True Scots

We figured since Blake came to us with red hair, we should start dressing him like the Scotman he is.

Please, no pictures!

I'm ready for my closeup!

Is this how you pose for GQ?

We decided to let Carolyn in on it too although she is definitely not a ginger.

Thanks Grandma for all the fun souveniers!

It's that time again!

It's party day!!

We've been counting down to this ever since Chandler turned 4. Carolyn had a birthday. We went for an all-out puzzle theme.

This was the bane of my existence last night.
I found out that coloring is quite tedious if you have any time constraints. It was totally worth it though.

Each kid was supposed to put the missing puzzle piece (their face) in the spot.

We had a definite winner...

I asked him if he could see or was he just that good. He replied, deadpan, "I am just that good."

This year was awesome because I told my child who never eats cake that I was not making her a cake. She could pick anything else she wanted for dessert. She picked ice cream. How easy.

The kids colored dinosaur puzzles to take home with them.

Carolyn had a blast. She is fantastic and stretches me everyday. These are my favorite things about her right now:

• This girl sings and she can remember songs well, but sometimes just half a verse. We will hear that on repeat all day long.
• She counts to ten and then continues 11, 12. 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21...
• Her favorite joke is either "CHANDLER!" or "WATERMELON!" Really, that's it. That's the whole joke.
• She calls Blake "boy." As in, "Come here, boy." "Over here, boy, I want to show you something."

Pajama Popcorn Party

We had some friends over last night while their parents went out on a date to celebrate eight years together. The kids were crazy. They were good, just all over the place. I found the perfect way to keep them quiet at the end of the night.

Best friends

I used to lose my mind over Carolyn's inability to leave Blake alone. Sometimes, I still do. But now, it is so nice because they play together. Carolyn has always needed a lot of attention and now she has someone who idolizes her. I caught them playing this game today. It made me happy.

Bike time

Nothing says Saturday fun like bike riding with the cousins.


We tried a bike switcharoo, but that didn't work out so well. Carolyn needs pedals to feel comfortable.

After biking, all four children concentrated on making a giant pile of chalk dust.

Grandpa Wilde visits

My dad came to town about a month ago. I caught this moment on the couch...



...and it reminded me of this moment when Carolyn was only eight days old.

Games

Blake and Carolyn made up this game where someone gets dragged around on a blanket. It doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun, but it really is for one very good reason. Blake. He just flops himself on the blanket and enjoys the ride. If any blanket is left out on the ground, he lies on it, waits, and then looks around hoping someone will start dragging it.

I demonstrated for Jeremy how to do the game.

But to do it right, it needs to be Carolyn dragging Blake.

Easter is here.

I have lots of reasons why I haven't blogged in the last six weeks, but I finally have a reason to start again. We switched internet providers. We are no longer on DSL. Hallelujah!

To start things off right, let's get to what we did today. Carolyn had an Easter party again this year, and we expanded the guest list.

We had ten children in all today. I'd tell you to count them in the picture, but one is missing. He must have been playing with the toy cars.

The main event was the egg hunt. I sent Blake to a neighbor's to nap (he didn't) and the hunters tromped through my entire upstairs looking for 150 eggs. In bathroom drawers, clothes hampers, dryers. It was a blast.

The eggs started flying into the baskets as soon as the first kid got up the steps.

Carolyn: I got an egg!
Arys: I got...toothpaste?

Let me out of here. I need more eggs!

Before the last hunter got back downstairs, the kids were tearing into their candy. Mmmm.


We tried to decorate some dyed eggs, but the stickers wouldn't stick. Not even the ones that come in the box. So instead, they decorated their plates.

We snacked on some treats, and I asked some of the children to smile for me. Responses were varied.


I love doing this party. It is always so much fun to have little kids around getting excited about the nickels in their eggs. Special thanks to Ashley for taking Blake even though he didn't cooperate as well as I would have liked. And thanks to Holly too. It was nice for someone to be wiping up spilled juice while I snapped pictures.

Sunday entertainment

Carolyn has moved up to a sunday school class that incorporates singing time at church. She loves learning new songs. This is the first one she perfected. Watch it here, Grandmas!

Daddy-Daughter time

Jeremy's been working a lot. I remember thinking it was hard the first busy season I went through with him. Carolyn was seven months old when it went in full swing, and by the end he and I were exhausted from putting in 70-80 hour weeks at our respective jobs. I had no idea it would get harder as we went along. Jeremy doesn't work quite the same hours, but the time he misses with Carolyn is a lot harder for both of them.

Many a morning the first sound I hear out of Carolyn's room is a wail and then "Daddy!" She cries at the top of the stairs while I hurriedly get decent to chase Jeremy down outside so he can give her a hug and a kiss. And then she doesn't go back to sleep and is exhausted from waking at 5:30.


Anyway, all this background helps explain why Carolyn and Jeremy had the best weekend last week. I took off for my first night away from Blake. I foolishly thought that meant I would get a good night sleep, but time with friends is not for sleeping.

Carolyn got pop beads for Christmas and has been making jewelry ever since. She and Jeremy spent Blake's nap just making bracelets and necklaces for each other. Of course, this was after the doughnut breakfast. It sure is nice when Daddy is home.

Snow comes to Oregon

I showed Carolyn the snow falling outside and she asked me if it was Christmas again. It might as well be because she fulfilled her wish of making a snowman.

Carolyn: Mom, can you see my eyes?

From the mouths of babes

I cry when I'm frustrated. I hate it, but I can't control it. Once in awhile, especially in the first year after having a baby, when Jeremy and I can't agree on something, I go upstairs to my room to cry. He knows I just need to cry and get it out, but Carolyn doesn't. She usually follows a minute or two later to tell me not to be mad and snuggle me. I can't remember the last time I did this, but Carolyn must remember it vividly.

Today, Jeremy and I were finishing some forms for our flex spending account. He started tallying the costs for the year for healthcare to show me this other option would be best next time an open enrollment period came. I love my pediatrician, and if we change plans I will have to change doctors. I don't like change. I had some things to put away and started to walk upstairs. Carolyn followed asking what I was doing. I told her I was putting things away. I was halfway up the stairs when I heard her tell Jeremy "her not going upstairs to cry."

I love these two

This is going to be all sentimental, but I love these two together. Carolyn and Chandler are only two months apart and they spend a lot of time together. If Carolyn had her way, they would spend practically all their time together. They are best little buddies. It's nice to have Chandler come play Carolyn's games with her. They don't play by the rules, but magically they have the same made-up rules. It just warms my heart to listen to them talking to each other. They tell stories and correct each other's method of playing pretend. Apparently there are only certain ways to pretend you are going to a wedding. I'll be sad when one of our families moves away and it isn't a 3 minute drive to get the two together.

(Please note that Carolyn's hair wasn't always out of control. It's gotten worse with age.)

Wedding finery

Of course, I don't have a picture of the bride and groom from the wedding, but I think this wedding party looks fantastic.

Union Square Reunion

Albeit, this was just a mini-reunion. Many moons ago, Jeremy and I were newly married people looking for friends. Our apartment complex was great for this and we made some wonderful friends to share food and game nights with.

As happens to friends you meet in college, we each graduated, got jobs, and moved away from Provo. We were the only couple who actually lives outside of Utah and that made it easier to get together.

This picture is totally blurry because we didn't have the flash on. It was the only way to get all the adults in the picture. There was no way we were going to let the kids take the picture. So we have the Alos, Lucases, Horners and Williamsons .


Here's a better picture of all the women. It's amazing how 5 years have passed since I've seen some of these people, and we all look the same.

Also amazing is the fact that the last time we were all together, there were no baby bumps in sight. Now, there are 8 children between the families.

These are the best picture we could get with 8 kids. I'm just happy no one fell off the couch.


My favorite part of the evening was Carolyn's demonstration of her "rock star" skills. Whoever taught her how to do it (I'm guessing Noa) must have made quite the impression because she's told me many times since that she wants to be "rock star."

It was so fun to get together and see old friends, so here's my open invitation for everyone we know to come to Portland!

Halloween: 1993 style

In 6th grade, my friends and I decided to make our Halloween costumes. I will admit my memory is hazy, but for sure I know that Megan was involved, and I think an Emily. There might have even been 4 of us. I can't completely remember. But mine was blue, there was a pink one, and I think a yellow one. I don't even know what we thought we were. Besides awesome, because obviously, this was the best costume ever. I assume our mothers helped make these for us because I couldn't sew when I was 11 years old.

Months ago, my mom said she found it and asked if I wanted it. I told her yes then forgot about it. Today it arrived in the mail.



This is Carolyn trying out what must've been the most awesome thing in 1993. She's a little lost in all the fabric.


Amazingly, I managed to wiggle into it. The fabric is voluminous, but the hole in the bottom to get in is not.

I love blasts from the past that remind of good times. It looks like Carolyn will be able to create new memories with it. If her giggling is any indication, she loves it.