Now I know what you mean....

It's hot here. When we got off the plane in Las Vegas I told Hailee that I had forgotten how hot it gets here. Hailee quickly responded "It's not hot mom." Two minutes later after sitting outside she said, "Oh now I know what you mean mom, it is hot." Then two minutes after that she said, "It's so hot it makes me want to take off my clothes." 

We've been here a few days and luckily she hasn't taken off her clothes yet. We've managed to stay pretty cool and out of the sun when it's too hot. We've had a good time and are enjoying time with family. We'll have lots of pictures and stories for when we get home (to the nice cool oregon weather).

Denial

I have a severe case of denial. James thinks he only needs one nap. He's been showing signs, but it's even worse now that his sister is home all day with him. I really don't want to give up on two naps.It is the only time during the day when I can get things done. When James is awake it takes me 30 minutes to unload the dishwasher, and...

* most of the things from the dishwasher are spread out all over the house
* most have been in his mouth are require another run through the dishwasher
* most of his favorite things are usually sharp


When he's asleep it takes 5 minutes, everything get's put right away, everything comes out clean, and there is no chance of him cutting off his finger.

I'm going to miss my morning nap time.

The Tradition Continues

My sister's and I love to tease our dad about how he used to wake us up at 4:00 in the morning (truth to be told it was probably closer to 7:00 am)  to weed "the mound" (as we loving called our flower beds in the front yard). As I was dragging my kids in their pajamas to our garden plot at 7:00 a.m. this morning I couldn't help smile and think about how I was continuing the tradition my dad started. We had just dropped off Todd and I wanted to water and pick a few peas.

Saturday we were able to pick the first few things from our garden. We were so excited to eat peas straight from our garden. I think only 4 pea pods made it home with us on Saturday, most of them were eaten straight from the garden. Truly lovely.

The rest of our garden is growing well. Now that most of the rain has stopped things have been able to dry out. Our basil and peppers were especially not enjoying the wet and cold spring/summer, but it looks like they might survive now. Overall we have enjoyed experimenting with our garden. The kids even had a great time this morning. I have to say they were a lot less grumpy then I was as a child.

On the way home from the garden I needed to pick up a few things from the grocery store so we got donuts to eat on the way home. Overall I would say it was a pretty successful morning: a bucketful of peas and two happy little kids.

Worth the Wait

It was torture to wait until Todd got home on Wednesday. We've been recording the soccer games and watching them when he gets home from work. Todd has to be careful at work since the games are going on in the cafeteria and people will check the news while working. For me this game was really hard to avoid hearing things about. By the end of the day I couldn't watch any tv or turn on the computer. The game was well worth the extra steps taken to avoid hearing what happened. In true US fashion they had us on the edge of our seats until the final whistle. It was so much fun.

There are very few things are family enjoys more than watching the National Team play. James wasn't quite sure what was going on with all the cheering, but being the social little guy he was more than ready to participate. At this point, he still enjoys kicking a soccer ball more than watching a game. I loved hearing Hailee say things like "Look dad, he's using the inside of his feet."

It was so fun to watch the game together and we were even more excited about the result.   Here is when the game was going into extra time. 

 
And here is the goal...

We couldn't be happier at our house.

Portugal

Or if you are Hailee.... Por-cha-girl. (to this point no amount of practice will get her to say it correctly, she does try very hard, it just always comes out por-cha-girl)

In the World Cup we've been cheering for a lot of teams, but my favorites to watch are the U.S.A., Mexico, and Portugal. Three countries where I've lived and love the culture. 

This World Cup has been fun because they have been highlighting Portugal quite a bit since Cristiano Ronaldo is so popular right now. As a person I'm not a huge Ronaldo fan, but I have loved hearing the Portuguese interviews and watching for clips of areas where I lived. Ronaldo is from Madeira, I lived in his area for over 5 months.Of course he was 15 when I was living there and by that point had already moved to Lisbon to play for Sporting.(Gosh I'm getting old.)

The U.S. has had it's fair share of excitement in their games and are keeping us on edge of our seats until the very end of group play (where is the fun in qualifying early). Mexico has not disappointed at all with their exciting games. But the first Portual game was a little boring. They didn't look like they were trying to win, more like they were happy with the 0-0 draw against the Ivory Coast. Thank goodness today they decided to get a little more excitement in their game, although I couldn't help but feel bad for North Korea. What a crazy game. I guess they are worried about goal differential, and after that win I'm not sure the Ivory Coast can make up that goal differential. It will be interesting to see how they fare against Brazil. The games from here on out just get more and more exciting. It's so hard to record them for Todd and wait for him to get home to watch them. We have to be very careful to not hear the score before we have a chance to watch them.

Problem

James LOVES the shower. That's not the problem. You can always count on him peeing when he first gets into the shower. That's not the problem either, you just learn to keep your distance at the beginning of the shower. Up to this point he hasn't really even paid attention to the fact that he was even peeing. A little while ago he happened to catch Todd in the bathroom. This was a little problematic because he was just amazed at what Todd was doing and kept trying to get a closer look. I figure it's good to start showing him what he'll need to be doing in a little while.

Like I said up to this point I don't think he even knew he was peeing in the shower. That all changed a week ago last Sunday. That morning when first getting into the shower he finally recognized that he was peeing. I didn't really think too much of it until that night when he took off his diaper and went into my bathroom to pee in the shower. I was amazed. Now I don't think he is even close to being potty trained but I am excited that he is at least headed in the right direction. One of my biggest worries about having a little boy is the potty training, so I was happy to see a sign or two.

Now after a week or so of him going potty in the shower we've run into a little problem. First he doesn't want to pee in the toilet, but I'm sure as he gets older that will resolve itself. But more importantly is the fact that he likes to take off his own diaper just so he can get put in the shower. Today alone he has taken off his diaper 5 times, two of which he has gone potty but they other three times he just wanted to play in the shower. I guess I should be happy still, but I'm a little worried I'm going to have a streaker on my hands. He is getting too good at taking off his own diaper and running into the shower. I think if I let him he would take 10 showers a day. What a funny little guy.

Strawberries

Have I mentioned how much I love summer in Oregon? We went strawberry picking again with some friends and we discovered a lovely thing. The kids play so well together that we actually got to pick some strawberries. It worked out so well that we're going raspberry picking in a few days.

When we first got there Hailee told Spencer, "Hey Spencer, let me give you a tip, just pick the red strawberries." But it didn't take Spencer long before he was eating all the yummy red strawberries. It was too cute. James slept for the first little bit and when he woke up he wasn't really interested in picking (he was still a little cranky from not sleeping). Hailee was pretty good at keeping him entertained so I could finish up. We picked almost 15 pounds of strawberries.

And yes it is the middle of June and my children are still wearing sweaters and jackets. It did get up to about 70 degrees by the end of it and Hailee was complaining about the heat. I'm a little worried for our trip to Utah in a week or so. I don't think any of us are quite prepared for the 100+ degrees.

Last Day of School

Wednesday was the last day of kindergarten for my little girl. Wow, that went by so fast. They had a little class program where they sang a few songs and received awards. Hailee received the "Good Manners Award." We are so proud of our little girl and can't wait to see what next year brings. She is doing so well and loves school so much. When Mrs. Weber asked the kids how they were feeling on the last day a lot of the responses were "good" "happy" "excited" and so on. When she called on Hailee she replied "sad" when Mrs. Weber asked her why she said, "because I don't want school to end." She has loved school and it's going to be tricky to find things to keep her busy this summer. Vacations should help, but already today we're getting a little stir crazy. I think we need another trip to Powells.

Hailee and some of her friends.

Farm Shares

Yesterday marked one of our favorite days of the summer. The first day of our farm shares. To celebrate the last day of school and the first day of summer fresh produce Hailee and I made a strawberry rhubarb pie. It was a new recipe and I have to say it turned out fabulously. We are going to need to pick more strawberries.

Here is our new favorite rhubarb pie recipe. It was a little runny so I'm going to add more tapioca next time I make it.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

    * 2 1/2 cups chopped red rhubarb, fresh
    * 2 1/2 cups de-stemmed, washed and cut strawberries (in larger pieces)
    * 1 1/2 cups sugar (1 1/4 cups for high altitude)
    * 2 tablespoons minute tapioca
    * 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
    * 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
    * 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
    * 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    * 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    * 3 tablespoons butter, cubed small
    * 1 egg white beaten with 1 teaspoon water
    * Large granule sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Mix the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, tapioca, flour, zest and juice of lemon, cinnamon, and vanilla. Mix well in a large bowl and pour out into chilled crust. Dot the top of the filling with the butter. Brush edges of pie crust with egg white wash. Roll out the other piece of dough and place over filling. Crimp to seal edges. Brush with egg white wash and garnish with large granule sugar. Collar with foil and bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes. Decrease temperature to 375 degrees F and bake for an additional 45 to 50 minutes, or until the filling starts bubbling. Higher altitude will take 450 degrees F and 400 degrees F respectively. Also, you can use a pie bird for extra decor. Let cool before serving

Strawberries

After an incredibly wet and cold spring/beginning of summer Strawberries have finally started. They are a little later than they were last year, but we quickly made up for the lost time. James fell asleep on the way there and thankfully stayed asleep the whole time we were picking.

Hailee had such a great time picking berries with her grandparents. She loved looking for unique shapes of strawberries. She picked a lot of great shapes, but her shape of choice was a heart.

Hailee had such a great time chatting with her grandparents as well. She would pick strawberries by grandma and then move to be by grandpa. It was so funny to listen to her chat away with them. I'm sure Todd's dad didn't quite know what to do with such a little chatty girl. The thing about Hailee is that when she talks to you she requires that you respond at regular intervals. If grandpa wasn't responding as fast as she wanted I would hear her say "Grandpa...." To which grandpa would dutifully respond in the correct way. Todd's dad doesn't talk much, but he is so cute with Hailee.  

Sleeping the entire time. What a good boy. Since he slept the whole time, Hailee and I were able to pick 20 pounds of strawberries. Grandpa and Grandma also picked 20 pounds of strawberries.

It wasn't long before James woke up and was ready to enjoy the strawberries.

James even "helped" Grandpa clean the strawberries. It wasn't long before James had jumped in head first.

Overall it was a great day and we loved getting so many strawberries.

Sunny Sunday

Saturday and Sunday have been the warmest sunny days we've had all year. And it didn't last long because the rest of the week has been full of rain and clouds. We decided to take advantage of the great weather and late church to show Todd's parents a beautiful view of Portland. Our new favorite place is Pittock Mansion. The drive there is beautiful and the view is gorgeous. James fell asleep on the way up so I waited in the car with him while the others got to walk around the gardens.The we made it back just in time for church. Hailee got to give the scripture in Primary and she was excited to have her grandparents there to see her.

Recital Time

It is time for Hailee's recital. She has been looking forward to dancing and having her grandparents coming for a visit. She has been taking lessons since September and has had such a good time with her friends in her class and her ballet teacher. She did such a great job and we are so proud of her.

James was even good through the performance. During the dress rehearsal he was running around like crazy until it was Hailee's turn then he got excited to see her on stage so he sat quietly. I was a little nervous how it would go during the show and worried that I would have to be out with him for most of it, but he sat though most of it. It helped that there was a lot of music that he liked and there weren't a lot of breaks.  

Todd's parents drove up so they could watch Hailee's performance. They got here just in time to watch her and are going to spend the next few days with us. The kids are looking forward to time with their grandparents.

After the show we went to dinner. This picture just cracks me up. Hailee is sitting quietly and James has the look of mischief on his face. It sums up those two quite nicely. Hailee always being the good girl and James always looking for trouble.

It was such a fun day!

It has begun

The World Cup has begun at out house. We couldn't be more excited. Back in 2006 when the World Cup was going on in Germany I was using my VCR to record the games for Todd while he was at work. This time around we have a DVR that has made things a little simpler, but no less fun. Now every day for the next month or so will be filled with games to watch. The only thing Todd has to worry about now is to not get the news of who won the game until after he can watch it.

Saturday before Hailee's recital we got to watch the US draw against England. As you can see from the picture it was an intense game. Todd was standing the whole time and Hailee wanted to be by him so she pulled her chair up.

A Wobbly Tooth

On Monday Hailee turned 6 years old. Where does the time go. I know everyone says that, but it's so true. How did she get so big?

Our little girl is growing up right before our eyes. She had such a fun day. When she was born in June I didn't think she'd ever get to go to school on her birthday. Being a summer birthday myself I missed out on being able to take treats to school. In Oregon we don't start school until after Labor Day so Hailee got to go to school on her birthday. She was so thrilled to take chocolate donuts to school today. She informed me that everyone would want chocolate. I decided to get a few glazed donuts as well, just in case there were some that didn't like chocolate. As it turns out I should have listened to Hailee, she must have been paying attention, because everyone wanted chocolate.

After school she opened a few of her packages. Our kids our used to packages on special occasions. They don't get to see their grandparents as often as they would like, but they sure enjoy getting packages in the mail. They love being spoiled via the USPS.

Today was also Ballet day, so we took cupcakes to her ballet class. She was so thrilled to share in her birthday celebrations. After ballet we went to the park to visit with some friends. We haven't seen them in almost 6 years while we were still living in Provo. They lived in Hillsboro before we moved here and they actually used to live in the ward we are living now. While the kids played we got a chance to catch up a bit. Then it was off to Hailee's birthday dinner. When deciding where she wanted to go here is our conversation:

Nicole: Hailee since it's your birthday where do you want to go eat?
Hailee: (without a moments hesitation) Burger King!
Nicole: Since it's your birthday you can pick something a little nicer if you want.
Hailee: Ummmmm...Burgerville.

Not exactly what I would have chosen, but the birthday girl get to choose. She was thrilled when we got to go inside (we usually go through the drive through). Burgerville is quite fun (it's just in the Northwest) and Hailee and James were thrilled.

When we got home it was time for bed so I sent Todd up with her to get ready for bed. When I came up to tuck her in she had the most excited smile on her face. Evidently when she used her teeth to get the lid off her cup it knocked her tooth loose. Since Kindergarten started she has wanted to know when she would finally get a wobbly tooth. I didn't loose my first tooth until the end of 1st grade so I never wanted to get her hopes up. All year long all of her little friends have been loosing teeth and she has been a little jealous. Well on her 6-year-old birthday she finally got a wobbly tooth. It was the perfect end to her special day. Now she is patiently waiting for her tooth to fall out. She's been asking to eat apples for every snack, since Lola's tooth fell out when she was eating an apple.

1410

Hailee loves to read. This summer her school is participating in the Scholastic Summer Reading Program. It started May 1st and goes through August 31st. We're just about a month in and she already has 1410 minutes. We were suppose to estimate how many minutes she was going to have over the summer. I guessed that she would read about 30 minutes a day. I was just a tiny bit off. I had no idea how much she was really reading in a day. There are some days she does just read about 30 minutes, but other days when she reads 3 hours. I think as long as I keep her in books this summer she should easily make her goal of 3500 minutes. She loves to sit and read in the car so I'm sure we'll be taking a few trips to Powells to keep her stocked up on books for our trips to Utah.

James is learning how to love reading as well, but there are times when he get a little tired of his sister ignoring him. At this point Hailee was enjoying her book and James had just woken up. He wanted to play and she wanted to read.

He quickly took matters into his own hands and had her playing with him in no time flat.