Happy Halloween!

This year was Owen's first time experiencing Halloween.  Last year he we were all sick so we didn't do much of anything to celebrate.  This year we went over to our neighbors' house for a potluck and pumpkin carving party two days before Halloween.  Here are the masterpieces!

Donna and Gordon's pumpkin:

 Buesch Pumpkin (the nose is actually the stem... Pinocchio pumpkin!):

Gordon pumpkin:

 Sandi and Spencer pumpkin (named Happy Hal):

Finally, Sunday rolled around and trick-or-treat night was upon us!  Owen loved, I repeat, LOVED his costume.  He wore that beak without protest for hours.

 Yes, I have a tail.  Oink Oink!

This way to the candy!

The chicken and the horse

By the end of the night Owen was all tuckered out but kept chanting "Candy, candy!"  He loved it, and we really enjoyed taking him out.  We're also really enjoying eating all of his candy....

Photo Session Preview

More to come, if you can handle all the cuteness.

A really great article

Sorry to post an article; I'll get back to the "regularly scheduled programming" soon.  But it's too good of an article not to share.

For parents, and future parents, of all ages:  Allowing Children to Choose

Reet! Reet!

Owen loves reeting (reading).  He will bring books to us all. day. long. and ask us to "reet?"  He snuggles up in our lap every single time.  I mean, who can resist that?!

In fact, he snuggles in anyone's lap if they are willing to read to him.  Literally, anyone.  The lady at the doctor's office?  Oh yeah.  Luckily she was willing to snuggle with a stranger's cute kid.  New person at church?  Nurse Practitioner?  Neighbors and their kids?  They are all so welcoming and he is thrilled to have new "reeters."

We told his babysitters last week that if they just read to him for the 2 hours that we were gone, he would be perfectly content the entire time.  It worked.  One of them said she read at least 30 books to him, and he hardly even noticed we were gone.

We love that he loves reading, really, we do.  It's just.... I mean.... we only have so many books.  And we can only check out so many new ones from the library.  So reading the same books day in and day out is... boring.  Not for Owen, though.  Oh man, he picks up on the stories, themes, characters, and noises in no time.  Pretty soon he "reads" the books to us- as in *flip the page* "Cat!" *flips the page* "Choo Choo!" *flips the page* "Lion!"

All that to say that I am glad he is becoming more comfortable exploring the books on his own and we don't always have to be the ones flipping, reading, and making the animal sounds.  Not that we aren't there to cheer him on and sometimes join in- but it's so amazing to be joining him in his world as opposed to leading him through our world.  They grow so fast, don't they?  We love watching his wheels turn and his imagination take off.

And we are always available for complete book readings.  I mean, he snuggles in our lap!  How can we resist?

Riddits

It's been raining a bit here lately.  I know, I know, we live in Portland.  Doesn't it rain all the time here?! Well no, not all the time.  But we are entering the "rainy season" aka Winter.  Hey, I'll take rain over snow, sleet, and ice any day of the week.  

Anyway, we made a trip to Target since our fave community resale shop didn't have what we were looking for... Rain boots in Owen's size!  I scoured the web to view their selection, picked out some cute striped ones, and then arrived at Target to find that they didn't have the striped ones in the store.  Curses, Target!  

We opted for the Frog boots once Owen saw them and started saying "Riddit!  Boot!  Riddit!  Boot!"

He knows just how to tug at our pocketbook.

He looks cute in them, though, and we got a matching raincoat to go with them.  Can I take a moment here and rant about how awfully tacky kid's attire is these days?  Some of the rain coats had weird fins and flaps, and most of them had some licensed character on it (blech). Can't a mama find a nice, classic yellow raincoat for her son?  Sometimes less is more, you know.

Well, we're still waiting on the raincoat to arrive, but here are some photos to hold you over.  Excuse the blurriness- it was raining and dusk, after all.

Okay this is so blurry but can you see ALL THOSE TEETH!??!!  13 and counting!

Owen learned a new word- a name, really.  We have two neighbors named Donna, and before a potluck last week Owen started saying Donna! Donna! Donna!  Obviously, both Donnas just melted upon hearing their name from this sweet boy.  The thing is, he hasn't stopped since!  He points to the door, points to their houses, looks outside... all while saying Donna?  Donna?  And while Kraig let him outside to run around in his new "riddits" he went straight to Donna #1's house and knocked on the back door.  

She wasn't home, but I'm sure she would have just loved her adoring visitor.

Maybe next time.

Anniversary celebrations

Well.

The best laid plans... you know?

Kraig had three days off of work for our anniversary (which was totally coincidental but much appreciated!)  It just so happened that Owen decided to totally screw up nap time during this time.  We'd try to put him down a little past his normal nap time to ensure he would get good rest (he had been taking a few naps a day while sick, so we tried to push back the one nap each day so he wouldn't be too exhausted in the evening).  Well, he'd fight that nap for hours- yes, hours- before finally committing.  That means we were waiting around all morning for him to nap, would give up and feed him lunch, then try again all afternoon for a nap.  Then, of course, he'd nap for like three hours!  Oye.  All our plans- walks, trips downtown, bike rides- were foiled since we were tethered to the house. 

It's okay- we still had a fun few days together!

We did get to walk around our neighborhood, eat at our favorite food cart, hang out with friends, and stop in at a local bakery for some free (!) cake.  That was Tuesday.  On Wednesday- our actual anniversary- Kraig woke early with Owen and made stuffed french toast and mimosas, which just so happens to be our standard special occasion brunch.  We spent the afternoon hours primping for our date night while Owen napped (finally).  Two lovely ladies from church came over to hang out with Owen while Kraig and I went to one of our favorite Portland restaurants- the Farm Cafe.  It was our first real date since Valentine's Day!  I can't express how different- and how amazing- it was to be able to focus 100% on Kraig.  We held hands!  We didn't have to get a highchair!  We could eat our food while it was hot!   It was so, so great. 

Love their Rooster theme.

Consistently a Portland favorite!

The food was awesome, too, but The Farm Cafe is one of the best restaurants in a city FULL of awesome restaurants, so that's a given.

Kraig got the Wild Mushroom and Leek Tart- amazing

I got the Tofu Marsala- their signature dish!

You know you're crunchy when a BPA-free receipt makes you extremely happy!

We made it home in time to put Owen to bed, then we enjoyed some delicious chocolate cupcakes made by yours truly.  We read our vows to each other- another anniversary tradition- and headed to bed so we'd be rested up for our fun Portland day that we had planned for Thursday.

Well.  We all know that didn't happen.  Instead, we tried to make the most of the day by taking a family nap once Owen finally committed to his nap.  Bah.  I guess a nap isn't the worst thing we could have done!  We also went for another walk, so it wasn't a complete waste of a day :)

To my love: Happy Anniversary

Today is Kraig's and my third wedding anniversary.  In honor of this very special occasion, a love letter to my dearest:

Dear Kraig,


You're likely reading this in your Google Reader with me looking over your shoulder.   That's how it always is, though, so I don't think you mind.  I can't help but want to be near you so I'm usually sitting right next to you reading what you are reading, asking questions about what you think, telling you not to click there but click "that" instead.  You probably think it's annoying- and I'll admit that it is- but maybe deep down you like that I'm always so close to you.


It's been that way since the beginning.  You and I both would- and still do- always choose to do things together.  It may be less efficient that way; we're always waiting for the other person to be available before we run to the post office, the bank, the grocery store, the coffee shop.  But we just love soaking up all of that time together; we always want to be together rather than apart.  Even now that we have Owen, you and I would both choose for it to be the three of us instead of getting a sitter.  That explains why we haven't had a date since Valentine's Day, but that's another story for another time.  I think that neither of us want to feel like we are missing out, which means we must think there is something to be missed.  So let me tell you what I would miss about you.


I would miss your jokes.  Oh my, how you are always making me laugh!  You're always asking me why I still laugh at your jokes and I always tell you- you are the funniest person I've ever met.  It's true.  You have a smart and sarcastic wit that I have never encountered in someone else.  I often wonder how you come up with such quick replies, or where you got such an amazing sense of humor.  I will probably never understand but I know that your humor is such a gift to me.  

I would miss our talks.  We're always talking each others' ears off!  I don't know how we always have something to talk about after all this time.  No, wait; I do know- because we share every bit of our life with each other.  I crave your explanations of your day, your thoughts, your highs and lows.  I love knowing all of our experiences, feelings, and thoughts.  To me, that is an integral part of being your wife- I am one with you and love sharing life with you.


I would miss having someone to encourage me.  Being a stay at home mom means that I have a lot of time during the day when I need affirmation.  I need affirmation that I made the right parenting choice, I need encouragement as I sometimes struggle to be the kind of mom and housewife that I want to be, I need an outlet to talk about frustrations.  I love that you are always there to listen and to say "I agree with everything you just said".  How it is that we see eye-to-eye on nearly every little thing is beyond me... but I'm thankful.


I would miss watching you as a father.  Even on the days when I most need a break, I can't stand the thought of you taking Owen to the park without me.  I love watching you play with him, lead him, and encourage him.  You are a patient- oh, so patient- father.  You are so playful, and I can tell that Owen just adores you.  I can't wait until he is old enough to understand your humor!  In the meantime, though, I know that he loves you and enjoys every minute he gets to spend with you.  Do you know how I know that?  I pick him up out of his crib in the morning and watch him walk to your side of the bed, looking for you.   I am here with him all day when he looks at your photo and says "Dada?", and I see his face when he watches the car pull in when you get home from work.  I see him walk up to you, climb into your lap, and then turn his face up towards yours as he waits for a kiss.  I see him take your shoulders in his tiny little hands as he rests his head on your chest.  I don't want to miss any of those moments.  

I would miss how well you lead us.  Leading is definitely your strength- I've known it from the very start. I've always trusted your decisions and always look to you for guidance.  I'm always checking with you for your opinion, even when it doesn't matter to you, because I trust that you know best.  I am thankful to have you to lead our son.  I am sure that he will appreciate it, too, as he grows older and has you to look up to.  What a huge task that is!  But I know that you will do it well, with integrity and love and a little bit of humor.  Owen is so, so lucky to have you, and so am I because I have no idea how I could lead Owen without you.  


I would just miss you.  Oh, I knew the moment I met you that you were the one for me.  Your demeanor, your kindness, your charm.  Everything about you is perfect for me, even when I take it for granted.  I would miss taking care of you- yes, I would miss putting your needs before my own.  I would miss how well we complement each other, how we encourage each other, how we sharpen each other.  We are always better when we're together, after all.  


I hope that you enjoy spending the day, this day and every other day, with me as much as I will enjoy it with you.  Three years.  Can you believe it?  We've moved 3 times- once across the country- we've had a baby, we've endured the lows, the highs, and everything in between.  We've at times felt as if it was us against the world, and at other times felt so surrounded by supportive community.  We've wondered how we can overcome, and then we overcame- together.  Always together, always holding hands, usually laughing and always smiling.  You're my best friend, my protector, my caretaker, my teacher, my leader, my lover, the perfect provision for my life.  I cherish you, respect you, care for you, and love you.


Always,


Your J

Friends

I knew before we left Cleveland that there was a chance that I might get a little emotional as we adjusted to our new life in Portland.  In the past I have tended to get a bit nostalgic, sometimes even homesick.  Kraig and I talked about this many times before we left Cleveland as we wondered what it would be like to move.  I kept telling him that I might really miss some people, yet he brushed it off and just focused on how excited we would be to finally get here.

Those sentiments were true on our final days in Cleveland, too.  Kraig was calm and steady as usual, and I was a blubbering mess at times!  I kept asking him if he thought he would be sad when we left, and he was consistent in his response: "No, I know that we are doing what we are supposed to do, and I am excited."  He was right; moving to Portland has been our dream for years, and we were actually doing it!  Few people get to realize one of their dreams, and I am glad that he has never taken it for granted.  Still, I knew that I would be sad, if not also extremely excited about what was to come.

Our final farewells came and went and Kraig never showed any sadness, not even in private. (I don't mean for Kraig to sound heartless- just pointing out that he is much more able to focus on the future and I sometimes tend to focus on the past.  We complement each other well- I can't imagine the misty-eyed mess we'd be in if we were both like me!)  I, on the other hand, had more than a couple tearful goodbyes, and wept often and earnestly at the thought of the goodbyes that I didn't get to have, whether because of distance or because of Owen's trip to the hospital that forced us to cancel our farewell party.  I was sad to say goodbye to friends that I wouldn't see for a while, I was sad when we walked out of Owen's very first bedroom for the last time, I was sad when we left the city where we had started our life together, and I was sad that there might be parts of our life- our favorite spots, sentimental places- that we may never get to share with Owen.

Granted, my sadness faded away as we headed out on the road, but it was genuine sadness while it lasted!

Either way, it's been a really great few months here in Portland.  I can't explain how much more full of joy we are now that we are in a place that we love.  Everything holds so much more meaning- there is so much more possibility now that we know that we will be here for as long as we can imagine.  There are friendships to be made, new favorites to be discovered, a niche to be carved for us.  It's all so exciting and so life-giving.

But there have been a few negatives (for me, not for Kraig.  Are you sensing a pattern?)  It's tough for me to adjust to being at home with Owen 24/7.  I didn't realize how much I needed the time to myself until I didn't have it anymore.  We're searching for balance and I'm confident that we will find it soon.  I also didn't realize how much I needed my friends until I had to start over and try to find new ones.  No friends coupled with a lack of balance and personal time leads to a very stressed out J.  Again, there is light at the end of the tunnel.  I have met some absolutely fantastic women through our church as well as through the power of the internet and I am definitely looking forward to forging close bonds.  I need community and quality time with friends, and I am starting to get some of both.

But I still miss some of my friends back in Cleveland.  This is again where Kraig and I differ.  He always knew that we would not be in Cleveland long-term, so he held back from forming any close friendships. He had many friends- just nobody with whom he was very close.  I couldn't do that- I am an all-or-nothing type of friend!  I am instantly trusting, vulnerable, and attached, sometimes to a fault.  I either want to be friends, or I don't.  Like I said- all or nothing.  This lead to me making some very meaningful (at least for me, though I don't think it was always one-sided) friendships with quite a few women in Ohio.

And now, almost 3 months since we left, I am starting to really, really miss them.  I know I will see all those women again sometime and it will be as if no time has passed.  That's how it goes with great friends, right?  All I know is that I have tearfully reminisced about those friendships over the past few days and I wanted you all to know, if you are reading, that you are missed.

Crazy Cat

I went outside to get the mail and found a cat and squirrel in the midst of an epic stare down.  Unfortunately the squirrel ran off before I could get a photo, but the cat seemed a little.... stuck.

The cat walked precariously along the top of the fence as we all wondered how it was going to get down.

Owen thought it was pretty amazing.

Finally, it jumped down onto the garbage cans and came over to say hello.  Pretty kitty!

NEW POSTS

You may need to scroll back one page to see all of the new stuff!  Enjoy :)

Dispatches from the sick house

We've had a case of influenza circulating around our house this week.  First Owen, then me, and now Kraig.

Kraig isn't really mad- he's just making a silly face!  

Owen started out with a fever on Monday, followed by congestion and a nasty, rattly cough.  I followed suit (minus the fever) on Tuesday.  And today (Saturday?) Kraig's got the sniffles.  Unfortunately it hit Owen the hardest, but he's on the road to recovery so we are thankful for that- just in time for our big 3-day-staycation-3rd-anniversary-extravaganza this coming week.  Yay!  This was the perfect opportunity to try some of the herbal remedies that I have been reading about, and I'm happy to report that they are AWESOME!  Who knew that foods and herbs could have such amazing healing and immunity-boosting properties?  Wow, we're such hippies.  

On that note- Happy Sweetest Day from the sickies, and have a great weekend!

Flu Season

This might just be the best photo taken of Owen, ever.  Don't you agree?

We were growing concerned about possible dehydration when Owen was going 5-6 hours without a wet diaper.  Our physician gave us the thumbs up to give Owen any sort of liquid that he would possibly take.  Fruit juices, sugary drinks, sherbet- all fair game.  Luckily we were able to avoid anything serious, but it took much mango sorbet and organic fruit juice.  Owen didn't have any complaints about the doc's orders.  

Our city

I can't believe that I haven't shared this video yet.  I think that Kraig and I have watched this at least 50 times.  We watched it multiple times before we vacationed here last October (a year ago!  Can you believe it?) and we started watching it again this summer before our move.  It's amazing and shows just a few of the amazing things about living in Portland:









The funny thing about it is that now that we live here we feel like we could make a hundred more videos with so many more things that aren't featured in the video.  But I don't want to get too caught up in all of the great things about our city; you'll just have to come visit to find out!

A Trip to OMSI

We took advantage of the beautiful fall weather that we have been having and rode our bikes up to OMSI to check out the new exhibit.  (Take a second to click on that link so the rest of the post makes sense to you.)  It was well worth it, even though Owen was just starting to get sick and crashed hard at the end of the visit.  

We found out a lot of very interesting things about ourselves.  The only problem was that I scored better on many of the "tests" than I should have, since I knew what they were measuring and sometimes even knew the method beforehand because of all those mandatory research experiments in college!  Oh well- it was still fun.

First we explored our physical identity and genetics.  We discovered that Kraig's face is more symmetrical than mine, thus making him theoretically more attractive since humans prefer symmetrical facial features.

Symmetrical, indeed.  Goof.

We also found out that the chances of having another baby that is just like Owen is about one in 70 million!  Shucks!

 Make a baby?  They make it look so easy!  Har har har.

We also took some tests to see how "male" or "female" our brains are.  The scoring was based on a spatial reasoning test to determine how "male" the brain is since men generally have higher spatial and mathematical intelligence, as well as a facial coding test since women usually have higher emotional intelligence.  The results?

 This is J's score- 117 male, 103 female.  

This is Kraig's score:  117 male, 93 female.

Before we jump to any conclusions, you should all know that I cheated.  Like I said, I knew what they were testing so I realized off the bat that the spatial test was asking "trick" questions.   Thus I scored perfectly on it.  Oops!

Now THIS was interesting.  A camera took photos and manipulated them according to whether the participant chose to "smoke", "eat unhealthily", or "not use sunscreen" for the rest of their life.  It showed the effects of those choices over time.

J's original

 J as an elderly woman who made healthy choices.  Yikes!  I hope my hair turns gray?

Elderly J who smoked.  Ooof.

Now, before you go and think that Kraig got really unlucky in the aging wife department, let's take a look at his photos.

 Elderly Kraig after making healthy choices

 Obese elderly Kraig

 Elderly Kraig who smoked

Yikes!  

I guess it is time to bust out the anti-aging cream and keep an eye on our diet, no?

That was depressing, now on to the next.

There were lots of tests that we did to determine gender biases, personality traits, and group identity. 

Part of the race and gender bias portion included taking a photo of yourself and making it a different gender or ethnicity.  THIS was VERY interesting.  Unfortunately we didn't have the time to allow Kraig to do it, but here are a few of my results....

Me as a hispanic man.

 Me as an Asian woman.

Me as a caucasian man.

Weird, right?!  Very cool.

We also morphed Owen into an astronaut.  

We decided to cut out early for the day and go outside for some fresh air and a snack.  We found this carved into the bench!!

Vandalism is so not cool, but hey, those are our initials!  (We didn't do that, if you can't tell).

As usual, Portland was ready for her closeup.

Poor Owen started to crash- as you can see- so he snuggled up in the sling for a bit before we headed back home.

Poor guy!  It was nice to get out in the sunshine, though, since we spent the rest of the week holed up and battling sickness!