Holiday Message 2010

Greetings from our first holiday update of the new decade! We are happy to report that 2010 was a busy year for our family, but thankfully not too busy.

In March we returned to Great Wolf Lodge which Kyla has proclaimed as her favorite place. Over the summer we took two trips to Chelan to cruise around the lake in Grandma Jan’s boat, went camping at Grayland Beach with our neighbors, and went to Port Townsend where we visited the Olympic Game Farm. The year’s most memorable event was Aunt Cassie and Uncle Brian’s wedding where Kyla and Blake served as flower girl and ring bearer and Becky was a bridesmaid.

Kyla is now in First Grade and is attending class all day for the first time. She genuinely enjoys school and seemed like the only kid on our block who was disappointed when she heard the news that school was cancelled due to snow, and then asked where her sled was. As usual she keeps a very busy schedule. She learned to ski in January, had a ballet recital in June, and has played basketball, baseball, and soccer.

When it was time for Blake to sign up for preschool he lobbied Becky to put him in the class of the woman he refers to as the “pretty lady.” He has always been a boy of very particular tastes. Blake’s favorite pastime is playing with trains and his extensive collection of Brio, Thomas, and Geotrax locomotives have claimed space in the family, bonus, and master bedrooms. Becky is weary of having another male with obsessive tendencies in the family, but Brett is thrilled and plotting to steer his progeny’s interests to Transformers and Star Wars in the near future.

Becky has become a regular at Gold’s Gym where no one needs help finding their shoes, whines about needing a snack before bed, or throws a fit if she doesn’t turn on another TV show. She has begun thinking about returning to the workforce, though this time as an elementary school teacher instead of a CPA. She has been taking study materials to the gym with her to prepare for the exams that are prerequisites for entrance into a Masters of Education program.

In the latter half of the year Brett ended up on a project at Microsoft and to everyone’s shock and amazement he began using a PC. He still proudly wears his mantle of Apple Fanboy and uses his Mac at home when it hasn’t been commandeered by Becky to play Frontierville, though this may be a sign that he is becoming more practical in middle age. His interest in photography continues to grow and has invested enough money in equipment to be plausibly mistaken as a someone who knows what he’s doing. Kyla isn’t concerned with her plummeting tuition fund because she appreciates having her own personal Paparazzo.

Hopefully you’re all having an excellent holiday season and will have a prosperous new year. We look forward to seeing you all in 2011!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, etc,
Brett, Becky, Kyla and Blake

What Do I Do With This Blog?

Times have changed since I started this blog in August of 2004 after Kyla was born. Back then I created my own website with a rudimentary blog so that family and friends could keep tabs on what was new with the baby.

Eventually I moved the blog to Blogger (and for a brief period to iWeb), and I've kept it up for over six years.

I wanted to post to this blog often, but it's hard to motivate myself when so few people actually read it (Becky doesn't even read it!). Nowadays more people are keeping up with my family updates than ever, but that occurs on Facebook, not here.

For the most part I've written monthly updates about what we've been up to, but these posts aren't that much fun to write and they've devolved into a standard formula: opening paragraph about the weather, a few paragraphs about what we did for the past month, and a closing paragraph about what is to come next month.

The entries seemed so boring that I didn't even bother to post links to them on Facebook, ensuring that no one would ever read them. Plus if anything interesting happened during the month, I would have already disclosed it via Facebook, and by the time it hit the blog it was old news.

Here is what I'm considering as a new blogging strategy: I'm going to abandon the monthly posts and instead use this blog as a place to link to on Facebook or Twitter with a post that is too long for those mediums. This is essentially what I do with my personal blog.

If anyone has an opinion on the matter please comment below, but I don't expect any. Like I said, no one reads this.

September 2010

September is a month of adjusting to new schedules. This is due to the fact that school is again in full swing.

The hardest part of the new schedule for Becky and the kids is having to get up and moving much earlier than they did last year when Kyla had afternoon Kindergarten. Personally I like it better this way because I'm not alone before I head to work anymore, though no one in this family is really a morning person.

Kyla is enjoying her new class and its new challenges. She's coming home with much more homework than last year, but thus far she doesn't seem to mind.

Blake is also having a good time in his new class. He goes to school three times a week (as opposed to the summer when he only went twice a week). He likes his teacher whom he often refers to as the "pretty lady" and has made several new friends.

Becky and the kids headed to Port Townsend with Linda for a weekend in the middle of the month where they played along the beach, rowed in Grandma's boat, and drove through the Olympic Game Farm. I stayed back to enjoy the peace and quiet.

We also made our annual trip to the Puyallup Fair, this year with both the Neels and the O'Reillys. Obviously everyone had a great time, particularly Blake who is now old enough and adventurous enough to enjoy the whole experience.

Adjustment periods are always challenging, but so far we've eased into our school schedule pretty well.

August 2010

This was a jam-packed month. The summer always ends in a flurry of activity for us.

From the 12th through the 15th we went to the Grayland Beach State Park to camp along the coast with our neighbors the Neels and the O'Reillys. Packing for a camping trip is much more work than other types of vacations, but I suppose that is part of the nature of heading out to nature. The weather was great and we spent most of our time running through the surf and building sand castles.

On the very next weekend I took the kids back to Chelan while Becky stayed behind to work on prepping for the birthday party. Crystal, Sal, and Donovan joined us and my mother for a relaxing weekend of riding around on the boat and enjoying Mom's cooking.

Then on the final weekend of the month we through a party for Kyla's sixth birthday at our house. She opted for a home party this year because she wanted the magician she saw at Siyana's party to perform at hers. We had Kimmy do her show and then paint all of the kids' faces, then for the rest of the night we had little painted animals running around.

Kyla's actual birthday was also the first day of school. She is really excited about her new class, though it may take a little time to adjust to spending twice as much time in class as she did in Kindergarten.

Summer is over (well not technically) and we made it. Now we can enjoy the slower months of the fall before we ramp up for the holidays.

July 2010

July was the month of the big event, but I'll get to that in a bit.

Kyla had been wiggling on her loose tooth for several weeks, and early this month it finally popped out while she was spending the night at Linda's.  The Tooth Fairy exchanged it for $5 the following night and even before she had a chance to spend it we had already spotted the tooth's replacement.

Over the weekend of the Fourth of July we traveled to Chelan to spend time with Jan, Bill, my sisters, and Brian.  The water was too cold to spend much time in, but we toured the lake in Mom's boat and played at the neighborhood pool.  Being two weeks before the wedding we were also occupied with planning and invitation assembly.

Blake's dream of riding on a train powered by Thomas the Tank Engine finally came true when we all attended Day Out With Thomas in Snoqualmie with Marty and Kerry.  Blake enjoyed indulging his train obsession for a couple of hours, though he was a bit overwhelmed by the big crowds.  I'm thinking we need to wait a couple of years before planning that Disneyland vacation.

Then on the Big Weekend we've been waiting for finally arrived.  We spent three days in Ellensburg for Cassie and Brian's wedding.

On Friday we attended the rehearsal.  Blake wasn't willing to cooperate on his first run through as the ring bearer and we just about lost hope that he would participate.  The path the wedding party takes to the alter crosses a bridge over a creek, so I perked his spirits by grabbing some sticks and letting him through them off of that bridge.  On the second try we let him carry sticks with him and this time everything went smoothly (though he paused along the bridge to loose a few pieces of cargo).

That night we went to the Pasta Company for dinner where I screened a movie composed of pictures of Cassie and Brian's childhoods until they met.  The two of them and Becky scanned the pictures from old photo albums and then I edited them together and set the movie to music used in the wedding.  The production was meant as a gift for the parents from the bride and groom.

The big day was busy with preparations of course, but that didn't stop Cassie from taking her bridesmaids (of which Becky was one) on a hike of the Manastash Ridge that morning.  After we showed up to the Party Barn for pictures I realized that I had left my camcorder that was to be used to record the ceremony at our hotel room and I broke a few speed laws on my way back to retrieve it.  After the ceremony, toasts, cake cutting, bouquet and garter tossing, etc, the dancing started, and Kyla was a dancing machine.  She spent most of the songs dancing with me, and by the end of the night both of us had very sore feet.  She did kick me to the curb for one song when she pried some poor young boy off of his mother and forced him to dance with her.  The little vixen even kissed him!

For the last full weekend of July we took it a little easier and spent a day with Linda, Wes, Tina, Bill, and Sammy at Lake Easton.  Linda took the kids out on her little boat where they did a little fishing.  They used toy poles so for dinner we had to resort to hamburgers and hot dogs.

I'm pretty sure that will be the most I'll have to report for any month this year.  Not that we're deliberately slowing down yet, we've got lots planed for August.

June 2010

June was a month of transition.  Kyla is now done with kindergarten and Blake has just started preschool.

For the summer he'll be going on Tuesdays and Thursdays and so far he seems like he's having a good time while he's there (we are able to stalk him using the school's web cams), but he hasn't been very happy to go.  He's never been one to be excited about change, so it will take a little time for him to work this into his routine.

This month Kyla had her school music concert and her ballet recital.  She did very well at both and thoroughly enjoyed all of the attention she received for the latter.  She is a major fan of dance which is evidenced by the fact that she and Becky are regular watchers of So You Think You Can Dance.  Recently while she and I were at a park she is take turns pretending we were contestants on the show while the other one was the judge.

For Father's Day we all went to see Toy Story 3 in 3D.  Becky and the kids got me a Japanese Screen with photo frames in it for me to display some of my pictures.

Kyla was admiring Asher's Nintendo DS and asked if she could have one for her birthday, so I've been letting her use our iPod touch more to show her that she's got a capable game machine already.  I also set her up with her own email address so that should could send messages to people from it.  She got a kick out of being able to communicate with friends and family and it seems to be a good tool for honing her reading and writing skills.

This has been the worst June I've experienced weather-wise since I moved to Western Washington (technically I should say "moved back").  I'm hoping July makes up for it.

May 2010

I'm writing this on Memorial Day while it is pouring down rain.  There was some really nice weather in the middle of the month, but this holiday weekend was more or less spent indoors.

The metaphorical sun was shining on Kyla early in the month when she began begging us to get her ears pierced.  It seemed odd for a five year old to me, but I couldn't think of any logical reason to object and Becky enjoys having a girly girl, so she took her to Claire's in the mall where they did the deed.  There was some pain, but Becky came closer to tears than Kyla did.  Afterward Kyla was so excited that she spent two hours on the phone spreading the news to her family and friends.

After being inspired by the film No Impact Man, Becky decided to make the family more environmentally friendly.  We now save our food scraps and she and the kids regularly bury them in the back yard.  She has also been ordering organic food from Amazon Fresh which is convenient and lowers our carbon footprint.  I also buy as much local produce as I can from the Issaquah Farmers Market.

For Mother's Day we made Becky a baby book of Blake, which I created on my Mac and was printed by Apple.  Becky saw the package after it arrived and she thought I had gotten her an iPad, which would be the equivalent of Homer Simpson buying Marge a bowling ball for her birthday.

We spent Mother's Day shopping for a new bicycle for Kyla.  We also ordered Blake a PlasmaCar, who of course insisted on the green model.  They both enjoy riding around Julep Park which has a large circular sidewalk.

Summer officially starts next month, we are just hoping that Mother Nature gets the memo.

Blake's 3rd Birthday Party

We had Blake's third birthday party at our house again.  Becky decorated the house in green and found a train "Happy Birthday" sign that she put up in the family room.  She also used the party as an excuse to clean up the back yard and added an arch for grape vines to grow onto.

As with last year we served hot dogs and a baked potato bar, two things that Blake isn't allergic to.  However this year we did get a Costco cake and let him have some because his milk and egg allergies don't seem as bad as they used to be.

Our shindig was well attended with more than 50 guests.  The kids all received bubble blowing toys and had a lively bubble fight in the back yard.  Even Uncle Casey participated in the bubble battle.

The party was on May 1st which is actually my birthday, but this didn't bother me at all because I don't normally have a large party on my birthday so I received a lot of attention I wouldn't have otherwise, plus I had a crowd to show off my latest movie of Blake to.

It was a fun party overall.  We'll have to see if he opts for the home party again next year.

April 2010

Spring is in full swing.

Kyla's latest new sport is t-ball. She is the only girl on the team, which may explain why during the first practice she was the only one that the whole team cheered for when she was at bat. I'm sure she'll grow to appreciate the extra male attention.

She also started soccer again. Practice has moved back to the Highlands on an all new artificial turf field, which unfortunately parents aren't allowed on. We also tried to get Blake to play, but so far he's not crazy about the idea and we'd rather let him wait until next season than pressure him.

For Easter we had brunch at Linda's and then took the train from Snoqualmie to North Bend for lunch. Obviously Blake thought that experience was pretty cool, though he doesn't like the train's loud whistle.

On the weekend of the 10th I took the kids to Ellensburg for the weekend while Becky got some R&R and did yard work. We played in the creek (being suburban kids they love having a creek), went bowling, played in the sprinklers, and ate well. We also went to Yakima on Sunday to visit Great Grandma Marian and go to the fun center where we raced go carts.

On the 18th all of us save Blake attended Sammy's baptism at a Lutheran church in Renton. This was Kyla's first time at a church service and she even ended up in Sunday School at one point. This made me a little nervous but the only thing she did while she was away was make a paper shield. Afterwards we asked if she had any questions but she didn't have many other than "why do some people believe in God?"

April ends with Blake's birthday and his party will be the subject of a future post, but Linda is taking him out to celebrate while the rest of us get the house ready for the big gathering.

March 2010

March was a busy month for us. It seems that the slow winter months are limited to January and February.

On the first weekend I took the kids to the Museum of Flight with my father and stepmother. We had a fun afternoon checking out all of the old planes and space vehicles. Blake, true to his main obsession, was most intrigued by the trains that passed by the rear of the building.

Kyla played her last basketball game of the season and scored her first basket! After having my camera out for every one of her possessions up to this point (true to my main obsession) I somehow managed to miss the chance to record this moment. I suppose the watched pot never boils.

For my father's birthday we took the Link Light Rail train from Tukwila to downtown Seattle where we had lunch. Blake thought it was pretty cool but made it clear that he felt that the monorail was still his favorite mode of public transportation. I'd hate to break the news to him that Seattle gave up ever expanding the monorail a while ago.

On the day after Saint Patrick's Day Kyla and her classmates returned from recess to find their chairs overturned and trinkets left for them (Kyla had a necklace that said "Lucky Girl"). She was nervous that the leprechauns had also invaded our house and was eager to access the damage. Sure enough by the time she made it home that night several chairs were overturned and a couple of treats were left for both her and Blake.

Kyla was invited to a slumber party at the house of the girl from school that she's been having issues with and she really wanted to go. Becky sensed an impending disaster but knew that Kyla wouldn't be happy if we told her she couldn't go, so instead we decided to head to Great Wolf Lodge that weekend. The Neels came with us for what I'm guessing will become an annual tradition.

For the last weekend of the month Becky and the kids went to Ocean Shores with Linda. They had a good time for a couple of days, especially Kyla who braved running in the surf despite the less than balmy weather. Unfortunately their trip was cut short when Blake developed a double case of pink eye.

Thankfully prescription eyedrops took care of that quickly. Now we are prepared to take on April which will bring two new sports and Blake's third birthday.

February 2010

February was unseasonably warm this year giving us two weekends that were sunny and almost 60 degrees.

The reminder of Spring prompted Becky to do some planting with the kids. They've seeded broccoli, peas, carrots, onions, and tomatoes. Becky asked the kids what they'd like to grow in the garden, to which Kyla answered cucumbers and Blake answered chicken nuggets.

The week of President's Day is a week long break in our district, which was well timed for Kyla who was dealing with some drama at school. I was surprised to learn that even five year old girls formed cliques.

Kyla's basketball team has started playing games this month. The kids look like they are having a lot of fun even though most of them can't make a basket yet. I'd like to practice shooting with Kyla, but there aren't any hoops around that are set to eight feet like those at her games.

Becky has tried a couple of times to entice Blake into potty training. He managed to go most of a day with no diaper on and didn't have an accident, but he didn't use the potty either. I'm looking forward to changing my last diaper (of my own children at least), but I'm dreading that moment of panic when my three year old tells me he needs to go right now and there isn't a restroom nearby.

As nice as February was, I'm hoping for March to be a pleasant Spring month, but perhaps it was just a tease.

January 2010

January starts the slowest time of the year. There just isn't nearly as much scheduled in the first quarter versus the other three. Since we are never really bored, this calm period is something of a blessing.

Our most consistent scheduled activity has been basketball practice. For most families having a 9:00 AM commitment on Saturday morning isn't a big deal because most kids are up by then, but I have to set an alarm and coerce Kyla out of bed. Thus far she's been enjoying it and so have I (it's another activity for me to shoot).

She's also started going to ski lessons with Liam and Asher at Snoqualmie Pass. For their first two lessons they'd spend the entire time in the learning area taking the magic carpet (basically a conveyor belt) up about 100 feet and slowly ski down with the instructors. They're learning how to make a wedge to control their speed as well as how to turn. On their last lesson they actually went on the ski lift to the bunny run.

In addition to all of these activities Kyla has managed to find herself a boyfriend. Yes to the shock of her parents, she's decided that a boy at school whom she refers to as "cute" is now her boyfriend, and he's going along with it. I don't think they actually play together all that much during recess, but she's asked Becky how long she has to wait until she can kiss him. Thus far she's managed to negotiate us down to the 11th grade.

Blake spends most of his free time playing with trains. He's accumulated a number of Geo Trax sets and now has a pretty elaborate setup in is room. He watches the Geo Trax cartoon on nearly a daily basis. When he gets bored of Geo Trax, he plays with his Brio train set that Papa Marty got for him.

Becky likes to point out that these obsessive tendencies must come from me, which I take as a great compliment to Blake.