So we went camping for Memorial Day weekend. The weather was beautiful, the site had nice privacy and raccoon pawprints (just the prints, no actual raccoon sightings), the campground had a GREAT grassy field to play in with all the fellow campers, a loop to ride bikes on that was in full sight the whole time for the boys... (Jockey is a bit young and I pulled a lawn chair to the front of the site, Caleb on the other hand was old enough/coordinated enough that I had confidence in him; it felt like ringing in a new era of trust and activity levels and a bit nostalgic from when I was camping as a kid riding my bike everywhere fast and furious. A small heart smile occurred when I was watching him, and watching him make friends and join a pack.) We did one of our FAVORITE things... campfire and peel-n-eat shrimp! Simple perfection. The crab feed on Friday night was good, and the boys were still free! We got our value's worth, Caleb really likes King Crab. I was impressed with the varieties available; I tried 3 new types. And I discovered, I really do have a beer-budget taste for things (except for cheese), Good for Mike, because I did NOT like the lobster. Plain crab is way better! Of course, crab is a luxury too.
The City of Anacortes had put in a new and PHENOMINAL new park in town and the boys loved it! We went twice and still they wanted to go more. We went swimming at the pool. We drove to Washington Park and Jockey spotted our one and only live deer sighting.

That's the good stuff. Oh, and Caleb had a good time at the Zoo, and Jockey went to his last school days this week, one of which was at the park with impromptu swimming (jockey worn undies but 4 others turned it into a nudist beach) and I got burn crispy red ...even with sunblock.


As for the Bad stuff.... Mike came down sick Wednesday. So he did not go on Caleb's field trip. And now, BOTH boys came down with the stomach bug Friday night! BOTH, projectile you know, loose the other stuff, you know. Jockey is quite emotional about his not feeling well. He is really rather disturbed by the whole experience. Not just regretful or sad, but near fearful. Caleb started getting sick at 10PM, we got him and the house cleaned up and calmed down. I put them both to bed in their rooms. Then Jockey came to be 3 times saying he was afraid of the bad stuff that came out of brother. I thought he didn't like the smell, the chemicals used to clean it up, afraid to get the stuff on his feet etc. NO, he was feeling it come on him too. So I decided to pull something else from childhood and offer to make a bed for him in the bathroom to sleep. He seemed very confused until I said I did this when I was a little kid. So ok. We make up his bed, during which time, Caleb sprints into the bathroom for his own problems. I offer to make him up a bed too. So Jockey is on the floor on a camping pad, Caleb's on an exercise mat in the bathtub. Things are set, right... No, 30 minutes later **sounds**, and I have to investigate. Jockey has made a HUGE mess that set me to wretching. So at 12:30-1AM, I'm cleaning all parts of the bathroom (except the mirror and sick) and Jockey's bedding/pad. I get done, Jockey is crying about why this is happening to him. I offer to lay down with him. So now it's Caleb in the tub, Jockey on the floor in front of the toilet, and Me laying on a couple pillows half in the bathroom and half out to sleep for the night. Every 30 minutes one of them got up, until about 4ish AM! 6:30, Jockey had moved to on top of my blankets, and I was woken up to Mommy, I didn't make it... on top of my covers, not vomit people! OK, so clean up on aisle 6. Good morning, and back to bed.
We'll be sticking pretty close to home today... despite the beautiful sunshine!

Here are some birthday pictures from Caleb's Party. Long over due, I know.

And here are some pictures from the boy's Awana Awards nights.

Caleb was up and down really fast for his awards. Apparently he didn't get the pause for a picture memo. He was up and returning to his seat before I could get him facing forward!

And pictures from our Mother's Day weekend camping trip to Birch Bay with Papa Bill and Grandma Judy.

And Note: Boys are more interested in climbing on a fallen tree's stump than clamming!

Ok so that's a bit of the catch up on events. Still more to come, I know....

Just a quick update...

Wow the sun is out and nice.

Ok. Caleb's party went well. Of course next time, I'd say just go go in the pool boys and let the cake and presents figure themselves out later. They were chomping at the bit to get in the pool when I had thought it would be miserable to have dripping wet kids try to watch Caleb open presents. The upside, everyone had fun and there wasn't a huge mess in my house after spending hours getting it immaculate. We had 5 little boys, plus Caleb, Jockey, Tessa, and two other siblings attend. The bouncy house was a nice break from the pool, and the weather couldn't have been better. Pictures to come soon.

I had Jockey's parent teacher conference today. The short story is: He had a marked improvement over the testing the fall. He can count to 14, say most his letters, attempt his name and get 2 of the letters correct, knows the names of his peers, most of his colors, cuts well on a straight line, can conceptually draw a family portrait, etc. However, he is extremely active, difficulty sitting still, easily distracted, stubborn, defiant, and lacks focus. In the words of Daddy, "we build them the same, don't we?" Yup. And the teacher said alot of this behavior is age related, and she was fully and excitedly on board with our plan for another year of preschool and then a year of pre-k after that. She said that was an excellent idea and would benefit him well to enter Kindergarten when he is a fully 6 yrs old because he would have a chance to work through his age related/maturity issues. So he's bright, but a crazy immature loose cannon. It can only get better.

Allergies are hitting us hard here. I feel like I have a whole body flu, and Caleb isn't far behind.

We are leaving town this weekend and headed to Bayview State park nearly to Anacortes but not quite. We wanted to get a reservation and they had an opening. We look forward to good weather, stops at the park, hikes, the farmer's market, shrimp, swimming/bowling, etc. Should be a good time, and Grammy and Papa Dahl, and the Surfaces will be staying in the vicinity too.

So that's it for now because I just don't feel great enough to elaborate.
Have a great weekend.

What a week.

Caleb has gone days, weeks etc without stages. Reward: tonight, Free Pizza (I won a coupon at MOPS) and a Slurpee.

Jockey, well, he got a tiny tiny slurpee, admittedly so that he doesn't whine.

The weather was decent today, and the boys and I put the long bright evening to good use. Strawberry bed weeding. Oh my, it was THICK with weeds. Hard work and finished in the dusk, but the up shot is that the blueberry bushes have their little white bell flowers on them and several of the strawberry plants have their white flowers blooming too! The boys tried earnestly to learn what a weed vs strawberry plant looked like. In the end, they were very useful at picking up the weeds that I had pulled and tossing them into the "yucky" corner.

We had a long conversation tonight about some light and heavy topics. What eyelids and eye lashes are for, where crocodiles and Sharks live, Jesus protects us and as Jockey aptly calls it with Jesus' Blood Power, Caleb asked how come we can't see angels which lead to a "spiritual realm" discussion, we talked about angels and tonight for one of the first times I told them about demons etc. We talked about the power Jesus gives us and how we don't have to be afraid. Jockey has been seemingly bothered (or just complaining enough to try to gain permission to sleep in our room at night) about bad dreams and last night it was wolves. So we specifically prayed about trusting in Jesus to protect us from the wolves.

The boys were very good tonight about picking up their toys, blankets and gardening clothes, and pop cans, and dishes. I was surprised and relieved... I was feeling quite overwhelmed by it.

We have so much going on. A birthday party for one of Caleb's buddies tomorrow. All of Caleb's party to buy for and organize for tomorrow. Caleb's party on Sunday. Laundry to put away, and more to clean. Our vacuum cleaner has broke a belt and I have to source/install a new one so our carpets are miserable, our TV broke very suddenly and will need to be replaced somehow?! eyes rolling at this moment, Caleb will attend a zoo field trip and there is a project to complete before the event. I have a MOPS end of the year thing on Monday, days of work to complete this coming week. We are going camping for Memorial Day weekend. Caleb's actual birthday coming after that. And the list goes on and on.

The boys are just about keeping up with things, and it is remarkable to watch them grow. Caleb is taking on more responsiblity in the house and even showing initiative (which I think is huge!). Caleb has decided that he feeds the dogs, rabbit and waters the rabbit. WOW. Of course he still needs reminders, but it was self appointed to begin with. Jockey is showing willingness to clean and I'm moving him up in responsiblity to replace the things that Caleb has matured away from. I am astonished by how much they understand, talk and talk about, do and are capable of. (In a good and bad way... They can do so much constructively AND DEstructively...sigh). Caleb is getting the mail by himself now. I THINK with his birthday we will graduate out of car seats entirely (I better check that.) When I attend MOPS, both boys are eager to set out chairs, tables and supplies with me. I'm training them to clean the bathroom. Other than THEIR TOYS, THEIR CLOTHES, THEIR ROOMS and little helps... the Bathroom is going to be their big job. If a boy doesn't have 100% accuracy in that room... they should learn the results by having to clean it up.

Through it all, I'm learning that I have to TRAIN them, and that takes patience (I'm not good at this) and time which often feels like I never have enough of. Today's MOPS reminded me to SLOW DOWN my life, NOW is meant to be the time to TRAIN, TEACH, MODEL to my kids their skills for life, and of course, they weren't BORN knowing how to clean, act respectfully, kindly, perservere, how to build a relationship with God, it has to be taught. (Duh, right?!) The time spent, though long, cumbersome, patience stretching, mind boggling, and logic bending and perhaps even neverendingly boring, will not be a waste in any hindsight view, it might even be useful and valuable later. MOPS called it intentional parenting. Consciously determining goals and priorities of what you want the kids to come out knowing and then setting out to train/teach with noted effort. Intent. OK, I can do that. I tried that today. I tried to show them my relationship with God tonight in our bedtime prayers...show them how I trust God, what I'm grateful for, and asking for help in the areas I need help in. The BEST thing I came out of childhood with (thanks mom) was an enduring relationship with God. I can fail and might fail in everything else, but that one area (which ironically has eternal consequences) is one thing I feel steadfast in; Iwill seek to bring that to my boys. I knew this all before, but I feel reminded and energized to act on it with more INTENT.

However, as for this exact second, it's late and I'm headed to bed. Caleb will be roaring to go with excitement and I better get my sleep.
More later, and sorry for the ramble.

We are back and in the full swing of all things usual.
School, and swim lessons which the boys adore but can't figure our which days they go.
Thursday night is Caleb's awards night for Sparks (awana).
I have received 4 RSVPs from the boys Caleb chose to invite. He's thrilled that he has friends. (again, an area I do not excell in, and strive to meet Caleb's needs in.)

Jockey has Preschool tomorrow, and I'm trying to find the balance of being there for the Mother's Day thing, but also trying to get my multi-hour work load accomplished too.

I've started on the annual Caleb scrapbook project, but am not holding my breath to complete all 12 months in time for the party. I just feel good that I have 3 of the months done in one day. I keep trying to remind myself that I don't keep a baby book for the boys, so I have to keep up on something to remind them of their growth/achievement marks.

Jockey whacked himself good on the coffee table tonight. He was napping on the couch and rolled off and Whack! He's even got a precision line across the top of his brow; I'm hoping that the ice helped prevent a bit of the bruising.

Caleb has been invited to a party on Saturday. I'm not sure whether it was intentional or by accident, So I have to call and check with the parent and then also check with our family schedule. Caleb has gone DAYS and WEEKS without stages, so I'm thinking it is time for recognition of such. I learned today that he has been getting food coloring at snack time. I guess that would explain the no-naps and the picking on Jockey stuff. He's got a field trip coming up at the Woodland park Zoo. I think he will have fun, although I hope to get both boys there this summer. Caleb's party is on Sunday and he is stoked, especially when he starts seeing the preparatory items/actions that we are taking. He talks almost non-stop about his birthday. When did we adults stop being so excited about birthdays?

So that's the update. More proabably after Sunday.
TTFN.

Just a little catch up....

No school Monday. "School improvement day", but also probably pretty timely to see if any other would swine flu break out close to home.

We are headed out of town this weekend. Birch Bay is on the itinerary. And if weather permits... clamming, and a trip into Lynden. I'm just looking forward to slow and quiet. Life seems busy and leaping from one event to the next.

Speaking of itineraries. The boys and I are booked for a California trip June 19th through July 1st. It's been a while since we were down there and it was time for a long trip (and hopefully before their really hot temperatures arrive).

The boys are in swim lessons. From what I'm told they are truly impressive and top of their class. They are have a good time with Grammy. And they probably need a break from me and drilling Caleb through his homework.

Tomorrow night is Jockey's Cubbies Award night at our church.
Next Thursday is Caleb's Sparks awards night.
Next Friday is MOPS final meeting, and the following Monday the End of the Year leadership party.
May 11th the Free clothing exchange that I plan to attend.
And of course, Caleb's birthday is coming up soon.
And for the actual Memorial Day weekend, we are camping yet again.

Like I said Busy!
Jockey is learning to put socks on himself, wiping nether regions himself. He's becoming more articulate and independent. Really doing well.
Caleb is trying to make friends with the boy across the fence and with the boys at school.
Although, I haven't gotten any RSVP for his party, but there is still time to go for that.

more later, I am hence forth beckoned upstairs for duties less becoming. (bu** wiping time)