Knudson Family Drama.


Monday, March 28, 2011

house vs. home

Recently, I have been really unhappy in our house, home, whatever you want to call it. Funny thing is that's part of the problem. Right now, it's just a house; and it has been, for over 5 years. The problem started with when we bought it. It was a stepping stone, the next step for us in whatever plan we thought we had. The first house we bought was just a rinky dink little house, and by rinky dink I mean not even 1000 square feet. Soon after we had Cadynce (and lets not forget the 100 lb lab) we knew it wouldn't last long. So, we set out to find the "next step." We looked and looked with our house on the market and I quickly gave up thinking we'd never find the right house for the right price. Selling a house in that market (about 5 and a 1/2 years ago) was great, buying one was a little different story. Anyways, Colby was diligent about looking at more and more houses and convinced me to come look at this house, so I did, and we bought it. It has nice yard, fenced, play set, more than twice the size of our old house, had 3 bedrooms (room to grow yeah!) and 2 bathrooms (even bigger yeahh!!) and so I was sold. We were looking at a bigger mortgage, but knew it was worth it and we only planned to be here 5 years or so anyways. Ha, yeah, where has time gone?

When we moved in, we were so excited and had so many plans and our "to-do" list was pretty long. We had a 5 month old baby, hunting season, holidays, then baseball and it started all over again. The to-do list never got done and the house remains the way it was when we bought it. And now we're practically outgrowing it again. In my eyes anyways, because there is not office/craft space or even room for a guest. Ugh. Okay, it's not exactly the same, we did paint the spare bathroom and tear down the border that seemed to be in every room. Aaack! The kids' rooms got painted  (although Cadynce's room has a hole in the wall that's strategically hidden because that to-do never got done) our bathroom got painted, we hung a few pictures and shelves...and then we come to a screaaaaaaching halt.

Our yard is a never ending mess. It's like a jungle out there. Each spring, we get all geared up and work really hard for a week or two, only to let it go back by the following spring. When will we ever learn? I know part of the problem is having enough hours in the day, and enough ambition to do it. I'll admit it, I hate yard work and I suck at it. The yard is really becoming a problem now because the kids can't even get down to the play set and that is so frustrating because they both want to.

Last week Colby and I started talking about all of this and made a big list, room by room, of all the things we need to do. The things we never did, or that now have been added to the list due to wear and tear of 2 small children, one large dog and plain old neglect. Now that our list is bigger than ever and even more daunting, we're trying to work on it.

The other part of this is that I realized I've never made this house our home. Sad, I know. I've never put my own touches on it really, except my cherry stuff in the kitchen. I look at my friends houses (or pictures of) and practically turn green with envy (like pinkalicious only from envy not cupcakes - someone does know what I'm talking about right?) not that our house needs to be just like theirs, but that they've actually done it, or something to make it their own.

...so here I sit, writing a blog about it, instead of getting up and doing something about it.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

mr. cam-man

Camden is turning into the most amazing little man. He's really starting to talk, he's caring, loving and just a sweet boy (most of the time). When I leave for work, or to go anywhere really, he walks me to the door and his last thing to say is, "I love you mom." He has this deep little boy voice and it just melts my heart.


These are from my cell phone, so sorry about the quality of the pictures, but, this day, Camden was hammering away on those pegs. He'd stop every couple seconds and say, "I can't help you mom." After a lot of questions and me trying to help him about a million times and him getting mad at me, I realized, he was trying to say, he didn't need help. He could do it.



Eating sammiches at the table, he turned around. Colby and I couldn't figure out why, until...



We walked around to see he was pulling his sammich apart and didn't want us to see it. How cute is that?!

Monday, March 14, 2011

Lopez Pictures

Our attempt at a family picture, they never turn out quite right. Oh well, guess they just show our true colors right? Do you see how fat Summer Dog is?! She had so much fun on the island though, she had lots of energy and ran around a lot. Pretty sure she slept the whole week after we got home though.

Camden took about a 5 gallon bucket worth -o-water back from the beach everyday in his boot. Colby is trying not to get wet. :)

Oh sister.

Me and dad.

Our last walk on the beach, Cadynce had a fever but wasn't willing to give up another walk on the beach.

Beach walks 2011.

Jan. Feb. Highlights

January:
  • My birthday month! We enjoyed family dinner at The Stanwood Grill! And I got some really great birthday presents. (At this moment I'm thinking about how this is my last year in my twenties. Yikes!)
  • Cadynce was student of the month and she had a whole entourage there to see her.
  • Ha, uh, my car broke down. Or blew up rather. Had to get a new engine put in that puppy.
...I feel like there should be more, but I got nothing. I think we really spent a lot of January just trying to get our feet back underneath us...

February:
  • We went to Lo-Lopez! I'll post an entry with some of my favorite pictures.
  • I got my car back, to the tune of $3800, bye bye tax return.
  • Cousin Kayci turned 21, so we got to have a fun night out at the casino. Have I mentioned that I can't stand cigarette smoke. Kayci, so funny, says, "So, is this all people do, is sit in a bar and drink?"
  • Baseball Preparations begin.
  • Valentine's day. <3
  • We came home from Lopez with a sick Cadynce, which led to a sick Camden . . . (all leading up to barf fest 2011)
Some kid highlights:
Cadynce is learning so much these days. She has jumped from knowing a lot of numbers and words, to knowing what feels like them all. She can rote count up past 100, is through her complete set of sight words and is on to a second list, knows greater than and smaller than for numbers 1 - 10 and can identify and write her numbers up through 31. We're still struggling with rights and wrongs since she's been in school and how to stay true to yourself, but I think these are things we're going to struggle with until she's fully aware of who she really is and what she stands for. How do you help your children know it's OK to be who they are and not someone else?

Camden is speaking in big long sentences now! Everyday more and more words are there. He is so caring and compassionate as well. The other day, Colby and I were having a "discussion" (OK, it was a loud discussion) over T-ball for Cadynce, and when Colby walked out Camden came running in and said to me, "Mommy, I need to hold you." "Are you okay mommy, whatsa matto mommy" *sighs* He is such a sweet little boy. I could tell you cute sayings and stories for hours about him; he is just in such a fun stage right now.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Barf Fest 2011

First off, let me start by saying I feel like it's been forever since I've posted...but really, it's only been a little over a week. I think the problem is that I was working so hard to get you caught up on 2010, that I really haven't been able to blog about 2011. I have a little piece of paper next to the computer that I've been jotting things down on that I want to share with you, eventually I'll get there. Right?

Okay, so, barf fest 2011.
Last week, I took off on Wednesday afternoon to go to Spokane to watch the state B basketball tourney, Alexa was playing. I got to stay with Lanette and Blair, and it was a lot of fun, and a much needed break from life. Colby really had to shuffle the kids a lot because it was the first "real" week of baseball and I am so thankful for his dad. We had some late nights in Spokane, but I came home (to Lanette's) fairly early on Friday night so I could get up and get going early Saturday morning so I could take the little girl to a tea party birthday party.
I got on the road headed home a little before 7 am... ugh, so early...but I did it. Ten minutes into my drive, I get a text from Colby. "dad just called, cam has been puking all night." FML. I hate barf. Like, really really really really hate barf. More than anything. If my kid barfed in a a store and I could get away with running away and leaving them there, I would. Yep, I definitely win the worst mother of the year award when it comes to kids and barf. Nope, anyone and barf, not just kids. Even myself. I'll do anything possible not to barf.
By the time I got home, Colby had picked up Cam and they had been hanging out. Cam had kept down a banana and some Gatorade...we were thinking maybe he just ate too much at Papa's house. Good thought. Cadynce and I made it through the tea party birthday with me asking her probably every five minutes, are you OK? does your tummy hurt?
Things were going good, we were thinking we're in the clear. Then Tuesday night Colby is staying at Grandpa's house... yeah, not so much.... he calls home at midnight, "I'm sick." FML. Again!! Wednesday morning I get up and get the kids to daycare and I go to work feeling shaky, because even the thought of barf makes me shaky. Yeah, at about 3:30 we got the phone call - Cadynce was now sick too. I made Colby go get them from daycare. Ha!
Cadynce stayed holed up in her room on some blankets with a puke bucket (she only had to use it twice after she got home) and Colby was in and out since he'd already had it. We're 4 days later and I still havn't gotten it. KNOCK ON WOOD! Fingers crossed, pray, whatever you do....I'm not gonna get it! Kids are so resilient though its amazing - she got up Friday morning and walked out of her room saying, "I'm going to school today." So she did. Wow. Daycare was closed Thursday because poor Tina got it, and some friends of ours whole family practically got it.. such a nasty bug wiping out families like that!
Funny side note:
I went in to put Cadynce's hair up better so she didn't get puke on it.
First thing she says, "Oh mom, I threw up twice in my bucked and dad poured it in the toilet and washed it out for me."
Me, "ewww, Cadynce, Mommy  does NOT like throw up."
Cadynce, "Mom, everybody does it, it's OK."
Me, " not so much."

I'm pretty sure there was another funny thing to share, but right now I can't remember it, when I do, I'll be sure to add it because I'm sure you all love hearing about barf. :) Ha!

Monday, March 7, 2011

Kiki creates - i love you because give-away

Okay, honest truth - I'm posting this for another entry into the drawing, I don't really want you to enter. haha. Sorry, truth hurts! But I know you'll follow this link and fall in love with the "i love you because..." prints just as fast as I did.... so go on, go ahead and start your entering...

And you better hurry because the drawing ends tonight at 9pm.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Holiday Performance



So, I was having some issues with my camera at this little Holiday performance, but you get the "grist" right? Cadynce was so excited when she saw her mob of fans! The songs were cute, all in all, they did good. (We totally left right after she was done.)