Buzz

I figured that if 2 out of the 3 boys in my house were buzz cutting their hair then why not all of them! He looks more like a little boy to me now and not so much a toddler.

How About A Stepstool?

Joel and I heard Oliver rustling around in the closet, no big deal there are fun things that aren't dangerous in there. However, he started to say, "down, down, down" so we went to investigate and this is what we found. If you look at the very top left of this picture you will see some bright green and pink Floam. This is what he wanted and was well on his way to getting. Good thing the shelves are bracketed well and now that I think about it, I better have Joel check the strength of other shelves in and around the house!

TAG! I'm it...for now

Heather has tagged me and now I'm it. Apparently there is a game of blogger tag going on out there and I wasn't the fastest kid on the playground today. Just so you know how it works I am to list 8 random facts about myself. Just like Heather did to me, I too will be tagging some of you out there. Don't worry, if you don't have a blog you can leave your randomness in the comments to this post. Here we go...

1) Those of you who know me well, know that I would love to own a 1967 Chevy Camaro. I've been infatuated with these cars for over 20 years now. I can't exactly remember why or when it started but I speculate that I was rebelling and since my father loved the other white meat (a.k.a. Ford) I crossed over into Chevrolet land.

2) I am a COMPLETE sucker for the kids who come to my door trying to raise money for their band, club, sport, school, etc. I LOATHED doing this and know just how much fun it really isn't. I may not always buy a lot but I almost always buy something.

3) My favorite memory of my Grandma Murphy is jockeying for position in her unbelievably small kitchen on Thanksgiving day. When it came time for her to make the gravy a few of us would shove in there to dip the freshly pulled turkey into her gravy - yummy! My two biggest competitors were my Uncles Tom and Carroll. The funniest moment/memory with my Grandma was when she tried to hold a sneeze in during a quiet time at mass and ended up farting so loud that all of us grandkids lost it!

4) I get thoroughly annoyed at people who call me for a phone number and then when I've found it and am ready to give it to them they say, "wait, I need to find a pen." WHAT? You called me for a number/information and you don't already have a pen? Seriously, don't waste my time.

5) I don't tell my sister enough how much I love her or how great a mommy that I really think she is. I love you Shana and you do a great job with that cute son of yours!

6) My favorite brand of athletic shoes are Ryka. My feet are somewhat flat and wide and these not only fit me very well but my knees don't ache after exercising. That's huge for me. I currently own three pairs.

7) I clean organically. This means that I use only natural products to clean my home, no harsh chemicals at all. My friend, Stephanie, loaned me a book (which I need to give back to her) a while ago and I was sold. I also buy as much organic as I can, recycle a lot and hope to start a vermipost bin soon. May sound nerdy but it's true.

8) When I grow up I want to be a 911 Dispatcher. I've focused my time and energy on being a wife and mother right now which is rewarding beyond measure. Someday I may want to go back to work full-time and this is what I hope to do.

So who do I tag? Heather also got my sister so I won't tag her again. I am going to tag Katie (even though Heather got her too) in hopes that it will jump start her blogging again. My mom, my friend Steph, my sis-in-law Su, my friend Tamara and really, anyone who reads my blog and feels inclined to respond. I would love to hear from you all!

Noon Tunes Summer Concert Series

Today was the last day of the KINK sponsored Noon Tunes in Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland. I took Noah, Oliver and Jackson (they would say that I made them) downtown to see this concert. I mentioned that I had seen a show earlier this month with Breanna Paletta, well she is the lead singer/vocals for Rye Hollow and that is who was playing today! We picked up Joel and headed down, sat on the steps, ate our picnic lunch and listened to some great music. The boys may have been a little bit bored but it was free and fun to get out so I'm planning on catching more of them next year. You can go to http://www.myspace.com/breannapaletta to hear Breanna and her solo stuff or to www.RyeHollow.com to hear her with the band.

Miniature Golfing - Sort Of

My mom came over yesterday so I decided, that with an extra set of hands, I would take the boys over for some miniature golf. Noah loves it and asks all the time if we can go and honestly, we really should because it's inexpensive entertainment for the family. Anyway, Noah and Jackson got their balls and putters and Oliver was looking at me like I was the Wicked Witch of Vancouver for not giving him anything. The guy at the counter was kind enough to give Oliver a ball to play with on the course with Noah and Jackson. Noah would tee off, then Jackson would tee off then Oliver would "step up to the plate" and throw the golf ball at the hole. With just a little bit of instruction he soon learned to roll the ball in the direction of the hole then sprint after it, grab it and "slam dunk" it into the cup. I figure Oliver had a great game of golfbasebasketball that day! Noah decided to have a great day on the course too and had at least five hole-in-ones that I counted. There may have been more but I didn't officially keep score. Jackson was more of the curious type that day and wanted to know what would happen if he hit the ball off of those rocks or that stump or that brick, etc. Thanks mom for helping to keep the crowd under control.

Swim Lessons

Noah has a ton of fun in our swimming pool, Oliver does too but he stays on the ladder unless I go in with him. The pool is deeper than he is tall so the ladder is his safe haven. Noah decided that Oliver could use a couple of swim lessons. These were the best lessons that I've ever watched. Noah did great with Oliver and Oliver trusted big brother just like he should. Noah carried Oliver around the pool, spun him around, asked him to kick and then helped him float on his back. The only part that Oliver didn't do was get back onto the ladder when brother asked him to. Ollie wrapped those arms and legs of his around big brother so hard that there was no way the lesson was ending! The last picture is of Noah trying to get out.

Marco! Polo!

I could hear him but I just couldn't see him. I narrowed it down to my bedroom, looked in the closets, looked in the bathroom area but no Oliver. I checked under the bed and saw two toddler size feet at the head of my bed. I found him stuck between my wall and headboard. I have no idea how he got in there exactly but he did.

How To Clean a Bathroom

STEP ONE: Encourage 21 month old to use potty by letting him run around naked. Use of said potty (yeah Oliver!) is followed by pleas for a bath. This is my fault because each night before bath we use the potty then get into the tub. Tell stubborn child no but please wash your hands then leave the bathroom.

STEP TWO: Go back to the bathroom because you feel water has been on for too long and find child washing feet.


STEP THREE: Laugh in good nature as child slides all the way into the sink so he can have the bath that his mother denied him. Also, knowing that childhood goes by fast, do not get upset at the copious amounts of water flowing out of the plugged sink and onto the counters and floors.

STEP FOUR: Have an awwww moment when, after a fair amount of time in the "bath", you ask your child to say goodbye to his friend and get out of the "tub" and he gives him a "bye-bye" a cute little wave and a kiss goodbye.


STEP FIVE: Pull out your vinegar (or cleaning substance of choice), rags and scrub brush and clean sink, counters, floors and toilet as you mop up the bath water. Voila! Clean and fresh smelling bathroom.

My mom has been having fun with her fancy sewing machine. We have received some cute towels from her, this was her latest gift to Oliver. Ollie likes to give the bear kisses then mimic the bear and brush his teeth too.

Big Foot Has Been Spotted

Okay, just big feet have been spotted, no need to send the tabloids my way. Noah got some new shoes for school and Oliver was trying them on too. Cute that Ollie was stomping around in big brother's shoes and also scary that Noah's feet are actually that big! On a side note, because we all have to brag at times...after all of my coupons, special discounts and in-store promotions, I paid $1.99 for this pair of shoes! Not bad at all. I had to buy another pair, one to leave at school for gym, and after my discounts with those I paid $10.99. Still not bad considering the high price of shoes these days (these two pair would have cost me over $50 if I had paid full price). Needless to day, spending less than $13 on two pairs of shoes for Noah made my day!

Last Couple of Days

Thursday was my dad's birthday so I made him a cake. It was nothing fancy and not decorated much but it was incredibly yummy! Banana cake with whipped cream frosting. Probably one of the best tasting cakes that I have ever made. The boys (Joel, Noah, Oliver and Jackson) and I took the cake out to my Dad and Lavelle's on Thursday evening. We had pizza, played at the park and then had cake. It was a fun evening to celebrate my dad turning 61! Ha, your secret is out!

Last night I took Oliver and Noah downtown (Joel had made other commitments) to meet up with Chris, Amy and Ian to watch a bike race. The race was called The 6th annual Health Net Portland Twilight Criterium. Cri*te*ri*um (krI'-tir-E-&m), noun [Latin]: a bicycle race of a number of laps on a course over public roads closed to normal traffic. Can I just say that this was crazy! It was a rush to watch these guys fly around that course. Downtown Portland, streets blocked off and these guys going right around 40 mph. We stood on one of the corners just before the starting line and they went by so fast...I wish I could do this race justice but really all I can say is that they are nuts. We will definitely be going next year. Not only was the race fun but they had good music and some fun vendors to check out too.

Today we just spent the morning running errands, cat food, return movies, grocery shopping, etc. We did it as a family though and that always makes it more fun for me. Joel just got done making up a new batch of ice cream base (yum!) that will go into the ice cream maker tomorrow and now he and Oliver are relaxing in the chair watching football. Noah rented movie so he is in his room watching it and building new fun stuff with his Legos. Have a great evening! Love, Tiff

Thank God for Tow Trucks

We were out playing in the water and having a good time when these two decided that they couldn't share anymore. Apparently they had met their sharing quotas for the day. Noah was yelling at Oliver, Oliver was screaming at Noah (literally screaming) and both were getting wetter than they wanted. My demands went unheard so I caved and started to beg but still no luck. I got up said, "Lord help me" and was about to do the unthinkable...turn off the water for the day. But God, in His infinite wisdom, sent me a tow truck. Yes, a tow truck was my miracle that day. It pulled up and all squabbling, yelling, pushing, pulling and screaming came to an instant halt. The world, well okay just the neighborhood, was silenced and in awe. It was a beautiful moment and one that I enjoyed. By the time the tow truck was done dropping off the neighbor's car they had completely forgot that they were fighting and went back to playing in the water just like boys should. Give credit where credit is due...and that is why I thanked God for the tow truck.

Lunch With A Friend

My friend, Tamara, came over for lunch yesterday. She brought me yummy sandwiches to try along with cookies and grapes for the boys. We sat out back on our patio furniture and had a great time chatting and eating. It's amazing how much of the chaos you can tune out when you've got something sane to focus on. The boys entertained both of us and Oliver loved showing off for Tamara. We will hopefully being going out sometime next week so if any of you gals out there would like to join us just let me know and I'll keep you posted. Thanks for the great afternoon Tam!

Love The Smell of Clean

Just a cute picture of a freshly washed little man.

Dear Santa

All I want for Christmas is my own Ipod! That way mom won't get so uptight about me using her MP3 player. Can you believe she "locked" it so I couldn't turn up the volume? The nerve!