Don't You Dare

I am not a soccer mom, nor a baseball/gymnastics/romp-n-roll/basketball/swimteam mom. If you call me any of the above you will see stink eye. Okay, so I agree I sort of *look* the part, but I assure you that I am not the part. In fact, if you are driving and see this debacle the thought "soccer mom" could in fact cross your mind in which case I will sense this and give you stink eye. Seriously folks, that is an insult. If I were indeed a soccer mom then I would be knowing a lot more about the game, the stats, chugging diet coke for the first morning game, wearing the team colors, and making other people feel uncomfortable. I suppose I would also be carrying a cooler of Capri Sun and Kudo's bars at all times. In case a soccer mom is reading this I apologize and want to be the first to let you know how much I respect your dedication. Honestly. This evening I spent 90% of Nathan's baseball game in the long jump pit while Beck played in it. The other 10% was spent chasing him around the track to tire him out, taking Chloe to the bathroom, playing catch with B, and trying not to infringe on Jake's cool factor. Oh, I did have fun in this beautiful weather and even enjoyed a few minutes talking with the other parents. Much to my surprise I even expressed how the weather would have been double header friendly. Gasp! The only reason I knew the game was over was because some mom brought out a cooler full of popsicles.

Crossing State Lines

If any of you wondered what it is like to play soccer in Tacoma, feel free to ask Nathan. This weekend Nathan had a soccer tournament in Tacoma. He has been reminding us of this fact for about 3 weeks so it was no surprise come 5:30 Saturday morning that he was heading north. Rumor has it that soccer in Tacoma is very similar, if not identical, to soccer here in Portland. He actually played for the U12 team (a year older) and enjoyed himself quite a bit. Apparently he had a "beautiful" run up the field at the last game and juked his way through some opponents. In fact, I have heard the story so much that I would hate to keep the info to myself. Silliness aside, it was a great weekend for Nathan and he might have added a few feathers to his fur.

The rest of us (me, Jake, Chloe, Beck) did nothing near as spectacular as soccer in Tacoma. We perused the Lake Oswego Farmers Market and saw two friends that sell there. I have such creative and endevorous peeps! The weather was mild, albeit muggy, so we walked around LO and went by our old stomping ground then played at George Rogers Park. Beck fell asleep on our way home so we decided to attempt Shrek 3. I was secretly hoping he would remain asleep (am I dumb or what) Of course he woke up, but was a bit scared at first so he sat in my lap quite well. The last 10 minutes we had to pull out the M&M's to keep him focused, but we were all game for the bribe. For dinner we had Spaghetti and Meatballs (and a glass of cheap Merlot for mom) at home. As an added bonus to a weekend with a two year old, Beck sang song "bottle wine, bottle wine" all through Trader Joe's. I am sure those that had bottles of wine in their cart were impressed to know that the toddler in my cart knew this fact. Good times. It was a very relaxing, fun, and spontaneous Saturday and the boogie man did not make his usual faux appearance.

Smells Like Teen Spirit

13 years ago today I was looking in awe at a weensy, cone headed, pink (soon to be yellow) baby named Jake. He was the start of it all-we learned fast and hard how to soothe colic, bribe a toddler, hold our parental ground, share and not share, let kindergarten happen, to stand back and when to step in, and to love unconditionally and so honestly. It's official: there is a teenager in the house and a pretty darn good one at that!

We had a fun evening shared with Grandma Suzzie and Boppa, Grandma Mary and Grandpa Wayne, Marcus and Hayden Swanson and our clan. We could have each had our own carton of ice cream thanks to the Swanson's bringing extra gallons of dairy love. It is reassuring that teenagers pretty much want/get the same things we did: clothes, CD's, money, cell phone minutes. Oh, wait, we got dimes for the school pay phone!!

It will be fun to see how the year evolves. So far so good.

Aye Batter Batter!

Baseball season is in full swing! This week we have four games to attend. Lucky for us, two during the week are up at Grant High School. Jake, Chloe, and Beck are easily occupied by the park so it makes for a fun and long evening. Nathan's team lost on Tuesday night pretty significantly. I decided that we needed to bust out the mini grill and dogs to rally their spirits. They had to face the same team on Wed. The boys tied it up, played another inning to "double tie." They really stepped it up and played hard. They have such great coaches! Oh, although there is no evidence, Nathan is the ballplayer. Beck would like to be on the team, as he is entertained by all the catchers gear and bepops around saying " I catcher I catcher" and "baseball ready." It is pretty cute!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day! This blog is a bit of a treat for me to start so how appropriate that it begins on mother's day!

Our house had a festive air today. I went for a run and Brian diligently rode his bike along side me. He was rather bored but did not complain. Two cell phone calls and a cease fire to a rubberband fight made for a calm return home.

Coffee was definately a priority so we headed to Muddy's Coffee House for a delicious late breakfast. Those that know me well will look for a review some other time (once I figure out more to this blogging!) After properly stuffing ourselves we faced a large clean up task involving buckets, hose, brooms, and a lawnmower. What is it about holding a hose that brings out the wickedness in us? Nonetheless, we got the job done in time for Brian's mom, sister Brenda and her husban Keary to stop by. Next year Brenda will have her own Happy Mother's Day! We are so excited to share the cousin love!