Magical 7

Our firstborn turned 7 today. Like every parent I know, we don’t know where the time went and like every grandparent I know we never will. It will be the rhetorical question that gets asked on every birthday and at every holiday and at get togethers in between.

I’m determined not to lament losing the time but rather enjoy the moments as they come. I found some old drawings and a few quotes that I’ve never posted so I thought I’d share them now. The below is a list of chores that Greyson wrote down shortly after we moved to England. His allowance would be adding up, if we gave him one. But he gets his fair rewards.

He woke up this morning, his 7-year old self and told me Graham could choose what we had for breakfast. When we asked him last night what he wanted he said he needed to think about it. Well he did and he gave the privilege away. He came downstairs to a wrapped gift on the table and he let Graham open it. He was humble and happy and it melted my heart.

I used to say that he came early (5 1/2 weeks early!) because he wanted to hurry up and get noticed but that description doesn’t fit him. I think he came early because God wanted him to. God put him in my arms early because I couldn’t wait anymore and He knew that the sooner Greyson came the sooner our lives would begin. This little boy has been filling our souls since that day and we’re so proud to be his parents.

From sometime in 2011: Grey: “I don’t want to be a grown up. I want to be a nice boy”

Late 2012 watching a bride having her photo taken outdoors:  Grey “If she were bare with no underwear she would be really cold!”

Happy 7th Birthday Greyson! Your Moshi Monster collection has grown, Star Wars and Legos are standing the test of time and futbol is here to stay, much to your daddy’s chagrin.

And it continues…

(As I’m standing in front of my wardrobe* in bra and underwear)

Graham: “Mom, your top and bottom doesn’t match”

And later on in the week, at bedtime…

Graham: “Dad, you don’t match”

Mike: “I do too!”

Graham: “Nooo, your hair doesn’t match. Yours is black and mine and Greyson’s and mom isn’t. You don’t match us”

Does Graham know that his Red Nose** doesn’t match his Scooby Doo jammies?

* wardrobe. Brit for closet.

** The Red Nose is from Red Nose Day, an honoured British tradition and charitable giving opportunity ~ http://www.rednoseday.com/

Life of Graham

Graham is nuts. You might have a 3 year old, or remember when you had a 3 year old and think “my 3 year old was nuts too” and I’m sure you’re right but it’s hard for me to imagine another 3 year old who can compare to the one that lives in our house – cute, crazy, annoying, smart, bull-headed and the energy! Oh my gosh, the energy. My mom tells a lot of stories about the stuff I did around this age- baby powder all over my aunt’s velour bedspread (I personally think I must have been trying to cover up the velour-ness of it), Vaseline all over my body and mirror, writing the word Bill in ink on the wall (the first word I learned to write- no idea why as there’s not a Bill anywhere in my family on either side), sticking my finger in a mousetrap. The list goes on.

Graham recently rubbed Vaseline all over himself and then dumped baby powder on top of that- at least he knocked out 2 in one shot. My mousetraps are of the plastic sort- I don’t think you can trap a finger in it- come to think of it I don’t know if you can trap a mouse in it. He doesn’t know how to write so I’ve got some time. You get my point. I was precocious, compulsive and a dare devil. Graham is all of these things. Thankfully he’s also tough so if he cries, he really is in pain unlike his brother who has 10 different cries for different things depending on who’s watching.

Like Greyson at that age, Graham is obsessed with private parts.

“I see your privates!”

“Dad has a BIG penis and I have a little penis”

“Dad, did you go potty out of your BIG penis?”

“Mom, do you have a penis?”

Yesterday he pulled out a British version of Men’s Health magazine.

“Dad is hanging from a big rock!”

Needless to say, between the Dad has a big penis comments and the certainty that his dad is the hunk hanging from the rock in the mag, Mike is loving Graham at the moment.

We went to Cancun last week. While we were gone, Sara watched the boys and when Graham realised that we weren’t coming home the first day he said to Sara “Cancun is closed!” He eventually accepted that Cancun was in fact open and made the most out of the 5 days with his favourite nanny. Here’s a few snaps while we were away.

We were grateful for our time in the sun. The weather was amazing and seeing our friends and colleagues was relaxing and fun.

In 3 short weeks we will be welcoming the Seattle Johnsons to London for a 2 week visit. We’re looking forward to celebrating Angie and Madi’s birthdays while they’re here. We’re taking a week long trip to Spain for Easter and will start packing to “move house”. We aren’t going far but we are settling in for a few extra years.  We will update you with pics and address information soon.

Please, if you haven’t already, check out Mike’s FundRazr page. He has already raised over $1000 for the Patrick Blessing Memorial Fund. He is training hard for his ride to Paris and every little bit of support helps!  Click here to donate!

Happy, Grateful, Blessed Holidays 2012

There are no new years resolutions worth a mention after a wonderful holiday break with our families- instead we prefer to revel in the fun and memories and we’ll think about tackling 2013 in good time. We are starting the year refreshed and we wish you a great start as well. 

All of our love to all of you! Happiest of Holidays!

Christmas 2012 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

“I wanna be 1” ?

For months leading up to Graham’s 3rd birthday, he demanded that he wanted to be 1, not 3. We don’t know why so we just said OK and moved on. He’s since owned his “3” and is now asking to be 5 and 7 depending the day.

Milestones that have NOT been hit as of today, his 3rd birthday: potty trained, nuk free. (The pic below if from his nap today which he took in his new tent)

We are going nuk free starting tomorrow. The needy babies of the world are crying for his nuks so they will be sent away, as Greyson’s were 3.5 years ago. Perhaps 1 of them comes back ‘broken’ (top snipped off) so he can cling to it at night for a week or so. Here’s to hoping it’s as smooth a process as it was for Grey because after this milestone, we move to full-on stealth mode for potty training filled with cajoling and bribes.

I posted a status on FB today that said “3 years ago today I was ready to drink castor oil to get this boy out…”. I remember it clearly. My blood pressure had me on bed rest which was fine by me because I couldn’t stand on my feet for more than 5 minutes anyway without my hips caving in. Like every pregnant woman I’ve ever met, my bladder performed as if it were the size of a pea and because I was an “aged mother” with early contractions and a previous preemie, I was in the doctor’s office every day strapped to machines for hours at a time while I willed my body to go into labor on its own. He was measuring big and at that point, I still had 3 weeks to go to full term. I sent Mike a text- I from my bed upstairs to him in his office downstairs that read “if we aren’t in labor after today’s appointment, we’re going to Walgreens so I can buy castor oil”. I can’t remember how he responded but I was dead serious.

That text was sent at 1:55pm Pacific time. Our appointment was at 4pm, I was admitted to the hospital at 6, given an epidural sometime after 10pm and and at 11:25pm after only minutes of labor, he was in my arms. No castor oil needed*

Happy Birthday sweet boy. You have your mommy’s patience (very little) and your daddy’s strength (oodles of it). You add levity to every day and we couldn’t imagine the Guenther family without a Graham in it.

*Disclaimer:  author was out of her mind and does not endorse castor oil as a method of inducing labor

Perfect Fall Days

Like most of my blogging friends with the exception of Mrs. Mouthy who remains amazing and regular (blog poster, that is) and interesting, it’s been over a month since my last post and I’m struggling to put this one out as well. So many milestones in the last month or so and in between them all, I try not to let guilt consume me over the fact that I stink at keeping in touch with friends and family and I selfishly just want my every spare moment to be smothering the boys or sleeping. I do want you readers (all 6 of you) to know that even though I stink at keeping in touch, I do check in on you from time to time to see how you’re doing, if you got new haircuts, if your kids are walking/talking/driving yet. My friends are traveling and falling in love and getting married and having more babies. My dad is writing music and preparing for his first solo gig  while my mom, brother and sister do what I do- work hard and love their families and wish there was more time in the day to make a phone call. Mike is missing his family too and we’re starting to count the days ‘til Christmas.

In September Mike’s family spent 2 weeks in London and Paris with the boys. They had an amazing time and I know Mike enjoyed it despite the challenges of managing the boys, often cranky and sick, without my help as I was traveling most of the month. They saw loads of sites in England and Paris and I hope they can come back to see more. We’re blessed to have the opportunity to host and thankful when our friends and family are able to enjoy it too. From the bottom of our hearts- thank you Janet, Carmen and Bria for stealing away and choosing to spend some downtime with all of us.

And Sal- your visit meant the world to me and I’m missing you more than ever after being reminded of how great we are together.

We just had parent-teacher conferences and I’m happy to report that Greyson is flourishing as a student, friend and listener. He is a “principled student” according to Mrs. Honey who is one of those teachers that we’re going to remember forever. We’ll remember what she looks like, sounds like (the best British accent) and most importantly for the impact she’s having on Grey who adores her. He doesn’t look at her with puppy eyes like he did Mrs. Sharon 2 years ago- this is an adoration from respect and trust. Thank you again for your thoughts and prayers as we worked through those first trying weeks. Every morning isn’t perfect but we’ve made significant progress. Doesn’t he look happy?

 Mrs. Kay Honey

Graham has officially taken over as the house entertainer. For those of you who saw his phone conversation with Phil Mickelson on Facebook, that’s just a taste of the daily laughs he provides. He has recently picked up on every parent’s mantra “because I said so” and it’s his answer to any question that begins with ‘why’.

Mom: “Why aren’t you eating your lunch?”

G: “Cause I said so”

…and more GRAHAM*isms*

Mom: (after prayers at bedtime) “What would you like for breakfast tomorrow?”

G: “Pizza. A really big slice of pizza”

 

G: “Can I have milk?”

Dad: “Yes”

G: “Yeah, I have sausage on my breath” (he hasn’t eaten sausage in a very long time!)

In other news…Graham turns 3 on the 22nd (he can hold up 3 fingers and knows the exact date). Next week is the boys’ half-term break so they’re coming with me on a business trip to Dublin and from there we’re heading to the Cliffs of Moher for the weekend. It will be a fun way to celebrate his birthday and see a bit of Ireland. Mike is enjoying the days when the kids are at school- he’s relaxing in the kitchen (mussels in a white wine sauce, pretzel crusted chicken, his food is awesome) and training for a charity bike ride from London to Paris. I’m training for another long flight- heading back to the states (Seattle then Charleston) and then we’ll start planning for our Christmas break which includes a NYE trip to Sundara for anyone interested in meeting us there!

Missing you, thinking of you, wishing our miles were shorter…

~the guenthers

1st day of School…sure, but

I’m connected to about 200 people on Facebook and at least 40% of them posted 1st day of school pictures. They posted awesome pictures! Gorgeous smiles, haircuts, new clothes, backpacks, hugging siblings and friends.

I did not post a picture and I’ll tell you why.

#1- Greyson’s 1st day of school was actually a 2 hour orientation that consisted of a 20 minute speech by the Headmaster, Mr. Lewis (couldn’t hear him), a 20 minute speech by the President of the PTO (couldn’t hear her), sign ups for after-school activities and a quick meet and greet with the teachers. We were in and out of there in about an hour and a half.

#2- I forgot to take a picture in front of the house before school so I had to stage this one at the end of the day which included a bribe to get Grey to put on his backpack and smile (Graham wouldn’t take the bribe but still managed to photo bomb the picture)

#3- This fake smiling photo is the perfect facade for what has, thus far, been a very very VERY difficult week of school for our first-born. Posting a picture felt phony.

*GREYisms* (spoken with red swollen eyes, tear-stained cheeks, heartbreaking quivery lips)

• “I can’t handle it mom, I just can’t”
• “The day is too long and I’m too tired”
• “I just think about you all day…and when I think of you, I cry”
• “I don’t like school”
• “Drop-off is hard on me”
• “Pick-up is my favorite part”
• “School’s not fun”

There are probably more but you get the picture. Here’s the good news – these comments start around 7:30pm, just before bedtime and end just as the bell rings the next morning. Mrs. Honey, his teacher, said the days are great. I’d like to tell her that she should start her day at our house around 7am and feel free to get him ready and make sure he eats his breakfast which if you know Mike is always amazing- waffles and eggs or pancakes and bacon, fruit, toast with jam- you get the picture. And all the while we’re volleying between empathy and “I know honey” to anger and frustration. Mornings at our house have been an extremely unpleasant experience and I am literally praying that God gives me the words to soothe his anxiety and take away his fear. So tomorrow marks the 5th day of his first full week of school and Mike and I are in the kitchen laughing about it, which I suppose is a good thing.  We both believe that tomorrow is the day- and this is the first night we’ve been able to say that!

GRAHAM*isms*

• G: (Graham’s first day) “Are you going to stay with me Dad?”
• M: “Nope. I’ll pick you up later!”
• G: “OK!”

They are brothers, I swear.

Things we don’t miss

1. Election Season
2. Fast food (OK, we miss Chipotle)
3. Highways
4. Telemarketers
5. Yard work
6. The price tag on good cheese
7. Garbage disposal (surprisingly)
8. Long flights to anywhere
9. Childcare costs
10. Walmart

I asked Greyson today what his favourite thing was about living in England.  We had just come home from a picnic in Great Park so the Park was his answer (it really is amazing). We biked a long way today and Greyson kept up through the hills. It’s been summer hot for a few days now and without air conditioning we’re trying to keep busy.  The Park and Lego Land have done the trick.

Things we miss…

1. Friends and family
2. Bacon
3. Fresh fish
4. Target
5. Nordstrom
6. Starbucks artisan sandwiches
7. Rainier cherries
8. Corn on the cob
9. Half and Half
10. Air conditioning
11. Big comfy cars
12. Pre-season football
13. Eastlake Community Church
14. Lake Washington
15. Breakfast sausage
16. Women’s Health and People magazines
17. Lululemon
18. Mojo bars
19. Wavy Lays
20. Double ovens (in Fahrenheit)

La Dolce Vita

Rome wasn’t built in a day, right? I couldn’t decide how to chronicle our trip in a creative way so I apologize in advance for the play by play.  We will go back in the next couple of years so if you want to come along, let us know!

25 July: We arrived and I immediately noted the heat. It felt like Phoenix in the summer. It wasn’t humid, but it was HOT. We met the Bertottos at our hotel and immediately walked toward the Colosseum with the intent to have pizza and gelato first. We found both (each of them amazing) and then enjoyed Rome’s most famous landmark as the sun set.

26 July: Breakfast on the rooftop of the Marriott overlooking Rome. Plan for the day- Vatican and back to the Colosseum to tour the interior. The Vatican tour was sweltering hot! We learned that Vatican City is actually its own country, we overpaid for our walking tour but every cent was worth it once we saw Michaelangelo’s frescos in the Sistine Chapel. The Colosseum is unreal. We had dinner at a restaurant in the Piazza Navona followed by more gelato. The Piazza provided entertainment from artists and clowns (and an opera singer!) It was the highlight for the kids.

27 July: Enjoyed a 3 hour scenic drive to Anghiari in the Tuscan hills. As we pulled up to the gate of Borghetto Calcinaia, the 300 year old farmhouse where we stayed, we knew our vacation was just beginning. The owners, Dennis and Gilly, live on the property and made sure we had everything we needed including a welcome basket of cheese, bread, cereal, eggs and toys for the kids.  Dave and Mike hit the grocery store, the kids hit the pool and Tina and I opened up the first bottle of wine.

28 July: Sunday lunch at Vasco’s in Umbria. If you go to Tuscany, you must go to Vasco’s. We sat outside in a small courtyard with 3 other tables and were served 9 courses of Northern Italian food with their own house wine over the course of 3 hours. I can’t describe how good the food was and the kids had room to run and play between courses so it was relaxing; truly time to sit back, relax and enjoy the views. We ended the lunch with grappa, limoncello, espresso and of course more wine.

29 July: Hot day at the pool and a great homemade meal of mussels and eggplant parmegiana.

30 July: Train to Florence. Florence cannot be done in one day but we did our best. We will return. The Duomo is breathtaking and the view of the city and sunset from the top of the Westin was amazing.

1 August: Another hot day at the pool followed by dinner in Anghiari; a medieval town set in the mountains. I can’t imagine the fun (and danger) that children have on a snowy day in the streets. They make Queen Anne Hill in Seattle look like a baby’s toy. Back in early (very early) times, criminals used to be put in wine barrels filled with blades and rolled down the hills to spectator amusement. Times have changed thank goodness.

2 August: Local chefs came to Calcinaia to cook a meal for us. We got to watch them prepare and plate, taste things in the kitchen and enjoy the courses as they finished. Tiramisu means “Pick Me Up”- makes sense given the amount of liquor and espresso in it. This was by far the best tiramisu any of us had ever tasted.

3 August: My 38th birthday and the Bertottos were kind enough to watch our kids so that Mike and I could enjoy a quiet dinner for two.  Our hosts at Calcanaia recommended a restaurant that specializes in truffles. Every course we ordered, including the dessert, had truffles in it.

We owe Tina and Dave in a big way for organizing, researching and booking one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever seen. We’ve known each other since we were kids. Who would have thought, back in 1987, that 25 years later our kids would be holding hands in Rome?

Ciao!

		Italia 2012 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL