Infomercials

Okay, this is yet another post I have been putting off for some time (not as long as the swifts, but still). Our daughter Hayden has discovered commercials! She loves commercials in general, food, toys, anything geared towards kids. She wants EVERYTHING she sees (thank you smart marketing teams!) She is specifically enchanted by infomercials! As she is watching DK (discovery kids channel) or Nick Jr, she will call out to us to "come see __________" What makes it cute is how impassioned she is about her need to have ____________. One night stands out. Hayden comes downstairs and addresses Tom: "Dad, have you ever had the problem of not being able to get all of the toothpaste out of the tube?" "and what a mess!" "Well guess what, now you can get 'Touch n' brush', you just stick it to the wall, and 'touch & brush". Needless to say, we could barely keep straight faces. The fact that she is completely serious makes stifiling our laughtereven harder! She really does want a Touch n Brush for Xmas. Here are a few more that are on her wish list:

www.bigtopcupcake.com/ (I actually did get her this for Christmas...shhh its a secret)

www.hoverdisc.com/ (Hayden says you can play with it inside, outside, ANYWHERE!)

www.wonderhanger.com/ (She doesn't even hang clothes in her closet yet, but still wants them)

www.snuggieforkids.com/ (She told G&G that she wants one for watching the Hawkeyes.... it
was a proud moment for Tom!)

www.paperoni.com/ (Not a chance, too many little pieces)

www.bendaroos.com/ (We'll see, not sure how long they would last)

and finally:

www.buytouchnbrush.com/

Not only do we have the next Billy Mays living amongst us, I can get all her Christmas shopping done at Walgreens!

Experiencing the Swifts!

Okay, so I have to admit, this post is long overdue. Things get busy here and then the holidays approached (way too quickly) and now it's December! Yikes! So anyways, back in warmer weather, Spetember to be exact, we gathered with hundreds of Portlanders to watch the swifts at Chapman Elementary. Over the years I had heard rumblings about this phenomenon through friends and local news but had never checked it out. Here's the skinny: for the last 30 years, the swifts ( a small bird) have stopped nightly (every night in September) to roost in the old smokestack atop a local elemntray school. This phenomenon has created quite a following. I had no idea what we were in for! We arrived around 5:30 pm at the school/park to scope out a seat and give the girls time to play before the big show. The birds show up at dusk (approx 6pm). Strangest thing I have ever experienced. Like clockwork, as the sun started to set, thousands (okay maybe only hundreds?) of birds appeared from out of nowhere and started swarming in the sky above us! We sat on our blankets (as first timers we stood out compared to some families elaborate set ups complete with platters of food and beverages) to watch as the birds circled in formation for the next 1/2 hour or so (waiting for any latecomers to fly in). It ended with the lead swift finally decending into the smoke stack and all the other birds following is a tornado-like swirl. The crowd cheers at the sight, families pack it up and we all head home. This happens EVERY night for 30+ days! Not sure if it will be a family tradition or not, but definitely something to check out if you are in Portland in Spetember!

P.S. On a sad note, a couple of the swifts were swept away by a hawk/falcon quietly eyeing the acitivty from a nearby tree. Smart hawk/falcon, he is probably well fed in September. There were plenty of boos from the crowd.

A star in the making....

Wow, I can't believe how long it hasb een since my last post. Time really flies. We have had such a great fall so far. The girls are getting so big, and while they are a handful, they are so much fun!

A little background on this story: About a month ago, our neighborhood put out an invite for kids 4 and up to join a "Winter Wonderland" production being sponsored by Northwest Children's Theater. It would keep Hayden busy every Saturday and it sounded right up her alley! I registered her and then waited. I hand't really told her much, except that she was going to get to perform and wear costumes and that her friend Shania ( I know I am spelling it wrong) would be there too!

So, fast forward a month to last night when our sitter was helping Hayden pick out clothes to wear the next day. Hayden surprisingly pickedo ut a sweatsuit/track suit and laid it out on her dresser. Now anyone who knows Hayden would be shocked by this. We spend many a morning playing tug o' war over what Hayden thinks is an appropriate outfit and track suits are never high on the list. Steph (our amazing sitter) questioned Hayden's choice. She reminded Hayden that it wsn't a daycare day on Saturday, that she was going to her new class. Hayden responded: "I'm going to be onstage!", "I definitely can't wear that then!". That's our little diva! By the next morning she had picked out jeans with rhinestones on them (compliments of her Grandpa Bill) and a flowery shirt. She also wore her sparkly belt (belts have become quite popular for her this past month!) I will be exciting to see her performance in December. TOm and I are hoping the instructor can handle divas!

Ticked Thomas

No picture to post this time, although it would make for a good one! To provide some background, we have been dealing with 4 year old attitude a lot recently. Hayden has definitely been testing boundaries, limits, rules, her vocal cords, Haley's pain tolerance, etc. While some things have made us chuckle: Tom picking Hayden up for gymnastics (in a hurry) from daycare and telling her she can put her Leotard on when she gets there. Hayden rolling her eyes and saying (somewhat under her breath) "whatever, (dramatic pause) I guess you're in charge"! Other things have us in fits over discipline (and more specifically who will be the "disciplinarian"): Hayden yelling, screaming, crying b/c she wants ___________ (fill in the blank with anything). Tonight's laugh though came at bedtime when I (playing the role of the "nice" parent) was putting Hayden to bed (queue the whining, procrastinating, etc). I gently warned her not to make me get the "enforcer" (the role of disciplinarian, played by Tom). Hayden said she didn't like "The Enforcer" as a nickname for her dad and instead proposed to call him "Ticked Thomas" (it was all I could do not to laugh!). It has a nice ring to it don't you think!

Family Vacation #1

So we have been so busy the last couple months, it has been awhile since I have posted any news. We took a trip to Sunriver resort in central Oregon. One whole week of togetherness! The girls were able to swim, play, and eat whatever they wanted...even cupcakes for breakfast! No bedtimes, and few rules...what a blast. Hayden was old enough this year to do Guppy camp (day camp) and enjoyed crafts, smores, and fun. Tom of course golfed....tons! But it is so beautiful there, I can't blame him, I will however be happy when golf season is over. Highlights for me: secretly using the private resort pool that had a bar for drinks poolside (very important when entertaining the kiddos all day!), hot stone massage (thanks for the surprise Tom), walks to the bakery, BBQ'ing with friends, and bike rides with Hayden! Can't wait to do it all over again in September! This time with Grandma & Grandpa which means even fewer rules and more treats!

Ways Hayden makes us laugh....

Everyone is always telling me that I should write down all of the funny things Hayden says and does and I keep meaning to, I really do. Some of them are really good and I don't want to ever forget them. Some of them I have already forgotten! Here are a couple:

In reference to me saying "you sure have a great daddy...." Hayden informed me that she "has a great daddy and a great grandpa because they buy her Barbie's at the store, mom just says 'negative'! "

In response to Hayden wanting (or rather demanding) a piece of gum. I told her that she couldn't just HAVE a piece of gum, she had to EARN a piece of gum. I asked her to think of something she could do to EARN gum. She pondered for a brief moment and responded "be a good listener". "Great" I responded, "we're going to the store and if you can be a good listener at the store, I'll give you a piece of gum" Hayden's reply was "No deal" (This has been a popular response as of late.

Yesterday at the zoo we were making our way through the primate exhibit and I pointed the baboons out to Hayden. "Look at how colorful they are, they have purple bottoms" I said. "Hayden shouted "mom, that's your favorite color!" There were many laughs! (See pics above from the zoo trip, sorry none of Haley :( )

Pics of the girls March 2009

Just a few picks of bath time, and hanging out at our home! Haley is really coming into our own, she is so cute with her pigtails!