Monday, December 28, 2015
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
The Deck that Devin Built
When we moved into our house this summer, we knew our deck needed to be replaced. It was old, rotting, and we kept sending the kid's friends home with splinters in their feet. Once after a heavy rainstorm the kids left a hole where someone's foot had punched right through a rotten plank. Handy as he is, Devin got the job. It was about two and a half months of after-work-hours work. He started by ripping the old deck off, then building a sturdy shed, and adding a deck overhead. Meanwhile my house filled up with dirt, and I was grateful to a friend who reminded me that "my house is not a museum". Devin did the job largely on his own. He had some help in the beginning, especially for the heavy lifting, and elements he couldn't physically do on his own, but most of the work was solely on his shoulders. The construction spanned October to December, and the finished product is awesome! Oooh's and ahh's are the typical response for the deck that Devin built.
Look at Devin's superior craftsmanship! He did a fantastic job! He even spent an entire day building benches per my request! He is so talented.
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
18 MONTHS and TROUBLE
Sawyer loves ice-cream. Once we were shopping at Wegmans and I put some ice-cream in the cart. Sawyer saw it and he wanted it right then! I tried to explain to him that I didn't have a spoon and we had to wait until we got home. Either he couldn't understand me or he didn't care, either way he was not happy. When we got home and I was unloading groceries, he went through my bags until he found the one with the ice-cream. And I gave him a bowl.
He usually gets what he wants because he is so persistent, and maybe as the third child he takes advantage of his worn-out/preoccupied parents and is able to get away with more. But I have decided to crack down on toddler crime! He won't get away with his hooligan ways much longer.
Sawyer does make a lot of trouble. However, analyzing his ways has led me believe that he's not a trouble maker, at least not purposely. He is just very curious and has to touch everything he is curious about. And he rarely sits still.
I'll use the example of about one ten minute period... I was making pizza with Bridger and Myra and Sawyer pushed a third chair over to the counter and started poking the dough too, so I moved him to the table where the only thing on it was a tape dispenser which he promptly took hold of and proceeded to empty, with great long movements. I moved him to the living room floor where he caught sight of a library book he wanted to look at and out of happenstance, ripped several pages out. As I was reassembling the pages, one of the kids opened our sliding glass door that leads onto our, at the time, unfinished deck, and Sawyer ran right out precariously close to the edge with no railing, I caught up with him in a seconds time (oh what fun and giggles for a toddler), but a second later could have been disastrous... And that is a fairly normal day with Sawyer, although now our deck is completed with railings.
He is near-constantly under my feet, or rather, hanging onto my legs with much begging/whining to be held. I wish him to go away, however if ever he does I am sure to regret my wish minutes later when I find that he has emptied and scattered a deck of Uno card all across the floor, or maybe unrolled the all toilet paper off the roll, or quite possibly has thrown tiny toy treasures into the toilet and is using his hand to stir up his concoction.
Emptying my cupboards and spice racks, typing/pounding on the computer keyboard, opening the fridge and freezer wide to peruse/dislodge the contents inside are just some of Sawyer's favorite hobbies.
A favorite game of his is trying to jump off things that are high: steps, couches, changing tables... He's going to break his noggin one day when I'm not watching.
Deft he may appear to be, but he falls off our tall kitchen chairs regularly. Bumps and bruises are a common result of being a toddler.
He would be a good eater if he could sit still long enough to eat.
He loves books. The trouble is that, in his wild eagerness to read, ripped pages is inevitable.
When constant supervision and attention is not possible he appears untamed, reckless, and terrible. It is at these times, maybe when I am busy with a project, cooking dinner or otherwise, that I call in Bruce. He and Sawyer have much in common, both like eating crayons, both try to eat out of my swept dirt piles, both occasionally escape home (child catchers and dog service departments beware ;))... these common interests make them great pals. Bruce tends to be more obedient than Sawyer and he is something like my baby sitter.
It is probably because of Sawyer that I have decided to throw away all my shoes that can't be run in. Because if I can't run in the pair, I usually end up kicking them off an chasing kids down barefoot instead. I tell you, put his trike and Sawyer together and he rides off with the wind and me at his heels, trying to make it to where I know not, outside of our own cul-de-sac.
Teasings, gigglings, and cute smirks make him most love-able though.
He usually gets what he wants because he is so persistent, and maybe as the third child he takes advantage of his worn-out/preoccupied parents and is able to get away with more. But I have decided to crack down on toddler crime! He won't get away with his hooligan ways much longer.
Sawyer does make a lot of trouble. However, analyzing his ways has led me believe that he's not a trouble maker, at least not purposely. He is just very curious and has to touch everything he is curious about. And he rarely sits still.
I'll use the example of about one ten minute period... I was making pizza with Bridger and Myra and Sawyer pushed a third chair over to the counter and started poking the dough too, so I moved him to the table where the only thing on it was a tape dispenser which he promptly took hold of and proceeded to empty, with great long movements. I moved him to the living room floor where he caught sight of a library book he wanted to look at and out of happenstance, ripped several pages out. As I was reassembling the pages, one of the kids opened our sliding glass door that leads onto our, at the time, unfinished deck, and Sawyer ran right out precariously close to the edge with no railing, I caught up with him in a seconds time (oh what fun and giggles for a toddler), but a second later could have been disastrous... And that is a fairly normal day with Sawyer, although now our deck is completed with railings.
He is near-constantly under my feet, or rather, hanging onto my legs with much begging/whining to be held. I wish him to go away, however if ever he does I am sure to regret my wish minutes later when I find that he has emptied and scattered a deck of Uno card all across the floor, or maybe unrolled the all toilet paper off the roll, or quite possibly has thrown tiny toy treasures into the toilet and is using his hand to stir up his concoction.
Emptying my cupboards and spice racks, typing/pounding on the computer keyboard, opening the fridge and freezer wide to peruse/dislodge the contents inside are just some of Sawyer's favorite hobbies.
A favorite game of his is trying to jump off things that are high: steps, couches, changing tables... He's going to break his noggin one day when I'm not watching.
Deft he may appear to be, but he falls off our tall kitchen chairs regularly. Bumps and bruises are a common result of being a toddler.
He would be a good eater if he could sit still long enough to eat.
He loves books. The trouble is that, in his wild eagerness to read, ripped pages is inevitable.
When constant supervision and attention is not possible he appears untamed, reckless, and terrible. It is at these times, maybe when I am busy with a project, cooking dinner or otherwise, that I call in Bruce. He and Sawyer have much in common, both like eating crayons, both try to eat out of my swept dirt piles, both occasionally escape home (child catchers and dog service departments beware ;))... these common interests make them great pals. Bruce tends to be more obedient than Sawyer and he is something like my baby sitter.
It is probably because of Sawyer that I have decided to throw away all my shoes that can't be run in. Because if I can't run in the pair, I usually end up kicking them off an chasing kids down barefoot instead. I tell you, put his trike and Sawyer together and he rides off with the wind and me at his heels, trying to make it to where I know not, outside of our own cul-de-sac.
Teasings, gigglings, and cute smirks make him most love-able though.
The single method I've found to keep Sawyer still is home videos.
This is usually how Sawyer waits for dad to come home after work, and
sometimes he'll watch for me in the window when I've gone for a long run.
This day was unique. We must have had morning errands and he was so tired
by the time we got to lunch he nodded right off.
 |
| Taking all the credit for adding some peanut-butter flavor to the sauce for stuffing. |
Acrillic paint, buttermilk syrup, cheerios, and yogurt are best for mess!
These pictures will embarrass him someday, but a dolls tutu makes a hilarious hat!
Monday, November 30, 2015
Sights on Boston
Oh the rigors of marathon training. 5-6 days per week, 5:00 AM mornings, from the end of July to the beginning of November. I hate it, I love it. It's that kind of relationship.
This year my training felt totally different than before. Last time for nearly every run I had a running buddy. My morning runs had been my social time of the day. This time the majority of my runs were solo, just me and the darkness. So I ran fast. When I got scared I ran really fast and I held my MACE at ready. There were a couple instances when I got spooked. One of those times was a morning when I left home before 5AM for a 10+ mile run. I hadn't gotten more than a mile from home before I noticed a car creeping behind me. Glancing back at it I watched the car pull into a driveway. I turned down a neighboring street and the car was soon behind me again, staying just behind me. "What the..?" I did an about-face, threw my hands up in the air, and was about to shout out and I saw... newspaper, only a girl throwing newspapers. She about gave me a heart attack. :/ (Which is why I now have Bruce... he will be my added protection when the next marathon rolls along.)
About once a week I did run with Nicolina. I was so grateful for those days! Grateful for socializing, safety, and for how it made that run feel so much shorter. Nicolina signed up to run Richmond also and we were in it together.
My favorite day by far for training was Saturday! Because on Saturday I could sleep until 5:30, leave on my run at 6:00, and see the sun rise! I usually bumped my scheduled Friday long runs to Saturdays, and though they were the longest of my runs I'd feel exhilarated. I was always caught up in the beauty surrounding me on my run! I guess because normally all I saw was the beam from my headlight shining on the dark pavement, the Fall colors in the morning light seemed unreal! Awe, gratitude, and wonder were always my feelings toward God's creation, and then I'd smile, rise, and fold into a sun salutation. It's my favorite way to start a 20 mile run.
\
This year my training felt totally different than before. Last time for nearly every run I had a running buddy. My morning runs had been my social time of the day. This time the majority of my runs were solo, just me and the darkness. So I ran fast. When I got scared I ran really fast and I held my MACE at ready. There were a couple instances when I got spooked. One of those times was a morning when I left home before 5AM for a 10+ mile run. I hadn't gotten more than a mile from home before I noticed a car creeping behind me. Glancing back at it I watched the car pull into a driveway. I turned down a neighboring street and the car was soon behind me again, staying just behind me. "What the..?" I did an about-face, threw my hands up in the air, and was about to shout out and I saw... newspaper, only a girl throwing newspapers. She about gave me a heart attack. :/ (Which is why I now have Bruce... he will be my added protection when the next marathon rolls along.)
About once a week I did run with Nicolina. I was so grateful for those days! Grateful for socializing, safety, and for how it made that run feel so much shorter. Nicolina signed up to run Richmond also and we were in it together.
My favorite day by far for training was Saturday! Because on Saturday I could sleep until 5:30, leave on my run at 6:00, and see the sun rise! I usually bumped my scheduled Friday long runs to Saturdays, and though they were the longest of my runs I'd feel exhilarated. I was always caught up in the beauty surrounding me on my run! I guess because normally all I saw was the beam from my headlight shining on the dark pavement, the Fall colors in the morning light seemed unreal! Awe, gratitude, and wonder were always my feelings toward God's creation, and then I'd smile, rise, and fold into a sun salutation. It's my favorite way to start a 20 mile run.
\ |
| I started joking that the only reason I was running is for the caffeine in the GU! Addicted. |
Saturday, October 31, 2015
No Disguise Needed for Cutest Kids. Halloween
Halloween crept upon our home unfurling a Ninja turtle, vampire, SWAT cop, crazed monkey... Ballerina, Dorothy, and Doc McStuffins. These costumes disguised the cutest kids. We added a few to the crew... The Clayton's were visiting from Richmond, spending their last Virginia days with us before moving west to Washington state. They are about as far away from us now as one can get, we sure are going to miss them! How fun for us to spend the holiday weekend with the Clayton's!
Halloween, in all truth, is not my favorite holiday, but the kids sure love it. It marks the biggest candy day of the year. Though my kids don't trick-or-treat extensively, they still wind up with large bags full of sugar (which we promptly give away). I do look forward to our ward's chili cook-off and Trunk-or-Treat, dinner in a pumpkin, and the unveiling of ghost cake(!!.. cornbread).
Jill is our wonderful photographer!:
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| Counting up suckers ;) |
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