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2 years ago
Monday, September 27, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The Science Guy
Lately Lincoln has been very interested in science. On a whim I checked out a few Bill Nye the Science Guy videos from the library. Lincoln loved them. We now have a stack of about 12 videos because he wants to check them all out. He will tell me, "I'm doing science!" Or if he sees something interesting outside he will ask me, "Is that science?"
I should have seen it coming I guess. Yesterday I discovered a scrap of paper, from back in May, where I wrote down one of his funny sayings:
"Mom, I wanna go to outer space," said Lincoln, wistfully and at random.
"How would you do that?" I asked, curiously.
"You just need a space suit," answered Lincoln, sensibly.
"Oh," I replied, neutrally (hoping to see where this would go).
"I wish I had a space suit," sighed Lincoln, woefully. He then explained, "For you don't float away. It is really cold in outer space, and it's really hot out there. The sun is FIRE! And you need some goggles for you can't see with the sun."
Pretty astute for a five year old. I love kids with their little sponge brains that soak up all sorts of information that you don't realize until they pine for space travel.
The pictures are of us at the new spray park on base. As you can tell it was kind of a cloudy day, but Lincoln braved the freezing water anyway.
Persephone so far is a little night owl. This is probably more my fault than hers because of my lack of desire to fight nature when it comes to getting her "on a schedule." Anyway, normal bedtime for her is around midnight. Not the greatest, I know, and we're working on it...sorta. But! She does sleep straight through 'til morning, not waking until 7 or 8ish. All in all it's not too bad.
Uriah and I are both trained to wake up in the morning, but normally only according to our responsibilities. Uriah can wake up to his alarm, hit the snooze half a dozen times, get out of bed, shower, dress, and leave for work all without my knowledge. If it's not for me I'm not answering! Mommy sleep is far to precious. On the other hand, Persephone only has to let out a little hum, or grunt, or squeak and my eyes pop open. Uriah is completely capable of sleeping through my stumbling around to use the bathroom, change a diaper, and feed the baby. And I'm not very quiet about it either, talking to Persephone or stubbing my toe or grumbling about being tired. Apparently Daddy sleep is precious too. And neither of us wake when sneaky little Lincoln man uses his stealth ninja mode to slink into our bed.
Persephone is so sweet. I love being the mommy of an infant again. While definitely not without its challenges, it is also immensely rewarding. When she first sees me in the morning she will kick her legs, flap both arms (if she were a duck she would fly), and smile at me in excitement. I tell her, "Good morning, Persephone." Then I scoop her up and hug her cheek to cheek with a hum of happiness in her ear. I noticed a week or so ago that she hums back. The happy feeling must be mutual.
I should have seen it coming I guess. Yesterday I discovered a scrap of paper, from back in May, where I wrote down one of his funny sayings:
"Mom, I wanna go to outer space," said Lincoln, wistfully and at random.
"How would you do that?" I asked, curiously.
"You just need a space suit," answered Lincoln, sensibly.
"Oh," I replied, neutrally (hoping to see where this would go).
"I wish I had a space suit," sighed Lincoln, woefully. He then explained, "For you don't float away. It is really cold in outer space, and it's really hot out there. The sun is FIRE! And you need some goggles for you can't see with the sun."
Pretty astute for a five year old. I love kids with their little sponge brains that soak up all sorts of information that you don't realize until they pine for space travel.
The pictures are of us at the new spray park on base. As you can tell it was kind of a cloudy day, but Lincoln braved the freezing water anyway.
Uriah and I are both trained to wake up in the morning, but normally only according to our responsibilities. Uriah can wake up to his alarm, hit the snooze half a dozen times, get out of bed, shower, dress, and leave for work all without my knowledge. If it's not for me I'm not answering! Mommy sleep is far to precious. On the other hand, Persephone only has to let out a little hum, or grunt, or squeak and my eyes pop open. Uriah is completely capable of sleeping through my stumbling around to use the bathroom, change a diaper, and feed the baby. And I'm not very quiet about it either, talking to Persephone or stubbing my toe or grumbling about being tired. Apparently Daddy sleep is precious too. And neither of us wake when sneaky little Lincoln man uses his stealth ninja mode to slink into our bed.
Persephone is so sweet. I love being the mommy of an infant again. While definitely not without its challenges, it is also immensely rewarding. When she first sees me in the morning she will kick her legs, flap both arms (if she were a duck she would fly), and smile at me in excitement. I tell her, "Good morning, Persephone." Then I scoop her up and hug her cheek to cheek with a hum of happiness in her ear. I noticed a week or so ago that she hums back. The happy feeling must be mutual.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Cave creature
Yesterday: gorgeous. Sun shining. Blue skies. Almost 80 degrees.
Today: gloomy. Rain. Clouds. 59 degrees.
When is summer coming to stay? Grr! My little weather widget says that it should be partly sunny and 72 degrees. So what the heck is going on?! **Sigh** Maybe it will clear up. Maybe.
I feel like a cave creature. Lincoln watched (and loved by the way) a Bill Nye the Science Guy video about caves. It had a weather man giving the forecast for inside a cave. 12 degrees (C), dark, and damp...for every day of the week. It was supposed to be a joke because the climate rarely changes inside a cave. That's when I realized...I really do live in a cave!! The temperature doesn't vary much, it's always dark, and damp? Well that kind of goes with the territory here in Washington.
We didn't realize when we bought this condo that it doesn't get any direct sunlight, except for a short time in the early morning. Bottom line: this place is dark. This was a horrible mistake for me because I am very light/dark sensitive. I need light. I am the one constantly opening blinds and turning on lights while Uriah comes behind me closing blinds and turning off lights.
I always say, "I feel like I'm living in a cave. Leave the blinds open!"
Uriah says, "I don't want anyone looking in here!"
I say, "We face a bunch of trees. Better watch out for all the spying squirrels. Woooo!"
Uriah grabs my arm and says, with shifting eyes, "You never know."
I say, "Get ahold of yourself!" and slap his face.
Okay we don't really say all that. Only the first two sentences. The only upside to all this lack of sunlight is the two weeks in the summer when it is really hot. Everyone else is sweltering in their typically un-airconditioned houses (most homes don't have A/C in Washington because you don't need it 95% of the year; it just doesn't get that hot here), while we are only a little bit warm in our CAVE!
The next time we move (September-ish) we are getting a place with a little light!
Today: gloomy. Rain. Clouds. 59 degrees.
When is summer coming to stay? Grr! My little weather widget says that it should be partly sunny and 72 degrees. So what the heck is going on?! **Sigh** Maybe it will clear up. Maybe.
I feel like a cave creature. Lincoln watched (and loved by the way) a Bill Nye the Science Guy video about caves. It had a weather man giving the forecast for inside a cave. 12 degrees (C), dark, and damp...for every day of the week. It was supposed to be a joke because the climate rarely changes inside a cave. That's when I realized...I really do live in a cave!! The temperature doesn't vary much, it's always dark, and damp? Well that kind of goes with the territory here in Washington.
We didn't realize when we bought this condo that it doesn't get any direct sunlight, except for a short time in the early morning. Bottom line: this place is dark. This was a horrible mistake for me because I am very light/dark sensitive. I need light. I am the one constantly opening blinds and turning on lights while Uriah comes behind me closing blinds and turning off lights.
I always say, "I feel like I'm living in a cave. Leave the blinds open!"
Uriah says, "I don't want anyone looking in here!"
I say, "We face a bunch of trees. Better watch out for all the spying squirrels. Woooo!"
Uriah grabs my arm and says, with shifting eyes, "You never know."
I say, "Get ahold of yourself!" and slap his face.
Okay we don't really say all that. Only the first two sentences. The only upside to all this lack of sunlight is the two weeks in the summer when it is really hot. Everyone else is sweltering in their typically un-airconditioned houses (most homes don't have A/C in Washington because you don't need it 95% of the year; it just doesn't get that hot here), while we are only a little bit warm in our CAVE!
The next time we move (September-ish) we are getting a place with a little light!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Before and after...and after that
Lincoln decided he'd had enough of looking adorable with his self-styled do.
BEFORE
While at my mom's house, with his uncle looking on (thanks Jason), he took scissors to hair and snip!
AFTER
I asked Lincoln why he cut his hair. He said, "I wanted to look nice."
Here he is looking nice.
AFTER THAT
Not just any baby can balance a toilet paper roll on her head and swing at the same time (Lincoln is so creative). We should go on America's Got Talent.
And check out the bubble-beard.
I think she must get cuter every day. This baby's got skills!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Let's go fly a kite
Last week, after about a solid month of work (counting the two weeks he was at Fort Knox), Uriah got a four day pass. Yay! Conveniently my grandparents were staying at a condo in Long Beach, WA. They graciously offered to have us stay with them, so we hit the road for a two night stay at the beach.
We took Persephone swimming for the first time. The pool was quite warm, but she and I didn't last long because the north wind was blowing pretty good and Lincoln splashed her head so she started to get cold.
We got lucky with a full day of sunshine on Monday. We first went to Camp Rilea across the bridge in Oregon, which is where Uriah used to attend drill, and tried unsuccessfully to retrieve Uriah's army gear that he needs to turn in. Apparently losing a seven foot tall wall locker isn't all that difficult.
After that failure, we went to Fort Clatsop which is only a few miles away. The history buffs among you may remember that this is where Lewis and Clark wintered after finding the mouth of the Columbia. They have reconstructed the fort which consists of two log structures connected by a stockade. It is not very big. Lincoln ran in and out saying, "I want to go camping here." It looked like a pretty miserable place to spend 3 months in the rain.
Once back on the Washington side we went down to the beach. First we saw the skeleton of a Gray whale that has been wired together for display. Lincoln called it the "bone whale" and showed me his scared face while I took pictures. Then we ran down to the water and Lincoln immediately got his shoes wet. Naturally. We played and chased seagulls until Uriah wanted to go get a kite.
We got to the kite store 5 minutes after they closed, but Uriah charmed his way in the door and bought a kite. He wanted one of those fighter kites, the kind with two strings. I thought it cost too much, but since I didn't want to ruin all Uriah's fun (be proud of me Stephanie) I bit my lip and ignored the urge to point out the less expensive kites. I have to hand it to Uriah, that kite was worth every cent. We had such a blast flying it. Lincoln put me to shame with his kite flying skills. I was the best at nose dives into the sand, but even I got the hang of it after a while.
Persephone was quite the trooper during all of this. Thank heaven for our Ergo carrier! We love that thing. She just snuggled into Uriah's chest and slept the whole time.
On the way back to the condo Uriah and I found wild strawberries and stopped to pick some. They were tiny, but tasted really good. Lincoln ran up and said, "Great work explorers!" before eating a few himself.
On Tuesday, before we left, my mom and my four youngest siblings came down and traded spots with us in the condo so they could enjoy two nights at the beach too. We spent a few hours with them at the beach playing dodge the fighter kite with Brandon and Rahzjon (see pic of Brandon after getting whacked in the head) and bury the children (aka let's get sand in our eyes) with Anali and Mikaden. We even got to see a bald eagle...just sitting there near the surf, looking at the ocean (and back at us as we encroached on his solitude).
All in all, a fun and much appreciated mini-vacation or, as Lincoln called it, "may-cation."
We took Persephone swimming for the first time. The pool was quite warm, but she and I didn't last long because the north wind was blowing pretty good and Lincoln splashed her head so she started to get cold.
We got lucky with a full day of sunshine on Monday. We first went to Camp Rilea across the bridge in Oregon, which is where Uriah used to attend drill, and tried unsuccessfully to retrieve Uriah's army gear that he needs to turn in. Apparently losing a seven foot tall wall locker isn't all that difficult.
After that failure, we went to Fort Clatsop which is only a few miles away. The history buffs among you may remember that this is where Lewis and Clark wintered after finding the mouth of the Columbia. They have reconstructed the fort which consists of two log structures connected by a stockade. It is not very big. Lincoln ran in and out saying, "I want to go camping here." It looked like a pretty miserable place to spend 3 months in the rain.
We got to the kite store 5 minutes after they closed, but Uriah charmed his way in the door and bought a kite. He wanted one of those fighter kites, the kind with two strings. I thought it cost too much, but since I didn't want to ruin all Uriah's fun (be proud of me Stephanie) I bit my lip and ignored the urge to point out the less expensive kites. I have to hand it to Uriah, that kite was worth every cent. We had such a blast flying it. Lincoln put me to shame with his kite flying skills. I was the best at nose dives into the sand, but even I got the hang of it after a while.
On the way back to the condo Uriah and I found wild strawberries and stopped to pick some. They were tiny, but tasted really good. Lincoln ran up and said, "Great work explorers!" before eating a few himself.
All in all, a fun and much appreciated mini-vacation or, as Lincoln called it, "may-cation."
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Holidays other federal employees celebrate
Yesterday as you all know was Memorial Day. A day to honor those who have sacrificed to bring us freedom. And if the weather were better around here, a good day for the iconic all-American BBQ. And at the very least, if the weather is uncooperative, such as it was, a good day to have off. (Be sure to enjoy the pictures of the fun and weather we didn't have on Memorial day. Can't post without pictures to share even if they aren't related except to demonstrate what we wish we were doing yesterday.)
Uriah, being part of the institution of the defense of freedom, was graciously willing to sacrifice the day that honors the past sacrificers in order to train more sacrificers who are on their way to do more sacrificing. And being the wonderful and supportive army wife that I am, I oh-so patiently endured this holiday weekend of non-togetherness hoping to have my soldier home at least by dinner time on Memorial day so we could hang out with my brother Jason and our friend Lindsey. He was only 2 hours later than expected. Okay, fine. Dinner at 7 pm. Eating out it is. **Grumble, grumble, grumble.**
We got some Chinese/Thai food and then spent 20 minutes getting Jason and Lindsey a pass to get onto Fort Lewis--Oh excuse me, I mean Joint Base Lewis-McCord...stupid name change. We arrived to a completely empty bowling alley parking lot...closed. Oh yeah, Memorial day. Oops. No bowling. That's okay. Let's get some ice cream at the commissary and go home and watch Avatar (yes, the blue people.) On the way there I bet Uriah that it was closed. But when we arrived the parking lot was about a quarter full of cars. Great! About 10 steps away from our cars a voice from the direction of the front door called out, "It's closed." Uriah called back in a forlorn voice, "Really?" The voice: "It closed at 5 for the Memorial holiday." Then why the heck is the parking lot so full? Okay, back to the cars. Throw the kids back in, buckle them back up. Good thing coming on post was completely pointless!
As a last resort we decided to go to Forza back in Dupont because they sell gelato. As we drove up I said, "Uh, oh." They were closed. Is the universe aligned against us?! Uriah stopped in the middle of the street, threw the car into park and jumped out. Flinging his hands up at the coffee shop sign he let out a great moan of dismay. He turned back to Jason and Lindsey's car and moaned again. Why? Why, oh Forza, did you let us down?!?! It closed 15 minutes before we got there. They were not closed when we finished our dinner 45 minutes ago. This was entirely hilarious because there was a car parked facing us a few feet away with people in it. Probably Forza customers or employees. I could perfectly imagine their reaction to the freak in the middle of the road, waving his arms and groaning in pain at the coffee shop: "Dang, that guy really wants a latte."
We made one last ditch effort at the gas station, but didn't want to pay $6.50ish for vanilla. Home we drudged, smitten, defeated.
Popcorn with salt, pepper, and freshly grated parmesan (yum!) and the oatmeal cookies I made earlier managed to salvage the evening as we watched Avatar on blu-ray.
Memorial Day is, after all, really a holiday for dead people. I know, I know, that's not very euphemistic. Sorry. But it really is about dead people. As I tactfully consoled Uriah, "Yeah, it's a federal holiday and yeah, you are a government employee and you're even a soldier, but you're not dead yet, so you don't really need to celebrate it. You can do that when you're dead."
Uriah, being part of the institution of the defense of freedom, was graciously willing to sacrifice the day that honors the past sacrificers in order to train more sacrificers who are on their way to do more sacrificing. And being the wonderful and supportive army wife that I am, I oh-so patiently endured this holiday weekend of non-togetherness hoping to have my soldier home at least by dinner time on Memorial day so we could hang out with my brother Jason and our friend Lindsey. He was only 2 hours later than expected. Okay, fine. Dinner at 7 pm. Eating out it is. **Grumble, grumble, grumble.**
We got some Chinese/Thai food and then spent 20 minutes getting Jason and Lindsey a pass to get onto Fort Lewis--Oh excuse me, I mean Joint Base Lewis-McCord...stupid name change. We arrived to a completely empty bowling alley parking lot...closed. Oh yeah, Memorial day. Oops. No bowling. That's okay. Let's get some ice cream at the commissary and go home and watch Avatar (yes, the blue people.) On the way there I bet Uriah that it was closed. But when we arrived the parking lot was about a quarter full of cars. Great! About 10 steps away from our cars a voice from the direction of the front door called out, "It's closed." Uriah called back in a forlorn voice, "Really?" The voice: "It closed at 5 for the Memorial holiday." Then why the heck is the parking lot so full? Okay, back to the cars. Throw the kids back in, buckle them back up. Good thing coming on post was completely pointless!
As a last resort we decided to go to Forza back in Dupont because they sell gelato. As we drove up I said, "Uh, oh." They were closed. Is the universe aligned against us?! Uriah stopped in the middle of the street, threw the car into park and jumped out. Flinging his hands up at the coffee shop sign he let out a great moan of dismay. He turned back to Jason and Lindsey's car and moaned again. Why? Why, oh Forza, did you let us down?!?! It closed 15 minutes before we got there. They were not closed when we finished our dinner 45 minutes ago. This was entirely hilarious because there was a car parked facing us a few feet away with people in it. Probably Forza customers or employees. I could perfectly imagine their reaction to the freak in the middle of the road, waving his arms and groaning in pain at the coffee shop: "Dang, that guy really wants a latte."
We made one last ditch effort at the gas station, but didn't want to pay $6.50ish for vanilla. Home we drudged, smitten, defeated.
Popcorn with salt, pepper, and freshly grated parmesan (yum!) and the oatmeal cookies I made earlier managed to salvage the evening as we watched Avatar on blu-ray.
Memorial Day is, after all, really a holiday for dead people. I know, I know, that's not very euphemistic. Sorry. But it really is about dead people. As I tactfully consoled Uriah, "Yeah, it's a federal holiday and yeah, you are a government employee and you're even a soldier, but you're not dead yet, so you don't really need to celebrate it. You can do that when you're dead."
Monday, May 24, 2010
Good Pics
Lately Lincoln and I have been having a good time perusing our family photos. We thought you might enjoy them too. Any of the possibly unknown-to-you faces are my younger siblings (except the beaver).
Anali and Mikaden at the Oregon coast.
A picture of Lincoln with his sweet face on (as opposed to the ever-present silly face.) Persephone is 2 months.
Buckley the beaver at the Point Defiance Zoo. Beaver on a leash. Love it.
Anyone see the hidden easter egg? Jason doesn't. Ha, ha.
Custom shirts are kind of a thing around the Katwijk house. Both Brandon and Tannan have several now. I'm still waiting for mine! Hint, hint to you shirt makers. Maybe I'm too boring. *shrug*
Brandon's shirt says, "Hello! My name is Brandotar Frisbee Bender," paying tribute to Brandon's mad frisbee golf skills and Avatar (The Last Airbender, not the blue people. By the way, Avatar is a seriously good TV series and soon-to-be movie. Be careful, you'll get hooked.)
Tannan's shirt says, "It takes skill to be square." That pretty much says it all.
My mom getting some unappreciated affection from Jason.
I already posted this picture to my facebook account, but because it still continues to delight me ever time I look at it I had to include it here.
Catching chicken, tricky. Flinging said chicken skyward, euphoria.
I love, love, love this one of Persephone. Must be my mommy bias, she just looks so beautiful.
Anali and Mikaden at the Oregon coast.
A picture of Lincoln with his sweet face on (as opposed to the ever-present silly face.) Persephone is 2 months.
Buckley the beaver at the Point Defiance Zoo. Beaver on a leash. Love it.
Anyone see the hidden easter egg? Jason doesn't. Ha, ha.
Custom shirts are kind of a thing around the Katwijk house. Both Brandon and Tannan have several now. I'm still waiting for mine! Hint, hint to you shirt makers. Maybe I'm too boring. *shrug*
Brandon's shirt says, "Hello! My name is Brandotar Frisbee Bender," paying tribute to Brandon's mad frisbee golf skills and Avatar (The Last Airbender, not the blue people. By the way, Avatar is a seriously good TV series and soon-to-be movie. Be careful, you'll get hooked.)
Tannan's shirt says, "It takes skill to be square." That pretty much says it all.
My mom getting some unappreciated affection from Jason.
I already posted this picture to my facebook account, but because it still continues to delight me ever time I look at it I had to include it here.
Catching chicken, tricky. Flinging said chicken skyward, euphoria.
I love, love, love this one of Persephone. Must be my mommy bias, she just looks so beautiful.
(She is almost 3 months in this one)
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