sometimes i get bored during the day....

projects have been ruling our lives for the last couple weeks and continue to do so. we painted our bedroom (will post pics when everything in there is complete), and now are stripping, priming, painting, and then distressing an armoire someone gave us. now i know why people buy furniture already complete! needless to say, we have been busy. it isn't going to be letting up anytime soon either. all our weekends are filled from now until labor day. even that weekend is full but at least we are home. i love every second of it though because we are doing fun things and we are together. dad and kale relaxing
with or without clothes, he is still too cute
"seriously dad? more pictures?"
little baby biscuits
huge head, little body

milestone week!

summer classes for men

here are some pictures taken with peter's brother john's camera of the before and after of the haircut... can you say wombat?
i don't know what i think about this haircut idea...
such a cutie
"if i could walk…i’d walk over to you and kick you in the shin.”

sadly, my word for the last year of marriage is not at amazing as peter's but here it is....eye-opening. yes, it is two words but i don't care! it is a hard question, especially after your husband throws out the previous word and explanation.

peter sent me the following email yesterday and i just had to share it. the funniest part is that i have signed peter up for almost all of them.

Summer Classes for Men at

THE ADULT LEARNING CENTER

REGISTRATION MUST BE COMPLETEDby Friday, August 1st 2008

NOTE: DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY AND DIFFICULTY LEVELOF THEIR CONTENTS, CLASS SIZES WILL BE LIMITED TO 8 PARTICIPANTS MAXIMUM

Class 1 How To Fill Up The Ice Cube Trays--

Step by Step, with Slide Presentation.

Meets 4 weeks, Monday and Wednesday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 2 The Toilet Paper Roll--Does It Change Itself?

Round Table Discussion.

Meets 2 weeks, Saturday 12:00 for 2 hours.

Class 3 Is It Possible To Urinate Using The Technique Of Lifting The Seat and Avoiding The Floor, Walls and Nearby Bathtub?--

Group Practice.

Meets 4 weeks, Saturday 10:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 4 Fundamental Differences Between The Laundry Hamper and The Floor--

Pictures and Explanatory Graphics.

Meets Saturdays at 2:00 PM for 3 weeks.

Class 5 Dinner Dishes--Can They Levitate and Fly Into The Kitchen Sink?

Examples on Video.

Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM

Class 6 Loss Of Identity--Losing The Remote To Your Significant Other.

Help Line Support and Support Groups.

Meets 4 Weeks, Friday and Sunday 7:00 PM

Class 7 Learning How To Find Things--Starting With Looking In The Right Places And Not Turning The House Upside Down While Screaming.

Open Forum

Monday at 8:00 PM, 2 hours.

Class 8 Health Watch--Bringing Her Flowers Is Not Harmful To Your Health.

Graphics and Audio Tapes.

Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 9 Real Men Ask For Directions When Lost--

Real Life Testimonials.

Tuesdays at 6:00 PM Location to be determined

Class 10 Is It Genetically Impossible To Sit Quietly While She Parallel Parks?

Driving Simulations.

4 weeks, Saturday's noon, 2 hours.

Class 11 Learning to Live--Basic Differences Between Mother and Wife.

Online Classes and role-playing

Tuesdays at 7:00 PM, location to be determined

Class 12 How to be the Ideal Shopping Companion Relaxation Exercises,

Meditation and Breathing Techniques.

Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 13 How to Fight Cerebral Atrophy--Remembering Birthdays, Anniversaries and Other Important Dates and Calling When You're Going To Be Late.

Cerebral Shock Therapy Sessions and Full Lobotomies Offered.

Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 14 The Stove/Oven--What It Is and How It Is Used.

Live Demonstration.

Tuesdays at 6:00 PM, location to be determined.

Upon completion of any of the above courses, diplomas will be issued to the survivors.

Anyone relate?

*Note: No feelings were hurt during the making of this post. All men involved have understanding of joke.

3 year anniversary

As Naomi and I were enjoying the atmosphere (notice how I didn’t say food) of one Bozeman’s fine eateries (rhymes with Plonk), my wife leans over to me; glass of “cucumber flower” spritzer (cocktail) in hand, and demands from me, “describe in ONE word what this last year was like for you.” Now I did what any person with the vocabulary of a 10 year old who can’t finish a single book would do…I stared up at the ceiling and looked around the room for any words that I could possible remember how to read and identify with this past year’s experiences (cheese..goat...Dick…Jane…run….wine….chicken…beef….good), cause well I just don’t got a good vocabulary.

One word, one word to describe buying a house, having a baby, starting a new job? One freaking word? Come on! As I did my best to consciously collect myself and think of an appropriate answer without hurting my wife’s feelings or allow her to presume that this last year was horrible, unbearable, or defeating, my own cocktail in hand gave me the perfect word. A word that trumps all other words describing a year. A word that my wife would later tattoo to her forehead as a profession of her confidence in my amazing intellect. Calmly, I looked into my wife’s eyes and said, “intoxicating.”

Now after the tomatoes were thrown from the crowd that hates clichés, I humbly wiped the rotten mess off my face, stood up onto a nearby apple crate and said, “now wait, please let me explain.” The crowd’s jeers and boos subsided as I began to defend my answer.

“Naomi and I celebrated our last anniversary on July 8th 2007. Before then, we had recently bought our first condo/home, moved in, and then traveled up to Alaska for a couple of weeks for vacation (Naomi 7 months pregnant mind you). What was about to come next was probably the craziest year to date of our lives. Okay, I must preface before I begin that I don’t get drunk very often, so perhaps I’m not the most credible source for describing such a word as “intoxication.” However, I’ve been drunk enough times to have gathered enough raw data that could be used for describing the sensations one experiences when intoxicated. So please, put down that tomato, and you lady, yes you the “saint” in the back row, put down that sign that says “Getting Drunk is for Punks” and let me explain.

Imagine yourself in your most favorite place in the entire world. Maybe you’re next to a river, a lake, in the mountains, and next to you is your gorgeous and beautiful spouse. Life is perfect, not a care in the world, and the rays of sunshine basking on your face (comfortable living…two incomes and no mortgage) remind you of such over and over again (life before kids). You have a cooler nearby that holds your favorite cocktail (the concept of “starting a family” aka Pandora’s box) and you are tempted to the point of opening that cooler and drinking that favorite beverage (Naomi finds out we’re pregnant). You decide to drink some more because you’re enjoying your surroundings and the idea of savoring this moment (the idea of being parents). You’re not intending to get drunk, but you’re definitely enjoying the buzz as the alcohol begins to affect your senses (Naomi’s Pregnancy..Kale’s inevitable arrival). Then there’s a conscious decision that one makes to go from nonchalant drinking, to purposefully getting tipsy (buying cribs..diapers..baby clothes). Maybe it’s a decision that you don’t make, but rather the alcohol makes for you - convincing you that “hey man…you’ve gone this far…why not ‘all the way?’ (Kale’s arrival)” As the drinking ensues, you feel your senses and cognitive awareness start to slip away from you – but you’re okay, the euphoric experience is well worth it (First month after Kale’s arrival). Then the inevitable happens. Webster’s definition of the word “spins” states – spins (prepositional phrase) example - “Oh man, last night I got the spins. Definition - the feeling one gets when they try and close their eyes to forget the belligerent drinking one inflicts on self. Synonym – delirious, self-denial. Antonym – stable, comfortable (Life with Kale after the relatives stopped coming to help). The next thing one tries to do is what is referred to in some AA circles as “throwing out the anchor.” This is a term used when one has identified that they do in fact have the spins (aka a drinking problem), and uses their leg (one or both depending on the storm) as an anchor to hold to the floor to make the room inside the mind stop spinning (Naomi trying to get Kale to sleep through the night). However; still, in the morning you feel the urge to throw-up last night’s mistake and vow to never ever do that again…well at least not for a really long time. (Life with Kale now…contemplating the question that everyone asks “So, when are you going to try for another one?”). And while your friends who didn’t “get drunk” (aka don’t have kids) are out having yet another day partying and enjoying their independency from having to recover from the night before, you’re stuck at home (without a babysitter) the next few days (years) drinking water and eating small meals that mostly consist of saltine crackers (the sacrifices one makes while starting a family).

So there you have it. My explanation to the question during our 3rd wedding anniversary dinner – why the word “Intoxicating” describes my last year of life/marriage. Now, pass me the juice.”

Cheers

posted by peter

10 month update

when i look at kale it doesn't seem like much has changed in the last month. no crawling yet so in my mind he is the same baby he has been for quite a few months. however, when i think back on the month, a lot of little things add up.

~he can move from sitting on his bum to laying on his tummy

~he now scoots around in a circle while sitting

~new haircut


~loves swimming


~eats 3 solid meals a day now, half of which are eaten with his hands


~started pointing at things and yelling, as if he is addressing a crowd

~no more nursing. kale was only nursing in the mornings and then my allergies came back so i had to take some medicine and there wasn't much milk there. he really likes the bottle and he is definitely looking chubbier to me.

~moved up a size in diapers from size 2 to 3

this movie shows a few other tricks he has learned and just shows what a happy guy he is

vacationing with a baby is a little different...

we traveled to coeur d'alene, idaho for the 4th of july this year to attempt our first camping trip with a baby. we rented a cabin at a campground so maybe it wasn't technically camping but i sure am glad we got this cabin the campground was very nice and went up a hill into the mountain. i would definitely recommend staying here.
kale and peter after the first crazy night. we got to the campground late and kale was already tired. he didn't have any time to orient himself before bedtime and would not be consoled unless fed. praise God kale would take cold formula. three times during the night he woke up only to calm down after having some of a bottle. i didn't know what we were going to do after this night but kale adjusted well and it only got better from there.

eating puffs out of the container like pringles. whatever keeps him happy at this point.
auntie emily and kale hit it off right away. although kale was exhausted in this picture, he was still a happy little guy.
coffee was definitely needed the next morning. we went into coeur d'alene for the day of the 4th and there was a fun toy store called figpickel's toy emporium. we had to go in just for the name and kale went on his first carousel ride. i think he liked it but seemed indifferent at the time.
people watching and taking in the town

kale's set up for dinner. on this trip kale started eating about double what he normally eats. maybe it was the fresh air but it has continued since we have gotten home. this morning he had a large bottle, bigger than usual. then he had some cereal and almost a whole banana. i don't know where he puts it because he is still a little bean pole. must be growing though!
uncle johnny making us some "mallow" sticks
emmy and kale
we even had a porch swing!
kale had an assortment of new foods this weekend. hey, who eats healthy on vacation?

trying to try some beer from the growler
attacking some ice cream on the way home
his little mouth imprint
he really liked that ice cream
zonked out most of the way home

a little something to tide you over

we are mostly packed and ready to head to coeur da'lene, idaho for the weekend to meet up with peter's sister emily and her husband johnny. why i am taking time out of a crazy day to blog, i don't know. i am definitely multi-tasking and doing different things while pictures upload and such but i just care about you all so much that i thought you needed to see these pictures!

aside from my allergies going crazy, i am having a blast this summer! it really has been what you think a summer should be. swimming, barbeques, walks, good food, yard games, parks, picnics, and great friends. i am very thankful and look forward to more fun to come this weekend. all the guys in the oberly's backyard
kale playing some holey boards
jack eating a holey board component
mason showing them how it is done
matt and smith
the following set of pictures is too funny not to share. all the girls were in the house and peter had the camera outside. when these guys get together you can definitely tell that jack has an older sister and is used to "playing". kale is working on it.