The Lockwoods

We have a walker!

2008-09-05T20:23:00.000-07:00

After weeks of stubbornness, Mason finally decided to let go and take some steps on his own today. It took us several tries to get it on camera, but here's the proof! Way to go Big Guy! We love you!

Abigael's first swim lesson...

2008-08-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

I signed Abigael up for swim lessons through Metroparks Tacoma. Today was her first swim lesson. Her instructor, Kim, was amazing with the two kids! They worked on familiarization with the water, blowing bubbles, and kicking. There was just one other kid, a little boy named Kyle, in her class. Here is a video of Abigael when she first got started with Kim....

Spring?

2008-04-01T11:40:00.000-07:00

March 28th

(yes, that is snow falling)

March 29th

"My Oh My!"

2008-03-31T08:11:00.000-07:00

Opening Day!

Go Mariners!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-21T19:58:00.000-07:00

"Peeps in the news!"

Make sure you flip through the slide show.

Mason Campbell has arrived!!!!

2007-08-26T23:25:00.000-07:00

Christie gave birth Friday night to Mason Campbell Lockwood. Mason was 6 lbs 14.5 oz, 19 inches long, and 100% healthy!! Christie is doing well albeit sore. She gave birth without any drugs in less than FOUR hours from the time her water broke, 6:30pm, at the house till Mason came into this world at 10:23pm! Christie was Sooo strong and made me the proudest husband and daddy, EVER! We spent all day Saturday and Sunday till 2pm in the hospital. Mason passed all of his tests with flying colors. Mason latched immediately to Christie and started nursing with minutes of being born! He has been nursing and sleeping very well so far! The doctor let me help "catch"/deliver Mason. I stayed by Christie's side the entire time helping to coach and encourage her through the labor and delivery. Then at the last moment a third nurse came in and took my place at Christie's side and I gloved up and came around to the Doctor's side. She told me she would deliver the head and the shoulders and I could "do the rest". As Mason's head came out she suctioned his mouth and then positioned my hands around his head while applying an upward pulling pressure. The doc delivered Mason's shoulders and I helped bring him the rest of the way into this world and up onto Christie's waiting chest. Christie and I did not know the sex of our baby until he popped out and it was an amazing surprise to see that he was a boy! Abigael and Christie's dad, Tom, were out in the waiting room and when we were ready I went out and got them and brought them in to see their new brother and grandson. Tom lit up like a Christmas tree and Abigael was in total awe and wonderment. Both got a chance to hold Mason before I sent them home around 2am to get some sleep and wait till Pat arrived the next day. We had a few visitors Saturday afternoon, Wayne and Mary Lockwood and Sam and Wendi Hawley.

We are home know and trying to find some kind of a rhythm and schedule. Last night was our first in the house with Mason and it was kind of rough. Thankfully Christie's parents are here and they are doing a WONDERFUL job of helping out with Abigael and taking care of all of the little stuff. Tom was here all last week and Pat arrived Saturday afternoon. Thank you to all that have sent congratulations and well wishes!! I have posted some pictures on my flickr account and more will come I am sure....

Jammie Time

2007-06-19T08:13:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for bed last night, Abigael ran into the living room and tossed her pajamas onto my lap. I sorted through the pile, pulled out her underwear and handed them to her to put on.
She sat down on the floor and quickly put her legs through the holes. She recited her little mantra. "The tag goes in the back. The bow goes in the front."
"That's right! Good girl."
I then handed her the bottoms to her Strawberry Shortcake pajamas. She repeated the same steps. Left leg, right leg, "the tag goes in the back."
As she pulled the waistband halfway up her chest, she said "I do it all myself. That's how big girls do it!"
"That's right, sweetheart! That is how big girls do it! You are such a big girl now!"

She looked me in the eye with a proud look and said "Your baby is growing up!"

Already?

The Home Stretch

2007-06-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

After such a long time of floundering and wondering about life's little turns, it seems like all of sudden there's not just a light at the end of the tunnel but we're close to just knocking the whole thing down! Could it be that things are finally coming together for us?
Brandon is nearing the end (next week) of completing his nursing pre-requisites. While, of course, there is still a lot to work left to actually become a nurse, at least the path has been started.
We are officially now in the third trimester for Baby #2! Now that's literally a "light at the end of the tunnel." I have some sadness that I haven't enjoyed being pregnant this time as much as I was with Abigael, but maybe that's to be expected when you also have a three year-old demanding your full attention. Physically, this time around has also been much harder on me. As a result, I don't think I've been a very pleasant person for Brandon or Abigael to be around and for that I'm also a little regretful. I don't feel like I've done anything to prepare for the new baby. No shopping, no obsessive reading or list-making, nothing. I did manage to sign us up for a refresher childbirth class. WooHoo! Way to go! But as I was saying, we've now hit the last phase. Not much left to do but just get bigger. Is that even possible? I think my belly is already bigger than when Abigael was born. It feels like it's ready to pop some days, and I still have at least 2 1/2 months to go!I have a feeling this is not going to be another peanut-sized baby.
And, of course, there is the BIG news. We are "this close" finally becoming homeowners! For those of you who may not know our situation, we have been renting for a VERY long time. Brandon and I have been married for 10 1/2 years and have been in rentals for the entire time. We've lived in a variety of houses and apartments over the years, each with it's own personality. Right now we're in residence #6 and it's definitely time for our own space. If nothing else, I NEED a yard to throw Abigael out into! But more practically, with baby #2 almost here, we need more space and we've been aching to put down roots for a while now. We've procrastinated on this big step for several reasons...money, waiting on the fire department job, money, fear of commitment, money, home prices, fear of the unknown. But, we finally reached our breaking point, and decided it was now or never. All in all, the process hasn't been nearly as traumatic as I had feared. When you look the articles and tests to measure stress and possible depression in your life, buying a home (and having a baby) is listed as one of the top triggers. I, for one, was a little worried about this, the past couple of years have been pretty tough emotionally for me. (I'm already trying to prepare myself for any postpartum issues after the baby is born.)But, so far, I'm feeling really good. I'm excited about the move and have had hardly any panic attacks over the impending mortgage payments. Everything is moving along just fine, and we should have the keys in our hands in the next few days. Except for the actually "moving" part, this is going to be pretty awesome.
This is going to be a good year after all.

Saturday Morning

2007-06-02T20:54:00.000-07:00

A bird in the hand...or in the house

2007-05-23T14:56:00.000-07:00

Last night Matt decided he needed to bring his latest friend in the house.

Last Spring it was mice. What's next?

This and That

2007-04-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

We're still plugging away in our little corner of the world. With the exception of the everyday little drama, things are going pretty well.
Thankfully, I'm starting to feel much better with the morning sickness. I was beginning to think only birth would alleviate the daily puking and constant nausea. But, no. It only took a week-long struggle with our health insurance to cover a super-expensive anti-nausea medicine to fix the problem. All they had to do was approve it, and POOF, no more sickness! Go figure...
Our most recent OB appointment went really well. The doctor was very happy to see that I've stopped losing weight and even managed to put a few pounds back on in the past four weeks. In retrospect, I think the severe morning sickness I had was my body's way of putting me in better shape physically to handle the rest of the pregnancy. But it still sucked... All the tests we've had over the past couple of months came back with glowing results. The tests for potential birth defects and genetic abnormalities came back perfect. All of the ratios were at the top of scale showing no problems. Our 20 week ultrasound looked great too. The baby was moving around like crazy (I could have told you that) and even showed a few tricks, like swallowing and playing with the umbilical cord. As far as the ultrasound screening, everything also looked wonderful. No detectable abnormalities and the placenta was attached at the the back of the womb (instead of near the cervix). This is really good news because we will be trying for a VBAC (vaginal delivery after cesarean) and everything in our favor will help. All in all, things are looking very well at this point. We're past the halfway point and I'm actually starting to feel like a pregnant lady now. My belly is starting to pop so that I actually look pregnant instead of bloated. I already feel bigger than I did with Abigael at this point, so it'll be interesting to see how I end up.
Abigael is just as wild as ever and continues to entertain us everyday. As amazing as her sense of humor is, her stubborn independence is just as "challenging." We remind ourselves that we've raised her that way, and she'll be better off for it, but, oh my, the battles we've set ourselves up for. It's hard to believe that in less than a month we'll have a three year old in the house. As difficult as she can be, everyday that comes feels like the best age ever.
Brandon is just a busy as ever. The man just doesn't know how to take it easy. He's plugging away at school and almost finished with his nursing school pre-requisites. When those are done, it'll be almost time for the baby to arrive, so he'll probably take the next year off to stay home with the kids (wow, I just said kidS, as in more than one). His leg continues to slowly but surely heal. Unfortunately, almost two years of recovery has taken a toil on his poor body. While the bone continues to do what only it can do, he's still got a long road to get everything else back into shape. But, of course, it doesn't slow him down any. The itch to ride his bikes is too strong to resist and he's back in the saddle. Sunday morning mountain bike rides and the call of the velodrome keep him motivated and constantly tweaking his bikes.
That's about it for one post. I'll leave you with a rare find indeed. A family picture.

The Reason for the Sneezin'

2007-04-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

Daylight

2007-02-28T14:44:00.001-08:00

Maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel...Sorry for my absence, but it has been a rough couple of months for the Mom model of the Lockwood family.
My last post announced our happy news, that we are expecting an addition to the household sometime in August. Well, I'm happy to report that the little person has not failed to remind us of that upcoming occasion every. single. day.
For those of you with nothing more exciting to read, here is recap of my fun-filled 2007 thus far:

January: A couple of days after getting back from Christmas in North Carolina, Abigael came down with a bizarre 24 hr bug. She ran an fever for a day and had a horrible hacking cough. Fortunately, in typical toddler fashion, she bounced back pretty quickly. But, as usual, the "germ factory" ramped up production and hit me full-force. I ended up with a horrible stomach flu that put me down (or in the bathroom) for at least three days. Later in the week, it seemed like I should be feeling better when it hit me over the head that the dreaded "morning sickness" had decided it was time to make an appearance. "OK, I can handle this. It wasn't that bad with Abigael. Eat some crackers. Take a few more naps. No problem." For a week or two, that theory seemed to work. Until, that is, I learned first hand, that indeed every pregnancy is different.

End of January: Yet another cold decided to hit me over the weekend. It wasn't too bad. Or so I thought. A few days later I woke with a tightness in my chest and a little short of breath. Over the course of the day, it turned into full-on coughing and wheezing. It apparently was bad enough that one of my co-workers was like "umm...Christie, you really should call the doctor about that." Honestly, I was getting pretty worried because I could hardly catch my breath. The doctor was able to fit me in that afternoon. The diagnosis was acute bronchitis, some kind of upper respiratory infection. I was sent home with an inhaler, a nebulizer and antibiotics. A few days later I was breathing slightly better, but still feeling pretty crappy. Back to the doctor. "Looks like the antibiotics didn't really work, it must be some kind of virus. And your lungs sound awful, must be pneumonia." Good grief. In a nutshell, it's just something that will have to run its course. At our first pre-natal checkup, I told the doctor that I had been nauseous a lot. She prescribed some medicine for that and sent me on my way.

February: While I've been preoccupied with silly things like breathing, my morning sickness has been growing steadily worse. My appetite is practically gone and it's all I can do to force some food and liquids down my throat. And, of course, that's no guarantee that it's going to stay put. I'm now throwing up at least once a day if not more. Surely, it can't get any worse...yeah, right. The utter exhaustion that comes with the body getting used to being pregnant makes it's appearance. When I was pregnancy with Abigael, it was easy to come home and take a nap after work. Not so now. A 2 3/4 year-old does not understand the concept of someone else being tired.
Anyway, last week I finally decided I'd had enough and called the doctor. I was getting dehydrated, so I was given a full liter of saline via IV. She also gave me a different anti-nausea medicine, which unfortunately puts me to sleep. I'm starting to feel a little better, I actually went two days in a row without praying to the porcelin god. They say that morning sickness is supposed to get better when you get to the second trimester(which happened with Abigael), so I'm looking for that light at the end of tunnel any day now. I'm not so sure though, this has got to be a boy. And I am in so much trouble.

I guess that's enough of my moaning for now. I would like to say though that through all of this Brandon has been a rock for Abigael and me. Even with all the obligations he already has (school, cadet school, leg recovery, etc), he has taken on the extra burden of me being useless and taken care of us all. I don't know what I would do without him.
Oh yeah, I wouldn't be knocked up...

Estimated Time of Arrival - August 22, 2007

2006-12-18T22:06:00.001-08:00

Working

2006-12-06T12:22:00.000-08:00

If there was ever any question that I work in a "real world" office, here's a quote from a meeting I attending today:

"…we're probably going to do a desk instruction procedure on how to update our desk procedures."

Friends?

2006-12-03T21:42:00.000-08:00

Don't let the crusty, old furball tell you any differently...I think he actually likes her.

Telecommuting

2006-12-01T08:44:00.000-08:00

How to work from home with a 2 year old....

Lesson 1: a little pre-breakfast snack while watching Curious George so Mommy can call into a meeting.

Lesson 2: Don't forget the to make sure the Mute is on the speakerphone so everyone doesn't hear the 2 year old playing with the dog.

--In case you're wondering what's in the bowl, it's a nice mixture of non-healthy snacks: Cheetos, tortilla chips, Frito's, and Veggie Booty. Mmm-mmm-good!

I Do!

2006-11-30T12:50:00.000-08:00

On this day 10 years ago, Brandon and I exchanged vows before family and friends, beginning our new life as husband and wife. Happy Anniversary! Through good times and bad, richer and poorer, sickness and health, we're still going strong. We're even still wearing the same wedding bands that we bought for less than $200 (combined). Over these years, our 20's have faded into memories and, by the standards we had as kids, we're OLD now. Thankfully it doesn't feel like it. We've had many adventures and a lot of mundane, just-getting-by days. We've shared laughs, tears, anger, and joy. We've made good and bad decisions, living with each equally. Everything a marriage is supposed to be. And by a miracle, we've been blessed with another member to our family. Someone to fill in the piece we didn't even know we were missing.

For your viewing pleasure and amusement, courtesy of the scanner, it's off to the Way Back Machine...

Movie Night

2006-11-29T23:17:00.000-08:00

We just made it back home after a night out at the movies. Well, not a traditional movie, but the only cultural event that Brandon and I can enjoy together. The Banff Mountain Film Festival is making it's annual world tour with several showings in the Seattle area. If you've never heard of it, the Banff Centre, located in the Canadian Rockies, sponsors a film festival dedicated to Mountain Culture. It's grown into an international competition, attracting submissions from all over the globe. The entries span the spectrum of film-making: from amusing shorts about ducks to feature length documentaries profiling unique native cultures. There is something for everyone. I have never left a showing without learning something new and being touched in some primal place that yearns for adventure. After the big festival at the end of October, a selection of films hits the road, traveling all over the U.S. and the world. We first saw the festival in Boone, sponsored by the Appalachian State Rec. Department. From the first frame, we fell in love with the event and look forward to a new edition every year. I'm very proud to say that this is the seventh year that Brandon and I have attended and, as always, it didn't fail to deliver. I confirmed two things this year: one, our world is full of beautiful, amazing people, places and things; and two, I never win anything! There is always a door prize drawing during intermission, with the festival sponsors supplying the gifts. Brandon won an awesome prize for the second year in a row! Last year it was a Patagonia jacket. This year he won a free pair of Dunham boots. He so sucks....

Day 28!

2006-11-28T21:52:00.000-08:00

Whew! Only a couple more days and NaBloPoMo will be over! The feeling seems mutual among the participants that have made it this far. The pressure of coming up with an idea every day is exhausting! I have a much bigger respect for those bloggers that manage to do this everyday just because they enjoy it. But you know what, I did it. I stuck with something and feel like a much better person for it. It was actually very liberating to let my guard down a little, even if it was just to come up with new material. I still feel inspired, but I think I'll do better if I slow down the posts a bit.
Because I'm pretty much spent on writing for tonight, here's something from my other pseudo hobby that I want to get more involved in again.

More snow

2006-11-27T20:08:00.000-08:00

After being dry and cold in Seattle today, it's snowing again this evening. Not much, maybe another half an inch, but enough to be absolutely beautiful piling up on grass and blowing through the air. The big, white flakes are glistening under the street lights and occasionally the dog will bark as one hits the window.
Sitting here on the couch, watching the snow fall against the living room windows, I can't help but feel a little homesick for Boone. A small town in the northwest mountains of North Carolina, it was home to Brandon and me for the first four years of our marriage. We moved there to finish college and to start a new life on our own. It will always be one of my favorite places. It's an isolated little town (or at least it used to be)in the Appalachian Mountains. It's home to limitless outdoor beauty, Appalachian State University, and a whole community of the most friendly, sincere people you'll ever meet. We left because we knew that this place did not hold the keys to our future, but it will always hold a place in our hearts.
Back to the snow...Growing up in eastern North Carolina, snow was a big deal. It only came once a year, maybe twice if we were lucky, and was usually gone within a day or two. In Boone, you could easily expect to see snow a few times a month from mid-Fall well into the Spring. Most of the time it was just the right amount, enough to remind you that it was winter, but not enough to cause any problems. I remember those times fondly, but it's some of the bigger storms that stand out in my memories.
The first place we lived in Boone was a nice apartment at the top of the hill above the University. If not for the trees, we easily could have seen football stadium. We moved in at the beginning of January before Spring semester. During that first week, a huge snow storm swooped in, dropping about a foot of snow. We bundled up and headed out to play. We met some other students out doing the same. Soon we were sledding and having snowball fights like we were 10 years old again. Being veterans of the area, they took us to a nearby hill to sled. It was huge. I'd never been so frightened and exhilarated at the same time before. I loved it.
The next big storm I remember was one year later. For some bizarre reason, we decided to rent a small house about 30 minutes out of town. It was literally in a holler right on the Tennessee border. It was a great place to live, but I still wonder what we were thinking sometimes. We planned on moving the week before school started. We made all the plans, picked a day, and rented a truck. How were we to know that a massive snow storm was slated for that day? Being young and naive, we decided to carry on with the move. I'll tell you there are not many things scarier than driving a moving van full of all your belongings, in frigid weather, near white out conditions, along windy mountain roads, with at least six inches of snow on the ground. The highlight of the move was not settling into our new home, but meeting some of our new neighbors. In attempting to back the truck into the driveway, the tires slipped on the snowy incline and one wheel fell into the ditch alongside it. While we stood there trying to figure out what to do, a pickup truck came down the dirt mountain road toward us. It had to stop because we were blocking their passage. An older man got out and asked if we need any help. (Not the sharpest stick, huh?) Mind you it's still pouring down snow. After assessing the situation, he generously offers the use of his sons to help us unload the truck and then try to pull it out. Yeah! We might make it out of this after all. While talking to us, he turned to his pre-teen son and said "Boy, go git me my beer out of the truck." Which he promptly did. (It was an open beer too. You just can't make this stuff up.) Eventually, it all turned out OK. Well, maybe except for the bumper of the man's truck that didn't fair so well when he tied the chain to it instead of the frame when trying to yank our moving van from the ditch.
I could go on with the snow stories and others, and maybe another day I will. However, the point I wanted to make is that there are places and times that will always be special in some bizarre way even if you didn't realize it at the time.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2006-11-26T20:25:00.000-08:00

The cold, rainy weather we've been having has finally paid off. It's snowing! It started with flurries mixed with rain about 3 o'clock this afternoon. By 4:30, it had totally changed over and the flakes just kept getting bigger. Right now there's a good half an inch on the ground and the road in front of the house is lightly covered. I think we lucked out living at a slightly higher elevation than most of Seattle. It'll probably be gone by morning, but it was really fun tonight.
I took Abigael out into our parking lot to show her the falling snow and she loved it! I finally managed to get her back to our patio, but she refused to come inside. We ended up playing outside for at least another hour. The only times she came inside was to either get the dog or stick her hands under some warm water. We caught snow flakes on our tongues and threw snowballs for Zak to catch in his mouth. She had a blast. I think we'll definitely have to take her up to the mountains this winter for some real snow.

(You can see a few more photos here.)

Traveling

2006-11-25T21:14:00.000-08:00

How ironic that a few days ago I posted a picture of my visit to Westminster Abbey in London. I just found out that one of my cousins, Melissa, has relocated this month to London for a job. That is so awesome. I'm really happy for her. What a great adventure. But as Brandon read some of the posts on her blog aloud, I couldn't help feeling a little (or a lot) jealous. She's at the beginning of a beautiful new journey. My trip was a big check mark on my life list of "things to do." I feel so fortunate that Brandon was so supportive and encouraging of my solo venture. But there's got to be still more, you know?
When we got married I told myself (and Brandon) that we would offer our children views of the world that we never had. Not to mention a good excuse for me to finally visit those places. How cool would that be to walk with your children along the Great Wall of China or thru the jungles of Costa Rica. To climb the pyramids in Egypt and the stairs of the Eiffel Tower. Let's face it, everyday people spend thousands of dollars to take their kids on trips to Disneyland. Do we have to do that? Why not take that same money and turn it into something unique and, yes, maybe even a little educational? The more time that goes by, the more I wonder if we'll be able to do those things. Of course, Abigael is still pretty young, but life has a way of passing by much too quickly. Well, I'm determined not to let that happen. I guess it's time to break out the maps and Google searches to plan for that trip in a few years.

Friday Night

2006-11-24T22:44:00.000-08:00

It's getting late and I still need to make my daily post. Unfortunately, my eyes are very, very heavy and the synapsis in my poor brain are just refusing to fire. The movie "Titanic" is on TV right now. I had forgotten what a good movie this is. In all the overkill in the media when it was popular, it's easy to forget that it was so romantic, dramatic, mesmerizing. Even ten years later, how can you not fall in love with both Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet while you watch the story unfold?
Wow...I'm really reaching here. Oh well, we can't be charming and entertaining all the time, can we?
I almost forgot, my friend, Rob, now has a part-time gig as a morning radio host in Boone, NC. His show is now streaming on the web, but that is waaayy to early for me. I may have to wait until I'm back on the East Coast for Christmas. So if you get a chance, check him out and let me know how his show is.

Happy Turkey Day!

2006-11-23T14:28:00.000-08:00

It's a quiet Thanksgiving Day in the Lockwood home (except, of course, for the cranky two year old.) All of our family is out of town and our local friends are with their's. That's OK, we've been looking forward to a nice, easy day for a while now. The weather is perfect for being lazy (rain, wind and cold), so there's no guilt about sitting in front of the TV all day, watching football. I wasn't going to go through the work of making a big, traditional meal for just the three of us, but things got a little out of control at the grocery store last night. Needless to say there's now a 7 1/2 pound turkey breast in the oven and a bag of my folks' North Carolina pecans waiting to be turned into a pie.

In the spirit of the Holiday, a few things that I am thankful for (or at least are pretty cool):
-Brandon. My husband, my best friend, my PIA, my motivator, the love of my life.
-Abigael. The best thing that every happened to me.
-The continued reasonably good health of all of us. Despite the hardships of this past year with Brandon's leg, it could have easily been much, much worse.
-Both of our parents. You couldn't ask for more loving, giving people. People who are there through good and bad, always there with a helping hand, an encouraging word, or a just a hug.
-Our home. Although we are still living in an apartment, it's a roof over our head that we pay for ourselves. It's not the lap of luxury, but it's warm, dry and full of love.
-The ability to have the little things in life. Those amenities in life, that while aren't necessary, definitely make our day-to-day life easier, more entertaining, and sometimes more complicated.
-The USA. It may sound corny, but living in a country where all of the above things are possible and attainable. It's not perfect by a long shot, but it's a lot better than some of the alternatives out there.
-The Future. It's never too late to make changes, learn new things, or reach for new goals.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Hug someone you love!

***LATE EDIT***

MMMMMMM...Thanksgiving Dinner!

Wow!

2006-11-22T23:33:00.000-08:00

Holy crap! I was sitting here listening to the late news when the sports segment came on. I happened to look up in time to see that Gonzaga had just beaten my beloved Tar Heels in the NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament. What is this world coming to...? I'm not sure whether to be upset for Carolina or happy for the underdog. (Between you and me, I think I'm leaning toward the little guy.)

Contraband

2006-11-22T22:10:00.000-08:00

I'm borrowing the idea for today's post from Rob. He wrote about having the instinct to take advantage of those opportunities that don't come along everyday. Even for those of us that are adamant about following the rules, sometimes you just gotta break 'em. It may not sound like much to some, but taking a picture in a "forbidden" place can be pretty exciting.
Rob issued a challenge to own up if we had ever taken any pictures in the Biltmore house . Well, unfortunately I was never able to make it there, but I'll up you one. Here's my entry:
In the spring of 2003, I traveled to London to fulfill a lifelong dream of visiting Europe. While there, I visited Westminster Abbey. Walking under the great cathedral ceiling and among effigies of those long dead, where kings and queens had been crowned, was like a dream come true for me. Against all the rules, I snapped a few pictures on the sly. A great memento to remind me of that place in time.

#103

2006-11-21T11:17:00.000-08:00

"Oh man!"

In my haste to keep up with the daily posting for NaBloPoMo, I totally missed the big milestone: Post #100! I was going to celebrate. Or at least make a post to commemorate the occasion. Oh, well...at least the post I did make on that day was a pretty good one. (That last picture makes me smile every time.)
So, yeah Lockwoods! Way to stick with something for longer than three months! At first, I thought 100 posts over a year and half may not seem like much. But then to put it into perspective, it takes the typical TV show four or five years to reach that milestone. Not too shabby.
When I started this blog, I really didn't know what would become of it and it's still an ongoing journey. I wanted to use it to help both of our families stay a little more involved with our daily lives. Since I'm horrible at keeping a scrapbook, one day I'll print all of this out and put it away for Abigael.
For more selfish reasons, I also wanted to join the "blog club." Maybe even become some kind of a writer. I think the exercise of writing everyday this month is really helping in this arena. As each day comes to a close, I start to panic a little for an idea to write about and somehow I've been able to come up with something every time. I'm starting to really enjoy the challenge. Hopefully, I can maintain that excitement on December 1st.
But, for right now I'm proud with what I've done. Here's to 103 more!

Hero

2006-11-20T22:41:00.000-08:00

We just finished watching Heroes. I know I've said it before, but I really like this show. It doesn't have the deep, emotional storyline of something like Battlestar Galactica. But you know what, it shouldn't. It's meant to mimic a comic, and I think it does a pretty good job. The hour passes way too fast and leaves you wanting just a little bit more. I think it's the simplicity that makes it strike a chord of its own. No one's life is as complicated as the dramas that we think are so great. We're all just plodding along in our normal lives, wishing for just a little more. A little something to make us different. Who didn't wish they had some super power when they were growing up? It's the lucky ones that haven't had given up on these dreams, their wishful thinking hasn't been completely beat out of them by the trials and hardships of real life.
There's always been one thing that bugged me about super heroes though. They're a bunch of babies! All you ever hear is: "Poor me" "I'm such a freak." "How could anyone ever love someone that crawls up walls or flies or shoots lasers out of their eyes or can change shapes" Waaahhh. Hello! You've got a frakin' super power! How cool would that be! I don't know if I could even pick one, is there a bad super power? OK, it might suck if you had to be green and angry or blue and furry, but most of the others would be pretty cool. What do you think?

Need a change

2006-11-19T22:05:00.000-08:00

OK. That does it. I was just flipping thru the NaBloPoMo Randomizer (which you should absolutely do if you have a few minutes to just surf around) and was so impressed with all the creativity out there. Everyone has such wonderful themes, names and ideas. I'm so jealous. If it's one thing that I'm really bad at, it's coming up with names or titles. My pets' names are Zak and Matt, for goodness sake, and I didn't even think of those myself.
I'm not disappointed with the content of our blog, actually I'm pretty happy with it so far. But, we totally need a new name and/or tag line. Something catchy and tells you a little about us before you dig into reading. So, it's time for a change. I'm setting a goal and I'm enlisting your help. By the end of the year, if not sooner, I'd like to update the site with a new name and look. If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them. Friends, family, strangers, send me your thoughts. I need all the help I can get.

Picture Post continued...

2006-11-18T23:59:00.000-08:00

It's time for the comparison to this picture. What do you think?

While in California, we dressed the kids up for a homemade attempt at a holiday photo shoot. Considering we were trying to wrangle three toddlers, I think we did pretty well and even managed to get a few good shots. Here are a couple of my favorites of Abigael.

Heading Home

2006-11-17T16:16:00.000-08:00

Although it's been a little stressful at times and I'm not looking forward to the flight home, I'm so glad that I brought Abigael down to California with me. The visit with her grandparents, aunt and uncle, and cousins has been so good for her. Right now I'm looking at her passed out on the couch taking a nap (over an hour now) and I know she's had a great time too. She and Emma seem to get along wonderfully, it's such a shame that they don't get to see each other more often. I'm not too worried though, the entire family is very committed to making sure the cousins feel close even though they live so far apart.
Today was another fun one. Emma spent the night with us at Grandma and Popi's house. The girls woke up with bright, shiny faces and started the day with a big breakfast. Mid-morning, Kathie (Grandma) and I walked with the girls up to the neighborhood park. As soon as we hit the grass, Emma took off for the swingset and Abigael made a beeline for the jungle gym to fling herself down a slide.

...Oh well, I was interrupted and now it's time to head off for the airport. It's been a wonderful visit but I think we're ready to head home.

Onion Breath

2006-11-16T22:18:00.000-08:00

It was a fun day today. After a quick bit of work, I checked out of my hotel and headed over to Gabbie's house for a day with the family. Grandma met us there with Abigael. I had hoped for a huge, heartfelt greeting as I hadn't seen her in two days. She was so wrapped up in her play though, it seemed like it took a good twenty seconds for her to even recognize me. That's ok (sniff, sniff), I know she missed me.
For an outing today, we took the kids to the bowling alley a couple of blocks away. Emma had tried it once before, but it was a first for Abigael. It was so cute to watch her lug her bowling ball up to the line and push it down the lane.
She had fun, but it was short-lived. We waited a little too long to go out and the kids were anxious for lunch. (I think Abigael has eaten more in the past three days than the last three weeks.)
We finished our game and headed next door to the adjoining diner. Abigael ate about a quarter of her grilled cheese sandwich, a few french fries, and some of the bacon off of my cheesburger. She seemed to loose interest in eating so I started giving her extras off of my plate. First a dill pickle chip, which she ate fairly quickly. She reached over and grabbed another one. No problem, anything I can get her to eat, halfway healthy, is fine with me. Then she did the unthinkable. Her small hand crept over to my plate again and poked at the raw onion that had been served on the side of my cheeseburger. She wrapped her chubby finger around a piece of it and pulled it up to her mouth. Almost in slow motion, I watched her mouth open and then her teeth crunch into it. NOOOOOO! It was too late, she had taken a bite. I watched in horror as she did it again. She had crossed over to the dark side. Anyone who's been around me while I'm eating, knows that I detest onions, especially raw ones. The smell alone assaults my senses and almost makes me gag. I get alot of teasing about this, but I don't care, it's just the way it is. So, you can imagine my disapointment as I watched my sweet, innocent daughter munch happily away. I tried to console myself that "at least she's eating." But even that backfired a little later when I gave her kisses before naptime and all I could smell was that awful onion breath.

Picture Post

2006-11-15T21:49:00.000-08:00

My mom sent me this picture today. It's a photo of me at three years old. My first thought when I saw this was "Oh goody! It's time for another post about how much Abigael looks like her mommy." My second thought was "Wow. I sure had a big head." Finally, I took a longer look and noticed the scar above the right side of my mouth. The part of me that changed when I became a mother felt a sharp jab in the heart. My thoughts flew to the image I see in the mirror today and I couldn't believe the difference. This scar is hardly noticeable to me now. But on the little girl in this picture, it looks huge.
It was an accident. The story goes that I was running through the house, tripped and fell into one of the living room coffee tables. I have a memory of sitting on the center armrest in the front seat of my dad's car, holding a towel to my face. I'm pretty sure he ran the red light right in front of the hospital. I could be wrong, but I'm also fairly confident that I remember being strapped down to a board in the emergency room so the doctors could stitch me up. This isn't a particularly traumatic memory for me and the scar on my face has just always been a part of who I am (Actually, I don't even notice it.) However, it does make me wonder about the persistence of memories. Abigael is two and a half. Will she have memories of being this age too? Will those memories be good or triggered by some traumatic event?
On a more selfish note, I'm so thankful that Brandon and I haven't had to face anything like this yet. My heart breaks a little when I look at the little girl in the picture above with an objective point of view. All I can think is "How brave my parents were." Just a year after this photo, they were challenged again with another life changing event. I had to have open heart surgery for a small defect which was causing a heart murmur. Everything went fine and I've gone on to live a full, active life. But what was it like for my parents? I think about my darling daughter and my eyes tear up at the thought of something like that happening to her. The Lord willing, we will never have to face a similar challenge. But with the example of my parents to follow, I'm sure I would be able to rise to the occasion.

Home Alone

2006-11-14T09:22:00.000-08:00

Hello all! So this week as Christie has said I am home all alone... Just me and the animals (yes they need a break from the terrible 2 1/2 yo too!). Last night I was actually able to pick up the house, clean the dinning room table, do the dishes, vaccum, and do some homework all without wlking back into the living room to find an even bigger mess than before!! But it was very lonely without my girls... Without Abigael constantly asking for juice and to watch Dora. Or without the rythmic snores of my sweet wife in bed (love ya hon!). I will ride to school today for BOTH morning and evening classes!!! It is actually a very beautiful day out the sun is shining and IT'S NOT rainning. There is supposed to be a huge storm coming in tomorrow morning AGAIN so I'll take what riding I can get!! The Chocholak's will be here today!! I can't wait to see Julian's eyes when he sees the bike I he commisioned me to build-up for him!!

OH and by the way I haven't totally abandoned Christie and this Lockwoods site for Track Daddy I just figured most few people that read this don't want to hear about bike this and bike that.... >>>

Too tired...

2006-11-13T22:28:00.000-08:00

OK, this will probably be a cheater post. I am just mentally exhausted. Abigael was up for a few hours last night, which always makes for a pleasant time. She had fallen asleep before her usual bedtime and I think her body just didn't know how to handle it. I went into work for a few hours this morning and then rushed home to finish packing for our trip to California. Abigael and I finally made it out the door, but after that it just seemed like it was one thing after another. I won't go into the gory details, but take a neurotic mom, a ton of luggage and a carseat, a 2 1/2 hours airplane ride, and a 2 1/2 year old girl , stir briskly and use your imagination. She was a good girl for the most part, but we were tired from no nap. By the time we hauled all our stuff to the car rental counter at our destination, I was so delirious and frustrated, I accidentally rented from the wrong company. I didn't even realize till I had pulled away and wondered why they couldn't find my reservation. Oh well, they seemed eager for my business.
Right now, Abigael is spending the night with Grandma and Popi and I'm trying to unwind in my hotel room near work. Hopefully, everything went well for bedtime, she had already had a few meltdowns before I left their house. Must have been me, because she seemed say "Bye, Mama! I stay here!" just a little too eagerly.

Sunday

2006-11-12T21:59:00.000-08:00

It's a cold, dreary morning, but so far it's been just perfect. Maxine woke up at 5:30am a little freaked out, being in a strange place. I jumped out of bed and whisked her out to the living room before she woke Abigael (which thankfully didn't happen.) She wanted to lay down on the couch and after I fetched a few items for her, she quickly settled down to go back to sleep. With this small gesture, everyone in the house was able to sleep in till about 8:am. The girls had a great time playing this morning, entertaining themselves, giving Brandon and I a little break. Although, I am a little concerned with how bossy and possessive Abigael seemed to be sometimes. It was a side of her I'd never really seen before. It didn't seem to be too bad, but we did have to talk a couple of times about sharing. Her teachers say that she's an absolute angel at school, so I'm hoping it's just because she was home among her own things for a change.
...fast forward several hours later...
Tomorrow Abigael and I are off for an adventure of our own. I have some meetings for work down in L.A., so I decided to take Abigael along to visit Brandon's family. She'll spend a couple of nights with Grandma and Poppi and a few days with her Aunt Gabbie, Uncle Dan and cousins. We'll be down there all week, it should be a lot of fun and really good for the cousins. Wish me luck on the 2 1/2 hour flight, it'll be interesting...

Happy Birthday: Part 2

2006-11-11T21:56:00.000-08:00

After a long, busy week, we were definitely looking forward to restful weekend. Things weren't looking good when the girl woke up at 5:30am this morning. Brandon got up with her, so hopefully I could sleep in a little. Unfortunately, she was in Crabby Abby mode, and nothing was making her happy. Since I couldn't sleep, I got up to give it a try. I grabbed a sippy cup and the kid and headed back to our bed, leaving Brandon to rest on the couch. I tucked Abigael in and laid down beside her. She tossed and turned for about 10 minutes, but I persisted, knowing she was tired. It worked! She finally went back to sleep and we both slept for another two hours. Ahhhh! There is no better joy than waking up the smiling face of your baby girl .

After an uneventful day around the house, we packed up and headed out to drop Abigael off to play with Maxine (she is only two months older than Abigael.) We had traded baby-sitting with our friend Erin. She would watch the girls in the early evening while Brandon and I celebrated my birthday a few days late. In return, we would take Maxine home with us for a sleep-over. We hurried to the theater downtown, making it just in time to catch the last matinée of the new Will Farrell movie, Stranger than Fiction. I absolutely adore him, he can make me laugh just with the way he carries himself. The movie was great. It won't win any Oscars, but it was definitely a well spent two hours. A perfect date movie, just the right mixture of comedy, heart and storyline. After the movie, we walked around the corner to one of the local martini bars for drinks and an appetizer. By 8:00 pm, our date was over. So we went to pick up the girls and headed home. They see each other frequently at day-care, but I don't get very many chances to see them together. Oh my god, the cuteness was almost paralyzing. They held hands walking out to the car and sat in the back seat singing all the way home. In typical two-year old fashion, they manged to empty half of Abigael's toy chest all over the living room floor within 10 minutes of setting foot in the house. We finally managed to bribe them with cookies to lay down on the couch. Luck would have it that the Wizard of Oz was on TV and that seemed to hold their attention long enough for the sleep fairy to blow her dust on them. We just put them to bed in Abigael's room. Hopefully, it will be a quiet night and a late morning.

--Random
Brandon noticed this in the signature of a online forum posting.

"There are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Chuck Norris lives in Oklahoma."

Now I lay me down to sleep

2006-11-10T22:34:00.000-08:00

Abigael, as she fell asleep on the couch tonight....This blog should probably be called "All the things you're NOT supposed to do with your kids to get them to sleep." In a long list of things that will probably come back and bite us in the butt, we've been letting Abigael fall asleep on the couch at night instead of in her own bed. After she's sound asleep, we move her and she blissfully sleeps until at least 4:30am. When we made the decision to move her to the "big girl bed" after the night of the great escape, we struggled for many, many nights to get her to stay in bed long enough to go to sleep. We asked, we were stern, we gave in, we threatened, it was just way too stressful and not working. One night after an hour of fighting to get her to stay in her room (let alone her bed), we gave in and let her lay down on the couch. Within fifteen minutes she was out like a light. Thus began our ritual over the last couple of weeks. A snack (usually a couple of cookies), some milk, and then, curled up in a blanket, she watches TV with us until she drifts off. Some nights it takes an hour or so, but others, like tonight, she's passed out within two minutes. I started to become a little concerned that we might be starting another bad habit. My fears were laid to rest last weekend when she came up to me around naptime and said "I tired. Abigael need to go to bed." She headed to her room, crawled into bed, asked me to "make it dark" and went to sleep. WHAT?! I couldn't believe this was my child and I couldn't have been happier. So, I'm not worried. From the sleepless days as an infant to the co-sleeping so mommy could get some sleep to moving to the crib to finally going to sleep on her own, we've run the course on all the bad habits. And each one we've overcome when she was ready. She'll get there eventually. In the meantime, it's nice to have a little peace in an otherwise crazy house.

NaBloPoMo

2006-11-09T19:49:00.000-08:00

WooHoo! I've made it over a week now! I'm sure my family and other two readers are wondering if I'm sick or under some weird hex for posting nine days in a row now. Nope, I'm participating in NaBloPoMo, otherwise known as National Blog Posting month. Led by Fussy, hundreds of bloggers have embarked on a quest to make a post every day this month. It's a spinoff from National Novel Writing Month, except for people with not so lofty goals. Anyway, it sounded like fun and would give me a chance to be a more active participant of the great blogosphere. So, here I am, nine days in and I'm realizing that it's going to start getting tough now. I hope I didn't underestimate my creativity and attention span. No matter, I just wanted give you a little advance notice if things start getting a little weird around here. Maybe the real me will finally come out. Scared yet...?

Random Music Post #2

2006-11-08T09:16:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've purchased any new music. As we all know, pop music exists in cycles. Everything on the radio will suck for a while and then for a couple of months we get hit with a handful of good albums. Needless to say, I survive only by the grace of my iPod. I get by in my little comfort zone of "oldies" from the last century and the few standby groups that continue to put out good stuff. Every once in a while though, something will come out that catches my attention. Last year it was The Killers' Hot Fuss album. Full of energy, fresh sounds and catchy lyrics, it was put it in heavy rotation on my shuffle mix. But because the world is full of one-hit-wonders, I was hesitant to buy their new album recently. Fortunately, I decided to heed the advice of Cynical Dad's praise and take the plunge. OH MY! All I can say is AWESOME! I'm sitting here at my desk at work plugged in and can hardly sit still in my seat. The energy is incredible! I just flew through a data entry task that I've been dreading. Definitely two huge thumbs up! If you love the orginality of the 80's New Wave scene mashed together with a modern alt rock energy, you have to get this album.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2006-11-07T22:36:00.000-08:00

Yeah! Happy Birthday to me....you know the rest. (Holy crap! 34!) Yep, another year set to start again. I view birthdays the same way some people do New Year's Day. What's done is done and it's the perfect opportunity to point your life toward another goal and hit the gas pedal. It's a good time to pick up the pieces of all those little hobbies and aspirations you've been meaning to follow-thru on, forgive yourself for dropping them in the first place and put them back together.
But before we move on, I just want to take one more moment to appreciate how great my life is right now. I've been married to a wonderful, caring, passionate man for almost 10 years. (Holy crap again! Just kidding Brandon. I love you!) We've beat the odds and toughed it out through good and bad. We've proved that we can get through anything together. This relationship has given me the best gift I ever could have hoped for, my daughter Abigael. She's the light of my life and has already taught me more about life than I think I've taught her. I have a great job that provides me with lots of challenges. It supports us with enough so that we can be a one income family for a while and my daughter can be raised by my husband instead of daycare. Mostly importantly, I still see myself as young with my whole life in front of me.

I saw this meme floating around a few months ago and have been wanting to fill it out. I thought this would be the perfect day to finally get around to it. Courtesy of Cynical Dad.

You're supposed to take the following 150-item list and bold the items you've accomplished.

LIFE EXPERIENCES MEME
Bold the ones you've done (my comments are in italics).

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink. Of course not. Hello, I'm a girl.
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain. Does Grandfather Mountain count?
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive. No, but I have driven a Porshe and a Corvette, as well as a delivery truck and a right side Jeep Cherokee.
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid.
06. Held a tarantula. You've got to be kidding.
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone.
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it.
09. Hugged a tree.
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise.
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game.
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne.
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment.
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can.
32. Held a lamb. Petted one. Can I change this one to black bear cub? Did that!
33. Seen a total eclipse.
34. Ridden a roller coaster.
35. Hit a home run. As much softball as I played growing up, I don't think I ever did. I'm claiming this one just for all the years I put into it.
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was watching. No choice, when you're a horrible dancer but you love to do it.
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day.
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment.
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states. 30 down though!
41. Taken care of someone who was shit faced. And had the same done for me.
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your cds Is there any other way?
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke Unfortunately for those there to witness it.
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party. Maybe crashed is too harsh, I've been to a few parties I wasn't invited to.
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days. Why would you do that?
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert" I did get interviewed for a Crime Stoppers report when the movie theater I worked at was robbed.
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas Of course I was only ten years old at the time.
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Gone to a movie by yourself.
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror.
96. Raised children Working on it!
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Created and named your own constellation of stars
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over That's how we ended up in Seattle
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived.
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds. I'd be happy with 30 right now.
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart. I hope not.
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone. My thumb the first time I tried skiing and my ankle walking down some stairs.
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced I tried my belly button but took it out after a few days.
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol All of the above
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours Piece of cake.
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach Ewwwww! That's as bad as a spider.
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and the Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating. Just fish.
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146: Dyed your hair
147: Been a DJ
148: Shaved your head
149: Caused a car accident
150: Saved someone's life

I've done 68 of the 150 things, not too bad for someone who thinks she hasn't done anything. I think I'll go work on the rest now.

HaHaHa!!!

2006-11-06T08:21:00.000-08:00

I dare you not to laugh at this.

Book Meme

2006-11-05T22:29:00.000-08:00

WooHoo! My first meme. I'm in the club now! Rob over at Popcorn tagged me with this book meme last week. I spent a couple of days thinking about it and then got distracted with work, so I'm a little tardy in posting it. It was a lot harder than I thought to go back through time and my memories and recall the possibly thousands of books I've read over the last thirty years. I'm sure later I'll remember something I should have included, but for right now, here goes nothing!

1) One book that changed your life:
I thought a long time about this one in particular and came up with nothing. I'm pretty stubborn and independent by nature, I couldn't think of a single book that "changed" my life, but I could think of several that have stayed with me and influenced my interests over the years.
Going back to my youth (sort of, this book has followed me to every place I've lived), One Monster after Another by Mercer Mayer. I still refer to storms as Typhonigators. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. You have to read the trilogy to fully appreciate the storyline, but this was my first introduction to Asian culture and drove me towards reading a lot about the history and beauty of that part of our world. I can't recall where my love of science fiction specifically started, but I'm thinking it was just a natural progression from Nancy Drew to Madeleine L'Engle(A Wrinkle in Time) to Stephen King to Piers Anthony and beyond.

2) One book that you read more than once:
Just one? These are some of my standbys: 1984, almost all of the Anne Rice novels several times each, most of Stephen King's early books, Stranger in a Strange Land, the Bio of a Space Tyrant series...the list of old friends could go on and on.

3) One book you’d want on a deserted island:
Could go one of two ways on this one. In the spirit of the question, I'm torn between a sentimental favorite and a logical choice. The Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder for guaranteed enjoyment and escapism or the Bible for the enough variety and mental challenge to last a long time. OR I could go the easy way out and chose something like Primitive Wilderness Living & Survival Skills: Naked into the Wilderness.

4) One book that made you laugh:
There must have been a few, but I honestly can't think of very many. I tend to like my TV funny and my books more serious. One series of books does come to mind though it is a little obscure but totally hilarious in its satire: Bill, the Galactic Hero by Harry Harrison (and the sequels.) Funny stuff for sci fi.

5) One book that made you cry: I tend to actively avoid anything that might make me cry, but every once in a while something will sneak up on me.
Bridge to Terabithia. I think I read this book in the third or fourth grade and it haunts me to this day. The story of two unlikely friends who forged a beautiful bond that ended in tragedy. It still makes that sad place in my soul very heavy and it's been 25 years.

I picked up The Time Traveler's Wife on a whim because I was itching for a new book and it sounded interesting. I try not be be a sucker "popular"books, but I thought "what the hell?" I am so glad I did. It was not what I expected at all. The fascinating plot and great presentation, totally made up for making my eyes tear up.

6) One book you wish you’d written:
Any book. Great aspirations, but no follow-thru.

7) One book you wish had never been written:
I'm probably going to burn for this one, but I'm choosing Catcher in the Rye. I just don't get it! I've read it at least three times. Each time with a few more years of life experience to draw on and I still don't understand the big deal . Besides, if it hadn't been written, there might be a few more people with us, instead of being victims of senseless acts of violence.

8 ) One book you’re currently reading:
How many books am I not reading right now? I'm going through a phase where I have a lot of interest but not enough energy. I'm really bad for picking up a book at the airport for a flight, reading it for the duration of the trip, and then forgetting about it once I get home. It's like an addiction, I wonder if there's a name for it. Half-read books currently on my nightstand: Christ the Lord (autographed at a book signing last year), Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, The Andromeda Strain, and Intensity.

9) One book you’ve been meaning to read:
See above list. Oh, the list is much longer.

10) Tag five people: ummmm....I'm a totally loser and don't have any blog friends to tag. So if any of my four readers feel like chiming in, go for it!

---OK, it looks like I put a lot more effort into this than was intended. "ONE book...." Oh, well. It was a fun trip down memory lane and I even ran across a few more books I'd like to read.

Apparantly I've still got it...

2006-11-04T14:38:00.000-08:00

Silly fun or lazy post, you decide....

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The South That's a Southern accent you've got there. You may love it, you may hate it, you may swear you don't have it, but whatever the case, we can hear it.
The Midland
Philadelphia
The Inland North
The Northeast
The West
North Central
Boston
What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

(Link to quiz courtesy of seanbonner.)

Gimme a break

2006-11-03T13:53:00.000-08:00

I love this expression.
Reminds me of Jim from The Office. (If you watch the show, you know what I'm talking about.)

Snack Time

2006-11-02T20:46:00.000-08:00

I wouldn't be the one to say that Abigael is needy, but she does tend to really like lots of attention. Anyone who's been around her knows that she loves interaction and demands it from everyone she meets. Needless to say we start to get a little worried when she disappears from the room we're in for more than five minutes. The quiet that settles over the house when she decides to play alone is almost eerie.
Last night was one of those times. I was going from room to room, making dinner, picking up toys and watching a little tv. Abigael wandered off, giving me a brief respite from the hand pulling to play and pleading for Halloween candy. Without the chatterbox running, I became lost in my own thoughts. Absentmindedly, I walked down the hallway and turned the corner into the kitchen. I stopped in my tracks as I saw Abigael sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor. Her legs were stretched out in front of her, a small plastic bottle between them on the floor. She looked up at me and froze. Her eyes twinkled and a smirk stretched across her face. "I eat!" she garbled through a mouth full of food. I walked across the kitchen and knelt down. She watched me and giggled. "I eat Zak's food!" I looked in the bottle she had filled herself and laughed. I guess she needed a snack.

Aarrrgh!

2006-11-01T21:10:00.000-08:00

Halloween was yesterday and unlike last year, Abigael was totally into it. She loved her costume and took great delight in pointing out every other pirate she saw. We practiced a few times at home and she did a great job of saying "Trick or Treat" right on cue.
Abigael's "school" participated in the holiday and took the kids trick or treating around the campus. She was able to hang out with her best friend, Maxine, and made out with a pretty good stash.

Last night Brandon and I took Abigael up to Magnolia village for the community Halloween celebration. About two blocks of the main street was closed to traffic and all of the local business opened their doors and candy jars to the young and young-at-heart. Abigael had a blast admiring all the costumes, dutifully pointing out and naming each one she recognized. "A duck!...Another pirate!...A witch!...Elmo!...Another pirate!" She had a great time and even woke up this morning asking to go trick or treating for more candy!

A much need sugar break!

Morning rituals

2006-10-24T05:32:00.000-07:00

Now that Abigael is sleeping in her "big girl" bed, she likes to wake up at ungodly early hours. This morning she beat my alarm clock and was up just before 5:00 am. Thankfully we've just about trained her to stay in her room and play quietly until we can at least clear the fog enough to get up with her. This morning she did well and stayed in her room, but kept herself occupied by singing and talking very loudly. After a few minutes she began to call out for mama, daddy and milk. I got up, poured a sippy cup for her and took it in. She sweetly looked up at me from her bed, grinned and said "Tank you, Mama." I tucked her back in and asked her to please rest a while longer so her Daddy could sleep. "OK, Mama." I shut her door behind me and went to take my morning shower. Ten minutes later I headed down the hallway toward the kitchen for the all-important first cup of coffee. Just as I passed Abigael's bedroom door, I heard her doorknob click behind me. I slowly turned around and saw a hand, holding her sippy cup, emerging from the door frame. The hand paused for just a second and then dropped the cup to the floor. The tiny hand pulled back into her room and the door closed behind it. I stood there for a few seconds just dumbfounded. Between the giggles I fought to hold back, all I could think was " What is this? Room service?" I don't think I've ever felt more like a maid in my own home.
Well, at least she stayed in her room and I had some peace and quiet for a little while longer...

Is it Art or History?

2006-10-23T15:47:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) is currently expanded its facilities to include the Olympic Sculpture Park. It's located down on the waterfront bordered by Western Avenue, Broad Street, and Elliott Bay. I used to go this way to work so I could take Hwy 99 instead of I-5, but have avoided the area both since I started working in Kent and construction started on the Park. Well, this morning on a whim (i.e. I was running late and wanted to avoid the Denny disaster getting to I-5), I decided to take this route. There is now a huge pedestrian bridge over the Western and large banks of earth on either side of the road. The park is scheduled to open in January, so I wasn't expecting to see any installations yet. However, while waiting for the light to turn green this morning I looked up and saw this:

(Sorry for the crappy quality. I snapped this from the car with my cameraphone.)

I had to look at this for a few seconds and reach way back to realize what this was. A giant Typewriter Eraser! When I got to work, I did a couple of searches and found that it must be this piece by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. It was probably donated by Paul Allen. When I saw this piece silhouetted by the morning light, I couldn't help but laugh out loud. I absolutely love it, but will anyone under 30 even know what this is?

This is definitely one of the things I love about living in Seattle. You never know what you're going to see around the next corner.

Random music post

2006-10-16T07:32:00.000-07:00

Driving into work this morning, I was grooving to a particularly good set of tunes on the local "Classic Rock" radio station (i.e. oldies with guitar riffs. How sad that Queen is now relegated to that category). The next song to come up was “Centerfold” by The J. Giles Band and I was instantly time warped back to 1981. When I was eight or nine, the local roller skate rink had a special time on Saturday mornings for the younger kids to skate. For a couple of hours, you could fine tune your skills without having to worry about being run over by the know-it-alls. My mom would take me and for a little while I was cool, making the circle several hundred times and singing along with the music blaring from the speakers. Anyway, today as a 33 year old mother, I turned up my car stereo a little more and sang aloud again...“my blood runs cold...my memory has just been sold...” It crosses my mind, was a song about a guy fantasizing about what was under fuzzy sweaters and buying adult magazines really appropriate music for eight-year-olds? I guess the music kids listen to today really may not be so bad after all.

(Note: As I searched for the links to put in the post, I came across the album listing for the band. I had forgotten they had done such classics as "Freeze Frame" and "Love Stinks." Awesome.)

Appalachian State News....sort of

2006-10-10T11:27:00.000-07:00

I was checking my lastest feeds in Bloglines and came across this post on the Appalachian Alumni office blog maintained by Rob.

Mountaineer Madness at midnight
The 2006-07 Appalachian basketball season gets underway Friday night with the fourth-annual Mountaineer Madness. A special guest host will be on-hand that night - 16-time world champion Ric Flair:

Flair will help host the event as he joins the ASU faithful in ushering in the 2006-07 men’s and women’s hoops seasons.

The evening begins with volleyball taking on SoCon rival Davidson at 8 p.m. on the Holmes Center floor.

The madness continues at 10:30 p.m. as Mountaineer Madness begins. The ASU men’s and women’s basketball teams will be signing autographs and posing for pictures as fans enter the Holmes Center.

Admission is free. The men’s basketball schedule begins November 13. The women’s basketball team begins play November 11.

With regard to the volleyball team, it is currently in second-place in the SoCon and boasts the league’s player of the week, Dianna Thomas.

RIC FLAIR!! How cool is that!!! And I bet Rob is probably going to get to meet him...Well, at least take pictures to share, OK?
WOOOOOOO!

(I'm jealous...)

MIA

2006-10-07T09:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been away for so long. It's been a crazy, rough summer and I've been trying to keep my mind focused on work and family. Not as easy as it sounds when your hormones and brain chemistry decide to go on strike.
Things are starting to even out all around, so I'm going to try to get back in the habit of posting. Until then, if you haven't already, check out Track Daddy for some more recent news.

Love to everyone!

Velveteen Rabbits...

2006-08-03T15:29:00.000-07:00

It looks like we're not the only ones giving a second chance to cherished toys from childhood. Rob, a long-time friend from Hope Mills and Boone, wrote this beautiful post about passing along a piece of himself to his daughter: Horsey rides again!

Here are just a few of our treasures that have found a new life after more than twenty-five years of dust, dirt, and dreams.

"Mom, I can't believe you still have trouble with this thing....I'm only 2 and I've already got it figured out."

"Talk about endless fun! First it was fun to look at the pictures and throw around!....

Now there's words too! How cool! A Story!"

"Yes, I'm totally cute in this little red rocking chair. Now how about turning it the other way so I can watch some Dora on t.v.?"

"Did someone ask for a Superhero?

Never fear! My reversible cape allows me act as Superman OR Batman!"

For Simpson's geeks only

2006-08-02T16:02:00.000-07:00

The daily sydicated airing of The Simpson's came on the other night. The theme music perked Abigael's ears and she pulled herself away from chasing the cat long enough to watch for a minute.
It was a more recent episode. The opening featured all the couches in town coming to life and going after the residents of Springfield. Abigael stopped dead in her tracks absorbing the racing colors and changing scenes. At the very end of the opening credits, Homer had ducked into a store for safety only to find out his hiding place was "Couch World." He was surrounded and disappeared under a pile of sofas.
Abigael turned and looked at us with the most serious face, shook her head sadly and said "Poor D'oh."

Viva la Floyd!

2006-08-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like Saturday is the "do or die" day for Floyd...

I readily admit that I knew nothing about cycling (professional or otherwise) before I met Brandon. Sure, there were the occasional hightlights on "Wide World of Sports." But words like peloton, domestique and maillot jaune, were as foreign to me as...ummmm..well...a foreign langauge. That changed shortly after Brandon and I were married many years ago (I love you honey!). With our first apartment in Boone, we got cable TV and began our decade long ritual of watching sports together. I explained the finer details of baseball and basketball, we cheered every Super Bowl together, and he exposed me to every obscure sport he was in love with that month. No matter how his tastes changed though, the one constant has always been bicycles. It doesn't really matter what kind or how they're ridden, they are his passion and I support it (as long as I don't have to trip over bike parts in my house.) As a result, I have lived vicariously through his adventures, even having a few of my own.
Back to the pros...Unfortunately, the only place you can watch any cycling on TV in the States is on OLN. I only say unfortunate because you have to navigate bullriding, fishing and Survivor reruns just to catch a few minutes of coverage. Needless to say, we live for July each year. Three solid weeks of as much Tour de France coverage as you can stand. Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwin and Bob Roll become our best friends for a time and 4:30am (Pacific time) doesn't seem like an weird time to get up to watch the long mountain stages. For a year we've been looking forward to the 2006 edition. A Tour without Lance would be fun and exciting to watch because anything would be possible. We couldn't wait to see George Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer and Floyd Landis carry on the American charge. Of course, less than 24 hours before the start everything changed with OperaciÃ³n Puerto. I won't bore you with the details, you can read the links if you don't know the story.
We watched every day. The sprinters never failed to amaze with their explosive speed. Once unknowns shot out of the peloton to take charge of their dwindling teams. This was the way it was supposed to be, everyone had to work for every kilometer and nothing was guaranteed. On Stage 17, Floyd defied all odds and rode for his life, creating a beautiful moment in time that was destined to live on in legend even if the yellow jersey eluded him. But he did grab it and wore it proudly to the podium in Paris. It was a proud day for athletes and fans alike to see hard work and determination win out. The small guy can come out on top sometimes.
Now all of that is in jeopardy. Before all the evidence has been processed, the media, the officials and even fellow cyclists have tried and convicted Floyd of cheating. Is it so hard to believe that a test could be inaccurate or not tell the whole story? Is is impossible to believe in this age of "win at all costs" that not everyone is cheating? Well, I refuse to. I cannot live my life thinking the worst... always suspecting that someone is lying, denying the dream that miracles can still happen. I know the odds are against him, but I'm hoping with all my heart that Floyd is vindicated. I want my daughter to grow up in a world where dreams and heros of all kinds still exist. Please don't let me down....

Abigael-ism

2006-07-22T23:09:00.000-07:00

So we sat down to our nightly ritual of "what is Abigael not going to eat tonight?" It was a lazy evening and we splurged on take-out from Red Mill Burgers. For a change of pace, I was able to mostly enjoy my meal while Abigael picked the sesame seeds off of her burger. Occasionally I pleaded with her to take a bite of burger or french fry (jeesh, what kid won't eat fries?!) Finally, her attention span disappeared with my patience. I took her plate away and we talked while I finished eating. As a last resort (I know, she'll eat when she's hungry, but it still bugs me), I asked if she would like something different to eat.

Abigael: "Yes. Sand-mich."

Me: Eyeroll. Hello...a hamburger IS a sandwich. "OK, honey. What kind of sandwich would you like?"

Abigael: "Hmmmm.....a birthday sand-mich."

Me: "Honey, it's not your birthday. Are you sure you don't want your hamburger sandwich?"

Abigael: Determined furrow in her brow. "Birthday sand-mich!"

Me: "Alright, I give up. What is on a birthday sandwich?"

Abigael: Big grin. "Birthday Cake!!"

Busy, busy

2006-07-13T12:44:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted recently. Between Brandon's surgery, a busy work schedule and a tornado named Abigael, I've just been too distracted and tired. Not to mention my laptop was kidnapped and is being held hostage by Brandon (along with the couch). If you haven't already, head over to Brandon's blog for the latest on his leg saga. Prayfully this surgery will be the last and we all can start to work back towards a normal life.

In the meantime, look at this big girl!

The Zoo

2006-06-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

No, I don't mean our house this time...

I still think it is so cool that we live only 15 minutes from Woodland Park Zoo, one of the best urban zoos is the country. For the price of an annual pass that pays for itself in just three family visits, we get unlimited access to all the jaguars,

elephants

and monkeys we can stand.

Since it's already paid for, it's the perfect short outing for a two year old bouncing off the walls. Apparantly, waking up a 5am for several days in a row doesn't do much to diminish her energy level.
Abigael and I went Saturday morning for a couple of hours, while Brandon went for a much deserved bike ride. I have a feeling we'll be spending a lot of time there this summer. We left at naptime to screeches of "See monkeys! See baby jaguar! See elephants! Seeeee Zooooo!"

It's a Parade!

2006-06-18T13:29:00.000-07:00

After five years in Seattle, we finally made it to the Fremont Parade. It's billed as a celebration of the Summer Solstice. But to everyone outside of that community, we think of it as an excuse for ~~hippies~~ ~~treehuggers~~ free-thinkers to dress up or not dress, whichever the case may be. Anyway, it's one of those things I think you need to see at least once, like Mardi Gras, Hollywood and Las Vegas, even it doesn't compare with your expectations. As it turns out, we had a great time. About 10:30am, Brandon hooked up the sidecar to his bike, we dusted off Christie's bike and the three of us headed out towards Fremont. It's a pretty short ride, only about 3.5 miles. We arrived in plenty of time to lock up and find a good place on the route to watch. Fremont is a small, artsy neighborhood of Seattle, so we didn't have to walk far to find a spot near the beginning of the parade. It started at noon and did not fail to entertain. First on the agenda were the famous nude cyclists. It's not as nearly as bad as it sounds. There were about 100 cyclists of all shapes and sizes, covered in body paint and costumes, riding en masse down the center of the street. It was a perfect showcase for the beauty of the human body and the ultimate transportation device.
What followed was an assortment of floats, bands, and dancers, all celebrating their vision of the yearly cycle of rebirth. I can't say that I agreed with, or even understood, all of the statements being enacted, but it was a blast to watch. Abigael seemed to enjoy the spectacle too. She waved, cheered and danced from the safe confines of Mommy and Daddy's laps. I think our favorites were the kids on unicycles and the belly dancers.

It was so refreshing to see a parade that reflected personality of the neighborhood and wasn't just a showcase for the town's newest firetruck and beauty queen.
Afterwards, we rode home via the Ballard Locks, which is always a treat. Abigael missed this as she passed out in the bike trailer about 10 minutes in the ride. It was a good day.

Track Daddy

2006-06-13T12:04:00.000-07:00

Yeah! Brandon finally made a post on his blog! He seems to have covered all the high points, so I get a free pass today! Head on over and read the latest news!

Doctor Who?

2006-06-06T15:34:00.000-07:00

Oh no! I just made a horrible mistake!...

If you haven't checked it out yet, you simply must. Friday nights, the Sci-fi channel is running the new Doctor Who series from the BBC. All I can say is "Fantastic!"
For us Gen Xer's here in the States, all we know is the cheesy, cardboard set Doctor Who of the 70's, syndicated on PBS. Now I consider myself a decent geek, but little did I know that this show is like the British Star Trek, it's been around forever. Well, welcome to the 21st century Doctor. For the newest incarnation, take the original premise, fast-forward to present-day London, update the special effects and the clothes, yet still keep that campy feel, and you've got the makings of show worthy enough to air the same night as Battlestar Galactica.
I should have shared this show long ago, as the first season is almost finished (keep an eye out for Sci-fi all-day marathons), but this is like that secret pleasure you don't want to get cheapened by popularity. However, now I find myself with only Brandon to pick apart the details and marvel in the uniqueness of the show. So, if you have the opportunity, check it out. For a first season, the storyline has evolved quite nicely, not to mention the character attachment and the sharp dialog will have you hooked.

Anyway, back my mistake...I decided to check out the official BBC website to see how far along the second season is (about halfway thru) and I saw a horrible spoiler. *gasp* NOOOOO! Howww could theyyy...!!!!?...*sob*...

Zak's post

2006-06-04T23:29:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update on one of our four-legged family members...
Well, a few days and a few (many) bucks later, he seems to be doing much better. Turns out it was probably just plain old diarrhea, most likely from eating an old rawhide. He's not quite back to normal with his diet, and he's still taking some antibiotics (just in case), but he'll be just fine.
But...in the course of all the tests we did find out that it may not be entirely our fault that he's fat. For some reason, the doctor decided to run a test on his thyroid function. Guess what? We have a hypothyroid dog. Go figure....for those of you who may be unfamiliar with the condition I'll fill you in, as I am intimately familiar with it.
In short, the thyroid gland isn't working properly and doesn't produce enough thyroid hormone. It can start out of the blue or be triggered by stress, but usually there is a predisposition. There can be several causes for this, but the result is the same. Without enough thyroid hormone, almost every system in the body is affected. The metabolism slows down, the brain getting foggy, and depression sets in. A drastic personality change can occur and it's no fun for anyone. We've been saying for a few months that Zak seems to be getting worse and worse about listening to us, maybe this is the reason for that too.
Anyway, he'll have to start taking medication and it'll probably take a while to get the dose dialed in. Medically, he'll be just fine. Good thing he doesn't mind taking pills because he'll be talking them everyday from now on. Me and the dog...

Say that again...?

2006-05-31T10:44:00.000-07:00

This is too good to pass up...

Email from my mom yesterday:

"Hi Babe, remember how I complained about the squirrels and rabbits running rampant over the yard. Well, now we have a chicken sitting on a nest of 12 eggs.."

WHAT?! Did she say a CHICKEN is living in their yard?! OK, I know I'm from the South, but I swear it's really not like that. For those of you who don't know where my childhood home in Hope Mills is, it's not exactly surrounded by farms and is on a pretty busy road.

I haven't gotten the whole story yet, but evidentially this chicken found a really good reason to cross the road!

Pouring rain

2006-05-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

Why does it cost more to take your dog to the doctor than yourself? I'm not going to say how much, but it's enough to give you some sticker shock. Poor Zak has had an upset stomach for the past couple of days that doesn't seem to be getting any better. (Translation: we have to take him on several more walks a day to try to keep him from messing up the floor.) Brandon broke down and took him to the vet this morning. The doc was also concerned about his bladder problem (he leaks.) So, we get to run a whole battery of tests. Hopefully he's just got an infection or bug, but with our luck probably not.

It also looks like the whole family has been impacted by Brandon's leg problems. Before the accident, Brandon was really good about making sure Zak got some good exercise several times a week. This is one area I haven't been picking up the slack. Needless to say, the scale at the vet revealed that the dog has put on some pounds over the past few months. With his bad legs, he has to be uncomfortable. Maybe making an effort to get him out for more walks will motivate me to get off my butt in the evenings.

Anyway, when it rains it pours...we also had to put new tires on the Honda this weekend after a bad front end alignment after we replaced the steering column after the car was stolen out of our driveway last fall.

Winding down the weekend

2006-05-29T21:02:00.000-07:00

Second day with no nap. yippee.

Not for lack of trying though. She was in her crib for over on hour. I guess it could be worse, at least we didn't have any meltdowns. But, oh my gosh, talk about clingy, from morning till evening, it's been "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!"
I'm flattered, but I'm ready to go back to work to rest.

Wishful thinking...

Night Out

2006-05-27T22:38:00.000-07:00

What a great night out!
One of the traveling Cirque du Soleil shows has set up camp (or more specifically - tent) at Marymoor Park right beside the Velodrome. We'd seen the shows on TV and heard great things about it, so we splurged and decided to have a night out for the adults. A little pricey but we were able to get a discount.
So, Thursday evening Aunt Mary and Uncle Wayne graciously agreed to watch Abigael for a few hours. We dropped her off and raced over to catch the 4:00 show. Unfortunately, traffic was against us and we missed the first few minutes of the show. No matter, it was Fabulous! If you're not famliar with Cirque du Soleil, it's a circus, but not like the circus we grew up seeing. No animals, just fantastic gymnasts, acrobats, and performers. The show is in a tent that holds maybe 1,000 people, so there wasn't a bad seat in the place. We were off to the side but only about 8 rows back. The show was called Varekai and was just beautiful. In brief, it was set in an enchanted forest with bizarre creatures. The show consisted of several skits, ranging from high flying acts to intricate dances to gymnastic shows to hilarious slapstick. It was the most enjoyable two hours we've spent in a long time. If you ever have the chance, I would definitely recommend that you check out one of their shows. It was worth the money for a unique, enjoyable night out.

Bedtime

2006-05-25T22:12:00.000-07:00

This is how we wind down for bedtime...?

Warning: the video is a little long

(Can you tell I've found a cool new toy with the videos?)

Baseball!

2006-05-20T23:03:00.000-07:00

Go Team!
I was lucky enough to score a couple of tickets at work to last night's Mariners game. So we made it Family Night for Brandon, Abigael and I. We had great seats, row 16 lower level, just past 3rd base. It was a warm, clear night and the roof was open.

Abigael had a great time and was such a good girl. It was so fun to watch her cheer, clap and dance. During the 8th inning, they even played a little montage of music for all the kids to jump up and down to get some energy out.

All in all it was a great night. Fun, family and the Mariners won!

Perfectly Average

2006-05-19T22:10:00.000-07:00

We took Abigael to the doctor this afternoon for her 2-year-old check up. Not that we had any doubt, but it went just fine. We absolutely love Dr. Gromko. She's so great with Abigael and always takes the time to talk to us and found out how things are going in our lives.
Anyway, Abigael is right on target with all of the milestones for her age. Actually I was just looking at a small milestone chart on BabyCenter and she seems to be exceling at some things. Well, that's just because she's the smartest kid ever.
As the title suggests, her height and weight were perfectly average. She's right at the 50th percentile for both (26 1/2 lbs and 33 1/2 inches tall.) I guess that should put our minds at rest about how little she eats. No, it's still going to bug me.
We're so proud of her and the big girl she's become. It still feels like a miracle that she's gone from this...

to this!

New Trick

2006-05-18T21:15:00.000-07:00

Abigael has learned how to snap her fingers. Or at least her version of it...

This has got to be the cutest things I have ever seen.

A Day at the Beach

2006-05-17T22:06:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was the first hot day of the year, so we took an outing to Golden Gardens Park here in Seattle. It has a great little beach right on the Sound.
This is one tough kid. It may be 80 degrees outside, but Puget Sound in May isn't exactly what I would call warm. She had a blast.

Happy Birthday 2 You!

2006-05-17T21:15:00.000-07:00

Happy 2nd Birthday Abigael!
This is a little late but I wanted to briefly record this priceless milestone.
It has definitely been the whirlwind weekend as family and friends descended to help celebrate the happy occasion. Christie's parents and grandmother arrived Thursday from North Carolina. Brandon's parents, sister Gabbie and, niece and nephew, Emma and Matthew, came into town from Los Angeles on Friday.
The big birthday party was on Saturday. The orginal intention was just a small gathering of family and a few of Abigael's friends. Either our apartment is a lot smaller than I realized or she actually has a lot of friends. I'm voting for friends. We ended up with fourteen adults and seven kids packed into our living room. What a great time!

Yes, we had to have another cake on her "real birthday" so I could get this picture....

Thank you to everyone for being a part of our lives and this special day!

No Fear

2006-05-08T21:48:00.000-07:00

The girl never ceases to amaze me with her boundless energy and "don't quit" mentality. As Friday was my day-off from work, it was family day. We spent the morning hanging around the house and cleaning a little bit. Around 10:30am, Brandon, Abigael and I loaded up the car to run a few errands and then go to Greenlake to enjoy the beautiful weather. The park has an awesome playground for the little kids, complete with plenty of slides, swings and sand. As soon as she saw it, Abigael made a beeline for the small slide apparatus. Inside of thirty seconds she had scaled the platform, climbed the steps and flung herself down the slide. This was repeated without incident at least 23 more times.

Next she invited herself to play in the sand with some other kids. "It's not a problem that I just jump right in, is it?"

Next on the agenda was the giant jungle gym. You know the kind, multiple appendages of slides and poles and stairs strung together with hyperactive ants (kids) scrambling all around. She made it up the stairs and across the swinging bridge but was turned back at the tall slide. No, she wasn't scared. Mom and Dad just decided the plastic was too hot for her skirted legs.

Final stop for the day was the merry-go-round. This is where her spunk earned my full appreciation.
There were four or five other kids already on the merry-go-round when she climbed aboard. It wasn't going super fast, but fast enough that it paid to hold on. For a couple of minutes, she copied the other kids and clung to the pole where she stood. However, it didn't take long for her adventurous streak to take over. Before we could blink, she was running back and forth across the merry-go-round. While it was still turning! If you don't remember the dynamics of this from your youth, just recall your basic physics lesson: Objects in motion tend to stay in motion until another force acts upon them. She looked like a tipsy sailor trapped inside of a pinball game as she moved across from pole to pole. The older kids around her stayed tight to their spot as they watched her totter around. Their parents looked on in awe and laughed. Her determination to make her way across to her Daddy, only to miraculously find herself back where she started, was the funniest sight I've seen in a long time.

All too soon playtime was over and we made our way back home for naptime. Thank you Abigael, for giving us a small glimpse into the confident, fun-loving woman you're destined to become. It's going to be a rough and challenging road, but I'm going to enjoy every second of it.

Nap time

2006-05-07T14:24:00.000-07:00

2:15 Put Abigael down for a nap. Today we're trying using a bed rail instead the crib side. She has a sippy cup of chocolate milk.

2:20 Click click click. The sound of little hands trying to turn the door knob (the milk must be gone). Then silence.

2:21 Tap Tap Tap. The sound of a little hand knocking on her bedroom door. Shoot. She's still quiet, so I'm faintly hopeful that she'll go back to bed. I go to get the baby monitor.

2:22 - 2:26 Various little kid sounds eminate from the monitor. A drawer opening, jumping on the mattress, knocking on the door...all peppered with the occasional "Mama."

2:28 I quietly go into her room and tuck her back into bed. She looks sleepy and says "ok."

2:29 Click click click. Knock knock knock. "Mama!" Shoot.

2:32 I give up. I quietly go back into her room and tuck her back into bed. I remove the bedrail and put the crib side back on. She looks sleepy. "Night night."

2:32:30 The crying commences. I'm such a heel.

2:37 Still crying (i.e. yelling). Poor baby. I'm still a heel.

2:41 The crying has stopped, replaced with the sound of jumping and rustling in the bed. Whew! Hopefully, it won't be long...

2:45 I think we're still doing ok. She's talking to herself a little bit, but still fairly quiet. "Abigael's pillow." Moan, jump, moan.

2:50 I think we've done it. I haven't heard anything for a minute or so. Sleep tight, baby girl.

Oh well...we'll try again another day. Surely she won't have to sleep in a crib till she's grown, will she....?

Self-Portrait

2006-05-04T15:50:00.000-07:00

We have a budding photographer on our hands:

Monkey in Boots!

2006-05-03T09:20:00.000-07:00

La Vida Loca....

2006-05-01T15:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's been a crazy couple of weeks, but the Lockwood's are hanging in there and trying like hell to hang onto our sense of humor. If you've been been out of the loop, check out the details of our lastest dramas on Brandon's blog, Track Daddy. Aside from near-death experiences, frayed nerves and a neurotic (almost) two-year old, we're doing pretty good. The bills are paid, we're on the road to recovery (again) and Spring is in the air.
The week after Brandon's surgery, I headed out to Washington, DC for a previously planned business trip. I, along with two other co-workers, were scheduled to meet with some of our customer counterparts from a program at work. It sounds more impressive than it really was, but all-in-all it was a good trip. The only downside was that our hotel was out near the airport instead of in DC. So, no sightseeing for us. Maybe next time. At least I was able to experience the beautiful weather of an East Coast Spring.
Speaking of Spring, it's finally arrived in Seattle. Combine the natural burst of energy from that with the budding independence of a toddler, and you have a very dangerous combination. All of sudden we have a 2 1/2 foot tall, bi-polar, chatterbox running at Mach 3 through the apartment. The kid just does not stop. Last week she went three days in a row without taking a nap. If you've every been around toddlers that haven't had a nap, you know their pleasant disposition only lasts so long. Let's just say that by the time I got home in the evenings, she wasn't exactly my favorite person to be around. But aside from that little issue, Abigael has just blossomed into this awesome little person. Over the past few weeks, we've seen her vocabulary just explode. She's also seemed to have mastered her parroting skills, more and more we have to watch what we say. Embarrasing example to bring out when she's a teenager: she passed gas the other day and looked at me with a little smirk. I grinned back at her and said "Abigael farted." She proceeded to proclaim "Abigael farted!" over and over for the next five minutes. What can you do but laugh....
You have to see the good in things whenever something unfortunate happens in your life. One of my "good things" the past couple of weeks has been all the extra time I've been able to spend with Abigael during this warp speed development. We've discovered ants on the sidewalk, Play-doh, birds and airplanes, singing at top volume, and, not only more self-awareness, but awareness of others. "Abigael's shirt...Momma's shirt....Dada's shirt!"

All in all, it's a crazy ride....but it's so worth it.

And the saga continues on.....

2006-04-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

So I have been in the hospital again since Sat the 8th and will probably go home sometime this weekend. The story is long and I have posted it on my Track Daddy blog. Click here to read the story. Please pray for our family. Christie is extremely stressed out having to deal with work, take care of Abigael, and deal with me. Our friends and family are stepping up once again to help us out! Pat is coming out on Saturday to help take care of Abigael and gimpy me while Christie is in D.C. on a business trip next week.

Opening Day at the ball park!!

2006-04-06T11:19:00.000-07:00

So I made a big long post on Track Daddy with pictures about taking Abigael to opening day to watch the Mariners get beat by the Angels. Here is the link to that post: CLICK HERE Check it out!!! We had a blast!!!

So where are the comments??

2006-04-05T22:09:00.000-07:00

We keep hearing that our families and friends read our blogs and we definitely hear it if we have not posted in awhile. So it would stand to seem that we should expect... no, DEMAND comments from our readers. So as to give us, the writers and picture posters, something to read... it only take a few minutes!

Please use the comments link below each post!

Love, the posters

Been there....

2006-04-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

I love to read this blog. The writer is the stay-at-home mother of a daughter just a few months older than Abigael. I wish I had the patience to put into words what she so eloquently did here. I was in tears of laughter during the first half (I feel the pain...) and tears of joyfully agreement by the last sentence.

dooce: Monthly Newsletter: Month Twenty-six

Papa!

2006-03-20T21:59:00.000-08:00

Christie's Dad came out from North Carolina last week for a visit before he gets too tied up with his new job assignment. We all had a great time!
Brandon picked him up from the airport Thursday afternoon. By the time Christie got home from work that evening, Papa and Abigael were just thick as theives. It was so cute when she went for her bath, she kept calling for "Papa!"

Friday, Papa, Christie and Abigael went to the Pacific Science Center. Abigael was a little young for most of the exhibits, but we still had a great time. Abigael's favorite part was the insect and butterfly exhibit. She's still playing with the toys bugs she got from the gift shop.
Saturday and Sunday were spent playing, shopping, playing, napping, and more playing. It was so wonderful to see granddaughter and grandfather spending such quality time together. And one little girl was spoiled just a tiny bit. Yeah right! LOL!

Brandon and Abigael took Papa to the airport Monday morning for his trip back to North Carolina. Thank you for coming to visit and we can't wait to see you again.

Love you Papa!

Shoes!

2006-03-20T21:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we made our Quarterly trip out to the Bellevue Mall to buy shoes for Abigael at the only Stride rite around.

You can't tell me it doesn't make you want to be a kid a again just so you can get away with wearing these shoes...

Riding in style

2006-03-19T09:02:00.000-08:00

So this is the new Chariot sidecar child carrier and Abigael riding in it!! It puts her much closer to me and she seems to enjoy it!

And a picture of Abigael the Cannibal!!

Caught in the wild....

2006-03-05T11:42:00.000-08:00

I've heard the rumors, the myths, the legends...

But I never thought I'd be fortunate enough to witness the elusive "Falling Asleep While Eating" Abigael!!!

--Sighting: Lunchtime 11:34am (awake since 4:30am)

Picture day...

2006-02-20T17:57:00.000-08:00

...because I feel like it.

She looks like her mommy...

But takes after her daddy! :)

BBBBbbbbbrrrrrr It's cold......

2006-02-18T08:57:00.000-08:00

So it is in the teens here in Seattle. BBBbbbbbbrrrrrrrrr!!!! Poor Abigael has been sick for the past few days. She woke up from her nap Thursday afternoon crying and cried all evening, took a bath early (with her daddy), didn't eat hardly any dinner, and went to bed, she was ASLEEP before 7pm.

Ahhh Family time!

Chocolate makes it all better!

Friday she woke up feeling better but still full of snot! Instead of going to work Friday morning, I put Abigael down early (11:30am) for a nap, then we went to work at 2pm and Christie picked her up after she got off work.

After work, I got to ride with good friends in a Memorial ride for Ted "Shred" Huener, a dispatcher for Fleetfoot, who passed away last year. I was home by 8:45pm, some night life huh!

This weekend is the Annual Seattle Bicycle Expo and bike swap. I will be volunteering for the Marymoor Velodrome Association at their booth.

Christie's Mom visitied last weekend and didn't want to leave. Abigael and her grandma are like two peas in a pod. They had a blast playing together but the visit was WAY to short. We'll see them again in May for Abigael's 2nd birthday.

Ouch!

2006-01-29T11:41:00.000-08:00

Someone decided not to listen when Momma said to slow down while taking Zak for a walk...

Fortunately cookies make everything better!

...This was a week ago and it's almost completely healed already. Ahhh, the benefits of youth...

Family Christmas Number two

2006-01-26T22:19:00.000-08:00

Hello all!
We're sorry it has taken so long to update the blog, but here it is. We (Christie, Abigael, and I) flew down to Los Angeles thru Ontario Airport on December 24th. Abigael had gotten sick a few days earlier, but seemed to be fine for the 2 1/2 hour flight. We were up at 4am that morning and our GREAT friend Kyle drove us to the airport in plenty of time for the 7am flight. On the plane, Abigael was all over the place for the first hour and a half before finally falling asleep for the last hour. (But of course, she was a good girl and charming and everyone loved her!)
We arrived to nice, sunny, WARM California weather on Christmas Eve day. Grandma and Papa picked us up at the airport. Papa is very mischievous and almost got a ticket because he is very common sense-oriented and the cops are not. After a long wait to get our luggage, we were finally on our way to their house to get settled in. We got there just in time to watch the Seahawks win over the Colts. OH YEAH Go 'HAWKS!! That evening we all traveled down to Dan and Gabbie's to visit and have an early Christmas with them. When we arrived both of the new parents were crashed out on the couch and the two kids were asleep also. We all got to meet Matthew James, our new nephew and cousin born on Dec. 8th. Emma was super excited to see Abigael and the cousins hit it off immediately!

We all got ready and went to Christmas Eve service at Dan and Gabbie's church. After church, we had dinner and then let the kids open presents. The kids had a great time opening gifts, but it was getting late and we eventually had a small melt down but nothing to spoil the mood. We played some games then left their house and went back to Grandma and Papa's house. It was early to bed as Gabbie, Emma, and Matthew were going to travel to Dan's sister's to spend Christmas day with his family.
On Christmas day we all woke up, had breakfast and went to Grandma and Papa's church. We sang songs and listened to the Christmas story of Jesus' birth. Abigael sang along with a smile on her face. When we got home we, Brandon, Christie, Abigael, Grandma, and Papa, all opened gifts. Grandma spoiled all of the grandchildren this Christmas!! Otherwise, we had a lazy day, watched some football and visited Mom and Dad.
On Monday, Uncle Wayne and Aunt Mary flew down to visit for a few days. Dan, Gabbie and kids came up and we had a big family dinner. We had a great time!
On Tuesday, Brandon, Christie and Abigael joined Gabbie's moms' group and visited a Long Beach City fire house. WOW, what an awesome time we had! We spent almost four hours touring and getting first class treatment at the station. There were about 12 kids and almost as many parents. We think Abigael is going to be a firefighter (she wouldn't come out of the engine or the truck!)!! The token dad in Gabbie's moms group is a firefighter at this fire house (he's a truckie). The Engine was out when we arrived and the truck got a call, so we had to wait until they got back to get the tour. They let the kids crawl all over the apparatus, flow water from the booster reel, and even took some kids up in the aerial basket (Abigael was the first in line for all of these activities!). The firefighters made their rookie don his personal protective equipment and breathing apparatus for time (2 min or less). He then let the kids see that under all the gear there really is a person and to not be afraid of firefighters if they are ever in a fire. Afterwards we all went to Dan and Gabbie's, had dinner and watched movies. Then it was back to Grandma and Papa's.

On Wednesday, the three of us went Dan and Gabbie's again. Dan, Brandon and the two cousins went to see the Nemo on Ice Ice'capades with Gabbie's moms group. It was fun and the two girls just loved it! This gave Gabbie a chance to rest while Christie watched over the baby. After the show, it was back home and we watched a movie while the girls took naps. That evening we all (I mean ALL the family) went down to visit and have dinner at the Petersen's house. Bill and Dee Petersen are old family friends from Ukiah. Chris Petersen is one of Brandon's closest old school friends. Chris, his wife Celine and son, Thomas, all live in France (Celine is French) and were here visiting before Celine has number two (she's about 5 month pregnant). We visited till late in the night, then went back to Grandma and Papa's house.

On Thursday, we had a slow lazy day. We paid the next door neighbor high school girl to baby-sit Abigael and all of the adults went to go see The Chronicles of Narnia; The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. AWESOME MOVIE!! When we went to pick her up afterwards, Abigael did not want to leave her babysitter's house, she had made a new friend!!
On Friday, Christie, Brandon, and Abigael all drove to the Riverside area to visit Chris Keithly and his family. Chris K. is the tri-fecta that was Brandon, Chris P. and Chris K. in Ukiah, from the third grade and beyond. Chris and his wife Rosie just recently bought a house and completely renovated it. Chris has FIVE kids!!! Josh, CJ, Samuel, John, and Laura the two month old!! We spent the afternoon visiting and catching up. Abigael was exhausted after playing with Samuel and John. We then drove back to Grandma and Papa's. Mom and Dad took Wayne and Mary to the airport and we all got ready to drive up to Northern California to visit Brandon's Grandparents. Unfortunately, we were heading into record setting rain in Nor Cal...
On Saturday morning, Grandma, Papa, Brandon, Christie, Abigael, and Emma, all started the drive north. It was a SEVEN hour drive to Navoto to see Great Grandpa Lockwood. (The girls did so great in the car!) The great grandchildren crawled all over Great Grandpa and took pictures with him. This was the first time Abigael had met her Great Grandpa Lockwood and vice-versa. After a short visit, we drove to Williams and stayed in a hotel for New Years Eve. Brandon and Christie stayed up and rang in the New Year (WooHoo! It was a "Rockin' New Year Eve"!). Poor Emma kept didn't feel well and kept Gamma and Papa up most of the night. Of course she was just fine in the morning!
On Sunday, we drove up to Chico to visit Great Grandma Seifert. This was also the first time Great Grandma Seifert and Abigael had met. The grandchildren had a good visit with Great Grandma and we took pictures with them all. Then we took Great Grandma Seifert out to lunch while the torrential rains started to pour. We had to drop Great Grandma off and beat feet to get to the Sacramento Airport before roads closed due to flooding. We said good bye in the pouring rain and began the wait! Our flight was delayed almost two and a half hours due to a 140 knot head wind coming down from Seattle. The good news was that we had a 140 knot tailwind going home only 1 hour 15 minutes to get home. Kyle picked us up from the airport and drove us home, Thanks!
We had a wonderful time with the Lockwood clan for Christmas. We are so happy that the cousins, Emma and Abigael, got along so well. We're working hard to help Abigael remember her cousin with pictures and stories. We can't wait to get them together again.
(Sorry this was so long. It was a long week!)
Love you all!!!

Sick babies

2006-01-26T14:48:00.000-08:00

My poor babies are sick today :(
Brandon called me at work this morning and sounded just awful, he thinks he's coming down with a cold. He said Abigael was a little slow getting going, but seemed to be doing OK. Well, he called back just a little bit ago to let me know she's now running a small fever. It's tired her out and she went down for her nap with hardly a fight. She's become such a happy and active girl and I feel so bad that my baby girl is not feeling well. But there's a little part of me that's looking forward to going home this evening and having her willingly sit still on my lap to cuddle for longer than five seconds. Mommy's are good for more than just playing!

Well status quo for now

2006-01-25T15:41:00.000-08:00

I had a Dr.'s appointment this morning. I was greeted with very little good news and lots of the same ole'thing news. The x-rays (these were 15 week x-rays since my bone graft surgery in Oct) show very little bone growth since the last time (6 weeks ago) I had x-rays done. THAT JUST SUCKS!! I feel ok, I have a little pain here and there, but my Physical Therapist says that I am progressing GREAT!! I have very good range of motion (ROM) in my knee and ankle joints and my scars are mobalizing very well. BUT, the bone is just not healing, we think... The Dr. says that the bone graft will not show up on x-ray (it's called x-ray lagging) until it solidifies/calcifies as solid bone, but there may be solid fiberous tissues starting to form in my bone "deficit" that will become bone. The Dr. and the bone stim rep both feel like I have not had enough time using the bone growth stimulator, only about 4 or 5 weeks, to see any tangible results yet. So as it stands I will continue to 50% weight bare, use the EBI Bone Growth Stimulator, continue PT, take my vitamins, and use my crutches (I got new "cripple crutches" the kind that hug your forearms from my PT, they used to belong to another cyclist on the mend) for another 7 weeks until I go back on the 15th of March. I did get a new ROM walking boot so hopefully my knee will take less abuse, THANK YOU Gloria!!

PS Christmas number two on the way soon....

Family Christmas number one

2005-12-22T12:07:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

Last week Christie's family flew out here to Seattle to spend an early Christmas with the grand child, Abigael, and her parents. Tom, Pat, and Grandma Myrtle flew from N.C. on Wednesday the 14th and left early on Monday the 19th. The three ladies and one little girl went out and spent lots of time together plundering the stores for the best deals on Christmas gifts. The grandparents and great grandparent did their duty in spoiling the Princess. On Sunday we had "Christmas morning" with present opening by Abigael. Once she got the hang of it she really got into the swing!! Abigael recieved clothes, books, a "Little People" doll house, a table and chairs set, and LOTS of Love! Mom and dad recieved some new sheets, comforters, some clothes, and a new printer!! Thank you so much from all of us! We had a great visit with family we do not get to see very often. It is awesome to see FOUR generations of women together. Here are some pictures from their visit!!

New potty more fun than the doll house

Oh, now I get it, you tear the paper!!

Like this!!

Here ya go little precious Princess, Merry Christmas!!

Four generations of women

Brandon's healing update

2005-12-22T12:00:00.000-08:00

UPDATE...UPDATE:

So I am healing slowly...VERY SLOWLY! The graft is incorporating and I do have so small amount of new bone growth. But I still have about THREE INCHES of bone to grow!!! I can weight bear up to 50% and I am doing PT with a cycling orriented Physical Therapist. I am also using electro-magnetic pulse stimulation to help regenerate new cell growth (It's called a Bone Growth Stimulator....huh huh he he ha ha huh you said "bone stimulator") for six to twelve weeks it can help growth by up to a 60+% increase over not using it at all!! I can also use the stationary trainer, isometric excercise, and swimming now. BEWARE ALL I WILL BE BACK AND STRONGER THAN BEFORE. Cat 2's & Master A's here I come!! Meanwhile I heal and train on Injured Reserve... For the whole story click here and here

My Name is...

2005-11-18T21:50:00.000-08:00

A-BI-GAEL!!!

Seems our little girl has a new favorite word (Her first three syllable word). We worked for months to get her to say her name. Finally, she gave in and started calling herself "Aba." Not too bad of a nickname if you ask me. Anytime you asked her name or who she was, she would respond with a confident "Aba!"
Well, this week Brandon took her to spend some playtime with her friend, Maxine, who is just two months older. Maxine is able to say Abigael's full name and apparantly shared the secret with our big girl. Now for the past two days all we've heard is "A-bi-gael! A-bi-gael!" It is sooo cute!

18 Months Old!

2005-11-15T16:44:00.000-08:00

Happy 18th Month Birthday Abigael!!!

I can't believe our baby girl is one and a half now. In some ways it feels like it has just flown by and in others like she's always been a part of our lives. We celebrated her big day by going to the doctor for her regular checkup and a flu shot... "Thanks Mom and Dad..." She's absolutely healthy and the doctor couldn't be happier with her progress. She's meeting or exceeding all the developmental milestones and continues to grow like a weed. Measurements for this checkup:
Height/Length - 31 inches (40th percentile)
Weight - 25 lbs 1.5 oz (60th percentile)

Happy Halloween

2005-11-15T09:35:00.000-08:00

Here's our little Fairy Princess getting ready for her first trick or treating excursion...Mommy even made the dress with help from her mommy ;)

We were worried about the rain but good fortune smiled down on us and the weather cleared up for a couple of hours.

The Payoff!!!...

Annette Bednosky, Ultra Runner and Friend

2005-11-14T23:00:00.000-08:00

ANNETTE BEDNOSKY winning AGAIN!

This post is a tribute to our good friend Annette Bednosky. WOW is about all I can muster when I think about Annette. She just won the 2005 Western States 100 women's overall, here is a blog interview of Annette!! She has been running ever since I met her at Appalachian State University where she was one of my college instructors within the Recreation Management Department. Her husband and partner in life, George Santucci, is one of my best friends, my climbing partner, and mountain biking buddy. Annette and George live in Jefferson, North Carolina which is just north of Boone, North Carolina where Christie and I went to college. I just wanted to say THANK YOU ANNETTE, you have been and will continue to be, throughout my broken leg recovery, an inspiration to me as an athlete! YOU ARE A BAD ASS, KEEP ON KICKN' BUTT!!

GEORGE SANTUCCI mountian biking at Mt. St. Helens

Family update and Track Season Pictures

2005-11-10T17:20:00.000-08:00

Hi all, I am SLOWLY healing up only 6 to 9 months to go. Basically it just sucks! Oh well, Thank you Moms and Dads for coming up here to Seattle to help spoil and take care of Abigael and myself. We love you all very much. These are pictures of me from the 2005 track racing season at Marymoor (Redmond, WA), Alpenrose (Portland, OR), and Kisenna (Queens, New York) velodromes. Season results are HERE. I finished 4th in the Master B's and 14th in the Cat 3's, even after missing the entire last month of racing. I was hoping to upgrade to Master A's and Cat 2 next season Oh well! The team is growing for the 2006 season and we picked up a new co-title sponsor AVA Seattle Real Estate to form the new AVA/Counterbalance Bicycles racing team, stay tuned for awesome results to follow. Abigael turns 18 months on the 15th of Nov! Christie's birthday was the 7th she turned 23 ten and we had a nice dinner out at Mulleady's Irish Pub & Restaurant it was quiet and fun for the whole family.

Marymoor Velodrome, Seattle, WA

Marymoor again

Alpenrose Velodrome, Portland, OR
US National Elite Qualifier in Match Sprint 8th place outta 9!

Marymoor, Keiren race

Kissena, Queens, NY City, NY
Match Sprint during the 2005 CMWC

North Bend Photos

2005-10-04T15:31:00.001-07:00

Here are some photos from when the King 20 Skyway Fire Department recruits went to the North Bend Fire Training Academy for their final weekend of live fire training. We, as a class, completed four training modules at North Bend Burn to Learn, Search and Rescue, Flammable Liquids, and Multi Company Operations. The first two were completed the first weekend we went to North Bend back in June and the final two were completed in July. All of the recruits passed the four modules and we were very whooped after each weekend was over, but EXTREMLY EXCITED to begin pulling shift in anticipation of our first real LIVE fire call.