To The Patch

. . . .With the cutest little pumpkins.

Of course, Oliver . . .

. . . and Camden . . .

. . . and Carter . . .

My absolute favorite time of the year, October!

Except for maybe a perfect summer day this day at the Pumpkin Patch was very hard to beat.

Blue skies, crisp air, not a cloud in sight.

Though Cam looks cold in the picture all bunched in his jacked, it was far from cold. He was worried about the mud messing up his new boots.

Yep, he’s definately my child.

Dave and Mr. O.

I mean seriously, has Gerber Baby updated their baby model lately? Oliver would blow the competition away.

“Just MY size!”

An attempt at a boys picture. Keyword: attempt.

“Hey Oliver, whatcha doing?”

Hubby had the camera, this is the only half way decent one to prove I was there.

The other shots of me were basically close ups of my rear and WHO (other than him) wants to see that!?

The Happy Mattson’s. I can’t remember what Dave was looking at but his face is priceless.

Bye-Bye, Adios to Shepherd News

Time to say Good-Bye. To those of you who have followed this blog from day one, 764 posts, 895 comments from readers, thank you for sharing an interest in our growing family. The birth of Carter, then Cam, silly adventures and scary moments have all been detailed on Shepherd News.

Nothing really is going to change, except the name.

With the help of a good friend and his savy computer awesomeness, I now have my own site. CARDEN DESIGNS can be found at http://blog.cardendesigns.com

Henceforth, Shepherd News will no longer be updated. Blogger decided I was posting too many pictures. For the last 4+ years I have used Blogger as my baby book, rant page and brag forum. Along with babies, rants and bragging comes pictures. Without the ability to post such photos I lose motivation. Thus starts a new adventure.

CARDEN DESIGNS. Why the new name? Go to the new site to find out.

Along with the new blog featuring my usual ramblings, a NEW Carden Designs Store will also start in the near future.

The store is still in the works as well as many of the graphics, but the basics are there already.

Stop by and say hello!

Please change your links too! Thanks!

A Change is Coming

October 27, 2010

Well, this seems relatively easy. My own site. I have to say I lack computer savyness and the thought of this change was beyond daunting. Luckily, I happen to know someone. Isn’t that the way it always is, you know someone and then easy as pie (maybe he will disagree) I’ve got what I wanted?
Some of you might be asking WHY would you want your own site, why did you change the name and where are you going with this?
A few simple answers, basically I ran out of room on the old blogger site. No more pictures could be uploaded, so since I know you all LOVE the redundant photos of kids at the park, on a bench, riding bikes, using the potty, blowing out candles, pumpkin patch, and all of the norm, I decided to appease my audience by continuing the blog.
In addition to this blog, I will be selling my pottery and other craftinesses here too. That may take a bit to get going, but like I said before, I happen to know someone. The someone I happen to know, has a beautiful wife….. who may just help me design the layout of the “Carden Designs Store” Yippee!
Lastly, the new name. Well frankly I’m sick of my old business name. I am a different person than the one I was when I started that business 10+ years ago. Paint the Town Pottery is also very narrow. I plan to broaden my horizons a bit. Pottery and more. (More what? Just wait and see!) I also feel like my kiddos have given me a new outlook, a new perspective and love for creativeness. I also never realized how much I miss the outlet of it all until the days became consumed with toddler tunes and playdates. I need my own space. So here it is, the first 3 letters of Carter’s name and the last 3 of Camden’s  = CARDEN.
I plan to post numerous pictures in the next week to get caught up. Pumpkin Patch, Pumpkin Carving, Microsoft treat or treating, Halloween etc, so beware.

Welcome, and check back often.

I will be moving.....

WHAT?! You say?

Again!?

haha got ya! .....not the packing up/boxes/tape and chaos type of move. Nope, we will be here in Washington for......ever.

Just my blog address actually. I am working with the greatest computer guy on the planet, setting up my website and blog. I will give you new addresses as I know. More pictures will follow after that.

Embracing Mommyhood

More to come . . . no, not like "to be continued". . . like there is more to come in our lives, more that I need to starting soaking up everyday.

More moments that I can't let slip through the cracks.

More that I need to embrace and watch and listen to.

I get so caught up in the "getting things done" that I forget about the moment.

My sister in law said, on the day we got married, that I needed "to take a step back and soak up every moment, it goes so fast."

I find myself feeling this way in regards to the "Big boys" that have replaced my once little babies. Since when did the chubby blond baby who smeared spaghetti in his hair start asking or "privacy" when he goes potty? Or the skinny colicky baby decide he can make cupcakes "all by myself!" Days pass slowly but the years are flying by. It is rushing by at lightening speed, and I don't want to miss a thing.

So here's to embracing the moments, soaking it up and savoring every minute. It's flying by. (sniff sniff)

And she's Off....

I feel like I am always racing. Not people, not the kids. Myself. Me against myself. Does anyone else race themselves and time it? Okay, now that I've completely lost you or maybe you think I am OCD and slightly wacked out of my mind let me explain.

I have try to multitask.  At this moment I am on load 3 of Mt St. Laundrypile. I just folded load 2, socks are sitting next to me and get matched whenever I see a pair. Dishwasher is running, Cam is sitting next to me playing while we sing Old MacDonald. E-I-E-I-O. The cat is getting her loves in. I am defrosting chicken in the microwave and waiting for a call back from earlier this am. I was on the computer in the first place to print some photos to Costco online so I can pick them up when I go for laundry detergent later and to print some files for later.

Now for the racing part. The defrosting chicken timer will go off in oh, 4 more minutes. . . 3:59, 3:58 . . . so I am trying to see if I can get this post done, switch the laundry around, finish the socks, grab the files from the printer, put them in my purse and unload the top rack of the dishwasher before it goes off . . . 3:32, 3:31. . .

Do you do this? Please say I am not the only Me, Myself, and I racer out there.

3:22, 3:21, 3:20 . . .

Recently. . .

Some things I want to remember.

1.) Cam has now started giving unsolicited hugs, kisses and best of all, "I love you, Mom." For.no.reason. I know, I am so smitten.

2.) Cam broke Carter's Lego model airplane the other day on accident, he immediately said sorry. To which Carter responded, "That's okay, I still love you."
I mean seriously who swapped my kids with angels for 30 seconds. Kidding, but in all honesty they are more likely to duke it out than to so kindly apologize and forgive.

3.) On our way to meeting the other night we had to stop suddenly to avoid hitting a cat in the road. From the back seat we hear Camden say, "Whhhheeeew, that was close." Keep in mind there is no way he could see the cat from his car seat, so just the quick stop and he assumed we almost hit something.
Hmmmm, must drive with me Daddy a lot.

4.) Carter wants to be a superhero for Halloween, with a cape. A pink cape.  Does this make me horrible for accidentally purchasing red? The jury is out on that.  Cam wants to wear Carter's Buzz costume from last year. . . . with a cape. Cam's color of choice, "Lime Green Pwweese."

5.) Camden's response to me when something is exciting or puzzling, "Oh Dear." or "Oh goodness"

6.) Cam is a brute. He loves to wrestle, hit, tackle and punch. He is a boy through and through. I am not used to this "normal" boy behavior. He can go from punching you in the back to wanting to cuddle and hug 5 seconds later.

7.) Carter's imagination and memory are remarkable. He remembers toys from Happy Meals from Las Vegas or that so and so has a cat with a bite in it's ear he saw 2 years ago. He loves to play fireman, and has decided his profession at an early age: fireman, engineer for the ladder truck more specifically. He has also decided that Cam with be a fireman too, but he will have to ride on the back with the station's Dalmatian named spot.

8.) We have a new addition to our family. His name is Gentleman. He is of the imaginary kind, the boys talk to him quite a bit. Together, they can both "see" him. Which totally creeps me out. Their pronunciation of gentlemen, sounds more like "juen men" and took Jeff and I some time to make sense of it. Jeff thinks they got it from him always saying to them, "Okay, time to go Gentlemen." So they must have thought that Jeff was referring to an actual person when he said this.

9.) Good thing he, the imaginary friend, shares their food. The two visible sons I have are eating us out of house and home. . . er, apartment and shanty.
No, not because they eat huge quantities at dinner, tho Cam could give me a run for my money on spaghetti night, but SNACKS. All they want is to graze all day. I seriously prepare about 8 meals/snacks each day. Healthy like fruit, cheese, carrots, smoothies, edamame, is what they ask for but still time consuming.

10.) They'd rather bump fists than give a high five. Just FYI it is the new, "Hey, I like you" "Nice to see you" "Good job" sign language in our home. Oh, and if you don't make your hand explode after you careen it into the small chubby fingers of Thing 1 and Thing 2, you will have to do it over until you get the explosion up to par.

Lastly, I leave you with a picture of Cubby and his choice of "lovies" for bedtime, which consist of
some sort of space shuttle guy, a knight, a kung fu guy and a viking ship. Most of which have been purposely given a 1" square of pillow pet privileges. Sweet dreams my love.

T is for Tears

October 4, 2010 - Carter's 1st day of school.

He goes to an integrated preschool, meaning there are 3 "typically developing" kids in his class and 5 "delayed" kids also in his class. It is at the local Elementary school.

The benefit of this is that he has 3 teachers with Master's degrees in child development for 8 kids. He also learns compassion and kindness toward those that aren't exactly like him.

The normal ratio before was 1 teacher to 16 kids with 1 assistant. He gets great attention here and has warmed up already. The teachers say he chats them up all day. This is such a relief compared to the timid scared little boy he was 6 months ago at his preschool in Tucson. He seems to be learning quickly too.

In fact today I was extremely proud to learn he knows his letter T. 

Every week they bring home a bag, we are to fill it with things that start with the letter of the week. This week was T. We picked out tires, trucks, Thomas the Train and went to school.  Carter hasn't decided that he likes learning his letters yet, while Cam shouts out every letter he sees. Carter takes a back seat usually and goes along with whatever Cam says. He knows how to spell his name but mostly because it's repetition not letter recognition. Carter loves that he has 2 R's in his name and sometimes will tell you when he knows a letter like O but usually just says, "I don't know, or I don't want to talk about it." 

Well today he walked into his class and went to hang his backpack in his cubby and said, "I have 2 R's and a T! in my name! It's right there!" and pointed to the T. 

His teacher rewarded him with a coveted high 5. Carter beamed.

I teared up as I walked to the car. 

I teared up because he is so smart, funny, sweet and lovable. He just doesn't know it.  I teared up because he is growing so fast. How is it that he is in preschool already? He is learning letters, playing on the playground with other kids, becoming his own little man. 

T is for tears.

The picture above was taken 10/4/10

The following pictures were taken 10/4 of the previous years. 

They remind me that my baby is growing so fast.

10/2006

10/2007

                                                    

10/2008

10/2009

What we have been up to...September and October in a nutshell

Since moving to Washington at the end of August, we have been keeping busy.

The Ballard Locks, a new favorite. The boys love to watch the boats go in and out and ask hundreds of questions like, "Where are they going?" "How do they get such a big boat?" How does the water go up and down when the gate closes?" "What if I fall in?' and on and on.

I have traded scorpions and snakes for spiders. This one crawled out of my shoe.  So since I was taking a picture of it, it must be pretty cool. Right? Cool enough for the boys to get down on their bellies and attempt to touch said spider. Yep. That's when i knew I had to do it.  I killed him with the same shoe he crawled from. But not before I got a picture of course. 

We took a drive to Deception Pass

 Note to Mommy and Daddy: 

High bridges with cars whizzing by FREAK out Carter. 

He all but clawed his way up Jeff and would not even look at the water. 

All he said was, "Let's go back to land!"

 Then off to Fort Casey. Such an awesome place. I remember being there at about age 12. 

So neat to see my kids playing there.

 Running to find dandelions.

 Make a Wish!

 We've been lucky enough to watch Oliver a couple days in September.

Such a sweet boy!

 Out to dinner for Dan's birthday!

 Out to Dinner at McCormick's for Matt's birthday. Happy 25!

 Started art class with both boys on Wednesday mornings. This is circle time, after the art project, they play with a parachute while the parents clean up.

 Each week we read a book and then do a project based on the book. This was week one. We made buses and painted with broccoli.

Week Two, Apple Orchard. 

Yesterday was Week Three and we made a Barn picture. I will take photos of that soon.

We also found time to take a trip to the craft store where Erin and I thought it would be funny to put wigs on the kids. 

Camden is not so sure at first.

 but Carter though it was fun.

 if Cubby had been a girl....

 If Cam had been born out in the country...

1st day of school

 Cam turned 3!

 Lots of activity during the day, great parks and no brother to keep you awake means good naps.

 we have officially invested in rain boots and an umbrella. Carter thinks they are like new toys. 

Never seen 'em before. . . 

 Mom/Grammie's birthday

 No Mom, you are not turning 1.

45 fine, 1? that's pushing it.

 LOVE Cam's face in this one. 

 Lastly, I'm not a huge wine drinker. I buy wine based on pretty labels, I like how full bottles look in my kitchen. This one caught my eye.