My Kindergartner

Got Scotty's spring school pics today and thought I would share.  Honestly, with the sweater vests, Shon?!?  I will vow right now not to have either one of them in sweater vests in their next school pics or even Christmas pics (well, maybe...).  I realize they look like little preppy nerds in them, but I can't help myself!!  I know when they get older that is one thing they will complain about when they look back at pictures.....but hey, at least their hair is combed!!  What can I say?  I think nerds are cool.

And P.S...not really sure what the background, ghetto motif they were trying to accomplish there...his school really is not in an alley-way.  I guess that's what I get for leaving that choice blank on the order form.  And for the record, that is not my writing....I thought when I chose to have his name printed on the photo, it would be a professional font.  Had I known someone was just going to hand-write it, I would've done it myself!!!

Girl Time

Last night, a few of my softball pals and I got together for our friend, Ruth's birthday....she's 31 and really her birthday was just an excuse for us to have a BBQ/game night.  We've been trying to plan it for awhile now, pretty much since Cassandra's wedding last October!  Life is just busy for all of us and its hard to find that time.  But it just so happened that we planned it on one of the rare sunny, warm evenings that we've had ALL spring and we were able to enjoy a BBQ outdoors for a bit.  Once the chill picked up, we moved it inside and played some games.  Everytime we get together, it is a blast and honestly, I don't think I've laughed that hard in a long while.  I really needed that, so thanks girls.  Oh, and I found a new favorite drink....Whip Cream Vodka and Diet Pepsi.  YUM. 

Cheers!

Playing "Partini" - great game for game nights!

The girls -

the "originals" from the fastpitch team are to the right in the pic

Jessie, Me, Cassandra & Ruth 

Classic Zac

Pictured here going in for the grab of a small eel at Scenic Beach

Thought I would share the story I just emailed to Jay about Zac for everyone to read....so today while I was pricing things in the garage for the yard sale I'm having on Saturday, Zac was out playing in some dirt in the cul de sac.  I noticed he had his blue water bottle with him but didn't think anything of it.  Then suddenly I hear "mom, I put a worm in my water!".....Ew. So I orderd him to get it out and leave the poor worm alone.  End of story, or so I thought.  A while later, I went inside and saw that his water bottle was laying on the playroom floor, so for fear of him drinking out of it again, I brought it to the kitchen and tossed it over by the sink to be washed.  Hours later, as I'm finally getting to the dishes after putting the boys down, I get his water bottle and go to rinse it out and holy flippin' crap, that damned worm nearly fell on my hand when I opened up the lid.  AHH...WHAT THE $*(&^$!!!!  GROSSSSS!!!  After letting out a squeal and flicking it away, I lost track of it.  I think it went down the drain, but I really can't confirm that, so I have a feeling this fricken worm is going to haunt me and I will find it stuck to a dish somewhere.  Ah, it's only just beginning.... 

Trying to fit a sea snail in his bucket....

to bring home to mommy perhaps? bleh.

Amazing Mother Nature

This picture was recently taken out in the middle of the ocean from Jay's ship. 

Chimacum Cafe

There is a little hole-in-the-wall cafe off the side of the road in a small town called Chimacum.  Its a tiny one-stop town on the way to Port Townsend out on the peninsula.  We have to pass thru there on the hour-long drive to Heidi's eye vet so I like to stop there on the way back if we have time.  I always make a point to bring one of the boys with me and use it as a Mommy/Son outing.  The cafe is a bit of a greasy spoon, but it has significance to me because my grandmother, Joyce, worked there as a waitress back in the late seventies, maybe even early eighties.  She was married to her second husband then and they literally lived in the sticks.  I have vague memories of visiting them out there, but I have an old article that my mom saved that shows my grandma serving someone behind the counter.  Its kinda cool to be in a place over 30 years later that my grandma had once made a living.  She was my mom's "real" mom and passed away in 1997.  My grandma in Prosser is really a step-grandma, but God help you if you ever referred to her as that, so in order to distinguish between the two, we would refer to Joyce as "Crabby Grandma"....she was a grouch for sure, but I loved her just the same and I feel close to her whenever we pass thru Chimacum.

Don't blink or you will miss it

Out in the country indeed

Sitting at the counter, probably the same formica as when she worked there!

Mmm...greasy diner breakfast

Motherhood

I have carried a child within my body. Slept with a baby on my chest. Kissed boo boos and mended broken hearts. I've been puked on, peed on, pooped on and spent many sleepless nights in the rocking chair. I've spent the last five years wiping someone or something.  I've traded hair salons for pony tails, date nights for playdates and a luxury car for a mini van.....but I would not trade IT for the world.  (These words were inspired by a fellow mom's post- thanks Heather).

Sometimes I get very discouraged and wonder about the job I am doing and the influence I have on my boys....is it good enough?  Am I being too hard on them or too lenient?  Am I teaching them the right things and are they learning them?  You can tell a lot about a man by the way he treats his mother....so what kind of impression have I made on them at this early age?  Lord knows I am not perfect and I do not know all the right answers and actions.  What I do know is, when I look in the mirror I see a MOM and I feel blessed.  There is no greater purpose in my life, no job more rewarding than to be a mom and I am so thankful that I get to be that to three awesome little boys. 

To all my fellow Moms...Happy Mothers Day...thank you for your part in raising the goodness in our past and our future.  And to my mom - thank you for your everlasting impression on me.     

They're Baaaaaack......

This time they are teaming up with the Backstreet Boys.  O.M.Gsh.  Nik, we are SO there!!