Red Hot Cruz

(I know it may seem like this is going to be all about someone's temper that we all love...but, its not!)

Cruz--for the first time, was not a spectator watching Oshyn play soccer--he's three now and eligible for good 'ol TOT SOCCER!

I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a difference in 3 year old and 6 year old soccer, but there is nothing like a good belly laugh when the ball keeps going and going and going past the goal and almost all of the way to the next field before the little munchkins are herded back to their arena.

It's hard work to run around chasing a ball, but he survived most games and minus a few Cruz-wants-to-do-it-only-his-way moments (that are actually not just soccer moments :) He had a blast!, still talks about the Red Hots and always points out the field where his games were.

I am so thankful for the little sports teams that keep kiddos active. They love being part of a team and especially having their own "jersey". Red Hots rock the house!

"Piggie Back's leaving!"

When this is said the boys know to hop on quick for a double-decker ride upstairs to bed...

To Do:

Red Hot Cruz

Surprise 60th

-isms

Shark attack O

One really really cute baby post

**I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.**

Buttons

I have been meaning to post these pictures for my cousins and aunties that worked so hard separating and color coding all of Grammie's buttons with me. See it was worth it! :)

I had a plain wooden jewelry box from Ikea that got spiced up with memories of Grammie Herzog (after it had been penciled on by O as a wee boy). Now every time I look at it I think of her and of the good time we had in Kansas celebrating her life.

School today

It may be blatantly obvious after seeing pictures of our kids that we let our kids choose what they wear. I loved today (crazy hair day for Oshyn) when Cruz wanted to wear his church clothes to school. His preschool teachers told him that they felt underdressed for the day. What a handsome guy!

Boring Blogger

Sorry about being so lame for so long...I think I am stuck in a blog rut and I can't get out. Maybe it is because my desk is closing in on me.

Or because I was here--

and am just starting to breathe right--after staying the weekend on top of what felt like Everest! (9,869 feet! aye Colorado!)

Tyce is recouping nicely from being extremely overtired (Mr. I'm-Way-Over-Vacations Guy)

and took a big fat 3 1/2 hour nap on Monday morning. I decided to kick him while he was down and threw in a shot today for more fun. He's still cute and even smiled when his nose was waterfalling mocos this weekend.

We are thrilled to be back into regular life

and I vowed to not travel any more until Thanksgiving.

3 more days of school and then we have our first 2 week break of the year...any fun ideas of what to fill our days with?

Ideas appreciated. A lot.

Mazel tov!!

This is the perfect phrase for our lastest road trip (with both definitions applying)...

(Hebrew/Yiddish: מזל טוב,Hebrew: mazal tov; Yiddish: mazel tov; lit. "good luck [has occurred]"). The phrase is used to express "congratulations" for a happy and significant occasion or event.

It was definitely a journey with a 13 hour car ride and much "good luck occurred" with our boys being traveling warriors. You would have thought we were going up to Sacramento--no lie--that is how patient they were.

Our main goal on this journey was to celebrate and "happily congratulate" Ben and Maya--broken glass style. Beau and Ben have been buddies for quite some time...way back to Island Park Elementary. Whoa. Nice mullet Beau.

On our way we happened upon the Portland temple and stopped to stretch our legs. It was beyond a beautiful day in Oregon. We even randomly saw a friend from Hawaii taking pictures for a wedding. Seriously, what are the chances?

Bonus was getting to re-visit Ian & Zach and the rest of the Riddles on their turf.

We arrived in time for the first game of the season, Thursday evening, for the manly nephews. High school football--nothing like it. Our little men were pumped and ready to cheer. We even got some cheerleaders to paint their faces. The big guys went hard out from the start and in the second play of the game Zach was getting ready to pummel this guy and snap went his wrist. So while Zach was taken to the hospital, Ian kept Kennedy alive by repelling guys left and right--and contributing to their win.

Tyce made sure Zach was alright after his surgery and 2 pins. Ugh. We love you Zachie.

These 3 boys had no fun. We had to force them to put on these masks (Red-Cruz, Black-Jackson, White-Oshyn) and they cried when we made them take off their shirts. It's so hard being a parent that just wants their children to wrestle at least once a week. All they want to do is sit at the table and color with crayons. Ha.
The Gribbles treated us to a speed boat ride across Lake Washington to go get some fish and chips on Friday. All of the kids sat up in the front with perma grins plastered across their faces as we glided through the water checking out the ginormous houses that we passed along the way. Tyce laughed and closed his eyes. Once we got there we had to force some more wrestling time. It was a BEAUTIFUL evening. One of Washington's finest I'm sure.

Saturday was relaxing with the Riddles and we finished it off with the Washington BYU game with Bennie and co. It was nice to meet some more of Beau's buddies from back in the day.
Sunday after church we headed over to the Don James Center-Husky Stadium. Bennie played football for the University of Washington and must have an in with the venue. The Huppah ceremony was right on the water and the dinner was overlooking the football field. This was my first Jewish wedding and to say they did it up right is an understatement. It was by far the coolest, most traditional, happiest, upbeat wedding I have ever been to. And yarmulke/kippa's on most everyone's dome...male dome's that is. I loved it. The dancing was insane and fabulous. People swinging in circles, hoisting others up on chairs, more grapevines and circles...you can't even imagine the energy going around unless you were there. I tried to take pictures, but they do no justice.

We partied as long as 30-year olds-who-have-to-wake-up-at-5am-the-next-day-to-drive-13-hours could and caught a few zzzzzz's before we journeyed home on Labor Day.

A few leg-stretch/bathroom/nurse-baby/meal/ice cream/gas-refill stops and we made it back to Rutledge Drive safe and sound before 9pm.

Unleashed and Proud

Tyce has had some new tricks up his sleeve the past few weeks...crawling and pulling himself up. Lucky for me, he held out for a nice while, but he is on the move now. I've found him sitting on the first stair, standing in his crib instead of sleeping, eating toilet paper in the bathroom and nicely cleaning all of the great little toys, in his mouth, that no one else seems to be able to find. It's only just begun and he does it all with a smile that makes even his eyes sparkle. Love him. A ton.

Homemade Hockey

I love a good "kid-vention".

After logging over 32 hours of driving time in the last 2 weekends I'm glad to say we are On the Road Again DONE. Our boys were fabulous and awesome road-trippers and we are not scared to do it again. We drove through Oakland, Phoenix and Harrisburg...not in California, Arizona or Pennsylvania, but Oregon towns. That kind of stuff makes me smile.

There are more pictures and stories to come of our Tahoe/Seattle trips, but until then--here are the motorcycle drivers...

If you ask the boys, Oshyn is the one with the black helmet and Cruz with the orange shirt.

Today was the 23rd day

of school, I was informed (but who's counting?). Its already flying by weeks at a time. Life for us has calmed down a bit with O in school for a full day, which is good for my sanity and everyone else around me. Oshyn thinks 1st grade is pretty great--even better than kindergarten. They do have THREE recesses, which is fabulous if you ask me...and Oshyn too. PE and Music are also pluses added for the 1st time for 1st graders. He has started off with a bang, continuing to surprise me with his sponge-like brain for knowledge.

Here are some pics from the first day...

Organized chaos for SURE--everyone has to meet on the black top before school every morning

Where's Waldo

Oshyn?

He survived the 1st day and many after (22 to be exact :)

8 years ago today

I got lucky. Really lucky...I'm still pinching myself.

And I'm at least 8 times happier than I ever knew possible.

Hairy got hurt...

***Update: FYI--He is absolutely fine now!!***

but HOW? Maybe his rejuvenating downward dog gone bad on the wood floor?

We're not quite sure what happened to Tyce but Tuesday morning he woke up in tears and after trying to get him dressed--crying, moving his arm when feeding him--harder crying, and seeing him lift his arm off the ground when he was on his hands and knees, I knew something was wrong--babies don't fake it. I thought maybe he had nursemaid elbow so that is what I called Kaiser about. Well, a few doctors visits and x-rays later, and they think he may have a crack/fracture/whatever on his elbow.

So there you have it.

We will go back for another x-ray this week to see if there is new growth on the bone (confirming a break).

In the mean time he is the cutest maybe-broken-elbow-boy in town.

Just 2 minutes of unedited Tyce for Grandma's, Aunties and whomever else has 120 seconds to spare to make their day better.

Pulled it!

Both Bella and Oshyn had loose teeth that were past the point of needing to come out. So much so that I offered them more money than the tooth fairy gives for whomever pulled their tooth out first. Money talks for Oshyn so he was quickly looking outside for pliers. When that wasn't happening (Beau already went that route once), Sam pulled up a YouTube video of a kid pulling out his tooth with dental floss hooked to a rocket, and Oshyn was pumped. Due to a lack of a rocket in our house, he used Uncle Sam's human rocket abilities and dental floss. In one swift pull, it was out! Bella took a bit more convincing but was won over by an ice cream bribe and yanked hers out by herself.

So August 9, 2010, the day that two best buddies lost a tooth together and went on their first chaperoned date for ice cream.

The Day has Arrived

This day has been years in the making. There is something different about knowing what is to come, rather than not having any idea what is out there.

Cruz has known about Grace Preschool since he was about 8 weeks old. He dropped Oshyn off and picked him up from this fabulous place for two years. He tasted the sweetness of the colorful home-like atmosphere filled with motorcycles, an indoor "tree house", puzzles, bikes to ride, balls to play with and a playground to slide and climb on BUT hasn't been able to sink his teeth into it all fully until TODAY. I didn't have to whisk him away crying because he wanted to stay like so many times before. I got to kiss him goodbye and let him go where he has been waiting oh-so-patiently to go and be. My heart is full and I can still feel his excitement inside of me. Who would have thought preschool would be such a big deal? Well, ask someone who has been waiting their entire life...

Golden Birthday

Wow. What can I say? I was blessed to have 31 family members out to lunch on my 31st birthday on the 31st of July. That sure doesn't happen every year.

Could a "golden birthday" get any better?

Well when Tyce and I arrived home from Kansas, the boys gave me a "golden" birthday party and the excitement was so high from the little men, that although I was tired, it was most excellent. Beau, Ian, Zach, Oshyn, and Cruz did/gave me 31 pressies...ranging from doing all of the laundry to beef jerky to running shorts to dishes done to foot massages to flowers (just to name a few---service is my love language and Beau worked it.) Plus I got some cards and "goodies" from the rest of my fam--including my Grammie (the one that just passed away)--talk about on top of things!

I'll turn 31 again every year!