Families

Today I bought myself a movie, a movie that I have always loved... Spanglish. I have decided I need a really good collection of the type of movies I like. The funny thing is that it is hard for me to put a finger on things I really like. I do know I like anything that has to do with the idea of family. I am completely enamored by this idea of famiy. My family growing up... I won't call disfuntional, because we know all families are disfuntional in some way, but I had an ever evolving family. It looked and felt different at any given time. It wasn't traditional in any sense, but it was my family, it is why I am who I am. Webster's dictionary has eight definitions for the word family and I had about eight or so different evolutions of family growing up. I always dreamed of family... I still dream of family... I ponder family. I have a beautiful family of my own now and I often can't believe it. I love the movie Spanglish, because it is in part about the relationship between a mother and her daughter. A beautiful relationship where she protects and cherishes her daughter... her family. I watch the movie and think what a spectacular mother she is in spite of being a single mother in a foriegn country. I love watching beautiful mothering, I love watching a worrying mother. I worry about worrying so much. I just want the best for my daughters. I want them to grow up strong and happy and kind. I can't believe I am a mother.

This Christmas...

Trailer living didn't curtail our holiday cheer. The girls and I spent the first part of our holiday catching up with friends that we hadn't got to spend time with in too too long. Tony was working working working. Sunday morning we headed for the valley at 6 A.M. That day Tony sort of caught up on sleep and the girls played.
Christas Eve was a whirlwind... starting with brunch at Tony's grandpa's house in Scappoose and then a trip my dad's house in Grande Ronde to pick up my Christmas surprise, a little red and white retro scooter, followed by a present opening session as soon as grandpa got home from work. The girls and grandma went to a 3:30 childrens' mass and Tony and I went to midnight mass... both were very very crowded, none-the-less we were able to focus on the reason for the season. Christmas morning was magic as the girls delighted over their stockings. My dad, Matt, Amy, Paul, Zorah, and baby Chloe joined us for ham, scalloped potatoes, smiles, and laughter. Sadly, Tony had to depart the next morning. The girls, grandma, grandpa, and I caught the new Chipmunk movie. It was hilarious. At one point Kylee lept out of her seat and started shaking her booty to the Chipmunk version of Witch Doctor. We all gave it two thumbs or should I say cheeks up:) The next day the girls and I ate lunch with my mom and got to shop at my favorite second hand shop in McMinnville. My mom had been sad over the holidays, but I think the girls cheered her up. We spent that afternoon at aunt Amy's in Newberg. Our last day on retreat was spent touring the Pittock Mansion in Portland which was decorated room by room with fairy tale decor. After our tour we dined at Papa's Pizza with the giant indoor play structure. We got up early on Saturday and went out to IHOP...yum yum yum... and then drove to the Dalles, where Anne picked us up and brought us home. Tomorrow Tony and his police brood are playing football against the affectionally labeled hosers (firefighters). Tackle and all, I guess if you want to get pummeled in your brittle thirty to fifty year old bones a group of paramedics is a good company.

Life is good!!!

Christmas Concert

I was first to arrive at Kyndra's pre-school performance and got a front row seat to see our little star shine. Her grandma had bought her a beautiful dress which she donned with pride as she sang the three songs she had rehearsed at least a million times in the back of daddy's pick-up. Dad would always provide the lead-in for Rudolf. I can't believe what a beautiful, big girl she is getting to be. The other part of the story... Sweet Kyndra and her grandma were shopping and found very fashionable reindeer antlers. Grandma bought them for her and Kyndra expressed with glee that she would be able to wear them in her program. She said all the kids were wearing them and most would have homemade antlers. So, Kyndra and Kylee got new antlers and Kyndra snatched them up while getting ready for the program. We brought along Kylee's in case someone else needed antlers. Tony and I sat with loving grins as the children entered the stage and the ONLY child wearing the REQUIRED antlers was Kyndra LeighAnn Nelson. It was a moment!!!

Construction Update

I haven't blogged in forever due to the frigid, arctic conditions in our garage/ living room/ gym/ play room/ Tony's closet/ office. Today was pretty warm and we were able to heat the space to about 54 degrees, so I am catching up.

We have actually had progress on our house. It has been really fun the last few days as they have taken the forms off of the foundation and put in the floor joists. Our current hero is the excavation guy. He is really carving out some cool yard areas for us and has done some backfill that has covered some gigantic concrete walls that we were worried would be u-g-l-y. We are super excited about the cellar/ basement area that we ended up with as a bonus. It was really the random space that was created since we couldn't dig down as deep as we had originally hoped. It turned out to be a fabulous thing... 700 sq. foot of usable space. Were not exactly sure what for yet, but something cool... someday.


The girls sitting on the front porch.


The girls standing on the future BBQ porch.
Those are the floor joists for the entire main floor.


The girls and I looking through the wall of our bonus basement.


Under the house...soon to be plumbed and ducted for heat.

On the next update it should really look like a house. I'm told the framing really doesn't take too long. We aren't totally anxious to finish, well let's be honest we are, but we seem to be pretty content as long as we are seeing progress.

The girls and I are spending Christmas vacation with Tony's parents. We have written Santa and let him know we will be at a temporary address this year. We even get to have daddy on Christmas and Christmas Eve. It has been a long time since he has been off. We know we are blessed with wonderful friends and family to support us through this house building business. While trying at times it just hasn't been bad. I have a lot of new heroes.

Well my fingers are just about frozen to the keyboard... time to head into the trailer.

Just a few pictures that make me smile.


Kyndra after riding the holiday train at Oaks Park in Portland.


The train was a little much for Kylee too.


Excuse us while we enjoy our Thanksgiving dinner with our cousins Paul and Zorah.


Truly our best attempt at Christmas card pictures... we bagged the idea. Kylee is in "that" phase where anytime I want a staged picture she will do everything in her power to foil my plan. I still think they are cute as can be in their party dresses.

The Only Ones

Tonight was one of those nights when I felt like we were "the only ones"...

We are going up with a group from church in the morning to get Christmas trees at Tollgate, so we went to church tonight. I am really excited, because Kyndra is completely in love with snow and Kylee thinks she is ecstatic to go to the mountain... I think she will feel differently when she realizes there is even more snow on the mountain and she refuses to take a the teensiest, weensiest step in the snow. Anyway...

Tonight at church I felt like we were the only ones who...

-had to remove their two year old in the first ten minutes for excessive talking and pointing at the elderly people behind us
-had to keep checking for very smelly false alarms in the same two year old's diaper
-had to dry their four year old's tears, because she fell on her bottom as we were running through the parking lot in the ice in order to get home (and back again) to turn off the oven so we didn't burn our trailer down
-had to remove a beligerent drunk from the second to the last pew as he was yelling racial comments and swinging his arms (obviously Tony)
-had to yet again remove the two year old after she fell and hit her head on the pew in front of us... producing a really big dent (in her head, not the pew)
-let their four year old wear her very clunky snow boots to church
-had to offer the sign of peace to people who really didn't seem to like us
-were wearing jeans and sweatshirts because our laundromat schedule is off and it was that or snow pants
-make sure and shake hands with the priest to ensure we were still welcome at the parish
-have these things happen when the bishop is visiting our church
-have these things happen when parents of children in your class are looking on

I am sure we are not the only ones, but it sure felt like it tonight.

Elf Link

You MUST check out my new elf link... It is too much fun!!!

Thankful

Every year my class and I have a feast. It seems like a lot of work, but this year I was truly reminded of why it is worth it...

We are going around the room and each person is sharing something they are thankful for. The turn comes to a new little boy in my class. Mind you, he is new because he has been ripped from his home due to his mother's recent incarceration. He is living in a temporary home that is less than desirable. As he begins his turn his face lights up with an ear to ear grin and he shares... I am thankful for today, this is the best day I have ever had.

And this is why we must celebrate with our students. I am so sad for those classrooms that operate as usual while others are celebrating. So often, too often classroom celebrations are the best part of these kids' holidays.

Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving weekend!!!

We left right after school on Wednesday and made our trek to Hillsboro. We arrived early enough for a visit that evening. Then the girls hopped into the bunk beds in "their" room at grandma and grandpa's.

Up early on turkey day... Tony's mom, Patty, had the bird in and the comforting aromas were wafting around the house as we rose. The girls played and played and played. Aunt Amy, Uncle Matt, Paul, Zorah, and baby Chloe joined the fun about 11:00. My mom, Patti, and her friend arrived at 1:00 and we commensed eating A LOT!!! My favorite was the stuffing and I never love stuffing, but it was really yummy (no "secret" ingredients). Kyndra ate all her pumpkin pie except "the bread".

Tony and his parents watched the newest Die Hard movie that evening. Die Hard movies are part of the Nelson family traditions... I love traditions, really, I can't get enough. I spent over an hour reviewing "the adds" from the paper.

Tony's mom and I did venture out doll shopping on Friday at Stella's Doll Shop in downtown Beaverton. It is a quaint little shop with amazing dolls, as well as some pretty scary looking creations. Sometimes when doll makers are going for lifelike they end up looking like Chucky. Patty picked out some fun Christmas presents that are going to make the girls light up... I can't wait.

Friday evening we went to Portland International Raceway... they line the entire track with Christmas light displays and give you a Christmas CD to blare when you drive through. Grandma, Grandpa, the kids, and I rode in the back of the pick-up. Kylee's favorite was the dinosaur display. We ate dinner that night at Papa's Pizza, a fabulous place with a massive indoor play area... We need one in Pendleton.

Saturday... Tony and I pretty much completed our Christmas shopping... we even braved Toys R Us. We ate breakfast at I-Hop and lunch at Baja Fresh, dining doesn't get any finer in our book. Grandma Patty and the girls were sort of baking all day. Kyndra was feeling pretty puny on the couch. She spent most of the day fighting a fever and watching The Grinch.

Sunday included church, laundry, packing, Kyndra's premiere viewing of Home Alone, lunch from Baja Fresh, driving, puking in a coffee can (Kyndra), quick in and out at the outlet mall, chicken noodle soup, and bed.

Kylee's Rides

Kylee's number one RIDE lately is her Radio Flyer wagon that she got for her birthday.


She has been quite demanding with Havik lately... dragging him around shouting "pum heere" (come here), force feeding him, and attempting to RIDE him.



She loves to try and RIDE Kyndra's bike... leaving her old favorite car in the lurch. Although she is still up for a good game of "crash" with her sister in which the trusty car is still her choice RIDE.

Some other favorites are...
Daddy's shoulders
Bee-Ma's car (Grandma's car)
Daddy's pip-up
Race car carts at Home Beepot, which we found out this weekend they do not have at the Walla Walla Home Depot.

Kyndra's Questions

Kyndra is so full of questions lately. Some or should I say many that we really don't quite know how to answer...

Is Santa real? (many times)
Who are God's parents?
Do angels have legs?
What happens when you run out of birthdays?
How does God take you up to heaven?
If you might run out of birthdays can you eat bugs to stay alive? (Brought up while she and her dad are watching Man Vs. Wild)

I just asked her if she had any other questions and she said... "I love sledding!"

Some fill in the blanks with Kyndra...

Grandmas are... people who make yummy cookies.
Grandpas... read papers and watch cool shows and play with blocks and stuff.
School is... where we do work.
Little sisters... cry a lot.
Camping is... so much fun because I love it.
Rain is... coming from clouds.
Friends... love their other friends.
Swimming is... where if we take showers we have to wash hair.
Naps are... where we nap on a map.
Policemens... are so cool because they save the day.

Kydra's preschool class has been talking about Thanksgiving traditions and being thankful. She volunteered to share our dinner prayer with her class. Her teacher said she was so proud and poised when she shared her prayer. Tony and I hope she is always brave enough to share her beliefs with others.

Eye of the Tiger

Today started out great!!! When my radio alarm clock went off it was playing Eye of the Tiger. Music always brings me to a state of nostalgia. In college I was an early riser, so I watched movies while I waited for my roommates to wake up. I usually, 99% of the time, watched a selection from my Rocky boxed set. Occasionally I watched Forrest Gump, but mostly just Rocky. I never got sick of it. I really don't know the attraction for me at that time of my life. I think it was the underdog factor. I would often belt out Eye of the Tiger during the movie or just when we were rockin' out at our house. My roommates loved it... I'm sure :)

Wait there's more... It was during my Rocky fascination that I met Tony. Our first outing, not quite a date, was a drive to Salem to find the sheet music for Eye of the Tiger. There was, and still is, a couple words I am not sure of, but it didn't stop me. I don't even play an instrument. Unfortunately we didn't find the sheet music, but I did end up with a great husband.

Other underdog movies I like... Rudy, Mystery Alaska, The Rookie, and Remember the Titans.

House Update... We have footings and a bunch of rebar sticking up where the foundation will be. I am guessing the forms will go up tomorrow and the concrete will be poured on Monday. Last week we were delayed, because the concrete guy was sick. I hadn't really planned on anybody getting sick. I also hadn't planned on gale force winds on Monday which also sent the workers running for cover. Today, as I was leaving the art center I caught the concrete guys... our concrete guys... putting in a sidewalk at the First Christian Church. They are lucky they were working on holy grounds. I was considering a confrontation about their moonlighting. You all know, I'm always looking for a good verbal scuffle (ha ha). I held back since I had my entire class with me. I will continue to pray for patience :)

Fun in the tub

The girls and I had a sleepover last night at the Sokoloski's with Jake the dog, while his family is doing big shopping in Portland. Kylee fell out of bed twice... not quite used to the "real bed deal". Her little trailer bunk allows her to flop at will and she really can't fall out. She was a trooper, but still ended up in the playpen.

It was a fun night, mainly because the girls totally pruned out in the tub... one thing we really miss in the trailer.

Kyndra's Plane

This is Kyndra's picture of the plane we are taking to Disneyland... 5 months

We can't wait!!!

A year in review

January...

Kyndra turned 4 and had a Build-A-Bear party with her pals.
Sledding at Spout Springs with the Sokos.

February...

Tony and I went to Seattle for a long weekend. Grandma and grandpa came and stayed with the girls.
My grandpa passed away.

March...
Decided to sell our house, buy property, and build a new house.
Camping and four-wheeling in Ukiah.
Tony turned 31.

April...
Can't remember... another reason for blogging... life just slips by.

May...
Bought a new trailer and moved into it.

June...
Kyndra goes to summer day camp and loved it.
Lots and lots of swimming at the aquatic center.
Weekend at the beach cabin.
Week in Portland with grandma and grandpa.

July...
Vacation; Stayed at Ainsworth State Park and toured the waterfalls, then we moved on to our new favorite place in the world Trilium Lake. We met the Sokos at the lake. It couldn't have been more fun. We spent a day at the Adventure Park at Ski Bowl.

August...
I turned 33.
Beach cabin weekend with the Pitners.
Baby cousin Chloe was born.

September...
Always a blur...

October...
Kylee turned 2 and celebrated Elmo style with the family and had another party at the Childrens Museum.
Broke ground on our new home.

November...
Kyndra and I went to Disney Princesses on Ice with Paige and Amy.

Dinner Date

I just returned from a fabulous dinner with two friends. We were rewarding ourselves for walking 100 miles. The company and food were spectacular. We ate at... yeah I can't remember the name... uh, nope can't remember. It's the fancy smancy place out at the casino. We start a new exercise challenge on Saturday. We are switching to points... 15 minutes equals a point - 100 points by Jan. 12th. IT'S ON!!! We are going to try and recruit some other participants.

I actually stayed away from the homesite today. The water guys had the street closed down for most of the day. Tomorrow... I hate to say it out loud... we are supposed to pour foundation.

Tony got new glasses today. The price exceeded $300!!! He didn't even consult me so they had better be REALLY cute.

Big day for Kyndra tomorrow... SNACK HELPER. She picked fig newtons, uh yeah... not really sure about that. I'm thinking she will not be the most popular snack helper.
Her little friend taught her a song yesterday and she was so proud... Trick or Treat, smell my feet, if you don't, I don't care, I can see your underwear! That is a slightly different version than I remember, needless to say we talked and she assured me she was done with the song... somehow I'm thinking she won't be able to resist the urge.

It worked!!

Yeah, now I am officially a blogger. I do think this is going to be the ticket for me. I have a stack of journals with only a handful of entries and too too many special people in my life who I don't keep in close enough contact. Blogging, I feel, is the answer to these dilemas. I am also hoping to vent, record, and express gratitude for this house building process we are involved in.

While frustrating most of the time I remain completely in awe that we are building a home. I hardly feel like a grown up most days, so this is quite surreal for me. From here on out I will affectionately refer to all people involved in this ordeal as __________ guys; concrete guys, framing guys, water guys, etc. Except of course for our contractor who my girls like to call Tim the Builder. The concrete guys have all the forms in place and plan on pouring by Friday... that is if the city guys come do an inspection (not the favorite guys, so far).

Tony just went back to working nights. We are in our adjustment period... all is well so far. The girls have less daycare, but on those days I am all on my own in the morning. Planning Planning Planning... everything must be carefully arranged. Thank goodness for automatic starting coffee makers.

We had french toast for dinner... you know what that means... NO FOOD. We are scraping trying to stretch the grocery money. Kyndra and I over spent this weekend when we went to Portland to see Disney Princesses on Ice. I don't care if it means french toast and Top Ramen all week. Those experiences are priceless. The look on her face and the gasp in her voice during the performance brought me more joy than she will ever know. Those are mommy dreams come true.

Kylee is currently referring to herself in third person. Kylee tired, Kylee thirsty, Kylee cute, Kylee good girl... although today she might have mentioned Kylee crabby (seriously).

Trying Again

Okay Okay Okay... I am about to give up. I started a blog at another site, but my blog expert friends were apalled. That blog attempt proved laborious as I lost a couple witty, LONG blogs in cyberspace. And today, when I blog swapped to "the" site I had another failed attempt, so I am done writing now. Here goes nothing... this is it... my official first post...