Aimee's Blog

Drastic Measures

2012-02-10T19:14:00.001-08:00

I've changed the permissions for comments. So for now, you'll have to become a member of the blog to be able to comment. I was having random ad comments, and I'm tired of it.

So, email me if you want to become a member. Otherwise, just email me with your comment. :)

It's Finally Tuesday! - TTT

2012-01-10T19:46:00.000-08:00

1. I'm finally writing on a Tuesday so it is a real Top Ten Tuesday list! :)

2. Today was my first month-end closing at work. It was a busy day. I'm still not doing everything that will be my responsibility yet, so I still don't have a good idea of what the workload is.

3. John made really good A&J Surprise tonight for dinner. It's like my parents' Saturday Night Delight, which is ground meat, veggies, and pasta, but we add a can of mushroom soup. I'm definitely taking it for lunch tomorrow!

4. We get the JC Penney pictures back tomorrow! I'm so excited! I'll be sending out pictures to our immediate family soon. We got a bigger than normal package this time. Sam was so darn cute in just about all of the pictures.

5. I'm going to take Sam shopping for John's birthday present tomorrow night. I have no idea what to look at.

6. The moon yesterday morning was amazing. It was big and bright, and there were small wispy clouds around it.

7. From Sam who is sitting in my lap: "my name starts with S A M."

8. I get to take a ride on the corporate jet next week to Idaho to see the milling and grain plant. I'm pretty excited.

9. Sam wants me to push the buttons fast. He's giggling. :)

10. I started reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. As I was reading, I saw Daniel Craig as Armansky. Then I looked up the cast for the movie today and was shocked to see him cast as Blomkvist and the ER guy as Armansky. I like the book so far.

A Hum Drum Saturday

2012-01-07T09:44:00.000-08:00

It's a lazy Saturday.

It's past time to take the tree down, and I still have thank-yous to write.

I think I miss my friends at PeaceHealth. I had lunch with Becky this week, and it was really great. I would like to have lunch with her every week or every other week.

I like my new job. The work is interesting, and I'm using accounting principles on a daily basis, which is really great. One part of my job is doing payables and financials for a small subsidiary. The other part of my job is updating spreadsheets with month-end data and tracking certain accounts. I also have a few things I do every morning to make sure things are running smoothly. I probably won't have a good feel for the whole job until I have a few more month-ends under my belt.

I have quite a few Starbucks gift cards from Christmas. But I've been really disappointed with their drinks lately. I was going to a different coffee shop at my last job, and they had a really yummy pumpkin latte. But the Starbucks pumpkin is pumpkin spice, and I really don't taste any pumpkin in it. The peppermint has been blah, and even the caramel mocha was... dull. I guess I should go back to plain lattes and adding my own sweetener and spices. Grrr. I tend to stay away from that because I can't go through the drive-through and do that. Oh well.

I have a weird raw spot on my hand at the base of my thumb. I woke up to it being sore, and I have no idea what it is from. I'm going to put some hydrocortisone cream on it and see if that helps.

Here's to being bored with certain life circumstances but trying to get up and enjoy them and try new things anyway. I know it will eventually be easy to enjoy them again.

P.S. Sorry this sounds kind of sad and boring. But at least I can tell my Mom that I wrote on my blog. :)

TTM

2012-01-02T08:38:00.000-08:00

Top Ten Monday

If I wait until Tuesday to write this, it won't get done.

1. I'm enjoying a cup of dark chocolate cocoa given to me by my friend Becky. Yum!

2. Sam did really well at JC Penney today getting pictures taken. We're a month late for his birthday, but better late than never.

3. My second week of work will be another 4-day work week.

4. My number one movie to see right now would be the new Sherlock Holmes movie.

5. I might be getting a cello to play.

6. I enjoyed watching part of the Rose Parade in California today on TV. I liked all the marching bands, of course.

7. Yay for Starbucks Christmas Blend coffee! Thanks, Mom!

8. I want to clean out and organize my side of the office at home this month. And I get to clean out the past two years in the filing cabinet.

9. I am definitely getting our taxes done early this year.

10. I'm ready for some new easy dinner recipes. Tired of the old ones.

Day 1

2011-09-13T00:15:00.001-07:00

So, today, I drank SOME water and had SOME exercise. I ate, not exactly healthy, but I had an apple for lunch and veggies for dinner (the good things). I spent time with family. For my craft, I did a family picture with Hawaiian dirt shirts on everyone.

AND, I ground coffee and got the coffee pot ready for tomorrow. Woo-hoo! :)

Thoughts

2011-09-11T11:08:00.001-07:00

Oh, I'm tired. And I just want to write down all my thoughts and feelings and get all of my worries and anxieties out so I can be revived. But I know God can take all of it and I can rest in Him. Thank you, God.

Okay, now for a fresh start. I want to exercise every day. I want to keep a clean house. Actually, there are a lot of things I want to do every day:
Exercise.
Eat right.
Drink lots of water.
Hug my husband and son.
Clean the kitchen.
Keep laundry going; not let clean clothes sit in the free for more than a day.
Pray.
Spend 15 minutes doing some kind of craft: cross-stitch, knit, sew, quilt, blog.

Okay, that's quite the list. I'll stop there for now.

Getting Back Into the Swing of Things

2011-06-03T22:31:00.001-07:00

Well, I took my last test last week. We celebrated by going out to dinner. We celebrated me being done with studying, John having a wife back and Sam having a Mama again. I had a nice couple of days with Sam over the holiday at the beach with his grandparents. It was great to reconnect with him. He cried when I went to work again Tuesday.

Anyway, I'm trying to figure out how to relax and take care of myself again. I am such a nightowl, but I would probably feel better if I got more sleep. Oh well, there is always room for improvement.

Sam faced his fear

2011-03-19T15:42:00.001-07:00

Sam and I stopped by the car wash on Saturday. As we drove up to it, Sam started to wimper and freak out. I said "it's okay, Sam. We're going to give the car a bath." As the car got ready to go through, Sam really started to freak out. The last two times we've gone through, he has screamed the whole way through. Evidently, he remembered. I had tried before to reassure him it would be okay, but I didn't really know how to help him.

This time, I reached back my hand and said "hold my hand. I'm here for you. We'll go through it together." He snatched up my hand with both his hands and squeezed hard. It really surprised me how quick his response was, and it really touched my heart. He started to calm down, and I told him what was happening:

"The car is getting a shower. See, there's the soap, and here are some brushes. They are washing the windows and doors and tires. Now here is some water to rinse. And now for the really loud part. I don't like this part either. Can you help me blow the car dry?"

We came out on the other side with dry eyes and smiles and a clean car. I told him what a good job he did facing his fear. It was a precious experience for me to help with that. He is growing up!

Finally

2011-01-31T23:09:00.001-08:00

I finally got my phone Blogger app to work. Now I can blog on the fly. You're welcome, Mom. :)

New skillet meal

2010-11-07T12:36:00.000-08:00

Last night I threw things together in the skillet, and it ended up working pretty well.

We have a bunch of yams to use, so that was my starting point. I peeled and cubed 2 yams, and sliced some baby carrots. I pan-fried this in olive oil for about 7-10 minutes. Then I added 2 cubed chicken breasts, onion, celery and garlic. Once the chicken was cooked, I added maybe 2-4T apple cider vinegar and about 2T brown sugar, and salt & pepper. Then I mixed some cream cheese, maybe ½ cup, into some cold water, then hot water, then added it to the pan. The last thing is I coarsely cut up some spinach and tossed it in to wilt it.

We came up with a name of Root Goulash. We had it with some quinoa, but it didn’t really need anything else with it. It was very filling. I read recently that yams are one of the best vegetables nutrition-wise.

Usually when I try to throw things together it doesn't go so well. This time it worked, and I was pretty proud of myself.

"Loud" and Other Words

2010-09-19T11:28:00.000-07:00

Sam has been saying so many words lately. He's a really good imitator. The other day we showed him how to make the "L" sound for the word "loud". He knows the sign and uses it for everything from the vacuum to motorcycles to trucks to the KitchenAid mixer. It's really fun watching him try out new sounds!

Flower Craft

2010-08-05T23:19:00.000-07:00

I found this neat craft online to do with Sam. I traced his hand and arm, cut out the shape, curled the fingers around a pencil, then wrapped the arm around a straw. Then I added some leaves. I have a piece of Sam on my desk!

New friend

2010-07-29T20:49:00.000-07:00

We took a break at the mall to let Sam burn off some energy. Sam had fun running around and playing on the playthings. There was a girl, probably around 3 years old, that Sam had fun following. It was pretty cute.

Smelling the Roses

2010-07-27T09:40:00.000-07:00

Sam likes to smell the flowers.

Camping Pictures

2010-07-25T22:31:00.000-07:00

Whew! I found the camera. Here are a few pictures from the trial camping trip.

Sam and Andrew riding along together.
Our new tent. John put it up mostly by himself. It's really big! It fits two queen air mattresses plus about 5 feet inbetween them.

We had to sit in the shade a bit to cool down. It was hot!

"Watcha doin', Mama?"

BBQ time. We were all so relaxed and had such a good time!

View from the top of the hill.

"Let's keep going!"

Cute cuddles.

Camping with a Toddler (Trial)

2010-07-25T22:01:00.000-07:00

We went camping at a family’s house that was from our parenting class. There were four families that gathered. We all slept in tents last night. Everyone had a great time.

Sam stayed up until 9:45. He had a blast playing in the molehills, jumping on the trampoline, and hiking in the woods. We got home today around 2, and he zonked out in the car (20 min drive) then slept until 4.

I'll post some pictures when I find the camera.

Signs of Learning

2010-07-22T15:41:00.000-07:00

We counted the number of signs Sam could sign about two months ago, and it was 25. This week we counted again, and it was 64. (Mom, I told you 62, which is 62 from the baby sign book, then 2 others we thought of that we taught him from an ASL dictionary.) We were amazed at how much he has learned.

The last few signs he has learned: book, boat, flower, red.

Job Already Done For Me

2010-07-12T00:19:00.000-07:00

John's been doing such a good job of blogging about what's been happening here that I haven't felt like contributing. So go check it out here, and I'll post a cute picture of Sam here and there.

Chasing Ducks

2010-06-23T13:56:00.000-07:00

Since Sam has had so much practice chasing Macy, our cat, he was very successful at chasing away the ducks.

Garden

2010-05-29T23:10:00.000-07:00

Here's the current garden progress. I have peas on the left, a tomato in the middle, and broccoli and a pepper on the right.

Close-up of the peas. Well, I guess the picture doesn't show them very well. But they have flowers growing.

Tomato, broccoli, and pepper.

This is the lavender I planted two years ago. I showed Sam how to pick the stems to smell them, and now he picks one, then picks another and another. At least there are a lot of them there to be picked.

These are the first roses of the season. I took out all the roses in the back except this one because they weren't doing very well, and I didn't care for the color and scent. I kept this one because it has a beautiful fragrance. It's a light pink when it opens up.

Birds

2010-05-27T02:17:00.000-07:00

Our feeder has been really busy lately, and I've enjoyed watching the birds come. Also, Sam likes to see them and signs "bird" very often.

Chewing & Drinking

2010-05-25T21:06:00.000-07:00

Not tobacco & alcohol, but regular every day cuteness at the table.

Quick post & update

2010-05-24T23:10:00.000-07:00

An update on our fish: Fred is doing well, and we have at least two other fish that survived. See John's post for details.

More pictures of the zoo will have to wait because I need to get them from John's camera. So instead, this week I'll post pictures of Sam being Sam.

He really likes taking his baths. He always asks to get his stacking cups down from the frog that holds the toys on the shower wall. This picture was taken last week.

Tonight in his bath, he kept laying down on his back and just hanging out. He usually only lays down when I ask him to so I can rinse his hair. It was pretty cute watching him kick his legs and have fun.

A Tribute to Our Fish

2010-05-22T23:44:00.000-07:00

I was leaving the house with Sam on Friday morning when he pointed into the pond. I didn't see any fish, but I noticed the fishing boy statue was knocked down. It's been knocked down a few times in the last couple of weeks, so I didn't really think anything of it. But then I turned around and saw a very strange sight. There was what looked to be a large trout in our flower bed. It turned out to be our oldest koi, Fred! He looked so flat and big that I didn't recognize him. He was still gulping, so I picked him up gently and set him into the pond. I called John out of the house. We didn't see any other fish in the pond. Evidently the heron struck again.

Sam and I left, and John told me later that Fred didn't look too well. He was floating on his side. John said he took a hold of him and drug him through the water to help circulate the water through him. Then Fred started to swim better. So far, so good. I don't know how long he was out of the water. It's really hard to tell if he'll make it. But we swore that if he did survive, we'd put the new pond in the back this summer. And John's going to put up some fishing wire across the pond to deter more birds. If Fred makes it, he really is a trooper. He must not taste very good either.

Anyway, this is a tribute to our x-fish. We had two smaller koi, Barney & Wilma, and seven goldfish. Sam really liked feeding them every afternoon.

Bears and Cubs

2010-05-21T23:12:00.000-07:00

Sam & Papa measuring up to the bears.

Crawling into the den.

Sitting up like a little cub!

Bunny Cage

2010-05-20T21:59:00.000-07:00

There was a farm section that had farm animals, of course. I don't remember that section from the last few times I was there, but it didn't look new. Anyway, Sam saw some bunnies.

Down the Trunk Tunnel

2010-05-19T20:03:00.000-07:00

In the Great Northwest section, there is a trail with a switchback that has this hollowed out tree trunk going from the upper trail to the lower trail. Sam climbed down it by himself. Very adventuresome for my 17-month-old son!

Group Picture (Sort-of)

2010-05-18T23:28:00.000-07:00

This was the only group shot we got, but it's not really all of us looking at the camera. We're at the front entrance still, getting set up with the stroller and such. Candace also came, but arrived after we were halfway through the Great Northwest section. I'm so glad she met up with us! Tim slept in!

Zoo Trip

2010-05-17T23:18:00.000-07:00

We went to the zoo the day before Mother's Day. I'll post pictures this week. Stay tuned.

Here, Sam tried on his sunglasses again. The strap barely fits around his head now. He still doesn't keep them on for very long before he pulls them down.

Spacing Out

2010-05-16T23:53:00.000-07:00

John and Sam took it easy watching Sesame Street. Sam is entranced by it. Yeah! Usually he might watch a little bit of the kid's DVD that I pick out from the library, but it doesn't hold his interest. But SS seemed to do the trick.

Special Hugs

2010-05-13T21:31:00.000-07:00

Tonight after we got home from the parenting class for Wonderful Ones, I was about to hand off Sam to John to be put to bed. Sam hung on to me and gave me hug after hug after hug. I even got a few closed-mouth kisses. And then some more squeezy hugs. I treasure them! He seemed very happy and content. Lately he's been whiny and clingy, so it was a wonderful relief. Woo-hoo!

Dinner outside

2010-05-04T14:52:00.000-07:00

We had our first dinner outside for the summer. It was great weather!

Maemae's Card

2010-04-19T12:25:00.000-07:00

Sam really likes the Valentine's Day card he received from Maemae and Grandpa Bob. He asks for it or gets it down himself at least once a day.

Blocks finished

2010-04-17T10:19:00.000-07:00

I finished the set of purple blocks last night! I have 28 blocks of each color besides purple, and 29 purple blocks. Now I get to start making strips. I'm going to lay out the pattern today when Sam is sleeping. I'm so excited!

Playing in PJs

2010-04-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

Sam likes to play with the train blocks from Christmas.

Ten Things Tuesday

2010-04-13T00:20:00.000-07:00

1. I'll probably be the first one to post today. I am such a night owl!

2. I have 5 of the 6 colors finished for the quilt. My favorite color is remaining: purple.

3. Yeah, we get to go to the library today! (And get out of the house!)

4. I've been itching to get all the art and craft bins out and reorganize. But then Sam gets to bed, and all I want to do is veg and relax.

5. I really do like Mafia Wars. I've been playing it for over a year now, just about every day.

6. We'll have to see if Julia restrains herself from talking about Twilight in her TTT like she said she would. I actually want to see it now. I wasn't really interested before. I tend to stay away from the trendy really popular stuff. Kinda like my Dad and Titanic. I think he still hasn't seen it.

7. John is making raised beds for our vegetable garden out of old deck boards. I'm very excited to plant some veggies. He's doing such a great job. He's been working long through the night to get it done.

8. When I nurse Sam at the couch, I put the same red pillow behind my back. But at night I move it over so I can stretch out. The other day after I got Sam up in the morning, we both came out to the family room. I watched him go over to the couch, reach for the pillow, and put it on the correct side of the couch. I didn't ask him to do it, and I have never said "this is where the pillow goes." He must have just picked it up by watching me. And another time he reached the fabric pot holder that was sitting on the kitchen counter and walked over to the drawer where it goes, and he attempted to open the drawer. The drawer kinda sticks, so I helped him with it. I always make sure to praise him for putting things where they belong.

9. We cleaned out his toys a few days ago. Well, we mostly gathered his "baby" toys and put them away. Then I moved the bulky toys into the tall toy chest, and all the other toys fit inside boxes with the lids shut. It looks much neater in the living room now.

10. We had a non-family member babysitter for the first time this weekend. It was a success!

Popeye

2010-04-13T00:16:00.000-07:00

Here's proof that Sam likes his spinach!

Ten Things Tuesday

2010-03-30T14:12:00.000-07:00

1. We went to storytime today, and got some more books, too. It's always nice to have new books. Sam sure likes them. We also borrowed two DVDs - narrated stories. One was narrated by Bob Hoskins, the other by Danny Glover. We watched them at lunch, well, more listened to them. I think they were a little too old for Sam.

2. It sure has been raining hard lately. As we were driving to the library, it was a mixture of some kind of frozen slush coming down.

3. My coffee budget is overdrawn, so I have to wait to buy Starbucks. I'm having a really hard time waiting. It's just so easy to stop by the drive-thru on the way home.

4. My Mom is in the hospital because her asthma is being a nuisance. She will hopefully go home today or tomorrow.

5. Sam's doing this cute thing right now: shrugging his shoulders, leaning his head to one side, and grinning. So cute! I'll try to get a picture or a video.

6. He can now sign "toys" and "play".

7. He weighed 27 lbs the other day on our scale. Sometimes it seems like it reads light.

8. I'm planning on going to a Women of Faith conference in October. Exciting!

9. We're going to start a parenting class soon. It's for parents of 13-17 month old kids. It's once a week for 10 consecutive weeks. A few families from our baby class will be there too. I'm excited to meet some new families. I'm looking forward to hearing about different discipline techniques. And I want to hear lots of food ideas.

10. I can't wait to finish the quilt. I look forward to sewing on it every day. It's been so fun!

Climbing the Chair

2010-03-27T23:14:00.000-07:00

Sam has been trying to climb stuff in the house lately. I was about to say everything in the house, but, so far, he's been staying off the bookcases, the toilet, and other dangerous pedestals. Which reminds me, we need to attach some pieces of furniture to the walls. Anti-tip straps for active boys: good. Big furniture falling over: bad.

Anyways, he's been trying to climb up on this chair we have in the corner. He has had to ask us "up", and we'd lift him up onto the chair. Now he can do it himself. It is so fun to watch him figure stuff out and accomplish things.

Now, you could say that we're sitting back and laughing at him while he's being very brave and trying very hard. But, really, I'm restraining myself from helping so he can learn on his own. This video was preceded by multiple attempts to talk him through it and sitting on the floor right next to him. And, yes, he did bump his head a little, but we all get some bumps going down the road of life. I am so proud of him that he accomplished this big feat all by himself. And he thought ahead and brought reading material!

After a 4 year hiatus, quilt progress

2010-03-27T22:46:00.000-07:00

I started a rainbow colored quilt for my nephew before he was born in October 2006. I designed it to be pretty complicated, and I ended up getting frustrated with how much time it was taking. The other day, I saw a really neat kid's quilt on a magazine at the store. I took a quick picture of it on my phone as inspiration. Since then, I've been working like mad to get this one done. And, taking into consideration a great suggestion from John, as usual, I started sewing the blocks assembly style.

Here you can see the orange triangles all lined up. There are 80 pairs.

Here there are 40 sets of 2 pairs of triangles.

Here are 20 blocks, pre-pressing.

I had about 7-9 blocks of each of the 6 colors finished from my work several years ago. I need 28 blocks of each color. The above pictures show one color being sewn up. I also finished the red, and I am, at the moment, about a half hour away from finishing the yellow blocks. Then I'll be more than half way done! I'm so excited to have made so much progress. I'll dig through my old pictures to show the neat stacks of fabric all cut out from the beginning. I love bright rainbow colors. It's been really fun working with these fabrics.

Incidentally, I've stolen this quilt away from my nephew. It will now belong to my immediate family; I'm being quite selfish about it and hoarding it for ourselves. Sorry.

Park and nap

2010-03-25T12:24:00.000-07:00

I didn't get many pictures of the park on my camera. I'll ask John to post some from his camera. Wait, maybe he did already.

He was sleeping so soundly this one day. He had slept over 3 hours, and it was getting close to dinner time, so we had to wake him up.

Laughing Box

2010-03-19T21:01:00.000-07:00

Sam got a kick out of snapping a box together and watching Papa jump!

Ten Things Tuesday

2010-03-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

1. How many weeks has it been since I've done a TTT?

2. I started studying again this week. I put my application in the mail for the last two exams. Oh, and I found out I passed the first exam!

3. We've had some really yummy Dinners Done Right meals lately. One was a fish with a mustard sauce and mushrooms. John didn't think he would like it, but we both loved it. Another was chicken breasts with some kind of salsa marinade. One other was burrito bowls. It was a slow cooker meal with chicken, beans, corn, and salsa over rice in a bowl.

4. All three of us went to a really fun park on Sunday. The play equipment is very fun and imaginative. I hear it gets pretty crowded in the summer.

5. Anyone know were to get good men's slippers? John's last pair from Eddie Bauer is worn out, but they don't sell them anymore. He usually doesn't like the inexpensive furry ones they sell at Christmas.

6. It's been nice to be home with Sam again. Since we're finally felling better, we've been able to do Mama/Baby things like playdates, go to the park, and go to library storytime. He was absolutely mesmerized by the storytime lady today. Evidently he needs more exposure to group activities.

7. We've seen a few TV spots about Disneyland and Disneyworld, etc. lately, and I am really looking forward to when the kids are the right age to take them. I've been to Disneyland three times at different ages. It will be so much fun to experience it through their eyes.

8. I can't post a picture yet, but I'm looking forward to Easter so Sam can wear a cute outfit we got for him!

9. I'm trying to clean out my studio (which is also our bedroom right now since we're in remodel mode) and my side of the office. It's so hard to get rid of stuff. But I just keep telling myself that if I haven't touched it in over a year, I probably don't need it. In my studio I really need to get out all the supplies and the bins, then go through and get rid of what I don't want, then logically sort all the supplies. I'm betting that it doesn't take up that much room after I go through that process.

10. I don't know what kind of flowers to pick out for the front walk and the horseshoe bed. Any ideas for some low maintenance flowers that have lots of color for a long period of time?

Socks

2010-03-12T16:09:00.000-08:00

Sam attempted to put on some socks that weren't his.

A few pictures from my birthday

2010-03-12T16:02:00.000-08:00

We went out to Red Robin for my birthday.

Sam likes to color.

He helped me open my gift.

Here's an extra picture... He really likes trying on Papa's hat.

Good Grandpa Bob

2010-02-20T22:13:00.000-08:00

This is a picture from last weekend when my parents came to help work on our remodeling project. I really like this picture and have it on my computer wallpaper. I think it's so special that I needed to share it. Sam really loves his Grandpa Bob.

New family activity... weeding!

2010-02-20T21:53:00.000-08:00

This morning the sun was out, so I decided to take advantage of it. I asked John if he wanted to play with Sam outside for a half hour while I weeded in the front yard. He said sure. We all got bundled up; it was sunny but it was cold; there was still frost on the cars! I got my trowel, knee pads and weed bucket from the shed, and handed a trowel to Sam. I started weeding with my trowel and Sam wanted to do the same. He tried to use his trowel but mostly dug with his hands. He kept trying to put little fistfuls of dirt into the bucket, but we said "no, put the green stuff in the bucket." (I didn't plant a single thing last year, except mums, so there are only weeds to take out.) Eventually Sam got the hang of it and really helped out quite a bit. John ended up weeding some too and handing the weeds to Sam to carry over to the bucket by me.

After awhile, Sam got a little whiny, so John and Sam walked down the road. John said Sam got about 3/4 of the way to the bridge, then John carried him on his shoulders the rest of the way. Sam was ready for his snack when he got back home! It was a fun morning, and it felt good when I realized that it doesn't really matter what we do as long as we do it together. I know; it sounds cheesy. But I love it!

TTT

2010-02-16T21:05:00.000-08:00

1. Okay, this holiday totally screwed up my sense of the week. It's hard to believe it is Tuesday already.

2. Sam had some gunk in his eye yesterday at the beach. It's better today, but we're going to keep him home one more day to make sure it is not contagious.

3. I'm still sick. It's been 2 weeks now. My cough is actually worse today. I won't list my other symptoms because my Mom will try to tell me it's a horrible disease and that I need to go see a doctor. Really, I'm fine, Mom.

4. I actually feel okay about the test coming up next Friday. I just has one more section of material to go through, then I can review. I can't wait until it's over.

5. I'm looking forward to doing a few projects around the house once the test is done. I really want to get the curtains done. I think we found a curtain rod we like for the front room.

6. Thanks, Mom & Dad, for your help this weekend. It's really cool to see the bathroom come together. Thanks, Mom, for watching Sam so I could study. It really did help.

7. When I have a few minutes at night I've been reading Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge. I highly recommend it. It's like Wild at Heart by John Eldredge, which I also recommend, but for the woman's heart.

8. I really like eating my cereal in the morning: Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal. I'm not gluten free anymore, but it is so good.

9. I'm trying to pay more attention to my posture while I'm sitting at the computer at work, and at home.

10. Finally, I reached #10. That's all for now. :)

Funny Sam

2010-02-10T20:56:00.000-08:00

Sam said a cute thing at dinner yesterday. He says Dada a lot without it really meaning anything, but yesterday he said Da Da Doh. It was so funny! You had to be there. I wish we could have gotten it on camera.

It's That Time Again

2010-02-09T21:52:00.000-08:00

1. I look forward to writing the Ten Things Tuesday list.

2. Writing #1 is always the easiest.

3. I'm studying C-corp tax, S-corp tax & partnership tax. Exciting.

4. I'm also learning more about law: contract, agency, property, and insurance. I was actually able to shout out while watching Liar Liar (for the 20 minutes that I watched TV) that the marriage was a voidable contract because she was a minor; I had learned about it the night before. Fun!

5. My test is in less than 3 weeks.

6. I kinda want the result back from the first one, but if it's bad news I'd rather wait until I take this next one.

7. CEP, AEP. CEP, AEP. These are the video snippets I have running through my head. I can't forget to mention TT, BPO, 75 or 90 (from the first test).

8. Yes, this list is mostly about studying. But that is what my life is mostly about, right now. So there.

9. I got my first paycheck. Let's get a pizza! (Shout out to Wolgamott!)

10. Sam started stacking the duplos on top of each other. Yeah, Sam!

Fingerpainting

2010-02-04T00:15:00.001-08:00

I don't know how to turn it sideways after I scan it. Isn't it neat? And in purple too.

TTT

2010-02-02T19:58:00.000-08:00

1. Sam helped put his socks away tonight. I had his laundry folded and out in several piles in the hallway because I folded it after he went to bed. He grabbed a folded pair of socks and brought it in to me. The socks go in the top drawer, so I lifted him up, and he dropped it in. Then I walked out to the hallway, saw him grab another ball o' socks, and I turned around for a second to say something to John. He came back out of his room empty handed, so I thought he dropped it on the floor or put it in another drawer. I went in to look, and I didn't see any misplaced socks. I wondered if he could actually reach the drawer, so I gave him another pair. I told him to put it in the top drawer. He reached right up, stood on his tippy toes, and pushed it over the edge with his fingers. I was amazed! He surprises me more often now with what he is learning. It's so cool!

2. Okay, that was a long #1. On coffee... Natalie skipped Starbucks, Mom had HomeBucks, and I treated myself to a Starbucks. We all like our coffee.

3. The coffee at work is okay as long as it's not the end of the pot. Then it needs hot chocolate added to it to make it drinkable.

4. John is cleaning out his side of the office. It's a mess now with everything out of place, but it will look a lot better when he's done. I need to go through my side too.

5. I'm excited we get to see my parents soon. I know my Mom is too.

6. We all have a touch of a cold. I have a sore throat and stuffy nose, as does John. Sam has a stuffy nose. I can't tell if he has a sore throat or not.

7. I made artichokes tonight. It's the first time I've made them. I've only had them once before, at least a whole artichoke by itself instead of just the hearts in a Dinners Done Right recipe. I boiled them, then we dipped them in a herb butter sauce. I thought they were kinda bitter. There are two left, so I want to bake them next time, probably Thursday.

8. Sam ate melon tonight. We gave him a wedge with the rind on it at first. He didn't know quite what to do with it, so we cut off the rind. Then he was able to bite off any end. When he was done with that piece, we tried a whole wedge again. After a few bites into random edges, he figured out to bite the correct side. Then he kept going and ate all the melon off the rind. He was very proud of himself, and we were proud too. Like I said before, it's really cool watching him figure things out.

9. The people at daycare say he is adjusting well. He's starting to play with the other kids.

10. He did some finger painting last week for the first time. I'll scan it and post it soon.

Ten Things Tuesday

2010-01-26T20:25:00.000-08:00

1. I'm proud to report I had a great first day at work today!

2. Can you get carpal tunnel in just one day? I worked on the computer in Excel all day, and my wrist/arm is very sore.

3. I didn't have enough time with Sam tonight. I'll take a shorter lunch tomorrow so I can get home earlier.

4. They have free M&Ms at work. So tempting!

5. Sam signs "more" now by clapping his hands while he's at the table. We'll work with him to sign "eat" or "food" to help us all understand when he wants more and when he's just clapping.

6. We're in the early stages of the three months of family birthdays. And the babies in our playgourp are all turning one too! Lots of parties coming up.

7. I really enjoyed sitting in the sunshine for lunch today.

8. I'm trying to think of something really funny or quippy to say. Not happening tonight.

9. Is it Friday yet?

10. I went to bed early last night. I think I'll do the same tonight.

New activities

2010-01-24T11:58:00.000-08:00

Sam's been trying out some new activities. We bought some more duplo blocks on craigslist. He now has over 175 blocks! We built a few towers for him. I'm looking forward to him having fun building his own.

He really likes to sit down and color with these easy to hold crayons.

He asks to be put up in the coloring chair several times a day.

He also brings over a book and hands it to us for us to read it to him. He does this probably a couple dozen times a day. He really likes his books!

Bye-bye gluten free, hello wheat

2010-01-22T21:51:00.000-08:00

I decided to go back to gluten. I've been gluten free for a month-and-a-half. I think I don't feel good because of sugar more than because of gluten. So now I'm sugar free, at least processed sugar. I also want to go back on gluten for awhile so that I can be tested later to get it official.

Sam is also starting on gluten. He's going into daycare next week, and it'll be a lot easier for us and them if he can eat regular stuff. I will watch for symptoms in the years to come.

I know we can live healthy lives without gluten now. I had fun trying new recipes. So if it turns out later that we need to go back to gluten free, I'll be okay with that. Maelee, thanks for being such a great support. I really appreciate your input. Dianna, you too. Oh, and Mom, of course. :)

Ten Things Tuesday

2010-01-19T10:42:00.000-08:00

I really enjoy reading my cousin's weekly post about the things that are happening right then and there. Her sister does it, and so does my Mom. I like that it encourages consistent blogging. So I'm going to do it too. :)

1. I forgot to take Sam to the new library time today. The baby time is on Fridays, and he has graduated to the toddler time. But I'm having a hard time adjusting to the new day.

2. I wonder if I can think of things to say that aren't about Sam.

3. It's John's birthday this week. Stop by his blog and say Happy Birthday!

4. When I sit down to nurse Sam, I look longingly at my bag of knitting. I started a purple scarf that I really want to finish. I love the yarn so much that I got a bunch of different colors to make similar scarves.

5. Julia's right. This is harder than it looks, and it takes quite a bit of time, too.

6. I made my pot of coffee today at the same time as yesterday: 10:15. Yeah for a consistent schedule.

7. I'm studying for the regulation test. Today's topic is accountant liability. So boring!

8. I'm excited we're having a play date here this week. I had such a fun time hosting when I did it last time, which was in October.

9. I have some items to post on Craigslist, but I keep putting it off because I'm nervous about the process and the prospect that I might meet some weirdo(s).

10. My first gluten free homemade bread that I made yesterday didn't turn out very pretty, but it sure does taste good. It's a yogurt bread with cinnamon and walnuts.

Back to the grind

2010-01-18T12:09:00.001-08:00

Today, I'm back to studying for the next test. I took a week off after taking my first test. It was so nice to relax and just hang out with my family.

Wait, I need to go study. Doh! Just a quick post today.

Reading

2010-01-12T21:23:00.000-08:00

John reading to Sam and cousin Isaac.

Delayed for a good reason (excuse)

2010-01-08T07:59:00.000-08:00

I know I said that I would post some pictures and video. Well, I've been busy studying for my first CPA exam tomorrow. After I shake off the post-test geebies, I'll get around to posting some cute pictures. :)

Update

2009-12-28T10:11:00.001-08:00

I know, I know. I need to get some Christmas pictures up here. I'll get some posted later this week.

Sam is finally mostly over his chest cold. The humidifier really helps to clear him up.

Over Christmas I started knitting a scarf for myself. I'll post pictures of the work in progress too.

Smiling from the window

2009-12-16T16:19:00.000-08:00

Today, after we came home from Dinners Done Right, I set Sam inside and went back to the car to carry in the food boxes. Sam waited for me by the front window which is low enough for him to look through. I came up to the front door, he smiled at me through the blinds, and he looked towards the door to watch it open. I love watching him connect the dots about the world around him.

Fun with Sam

2009-12-14T19:23:00.000-08:00

I had fun with Sam last night making him laugh. I stomped and jumped towards him. He is so fun right now!

Ignore the mess in the living room; we had to relocate some stuff because a pipe burst in the bedroom ceiling, and we're having work done to fix it.

Cuddles requested

2009-12-10T11:16:00.000-08:00

After I got Sam dressed this morning, I stood him up on the changing table to pull up his pants and tuck in his shirt. He grabbed the collar of my fleece, pulled me towards him and laid his head on my shoulder to cuddle. So sweet!

Are these words?

2009-12-06T10:16:00.000-08:00

Today Sam is making sounds like he's saying "Hey, Bubba." I'll try to get a video later today. It's so cute!

12 month doctor visit

2009-12-04T21:04:00.000-08:00

Sam saw his pediatrician today. He weighed in at 23 pounds (54%-tile) and was 32 3/4" long (99+%). He's a tall, skinny dude.

We're going to start giving him cow's milk this weekend and other dairy products after that. We're going back and forth about wheat-free and gluten-free because of family history. I'm wheat-free as of Wednesday, but the pediatrician said that if I'm worried about celiac sprue, I should probably go all out and go gluten-free. I hated hearing that. At least Mom left some yummy GF flour here that I can use while I decide what to do. Thanks, Mom.

Got 'Em Both

2009-11-22T20:06:00.000-08:00

After dinner, we sat in the family room and watched a little stand-up comedy on TV. John played with Sam on the floor. Sam ended up knocking John in his left eye, and John said "ow" and covered his eye with his hand. Sam looked at Papa, cocked his head, and put his finger in John's right eye in a careful, measured way. "There, I got 'em both," we think he said to himself. Too funny!

Just walking around

2009-11-21T21:18:00.000-08:00

John caught a cute video of Sam just walking around. He's really taken off in a week since he started walking between furniture and around the room. Once he learns how to squat and stand up, he'll be walking everywhere!

He's Going, He's Going, He's.... Gone

2009-11-14T21:09:00.000-08:00

Wow, Sam walked from the living room into the family room tonight and only touched the sofa table once, which was about 30 steps. It's so amazing to see him walk so far. I never thought seeing that would make me so proud. I love being a Mom!

Pasta

2009-11-14T10:55:00.001-08:00

I remember my Mom telling me that I turned into a wet noodle when I didn't want to be picked up, and I didn't really know what that would be like. Sam just inherited the talent to do the same, so now I know!

Mama The Entertainer

2009-11-08T21:23:00.000-08:00

Sam is so fun right now. I get to be silly and find new ways to entertain him and make him laugh. I took some backing from a label printer that was in the recycling and attempted to jump rope with it. Sam got a kick out of it.

You can see I got tired near the end. Fun stuff!

More walking progress

2009-11-06T21:37:00.000-08:00

Sam went from walking along the furniture to walking to Mama or Papa to walking along with a steady cart to this... walking and pushing a push toy. Alone, he can walk about seven steps at a time. So exciting!

Videos

2009-11-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

John posted some cute videos and pictures of Sam. I won't duplicate them here. Go see them here.

Pumpkin patch

2009-10-25T22:37:00.000-07:00

Progress

2009-10-25T22:30:00.000-07:00

Sam took a half step the other day. He was so excited! I'm looking forward to him walking so my wrist can rest from carrying him.

Beep Giggles

2009-10-19T20:18:00.000-07:00

I was surprised today with what made Sam laugh. He felt a little warm to me, so I used the thermometer to get his temperature. I turned it on; it goes beep. I said "beep" to Sam, and he giggled. I LOVE those spontaneous, unexpected, gleeful giggles. By the way, his temperature was fine.

Great-grandma's Fluffy

2009-10-12T23:25:00.000-07:00

Sam's great-grandma made this dog/lamb for him before he was born. So sweet! Sam certainly is happy.

Before and After

2009-10-12T23:17:00.001-07:00

Sam got a hair cut. It actually wasn't his first, but it was the most I've cut off so far, probably around an inch and a half. It took us two days to get used to it.

The hair cut is accomplished by the efforts of both John and myself. He keeps him preoccupied and I try to hold on to his hair and snip before he shakes his head.

Sam and the Spoon

2009-10-12T23:13:00.000-07:00

We're still feeding Sam the soupy foods. It's a rare occasion that Sam gets a hold of the spoon, but he loves it!

Overalls galore

2009-09-24T00:45:00.000-07:00

I loved this combo with the red shirt and overalls. I caught him smiling and waving and mid-blink. So cute!

Walking in his size 4 shoes. Wow!

Camping

2009-09-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a few picture from our camping trip. Here we are cooling off in the lake.

My Dad checking out the sights.

Sam trying to cool off with a drink. *hiccup*

Sam playing with Grandpa.

New activities

2009-09-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

We went to the state fair. The only pictures I got were in the shuttle to the fair. Doh!

Hanging out with Uncle Tim.

Playing with bubbles for the first time.

Playing

2009-07-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

Sam does really well now sitting by himself. He even sits in the big tub by himself now, closely watched.

Sam likes powertools, of course

2009-06-28T22:03:00.000-07:00

John was working on taking a few boards off the deck tonight so that the pest guy can spray next to the house tomorrow. John showed Sam the screwdriver, and Sam loved it. He giggled at the noise and liked feeling the metal bit go slowly around. Being John's son, we knew Sam would love powertools and working with his hands. It was very fun to see!

Rolling around

2009-06-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

Sam sure is rolling around a lot now. He doesn't stay on his blankets anymore for more than 20 seconds. He has started to crawl a little bit two. That's not to be confused with creeping which is on hands and knees.

Graduation

2009-06-19T09:08:00.000-07:00

Yeah! I graduated! Now I can be a full-time Mom who's studying for the CPA exam and looking for work.

Sam is very excited that I'm finally done with school.

Beach

2009-06-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

Sam visited the beach for the first time! He really liked the waves.

Aquarium

2009-06-19T08:50:00.000-07:00

We went to the beach and visited the aquarium. Sam had a great time!

He liked the stuffed turtle in the gift shop...

The sea lion was very entertaining and friendly. It came to the window and pressed its head up against it several times.

The sea otter was lively too. It swam around, and it looked like it waved to the crowd!

Two days left

2009-06-09T00:24:00.000-07:00

Wednesday at 8 pm I will be done with finals of my last term in school. I'm so excited, I can't sleep. Actually, that's because I'm studying. I'm looking forward to a few weeks of sleep after I graduate!

Rhododendron park

2009-06-09T00:14:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago we took Sam to the rhododendron garden and got a few good pics. Here's his first time in grass.

This is one of my favorites. It was on my desktop for quite awhile.

Park

2009-05-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

We took our baby to the park, and the geese took their babies. So cute!

There were bunches of goslings. Small ones and big ones.

I forgot the Bjorn so we carried him the whole way. He's 18 1/2 pounds of a heavy boy!

John had a good idea...

New things and events

2009-05-07T16:13:00.000-07:00

Sam got to try his high chair last week. It was sure nice to have him at the table with us.

He tried out the kid rocking chair that I had growing up.

He tried rolling around on the ball.

And the main event... he tried solid foods. We think he likes it! Yeah!

New things

2009-04-28T20:26:00.000-07:00

First time in high chair. See next post for link to funny video.

Maemae bought a "Grandpa Bob" hat for Sam. It fits him really well and helps block out the sun on our walks.

Sitting outside while Mama & Papa attempt to weed the yard.

First time on shoulders.

First time in high chair

2009-04-28T20:22:00.000-07:00

Sam had a great time trying out his new high chair. It's such a cute video that Papa claimed it for his own blog. We laughed and laughed and laughed.

Time with Papa and Grandma B

2009-04-16T21:37:00.000-07:00

These two were too cute to pass up.

This was Sam's day with the family on Easter. It was a very long day in which he only slept about an hour-and-a-half. He usually sleeps 6-8 hours during the day.

Just hanging out.

Hugs all around

2009-04-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

Hugsy getting a hug from Sam...

Macy has been feeling left out lately. I picked her up the other night and hugged her for a little bit then let her climb on my shoulders, and this was the result. Cute, right?

2009-04-12T01:49:00.000-07:00

An update

2009-03-26T21:45:00.000-07:00

Sam's growing up. He's grasping toys and almost giggling. I've been with him a lot since I've been home on Spring Break. I only have three more days, then it's back to school.

Maemae

2009-03-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

Here's Maemae with Sam. She waited a long time to visit and see Sam because of getting sick and other delays. She was very excited to see him!

Sam' lifting his head more now.

Sam

2009-03-03T10:36:00.000-08:00

Sam noises

2009-03-03T10:29:00.000-08:00

Here's Sam right before our scheduled tummy time.