Frolicking in the fountain...

It's Summmerrrr!

Oh my gosh it is July!!!!!



We are getting RJ ready to head off to scout camp. This is the first year he does an overnight. He will be gone for three days and two nights. I am so excited! I think everything is packed and most of the patches are sewn to the shirt. He is really excited too. We'll see if he sleeps tonight at all. I am sure that by Wednesday he will be wiped out. It is amazing how quick they grow. I love to cheer them on as they gain independence. No longer my baby, but my little man.



Phillip has spent two weeks at home with the kids this summer so far. He is making the most of all the furlough and plant closures at work. The first week he had off was the first week of summer and my first week at work. He was very ambitious and set the bar high for the rest of the summer. They went to the Zoo, Omsi and a movie too. He had last week off too and there were more activities. He is doing quite well getting all the free events on the calendar and scheduling fun trips around town. It has been very nice for me.



I went back to work this summer and am a Preschool Director for the program that Jack was at last year. It is with a local congregation and is only part-time. It has been a nice way to shake the cobwebs off the brain. Slow to start but I'm getting there.



Here are a few photos...

Sleepin Babes

All tuckered out this Memorial Weekend. The boys spent the weekend at Nana & Papa's. When we went for the day it was a great time playing in the sand and resting.

Little Ones at the Beach

Here are the littlest ones, Jack and Lexi, at the beach. They enjoyed playing in the water and covering each other with sand.

Big Boys and the Beach

Here are RJ and Connor at the Beach. They were getting their gear together to build the fort. Never enough time for them to dig holes and drag sticks.

Dog days of summer...

Ahh August! It has been a great summer. Here are some photos of one late afternoon...the boys enjoyed a sprinkler, squirt guns and popsicles. The days I most enjoy being a mom.

Air Show

Took in the Hillsboro International Airshow today. Went with some friends of ours. They won tickets and we got to tag along:) It was great! Lots of fast planes and helicopters, the boys even got to climb into a Blackhawk (I think that was one of them). Only able to take a few snaps as the planes were fast. Did I mention that? Lots of jets so lots of noise!

Week with the cousins

Playing Avatar...Connor, Kate, Jack, Lexi, RJ
Izzy, Max and Jack resting...hard day for them.
RJ, Connor and Jack climbing a gravel pit, out of the center of the earth!
Snow at Timberline. Izzy, Jack, Eli, Max, Connor and RJ.
Izzy Max, Lexi, Jack, Eli, RJ and Connor at Timberline.


The boys and I spent a week at Mt. Hood with my sister, our cousins and all the kids. It was a blast! We spent the week swimming and letting the kids run around and yell really loud! We took them up to Timberline one day and they went to Skibowl another. Great times:) We were so busy having fun and the camera was never within reach so you are only privy to a fraction of the memorable moments.

Just add water!

Father's Day

The lone fisherman.
First catch! (pond muck)
On the lookout.

'Worms are sleeping Mama!'
Did you get it?
Just like Dad.

We started w/ his favorite breakfast: crepes

Added a couple of fun hours fishing

Lunch at Sonic

Afternoon of yard work (what can I say, he gets antsy and doesn't really "relax")

Enjoyed a dinner of what we caught and are finishing with a great Celtics game.

Hope yours had a great day too!

Ooohh, there were peacocks where we went fishing. They were loud and beautiful! The pics are of the one that was beside the car when we parked.

Sandcastles

The kiddo's went to my folks for the weekend and enjoyed the Sandcastle competition. They came home full of sand and smiles! Phillip and I enjoyed a weekend of catching up with each other and activities w/out "help". Did get my jam done and the yard looking respectable too:) Oooh and we saw a movie and we didn't have to rush home to get the babysitter! It was great!

A marathon trip...

Travis, Mitchell, Jack, Kaitlin, RJ
RJ, Mitchell, Travis, Jack
Jack & RJ at aquarium
Jack w/ Natalie, I believe eating her fingers
RJ and Natalie
Ms. Natalie

Last photo of the trip...need I say more.

We just got back from a road trip, done of course, Erwin style.

Friday-May 9: gym, swimming lessons, lunch w/ Phillip, pick Lexi up from dr where Connor was being seen for injury, laundry, pack, laundry, load car, clean house, load car, volunteer at school carnival, Phillip loads dog and Jack, picks up dinner, RJ and I at school and the mad dash to La Grande begins...check in really late, struggle w/ a newbie at hotel check in...sleep as much as possible in as little time as possible.

Saturday-May 10: drive to Bruneau, met newest niece- Ainsley- beautiful I might add, paint, play, hang out w/ cousins and grandparents.

Sunday- May 11: (mothers day) paint, run, great dinner w/ the tribe- Sid, Judy, Grammy, Aunt Mary, Russells crew and Phillips crew, have a great time w/ the cousins, eat a wonderful dinner.

Monday- May 12: do a ton of stuff in too little time, Jack went w/ Grandpa to feed cows- mind you it was very exciting yet intimidating- grandpa had to bring him back before going to feed across the way- as soon as he left, Jack melted down into tears because he was left behind. Boys took Gramma out for lunch and shopping. Drove to UT, sadly missing Jess. Got into UT at about 11p due to road improvements. Enjoyed listening to the kids goof off in the tent Kim and Shaun set up for them while having a couple of full strength drinks in their "kitchenette" of a bar:)

Tuesday- May 13: Aquarium in the morning, broke Kim's car DVD player (very nice player in a very nice new car) on the way to lunch, Phillip visited w/ Ken.

Wednesday- May 14: Whole family went to visit Ken, had a great time, great lunch and really enjoyed catching up. Kids ran the rec room w/ their video games and TV time...met up w/ Kim and Shaun at the Hogle Zoo- saw an albino alligator- rather odd really, enjoyed rush hour SL style and had a great pizza dinner until Jack knocked over a glass of water then turned around to see what he did and knocked it onto the floor- it was a beautiful sound when it hit the hardwood floor! We rock!

Thursday- May 15: RJ and Jack are totally exhausted and really not user friendly so Phillip took Ken to the dr apt minus Mama E. Boys and I enjoyed a park visit w/ Kim and Natalie until RJ took a metal pole in the forehead, causing a large bump and hard bite to the lip, matching fat lips for the boys since Jack had a mishap w/ the wall earlier in the morning getting dressed. Gotta love having boys! Apt for Ken went great! They removed the staples and the incision looks amazing. He will be sitting up in about 3 weeks and will be done w/ the antibiotics about the 9th of June. He will be heading home around the beginning to middle of June. He is of course very bored but looking amazing for what he is going through.

Phillip and I watched Miss Natalie while the rents went for dinner...it was rather quiet really, she is an easy baby and doesn't even fuss, lucky parents;)

Friday- May 16: Visit Ken on way out of town, make it about one hour out, Phillip and I switch so I can drive and at about Bringham, going around 85mph RJ lost his lunch- half out the car window the rest on his dad...long drive to grandmas with the windows down. Couldn't meet w/ Jess again as we all smelled like, well we smelled.

Saturday- May 17: (my birthday) we ruin grandpa's TV by making it digital vs analog, finished laundry, picked up the dog- he had a great visit w/ Sid and Judy- he even went out into the fields w/ Sid and had a great time- mind you the smell back to Portland was better then from UT to Bruneau but it's debatable how much better. We wrapped up the drive in time to defrost Conney dogs and put them on the grill because if we eat out in the next 10 days it will be more then our little tummies can manage. On the last four miles Phillip and I were laughing so hard because we realized that we were that family. You know National Lampoon, that family. Hammie climbed into the seat w/ the kids and layed on RJ's lap, by then we had run out of snacks, water and our minds- before we hit Troutdale.

It was wonderful to see everyone- although we are seriously bummed that we missed Jess not once but twice- and we were so glad to have time w/ Ken. Amazing- simply amazing.

Spring

The tulips are out and then the frost and snow came. Could it be spring?
Hard to believe that we are still shaking off the winter weather and I am quickly trying to over plan RJ's summer. I know, I know, this is all odd for me too. I really have no idea what I am doing w/ the whole parenting thing and I have fallen into some rather odd rhythms. Two years ago RJ wasn't signed up for anything and it was a bust of a summer, well, maybe because I was on bed rest and delivering a baby that was why, who knows really. Last year I overcompensated and scheduled the child to the week. It was also a bust. And by bust I mean, fits, tears, fighting and well, overall grumps. So I am trying a new strategy this year. I am signing him up for the few things he liked last year and planning some trips away from home w/ nothing to do but hang w/ the cousins and see where that gets us. I am hoping a better year to be had by all.
Now mind you we had no kitchen and mama e was in a serious state of doldrums (to put it mildly) so we are already ahead of the game. A fridge, a stove and food that is not from a Frito's bag, and a more happy mama.
What an odd world we live in though. I really am walking a thin line on this schedule issue. It is a "flash point" for some. There are the moms that don't schedule anything and then there are the moms that will pay an arm, a leg and their first born grandchild, in order to get the kids in one camp after the next. So different now, honestly I think the issue isn't how hard kids are to entertain or how dangerous it is to be unsupervised, I know that most of my hangups are mine, not my kids. So here is to jumping off into the deep end and hoping there is water. I am going to teach my child independence by giving him freedom. I'll follow Phillips lead and say, "you can't teach a child responsibility without risk." I will let him make his own time, I will let him walk around neighborhood and play with his friends. I will show him how to get to the store and let him walk if he wants, I will show him the way to the park and let him go on his own. Okay, when he is ready...he will tell me when he is ready right? I just need to be ready to listen.

Scout Camp

I am catching up I know. First part of August R.J. did scout camp w/ his buddies. He had a blast! One week of spending the day at Camp Ireland in Hillsboro. He got to shoot air riffles/bb-guns, bow and arrows as well as run around and scream his head off. Couldn't be a better time for the boys for summer! Here are a few photos. Oh and they played checkers and marbles too. They didn't like the rules so they made up their own. Go figure! This was a daddy event so Phillip took the crew one day and had a blast! RJ is the second one in w/ a riffle, and in the second picture he is the one in full regalia. Go figure, my dramatic one!

Gramma's Visit

Phillip's mom came for 5-days and had a great time! The boys ate up every minute of being doted on.

On the first day in town I took her to IKEA. It opened a month ago and is on the way home from the airport. Second floor is a mad house where the kids stuff is and the restaurant. I compare the whole experience to Costco on steroids. I think she enjoyed the first floor...we did find the cups and bowls I was looking for and the meatballs for Uncle Arthur (I do keep forgetting to bring them, oops!)

On Friday Phillip took her to the beach- Seaside- with the boys since I had to work. Here are the photos. They had a great time! I was sorry I missed the rides and arcade.

Saturday we took her to Sauvie's Island and got the cukes for pickles. We also did Dim Sum which is always a nice lunch for the fam so everyone gets something they like, fast.

Sunday we enjoyed church and dinner at my Aunt B's. We made pickles there and I found out that after all of these years the recipe I have been using thinking it was hers and her mother's was not. She has no idea whose recipe it is and was suprised that Phillip didn't like the Apple Cider vinegar ones I made years ago, since that is all she does. It is now officially my recipe since I have changed it so much and no longer do I feel bad for messing up hers since it never was...what an uplifting moment;)

Monday was a lazy day for me but great for her and boys since we just hung out and played. I was glad that we could have her for so long and it was a blast. I think by the end she was actually sleeping through the night and sleeping in too. No better vacation then that! Can't wait till we see her again and neither can the boys! Loves Gramma XOXOXO