Thursday, September 30, 2010

Layout: YMCA Soccer.



[Supplies - Patterned paper, "fall" brush, tree sticker, and staples: Karla Dudley Designs. Date sticker: Katie Pertiet. Digital Template: Cathy Zielske's Design Your Life Class.]

I love being back on the soccer field every Saturday morning. Evan has been enjoying his weekly soccer games and I wanted to create a layout with his team picture, and a few photos of his first practice and game.

Evan's pre-school is doing a pirate & princess theme this week, and he gets to dress up tomorrow. I need to get his costume ready so my little pirate looks great for his first dress up day :-)

E.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

King's Island in September.

We were supposed to take a trip to King's Island on Saturday, but Jack wasn't cooperating. He had had enough of his pack-n-play, and decided to rebel by not taking a nap. Poor kid was a mess by the time we were supposed to go, so we stayed home & Mark put his new crib together. Sunday was a much better day, and after a great morning nap, Jack was ready for the amusement park.










Jack loves going on the rides, and this trip he cried when the ride would stop. This photo was taken after the Merry-Go-Round & he was so, so upset.





Off to bed :-)

E.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Soccer: Week One.

Evan had his first YMCA soccer game Saturday. His first game was canceled due rain, which was not a problem Saturday because it was almost 90 degrees. We started our day with individual and team pictures, followed by a 30 minute practice, and a 30 minute game.

I was really impressed with Evan around his teammates. When he tried soccer last season he was timid, somewhat anti-social, and clingy. He wouldn't practice unless I was on the field with him, and a couple of times he wouldn't go onto the field at all. This year he was a totally different kid. He talked with the other kids, listened to his coach, and definitely didn't want me on the field with him.





Jack-Jack was so good . He sat in his stroller yelling "Ball!" "Ball!" "Ball!" for most of the practice and game. Luckily I brought a small ball for him to hold onto while Evan was on the field.




This picture cracks me up because Evan was having a conversation with his ball. Mark & I were on the sidelines so we couldn't hear what he was saying, but we could see Ev point to his ball, then point to the goal, then point to the ball, and point to the goal again. We think he was telling his ball exactly where it should go :-)








At the end of the game, Evan was a hot, sticky, sweaty, thirsty mess. He was so excited that he scored two goals during practice & kept asking if he was going to get to play soccer again. Luckily he has seven more games before the season is over.

Evan has grown so much in the last year. He is more confident and social, and now he acknowledges adults other than Mark or me. We are so proud of him :-)

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

First Day of School Photos

Getting the kids ready and out the door on Monday was more rushed than I had hoped, but I did have a couple minutes to take photos before Evan's first day of school. He was being his typical shy, goofy, squirmy self, and getting my two boys to smile at the camera at the same time didn't happen, but I'm happy with the results.







We arrived a few minutes early, and I had time for a couple quick photos before I escorted Ev to his classroom. At least he smiled for this one :-)



I can hear Jack-Jack yelling at me from his crib, so I guess nap time (and quiet time) is over!

Erin.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Family

I pulled out my trimmer, adhesive, typewriter, and stamps and created a paper layout over the weekend. I haven't created a traditional layout in a couple of months, and it felt great to get out my supplies and work with printed materials again. I went through Scrapbook Pictures for my photos, and they did a great job:


[Supplies: Kraft cardstock - Papertrey Ink. Patterned paper - Stampin' Up! & Making Memories. "Family" rub-on - 7 Gypsies. Stamps - Ali Edwards for Technique Tuesday. Buttons - Autumn Leaves. "Love" word strip - Making Memories. Ink - Stampin' Up! Other: White thread & typewriter.]

Evan woke up in a great mood, which made his first day of school a really great experience. I can't believe the difference between his first day of school this year, and his first day of school last year. Last year he sat on the carpet and cried for 30 minutes when we dropped him off. His teacher almost had us take him home because he was so inconsolable. This year he was excited when we got there, but a little tentative when we arrived at his classroom. He gave me a hug and a kiss, said "I love you", and slowly walked into his classroom. He looked back for reassurance a couple of times, but otherwise he was fine. I, on the other hand, cried all the way home. When I picked him up he was happy & said he had a great day. His teacher is very enthusiastic and I think it is going to be a good fit for Ev.

It was really nice to spend the afternoon with Jack. He is a chatterbox, and cracks me up when he has conversations with me in his own language. He little voice is so sweet, and he has so much to say! He did start saying "nana" (for banana) today, and "ow" when he bonks his head or gets hurt. I had so much one-on-one time with Evan, and I'm glad I get the same opportunity with Jack.

Have a great week, friends.

xoxo,

Erin.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

How big is Jack-Jack?

So big!


16 months old.

Jack loves playing that game, and I can't believe how big his is getting.

Evan has his first day of school tomorrow, and I'm excited and nervous for him. Evan runs hot and cold sometimes, and he was not excited about going to school when we were talking today. He has been a big difficult the past few days, and his sassy attitude is starting to wear on me. He is so inquisitive, but his constant question asking is getting in the way of his daily tasks, listening to directions, and eating at meal-time (and I'm sure my parents are thinking "he gets that from his mom!"). We are working on focusing on individual tasks, and when it's appropriate (and not appropriate) to ask 294372342893019 questions. I plan on spending some one-on-one time with him tomorrow morning (during Jack's am nap), and hopefully that will help him settle down before his first day of school tomorrow afternoon.

Wish me luck :-)

Erin.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Friday Favorite:



While working on my Rejoice Photo Book last week I found this picture. I love how much they adore each other. I love how Evan likes to read picture books to his little brother. I love that Jack wants to do everything Evan does.
I love
how much they look alike (and look just like Mark). I love them so very much.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Big Giant Spider

Those of you who know me are probably aware that I am arachnophobic. I just looked up the definition of arachnophobia, and it is "an abnormal fear of spiders or other arachnids." Yep, that describes me perfectly. When I was growing up I was never very fond of spiders, but they didn't freak me out like they do now. My fear manifested while we were living in our first apartment in Pullman. We lived in a split level home, and Mark and I had the bottom of the house. Essentially our half was underground. And Pullman has lots of spiders. And I swear every stinkin' spider in Pullman managed to get into our house. And they were b.i.g. spiders. And one of them crawled through the chair rail that wrapped around our living room/kitchen area at midnight, and it was the size of a small cat. Oh. Dear. Lord. I freaked out. Evan was only a few weeks old, and I was certain the spider was going to crawl into the nursery and eat him (see... irrational!).

So, today. Evan just finished his bath downstairs, and I heard Jack waking up from his nap. I got Evan out of the bath, and I made my way upstairs to get Jack. Out of the corner of my eye I see this brown lump on the wall to the right of me. Yes, that my friends was the biggest &%$(#@ spider I have ever seen. On my wall. In my house. RIGHT BY MY HEAD.

I screamed and raced up stairs.

Evan, who was still downstairs, comes running and stops at the bottom of the stairs.

Ev: "Mommy, what's the matter?"

Me: "Nothing. Get the phone, please."

Ev: "Why?"

Me: "Because I asked you to." (There is no need to alert him of the spider, right?)

Ev: "Why?"

Me: "Please, Evan? And bring it up to me."

Ev: "Mommy, what's that brown spot on the wall?"

(Jack yells to be taken out of his crib)

Me: "A spider."

Ev: "That's a big freakin' spider, mommy." (Evan has learned the word "freakin' ". Fantastic.)

Me: "Yes, it is. Now go get the phone please."

Evan runs to get the phone.

Ev: "I can't go up those stairs. That spider will jump and get me." (My thoughts exactly.)

Me: "No it won't. Bring the phone to me please."

Ev: "No."

Me: "Please?"

Ev: "I will throw it up to you. That spider is scary."

Evan throws the phone up the stairs, and it falls back down to his feet.

On the second attempt the phone lands on the stairs. Two feet from the spider. Oh shit.

Me: "Evan, can you run up the stairs and grab the phone?"

Evan: "No."

Me: "But you're naked and you really need to get dressed. All your clothes are up here. Please come get the phone and get dressed."

Evan: "No."

Me: "But aren't you cold? Stay right next to the wall and and the spider won't get you."

Evan: "Fine... but I have to run."

Evan runs up the stairs practically in tears, and forgets to grab the phone.

I sit and stare at the spider, who hasn't moved in ten minutes. I finally get up enough courage to run half way down the stairs, grab the phone, and run back up the stairs.

I call Mark. Mark says he will come home and kill the spider, but he will beat me after beating the spider. I'm totally okay with that.

Except... what if the spider moves before Mark gets home and I can't find it?

So I ask Mark how to kill the spider from a distance. Spray something at it? Knock it down with a broom? Call the fire department and see if they will kill it? (I didn't actually ask Mark that question, mostly because he would laugh at me, but I sure thought about it).

We decide that knocking it off the wall with a broom and smashing it with a shoe was our best bet. I wouldn't have to get too close to the spider, and I wouldn't have to wait for Mark to get home and risk having the spider crawl away.

But I have to walk past the spider to go downstairs and get the broom & a shoe.

After a few minutes of preparing myself for The Run Down the Stairs, I go for it. Squealing the entire way, while on the phone with Mark (and yes, he is laughing at me).

Thankfully the spider didn't moved, and was still hiding behind the hand rail on the wall when I got back with my weapons. With the longest, most creepy spider legs I have ever seen. I'm getting goose bumps just thinking out it.

I tell Mark that I am going to kill the spider, and I am putting the phone down, but he is not to hang up; I need his support in all this.

Evan comes to the top of the stairs. "Mommy, are you going to kill that freakin' spider with that broom and that shoe?"

Me: "Don't say freakin'. Yes, I am going to kill the spider."

Evan: "Good luck."

Me: "Thanks. Go entertain your brother." (Jack is still in his crib, yelling at us.)

I walk up the stairs and aim the bristle end of the broom toward the spider. I don't want him to run, so I'm in stealth mode (i.e. I'm not breathing and about to faint), as I knock the spider off the wall and on to the stairs. Then I start screaming because the damn thing actually jumped.

I crawl up the stairs to where I think the spider landed, but the spider is the exact color of our carpet and is hard to spot. But there he is. I whack him with my shoe, and he jumps. I start screaming and pounding my shoe on the stairs while Mr. Spider jumps around trying to avoid the shoe. Scream. Thump. Jump. Scream. Thump. Jump. Until I nail him three or four times and he is no longer moving.

I thump him a couple more times to make sure he is really, really dead, then I put my almost-new purple tennis shoe over him. I don't want his dead body moving, and I sure as hell am not picking him up. Mark can take care of the corpse when he gets home.

Then I start to cry.

I picked up the phone, and tell Mark that I finished him off, and Mark says he heard everything. And he starts laughing at me. After a few minutes of deep breathing my blood pressure begins to normalize and I hang up the phone. I really need to rescue my kid from his crib, and feed everyone some lunch. This whole fiasco has taken almost an hour, and it is well past lunch time at this point.

While I'm changing Jack's diaper, Evan looks at me and says: "Thanks for killing that freakin' spider Mommy. It was really scary."

No problem, buddy. Anytime.