First Time Bowling and a Couple of Lost Kitties

We went bowling for the first time in Eugene. With Rocky's help Brandon scored a 105 and I had the high score of 49.


Daisy preferred the video games.

The big new of the weekend, however, was that the Cat in the Hat visited Eugene. I haven't seen that big of a crowd since Karl Malone appeared at the Layton Hills Mall.
Let's just say that the Cat had completely underestimated the force behind the patrons of the Eugene Public Library. He was finishing up a tour around Oregon promoting his new show (which I don't recommend for a variety of reasons, one of which being that the cat is voiced by Martin Short).
The kids were pretty excited and the parents were willing to push and trample to get a great picture. My kid shoved her way in so quickly that I didn't even have to stomp on anyone's stroller. She walked right up to the Cat in the Hat and asked, "Where is my mom?" Causing a very "helpful" woman to take her to the front desk while I was yelling, "She is mine!" and trying to work my way through the hoards. Luckily we all made it out alive.

This morning we had another cat visitor but this one came right to our door. It stayed outside our patio door, despite Rocky's pleas to go out and pet it. It was like being at the zoo, but this time we were the ones in the cage.

Snow For Real

There was enough snow to cancel every school between Corvallis and Eugene, except the University of Oregon. Lucky Brandon got to brave the snowflakes on his bike.

The girls were speechless.
Rocky found her peace once she put on her mittens and fully bonded with the white stuff.

While 1/2 inch may be enough to cancel school, it sure isn't enough to make a very big snowman.

Just ignore the lawn full of snow behind Rocky. Our snowman being small has nothing to do with the fact that I don't have any mittens and Rocky's participation basically consisted of knocking this little dude over the second after I took the picture.

I figured that I was in good standing to actually be a super fun mom so I pulled out all the stops and even brought out the hot chocolate. Rocky's response...what is hot chocolate?
How can she be almost 3 and never had hot chocolate?
Well, at least she knows now.

The forecast still says that we have a possibility of getting a whole inch tonight. I'd better check our 72 hour kit to make sure that we will survive.

Where is My Brother?

After a weekend of visitors, Rocky feels lonely. Her aunt and uncle took the nice weather with them so all we can really do today is sit inside and mope. She keeps asking, "Where is my brother?" When I ask who her brother is she says, "You know, Mac, Kristin, Ethan, Joanna and Ginny." For some reason she just couldn't grasp that they weren't collectively her brother and she also had problems knowing that her uncle is Matt, not Mac.
She might mess up the name, but she certainly remembers how much fun they all had hanging out together.
They swam, went to Chuck E. Cheese's, played at some great parks, and had a couple of gorgeous days exploring outside.

Joanna showed the big Voodoo donut who was boss. She ate slowly and steadily and made it about halfway through without even barfing.


We had one perfect day on the coast.





Frenemies...best buddies until toys get involved and then it is every kid for herself.

Catching the spirit of Eugene.

Snow?

It wasn't much but it was enough to inspire Rocky and Brandon to try to catch a snowflake on their tongues.

Laundry Basket Derby

When Daddy is driving the baskets they usually come in as a tie, which seems to be okay with everyone.

We've recently joined the playgroup at the Centro Latino where Brandon is doing his internship which means that Rocky is the only blondie. The reason that she stands out, however, has nothing to do with her appearance, but her creative approach to craft time.
All the kids were using hearts to make a cute little chicken.
This is hers.

I'm so proud.

Poor Starving College Students

Okay, so any of you who have seen me lately know that we are obviously not starving, but, we are living the dream, firmly planted in family student housing as Brandon chips away at his degree(s). Some of you may not have experienced this growing stage of life so I thought I would fill you all in on the insider information on why it rocks to have no money.

10 - Recession? What recession? I guess it isn't hard to lose a job when you didn't have one to begin with.

9-Weekly trips to the Eugene public library which lets you take things home for free...unless you lose them like the incredibly dorky book, Alternacrafts, that I somehow misplaced and then had to pay an obscene amount for in fees. Because of our elite membership we were recently able to check out both Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Gorillas in the Mist.

Just for full disclosure, our library really does have an inclusive up-to-date DVD selection. We only have these because we went out of our way to choose them. I'm pretty sure that makes us either really cool or really un-cool.

8- Hip vintage clothes...otherwise known as old clothes that used to belong to your friends but are now your favorite new outfits. Look familiar Cara?


7- We have a lot of extra time that others might use for shopping to attend free community events and drum circles. Unfortunately the drugs are only free the first time, but lucky for us Mormons, we are just there for the feelings of brotherhood anyway, and maybe a few of the complimentary vegan hot dogs.

6- We always get to wear cute sweaters and hats inside. Most people only show off their winter accessories outside, but we get to model them all day every day.


5- Pushing your kids in a jogging stroller is a much better workout than being on a wimpy treadmill in a gym and no babysitter required. Also, saving gas money by riding your bike doesn't just help the environment, it makes for some hot buns!


4- Keeping up with the Joneses means being the first to loot the garbage pile when someone moves out. Who would throw this away?


3- If you had money for crafting supplies you would never know how many things can be made out of old garbage.


2-How could you ever ruin a souffle yourself if you had the money to buy a good one at a fancy-pants restaurant? Home cooking is cheap even if it isn't always good. Hopefully by the time we can eat out again we won't want to because I'll have become such a great chef.

And the honest to goodness number 1 reason that trumps all the others...

The other poor starving college students
There is nothing like a bunch of great friends who can have fun crammed in tiny apartments or enjoying the sun together at a local park, and who don't need a dime to enjoy being together.

My Favorite Song About Love

The Ballad of Love and Hate - The Avett Brothers

This isn't really a love song, but it is a song about love.

Share the Love

Rocky thought it would be a good idea to help me with the chores for Valentine's Day. I gave her a big hug and then went to clean up the mess she made while "cleaning."

I thought I would make something special so earlier this week I checked out a book from the library called "How to Be a Domestic Goddess." After reading through it I was so exhausted that I ended up throwing out my plans and making the easiest no bake cookies I could think of.
My aunt always called these chocolate oatmeal treats Gorilla Poops.
Who's the domestic goddess now?
I don't think it will make the cover of Martha Stewart's Living but I am going to give myself some props because it takes a lot of guts to make heart-shaped Gorilla Poops and even more to publicly admit it.

Well, they tasted good anyway.


Happy V-Day!

Another Weekend of Nonstop Adventure

We checked out the most random children´s book I´ve ever read. It was called The Mask and it had a pocket in the front with this beauty. The story was about a couple of kids that were swallowed by a wolf and then after they beat the thing to death from the inside they made a mask out of its head. I know, gross. Rocky wants to wear it all the time and growl.
I used to think that with the extremely competitive market for picture books that it would be easy to find good stories, but there are definitely some losers out there. Oh well, I guess it was worth the free ninety nine that we paid to check it out at the library just for the entertainment of watching Rocky try to see out of those eye holes.
It is important also to point out that she is wearing the p.j.´s that she got from her Oma for Christmas. Take note that they say "I'm not sheepy" a pun that is completely lost on the wearer. Every time I put her in these duds she says something different, but it is always wrong. Her favorite is "I'm not a lamb."
I wanted to get a picture of her post-hairdo-hairdo. Whenever I put it up in the little horns that I call "nubbies" it makes for some pretty cool curls.

This picture was supposed to be funny, but instead it turned out to be one of those bittersweet moments that reminded both Brandon and me how quickly she has grown up.

Here she is studying Spanish by watching the dubbed version of Shrek with her favorite tutor. (If you say that she is learning a second language it makes the hippie mom's put their judgemental stink eye away for a minute or two. It only lasts until they see that your snack bag is full of Swedish 'feces' instead of organic hummus.

Brandon is always good at finding interesting and free activities to keep us busy. This time we went to go watch BMX races at the fairgrounds. Let me tell you, this brought out a whole new crowd of people that I've never seen before in Eugene. Think more tattoos and fewer teeth.

They were all really nice and Rocky made a few friends. First she sat next to a couple of boys and smiled coyly until they gave her some of their chips. Then she latched on to this little girl who was probably 6 and the smallest BMX racer I've ever seen. She was really cute and her jersey and helmet matched her dad's perfectly.

Daisy was surprisingly interested, well at least for about the first 5 minutes.



People are always asking me if I think Daisy looks more like Brandon. I can't say that for sure, but I can say that she has picked up his talent of sleeping anywhere. It doesn't matter if it is time to eat...

or time to be studying.


Rocky gave baby Oaklee an Emo hairstyle. At least I think it is Emo. It might just be a model-sized re-enactment of the nap hair that Rocky gets every day. Personally I think she is trying to get it to look like the guy who sings her newest favorite song, All the Pretty Girls.

I know it is hard to believe that this many exciting things happened to us in such a short time, that is why I took the pictures as proof. One day when Rocky and Daisy are teenagers and they think their parents are boring I'll pull out the pictures and show them that we were always boring, but that it used to be fun.