Metamorphasis

Does anyone remember being confronted by Eli at about 2 1/2 and quized on metamorphasis? Most everyone he came to share his new found knowledge of butterflies with was pretty shocked he could even say the word at his age much less describe the steps of it. Well, now he gets to see it all with his own two eyes, in our back yard. Most everyone knows our yard is now officially a breeding ground for our frogs in our pond. Every year we are visited by many LOUD frogs. They love our pond, and some take ownership of the pond in our neighbors yard....and yes they talk to eachother back and forth from about dinner time to well past bedtime. They have become our white noise, helping us sleep more peacefully like were right there in the middle of the wilderness. I will admit that on some nights they get out of control and instead of talking to eachother in their peaceful croaking ways, they begin to yell at eachother pretty loudly. These nights Eli swears there isnt a frog out there, but instead there is a racoon. Silly kid. Well in past years our neighbor says he's gotten tadpoles in his pond. We've had goldfish and coi in our pond for years so we've never gotten any....or well, that we've seen before the fish ate them up. But somehow mysteriously this last year over night our fish dissapeared, so this year as I found out a few weeks ago...we have babies! ...froggy ones that is. Ive tried to get a video so everyone can "hear" our friends, but they quiet down when they see the camera coming. They dont mind the actual pictures being taken, but for some reason they dont like the video on it. So here I have a picture of two of our frog friends floating about, and then a picture of the eggs the day I found them in the pond about 3 weeks ago and then the last one is just a couple days ago. Eli's very excited about watching this metamorphasis process in our back yard and we will continue to post updates on our baby frog process. He really wants to take them to sharing at school, maybe i should get approval of that from his teacher first? Also if anyone knows the hatching success ratio of frogs please let us know. As of now, if they all hatch, we could easily have 1000 frogs in our yard. :)Could this be mommy and daddy???

More and more of them have come out of their little ball egg shape and turned into wormy things.......and now most of them have their little frog belly looking shape forming. Still very small and silly looking, but they are definalty "morphing". And no, none of my blogs on these will have Jakes bioligy terms attached...you'll just have to deal with pictures and terms like "frog belly looking shape" haha
Hopefully before long I can capture the "sound" of the frogs and post that on here as well.

Rocket time!

This year for Great Grandma Waibels birthday a calendar was given to her with all of us chosing some dates to go spend with her. This last sunday was one of our Great Grandma days. First we took her out to church. She attends St Mathews, where Jake and his siblings grew up going to school and church. Where we got married. And where both our boys were baptised. We dont go out there to church other than on special occasions because of the drive, but every time we are in that church I get this overwhelming sense of happiness reminising on all the memories in those walls. I daydream of my wedding through sunday service. Its such a beautiful church. Anyways, after church we went out to have breakfast for lunch at Reedville Cafe. Yum. Then back to Great Grandmas for ice cream and cookies and some visiting. Eli had gotten a rocket from Santa this year, his very first one, and has been awaiting patiently for a nice weather day to go out to her house to shoot it off with daddy. So Jake and Eli prepared the parachute and outside we went to see how far it would fly. Eli had bets it would go to the moon. :) Zach was just scared. It went up fast and then dissapeared into thin air, then Jake caught sight of it and the wind took it in a different direction so him and Eli went running after it. Unfortunaltey a tree decided it liked it alot, and the rocket now takes residence in the big tree at Great Grandmas house. Even though the rocket itself didnt come home with us after its launch, it was a great adventure and Eli was happy to finally shoot it off to the moon. Maybe someday it will come out of the tree.

The tree the rocket now calls home....

Winter wonderland in Spring??

So we were a little caught off guard when at dinner last night...March 30th...we heard very loud thunder outside. Opened the curtains to dark sky, thunder, and then a little hail...followed by a down pour of the most amazing snowy hail Ive ever seen. It looked like Dipin Dots on steriods. Fluffy but at the same time big and very painful coming down on our heads! Our neighborhood went from a sunny spring day to a white wonderland in a matter of 10 minutes flat! We tried to run in it as it was coming down, but as I said before, it HURT. Every neighbor was on their porches taking pictures like we were. As soon as the down pour stopped, every child in the neighborhood came out with sleds and the scene was something straight out of a december catalog. We tried to build a snowman, but the steroid dipin dots didnt pack well enough in any bigger form than a snowball...so we resourted to a snowball fight instead. Zach wasnt interested and just played with a shovel and bucked in it, but Eli was whooping up on mommy pretty good. Smacking me left and right with snowballs and taking off in a sprint. I was wearing my flip flops...and to my defense it WAS sunny out before this happened....and slid in our front lawn and almost broke my leg trying to out run our 4 year old! It was a crazy turn of an evening, and I think we were all a little confussed. Especially our neighbor who drove in right after the down pour and said it wasnt like that anywhere else but just around us. Odd. But it was a very welcomed "odd" weather change. Its now melting, but there are still piles here and there. I wonder what kind of weather we will get this summer???

Our Easter weekend adventure.

(this will probably end up a pretty long blog)

Friday after Jake got home we loaded up into the already packed car and headed to Gearhart by the Sea to spend Easter weekend, just us and the boys. We hadnt been to the Seaside area to explore their updated shopping and downtown in quite a while so we thought that would be fun. Normally we go to Lincoln City and Newport areas when we venture to the coast. Friday night we arrived and were pleasently supprised with an upgrade on our room which gave us a better view of the ocean and a much nicer room too.... had a few snacks, and headed down to the hotel pool. This is the same pool that Aunt Jen got Eli to really feel comfortable in the water and so as soon as he was in the water friday night, he became a fish. He was cracking Jake and I up. His goggles were pushing his ears out, but he wanted them that way. He would do these funny jumps off the side of the pool and then swim like a funny frog. He loved it! Zach did really well too. He's never tried to swim, or let go of us for that matter...but this weekend he was much more daring. He would let us float him on his back (with our help of course), hold just his hands and pull him around in the water, and even jumped to me from the steps a few times.

Sunday we woke up and went to a community egg hunt where the boys ran as fast as they could collecting eggs, and then saying hello to the easter bunny. Then we spent most of the day in Seaside shopping on the main strip, checking out all the updates to the shopping since we'd been there last. We ate at many yummy places along the way and purchased lots of sugary items as well. Elephant ears, rocky road fudge, divinity, etc were coming out of our ears. Sugar highs all around! We went to the Seaside Aquarium and fed the seals...who splashed us and clapped their sides and all the other funny tricks they always do and cracked the boys up. And of course, what would a trip to seaside be without the Carousel.

Here Zach wasnt really sure what was going to happen, but as soon as the Carousel started up he was all smiles.
Eli loved his giraffe.

We checked out all the cool things in the aquarium as well, and Eli informed us really loudly that "those octopus are like what mommy cooks for dinner!"...hope the employees werent offended! hehe We then took a break and went to the movie theater to see Horton Hears a Who...very cute and highly recommended if you havent seen it. Then after the movie we made a few stops at the Outlet Mall and headed to yet another meal. Got back to our hotel, colored easter eggs, and went swimming again. The second night everyone slept much better than the first night..which made mommy much happier. Sunday we woke up to a condo full of hidden easter eggs and a couple baskets for the boys. The easter bunny hid some pretty tricky eggs, but luckily we found them all. After that we packed up and went to breakfast and then it was on the road to back home...the boys were so sad to leave, but it was a fantastic Easter weekend.

We colored our hands just as much as the eggs mommy!

This weekend we attended two very important events for two very special children. On saturday we went to an egg hunt fundraiser for a little 1st grade boy in Sherwood who is battling cancer. We were having car battery issues and got there a little late and missed all the kid hunt times. So just in the nick of time we ran the boys over to the adult egg hunt and they helped us collect eggs. It went much faster than a childrens hunt would have gone, but the boys were pretty happy with the eggs they were able to get...plus the Easter bunny gave them each a goodie bag filled with candies and little toys.

Then on Sunday we went to a silent auction for a friends neice who is also battling cancer, she is only 7 years old as well. Its very hard to imagine going through something like this as a child, or how you deal with it as a family and a parent. It definatley reminds us just how precious life is and makes us appreciate every moment even more. Is it really THAT bad that our boys jump on the couch occasionally??...when you think about the more important things in life, you let them jump on the couch more often. The two children these events were for are very blessed to have such a wonderful communtiy and support of family and friends to organize these fundraisers to help them out financially. They are in our prayers every day and we wish them well.

Jake and I didnt work together much on the bidding at the auction, so it was like Christmas for us when we rounded up all our winnings and seeing what the other had bid on and won. We ended up going home with a full easter basket, a really neat hand made shawl, lots of books for the boys, 6 all you can eat crab dinners, a resturaunt gift card, hand made greeting cards, etc. Jake is now plesently addicted to silent auctions and wants to go to them every weekend. And me, well I picked up on some great tips for the silent auction I will be organizing for Relay for Life this summer as Committee Chair.

This weekend were off to our anual family Easter beach trip. We started our own tradition for Easter when Eli was just under a year old. Easter is our holiday that just Jake, the boys, and I, get away to the beach for the weekend. We stay in a hotel (we've been to a few places..the Salishan, Hallmark Inn, and this year its Gearhart by the Sea), eat lots of goodies and yummy foods, sleep alot, watch a lot of tv, go to a movie (Horton Hears a Who is on our list for this year!!) swim in the pool, wander the beach, color easter eggs, go on egg hunts, and the Easter bunny always finds our hotel room to deliver the boys some little suprises. I used to say that Christmas was my favorite holiday, but since this tradition started...now Easter is DEFINATLEY my favorite holiday. I look foward to this weekend all year long! Just a couple more days, and were on the road. I hope all of you have a great Easter weekend and spring break for those of you who get those. Eli has his first official Spring Break this year! Who knew the boys would grow up so fast.

Until next time....

Skate time!

Today we took a trip to Oaks Park with our playgroup for some preschool skate time. It was an hour and a half of learning to skate for 6 year olds and younger. They tought them some basic balancing rules and such and then played some hokey pokey, did a choo choo train line, and then some on your own skate time. Then snack, then Chipper the squirel came out(a person in a big costume)...which Zach LOVED and wouldnt stop touching him. Chipper then did the chicken dance with all of them. And then they served cookies and milk to the kids for snack and then it was back on the floor for more skate time. Zach however, at that time, decided he was done and took off his skates and just ran around the rink with his cousin Gwen while Eli continued to master skating...and bruising of his bottom. He was such a trooper! The boy was doing so good for his first time on skates, but the poor kid would fall occasionally and it wasnt very pleasant. STRAIGHT down on his bottom every time. He would tear up, sometimes a real hurting cry, and get himself back up on his skates not wanting me to help him..and off he'd go again to try some more. It gave me such flashbacks to my days as a kid and loving the skate rink. I remember those awful falls, and not wanting to quit no matter how bad my bottom hurt. When it was time to leave, he was very sad and begged to stay. So I think we're going to have to go skating more often now...

Playing some catch up on blogging...

So the last month or so has gotten away with my time, and ive been neglecting my blog. oops. So this one may be a little bit longer than normal to catch things up. :)

The weather here has been crazy this month. Super cold. Were not really that far out here in Dundee at our house, but somehow we got more snow than those not too far from us. Eli had a few days of canceled school due to snow and ice. Jake even got a day off work due to the snow. The boys made a great snowman that stuck around almost a week. Eli was very sad to see him melt. On the day Jake was home we walked up our street to the top of our hill and did some sledding in the little grass area that will become a new walking park this summer. I was happily supprised at the amount of snow we were able to sled on. Eli took some fast spills just like he did up at the mountain last month and had himself a blast. We even got Zach unafraid and got him to sled a few times laughing and asking to go again. And unfortunatley I did not catch Jakes awesome run-jump-dive-sled move that almost broke his back on camera. It was a classic Jake move though, so I know you all will get a good chuckle out of just reading that line. Eli said it was much more fun to sled at home rather than driving so far all the way to the mountain. We definatley need to start getting more snow down here off the mountain. And YES that is our christmas tree in its stand on our back porch behind Zach...two months after Christmas. :)

I started a playgroup a few months ago. To get us out of the house more and to meet more mommies and families. Yesterday our group went to the AC Gilbert House in Salem. Much the same idea as the Portland Childrens Museum but in my opinion was WAY cooler. The kids all had a blast and cant wait to go back again soon. They had a "China" room, and so Eli had a great time looking around at all the interesting facts and items and knowing that Aunt Alisa and Uncle Ben were there right now. Zach had to potty durring this part so I took him and he durring his potty break said "Mommy we have to hurry! I want to go back to Aunt Alisas room!!" So cute. Eli just celebrated Chinese New Year at school on Wednesday with his class (and thanks to Aunt Alisa and Uncle Ben for the yummy snacks from Hong Kong to share with his friends! His teacher even used the mailing package to teach the kids where Hong Kong is and showed them on the map and put a pin up for where "Aunt Alisa and Uncle Ben live"...thank you guys for sending that stuff over, they all really enjoyed it! And a package will be coming your way shortly!!) So it was a fun time on our playdate yesterday. Here are some of the pictures from our day.

This was the best picture we could get of the kids...kind of hard to get every kid to say cheese happily all at the same time. haha! This HUGE rocking chair was so cool! I want one in my living room. :)
Zach and Jaxon having some "rice and tea" in the China room.

Eli wanted to show Aunt Alisa and Uncle Ben some Chinese symbols and stuff he saw in that room.

Eli surrounding himself in a big bubble.

Zach and Trenton in the castle stage.

Until the next blog...