NEWS!!!

I have received special top secret information from an anonymous insider that TRADER JOES will be opening a new store on James St. in the old Red Apple by next March. SERIOUS!!!!
Do you know how excited I am???? Do you really, truly have any idea? I am sooooooooo excited! Hurray!

Seriously, a worker at the everett store said it is a done deal. It was just announced officially a few weeks ago to the employees. Please please please be true.

My little Angel

I just want to record for posterity the fact that this week has been the hardest week yet with Saben. I have been working on "weaning" him to only nursing twice a day, in the morning & night, so maybe his recent crazy behavior is his way of punishing me. Also for the record, Saben has shown no signs of letting up on nursing till now. He's been a strict four times a day guy and I finally decided that was a bit much for a young man his age. Anyways, we have been at it a week now, and he seems to be adjusting pretty well except he's suddenly extra clingy & whiny. Luckily he's also been extra cute playing in our pool & splashing around, trying new words like "baba" for Grandpa (or is it Grandma?), and watching his face light up when he hear's Daddy's voice on the phone. But there's a few things that have been driving me nuts

1. He decided to start waking up at 6 am the last 3 days in a row.
2. He just wants to be carried everywhere all the time
3. He wants to go outside all the time. If I even go out to get the mail, he throws a complete fit if I don't let him out to play. I can't go near any doors, otherwise he gets disappointed. But when I do let him out, the joy on his face is beautiful.
4. If he's not whining for me to hold him, not screaming to go outside, then he's playing peacefully... and making a complete mess of my stuff. Like 145 ziplock bags spread all over the kitchen floor, 3 different sizes for me to sort through. Or hiding my night mouthgaurd that costs $400 to replace somewhere in the house. I have looked EVERYWHERE for it. Unpacking the bag I just packed. You get the idea.
5. I take him somewhere fun like the park and he sits and clings to my legs the entire time & won't play
6. I drive all the way to Everett while he naps in the car so that I can shop at Trader Joes and he screams nearly the entire time we are there.

I know, this is normal behavior for a kid his age. I'm not complaining.... just recording it. : )

Gross

Did you know that sometimes people get testicle implants for their dogs after they are neutered? So that it looks like they are still "whole" dogs? That is so disgusting.

I am a secret shopper

Ok, not really. I have merely started a new blog to review Bellingham restaurants. Between living in a nasty apartment that I hated cooking in for a month last summer, having a kitchen torn to shreds for 4 months this year, being able to walk downtown, & just loving food, I think we have tried a ton of restaurants in Bellingham for only living here 9 months. I kept looking around for restaurant recommendations and was always frustrated with the lack of objective information available for newcomers to the area. So I've started my own site. If you live in Bellingham or are just curious, check it out.
http://bellinghamfood.blogspot.com/

Saben sock hands

I hate June. Ok, not really, but it's such a cloudy month around here. I'm always ready to go hiking on the sunny days, and then we call the ranger station & find out the snow hasn't really melted off the trails yet. But we decided to give it a try yesterday anyways because Kyle had taken a day off. In the morning it was sunny here in town, but by the time we got to the mountains it was cloudy, and by the time we started hiking down it was pouring rain. And poor Saben was with us. Luckily he was well bundled & had a rain cover on his backpack, but his hands were freezing. So I took off my sweaty hiking socks and put them over his hands to keep them warm. He wasn't thrilled by it, but I like to think it helped. As a bonus, I found out that hiking with no socks isn't so bad.

Most Embarassing Moment: Part One

The other night we had company and my worst nightmare came true. Out of 6 people who were over, only one couple does not have kids. The guy in this couple is particularly grossed out by things like dirty diapers, drool, etc. On this fateful night, he decided to go use the bathroom. Not only had I forgotten to flush the toilet after Saben's nap (he often wakes up when I flush it so I wait till after his nap) Saben had dropped his favorite CD, "Unmasking the pope & the catholic system", into the toilet to join my merry waste. Now, I am sure you are all wondering and NO, I did not go #2, THANK GOODNESS.

Cracker and Zoo

After Ma ma and Da da, Saben's first two words were cracker & zoo. Cracker is by far his favorite word & one he also uses for rocks, or other objects that look like fun to pick up and are lying on the ground such as woodchips. I guess "Rock" and "Cracker" sound similar... except rock is actually easier to say. And you guessed it, Saben LOVES to eat crackers. He started with "Caca" but has been practicing his annunciation enough that you can now hear both r's quite clearly.

Zoo came about because we have this Peek-a-boo book where they replace "boo" with words that rhyme like zoo, moo, choo choo. It is one of his favorite books. Zoo actually started as "Znn" but the z sound was so good and he used at the appropriate instance, so we gave him credit for it. He does pretty well with Moo & Boo, but often switches them. Zoo is definitely his favorite.

He doesn't say many other words yet. As I mentioned previously, "This" is another favorite. Other than that, he says "da" for dog & "buh" for bird. I think that's it. When he sees candles, he blows. When he sees flowers he sniffs. He is a communication mastermind.

Almost Famous Husband

Hey look! My hubby is now a famous web model too! That's his cute bum on the header of the new Galbraith Mountain website!
www.ridegalbraith.com

Saben's Future

I thought my lovely readers could help settle a debate Kyle & I have been having. We are trying to choose Saben's future career and need your help.

The next Dan Hinkley?

Dan Hinkley - Horticulturist world explorer in search of new plants in Nepal

OR the next Wade Simmons?

Wade Simmons, no explanation needed

Sad Sad (for plant addicts only)

While doing some research for my next blog post, I came across this article and it actually made me cry.

From the Seattle Times, May 31 2006

Fans of Kitsap County's internationally acclaimed Heronswood Nursery — which is credited with putting the Pacific Northwest on the horticulturalist's map by introducing thousands of exotic plants from around the world — are about to suffer transplant shock.

Horticulture giant W. Atlee Burpee & Co., which bought Heronswood in 2000, told employees Tuesday it was shutting down the Kingston nursery and moving the research and retail operations to company headquarters in Pennsylvania. The company said it will retain the Heronswood name and catalog and will continue to offer a similar variety of plants.
For the founders of Heronswood as well as the thousands of gardeners who visited the lush nursery over the years, the news was devastating.

"This has been like dealing with a death in the family," said Daniel J. Hinkley, who began Heronswood with his partner Robert Jones nearly 20 years ago. "We're sad because we believed in Heronswood and believed it was more than just a nursery. We were trying to contribute to the horticultural community and the community as a whole."

You can access the entire article here. (registration required)

FYI - Heronswood nursery includes a 15 acre private garden filled with 10,000 plants from around the world. It is the most amazing place to wander through & now they are selling to ....??? Who knows. Burpee president said they may put a retirement home or condos on the site admist the gardens. Very sad. Boycott Burpee!

Canadian Skills

For anyone who is still curious about why canadians must have their skills tested prior to winning contest or prizes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skill_testing_question

Trouble

Warning: Boring post about Saben's sleep habits
Trouble was Saben's nickname last week. For unknown reasons he suddenly didn't want to sleep anymore. And he got really pissy & threw lots of tantrums whenever he didn't get to do exactly what he wanted to do. He may be teething his first molars, but nothing is poking through yet, so its all speculation at this point. I also was trying to go down to one nap a day, so that may have been part of the issue. And of course the night we go to visit the in-laws, he spends FORTY FIVE minutes screaming before we finally cave & let him get up. He then played peacefully with his toys until 11pm. Luckily this week is going much better, we are back on schedule to two naps & an 8:30 bedtime.

Oklahoma

Have you seen a license plate from Oklahoma recently? I have. You know how on our plates it says something like:
Washington
The Evergreen State

Actually I have no idea if it actually says that, but it's all pretty with a mountain & stuff right?

Well Oklahoma's plate is pure white, no pretty pictures. It says Oklahoma on the top, and then right underneath that it says:
OK!

That's the best they could come up with.

Almost Famous

My debut as a web model...

Note to self

There is a wall between those who have suffered and those who have not. With even the purest motives and the most loving heart, someone who has never suffered can not see over the wall into the world of those who grieve. The person on the painful side of the wall can tell us all about their world, and we may understand some of it, but we can't see it. We don't experience their world and can not fully know it. We can listen, but the wall is tall and we may not catch every word. It is easy to misunderstand eachother when you are shouting over a wall and this can be one of the most difficult parts. Most likely your relationship will never be the same. You may never be as close as you once were. A wall is a tough obstacle to overcome, and that's just the way it is.

It is best if the person on the outside does not try to give advice to the one inside since you have no idea what it really looks over there. Throwing food over the wall however, is often good idea. Holding hands, shouting encouragement, listening intently, praying & trying to help them physically from your side of the wall is usually appreciated. Luckily there are others on their side of the wall that have seen what they've seen. But be sure to know that even though you may not be able to help as well as the ones who have also suffered, your presence at the wall is still important. Sometimes your friend beyond the wall may disappear for a while and won't answer when you call out. It may seem easier to just leave the wall and go somewhere more pleasant, but you'll probably lose your friend that way. Eventually they'll answer. Don't take it personal. When its your turn to cross to the other side of the wall, you'll be glad you have friends over there.

Comments not working

It sounds like people are having trouble posting comments to my blog. : (
I know blogger was down quite a bit this morning and last friday, I was having problems getting my content posted. Apparently I chose a bad time to launch a new blog on blogger. Please keep trying, I love comments. Choose "other" as the commentor and you can just put your name w/o having to sign up.

Stephan Colbert

I don't know anything about him, but I stumbled across this whilst searching the help section of blogger (of all things) and I can't help but share it with all of you. I think he may have officially bumped me from the funniest person I know title. Wow, that was sure short lived.

Being your own biggest fan

I really amuse myself. In fact, I think I am one of the funniest people I know. Other people may not think I am funny at all, but I have a secret advantage - only I know what really makes me laugh. Who else could completely nail my sense of humor, other than myself? People who know me well notice me fighting giggles at seemingly random moments. I have a habit of thinking of things I think are really funny when other people are talking and I often smile and try not to laugh out loud at my own wit.

I would like to think that everyone has something that they think they are the best at. For instance, if you loooooooove decorating your house, you are probably the best interior decorator that you know. Not because some magazine has photographed your house, simply because you know your own taste and preferences better than any professional ever could. Only you know exactly the right spot to put that sentimental trinket so that you see it when you need to remember it most. A cook may think they are the best because they enjoy cooking and most importantly, they know what they like to eat and not eat.

I often don't reveal my sense of humor until I know someone really well because I get too nervous to be funny. I also have a sneaking suspicion that some people may think "wow, what a dork" instead of "wow, she should be a stand up commedian." But even if others do think I'm a complete dork, I like the confidence I feel when I say to myself "Kari, you are the funniest person I know!" At least I have one fan.

Then, during church last night, God crept up behind me and said "Kari, I think you are pretty darn hilarious too." Make that two.

Saben's favorite words

Sabens favorite word right now is "Tits"
He also often replaces the first "T" with "sh"

Those Canadians

On the back of a McDonald's Receipt:

"[this contest is] Open only to legal residents of the US and Canada 15 years of age and older. In order to win, a Canadian resident must correctly answer a skill-testing question"

I am sure canadians must know of a simple explanation for this, but it leaves me breathless. And I'm enjoying the mystery too much to look up the answer on the web. What do YOU think it means? (creativity is encouraged)

The ego has triumphed!
Writing a blog with no audience makes me feel like a crazy stay at home mom who is talking to herself. So today I officially go public.

On that note, this morning I was thinking about my dream store for a $5,000 shopping spree. (I am sure all new bloggers spend too much time daydreaming about inane things like this that might possibly make for an interesting blog post) Actually, what I really want to know is where everyone else would want to go. And no giving the $5,000 to charity. You have to pick one store where you would have to spend all of it. Next, where would you spend $10,000? Does that change your answer? Please comment & let me know so that I can then do a full psychological personality analysis on your answer. For all five of you who might possibly read this.

ps. If you can correctly guess where I would go for my shopping spree, you will be awarded $1,000 to add to your spending spree money.

I think Saben is going to be a very tidy boy, just like his daddy. Today he took my towels down & put them into drawers. They were sticking out, just kind of shoved in there, but the pleasure it gave him was quite obvious. He also put all the dishwasher tablets into the recycling bag with the beer bottles. Very helpful. Kyle has taught him to hold bottles and blow across the top of them. He hasn't gotten it to make the fog horn noise yet, but I am sure it is just weeks away. Then watch out, none of our beer bottles will be safe again.

I think I just need to get all these cute things he does out of my system, I think I want to write about other things too, but I need to get this all down. Let's see, what else....

When saben eats crackers, he holds them quite daintily and lifts his pinky way up in the air. We have pictures of this and I am sure we will taunt him with them through much of his adolescence. If I was cleverer, I would stick a photo of said behavior right here.

Oh, and today I saw a car with an Alabama plate right next to a car with a Maine plate. How odd is that? What are the chances? It rocked my world.

Bedtime.

How do you start a journal when everyone has already said everything there is to say in much smarter, funnier ways than you ever could? Well, perhaps someday, Saben will want to read this, or someday I will love looking back on it, or someday I may even let a few people see some of it. It is a public journal, but I don't think anyone knows it exists and I plan to keep it that way for at least a little while. Probably my ego will get the better of me and I'll want to share my sharp wit & insight with somebody. Actually, I just hate doing things that nobody sees.

Saben. So sweet, he is attempting to put things into my latte as I type. A felt pad for the bottom of a chair. The removable strap of suitcase. He's been particularly fond of the felt pads the last couple days. He carries them around holding one partially in his mouth, chewing on it. He's also been fond of screaming lately. At meals he points toward the table and says "this....dis....dis..." and then screams because we won't give him his heart's desire. Now he's turned on the tv and we're watching a weight loss program at high volume. SHED ALL THOSE UNWANTED POUNDS. LIFT UP THAT DERRIER.

I don't want to be a total mommy blogger, but I do want to remember mommyhood, mostly for myself and like I said, for Saben. Ok, to be honest I was thinking if I died young, he could read this. There, I said it, I am morbid. I better go get the house cleaned up before MIL gets here. So cliche. But there's just a few things left to tidy... like myself. A shower would be nice. And this turbo jam workout infomercial is driving me nuts. ITS JUST A NONSTOP TURBO PARTY FROM BEGINNING TO END