Wind, Wind Go Away

I'm going to confess something that most of you probably don't know about me....but you have to be sworn to secrecy...or at least not make fun of me to my face ;o) I remember when I was little...and maybe a tiny bit as an adult...of being afraid of the wind. Yes...the wind. Something about dancing figure's being thrown across my bedroom curtains or the howl and whistle of it blowing around the house or threw a forest of trees. It's always been a little unsettling for me. So anyway, something happened too early this morning to confirm that I'm still afraid of the stinkin wind. Anyway, I woke up wide awake at 4:45 am this morning with an unsettled feeling. (Not to mention that I'd woke up a couple hours prior with the same unsettled feeling...only because it sounded like a freight train going through the house because of the wind against the house.) I jump out of bed to first check on the kids...and it just felt like something was off. So I noticed that it was really cold and there was this breeze and whistle going through the house...so I stumble off down the mile long hall way to find that the Front door of my parent's house had been blown wide open. So I calmly shut and re lock the door...and panic sets in. How long have those been open, seconds, minutes, or hours??? I try not to run back to the bedroom to wake my soundly sleeping husband....to make him stumble through and check the house for any intruders. Thankfully, the only intruder was the wind. Needless to say I tried to go back to sleep...with a couple lights on for safety...and couldn't go back to sleep until Luke got up to get ready for work. (My Hero) Apparently my parent's had unlocked the stationary door to move something in and forgot to lock it again...OK...how long has that been like that???...because for all of you interested in robbery...this would the easiest house to get in to...just come right on in...the wind will open the doors for you. Which brings me to another thought...did anyone drive by at the time?? Since my parent's are out of town...I'm a freek and feel the need to turn on the outside lights at night...because of all the doors and windows...so if anyone did drive by they'd be able to see clearly that the doors were wide open. And since I was totally freeking out I got up only a few times afterwards to check to make sure that the locks where in fact holding up to the wind and saw the News Paper Delivery person drive by...what would they have done....ring the door bell...call the cops??? How do you wake a family to inform them that their doors are wide open with out scaring the poo out of them? Needless to say I'm just happy I only lost a couple hours of sleep and that in fact the wind was the only intruder....as far as we know!!!

Christmas Pictures

Uncle Keith..aka Cousin Eddie

Cousin Aleena

Helping Gaga w/ presents

Clayton

Visit from Santa and the Mrs.

A Glimpse

Here's a look at our new house. We made a trip up on Saturday to show Ethan...he's very excited. He wants to live in the closet under the stairs. ;o) We also found out...being that we're on top of a hill...and in Moscow...our Driveway and the back of our house are great locations to build deap snow drifts...don't tell anyone...but Luke got stuck in our drive way...good way to meet the neighbors...because they had to help dig him out ;o) I was nice and didn't say "I told you so"....because I'm almost positive I didn't tell him he'd get stuck either ;o)

(The drive way looks flat here with the yard....well it's not.)

Main Street Moscow

Snow Men

The other day Ethan was so excited to build 'Frosty the Snow Man'...so once we had a heat wave on Christmas Eve..it got up to 24 I think...I thought I'd try to build a snow man with him. Well the snow was really dry and the snow man was looking more like a Penguin than a round jolly old man...so to satisfy the little guy I made two little ones for him....which wasn't an easy task either...but he still thought they were pretty cool. We even pulled baby carrots left over from the garden and found little pebbles for the eyes. It was fun...and COLD.

Merry Christmas

Wow...so a lot has happened since my last blog...I've been too lame to keep it up to date lately. We contemplated building a home for a second...then it started snowing and it didn't stop snowing...and by having the reality that we could be in a home soon hung over our heads, with money in the bank...we decided to buy a home instead. Plus, it could be a year before Moscow digs out from the snow and we didn't want to wait that long. We're ready to get our life back in order. Not that it hasn't been great staying here with my parent's...it's just not the same as your own home. The process is going smooth and fast, we close on Dec. 30th and move next weekend. :o) Ethan had his first Christmas program through the preschool he's been attending...but he only has one more day left :o( But I'll be looking for something in Moscow once we get settled. Anyway, back to the Christmas program...it was pretty cute...short and simple. Ethan wasn't required to sing much...just march like an elf (with elf hats)...and not one child was too into that...most were concerned on where their parent's were in the crowd...or putting gifts in a sleigh...that in the end ended up gettting toppled on by a few youngsters...and came out looking a little crumpled...but never the less it was very cute. And the elf hats didn't make it too long either...but I think they were just there to look cute....and that they were.

Lewiston has also had a record snow fall the past week and a half or so...it's been too cold to really go out and play but we did get a chance to go sledding on the country club golf course...which was very fun.....going down...back up wasn't so fun...especially when you have a toddler in tow on the sled behind you. Poor Ethan kept getting his face plastered with snow...and would cry at the bottom...I bet it burned a little...but he kept wanting to go again. And to solve our laziness issue about hiking back up we had one of the other adults drive a truck down and pick the sledders up and haul them back to the top...yes...pathetic...but smart!!! There were only a couple wrecks...mostly involving a grandpa and a grandaughter....and the tears came from the grandaughters. We had some other friends there too....so don't just assume that it was just one grandpa ;o)

We wish everyone a very safe and Merry Christmas and look forward to building our row boats and ores over the next fews days...once the weather warms up and the snow starts melting we'll be rowing around town instead of sliding.

Ethan before his Christmas Program

Clatyon 8.5 months (Update on this little guy: he got his first 2 teeth...it was rough going but they finally popped through.)

Checking out the sled hill

Sledding with "Unple" Keith and Cousin Leeny

SOLD!

Sorry it's been so long between blogs. I'll try to get you caught up on what has been going on around here. The big doings around here....we SOLD our house! We had an accepted offer and were closed in the same week. We're fortunate that we were able to sell it when we did. We went to Boise last weekend to get the last few items from our house and sign the papers...I won't lie...I cried. But I bucked up and I'm moving forward now ;o) So now we're still trying to decide if we want to build or buy existing. So I've been working on a floor plan to get out to a couple builders to get bids from...so we'll keep you all updated on what we decide....if we don't get kicked out before we get a chance to decide ;o)
We're all finally starting to feel healthy again after fighting a cold for 2 or 3 weeks. It started with Ethan getting pink eye 3 weeks ago and it all went down hill from there. I've had an annoying cough for 2 weeks now...if only I could take drugs for it...but for some reason they don't like to mix breast feeding with drugs...go figure. Mmmm...other than that...we're still the same ol lame boring people...getting ready for Christmas, Baby Showers, and changing diapers. Oh and Ethan is a tumbling fool on Saturdays now and he goes to Preschool/Daycare 2 days a week now...it's been good for me and him both....though lately he's not been wanting to go :o( But Miss Tammy assures me that he has a lot of fun after I leave....it's just cutting the cord is a little hard...and because he's been sick. But he gets to be in his first Christmas Show next week.

Thanksgiving at the Ranch

Little Clayton

Ethan with Gaga's glasses on

Split Seconds

There are moments when the L/C valley can be very dramatic. With the short days and unsettled weather I was lucky enough to catch a beautiful sun set on the Lewiston hill. It's not very often that I have my camera to catch such moments. Since the lighting was pretty cool I also got a couple good picture's of the kiddo's...Ethan and Aleena.

In Loving Memory

Buddy

July 1996 - Nov. 2, 2008

You'll be greatly missed Hound Dog!

Sugar High

Since it was Halloween night and the kids worked hard at gathering all sorts of candy we decided to let them pick ONE piece of candy before the night was over. About 20 minutes later we had 2 wild ones on our hands. And one crazy gaga...who you'll see below trying to do a summer sault...this is the second attempt...the first attempt almost resulted in squishing my child. ;o) So as us...the adults...laid back like slugs with headaches and gut aches from too much candy we were greatly entertained by the dancing, singing, gymnastics, and wrestling. Once we were completely wore out from just watching them we finally hit the hay.

Gaga's attempt...yes very scary...heck I don't even get on the floor to try this...so you can imagine what it's like to have a grandma doing it ;o)

Aleena's attempt at a summer sault

Ethan's summer sault

Wrestling

Little Hannah Montana (not by her parents choice...but she LOVES Hannah)

Trick -or- Treat

Since the Halloween Party a week prior to Halloween...Ethan has been having one big Halloween Party...all week was a party to him. So I had to break the news and tell him that trick-or-treating was the big last whoo-raw for Halloween....and then it was all gone. But never the less I had to tell him about Santa to get his mind off of Halloween...but first we have to make a stop at Thanksgiving. So anyway, now everyday he tells me Santa is coming...BUT...he only brings presents to good little boys and girls. This was Ethan's first year of Trick-or-Treating...we just made him hand out the candy the previous years ;o) But now that he can say Trick-or-Treat I thought I'd let him give it a try. We made the rounds to the grandparents and then went door to door on my parent's street...we got a late start due to a rain storm that decided to hit right when it was time to hit the streets. Cousin Aleena joined us...she was usually first to the door knocking...while Ethan was lagging behind checking out what he got from the previous house...or walking sideways in an attempt to escape a scary costume meeting him on the sidewalk. It was fun...but I felt like a broken record prompting at each door "What do you say?"...but at least the kids were good at saying "Thank you". We had a blast watching them....and the little one's always seem like such a delight to the older folks who answer the door....which I have to agree it's not as fun handing a handful of candy to a Junior High student standing there with a pillow case.

My little Dragon boy...NO it's not a purple dinosaur like Barney!!

Dragon boy and Bat Boy...every one thought Ethan was a kitty...so we had to tell him to spread his wings...who dresses their boy up as a kitty...seriously!!!

Go Seahawks!! Bat boy is behind her...he was not cooperating with the camera.

All the loot!!!

First Halloween Party

This Saturday we went up to Post Falls to attended a Halloween Party. Heck we haven't been anywhere in months...other than moving...so we figured we'd show Ethan a good time...and that at times we could be "cool" too. ;o) He was so excited...as if he'd been to a hundred Halloween Party's before...all day Saturday he kept telling us we were going to a Halloween Party. We couldn't get there soon enough...poor kid had to wait until 6 pm. Anyway, we're to lame to dress up so the next best thing would be to dress the kids up. ;o) The entire family was there so we met up with Keith, Chrissy and Aleena at the party. Aleena was dressed as the cutest little Seattle Seahawks cheerleader, Ethan was a bat, and Clayton was a Dragon. There were a lot of great costumes. Anyway, we found out that Ethan LOVES to party...once the music gets going. Once the band started he wanted to go right up front and dance. So being the wonderful dancer that I am...not...and reluctantly took my kid up and let him dance. At first he wanted to hold my hands...so I was the stick in the crowd holding onto a jumping bat. For some reason my body just doesn't move like it should when it comes to dancing...unless of course I've had a few drinks...then I don't really care how terrible or retarded I look...but since I'm not allowed to drink yet I was summoned to just being a stick...and maybe once in awhile I'd make an attempt to sway my hips this way or that...just slightly though. I felt like I was busting a move but to the average by stander I was just a lady standing there holding onto a jumping bat. Then Aleena finally warmed up to the idea and danced with Ethan for a good hour or so....and I backed out to take picture's. Papa Gale also taught Ethan and Aleena how to trick-or-treat. The kids who attended the party each got a pumpkin basket and Papa took them around to tables and got candy...Ethan got it down pretty well...so much that he would just yell "Trick-or-Treat" at the other guests...while little Aleena stood back and waited for the candy. Good practice for the real thing this Friday. So now we're stuck trying to come up with excuses on why Ethan can't have his "Trick-or-Treat" (that's what he calls his candy)...but mostly we're bribing him with it..."If you're good you can have piece of candy"...I'll do anything to get him to stop screaming...any suggestions???

A step back in time

Yesterday I took the kids to the Dr. for check-ups. Clayton had his 6 month check up and Ethan was due for a shot too. The Moscow Clinic was like stepping back in time. It's located on Main Street and is very nostalgic to how the old Dr. Clinics used to be, with the old wood panel doors with glass on the top, nice architectural detail around the waiting room...very Norman Rockwell...which was the choice of decor for the waiting room. Anyway, I was a little nervous walking in...because you never know what you're going to get when you pick one of the two clinics out of the phone book. Yes, one of the two. Anyway, it was very laid back, the Dr. didn't walk in with a lap top and when they showed me the growth
chart of how the boys are doing it wasn't a print out handed to me...they actually had shown me the actual chart that they wrote on to figure out their growth curve. I felt like I had literally stepped back in time...after being used to the fast paced life of Boise. ;o) We still miss our Dr. in Boise though...the nurse who administered the shots in Moscow was REALLY slow...and I felt terrible for little Clayton who had to get 3 shots yesterday...she did one and then put the band-aid on...and then the next one....I just about said "HURRY UP LADY"...the nurse in Boise would be done before we knew it. But I feel confident that we will get good care at the clinic...it's just not what we're used to. ;o) Both boys are healthy doing well...besides still fighting a nasty cold. They were impressed on how well Ethan talks (just had to share :o)) Plus my mom was with me and she was bragging about all the things he could do and was saying he was a genius ;o)...of course he is!!!
Here are their stats:
Ethan 36" (50%) and 36 lbs (95%) (but...he had clothes, shoes, coat and a wet diaper on....so I'm thinking more like 34lbs) He's also into doing puzzles and sticker books ALL the time these days.
Clayton (Our petit little boy :o)) 25" and 14lbs 14 oz (25% for both)

Last weekend we also went to another pumpkin patch at Wilson Banner Ranch with Cousin Aleena, Chrissy, and both grandma's. Here are just a couple picture's from that. It was very pretty out there and the weather was perfect. Ethan was a bit more choosey this time on finding a pumpkin...we had to look at all of them ;o)

This was just a bin by the barn...there was a really nice pumpkin patch we picked out pumpkins from.

Ethan and Aleena with picked pumpkins

My sleepy pumpkin

Red Barn Pumpkin Patch

On Sunday we went up to Colton, WA with Luke's mom and sister Katie and went to the Fall Festival that was at the Red Barn Farms. It was very fun...and COLD. We took a hay bail ride out to the pumpkin patch and Ethan had to pick the VERY first pumpkin he came to. ;o) They had a hay bale maze, which Ethan cruzed right through, jumping castle, crafts for kids, antiques, apple cider and hot dogs. We took lots of pics, but because it was so bright out not too many turned out.

http://www.red-barn-farms.com/index.html

Getting a Tatoo on the cheek

Wearing daddy's stockin' cap

6 Months

I can't believe my baby is 6 months old already. Time has FLEW!!! He is such a sweet little guy and is starting to think his bigger brother is quite entertaining. If you'd like to see the whole bunch click on this link http://coldironfamily.shutterfly.com/

Ethan at 6 months

Ethan 2 1/2 Years

There's plenty more at http://coldironfamily.shutterfly.com/