paycheck

as i mentioned below, i have recently started a little side contract that really just came out of the blue. today marks the start of my fourth week and so far so good. i'm working 15-20 hours a week, from home and on a temporary/contract basis. i'm actually still a little shocked to find myself working (for a paycheck...cause really, i've been working my butt off the last 8 months!), but it's kind of a perfect situation. i get to use my mind a bit, make a little money to restock my dwindling savings account, keep my resume fresh and current, but still have my focus here with my family. it's also make it easy knowing that i have an end date and the whole summer to look forward to with my babies!

so here's the scoop...a couple of months ago a former nike co-worker of mine reached out randomly to see if i was enjoying staying home and oh by the way would i be interested in a full time position (not at nike, at a company called knowledge universe). i replied that i was loving it and not looking for a full time role, but if he ever needed some part time help, i'd be happy to do it from home (thinking there wasn't a chance and really not looking for something!). Lo and behold, he replied right back that he might indeed have a need for that and that we should talk. a few weeks later, i found myself with a laptop, blackberry and back earning a paycheck!

side note: it does feel good to earn money. i don't think it's hugely important, because i do believe i'm doing my fair share contributing to our family, but money and the value we place on it is a weird thing. i recently applied for a credit card and had to put $0 income for my own and to my surprise (although i'm not sure why) i wasn't instantly approved. i've never had that happen and i won't lie, it felt a little odd/sad. i then applied under aaron's name and indeed, instant approval. i also am realizing that i've made virtually spent no money on myself since i quit my job (ie. i haven't had a haircut in 8 months) and now that i'm making a little money, i suddenly feel ok scheduling a hair appt for myself.

i feel really fortunate to have the type of career/experience that allows me the flexiblity to do this kind of work. when i quit i thought that i could always consult/contract if i wanted/needed and it sure feels good to know that it's possible. i remember back when i graduated from uo and was offered the job as a recruiter. at the time i knew nothing about recruiting as as career choice (i think it was still fairly new to specialize in recruitment) and can't tell you how many times i had to explain to friends and family what i do (to do this day, some of my family still just think i'm a headhunter!). i've definitely had my highs and lows and moments where i questioned my career choice, but it does pay to be a recruiter if/when you are looking for a job and to have a bunch of recruiter colleagues and friends!!!

seven

yesterday was our seven year anniversary. we ate a bunch of great food (toro bravo for dinner, papa haydn for dessert, then simpatico for breakfast the next day), had the house to ourselves for an entire night and then marveled at the last seven years. the day was beautiful, warm and sunny - just like the day we were married. i remember it like it was yesterday - it was perfect (except for the 300 missing candles that still haunt me to this day!!!!).



this was the first year we stayed home for our anniversary. for our first we went to cannon beach for a long weekend - there happened to be an art festival going on that we didn't know about and all the galleries had receptions with free wine, food and music. we enjoyed it all and then went back to our room and dug our forks into two cakes made by the baker who did our wedding cakes (who is sadly now out of business). our second we spent at skamania lodge. it was nice for sure, but skamania felt a little like an older crowd and just wasn't for us. for our third i was fairly early in my pregnancy with kellen and we spent a long weekend in victoria. we almost missed the ferry cause aa was parking the car and taking his sweet time. we rented a condo right off the harbor and had a great weekend walking and exploring a new city. for our fourth, kellen was five months old so we decided to stay closer to home and went back to cannon beach. we stayed in the same place, hit up all of our favorite spots and enjoyed our first anniversary as parents. for our fifth we wanted to do something a little more special and decided to have our first night (really three) away from kellen and headed down to san francisco to explore. i was also just finishing my first trimester with maya. we stayed right downtown and despite the rain and not so great weather, we walked and ate our way all over that city! so much fun and while we missed our boy, it was so nice to have that time as a couple. finally last year, for number six we again decided to go back to the place that never fails us - cannon beach. this time with our six month old baby girl. k stayed in salem with grandma and papa. what fun it was to celebrate and also have a little weekend with just our girl - a real rarity for #2!


i love this picture of my nephew when we were cutting the cake! he's now a teenager...ah! where does the time go?

we would have loved to have a little weekend away this year, but with a hawaii vacation right around the corner and a baby girl who still really hasn't slept through the night without a little comfort from me it just didn't feel right. but, we did have a night to ourselves because auntie molly was kind enough to take both kids for the night (knowing full well that maya might be a challenge!). we were actually going to play it by ear and possibly pick maya up after dinner and then drop her off the next morning again so we could go out to breakfast...but my sis texted at 10 to say they were all going to bed and that was that. maya was a dream - woke up once at 1:30 and rocked back to sleep until 8am. sure, she was with my sister the whole time, but boy did it feel good to know that she could sleep without me! {and somehow this post about our anniverary has turned into a post about maya!}



a close up of the angie and aaron bobblehead dolls that aaron's parents had made for us!

back to our wedding/anniversary...it was everything i hoped it to be - short and sweet ceremony, surrounded by our most loved friends and family and then a big party to celebrate where everyone enjoyed delish food, good drinks and danced their booties off! not to mention the fact that i married my best friend...truly. lots has changed these last seven years and it hasn't always been easy, but i'm so so so fortunate to have aa as my #1 teammate, partner and love.

random

last friday was such a nice dose of sunshine. i didn't realize how much we needed it! the kids and i hung all day with our friends - literally, they couldn't get rid of us! we walked to the park, had a picnic and then just chilled in their backyard while the kids ran around. so nice! it also became clear to me that maya is really no longer a baby. she climbed up the play structure and went down the big slide - ON HER OWN, and toddled around trying to keep up with the big kids. so cute, but makes me kinda sad! kellen has decided that gracie is his new best friend! the next day we woke up and the first words out of his mouth...are we going to gracie's house?!







did i ever mention that we are down to just a one diaper household?! after a frustrating day of attempting to potty train, i posted a vent on facebook and after some good advice, tips and comisseration i realized that it was really me not fully committing to no diapers. so february 24 was the last day we used a diaper and aside from an accident here and there (although they seem to come in multiples, hmm.) we are potty trained! we do wear "nighttime undies" aka pull ups, to bed...but honestly 90% of the time he wakes up with them dry! he wears his undies to nap and (knock on wood), we've yet to have an accident in his bed. it feels so good! the one downfall...getting him down to bed can sometimes be a challenge now. he is up as often as five times each night, telling us he needs to go potty or even "the poop is coming out!" and lo and behold he usually comes up with something. oh and the other day after telling me he needed a little space, i came to check on him to find him painting his toenails! opps!






last saturday i coordinated a little baby celebration for my sister in law who is about 4 weeks away from having our second little gassner nephew. we're very excited to meet the new little guy! most of her closest girlfriends gathered for dinner at mother's bistro (appropriate, eh?!) and to make it a little more special i made this paper flowers for each place setting. they are so cute, although quite time consuming to make! super fun though...the kit was from paper source, one of my favorite stores to browse and buy when i need to be creative! paper source will always have a special place in my heart, as all the supplies for our wedding invitations came from there...long before they opened a store in portland.





big girl maya started refusing her high chair about month ago...so she's moved onto a booster seat! my how time flies! where did my baby go again?



kellen finally is tall enough and the weather nice enough for him to ride his skuut balance bike. we've gone out a handful of times in the last few weeks and each time he gains a little confidence and gets a little better at it. no balancing yet, but he gets faster! can't wait to see him gliding along on it. and maya is loving taking over his froggie trike (sadly i guess i don't have a picture of her riding the beloved trike.)!



one of the nice things about being at home is we can also spend with the kids' cousins! we don't do it all that often (let's get real...having a 3, 2, and 1 year old is a little crazy!), but when we do it's tons of fun! in the last month we had bennett and maisy over for a day (one at a time!). it's fun to see the three cousins together - and near impossible to snap a good picture of three kids at one time!







oh, btw...did i mention that i started a little side gig?! more on that later, but yes...i am doing a little work and so far so good.

love.this.girl.

love my boy something crazy too, but his response to me taking his picture these days is "NEVER!" (his new response to many things!). and yes, that is dried egg yolk on her mouth...probably her favorite breakfast right now...fried egg with a runny yolk!

for uncle bry

lazy, i know...but here are a couple of very recent videos of my babes! the dancing one is long...so sorry!!!

siblings

she has beautiful, dark brown eyes and has had them from day 1.
he has beautiful blue-y grey eyes and has had them from day 1.

we both have brown eyes (aa's lighter brown, mine darker brown).

his first word was "dada".
her first word was "mama".

he is cautious and concerned by things that could cause him harm (the oven door...don't even think of leaving it open a crack - it scares him!)
she is fearless and oblivious to danger (the oven door...just a handle for me to help myself climb up on the stove!)



she took her first steps at 15 months and never looked back.
he took his first steps at 13.5 months, but didn't walk until around 16 months, unless you count walking on his knees!

he often asks her for sloppy kisses, cause that's how she gives them. he never did that!
she loves to "pat, pat, pat" his back.



she loves veggies, especially broccoli.
he hates them - won't touch em, except spinach blended up in a smoothie or french fries (do they count?!).

he is more of a carb guy - bread, pasta, rice.
she is more of a meat girl - chicken especially.

they both love chocolate chip cookies and ice cream.



she is a terrible sleeper...has NEVER napped 4 hours (we're lucky to get an hour!) and can't sleep without touching me.
he is a good sleeper...used to often take up to 4 hour+naps and would go right to sleep in his crib (with teddy and his blanket of course!)

he loved his ba (pacifier).
she hated them all...and we tried many different kinds!

they were and are both snugglers (lucky us!).



she looked like her daddy when she was born.
he looked like his mama when he was born.

they now both look more like ME! (i write the blog, so i get to say ;-p !)

food thoughts

i've always been a fairly healthy eater (with a weakness for a sweet or salty treat here and there!), but in the last few years i've become more and more concerned with the food that goes in our mouths...especially my two little ones! it can become increasingly overwhelming to make the right choices...not to mention expensive. farmed vs. wild, organic vs. local, fresh vs. frozen, bulk vs. packaged, vegetarian vs. vegan vs. locavore, glass vs. plastic (bpa-free, of course!) . my head is spinning!


is there anything better than local, oregon strawberries?!

here are a few things that we do to feel good about the food that nourishes us:

• i try to follow this list of the top offenders in regards to pesiticides when making my organic purchasing decisions (and this list to feel ok about not buying organic!).
• loved making baby food for my babies...providing them with much more healthly and fresh purees, not to mention saving us money made it a joy and not a task - and really it was SO easy.
• we've been csa members for the last four years. the first three we were members at Sungold Farms and last year we checked out Dinihanian's Farm. both of these farms delivered right nike every week - it was so great! i'm now researching other csa's and feeling a bit frustrated because the pick up locations are so far from me! i'm actually leaning towards going back to Sungold Farms and picking up at Nike (shh...don't tell!) or they also have a Lake Oswego drop off. if you are interested in joining a csa (and we highly recommend it!), check out local harvest - it's a great resource. yes, you will get fruit and veggies that you have no idea what to do with and you will have to cook a lot of veggies, but it's so fun, healthy and worth it.

a couple of pictures from the June 2009 Sungold Farm day for CSA members - hayrides and exploring the farm + lots of strawberries!

• csa's are typically around 18 weeks, so this year we decided to receive a weekly delivery from organics to you. every thursday we get a box full of fruit and veggies delivered to our doorstep. when they can, they try to stock their boxes from local farms...but right now there isn't a lot growing in our area, so there is a lot from california. it's a bit spendy ($33/wk for a small box), but if you have a chinook book there is a coupon for 1 free box after you buy 4 boxes and you can also use it twice. we've enjoyed it so far and will continue until our csa starts up again.

the contents of our delivery from today (look at the size of that beet!)

• we rarely eat fast food and when/if we do...i can almost guarantee it'll be burgerville! not sure if it's much better, but at least i feel good that their food is fresh, local and sustainable. (and their current special of portabello mushroom wedges, yum!).
• we eat very little packaged foods...although trader joes sure does have some winners that we do enjoy! (organic trader joes o's...basically spaghettios!, tempura battered halibut for easy fish tacos, mandarin orange chicken, snap pea crisps)
• we've tried to eliminate or greatly reduce our "white" food intake. we cook with mostly whole wheat flour (or brown rice gluten free flour for maya!), brown rice, quinoa (costco sells a big bag of organic quinoa for a steal!), dave's killer bread (another awesome costco item...although winco now sells it for just as cheap!).
• and just so you don't think we are totally health nuts - you can almost guarantee to find anywhere from 1-3 cartons of ice cream in our fridge at any given time and we have at least a couple of pounds of m&m's in our snack drawer. but...we used to buy dreyers slow churned, until we decided it didn't quite taste like ice cream (a little chemicall-y) and now we typically buy tillamook or umpqua, which tastes delicious! should it be organic though? ah. it's dessert, so it doesn't count...right!? ;)

some things we are thinking about - going vegan for a week (thank you oprah, for the idea) and/or eating vegan/veggies at least 1x week. kind of opposite, but also thinking about buying a quarter/half of a locally raised, humanely slaughtered beef - anyone else interested? i would love to have a garden, but i know myself too well and know it would just be a chore for me and not enjoyable!

here is a delicious and healthy recipe a friend recently shared with me: Quinoa Red Lentil Stew. it's super easy - the recipe is a crock pot recipe, but i didn't have time and cooked it on the stove in just over an hour. it's also very adaptable...you could really use any combo of veggies. i had rutabaga (from our weekly delivery) and added it. didn't have cinnamon stick or ginger, so left it out. don't love rosemary, so left it out! wanted the kids to enjoy it so left out the jalapeno. maya ate it up...although by the third night of eating it was done! kellen was a little hesitant but with a little enouragment ate the whole bowl. i actually added organic chicken thighs (more fat and iron for my kiddos!) to it and it was delish.

what food choices do you make and what do you use to base your decisions on? anyone else csa members and recommend your farm? do you struggle with these things like i do? please share!