sun-kissed

Sarah’s Thoughts: I am sorry to say, faithful blog readers, that as I sit down to write this post, I can’t formulate a sentence to save my life. I think its because I’m exhausted from my long day of carrying Owen around and then my pathetic attempt at jogging while he took a nap. My boy never really woke up until about 3:30 this afternoon and I held him all day long while he slept. After hours of the same isometric muscle contractions, I’m beat! It was a gorgeous weekend, however, and I’m proud to announce that my face is a little bit red-ish from being in the sun. Saturday we were out on the boat trolling for king salmon all day long. We weren’t sure how long we’d beable to be gone, but Owen took a nap and the water was flat calm so we stayed out until dinner time. We didn’t catch anything, but we did see porpoise, a seal, lots of sea lions and one other boat catch a king. It was one of those days that I’ll be dreaming about 8 months from now. 

High- Owen’s 2 hour nap on the boat! 

Low- Puking my guts out right after I hit “publish” on last week’s blog. Ugh! 

Luke Update: Projects, projects projects! Luke has been a very busy boy this week! He spent Tuesday - Friday at his friend David’s house helping raise the roof. Luke and David grew up together, best friends. In recent years, I don’t think they’ve been able to spend as much time together as they’d like, so its neat that Luke has the time and David has the project. Also neat that Lela, David’s wife, has been willing to watch Owen (especially since she already has 6 kids of her own! Thanks Lela!). Besides the roof project, Luke has been plotting the final touches on his net project and tinkering with the boat, getting things ready for the upcoming tourist season. Basically, with the beautiful weather, we’re trying to spend as much time outside and as little time inside as possible. 

Owen Update - Owen’s attitude has resembled a rollercoaster this week. Monday was definitely the lowest of the low. I didn’t go to work because I was feeling weak and dizzy after a night of throwing up but all Owen wanted was “mama, mama, mama!” All day long there was no pleasing him. Towards the afternoon, I was feeling better and we went to a park where he FINALLY seemed to be happy for a little while. Needless to say, I was quite thankful when bedtime rolled around! Owen’s new favorite word is “bus” and once he starts saying it, he has to repeat it about 20 times before moving on. School bus, tour bus, city bus, it doesn’t matter. Mass-transit is where its at! For some reason, this week Owen has also started saying “uh-ah” (as in “no”) as his answer to everything. We are still trying to figure out if he means “uh-ha” (as in “yes”) or if he really means “no”.   Its all very confusing.

Owen hasn't had corn on the cob since he devoured it last summer.

This week, when he saw it, went crazy whining for it.  

I think this has been my first glimpse of Owen's long-term memory.

the fisherman.

mini-explorer

pouting on the dock.  

Mad because Dad ran up to get car 

and he had to wait with mama.

happy boy, ready for fishing!

boat dog

waiting on the melt

Sarah’s Thoughts- Spring has officially arrived. I wore cropped pants, no socks and short-sleeves today from my car into the mall. I was parked fairly close to the entrance but STILL, that’s something! Sadly, there’s so much snow on the ground- especially at our house since we live close to the glacier. I think we have a good 4 feet in the deepest areas, but in most places, there’s probably just 12 inches of snow. I feel like Noah trapped on the ark. Its stopped raining and dry land is coming but don’t plan a picnic lunch on the front lawn just yet... So what to do in the meantime? Most of the streets are clear so I’ve been meaning to start jogging again, but haven’t quite gotten around to that. My goal for this week is to make a list of things I want to do this summer. I need a little direction and preparation. I don’t want to blink and find that its September and I’m still just thinking about jogging. Our neighborhood is having a garage sale on May 9 and we could definitely stand to get rid of some stuff, so maybe that’s a good place to start. Organize our garage sale and start jogging. I’ll give you the report next week.

High: Spontaneous Thai food date

Low: Pukey Owen and Luke. Why is someone always throwing up? Yikes! Am I next?

Luke Update- And with that, the 2009 legislative session comes to a close. Phew! So what’s in store for Luke, you might ask? Well... this week he has plans of helping his friend, David, in his monumental quest of adding a second story to his house. He also hopes to try-out our new king salmon rods and reels- there are reports of fish caught already this spring. He’s making significant progress on his fishing net (as pictured below). He has a little more sanding and varnishing to do and needs to attach the net to the hoop and then will be done! Pretty amazing to think that it all started-out as a block of wood. The buzz word at the moment among Luke and his friends is “steelhead”. It hangs in the air like humidity on a east coast summer’s day. No reports of a sighting yet, but soon... Soon. Luke and David are planning a bear hunting in mid-May and right after that, his fishing season officially begins as the tourists start trickling in. Luke has about a month to switch gears before he trades in his lap-top for his waders. Sadly, he’s begun his vacation by picking up a nasty little bug that Owen brought home from daycare but hopefully will be feeling top notch in no time!

Owen Update- One of our patients at the dentist office told me this week that when kids make significant progress in one area, they tend to regress in another. I’ve found his true for Owen this week. His vocabulary is exploding. We can actually sort of have a conversation... sometimes. He’s been pointing-out every “boap” he sees (“boat”). He’s finally started saying animal sounds (“meow” for a cat and “hooo hooo” for an owl). He saw some ducks today and said “quack, quack” but I didn’t understand, so then he said “whant, whant” in this nasal-y voice and then I knew! How about that for an explanation? “Juice” and “cracker” and “apple” and “shoe”... all of this in the last couple of weeks. Owen has traded this verbal expression for every ounce of independence in his being. He’s been velcro child for the past week, even crying for me at daycare, which he’s never really done before. His clingyness may partly be due to recent illness, but I’ll tell you, when you find yourself one handed with a 30 pound weight attached to your hip, its difficult to get much done, not to mention hard on the old back!

really loves this wagon... 

not riding in it or pulling it so much but pushing it...

he learned this from his father.

Proud Luke and the net

Teasing Dolly with the ball.

going for a walk

dolly's first fresh water swim of the year

Island Fever

Sarah’s Thoughts: Our long-awaited cabin camp-out finally came! We stayed at a newer cabin (2007) in Handtroller’s cove on Shelter Island. Originally, we were planning on going to a different cabin for two nights with some friends, but due to circumstances beyond our control, we went by ourselves for only one night and it was perfect. The boat ride was a little lumpy and it rained off and on, but the trip was exactly what I needed. The cabin was gorgeous - roomy, clean, made of yellow cedar logs which brightened everything up. Made me want to become a “Little House on the Island” family. Camping means guilt-free food consumption- i.e. junk food, non-balanced meals, wine at 3:30 if you feel like it... it was great! Owen’s little fingers were stained orange from Cheetos. We went for a few walks and did a little beach exploring, but for the most part just enjoyed being together and being outside. I remember being an extremely indecisive as a teenager, (I still am) but the one thing I knew for sure was that I loved being outside. I’m thankful to be married to a man who shares that love and to have a son that (so far) seems to love the outdoors too!

High- Besides our outing, we had a lovely Easter lunch with my cousin, Jason, friend, Kristen, and neighbors Bob and Amy

Low- Dolly’s persistent projectile vomiting for a full 24 hours after hitting the beach.

Luke Update- I think our Shelter Island overnight was the highlight for all of us. Right after we arrived at the cabin and dumped our gear, I was walking on the beach with Owen and all of a sudden I heard what sounded like a gunshot! I whipped around and frantically scanned the cove for the shooter and then I see my husband, standing on the porch of the cabin with a .22 and the biggest grin I’ve ever seen. We heard that sound about 49 more times throughout our 20 hours at the cabin. This coming week is Luke’s very last for the 2009 legislative session, which means our routines are about to change! As of next week, he will fall back into the “stay at home Dad” mode... I think he has mixed emotions about this, but is already making plans to take Owen and Dolly out for some lazy mornings trolling for king salmon. “I’d rather deal with a fussing kid on the boat then a fussing kid cooped up in the house.”

Owen Update- My sweet boy is growing before my eyes! (do I say that every week?) He is definitely his father’s son. He notices every bird that flies by or sings to us from a nearby tree.  I remember taking my nephew to the zoo when he was little and I thought he’d be so excited about all the animals, but when we got there, it seemed like he couldn’t really see any of them. Owen, however, spotted a sea lion swimming around our boat and eagles cart-wheeling on the opposite side of the cove. His attention to detail is incredible. He’s also completely unphased by cold. He loves to sit and splash in puddles or the incoming tide zone. While we were at the cabin, I was shivering in my sleeping bag, and Owen was kicking off the covers. I worry so much about him getting cold so all night, I was trying to keep blankets on him and all night, he was fighting throw them off. After several hours of this, I realized that he was hot and so I just let him do his thing. He slept soundly, blanket-free for the rest of the night. My little Alaskan kid!

Sweet Dolly sitting in front of the stove like a good lab.

shooter

waiting for the tide

my new favorite picture

making breakfast

beach walking

Anchors away!

Underneath the Snow

Sarah’s Thoughts: Luke and I had heard rumors that the city hadn’t plowed all the way to the end of the road so yesterday, we took a drive to see for ourselves. Living in Juneau, a drive to the end of the road is about as good as “road tripping” gets. I packed snacks, extra clothes, entertainment and we all piled into the Dodge Durango. Even though Luke and I talk every day, most of the time, we discuss what’s for dinner, the consistency of Owen’s poop, the next day’s work schedule, you know the drill. However, when we get away from the routine, out for a drive perhaps, our conversation dips below the surface. We remember our hopes and plans, our apprehensions and dreams- the things we use to talk about before we got so busy and preoccupied. Its refreshing and reviving to connect on a deeper level and remember who we are underneath the jobs, grocery shopping, and bedtimes... After our drive, I felt like we’d just gotten back from vacation and my love and I had reworked our brilliant plan to once again take the world by storm! Oh, and the road isn’t plowed past mile 34, if you’re wondering.

High- Spring is in the air. For real, yo.

Low- Back to work tomorrow after 2 weeks of glorious vacation...

Luke Update: In Juneau, we are finally seeing signs of spring. The evidence is as follows: Pussy willows (Dredge Lake on our Saturday walk), skunk cabbage (in the muskeg by the Mc Donalds intersection), melting snow, (um... look around!), and the biggey, the song of the Varied Thrush. I can’t check the final sign off my list, but  Luke swears on the life of his first born that today he did indeed hear the call- twice in fact. I stood in the alleged spot for about 5 minutes, listening with all my might but alas didn’t hear it. Another sign of spring is the first turn of the key on the old boat engine. Luke hooked up the garden hose and fired-up his boat up this weekend. Purred like a kitten after only 1/2 a turn. If your name is Luke Woodruff, that's enough to get your blood pumping! We were going to take her for a spin but the weather didn’t cooperate this weekend. Next weekend, however, we have cabin reservations so keep your fingers crossed for good weather!

Owen Update: Owen continues to amaze us with his knowledge and ability to control himself. The exciting news this week is that Owen started sleeping in his big boy bed. Thursday was his first night. We were nervous, wondering if it would be a sleepless night for all of us? We laid him down, left the room and didn’t see him again until he wondered into our room at 6:58 am, with a casual, “Hey guys. What’s going on?” look on his face. Such a big boy! Owen has also had several other break throughs this week- solid poops three days in a row, first trip to Mc Donalds (although we didn’t order food, Owen just climbed around on the play structure), and some discipline success! Before we had kids, Luke and I agreed to spank and several times, I’ve attempted to deliver a timely swat.  Each time I try, however, Owen either laughs it off or swats back at me. Whenever Owen has a break down in the evenings, Luke will escort him to his bedroom and tell him stay there until he’s finished crying. This week, as I struggled to put my flailing child in his car seat, I said, “Owen, do you need to go sit in your room?” Immediately, he stopped thrashing, stuck out his bottom lip for a second and then said, “no. no. no.” Thank you God!

The cover of Owen's first album

Little boy on the prairie... or maybe its the wetlands

Mama's little puddle magnet

Big Boy Bed Owen

Luke and his net creation

Excited boys on the boat