Happy Birthday Taeg'

Taegan met me on the stairs as I returned home from work this evening. "I'm the birthday girl!" she beamed.  This was her subtle hint that it was time to get the party started.  After a sumptuous dinner of pineapple cheeseburgers -- a family favorite -- the birthday girl received her specially requested birthday cupcakes.

Her family promptly butchered her birthday serenade.  The Von Trapp's we are not.

After the food and the presents, the festivities began to wind down.  Taeg' retired to a quiet corner of the house and indulged in her favorite intellectual pursuits -- crayons, stickers, and coloring books.

She's a bright and clever girl that often says things, perhaps unwittingly, that make her parents bust up laughing.  Anyone who spends more than a moment with her will know what we mean.  We often forget that her high-pitched voice and untamed curls have only been around 3 years.  We love her very much, and look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

The other butte

You may remember our grueling ascent to the top of Eugene's Spencer Butte last April.  It was a fun climb, but sometimes we find ourselves in the mood for nice views without any of the the accompanying gruel.  That's when we head for Eugene's other butte -- Skinner Butte -- just a couple miles to the north.

There are two ways to reach the top of Skinner.  The first way involves climbing a sheer basalt cliff.

We generally don't take this way, because...um, I've grown really fond of staying alive.  This route is well-suited for extreme sports fanatics who aren't the primary means of support for two (soon to be three) young children.  I thought about telling these guys -- just as a courtesy -- about the paved road on the other side of the butte that leads all the way to the top.  But then I considered the possibility that the climber dudes would get really excited by this revelation and end up losing their pinkie-finger hold on the rock face.  Best case scenario: they fall to their deaths.  Worst case: they fall to their deaths on me.  My day would be ruined.

I said nothing and we continued our short drive to the top.

Here we are seated on a stone of some obscure historic significance near the butte's highest point.  Apparently when Eugene Skinner was planning his new town in the late-1850's, this stone represented where main street would be.  That sounds really cool, except there has never been any street up here, let alone a main street.  Seriously, I read the inscription twice and I still can't figure out what our city's Founding Father was trying to do with this rock.  I can only guess he intended to push the rock down the butte and leave it next to the real Main Street, but then got distracted by something else.

We let Karst' handle the camera for awhile.  Taeg' was in charge of wardrobe.

Looking south from Skinner Butte Park, Taeg' got a wide-view perspective of downtown Eugene with Spencer Butte in the background.

In less than one hour, we were able to enjoy scenic vistas and a historic memorial to impractical road construction.  No muss, no fuss.  We were careful not to distract the rock climbers on the way home.

The perfect trade

Every so often Travis' mother will let me trade her for some work. This is the most recent.


She had a 'slab' of wood sitting in her garage for a few years hoping it would magically turn into a bench. I guess she finally got desperate and called. All I had to do was build it, Dave was the one that had the difficult job of making it look good with paint. I love the smell of cedar, I could have sniffed that bench all day.

While I was relaxing at the 'day spa' my kids got to spend some quality time with Grandma! I guess it was a win-win.

Karsten doing what boys do best, shooting and destroying stuff!


Taegan bathing under a mushroom!

Going out

Do not go grocery shopping...

hungry,
pregnant & hungry,
tired, pregnant & hungry,
with kids, tired, pregnant & hungry,
at Walmart, with kids, tired, pregnant & hungry,
at 10:45am, at Walmart, with kids, tired, pregnant & hungry...

Just go to McDonalds, it is better for your health.

WILDE

My 2 year old loves HOT TAMALES. Well who wouldn't (except her wussy Dad and brother). Grandma Wood has got to be proud. I remember eating a lot of Cinnamon Bears, Hot Tamales, Red Hots, and String Cheese driving all around the country to watch my sibling's sporting events. She even sent me some in a care package when I was in Australia. So in honor of my Mom, I have decided to eat Hot Tamales more often. Plus, this next kid kicks like crazy when I eat them, I can only assume that it is because he enjoys them as well.




p.s. has anyone seen my freak'n camera?!?!