Fall Fun and Photo Dump Part Two

Is it just me, or have the fall colors just come out of nowhere?  Last weekend was so beautiful and I could not stop staring at the red, orange, and yellow leaves.  I kept pointing them out to Trey as we were driving, and he said he could see them, but half the time he was staring somewhere else, so I'm not quite sure.

I remember back in June, just before Trey turned three, when Randy and I felt like we were getting a run for our money.  We thought, "Oh shit, is this what 3 is going to be like?"  It lasted a few weeks and then got better.  Right now it feels like we are in the "Oh shit, is this what 3 is going to be like?" part two.  I'm wondering if there's a limit he hasn't tested or a routine he hasn't completely revolted against.  It's exhausting, and it makes me irritated and impatient with him, and that makes me feel...well, shitty.

There are so many parts of fall that I love: the weather, the leaves, the brewfests (of which we have missed both due to weather and illness), the events, and the new books.  Did you know fall is a big book release time?  Well, it is.  I'm in a book extravaganza right now.  I started reading She's Come Undone while I was waiting for some new things to come in at the library, and now I have too many things at once.  If I don't answer your calls, texts, or emails over the next few weeks, it may be because I have two books to read in the next three weeks (plus finish the one I'm on).

Let's talk about She's Come Undone.  Wow.  Wally Lamb really is something, isn't he?  I read I Know This Much Is True in summer 2012, and I remember it well.  It's a long one, but it is so good.  She's Come Undone has been staring at me from my bookshelf for years, but I always ignore it and read something else.  Well, it has really changed the way I view really overweight people.  Lamb does an excellent job taking the point of view of a teenage girl who feeds her loneliness and pain with food which causes her to become obese which just perpetuates the cycle of anxiety, self-loathing, and destruction.  On Tuesday I was at a middle school testing an 8th grader who was pretty overweight.  She sat across the table literally whispering her answers to me, and my heart was breaking.  One reason I love reading is it gives me new perspective, and this book is a great example of that.

The books I have on my stack are Jeannette Walls' newest and Elizabeth Gilbert's new novel.  It has received rave reviews and I can't wait to read.  I'll keep you posted.

Here are some pics from the past few weeks:

I have been collecting some pumpkin recipes and tried a few of them a few weeks ago.  I made some low calorie pumpkin muffins which were okay, and Trey and I made some pumpkin snickerdoodles which were pretty good.  Trey loves making cookies, but what he loves more is eating them.

I babysat for Grady and Case a few weeks ago, and Randy and Trey joined me for a bit.  We got some pictures of the three boys together which may be a first.  I just can't wait to see these boys grow together.

I have a feeling this is going to be a frequent expression of poor Case when he is with these boys. 

 Three blondies and Aunt Kristin

Randy and I took Trey to the zoo one weekend day and got to see Baby Lily play with the elephants.  I just can't get enough of this baby.  I can't wait to see the baby lions.  I hope they go on display at some point.

Checking out snakes or fish or something Randy likes 

Getting a ride on the train before it closes down for construction 

I picked Trey up at daycare one day and he looked like such a little boy to me.  Every so often it strikes me that he's turning into a real kid and not a baby anymore. I know he hasn't been a baby for a long time, but it still shocks me at times how grown up he seems.

We were doing homework one night (yes, he has homework...sigh), and I turned the paper over and asked Trey if he could draw a face.  He busted this out on his own.  I don't know how old you're supposed to be before you can draw faces, but I was impressed.  I've never seen such motor planning from him before!  (Poor kid is doomed to have a special educator as a mom.)

September 25th was the 8 year anniversary of my mom's death.  I received several thoughtful messages from friends throughout the day, but, to be honest, the "death day" (as Julie and I call it) isn't an especially hard day.  Mostly, it's just hard to believe that she's been gone that long.  I think that Julie and I both do a good job of keeping our mom "alive" in our minds by thinking and talking about her on a regular basis (and not in a weird way).  I know that we both have done this more since we've had kids.  Mom would have been an amazing grandma, and one of the most heartbreaking things of her being gone (of which there are many) is that she isn't here to be Grandma to our boys.

I took this picture on either the morning she died or maybe the morning after as I pulled up to my parents' house.  It was an amazing moment for me because it looked like the sun rays were coming from the backyard of our house.

On the 25th, my dad came to Portland to go to dinner with Julie and me.  He had a love fest with his grandsons before dinner, and then the three of us went to Decarli for a delicious meal.  

Obviously, there's someone very important missing from this family photo, but I do have to say that Julie and I are blessed to have such an amazing father.  He has been such a rock for us, and he is an amazing teacher of how to treat other people and be an honest, loyal citizen.  We have always been a close family, but our relationship with our father has definitely deepened over the past ten years.  

Making brownies for a dinner party 

Trey and Grandpa doing a little reading 

Celebrating Grady's 2nd birthday 

Tonight I am babysitting for Grady and Case while Julie and Tim are out celebrating their fourth wedding anniversary.  It's a pretty tough job to watch two well behaved boys who take about five minutes to go to bed.  

What's wrong with a little pre-bedtime Elmo?

In the midst of working, parenting, keeping up a house, trying to get decent sleep, and feeling stuck in the grind at times, I am reminded of how lucky I am to have such special friends in my life, an amazing family, and good health.  I'm looking forward to a fun weekend coming up, and hoping for some quality time with my special boy.  Cheers to the fall!

Fall Photo Dump Part One

So it's been six weeks back to school, and I'm a little behind on my blog.  My weekdays consist of waking between 5-530, rushing to get out the door by 650, starting my *wonderful* commute to work,

(It might be hard to tell, but traffic is stopped...

this happens to me frequently and I hate it.)

working all day, driving home, picking up Trey, and then jumping into dinner, bath, and bedtime.  By the time Trey gets to bed (super fun since school started again), I don't even want to watch tv much less blog.  It's straight to bed with my book and the morning comes way too quick.

Here are some highlights of the first part of the school year:

My friend Amy planned an art party at a local art studio.  The idea was that the toddlers would go in , get really messy, and have a great time.  Mission accomplished.  The only bad part was that Amy thought the art party was in the afternoon, and the rest of us thought it was in the morning, so the party planner wasn't there (it was the business's fault).  The other bad part was that I had to drive Trey home messy.  There's still paint on the back of the front seat.

Just getting started 

Getting more comfortable 

Really, Mom? 

Covered in shaving cream

And, no, there was not a sink to use before we left. 

Got him home and straight into the tub

Trey and I got to have some fun Saturday play dates with Camille in September.  We met up two weeks in a row, so when the third Saturday came and Trey didn't get to see Camille, he was pretty disappointed.

Cute friends 

Silly faces 

That weekend Randy and I went to a wine event in downtown Portland with some friends.  There were several southern Oregon wineries there sharing a variety of wines.  We discovered some new wineries such as Roxyann and Kriselle, and we also enjoyed some wines from one of our old favorites.

There's not much better than drinking wine on a sunny fall day

 in downtown Portland with good friends. 

Randy, Kris, and Tim 

Randy, Tim, Elinor, and Kris hanging out in front of our favorite row of wineries.  We spent a lot of time in this part of the plaza.  

Trey and I were lucky enough to introduce Julie and Grady to the Children's Museum.  The boys had a lot of fun together, and Julie liked it well enough to become a member.  This is a great place to take the kids, especially if you go first thing in the morning.

Trey with a microphone on a stage?  Shocking. 

Did you see my last post about our dog and his personal space issues?  Here's an example of how Bailey looks most of the time in the evenings.

Here are some more darling pictures of Trey and Camille - this time playing doctor.  I wish I could express how precious it is to watch these two together.  Mindy and I nearly die every time we watch them.

"Show me those pearly whites!"