Oh Yes, It's Ladies Night!

Rose City Rollers - Let's Get Ready to Rumble!

Oh my gosh! The most awesome night ever - EVER - may just be tonight! I have become a big fan of the local roller derby, and the season is just getting started tonight. One of the first posts I ever wrote for this bloggito was about the roller derby, and I could hardly contain myself. What makes tonight even more special however, is the After Party!! Check it out!

Roller derby and 80's dancing!! My dream night, and it's not even my birthday! Do you see the exclamation points all over this post?! If you live in Portland, you must come! If you don't live here, I bet you wish you did! 

I have to mention that I took Rachel roller skating last Sunday, and we pretty much closed the place down. But then the coolest thing happened - the derby girls showed up to practice! Out of fear respect, I didn't whip out my camera, but I can say that seeing them there made me run home and check their schedule. So, now you know where I'll be tonight. I can see that I've become a roller derby dweebo, and I don't even care!

My Word for 2011 - Maintenance?

I've noticed that instead of making New Year's resolutions (which are so Out, apparently), many people have switched to intentions, focusing specifically on one word for the year. I've seen wonderful choices like Kindness, Gentle(ness), and Acceptance, and I've been thinking about what my word might be. I've been leaning toward Commitment, meaning that when I take on a project or responsibility, I see it through to the end, or that if I say I'm going to call, write or email you, I actually do it. This seems like something I've been doing well at lately, but I could always get better.

However, yesterday while out for lunch with my family, the elusive winter sun made a surprise appearance, warming us all up for a minute or two. It was during that moment, while playing Hangman with my daughter while we waited for our food that she announced, "Mommy, you have a mustache." Whhhhaaaaaaatttt? I told her, "That is not a compliment."

So maybe 2011 needs to be about maintenance. Maybe I need to see if she's right, and get out the tweezers. Maybe I'll be calling my hair stylist about the growout/gray hairs/lack of ooomph that my hair is experiencing lately. Maybe I'll shave my legs a little more often. I've even been thinking about getting those braces for my teeth that I've always wanted (seriously, I used to pretend to have a retainer by "wearing" a paper clip on my teeth - gross, I know)!

Don't worry - I have good self-esteem. I'm proud of the hard work I do in my pilates class several times a week, and I feel stronger and healthier in my body than ever before. My skin has finally started to behave thanks to Retin A (it even works on wrinkles a little!), and I look people in the eye when I'm talking to them. It just feels a little necessary to take a "physical inventory" to see what needs help, and that includes my muscles which have been asking for a massage for quite a while now.

This seems a little self-centered, but I can still be kind, gentle, and committed, while enjoying a freshening up of my poor, old (not really) self. What are you focusing on? Have you had a pedicure lately? I give them five stars.

Winter Break 2010

Hello! I know you haven't heard from me since last year (wink, wink), but I've been um...busy! Actually, I've really been wanting to post the pictures I took during our Christmas trip to Sunriver, but I had just one problem - procrastinationitis. Seriously. I thought this might disappear with the midnight start of our new year, but no, the first day of the year was spent looking at other people's blogs for hours, ignoring my own. Sigh... I am me, same as always - a little overwhelmed by the love of it all. It seems I took about 100 pictures just of the sledding! Don't even get me started on the snowball fights, the presents, and all the rest of that jazz. What I'm saying is, if you're here to see 1,000 pictures of our Christmas (Mom, I know you're nodding your head), don't fret if it's whittled down to 20 10. At a time. Over the course of a few posts. It's a school night, you know!

My beautiful boy, ready to go! Let's get there already!

Making and eating lots of lefse (a Norwegian tortilla of sorts) is a huge Christmas tradition with my husband's family. I stick with the peanut butter balls. What? 

My sister-in-law, Lucy. Head Lefse Maker.

happy happy joy joy

 

 

See, are we having fun now, or what?!

Ho Ho Ho!

Merry Christmas, friends! I'm writing to you from a genuine winter wonderland in the middle of Oregon. There is snow on the ground, we've been sledding, had tea and hot chocolate for days, and had an explosion of present opening today! It was awesome. We still have to make a snowman, take naps, decorate some cookies, and make a big old meal tonight (salmon - so Northwest!). Pictures to come, I promise. I've actually highjacked my brother-in-law's computer for this message, so it's got to be a quickie. Just know that I'm thinking good thoughts about you today (yes, you!), and hoping you're getting everything you want too!

I'm Seeing Spots

Does anybody know how to get nail polish out of carpet? Oh my.

Hernia Schmernia

We had quite the morning today! Here's my little man, all suited up for surgery, calmly distracted by Dinosaur Train on PBS. Back when I wrote about his hernia in October, we still hadn't seen the pediatric surgeon for his opinion. I was relieved when he and his resident agreed that we could wait it out since it hadn't been seen since that first time. His advice however, was to take a picture of it, should it ever pop back out. I thought that sounded like such a great idea! So high tech! That was until it did pop out around Thanksgiving, and my husband took a pic of it with his phone, then texted it to me so I could email it to the doctor's office. I was pretty sure we were all looking very pervy, but it was all legit! I swear! Blech.

So, the doctor said, "Let's just get it taken care of." That's what we did today.

Ollie was so brave! He never cried once, or even seemed to think that he should! He listened to what the nurses told him, took the yucky medicine they held out for him, and never hesitated or said that he didn't want to go through with this. The nurse told us that he was probably okay with everything because his parents were setting a good example for him (gold stars for us!).

I surprised him with this little box of snap-together toys that I thought might keep his mind off everything. He loved it so much, some of it even stayed in the bed when they wheeled him off to do the deed.

The poor guy had some serious drugs to help him cope with pain, nausea, and anesthesia - I noticed a sudden change in him just a few minutes before the nurses came for him. It seemed like his head was too heavy for his neck, and then he said very quietly, "Mama..." I leaned in really close so I could hear him and he said with his eyes closing, "Can I just go to school now?" Ha! He didn't want to go home, he wanted to go to school! I can't wait to tell his teacher!

Long story short, he came through just fine, slept it off, ate the required popsicles, and we took him home, played Uno, and asked him about a thousand times how he was feeling. So far so good, and he didn't even complain that I ate the most rocky road ice cream of anybody! What a champ!!

Great News!!

We are in the middle of a very exciting weekend! Here's why...

#1.  Opening Day at The Circuit Bouldering Gym!!

This is our little family business! My husband is the owner and mastermind behind this beautiful idea. His first gym opened here in Portland just over five years ago, and now, hot on its heels, comes the second one! I couldn't be more proud of him. He's very humble about it, but the whole town is buzzing about this - as it should be! If you're still thinking, "What the heck is a bouldering gym?," I usually explain that it's a form of rock climbing, but without the harness & ropes or scary heights. It's perfect for kids because they almost always love scrambling around on anything - at least my kids do. They will climb any little thing that makes them taller (steps, retaining walls, trees, grocery carts, kitchen counters...the possibilities are endless!).

We've had to kind of give up most of our free time with Andy since he started building this place with his crew back in July, but now we're looking forward to lots of family time spent here, and of course at the first gym (which isn't going anywhere), as well as in other places (have I told you about our Spring Break trip to Nicaragua? Dios mio!)

I'm so blessed to raise my family in such a supportive, positive environment! I feel especially proud for Andy that he can provide good jobs for people right now (including the building crew he has about 30 people on his payroll!). Plus, he has created a community in Portland that has proven to be very important to a lot of people. Seriously, some people have met their spouses at our gym! Babies have been born! We even hosted a wedding a few years back (totally adorable - they did their vows on top of the kiddie boulder, then slid down the slide after their first kiss!)! Can you tell how much I love this place? So, I'm expecting great things out of the new location. Please come by and visit if you're ever in town, and if you live in Portland, you've got friends waiting to see you at The Circuit! Come see!