On my 32nd birthday

So, the kids don't sleep in on my birthday. Wasn't expecting they would, of course. It's a good thing I'm an early riser! My conversation with Jack was funny. When he wakes up early, and it's dark, and Brian and Kate are still asleep, I let him sit in our big fluffy armchair and watch his favorite show, "Bob the Builder." He's come to expect it, if he wakes up and it's still dark and quiet. This morning, as he was settling into the armchair, we had this talk:

Me: "What day is it today?"
Jack: "I don't know."
Me: "Is it a special day?"
Jack (whispering): "Your birthday?"
Me: "Yes!"
Jack: "Can I watch Bob the Builder?"

I love my son!

Out of California

A year-and-a-half ago, when we first settled in the Eastern Sierra, I remember getting our satellite dish hooked up just in time to watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics from Beijing. It is only fitting, then, that on the day of the opening ceremonies from Vancouver, Brian found out that he is getting a pink slip. Yep, his job is being eliminated, due to budget cuts. There is nowhere else in this tiny district for him to go (aside from bumping the lone music teacher out of his position, which he would never do!), and we've wanted to move out of this state for the past four (five? six?) years, so this is our chance. We'll be moving to New Mexico after this school year, or before it's over if a job is offered sooner. It doesn't seem real yet, that we're really moving. This is what we've wanted forever. I think right now our focus is just getting another job. When that happens, I feel we'll really be able to celebrate. And, of course, there is some sadness at leaving our home state for the past eight years. As much as we've said we want to get out of here, we've also made some great friends, and seen some great places.

New favorite spot

Casey, the kids and I have taken several walks up in Lundy Canyon lately. We all get a good workout: Casey runs ahead, I hook Kate up in the front carrier, and Jack and I both trudge through the ski tracks in our snow boots. And this is all only five minutes from home: perfect for that mid-morning, between-naps fix for cabin fever.

Official Valentine's Day photos

Couldn't post these darn-cute pics earlier because I'd sent a few of them to family with their Valentine's Day cards. The kids are wearing their matching shirts from Chope's (the best hole-in-the-wall southern New Mexican restaurant I know!). Now that the big day is past, I can post!

The yearlong playmat project

I finally finished it: Kate's playmat! Of course, I'd meant to have it finished before she was born, but then she came three weeks early, and I just haven't been able to find the time up until now. Every few weeks I'd take out the project when I had a few spare minutes... but we're talking spare minutes. I'm terrible about leaving projects halfway through, when it just seems too difficult, but not this one! I was bound and determined to finish it. And I did, last weekend, the very day after she learned to crawl. *Sigh...* Oh well! It'll make a great piece of art to hang on her bedroom wall!

Sledding day

Yesterday was the final ski day for Lee Vining Elementary students. Brian has stayed behind at the school each week with the students who didn't go skiing (yesterday, a whopping three of them!).

I took the kids into town to, first of all, buy a sled, and then join the students on this sweltering day (really, it was quite warm!) on the hill behind the school. Jack, all excited, decked himself out in all his snow gear, and picked out a sled at Bell's Sporting Goods with much gusto. Top of the hill, and rarin' to go:

Jack's reaction to his solo trip down the hill: sheer panic! He tried it again, with his dad this time:

And that wasn't any better. Poor guy decided to abandon his sledding ambitions and stick to trudging up and down the hill, making "train tracks." Next it was Kate's turn:

Kate handled the thrill of the ride much better than her brother did. That general look of nonchalance that graces her face most of the day? It stay put for the entire sled ride. What hill? It's gonna take a lot more than that to satisfy this girl's daredevil tendencies!

C'mon, Kate, can't we at least get some kind of reaction?

There's a smile!

Kate at eight (months)

Katharine Mae was eight months yesterday! She's about sixteen pounds of pudge and as active as ever. In the past few weeks, she's learned to sit on her own (to the point where I don't worry about her falling over anymore), pull herself onto her knees and sometimes her feet, stand and wobble while holding onto a table or box, and maneuver herself around to grab at anything within reach. On Saturday, we saw true crawling for the first time while we were at the Mammoth library. She's very attached to me, so much that I have to sneak showers and dog walks in before she sees me leaving the room. She likes sweet potatoes, applesauce, and is obsessed with Gerber "sticky stars." Her "pincer grasp" is developing especially nicely because of the little snacks she likes to pick up while at the table. She still squawks like a bird sometimes, and cries very loudly, especially when she sees me but is not in my arms. And, oh man, she will put anything into her mouth! I know that's true with all babies, but sheesh! Does she really have to go for the dog food?

The broken camera blues

I'm bummed because our camera is broken! For some reason, the shutter won't open all the way. My guilty conscience says it probably has something to do with me dropping it on our neighbors' driveway on Halloween of '08. Is it worth trying to get fixed? Or is it one of those things where it's just better to get a new one? Either way, we can't quite afford a new one just yet. Trying to pay off credit cards, and student loans... then we should have a little disposable income. Enough to buy a new camera, at least. In the meantime, I'm taking pictures with my Blackberry. And, once in awhile, I can borrow Brian's school camera. Poor Kate won't have nearly the same massive amount of baby pictures in her scrapbook that Jack has! Anyway, here are some of my newest phone pictures of the kids: