Travel to the turkey

This is Second Avenue in Happy Camp...this is where you turn off the highway to head towards my childhood home.

We will soon be headed north to spend Thanksgiving with my grandparents in Yreka. We haven't seen them since March so I know they are excited to see the boys, especially Sam since he was just over 3 months old then. He's a totally different kid now!

Following the holiday weekend Brian will return home to work and oversee our remodel while the boys and I will take a three week tour of northern California visiting my grandparent's, parent's, and my oldest sister's homes. It will be a long time away from home but a good chance to visit and get out of the remodel chaos. I'll do my best to keep the news here up to date with Thanksgiving, the boy's first visit to Happy Camp, and Sam's first birthday.

Played their little hearts out

Since the house is being worked on every day from 9:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. I am trying to get the kids out and about by 9:30 every morning. Most days this is no problem because we can go to TCF. But Tuesdays are the trickiest days. The library doesn't open until ten, and it's November so the weather is chilly.
So this morning we decided to try something new. Each Tuesday morning during the school year there is Tahoe Tiny Timbers gym time for kids birth to 5 years of age at the rec center. I was reluctant to go last winter when Sam was a newborn and because Ben was still pretty little. As it turns out, it's awesome! They have the bouncy house set up, along with a huge collapsible tunnel and playhouse structure. They have balls, horseshoes, push toys, riding toys, big foam blocks, and even a riding toy on a miniature roller coaster track. The boys loved it!
And we were so happy to see lots of familiar faces of moms with their kids ranging from under one year-old to four-years old. The hour and a half flew by and wiped me out. But as we were loading up in the car another mom rolled down her car window and said, "We're going to Incline Beach if you're up for it." Why not? Today's weather is unseasonably warm.
The kids and I arrived at the beach to a completely flat lake, and dazzling sun. Several families had the same idea as moms stood around chatting while watching their kiddos climb, run, slide, and bask in the warm November sun.
We'd been there just a few minutes when we heard a low flying plane. It turned out to be a seaplane that landed right in front of the beach and taxied/floated over to pick up a passenger on the shore and took off again. Believe me, this is a big deal to a two year-old boy. Within moments two National Guard helicopters also flew over low enough for us to see details on their underbellies.
Ben soon joined his buddy, Max, down by the water's edge to build sand castles. It took less than ten minutes for both of them to be bare footed with their jeans rolled above their knees. The water was cold but worth a little wading. We saw a fishing boat go by, as well as a rower, and a man on a long board with a pole.
Sam was happy in the back pack carrier watching big bro play until I finally convinced Ben that we should go check in on Daddy at the office and see how the construction for the day went. Within twenty paces of the car I felt Sam's weight shift as his head drooped in slumber. After a visit to Daddy we came home to saw dust and busy workers and waited patiently for the daily wrap up so we could get a rest.
Here's the funny thing. After all that playing, the boys aren't resting well. Over stimulated, maybe? Sam snoozed for maybe a half an hour total between the backpack, car seat, and a little bit at Daddy's office. Yet right now he's in his travel crib in the living room crying like mad. I went in to check on him three different times and he is refusing to rest - thus the travel crib. When he was in his regular crib his crying was keeping Ben from sleeping. And believe me, Ben NEEDS to sleep! We'll see how this all plays out. All I know is that right now, I am tired!

Balancing Acts

Juggling. A full plate. In over my head. Biting off more than I can chew.
Whatever you want to call it, that's where I am.
It seems that I must have been incredibly inebriated recently (though I missed out on all the fun of it) while someone used a Sharpie to write "sucker" on my forehead.
Not really, but still I now have massive loads of responsibility on my shoulders. First of all, I am a mom of two...like you didn't know that already, right? I have been on the Tahoe Children's Foundation board of directors for almost two years, acting as secretary for the past year. I have been VERY involved in their fundraising during those two years - mainly as the donations person for the annual golf tournament. This fall I took on the role as the foundation's main representative for a HUGE golf tournament that helps local education, with this being TCF's first year included. And last week at a TCF board meeting I was elected as the new President! See what I mean about "sucker"?
On top of all the TCF jazz, I have been toting the kids to music classes and yoga classes weekly while trying to maintain my sanity in a construction zone....just over a month to go.
A few weeks back I wrote a guest column for our local paper and have promised to write more. And I am now not only blogging here (not as much as I would like) but also on the newspaper's website under the tag Moms and Families of Tahoe. SUCKER. http://apps.tahoebonanza.com/utils/blogs/index.php
All this should equal an amazing paycheck, right? If only. Sigh.

Playing Catch up

We're keeping busy here as usual. We had a little snow last week which prompted us to start winterizing the car....tire chains (check), tool box (check), water filter and bottle (check), space blanket (check), appointment scheduled for an oil change and service (check), new tires (ouch!). That's one problem with having the car we do. Because it is the Subaru Outback with turbo it is considered a performance vehicle. Now back in our single days both Brian and I would have driven it that way, but now with two kids buckled in the back seat it is just a wagon. Unfortunately, the turbo also means premium gas and high performance sport tires. All that means extra $$$. Such is life. At least now we know we will be safe for our trip to Gram and Pop's for Turkey Day. (The reason we went with the turbo is because of the altitude we reach on the passes in the Sierras...the turbo gives us the get up and go we need.)
With all that said, the boys are changing every day. Sam is really starting to talk and do some signs. The other day we stopped by Brian's office to drop something off and when I pulled Sam out of the car he promptly pointed to the sky and said, "Ah ba." This could be anything, right? What was cool was that he was pointing directly at an airplane which Ben then pointed out by saying, "Mom, look at that jet with a contrail." Amazing. Then Sam turned his attention to the moon, pointed, and said, "Ma."
Sam's vocabulary now includes ball, all done, yeah, mama, dada, dog, woof, moo, and his signing consists mostly of more and all done.
Ben's Spanish vocabulary is also growing rapidly. Yesterday before his nap Ben, Brian and I were all cuddled up together (Sam was already asleep) to read a couple of books. The book Ben chose was a basic first words book. I began asking Ben in Spanish where certain things were and nine times out of ten he repeated the word and pointed to the correct picture. Awesome.
Sam has also decided to give walking a try. Yesterday he took five steps between Brian and I before letting gravity get the best of him. Maybe he will walk before his first birthday.

VOTE!

A friend of mine shared this image with me...need I say more?

We were lucky enough to vote early in Nevada, thus avoiding the typical Election day chaos.

If you haven't voted yet go do it now! Please.