Five Year Olds Ready for the Holidays!

Paul and Elise are now 5 (!!!!!), we welcomed Oma and Opa back to Portland, and have been well underway with holiday festivities.  Bring it on Christmas - we are ready for your joy and promises of peace on earth.  

Paul and Elise sleep side by side in their toddler beds pushed next to each other these days of their own accord.  During some bickering over who got which books in bed last night, I said "you know, it's especially nice to say something nice to each other at bedtime."  Elise said "I love you Paul" and Paul replied "I love you too Elise."   I asked Elise to do her chore of sweeping the front porch the other day and Elise grumbled about it.  Paul said "Mom, after she's done, can I sweep the front porch because I know she'll do a bad job." Both examples are quite telling of their personalities.

 Elise continues to be my independent, strong yet sweet cuddler, stubborn, silly, imaginary play extraordinaire, and lover of drawing and books.  She loves open gymnastics showing her feats of strength.  If she feels like she achieved something, she gets so proud and excited. She is now a confident swimmer and loves the water more than ever.  Paul can also swim but he is much more tentative about it.  He'll do a fist pump and call it a day.  Elise continues to be my wild card with what comes out of her mouth to what she'd like to do for the day.  It's fun to witness except when it's not - "no no no, I don't want to go".  

 Paul loves to know what's going on at all times.  He loves being active from riding his bike, playing Tennis, to throwing a football. He is my little helper.  He'll go outside to sweep the sidewalk and driveway without being asked, always wants to take in the empty trash cans, and don't get me started on his preference to use the ball cleaner upper machine over actually hitting tennis balls.  He's just a good kid that at times gets into his own head too much with I don't know what to call it yet - anxiety, over thinking, lack of control, and can have an epic meltdown.

Oma and Opa are back and there was no transition needed.  Jumping on Opa and cuddling with Oma came back easily after them being gone for 3 months.  We are all thrilled to have them back.  We are well underway celebrating the Holidays.  We are hosting my whole family this year.  The fun begins today.    

Our Thanksgiving with friends new and old.

Newly minted 5 year olds enjoying their song.

Portland's first snow this year was just enough for a 1-foot high snowman.  And two days of no school.  The second snow was even less snow but two more days of no school.

The twins just being cute.  Definitely lots of cute moments these days.  

Decorating the tree after Oma & Opa returned from Chicago.  Picked just the right tree with a few inches to spare to the ceiling.

Lily's choir concert.  She's in the front row just left of center.  She did great but the high school aged choirs were really impressive.  Almost as impressive as those bald spots in front of the camera.

A Letter To Our Kids

Dear Lily, Elise, and Paul,                                                                   November 13, 2016

I feel the urge to write down what your Dad and I have been feeling this past week in light of the election results because the emotions are strong and what the future will look like is unnerving. 

Your Dad and I voted for Obama in the previous two elections and Hillary in this election.  Our values are more closely aligned with what they believe in...universal health care, tighter gun regulations, free higher education, women's right to choose, equal rights for all, a more diplomatic approach to foreign policy versus strong man bombs away.  We believe in science, logic, facts, and reason.  We believe climate change is very real and needs to be addressed to help you and future generations be able to enjoy planet Earth.  Earth doesn't belong to us.  We belong to planet Earth. The man who won doesn't believe in these things. 

 It is a beautiful thing to live in a country where people can have differing beliefs and views on issues and still discuss and try to work together to find common ground to make America better for all its people.  It's called democracy.  The emotions are too high and the country too divided from what we've seen to help us believe this can happen in the near future.  We also cannot understand how enough people could vote for a man who is bullying, demeaning, and dividing with his words towards minorities and women.  We believe in the mantra you say what you mean and you do what you say and if this President follows through on what he said during the election, we believe our country will be quite different in the future in the form of policies, attitudes, and behaviors.  He has given a voice and empowered the groups of people who feed off hate and set back the belief that all are created equal.  We have so many flippin' warts from our country's past and this wart feels like it's hit your Dad and I quite personally for the first time.  We understand it's a slow process to make progress but what a blow with this result.  If he doesn't follow through on his promises, phew, but this man acts with such a huge ego and off the cuff manner, it is a scary formula to lead such a divided nation with......especially with a government where the checks and balances are controlled by his party.

There are protests going on right now around the country, even just a mile away from our home so dissatisfied with the election results.   We are not going to protest in the streets of Portland and we are not social media types posting articles and commenting to get our voices heard to larger audiences.  We aren't like that but we respect the so many that do and eloquently articulate the strong emotions we feel as well. It's helpful at times and not so helpful other times. We love our community, friends, and family and choose to focus our efforts on being the good and leading our lives with continued kindness and respect for everyone we interact with.

We put a lot of value on manners, decency, respect, humility, and kindness towards all.    I have a sticker chart on the wall right now for Lily not to use mean words and I talk to my kids daily about being kind to others and never believing that anyone is better than them or that they are better than anyone else. We just can't understand how someone who doesn't present himself with the values we work hard to instill in our kids can become President.   It just makes me feel sick that this man is representing me as President.

We are now even more aware of the West Coast-urban liberal bubble we live in.  We are not sure what to do with that information.  We do know we'll go to Church and pray on it.  Besides understanding the priority of our values, we want you to always seek to understand others by listening more than talking.  We did not realize so much of America is hurting that they can look past character flaws and inexperience to vote for a drastic change that will hopefully make life better for them and their families.  Please focus on your family and friends by being present and engaged with them regularly.  Please make the time to have a relationship with God in whatever form gives you a calming joy, inner peace, and a humbling perspective on what life is all about.  

We love you.  Immer Weiter.

Love

Mom and Dad

September Ramblings about Me

So much of September was spent commuting on our bikes, thank you weather.  I'm proud of my kids being such confident bike riders, sometimes too confident riding ahead or practicing wheelies as we navigate past 11 busy city blocks.  It's not a relaxing ride for me to and from school (2x each way because of the late morning preschool pick up) and some days I take a break and walk while the kids ride the sidewalks to give my heart and nerves a break.  I wish I saw more families riding; it would be nice to have more company.  More often than not, drivers are kind but I see cars blow through stop signs and texting not paying attention that bring me right back to scary thoughts in my head. I do think bike commuting sets a good example for my kids and I really dislike driving so we'll keep doing it.

Speaking of driving, it's ironic that my happy place is our sports club given that it's really the only place that requires me to drive to the many times a week I go.  I love how it makes me feel every single time I'm there. Being strong and feeling strong is a big part of who I am.  It's the people, the kicks my ass every time strength training classes I take with such dedicated women, getting to hit the Tennis ball with awesome players and the camaraderie that goes with it, swimming my laps in an often times almost empty pool.... it's my vice, my escape, my addiction, whatever you want to call it.  I'm like a walking billboard for joining an athletic club, wow. I am a sucker for habit so whenever we do finally get off the waiting list for the new sports club in walking distance, I hope the transition is as easy as it was for my kids going from summer to school again.  I'm actually really nervous about leaving a place and the people I enjoy so much.  Maybe we should just move to the suburbs and be walking distance to our current club.  Yes, I have actually had that thought.

I'm going to finish this blog with a little more of a snapshot of me.  Ok kids, if you ever ask what I was like at 37 with a 2nd grader and 2 preschoolers, here is some rambling insight

I like listening to pop and mainstream alternative music on the radio.  Sia, Lumineers, and Mumford and Sons are often part of a playlist these days.

I wish I had more time for podcasts and urban hikes.  WTF with Marc Maron, The Moth, Here's the Thing with Alec Baldwin, and This American Life come to mind.

I love watching dancing (SYTYCD fan), sketch comedy, and stand up.  Louis CK, Stephen Colbert, Jon Oliver, Jim Gaffigan, Jim Jefferies and James Corden crack me up.

I bake a lot.  I bake fast. My freezer is always stocked and there is usually something healthy hidden in my results.

I love meeting new people, bringing people together, hearing their stories, hosting get-togethers, connecting people, and making people feel welcome - especially newbies to Portland.

I have balance in my life thanks to the 12 hours of me time I get in the mornings during the week, a small group of girlfriends that I treasure dearly, and a supportive husband that does more than his fair share.

I have my doubts and questions just like you do when it comes to my Catholic faith.  I have internal struggles than I do not let on to you guys and it's a continuous work in progress with good intentions.

Going back to work is on my radar once all 3 are in school next year but not because I feel like I'm missing something.  I am nervous financially so working again would be mostly about the money.

Marriage is flippin' hard.  I'm not good at putting my marriage first with date nights and post kids bed time communication.  I love your Dad and we will keep riding our roller coaster.

I don't wear jewelry and prefer athleisure wear.  I always say I like to feel like I'm naked when I'm dressed so I don't feel the pinch of jeans or the tightness of pants or shirts - just easy flowing clothes...and the most common color I wear is black.

I have my vanity issues.  I still get acne and it annoys me.  I wish I could get my pre-twins stomach back but having a strong core dulls the vanity crap.

I wish I was more adventurous and it was more feasible to travel more often with or without kids.

I don't like camping and don't get all the money people spend on their gear to sleep like a homeless person.

I love having my parents living in the first floor apartment of our home.  I wish they were here more. Family first and I am very aware that I hit jack pot with some damn loving parents.

I start off the day early with an uber healthy breakfast (think spinach and vegetables) and then it usually goes downhill from there.  I don't drink coffee but I do enjoy a chai tea latte in the early afternoon.

I'm a summer girl who used to be a beach girl but central Oregon is giving the beach some serious competition.  I'd take being hot over being cold anytime.

On a normal night after the kids are in bed, I enjoy zoning out looking at pinterest boards of quotes, watching movie previews on imdb, and watching something online that will make me laugh.  I really need to read more books again.

I spend a lot of time reading up on and fretting about current events.  I donate when it's easy (Go Fund Me and HONY gets me on so many stories). I deal with the daily psychoanalysis of somehow enjoying a good cry over the reported tragedies and being frustrated for not making more of a difference and then focusing on my family because peace and love starts at home and then the cycle repeats itself.

Here are pics from September.

Back to school haircut time

Yeehaw.  Lily is in 2nd grade.

 Biker Gang

Random September afternoon at the playground after school

 Supporting Dad run a super fast 5K

 Baptized our over 100 year old outdoor fireplace by making s'mores with neighbor friends. Too chicken to try the fireplace until then. 

 Dance Party 

 End of September after school playground fun

 Elise being Elise

 We have a great view of the new construction site across from our house.  Twins love all the action.

Summer Fun

It's been an action-packed time since the last blog.  As I was looking through pictures to prep to write this one I noticed that there were good pictures even from the same day Nicole wrote the last entry.  We've been busy, that's for sure.  I'll just walk through the action in pictures...

I've been wanting to take Lily on my favorite hike for a year now, and we finally hit on the right combination of weather and timing.  Here she is on top of Neahkahnie Mountain on the coast.  What a view!


We went up to Seattle for Elise's annual visit with the Macrodactyly specialist.  Not much to report from the visit, maybe a quick blog about it soon, but we had a nice time hanging out in Seattle.



Nicole organized the first annual Irving Street block party, getting the signature of 50 people on our block and inviting a couple of adjacent blocks over for the fun with a bouncy house, food truck, and music.  It was great to meet a lot of neighbors and everyone was super appreciative of Nicole pulling it all together.  Looking forward to it again next year!


From there it was off for just over a week of vacation in central Oregon.  On the way down we stopped for a hike around Trillium Lake.  Nice views of Mt. Hood and some massive stumps for strong kids to climb on.



We spent a nice week in Sunriver.  Biking around on the paths was a big hit, especially since everyone was pedaling away on their own bike this year.  Yay for two wheelers!


Everyone wanted to go to the driving range, so...


The mountain bike pump track at the Wanoga Sno-Park was a surprise hit with the kids.  Paul and Lily stayed for two hours after I took off for an awesome trail ride, and we came back a couple of days later so Elise could get in on the action too.


Lily took a spill and got a face full of dust but got right back in the saddle.


We got some good tennis in too.  Check out those game faces...


Elise snuck in a pony ride while Lily, Paul and I were attempting to hike the Lava River Cave but were foiled by a full parking lot.


Another surprise hit during the trip was canoeing.  We went out on Cultus Lake, thinking that at least one kid would hate it and complain the whole time, but they all liked it and pitched in to paddle around.



Nicole and I REALLY enjoyed our exercise getaways during the trip too... this was our typical view during an early morning run.  Nicole got lots of swims in at the outdoor heated pool and I got a couple of single track mountain bike trail rides and a couple of road bike rides in too.  I haven't been getting enough exercise lately so this felt great!


We weren't quite ready to head home - eight days didn't really feel like enough time away from real life.  On the way home we stopped at Smith Rock State Park, the first time for any of us, and we were blown away.  Ok, the kids weren't into it so much (this is where the whining we expected during canoeing actually happened) but the rock formations were incredible.  Unfortunately there weren't any climbers out in the hot mid-day sun, but it was still pretty amazing.



Now it's back to reality, though having a one day workweek this week was nice.  Just enough time to catch up on e-mail.  Hard to believe school starts in three weeks, in the meantime we'll be squeezing whatever we can out of this summer!

Kids Snapshot and Chicago/Michigan Trip July 2016

Paul to Elise very enthusiastically the other day "Elise...we need to make a machine that makes cookies for the whole world after I'm done pooping."

Paul - I have to remember he's come a long way.  When he's on, he's the kind of on I imagine the ideal relationship and interaction to be with your 4 year old son.  Doesn't get any better than the times he's on.  Up for anything, helpful as can be, positive attitude with every activity we do, knows and follows the rules, and fun to chat with.  When he's off though, o man, it's my biggest personal challenge with keeping my patience and calm and perspective.  It could be the littlest thing that sets him off .  He seems to only wear soccer shirts and soccer shorts and his soccer shirt must be tucked in (like the Timbers he says).   He has the bad habit of biting his nails.  It seems like he has his fingers in his mouth 24x7 these days.  He's got natural athletic ability with a great attitude which is super fun to watch.  He'll ride 4 miles on his bike while Nate runs because he wants to, regularly asks me to race him wherever we are, and will easily play an hour of Tennis with me.  

Elise greets me every morning with an amazing hug.  She is always up for giving one of her big hugs. Elise is simply such a sweet girl, incredibly independent, and can be very social.   She does get very easily scared these days....don't take her to an IMAX theater, fireworks show, or any room without a light on.   She LOVES Oma. They have a very special relationship.  She'll sneak downstairs to Oma whenever she can. She even said no to going out for dinner with the family and preferred to stay home with Oma.  She is also very much into drawing and looking at books like her sister.  She often asks me what words she randomly writes like "ARQAR."  She doesn't show much interest in playing sports but she enjoys watching and cheering on Paul - hope that one isn't a phase.  

Lily is 7 years old and overall very independent,  yet keeps me guessing on which Lily I'll get.  I might get the super happy and helpful Lily doting on her siblings, picking out clothes, wanting to do a sleepover with them, making their cereal or I'll get the argumentative Lily in the mood to torment and taunt her siblings and say no to anything I suggest from please brush your hair to choosing a family adventure for the day.   She has such an athletic build - super muscular arms that she hasn't had to really work for.  She hasn't grasped the lesson that things which don't come easy might still be worth doing.   Lily is an avid reader and drawer. As social and independent as she is, she balances it with a lot of alone reading time.  It was fun to watch her approaching people and chatting away with customers at New Seasons selling jam with me for the twin's preschool. She also had no problem asking workers to help her find the items on a shopping list I gave her. She'll also retreat when she's uncomfortable in whatever group setting we are in and read quietly alone for the entire time.  I wish it was easier to get more alone time with her.

As for July, we spent a chunk of it visiting family in Chicago and around Michigan.  Here are a few pics from our trip.

Spent the 4th on Lake Michigan with my side of the family.  

 Getting ice cream on the 4th of July after a cute parade in Saugatuck, MI

 4th of July sunset on Lake Michigan

Fireworks show by master of ceremony, my brother.  Very happy Lily and Paul.  Terrified Elise didn't stick around for the show....nor did I...but heard it was awesome.  

Attempt at a family shot.  Get the timing right with time of day or you'll give up and just do this instead.  

Elise with cousin Emma and Aunt Lolo.  

We then visited Nate's grandparents Wally and Doris at their lake house on Klinger Lake.  They are in their 90's and stubborn still refusing to ask for help while hosting us.

Next stop - Ann Arbor to visit Nate's parents and sister.  His Grandpa Wally happened to be in a car show too.  

Attempt at a cousins shot.  Paul wasn't having it.

Lily and her cousin Sophia

Had a blast surprising Manju at her work in our old stomping grounds of the Detroit suburbs.  

Got out for a very fun dinner, just adults.  Last time we did that was in 2008 in NYC.  

 Kids had no problem having a blast playing with Manju and Abi's toys.

Fun picture of all our kids together.  Nala (6), Lily (7), Shivan (7), Paul (4), Maya (3), Elise (4)

 Made our way back to Chicago at the end of our trip to check out Millenium Park and the new very cool Maggie Daley park behind it while hanging with Lolo, Oma and Opa again before flying back to PDX.

Great May

Ever since Lily was born, May has been my favorite month of the year and that's saying a lot because I'm a HUGE fan of celebrating my Birthday in November and milking it for however long I can. May is filled with Lily's Birthday, Wedding Anniversary, and Mother's Day; the usually great weather in May is the cherry on top.  

So, yeah, May was especially good to us this year.  Nate and I are still on a high from our 47 hour long anniversary getaway.  Thanks to Nate's parents, we actually got away.  We didn't go far but it was our longest time away from the kids since Lily arrived.  10 years!  It seems short until we consider all that's happened in the meantime... transatlantic moves, kids, ups, downs, and all arounds.  Here's to the next 10!

Lily is now our 7 year old.  She continues to LOVE art.  She is also busy practicing her cartwheels, hand stands,  splits,  riding her bike, singing, reading Harry Potter, pestering me for roller skates, and enjoying her Highlights magazine (particularly for the jokes).  Lily can be grumpy and downright mean at times but then flip and be this engaging and friendly Lily the next moment.  I guess she's 7 going on 16.  At least at age 16, I have a hunch I won't be fighting with her to BRUSH HER HAIR.  

Paul and Elise simply crack me up.  They are playing together more than ever making booby traps and pirate ships and castle parties.  They are also into creating plays for us to watch which never amount to much besides introducing each other but I love every second of it.  Nate was sternly disciplining Elise the other night and Elise said "God is gonna hit you."  Wow.  Paul was telling some long winded story the other day and he ended it by saying "I'm so high up that I'll catch an eagle and then I'm gonna bake it on the stove."  Love this age.  

Here are a few pics from May

Lily giving Paul a piggyback ride on our walk home from school because he was complaining of being tired.  Lily will do something sweet like that but then later bonk him on the head and say she hates him.  

Love this card Lily made me for Mothers Day.  My face flips open to be another expression.

Gorge hike as part of our anniversary getaway.  IT.WAS.WONDERFUL

 Lily got spoiled (as did we as guests) with a 2nd Birthday party with our great friend Dot who also celebrated a big Birthday.  It was super fun to watch them plan it out together in advance.  And I have no clue why she decided to dress like a prairie girl for it.

Checking out Laurelhurst Park.  It had been a while.

Right before Lily performed at a retirement community with her choir.  Proud of her.  She says she's so nervous like a broken record but the moment it's time to just do it, she rocked it.  Stood up proud, sang loud, and smiled.

 First family bike ride along the Springwater Corridor and crossing Tillikum Bridge.  That day will be remembered as Elise's big moment because she overcame some biking fears and rode about seven miles!

 Lily's German-themed 7th Birthday Party.  She has pretty much lost her German language but not her love for Gelbwurst, Pretzels, Fleischsalat, and Leberkase.