Bitten By The Flu Bug

Throbbing head, sinuses, throat, body chills . . . oh my!

So far only Payton, Nolan & I have been afflicted. I believe Nolan's preschool as the culprit. 4 students were absent yesterday with the bug. Praying Alan, Darla, & Elijah remain immune from it.

W I G G E L Y

Dentist Darla jokingly using a can opener to diagnose the level of Wiggely-ness of Elijah's 1st loose baby tooth.

Elijah has had his 1st W I G G E L Y tooth for weeks now. Precious the way he pronounces wiggely - somehow he throws in an extra syllable. Payton & Darla were always pretty fearless & aggressive at removing their loose baby teeth. Elijah - not so much. Cautious, even a bit paranoid, yet ever complaining about how when he eats it hurts when it's loose. We tied the ol' slip knot dental floss for him - no go. We suggested pulling up on the tooth & twisting . . . . but nope. No thanks. So I forget about it for a while UNTIL yesterday he is showing off how well he brushed his teeth before catching the school bus & the WIGGLY tooth was more like a Flapping In The Wind kind of tooth now. As he exhaled the tooth would basically wave at me. He was still too scared to remove. I convince him "you could choke on the tooth - it is going to fall out" (when in reality the tooth is so tiny he could probably swallow with a bite of food unnoticed.)

Darla tries encouraging him to just pull it out so the tooth fairy can come tonight. No thanks. Then I recall "Elijah do you remember you pulled out one of Darla's loose teeth when you were only 3?" Of course he beamed and said "Yes!" I then suggested "Well Darla is 8 and really good at removing teeth. Lets let Darla who's fingers are smaller than mama's try real softly to take yours out." Basically he agreed that was only fair. In literally 2 seconds Darla had the tooth out. We were all so excited and Elijah, suprised, said "And it didnt hurt" Then Darla said "Its bleeding" and then Elijah changed his tune a bit. A few swishes of water down the bathroom sink & a tin foil wrapped tooth later - - - Elijah trucked off to school - excited that the Tooth Fairy would be visiting him tonight.

Heart-Made errr Hand-Made Gifts

Ok for those who know me - know if you receive a store bought card from me in the mail, as opposed to some one of a kind hand made diddy somethings wrong. Amy must be seriously sick or something.


Well I have been broadening my horizons lately . . . really trying to avoid store bought gifts as well. Well unfortunately male children really arent into knit or crocheted creations, which has led me to dig out the sewing machine. For 2 year old Joshie he received this teddy bear - made of a brown corduroy remnant & left over periwinkle ribbon from my wedding as a bow around his neck. I am not in the habit of photographing my creations but someone snapped this partial pic at our friends bday party. . . . . I suspect Darla had the camera. The poor bears ears are cut off in the photo but I thought I'd share anyways.


I love this awkward ol' bear. . . I drew out a pattern on white freezer paper - cut my pattern out, pinned onto the fabric, cut, sewed, turned right side out & stuffed. Although the pattern appeared proportionate - both arms relatively same size, etc., . . . once he was stitched & stuffed he revealed his unique shape & I can guarantee there is no bear out there just like him & his awkwardness. :-)

This is meant to inspire - inspire us all to consider creating a gift instead of tossing down a 10 or 20 at Freddy's for the next cool action figure. Of course my boys love the action figures too . . . . but how many of us hold onto those rare handmade treasures later in life? I know I do.


I still have that cool ear ring holder the Linns girls whom I babysat as a young teen made me using a wooden embroidery hoop, some mesh & lace fabric & a ruffled floral border . . . I love it. I still have homemade potpourri in a small gray blue tin bucket Taira made me . . . . I just know there have to be others out there who love & cherish items like these. My kids have always known handmade gifts are my favorite to give & receive.

Another Secret Spot

Wonderful creek-side spot. Who said it is almost Autumn?

We are so blessed where we live . . . literally dozens of different creeks, rivers, lakes, meadows, mountains, forests. . . . we love it here! This is a new super easy to get to - only 1 grassy parking spot - bring a couple lightweight chairs, a Bible, towels for the kids . . . and presto Mom has instant reading time & the kids have crawdads to catch & rocks to skip. We have been there 3 times this week, after homework & snacktime.

The kids found this unknown critter - any guesses what this might be?

Life Throws Us Lots Of Changes: But God Is Constant

This posting is really more of a reminder to myself, the master worry wart, and supposed to be a dose of encouragement to those of you who can relate . . . .

In times where family & loved ones have found themselves laid-off for the 1st time ever, and some may be contemplating losing their homes . . . we have tried super hard not to complain as much as normal. Praise God Alan does still have a job and we are able to make the mortgage BUT . . . we know in an instant that could all change. Just this past week at his work they have reduced all the staff to 4 day work weeks to save gas and expenses. I am trying to find ways to supplement our income. And of course the good ol' car out of the blue decides to throw us some issues, the lawnmower stopped working, and there are other adventures just awaiting us around the corner for sure. Alan and I are strong in our faith that God WILL provide, and we are just trying to be good stewards of that which He does provide us.

For those out there who also find these bad economic times challenging . . . we are praying for you as well. And I mean that. I keep a prayer journal - I always have been a list maker - and I faithfully pray for you.

Car Crash Ignites Our Church On Fire

The driver of the car sadly passed away. Noone was injured inside the church - they all were able to escape.
See link below for the news article.

http://www.estacadanews.com/news/story.php?story_id=122120166673807800

Let Us All Never Forget

Nolan's 1st Day At School

Nolan's 1st day was September 8th & he was so excited. Although he wont ride the bus with his siblings until next year . . . he did enjoy pretending he too was waiting for the bus. Once DD & Eli are off to school on M/W/F mornings mama whisks Nolan a quick 1 minute up the road to his preschool.

Day One: Nolan warned the teacher & I both that he was "going to be shy", which we both reassured him was fine. 2 hours into his 1st day at school, Nolan agrees to let me leave him there so I could go get a coffee and be right back in 5 minutes. No drama. He did great. Hey it is a start!





This school has the most elaborate art area & supplies I have ever seen. Nolan is in heaven!!

Day Two: Was today and after much encouraging & reassuring the "big school boy" he would do great without mama there - he agreed as we arrived to school that he was willing to try mama going home & cleaning while he was at school. He knew I would come back at sharing time and I did. This is the 1st time ever Nolan has been comfortable in a classroom setting without one of his parents accompanying him. Way to go Nolan!!!! He is so incredibly proud of himself too. Any Grandparents or Aunts/Uncles who want to call & praise him is very much welcomed!


Here is a sampling of only some of the areas inside his preschool . . . . .

I took 40 some pictures capturing Nolan's 1st school experience but I dont expect you all to want to see all 40, so I will call this good (for now). There are some that are soooo darn adorable - I cant promise to not post more at a later date.

Zoo

Confession: Grandma Vicki sent us 4 free passes to the zoo . . . LAST YEAR. Those 4 free passes expired and I mailed to the zoo foundation explaining they expired before we got to use them . . . and to my suprise the zoo sent us for "new" free passes. Delay this time? No way! We got to the zoo right away. Thank you Grandma Vicki!

ATTENTION: TOMORROW IS "DISCOUNT DAY" AT THE ZOO . . . . . reduced admission fee $2 per person. Every 2nd Tuesday of the Month is Discount Day, which is tomorrow 9/9/08.

Gorgeous Sunny Day . . . . 1st stop . . . my Uncle Don's 60th Bday Party! It was a terrific turnout and this made our hearts happy. Then another 15 minutes away & we were parking at the Oregon Zoo.

We got to meet the new baby elephant. You can go to the zoo's website & vote for the new baby boy's name. I picked Duc (rhymes with Look) and was suggested in remembrance of former Portland TrailBlazer Duckworth who just tragically passed away at a young age. The line to meet the baby looked really long but the zoo keepers really do keep the line moving fast. I was impressed.
Once the kids and I were in the Elephant Barn . . . . we could see Mama standing and Baby laying beneath her asleep. Once it was our "front row seat" viewing turn Mama Elephant decided to join baby for nap & layed down beside her baby - with her backside to us. It was pretty cute actually. Just our luck, but hey as a Mama to 4 I could certainly understand her need for a nap. Cant blame her.

Payton & Darla are our expert Zoo Guides. . . . showing the 2 younger boys all the cool stuff - like using the zoo keys, and how if you wear baby blue clothing the penguins will follow you. . . . etc.,

Payton was most excited to see the Bats, Nolan wouldnt stop talking about the penguins, Darla was thrilled to discover she is the same height as a Sun Bear, Mama kept complaining she could smell a male goat & it stunk, and Elijah was just annoyed if we took any sort of break from walking/touring - oh and he was constantly thirsty. Reminder: Bring water bottles next time.

Take Time To Smell . . .

. . . The Roses!!!

While Alan was away this past weekend at his annual "Men's Roundup" thru our Church .. . . the kids and I played like it was still summer vacation. One of our adventures was at Portland's Rose Garden. It is so beautiful there and smells so good this time of year. It is fun to remind the kids that their Grandma Lori (my mama) was a Rose Festival Princess - along with her sisters / my Aunts back in the day.

One of the funny things we did was each of the 4 kids picked their "favorite rose" after touring the extensive gardens. . . . and mama took a cheezy photo of each child's face beside their fav flower. The younger 3 were game, but the teenager made it clear it was pretty dorky to make him pose with the flower. It is funny though because when all was said & done Payton's photo turned out the best. Of course I have joked about sending the "sweet & sentimental looking pic of him & his favorite orange-pink colored rose" to the yearbook committee at the H.S.

Note: If you havent noticed my monitor is cruddy (setting up new one this week) . . . so as a result my photo editing (brightening so I can even see the photos) makes them look white washed & possibly weird on your computer. Sorry. But hey - hopefully they are better than nothing.

The Portland Rose Garden is free to the public and is located in Washington Park. Georgeous Portland skyline views as well.

Missing Kindergardner Elijah: FOUND

Alarming title . . . but I was alarmed at first. Here's how this one played out in 10 steps:


1. Nolan & I are outisde waiting for Elijah to arrive home at lunch time on his kindergarden bus

2. Bus wizzes by our home without stopping & letting off Eli

3. Mama frantically waving like mad woman out on the road barefoot

4. Confused mom dials the bus barn explains what happened

5. Tina, Bus Barn Lady, puts me on hold . . . . . for a long time . . . . returns & says "Amy, Elijah isnt on the bus and they dont have him at the school. Are you sure he wasnt being picked up by someone else today?"

6. "Yes I am sure Tina. You are freaking me out!"

7. I am put back on hold. She returns to the phone and I hear back & forth radio talk with other bus drivers, etc., and then finally those 3 perfect words "We found him!"

8. Somehow Elijah was put on the wrong bus and was at this moment touring the greater Mountain area.

9. An hour later than normal Elijah returns home. The school, bus barn, & Elijah all discover how to avoid this in the future & life goes on.

10. HOWEVER throughout this ordeal I discover Nolan perched on the backside of a sofa - staring out one of the front windows - sucking slowly on a popsickle. He looks at me & says "I miss Elijah Mama". I reassure our 4 year old that his brother is on his way home and he is fine.

SOPHOMORE SON - Started 9/3/08

Well this is what we know - he loved his 1st day of his Soph year as opposed to Frosh. That is great news. He still is opting to use his backpack as his mobile locker. The H.S. halls are so overly congested - it just takes too long to get to & from classes - no time to mess with a locker.

His favorite classes this year are the ones located outdoors in the portable classrooms (trailers). Why? Because (A) the great outdoors has a lot more walking space than the claustrophobic hallways and (B) the trailers have air conditioning.

Bridges we have yet to cross . . . . the continued discussions about why his cell phone capabilities are inadequate - he needs text messaging he claims. Drivers Ed - he still hasnt finished studying for his permit. He wants to play basketball and have a PT job too. . . . we are waiting to see his 1st report card to make sure he doesnt already have too much on his plate.

Payton James is an incredible young man. I am so relieved to hear his H.S. is better in his opinion this year. I know a lot of his friends are now attending private school this year or are being home schooled. Prayers for continued positive experiences for Payton are appreciated.

Another September 2, 2008

Lil' Miss Darla LOVES school - always has! Of course I always snap a few photos of the kids before they trot off to the bus on the 1st day.

The 1st pic I told her "oops - one more - your eyes are closed (pic on the left)" Then I said "Smile you big 1st grader you!" And snapped the pic. (pic on the right) Big OOOOOPS - - - - how dare Mama accidently call her a 1st grader not the big 2ND GRADER that she is now. Hey - she inherited a bit of my dramatics. Gotta love her!

Darla is so good to her brothers (most of the time) .. . . as her & Elijah were about to get on the bus - Elijah said "Can I sit by the window Darla?" And she said "Of course". When they arrived to the school I had assumed the teacher would be there waiting to walk the kindergardners to class, but when she wasnt Darla didnt miss a beat & walked him to his class. Such a honey. Darla is most excited about the "reading loft" in her class - a 2 story bunk with a library below. 1 student per day is allowed to use the reading loft. She cant wait for her turn.

September 2, 2008

Elijah has been so excited for Kindergarden to start . . . and to be able to ride the school bus with his big sister Darla. He woke at 5am wiggly with nerves and admitted he had a nightmare. Papa and I both were quite disturbed by the amount of detail the poor honey remembered from the frightening dream - - - a teacher coaxing him "You can trust me" and him later discovering a classmate underwater - dead - under her desk and she was green." As I was cuddling Elijah my wide eyes looked at Alan like "WOW?!?" I was able to snuggle him back to sleep for a little while. Soon it was time for him to eat, clean up, get dressed, and the best part of all . . . go outside and wait for the big yellow bus. He had a great 1st day. I met them up at the school with their heavy backpacks stuffed full of all their school supplies. Payton started his Sophomore year the next day - will share in next posting. Nolan starts preschool 9/8/08. Happy Back To School To All :-)

Lions, Tigers, -n- Bears . . . . OH MY!

Nolan Ricky created this theme for his 4th birthday, which was on Sunday August 31st. He is so cute . . . a week before his party this youngest boy of ours asks me "Mama can my party be lions, tigers, bears, aaaand FIRETRUCKS???" Of course I laugh & explain mama already has finished all the party work, so not this year.

Having failed miserably a week ago on Alan's 4 tiered bday cake . . . . I wimped out & just made carrot cake cupcakes for Nolan's party. Realizing not all guests may care for carrot cake, I wipped up brownies and other goodies as well.

Nolan in love with his Brand New BIG BOY Bike!!!!!!

Nolan had tons of family & friends present . . . Mama, Papa, Darla, Elijah, Nolan, Grandpa Ricky, Grandma Kris, Auntie Lauri, cousins April, Jake, Lanelle, Rachel, Emily, Sarah, Shawna, Austin, Alissa, Ethan, Lily, & friends Danny, Jen, Madilyn, Parker, Joshua, Grayson, Melanie (my best friend) and her dad Steve.

The highlight of the party probably was when the kids spotted a real live tiger & bear scratching & pawing at the dining room bay window. Well, ok this wasnt a real hit with the 2 and under crowd but everyone else thought it was fun. Happy 4th Birthday Nolan!!! We sure do love you son!

The Kids Last Summer Thrill

Action packed time with Grandpa Ricky & Grandma Kris!

All 4 kids love fishing!

The kids love playing cards, hot tubbing, playing wiffle ball, basketball, trampoline, ping pong, badmitton, & swimming, at Grandma & Grandpa's House. Oh fun days!

The kids also enjoyed feeding the geese at the pond, and playing on all the equipment at the new Wade Creek Park.

Alan's 40th : Finally Some Snapshots

Sorry for the delay - busy time of year with all the back-to-school prep.

Special thanks to Grandma Kris for forwarding me the pics she was able to snap at Alan's Big 40. . . . my camera battery went dead (OF COURSE).