You Know You're Getting Old When

You try to buy new clothes but when you're at the store looking at the racks you can't figure out how one would wear the clothing. In fact, I began to wonder if I was in the right section and IF these really WERE clothing items - where on the body does it go exactly?

Straps, buckles, folds, and tucks where's a simple t-shirt when you want one?

Camping Part II

Since we had such a successful campout last weekend we decided to give it a try again this weekend. This time however we slept in a camp trailer. We pushed our luck. I do believe the words, "Write this in your journal kids because I am never taking you camping again, " came out of Jeremy's mouth. It didn't go so well....But Garrett had a great time in the dirt again. And there was a bright spot when we played by the river.

Soooo, I couldn't find my camera for most of the trip even though I brought it. These are pictures from the weekend before. I figured since it was almost in the same place I'd just post more pictures from the successful campout:)

Camping or Boy; a Noise with Dirt

We went camping this last weekend. All the good stuff hiking, trees, mountains, glacier, lake, flowers, bugs, dirt...all that camping stuff.

The kids loved it, especially Garrett. He literally laid on his stomach in the dirt and rubbed it around. The highlight of the trip was Garrett crawling around (and over the top of everybody) in the tent at bedtime and growling for 45 minutes; apparently camping brought out his wild bear-like side.

Good Times Had By All

I'm a little behind on my blogging, but like everyone else its been a busy summer. The last week of July one of my best friends from college came to visit from Washington, D.C. We visited our alma mater, the University of Puget Sound. Dana is pointing at the obelisk in the center of the quad with our graduating year, 2003. (I would have put my own picture in there but somehow I was doing almost the exact same pose and it looked obscene.) Not sure what happened there. I took a pic of the giant pendulum in the new science building as we eavesdropped on a high schooler getting a tour with his parents.

Anyway, we also visited Point Defiance Park and MSM deli yummm.

Later in the week, Dana, Karli (another of my UPS roommies) and I went to Seattle and had dinner at Tango. Dana had heard they had the best dessert in Seattle, El Diablo. We tried El Diablo (sauce on the side) and yes it was the yummiest dessert I've ever had in Seattle. (Unfortunately I don't eat in Seattle that much but it was awesome.)

Yes as we used to say at the Princess Palace, it was 'good times had by all'.

Official Declaration of War

Dear Bees on our property,

I have tried to stay out of your way; let you make your honey and pollinate our plants and flowers while we go about our various outdoor activities. I must inform you all, from the lowliest worker to queen bee, that I am declaring war for the following reasons.

1. Three members of my family have been stung
2. One of them twice
3. The twice stung member was already scared of her own shadow and is now terrified to leave my side when indoors or out, greatly increasing my own psychological stress.
4. Above said member and myself have received physical harm when tripping over each other because of above said distance between ourselves at all times
5. Two of my children will not go outside to play. at all.
6. Buzzing sounds cause chaotic screaming
7. Sleep patterns have been interrupted by dreams of giant bees and tennis rackets

For the above mentioned reasons I will now be killing bees on sight no matter how docile they appear for the protection of my own family. I realize that I am vastly outnumbered but frankly I do not care anymore. Die bees die.

Most regrettably,

Stacey (the crazy lady with a tennis racket)

PS - Your honey isn't even worth it.

List - Bee 2, Emma 0

My sweet little 3-year-old Emma got attacked by bees last night. Attacked may be too strong of a word but when I heard her scream not two feet from me there were 3 soon to be 4 bees on her face. I brushed them off but they came back and I could see more bees out of the corner of my eye so I grabbed her and ran, yelling at Madilyn to run and yelling at Jer to come and help me because I was sure they were going to chase us down and I had to get Garrett. So all 5 of us were running through the yard, Emma screaming and Jeremy trying to figure out what was going on.

In the end only one stung her on the side of her head but, as you can imagine, it scared me. Plus they were bumblebees which usually aren't aggressive. It may have had something to do with the jelly smeared all over her face.

But really my question is...why? What is it always Emma? Here's my list of ailments for her since birth -

• Ear infection - lasted three months and survived 5 antibiotics
• Ear tubes at age 6 months
• Recurring pink eye
• Recurring impetigo
• Recurring digestive problems
• Surgery to remove and patch holes in ear drum because the tubes wouldn't fall out
• Broken leg
• Bit by a dog
• Bee sting
• Bee attack

If its going to happen, its going to happen to Emma.

List - Clothesline

I'm in love with my clothesline.

1. Grandma
2. Clothes smell great
3. Cost less than the dryer
4. Get through the initial washing faster
5. Pants stay stiff for hours after you put them on (I think this is a pro)
6. Sheets
7. Comforters dry quickly
8. Its an excuse to go outside for a few minutes
9. Lots of exercise
10. I can threaten to hang Madilyn up by her toes from it when she annoys me. (She knows I'm kidding.)

There's something about hanging laundry on the line that makes me feel connected to my grandma, like I'm participating in some time honored or tradition or other such nonsense. Maybe it gives me an insight into her life that I never had before or maybe it just makes my clothes smell like hers did, either way I love my clothesline.