Where to start?

Things have been busy, busy, busy out here in middle-of-nowhere Oregon. I feel like I shot my wad when I finally sat down and typed out everything about my Mom's visit and I was over-stimulated with my own blog.

So anyway, just a quick note to say hello to everyone. It was a busy but uneventful weekend - Skippy took Banana on a four mile bike ride yesterday, we BBQ'd with some good friends tonight, and I cut our NEW grass for the first time and I'll be damned, it actually looks pretty dang okay.

So let's see...how about I give you some new pictures of the kids with some quick little updates on what's been going on. Sound good?

Banana is almost done with Kindergarten. I honestly can't quite believe it - Skippy is always teasing me that my sense of time is warped...I'm the kind of person who goes "HOLY CRAP I can't BELIEVE it's Thursday" every.single.week. But in all seriousness, can YOU believe my kid is almost done with Kindergarten? Because I really can't. We got some fabulous news on Friday when a much-anticipated phone call came - a few months ago Skippy and I went to an open house at a charter school that is located in our district - it's small and open and friendly and we were incredibly impressed with the staff and the curriculum. We placed Banana on a waiting list - a waiting list that had people on it from as far away as Portland and across the river in Washington. There were fifteen kids on the list for first grade but she was third in line because they take in district students first. And lo and behold, a spot opened up. So we will be transferring Banana for first grade. She'll have to take a half hour bus ride each way every day but we really feel like this is going to be a fantastic move for her. And thankfully it was all accomplished without me having to bust any other poor little first grader's kneecaps. Not that I would really *do* that. Then again, it is a really good school.

In other news, she has officially learned how to ride a two wheeler and she will be six years old a week from Tuesday. How's that for screwing with your head? SIX? She also told me she has a boyfriend. They play together at recess and he's her friend who is a boy. Sounds pretty harmless; Skippy doesn't have to worry about busting any kneecaps yet either. The picture was taken during an unseasonably HOT afternoon a few weeks ago when we took the kids swimming down in the Columbia.


Kbear.....oh my little Kbear. That child will be the death of me before she turns five, I swear. Whomever said that the terrible twos were bad obviously never parented a four year old. She's a door-slamming, sassy-mouthed, picky-eating, girlie-girl-tom-boy who will tell you that she doesn't like you anymore one second and be crawling all over you on the couch for snuggles the next. I adore her curly headed little monstrous self.

She has spent a lot of time outside attempting to master her own two wheeler and she finally consented to let Daddy put her training wheels back on. Skinned knees and bruised elbows are one thing but we were seriously worried about her breaking something. So the two wheeler thing is a work in progress. Other than that, most of her time is spent running up and down the sidewalk screeching at the top of her healthy four year old lungs, much to the neighbors chagrin and my never ending embarrassment.

In big news, she was part of a delightful musical presentation at preschool a few weeks ago and received a certificate of completion for a year well done. Next year she'll stay with the same teacher but she'll move from the "sprouts" class to the "fireflies" - I don't really know what that means except that it gets me three days of three hour long preschool a week instead of two days of two and a half hours. Sweet bliss. The picture was taken the day of her promotion ceremony. She has gotten so big, and despite her (hopefully temporary attitude) she's pretty damn cute.


And Chunker....with Chunk it's just business as usual. He's walking and babbling and engaged in a constant battle with me over possession of my cell phone. He likes the kitties. He likes watermelon. He LOVES water. He spends all day with me and walks around the house asking, "Da?" in an effort to drive me emotionally insane. He is a constant source of joy for all of us. The girls just adore him and he is about a breath away from some real talking. Right now, he looks at you intently and babbles "ah jababababa la foo dih ha?" and then stares at you expectantly until you either give him Mommy's cell phone or smile encouragingly and say "SURE BUDDY!" He continues to be the most mellow baby ever born in the history of the world. Skippy swears that today he said kitty ("kee") but I didn't hear it and until I hear it, it didn't happen. We finished weaning completely over a month ago and he eats everything he can from scrambled eggs to grilled chicken to milk bones if they aren't put up. Aside for some recent teething and allergy problems, he seems to be completely recovered from his bout with RSV a few months ago. The picture of him was taken the same day as the one of Banana when we went swimming in the river. It's funny because 1) it's cute. 2) He has gravel on his nose. 3) Skippy's calves in that shot look like some one's ass. But I swear they are his calves.





And that my friends, is that. I promise to get back on the blogging band wagon. After all, you all don't want to miss a single installment when I tell you all how I survive a four hour plane trip by myself with three kids to Chicago in a few weeks. For now we are enjoying the beginning of summer and enjoying being together. If you haven't heard, Skippy got a promotion at work and we are very proud of him. I've lost five pounds and we are very proud of me. I've got about 25-30 more to go before I'm happy again - this stay at home Mom thing has not been good for my thighs over the last few years. But like everything else in my life, it's a work in progress.

Last but not least, we have officially been without a TV for over a month while ours gets repaired in Portland and God help me, we'd better get it back this week before I lose it. I've come to realize that my kids don't NEED TV but man, on rainy days I sure miss my friends Dora, Blue, and the Wonder Pets. Lots of love folks.