Tahoe Browders

So Long, Farewell (Not Really)

2009-08-24T14:16:00.000-07:00

After one complete year of blogging I have decided to continue on with my tales and anecdotes in a second edition blog. Not only have I found blogging to be the perfect way to get news out to friends and family members, I have also found it to be the perfect way to reflect on being a mom and wife. I am happy to see my blog becoming an online scrapbook of the Tahoe Browders. In fact, I even found a website that will convert blog entries into a bound book. Therefore, beginning a new blog seemed to be the best idea. From now on I will begin a new edition with the start of each new school year. Appropriately enough, today was Ben's first day of preschool. But to hear more about that please visit our new blog address at http://www.tahoebrowderstoo.blogspot.com/ .

See you soon!!!!

Flashback

2009-08-24T13:26:00.001-07:00

I got the boys ready for church yesterday morning and once I had Sam dressed I did a double-take! Many people tell me how much Sam is beginning to look like Ben. I haven't really seen the similarities until Sam was decked out in an outfit I fondly remember Ben wearing. Let's see what you think....

Monkey See, Monkey Do

2009-08-23T14:39:00.000-07:00

With the boys under the weather into the weekend, we spent lots of time inside. And is usually the case, if Ben likes doing something, so does Sam and vice versa.

Mama Called the Doctor and the Doctor Said....

2009-08-22T13:55:00.001-07:00

This last Wednesday evening was my last summer softball game (not including the playoffs) and since it was the earliest time slot at 6:15, I decided to take Ben along to watch the game from the dugout. Ben was pretty quiet while my teammates and I came in and out of the dugout between innings. I took it for him being in a new situation and didn't think much of it. When I came in after an inning in left-center field I found Ben with a snotty nose caused by crying. Apparently a fly had not only buzzed near him but had actually landed on him. Obviously he had memories of his recent bee sting in Dayton and was shaken up a bit. I held him and helped to calm him down and noticed he was a little warm. I assumed that the rise in his body temperature had to do with the adrenaline rushing through his system with his fear. From then on he would ask each time I returned to the dugout if it was time to go home yet.

After winning by a few runs, I said goodbye to my team and started toward the car with Ben. He was still not quite himself but I knew he was tired. When we got home he was a mess....fussy, whiny, and clingy. I started to get him into his pj's when I noticed he was still warm - no, hot! I took his temperature and found him to be bordering on 103 degrees! I gave him a dose of Motrin and put him to bed. When I checked on him less than two hours later he was nice and cool. Situation averted? Not quite....

The next morning, Ben's temperature was back up to about 100 degrees so we opted to stay in for the day. More doses of medicine didn't seem to change his temperature much so we kept things low-key throughout the day. By that evening, Ben appeared to be fine, still a little warm but not uncomfortable in any way. As a precaution I gave him one last dose of Tylenol before bed and again found him nice and cool when I went to bed.

By Friday morning it appeared that we were out of the woods. Ben had no fever and was a happy boy. I told him that he no longer had a fever and his response was, "Good! Now my throat won't hurt when I drink my ice water."
"Did your throat hurt before, Ben?" I asked.
"Yeah, a little, but not now," he replied.

We headed out to Carson City before 7:00 A.M. to get the car to the shop for an oil-change and to have a leak investigated. All turned out well and the boys and I took the opportunity of being out of town to get new sneakers for Ben since he had outgrown the pair he started wearing in the spring. As usual, Sam fell asleep in the car on the way home ruining any chances of a decent nap at home. I knew it would be a long afternoon but didn't expect to have two feverish kids by the evening! Nor did I expect to read my sister-in-law's blog and find that her entire family was suffering from strep throat! Brian and I both looked into Ben's throat before bedtime and found his tonsils to be very red with a few white speckles....clearly not normal.

After a fitful night from both boys I was not surprised when they were both awake this morning at 5:30 with low grade fevers and Sam with a snotty nose. I opted not to medicate them and take them to our local urgent care clinic when it opened at 9:00. Brian headed in to work and the boys and I went to get a diagnosis. The nurse took their temperatures and both were fever-free! I filled the doctor in on our strep throat exposure and he decided to do throat cultures on both boys. Let's just say that didn't go over well until the doctor promptly produced a lollipop for each boy. Ben's culture came back clear and his ears looked fine too. Sam's culture also came back clear but both of his ears were infected! Poor little monkey! The doctor prescribed a five day dosage of antibiotics for each boy to clear up any chance of strep and take care of Sam's ears.

After waiting at the pharmacy for the prescription we returned home with a VERY fussy Sam. I got the medicine into the boys with their lunch (along with a dose of Motrin for Sam) and they played happily until it was time for their rests. They are both now sleeping peacefully.

The good news is that Ben will not have to miss his first day of preschool on Monday. Nor will Sam have to miss his first day solo (with Mommy) at TCF's bilingual program.

Sam Says...

2009-08-19T08:23:00.000-07:00

Sam is officially the chatterbox of our family. For a 20 month-old kid, he has a lot to say, all the time! He falls asleep talking and wakes up talking. He even talks in his sleep! His enunciation is not bad either, especially when it comes to pronouncing people's names. In Dayton, he loved saying Cristina with his own twist on it, Cristita.

Some things he says are just plain cute. While looking at a book of animals the other evening he saw a picture of a zebra and enthusiastically said, "Beezra!" And upon seeing a picture of a macaw he said, "Carrot!"

He also tells me, "That tickles!" every time I put his socks and shoes on.

Same woke up at 4:00 in the morning this last Sunday following our travels home from Ohio. When Brian went to retrieve him from his room before he woke Ben too Sam said, "I want Mommy." Brian was surprised that within the few days we were gone Sam had begun speaking in COMPLETE sentences! And yesterday morning when Ben went downstairs with Brian before Sam and I, Sam said, "I need my Ben," then, "I need my daddy." How sweet is that?

Sam has also started to have naps and bedtime more frequently in his big boy bed. He does a pretty good job of staying in the bed even though I was quite worried he would be all over the place without crib rails to keep him contained. I try to give Sam the option of where he sleeps so it doesn't become a battle to have him sleep in the bed. Yesterday when I took him up for his nap I asked him if he wanted to sleep in his big boy bed or his crib. He replied, "No sleep in big boy bed."

I asked, "Do you want to sleep in your crib?"
"No sleep in crib," he answered.

"Sam, if you don't sleep in your crib or bed then where are you going to sleep?"

Sam's answer, "Sleep in rocket ship crib."

Not even two years-old and he is pretending his crib is a rocket ship!

Summer Days in Dayton

2009-08-17T14:19:00.000-07:00

Monday, August 10th - We checked into the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno intending to get a good night's sleep before our 6:00 A.M. flight. The boys were excited to look out our fourteenth floor window at the pool party below. Needless to say, bedtime ended up being delayed by a good two hours!

Tuesday, August 11th - At 4:00 A.M. Brian called to cancel our wake-up call since we were already awake and had been awake most of the night. Apparently, Sam talks in his sleep.....a lot.

We were on our way to the airport by 5:00 A.M. and the boys were groggy but excited to ride on an airplane. After checking one suitcase, Brian accompanied the boys and I through security and to our gate. He stayed with us until we boarded at 5:40. By 6:10 we were in the air on our way to Denver. The boys were wonderful the entire flight and by the time we needed to switch planes they were ready too. We had to maneuver from one concourse in Denver to another by way of a small subway train. Ben loved the train and the people-movers in the airport while Sam took a short rest. After getting some cheese pizzas for an early lunch, we boarded our second plane to Dayton. Again, the boys were great in the air and we had some of the nicest flight attendants I have ever met. Brian's parents, Dave and Sarah, known to the grand kids as Nan and Teddy, were at the Dayton airport to welcome us and transport us to Tom and Elma Talbot's home in Kettering.

I had forgotten what it's like to be in the land of humidity after living in essentially a desert climate for several years. From the moment I stepped off the plane I felt suffocated. Luckily, the Talbots have a big, beautiful grassy back yard complete with a swimming pool so the boys and I immediately changed into our swim suits and took a dip - or in Ben's case, the plunge. Not much later Chris, Emily, and their kids (Elyse, Camille, and Harrison) arrived for a visit and dinner. It was Emily and the kids' first time meeting Sam and my boys and my first time meeting Harry. All the kids are not only cuties but also well-behaved. Sam and Harry being only five months apart in age really seemed to hit it off.

Wednesday, August 12th - After a decent night's sleep considering the previous long travel day, the boys played for a bit with Teddy while Sarah, Elma and I took a walk. My left knee was feeling pretty stiff after hours of being crunched into economy seats on our flights so I was happy to stretch out some. While walking we ran into one of Brian's old high school classmates, Holly, and her two little boys. We have been exchanging Christmas cards with Holly for the past few years so it was nice to actually meet her.

After our walk, Elma returned to the house to get cleaned up to retrieve her son, Tommy, his wife Cristina, and their two kids, Cate and Peter from the airport. Sarah and I loaded the boys up in the double stroller and walked to Orchardly Park. Sam ended up napping along the way but Ben was quite happy to be awake to enjoy a huge sand pit, multiple climbing structures, a teeter-totter, and a water sprinkler/fountain area meant for kids to play in. Eventually Sam woke up, ruining all chances of an afternoon nap, and played with Ben more. Ben had asked me several -weeks ago to go to a play ground with a teeter-totter so he was extremely happy to try it out with Sam.

When we arrived back to the house we were greeted by Tommy, Cristina, Cate and Peter. Ben and Cate were quick to hit it off and spent hours over the few days playing in the sun porch with a variety of old Fisher Price Little People toys.

Again in the afternoon we got more time with the other Browder kids, swam in the pool, and had a great dinner out on the deck. I put Sam down for an early bedtime and Ben stayed up until after dark to catch fire flies. Many people don't even think about it but if you live on the west coast you just don't see fire flies. In fact, fire flies are seldom seen west of Kansas! Mr. Talbot was wonderful in leading Ben out to the front yard and helping him see the flashing critters. Tom has a definite knack for making people feel at home. Sam really seemed to connect with Tom, even exclaiming when Tom returned home from work, "Hi, Tom!"

Thursday, August 13th - Ben's first request upon waking was to go play in the sun porch with the toy airplane and Cate. And Sam was happy to be part of the trio.

Mid-morning, Elma, Tommy, Cate, Peter, Sarah, Ben, Sam and I loaded up and drove across Dayton to the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery (http://www.boonshoftmuseum.org/). The museum was amazing! The hands-on activities for the kids were endless and engaging. Ben was especially fond of the water activity table where he was able to connect pieces of plastic pipes and fittings and watch water flow through. There was a fossil pit, a pioneer log cabin, a huge rope ladder with a long spiraling slide at the top, and even a small zoo! The one downfall was that it was impossible to see everything with four toddlers all going different directions.

Later on in the day we spent more time in the pool, of course. Ben's favorite swim buddy was Teddy. Ben would stand on the edge of the pool and yell, "Teddy are you ready?" and once it was confirmed that Teddy was in fact ready, Ben would launch himself into the water and into Teddy's arms. Ben's level of comfort in the water has grown by leaps and bounds this summer and I would guess that he will be a little fish next summer.

Ben also ended up stepping on a bee which stung him on the big toe. He as surprised and a little hurt but did not have any kind of allergic reaction, thank goodness! After having the stinger removed and numbing it with ice, Mrs. Talbot treated him with Benadryl cream and a bandaid.

We were also lucky to see Jane and Russel Falck, more friends of the Browders from their days in Oakwood. Of the three couples (the Browders, Talbots and Falcks), only the Falcks remain grandchild-less. As I told Jane, I am happy to share my boys with her anytime!

We also said our goodbyes to Emily and the kids as they headed back to Seattle while Chris stayed on until Saturday.

Friday, August 14th - A full day of playing inside and outside! Ben and Cate were practically inseparable the entire day. I also let Sam stay up late with Ben so he too could experience fire flies. Nan and Teddy gave the kids bug jars with mesh lids so the boys were anxious to catch fire flies to have with them at bedtime.

Saturday, August 15th - I spent a good portion of the morning trying to get myself organized for the flights home. The boys played and played all morning. We took a short swim before changing clothes, having lunch and heading to the airport.

We had no problems with security and were inside the airport ready for our 4:00 P.M. flight from Dayton to Denver with time to spare. The flight was full of families with young children and once again the boys were wonderful on the plane. We arrived in Denver, changed concourses via the train, and got some food for dinner. Our plane was delayed by about 15 minutes but once we were in the air it was smooth sailing. We were absolutely exhausted by the time we started our descent into Reno. The boys had not napped at all the entire day and Sam especially was running on empty. He literally fell asleep as we landed. I managed to lug the boys with Sam in his car seat off the plane and headed toward baggage claim. Brian joined us within a few minutes and we all headed back to Incline.

We had a wonderful visit to Dayton. The Talbots were unbelievably gracious, giving, and kind. And I can't even begin to sing my praises for my in-laws. Without Dave and Sarah the trip would have been a major challenge.

Ben, Sam, Brian and I extend our thanks with big hugs to everyone for an amazing summer trip!

Aunties, Aunties!

2009-08-17T14:01:00.001-07:00

We were very excited to get a phone call a couple of weekends ago from my brother-in-law, Pete, asking if we would like to get together with he and my sister Beth here in Tahoe. They decided to get in one last getaway before Beth had to go back to work with the start of a new school year. I was jubilant as I haven't spent any time with my sister since our travels over spring break in April. I was even more excited when Pete called back a few minutes after ending our first phone call and said that not only would they be up for a night but if it worked for us, Beth would stay a few more days and ride with the boys and I to Redding for my oldest sister Pauline's baby shower.

We were expecting Beth and Pete to arrive sometime in the early afternoon on Tuesday, August 4th, and the plan was to go out for lunch then get the kids down for a rest while Beth and Pete went to the Rustic Cottages where they always stay when they come to the lake. Shortly after noon I heard footsteps on the outside stairs and told the boys that it was Auntie Beth and Uncle Pete. Imagine my surprise when I found my niece, Kayla, (with an Ikeda's peach pie in hand) standing outside my front door! Beth and Pete had pulled a few strings with Kayla's mom so she could come up and see her cousins too!

Later on that evening the boys and I picked Brian up from his office then drove the few miles to the Rustic Cottages where we enjoyed a barbecue with Beth, Pete, Kayla, and their friends, Shawna and Jenn. The boys had a great time playing with Kayla and we all enjoyed playing horseshoes and visiting.

The next morning we picked up Beth after Pete and Kayla headed back down the mountain. Ben and Sam loved having special time with their auntie. And it turned out to be just what Beth and I needed to put the final touches on our big sister Pauline's baby shower.

On Friday morning we got everything loaded in the car and made the drive to Redding. Auntie Pauline was home alone while Uncle Howie and Olivia were camping. Ben was thrilled to play on the play structure in the back yard and let Fenway, Olivia's dog, cover him in doggie kisses. Sam finally warmed up to Fenway too and had lots of fun with Olivia's doll house.

The baby shower was a hit with lots of Pauline's co-workers and friends in attendance. Good food, fun games, and nice company made the event a success. My nephew is due at the end of September and judging from the gifts heaped upon him, he will be a very well-loved little guy. And it's nice for me to know exactly where to pass along things my boys have outgrown. Pauline will be starting the school year teaching her kindergartners so things will be hectic for her right up until the moment her baby boy arrives. For now, I wish her lots of luck with lots of rest.

Take Me Out to the Ball game!

2009-08-07T08:10:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the generosity of our friends, Jackie and Eric Peacock (and their little one Chloe), we were able to not only attend a game in the Inaugural season for the Reno Aces but also watch a great game! Thunder storms loomed in the distance as we arrived to the game at the start of the second inning (darn road construction) but it ended up being perfect timing as a foul ball rolled to our feet outside the stadium.
We quickly found our seats - wait, let me rephrase, our INCREDIBLE seats! With the four middle seats in the second and third rows directly behind home plate, we were right in the action. In fact, for one of the first times I can remember, my dad didn't need his binoculars to follow the game.

After just two more innings, rain drops began to fall here and there. We took the opportunity to get up, check out the park, and find some food. Let's just say our timing was again perfect. Within minutes, the scattered raindrops became an all-out down pour! People who had thought to stay in their seats and wait out the shower quickly joined us in the covered area looking like they had all been tossed into a swimming pool. The rain continued to fall for a good thirty minutes creating a fifty-six minute rain delay. After we had successfully fed cheese pizza to the kids and obtain food for the adults, we returned to our seats only to find that one of the other fans in our row had dried the seats for us - how kind! Another short shower sprinkled us for a couple of minutes later on but it was hardly worth running for cover.

Between innings or during pitching changes we enjoyed the music and watching the scoreboard as it scanned the crowd. Sam was a main target for the camera man behind us, appearing on the big screen several times! The kids loved the entire game and were hard to pull away when their bedtime was imminent. We did stay through the seventh inning stretch to sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" then watched a seven run streak by the Aces in the bottom of the seventh inning to lead them to their 10-9 victory over the Colorado Springs Sky Sox.

The name's Shakespeare, William Shakespeare

2009-08-04T15:29:00.000-07:00

During the summer of 2003 I was one of a handful of teachers who took part in the Northern California Writing Project. This is where I met the kind and lovely, Janet Farschon, an elementary school teacher from Cedarville, California. Within the first couple of days of class Janet mentioned that she'd like to share my email address with her nephew. Thinking I had nothing to lose, I agreed and the very last day of class Janet handed me a small blue post-it note with Brian's contact information on it. That same afternoon I sent an email that started the ball rolling. After a few weeks of emails and phone calls, Brian invited me to the lake to go to the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare festival with him to see "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

So six years ago on August 2, 2003, I made the fateful drive from Chico to Incline Village to meet Brian face-to-face for the first time. Obviously the rest is history and now we celebrate the anniversary of our first date each year at the Shakespeare festival. Over the years we have had several friends join us for the fun. Originally it was just us and Steph and Matt whose wedding anniversary is August 3rd. But this year we welcomed three new faces to our Shakespeare entourage. My good friend, Tabitha, whom I met at Humboldt State over a decade ago, made the trek up from southern California to spend a few days with us and see "Measure for Measure." We also encouraged fellow TCF parents, Cris and Joe Hennessey, to join us and have a night off duty from their daughter Ella. We all had an amazing evening under the Tahoe sky that was fueled by Brian's very tasty and very potent margaritas.

Tabitha was the only one to bring along a camera so I must thank her for the photos!

Girls' Night Out

2009-08-04T08:19:00.000-07:00

Several months after purchasing concert tickets the day finally arrived for Kenny Chesney's Sun City Carnival Tour 2009 to be in South Lake Tahoe. This was the first concert I have been to with my good friends, Kirsty and Maite, since the summer of 2004 when we traveled to Las Vegas to see Kenny Chesney and Rascal Flatts.

Concerts with the girls are always a blast. This year we met at my home then drove to South Lake where we had dinner and drinks at the Hard Rock Cafe before heading to the outdoor concert venue.

Back when I commuted to and from work I had a minimum of 40 minutes every day to listen to the latest chart-topping songs on the radio. Now that my job has changed, so have my listening choices...I haven't listened to much other than Raffi and the boys' Music Together CD's for quite some time.

When the opening act, Lady Antebellum, came on stage I was completely clueless of who they were. After a couple of songs, it really didn't matter because the fact was that I was at a concert, out of mommy mode, and with good friends.....who cares if I didn't know ANY of their songs or the songs of the next performer, Miranda Lambert. I was having FUN!

Luckily, I have been to a few Kenny concerts in the past several years and he is always sure to play songs from older albums because that is what the fans want so I was able to sign along with about two-thirds of his songs. And when Sammy Hagar joined Kenny on stage I was even able to sing along with his classic, "I Can't Drive 55."

A great show with good friends is one of the best ways to spend a warm summer night in Tahoe.

Barbershop Before and After

2009-07-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

After having to comb the boys' hair out of their eyes for the past couple of weeks and having Ben complain that his hair was always in his eyes during swim lessons, I scheduled another appointment with our local barber, Louie. Haircuts are always an adventure...

Welcome Friends!

2009-07-28T14:27:00.000-07:00

I first met my good friend, Kirsty, in August of 2000 when I started my first teaching job at Egling Middle School in Colusa, California. The first words she said to me were, "Hi, I'm Kirsty...like thirsty with a K." From that first moment I knew that I had met a woman who would share her heart and mind no matter what. Kirsty and I weren't extremely close my first year of teaching but by my second year I had joined her carpool and we became sounding boards for each other on the 50-mile drive home each day. There's a lot to be said for having someone to share in the drudgery, frustration, and overall chaos that comes from teaching seventh graders each day. Our daily rants were the perfect way to put work behind us so we could enjoy our evenings at home. When I entered the Chico to Colusa car pool, Kirsty's daughter Jemma was just coming up on her second birthday. She was always so patient being buckled into her car seat for the travels to and from Colusa. I spent three years watching Jemma grow and become a very funny little girl who could keep us all laughing.

It's been quite a while since I last saw Kirsty.....March 2008 to be exact. Sam was a mere three months old and Ben was not even two yet! So it was quite a treat to see not only Kirsty but her husband Jeff and Jemma yesterday.

Kirsty and Jeff are the same as ever and I love how despite months of not seeing each other, we can easily pick up right where we left off. My friendship with Kirsty is so easy and uncomplicated. The one who has changed the most is Jemma who is now almost ten! And she's nearly as tall as I am....I know that's not saying much considering my short stature but still - she's tall!

So, yesterday afternoon, the boys and I took the Ochs family to the beach with us where the kids dug holes in the sand, waded in the water, and had fun in general. Kirsty and I mainly stood by the kids and visited. After a long weekend of cycling events, Jeff found a rock out in the water and lounged while the little fish swam around him. After a couple of hours in the sun and sand we picked up Brian and we all had pizza together.

I know that Jemma made an impact on Ben because the first thing he said while eating his breakfast this morning was, "Are we going to see Jemma today?" When I told him no he replied in a very whiny voice, "But I just wanted to see Jemma again today."

Tomorrow evening, my other Colusa counterpart, Maite, will be arriving in town to join Kirsty and I for a concert in South Lake. But, that's another blog post altogether.

No Fence Necessary!

2009-07-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

What's that saying about fences and neighbors? Good fences make good neighbors? Tall fences make good neighbors? Good neighbors build good fences?
I'm not sure but I do know that fence or not, we have some great neighbors. The biggest problem with our neighbors, Steve and Jackie, is that they don't live here full-time.
Steve and Jackie, along with their daughter Danielle, call southern California home but happen to have a condo here just a couple of doors down from us. In fact, it was their place where we stayed back in January when our home renovations were wrapping up.
We noticed Steve's big gray truck parked out front the middle of last week and the boys were thrilled to see that their favorite neighbors were back in town. Ben was even more excited to see that they brought their dog Ruby with them! He immediately wrapped his arms around her neck and let her lick him! Too bad he is allergic to dogs because he loves them so much. He was so close to Ruby that he actually ended up with hives where she had kissed him.
Since last week's arrival we have spent time each day either playing outside, going out to dinner, going for walks, or barbecuing with them. And, let's just say, if any of you think you are good at grilling ribs, I suggest you taste Steve's before you make any claims.
We are always happy to have Steve and Jackie in town and are always sad to see them head back home. And we never hesitate to ask them when they will be moving here for good.

Handy Man for Hire

2009-07-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

No job too small!

Free estimates.

You pay for the job, not the time.

Will beat anyone's prices.

Safe and reliable.

Daring Duo

2009-07-21T16:12:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of photos of Ben and Sam playing in the wheel room at TCF.

Sam is just along for the ride!

How big do you have to be to ride a scooter?
About this big!

Yreka Road Trip

2009-07-21T15:44:00.000-07:00

Sunflowers in the garden.

Sam is not quite sure of Ben's smile.

Sam looking for bugs.

Another sunflower.

The boys checking out the zucchini plants.

Uncle Sam?

Ben is not flashing gang signs....he's just telling you he's 3!

Gram's step stool is still in demand after decades of use.

Last week the boys and I set off for Great Gram and Pop's house in Yreka, California. The last time we visited was in April for the family Easter gathering. Unlike our wintry trip in April, the sun shone upon us the entire 290 miles. In fact, it was HOT!

With two little ones in the car with just one parent it seemed that the drive would never end. But the boys were great singing songs, playing, reading books, snacking, and even sleeping a little. We made one lengthy stop along the way at a rest area about 25 miles past Susanville. We had some lunch and the boys had fun playing on the hopscotch grid painted on one of the walkways. To burn a bit more energy I pulled Ben's glide bike from the back of the car and let him ride around the walkways while Sam and I attempted to keep up. By the time we reached Yreka, the boys were ready for some run-around time so we played in the back yard until dinner.

Overall, our visit was fairly quiet. Gram and Pop went about their normal summer routines and the boys and I attempted to help when possible. The boys loved helping move the sprinklers in the yard when Gram was watering and they couldn't wait to check on the zucchini plants when we were in the yard. And the yard was perfect for baseball and soccer. The only thing that was hard to adjust to was the heat with temperatures in the high nineties and above every day....we just don't get heat like that in Tahoe.

We took short walks almost every day with Ben riding his bike. When we were out running errands I bumped into a handful of Happy Campers including a friend I hadn't seen in 12 years! And we got to see Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Ray and Aunt Annie for a bit on Thursday before we headed home on Friday.

The return trip on Friday was also long but again we broke up the drive with a longer stop for lunch in Susanville. The boys were captivated as we neared Reno and saw plumes of smoke rising from the hills as brush fires burned. At Hallelujah Junction we even saw three helicopters flying over the freeway to get buckets of water to dump on a fire.

By the time we got back to Incline we were all ready for some cooler temperatures and some time with Daddy.

Future Soccer Star

2009-07-10T14:18:00.001-07:00

A couple of months ago we signed Ben up for the Fearless Soccer Mini Camp for kids 3 and a half to 5 and a half years old. Ben has been interested in soccer since Nan and Teddy gave him a soccer ball last summer. But it's only been recently that his coordination has begun to catch up with his desire.

Though he was the youngest out of all the kids in his class, the coaches (Gigi and Trenton) told me that he was not only rather skilled but also a good listener and very good at expressing his thoughts. Of the four days the camp took place, Sam and I usually stuck around for the first 20 minutes or so then went off to enjoy time together. One morning Coach Gigi asked the kids to dribble the ball around in an area marked off by cones to warm up. Ben looked right up and said, "You have to warm up in baseball too!"

The experience was a success and as Sam and I watched the entire two hour session on the final day, I knew that I would soon be counting myself in with hundreds of thousands of moms across the country who call themselves "Soccer Moms."

Check out that kick!

With a certificate of completion in hand the look says it all.....he's not ready for soccer camp to be over :(

Ben approaching the action.

After a short stint as goalie, Ben was not willing to part with the position.

Zachary is probably the sweetest, gentlest five year-old I have ever known but apparently he takes his duties as goalie VERY seriously!

"Take that!"

I think Ben liked being goalie simply because he knew he could pick up the ball and not just kick it.

Ben and Joseph: buddies since infancy, buddies for life.

A fun game called soccer bowling.

Occasionally Ben's strategy was to simply fall down with the ball to keep it from the other players.

Ben completely adored Coach Trenton!

The chase is on!

It looks like a mama duck with a string of ducklings.

Red, White, and Tahoe Blue - The Weekend

2009-07-07T14:06:00.000-07:00

Sam wishes everyone a Happy Fourth of July! (Or as he pronounces it, Appy Orth Ooly!)

Stopping for a quick snack on our hike in the meadows.

Ben loved the granite slabs cut into benches for weary hikers.

Sam trying out the hiking stick.

The boys crossing a bridge on the meadow trail.

Ben getting a little rest at the vista point on the trail.

A pitiful attempt at a family hiking photo.

The view of the meadow from the vista point.

For the third year we walked with a decorated stroller with TCF in the parade.

Many moms and kids getting ready for the parade.

My friend's little boy, Dominic, was quite relaxed during the parade!
(All the parade images were taken by fellow mom, Kelly Sparks)

The Fourth of July is a big deal in Tahoe. Many people consider it to be the real start to the summer. For the locals, we see it as a fun time but overly crowded with out-of-towners. We even go so far as to NOT go to the store for necessities like milk and bread because of the crowds.

There are obviously so many high points to the holiday that it is easy to overlook the crowds and enjoy the area for all it has to offer.....

Thursday, July 2nd - The boys and I began our day bright and early at the fire station for a pancake breakfast. The boys love pancakes and having them cooked by REAL firemen is just about as good as it gets! Wait, eating the pancakes cooked by REAL firemen in a REAL fire station, next to REAL fire trucks is about as good as it gets!

From there we made our way up the hill to the Episcopal church parking lot where we met up with a couple dozen other young families from TCF to decorate our strollers, wagons, and kids for the parade. We walked the 1.5 miles course with huge smiles on our faces knowing how unbelievably lucky we are to live here!

After the parade we snacked in the shade at the Village Green for the opening ceremonies to Red, White, and Tahoe Blue 2009.

After a brief nap at home we headed back to the green for an ice cream social where the boys got a very uncommon treat of ice cream before dinner.

Friday, July 3rd - Again, our day began bright and early (when doesn't it with toddlers who wake as early as 5:30 A.M.?) and we were up to the Tahoe Meadows Interpretive Trail for a family hike before 9:30. Brian lugged Sam in the back pack while Ben and I hiked alongside. Ben hiked the 1.2 miles all on his own and even Sam walked close to a quarter mile out of the pack.

A quick stop at home for snacks and a wardrobe change into swim trunks for the boys and we headed to Incline Beach to play for a while then watch the rubber duck race. I had never been to the beaches during the fourth of July weekend and was blown away at how many people could crowd onto the sand! Amazingly, we bumped into a handful of families that we knew so we weren't lost in the sea of human flesh. We only watched three heats of the duck race before the boys were ready for a rest so we said our farewells and happily came home.

That evening we met up with my college friend, Tabitha, for dinner in Kings Beach where she was with a group to watch the fireworks that night. Both boys love Tabby and were great in the crowded restaurant where we ate a delicious Mexican meal. They were also happy to hear that though Tabitha couldn't come home with us that night, she will be coming to visit for several days in early August!

Saturday, July 4th - We stayed home!!!! Actually Brian went into the office to get some work done and the boys and I spent the day outside playing wiffle ball and riding bikes. Then we broke the rule about going to the grocery store during the holiday weekend because we ran out of Ben's allergy medicine. If it weren't for the layer of pine pollen covering everything I would have let the kid go without a couple of doses. But the itchy, puffy, red eyes kind of got to me....

The kids went to bed at their normal time and when the fireworks started booming at 9:30 P.M., Brian and I simply looked at each other and said, "Maybe next year."

A Modge Podge of June Events

2009-07-04T14:19:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, June 21st we celebrated Daddy's third Father's Day. We also welcomed Grandma and Grandpa into town for a week long stay.

Ben and Sam made a Father's Day craft at the library during story hour for Daddy. But because of Ben's past reactions to peanut butter we did not bring home the rest of the gift which was a small paper sack filled with peanuts and a couple more peanuts glued to the front of the card. The card on it's own is still cute reading, "Dad, I'm nuts over you! Happy Father's Day!" The boys were very excited to glue on googly eyes too.

Another gift for Daddy was a photo taken recently in Modesto with four generations of the Browder men.

Last summer I met a young couple at the pool who live full time in Atlanta but bought a fixer-upper here in Incline. Jill and Joe Laster have two daughters, Annie (5 1/2) and Virginia (4), and I got to know them when Ben and Virginia were Tiny Tunas last year in swim lessons. I had completely forgotten that when they headed back to Atlanta at the end of the summer Jill was a few weeks into her third pregnancy. I had gotten their address from them last summer with the intent of adding them to my Christmas card list. But somewhere in our remodeling fiasco I misplaced their information and thought they would eventually come back to Incline.
So, I was very excited to bump into Jill at Raley's the weekend before swim lessons were to begin. We spent the first week of swim lessons talking a little but never seeming to have enough time since their girls were in the time frame before Ben and Sam. But we were able to visit while all the kids played in the sand at the beach a couple of days. We decided that because their visit to Incline this summer was only for a couple of weeks we should get together and have a barbecue with all the family. We settled on Father's Day at one of the picnic areas at Burnt Cedar beach. Brian and I and the boys, as well as Grandma and Grandpa joined Joe and Jill, Annie and Virginia and new baby Jerry with Joe's cousin John for a great meal.
The kids had a great time playing soccer and going to the playground. Ben even figured out how to build a fort with the beach umbrella!

Here's Ben peeking out of his umbrella fort.

Joe and Jill with 5 month-old Jerry (the girls were too busy playing to hold still for a photo).

The biggest event for me in June was the Golf Fore Education tournament. As the Tahoe Children's Foundation board president a lot of the organizing fell on my shoulders. Four non-profits were collaborators for the weekend. It was a tremendous amount of work to get the two-day golf tournament, community barbecue, and auctions put together. All in all it turned out well with a few bumps in the road. Our little family had a great time with Grandma and Grandpa here to golf and go to the barbecue with us. The food was good, the entertainment was upbeat and the auction prizes were one-of-a-kind. With the green light from Brian's parents to go for it, we even ended up being the highest bidders on a week stay at a home in a Mayan village in Belize owned by another non-profit director in the community. So, it sounds like 2010 will be the year the Browders go to South America!

The boys enjoying the barbecue at the Diamond Peak Ski Lodge overlooking the lake.

Ben enjoyed singing with Grandpa and playing the guitar that Grandpa found in one of our local thrift stores.

Here's a question for you....what do you do when you find your snow boots in the middle of the summer?

Ben's reply.....WEAR THEM!

Ben spent an entire afternoon clunking around the house in his snow boots which he found in the laundry room while helping me put clothes in the dryer.

Obviously if you wear snow boots with shorts you have to kick up your heels and dance!

Washing dishes in snow boots is a good idea too....keep those feet dry!

And after all that excitement, you may need to curl up in the clean laundry for a rest!

Let's go Swimming!

2009-06-30T14:28:00.000-07:00

The boys and I spent the last two weeks of June braving the chilly waters of the outdoor pools at Burnt Cedar beach for the first swim lessons of the summer. For Ben it's old hat as he's taken part in swim lessons since the summer of 2007. But it's a whole new experience for Sam.

Ben was in the Tiny Tunas class which worked on skills in the small wading pool (known by many moms of toddlers as the pee pee pool), and also introduced the platform in the big pool.
All the kids prefer the little pool because it is usually right around ninety degrees.

Sam and I were in the Sea Stars class (AKA Parent Tot). We worked on entering and exiting the water safely, blowing bubbles, kicking, arm splashing, as well as front and back floats. Sam liked being in the water until the cool temperatures caused his teeth to chatter. Luckily our instructor would always finish up in the little pool to warm the kids back up.

As you can see from the photos, both boys are at home in the water and we'll be looking forward to another session of swim later in July.

Sam and I enjoying the warmth of the little pool after a cool dip in the big pool.

Singing Humpty Dumpty before the "jump" into the water.

Ben with a borrowed float.

Practicing his splashing and kicks.

Ben waiting patiently for his teachers for some work on the platform in the big pool.

It's always fun to splash your brother!

A Day Out in Tahoe City

2009-06-29T14:57:00.000-07:00

Ben has decided to help me with this post so I will simply type as he dictates.....

"It was Grandma and Grandpa and me and Sam standing together. And it was not a very good picture because Sam was turning the other way."

"That's the river coming out of the lake and the bridge. And look at the trees!"

"I was hugging Sam. Sam and I were in the bushes and the monkey flowers were yellow. But the purple ones were not monkey flowers."

" And that's Grandma hugging Grandpa."

" That's the lake with the parasailer up in the air."

And now, Ben will type his own story....

oooo8kkk8'\\\[';u,, fhyrfvfderhvchjhnbv ttkgbbbbmib nnnnnnbbb333dddddddddddddddddvtmt84m he fnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nn8373nfqn8rrttv5yn bbbc ben

"This is my Curious George story."

And now my take on things....

We took Friday morning to visit Tahoe City's Gatekeeper's Museum and the famous Fanny Bridge which received its name from all of the fannies that can be seen from the road as gawkers stare over the edge into the cool waters. The bridge is located over the only outlet of Lake Tahoe. The Gatekeeper's Museum features the history of Lake Tahoe including Indian artifacts, natural history displays, stories of our pioneers, and the Ellen Attardi Library - a research library which includes books, oral histories, newspapers and photographs. It also houses the Marion Steinbach Indian Basket Collection which was not only beautiful but HUGE!

After our sight-seeing we went to a well-known Tahoe City Mexican restaurant called Blue Agave - Mexican Food with Altitude! Sam was a big fan of the chips and salsa even going as far as to reach into the salsa bowl sans chip to get a handful of the good stuff!

Anniversary Celebration!

2009-06-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

To celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary, Brian and I made reservations for dinner at the Lone Eagle Grille. My parents were kind enough to give the boys dinner and put them to bed so we could have an evening off. I took full advantage of the offer and even went to far as to wear a sun dress and even a little makeup....startling, I know.

When we arrived at the restaurant we were led to a table on the patio that was basically as close to the lake as you could get without actually touching the sand. I love the Lone Eagle for many reasons - the view, the food, the kind wait staff, and the entertainment in the lounge area (remember my mention of "Tahoe Luke" in the Married Bliss post?). Our server asked us if we were enjoying our vacation and I told her that we actually live in town. She asked if it was a special occasion and we told her it was our fourth anniversary.

As usual, our food was wonderful. For an appetizer we shared the seared Ahi tuna with a crispy shrimp, Napa cabbage dumpling, micro cilantro, mango salsa, and Teriyaki wasabi drizzle. For dinner I had the grilled beef tenderloin with a potato, gorgonzola tart smothered in a ciopollini onion sauce and steamed asparagus. Brian had the evening special of elk tenderloin with garlic mashed potatoes in a red wine sauce and steamed asparagus.

I was planning on ordering dessert despite the fact that I really didn't need it. But before I could even look at the menu, our waiter, Manny, brought over a beautiful plate with a huge piece of cake on it and told us it was from he and our other server, Jana. The cake had a base layer of a cookie/candy bar creation and had more layers of different kinds of ice cream. It was all topped off with a small white chocolate piece with Happy Anniversary printed on it, fresh berries, and a dusting of powdered sugar. I was so impressed by the beauty of the cake that I didn't even notice the dark chocolate drizzled out to spell Happy 4th. These are the moments I wish I had an IPhone to take pictures and immediately upload them to the blog for the world to see because of course I didn't have a camera with me.

As we were finishing up our dessert and expressing thanks to our servers for their thoughtfulness, we heard familiar music from the bar....Tahoe Luke! Could the night be more perfect?!

We found seats in the bar and sat back to enjoy the music. When Luke paused between songs he said he was happy to take requests. I wandered his way and told him that exactly four years ago to the day, he sang to me on my wedding night. He asked what the song was and promised to sing it for us. After just one other song Luke came to our table and told the other patrons that he was happy to sing a song for a couple celebrating their wedding anniversary that he had sung on their wedding day four years before. As he strummed the opening notes on his guitar he thanked us for coming back then sang....

I'll Be - Edwin McCain

The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful
Stop me and steal my breath
And emeralds from mountains thrust towards the sky
Never revealing their depth

And tell me that we belong together
Dress it up with the trappings of love
I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above

And I'll be your cryin' shoulder
I'll be love suicide
And I'll be better when I'm older
I'll be the greatest fan of your life

And rain falls angry on the tin roof
As we lie awake in my bed
And you're my survival, you're my living proof
My love is alive, and not dead

And tell me that we belong together
Dress it up with the trappings of love.
I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above

And I'll be your cryin' shoulder
I`ll be love suicide
And I'll be better when I'm older
I'll be the greatest fan of your life

And I dropped out, I burned up, I fought my way back from the dead,
I tuned in, I turned on, remembered the thing that you said.

And I'll be your cryin' shoulder
I'll be love suicide
And I'll be better when I'm older
I'll be the greatest fan of your life

The greatest fan of your life

What a wonderful evening....time alone for just Brian and I, no babysitter to pay, kids sleeping when we got home, and many happy memories! Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa and everyone else for an amazing anniversary.

Married Bliss

2009-06-25T08:17:00.000-07:00

A little privacy, please!

The wedding party.

Together at the Butchart Gardens in Victoria, B.C.

Four years ago today Brian and I said our wedding vows right here in Incline Village. Many friends and family members joined us at the Chateau on the Championship Golf Course where we had a beautiful outdoor wedding followed by a reception on the deck and in the grand ballroom. We waltzed for our first dance and tasted a heavenly raspberry-filled cake decorated with my favorite flowers, Dutch irises.

After the festivities we joined friends for an evening of drinks and music at the Lone Eagle Grille where "Tahoe" Luke Stevenson (http://www.tahoeluke.com/) serenaded us with a song and a perfect stranger bought us dinner. The following morning we returned to the Lone Eagle for Sunday brunch where the earth literally moved with a 4.8 earthquake centered about 8 miles east of Truckee, CA. What a way to begin our lives together!

We stayed in Tahoe for a few more days and visited with both of our families who had rented homes to enjoy more time at the lake. Then we headed out for our honeymoon in Victoria, B.C. where we stayed at a hotel overlooking the harbor, visited the Butchart Gardens (www.butchartgardens.com) and had high tea at the Empress Hotel.

It's hard to believe how quickly four years have passed!

Happy Anniversary to my amazing husband and best friend!

Oh, So Busy

2009-06-24T08:44:00.000-07:00

I really am not avoiding my blogging duties I have just been VERY busy lately. I am actually quite embarrassed that the month of June is nearly over and I have only made four posts prior to this one! Once this weekend passes I will be spending more of my child-free time (AKA nap time) catching the world up on life in Tahoe.

As the current president of the Tahoe Children's Foundation, I have been drowning in meetings, phone calls, and everything else that goes with running a two-day charity golf tournament complete with auctions, barbecues, and awards ceremonies.

Lucky for me, my mom and dad are in town to golf on Saturday (which also happens to be their thirty-eighth anniversary) so I have had extra help with the boys while I am stuck doing all the last minute organizing. Along with all the golf tournament stuff we still have our daily swim lessons, the usual appointments, and the never-ending task of entertaining two little boys with wiffle ball games in the driveway, playing with the train set, etc. So, needless to say, blogging is pretty low on my list of priorities lately. My apologies.

The Boys They are a Changin'

2009-06-18T14:48:00.000-07:00

Ben's new glide bike.

Sam is still a little uncertain about riding the tricycle.

"When I'm a daddy I will take care of my babies."

It is really unbelievable how much the boys have changed in the past couple of months. Ben is very articulate and inquisitive and often catches me off guard with his insight. Sam is doing his best to keep up with Ben and is not only a chatterbox but also a daredevil.

We recently removed the safety rails from Ben's bed and woke last night to him crying out for Mommy. When I got out of bed Brian said he had heard a thump from the boys' room. When I entered I found Ben on a pile of pillows, blankets, his baby doll, and a couple of stuffed animals. He was not hurt but shaken up a bit.

We also purchased a big boy bed for Sam last month. He is interested in being in it but hasn't quite gotten the idea that it's for sleeping. So, until he stops doing yoga on it and bailing over the safety rails, he is confined to his crib.

Swim lessons have started back up with the arrival of summer so Ben, Sam and I are all enjoying four mornings a week playing at the pool. Ben is in the Tiny Tunas class this session while Sam and I are taking part in the Parent-Tot class. Ben's skills are quickly improving and Sam is turning out to be quite a water baby too.

I remember last summer sitting by the side of the pool with little bitty baby Sam. I watched Ben kick and splash and become more comfortable in the water. Going to the pool was fun but also a headache as I lugged a toddler, a baby in a stroller, towels, changes of clothes, diapers, and toys to and from the car every day. I purposely avoided the beach because it was such a pain to keep Sam out of the sun while also making sure Ben was safe near the water. I kept telling myself that next summer would be better. Now that next summer is now, I couldn't be happier. Ben is so happy in the pool, at the playground, or the beach. And Sam is happy that Ben is happy. Sam is so determined to be a big kid that he is doing things I never thought an 18 month-old could do. I still have to be on my toes while the boys are playing by the lake shore or climbing the structures at the park but at least now I don't have to be holding one or both of them all the time!

Speaking of being a big kid, Ben has graduated from his tricycle, and is now the proud owner of a glide bike, also known as a balance bike. He starts by walking and pushing while seated, trusting his own abilities while quickly graduating to gliding on two wheels. This type of bike allows kids to learn to ride a two-wheeled bike without ever having to use training wheels! Amazing, huh?
And, now that Sam is a little taller, he is the proud owner of a gently used red tricycle!
Ben often tells Brian, "When I am bigger I will ride my bike up the mountain with you, Dad."

One morning I was trying to procure a hug from Ben, and as he wiggled out of my arms I told him that he never hugs me anymore. His response was, "That's because I'm not a baby anymore, Mom. But that's okay because you still have Sam and he'll hug you."

Ben also tells us of all the things he'll do when he's a daddy - let's get these in print so he can't balk in the future.
"When I'm a daddy I'll cook all the food."
"When I'm a daddy I will reach the sink to wash the dishes."
"When I'm a daddy I will make my own breakfast."
"When I'm a daddy I will go to work with Sue." (Sue is the office administrator at Brian's office)
"When I'm a daddy I will be tall and touch the ceiling."
"When I'm a daddy I will take care of my babies."
"When I'm a daddy I can shuffle the cards by myself."
"When I'm a daddy I can build a new house with my tools."

Out of Retirement

2009-06-18T09:08:00.000-07:00

My big sis, Beth, and I.

Look at Mt. Shasta in the background!

Robin McCormick, Margaret Seaman, and Sarah Moffitt

The Screamin' Eagles 1997.

Putting down a perfect bunt at Siskiyous

I first began playing softball when I was eight years-old, in 1985. I was the youngest on my team, the Ladybugs, and played alongside my big sister, Beth. I continued with little league softball through eighth grade - still playing with my sister. And in my four years on the high school team I was lucky to have two of them with Beth. She and I spent hours in our backyard playing catch, batting, and annoying each other with wild throws into the blackberry bushes. In our back yard Beth perfected her fast-pitch wind-up while I caught for her. Our coaches soon realized that if she was pitching, I should catch for her, and if she was catching, I should play second base. We seemed to anticipate each others actions - knowing where a pitch would be or exactly where to make the tag on a throw down to second base. Beth and I also played on a summer softball team during high school.

My positions varied from second base to shortstop to catcher to outfield. I was never a strong batter but Beth could crank the ball out of the infield at nearly every at-bat. In high school, our dad always said that if Beth hit a home run over the fence he would buy her a new car. During practice one day she did just that during a scrimmage. Dad was not there to see if for himself and it took another year but he did get her a used little pick up truck when she left for college where she ended up playing two years on the College of the Siskiyous team.

After high school I became a walk-on to the College of the Siskiyous softball team, just like my big sis, where I became teammates with a number of girls I am still in touch with today. I played year-round with the Screamin' Eagles from the fall of 1995 to the spring of 1997. My coaches at Siskiyous saw some potential in me to become a left-handed bunter/slap bunter due to my speed on the base paths and my poor right-handed batting. Starting out fresh as a leftie proved to be just the thing I needed to become a successful batter. I soon became the designated hitter sent out to the plate to bunt my teammates around the bases and into scoring position. The one downfall was that I was often a sacrifice batter :(

I transferred to Humboldt State University in the fall of 1997 and considered trying to walk-on to their team for less than a nano-second. I was not only positive that I wasn't good enough, but I was also ready to be free of the daily practices I had been enduring for the previous two years.

Lucky for me, my big sister, Beth, was involved in the co-ed intramural league at the university and was happy to have me join her team. We played our games in a big barn-type structure known on campus as the Field House. It was dark, damp, with a hard-packed dirt floor but provided shelter from the rainy Humboldt weather. It was the perfect place to continue enjoying competitive softball.

Once I graduated from Humboldt in 2000, I got my first job teaching and the only time I played softball was if we had a teacher versus student game at the end of the school year. When Brian and I got married and I began living in Tahoe in 2005 I was aware that there were men's and coed leagues here in Incline. Unfortunately, the season was halfway over by the time we were settled and I didn't even know where to start looking for a team. Then in the summer of 2006, I had a brand new baby, Ben, to take care of so softball was once again out of my reach. In the summer of 2007, I had just gotten pregnant with Sam, so again - no softball. And in the summer of 2008, Sam was just a baby. Repetitive, huh?

This last April, Brian and I were attending a 40th birthday party for one of our friend's and softball came up at dinnertime. A couple of my book club girlfriends asked Brian if he wanted to join a softball team that their husbands were on. Brian quickly said he wasn't much of a player but I would probably like to join.

So after a ten year hiatus, here we are, two games (undefeated) into the 2009 season, and I am thrilled to be part of the game I love so much. I certainly don't have the spring in my step that I did ten years ago but I am holding my own. As was true in my earlier softball career, I am not the star of the team nor am I riding the pine. I have managed to get a couple of hits, a couple RBI's and even helped make a couple of plays. If my body can hold up I hope to be part of the Crosby's team for many seasons to come!

Bittersweet Memories

2009-06-11T14:49:00.001-07:00

Though the circumstances of our trip to Modesto were sad, the time we got with the Browder and Farschon families was wonderful. The boys were so happy to see Great Grandpa, Teddy, Uncle Roger and Aunt Janet, Uncle Chris, and cousins Kate and Megan. And Ben was smitten with Tucker, Megan's black lab puppy. The boys and dog chased each other around the yard with Tucker often nipping at the boys' backsides (obviously he's becoming a cow herding dog living on the ranch in Chowchillla). When the boys played in the little wading pool with the hose spraying, Tucker was leery to get too close and get drenched. The park also ended up being the hot spot for boys and dog alike. The boys rode in Grandpa's gardening wagon as one of the uncles or Teddy pulled them along. The multiple trips to the park also meant nice breaks for Mommy to catch up on reading and relaxing. The weather was quite a bit cooler than the typical June weather in Modesto so being outside was bearable and even chilly at times.

Four generations of Browder men....only little Harry is missing.

Teddy, Ben, Daddy and Sam

The boys all ready for another trip to the park.

Crooked hat.

Megan and Tucker enjoying the grassy areas of the park.

Peekaboo!

Off to the play structure.

Sam getting some assistance from Teddy.

What a cutie!

A little red recliner R&R.

Eleanor May Browder

2009-06-08T13:51:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken at Kate and Shannon's wedding in April 2005.

Grandpa looking out over Grammy's final resting place.

On Sunday, May 31st, we received a phone call from Brian's dad, Dave, telling us that Grammy had passed away after two months of failing health. We were lucky to have seen her two weeks prior so the news was not unexpected but still painful.

I first met Grammy in February 2004, shortly after Brian and I began dating. From the moment I met her I knew that she was a unique woman. She was kind, loving, and witty. I loved watching her hug Brian and hearing her tell stories of him as a little boy and as a young man. I was thrilled to become part of the Browder family and count her as my Grammy too.

Every time we went to visit she was so happy to see her grandson and great-grandsons. Brian even joked when Ben was born that now Grammy wouldn't disown him since we produced a boy to carry on the Browder family name.

We joined Great Grandpa, Uncle Roger, Aunt Janet, Dave, cousin Kate, cousin Megan and her boyfriend Danny, and Grandpa's brother Lee and his wife Pearl for a simple and beautiful service on Thursday at the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery in Santa Nella. We said our goodbyes and remembered the woman we all adored.

Grammy's obituary read:

ELEANOR BROWDER MAR 6, 1922 - MAY 31, 2009 Eleanor Browder passed away on May 31st in Modesto at the age of 87. Eleanor was born in Fallbrook, CA to Clifford and Lena Story. She was one of six children and the only girl in the family. Eleanor attended elementary and high school in Fallbrook and then moved to Stockton where she lived for a short time with one of her brothers. She met her future husband, Alvin Browder at Edison Ayer's home (Eleanor's cousin) in Modesto in 1942. After Alvin's tour in the Army Air Corp during WWII they were married in Modesto in 1946 at the old Centenary Methodist Church with Alvin's brother-in-law, Francis Cook officiating. During Eleanor's 63 years in Modesto, she worked in several physicians' offices and was active in the First and Trinity Presbyterian churches. She was also a teacher leader in Bible Study Fellowship for a number of years. Alvin and Eleanor loved spending their free time on their houseboat on Don Pedro Reservoir for three decades. She water-skied until she was 70. Eleanor enjoyed being with her family more than anything else. Eleanor is survived by, her husband of almost 63 years, Alvin Browder, two brothers, Earl Story of Galt and Ervin Story of Hillside, CO, son David Browder and wife Sarah of Falls Church, VA, daughter Janet Farschon and husband Roger of Cedarville, CA. Eleanor is also survived by grandchildren Chris Browder and wife Emily of Seattle, WA, Brian Browder and wife Maggie of Incline Village, NV, Kathryn Dynge and husband Shannon of Peoria, AZ and Megan Farschon of Chowchilla, CA. She was blessed with five great grandchildren, 2 girls and 3 boys with another on the way. Eleanor will be buried at Santa Nella Memorial Ceremony this week in a private family ceremony. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, please send any memorials you your favorite charity.

We feel blessed to have been part of Grammy's life.

Ben's Hiking Adventure

2009-05-23T20:27:00.000-07:00

Sam enjoying the view as the tallest Browder on the outing.

A peek of the lake through the trees.

Here's how it feels to step on a snake!

Back at the car...no snakes in sight, all is well.
Notice the new Yakima cargo box...no cramming things in every little space of the car for a road trip again!

We're done hiking? Okay, now I'm happy!

Once the boys woke from their rests this afternoon we set out to hike on a Forest Service road just a little way up the Mount Rose Highway. We had heard from several people that the views of the lake from the road are amazing, as are the rock outcroppings. We also thought it would be nice to have a wide and well-traveled path while hiking with the boys.

In the years that Brian and I have been hiking and driving around the lake we have seen our share of wildlife.....squirrels, chipmunks, lizards, coyotes, fish, and many varieties of birds including Stellar's Jays, hawks and chickadees. In fact, on a snowshoeing outing to a ridge overlooking the lake we were bombarded by several chickadees who were very interested in our lunch.....even being so bold as to land on Brian's hat while he was sitting.

But in our time outside we had never once seen a snake. Until today.

We had made it only about a hundred yards from the car with Brian and Sam (in the backpack) leading the way, me following, and Ben behind me when the excitement began. I paused at one point to snap a photo of the lake through the trees then continued the uphill climb. Ben followed my footsteps toward the edge of the road to see the lake too. The next thing I knew Ben was yelling, "Snake! I saw a snake!" And the kid was running - FAST! Brian and I both turned in time to see a smooth, brownish snake that was at least two feet long slithering over the side of the road to the safety of the forest below. When Ben reached me his heart was racing and he was shaking. Soon the tears began to fall as the fright hit him.

We continued on but now Ben was clinging to my hand with an iron grip and would occasionally let out a sob. He repeatedly told us that he didn't want to see another snake. I could tell that he was still scared by the way his gaze was continually on the ground assessing whether sticks and twigs would move. As we hiked on he said that he didn't want to step on a snake again. Step on a snake?! No wonder the kid was freaked out!

Eventually we turned around, before we hit the really great views of the lake. Ben was further disturbed when a bug of some sort decided to do an up-close fly-by. That was the last straw.

Luckily, he hiked himself back down the hill though he did cry the entire way. Just before we reached the car we encountered two women with some rock climbing gear. I explained that Ben had stepped on a snake. They were both quite understanding and I was relieved that we didn't appear to be parents who force our children to be outside!

Our big concern now is that Ben will no longer want to go hiking due to this traumatic experience. He is the kid who refused to ride his tricycle for weeks because one afternoon Brian accidentally pinched his chin with the buckle on the helmet strap!

Based on the very quick glimpse of the snake and input from Ben, the Internet has led us to believe that the snake Ben encountered was a rubber boa. A rather benign fellow in the snake world. Thank goodness!

Long time, no post

2009-05-23T15:39:00.001-07:00

I know I haven't posted anything in over a week but it's only because not much has been happening. The boys eat, play, and sleep. Brian works, works, and sleeps. And I cook, clean, chauffeur, cook, clean, and sleep (if I'm lucky). See, just the normal workings of an average family.

Over the past couple of weeks the boys and I have been spending lots of time at the beaches and playgrounds around town because the weather has been glorious.

During this memorial Day weekend we are blessed with more sunny weather. The past few years the weather has been cold and gray during the Memorial Day weekend even with 18 inches of snow a couple of years ago. The locals and tourists are quite pleased to have a real kick-off to summer this year. We have already taken advantage of the nice weather today to clean the deck and outdoor furniture. The boys are insisting on having all snacks and meals outside now. Fine by me! And Brian and Ben are planning on "camping" on the deck tonight in just sleeping bags. Again, fine by me!

We plan on taking a hike once the boys wake from their naps and we will definitely hit the beach tomorrow and do some grilling.

Happy Memorial Day weekend to you!

Mother's Day

2009-05-11T15:36:00.000-07:00

After church on Sunday we spent a beautiful Mother's Day having a picnic lunch at Burnt Cedar beach. We then moved on to the playground then on to the lake shore. The boys loved running free and digging holes in the sand. After the boys had an afternoon rest they played soccer with Daddy while I took some photos with our new camera of the flowering plum trees along the driveway.

It was a perfect day.

Enjoying a little lunch.

Ben and Daddy all ready for the beach.

The beach is that way!

Sam went up and down all by himself.

Looks like Dad is winning.

Plum blossoms.

Not bad for a girl with NO photography skills!

Oops! This one should be further up on the page....Ben trying to reach the next fingerhold.

Ben's Birthday Party

2009-05-11T15:05:00.000-07:00

Ben is passionate about Curious George so when it came time to plan his birthday party there really was no question as to what the theme would be. We ordered a bunch of Curious George stickers and sticker books from Mrs. Grossman's Sticker Factory http://www.mrsgrossmans.com/ and started putting together the goody bags and invitations. In the goody bags we included a small container of Curious George bubbles, a Curious George puzzle, the sticker books, lots of stickers, small diary type books with George throughout and a paperback copy of "Curious George goes to the Zoo" (thanks Auntie Beth) , Curious George fruit snacks (thanks Auntie Pauline), a bouncy ball, and finished it all off with a Curious George balloon.

The kids had a great time playing on the playground by the beach in Kings Beach then having lunch at Jason's. Friends in attendance included Ben and Sam, Joseph and his little sister Katie, Ashley, Ella, and Julianna. Moms included me, Kristen, Janna, Cris, and Auntie Steph. With everybody seated at a big table for lunch I got so caught up in visiting that I took very few photos. The one I really regret missing is Ben with his cupcake tower of strawberry cupcakes with vanilla icing topped with fresh strawberries and mint leaves.

All in all, everyone had a great time.

The invitation.....made to read like the beginning of a George story.

Ben with his goody bag and George shirt for the big day.

Sweet brothers.

Ben enjoying the slide despite the cold, damp weather.

Sam trying out the structure.

Whee!

Julianna at lunch.

Ashley, Ella, and Ben before Joseph arrived.

Ashley and Ella at the park.

Whoa, Ashley!

Julianna holding her own with the big kids.

Sam's Sermon

2009-05-03T12:41:00.000-07:00

It was exactly a year ago that we had many family members here to visit and be part of Ben and Sam's baptism at St. Patrick's Episcopal Church here in Incline. The entire service was beautiful with Matt and Steph taking on the roles of godparents for the boys and our Reverends Jim Beebe, and Dave Mussatti, along with our local ordained monk, Santa Claus, carrying out the blessings. I remember being teary-eyed watching our babies become "real" members of the church and feeling the love from the congregation all around us.

I guess it's only appropriate that today Sam let his voice be heard.

Reverend Beebe always delivers great sermons. They are thoughtful, engaging, sometimes humorous, and often have a touch of pop-culture to bring the point home. My only issue with his sermons are that they are so interesting that I am disappointed to miss about 60% of each one because of my attempts to keep the boys quiet and in their seats. Today's sermon was no different. Jim was talking about people's needs. He spoke of the sisters, Mary and Martha, sitting with Jesus and listening to him speak - well, Mary was listening but Martha was distracted by all the things she needed to do. She was annoyed that her sister was so caught up by Jesus' words. (I may have gotten that wrong but you can check out this link to Jim's actual sermon notes to clarify :) http://tahoeepiscopal.com/doc/sermons/INeedINeedINeed.html)

Jim went on to quote the movie, "What About Bob?" In the movie a successful psychiatrist (played by Richard Dreyfus) loses his mind after one of his most dependent patients - Bob (Bill Murray), a highly manipulative obsessive-compulsive, tracks him down during his family vacation. At one point in the movie Bob says, "I need. I need"

As Reverend Beebe came to this quote in his sermon Sam piped in with his own, "I nee, I nee!" You can imagine the response from the congregation - chuckles, and even a few belly laughs erupted in the sanctuary. Brian and I both began laughing to the point of tears. Sam immediately saw the reaction and continued on with his chanting, "I nee, I nee!"
Jim came back with, "We couldn't have timed that better!"

After the service Jim came up to us and jokingly asked if we had cued Sam. He also added that it's always nice to know people are listening to his sermon. Jim seems especially impressed with how pious Sam is...when receiving communion Sam will stand at the altar and let Jim place the bread in his mouth rather then having it placed in his hands ("What is he?" Jim asks while smiling, "a Roman Catholic?"). And upon sneezing Sam will say, "Amen," rather than, "Bless you."

So, exactly one year after getting teary-eyed at St. Pat's during the boys' baptism I did it again as I rejoiced the marvel that is my little boy, Sam.

Ben's Birthday - Take 2

2009-05-01T14:06:00.001-07:00

A few more pictures from Ben's 3rd birthday and some from his first couple of weeks of life as well.....

I hadn't planned on making a cake since Ben has never eaten any at other kids' birthday parties but when several people asked him throughout the day if he was going to have a cake he enthusiastically replied, "Yes!"

Luckily I found a recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook for a One-Bowl Chocolate Cake that only made one 8-inch round or a dozen cupcakes - and I also happened to have everything to make it in my cupboards so no trip to the store was necessary. We kept three for ourselves, delivered four to Daddy's office for the guys there, and delivered the rest to the guys at the meat counter at Village Market. Thank goodness we seem to know a plethora of twenty-something guys who are happy to take chocolate cupcakes off our hands! As I suspected would happen, I was the only one in the house to eat any cupcakes! They were quite good especially with the strawberry ice cream that Ben had requested for his birthday several days in advance. Ben and Sam are both big fans of frozen desserts....ice cream, sorbet, popsicles...send them our way.

We are planning to have a birthday party for Ben with some of his friends exactly one week after his actual birthday. One of his friends, Ashley, has been out of town and we didn't want to see the heartbreak from either Ben or Ashley if she couldn't be there. So, I will soon post MORE birthday photos and subject myself to a second round of cupcake baking!

Ben was excited to wear his carpenter's belt, suspenders, and hardhat to "fix" things around the house. He wore the suspenders ALL DAY!

Uncle Pete gave Ben a baseball glove and ball on the day he was born since he was born during baseball season (remember those pics of Sam with his football? Also a gift from Uncle Pete when he was born during football season).

Happy 3rd Birthday, Ben!

2009-04-28T08:59:00.000-07:00

Welcome Ben! April 28, 2006

Tiny feet and toes.

Worn out after a rough first journey.

Visitors

One day old and expressing his thoughts already!

Blueberry muffins....Ben's favorite breakfast!

Decked out in some of his new tools from Grandma and Grandpa.

A new shirt from Nan and Teddy....the tricycle looks just like Ben's. The shirt says, "This is how I roll."

Holding one of his new Desperaux books....but not the signed first edition color printing (that goes on a shelf for safe keeping).

Three years ago at 8:11 on a Friday morning, Brian and I welcomed Benjamin David Browder into the world after 4 hours and 21 minutes of labor. Ben weighed 6 pounds, 12 ounces and emerged with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck three times. After some work from the respiratory therapist to get his lungs and airways cleaned up he then met more of his family...Grandma Norma and Grandpa Bob, Auntie Beth, Uncle Pete, Kayla, and Auntie Steph. All of them were there within a couple hours of his birth. Later in the day Auntie Pauline, Uncle Howie, and Olivia arrived to meet Ben as well. And within a couple more days Great Aunt Janet and Uncle Roger came to visit too.

Three years later Ben is an amazing little man who is interested in music, art, building, and all other kid-type things. He is also a wonderful big brother and friend to Sam.

Just a couple hours after waking up this morning we have already opened some gifts, made birthday blueberry muffins for breakfast, and watched his favorite kid shows on PBS.

Here's to a wonderful day!

Springtime Sun and Snow

2009-04-24T14:57:00.001-07:00

After a nap on Monday afternoon we headed to the beach to enjoy the sunny weather. The boys loved spending time in the sand and on the playground.

By Friday the beach looked like this.....

And the daffodils were a little chilly.

Spring Break Recap

2009-04-20T15:15:00.000-07:00

I have attempted to present our spring break travels in the next six posts beginning with our travels to Yreka, egg dyeing, egg hunting, then our adventures in the Bay Area. This posting goes against the typical blog spot format so I apologize if the dates of the posts are misleading.
Enjoy!

Road Trip!

2009-04-20T15:00:00.001-07:00

Lately the boys have been waking much earlier in the morning than I would like. But the Friday before Easter when we were set to head out to Gram and Pop's in Yreka I reasoned that the early waking was a good thing so that we could get on the road. I was especially anxious to travel since I had no idea how long it would take without Brian with us.
Just after six o'clock Ben came into my bedroom, peeked out the drapes and said, "Look, Mom, snow!" What? Not exactly what I had expected, but I guess that's how it goes when you don't see the weather report in several days. We got ready as quickly as possible, ate breakfast, loaded the car, and started driving.
Within the first two hours of our trip we saw snow, rain, sun, and hail. It was cold the entire way but luckily the roads were in good shape, traffic was light and the boys' behavior was superb!

Our driveway covered in snow.

Chains or snow tires were required over Mount Rose.

A quick stop to have a little lunch outside Susanville had to be in the car as snow swirled intermittently outside...so much for running off some energy!

Mt. Shasta to the left, Reno to the right....we'll go left!

Sam so calm and peaceful buckled in all morning.

A quick self-portrait while we waited in road construction - of course I'm not smiling...this was 4 hours into the drive!

The long road ahead.

Siskiyou County welcomed us with cloudy skies....topping Black Butte.

Many miles behind us....not far to go!

No More White Eggs!

2009-04-20T14:43:00.000-07:00

It's tradition in my family to get together the day before Easter and transform our plain white hard-boiled eggs into colorful Easter eggs. This year was especially fun because Ben and Sam were both big enough to be out in Pop's shop with the rest of the family and dye eggs on their own. In addition to the boys and I, Gram & Pop, Grandma & Grandpa, Uncle Ray & Aunt Annie, Beth, Pete & Kayla, and Olivia took part in the festivities. Between all of us we had fifteen dozen eggs to dye!
Aunt Annie also reminded us of what Lillian, my cousin Heather's little girl, said last Easter....she told Annie (her Grandma) on the phone that they were going to kill some eggs for Easter (apparently she had die and dye confused).
After finishing up the eggs we all enjoyed a traditional dinner of baked ham with all the fixings prepared by Gram.

Ben is quite proud of every one's hard work.

Finished!

The great grand kids - Olivia, Ben, Kayla, and Sam.

Kayla overseeing Sam's rock collecting.

What color should this one be?

A small sampling of the 180 eggs we colored.

Kayla and Grandma....notice who's taller?

Gram, Pop, and Uncle Ray

Ben planning out his next move.

Mommy and Sam.

Sam really enjoyed himself.

Easter! Egg Hunt!

2009-04-20T14:18:00.001-07:00

The boys woke up Easter morning to find their baskets full of goodies from the Easter bunny. In addition to the traditional candy-filled eggs, they also got bubbles, stickers, and pocket kites. Later in the day their aunties and uncles came along with books, cookie cutters, new shirts and shorts, and more candy!
We all headed up to Hornbrook for the egg hunt and enjoyed a gorgeous day filled with sun and blue skies. Typically there are between seventy-five and one-hundred extended family members on my dad's side present. This year there were just over fifty but it was still fun catching up with everyone and enjoying the huge potluck lunch. We always joke that in our family you start hunting Easter eggs before you can walk and stop hunting when you are too old to walk. That's why there are two hillsides - one for the kids seven and under and one for everyone over eight. When my sisters, cousins, and I were younger I can remember my uncles and boy cousins practically shoving each other to get to the eggs hidden deep in the prickly sage brush. These days many of us are now parents and spend our time on the kids' hill with cameras and camcorders in hand. It is truly a wonderful tradition!
The boys loved playing with all their little boy cousins and finding eggs. Sam found nine eggs and Ben found thirty-two!

The boys with their Easter baskets.

Sam climbing on an old stump in the egg hunt field.

Ben hunting eggs with Grandpa.

"I found one!"

A tumble on the hill sent eggs rolling everywhere!

Ben with his brimming basket.

Sam trying to catch up with Ben, Kayla, and Grandma on the big hill.

Pop, Gram, and Grandpa enjoying the sunshine after the hunt.

So maybe they aren't all his eggs but it's still impressive!

Me and my lovely niece, Kayla.

Sam seemed to think that all eggs open up like the plastic kind....notice the hard-boiled eggs torn in half!

Lindsay Wildlife Museum and McCovey's

2009-04-19T14:50:00.001-07:00

Sam and Auntie Pauline.

Ben giving us a puppet show.

Pauline and Olivia.

Sam enjoying his lunch at McCovey's

The kids in the bald eagle's nest.

Olivia's wingspan was closest to the red-tailed hawk.

Ben's wingspan...wood duck?

Sam's wingspan....crow?

Olivia hugging the grizzly.

Our original plan for the Wednesday following Easter was to attend an Oakland Athletics - Boston Red Socks game in Oakland. After a snafu in the tickets sales office, we were left high and dry :(

No worries, my sisters (Pauline and Beth) and I decided to take the kids to the Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek (http://www.wildlife-museum.org/) then meet Uncle Pete and Uncle Howie for lunch at a popular baseball themed restaurant. If we couldn't get to a real game the next best thing would be to watch it in a restaurant focused on baseball.

At the Lindsay Wildlife Museum you can have close encounters with many live, non-releasable wild animals such as an eagle, hawk, fox, snake or coyote. An on-site wildlife hospital treats more than 6,000 native California animals every year. The museum also features changing art and natural history exhibits, classes for children and adults, and a discovery room with hands-on activities for children.

Ben, Sam and cousin Olivia especially liked seeing the birds. The boys were most intrigued with the owls while Olivia was smitten with her favorite bird - the turkey vulture.

We finished up at the museum and headed to downtown Walnut Creek to McCovey's(http://www.mccoveys.com/) for lunch.

McCovey's is owned by baseball legend Willie McCovey....ever heard of McCovey Cove while watching a San Francisco Giants game? According to Uncle Pete, McCovey's is one of the hundred places every baseball fan must visit in their lifetime. The entire restaurant is reminiscent of a baseball field with memorabilia everywhere and the floor painted to look like the infield. The atmosphere was fun and relaxed, the kids were well-behaved, and the food was very tasty.

Park Play...Benicia Style!

2009-04-19T14:23:00.001-07:00

Benicia, California, is a quiet waterside city in Solano County. It was the first city in California to be founded by Anglo-Americans, and served as the state capital for nearly thirteen months from 1853 to 1854. Benicia is located in the San Francisco Bay Area along the north bank of the Carquinez Strait and is just east of Vallejo and across the strait from Martinez. It also happens to be home to Auntie Beth, Uncle Pete, and Kayla.

Benicia is a rather lush community with several parks within the city limits and wildlife areas nearby. There is a very quaint downtown area where we enjoyed an amazing sushi dinner (yum!) compliments of Uncle Pete and Auntie Beth.

The parks are the perfect place to go to run off energy and get some fresh air. Ben and Sam enjoyed the "Big Slide" park up on the hill in Benicia and also the "Castle Park" in downtown. The swirly slide, as Ben calls it, and the swings are the boys' favorite attractions.

Monkeys Escape at the San Francisco Zoo!

2009-04-19T13:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, technically no monkeys escaped but my two little monkeys were on the run all day at the zoo. Ben was thrilled to see so many different kinds of animals and Auntie Beth even let him use her camera to take some photos. Sam, on the other hand, was perfectly content seeing just the giraffes. They were the first animals we saw and after he requested over and over again to see them more, the last we animals we saw.

We actually ended up at the zoo after our original attempt to visit the California Academy of Sciences didn't work. We drove from Benicia into San Francisco mid-morning on Thursday thinking that we would miss traffic....wrong. It took quite a while to get into the city and then when we got to Golden Gate Park the line to enter the Academy of Sciences wrapped around the entire sidewalk nearly to the De Young museum. So, we found a sign pointing in the direction of the zoo and went with it! The weather was glorious and the boys were thrilled not only to be out of the car and city traffic but also to see the animals and enjoy the sunshine.

Mommy and the kids with the baby elephant sculpture

Ben checking out the flamingos.

Auntie Beth and Ben.

This koala seemed less than thrilled to have us watching it sleep.

Our borrowed "Jeep" for the day.

Ben and Sam riding the big bear.

Ben loves the macaws.

Not bad for a photo taken by a three year-old!

Love the elephant!

The giraffe....Sam's favorite (he says Raff)

Happy 100th Post!

2009-04-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

I posted my first blog entry several months ago on July 24, 2008 and here I am today, one hundred posts later. I was uncertain initially how much writing and uploading pictures and keeping everyone up-to-date with the Tahoe Browders would feel like just another chore. I can now officially say that blogging has been a great experience for me. Though our news is not always very interesting it has still been fun sharing the humor of parenthood and the ever-evolving personalities of the boys.

So, faithful readers, thank you for checking in on us and I promise I will get our spring break story and photos up ASAP!

Visitors, then and now

2009-04-06T20:30:00.000-07:00

Back in January we had a visit from Grandpa and Great Uncle Ray. The big highlight for all of the boys (big and small) was a trip to the Cabela's store in Reno. I forgot to get the photos from Grandpa's camera during that visit so here are a couple now.....

Sam with a new friend.

Grandpa and Ben in front of a pretty impressive taxidermy display.

Both boys loved having Uncle Ray with us.

Grandma and Grandpa arrived on Saturday and were immediately immersed in life with the kids (it's the first visit for Grandma since New Year's). We had a special visit from my good friend Trish who I taught with in Everett, WA, as she and her daughter made their way home from a spring break road trip to Vegas. Then we sent G&G and Ben to the 10th anniversary production of the Incline Star Follies. The Follies is a big community fundraiser with most proceeds going toward the schools. It is a fun night with choreographed lip-syncs from many school staff members, students, as well as local business people. The first words out of Ben's mouth when he came home were, "Mom, I just loved it!"

It worked out well that Ben had a date Saturday evening as Sam started to come down with a fever and was generally very clingy and fussy. We ended up taking Sam to the emergency room on Sunday evening after baby Tylenol and Motrin failed to bring his fever down. The verdict was negative on ear infection or strep throat and was determined to be a viral pharyngitis....AKA a sore throat. So, no prescription to speed the healing process but at least now his fevers are leveling out and responding to the over-the-counter meds. Thank goodness G&G were here so Ben didn't have to come to the hospital for almost two hours with us.

Today, I risked leaving the sick baby with G&G so Ben and I could go visit the preschool he will begin attending next fall - the Incline Village Nursery School (www.ivns.org) Ben had a great time with the kids and teachers and seems to be more than ready to be a preschooler.

So, here are a few more pics from Grandpa's camera.

Music man...just a little less animated than normal.

Ben and Grandma playing memory.

TUB TIME!!!!

Reunion

2009-04-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

We were very excited to see my best friend, Steph, and her daughter, Julianna yesterday. Though we live only a couple hours away from each other our visits are few and far between. Motherhood has definitely put a damper on our get-togethers. But yesterday we had a nice lunch and some playtime together. You can see from the photos that Ben is and always has been very fond of Julianna!

Ben and Julianna, November 2007, just before Sam was born.

Ben and Julianna, April 2009

So happy to be with each other!

Look-A-Likes?

2009-04-03T14:06:00.001-07:00

Recently, many people have been telling me how much Sam looks like Ben did when he was younger. I honestly don't see it so here are a few photos to compare.....

Ben and Sam a couple of days ago

Sam at 14 months

Ben at 14 months

Ben at 15 months

Sam at 15 months

I also find it interesting that Ben looks so happy in all of his pictures while Sam looks like he could care less about smiling for Mommy!

Barber shop duo

2009-03-31T14:11:00.000-07:00

Both Ben and Sam have been looking rather scruffy lately and in desperate need of haircuts. Typically, Ben goes to Louie's Classic Barbers with Daddy every couple of months. Somehow Ben missed out on the latest trip when Brian was rushing to get himself cleaned up before his recent business trip to New Jersey. So, with Easter and my family's largest annual gathering quickly approaching I decided to bite the bullet and take not only Ben in for a haircut but also Sam. So far I have trimmed Sam's hair when it starts to creep into his eyes or tickle his ears but have not done a great job of really giving him a little boy style. This morning the boys and I ventured to Louie's with Sam's booster seat in hand (just in case he needed to be strapped into the chair!).
Ben volunteered to go first and was great the entire time. He seems to really enjoy the attention from Louie and the lollipop he gets when he's all finished (though he never actually eats it). Sam enjoyed roaming the shop while Louie was at work with Ben. And when it was Sam's turn he was anxious to climb up into his booster seat in the chair. But once Louie got started, Sam's thoughts changed.....
Why is it that a haircut can be so traumatic? I love having my hair cut and styled and the pampering that goes with it. Poor little Sam started to fuss at first while reaching for me and eventually had real tears running down his cheeks. Louie was great with the entire situation and talked calmly to Sam and played with him too saying, "Come on, Sam, let's hear you really sing." And Louie assured me that a first haircut isn't authentic unless there are a few tears. So, now my baby is officially a big boy and cuter than ever!

Sam a couple of days ago with his shaggy hair.

A little uncertain after the first few snips.

Feeling even more reluctant.

Downright mad!

Still mad but almost finished. Good job, Sam!

Ben ready to lose his long locks.

Very patient and still.

Finishing touches.

Caught red-handed!

2009-03-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

The boys have been enjoying their weekly art class at TCF so much that we are constantly doing "projects" at home too. I am letting loose enough to put the potential mess out of my mind and break out the paints much more frequently. Yesterday's sponge painting ended up becoming handprints and fingerpainting!

More Sledding...Family Style!

2009-03-30T08:38:00.001-07:00

After our successful day of sledding earlier in the week, Ben was adamant that we take Daddy sledding during the weekend. We had thought to just go back to the little hill by the golf course but by Friday morning there was NO snow left! Just a few warm afternoons and it was completely melted. So, we opted to drive up the mountain to the meadow. It was another beautiful spring day with blue skies as far as you could see. The hill was bigger than the one by the golf course but Ben showed no hesitation and hiked his way to the top to sled very quickly down. He even crashed at the bottom after his first run down but was unfazed. Ben did multiple runs alone and with Daddy. Sam, on the other hand, was a little more cautious and only went down one time with me as the last run of the day. The hill was not only steeper but also bumpy so it ended up being an exciting ride. While we waited in between runs we built big brother and little brother snowmen at the top of the hill.

Sledding Snowbunnies

2009-03-24T13:58:00.000-07:00

Even though it's officially springtime now, in Tahoe it still feels like winter at least a couple of days each week. We got a few inches of new snow over the weekend and decided that if we wanted to get the boys out sledding at all before the weather stays consistently warm we had better do it now. So yesterday the boys and I added sled shopping to our grocery shopping at Raley's. I don't know if it's because it's been so long since I have been in the market for a sled or if I am just horribly unaware but a basic plastic sled is expensive! I was expecting no more than ten bucks for a typical toboggan but when I saw the price stickers in the mid-twenty dollar range I was shocked! I was then convinced that it was because we were at Raley's which caters to the winter tourists offering sleds, hats, gloves, and even snow pants and coats in their grocery store. And if you are an unprepared tourist in Tahoe of course you'll spend twenty bucks for a sled without batting an eye. But not me!

The boys and I then made our way to Ace Hardware to see what they had instead. Unfortunately, their prices were no better but I felt better knowing that the sled I bought for just over twenty dollars is an environmentally-friendly sled made of 100% recycled materials. It is black to absorb the winter sun and keep the riders backsides a little warmer too. The company also points out that by using their sled you are also taking part in an emission-free activity....no stinky snowmobiles for us!

We made our plans yesterday afternoon and invited our good friends, Joseph, Katie and their mommy Kristen to join us. When we arrived at the golf course driving range we were excited to see not only Joseph, Katie and Kristen but also our friends Bryn and Nanny. Then shortly after Maddie and Fancy arrived too. The kids (and grownups) commenced the downhill runs immediately and there were smiles all around. Luckily I brought the camera so I was able to get pics of all the kids enjoying the sunny day.

And our Flexible Flyer Winter Heat Eco-Sled turned out to be a great buy! It is not too long for a kid Ben's size to maneuver and I felt safe with the upturned front on it to help keep both Ben and Sam stable inside, there are also brakes on the sides just in case you get going too fast. Both Ben and Sam went up and down the small hill so many times I lost count. Actually, they both went down a bunch but Sam still needed me to haul him back up. Apparently they thought Mommy needed to burn a few calories today too. Ben loved every minute and rode down alone and with friends over and over again. If only I had remembered to tie a rope on to pull the sled back up the hill....Ben was a trooper and hauled it up by himself several times and with the the help of his buddy, Joseph. One of the cutest moments was when we sent Sam and Katie (both less than a year and a half old) down the hill together in our sled. They zipped right down the hill and welcomed me with smiles when I went to retrieve them and haul the sled back up the hill.

After a solid hour of sledding, the kids all gravitated back to the top of the hill where they all shared snacks with each other and gave the adults a welcome breather. And after just a few more runs down the hill, we were all ready to pack up and go home to rest. I was sure the boys would fall asleep quickly and sleep hard but after just 20 minutes of rest Sam was awake and crying. I let him fuss and he got himself back to sleep and is still sleeping now. Ben fell asleep shortly after lying down but is already awake just an hour after going down. Oh well. It was all worth it just to see how happy the kids were.

Nanny was so impressed with our sled that she and Bryn had plans to go straight to Ace after leaving the sledding hill to buy one for themselves. She also was not thrilled about how expensive sleds are but really liked ours and was willing to pay the twenty bucks. She sent me an email letting me know that today all sleds were 50% off....figures, a day late for us but still worth every penny!

Our first sledding adventure!

The whole crew.....Katie and Bryn, Joseph and Ben, Sam and Maddie.

Sam had so much fun! All smiles.

Joseph on his sled next to Ben and Sam.

Here we go!

More photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=mjbrowder&target=ALBUM&id=5316859100429903409&authkey=Gv1sRgCP6H0pyUyJmQTg&invite=CKf9gPMK&feat=email

Keeping busy

2009-03-19T20:25:00.001-07:00

The boys have been taking part in an art enrichment class through TCF for the past few weeks. Ben has become all about the art projects. He spends time almost every day painting, drawing, cutting, and gluing - sometime with my help, sometimes without. We have now turned our bathroom door into a gallery of all the boys' work....except for their tissue paper stained glass which are hanging in our kitchen window so they can catch the afternoon sun.

Fun with watercolors.

Ben and the gallery.

Hand print fish.

Tissue paper stained glass from TCF art class.

Sam has also decided that meal times are so much more fun with utensils! His favorite thing to spoon in...yogurt.

Right after I took this picture the yogurt was in his hair too.

And just a few more pictures of the boys playing.

Sam wearing a sweater that is over thirty years old and once worn by me.

Snack time! Sam is big enough now to climb up into his own chair at the little table from Nan and Teddy.

Doctor Ben taking care of a very pitiful-looking Sam.

Finally! A decent picture of the munchkin!

Birthday Buzz

2009-03-13T14:25:00.001-07:00

Today has been a wonderful day and it's not even three o'clock yet! The sky is blue, it's nearly 50 degrees outside and I can't count how many people I have in my life who care about me.

My birthday really began a few days ago when a trip to the post office yielded a beautiful pair of aquamarine earrings from my in-laws, David and Sarah. Many people don't like their birthstones but I happen to LOVE mine! In fact, Sam's eyes are almost the same shade of blue :) I then began receiving birthday cards filled with wisdom, humor, well-wishes, and even a little "do something nice for yourself" money. Brian came through with the new LL Bean leather moccasin slippers for my tired mommy feet and has another gift still ordered. Sue and John obviously read my "thirtysomething" blog post a couple of weeks ago and are filling out my Friends DVD collection with the missing season seven. And I've received phone calls, emails, and Facebook posts from so many other friends and family members.

We had Sam's playgroup at our home this morning too. Twelve mommies with little ones (including us) came over to help me celebrate and let the kiddos play for a couple of hours. I was excited to make a small birthday brunch and get to spend some time with so many women who have become my good friends. We dined on mini Italian frittatas, mini blueberry muffins, veggies with roasted red pepper-cheese dip, fresh fruit, as well as cookies and cake brought by Nicole, Evaleen and Dorea. My home is now also filled with lovely spring blooms from Marna and Kristen. And Jackie arrived with another gift perfect for a Pisces - toe socks and peppermint foot cream!

I had meant to take pictures of Sam and all his buddies and me with all my wonderful friends but somehow got so caught up in enjoying the moment that the camera never even got turned on....oh well.
So, thank you to Jackie with Chloe, Courtney with Chloe, Julie with Zoe, Evaleen with Logan, Janet with Michael, Jen with Trevor, Marna with Sasha, Nicole with Hunter and Cody, Kristen with Joseph and Katie, Dorea with Aurora and Jasmine, and Janna with Ashley and Eric. It was so nice to spend my birthday morning with all of you!

Now the boys are resting after their busy morning and I am looking forward to going out to dinner for sushi with Brian while Mary comes over to watch the boys.

I am officially 32 years-old and so content with the life I have. Thank you to everyone who has helped me become the woman I am today!

Snow Fest Parade

2009-03-07T14:37:00.001-08:00

This morning we opted to forego our usual visit to TCF for the Saturday morning winter program since Brian was stuck having to go to work. The kids and I joined many other North Lake Tahoe families for the 2009 Snow Fest Parade in Kings Beach. We ran into several families we know from Incline and ended up watching the parade with two of Ben and Sam's friends from TCF, Shane and Josselyn. All the kids liked watching the parade and gathering up the candy and Mardi Gras beads that were thrown their way.

Ben with his loot.

Josselyn - cutie pie.

Big brother Shane.

The Boys and Girls Club Whale float.

A dancing penguin.

Happy be out in the sun.

Watching the parade go by.

The snow castle with a dragon sneaking out.

Very interested in the dogs from the Pet network..

Sweet smile.

The Forgotten Child

2009-03-06T20:16:00.001-08:00

I talk to my sister, Beth, pretty regularly and she is always anxious to talk to the boys on the phone as well. She is one of my regular blog readers so I asked her the other day if she had read my latest entry "For the Birds" since Ben was trying to tell her the story of the three birdies who flew into our window. She said she looked at the pictures but only scanned the writing. Apparently my blog entries get a little too wordy for a busy second grade teacher who tries to catch up during her brief prep periods. She also requested more pictures of the boys. Easier said than done.
Beth is the self-proclaimed forgotten child of my family. She sits right in the middle of the three sisters and has always said that pictures of her as a child are few.
Well, sis, here's why...it's not because parents love the second (and consecutive) child(ren) less than the oldest child, it's not that they are too busy to take photos (though they are). The real reason for there being far fewer photos of younger siblings it that they just don't hold still long enough to get a picture! Mom and Dad have always told us how Bethie was walking at eight months. She was curious, inquisitive, and only stopped to sleep (but only in her own bed). Sam is the same kind of kid and it seems that so are many of his peers who also happen to be the second child in their families. Sam goes everywhere at a dead run lately. He hears anyone talk slightly above a normal voice and he responds with a hearty yell. He will repeat almost anything that is said to him and loves parroting, "No, no, no!" when I tell he or Ben no. Sam is my whirlwind, my Godzilla, and as Ben put it tonight in the tub while Sam was splashing like mad, "A silly monster." Sam used to be very interested when I got out the camera but his interest was not to be the subject of the photo but to take the photo himself. Now he could care less that the camera is out. He just keeps moving! Thus, all my photos of him are somewhat blurred, he's halfway in the frame, or all I get is the top of his head. And, getting a photo of Sam alone is almost impossible since Ben loves having his picture taken. So, when I do get a picture of Sam it ends up being something like this....

The result of running through the living room, tripping on air, and smacking his head on the corner of the coffee table. Poor kid. At least it happened today rather than yesterday when he had his 15 month checkup with a new doctor. Could you imagine how embarrassing that would have been trying to explain the black and blue goose egg that protruded a good half inch out from his forehead! Unfortunately, it doesn't look much better in black and white.

A photo from a few days ago isn't too bad, but notice how much of the photo isn't Sam but the end table behind him and the blur in the bottom right-hand corner is his hand moving quite quickly.

Oh well, maybe when Sam is nearing three like his big brother we'll get some shots like these.....

For the Birds

2009-03-03T20:23:00.000-08:00

Three Little Birds

Bird Feeder fixin's

Hard at work.

So proud!

A lone Stellar's Jay staking out the feeders.

A few days ago I opened the new bedroom drapes to a beautiful blue sky day. I went to the boys' room, said good morning to Ben, got Sam out of his crib, and all three of us went downstairs to start our day. We went through the normal morning routine of clean diapers/underwear, breakfast, making a lunch for Daddy, and packing snack bags for the boys. We hugged and kissed Daddy goodbye and I headed back upstairs to gather clothes for the boys and I. When I entered the master bedroom I saw something on my sparkling windows and my first thought was what bird dare defile my window with poo?! Upon closer inspection, I found it was from a bird though not poo - feathers. That could only mean one thing, bird crash! I looked down to the deck and where I expected to see the chalk outline of a single victim I saw three!!!! An entire family of finches (or maybe sparrows) was obliterated after a brief encounter with my new window!

Sam and I returned to the living room where Ben was occupied with PBS kids and called Brian at work to let him know that our windows had been christened in with the blood of three innocent birds. Ben looked out the window with me and promptly said, "I just want the birdies to fly away." Me too kiddo.

Brian mentioned the Bob Marley song titled "Three Little Birds" with the lyrics:

Rise up this mornin,

Smiled with the risin sun,

Three little birds

Pitch by my doorstep

Singin sweet songs

Of melodies pure and true,

Sayin, (this is my message to you-ou-ou:)

'Singin: don't worry bout a thing,

cause every little thing gonna be all right.

Singin: don't worry (don't worry) bout a thing,

cause every little thing gonna be all right!

We left the trio in peace and continued on with our day though Ben repeatedly went back to the window to see if the birds were still out there. I began to wonder what kind of omen is it for three birds to experience a quick demise on your doorstep (I mean deck)? I have clearly been reading a little too much historical fiction set in medieval France and during Biblical times. All those crazy superstitions have worn off on me! I did what any normal person would do and set out to search the Internet for an answer. I was left unsatisfied with what I found - a little discussion about birds foreshadowing death, in this case their own. While I was searching, so was Brian but in a completely different area. I guess I didn't realize that "bird strikes" were such a common occurrence until Brian emailed me several websites including the Top Ten Things You Can Do to Prevent Window Strikes from the Bird Watchers Digest.

http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/backyard_birds/top_ten/bill_top_10_strikes.aspx

The next day the boys and I sat down to read their magazine Wild Animal Baby. The cover this month featured a mama bluebird feeding her chick and inside there was a story about Bobby the Bluebird. At the end of the magazine there was a craft project to make your own bluebird. Ben was interested so we gathered the necessary supplies - construction paper and tissue paper in the same color, glue, string, scissors, and crayons. The only tissue paper I had that matched the construction paper ended up being polka-dotted so we were able to produce three brids with spotted wings - one red and two green. Three birds - ironic. Once we got them hanging up they were not only flying but flying towards the windows! They looked like a makeshift memorial to the victims of the previous morning.

Wait, it gets better. Monday ended up being a very wet and cold day. A mixture of snow and rain fell all day long and we made the fairly easy decision to stay home rather than attend TCF. But being at home all day means keeping occupied so I gathered the makings of another craft project for Ben and we got started. Without realizing the connection to the previous days' events I laid out a pine cone, string, vegetable shortening (instead of peanut butter) and bird seed. See where we're going with this? Ben was thrilled with the messiness of the project and was quite proud of his finished bird feeder. We hung it outside on our little tree by the deck and waited for the birds to arrive. What can I say? You have to have food after a memorial, right?

Pisces Posse

2009-02-28T11:16:00.000-08:00

I don't know what it is but it seems like I have never known so many other people who share my Zodiac sign. In the last few days I have sent birthday wishes to several friends from college, old jobs, book club, MOMs groups, and even some past students. Maybe we are all products of parents with summertime wedding anniversaries.

What I find so interesting is that the traits of a Pisces include being imaginative and sensitive, compassionate and kind, selfless and unworldly, and intuitive and sympathetic.
On the dark side a Pisces can also be escapist and idealistic, secretive and vague, weak-willed and easily led.

The people I know who are Pisces definitely encompass all of the positive traits but I don't see the darker traits to be all that apparent in them. Except maybe Zach :) But I can get away with saying that because I've known him the longest and he deserves to be given a hard time.

According to the website http://www.astrology-online.com/pisces.htm,

Pisceans possess a gentle, patient, malleable nature. They have many generous qualities and are friendly, good natured, kind and compassionate, sensitive to the feelings of those around them, and respond with the utmost sympathy and tact to any suffering they encounter. They are deservedly popular with all kinds of people, partly because their easygoing, affectionate, submissive natures offer no threat or challenge to stronger and more exuberant characters. They accept the people around them and the circumstances in which they find themselves rather than trying to adapt them to suit themselves, and they patiently wait for problems to sort themselves out rather than take the initiative in solving them. They are more readily concerned with the problems of others than with their own.
Their natures tend to be too otherworldly for the practical purposes of living in this world as it is. They sometimes exist emotionally rather than rationally, instinctively more than intellectually. They long to be recognized as greatly creative. They also dislike discipline and confinement. The nine-to-five life is not for them. Any rebellion they make against convention is personal, however, as they often times do not have the energy or motivation to battle against the Establishment.
Pisceans tend to withdraw into a dream world where their qualities can bring mental satisfaction and sometimes, fame and financial reward for they are extremely gifted artistically. They are also versatile and intuitive, have quick understanding, observe and listen well, and are receptive to new ideas and atmospheres. All these factors can combine to produce remarkable creativity in literature, music and art. Even when they cannot express themselves creatively they have a greater than average instinct for, and love of, beauty in art and nature, a catlike appreciation of luxury and pleasure, and a yearning for new sensations and travel to remote, exotic places.

So, what is the perfect birthday gift for a Pisces considering their sensitive nature? The website http://www2.canada.com/findit/astrology/fun/giftguide/pisces.html suggests...

The best gift for someone born under this sign is something that feeds their interests - how about a set of oil paints, tickets to the theater, or a book of poetry? In their leisure time, Pisces may work to alleviate their emotional stress through exercise. They especially enjoy sports that bring them into contact with their own Element of Water, such as swimming and sailing, so gifts such as sailing lessons, a new swimsuit, or a cruise would be appreciated. The theme of water is a good one in general, making gifts such as scented bath oils or floating candles appropriate. Don't forget that Pisces rules the feet so treat your Pisces to slippers, shoes, socks or even a pedicure or foot massage.

This sensitive girl would be thrilled with anything that promotes relaxation....a massage, a facial, a full night's sleep (that hasn't happened in over 3 years!), a Kindle to have all my favorite books on hand anywhere I go, and comfy yoga clothes (like the entire Athleta catalogue size small). How appropriate that Brian is getting me a new pair of slippers and I am hoping to go out for a nice sushi dinner (is that wrong to want to eat the animal that represents my sign?).

I also learned that the "starstone" (not birthstone) for Pisces is the moonstone. I have always loved moonstones and even have a very pretty moonstone necklace I got while living in Humboldt. I used to have some nice moonstone earrings that Steph gave me in college but lost one while we were out snowshoeing a few years ago. I was devastated because they were so unique.

So, Happy Birthday to Zach, Julie, Amy, Jackie, Janna, Evaleen, Katie, Allison, Janu, Tanya, Charlie and little miss Ruby. Not to mention Great Grammy Browder. And if you are also a Pisces, enjoy your birthday and let loose of your selfless nature for at least a day!

Ta Da!

2009-02-25T13:52:00.000-08:00

The master bedroom with new drapes.

Technically the mural and quilt aren't new but still a great pic of Sam's corner.

Soft-fold Roman shades in the boys' room.

Paisley flat-fold Roman shade in the den.

The floral pattern on the master bedroom drapes.

The crowning glory.....entertainment center with new t.v.

Corner desk and cabinet - notice the striped cushions on the window seat.

Today was the "official" last day of our home improvements (for now anyway). Bright and early we welcomed Cameron from Direct Window Coverings to install the drapes in the master bedroom, and Roman shades in the den and boys' room. In less than two hours the rooms were transformed with the beautiful fabrics. The funniest thing to me is that when Brian arrives home this evening it will be a surprise for him just like everybody else since I chose the fabrics from small swatches on my own and gave him basic descriptions. How nice it will be to sleep with privacy and total darkness. All the window coverings have blackout panels and thermal panels sewn in so we will have nice dark rooms that should also be more efficient along with the new windows.

I was especially excited to put the boys down for their rests today in dark rooms. I'm hoping it will lengthen their total nap times and give me more time to take care of myself and the house each day.

To sum things up....we had a custom entertainment/storage unit built into the living room along with a corner desk and cabinet. We installed new Pella wood frame windows throughout the house. The windows in the living room and kitchen have the shades between the glass so the kids don't destroy them. We also removed some windows in the living room that were along the floor and built in window seats. We had custom cushions and throw pillows made for the window seats. We repainted the living room a sage green. And we installed drapes and Roman shades in the bedrooms and den.

So, enjoy the photos and come visit!

"thirtysomething"

2009-02-23T14:02:00.000-08:00

So, I admit I have never watched the show thirtysomething. When it first aired I was a fifth grader and after just four years of episodes it ended just before I became a freshman in high school. So why would a preteen/tween want to watch a show about a group of baby boomer friends and their daily life and struggles?

The thing is, now that I am approaching my thirty-second birthday (on March 13th) I find that there's not really a television drama to which I can really relate. But from what I've found on the Internet concerning thirtysomething I think I would really like it now that I am a true thirtysomething. One of the main characters was Hope, a writer and stay-at-home mom who struggled between her desire to be home with her children and her need to work. This sounds familiar! I would like to think of myself as something of a writer and while I am absolutely thrilled to be able to be home with my boys I often feel like I should be out contributing more to the workforce. I also like shows that delve into family and personal relationships.

I was a Friends junkie through college and had a standing date with my girlfriend, Steph, to watch it each week when I finished my Thursday night class. I was a dedicated fan until the show ended in 2004. For me, it was heart-breaking to watch it all come to a close. Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Phoebe and Joey were my friends too. Everyone in their twenties said they could relate to one character the most - mine would have been Monica for her obsessive qualities and love of cooking, not to mention her constant search for Mr. Right. Funny how as the show came to a close Monica and Chandler got married and I found Brian :)

Brian caught on to my obsession pretty early in our relationship. He knew not to call me Thursday evenings between eight o'clock and eight-thirty. He even planned out a Scrabble tournament one weekend I was visiting him in Tahoe with DVD seasons of the show as prizes. It took several games for me to finally win the first four seasons. And since then my collection has grown to include all but season 7 (not quite sure how we ended up missing that one). I can quote more lines than you can imagine and even have the Friends board game (though I'm yet to find a worthy opponent) and the Friends cookbook.

I now watch mostly reality TV shows like The Amazing Race, Survivor, and Hells Kitchen. Brian also got me into American Idol and Mythbusters. I am a fan of almost everything on the Food Network and am a sucker for Grey's Anatomy. But seriously, as much as I love the relationship and medical drama on Grey's, what do I really have in common with Meredith Grey, Izzy Stevens, and Dr. McDreamy other than I lived in the Seattle area for a year? It's a great show for entertainment but lacks in the area of personal connections for me.

With any luck I will find a new group of television comrades as I travel through my thirties. Until then, I'll just relive my twenties with the Friends and watch in amazement as teenagers sing their hearts out on their way to million dollar recording contracts on American Idol.

Anybody out there?

2009-02-23T13:59:00.000-08:00

I know of several friends and family members who read my blog at least once in a while but I still can't help feeling like I'm talking to myself.
So, if you like what you see or don't like what you see, please let me know by leaving a comment. At least then I'll know that my news is getting out to you.
Happy Monday,
Maggie

Valentine's Day Delayed

2009-02-19T14:08:00.001-08:00

Armed with a rolling pin.

Cutting out gingerbread hearts.
Valentine packages to deliver!

Somehow Valentine's Day snuck up on me this year. I typically send photos of the boys out to Grandmas and Grandpas in cards "signed" by Ben and we often make goodies for the crew at Daddy's office. This year it just didn't happen. Ben did make bookmarks for Daddy, Sue, and himself at the Library Valentine party last week and delivered them the same day. He also made a Valentine for Daddy last Friday when we began our quarantine for Sam's cough and fever which turned out to be a double ear infection.

So, by Wednesday Sam was on the mend after being on antibiotics for a couple of days and Ben was clearly needing some outlet for his energy other than just playing with his toys. Not to mention that Ben had not had a rest that had been more than an hour the last couple of days. We decided that cookie making would be the activity of the day.

Just before rest time, I loaded Sam in the backpack, put boots on Ben and myself and we took a "snow hike" across the street to get some butter to make our cookies. We enjoyed the fresh though brisk air and got home in time to mix up a batch of dough for almond butter cookies (imagine a peanut butter cookie recipe with almond butter substituted). We then put together the dough for Ben's favorite gingerbread cookies (Grandma Norma made gingerbread men for Christmas and both boys gobbled them up, then when Grandpa and Uncle Ray came to visit at the end of January they brought an entire bucket of gingerbread men and B's - no S's because that was the one cookie cutter Grandma couldn't find).

I got both boys down for their rest and started baking. In less than an hour Ben was up and ready to roll some dough. I finished baking the almond butter cookies, Ben helped me measure all the ingredients for Snickerdoodles, then we got to work with the gingerbread men, hearts, and stars. Ben did really well rolling the dough on his own....it did get quite thin on one side but was easily fixed and he loved using the cookie cutters.

Thinking about it I realized that this was Ben's first experience with rolled cookies. I don't know how it's possible that he is almost three years-old and just now had a chance to cut his own cookies. I was the kid who grew up with a rolling pin in my hand and probably made rolled cookies at least once every month or two. I can now tease my mom that she was running a sweatshop of little kids making cookies because whenever a holiday would come around she would invite at least a half dozen kids over to make cookies that would then be packaged up and sent off to the college kids we knew including my sister, Pauline. Of course all the helper kids took cookies home too. And looking back, we made A LOT of cookies! Dozens and dozens! And we decorated them too!!!!

I know I've made rolled cookies with Ben before but this really was the first time I've let him hold the rolling pin. I guess I just couldn't get over letting go of the power and accepting that flour would be all over the kitchen. It was all worth it! He had so much fun and was so proud of himself. And Sam slept through the entire process!

Once the cookies were cooled, we packaged them up and delivered them to Daddy's office to everyone for a late Valentine. Oh well, as Brian puts it, everyday is Valentine's Day because you love people every day.

Sam speaks!

2009-02-19T13:45:00.000-08:00

Having some trouble standing up after taking a spill.

Snow bunny.

Technically Sam has been talking for months now but it's really been within the last couple of weeks that it seems like he uses words much more frequently than his pointing and grunting thing.

As of today, he has nearly 50 words that he uses regularly (at least he has 50 that we can recognize). Some are typical baby words but others are purely the result of having a cheeky older brother. And here they are in no particular order......

Dog, doggie, horse, duck, potty (he's actually gone pee in the potty once and loves to sit on it), hi, bye-bye (he yells this and waves with his entire arm to anyone who will respond), Mommy, Daddy, this (accompanied by a finger pointing to whatever he happens to want), pop, thank you, no, yes, tickle, cow, baa, ball, wall, hat, moon, eye, woof, cup, pup, up, apple, yea, fish, book, lion, dirty, owie, light, boat, row row (he tries to sing the entire song), bowl, off, on, bonk (he bonks his head pretty often and always holds the side of it and tells us), floor, whoa, splash, hair, Paul (our friend who did the electrical work recently in our house - I guess seeing Paul everyday made an impact on Sam), oh dear (repeated after I said it while changing his VERY nasty diaper), oh boy (Ben says this pretty often), oh buddy (also said by Ben).

Sam will also reach his arms high over his head when asked, "How big is Sam?"

And he experienced free range snow play the other day in the driveway with Ben. Ben did his shoveling while Sam wandered. He seemed to have fun but was incredibly frustrated when he'd fall down and couldn't quite push back up into a standing position in his very puffy snowsuit. It made me think of the movie "A Christmas Story".... I can't put my arms down!

Sam and Ben both had fun making snow angels in the fresh powder and Sam even had a face plant in the snow and came up smiling.....with his eyelashes, nose, and mouth full of the white stuff.

Quite a day

2009-02-10T14:25:00.000-08:00

Why is it that some nights the kids will sleep for a good solid twelve hours without waking and then other nights they wake up repeatedly and get up way too early? The hours from last night to this morning were riddled with Sam fussing (presumably still uncomfortable with his new teeth coming in), and then with both boys awake and ready for the day right after 6:00! For anyone who knows me, that is WAY TOO EARLY! Despite the lack of sleep, the boys and I had a pretty eventful morning with no meltdowns.

We started off by going to the Tahoe Tiny Timbers gym time at the rec center where the boys played like mad in the tunnels, bouncy house, and with the jumbo building blocks. From there we headed to the post office to mail a couple of things, we picked up the kids' toothpaste that the boys love http://shop.weleda.com/item_detail.aspx?ItemCode=9802 , and then we went into the little pizzeria/bar to ask a favor of Rhonda, the owner.

A few days ago Ben was playing with an old file box of Brian's. It had a nice, fitted square lid that to Ben must have resembled a pizza box. Brian moved the box out of the living room in our never-ending attempt to get everything put away and Ben was quite concerned. We mentioned to him that maybe we could ask Rhonda if she would give Ben a pizza box for his cooking collection.

I had nearly forgotten about the pizza box when the aroma of spicy sauce and fresh crust hit me. "Ben, should we go see if Rhonda will give you a pizza box?"

Ben replied with a VERY enthusiastic, "Yes!" All this time, Sam was asleep in the stroller, ruining his afternoon nap with a twenty-minute cat nap :(

As soon as we walked in the door, Ben spotted Rhonda, rushed over to her and politely asked,

"Rhonda, may I please have a little small pizza box for my cooking stuff?" She was so happy to see us, because despite our close proximity, we never get pizza but bump into her when we are out and about in the Village Center.

"Are you sure you want a small box or would you rather have a big one?" Rhonda asked Ben.

"Just a little one," he said while pointing upwards at the different sizes hanging on the wall.

"Well you need a circle too, don't you?" Rhonda replied as she handed Ben one of the cardboard backings that they use for their take-and-bake pizzas.

"We can draw a pizza on that when we get home if you want, Ben," I added.

So, with box in hand, we headed home for lunch - two slices of pizza for the boys from Rhonda! Which actually meant pizza for Mommy since Ben is rather finicky and Sam just doesn't eat much.

Ben could hardly wait to finish his lunch as I gathered an assortment of items to decorate the pizza. I grabbed markers, crayons, glue, scraps of red paper, black felt, white yarn, and green tissue paper (mostly things left over from a Christmas ornament project I didn't quite complete). While the boys finished their lunch (not the pizza), I cut the white yarn into short pieces, cut small circles from the felt, tore the green tissue paper, cut more circles from the red paper, and used the cardboard circle as a template to make more pizza shapes from an old Amazon box (shout out to Uncle Chris!).

As Sam took every book off the book shelf to read, Ben and I colored red crayon "sauce" all over the cardboard circle "crust", topped it with glue, sprinkled on the yarn "cheese", attached the black felt "olives", added the green tissue paper "peppers", and finished with the red paper "tomatoes". We waited for the pizza to "cool" while the glue dried and then, voila! A beautiful pizza for Ben!

And after that crazy, busy morning it still took an entire HOUR to get the boys down for their naps! Now Mommy needs some chocolate therapy! If only there were some in the house :(

Preview

2009-02-03T14:24:00.001-08:00

I am reluctant to post these pictures of the new cabinets because things still aren't put away. We still have a few boxes hanging around the living room and the desk needs to be organized. And of course there are always kid things scattered here and there. But here is a sneak peek at the entertainment center which was designed around the 52" flatscreen tv and the cabinet over the corner desk (the painting on the wall was a wedding gift from my Aunt Annie who painted it and gave us the original - I've been looking for a home for it for three and a half years!).

Mama, come find me!

2009-02-03T14:05:00.000-08:00

One of Ben's favorite books to borrow from the library is "Where is Ben?" written by Marisabina Russo. The story follows Ben and his mama in their home one afternoon before a nap. Ben's mama is busy making an apple pie and is continuously called away from her work to look for Ben who calls, "Mama, come find me!" He is found hiding behind the coats on the coat rack, under an overturned laundry basket, in a coat closet, and under the covers on his bed.

This story has become a game in our home now. Our Ben loves to hide and giggles hysterically when he is discovered. The book seems to have been written about him and we all love it for that reason.

Ben's latest favorite hiding place is an empty storage bin that used to contain baby clothes. With Sam growing so rapidly, the bin is now empty as we have passed the too-small things on to other little boys.

Ben even calls out, "Mama, come find me!" and then goes on to quote the next couple of lines from the story as well.

If I had a nickel....

2009-02-03T13:30:00.001-08:00

Almost 14 months old!

Lounging in the blue storage tub.

Cheeseball grin.
Mohawk baby!

If I had a nickel for all the times I've heard....

From strangers:

"Oh, are they twins?" Really? Can you not see the size difference? Just because we have a double stroller for me to chauffer them around does not mean they are twins!
"They look identical." Not really, they just look like brothers.

"Ben looks just like his mommy." You obviously haven't met his daddy.

From Ben:

"Mommy!"

"I don't want Sam to get my _________!"

"I just want it."

"I'm hungry."

"I'm tired."

"Someday, when I'm bigger..."
"Pretty good."

In all fairness, we hear lots of great things from strangers. And not everything Ben says is so self-centered, although he is approaching 3 quite rapidly.

What I love about Ben is there are three phrases you can bet he will say upon waking, usually in this order: "Where's Sam? I'm hungry. I want to go downstairs."

When I grow up....

2009-02-03T08:14:00.001-08:00

Ben has started looking towards the future and here's what it holds for him....

"I will be a firefighter when I am a grown up and I will ride on the fire truck. You can come too, Mommy, and Daddy too. But Sam can't because he is too little."

"I will make pizzas at MOFO's (a local pizzeria we recently visited) when I am bigger and I will smack the dough and throw it up into the air!"

"I am going to make sandwiches for people with Danielle when I am bigger." Danielle (pronounced Daneel) and her husband, Eric, are the owners of the meat and deli counter across the street from us at the Village Market. The boys love visiting Danielle because she always takes time to talk to them and give them little packets of saltine crackers. Eric and Danielle employ several early twenty-something ski-bum guys. www.villagemeats.com

"I will be a scientist when I am a grown up. I will use my magnifying glass to make things bigger." Ben recently took money from his piggy bank and bought himself a magnifying glass just like Sid the Science Kid, a PBS show he adores. http://pbskids.org/sid/index.html

Ben also loves Curious George and loves having me make up George stories for him. His favorites are George comes to play at our house and George goes to Daddy's office.
PBS also introduced him to the story of Cinderella whom he calls Mozzarella.

Crib Scaling

2009-02-02T14:12:00.000-08:00

It's nap time. It's been nap time for just short of an hour. So you can imagine my surprise when less than forty minutes into nap time I heard a small cry from Sam followed by a thunk.
The cry from Sam did not surprise me. His little body has been working on pushing his one year molars through for a few days now. What surprised me was the thunk. My immediate thoughts were that he dropped his baby doll from his crib, then it occurred to me that it was Ben.
For several months now I have had the boys nap in separate rooms even though they share a bedroom. I like that I can put them down for rests separately and I like that they are less likely to wake each other up prematurely. It works for all of us.
Lately when Ben wakes up he has been scaling the side of Sam's crib and teaching Sam to hold on to the side rail and jump. This happened twice in three days, once following a nap and once first thing in the morning. Brian and I were concerned, and slightly impressed that Ben was able to climb in from outside the crib. Neither of us had witnessed it and Ben's description of how he did it was pretty incomplete.
But today I caught Ben in the act. Usually when Sam fusses I let it go for a minute to make sure he's really awake. If it lasts or picks up in volume I will go and hold him for a couple of minutes and then put him back down. Today Sam's cry was far from an awake cry, thus my concern upon hearing the thunk. I quickly went upstairs to see the door open in the master bedroom. I also saw the door to the boys' room cracked and I know that I always close the bedroom doors when the boys are sleeping. The thunk was one of the door knobs being turned by an eager big brother. I didn't even bother checking the master but immediately went into the boys' room just in time to see Ben standing on the edge of the crib mattress with his upper body hanging over the top crib rail. The weight from his head and shoulders pulled him right over and into the crib. I also saw little Sam curled up in a ball on his tummy not yet fully awake.
Apparently I can be pretty scary. All I said was, "No!" and I had them both in tears. I tried to quickly explain to Ben that he cannot get into the crib with Sam, that it's not safe, while also ushering him back to my bed. I then had to turn my attention to Sam who was now awake and really confused about the entire situation.
It took less than ten minutes to remedy the situation. Sam went back to sleep easily and by the time I went into the master bedroom to check on Ben, his eyes were also closed. Now I wonder if I should start putting the baby gate across the doorway to the boys' room to slow down the process. I've also considered Sam to be the more daring of the two boys which really makes me worry about crib escapes. Yikes!
Ben has taught me several things in the last few days:
*He will get out of bed even if I tell him not to.
*He is now a climber.
*He may have a future in gymnastics....it was a pretty impressive front flip.
*He can now effectively manage door knobs.
*He can't stand to hear his brother cry.
So this is what a three year-old does.....

Almost there!

2009-01-21T14:43:00.000-08:00

It's been forever since I've posted due to a handful of things....mainly the work still taking place in our home. The good news is that we have been sleeping in our own beds for a week now and EVERYONE is sleeping through the night!!!! Believe me, that's a huge accomplishment after six weeks of strange beds and waking kids.
I am reluctant to post any pictures of the remodel yet because I REALLY want it to look finished. I have bench cushions ordered and should have them by the start of next week, drapes are ordered for the bedrooms, and the cabinet guys finished up today. They had to install all of the knobs, glass doors, and fix the DVD pullout. Now all we have left is the wiring around the new entertainment center for the surround sound. And then we can start putting things away rather than tripping over boxes scattered throughout the living room.
One big project I didn't realize I would have is laundry. Brian's closet was opened during the window installation in the master bedroom, thus coating everything with a fine white sheet rock dust. I spent nearly all weekend trying to get things washed and hung back up. I always thought he had a pretty modest wardrobe but it didn't feel like it after multiple loads through the washer and dryer. Luckily, my closet doors remained closed and I can live with the very minor amount of dust in my garments. I also just got around to emptying suitcases only to realize that in the six weeks we were displaced, the boys have outgrown so many things. Their closet now has to be purged of Sam's clothes and Ben's need to be packed away for Sam's future use. That's a huge project and not easily done with the boys around.
I will dig the camera out at some point....hopefully it's not still residing in our neighbor's garage along with many other things....and get some photos taken of the house and the kids since they have all changed!

Our home

2009-01-06T14:28:00.000-08:00

Many have inquired on the state of our condo....
The boys and I have officially been living elsewhere for 6 weeks now. Brian has been living elsewhere for three weeks now. The neighbors who so graciously have let us stay in their condo just three doors from our own front door are expected to arrive in town around the 14th. With any luck we'll be in our own home by then.

The living room walls are painted, windows/sliding door are in but still need to have the wood frames and trim stained.

Most of the custom cabinets are in. There were a few problems including a pull-out DVD/CD storage cabinet that was built the wrong depth, and a window seat that was not built long
enough - thus sitting halfway over a floor vent. The window seat tops were also built without the lip around the edge to keep the cushions from sliding off. All of these problems are being fixed. There was one issue with the windows...the window in the den is actually two windows mulled together with a large crank-open window on the top and a small fixed window on the bottom. The window had been installed for several days before I noticed this last weekend that the crank opener was located at the top of the window by the ceiling! It was not installed incorrectly but rather, manufactured incorrectly. The kit to fix it is supposed to arrive tomorrow (Wednesday) but now the crew will have to pull the window, fix it, and install it again. I'm guessing that will put them back at least two days.

There are also holes cut in walls throughout the house where wiring has been pulled and upgraded. Where sheet rock has been patched the paint is not quite the right color to match the original wall/celing color. Several outlets are now capable of providing better power and the in-ceiling speakers have been installed.

A fine layer of sheet rock dust and sawdust blankets everything and the carpets will need an extensive shampoo job when the construction is complete.
But, it looks amazing, all things considered and we can't wait to go home.

New Year's 2009

2009-01-06T14:18:00.000-08:00

Our sixth New Year's together.

Tabitha and I...still looking like college girls?
Champagne ready......

Grandma and Grandpa stayed with the boys allowing Brian and I to ring in the new year with my good friend from Humboldt State, Tabitha, along with her boyfriend, Ian, and several others.

We all met up at a home in Reno that was rented by Tabitha and the others for a post-Christmas ski trip. We enjoyed lots of appetizers, drinks, and a great shish-kebab dinner. The food and company were wonderful.

We stayed out late but were happy to spend the holiday in the presence of adults. Upon returning home (to John's house) we found Grandma awake and Sam asleep in bed with Grandpa. Apparently Sam did his typical wake up a couple hours after going to bed and stay awake routine. Grandpa was happy to be the first to wish Sam a happy new year.

Last snowman of 2008!

2009-01-01T21:28:00.000-08:00

Ben enjoyed playing out in the snow and making a snowman while the sun was out and Sam was napping. We used pecans from Modesto for mouth and eyes.

Christmas in Modesto

2009-01-01T21:01:00.000-08:00

A serenade from the saxophonist.

The boys in their matching duds from Auntie Pauline, Uncle Howie, and Olivia.

Playing the piano.

Reading a Curious George book with Teddy.

Heading out for a walk to the park. (Color coordinated!)

Our original plan was to leave Tahoe after the Christmas eve service at our church. After seeing the weather reports we decided to leave midday to beat the storm that was supposed to come in late afternoon. It was already dumping snow by 8:30 in the morning so we packed up quickly and hit the highway. It took just about two hours to make it through the twenty-three miles of chain controls. The boys were very patient and very happy to get out and play once we got to Great Grammy and Grandpa's house.

Ben immediately headed to the park with Teddy (Dave) and Sam began exploring the house on his very steady feet.

We had a pretty quiet evening and woke early (by Sam's choice) on Christmas day. We all enjoyed opening gifts and visiting with each other. Ben's favorite gift was the toy saxophone from Auntie Beth and Uncle Pete. He was very cute playing and grooving to the music. Sam was happiest with the paper and bows. The boys also received lots of books, especially Curious George books. Both boys also had fun playing Megan's piano.

The weather was cool but fairly dry so walks to the park were a daily occurrence for Ben and Teddy. Picking oranges was also a priority.

We were all awakened about 1:30 in the morning on the 26th to the sound of the buzzer in the driveway. When Grammy woke up Dave he went out to find someone in our car riffling through our glove compartment. The perpetrator dropped everything and took off on a bicycle when Dave yelled at him. He left so quickly that he left his bag of tools. The police were called and reports were filed. Nothing was missing or damaged but it was certainly unsettling.

We headed back to Tahoe on the 28th to a still unfinished condo. Progress had been made since we left town but there was still a lot to be done.

Road trip photos 1

2008-12-23T13:52:00.000-08:00

Turkey day in Yreka

Olivia and Grandpa getting ready to carve the turkey.

Ben helping Grandma and Gram stuff the turkey.

Sam with great Gram.

Ben in his apron to help cook.

The pinecone turkey that has been around as long as I can remember.

Road trip photos 2

2008-12-23T13:46:00.000-08:00

And a few more.....

Welcome to Happy Camp!

Ben's drum like the marching band drummers.

The spider at the park in Yreka.

Watching the holiday parade in Yreka.

Playing with great Aunt Jane using blocks made by Pop.

It's the little things

2008-12-23T13:06:00.000-08:00

After traveling for 3 weeks and then staying in a home that is not our own for another week I'm quickly realizing it's the little things I miss the most...
*my own bed
*sharp knives in my kitchen
*my AllClad cookware
*a large capacity washer and dryer
*cloth diapers
*cable tv (local news)
*my dustbuster
*the boys' large assortment of toys and books
*a baby who sleeps through the night (the last time this happened was when Sam was in his crib, in his room)
*my entire wardrobe not just the handful of things that have been in my suitcase for a month

But there are also things I am so thankful for....
*being back with Brian
*Sam's birthday gifts and early Christmas gifts for the boys to break up the monotony of the same old clothes and toys
*the thought that when I do return home I'll have new windows! a new living room! and all of the things listed above.
*the simple gesture from John (our good friend whose home we are staying in) of making sure to tell me that there was an empty dresser we could put our clothes in. Just the thought of not pulling clothes from a suitcase every day nearly brought tears to my eyes!

A few months back I remember reading my brother-in-law and sister-in-law's blog while they were transitioning from Cleveland, Ohio, to Seattle, Washington. They were stuck in temporary housing while they tried to find a house to buy. They were such troopers and I just try to keep them in my mind to spare my sanity. They did it all with two little girls starting new schools and a newborn! Yikes!

Snow fun

2008-12-23T13:02:00.000-08:00

The boys seem to enjoy the snow....at least for a little while. Sam was quick to fuss because I forgot to pull his little snowsuit feet over his boots so he had snow packed around his ankles. Ben especially loves his kid-sized snow shovel we found at our local hardware store. We love that he enjoys shoveling the snow...let's just hope that enjoyment lasts into his teen years!

Let it snow!

2008-12-22T14:27:00.000-08:00

The boys with our borrowed Christmas tree.

"Merry Christmas!"

The view from John's dining room window.

As the snow falls and piles up we are comfortable in our friend John's home while he is away visiting family in Texas. It's something like house-sitting/squatting while we are waiting for work to finish up at our own home. Right now most of the living room is put together including windows, cabinets and wiring but due to the weather we may be waiting a bit longer for the windows in the rest of the house. This upcoming weekend shows a break in the snow showers so if it's not too cold we may see more progress.

Ben was pleased to see that John put up his little Christmas tree. While we were in Benicia at Auntie Beth and Uncle Pete's Ben pretended that their tree was ours. At least now we have somewhere to put our gifts!

This entire week is supposed to be snowy but with any luck the weather will break up enough that we can head down to Modesto to Great Grammy and Grandpa's house for Christmas.

Yes, Ben, there is a Santa Claus

2008-12-22T09:16:00.000-08:00

During our recent travels, my sister Pauline brought up the "Santa issue." I really didn't even know we had an issue until I was asked if Ben understands that Santa brings gifts at Christmas. My reply was, "I don't think so." For us, Santa is a part of our lives every week because we attend the 10:00 morning service at St. Patrick's Episcopal Church which happens to be the service Santa attends too.
Our kids see Santa as a friend, not a mysterious being who surprises children with Christmas gifts. In fact, Santa has become such a big part of our lives that he actually took part in our boys' baptism last May. Many Incline residents don't know that he is an ordained monk who lives a life of poverty - unheard of in most Incline neighborhoods.
When Auntie Pauline asked Ben what he was going to ask for Christmas from Santa, he was silent. The concept of asking our Santa for anything is so strange. I'm sure to Ben, Santa is just an average guy.
We did make a visit to a Santa in the Mt. Shasta Mall in Redding, California while on our family trip. Both my little boys and their eight year-old cousin, Olivia, waited patiently for their turn to sit with the jolly old elf. As we got close enough to see him, Ben said, "Mommy, that's not Santa." Thank goodness Olivia was out of earshot! I'd hate for her to think Ben wasn't a believer. She had her Christmas ideas all ready including an American Girl doll. She also told Ben that after he saw Santa he would get a candy cane.
As we approached the big guy, Ben expressed that he didn't want to sit with this Santa. I did my best not to ruin the moment for my niece. I told Ben that this Santa looked like our Santa and that there are many men who look like our Santa and they all work together at Christmas time to talk to kids and find out what they want for Christmas. The look on Ben's face told me that this still wasn't sinking in.
We got all three kids situated with Santa for their photo - Ben and Olivia smiled, Sam screamed. Oh well. And when asked by Santa what he would like for Christmas Ben replied, "A candy cane."
So, what to do? I was a kid who grew up looking forward to my gifts from Santa each year and I always assumed that I would carry on the tradition with my own children. But things are different now. Why would I want my children to think that the wonderful man we know as Santa owes them anything? If anything, we should reverse the tradition and give to the Santa Claus Foundation that helps children across the country. http://thesantaclausfoundation.org/
The best gift for us is having him in our lives.

Hooray for Ben!

2008-12-15T14:59:00.000-08:00

Note: This entry is for all of you parents out there who remember going through potty-training with your kids or are dealing with it now.

Ben began potty training back in July. He's done fairly well considering he is just 2 1/2 and supposedly it's harder to train boys than girls. The one thing we've really been battling has been pooping in the potty. He just wouldn't do it! But, after months of having to clean him up and wash out nasty undies, he did it!!!!!
We arrived at my sister, Beth's, home yesterday afternoon and Ben had been gassy all morning. He said his tummy hurt so I suggested he use the potty. He sat down and tried three times before SUCCESS! And it was the big potty rather than his little training seat. I ran out of the bathroom jumping up and down and everyone joined in the celebration. Ben was so proud of himself. I'd been telling him all along that when he pooped in the potty he'd get a treat. Today we went to the Jelly Belly factory and he picked out a keychain for himself.
And, when we got home he told me that he had toots in his bottom and went again!!! This time he was the one so excited he yelled out, "Happy Birthday, Ben!" (Remember that we just celebrated Sam's first birthday so that's been our big exclamation lately.)

Family time

2008-12-11T15:03:00.000-08:00

A handful of pictures of the boys and I with their cousins Kayla and Olivia and Aunties Beth and Pauline from Sam's birthday.

Sam's First Birthday!

2008-12-11T14:45:00.000-08:00

Sam is one!

"Ooh, cake!"

Taking a small taste.

The cake for the birthday boy.

Surrounded by gifts.

We celebrated Sam's first birthday over the weekend in Yreka. His actual birthday was on the 8th but obviously the weekend was a better time to get the family together. The participants included Sam, Ben, and I; Great Gram and Pop; Grandma and Grandpa; Uncle Howie, Aunt Pauline and Olivia; Uncle Pete, Aunt Beth and Kayla; and Uncle Ray.

Before I left Happy Camp to return to Yreka I made two big lasagnas as well as mini bundt cakes. I was so excited to bake cakes at a normal altitude since all of my cake baking attempts in Tahoe have fallen short.....literally. I opted for chocolate and white cakes with chocolate ganache and fresh berries. Both the lasagna and the cakes went over well with the family.

As is usual with a little one's first birthday, there were way too many gifts (thanks, everyone for making Sam and Ben so happy). He received two remote controlled cars, a drum, a baby doll, a toy cell phone, books, and lots of other good stuff.

The sweetest part of the evening was watching Sam with his cake. I had forgotten to leave the ganache off one so we gave it to him anyway. He ate the raspberry off the top and proceeded to use the ganache as body paint. Luckily I had the foresight to strip him down to his diaper before presenting him with his celebratory pastry.

Pictures will be here soon

2008-12-05T21:01:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to let you know that I've had some difficulty getting pictures to upload.....I thought that I'd at least get my entries from this last week up so you'd all have an idea of what's been happening. I'll add photos ASAP.

Happy Camp Highlights

2008-12-05T21:00:00.000-08:00

Grandma gave Ben a small cookie tin to use as a drum. He kept saying he needed a belt for playing it. I could not figure out what he meant. He told me he needed a belt like the drums in the parade. Finally I got it....he wanted to have a drum like the ones in marching band he saw during the holiday parade in Yreka! So creative!
Grandpa filled the bird feeder with seeds so Ben anxiously waited for the birds to arrive. He loved the binoculars that were mine when I was a little girl.
We went to visit Grandma at work on Monday morning. We arrived at Happy Camp Elementary School and after saying hello to a handful of people, proceeded to the cafeteria to see Grandma and her coworker, Lisa. Ben was excited to have a snack of yogurt with Grandma and was reluctant to leave. Soon, Casey, the school's principal and mother to my good friend Courtney, came in to meet the boys. She invited Ben to return to the school later in the afternoon for a special assembly with Australian animals.
We arrived to the assembly a little late because I refused to wake the boys from their nap. But we got there just in time to see a seven month old red kangaroo! We also saw a kookaburra, a baby crocodile, two sugar babies, two tiny box jelly fish, and a baby tree python. Ben and Sam seemed to like the kangaroo the best. Who knew we would see Australian animals in Happy Camp!
We made sure to visit the “Welcome to Happy Camp” sign and take a picture.
While Grandma was at work on Wednesday, Grandpa, the boys, and I headed down to Bill and Sylvia Parry's house to visit. They were so excited to meet the boys and catch up with our lives in Tahoe. We talked about the big news of the morning of a mountain lion crossing the parking lot at the little market in town (which happens to be owned by Bill and Sylvia's son Bobby). Apparently, one of the employees was arriving to work and waiting at the front door to be let in since the store wasn't open yet. She saw the big cat going through the parking lot and was frantic to get inside. Bulletins were sent out to the schools to warn them. In the past few weeks there have been many mountain lion sightings as well as pets being killed. Needless to say, the boys didn't play outside while in Happy Camp. We were also lucky to have dinner with Bill and Sylvia on Thursday evening.
Friday after lunch the boys and I headed to the elementary school on our way out of town to see Grandma one last time. While there we said goodbye to Lisa as well and I was able to see one of my teachers from seventh grade, Terry Mattson. She looks just the same and was excited to meet the kids.
I also saw Casey Chambers one last time and gave her an extra hug to pass on to Courtney when she arrives for Christmas from Israel.
The boys and I arrived back in Yreka at Gram and Pop's mid-afternoon Friday.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

2008-12-05T20:59:00.000-08:00

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles has always been a movie my family has enjoyed. Brian and I often find ourselves quoting it and laughing when we find ourselves in sticky travel situations.
Sunday morning Brian, my dad, and I got up before four o'clock to get on the road to Medford, Oregon where Brian had a six o'clock flight back to Reno via Seattle. The drive up is just over 40 miles so we wanted to be on the road with plenty of time to spare. It's a good thing we left so early because the fog was thick. We arrived at the airport and were immediately told by one of the security officials that no planes had come in the night before and nothing had landed yet that morning. Brian went in to find out that his flight was canceled. He traded in his ticket for another that would leave at five o'clock the next morning. We turned the car around and drove back through the fog to Yreka and cursed ourselves for not calling the airline before leaving the house that morning.
We got home and went right back to bed with our fingers crossed that the boys wouldn't wake too early. When Gram entered the kitchen that morning and saw Brian her exact words were, “What on earth are you doing here?” We all chuckled and went about figuring out how to get Brian home. He made a couple of phone calls to car rental places in Yreka only to find that they are closed on Sundays. He called another in Medford and was set up with a car to pick up later that morning to drive to Reno. Luckily, Jane and Drew needed to go right through Medford to get home to North Bend, Oregon, so Brian hitched a ride with them back to the airport. He was on the road right around eleven in the morning and arrived in Reno right around five in the evening. Our good friend Sue was in Reno running errands and picked up Brian and got him back over the mountain by dinner time. He was exhausted after his LONG day but was happy to be home.
While Brian was on the road back to Reno, the boys and I were on our way down the Klamath River road to Grandma and Grandpa's house in Happy Camp. It had been over five years since I was last in Happy Camp and this would be the boy's first visit. Let the adventure begin!