Happy Turkey Day!

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

This Thanksgiving we will be going to my aunt and uncle's house. Jason has to work on Friday, and Riley and I might venture on to my parent's house after that for the weekend. That's a lot of driving, though, for Jason, as he will then come back up on Friday, and so we're not positive yet what we're doing. We'll probably just take it one step at a time! Hope you all have a wonderful day and that you get to spend it with loved ones. Here is a cute poem that a friend of mine sent me that I thought was pretty cute!


May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Thanks for the Banner!

My mom made this banner for me, and the last banner that I had on my blog. They're always very cute, but a particularly love this one!

Happy Halloween!

We hope you all had a great Halloween. I have to say, I think Halloween is my favorite holiday. I know that sounds horrible, but I just love the changing of seasons, pumpkins, the no pressure of it all. It's like a month of fun events: pumpkins, farms, costumes, parties... I just love it.

We had a very fun evening. We started off with trick or treating in Kent. Everyone loved Riley's costume. I don't think we passed anyone without a comment and people were asking to take her picture all night. Riley kept saying, "See, Mom, I told you it was a good idea." She was saying that because I didn't really like the whole cupcake idea, mostly because I didn't know how we'd do that. Jason said when he took her into a restaurant to trick or treat, several girls were going crazy over her costume saying they would be cupcakes next year! I think Riley has started a food-crazed costume epidemic in Kent for next year!

It was so nice being in a neighborhood where everyone really gets in the spirit. When we opened the door to our house, you could hear all sorts of scary ghost sounds, wherewolves, you name it.

Riley is such a funny girl. All night I kept hearing, "Boy, they really like my costume. Aren't you glad I wanted to be a cupcake, Mom?"

Trip to New York

My mom took this pic of grandpa and it's my favorite. It's such a perfect picture of him.

Riley relaxing before we get on the plane!

Riley giving the guys a hand

What an eventful trip to New York! I was very nervous about Jason not flying with us as he had a business trip to go to. I haven't flown by myself in quite a long time, let alone with Riley! We only had a half hour layover in Cincinatti so I kept explaining this to Riley and how we would have to have a race to get on the plane so we wouldn't miss it. I also told her if we missed the plane we wouldn't get to see grandma and grandpa. Nothing like a few get threats to get them running! And it worked. A couple times she even told me to hurry up! She had so much fun. She was nervous on the plane at times, and even screamed at one point because she thought the "plane was falling out of the sky." Every time the plane would descend it would scare her. Eventually she got used to it and really started to enjoy it.

While in New York we rested a bit and hit a few farm markets. It's such a beautiful area and amazing how open it is. It's such a different feel. The men, of course, found a small chore.

My favorite part? Grandpa's homemade bread! Yum, Yum, Yum! Riley and I were pretty happy campers, I must say. I could live off it... or die trying!

River Berry Farm

What a beatiful place for a visit! I'm so lucky to have relatives that live in some beautiful places, like Fairfax, Vermont. Jason and I have always wanted to visit my Uncle Dave and Aunt Jane's farm, River Berry Farm, and finally got a chance to do so. They grow organic vegetables and small fruit. This summer I wasn't able to tear Riley away from picking raspberries and guess what the first thing Riley did when she got to the farm? Pick raspberries!! Ada and Huck, Dave and Jane's two children, led the way, and the kids were good friends from that point on.

On their farm they grow organic vegetables, strawberries, raspberries, pick your own and pre-picked, 18,000 square feet of greenhouse crops, and 400 organic layer chickens. I might add, the eggs were fantastic. Riley was eating three eggs in the morning and asking for more. No, I think three eggs is probably enough!

Going for a walk on their farm was so beautiful. The fall colors were out, actually we were a little late for the brightest colors, but it was still fantastic. Riley and I's favorite part was probably in the greenhouse picking their cherry tomatoes (I think they were cherry tomatoes) and eating them right there. Oh, they were sooo good. Riley asked for me to buy her some when we got home. I did, and she says they're not as good and won't eat them. Go figure!

Jane's dinners were amazing. Our first night she cooked lamb, squash, brussel sprouts. Now, this does not normally sound like a good meal to me. First off, I've never had "any" of these items. But this was the best dinner. Everything was so beautiful, including her table setting, and delicious. She made a rustic lasagna one night that just tasted so different and good from any other lasagna I've had. All the food they eat is organic, including their meat. And can you believe they have no microwave? That's right! Wow - I admire that. I don't think I could function for an hour. As a matter of fact, I was really fumbling around in the kitchen in the morning!

Their home is a historic landmark and is really amazing. I'm hoping to come up with some more pics to post, but I can't find one right now of their house. In the picture of the table setting, check out the oven there on the right. Isn't that cool?

Well, we hope to return one day, perhaps during their busy time to help out on the farm. Riley would sure love that. Her, Ada and Huck all hit it off. Even Riley and Huck had a fun time, as much fun as a boy Huck's age and Riley's age can have. They are sure some lucky kids, though, growing up like that! Wow!!

Trip to Vermont

Uncle David helping Riley get the eggs... yummy!

Riley's wish - to jump in a big pile of leaves. She finally got to do it.

Of course, the guys got in some fishing. And good fishing at that. This was a Northern Pike that was 38 inches. Wow!

Riley and Mommy

Riley brought this picture home and said it was of me and her playing. I've had it for awhile now and don't want to lose it, so what better thing to do with it than blog it? I was very surprised to see this picture; it was the first one I'd seen where she'd drawn actual people with faces. The date on this pic is 9/23/08. Thank you, Riley.

Remlinger '08

Another fun visit at Remlinger Farms! Riley enjoyed a pony ride, but was a bit fearful of the other rides this year. I'm not really sure why. This will probably be our last visit to Remlinger and we'll really miss it. With the move, though, it's quite a drive. We've visited there for three years in a row; it has become our pre-Halloween tradition. We'll now have to find another farm in this area that can hopefully compare!

Riley's first day

What a rollercoaster of a day. I dropped Riley off today at daycare and felt very uneasy. Riley's previous daycare was a small group of children. Kristi, her previous daycare provider, had children that were very well mannered, easy going, had great manners, et cetera. I'm not sure how she did that, but she taught them wonderful manners, and the children really loved and cared for one another. The reason for my uneasiness at her new school? Well, the kids were fighting pretty much the whole time I was there. Riley just stood by me plugging her ears. It was sooo loud in there! Another difference about her previous daycare is that there were basically only girls. Kristi had a few boys, Griffin, Eli, and Ryan, they were so sweet and gentle, never so loud and rambunctious. I'm not sure why the difference here at her new daycare.

So anyway, I believe her teacher was starting to see my uneasiness. Actually, what was going through my head was that I didn't want to leave her here today. The teacher suggested Playdo, and Riley perked right up. I then told Riley I was leaving, and she seemed just fine with that. I had been telling Riley that I would leave her at her new school until lunch, then I would come eat with her, and we'd go home.

So then I went home and cried, cried, cried, called Jason, and cried, cried, cried... you get the picture.

At 11 I went to have lunch with her. When I walked in she was thoroughly enjoying a plate of stroganoff noodles, peaches, and broccoli, even had seconds. This is hilarious considering I can't get her to eat anything at home! She was sitting by a girl, Taylor, with whom she had enjoyed playing with on one of our previous visits. When I asked her if she was having fun, she nodded her head, very excitedly, with a mouthful of noodles hanging out her mouth!

So here I was sitting at home feeling guilty, while Riley was enjoying her day. She decided she wanted to stay till 3 because they were going to be making apple pies this afternoon!LOL!

I'm so proud of Riley, how outgoing and open she is, so brave, quite a little trooper. I could learn a lot from her.

Riley at 3

Riley is an amazing little girl, if I may say so myself. She is constantly cracking me and Jason up. She is very dramatic. This morning she said, "Mom, I'm thirsty; could you get me a drink of water?" I told her to hang on a second because I was putting the laundry into the dryer. She said, "Fine, I'll just lay here and die of thirst." I had never heard her say anything like that before. She's always that dramatic, though.

Here's an update on some of Riley's likes, interests, et cetera.

Sizes: Size 8 shoe, but probably really needs a 9. 4T clothes, but that also is getting very close to change. I can't believe how much she is growing. She gets growing pains a lot also. She currently weighs 40 pounds and is very proud of that fact. I'm having a very difficult time carrying her anymore.

Favorite Food: Macoroni and Cheese, please. She loves cheese. One of her favorite things is going to Central Market on Sundays because that's when they have all their cheeses out for samples. Also any fruit.

Favorite Toy: All of her stuffed toys. She keeps wanting me to reassure her that we're taking all of them when we move.

Favorite playtime activity: This is an easy one: she loves pretending. She'll give us this looooong scenario she wants us all to act out, like, she's the princess, someone else is the prince, (you get the idea) and she'll run out of the room leaving a shoe behind. She'll get all dressed up for this. She loves costumes, shoes, and jewelery. She loves playing outside with a ball or riding her bike.

Favorite movie: Any movie with a princess or an animal in it.

Favorite TV show: Dora the Explorer and Lazytown.

Little tidbits: I can't remember a time when I've picked Riley from daycare and she didn't have a flower that she had picked for me, a beautiful "sun flower," also known as a dandelion. Kristi swears she's going to be a horticulturist. She loves berry picking, also. I was really looking forward to taking her huckleberry picking, but unfortunately, we had a very poor year for huckleberries, so we stuck with the blackberries.

Riley loves little babies and whenever we're out and see one, she'll talk to them in this little baby voice that's hilarious. She still loves animals, all animals. We've told her when she's five she can have her own dog, and she's very excited to be five.

Riley is very hyperactive and talkative. She tells me these long drawn-out stories. She asks tons of questions about everything, even asking how the baby gets in the stomach!

Bob's Corn Maze

We had a great time at Bob's corn maze in Snohomish! This picture is just half of the corn maze; it's huge and so much fun. It took us a while to get through, but they have a great middle half-way area where you can rest and use the restroom. Riley took the maze very seriously and worked very hard to help us get through it. At their store, we picked up some great jellies, a yummy vidalia onion and cucumber salad dressing, and each of us had a peach for a treat before we left.... oh, yeah, and we bought some corn!!

My Poor Girl

I'm writing in blue because that's how my girl's feeling. Riley and I went to the Puyallup fair yesterday, which we've done the last two years and have loved it. The only difference is that yesterday is was pretty warm, 80 degrees. I'm not sure if that has had anything to do with her state today, but it all started with a rash I noticed on her skin when we were at the fair. Not the type of rash with heat, like sweat bumps, but a rather lacy-looking red rash that was only in the exposed areas of her skin. I had a 60 sunblock on her, so I knew it wasn't a sunburn. Anyhow, when we got home, she was experiencing some bathroom issues. (I'm assuming Riley is going to read this when she gets older, so I won't go into this area anymore) Okay, several hours later, she "finally" was able to go to the bathroom with her mom and dad sitting on the floor talking her into the fact that it wouldn't hurt and would be okay. She was so excited after she went, and I assumed all was okay.

So today I had a job at 9. I would have loved to have gotten out of it since we were all so tired, but it's hard to get coverage for a 9:00 job. But it was only going to go for two hours, so I figured I could get Riley caught up on her sleep after that point as I'd be able to go pick her up.

I put her in her carseat at 6:30 a.m. and hear, "Momma, my tummy hurts." And that was that; the next thing I know she's throwing up everywhere. I'm pulling her out of her carseat, because she was screaming for me to hold her, and stuff is everywhere: carseat, my freshly drycleaned suit that I had just picked up on Monday, shoes, Riley's new Seahawk's outfit, and a trail into the house. The neighbor ran over and asked if everything was okay. Uhhh, not really, but not too much you can do!

Poor Riley. We've been so lucky because she's never had a stomach cramping-type of sickness before. When I called the doctor and told him about her rash and throwing up, he said he definately needs to see her, which is unusual because usually he says, nope, not too much we can do, to just give her lots of rest and fluids.

Okay, wish her luck. Poor girl. She's sleeping really good right now, so that'll surely help.

Summer Fun

Riley sure enjoyed her swimming lessons. She is eagerly awaiting to move out of Minnows and into the Guppies. I did not have the heart to tell her, the last three swimming lessons, that she is not yet a guppie. She keeps asking me about it, if she passed to Guppies or not, and I'm never quite sure what the best thing to tell her is. I told her she passed. Yep, that's right: I lied!!

As we're leaving the last day of swimming lessons, and I've lied to her about being a Guppie instead of a Minnow, a father asks me, "Did Riley pass into the Guppies?" Yep, he yelled it across the parking lot. Not thinking, I said, "No, she'll be a Minnow next time." Riley said, "No, Mom, I'm a Minnow; why did you tell him that?"

Oh, gee, did I feel awful. It was hard getting myself out of that mess.

Riley is doing great in swimming lessons. She really enjoys it and gets so excited whenever she goes to her lessons; it's hilarious to watch her!

Who knew?

Wow - what a romatic pic. Of course, Jason will hear nothing of it, but I'm so impressed that my hubby took a picture at something that I might not have realized he'd notice. Haaaa.......

Check out the folder of pics on the side of my blog of dad and Jason's fun fishing trip!

Goodbye

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Last week Riley had to say goodbye to her "best" friend, Anju. Anju is starting kindergarten and starting all-day school. This has been confusing to Riley. Anju, afterall, has been there every day with Riley. She loves this girl! They're both the same in the sense they'd rather build a block building than play with a "My Pony," feed the horses than playing in the playhouse. We'll miss you so much, Anju. I have to say, Riley has great taste in friends, and I'm so proud of her choise of a first best friend. Anju is one of a kind. We'll miss you, sweet girl!

Swimming Lessons

Riley really improved with her swimming lessons. She's so funny to watch. When she first gets in the water, she gets such an adrenaline rush. She'll dunk her head in the water, come up out of the water, body shaking, and scream! It's hilarious. She doesn't stop moving in the water. She'll still be a minnow for the next swimming lessons, but let's keep our fingers crossed that she'll be a guppie soon!

Limbs in the Car, Please!!!

Imagine my surprise when I see Jason and Riley pull up with Riley just lounging in her carseat with her foot out the window. Jeesh!

Finally... Sunshine!

We were so excited to finally have some nice weather! Riley goes to this park with her daycare for a field trip every year. It's called Forest Park and is it fun! There's a little water park, pony rides, a small petting zoo, you name it.

Gymnastics Graduation

Riley had a great gymnastics graduation. They even had a little routine, which was pretty cute and had the parents very entertained! Riley loved her teachers, especially Teacher Natalie. At home Riley pretends to be teacher Natalie and wants to teach her mommy and daddy how to do somersaults, wall climbs, et cetera.

The Reptile Man

What a great birthday party! One of Riley's most favorite friends, Anju, had a party with the Reptile Man out of Monroe. It was a great party for the children... and the adults!

Woo-Hoo - Bloom's Day 2008

I "love" Bloom's Day! It is definately one of the highlights I look forward to.
First of all, I really miss Spokane. It's a "bit city feel" without all of the freakin' traffic! I had a great race, beating any of my previous times by quite a bit. (although, that's not saying much!) You have to really admire all the great entertainment along this race! It truly keeps you going and motiviated. I particularly love running past the group of nuns that are chearing for everyone!

















Riley and Lauren taking a little break from all the excitement!








Riley and Lauren being goofy - as usual!





Look at that poor soul trying to finish this race!

Happy Mother's Day to me!

Flowers and a strawberry cheesecase! Wow - they really know how to get to mama's heart!

Alki Beach

We finally made it to Alki Beach. How could we have lived here for two years and not gone there yet? Wow - it was so much fun. We had no idea what we were in store for. It's a beautiful beach and so hard to believe that it's so close to Seattle! It was great fun! Miss Riley refused to keep her clothes on; slowly, she kept peeling her clothing as Jason was saying, no no no! It's a beautiful beach and a beautiful day!