tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48287025749895792732024-02-06T21:09:35.733-08:00crazywith3One crazy family of 5 living and working in the Pacific Northwest.pterzianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04592085879386543586noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828702574989579273.post-17258938479696699872010-12-13T14:06:00.000-08:002010-12-13T14:06:39.179-08:00Finding Their PassionNow that our oldest child is 7 and our youngest will be entering the big K next year, our lives are busier than ever. If you have kids I'm sure you can relate. The weekends fill up fast without consciously blocking time out. Even the after school and evening times seem to fill quickly with activities, school meetings, fundraisers, and other related events. I hear parents talk about their busy family schedules and I cringe.<br />
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This weekend we experienced our first music recital. I had to use every ounce of self control to keep myself from crying (even when the other kids played). It may have been the pride in the eyes of these little people as they performed their masterpiece. More likely it was the sheer gratification, that the many Tuesday afternoons spent trying to entertain the little siblings at the music center while their big brother attended his lesson, were worth the excitement and joy in his eyes on the day of this first performance. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-m-EbzswNP7FW8_qtpoT5S8WX2UFqYFaf-TXUbxRpZ1yJAdR-pPv-MLvNsvqHJKp4834fx9rkONQHjpjo-fF194jPOTddD4WRG5I9guqk9u2Ykgl6TmogQ6-mNLuHY6y4U2nU-ohw8Jo7/s1600/img_0770.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-m-EbzswNP7FW8_qtpoT5S8WX2UFqYFaf-TXUbxRpZ1yJAdR-pPv-MLvNsvqHJKp4834fx9rkONQHjpjo-fF194jPOTddD4WRG5I9guqk9u2Ykgl6TmogQ6-mNLuHY6y4U2nU-ohw8Jo7/s320/img_0770.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
Sadly, these initial feelings of parental joy and pride were quickly followed by a panicked thought. What if they all want to do this? Music, sports, social outings, how do two working parents make this happen for 3 children? How do you even find time to give them the opportunity to try the activities that may become their passion? What if I'm missing the chance right now to introduce one to something that could be their hidden talent?<br />
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I hate seeing kids whisked from one activity to the next with little or no time to reflect on the experiences of the day before moving on to the next commitment. Yet having been a young dedicated athlete myself, I struggle with the desire to give my kids the same kind of satisfaction, growth, and sense of personal achievement which I gained from years of swim practices and weekend meets. Is it possible to give this kind of experience without over scheduling your kid's life? And if so, how do you give equal amounts of attention and sacrifice for all of your kids without the whole family going mad?pterzianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04592085879386543586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828702574989579273.post-88570507040614676372010-11-08T13:52:00.000-08:002010-11-08T13:52:53.315-08:00Balance doesn't exist...does it?I should win an award for <i><span style="font-family: inherit;">World's Most Inconsistent Blogger</span></i>. In all of the October whirlwind, I couldn't find the time (or desire) one one day to write. I'm okay with this. Life is busy, very busy in fact! So busy, that in the back of my head all month was this question: is it really possible to be balanced? And if so, what does that mean?<br />
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The month of October was full of activities, responsibilities, and deadlines. Between an increased work schedule, moving, school, and everything in between, sometimes I'd find myself asking "what kind of nut-job puts so much on their plate?" The question of course is ME. Friends would say "wow, how do you balance it all?", or "why do you do that to yourself" or "you really have your hands full". I was starting to second guess my own sanity.<br />
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I would fall asleep pondering questions of balance and the realities and perceptions of working moms. Am I seen as a mom who has no balance in her life? Do my kids see that in me? Do I see that in myself? And perhaps more importantly; what is this elusive thing people call balance?<br />
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You can't find a definition of <i>life </i>balance in the dictionary. So I'm making up my own. In doing so, I decided that life balance cant be established with any sort of scale, it's different for each person, and when you think you've achieved it, life changes. It always changes. Balance for me is feeling fulfilled, contributing meaningfully to my family and to my community, doing things I love, feeling challenged doing those things, continuing to learn, and still having time to enjoy it all.<br />
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Because I love lists, and because I didn't know how to evaluate my own sense of balance without looking at my own experience with it, I decided to record my Balance History.<br />
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<u><b>MY BALANCE HISTORY (or lack thereof)</b></u><br />
<ul><li>Before I had kids I worked full-time, and had lots of fun when I wasn't working. I felt balanced.</li>
<li>I had a child, worked full-time, commuted into work, tried to maintain a social life. I felt balanced...until I didn't. </li>
<li>I had a second child, quit my job, became a stay-at-home mom. I love it. I felt balanced, but something was missing.</li>
<li> Started my own home business of making and selling handcrafted baby items, sold every weekend at the Portland Saturday Market, felt balanced.</li>
<li>Got pregnant with 3rd child, felt unbalanced...quick the market...balance regained.</li>
<li>Had a baby, continued to stay at home. Still loved it. Felt balanced (most of the time). </li>
<li>Settled into my role as a mom of 3 but something was missing....oh balance. </li>
</ul>When my youngest turned one, I started working again. I started with just a few hours a week and over the last year and 1/2 have tripled those hours. I've surprised myself by learning to manage all of the responsibilities. And guess what, I feel balanced. I love my kids, and I love my job, and I love all of the other things I do that make me me. I may look unbalanced, but for me this is balance. It's busy, it's challenging, I feel good about the work I do at home, at my job, and in my community. And I take time to enjoy it.<br />
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Of course I couldn't do it without help. And to maintain balance is knowing that it will change. Tomorrow is a different day. Tomorrow, I may have more work, or more laundry, or I may have a little one who needs more snuggles. I go with the flow, ride the days as they come and try always to remain flexible. I'm no different from other mothers (working or not), balance is what we do. In various ways, with various influences, we all play the balancing act. And we all hope tomorrow is as good as today or better. <br />
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And November brings me something to be thankful for: rest.pterzianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04592085879386543586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828702574989579273.post-84802901394425099962010-09-16T15:46:00.000-07:002010-09-16T15:46:38.611-07:00Nature's ToysOwen has always loved to collect, sort, categorize small objects. For a while it was cars. Then it was coins (this is actually still a favorite). But over the summer he developed a real love for rocks.<br />
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Owen may even have a greater appreciation for the many colors, shapes, textures, and sizes that rocks come in, than his father...who happens to be a Geologist. <br />
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He can spend hours hunting rocks. Everywhere we go he has an eye looking out for the perfect specimen. Rocks seem to fill every space in our house. <br />
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They fill empty shoe boxes, Tupperware containers, little cloth pouches, baskets, and even in his bed. They're on my counters, tables and desks. He even has his own rock identification book that he likes to browse when not playing with the real thing. <br />
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Nature finding it's way into our house is nothing new. There are often sticks, seeds, nuts, and once a pet slug, that frequent our home, but nothing quite as prolific as Owens rocks. Recently after finding a sock filled with small rocks I made him pick his 5 favorite of all the rocks in his room and return the rest to the yard. It took him nearly 20 minutes to decide on which ones he wanted to keep. This has become a weekly routine (usually after recovering from the pain of stepping on a lone rock and the blast of resulting profanity) I help Owen picks his favorites and return the rest back to their waiting spot outside. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioS2u5a3yGB-g9SV6ebDLcGP2fK-fYgmNe9X7Rw9nWAszv4TOJBXOXQABZOAx62euT2q30ef32AL28_CJWYciLMPW89tqnukFVn9pDXTUx2nRA8FwJgI9OUH-TWS_aJhEfPKcxW0yjRfL2/s1600/img_0451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioS2u5a3yGB-g9SV6ebDLcGP2fK-fYgmNe9X7Rw9nWAszv4TOJBXOXQABZOAx62euT2q30ef32AL28_CJWYciLMPW89tqnukFVn9pDXTUx2nRA8FwJgI9OUH-TWS_aJhEfPKcxW0yjRfL2/s400/img_0451.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yesterday as I was making dinner I thought I heard Owen calling for me. I made my way over to the bedroom door and realized that he wasn't talking to me. He had 3 rocks, with he was using as toy people. He had a whole story he was acting out with these three rocks. They were talking to each other, riding bikes, and building a house. It's not uncommon to find scenes like this around the house: </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF1HcLyUTLkvIafL50mT9RlFcRC43GAznn9crLoZzDJq_O1KkqHHl3b3ZTK2MJoVPT4SIk2daP0HrbQZ0EYP4eAvEx0Xw5t6X8Ff9uWWFmhjeR3krhUtlGKgwUfi3rILgQwW7M5vG0LwbK/s1600/img_0453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF1HcLyUTLkvIafL50mT9RlFcRC43GAznn9crLoZzDJq_O1KkqHHl3b3ZTK2MJoVPT4SIk2daP0HrbQZ0EYP4eAvEx0Xw5t6X8Ff9uWWFmhjeR3krhUtlGKgwUfi3rILgQwW7M5vG0LwbK/s400/img_0453.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><br />
I look around the room our boys share, at the abundance of toys and games, and cant help but chuckle in realizing that the ones which seem to offer the most pleasure are not manufactured or purchased. They don't make noise or move by themselves. The ones that seem to make the best companions on a rainy fall day are those, like Owen's precious rocks, which open their imagination so large that their are no limits to what the game or story can offer.<br />
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Who knows what the next favorite will be, but today I reslish in simple statements like this:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"> "mom, feel this one" <i>as he rubs it on my cheek</i> "I love this smoothy shiny rock!"</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvNBCrEdMXOysyDH4DehtUW9NWndiQnsb8Yk1Lhdq73tAIVkObwHkxhWm7fgJ3KfgiYD1ChIowzBa4po16A-Cl3FFxGCbyiAVX_HGRXhnQlLlyKtC-SHAXjeS7g48K0xkTe06feqcqtS_V/s1600/img_0461.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvNBCrEdMXOysyDH4DehtUW9NWndiQnsb8Yk1Lhdq73tAIVkObwHkxhWm7fgJ3KfgiYD1ChIowzBa4po16A-Cl3FFxGCbyiAVX_HGRXhnQlLlyKtC-SHAXjeS7g48K0xkTe06feqcqtS_V/s400/img_0461.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>pterzianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04592085879386543586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828702574989579273.post-18216867472389478652010-09-06T17:00:00.000-07:002010-09-06T17:00:11.133-07:00What makes a home?After having our house listed for the last two months, I'm more than relieved to have a sale pending. When you work from home, have 3 children, a messy husband, a wild dog, and 4 chickens in the backyard, preparing your house for a showing on any given day feels like going into a surprise battle. Even hiring a cleaning lady to come every other week didn't seem to make a dent.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGFVBphrNVrsxnlaPKNJgjrEtUUF5G5lbyFdwuqiVXmYA2jCWtaqsMbMemN3gl4VsdiZ3Sg2mDp1kTXfa_UPthSa27E-0bt0zgByTTA6uqhSsYz4HbXMUjq6lbg49uEaY1jnokUoFlTwek/s1600/front_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGFVBphrNVrsxnlaPKNJgjrEtUUF5G5lbyFdwuqiVXmYA2jCWtaqsMbMemN3gl4VsdiZ3Sg2mDp1kTXfa_UPthSa27E-0bt0zgByTTA6uqhSsYz4HbXMUjq6lbg49uEaY1jnokUoFlTwek/s320/front_001.jpg" /></a>Our pending sale will be brief, leaving us to find a suitable temporary replacement for the three months before our new home is ready. If I thought selling the house was hard, I had no idea the challenges that would ensue in looking for a temporary substitute. Who knew that dogs under 25 lbs. were more rent worthy than a dog over 25 lbs.? Not I. Also, finding someone willing to rent to us for a short 3 - 4 month lease has proved even more difficult. And, it seems like whenever we find something perfect we're faced with another conundrum. How will our Nanny get across the river to us by bike, how can we get the kids to school and back with without making people drive all over the city all day (one son is in full day and one in 1/2 day at two different schools), and how can we keep our kids from destroying someone's home, which has clearly proved impossible in our own?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHXpJ5NpMijPF42RaeEJJ9z1ZuTntoB3DRItn-zlVL8Rv6meRshSm3OnXB1U9oveYqI9zLHqCDXRT87Bo4wmswRZ-Tu7DufQBVHS7vbrr7jIyoQjMpLMSfDw4HBAiwXeewja12Lg3f_V4/s1600/bedone1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHXpJ5NpMijPF42RaeEJJ9z1ZuTntoB3DRItn-zlVL8Rv6meRshSm3OnXB1U9oveYqI9zLHqCDXRT87Bo4wmswRZ-Tu7DufQBVHS7vbrr7jIyoQjMpLMSfDw4HBAiwXeewja12Lg3f_V4/s320/bedone1.jpg" /></a> I find myself pondering my irrational attachment to my belongings. Id like to believe I'm not <i>that </i>materialistic and that I could live minimally if needed (but then again if that were true we probably wouldn't be seeking out a larger dwelling for our family). So, as I think about what I could live without for 3 months and what I cannot, I'm surprised at how difficult a task it is. Apparently my belongings ground me in a way which I didn't fully appreciate before.<br />
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<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And this house I was eager to move away from? Well, I can't help but feel sad about leaving it. We've lived in this home for 6 years, had 2 of our children here, said goodbye to our old dog, raised 2 broods of chicken, created new family traditions, adopted a new dog, and made many good friends. If this experience teaches us anything I suppose it will be that home is where we make it, where we can be together, and where we can make new memories. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgP5Ync5_hVc06on7hoWRu96iUuT13JQOYr4ld1TSkmAPlpzbPxI2svkLKH-w8PmUrD6JFRVdYdQDCaaTsNoLmsAH52amH9yAnfTPpQtJ-vw2QthCZ6N_9LcPv9j433K_kakWBZC8Kinx/s400/bed2_000.jpg" width="400" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhMGMHOq7N0ExuP0DOZVPwFl34QI-w_9AKaHFDrAU3NHBhdR-b_Cu3DoI4AyCpSv3Lq8-2yWfjb40_yd2lHcR9ugxUbKCcKX_FbqiJTlhCopX0IAVcy9P1CDW8FRLm_wr-7-0UFdbRimO/s1600/kitchen1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhMGMHOq7N0ExuP0DOZVPwFl34QI-w_9AKaHFDrAU3NHBhdR-b_Cu3DoI4AyCpSv3Lq8-2yWfjb40_yd2lHcR9ugxUbKCcKX_FbqiJTlhCopX0IAVcy9P1CDW8FRLm_wr-7-0UFdbRimO/s400/kitchen1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7uPv0_SDF1BjkQjJA2nsFA2CsVIx2CzPnHRdDbQTNNyXGr21I5-hAqhcqP1GHNffv2p4Sf-y7DF913Cy8wlkLj33Enhc3rWf_hamdP9MZRvosi_GabofYeUdsfrd4v2KCAPx9pNYafnZm/s1600/back2web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7uPv0_SDF1BjkQjJA2nsFA2CsVIx2CzPnHRdDbQTNNyXGr21I5-hAqhcqP1GHNffv2p4Sf-y7DF913Cy8wlkLj33Enhc3rWf_hamdP9MZRvosi_GabofYeUdsfrd4v2KCAPx9pNYafnZm/s400/back2web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>pterzianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04592085879386543586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828702574989579273.post-63253484291794821562010-09-01T23:22:00.000-07:002010-09-02T14:11:15.856-07:00Where did summer go?I'm in denial. Despite all of the talk, emails, school parent gatherings, pre-school year picnics, home visits by teachers, and the early fall rain washing dust off my windows, I was still somewhat shocked to look at my calendar and realize that with school starting in less than a week, summer is coming to an end. What an amazing summer it's been for our family. We have been so busy this summer that I've hardly had time to reflect on all of our travels and adventures. Here's the run-down of my top ten:<br />
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1. Celebrated little Maeve's 2nd birthday! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVECev8Ur6E7JuDcsjdjJBJbB0DXgByaXOMYiKyWicRidzyU904NM78TjUlCmGbcyc976BQg6MdenJBqZDqrw-jHZfM5Mm1_h5jp0Mj8WNAvfzcSeAbZZW3IWcLErLMVBqjH26-465Ysid/s1600/100_3959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVECev8Ur6E7JuDcsjdjJBJbB0DXgByaXOMYiKyWicRidzyU904NM78TjUlCmGbcyc976BQg6MdenJBqZDqrw-jHZfM5Mm1_h5jp0Mj8WNAvfzcSeAbZZW3IWcLErLMVBqjH26-465Ysid/s320/100_3959.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF1CbZlUs7vFa43y6aeN0UNaB-0qU_0vVSbFcC-OGehlRm4TugAivxM2KyuYAiCi48eMHoK-TlQ7tw1wH-0Hh6fj5hoJHAoof7RHi9Kch-mqwPoQ9_5smIaUzQpyT_IxBd9RUOoOyjo3Go/s1600/100_3989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF1CbZlUs7vFa43y6aeN0UNaB-0qU_0vVSbFcC-OGehlRm4TugAivxM2KyuYAiCi48eMHoK-TlQ7tw1wH-0Hh6fj5hoJHAoof7RHi9Kch-mqwPoQ9_5smIaUzQpyT_IxBd9RUOoOyjo3Go/s320/100_3989.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJskVg_i6nsVDBLnFm9yavNkbRqVx2v0fIyte3X67sLWU-Gn-NsVG1WflD-vfJsHUJYIyopEfPH6dxfxGhQvguTk6OWCZ4VjTjGbLslxuXOLh9zpUDnI5ooTYGZB1fBsSE1LsoTojTFiyG/s1600/100_3985.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJskVg_i6nsVDBLnFm9yavNkbRqVx2v0fIyte3X67sLWU-Gn-NsVG1WflD-vfJsHUJYIyopEfPH6dxfxGhQvguTk6OWCZ4VjTjGbLslxuXOLh9zpUDnI5ooTYGZB1fBsSE1LsoTojTFiyG/s320/100_3985.jpg" /></a></div><br />
2. Explored DC with my sisters and Mom before attending a a conference for work<br />
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3.Frolicked in the sun<br />
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4. Worked Silpada style at the Old Time Fair in West Linn with good friend Erin<br />
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5. Biked in the Sunday Parkways<br />
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6. Attended the Silpada National Conference and had an amazing time!<br />
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7. Celebrated O's 4th Birthday<br />
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8. Traveled to Michigan and enjoyed time with our family<br />
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9. Put the house on the market and tried desperately to keep the plums picked up off the ground<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3um7VDFdcVsDB77Dsxlc14dXSI4IE6eeRvolUEVSTGuHPg_4YIdnOW0TiPgpZd-ZCkTMv1uopd13dsKlOvnDCy9pjN2inViAvWpH6U1k2z-R48gi32c-hWX0hRMxxZxkULZbpKstIU9Oh/s1600/img_0325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3um7VDFdcVsDB77Dsxlc14dXSI4IE6eeRvolUEVSTGuHPg_4YIdnOW0TiPgpZd-ZCkTMv1uopd13dsKlOvnDCy9pjN2inViAvWpH6U1k2z-R48gi32c-hWX0hRMxxZxkULZbpKstIU9Oh/s320/img_0325.jpg" /></a></div>9. Celebrated Sip 'N Silpada at the Blackbird Wine Shop<br />
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10. Jumped with joy at the arrival of the first egg from our 4 new hens<br />
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This afternoon Owen asked me "mom, where did summer go?" I guess summer is on vacation I replied. <br />
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Back to school, sports, indoor activities, rain, falling leaves, wool sweaters, wet days at the park...and hopefully a few more sunny ones.pterzianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04592085879386543586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828702574989579273.post-68154944813713342392010-08-25T15:42:00.000-07:002010-09-02T14:12:48.083-07:00He's a Rockstar!My son is a rockstar. Seriously. I don't just say this because I think he's smart and funny and super cute (all of which of course he is). Our bright little 6 year old has always been a charmer, but lately we're seeing a side of him that's pretty...well...rockin. On two different occasions, while visiting our friends who have a band of instruments set up in their basement, Elliot took to the microphone like he was born to perform. He directed the musicians, and laid down some lyrics off the top of his head that were incredible. <br />
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It started with his first time in front of the microphone and the "Candy" song that ensued. Take a look.<br />
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Then there was a second visit that resulted in this little performance. I think the thing that blows me away the most is his ability to come up with rhyming lyrics as he goes!<br />
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Finally, here's his most recent performance in front of quite a crowd of adults and kids. It's a little grainy but you'll get the picture.<br />
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So the question is, how do you encourage your child's natural "rockstar" talent appropriately?pterzianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04592085879386543586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828702574989579273.post-10753736772706759802010-08-15T15:02:00.000-07:002010-09-02T14:14:06.205-07:00This Crazy Family TravelsI have always loved to travel. There's nothing more exciting than hitting the road (or air) and landing somewhere new! Adventure has always been a pleasure of mine. In fact, when I imagined myself with a family I envisions trips around the world, weeks of backpacking in the greater outdoors, and exploring new lands and cultures. Fast forward many years, and 3 kids later, and I find it hard to make it to the local park let alone camping or overseas treks.<br /><br />This summer, with our house on the market (and my inability to maintain the order necessary for showings), we thought it would be a great time to travel with the kids to our home town in Michigan for a little R & R with the family.<br /><br />It started with a two-leg plan trip from Pdx to Detroit through Denver. After lugging 3 suitcases, 2 carry-on kids cases, 2 laptop bags, one diaper bag, 3 car seats and a jogging stroller from the economy parking lot via shuttle to the terminal I was already exhausted!<br /><br />Once I plane I could finally start to relax. Normally a family who heavily limits screen time, Elliot was most excited to have unlimited access to movies and his Leapster on the plane!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisPUioYsVMzgo7w2i6btqhAG97PuAmflvjircrv5TY3DGfohIsk_k0EJTVK3iIUA6mW9RsLJEiQDuoOryLcKL5I8gTZXViQBmckdWRBYUgfLwe2SHBioWhTcM1J30UgU5PcX96jth6mQPl/s1600/img_0179.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisPUioYsVMzgo7w2i6btqhAG97PuAmflvjircrv5TY3DGfohIsk_k0EJTVK3iIUA6mW9RsLJEiQDuoOryLcKL5I8gTZXViQBmckdWRBYUgfLwe2SHBioWhTcM1J30UgU5PcX96jth6mQPl/s320/img_0179.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505766217246851074" border="0" /></a>Michigan was HOT...seriously hot...and humid. But we didn't let that stop us.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qoJrkdPm-RrKc4lnhRnOFoljGo8AtqChaxSDF4C2XOPVc34RzzQ8RisySNcKKg89FIJrZ2KPqCnZhwGsS2zSMnm-R8DK2kXmt3yigk61SKltFjsG0BjV6T2PCJVVwLaXvT2C8Jt4Gxjj/s1600/img_0238.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qoJrkdPm-RrKc4lnhRnOFoljGo8AtqChaxSDF4C2XOPVc34RzzQ8RisySNcKKg89FIJrZ2KPqCnZhwGsS2zSMnm-R8DK2kXmt3yigk61SKltFjsG0BjV6T2PCJVVwLaXvT2C8Jt4Gxjj/s320/img_0238.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505767801611353202" border="0" /></a><br />One day my mom and I took all of the oldest kiddos to the movies! Of course I spent most of the time escorting people to the bathroom and delivering popcorn, but at least we were in the air conditioning!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSslkMNnBI9EFx5ryWavixYy9iCIHAOOMcXc4TytmJFFBOjmrs-5YWO7p5_UB837odSHd9_ZxC0N8lX2YUmpvsauvfAMKt97PNezZH09GztTVr0RfjFIcjW6cD9md3vmudFZNSwW2EXkGV/s1600/img_0228.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSslkMNnBI9EFx5ryWavixYy9iCIHAOOMcXc4TytmJFFBOjmrs-5YWO7p5_UB837odSHd9_ZxC0N8lX2YUmpvsauvfAMKt97PNezZH09GztTVr0RfjFIcjW6cD9md3vmudFZNSwW2EXkGV/s320/img_0228.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505767789339576866" border="0" /></a><br />At Greenfield Village Elliot got to make candles, and be a printing apprentice.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThKumsg1V6WeY-EDcZNrsXofCnCH0XATYsTOl9le8HhlmDmPTI379s9FbqY4qqp3ShhTA_Js-5zUgyKBao25AmPyIIXS3FxSMqHjak8x1js-J3TxRenLP8g8LvkkaiBEmf-Owla75nmae/s1600/img_0251.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThKumsg1V6WeY-EDcZNrsXofCnCH0XATYsTOl9le8HhlmDmPTI379s9FbqY4qqp3ShhTA_Js-5zUgyKBao25AmPyIIXS3FxSMqHjak8x1js-J3TxRenLP8g8LvkkaiBEmf-Owla75nmae/s320/img_0251.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505767785535452866" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQIpQzKVne6IidPAl3oNlVfTA5WVs078QDu52f8XcOOZ2-YmzZpFoQCIL03MvV3BgspPuvcnBW_sof93Vn-soQuRFUBBwNAejjcAkrss36zobxUKLKai45rjtW0a6VUhKusWGEx_nHenS/s1600/img_0269.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQIpQzKVne6IidPAl3oNlVfTA5WVs078QDu52f8XcOOZ2-YmzZpFoQCIL03MvV3BgspPuvcnBW_sof93Vn-soQuRFUBBwNAejjcAkrss36zobxUKLKai45rjtW0a6VUhKusWGEx_nHenS/s320/img_0269.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505770613750336450" border="0" /></a><br />And Owen was thrilled for the train ride and real Round House.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZOxWZCsYbXbBgSXOxWXlAXp2LNk3PO3Lu_bVnFKuRnO0HS-Hu8G_g2bsUyBhJYWo3-vzm-_Dwtf-DMBbPU-PZWtyRl2JPn7yasDwoTsDZUg1NYCM0G093OiyimkbzxqfQhR8s5rhmdIq/s1600/img_0236.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZOxWZCsYbXbBgSXOxWXlAXp2LNk3PO3Lu_bVnFKuRnO0HS-Hu8G_g2bsUyBhJYWo3-vzm-_Dwtf-DMBbPU-PZWtyRl2JPn7yasDwoTsDZUg1NYCM0G093OiyimkbzxqfQhR8s5rhmdIq/s320/img_0236.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505770607522630402" border="0" /></a><br />Clearly I was having fun. I was so hot and this frozen cherry-dipped custard cone was the bomb. Or at least most of it was, apparently my eyes were a bit bigger than my stomach.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRhSPIbRq4tXqcvwW_DJ0N16ivM2pOJurNAPAj3nxCwX71qeQftrMh9rec0GnY0KLt1JaWLIlNem9N8QdenGFXJsP9cs3HswF6_Cp2LHiS4f2NwmvTjIeFAyeyc7cJJt_1XlSQ8ddssBU/s1600/img_0272.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRhSPIbRq4tXqcvwW_DJ0N16ivM2pOJurNAPAj3nxCwX71qeQftrMh9rec0GnY0KLt1JaWLIlNem9N8QdenGFXJsP9cs3HswF6_Cp2LHiS4f2NwmvTjIeFAyeyc7cJJt_1XlSQ8ddssBU/s320/img_0272.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505767808166282450" border="0" /></a><br />The best part was seeing the kids have such a great time with their cousins.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldshxuwM7ZeO3ptucT6eOgMppJjLG8PDWdp1KRTlbOZwJU1VwtvGcM3CF1JIHw-_ixGUmekyFhJlR8e69NlFudfdaKEUoJRXddkMSDCLDaQTYzTSH8shotlX3LGbUrLR0NC5aOKIQ5Av5/s1600/img_0298.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldshxuwM7ZeO3ptucT6eOgMppJjLG8PDWdp1KRTlbOZwJU1VwtvGcM3CF1JIHw-_ixGUmekyFhJlR8e69NlFudfdaKEUoJRXddkMSDCLDaQTYzTSH8shotlX3LGbUrLR0NC5aOKIQ5Av5/s320/img_0298.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505767835449222754" border="0" /></a>We were sad to say goodbye and head home after a fun filled trip.<br /><br />The flight home was horrendous. More begging to get seats together on the plane, and a middle of the night lay over with the kids made me wish I had a prescription for Xanax. But by far the worst part was having all three kids crying hysterically for the last 30 minutes of our descent into Portland. When everyone else on the plane was deboarding, our most dramatic 6 year kept crying out "I need a wheel chair, I need a wheel chair". The flight crew was more than a little irritated as we finally managed to usher all of the kids off the plan and into the gate area. We were the last ones of off! Ugh.<br /><br />Waking up this morning was brutal. Why it's so much harder to travel back from, rather than to the Eastern time zone, I will never understand. After picking up bagels for breakfast, Dennis took Elliot to pick up the dog from our friends house. Our friend had reported that the dog had some accidents (which he's never done to us) , but that he was otherwise having a great time. Since he was out this morning he left the door open for Dennis to get the dog. You can only imagine how pleased Dennis was to find a huge poop on the floor there when he arrived. After cleaning up, leaving $40 (and a note offering assistance) for a carpet cleaner, as well as a lovely thank you gift certificate, Dennis and the dog returned home. Within two minutes, the dog stole Dennis' sandwich of the kitchen table. WELCOME HOME!<br /><br />Back to the real world! Work, keeping the house up, and lots of laundry and sleeping to catch up on!<br /><br />Here are just a few reflections from our trip as a family of 5:<br /><ol><li>Book your family flights directly through the airline and not with some discount online program. Otherwise getting seats together is ridiculous.<br /></li><li>Always bring your bathing suit when traveling to a warm climate in the middle of the summer (Dennis!)<br /></li><li>Get real when packing! I could have forgone many items which took up a lot of room (sweatshirts for 5...ahhh). Though I did get to show off all of my fabulous new Silpada jewels!</li><li>Frozen custard is very filling</li><li>There is a thing called a heat index...don't look at, it will only depress you.</li><li>Nothing is better than diving into a cool pool on summer vacation!</li><li>Be careful who you leave your pets with when your away (if you want to keep your friends that is).<br /></li></ol>How do you travel with kids? Does it ever get easier?pterzianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04592085879386543586noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828702574989579273.post-55820567914479626292010-08-03T12:31:00.000-07:002010-08-03T13:11:04.187-07:00Diva PackingThe new Silpada catalog just came out and as an Independent Rep, of course I had to get my hands on some of the newest pieces! They're amazing by the way. But, I'm quickly realizing this new business of mine has created an unexpected quandary. What's a girl to do when this is just some of the jewelry she wants to bring across the country with her?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQ5ue5xwnBJXt255VeTtZUubIQAWgqZ35-cx9q12hIakQwgzEPZAp4FZ1fODVpsj5qgMqobZkmeHl9HR0_G4DsOviCZIFw_Fsv2mMlV_-KxFVxZFS-BXYIMaUbgrNTW3coBEebSMpaCC3/s1600/img_0155.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 434px; height: 324px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQ5ue5xwnBJXt255VeTtZUubIQAWgqZ35-cx9q12hIakQwgzEPZAp4FZ1fODVpsj5qgMqobZkmeHl9HR0_G4DsOviCZIFw_Fsv2mMlV_-KxFVxZFS-BXYIMaUbgrNTW3coBEebSMpaCC3/s320/img_0155.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501270918042731298" border="0" /></a><br />Before my life with Silpada (when I'm pretty sure I was still wearing jewelry I purchased at Grateful Dead concerts in high school), traveling with my precious jewels was pretty easy. Necklace? Check. Ring? Check. One or two pairs of earrings? Check. It all fit together nicely in one little package which is maybe 3 x 4 inches.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizkfRL3_AQGqikkyTKhMoQrChn54P6Yl6OEPTMrs8lOvslCG5H18PtIjOM8_faDR1VHEpee2LfoNuqU9vd5F6Q8SCOAmFlKjWGRkTLqVbsjGtjDM78aCJdXdUZR0hXxyTvOT7H2J62Ihqk/s1600/img_0152.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizkfRL3_AQGqikkyTKhMoQrChn54P6Yl6OEPTMrs8lOvslCG5H18PtIjOM8_faDR1VHEpee2LfoNuqU9vd5F6Q8SCOAmFlKjWGRkTLqVbsjGtjDM78aCJdXdUZR0hXxyTvOT7H2J62Ihqk/s320/img_0152.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501271808108118610" border="0" /></a>My first business trip after aquiring all of my amazing new jewelry lead me on a search for something a little more practical for carrying the ammount of jewelry I now felt compelled to wear on any given day or week. It was tough finding something large enough, but finally landed on what I affectionately called "big green". My husband seemed disturbed that I needed to pack that much jewelry for one week away, and I have to admit I was a little concerned myself when I dropped it into my carry-on bag and realized how heavy it was! Wow, being a Diva requires great strength!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92QnKy_u_wJvSMFNDcRAK5mrdpA1U3i0nYRCTZj-eqxri_A_8Xy17zKxd_5N3h50UPZN0oEjOdFYtTcT3dLDrz-iOuIy0GvMtj6MqG_V2h4fpNMWogrV0EiuhEP-TBQKnqTm__m2Qvwl0/s1600/img_0153.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92QnKy_u_wJvSMFNDcRAK5mrdpA1U3i0nYRCTZj-eqxri_A_8Xy17zKxd_5N3h50UPZN0oEjOdFYtTcT3dLDrz-iOuIy0GvMtj6MqG_V2h4fpNMWogrV0EiuhEP-TBQKnqTm__m2Qvwl0/s320/img_0153.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501272553410203570" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-wS_iIVx7XcRO8CDfYS4olk050yi1UZytO0VWPwd1BaWEE9xR6KnReAkxh_GDksr-7DIkf2E5k6NolOQVLAkN1yZFECJ7DqVQcWaGXAY4jH3xA80QBRu1X4mS9-kOM1gQLwATEXQK5MUv/s1600/img_0154.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-wS_iIVx7XcRO8CDfYS4olk050yi1UZytO0VWPwd1BaWEE9xR6KnReAkxh_GDksr-7DIkf2E5k6NolOQVLAkN1yZFECJ7DqVQcWaGXAY4jH3xA80QBRu1X4mS9-kOM1gQLwATEXQK5MUv/s320/img_0154.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501272653575794626" border="0" /></a>But perhaps, what is most disturbing is that I quickly realized that "big green" just wasn't cutting it. The compartments were too large, necklaces would tangle, earrings would slip out, rings would get swallowed up only to be found after returning home. And most problematic...it still wasn't fitting everything I wanted to bring.<br /><br />Now perhaps this wouldn't be quite a problem if I was the kind of person that could carefully pick out a few signature pieces that would go with many outfits, or pick out specific pieces and match them with specific outfits. But I'm more of a throw it all in the suitcase and see what happens. I never know what I want to wear before the morning I put it on!<br /><br />So, you can imagine how thrilled I was when I found this baby at the Silpada Conference.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAraf2uYoOVyqWjtBi4zVZ6vdvRWOaIrChdeQRXzJBvhl78osLkeHzs2ywGfzVbnfW_6jt2OdnnWIiDrTQHklzpE5-A2Y5qTrUETiRkW_F2e2Jtp83l1WDvgY0N73LMDbexWX1dyo7zeJp/s1600/img_0151.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAraf2uYoOVyqWjtBi4zVZ6vdvRWOaIrChdeQRXzJBvhl78osLkeHzs2ywGfzVbnfW_6jt2OdnnWIiDrTQHklzpE5-A2Y5qTrUETiRkW_F2e2Jtp83l1WDvgY0N73LMDbexWX1dyo7zeJp/s320/img_0151.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501274338478694402" border="0" /></a><br />First of all it's about the size of a sheet of paper (8x10) and it has tons of compartments in various sizes, folders and pouches, several pages you can flip through, and even a special lining to help keep all of that sterling silver sparkling! When I came home from conference it looked like this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVXKbAu5bQI3Q3BGZQuUB2UCX1YyKhU6B2FJlvieImXnsUug51D_4r8Yema0yE0ssAB9mFSXvboQ3USBhsTeCl723-76L7T6xisXWNgUr4FB_Xb2aI-hpSeIE36a5_ccoBRRKnZpJtM7K/s1600/img_0150.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVXKbAu5bQI3Q3BGZQuUB2UCX1YyKhU6B2FJlvieImXnsUug51D_4r8Yema0yE0ssAB9mFSXvboQ3USBhsTeCl723-76L7T6xisXWNgUr4FB_Xb2aI-hpSeIE36a5_ccoBRRKnZpJtM7K/s320/img_0150.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501274893444988530" border="0" /></a>So, today when I started looking at that whole new tray of beautiful jewelry a scary thought came into my head. Oh my gosh...I don't think all of the pieces I want to bring will fit. <br /><br />When I mentioned this to my husband, his only reply was "that's going in <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">your </span>carry-on right? Not mine?" WIMP!<br /><br />I guess the time has come to really pack like a lady. Now that I have the "big girl" jewelry I suppose packing like I'm not in college anymore is also appropriate. Sadly this is only the first part of packing. I still have the clothes to think about, and not just for myself but for the three kids too (assuming Dennis can do his own packing). Here's what I have to look forward to:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55s7BcPC4chC3kR4QmBlTHSLRXTSTIrGX2YUL1L5FnAyicfVmvjEpgb_b1xzt1QG7oZufYjOPwzKDD4sAgGIaupgPWYonKzbrXYw1B8119duZYF_MY5aXp8XmR4s1QqFAmO3SG77WJmx9/s1600/img_0156.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55s7BcPC4chC3kR4QmBlTHSLRXTSTIrGX2YUL1L5FnAyicfVmvjEpgb_b1xzt1QG7oZufYjOPwzKDD4sAgGIaupgPWYonKzbrXYw1B8119duZYF_MY5aXp8XmR4s1QqFAmO3SG77WJmx9/s320/img_0156.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501278126368511602" border="0" /></a><br />How do you Diva's keep it simple when traveling and minimize the baggage?pterzianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04592085879386543586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828702574989579273.post-77511030833908795912010-08-01T20:07:00.000-07:002010-09-02T14:16:39.190-07:00Exercise. How do we fit it in?I've been really trying to get back on the right path towards exercise and healthful living. It's tough being a busy mom with so many commitments. For a while I was walking, then I stopped. I started running, then I stopped. I thought about heading to the pool a few days a week, but haven't made it once. The only real progress I've made towards a regular exercise program, is my pilates class which I attend once a week. I'm not sure how much I can claim this as a success since it's generally followed by wine and food with my girlfriend afterward. :)<br /><br />I've always envied my husbands opportunity to ride his bike to work. Building exercise into your commute just seems to make so much sense! Unfortunately I work out of a home office in my basement. Even taking the kids to school feels like a feat with a minivan!<br /><br />E is old enough now ride his own bike for a pretty good distance and D spent last year riding with him to school many days and teaching him about road bike safety. So I asked myself, "how can I get around town for errands or dropping of the kids with a 4 and 2 year old?" I considered it all, trailers, front and back child seats, extended bikes. Then I found this...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfka0e24FxJlBjlMT6LI1h0jpZu7ReqIMmfrDPFMy1RICz4dEQXlU4gBxJ-md0bQptebFXXzbwiuEL7hTbVSgUFhUc59LrR5y2bxBbv1r9x6ZLl-HIwxX66TSp6CIxeJJFT3ncLsuXobjM/s1600/cargo-bikes-mundo.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfka0e24FxJlBjlMT6LI1h0jpZu7ReqIMmfrDPFMy1RICz4dEQXlU4gBxJ-md0bQptebFXXzbwiuEL7hTbVSgUFhUc59LrR5y2bxBbv1r9x6ZLl-HIwxX66TSp6CIxeJJFT3ncLsuXobjM/s320/cargo-bikes-mundo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500645637295833842" border="0" /></a>This is the Mundo Cargo Utility Bike. I call it our "family bike". This bike is amazing! Seriously I can fit all three of my children on this bike! Not that I really want to pedal all three of my kids around...but I can! This bike has made building exercise into my regular schedule so much easier. I've been able to drop the kids off at camps, go for family bike rides, and run errands during the day. I even rode to a wedding by bike! And the best part, is that not only does it give me one more opportunity to get exercise in, but it's so much fun!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRHA8-xmntRjms5t0x_qBFYn3kE2V9-wD2guZ07ULmBV5uem6KpwOy1qAQF-h0zJDHqyi1PAxxyh_6fZ7JPjYEVOcjla8feARTzUo7Kj8ikWIfAWu5ic_AsJzGmDag_OWLOtjBQ3cZ6Y4/s1600/Family+Biking.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRHA8-xmntRjms5t0x_qBFYn3kE2V9-wD2guZ07ULmBV5uem6KpwOy1qAQF-h0zJDHqyi1PAxxyh_6fZ7JPjYEVOcjla8feARTzUo7Kj8ikWIfAWu5ic_AsJzGmDag_OWLOtjBQ3cZ6Y4/s320/Family+Biking.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500651120187323330" border="0" /></a>pterzianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04592085879386543586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828702574989579273.post-16024159474299380832010-07-31T10:09:00.000-07:002010-07-31T10:28:50.175-07:00Social networking here I come!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZq-zj_lpEOmowELxKCBlximD_5RG3fOnTDMyekKfsi0bDTRdpXDznTgJ3w4VXWpNX8xcjLkJEe-yIVTaGFN7faOGVxBWm9aBjK_1rqFRFPWCqUhlE09J0Q_cmsgNA-DTNcvKICjtmGKFi/s1600/img_0086.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZq-zj_lpEOmowELxKCBlximD_5RG3fOnTDMyekKfsi0bDTRdpXDznTgJ3w4VXWpNX8xcjLkJEe-yIVTaGFN7faOGVxBWm9aBjK_1rqFRFPWCqUhlE09J0Q_cmsgNA-DTNcvKICjtmGKFi/s320/img_0086.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500122961289177682" border="0" /></a><br />Okay, it's been a long time...a real long time. I thought I had given up on blogging but with my new iphone I've had a new interest in all things social media! That's right I'm tweeting, I'm facebooking and once again, I'm blogging! Watch out world.<br /><br />I am a people connector. I love interacting with new people and making social connections between others so it only makes sense that social media would appeal to me. And now that I have a tool that makes it so easy, why wouldn't I take advantage of all that technology offers right?<br /><br />I've long known the value of social networking for organizations, and have seen how small and large nonprofits can use social networking as a means for sharing their message, recruiting support, raising money and most importantly facilitating dialog. Now, I'm learning what it can do for me as an independent sales representative and as a social butterfly. But more than that, it's just a whole lot of fun!<br /><br />So, here I go again. Another real attempt at making this blog a snapshot of our life, and a collection of my many random passions in life. But for now....off to the zoo, one of the few places where my life doesn't feel so wild.pterzianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04592085879386543586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828702574989579273.post-39229811278043463752010-02-11T22:10:00.000-08:002010-02-11T22:42:45.302-08:00Is this our house? What are mummies?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheMXoiJj32DDgtgqQUgngkOOWQdEn8iLZnvZjtkJ7JtySXfMYMl7KzasInj8YvNQGcG8tPKykyRO4URkDI0kl2wUmUH10MBPRs7IXf06sDwOipaTdhyphenhyphengDgxsPcYYutjicddz8NXiih0tM/s1600-h/100_3595.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheMXoiJj32DDgtgqQUgngkOOWQdEn8iLZnvZjtkJ7JtySXfMYMl7KzasInj8YvNQGcG8tPKykyRO4URkDI0kl2wUmUH10MBPRs7IXf06sDwOipaTdhyphenhyphengDgxsPcYYutjicddz8NXiih0tM/s320/100_3595.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437243089379903602" border="0" /></a><br /><br />For the past few months, Owen has been developing a larger vocabulary, and along with this has been able to explore and question his view of the world. One of the ways that Owen has 'checked in' with us in the past has been say 'Hi Daddy!' or 'Hi Mommy!', even when we have been together for an extended period. Sometimes repeating this a few times.<br /><br />Lately, Owen has taken to saying "Are you my Daddy?" or "Is this our house" and being satisfied with getting an affirmative answer. On a walk recently we had stopped in front of a house a few streets over and Owen asked my if it was our house. Thinking his question was silly at first, I think he was just testing this questioning game to see if I would respond no to an obvious question. On the other hand, he may just need glasses...<br /><br />Talking to Patty about this, I remembered a similar tact that Elliot had taken when he was around the same age. Elliot had a re-occuring question (usually asked once a day, but sometimes more) of "Daddy, what are mummies?" I eventually developed a pretty standard response along the lines of mummies being ancient kings and queens of Egypt dying and being wrapped in bandages. This questioning about mummies lasted several <span style="font-weight: bold;">months</span>. It eventually became an inside joke between us where I could always get Elliot to crack up by just asking what mummies are.<br /><br />For old times sake, I asked Elliot out of the blue what mummies are tonight. He cracked a big smile, then, being the 6-year old that he is, indicated that mummies are people in Egypt that had died and had been wrapped in cloth. Sometimes they were kings or people that went with kings and when they were made into mummies they were rolled them into a pyramid. Then I got one of those "silly daddy" looks from him.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuxbA4ORrDqlK3R_0tMFYiOASlSK6OD9gM67Fy_TCyu4A7wTPBoUk77GRKLMVMOVD1JF7i3ZH9pOefdjvuTL7n3o5lvTN4WaNYZguhja1C7jgrokSBaUFAryi7lBWUNUUqYaKix9sfdNQ/s1600-h/100_3580.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuxbA4ORrDqlK3R_0tMFYiOASlSK6OD9gM67Fy_TCyu4A7wTPBoUk77GRKLMVMOVD1JF7i3ZH9pOefdjvuTL7n3o5lvTN4WaNYZguhja1C7jgrokSBaUFAryi7lBWUNUUqYaKix9sfdNQ/s320/100_3580.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437242387844357810" border="0" /></a><br />I can't wait for Maeve's language to start blossoming. I wonder how she'll test her perception of the world with us? Will I end up coming up with a canned answer on why it rains alot in Oregon, or will I be stuck explaining yet again about Bigfoot?Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853214416730969147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828702574989579273.post-10172391299882977742010-01-02T21:20:00.000-08:002010-01-03T13:29:28.680-08:00The Big Sister<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJbiGSO_Gihgog9tuk2oUw8R80palhjefbtzWcV0HUtD2wvFnqoIVV3L5Gx1lSaYrHmUJy2Q-L4a67LR-CItS_dNDgoBAc_y1R3ebIyYWY2ixA4EdA4gZ6QXJxNBo1ZDFUH1b2fOyCPL28/s1600-h/Maeve+Kennel.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 223px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJbiGSO_Gihgog9tuk2oUw8R80palhjefbtzWcV0HUtD2wvFnqoIVV3L5Gx1lSaYrHmUJy2Q-L4a67LR-CItS_dNDgoBAc_y1R3ebIyYWY2ixA4EdA4gZ6QXJxNBo1ZDFUH1b2fOyCPL28/s320/Maeve+Kennel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422380792894056578" border="0" /></a>Just the other day, I wandered out of the kitchen where I was fixing dinner to find this. Maeve and Shadow together in in the dog's kennel. For a while I tried to coax them out but neither wanted to leave. Eventually I gave up and just started snapping photos, because quite honestly, I didn't have the heart to break up that scene myself.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxiaNTPXStnjJvlGw4n7ZIyH_mDTOzTHMh0QFtUW6FWHyb9vw-b8RO8OK_hWuBXYicauJfMdjf-Uy0RNu7UOt1R1ior0KM4Pg-yF5O0wTN39H3QqwoBlxsQL_MH1riCMY-L2NEdWSSq89/s1600-h/Maeve&Shadow.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxiaNTPXStnjJvlGw4n7ZIyH_mDTOzTHMh0QFtUW6FWHyb9vw-b8RO8OK_hWuBXYicauJfMdjf-Uy0RNu7UOt1R1ior0KM4Pg-yF5O0wTN39H3QqwoBlxsQL_MH1riCMY-L2NEdWSSq89/s320/Maeve&Shadow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422380729522760370" border="0" /></a><br />It's amazing looking at these photos and wondering what happen to that infant? It seems like yesterday Maeve was a swaddled little bundle being poked and prodded at by her two big brothers. Now, apparently she has decided it's her turn to be the big sibling. Maeve calls Shadow around the house, orders him into the kennel with her, feeds him bits of food from her hand. I'm pretty sure Shadow thinks she's his big sister.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3g9WVlJ_unnv1H6zbs1CQ2xGkqpD4MpVo2iBPQCk8uWFesei9Xi84mdeRrJHY7lrwP9fVkytOOStAd_8njb5T_FY2MEuK0Kx5LuYXQWlMQ_g2ns6UJmvWIAu5y4Ss0f_QncY_bNB6Y-B/s1600-h/Maeve+Reads.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3g9WVlJ_unnv1H6zbs1CQ2xGkqpD4MpVo2iBPQCk8uWFesei9Xi84mdeRrJHY7lrwP9fVkytOOStAd_8njb5T_FY2MEuK0Kx5LuYXQWlMQ_g2ns6UJmvWIAu5y4Ss0f_QncY_bNB6Y-B/s320/Maeve+Reads.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422380662720911874" border="0" /></a><br />And look, she's even reading! What a big girl!pterzianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04592085879386543586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828702574989579273.post-42837197599477465982009-12-27T17:00:00.000-08:002009-12-27T17:42:12.560-08:00What now?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJtElgInI5EuxXBgN1onldsNjYqifvBc4AcbkthW6sTnQpbiTdTkrdOGv5oVnBdm6jKYJ2qKPTlV30tmOfufRiXQutjpfWBDBT5mUmeXuaf-sYE4TRirsQG-NlBPC0OjR0PZrJbVAqmxA/s1600-h/PandMkisses.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJtElgInI5EuxXBgN1onldsNjYqifvBc4AcbkthW6sTnQpbiTdTkrdOGv5oVnBdm6jKYJ2qKPTlV30tmOfufRiXQutjpfWBDBT5mUmeXuaf-sYE4TRirsQG-NlBPC0OjR0PZrJbVAqmxA/s320/PandMkisses.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420096134306879170" border="0" /></a><br />How weird it is, this time between Christmas and New Years. I still have the crafting bug, and if anything I feel more inspired now that the holidays are over and there is no pressure to complete gifts in time. One of my friends accused me of being Waldorf by proxy. The more I think about it I do believe there's something to that. While I've always been crafty and engaged in one project or another at any given time, this winter I have been inspired to take on a larger number of projects. Most of these are things I've never made before. Elliot started kindergarten at an amazing Waldorf Charter School this year where art and handwork are not only taught and encouraged, but actually valued in such a beautiful way. So fine, I will own it. Perhaps it is rubbing off and all I can say is that I only hope it continues!<br /><br />On another note all together, despite my efforts to maintain "moderation" during the holidays, I was dissapointed today to find myself gobbling down the last of the pumpkin pie, with whip cream, washed down with a little eggnog. What's up? On top of that I passed on my run, using yesterdays 2 hour walk into the NW Portland hills as an excuse to not exercise today.<br /><br />So as we approach another new year, I am focused on what actions I might do in the coming months to improve my health, my life, my family and my community. In doing so, I'm determined to make only changes which are reasonable. This year will not promise myself unobtainable accomplishments, or unrealistic deadlines. I will begin 2010 with a list of new years resolutions that I can feel proud to achieve and not regretful for losing interest in.pterzianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04592085879386543586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828702574989579273.post-23499821940292413642009-12-26T13:08:00.000-08:002009-12-26T14:13:26.401-08:00Christmas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXh3DfCLJW9R-DknVkgdP9dj6_6nZvlRCZiX3e50mtomsq_CPsNGF-77nPi_drQsuvqkSZJ51HhECajuDc_CYyC6j9YqZ923nmpmAOipBMRNGAM-Ai1ZdcoGYtWEBBKr0jmFniXevBiiRW/s1600-h/Stockings.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXh3DfCLJW9R-DknVkgdP9dj6_6nZvlRCZiX3e50mtomsq_CPsNGF-77nPi_drQsuvqkSZJ51HhECajuDc_CYyC6j9YqZ923nmpmAOipBMRNGAM-Ai1ZdcoGYtWEBBKr0jmFniXevBiiRW/s320/Stockings.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419656722729673890" border="0" /></a><br />It's clear that with three children Christmas morning can be simply described with 3 short words, joyful, exciting, and madness. Our morning started out with Elliot racing into our room to report Santa's obvious arrival and then back and forth with descriptions of what was under the tree, as well as his best guesses as to what was peeking out of the stockings. Owen and Maeve were up shortly after, with no chance of sleeping through the excitement!<br /><br /><br />It was thrilling as we began to dip into the stockings pulling out toys and trinkets. I was truely enjoying myself, until we started dispersing presents from under the tree. Suddenly it was like a starting gun had gone off in the living room and there was a frenzy of activity. Elliot was opening gifts at an alarming speed and I could barely keep my eyes on anything the kids were opening before they quickly moved on to the next item. All of this after a deliberate effort to keep things "reasonable" this year. We really didn't go crazy with gifts but apparently that doesn't matter. I could feel my anxiety rise as the calm magical feeling of the morning quickly turned into a mad house.<br /><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINbGhRgjdAlDIg5JzKKgQgqrzX_hnvHqgq-FtZB-_KiGeABhwUtILx5-DmWY-OQ5lFVJNHZFaBbKrh6ppzw3XvKSuv7qHfSaUZoRLdalyfQD1kliA1y9iAgEmOIznEg92PtYlJEwIjVVE/s320/Maeve.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419656310417598898" border="0" /><br />Well, who can blame them. It was Christmas after all, and we had done our fair job of building them up this very moment. Eventually I let go of my strong desire to control the occasional and finally relaxed into the chaos. Chaos it was, but I cant imagine a better way to have spent the morning!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizOskNda5GUouoQGSP9nMLd0ZNE0HCDkKpqD7FZpLHeplVOpanoy9xNqPOisd6xmAGz0K2l6tKOA1R1TULyk1pF9XrIUev3zqnhlE3oPayNyoW5SGPxglJAwXZLssQcIHSL4E_5NoKwArB/s1600-h/Treasure.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizOskNda5GUouoQGSP9nMLd0ZNE0HCDkKpqD7FZpLHeplVOpanoy9xNqPOisd6xmAGz0K2l6tKOA1R1TULyk1pF9XrIUev3zqnhlE3oPayNyoW5SGPxglJAwXZLssQcIHSL4E_5NoKwArB/s320/Treasure.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419659425420696786" border="0" /></a><br />After all the gifts were open we spent the rest of the day playing with the new toys and preparing for dinner with our friends. Dennis made roasted pepper and mushroom lasagna with his own homemade noodles. It was amazing! In fact the only thing that disturbed the mood of the meal was the interruption of one child who had an accident, and one who after getting her little hands on a Christmas lifesaver choked on a small piece and threw up all over herself. Oh well, what would Christmas be if it weren't for both the merriment <span style="font-style: italic;">and </span>wild energy of children!<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /></span>pterzianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04592085879386543586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828702574989579273.post-22723277757477803312009-12-23T20:59:00.000-08:002009-12-26T14:41:22.902-08:00Light In The Darkness<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-EQBkLc1y1QH5NTPb0tjymLchZ6YvR9JjdKICxRKxOEr__TSUP7FIt_MbU6J_5VzMlKE2ebRgxk_57hNn7HT-lEM6lfxfFeIclTd9DAoTnwGuBlfCZtonH7cJ4I4j1odTjsbrz2fPnO4C/s1600-h/SolsticeTable.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-EQBkLc1y1QH5NTPb0tjymLchZ6YvR9JjdKICxRKxOEr__TSUP7FIt_MbU6J_5VzMlKE2ebRgxk_57hNn7HT-lEM6lfxfFeIclTd9DAoTnwGuBlfCZtonH7cJ4I4j1odTjsbrz2fPnO4C/s320/SolsticeTable.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418665817932463906" border="0" /></a><br />The lightness returns! Elliot built a beautiful Winter Solstice alter this year with all of his animals surrounding the sun, welcoming her back. We read our story of the sun being reborn and when it was over Elliot (without any suggestions from me) asked to light a candle and give thanks to the sun (as the children in the story do). It made my heart melt to see what a boy he's become.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh17BfT1A4QkFL46GNO7785fcRX2naWyqNvbvT6vbq8ca_w4fhyVpogyv-3SGijfpI7dYV7zJVRqJ8PJcQyAEeoQdpW1dJach9QJ1VptZeBTm88FNDM83myrNxoVVtHKyJPoPaTYsdpkKl2/s1600-h/Shadow.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh17BfT1A4QkFL46GNO7785fcRX2naWyqNvbvT6vbq8ca_w4fhyVpogyv-3SGijfpI7dYV7zJVRqJ8PJcQyAEeoQdpW1dJach9QJ1VptZeBTm88FNDM83myrNxoVVtHKyJPoPaTYsdpkKl2/s320/Shadow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418665942195499186" border="0" /></a><br />Also bringing warmth into our lives today was the addition of our newest family member, Shadow. Shadow is a 5 month old Border Collie -Lab mix. We met her yesterday at the humane society and adopted her today. We were prepared for a very hyper puppy and have been pleasantly surprised by how well behaved he's been since we've brought him home. Though he's not had any training at all, he is so eager to please that he has already learned "sit" in just a matter of hours. He loves his new dog bed and wants to be with us every second. Since our old dog Sammy passed away last summer I think we've all felt a void in the family. And while Sammy is irreplaceable, it's so great having a four legged friend in the house again.pterzianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04592085879386543586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828702574989579273.post-47699658694782693332009-12-20T13:06:00.001-08:002009-12-26T14:42:22.379-08:00Tis the SeasonI'm going to try to take another stab at getting this blog going. I want so much to capture our lives, recorded, as if proof of what occurred during the haze of these years. But also to share our lives with our family and friends who live across the country. I know that years from now I'll look back and won't remember what it felt like to have our children be so young, and us to be so busy.<br /><br />The holiday is upon us fully and we are ready! I've been crafting like mad and have even moved my sewing machine, cutting mat, and bolts of fabric to the dining room table so I can squeeze it in whenever I get a moment. So far I've made a tree skirt, a doll for Maeve, 2 stuffed bird ornaments for teachers, 3 finger puppets, 3 aprons for gifts, and I'm starting on felt play food today. There is something about winter that turns us inward, forcing us to feel our creativity in a way that the distractions of warmer weather don't often allow.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdH1BwiTgpGGu7WOIhrF2zRm3frufU957e62uk1_wrHLqfKstAKIm_ACZ8q1Siu8PAZ23B3Ce88NTD-3i2PG0ANbRiS0RaEkqWr-yimnfOBvU0bEfr6EXznaKM6veh0Avpe9w12SmFbEdW/s1600-h/TreeSkirt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdH1BwiTgpGGu7WOIhrF2zRm3frufU957e62uk1_wrHLqfKstAKIm_ACZ8q1Siu8PAZ23B3Ce88NTD-3i2PG0ANbRiS0RaEkqWr-yimnfOBvU0bEfr6EXznaKM6veh0Avpe9w12SmFbEdW/s320/TreeSkirt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417438075070049682" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenIhgJypnr4uzIlBGgdcrabNEJ9wuicCdJIaYZviMsbHAtpDm5NX9zSD6ayeGWXzCV2o66NyPp993OXKiCs-9BGR22jvYNhMbh6kJcsWXGiOINxLxtURvYVbqXHHsH61V652ZjDuT3sNg/s1600-h/MaeveDoll.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenIhgJypnr4uzIlBGgdcrabNEJ9wuicCdJIaYZviMsbHAtpDm5NX9zSD6ayeGWXzCV2o66NyPp993OXKiCs-9BGR22jvYNhMbh6kJcsWXGiOINxLxtURvYVbqXHHsH61V652ZjDuT3sNg/s320/MaeveDoll.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417438228934339058" border="0" /></a><br />I'm not the only one. Elliot's been in the mood to create as well. Since his birthday he's been absorbed by legos, building castles and other magical places. He's also built some impressive mazes with his blocks and a whole slew of potato stamped postcards to send out to his friends. It's amazing to see what he's capable of!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBtCijyA99npy_cMVNTtiaxHhHEHDjMsD1-Xn_1rWYKvRTUa3UgdrKPv3VXqtriHqSeIwdcpJRnGZnjxQPlxw6G_WYxPLeClwJWL4uBgvDgmTnzsh8LpVN9stNgIqC4L9GwZCg-iDD6_h/s1600-h/LegoCastle.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBtCijyA99npy_cMVNTtiaxHhHEHDjMsD1-Xn_1rWYKvRTUa3UgdrKPv3VXqtriHqSeIwdcpJRnGZnjxQPlxw6G_WYxPLeClwJWL4uBgvDgmTnzsh8LpVN9stNgIqC4L9GwZCg-iDD6_h/s320/LegoCastle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417438505683991698" border="0" /></a>Owen has been busy collecting "jewels" and coins and finding little bags and boxes to carry them around in. He seems to spend at least part of each day being scolded for rummaging through my wallet, Dennis dresser, Elliot's game pieces, or my coin jar in search of the perfect treasure. He's also been known to steal his sister's little purse to tote around his loot.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoe4HxV71t9qdd0L6Nt2uowOHlYgTNvgFQXu1O5pPAcv_CzOA74j_Bg6neIf9FbqwuPJ8QF2HZKqhnZeDtdtMZOg0a9y2kZU0RUXBSMjjzr4br10aFiwaRLWDFNPB1TLp8cBuSta6R_5t_/s1600-h/Owen's+Treasures.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoe4HxV71t9qdd0L6Nt2uowOHlYgTNvgFQXu1O5pPAcv_CzOA74j_Bg6neIf9FbqwuPJ8QF2HZKqhnZeDtdtMZOg0a9y2kZU0RUXBSMjjzr4br10aFiwaRLWDFNPB1TLp8cBuSta6R_5t_/s320/Owen's+Treasures.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417440473870808594" border="0" /></a><br />Maeve and I went shopping yesterday and I got a glimpse of what my future might hold for me having a daughter. Eventually when she couldn't stand the stroller anymore so got out and waked around the mall, entertaining the ladies at Macy's, fancying herself in the big mirrors. It was hilarious.<br /><br />Last weekend we visited with Santa and this today we'll build our annual Solstice alter with our very own Solstice nativity scene!<br /><br />Only four days to Christmas!pterzianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04592085879386543586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828702574989579273.post-10821398562687495162009-11-05T21:31:00.000-08:002009-11-05T21:49:53.340-08:00A Ride to SchoolThis summer Elliot finally got all of the elements of bike riding down. As I ride my bike to work, whenever we can (usually tuesdays and thursdays), Elliot and I ride our bikes together to kindergarten to start his day. <br /><br />While I grew up too far away to bike to school on a regular basis, I'm glad that Elliot will have the opportunity to ride his bike to school (or walk) and hopefully continue biking as he gets older. It's a choice that many kids probably don't have today. <br /><br />While, it doesn't last more than 10 minutes from door to door, I really value the shared experience and I think Elliot does too. What a fun way to start the day!Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853214416730969147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4828702574989579273.post-25234109271410420812009-10-24T17:08:00.000-07:002009-10-25T09:00:29.493-07:00Time to capture it all!It's hard to believe it's been almost 6 years since we welcomed our first baby into our family. We had thoroughly enjoyed our time as a young married couple, moving across country, starting new careers, and enjoying the freedom of going to the bar and catching movies whenever we pleased. We were ready, or at least we thought we were ready, to embark on a new journey as parents.<br /><br />In November, 5 years after we married, we had Elliot. It was such a warm, wonderful time. I relished every moment I spent with him. As he grew, Elliot filled our days with humor. Less than 3 years later we welcomed our second, Owen. The good times continued. When Owen turned 1, we learned we were expecting our third. Maeve was born before Owen's second birthday.<br /><br />It's been a whirlwind to say the least but we can't believe how many amazing memories we have. Elliot will be 6 next month and suddenly I feel time slipping by faster than I can grasp. So much happens day to day and I'm so afraid (and sometimes hopeful) that years from now it will all be a blur.<br /><br />I'm sure this blog will never fully capture the craziness of our life, but I hope it will somehow capture some of the best times so we can share them with our friends and family.pterzianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04592085879386543586noreply@blogger.com1