Spring Fever!

What a great month we have had in the Clark house! St. Patrick's Day, Spring Break, Easter, starting our new garden, and switching Trey from the crib to a big boy bed.  It's been a busy time, and it's been fabulous!

My boy has got him some personality.

I drive a lot for my job, and I have been listening to audio books.  I can't believe I didn't do this when I commuted to Woodburn for nine years.  I would be so well read!  Some of my favorite audiobooks I have listened to include Ruth Reichl's memoirs, David Sedaris, and, most of all, Cheryl Strayed's Wild. I just finished listening to the 20 disc biography of Julia Child.  What an amazing woman who had such an impact on society and cooking.  I had no idea.

Our book club seems to be breaking up which is really disappointing after meeting for over 10 years, but I do have to say it has given me an opportunity to choose what I read and that has been refreshing.  Over spring break I read Kent Haruf's new book Benediction (liked, didn't love), the fourth book in the Maisie Dobbs series (really like those), and Night Circus (a book I've had my eye on for a while).   Also on my stack is Mind in the Making (loaned to me by my boss's boss which required a move to the top of my stack, but I have to say it's really good) and the Whole Brain Child (recommendation from one of the psychologists I work with and I can't wait to read past the intro).  Getting in bed at the end of the day to read my book is definitely one of my favorite times of the day.

Randy and I have always enjoyed going out to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, but with the boy it makes things a little more difficult.  This year we decided to have a small get together and Stout/Porter tasting at our house.

Trey keeping busy while Dad shops for beer 

Some of the choices 

Ted, Kris, John, and Randy 

(I don't think Randy left that spot all night.)

Ashlyn and Madi 

Trey playing some tunes 

Spring Break 2013 may have been the best break I've had with Trey yet.  I think it may have had something to do with the naps and me not caring about them. Or maybe it had to do with naps and me timing our playdates and drives so that Trey would fall asleep on the way home and I wouldn't (conveniently) have to worry about them.

We spent the first weekend of spring break at Camp Sherman on the Metolius River.  One thing I didn't think through on this plan was how cold it would be. I thought we'd get a lot of outside time, but I wasn't anticipating the snow.  Trey and I spent a lot of time in the cabin playing Yo Gabba Gabba .

Sunday Trey and I drove to Bend so that we could see Michele (friend from ESD who left us a few years ago and I'm still sad about it) and her new baby Skye.  I was a little bummed because Randy didn't come to Bend with us for the day on Sunday as planned because the extra drive time didn't sound appealing to him come Sunday morning.  I wasn't sure what I was going to do on our own because the friend we were staying with was busy.

Luckily, thanks to Facebook, my friends Kristina and Dan (old boss from Woodburn) were in town for spring break, so Trey and I met them out for dinner.  Between an afternoon with Ann (who we were staying with), dinner with Kristina and Dan, and a night to ourselves at Ann's house, Trey and I weren't lonely or bored at all.   Monday morning we went to Westside Bakery (an old favorite from my time hanging out in Bend) for breakfast, and then we went to Michele's.  It was so good to catch up with Michele and meet Skye.  I left feeling so lucky that I have so many good friends from different parts of my life who are such solid awesome people.

Trey and Skye

Michele, Skye, and Trey at the park

We spent the rest of the week in town and had a really great time.  Trey spent two days in daycare which allowed me to do chores, run errands, and have a little alone time.  I also got to spend some time with Julie and Case.  Overall, it was a really fun week and probably one of the best breaks I've had in a long time.

Playdate with Madi and Ashlyn

Dyeing Easter eggs with Mindy and Camille

(something about cooking these eggs on the day 

they came over made me feel very grown up.  weird, I know.)

Camille, Mindy, and Trey

Managing the splash factor was a little stressful.

Cowgirl Camille on "Blackie"

Camille and Trey eating dinner with hopeful Bailey waiting for some spills

Friday night Randy, Trey and I went to the spring brewfest at the Convention Center.  This is one of our favorite brewfests because it's not as crowded and the beer is good.  We took the MAX down which Trey loved and had a good time at the brewfest.

Crazy boy running around in the corner of the beer hall.  

A family who plays together stays together.

Easter was on Sunday and we had some friends over for brunch.  First Trey woke up to his Easter basket and was thrilled to find the DJ Lance Rock hat from Yo Gabba Gabba. He has been doing DJ Lance's intro routine to Yo Gabba Live since we went to see the show.  It may be one of the cutest things I've ever seen, but every time I try to record it on video he stops.  

DJ Lance pondering important things

Our friends came to brunch and then we had an Easter egg hunt.  It was so fun to watch Trey with all of the boys going around the yard looking for eggs.  Randy and I just keep saying, "I can't believe what a little boy he is."

Trey gathering eggs

The Kopplins looking for eggs

Kathleen, Sarah, Bruin, Randy, Trey, and Neil

The boys: Garland, Trey, Maclyn, Kai, and Zander

Later that day Trey actually fell asleep in our bed for a nap.  MIRACLE!!! I think it's the first time he has napped at home in probably over 9 months.  It gave Randy and I a chance to get our garden started at our new house.  Randy planted his hops, we planted new blueberry plants, and I got my lettuce starts, pea seeds, and spinach seeds in pots.  Later in the spring we will build a new raised bed to get our summer plants started.

Spring break ended and it was back to reality.  Randy and I are both really busy at work, and Trey is of course busy at preschool.  They are studying clouds (Trey proudly told me in the car that the three kinds of clouds were "cumulous, strattus, f#$k."  It took some serious brainpower to figure out that the third kind is "fog."  Poor kid has been a performing monkey every since), volcanoes, and planting seeds.  We have since talked about the clouds in the sky, watched youtube videos of volcanoes erupting, and growing seeds.  He makes me a proud mama when I ask him, "What letter does volcano start with?" and he says, excitedly, "V!!!"

Trey and Randy in Trey's first fort

Sunday we took the plunge and decided to set up Trey's "big boy bed."  I have heard horror stories about the adjustment and kids popping out of bed a million times a night.  So far (only four nights in, mind you), Trey has done well and has just woken a few times in the middle of the night.  It is so fun to see him in a big bed, and I love being able to lie down next to him rather than leaning over the side of the crib.

Trey "helping" Daddy

His new set-up

I just love this picture of Randy and Trey saying good night.

Lately, I feel like the days/weeks are filled with morning routine, work, pick up Trey, make dinner, clean up, play for a bit, bedtime routine, clean up some more, read my book, go to sleep (maybe - such a shitty sleeper I am), and then start all over.   While the days can be monotonous, I am lucky to enjoy my job, enjoy meal planning and cooking, and enjoy my books.  I am blessed to have a solid family - both in my home and in my sister and dad - and such an amazing little boy.  It feels like there can be a lot of crap going on in the periphery (sickness, stress, angst), and while those things do keep me up at night, I never cease to feel grateful that on this day I am one lucky lady.

Daylight Saving Time is for the birds

Saturday morning Randy took Trey to the Fly Fishing Expo in Albany and I have most of the morning and afternoon to myself.  At my house.  This has happened probably less than five times since Trey has been born and I don't even know what to do with myself.  Don't get me wrong, I have had plenty of alone time since Trey has been born, but it's almost always when I go to do something out of the house, and I rarely have time at home alone.

The last few weeks have been pretty uneventful which I don't see as a negative.  There have been so many people around me affected by so much stuff - good and bad - that a few even keel weeks feel good.  Julie and Tim are going on the journey of parenting two boys under two years of age, and it's been...well, exhausting.  Case has been an awesome baby and seems to be pretty happy.  Grady, on the other hand, is adjusting to having a baby brother, and I don't think he's all-too-thrilled.  He's also entering into that stage of toddlerhood that I found to be the most difficult so far with Trey - the pre-language-he-knows-what-he-wants-mood-constantly-changes hell of being 17 months old.  Combining sleeplessness with trying to work from home with parenting a whiny toddler with nursing constantly, and it's amazing that Julie is still functioning.  She's an awesome mom, and I can't wait for Trey to grow up with her two boys.

I have a colleague whose daughter has cancer, and we just found out yesterday that it has relapsed.  I am heartbroken for him and his family.  It brings me to tears so I'm not going to write much about it...just that I try to keep in mind how fragile and short life can be when I am feeling whiny about something small in my life.  I also told Randy last night that knowing about Cassie and what her family is going through makes me want to spoil Trey like crazy...not with material things but with as much love, affection, and attention as I can give him.  If you're interested, you can follow Cassie's journey here: Cassie's Angels on Facebook or here: Caring Bridge

On to lighter topics (as I wipe away more tears), I think one thing I've been very grateful for the past few weeks is living so close to my sister.  I have loved being able to drop by at the last minute, easily take her a meal, or pick something up from the store.  One night a few weeks ago Tim went to play poker with some buddies and Julie was alone with both boys.  Grady was in his crib crying and she was downstairs with Case feeling a little...well, nervous.  I offered to go over and hang out which resulted in me a) missing doing bedtime and b) drinking wine with my sister and holding Case.  Sounds like a sweet deal to me!  As I was driving over there that night, I thought to myself, "Mom would be really happy that we are neighbors."

Trey came home in this outfit, and it amazes me that he was ever this small.

A month or so ago Trey and I went to the Children's Museum and he sat and sang while holding a baby doll for quite a while.  It was so stinkin' cute.  Here is a video that I didn't have uploaded when I did that blog entry:

We went to my dad and Sandy's for President's Day weekend and had a great visit.  I got to see Sarah Long twice, got sushi, got my hair cut, and got to watch Trey and my dad have some quality time.

Bedtime stories with Papa

I got Trey a farm playdough set which both he and Randy enjoyed quite a bit. 

Randy and I went out on a date night on Saturday night and decided to try a new brewery in Eugene.  We were so excited about their beer menu and these flights of tastes.  Well, they all sucked.  ALL OF THEM.  Our glasses looked almost like this when we walked out and left them on the table (we paid, of course).  What a disappointment.

Sarah and Curtis came over to play on Sunday.  

It was so much fun to watch Trey and Curtis play together.   

Cute boys 

My life's joy at 2 years 8 months

I can't believe we are closing in on 3. 

On Monday we went to the fish hatchery before we left.  

Close...

 Closer...

Even closer!

While Randy prefers OMSI, I like the Children's Museum better, so that is where Trey and I have been spending our time.  The pictures below crack me up because if you know Trey, you probably think he is a reserved quiet little boy.  His love for music, humor, and performing is starting to shine through, but he still doesn't often show this side in public.  When we found the stage at the Children's Museum, Trey couldn't get enough of the "microphone" which was actually just a post on the stage.  He stood there and "sang" for quite a long time.  It was adorable.

It's funny how I have been pretty anxious/neurotic/worried/a pain in the ass about napping and at some level eating, but I could really give a shit about potty training.  It's the new thing (at Trey's age) that everyone seems to ask me about.  Is he potty trained yet?  Has he started potty training yet?  NO!  AND I DON'T CARE!!!  I could care less if Trey is potty trained, but I also think I'm assuming he'll be late at it since he was late at everything else.  Nevertheless, I have a potty in the bathroom which Trey has almost ZERO interest in.  He's showing other signs that he's getting ready, and he's also peed in the potty at school, so I know we're getting closer.  I've been told by numerous friends that if if you wait until they're ready it goes a lot faster, so I am waiting until he's ready.

Getting ready

Randy's really trying to turn Trey into a skater.  And it's working.  Here is Trey's first time on the skateboard without holding on:

Here is Trey dressed up in his "outfit".  Randy said, "looks like he's headed somewhere else..."

Last weekend Randy said, "I was going to pick Trey up at daycare and take him to happy hour so you could have some time to yourself."  Ummmmmm...okay?  I headed down to Woodburn to meet my Nellie Muir friends at Yun Wah's.  Dora is leaving soon for Mexico, so this will be our last complete get together for a long time.

 From the bottom left corner clockwise: Dora, Cindy, Ardis, and Stacy

It's hard to believe I've been gone from Nellie Muir for 6 years.  

It's also hard to believe that out of all of us, Stacy is the only one still there (sucker).

Grilling on the deck 

I think the main reason I avoid Pinterest is that all of the crafty shit moms do with their kids makes me feel bad.  I am not crafty now nor will I ever be crafty.  Sometimes I can pull something out of you know where, but it's far and few between.  I have been avoiding painting forever (and that's not even crafty) but I decided it was time to balls up and do it.  Trey, of course, loved it.

 Trying out each color

Standing behind Trey watching him mix colors (within the paint jars) was painful for me (type A), but I let him explore his creativity and "mix the colors" just like they do on Blue's Clues.  

And then it got messy... 

Letting him go to town was a proud parenting moment for me.

On Sunday my dad and Sandy came up to see the boys.  We had some good family time at Julie's house, and it is fun to see Trey and Grady play together.

Grandpa and Case 

 The boys in their unplanned matchy-match striped shirts

 Someday we will get a picture of them both looking AND smiling.

Sunday night we took Trey to see Yo Gabba Gabba Live.  I was SO EXCITED to see Trey's reaction to his favorite TV characters show up on stage.  If I could have taken a picture of the sheer joy on his face when DJ Lance came on the big screen, I would be so happy.  Instead, I will remember it in my heart because it was just perfection...the kind of moment you want to see on your child's face all of the time.

On the MAX on the way to the show 

 Dyer and Oliver

Getting ready...and so happy! 

Some of the Yo Gabba guys on stage 

After the sheer joy, this is how Trey looked for the rest of the show. 

Trey and Oliver waiting for the MAX after the show 

We went to Hopworks afterwards for dinner and it was basically impossible to get both boys to look at the camera at the same time:

Last week I babysat for Grady so Julie and Tim could go out to dinner (with their baby in a basket).  Grady was easy-as-always and went to bed in about 5 minutes.  Oh, how I miss those days!!

Trey had to stay home sick on Tuesday due to some fluke puking on Monday night (in the car downtown, no less).  He seemed perfectly fine on Tuesday, so we went to meet Randy for lunch and then stopped by Powell's.  Trey made himself comfy in the bear's lap and read a new book.

Then he pulled Clifford off the shelf and sat and read him a story.  So freakin' cute:

When I started this blog entry, Randy and Trey were out having some boy time.  I proceeded to have the morning to myself, went to lunch with Jen, and met Mindy for beers.  And it was sunny out.  About as perfect as a day as I could've asked for.  Today Randy, Trey, and I have spent the day together.  We went to the skate shop so we could get some elbow and knee pads for Trey and his new bike.

 Skate heaven...definitely his father's son

Then we went to IKEA to get a piece of furniture for the snake/play room and got Trey a new big boy bed.  Who knows how long it will take us to get the big boy bed put together (aka when we will take the plunge and f#$% up bedtime once again), but Trey loved the bed and IKEA.  He cried when we left...so not his father's son.

A boy needs elbow and knee pads to get through IKEA, right? 

The day out concluded with a lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings (aka hell).  That place is the worst.  Terrible food, way too much stimulation and noise, and they don't use real dishes.  I can't even begin to imagine the amount of waste they go through.  If you want to read a good book about different food industries in America, read The American Way of Eating.  I will never look at chain restaurants the same.  And if you want to know who wins worst-restaurant-mother-of-the-year award, come talk to me.  At one point, Trey was on the floor trying to find the cheerios he dropped and god knows what else he ate.  And then there was the time when he...or when he....I can't even tell you.  I'm embarrassed as I type. Good thing that restaurant is loud as hell and hopefully we will never go back again.