P and E are Three

(written by Nate)

Well, Paul and Elise have made it to the big time.  They are three year olds now.  They're doing big kid things like going to pre-school and figuring out potty training.  They're old pros on their balance bikes and their drawings are starting to resemble Real Things.  To celebrate, we had a few of their friends and  friends' families over for some fun and food.  They got exactly the cake they wanted - Elise ordered a pink monkey with orange eyes, a black tail, red bow on her head, and purple arms and legs, while Paul ordered a purple alligator with green teeth, brown claws, and pink legs with purple nail polish.  And Nicole found a cake maker at Fred Meyer willing to fulfill their wishes.  We all had fun, even if Paul cried when it was time for the birthday song. 

Paul and Elise are continuing to evolve and change.  Paul is constantly humming or singing, usually a song from the Wizard of Oz or his all-time favorite, O Tannenbaum.  He loves kicking and throwing balls around, and he's telling more and more stories.  At the moment, mean guys are a big thing on his mind and he can't figure out if he doesn't like them or wants to be one.  He's still prone to bad moods, aka crying at the drop of a hat about anything or nothing, sometimes first thing in the morning, sometimes going to bed.  But that's also gotten better through the year, and he is a load of fun a lot of the time.  He's definitely the most focused of the three kids, the only one who will gladly rake leaves and help with yard work for an hour (his new favorite pastime with Oma).  Even getting ready for bed tonight he was disappointed when he came upstairs and found that the girls had cleaned everything up and he didn't have anything to clean up.  I had to invent a job for him.  

Elise is the one most likely to be quietly playing with toys in some corner of the playroom, but she's also the one most likely to put the smack down when someone tries to take one of those toys.  Even Lily will sometimes come downstairs complaining that Elise pulled her hair or kicked her.  She has been working on her dancing skills more and more lately and just tonight was showing off her very nice plie after asking me to twirl her around a few times.  It's fun to sit and listen to her narrate her dolls or playmobil characters' adventures, lots of pretend family interaction.  She's been getting more defiant lately, and is happy to just scream when she's having trouble with something instead of just saying "I can't do X"… working on that one at preschool since I'm sure they're not huge fans of her ear-piercing shriek.  Special foot and all, she's quite a sprinter and jumper, not quite the daredevil as her brother but she holds her own.  She'd rather draw than kick a ball around, but she was playing soccer with Paul a couple of days ago and holding her own.  

They have been playing together more and more, but I wouldn't say they're inseparable.  The word from preschool is that they definitely aren't attached at the hip and both fit right in with the other kids.  This was a big year of change for them, moving to a new country, making new friends, becoming big-time chatterboxes, and getting awesome new housemates Oma and Opa.  Here's hoping the coming year brings no more diapers, seamless transition to big kid beds, and fewer tantrums!

Somehow the favorite boy activity at the birthday party was jumping off the couch onto pillows.

Tears for the birthday song, but digging in to cake a minute later.

I AM A HAPPY SUGAR ZOMBIE

Paul's favorite gift of all time, a sweet bulldozer

Animal partners in crime

Paul pondering the meaning of life

A typical moment in our house these days… they could have a future in pro wrestling

November - All about Family

As November draws to a close and the Christmas season stampedes through our door, I want to jot down just how special November was to us.  We were honored to be a part of a very special family wedding on Nate's side, 36 years in the making.  We also were honored with the presence of my whole family plus some extended family as we hosted our first Thanksgiving in our new home.  It's been several days since Thanksgiving and I can honestly still say I had a blast and would easily do it again.  I loved having family in our home.  I loved making mistakes and figuring it all out as a first timer.   I loved how much joy and comfort I saw through my kids interacting with everyone here.  I sound both cheesy and insane and I'll probably eat my words at some point in my future but this is my truth now.  I hope I get the chance to host everyone again sometime.   I'll let pictures do the rest of the talking.

Hot Tubbing at Chicago Hotel Pool

 My men

 What to do on a snow day - school is closed - kinda day?  Face painting of course

 Choo Choo

Thanks to our friend Eric, this is one of my favorite all time shots of Elise.  

 Oma and her little helpers

 Thanksgiving crafting

 Table setting

 Thanksgiving Dinner is served

The Gimp

I have been living in our home for almost a year and I still can't remember which light switch is for the fan or for the light when I go into the bathroom.  I am starting to leave the radio on the classical station instead of the usual 94.7 more often.   I played 4 games of a doubles match over the weekend and instead of hitting a running down the line winner, I keeled over stop-drop-and roll style re-tearing my plantar fascia after doing the exact same thing just 4 months ago.  I am feeling old and I'm letting it get to me today.  I hear my Dad often say how he feels like he's still a young active man but his body just doesn't cooperate and he's in his 70's.  I'm starting to understand what he means.  Yes, roll your eyes all of you reading this that are older than me but I'm having a down and self-critical day.  It happens.  

Looking at all the pictures from October helps perk me up some.  I see my almost 3 year old Paul and Elise in what I call their prime of cuteness.  Gosh, I love this age.  When they are being fun and being so good - I try so hard to make time stop.  I don't remember that when I worked.  When I had work successes, I was quick to think about the next milestone or challenge.  Not so when I'm with my kids.  I did feel that when they were babies though to some extent.   I see pictures of Lily and how proud I am of how outgoing and independent she is.  I look at her class picture and I don't see cute as much as I see young pretty (yes, I said pretty even though it doesn't seem appropriate this day in age) girl busy learning and talking at such a rapid speed.  I see pictures of my parents in their apartment downstairs having a blast with the kids - my dream fulfilled on a daily basis - seeing my kids interact so happily and comfortably with Oma and Opa regularly.  

Ok, that 2nd paragraph helped. It's all good.  I may be a gimp and feeling old these days but it really is all good.  

Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island

Frozen Party

First dinner invite in my parent's apartment

Lolo surprise visit.

Wizard of Oz Halloween Theme

Lily's Kindergarten School Picture.

September to Remember

September was a momentous month for us….actually even more so for my parents.  They put up with living with us in September while they dealt with the delays of their container arriving and all the renovations getting done to their liking in the apartment on our first floor….that kind of stuff just doesn't go smoothly.  And all this after just dealing with their biggest emotional move ever from Germany to the States.  I can hug them and help them however I can, but until I'm in my 70's trying to find both the mental and physical strength to start the whole ordeal over again of making new friends and making a new place a home after so many years of happiness and comfort in Germany, I just won't really get it. I feel very honored, blessed, and crazy to get the chance to have my parents live downstairs from me for however long they can put up with us. It's only fitting that all their stuff arrived today to mark the new month.  They are stressed and overwhelmed once again being surrounded by such a mess of boxes but they are also seasoned enough to know that this too shall pass.  

Besides all the work on the apartment, the biggest change to our life has been Lily starting Kindergarten.  Lily spoiled us with being an excited and happy little girl ready to go to school.  We've been able to enjoy the ride with her making new friends and figuring out what Kindergarten is like….gosh and already seeing her speech and manner evolve being surrounded by so many more kids and influences.

The main reason my parents decided to move to Portland are because of Lily, Paul, and Elise.  So, we've made sure to have quite a bit of fun too as one big and loud family. My parents hearing declining really is a blessing in disguise with how loud it is here.  My personal goal is to have some more chances to hang out with my parents without the kids.  I'm missing that aspect of all this so far.  

Here are some of our September adventures.

Picnic lunch at the Rhododendron Garden.

Beach day

 Lily's first day of Kindergarten

 Paul is our big helper when it comes to cleaning.  Here he is showing Oma how to do it right.

 Opa arrived a couple weeks after Oma.  Airport welcome.

 Opa surprised Lily at school pick up.

 Kids are already well trained to know that Opa is silly and teases a lot. They already know they can get away with a lot, like playing beauty salon with him.  

 Spent a fun weekend up by Mt. Hood with friends.  Soccer with Elise.

 Earning their keep.

Story time with Opa and honorary Aunt Jeanne. 

 Family brunch at Timberline lodge.

Prince Paul

An Active August

August was awesome. So is the cortisone shot in my foot.  It really ended on a high note with Oma's official arrival (not visit…arrival) and throwing a house party that we had an absolute blast at.   I just loved having so many of our favorite friends and neighbors together in our home...and with so many kids running around smiling….while their parents eat and drink at a non-shoveling food in mouth pace while socializing much of the time….awesome!  Oma is here and already working on making our now vacant first floor apartment their alternate home.  My Dad is coming in a couple weeks.  The kids and the improvements being made to the apartment before their container arrives will keep her very busy.

Here are some of the moments from August in pics.

Lily's best friend from Munich was here with her family for a week.  Introduced them to the concept of having very friendly fire fighters willing to give tours and answer questions whenever they are there. Not so in Munich.

 Lily is swimming more and more like a fish.  Lots of pool time.

 Lily designed and made her first fashion outfit with her friend….a paper dress with matching hat.  She made it one block on her walk home before it broke…back to the drawing board.

 Paul and Elise enjoying the secret garden at our neighbor's house.

 All my kids painting together and acting eerily nice and polite with each other….had to snap a photo of that moment.

 Tractor Ride with Jim at their Zig Zag retreat.

 Playdate fun at good friend Katie's house.  Lots of happy moments there.

 Lily's first joint business venture with her friends Nora and Etta selling bags of water for free.

 Lily and Liana's sleepover.

 Nate finished his anniversary gift to me.  He did this by hand.  These are the stairs that lead to the kids floor. love.

 Kids waiting at the airport like it's a race for Oma to show up so they can all give her a running hug. And yes they did.

 House Party snapshot

 Another project by Nate - building an over sized outdoor chalkboard.  This was the first picture drawn on it by Lily.

 Nate brought out his drums for the first time.  Kids LOVED it.

 Oma is here.

I had to post one video that you should watch if you are a big Paul fan and want to see a side of him he is usually too shy to show around others.  These are the lyrics he made up to the song he's singing….. Music started today…daddy wants to wear that shirt cause he wants me to sing louder…what is daddy doing with that big thingy…..i like these leaves….like the chairs…like the chairs by me….like that chair….clap….for the first time in forever…take this to guitar class…

July 2014

(written by Nate)

Summer is definitely in full swing here in Portland.  We've been enjoying the sun and doing lots of random stuff around town.  This past weekend it was a visit to the county fair with 4-H animals, a kiddy theater, and carnival rides.  We've done a bit of hiking in nearby Forest Park, lots of swimming at our club and biking to the playground.  Lily suddenly figured out she could swim without floaties and has been a little fish over the past couple of weeks.  She also got to camp out with me in a real tent and liked it, even if we were steps away from the kitchen and bathroom of our friends' cabin.  Elise has been getting more and more talkative but still enjoys playing on her own.  She also enjoys spilling her drink at every other meal, but whatever.  Paul is getting sillier, playing off of Lily with nonsense talk.  Each of them challenges us in their own way with whining, yelling or being mean, but they can all be real sweethearts too.  Holding hands with each other to cross the street or giving real hugs to each other are relatively common occurrences now.  Nicole's had the only real bummer of the summer, tearing her plantar fascia in her foot while playing tennis.  She's hobbling around now and is missing her daily early morning walks through the city and her escape to the Tennis court when she can.  But at least she didn't stick with her first doctor's recommendation to wear heavy hiking boots around for three months.  Between her injury and Lily's summer day camps (German camp, dance camp coming soon) I've been acting like a good urban commuter and taking the train to work while we persist as a one car family.  I haven't been getting as many long bike rides in as I'd like, but there's plenty of summer left, right?

Best buds on the front steps

Time for a haircut?  Not yet… 

Lily made inside-out PB&J which inspired silliness 

Paul sure knows how to pose these days 

Stuck in a walking cast/boot for about a week 

 Fun with friends

A surprise stilted cowboy during a poolside BBQ at the tennis/swim club


Lily's swimming milestone




Some interesting new dance moves