Sock It To 'Em

Many years ago, in an attempt to squelch my kids from hurting each other in a wrestling match they were having in the living room, I came up with a "new"game of sorts. One of which doesn't require anyone pinning someone else to the ground. In this game, the chances of butting heads and losing a tooth are pretty nil. No one ends up in tears after getting accidentally getting kneed in the chin. (Now do you know why I despise living room wrestling matches?)

It's a little game I like to call "sock fight". It's got the word "fight" right in the title, so any boy would be thrilled to give it a go. Basically, everyone peels off their socks and then rolls them up into tight little balls that resemble snow balls. Then you usually pair off into two teams and separate the room with an imaginary line that the teams are not allowed to cross. Then the chaos ensues!! You try as hard as you can to peg members of the other team with the sock bombs. Weaving and dodging becomes common place and laughter always ensues. I think it is IMPOSSIBLE to actually injure someone with a sock. No matter how hard you throw a sock, it will not hurt. Not only can you not hurt a family member...it is very hard to break any household objects with a sock (well except maybe a little ceramic pumpkin decoration, right Con?). There is no winning or losing a sock fight...you only have fun. It's a mother's dream come true, and I personally think I'm completely genius for thinking of it. :)

So, the next time you're family is bouncing off the walls and needs to get out a little energy... just take off your socks and let 'em fly. Everyone will be tired out within about 10 minutes of sock throwing craziness, you'll all have smiles on your faces, and you might even find a lonely sock stuck to your wall mounted candle sconce three days later...much like I just found this morning!

Who needs the Partridge Family?

Coming to an arena near you...

Nolan the "Mr. Awesomeness" on drums

Nick the "quick fingers" on Guitar

Connor the "get your ear plugs" on vocals

And Kelly the "I've got a cramp in my wrist" on drums.

Yeah...you don't want to miss that show! :)

In all seriousness...we've been having fun jammin' together with our new Guitar Hero World Tour game. My kids are learning all the classics from my youth..."Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor, "Living on a prayer" by Bon Jovi, and sadly..."No sleep Til Brooklyn" by the Beastie Boys.

Good times.

Beautiful Autumn Day

We spent part of our Saturday at the pumpkin patch with some friends...

Thanks to this sweet little girl.

Olivia and her brother, Nathan, (who I wasn't able to catch on film...that kid is quick.) celebrated their October b-days at this HUGE pumpkin patch.

(Olivia and Nathan are Marianne's grand kids.)

Eileen, Stephanie, and Marianne enjoying this rare warm October afternoon.

Nolan taking a pumpkin break.

Nick also found a nice resting place.

Here's the whole crew headed for the corn maze.

Wow...all four of us in ONE photo. Amazing.

Hey, it's farmer Jay!

Have you ever seen a goat on a cat walk before? Nope... me neither.

Cowboy Nolan roped another one.


We couldn't have asked for nicer weather to accommodate our day at the patch.

All of the kids had a great time playing together, tromping around the farm, and munching on roasted corn and funnel cakes.

Good times!

Hallelujah for Brenda

OK...I'm feeling a little less than a stellar mom this morning.

My kiddos woke up to see two cute bundles of homemade cookies that my dear friend, Brenda, made for them just the day before.

When they spied these little gifts of sugary bliss their eyes lit up and they practically did a dance of joy. They begged me to let them open them up and try one even though they hadn't had breakfast yet. Being that I'm a total sugar-holic I caved and said "Of course, dig in!"

Now Brenda bakes the very best cookies of anyone I know. She's a baking pro. You should have heard the words coming out of Nick and Nolan's mouths. Things like... "Wow, this is the BEST frosting I've ever tasted."... "How does she make cookies in ALL these different shapes?"... and my personal fave from Nick "Hallelujah."

Now, I know I've made cut-out cookies with my boys before. But has it really been that long since my kids have seen a cookie cutter? Oh the shame.

Next time I go grocery shopping I will walk by the refrigerated dough section with my nose up in the air, scoffing at the array of "lame mommy" cookie dough that is calling my name. Next time I will get the mixing bowl dirty and crack an egg or two, and for heaven sakes I will dust off my cookie cutters so they can see that I too can make cookies into ALL kinds of crazy shapes!

Thanks Brenda for the fantastic cookies, as you can see they were very much appreciated!

A great weekend on the Eastside

What a lovely weekend it was...

The sunny drive over the mountains to see our good friends was punctuated by unbelievably beautiful fall colors.

Nick said the red and orange foliage looked like lava flowing down the mountain.

We drove into P-town with our little car packed with excited passengers, two scooters, and a bag stock full of board games...

It was going to be good!

Let the good times roll...

Just look at this cute kid, don't you just want to reach through the screen and give him a smooch?

Ha...I'm lucky, 'cause that is just what I did. Many times over!

Nick and Nolan had a blast playing with Spencer, Hannah, and Sienna. Here's Nick out front riding scooters with...Brad! I love the little pink number Brad is wheeling around on!

Hannah, Sienna, and Nolan take time out to smile for the camera. I swear I really didn't punish them and put them in the cage...although, this picture kinda looks like I did.

So, it's evident the kids had a wonderful weekend.

What about the grown-ups?

Well,

can you say "Molten Chocolate Cake served with raspberries and whip cream?" That is pure fun in a ramekin if I ever I saw fun.

How 'bout a serving of homemade chicken pasta swimming in a creamy, peppery, cheesy, plus bacon for good measure sauce. Served with homemade bread sticks and artichoke feta dip? Yeah, now you're really jealous... We ate like kings!

Did I mention my friend, Karen, is a cooking genius? Lucky me.

We managed to belly up (maybe our bellies were a little larger this time around) to the kitchen table again for an exciting game of Balderdash. (My personal fave...that I have to beg Connor to play with me about every 5 years or so.) We were laughing so hard at one point, I had to take a time out to wipe my tears away.

We ALWAYS have fun with this crew. It's so nice to have friends like Karen and Brad. Our kids get along fantastically and so do we. Can't ask for much more than that. I guess I just wished we lived closer together. I was bummed driving away knowing I wouldn't get to see them for a long while.

Thanks for making our trip so much fun. We love each and every one of you!

Move over Kenny G., Nick S. is in the house.

Last night, Nicholas was invited by his band instructor to perform at a local cafe.
His band teacher, Darin Motamedy, is a well known jazz musician that puts on concerts from time to time around the Puget Sound. He teaches at several of the schools in our school district and invited about 8 kids to play at his concert last night. Nick was pretty excited to be one of the four kids from his school chosen to play.

Check out their performance! They did a fantastic job. It's kind of hard to see Nick in the beginning of the video because my camera is crummy and because of his small stature!

We are proud of that kid! His grandma, grandpa, and great grandmother were able to attend the show and I'm sure they were beaming with pride as well!

Way to go Nick, all of your hard work and daily practicing has paid off!

~~~BOO~~~

I love our neighborhood.

It's a rare sort of place where everyone waves as they go by, even if they have no idea who you are...

Neighbors are always looking out for one another and lending a helping hand whenever one is needed...

People come together every single year for end of Summer BBQ's and Easter egg hunts...

Nick and Nolan's neighborhood highlight happened just last night. The door bell rang and when they opened the front door they were greeted by a big Halloween bag jam packed full of candy, glow bracelets, skull necklaces, Halloween stickers, cute kitchen towels, and a pumpkin candy dish. They were jazzed! We had been "Boo'ed"!!

This little tradition starts each October and slowly spreads throughout the entire neighborhood. Once you've been "boo'ed", you have two days to "boo" two other families. Pretty soon soon all the doors in our neighborhood are sportin' ghostly signs on the front announcing they have been "boo'ed". It's a lot of fun.

So last night, after poppin' some skittles, Nick and Nolan began contemplating who could have boo'ed them and plotting their booing tactics that would be put into action in the following days.
They love sneaking around the 'hood at night secretly placing the goods on the front porches before ding dong dashing away. Their adrenaline pumps as they hide behind cars and trees. They like hearing the families squeal with delight when they find the loot that they have just left behind.

It's a fun tradition that my kids will fondly remember from their childhood. Just another one of many wonderful things I truly love about this place in which I live.

Donut Friday Round One

Just a shout out to my pal, Karen.

Thought you might like to know that we have followed in your footsteps. The boys and I just enjoyed our first "Donut Friday".

You should've seen the looks on their faces when I told them we would be going out to get donuts for breakfast. I think they thought their mom had been replaced by a donut loving alien or something. So, off to the supermarket we ventured to pick out our favorite donut, then we piled back into the car and headed off to school. We sat in the parking lot munching away happily between swigs of O.J.. We chatted for about 15 minutes more about everything under the sun.

Thanks, Karen, sharing your "Donut Friday" tradition. It was a fun and delicious time well spent with my kiddos!! They think you are AWESOME!

Why?

It's been a year since I started this blog of mine.

Many times after telling someone about my blog, they ask "why do you have a blog?"

In the beginning, I started out with the notion of spinning tales of my family life and keeping in touch with friends and family. Especially those I rarely get the chance to see.

It's been a fun way to document the craziness I like to call my life. After all, I am the blessed mother of two boys. I've received a lot of comments from people who say they love to check in to see what's going on with us. And that makes me happy.

It makes me happy to keep in touch with friends and keep the family up to date on Nick and Nolan's affairs. But one of my very favorite parts about this whole blogging thing has got to be the wisdom and inspiration I've learned from some other bloggers out there. I probably have about a dozen blogs I frequently read and it's not unusual for me to be moved by something they have written.

I've learned about some amazing families that have uplifting tales of strength even though they are facing insurmountable sorrow. I have kept in touch with one of my favorite people in the entire world who is always a source of happiness for me. She makes me laugh, makes me think, makes me proud, and makes me glad to know I will always have her as a dear friend. I've met others who have opened my ears to great new music, and I can't even begin to list how many times I've read stories from other moms that have brought a smile to my face.

I didn't even think about this benefit to blogging when I started out. I like that I often come away feeling uplifted, refreshed, and inspired by what I have read.

Keeping a record of my life's little hurdles, knee-slapping laughs, memories, and it's ongoing journey is what keeps me typing away on this here keyboard. I like reliving moments from past years and being able to share what today has revealed. It's fun and rewarding.

And so that is why.

The youth of today have it too easy.

Case in point...

Today, Nolan and I were in the kitchen getting lunch ready for the fam. He asked if he could have a whole can of soda. To which I replied, "no, a half a can is plenty for you". A few minutes later I started to pour a whole can of soda for Connor into a giant glass with ice. Nolan looked at me and said..."Hey, that's not fair. Why does Dad get a whole can?" I looked him in the eyes and said "Daddy's been hard at work today in the yard so he deserves a whole can. I haven't seen you do any work today Nolan." He instantly responded by rolling his eyes and saying "Oh REALLY? Have you ever licked a WHOLE lollipop before? It's a lot of work, mom. I mean really. It was not easy to keep from biting into that sucker ya know."

Oh my good golly. I just busted up. One of my favorite things about being a mom is getting to hear these little gems from time to time. You just never know what zinger is going to come out of their mouths, they crack me up.

The Seahawks have nothing on my boys...

Lately, Nick and Nolan have been spending their valuable recess time at school playing touch football with their friends. Each day after school they fill me in on the details of their games.

Well last week was a stellar week on the good ol' elementary school gridiron for my boys.

Nick was all smiles when he told me he had made THREE touchdowns all within the boundaries of the lunchtime recess...I'm sure it had something to do with the well rounded lunch his mom lovingly packed for him! (This was a big deal, because only a few days prior, he was feeling like a football flop...and even said he just didn't have "the build" to be good at football.)

And Nolan, well, he too entered the end zone that day with a smile on his face and a football in his grasp...He could hardly wait to show me the celebratory dance he displayed after his big touchdown. The following video is obviously a re-creation, but I think you get a pretty good idea of just how kooky Nolan can be...Enjoy.

Maybe I'm being a little un-Fair

There is an event that happens 'round these parts every single year.

Kids of all ages squeal at the thought of attending this event.

My boys are no exception. They beg and plead each and every year hoping their mom will cave in to their wishes.

I cringe at the first sight of anything advertising it's existence.

It is....

The Puyallup Fair.

Ya...I know, I'm such an old fuddy duddy. You ask yourself...why does she despise the fair so much?

I mean really who doesn't love sitting in traffic in po-dunk-ville only to be followed by an exhausting search of a little piece of some one's front yard to park your car. That is the exact moment that the money in your wallet starts to effortlessly disappear for the next several hours.

After entering the main gate, you're senses are a flutter with the sight of about a BILLION people, the smell of deep fried twinkies, the sound of an infomercial salesman touting the miracle of his knife set that can cut through pennies.

You finally get used to the barnyard scent filling the air and decide to take the kiddos to the rides. (It's always better to visit the rides BEFORE finding a bite to eat...) Isn't it wrong for the carnies to charge more for their rides than Walt Disney charges for his?

I mean really, would you rather go to the movies or buy 50 seconds of pure stomach turning bliss only achieved from riding the scrambler? Hmmmmm.

Next thing you know, it's time to go in search of some overpriced, artery clogging grub. Should you visit the Sausage Shack? Earthquake Burger? Or perhaps the Krusty Pup? I swear the only vegetables at the fair are the ones on display proudly wearing blue ribbons.

Anybody up for winning a Nascar mirror? How 'bout an inflatable trumpet? You only have to toss a one inch ring around the neck of a two inch wide bottle! That is after you've paid the kid behind the counter three bucks to make you look like a total uncoordinated loser.

This is the point at which your feet start screaming at you... You would sit down to give them a break, but finding real estate to rest your derriere is not an easy task given the fairground is filled with half the state of Washington.

Awww...So much fun to be had.

--------

So what did we do today?

ALL OF THE ABOVE, and you know what?

I'd do it again in a heartbeat because of this...

Pure fair induced joy!

We really had a fun day, it's amazing that contagious laughter and smiles can help make something you dislike into a great time.

Gotta love kids!

Happiness is...

Having this view of the sunshine through your favorite tree while swinging in a hammock on your day off!Finding this little note on the fridge from a sweet, red-headed boy....
(I love how he wrote "please respond" at the top)


As you can see, I've had a nice day so far...and it is only 10:45 am. Gotta love that!

And We're Off!

The boys are off and running to school this week! Nick sprung outta bed at 6 am on the first day, he was completely ready for the school day even before my feet hit the floor!

Nolan, on the other hand, takes after his mother... He likes to take the "more sleep the better" approach to the first day of school.

They both had a great first day... It's shaping up to be a good year.

As for me, I'm just off and running.
Or at least that is my new goal...

Here are my new best friends.

They will be gracing my feet and hitting the pavement starting tomorrow morning.

Connor took me to a cool shoe store in Tacoma this afternoon that helps you pick the perfect running shoe. They watch how you run, then decide what type of shoe would work best for your running stance and foot shape.

And we all know that my foot shape is completely CRAZY.

So crazy in fact, that I even wondered if they would sell any shoes to fit my freaky wide, high arched feet.

Well they do. And OH. MY. GOODNESS. They are the most comfy shoes I've ever worn. I didn't know shoes could feel so fabulous.

Let's hope I feel the same way about these beauties after my run tomorrow...

Hammer Time Is Over!

We finally finished! We've spent a great deal of our Summer hammering, measuring, sawing, and swearing while working on our new and improved fence. Take a look at our handy work...

This is obviously a BEFORE picture. We knew it was time to replace it because anytime the boys threw a ball at the fence, part of the fence would come crumbling down!
Pretty sad excuse for a fence... Rotten and hanging by a thread.

But lucky for us, we had some helping hands along the way.

Thanks Gary for all of your generous help!

We also need to send a big thank you out to our friends David and Bill who also spent an afternoon sweatin' and helping us build this massive fence.

STATS: 320 linear feet

675 fence boards

2700 nails

6 gates

countless sore muscles

But look how pretty it turned out!

Connor did a fabulous job, he is a perfectionist and it shows!

Go ahead kids, just try to knock this puppy down...

Ahhh... it feels so good to be done. Now hand me a cold beer and a lounge chair so I can put my feet up and relax in our beautiful back yard.

Connor, you rock! I hope you get a smile on your face every time you look out across the lawn at the awesome fence you created.