The great bedroom debate

So, a couple of weeks ago we took Ian to the pediatrician for his three-year well visit, which went swimmingly well, by the way. And yes, he's still in the 90th percentile for height and weight, for anyone who might be wondering. But during the course of the visit something came up about Ian and his crib. As soon as the word came out of my mouth, I could tell there was slight pause and some sort of look going on as if the doctor was pondering whether or not she should go in our file and immediately pull our Parenthood card. So I quickly added, "But we are transitioning him soon!"

Of course I've been planning to transition him "soon" for at least six months now. But honestly, the deal is that most kids are out of a crib by now because they have been forced out - either by circumstances beyond their control or by learning to scale the side to escape - neither of which has been an issue in our household. Sure, every now and then I've gone in his room to get him up from a nap he has his leg hoisted over the side ready to take matters into his own hands - at which point I say something like, "Ian, please don't do that - it's dangerous," and the kid actually listens and retreats until I lift him down. Must be my Super Mom powers in action again. Still, I understand that while we all cherish the confines of the crib - it might look a little funny when his friends come over in high school and he's still got the rails going on in his room. Plus there will be a sizing issue happening at some point, I imagine.

But here's the deal: It's not like I haven't tried to make this switch. Or thought about it, oh, at least five out of seven days each week. Because I have. Really, besides being slightly reluctant to give up the prison-like sleeping arrangements, it's a decor issue. As in, I'm concerned about the look - which might make me look a little bit shallow at this point, but let's face it, these are some of the things I spend my time thinking about (when I'm not consumed with thoughts of world peace, of course). I've been searching high and low for some time now for the right new accommodations and can't seem to have that "Aha!" moment, as I believe Oprah would call it. (Though I think she actually means something meaningful or spiritual rather than bedding choices. Perhaps designer Nate would be better to consult for an appropriate term in that arena.)

Of course the centerpiece of the new setup is the bed itself. And in that respect, I've kind of been like Goldilocks. No, this one's too high. No, this one's too low. This one's not kid-friendly enough. This one won't clean well. This one looks too cheap. And this one looks too expensive! However, while there seems to be a lot that I'm not sure about with regard to this new decorating challenge - there are indeed a few things I am sure about. And here they are:

1. I'm not really into "kid" furniture. Sure, with a few clicks of a mouse I could order up something overpriced from Pottery Barn Kids. But besides that not really fitting into our one-income budget these days...why in the world would I want to pay $900ish for a bed that has about 100 pieces of wood too many on it and has "I'm 10 therefore this is what kind of bed I am licensed to have in my room" written all over it. Plus, what it really comes down to is that most "kid" furniture is on the traditional side and I'm not much of a traditional decor type of gal. So, whatever bed we choose has to be some sort of combo of being kid-friendly without really looking like a traditional kids' bed. Which is somewhat difficult to locate, I must admit.

2. The bed has to be a platform bed. In case you have no clue what I'm talking about, these are beds that don't use a box spring and are therefore lower to the ground. This is the type of bed we have and I'm a big fan. Lower beds make rooms seem larger and more open, and I personally don't notice a comfort difference. Plus, given that we are bypassing a "toddler bed" that some parents transition kids to at this point - a full size platform bed will give him room to grow while still being safer for him at this young stage if he falls out. It also avoids us having to make yet another bed switch in the not-too-distant future. Oh, and while we're at it, I'm also not a huge fan of footboards. I prefer the end of the bed to be open, also making the room feel larger and more open.

3. I'm not really into "kid" bedding, either. Now, this where things get tricky. Because I'm not so awful of a parent to know this isn't about me...it's about Ian. Or at least that's what I keep reminding myself. So, themes like Thomas Train or Bob the Builder or SpongeBob whatever-his-name-is are not really under consideration at this point in time. Now, that's not to say that more subdued "themes" like general car sheets, airplane sheets, etc., with some sort of solid comforter would be out of the question. I just don't want it to be...overboard, shall we say. And for what it's worth, as of right now, I still I have some reasonable control over this situation in that, unlike his mother, I really don't think Ian has spent a lot of time thinking about what type of comforter he wants on his new bed. Which could have something to do with the fact that he has no idea that he'll be getting a new bedroom set soon, but that's beside the point.

So, the bottom line is to say that I've been all over the board on this new bedroom thing is an understatement. But after seemingly endless searching for an economical, yet nice looking, yet kid-friendly bedroom set - I hesitate to say that I think I've come back full circle to going with something from....drum roll please....IKEA. Yep, trusty ole' IKEA. And to think at one point in my life it was my goal to rid our house of every piece of IKEA furniture. Clearly that was pre-kid. I'm going back and forth between a couple of different sets there, but here's the most recent finalist in case anyone is interested (color TBD).

The bed is really low, which is great, and it's a clean and simple design (just like IKEA says!). Plus, you can't beat the price, that's for sure. We would get the tables that hook on the side with a slot for magazines - or in our case kids' books. I think that would be kind of fun. I'm not completely in love with the big, chunky style dresser that goes with it, but it may happen anyway. This isn't the final choice, granted, just a strong finalist at this point, I'd say. As my next move, I might go check out a couple retro furniture stores around Portland to see what they have in the way of mid-century modern secondhand used furniture that might look cool in a boy's room. I saw a Danish modern dresser online earlier today that looked kind of fun and different.

As for the "theme", if you will, well, one day I think I'm going to paint the walls blue with a red comforter and airplane sheets and the next day I hate that idea. So who knows. My most recent idea that I'm still kind of liking is a safari theme. I personally think animals are always a good thing to be surrounded with - except maybe if they are small and furry and have names that start with a Z and a C. But the safari thing came to mind while I was perusing the PB web site last weekend and came across this duvet cover. I thought something like that would be fun with maybe some of this type of artwork on the walls. Or this. Of course, I've also started a small collection of Ian's "artwork" that I had planned on framing and incorporating into his new bedroom when he got one...and I don't know how that all fits in, but we'll get it figured out (that is, unless I change my mind tomorrow). Come to think of it, some of the painting is pretty "wild", so there you go! And then of course there are things like a new wall color. While I'd personally love something in the chocolate brown category with that type of theme (somewhat similar to the IKEA photo earlier, actually), I think that something perhaps more along the lines of a nice red might be a little more fun for a preschooler. (You see, I'm really not totally oblivious!)

And so the quest for a new bedroom for Ian continues. However, I can assure you that Change is Coming! Soon...

Until I write again.

Witness to history

Okay, so Mother Nature has her good days too

I've done my share of complaining about Mother Nature's bad attitude in recent weeks. Which means it's only fair that I give credit where credit is due when she decides to show her softer side. And that she has over the past four or five days now - showering us with clear blue skies and lots of bright sunshine (albeit still a bit windy and chilly in Portland, but hey, it is January).

So, Friday evening Jeff and I enjoyed a dinner out solo at what has become one of our "date night" staples in town - Wildwood restaurant - while Ian participated in "Parent's Night Out" activities at his preschool. (They host this event once a month on Friday evenings from 6:00pm to 10:00pm where they let the kids play in the gym, then feed them dinner, engage in more activities and then settle down in jammies for a movie until pick-up time. It's definitely a nice little extra!) During dinner we decided that we should take advantage of the sunshine and semi-long weekend (Jeff planned to work on Monday, but from home) to partake in a mini excursion somewhere. By Saturday morning we were even more enthusiastic when we heard the forecast was for mid-40s here in the valley - but oddly enough, in the mid-60s and sunshine on the coast and up at Mount Hood. Weather jackpot! Clearly we couldn't go wrong with either location, but after a few quick calls revealed there were still a few hotel rooms available with great deals in Cannon Beach - a quaint beach town almost due west from Portland with lots of little shops, restaurants and art galleries - we packed up our stuff and headed to the coast.

One lunch stop and a little over an hour later we checked into our one-bedroom suite, which we find is kind of a must-have these days for travel between Ian's 7:30/8:00pm bedtime and our desire to not have to sleep in the same room with him whenever possible (we love him to death, but he's kind of loud). This place wasn't the Ritz or anything, but for a little over a $100 - it was pretty nice. In addition to the separate bedroom, it also had a king bed in the main area, a fully-stocked kitchenette, a living area with a fireplace and a balcony with an unexpected bonus partial view of the ocean across the street. And, as suggested, it was literally steps from the beach. I thought about asking what they charge in the summer, but I decided I didn't want to know.

Before we knew it, we were out on the beach kicking the ball around and playing in the sand. And as promised, the weather was incredible. Jackets not required. Which is crazy because in the relatively short amount of time I've been back on the west coast, I've learned my lesson to wear layers and always bring a coat to the coast - because even if it's sunny and warm inland, it's almost always at least 10 to 15 degrees colder on the coast, often with plenty of wind and fog. Yet, that's one of the reasons why I love the Oregon - and in general - the Pacific coast much more than the mid-Atlantic coast. Unlike the mostly flat beaches of the east coast where people largely flock only in the heat and humidity of the summer months to bake in the sand, it's the weather patterns and beautiful landscapes that make it so unique and awe inspiring. It's a place that can be appreciated any time of year - whether it's watching a big rainstorm come in from the Pacific in November, whale migration in December (an activity we have not done yet but is definitely in our future) or laying on the beach in August. At least that's my opinion.

Still, no one is going to complain about a beautiful, sunny day at the beach in January! And it was apparent that we weren't the only ones who had taken note of the weather forecast because the beach was kind of packed (for winter). By late afternoon we headed back inside when it was clear that Ian was in need of a bit of quiet time...not to mention that we didn't mind having some ourselves! We kicked back in the room, watched the sunset and eventually walked across the street to an unexpectedly nice and yummy meal at a restaurant called the Wayfarer. (Can you say Prime Rib?)

Sunday morning I ventured out to the beach with the camera just before 7:30 am to enjoy the early morning calm and watch the dawn break. So pretty. Someday if we ever win the lotto, a house somewhere along the coast with prime oceanfront views will certainly be tops on the list of extravagant purchases. Of course, I guess first we'd better start actually playing the lotto to help that dream along. Anyway, that was followed by family breakfast at the Pig 'n Pancake (doesn't that just sound like it belongs at the beach?) and then back out to the beach for a mid-morning stroll where the weather was near perfect, I must say. We packed up around 11:30am, stopped at a deli in town for sandwiches and headed up the road through a forested area to Ecola State Park for a picnic and some more ocean viewing from up high. For anyone who might vaguely recognize the name, by the way, Ecola State Park got a lot of publicity a few months ago (Today show, sensational entertainment shows - not that I watch those - etc.) with the parents who released the video of their little girl falling through the fence there while posing for a picture, narrowly missing tumbling down a cliff straight into the ocean. (Her uncle jumped over and caught her.) Ugh. It made my heart stop every one of the million times they played it on TV. They've since improved the safety of the fence at the overlook where it happened, but I have to say we were there last spring before they fixed the fence and it didn't take a brain surgeon to recognize it wasn't safe and to keep little ones far away. But, I digress.

By mid-afternoon Sunday we were back on the road headed towards home, where we oddly enough had to drive back through snow on the ground over the coast range. Sunday night a very tired Ian went to bed early and we watched the inauguration concert on HBO, which gave me an opportunity to start practicing my waterworks for Tuesday. Of course I have to say that it's in part due to the fact that, despite a great weekend here, all this focus on Washington and watching the concert in front of the Lincoln Memorial started making me feel a bit DC-sick. Though, I've decided that in case of any future historic inaugurations where they plan to host millions of people, they should really switch it to the springtime when DC is in all its glory versus now where it's looking quite cold and gray, I must say. Maybe I'll write my congressman with that suggestion.

Oh, and one last thing...speaking of this MLK holiday weekend and the inauguration: Last week Jeff had the great idea that because Ian is a bit too young yet to help volunteer - instead, today we would go to the store, buy some food and take it with him to donate at the Oregon Food Bank in honor of this national day of service. So, earlier this morning the three of us headed out to Fred Meyer, bought a bunch of food and took it to the Food Bank warehouse out in Hillsboro (about 10 miles out from here) only to discover that the site was closed! That was kind of disappointing. They have other drop spots around town but we had hoped to take it to the main location as part of the experience. So, I think we are going to go back again - but still a bit of a bummer for today, nonetheless.

Until I write again.

I might be dying...again

Can I just complain about something for a minute or two? Wait, of course I can - it's my blog!

So, one morning early last spring I was standing at the bottom of the stairs urging Ian to hurry up and come down so we could get in the car and head off to work/daycare when suddenly I started getting this very uncomfortable feeling up and down my left arm and into my hand. It was like someone was squeezing my arm very tightly and wouldn't let go. I literally tried to shake it off but couldn't get rid of it no matter what I did. But, off we went with our day and by mid-morning at work - not only was this weird feeling still there but it was getting increasingly uncomfortable.

I started getting nervous. Left arm pain, radiating down the arm, into the hand, some tingling, felt very cold...what does that mean? What does that mean? At that point I did what any modern, rational person would do: I jumped on Google and start trying to self diagnose. Now, at this point I must say that I did go into a bit of a panic because the only thing I knew about left arm pain is that it can be associated with having a heart attack. Which, normally I would have laughed off given my age and overall state of health - except that I do happen to have just a slight - or okay, more than slight - family history of fatal heart issues at a young age. After spending some time researching symptoms and having coworkers suggest that maybe I should call a doctor - I called Jeff to report that it was entirely possible I could be dying right there on the phone. I don't think this made him feel super comfortable, especially given that at the time, he happened to be on his way to the airport for a business trip. I recall him saying, "Well, do you think I shouldn't go?" But I told him to go ahead - that if I was really dying it would just have to wait until he got back.

That afternoon while still juggling work, Google searches and contemplating whether or not I should call my doctor - I finally decided to take action. I marched into my friend Zach's office and asked if we could call his Dad, who happens to be a doctor in town. I described my symptoms over the phone at which point he said, "I don't think you're having a heart attack Melinda, but it does sound like you might be having a nerve issue." Wonderful! I clearly wasn't dying, which was obviously great news. So I just slept on something wrong and had a pinched nerve. That made sense. Problem solved. Or not.

Sixish weeks later that stupid annoyance was still there...except it had gotten even worse. What started in the arm and hand was now clearly originating from points in my upper back area - under the left shoulder blade, just to be specific here. It was from there that I had an almost constant shooting pain down my arm, also with the numbness and tingling. The only relief seemed to be when I would lay down in bed at night. As soon as morning hit, it would return and oh boy, within mere minutes of sitting down at my desk at work, there was some serious discomfort going on. (Not to spoil the whole point of this story or anything...but much like I'm feeling right this very second!) Early evenings at home would usually involve me laying on the couch moaning and groaning with an ice pack affixed to my back. One day I said, "Gosh, I'm really tired of this - maybe I should give that doctor a call!"

Of course by that point I already knew what the problem was. Which is one of the reasons why I really didn't want to go to the doctor. I was pretty sure that I had a pinched nerve that was resulting from a herniated disc in my spine. According to several credible online sources, the first step in treatment is a round of physical therapy - which apparently usually does the trick in relieving the pain. If not, then other steps may need to occur with surgery as a last resort option. HOWEVER, it clearly stated in several places that your doctor may want to do an MRI as part of the initial diagnosis. Yeah, you know, those machines that are a claustrophobic's worst nightmare? Oh, and have I ever mentioned that I am slightly claustrophobic? I was hyperventilating at the mere thought of being shoved into one of those death traps just so they could tell me I had a herniated disc - which, HELLO - I already knew!!! (And um, so why do people still need to go to medical school when we have Google?) Still, it had become painfully (pun intended) clear that I needed to take some steps toward relief of this little issue. So, I made an appointment.

A couple of weeks later I walked into my doctor's office, still in pain with my newly printed t-shirt that read, "MRIs Are Against My Religion". I wanted to send her a subtle message. Well, I guess it worked because after we talked she said, "It sounds like we should get you in some physical therapy." Shocker!!!! But instead of pondering whether or not I should have been a doctor, I was just relieved that there was no mention of those three little letters.

Anyhooskie, several physical therapy appointments, many prescribed exercises and one job resignation later - my pain had magically disappeared and by the end of June, I was feeling like myself again. What a huge relief. Until...December. Actually, I happen to know that it was around December 11 because our new niece Ellie was born that day and I specifically recall that for some reason I had been feeling particularly tense for a few days that week (sympathetic baby angst??). And, because I hold all my tension in my upper back/neck area, I remember it felt like a rock. Then approximately one week later on a Saturday, it returned. At first it was just one slight shooting pain down the arm. Then another. Then another.

Soon, it was clear. It's baaaaack! With a vengeance, I might add. This time bedtime doesn't even offer a hint of relief. In fact, if I even threaten to flip on my stomach, Whoa Nellie! I should also mention that dealing with constant pain and weakness in the upper left side of my body is also quite fun with a 37 lb. three-year-old who needs to be picked up for various reasons every now and then. So these days I walk around most of the time half hunched over, usually shaking my left arm and hand around in an attempt to get even a second of relief. Does this look slightly strange? Absolutely. But the good news is that this time it only took me about a month before I decided to call the doctor. My appointment is this Friday. Time to dig out the t-shirt again.

Until I write again.

Where does the time go?

It really does seem like just yesterday that we brought home this new 9 lb., 4 oz. baby boy we named Ian with no clear idea what we were supposed to do with him once out of the hospital. Yet, in the blink of an eye (plus two houses and one cross-country move later), this past Saturday, January 10, he turned three years old. All I can say is, Wow - already?

Of course one of the many things about parenting that you don't learn until you actually experience it for yourself is how celebrating your child's birthday has this whole extra meaning attached. Because really, to you, it's not just the joy of your child's birthday but it's also an anniversary of sorts. That is, an anniversary of the day that your life drastically changed forever. Of course this phenomenon is really pronounced on the first birthday since in all honesty, the kid has no idea what's going on - but for you - you remember exactly what you were doing one year ago on that day. It wasn't pretty, but it was definitely special. And three years into this whole parenthood thing now, I can definitively say that there's been no better gift than to have a front row seat in watching Ian grow and develop - learning a new word, expression or phrase one day that he didn't seem to know the day before. Each year has gotten more fun than the one before, so undoubtedly we are looking forward to what his fourth year will bring. (Of course not that I'm spending any time thinking about how I've heard from many that the "terrible twos" are more often the "terrible threes" these days...)

Just like the holidays this year, this birthday also felt very different from his first and second because it was the first one where it was very clear to him that this was his special day. And he didn't let us forget it. Last Friday I dropped him off at school with some special birthday blueberry muffins (he picked out muffins over mini cupcakes...go figure) to share with his classmates and teachers during snack. He must have asked a million times on the way there, "Mommy, today is my birthday?" I think I finally gave up on trying to explain to him that the next day was his actual birthday but today he was celebrating with his classmates. So it's very possible that he believes he has at least two birthdays in a row now. Whatever floats his boat, is what I say. By the time I picked him up at 12:30 p.m., to say he was beside himself with birthday excitement is an understatement. He ran toward me wearing a big purple crown that said "3 - Ian" in big gold glitter writing on the front. It was accompanied by a book that the class had put together for him with pictures colored by each one of his classmates. Teacher Stella and Teacher Liz said he had been beaming from ear to ear all morning long. He barely removed that crown the rest of Friday - not even while catching up with Big Bird.

Saturday morning was like another mini-Christmas. He came downstairs to a table full of presents that we opened with him after breakfast. He was in heaven with another round of fun new books and toys at his disposal. (As were his parents since he is more than occupied with all his new stuff these days!) A couple of special birthday calls topped off the afternoon and that evening, our neighbors and a couple of other friends joined us for dinner and cake to celebrate our new three-year-old. Even though there were just four children, semi-organized chaos is how the evening might best be described. Luckily there was sufficient alcohol available to the adults in attendance who desired or needed it.

Ian had requested a "train cake" for his birthday, which in marketing terms to any entity who sells children's products, of course means you get Thomas the Train. So, there you have it. We had what I would call a semi-Thomas the Train theme of which the centerpiece was an adorable and always super yummy cake from Beaverton Bakery. And for the record, I believe that we are now three for three in Ian not taking one single bite of his birthday cake or ice cream. Oh, and I learned yet another valuable lesson of parenthood - which is that even though those blow horns (with the things that unravel when you blow them) may have their place in life - New Years Eve, for example - they do not belong at a young child's birthday party. Enough said there.

And if he wasn't tired enough by Sunday morning, that afternoon I took him to a birthday party for a four-year-old that is worthy of mention here. We went to this place called Pump It Up, which is really code for "How to Make Lots of Quick and Easy Money off of Parents". Specifically designed for birthday parties, this place is a money-making machine, let me tell you. It's located in this nondescript building in an office park off the freeway. You go inside and immediately you're directed to drop the presents in a bin. One signed waiver and kids' "safety talk" later, the group is whisked through a door into this large and again - somewhat nondescript - room with huge inflatable bouncy things. One has a slide, one has basketball hoops and I'm not even sure what the third was. The point is - the kids jump and run around like mad people while the parents sit on the sidelines with a dazed look on their faces commenting to each other about how they wish they had thought of this business idea. After a half hour, the whole group is herded through a door into an adjoining room with yet another set of huge bouncy things. Rinse and repeat for another half hour. Once that fun is over, shoes go back on. Everyone gets squirts of hand sanitizer and you go through a third and final door to the all-important party room where magically the gifts, along with pizza and cake, appear. Oh, and don't think that if you look through the window of any of the doors that you previously went through - or the ones ahead of you - that there isn't another birthday party already in progress. So in other words, it would not be misleading to say that birthday parties are literally herded through this place nonstop, all day long. But back in the party room - the first five minutes, kids eat Goldfish from bowls on the table. Distribute and eat pizza - next ten minutes. Light cake, sing, blow out candles, distribute and eat cake - another ten minutes. Last five minutes - take balloon, say goodbye and you are on your way home a total of 1.5 hours later, complete with kid in the backseat begging to have their next birthday party at Pump It Up. (Well, for the record, Ian didn't ask that...but I suspect it may just be because he hasn't caught on yet.)

And so, that concluded our three-day birthday celebration. I'm already exhausted thinking about next year.

Until I write again.

And you thought the holidays were over

Tonight we participated in our final - and arguably most important - holiday activity of 2008: Ian's school holiday program. (And at this point, I'm sure you don't need to ask why this was taking place tonight instead of before Christmas.)

At the beginning of December they started advertising the holiday program at school but Ian never said a word about it to us. I wondered - Would his class be in it? Were they even practicing something? Because if so, he wasn't sharing. And we didn't ask. So of course we were very curious about this "holiday program" and were very bummed when it didn't take place on its originally scheduled date before Christmas. Luckily, once classes finally got back in session this week the school director quickly pulled together the new date of tonight.

The festivities got started at school around 5:30 p.m. Instead of picking up Ian from class, we were directed to go straight to the school gym and take a seat there. The back wall was all decorated with adorable handmade decorations, with a paper garland Christmas tree as the centerpiece above a wooden stage. Already I wondered if I might cry at the sight of my son in his first school performance. Quickly setting thoughts of potential waterworks aside, we started chatting with the parents of one of Ian's classmates when we heard a commotion at the doors of the gym. The kids were ready to begin. Director Tricia gave a short intro and the music started to play. Only, we're not talking Frosty the Snowman - it was Stayin' Alive. As in, from Saturday Night Fever. Yeah! This is going to be even better than I thought! But it turns out that was just the toddlers' walk-down-the-aisle music. Once all gathered on stage - a feat in and of itself - they started singing Wheels on the Bus. Well, actually, the teachers started singing. The toddlers just sort of stood there. One started crawling down off the stage and running toward his Mom. And one started wailing. By the end, things weren't going well overall. Which just made it hilarious.

Next up was the 2 1/2 year old class - starring Ian Burpo (okay, maybe he was just the star in our minds). The walk-down-the-aisle music for his class was Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas. Which, I pretty much have to turn the channel every time that song comes on the radio because it's one of my least favorite holiday jingles ever - but that's okay. Maybe he'll get Jive Talkin' next year or something. Jeff and I had positioned ourselves (along with the other parents in Ian's class) at the front with video camera and digital camera in hands. Quite a juggling act indeed (as can be seen in the video quality).

Once they were all situated, they started their little song and dance. Now, let me pause here and say that one of the reasons that we were really intrigued by this whole thing is that we were curious how Ian would perform on a stage given that - as I've talked about - he's not the most extroverted of kids in group settings. So a whole auditorium of camcorders and flashes going off? Hmmm.... I half expected to see him do a repeat of the stand-and-stare toddler act. But no sirree. He seemed pretty into it from the moment they got started with some rendition of Row Row Row Your Boat that I must admit I had never heard before. But there were bells and jumping and twirling and it was all good. And if one song wasn't enough for these adorable little people, they concluded with We Wish You a Merry Christmas - including a big Happy Holidays! shout out to the crowd as their big finish. At which point the whole audience jumped out of their seats in roaring applause. The crowd was going wild! Or, maybe that was just the parents of the 2 1/2 year old class. I'm not sure.

Anyway, it was all pretty cute and now my holidays are officially complete. A video version will for sale on Amazon.com very shortly. PS - We're pretty sure Ian had fun despite how things might look in this photo.

Until I write again.

2009 has been a great year...so far

Okay, so we are actually only on the fourth day of the New Year but I have to say that so far it's been a really good year. Here's our year in review so far:

Countdown to Day One. Of course our New Year officially started off on New Years Eve where it wasn't until about 4 or 4:30ish p.m. that afternoon that we decided what we wanted to do that evening...which was sort of nothing. But being home never stopped us before from creating our own party and having a good time, which is exactly what we did. First, we popped over to Freddie's for some tasty dinner makings (yes, steak and baked potatoes were involved). Once home, we kicked on the "Party Favorites" on the music channel and that's when things really got rolling as we revived our official living room version of Dance Party USA (which admittedly has not made much of an appearance since leaving Dinwiddie Street). While I unfortunately don't have any photos to commemorate the revival of DP USA, I do have some video - which I may or may not be sharing in the near future.

Once Ian enjoyed his requested New Year's Eve meal of a "tostada" (aka, quesadilla) and a piece of Santa chocolate - he headed off for a bath and bed (well, not by himself - we were there to help him). After Jeff and I wrapped up dinner we returned to the dance floor - some of us longer than others - before heading back out on tour with the Stumptown Burpies downstairs. And then before we knew it, it was approaching midnight so we called off the tour and came up to watch Dick Clark...who now looks frighteningly similar to Ryan Seacrest...drop the ball. And let me just pause here to say, wow is that show bad. And besides that, what I really want to know is, who are these people who actually think that standing in Times Square with zillions of people screaming while freezing their butts off for hours on end actually sounds fun?? Because personally, you couldn't pay me to be out there. Well, I guess it would depend on how much you were offering - but it would have to be a lot. Maybe enough to pay off our mortgage or something like that.

Day One. Our first day of the New Year started off on a very positive note with Ian sleeping in until something like 8:30 a.m. Though, I have to say that with the holidays and recent weather issues throwing off all our schedules, he's been sleeping later a fair amount. That was the first 8:30 morning, though. I sprung out of bed with bells on and was M-O-T-I-V-A-T-E-D to start the year off right. How, you ask? Organizing, of course! Being it was the beginning of a new year and the fact that the weather was super nasty out (rain nasty, not snow nasty) - what better day to get the household in order? So that's pretty much what we did from morning till night. We took down the tree, the lights outside, packed away all of the Xmas stuff, I filled boxes with the latest round of outgrown Ian clothing and put it in the garage, we broke down boxes and hauled out trash and recycling for Friday pickup the first time in 2+ weeks, we made some money by selling our old high chair and fireplace set on Craigslist (we hated that high chair but were sad to part with the fireplace set - though we just didn't know if we'd ever need it again...), I reorganized our main storage closet in our den while Jeff cleaned out and organized the garage, and I put new pictures in frames...it was great!

Day Two. Jeff worked from home on this day, so Ian and I were on our own. Still tuckered from the previous day's activities, I have to say that we weren't overly ambitious about getting out early. And Ian is really into being in his jammies these days. In fact, we are having a lot of battles about putting on our "day clothes", but that's a story for another post. So he was running around with stickers all over him (Santa brought him transportation stickers in his stocking) and at one point I see him walking over with this big fat Elmo phone stuck to his ear. He's clearly having an important conversation with someone when he goes over to the drawer with our takeout menus and pulls out the menu for Lin's China Jade - still with phone to ear.

Me: What are doing, Ian?

Ian: Please be quiet. I'm ordering.

Me: Oh, okay, sorry to bother you. Carry on.

Ian: (Walks over to chair in the living room and puts menu down point at items.) Yes, I'd like a grilled cheese. Yes, and a peanut butter and jelly, too!

So, apparently the Chinese joint has expanded their menu since we last ordered from there, which is good to know. But since I know that kids often mimic what they see their parents doing most, I'm not sure how to take that little episode - but it was funny nonetheless.

And speaking of takeout and food, the real highlight of Day Two of 2009 came in the evening. After we had subjected ourselves to some crazy number of nights eating at home (it was at least four!), we were overdue for either takeout or a dinner out. So, we went with the latter. We decided to splurge a bit and take Ian out to a nicer little Thai place (but still kid-friendly) that we usually just get takeout from. And let me just say that we had the loveliest dinner with our two-soon-to-be-three-year-old! More and more lately it seems that we are finally reaching a point where we can enjoy a meal out w/o anxiously gulping down our food at light speed and asking for the check halfway through the meal. And boy have we waited a long time for this day! We actually sat there perfectly relaxed amidst candlelight, ordered appetizers (!!), had not one - but two - glasses wine and enjoyed a tasty dinner. Ian loved his sticky rice and chicken satay with "peanut butter" sauce. Heck, we even had to wait for him to finish his dinner before asking for the check! This is a new and pleasant trend, for sure. Of course, I should also mention that a little added bonus of this particular place is that it has full-length windows that sit right beside the light rail train track - so a train would come through every few minutes, much to Ian's delight.

Day Three. The perfect day of organizing on Day One was complemented on Day Three by a much-needed visit from our beloved Maria (who like many other things - had to miss a visit during the bad weather). And poor Maria - it is a wonder she gets anything done with Ian as her little helper who follows her every move like she is a rock star. As soon as she walks in, he whips out his broom and dustpan and helps her "clean" around the house. About mid-morning Jeff, Ian and I left the house for a visit to an aviation museum in McMinnville, which is about 30-35 minutes from here in the wine country. We came across it one time when we were driving to the coast and it looked quite impressive from the road so we took note to take Ian back sometime. I mean, this place isn't the Smithsonian or anything, but they have quite an impressive display of aviation nonetheless - including that it is now the home of Howard Hughes' infamous Spruce Goose. Ian seemed to enjoy walking around and looking at all the airplanes. Then, last evening we shared a babysitter with our neighbors and went for dinner to an nice Indian place on the east side, followed by a fun cocktail party that was being hosted by a good friend of both of our neighbors (and who we see fairly often as he visits our hood quite a bit).

Which brings us to Day Four. I'd say it's been sort of your typical end-of-holidays Sunday before the business of the New Year really gets started. Grocery store, a bit more organizing and all that fun stuff. Plus a little catch-up blogging, etc. But despite today not being particularly exciting, it's still good to feel like you are getting things in order. Tomorrow Ian will start going to school full days on Monday and Wednesday while continuing with a half day on Fridays. I'll be using that extra time to step up my search for something that might actually pay - ideally in the form of freelance work for now. It should be interesting to see how that goes as it has become apparent to me in recent months that there are a lot of job seekers out there right now.

So all in all, it's been a great first four days. Now just 361 to go!

Until I write again.