Will as a pirate

A few weeks back our good friend and neighbor, Charlie, celebrated his 4^th birthday.  Oh the excitement that it was a pirate party! Last year Will was taken by pirates.  He had Rob create treasure maps for the yard that marked buried treasure and he wore and eye patch from time to time.  We got some pirates books and then slowly, Legos took over and the pirate love faded.

But then, like a slight rekindling of sorts, Will’s love for pirates came alive again at Charlie’s party. Maybe it was because Carrie had the coolest treasure map every that led the kids along a treasure hunt throughout the yard (darn elementary teachers that “get” five year olds!) or maybe it was the dress up that accompanied the event.  Either way, the love affair is back.  Will came home and instantly through on the pirate garb and wouldn’t take it off.  And it was so sweet, he would sing ti himself, talk to himself in a little pirate voice and just be pain cute the whole darn time.  Rob was also gone this past week and so Will snuggled with me in bed.  On more nights than not, I found him like this:

Eye patch, pirate hat, jewels (rings), treasures (chocolates – uneaten which means they were super special) and Moonkey his new favorite stuffed animal with beads draped around his next (because I wouldn’t let him wear beads to bed).  It was too cute.  Then, he wanted to take it all with him to school to show his friends.  The innocence of youth is so sweet.  I wish I could throw on an eye patch and talk like a pirate for a day (wait…doesn’t that happen)…

Will doing his first homework assignment with his vest on

SO big & grown up

A collision of things

All things considered, September can be best summed up using the word confusion.  Yep...how's that for a word.  Things have been, well, weird around our house with lots of changes going on.  We are all well, happy, healthy and hanging in there so don't worry.  But so many new events can be cause for some tired people.  I new it had reached THAT point when Will looked at me last night and said "i'm so tired mom.  like i can't move my legs tired" at seven o'clock  Yeah, seven.  That's early for the kid you thinks it's cool to try and beat the clock to midnight (not that it happens ever but he thinks he can stay up super late).  So, as the dust settles and our heads stop spinning, we'll be back.  

The lost post about our beach trip

We went to the beach this summer...our once a year trip...I wrote this blog post up ages ago and it never made it here.  So...without further delay...our beach trip.  Just keep in mind that "last Saturday" took place some weekend in July!

On Saturday we made our way to Seaside for a little beach action.  We always get the best pictures of the kids at the beach and try to get there once a year at least.  The kids love to play in the water, Will especially, and he just discovered this year that the water tasted a little bit salty.  Uh..yeah!  This year he managed to get out up to his hips almost, a bit scary for mom and dad but pretty brave on his part.  He worked so hard to jump the waves and was surprised when one managed to knock him over and he got wet up to his ears.  Brrr…that’s cold. 

We took some time to enjoy (kind of) the Seaside boardwalk.  Will had been down here a few months ago and loved riding the Tilt a Whirl.  Somehow he convinced me to go.  I should preface this with the fact that carnival rides make me sick-event he ferris wheel gets my stomach going.  I prefer to watch from a bench with an elephant ear in hand (well mouth) but since rob went last time, I felt obligated to ride this time.  Addison wanted to go to which made me happy I figured if she threw up it would give me the green light to throw up my lunch too and blame it on the kid.  It was then that I had horrible flashbacks to my eighth grade field trip to Oaks Park where I was forced to ride the spider by my friends and to impress some boys.  I ended up getting sick just as our piece of the ride was at the very peak, about 25 feet in the air.  I managed to get my head off to the left and throw up on the line waiting to get on the ride.  I tried to play it off like it wasn’t me when I was in the bathroom and a group of girls were saying how gross it was to get throw up on (it is) but then someone came running in explaining that they had picture proof it was me (on a 35mm camera because there was no digital but proof nonetheless).  I was mortified.  But…back to the tilt o whirl.  We got on and this woman that looked like a man gave me the look that I took for absolute certainty that this would be the worst ride ever.  And..it was….I walked off feeling sick and light-headed.  That feeling like if you turn your head just too fast you may throw up all over everything.  Well, I didn’t do that but I felt like crap for the next four hours!

Our feet photo

For whatever reason the Storm Troopers were just hanging out on the beach that day.  

The ride that made me sick and reminded me that carnivals are scary.

The shipwrecked boat at Fort Stevens.  This place is definitely on the list of camping destinations for next year.  
Say CHEESE!

This picture is up on our wall now at home.  I think it captures summer at the beach so well.  All that effort to get over one big wave!

Will somebody make this please...

And just leave me a tiny bowl on the doorstep?  Otherwise I"m convinced I'd eat the whole pot of it myself!  

BUFFALO CHICKEN CHEESE DIP            

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breast
  
• 1 jar Marzetti's blue cheese or ranch
  
• 1/4 cup Nance's buffalo wing sauce mild
  
• 1 8-oz.pkg. cream cheese softened
  
• Tabasco sauce (optional)

Boil chicken until tender (let Cool).  Shred or chop finely. Mix together dressing and Buffalo sauce. Use Tabasco sauce to fire it up to your desire. Spread cream cheese in a 9x13 baking dish. Mix chicken in to dressing. Then pour over chicken mixture over cream cheese evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Let cool and serve with Tostitos Dips tortilla chips.

Ummm....that was fast.

The last five years I mean.  Where does the time go?  I swear Will was just a baby toddling around the house jumping on furniture and eating mushed up food.  Yesterday, he woke up at 6AM, and scared the heck out of me in the kitchen by exclaiming "I am SO excited for school!"  He was a nervous ball of energy all morning on the way to school.  Rob dropped him off and said he was goofy and nervous and sweet all at the same time.  He had a great time. When we picked him up he said he enjoyed recess the most (who doesn't) and said that there was one girl in his class that would not listen (thank god it's not my kid).  He was on his best behavior all day long and then c.r.a.s.h.e.d. at home.  HARD!  So tired, worn out and down right exhausted.  In bed at 7pm in tears about things he wasn't even sure of.  And this morning, back up again with a smile on his face ready to hit the ground running.  "How fast they grow up" a statement that is more true than you can imagine.