Still not blogging

I keep meaning to write, but then I don't. Sorry. The worst is that I have started posting about Spencer's birthday probably five times now. FIVE. I have lots of pictures, fun things to say, a little bit about "why we love our two-year-old," etc. Well, that has been the "next post" on my list since.... February?!??

So, I just got stuck and no blogging happens. I have to remind myself that the point of my blog (and the rest of you may have other points to your blogs, of course) is just to send a shout and and let people know what's going on with our little life here. I'm not out to capture every waking detail of life in the Bishop household. I'm not trying to keep a journal here (believe it or not, I actually DO have one of those, and have already recorded Spencer's birthday in there, pat-on-my-back.) I just like the feeling of "staying connected" with people, sharing some interesting tidbits, ya know?

Well, so, no apologies about no pictures (again). This time I'm just throwing out some of those "tidbits" that y'all may or may not find interesting...

-- Spencer DID have a birthday and IS such a sweet two-year-old boy! He's big, big, big... 97th percentile on the height chart. And a big head, too, like his daddy, hee hee. He has the sweetest little voice, the biggest blue eyes, and the loooongggest lashes ever. (I put mascara on him one day when I caught him rifling through my make-up bag. Whoah!! If he were a girl...)

-- Samantha has been learning about dinosaurs and planets at school lately. She's also become addicted to her afternoon "movie time" while Mom and Spence nap. I'm sad about that, because she used to be our girl who really didn't care whether the tv was off or on. But just last week, I was watching her color and I said something about how nicely she colors. Her response: "Yeah, but coloring is not my favorite thing. My VERY favorite thing is watching tv." Ahh... it was inevitable, wasn't it? It's like when a kid learns the name of McDonald's. sigh.

-- I planted fake flowers in the pots in front of our house. hee hee. And they look GREAT!!! I just kept wishing and waiting for the moment when I was going to feel good enough to plant all those bulbs, and buy some packs of pansies, etc. Then, I was at Joann's Fabric, and I saw these darling little pink heatherish looking plants, 40% off. Well, for my $10 and three minutes that it took to arrange them in the dirt in the pots, we now have adorable silk heather in our front flower pots... and I'm even getting compliments on them, people asking what kind they are, and so on. Best part is, I don't have to remember to water them (which, my house plants could tell you, is a GOOD thing.)

-- I tried spray painting a little night table for Samantha's room. And failed. You've probably all seen someone's blog or someone's creativity in their own home... people who take a perfect DI piece of furniture, put some spray paint on it and -- Voila! a new adorable creation takes shape, with that cute shabby chic look. Well, that's what I was envisioning. But I first held the can too close. Then it dripped everywhere so I took a paper towel and tried to wipe it off. So then it got paper towel bits in it. And... you get the picture? I guess those people with cool blogs about their remakes need post instructions for those of us less talented who want to give it a try! I'll sand it down and see if I can salvage it, for the $8 I paid at the thrift store, it's worth at least one more try, no??

-- My sis-in-law mopped my kitchen floor for me!! Anyone who has read more than a few posts recently knows how big a job it is for me to mop that floor, especially with the pukiness going on, eh? Well, my very sweet Dalana sensed my need and came to my rescue on a nauseating morning. And it looked soooo gorgeous and felt soooo good and clean under my feet. Sending a shout out to her for a VERY much appreciated gesture of kindness.

-- I cooked a ham for Easter. And it really was just delicious. We had everyone over from the Bishop side around here. Everyone brought yummy eats to share for our meal, and we had quite the feast! I mention the ham, because I think it's only the second ham I've ever cooked. Just not a ham cooker, I guess? But I was very proud of myself that it didn't get too dry or something.

-- We got a big-girl bed for Samantha, and moved Spencer into his own big-boy toddler bed. I'm ashamed to say, Sam was still in a tiny little toddler bed, up until last week. I know, I know! I was wondering why we didn't just get a twin from the beginning. Well, she survived, and is now sleeping happily in her new twin bed (pics coming in some future post, I hope). And the best part is how excited Spencer is to inherit the toddler bed! We thought we might have trouble getting him to stay in, but no way! He LOVES his new bed, naps in it just fine, and is very excited to go to sleep in it each night. Good thing, too, because he fell out of his crib twice last week, and ended up with a nose bleed... guess it was time for the change, huh?

-- Samantha started a little ballet class. She's been begging for months, and I told her we'd do it after Christmas (she had to be at least 4 for this one). Then, I got pregnant, and couldn't face the idea of taking her each week (I know, I'm pathetic during those first months. Pathetic!) So, we waited till I started turning my corner. And now... she is in HEAVEN!! She practices her leaps and arabesques all day long. It's adorable. She even has a little recital coming up in May, with a costume and everything. This should be good entertainment!

-- Brian is... keeping busy. At this exact moment, he's at Wal-mart, picking out a present for his dad's birthday tomorrow. We're all having a big birthday dinner at his parents' house tomorrow, so a gift would be in order, eh? How's that for a "tidbit" you didn't know?

I'm signing out for tonight. Goodnight, blogging world. I hope I'll have more good stuff next time around. And more pics!

"magic water"

Yesterday morning, Samantha and I had this conversation...

Samantha, sitting on the stairs wrapped up in a towel, said: Last night, there got to be a little tiny bit of water in my panties. So, I had to get this towel from the bathroom and sleep on it the rest of the night.

Me: Water in your panties?

Samantha: Just a little tiny bit.

Me: How do you think you got water in your panties?

Samantha: I think it was magic water that just came from the bathroom sink and magically landed in my panties and on my bed.

Me, trying not to laugh: Um, actually, Sam, I think maybe you wet the bed a little bit last night.

Samantha, adamantly: No Mom. It was magic water. From the bathroom. I KNOW it was.

Well, since she hasn't wet the bed in about a year, we let it slide. And who knows... maybe it really WAS magic water?!

Daydreaming

I keep thinking I need to write a better update, but then when I sit down to write, I just kind of feel like whining and whimpering about the nausea and blah I'm going through. I'm SOOO sure no one really wants to hear that (especially me, because I've been hearing myself whine about it for the past month and a half). So, I just go back to NOT writing.

But not today. I'm using valuable nap time to tell you all about the things I THINK of doing, while I lay on my couch. It's actually quite fun to think so ambitiously, though not so fun to realize all my "thinking" accomplishes very little. But, in the past days and weeks, just look at all the stuff I've THOUGHT about doing:

-- I thought really hard several afternoons in a row, about cleaning off the tops of the dressers in our room. They lie littered with clean laundry (since the closet smell makes me sick), and books (that I've imagined myself reading), and things I don't want Spencer to get (like the spray bottle, my make-up, some bathroom cleaner, etc.) In my mind, I carefully sorted everything, and got a basket for clothes to keep them in the corner by our big chair. Then dusted, thouroughly. Wow. It looked so much better in my mind, and I even lit that lavendar blossom candle to lighten the smell in our bedroom. And the smell didn't even make me sick, with such clean dresser tops!

-- I also dusted the piano, every last inch of it... in my head, of course. I got that soft little micro-fiber cloth from the laundry room, and carefully cleaned all the keys, the legs, the back. Oh, it was going to look so good, I'm sure you can imagine.

-- I didn't go so far as to imagine mopping the kitchen floor, but I did dream of paying someone else to do it. And I imagined that sweet little paid housekeeper lady could read my mind, and knew how to clean it EXACTLY like I like, even moving out that corner plant, which only happens with a really thorough mopping.

-- I went outside and trimmed back all that yucky dead growth on our shrubs and flowers from last year. Or, at least, I planned to, several days in a row. I could see myself sitting in the front lawn, with my gardening gloves and levi jacket on, carefully shaping those two bushes that shoot out red leaves, once the dead ones are cleaned up. While I was at it, I planted the spring bulbs of lily of the valley, and the gladiolus bulbs, and even the roses my mom bought us a few weeks ago. Then, for good measure, I transplanted that house plant into the darling pot I bought (for real -- the pot is real) a few weeks ago.

-- I also dreamed I was so ambitious that I actually bought Samantha a new bed, that she desperately needs. And found the perfect bedding to match, so her room is transformed. While I was in that daydream, I decided I also found a perfect bookshelf to put in the corner of her room, for a perfect price, with free delivery. So, everything is so much more organized and easy to find in her room, of course!

-- Oh yes, I've also written several lengthy letters and emails in my head, to so many people I've been thinking of these past weeks. These letters usually come to me in the middle of a sleepless and nauseating night, so they're especially sappy and filled with gratitude. Who knows, one of them may be to you -- you can imagine it, if you like!

-- My day dreams have lately been a little more extravagant ... Brian and I got tickets to go on a cruise, like we've been thinking about for several months. (I wish, oh I wish!) And, magically, I didn't feel sick the ENTIRE time. Even better, my fast-expanding waisteline actually didn't look too bad in a new swim suit as we sat on the beach in the sun every day, drinking our banana smoothies and what-nots. (I couldn't dream too much about food, because alas, it ruins the mood every time.)

-- I also dreamed up some great European vacations -- revisiting that coastal highway in Spain near Bilbao that we loved, one of our first trips when we moved to London. Then on down to the Moorish ruins to bask in the sun and watch the olive orchards growing. Then back to Prague to watch the apple trees blossoming, and a stop in Switzerland that we always wanted to make but never did. And of course, I thought it was fitting to imagine the tab was on someone else, so we got to stay in the Four Seasons, everywhere we went, just like that one time in Istanbul so long ago.

Welp, folks. As you can see, I have been very busy these days! And one day, when I feel better again, I will maybe start fulfilling at least SOME of those day dreams -- better start small, maybe with the dressers?

Winter fun -- before it ends

I just wanted to put up some of the fun pictures of our snow outings over the past couple months. We've had such fun times, but I just haven't felt much like blogging. So, here's the short version, mainly in pictures...

McCall -- Winter Carnival

We got to go to the annual McCall Ice Carving contest and carnival again this year. It was great! We rented a condo near the lake and two of my brothers and kids joined us. Our view, from the condo balcony... gorgeous!

Inside, there were cute, cozy window seats everywhere, and such a nice set up! Three bedrooms, each with a king size bed. Perfect for our group.

Sammie climbed a big snow mountain when we were sledding the first afternoon. She was pretty proud of herself...

Spencer LOVED sledding, but wasn't so excited about climbing back UP the hill to go again.

going up....??

We got to see a GREAT fireworks display over the frozen lake. We were almost right under the display ... got a couple raw embers dropped on us, actually! yikes!

Samantha and cousins got their own front row seats on a snow bank...

Spencer loved it, though he was a bit nervous about the loud noises at first...

Slumber party in Brian and Kamber's room! In order to get the babies to sleep, we put the "bigger" kids on our bedroom floor, Spence in our bathroom in a pack-n-play, and Baby M in the other bedroom in his pack-n-play. It worked great -- then we were able to stay up late and play games, just us grown-ups!

Guess what? Our camera died that first night with everyone together. Sad, sad. So, we didn't get any pics of the parade or the fabulous ice sculptures this time. But... Wade did (check his blog), and so did Melissa (check her blog -- end of Jan).

Next Event -- Sledding with the Ward

We had an EQ party for families from church, up at Idaho City a few weeks ago. It turned out to be really fun! Chili and hot chocolate, and some great hills that were perfect for the kids...

Samantha had a BLAST!! She got pulled with a 4-wheeler some of the time, then she took off with friends and went tubing/sledding over and over again!

One more of Samantha, sliding down with friends...

Spence, well, he loved the hot cocoa best.

And endured being pulled in a sled by Mom or Dad...

Winter in our own back yard.

Believe it or not, we've hardly had ANY snow here at our house this winter. Any snow time has had to be when we GO somewhere to play in the snow. So, we were very excited a couple of weeks ago to see a few inches in our back yard one morning. Samantha and Grandpa Dennis went out and made two very handsome snowmen...

We should have taken more pictures of these great snowmen! Just a few through the window, because the Mom didn't feel like bundling up and going out with the camera...

But they lasted a few days, in spite of the warm weather...

The kids have enjoyed being out in the back yard on some of the warmer days. We even saw rainbow in January one evening...

Can't tell, but it was a great big, bright, double rainbow, stretching all the way to the ground on both sides. Not bad, for January!!

That's all for now, folks! I'm just proud to actually be posting ANYTHING at this point... as my pregnancy sickness continues to be "on par" for the course. ha!

Turns out, I AM.

So, remember in that last post that I wrote a month ago... I mentioned a two hour nap and how it was all due to my late night quilting? Couldn't be that I was pregnant, I wrote. Remember?

Well. Turns out, I am! Hence, the ultimate pause in bloggering. Just laying around, whimpering on the couch, running to the bathroom to dry heave or worse. Yep. Test positive.

And, for the record, I'm VERY excited and happy about it! We've been hoping to add to our family for awhile now, so this is very exciting news for us. Due date, October 12. So, I'm about two months along now, according to the charts. Terrible at keeping this kind of secret, mainly because I feel lousy enough I just can't hide it.

Anyway, the blogging pause will likely continue, because being online nauseates me. Just wanted to send a shout out and say ... YAY for baby number three on the way!

Random Writing

My blog is old and blah. I know! I just don't have much to say, and I'm too far behind on the stuff that I SHOULD write, so I feel like I'll never catch up. So, instead, today you get the off-the-top-of my head thoughts.

First, you should know I took a two hour nap today. It was heavenly, except for the many interruptions from Samantha after her one-hour movie ended; she kept poking her head in, with "Mom, I don't know what to do?" or shoving things under the door, like a pair of beads, some socks, etc. I ignored it and proceeded with my nap until I was ready to wake. Only, I never really got ready to wake up, but I had to anyway because someone has to get dinner for this family, right?

The nap leads me to the second bit you should know. Yes, you're all wondering what kind of mother just leaves her kids and takes a TWO HOUR nap in the middle of the day? Uh, yeah, you're right, a pregnant mom would do that. But I'm not. Actually, a mom who was up verrrry late last night sewing a quilt would need a nap today. That's me, folks.

Remember last summer when I announced I made my first quilt, as a humanitarian project? Well, I'm now working on my SECOND quilt, also as a humanitarian project. If you remember (which I bet ya don't because it's not the kind of thing that sticks in people's memories), that first quilt took me about three weeks to complete the top and get it ready for tying.

Well. This time, I have three days till this little beauty has to be ready to tie at the "Pie and Tie" Saturday night!! What in the WORLD got into me, volunteering for such an undertaking?? I am not a quilter! I said that to myself last night as I sat sewing row after row, late into the night. I am NOT a quilter!

But... deep down somewhere inside of me.... well... maybe, in fact, I AM a bit of a quilter after all. I actually really enjoy the monotony of it, especially working late into the night, using my hands to make something while my mind is free to wander and do whatever it wants. All the while, something tangible and creative is taking shape beneath my fingers. Something that tracks my progress and begs me to do just one more row. Wow! I like the sense of accomplishment, and. oddly, there's something very domestically satisfying in quilting. Am I the only one to have discovered this??

Maybe it's because my "day job" is so full of intangible rewards, or long term "projects" (like, raising toddlers?), or things that just have to be done as maintenance (like mopping that kitchen floor AGAIN), things that don't stay done or have to be done over and over again (like cooking dinner?) So, to actually have a project that actually gets DONE and is actually immediately useful to someone (and I actually like the word actually quite a bit today, actually) .... well, see where I'm coming from? If you haven't tried quilting, I recommend it... or something that offers some kind of good, quick sense of accomplishment.

So, third random thing to share... I'm reading an enjoyable book right now. It's not fabulous literature, but it's historical fiction, and interesting enough to keep me up late on the nights I'm NOT finishing that darn quilt. It's another Gerald Lund -- The Undaunted -- about the Hole-in-the-Rock pioneer expedition. So, it's been about a decade since I read any Lund stuff. (W&G got tedious after 5 volumes, who can argue?) But what I enjoy are all his endnotes about the historical facts surrounding the various incidents he's depicting in each chapter. I actually feel like I'm learning a lot of untold history, and having a fun read in the process. Maybe it's because this one starts in the coal mines of Manchester, England... makes me miss London, I guess? And I've never really learned a thing about the Hole-in-the-Rock expedition. But, I did go over Escalante Pass once, and have since been amazed with that southern Utah country -- still so rugged and desolate. I'm impressed with all the research Lund put into this one, pretty thorough. Good read, for those who wonder.

Fourth randomness... Spencer just took a full spray bottle to our baby grand piano. Sad, sad day! I think it will be fine, but it just made me sick when I found him, water squirted over all the keys, all across the back board, and the bench. Man! I just got him up five minutes ago. Sigh. Guess mother-duty is back on for now. Any thoughts on what we should have for dinner on a day like today?? (It's 5:20 p.m. now, so whatever it, I hope it's quick!)

Bye for now. Promise, next round will be either more back-bloggin' about Christmas stuff, or I'll throw in the pics of our lovely weekend in the mountains of McCall. Stay tuned...

More Back-Bloggin: Home Improvements and Holidays

So, I'm still way behind on the blogging, as you can tell. I thought I'd just quickly catch up on things I meant to write months ago. Not much writing, and just a few pics to capture the fun times we've been having around here.

First, while Brian was gone, I did manage to get a few of my home-improvement projects checked off the list...

Painted that one accent wall in the living room. More yellow, I know. And I love it. Looks much better in person than on the computer, believe me.
Got those adorable curtains for the kitchen, and I'm still very much in love with them.
See how cute the print is, up close? It's almost Hawaiian, I think...
Hung the travel pictures above our bed, finally...
They make me happy. :) (so does the little guy in the corner.)
And got the curtains for the piano room.

Things are looking a lot more finished around the house now!

As for the holidays... We really had a blast the whole season (except for the dud of a New Years Eve, which you've already heard about.) So here are some highlight shots...

The downtown lights of Caldwell are really quite charming...

Took all the cousins for an outing to walk around seeing the lights and singing carols. It was cold, but fun, too...

Had plenty of family parties at our house that looked like this...

Celebrated Samantha's birthday at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Sam wore a princess dress all day, and dressed it up that night with her favorite present, the hot pink bathrobe...

Now, no laughing at the lovely Castle Cake I made. Seriously, I had an hour and a half to put something together, from start to finish. And Samantha and her cousins were ecstatic with the results...

That about wraps it up. Oh, one more. Here's our tree...

It fell over three days after we put it up! No one was even near it. We just heard a loud noise in the living room and came in to find our gorgeous REAL tree toppled over. Decorations were everywhere, and pine needles, too! Sad day. But we put it back up and it lasted the rest of the season.

Of course I have more to post, but will have to save it for the next edition of Back-Bloggin. Stay tuned...

Ode to the Wind

The Wind -- a poem of alliterations

The whispering of the winter wind

Went wailing down the winding road.

Whistling and whimpering,

It wound around the bitter cold.

And all the while it blew and grew,

All the while it blew and grew.

It wove around the weathered wasteland,

Wavering and wandering,

Whirling, whipping, whickering,

Slithering and squandering.

And all the while it blew and grew.

All the while it blew and grew.

by Kamber Hone

1992

So, it's not my best work ever, but I got an A on it, way-back-when. I think of it every time it gets soooo windy here -- like last night. I thought our roof might blow off, or at least our doors sounded like they might blow open. It's much calmer this morning, but I had to put up my post anyway. I'm sure the wind will be back soon. I mean, it IS January, right?

Speaking of January, confession coming... January is my least favorite month of the year. Surprised? I bet I'm not alone, really. I try not to think about it or admit it, but it's just a downer for me. Especially the last part of January. So bleah. We've actually planned January getaways in the past, and that really helps.

This year we're planning to go to the Winter Ice Festival up in McCall next weekend. (It's the same one we went to last year, if I could link to it, I would... it's AWESOME!) We've booked a cabin for a few nights, and invited some family to join us if they can. Fun! So, that's keeping the "bleah" of January at bay for me this year. Actually, I really can't complain. I mean, we aren't even suffering from "the Inversion" so far this winter. There's still sunshine (despite the wind), and the kids' fevers are gone. Well then ... Roll on, Frigid January!

over and out

Hey. No fair. Blogger took my vids down. Man! They were working for a couple of days, promise. But it took absolutely HOURS to load just those three. So, unless they magically come back I probably will NOT be adding any more anytime soon. Sorry 'bout that. Blame it on Blogger.

Just heading to bed for now. I have in mind to blog, good intentions, if you will. But it just isn't happening right now. Instead, I have sick kids, and lots of laundry, and cub scouts and primary, and a stuffy nose, and a writing project, and...

That's the skinny, folks. Life's happening -- even in January. Bye for now!

Back Blogging: Some videos

Hey! Good news! Blogger finally is letting me upload some videos. So here's a few recent ones I thought would be fun to share. First, here's Samantha, jumping into the pool at the hotel in California. ALL. BY. HERSELF!! (This is great progress, since she went to ONE day of swimming lessons this summer and suddenly decided swimming is NOT for her.) Check her out...

Spencer found a spray bottle in my bedroom. He just made me laugh, so I thought I'd share...

Here's the vid of Spence (and Sam) saying "Oh So!!" when he saw the Christmas lights. Keep in mind it's dark, we're in the car, and we were mainly trying to record his voice. So, the actual "views" in this one are less than exciting. But it's still pretty cute, hearing him get so excited, I think...

I might add some more later this week, so check back. :)

Back-bloggin': San Fran trip (early Dec)

I can't NOT post all these great pictures from all our fun "happenings." I think that's why I'm not blogging. I'm too far behind and have too many fun things I want to share. But no energy/drive to put it all up for blogger consumption.

But I'll start sort of where I left off... The week after Thanksgiving, the kids and I went to San Francisco to visit Brian and bring him home. It was such a fun trip! Even though he was working part of the time, we still got to see and do so many fun things. The short recap:

First of all, check this out! At the Natural History Museum they have a live albino alligator! Samantha was totally freaked out by it, and didn't want to see the rest of the aquarium for fear the fish might GET her...

But Spencer loved it all. Me and Spence, checking out the live sand dollars, they're some of my favorites...
Seriously, Samantha stood waaay back from most of the aquarium windows, and only got close if Mom or Dad was right beside her...
Just love this pic, have to include it...

The Cali Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park had a great aquarium, as well as a rain forest and planetarium (which we skipped). Here's the snake show...
And here's Samantha, looking at the snakes... entranced.
And here, she studies the map. She loves maps, have I mentioned?
We bought them some fun lollypops as we were leaving the park. Spencer really didn't know what to do with it at first...
But he figured it out. He looks really serious in this one, because he was afraid I was taking it away...

Samantha got one too. Pink, of course. They were GREAT entertainment for the whole rest of the trip. We left them in the car and let them lick away all day as we rode along!

We fed the ducks in Golden Gate Park, but Spence hated it. He screamed and cried, which Brian got on video, if I can get it to load (will try later, but for now here's a pic of me feeding the ducks) ...
Rode the trolley car to Union Square. This is all of us, packed in the car together...
Samantha loved it because she got to stand on the seat and hold onto the bar for part of the time. I was less enthusiastic, because it was an hour-long wait and the busker that was playing the electric guitar while we waited was absolutely pathetic. Plus, it was frrreeezing cold. Oh, but what a memory! right?
We had an awesome hotel suite, with a king bed, and a cute little living room (which I failed to capture on our new camera)...
Our hotel was complete, with fabulous made-to-order complimentary breakfast, and an indoor pool and spa. yay!!

As you can imagine, the pool was BY FAR the highlight of Samantha's trip! Her dad bought her some new floaties, and she learned to jump off the edge by herself. So fun...
We saw some seals, but just a few. We wanted to see the Elephant Seals, and planned a whole day around it, but missed them again. Bad luck! Oh well. We settled for the harbor seals at Santa Cruz. The kids were ecstatic.
Saw some amazing giant Redwoods. Very cool! (And cold, too, unfortnately.)

Also saw a gorgeous sunset from Muir Beach overlook. Left the kids in the car for that one, was that mean?
The lights of the city, all lit up for the holidays...
We also got to see our friend, Ryan Park, who we knew in Boston. Had dinner with him and got to catch up a bit. Samantha was kind enough to take a picture of all of us...
Then Brian took another one...
Just had to throw in these fun ones of the kids. I love the look on his face, don't you?
And that's our girl! Little smudge of ketchup from lunch on her cheek, oops.
We went over Donner's Pass on the way home. Lucky for us, we just missed a big snowstorm -- the roads had been closed the day before. But for us, we just got a spectacular snow show, and some nice, dry roads...

It's been soooo nice to be all together again! He was in San Fran working from Labor Day all the way until the first week of December. Looong time away! I have a new appreciation for single parents and the hard job they have. And also a new appreciation for my husband and how wonderful it is having him around!