All Aboard!

Saturday we went to the last train rides of the summer at Fort Humboldt
and the kids were delighted by the only working trains in the county. Until it was time to climb aboard, Matt was ready:

then Amber wasn't so sure:

After the train ride and some serious running around Matt discovered that this "park" lacked a slide. So we had to go here:

The bad, the good, and the cute

The bad: The flash on my camera is completely dead, allowing pictures to only be taken when the flash is off.

The good: Today was sunny enough that I thought I could take a few non Picasso style photos of today's adventure.

The cute: We touched sea stars and put our toes in the ocean. (No pics of the ocean, my hands were too full trying to ensure that only the toes got wet!)

Then we had to go and tell Dad "Touch a sea star me" (Amber) and "Toes go in ocean, dad" (Matt)

Quickly followed by "Cheese in burger with fries and milk"

I am not a slacker...

Just really really busy! I have been: being a wife/student/mother/employee and still knitting...

Here are 2 pictures from our trip this March down to the Bay area. The picture of Chris and Amber is on the little train at the Oakland zoo and the picture of Matt and I are at the Wiggles concert in San Jose.



So, graduation is only a few short weeks away (May 12) and I look forward to having much more free time then...

Halloween

Amber was going to be a princess, but I didn't finish her costume in time, so she was a "moocha-bear" instead. Matt was a musketeer complete with a makeup goatee.

At the Fair

We went all out at the county fair this year, with our all ride wrist bands. Matt loved the big slide and after a few minutes, the carousel was a hit as well. He tried the dragon roller coaster, but got let off after 2 times around the track.

I even got Chris on the Gravitron!

That yellow thing around Chris' neck is a duck call, which makes an annoying sound that the children love.













I even got a few ribbons~ check the knitting page for details. Hopefully next year will be just as fun for everyone.

Fun at the pool

Chris found a new girlfriend:Matt learned to jump into the pool. (With 3 adults standing guard):
And Tater learned to captain a boat. (With Uncle Mike providing propulsion, sorry Ben!) :

Emergency Exits

What do yo mean we can't sit in an exit row?! We were the only ones who listened to the entire safty talk.....

Party

Some highlights:
Matt and his flash cards



Amber walking

and us girls testing out Matt's toys(quality control is important...)

We had a good time with family and freinds and Matt (and the rest of us) enjoyed playing with our new toys.

Nostalgia

As I half carried my three year old to bed, and the intricate bed time routine that followed (yes of course Mr. Train and Mr. Truck will come too. Your flash cards? Sure. Thirsty? OK, fine. Yes, I will snuggle and read you Hop on Pop. Old MacDonald? I guess. No really, I am leaving now, good night. "alright... *pout* nigh-nigh mom, luv you"


I recalled earlier years where getting him to sleep was much, much simpler:

At the zoo

Tatertude: Matt got to go into the petting zoo, while Amber had to sit on the sidelines.

How I spent my Spring semester

Many long hours spent in front of this NMR machine, controlling that large metal cylinder by this antiquated computer and interpreting the squiggles produced by this ancient plotter printer. Then handing in the reports of analysis based on NMR and IR spectroscopy and discovering just what exactly was in my tubes of unknown chemicals. Fun, no?

the long awaited B-Day pics

OK, I am a slacker and these should have been up 2 months ago! Gunslinger fans "I cry your pardon"

in the party dress opening presents

awaiting our princess cake complete with tiara

The wake of destruction left behind by Princess Tater (with a bit of help from her frosting thieving brother and their friend Joe)

Spring break...

Well, last weekend Aunt Kris brought us some snow to play with... little did I know that we would soon have our own. This is how I started my Spring Break. (Now I can honestly tell my children that I had to walk in the snow to get to school.)


P.S. Pictues of Amber's birthday party will follow sometime this weekend!

Avatars

Okay, here is mine...

Happy New Year

Lets start the New Year off right, squeaky clean!

POWER! (and Happy New Year)

Yea the lights came back on! We were without power for about 10 hours. Matt kept trying to turn on the TV and couldn't understand why there was no Wiggles to watch. And no hot coffee for his grumpy parents, what a fun morning. But it's getting back to normal now.

Hope that everyone has a safe and happy new year!

the blonde grrl

Keep your comments to yourself... just kidding

It was brought to my attention (thanks Uncle Pete) that only registered users could post comments on my blog. So I've now changed the settings and you may now comment without having to sign up for blogger.
That being said, I retain the right to moderate the comments. So I still may veto what gets written on my page...(e.g. no leaking of embarrassing childhood nicknames to my friends and colleagues)

As Matt says "nigh-nigh"

I'm a slacker....

I'm sorry! I know that I promised that I would get pictures up last night. I started working on my sweater and I couldn't put it down. (I'm posting a picture of it on my knitting page) At 2:30 last night I finally set down the needles and just went to bed.To make up for it I am posting 3 pictures. The fist 2 are of my kids and my brother and his new wife, Viki who we just got to meet. This picture is a poor soul dressed as Santa trying to hang on to my delightful urchins! :)

ipods

I finally got my ipod back from the apple servicing center and all my files back on it today. It died a week before finals and I had a lot of my chemistry lectures recorded and stored on it. At least its up and running for next semester, right?

Pins and Needles

I went to my first acupuncture session today, and I kept thinking that I must look like Neo from The Matrix as they rebuilt his muscles. But as I was laying face down I didn't actually get to see any on the needles nor could I feel them once they were in. I felt pretty good afterwards, so I would recommend it and I'm going back next week.