We all adore Sue and couldn't ask for a more wonderful person to call our friend.
Happy Birthday, Sue!
Sue and her boys.
The boys with the finished cookies.
WE LOVE SUE!
8 years ago
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Happy Birthday, Sue!!!
Today we made a special delivery to Daddy's office to take a plate of birthday cookies to Sue. Sue is not technically a blood relative but she is definitely the closest thing we have to family here in Incline. Sue has been part of both boys' lives since the day they were born and she fondly refers to them as, "My boys."
We all adore Sue and couldn't ask for a more wonderful person to call our friend.
Happy Birthday, Sue!
We all adore Sue and couldn't ask for a more wonderful person to call our friend.
Happy Birthday, Sue!
Giddy-up
Sam thought it was hysterical to sit on Ben and call him a rony (a pony). Ben didn't seem to mind much.
Sam's Success
Sam just has to be a big boy like Ben and his latest step in becoming a big boy is potty training himself. For several months he has been using the potty when we ask him to or when we sit him on it. But this week when he has woken from his nap he has decided that he wants to wear big boy underwear and has managed to keep them dry 90% of the time right up to bedtime.
Yesterday he insisted I take a picture of him doing his business and of his success (#1 only). So, any of you with weak stomachs, don't scroll down!
Yesterday he insisted I take a picture of him doing his business and of his success (#1 only). So, any of you with weak stomachs, don't scroll down!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
D is for Dinosaur!
Each week Ben's preschool has a different theme that they learn all about. Past themes have included Snow and Ice, Arctic Animals, Giving, Food, Colors, and several more. This last week's focus was Dinosaurs. It's funny because at one point when I was a kid I was sure I would grow up to be a paleontologist and could identify many dinosaurs. You would think that we would have plunged into dinosaurs long ago but even with a handful of books about dinosaurs, dinosaur stuffed animals, small plastic dinosaur figurines, and a dinosaur costume handed down from cousin Kayla the boys just haven't shown all that much interest. Until now.
Even with a short week of school because of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, the preschool teachers focused completely on dinosaurs with paintings, fossil digs, and other activities. I even had a chance to get in on the fun as the week's "Mystery Reader." Each Friday a different parent or family member of one of the preschool students gets to secretly arrive at the school and have the kids guess who they are based only on their voice. Once the kids have guessed the Mystery Reader joins the class and shares a story. I was originally signed up to be the reader during Arctic Animals week but with the help of the preschool director I was able to switch weeks with another family and be the Dinosaur week reader.
Sam and I arrived at the preschool ready to entertain. I crammed myself into the dinosaur costume and when the class said, "Hello, Mystery Reader," I let out a roar. They immediately guessed a dinosaur was in their presence and were excited to see me enter the room. I read a fun story called, "When Dinosaurs Came with Everything," that followed a little boy on errands with his mom. The usual places they visited to take care of their business had a very special offer that day....with a dozen donuts you got a dinosaur, instead of a balloon from the barber you got a dinosaur, at the doctor's office you got a dinosaur instead of a sticker (two dinosaurs if you got a shot).
After the story ended I gave each child a small dinosaur figurine to take home because on Friday a dinosaur came with the Mystery Reader story too!
Even with a short week of school because of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, the preschool teachers focused completely on dinosaurs with paintings, fossil digs, and other activities. I even had a chance to get in on the fun as the week's "Mystery Reader." Each Friday a different parent or family member of one of the preschool students gets to secretly arrive at the school and have the kids guess who they are based only on their voice. Once the kids have guessed the Mystery Reader joins the class and shares a story. I was originally signed up to be the reader during Arctic Animals week but with the help of the preschool director I was able to switch weeks with another family and be the Dinosaur week reader.
Sam and I arrived at the preschool ready to entertain. I crammed myself into the dinosaur costume and when the class said, "Hello, Mystery Reader," I let out a roar. They immediately guessed a dinosaur was in their presence and were excited to see me enter the room. I read a fun story called, "When Dinosaurs Came with Everything," that followed a little boy on errands with his mom. The usual places they visited to take care of their business had a very special offer that day....with a dozen donuts you got a dinosaur, instead of a balloon from the barber you got a dinosaur, at the doctor's office you got a dinosaur instead of a sticker (two dinosaurs if you got a shot).
After the story ended I gave each child a small dinosaur figurine to take home because on Friday a dinosaur came with the Mystery Reader story too!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Truck Luck
In the six and a half years that I have known Brian I have never seen the old Ramcharger do anything more than sit in the garage. The old truck dates back to Great-Grandpa Browder who purchased the truck in the 1970's. Brian "inherited" the truck, had a little work done to it, and enjoyed driving it when he lived in the Bay Area during his bachelor days. Since moving up in elevation the old truck became old and grouchy about the lack of oxygen. Brian had another car (a true bachelor sports car) when we met so the need to fix up the Ramcharger was pointless. When we found out I was pregnant with Ben we both traded in our less than practical cars (the sports car for Brian and the two-wheel drive sedan for me) and opted for the "Super-Deluxe Mommy Wagon," AKA a Subaru Outback Wagon, AKA the official car of Lake Tahoe.
After having the boys and trying to get both of them into carseats with the car crammed in the garage with the Ramcharger and all of the kid gear we had accumulated we decided that maybe it was time to find the old truck a new home. Luckily, our friend Paul enjoys older cars and fixing them up so we offered the truck to him.....about two years ago.
Needless to say, despite all our best efforts/intentions the truck remained in the garage collecting dust, kids' toys, etc., etc., as we went through last year's remodel and another full year. We joked with Paul whenever we saw him that his truck was becoming a virtual storage unit in our garage and he was welcome to take it any time. The boys even picked up on it and Ben would occasionally ask, "When is Paul coming to get his truck?"
After the most recent new year Brian made it his personal mission to say goodbye to the truck once and for all so that we could put the space in our garage to better use. Which leads us to today......
Paul arrived early and he and Brian went right to work emptying the truck and clearing out the masses of things that had come to live under it......extra molding for the cabinets, old paint cans, spools of wire, the old vertical blinds that were removed during the remodel, and other things I didn't even know existed in our garage.
I would like to say that as soon as the truck was towed out the space in the garage was instantly usable but the reality is that all that stuff had to go somewhere and that currently happens to be spread across the garage floor. So though it's one small step for used cars everywhere it's one giant leap for the Browder family.
After having the boys and trying to get both of them into carseats with the car crammed in the garage with the Ramcharger and all of the kid gear we had accumulated we decided that maybe it was time to find the old truck a new home. Luckily, our friend Paul enjoys older cars and fixing them up so we offered the truck to him.....about two years ago.
Needless to say, despite all our best efforts/intentions the truck remained in the garage collecting dust, kids' toys, etc., etc., as we went through last year's remodel and another full year. We joked with Paul whenever we saw him that his truck was becoming a virtual storage unit in our garage and he was welcome to take it any time. The boys even picked up on it and Ben would occasionally ask, "When is Paul coming to get his truck?"
After the most recent new year Brian made it his personal mission to say goodbye to the truck once and for all so that we could put the space in our garage to better use. Which leads us to today......
Paul arrived early and he and Brian went right to work emptying the truck and clearing out the masses of things that had come to live under it......extra molding for the cabinets, old paint cans, spools of wire, the old vertical blinds that were removed during the remodel, and other things I didn't even know existed in our garage.
I would like to say that as soon as the truck was towed out the space in the garage was instantly usable but the reality is that all that stuff had to go somewhere and that currently happens to be spread across the garage floor. So though it's one small step for used cars everywhere it's one giant leap for the Browder family.
All loaded up and ready to go.....another reason to love AAA.
The boys waving goodbye to the old truck.
Making the deal official!
The aftermath.
A Random Sampling
Gram and Pop gave us an amaryllis bulb for Christmas and after just a couple of weeks this is what we've seen emerge......beautiful!
Last week we also had some incredibly foggy days. These photos give you an idea of how socked in we were.
The lake is under there somewhere.
Just the tops of the lake rim showing.
After three days of thick fog we got this partial inversion.
Sam signing, "Thank you."
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Perfect Playdate
A handful of photos taken by Tabitha at a playdate we had at the Kidzone Museum in truckee last week. The kids and adults had a great time!
Ben on the "snow plow."
Julianna helping keep those roads clear.
The Three Musketeers!
Friends for life.....Tabitha, Steph, me.
(and baby Zachary in Steph's belly!)
Sunday, January 10, 2010
paJAMa session
With Brian working 14+ hour days lately it falls on me to entertain the boys between dinner and bedtime. Tonight's entertainment left me in the audience as the boys had a band. Here are a few photos of their Jam session.
A duet.
Drum solo.
"You want to hear this?"
Ben playing the blues on his harmonica.
CRAZY HARMONICA KID!
Did you ever want to be able to fly?
Ben does this between music sets as his "exercise."
Saturday, January 9, 2010
New Year News
We started off 2010 on an very quiet note with my parents in town and Brian working long hours as his current project is coming to an end. New Year's Eve we treated like any other night and were all in bed at our usual time thinking that sleep was more important than ringing in the new year right at midnight. Sleep seems to be the thing we all crave lately. Maybe it's the gray weather, maybe it's the cold, maybe it's the need for a routine after the hubbub of the holidays. I am finding that I'm not getting the rest I need because Ben seldoms naps anymore and seems to be ready to roll every morning as early as 6:00. Brian is not getting enough rest because he can't seem to turn off his computer engineer brain as he plays through all of the things he needs to accomplish before his deadline hits. In fact, it seems that Sam is the only member of our family who sleeps enough!
Grandma and Grandpa stayed with us for a few days after Christmas and through New Year's and the boys loved having the extra attention they always provide. I guess it's because there is always an adult to talk to them, play with them, or read to them but it seems like the bickering between the boys is lessened when we have company.
On December 30th, Grandma accompanied me to my Meals By Maggie kitchen and walked me through her recipe for Chicken Wellington which we served to my customers for the week with much success! Grandpa stayed home with the boys and was successful in getting both down for naps and entertained for five hours! It was basically a trial run for when the boys stay in Happy Camp while Brian and I travel to Belize this spring. Grandpa will be on kid duty each day while Grandma keeps to her normal work schedule.
Much to the boys' disappointment, Grandma and Grandpa headed back home on the 2nd but we got the news that my friend Tabitha from my days at Humboldt State would be up on the 5th to stay with us for a few days. In a matter of hours I heard, "I wish Grandma and Grandpa could've stayed," change to "When is Tabitha getting here?"
I was very lucky to have my parents and Tabitha with me over a week and a half to help with the boys since Brian's work hours increased to a minimum of twelve hours a day.
Tabitha arrived on Tuesday morning and immediately got in the car with the boys and I and headed to Reno to do some shopping for us and for my business. It was such a treat to have the boys separated into different carts and to have two carts to separate the personal and business groceries. It was a long day but we had fun catching up with Tabitha and going out to lunch before heading home.
On Wednesday the 6th, we picked Ben up from preschool and drove over the mountain to Truckee to meet up with Steph, my other good friend from Humboldt, and her little one Julianna. We had a very pleasant lunch at Truckee Bagel Company (imagine three kids ages 3 1/2, 2 1/2 and 2 all sitting politely while the adults chatted) then headed to the Kidzone Museum to play. The Kidzone was a new experience for us as Chris, Emily and the kids gave us a family membership for the year. The kids were in heaven! They had such a good time playing with each other in this new environment and were less than thrilled when the adults agreed that it was time to go. Tabitha did happen to have a camera with her so I'll add those photos soon.
By Thursday, Tabitha had to head back home to Southern California but came to the Meals By Maggie kitchen with me for a couple of hours to take some photos of me working. I'll put some of those photos up on that blog soon too. While I have been working the boys have been spending their days with our incredible sitter, Mary. They were very excited that Mary was game for the Kidzone so they all headed back to Truckee for another day of playing.
My day cooking was successful even though I made a bread recipe I had never tried before! By Thrusday afternoon I'd been fighting major sinus headaches for more than a week and decided it was time to call the doctor and address what I was sure was a sinus infection. I am now almost twenty-four hours into antibiotics and am already feeling better. Brian's entire week was very long and "ended" with his Friday starting at about six in the morning and ending at nine at night. Here it is 9:00 on Saturday morning and Brian has already been at work for three hours and will most likely be there another ten or more. We are all anxious for the deadline to be here and end these crazy days for him.
I haven't taken many photos of my own lately but I do have these few of the boys in new outfits they got for Christmas from Auntie Pauline, Uncle Howie, Olivia and Isaac. They do look quite dashing I would say!
Grandma and Grandpa stayed with us for a few days after Christmas and through New Year's and the boys loved having the extra attention they always provide. I guess it's because there is always an adult to talk to them, play with them, or read to them but it seems like the bickering between the boys is lessened when we have company.
On December 30th, Grandma accompanied me to my Meals By Maggie kitchen and walked me through her recipe for Chicken Wellington which we served to my customers for the week with much success! Grandpa stayed home with the boys and was successful in getting both down for naps and entertained for five hours! It was basically a trial run for when the boys stay in Happy Camp while Brian and I travel to Belize this spring. Grandpa will be on kid duty each day while Grandma keeps to her normal work schedule.
Much to the boys' disappointment, Grandma and Grandpa headed back home on the 2nd but we got the news that my friend Tabitha from my days at Humboldt State would be up on the 5th to stay with us for a few days. In a matter of hours I heard, "I wish Grandma and Grandpa could've stayed," change to "When is Tabitha getting here?"
I was very lucky to have my parents and Tabitha with me over a week and a half to help with the boys since Brian's work hours increased to a minimum of twelve hours a day.
Tabitha arrived on Tuesday morning and immediately got in the car with the boys and I and headed to Reno to do some shopping for us and for my business. It was such a treat to have the boys separated into different carts and to have two carts to separate the personal and business groceries. It was a long day but we had fun catching up with Tabitha and going out to lunch before heading home.
On Wednesday the 6th, we picked Ben up from preschool and drove over the mountain to Truckee to meet up with Steph, my other good friend from Humboldt, and her little one Julianna. We had a very pleasant lunch at Truckee Bagel Company (imagine three kids ages 3 1/2, 2 1/2 and 2 all sitting politely while the adults chatted) then headed to the Kidzone Museum to play. The Kidzone was a new experience for us as Chris, Emily and the kids gave us a family membership for the year. The kids were in heaven! They had such a good time playing with each other in this new environment and were less than thrilled when the adults agreed that it was time to go. Tabitha did happen to have a camera with her so I'll add those photos soon.
By Thursday, Tabitha had to head back home to Southern California but came to the Meals By Maggie kitchen with me for a couple of hours to take some photos of me working. I'll put some of those photos up on that blog soon too. While I have been working the boys have been spending their days with our incredible sitter, Mary. They were very excited that Mary was game for the Kidzone so they all headed back to Truckee for another day of playing.
My day cooking was successful even though I made a bread recipe I had never tried before! By Thrusday afternoon I'd been fighting major sinus headaches for more than a week and decided it was time to call the doctor and address what I was sure was a sinus infection. I am now almost twenty-four hours into antibiotics and am already feeling better. Brian's entire week was very long and "ended" with his Friday starting at about six in the morning and ending at nine at night. Here it is 9:00 on Saturday morning and Brian has already been at work for three hours and will most likely be there another ten or more. We are all anxious for the deadline to be here and end these crazy days for him.
I haven't taken many photos of my own lately but I do have these few of the boys in new outfits they got for Christmas from Auntie Pauline, Uncle Howie, Olivia and Isaac. They do look quite dashing I would say!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Merry Christmas...a little delayed.
My apologies for the VERY late posting of the Christmas pictures (which happen to be very few). The last week was jam-packed with other things and I am finally finding a few minutes to finally get to these.
We enjoyed a very nice Christmas this year (well, last year now I guess) by going to the Christmas Eve service at our church St. Patrick's Episcopal in Incline Village. The boys loved all of the music and the beautiful garlands and poinsettias decorating the sanctuary. After the service we followed my family's tradition of driving around looking at Christmas lights. Ben was less than impressed and kept asking when we were going back home. We went through the typical bedtime routine and the boys fell asleep peacefully with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads. Actually, knowing our boys it was more like visions of shells and cheese dancing in their heads.
The first to wake on Christmas morning was Ben who then had to wait very patiently for Sam to wake up too. He ended up waiting almost an hour! He did enjoy reading a couple of new books that were under the tree and seeking out the packages with his name on the tags. He was also quick to claim any presents to Brian since they also had a capital B on the tag.
He opened a small package with a Slinky inside before Sam woke and Daddy helped build an obstacle-course of boxes that they attempted to have the Slinky descend. Ben ended up having more fun wrapping himself up in the boxes and popping out to surprise us.
Finally Sam woke, we all had a bit to eat then set into present unwrapping. This is where I must apologize again.......I only ended up with a handful of photos of Sam most of which were of the top of his head. So the gift unwrapping is all but undocumented. Then getting either boy to hold still for more photos was pointless as they clamored to have their new Lego sets built.
After another 45 minutes? hour? we finally got around to getting showers and baths to get on the road to Benicia where we were going to have Christmas afternoon and dinner with my parents and my sisters and their families.
Somehow we seemed to forget that we were traveling on Christmas day and our normal stops for snacks and the restroom were closed so our three hour drive ended without either of the boys sleeping much and a lunch consisiting of rice cakes and dry bagels that I happened to have thrown in just in case.
We were greeted in Benicia by hoards of family members and gifts and again everything was so hectic that I got no photos. I think my sister Beth had her camera out so at some point I will add her snapshots to this post.
We enjoyed a very nice Christmas dinner with Beth's inlaws, Dorothy and Peter Szabo, then retired to our hotel room for the night where both boys slept on the floor in their new kid-sized sleeping bags.
The next day we all gathered at Beth and Pete's again for our family's traditional Danish Smorgasbord. The boys were sad to get back in the car but were reassured knowing that Grandma and Grandpa would be coming to our home within the next few days.
We enjoyed a very nice Christmas this year (well, last year now I guess) by going to the Christmas Eve service at our church St. Patrick's Episcopal in Incline Village. The boys loved all of the music and the beautiful garlands and poinsettias decorating the sanctuary. After the service we followed my family's tradition of driving around looking at Christmas lights. Ben was less than impressed and kept asking when we were going back home. We went through the typical bedtime routine and the boys fell asleep peacefully with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads. Actually, knowing our boys it was more like visions of shells and cheese dancing in their heads.
The first to wake on Christmas morning was Ben who then had to wait very patiently for Sam to wake up too. He ended up waiting almost an hour! He did enjoy reading a couple of new books that were under the tree and seeking out the packages with his name on the tags. He was also quick to claim any presents to Brian since they also had a capital B on the tag.
He opened a small package with a Slinky inside before Sam woke and Daddy helped build an obstacle-course of boxes that they attempted to have the Slinky descend. Ben ended up having more fun wrapping himself up in the boxes and popping out to surprise us.
Finally Sam woke, we all had a bit to eat then set into present unwrapping. This is where I must apologize again.......I only ended up with a handful of photos of Sam most of which were of the top of his head. So the gift unwrapping is all but undocumented. Then getting either boy to hold still for more photos was pointless as they clamored to have their new Lego sets built.
After another 45 minutes? hour? we finally got around to getting showers and baths to get on the road to Benicia where we were going to have Christmas afternoon and dinner with my parents and my sisters and their families.
Somehow we seemed to forget that we were traveling on Christmas day and our normal stops for snacks and the restroom were closed so our three hour drive ended without either of the boys sleeping much and a lunch consisiting of rice cakes and dry bagels that I happened to have thrown in just in case.
We were greeted in Benicia by hoards of family members and gifts and again everything was so hectic that I got no photos. I think my sister Beth had her camera out so at some point I will add her snapshots to this post.
We enjoyed a very nice Christmas dinner with Beth's inlaws, Dorothy and Peter Szabo, then retired to our hotel room for the night where both boys slept on the floor in their new kid-sized sleeping bags.
The next day we all gathered at Beth and Pete's again for our family's traditional Danish Smorgasbord. The boys were sad to get back in the car but were reassured knowing that Grandma and Grandpa would be coming to our home within the next few days.
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