Just Stuff Again

Sorry, no pictures yet. I failed to bring along my cable to connect my camera to my parents' computer, so the hundreds of genius pictures I've taken on the trip will have to remain inside the camera until we return. I know. It's sad.

Why is it that babies decide to get up earlier on the mornings after you stay up later? It's not very fair. Is it some cosmic thing to punish the late-night readers among us?

Why do babies invariably find the worst possible things to play with when their mothers are drowsy and slow? Bottles of lamp oil, sharp pointy metal decorative flowers, little tiny Legos...these are the things I've taken away from him in the last hour.

Yesterday was a lovely day. I ran a couple of miles, then we went to a park and played tennis (I was the Loser). The kids sewed some pjs with Nana, then we swam and played games. Oh, yes, and I dropped a pan of lasagna on the kitchen floor out of the oven. And...wait for it...we ate it anyway. That's my kind of crazy.

Just Stuff

I'm still in sunny CA, enjoying perfect weather and laying around my parents' pool. Oh wait, I WOULD be laying around my parents' pool if I didn't have a 15-month-old darling daredevil who doesn't like to nap.

It has been a lovely trip so far. Flying is so much preferable to driving that I'm sorry I've even had the chance. I don't ever want to do that 10-12 hour drive again, but of course we will. I had a great time with Kurt and Ash and Eric and Nina, and the family reunion was fun. I loved seeing Chad (here from Iraq), Brent, and Matt, and it was wonderful to meet Matt's girlfriend Ananda. (She's very nice.) Everyone else left as of today, and while it was quieter, it was also more boring. The kids kind of wandered around trying to figure out what to do.

And I have truly exciting news...

I won the Youngberg Second Annual 5K! Pretty impressive, huh?

That's right. I took first out of one runner. (Every other runner was too scared to show up. Well, that, or too tired.) (But bragging rights remain mine.)

So the Youngbergs still reign supreme over the Abbotts. Ha ha ha.

The exciting news is that I was finally able to get my 5K time back under 30 minutes, barely. That is not much to brag about, but I was really happy about it. That's the joy of running to me. I don't have to compare my times to anyone but myself, and I can enjoy small victories.

I'll post pics when I'm back in town.

Today is also the first anniversary of David's dad's death. It's a somber thing, but it's also been nice to think about him and to be grateful for his wonderful life and his influence on me.

Our Week on the Shadowy St. Joe

We spent five days with Paul and Cindee at their cabin on the St. Joe river off of Couer d'Alene at the end of June. The trip was nearly perfect. Water, happy kids, family, biking, waterskiing, tubing, getting pulled over by the lake police (Paul talks his way out of every ticket ever), almost wakeboarding (a story for another time which involves a high-speed pursuit of a tube-stealer), running, reading, laying around, talking, making memories...what an amazing time.

Paul and Cindee are great hosts and it was so fun to watch the relationships between the cousins deepen even more. Sophie and Lexie read for hours together and made up a show for our last morning. Kate and Alyssa loved spending time together, and we all loved watching Ella. Two year olds are hysterical. Josh loved hanging and biking with Paul and Cindee, and he once again popped up on skis. He may match his dad and uncle's skills yet.

Here are some pictures of our fantastic week on the St. Joe's. We can't wait to go back.

Ahh, the joys of messy babies. David can't stand watching him eat, but I think it's cute, the way he two-fists his mac and cheese into his mouth, dropping the vast majority all over the floor. Natalia loves to sit next to Ben's chair. It's a feast for her every meal. If only we could keep him in a high chair, and not on the table. He has squirmed out of every chair we've tried. I can't tell you how many times I hear a happy scream in the kitchen and go running in to find him marching around the kitchen table, waving his arms. It's just like 7 years ago with Sophie. I hope we survive it.

Sleeping...better, but Sunday night he screamed from 5:00 am until 6:30, when I finally got him up to keep him from waking the other kids. Turned out he had strep. Along with all three of the other kids. Joy. So all six of us are being treated with a killer antibiotic to try to get rid of the darn infection once and for all. Sophie's had it 3 times in the last 2 months.

We're getting ready for a trip to the St. Joe river in Idaho at Paul and Cindee's cabin. We'll be leaving Friday (if I can actually get my act together and pack in time) and returning July 3. Wish us luck on the long long drive.

Oops. Everybody Help Me Out, Please!!!

So I was trying to get all fancy-ish with my blog background and edited the HTML or what-have-you.

It erased my links list. Plus it looked stupid. I'm back to simple.

SOOOO...Please comment for me here so I can link back to your blogs and get the real website so I can have your links here again.

This means you. Do it. Now. And if you haven't commented before but want me to link to your blog, then DO IT. The more, the merrier, right?

Good News. Really.

Two nights ago he was up at 12 and 5 again, but he cried for only FIVE minutes.

Last night HE SLEPT UNTIL 6:00.

Let me say (I mean type) that again.

BENJAMIN SLEPT FROM 9:30 UNTIL 6:00.

Glory glory Hallelujah.

I hate to jinx myself by being too excited, but you have to understand that I have not had a full night's sleep since I was seven or eight months pregnant with this now 14 month old darling.

On to tonight...

Catching Up

Last night was harder. He cried at midnight for more than 30 minutes, then again at 5:00. I'm tired.

Off the sleeping subject (which becomes more and more tiresome every day), here are some catch up pictures.