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Whenever you ask Finn where his cars or trucks are goin he says Home Depot. I don't think we go there that often but Finn associates every trip with big orange box store. This weekend we were at Grandma's house plaing with a whole different set of cars then he plays with at home and he had everyone loaded up into the vehicles to pick up some home improvement gear.

Breakfast sing along

toddler meals

We trade dinner nights as many of you know but this week our house mates are vactioning in Santa Barbara. Well not really vactioning but they are in Santa Barbara and we are not and so it is OK to hate them a little bit. Anyway with our housemates gone we are down three nights of Beautiful or I not cooking. There is some slack that has to be picked up there and we haven't worked out how that is going to happen. Last night we had Grapes, Meatballs, and some Rasin Bran. It was Henry's first night making dinner so we can give him a bit of a pass but we are going to need him to step it up. Finn is up tonight so we are super excited. He was browsing recipes from Beeler so we might be in for a treat. Luckily Kate is still baking so at least we will have good bread.

In from the cold

It has been a bit tense on Bus 67 the last couple of weeks. There is a driver that doesn't leave the bus open when he is waiting at the Beaverton Transit Center. He goes into the office and leaves the Bus locked while every other bus at the transit center is open. The thing is it has been super cold and it is tough to see all the other buses open while your waiting outside for your bus to open up. The driver is a by the book dude that will not go out of his way to help a rider in anyway. If someone is running for the bus and he has already shut the door he will not open it. He is not a popular guy on the bus and most of the riders grumble loud enough to initate conflict with him. Last week the build up came to a bit of a head when there was rider running to the bus and he would not open the door for her. Riders were arguing with him and calling in to complain but he could care less. The next day the doors were shut again and most of the riders were talking to each other and getting themselves angry. When our driver came out the started complaining about having to wait outside. "He was a tyrant who relished what little power he had and wanted to let everyone know he was in control." I stayed out of it for the most part but it was an entertaining part of my morning commute. None of the sarcastic grumbling was having any effect, nor was the calling campaign to call into the Tri-met rider line to complain. On Friday morning when I the train got to the Beaverton Transit center the 67 bus was open. That wasn't really that strange, it usually just meant that we had different driver for the morning but then our unpopular driver came to the bus. He had left the door open and I think I know why. Two days before when everyone was all worked up there was the one girl sitting in the front talking to the driver. She asked him why he didn't like to leave the door open, not in an attacking way but in a curious way. He was denfesive but she was disarming. I listend as she got him to talk about getting attacked when driving. About the time his bus was vandalized and his fare book stolen. He doens't leave the door open because he has been hurt, taken advantage of, and burned by it. She was empathetic and explained to him that she understood, but that it was cold and the riders here just wanted to be warm. He said he understood that but that he just didn't want to do it. Two days later he opened the door. I am not sure what exactly changed but my guess is that more was accomplished with chat then the angry mob. It would be easy to say that the driver was just misunderstod. But he really is a pretty angry and mean person. He has had a tough time but I am pretty sure that he brought a lot of that on himself by being a bit of an A-hole. But even A-holes can come around and be reasonable if you talk to them like a person.

they have their addictions

one more again to the doctor

Yesterday we went to the Dr. again because Finn was complaining that his ear hurt. He would hold on to it and cry laying on Kate all day so she made the appointment. They had toys in the waiting room so his initial fear was distracted by new trucks to name but when we got called in it was back. He flat refuses to be weighed. He flips out like the scale is some mid evil torture device, or soul sucking instrument. When I tried to place him on the scale he would curl his feet in and writhe screaming. I asked for a young priest and old priest but the nurse didn't laugh. We finally got his weight by weighing me with him in my arms and then weighing me with him on the ground. He's 35 pounds by the way, a number I came to in my head and the nurse came to by writing the equations down and carrying the one. Finn didn't trust her and fought getting his temp taken in the good ear but for the Dr. he was easy like Sunday morning. She checked both ears twice, listened to his heart and felt his glands. She asked if hit hurt when he ate and he laughed and said"That's silly, eating doesn't hurt" His ears looked fine but he was a little sore under the ear. She thought it might be part of a sinus issue where the pressure was building up under the ear instead of above the nose. She looked at me and said your having sinus issues too, and you dehydrated. She said she could tell by looking at my teeth. Good times, Finn seems fine but my teeth are giving me away. Finn wanted a sticker and walked to the front desk to get it with his shoulders scrunched up around his ears. This is how he eases what ever pain he is in, or at least that is what we think. He looks like igor or the hunchback. He makes me laugh and that might explain why he still does it as much as anything else. He asks "Are you funny daddy?" I tell him I hope so but he is really funny. "Yeah I am daddy, i'm real funny, but not mommy"

Momma got a brand new bag

All of Kate's creative activity of the last couple of weeks is going up on Etsy for you to see, buy, or show to others so they will buy. Please click on the link and check out gear kate has been making out of reclaimed t-shirts and fabric samples.

After their sleep but before mine

There are times when I go into the boy's room before going to bed myself and I am hit by something powerful. I well up with tears and I love them fiercely. or maybe it is joy, or maybe it is something else entirely. I am not sure what it is exactly but it is powerful and it has a an intense effect on me. I pull Henry's cover back over him, the one that he is in now laying on after going to bed with it on him. I am not sure the process of going from awake to sleep for Henry but it involves going from his back with the blanket on him to laying on his stomach with the blanket scrunched bellow him like a sky blue body pillow. When I see his face the feeling hits me and I want to live in that moment but I think I would explode. It is too intense to inhabit and so it passes quickly leaving me near tears and full. It is all I can do to not pick him up, wake him, and hold him tight. I have to will myself to move slowly and controlled pulling his blanket out to cover him again. Then I go over to Finn in his toddler bed and kneel down with my head on his pillow. I tell him important things and smell his hair. I want to crawl in bed with him but I am too big and I have my own bed to get to. These boys have no idea the effect they have on me, even sleeping, especially sleeping. I know I will embarrass them when they are older trying to tell them how amazing it was for me to watch them sleep. They will think I am crazy and they will be right in a way. It really is crazy how much I love those boys. I am consumed with love for them, it is intoxicating and probably the best part of my day is going into their room when they are sleeping. It is crazy, but I don't care. I'm OK with being crazy.

henry says hi

Lazy Sunday with the boys

The boys slept in until 8 but they woke up with issues. Henry was on antibiotics for an ear infection and Finn for an eye infection but now they have traded infirmities. Henry woke up with his eyes crusted shut and Finn was holding his ear and complaining. There is another trip to the DR in our future for another batch of antibiotics but for now we will play trucks.

A peek into the studio

As I have written, Kate has been busy working away in her studio just about each night this week. We had to schedule time for her to not work so that I would get a chance to hang out with her. She has been gathering fabric all around Portland from three different, but equally awesome fabric stores. She has also been going to a place called scrap to get leather samples for cheap and using those to make baby shoes. She has turned old t-shirt into new baby outfits and made a couple of birthday and baby shower gifts for friends and family. She has been a whirlwind of creativity and activity. I would like to thank all of those to contributed to her birthday present. She has used the serger and the fabric money literally every day since she got them. Your generousity is paying dividends in our home

Welcome Home Mandy!

As most of you know we were in Hawaii for 6 months last year. We were there because Kate's sister Mandy was in Afghanistan, I say was because as of a couple hours ago she was on a plane from Texas back to Hawaii safe and sound. Thanks to all the people that prayed for Mandy, Jake, Scott and us as we were there and welcome home Mandy. I'm so excited for you to get to know Jake more and more, he is a good kid that should keep you just as busy as all those crazy medics you looked after. We can't wait to get a chance to see you and to see your boys again.

A smattering of what is new

The boys are both on the upswing of this sickness cycle and it has been great to have some personality come back into play. Finn asked me for a cookie the other day and when I told him he couldn't have one until after dinner he said "Daddy I want to go back to work!" I had to run over to him and pick him up and give him too many kisses because he cracked me up. I think that just made him more mad. Henry likes to stand at the coffee table and talk to you in unintelligible gibberish. He is so focused though that I am pretty sure he is cussing me out or at least making fun of me. Henry now says ball, Dada, and bow bow which is what my grandma would say to me when she rocked me in the rocking chair. Henry loves to bow bow and will even just crawl up to the chair and bounce a little while saying bow bow, bow bow and then looking around with a big smile because he knows he's super cute. Kate has been busy making all manner of things. You can see the photos of her creations here. This past weekend Grandma and Papa were in town keeping the fire going all day and taking the boys as soon as the woke up allowing Kate and I to sleep in Saturday and Sunday. We have been getting out for walks despite the weather and we are doing more now instead of when X happens. It was great to get comments from the different folks who could relate to my excuses post. There was great advice and good conversations.

Are we many or are we all

While we were eating dinner the other night Finn turned to me and asked: "Daddy are we many or are we all?" I didn't know how to answer him mostly because I wasn't sure what he was asking me. I asked him if we were all at the table and he said yeah and named each person at the table. But then he kept naming people who had at one time or another sat at the table and had dinner with us (Grandma Peggy, Erin, Ms. Jessica, Papa, Tom Tom, Grammi.....) and pointed out that they weren't there. I guess we are many then and not all. Or maybe because in Finn's mind they had been there so they were there now and it that sense we were all. I still don't know what he was asking me or what he meant to say but I love thinking through his questions. We try to get him to flesh out what he is asking a little more but often he starts to close up if we ask too many questions. I think he feels he is not asking the right thing or that we aren't understanding him and he will get frustrated by that or shy. Our Friend Carly said that we should set up a twitter account and just post the things that Finn says with no other context. I think I would follow that one for sure.

We are getting better all of us

We have a household of sickness her at casa de ritroh. All three kids have had to go to the Dr. to get on antiboitics for various infections in ears, eyes and throats. I have been sick for what feels like 3 weeks straight with the latest iteration being an incredibly sore throat and cough. I felt terrible in traing today at work and I am affraid that my suffering came off as aloofness again. Finn has had the eye infection and we have had to put some medicine right into his eye which is quite a champ about. Henry takes his milky medicine with a dinner through a big dropper. Ian is off the sauce for his throat and is a very happy little guy again. Kate has so far managed to stay out of the sickness cloud but it seems when it does hit her it might be hard.

Shirts by kate

Kate has been a creative machine lately making benches for the kitchen table. curtains for the boys room, gifts for expectant mothers and even her own underwear. It has been great to come home and see what new creation she has come up with and see the excitement she has for it. On Sunday night we were laying in bed, me almost asleep, Kate's mind racing with possibilities. I told her to get up and go do what ever she needed to do so I could at least get some sleep. I woke up in the morning to these shirts above. She had taken the shirts in the Goodwill pile and turned them into little mang mang shirts. They are so cool and look great on Finn. Our housemate Jesse was super jealous of the Vans shirt is particular. he wanted to know how she made them, I think planning his own shirts for baby Ian. You can see more of the pictures by clicking on Pictures up top, be sure to comment if you like them.