Adventure: Quick run of 2014 as we get ready for 2015

New years card 2015

Travel: Missouri River Float- unplugged family time- kind of hate I am plugged in today even to do this.

Started out at Coal Banks landing which Cole loved.  Birch , Cole, and mom- also Lewis, Clark, and Sacajawea.  Cool rock formations.  Sitting on the ground wishing we had brought chairs.  My “full center”does not like pictures of me squatting all the time.  Birch and Cole reading non stop.  No electronics for 3 1/2 days at all!!!  Hot weather so naked or undies all the time.  Birch and I in the canoe together.  Racheal and Lucas – friends on the river we met that had a banjo. One of the last river crossing ferries we took just because we could. 

Hot as hell day one.  We all got toooo burned- my lips swelled up even.  Wind was against us and river was slow.  Millions of bugs ( which never land on David even though I have 100 bites swollen even days later) and the worst- we accidentally brought decaffeinated coffee…. But each day got a little better as my headache from caffeine withdrawal went away, scenery became beautiful, wind blew at our back, and clouds came in. Definitely would consider doing again.

 

Lessons: Don’t let life make you so busy that you can’t even blog- unless blogging is one more activity that makes you busy

What have we been doing since the fall.  Why do I blog?  I think I blog to make sure my kids have a memory in the future of all the cool stuff they got to see and do.  So if one of them ever goes to therapy and says my childhood was tough I can pull this out and say- look here….. Also I guess I like to reflect on how good life has been.  So much sadness and unexpected change can happen in the world, the worlds of our friends, and ours.  Blogging helps me keep perspective on life.

So what have we been doing.

Birch was still into fencing despite our recoil at the damn buzzers that go off every two minutes in youth fencing.  He got a medal finally in one of his matches.  He still does flute but added sax also.  Cole was into downhill skiing some with his obsessive skier dad.  Both did Zany cross country skiing but Birch is more of a cross country skier – not even skate skiing and Cole is a “get me a rush kind of skier”.  Cole stuck with violin but I fear his passion is waning. We are still on Suzuki one…..He has started Hip hop/gymnastic team.  It is not a competition team but a performance team.  They both just finished a round of Lacrosse.  Despite my not being at all a soccer mom we went to four tournaments all out of town and survived.  I think actually Birch likes it more than Cole even though Birch does not like to hit be hit or run too much.  Cole did get his first goal yesterday.  It was the last goal of the last game of the season- so we will see if that stick s in his memory for choosing or not choosing Lacrosse next year. Both kids love  school and read alllll the time so we are lucky. 

Both got braces.  Cole mastered the Ipad photo shop.  Cole made 8 million loom bands.  Cole did some choir in the winter and was pretty good.  Birch read and read and read and lapped and read.

David has been busy at work but loves his job and his challenges.  He travels anywhere from 32-26% of the time depending on if you are asking me or him. He skied any weekend I let him and is back into soccer this spring.  He is ready to make some changes with the house so I think that means we are sticking around for a while.

I love my job also.  Busy but rewarding.  I did Off the Rack condom fashion show again and performed in Abortion Monologues again.  Mostly I just mommed and worked.  I trained to do vasectomies again.

We had turkey day with my family.  We went skiing with David’s over xmas.  We went to Vietnam for spring break. The kid and I did a weekend in Seattle when David was gone to see Lion King from Broadway and a weekend at Fairmont hot springs to warm up when David was gone.  We also went to Salt Lake for So You Think You Can Dance.

Finally after terrible months in the winter we conquered mutant lice that lived in our kids heads.  And I mean mutant!!!!!

My favorite Birchism-  In his 5k cross country ski race he was taking too long so David ran out to find him and found him just skiing a long.  “ Dad is this the most beautiful day you have ever seen.”  “ Birch you are in a race” “ I know but I get a medal no matter what since there are only 3 in the race”

Second Birchism “ anyone can hi or check me in Lacrosse but I won’t his back”

My favorite Colism- too many to remember but watching a sad TV show with me.  “ Birch would you rather mom die or dad die if one had to die?”- “ Cole mom is sitting with us”

Second Colism  - every time he had to defend in Lacrosse he introduced himself to the other team player and sometimes they got so caught up in conversation the ball flew right by them both. 

 

So here are the pics of the late fall, winter, and now spring – no explanation except the above…..

Soon to come Vietnam experience.

Peace to all our friends all over the world.  Missing everyone and think of you often.

joey

Adventures: Regular Life in Missoula in the fall.

I would say almost winter...
Getting dark at 5 pm.  Snow some.  Xmas stuff in the stores. 

Colisms:
 While playing the game "would you rather be" in a restaurant:
"Would you rather be an open sign or a closed sign?"   Now there is a philosophical question.  Birch said closed because then he could open when he wants and Cole said opened because everyone would come to see him.

While peeing in his bathroom.  There is a giant Yoda sticker on the wall behind his toilet.  In the middle of the pee I hear him say to himself.  " Yoda give me some Jedi wisdom."  When I come in laughing he quickly switches to playing penis guitar.  ( You do not want to see that. )

Birchsim:

I made a joke in the car on the way to school.  "Mom that was the perfect time to interject some humor into our morning."  

" I am going to stay in bed all day"  ( every single am)


So we hiked and did ghost towns with friends.  Birch had a Go Indians Boo Colonist play. We had bears in our yard.  We watched master chef junior and Cole became and expert, but still doesn't like his food mixed.  We did rock climbing and fencing competitions.  We had the Day of the Dead parade with all the costumes and the fire dancers. (David's favorite parade ever!!)  We had lice over and over and over again. Of course violin- soon to be fiddle only.  Flute.  and the SAX now....Oh and don't forget Jo teaching the kids "What did the fox say?"
David travelled and kissed our Africa friends hello. I still love work and start vasectomies back soon.
Overall a good fall.  Looking forward to Tulsa with the family and xmas here with David's parents. 

 

 

Lesson: Keep practicing and you will move up in the ranks.

David and I are still learning fencing language, moves, and tournament dos and don'ts.  Birches first Foil competition.  Age 10.  Missoula.

LIfe: Yes life just passed us by. Here is what we have kind of been doing this summer.

"In no particular order, to sum up our Summer, and think back to be grateful before Fall starts. "

David travelled. We camped. David went to Maine with the boys. We tubed with our Africa gang. Birch improved fencing. Cole played on the river. I got a haircut. We road the Missoula carousel with the Hood gang.  Aunt Janna visited.  School started.  Birch improved at flute and has added sax.  Cole continues with violin and soccer. A new fancy gourmet donut shop becomes a favorite.  Cole get a snazzy new vest for himself at the thrift store.   Kids hang with nanny Joe. And lastly the boys get braces.

 

 

 

What is coming up...

Day of the dead parade

Birch's first fencing competition

"So you think you can dance" live performance in Salt Lake city

Vietnam

Mimi and Popi for xmas

Turkey day in Tulsa

Yellowstone- camping with wolves we hope

flute, violin, sax concerts

soccer games and rock climbing competitions

David travels

Dinner with friends lots and lots

 

 

We are so lucky.