tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180443742024-03-14T06:24:54.084-07:00Maxwell House MomentsAlissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.comBlogger418125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18044374.post-54023761913485997812013-04-21T22:29:00.001-07:002013-04-21T22:29:10.594-07:00That's a Wrap!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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2012 came to a welcome end. After a year of much upheaval, change, and adjustment, we were very much looking forward to closing the books on the year and starting fresh with little excitement on the horizon in 2013. </div>
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Unfortunately, we didn't get our act together in time to arrange a New Years Party. Scott and I just didn't have our hearts in it, but the boys remembered our "New York New Years" of the past and wanted to celebrate. While I was at work, Scott rallied them to make decorations and dug up some fun new years traditions, like eating 12 grapes to kick off the New Year. We embraced the west coast time difference and had our celebration when the real ball dropped at 9PM.</div>
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In the end, closing out the year with just our little family, was very fitting. In a year of change, we clung together and learned to find more joy and wackiness, right under our own roof. We survived it together... and I think have come out stronger on the other side. <br />
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<br />Alissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18044374.post-17180146453098410492013-04-21T22:18:00.003-07:002013-04-21T22:18:41.219-07:00Christmas 2012 - Part 2We spent Christmas up in Seattle, touring the Botanical Garden Lights
and dinner at Pogacha with the Jacobsen Clan, Christmas Eve Elves Party
with my family (including rousing games with prizes(!) after the little
kids went to bed, late night assembly on December 24th.<br />
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Papa set up the old train track to keep the boys occupied during the days - we pretty much didn't see them for except when they needed to surface for food.<br />
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Elves party music and dancing... <br />
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Important notes and goodies for Santa, tracking progress on NORAD, and lots of wiggles waiting for the big day. <br />
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Santa brought Josh a Fire Station (doll house) with police and fire figures, including their canine sidekicks. <br />
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Though Josh was just as thrilled with accessory cars and pretty much anything else wrapped under the tree.<br />
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Santa loaded Owen up with some much requested Lego Star Wars items, and Nana and Uncle Todd added additional accessories. If 2011 was "a very piratey Christmas," 2012 could easily be labeled the Christmas "sponsored by Lego Star Wars."<br />
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Actually, I'm thrilled with how much these Lego Star Wars books have gotten Owen reading. He wants to learn the names of all the figures and realized that he could sound them out himself, without waiting on an adult to become available. Ah, the world of reading! <br />
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Then, it was off to the Maxwells and a full, full house of good food and good company. Josh was happy to offer a helping hand to anyone that seemed a little slow in opening the presents.We all were delighted with baby second-cousin Delilah, who has to be the
most mellow baby we have ever encountered. The boys thought she was a
hoot. We all got some good contact time with Kate, while she was pondering the next steps in her life journey (January brought her some clarity and a move to Anchorage, where she seems to be thriving). <br />
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And, of course, no Christmas would be complete without some quality cousin time. This year, Calla and Josh seemed to really become buddies and only required intermittent refereeing. It was a delight watch them grab hands and head downstairs to play magnetic darts. The kids did not let grandma forget the gingerbread houses, and Ryan snagged a video of all three kids working side by side, chatting, passing candy, etc. It's a small thing to us, but HUGE for Calla - as she does not yet readily talk with her friends at school or at other activities. We're not sure why she is better able to use her voice around Owen and Josh, especially since they only see each other a couple times/year, but it brings us all great joy to know that O & J are so much a part of her circle of comfort. More cousin time, please!<br />
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Alissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18044374.post-87089535310409961572013-04-21T22:00:00.001-07:002013-04-21T22:00:09.807-07:00Christmas 2012 - Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We used our advent calendar to count down the days until Christmas. It's fun for the kids to know that there's going to be an activity or special bible reading each day, but I will admit that this year, the calendar was filled with a lot more "to do" items than in the past. I think next year, the boys will be old enough to tackle something like The Advent Event or another daily activity based in scripture, but this year we stuck to six readings of the Christmas Story sprinkled between our holiday activities.</div>
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We did find a new place to hang our calendar of decorated pockets, so the kids could check it each morning. </div>
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Our calendar included things like:</div>
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Open Christmas PJs, </div>
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Shop for holiday presents,</div>
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School Holiday Night - this was predictably a riot, as we arrived 30 minutes early for the 10 minute show. The kids sang their "peace songs," which my boys continue to sing 4 months later. It took another 10 minutes to get the kids positioned on stage (one in a teachers lap, one facing backwards, a couple more sitting down, etc), and then all the parents pull out the phones to record video. Of course, one little boy decided that his dress shirt was just too much and spent the whole third song diligently unbuttoning each button, so he could sing the last song half naked. I was laughing so hard I was crying. Gotta give him credit - our school teaches independence and he was demonstrating his new "buttoning" skill. I also give huge credit to his mother, who kept the camera filming through the whole thing. I'm sure that video will make numerous appearances over the next 30+ years!</div>
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Sing Christmas songs, </div>
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Visit Santa,</div>
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Elf Yourself (that the boys got to do with Grandma while Scott and I were at his new work holiday party up at Timberline Lodge - swanky!),</div>
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Decorate the Christmas Tree,</div>
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Shop for a Family in Need - this was a first for us and great fun to shop for teens in foster care,</div>
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Wrap Presents, </div>
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Make presents for teachers - homemade vanilla was a hit with both the kids and the teachers. I expect this one will be a keeper for as many years as we can get mileage out of it!</div>
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Make Christmas Cookies - Scott and the boys knocked that one out one weekend day. <br />
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and, of course... "Family Christmas Morning." As we travel for Christmas, we have tried to reserve the Saturday before the holiday to celebrate a full "Christmas morning" with the boys at home. We make a big breakfast and open presents in our PJs. Santa still waits to deliver while we're in Seattle, but it's fun to enjoy a morning of our own.<br />
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This year, Josh was THRILLED with the present opening. Age 3 must be when it really clicks. I remember Owen doing a lot of jumping up and down at that age, too. Josh savored and celebrated each gift - he was just as excited about other people opening gifts as his own. Pure delight! <br />
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<br />Alissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18044374.post-7329390901125167692013-04-21T15:20:00.004-07:002013-04-21T15:20:51.392-07:00December 2012 - Oh Christmas TreeOur Christmas tree decorating felt so much more "traditional" this year, as the boys are both old enough to really enjoy the process of sorting through the ornaments and finding favorites. In fact, we had one Sunday morning where it got awfully quiet from upstairs. Scott and I were content with coffee and newspaper until the silence pulled us from our seats (someday, silence will be reason for calm, right??). We warily opened the door to the playroom, expecting chaos or perhaps a newly "decorated" wall, only to find that the boys were carefully unpacking all the Christmas decorations. Such glee! It's a great way to welcome the holiday season!<br />
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Decorating with hot chocolate and Christmas music.<br />
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Josh's turn to add the finishing touch.<br />
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The best family photo we are able to get these days. One five year old intent to be a ham and one three year old that only knows the "Chandler Bing" smile. <br />
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Pretty cute when they want to be...<br />
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Though most of our Christmas tree interactions looked like this. Nothing says the holidays like wrestling with your brother!<br />
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<br />Alissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18044374.post-15510844028071344412013-04-21T15:10:00.000-07:002013-04-21T15:10:18.452-07:00Family Picture 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We snagged a groupon for family pictures at Yuen Lui, just in time to order our Christmas cards. Owen (5.5) and Josh (3). Talk about a classic pose! One of these days, we need to spring for outdoor portraits.<br />
Alissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18044374.post-91455237596492350482013-04-21T15:05:00.003-07:002013-04-22T09:47:37.625-07:00Happendings November 2012You know it was a season of survival instead of enjoyment when you look back at your photos and see only 4 images captured in a whole month!<br />
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November 2012:<br />
Alissa accepted a new job, working for Brown and Caldwell. It was tough to leave Otak after almost 12 years, but BC is a great fit for me right now - I'm learning a lot from my co-workers and finally working for local clients.<br />
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Scott accepted a new job with Bremik construction (and then accepted a counter-offer from HSW and then changed his mind again, but that's a whole different story!) In the end, he's also in a great new job, doing what he wants to be doing, with more responsibility and great co-workers.<br />
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We tackled some last minute projects around the house, in order to get our re-appraisal and refinance this crazy renovation loan. In the end... success!<br />
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Goals for 2013 - less change!!<br />
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The boys tackled swim lessons yet again - Josh for the first time without a parent. He took to it like, well, a fish to water. Great first experience, and we found a new babysitter in his first teacher.<br />
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Owen also had an awesome swimming experience. When I saw his class of FIVE BOYS, I thought his teacher was doomed, but Allison was just what those boys needed and had all of them side breathing and really SWIMMING after the 4 week session.<br />
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We hosted Thanksgiving here for both families, finally giving our dual ovens a chance to operate at their full potential.<br />
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The boys (individually or together) were invited to many classmates' birthdays throughout the fall. It was another confirmation that this school is a good fit for us - both parents and kids are very inclusive and the kids are generally well behaved and respectful (for preschoolers). Each event we go to is an encouragement to me... it also gives us a chance to check out all the indoor activities around Portland - Playdate PDX, bouncing places, family fun center, etc. A little different than Bend, when we could still get away with group birthdays, picnics in the park, or even a sledding day! <br />
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<br />Alissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18044374.post-35152855174433480052012-12-04T22:59:00.003-08:002012-12-04T22:59:53.701-08:00Where the time wentI am finally catching up on this little corner of the web. I'm back-dating posts a bit, so I can get them in the right order, but I managed to get through summer and will be tackling fall events over the next couple days... I hope!Alissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18044374.post-69041673710503781312012-11-18T15:37:00.000-08:002013-01-20T15:38:11.493-08:00Halloween in (mostly) PicturesHalloween was pretty low key for us. With all the craziness of the
previous week, we found ourselves on October 30th with uncarved pumpkins
on our porch. With Scott still in recovery, we needed a quick solution
and that lead us to Mr. Potato Head. Owen was able to carve almost his whole pumpkin, but still liked the option of adding Mr Potato Head ears. So easy. We may do that every year!<br />
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The kids were fearful pirates and it was fun to trick-or-treat in regular clothes and not the full winter gear that's usually required on October 31st in Bend. We even met some more neighbors with kids. Arrrrgh!!<br />
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<br />Alissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18044374.post-32732504040622246272012-11-12T15:07:00.000-08:002013-01-20T15:26:04.885-08:00What a Week!Back in October, we had one of the craziest weeks of our year. And in 2012, that's saying a lot!<br />
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The Set-up (aka. what we thought would happen)<br />
- I had accepted a new job the previous Friday, so the plan was to give my 2 week notice at work on Monday, followed by what could be a very interesting week at work...<br />
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- Spend a few evenings painting our bathroom and installing all new fixtures (including lighting)<br />
- Josh's birthday on Thursday<br />
- My parents come into town on Friday morning, bringing a bunch of shrubs for our front yard.<br />
- Scott's parents and Ryan/Sara/Calla arrive on Friday evening to celebrate the birthday.<br />
- Owen's final soccer day (and scrimmage against the parents) on Saturday.<br />
- Celebrate the birthday and watch the Huskies Saturday afternoon.<br />
- Home appraisal the following Tuesday (finishing it out!)<br />
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It looked crazy and pretty intense, but manageable. And frankly, pretty much par for the course for 2012. Why not have a birthday, a job change, a home appraisal, and a bunch of family visiting all at the same time? It's just the Maxwell way.<br />
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The Actual Series of Events<br />
- Turn in my notice at work on Monday. Though this went very smoothly, it really kicked off my week with a high stress level. It's hard to walk away from anything you've been a part of for nearly 12 years!<br />
- Monday night, Scott started feeling lousy... <br />
- Tuesday night, Scott tore out all the fixtures in our bathroom and primed the walls. I wrapped presents.<br />
- Wednesday, Scott had a second interview (with the company he now works for). It was grueling interview, requiring him to really think on his feet and answer some pretty tough technical questions. He still felt miserable.<br />
- As our evening progressed, Scott felt worse, and we found ourselves on WebMD looking up the symptoms of appendicitis...<br />
- Thursday morning (Josh's Birthday), Scott called the nurse hotline, drove to work, waited for Urgent Care to open, WALKED to the clinic, and finally got instructed to go to the ER where they diagnosed appendicitis and lined him up for afternoon surgery. I spent the morning at Josh's birthday celebration at school, went to work, and finally got to the hospital around 2:00. Scott went into surgery at 4:00.<br />
- Ethel hopped in the car to be at the hospital when he came out of surgery.<br />
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- I raced though Fred Meyer to purchase the nastiest tasting cupcakes possible and food for the weekend before snagging the kids from school. Once home with frayed nerves (all three of us), I attempted a birthday dinner while Josh smashed the box of cupcakes and we all put on brave faces to celebrate. The cupcakes were so bad that none of us finished one. Josh opened presents while I tried to do some frantic house cleaning. We waited for news on Scott's surgery (he was fine, just took a long time). I was stressed out and short tempered with the kids. At one point, we were all crying on the stairs. The kids finally got to bed and I A stressful day left us all crying and the kids finally got to be 1 1/2 hours later than normal,<br />
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- I spent Friday with Scott in recovery, while Ethel watched Josh and took the Owen to school. My parents showed up with two vehicles full of shrubs. By the time Scott and I got home, our yard was looking re-furbished on the outside and sparkling clean on the inside.<br />
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The rest of the weekend's events actually occurred as planned - soccer, birthday, husky game, visit to the Children's Museum - only with Scott knocked out on the couch. All of our family offered to reschedule their visits, but it turned out to be a great blessing to have everyone around. Uncle Ryan subbed for Scott at soccer, Calla gave the kids ample playtime and distraction, Sara helped me make proper cupcakes for our birthday, Josh had birthday toys galore, and Scott had lots of extra hands to take care of him in recovery.<br />
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On Sunday afternoon, I was even able to finish painting the bathroom while Ethel kept the kids busy. By the time our appraisal happened on Tuesday, the house was clean and sparkly, with much improved street appeal.<br />
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We're glad to have that one behind us!<br />
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This was a week when we were SOOO thankful that our move away from amazing community in Bend at least brought us closer to family. There's no way we would have managed this one without the help of EVERYONE that joined us for the weekend. It was also a good reminder of how much we all need a support system to come along side us when the going gets rough.<br />
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<br />Alissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18044374.post-87182839338707580782012-11-11T15:24:00.000-08:002013-01-20T15:25:43.694-08:00Josh Turned 3Josh had a much awaited 3rd birthday. For months (since Owen's birthday in July), he had following every mention of "birthday" with - "My Birthday's October!" I don't think he really understood what that birthday would mean, but he was excited anyway. We didn't do a friend party, but we did have plans for a full weekend of family visiting to help with the celebration. Nana & Papa, G'ma & G'pa, Ryan/Sara/Calla were all on hand for a Pirate Birthday Party. (You might notice a recycled theme from Owen's summer birthday, but since the boys were still on the pirate kick... why not?!)<br />
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Nana heard about our party theme and brought tattoos for the boys. They insisted that everyone apply a tattoo for admission to the party. I'm sure papa's patients got a kick out of a dentist with a pirate on his arm that week. </div>
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Auntie Sara's new accessory fit right in with the theme...<br />
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Josh decided to on his own that his newly acquired halloween costume would make for an extra festive party. I have to agree. <br />
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Three blondies playing with new birthday toys. <br />
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Alissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18044374.post-67362121208414205662012-10-16T22:25:00.000-07:002012-12-04T22:26:26.455-08:00August Recap in Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Nana came to visit and to celebrate her 60th Birthday, we took a tour of downtown Lake Oswego - lovely lunch at Scratch cafe, a stop to listen to the summer music concert, and then some time at the splash park for the kids. Happy Birthday Nana!</div>
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Portland
has an amazing array of splash parks. We only managed to visit 3 or 4
of them this summer, but I think next summer will have a "splash park
checklist" affixed to the fridge!<br />
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The kids took a two-week session of swim lessons. Why do they do that? Two weeks of swimming everyday is just exhausting for everyone involved. We're looking forward to fall lessons that are just once a week AND Josh will be old enough to be in lessons without a parent. Whoohoo! <br /><br />
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Josh became long overdue for a haircut, but I just couldn't imagine trimming those summer blond locks. Thankfully, the Maxwell Barber Shop operates on Sundays and I came home from the store to find that Josh is equally adorable with a buzz cut.<br />
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These two worked hard to spend as much of the summer in as little clothes as possible.<br />
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The kids had a week off of school, so we took the opportunity to jump over the mountains and savor a long Labor Day weekend in Bend - hiking Sparks Lake, TIME WITH FRIENDS, dinner at Jackson's Corner, gelatto at Powell's, a morning at Bloom School, Scott brewed beer with Neil, dinner on the deck, Scott got on his bike in the woods, farmers market, we crashed Kaden's dinosaur birthday party, BBQ with the biking crew, dinner with the MacSween's, and so many smiles and hardly any pictures - we were playing too hard!<br />
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<br />Alissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18044374.post-12890671883331569172012-10-15T22:42:00.000-07:002012-12-02T22:46:13.934-08:00Garden Grown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just a little recap of our first summer gardening on the "wet side" of the state. It is so, so, so, so much easier to plant the types of veggies that we actually eat when the temperatures are reasonably going to stay above freezing for the whole summer. What a difference!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGIjq2rQW0QpotT4iu12fW0T2XJGgr7p5JRdo1woaPgKf3tv_imMJqLShSFnG12MYTK8ZKDLDuPxZrfojcz0MZQf1cD4F4rqJfR54jgryICkgsRDZaXSUXhvnAOEVRqKb6l-xC/s1600/DSC_0193.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGIjq2rQW0QpotT4iu12fW0T2XJGgr7p5JRdo1woaPgKf3tv_imMJqLShSFnG12MYTK8ZKDLDuPxZrfojcz0MZQf1cD4F4rqJfR54jgryICkgsRDZaXSUXhvnAOEVRqKb6l-xC/s320/DSC_0193.JPG" width="212" /></a>One of my co-workers has a greenhouse and she sold a ton of veggie starts to raise money for the Oregon Food Bank. We planted three types of tomatoes, plus peppers and basil. Because our house was still very much a construction zone during planting season, we stuck to containers this year. The kids brought home pea starts that got added to the pots, but really needed more room. Our only major setback was an experiment with organic fertilizer. The fertilizer was fine... so wonderfully enriched with fish meal, in fact, that Hudson dug through all our pots in under 10 minutes the first time we fertilized. Lesson learned - all pots now go up on a bench or table after fertilization. And, for just $10, Sarah supplied us with replacement starts for our lost tomatoes.<br />
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All summer, Owen would diligently tell our friends that we had three types of tomatoes: Brandywine, Cherry, and Early Girl... "but our early girls are NOT very early." After the replanting, in fact, the early girls were the LAST to actually bloom and fruit. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWIJkFywvQek6O9rgnqmpBj8DcmtEDfw1fk4Hqy8bTTdBaolU_WK5yWilu8VqKR3CpIdYENLbXArRLNVb6yn3yp3GMXyfMIsANeDYlL7jyXgf_vigSkXIsokFGM8yYJwTaJEh1/s1600/DSC_0010.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWIJkFywvQek6O9rgnqmpBj8DcmtEDfw1fk4Hqy8bTTdBaolU_WK5yWilu8VqKR3CpIdYENLbXArRLNVb6yn3yp3GMXyfMIsANeDYlL7jyXgf_vigSkXIsokFGM8yYJwTaJEh1/s320/DSC_0010.JPG" width="212" /></a>Scott built these awesome bench/planters to replace our collapsing (or collapsED) deck railing, so the pots got a serious upgrade and access to MUCH better sun about halfway through the summer. Our peppers were very happy about the switch, and I ended up very happy that I hadn't yanked the "not producing" pepper plants out too early. Instead, we were pulling fresh peppers and tomatoes through October.<br />
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Then, another co-worker gave us a pile of strawberry plants, so the kids and I built a makeshift planter bed using the trunks of a couple cedar trees that we lost last winter. Owen and Josh diligently went to work making stringing rainbow yarn around the bed to ward off iguanas. You know, because "there are a lot of iguanas in Portland and iguanas LOVE strawberries." <br />
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We were late planting the strawberries, so I wasn't expecting any berries this year. In the end, we got three berries, each the size of Josh's pinky finger... and the boys insisted in sharing each one. Very cute.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQBMw-YNz8vfNlGG0xwylaaECH6tLwASqdmzJrpx_iRzFpPkytCtvXoA7RfkglP6ZoafXRLxAL2VgqFtLKeLWu4GSM1wJSOftT8ELvtiukTLFKsAt2LUQBItqx-31HJIfPXLV/s1600/DSC_0187.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQBMw-YNz8vfNlGG0xwylaaECH6tLwASqdmzJrpx_iRzFpPkytCtvXoA7RfkglP6ZoafXRLxAL2VgqFtLKeLWu4GSM1wJSOftT8ELvtiukTLFKsAt2LUQBItqx-31HJIfPXLV/s320/DSC_0187.JPG" width="212" /></a>When Sarah brought us our replacement plants, she also added in a sunflower start, thinking the boys would like watching it grow. Was she ever right! That plant started just 4 inches tall, hardly distinguishable from the strawberry plants. We took measurements against Owen's body - ankle... knee... waist... shoulder... and by July, it was already as tall as Owen, and I thought we should probably start taking pictures. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-J835vGqJRibqhzIs43uAm0YJ6Sj8ETRmCxoa4psbKGQhRDwVP44LoWQBuPyJCJEnydWPXP4PqRGe3HXAcr4GZFvT_1KLJAyYNkLS-Oc6k-dEhuqBOz8NbyFs8FWQWvOkNy5t/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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September required a stool to get the full effect. </div>
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Alissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18044374.post-35035618514861800722012-09-22T21:43:00.001-07:002012-12-02T22:46:27.543-08:00StylingWe've been swapping Owen's drawers over to fall clothes and some bigger sizes. This has led to our first discussion of the sizing on clothing and me trying to delicately explain why it's okay to wear "4" clothing when he's actually 5. (of course, josh is still able to fit in most 18 month clothes, but I'm starting to pull those out of his drawers simply out of principle!) we managed to get al the size 3s out and Owen seemed to get excited about something other than T-shirts and sweatpants. Okay, excited might be to strong a word, but at least he was Joyfully hanging some more interesting options in the closet.<br />
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After Work on the closets, Owen decided to wear his slim jeans (not that there's any other option to fit him), and a new collar shirt for a "mom and owen date night. After getting dressed, He looked at me said, "Mom, this is more like 8." <br />
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I was pretty confused. "You mean, like size 8?" I asked.<br />
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"No. Not the size. My STYLE!"Alissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18044374.post-69583277537781644292012-09-15T22:06:00.000-07:002012-12-02T22:08:03.226-08:00They Do!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A long awaited day arrived in August. Scott's college roommate, tied the knot with his lovely bride Julie at a beautiful outdoor wedding at Suncadia Resort.</div>
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We packed up the car for a weekend in Cle Elum, so thankful that the previous week's forest fire seemed to be under control. The boys are getting to be pretty solid road trippers. I'm not close scheduling a week-long driving vacation like Scott's family used to do, but at least we know that a 4-5 hour drive isn't going to land us all in the looney bin.</div>
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Owen was soooo excited for the wedding. I was excited to take them... matching clothes, cute kids dancing, the awe that comes with seeing the bride and groom, etc. However, my excitement quickly dissipated the week before the wedding, as I watched the kids eat dinner and thought to myself, "Oh no, we're raising hooligans!" I actually told the boys that we were having a week of "manners and politeness boot camp" to get ready for the wedding.</div>
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Jon's family hosted a pre-wedding BBQ on Friday night, and I think almost half the wedding guests were in attendance. We got to see some old friends while Owen and Josh hunted for stray golf balls off the back deck. </div>
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We took advantage of a mostly free Saturday to swim in the COLD hotel pool and then make the short drive out to Ellensburg to catch up with my grandparents and Ramona. My grandpa is truly amazing - still cutting hay fields with his "tractor buddies" and looking like he's found the fountain of youth. We picked up 25 pounds of peaches at the giant THORP FRUIT freeway stand, along with snacks for a picnic lunch and (thankfully) managed to get the boys to take a solid nap before rallying for the wedding.</div>
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Beautiful setting, Beautiful ceremony, Beautiful couple. We are just thrilled for Jon and Julie. </div>
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Owen was in awe during the ceremony and all the people in fancy clothes, which resulted in some pretty good behavior and Josh followed his brother's lead. We made sure to take a few "running breaks" out on the lawn during the cocktail hour and again during some down time during the reception, but once the music started... the boys pulled out dance moves I have never seen before and didn't stop dancing until we carried them back to the hotel. </div>
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Overall, one of our summer highlights for sure!</div>
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<br />Alissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18044374.post-86879065277319925292012-09-06T23:17:00.003-07:002012-09-06T23:17:59.698-07:00Owen at 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am long over due on a birthday post for Owen, but I wanted to get a snapshot down for our family record. Queue gratuitous bragging post:</div>
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At 5, Owen is an energetic and passionate
kid. He loves to learn and asks tons of questions to understand nature
and the world around him. His monthly national geographic magazine is
always a hit and we're starting to pay more attention to the non-fiction
shelves at the library. This month, we have books about inventors and
he's soaking up the information in his "body book".</div>
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Owen loves to read and prefers chapter
books to picture books. Jack and Annie (Magic Treehouse), Young Cam
Jansen, and Nate the Great are frequent visitors in our house. Owen also
continues to work on reading on his own and has moved from the Bob
Books to beginning readers (4-6 words on a page with lots of
repetition). He's already figuring out some of the reading tricks...
like studying the picture to guess the words instead of actually
sounding them out. Stinker!<br />
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Somewhere in the last year, Owen
started writing his name right to left (previously he wrote it "N E W O"
because he's left handed with both the W and N upside down). He still
writes the N upside down, but I love watching his brain gain these new
skills.</div>
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I am finding that 5 is a fun and trying
age. Owen is simply fun to spend time with and able to tag along on
"grown up" errands and activities most of the time. But, he can also be
so stubborn and inconsiderate - not out of malice, but simply
unawareness of how his actions or requests (demands!) impact the other
person. I remind myself that he's only 5, but it's an interesting
balancing act to figure out what's a reasonable expectation at this age -
an age when he's testing limits and asking for reasons behind
everything instead of just taking our word as law. Ha! </div>
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Owen
is a great older brother and puts up with his "Josh shadow" more than
he probably should have to. It's been fun for Owen to have a legitimate
playmate this summer and when they aren't tearing each other limb from
limb, they work together on projects that Owen creates - "let's make mud
in the garden," "let's set-up a battle," "let's create a race track,"
etc. In fact, Owen just loves projects and in his play time before
school, he's usually pulled out the art supplies. We have loved watching
his drawing evolve over the last few months and the elaborate stories
he creates with each picture.</div>
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In the midst of all this brain work, Owen is still high energy, a
dirt magnet, and a total monkey. He loves climbing the tree in our front
yard (despite the major pruning that removed all limbs below 5 feet).
This summer, he learned to shimmy UP the fireman's pole and other
vertical supports around the playground and worked hard to figure out
the monkey bars. In June, he could do 4 bars and by August, he conquered
the 11 bar twisting route at the local school. I really need to get
some pictures of him on the equipment - Scott says it looks like he's
doing a "Survivor" challenge - holding himself halfway up the fireman's
pole with just his feet and such.<br />
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Owen has two mispronounced words that crack us up:<br />
Brefkist - which I find myself now saying half the time<br />
Weabons (weapons) - which is hilarious when he yells, "Grab your weabons!" in his most serious pirate voice.<br />
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And finally, after all the time spent worrying about picky eating, Owen now regularly finishes all the food on his plate. He still will not touch an egg with a 10 foot pole, but most meals are acceptable and he happily eats fruits, fresh veggies (especially tomatoes, carrots, and peppers), any standard kid food (nuggets, fish stick, hot dogs) as well as our regular family dinners (pastas, stir fry, soups, and grill fare). Granted, he still takes PB&J everyday for lunch, but I know someone who at a cheese sandwich for about 6 years straight during elementary school, so at least I know where my kids come by their food quirks! And, in an unexpected miracle, Owen came in at the 15th percentile for height and weight at his 5 year visit. <br />
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He'll probably still be a head shorter than every kid in his kindergarten (being the youngest doesn't help), but at least we know he'll out climb 'em. We love this monkey!Alissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18044374.post-56000648218660746212012-09-06T22:51:00.002-07:002012-09-06T22:51:58.471-07:00Birthday times 2Owen's birthday arrived at a time of yet another transition around our house. We had made the decision to move the boys from their daycare to a montessori school, and the transition happened on July 1. Without strong friendships from the old school and no time to meet any new friends, I was a little stressed about what we would do for Owen's birthday. From the minute we set food in Portland, he had been inviting anyone we spent time with to come to his birthday party - as you can imagine, it would have been quite an extensive and random guest list!<br />
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Thankfully, our 4th of July travels came to the rescue and when we proposed to Owen that we have his birthday party in Seattle "with our big family," he was thrilled. I breathed a huge sigh of relief.<br />
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Side Note: </div>
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In less than two months at our new school</div>
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the boys have been invited to three birthday parties,</div>
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so we know we've made a good choice in our quest</div>
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to find a more inclusive community in Portland.</div>
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As it turns out, Owen lucked out to celebrate his birthday two different times. First, we celebrated his Golden Birthday (5 on the 5th!) at Nana and Papa's. After considering a zillion Seattle touristy things to do to celebrate, we decided to simply take Owen with his birthday present to Newcastle Beach Park. He was more than thrilled to upsize to a 16-inch bike, complete with kick stand and had no problem cruising around the park.</div>
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Once up at Lake Ki, we had Owen's official party with the Maxwell clan. I made Owen's requested birthday cupcakes: "Chocolate Chip and Strawberry Cupcakes with Green and Orange Frosting." After hearing and seeing pictures about the amazing cakes my friends attempt to tackle for their kids' birthdays, I am soooo grateful that Owen still requests just flavors and colors. <br />
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Birthday guests included Josh and Calla, plus Jeff and Ethel and Ryan and Sara. Conrad and Glenna also made quite the trek from an event in Tacoma - we have great family!<br />
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Owen wrote his own birthday wish list that included Cars Cars, activity books, puzzles, reading books, and magnatiles, but really, his wishes could have been summed up with three words:<br />
Star Wars Legos<br />
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I have no idea what the draw is, but for 5-year old boys, it simply doesn't get better than building your own fleet of storm troopers and jedi knights. The phenomenon is especially puzzling to me because Owen has never see a Star Wars movie, read a book, or anything related. His Star Wars exposure is a t-shirt, conversations with Caleb, and now legos. But, I am more than happy to support the lego obsession. I would rather have 4 zillion legos overtake my house than try to keep 12 different building systems separated and organized. Owen came out of this birthday with a well established fleet and two months later, he's continuing to set-up battles and build different ships, so I'd say this birthday was a success.<br />
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Happy 5th Birthday Owen!</div>
Alissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18044374.post-56186388100658241142012-09-06T21:57:00.004-07:002012-09-06T22:52:22.099-07:00Summer In Seattle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After juggling around a host of schedules trying to get everyone down for a visit to PDX around the 4th of July and Owen's birthday, we made a last minute decision to hit the road and go up to Seattle ourselves instead. What a great decision, as summer arrived in Seattle a few days before we did.<br />
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We're blessed to have such wonderful and welcoming family to stay with and to have both families so close that we can see everyone on one visit. We simply relaxed and enjoyed the comforts of our "homes away from home" in both Bellevue and Lake Ki. Our Seattle visit was short on pictures, but high on family, friends, and fun, with beautiful weather at
every turn. <br />
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The kids found a trove of classic toys at Nana's house.<br />
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Josh, of course, took a major digger just before we left and spend our vacation showing off yet another scab on the face. Someday he's going to ask us about all his scars and we'll just have to answer, "I don't know bud. You were two."<br />
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We celebrated 4th of July with the amazing view from my parents' house in Bellevue. Jeff and Ethel stopped by to join us for great grilled shrimp and veggies and then the boys were SOOOO excited to set off some of the (thankfully small) fireworks that papa had acquired.<br />
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Well, they were excited until the fireworks actually started. Owen stuck around and enjoyed the show, but Josh ended up inside with grandma watching through the window. Too loud!<br />
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It's not 4th of July without Strawberry Shortcake! <br />
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Owen stayed up to watch the show. Quite a sight off the deck watching hundreds of private fireworks displays around Puget Sound. The landscape simply shimmers with light as far as you can see. After all that, the "BIG" show over Lake Union didn't live up to Owen's expectations, but he sure liked staying up late!<br />
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We lucked out that our summer visit finally coincided with Colleen's trek through Washington. The last time I saw Colleen, she had 3 boys in Everett. Now, we have seven boys between us with her Luke and Tommy each born just weeks ahead of Owen and Josh. We had a fun playdate at Somerset Elementary. I'm so glad she's a dedicated blogger, because one visit was simply not enough catch-up time.<br />
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Amy and the boys also joined us for an afternoon and dinner up at Lake Ki. As always, Owen and Sam were bonded from sight and even chauffeured us around the lake in the paddle boat.<br />
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Ah, summer in Seattle is short and fleeting, but when it arrives, it's one of the most beautiful places in the world!Alissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18044374.post-30293384212316031002012-08-08T22:30:00.002-07:002012-08-09T09:45:21.263-07:00Olympic Reflections<br />
The other day, I found myself reading an article online about Gaby Douglas' HAIR. That's the point when I realized that perhaps the Olympic obsession has gone a bit too far. But it's only once every 4 years, right?! But we are oh so tired from staying up for the late night coverage.<br />
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Faster! Higher! Stronger! Here are some reflections on our Olympic experience as observers:<br />
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We let the kids stay up to watch the first half of the opening ceremony. They loved it, but were in bed long before the parade of nations and torch lighting, which was what we were all looking forward to. Of course, Scott and I still needed to pull out Owen's new globe to find some of those island nations. Tuvalu? <br />
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The Olympics coincided with our summer swimming lessons
and provided perfect motivation for Owen to work on his front crawl and
start figuring out the side breathing.<br />
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We've been watching highlights of the events after breakfast or before
the kids go to bed. I love watching Josh do his rendition of his
favorite events. Tonight, he was doing laps of
run-jump-run-jump-run-jump to mimic the hurdles. On the other hand,
what's not so awesome is his rendition of the backstroke start that he
is doing (repeatedly) off the side of his crib each night.<br />
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I found myself taking a much greater interest in the men's events than the women this year. Especially the men's gymnastics. I think it's because now I imagine my own boys dreaming about being Olympians instead of imagining what it would be like to be an Olympian myself. Man, those P&G "Thank You Mom" commercials really get ya. (Though I gotta say, I do have wicked respect for those women who have stepped away from their sport to start a family and then return to the Olympics with toddlers in toe... wowza!)<br />
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Thankfully, my boys took a great interest in the women's gymnastics, so we had plenty of excuses to rewatch the videos of those golden ladies. They especially liked pronouncing their own judgements on each dismount. When I showed the kids the highlights of the team final, Josh watched the vaulting and declared, "She sticked it! She sticked it! She sticked it!"<br />
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We are feeling the full effect of living in Oregon, and so close to "Track Town USA" in Eugene. So many track athletes have ties to Oregon - many of them training in either Eugene or Portland, so each day's newspaper has a great recap of how "our" athletes (representing countries across the world) are performing. It was particularly remarkable to watch Mo Farah (Great Brittan) and Galen Rupp (USA) run as a team and go 1-2 in the 10,000 meters. And now, Ashton Eaton from BEND is in the middle of his Decathlon and we'll get another chance to watch Rupp in the 5,000. Go Oregon!<br />
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The boys loved Oscar Pestorius' "Robot Legs" - we think they're pretty cool, too.<br />
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After watching the 100M Final, Owen decided that his name should be "Owen Bolt Bolt" because he's sure that he can run faster than Usain Bolt. I'd like to see that.<br />
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Go USA!<br />
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<br />Alissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18044374.post-68605257374209004862012-08-01T22:32:00.001-07:002012-08-01T22:32:36.183-07:00America's GameExplaining the game of soccer to a 5 year old is pretty simple:<br />
1. Both teams are trying to get the ball in the goal. <br />
2. Only the goalie can use his/her hands.<br />
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That's it. Done. No other information is necessary to follow what's going on in the game.<br />
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Explaining the game of baseball to a 5 year old requires answering 947 questions... and counting. <br />
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Thanks to Groupon, we took the boys to see the Salem Volcanoes (Single A team from the San Fran Giants) play a Sunday evening baseball game. It was the perfect summer evening - 80 degrees, sunny, seats in the 4th row behind the home team, and all the fun that comes with a small town baseball team. It's such a great slice of America to stroll into the stadium, stand for the anthem sung slightly off key, watch the local businesses with their various promotions, and sit back with a beer for a little baseball. <br />
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Of course, adding two curious kids to the mix quickly shifts the focus of the evening. Thankfully, there were also lots of other families around us answering the same never-ending slew of questions that come with trying to explain baseball to young fans. We set the stage fairly well and Owen understands the concept of "hit the all and run" just fine. Of course, the FIRST BATTER of the game ended with the obscure rule that you can run on a swinging third strike if the catcher drops the ball. Um... sorry kids, can't really answer the "why" on that one... who wants a hot dog?!<br />
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<br />Alissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18044374.post-29681248939233435422012-07-30T11:06:00.000-07:002012-07-30T11:06:00.089-07:00Splash, Pedal, Dash<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We joined Jeff and Ethel for another Pacific Crest Weekend in SunRiver. A weekend planned long before we knew we were going to be moving. It was a strange feeling to drive over the mountains (our slowest trip ever!), and then drive straight through Bend without stopping. </div>
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I didn't train for a race myself this year, but it was inspiring to watch all the long course athletes (half ironman tri, marathon, half marathon) run past our rental house. We also got a bit of exercise riding our bikes around the trails to catch J&E at least 4 different times during their half marathon walk. Oh, and it turns out I SHOULD have trained to chase Owen around the kids' splash, pedal, dash. That kid is quick on his bike!</div>
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Josh was Owen's biggest fan, with a joyful high five before the last turn on the run and then an unprompted bear hug after Owen crossed the finish line. I guess Josh has figured out how this little brother thing works!<br />
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<br />Alissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18044374.post-80714379511989000152012-07-28T22:50:00.002-07:002012-07-28T22:50:43.386-07:00At the Beach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Our annual Memorial Day Weekend trip to Manzanita did not disappoint this year. After several years of squeezing tighter and tighter into the same rental house, we made the big jump to a larger house. At this point, we are 6 adults and 5 kids and the added space was fantastic for everyone. Separate kids and adult tables at dinner? Check. Bunk room? Check. A well stocked kitchen with the space to store and prep food for our small army? Check. A separated sleeping space for our early risers? Check. Gorgeous views of the beach? Check. and..... a hot tub!</div>
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We always wonder how all the kids are going to get along. We only see the Owens Family during this one weekend a year. Nolan is exactly a year older than Owen and they usually take a day or two to feel each other out. Not this year! These two were like long lost BFFs joined at the hip from the moment we walked in the door. They were thrilled to share the bunk room, explored the beach together, snuggled on the same chair during movie nights, and were a united front in every decision. I felt like I hardly saw Owen all weekend. Frankly, it was awesome! (and gave me more confidence in our decision to start Owen in Kindergarten this fall)</div>
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Calla's
early mornings put her on a bit of an opposite schedule from the other
kids who were embracing later nights of vacation, but it was a joy
hearing how Calla's speech and expression has progressed since we last
saw her at Christmas. We also got some glimpses of the goofy silliness
that she usually reserves for home. The weather had promised miserable northwest rain and cold, so we packed for indoor entertainment... games, play dough, movies...<br />
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And yet, our wonderful view ended up looking like this most of the weekend... overcast, but DRY and almost warm. Hardly a drop of rain all weekend, and it was warm enough that the boys (big and little) set to work creating a "sunken ship" out of collected driftwood.<br />
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Everyone needs a project...<br />
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The boys showed their true northwest roots and spent most of the weekend in salty, soggy sweats and raincoats.<br />
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The only thing Owen did without Nolan's help all weekend. Pretty impressive without a mirror...<br />
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Scott and Tim took the the boys on a "pirate adventure" to hike over the mountain at Hug Point. I heard great tales of their adventures!<br />
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Our one great benefit on the trip this year was how incredibly CLOSE we are now to the coast. Less than two hours with Memorial Day traffic! Hopefully that means more beach time in our future.Alissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18044374.post-87832604522637485032012-07-14T23:00:00.001-07:002012-08-08T22:11:49.466-07:00Big EmotionsSometimes the goodbye is harder the second time around.<br />
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This afternoon we got an unexpected visit with the Krause family (Bloom School owners) while they were here in PDX for a swim meet. With busy family schedules, I knew better than to tell the boys about the visit until we had the logistics confirmed, so it ended up being a post nap surprise: "Let's go see Stephanie, David, Caleb, and Elijah!"<br />
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Owen was thrilled. Just the other day he said out of the blue, "Do you know who I miss more than anyone else in Bend? Caleb."<br />
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Josh wanted to make sure the details were clear. "Stephanie?" yes. "aaand Dave?" yes. "Let's go!!"<br />
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Ironically, Josh was then particularly shy in those first moments with David, but didn't hesitate to hop up on his hip for the trip inside the pool building. Afterwards we joined the swim families for pizza dinner where Caleb and Owen played at top pace and Elijah watched out for Josh among the big kids. And then... It was time to go.<br />
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Josh dispensed multiple rounds of hugs and high fives, while Caleb and Owen sulked. It seemed pretty par for the course. Owen hates goodbyes. Thankfully, Stephanie and David have a wee bit of experience with 5 year old emotions and didn't take it personally when Owen wouldn't even make eye contact. And then, the sniffling began, followed by quivering lip, crocodile tears, shaking shoulders, and devastated wail of a very, very sad boy collapsed in my arms.<br />
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I hurt watching my son hurt. The heartaches are definitely worse than the physical bumps and bruises. Obviously some of the emotion was driven by the general excitement/exhaustion cycle of the day, but I also know that Owen does feel loss from our move and watching the Krause Family walk away reaffirmed that loss in that moment.<br />
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On the other hand, I would not trade these chances to reconnect with our Bend people when they are in Portland. PEOPLE are the reason we were so sad to leave and PEOPLE are what keeps drawing us back. <br />
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So, I hugged my kids a little closer tonight, reassured them that it's okay to feel sad, and promised that we will have more fun afternoons with old friends before the summer is over. We'll make sure a visit to Bloom school is on top of the list our next time back in Bend.Alissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18044374.post-50646944691144855802012-07-14T14:19:00.003-07:002012-07-14T14:20:03.607-07:00First Words<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In April, Owen asked me when he would be able to start reading. Awesome! We've taken the "go at your own pace" approach, choosing to let the kids discover letters and words on their own rather than learning through direct instruction. (Our preschools do art and exploration rather than "letters of the week" and worksheets.) But, as is natural, Owen has learned his letters just from general exposure and us talking about what we see. He's been able to pick out recognizable words and kids names by reading the first letter for a while, so I thought he could try sounding out a word or two. Sure enough, he was able to sound out a few Dr Suess words in a book we hadn't read before.</div>
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It was one of the coolest moments of being a parent to listen to him sound out those first few words and then turn to me in wonder and declare, "Mom... I'm reading!" </div>
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Enter the Bob books! I vaguely remember those books (or something remarkably similar) from when we were little, but they are just awesome sets of 10-12 very short books. About 12 pages in each book, each with just one sentence. (Pat was a dog. Pat was Sid's pal. etc) For the next few days, Owen was asking to read Bob books to anyone that would listen. As luck would have it, Grandma and Grandpa were visiting the next weekend, so Owen had lots of captive audiences. </div>
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I love listening to Owen read. It's fascinating to watch him - reading is exhausting work and you can tell he is using all his brain power to decipher the words (probably doesn't help that he seems to be ready for a pair of glasses.) I love the observation (by Bev Bos) that the best thing we can do to help kids become confident readers is to help them learn to take risks and have the confidence to make mistakes. Learning to read requires a lot of risk - you do it wrong over and over and over and have to keep trying in the midst of mistakes. Owen is stubborn and determined, but he is also quickly discouraged and I feel like we are learning right along with him the types of strategies that work best to encourage him toward challenging goals.<br />
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We're not pushing the reading and realize that this is just the very beginning of reading, but I love it when Owen asks to read his own bedtime story. Like all developmental milestones, he was motivated for a week or so and then moved on to new interests. He cycles back to reading every couple weeks. Of course, it took him about one pass through to memorize all the Bob books and most of the "Step Into Reading" type books at the library are still beyond his focus level. So we're on to Bob series #3 and looking forward to the next year(s) as Owen continues to grow into a more and more confident and adventurous reader!<br />
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(Side note: This new reading milestone has also caused me to observe our world in a new light. Oh, the questions that are going to come when Owen realizes he can read the names on buildings and the words on billboards. How lucky that we get to drive past a particularly seedy section of 99W on our way on and off the freeway. Can't wait until I get to answer questions about La Reve, The Pussycat, and Fantasy Video. Urgh.)Alissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18044374.post-26960303317040746532012-07-13T19:55:00.001-07:002012-07-13T19:55:18.728-07:00Cleaning HouseI've never been accused of keeping a spotless house. I blame it on the kids and the shedding animals, but lack of motivation is probably the more likely cause. This house is certainly in need of some TLC, and while I would love to be using "green" and environmentally friendly cleaning products, sometimes the chemicals are required. <br />
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Or... Sometimes you just gotta replace and start over, which so far has been the case with the carpet, kitchen appliances, and bathroom fixtures. It's a wonder how much cleaner a bathroom feels with a new faucet and shower head.<br />
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My cleaning history was brought to the surface early in our move when Owen wandered into the too where my mom was washing windows. She was wearing the rubber gloves I use to clean bathrooms and he said, utterly perplexed, "Nana, what are those?!" embarrassing? Yup. But not quite as bad as when Josh walked in 5 minutes later and asked the exact.same.question. <br />
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Tonight I pulled another quality move: the housework has accumulated since we have been out of town or hosting guests for the last 3 weekends. I was determined to make some headway during my Friday home. Swept floor? Check. Shaken rugs? Check. Vacuum carpets? Check. Mopped floor? Check. Things are starting to look great. And THEN I decide to make pizza for dinner... From scratch... With the kids helping.<br />
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As they say, "cleaning house while raising kids is like shoveling snow in a blizzard." Alissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18044374.post-92061960349529393722012-06-02T23:15:00.002-07:002012-06-02T23:16:20.967-07:00Around Town<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
One thing everyone said to us before we moved was, "There is sooo much to do in Portland." Absolutely right. In some ways, the choices are daunting. I am a self admitted "information-aholic" and I loved being able to keep track of things going on around Bend. In Portland, there's just too many things to try and track... what a problem, right? Thankfully, before we moved, we made a list of the things we wanted to do in Portland - urban outings and everyday adventures. Even in the midst of the wettest spring on record (awesome, awesome), we managed to cross quite a few things off our list including two visits to both the Children's Museum and Oregon Zoo, three visits to Tryon Creek State Park, and FINALLY made good on our promise to take the boys on the Aerial Tram (with a pre-visit breakfast at Pine State Biscuts - an easy new favorite.) Scott also scored a big winner and convinced me to check out a little brew house in Tigard. Max's Fanno Creek Pub turns out to have great beer, a wide fresh food selection, and two (yes TWO) areas for the kids to play. Yep, three check marks on that one, too!</div>
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My picture taking skills are seriously lacking, but I wanted to drop in a few from our spring in-ings and outings.</div>
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Josh helping Scott survey the land.</div>
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Happy Birthday to Me! Our lack of oven at the time "forced" Scott to pick up an ice cream cake.<br />
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I still have no idea how both boys ended up inside that dishwasher box, but new appliance boxes make awesome building materials. <br />
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Yes folks, "A Fort for Everyone!... but closed at night."</div>
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Who wants to watch TV on the couch when you have perfectly good camping chairs on hand?<br />
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First of three visits to Tryon Creek Park.<br />
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Um, yes, Josh dresses himself. This is a sweatshirt, swim shorts, tennis shoes (with no socks), and on this particular day, the sun was finally showing up. Josh looked at all of us in our sunglasses, declared, "I need a hat!" and returned outside 3 minutes later wearing this... <br />
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Our first visit to the Children's Museum coincided with "Super Hero Day." All staff dressed in costumes, cape making workshops for kids, and other hero activities. Somehow, Star Wars characters got roped in with super heroes. Puzzling? Yes. Awesome? Absolutely. What's better than a giant Chewbacca trying to maneuver through several hundred star struck gradeschoolers and their terrified younger siblings? Owen was in awe. Josh, not so much.<br />
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We again braved the crowds to hit the Easter Egg hunt at the Zoo. Actually, a very well organized and crowd deterring event. They run hunts every 20 minutes all day long with the lawn roped off for all the age categories. Plus, lions and tigers and bears, oh my!<br />
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Grandma saved us with mailed Easter baskets for the kids.<br />
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We also pulled our act together and got ourselves to a church on Easter Sunday. I was dreading having to drag the kids through service after service trying to find a "church home." Thankfully the internet provides ample opportunity to dig through basic theology and get an idea of the life of various churches before walking in the front door. We feel like we've found a fit on our first visit! Thriving, growing congregation with a solid teaching team and tons of activities. Owen loves his pre-K room and Josh is now comfortable (after 4 visits) in the 2's room.<br />
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Amid all the work on the house and trying to manage enough outings and activities to keep us all excited about Portland, it's nice to be find some rhythm to our days and weeks and church on Sunday is a critical piece of the puzzle.<br />
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Now, if only we could stop setting rain records...Alissa Maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450626106842995289noreply@blogger.com1