Some 'Stuff '

Last Saturday Ansen had his last tumbling class of the year. Ansen has absolutely loved this class! Teacher Ann was great and Ansen has gone from being dangerously adventurous to being dangerously adventurous with the ability to tuck and roll. Thank you Ann!
I have no idea what the heck he is doing in this last picture but it is classic Ansen.

A Tomb stone? Yes, that's what it is. This beauty is the stone of the Henry Weinhard. The beer guy. Yup. He his he buried in the cemetery of one of Jason's firm's. Ahhh, Portland. So rich in Alcohol beverage history.

This lovely lady is my new bff. She has been kicking my butt and hopefully my butt is shrinking! Only 5 more weeks till we leave for Costa Rica. Me and Miss Elliptical will be spending lots of time together.

So that's the ' stuff ' going on with us. How about you? What's up?

Goooooo VanDenBerghe's!

BIG day today people!

1. My cousin Brianne just had her first baby yesterday. Welcome Little Owen!

2. My cousin Katie has her senior recital today and is going to do awesome. Good luck Katie!

3. My cousin Richard just got signed on to a NHL team. Now my kids will be sporting Dallas Stars paraphernalia all hockey season. Way to go Richard!

4. And, because I am so proud of her hard work, Jamie just got her grades and earned herself a 3.6 gpa last term. Jam-let's go to Sweet Tomatoes to celebrate!

The VanDenBerghe's are having a VERY good day!

Up, Up And Away

We took a little family road trip to the Evergreen Aviation Museum this week. It was HUGE and the Spruce Goose was there. I have never even imagined a plane that big. It was massive. I really can't see the logic of having a plane that can carry 750 troops at one time and has beach balls in its wings 'just in case' they need to float BUT it was cool to see. Wing to wing it was longer than a football field and it had three stories on the inside. It only flew once for 1 mile and then it was retired. Thank goodness, can you imagine something that huge falling out of the sky? Again,it was huge. We went with Grandpa and Grandma Widing and had a really fun day. If you are in the area and looking for something to do-check this out!

Confession

I hardly ever follow through with my "If you don't behave I will ______" threats. Big mistake I know. I just really don't like being the bad guy. I let Jason fulfill that role. Buutttt with Jason gone during the week-if I don't follow through then I basically get walked all over by my three munchkins. So this week I vowed I would do better and follow through with whatever I say ie., "we will go to the library today," "we will only read for half hour before bed and you will be in bed on time," so on and so forth.

Yesterday I had a very mouthy 6 year old and I was more than over her by 6 pm. So I said "Braley IF you keep crying, overreacting and yelling I WILL put hot sauce in your mouth." Pretty much immediately a whine and crying escaped her lips. Oh dang, break out the hot sauce. I grabbed a spoon and filled it with hot sauce and tried to get the spoon into Braley's mouth. Anyone surprised that it didn't work? Her lips were clamped shut. Remembering my new mantra *follow through, follow through, follow through* I gently but firmly pushed the spoon into her mouth. Success! Clink!

Wait clink? Hmmmm...that didn't sound right? Then I saw it. The result of me vowing to follow through. Braley's wiggly loose tooth sitting in our sink. I knocked her tooth out!

I felt (and still feel) horrible about it. I was just trying to follow through and I physically altered the appearance of my daughter. Bad mom! Thankfully it was loose and needed to come out but still...why me?

Braley is unaffected but the unexpected loss of her tooth and over the moon that the tooth fairy came last night.
I am reconsidering my vow to Follow Through.

Dear Brocky,

We are so excited to come and visit you this summer. Ansen has been asking for a "brudder in July" for the last month and I told him he is getting something better. YOU! For a whole entire month! So get ready to play, play, play because your cousins are coming and they have a whole lotta plans that involve you and (I'm sure) the desctruction of Grandma and Grandpa's house.We LOVE you and we will see you in (roughly) 3 1/2 months.

p.s. Tell your parents we are soooooooo excited for their engagment and wedding...it's about time, I mean congrats guys! We love you all. See you soon.

Blazers vs. Nets

A month ago Jayden earned herself a free Blazers ticket for last nights game by exceeding her personal reading goals. We couldn't just let her go (with her school) and have a fun time...we HAD to go too! Ansen was so excited to go ALL day long. On the way to the game he had to take a "power nap" to ensure he was at maximum wiggle-ibility while trying to sit in a seat for 3 hours. He had a great time and made it through the whole game without falling asleep. Yelling D-Fence was his favorite part.

B. Roy goes for 3! He shoots.....He SCORES!!!!!

Auntie Jamie and Tay got in on the fun!

Blazer mascot "Blaze" showing us how to dunk. See the cheerleader to the left? Ya. Braley loved them. Dancing in front of thousands in flashy outfits....right up her alley.

After the victory!

Final score:

The Last 3 Days

1 Triaminic Long Lasting Cough

2 Children's Tylenol

3. Dimatapp Cold and Cough

4. Children's Motrin

5. Children's Vicks

6. Children's NyQuil

7. Cold Wash clothes

8. Puking and All Nighters

9. Lots of Snuggling

10. A Very Sick Braley :(

WHATEVER is gong around needs to STOP coming to our house. We have been fighting with something awful for about 6 weeks and I am o-v-e-r it. The doctors office said that there is a virus lingering in kids for about 9 weeks. Geez. Mercy! Uncle! Get thee hence! Enough already!

Okay, He Sleeps Sometimes

So here is proof that the boy does occasionally sleep. Just a few things to point out though:

1. He is NOT in his bed

2. He is NOT in his jammies

3. He is sleeping WITH Auntie Jamie

4. Its the MIDDLE of the day

5. Its NOT night time

This little boy is lucky Auntie Jamie loves snuggling with him because he LOVES snuggling with her!

The Ladies

The ladies have been quite busy lately. School, gymnastics, hula, achievement days, book club...the list could go on. We couldn't be more impressed with the way these two ladies are growing up. Over the past week we attended 3rd grade Art Media Night with Jayden. While there we listened to Jayden talk to students, parents and teachers about her Peter Pan project and also read a poem during the "open mike" portion of the evening. (I had the biggest desire to preform a little classic Ozzy for all in attendance. Sadly, for them, I refrained) Jayden always does so well with public speaking and that excites me since I seriously was terrified of it until about 10 years ago. What else can I say other than this 8 year old makes me so happy.

Braley's first grade class had Authors Night last night and it was so stinking cute. Each student wrote and illustrated their own book then read it to all the parents, brothers and sisters. Braley's book was titled If I Was An Astronaut. She did so well reading her story and I think she is a natural story teller. She is always writing us little stories with fun settings and characters. She may have a future in the literary world. This 6 year old makes me so happy.


Smart ladies and eager students make me a VERY happy mommy.

Fact: Ansen Does Not Sleep

Not at all. Ever. And it is getting old. Really, really old. I mean the kid is going to be 4 in a few months. Anyway-each night I hear his bedroom door open-then close, his little feet come down the hall toward me, my bedroom door open-then close and then the inevitable "Mom, can I sleep wif you?" Uggghhhhh. I always roll over with my eyes barley open and answer with either "No. Go back to your own bed" or (and unfortunately more common)"Yes, get in and go to sleep." So the other night I about DIED when I rolled over and Ansen was standing there at 2 AM in his storm trooper helmet asking me if he could "sleep wif me." I just about smacked the kid in the cranium because I was so freaked out! WHO puts on a storm trooper helmet on at 2 AM? Ansen THAT'S who!