August 2012

We came back from Kauai and headed to the beach with the kids soon after....

Pacific City...our favorite day spot!

Later in day at Lincoln City somewhere...

August 24 2012, officially our 10th anniversary....felt like I should take a pic of wedding ring:)

Natalie pre haircut:) She got her haircut a few weeks later. 

Uncle Dan came to visit with auntie Jess and Gio. This is Natalie watching him play guitar.

My camera had kid fingerprints all over the lens so it's foggy looking

Notice the new dishwasher to left! Love it.

Deciding to play piano with Uncle Dan

Frisbee Golf at Corban College. 

Preparing Chad's class....it looks 15 million times better. I will take pic next time I go....

Oh I miss the heat a bit...now that it's october...but it will come again. Fall is so beautiful in Oregon

post haircut...

Anchor Inn out of order pic from the beach

Grandma Carol, Chad's step mom moved back...she brought presents and visited with kids. 

And during all of this, we potty trained Natalie, Chad got a job, Had a pretty significant baby shower thrown at our house for Brad and Katie, Went on Nanny Search. It was a month of change for us:)

On to September...

Pumpkin Patch

On October 8, I was able to go with Isaac and Ark Angels class to Setnikers Farm in Independence. 

Natalie was able to be babysat, so it was a super precious day with my oldest!

Teacher Sue in orange, gathering us around to talk about rules. 

Hayride, and me trying to be silly. btw I LOVE Isaac's profile. He's perfect. 

Isaac was really trying to find the right one. In class the week before, they discussed what pumpkin each kid wanted to get...he chose "flat".  Whenever we found a tall one, he would say, no...not flat enough:)

But then he saw this green one and that defies pumpkin logic...he just had to have it. 

Putting it down as I convinced him to find a flat orange one:)

Too big for our bag...But quite a good looking pumpkin.

Neighbors Liam and Kenzie with Grandpa:)

life is good

I'm feeling really good lately...

Work is good, precepting again:)
Sleep is good, 11-6 in the morning...amazing. And I don't need to take naps anymore...I can go thru a whole day from 6 am till 11pm. Feels so good
Kids are good. Natalie is spunky, moody, talkative and sweet. Isaac is testing limits on EVERYTHING. We have nearly weaned him from all tv and screen time. It was just too much for him. He is embracing preschool, and won't tell me much of anything, because I have to wait till i am a hundred, according to him, then I can go to his school and see what he does. Silly boy!
Chad and I are good. We just love each other and that's about the best thing ever!

On a side note, how can one day to the next be soooooo different. On monday, I felt like crying cuz the kids were so whiney and isaac was hitting a lot:( Tue, wed I worked. Thu hung out all day at home with kids. Fri Isaac went to preschool and I got me some one on one with Natalie, Trader Joes, put away ALL the laundry while listening to Ray LaMontangue pandora station...which is da best. Sometimes, I just have to remind myself that life is really good, even though I thought it was super bad on Monday...By Friday, it can completely change.

Preschool!

My ultimate scenario worked out...amazingly. I felt discouraged thru the process but kept trying and watching doors shut with affirmation but opening up doors thru neighbors/friends and problem solving. I really didn't want to bring the kids back to YMCA, only because it would be hard for Chad to get them ready and over and then he would be showing up to work right as his school started and that just isn't a great way to start your day...and the second reason is that they were soooo incredibly sick last year and got little sleep as far as naps go and were very grumpy the rest of day.
But they were safe, they were active, they were social and it was somewhat affordable. So here we are and came up with a great plan for kids...daycare/preschool/and 3 different girls watching kids. They watch other kids too so they are not dependent on my pay to survive. Which is hard to do working part time (because I work 2-3 days variable days, it's very hard to score a good match).

Isaac has had about 1.2 weeks to prepare for his new school, which is a good time period because then he doesn't get to overthink it too much.

I dropped him off and boy was he sad, but he will adjust, he always does. He doesn't fake it. When he isn't happy or is nervous, he will let me know. And when he is over the nervousness, he lets me know too:)

Trying to get him to finish cartoon and take picture...

Dancing before school:)

Natalie is home with me...chatting away in her own language but also saying...Isaac where are you? Where'd he goooooooooo? :(

We have lots to blog about our last few weeks of summer....

1. Lincoln City Anchor Inn

2. Brad and Katie Baby Shower

2. Chad's class

3. Natalie's 1st haircut

4. Dan and Jess visiting and playing frisbee golf and eating salmon tacos

5. Parents visiting

6. Open house at Preschool

7. Aunt Judy and family visiting from California

8. Brad and Katie having baby...lily rene

9. Natalie fully potty trained

And much much more...we'll see if i ever get it done...

conversations with isaac

IMG 2585 from anne barr on Vimeo.