What the heck????

Last time I checked, the calendar said April 18th. So, you can imagine imagine my surprise when I looked out the window and saw this...


My mom always jokes about the crazy weather we get, blaming it on the "convergence zone" that we supposedly live in. I'm beginning to feel like we live in the Twilight Zone. It was 80 degrees last Saturday and now, not even a week later, we have an inch of snow on the ground and it's still coming down.

Where is Spring? I need some sunshine....

Phone call from Daddy

Mike called tonight from Singapore, just in time to talk to Ryan before he went to bed. Ryan was super chatty -- which was great -- especially since Ryan refused to talk to Mike when he stopped in Hawaii three weeks ago.


Ryan was telling Mike about his day and told Mike that we went to MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers - http://www.mops.org/) this morning and that he had a snack, played with his friends, and did an art project. Mike asked about his art project and Ryan said, "I prayed for you Daddy." I got choked up hearing Ryan tell Mike this in his sweet three-year old voice. The art project was a picture Ryan colored with a paper chain linked to it. On the paper chain, it says, "My Dad." We pray for Mike every night before bed -- that he gets his work done, stays healthy, and gets enough sleep -- apparently, it's memorable for Ryan.

I love SteveSongs!

Want to spice up your children's music library?? I have the artist for you!!

I just interviewed the COOLEST children's artist this morning. Steve Roslonek, creator of SteveSongs (www.stevesongs.com). He describes his music as "grown-up music with kid content." It is incredible - fun and educational.

I just got a copy of one of his CDs in the mail yesterday and Ryan and Caitlin were be-bopping all the way home from the post office. His music is something I would want to listen to...maybe even without the kids in the car!!

Steve is coming to Seattle on May 17 to perform a benefit concert for Children's Hospital at UW's Kane Hall 11am. I'm going to try and take the kids - it sounds like so much fun!

He's also going to be co-hosting PBS Kids morning preschool block beginning on May 19th...you can look for him as Mr. Steve, the music teacher. He'll be performing original songs in between shows.

One Month Down!

One month down. In some ways, the month has gone by really fast, but in other ways I'm discouraged by the fact that we still have SIX more to go. Yuck! We are finally getting into a routine which is good because I have a full plate of writing projects this month!

Daddy "sent" presents to Ryan and Caitlin to mark the passage of a month (I really picked them up at Target on Saturday night!). We're going to do this each month to give them something to look forward to. This month, Ryan got a Sheriff car and Mater tow truck from Cars and Caitlin got some fun stamps that are just her size!



And a video, thanking Daddy for the fun presents!

Our stars

Saturday morning at the McGees'

Our days start VERY early around here. Since the time change, Ryan has been waking up by 6:15 am (usually 6:13 on the nose!) EVERY. SINGLE. MORNING! This has been a challenge for me - Mike is the early riser at our house. Usually, he would get up early on Saturdays and Sundays and I could sleep until 7:30ish or so. I no longer have that luxury! So, here's a glimpse at what was happening at our house this morning -- all before the fine hour of 7:00 am!

I have pictures of Mike in both of the kids' rooms. Caitlin always says "HI" to Daddy. Here she is giving him a good morning kiss!

Caitlin had barely woken up and started saying, "Horse, horse!" She got out of her crib and went directly to the horse for an early morning ride!

Ryan and Caitlin quickly started where they left off playing last night - Little People and cars and trucks. They are getting to an age where they will happily play with each other. It's such a blessing -- and a nice break for me!!

How did he get so old?

Ryan is 3 1/2 years old today. How did that happen? I still remember going into labor with him, hearing my midwife say, "IT'S A BOY," bringing him home to our tiny, one-bedroom apartment in San Diego, and struggling those first few months because he was soooo fussy.

He's turning into such a fun, quirky little person who treats his sister very well (most of the time!) and loves to learn new things. He is still passionate about all things car-, truck-, train- or construction-related

And on this day, I'm very pleased to announce that he is FINALLY fully potty-trained. It's been a battle -- he's stubborn like his daddy and he held out longer than I would have liked. I'm excited that he's a bit more independent and ready for preschool in the fall.

Hi Daddy!

This is a test to see if Daddy can open these videos.... Mike, let me know if you can see the video.

Book recommendation

This book is the epitome of "chick lit," but it was great. Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin is an easy read with an intriguing plot. I couldn't put it down and was one very sleepy mama last week because I stayed up too late reading.

I kept reading and reading because I just had to know what happened! I started book two in the series on Sunday - it may be another week of little sleep, but it's sooo worth it!

I host a book club through Stroller Strides and this is April's selection -- all you Stroller Strides moms, go get a copy or check it out at the library - you won't be disappointed!

Bath night fun!

Quiet time antics

Ryan no longer naps, but he is banished to his room for a two-hour daily quiet time. He'll read books, play trains, change his clothes, etc. I really don't care what he does, as long as he stays in his room, doesn't hurt himself, and doesn't wake up Caitlin. This week, he's done some funny things during quiet time, that I have to share.

As I write this, Ryan is up in his room singing, "Bullet trains are cool." It's a new song he made up about 20 minutes ago. He has been singing it ever since - and he sounds really out of breath, so I think he's dancing too. **UPDATE: Ryan performed the Bullet Train song for me - it was everything I imagined it would be...and more!**

And yesterday, I went up to "release" him at 3pm and he was standing there with his pants off wearing his big boy underpants. He told me that he had a diaper rash, but not to worry because he applied the Butt Paste all by himself (Caitlin had taken it into his room earlier in the day). Sure enough, he had slathered Butt Paste all over himself. He doesn't have a rash, but at least I know he's resourceful!

Caitlin loves Kanye

As Caitlin becomes more verbal, she is blossoming into quite the singer. She is an especially talented "car singer." Every time the music goes on, she decides to sing along. Usually, we're listening to the Veggie Tales, Backyardigans, or Spirit 105.3 - something appropriate for little listeners, but every once in awhile, I just need to turn the station.

Yesterday, I was flipping around and landed on Kanye West's - "Stronger." For those not familiar with the song, it has a great beat. Mike and I both have it on our iPods as part of our "workout mix" because it's just the thing you want to hear when you're doing something mundane, like running on a treadmill, but it's not something we blast around the kids because Ryan repeats everything - and I mean everything - he hears.

I kept it on the song because I needed a pick-me-up, the sun was shining and most importantly, it was edited for the radio... right on cue, Caitlin started singing. During the chorus, in the middle of the song, Kanye says "Ohh," over and over again and Caitlin, right on beat, sang along - clapping her hands and kicking her feet.

Do we have a future R&B singer or rap artist on our hands?? With her personality, it wouldn't surprise me if she opted for the limelight.

For my dad

My parents are vacationing in Southern California and my dad didn't believe me when I told him we were getting dumped on. He asked for more pictures. Sooo - here is the proof, Dad. Lots and lots of snow!

Today's weather takes the cake

I thought yesterday's snowfall was bizarre, but the weather happening outside right now is so unbelievable that I had to take pictures. We had about four inches of pea-sized hail accumulate in under an hour - and now it is snowing. I've talked to friends that live nearby and they have nothing. It's so weird. Enjoy the pictures!

What's wrong with this picture?

Snow...in Washington...on March 28?? Need I say more??

History of the head

When Mike was a senior in high school, he was nominated for a scholarship (I think through the NFL) and part of the deal was attending a banquet -- and getting a picture taken to display at the head table.

The picture is huge - like 16 x 20 - and, for some reason, never made it above the head table, but Mike was able to keep it as a "souvenir." We had some fun with it in high school. I remember Mike photocopying it and sticking images of his head all over my bedroom and we'd pose for pictures with it, etc.

Well, the head has lived in my closet at my parents house for the past decade, and now that we have our own house, my mom has slowly been bringing up my stuff (so I can keep it in my closet or garage!) and the head came along a couple of months ago.

I joked around with Mike before he left that I was going to take the head with us every where we went, so we could feel like Mike was with us. We could take it to the zoo, the children's museum, church and it could become a permanent fixture in the passenger seat of my car. I thought it would be funny, but because of its size, it would be a bit cumbersome.

So, I staged a little photo-op at home instead. Here is a shot of Ryan and Caitlin with Daddy's giant head. Maybe I'll take it out one of these days, just for kicks!

Have a good day!

The things kids say...

As soon as I start baking anything, Ryan is glued to my side, waiting for something yummy to come out of the oven so he can be my taste-tester. Yesterday, I was making gingersnaps for my grandpa and Ryan had to sample the first batch. Of course, he loved the cookies. I saved a few for him to eat later. Today after lunch, Ryan asked for a cookie...here's how it played out.

Ryan: Mommy, can I have one of those cookies?

Me: What kind do you want?

Ryan: I want one of those gingerbutts.

Me: Huh?

I have no idea where he came up with that. The funniest thing about the whole thing is that he says it with a straight face, having no idea what he is saying. I refer to them as gingersnaps, but that doesn't make a difference to him. They continue to be gingerbutts -- they don't sound so appetizing, do they??

My other child has some notable words of her own...Caitlin said her first three word phrase last night. It was... "No way, mommy!" This was yelled in a fit of rage over something -- probably a countdown to bedtime or a gentle reminder to please not crawl on the furniture. My girl has some spunk!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! We have much to celebrate this Easter - Jesus' resurrection and HEALTH!

Yes, Ryan is finally feeling better. I hope it's a long time before the stomach flu makes an appearance at our house. I think we've had enough to last us a few years!

We went down to Bellevue and went to church with Grandma Barb and Grandpa Pat. We enjoyed a nice Easter breakfast -- lots of candy and cake and a few bites of fruit!

After breakfast, Ryan and Caitlin participated in an Easter egg hunt - here they are checking out their loot. It was fun morning and again, I'm so thankful that Ryan was healthy so he could enjoy the festivities!

Ryan's Question of the Day

While watching Sesame Street this morning because he's STILL sick...

Ryan: Mommy, why doesn't Ernie have eyebrows?

Me: Umm, he's a puppet?

What I really wanted to say was that Bert has enough eyebrow for the both of them.

Shortly after this exchange, Ryan noticed that Bert only has one eyebrow. I took the liberty of introducing him to the unibrow (this word is actually in Webster's New Millenium Edition Dictionary!).

Another cool picture of Mike's ship

Here's a picture of the ship pulling out for deployment. The sailors are "manning the rails" as is customary when pulling out of or into a port.

Mike isn't manning the rails - he is deep in the heart of the ship in the engineering department making sure the ship can actually go!

I prefer to have him inside the ship - it makes me nervous thinking about him standing on the edge like that. I don't want him going outside, but he does have strict instructions (from me!) to make sure he sees daylight every day. He's really busy working and there are obviously no windows, so he'll have to make an effort to go up to the bridge or somewhere to see the sky!

Day 4 and I'm losing it already!

You're not going to believe this, but Ryan has the stomach flu...again. Someone in our house has had the stomach flu for a month. It started first thing this morning and we're still in the middle of it. The poor guy can't keep any fluids down. I really hope this bug is quicker than the last one. We've had more than our fair share of sickness this winter!

The worst possible scenario for a family missing their daddy is to be house-bound. I'm trying to remain upbeat about the situation - what can I do but laugh?! I'm sure Mike is sooo disappointed that he's missing this round of the yucks. :) I'm convinced that this time I'm going to get it, but I'm trying my hardest to evade it...again. I've spent the day sanitizing everything in hopes that we can get rid of this thing for good - the bathrooms and kitchen have all been drenched in Lysol and I've washed as many plastic toys as I can get my hands on. Hopefully Ryan is on the mend and we can get back into our groove soon.

Our days are so much more fun when we can spend them out and about with friends and family!

Gifts from Daddy

I'm trying to keep Mike incorporated in as much of our daily life as possible while he is away. I have pictures posted around the house and I just framed some pictures of him with the kids for Ryan and Caitlin's bedrooms. I also spent time last week videotaping Mike with the kids so they can watch Daddy on TV.

Now that he's gone, we're already looking forward to his Homecoming. I started an M&M countdown jar - the kids will get to eat an M&M each day and when they are gone, Daddy is home! And lastly, I'm going to give them little gifts every month that Daddy "sends." In reality, Mommy is secretly buying them because I don't know how great the toy selection will be in Bahrain or some other foreign port! I'm hoping this will help mark the time passage as well.

This morning, the kids woke up to notes from Daddy and their first special gifts. Ryan got Fearless Freddie, a Thomas train and Cait got a Tigger which is already treating like a new baby.

Since they don't really have a good concept of time, I'm certain the time will pass quickly for them. We have a couple of fun trips planned this summer - to Whistler and the Washington Coast. I'm hoping to get away - ALONE - to go see my girlfriends in the LA area for a few days. I'm trying to come up with fun things to do every couple of weeks so we have things to look forward to.

Let the countdown begin!

Our goodbyes are done. Whew! Tomorrow morning, Mike's ship (the one on the right) will head west.

The last couple of weeks have been so emotionally draining that saying our final goodbye was a relief. Tonight, I'm working on my to-do list of things I want to accomplish when Mike is gone. I should be able to get a lot done in the next seven months.

Let the countdown begin!

What I'm looking forward to

According to a typical military career cycle, we're lucky that this is only Mike's second deployment. Usually, soldiers and sailors face deployments every couple of years - sometimes for as long as 15 months. Mike hasn't deployed in five years. Last time he deployed, we were living in San Diego, we'd been married just over a year, and had no children - my, how things have changed in five years!

I wouldn't change a thing about our life - even though it is difficult at times. The military has provided our family opportunities that probably wouldn't have been possible under other circumstances. We've lived in places I never imagine we would live and we have dear friends all across the country. Mike had his undergraduate and graduate degrees fully funded. I'm thankful for that - and I'm really trying to remember how grateful I am right now - when I'm sad that Mike is gone.

But, instead of being sad, I'm focusing on Homecoming. It's an amazing experience. The excitement is unrivaled - the emotions felt while standing on the pier, watching the ship pull in truly cannot be described. It's incredible. And then, when your loved one gets off the ship - again, I cannot describe it - it takes your breath away!

I found a picture of last time Mike came home. I thought I'd share it with you - looking at it brings a smile to my face.

And the verdict is...

...a second bout of the stomach flu. I took Caitlin to her pediatrician yesterday, just to make sure nothing else is going on in her little tummy. The doctor feels like she coincidentally (and unfortunately!) got a second case of the flu. She is starting to eat a little bit, but still acts quite lethargic. She has lost 2 pounds since her 18 month check up - thank goodness the girl has some chub to spare! On top of the stomach yucks, we are battling colds too - when will it end?!

We do love the wet, wild, windy Washington weather (how's that for alliteration?!) for one reason: Mike's imminent departure has been delayed by a day. He is scheduled to leave on Friday now - we'll take any extra time we can get!

Monday morning blues

We're sick...again.

Poor Miss Caitlin has the stomach flu for the second time in two weeks! She started getting sick, in the car of all places, Saturday afternoon and although she has stopped throwing up, she is barely eating anything. I'm taking her to the pediatrician tomorrow to make sure there isn't anything else going on. And in regards to the throwing up in the car, if anyone has tips for cleaning a suede purse, I would appreciate them. Right now, it's too yucky to even take to the dry cleaners!

Thankfully, no one else has come down with it this time. I'm praying the rest of us stay healthy - I don't think I can deal with another extended stomach flu bug. Ryan appears to be fine. He is reaping the benefits of having a sick sister - lots of TV time. I've tried banishing him to his bedroom for some train time, but he always finds his way back in front of the TV!

In other news, Mike is leaving on Thursday. I added a countdown to his return to the sidebar - only 200 some days until he comes home. Ugh - that makes me sick to my stomach.

Those crazy McGee kids...

Here are few more pictures from our pint-sized exhibitionist. Caitlin always wakes up in the morning with her PJs slightly unzipped and the zipper just keeps comin' down! Here is Caitlin brewing my morning coffee in her kitchen.

And here she is drawing pictures...she was shortly dressed after this picture. :)

Ryan has some crazy antics of his own...namely wearing Mommy's shoes. Here is wearing my boots, with a heel. He enjoyed the challenge of walking around the house in these babies!

Homemade bread - YUM!

A couple of months ago, I was inspired by something I read and decided to try my hand at making homemade bread. I bought a used bread maker off of Craig's List, so if my bread making wasn't successful, I wasn't out a lot of dough. Ha Ha - pun intended!

I haven't bought a loaf of bread since I started baking my own. It's so much tastier and it's really easy to throw it in the bread maker. I've only attempted making wheat bread with this awesome recipe, but I might branch out soon and try other recipes. The recipe I use doesn't include directions for a bread maker, but it's really easy. I just put the machine on the dough cycle, add the ingredients in the order listed, and turn on the machine. I only use the machine to mix and knead the dough. After the dough cycle ends, I put the dough in a loaf pan, cover it and let it rise for another 20 minutes in a warm place, and then bake it at 350 for 30 minutes.

One of Ryan's favorite snacks is "fresh, warm bread," right out of the oven. Yum!

Fun food find

Thanks to my good friend, Christina, we now have yummy, nutritious, organically grown produce delivered right to our door!

The Organic Produce Shoppe (www.organicproduceshoppe.com) is operated by Stanwood's Klesick Family Farm and provides a weekly drop-off service to families throughout Snohomish County. Each week, we receive an assortment of produce - it's fun to see what is going to be delivered. Today our delivery included: baby spinach, red leaf lettuce, cauliflower, tangelos, oranges, apples, blueberries, an onion, an English cucumber, and a tomato. I enjoy the challenge of incorporating the delivery into my weekly meals. And the best part of the whole deal is the home delivery - one less trip to the grocery store is TOTALLY worth it for me!

Showing a little skin

I simply ran upstairs to try and use the bathroom - alone - and I heard Ryan yell, "Mom, Caitlin is standing on the table with her shirt off."

By the time I made it downstairs (with camera in hand because I couldn't miss this photo-op) she decided to sit on the table - which is still a 'no-no' in our house. I had to snap a few pictures of her before asking her to get down - some good blackmail material for her teenage years!

Here she is again, victoriously waving her hands in the air. I know what she is thinking - 'Yes! I've defeated mommy yet again!'

Oh - and Ryan wasn't complety innocent in this whole ordeal. He helped Caitlin take off her shirt because she was 'hot.' Umm, not very believable!

If you haven't gathered from my recent posts who the challenging child is - here's one more from the 'archives' to make things very clear! I think this was another trip upstairs - with Ryan saying, "Mom, Caitlin's standing on the piano!" They certainly keep us on our toes!

Spring has sprung in Washington!

Like father, like son

Ryan loves "working" in the yard with Mike. Here they are pushing their wheelbarrows.

On a completely unrelated note, if anyone has tips for potty-training a very stubborn three-year old, PLEASE share them with us!!

The wonders of Tylenol

Caitlin is running a little fever today...following a couple days of a stomach bug, lucky us! Here she is on the couch this morning watching Blue's Clues. She looked so sad - it made my heart break!
Not even two hours later, following a dose of Tylenol, Caitlin was running around the backyard! It's amazing how quickly they perk up after some drugs! Hopefully she'll still be feeling good after she wakes up from nap!

Not-so-noteworthy news

Only two more weeks until I celebrate the big 3-0. Time to say goodbye to my twenties! I had big plans to accomplish all sorts of things before this big birthday, but the only thing I have accomplished is being published - I guess that's an accomplishment.

Caitlin has entered the "throwing everything" phase - and she's got quite an arm. Today at lunch, she was launching apple slices across the room.

I registered Ryan for preschool in the fall. How did he get so old? He'll be attending a great little preschool at our church. I'm excited for him - he'll love it.

Mike is spending his "vacation" tearing up our backyard. Anyone want to help him (and Ryan) dig up some pesky ground cover? :)

I'm going to compete in the Danskin triathlon in August. I'm going to my first spinning class at the Y tomorrow -- gotta get my seat ready for bike riding. Ouch!

First Haircut

Today (in anticipation of a family portrait scheduled for tomorrow), we decided to cut Caitlin's hair. It was time to say goodbye to the blonde wisps of baby hair and opt for a more manageable (and more uniform) bob. I was fearing the worst as I strapped her into the bright, red airplane at the kids' hair salon. Her lips started quivvering and tears rolled down her face, but after I pulled out her baby and her beloved paci, she was surprisingly well-behaved. Her new 'do looks awfully cute and here wild mullet exists no more!

Angel baby

As Caitlin approaches the grand age of two, she's turned to some not-so-angelic behavior. I snapped this picture the other day and she looks so sweet to me. I don't mean to imply that she isn't sweet, but most of my time is spent telling her "no" and having her react in the following ways:

1. Walking the other direction.

2. Laughing at me.

3. Continuing to do whatever she was doing.

4. Pretending she doesn't hear me.

5. Smiling coyly to try and win me over with her charm.

Although she's a little, walking challenge with her own opinions, she still appears angelic in pictures!

Our "new" family member

Ryan has a dear friend, a duck named Mallard, who many of you may have met. We introduced Ryan and Mallard a couple of years ago, when we were desperate to get Ryan sleeping through the night. Mallard seemed to help. Since then, Mallard has a place reserved in Ryan's big boy bed, silently spending the night nestled in the crook of Ryan's elbow.

But a couple of days ago, things changed. Mallard talks. Ryan will be in his room playing and I'll hear this conversation.

Ry: Hey, let's pick out some books.

Mallard: Quack, quack, QWACK!

Ry: Oh, you want to read the tiger book?

Mallard: QWACK.

Mallard has an opinion about lots of things now. He'll spontaneously "quack" at the TV and he loves "quacking" to the Veggie Tales in the car. Ryan wants to take him everywhere, but he's forbidden to leave the house. It would be tragic to misplace the little fella.

The worst part about the whole thing is that Mallard doesn't quack like a normal duck. He screeches and whines and shrieks. It's very bizarre...and annoying to the other members of our family (especially mommy!).

So, we'll endure this phase, as it shall pass...hopefully sooner rather than later. I'm not sure how much more QWACK I can take!

The Chicken House

First, a little background...

Since he could talk, Ryan has affectionately referred to McDonald's as "The Chicken House." I have no idea where he came up with it, but I don't correct him because I'd much rather have him call the Golden Arches by some obscure name than blurting out, "I want to go to McDonald's!"

Fast forward to this morning...

At almost 20 months old, Caitlin is starting to repeat everything - every word, every gesture...everything that we do. She is particularly interested in her big brother. She follows him around the house - singing if he is singing, jumping if he is jumping. Apparently she is also listening closely to everything he is saying.

This morning, as we were driving to Stroller Strides, she got very excited and started pointing out the window. I turned to look at what she found so exciting and of course, it was The Chicken House. After pointing for a bit, in her little, not-so-clear voice, I hear her saying, "House! House! House!" So, in her very limited vocabulary, she has essentially added, "McDonald's." I'm so proud of her! Ha!

Bring on Spring!

There was a small window of time last Friday afternoon when the sun peeked through the clouds and it was warm enough (in the low 40s) to spend some time outside, so we got adventurous and headed to our community park. The kids had a blast, but our fun was short-lived. As soon as we got there, black clouds started rolling in. We played for a bit, but didn't want to get caught unprepared in a rain storm. I'm getting anxious for Spring!


And, here's an unrelated, slightly crude, story that I just had to share. We're in the midst of potty-training Ryan and I think Caitlin is more interested in the whole process than he is. She is his biggest cheerleader when he successful "goes" on the potty and she's right there checking things out when he doesn't quite make it and needs a diaper change. Today, we had one successful poop and one not-so-successful poop. Caitlin was "hooray-ing" him this morning and hovering over him this afternoon as we changed his Pull-Up. She's just starting to talk and this is what she had to say about the whole ordeal. "Yuck...oh, wow!...poop." She's a girl of few words, but she certainly tells it like it is.

At it again...

After a year-long hiatus, I've decided to resurrect our family blog. With Mike gone nearly all the time, I thought this would be a great way to keep in touch with him, as well as our family and friends throughout the country. Check back often for pictures, stories, recipes, etc.

In the meantime, here's a picture of our two little Seahawk fans. Compare this pic to 7-month old Caitlin's sweet, cherubic face in the post below! They have both changed so much in a year!