Snow-In 2014

We have spent the last three days basically homebound due to the biggest snowstorm we've had since Trey has been born.  I think we have at least 10 inches accumulated on our patio table (which I am considering the official count for our house).  It has been fun for Trey to play in the snow and for us to have some quality time together as a family, but I am almost done with limiting screen time and trying to stop my terrible eating and drinking habits while stuck in the house.  If there's one good thing about going to work tomorrow, it will be to stop snacking.

But we before we get to the obligatory snow pictures, I have a few other things to cover.

Last weekend was the sporting event of the year, at least in the Clark house, but it turned into a topic that bears no real discussion.  Randy, Bronco fan since childhood, was over-the-top excited for the Super Bowl, but as you all know by now, it did not go well for the Broncos.  We had a party (I think most of our friends were secretly rooting for the Seahawks), and by the end of the night I was getting repeated texts asking, "How's Randy doing?"  It was a sad night for the Broncos (and for Randy).  I honestly don't think it could've gone any worse for them.  It's a real bummer they lost, but I think (as a non-sports fan, so I might be way off base) that it would have been better if they lost in a real competition.  I really like this opinion piece about Peyton Manning.  Couldn't have said it any better myself.

Dear Mr. Manning,

We had as much fun at our party as one could expect during a blow out.  We had good food, good friends, and a selection of Washington and Colorado beer.  

Helping Mommy make brownies 

All dressed and ready to go 

Washington vs Colorado beer

I'm not sure we even discussed who won.   

Baby Case, almost one year old!

Before the game, I got some fun puppets to make to give the kids something to do.  Unfortunately, Trey saw them the day I brought them home, and he ended up making them all by himself.  I think it ended up being a good thing because the number of kids outweighed the puppets, and it would have been a little bit of a pain to have all the kids doing it.  Trey had fun regardless.

(Post superhero day at daycare)

Even Randy got involved.

Now, you know that's a good craft!  

(If you can call putting stickers on bags a craft...which I do.)

The morning before the game, Trey and I went swimming with Julie and Grady at the local pool.  It was fun to get in the water with Trey and see him so comfortable in the pool.  

(This is Trey at swimming lessons on Saturday, but I wanted to throw it in.

He's doing so great in lessons, and I'm very proud of him!)

Grady and Trey

I could seriously eat these boys I love them so much.

Thursday was when the snow started.  I was out in Estacada doing some testing, knowing that the snow was on its way.  As I was leaving one school on my way to another to drop off some checklists, a police officer rushed into the school, talked to the principal, and rushed out.  The principal immediately got on the intercom and announced they were on lockdown.  I was standing in the entryway, so I rushed out of there not wanting to get stuck in the building.  I tried to make my way to the high school to drop off my checklists, but kept getting turned around due to road blocks.  WTF?!?  Apparently, there was a shooter on the loose (I didn't know this at the time or I might've been a little nervous) who had just shot and killed a county employee (on the road I took about an hour before it happened).  I was able to make my way back to the office through Sandy (quite the detour) and had to rush out because the snow had started and daycare had closed.  Luckily, Randy was able to get Trey by the time they closed because I wouldn't have made it in time.  

Here is our road as I got home.

Not too bad, but I got home pretty early. 

Traffic that afternoon...so glad I was already home, and especially glad that Randy didn't have to make his way from Beaverton to NE Portland where we used to live.

Getting Trey out in the snow on Thursday...

it was a little too blustery for him. 

Umm, this is Portland, right?

Bailey jumped up on the bed during story time. 

He wasn't a huge fan of the snow at first, but he really liked it by the end.

I love this picture of Randy laughing with Trey and Bailey.

I remember when we first met loving those crinkles by his eyes when he smiled.

Friday morning I put off getting Trey out in the snow because...well, I was lazy.  Every time he asked if he could watch another show, I'd say, "Okay!!!"  But around 11 I finally got him dressed and outside.  He, of course, loved it.  The snow was too much like dust to make a snowman which was a real bummer, but he still had a good time.

First snow angel

We have spent a lot of time reading and using a variety of different screens.  I hate to say it, but I am really sick of playing Mickey Mouse and "disappearing things" (I still haven't figured out that game). I finished Lowland which I have been working on, and I just read another book in two days.  It was a really easy read (obviously) written by the writer of Sex and the City about marriage.  I can't say I'd recommend it, but it was a fun read...sort of.

Here we are feet-to-feet...

just like I used to do with my mom.

Cuddles, books, and the iPad.  

Who could ask for more on a snow day?

Saturday there was even more snow, and Trey had fun outside again.

We went to Kris and John's for lunch, and it was nice to get out of the house.

Trey entertaining himself, as usual, at Kris and John's.  

This is probably the place I feel the worst about him being an only child, 

but it is also one of the only places we go where there aren't other kids, 

so the kid doesn't have it too bad.

It's a good thing we came home when we did because the freezing rain started shortly after.  Now the snow outside is covered with a layer of ice, and we aren't going anywhere.  Hoping for a clear commute to work tomorrow, but I'm not holding my breath.

It's a good thing we had a snow-in because I mismanaged my library holds again and got several at once.  I finished Lowland and the junky marriage book, so now I have one more to read before I pick up two more.  I'm looking forward to reading Blue Plate Special by Kate Christensen because my new favorite genre is cooking lit (if that's what it's called).  I also have All Joy and No Fun: the Paradox of Modern Parenthood on hold at the library which I'm really hoping is good, and a Fork in the Road (another cooking book) edited by James Oseland.

Right now I'm listening to Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us by Michael Moss, and it is really interesting and rather depressing.  

I definitely relate to how eating more sugar makes me crave more sugar whereas when I don't eat sugar I don't think about it nearly as much.  I also have been doing a running inventory in my head of my pantry and all the crap I feed Trey.  I'd like to think we don't have a huge amount of processed food, but if I really went and looked in our cupboards, I would probably be horrified.  

On that note, time to go get another snack and drink...

Beach Time, Besties, and Books...These are a few of my favorite things

Last weekend was pretty much a dream come true.  On Saturday I went to Cannon Beach with two of my besties, and my sister, Julie, even came to join us for one night.  Two nights away with two of my best friends AND my sister?  Time to read, go on walks on the beach, go out to eat without a 3 year old, AND not have to parent first thing in the morning?  Heaven, my friends.  Pure heaven.

There's not much to say except: long walks on the beach, girl talk at sunset, two delicious bottles of rosé (one for each night, of course), a jigsaw puzzle of Paris, meandering through the Cannon Beach bookstore without interruption, and did I mention not having to parent first thing in the morning?

Saturday afternoon with Sarah and Sarah 

 Saturday night fun

We like to live life on the wild side.

Sunday morning I went on a walk with Julie 

while Sarah and Sarah went for a run.  

It was a little cloudy, but no rain on the beach.  

Julie had to leave mid-morning on Sunday to get back to her family, 

but we were really glad she joined us for the time she did.

Sunday late afternoon we took a blanket and a bottle of wine to the beach and got to hang out and watch the sunset.  The weather was gorgeous, albeit a bit cold, and we made it through the good part of the sunset.

Our attempts at a selfie at sunset 

On Monday we went for another walk in glorious (cold) weather before heading home.  While I enjoyed my time immensely, I definitely missed Trey and was ready to get home to see him.

Our January picnic on the deck 

The week was pretty uneventful.  Work is super busy right now, so the days feel like wake early, go to work, come home and do the dinner-bedtime routine, read a little, go to sleep, repeat.  I haven't been very successful with my New Year's goal to try a new recipe each week, but I did cook dinner every night last week, so that's a success in my book.

I was really looking forward to this weekend to spend some time with Trey, but he has spent his Saturday feeling a little sickly, so we haven't left the house.  I'm hoping tonight goes okay and that he's back on the mend tomorrow.  I'm also really hoping that Randy and I skip the bug and don't come down with it ourselves.

The only good part about being homebound today is that I finished my book and am ready to start the next tonight.  I decided to read the Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett when I was at the beach, and I really enjoyed it.  I also picked up Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri yesterday at the library.  I've had it on hold since October, and I finally got it.  I can't wait to read it.  I really love her.  I also have a new food lit book to read that looks good called On the Noodle Road: From Beijing to Rome with Love and Pasta by Jen Lin-Liu.   Hmmm...while I was finding my links, I found out that the Noodle Road one also comes in audio.  That would be perfect for my hours spent in the car.

I had a conversation on Thursday about books which inspired me to count how many of my books I have actually read.  Tonight I counted my fiction and have 211 books.  When I went through and counted how many I've read, it is only 60%.  (I actually had to get my book diary out to see what I've read because there were a few I couldn't remember if I'd read or not.)  I guess I need to go to my own shelves more frequently instead of getting stuff from the library.  I have been doing this more than usual which has led me to read She's Come Undone and One True Thing.  Apparently, I need to do it more.  Do you have books on your shelf that you keep passing by again and again even though you want to read them someday?  I think the ones on the top of my list are Tale of Two Cities by Dickens and anything by Alice Munro; however, whenever it's time to pick something new, those don't speak to me.

Late Night Downton Abbey

Midnight on a Friday night and I'm still awake...this is unheard of.  I blame it on the caffeine I had this morning, but I am finally watching the Downton Abbey premiere and enjoying some hot cider adult beverages.  I'm counting down to Girls' Weekend which starts tomorrow morning.  I'm heading to the beach with Sarah and Sarah, two of my besties, and I can't wait.  I know I'll miss spending the weekend with Trey, but I'm excited about him spending some quality time with Randy and, of course, I'm looking forward to some time away with my friends.

Speaking of friends, Randy and I were lucky to celebrate Kellie's 40th birthday with her last weekend.  Kellie and I have been friends since 1993 when we pledged together at Pi Phi at Willamette University.  We lived together for at least two years (I might be forgetting something), and we spent a fair amount of our 20's together causing trouble.  When Randy and I lived in northeast Portland, Kellie and her family lived about 10 blocks away.  It was such fun to spend seven years with Kellie just around the corner.  Spontaneous walks, happy hours at Breakside, and getting the boys together to "play"...it was a true gift to have her nearby and it's honestly one of the things I miss most about being in our old 'hood.

Her husband, Ethan, threw a great 40th birthday party for her, and it was great to have a night out.

Ethan's sister created this great poster of all things we love about Kellie. 

Getting ready to blow out a shitton of candles... 

Okay, maybe there weren't 40. 

One of the best parts of the party was seeing Joy.  

Joy, Kellie, and I lived together for our senior year in college, 

and we had such fun.  The only downside to seeing Joy was it made me

really miss Jessica, the fourth Musketeer.   

Ethan, the DJ 

Saturdays are extra special when we are in the throes of the school year.  I love spending time with Trey, and there are moments when I have to consciously put aside chores so I can sit and spend quality time with my boy.  Last Saturday we were driving to swimming lessons, and as we drove down our street I saw a glorious rainbow in the sky.  I pulled over and unbuckled Trey from his seat.  We have talked a lot about rainbows and read about them, but he's never seen one in real life.

If you look closely, you can see that there was actually a double rainbow.   

Trey and his first rainbow 

I came in on Trey during "quiet time" (I use the term loosely) on Saturday and found him in his "nest" of pillows on the floor reading books.  We have read these books so many times that he is able to pick one up and "read" it to himself.  I've been trying to expand Trey's horizons when it comes to books...mostly because if I read one more Mickey Mouse, Toy Story, Doc McStuffins, or Jake and the Neverland Pirates book I might just poke out my eyeballs.  Luckily, Trey has been enjoying Henry and Mudge books and I have been introducing some other early chapter books like the Ant and Honey Bee and the Bones mysteries.  I cannot tell you how much I love that Trey loves books.

On Sunday, we spent some time with Grady.  I also cannot tell you how much I love spending time with Grady and how much I love watching Grady and Trey together.

playing with Legos 

Someone has discovered the dog door.

This could be a problem.  

I forget how close of an eye you have to keep on a two year old.

If you look closely, he has Randy's shaver in one hand.  

Randy is in football heaven right now with the Broncos being in the playoffs.  He has been trying his hardest to get Trey to wear his Broncos jersey, but for some reason Trey is totally opposed.   Fingers crossed that this Sunday goes well, as I won't be home to keep Randy from raising a ruckus if his team starts to lose.

Tuesday was Randy's birthday, and we celebrated with a dinner at home.  We got some short ribs from Gartner's and had some smashed potatoes and delicious wine.  Trey had helped me bake cupcakes the day before which we enjoyed along with gifts.

I am feeling pretty disappointed that my book didn't arrive at the library before my trip to the beach this weekend.  I have selected some books off of my shelf, but I'm not feeling super excited about them.  I have been on such a good run of books lately that this lull in reading (even though it's only a few days) feels sad.

I've chosen Sense and Sensibility by Austen which I've never read and Ann Patchett's first novel which I've had on my shelf for years.  I have read all of her others, and I'm sure this will be good too.

I know I'll get notified as soon as I hit the road for the beach that my library book has arrived, but I guess I'll just need to be patient.

It's 1am and I'm almost caught up on Downton Abbey (and the blog).  Still not feeling tired.  Damn caffeine. I know I shouldn't drink it but I still do...

Back to the Grind

I knew I should have blogged about our last week of vacation before school started again, but I never got around to it.  Right now I am sitting in the garage, blogging and hiding, while my husband does bedtime.  Just got back from the store and I am way too thrilled that I spent $3 on $10.60 of laundry soap.  This, my friends, is what bargain shopping is all about.  I'm also thrilled that I got my errands run, child-free, on a Thursday night.  How do working mothers get anything done??

Tomorrow is Friday, finally, after what feels like the longest week ever.  This first week back at work after a blissful vacation has been brutal.  Early mornings, late bedtimes for Trey, early-ish bedtimes for me, and early mornings that come back around way too soon.  We have been having trouble getting Trey back into a routine, but, to be honest, it is really hard to get home between 5-530, get dinner on the table between 530-6, and then basically start the bedtime routine around 630 if we want lights out by 8 o'clock.  Really?  It feels impossible to me.

Compared to the hibernation I engaged in during the first week of break, the second week of break was the complete opposite.  Trey and I had playdates every day, we went to see Peter Pan, and with him spending 1.5 days in daycare I got a shitton of chores and errands done.  The weekend was very relaxing (aka lazy) which was just what I wanted before returning to work.

The Saturday after Christmas we went to Kris and John's engagement party.  It is always such a treat to spend an evening with just adults, and we were so excited to celebrate the engagement of two of our favorite people.

Cute cheese plate...ahhhhhh...how sweet.   

I really loved how Kris's friend organizes her baking supplies.  

Some day I will have a pantry that looks like this.   

Maybe it's because I was right in the middle of reading Mastering the Art of French Eating (and LOVING it), but I was mesmerized by her shelves of cookbooks.  I especially liked this photo of the hostess with Julia Child.

The couple being toasted 

This cracked me up because it's like we were in the presence of celebrities.   

On Monday night Mindy and I took the kids to see Peter Pan.  First we wanted to take them out to dinner.  Ha.  Trey fell asleep on the way downtown thanks to his lack of naps, so he spent the entire meal pouting and not eating (hey, at least he wasn't crying). 

Camille really loved the parmesan cheese. 

Waiting for the show to start 

I was so proud of Trey during the play.  He sat enthralled through the whole show, watching every move, and clapping his hands after each song when the rest of the audience clapped.

Cookies during intermission 

 I love this picture because they look like two little people in the middle of a great conversation.  What happened to our babies???

Cap'n Hook! 

Get him, Peter Pan!  

Trey and Camille with Peter Pan after the show 

Meeting Captain Hook 

Trey has been very interested in talking about actors and costumes.  One day when we were driving somewhere and I had explained to him about actors and actresses and learning parts and wearing costumes etc. he was quiet for a few minutes and then he said, "Tell me more about actors and actresses, Mommy.  Tell me more about that."  I am loving how his brain is processing information right now and how much he is learning.  We are in such a fun stage of him asking questions, figuring things out, and learning new things.

One day over break Trey wanted to play games, so he pulled out Candyland and Chutes and Ladders.  He has no interest in the rules of the games, so I guess we are working on turn taking.  I follow the rules when it's my turn, and he does whatever he wants on his turn.

Our friends Adam and Jenny were in town from Colorado, so we got a sitter one night and went out for a double date night.  We hit two bars/restaurants in Hillsboro, and it was a lot of fun to catch up with them.  I am still a little pissed off that Randy's Guinness cost $7.25.  I mean, seriously???

 My sister's husband had surgery this week, so I got to spend the morning with Grady and Case and take them to daycare.  I can't believe Case is almost one year old.  It seems like just yesterday that he was born.

He really likes to get the spoon stuck between this teeth and move it up and down like a lever.  It's hilarious.

So my reading update:
I was over the moon to read FOUR books over Christmas break.  FOUR.  (If you read between the lines that means my son watched a lot of tv, but whatever.)  Right now I am reading my book club book and it's one of those books I want everyone to read so we can talk about it.

This is a story about a family during Hurricane Katrina.  I am in utter disbelief that some of the things that happened after the disaster happened in our country in modern time.  I cannot stop thinking about this book, and I wish there was something I could do to make any sort of change in how people were treated.  This is a must-read.

Have you made any new years resolutions?  I like to make some and call them goals.  Right now the goal I am working on is to try a new recipe every week. I think I tried four in the first week of January before I returned to work.  I'm pretty sure I have another goal, but right now I can't remember what it is.  Must have been really important.

Time to sneak into the house, put the groceries away, and crawl into bed.  Tomorrow is Friday.  Thank God!!!