Polar Express

We ventured out to Hood River for a magical ride on the Polar Express this year!

The train took off from the station headed for a wintery visit with the big man himself.

All the kids wore pajamas and slippers. "Elf Helpers" roamed the cars to show the children the pages of the story, The Polar Express while it was read aloud over the speaker system.

She might look skeptical in this photo... but she got onboard with the experience in full swing.

Especially once she got her cookies and hot cocoa... or should I say, cookies and cup of whipped cream?

We picked up Santa at the North Pole and he made is rounds through all of the train cars to visit each and every kid.

See what I mean?

Zero skepticism.

We were delighted to share the holiday experience with the Keys Family.

Campbell did not "embrace" the idea of sitting on Santa's lap--but had a great time anyway!

See you next year Santa!

(Ok... so to be honest, it wasn't nearly fun enough to do it again next year... but maybe in 2011?)

Cheers!

(And NO... I could not get that other eye red-free!?!)

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Team Edward

Guess which nerd stood in line for the midnight showing of New Moon with all her nerdy girlfriends?

It was me!

We decided to embrace our inner cougars and make a party of it~

Dinner was great, the wine was better, and the company was full of giddy anticipation.

We arranged to have "adult concessions" during the movie.

... and enjoyed every minute!

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So Thankful!

My mom and grandpa made the drive to our house for Thanksgiving this year. It was so great to have them with us for the holiday.

It didn't take Piper and time at all to remember how much fun it is to have her GGPa around.

The fellas... relaxing in the morning.

The meal was terrific again this year. Everyone chipped in and the result was delicious.

GGPa got meet his newest great-grandson. My mom was in heaven with a new baby in the house as well.

Geneva entertained us with an impromptu fashion show. (The girl is either running around in her panties, or sporting a party dress and tiara... there is no middle-ground.)

Then it was time to get started on the gingerbread house project she had planned with her Nana.

Off to a great start!

Piper got involved as well. I'm not sure how much frosting and candy was consumed by the girls during this project... but they managed to have enough left-over to decorate the house...

Which Piper couldn't wait to show her GGPa!

Hope you had a nice Turkey Day as well!

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New Addition

Robert Benjamin Haskell Jr.

joined our family this year and we couldn't be more excited to welcome the little guy.

My cousin Jenn was a champ in the delivery room.

I was able to get up to Washington and meet him when he was just a couple days old.

New babies are so snoogley and nice!

Just look at this beautiful boy!

A few weeks later, Little Bobby and his family came down to Oregon to visit us at our house. Piper, who is forever pretending to be a mother was beside herself to be able to hold a real baby!

Geneva was a delighted at her chance to care for her new cousin also.

It's always so amazing to note how much they develop in the first few weeks... already getting to be such a big boy!

Here's the happy family on Christmas Day at our house.

Here are the Robert Benjamin Haskell's relaxing together on the couch.

I'm sure you'll be seeing much more of Bobby Junior on my blog (now that I have a little time to keep it updated better).

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Family Fishing With Papa Mike

Back in November we were treated to a great family getaway with some good friends and Greg's dad in the most beautiful setting, thirty miles outside of Maupin, Oregon on the Deschutes River. We enjoyed our stay with the McGinley's (Danny, Michelle, Jackson and Lily) and most of the Royer's (Garrin, Bella and Cal--though, we missed Cortney who stayed home with a sick Olivia).

We couldn't believe how lucky we got with the weather.

T-shirts and softball on the lawn;

Pant-less and playful on the patio.

Bella and Lily were so gracious to include Geneva in all their "big girl" activities. There were a lot of beautiful pictures drawn.

Michelle and Piper had some fun playing this game (?) in the sunshine:

Mornings were spent cuddled up and cozy.

Evenings were spent visiting,

devouring some amazing meals at this fantastic table,

and gambling (my favorite)!

Piper was undecided on who her "Best Friend" was...

Jackson:

or Cal:

What a great predicament!

Cheers to friends!

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Things I Love Thursday

• Living in a place where sometimes it's faster (and always it's more fun) to take the ferry to your destination:

(When you come visit us in the stunning Pacific Northwest, we will have to do this!)

• When Greg can take the day off work to join us on the field-trip to the pumpkin patch.

• Gymnastics kisses. When the girls pass each other's class, rotating through the apparatus in the gym, they often stop to give the other a kiss. It's a very nice moment for a Momma.
• How every time I hear, Every Rose Has Its Thorn {I hope you enjoy the eyebrows of the woman in the music video as much as I did!} it takes me right back to freshman year and I have to fight the urge to call Tasha--just to blast it on her voicemail.
• This picture I took:

• Modern Family. Seriously (I mean, sUriously [sic]) if you're not watching this show--you're missing out!
• How affectionate Geneva is becoming.

• Piper's new phrase using the term "very" (pronounced "wary") to indicate she can do something well. Here are some examples: a) "I can wary go under this table." b) "I can wary, wary run fast like NeeNee." c) "I can wary show Katie all my big muscles."
• Piper becoming so much her own person and a full-fledged member of our family, exerting her opinion and "spice" to every interaction. She is "wary" two-and-a-half!

• Jeff Lewis of Flipping Out. There is really no excuse and certainly no explanation for my appreciation of this very gay man. I'm so sad the season is over.
• Cupcakes

• How Oregon (or maybe just West Linn) doesn't have "red tape" when it comes to dealing with government issues. I was summoned to jury duty after we moved here. At the bottom of my summons was a local phone number, a street address, and an e-mail address. I sent an email explaining that I was a "stay at home Mom" with two little ones so childcare, if I was selected, would be a problem. I received a response 20 MINUTES later excusing me from jury duty. Also, if you've been reading the blog lately, you might remember I recently was cited for speeding. I went to pay the fine and the clerk asked about my driving record (which in Oregon--technically, was PERFECT prior to this infraction). She reduced my fine by $40 on the spot. I thought I was on Candid Camera! I'm sorry, I do miss y'all in California... but I'm not coming back!
• Piper's love of her first pony ride. You know, she rode that pony "wary" good!

• Julian Casablanca's new song, Out of the Blue, which reminds me of Johnny Cash while still inspiring me to dance like Molly Ringwald - Breakfast Club-balcony-style. I can't get enough!
• Baby "moozers." I've always had a strong reaction to these big fuzzy babies--and I always will... Maybe it has something to do with the fact that my older brother sometimes called me "cow eyes" when he wanted to be wary mean?

• Re-reading Twilight and New Moon with my girlfriends in anticipation of our midnight screening on November 20. We are literally reading it together: in three-chapter installments that we discuss every morning via email. I know, externally you think we're crazy; however, internally, you wish you had girlfriends like I do--or at least something you could feel this excited about.
• Little girls in bowling shoes... Actually, I kind of love anybody wearing bowling shoes.

• Having a grown-up night out with the Hubby to dress up and celebrate Halloween!

• My fabulous neighborhood (so sorry {not} if you're tired of hearing how much I love my neighbors). On Halloween, we had a bbq. All the little girls on the street dressed as witches (except the tiniest one--who was appropriately, a black cat) and all the moms donned witch hats. We were "The Witches of Short Street." The daddies took the littles out trick-o-treating and the moms congregated in one driveway with space heaters, several bottles of wine, a treat bowl from each house, and plenty to talk about. It was perfect--no rain!

• How, when I told Piper she couldn't take her blankie to the gym childcare center because "it might get sick from the other kids' germs," Geneva suggested putting vegetables on the blanket in the event that it did get sick--"because vegetables help keep us very healthy."
• Piper's insistence that she can do anything her big sister does--even HUGE slides she can barely climb UP!

• Any of you who are still checking my blog and reading my posts--even though they are so few and far between these days!

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What Can I Say? She Appreciates Poetry.

Sometimes in the morning, on the way to drop the girls off at preschool, we listen to NPR. We can usually catch The Writer's Almanac with Garrison Keillor. Not only do I love this man's voice, but the facts and the selected poem are typically thought-provoking--at a minimum, interesting.

Last week the selected poem was "i like my body" by E. E. Cummings:

i like my body when it is with your
body. It is so quite a new thing.
Muscles better and nerves more.
i like your body. i like what it does,
i like its hows. i like to feel the spine
of your body and its bones, and the trembling
-firm-smooth ness and which I will
again and again and again
kiss, i like kissing this and that of you,
i like, slowly stroking the, shocking fuzz
of your electric fur, and what-is-it comes
over parting flesh...And eyes big love-crumbs,

and possibly i like the thrill
of under me you quite so new

As I was listening, I thought, "Well this is a bit provocative... I wonder if the girls are even paying attention..." Then, when Mr. Keillor finished the poem and closed out the segment, Geneva reported (loudly) from the backseat: "That was a GREAT story Mom!" I just smiled and agreed.

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Four Year-Old Theater

Geneva is learning the script; however, the plot may be lost on her.

She just solemnly declared, after making a big mess, "I'm so sorry Mom. I forgive you."

Hmm. Thanks?

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Things I Love Thursday

• Finally getting my "Etsy Shop" up and running! Yea for me for figuring it out. Lookie -------->
• Volume. As soon as I drop the girls off at school I TURN UP my music! I know all you people out there who regularly have the car all to yourself (Been takin' it for granted, haven't you?) are probably wondering: Huh?... But yea, ask a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom) in your life how often she gets to really rock out... I'm guessing: not often. However, for me now... 3 mornings a week! Yippy!
• The CW's new show The Vampire Diaries. I should probably be embarrassed about this, but I'm not. Really, now that my "Cougar-ness" has been established, there's no denying that these boys are pretty easy to look at for an hour once-a-week. Also, the show is legitimately scary and so far very entertaining.

• The reaction I got from my husband when I regrettably had to inform him of my second speeding ticket in 6 weeks: "Dude. I'm sorry. That must have made for a terrible way to start your day." (Admittedly, this is only a small snippet of a larger discussion... However, what a guy!) {Negative comments regarding my driving will be deleted.}
• The wine tasting trip we had on Sunday with our neighborhood friends. The weather was perfection, the company was fun, and the wine was really good. Honest. While typically, I don't like the horse-blankety taste of Pinot Noir, I thought several of the wines we tried were way better than "drinkable" (not horsey at all). Those of you who know me, know that I will drink just about anything that was once crushed by feet--but in this case, I very much enjoyed my gulps--I mean, sips. {hiccup}

(Amy, Michele, Me, Gretchen)

• Fall. It's finally arriving here in Oregon and I love it. I love sweaters, boots, that electrical/ozone smell that fills the house after I turn the heater on for the first time (well, I don't really love that so much... but I do love the thought of using the heater... that is, until the bill arrives) chilly mornings, rain boots on little people (my kids--not dwarfs) red wine by the fire after the kids have gone to bed {bow chicka bow wow}... Anyhoo, I very much love having seasons here in Oregon!
• The fact that the iPhone application thing has not lost it's luster around here:

• When Geneva recently told me, "You're a really good chef mom." The girl is a big fan of The Food Network too--so she knows what she's talking about! Pay no mind to the fact that I feed her only corndogs and frozen waffles.
• Rolling off the previous point, I do love the new way I've been putting our home-grown tomatoes to use: Caprese salad. So simple; so delicious.

• Mary Doria Russell's Children of God, the sequel to The Sparrow, which I mentioned last time (do read it!). I'm about halfway through and it's taking real discipline to get anything else done around here {You're welcome-very-much for this blog post!}.
• To hear Piper say, "m'lady." As in, "Here's your tea, m'lady" while gesturing that she is handing me an (invisible) cup of hot steeped beverage. I have no idea where she picked this up, but I think it's kind of awesome.
• Playing "Hairdo" with the girls. (Now that I can get them to just brush straight down.) I've always loved having my hair brushed; now I'm thinking of having a few more kids so that I can run them in "brushing loops" around the clock without worry of carpal tunnel.

• Kickboxing--Japanese style! As some of you know, kickboxing has become my new fitness addiction (I am aware how truly NOT TAMMY that last phrase might sound to many of you). Anyhoo, the kickboxing that I do is by "Body Training Systems." My gym purchases these workouts and they're fantastic {really}. BTS has recently brought both Kick and Power (a group weightlifting class) to Japan. Well, Japan has embraced group kick. There are groups of people who take the class in the traditional format and then do it "club style" in nightclubs for fun. I think it's hysterical... but maybe it's one of those "had to be there" situations? You decide. I especially love the girl wearing the French Maid's outfit in the front row! Click here.
• Spontaneous visits from Uncle Rusty. Always a party!

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