Check it out...

My sister in law is super crafty...check out her blog at http://joyeverafter.squarespace.com/.  Today...I'm trying to win the curry sauce :)  Not sure if this will only be noticed by my two followers ;) but hopefully will be seen by others too.  My favorite items in her Etsy shop are the Vintage Plate Clocks: http://www.etsy.com/shop/joyeverafter?page=1.

White Moon

http://www.whitestripes.com/

Watched this rock-u-mentary on Showtime...pretty good...loved seeing the different places in Canada they visited and seeing Jack hug Meg when she cried.

My fave of theirs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RB2BvvByUo) has a contender (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiZ68ifob0g).

My List of 8's

8ish favorite songs

1. Crimson and Clover-Tommy James and the Shondells...some things don't change, have loved this song since junior high
2. Happiness is a Warm Gun-Beatles..."when I feel my finger on your trigger..."
3. Be Here Now-Mason Jennings...here, now is the place, be present
4. Woman in You-Ben Harper...feels like I'm there singing along
5. Title Song-Black Crowes...guitar-awesome
6. Slim Slow Slider, Madame George,I'll Be Your Lover Too, Caravan, Into the Mystic-Van Morrison..impossible to choose just one, he is the namesake for a reason, a very good reason
7. Hazel, Buckets of Rain, If Not for You (really, can you pick just one)-Bob Dylan...king of folk tells how it is to love someone
8. Wordless Chorus-My Morning Jacket..."we are the innovators, they are the entertainers..." yes it's true, different music for music's-sake. my favorite part is towards the middle of the song...sing along...wooo, woooaoooo, wooo, who, wa, ah, ey hey hey

8 things I am looking forward to

1. Finishing the paper I should be writing as I do this instead
2. Celebrating a wedding with our families
3. Van going on the potty...consistently
4. Cheddar-Brats and New Belgium's Mothership Wit for dinner
5. Getting Van on skis
6. Unpredictable weather
7. Shows at Red Rocks
8. Smiles from my guys

8 things I did yesterday

1. Adjusted the spider web on our porch again (moved one strand from the bike trailer to the vines)
2. Played with my puppy/son in the pool
3. Walked to the park and ate raspberries in the community garden
4. Helped Van climb every piece of play equipment available
5. Spoke Spanish with some neighbors...scary, I don't know why
6. Saw a car jump like they do in music videos
7. Listened to Van read "Panda Bear, Panda Bear" in his own way
8. Watched the wind blow through the leaves

8 things I do well

1. Jukebox DJ-ing
2. Be a wife
3. Be a mommy
4. Be a sister
5. Be a daughter
6. Teach
7. Taste wine
8. Eat Indian food

8 favorite moments

1. Dancing with Brett (yes it happens) to Dire Straits at The Buckhorn (yes, it's a romantic place hehe)
2. Seeing our little turbo love bug for the first time
3. Seeing Brett be an awesome daddy
4. Finally making it to Ca-forn
5. Hearing Van read to uncle Trev on the phone
6. Our snowy wedding
7. Being thanked by kids' parents at school in different ways
8. Being a family on the beach

8 things I hope for

1. My family to be healthy
2. My family to be happy
3. My family to feel loved
4. Family adventures...the helmet-wearing type
5. Finishing grad school
6. Van to ski, not snowboard :)
7. A sewing machine and instant craftiness
8. Curbside recycling in Laramie

Potty Bribery

To celebrate peeing on the potty, I have been giving Van a licorice. Seems to motivate him sometimes.  It worked this morning because he peed in the potty and then yelled, "Mommy, my peein, get me mine liquor!"

Rockoon

We found a black rock encircled with brown stripes...Van named it Rockoon...brilliant!

It's in the numbers...or is it?

So our apartment manager does numerology.  He offered to share with me some valuable insights about Van according to his name and birthday.  While we were sitting in the office listening about our son's future and how I can best nurture his nature ;) Van was all over the place in typical Van-fashion...the chairs were pushed into new spaces the door stops were shoved into the mailbox, the flowers were smelled, poked, smelled, and poked some more...

I learned (can't really say learned because we all know this anyways) that Van is very into experiencing everything with his senses...for his future this could mean that he could struggle to maintain control over his need for stimulation (drugs, alcohol, adrenaline...).  It was predicted that helping him meet this need in safe ways will be a challenge for us. It seems that this is something that all parents struggle with somewhere along the way. I was told that Van is also a free-spirited, action-taker...a guy who likes to get things done in his own way.  Also, he is impulsive and will need help in developing "diplomacy" within his relationships. 

Van will someday be an action-oriented, hard worker...maybe an engineer, maybe a philanthropist...he had no clear answers here.  I asked what to name a second child that could balance Van's impulsive nature and was told that that is nearly impossible to do.  The question now is: Did he really link all of these things to his name and birthday or did he just observe all this in the short moments we have met this summer?  Either way, I liked hearing that my terror could someday become a philanthropist!

According to my name I am a thinker, a quiet-type, a reader, someone who wonders about the mysteries of the world...well that sounds about right...thanks mom and dad for naming me ;)  Brett is a romantic adventurer...yes that sums up why I love him so much.

Just for a laugh...

Overheard by Brett in Safeway (Menlo Park): Little girl being naughty and her mom says, like all moms do, "Do you want to go home?!?!?" Little girl responds, not like many little girls do, "NO, I WANT TO GO TO STARBUCKS!" picture stomping feet and fists wailing in the air :) More proof that we really are in California.

I am becoming quite talented at making pancake animals: elephant, fish, mouse, giraffe, ant...Van names it and I give it a try.

We will experience the giant redwoods this weekend...I think Humboldt State Park...and will post pics to share.

First Gear

Yesterday we mountain biked around Russian Ridge Preserve. We were looking for something that was not technical because of our (well I should say Brett's) little passenger. A little more excitement for him might have been good because he ended up falling asleep! Van loves his little bike seat and thinks he is helping Daddy ride his bike. It sure is comfortable though because he falls asleep so easily in it.


It was a great workout and at the end we felt like we surely accomplished something...felt that we earned a cold, refreshing beer :) I had a nice lesson in using first gear and making it up some long, long hills. It was great to hear, "FASTER DADDY!" over and over after Van woke up. The view was gorgeous. We biked on an old logging road and on a single-track trail through tall, golden grass (I caught a tick crawling up my leg...glad we stopped for a break). We could see the bay below us and fog creeping in. Something else that I just loved about this afternoon was how peaceful it was...after we left the parking lot we only saw 4-5 other people. I felt at home and we were happy to find an escape.
Here's a cool video but our experience was a little different...we biked up all that he is riding down and had a beautiful sunny day! I don't have many photos to share...our camera is just a little too big to take on the bike. The attached photo is from my phone and a different ride.

http://www.singletracks.com/mtb/videos/1118
http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=BGS101-025

Exploring Palo Alto

Today we rode to the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo! So much cool stuff for us to put our hands all over. The exhibit in the museum had to do with forms of alternative energy. The kids worked to make drills move, light cities, and send tennis balls through a labyrinth.  Van loved it and I bet that if they had a way of truly saving all of the kid energy in that room, they could prevent blackouts in CA :)  They also have a zoo with ducks, a goose, turtles, bunnies, snakes, and bobcats.  Van was most excited about the goose and they had quite the conversation (both repeating the same thing over and over to each other).  We then met some new friends at Rinconada Park, experienced Trader Joe's for the first time, and got lost...thankfully Brett is just a phone call away and can tell me where I am and where to go.  A beautiful day to wander though!                  

A little bit of what we have been listening to...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa_4wV2GDfQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51V1VMkuyx0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjN8kyK14wk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE8nJjogJZc&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYUFcxBq1y4

Things Van Says...

You are probably wondering what "Chipmonkey" is. Well...it is a new word developed by our super smart, and I mean gifted (all you teachers out there understand what I am talking about..haha), two year old.

We were driving down the road one day and a squirrel darted out in front of us. From the back seat we hear: "CHIPMONKEY! MOMMY, DADDY, CHIPMONKEY!!!"  Brett and I just looked at each other and laughed...how could you not. So...I'm not sure if Van thinks that squirrels and chipmunks are actually monkeys...makes sense I guess...they have long tails and hang out in trees.

"Coo pans mommy" = cool pants mommy...not really cool but the first compliment from him ever :)

"My got out mine cage."  We have been putting up a baby gate every night (locking Van in his room) so he will go to sleep. He is the kind of kid that you have to somehow force sleep upon.  One night he was especially fired up and with his little fury knocked the gate over. He came running to me with his little fists clenched and growled, "My got out mine cage!"  I guess cages can't contain all wild animals.

"Shoot yitto birdies" = shoot little birdies. Sad, very sad :)  ...but he's all about it...don't know why because it's the complete opposite of everything I tell him...maybe that's why.

"Daddy take my bed Cafornia" = Daddy is taking my mattress to California.  We will be reunited with the mattress before we know it as Brett has been awarded an internship with the USGS in Menlo Park for the summer. Check it out: http://geology.uwyo.edu/?q=node/354

"My puke my Thomas" = I puked on my Thomas blankie. Does your tummy hurt? "No, my sneeze."

Slowing down...

We were able to meet a dear friend at the zoo. This picture shares a moment of calm...the only one of the whole weekend! 

A domestic success...

Van has a way of reminding me that it is the simple things in life that make it truly beautiful!  These moments remind me to just slow down.  Mouse pancakes started our day with a smile.