Photo fun

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If you know me then you know that I get bored with my hair pretty often...although, to my credit, I've had the same color for almost 2 years now! Well...I've been bored lately and have been gearing up for a big change...



Ha! Not the color I was going for!! Lara had to put some filler on my hair before we could put the dye on it...here's the finished look:
Same cut...different color.

On our way to school

We walk to school everyday. It's a great way to wake the kids up and it serves as the dogs first walk of the day. Some days we're in a rush and there is little talking, but today we were doing just fine on time and so...there was some chit chatting going on...:

Hazel: Mama, you know Chad from High School Musical? The black friend of Zac Effron?

Me: Yup.

Hazel: I think he's even more cuter than Zac!

Me: Whoa!! Really? Cuter than Zac?!

Hazel: Yup. 'Cause he looks more like Daddy.

Monday

Celebrations:

*The sun is out again...it's a beautiful Spring day and the Dogs went to the dog park for a while this mid-morning. The kids got to play outside for all their recesses and we walked to and from school.

*Trey and I are going to see My Bloody Valentine tonight, the band, not the movie. Trey was the first person to introduce me to this band as I had really only been exposed to Amy Grant and well...Undercover and the like...

*We're getting ready for the 3rd annual Olympic View Hootenanny. August is currently working on his Robot costume as we're singing this song...he's so full of interesting ideas...not sure any of them will work...but he's full of em!

*New neighbors! That house on the corner next to us...the one where the guy sold it at auction and then tore everything out of it before the new owner could get in...and then the new owner had to start from scratch and has been trying to sell it...that one! The family just moved in this past weekend and they've been busy ever since. Trey made them cookies last night and the kids delivered them today. They seem very friendly and happy to be a part of the neighborhood.

Sunday

Celebrations:

*A nice mowed lawn (Thanks Trey!)

*Super church service this morning.

*Another sunny day in Seattle.

*Magnuson Off-leash Dog Park

*Spring soccer for August.

*The yummy pasta salad that Ann has brought over a few times...made it for dinner tonight! (It's on page 88 if you've got the cookbook).

*Trey taking the kids to August's soccer game so that I can have a few hours to grocery shop and fix dinner...ahhhh...it's amazing what a little time to yourself can do!

*I found two families from the kids school who are willing to keep them over Memorial Day weekend so that Trey and I can go to Sasquatch again this year! Cave B...here I come! It lands right on my birthday this year too!

Celebrations

*Trey is home all weekend!

*August finished the WASL and had a great day at school today.

*August had his first Ultimate Frisbee game...they won and he had a great time during the game.

*Sleep over central: August's friend Keaton is staying here while Hazel sleeps at Keaton's house to hang with is sister...fun, fun, fun!

*A new garbage can that can hold trash and recycling! Love this!

*The weekend...sigh...happy weekend.

Public Speaking

Trey held a seminar at Calvin Collage a few weeks ago...you can listen to him here if you want:
http://www.calvin.edu/admin/sao/festival/2009/audio/podcast/trey-many.m4a

Celebration

Whew! Whatta day!
Let's just focus on the good, shall we?

*Scott, Trey and I had a conversation this past weekend about that song, "Blinded by the Light" where the dude sings, "revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night" but it really sounds like "revved up like a DOUCHE, another runner in the night". Totally sounds like DOUCHE, every time. Scott doesn't think so...we do. So today, while driving home from the Allergy doctor, the above song comes on the radio. It's just me and Hazel in the car and I'm kinda giggling to myself thinking about the conversation when the song ends and Hazel says, "Mama? What's a douche?"

*Trey has been spending a ton of time in airplanes going to see shows, a wedding, more shows, etc...we flew home from our quick trip to California, he spent one night at home and left again for another quick trip and he's home safe tonight...after he gets home from the show in Bellingham.

*August had another great Ultimate Frisbee practice where he laughed and had a great time even though he's not the best at it.

*I was able to meet up with Ann and Rachel for Breakfast this morning. Delicious cinnamon roll for the table, yummy soy vanilla latte, eggs and potatoes...and good friends.

*LOST

Allergies

Hazel was tested for allergies today...guess what...she's got some!
Man, oh, man!
We told Hazel that the test wouldn't bee too bad. I realized that I was wrong right about when she buried her face in my chest and silently sobbed. She was so brave and held it together until the nurse left the room...
Turns out that she's allergic to trees and their fruit...no more apples, peaches, nectarines or cherries. She's also allergic to cats...and slightly to dogs. The Doctor suggested getting a HEPA filter for her room and that the dogs have to stay out of her room...not a problem. When she heard the list of allergens she balled because she thought we would have to get rid of the dogs. The Doctor assured her that the dot for dogs was a very small reaction, that she was more allergic to cats which was half the size of the tree allergies.

Things

Thanks to Rebekah, I am going to try a new little thing here where I post about the good things that happen everyday.
I struggle with finding the good in things and I've seen this manifest itself in August. We work together on a daily basis by asking each other for something good that occurred in our day.
So friends and family, I'm going to attempt to tell you the good things, the things I can celebrate each day...enjoy.

Today I Celebrate:

* The second warm, sunny day in a row.

* My successful attempt to jog/walk around Greenlake with the dogs.

* The quick 20 minute nap I took in the sun.

* Hamburgers for dinner.

*August feeling good about the WASL (our state standardized test he's been taking for a week).

* Hazel being a social, loving friend.

* Trey arriving safely to his destination and calling to check in when he landed.

* Getting a last minute appointment for Hazel with an allergy Dr.

Dog Picture of the Day

Trey and I were lucky enough to escape to LA to go to Hank's wedding this past weekend thanks to Ann and Rachel. They divided and conquered and each took a kid...Meredith was also super amazing and stayed at our house to watch the dogs for us and because of those three amazing women, we were able to fully enjoy our quick trip.
Thanks Gals!!

Today was a beautiful sunny day. Kat came over a little before lunch with her dog Royal and we sat in the backyard watching our silly dogs play together...then we went to Blue C for lunch. It was the perfect lunch for a warm afternoon.

Penny and Tank spent most of their day outside wrestling or lounging in the sun.


August and Hazel both slept in a little this morning due to the fact that I turned my alarm off...all was well though as they only arrived a few minutes late for school. It felt so naughty for them to walk up to the school after everyone had already gone to class. I think it started them out on a good note.
Both kids came home happy and hungry. After a quick snack they ran outside and started playing with our backyard neighbors. August climbed a tree, Hazel slid down their slide. They played outside until dinner and then after dinner...they went back outside. It's been just great.

Then did come in for a quick break to attempt to do some origami...it didn't last long as both of them became very upset that they could not figure out the directions.

Dog Picture of the Day

The day started COLD but the sky cracked at poured the sun down on our thirsty skin. The dogs have spent a record amount of time out in the backyard. Tank does this funny thing where he'll run laps around the yard. Penny only wishes she could keep up with him and often tries to cut him off through the middle of the yard...it's quite entertaining to watch. While Penny can not run as fast as Tank, she is quite crafty at escaping her backyard confinements. We had the side fence barricaded for a while but had to move things in order to mow the lawn. I thought that maybe she'd gotten a bit too big to squeeze through, alas, I was wrong...I'm comforted by the fact that she's escaping only to run up to the front door.
Hazel loves the sun almost as much as Tank and Penny do. Immediately upon coming home from school she retreated to the yard and began building things for fairies. I gave her some string and this is what she came up with:"It's a fairy suntanning thing."

Dog Picture of the Day

Hazel snapped this shot on Easter while Penny slept.

We had a really nice Easter this year. The day started with a really challenging sermon at Church and continued with a yummy brunch with friends at our house.
The kids were pretty pleased with their loot as you can see in Hazel's eyes!

Loved the good conversation after the tasty meal.
And the cuddling that occurred while the food was digesting.
My sister Kat and her husband Justin came over (and brought yummy drinks) and the poor kids had to leave for another Easter meal...they may have rolled home!!


There may have been some naps that occurred as well...and we didn't even have any turkey!

2 on 10 April

I was hoping to reinstate the 10 on 10 this month...but I fell very short. These are the 2 pictures I thought to capture this morning...and then the day got away from me...I did get a lot done today though...even went for a little run!! I'm trying folks...

Dog Picture of the Day

Penny likes to take naps on my shoulders during the day...it's a good thing she does this cause it makes me think twice about giving her away to the highest bidder...she's driving me nuts right now!

Being a Mom

I had this big long post ready with complaints about motherhood and a few light hearted stories in to give the reader something to chuckle about...but then I decided to just say this:

Being a mom can drive a woman crazy. But then there are times when it's the best thing this woman has ever done.
Laughing with Hazel makes me so happy.

Dog Picture of the Day

Wednesday. Hump Day.
I spent the better part of this morning getting information out about the 3rd Annual Hootenanny at the kids school. I've been putting this "talent" show on for the last three years and have got it down cold...but getting things rolling takes a while for me...everyone has their info sheets and the sign ups are...up. Now I sit and wait for all the calls and questions and emails and for the 27th. On the 27th I get to start screening the acts. I'll let you know more as things unfold.

August has Ultimate Frisbee practice today. We've been lucky enough to have a few of his friends on the same team so there has been some great carpool action going on, today he's being picked up by one parent and dropped off by another...gotta love it!

Hazel is sitting next to me on the couch right now. She's reading "Are You My Mother?" and she's doing a pretty good job with it! I love hearing her successfully read a sentence...I'm her biggest cheerleader.

Hola!

If you've come expecting beautiful pictures from our trip to Nuevo Vallarta you will be very disappointed. Almost as disappointed as I was when I realized that I'd left the house at 3:30 in the morning to catch our early, early flight out of the country without my camera. This revelation came especially hard as Trey had just purchased a new lens for the camera and I was very eager to snap some beauties...
So, I give you pictures from August's spring soccer game instead:Hazel got her hair braided on the very first day in Mexico. She wanted to keep them in until her friends from school could see it...by the time I took them out...well, it wasn't pretty, I'll just leave it at that.


The trip to Mexico was so restful and full of bright blue skies and ocean breezes.
I know, there's a ton of bad news coming from that part of the world...we spoke with some folk who live in the area and they felt strongly that the news was pushing fear. They said that the violence that is taking place right now is indeed drug related and that a) it's staying within the drug community and b) it's no worse than the big cities here in the US...so...I felt better about it. We did venture off the resort for dinner one night to a little place across the street and it was delicious.
The kids swam in the pools, August and Trey went into the ocean, Hazel went to the kids club on the resort and made friends. Trey and I had a few nights out (thanks to Paul and Linda) where I re-learned my lesson on why I don't like Tequila...(never again, never again!)
Thankfully, no one got a sunburn due to our excessive reapplication of a number of sunscreens. I'm sure that if folks were watching us they'd have gotten a kick out of how many times we called the kids over to slather the lotion on them over and over again.

And now, we're home...and the weather the last few days has been so wonderful. I subbed for the PE teacher today and spent the whole day outside with the kids...today...I have a sunburn!