Big news first.... I have a job! I'm going to be teaching 5
th grade
here. I'm going back to Howard Elementary and it feels great to be going back to a familiar place. I'll be working with my friend
Suzy and that's a huge bonus! Now, if I can figure out how to balance this working mom gig, I'll write the how-to book and make my millions.
My dad and Margie came last weekend and we celebrated my dad's birthday. I intended to make cupcakes, but never got around to it. My dad settled for a candle placed on his half eaten bagel. Cupcakes to come later. Happy Birthday Dad!
Monday we headed to Astoria where sturgeon season is under way. The girls are bunking together now and loving it. The first night I think they were still wrestling around
two hours after we put them in bed. Luckily, the novelty seemed to wear off and the next nights weren't quite so rowdy.
Ice cream (after riding the carousel) in Seaside.
Beach time! We played on the beach in Gearhart because you can drive your car right onto the beach. That means when you open the car doors, you're there. That's priceless when you're packing around little people who are not fans of walking while carrying things.
Peyton loved throwing the ball for
Grunny, but we need to work a bit on her technique. She
totally throws like a girl.
Action shot....
Beautiful Oregon.
Beautiful girl.
When we got home the girls found (and played with) their umbrellas. I jumped up and grabbed my camera to get this shot of Peyton trying to bring hers inside. She was
so frustrated.
My little wicked one. She was so sad that Peyton didn't want to dance with her.....
Then, I told her I'd dance with her......
I think I've mentioned that Peyton loves doing everything her sister can do? Well, now Libby can open her car door all by herself. So, naturally Peyton thinks she can too. This morning it took us forever to get out of the driveway. She insisted on opening her own door and wouldn't let me come within ten feet of it for fear that I'd open it for her. If I even
thought about making a move in her direction, she'd scream at a volume worthy of calling child protective services. Heck, I almost called them myself. The problem is that she
can't do it. So, after letting her struggle with it for awhile, I managed to stand in my open doorway and reach through to open her door from the inside, all the while letting her believe she'd done it herself. It's a win win. Victory for all involved. I'm hoping she'll build some strength though, so we don't have to go on with this little charade for too long. If only I had a minivan, then I could open her door with the push of a button. But the problem with that is, well, I'd be driving a minivan.
Our last stop today was the grocery store. Peyton was tired, unopen to any redirection from me and insisted on standing in the big part of the cart. Every once in a while she'd sit on the edge and balance her little tush on the 1/2" lip. Rather than fight her on it (or take her to the ER), I took both girls out of the cart and let them run like wild boars through the store. Grunting, snorting
and squealing. I'd like to think the other shoppers thought it was adorable, and frankly they were. Make no mistake, little girls can get away with things toddler boys cannot. It's
true. Unfair, but
true. Just as cute as my devilish little Peyton, was her big sister who walked beside her and said, "Excuse us." to the other shoppers. No joke. She's already learned to apologize for her sister.
Peyton walked up to this display of peppers and just before she could pull out the one on the bottom, toppling the entire display, I tackled her to the ground. No, not really. But I do think that happened to some other poor mother of toddlers today, because if you look closely at the green ones, they've been re-stacked. Luckily, mine didn't do it. I should've let you think they did.
Monday we headed to Astoria where sturgeon season is under way. The girls are bunking together now and loving it. The first night I think they were still wrestling around two hours after we put them in bed. Luckily, the novelty seemed to wear off and the next nights weren't quite so rowdy.
Peyton loved throwing the ball for Grunny, but we need to work a bit on her technique. She totally throws like a girl.
When we got home the girls found (and played with) their umbrellas. I jumped up and grabbed my camera to get this shot of Peyton trying to bring hers inside. She was so frustrated.
I think I've mentioned that Peyton loves doing everything her sister can do? Well, now Libby can open her car door all by herself. So, naturally Peyton thinks she can too. This morning it took us forever to get out of the driveway. She insisted on opening her own door and wouldn't let me come within ten feet of it for fear that I'd open it for her. If I even thought about making a move in her direction, she'd scream at a volume worthy of calling child protective services. Heck, I almost called them myself. The problem is that she can't do it. So, after letting her struggle with it for awhile, I managed to stand in my open doorway and reach through to open her door from the inside, all the while letting her believe she'd done it herself. It's a win win. Victory for all involved. I'm hoping she'll build some strength though, so we don't have to go on with this little charade for too long. If only I had a minivan, then I could open her door with the push of a button. But the problem with that is, well, I'd be driving a minivan.
Our last stop today was the grocery store. Peyton was tired, unopen to any redirection from me and insisted on standing in the big part of the cart. Every once in a while she'd sit on the edge and balance her little tush on the 1/2" lip. Rather than fight her on it (or take her to the ER), I took both girls out of the cart and let them run like wild boars through the store. Grunting, snorting and squealing. I'd like to think the other shoppers thought it was adorable, and frankly they were. Make no mistake, little girls can get away with things toddler boys cannot. It's true. Unfair, but true. Just as cute as my devilish little Peyton, was her big sister who walked beside her and said, "Excuse us." to the other shoppers. No joke. She's already learned to apologize for her sister. 
We've just taken the bouncy house out of storage. Hello, toddler energy zapper. I have missed you....
I wonder if it gets old to look at pictures of my kids making bubbles.... I never get tired of it.
I can't remember the reason for that head of hair, but I'm going to assume Peyton had just woken from napping. I mean, wow.
Every year at this time the Lutheran church down the street has a Scottish Festival. I always wonder about it, but we've never gone. This year we did. We paid nine dollars for two hot dogs and sat in the grass to listen to some music. It was great. First, we listened to the Eugene Highlanders play their bag pipes. I couldn't help but think of my Grammy. She absolutely hated the sound of bag pipes. She'd say, "That's the most God awful sound I've ever heard. Why anyone would like listening to bag pipes....." Anyway, I had a little chuckle and thought of her as we sat and enjoyed (a shaved ice and) the bag pipes.
Peyton's working on the potty and sometimes the feeling strikes when we're riding bikes in the driveway. We don't fret it, though. Grunden provides privacy. Sort of.
Hello summer of no pregnancies and no breast fed babies! I'm back! Do you like lemon drops? I make a mean one! The other night I had two. Only two, but I had the headache in the morning to prove it....
The indoor playground where we're members had their summer kickoff party last week. Shane took charge of painting our girls' hands as Libby didn't want her face painted. And Peyton wants whatever Libby wants. Always.
The party did Peyton in. She slept like this for at least an hour and kept sleeping after Shane put her in her bed.
This is my child. And this is how she arrived at the dinner table one night last week. Wearing nothing but a swim suit and a pair of boys underwear on her head. To each their own.
Lucy and Amy came from Portland a few weeks ago and our girls had so much fun together. We had great weather and spent much of the weekend outside.
I think Lucy is going to be an abstract artist. Here she creates a display I'd like to title "Three Car Pile Up"....
We went a birthday party that Sunday to celebrate with our friend Lauren who turned four. It was a pirate party, Arrrrrr! These be me wee buccaneers...
This was the scene on my front step the morning of my birthday. I have great friends....
Potty training can be dangerous, so Peyton wears a helmet. After I took this picture she took off her pants, traded her Crocs for tap shoes and went to the driveway to dance.
Last week in Bend we rode our bikes to the park. Libby was such a trooper and made it almost the entire way on dirt and gravel by herself. I was prepared to get her home if she wore herself out, though. And worn out she was.
