I'm dreaming of a white....Easter.

Easter feels like it was so long ago - maybe time has slowed down to the interminable rate of melting snow here? I think this was our first-ever White Easter, thanks to the inch or so of fresh snow we got the day before. The kids couldn't have cared less, of course, all they were focused on was the candy. During the opening prayer at church that Sunday, Jake kept saying, "Easter Bunny! Can-dee!" Yeah, we weren't so successful at keeping the focus off the sweets this year. But it was a great day together as a family, and Haley even helped me hide eggs for Jake to find. Happy Spring, everyone!

The kids and I had lots of fun decorating eggs. It was much less stressful than last year because I decided to put Jake down for his nap while Haley and I dyed the eggs, saving a few for him to do himself. We managed to get away with no major spills or mishaps!









I could not for the life of me get a great shot of both kids in their Easter outfits...oh well, such is the case when I tried to make them hold still and look cute right after 3 hours of church...

Above: Haley was SO excited to help hide the eggs, and then to help Jake find them; Jake was very intent on eating each chocolate egg as he found them; Haley found her hidden basket in almost the first place she looked - hint to mom to try a little harder next year!; Haley and I folded our napkins into these cute little bunnies!

Jake Turns 2...with a fish named Dude.

Last Friday Jake turned 2 - and unfortunately spent his birthday with a high fever that just wouldn't go away. Rob was out of town anyway, so we celebrated the next day when Jake felt a little better. When I had asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday, he said, "Elmo!" So we took that theme and ran with it: cake, balloons, presents, decorations - it almost all had to do with that lovable and strangely high-pitched red monster. We even took him to Wal-Mart and let him pick out a fish, which he wasn't so sure about bringing home and which he later named "Dude."

He and Haley had fun bouncing on the bouncer we'd bought him (poor-man's trampoline, we decided), and once they were hyped up on cake and ice cream they had a great time with the balloons and new basketball set. We also gave him the Pizza Elmo, and while we're already pretty tired of hearing Elmo sing "Yummy, yummy, that's-a pizza pie!", the animated pizza still cracks us up every time.

At 2 years old, Jake:

Loves sports balls of any kind.

Loves to take flying leaps off of increasingly higher surfaces.

Loves to play in water - at the sink, in the tub, in the enormous puddles of melting snow.

Loves music and anything to do with music (singing, drums, guitars, dancing, MTV with dad).

Makes a really cute "scrunchy" face when he's flirting with ladies at the store.

Still doesn't sleep through the night on a regular basis.

Loves to be in the middle of things, wherever the action is.

Loves to yell "run away!" and take off naked around the house at every opportunity.

Says "I-wuv-you" if prompted (okay, begged) many times.

Throws spectacular tantrums, but usually only when he's really tired or hungry.

Is the most charming, fiesty, snuggly, heart-meltingly endearing 2-year old boy I've ever seen.


We love you, Jake!

Tagged

Tagging is going around like the flu at a preschool...here's mine. Thanks, Kristie! :)

What I was doing 10 years ago:

Working on my B.A. in psychology at the University of Washington; just starting to date Rob. That's us on a camping trip to the WA coast - I kept dating him despite the fleece.

5 things to do today:

It's past 10 pm (11, with the time change!), but I still need to:

Lay out Jake's clothes for church tomorrow.

Finish baking cookies for church tomorrow.

Iron clothes for church tomorrow.

Fill bag with snacks and quiet toys for church tomorrow.

Set out breakfast items so we're all fed, dressed, pressed, and ready on time for church tomorrow.

Snacks I enjoy:

Quaker mini caramel rice cakes; anything chocolate.

What I would do if I were suddenly a billionaire:

Move us and all of our extended family to someplace sunny and warm. You're invited too!

3 bad habits:

Being impatient with my kids.

Making a total mess in the kitchen while I cook.

Letting Rob get up with the kids every day even when I know I should take a turn.

5 jobs I've had:

Mom to 2 amazing kids.

House flipper - once, would love to do it again.

UW Bothell Office of Admissions

UW Human Interface Technology Lab office assistant

Mail Plus - manager, woohoo!

5 things people don't know about me:

I'm a certified Master Gardener (don't judge me by my yard, please!).

I'd love to go back to school to get a Masters in Romance Languages, Landscape Architecture, or Psychology.

I hate doing dishes.

I was once treated for arachnophobia.

I have a crazy dream to someday own a lavender farm.

I tag: My sister Kim; Heather Church; Brandy Heiner.

Tiny Dancer

This past week Haley started ballet. She was SO excited, but also terrified. We toured the studio, met the teacher, and bought her shoes and leotard which she proceeded to wear for the next 3 days straight. On the day of her first class she had several meltdowns about random things, and I knew it was because she was nervous about ballet. However, the excitement won out and once we were there, she gave me several big hugs, said "bye, Mom!" and followed the other girls in.

Afterward she kept saying "It was SO fun, Mom!" and her teacher said she couldn't believe it was her first class ever because she'd done so well. I replied that in reality Haley's been dancing for years - in the living room to Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses and Barbie in Swan Lake. Thanks, Barbie! Now if we can only convince her to dance in the recital in May...