DisneyLand Adventure, Part 1

A week's worth of travel, rides, attractions, rain and revelry can't be summarized easily or quickly, so I'll be taking a few posts to get to everything. To get started, let me say this - We had a wonderful time. I can't say enough good things about Disneyland and how absolutely perfect it is for kids. Oh yeah, and the adults had a great time too. This trip is one my mom has been wanting to take for years. She finally decided about 6 months ago to make her dream a reality. She and my dad arranged for all three of their kids and spouses (we're sad Christina couldn't come, but medical school isn't very Disney friendly) and all the grandkids to fly to Anaheim for a week of family fun and togetherness.

Have you ever been to Disneyland? I have, when I was six and Dan went when he was four. We were definitely overdue and very excited for Lana to get this experience. We got there Tuesday morning just as the park was opening and we came into the courtyard at Main Street USA. At City Hall all the first-timers got a special pin. The air was filled with happy music and kids were laughing and smiling all around. I felt a little cheesy getting so caught up in the atmosphere until I caught my sister, Jen's eye and she was just as giddy as I was.

We saw a group of kids gathering near the center of the courtyard and quickly figured out why. There was the lovely Minnie Mouse, greeting little ones and posing for pictures. We hopped in line and Lana officially met her first Disney celebrity.

My parents took Clint and Sandy over to the Mad Hatter shoppe for their official mouse ears. Clint proudly wore his most of the trip (even on the airplane ride home) and Sandy was a "pwetty pwetty pwincess" in her pink ears and tiara.

Once we took the requisite family pictures (all the family from my Mom's side were there too. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and kids.) we headed for the rides. The Jungle Cruise was a fun, easy way to get started and even the babies could ride. Indiana Jones was fast and action-packed and one of my top-two rides, and Pirates of the Caribbean is a pleasant boat ride through pirate-infested waters. Next up was Tarzan's Treehouse which was great for the kids to climb and run through. We made our way through the Haunted Mansion and took a ferry over to Tom Sawyer Island. The island was great for everyone to relax and explore for a bit. Lana liked the wobbly suspension bridge, but didn't like to hold Dan's hand as they walked across.

We hit other rides in Adventure Land and Frontier Land before heading over to Fantasy Land. The weather was certainly less than cooperative and it rained on us pretty hard, but that made the lines short, so we got to a lot of rides.

Highlights of Disney Land, Day 1:
Shelle and Dan - Indiana Jones - awesome ride, very short line, but worth it even if the line is long.
Lana - Winnie the Pooh- very colorful ride with happy music, perfect for the little ones.

More posts about or trip to follow....

September Randomness

So Dan is watching TV and every once in a while I hear "Whoa, that looks awesome," or "This is so much better than the old POS," or "Look Wifey, we can see the score." I know what you're thinking. 1) What do these statements have to do with anything? 2) Why do I even visit this odd gal's blog anyway? 3) I'm here for the baby. Are there going to be cute pictures of Lana?

Here are the answers you're wanting:
1) New TV. We've been married for nearly three years and have been watching a 19 inch television this whole time. It was fine enough for the little apartment, but then we got a real house and a real living room and suffered real eye strain. Here is the old next to the new.

Dramatic difference isn't it?
Now you understand the 'Whoas' and the excitement over being able to see numbers across the room and the dissing of the old TV. (yes, that is the Coug game playing on the little TV. It's the last thing we watched before hooking up the new big screen.)

Oh, and in case you were in Moscow yesterday looking at TVs or mattresses or appliances, that most certainly was NOT my toddler you saw/heard throwing a major screaming and kicking fit in the middle of the showroom floor. Nope, not mine.

2) I dunno. Maybe you're related to me and somewhat contractually obligated to check in here every once in a while. Maybe you like our stories. Maybe you like baby pictures. Or maybe you like cupcakes. Speaking of cupcakes, have you seen Cupcake Wars on TV? It's a cool competition show and they make awesome cupcakes. I saw a cupcake book at the library last week and made some yesterday and then tried my hand at food photography. I promise, these triple chocolate cupcakes taste infinitely better than they look in the picture.

If you come over you can have one. I also made lemon yogurt cupcakes with a white chocolate ganache frosting. Oh yeah, they're good.

3) Well, since you stuck it out this long, I should give you what you've really been wanting:

Lana is oddly attracted to piles of neatly washed and folded laundry. She gets much joy and pleasure from scattering the clothes around the living room and rolling around in them. Sometimes she tries to dress herself in Mama and Daddy's clothes. She's so cute I usually don't mind the mess, even though I end up re-folding everything.

Round Up!

Growing up a resident of eastern Oregon, the Pendleton Round Up wasn't just a rodeo, it was the week of the year that all other weeks were based around. People would say things like, "We'll get around to that after Round Up," or "Better get that done before you're too busy with Round Up." Schools in the county are closed, Friday night football games are played on Thursday, high school bands practice marching formations and everyone makes sure their boots are shined and their Wranglers are pressed. Yeah, it's a big deal.
When I was in middle-school, I (begrudgingly) pounded a drum in the opening parade. Later I got a job selling pop in the grandstands to parched rodeo fans. Another year I sweat in the heat on Main Street cooking up fajitas, and another year I was volunteered by my mum to work in the high school band's concession booth. When I went away to college, I'd come back for the last weekend of Round Up with a car load of girlfriends all looking for their own Pendleton Round Up adventure. We'd spend the day at the rodeo and the night out dancing and get back to my parents house exhausted and then wake up in the morning and make the eight hour drive back to school.

Our Round Up adventures are quite different now and considerably scaled back. This year we watched the Westward Ho! parade. Dan and I figured Lana would like all the animals and enjoy the marching bands. We were wrong. She liked sitting in a nearby tree.

 

Lana fussed through most of the parade and then fell asleep for the rest. Oh well, the parade was pretty cool and the grown-ups liked it.

To celebrate the 100 year (give or take) anniversary of the Pendleton Round Up, the parade opened with 100 riders carrying 100 American flags. This picture doesn't really do it justice; it really was quite impressive.

 

The parade also boasted several marching bands, lots of rodeo queens and my personal favorite, restored horse-drawn coaches and carriages.

 

My Grandpa Bob is a past champion of the Pendleton Round Up and he and my Grandma Ree came to town for the festivities and a big reunion of champions. I hadn't seen them for over a year and it was great to catch up with them both. They each doted on Lana and we got this picture of 4 generations of lovely ladies.

 

Mother of the Year

Lately here on the ol’ blog it’s been pretty sweet. Pictures of a cute little girl in the midst of her adorable toddlerhood, musings of a first-time mother, and sentimental nostalgia make for a rather Norman Rockwellian image of life at our place. Alas, it’s not all like that. Lest you start to believe I have super powers greater than the average mom, I give you this:

To the Mother of the Year Award Committee:
I have previously submitted entries nominating myself for the esteemed Mother of the Year Award, however, I believe this current application and nomination is far superior to my previous ones.

Reason #416 Why I am Mother of the Year
Several weeks ago our family went on a lovely trip across the state. We made it back in time for me and Dan to get the laundry done and unpack the bags. Lana had started to develop a runny nose and a slight cough and I worried that she might be getting sick. I made a mental note to ask Miss Belinda to keep an extra watchful eye on her. I put Lana to bed normally and she slept through the night. Sometime in the night I awoke to hear her coughing. I listened, hoping it wouldn’t wake her, and she seemed to settle down fine. I didn’t hear any other disturbances the rest of the night.
The next morning I hit my snooze button twice before I finally got out of bed. Once it hit me that I was running late I ran to get ready and get Lana ready. She was still sound asleep when I went into her room and her blankets were balled up in the corner of her crib. I quickly changed her, got her a bottle and threw dinner fixins’ in the crock-pot. I made sure to close her bedroom door so she wouldn’t toddle in there and get herself in trouble. After a quick breakfast and teeth-brushing, we were out the door, and we weren’t even late.
That evening I was actually feeling pretty good about myself. Lana had a good day with Miss Belinda and I got a lot accomplished at work, including a lunch-time run. The house smelled wonderful because of the bubbling crock-pot dinner. Dan came home and the three of us enjoyed a nice dinner together and we got our chores done.
It was only upon entering Lana’s room to get her ready for bed that I noticed a problem. Well, actually at first I wasn’t sure it was a problem, but I definitely noticed a horrible smell. It was overpowering and unfamiliar, not a typical “baby smell” I was used to. I checked the diaper pail and the dirty clothes hamper – nothing. I wondered if there was a dead mouse hidden away somewhere. Finally, I checked the crib and found the blankets in the corner were covered in putrid vomit. Yes, you read that right, I said vomit. Sometime in the night (presumably when I heard her cough) my sweet baby girl threw up and just slept through it. In the hustle and hubbub of getting us both ready and out the door on-time, I didn’t notice that she was sick and had puked in her sleep. I failed to be aware of the overall health and well-being of my child. I let her go out for the day when she needed to stay home.
I called Dan in and we stripped the bedding, got out clean linens and took Lana’s temperature. She had a very slight fever, so we gave her some Tylenol. She slept fine and had no fever the next morning. Even though she bounced back from the incident, it in no way excuses my behavior or the fact that I let my baby sleep in her own vomit.
I understand that the Mother of the Year Award Committee has already reviewed my previous entries, including #4 I Starved my Baby the First Four Days of Her Life, #81 I Drove Across Town with the Child Seat Not Securely Fastened, #101 I Force-fed my Daughter Peas and #234 I Took Pictures of my Screaming Child Instead of Consoling Her When She had the Biggest Meltdown Ever. I believe this current entry, #416 My Daughter Puked in Her Sleep and I Didn’t Notice Until 13 Hours Later far exceeds the merits of the previously submitted ones. According to the Mother of the Year Award rulebook, entries are judged year-round with a final decision made in late December. I assure you, I will consider your gold statuette a fine Christmas present and will have an appropriate place on my shelf cleaned and dusted, awaiting its arrival. I look forward to hearing from the committee later this year.

Thank you,
Shelle Lenssen
Nominee, 2010 Mother of the Year

Lessons Learned by a Working Mom

The beginning of September marks a huge milestone for me. On September 1st last year, I ended my maternity leave and became a full-time working mom, or WOH mom for short. (WOH stands for works-outside-home. I certainly would never dis my stay-at-home mom (SAHM) friends. As it was explained to me early on, all mothers work full-time, some in the home and others out.)

My first day back to work was tougher than I thought it would be. Miss Patti had to literally take Lana out of my arms. I cried the entire way to work and for ten minutes or so in the parking lot. I cried again when Dan called to check on me before I walked in the building. Fortunately no other day this year has been more difficult than that first day.

It’s been a challenging year. I knew it would be when we started on this adventure, but I never dreamed of all that we’d go through and all that I’d learn. Here’s a sampling of lessons and wisdom gained from the past year:

1. Spit up happens. It just does. It took me a few days, but I quit freaking out and just changed clothes (mine and Lana’s) and moved on. Poo happens too.

2. If I need to wear nice clothes for a special work event, I get the baby and myself ready while still wearing my pjs. Once she’s loaded in the carseat, then I quickly change into my good clothes.

3. Meal planning gets old, but it is the only way I know to guarantee I always drive home from work knowing what’s for dinner and what I need to do to get in on the table by 6:00.

4. The crock-pot is my friend. We’re BFFs. Seriously, I put ingredients in it in the morning, turn it on, set the timer, and viola! Dinner is ready when I get home.

5. Tickle time takes priority over house cleaning time. I would much rather hear Lana laugh than have a spotless house. Remember that if you come over and see the light fixtures need a good dusting and all the laundry isn’t folded.

6. Some mornings, everything takes twice as long as it should. I don’t know if it’s due to the pull of the moon or what, but occasionally my hair won’t cooperate, I’ll have to change clothes (see #1), Lana will have to be changed (again, see #1), she’ll take sooooo long to eat, I’ll drop the mascara wand on my face and shirt and have to change again and wash my face, and I’ll realize after we’ve driven three miles down the road that I forgot the diapers. Yup, mornings like that happen.

7. I work with a great group of people, but as wonderful as I think my daughter is, I know they don’t want to hear about her all the time. Nope, they don’t care that she babbled adorably or didn’t sleep as well as expected and I’m exhausted; they just care that I get my work done.

8. I now run after-work errands according to the child restraints involved. For example, running to the grocery store is fairly do-able because Lana can be put in the shopping cart seat. Going to the bank however is much, much tougher. The bank has no shopping carts and no way to contain a 14 month-old. Bank trips now happen on my lunch.

9. My supportive, encouraging husband is worth his weight in gold. He works hard every day. He comes home with a kiss and a hug for each of his girls. He eats what I put on his dinner plate, even when it looks questionable, and he usually is ready with a compliment. He never complains about the chores that have to be done and looks for ways to make things easier for me. He’s the best Daddy little Lana-girl could ask for and the greatest husband ever.

10. I like things done a certain way and I prefer order and routine to randomness and chaos, but that’s not always the way things happen. I’ve learned that being flexible and just rolling with the waves is the best way to not go crazy.

So, Been-there, Done-that Moms, please share your wisdom with this working-mom rookie. What lessons are there still to learn? What are the best ways you know to do it all?

How things change in 3 short years....

Three years ago Dan and I climbed Kamiak Butte as a dating couple and walked down engaged to be married. Be careful kids, magic thigs can happen on top of that mountain.

July 16, 2007.

Yesterday we decided to take advantage of the beautiful day and once again hiked up Kamiak Butte. The walk was different this time. We were slower and paused often. We spent a few minutes reflecting on all that had changed in the past three years and then snapped this picture:

 

See that little head poking out on the right? I guess you could call that a pretty big change.

Lana enjoyed the hike too. But then again, why wouldn't she? She got carried all the way up. One day she'll be big enough to walk the entire thing herself, then she'll be running up the trail and we'll have to keep up with her.

No matter when we hike up our Kamiak Butte, the view is always spectacular.

 

It's so awesome to live so close to this beautiful, magical place.

Lynden Trip, Part 2

One of the main reasons we headed to Lynden last week was for the Northwest Washington Fair. It's quite the event. On Monday night we met up with some friends dined on fine fair cuisine and went to the Demolition Derby. If you know me, you wouldn't think a demolition derby would be up my alley, but I gotta say, it was pretty dang awesome. Crashing cars, rolled over pick-ups, fires and broken barrier blocks. What's not to love about that?

 

On Tuesday we watched nephews Austin and Travis show their dairy heifers. They did a great job and Lana was quite excited to look at the cows. She laughed and pointed and offered up enthusiastic "moooooooo"s. She mooo'd at the pigs, sheep, goats and horses too. I know, I know, we need to teach her the other animal sounds, but hearing her moo at everything is really cute. She also had a lot of fun playing on the tractors.
Thanks Lynden! Once again you were lovely and we had a great time. We'll see you later.

Lynden Trip, Part 1

Last Friday we piled clothes, shoes, toys, strollers, snacks and a baby into the pick-up and headed west. We were off to Lynden to see family, friends and enjoy the Northwest Washington Fair. We've previously bragged about how well Lana travels. Let's just say she did not live up to her good reputation on this particular drive. I didn't realize she could actually scream for over an hour straight. She must have really put her mind to it.

Once we arrived, rested a bit and ate, I decided we needed to all go to the park to remember why we liked our baby in the first place. She was so cute and loving that we quickly forgave her bad behavior. The swings were fun and so was rock-climbing and learning to do pull-ups, but Lana's favorite part was digging in the dirt.

 

On Sunday after church the three of us went to Artist Point where we hiked a bit and played in the snow. The views were quite spectacular. Mt. Baker is even more impressive when you're right up close to it. Lana thought it was pretty neat to play in the snow on a very warm summer day and Dan and I appreciated a respite from the heat. Dan and I get so busy with our jobs, taking care of the place, side projects and all things baby-related, that we sometimes forget to take the time to just relax and hang out together. Our afternoon at Artist Point was just what we needed.

The next two days were dedicated to the Fair and I'll get to that in the next post. It'll have cute kids and animals. You'll want to stick around.

Our Little Genius!

Okay, so not really. But the picture is sure cute.

 

Lana likes to take all the magnets off the fridge and scatter them about the kitchen, then wait for me to put them back on the fridge. Alas, I am the one who does the spelling.

Cute Things

Did you know a baby eating corn could be cute?

 

Well it is. It's very cute. Although if you try to take that cob from her, she'll bite your hand off.

It's a truth universally accepted that puppies and babies are the cutest combination known to man

 

See? Just try to prove me wrong.

And a baby who's just been caught doing what she may or may not be allowed to do? Yeah, that's pretty cute too.

 

A guilty look can speak volumes, but it's oh-so-cute.