The Story of Jesse's Life: Geek Speak

The other night, Jesse received a gaming invitation from one of his brothers in the form of a text...

"Abandon thine wives, children, roommates, and the pursuit of women. For tomorrow I laboreth not, and verily I desireth to gather together five of the children of Moses. Verily our enemies shall be crushed under our heals in the Gears of War."

 

We've been laughing about it for days.

336

Dearest darlings of Snowy River apartment 336,

Remember that time in 2007 when we all pitched in some moolah and bought some house supplies...
specifically Costco brand plastic wrap?

And remember how, at the end of spring semester 2008, we divided up the leftovers of said house supplies and I took home said plastic wrap?

Well, I thought you might be interested to know that, just last week, I FINALLY used the last of it...

Ladies, that roll of plastic wrap officially lasted for

3 states, 

 

4 cities,

 

5 YEARS,

 

6 moves, 

 

and 7 apartments!

That's some serious value.

Also, you should know that I miss you.

That's all.

Rapunzel

Oliver got to play with his favorite friend all day today.

We played at the park.

We read In a Napping House,

We ate waffles and fruit for lunch.

While I was in the kitchen doing chores and the boys were in the living room playing with every toy that we own, most specifically our small fisher price castle, I heard this dialogue:

Oliver J's friend who shall remain nameless, "Hey, you! Let down your hair!"

Then I heard Oliver say "BE QUIET!"

Apparently we need to talk about classic fairy tales

...and manners.

When Left to His Own Devices...

Chaos ensues...

 

It is important to note that not 30 minutes prior, the room was tidy and Oliver J. was wearing pants...

Fast forward another 30 minutes and there are no books on the shelf, nor toys in the bin.

You can only imagine the ordeal it was for Oliver to have to clean it all up.

Top 10...

Reasons why Thursday rocked...

1. Chinese Potluck Brunch with friends. YUM! Next month's potluck brunch theme: Harvest.

2. Kristen informed me that she has officially booked tickets to visit me out here in the forest.

3. Won this prize from a giveaway at rikrak studio

photo credit

 

That's two clutch patterns and a small clutch from LBG Studio (cannot wait to try making the foldover clutch!), a necklace from Yanessa B., and a stocking of my choice from rikrak.

 

Seriously can't believe my luck.

 



4. Fake it Frugal brownies! I LOVE them! Especially with dark chocolate chips baked in... Mmm! It's currently my favorite treat.

 

5. Found this gem on the Ipod...

 

 

6. Which reminded me of this picture of Oliver from earlier this summer. Can't believe I didn't show you until now...

 

What can I say? We like naps.

 

7. Singing in the car with Ollie all afternoon while we drove to and fro, picking up my friend Oliver's girlfriend Tina and dropping her off at BWI and then picking Jesse up from school

 

8. The Magic of Ordinary Days with newly found kindred spirits Lindsey and Cami, officially on my top ten list of favorite people in all of Maryland. (Bree, you were right! They are my kind of people!)

 

9. Strawberry Peach smoothies for dinner.

 

10. Supernatural with Jesse until 1:00 am.

 

 

 

 









Everyday at Breakfast...

 "Can I have a oatmealk with milk and sugar for dinner, Mom?"

In My Favorite Dream

Jesse often asks me where I think I might like to go once he finishes PA school, and the honest truth is that I don't know.

Besides a cruise with the Lambertsens, I don't have any solid plans.

I can't pick a city or state. I'm uncertain about whether I want to live rural or urban. I don't know that I will insist on living near family once again, or if I will crave more adventure and new experiences. It's entirely possible that I will want to stay exactly where I'm at...

Maybe, the fact that my head and heart won't settle on even the mere idea of a location, not even for the sake of conversation, is their way of telling me to learn to love where I'm at. To be present in my life now rather than waste the days away waiting for the future to unfold

I can, however, tell you that in my favorite dream I am surrounded by people that I love...my friends and family all in the same neighborhood.

That we live life...

Share meals, run errands, fill leisure time, build homes, and raise families.

Serving one another.

Together.

T.R.I.P.P.

Earlier this summer, our Severn Ward Laurel president suggested a summer incentive program for Personal Progress:

 

"We should set a requirement for value experiences to complete and then take whoever met the requirement on a special activity. Like a day trip. Somewhere AMAZING!"

 

And thus, T.R.I.P.P. was born.

 

"Take Responsibility In Personal Progress"

 

 

 

Five of us were eligible for the trip after ten weeks and ten value experiences. So we drove to D.C. to take the girls to the National Museum of American History and then up to Georgetown for some famous Georgetown Cupcakes.

 

 

This is the line we waited in to buy said cupcakes. That's about 35 minutes worth of cupcake patrons.

 

 

I picked Key Lime.

 

SO WORTH IT! 

 

My life is changed... These cupcakes were, dare I say, even better than Sweet Tooth Fairy.

 

Please bless I live a posh Georgetown life when I'm a grown up...

 

 

 



On the farm...

One of my Maryland friends raises animals in her over sized yard.

 

She has goats, chickens, and ducks. As of last week, she has baby ducks and she invited us to come to see them.

Ollie was infatuated. As usual. 





 

He sat to watch them for half an hour, all the while singing...

 

"Sheep goes baa, baa,
Goose goes hissy, hissy,
Duck goes quack, quack,
Hen goes chimmy-chuck, chimmy-chuck,
Cat goes fiddle-i-fee." 

Handmade Angst

There are no cute Ollie photos or witty narrations of my life here today...

I am up to my elbows in fabric and polyfil.

I'm trying to finish about eight million gifts because that's about the only way I can afford to be giving.

Every time I finish one, I notice something...quirky...about it. And that BUGS!

And even though it is hard for me to give something that isn't perfect (which is usually what I end up with so I start awkwardly apologizing to the recipient for the flaws and assuring them that I won't feel bad if they don't use it...and then I realize that I'm being awkward and immediately feel eight million times more awkward) I'm going to send them out anyway...unapologetically.

That's OK right?

Please tell me I'm not the only person that feels this vulnerable when I'm gifting handmade items...

The Story of Jesse's Life: Sanity

Photo taken at the Hirshhorn Museum

Ollie Mail

My parents sent Ollie a package. Which certainly made his little day.

 

It contained:

 

1 Halloween themed shirt

 

1 "Oliver the Dinosaur" Halloween costume

 

1 pair of bright orange gardening gloves

 

1 love note from Grandma Min

 

 

He pulled the gloves on immediately. He thinks they are perfect for singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" because they accentuate his little fingers when he twinkles them. The dino suit took a little convincing but he wore it until bedtime...

 

 

Something tells me that Oliver has found his number one wardrobe choice for the next two months. I just hope he is reasonable about it...and that it washes well.

 



Dear Monday,

Dear Centennial Park.

I think I love you.

Dear Maryland,

Thank you for giving me one day of glorious weather. The temperature was so pleasant that I didn't even notice your incessant humidity. And that crisp, early autumn breeze! I wanted to spend all day outside...and if you know me, you know that doesn't happen. Can everyday of fall be as nice as this one? Pretty please?

Dearest Jesse,

Thanks for making bread, loading/unloading the dishwasher, and watching Supernatural with me. Also, I'm sorry for not listening to you when you suggested that I take the camera to the park and when you advised that I let sleeping dragons lie. You were right on both accounts. But I'm right more often, so you can see why I would have been hesitant to listen. *wink*

Darlingest Bree,

I thought of you a lot today when I made curtains and pillows and spray painted things. Why do we live so far apart? Remember that time you came to visit me? Yeah, I loved it. Also, Oliver is STILL asking for Travis and talking about trucks.

Dear Supernatural,

Thank you for making a Gilmore Girls joke. It was perfect.

Dear Monday,

You were a great one! Keep up the great work.

Escalator Kisses

Photo taken at the National Museum of American History

 



I changed Oliver J.'s diaper this morning and then asked him to take it to the bathroom garbage. I watched him walk into the bathroom and few seconds later I heard a big SPLASH. It became immediately necessary for me to have a very specific talk with Mr. Ollivander about what sorts of things belong in the toilet. Diapers did not make that list.



I had to count at Oliver today, which is not different from any other day of the week...I got all the way to three and that got Oliver all the way to the kitchen corner for two minutes. Halfway through, Jesse called him out for some reason or another. I was so frustrated that I threatened to put Jesse in the corner for 27 minutes. The threat sounded so ridiculous flying out of my mouth that I had to walk away before I busted up laughing.

Tonight we read scriptures and said prayers with Oliver in the living room and then, jokingly, told him to put himself to bed. "Ok, sure" he said. Then on his way up the stairs he said "Have fun!" and "See you tomorrow!" He walked into his room and shut the door.  We followed him up shortly after to tuck him in for real and found him in bed with his binky in his mouth and his blanket pulled up to his chin.



Later, I peeked in to check on him and found him still awake. I walked in, laid my head on his pillow, and told him I would love him forever and ever. He just smiled. Then he told me a secret..."I love you, Dewa," he whispered in my ear. I gave him a big squeeze and rubbed his nose with mine before I left. On my way out the door I heard him say "You give me a escawator kiss, mom?"

There is not a single thing in this world that makes me happier than he does.

This morning came far too early for me...

So instead of getting right up and being productive, Ollie and I snuggled up on the couch for a little Thomas the Train action.

 

Before I knew it, Oliver was demanding that I shower him with kisses.

 

"GIMME KISS"

 

I tried to oblige, but when I did he squirmed and pushed me away.

 

Then he clarified:

 

"KISS MY CHEEK!"

 

so I did.

 

Afterward, he turned his face and said,

 

"KISS MY 'NOTHER CHEEK!"

 

All I could do was laugh out loud...

 

And then plant a good one right one his face and ask for my own!

Today, for the first time in weeks, Ollivander agreed that maybe he did, in fact, need a bath and hopped in the tub willingly...no screaming or jumping or splashing or throwing!

 

And there was much rejoicing in the land! 

 

 

Pirate Duck (Aaarrr Quack Quack) and Super Duck (Quack Quack-a-QUACK)

 

"Wook Mom!"

A comprehensive list of everything Ollie Pop imagined himself to be on his bike ride around the building:

 

 

"Wook Mom! I be a semi truck!"

 

"Wook Mom! I be a motorcycle!"

 

"Wook Mom! I be a car! Zoom zoom!"

 

"Wook Mom! I go fast!"

 

(and his little legs pushed him as fast as he could go)

 

"Wook Mom! I be a truck! I be a big one!"

Going Postal

My favorite postman from the Severn post office is Steve.

He is friendly.

He remembers people.

He always makes sure I'm paying the lowest price possible.

He doesn't even roll his eyes when Oliver escapes my clutches and starts a self guided perusal of the customer area of the post office, forcing me to weave through a crowd of postal patrons with a precarious stack of parcels perched on one arm while trying to regain parental power.

We've been reading a lot of Dr. Seuss lately, can you tell?

Well, the other day, we were at the post office and I asked for some stamps...I just wanted to be the cool mom with the Nemo stamps, OK...

Steve said, "We don't have the "Mail a Smile" stamps right now but we have last year's "Send a Hello" stamps if you want." (Which I suppose are still OK because they have "Wightning A Queen" but I digress...)

This had happened the last time I asked for the Nemo stamps, so I declined. I'd just try again another time.

And then it happened.

I think I meant it to be a little bit funny.

I wasn't thinking clearly though.

It just popped out.

Honest!

I said,

 

"I guess I could just send some emails this time."

As soon as I said it, I had visions of Steve going postal...

I mean, you just don't talk to a post person about email.

But he didn't.

He didn't even grimace. He took it in stride. He even joked back a little...

However, I've felt a little bit guilty about it ever since.

And remember how I told you that Steve remembers people?

Now I'll forever be filed away in his brain as that girl that talks about email in a post office.

...I wonder if Steve likes cookies?