Beaches and MickiBob

Lela had been asking to go to the beach since Christmas Eve, so for spring break we headed to the Oregon coast for some fun in the sand. As an added bonus, we picked up two of our favorite people while passing through Portland.

I'd love to show you pictures of the trip in some logical order, but blogger makes it really difficult to shift them around and I'm too tired to deal. So here is our trip (not in this particular order). The take home message is that good friends, sand, sunshine, kites, and stylish boots make for a happy week. Oh, and nudibranchs. Can't forget the nudibranch!

 



 

 

 

 

Three! 3! Tres! Trois!

What's that they say? "The days are long, but the years are short"? Definitely felt that way as we approached a very-big-deal 3rd birthday.

Don't remember why folks weren't up at the nordic lodge, but just a small gathering at home this year. 

Cate was unsure of what to do with those candles. Sad eyes may translate to "just give me the damn cupcake, Daddy!"

 





Lela knew just what to do.

 



 

Cate did get a second chance after this enthusiastic high five showing from Lela and Daddy. Poor thing, didn't want her to be scarred forever. This is indeed the stage that earliest memories often come from and I'm working hard to tip the scales towards positive ones. Possibly a futile effort, but worth it if we save a few bucks on therapy.

 



AND, their annual cupcake. Oh wait. Bi-annual. They ask for cupcakes for Christmas, too.

This last shot is worthy of the very rare Hatched blog hashtag.... #needbiggerhouse #needmorechairs #happyourfriendsdontmind

Going on an Owl Hunt

Well this is easy. Evidently I took one photo in the month of January (with my real camera).

Cate.

Suited up to go on a neighborhood owl hunt with Daddy.

She's not afraid.

Christmas in May?

Not really Christmas in May, but I'll use the harsh winter and your emotional well-being as my reason for not posting these pics earlier. I'm hoping y'all are finally feeling like summer really is a  possibility and won't be harmed by the snow and ice you'll find below.

JR's family joined us for a white Christmas in McCall. While Boise was completely socked in under a nasty inversion (think one giant exhaust cloud hanging low over the entire valley) (think LA smog), we drove 2 hours north for a beautiful, snowy, lakeside holiday.

From our condo it was a short walk to the lake, a coffee shop, outdoor gear shop, women's boutique, and the perfect toddler-sized sledding hill. Add a few minutes more, and you were in the heart of town. Ideal.

Some went skiing, some went shopping, some sat in large cushy recliners with a cup of cocoa. And John, Renee, Val, and Sai ventured into the wintry forest to cut a Christmas tree. Not all photos have been collected and John may have just lost all of his with a hard drive crash today (super bummer), so right now it just looks like we were sledding the whole time...

 

 

 

 

And hangin' with Auntie Nay Nay...

And checking out McCall trash...

And sliding down crunchy ice in a skirt and tights. Multiple times. Before realizing that such an activity might be cold enough to make us cry all the way home.

Love Them

Indeed it's hard work, but they truly are my favorite people.

Parenting

If I've said it before, I'm sure it was a long time ago and I'm due to say it again.... this parenting business is really hard. Like, REALLY hard!! I watch people all around me who appear to be breezing through it and I wonder what I'm doing wrong. I'm secretly hoping though, that those parents also feel like they are losing their mind most days.

We've just now gotten to the point where C & L can play together for more than two minutes without immediate danger of somebody getting seriously hurt. That helps. But it doesn't change the fact that my stomach turns every time I need to incite movement toward a desired outcome. It could be time to get dressed, or time to brush teeth; to pick out shoes, to head home from daycare or the park, to get in car seats, to clean up, to go to bed, etc. Every one of these tasks feels like a major expedition. How will I frame it, how will I motivate them, how will I keep my cool when they ignore my efforts or show obvious signs of defiance? Just when I find a strategy that seems to work, their needs change or they catch on to my trickery. And if I'm working on a sleep deficiency, and am not on my game, you can be sure that all of these tasks will somehow end with a two inch deep layer of soap bubbles on the bathroom floor.

My goal is mostly to survive to the end of the day with some remaining sanity, to wake up the next morning with enough energy to keep it together for another day, and to have two girls who feel loved for being exactly who they are (soap bubbles, fights, defiance and all). It sounds overly dramatic when I put it in writing, but it may actually be an understatement. Be thankful that I didn't write this IN ALL CAPS!!

Up In the AIr

Here's my quandry... I sort of love the idea of this blog. I love seeing my family framed by the "Hatched" format. I love having this spot where I can share freely, knowing that only a select few are watching. And I love having this full history of our parenting journey. BUT... I'm too tired to post. I'm too behind in posting to ever get caught up. I'm not sure who I'm posting for. Facebook is easier, and more of you are there than here, but I really prefer not to share too much there. And I'm thinking if I had the choice, maybe I would spend my time on shutterfly putting together photo books of our memories instead. 

Please share your thoughts.