5 years

Dear Espen,
You just turned 5 years old and I cannot believe what a fantastic, friendly, whip smart, funny, good mannered, cheerful and good-looking boy you are. I have nothing but love for you, the kind of love that you can't describe, the kind that makes your body ache because a million hugs or kisses can't show it. You are my one and only buddy and I am lucky to have you in my life and be your mom.
Love,
Mommy

half day fun day

Espen's school had early release last Friday so a bunch of his classmates decided to get together at the park next to the school.

Before we headed over there we took a minute to look through these incredible binders that his teacher put together for all of the students. Each book had writing samples and drawings and photos from throughout the year. It was such a nice gift and Espen was so proud of it!

There were 11 kids from Espen's class and a ton of other kids too at the park playing in the water feature...we spent 4 hours there and had so much fun. The kiddos played while us mom's got to chit chat and relax, it was a good afternoon.










{ian dumping water on espen and yes, those are bags for picking up dog poop}










{tired of getting his picture taken}

espen's first day of school

While I write this Espen is hopefully having a good time at school. It's the first time he's ever been without a friend/family member yet around other kiddos.

This morning was a breeze. We've did some dry runs throughout the last week so we kind of new what to expect this morning in terms of timing. I made Espen's lunch last night, a PB&J by request along with Triscuts, grapes, string cheese and a juice box. I also laid out his outfit last night so we wouldn't be scrambling for missing shoes/socks/underwear. (somehow we lose those A LOT!)

My alarm went off at 6:30 and when it did Espen popped up for a minute and asked 'Am I going to school RIGHT NOW?'...No buddy, go back to sleep. I couldn't tell if he was excited, scared or dreaming.

We bolted out the door and headed to the school to find the streets jam packed with cars, kids and parents. Espen asked if he could wear his back pack, I put it on him and right away he asked me to take it off, that sucker was heavy.

When we got to the classroom there were already tons of kids and parents in there, some were crying, parents had their cameras out as did we. Espen found his desk and immediately began to eyeball some little boys crowded around tubs of Legos.  We told him to go play with them but of course he said no. Jeremy knelt down next to the boys and asked if Espen could play. They said yes and ever so cautiously Espen approached the bins, without making a full commitment he squatted down and began to build a spaceship/car/machine. After about 5 minutes he finally took a huge leap and sat down. Jeremy and I were watching from across the room and smiled when he sat down, kind of like we were reassured that he would be okay here without us.

The bell rang and the teacher rounded the kids up to the front of the room, they sang a song, held hands, formed a circle and sat down...all except Espen. He stood there for a moment and when I went over to tell him it was okay to join his teacher notice and stepped right in, telling him that she wanted him to sit with her and just like that he did. So while he sat beside his teacher, leaning in her lap I gave him a kiss, grabbed some tissues and walked out the door. In less than an hour I get to pick him up...and do it all over again tomorrow till he learns how to drive. UGH!

busy day

I don't really have a schedule these days. Some things are constant, I wake up at the same time, Jeremy leaves the house around 10am just about the time when my mom arrives to watch Espen. But, aside from that, it's kind of up in the air. My mom comes down to watch Espen Monday through Thursday, sometimes I have emails, phone calls, showings or appointments to take care of, but some days we just sit around a gab and occasionally run out to look at houses, just out of curiosity or an out of town buyer. She understands, though that my day can go from gossip to gotta go in a matter of minutes. This was exactly what happened on Thursday. I knew I had a lot to do that day, but it ended up being a race against the clock and turned out to be tons of fun!

I had to meet a guy at one of the twins listings, we were there not even 15 minutes when he insisted I get an offer worked up for him, so back to the house I headed. By this time, my mom and Espen were on their way to the children's museum and we were hoping to meet up their before my mom had to head home.

I jumped on the computer, wrote the most confusing offer (to long of a story, it still doesn't make sense to me), sent the offer off to the buyer, glanced at the clock and decided to jump in the car and meet my mom and Espen at the Museum.

They have the most amazing structure built in the museum. It's 40 feet of structural steel that is twisted and welded together with a flying bath tub, a tiny boat and tunnels that are not even 2.5 feet wide, you literally have to crouch down and 'duck walk' through the entire exhibit. Espen was up and down and all around the thing. I was sweating and achy and fumbling around. It was hilarious.


{blurry yes, but espen took it}

{so hard to catch him on film}





{he looks like he's 12}


Espen and my mom had already been at the museum for a while so Espen and I said our goodbyes to my mom and went off to explore a few more exhibits before we had to dash out and head to Target to get Kate's son a gift for his birthday party that evening. (yes, I wait till the last minute, I can't be the only one).

From Target we headed over to the car wash. I had to meet two sets of buyers starting Friday at 8am so if I didn't get Big Fancy cleaned then I would be showing houses in Big Yucky. From there we headed home to meet Jeremy and headed up to north Phoenix only 30 minutes late (ha) for Stefan's birthday party at Chuck E Cheese.

It was great to see Kate, Larry, Stefan and there bun in the oven although we didn't get to much time to chit chat since we were all busy dumping tokens in the arcade games and chasing our kiddos around.



While Jeremy was in the bathroom he watched a dad wipe his sobbing kid down from the major shit he took IN HIS PANTS and then quickly left El Cheese. It wasn't until after 5 kids came running out of the over-sized hamster tunnels squealing about the poop in the there that Jeremy remembered the little boy from the bathroom telling his dad through tears that he had in fact pooped in there. So sick. AND, Stefan stepped in it! He was hobbling around on one foot till his Grandma swept him away for a quick wash up in the bathroom. I think he quickly forgot about it once Chuck E came out with gifts and an attendant set up the little plastic room with the crazy fans that blow tickets around, the Ticket Blaster! He did so good, 160 tickets is what he got.

We had to wrap things up because I had to get to bed early to prepare for 3 days of non stop work. On the way home Espen suddenly had the urge to PEE, like an end or the world, tears streaming down his face had to pee right around Scottsdale and Mountain View. Jeremy took a quick detour to a nearby park and it ended up being a nice place to wind down after such a busy day and an even nicer way to spend time with the boys before I disappeared into my job for the next 3 days.

best weekend, the real deal

When my mom mentioned that we would be driving out to California for my cousin's baby shower I was a bit hesitant. I wasn't big on the idea of spending a weekend away from the boys and overnight trips to CA always seem to be such a whirlwind with more time spent in the car than with the friends and family we are there to see. My first thought was fly in and fly out. Oh my gosh! I couldn't have been more backwards in my thinking. Jeremy took Espen and his dad camping for the weekend so I would've missed them both regardless. And the long drive... What long drive?

So, the plan was, get to bed early, wake up early, get out the door and to my sister's house and have her in my car by 7:30 on Saturday morning. Plans changed when my sister called late Friday to tell me she'd be skipping the trip to rest since she had the same bug I had last week. Getting to bed early to me didn't work so well. I couldn't sleep without Jeremy and Espen there so at 2:30am I was settling in to watch the 'new' jewelery channel. (GemsTV is off the air, I know, devistaing, right!!) I woke up at 6, jumped in the shower, packed an overnight bag and headed out with wet hair and made a pit stop at Starbucks.

I gassed up Jeremy's car (which I LOVE to drive) and was making good time, that is until I took the HOV lane exit on the 51, which apparently does not go west, who knew? That must have been what the signs meant. So after a short detour on the 101 and a super slow drive behind a little ol' pick up on the 74 I made it to my parents.

My mom was anxious to get on the road so after stealing some 15 year old deoderant from my dad (thanks papa, sometimes it pays to be a pack rat)we were on our way.

From the moment we shut the doors and drove down the driveway my mom and I did not shut up. We talked about everything under the sun. Life, work, family, old times, plans for the future, TV, travel, you name it. Before you know it we were pulling up to the hotel. We had only minutes before we had to rush out to make it to the shower on time.


{such a pretty neighborhood in upland, ca}

First things first, we needed to deliver the diaper cake. Let me back up here and say that my mom had been telling us for a month or so about the diaper cake she was working on...you know, oh it has some little jungle figurines and some ribbon in coordinating colors. A diaper cake. The week before we left she showed me a picture of the finished product. I almost fell over backwards.



{the diaper cake}

{lion detail}

Seriously, have you ever seen something so cute in your life. Ma, really! My mom surprises me sometimes with her creative ability. I guess it shouldn't anymore, since it happens a lot but it still does and the diaper cake was a perfect example...and the perfect example of a bonafide self proclaimed over acheiver, amazing!

We weren't even at the shower more than 10 minutes before the 'Gilmore' girls were huddled around in the living room cracking jokes, gossiping about life and work and love and just like my mom and I in the car, you name it it was brought up & laughed about. We definitely were the loudest group there, I think we always end up that way. Let me paint the picture. My mom has two sisters. Two sister's that are both pretty animated to begin with. Add to the mix 5 cousins ranging from 14 to 31 and a dash of an amazingly funny cousin 'in law' and you can imagine what the sound level was like.


{kelly teri gail}


{me sidney becca hannah}


Can I just take a moment to talk about how lovely all the woman in my family are. Sidney is gorgeous, tall, skinny with amazing doe eys and lashes! She's always been so cute and as she gets older (she just turned 21) she becomes more beautiful and with an equally beautiful personality. I may be a tiny bit jealous of her. Becca is adorable, when you look at her she is just so pretty, not just pretty but you have to say it daintily like prit-tee. She looks a lot like her mom, and me...we look like sisters. Hannah, or Hannah Banana, as some may call her has really grown like a weed. She is as tall as her sister and has slimmed down from her little girl frame that she had when she was younger. She has freckles on her nose and raspy voice, I'd like both of those please. This is supposed to be the 'awkard' years for these girls...um, ya, not going to happen. Hands down, cutest girls ever.

The one cousin who is not pictured above is my cousin Megan. Just like her cousins and sister, she is tall and beautiful AND she is super smart and athletic. She's also going to have a baby next month, it was her shower and man did she look amazing.


{megan & hunter}



The rest of the day all the way to 11pm was spent like this...

{wine and cupcakes}


{sidney and julie}


{me, hannah, sidney, megan, becca}



The shower was a success. Megan and Dillon have almost everything now except the baby. We all had so much fun, my face and belly hurt from laughing and I thought I would lose my voice for sure. It was about 11pm when we finally made our way outside and to our car. I was starving by this time and my mom mentioned Wienerschnitzel(she's old school so she still calls it Der Wienerschnitzel) so the next thing you know we are in our room with two chili cheese dogs each still gabbing away like little girls.


{yum}

There must have been something in the chili or maybe it was the onions but I had some of the strangest dreams ever, and I always have weird ones. In a nutshell I was a terminator who sliced someones face with a tiny cheese grater type board, then I jumped from a 2nd floor stairwell to the ground using a hand held helicopter, I was half suffocated in plastic sheeting, I stole red flannel boxers and furry slippers from Katie Pegler, I ran half naked through an elementary school with oversized shiny mittens on my hands while being followed by a cop and that was only half of it. Must have been the chili.
My mom and I slept in til about 9 or a little after. We were pretty anxious to get back home so we ate some weird muffins and danishes from the breakfast at the hotel, fueled up at Starbucks and headed home.


{in the elevator, on the 6th floor, seriously}


{home sweet home}


It seemed like only a few hours had past before we realized Wickenburg was only 15 minutes away. We got there just in time to see Papa's science experiment or should I say, burnt rack of ribs on the BBQ.



{sorry ribs, better luck next time}


{he likes his ribs on the smokey side}


I ended up at my parents house for almost 3 more hours as we had a lot to talk about. A whole lotta change is heading my way, I CAN'T WAIT. When it was time to leave I was a bit bummed. I had just had so much fun in the past 30 some odd hours, it was incredible.
I had such a blast with my mom. I learned a lot about her that I never knew and I think she learned more about me too. I will ALWAYS remember this road trip with her.

{me & my mama}