Happy Belated Birthday, Katya

Things were so crazy with guests coming into town, I neglected my blog and in turn - neglected to shine the spotlight on my eldest child. My beautiful, smart, creative, funny, athletic, not so little girl.

She turned 14!

Katya was my surprise baby. I was 23 and was kind of floating through life without a real sense of direction. I look back now and realize how much of a little kid I really was. Having Katya was absolutely the best thing that ever happened to me. I kind of felt that it was just the two of us through life since her father and I split when she was just over a year old. I was always her mother, but there was nobody that I would rather go on a trip with or spend the day with.

We have gone through a lot together. I did the single parent gig for many, many years and she was a good sport about not being able to do soccer or so many other after school activities because I didn't get home until 6pm. We went from sharing a bedroom in my brother's condo to buying a townhome together to forming a new family with Bob and moving to Oregon. Throw two little siblings into that and you have some serious change for her over the last three years.

I think we have weathered the storms well and came out of them closer than before. She continues to amaze me with how wonderful she is. She is smart and has continually kept up her straight-A's. She is an avid reader and we often share books. When she picks out a book for me I always love it. She has unleashed her inner athlete and blossomed with volleyball, basketball, lacrosse, track & field and snowboarding. She likes to cook and when she does go in the kitchen makes yummy stuff like home made fish sticks or lasagna. She is creative and that shows in her drawings, overly dramatic essays for school (tissues please), earrings that she makes, and random poetry that just pops out of her from time to time. She loves music, the arts and museums. She loves to learn and finds life to be a grand adventure. She banters with my mother about mythology and historical landmarks. Her sense of humor is very dry with a dash of sarcasm thrown in. Kind of like my mother. She is a great traveler making the most of wherever she is and not complaining about the discomfort that usually is involved to get there. She is a great big sister and has been known to change a diaper or two. She seems to be a good friend and is always willing to lend a shoulder to cry on.

She is awesome. I love her. I adore her. I can't believe that I made her.

I look forward to watching her go through life. I want her to know that I will always be there in case she falls.

My love is unconditional and endless.

Happy Belated Birthday, Squirt

Cookie Monster

This was just such a cute picture I had to share!

Done

Following the trend of the local Bend Bloggers, items in italics are things I've done.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain (I'm not saying how big a mountain it was)
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped (not a chance)
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea (I've also watched one in a small plane)
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and didn’t care who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day (I had just returned from a year in Belgium and was having a problem dropping the accent)
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer ( I do right now)
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero (who has to pretend? I'm a mom)
58. Sung karaoke (I was forced by my friends)
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business (actually, my hubby has but I'm part of it)
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days (got my tonsils removed as an adult - awful)
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert” (just once)
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone (this could mean many things)
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (a fish and it was so gross I couldn't eat it)
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language.
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts.
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

The "N" Word

Someone has learned the "N" word and uses it all the darn time now.

Are you finished with dinner? Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Let's go take a bath. No no no no no no no

Smile for the camera! NO NO Nooooooooooooooooooo

It's a lot of fun.

I am trying to teach her No Thank You, like I did Katya. But so far I am totally unsucessful.

Stubborn like bull that one!

A Day Devoted to Katya

Saturday was "Katya's Day with Mom".

It didn't start out that way, but Bob was home with the kids and was willing to stay with them all day. Which was good since Alexis was going through Daddy withdrawls from him working so much.

Katya had a basketball scrimmage first thing in the morning so we were up, fed and out the door by 8am. Her game was at one of the local high schools and it was COLD in that gym. Her game lasted about two and a half hours. I seriously have to get myself a bleacher seat thing with a back support. My back was killing me.

We ran home so Katya could shower and change. I visited with the little ones and Alexis jumped up and down and did her best to describe her morning to me. "Daddy color (she loves her huge coloring book)...Daddy ball (they played with an exercise ball)...Daddy jump (they danced)...Daddy food (he fed them breakfast)...Daddy book (they read books together)... you get the point. She was so happy!

After Katya was suitably primped, we headed out the door to Barnes and Noble. Her middle school was having a fundraiser and Katya was a volunteer. We didn't really have anything to do other than walk around with stickers saying that today's purchases would benefit our school. Who cares! I was in a bookstore for three hours!!! I do try and not buy books since we are doing the one income thing. But I couldn't resist buying a few since I was there for so long. And it benefited the school. Totally justifiable!! Some of my picks (keeping in mind I read the same books as Katya so we have more to talk about): The Warrior Heir, The Looking Glass Wars, Crank, the Wicked series, Betwixt and Three Cups of Tea.

After the bookstore we headed back home for another pitstop. Katya was having her friend birthday party / sleepover at Debbie K's house (brave, brave woman). We had loaded up on all kinds of frozen appetizers, chips, dip, apples with caramel, drinks, candy, cake, doughnuts, fruit and popcorn for the party on Friday night so all we had to do was pick up the food, movies, camera and take it to Debbie's house. We put everything away and Katya got the music going until her friends started showing up at 6pm. Her favorite gift? A full size footed pajama with moose on them. I had no idea they made them in her size. Three other girls were wearing them so it was really funny to watch them jump around the room. I left her to her party and headed home. Debbie said that they were perfect and they even cleaned up after themselves.

Katya and I hadn't spent a day together without babies since Alexis was born. She was feeling really good and loved when I left her. And Alexis and Logan had totally enjoyed their Daddy day. We have to remember to do that more often.

My Perfect Hour

I just got a chance to enjoy a perfect hour.

... Both little ones napping in their beds
... Snow lightly falling outside
... Classical music playing in the background
... A hot cup of tea in my hands
... The Christmas tree lit up
... The cats curled up in front of the roaring fireplace
... Me reading a new book

For an entire, quiet, peaceful, relaxing hour. Aaaaaah.

The Magic of the Christmas Tree

Ya know, nothing says Christmas like a fully decorated tree.

We were unable to go out and cut down our tree this year because last Sunday we had 35mph winds. We were all dressed up in our winter gear and snow pants ready to leave the house when we looked out the window and the winds had kicked up and the snow started flying sideways. That wouldn't have been any fun to go out in that weather. Bummer.

So, we made the best of it and went to Fred Meyer's and bought our tree off of the lot. Alexis didn't care one bit that we weren't out in the forest.

We found an awesome tree and Katya really did all the decorating. She put up half of the lights on the tree and hung most of the ornaments. If the tree is beautiful, it is because of her.

Alexis and Logan love hanging out by the tree and staring at the ornaments. Every once in a while Alexis will just go over to the tree and stare at all the beautiful things we have hanging from it.

Of course, we have the tree sitting in a baby gate to keep little hands from those beautifully wrapped presents that are just begging for them to be touched. I think our tree will be behind a baby gate for at least two more years.

Pink Boots

My mom sent Alexis the cutest pair of pink cowboy boots and she loves them! In fact, she likes to wear them all the time and with any outfit. And of course, when you wear boots you need your hat.

Leftie, Rightie or Bothie

I have never given much thought before to which hand is my dominate. I know that there are oodles of studies saying that certain traits are more dominant in right handed people and other traits are most dominant in left handed people.

For example, seven of our US Presidents were left handed. In fact, we had three left handed Presidents in a row.

I am a right handed person. I mean, TOTALLY a right handed person. The only thing I can do well with my left hand is type. Katya is a complete right handed person, as is Bob. No biggie.

Well, when watching my kids I have noticed some interesting things. Actually, it was my brother that really got me to notice some things. (He commented on a video that I posted of Logan clapping) I do believe that Logan might be a leftie. His cousin, Dylan, is a leftie. Dylan is a brilliant little dude so being a leftie must be pretty good. Bob's sister, Patti, is also a leftie. I wonder how much of that could be genetic?

However, I have been watching Alexis for a good year now trying to notice her dominate hand and she doesn't have one. She uses both hands equally. For everything. She can eat with a spoon with both hands. She can color with both hands. When using the chalk board she will write with one hand and erase with the other .

Ambidexterity is evidently very rare at birth. I have never even heard of a person that was truely ambidexterous. But upon reading about it on Wikipedia, she might become an awesome athlete. I guess some of the best players in the world from baseball to tennis to basketball were ambidexterous. Can you say college scholarship?

I wonder if she will remain using both hands through elementary school or if she might decide she likes using one hand over the other for things.

Either way, both my kids seem to be blazing their own trails through life even though they are both somewhat new to the world. I look forward to watching their lives unfold.

Buy American

Ya know, with all the recalls of the Chinese made toys because of lead paint, Aqua Doodles that can mix to become a date rape drug, toys that are being made in Third World countries in exploited labor markets - you might be considering trying to buy American.

After all, American made items are required to be made to specific safety requirements. Not only that, you would be encouraging local manufacturing which pays for local jobs. And if you really want to get technical, there is a decrease in fossil fuels burned because there was a much shorter distance for travel from manufacturing plant to store thereby being better for the environment.

Soooooooooooo, after all that I found a website via another local blogger that enables you to buy American made products. How cool is that?

If you are still in need of purchasing a toy or book for some grommet this holiday season, check them out!

Fat Brain Toys