Emma and Carter turn 5

(Michael blogging...) Today is Emma and Carter's 5th birthday. We celebrated a few days ago and they really seemed to "get" the idea of having a birthday for the first time. They unwrapped gifts and had cake (each had their "own" cake and candles to blow out) and loved having the house full of friends and family.

Our neighbor, Leah, came over and brought them each a Build-a-Bear - which they each took to bed with them that night and promptly fell asleep. After all - turning five years old is exhausting work!

Just what the world needs...

...another blog!

(Michael blogging...) Because I simply don't have enough to keep me occupied and busy, I've created a blog to review books. I've set a goal of reading and reviewing at least one book per month and I think that's attainable. Anyhow - I don't want to repeat too much, as I've already laid out a lot of the groundwork in the initial post of the new blog.

Check it out if you'd like by clicking here! Enjoy!

The Squirrel and the Snowman

(Michael blogging) No...I'm not reviewing the sequel to a certain 1985 film. We have a great number of squirrels that live in the woods near our home and we often throw peanuts out on the back deck for them to munch on. Invariably, there are always some jays that swoop down and take a few before the squirrels can get to them. I suppose nature is as nature does - but we think the squirrels are more fun than the #@!!* birds. But I digress...

With the snow and ice of the past few weeks - the squirrels have had a harder time foraging for food (I assume, anyhow - I'm not a zoologist). A few days ago, they plowed their way through the snow and tapped their claws against the glass door. I got the peanuts out and slowly opened the door. I held out the peanut and the squirrel actually took it (trepidaciously) from my hand. I think he came back a few times. Laura and Justin were also both able to get them to take the food from them, too. Laura snapped a picture of the last time I was able to get one of them to do it.

We also felt a certain obligation to build a snowman. I initially had a grand scheme in place in which would build an armada of snowmen and perhaps even equip them with snow-muskets, snow-sabers, and other such implements. However, after the drudgery of rolling the first snowball and the "heft" the second one - I decided that simplicity was "in vogue" at the time and I'd be content with one snowman. Laura dressed him (her?) and he looks a bit like a cross between Jack Frost and Elton John.


We're heading down to Coburg and Eugene tomorrow to be with Laura's parents and other relatives. We'll have all six kids in the Pilot and, hopefully, the ride will be smooth.

Hope all is well with everyone and that all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The ultimate beer cooler

(Michael blogging...) Last night we hosted a Christmas party for the neighborhood and had as many as 25-30 people over to our house. Thank God it was for the neighbors only as the copious amounts of snow that fell would have kept all but the most adventuresome indivduals away.

At one point, I slid a ruler into the snow on the back deck. We started out at just under 8 inches and ended up just slightly over 11 inches. In the morning, there were no tire tracks in the cul-de-sac, but only frozen footprints, leading away from our front door and to the various homes of our neighbors.

During the party, we thought it would be a logistic nightmare to have everyone reaching into the fridge to grab a cold beer - and the fridge is already full as it is (6 kids tend to eat often). So - we used what nature was providing - and converted the back porch sliding door into a reach-in beer cooler.

The party was great fun and we had a "White Elephant Gift Exchange" - where Justin and Ethan nabbed a craptacular dolphin clock and Starbucks coffee ornaments, Harry got a porcelin poodle, Brendan got a set of crayons, Emma got a Barbie (lucky pick!) and Carter got (sigh....) a Richard Simmons dance VHS tape. As Johny Carson always said, "They can't all be gems!"

It's not easy, being green..."

(Michael bogging...) So Laura, I, Brendan, and Justin were at the Walker Road Fred Meyer stocking up for a several day bivouac because of the impending snow storm (rolling eyes...see previous post...). As the other three were checking out the toy aisle, I found myself wandering down a random aisle, pondering the Yankees acquistions of C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. A moment later, I saw something blow across the floor a few yards ahead. It stopped moving and then moved again...and again...and again. Curiosity got the best of me and I stooped over to see what it was and, behold - the dirtiest tree frog the world has ever seen. I called Justin and Brendan over to see it and I scooped it up off the floor (lest it quickly become frog paté).

Somewhat to my surprise they all (Laura too!) agreed to go over to the pet supply area and get a little plastic terarium and some gravel, which we purchased as we left the store. We also soaked a paper towel in water and placed it in the cage (I know that isn't a terribly PC word, but let's call a spade a spade, okay?) and we took our new little pet home. When we got home, I tried to Google some results on the care and feeding of tree frogs. Bubkus. I suppose I'll call PetSmart in the morning and see exactly what I've gotten myself into.

Ethan, Harry, Emma, and Carter don't know about the frog yet - but I have a hunch they'll think it's neat. Poor frog doesn't know what he's up against as there is already some low-level chatter about working out a schedule of who gets to have the frog in their room at night.

Nevertheless, I've always loved having pets and I suppose a tree frog is a simple (read: lame) way of meeting that end. Laura even thinks he's "kinda cute." I, too, suppose he's kinda cute. For a frog.

Oh yeah....his name? Phred!

"I like the White Stuff. Baby!"

(Michael blogging...) Hmmm.....what's that you say? You fail to get the pun of the posting title? (sigh.....) I guess the 90's are pretty far behind us now. Alas, here is the "answer", if you must know.

As you may well know - we here in the Portland Metropolitan area got our once-in-a-decade dumping of snow. Well - it was a "dumping" by Portland standards, as anywhere else in the country, it would be a yawn of an event. I suppose that since it isn't officially winter yet, I should be a little more amazed. Nevertheless, I remain a bit underwhelmed.

Still, all the kids had a blast. They "donned their gay apparell" and went to the park up hill and went sledding for several hours. Even Emma — our little diva — played rough-and-tumble with all the other kids and didn't mind at all that her hands got a bit cold.

School has already been cancelled for tomorrow and all the kids (and Laura, too!) are happy to have another day to frolic and romp in the snow. I will attempt the roads to get to work, as Fred Meyer never sleeps!

Right now, most of the kids are downstairs watching "Elf," which may turn into a holiday tradition. I'm not too much of a Will Ferrell fan (although there is a certain film that is a rare gem). Still, I surmise I'd rather watch "Elf" every year than have to endure the other selections of the bottom-feeder holiday movies like "Santa's Three Day Egg Nog Bender."

Here's a pic of the kidlets on the front lawn. Happy holidays to all!

"All I want for Christmas is my......"

...two front teeth.

Actually, one of them is already coming in a bit and we'll have both teeth coming in by Christmas Day.

He lost the first one (pic above) a few weeks ago and the other one (pic below) two days ago.

On another note - I've got to get into the "tooth fairy" racket. There's a FORTUNE to made, apparently.

A Very Brady Christmas

(Michael blogging...) With the turkey, stuffing, and other caloric masterpieces now fully digested (burp....excuse me!) we turn our full attention to Christmas. Laura has decked the halls and the walls and the doors and all throughout the house actually, and I've never seen such a wonderfully adorned home.

It's been several years since I've worked in a Fred Meyer store during the holidays and my disdain for this season has abated greatly while I've worked in a cube-farm (Granted, though, now I've learned to hate staff meetings and the word "hump-day," but I digress). Nevertheless, Laura and my children all are constant reminders now about why I really enjoy Christmas and I am reminded daily that I am, perhaps, the luckiest man alive to be married to her. I know she'll die of embarrassment when she reads this - but I don't think she knows the password to access this blog - so I'll continue to blather until she forces it out of me.

The picture is of the six stocking (hung, of course, by the chimney with care) that Laura picked out and had personalized for Ethan, Justin, Harry, Brendan, Emma, and Carter. They'll soon enough become family heirlooms.

Speaking of whom, I often refer to Emma and Carter collectively as "the babies." Now - when they were incapable of speech and mobility, this moniker worked just dandy. However, they'll be 5 years old in less than a month and it doesn't come across as endearing nor apropos as it once did. So - each time I fall back upon old habits - I get rapped across the knuckles with a ruler and made to clean erasers after class. Actually, all that really happens is that I am politely corrected and then reminded that I was the one who asked her to correct me when I do this. Alas...

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and that the coming weeks and months are truly merry.

Barack-o-lantern

Just a quick picture of what I carved for halloween and is sitting on our porch for some time. Sure - it's not Michelangelo's David - but still, not too shabby, I think. Anyhow - I hope everyone voted.

It's the Great Pumpkin!

With all intentions of actually completing their corn maze, we headed off to Baggenstos Farms with all eight of us to get our pumpkins.

Alas - the best of intentions notwithstanding, we didn't get to the corn maze, but were able to procure our holiday gourds. Wait...are pumpkins technically "gourds" or are they a squash.

Well, if your really curious, here's the answer. In the meantime, here are some new photos!

Camp (itch...)White (bite...) Branch (scratch...)

(Michael blogging...) First of all, "Yes" we know we're an eon overdue for a posting - so I hope to have quite a few here in the next few days to make up for lost time.

As mentioned in the posting title, Laura, Michael, Justin, and Ethan all went to Camp White Branch for a week(ish) last month. Ethan and Justin shared a cabin with Michael and a few other campers and Laura has a cabin full of girls to contend with. There was a tire swing there which the boys made ample use of....when it wasn't raining. And rain it did! I think there was measurable precipitation every day - and so it seemed logical that the best thing to do in such a case is to organize a hike to a nearby waterfall - in this case, Proxy Falls. Ethan is the back right with a green jacket and Justin is in the middle with a clear poncho.

The rain was accompanied several times with the kind of thunder and lightning that rocks the rafters and frightens the elderly. To quote Billy Ocean, it was "simply awesome." While all the kids made the best of it and continued to use the swimming pool (swimming pool!?!? Camp Chez Ritzy if you ask me...but I digress) the biggest downside of the weather was never once having an actually campfire in the evening. This made s'mores kinda hard - although Camp Director Linda Presley made an effort by making oven s'mores: a dollop of marshmallow creme and a squirt of chocolate syrup between two graham crackers (a sacriledge if you ask me, but again....I digress).

Even though camp was puncuated by bees stings, nettle, and mosquitos (oh LORD the mosquitos) there was time for a guava hunt and the kids really had a great first exposure to Camp White Branch. Ethan is old enough to go to the Junior high camp next year known as "Chi Ro" camp and Justin will return to the Jr. camp again. Debate now rages as to which camp we will be couselors at next year - because I don't think we can do both.

One last picture I'll share is the four of us at the lava rocks. Thankfully, it hadn't rained yet that day when we took this hike. Otherwise all the kids would have cracked their mellons on the slippery stones. Alas....

Emma takes inventory

(Michael blogging...) Yes - I know this is the 3rd consecutive posting in a row about Emma - but, alas, she is the princess and royalty has its priviledges, I suppose.

Anyhow - it took longer to get Emma to see her new room than we had originally anticipated - but she finally did see it and we recorded every scrumptious moment.

Emma's New Room

(Laura blogging) Emma has officially evicted Brendan from his old room. She has been squatting in a sleeping bag on the floor for the past couple of weeks, and will see the transformation (paint and furnishings) when she comes home today. Brendan isn't sad, though - he loves his new bed in the former "bonus room" and his new roommates: Harry and Carter. After the paint went up on the walls, Brendan didn't want to go in anyway - it's way too "girly" for him now.

Laura got to do what she has always dreamed of, too - she got to decorate a girl's room! We had most of the stuff already, with the exception of the mattress, bedding, curtains and lampshades. Emma will be sleeping in Laura's old bed that she grew up with, so on those rare nights when no one else is home, Laura might just find herself sleeping in Emma's room!

Emma Enchanted

(Michael blogging...) Last weekend we all schlepped down south on I-5 to make our annual pilgrimage to The Enchanted Forest. Michael's mother felt compelled to come along, too, as she didn't want to miss the spectre of our six kids let loose in a forest theme park. Alas.... she didn't last too long.

Emma seemed quite taken with the fairy tale aspect of it all and here is a picture of her and a neo-Cinderella. Emma was very exicited to have "magic" placed into her wand.

We hope to make this an annual tradition, even though it was a little hard dislodging Carter from the shoe-slide.

Dad & Me Camp

(Michael blogging....) Last weekend, Harrison and I went to our second year of "Dad & Me Camp" at Camp Magruder. Harry got to do some rope swinging, boating, and donkey riding. Lots of the dads and kids who were there had been there last year and it was good to see them again (even if I couldn't remember the bulk of their names!).

Next year will be Harry's last year for Dad & Me as it only goes through 2nd grade - but Emma and Carter will both be old enough in 2010 - so I can keep the tradition going!

More pics to come!

Getting Started...

Hooray! Our intial post!

This blog is our attempt to share the life of a blended family of eight (hence the name..) as it unfolds before us.

We've read the pop-psychology books, talked with friends and relatives, and seen enough television programing (The Brady Bunch, Partridge Family, Eight is Enough, etc) to know that the next decade or so will be filled with adventures, challenges, and love.

We hope you check in from time to time to what's new and drop a note to say "Hi."

- Michael & Laura

Tune in shorty as we prepare for our big day...