Surfer Boys

GREY*isms*

Greyson has a fondness for adjectives:

1. G: (running through the sprinkler) "MOM! Look at this magnificent rainbow!!"
2. G:  (coming across a pile of glass while riding his bike) "MOM! This glass is extensive!!"

• G:  "Mom, when are we gonna go on a rocket ship?"
• Me: "Maybe you should be an astronaut, but you would need to study really hard"
• G:  "I am!"
• Me: "You haven't even started school yet"
• G:  "Oh yeah..."

• Mike: “Grey, what’re you doing?”
• G: “I’m hiding from the maniac*!”

*i.e. Graham

August has been a pretty good month of sunshine and warmth. I remember our first 2 summers out here wondering how in heck the majority of homes, even new ones, don't include air conditioning.  Our house does have it and in the early days, we turned it on often.  We must be getting used to the Seattle climate because although there have certainly been days that warrant the air, we prefer open windows and doors.

A quiet blog usually means long days and nights of family time. Between afternoons on Lake Washington, a short trip to the Michigan side of Lake Michigan and backyard barbecues we actually have sun tans.  Yesterday, Mike got up at 5am (again) for some early morning wake boarding.  Despite the slow start to summer (and it was really slow), it’s the best one yet. We are a family invigorated, happy and content despite our busy schedules and work commitments which have included business trips for both of us this month.

Graham’s vocabulary is a work in progress. Everything with wheels is a car. He’s got a few words, like airplane, bubbles and vitamin that are easily discernable by us but good luck figuring it out if you don’t spend every day with him.  He’s eager to point out anything in the house, from shoes to sunglasses, that belong to me or Mike.  He points to my shoes and says “Mama”.  He points to Mike’s sunglasses “Dada”.  He’s brilliant.  I wish you could see him like we do. You would fall in love.

MADLIBS! and other fun

 

I’ve never been more huge.  My baseball team, the Orange Motorcycles was about to play the championship game. But Coach Vincenzo announced that the official rules had changed!  First, every player would puke 24 times before going to bat.  We also had to wear our gloves on our brains like jerseys and run like a Meer cat. Before Coach could explain more the umpire shouted Jump ball! The umpire tossed me our new official bat, a helmet. When the school goer threw the new official ball, a grapefruit, it zoomed past me and swam all over the catcher.  After 25 tries, I finally hit the grapefruit all the way to India. I started running as fast as I could until I slid into home base. This new game isn’t so slimy after all.

                              ~Greyson, Aug 8, 2011, National Geographic Kids

I planned to tell you about my garage/yard/rummage/shoot-me-now-I-hate-this sale and how stressed out I was preparing for it in between late night conference calls with India and tired after it was over and about all the crazy people who stopped by to haggle (“you marked this for $3, will you take a buck?”…um, “sure”).  I could regale you for a good long while but I changed my mind.  I made a profit and I’m over it.

The Blue Angels @ Seafair were the highlight of our weekend, not the damn garage sale. I played hooky from work on Friday afternoon so that Greyson and I could meet up with our friends.  Seeing the show from the middle of the lake was an awesome experience although our friend Cooper obviously wasn’t all that impressed:

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Seattle and the San Juan Islands

The Bertotto family chose the Pacific Northwest for their summer holiday and we’re so glad they did because we got to revisit Seattle from a tourist’s perspective.  This was our first experience with the “gum wall” behind Pike Place Market.  It was disgusting and intriguing and the usual wafts that come with a back alley were replaced with notes of fruit and mint.  Greyson paid 25 cents for a gumball from the machine conveniently located in said alley. He chose to chew it and keep it but Noah and Evan contributed to the wall behind them.

After 3 nights with us in Kirkland, we drove up to Anacortes, put our cars on the ferry to Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands and stayed 3 nights in a house on the Puget Sound with views that rival the Hawaiian islands.  It’s called The Lodge at Pebble Beach.  Here’s one of the views from the ferry to the islands.

What a great week it’s been.  We’ve cooked gourmet meals nearly every single night, toured a lavender farm, flew a kite on a 7 mile beach with the Olympic mountains in the distance and went on a whale watching kayak tour in Roche Harbor. 

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DAVID*ism*

• Mike:  “We’re not allowed within 200 feet of an Orca whale”
• David: “Do the whales know that?”

We’ve been eating like Kings. David and Tina love to cook as much as we do.  Since the best part about cooking is sharing, here’s a snapshot of our menu. I’m a little embarrassed to say that this isn’t everything.  For recipes, send me a note and I’ll see what I can do- some of this we just made up as we went.

Monday night:  Pulled pork sandwiches (Big Green Egg) with a side of coleslaw and Sweet Baby Ray’s, buttery garlic green beans and garden lettuce salad with Pike Place peaches, shallot and shredded swiss

Tuesday night:  Grilled chicken (BGE), melted swiss, cremini mushrooms and arugula with homemade pesto on grilled rustic bread and a side of white wine and parmesan risotto

Wednesday night: Cafe Juanita. Nuff said

Thursday night: Seafood stew* (mussels, clams, lobster, halibut and prawns all from Pike Place Market) with a side of Pancetta/parmesan caesar salad with homemade croutons and dressing

Friday night:  Guenther house guacamole, tortilla soup with homemade tortilla chips and soft corn tacos carnitas (pulled pork from the BGE)

Saturday night:  Homemade blue cheese dip with Kettle Chips and lots of leftovers

*the seafood stew rivals anything we’ve had…anywhere

We’re sorry to see the week end, but it’s not over quite yet.  The sun is shining, the ocean is sparkling (literally) and to quote David Bertotto, “we are blessed”.

One year later

When you are sorrowful
look into your heart
and you shall see that
you are weeping
for that which has been
your delight ~ Kahlil Gibran

GREY*isms*

• G: “Are we praying for Patrick’s baby tonight?”
• Me: “How about we pray for everyone who knew him?”
• G; “Like me?”
• Me: “Yep, we’ll be praying for you too”

I read a book last month called Heaven is For Real. I already knew that it was, but am thankful for the vivid images that now accompany my imagination.  The book didn’t make the loss of loved ones easier but it provided some much needed validation.  I sure am thankful and I will continue to pray.  Patrick, you are sorely missed.

July

What a July it’s been! Let’s keep it short and sweet, shall we?

Week 1:  The first 4th of July holiday spent away from the Northwoods, we stayed in Seattle and celebrated the holiday with friends. A boat ride, paddleboarding, a parade and a few firecrackers and sparklers in the backyard after grilled chicken and a nose bleed.

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Week 2:  My mom got sick, had surgery for a ruptured appendix and spent a week in the hospital.  We flew back to Wisconsin a day early to bring some love to her and enjoyed time with my sister and her family as well.  My mom is doing great and we’re so thankful for all of the thoughts and prayers from friends across the world.

Week 2, Part II:  We visited Mike’s family in Minocqua, went to a party, lived on a boat and had dinner on an island in the middle of Lake Tomahawk.  The temp didn’t drop below 85.  We got sunburned. We loved it, despite the worst flight home in the history of flights (picture a certain one and a half year old overtired and…overtired)

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Week 3:  A business trip to Chicago began with a great visit with the Shah family and their newborn baby girl, Naya followed by a Cubs game and an unexpected visit with old friends from Milwaukee and Chicago on a rooftop across from Wrigley Field. A pleasant trip overall despite another very awful flight home due to a 7 hour delay.

2 visits to the Midwest in the course of 2 weeks has me homesick and nostalgic.

I wonder what the remainder of the month will bring?

 

Professional Mom

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The past 12 months have been a year of unforgettable experiences.  From the Great Wall of China to the streets of Hyderabad, the Eiffel Tower to the canals of Amsterdam.  And Dublin, a city I’ve had the privilege of visiting half a dozen times and each time, I find something new.  I’ve made the most of these opportunities and am forever grateful to Mike, our family and friends who help out when I’m gone. 

There is no experience or opportunity, though, that validates me more than being a mom.

I’m side by side with Greyson in his bed as he fights a stomach bug today. No mother would wish her children to be sick but the worth I feel as I rub his back, clean the puke bowl, fetch the popsicles…I’ll take this feeling over professional triumphs any time.  This is who I am.

And on a lighter note (not for the faint of heart):

• *Greyson is crying while sitting on the toilet and puking at the same time*
• Me: “You have diarrhea, Grey” (for the first time since he was 9 months old)
• G:  *stops crying* “It rocked!  It was like phfoooooschhh. It was awesome”
• Me: (speechless)

On Father’s Day, Mike took Greyson to a Mariners Game with his tee ball team while I stayed home with Graham so he could practice how to say “no”, “No” and “NO”.  That night, after Greyson fell asleep, I took this picture of him and the Mariner Moose.  One of these days, he’s going to wake up and get angry (Grey, not the moose), but until he does, I’m going to risk the occasional nocturnal shot.  I can’t resist.

Season End

Greyson’s tee ball season ended a week ago. Signing him up for Little League was great for all of us. Grey loves the game and made some more friends and we did too, which was an added bonus.  We hosted the season-end party yesterday…I lost track of the kid count after 23 (12 players who all have siblings; one family brought 5 of their 6 kids).  Despite my jet lag and Mike’s exhaustion after a long week as a single-dad, the party was a success (along with the guacamole!)

I’m keeping it short and sweet on this late Sunday- we’re all catching up on sleep and enjoying the sunshine and togetherness.  I’ve heard more GREY*isms* this weekend to fill a page but can only remember the last one:

• G:  How did God get made?
• Me:  I don’t know!
• G:  I think he made his-self

Graham has hit the beginning of what was my favorite age with Greyson.  At 19 months his personality is on fire.  My “favorite age” for Greyson lasted every month through 2.5 years and if that holds true for Graham, we’re in for an awesome year.  Pure joy.  The video below is from a month ago.

Amsterdam awaits, a short stop to Dublin and then home until we all travel together to Central Wisconsin in early July.  We are dreaming of warm Wisconsin nights, cheese curds and tranquility (not necessarily in that order).

The biggest congratulations go out to our friends, Sejal and Ann Shah and their boys, Deven and Sai.  They just welcomed a baby girl to their family.  Naya, we can’t wait to meet you!

If you haven’t called in a while, we’d love to hear your voice.  Microsoft just bought Skype…it’s a fabulous piece of technology and it’s free.  Skype name= theguentherfamily. 

Ski Bum

GREY*isms*

• Me:  “What should we pray for tonight?”
• G:  “That I don’t step on bees and Graham can’t suck on bugs”

Finally, a full weekend of sun and fun!  A weekend like this almost makes me forget how gray and boring it’s been around here. Greyson’s final tee ball game of the season was on Saturday followed by a great afternoon on friend’s boat, where Graham water-skied while Greyson freaked out because the “sides of the boat are too short!”. He got over it and ended up tubing with his buddy but Graham is officially our dare devil; no doubt about that.

There is nothing comparable, in my experiences, to boating on Lake Washington with an unobstructed view of Mt. Rainier and the Olympics. It’s a a different kind of beautiful from the Minocqua lakes. Breathtaking. We really had an incredible day with a family we love so no doubt there’s more lake days in our future.

I’m in Paris at the moment, back home this weekend for Greyson’s end of season tee ball party and back to Europe next week. Thinking about Greyson singing Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” chorus when he didn’t think I was listening is helping me through the days without him.

I’m writing a blog post for my company about working mothers.  It’s actually been a therapeutic exercise and I’ll try to remember to post the link once it’s live.

the latest list

Cabo San Lucas feels like a distant memory but we had a fabulous time with our friends, the Mullens, and look forward to seeing them again.

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1. Greyson’s last day of preschool was on Friday but we’re sending him back to the 5’s class in the fall. We’re at peace about that decision. Total and complete peace.
2. Mike and I saw Hangover 2 this week. Funny. Not as funny as #1, but worth the price of a ticket.
3. Graham caught the baseball bug. Press play on the video below… 
   
4. Our meetings were a success in France so I’m heading back to Paris next week.  The business we pursued was awarded to us which also means that a new iPad 2 is coming my way. This is what happens when I use my cunning to strike a side deal with my VP over a bottle of French wine.
   

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5. Memorial Day weekend was relaxing and low key. “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.”   Arthur Ashe
6. A big shout out to our friends, the Herreras and Mike’s mom who flew out to watch the boys for a few days (and spend some time with us). We’re now counting the days until our visit home.

Anyone got any tips for hosting a garage sale? Send ‘em my way before June 24th.  The first round of baby gear is for sale!

Mom, Mom, Mom

Happy Mother’s Day to my beautiful Mom who never missed a moment to tell me how smart I was, how beautiful, how good at the thing I was doing at the time. I didn’t deserve every compliment but she doled them out anyway and she was as good a salesperson as I’ve ever met because I believed her. To this day, I think I can do and be absolutely anything I want. I’m so grateful for that gift.

2 good trips this month- one to Paris and one to Cabo San Lucas.  Paris for work (seriously) and Cabo for a much needed vacation with Mike.  I’ll post some pictures of both when we get back from the latter because tonight I just want to post some pics and a fun video of my Mother’s Day weekend.

I am absolutely smitten with these boys! I can’t properly express how much fun we’re having.  Greyson is looking out for Graham just like he promised me before Graham was born… “I won’t eat ‘em and I won’t squish ‘em”.

Greyson is a sports-kid these days.  He gets home from baseball and wants to play baseball. I’ve been fielding his hits, throwing grounders and playing catch with him.  I feel like a kid again.

Graham is pure joy.  I am so completely in love with this child!

In short, my Mother’s Day was a glorious one. I stayed in my pajamas until dinner time and only changed because I thought the neighbors might stop over.  We played all day.  It felt like Christmas. I’m heartbroken to be leaving them tomorrow but ecstatic that Mike and I are heading to sun, 90 degrees and a week with our friends, the Mullens. Marita isn’t going to know what hit her because it’s been SO LONG since I’ve been able to chat with a girlfriend who knows me inside and out.

And speaking of girlfriends, one of my favorite Seattle-area friends is learning the art of photography.  She took pictures of the boys a couple of weeks ago for fun and for free (for free!). She posted the best ones to her blog.  I adore them and I adore her.  Click Here to see how good she is. She captured their spirits in these photos.

And a few more weekend pics for your viewing pleasure. Tomorrow we’ll be sipping margaritas by the pool.  Au revoir, I mean Adios!

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GREY*isms*

• “Does anyone want a Geico credit card”?