Packing is a never-ending chore. Words cannot describe how much I am loathing it right now. A yard sale, 3 dump runs, 4 Goodwill trips, numerous recycling runs, and I'm still finding stuff that I don't want to go with us!
It also doesn't help to pack when you have little ones who like to "help" by pulling things out of boxes that you just packed. I had a box of socks that I was throwing all the mismatched socks into, and Jayden liked to climb in and throw them out, which made the older two want to join in with him! I try to pack during nap time as much as possible.
So tomorrow, we wake up bright and early and try to make it to church on time so we can say goodbye *sniff* and have everyone pray for us. I'm bringing a box of tissues with me. Already crying just thinking about it.
Then we'll come home for lunch, help our friend move the rest of his stuff over here and load up the van with as much as we can get in. It will be only Kyrie and Jayden and I, so we'll be able to have the backseat down and hopefully fit a lot of stuff. Seeing all the boxes we have, I'm not too confident that the moving van that Mark is renting will be big enough. If all else fails, we will leave some stuff behind. Good thing we're renting to a friend.
And Padme WILL be staying here. As much as we'll miss her, I think it's for the best if she stays with our friend and enjoys her space outside to rest and bask in the sun and sleep in the shade.
Then it's to Seattle-hoping to leave around 5-where we will unpack stuff and wait for Mark and Isaiah to come up with the rest in a week.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Cattle Farm Fieldtrip
About a month or so ago, we were studying Farming in Science. I was really pleased when I found out that a local group of homeschoolers were going out on a field trip to a cattle ranch. It ended up being really crazy with A LOT of kids. There was talk of letting the kids ride horses, but there were over 40 kids, and I didn't want to hang out and wait forever for the kids to ride for 2 minutes. They've been on horses before. It was nice to get some real-life experience of what we had been reading about. I was hoping that we could go to a wheat or lentil farm and experience harvesting, but looks like that won't happen now. I'm sure we'll find some great places to go in Seattle for field trips, though! Kyrie was excited to wear her cowgirl boots and she got to ride up front on the hayride by the horses. A little girl's dream!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Kyrie's New Trick
I thought I had this post all typed out and posted, but I don't see it, so I guess I'll have to do it again...
Kyrie has taught herself how to ride a two-wheeler! I feel kind of let down in a way because she didn't need any help from us. She just hopped on the bike that her friend had and took off like a fish in water! We missed out on capturing the moment where her daddy holds on to the back of the bike while Mom records them as he lets go and she wobbles down the road and perhaps falls into the nearest bush.
She did come show off her new talent to me, but by the time I went in and found the camera(downside of packing and moving- can't find a thing!), her friend had reclaimed their bike and had gone home.
Have you seen the commercial where the mom lost the pictures on the computer of her son's milestones, so she sticks the tween in a crib, feeds him from the high chair, puts him on a little bike with a tiny helmet, and gets footage of him playing in the bathtub? I'm thinking that I'm going to have to resort to the same measures- just for the mere fact that my camera isn't around when I need it!
So this brings me back to my first memories of learning to ride a bike. I got my first two wheeler with a banana seat for Christmas when we lived in the big, rolling hills of the Bay Area. My aunt tried to help me balance by sitting behind me(thank goodness for banana seats), while I pedalled. That didn't last long, as I was terrified of losing control on the steep hill, and I wasn't really strong enough to move the two of us. The next time I got on a bike was at my cousins' house. One of my cousins had broken her arm, so she held on to the back of my seat with her good arm, and ran behind me- trying to keep me upright. At one point, she had let go, and I was doing okay for about 10 feet, but then crashed into the fence and scraped myself up pretty bad.
That kind of ended the bike-riding deal for me until the following summer when I was visiting my cousins and they all took off on their bikes. I wanted to go with them, so I went ahead and jumped on a bike and started to pedal. To my surprise, I was able to stay upright and then I was a bike-riding fool all that summer!
Happy Memorial Day to all!
Kyrie has taught herself how to ride a two-wheeler! I feel kind of let down in a way because she didn't need any help from us. She just hopped on the bike that her friend had and took off like a fish in water! We missed out on capturing the moment where her daddy holds on to the back of the bike while Mom records them as he lets go and she wobbles down the road and perhaps falls into the nearest bush.
She did come show off her new talent to me, but by the time I went in and found the camera(downside of packing and moving- can't find a thing!), her friend had reclaimed their bike and had gone home.
Have you seen the commercial where the mom lost the pictures on the computer of her son's milestones, so she sticks the tween in a crib, feeds him from the high chair, puts him on a little bike with a tiny helmet, and gets footage of him playing in the bathtub? I'm thinking that I'm going to have to resort to the same measures- just for the mere fact that my camera isn't around when I need it!
So this brings me back to my first memories of learning to ride a bike. I got my first two wheeler with a banana seat for Christmas when we lived in the big, rolling hills of the Bay Area. My aunt tried to help me balance by sitting behind me(thank goodness for banana seats), while I pedalled. That didn't last long, as I was terrified of losing control on the steep hill, and I wasn't really strong enough to move the two of us. The next time I got on a bike was at my cousins' house. One of my cousins had broken her arm, so she held on to the back of my seat with her good arm, and ran behind me- trying to keep me upright. At one point, she had let go, and I was doing okay for about 10 feet, but then crashed into the fence and scraped myself up pretty bad.
That kind of ended the bike-riding deal for me until the following summer when I was visiting my cousins and they all took off on their bikes. I wanted to go with them, so I went ahead and jumped on a bike and started to pedal. To my surprise, I was able to stay upright and then I was a bike-riding fool all that summer!
Happy Memorial Day to all!
Friday, May 22, 2009
Puppy Love
The next door neighbors got a new puppy. It's really cute. Kyrie enjoyed getting some cuddles from this little furry creature.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Car Show
A couple of Saturdays ago, we took the kids to the Classic Car Show(Mark likes the free hot dogs and soda). The kids enjoyed seeing all the different cars. They were pretty neat!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Wolfie
Wolfie is a dear friend to Kyrie, and protector against all things bad in the night. When I suggested to her that it might be the best for Wolfie to stay here when we move to Seattle, Kyrie burst into tears. So I decided that Wolfie needed some reconstructive surgery so that I could justify packing her up.
Don't look too close, or you might be able to see the weird stitching job I did. Future plastic surgeon, I am not.
Happy to be reunited with her friend!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Random Photo
These are my mom's dogs. She has another Great Dane, and another chihuahua- not pictured. It's so funny to see the symbiotic relationship of the Chis with the Danes. The little dogs will sleep on the big dogs as they lay in the sun. The big dogs patiently sit as the little dogs lick their jowls and jump all over them.
My mom's dogs are always a big highlight of our trip to visit my mom. Even Mark, who isn't particularly fond of little dogs, gets a soft spot opened in his heart for the little guys. He does want to own a Great Dane someday, though.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Cool Jayden
It almost scares me how much he looks like a young Tom Cruise. Hopefully he won't turn out to be as crazy as Tom. ;)
Jayden's New Milestone
Singing. I suppose he may have been singing even sooner, but now he is actually matching pitch. His favorite song is the ABC's. He gets A,B,C,D,E, O,P, and T,U,V, and Z accurately. He really enjoys watching me fingerspell along, and moves his fingers and hands along.
I shouldn't be surprised that the alphabet song is his favorite. His favorite toys are the letter magnets and the LeapFrog Word Whammer , Fridge Phonics set.
I shouldn't be surprised that the alphabet song is his favorite. His favorite toys are the letter magnets and the LeapFrog Word Whammer , Fridge Phonics set.
How to scare your husband...
Walk down the hall in the dark with your phone open while you are texting as he is coming out of the room. It gives your face that creepy look-like when you hold the flashlight under your chin while telling ghost stories.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
It was a very rainy and yucky day, but for a short while, the sun shone brightly, and we ran to the window to try to find a rainbow. The kids ran outside onto the deck in their stocking feet-oblivious to the wetness seeping through. After we got shoes and jackets on them, Mark took them for a little walk to try to get a better view. They came home all excited and exclaimed that they walked up a waterfall(that's what happens to the road going up our hill during a rainstorm). They were so in awe of all that they had experienced in that adventure. They made up stories tonight before bed, and had to include all their exploits from the day. I love listening to what my kids have to say! It reminds me that there is good in the world and rainbows in the rainy times of our lives.
In science, we've been studying magnets. Last week, we used magnets taped to cars and learned about attraction and repelling. Today, Kyrie got to make a little scene with movable characters. She really enjoyed this project, and decided to make her own scene with a house the people could go in and out of.
The new scene:
Isaiah wanted to get in on the action, too, so he made a little character himself- see stick figure above. ;)
The new scene:
Isaiah wanted to get in on the action, too, so he made a little character himself- see stick figure above. ;)
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig
Well, I survived the five and a half days at my MIL's house. I realize how badly I'm addicted to high-speed internet when I go there. She currently has AOL "top-speed"(puh-leeze) dial-up, and it's sooooooo slow. I didn't even bother getting on-line from her computer while I was there. I managed to get a few hours of "me time" by taking Mark's laptop to the library and using their Wi-Fi. I also browsed a bit and checked my e-mail from my phone. We've been trying to talk her into getting a DSL or Cable connection for several years now(as has my sister-in-law), but my MIL is very set in her ways, and she doesn't want to spend more than the $12 a month she's spending now.
Since internet connection is essential to Mark's free-lancing business and Kyrie's homeschooling, we have talked her into getting connected by offering to pay the extra amount it would cost per month.
Speaking of MIL set in her ways, we had a little pow-wow talking about how everything will go down when we move into her basement apartment. We mentioned needing to use her bathtub upstairs for the kids, and she said that was do-able. Mark says,"How about letting Kris use the tub to take a bath maybe once every three days."
"No, you guys have a shower downstairs. You can use that. That's too much to ask. Why does she need to use my bathtub?"
"Because she likes to relax in a hot bath every now and then!" Actually, I like relaxing in a hot bath so much, I often fall asleep in the tub, lol.
Did I mention how small the shower is downstairs? I guess it does the job to get me clean! When our sister heard about the negotiations, she told me that I could come to her apartment in Seattle and take a bath anytime. She threw in the offer of watching the kids and providing the luxury soaps and bath bombs. ;)
So we negotiated. Once a week. Mark took a bath the other night, and I joked that he had used his quota for the month. I think MIL's concern is that a bath uses more water than a shower. She's kind of a spend-thrift when it comes to saving on things like that. She also keeps her house super cold to save on energy costs. Doesn't like to dry things in the dryer. Buys us gifts from the thrift-store. You get the picture. She does spend money on things that we don't, though- like golf country club membership and trips and cruises and stuff. She also has full access cable(which I'm glad she does. I miss TLC and other channels).
Back to the pow-wow. We have determined that we will basically spend most of our time downstairs unless she wishes to have some time together. We'll eat our own food and live our own lives and try to stay out of each others' hair. Fortunately, there are a lot of nice parks and things to do in the Seattle area, so I can get the kids out of the house.
I'm not sure what we are going to do about our dog, Padme. MIL is paranoid that she will somehow escape our apartment and go after one of her cats. And she doesn't want us to keep her outside in the yard for fear of Padme digging up a plant(although, Padme isn't in the digging phase). Mark has plans to take her for a walk every morning and let her do her business, but every time she wants to go outside, we'll have to take her on a leash, stand there while she does her business, and pick it up right away. We did this while we lived in the temporary apartment when we were fixing up our place after our pipes froze and burst, but it wasn't the best of times.
Also, Padme is getting old, and I worry about being able to care for her and her potential upcoming problems- especially in the financial department. And when we start looking for a place to live(apart from Mom), it will be difficult to find a place that accepts dogs. I'm so torn. She is a big part of our family. Our first child, so-to-speak. I'm sure it will be just as hard to part from her when she dies, but I want to do what's best for her.
I wanted to post pictures from our trip, but I'm afraid Mark left the camera at Mom's. :P Just know that it wasn't all too bad of a trip. The kids got to go to the beach a couple of times. Kyrie enjoyed playing on her new scooter(and she's very good at it!). Jayden enjoyed playing with
this obnoxious, but fun toy that Great Grandma gave to the kids a couple of years ago, and we left it at Grandma's so we wouldn't have to put up with it too much. ;) There's also a talking Elmo that stays at Grandma's. That was given to Kyrie by Great Aunt Marcia when she was two or three, and that toy has batteries that will never die, lol.
Whew. If you've made it thus far, kudos. Lots to talk about and think about. I haven't touched on all my thoughts and worries, but I should go dish up my son some ice cream as I promised.
Since internet connection is essential to Mark's free-lancing business and Kyrie's homeschooling, we have talked her into getting connected by offering to pay the extra amount it would cost per month.
Speaking of MIL set in her ways, we had a little pow-wow talking about how everything will go down when we move into her basement apartment. We mentioned needing to use her bathtub upstairs for the kids, and she said that was do-able. Mark says,"How about letting Kris use the tub to take a bath maybe once every three days."
"No, you guys have a shower downstairs. You can use that. That's too much to ask. Why does she need to use my bathtub?"
"Because she likes to relax in a hot bath every now and then!" Actually, I like relaxing in a hot bath so much, I often fall asleep in the tub, lol.
Did I mention how small the shower is downstairs? I guess it does the job to get me clean! When our sister heard about the negotiations, she told me that I could come to her apartment in Seattle and take a bath anytime. She threw in the offer of watching the kids and providing the luxury soaps and bath bombs. ;)
So we negotiated. Once a week. Mark took a bath the other night, and I joked that he had used his quota for the month. I think MIL's concern is that a bath uses more water than a shower. She's kind of a spend-thrift when it comes to saving on things like that. She also keeps her house super cold to save on energy costs. Doesn't like to dry things in the dryer. Buys us gifts from the thrift-store. You get the picture. She does spend money on things that we don't, though- like golf country club membership and trips and cruises and stuff. She also has full access cable(which I'm glad she does. I miss TLC and other channels).
Back to the pow-wow. We have determined that we will basically spend most of our time downstairs unless she wishes to have some time together. We'll eat our own food and live our own lives and try to stay out of each others' hair. Fortunately, there are a lot of nice parks and things to do in the Seattle area, so I can get the kids out of the house.
I'm not sure what we are going to do about our dog, Padme. MIL is paranoid that she will somehow escape our apartment and go after one of her cats. And she doesn't want us to keep her outside in the yard for fear of Padme digging up a plant(although, Padme isn't in the digging phase). Mark has plans to take her for a walk every morning and let her do her business, but every time she wants to go outside, we'll have to take her on a leash, stand there while she does her business, and pick it up right away. We did this while we lived in the temporary apartment when we were fixing up our place after our pipes froze and burst, but it wasn't the best of times.
Also, Padme is getting old, and I worry about being able to care for her and her potential upcoming problems- especially in the financial department. And when we start looking for a place to live(apart from Mom), it will be difficult to find a place that accepts dogs. I'm so torn. She is a big part of our family. Our first child, so-to-speak. I'm sure it will be just as hard to part from her when she dies, but I want to do what's best for her.
I wanted to post pictures from our trip, but I'm afraid Mark left the camera at Mom's. :P Just know that it wasn't all too bad of a trip. The kids got to go to the beach a couple of times. Kyrie enjoyed playing on her new scooter(and she's very good at it!). Jayden enjoyed playing with
this obnoxious, but fun toy that Great Grandma gave to the kids a couple of years ago, and we left it at Grandma's so we wouldn't have to put up with it too much. ;) There's also a talking Elmo that stays at Grandma's. That was given to Kyrie by Great Aunt Marcia when she was two or three, and that toy has batteries that will never die, lol.
Whew. If you've made it thus far, kudos. Lots to talk about and think about. I haven't touched on all my thoughts and worries, but I should go dish up my son some ice cream as I promised.
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