My Favorite Place...The Beach

No words can properly explain how much I enjoy this place...

Olive Juice...

'I love you' is something that we say a lot in our home, and we will never grow tired of it.

A few years back, at least 7 years, Bob started leaning down and whispering very quickly in my ear, 'Olive Juice.' Try it! If you say it very quickly it sound just like 'I love you.'

Now Cade use to laugh and laugh when we did this to him, always ending in a breathless tickle fest.

So how do you think Morgan reacted when I did this for the first time ever to him? Well, here it is...

Mommy: I lean in closely for a good night kiss and I whisper in his ear, 'O-live Juice.'

Morgan: With a big smile on his face he leans forward and whispers in my ear, 'Baking Soda.'

Wow! He is my little experiment. It left me speechless with a huge smile.


Baking Soda to you all,

The Number Game...

23
The number of dogs Morgan & I saw being walked through Edmonds on the way to pick up our yummy Pagliacci pizzas.

3
The number of dog walkers that had more than 4 dogs!

2
The number of kids in a candy store tonight (yes, one of those kids was me).

2

The number of zappers ordered; one of them with pepperoni, olives and sausage just so I could get a glee of happiness out of my sweet husband.

3

The number of pizza slices that I should not have eaten this evening. Ohhh, Weight Watchers- please be kind next Tuesday.

9
The number of bakugans being battled tonight by Rowan boys (Thank you Goedeckes!).

4

The number of HAPPY, full Rowan's.

Infinite

The number of times Morgan has laughed today. I love that cackle.

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Random Morgan Quote:

"Mommy, are you threatening me?"

Okay, all I said was that I was going to tickle him. Apparently that is a threat...

Enjoy your evening...

Book Recommendation...

Well, the last book I recommended was in September and it caused me to hibernate for 4 weeks until I read the entire series...twice. That would have been 'The Twilight Saga' by Stephenie Meyer, which I still recommend if you have not read.

So here is my new recommendation. I am not a non-fictional reader so sorry if you are looking for a book to enlighten and inform. I am just a reader who likes to be entertained, and this one did it! It is called 'Sunday at Tiffany's' and it is by James Patterson.

Those avid readers out there know him as the creator of Alex Cross (Kiss the Girls, Along Came a Spider) and the Women's Murder Mystery Club. Well he stole my attention on this one. I hope you all have a chance to either buy or borrow this book from the library. It is touching...

Night...

Wii Workout Wednesday...

...and it wasn't me.

.

Meditation Pose (See Bob reading 'Watchman' in the background)

Push-ups

Notice the skin hanging off the bones? If anyone has a suggestion on how we can put meat on this kid I am all ears.

Quote of the Day...How Profound

Morgan: "I am not your Brother."

Cade: "Yes you are Morgan. Especially since we were born from the same Mother."

Note: At first I thought Cade said, "Yes you are Morgan. Especially since we were born from the same oven." I had to ask him to repeat his statement, as I was laughing my head off...

Pat on the Back...

Okay...I am giving myself a pat on the back. I did not think it was possible yet, but I am actually training Cade to do chores.

hee hee hee. What? What did you say? Ahhhhh, yes. ..You want to know how on earth I am managing to get a hyperactive 6 year old focused enough to help around the house.

It is really simple actually...blackmail... (Did I say that out loud?)

He is managing to clean his room, load the dishwasher, do his homework, and get ready for bed every night with no (well maybe some) complaining. And for all this work, what does he get?

two...shiny...quarters...

I know, that seems pretty cheap, but guess what? He already managed to buy one of these...

...and he just had me order one of these on Amazon...

...This one will not be his until he earns the $10 it costs to buy it. Quite simple- You earn the money, you can buy the toy.

Also, we do have a Wii now, it is very motivational (or inspirational depending on your point of view). Cade knows that no chores means no Mii time. I LOVE IT!

Thank you Nintendo for inventing this family friendly game system...I am going to have to do a blog entry JUST on the Hula Hoop game from Wii Fit. That one is a crack-up.

Later...

'Not Me' Monday...

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.





I did not even think of laughing to myself when my 3 year snuck five cookies into his room to eat- and I did not start snickering when my sweetie of a husband told me he hid one underneath his blanket.

I did not laugh openly at my sweetie when he dropped his bruschetta on the table at Claim Jumpers..less than 1 minute after Cade DIDN'T spill his vanilla shake.

I would never consider going straight to the dictionary to find out if 'betwixt' truly is a word from the nursery rhyme 'Jack Sprat'. Who talks like THAT? Then I remembered, I don't need help making up words, that is something I 'DON'T' do everyday.

I did not see my sweet 3 year old Mojo pick up a piece of popcorn off the kitchen floor and then do nothing to stop him from eating it. What kind of parent do you think I am?

The cold I am currently feeding would never let me ramble on to my boss at work, and then look up to find her not staring at me with a smirk on her face. I did not sound like a cuckoo at work just because of a cold...never!

I did not eat a giant piece of chocolate cake with white chocolate icing at work. Weight Watcher would never let me do that and live to see my weigh decrease instead of increase.

I can't believe ANYONE would scream out loud at work when they find out their knee injury is only a sprain... I don't yell or even talk loud- ever!

I would never consider taking a paper towel and trying to 'yank' a loose tooth out of a 6 year olds mouth. That is just torturous- who would do that?

Lastly, I did not start tearing-up while listening to our 44th President deliver his anaugural speech- and I would never even consider believing that 'Hope can overcome Fear'.

Whew Whooo ~ Watch him go...

Here is our little speed demon. Watch him gooooooo.

(Grrr. I promise there is a video, and once I figure out how to upload it without it crashing my laptop I will share it! Stay tuned.)

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We had a wonderful time and he got to experience a quad-lift for the first time too (which translates into: "I my goodness, they took Cade up to the top of the mountain and he skied down a blue trail."). He had a blast, but his conversation with me was classic as we skiied up behind in the lift line.

Me: "Hi Cade!"

Cade: "Hi Mommy! I got to go on the 4 mountian (aka quad-lift). It was really fast!"

Me: "Wow Cade. Did you really?"

Note: His instructor is shaking his head up and down at this point. And I am thinking, "Impressive."

Cade: "Yeah Mommy, and I fell down A LOT."

Note: His instructor is again shaking his head up and down.

------------------------------

Lastly, I leave you with a few photos of the day.

View from the top...

And he wonders WHY his lips are chapped???

Showing off his form...

Have a happy week...

Cass

The Audition...

Oh my! That sums up my opinion of Cade's Audition. We started off waiting and waiting and waiting...which is the worst thing for any 6 year old. During this wait I look down and Cade is frowning. Uh-oh. So I have the following conversation with him.

Me: "Cade are you okay?'

Cade: "No Mommy. I don't feel well. I am nervous. Am I going to have to get up in front of all these people and sing?"

Me: "Oh Cade. No sweetie, you do not have to get up in front of all these people and sing."

Cade: "Whew."

The main talent scout then comes out and talks to the entire group, which was about 100 people made up of children and parents combined. He went on forever, again I have a 6 year old sitting next to me- no mercy was given! Finally they start the interviews which occurred in an open forum. Below is an excerpt from Cade's interview which I found hilarious.

Interviewer: "What do you like to do Cade?"

Cade: "I like to play soccer. I have played for 2 years, maybe 3."

Interviewer: "What else do you like to do?"

Cade: "I like to ski, too...and play the Wii. I also like to draw. I draw when I am bored."

Me: Wince! Please note that I am holding the script he is suppose to read to the camera. On the back of the sript Cade has written the names of everyone in his immediate family. He has drawn a very detailed picture of a christmas tree with lights and ornaments. There are 5-6 present and a few stocking. And yes the interviewer DID look down and see this.

Luckily the camera man read the lines to Cade and he repeated them back. When asked to repeat the lines again Cade said 'No.' And that, my dear friends, was the end of Cade audition. I will not be holding out for him to become the next big Disney kid... if he gets a call back I will start laughing. He would prefer eating broccoli over taking a step back in that place... I did get a good picture of him at the end when he was in front of the camera...

After the interview we headed over to my office and grabbed some sandwiches for lunch. Cade wanted to eat up at my desk. So below is a picture of him enjoying the view. I have to say, I forget how beautiful the view is from my desk...now you all can enjoy with me. The water you see is the Puget Sound (Elliot Bay to be more specific) which feeds directly into the Pacific Ocean.

Later...
Cass

Quote of the MORNING...

"Cade! Stop tormenting your brother."

I know all you mother of boys out there have said this one MORE than once.

And here is a photo of me and the tormentee...I just couldn't resist.

Have a good day...
Cass

Keeping up with the Rowan's...

Boy do we have a busy weekend ahead of us... I am going to blog what I THINK is going to happen and then on Sunday night I will let you know what actually happened...Stay tuned for weekend updates.

• Birthday Party at Chuck E. Cheese for Cade's friend, Brandon 7:00 (Thankfully my sweetie is doing this one)
• Cade's audition on Saturday for a commercial in Downtown Seattle. (Don't worry, this one is worthy of it's own Blog title. THAT will happen tomorrow) Good story, and so random.
• Laundry- Do I really have to wash it, dry it, AND fold-it?
• Grocery Shopping- I would love some good recipes that are kid friendly. My boys are getting bored with our staples. Post for me please in the comments!
• I predict it is going to snow...in the mountains. Cade's Ski Lesson and my two hours of blissful skiing.
• Work-out ( it is typed small because if I don't get to it maybe no one will notice it is missing when I report on Sunday!)
• Wrestle with my boys- everyday- and avoid making them cry or mad. Ohhh, that is going to be a tough one.
• Beat my sweetie at Scrabble or cribbage, his choice.
• Read a book! I have two new ones that my boss gave me today.
• I am NOT going to work...well, I mean 'work' work.
• Finish reading 'The Chamber of Secrets' to Cade (We are on the 'Heir of Slitherin' chapter 17)

Alright...now that it is posted that makes it real. Wish me luck on this ambitious list.

Night...and smiles to you all.
Cass

This and That's Thursday...

Thursday seems to be the day everything converges together with little "this and that's". So you get to read it and see it for what this day became.

Whooo Hooo- my knee injury is only a sprain; not torn meniscus or other tragedy. I can continue to ski with Cade, BUT I do need to ski like a 35 year old NOT a 15 year old...too bad.

My sweet step dad does NOT have to get his stomach operated on, only his esophagus...that's a big THANK YOU 'this'. Don't ask me to pronounce the procedure because I forgot as soon as my Mom told me. I am trying to 'remember' better, but I have a hard time remembering procedures named after doctor's AND that have more than 5 syllables!

Cade lost his second tooth; okay- between the two of us we actually PULLED the little booger out. The thing moved when he was breathing for goodness sakes. Turn your eyes if you get queasy at the sight of blood, there is a little in the photo.

Morgan helped make homemade pizza tonight; well he did it with our new 'easy crust' aka a flour tortilla. Sooooo easy and quick! He did manager to spread the sauce, sprinkle the cheese and add the pepperoni all by himself though.

Morgan learned that water stays IN the tub and not out. You learn quickly when your Mommy makes you clean up the mess! I wish I had a photo to share...it is quite funny to watch a naked 3 year old slide across wet pergo floors on all fours trying to mop up AT LEAST a gallon of water.

Morgan trying on his 'virtual' clothes for tomorrow. The little crumbcake can't go to sleep unless I set out the 'empty people' for the next day. I would try to explain it, but in this case a picture IS worth a thousand words. I highly recommend this practice to all parents. My boys love to see the 'empty people' laying on their floor.

Well- I hope your "this and that's Thursday" was as enjoyable as mine.

Night Night...
Cass

The Cookie Snatcher...

So I found the BEST mini chocolate chip cookie recipe from Weight Watchers and it takes all of 10 minutes to mix and 10 minutes to cook. A whole twenty minutes and I can eat homemade cookies?#$%! Now that is great...Try 'em.

2 T Butter, softened (The real stuff, not artificial junk)
1/2 C Brown Sugar
2 t canola oil
1/2 t vanilla

mix it all up and then add.

1 egg white
1/8 t salt

mix it all up and finally add.

3/4 c flour
1/4 t baking soda
3 oz. chocolate chip

Make 24 teaspoon sized cookies. Bake at 375 for 8-10 and you can have 2 cookies for all of 1 point!

Now you are probabl7 wondering why I am giving you this recipe- YES! I have a story...of a 3 year old boy who did not eat his dinner. I made these most delicious cookies before I ran off to my doctor's appointment this evening. When I left, there were 16 cookies- and when I returned, there we only 11. We have a cookie snatcher! He was secretly coming out from his room where he was playing (I believe, remember I was not home so that could be heresay) and snatching cookie after cookie. Then the conversation began between son and daddy...

Daddy said, "Okay Morgan, I am going to go get your jammies."

Morgan says, "Okay Daddy, but don't look under my blanket."

WHAT?!@#$ Aha- the little stinker had a cookie hidden under his blanket in bed. Apparently he was preparing for his midnight snack!

I wish I could have been home to see it!
Cass

"Not Me" Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.



Oh- I am going to look forward to Monday's now! Here is everything I did not do this week...Hope you enjoy.

I did not let Cade climb in bed with me once this week, nope- no way- not once, twice, thrice, four times, five, six, not even seven times.

I did not give my Boys Chocloate Milk after Bob told them they couldn't have it.
Nor did I give them a snack after school because we all know that would ruin their dinner, AND Bob already said, "No more snacks." I would never hear of that!

I did not leave a clean, unfolded laundry pile in the living room for 5 days - uhuh- not me. I didn't even let Bob manuever the mountain of clothes looking for a clean t-shirts. That is not like me AT ALL.

I would NEVER let Cade play 15 minutes more of the Wii after I strictly said 30 minutes only! My heart did NOT break when Cade teared up because he got 9 'D' ratings in a row for Dance, Dance Revolution. I would never cry when my baby's feelings are hurt.

I did not go into Morgan's room to kiss him good night knowing that he would probably wake up as a consequence. Do you think I am crazy!

And lastly, I did not spend an hour in the doctors office for him to tell me it looks like my ski season has ended. I did not wish secretly that I had just carened into the bozo that was blocking my way to the lift line. I did not try repeatedly to get a hold of the radialogist three minutes after I left my appointment knowing good and well the referal won't be there yet to get a MRI! grrrr. I am not that impatient AT ALL!

That's it for Not Me Monday! Thank you Sassy for introducing me to ANOTHER great Blog idea and thank you mycharmingkids.net for being so inspiring.

Cass

I may be getting too old for this...

So why is it my skis don't always change direction when my body does? uuugh...I am sure feeling it today. Let me recap a conversation I had with my skiing buddy (I will leave her fabulaous identity anomynous). So Jen looks at me - I am currently laying on the ground laugh so hard I might just pee my pants - after a spectacular fall.

She says, "You fall more than anyone I know. hahahaha."

I say all serious, "Do I really?"

And what is her retort, " Cass, how many people do I actually ski with beside you and the boys? Today- you have fallen more than them. "

What can I possible say to this? There is only one thing I can say, "Yep. Your right! hahaha."

The day was foggy and COLD! But once we got to the top of the mountain the sun decided to peak through ever so slightly...the below photo is what I was able to capture, oh- and I replaced my main blog photo with one of the results too.

Photo of me, taken by Cade on the Easy Ride chairlift

Picture of Cade

Check out our new skis!

I had to put this photo in. I just love the pink nose and slightly purple lips...

Aching and whining... I am signing off.

Cass

Off to the Mountain...

So starts week number two for ski lessons. I can hardly wait for our weekends to arrive. Not only do I get to spend 5 hours skiing, but I get to chat it up with one of my good friends too. How long have we lived in the Northwest? Just a stones throw from the mountains? And how many times have I made the trek up the mountain? NOT ENOUGH- but that is all changing.

I have so many good memories of skiing with my sis and my step dad on our many trips to Colorado over the years. Don't worry Mom- I haven't forgotten you- I just know you prefer to sit in the lodge with a good book in your hand and a nice warm drink :).

Can I somehow pass along these experience to my boys? ABSOLUTELY! And last year was only the beginning. It is never to early to get children propped up on skis and give them a push onto the chair lift. Now I am more scared of the lift then Cade is. It's like an amusement ride to him, and a horror flick for me. Sooooo very high for a 6 year old to be...

But this boy, he is fearless. He flies down the slopes and can't wait to get back up and do it a again. And when he falls (don't forget he is made of rubber) he just pops back up. Now some of his falls- they would put me in the hospital for a week!

Below are photos from last weeks adventures. I will post some more soon- maybe I'll even get one of his magnificent falls :)...

Night Night...

Cass

And the Word of the Week is...

mow-lawn-der [moh-lawn-der]
noun
A machine with an imaginery rotating blade that pops with each rotation of the wheels. It is typically used by a 3 year old named Mojo when he is exploring the back yard.

Noun usage in a sentence: Mojo ran down his Daddy with the mowlawnder.

That's our boy!

Name How Many Syllables...

Question of the Day:
How many syllables does the word 'Sweet' have?

Answer:
As pronounced by Morgan, 'Suh-weet', it has two syllables. Go forth and use this new knowledge...heehee.

Love you all.
Cass

How does the saying go?

Hear No Evil...

See No Evil...

Speak No Evil...

...Our little innocent Children (uh-huh)

Cousin Tosha (3), Cade (6), Cousin Krista (5), Morgan (3)

This and Thats for the start of the 2009...

What happens when 'The Hulk' goes back in time?

He becomes a Hulk-a-saurus...

NEXT...

On New Year's Day we created 'clay-creations'. Below is a picture of three animals created by young master Cade.

A turtle, a snail and a monkey...he was very concerned about having to make a monkey from blue and yellow clay, but he did it anyway.

Happy New Year to you all...

Cass

It's Been Awhile...

...So until I am able to get inspired to start writing again here is my favorite quote of the week.

Morgan: "Mommy, I wish I had two antlers."
Mommy: " Two antlers huh...Why Morgan?"
Morgan: " If I had two antlers I could be a reindeer on Santa's sleigh mobile."

Apparently it is no longer just a sleigh- technology caught up to Santa too!

Smiles to you all...
Cass