Kerby Fam

Three Years and still at it!

2012-01-22T09:38:00.003-06:00

Almost Three Years Ago to the day, Becca and I meshed our love of talking and running into a partnership that continues today! We started this running on a subzero day in January, 2009 and marked its anniversary with another subzero temp morning run yesterday! May there be many more runs (maybe warmer though) to come!

What is it about first borns?

2011-08-25T08:54:00.005-05:00

I just dropped Lucas off for his first day of first grade at his new school (We switched him from private to public). He was so excited and didn't seem nervous at all. He of course was quiet and a little shy when meeting his teacher last night but still was looking forward to starting today. I, on the other hand was getting teary just looking at his little desk! What is it about my first child that makes me get so emotional about every new step of his life?? I will tell you what... it isn't anything about him, of course it is me. I am a worrier and unfortunately, somewhat of a catastrophist (I know that is probably not even a word, but it gets the point across). I think about all the possible things that could go wrong instead of focusing on all the wonderful things he is going to experience today. In my twisted mind, first grade is a war zone. He could have to play alone (oh wait, he loves doing that), his Toy Story backpack is so 2010 and these hip first graders are going to notice, he could be worried about who to sit by in the lunch room, the dangers lurk around every corner!
When I stop to think, I realize what my worry says to Lucas...You are not capable of navigating the extremely complicated and rigorous world of the first grade. Just the opposite is true. Obviously I try not to show my emotions and instead show my confidence in him, but I know he probably reads my anxiety. I need to lay off and allow him to experience his great ability to thrive in the world. My worry will only hinder him. He is a great kid and I don't have anything to worry about. Now, my head needs to tell the rest of me this message. In the mean time, I will avoid the urge to drive by his school during recess (that is how crazy I am) and enjoy a glass of wine with my lunch today.
Tomorrow, I take Ben to preschool and won't even bat an eye. What is it about second borns???

Pity Party

2011-03-19T10:54:00.002-05:00

It has been a long time since I have blogged and I am not sure this is the best time to do it, but oh well. Cue the sad music....
I miss my family today. I get busy and bogged down with the day to day life and don't always think about what we miss out on. Today, I am reminded that we are far from home and we miss the day to day of my nice and nephews, my family, and in turn they miss out on ours. I know there is so much to be grateful for, and I am grateful for all our times together, but everyone keeps moving, changing and living, and I want to see it all!
So,family, I miss you and I can not wait until August when we will be together. August..so far away!!!! UGgh!Now in the mean time, can you just stop growing up so fast!

Take a Lesson from Me

2010-07-22T17:31:00.002-05:00

Today is Jake and I's 10 year anniversary! It has gone by so fast, of course. We were able to celebrate the occasion with a trip to Australia last month, which was incredible. Today has been a great day just hanging out with the family, lunch and a little trip to Target, I know how romantic. We will head to dinner, sans kids, this evening.
So go with me to Target for a moment...It was great. I bought a calendar planner, which if you know me, I just love to get all organized and planned out. This year I will actually need one with going back to school. We also got the boys backpacks for starting school, of course they pick the most obnoxious ones, with "3D Buzz Lightyear" flying off to space plastered all over the back. Anyway, we are checking out and the nice lady checker is helping the boys put their backpacks on after ringing them up. Sweet lady, I am thinking, and then she asks it. That one question I learned a long time ago NEVER TO ASK A WOMAN EVER. Here goes our short exchange...
Sweet Lady, soon to be not so sweet, Checker:(Looks me over with a smile before asking) Are you pregnant?
Me: No
Checker: You're not?
Me: NO
Checker: (to try and make it better, although not sure how it could) Well, you look so skinny...

My now thoughts and internal dialogue as I walk away without responding...
I look so skinny??? You mean except for the obvious girth I carry around my midsection? No, just fat lady. Excuse me as I go consume a shot of high fructose corn syrup in the form of an Icee to accentuate said midsection. Wow, I am feeling extremely beautiful right now, thank you.

This is the third time this has happened while not pregnant. When will people learn? Unless a person is so obviously ready to deliver any moment, NEVER ASK THIS QUESTION!!! And even then, it may be better to do a little investigating before asking. If it is a total stranger, MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS UNLESS YOU ARE TOLD OUTRIGHT. It is never flattering to be asked this question.

Ok, now that I have voiced my opinion on the subject, I will waddle out and enjoy my Anniversary feeling oh so much like the thin bride I obviously no longer am. Time to go change my shirt apparently. Seriously, I am done now, I promise.

Final Trip Update, Homecoming, Jetlag, and Potty Training

2010-07-01T22:12:00.012-05:00

We have made it home from our big trip of the summer, it is nice to be back! We had an amazing trip. Townsville really redeemed itself after switching hotels. It was awesome to be able to swim, take walks, lay on a beach and read uninterrupted for days (I made it though 4 1/2 books!). The only bummer was the day that we planned to go diving ended up being a really stormy day, with no very poor visibility in the water so...no diving. BUMMER, especially after lugging our dive stuff all over! Oh well, other than that, it was fantastic.

The last night, Jake's conference had a closing dinner at a wildlife sanctuary. The had private showing with the animals (great for a group of biologist geeks :)). Jake got to hold a huge python and a crocodile, we got to pet a wombat, and I got to hold a koala. The boys favorite story from our trip was the one I told them about holding the koala and it pooping in my hand. Boys... they love the poop stories. We also got to just walk around seeing all the birds, kangaroos jumping around us, and other animals in their enclosures, while drinking a glass of wine. It was lovely.

The next day Jake went to a few more talks, I spent the morning at the beach, and then we flew back to Sydney. Our final night in Sydney was incredible. We stayed at the oldest hotel in Sydney, at the Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel. It was my favorite hotel, it had so much charm (highly recommend!!!!). There was an awesome pub on the bottom floor that was full of life. Lots of people just out watching rugby and enjoying a few beers and dinner. We had an awesome dinner and drinks, and then took a walk around the Rocks area of town. It was a beautiful night in Sydney!

The next day, we had breakfast at the hotel, walked around, and then headed to the airport for the marathon journey home. It was really great to see the boys after being gone so long, I swear they both grew!We then flew home from L.A. yesterday and it is so nice to not be living out of suitcases for awhile. The only downer about being home is the bugs! I am being eaten alive!! My garden seems to have survived, despite the deer chowing my soybean and strawberry plants. The plants are growing like crazy and the eaten ones are already making a comeback. We have had salad from the garden and I can't wait until the rest of the veggies and fruit are ready to eat! It is good to be home!

Jetlag has totally set in. I have had no more than 3 hours of sleep a night the past two nights. I finally start feeling tired around 4 Am and of course with kids who are also a little jacked up with their sleep and schedule were up at 6:30 and 7. Hopefully tonight will be different although it is almost 11 and I feel totally awake! We are all a little out of wack around here.

So of course, me, being my intelligent, reasonable, rational self, had the bright idea to start potty training Ben. He is three, completely happy to be in diapers, and coming down from the high of ten days with grandparents. Then there is me. Sleep deprived (aka impatient and somewhat grumpy), unpacking and getting settled after three weeks away, laundry... You get the picture. Recipe for success?? I don't think so. It was a battle at times, just to get him to sit on the potty. By 5 o'clock the score is...Car-1, Floor-8, and Toilet- .02 (2 drips). Of course, cleaning up pee accidents every time I turned around, not to mention stopping to take Ben to the bathroom every 20 minutes- a great addition to any day, especially one that needs to be productive. Great idea Rachel! Not a great start. But the evening proved to be much more successful! Jake came home, our neighbors came over for dinner, and something tuned for Ben. He had a couple more accidents but the evening score was...Car-0 (I was smart enough to not leave the house the rest of the day), Floor- 1 1/2, and the Toilet-4! I know what you are thinking, this kid pees a lot! Here is where I share way too much so feel free to skip. :) He was trying so hard to push pee out, then it finally worked, it would come out in short spurts. Finally, before bed, after several short spurts, it started flowing. He was thrilled, "It is coming fast Mommy!!" Hopefully tomorrow will be less battling and more scores for the toilet! I will also enjoy less laundry, unpacking, and sleep deprivation (hopefully).

Australia Update

2010-06-22T23:06:00.002-05:00

Well, we made it to Townsville. You can check out Jake's blog at jakekerby.com for the details of our arrival, but in short, it was not what I had in mind. I do not need a luxury hotel by any means, but when I am able to hear the man upstairs peeing quite audibly, I have a problem. The "resort" was a little sketchy and not close to anything. We relocated today to another hotel that s MUCH better. We have a beautiful view of the ocean and Magnetic Island and I can walk, sit and read, or swim (an ideal way to spend the day for me!) and feel totally comfortable being by myself while Jake is in meetings during the day.
Now, I can truly appreciate Townsville!

Cramming it in!

2010-06-21T04:37:00.003-05:00

Normally, I am a sit on my butt, read, sleep, eat sort of vacationer with a little activity intermixed. The past three days, however, Jake and I have been the ultimate tourists, cramming in as much of Sydney as we can in our limited time here. I already described mot of our first day so I will pick up where I left off.

Yesterday morning started off with a trip to the Sydney Aquarium, which was "quite nice" as people say often around here. Then we grabbed a train and a bus for Bondi Beach. That was actually one of my favorite spots. It is a beautiful beach and we were able to walk all around to see the views and grabbed some fish and chips to eat on the beach. We then headed back to main part of the city and hit the Australian Museum for some Natural History. I have to say that by that point in the day...I was completely toast! It was a great museum, I think, but mostly, I was just hoping to go take a nap. After some down time, we forced ourselves out for some sushi for dinner. This morning we were the ultimate tourists! We were picked up by a tour bus for a day in the blue mountains. What a beautiful place! We literally saw it all! The best part of the tour though was our bus driver. He literally talked ALL day. I learned a ton about Australia though and much I am sure I didn't need to know about our driver's taste in music, night life, etc. Let's just say he did play "Hungry Eyes" at one point (one ofthe few points that he wasn't talking). THe day ended with a stop at the 2000 Olympic Games Park, which was cool to see. Then it was a ferry ride back into the main part of Sydney and then dinner in The Rocks section of town.
Tomorrow morning we fly to TOwnsville, where I won't have much to blog about, as I plan on reading, sleeping, and eating for a few days!

Planes, Buses, Trains, Ferries, and Feet...Oh My!

2010-06-19T00:11:00.006-05:00

We made it to Sydney! The adventure began as soon as we hit LAX. Game 7 of the NBA Championship was in its final moments when we had to leave for the airport. Jake, being the committed Laker fan that he is, borrowed his mom's, awesome "walkman" radio to not miss the final moments while I am in line to check our luggage. WE check in and head for security when we are turned away, saying we don't have our visas. Visas? At this point I am ready to kill Jake as we are already cutting it close on time and now we have no visas????!!! FYI, when traveling to Australia, you need a visa. Good news is, we were able to purchase them at the ticket counter (HUGE sigh of relief!). We made it through security and to our gate with no time to spare. We walked right on the plane and took off for our 14 hour flight. I needed the 14 hours to let my blood pressure settle down after an exciting Laker game and the crisis averted at the airport. The flight went really well. I actually slept for probably 8 or 9 hours! I was much needed rest, as we arrived in Sydney at 6 in the morning and would need to be out and about until the afternoon when we could check in to the hotel. Upon arriving in Sydney, we hit the ground running after a bus and train ride to get to our hotel and drop off our luggage. We walked through the beautiful park and botanical gardens down to the Opera house and bridge. From there we walked to The Rocks and toured through the weekend market. We then decided to hit the ferry and head over to Manly Beach for lunch. We just arrived back at the hotel and we are thrilled with our room. It has a beautiful view of an old cathedral and the bay. THe big highlight- white robes! This place is awesome! Looking forward to a fun dinner and the lighting of the sails at the Opera house. Then, finally, we can go to sleep and be more acclimated to Australia time tomorrow. It should be fun!

Tickets Please!

2010-05-26T16:57:00.003-05:00

We made it! 3300 plus miles in the car and it was all well worth it! I have to say I was pretty worried about being in the car for so long and I wasn't sure the boys would do so great. Happily, I shouldn't have worried. I did have one magic tool that worked like a charm and it didn't involve alcohol or muzzling children! The tickets. Ticket Time!!! Lucas and Ben both had wallets and for each leg of the trip, I gave them enough tickets for however many hundreds of miles we would be traveling. Every hundred miles, they could trade in a ticket for a surprise. Surprises consisted of small lollipops, a cookie, and an occasional big ticket item- a book, bubbles, small toy. I am telling you, it worked so well! It wasn't until the last day, about 50 miles from home that Ben asked if we were almost home. It was pretty funny too. Jake would yell out, "Tickets Please!" and we would look back and see both boys reaching in their wallets for a ticket. When they gave us their last ticket of the day, Lucas would get all excited because he realized it meant we were close to getting to wherever we were going. I will definitely use this trick on our next long trip.
The trip consisted of lots of visits, all of which were amazing. We left EARLY Saturday morning and stopped off at my aunt and uncle's house in Indiana on the way for a night, which was fun. The boys got to see and feed all the animals and I got to visit with my aunt, uncle and cousin. Then it was off to New Jersey for the Krueger Sibling Trip. We went to my sister's house and spent the week with her family and my brother's family. It was awesome having all 6 cousins together, they are quite entertaining. We then turned around and stopped back in Indiana for the weekend with our friends, the Sensenig's. They have two kids a little older than our boys so our kids were completely entertained. It was wonderful to have the chance to catch up with some of our old Davis friends. Our final stop was Door County, Wisconsin. What a beautiful place! The boys and I spent the day on a beach on Lake Michigan while Jake was out in the field doing research. It was a perfect spot for our kids- the lake is extremely shallow and clear. We literally were in the water ALL day! Then yesterday, Tuesday, we made the final drive back home. A great trip, followed by the thrill of being in our own house again...perfect!

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Waiting for the Flowers

2010-04-26T09:59:00.005-05:00

Lucas has definitely changed his tune about Kindergarten. It is amazing, really. A few months ago, he would say, "No thanks, I don't want to go to Kindergarten." This "No thanks" line has been well used throughout preschool, to steer clear of all kinds of crafts, writing, and singing activities with much success. The real harsh world looms ahead, however, "No Thanks" doesn't get you out of Kindergarten.

Jake and I have been trying to decide where to have Lucas go to school next year. Do we keep him at the Catholic school where he has attended preschool so that he is at least familiar with the faces and routine there or do we send him to the public school? There isn't a bad option really but after attending both informational meetings, we have decided to send him to the Catholic school for this year. It was Lucas who really made the decision for us. Some unexpected funds came in making the tuition no longer an issue (it was a big deterrent at first), so then it came down to what would be the best fit. Lucas walked into the Kindergarten Round Up at the Catholic School gripping my hand and feeling very nervous. The teacher came over and put him at ease and i was able to leave for the 2 hours. I came back to a different kid. He was literally bouncing with excitement. He had the best time and has talked about Kindergarten several times since.

During his time there, the kids planted seeds in a cup and the teacher told them that after their plants had flowers on them, it would be time to come to Kindergarten. I totally ate that up. I don't know why but it was just such a simple thing that made my heart melt. I know this whole Kindergarten thing is way more emotional for me than him, and that plant growing in our windowsill is a symbol to me of the growing he is doing now and the blooming he will continue to show as he starts this new stage. It is also a reminder to me that my time with Lucas at home with me all the time is quickly coming to a close. There are days I don't want that plant to grow, I want to stop watering it or hide it from the sun to slow down time (when you put it that way, it sounds abusive, oops). I would be lying if I didn't have moments that i want to add a ton of manure and build a greenhouse for it to speed up the process. But, as with Lucas, it will bloom when it is time, and all I can do is enjoy the days as we prepare for this new season of life...school.

Let Spring Begin!!!

2010-04-02T14:16:00.002-05:00

I can not begin to tell you how much this change of weather has improved my demeanor. Weeks of gray skies and cold weather really took a toll and I didn't totally realize it until the sun showed up and it was like someone slipped me a happy pill. There is just something amazingly therapeutic about being able to work out in the garden and play with the boys outside. It even looks like we will have sunshine for Easter!

I have been dying to get outside and start planting!! This year, it looks like I will be going just as crazy and planting anything and everything. Here is the plan for this year's garden:
In the main garden, we will have
Strawberries
Garlic
Onions (red, yellow, and white)
Asparagus
soy beans
peppers
tomatoes
lettuce
carrots
In the extra garden:
seedless watermelon
gigantic pumpkins
lemon cucumbers
red and yukon gold potatoes
New to the flower beds around the house:
lavender
salvia
iris
zinnias
poppies
asters
I am sure I will add to the list after going to the garden sale, but I am really looking forward to seeing if all this will grow and how all the new plants around the house will look. Seeing that we had NO plants whatsoever when we moved in, I am just throwing whatever I can get my hands on in the ground and will see what grows and what I like. We may have a jungle in the end, but at least it will be green! I am tired of all the bareness and rocks.

So, let Spring begin!! I am heading outside!

Prayers and Meditation with Young Boys.

2010-02-02T20:05:00.004-06:00

We have been talking about meditation a bit at church, looking at the Buddhist practices and how we can find great insight into our own meditation practices. The kids have been learning a great little chant to sing and everything. Anyway, Lucas decided to give it a try the other night. He went into our guest room, rang a bell (not a calming meditation bell like our pastor uses at church), and turned on our classy electrical candle. He came running back in to me and says, "Nothing happened, it's not working" (it must have been the subpar bell and artificial light, right?). I told him to try again and this time, take some deep breaths. I explained that it is just a time to be silent and relax. It helps us to be calm. So, he runs off again, I hear the loud bell clanging away and then some silence. Practice makes better, right?

Sometimes I wonder what exactly toddlers are thinking when you pray with them. Ben's prayers tonight are as follows:
Ir Digis (Dear Jesus, I think),
then he launches into a play by play of his day, followed by a "Help us to be kind".
The prayer finishes with me saying a little prayer for him. Tonight I mentioned something about God helping Ben learn to go peepee in the potty (since we are on week 2 plus and still no pee has made it to the potty). Ben stops me and says, "No, help Ben to have Potty Power".

Well Ben, may the force be with you and your bodily fluids. God help us all.

Potty Training Update

2010-01-25T09:26:00.002-06:00

Day 4... No action in the potty yet but he will sit on the potty for the most part. I think he is just waiting until nap time when I put a diaper or pull up on him to go. He hasn't had that many accidents so I will keep going with it and see if something will click for him. Thanks for all the comments, it is nice to know there are others on the same ride right now. I guess there is one good thing about all these snow days- we can be home A LOT for this potty stuff.

Glutton for Punishment

2010-01-22T10:39:00.003-06:00

Let it begin...
I have decided to start potty training with Ben. A big part of me feels I need to throw in the towel and just wait until he is three. The problem is he turns three in May and we have way too many trips and things to interrupt any potty training. Right now, we are home for days on end with this weather being so bad. It seems like a better time to try. Ben is not so into the idea. I feel like I am fighting an uphill battle. Is that just what potty training is??? I am so not a fan. I am pulling out all the stops though. We keep reading this book, You Can Go To The Potty, we went to the store and picked out a potty and underwear, I have him sit on the potty every 30 minutes, and he gets a chocolate chip (I know, so generous of me, a WHOLE chocolate chip) when he sits on the potty.
I am going to give it the old college try for the weekend and then reevaluate things. Hopefully, he will start thinking it is cool to not pee himself. One can dream!
Any ideas or advice? It was a totally different ball game with Lucas!

The Deck

2009-10-19T12:51:00.006-05:00

The Before Photos:

It may have taken me several weeks to complete but the deck is finally done! For those of you who didn't see it before, it was stained an opaque rusty color, with an orange tint to it. it just didn't look that great with the house and needed to be sanded and redone anyway. We went really dark this time, but I really like the way it turned out.

The After Shots:

Fruits of my labor

2009-07-10T19:45:00.002-05:00

The garden is producing food!!! Really, it shocks me every time I go out there. I have been eating the cherry tomatoes off the vine as soon as they are red (hence not many left for salad. Tonight though, I made a salad with lettuce, tomatoes, and onion that came from my backyard! I even picked a carrot to see if they were ready. The onions were not big yet, but I just couldn't resist! I wish the two of you who read this lived closer because I have a TON of lettuce! I think I might try to bring some home in my suitcase in a couple for weeks! I know I am going over board, but I just never thought I could keep anything, that didn't cry when it needed food, alive!

California

2009-07-08T09:04:00.002-05:00

Last night I was putting Lucas to bed and we were having one of those last minute conversations that Lucas uses to avoid going to sleep. I told him that we would be going to California in a few weeks and his response in a desperate (almost fake crying) voice while grabbing my arm was, "THANK YOU!!! You would think we were not just there a week and a half ago. I am so thankful though that he loves time with family so much that he can not wait to go back! See, he is just like his mother! :)

Breakfast of Champions

2009-07-02T09:07:00.002-05:00

This will be short but I got a good laugh out of this...

This morning Ben asked for breakfast and when Jake was asking him what he wanted, he said, "Sugar Bombs please!" He was referring to Frosted Mini Wheats (one way to disguise fiber). I guess he heard Lucas refer to them as that, but to hear a two year ask for sugar bombs was pretty funny. "Mmm, nummy sugar bombs," said Ben.

First Campout

2009-05-04T18:00:00.003-05:00

Jake and Lucas did a trial campout last night in the backyard. Lucas was so excited. I brought them cookies, Jake read him books, and they talked to me throughout the evening on the walkie-talkie. It was pretty funny. We had our bets that the "camping" would last 20 minutes, possibly an hour, and Lucas surpassed all our expectations. They made it until 6 AM this morning. Somehow, during this whole experience, they didn't hear the rabbit being mauled in our garden (see last post), nor some cat urinating on the side of the brand new tent! Anyone have a good way to solve a cat urine stench? I have a feeling it is not going to be pleasant to sleep in on our camping trip next month!

Rabbits, Beware!

2009-05-04T17:05:00.004-05:00

I went out to water the garden today only to find a rabbit had eaten not only all the leaves off my pepper plants but some of my tomato plants as well! Then, I saw it. Sitting in the middle of my garden is the head and front paws of a rabbit! It looks like the cycle of life sought revenge on my behalf. Apparently, the rabbit was eaten by something (my neighbor said it was probably a cat) while eating my plants!
I am now putting off plans to plant a tree this week and will now be working on building a fence around the garden. Until then, the rabbit head will sit in the garden as a warning to all other trespassers...this could be you,stay out!
I never thought growing a garden would bring out such a savage side of me!

Looking forward to Visitors

2009-04-30T20:31:00.003-05:00

Only two more weeks until our next visitors!!!!!!
My brother and his family and driving from California and my sister and her family are driving from New Jersey to see us. I can hardly wait. There will be 6 kids, 4 and under, at our house for a week. It should be quite the party!! I am so thankful to have family that will drive 20 plus hours to see us! They are fabulous.

Garden Update

2009-04-30T20:21:00.002-05:00

So far I have planted tomatoes, 3 kinds of peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, asparagus, onions, garlic, and sugar snap peas. I am not sure why i decided to plant so many things my first time around. I have never been able to keep any other plants alive EVER so this should be interesting.
Now, this weekend, we move on to trees...

Sharing the Easter Story

2009-04-10T09:54:00.004-05:00

I have been tired of letting holidays slip away dominated by toys, gifts, etc. I decided I need to talk about it or do something to make it more than all the "stuff." So, today Lucas and I were talking about why we celebrate Easter. I tried to keep it simple, although it is somewhat challenging to simplify what is difficult for me to even wrap my head around sometimes. Here is our conversation in a nut shell (ok, a big nut shell):
Me: Lucas do you know why we celebrate and have a party on Easter?
Lucas: Yes
Me: Why?
Lucas: I don't know
Me: We celebrate how much Jesus loves us, that he loves us enough to die for us. He died for us and then a really cool thing happened. After they put him in the cave with the big rock in front of it, Jesus rose from the dead, he was no longer dead, and pushed the rock away and came out. He isn't dead annymore.
Lucas: Like in my picture from preschool. (He came home with a picture of the tomb with a rock in front of the opening, brad fastened on. You move the rock and there is a picture of Jesus).
Me: Yeah, but he isn't in there anymore.
Lucas: Why did he die?
Me: (goingto in-depth)You know how sometimes we do things that are not nice? Well, he died so we can be forgiven for doing those not nice things.
Lucas: Mommy, you have to forgive me.
Mommy: You're right. I forgive you because I love you. Jesus forgave us too because he loves us.
Lucas: Jesus loves my preschoolers too. Bobby (changed the name to protect the right of the small person) is not nice at preschool.
Me: He is? Well, Jesus loves Bobby too and forgives him. Sometimes, are you not nice?
Lucas: yes
Me: Jesus forgives us too and loves us.
Lucas: Jesus is in my heart.
Me: Yep.
Lucas: He is in your heart, in Daddy's heart, and in Benner's heart too.
Me: He is with us all and loves us very much, doesn't he. He loves everybody.
Lucas: Oh. Mommy, can we play light sabers now?

Yes, I am sure it sunk in and is perfectly clear to him now. I must go and play light sabers now. What a confusing world this is...

Kids Use The Same Tactics

2009-02-18T19:53:00.002-06:00

Tonight, after putting Ben to bed, Lucas met me at the top of the stairs with a choice. "Mommy, you can watch the Star Wars show or play the Star Wars game, those are your choices, Mommy." If I had been quicker, I would have told him, "I choose nothing," which is what he often says when I have him choose between two options he isn't crazy about.

Back on the Running Wagon

2009-01-28T07:21:00.003-06:00

After posting my 25 Things List, my friend Becca asked me if I was interested in running with her. Finally someone to run with again! Well, running, in and of itself takes some motivation. Then there is the whole getting out of bed and out the door component. There was the cold morning aspect as well, BUT I have never imagined I would ever run in THIS cold! We left at 6:30 this morning and it was -3 outside, thankfully no wind, but -3!!! I have to say it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It was quite strange to find out that the inside of your nose can freeze, not to mention your hair, eyelashes, skin! I had Jake come out and take a picture of us. Hopefully Friday morning will bless us with a few more degrees!

25 Things

2009-01-25T18:47:00.002-06:00

1. Books are my friends. I love to talk books with people.
2. I can be negative toward myself, I hate that about myself. See what I mean.
3. I care too much what others think.The “It takes a village” approach to life/parenting/faith is important to me. I need a village. My last village is way too far away.
4. I was a teacher for 8 years, and now I am trying to figure out what I want to do next. That changes daily right now.
5. I want to have a job that involves interaction with people, organization, and making a positive impact to individuals or families.
6. I thrive on conversations; I feel I haven’t had one in awhile with someone besides my husband face to face.
7. For someone who is so adept with directions, I feel lost WAY too often.
8. I wish I could dance, mostly contemporary-throw caution to the wind- type of dancing.
9. I am a social runner; otherwise I am not much of a runner at all, especially right now.
10. I can be considered an “open book”, an “over sharer” or a “chronic relater”.
11.
12. All of my family lives very far away.
13. I love informal dinners or get-togethers with friends.
14. Finding “small world” connections to people makes me happy. “Oh, you lived in Large City, USA, did you know….?”
15. Creating memories is something I am passionate about.
16. The “It takes a village” approach to life/parenting/faith is important to me. I need a village. My last village is way too far away.
17. I am a mom to two boys whom I love to pieces of course. I just wish I was one of those moms who was consistently calm, cool, and collected. I am not that.
18. Worry is my middle name, not really, it is Daurette- one of those generational family names.
19. My husband is extremely even-keel…me, not so much. I love him for that.
20. My favorite TV shows are The Office and So You Think You Can Dance. It is easy for me to get sucked into a show. That is why I need my books.
21. Music moves me, although I am clueless about it. I could easily be THAT person you would see running down the street listening to an ipod and leaping or thrusting a fist into the air.
22. I am clueless when it comes to gardening or growing anything. I plan to change that this year. Wish me luck.
23Laughing…I need to do that more, I love a good laugh.
24. Often, the magnitude of raising kids scares me. How do I raise strong, secure, compassionate, and kind boys when I fail in these areas all the time?
25. I love pictures…taking them and looking at them.

Ungrateful, I know

2009-01-25T15:11:00.002-06:00

Today Jake got an email today from someone at Westmont College in Santa Barbara telling him they are going to have a position open. Now obviously he isn't going to apply. He has so much starting here in South Dakota and really loves his job. BUT, of course me being me, I was bummed. Maybe it is the snow, the lack of friends who really know me living close by, the distance from home...ok I will stop there ( I don't have to use correct grammar on my own blog do I?). I am really happy here for the most part, but just the thought that there could be an opportunity to be back near home...it does something to my head. Timing among other factors makes this not a possibility but oh the dream... The funny thing is I am not sure it matters where I am. There will always be the struggle of being new, having to make new friends, and create a way of life for us. I have realized that having kids makes this no easy task. In some ways, kids give you more opportunitis to meet new people but thay also make it tough to take the time to invest and build deeper relationships. One minute you try and start a conversation and the next you are running after a child who is bolting from the room. So all this to say, I am tiring of having to be patient. BUT patient I must be as I wait for opportunities to get to know people and not feel like the freak who is jumping into a deep converation in the spare 30 seconds I have at the library, grocery store, etc.

Disclaimer: I do love my children and I am so thankful for their added spice to life.

The Adventures of the Nomadic Kerby Clan

2008-12-19T01:18:00.015-06:00

We are now in Week 5 of our California Adventure. So far, it has gone pretty well. It has been full of family, friends, and activity with everyone in good health for the most part- yeah! The first week we spent at Jake's parents for Thanksgiving. Ben became quite attached to one of those stupid singing fish things. It started out as down right terror and quickly moved to obsession. As soon as he walks in their house, he asks for the fish and walks around swaying and saying, "Be happy". Jake and I are wondering if "Don't Worry, Be Happy" will ever leave our heads.

The second week Jake and I spent in Mexico while the boys stayed with my parents. We had an amazing time, filled with lots of relaxing and lots of reading for me. If you haven't read, The Kindness of Strangers yet, and are looking for a good (but very intesnse) read, pick it up! It is a good one.

The boys also had a great week, including two sleep overs with their cousins. Kudos to my parents and Paul and Amy for braving those! They say the kids were great and very easy so I am thankful. The third week, we bounced back and forth between our parents, ending the week with a trip to Disneyland. Jake's uncle is a volunteer fire fighter there and they get free passes and invited us. It was a very fun (and cheap) day. One mistake we made, though, was taking Lucas on Mr Toad's Wild Ride early in the day. As adults, Jake and I forgot how scary that ride can be and lucas flipped- total sensory overload. I am still wondering why these rides need to be so stinking loud. Not only is it a lot to see, but man you are seeing and hearing everything so intensely, it is totally overwhelming. Needless to say, after that, anytime we went indoors for anything, Lucas freaked. He didn't want to get himslef trapped in another scary situation, and obviously felt he couldn't trust us anymore, when we said it wouldn't be scary. He bolted out of the Tiki Room before the show even started and had to be talked down before riding the boat for "It's A Small World". I know I am making this out to be an awful day, but besides a few moment of terror for Lucas, it was really fun. We took in a parade, then went over to CA Adventure for another parade and some outdoor, kid friendly rides...and Tower of Terror. :) No we didn't take the kids on that one.

This week we have been at my parent's house enjoying some time with all the cousins. My sister came into town with her two boys so it has been a zoo around here- very fun! Ben LOVES the babies and is a great entertainer for them. It has been so fun to have them all together.

This past weekend, we spent in Carlsbad with some old friends. It was so nice to just relax and catch up. We had an amazing weekend and couldn't have asked for better weather.

Ben and Max building sand castles:

Nick, Cope, and Ben:
Ben enjoying a nice day on the deck:
Lucas was here too but due to constipation, was not available for pictures. Poor guy! :(

Hola from Mexico!

2008-12-02T09:52:00.002-06:00

Jake and I are currently enjoying a much needed vacation in Merida Mexico! It has been so nice to just relax, explore a new city, eat, eat some more, and read. I kept telling Jake before we left that I was just giddy about being able to be on a plane and read the entire time, and not The Hungry Caterpillar or Brown Bear, Brown Bear, but an actual book! Of course we get on the plane and my seat is next to this girl whose expression reads, "I am looking for a new friend and I choose you!" I have to say that I was more than happy to switch seats when a new mom wanted a window seat. Bye Bye Chatty Cathy!!

Yesterday was our first day here and it was so fun to just walk around and figure this new place out. We got lucky and found some amazing places to eat (I love food!)) for lunch and dinner- real Mexican food!!! As you can possibly imagine, South Dakota is lacking in the Mexican food department. Anyway, today's plan includes me, a book, and poolside as Jake will be in meetings most of the morning. I am loving this sunshine!!!

It's never too early to develop a strong work ethic

2008-11-11T15:40:00.005-06:00

I say, start them when they are young...Could you make straighter lines please?
Ben, you get started too.

Work hard, Play Hard...

The things we learn...

2008-11-06T11:40:00.003-06:00

Today I learned a few more tings about my son Lucas. At preschool today, they talked about what makes them happy and what makes them sad. What makes Lucas happy? Apparently when we give him crackers, that makes him happy. And sad? When we don't give him crackers (Most of you know that crackers are a treat for Lucas since he rarely has them due to constipation issues). It is a tough life isn't it? Oh how simple life can be. I miss that. I think I will go give my son some crackers.

October- The Month for Visitors!

2008-10-29T22:28:00.013-05:00

We have had the pleasure of welcoming three sets of visitors over the last week and a half. First, was my good friend from college, Coleen.

She flew out and we took a road trip to see another good friend of ours, Lisa who is now living in Iowa. It was so wonderful to be together again.

I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. We definitely need to make our reunions an annual event!

Lisa decided to take us to one of the "hot spots" of Davenport, IA. She took us to this piano bar that was... hopping! I know I do not get out much, but this was hilarious and strange. First of all, there was quite an age range. From middle aged women and older donning their pumpkin embroidered vests and candy corn earrings to the, "Are you sure you are old enough to be here?' College students. If that weren't enough to make us stay for a few drinks, there were the dueling, yes I said dueling, pianos singing everything from Elton John's, "Hold Me Closer, Tony Danza I mean Private Dancer" to "The Devil Goes Down to Georgia" by ...Garth Brooks? My favorite, of course was the beat box included version of "I like Big Butts" by Sir Mix A Lot.

I was actually pretty amazed at how many opportunities they found to throw in a little beat box. Needless to say, it was a night I won't soon forget. I have to say, I was impressed with Davenport. It is a cute little city with a lot of charm.

After Coleen flew out on Monday, Jake's friend John arrived Wednesday night on his road trip to his parents in Iowa. It was fun to visit with him and hear how things back in Pullman are going. Then, on Friday, my parents arrived and were here until the 4th. We had a great time. We drove out to where my dad lived until he was 11 (about 2 hours from here). It was so amazing to walk around my great grandparents' farm and put all the stories I have grown up hearing into context.

My dad was able to walk around and tell us things like, this is where we had family parties, one of which, when he was 7, he and his cousins got a hold of the keg and became intoxicated for the first time.

We also met many relatives still living in the area, like my Dad's cousin, who was the first to escape from the town jail. He and his friends hit a police officer with water balloons and once thrown in jail, found that they could just pick up the wall of bars and move it to get out. We are talking some serious lives of crime. We saw my dad's old school house, where my grandpa also went. The old outhouse is still original, even after my grandpa and some friends knocked it over with a security guard inside. No, my family is not a bunch of hoodlums, but these were the stories that made me laugh the most. All of this to say, it was a very special trip for all of us. Even though it isn't his side of the family, Jake said that it was so amazing to watch our kids play around on their Great Great Grandfather's farm. Very cool.
My mom and I also took the boys on a walk through this park down the road from us. It was a beautiful day and the trails were covered in leaves. We just had to take some pictures...

I will stop there and post Halloween stuff another time. We have had a wonderful time visiting with family and friends and look forward to future visitors as well! Come on out everybody! South Dakota- Great Places. Great Faces. That's our motto.

Jingle Jangle

2008-10-08T22:25:00.002-05:00

I don't know what it is about this place, but there is an obsession of sorts with jingles. Remember when we were kids and you would get a commercial stuck in your head? Well, those days are back. Even the news has a jingle..."Get in on the action with Action News!" Oh, if you could only here the music! Maybe I should just watch less tv. Probably, but until Project Runway and the whole network of Bravo go under, that is going to be a challenge... I know, judge me, I am a tv watcher. What a waste of time, right? But those darn jingles, I can not get enough!

Updated Home Project Pictures and others

2008-10-05T13:49:00.007-05:00

I thought I would update the blog with some pictures of projects we have been working on. I was waiting until I had finished things, but let's face it, it is going to take too long to finish it all.

This is a dark picture but here is our green kitchen. We just did one wall but I am entertaining the idea of painting one more. I love this color, it is called Happy Camper. :)

Here is our bedroom. I still need to put up some art on the wall above our bed, but I am happy with the way the color turned out.
I started on a garden this weekend. All I need to do now is plant some seeds and hope i can get them to grow. I am going to plant asparagus and some herbs I think. Apparently, they can take the cold so it is a good time to plant them (don't I sound like I know what I am talking about?). If it weren't for my neighbors, I would not be doing this. They are teaching me everything I know.
Here is my red room! It is our office and although it is a small room, it doesn't seem to dark to us. We really like it.
We refinished our deck this past week. I think it looks so much better than it did. It had a paint-like stain on it before that was totally peeling off. I like that you can now see the wood.

The rest of the pictures are just some we have taken over the last few weeks.

Ben loves to read books. He often reads them with lots of passion and volume.

Sunday proved to be just too much for Ben. I think it is time for a nap.

Obviously, Ben is a fan of mashed potatoes.

This past week was an Open House at the fire station in town. Kids could try their hand at putting out a house fire if they wished. Here is Lucas' attempt. He actually moved the whole house in the process. Of course the flames were just wood painted to look like fire, but i am sure painted wood flames are pretty dangerous too.

crazy busy weekend!

2008-09-28T20:03:00.002-05:00

I am writing this from my freshly painted red office (it still needs one more coat)! Yes, I finally have my red room. Of course I chose our smallest room to paint red but I really like it. I think once it is put together it will not be so shocking to those not so in to bold colors. My house (at least the main floor) now looks like a tree in autumn. You can stand in our living room and see a brown wall, a green kitchen, our pumpkin spice bedroom, the goldish tan walls of the halls and most of the living room, and now our red office! There is a them to my madness although the theme didn't come together until after I painted everything but the office. In my head this justifies the madness of all my painting. :) I will have to post pictures once things look more put together. I keep saying that and then I start another project.

Jake and I have started to move on to the outside of the house now. Yesterday, Jake spent most of the day power washing the paint/stain off our deck and then sanding it. We will be staining it once all these thunderstorms pass. Next weekend, we will be clearing some of our yard for my very first garden! Hopefully, I will have asparagus, some herbs, and maybe some onions this fall! I have very high hopes for someone who the only plant I have kept alive for longer than a month is a good luck plant! My neighbor is giving me some guidance in all this so hopefully I will have better luck!

We had dinner with our neighbors again last night. Lucas and their son seem to get along pretty well for the most part, which is nice. We are so thrilled to have such great people around us. We are definitely enjoying getting to know them.

This weekend was also the inaugural Susan G Komen Breast Cancer 5K in South Dakota. I dragged my larger than necessary behind out the door this morning to run in hopes of starting a running trend in my life again. For not running regularly for a few months now, I was able to run a personal best time for me (nothing impressive to anyone who runs), so I am now motivated for the moment to run again tomorrow. I must admit the fact that I have to wear a bathing suit in December when we go to Mexico is some motivation to keep running as well.

The Art of the Stand Up Pee

2008-09-24T14:22:00.002-05:00

I just finished trying to teach Lucas how to try and pee standing up. I brought out books for him to stand on since he doesn't quite clear the seat and a stool is too high. I even put Cheerios in the toilet for him to aim at. I don't think he quite gets the mechanics of it all and all I have to offer is the hover method, not to be of good use to him. Let's start by saying I was not successful, I think this is one area Jake will have to cover. It brought a good laugh and I think Lucas is still wondering why I put his cereal in the toilet. He was very concerned.

Small Town Life

2008-09-23T13:20:00.002-05:00

I am beginning to really like it here. I love that we have neighbors that we can do dinner with, neighbors who bring you fresh vegetables from their gardens, and who always seem to have time to chat for a minute. It is so different from our little street in Pullman with only 2 neighbors we rarely had a chance to talk with. I am already starting to read up on gardening so I can put one in next spring. We will see how many plants I can keep alive.

The boys seem to be enjoying this place as well. We can now consider going to the bank an event as our bank as one of those old tube things (technical term) where you put your deposit in a container and it shoots up into a tube and comes back with suckers. Nothing is better to Lucas than an outing that results in a treat. Also, only in a small town can you go to the post office and have the President of the university put you into your car seat! We were going back to our car and the President of USD was parking next to us. He heard me tell Lucas to wait on the curb a minute while this man gets out of his car. He then asks Lucas, "Why don't I help you open your door and get in?" Anywhere else this kind of question would have resulted in me wanting to beat the man down with a stick. Here, because I recognized who he was, it was just funny.

The only thing missing in this small town is family and old friends. Hopefully, we can continue to develop great relationships with people here, but if anyone is interested the house behind us is for sale!!!! Any takers????

Night time prayers

2008-09-14T20:38:00.003-05:00

Tonight was one of those moments I just had to stop and write about before I forget. Each night, we pray with Lucas before he goes to bed and we ask him who he wants to pray for. Well, tonight I gave him a few choices, "Do you want to pray for your cousins, your friends at preschool, or the people who were hurt in the train crash?" For those of you who don't know, there was a horrific train crash in Simi Valley on Friday. Lucas chose to pray for the train crash victims and their families. So we prayed and then Lucas got on all fours on his bed and looked down off his bed and said, "Did God do this Mommy?" I wasn't sure what he was doing so I asked him and he said, "Let me get down and show you." He crawled down onto the floor, go on his hands and knees again and pretended to look under his bed. He said, "Did God do this Mommy and look for the people under the train?" This, of course, broke my heart.
I told him, "Yes, God probably did and He probably used people to look for people who were hurt too."
He then asked, "Does God have a big arm, Mommy?" I said, "Yes, God is really big, bigger than our house! he can reach up to the moon."
Lucas then wanted to know, "Where is She (God)?" I think the idea of God being that big was a bit scary, he wanted to know where this big God was. :) I told him that God is everywhere.
"Is He at my church?" he asked. I told him that he was.
He then asked, "Whats one church?"
"He is at all the churches." He is even at our house, but we just can't see him." Keep in mind this is an on the fly conversation so I am trying to come up with answers I could never really explain if I had all the time in the world to think of answers. I told him, "He watches over us and takes care of us. He even made us. He put your ears on the side of your head and put Mommy's eyes on her face." He thought this was hilarious for some reason.
Lucas then asked, "Did God make my arms, Mommy?" I told him that He did.
I the said, "He made all of you really small and put you in Mommy's belly to grow (Great way to bypass a huge subject for the future). When you were big enough, you came out and God continues to help you grow every day to be big."
That about wrapped up the conversation and we moved on. It was the first time he has really asked questions about God, where he is, and how He helps people. It was so amazing to see his mind running. It reminded me of just how out there it all seems. When I try and explain it simply, it is still hard to wrap my mind around it all. Anyway, I had to share this moment as I know they are precious times.
So please take this picture of God on his hands and knees, looking for hurt people under the train and pray for those families hurt by this tragedy. Thank you Lucas for reminding me where God is in the midst of such a horrific event.

Window Well Critters

2008-09-12T00:37:00.002-05:00

We have been having problems with little critters falling into our basement window wells. Up until today, it has been LOTS of frogs and toads. Normally, after a rain Jake will check to see if any have fallen in and throw them back up into the grass. He loves this "chore" and has stated this is another reason it is a perfect house for him (not one of my top 10 reasons I like living here, go figure). Anyway, after dinner tonight, Jake pulled up Lucas' shade for some reason and found our first furry creature. Lucas came running up stairs saying, "Mommy, there is a passa in my window!" Once I figured out he was saying possum, and swallowed the vomit in my mouth (not a fan of furry rat like creatures in the slightest), I headed down to see for myself. Sure enough, there he was, a baby possum curled up in the corner (who knows how long he was in there). He had COMPLETELY shredded Lucas' screen trying to get out. I am not sure how we didn't hear it. Gross! Jake rescued it and sent it on its way, although it was pretty sluggish. So, what will we be doing this weekend? Looking for window well covers, that's what. I can not risk another one falling in and discovering it when Jake is not around. The children would see their mother committed for sure. Not a pretty scene.

Church Hunt Complete!

2008-09-07T13:00:00.002-05:00

I know what you are thinking, that wasn't much of a hunt! Despite the short search, we have found a new church home. I have NEVER been to a church as a visitor and had so many people welcome me, talk to me, ask me questions, tell about themselves, and EVERYONE raved at what an amazing community this town and church is. The pastor made a point to come over, introduce himself, meet our kids, and tell us about a children's/family program they have on Wednesday nights. I guess on Wednesday, all the families of kids preschool through 5th grade meet for dinner and they have activities/programs for the kids after dinner. The teacher of the preschoolers came up and introduced herself as well. Now this wouldn't be so surprising if we were the only visitors at a church of 15 or 20, but there were about 100 people and lots of new or newer people. I LOVED IT! The church? It is the Congregational United Church of Christ of Vermillion. Everyone I spoke with (newer people and some who have been there for decades) said it is a really friendly, community oriented church. It seems very focused on living life based on the teachings of Jesus. The pastor is a very high energy, personable, and well educated man. His wife leads the worship service with him as well. When he was talking to us, he was saying you will find people here who will do anything for you. If you need someone to watch your child, if you need a meal, someone to give you a ride- anything! Just call. Having no real family around, that was reassuring to hear. I am telling you, it was incredible. I think the most incredible part was just how down to earth everyone I spoke with was. it wasn't that creepy, "find the new people and hover" feeling. The people seemed geniunely happy to meet us (I know what you are all thinking- they don't know us yet. They will be pushing us back out the door after a couple of weeks, I am sure, but until then, we will enjoy this wonderful community. :))
Anyway, I just had to update you all as soon as we got home. I am very excited if you couldn't tell. :)

Labor Day Weekend Update

2008-09-03T09:57:00.001-05:00

It was another busy weekend for us. We had a long to do list and completed just about all of it. I painted an accent wall in our living room, Jake finished the window casings and the baseboards in the bathroom in the basement, we hung some curtains, and took a marathon shopping trip. The boys were incredible as they endured a 2 hour Home Depot trip and then another couple hours at a furniture store. I couldn't believe there was no melting down until the final minutes. We were able to find a couch and chair we really like! I will have to take updated pictures once they arrive. My next project is to paint our bedroom. I keep thinking I will stop and take a break from painting, but then a couple days go by and I get inspired to paint another room. Our house is going to look like a circus with every wall a different color by the time I am done. This is what happens when you wait so long to paint your walls. :)

On another note, Lucas continues to enjoy preschool. It is so strange to see him with this life apart from us. People told me it would be this way, that being around other kids would encourage Lucas to do this or that, but I truly didn't imagine I would notice changes so soon. For example, most of you know that he has had serious constipation issues. Well, this weekend we had a three day poop hiatus. I was really worried sending him to school yesterday, and actually entertained the idea of keeping him home because he was pretty miserable. When Jake went to pick him up, the teacher told him that Lucas went to the bathroom (first time during preschool) all by himself and pooped! I was thrilled to say the least. He seems to really be making progress toward getting over the fear of pooping. Thank God!

I have gotten a few questions about our church hunt. We didn't get to church this week since we were trying to get so much done before Jake starts teaching this week. Jake did however, meet another new professor who was raving about the United Church of Christ, Congregational Church. This is the church our realtor recommended to us and the one we visited when we were here looking for a house. Jake was told it has an amazing community, which is high on our list. We are going to try it this weekend.

I am getting to a point where I am really missing friends and community so hopefully this weekend we will make some progress toward meeting people. Again, I feel I have to get back out into the "dating" pool. Obviously it isn't dating, but it is that same awkward feeling of putting yourself out there and hoping you get a phone number or a connection with someone who potentially could be someone you spend more time with. Does this sound as creepy as I think it does? Hopefully you get my point. The point? I need to make friends. :)

Grad School Here I Come...well if they will have me

2008-08-27T12:40:00.004-05:00

I am writing it here so I can not back out. So here goes...
I am going to apply to get a Masters in Education as a Reading Specialist. I feel like learning to help students overcome any challenges they face in the reading process would be an extremely valuable tool for the classroom. It is an area that intrigues me and will help me become more effective when I go back to teach.
The first step will be to study and pass the GRE. This is probably the least important step, but for me, the scariest part. So here I go to study (or nap, last night was rough!)!

Church #1 and possible job!

2008-08-25T12:44:00.000-05:00

I have to say, Church #1 was pretty good. There was no snake charming or angry preachers at least. People were friendly, at least the lady in front of me was. The sermon was biblically based and there were no off the wall ideas (well I guess the Bible can be seen as full of off the wall ideas, but there were no new ones). The only negative was that the service was long, mostly due to a 20 minute announcement about redoing their parking lot.
Next week, Jake or I will be hitting the Methodist church. I'll will let you know!

Today I called the school district to find out about subbing. The lady said they are always needing subs and that I can write on the application that I only want to sub on specific days. I will probably start by just subbing on Fridays since Jake said he can be home that day if need be. I have to say the possibility of working is making me really excited. Obviously, I can not do too much with no childcare, but this little bit is seeming huge to me!

The Church Hunt Begins

2008-08-24T08:21:00.000-05:00

Today we start the official church hunt. It should be interesting. I am all for change in many ways, but finding a new church is never an easy change for me. I want who I know and what I know when it comes to church and as is obvious, that just can not be when you move so far away. So, here we go. Thanks to the advice of my ever so wise sister-in-law, we are going to divide and conquer. Finding a church is hard enough but add two children who are not going to sit through a service no matter how amazing the church, it is even tougher. So, we are going to start our search with one of going and the other staying home with children. We figure this way, not only will I actually be able to hear and pay attention to the service, but if it is obvious it isn't the church for us, I can make a more subtle escape.
My random and totally ridiculous thoughts right now are: Will I get to some of these churches and be totally inappropriately dressed (no prairie skirt and high collared blouse- I don't even own a blouse!)? Will I be one of 8 people in an EXTREMELY uncomfortably different service/ theology (Snake worshiping, fire eating, screaming red faced preachers- I am totally picturing a "Footloose" church)? :) I could go on being ridiculous and extreme, not because I really worry about these things but because I find it somewhat funny to imagine.
Todays Church? I will be going to Hillside Community Church. It is a Christian and Missionary Alliance church. I don't know anything about it, except for the little I read about online but who knows! It seems (obviously) very mission minded and pretty evangelistic, and not that I am against those things, but I have my hesitations. I don't need a perfect church though, just a group of people who can endure us and love us despite us. Well, maybe a bit more than that, but you get the idea.

California Dreamin'

2008-08-21T21:50:00.000-05:00

I thought I would post just a few pics from our time in Southern California, but as you will see, I could not hold it to just a few. Here is Ben enjoying a little sand.
Mommy and her boys
Jake's mom works at this really cool art place for kids in Redondo Beach. Lucas had the place to himself for an hour, creating all kinds of masterpieces.
Grandma Sue and Benners
We couldn't drag Lucas from the water! Jake got a work out swinging him around.
Lucas takes a fishing trip with Papa Joe on his boat.
Jake and Lucas wait to catch a big one.
Lucas meets his new cousins!
Mr. Kaden gives his auntie a smile. Don't you just want to eat those cheeks?!!

The New and Improved Szarawarski Family!

Great Grandma enjoys some time with the boys.

What can I say about Mr. Vin? This little guy is just delicious!

Lucas and Kaden enjoy some gym time.

Sweet Baby James
James and his favorite Aunt Rachel. :)
James gives Nana a smile.

Lucas and Vin are two peas in a pod! They are definitely going to give us a run for our money!

The whole crew! Impressive right? Six kids three and under all contained on one blanket. Any guesses how long that lasted?

James entertains Uncle Jake with a smile.

Poor Rose had to put up with all the boys. You can bet she can hold her own.

Auntie Amy snuggles up to Kaden.

Master Paul and Doctor Jake- Celebrating Jake's new job and Paul finishing his Masters with their engraved mugs.

That about sums up our trip. It was the most chaotic California trip yet, but by far the most enjoyable! We can not wait to do it all again for the holidays.

Lucas had a great day at Preschool!

2008-08-19T15:15:00.000-05:00

I pulled up to pick Lucas up from preschool and his class was out on the playground. It was so fun to watch him out there with all the kids. He was just walking around with his teacher, which didn't surprise me. He probably felt safe with her and for that I am very grateful. When I met him at the classroom, he showed me the firefly he had made before saying goodbye to his teachers. In the car on the way home, he told me all about how he had made the firefly- I take the paper Mommy, and I smash it like this. I stuck it... Where's my glue Mommy? Is it at school? Can I use it next time?" I reassured him he could use it next time and so he continued. "I stuck the paper in the glue and it is sticky Mommy." I have to say I was pretty impressed. I was not expecting him to tell me anything about the day. He also told me about another kid in his class named Luke. "I am Lucas and Luke and he is Lucas and Luke!" I just love these little conversations!
My fears of a first day of school accident were also unnecessary. He didn't use the potty at all, but at least he was dry!
He is all excited for Thursday!

Lucas' First Day of Preschool

2008-08-19T09:47:00.000-05:00

Lucas is currently enjoying his first day of school! It is so surreal to leave your 3 year old somewhere with people he doesn't know and be ok with it. He seemed to be great though. Waking him up this morning at 7:30 was hard since we are 2 hours ahead here, but he rallied and was fine.
When we got to school, he walked in and immediately started playing with a lego table.

I pulled him away to find his name tag and thought I would get him to go over to a puzzle table where the rest if the kids were, but he was not interested in that. He seemed to be ok so we said our goodbyes and headed out. I can not wait to see how the morning went!

We were that family

2008-08-18T23:22:00.001-05:00

We are now finally home after an amazing California trip. We had such a great time with friends and family and already miss all of them.

We flew home today and the first short flight went great! Both kids were very excited I think to head home. The second flight was a bit more challenging. We were totally that family that has the child screaming at the top of their lungs. You know, that ear piercing, heads whipping back with jaws dropping kind of screaming that makes you think, "Why doesn't that parent make them stop????". That was us. Ben apparently was/is constipated and was working on something for most of the flight. It was ridiculous really. BUT, we made it and both kids crashed when we got in the car.

It is good to be home. We had the basement carpet put in while we were gone so it was fun to come home to that. The boys also immediately seemed relaxed and relieved to be back in their own space. I was so impressed with them this trip at how flexible they were with all the changes that have been through (Ben hasn't slept in his crib in over a month!). It was evident though, tonight, that they both will enjoy being home.

Tomorrow is a big day! Lucas has his first day of preschool. We are all really excited (I am also a bit nervous) for him! I am sure there will be tears on my part. It is going to be crazy to leave him there since we have never done anything like this. On top of that, we are leaving him somewhere that is completely new. He doesn't know a soul, we don't even have anyone to put as his emergency contact! That just makes me feel VERY FAR AWAY. I am feeling more excited and less stressed about it though today. Hopefully he will have an amazing day and that will put me at ease. I will have to post about that tomorrow.

California Trip

2008-08-10T12:23:00.000-05:00

We are now down in L.A. on our California Adventure. Before flying down yesterday from Sacramento, we spent the week with our friends, the Fosters. It was so great to be with old friends again. We were even able to head up to Chico for a night to see the Solecki Family, which was fun. Seeing our old Davis gang, always reminds me how great community can be. One night we were having dinner at our friends, the Whitefords, and Amy came walking in the room holding Ben. I said something like, "Oh sorry you had to watch my kid while I just sit here." and Julie turned to me and said, "Rach, you are back in the village. This is what we do." Boy do I miss that village.

The boys loved playing in the creek in Chico.

Nate gives Ella and the boys a ride.

While up north, Lucas was in his first wedding. It was pretty cute to see him all dressed up. He and his friend Sam were in it and they were supposed to carry ukuleles down the aisle. I wasn't sure Lucas would actually make the walk down the aisle, but he did it! The wedding was beautiful and we were glad we could be there to celebrate with Josh and Susie.

Now we are in Redondo Beach and Lucas, Jake, and Jake's dad went fishing for a few hours on Papa Joe's boat. I'll have to post some pictures later this week of that.

Picture Update

2008-08-01T09:19:00.000-05:00

The natives are getting restless!
Jake took some pictures this morning of the basement and I thought I would show you what the basement looks like now.
This one shows the corner that almost stumped Jake, but of course, he figured it out and it looks great to me!
Here is Lucas' room after I finsihed the touch ups. I am so glad I was able to save the stripes.

Here are a few shots of Ben's room. We still have to put up the closet doors so we don't see the taupe colored closet.

Project Basement Update #2

2008-07-31T23:16:00.000-05:00

Well, we did it. Not all of it but we did accomplish everything we had on our list to get done before our trip. Jake finished all the baseboards today. I finished all the paint touch ups in the boys' rooms and all doors and door jambs are painted! We even got it all cleaned up and swept. The boys' rooms look so great with all the baseboards, outlet covers, etc. in. I can't wait to get the carpet and furniture in, and the windows done!
Thanks for all of your comments, it is fun to read your encouragement and it makes me feel like I am not so far away when I get to read your words.
Well, we are off to California tomorrow! We will be up in Northern Cal for the first week, which will be nice. We get to see old Davis friends and go to a couple of weddings. Lucas is in one of them. It should be interesting! After that, we head to Southern Cal to visit family. We are really looking forward to seeing some familiar faces!

Project Basement

2008-07-29T23:46:00.000-05:00

Today was another busy one. I did two coats of paint in Ben's room and started touch ups in Lucas' room. Jake hung most of the trim around the doors this morning and we painted a second coat on all the base boards, and started painting the doors. Whew!
I was excited that Ben's room turned out. The green is darker than I thought but I really like it. I think when we put curtains, furniture, etc. up it will really come together.

Here is Ben's room prepped for painting.

Taking care of the final touches.

Here is one of the corners.

Painting Woes

2008-07-28T12:45:00.000-05:00

There is nothing like painting in your underwear.

Hard at work with Daddy! Don't forget your protective eye gear!

Well, I finished painting Lucas' room. It was like Christmas morning when I got up today! I was so excited to pull the tape off the walls and see my artistry take shape. This "Christmas morning" was more like the year you asked for a Cabbage Patch Kid and got underwear- very disappointing. From far away, it doesn't look too bad, but up close you can see that the tape pulled some of the blue paint off the wall, leaving not so straight lines.

Ignore the huge Electrical box hole in the wall, that will be covered.
Not so bad from this far away.

I am going to try and salvage it but it is going to take a lot of work for another time. Retouching the paint just doesn't fit in to the plan for our "HGTV style" week of basement finishing. Jake and I have been playing Tag Team Home Improvement. I was down painitng trim and then after lunch, Jake went down to finish putting in the doors. He only has two more to go! Wish me luck as I prep Ben's room for paint and start painting doors!

Moving Trip

2008-07-27T16:22:00.001-05:00

The boys had their breakfast outside watching the big truck, since their table and chairs were all packed.
Thank you so much to all those who helped us move! Here is our crew of helpers!
The boys say good bye to Pullman and Hello to Vermillion!

Here is Lucas in Yellowstone Naitonal Park, our happy little camper! Where is the park??!!!
In front of Old Faithful. We got to the gesyer just as it was going off, yeah! Lucas was much more impressed with the geyser than the hot springs, thank goodness!

We made it to South Dakota! Lucas finally got to see the guys' heads! We saw Crazy Horse monument too. On our way to Vermillion, we stopped at Wall Drug and I have to say, it exceeded my expectations. They have this HUGE T-rex in the back that looked scary to me, much less my children! It roars every 12 minutes and I am telling you, it is pretty crazy! Lucas wouldn't go near it! Sadly, the Corn Palace, which was also on our itinerary didn't happen. We got to Mitchell (where the famous palace is) at 7:30 and dinner took priority over palaces made of corn. We finally made it to Vermillion that night at 10:30 PM. We were so glad to have the driving behind us! In the morning, we went and did our final walk through, signed all our closing papers, and bought our first house! We came back to the hotel to find Lucas STILL sleeping at 9:30. The trip really wiped him out! He was very excited to see his new house and new park.

Here is Sue, Jake's mom, attempting to unpack the kitchen!

Lucas loves his new "box house"!
Forget the boxes, Ben just wanted to play in the packing paper.

Right now, we are in the throws of trying to get the basement done so the carpeting can be put in while we are in California (we leave Friday). Today's plan of action (POA :)) is for me to get Lucas' room painted and Jake took his fourth trip (or maybe its his 5th) to Sioux City for Home Depot and Lowe's and he is now cutting the trim for the doors. I was unsuccessful at getting much done in terms of painting this afternoon but hopefully I will get the first coat done after bedtime. One can hope! I will have to post some pictures of our progress tomorrow.

Note to Self-

2008-07-23T07:42:00.000-05:00

Never tell a three year old you are going to a park, even if it is Yellowstone National Park, if there is no play equipment. Lucas was just not that impressed by the hot springs we visited. Old Faithful was received with a little more appreciation, thankfully!

Moving trip update-
We are now in Rapid City, SD and will be going to see Crazy Horse Monument and Mt. Rushmore (or as Lucas calls it, "The Guys' Heads" this morning. So far the boys have been really great in the car and we have had a smooth go of it, well, until last night. Our hotel staff screwed up our reservation and couldn't do anything to fix it (not an easy to thing to swallow when your children's bed time has come and gone, only Ben had eaten dinner, and you have been on the road for 3 days). Did I mention it was our anniversary too? Can you think of a more romantic way to spend it? It became hilarious as we were sitting in hotel rooms on different halls of the hotel (thanks to "Quality Inn"), each with a different child, texting back and forth. Oh, romance!

Anyway, after seeing the monuments, we will be on our way to Vermillion. We will be moving into our new home tomorrow! Lucas will be thrilled. He has been saying, "I want to go home!" off and on this whole trip, it breaks my heart.
Pictures to come...

Reprimanded by a Three year Old

2008-07-18T00:57:00.000-05:00

Today we were getting ready to leave for Lucas' final swim lesson and I got a good talking to. I was trying to get Lucas to hurry along and get his shoes on so we could go. I guess I said something like, "Lucas, you need to put your shoes on, let's go." I probably said it with some intensity I am sure. Well, Lucas turns to me and says something like, "That's not nice. Can you ask nicely, Mommy." Can you tell what we have been working on around here?

Packing Update

2008-07-18T00:06:00.000-05:00

I am on a packing rampage. Anything not moving, gets put in a box. Tomorrow we have our walk through to see what kind of damage we have caused over the past two years, hopefully none. We also pick up our truck and Jake's mom, who will be my sanity as we drive across the country with two children, comes into town. Most things on my extensive "To Do" list (I LOVE lists) are checked off and hopefully by Saturday we can relax a bit before the first day of driving.
Here is a synopsis of our moving Road Trip:
Sunday- Drive to Gardiner, Montana near the northern entrance to Yellowstone. On the way we will be stopping in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, Missoula, Montana, and Bozeman, Montana (at least that is the plan). We get to have lunch with my Freshmen/Sophmore Year College Roommate, which will be fun!
Monday- We take a day to see some of Yellowstone. I am very excited since none of us have been there. Jake and I decided to try to see all of the National Parks together so this will be our first one to check off.
Tuesday- Our 8th Anniversary will be spent driving to Rapid City, South Dakota through Montana and Wyoming. Can you think of anything more romantic than to have Jake driving a huge moving truck while I am trapped in a car with the kids? Good times.
Wednesday- Quick trip to see Mt. Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument and then off to Vermillion! On the way, we are planning to take in two of South Dakota's hot spots- First, we will be stopping at Wall Drug. For those of you who shockingly have not heard of this place, supposedly it is a must see. I don't really get it actually. It has been described to me as a giant souvenir shop. Does that sound appealing at all?There is a website (walldrug.com) I am going to have to research. The next stop will be the Corn Palace. I really have no idea what is inside or what there is to do there but I have been told we just have to stop! Here is a little taste to wet your whistle:

World's Only Corn Palace

Established in 1892, the World’s Only Corn Palace was conceived as a gathering place for city and rural residents to enjoy a fall festival. The palace, located in Mitchell, was also meant to showcase the area harvest and prove the fertility of the South Dakota prairie.

The current building is the third since 1892, completed at the present location in 1921. The murals on the building’s exterior are designed by local artists, one of which was renowned artist Oscar Howe, who designed the murals from 1948 through 1971. The Corn Palace is redecorated each year with a variety of South Dakota grains and grasses.

Anyway, we decided since we are soon to be South Dakotans we need to experience it all. Watch, a year from now, I will be trying to lure people to visit with promises to visit these places!

We will be moving in to our new home Thursday and we are, of course, thrilled! Hopefully some of you will be brave enough to make a trip out to see us, we would love to see you!

I can not believe all this will be happening in just a few days. We will definitely miss the friends we have made here in Pullman. They have been so wonderful to us in many ways. Hopefully we will stay in touch over the years.

Definitely Not a Mom of the Year Award Day

2008-07-09T21:00:00.000-05:00

So we made it. There were moments today when I didn't know if my children and I would all survive the day in tact or still living here. It was a day where shipping one if not two little boys in a box to Grandma's seemed like a plausible option for me. These kids are smart though you see. At least, they can be smarter than me at times. Just when I think I can not handle another scream or another explosion of poop on my floor, they turn on you. They flash you a grin or you are given a glimpse of some reason why you get up and do this everyday. I thank God for those glimpses, especially today.
We are currently packing to move across the country next week, in escrow for buying a home for the first time, and potty training Lucas. To add to that, Ben is cutting 4 new teeth and loves to scream to express his heart felt emotions. This is crazy right? Please say yes because that is how I feel. At one point today I was trying to pack a box and heard Ben waking up. So, like a good mother I went up to get Ben (that is where the good mother part stops) and came down to find Lucas standing on our only carpet downstairs in a pile of crap. It had filled his shoes if that gives you a nice visual. Now imagine trying to clean poop off of every surface of your son from the waste down while your other son proceeds to go to the pile of poop still waiting to be cleaned up. Needless to say, Jake came home from work two hours early today. Thank God for that. It is days like this that I am reminded why I would love to be living near family. I don't mean to sound so negative but trying to pack and take care of children is just not working for me today.
Tomorrow is a new day and one can only hope Lucas resumes to pooping on the potty and Ben learns to talk over night. :) Ok, well maybe just that his teeth come in and we can have a reprieve from the screaming.
So, to all you mothers out there, your odds of receiving the mother of the year award have increased. I am sure your odds will be better than mine again tomorrow as well. :) Let's look at the bright side, it is bed time!!!! Yeah!

Fourth of July Celebration

2008-07-06T14:35:00.000-05:00

This was the first year that we attempted to keep Lucas up for the fireworks. Just as the actual show was starting, at 10:15 PM, Lucas decided he had had enough. He told Jake he wanted to go home and go to bed. Poor kid. We had a great day though together with the McNelly family and enjoyed the firework show from their deck.

4th of July on the Palouse

2008-07-06T14:10:00.000-05:00

So, we have officially experienced a traditional Pullman 4th of July. When I was asking around about what people do here on the Palouse (I don't know why but that word makes me laugh, people readily use it to talk about this area), everyone told me that we just have to go to the Johnson Parade. Johnson is this tiny town about 10 miles south of Pullman, which I had no idea about. The parade definitely held up to my expectations. There is just nothing like a small town parade or festival. Everyone comes out to watch what the folks of Johnson will pull together this year. If you are a fan of people watching, then this is a must event. It feels like you are going back in time. Here are a few shots of some of my favorite parade entries.

Here is the town marching band. I love that no one is coordinating and that I could have pulled out my recorder and joined in.

If anyone was going to motivate me to vote in the upcoming election it would be this woman and her fancy scooter. Her flower hat screamed 4th of July, I loved it.

The Lentil Festival vehicle was a sad reminder that we will not be attending this year's since we will already have moved. I thank the town of Pullman for introducing me to the lentil, which, to my knowledge, I had never experienced before. Having lived in Pullman, I think it is the quest of all true citizens of the town, to try and incorporate the lentil into as many recipes succesfully as possible. I did my part to live up to that expectation, just ask my family.

These kids are having a hay day on this ferris wheel pulled by a tractor, of course.

No parade is complete without bagpipes and kilts.

Our parade gang!

Summer fun in the pool!

2008-06-28T14:00:00.001-05:00

You would never know we had snow just a few weeks ago. Now it is hot! hot! hot! The boys have enjoyed playing in their pool. They can not get enough of the water.

Happy Camper!

2008-06-28T13:50:00.001-05:00

Poor Ben

2008-06-17T13:25:00.000-05:00

I keep forgetting to post pictures of Ben. Here are a few from the last couple of days. You will notice in almost all pictures of Ben, that he is contained in something. It is challenging to get a picture of this mover when he is not strapped in something.

Moving Update

2008-06-17T12:16:00.000-05:00

Update on the Moving Project- We haven't started packing too much yet, although I am dying to get started. Mostly, we have been selling things we do not want to take with us. I am loving Craigslist! I keep forgetting to post this but Jake did put a slideshow together of our house. Here it is:
http://flickr.com/photos/drkerby/sets/72157605165018478/show/

Once Jake gets back, I will start in on the packing.
Only 34 days left!

Day 3 of Jake Being in Mexico

2008-06-17T11:53:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was one of those days as a parent, where one is just grateful you finished the day with all alive. I have to say I love my children, they are fun and adorable and I can't imagine my life without them. However, yesterday...only through the grace of God did I not shake them silly!
Today is a new day though, and hopefully a better one.

One bright spot was Lucas had his first day of Pee Wee Sports Camp. It was pretty funny to see 20 some 3 and 4 year olds running around playing T-ball (and I use the word playing very loosely). He had a really great time.

Day 1 of Jake being in Mexico

2008-06-15T13:57:00.000-05:00

It has been less than 24 hours since Jake left and I already want a break! I got the clever idea that we could go to church this morning, just me and the boys. Ha! We lasted maybe 5 minutes and were back in the car. Church just isn't conducive to screaming toddlers.
After our spiritual church experience, we went to the hospital to have Lucas' final x-ray done. On a positive note, it came back clear. This past week, he had to swallow 20-25 little plastic rings each day for 3 days and then have 2 x-rays done, one on day 4 and one on day 7. It was to see if he was having motility issues. He also wasn't allowed to have his medicine all week. He has done great! I think potty training has made it easier for him to poop. Yeah!!!! Without his meds, he pooped 4 times this week. That is great for Lucas. I think we are going to try and keep him off the medicine and see how he does. He sees his specialist next week and hopefully that will be it!

Snow to 70s

2008-06-14T23:53:00.000-05:00

We have had a crazy array of weather this week. Tuesday we were building snowmen in the yard and today we were doing yard work under the sunshine. Who would have thought?! Hopefully spring will stay for a week or so before it gets really hot. Is that asking for too much?

Jake is off to Mexico for the week to build a house with some folks from church. The boys and I will be keeping busy though. Lucas starts a Pee Wee Sports Camp, which should be fun to watch. He also started swim lessons last week, which he LOVES. Hopefully, all the activities don't wear him out too much. I am normally not one to have something going on everyday for the kids.

Potty update

2008-06-09T22:12:00.000-05:00

Is it a problem if your three year old announces quite loudly that he has taken a big dump after using the potty?

Between Trips

2008-06-04T14:44:00.000-05:00

I just got back from meeting my little nephews in New Jersey. It was very fun to get to hang out with Rebecca and Tom, and their little guys. They are adorable and my, are they small! Now that I am home I feel like I am changing a giant's diaper when changing Ben after being around those little ones. Ben's got some junk in his trunk for sure! Speaking of buns, Lucas continues to amaze us by doing so well using the potty. Today he had his first public restroom pee. What an experience! :)
I leave again Friday morning for San Diego. Looking forward to spending time with Coleen and going to Lenny's wedding as well. Should be fun! This will be my last trip before the big move. Only 43 days left here in Pullman (Jake's counting!).

Potty Training Update

2008-05-26T13:36:00.000-05:00

Well we are in Day Three of potty training and we finally had pee in the potty! Yeah!!!! Lucas continues to not freak out about the accidents which is good. Today he was outside with Jake and he said, "I am going to be right back." He then went in the house, closed the door, and looked out the window at Jake while he peed in the corner. Awesome. Jake was already on his way back in the house, realizing he had probably been tricked. He is starting to realize he is going, now we just need to work on getting to the potty before it comes...

Potty Training

2008-05-24T14:51:00.000-05:00

We started potty training today. yes, this is my life right now- pee, poop, and more of the same. It feels like a never ending task but I figured we better start since he is in to it. He wanted to sit on the potty and wear his new Cars movie underwear (exciting stuff). He had his first of what I am told will be many accidents today, thankfully on the wood floor. He didn't freak out about it though and wanted to put underwear on again after. I guess that is a good sign. Off to another trip to the potty...