribute to his dad, who has a fabulous sense of humor
23. Is quiet, but not shy
24. Was planning on becoming a naturopath when we met
25. His first car was a red 1974 Volkswagon bug- this is what he was driving when we met- I loved it!
26. Loves the movies 1984 and Repoman
27. Doesn't watch sports on TV, with the rare exception of the Olympics, Tour de France and other more "off the beaten path" athletic events- this is much to the chagrin of Fuller who loves ESPN
28. Really "gets" our boys, and does his best to convince me that they're normal
29. Is a fantastic husband!and father! (I guess I probably should have put that one first)
30. Is still disappointed that I wouldn't let him name one of our children Erskine. Just to spite me, he has named our ipod Erskine!
31. Has been to: Canada, Mexico, Guam, Iceland, the Virgin Islands, Austria, Italy, Spain, France, Denmark, Switzerland and Germany
32. Really wants to go to India- and has already told me he's not taking me with him, which I'm not offended by, (I get car and air sick, hate being in the heat, and don't like questionable dietary choices)
33. Loves red velvet cake
34. Is always well liked and respected by the people he works with
35. Appreciates the humor of the 3 Stooges, Looney Tunes, and Spongebob
36. When he had his appendix out he swore it was just the cookie dough ice cream he had eaten that was making him sick, he hasn't eaten cookie dough ice cream since, even though it's been almost 16 years
37. Is not a crier, the only times I can really remember him tearing up were at the births of our children
38. Hates it when people curse, but has to listen to it all day long at work (gotta love those construction workers!)
39. Collects cool old clocks (if you've ever been in our kitchen you know what I'm talking about!)
40. Is incredibly hard working, will work 60 -70 hours a week with almost no complaining
41. Gets allergy shots
42. Gets very excited about gardening (somehow this is different than yard work)
43. When we met he was living in a one bedroom apartment with his brother Jason. Since he's the oldest he claimed the bedroom for himself and his poor brother was sleeping in the hall closet!
44. He likes to research purchases and decisions to the extent that it drives me crazy, then half the time he rethinks the decision afterwards anyway
45. Likes estate/garage sales- appreciates a good deal!
46. Was a great labor support person! When I was in labor with Fuller I spent several hours in a hot shower, but needed someone to put pressure on my back (to combat the back labor) so Paul put his swim suit on and spent those long hours in the shower with me putting pressure on my back, even though he was freezing the whole time since I wouldn't share the hot water with him!
47. Loves a good road trip
48. Gets sad when he thinks about how fast our kids are growing up.
49. Loves watches! already owns way more than he really needs, but would still like to get more
50. Enjoyed the book "The Art and Science of Dumpster Diving", and wishes I'd let him try it.
and one more that Fuller felt was important to add-
51. Mourns the loss of the farting tape that he and his brothers made when they were young and gross.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
LOVE
I know I am loved, but it doesn't hurt to wake up to something like this every now and then!
I hadn't really been expecting too much for my birthday on Friday, since we had pretty much celebrated on Tuesday with Paul's birthday celebration, but he had a few surprises in store for me. The first of which was these beautiful flowers and a nice gift card. And of course the local school district gave me the "gift" of having my children home all day, so they could make me feel so special and loved. The best surprise however was having Paul walk through the door two hours early, prepared to fix me my favorite dinner, Balti Butter Chicken with homemade naan! I really do have the best husband in the world!
And speaking of love....
this kid LOVES playing soccer in the rain and mud!
I hadn't really been expecting too much for my birthday on Friday, since we had pretty much celebrated on Tuesday with Paul's birthday celebration, but he had a few surprises in store for me. The first of which was these beautiful flowers and a nice gift card. And of course the local school district gave me the "gift" of having my children home all day, so they could make me feel so special and loved. The best surprise however was having Paul walk through the door two hours early, prepared to fix me my favorite dinner, Balti Butter Chicken with homemade naan! I really do have the best husband in the world!
And speaking of love....
this kid LOVES playing soccer in the rain and mud!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
40 and fabulous!
Yesterday was Paul's 40th birthday. To say that he was not looking forward to this milestone is a major understatement, but we still managed to have a really fun day and a great time celebrating. We were lucky to have Grandma and Grandpa willing to come be mom and dad for the day (thanks again!) so that we could have a totally free day. We went out for breakfast and did a little shopping at IKEA.
Followed by lots more shopping, ipod buying, cd shopping at Everyday Music, and lunch out at Mio Sushi. What a treat to eat two meals out with no kids, in the same day!
Then home for Grayson's soccer game, dinner and an ice cream cake from Baskin and Robbins. It was a great day, but the time went by way too fast! We so rarely get such a long stretch of couple time- that was definitely the best gift of the day. He may be getting old (just kidding honey!) but he's still the best guy I know! Hope you enjoyed your birthday~! Love you!
Monday, October 15, 2007
The word of the day is...
APPARENTLY- As Rowan polished off a huge bowl of oatmeal he commented "Apparently I like oatmeal!" Well said Rowan.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Pumpkins and mud
On Friday we decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and the day off from school and go to our favorite pumpkin patch. We did it all; hay ride, animal barn, lengthy hunt for the perfect pumpkins, hay pyramid, elephant ears for Grayson and Rowan and a most delicious caramel apple for Fuller.
Rowan of course managed to fall in the mud not just once, but twice! I swear, I didn't even see the mud until he was half covered in it.
In other news, Fuller scored a really awesome, so cool to watch goal in his soccer game! (Unfortunately this was his team's only goal as they suffered their worst ever defeat, 9-1.)
And on a sad note- Fuller's beloved beta "Fishy" passed away after three years of being with us. He will be missed.
Rowan of course managed to fall in the mud not just once, but twice! I swear, I didn't even see the mud until he was half covered in it.
In other news, Fuller scored a really awesome, so cool to watch goal in his soccer game! (Unfortunately this was his team's only goal as they suffered their worst ever defeat, 9-1.)
And on a sad note- Fuller's beloved beta "Fishy" passed away after three years of being with us. He will be missed.
Friday, October 12, 2007
................and exhale
Boy it feels good to let that breath out, been holding it a long time! The other day I was remembering my pregnancy with Fuller. I was remembering how tired I was (months of throwing up every day will do that to you!). I was also remembering the large stack of books on pregnancy, childbirth and parenting that I read. One of the books I read compared pregnancy to climbing a mountain, stating that the energy expended was about the same. I remember thinking that this was the hardest thing I'd have to go through, and how nice it would be to just be a mom, and not pregnant, so I wouldn't be so tired any more. I was so wrong! Those books didn't mention anything about what to do when your husband puts in 13 straight 10 hour days at work, effectively making you a single parent right in the middle of your first grader having a breakdown because their teacher is horrible. They didn't mention how much sleep you'd lose worrying about your kid being in a good class at school, having to talk to your child's principal, getting your 4 year old through their first dental filling, and sending your 10 year old on a field trip that included a very long bus ride, knowing how car sick he can become.
So, I'm now happy to report that we survived (well almost, Paul still has two more days of work before he gets one day off,and I still have to get both kids to their soccer games on Saturday- one here in town,and then a very quick drive to Fuller's game, an hour away), and I've started sleeping again! After meeting with the principal and the counselor at Grayson's school, and keeping him home for a few days while they figured out what to do, he is now happily back at school in a wonderful class with a very nice teacher. Grayson's old teacher liked to yell a lot and belittle the kids in front of the class, and that gave him stomach aches, sleep problems and lots of tears- go figure! Rowan survived his first filling, although he really hated his mouth feeling sleepy for so long afterwards. And Fuller didn't throw up on his field trip, although he said he did feel a little sick.
The lesson I learned this week is that the challenges of motherhood never really get easier, just different.
So, I'm now happy to report that we survived (well almost, Paul still has two more days of work before he gets one day off,and I still have to get both kids to their soccer games on Saturday- one here in town,and then a very quick drive to Fuller's game, an hour away), and I've started sleeping again! After meeting with the principal and the counselor at Grayson's school, and keeping him home for a few days while they figured out what to do, he is now happily back at school in a wonderful class with a very nice teacher. Grayson's old teacher liked to yell a lot and belittle the kids in front of the class, and that gave him stomach aches, sleep problems and lots of tears- go figure! Rowan survived his first filling, although he really hated his mouth feeling sleepy for so long afterwards. And Fuller didn't throw up on his field trip, although he said he did feel a little sick.
The lesson I learned this week is that the challenges of motherhood never really get easier, just different.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Die hard soccer fans
I am so lucky to have such wonderful parents who love and support me, and are willing to brave cold rainy weather to watch their grandchildren play soccer. This weekend turned out to be the only weekend they were free to come and see the boys play, so they got to freeze their behinds off through two games in the same morning. Fuller's game was pretty wet and icky, so they got to take turns sitting in the van with Grayson and Rowan. Poor Fuller, his team lost their 6th straight game. They have now lost every game this season, and are really starting to get down about it. Grayson had a great game. He scored 4 goals, and had a lot of fun playing against some of his friends. We all got spoiled by Grandma and Grandpa. They brought us back gifts from their recent trip to Canada, took us to Starbucks for hot chocolate before the games, and took us out to lunch after the games were over. Also, they brought us some of our favorite goodies from the Portland Greek Festival which unfortunately we were unable to attend this year. So delicious!(Ok Jim and Heather, go ahead and collectively roll your eyes about how I'm still the spoiled baby of the family!) With Paul working weekends now this was just the treat we needed. Thanks again Mom and Dad!
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
He likes all that scary stuff!
I must admit that Rowan is often my most difficult child to figure out. An "enigma wrapped in a mystery" you might say. Rowan still hates to fall asleep by himself, and often gets scared to the point of tears at very harmless movies and tv shows. But, when it comes to Halloween, bring on the gore! The bloodier and scarier the better! We were at the store the other day looking at costumes and decorations, and he kept getting more and more impatient with me and the children's costumes I was looking at. He finally demanded that we go to a better aisle. "What aisle?" I asked him."You know, the one with the axes and blood." I slowly turned the corner to go down a different aisle, and his eyes lit up with delight. The scary aisle! He just couldn't get enough of the skeletons, fake blood, weapons, and fake creepy body parts. He has now determined that he wants to be a "scary guy" for Halloween. So much for talking him into the Buzz Lightyear costume Fuller and Grayson wore when they were his age. I can see already that I've got some major negotiations in my future. I just can't let my preschooler dress up like the grim reaper. Even though he would make a really cute one!
Monday, October 1, 2007
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