Update

Okay....I neglected my blog. I know it. I figured I would set a record for inactivity. Not buying it? Neither am I. Here's a few pictures and I'll see if I'm feeling froggy to get some major updates on this site. :)

Tristan's pouty face

Kisses for little sister

Look ma! I have two ring pops!

My babies!

Belated greetings

Life has become quite hectic and has sped by this year. I cannot believe it is already April. I haven't posted since 2009! Why? Taking three classes this semester may have had a bit to do with it. Work becoming overly busy the past few months may have not helped. Here's my first quarter, 2010, recap:

• Tristan was kicked out of daycare - it was a home daycare. Our provider told us she couldn't handle him and that he was showing signs of severe ADD.
• We put the kids in Tristan's old daycare, a commercial one, for a premium (over $300 a week)
• We take Tristan to the doctor's to get evaluated.
• Doctor says he's an active four year old that we don't have to worry too much about until he is closer to school age. In the meantime, praise him when he is quiet and following directions and offer him a fairly structured day.
• We're not sure, but we think it really wasn't our son that was the problem. We are still a bit upset about the ordeal.
• Scott now is a stay at home dad with the children. I work full time and go to school about 3/4 time (3 classes a semester is my goal).
• I'm happy that my children get to be at home with their father. Not many children have that privilege and I hope one day they will appreciate that.
• I'm jealous that it isn't me staying at home with them. Unfortunately, the job market is still pretty horrible and he wouldn't be able to make enough to let me stay at home.
• Tristan is now playing on a soccer team through the city's Park and Recreation program.
• Tristan isn't so enthusiastic about playing. He's more enthusiastic about watching his shadow.
• Melayna is more enthusiastic about soccer than her big brother is. Maybe we'll save the cleats and shin guards for her.
• I'm turning 27 this month. Not any major milestone or anything. Just another year that I can be thankful to be alive.

Honestly not much exciting stuff has been happening lately. A few personal things going on, but otherwise pretty darn good. I can be very thankful that we were able to manage living on one income without to many adjustments. I'd have to say the hardest would be the groceries. I've tried so hard to cut down on our spending, but I just can't seem to stay within budget. Perhaps my budget is unreasonable.

Anyway, I'll leave you with some of the few pictures (and I mean few - poor cameras have been neglected) I've taken over the past quarter.

Melayna sporting a pretty cool sweater from her Uncle Robert. It is a little big for her, but she'll grow into it.

Melayna testing out the balance beam at the YMCA downtown. They had a free Easter celebration and I went along with some good friends.

Tristan playing at the YMCA for Easter.

Melayna going through a crawling tube. She was having a blast!

Tristan having fun.

Renaissance: part three

Now it is Melayna's turn. :)

Check out parts one and two for more pictures of a great time at the Renaissance Festival in Larkspur, Colorado!

So, Melayna, despite being limited in size and abilities, had a very enjoyable time as well. She was carried in wrap for part of the time, but mostly enjoyed the scenery from the Radio Flyer. She didn't get any special outfits. She didn't get her face painted. But she still had fun.

Melayna had fun because she was outside, enjoying the good weather (albeit windy), and she was with family, especially her grandma.


Who wouldn't be happy with Grandma? She even got her face painted.

Just chillin' with Grandma at the jousting tournament.


I think Melayna's eyes does the same thing that Grandma's does when she smiles. What do you think?


Grandma loves her grandkids. She spoils them rotten.


She loves to take Melayna around just like what she did with Tristan (and still does, too)


I think one of Melayna's most favorite part of the festival was the food. Most everything served there is on a stick or served without utensils.

She loved the sausage on a stick. Seen her after stick was removed for safety reasons.


But what is even better than a sausage on a stick? Why, turkey leg, of course!

Quick, daddy isn't looking!


Shoot, he's starting to look this way. Better hurry!


I got it!


Oh, no. He's taking it away. Slipping from fingers, must pull harder!


But, but.....it's mine.


Thanks Daddy!


Get your own turkey leg!

Renaissance

Yesterday was opening weekend at the Colorado Renaissance Festival. I used to go every summer. I even own garb. Since having Tristan, I've only gone once.

Well, we got a coupon for buy one, get one adult admission. That saves us $17.95! Plus, children under 5 are free. It was only good for opening weekend, though. So, we decided to go. Now, I really wanted us to go in costumes, but I had make something for the kids if that was going to happen. With no time and no money for the right kinds of materials meant no garb for the kids. So, I decided it wasn't fair for us to wear our costumes and the children none.

With or without costumes, the Renaissance Festival is always fun. At Colorado's Renaissance Festival, in the town of Larkspur, the walk can be quite a workout. It is filled with all sorts of hills. The last time we were there, Tristan's stroller broke. We had to carry him in the sling the rest of the time. Last year, before Melayna was born, we bought a wagon. It wasn't just any old wagon we bought. It was a Radio Flyer. No, it was the Cadillac of Radio Flyers.




Equipped with a canopy to block those harmful sun rays, multiple seating arrangement possibilities (two seats facing same direction, two seats facing each other, one seat with a table top, or flat bottom/no seats, storage space for stuff, and all terrain wheels, we were unstoppable. Well, maybe not unstoppable, but better equipped to handle the festival's terrain and two children.

What I love about the festival is the variety of things to see, do, eat, and try. What I love now is that my children can enjoy these things, especially Tristan.

There were so many things to see and enjoy.

At one shoppe, they had some birds of prey. Tristan loved looking at these guys and talking to them.

A beautiful owl:


A magnificent eagle:


These guys were talking with German accents saying all sorts of ridiculous stuff to people passing by. They saw that I was going to take their picture when they started to make funny poses for me. Unfortunately, I didn't get many because I didn't realize my timer was on. Here are a couple of good ones. I love the pretzels on their backs!





While I would still prefer Johnny Depp, this guy played the part well. Of course, he had to have his rum handy.




This lady was dressed up as a fairy, playing a wooden recorder of some sort. She would stop and give the children "magic stones" and sprinkle fairy dust on them.



We needed a nice break from walking around, so we spread out a blanket by the jousting arena. We relaxed a bit. Took turns heading out to check out a few things so we didn't have to pull the wagon around too much. Then we watched the jousting show.






I've got more pictures, but have to get back to taking care of the kiddos and getting the house cleaned up. I'll post more later - especially ones of the kids.

I♥Faces: Week 22

This week is kind of a special week at iheartfaces. Instead of the normal weekly judging, we've been asked to write about a family vacation. This will give a much needed break for those who run the show at iheartfaces and allow all of us who participate the chance to share a little bit about ourselves.

When I read about the theme: "My Story Through Photos: Vacation Edition", I almost decided to back out. I haven't taken an "official" vacation in years. Partly, this has been due to using up all my leave for maternity leave, twelve weeks each for both kids, and taking up leave every time one of the kids become ill. Sure, we've had a little excursions to the Children's Museum, the local zoo, and the like, but not an actual vacation. A real vacation.

I was just going to share one of those excursions, but then decided to share with you that last real vacation I ever took.

Let me take you back to a time when our family was half the size of what it is today. Just Scott and me. No children. No diaper bags to pack. No bottles to prepare. No car seats and strollers.

In fact, this was maybe about a month or two before we found out I was pregnant.

My mother, who was still alive then, lived in Minnesota with my stepdad. She really wanted me to come see her and visit. Living poorly then, we made a road trip out of a long weekend. My mother also wanted me to bring her some of her stuff kept at my dad's house. That's what having a pick-up is good for, right?Scott and I left after working early morning shifts that day. We live in Colorado Springs. We were traveling to Little Canada, Minnesota. That's a long, long, long drive. Scott and I divvied up the driving shifts. I took the trek through Colorado. He'd take the Nebraska bit. I'd take over in Iowa. Then him in Minnesota.By the time we reached Nebraska, the sun had pretty much set. We stopped at a gas station and Scott took over so I could get some rest. No sooner had I fallen asleep that I had awoken to us stopped at a rest stop and Scott was starting to sleep! We had no time to waste. I didn't want to sleep in a rest stop and lose precious time. So, I took over. I drove all night until the sun was starting to come up. I drove almost all the way to Iowa. Scott slept, in and out mostly. I drove. It was a long, long drive. Boring and long. And I was exhausted.Scott took over for the rest of Nebraska and most of Iowa. Either way, we finally made it to Minnesota.
Despite being exhausted, I caught my second wind and we headed out to have some fun (of course, after eating and showering).

Here are a few things we did that weekend.


Visit the Mall of America.
Go skiing/snowboarding. Weird, though. I live in Colorado and up to that point had never gone to any of Colorado's beautiful ski slopes. This was my first time and it was in Minnesota, not Colorado. Self portrait.
Visited a small town near the Minnesota/Wisconsin border. In fact, the bridge behind my mother leads into Wisconsin. As you can see from my mother's expression, it was very, very cold.
The weekend was too short. I didn't want to say good-bye to my mother. The next time I saw my mother, we were both pregnant and she was getting ready to move back (my stepdad was preparing to serve a tour in the Middle East).


Our ride back was a bit more fairly spread out. It seemed quicker because much was during daylight hours and our load was lighter (no piles of boxes in the pick-up bed)
As the day faded, I took a picture of a beautiful sunset and surprised it actually turned out well.

A Mother's Day Tribute

Let me tell you about a mother.

My mother.

This will be the third Mother's Day without her.

The first Mother's Day missed with her granddaughter.

My mother, just like everyone else in the world, was not perfect. But she was my mother. And I miss her.

A little over three years ago, she passed away. My son was only about two months old. My baby sister was just a few weeks old.

I cherish the moments I had with her - the good and the bad ones. I cherish the fact that I got to spend almost twenty-three years of my life with her.

I am sadden by the fact that my sister only got to spend the first three weeks of her life with my mother. I am sadden that my sister won't get to have moments just as I had. I could picture her doing all these things with her (hoping to do them better with her than with my brother and I - even though I believe she did the best job she could). She would be braiding her hair. Putting her in countless number of dresses and taking as many pictures as she could. She would be singing and dancing with her. My sister would be missing out on some of the important moments that mother and daughter share.

I am also sadden by the fact that my children are without their "Lola". They won't ever hear her infectious laughter. They won't ever get to listen to her sweet lullabies. They won't ever get to be smothered by her hugs and kisses.

I am happy that she got to enjoy being a grandmother, even for just a short amount of time. I am happy that she got to at least see my sister before passing away. I am happy to have had her for my mom.


Happy Mother's Day to all of you wonderful mothers out there!

My mother with Tristan (he was under a month old in this picture)
Me and my baby sister - she was about seven to eight months old here.My baby sister at her third birthday