Tooth Fairy time

Grace has the belief that being six years old is the reason behind everything these days. She had loose teeth before she was six, but now she has lost two teeth since she has been six.
The first tooth was her bottom middle right. I ended up plucking it out of her mouth because she wasn't quite brave enough. The second one, her bottom middle left was easier for her. We were hanging out at her friends house when she came to me and said "Mom,my tooth came out!" I knew it was coming out today but I thought I was going to be doing the same as the first tooth. Instead, she got a piece of toilet paper and plucked it out herself.
As you can imagine she looks goofy. But still the cutest goofy looking kid I know. I do believe that it will be a little while before she loses another one since there are no other loose ones right now.
And good thing, because the tooth fairy brings $2 for each tooth.
Check out the new look she's rockin'!

Grace is six years old

If six years ago my daughter would not have "graced" us with her presence my heart would not beat the same. She has a twinkle in her eyes that shines brighter each day.
Chris and I both are constantly amazed at the words that come out of her mouth, and how much of an amazing little lady she is growing up to be.
I decided to ask her a few questions so I could show her in the years to come and also for us to look back on and see how she has changed. She was actually quite reserved in her answers, which shocked me. I am still going to share them with you since I think a few of them will still make you smile.

Grace's birthday questionnaire

1.How old are you?
6
2. What is your favorite color?
Pink
3. What present are you hoping someone got you?
A Barbie
4. Who is your best friend?
Cody from kindergarten
5. What do you want to be when you grow up?
A Claire's worker
6. What is your favorite thing to do?
Color
7. What is your favorite food?
Grilled cheese
8. What food will you not eat?why?
Salad, bc I just don't like it
9. What are you hoping you get to do now that you are 6?
Get my ears pierced
10. What is something you say all the time?
I love my mom and dad
11. What do you think is most important in life?
To love your whole family
12. Is there any question you want to ask me?
...long silence, then...no

The answers I found interesting were the one about her best friend, and what she wants to be when she grows up. Cody, is her new flavor of the month. I actually have not even met it, and the one time I saw her saying hi to him at school he didn't acknowledge her. Boys are so clueless! Or, he is in kindergarten and still thinks girls have koodies, which is normal. I guess Grace is just a boy crazy kinda gal. And then, the Claire's worker. She must know that mom and dad will love her no matter what, but I sure would hope her aspirations would be a little higher. I'll be listening closely to the answer next year!
We still have her friend birthday part y coming up this weekend. I know Grace will love to celebrate her birthday all over again, especially with her friends.

I can't believe I have a six year old. And Grace told me no one else will believe it either because she doesn't even look six yet. Ha!

~ Em

It hits close to home

Late last week a family was told their son had leukemia. As you can imagine, the new was shocking and unexpected. Their son, Fynn is three years young. I have had the opportunity to meet Fynn through a mutual friend. He is your typical little boy, with plenty of energy and smiles.

I am sharing Fynn's story because it is the least I can do. My son William is three also, and as a parent my heart aches to even imagine if this was my son.
A fundraiser has been started to help Fynn and his family. I urge anyone and everyone to help in any way you can.
Please follow the link below and join in The Fight for Fynn. You can read more about Fynn and see all the people that have already stepped up in support of him. Any support YOU can give this family, be it monetary, or otherwise is appreciated.
I am coming from a place where if this were my child, I can only hope that people in my community would be generous and open their hearts to our family.

"Hands that give, also receive."- Unknown
http://www.giveforward.com/fightforfynn

Our first team sport

Grace went back and forth on it but finally decided she wanted to sign up for soccer. I never played soccer when I was younger, Chris did though.
We practiced a little with Grace before the first practice and she was mostly positive about it. She whined some but that isn't anything new.
Her first practice was Tuesday. And did I mention Chris volunteered to coach! We are hoping it helps Grace feel more comfortable to trying something new.
Practice was...ummm...interesting. I ended up helping Chris because as it turns out, the kids couldn't focus. I am hoping the next practice is more successful and less stressful.
One practice down!

~ Em

Kiddos first day of school

The day as finally come. I always knew it was coming. But when the time is actually here, you feel like you just blinked and you don't know how it could possibly be here. How do I have kids old enough to be going to school?! Yikes!
A lot of preparation went into being ready for the first day of school. Grace of course only could think of one thing she needed...school clothes! So Grace was taken school clothes shopping by both Grandma's and Mom and Dad. Do you think each Grandma bought her just one outfit, uh, no. Somehow Grace came back after shopping with more clothes than anyone intended to get her. She is becoming quite the skilled negotiator. And I think she is more than prepared, clothes wise, for her kindergarten year. Will also got new clothes, he knew sister was, and he has to do the same as her or that just wouldn't be fair. Thank goodness I have one child that is easier to please.
We took baths, set out our special outfit for the first day of school, and got the kids to bed right on time. When I woke up, I gave myself plenty of time to have breakfast ready, the kids dressed and a few minutes for pictures. As I am sure, the moms that have been there and done that know, my morning did not go as planned. There were tears from both kids. Grace because she changed her mind on her outfit and was upset that I wouldn't let her wear a skirt with no pants underneath. And Will because Grace sat where he wanted to sit to eat breakfast. I should have know emotions would be high. I even had a few moments myself, and them crying was only making it harder on me to hold it together. Somehow we got out of the house, with some cute pictures, on time.
Since the kids started school at the same time Chris and I had to each take one. I took Grace since I won't be able to take her everyday. And Chris took Will since my sister will normally be the one dropping off. Plus, if I took him, he is more likely to struggle with being left at school.
Both drop offs went smooth. Grace was so preoccupied with her classroom that after I told her I loved her, she told me it was time for me to go. Now if that doesn't break a moms heart.... And Will didn't seem to mind being left at school.
They also handled themselves well during school. Or so I am told by their teachers, and helpers. What a relief.
So now we enter the world of school. I am excited for everything school has to offer for the kids. Most importantly, their education, but in addition to that, the social factor, sports, and the friendships they will make no doubt. As we encounter obstacles, and exciting milestones I will keep you updated.
Life featuring Will and Grace just got a little more exciting!

~ Em

Our Saturday Market purchase

It can't come as too much of a shock that these shirts were purchased at Saturday Market, can it?
Grace had a tie dye dress that she wore until the threads were busting, it had seen better days. So that was why we ventured downtown Portland. Downtown with both kids, at a crowded place such a Saturday Market tends to give me anxiety. Also, it kicks in my momma bear instinct and has me on full alert. The kids listened to me and held my hand (tightly) the whole time. We had a good time, and stopped by a lot of neat booths. I wasn't planning on it but I ended up finding a cool birthday present for my sister too!
I don't know when we will make it back there, but I am guessing the next time Grace wears her dress out! Or Will's since we had to purchase him one too!

~ Em

End of Summer Beach Trip

Luckily, we were able to squeeze in a trip to the beach before summer ended. Somehow, summer flew by and when I was going over my checklist and everything I wanted to have us do this summer I realized we never got to the beach. Of course, when I searched online for a hotel practically everything was booked. Turns out I chose the weekend of Hood to Coast run. But I wasn't going to let them get in the way of our only open weekend left to get to the beach. I found a hotel in Lincoln City and it worked out.
We only stayed one night but with the cost of everything involved and being on the road with two kids one night was perfect. And once I booked the room I realized, we have never spent the night at the beach with the kids.
It was perfect weather when we arrived and we went straight to the beach. Well actually we made a pit stop at the kite store,and then straight to the beach. We flew kites,made sand castles, buried the kids and out toes in the sand.
How could we not stop at Mo's for chowder? Somehow we even had time to take a dip in the hotel pool. Private swimming lessons for the kids, courtesy of Chris.
Making memories as a family always puts a smile on my face!

~ Em

Oregon City Night Out

The kids had so much fun! This was our third year going! And we will be going again next year. So many people from Oregon City and business' show up to participate in all of the festivities. Grace won the kids raffle! Her prize was a book bag full of school supplies. Will didn't exactly win but when our adult raffle number was called we let him go up and collect the prize. We didn't want him to feel left out. "He" won a gift certificate for 18 holes of golf! Oregon City Night Out is always an event we enjoy going to.

~ Em

The kids even celebrated our anniversary

July 24th was our 7 year wedding anniversary. My sister helped the kids make us a present. They made us a family memory box. They filled it with pictures they drew of what they love doing together as a family. And I love mom and dad notes in Grace's writing. It was completely unexpected and so heartfelt. We had a lot to celebrate on our anniversary, and everyday we are given together in the future.

~ Em

How well do Will and Grace know me?

I found this little questionarre on Pinterest and found it is interesting. I love asking the kids questions and seeing what their responses are. You never know how random or completely accurate they will be. I was asking both of them but Will just started copying everything Grace said and then he got bored with it and couldn't keep focused. Mostly the answers are from Grace, and literally her first response is what I wrote. I have to put my response to Grace's response down because some of them just require an explanation.

1. What is something Mommy always says to you?
G-I love you, stop sticking your tongue out
Me- Those are both accurate for each child
2. What makes Mommy happy?
G- Being good for mommy, being good for Dad
Me- yes, I must tell them that
3. What makes mommy sad?
G-Being sick and you can't hang out with us, crying
Me- of course being sick makes me sad, but more when the kids don't want to be around me.
4. What does mommy do to make you laugh?
G-Making silly faces
Me- I'm surprised they didn't say tickle them, that is usually how I get them to laugh.
5. What was mom like when she was a kid?
G-You were like me.
Me- I was like Grace is some ways, but from what I have been told I was a lot like Will too.
6. How old is mommy?
G-24, 7
Me- Well Grace did pretty good, and Will, well wow 7 isn't quite old enough to be your mommy.
7. How tall is mom?
G-As big as the fridge
Me- thanks a lot kids! That's not really how you get on moms good side!
8. What's moms favorite thing to do?
G-Hang out with Will and me, and dad and our family.
Me- this is my favorite thing to do, as long as everyone is getting long and not yelling Mom, Mom, Mom every two seconds.
9. What does mom do when you aren't around?
G-You watch tv, go to see your friends
Me- pretty accurate. How does she know that?
10. If mom is going to be famous, what is she going to be famous for?
G- A fashion show
Me- wow! Do I have one sweet girl or what?!
11. What is Mom really good at?
G-Saying thank you
Me- I do want them to know everyone uses their manners, even parents.
12. What is mom not really good at?
G-Nope, that's not a good question, i am not answering that.
Me- and my girl too sweet to her momma!
13. What does mom do for a job?
G-Uh, you work at a bank?
Me- I can not believe this was her response. I don't know where she got that idea.
14. What's moms favorite food?
G-Salad
Me- I do like me some salad.
15. If mom was a cartoon character who would she be?
G-Ruby, from Max and Ruby
Me- I really do not like Ruby, not sure why she chose her.
16. What makes you proud of mommy?
G- Im proud of you for reading books
Me- I kinda wish it was for something else, but she has started reading a little so its good she is learning.
17. What do you and mommy do together?
G-Go to Claire's
Me- yeah I need to curb her shopping addiction.
18. How are you and mommy the same?
G-We both have brown hair
Me- glad she knows what it means to be the same.
19. How are you and mommy different?
G-We don't have the same color eyes
Me- thank you for stating the obvious.
20. How do you know mommy loves you?
G-Because I'm so beautiful
Me- So much for being modest. And, my love for her goes a little deeper than that.
21. Where's mommy's favorite place to go?
G-Library
Me- why she said this, I am still scratching my head.

Ask your kids these questions. And I want to see the responses.

~ Em

Quotes by Will and Grace

I think everyone knows that kids say the darndest things, and usually at the darndest times. Well I try to make sure and write down the comical little things they say. I am so glad I do because in the moment it seems so hilarious and I don't know how I could not remember it, but without fail I find myself sitting there a day or so later trying to remember what they said. 

So what I figure I will do is every couple of posts update you with Quotes by Will and Grace. They will need to have a little story with them so you can get some understanding, if you will, about why they said what they said. If they don't at least make you smile then something is wrong with you.

Okay, here goes.... A couple of days ago Grace had a little belly ache, and was rubbing her belly. Then she decided to puff her belly out and proceed to tell us that she had FOUR babies in her belly.( I hope that never happens!) Will had to copy her like any little brother does, and told us he had two babies in his belly. I asked how the babies got there and even though Will's response was second I can't remember Graces. When I asked him, he said, "Hmm, umm Target.' Nice! Apparently if anyone is in need of a baby, or two, or four, just go down to your local Target. 

Next recent quote comes to us, courtesy of my little lady Grace. She came up to me the other day and asked me if she looked beautiful. I told her yes, but she always looks beautiful. And I told her that being beautiful on the inside is what is important, and her heart is beautiful. I asked her if she knew that, and her response to me was "Yeah Mom, cuz my hear has sparkles on it." Not quite sure how she came up with that but it would be quite fitting if her heart has sparkles on it, since everything else she seems to surround herself with does. 

I have left you smiling right? 

~ Em

The Sea Witch is interrupting our sleep

I have to start this by saying that I have always felt extremely fortunate that I have two children that have slept through the night very early on. They must have just known that their Momma likes her sleep and does not do well without it. So you would think with my children being 5 and 3 that worrying about sleeping through the night would be a thing of the past. However, I am here to tell you, that the "Sea Witch" has made that a current reality.
A little over a month ago William starting waking up in the middle of night, just crying hysterically. At first I just chalked it up to one bad dream. When I went into his room and loved on him he would go right back to sleep. Well then it started happening every night. And then a couple of times a night. Finally, when he was crying, he told me that he wanted the "Sea Witch" to go away. I wasn't quite sure what he meant since I had never heard it talk about it before. So the next morning I started questioning him about this "Sea Witch" and trying to understand why she was upsetting him. He said that she was mean and trying to hurt him.
Turns out, he is talking about the "Sea Witch" from The Little Mermaid. The kids have seen it before but not anytime recently (our VHS player is broken right now). So I don't know what prompted him to all of the sudden dream about her.
We have had many conversations about the "Sea Witch" and how she is not mean, she will not hurt Will, and she is his "friend". I don't want to bring it up too much so that is all he is thinking about, but I also don't want him to think about her in his dreams. She is a little freaky in the movie, but of all things he has seen, I am just surprised that she is the thing he is having nightmares about.
Every night, he wakes up either once or twice. He is either crying or just waking up and crawling into our bed. I really hope that the "Sea Witch" will leave his dreams, and just go back to the sea. I guess only time will tell.
Hopefully next time I blog I can happily tell everyone that the "Sea Witch" has retreated back to the place she came from.

~ Em

Being a parent

Perfect interpretation

~ Em

Summer

To start summer out the kids are going to a new at home daycare. Two people from different aspects of life referred me to her. After meeting her and visiting her home Chris and I were relieved to feel so comfortable with the situation. Grace already knew a little girl that was her classmate at preschool, and they knew another little boy that goes there too. And after the first day I knew we made the right decision because when I came to pick up the kids they told me they wanted me to come back later because they weren't ready to leave there. I knew after hearing that, our decision was the right one.
Outside of daycare, we are staying busy too. Grace went to her first tea party. She was invited to a birthday tea party and it was right up her alley. She got all dressed up, and was on her best behavior. We will be going back maybe for a mom and daughter tea party! Also, we made s'mores in our backyard chimney fire pit. It always seems like a great idea until it is time to put the s'more together and the kids don't even want it, they just wanted to roast the marshmallow. Oh well, good family time.
We went with my sisters to a rock climbing place in Portland that has climbing for all age groups. Chris and I were a little nervous at first to have the kids just scale the wall free hand with no protection, but turns out we were nervous about nothing. The kids took right too it and shocked even themselves. I can't believe we have never been to this place before. It is a great place to take kids if you want to run them out of energy. So, perfect for my children.
I know we will have a lot of adventures this summer and I plan on taking lots of pictures to document them all.
P.S. I found Will's missing Thomas the Train rain boot tonight! It was behind my night stand, with about four other things I was missing, imagine that. And, just in time for summer! LOL

~ Em

My children are growing

Life featuring Will and Grace is a life I would not trade. Each new day in my life as a parent there is a "moment". A moment where I stop and give thanks for the love I share with them, or a moment where I take a deep breath and remind myself that being a parent is not always easy but it is always worth it. Lately the moments are shared with my children in a new way. Both Will and Grace have reached an age where our communication is expanding. Will, bless him, is at the "why" stage. "Why" does something work that way. He does not like my answer. And I know he does not always understand. But Will is Will and is one curious little bugger. Grace also wants to know "why" but her questions have more depth to them. It really amazes me the way kids minds work,, and the questions they come up with.
I have two small children, and only one of them is in school, for a couple of hours a day, and yet I feel like I can not keep up. We could have so much more on our plate, but I don't see how we could accomplish anything more in a day. In the two in a half hours a day Grace attends preschool they actually cover quite a bit. I want to make sure that as her mother I stay as involved in her learning process as possible do I can positively assist her in her growth as a student, and a little lady of course. A couple Fridays ago she attended her kindergarten roundup. And let me tell you that I can not even believe I am saying that. My father in law Bill, used to always tell us that we would blink and before we knew it we would be taking her to her first day of kindergarten. You can hear that and think sure it will go by fast, but you really can never be prepared for how fast life really does sneak up on you. And, sadly, I could not go with her. We planned a trip, a d without thinking too far ahead we didn't realize her roundup would be the day we were gone. Lizzy, my sister tool her, and to Grace that is absolutely the next best choice ( if not first).
Grace made it clear to both me and my sister that she does not want a boy teacher. She said she just doesn't like boy teachers. Cracked me up since she only had ever had one teacher in her life. But by the end of the roundup she came around and said she would be fine with either teacher.
And as we all know along with school and education comes a social aspect and friends. Well Grace wasted no time in preschool of making friends and even developing a little crush. If she knew I said that she would be blushing. I am just shocked that at five she had already grown to be "okay" with boys and not grossed out. I know for me, I did not let it be known that I liked a boy until I was in 3rd grade. So what is going on?
So we are on to a new chapter of our lives soon where we have children who are in school. Our little buddy is going to preschool this next school year for three year olds. Adorable isn't it?! Will could not be more thrilled because he has seen Grace going to preschool everyday and wants to do what she does.
I have to end this with...my babies are not babies anymore

Oh that's right, I have a blog to update

Life has gotten away from me and I have not taken the time to blog. Grace has been busy in preschool, learning about butterflies and boys. Her first crush, at least her first crush on someone that is not on tv. It's cute to listen to her talk about him and why she likes him but it is also freaking me out a bit. I have a five year old don't I?
Anyway, it is sweet and innocent so I just have to leave it at that.
I am adding some pictures we have taken recently. We went to a wedding at this Victorian Mansion and I couldn't help but take a couple of pictures of the kids. And Grace recently allowed me to chop off her long but stringy hair. After much coaching and persuasive conversations she agreed. She always loves it afterwards but getting to that point takes awhile.
And the kids got their faces painted on Cinco De Mayo at Tachos. This was their first time and I am so glad they did it together.
Hopefully my next update will be sooner than the last and more focused.
~ Em

A Sunny Day at Bullwinkles

Here are a few pics from our day at Bullwinkle's this last Saturday. We randomly decided to head out there and I am so glad we did. We did miniature golf, and go karts, and took in the sun. We couldn't talk the kids into going on the bumper boats while we were there, but now that is all Will is talking about. Grace made a little friend her age in the playhouse and she looked for him every time we were moving. It was pretty cute because they learned eachother's names and were yelling out to each other across the walkway. Oh, and Will somehow managed to lose one sock while he was in the play house. They searched for it, but to no avail. So we left minus a sock. All in all it was a great family activity. Hopefully the sun will start to visit us more often so we can take advantage of days like that again!

~ Em

Grace's Pre-School Pictures

I love how they were able to get her natural smile to shine through! Grace has come a long way with getting pictures taken. Maybe a little too far actually, she loves the attention.

So this is her first official school picture. I can't wait to watch her grow and change through the years. I remember when I was younger how big of a deal I felt like school pictures were. I just love looking back at mine and seeing all the funky clothes my mom put me in, or my crooked bangs. Grace will most likely experience some of those same things. I will try to minimize that.

Anywho, just wanted to share these pics. This girl gets nothing but love from me!

~ Em

My little girl is getting so big

We went to my first parent teacher conference today. And man I can not believe I already have a child old enough for one of those. I realize that in all reality a lot of people are thinking, why is she acting like this is a big deal, or so what? For us, in our little family it is one of our "firsts".

Grace only started going to this preschool the beginning of February. Before that she was in an at home daycare/preschool. At first she had trouble with the change and was scared when we left her. It only took her a few days though and she was asking us when does she get to go see her new friends at her new school. She is such a social butterfly that girl.

A couple of things have happened since she had been there that have just melted my heart. First thing was, she had school pictures taken. She cracked me up because she hadn't actually been to the preschool yet (The pictures were the Thursday before she started), so when she took her class picture she didn't really know any of the kids. When she was standing in the formation to have the picture taken she was in the back with one big cheesy smile glued to her face. All of the other kids were moving from where the photographer had placed them and talking to their other classmates. She was the only one, like a frozen statue, waiting for him to take the picture. And he was still situating everybody. It was hilarious. I wanted to get my camera out and snap a picture myself real quick. I guess now that I am writing it, it doesn't sound as funny. Maybe it was one of those things where you had to be there to fully appreciate the hilarity of it. We get the pictures back March 9th I believe. I will post a picture for sure. 

Next was, Grace made me a little bracelet. So cute! Unfortunately  the "bracelet" was made for a newborn so I can not wear it. But it does have yarn attached to it so I am going to hang it from my rear view mirror. My first little school present made by Grace. I love it! And next was the one that I thought was so cool. The school asked me to provide a stamped envelope because they were mailing out a letter. They didn't give me any more details. Then on Valentines Grace received a letter in the mail. It was from her little classmate. It was handwritten by the other little girl, and it said, "Dear Grace, I am glad you are my friend." And then she signed her name. That is most definitely going in her baby book. And this is just the beginning of Grace's "school days".

The parent teacher conference went well of course. The teacher did not have as much time to evaluate Grace as she did the other kids but she still was able to tell us where Grace is developmentally. And she said she is ready for kindergarten! That made me happy to hear because since she was going to an at home preschool I was concerned she might not be where she needed to be. They said her social skills are really good, like listening to the teacher when she is giving directions. Also, when other kids are distracting, Grace will still focus on her work. The teacher did say Grace does get down on herself easily and is always comparing her work to the other kids but once the teacher reassures her she is doing fine then Grace will accept that. She is like this with most things, and it is something we have been working on for awhile now. Overall she said she is on track and has made a smooth transition into the class. That makes me very happy to hear. I was hoping that would be the case, and it was.

I just can't believe in six months she will be in kindergarten! Unreal! I think there will be a lot of changes between now and then for her. And I am sure I will be sharing those changes with all of you!

~ Em

I like Owls these days

As you can see I have changed my Blog Template. I just wanted something different. I won't be changing my blog too often I don't think but just when I find a new blog that makes me smile. I have Terran to thank for giving me the motivation to look for a new one. So thank you Terran!
And I have a preschool parent/teacher conference for Grace on Friday so I am sure I will be updating my blog then to share with everyone how Grace is doing. I realized that a lot of my blogs have been about Will and not so much about Grace. That girl has a lot going on in her life too so I need to keep everyone current.
Thanks for keeping up with us through my blog.

~ Em

Will's Birthday party with his friends

As always we had Will's birthday party at The Sellwood Community Center. My sister works there and it is a great place to have a low key birthday party. First of all, there is no cost to me, how could you turn that down? And then, we get the entire building to ourselves. There is a gym upstairs where the kiddos can play basketball, or drive the toy cars. Kids love open gym. A ton of open space for them to run around and get all of their energy out. And there is a mat room. Now, that is the room where you see the kids really let loose. 

We were so happy to see everyone that came. Will does not get to see his peeps as often as he would like so this birthday was a great opportunity to do that. Now we just have to make a point of having play dates more often.  

The gifts Will received were spot on. Even though he wanted his birthday themed Spongebob, everyone must have known that his true love is Thomas the Train. One neighbor gave him a Thomas zip up sweatshirt hoodie. And another gave him a Thomas pillow pet. Holy cow, that was a big hit. He also got a pair of Nike sandals that he immediately put on.

Will is one lucky little man to have such good little friends. Thanks to everyone that came. We really enjoyed everyone's company!

~ Em

Celebrating Will's 3rd Birthday

Three years ago today God said, "Get ready, cuz here he comes." William entered our world with just as much love as he gives back. The happiness he has brought to our lives is only just beginning. We knew having a boy would be different than having Grace, but nothing could prepare us for this one. Anyone that knows Will knows he hits the ground running everyday. He almost always has a smile on his face, and laughs for no apparent reason. Grace is his best friend and worst enemy, all at the same time.

We look forward to his third year of life. He will without a doubt challenge us almost everyday with his new obsession of the word NO. And with all of that, our love for him can only grow, right?

You may or may not know this, but William was named after his two grandfathers. William comes from Chris' dad, who went by Bill. We could not be more proud of the name we chose to call our son. Anyone who knew Bill absolutely loved him, and truly misses his presence in their life. Will may not have had the honor of knowing his grandfather, however Chris and I make a point of talking about his grandfather as often as possible so he feels a connection to him. William's middle name, Spencer, was my maiden name. My father passed away when Grace was just 7 months old, and lived in Hawaii at the time. So for William, when he was born, both of his grandfathers were unbelievably no longer with us. My dad, would have adored my children and given them so much love. It was and is important to Chris and I that we convey that love to our children.

William is more than just William, or Will, or Buddy. He is living with his grandfather Bill and Dennis' spirit very much alive inside him. When we celebrate his 3 years of life today we also celebrate the lives of our father's and the impact they had on our lives.

We love you Buddy! (aka Will)

Our Family Tree

I enjoy browsing the Etsy web page, and have made three or four purchases from it. And every time I have been pleased with my purchase. Of course this time is no exception. I love wall decals and the drastic change they can make to a room. As you can see, this one does just that. There were quite a few different tree decals to choose from but I kept coming back to this one. Something about the whimsicalness of it, and the life that it seemed to portray through the picture caught my eye and made my decision to purchase it easy.
I was completely impatient once I purchased it and found myself checking the mail everyday specifically hoping it was there. Of course when it did arrive I was not home and came to find out that it required a signature for delivery. Instead of waiting until they attempted to delivery it again I drove out to Tigard where the delivery company returns it to temporarily house it. I actually was even laughing at myself a little that I was so anxious to just have the decal in my hands. But I felt so good about my new addition to my living space that I couldn't stop myself.
That night I pulled it out of the box and was a little perplexed at first. I don't know why I had it in my head this way, but I thought it would just come as one big sticker and I would just place it on the wall. Not so much. Each piece of the tree came on a separate sheet and had to be pieced together. My excitement dwindled down and turned into a little anxiety. Those kind of things that are intricate can be overwhelming for me. Luckily, Chris does not react in the same way and a little reluctantly,but still, agreed to help me sort through the pieces and get it put together. And, let me just add, the reason Chris was a little reluctant was because I tend to find a lot of house projects to do and it usually ends up with Chris completing them for me. Bless his heart, he loves me I guess!
He did a great job, placing each piece very strategically and did it a lot smoother than I ever would have. I just love where we placed it, and the change it brought to the wall.
Next step was placing the pictures. So far we have just our little family, however I do plan on adding more family pictures.(With our without their consent!)
I am so completely impressed with the life it brings to the house, and the fact that it will continually change and grow with the more family I add.

I recommend this Etsy Shop: WallDecalDepot. And the entire Etsy.com webpage. Happy Shopping!

~ Em

P.S. (You had to know this was coming) Will's curiousness couldn't help himself and grabbed Dad's freshly brewed coffee pot from the holder. Of course it was too heavy and he could not lift it completely. The glass pot busted and coffee spilled all over the counter and cupboards and floor. He thank goodness was fine and not burned. Once again, I was not home. Just sayin'.

Changes for Will & Grace

This last year there have been a lot of changes for our family as a whole. It started out with Chris making the big decision to change careers. Frito Lay was a good paying job but as I am sure many people can relate, it comes at a cost. The pay was keeping him there because it was helping support our family. But as the years dragged on he came to realize there was not much possibility for growth and the early hours required were taking away from his quality of life, as well as our families. When his days off came, or it was family gathering time it was known he would be a zombie and not want to do much of anything other than relax on the couch. Who could blame him? He tried so hard to fight against the tiredness but when you know everyday that you will be starting your day at 2am it never feels like you can be completely rested.
Chris took a big leap of faith and obtained his insurance license. And let me remind you he did this while still working at Frito Lay. It was not easy at first, however knowing the outcome would take him to a better place it got him through it. He opened his Allstate Agency, the Chris Osburn Agency, LLC in July and is still giving it 110%. Just one parent changing careers plays a large role in the family dynamics.
Once he became his own boss he had set office hours and finally got to have the good ol' 9-5. It's actually 6pm but still. So instead of me taking the kids to daycare in the morning and him picking them up it turned into him getting up with them and taking them to daycare and me picking them up. It was an adjustment for them because pretty much their entire lives I have been the one to wake up with them and get them going in the morning. They were very excited to be with dad in the morning but still were sad that I wasn't there. And Chris really enjoyed his time with them in the morning.
That only lasted about 4 months, which was when I decided to join Chris in the insurance world. It was a risky move on our part for sure. And believe me we had a lot of our family and friends trying to talk us out of it, or at least tell us to wait until he was more established. The timing just seemed right for us. So now with Chris and I on essentially the same work schedule we had to figure out who would do what. Now, I get up with the kids, get them ready in the morning and take them to daycare. Chris goes straight into the office and I am right behind him. Lucky me, having a great boss that knows how much I love my children let's me leave work around 4:30pm and pick them up. Chris has been working longer hours with the new business, and even though it is hard for the kids to understand it all we are getting to be with the kids more.
This week brings a close to the childcare world they have known almost all their lives. As you can see we like change. Cross your fingers this is the last change for quite awhile. We are fortunate enough to have family that love to be around our children and help us however they can. My sister in law Jamie is going to start watching the kids. And I can't say thank you to her enough. There are so many positives for this (in no particular order), I don't have to drive to Milwaukie twice a day (opposite direction I need to go to work), the kids can wake up whenever they feel like it, they get to stay at their home and be in comfortable surroundings, they get to be with their Aunt Jamie and Cousin Liam 5 days a week ( Can you say bonding time?), and of course we don't have to pay nearly as much as we have been paying. Also, Grace is in an at home preschool right now, so with her Aunt Jamie watching her Grace will be able to go to an actual structured preschool.
Grace has visited the preschool a couple of times and is thrilled at the idea of being in a "big girl" school. And for meeting new kids and making friends. The first visit was difficult for Grace. She was very emotional and nervous. This made me nervous, and question our decision but I knew in the long run it would be the best thing for her. Chris took Grace for her second visit and it went a lot more smoothly. Now it is all she talks about and she is counting down the days.
All of these changes and decisions in the last year have been made to provide a better life for our children and a more satisfying life Chris and I. We have been fortunate enough to be able to make these decisions and minimally impact our financial life. We are very greatly for everything we have and a day doesn't go by that we don't count our blessings.
I of course will keep everyone updated on how the transition goes. Grace gets to take part in the school picture's too! I can't believe she is old enough for that! These are the times in a parents life when you couldn't be prouder of the little person your child is. And the small stuff is the big stuff!

P.S. Will's curiosity and inability to not touch everything in site has struck again. My camera's memory card is currently MIA. I do half blame myself for this because I was the absent minded one who left it sticking out of the computer. Still, Will just has a knack for finding the smallest of things and finding a new home for them!

~ Em

Will's Ways...

This child of mine may appear to be sweet and innocent but let me share a few of his recent actions that may help you see right through his sweet little self. And let me also tell you that I love my little mister man more than you would believe. He keeps me on my toes, and even when I can feel the smoke coming out of my ears like on a cartoon, he makes me smile. There is no staying mad at him.

I will start this story with our most recent occurance with Will. I received a telephone call this morning from the car dealership. I took my car in because the stereo was crackling and making some very not normal sounds. They checked it out and said my stereo was shorting out and would need to be replaced. Since the car is less than one year old and still under warranty they ordered a new stereo to be installed and that is why the car was at the dealership. Once they removed my stereo they noticed something that did not seem quite right. They shook the stereo system and something was floating around in there. Turns out it a shiny penny! Yes that is right a penny. How could a penny possibly get into my stereo? Well the answer came to me quite quickly. I know my son and I know how much he likes to pick up change and do very random things with it. Luckily, once they removed the penny my stereo seemed to be working just fine and not shorting out. They reinstalled my stereo and did not charge me for the labor. They said they got a good laugh out of it and it was an easy fix. I thanked them for their efforts and told them how much I appreciated their time. It is times like this when Will does what he does that I know I am interacting with other parents. My child can't be the only one to do these things can he?

If you thought the story was over there I am sorry to inform you that is only the incident from today. Let me share a few more of the mischievious things my son does to test my love. Which by the way is still going strong. The second the dealership told me there was a penny in my stereo two things popped into my head. First was, Will! Second was, what is with that kid and pennies. Just a few months ago Will started to get very interested in money. Dollar bills and change but mostly change. He figured out that his pockets have a purpose and that purpose is to keep other people's change in. Whenever we saw him with change we took it away from him and put it up high in our change jar. Somehow he always managed to find at least one penny. One night after struggling with keeping him in his room for bedtime he came into my room for the millionth time it seemed like. Before I would even let me talk I told him to get back in his room and go to sleep. He just looked at me and said "Mom, I eat penny." I scrunched up my face and said "What?" He repeated himself. I just sat there for a second and then logically had to ask, "Why?" He without hesitation stated "Because I wanted to." This is as he shrugged his shoulders. I shook my head in disbelief for a moment and then decided I needed to google it. To my relief the search for child ate penny came back with results. I could breathe a little easier. We also called the doctor and they assured us he would pass it in a few days and to just monitor him to make sure he is not complaining of stomach pain or not going potty. Three days later we were routinely changing his pants when a small shiny object caught our eye. Of course at this point it was pretty humorous. We had confirmation that Will had in fact tattle tailed on himself and not made up a bogus story so he didn't have to go to bed. After this I thought he would move on from pennies and there would be no way we would have another comical story to record in his baby book. Once again Will has proven me wrong.

Will does not limit his mischieve with shiny objects. In the almost three years William has been alive he has done countless things to make me question my sanity. For quite a while there when he was still in the stages of crawling he liked to life the heater vents up and put whatever he was holding at the time down into them. When we starting missing things we came to find out this was where he was hiding them. He put crayons, crackers, toys, pom poms, (and my favorite) my Ipod down there. For safe keeping I am sure. He has broken two of our toilets by flushing a lotion bottle and an Avon kids body wash bottle down them. We have Will to thank for Chris' new plumbing skills I guess. And he threw my Iphone in the toilet. $70 dollars later my phone was brought back to life. He has scribbled permanent marker on Chris' brand new laptop, and broken two tv's by pushing them off of their stand and face first on the floor. Along with that he, for curiousity reasons I am sure, put dominoe's in the VHS player, as well as DVD's. And the list goes on.

After all of this I am always left thinking that whatever happens next or when we are faced with another situation I will not be surprised. But every time it sneaks up on me and I am shocked at what he can come up with. What am I going to do with this boy of mine?

~ Em

How we came to be

Our story begins with a completely random act that proved to change the course of my life. Chris and I like to tell people that we met through mutual friends because it is easier than telling the full story. In essense this is true however it is a stretch. The truth is we met online while using AOL instant messenger. And as I said in the beginning it was random and not how everyone would assume you meet someone online. To make a long story short, I was turning off my friends computer for her when he wanted to chat. Instead of ignoring it and just turning the computer off I politely told him I was not her and before we knew it we came to find out that we grew up with the same friends and had lived near eachother all of our lives. We planned a blind date (the only one I have ever been on), and the rest is history. Now who can tell you a weird story like that on how they met their spouse? After being together for 2 1/2 years we got married and it was not long before we were starting a family. And this is where the best parts of the story begin.

 I welcome you to my world with Gracie Lynn and Will (aka Buddy). My children are the light of my life and I would not have it any other way.We decided to have children fairly young, and that has come with its own challenges. I believe parenting at any age is work and I apparently decided to start early. When Grace entered this world she was a ray of sunlight that we welcomed with open arms. Her bright blue eyes should have immediately warned us that she was going to stand out among the crowd. From the beginning she has known the individual she is and not been shy to share it with the world. Watching Grace grown has taught Chris and I so much about ourselves and the way we want to share the world with our loved ones. Of course with all the love in the air we could not help but decide we wanted to expand our family and have another bundle of joy. Grace was only fifteen or sixteen months old when we found out she was going to have a little brother or sister. Even though the process was starting over faster than we had anticipated we were up for the challenge. Our hope of having one girl and one boy came true when William was born. We were very proud of the big sister Grace became overnight. William added the last piece to the puzzle that we knew we were missing. Grace with her exuberant personality and William with his sweet and innocent yet mischievious self make our life a story that can not go untold.

With this blog I am going to share with you all of the happiness and love these children bring to my life. Along with that will come the "accidents", unbelievable incidents, and never ending chaos they also bring to my life. Sit back and enjoy the smiles, laughs, tears, and life altering love they have in store for you and I. I suggest sitting down when you read our blog, you never know what they are going to entail. Thank you for letting us share our crazy life with you! And please bear with me as I fumble my way through the world of blogging!

~ Em