Jan. 2: TBT – Ugly Boy

This might be my first-ever Throwback Thursday post. I tend to throw back whenever I feel like instead of waiting for a Thursday.

Let me preface my post by saying that we thought Katie was pretty from her first moments, and were thrilled to discover that she was very photogenic. I mean, even her not-very-good pictures weren’t awful. I think she gets it from her Auntie Sonya, which is why I sometimes don’t like Auntie Sonya.

I wrote the other day that if I could find Jack’s ugly baby picture I would post it. It took me forever to track it down because it wasn’t digital. In fact, this picture was the reason we bought a digital camera—The Boy was ten times whatever the opposite of photogenic is. I finally found the horrific thing in a scrapbook and snapped a photo of it with my phone, which promptly broke itself in half.

So, here it is—and I present it with a warning: looking directly at this photo has been known to cause nausea and vomiting. I’ll give you some scrolling room so you can back out now if you need to.

Jack, six weeks old, on Christmas Day 2001:

I’m right, aren’t I? Ugliest baby EVER. What you can’t really see in this picture is just how big his ‘fro is, which, believe it or not, makes him look even more like he should live under a bridge. Fortunately, Jack gradually cutened up and we were able to take him out of the house without fear of being chased back by a pitchfork-wielding mob. Here he is at five months old:

 

And here’s our bird-flippin’ boy at one year—no need to ask why this is our favorite of Jack’s milestone portraits:

I can’t resist sharing one of my other favorite Jack pics, an outtake from my attempt at something cutesy for our 2004 Christmas cards:

We love that kid. He’s weird, but we love him.

Oct. 28: Proud/exasperated sports momma

Katie’s cross-country championship was last week. It happened right in the middle of a torrential rainstorm, and runners were sliding and falling down all along the route. The parents were none too thrilled to be there either; it wasn’t just the rain (we’re Oregonians and used to it) but the hail, wind, biting cold, mud, and moderate flooding. What a mess. When it was over, and they started announcing stats for the season and all that, I really felt like they needed to just say who won and let us all go home, but nooooo…

Anyway, Katie’s team won. This is from the weekly school newsletter:

Congratulations to the RCMS Girls Cross Country Team who are the 2012 Willamette River League Champions! This past week, the girls brought home some serious hardware in the form of a giant championship trophy. Earning league honors were the following students – L. Hayes won 1st place (girls league champion), M. Edwards earned 3rd place, A. Marshall 5th place, and J. Iranshad finished in 6th place. Also contributing to the league championship were team members: M. Benware, A. Betancourt, D. Cyphers, E. Edwards, K. Gwynn, M. Harris, K. Manullang, H. Ranum, A. Ruth, and R. Viola. Way to go girls!

Things for which I’m proud:

• That Katie participated in an athletic activity by choice.
• That she did it without whining (I think I whined a lot more about it than she did).
• That she was so excited about their big win—not for herself, but for her team.

And WOW, those Edwards girls! They belong to my pal Cindi. That Cyphers girl isn’t too bad either—in fact, getting to cheer for the girls alongside her mom (Dina!) made the season a lot more fun for moi.

So yeah, it’s cool. I’m pretty sure Katie only decided to join the team because I said I’d buy her running shoes, but in the end she really did like it. I hope she sticks with running, too, because wouldn’t it be cool if she DIDN’T inherit my trip-over-myself-ness and actually benefited from something her body does?

The other thing that happened recently was even more exciting (she said, knowing you would read her sarcasm between the lines): Jack’s football team made the playoffs. The results of two games yesterday mattered: Jack’s team had to win their game, and a Tigard team had to lose theirs.

Both happened.

Dammit.

This changes our travel plans for next weekend, and definitely not in a good way, but Jack is happy so I’m pretending I am too. We have at least one extra week of practice, and who knows how many games, and OMG will somebody just kill me because I am so tired of this sport! Don’t tell Jack I said that. Meh. Jack knows what I think.

Here are things that are amusing about 5/6 football:

• The way the boys congratulate each other after a good play. It’s so cute to watch those little guys doing what the big guys do. The coaches teach them a lot about sportsmanship.
• The “take a knee” thing. The boys are all so good about it—something unexpected happens on the field, and suddenly every kid’s on his knee. Even on the sidelines. I am sooo trying this at home.
• That kid we call “supernintendo.” Long story, but it makes me chuckle every time.
• The crying. There’s a lot, and sometimes it’s loud. I know I shouldn’t think it’s funny, but I just imagine that 15 minutes later, that kid’s gonna be really embarrassed that he wailed in front of his macho buddies. (Note: wailing is totally allowed for broken bones, concussions, etc. I’m talking about the stubbed toes wailing. Weeeeener kiiiiiids!)

I wish so much that my dad was around to see Jack play football. He would be crazy-proud to sit in the stands and cheer him on. Not to mention that Jack wears #7, in honor of Grandpa Curt’s hero. Melancholy face.

Alright, let’s get back to our regular programming. What are my kids doing succeeding at athletics anyway? It’s like they’re not even mine.

Oct. 7: I’m *not* a jinx? Dammit.

Victor informed me yesterday that every one of Jack’s football games I’ve missed has been a loss. I know how seriously athletes take sports superstitions, and I cannot tell you how much this distresses me. If they’re going to win again, I really have to be at the rest of his games? Ugh. On the other hand, this might be the only time someone has actually needed me, actually wanted me to be somewhere!

So, yeah. I’m feeling kinda special!

(Who am I kidding? Turns out I don’t much like being needed.)

Fortunately, whether or not I’ve brought reading materials to Jack’s previous games seems to make no differences. If I’ve been there, they’ve won. So I’ll collect magazines and catalogs for next week, on the off-chance (ha!) that I get bored out of my skull.

Mother’s pride can be felt in photos just as well as in person. I mean, my boy does look pretty cute in all his football gear…

Jul. 28: Big day for Katie

I’m so proud of my sweet Katie girl today. She’s been talking about getting her hair cut short, and this week she decided she wanted to donate it. We looked into Locks of Love, which makes wigs for children with alopecia or cancer, but she preferred the Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths program because it makes wigs for women going through chemotherapy. She liked the idea of helping someone like ME. Beautiful Lengths accepts a shorter length than Locks of Love, and I think she was nervous about getting TOO much cut off. Who wouldn’t be?

We spent the morning washing, conditioning and drying her hair thoroughly. I kept telling her how much easier that process would be once she got the cut—I think it made me happier than it made her, because OMG, it took forever to dry her hair and I got soooo bored. I’m glad she doesn’t ask me to help her do that very often. Yes, I’m a horrible mom.

We went to my stylist extraordinaire, Michelle, for the cut. Michelle did my hair and makeup for my wedding, and she did my makeup for last year’s topless photo session. I’ve been going to her for nearly 20 years, and she’s gotten me through some very important and special moments in that time. This was definitely one more.

Michelle started out by putting Katie’s hair in a low ponytail, and then she braided it. Katie has a TON of hair—it was one very thick braid, and nine inches long. (I tried to take a picture of it but it looked less like a big thick braid than something really kinda gross that should not be photographed.) Then the cutting began. It’s probably a good thing Katie couldn’t see this part. It freaked me out—just the no-turning-back-ness of it, y’know? She hasn’t had hair this short since first grade.

We used Miss Emma’s hair as a guide for the new style—thanks, April, for getting your girl that way-cute haircut that Katie and I both love! There was more trimming and texturing…

And when it was all done, here’s how my very happy Katie looked:

Tomorrow we’ll be putting her giant braid in the mail to Beautiful Lengths. I hope someone will soon be wearing a wig made of Katie’s gorgeous hair and feeling more confident about the way she looks. That’s what this is all about, right?

May 21: Bravery from Katie’s point of view

One of Katie’s writing assignments this week was to tell about the bravest person she knows. What she wrote says so much about the sensitive girl she is, not to mention the person her father is. I am so lucky to have these two people in my life.

Transcribed:

I think my dad is the bravest person I’ve ever met because even though he cried, he was strong when Scout was put to sleep. He’s not afraid to be himself or a little crazy. He saved my brother in the street at night when there was a car and dad got hurt. My dad is the husband of a cancer survivor. My dad is not a very good dancer, but he’s a doctor, so he helps when something hurts. I’d say he’s also very brave because his family had about 15 pets and some were Great Danes, German Shepards (my favorite!), and many more. Even if they died, he still cried. And when we went to a funeral, the person’s body was there and he looked at it.

Yeah, so she thinks her dad’s a doctor. That part’s kinda cute. But did you notice that almost every word was spelled correctly, and the whole thing was very smartly punctuated? That be my girl.

Oct. 1: IDCEAYWTPFriday

It’s Friday, and that means you get a post called I Don’t Care Enough About You to Write in Transitioning Paragraphs Friday.

• I’ve had a killer migraine since I woke up yesterday. It got worse throughout the day and hit its peak when I threw up all over the toilet seat. I have terrible vomit aim. Victor reminds me of this whenever I’m sick, which is kinda irritating, but he’s right as right can be.
• Val and I both have headaches right now. Normally something this sync-y would make us awesome, but this does not.
• The Jogathon fundraiser at the school has officially been kicked off. Today a bunch of us made absolute idiots of ourselves at Friday Morning Meeting. It was a blast, getting the kids excited and telling everyone about how it’ll go. Long after our display of foolishness, I found confetti in my ear—that means we had a good time, right?
• Yesterday Stephanie came to me with news that would make any mother proud: Jack can, and does, lick his armpit.
• I have an appointment on Monday afternoon with a surgeon to consult about getting my port implanted or inserted or injected or infuriated or whatever the procedure is called. I’m still waiting for my oncologist to say I don’t need a port—I fully expect it and THAT. WILL. PISS. ME. OFF. Don’t get me started. Anyway, the surgeon is the same one who did my surgery last year. I’m glad to not have to get familiar with yet another doctor.
• I kinda love these:

  

• I missed two very important birthdays yesterday by not checking in at Facebook. For Hawaii Laura and Margaret, I hope your birthdays were one of your best ever! Sorry for the delinquency. Please don’t be mad at me. I have cancer.
• Happy birthday wishes for today go out to my way-cool brother-in-law, Ted, and Sherilee’s pride and joy, Seth.
• I’m having a hard time thinking of anything else to say. My life is about 150% PTO these days, and I know y’all don’t want to hear about that. I’m so far behind on Facebook and Twitter and my Google feeds that I feel completely uninformed about everything else in life. Also, I’m trying to keep my dinner down, so, I gotta concentrate on that a little too. Sorry for the brief and yawn-worthy update.

“We’ll be fine, thank you! See ya! Hope you don’t get gonorrhea!”

Oct. 9: Proud mama

This afternoon as we drove through a skanky part of town, Katie piped up from the back seat with this little gem: “If I were president I would give money to poor people so they don’t have to live outside and beg for money and food.” That’s my bleeding heart liberal girl! Maybe it’s a good thing Grandpa Rush Curt didn’t live long enough to see his only granddaughter form political views… they probably would’ve killed him.

Oct. 1: My li’l piano man

Today was The Boy’s first real piano lesson and he didn’t hate it. Wait, I need to say that again.

He didn’t hate it!

I love that Katie and Jack are learning to play the piano on the same one I learned on. (If a piano was purchased from a neighbor in 1970, but stays in one family for generations after, does that make it a family heirloom? Let’s say it does.) K&J haven’t begun to fight over the piano for practice time yet, and while I fully expect they will, Katie has an electronic keyboard so there shouldn’t be a big problem. We shall see.

Katie’s in her third year of lessons now, and doing a great job. I’ve told the kids they need to take at least five years of lessons each, and Jack is all NO FAIR because Katie’s “almost done” (he says) and he still has five to go. It doesn’t matter to him that I promise he’ll learn new instruments faster if he has a piano background, probably because right now the only other instruments he’s really interested in are drums. Sorry, pal. I’m stickin’ to this one.

Mar. 22: My mom, according to Katie & Jack

I gave Katie and Jack this quiz separately, so they would think at least a little bit for themselves. Surprising and kind of embarrassing how similar some of their answers came out. I think I deserve some kind of Nobel prize for not editing their answers before posting, don’t I?

What is something Mom always says to you?

Katie: “Be quiet”

Jack: “Put away your socks”

What makes Mom happy?

Katie: Getting a hug and a kiss

Jack: A present

What makes Mom sad?

Katie: Someone died in the family

Jack: Dad not kissing you

How does your mom make you laugh?

Katie: I don’t really know

Jack: I do not know

What was your mom like as a child?

Katie: I don’t remember

Jack: Little

How old is your mom?

Katie: 40

Jack: 88

How tall is your mom?

Katie: I think six… I don’t really know

Jack: I don’t know

What is her favorite thing to do?

Katie: There are lots of things. Going on vacation.

Jack: Go to the bead store

What does your mom do when you’re not around?

Katie: Go out

Jack: I don’t know

If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?

Katie: Rock star

Jack: Making the best cake

What is your mom really good at?

Katie: Singing and making necklaces and bracelets

Jack: The computer

What is your mom not very good at?

Katie: Cleaning up the whole house

Jack: Armpit farts

What does your mom do for a job?

Katie: Works at a hospital

Jack: Goes to the hospital

What is your mom’s favorite food?

Katie: I don’t really know. She has lots of favorites.

Jack: Broccoli

What makes you proud of your mom?

Katie: If something breaks she glues it back together

Jack: Nothing

If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?

Katie: Padmé because then Dad could be Anakin

Jack: Anakin

What do you and your mom do together?

Katie: Shopping

Jack: Buy Legos

How are you and your mom the same?

Katie: We both like hitting Dad

Jack: We both have the same socks

How are you and your mom different?

Katie: We have different colored eyes and hair

Jack: She has brown hair and I have dark brown hair

How do you know your mom loves you?

Katie: By kissing and hugging me and giving me an “I love you” note

Jack: I just know you love me

What does your mom like most about your dad?

Katie: He cooks for her sometimes

Jack: He makes good food

Where is your mom’s favorite place to go?

Katie: Disneyland

Jack: California Pizza Kitchen

Jan. 16: Meh, what milestone?

Ah, the other shoe dropped. Er, um, the other tooth fell out. That snaggle-tooth look is not the most attractive, which is funny because I LOVE the missing-both-front-teeth look. During a pizza dinner this evening, Jack lost his other front tooth. These are the photos I just took of him, none of which really even look like him and one in which he’s trying not to yawn, to show off the gap in his mouth.









He was really excited and proud but within minutes was glued to Phineas & Ferb again. Now it’s all MOOO-OOOOM! WHY DO YOU PUT EVERYTHING ON YOUR BLOG?

Aug. 21: Many milestones

A few things have been happening around here that I have to share.

• Katie passed Level D in swimming last week. We're very proud of her hard work and all she's learned this summer. She started at Level B in July and got through three sessions like a star!
  
• Jack lost his first tooth on Sunday morning. It came out just as he was waking up and he tried so hard to be excited but he was still just soooo sleepy. It was very cute. He's showing off his gap to anyone who shows the slightest interest.
  
• My friend Alisa's birthday was Saturday. I knew it was coming, but I don't think I looked at my calendar the whole time we were at my mom's this past weekend. I'm sorry, Alisa! I hope it was a good birthday and you were showered with many lovely gifts because everyone likes to be showered with many lovely gifts.
  
• I'm mostly finished with a database project I started about four years ago. The milestone part of this is that I have invoiced it and am actually going to get paid for my work. Because it was a contract job and I charged a flat rate, my hourly wage decreased dramatically over the time I worked on it; I think I figured it ended up being about 4¢ an hour. I blame no one but myself for this, but it's still nice to see this project on its way to my archives (and bank account).
  
• Although school doesn't officially start until the week of Labor Day, Jack is going to a "Let's Get Ready for Kindergarten" class this week. This is a great preparatory class because the kids can get familiar with the school and procedures without the chaos of having six other grades in the building. Jack has been excited to go to the same school as Katie, and even though he loves it so far, I can tell he's still nervous. What makes Mommy nervous about that: last year a classmate of Katie's was so freaked out about starting school that he would sneak out of the classroom every morning after his mom dropped him off and hide in the bushes by the front door and cry. Poor little guy. Anyway, I'm hoping what Jack learns this week will keep that kind of crisis at bay.
  
• Everyone loves my seester. Well, at least some hiring folk in Collaradda do.
  
• Jacob broke his arm a few years ago. Alec broke his arm last week. It doesn't take a psychic to deduce that Jack is up next. As I'm not too fond of surprises, I would like some warning, please (are you there, goddess? it's me, jen).
  
• This isn't really a milestone specifically for our family, but it's somewhat huge that High School Musical 2 beat a bunch of records for basic cable TV viewing. I watched the movie yesterday and I have to say that it's really not bad. The music is fun and most of the choreography was good. The acting is what you would expect from young actors, but at least they're nice to look at. 'Specially that yummy little Zac Efron... hubba hubba...

—Jen

July 19: Swim champs!

Today was the last day of swimming lessons. The kids think the coolest thing about the last day of swimming lessons is that they get candy from their teachers. Parents know it better as the pass/fail day.

Drum roll, please... (thanks, Jack)...

I am very proud to announce that both Katie and Jack passed their swimming classes! This is, of course, not a huge surprise in Katie's case because the girl loves the pool and has zero fear. But Jack was a bit of a question mark. As I wrote earlier, he's made great strides over the course of these nine lessons, and I'm oh-so-proud of my boy.

Being a completely fair mom, though (or at least attempting), I've made a big deal about both of their successes. They didn't really care, as the Dum-Dum lollipops from their teachers were apparently much more meaningful than Mom's bazillion hugs and high-fives and "way to go!"(s). Oh well, I tried. Sometimes you just can't compete with candy.

Next week Katie will start Level C and Jack will go on to Level B. Hooray for my swimmin' kids!

Smell ya later,

Jen