Sept 5::1013

Just a few tidbits...

Will backed Tyler up to the trailer the other day. Dead on. Proud parents.

Will asked to ride Pistol Pete by himself day before yesterday. Tearful happy parent moment. Even led his sister around first after haltering, saddling and helping her mount almost completely alone.

Baby cut her hair today. And Lucy Lily's. Thankfully Lucy Lily's is the only one that's obviously cut. But she did it with her friskars scissors, and then also with my sewing scissors. The cat is probably lucky to have her ears and tail at this point!

Will asked one day "How do they get trains on the tracks?" And also, "How do you butcher a buffalo? How do you shoot a buffalo with a gun big enough to kill it but not so big that someone hears you?" He's a thoughtful one! Now to just help him think about things that are not illegal. Or take him to one of those places where they let you shoot their farmed buffalo.

Aug 19::2013

We were camping on Priest River and Baby was watching her daddy take a dip in the river. She was yelling at him, "Tyler! Tyler! Tyler!" but he wasn't paying attention to her. Behind her Grandma and Papa said, "that's your daddy." She turned to them with an exasperated look and quietly, indignantly, said, "His. Name. Is Tyler." Oh kids.

July 26::2013

Today Baby said to me "I growing hair on my legs like Papa. And my arms. I get bigger, you call me Papa and Elianna call me daddy."  Totally cracks me up the things that go through a toddler's mind. Not much later she said, "I have a headeehh [headache] in my chin."

July 21::2013

Vacation Notes:

Friday- wash Betty Blue and drive him to Cheney rodeo to meet up with J & K. 

Saturday- meet up with N & F and drive out to Garfield for wedding. Stop at grocery store to use bathroom. Laugh at signs that say "Fresh Gatorade! Frozen Ice Cream! Golden Bananas!" Shoot amazing beautiful simple wedding.

Sunday- go to Mom and Dad's. Visit LIII Ranch and see buffalo and elk. 

Monday- hair appt. in Sandpoint. Coffee with D. Ty and W and E to Silverwood. Pack for camping.

Tuesday- spend 6 hours driving to and from campgrounds in the Priest Lake State Park looking for sites  due to poor information on Reserve America.com. Ugh. Find campsite. Happy. 

Wednesday- spend time looking for huckleberries. Too many log truck coming down the mountain roads, don't want to get in their way! Go property shopping. 

Thursday- watch T save Mom and E from a scary kayak experience. Happy he's my hero. Fall into camp exhausted that night. Spend time on the river where less scary.

Friday- pack and head homeward via Sandpoint. Pick berries at Riley Creek Blueberry Farm. Mmmm. Ice cream at Dub's. Double mmm. Back to Mom and Dad's for steaks and sleeping in the yard. Awful night. Coyotes and bugs. 

Saturday- wash rivulets of pitch from truck. Pack overnight bag for Davenport. Go see Bill and Denis. Funny show. Late night wine on the rooftop. 

Sunday- delish breakfast of a BLT and hashbrowns. Pick up kids and stuff. Home finally. Hot hot hot. Where's the river? 

While on the trip Grandma told Baby, "I love you to pieces!" She angrily replied, "I'm not a puzzle!" 

July 3::2013

Baby said to me "when I grow up and am a mommy and drive a truck, how I 'teer? You help me?" I love that kid. And I love she equates mommyhood to trucks.

June 29::2013

It was a really cool night last night! Not cool as far as temperature ... but awesome to see the moody fog roll in on a hot summer night. It was really heavy till about 10:30 then before we even saw it dissipate it was gone and the coyotes started howling and we could see the stars. Really fun night at W&B's with the cousins.

June 15::2013

Last night we went to Coeur d'Alene for Car d'Lane with the kids and Betty Blue. It was poorly organized compared to Lost in the 50's and we spent a lot of time idling on the road. Kate was on the passenger side with the window rolled down. She leaned out the window far enough to carry on a conversation with anyone in earshot. These are things she said:: Hi! My name is Kate. What's your name? These are my mom and dad. Do you like my truck? It's bery nice. It's shiny. This is Betty Blue. You meet my brudder? His name is Will. He's super cool. My brudder is super cool. He's nice and shiny.:: Will was only slightly embarrassed by these statements she was making to random strangers. But as we got further along the route and Kate's "elbow got tired of waving" Will kept encouraging her to wave and say hi. I think he likes the attention she brings sometimes, even if it does embarrass him a little :-). Seriously love watching them learn to get along and partner with each other!

May 25::2013

Day before yesterday we took the toddler bed out and passed it on to H. Then yesterday we got a new mattress for W and moved his down to the bottom bunk for Baby. She was so happy about her "bumper bed" but still sobbing tears that we were "bad" for giving her bed to H. Growing up must be rough.

April 18::2013

After riding the 4 wheeler to the bus stop, with Baby crying most of the way there, we came home and she said happily, "That was awesome! It was 'tary (scary)!" Yikes. What am in for with her future?!

March 21::2013

"Please Charlie, take us neighborhood Les Schwab." Baby talking to a horse, or person?

March 20::2013

Conversation with Baby: "You fustwated mama? You tired? I sorry 'weetie, I can't pway wiff you. I very fustwated wiff you." I love that kid. She's so adorable when she says " 'weetie". I guess I must call her sweetie more than I think.

March 13::2013

Just some things to jot down... Yesterday I was driving down the road talking to Ty. When I got off the phone Will said; "I can guess who that was. Dad!" I agreed it was and he replied, "Know how I know? Dad doesn't make you laugh. You always talk low [in a low tone, not like talking down to him ;-)] to him." Well it made me stop and think I need to change how our marriage looks to our kids. Ty does make me laugh and makes every day a happy day. Kate, the other night, was playing in her room with an imaginary friend. I asked her the name of her imaginary friend. "Jokie Man" she told me. "Him wears a cowboy hat." What three year old girl comes up with imaginary friends like that?! She makes every day so entertaining!

Feb 22::2013

The gang (Oh-No-No, Manna, and Zatch) helped Tyler move appliances and they made a mess of the kitchen. Baby was very upset and said "you perfectly made a mess with all this stuff. I so frustrated." After a few words from dad she said, "I sorry guys. I cooler now." She makes life so entertaining! In sadder news, she now says "ice tream" instead of "ice imr" for ice cream. I miss those cute little phrases.

Jan 10::2013

Will woke up with a swollen red eyelid, and fearing pink eye, I kept him home. On errand day. Stupid me. It was a long, rough day of running here and there and it took a bit to come up with a "best". But I've actually come up with two. While they were waiting for me at WPBS, Will convinced Baby to get in my seat and buckle her Barney into her seat. They were both laughing so hard at their own antics who could be mad! Then later Tyler and I were in the shop and they decided to come out. I happened to come in when Will was trying helping Kate put a coat on. I love how considerate he is becoming as he grows.

Jan 5::2013

PBR with uncles and the kids! Fun, and late, night at the arena. Good times!

Jan 4::2013

Early mornings with school and playing catch up on New Year's Eve late night made it a good day to nap with Kate in the afternoon. I love how happy it made her. And it was pretty nice to take a long restful nap too!

Jan 3::2013

The kids have been asking to sleep in the guest room bed lately. I love hearing them laugh and play before falling asleep. Once asleep I can't resist peeking in and seeing the cuddled up with their "soft doggie" (Will) and "Char-Char" doggie (Kate).

Jan 2::2103

Will's first day back to school after his very first Christmas break. It was hard to see him go, but when he leaned forward from the backseat and asked for a hug before getting out to run to the bus, it made my day. Heck, maybe even my week. He so rarely shows affection without being asked that it was a true treasure.

Jan 1::2013

A day in Idaho. Kids asleep in the backseat. Country music and my man next to me in the front seat. Legs shaky from too many trips up the sledding hill. Pockets full of spent brass. Heart full of memories. Happy. Blessed. Undeserving.