Olesen Family

Christmas Traditions

2011-12-22T14:47:00.001-08:00

Christmas Traditions I LOVE:

1. Advent Calenders
2. The Elf on The Shelf
3. Thompson Lane Christmas Lights
4. Christmas Cookie Decorating
5. Gingerbread Houses
6. The Nutcracker with Liv at Temple Hill
7. SF Christmas Tour
8. The Christmas Train
9. Watching White Christmas (although it will never be the same without my sister...*cue sobs*)
10. Watching "It's a Wonderful Life"
11. Watching "Mr. Kruger's Christmas"
12. Watching "Elf"
13. Reading a Christmas book a day with the kids

It is #8 that I am going to blog about. My Mother-in-law started the Christmas Train tradition last year with the kids, and this year I decided to tag along. My experience in one word: magical. This is one tradition that I will carry on every year. There is something so nostalgic about trains; the sounds, the lull of the train bumping along the tracks, combined with the Christmas lights, music, and aromatics, that is pure heaven. Next year, Jake will take the day off and we will all go together.

Our trip in pics:

The Christmas Train of Lights takes off from Niles and is part of the Transcontinental Railroad. They decorate each car on the outside and each car on the inside.

I am pretty convinced that there is not one Santa in California with a real authentic beard. I think that these Santas only exist in colder climates, like Chicago, Utah, and Oregon. I have yet to see a Santa grow a real beard out here. Maybe our *balmy* Winter Climate of 60+ degree weather combined with the Palm trees makes our Santas think that they can get a way with a synthetic beard.

A note about how Grandma is dressed. She kept calling me on the phone telling me about how many layers of clothing that I would need to layer on myself and the kids. I just checked the weather: 70 degrees. With a high like that, I wasn't about to layer anyone. When she arrived at the house she told me that she was sweating because she had her THERMAL UNDERWEAR on! On the drive out there it got up to 74---and we turned on the air conditioning (for her sake). To her credit it did cool off quite a bit, and we were in need of a light coat and scarf.

So, if any of you live in the Bay Area you must look up the Niles Canyon Railway and put it on your list of things to do during the month of December. It will no doubt put you into the Holiday spirit. And, if any of the Willdens are reading this, wouldn't it be a fun thing for all of the cousins to do together next Christmas? Just sayin.' You should totally make the trek out here next Christmas.....pretty please? :-)

What are your favorite traditions? (I am always looking for more)

'Does This Bread Make Me Look Fat?'

2011-12-06T07:22:00.000-08:00

The kids had Fall Break the week of Thanksgiving and one of those days we took a walk along the pond to feed the ducks. The little guy, or rather BIG guy, pictured above, walked right up to us with expectant eyes and practically begged for bread. You can call us enablers, but we gave the guy some bread--you can actually see it in his hands. Wouldn't you have?

The kids are a little skittish around ducks ever since the trip to the Duck Pond we took while we were in Oregon over the Summer, where the ducks charged you and literally goosed you to get the bread out of your hands. That trip ended in tears. Now, whenever Livy sees a duck she says: "Is that an 'Oregon duck?'" So, on this particular trip, as the ducks started making their way out of the pond to get a closer position to their potential food, this is what my kids did

They look *vicious* don't they?

After the duck pond, I of course tried to capture the kids in some of the 'Fall scenery' before I forgot another year.

In my efforts to take better pictures of people, I am trying to become more aware of the ways in which people pose; where they put their hands, etc., before I take the shot. That didn't happen in this picture. After I snapped this shot, it wasn't until I got home that I noticed that Oscar had his arm behind his back. Everyone needs a one armed picture of their child, right?

At the end of our "pond walk" we saw our pond's celebrity: Puff Head. It was good to see her again.....I am assuming that it is female, I do not think a male could rock that hair.

Liv and Oscar, Oscar and Liv

2011-12-05T11:19:00.000-08:00

Ten Little Known Facts About Livy:

1. She is ALL about Christmas
2. She likes to blame Dad for every off smell that wafts in her direction. Example: Yesterday morning as I was getting ready for church I hear a conversation that goes a little something like this:
Livy:"What's that smell?"
Oscar:"I don't know"
Livy:"Oscar, come here I think Fredo (our cat) tooted, it really stinks."
Oscar:"eeewwwww."
*scamper of little feet down the hallway*
Livy:"Mom, daddy tooted."
Me: "Liv, daddy is at a meeting at Church, he did not toot. I heard you say that it was Fredo, now why would you blame Dad?"
Livy: "He tooted at church. You can smell his toots from really far away. His toots are really powerful."
Me: "Livy, when are you going to give your Dad a break?"
Livy: *smiles devilishly, turns on her heel, and runs off*
3. She loves to follow me around, I mean LOVES. Do I love it? You guess...... Example: The other day I told my shadow (Livy) that I needed to go to the bathroom and if she would please excuse me and give me privacy. She proceeded to follow me to my room. I closed the bathroom door and locked it. Out comes four little fingers out from under the crack of the bathroom door and a little voice....."mom, can you see my fingers? I'll wait for you until you are done." *Great*
4. Livy is ALL about American Dolls. I blame her Auntie Katie. ;-)
5. She is a craft-aholic, no doubt, a trait that was inherited from her Grandma Frann. She thinks the world is a much better place with a little bit more glitter. I am so glad that I discovered "Pinterest" so that I can attempt to satiate Livy's crafty desires.
6. Livy loves to cook with her Dad....and Jake has the patience of a saint to include her in all of his cooking adventures. One of her favorite pastimes? Playing 'guess that spice.' She closes her eyes and Jake holds a spice jar in front of her and she guesses the spice. She is getting surprisingly good.
7. She aspires to be a Cheerleader. It is her life's dream at this point.....She is very excited to turn five because this is when you can start cheering on a team. Cheering for what you might ask? Good question.
8.I don't think that this whole "dramatic phase" that she is going through is a phase. I think it is who she is. It is equally aggrivating and entertaining.
9. Livy is quite the photographer. She loves to grab my phone, and take hundreds, I mean hundreds, of pictures. Thank heavens Grandma Kathie has an extra camera lying around her house for Livy to have, because it can sometimes take an hour deleting the number of pictures she puts on my phone.
10. Liv is a board game geek. This girl never tires of sitting down and playing a game, or two, or three......

Ten Little Known Facts About Oscar

1. Oscar can tell you the height, weight, and on what page to find every Marvel Hero, DC Comic Hero, Star Wars guy, and Star Wars the Clone Wars character, from his 4 beloved DK Character Guide Books. I can only tell you on which pages I used a sharpie to cover cleavage, abdomens, and add straps and leggings to immodest female super heroes. In what world is it OK for a seven year old to see that much cleavage. Sheesh! These four beloved books, which were purchased in August are now held together by tape and are looked at and read for hours and hours upon end.
2. Oscar is a Champion of Womanhood. His best friend is a girl and He finds childbirth the closest thing to real life super hero capabilities. He was a little jealous that his sister will be able to have this "power" when she gets older.
3. Oscar loves watching "Tom and Jerry" with Liv, and afterward playing "Tom and Jerry" with her---which consists of a lot of chasing each other with brooms and 'beating' on each other. I have ceased thinking that they will sit down and discuss world peace, they are more into wrestling and chasing each other.
4. Oscar wants to be a soldier when he grows up.
5. Oscar is totally into Power Rangers. You have not lived until you have witnessed an episode first hand---now there is acting at it's finest. We currently have 13 different versions of Power Ranger's in our Netflix Instant Que. Yes, there is Power Ranger's: Jungle Furry; Power Ranger's: Mystic Force; Power Ranger's: Dino Thunder,......and the list goes on. The original Power Rangers has 18 seasons!!!!! It will take us YEARS to watch.
6. Because Oscar wants to be a soldier he is really into things like machine guns and torpedoes. There is a list of things that his Grandma Kathie made for Jake that she wouldn't allow him to do like: skydiving, bungee jumping, motorcycles, drugs, etc. Oscar has tried to find things that still irk Grandma, but weren't on her original list. Like shooting guns. I fear that Oscar will be the first one to do all of the "legal" but dangerous things on her list, and add a few more of his own.
7. Oscar still weighs as much as he did when he was four years old, give or take a pound: 45 lbs. Granted that was a four year old on steroids. Needless to say he takes after his Grandpa Lee and is a skinny rail.
8. Oscar LOVES baseball.
9. Oscar devours one "Lenny and Larry's Complete Chocolate Cookie" a day. Complete with 15 grams of protein and 500 calories. Doctor's orders. They are so good.
10. Still nuts about LEGOS. The Lego Star Wars Advent Calender has been the hit around our house lately. Expensive advent calender, but totally worth it.

I HEART MAC

2011-11-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

To sum it up: I fell off the face of the earth because my PC done did broke.

I was without a computer for a month and a half, and now, because my PC frustrated me to no end, I have a MAC. If you are going to mess with me Dell and cause me to lose five months of pictures, I will run towards your competitor. And, I am never going to look back. Consider yourself dumped! I love my MAC. It is pretty. And, I love it. Enough said.

Instead of recapping the last three months I will just make a list.

-I visited my sister in Idaho to meet baby Katelyn (Adorable. I miss my sister)
-My computer broke (Annoying)
-Oscar started 1st grade (And, is in love with a girl named Hartley)
-Jake and I went to Chicago for a week (We saw some of our very best friends!!!!)
-Oscar lost another tooth (Now he is missing three teeth up on top)
-Jake traveled a ton (I went insane)
-Livy is still a DRAMA QUEEN (Causing further insanity)
-I turned 32 (wa-wa)
-Oscar turned 7 (!!!!!!!)
-My mom came and visited from Oregon (Livy followed her around like a puppy)

All in all.....life is just as we left it. We are all just a little older. I hope you enjoyed your break from me. ;)

On to Halloween.

Oscar is into all things Marvel and DC Comics. He currently aspires to be over eight feet, and mourns everyday that he was born into a family with a mother who is only five feet three inches.

Livy is dying to turn five so that she can be on some sort of cheerleader squad. Who would have thought that I would have given birth to a girl that would aspire to be a cheerleader?

To satisfy all current whims, Oscar was War Machine for Halloween, and Livy a cheerleader from High School Musical (If you are going to be a cheerleader, you better be a Wild Cat).

The kids had fun trick-or-treating. Oscar enjoyed telling people that he is allergic to M&Ms when they passed out candy and Livy didn't need to have Jake carry her door to door this year.

I am pretty much a Halloween Grinch, so I am glad to check this Holiday off for the year! Check.

It is good to be back! :-)

It's a hillbilly thing.......

2011-07-25T17:05:00.000-07:00

As you can see from the picture Oscar lost his two front teeth within days of each other this last week. These suckers had been loose for months and they finally gave in last week as he and Livy went camping with their Grandma Kathie. (I was at Girls Camp---more on that and the mice I shared a cabin with, later). The first front tooth was lost to a s'mores--not a bad way to go. The other, Livy knocked out with her fist when she and Oscar were "roughhousing." So now Oscar has a new smile. It is hilarious. It is adorable. I love it. Although, I feel like I should buy him a pair of overalls with this new smile, maybe a pitchfork, and maybe pose him on a bail of hay. I love his new little hillbilly smile!

Home again, home again, jiggity-jig.

2011-06-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

We took our annual trip up to Oregon to meet up with my sister and her beautiful girlies. First, because I am spoiled,and my dad loves me, my dad flew down here for the weekend to get geared up to help drive my children and myself home to Oregon. If you know me, if you know my issues, you know why. No me gusta driving.

So, my dad flew in for a quick trip that included trips to the park, a zoo excursion, and a much needed visit to Fenton's Creamery.

First stop: The zoo.

Sorry, I have taken so many pictures at this zoo, it is hard for me to pull out my camera here. I took a few at least.

The most important thing we did came after the zoo: Fenton's Creamery. It is something that everyone should experience at least once before they die. Yes, it is just that good.

Jake and I shared that lovely sundae. It was magical. It was worth all of the havoc it may have wreaked on my cholesterol levels. I have lived here in the Bay Area for three years and I have only been to this place four times during that vast period of time. I think I am pacing myself rather conservatively. In fact, I think I am under the local quota.....I may need to do something about that. ;)

The following day we left for Oregon. Jake had to travel to exotic Butte, Montana on business and so would meet up with us in Portland later on in the week. The drive was surprisingly uneventful. It started out a little rough with me instructing Livy how to tactfully go to the bathroom on the side of the freeway and Oscar asking the "are we there yet," question about 100 times in the first hour, but then it ceased, thankfully.

I do not have the stamina nor the desire to rehash the whole trip in fine detail. I did however take HUNDREDS and hundreds of pictures. I have picked out the ones I like best and have collaged them together to spare you the arduous task of looking at them one at time.......I am only thinking of you, dear blog stalkers. ;)

My beautiful sister, Kendra. I took so many shots of her and her cute pregnant belly, but honestly I am an awful maternity photographer. Here are the two shots that I am not totally embarrassed to show---not because my sister is a horrible model, but because I am an awkward photographer. :)

After I checked the photo session with Kendra off of my list we moved on to the next item on the list: a visit to Washington Park up next to the Rose Gardens in Portland. I absolutely love this park. It is huge and views of the city are just around the corner, as well as rows upon rows of roses. We skipped over the roses this year and settled for a picnic at the park.

We also took the kids on a walk along Fanno Creek that is just down the street from my parent's house. Kendra and I used to take Seth on walks along here, and we also used to explore the path along the creek just the two of us on countless Summer days. The kids really had a good time.

I love having new opportunities and settings to photograph people. This was really a photo-vacation for me. One thing that I have confirmed after this trip is that I am going to be a SOOC shooter--this means all of the pictures that you see come straight out of camera without any editing. I am finding that I am a little bit of a purist and prefer an untouched photo. Moving on....

When the boys, Kendra's husband Jason, and Jake arrived in town we headed off to Rockaway Beach. I absolutely love this beach! As tradition holds we had to stop at the Tillamook Cheese Factory for lunch and some A-mazing ice cream. Yes you got one normal picture of me up above at Fenton's and the one below of me doing what I do best, eating--with no reservation.

Here is Liv posing out front of the Cheese Factory. And in true Livy fashion I receive one normal picture and one googly-eye picture within the same breath.

The weather was absolutely perfect at the beach, which is a miracle because we are talking about the Oregon Coast here. I haven't seen a day this nice at Rockaway in over a decade. It was seriously an ideal day at the beach. The kids had a blast. We enjoyed ourselves watching the kids enjoy themselves. It was wonderful.

I had so much fun being back home with my parents and Sister. Seeing Tori and Liv together reminded me so much of Kendra and myself when we were little. They were little pals running off everywhere together; giggling one minute, fighting the next, and then playing together again. The kids pretty much watched themselves. Ken, I. LOVE. YOUR. KIDS. I miss them already. Tori is as sweet as can be and Brookie, well, Brookie was the life of the party.I will miss her "Elda Eye" and her growls. Just so everyone can experience it, I will leave you with my future ringtone.

*Note to viewer: This was shot at night, in the dark, on my iphone with children crawling on me. It is not high quality but gets the job done.*

Seriously could listen to this all day.

Who Says Cheaters Never Prosper?

2011-05-16T09:37:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago we popped over to Santa Cruz for the annual Olesen Family Reunion--this has to be one of my favorite times of the year. I love it almost as much as I love Christmas.

The first thing we always do when we pull into Santa Cruz, after unloading half of our belongings into our hotel room, is go for a stroll on the Boardwalk. We buy our season passes. We note changes that have been made on the Boardwalk. We measure Oscar and Olivia to note just in fact how slowly our children are growing because of the "Hernandez Mexican Midget Gene." (I mean seriously, I think my Great Grandmother who barely surpassed three feet tall is taking her vengeance out on my children.) This year we knew it was going to be a close one. The last time Oscar was measured he was 47.5 inches--with shoes, and he needed to be 48 inches to ride all except a couple of rides. For the past two years we have had to take Oscar down to the Boardwalk a day or two early to measure him and prepare him mentally for the rides that he can go on, and the rides that he may be able to look forward to next year. We thought that this would be the year.............

Not so much. So, we measured him, and saw that he just barely missed the mark, I mean, barely. We were crushed. Oscar was devastated. The tears commenced. Then, Grandma Kathie said, "I am going to CVS pharmacy and I am going to buy an orthotic or something that we can use to make him taller. We are going to try and fix this." Oscar's eyes lit up with hope. I inwardly prayed this scheme would pan out---is it bad to pray that your efforts to lie will prevail??? (I hope not). So, Grandma Kathie comes back to the hotel room with a pair of woman's flip flops and some duct tape. Jake then proceeds to cut, sculpt, and fashion custom wedges to place under the soles of Oscar's shoes. After the "lifts" were placed in the shoes we put them on Oscar and watched as has he miraculously grew before our eyes. We were ecstatic. But could he walk in them? Precariously so at first, but yes!

The following day we went back down to the Boardwalk when one of the rides with the 48" height requirement was open. We put Oscar in front of the measurement chart and:

(is it just me or does he have a look of devilishness on his face? ;))

Victory! He made it! So, we run to Double Shot--my personal Fear Factor--for the moment of truth. There are two measuring charts at this ride: one at the entrance to the line, and another one where the ride operator admits you into the ride. We measured him outside for good luck and he met the 48 inch requirement with flying colors. He runs to be admitted into the ride with Jake, and they ask to measure him again. Here is where things start to backfire and get ugly. The measuring chart at this particular ride is bolted into the ground to a metal plate. Usually when you measure someone you have them stand directly up against a flat surface so that you can get a proper reading. But, because there was a metal plate bolted into the ground next to the measuring chart, Oscar had to stand out in front of it and lean back to get measured. What happens when you lean back? You get shorter. From the side lines I was being that obnoxious mom saying that it wasn't fair for him to have to lean back to be measured because that makes him shorter, and if the man would just come out to the chart in front of the ride, where there was no metal plate bolted into the ground, he would see that Oscar was tall enough. The man said "no" and crushed my child's little heart and sent us along our way. The tears commenced again. After the tears were at bay we convinced Oscar to go on some other rides. Here he was admitted to ride on rides that he had previously had to go on with a chaperon, unchaperoned because he met the 48" requirement. This inconsistency in measurements irked me further and sent me to the ticket office to plead my case.

Normally I am not the type to do all of this confrontational stuff, I am all talk and never actually do anything about it, but not this time. I went to the ticket office and talked with them and showed him that he met the measurement requirements. She agreed that he did. She advised me to wait for this particular ride operator's shift to end and try again with someone else. Not even twenty minutes later I went back with Oscar and had the discussion with another ride operator and she let us measure Oscar out front where he met the height requirement. She said he was good to go. And I felt triumphant!!! Who says "cheaters never prosper?" (yes, I am a horrible horrible person. I lied. You may judge me.)

(Watching his feet dangle from this ride made me nervous that his shoes would come tumbling down, fall onto the ride platform, with the lifts tumbling out, and for our "cover" to be blown.....but they didn't. Phew.)

He wasn't questioned at all after this debacle, at this or any other ride; he sailed onto every ride without question and was SO happy.

I realize that this was quite the lengthy tale, but it had to be recorded for posterity's sake.

Anyways, this year at Santa Cruz we had a blast. It is fun to take in all of the sights. Although, I am finding more and more that I need to shield my childrens' eyes and sensor some of the characters that come barreling onto the Boardwalk. I think about 60% of the people on the Boardwalk are half naked and about 80% of things that come out of their mouths would land them a starring role on "Jersey Shore." Oscar kept asking, "Mom, what is she wearing?" My response: "You mean, what is she not wearing? Yes, it seems she forgot part of her bathing suit." His response: "Do I have to wear a shirt?" My response: "Yes Oscar, unless you are swimming, you need to be wearing a shirt." To all of the "snookis" on the Boardwalk I thank you for giving me countless opportunities to teach my children about manners and modesty. ;)

I was excited to have my new camera along with me this year. When you are taking a portraiture class and your assignment for the week is "photographing different age groups" a family reunion is the perfect venue. I took hundreds of pictures. I am still a little shy about my ventures in photography but I am getting better about putting myself out there. I won't show them all to you, but I will show you 34 of them, to be exact, of the sights and the people that we love when we go to Santa Cruz.

The End.

P.S. We missed you Katie, Greg, Ella, and Natalie. It turned out to be the "year of the sand dollars," and we know that if anyone would have found them all it would have been you(Katie)--seriously you are the "Shell Whisperer." By the way, they are building the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center across from the wharf and kitty corner to "Ideal." It looks like it will open in 2012. Yay! Maybe this will lure you into coming next year? Pretty please? :)

MUD-BROTHERS

2011-05-04T07:37:00.000-07:00

Some people like to bathe their children at the end of the day in clean water, me--I like to throw my children out in the backyard with water and dirt for a mud bath. It's great for your skin, right? O-Town and Liv played out in the mud last night for an hour, and they absolutely loved each other for every minute of that hour, it was magical.

Trying to clean up the aftermath; hosing down the fence they "painted," hosing them and the backyard down, and pulling out sticks, bark dust, and rocks from their hair for twenty minutes, was worth every minute.

I love Liv's muddy version of the Hitler mustache.

All I have left to do is to clean out all of the sand toys and shovels they used to make mud pies, because tomorrow we are headed off for our annual Santa Cruz Beach Trip. I love this time of year!

This is turning into a Photography Blog

2011-05-01T22:16:00.000-07:00

I have been living, breathing, and yes, even dreaming, photography. I finished up my seven week crash course in Photography and have now thrown myself head first into a four week portraiture course. I have thrown out any notion that after these courses I will have miraculously transformed from novice to expert, and have just settled on being happy with steady improvement and a good foundational knowledge of photography that I can continue to draw from.

The first week of my portraiture class our first assignment was to find our "artistic eye." We had to define our purpose as a photographer, what feelings we want our work to convey, and what visually attracts our eye. The only way to become a better photographer besides practicing is by looking at countless images whether it be in an Anthropologie Catalog, blogs, photography websites, the latest issue of Vogue or my knew creative fountain to draw from: Pinterest.com. As I have looked at images I have been able to find the things that I am drawn to as a viewer and as an artist. The purpose of this has been to find inspiration that I can draw from when I get behind the camera.

I have been putting together an inspiration binder of different images that have elements of composition that I want to remember such as: poses, lighting, textures,color, cropping, angles,etc. Since starting this binder I have discovered that I love photography that focuses in on the details--images that don't necessarily give you the whole picture, or every part of the subject, but instead give you a piece of the image or part of the story. I love interesting cropping. I like getting close to a subject. I am learning that I don't have to fit every little appendage in a photo to create a well balanced composition. I find that I like headless portraits, half-headed portraits, cropping an ear off...you get the picture. I love back lighting, left or right weighted pictures, leading lines, negative space, selective focus (bokeh), and some occasional sun flare. Things I am finding that I don't like: contrived photos (although I realize some directing is necessary), unnatural poses, over saturation, and random props. I am against putting newborns in baskets, buckets, and cowboy boots--yes, someone actually stuffed a sleeping newborn baby into a boot. I am learning a lot about myself as an artist by looking at other photography.

My purpose in learning photography is not to make money. This is my creative outlet. I want to capture everyday life and real moments as art. I want to have a visual and artistic record of my life, a visual journal that I can give my children and share with my family. I want to not only capture the faces of the people in my life but their passions, personalities, and emotions. I want my pictures to express more than I ever could in words and I want to be creative in documenting my life and the life of my children.

OK....that was enough artistic rambling, but necessary to completing my first assignment. Check.

Our second assignment we actually had to pull out our camera to take our first portraiture shots in conjunction with window lighting. We had to work on side window lighting which is called "Rembrandt Lighting" and front window lighting which is referred to as "glamour lighting" because it tends to be the most flattering and smooths out any unwanted wrinkles, large pores, and fills in shadows.

I have quickly grown impatient with photographing my children as I try to implement photography principles, and I am running out of things to bribe them with, so I enlisted the help of a slightly more willing participant, Jake.

Here are some of my favorites.

All of my pictures are shot in Manual, in RAW, and are straight out of camera without any editing. For this course it was recommended to buy a 42 inch reflector to enhance lighting and fill in shadows, which I am still trying to figure out how to precariously hold/prop up/use while taking a picture at the same time. I need an assistant, but this is a one man band, and my kids like to use it as a weapon as opposed to holding it still for me, so I will have to figure out how to precariously balance the reflector and camera and try to get the shot contortionist-style in the meantime.

This is the photo I posted for my assignment. I love the catchlights that I was able to get in Jake's eyes. If you zoom in on his eye you can actually see the reflection of me taking his picture in it.

Photographing people with glasses, very tricky.......

So, he decided to take them off and create an add campaign for why he would like lasik eye surgery(he wants it and I love his glasses).........

....but I think he may have been successful, because I am starting to prefer the whole no glasses look.

He is very sly little devil......and a handsome one at that!

Oh, I almost forgot, here are some pictures of Oscar and Liv. I always seem to be finding myself in harsh lighting situations when I try to take pictures of my kids. Oh well, maybe one day I will get more organized, one thing at a time. :)

This last photo would have been better if I would have taken it in complete shade because there wouldn't be any distracting lighting on Liv's face and arm, Oscar's glowing hair doesn't bother me as much. But, sometimes it is better to catch the moment than let it pass by trying to find out how to better execute it. Before I took this shot I said to the kids, "hey can I get a picture of you two?" And they self-directed this: a perfect moment caught in time.....before they started fighting again. ;)

Let me know what you think.

Oh Shoot!

2011-04-04T10:46:00.000-07:00

I am a student again. Well, kind of. I enrolled myself in an online introductory DSLR photography course through JessicaSprague.com, called "OH SHOOT! Photography." My camera has been attached to my body for the past five weeks as I have learned about shutter speed, aperture, shooting in manual, and focus. I have 2 more weeks left until this course ends and I start up another class. I think I just might be addicted. I love taking notes,highlighting, and studying; call me a nerd, but I am in heaven. Needless to say, I have been busy. When I have been on the computer lately it has never been to blog, but to peruse photography websites, chat in photography forums, read my lessons, watch podcasts, post assignments and manage my image work flow. Sorry if you have felt neglected, or wondered if I had fallen off the face of the earth--which you probably hadn't. I am just busy. Here is an overview of what I have shot (feel free to skip over the technical talk and just glance at the pictures).

Week one we studied Shutter Speed. Shutter speed is the part of your camera that controls the motion or movement. Your shutter speed determines the amount of time you let light come into your camera, which in turn affects the type of movement in your photo. If you want to show movement,or motion blur, you need to set your camera to a slow shutter speed, allowing your camera to take in light for a longer period of time. If you want to freeze movement, you need a faster shutter speed, which allows less light to come into your camera. There is more to it than that but I realize not every one is into all of the technical jargon like I am.

Looking back at this old assignment makes me want to erase it because the compositions are lack luster and the lighting is over exposed, but it was week 1. It did serve its purpose, which was to show images freeze and show movement.

Week 2 was aperture. This is one of the main reasons that I got interested in Photography. I loved looking at pictures that showed a subject in focus set in a background that had a creamy monet-esque blur. I dreamed of getting that blur. I used to think that good pictures meant that everything needed to be in focus, but when there is depth to a photo, or depth of field as they call it, this can really tell the person viewing a photo what to focus on. So, an open aperture means that there is going to be a small area of the image that is going to be sharp and in focus, and a closed aperture means that there is going to be a large area that is sharp and in focus within the image. Confusing? Yeah, I know.

Here is a picture of my closed aperture assignment:

I closed my aperture off quite a bit and the whole picture is "in focus," even though I took a horribly blurry picture. These pictures are all straight out of camera too, so I feel even more vulnerable showing them because I can't soften some of the mistakes that I have made in photoshop. Although photoshop can never fix a blurry picture.

This next picture is my open aperture assignment. This is what I have been dying to learn how to do, because it creates more interest in a photo as opposed to one that is all in focus (although there are many times when having everything in focus is necessary, like in landscapes or when the location is just as important as the subject and not a distraction to it).

There is a world of difference between the closed and the open aperture photo. This second one is a heck of a lot more interesting. But, maybe that is just me.

The third week of class we shot straight into a Manual mode--this class is not self paced or slow paced, it is learning photography at a full sprint.

Most cameras are set to automatic--meaning your camera decides everything for you. And then there are partial, or priority modes where you have control over one factor, as I did in all of the above photos, where I determined the aperture or the shutter speed and then the camera did all of the rest. In manual mode you do everything. It is very intimidating, and there is a lot of trial and error, but I think I prefer this mode because I get to be in control of how I want the image to be taken. It seems scarier than it really is. I also think that I am becoming a better photographer (and I use that term very loosely) as I shoot in manual because I am coming to understand what my camera is capable of doing and the relationship between all of the components.

Enough technical talk, here is my first assignment shot in Maual Mode:

Yes, this is a picture of Jake's amazing pizza. And the green stuff is not spinach or mold on the pizza, it is gorgonzola. Divine. This picture was actually shot outside, at dusk, without a flash---which is something I try to avoid whenever possible because it can create harsh lines, shadows, and lighting.

Last week's assignment we learned more about focus. If you look at people taking pictures, most of the time you will see that they take the picture horizontally and that their subjects are centered right smack in the middle of the frame. I, having been one of these people myself, have since learned that there is a rule of thirds, that empty space can be visually appealing when balanced, and that a subject off to the side of a picture creates more interest and balance.

Since learning manual three weeks ago, my camera has stayed in this mode since. Here is a smattering of some other pictures that I have taken in Manual Mode:

This last picture is the only one that I photoshopped. The background in this picture is bark dust, and the original coloring of it matched Liv's skin tone too much and washed her out, so I made it sepia toned. I figured if the picture was trying to be all brown to just go with it and make the switch.

I am excited for this week, I learn more about lighting which I don't know much about at all.

There you have it. This is what I have been up to. This is where I have been hiding when I am not doing church callings and chasing my children around. Let me know what you think!

Moving right along

2011-02-14T16:15:00.000-08:00

Instead of playing catch up on the things that I have forgotten to blog about lately, among those things being: Part II of my last post, my mom visiting, Livy turning 4, being sick, forgetting to pick my child up from school the other day (I blame Sudafed and the fact that each time I blow my nose I am positive that the pressure I exert is forcing brain cells to exit my body along with the excessive amounts of....which do you prefer? mucus or snot?), and the unending workload of my callings at church; I say I just post some pictures(maybe lots of pictures)of my crazy children, along with a few of their quirky little antics, and we can call it good.

** I am pretty sure that last sentence was too long, and that I broke at least half a dozen grammatical laws.** Oh well. The mechanics of my writing have never been my strong suit.

Let's move things right along, shall we?

While I realize this is not one of my children, however feral they may be, I went for a walk a few weeks ago with Livy, camera in hand, and saw this little guy roaming around on our way to the duck pond. He--I am pretty sure it is a *he*, I don't know, everything is out there in plain view in this photo, so if you have the knowledge of deciphering, dear reader, do impart your knowledge-- anyways, *he* looked up at Livy and I, mostly to the bread in our hands, and sheepishly began to come towards us. Livy was fascinated, because as I began to talk to the squirrel, yes *talk* to the squirrel, it crept closer and closer. I would by no means call myself an "animal whisperer," so I used the meager knowledge that I do have of animals, and began to beckon the squirrel to us as if it were a kitty: "Here squirrely, squirrely, squirelly." It worked like a charm, as *he* came within inches of us. Livy was contented and I was too. The pictures I got were hilarious.

This was not your 'run of the mill' squirrel. This squirrel played hide and seek. and if I am not mistaken, did a pretty mean robot:

If it weren't for a fear of rabies, I may have packed this little fella' in my purse and taken him home. Anyways, back to my children. So, while I was out on my walk I decided to take some pictures of Livy and practice working with subjects that moved, because heaven knows I have enough pictures of shoes, flowers, and cookies to wallpaper every house we will ever live in for the rest of our lives.

Olivia was surprisingly a delight to photograph. She is growing up in so many ways, one of them being that she will now pose nicely for me and look at the camera with a "genuine" smile. However she does like to take the creative reigns when I am taking pictures of her and lets me know how and when to take her picture. I love having children that will now cooperate with me when I am trying to take their picture, I just try not to overstay my welcome, otherwise they let me know when they are done, which can get really ugly.

This girl tries me. She pushes my buttons. Her behaviors propel me to the internet, googling self-help books, parenting books, and "will this _________ stage of my daughter's life ever end?" She challenges me. Honestly if she weren't this cute, I think I would have run away by now.

Livy's flare for theatrics continue to intensify. I am seriously considering putting this child in some sort of children theater group, but fear the "stage moms" I may encounter in the process.

She watches your every move to incorporate what you do and you say into her pretend play. She will be talking on her Disney Princess "cell phone" and say: "excuse me? I am having trouble hearing you! You're breaking up, I think we have a bad connection." Then she will look at me and say, "Mom, I dropped another call. I just hung up on Belle." She has countless "voices" in her repertoire, which I am sure she gets from Jake, and uses them any chance she can get. My favorite voice she does is one that sounds like a rich, privileged, old lady, from England. She also makes up languages that have Jake and I rolling on the ground. Where she comes up with her material is a mystery.

**Just a side note about the photograph below: I am so glad that I captured this. She is pretending be asleep, and snoring. The thing I like most about it is that I have captured her lisp, which I find, now, endearing and adorable, but will soon have to eradicate with a speech therapist.**

Her favorite thing to do right now is to play board games. Among her favorites being: Pretty Pretty Princess, Take the Cake, Snail Race, Feed the Kitty, and Can You See What I See? If you have children under the age of six or seven, run, don't walk, to your nearest game store, or to your computer to get it on Amazon like I did, and buy these games for them. They are affordable and FABULOUS!

One day I asked Livy: "Hey Liv, what do you want to be when you grow up?" And she answered "I want to be a mama just like you." Of course this melted my heart and made me love this girl even more because even despite my flaws as a mother Livy unconditionally loves me and wants to be like me. It also made me be a little bit more patient with her as she follows me around everywhere wanting to know everything I am doing. Bless her. This girl also LOVES to do chores. Dusting, sweeping, folding clothes, washing windows, you name it and this girl jumps at the chance to do it. I know that all of those desires will soon change once she understands the full meaning of the word "chores." For right now, we will pretend that cleaning the toilets is a party.

Here are the rest of the pictures from our "photo shoot."

After Oscar saw the abundant amount of pictures that I took of Livy he requested that I take him out the following day to get pictures of him. It wasn't so much the pictures he wanted as it was the festering sibling rivalry that is ever so present in my house.

What is there to say about "O-Town?" He thinks he is a Power Ranger. Seriously. They are making a comeback right now in my living room. Ugh. Let's hope this phase is brief.

I don't know what the rules are about having sun spots in a photo, but I love this next picture of Oscar. I don't know why he insisted on pursing his lips in every photo, but when I would say "smile nice" this is what I got: the expression of a grandmother after having put a lemon in her mouth.

When you ask Oscar what he wants to be when he grows up he answers with any kind of variation of a scientist. One day it is a "scientist scuba diver." Other days it is a "scientist that sits in the airport traffic control tower." He is OBSESSED with space right now. He likes to ask questions about planets, galaxies, the gases they emit, and black holes--you know all of those questions I don't have the answers to. Needless to say, I have ceased educating myself about Star Wars and Superheroes and moved on to Quantum Mechanics. Naturally. If I ask Oscar over and over again to do something he will act as if he is deaf, but if I add in a Power Ranger here and a planet there he remembers every word. His memory for what I tell him to do non-existent, his memory for anything space related bottomless.

On to other Olesen Parenting quandaries. Both of our kids talk as if they are from Boston. I swear I enunciate my words but no matter how hard I exaggerate the sounds of each word, my children insist on holding onto these east coast accents. We are just clinging to the advice of speech therapists that these will eventually disappear by the time they are between the ages 6-8. In the mean time, Jake and I continue to correct Oscar about how to pronounce things. This last Sunday we were in the car on our way home for church and Oscar was talking about something, and Jake stopped him to correct how he was saying something: "Oscar, it is "Bro-TH-er, not bro-v-er." Oscar, looked up and said, "whatever." Sounds about right. I love that he is using catch phrases correctly, even if it is to tell me to leave him alone or to back off. These are things you never take for granted as a mom of a child with autism.

Another thing that I am thoroughly enjoying about Oscar's age right now is teaching him how to read. I love hearing him read, and sound those words out that he is having trouble with. Nothing makes me happier than seeing him learn and succeed in his efforts.

Anyways, here are the rest of his photos:

And last but not least, I only got one picture of my children together. I would have to be a miracle worker in order to get a picture of my children together. The only time these two really like each other is if they are conspiring against me, sparring, or there is chocolate present. Hence the picture with sticks. Let's just overlook my oversight in letting my children be within inches of each other with a sharp pointy object.

If anyone has the secret to getting their children to love each other more than wanting to kill each another please leave a comment. Two of the books I am currently reading: "Siblings Without Rivalry" and "How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk." Pray for me.

Comfort: Part I

2011-01-24T09:41:00.000-08:00

It has been over two weeks since my brother passed away. It is amazing how, at a time of so much loss, you can see so many blessings, feel so much love, and find so much comfort. The outpouring of support, cards, letters, flowers, visits--from friends and families, was incredible. These things were our life lines. In the 5 days after Seth died, and leading up to our trip back to Oregon, I received so much support. I received a visit from all of the Young Women that I work with at church on the night before we left for Oregon, bearing flowers, chocolates, a card, and hugs. I received phone calls from friends who knew Seth, and some who just knew him from the stories I told of him to offer their condolences. Two of my very dear friends from college surprised my family and I by purchasing airline tickets, booking a hotel room and rental car, just to be there for us during the memorial service and to offer their love and support. Even in the midst of immense heartache it was gestures like these that made us realize that the love we are surrounded by far out-weighs any sadness.

I was overwhelmed by the many people that have been touched by the life of my brother and by my family's care for him over the years. It was so nice to go home and celebrate Seth's life, the irreversible impression for good that he had on all of us, and to celebrate where he is now: in heaven, surrounded by those that love him, and in a working body where he is now able to express his words, his love, and his thoughts. I can't imagine the devastating effect that the full weight of grief can have upon someone without the support of family, friends, and a knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

My wonderful and very talented friend Valerie who is a photographer, collaborated with me on the photograph above. Valerie took my original picture, see post below, and took out some of the unnecessary elements, and added some other processing techniques to refine the picture. I blew this picture up for my parents, we framed it, and this became the picture that we put up on the podium during the memorial service. This was actually the very last picture that was taken of Seth before he died, and I think this is how I would like to always remember him. I think the picture captures his pure soul perfectly, despite some of it's technical flaws. Countless people came up to my parents after the service inquiring about the picture, and while I know I took it, you, Valerie, used your artistic eye to turn this good photograph into a GREAT one. My parents cherish it and it now rests on their mantle. Thank you for your help.

So much to write about, and so many pictures. I think I am going to have to do a few entries on my trip home, so let's get started with part 1.

The night before the funeral was wonderful because we got to see my mom's sister, my favorite aunt, Aunt Rosie, and her two daughters Kristy and Katy. I have missed them so much over the years. It had been a good decade since we had seen them last, but it is amazing how when we get together that the time that we have spent apart can be so easily bridged, and we are able to pick up right where we left off, laughing and enjoying one another. I have missed them so much, and vow to NEVER let that much time pass again without seeing them. Seeing my mother with her sister is quite hilarious, they are like two peas in a pod in some ways. It is always a victorious visit if you can get both of them to laugh so hard that they turn red and look like they can't breathe. And, we did.

I didn't think to take a picture that night when we were just casually visiting, so a funeral picture will do. My Aunt Rosie is the one on the far left in the striped shirt, and then her daughter Kristy is just behind her, and then standing to the right of me (that would be your right) is my cousin Katy. You can definitely see a little family resemblance amongst all of us (all of the girls that is). My mom's two other sisters, whom I don't know very well, are standing next to my mom in the picture; my Aunt Jenny, and Aunt Julia.

The Memorial Service was nice despite my children making their presence known. Note to self: funerals are not for children. Livy had a meltdown and had to be escorted out by Jake, and Oscar at an inopportune time, and in a raised voice, asked: "Is it over yet?" I wanted to crawl in a hole and hide. Oh well.

After the funeral service we were swarmed by the people of my childhood. It is strange seeing all of the different people who have been in your life all in the same place at the same time; friends,family,neighbors and teachers. I imagine that this is what heaven is like, a room full of people that have meant so much to you over the years, ready to embrace you and talk to you.

And then, there are the people who expect you to remember them, even when the last time they saw you, you were still unable to control your own bladder and wore diapers. I feel horrible for even mentioning these people, because they came out to show their love and support for my parents, but honestly some of them could really talk your ear off, and by the end of a ten minute conversation of them trying to jog your memory, you are still standing there drawing a blank. I am officially rude, but we already knew this.

After we were greeted by a sea of people, we went to a family luncheon. The food was good, and getting a chance to visit with friends and family was wonderful. There was a table of food set aside just in memory of my brother, of his favorite snacks: Some of those being: Cheetos, Costco muffins, and Twinkies. Really healthy huh?

Seth used to eat a Twinkie a day; we used to put his afternoon medicine in each of the cream circles on the bottom of the Twinkie to trick him into taking his meds. Not the healthest route, but when you can't swallow pills wouldn't you want to wash it down with sugar?

I tried to eat a Twinkie in honor of Seth, but after the first bite, which tasted suspiciously like Playdough, I could eat no more. I wish he liked a Ding-Dong better, or a Ho-Ho, I could really go for either of those right about now.

There are many things that I have clung to during the grieving process, four of them being:

FRIENDS

FOOD

LAUGHTER

FAMILY

If you are wondering where Oscar was for all of this, he was pretty much done with everything and everyone except this:

In the two days proceeding the memorial service my sister and I got to spend some quality time with:

Debra

and, Rachel!

These are my sister and my friends from college who flew in for the service. This alone lifted our spirits. I don't get to see them too often because they live in Utah, but when we get together it is FABULOUS! Yes, fellas they are single!(Wait, I don't think that there are any fellas that actually read this blog, but if you know of any fellas that are normal,single,and between the ages of 25-35, just let me know.) ;) Sorry Debra, sorry Rachie. I digress.

When we were together, we did what we have always done together, we gossiped--don't judge, laughed, posed for the camera, played games, talked, watched movies, ate, and did that over and over again. Here are some pictures:

I cannot thank you girls enough for coming out. It meant the WORLD to us, I don't think that I would have gotten through those few days without your help, your smiles, your hugs, and your laughter. I already miss you so much! You better come and visit me this summer, remember I live some place fun: San Francisco. Free room. Free food. Comes with a Chef: Jake. Free entertainment. DONE. See you soon!

Comfort: Part II coming soon....I know, you are all on the edges of your seat. ;)

Voodoo Christmas

2011-01-04T16:46:00.000-08:00

This Christmas we went home to Oregon. I don't know what it is about Oregon that sends me into an overall hibernating state upon arrival, well yeah, wait, I do: it is the rainy, gloomy, overcast-y and Mordor-like climate. All I want to do in Oregon is curl up in a ball, surround myself with Little Debbie Snacks and not come out until the sun comes out. So, this overall need to feed drove Jake and I back into the loving arms of Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland. I may have taken more pictures of these doughnuts than my children over Christmas.

The 10th year anniversary gift is, according to google, supposed to be tin. No thanks. We declared the tenth year of our marriage the year of the doughnut. So much more appealing, and not to mention, easier to digest.

Behold the Memphis Mafia: Banana fritter, drizzled with peanut butter, chocolate, chocolate chips and peanuts. In short: HEAVEN.

Oh, and I am pretty sure this thing has magical powers.

Yes, I have no shame, and to add to the indulgence, I am writing this to you as I eat Oreo's while listening to "The Biggest Loser" in the background.

I am pretty sure that I injured my jaw in the process. I sacrifice my body for food, in more ways than one. ;)

O.K., I guess that I have given enough attention to the doughnuts. On to Christmas Day. Olivia, my dear sweet child woke up at 5:30am, jump-starting our Christmas morning. If you are wondering why it looks like we are opening up presents at midnight it is because when it is not dreary in Oregon it is dark. These pictures were taken at 7:00am.

Have you ever wondered if people actually purchase any of the crazy products from "Sky Mall Magazine?" I am here to testify that people do order things from that magazine, and those people are my parents. The Product: R2-D2; The Receiver: Oscar; The Result: Pure entertainment.

It was love at first site.

Behold, R2-D2 the robot. Yes, a battery operated droid that is two feet tall, responds to over 40 commands, plays hide and go seek with you, and plays some of the best Star Wars Techno Music if you say "Hey, R2! Game Mode. Dance Program." This feature alone was well worth lugging this puppy home on a plane.

Getting the thing to work was a little tricky at first.

Did I mention that he can bring you a beverage? No need to leave your chair.

My dad, having a heart to heart with R2, priceless.

"R2-D2 Olesen" is the last and final addition to our family. Our family is now complete. This is the only "child" at this time that will actually listen to me. Thank you Mom and Dad we LOVE him.? It.?

On one of the nights we were home, The Gabels (close family friends of ours, that are basically our "extended family") came over for pizza, presents, and a chocolate gannache cake from Beaverton Bakery. The lovely and ever so talented Ms. Susan made Olivia a tutu and Oscar a Batman Cape for Christmas. (Oscar was in heaven because he got two Superhero capes for Christmas, the other fabulous Superman cape, pictured above, was made by my crafty sister.)

Silver Fox Sr. (My mother) and Susan. It amazes me how much I look like my mom.

Livy didn't put on her tutu right away, so I put it on my head.

Oh, that's how it goes.

Me and Nikki.

My dad, sporting the Batman cape the wrong way.

So there is no easy way to transition into the next part of my post, so I will just dive into it head first. This wasn't your typical Christmas. Just before coming home from Anguilla I found out that my brother Seth, who most of you know is handicapped, has cancer and is dying. As soon as I received the news I wanted to get home and see my brother one more time before he dies. It was hard to be home. It was hard to see Seth in chronic pain. It was hard for me to see my parents struggle as they try to make Seth's last days comfortable and as painless as possible. It was hard for me to see my parent's physically and emotionally exhausted. I took my camera home with the sole purpose of capturing my brother so that my parents could remember every aspect of him, but I wasn't prepared for what I was coming home to. It wasn't the same Seth. It was hard for me to see my brother, who was always eager to give a hug, easy to get to smile and laugh, not even crack a smile while I was there. He has never been able to use any words to communicate, but it was that smile and his dimples that reassured us of him feeling some sort of happiness. It was his smile that always put into perspective the purpose of this life. His smile and knowing glance heavenwards is what I will remember most. No matter how hard it seemed at times to have him in our home, he always brought us closer to God and closer together as a family. He, to me, is the perfect brother trapped in an imperfect body. I know of no greater teacher in my life thus far that has taught me more than my brother has. He is a teacher who needs no words. He has taught me more about patience, perseverance, hope, and unconditional love than anyone. He has made better every person he has ever known, and that is a gift.

When he dies it will be bitter-sweet. Our family has always been centered around Seth, this is what it is like when you have a child with Special needs, and I can't imagine him not in it. It hasn't been the easiest life for Seth, and the past 34 years has not been easy for my parents. As this chapter closes in our lives we will look back with thankfulness for the time we have been given to have with Seth, to love him and learn from him; We will also look forward with hope and faith in God for the day when we will be reunited with him.

I love you Sethie.

Official Title: "The Guills"

2010-12-14T17:25:00.000-08:00

Unofficial Title: Jake and Lora finally took their first official vacation together in their 10 years of married life, to Anguilla (rhymes with "vanilla"), or as we like to call it: The Guills. (*Insert deep and peaceful sigh here*)

I am going to attempt to be brief. The pictures truly speak for themselves, so feel free to skip the commentary and dreamily gaze at the photographs that do not even come close to capturing the essence of this island.

After a whole day of travel, our plane breaking down on the runway,and still taking off in the same plane that sat on the runway for two hours while the pilot got permission to fly the plane in all of its broken glory, we finally arrived at our destination.

This is where we stayed: Frangipani Beach Resort.

Nineteen rooms. Quiet. And, more importantly no children. I did not see one child until we were at least 4 days into our vacation. It was GLORIOUS!

This was the view from our room:

Our Beach: Meads Bay

*The beach was virtually deserted.
*The sand reminded Jake and I of the texture of uncooked graham cracker crust. It was luxurious. I brought some home with me.
*The beach was odorless.
*The beach was pristine, and if a spec of debris came in from the ocean, which was rare, it was quickly whisked away by the Resort's Beach Boys.
*The water was 75 degrees!
*The temperature fluctuated from 77 degrees to 83 degrees throughout the day.
*At night I have never encountered such darkness. I have also never seen so many stars before in my life. We also saw galaxies. However, we never saw the moon. Anybody know why that was? Seriously. No moon.

If we were not sleeping, eating or biking (yes, you read that correctly) we were camped out under the palapas (beach umbrellas)

The palapas were a great place to close your eyes and listen to the waves.

We brought our Kindles and tore through books.

At times I lounged in the middle of the beach because when the sun moved, I moved.

We stared at the clouds and deciphered their animal shapes. This one is an elephant.

We took walks along the beach....and occasionally sank.

There was a lot of dreamily staring off into space.

There was some swimming. Jake snorkeled in the ocean. I did swim and float in the ocean from time to time, but I have seen one too many "When Sharks Attack" shows to really throw all of my paranoia out the door and go out as far as Jake did. I did more wading.

I took a lot of pictures. I wish that I had more skills under my belt before this trip, but I am just happy to have some that turned out well that remind me of how quietly serene everything was.

We were able to do a lot of exploring on bikes. Because we rented bikes, I worked off every calorie that I consumed. I did not gain one ounce, which I consider a miracle since we were at the culinary capital of the Caribbean. The first day we biked 15 miles. Granted, 8 of those miles were to visit this bakery, not once, but TWICE in one day.

Here at Geraud's we discovered the best brownie that we have ever consumed. Ever. The chocolate chip cookies and the quiche were also divine. Oh, and I would be ungrateful if I didn't mention the coconut danish. We made five trips to this bakery in four days.

Biking was the best way for us to see much of the island. It was a great way to see where the locals lived and along the way we saw lizards, goats, chickens, and roosters. There were at least a few goats for every person, and they were also a delicacy featured on even the finest of restaurants. No, I did not try goat. Have you ever gazed into the eyes of a goat? Their eyes are frighteningly vacant.

We visited other beaches and resorts along the island. There is a super swanky and very secluded resort called Cap Jaluca. It is behind this resort, where we found a stretch of beach (pictured below), that had the most gigantic shells I have ever seen--literally the size of my head kind of conch shells. We tried to bring them home, but the evil people on the island of St. Maarten (also known as Sodom and Gomorrah) confiscated our shells at the airport. I cried.

We also took a pastry cooking class at the Cuisinart Resort. Yes, named after and owned by the man behind Cuisinart kitchen appliances. Taking a pastry class at 2:30pm in the afternoon justified us eating a dessert in the middle of the day.

Tyrone was our Chef instructor. He dabbled in the industry here in San Francisco, and the Bay Area, at restaurants like The French Laundry. However, after he encountered his first earthquake, he headed back home to Anguilla. He said that he would rather take his chances with hurricanes than experience another earthquake.

We made a chocolate souffle and vanilla bean ice cream.

A few quirks about native Anguillians: they are low talkers, you can hardly hear them, and even though they are speaking English, I cannot tell you how many times I could not understand them, I felt stupid asking them to repeat themselves. They are also HORRIBLE at taking pictures. For example:

You have the tilted crotch shot. The man literally had the camera pointed at our crotches at a 45 degree angle.

You have the "I must get your whole body in the picture, including that interesting tree" shot.

(and you must forgive me for the state of my hair in most of these pictures, I had a bike helmet on my head for a good portion of the day.)

We finally got a pretty decent shot at Blanchard's, our restaurant splurge, a little out of focus but at least he kept it above the waist.

Yep, my attempt to be brief failed. And this is the short and condensed version. There are so many more stories that would only entertain my family, so I will save those for them.

All in all, it was a WONDERFUL trip. We did not jam pack activities. Upon arriving on the island we only had two things scheduled, everything else we played by ear. We relaxed. When we came back we didn't need another vacation from our vacation. The vacation fulfilled one of its many purposes, and that was for me to miss my children. And I did.

One down (Yay!!)....nineteen more to go (Ugh.)

2010-11-09T09:08:00.000-08:00

Oscar lost it! After three weeks of torture, for me (read post below), the stubborn little tooth finally fell out all on it's own, no pliers needed. Oscar is extremely pleased with himself. He was very eager to go to sleep last night, after writing the "Tooth Fairy" a note and putting it, along with his tooth, in an envelope under his pillow. It was like Christmas morning this morning as Oscar woke up and ran into my room waving around the little surprise that the "Tooth Fairy" left under his pillow: A Spiderman book with a hand-written note from the "Tooth Fairy." (We adopted my Sister-in-Law Katie's tradition of the "Tooth Fairy" leaving a book in lieu of money--thanks for the great idea Katie!)

So, this morning before school I took some snapshots of his new smile--it was hard capturing it, you can really only see his missing tooth when he is talking.

He is such a cute kid. I need to look at these pictures often to remind me just how much I love him and just how sweet he can be on those days when all I want to do is strangle him.

Fall out already........

2010-11-04T13:59:00.000-07:00

Well, the day has come. The part of motherhood I was least looking forward to has arrived: a loose tooth. Yep, you heard me right; I hate teeth. I have said it before, and I will say it again, I would rather be in labor than go to the dentist. I don't know what it is, but I just don't like teeth. Luckily I have been blessed with fabulous teeth and so have yet to have any "work" done on them apart from routine cleanings. So, you can imagine my horror when Oscar, just one day after turning six, comes home and says, "Mom, my tooth is loose." The first thing I did was avert my eyes.

When children wiggle, twist, or inhale and exhale so rapidly that their loose tooth moves back and forth, my stomach lurches. The bile rises up into my throat and I get squeamish. Oscar is aware of my distaste for teeth and like any other six year old boy torments me with little comments and jumps out in front of me and gives me the full visual updates. It makes me physically ill. Seriously.

I remember when I had a loose tooth that my dad would pick me up, put me on the kitchen counter, examine my tooth, grab a paper towel, and would pry out my tooth with his hands. He was always very gentle even though you wouldn't think it with all the screaming going on (from me, that is). He would always jokingly threaten this:

Or this:

Could this be the cause of my angst? Who knows.

All I know is that I want this.......

......to fall out already. Can you tell which one it is? Ack. Oscar keeps asking me to yank it out, but I am afraid that this will be my undoing; I am afraid that I will have a mental breakdown and also break my 25+ year streak of a vomit free life.

I will end more positively with some pictures of my children, to remind me of why I love them, even when one taunts me endlessly about his loose tooth. Little does he know, I'm the Tooth Fairy! ;)

P.S. Kendra, I think Livy is starting to look like you!

Halloween's Unlikely Duo

2010-11-01T15:38:00.000-07:00

We were actually excited for Halloween this year! There have been a lot of firsts that we have been thoroughly enjoying with Oscar since taking him off of his diet. To name a few: Not having to wash our hands after we touch something that he can't eat, going out to eat at restaurants, celebrating a birthday with cake, treating our kids with an actual treat instead of just a fruit leather, and Trick-or-treating! I get a thrill each time I am able to say "yes" to Oscar when he asks if he can eat something.

We were going to forgo Halloween Trick-or-Treating this year as it fell on Sunday (yesterday), and, well, we try not to engage in any activities that deter away from our peaceful Sabbath day. However, we made the exception to let our kids go on Sunday because our Ward did not have a Halloween Trunk or Treat and Oscar was so excited that he could actually go, get candy, and eat it! We went only to a dozen houses or so. Oscar loved every minute of it. He exclaimed: "This is the best Halloween ever." It was pretty fabulous.

The only drama of the night came in the form of Olivia--of course, would you expect anything less? Around the 5th house in, Oscar rang the doorbell, and before Livy could get her "Trick or Treat" in a Golden Retriever came up and out the door wearing a clown costume and holding a dog toy in it's mouth. To any other child--adorable. Livy, however screamed at the top of her lungs, and those of you who have heard it before can attest to the sheer shrill of it--I think she could actually make a career out of it. Jake had to collect our child, extract her from the astonished dog owner's porch, and calm her nerves. I was rather shocked that Livy reacted like this, she usually likes dogs. Then Jake turned to me and explained what had happened earlier in the day that triggered her unusual reaction; Livy was chased down by a Lab earlier in the day, that wasn't on a leash. A barking Lab. Poor girl. So, Livy was carried around for the last seven houses by Jake and refused to Trick-or-Treat. Poor Liv.

Anyways, without further adieu, I give you Halloween's unlikely duo: Pippi Long-Stocking and Two-Face (from Batman). Both costumes made by my fabulously talented Mother-in-law, Kathie.

Curls and Girls

2010-11-01T09:50:00.000-07:00

Nellie Oleson. Little House on the Prairie. Villain from my childhood. You loved to hate her. Hands down one of my favorite shows EVER. I think I may have had a crush on Michael Landon as well (a.k.a. "Charles Ingalls). I may be revealing a bit too much about myself. I was always very mesmerized by Nellie's huge tornado tendrils that fell on either side of her face. My hair is as straight as it gets, it wouldn't even take a perm, so I always looked to anybody who could muster a curl in their hair with envy. These daunting ringlets, that on any other child, like Shirley Temple for example.....

....... would appear angelic, but on Nellie Oleson, they hung there like loaded pistols. I think she harbored nothing but evil in those barrel curls.

Then there is my Livy Lou.

She by no means has thick hair. The poor girl inherited her fine hair from me. But I must say, that I love her hair color. It has a copper color laced throughout it that shines when the sun hits it. Her hair is as straight as can be from about her bangs to the tops of her ears, and then it cascades down in uneven ringlets. Wow, I romanticized her hair a little too much, in reality, it is a mess of curls that I can hardly make sense of. But when you put it up in little pony tails, her hair twists itself into natural little ringlets. More like corkscrews. I. Love. Them.

I would say that she has a mini version of the Nellie Oleson hair with the angelic look of Shirley Temple.(I am writing this while she is at preschool, and like any other mother who has a break from her children, whether they are away at school, or tucked into their bed at night, they always seem a little cuter when they are not right next to you in all of their three year old glory ;) ). Although on some days, when she is pushing all of the *right* buttons, I am tempted to peer into those curls and see if she just might be hiding the "villain from my childhood."

Oscar Turns Six!

2010-10-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that Oscar used to be that tiny. He was quite the adorable baby....almost makes me want to have another one. But not really. Really, I'm done.

I can't believe I have a SIX year old! Here is his school picture. I must admit that I was afraid to open up the envelope holding his pictures for fear that I would get a face staring back at me that would startle me---and not in a good way. I remember some of my own school pictures which could be summed up in one word: frightening. Only a mother could love those pictures(thanks mom). I thought for sure I would need to get geared up for retakes. I was pleasantly surprised to see a good school picture--despite the unnatural glow of the electric blue background.

Back to the Birthday. Birthday's are actually fun when your child is not on a crazy diet. We did not have to stick candles in fruit and have him blow them out. We had a chocolate cake--with no frosting though, Oscar is still getting used to a variety of new textures he has done without for the past four years. The menu included: Spaghetti and meatballs, bread, caramelized-rosemary carrots, triple-chocolate cake, ice cream, and m&m's (Oscar was insistent about the m&m's being on the menu).

When Oscar was asked who he wanted to invite to his Birthday Party his top two included the gentlemen below:

On the left is "Uncle Ed the Fire-Fighter" and "Papa Don," (Oscar's Great Grandpa) on the right. The guest list included 4 people over the age of 60, 3 people over the age of 80, and 1 person (Oscar's Great Grandpa) over the age of 90, 93 to be exact. Oscar likes to hang out with the "Oldies."

Oscar received so many presents. After opening six, Oscar looked at us and said, "Can I be done?" Yes, there were just that many. Oscar is BIG into legos, so he was ecstatic to receive 6 new play sets. Legos are EXPENSIVE. We spent $90 bucks on one set. INSANE! But Oscar loves them. Among his other favorite gifts: a Razor( a scooter, don't worry, not a razor you shave with), a black Spiderman, Two-Face, a Skateboard, comic books, and video games.

I included this picture because it is hands down my favorite picture from Oscar's Birthday party. Uncle Ed is doing googly-eyes for Olivia, who is the Queen of googly-eyes. This one is for you Katie, enjoy.

Saying 'Goodbye.'

2010-10-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

I am late blogging this, but I have to record this before I forget to.

Around three weeks ago, Oscar came up up to me, and said, "mom, I am too old for Nemo. I am almost six, I need to give him (Nemo) to Baby Brooke (his cousin)." I was in shock. Nemo has been with us since the beginning of time. He has been a member of this family, and has played a very critical role at times. I thought that perhaps one day I would have to make the decision to "lose" Nemo. Or, I thought that I would have to explain him one day to his future girlfriends, his college roommates, and eventually his fiancee. I thought for sure that I was the one that was going to have to have a 'Nemo intervention' with Oscar, and try to persuade him that he didn't need him anymore. I never thought that Oscar would be the one to tell me that he didn't need Nemo anymore. My kid is growing up. :)

We said our 'Goodbye's' to Nemo. I took pictures to document every little portion of Nemo that has received "love" throughout the years. To honor Oscar's wishes we packed him in a box and sent him to Idaho to reside with Baby Brooke. And yes, I did get teary eyed. This is a HUGE deal to us.

Thank You Nemo for being with us since the beginning. Thank you for holding onto dear life as you were tugged upon, rubbed, dropped, dragged along, dirtied, and yes, even barfed upon. You have been a loyal trooper and honorary member of our family. We will always think of you fondly.

Learning to Use the Left Side of my Brain

2010-10-18T18:23:00.000-07:00

This is the pile of books I bought for myself on Amazon with some Birthday money (thanks Mom and Dad--you also got me filters for my lens, an extra battery, and a lens cleaning brush) so that I can begin to understand how to take pictures better. I am only 3/4 of the way through one of them because it is difficult to find the time to sit down and read. I am amazed at how much goes in to capturing a great photo: You have to calculate in lighting, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance.....and that is as far as I have gotten so far. It is mind boggling. I find that I have to read paragraphs over and over again to understand the concept. However, it is not until I pull our my camera and apply the principle that I really begin to get it.

Photography is way more technical than I expected. I am finding that it is both an "art" and a "science." I am completely right brained. Photography is shaking up the left side of my brain from its deep sleep and trying to get it to understand and execute what my right brain sees. You can have an artistic vision in your mind for how you want the composition of a photo to turn out, but if you do not use your artistic eye to employ and apply the principles of science you just end up with a picture of a good idea. If you are able to utilize them both you end up with ART. One day I hope to have that.

Melting Pumpkins

2010-10-15T11:10:00.000-07:00

After Jake and I got back from my Birthday Extravaganza (see post below) we went in to Walnut Creek where Jake's parents live and decided to take the kids to the Clayton Valley Pumpkin Farm.

An ideal trip to the pumpkin patch would include....a crisp fall day, a breeze, a cute fall sweater, boots to trudge through the mud, maybe a cup of warm apple cider to warm up from a hay ride. However, I live in California, and this is what our realistic trip to the pumpkin patch did include:

Lots and lots of squinting. It was 90+ degrees outside. The kids relentlessly complained about the heat (as did I), picking the first pumpkin in sight so they could seek refuge back in the air conditioned van.

Livy wore her cute new boots and was sorely disappointed that she didn't get to play in any sludge. The whole time she was looking down at the ground for fear the sun would melt her eyes.

The pumpkins were laid out on the hay and ended up looking more like pumpkin-millitary squadrons, rather than a leafy pumpkin patch. However, to the farm's defense they did leave one pumpkin naturally attached to the vine and rooted firmly in the ground to show kids that pumpkins do in fact grow up from the ground.

That will probably go down on record as the shortest trip to the pumpkin patch. Despite the heat, we did find some fabulous pumpkins which the kids decided they wanted to paint.

Jake wanted to carve a pumpkin. So, he carved an Autobot(Transformer) face.

It lasted a day.

The heat wave got to it. Now our Autobot is tragically deformed--that should scare any trick-or-treaters away. Now I have a hot and melting pumpkin on my porch, maybe I should just add some brown sugar and cream and have my self some pumpkin pie. ;)

The "Silver Fox" turns 31

2010-10-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am blogging about my own Birthday, so that I can actually remember it when I reach twice this age--that actually made me feel younger. Turning 30 didn't bother me too much, but I didn't like turning 31. I think it is because now I am IN my thirties, and I feel like now I am working my way to the 40's. I realize that 40 is 9 years away. I remember my mom's 40th Birthday party. I was 10. I think it was a funeral/the end is near-themed party, with lots of black, "over the hill" signs, fiber laden treats, and lots of prune juice. I think that memory has permanently damaged me, and so I fear 40. Hopefully when I get to 40, I will feel differently.

Reasons for feeling old:

1.Married 10 years. A DECADE (in December).
2.I have an almost six year old (next week) and an almost four year old.
3.White hair. It is steadily coming in. I have even found a white eyebrow. Don't be jealous.
4.Jake calls me a "Silver Fox," due to the aforementioned white hair.
5.I wake up with random aches and bruises in the morning.
6.I had to have an E.K.G two weeks ago. The result of which yielded a perfect heart but a need for.........
7.Blood pressure medication--the smallest dose prescribed, but still. Although I would say with the amount of stress I have had in the past 5 years, it is at least understandable. I blame horrible genetics. (I still love you mom and dad :))
8. I graduated from BYU eight years ago, and High School twelve years ago.
9. I forget short term things like where I have set my phone, my keys, I even forget the endings of recently watched movies. OK, so this has been happening my whole life already, but it is getting progressively worse.
10. Lets round this list off with the fact that some of the kids I used to babysit and even teach in church are getting married and having children. Lets add to this that I also find myself using phrases like, "I remember you when you were running around in a diaper," or, "I remember you when you were this high," while gesturing their height at my knee. People used to say those things to me. Well, to be fair they may be soon saying those things again, when I begin sporting Depends Adult Diapers. Just kidding.

This is what was swirling around in my head the morning of my Birthday. All of this, and wondering what on earth I was planning to do with my kids all day, as the School District gave me the gift of my children at home, with a day off, on my Birthday.

I knew that Jake had made some secret plans with his mom-- plans that I hoped would whisk me off somewhere fantastic for a few hours. Somewhere away. But, as Jake got up in the morning and began his work routine my heart sank a little. I thought at least he would have taken the day off. As he ironed his shirt, got dressed, said "Happy Birthday," and kissed me on the cheek and left out the front door I thought, well there is always tonight, or tomorrow.

AND THEN!!!! Twenty minutes after he left he waltzed back in the door with a huge grin on his face and a card in his hand. And, for some reason he was also singing, "I fooled you," over an over again in the vocal style of Aaron Neville.....and if you don't know who Aaron Neville is, or what his voice sounds like, you must find him on You Tube....it will help enhance this Birthday retelling for you.(Sorry if you are a die hard Aaron Neville fan, for some reason we like to make fun of his voice.) I cried. Not from the dead on impersonation of Aaron Neville, but because I was so happy to spend my Birthday with my husband. He had been working 13 hour days all week, and I had hardly seen him--come to find that he did it so that he could skip out on Friday.

AND THEN!!!! No more than 10 minutes later, Jake's mom walked in the door and he looked at me and said "go and pack, my mom is watching the kids, we are spending the night in San Francisco." I was shocked. There is nothing, I mean nothing better than the gift of time. Time away to regroup, to relax, and to refresh oneself from the hustle and bustle of life. We spent the day shopping; I bought four pairs of shoes (Yes!), a dress, a pair of jeans, two skirts, two sweaters, and a blouse. I am pretty darn good at spending Birthday money. We stayed at the Hilton (for free, thanks to a colleague with hotel points) right next to the Transamerica Pyramid Building. We ate Indian Food, Spanish/Moroccan food, nibbled on chocolate, and ate some amazing cheese at the Farmer's Market, at the Ferry Building along the Wharf. We even napped. It was all very dreamy. Just a taste of this kind of relaxation made me that much more excited to go on our week long vacation next month to "The Guills" (the term that Jake and I have given Anguilla).

Here are a few pictures of the sights we saw, sorry there are so few, but I was too busy relaxing to take pictures.

It was all blue skies and sunshine. This is going down in history as the best Birthday ever. Now Jake is challenging himself to see how he can top this next year. How will I ever top this? His birthday is in January. Any suggestions?

A new obsession

2010-09-20T10:35:00.000-07:00

After weeks of being camera-less, Jake, who just received a fabulous bonus, called me up the very minute the money hit our bank account and said, "well, have you ordered yourself a camera yet?" I was excited, we had gone through drafts of what to do with the money, and I had always put a new camera very last. We had tithing to pay, student loans to shrink, clothing to buy, vacations to save for, cars that needed new tires, glasses to buy.....not to mention the government was taking around 40%, and the list went on. We got to a lot of things on our list, and camera was one of them. (My husband is wonderful). So, after some research I chose the very camera that our close friends Gary and Erica have, who always take such great pictures of their kids: a Canon Rebel XSi. It was an SLR, well reviewed, in my price range, and shipped in two days from Amazon. Perfect.

I think I just might be in love with it. There is something about taking pictures that makes me giddy. I think it is the artist in me that craves capturing life as art. I am excited. I have a manual for this thing the size of Texas and it intimidates me. I am scared that I will be horrible at this, but I am going to throw caution to the wind and dive right in. There are so many buttons and functions, and yet somehow there is more ease into operating this camera than my last one. It makes more sense to me, thankfully.

My first subjects which I thought would be my "well behaved" children who would obey my every artistic direction, ended up being shoes, flowers, and cookies, because, well....they don't move. I will work my way up towards moving objects as I understand more about exposure, shutter speed, and aperture. And, let's face it, candid shots look more genuine and authentic, and posed pictures just look, well, posed. So, I will work on that too. This is not going to become a photography blog, and every picture will not be a good one. As I am on the road to learning forgive my flaws as I try to learn how to use this thing, and if you have any feedback, don't worry, I can take criticism. If you have any tips, I would LOVE them.

I have a fabulously talented friend, Valerie, who can make a Q-Tip look breathtaking in a photo, who has inspired and motivated me to pursue this. So, thank you Valerie, I think that I would have just kept putting this idea on the back burner had it not been for your encouragement. Now we must go on a photography outings--I promise not to exhaust you with too many questions. ;)

So without further adieu, I give you the first pictures I took from my beloved new camera:

As you can see, I have a lot to learn, but I am having so much fun. There is nothing more I want to do right now than curl up with my camera and manual on the couch and read. I.AM.IN.LOVE.

Happy Birthday Mom

2010-09-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

Today is my beautiful Mother's Birthday........she in now 61......is it OK that I just put it out there like that Mom? Well, anyways, I thought that there would be no better way to mark the occasion than to write a blog about it. I can't be there in Oregon to help you celebrate so I thought that I would write you a special "card." Instead of writing 61 reasons why I love you, even though I can think of a million, I am going to condense it down to 6--one for every decade you have been alive. Man, if you were going to do this for me, you would only need to think of 3, you are double my age. ;) I love you mom!

1. GENEROUS and SUPPORTIVE (I realize this is two....they go together)

This picture was taken last year. The Birch Girls (my mom, my sister, and I) went on a rendezvous to Cannon Beach, OR, to mark my mom's 60th Birthday. It was wonderful to get away from our kids, be together, and just enjoy one another. My mother funded the trip--payed for airfare, hotel room, good times, and food. Mom, you have always taken good care of us. Even back in the day when we didn't have much, you made sure you that you went the extra mile to make sure that we weren't aware of it. If there is anything we ever stand in need of, you are always the first to ask if there is anything that you can do to lighten our load. I can't even begin to thank you for all of the generosity that you have extended to my family as we have tried to fund therapies and treatments for Oscar over the past 3 years. Much of his progress would not have been possible without your extended hand. Thank you. I will be eternally grateful.

2. FUNNY

You are hilarious. Let's be completely honest, I inherited my sense of humor from you, not dad---sorry, dad (I still love you). We have spent many a late night cracking up till either one of us peed our pants (yes, PEED our pants---even if it was only just a little) or almost passed out from the inability to catch our breath from laughter. I have always loved that you are able to laugh at things.

3. SENSITIVE

I would like to think that Oscar, my little sensitive guy, inherited this quality from me, which I inherited from you. You have always been incredibly sensitive to people's needs and always been willing to find ways to help those who need it. I always admired this quality in you as I grew up. I will never forget the incredible example to me you are of a mother of a handicapped child who would move heaven and earth, not only for her son, but for other parents who had handicapped children. You were always sensitive and tentative to their needs. Even though I was not always so comfortable in that world growing up, you have built the foundation for me, for so many skills that I have now, that have helped me be proactive in the special needs of my son and those like him. Thank you.

4. FUN!

I must admit I had the "cool" mom. Everyone loved hanging around "Frances." Who wouldn't? My mom would let my sister and I skip one day of school each year to attend the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale with her and go to lunch ( a tradition I intend to uphold with Livy if she has good grades). She would also let us skip one day of school a year to make Christmas chocolates and gingerbread boys with her. My sister and I were good students, went to church....honestly, we were good kids all around, (right mom....mom??) so she was never worried about us missing a day or two of school to have fun. And, man this woman can throw a Mexican Fiesta! People would line up for her food, and still do. I can think of a million fun things that I have done with her. She is a party in a box.

5. LOVING

I love this picture of my mom and my sister's little girl Brooke, aka "Little Miss Sunshine." My mom certainly knows how to love. I remember as my sister went off to college I was really sad. At the time I didn't know how I would survive. I didn't know how I would be able to wait two years until I could join her at BYU. It felt as though I had lost my best friend, and my mom really helped me feel extra loved during that time. As my sister was gone for those two years, I grew closer to my mom than I ever thought possible. She became one of my best friends. I will always be grateful for that time that we had together. When my mom loves you, she will try to show you in every way imaginable. You just might suffocate....in a good way.

6. AN AMAZING GRANDMA

This is one of my favorite pictures that I have of my mom. This picture was taken just days after Oscar was born. You can just see the adoration, the instant connection and the love established, even after only knowing each other a couple of days. My mom has been there for the birth of each of my children. There was something so comforting in having my mother there in the delivery room with me. All of the overwhelming feelings that I felt with each birth seemed manageable with her there with me. My mom stayed with me for weeks after the birth of each of my children. She was up with me during the night as I nursed, holding my hand when I was in pain and exhausted.When I was up, she was up. She would scoop my babies into her arms and change their diapers at 1am or 3 am, and do it without hinting to her own exhaustion. Even though my mom does not live in the same state as us, she is very present in my life and in the life of my children. My mom sends my kids each an individual card with a gift card to Target in it each month. She talks to them on the phone. She makes sure that they are aware of her love for them. When she is here visiting she is very present. She attends to their every whim and desire. She also spoils them rotten. Thank you for being such a wonderful Grandma. My children love you beyond words.

I know that this was an incredibly sentimental and sappy post to anyone except me and my mom, so thank you for enduring it.

Mom, I love you. Even though I can't be there with you, I wanted you to know that I am so grateful for you. I am so glad for your presence in my life. Even though we have encountered many trials along our path together, and some of the things we endured together were hard, I will only remember how we got through them, how they strengthened our relationship, and the beautiful people we have become from them.

Happy Birthday.

Kindergartner

2010-08-30T10:51:00.001-07:00

Oscar woke up excited this morning. He has been looking forward to Kindergarten for a year now. Before we walked to school we took his "First day of school" photo. My camera is currently dead (boo) so I used my Mother-in-law's camera to get some good shots--some of the pictures are blurry because I was not familiar with how to work her camera. Anyways, as you can see, he lifted up his leg and became a temporary amputee.

Then, I took another shot, and cut his feet off from the frame, and made him a double amputee. There are so many things that you need to be aware of when you are trying to take a good picture; making sure that you get all limbs in a full body shot, is kind of at the top of the list of things to do. Oops. So there you go, I made my child a double amputee on his first day of Kindergarten. I think he was apparently aware that I was cutting his feet off because it looks like he is flipping me off. ;) He looks so grown up. I can't believe that he is going to be six at the end of October. I don't feel old enough to have a six year old.

This is just outside of Oscar's classroom. He wanted me to post a picture of his backpack. I ordered it from Pottery Barn Kids. He is into Star Wars and Boba Fett, so naturally, when I saw this backpack I knew that I had to get it for him.

This is Oscar's teacher, Ms. Kelly. She is incredible. I do not know what we did to get THE teacher that every parent wants, but we did. She is magical. I am extremely excited that Oscar has a teacher that will help him foster a desire to learn. I signed up to be the Parent Art Docent for his class this year. I will be going into the classroom each month to teach art to the kids. I am excited to be a little more involved in Oscar's classroom. In his Special Ed preschool classes I had to get clearance from what seemed to be everyone but the President of the United States, and have a lawyer in tow, to observe his classroom. In a "normal" (mainstream) school they recruit you to come to the class and help out. I LOVE IT. I figured art would be the perfect niche for me in his classroom. Stay tuned for my adventures in art with a bunch of Kindergartners.

Oscar's sits next to a little girl named Josie, who I am betting he will call his girlfriend within a few days. He saw that she was drawing flowers, grabbed his green crayon, and said, "you forgot stems," and drew them in for her. Then he began to trace his name, draw a butterfly like Josie, and other things.

Of course, Oscar had to make everyone laugh---it is in his nature. The teacher read them a book about a Raccoon's first day of school. She wrote their names on raccoons and as she called them up individually and introduced them to the class, she asked them how they were feeling, and told them to place their raccoon by how they were feeling: Happy, Curious, or Excited. Everyone took their turn choosing one or the other. Oscar walked to the front, flashed his dimples, and then said: "I am all three: Happy, Curious, and Excited." Everyone laughed. I guess you had to be there, it is not a very funny story to retell, but it was a very "Oscar" thing to do.

I will admit that last night, the eve before his first day at Mainstream School, I cried. I was super nervous and scared. I know that sounds a bit dramatic but the journey getting here has been rough and hard and I would be lying if I said that I wasn't scared. After seeing him today in class, I was reassured again that everything will work out and things will be OK.

"Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters..."

2010-08-05T17:50:00.000-07:00

There are no words in the english language that can truly articulate my love for this movie, or Bing Crosby for that matter--but that is for another blog. I can't remember a year growing up, during the Holiday season, where I didn't watch this movie with my sister. And, I can't remember a viewing of "White Christmas" where my sister and I didn't act out the Haynes sisters little "Sisters" number. My sister belted out the melody and I accompanied with the harmony. Don't worry this is not a Christmas blog in August, but a blog dedicated to my wonderful sister who turns 32 tomorrow (Aug. 7th). This song is all about sisters, and if there is anything that me and my sister are it is close. The lyrics to the song describe us pretty well:

"All kinds of weather, we stick together
The same in the rain or sun
Two different faces, but in tight places
We think and we act as one.
Those who've seen us
Know that not a thing could come between us...."

And then it goes on to talk about men, and other things that never really applied to our relationship, but every time I see this movie, and these electric blue ensembles I think of my sister. (Kendra, we may have to watch this next week in Idaho, or the following week when you are here in California, just because we won't be able to watch it together over the Holidays this year. *sniffle*)

Anyways. I have a pretty amazing sister. She is one of my favorite people.

(P.S. we need to take more pictures of us together. My selection was non-existent)

We have always been close. She is my best friend. We did not have much money growing up but it didn't bother me so much because we had each other, and I don't think I would have it any other way. We spent our childhood making dirt tacos in our backyard--the secret was definitely in the sauce--spit. We made countless trips to the moon and back in our tree. We lived at the library together. We were always arm in arm going anywhere. We had occasional fights, blood was drawn, scars still exist, but it was with the same breath that we fought that we also said "sorry." We could never stay mad at each other for any extended period of time. We have had many a-late-night laughing fits; I am still so glad that there is no one else that can send her into a silent laughing fit like me. We shared a room for 13 years, and when we moved into our new house and got our own rooms we still found ourselves sleeping in each others rooms. We even shared an apartment together at BYU. Since living apart for the past ten years (because we both got married) we have spent thousands of hours on the phone, talking to each other almost every day--thank heavens for having cell phones with the same calling plan.

We have been through so much together: Life, death, success, failures, health, sickness, trials, motherhood, etc. And during all of these times, good and bad--some very bad--we have always supported each other. I have always looked to her for strength. Ken, thank you for always being there for me during my darkest hours, when I needed help standing on my own two feet, and encouraging me along those painful journeys when all I wanted to do was give up.

Words that describe my sister: loving, faithful, devoted, friendly, caring, hilarious--because she is related to me, of course, a good mother, outgoing, crafty, positive, and just fun to be around. I could go on......but I am getting a kink in my neck--time to wrap this up.

Ken: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!I love you. You are a FABULOUS sister; and I am so grateful that YOU are MY sister. I hope that you have a fantastic day, even though we both know that the party will not start until I show up at your house in 7 DAYS!!!!!!! 17 days of Sista' Time!!!!! And don't worry this blog isn't some kind of cop-out, I still got you a fabulous gift--which I will hand deliver to you in person next Friday! LOVE YOU!!!!

He did it!

2010-07-29T22:29:00.000-07:00

Months ago we took the training wheels off of Oscar's bike. He did NOT like this change at all. In fact, he was mad at us and refused to ride his bike for quite a while. When we did convince him that the only way he would learn to ride his "two- wheel" bike was by practicing, he gave it a go. We have only tried like 4 times in the past month, because each try turned out UGLY. These past few sessions of trying to teach him to ride a bike had convinced that maybe this kid would never learn how to ride a bike. I know, I have no faith.

Oscar gets very easily frustrated by things, and tends to be a perfectionist, like myself. When the least bit of resistance or challenge comes during the learning process he gets overly frustrated and gives up--something we are trying to work on with him. Lately, because of this frustration, Oscar has only wanted to ride his Big Wheel instead of his training wheel-less bike. And so, today, when he asked to ride his Big Wheel I told Oscar that first he needed to practice riding his "two-wheel" bike, and then he could hop on his Big Wheel. I thought that he would put up a little fight, but to my surprise he easily conceded.

Before I stepped out the door I said a quick prayer that he would just have a positive experience this time. As soon as we got his helmet on and he got on his bike I decided that as soon as he got going I was going to let go no matter what. You see, in the past I had held on the whole time, and was hesitant to let go because I was afraid that he would fall and hurt himself. I think that he could sense that apprehension in the past, and could sense that I was afraid to let him go on his own, afraid that I would make him fall. This time around I dressed Oscar in jeans and a long sleeve shirt, so that if he fell the clothing would absorb a little bit more of any potential fall, saving him from any major scrapes, which made me feel a little bit better about letting go. I also decided that I needed to have a a little more faith in him, because if he didn't sense that I believed in him, then how could he believe in himself? So, when he began pedaling his bike and moving forward, I just let go. AND!!! When I did, he kept going!!!! And going!!!!! And Going!!!!! For TWO hours!!!!!

I am amazed at the joy that comes from seeing your child learn how to ride a bike. I am a firm believer that it is the simple pleasures in life, like this, that make your life rich and full. I was so proud of him. He was so proud of himself. I love this guy to pieces!

After Oscar went around the courtyard a few times he decided to go and grab me a chair so that I could sit down and watch him. I, however, was too busy to sit as I was frantically chasing him with a camera, trying to snap shots to remember this by. Livy, however, saw to it and took my place in the chair and proceeded to cheer her brother on in the only manner she knew how to do as his sister. Lovely, isn't she???

Oscar worked up quite the sweat, and asked to change into a Superman T-shirt because he felt like a Super Hero on his bike.

When Oscar is a happy kid, you will know it. Love just oozes out of the him. He kept giving me hugs, high fives, and his ever infamous compliments. He also stopped to tell me that he loved me in sign language.

In the midst of this event, Oscar came up to me and asked me where his training wheels were. I told him that they were in the garage. He looked at me and said, "Mom, I want to give them to someone who is young, because I'm old now."

He stopped every pedestrian walking by our house and pointed out to them that he had just learned how to ride his bike. He was so giddy.

He also came up to me frantically and said, "Mom, I need a pen to write my name on my bike." And, I think that he was shocked that I said "OK," because normally Sharpie markers are completely off limits.

He then asked me for a piece of tape to put over his name so that it wouldn't come off and would stay on "forever."

At the end of his two hour bike extravaganza he asked his dad if he could sleep with his helmet on. I love it when my kids are happy!

Furry Friends

2010-07-28T14:39:00.000-07:00

Along our "Bay walk," that we take so frequently, we see a lot of different things: hippies, runners, boy scouts, avid kite fliers, young teenage boys serenading their girlfriends with their guitars, picnickers, unwanted P.D.A, FedEx planes ascending in the sky, ferries floating along the water, people "fishing," extremely affluent people peering down from their mansions upon the lowly pedestrians that are walking beside their view, and, my favorite, little furry creatures of all shapes and sizes. Here is a picture I took a couple of Sundays ago while we were out on the above mentioned walk:

I am pretty amazed that this California Ground Squirrel let me get this close to him. He must have hit the culinary jackpot, because he was focused, undaunted by my presence, and had a firm grip on whatever was tantalizing his taste buds. What is it that you suppose is in his little paws--are they paws? feet? hands? claws? Anyways, he charmed me, and I was glad that I was able to get a good picture of him. I do not doubt how this ground squirrel got his girth, he was definitely the dominant hunter and gatherer in that territory. Why do I assume it is a male? Maybe it is because I would think a girl squirrel would have a little more restraint because women are supposed to......wait, I don't think that I have much restraint when it comes to food, which explains how Safeway is able to sucker me into the whole "Buy four Ben and Jerry's at just $1.99 apiece,"--by the way, s'mores is quite the pint to behold. Anyways, like me, this squirrel was ravenous! It was also about four times the size of the other ones.

There were literally dozens of these guys scattered along the grassy trail. I was totally smitten by these little guys, that is until I went to Wikipedia to make sure that I had the name right for them before writing this blog--which is California Ground Squirrels. However here is what else I found:"Ground squirrels may carry fleas that transmit diseases to humans (see Black Plague)." Not so cute anymore.

These however, are completely adorable. No sign of the Black Plague here. ;) We found these cuties floating along the lagoon.

Last but certainly not least, these furry creatures are my children, who insisted that I pay attention to them, even though Oscar threatened me with a light saber and Livy refused to look at the camera.

Thanks for taking a walk with me. :)

Goal, Goal, Goal, Goal, Gooooooooal!!!

2010-07-20T15:11:00.000-07:00

Besides Kung Fu, Oscar has also started soccer. He absolutely loves having permission to run at something full force and kick it across the field. Granted, he probably wishes the ball was his sister, but a soccer ball will do.

In other news, related to soccer, we didn't really follow the World Cup much, although we did watch the last 45 minutes of the Final between the Netherlands and Spain. The kids piled onto the couch to catch the end of the game with us; Oscar wanted Spain to win because he liked their navy blue uniforms. Oscar loved that "his" team, the "blue" team, won. Netherlands should have worn something other than orange--their outfits were quite hideous, I don't judge by talent but by wardrobe ensemble.

Do Ninjas have dimples?

2010-07-19T14:53:00.000-07:00

Ever since we put Oscar in gymnastics, he would longingly glance over at the vacant Martial Arts building next door to his gymnastics class and ogle the trophies in the window and beg me to let him go to "ninja school." I have to give it to Oscar for being persistent, because each week before gymnastics, for the past seven months, Oscar would glance at the "Ninja School," turn to me, turn on the charm with those dimples, and butter me up with compliments like, "mom, I really like those earrings you have in your ears," (the same studs that have been in my ears everyday for the past 3 years), or, "Mom, I really like your shirt," (it was a stained gray hoodie), and then really quickly would ask, "Can I go to Ninja School?" You have to hand it to Oscar for coming up with a semi-effective strategy of how to go about getting what he wanted. Well, persistence paid off for this kid. We finally enrolled him in Kung Fu, and as much as I thought that it would bring back some of the aggressive behaviors that we have worked so hard to get rid of, it has been amazing so far. Oscar doesn't try to Karate chop other children, or me, which is what I was afraid of. He has surprised us with the focus that he has brought to each class. His teachers are incredible, there are 5 of them, and they are animated and engaging, and have the energy of a Kung fu movie. We are SO glad that we put him in "Ninja School." Oscar genuinely believes that being a Ninja is a real and practical career option for him and Kung Fu class is the ticket to get there. I know that he would LOVE the new Karate Kid movie remake that is out right now, but honestly I am afraid that would lead to further begging to exchange our family vacation from Disneyland next year to China. No thank you.

This is Oscar in his Kung Fu garb, trying to intimidate me.....the batman crocs kind of reverse the overall effect though.

And, as much as Oscar tries to play the "tough guy" he is such a softy. These dimples will destroy any chance that he has of ever trying to intimidate anyone.

You want me to smile???

2010-07-01T12:35:00.000-07:00

Olivia, as we all know, is a comedian. I like to think that she gets it from both Jake and I. Just humor me in that observation, for just this post, if you do not think I have a sense of humor and have never made you laugh before. She is constantly cracking us up with her one liners, her antics, her "googly eyes," and yes her prayers are even hilarious. Every time I grab the camera with every intention of capturing a rare and genuine smile from one of my children, I am always given faces that could crack mirrors, scare children, and yes, even make you laugh until you involuntarily wet your pants. It always seems that when I am out with my kids at the zoo, or the beach, or wherever, I find that when other families try to gather their children for a family photo, the children line up like militant soldiers, link arms, and smile like they are having the time of their lives. When will my children learn this skill? Does this ever happen? When I try to put my children in the same frame together they seem to separate like oil and water.

Back to Olivia. Last week I got the camera and thought, oh so naively, 'maybe this will be the picture when Livy has learned to smile for the camera.' The following is "Olivia, The Comedian's" interpretation of what it means when I point the camera at her and plead with her to smile: (please click on the image below so that you can see just how messed up her eyes are)

A Reenactment

2010-06-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

Olivia absolutely LOVES this photo. She loves looking at pictures of herself and asking, "mom, can you tell me a story about me when I was little?" Jake and I often feel a pang of guilt when she asks this, because we don't remember anything about her as a baby. You may think that I am exaggerating, but all I remember of Livy Lou as a baby is that her screams could shatter your ear drums. But, other than that I draw a BLANK. Unfortunately, memories of Liv as a baby were overshadowed by Oscar's diagnosis and therapy. If I were as smart as my sister, I would have kept a journal. Why oh why didn't I blog back then??? Anyways, maybe one day I will hit my head and it will all come back to me....until then I will take the advice of my Mother-in-law and make stuff up. Yes, I am spinning my child in a web of lies. Judge me if you will.

Back to this particular photo. So, Liv has always loved this photo, and so she often asks to reenact this pose. During one of these reenactments I actually had a camera nearby and snapped a shot. I think that she will continue to ask to pose like this for years to come. As I picture a teenage Oscar on top of Jake's back, I can only imagine that this reenactment will get funnier and funnier--well, to me, and only more painful for Jake. Sorry this is such a boring post, but I am really just posting this so that I can actually remember this and break the cycle of memories forgotten.

Graduation Day and two more posts to follow---pull up a chair and stay a while.

2010-06-10T21:53:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge Photos)

Yep. You heard me: Graduation. Preschool. Graduation. Not a big deal to most, something that I would have normally made fun of myself, BUT a BIG deal for our family and for Oscar. This graduation meant a lot for us and had cause for celebration because it marked the end of Special Education classrooms for Oscar. Oscar is definitely closing the door on something familiar, and something that he knows, and is moving on to opening a new door of challenges,growth, and hope.

As I looked around at Oscar's graduation today, at all of his classmates, I saw all of the phases of Oscar's development and advancements through the lower and higher functionalities of Autism. I saw the nonverbal child, the aloof child, the aggressive child, the runner, the withdrawn child, the indifferent child, the screamer, the crier.....and, I also saw my child, who no longer clung to these traits. My heart broke for the parents who were still having to deal with some of the more difficult behaviors of Autism. I wanted to reach out and give them a hug, and reassure them that they were in a safe and supportive environment, where we only had the best feelings for them and their child. They looked tired, stretched beyond their capacity, and grief stricken. I wanted to reassure them that I knew exactly how they were feeling and to never lose sight of hope.

Being at Oscar's graduation today was a testimony to me that this kid has changed and is ready to move on. He is a totally different boy, who no longer fits in with these kids he used to be indistinguishable from. And I know this may sound strange, but this realization is a little bitter-sweet to me. Bitter in that these kids, these special ed teachers, these other parents, have become my safety, my support, my lifeline, and home. It is really hard to let go of the things that have become so familiar over the years. Hard to step out into the unknown of the real world and hope that all of the skills that you have given your child will help them thrive and succeed in the unknown and challenging environment, otherwise known as Mainstream School and the real world. It is also so sweet because Oscar has graduated from Special Ed and is going on to be taught in a classroom with typically functioning kids, come Fall. He is ready to move on. It is so sweet to say that he is finally distinguishable from the peers that he has been around for the past five and a half years.

Oscar was the host at his graduation, which is totally fitting for Oscar as he always loves any opportunity to turn up the charm as "Mr. Personality," with a dimple and a joke. As he was handed his "diploma" and went to sit down he looked down at it and shouted, rather matter of fact-ally, "Uh, you forgot my middle name." He got the whole crowd roaring on that one, which he got a kick out of. I couldn't help but be proud of him. I think this kid will be just fine.

The only words that can describe today are: joy, gratitude, and appreciation. Joy that my son is fighting to uproot Autism from his life and succeeding. Gratitude to God for granting us not only the strength to help him realize his potential but for helping us find those people who would effectively help us along the way. And, Appreciation for the power of prayer, faith, and hope.

One more day of Special Ed and this kid is movin' on. Last year I dreaded the summers and all of that time I would have with Oscar, and this year, I am actually looking forward to it. I think I might be growing up too. :)

P.S. I am going to be going "Private" with my blog in TWO weeks, so if you want to keep visiting our Blog, I am going to need you to post your e-mail in the "Comments" Section. In the future you will need to login to ready my fabulous blog.

Ode to "Slun, The Snail"

2010-06-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

Every morning before Oscar's bus picks him up out front of our house, Oscar pals around with his friend "Slun, the Snail" and his extended snail family. Oscar came up with the name "Slun," just thought I would give credit where credit is due. I don't know why Oscar is drawn to snails, but he LOVES them. He watches them every morning as they creep across the pavement, and talks with them, naming all of the mama, daddy, and baby snails as they slink past him. Alameda has a huge population of snails, who new we lived in a perfect place for a lover of snails. Don't tell Oscar that his Father likes to pry snails off of our ferns and plants and toss them over our roof, to their inevitable and horrifying death. Yep, our family is made up of both lovers and haters......of snails.

Ballet = Drama : Drama = Ballet

2010-06-10T19:17:00.000-07:00

out•cast [out-kast, out-kahst]- noun
A person who is rejected or cast out, as from home or society……or a ballet recital.

Yes it is true. Many of you already know this: Livy was basically kicked out of performing in her Ballet Academy's Spring Recital.....by the director! Livy, who is normally a delight in class and eager to channel her theatrical skills into any form of dance had a bad, bad day. They changed her ballet partner for the recital during the last class before dress rehearsal and Livy wasn't happy with this change. And, to her credit I didn't blame her, she was going from an easy-going, smiley friend who she knew from preschool, to a child who had to be literally pushed into the studio each week by her mother, refused to listen in class, and licked, yes licked the barre. Would you blame her? After five months, they switched her partner and she broke down and cried. Well, the director of the Ballet Academy, who was visiting that day, and who was clearly agitated and stressed with the impending recital just days around the corner, blew up at my child. I was in class, as it was my to turn to volunteer in assisting the Ballet teacher in keeping the kids in line, and was utterly shocked at this woman. I just sat in shock while the director berated my child for crying in class, telling her that she was a distraction and that she needed to stop crying and do the dance or she would be out of the recital. My favorite part was when the director said: "There is no crying in this class." Uh, lady....you are in a class full of three year olds, THREE year olds, good luck with that one.

Livy, who was cowering, just shook, and continued to cry as this evil woman tried to force her to hold hands with her new partner. She wasn't gentle as she white knuckled my child. I stepped in and tried to calm Livy down and the teacher said to me that Livy would not be able to perform in the Recital. Again, I was shocked. Did my child just get kicked out of ballet? As I ushered Livy out of the studio, I was in shock, still trying to make sense out of what just happened. When I got to the car, I called Jake, in tears. Then I called my sister, in tears. Then I called my mom, in tears. Then I called my mother-in-law, in tears. I cried so much because I was confused. I had felt unwelcome and uncomfortable. I cried because I was hurt that someone had hurt my child by humiliating her and speaking unkindly to her. Livy, after getting safely to her car seat and strapped in said: "Mommy, that Lady scared me. I don't want to be in the recital. I don't want to go back to Ballet School." It took Livy hours before the tears dried up. And it wasn't an obnoxious toddler tantrum, they were the tears and whimpers of a child that had been hurt.

What made me really mad is that this woman uses fear to discipline, not empathy--which is a heck of a lot more effective. It infuriated me that someone who works so closely with children has such a negative effect on their self-worth. I already had a beef with this woman because she was telling some of my Young Women from church, who were also her students, that they needed to lose weight--and I could see that this was clearly affecting the way they ate and felt about themselves.

In the end, Jake and I sent off an e-mail stating we would not return back to the Ballet Academy. Many of the other parents are pulling their children out because they are upset with how the director handled Olivia. We got a refund on our recital tickets we had purchased. We decided to keep the recital costume as Livy is in LOVE with it and wears it basically anywhere (as you can see in the photo collage). In closing, I will leave you with one of the uplifting morsels (please insert heavy sarcasm here) sent to us in an e-mail from the Director:

"Please accept my apologies if I seemed harsh but we needed to make progress and couldn't spend the time negotiating a meltdown and have the entire class distracted by it. This is part of what they learn at the school and what they need to go onstage, self control." (emphasis added by me, as these are the words that slapped me in the face)

Need I say more? Ok....maybe just a little bit.

In closing, Livy will attend a different Ballet Studio in the Fall because she was born to dance. And we are still currently on the search for a three year old that has the above mentioned self control.

And........SCENE.

Reasons why I loved going home to Oregon: In Pictures and Captions

2010-05-31T20:11:00.000-07:00

The drive to Oregon from California is BEAUTIFUL. Jake laughed at me as I hung halfway out the car window as we were going 75 mph to get this shot of Mt. Shasta. I think that it paid off.

I am SO glad that I caught this moment on camera. This is what Oscar was looking forward to: Uncle Jason. He is Oscar's best friend. Uncle Jason is a Super Hero to Oscar, and he just loves him to pieces.

There aren't too many exciting pictures of Oscar on this trip because he brought along with him his other best friend, also know as the Xbox 360 (video games).

This is my little niece, Brooke. She is an angel. She is an absolute delight. She doesn't cry, she cuddles, and has these shockingly blue eyes that just melt your heart. I love her. And, I absolutely loved holding her in my arms as she slept.

On the days it wasn't raining Tori and Livy loved to pal around outside and play in the bubbles.

Livy ADORES her Auntie Kendra. While we were there Livy wanted Kendra to do everything for her: Read her stories, play with her, sit by her, and put her to bed. I on the other hand was chopped liver.

Yep, Oregon inspired a lot of nose-picking. I took 500+ pictures on this trip (excessive, I realize) and a good 1/4 of them had children with fingers up their nose. I love this picture of my mom just truly enjoying her granddaughters. The girls had us all cracking up at times.

Miss Smiley Face. This is literally the expression she held for the nine days that we were in Oregon. No exaggeration. Love this girl.

Livy took on the role of babysitter with Brooke. Anytime Brooke began to fuss (which was rare) Livy took to dangling a toy in her face, singing her songs, smothering her with blankets, and playing with her to cheer her up.

Livy hammed it up for my family--she LOVES a willing audience. She was all drama, songs, and theatrics, with some occasional ninja moves.

I LOVE MY SISTER. Words cannot describe how much I enjoyed seeing her. I already miss her.

We definitely did a lot while in Oregon. The Portland Zoo was the first stop.

We got to feed the Lorikeets at the zoo. They seemed a little overfed so it took a little coercing before they perched on our hands and drank some of the nectar out of the cups. Oscar was a little apprehensive of them because he got peed on.

Liv got to join her Grandpa in doing one of his favorite past times: gardening. She got to plant some radishes and green onions, and of course she carried it out Livy-style with fairy wings on, of course.

Tori caught one glance of Liv's fairy wings and wanted to try them out herself. As soon as she put them on, she fluttered across the lawn and I proceeded to take 40+ pictures of her.

Livy demonstrating one of the ninja moves I spoke of earlier.

Tori enjoying a moment with Uncle Jake at the bowling alley.

We went to OMSI (The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) and the kids did everything from experiencing a simulated earthquake, and petting a snake, to launching air and water rockets.

This picture pretty much sums up how I felt after my gluttonous trip to Oregon: Like a large and in charge hippo. It is amazing how easy it is to gain four pounds--which I have thankfully lost since I got back. ;) I think we ate out like a total of 13 times in the space of nine days; and we may or may not have consumed two dozen doughnuts during that time. One of those doughnuts being the infamous "Memphis Mayhem" doughnut from VooDoo Doughnuts in Downton Portland. Literally one of the best things that I have ever consumed: banana fritter smothered in a peanut butter and chocolate glaze. You must experience it. It was MAGICAL!

Thanks Mom and Dad for putting up with the tornadoes (otherwise known as your beautiful grandchildren) that you allowed to tear through your home for nine days. We turned your house upside down at times, but we hope that it was worth it! We love you so much and can't wait for you to come and visit us here!!

Santa Cruz 2010

2010-05-29T21:22:00.000-07:00

Santa Cruz! One of the many reasons why I love being a part of Jake's family. I'll admit, in the beginning, attending family reunions with a completely new and foreign extended family (of 40+ people ranging from 2-93 years of age) was not always comfortable, fun, or what I would like to voluntarily spend good vacation days on.....but I have grown to LOVE it. I can't get enough of it. And while yes, "the family," can still drive me a little nuts here and there, I wouldn't trade any of it if it meant that I would miss it. There is something so comforting in traditions. Over the past decade--yes it has almost been a decade since I married Jake--I have loved returning each year to the Boardwalk at Santa Cruz. It is one of those places that feels like a home away from home, an old friend to reminisce with and make more memories with. I cannot say enough about this place: it is magical. I love being enveloped by the sites, sounds, and smells of Santa Cruz. I love hearing the screams that come from the amusement rides, the distant sounds of the sea lions on the pier (which were actually M.I.A this year),followed by the therapeutic crashing sound of the waves; and I love the salty smell of the ocean mixed with the fried everything at the concession stands along the Boardwalk. I love playing in the pool with the kids, playing on the beach, helping Livy cart pounds and pounds of broken shells she has hand selected while beach-combing, watching Jake and Oscar dig holes in the sand, helping Oscar decorate his sand castles with shells and rocks, and watching Oscar's dimples make their appearance as he goes on each and every ride. I especially love seeing my kids interact with their cousins. All of the kids are just at a good age right now and they really did enjoy themselves! Santa Cruz has not always been an easy place for us. We have spent several years burrowed in our hotel room because this has not always been the easiest environment for Oscar. But this year it was a complete success--not without a few hiccups, but I cannot not complain. I LOVE SANTA CRUZ!!!! And while I know that we have season passes and will be going all summer, there is something special about those 4 days in May when we go as a family that I look forward to every year like Christmas.

Here is a visual smattering of our little adventure in no particular order (I would put captions under all of these but I am already wordy as it is, and this is as good as it is going to get right now)

P.S. Katie, Greg, Ella, and Natalie--We missed YOU!! xoxo

Did anyone order a sentimental blog? If not, scroll down to the Top Fives

2010-04-27T09:58:00.000-07:00

April has almost come and gone. I am constantly amazed with how fast time flies. Jake and I have encountered many 'Empty-Nesters' who have pointed out this very fact to us. We will be out and about with the kids and people will look at our kids, and comment on how cute they are, and how much they miss their own. And then they look at us square in the eyes, and say something to the effect of: 'cherish this time, kids grow quickly, and one day you will wish you could have some of that time back again.' We would stare back at them blankly, then smile mechanically, and nod, as if to appease their 'words of wisdom.' While appearing to completely understand by our expressions, this is what we would be thinking in our heads: 'Man, some days we look forward to being empty-nesters.' Or, 'Lady, do you have a kid with autism, because it is really hard to 'cherish' some of this.' Or, 'Sir, if you could have seen my children this morning you would want a time machine, so that we could fast forward to 'the good part.' Yeah, I am not afraid to admit that motherhood is difficult. And, sometimes I don't like it. BUT, those people were right. Even amidst this trial of AUTISM, there is GOOD. I don't often like to find it, because it is so easy to focus on the unfairness of it all. But, I am trying to make a conscientious effort to count my blessings. To look back at where our journey began, and to see where we are now, and how much we (Oscar, really) have accomplished; I am in awe. I am so proud of this kid.

All of this motherly musing has come about because we met with the School District last Tuesday, after months of several assessments, and found out that Oscar will be going to a mainstream (NORMAL!!) Kindergarten class in the Fall. This is what parents with children that have Autism dream of reaching. Yeah, secretly we wish it (Autism) will all go away, that one day our child will wake up and 'snap' out of it, but the reality of it is, is that we just want our kids to blend in and cope with their challenges in a positive way. To be indistinguishable from their 'typical' peers. We are definitely getting there.

I can say that this journey has entailed A LOT of blood, sweat, and tears. Not many children undergo 40 hours of therapy a week since they were two and a half years old. He has had around 6200 hours of therapy since he was diagnosed. A lot of people questioned our approach, the 'strain', as they would call it, that we were putting on Oscar and our family( i.e, vigorous hours of therapy, a restricted diet, and various other biomedical treatments). But how can they question it now? Jake and I knew going into this 3 years ago that we would try almost everything so that we would have no regrets. We are so grateful to our family who have supported us emotionally, and at times financially, and really stood by our decisions concerning the interventions we would take. A lot has been made possible with your help and we will always be grateful to you for that. We love you!

We are still on this journey. We still have a lot to do. But I just wanted to take a moment to record how proud I am of this guy. This is a BIG deal!!! Oscar has made so much progress because he is a fighter. He is strong. He takes on all that we give him and more. And while I will try to really enjoy him and who he is now, I am looking forward to seeing who he will become.

Oscar's Top Five

1. Everything revolves around Star Wars around here. His imagination is fun to see unfold. He is constantly humming the epic theme song,impersonating R2-D2, Chewbacca, and when he pretends he is snoring the sounds range from Darth Vader to laser guns. There is always a Star Wars application to be made; everything in this house from bath time to dinner time can be enjoyed in some Star Wars galactic way.
2. Oscar LOVES, LOVES, LOVES playing video games. And, not just any video games, Lego Star Wars on the XBOX, video games.
3. Oscar is OBSESSED with Legos--and again it is all about building a model scale version of every Star Wars scene from all 6 movies. Thank goodness Jake is incredibly talented and has MAD Lego building skills.
4. When Oscar is not begging to play a video game, he is begging to go to the park. He really enjoys playing tag right now. And, it takes a team of therapists to try to explain all of the social rules that go along with it. Oscar is quite the cheater, right as he is about to get tagged he tries to call T.O (Time Out) so that he won't become "it." And, he also loves the park so that he can play "Jedi."---Do we see a theme?????
5. Did I already mention Star Wars? ;)

Livy Lou

Livy's Top Five

1. Olivia has recently been introduced to the magic of Nutella. Nutella on white bread. She loves it. Who wouldn't??
2. Livy loves to sing opera. She would prefer to communicate this way. There is a lot of singing going on around here.
3. Livy LOVES to dance. She is constantly swaying to a Disney Princess love ballad that seems to be on a continual replay in her head.
4. She goes through several wardrobe changes throughout any given day. She dons tu-tus,gowns, crowns, jewels, and aprons. She is starting to insist that she wears them out in public.
5. Liv is following in the footsteps of her dad: She loves to cook. She likes to put on an apron, and sit up on the counter and help you make anything--especially if it is a cake.

Spring Fever

2010-03-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

Spring always comes early in California...do you like how I talk of California like I am an expert? Like I have been living here my whole life instead of only 2 short years? But, yes, while I am here I will speak in absolutes like I am an all-knowing native. I have been trying to document everything I love about California in the Springtime, because let's face it, our days are probably numbered here....we realize that it is INSANELY expensive to live here, and in five years or so....maybe less....maybe more....we will have to find a new home. And.......it will most likely be back to the Chicago Land area for us. Naperville used to be our home, and if we were to go back I would be happy. Sure, the humidity is insane, the winters are sure to freeze your boogers, the tolls a pain, and the traffic on Route 59 ridiculous--but I LOVED IT THERE. I miss the AREA, I miss the PEOPLE, and the FOOD. I miss my old ward there, and more importantly I miss Gary and Erica--our old neighbors and their two daughters, Maddy and Lizzy. Anyways, everything is up in the air--where we will end up and such. I digress....... So, I love Springtime in California. The past two weeks it has been beautiful with days here and there that were borderline perfection.

We went to the zoo again on Saturday and it was a perfect seventy degrees and I was lovin' it--those are the days you never want to leave California. The Zoo was PACKED. I love people watching at the zoo--I love it when a new season is beginning on the heels of one ending, because with it comes some interesting and confusing fashion. You see, during Springtime in the Bay Area, it is chilly in the morning, so you pile on the layers, and then as the day goes on you slowly strip your clothing off as you encounter an entirely different climate during the mid-afternoon, and then as the day closes you pile the clothes back on. It's all about layering. Bay Area Springtime fashion is funny, in that you see people wearing anything from daisy dukes and a tank top (Like this Summer Lovin' lady at the zoo on Saturday) to people wearing a cable-knit sweater and light scarf (as I did). While the "daisy duke-r" was a little too eager for summer to begin, I was a little overdressed, but was able to peel the layers off as the day progressed. I saw people at the zoo with wool hats, fleece jackets, summer dresses, gloves, shorts, skirts, short sleeve shirts, and hoodies. Looking around at all of the people meandering around the zoo there was a fashion to represent every season: winter, spring, summer, and fall. Very Confusing. Very California. It cracks me up.

So, we had a great time at the zoo. Oscar got to see a chimpanzee throwing a MAJOR tantrum--the chimp was literally screaming and would come barreling toward the window where onlookers like ourselves were hoping his antics would culminate into something good--and boy did they ever. He charged right up towards the glass wall that he was trapped behind and threw a log at the glass wall. Then he threw a bottle. Then a stick. Oscar found this behavior to be hilarious! The eighty-ish year old zoo keeper turned to us and said that this was a teenage chimp and at the moment he is very "hormonal." I couldn't help but laugh. But I traded that laughter for visions of horror; envisioning the kinds of behavior that my own children will inflict upon me when they are teenagers and "hormonal." Is there a place that has bullet proof windows where I can cage my children as they get through this rough patch during adolescence? I only pray they never chuck a log at my face. The zoo keeper said that the chimp has busted the glass before--uh...yikes. Anyways, it was tragic for the monkey but pure entertainment for us, at his expense. I love me some monkey drama.

I will leave you with some random pictures of us enjoying Spring and a slide show.

Oscar posing like Han Solo who was frozen in carbonite, from the Empire Strikes Back. I think he does a very convincing portrayal--very committed to the role. I posted a picture of the real Han Solo for your enjoyment.

And finally a recreation of an "old classic." Oh how I wish I had this picture in my possession so that I could scan it, and embarrass my sister. Senior pictures--gotta love how cheesy they can some times turn out. Oftentimes the photographer, in their artistic delusion positions you in some mighty contrived positions, like the 'hugging the tree' position. The: 'rest your hands by the side of your face while leaning against a tree picture.' The kids humored me as I tried to recreate my sister's classic "hug a tree" senior picture. I think the photo shoot went well. Kendra, I love you. You are beautiful. But even YOU will admit that the photo of which I am speaking of is in fact hilarious. Here is my artistic interpretation of your picture.

Just Oscar

2010-03-01T15:06:00.000-08:00

My mother is FABULOUS. We all know this. Every month she sends my kids each a gift card from Target. When their cards come in the mail they get very excited to open their letters from Grandma Frann and Grandpa Lee. We then take them to Target, let them pick out their toys, and then they call Grandma Frann to say thank you and to tell her what they got. Well this last visit to Target brought home this:

At first I tried to talk Oscar out of this, because I like to invest in toys that my kids will get repeated use out of. But, as you can see he won the argument. In his defense, it is a pretty cool toy: A Clone Trooper Helmet. Oscar is really into anything Star Wars. What kid wouldn't love an over-sized helmet that makes him look like a bobble-head and amplifies his own voice when he talks?

In other news about Oscar.......there is one thing that is for certain when you have a child that has Autism, you don't take any milestones for granted. We celebrate every new social nuance that Oscar incorporates into his language, and every academic and creative achievement. We love seeing him pick up things on his own, naturally in his own environment, like every other kid, instead of things that we have had to repeatedly teach him in therapy. He relies less on the latter now, which we couldn't be more happier about. On Saturday, we were having a lazy morning; in our pajamas and going with the flow. Oscar was quiet and when I went to go check on him, he was in his room making this:

I asked Oscar what he was doing. He told me that he was making a cape for "Zurg." He had gotten a piece of blue construction paper out of the drawer (purposely picked blue to match Zurg), scissors, tape, and began to cut out and create a cape. All on his own he taped the cape, and then proceeded to roll a smaller piece of paper to make a gun for his hand. Zurg used to have a toy gun and a real cape.....but as many toys do, they got lost. Instead of freaking out that these pieces were lost, which would be his normal reaction, he decided to solve his own problem with a little creativity. I was so excited that he did this all on his own and I had to take a picture of it and share it with you. Not a big deal to most but a HUGE deal to us.

Later that day we also went to our Ward's Spaghetti Slurp. A fundraiser for the Young Men and Young Women to raise money for Girl's Camp and Scout Camp with a "live" and "silent" dessert auction. Shoot! I should have taken a picture of Jake's cake, which by the way if I may take a moment to brag about my husband, went for $170.00. His cake received the highest bid. He also made Nutella Gelato which went for $65.00. Anyways, back to Oscar. We never take him to these type of events. It is a sensory overload: too many people, too little room, too much noise, too much exposure to food that he cannot touch, and too much work for us. However, without a babysitter we were forced to take him, as I am a leader in the Young Women's organization, Jake had made the spaghetti sauce for 200+ people, and had desserts to auction off. So we all piled in the car, crossed our fingers, and said a few prayers. Oscar was INCREDIBLE! We were even able to help with the set up for a couple of hours while our children ran around with some of the Youth that were there. Jake and I loved listening to Oscar have a twenty minute conversation with a fourteen year old girl. The conversation was on-going. He took appropriate turns when speaking, asked questions, and responded to hers as well. It was wonderful. It was also fun to see Oscar play with his friends from church. He also went upstairs during the "live" auction with Livy for a few hours, in the nursery room, where they had activities set up for the kids to do, while the adults were down stairs placing bids. Jake and I were able to sit back and let someone else watch our kids while we relaxed. And I didn't even worry about him or check on him. I am learning to let go. I am beginning to see that everything is going to be OK. I think Oscar is going to be OK. Uncertainty is a constant looming cloud when you have an Autistic kid. It is the uncertain future that prevents you from really living and letting go. It is the hard times and the memories of the past that prevent you from doing. I think he will always be a little different, but the clouds are starting to part, and his future is starting to look bright.

Priceless conversations with Livy

2010-02-19T16:06:00.000-08:00

Me: "Livy, what did you do in preschool today?"
Liv: "We made love."

I turn around in the car to see what the heck my child is talking about and re-ask my question in hopes for an appropriate response.

Me: "Livy, let's try this again. What did you do in school today?"
Livy: "We made love." And then she takes her picture and turns it around. It is of a heart, with the word "Love" written on it. "See, I made love."

Oh Livy, you crack me up. You nearly gave me a heart attack, but there is never a dull moment.

Yet another zoo post

2010-02-19T13:31:00.000-08:00

When we can't figure out what to do on a Saturday and it is nice outside we pile in the van and go to the zoo. It was 65 degrees outside last weekend and fabulous. I love California.

Once upon a time there was a naive little girl (me), so enamored with her boyfriend (Jake) that without thinking she got on the Sky Baskets Ride at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk.... and... almost.... died.....well, not really, but I could have. I was petrified. The things we do for love. Ever since my "near-death-experience" I refuse to get near these Sky Baskets. Do these look like a death traps to anyone else?? Reminiscing aside, Livy was so excited to go on the Sky baskets for the first time. She loved it-- except when Oscar mentioned that she could die--and then she cried a little. Despite their unenthusiastic faces in the picture, they LOVE the Sky Baskets, much to my dismay.

If you are wondering if something is not quite right with Livy's gaze, you are quite right. This is Livy giving "googly eyes." One of her favorite pastimes. I am just hoping that she doesn't permanently end up cross-eyed with how much she spends perfecting this look.

Oscar, flyin' like an eagle on the carousel. Since Jake would probably kill me if the only picture I have up of him accentuates where he may or may not be balding, I will end with what we like to call "Family Robot Time."

ENJOY!

Livy Turns Three

2010-02-10T13:28:00.000-08:00

Livy had a dramatic Birthday. Honestly, sometimes I watch all of the things she does and I am like is she three of thirteen? I kept saying to my mom(who flew in for the event),and maybe I shouldn't even be saying this out loud, "Mom, if she weren't three I would swear that it was that time of the month." I kid you not. She was acting hormonal. She cried over the strangest things, her toilet paper not being long enough, having an itch on her back, having the hiccups, barbie looking at her in the wrong way--you name it and she found a reason to cry. This behavior went on for a few days, and I am glad to see that it has passed. That being said, despite all of the tears, she had a good birthday.

Livy, making a wish before she blew out her candles. Oscar, all on his own, before Livy went to blow out the candles said, "Livy, Make a wish!" And, Livy somehow instinctively knew how this was done and blew out the candles. I fear what she may have wished for. Hopefully her wish was something like, "I hope that I can be nicer to my mom, far nicer than I was during my two's; and I wish that mom's sanity will be restored over this next year as I have drained her from almost all of her patience." Probably not what she went for......

Livy opened what seemed to me like an obscene amount of presents from us, grandparents, aunties and friends.

Her favorite gifts included: a vanity where she can now pretend to put on make-up and get gussied up for the countless balls that she attends on what seems to be an hourly basis; a Cinderella wedding dress nightgown, Alice in Wonderland figurines, and barbie ballerinas. I gave her lots of books and some DVD's, and when you give a child a book as a present amidst "cool" toys that sparkle and talk, they just look at you like "really, mom, really?" She'll thank me later. She also received lots of hair bows that her Auntie Katie made, a special brush and other little hair accessories; and I must say that doing Liv's hair has never been so easy. Thank you Auntie Katie, you are a genius.

Let's see. She made four wardrobe changes throughout the day. She had a massive tantrum when Grandma Kathie unveiled her barbie cake and she said "that's not Ariel," and proceed to flail about until she cried her self into a coma on the couch, getting in a much needed nap. She ate lunch at McDonald's, ate enough sugar to merit cavities, and dug into the beautiful barbie cake that her Grandma Kathie made. What was hilarious about the cake was that every time we took another slice from it, it revealed more and more of the Barbie's "physique." Oscar ran into the kitchen and checked the status of the partially eaten cake and said: "What the heck? I can see her butt!" We were all in hysterics. What was even funnier was when they discovered that Grandma had cut off the barbies feet so that it would fit better in the cake. They thought that was hilarious.

Overall, it was a great day, chalk-full of laughter, tears, and drama; a typical day in the Olesen home.

The best part of Liv's Birthday was that my mom came to town. I love my mom. We have always been so incredibly close and I am grateful that I can say that my mom is truly my friend. We did it all: we shopped, we ate at numerous fabulous restaurants, went to the infamous White Elephant Sale twice, watched TV, and just enjoyed one another. I love that she plays with my kids. I love that Livy has such a connection with her even though she doesn't get to see her as often as her other grandmother. Mom, you are fabulous. Thanks for visiting and making Liv's Birthday that much more special.

What can I say about my Little Liv? She cracks me up as much as she challenges me. I love her sense of humor, her facial expressions, her dramatic flair, and her undying love for her brother which could become the death of her. She is a talker; and even though there are days when I wish that she would just stop talking, I just love to hear her voice (even though she does sound like a munchkin). I love her ability to make me smile on days I just want to give up and cry. I love that she is so friendly and loves to make other people happy. She really knows how to put on a show, and some of the things that come out of her mouth are just hilarious. I love that she is so smart and catches on to things quickly. I love that she calls me her best friend even if it does come on the heels of her saying, "mom, I don't love you anymore." She is my damsel in distress and my style guru. I love that she always reminds me to grab my phone before we leave the house--I love that; what three year old asks their mother if they've unplugged the flat iron, or remembered her backpack? Liv does. I love you Liv. Happy Birthday!!!

10 Oscar and Livy Tidbits

2010-01-18T10:38:00.000-08:00

LIVY LOU:

1. Livy is obsessed with ballet. She loves it. She is taking a class on Wednesdays and is very serious about it. She also loves to tell me all about the drama that goes on during her class, ie., who is hitting who, who likes who, and who cries. The girl L-O-V-E-S drama.
2. Livy received a veil for Christmas and so the obvious thing to do was for her to get "married." She unofficially entered into a "union" with the man of her dreams at the beginning of this month; it was a lovely "scooter wedding." Xander is quite the catch: cute, lover of superheroes and snacks, and ladies he is potty trained! They are happy. Although they live in different cities, the distance will never staunch their "love." (My fabulously talented photographer friend, Valerie, took the above pictures of the "scooter wedding" and of Oscar and Jake on Skateboards)
3. Livy is still obsessed with anything that has to do with a princess. When we play together she always appoints me the wicked step mother. Should I take offense? She loves that I will "boss" her around the house, telling her to pick up this and that; the sad thing is is that I think that she listens to me more and follows directions more when I am the wicked step-mother!
4. Liv is officially a student and enrolled in preschool which affords me 6 hours of peace of mind without children. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids, but man I need a break once in a while just to remember that. Judge me if you will. There is another girl(who I think may be a giant in the works) that is in Liv's class that told her mom, "mom there is a baby in my classroom;" yes, she was referring to my child who does in fact look like a baby compared to some of the other kids that are approaching four years old. Sometimes I worry if she will take after her Great-Great Grandmother who was only a little over three feet tall. True story. Let us all pray she reaches five feet.
5. Liv will be three in a little over two weeks--and Grandma Frann will be in town to celebrate!
6. Livy has given up naps. Let us all mourn the loss. My sanity has been a little questionable lately.
7. Livy is getting to know her roots. She is embracing her Latin Heritage by way of "Dora The Explorer." I think she knows more Spanish than me now--not hard to do.Oscar enjoys watching Dora with Livy and his Spanish accent is quite authentic!
8. She loves McDonald's and broccoli--it almost seems like a contradiction
9. Since Livy is all about Drama playing the damsel in distress is what she does best, and Oscar is always willing to play the Superhero that comes in to "save the day."
10. We went to the Zoo over Christmas Break with Jake's family. Livy can finally ride all of the "kiddie" rides at the zoo--before we had to quarantine her to the carousel. She has apparently grown an inch since last year, and is probably somewhere around three feet tall---so I guess she has almost surpassed her Great-Great Grandmother. Hopefully she will only go up from here. ;) She had such a fun time with her cousins over the break. She loved hanging out with her older cousin Ella who was only too eager to take Livy under her wing and teach her the art of playing with American Dolls,coloring, reading, playing princesses, and fort building. Thank you Ella!

OSCAR

1. Oscar received a ton of transformers for Christmas and his on-going love affair with them has been magnified.
2. Oscar LOVES R2D2 and C3P0. He loves reading books about them, coloring them, painting them, drawing them (See above photo), imitating them, and watching Star Wars. His imagination is beyond what we ever dreamed him capable of having, and we enjoy seeing him use it. (Just a side about Oscar'sabove drawing of R2D2: Oscar was asked in his primary class at church to draw a picture of one of God's creations that he is thankful for, and R2D2 was his choice. I love it. He is getting pretty good at drawing him!)
3. Oscar is doing well in school: learning how to read and write. His favorite "subject" is recess and he loves to play with his friends Ian and Christopher who are referred to by their teacher as the "Three Musketeers." They are hilarious together, keep their teachers on their toes, and are trouble. Oscar always comes home and tells me which of his friends were the Decepticons that day and which were the Autobots (Transformers), and which friends he had to "kill." School is tough!
4. Oscar sits through THREE hours of church! For the first time in years we get to attend all of church like a "normal" family and make it through all of the meetings. Oscar loves primary (Sunday School) and especially enjoys singing time.
5. He is OBSESSED with United States Geography. He amazed us over the Christmas Break with his knowledge. We knew that he could locate Chicago, Utah, California, New York, Texas, and Idaho on a map, but we had no idea that he almost knows all 50 states and where they are located on a map. He has a crazy memory.
6. Oscar received a wolverine costume from his teacher for Christmas and absolutely loves to run around the house "terrorizing" us.
7. I recently figured out how to make a dessert for Oscar that is compatible with his diet that he LOVES. I make him a batch of peanut butter brownies each week (the batter consists of peanut butter, honey, one egg, and a half a teaspoon of baking soda--I know it doesn't sound like it would hold up, but it works!)
8. Oscar is beginning to "like" his sister. They love each other and hate each other all at the same time. I think that's typical.
9. Right now he loves rough-housing with his dad and cuddling with me.
10.Oscar started gymnastics in November and he is doing fantastic with it. He can now do a cart-wheel, a bridge, walk the high beam, skin the cat, scale a rope, and all of that other gymnastic stuff. I "try" doing gymnastics with him at home, it is quite hilarious; I don't think my back will ever be the same since I attempted doing a bridge.

Conclusion: Sorry it has taken me a while to get to the blog. My camera has been acting funny for the past couple of months, and so frustrated I have left it to collect dust on a shelf. I left all of the picture taking over Christmas to my bother and sister-in-law, so Christmas is still to come when I get my hands on some pictures. You may get Christmas on Valentine's! Better late than never???

Family Pictures

2009-11-10T21:13:00.000-08:00

Our lovely and talented friend Valerie Porter took our family pictures this past Saturday and worked her magic to pull off nothing short of a miracle: Pictures of our whole family together, with our kids looking at the camera, with a smile on their faces! Valerie you are incredible!! For more of her amazing work check out her website: www.valeriemaeling.blogspot.com

An obscene amount of pictures of our family to follow.

Jake and I couldn't help but act like dorks. We felt like we were taking our engagement photos again, so we embraced that idea, and re-lived it for you in this last shot.

Are you sick of us yet???? Didn't think so! Thanks Valerie!!! You are THE BEST!!!!!

HALLOWEEN: Georgetown Style

2009-11-05T14:25:00.000-08:00

We went and visited Jake's Aunt and Uncle up in the Mountains of Georgetown over Halloween Weekend. Georgetown is definitely an interesting place filled with funky people, motorcycles, dirt, and saloons--it is very eclectic to say the least. However funky this place is, we enjoy being in the quiet of the woods and letting our children run wild and free without a care of a neighbor hearing nearby--because there is no one within earshot for miles it seems. Oscar was excited for Halloween this year as it was his first year trick or treating. We pre-delivered five toys to five different houses including a fire station for Oscar to trick or treat at because he cannot have candy. Oscar put his own spin on trick or treating, instead of ringing the doorbell and waiting graciously at the door for his treat, Oscar would make his way from the doorstep, into their house and help them find his "treat." Oscar really enjoyed running through the woods in his bat costume saying "ptcka-ptcka-ptcka," what he believes bats to sound like--obviously. (Jake and I just had an argument as to how this should be spelled--he won; so if you can't figure it out give us a call and Oscar would be more than happy to do this for you over the phone). Livy-lou was dressed up as Wendy from Peter Pan and pranced through the woods eternally twirling and talking about Peter Pan. She was completely committed to her character.

We had a grand time in Georgetown. It was a Halloween filled with jeep rides through the woods, walks, doing some old-fashioned playing outside, and getting some mighty entertaining people watching done. It was fabulous....it may become a family tradition for us.....we shall see.

Oscar Turns Five!!

2009-10-26T16:18:00.000-07:00

Oscar turned five on Saturday and Grandma Frann and Grandpa Lee flew in from Oregon to help us celebrate!!! We went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium to kick off the celebration. Oscar loved everything from the scuba divers and the wave room to the sting rays and the feeding time in the "open ocean" tank--it was all fabulous. The Jellyfish were by far my favorite, each jellyfish had the most vibrant color and reminded me of Chihuly's glass work. After the aquarium we went back home and opened up presents. This was by far the highlight of Oscar's day, of course. This is the first year that Oscar has understood what presents are and was genuinely excited about it, which made this birthday the best yet. He got so many presents.....everything Star Wars and Super Hero Squad, Transformers, and a skate board. Later on that day we went down to the San Francisco Bay and played baseball and threw rocks into the Bay. Then it was back to the house to play endless rounds of Star Wars. We had such a great visit with Grandma Frann and Grandpa Lee. They are so good with our kids and Oscar and Livy absolutely loved playing with them every second they could. Thanks for coming! We love you and miss you already.

On a more serious note: It is hard not to become sentimental and become reflective when your child hits a milestone such as another birth date. When you have an autistic child time is never your friend because it is time that you are constantly running against. It is in that time that you are trying to get all of the progress and therapy in while it is beneficial and before it is "too late." Every birthday that Jake and I have faced with Oscar has kind of been bittersweet. This year it didn't seem as much as a melancholy occasion as it has in the past. I was just able to enjoy his birthday this year. That doesn't meant that I didn't think about his Autism that day....I don't know if that will ever happen, but I wasn't sad about it either. Oscar was diagnosed almost 3 years ago. Since then we have carried burdens I didn't think we were capable of bearing, enduring, or overcoming. Oscar has come so far, and I am so proud of the person that he is becoming. He is such a fighter, and I believe that is what is propelling him forward. Even though there are days when I question my role in his life or if we will ever get past ALL of this; there is no questioning how much I love this little guy. He has taught me more than he will ever know and I have become a better wife, mother, sister, daughter, and friend because of him. Happy Birthday Oscar. We are so proud of you and WE LOVE YOU!!!

The Latest and Greatest of Livy Lou

2009-10-26T14:37:00.001-07:00

Livy riding her first horse at the pumpkin patch.

Livy adorning herself in gobs and gobs of "jewels."

Livy can be summed up in two words: Drama Queen. Livy has quite the flare for the dramatic; she always acts as if she is on stage and performing in front of a live audience. Honestly, she never ceases to entertain me and everyone around her. When she is cute, she is KILLER cute.....and when she is acting, well 2, she is a pain in the rear and anything but cute. She has tried to learn the art of manipulation from her brother, pulling out her own cards by saying things like, "Daddy said I could," when I won't let her do something, or when trying to get something Daddy has denied her, "but Mom said I could." Yikes, where is she getting this??? She is constantly cracking us up as she picks up very quickly on social nuances. Everything with her is chalk full of energy, expression, and DRAMA. She continues to thrive on the love lives of all of the Disney Princesses. She also wanders around our Backyard, and by backyard I mean courtyard, and picks flower after flower taking off one petal at a time reciting, "He loves me, he loves me not...." She is not even three and is already a hopeless romantic. Her imagination runs completely wild, and I LOVE IT. We were at the park one day playing a game she made up called "Pirates vs. Mermaids," and she put Captain Hook in time out for biting the mermaids. Speaking of Peter Pan, Livy is very excited that she is going to be Wendy for Halloween. She is dying to wear the incredible costume that her Grandma Kathie made her, but since it is made of Taffeta and is "Dry clean Only," she will have to wait until Halloween. Hopefully you will not have to wait until Christmas for me to post Halloween pictures. ;)

Disneyland!!!!!

2009-10-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

Yeah....after over a month of procrastinating, here are the pictures from Disneyland. Going through over 400 pictures and cutting it down to 40 was difficult. I tried to include those that captured the spirit of our trip the most. We had so much fun at Disneyland!!! I don't remember too much about going to Disneyland when I was 16, I know I had fun back then, but there is nothing better than watching your kids enjoy Disneyland. It definitely is a magical place. I absolutely love Disneyland.

Here are some highlights, favorites, and random thoughts about the trip:

1. We got a special pass for Oscar that allowed us to get on any ride next to immediately, which really gave our children a really unrealistic depiction of Disneyland: hardly any waiting.
2. Livy danced everywhere, as you can see from some of the pictures. The girl was born to move.
3. I was about to skip the whole autograph book thing.....the kids caught on quickly that this was 'the' thing to do. They loved meeting all of the characters and getting their signatures and pictures taken with them.
4. The only way to get through waiting in a line for an hour and fifteen minutes to meet three princesses is by purchasing your child a ginormous lollipop. The wait was totally worth seeing the look on Livy's face when she finally got to meet the princesses. She literally cried when she saw them because she was so happy. She was however, a little miffed that the princes were not there. She just loves Prince Eric and Prince Phillip.
5. Oscar's favorite ride was the Matterhorn, which he went on 7 times. Other favorites included: Thunder Mountain, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Mulholland Madness, and the Grizzly River Run.
6. Livy loved the characters.....not immediately though. She screamed bloody murder on the first day when we were at California Adventure. She was terrified when we asked her to be in a picture with Mickey and Minnie. She slowly warmed to the idea though.....at first she was only fine with fairies such as Tinkerbell, and princesses--because they were actual people. But, then she became OK with all of the other characters after a day or two.
7. There are some CRAZY people out there. Honestly you would swear you were walking around on the floor of a psych ward while strolling around Disneyland. Disneyland is in fact a Mecca for the Crazies!!! I could people watch all day!
8. Thanks to Star Tours Oscar is now obsessed with Star Wars--which Jake loves.
9. The Pixar Parade was one of our favorite things to see, the kids freaked out!
10. Everything looks bigger when you were younger. When I saw Sleeping Beauty's Castle again for the first time in 14 years I turned to Jake and said, "Do you remember it being bigger?" I remember it being bigger; that it towered over me. Splash Mountain even looked smaller. Everything is bigger when you are younger. Jake and I were cracking up about things like that.
11.Despite it being called "The Happiest Place on Earth" you can always find one bad seed among the employees. Actually, I am incredibly impressed by the upbeat workers. Everyone is polite, smiling, and doing everything they can to help you have the best experience...BUT, then you run into a woman that could have been mistaken for Snow White's evil Step Mother, and you begin to question what motivates some people to even work there. Honestly, the woman at Pixie Hollow should be fired...it was the beginning of the day and she was already snapping at people, I would have hated to have been around when her shift was ending. I think my Mother-in-law may or may not have called her a four letter word within ear shot as we left Pixie Hollow---yeah, the worker was that mean!
12. Note to Self: L.A. is freaking hot the second week of September, next time schedule the trip for February!
13. WE HAD SO MUCH FUN and..............
14. WE CAN'T WAIT TO GO BACK!!!!!!

There are probably a million other things I can write...but this will have to do.

Will summer ever end?.........UGH..........I mean, here are some more pictures of our Lovely Summer Break.

2009-08-25T14:23:00.000-07:00

I'm counting down the days. Oscar will be back in school in 9 more days. He would be starting on the 31st of August, but he is going to be going to Texas with Jake for a VERY expensive visit to his gastrointerologist--fortunately Jake's sister Katie lives in San Antonio, which turns a really expensive Dr.'s appointment into a nice visit with some family too! :)

Might I add that I am also counting down the days until I, Lora, go on a much needed 5 day retreat to Oregon with my sister for my Mom's 60th Birthday over Labor Day Weekend. No children. Just me, my mom, and my sister.....and the sound of the waves crashing at Cannon Beach. Just shopping, eating, and sleeping, folks. It will be beautiful. I can't even comprehend it.

These last few weeks of summer have been brutal. For one crazy reason or another I thought that it would be a 'great' idea to potty train Liv during this time. Why I thought it would be a 'great' time when Oscar would not be in school, would not be in therapy, and we would be home-bound--due to my only underwear rule while potty training, is beyond me. I have been peed on, I have caught pee in my hand, I have cleaned pee off of beds, couches and floors during this glorious period. BUT, all of this hard work has been worth it. The girl has EMBRACED the toilet. It is working, and it is working quicker than I thought it would. She no longer wears diapers, and she is telling me when she needs to go to the bathroom. AND, she doesn't even go to the bathroom in her diaper when she sleeps anymore. So amidst the ugliness, we have had some triumphs. Two children without diapers. Life just got a little easier. Life just got a little cheaper. Here is a slideshow for you to watch of what we have been up to as the summer, thankfully, comes to an end. Can I get a "halleighlujah?"

The Circus Comes to Town

2009-08-17T17:03:00.000-07:00

When I went to the circus as I kid I absolutely loved it. The things that I saw then I have never forgotten. So, when I saw that the Ringling Brothers were coming to town I jumped on the opportunity and bought us tickets. It would be the kid's and Jake's first circus. We went and saw Zing Zang Zoom couple of weeks ago and it is about one of the most entertaining things to watch. There wasn't a dull moment. And, thank you Auntie Katie for suggesting the pre-show because being just a few feet away from an elephant as he painted a picture was awesome. Livy shook and quaked all throughout the pre-show, it was quite the sight. She called every girl a ballerina, and loved the dancing dogs. Oscar was continually nervous and worried about the welfare of all of the people dangling from swings, ropes, chains, and the likes; constantly asking, "how is she going to get down?" Here are a few pictures of the show, in random order ( I was too mesmerized by what was going on to remember to take pictures) :

Oscar LOVES unicycles. Not quite sure why, but he LOVES them. AND we love that he calls them "Nuda-cycles." I'm hoping that he doesn't really want one. They aren't the most trendy of things to get around on.....they are kind of unfortunate looking, well, to me at least. I always think back to my days at BYU, and the very awkward looking guy that rode one up the hill to campus everyday. It was a sight to behold. It was just AWKWARD. Weird. I don't know. Anyways, back to the show.

We loved watching "Asia" the elephant paint a picture and then get fed a loaf of bread. We were literally two feet away from her at one point.

Another favorite of Oscar's: Ladders. He loves 'em. When you combine this with a clown, he was just beside himself.

This is not the greatest of pictures, you cannot really stay focused at the circus, your eyes are always darting from one thing to the next. Oscar and Livy loved honking this guy's nose, although they were a little disappointed that a 'honking' sound did not follow.

Another favorite of Oscar's: the motorcycle. He loves motorcycles. He really wants one when he "grows up." However, there are three things Grandma Kathie does not allow--and I think that Grandma Frann would concur: 1. No Drugs 2. No motorcycles 3. No sky diving ....am I missing anymore? I thought there was another one. I can't remember. Anyways, Oscar....you will never have one. He almost pooped his pants when a clown drove it off during the show.

Other highlights we enjoyed. Two women shooting out of a cannon. A man disappearing out of a cage suspended in the air, and a tiger reappearing in his place--Oscar actually thinks that the guy turned into a tiger. All of the acrobats, especially the one's that flew through rings of fire. And all of the animals; the ponies, the dancing dogs, the zebras, the elephants and the tigers. Although we did not make it through the WHOLE show, we made it through an hour of the pre-show and an hour and a half of the real show. It was really fun.

This could become a family tradition. :)

Happy Birthday Kendra! (Caution...long post with lots of pictures)

2009-08-17T13:16:00.000-07:00

Kendra, Jason, and "Baby Too-ee" (Tori), or "Too" as I like to call her, came to visit us. We had a blast. My Mom and Dad bought Kendra a round trip ticket for her Birthday to the best place on earth, my house! Thanks Mom and Dad! It was a whirlwind of a trip where we were constantly moving from one attraction to the next. We had a blast and we laughed a lot. A LOT. It is only after they leave that I wish I would have talked to them more while they were here, done more, and played with Tori more. Oh well. There is always next year, right? So here are a lot of pictures of some of the many things that we did.

The first full day that the Dingers were in town, we decided to go to Santa Cruz to celebrate Kendra's Birthday--She is 31 by the way. Before we left for our little road trip we needed to fill up the gas tank. As we pulled up to the pump there was a 1924 Ford pumping gas next to us. Kendra kept bugging me to get a picture of it, and I kept saying no--what can I say, she is more outgoing than I am. But, after finally initiating small chat with the gentleman who owned the car, an 80-something man by the name of Thomas Jasper, I asked him if I could get a picture of the car. He told me to get the kids out of the van and let them get behind the wheel and get a really good picture. I love old people. I love NICE old people!

The first stop at Santa Cruz was the Pirate ride. Oscar and Jason are in that front row, off to the right and toward the middle of the boat. Jake couldn't take the day off from work so Uncle Jason was in charge of stomaching all of the wild rides with Oscar. Thanks Jason!
Livy and Tori on the carousel. While Livy continued to wave like a beauty queen, Tori kept trying to figure out how to get off of the horse and off the ride--Livy did the same thing at her age. She wasn't that big of a fan.

Typical Tori face. I love this girl. Always furrowing her brow. Huge eyes. Gigantic smile. So cute.
Livy felt the need to lift her hands up during this ride, because let's face it, it was quite the thrill-ride, and because everyone else was doing it.

Oscar is always excited when he gets to ride at the front of any roller-coaster. And who isn't?!
Uncle Jason was a trooper to go on the "Cyclone" with Oscar--this one almost made Jason sick, he had just eaten lunch. You couldn't pay me enough to get on this thing. I am quite certain it would be the death of me.

Livy tromping through the flowers while watching Oscar and Uncle Jason defy gravity.
Kendra, who is 6 months pregnant, even got in on the ride action. Here you can see that she is on one of the more thrill seeking rides. ;)
Jason and Oscar enjoying a swing ride. I rode on one of these once.....outside of a convent if you can imagine. Ironically, there was a drunk man seated next to me trying to grab my swing as we whirled around, they stopped the ride, and he was removed. I was traumatized. When am I not though? I will ever get on one of these again. And I think that it would make me sick.
Who doesn't love a "Fun-fetti" cake??? No way to usher in your 31st year of being alive than to celebrate it with a synthetic cake speckled with chewy rainbow bits. She asks for this cake every year. Is she 31, or 3?????? Oh, and she is flashing the nails because I gave her a manicure, but instead of painting them purple I painted them a 'gothy' brown that I like to paint mine--it was dark, and we were watching a movie. I got confused.
Bike ride time! Livy had a freakin' fit when she saw Tori get on her bike. That girl did not like sharing much with Baby Tori. Sorry Tori. Livy is two, and impossible.
It is ridiculous how much Tori looks like Jason. She has some fabulous lips! So cute.
Livy, scooting along with her unruly and unkempt "scurly" hair--this is what she calls her hair.
On Kendra's last day here we went up to the Oakland Temple to take pictures and see the Christus. Livy absolutely loves looking at the statue of Jesus. She walked up to one of the Sister missionaries upon arriving and said, "can you make Jesus talk?" She has been here before and loves it when they play the pre recorded message that goes along with the tour. She is reverenced by the statue--which is fantastic. I think I need this at my house. She is so quiet, and she likes to sit and listen to the whole thing. It was very cute.
Livy, admiring the fountain. She would have jumped in had I not stopped her.
This is such a "Tori face." I love it. She cracks me up.
Sorry, the temple is a little crooked. I am not a photographer. At least she sat still!

And thus concludes our visit from the Dingers. You are absolutely my favorite people ever. I love you guys. I am so grateful to have my sister as my best friend. Thanks for coming to spend your Birthday here. It meant a lot to us. I think we can work out this whole long distance thing if we can see each other at least every three months or so. Thanks for putting up with all the little hiccups in the trip. We love you!!!

Sibling Rivalry

2009-08-16T14:13:00.000-07:00

They are quite cute, I realize. People stop me often to tell me just how good looking our kids are. But what they don't realize is how ugly they can become when they morph from child to monster as they throw tantrums, yell, scratch, bite, scream, hit, and punch.....and some of the colorful words that come out their mouths are astounding. I am amazed at some of Livy's comebacks or responses to my discipline. For example I told her that she needed to go to time out for two minutes after scratching Oscar, after which she replied: "You don't love me anymore." Sometimes she will switch it up by saying, "I don't love you anymore." These are things I expect from a teenager not a two year old. Where do they learn this???

I have read countless books on discipline trying to find a system that works. It is very tricky trying to discipline an autistic child and a typically functioning child all at the same time. I have finally found a reward system that is proving effective. This is a winner so far:

Oscar and Livy's relationship is getting better and they are definitely motivated to act better. Oscar likes to point out all of his good behavior by saying, "Mommy I'm listening to you, I have earned a token," or, "Mom, I'm sharing with Livy and having nice hands, I get a token!"

I don't want these tiny little monsters to stay monsters. I realize that Livy is in the thick of her terrible two's right now, but there is only so much behavior that you can blame on that phase. I don't want it to be an excuse that I hold onto until she is a teenager. ;)

Despite the many challenges they pose, they are fun to watch learn and grow. Oscar is doing so much better. We love that people are shocked when we mention that he has Autism. Although some of his behaviors do persist, he is doing so well; Jake and I didn't even dream this type of progress possible just a few years ago.

Livy is a hoot as usual. We are flabbergasted by some of the the hilarious things that come out of her mouth. For instance, when I was trying to explain that her Auntie Kendra was my sister this is what happened:

Me: "Livy, Auntie Kendra is my sister."
Livy: "Oh!"--Her tone made it sound like she understood everything, her face was confused.
Me: "Auntie Kendra is your Aunt."
Livy: (After gasping quite dramatically she replied, " Does this mean that we need to kill her?"

(Because we are graced by the presence of ants in our house--see the "unwanted guest post,"-- we talk about killing ants all of the time. Livy thought that her "Aunt" Kendra would meet that same fate. Why I thought explaining how Kendra was related to her vs. me is beyond me. Note to self: your child is only two talk about Elmo or something)

Oh, and potty training has officially begun today for Liv. Wish me luck. Yikes!!!!!