Week of Addie

It seems like the kids go through cycles getting a lot of focus, and this week it was finally Addie's turn to be in the spotlight.  And boy was she!


Last Friday we had a program at her school. She told us she was going to be the loudest to make sure we could hear her if we sat way in the back.  She was not kidding! She sang loud and enunciated and smiled and made some of the funniest faces I had seen in a while.  Here are a few examples.  If you can't turn up the sound because you are at work, that's okay...you don't need sound to get how funny this is. 
This is my quiet, reserved, sensitive middle child, singing with 47 other kids, and you could hear her the loudest.  In fact, she been getting louder in many aspects of her life.  I look at her and I sense that she's struggling to find her voice in many forms.  Unfortunately it seems like she finds it sounding like a 2.5 year old whining baby, rather than an almost-five-year-old big girl.  Her voice in general still sounds very baby like, the squeakiness, the pronunciation, the shyness.  Not in a way that worries me about her speech, just in a way that shows me she isn't confident yet in her voice.  Not like Lily was at this age.  The voice that helps her to know where she fits in, both in our family and in the world.  She's strong willed and sweet and stubborn.  She doesn't people please, but loves to be the biggest helper you've ever had.  Man, and I always said I was going to have a middle child who didn't act like a middle child, who had not "middle-child issues".  You know, because I am above those stereotypes. Heh.  I really should stop 'always' saying things.  Well, she acts exactly like an in the middle middle child.  I think that's hard.  It's hard being the oldest, and it's hard being the baby, but both of those roles have such perks.  Not many perks to being the middle child.  Perhaps that is why God made her so strikingly beautiful and small enough to put in your pocket.  Her place is deep in the hearts of many who love her.

She is tucked so deep in my heart.  My heart jumps looking at these two girls loving each other.  

We let Lily get out of school for a few hours to come to the performance.  And they were both so excited that Lily was there.  Bryson was there too, no picture, but I'll give him credit for some of the shakey video work, even though it's probably not his fault.  


Saturday, Addie got to go to a birthday party for a friend who she's known since she was 3 weeks old!  It was so sweet to see the little group of 5 or almost 5 year olds running around in a little pack, getting sweaty doing all there is to do at Out of This World Pizza.  

Ryan, Benjamin, Nathan, Hope, Jaden, and Addie - Yes, that tall boy is in her class!

Addie had a great time, and we had a wonderful 45 minute drive each way to get to the party, talking and laughing.  On the way home from the party, we had a special conversation and I even pulled over so we could say a prayer together.  More special than I can explain.

Bear Bear Tea Party

Yesterday was more Addie and Mama time.  

It was her last field trip at school.  I thought that I wouldn't be able to go because it was in May and I just have to cross all fun things in May off my list.  Or do I? It happened that I was not feeling well on Monday, and somehow the auditors got along without me.  I worked hard with them on Tuesday and realized they could do without me in the morning if I snuck away with Addie before their afternoon seminar.  So I did, and it was drizzly, a little rainy, and awesome.  Just the two of us for most of the morning, meeting up with the class and our friends at different check points.  

Middle children UNITE - Here is Addie and her friend Benjamin getting a picture in front of her FAVORITE animal!  Can't you tell?

Okay, so that's that.  A week of Addie.  Now I can go off and make Memorial Day weekend memories with this amazing family (and my mom and brother) and I didn't let this wonderful week with my wonderful middle girl get lost in the shuffle.  


Yay for things not getting lost in the shuffle.  Especially Addie.  

I love you Addie!


Focus on today and make it a great one my friends! 


Today's verse: 
Matthew 6:

³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

The Lily Craft Making Christmas Show

I could seriously watch this video 100 times over. It makes me laugh SO hard.

Lily got a new camera for her birthday. It has a video mode. She is so taken with the video feature. I guess it reminds me of what I did laying around on my tummy propped by my elbows, with a tape recorder, pressing play and record at the same time and making commercials, talk shows, learning that if you clap in a circle around the recorder, then it sounds like audience applause. Singing and playing it back to myself. Putting it up next to the tv to get Saturday morning cartoon theme songs. JOY.

So kids these days can do it with VIDEO. I can't imagine what I would have done with this technology, but it definitely would probably be similar to what Lily does in her one hour of quiet time per day. She is in there crafting up gifts to clutter under the tree, comes down daily with a new handful wrapped and ready. When she was three, she did this too. She'd wrap up post it notes or old business cards for any and everyone to open. And you tried not to laugh when you opened yours. But now, at 6, she's getting better. Her gifts (although always 3D and impossible to store in a useful fashion) are well thought-out and orchestrated.

The night before Bryson's birthday party she asked me to charge the batteries and empty her card so that she would be all set to record him destroying his cake. WELL. Let me tell you, I was in for a treat. I laughed until I cried watching the videos that she had made on there.

As you will see she has adopted a theme much like a cooking show (which is one of her favorite things to watch on TV), where she shows you what she'll be using and talks to her camera like she has an audience of faithful viewers. Had to make that happen for her. So thanks Blogosphere.

Disclaimer: I got Lily's full permission to post these videos to my blog. However, she asked me to wait until after Christmas to do that, because she doesn't want the people who she is making the gifts FOR to see the video of her making said gifts. So Julia, please don't watch these videos, lest you spoil the Christmas surprise for yourself! :)

Hear that Julia, if you are reading STOP now. Come back on Dec 26!

I love how she fills in the dead air, and how she KNOWS exactly where she is with the camera, and how she says she is getting it "focused" (she is getting a little mini tripod for Christmas which she will LOVE).

There are so MANY things to love, I could add an add.



Okay, I was only going to post this first video, but she she refers to this second one so I HAD to include it. It's more of the same, but it makes me laugh so hard.

"Sorry it was quiet at the beginning, I was getting the video set up"

"Snippity Snip"



What is your favorite part?

MCT - Take one

Me and Lily - Oct 2010

A month ago you VOTED for me writing this blog, I started on November 7 and am finally posting now - backlog unload - SCORE one for me!

If you follow my facebook feed, you would know that a few weeks ago, Lily was cast in the Missoula Children's Theater's local production of Alice in Wonderland at her school. Since MCT was a real life changing organization for me as a kid and a young adult, I was both excited and nervous for her to audition. I didn't want to be a bossy stage mom, but at the same time, I REALLY wanted her to get a part, and I knew how the audition process would go. What if I got her all excited about this show that I so wanted her to be a part of and then she didn't get a part? What if she never got to experience the wonderfulness that is the MCT tour? I had butterflies the entire day at work and then held my breath the entire audition, as they lined up tallest to smallest, in true Jim Caron fashion and said their names with loud and clear voices, big and expressive bodies, all the while - and most importantly - following directions and paying attention. She was the second smallest.Lily is 3rd from the right

Before I get ahead of myself I should probably go back a little and talk a little about my own MCT experiences. This could probably be a whole series of blogs on it's own, and maybe over the years it will be. Memories flooded me the last few weeks. FLOODED me. My love and admiration for Jim, Michael, and Melanie - three important people in the organization - as well as for my little community growing up and the Wallowa Valley Arts Counsel for bringing tour actors to my little home county year after year.

I was seven years old, it was March and I was in the second grade. I had big glasses and short awkward choppy hair. I'd started to experience the rejection that comes with looking the way I did and dressing the way I did and ACTING the way I did from some of the kids at school. I was nearly a year younger than many of the kids in my class, in those early years it made a big difference in maturity- but I was more advanced than most academically, plus what with the big glasses (the next year I'd get tri-focals-to call them coke bottles would be an understatement), the lack of any sort of fashion or style, the non stop talking, and the pestering of those who pestered me...I was quite lonely. I had a few good friends, but I definitely knew at that young age that I was different from most of the kids at school. I was aware that there were birthday parties I wasn't invited to, I got left out of 4 square games, didn't get to jump rope with the "cool" girls, and the year before some of the kids had been in a play that I knew nothing about. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The auditions for this year's play, were today. But my (very pregnant) mom had to work, deadline day at her newspaper was tomorrow and she couldn't come get me after school to take me to the audition in our neighboring town - 6 miles away. So after school I called her at work and pleaded one more time. She finally agreed (enter mom guilt) but it would take her 15 minutes to get to Joseph and back to Enterprise where the auditions were being held, so I'd be a half an hour late. That sounded okay to me. She came and got me, I was SO happy. I still remember pacing circles in the small road by out house as I waited for her car to appear. It was a chilly March or April in Wallowa County - but it wasn't freezing as it sometimes was that time of year. It's it funny the specifics you remember when things really matter to you.

When we got to the audition, I was more than a half an hour late, Val M, the local person in charge of setting the whole thing up, putting me in a line of kids who were already chosen for a part, so they took down my name and got in, I didn't really have to do anything to audition. I LOVED it. I was a Pleasure Isle Kid in Pinocchio. I can never thank my mom enough for getting me to that audition. Late even, so that I didn't even have to chance the rejection there.

Growing up in Wallowa County, there wasn't much as far as extra curricular activities other than sports, and I wasn't very good at those. So MCT showed me that I had talent and there was a place for a hard working, memorization expert, loud talking, kid like me. The louder the better? AWESOME. Big expressive bodies? Loud and clear voices? Following dir....well, two out of three weren't bad. And as it turns out, I COULD listen and sit still when my most important one week a year depended on it! At that young age, acting gave me value.

Me in my first "lead" as a brat in Johnny Appleseed, I'm the one sitting with glasses

Years later, I would be invited to go to an exclusive camp outside of Missoula, Montana on Flathead lake that I could audition for after the recommendation of the tour actors only. 1-2 kids per town were referred, if any, and then there was a lengthy audition process. I will NEVER EVER forget the day that I got the phone call to let me know I got in. In fact, I'm friends on FaceBook now with the camp director and I emailed her the story recently. What I wouldn't do to get my hands on that audition tape. I sang "That's what friends are for", sitting on the floor of my bedroom with a tape deck. (Okay must remember to copy and paste that email for another blog for sure!) I went to that camp for six years for two weeks every summer. Some of my dearest friends to this day I met at MCT camp.Me in MCT PAC show 'Growing Pains; Rockin' a Hard Place' circa summer 1990 (front & center)

Ultimately I ended up going to college at University of Montana in Missoula because the place held such amazing memories from my youth. And then Missoula was filled with college memories and friends, and many of my camp friends who I reconnected with there, became my college friends instead of my camp friends. And, well, I sort of forgot the deep impact that Missoula Children's Theater had. Or I hadn't stopped to think about it for a while.

Until this year when the flier camp home for volunteers needed at Lily's school in the fall with MCT on the list for the last week of October. Until Lily's audition. Until she was cast. Until I watched her run out on stage during dress rehearsal and I burst into tears at the sight of it. She was a little Lobster who teaches Alice a Lobster Quadrille. I was so excited and PROUD of her and so was she.

She's center among the five on the first row, silly faces

During the week of auditions, the tour actors were selling copies of The Little Red Truck, and I bought one, not believing that I hadn't watched it yet after wanting to for so long. The next day I mentioned to Kaitlyn, our tour actor, that I cried as I watched it, thinking how lucky I am to have been directed by Jim Caron (founder of MCT) and Michael McGill. The other actor, stopped what he was doing and said, "You've been directed by Jim and Michael?!". It's a pretty big honor that's for sure, though it's hard to explain (to people who don't know them) that such a big theatrical mecca could really be located in unlikely Montana. Unless you've been to Missoula, then you probably get it.

We found our Little Red Truck in the parking lot upon leaving the audition and I had Lily get a picture next to it.

 

If you aren't familiar with what MCT does, you MUST click here. But the jist of it is 2 tour actors come to a school on a Monday, cast a show in 2 hrs, and then start rehearsals on Monday night, and have 6 days to put on a full scale production with 60 or so kids. They do a 2 shows on Saturday, then pack up their Little Red Truck and head on to the next town and change more lives of more little kids.

Lily will never understand how and why MCT meant so much to me. She lives in a city filled with opportunities and arts (plus she seems to be pretty good at sports and her vision is 20/20!) But that doesn't matter, it matters to me that I got to see her take part in something so special to me. I wouldn't say I'm living vicariously, just seeing her have fun doing something that I loved so much, means more to me that I can describe. The flood of memories that came back to me that week over a month ago, they mean so very much to me, as do all of my valuable experience with Missoula and it's Children's Theatre. Thanks Jim, Michael, and Melanie. You changed little Jenny and gave big Jenny the gift of watching her daughter sing "Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?"Lily has on the brown shoes and is 4th from the right...

Dress rehearsal


Performance one


Performance two


I'll close with this quote from Jim just says so much:

JIM CARON: To this day, I don't exactly understand how it works. But, I mean, Mom and Dad are cheering for them, and so are all the friends, and, you know, the kid that made fun of them on the playground last week, they're all cheering for them. And you can see the light bulbs going over their heads. And they relate this experience and the elements of this experience to other things in their lives.

Hanakkah Prayer by Lily and Nicholaus

On December 5th there were 3 little boots, waiting outside on our porch. German tradition says that on the morning of December 6th, Nicholaus will come, and fill the boots of good little boys and girls.
Every time I passed the window that night, I laughed at those three little boots waiting out in the cold. So darn cute.
Nicholaus (pronounced Nick-o-louse) came all the way from Germany for the Herman kids. He had to put a few things in a bag, because as it turns out, their boots are too little to fit a THING.

Bryson was so cute, he was totally in the action with his big sisters looking through his bag and boot.

Everyone looking through their boots.

This year, Hanukkah has been extra special. Well, last year it was extra, EXTRA special with the arrival of our son on the fourth night. But this year we get to celebrate that. And we've gotten to celebrate it with Grandma Carol. It's the first time we've celebrated Hanukkah with Lawrence's parents since we moved here from New Jersey in 2002. Today, we will get to celebrate with his dad too! We've decided to make a new family tradition of doing something special to celebrate the 4th night, and Bryson being born into our family during this special time of miracles.
I LOVE this blurry picture of the kids because it just shows their shear delight opening a Hanukkah craft from Grandma and Grandpa. (Bryson shows off a bath toy!)

The kids have been opening a gift a day before we "light" our (safe and electric) menorah and have really been enjoying the holiday. It's great to see Bryson getting right in there with the big girls to open and play with gifts. He's gotten some little people that all THREE of them have enjoyed a lot. Lily has even memorized most of the prayer in Hebrew. Addie can say some of it too, but she didn't want to for the video.

It's been awesome celebrating Hannukah and Nicholaus (a German tradition on December 6 where the kids each left a boot outside and Saint Nicholaus fills it up, ONLY because he knows we have a German in the house, AND because the other American kids didn't know to leave a boot outside!)

Vacation Photo Book 2010

Click here to view this photo book larger

At the end of vacation last week I got an email from Shutterfly to create a free photo book. I have done this once before, after our last vacation to the Outer Banks of North Carolina in 2008 - our last family vacation with Lawrence's family.

This time, I only had about 3 days to create the free book but I decided to do it, because I thought it would be a neat record keeping tradition, and as you know I am ALL about record keeping AND trying to do it the same a second time around - I love comparing things side by side in a similar fashion :). It's a little more thrown together and less organized than the previous time, but even so, I was happy to finish it and get it for free + 7.99 for shipping and handling (even if I did have to miss girls' night out last night to do so).

So the link above is the book that I created from our Sunriver vacation, outlined a few blog posts below. I don't use Shutterfly for the majority of my photo saving, only for times when they have awesome gift deals or something. While I was in my account, saving my book, I noticed that they had the book I made 2 years ago saved in my projects. While of course I have the actual book, I was pleased to have the electronic copy!

Click here to see it, or just go to the below post. It was fun to compare the kids, what a difference two years makes. I love that after creating this, it allows you to share the book as well.

Creating this book make me think of two things:

1. Thank God we are not in North Carolina this year for vacation, as Hurricane Earl wreaks havoc. This is the week that we vacationed there, and returned home the day before Labor Day. Oh, how I loved that vacation. I loved it. I really like this one two, but that one 2 years ago gave me true belief that vacation after children and with children can in fact be fun. And I LOVE the ocean. Of course, I really did love not flying this time around - I'm imagining the nightmare of getting through security and the things that would be in mouths on the plan and off - from both Addie and Bryson. Anyway, I'm imagining that my whole feel of that trip would have been different had it been now and we were evacuated from the islands! Sorry for whoever has that awesome beach house this week (and I'm not sure I've ever said that before!)

2. I created this book last time with a broken foot. In fact, since I broke my foot upon returning on vacation last time, I've been grateful for a non broken foot a lot this last week. Even though it was hard for me to get back in the work groove, and least I GOT to go to work. Last time I had to call my boss after a week's vacation to say I would be working from home for the next month and then another 4 weeks of no driving after that. Let's just say that crutches and public transportation do not mix. So making this book reminded me to be happy about my healthy working body. Hope you enjoy looking at these, I know I have, and I'm also glad to have these links, not to be lost in an unused Shutterfly account!

Vacation 2008 Photo Book

Click here to view this photo book larger

99 luftballons

You kind of had to be there, and I'm disappointed that this is the only picture we got of our Luftballons jump mania.


We had SO much fun in Joseph going out with Bean - Bean. Since she is normally our sitter for date night, we haven't ever really had a date night with her and we just had a blast, while Grandma Lanie watched the three kids. In Joseph, everything is in walking distance, so on Saturday night we headed down to The Stubborn Mule and The Hydrant for some fun with our friends. At the Stubborn Mule there was a, get this, BIKINI competition. Yes, this little town is 1000 people, and not really where you'd expect a tiki party complete with fire throwing tricks. (A whole other post on that. The guy actually threw and dropped a fire baton/stick which caught a guy's hat and drink on fire...that only stopped him for about 5 minutes when the fire tricks continued!) Anyway, we were a little too old for the party that was happening at that bar, so we walked one block to the OTHER bar in Joseph and it was pretty much empty, ours for the taking. We were a group of 20+ (since the extended Shaw family alone was like 10 of them). We Kareokeed and danced and drank and had a really good time.

We decided to JUMP when this song came on and again, just so much fun. Sabine wouldn't Kareokee it in German like everyone wanted her to do... :)



Or in German:




Other memorable parts of the night.

OZ sarenading Sabine
Lawrence stealing mikes + cowboy hats
Carrie Phillips has still got it!
Halle getting Bean to do a shot "lemon drop"
Bean Bean imidating our tweaky bartender
Laughing heads off with MegMeg
Lawrence and OZ singing "their" song
Michael yelling DungeonMaster at Joe 10,000+x
Jer and Lawrence doing a horrific job of "Baby got Back"

You know, the fun and goodness of old friends + being there with Sabine + a super fun hubby who I love dearly, just brings a big huge smile to my face.

Sergent Dog Dance

As you might remember, our family has gotten A LOT of laughs with these dog costumes.

This "hoookie-louw" (nonsense words) makes us laugh every time.



There are no words...

7 months down

Bryson is 7 months today. As usual, I'm shocked by the passage of time. IT TOOK FOREVER FOR LILY TO GET TO SEVEN MONTHS. Forever, I say.

In the last month, Bryson has really honed a lot of skills that were developing at his last month blog. He is sitting well on his own, he is crawling (army crawl) and doing lots getting up on his knees and rocking. He doesn't use rolling to get places as much anymore, it is pretty much all about the scoot. He's eating three meals a day and seems to prefer baby oatmeal to anything else. We usually mix it with a fruit in the morning and a veggie for lunch and dinner. He's drinking a bit of water out of a sippy cup, and also like sucking on the bottom of the sippy cup. He still would prefer not to be in the high chair unless he is impatiently eating. If I walk away to get more, he gets upset. So different from Lily and Addie would would sit in there during dinner preparation and after dinner for clean up. I've tried a few of those star puffs with him. About 3 at a time, he likes to grab at them with fury, but so far has only gotten one in his mouth a few times. Then he promptly spits it out like someone but poison in there. He's drinking milk 5x a day, 2 nursings and 3 bottles of 6-7 oz each. My milk supply is still holding up okay (yay! I can't believe it, I and for most days / weeks he's still getting only one bottle of soy formula per day. We are going to test him out with milk formula in a week or so to see if the milk sensitivity is gone or not. Fingers crossed.

Here is a video of sweet boy crawling:


At his 6 month check up which was about a week ago he weighed 20lbs 1oz. At Addie's 3 year check up a day later she was 25lbs. Needless to say he is not far behind her. She actually feels lighter than he does because she isn't such squirmy, slobbery, hair pulling, dead weight. He was 79% in weight. 75% in length. She is 3% in weight and 25% in height.

Still SO. MUCH. DROOL. 3-6 bibs a day, no joke. But no teeth, and now he's added snot...

He's had a little cold for about two weeks. I told him back in a few days ago for a slight wheezy sound in his chest and he is on an inhaler type medicine for a few days. He hates it, but that's good because he takes deep breaths when he cries and it lasts only 10 seconds that way. He's the best baby, even when feeling cruddy. He hates his nose to be wiped, and is spitting up a little more than usual because of so much mucus in his throat. But he is still smiley much of the time. And it hasn't affected his sleep at all. (Never said that before about a sick baby o mine!)

I hate to jinx it, but Bryson has been sleeping through the night consistently now since about 10 weeks old, without exception. Okay, with exception when camping or traveling, but that hardly counts. He still wakes for a dream feed around 10, but the last few nights, he wouldn't eat more than 3 oz and was hard to wake for that, so maybe he is almost done with those. (Addie has stopped sleeping through the night about 25% of the time!) He still listens to white noise while sleeping, and is settling down into 2 - 3 consistent naps a day. Usually at 9 and 1, then a cat nap in the late PM, like at 4. He wakes at the crack of dawn 5-6am, but I actually enjoy this wake up and getting some one on one time with him then. It's really the only alone time we get. He's wetting through his diaper at night so we've just invested in some overnight diapers, hoping that will help.

Life with this sweet boy is good, very good.

In other news, Sabine has been with our family for 11 months today! Wow, now that seems toooo fast.

Better get this posted and on to the next thing. Here is a "dog pic". For those of you who don't know, I got a picture of Addie next to this dog on the month, every month for the first year.
I've only remembered a few times for Bryson, This time, he didn't really cooperate...he'd rather wrestle with the dog than lie next to it being photographed. We even tried it twice...the pictures still made me chuckle...especially when his sisters joined in!

Happy Birthday Sabine!!

Today is Sabine's Birthday. (That's our German AuPair, "Bean-Bean")

We had a party for her yesterday and she had a picnic out at Washington Park with her friends. While it threatened to rain, it didn't, (she says that the weather is always nice for her birthday in Germany, and we were happy that Portland didn't disappoint!) A wonderful day was had by all. The girls ended the evening by watching the sunset and sitting by the fireplace outside. Her friends made her such a special birthday video, and I was so touched at how awesome their gift was (so was she). We are so happy that Sabine is in our life, and all these girls are in her life!

Our girls made cupcakes with Bean - Bean.

Bryson celebrated by eating his first rice cereal, and loved it.

Fun Videos from yesterday:

Addie waited for about 30 minutes at the table drooling over the cupcakes she and Lily helped make.

We got 22 candles on her cupcake. Fire hazard? Yes. Make a WISH!



Sabine has added so much to our family over the last 9 months and we adore her. She honestly makes our family better and our house more fun! We are so happy to tell her that we love her and celebrate her special day here in the US!

We love you Bean-Bean!!!

Love,
All five of us!!

Run Earth Day Run

While I was at my conference last weekend, yes, I still haven't blogged about that either, Lawrence, Sabine, and the girls did an "Earth Day Race". Lily's (and Sabine's) was a 1K, while Addie's was a kids dash. As you can see below, Addie nearly got trampled. They both had so much fun but were slightly upset that the medals which were proudly advertised didn't get shipped in time for the race.

When mommy is away, daddy never fails to disappoint, I'm only sorry I missed it!

I did get a text from my friend Carrie on Saturday morning and it made my day. It said, "Driving through Tigard and saw sweet Addie running her heart out! Cutest thing ever. Lawrence was filming his butt off. Thought you'd want to know. Hope you are having a great time."

What an awesome message to get when away from my family for the weekend. My favorite part was that he was FILMING so I would get to see it!

You can too, click below...



RUN ADDIE RUN



LILY AND SABINE GOT CAUGHT IN A DOWNPOUR AND DADDY'S BATTERY DIED

They just posted the pictures on line of the race. Click on the link below then choose "kids" on the drop down that says "all categories". Then hit "Refresh". You can see Lily in fucsia on the bottom of the first page and Addie in black with yellow hood a few pages later. You can see Sabine and Lily on page two with her dark gray GAP hoodie, running with Lily! :)

http://www.backprint.com/view_event_photos.asp?PID=bp%18~A&EVENTID=62415&PWD=

Hitting the slopes

LILY AND BEAN BEAN SKIING



I mentioned a few posts ago that last weekend Lawrence took Sabine and Lily skiing. Here are the videos and pics as promised!

Addie Babysitting

Addie singing "Rock a bye Baby" to Bryson, then asking him to say cheese to the camera and look at the green button (which is what I always say to her when I can't get her to look), then almost dropping him off the couch, but I sacraficed the camera and the documenting to save him! :)

Tappin' Away

Addie was not happy yesterday to find out that Lily was going to Tap class, and she was going to stay home for her nap!

The night before I even got out some hand me down patent leather shoes for Addie to wear. She called them her "bab-bay" (ballet) shoes. She even hung them on a hanger with some tights (which is what we do with Lily's dance clothes. I knew it was not going to be pretty when Lily got ready to go and left with out her. She was holding on to Lily's hand with dear life, and crying "my Lil lil". It was so sad and sweet that my heart just melted! Lily is right in the middle in all pink with black shoes.

Lily had a great first tap class and she loved it. Loud stomping is definitely her thing. She hasn't learned yet that the shoes can do some of the work for her, and she doesn't need to stomp so hard to make the noise. I say, who cares, this is great for her.

Sabine said Lily was the longest girl in the class. I love the English / German translation! :)

Perfect Birthday gift Grandma Lanie, thank you!!

Edit: Sabine read this and corrected me, she said that Lily was the LOUDEST girl in class not the longest! HAHA. Now that, my friends, does not shock me one bit. She is her mother's daughter...

7 blogs in 7 days...day 1

Our sweet family of 5!

Loving Grandpa's Convertible!

I saw this on another mom's blog and I thought it was also a great idea for my blogging. I have A LOT I am behind on blogging. Probably more than 7. But right now I'm going to commit to writing a blog a day for 7 days. Let's see how this goes, even if it doesn't catch me up, it does get 7 of the most important blogs out there. Comments might help motivate me (hint, hint!). All you lurkers out there who have never left a comment, now is your chance. Also if you are behind on your blogs, I challenge you to do 7 blogs for 7 days. Let's get caught up on our blogs together! :)

First up, our trip to NJ - longest blog ever!

We left at the crack of dawn on Saturday, 9/5 to get to the airport in time for our 7:30am flight which arrived at Newark at 4pmish. Sabine drove us and we were relieved to get a text from her at 7:05am saying she had arrived home. It is funny how we often feel like we have another child, and adult child to worry about. But in a good way.

First Lawrence and I decided to TRY and scam the system. We have done this before and it has worked out wonderful. We book our flights for the aisle and window seat on both sides of the plane, then if someone gets seated between us, we ask that person to trade the MIDDLE seat for the aisle. Great. Then we have more seats than people which sounded like it could be very helpful when traveling with 2 small children, a man with big shoulders who will fight to the death over an arm rest, and a 6 mth pregnant lady. Well, both flights were oversold so no chance on getting lucky with an extra seat, or two. Boo. Oh well, I traded with the middle so I could keep trapped in by the window and Lawrence opted for the aisle to guarantee both armrests were his. I sat next to Addie because she would have wanted me anyway and would try to crawl across strangers laps to get there. Screaming "mama" full force. Both kids wanted to sit with me.

But then she is this cute and how can you not want to sit by her?

The flight was relatively uneventful, besides somehow almost missing the boarding while slowly eating our breakfast at PDX. Addie shrieked a few times before her 45 nap and she also watched Elmo loves you on my laptop (aka heaviest portable dvd player ever without the password for wireless internet at my in-laws) for 45 minutes. Since that flight is 5 hrs long it left me 3.5 hrs to entertain her doing different things in 5 minute (at best) increments. It also meant me bending over my stomach 7 million times to the "backpack of tricks". The landing was pretty rough so at one point the plane totally dropped and Addie looked at me terrified and said "DOWN!". I was actually a little scared too, it was a rough landing. All in all she was pretty good, just a typical 2 year old. If you asked Lawrence, the kids were "awesome" on the first flight, as he colored with Lil watched the in flight movie and read 2 magazines cover to cover (repeat on the way home minus the in flight movie since it cost $6 this time).

When we got to Lawrence's parents house, the kids were happy to explore the grounds, find out what toys were what, learn the rules of "touch" or "no-touch", etc." I was dying to get out of my velour sweatsuit since it was an unexpected 86 degrees, hoping a friendly neighbor wasn't watching out the window wating to say hello as I knocked them over on my way in to the house stripping my sweaty sweatpants and hoodie. I got lucky and was in a tank top and skirt before the first guest arrived.

Sitting backward eating together (Lily, Tyler, Cassie, & Addie)Uncle Lawrence and Cassie (Uncle Jenny not pictured)

The cousins arrived shortly and the kids had a great time getting reaquainted. Addie was mostly loving her cousing Tyler ("Ty-ty"), much to the chagrin of her older cousin, Jayme. Lily on the other hand was so thrilled to see Jayme, and that she could show off Addie, often dragging her around. We ate a yummy dinner made by my mother-in-law ("Grandma, how did you make these YUMMY carrots?" "I bought them at Shop-Rite, Peeled them, Cut them, Cooked them") Lily ate all her carrots and Addie made all the kids laugh by turning her chair backwards to eat. It was especially great to see Laureen and the kids again (everyone else we've seen since April), and I felt a little teary eyed saying hello to them all. Time passes so quickly and lives are so busy that sometimes it takes seeing someone to realize how much you miss them.

The next day we had bagels for breakfast and talked about how they don't know how to make bagels on the West Coast. We had a BBQ had Lawrence's brother's hous and we invited everyone over. It was awesome, we saw some friends and family that we were expecting to see and several that we didn't know for sure if they would make it. Besides, Mark, Laureen, & Kids, and Carol and Steve, we saw the Curtis's, the Schwartzbergs, the Mirros, the Dutka, the Levines, the Finkelsteins, Eric Moon Daniels, the Kleins, Morgan & Elliot, and Weslowskis. I know I have butchered the spelling in those names, but listen, do you want this blog to get published or not? Also sorry if I forgot someone. Hey, I know, leave that as a comment!! It was really so much fun, more fun than I was expecting - and I was expecting fun. Many of those people we haven't seen in 3+ years and a few even longer. It was really great. Again, I didn't realize how happy it would make me to see everyone until I saw them. And the kids are all HUGE. Really, most of the "oldest" kids in the family were born while we lived in NJ over 7 years ago and most we haven't seen for 3-4+ years. They are all big kids. Mine are the youngest, except for Stacy and Rich's little girl Ava (10 mths old).

R to L Lawrence, Moon, Tommy, Me, Addie, & Chris...our friends!Risa, Alyx, & Lily (Alyx was Addie's age when we met, such a sweet young lady now!)

Monday we played at Grandma and Grandpa's house in the morning and met more of their friends while Mark and Laureen ran errands and then decided to BBQ again at Mark and Laureen's and invited friends who had a wedding the night before and couldn't make it, the Gawrons. About half way through the afternoon we all decided to go to Jersey Freeze, one of Lawrence's favorite Ice Cream places from childhood which has rumored to be shutting down. Did you know they don't know how to make Ice Cream on the West...OH COME ON, Ice Cream we can do!!! :) We got a quick family photo there, and said good byes to the cousins who had shopping to do, work and school the next day. Jayme and Lily couldn't let go of each other, and again it was so sweet it brought tears to my eyes.Our kids with their Aunt Laureen and Uncle Mark and Jayme and Lily never ever wanting to let go of each other promising to skype every day. Which we realistically promised to them Fridays.

The whole Herman Family - that's all of us!Addie gives Ty-Ty a kiss and says WAKE UP!Dairy free table enjoys some "ices"Me and my Lils

Addie was mad when we got back to Grandma and Granpas house because they had told her to tell Tyler that she was going on an airplane (in hopes to wake him up from his car ride nap), so she did and said good bye. She thought that meant we'd be going directly to the airport. She was NOT happy to be back at G&Gs when she said her goodbyes to Ty-Ty and was giong to go on the Airplane. We ordered pizza, and talked about how people on the West Coast do not know how to eat. Lily thought it tasted the same, but liked learning to fold her pizza and the fact that she got pizza RIGHT before bedtime.

To quote Addie before bedtime "MY WANT TO AIRPANE, NOW!"

Tuesday our flight was not until 6 pm so we decided to go to the Jersey Shore Lawrence and Addie at Martell's

Sandcastles

and play on the boardwalk and the sand for a while. Lily said that it was better than our beach because it has rides, AND sand. And really what more can you ask for in life. The kids enjoyed playing games and claiming tickets and earning prizzes. They went on the carousel and an alligator ride and Lily went on a caravan ride while Addie headed back for another trip on the Carousel. Lily looked upset during her Caravan ride and I was annoyed at her for spending her last ride acting like a brat. Then. I found out that the little boy next to her had spit in her face. Then. I was the guiltiest mom ever and I wanted to kill that kid! This is the boy who spit in her face, look how happy she was before that. Damn kids!

Then I couldn't find him and we decided to play in the sand. Normally NJ beaches cost to get on them to play in the sand, but not today. Free! After we built a sandcastle and had lunch at Martell's Tiki Bar (a place, I noticed on the way out, I had never before left sober...oh the memories), and after my 6th trip to the bathroom since we arrived in Point Pleasant without anything to drink, Lily got 1500 tickets from a lady at one of the arcades.Showing me the sand on their toes and VERY happy about it!Seeing that YAY Addie is old enoughOn the carousel (see video below to hear the belly laughs!)Lily and Dad on his old stompin grounds - Jenkinsons

Lawrence wanted to get me a mug, no thanks, my bag was heavy enough thanks to the heaviest 10-key DVD player on earth. I traded that in for a whoopie cushion. Now for those of you who know me that probably doesn't sound very typical. But I just saw a FaceBook post recently where someone wrote that they couldn't believe the amount of fun a whoopie cushion was for a 3 year old, and I thought, why not?

This was by far the funniest part of our trip.

First off, Lily called it a a whooshie cushie. Secondly, after Lawrence blew it up for her and told her to squeeze it, she did and then said "It makes an elephant noise". Then things like "What do you think the elephants at the zoo would do if I brought my whooshie cushie to the zoo?" She laughed her head off each time and then thought it was still an elephant noise. We laughed so hard. On the plane ride home, I had it in my purse folded up. I mouthed accross the aisle and 2 strangers to Lawrence, "We have only been on this plane for 4 hrs, and that means 2.5hrs left, do you want the whooshie cushie for Lily?" For some reason both of us thought that was so funny that we laughted and laughed and laughed until tears rolled down our faces.

So that brings us to the worst part of the trip. 6.5 hrs on the plane home. Seriously tailwinds, an HOUR AND A HALF LONGER???? Why? I had Addie again and Lily begged Lawrence to get a window like Addie. Lily got the bright idea that maybe she could trade with Addie and Lawrence quickly (seeing the prospect of getting stuck with Addie) decided they would also trade MIDDLE seat for aisle rather than window. A BIG mistake the guy on the aisle did not know he was getting into.

(If you are reading this far, God Bless you, and also I'm either about to make you laugh hysterically or puke...not sure which one, I haven't written the events that followed yet).

About 5 minutes (or so we thought) to take off, Addie said, "poo poo mama". I checked her and sure enough, she'd gone. We were already pulled back from the gate so there was no way I was going to the bathroom. I didn't want to get in trouble for taking her seat belt off, and when I peaked in, it was already seeping up her back, past the diaper line. I put an airline pillow on her back and buckled her up tight, trying to ensure that she didn't kick her leg which sent wafting stink air around the plane. I tried to cover it up by opening a package of fruity fruit snacks. No go. The guy sitting next to me had already introducted himself, and he smelled of liquor. His name was John and he was moving to Portland for a job in Health Care Reform. He was originally from Point Pleasant and had never been West of Ohio, even for a visit. He went to Momouth University in Long Branch and was half way through his masters. He would be living near Lloyd Center with his new boss and wanted to know what I thought of that area and why. All this I learned before take off, while I was holding Addie'd legs down and feeding her fruit snacks, and keeping the poopy pillow which was soaking up the seepage into place. He was cute and single. He didn't notice I was pregnant. Or apparently that my daughter was leaking d-rea in our row. FINALLY cruising altitude, and I promised Lawrence anything, ANYTHING he wanted if he would take care of this. When he changed her she had a terrible diaper rash. This happened TWO more times. He changed them all. I still can't imagine the favors I'm in for over the next few days. He also took Lily potty once. Oh, and each time, the guy next to him (the aisle guy) was asleep. AND he was hogging the armreast. The other guy, so Lawrence actually had the nerve to complain about this guy. Once we were all in line for the bathroom and Lily was still in the seat and she started to cry and this poor guys wasn't sure what to do! Except help Lawrence and I hand snacks and toys back and forth to each other! :) Finally after bouncing off the walls, Addie fell asleep with an hour and a half left in the flight, Stinking but sleeping...finally

but she kept waking up in 10 minute increments because her diaper area was so red and painful. And of course I had no diaper cream on the plane. So was dilerious and asleep and inconsolable so once I'd get her back to sleep, I'd try hard not to move. When we landed my feet and legs were so swollen and painful I couldn't get my shoes back on. Somehow we convinced our sleepy children, both crying to walk to the front of the plane so we could regroup with a stroller. Again, Lawrence was my hero carrying way more than 2 arms should be able, leaving me with only the heaviest back pack on the planet.

The stink free fun on the other side of the aisle, and the sleeping Asian who was woken 1 million times

Sabine was so happy to see us. And Lily and Addie were so happy to see her, they talked her ear off the whole ride home. When Addie got home, she went straight to her room and got her "nammies" (PJs) out of the drawer. We changed her diaper and wiped her down with water and put cream on. She walked bow-legged to brush her teeth and didn't want her milk for bedtime. I felt so bad for her that I gave her Tylenol to try to ease the pain. She seemed so happy to crawl into her own bed with her princess blankie and two bear bears. Neither girl made a peep. Of course it was 11pm by this point, or 2am in NJ and with only a 4 day trip including flights who knows what time zone they were on. It didn't really matter. This morning she was really red again when she got up at 6:30a.

And that is the long detailed story of our trip to NJ. We had a blast, and are glad we don't have to do that flight again tomorrow. People talk about how hard it is to travel with out kids. Yes, it is difficult to sit cramped for 6 hrs on a plane no matter who you are, but it is not AS HARD. I looked around at all the people annoyed and complaining kidless on the flight and thought, you know EXACTLY what this flight has in store for you and it is entirely in your control. You knew before you got in which seating arrangement you'd want, you picked it, you brought what you wanted to read, you read it, you went pee when you had to, you slept when you wanted to, and you watched the $6 in flight tv/sitcoms/movies and it was worth every penny, because you saw 6.5 HOURS worth of TV. So while I wouldn't make the flight every day kidless, I'd definitely make it more often. We shudder at the thought of doing it next time with 3 kids, and there is no way we are leaving Sabine behind when that time comes! Of course it's only one day later, up for work bright and early, but you forget how hard it is as time passes. No matter how hard, it's all worth it to see those cousins hug or the smile of a friend or sister or brother you haven't seen in far to long. Thanks Mom and Dad and to Mark and Laureen for a really wonderful trip! :)