Round round baby round round, like a record baby...

Hi all, Well, I am sorry for the long delay. I have been having technical difficulties...everytime I try and upload pictures to the blog, it sort of quits working. So meanless to say, it has been a tad frustrating and discouraging....I mean really, who wants to read my blog without pictures? I wouldn't. I had this whole blog out about how Kendall is on the verge of being a fashionista, based on some recent clothing choices she has made....but the blog isn't any good without the pictures. So I just have this wierd belief in circles. Karma is one of the biggest, in that what comes around, goes around. (I won't even get into the political implications of that kind of thinking..) But I also have these wierd instances in my life that things I have said or done, have come back around years later. Many many years ago, I wrote something about wanting to be an HIV researcher. I had no idea or memory of writing it, but a couple of years ago my mom found it. Well, yes, I did do HIV research. Well, the same thing happened the other day. I was checking out one of my favorite mags, The Scientist and there was an article about Niemann-Pick Type C. (SIDE NOTE--I would link the article but now it says you have to be registered to look at it...damn technology).... NPC is a disease where your cells cannot regulate the amount of fat going in and out of the cells. It is more complex then that...but neurologically it is very devastating. ANYWAYS, the article was discussing how NPC is being looked at because it shares very similiar characteristics to Alzheimers. So the wierd thing is that I worked on NPC when I was in college. I was a volunteer in Dr. Erickson's lab and we were trying to find the gene for NPC1. Ara Paraseghian the famous Notre Dame football coach, had three grandchildren with the illness and that eventually passed it away because of it. They lived in Tucson when I was in college. So the article was about two little girls (sisters), that have NPC1 and how they are using the data from them to look at NPC1 and Alzheimers. What is so inspiring is how much their mother(Chris Hempel) has done to get researchers to focus on this disease. She threw a fundraiser that raised over $500,000. She got together with other parents to start a collaborative study looking for NPC biomarkers--which could be done because they were able to provide samples from the children that have the illness. The other cool thing in this is article is who the NPC research is being helped by a new company called Collabrx. Collabrx is a "virtual biotech" company (as quoted from the article)...they help connect researchers with funding sources, as well illness populations that might normally be left out of the NIH big money funding. This allows for research to move quicker, and the hope is to find therapies faster. It helps to cut away all the extra crap that gets in the way. How cool is that....... It's just interesting how things come back around because the other part of this circle is that I have had relatives that have had Alzheimers. Let's all hope that something works out in favor of both illnesses. I will try and post some pictures soon. Sorry!

Just being grateful.....

Josh and I kind of joke that I have bad luck. I never win on scratch tickets or pull tabs, I constantly enter sweepstakes and never win. BUT then we remind ourselves that both of our kids are healthy and neither had myotonic dystrophy (there was a 50% chance)---and have since decided we are the luckiest people on the planet.

So apparently ya'all don't care for the teratomas....

I did have one person that was interested....but all in all the concensus was---NO MORE TUMORS. As an apology, I will post some pictures of the Tatorator and the Masonator. Lately, the two of them have really enjoyed the ever-important laundry basket. Who needs LeapFrogs and doll houses when you can just give them a laundry basket?

Who says you can't wear a shirt as a hat? I think Kendall is a fashionista at heart.....she is unconventional (upside down vest over footy pajamas) and she thinks outside of the box.

Here is the awesome cupcake hat I ordered on etsy....some other children I know may be getting this for christmas. My cupcake looks pretty cute in her cupcake hat.

So disturbing and yet soooo interesting and still soo

GROSS!!!!! WARNING THIS IS A GROSS POST AND YET SCIENTIFICALLY/MEDICALLY STIMULATING!!!! I heard about this article while driving in my car....so when I had the chance, I went over to it. The NY Times has this article about teratomas. A teratoma is a type of cyst. (Read on...this is going to get crazy!) So this true story is about this young woman who goes in to the hospital with migraines and ends up in a coma and they can't figure out what is wrong with her. So they do a bunch of tests and "The only thing that showed up was a tiny cyst on her left ovary. One resident suggested that this tiny cyst, known as a teratoma, could be the cause of her coma. Clark had seen teratomas. They were common in the reproductive tract, often found accidentally in the course of an operation or on a scan done for some other reason. These strange cysts have been a source of fascination since their discovery in the 19th century because, although smooth and normal-appearing on the outside, on the inside they often contain hair and teeth and other tissues not normally seen in the reproductive system. " COME TO FIND OUT--teratomas can make brain cells (and some reports show rudimentary hearts..)--"Somehow the immune system mistakenly identifies these cells as “foreign” and makes antibodies to destroy them. These antibodies go on to attack the same kind of cells in the brain. " So as a result, that is why they think she was having migraines and went into a coma. CONCLUSION: they removed the hair and teeth containing teratoma and she was fine....all was good in the world. IS THAT JUST EWEY GOOEY????? WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING....I am about to show you a picture of a teratoma. It is gross, don't look if you will be sick.

Plastic Sux

From Yahoo--this was a good resource When it says CODE down below, that is the little recycling symbol on the bottom of your bottle with a number on it. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) can leach phthalates, known male reproductive toxicants. It can be identified by code 3. One way to avoid it in the kitchen is by choosing plastic wrap made from polyethylene rather than PVC. If a box is not labeled, find a brand that is or call the manufacturer. Polystyrene is used in Styrofoam products. It may leach styrene (a neurotoxin) when it comes into contact with hot, acidic, or fatty foods. It's marked with recycling code 6. Polycarbonate can leach bisphenol-A (BPA), an endocrine disruptor associated with a long list of health concerns. Baby bottles, "sippy" cups, 5-gallon water jugs, and reusable beverage bottles are typically made out of this plastic. Products may be marked with recycling code 7 (also includes any plastic that doesn't fit into the 1 to 6 recycling code categories) and/or the letters "PC." In response to the widespread concerns about BPA, baby bottles and other items made from alternative materials are springing up. Experts say stainless steel is your best bet for reusable water bottles right now. ThinkSport and Klean Kanteen are two widely available brands. The following plastics are considered safest for food storage. Glass and stainless steel are also good options. Polyethylene terephthalate ethylene (PETE), code 1. High-density polyethylene (HDPE), code 2. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE), code 4. Polypropylene (PP), code 5.

There is this certain store....

which we will call PBK. This store/catalog has really cute things, some affordable, many not. I have bought a few things there (on sale.) But what cracks me up is in the new christmas catalog--they have this kitchen, THE GOURMET KITCHEN:

It is super cute, right? Except for the friggin price tag.....you can buy the set for a bargain price of $897....but if you buy each thing individually, the frig, the stove, the sink---they are each $299.00 Yes, you heard me right, $299 each

So I truck it on over to sears.com and they have this:

Together you can get a real fridge and a real range for $800, which is till less then the play kitchen from PBK....and you can make real cookies, not those fake plastic cookies.

Goodness

When I think of voting today, I have a lot of pride. But what keeps popping in my head is this beautiful and powerful song by Mason Jennings: (I would put a video on but I can't seem to locate one of him actually singing it--but I did find one of this girl--not exactly the same thing, but you get the point....thanks kstewart214) The Ballad of Paul and Sheila Mason Jennings October morning, little plane on the forest floor Up on the tv between a rerun and another war Here in a hotel, trying to make some sense of this Two thousand miles from my family in minneapolis Hey senator, i wanna say All the things you fought for did not die here today Hey senator, i'm gonna do All the things i can to live my life more like you lived A story of a love undivided for thirty-nine years Strong when it counted through the hard times and the fears Together forever, that was always what it was about No hesitation, there was never any doubt Hey hey sheila, i want to say All the things you fought for did not die here today Hey hey sheila, i'm gonna do All the things i can to live my life more like you Hey senator, i wanna say All the things you fought for did not die here today Hey hey sheila, i'm gonna do All the things i can to live my life more like you

Little Boy Smell

It is sort of a combination of dirt, sweat, sweetness, cooties, goobers, boogers, bananas, gummed up cracker and cookie juice and bacteria---but boy, does it smell good. I know, I am a freak, but little kids have that little kid smell and it just smells so comforting.

Fall photos from the world's largest leaf pile

Thanks to Vikki, our neighbor, for taking the pictures and letting us bathe in her leaf pile. And good vibes going out to her husband, Barry, who is competing next week in the Ironman Triathlon Qualifer in Florida. Go Barry!!!

Ahhh, ain't they so cute.....

The Warty Hog....poor guy can't help it if he has warts.

"Kendall, I am pretty sure we are the cutest chicks in this joint."

Here is Mason enjoying the Flamingos, just like Damma.

Who says Monkeys and Lions can't be friends?

Who says the Grizzly Bear can't celebrate Halloween? Taken today at the Minnesota Zoo where we were celebrating Hallzooween. The Grizzly exhibit is fairly new and the Grizzly's were very happy to get some pumpkins today.

Stinky Poos......

Do you think stickers on the tummy= lifetime of tattooing?

"Look here Mom, there is one pumpkin and there are two of us kids....what's the deal??"

"Yuummmm, this box elder bug is delicious. There is a hint of woodsy, nuttiness with a smidgen of pesticide that just tastes delicious...."

"Mom, this leaf matches my jacket......and is as big as my head. Now get to work cleaning up this yard."

Dear Friends and Family.....

As the holiday season approaches, the following question has been raised "What are you doing for the holidays?" Well, the deal is, if we win Powerball we will be taking all of you to some desert oasis where we can drink Cranberry Margaritas and eat turkey enchiladas.

But being as the chances of winning Powerball are not in our favor, we will have to likely take up some other plans. With the economy the way it is and the cost of plane tickets, we will likely stay here in Minnezona (as Kendall calls it).

HOWEVER, I would like to extend a generous hand out to all of you and say, that we would LOVE LOVE LOVE if you wanted to come visit us. We will cook you good meals, you can sleep on our hideaway bed, we will show you the city and more. If you want to go to Cabela's we will take you there....if you want to go to the Mall of Ameria....we are all over that, or if you want to just relax and watch Netflix.....we are down with it. Please just know that we would love to have you.

PS: No subliminal messages/pictures were used in this letter as a way to make you want to come visit us ;)

Awards Update

I can't help you...I have never heard of the Peace Prize winner or the French writer that won. Sorry.

Random Thoughts for a Sunday Night

1)High School Reunions....I think that they should have 4 years of grades all together for a reunion. And if you grew up in a small town, like I did, you have all the high schools from those grades, convene together. This whole Facebook phenomena has reminded how many great people were in different grades and went to different schools then I did. I am not saying that old Flag High Class of 93, wasn't the best damn class EVER....I just think it would be fun to see some old friends. 2)There Will Be Blood---anyone seen it? I swear there is a lot of symbolism rolling around in that movie....Oil Tycoons getting too much power, the problems greed can cause, Southern Conservatives being very powerful, the environmental devestation........Maybe I am reading too much into it. Oh, and I am only an hour into the movie.

I am glowing.......

We should have known, GFP wins the Prize. The stuff is like water, it is everywhere, it is hip and cool and a pretty color and it will help save lies. All the cool science geeks use GFP. AND it glows under UV. In my opinion anything that glows is pretty much a shoe in for a Nobel. Oh yeah, if you didn't hear, GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein)---which was originally obtained from a Jellyfish, was the big winner of the prize....well actually the scientists that discovered it got the prize. It would be hard for a Jelly Fish to spend 1.4 mill. You can insert GFP in a gene and when it turns on, it glows. This allows you to look at genes that would be potentially life threatening. You can look at neurons, cells, and entire organisms (puppies, rabbits, little babies (j/k) in GFP: (From yahoo: Shimomura, 80, now works at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass., and the Boston University Medical School. Chalfie, 61, is a professor at Columbia University in New York, while Tsien, 56, is a professor at the University of California, San Diego, and an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The trio will split the $1.4 million award.) (in fact today, I even wrote to you in GFP......)

Physics is the least cool Nobel, in my opinion

Not to mention, particle Physics isn't exactly the easiest field of research to understand. Those guys are like super uber geniuses. Quoting Yahoo News : Two Japanese scientists and an American won the 2008 Nobel Prize in physics on Tuesday for theoretical advances that help explain the behavior of the smallest particles of matter. (Inserted Opinion: Like Duh?) The American, Yoichiro Nambu, 87, of the University of Chicago, won half the $1.4 million prize for mathematical work he did nearly a half-century ago. "I had almost given up" on getting the Nobel, Nambu said. Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Maskawa of Japan shared the other half for a 1972 theory that forecast the later discovery of a new family of subatomic particles. So parental units and friends that are of a slightly older age group---there is hope for you. You still have a very REAL chance to win a Nobel. And if I were you, winning it might be a good idea, being as your (and mine) 401K, pension, Roths, IRAs, savings, etc....are all being snorted up the nose of some CEO sitting on the beach in St. Lucia. Sorry, my message was meant to be hopeful and awe inspiring. Let's just hope the dudes that win the Economics prize can help us all out.

It's that time a year again.....

You were thinking Elections...but you would be wrong. It is that time of year when they award the Nobel Prizes. Seriously folks, this is good stuff.....did I not say just a few months back, how important viruses are? (Thanks Dr. Martinez Hewlett for my awesome virology class at U of A.) Today, the awards for medicine and physiology were handed out to the geniuses that discovered HIV (French researchers Francoise Barre-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier) and Cervical Cancer (HPV-Human Papillomavirus)(awarded to Germany's Harald zur Hausen ).....However, I bet for years to come there will be a controversy over the HIV award. If I can recall, the US group (Gallo) was working neck and neck against the French group....and although the French were the first to identify the virus (as ruled by the courts)--they waited a long time to use the HIV test to test their blood supply. As a result, many more people in their country got HIV from their lack of using the test. Anyways, many thanks to these brilliant minds. Awards to come: Physics tomorrow Chemistry Wednesday Literature Thursday Peace Friday Economics Monday I know you can barely wait....but I will keep you posted. You can depend on me for your Nobel news...... Here are what the guys in Vegas are saying: Rumors are that Bono is up for the Peace prize again. Others are saying that the committee may give it some Chinese or Russian groups to sort of "spit" on them for their horrible human rights policies.....

Little boys in overalls

A long time friend of my Mom's (Janet Clark) give me these overalls when Mason was born. They were too big at the time, but now they fit just right. She hand sewed "Mason My Son" on the front pocket with a little sun in the middle. Little boys just look so cute in overalls...why is that? Thanks Janet for being so thoughtful.

Some good things (music related)

Maybe it is the cold winters or the beautiful autumns or the abundance of beautiful lakes, but there is a lot of GREAT music here in Minnesota. (come visit, I will show you around). I am currently very much in love with the sounds of Haley Bonar. If you happen to be in Fargo, ND on November 2nd, she is playing with Mason Jennings (HOLY MOLY GREAT SHOW ALERT!) And strangely enough, the guy that makes her guitars, lives out here on the Lake. Check Er Out--NPRs Song of the Day AND Now for one of the greatest inventions....EVER. Pandora...geez what took me so long to find it? Pandora is an online radio station. You type in a band or song you like and it picks some music it thinks you should like. And so if you like a variety stuff, you can have your SnoopDog Station and your Dolly Parton Station and your Jimmy Buffett Station. Current Favorites of the Monkeys: 1)Dan Zanes (always at the top of the list) 2)The Pipettes

Nicknames

When I first found out I was pregnant with Kendall, at the time we hadn't thought of a name and so for the entire pregnancy she was Peanut. Then when she was born it was Sweet Potato or Sweet Girly.....(strangely, I still call her my Sweet Girly, but only when she is going to bed.) Well, Sweet Potato morphed into Tator...and well, that is her name now...sometimes it is Tatorbug, or Sweet Potator...but all in all, she is my Tator. Then along comes Emmie (Auntie Em, Emmylou, Lemonie, Lema-Nema-Ding-Dong (sp?)) and she starts calling Kendall, Dilly. All of which are fine names. So to summarize Kendall = Tator, Dilly, Monkey Then the Mace shows up and yes, we call him Mace (or should we spell it Mase?)---lately, he has turned into the Masonator and even Kendall will say (where is the Masonator, Mommy?) So now we have the tag team of Tator and Masonator(sometimes referred to as the Poopmonsters or the StinKy Pies or the Monkeys) (Side Note: Maybe we need a cutesy nickname for Mace? Toodlebugs, Pooh Bear, Sweet Pea---ideas will be considered). Now on to my lovely nicknames (can you hear the satire in my voice?)---my wonderful husband calls me, (hold on)--Beccalingus and Beccaringus. Aren't they soo purdy? No seriously, they sound like sexually transmitted diseases. Sometimes when we are joking he will call me Schmoopie. That is a tad cuter. Now on to the family, or as the Sisty Uglers referred to it--the famn damily or damn family.....there is my mom, Co. When we were kids, my brother and I jokingly (and VERY VERY lovingly) called my mom Annie (after that one Stephen King movie) and on some rare cooking occasions, "Jane Brody". Jane Brody was big in the 80s, she was ahead of her time. Nutritional and organic and healthy and well....YUCK. SOOO anyway, back to the nick names--on Josh's side--there are a gazillion nicknames....in fact, I can't even name them all. There is Dude, Cookie, Noonie, Birdie (Auntie Birdie Freaky).....name overload. can't. compute. can't. remember. the. rest. Then there is my brother, Dave. Now lovingly referred to as Unky Dave or Hunky Dave. In school my brother had a white guy afro, so he was called Screech, after that dude on Saved By the Bell. And then along the way, he became Roscoe. I have no idea why. And lastly, there is Lou-Lou. My little sister....she was just always little Lauren Lou-Lou. Oh wait, there is also my friend ALBERT that lives in Alaska, but to me he will ALWAYS be Binky. Got it.

Times they are a'changin.....

Have I mentioned lately how cute my husband and kids are???

So, yesterday, Friday, was my last day at work. For the past nine years I have been selling cytokines, antibodies and ELISA assays for R&D Systems. You are probably asking yourself, what the hell are those? Well cytokines are the majority of the proteins that float around in your body. They are critical for wound repair, cancer, HIV, alzheimers, heart burn, pregnancy, .....on and on and on.....and your next question might be....what is so great about them? Well, I will tell you why...because if you can control those proteins, or some in cases increase the level of those proteins or decrease the levels--then you can really do a lot for disease prevention. So anyways, my whole point for telling you all this is that I was very proud to have sold these proteins. But now I am moving on and not looking back. I have a new job, starting monday and I will take all the good vibes you send me. Change is scary, but necessary and so I am ready for the challenge.

Please Oh Please Let My Cable Modem WORK

I had this whole post about Sarah Palin and well, I just can't bring myself to publish it. All I have to say is, just because I share some X chromosomes with her and the fact she is a mom, does not make her "my gal".....I happen to appreciate my personal rights and freedoms (oh yeah, I also happen to love a library that is packed full of interesting/controversial books.) Mason is officially a walker And so I hope the above link works. I would post more but my stupid computer is not working well with the stupid wifi and some I can't get any pictures video to download....argh. The sorrows of living in suburbia......

I heart Hillary

Hillary was FABULOUS last night. I cried, I cheered, I clapped, I was very proud of my country and I was proud to have the right to vote. I was proud to be a mom, a wife, a conscientious citizen. To quote Brian Lambert:

Along with asking, "Were you only in this for me?" Hillary laid into McBush to the delight of every pissed-off liberal, Democrat and independent watching. It was very good. The people went home happy.

But it wasn't nearly enough. Tomorrow, (Wednesday), on Day #3, between first Bubba himself and then Joe Biden, who is on board as Obama's Veep as much for his adroit touch with dagger-like rhetoric -- "a verb, a noun and 9/11" -- as his foreign policy experience, it should be a sweet night for those of us hungering for the sight of Dick Cheney's gizzard on a plate. (I can wait another few months for the sight of Cheney in an orange jump suit being perp-walked for arraignment.) No one ever needed to tell Bubba or Biden how to put on the show people like Pat Buchanan and I want to see.

Baptism, Veeps, Barf and more

Wow, what a lame blogger I am. I am barely cranking out 3 posts a month. Sorry parental units and other readers.

Last weekend, Mace had his baptism. It was a great, boisterous affair. Some of you are thinking, "Josh and Becky aren't very religous".....that would be right, but we try and be traditional. And in our families, all of our parents were baptized and we were baptized, so we are sticking to it. Each of our kids has great God Parents (we like to think of them as Worldly Parents)--because they are open-minded, expressive and will do a great job of being objective and educational with our kids.

Mace was baptized at St. Joan of Arc. St. Joan of Arc is a great church, a little more open-minded and shall we say anti-war....then most churches. Noonie came all the way from IL to celebrate with us and she hand-crafted the most beautiful blanket (I bet you want to see a picture--well, those pictures on Josh's camera and I don't have those pictures yet....sorry.)

Here is the little studly guy with his God Parents Jenae and Travis.

VEEP

I am going to discuss with you my history of Democratic presidential candidates. I was a Hilary gal, not a full-court press type Hilary supporter, but I wanted to see how far she could go and see if for once a woman could get in there. But along the way, for the past few years, I also had a fondness for Edwards (and boy am I glad that was all it was)....but I also really kind of liked Joe Biden. He is a good guy. I am glad Barack choose him (I was hoping for Hilary, but I knew that would never happen.) They say the biggest complaint about Biden is that he talks too much. That is okay for me....I dig the guy. He is a straight-shooter (unlike the current guy running this country), hard-w0rking and he doesn't come from a uber-wealthy background.

A True Mothering Moment

Mason's been a little sick. Fever. Barf, you name it. I am standing in Wells Fargo, making some deposits and all of sudden Mason starts throwing up all over me. Bucket amounts of barf. The lady looks at me and says "Do you want a Kleenex?" I kindly said, "No, thanks." I secured the barf and child and walked out the door. Not one drop fell on the Wells Fargo floor.....I was proud.

Awestruck

Quick thing. The other night, Josh and I happened upon Anne Korin giving a speech on CSPAN about how the US has to free itself from foreign oil. I have not been this awe inspired in quite a few years. I felt proud to be a woman when I saw her speak. She is incredibly knowledgeable and a valuable asset to this country. Please take some time to watch her speeches....you will definitely learn a lot. The CSPAN speech is broken up on youtube...so you will have to watch it broken up in 7 parts. Here is part 1....please give it a chance.

On the road again

Well, we are back and we still have our sanity. Josh and I and the kids drove out to Lake Powell, Arizona (it is also in Utah). We encountered all the normal roadtripping situations (truckers falling asleep and driving into the median--right in front of you), the world's nastiest hotel (Budget Inn in Durango--you suck), people pooping in the swimming pool.....)

Here we are in Wolf Creek Pass in Colorado.

We went to see the family and to help celebrate my Dad and Stepmom's 60th birthdays. We had a nice relaxing time. I can't thank my mom and Mike enough for letting us stay in the camper. Dad and Kath, thanks for all the good laughs and thanks to the sibs for the good times, good food, and fond memories. I happen to think the desert landscape is quite beautiful and so I will try and post some pictures soon. On the way back home, we took I-70 from Utah to Denver and I tell you, that is one of the most beautiful drives I have ever been on. The RV lifestyle is definitely having more appeal.

One day, Josh and I took the monkeys and my niece and nephew to the pool (some would also call them monkeys). You wouldn't believe the stares we got---people thinking we were insane to have 4 kids that close together. Speaking of pools, it appears that Speedos are still in high demand.....not kidding. I would have to say that Josh and my brother were the 0.01% of the male population in normal swimming trunks. There is a lot of summer travel coming up from the Grand Canyon. While driving, I got to catchup on my reading. I read about this new website: http://3trillion.org/ It gives you the opportunity to "purchase" whatever you want/can in an attempt to purchase 3 Trillion dollars worth of things (end reliance on foreign oil, worldwide vaccinations, universal healthcare). It is being used as a tool to show how expensive the war is and how much better use that money could be going to.

More pics and vids to come.

Oh, cable modem is up and running.

Here is an evening view of Port Hadlock, WA. It is across the bay from Port Townsend, where "An Officer and A Gentleman" was filmed.

We stayed at a boutiquey hotel, where each room was different. Lauren's room had mirrored ceilings. (Me, Tami, Rachel, Sue, Lauren)

Me throwing all of you the peace sign.

Keep on truckin....

Dang cable modem down again.

One fun link for my kid readers

Feist at Sesame Street, love it!!!

One year

It is interesting when you are pregnant. If you tell people what you are having (girl, boy)--in many cases they will say something like, "Oh, boys are such a handful." or "Girls are so much easier then boys." "Boys are way more laid back and easier to deal with." Of all the people I talked to, it was about 50/50 that boys/girls are easier/worse then the opposite sex. I have truly enjoyed seeing the differences between Mason and Kendall. I love thinking of how genetics made such different kids, and yet, they both have the same hair color.

One year ago, we were blessed by the birth of Mr. Mason. This past year has taught me more then I could have ever known. The biggest things I have learned are:

1)Be more patient.

2)Who cares if your house is dirty?

3)Having two little ones, close in age, was the best decision I could have ever made.

Mason is a gentle giant. He is sweet and cuddly and he adores his sister. Don't get me wrong, the kid is all BOY!! He has already attempted to climb to the 4th wrung on the ladder going up to our loft. He is also so much like his dad. He loves buttons and gadgets and lights and wires and all those nerdy things. But just last night, I observed his love for the kitchen (maybe, a future Anthony Bourdain?)---he loves the mixing bowls and measuring cups and spoons (and did I mention a super healthy appetite?). All in all, I can't wait to see what kind of man he will turn into.

I wanted to post a bunch of new videos and pictures, but because so many people are running their air conditioners on our power grid, our cable modem is sucking....post more later.

Yours, Mine, Ours

As many of you know, I come from a rather "diverse" family. I have had different moms and dads and siblings, over the years..... There have been divorces and there have been marriages, but overall....I think the picture is pretty bright. I wouldn't be who I am today if all these different people hadn't been apart of it. Last week, I went to Seattle for my dad's second wife's fourth marriage. Let me just say--the liver has not had this much fun in a while. First of all, the Northwest, there are not too many places prettier(I flew right past the glaciers on Mt. Rainier). Secondly, weddings are always fun. Thirdly, I got to see my little sister, Lauren Lou-Lou and I got to meet her man, Kyle. Fourthly, I got to meet Mike, Tami's new husband, what a great guy!! Cheers going your way as you are sailing down the coast right now. (I am having troubles getting pictures to download...I promise to do it soon.)

What the heck?

(Picture me stepping on my soapbox--I actually like body wash--so if it makes you feel better, picture me stepping on a bottle of soap.)

What the heck?? When did "conservation" become a Demo/Repub issue. I am talking water conservation, oil conservation, land conservation and the sort (hell, let's throw fiscal/money conservation in there too). I don't care if you are the rightest of the right---conserving resources is a good thing for all parties involved. Speaking of stats--I don't know how true or accurate it is--but it was published--so the Iraq war is currently priced out at $3 Trillion. Supposedly, you would have to spend $110 million dollars a day for 83 years--in order to spend all $3 trillion. If that doesn't make you cringe, I don't know what will. Discuss.....

Now for some Funness (new word). Recent lessons in parenting, I have "learned":

First lesson of camping with infants/toddlers

1)No marshmellows before bed.....I mean really, how much sugar are in those things? Gram quantities? It would be great if they could make a marshmellow that had Niquil in it, but that still tasted like a marshmellow and got that pretty light brown coloring.

2)A tent is a useful thing for penning your children in. Next time I will remember to bring one.

3)In Minnesota, bug spray is the perfume of choice in the summer. I like the Family Formula--I smell beautimus.

Lake Powell Road Trip--here we come--30 days away.

Some pictures.....

(this pictures were taken moments after the monkey fell under the water---3 days later she still takes about the trauma of "being scared". How do moms/dads get over the fear of hoping their kids are safe??? I am a worry-wort. )

Past Lives

The blog has mostly turned into a forum for posting cute kid pictures (which I will do in a bit)...but just out of curiousity, do you believe in reincarnation or past lives?

I often get "vibes" about certain things and so here is what I have concluded:

1)In a former life/soul, I lived near the water....
2)In my former past, I had something to do with bridges. Built them, designed them, who knows.

3)I think you can look at a new baby and determine if they are an old soul or a new soul. Some just seem wise when they are born.

Sorry, that wasn't too in-depth, just some random thoughts.

One more thought for you, what do you think about nudist Olympics? I guess back in the day, the Olympics were done sans clothing. Rumor has it there is a group here in the US trying to get the Olympics to go back to the nudy days. Can you imagine? Gymnastics? Track and Field? I suppose the ratings would go up but I suppose you would have to have cable to actually watch them.

That would be my belt wrapped around the monkey--twice. No more organic food for her--she is going on a strict diet of peanut butter and Twinkies. Gotta put some fat on that kid.

"So Kendall, what did you think of that food mom made us tonight? Yeah, me too, I thought it was icksy."

This was the reason digital cameras was invented. You can take 48 pictures and still none of them has either child smiling and looking at the camera.

My hunt for the red bellied infant.

Why didn't I think of that? Cute kid's shirts

Ka-Koons. Heaven. Sunny Days.

If you get the chance, head to the Reading Terminal Market in Downtown Philadelphia. Seriously. 70 Varieties of food = Heaven = Yummy.

No really, the best part is the Amish section. I tell you what, those Amish know how to bake. And the girls that work there are just amazingly beautiful. I had cinnamon rolls and homemade oatmeal cream pies. I had to resist the buttermilk and shoo-fly pies. Please spread some of my ashes in the Reading Terminal Market.

The only bummer part of going to Philadelphia is that next weekend is the Olympic Gymnastic trials and I am going to miss them. Who says Stem Cells and balance beams don't mix?

A couple of pictures of carbohydrate heaven.

Some people call them cinnamon rolls, I call them crack cocaine.

Now on to the Ka-Koons. So you know, kids say the darndest things. Juice boxes are sandboxes at our house. And well, Raccoons are Ka-Koons. So we are sitting there, I am busy feeding the monkeys and Mason just starts SQUEALLLLING.....out on the deck is mama Ka-Koon....fat as can be circling our grill. So I watch her for a bit and then off she goes. A few minutes go by and what do I see, two baby Ka-koons hissing at me (nice little rhyme). Up in the tree, at arms reach, is this sad little duo. Who says nothing exciting happens in the suburbs??

Check out the kiddos at the park......

Life is good.