I turned on the T.V. tonight just to see what was on and hit pay-dirt in entertaining television- The National Spelling Bee! Rick and I were cracking up at some of the kids and how nervous or excited they got. The kids were incredible, spelling some crazy-hard words.
The funniest moment came when the word was read, "numnah" and the whole crowd started laughing. The kid who got the word repeated it as "numb-nut" and there was even more laughter. He seemed pretty relieved to hear the word was actually "numnah" and not "numb-nut". That kid, Sameer, went on the win the whole thing. He had a pretty good sense of humor.
Fun stuff! I've already got my TiVo set for the Spelling Bee finals for next year! :)
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Success!!
Quite a while back, I wrote about wanting to work on potty training Riley. Well, we finally took the plunge on Monday and decided to dive in head first- we said goodbye to diapers! Riley enjoyed sitting on the potty, but when it came time to go, pretty much anywhere on the carpet was better than the potty! Between Monday afternoon and Tuesday afternoon, there were 5 "accidents" and 5 trips to the bathtub to be hosed down (she didn't care for that much). We had a little talk about how we don't go pee-pee on the carpet or in our big-girl panties, that we only go in the potty.
After a nap and dinner on Tuesday night, Riley camped out on the potty in front of the t.v. watching "Little Einsteins" and finally we had success!! I can't explain how excited Rick and I were to hear that little tinkle in the potty- we made such a huge deal out of it and Riley was so proud of herself! She went two more times before getting a princess Pull-Up on for bed. I was nervous to see how the next day would go because the kids would be at daycare for 6 hours. She did great in the morning before we left and went in the potty twice, but then had two "accidents" at daycare. She went just fine when we got home and even survived a trip to Costco without any accidents.
But, today was the best. She spent the entire day in big-girl panties, at home and at daycare, and not one single accident- not ONE! She started and ended the day in the same pair of Ariel big-girl panties. The Pull-Up she wore for her nap was even dry when she woke up. She tells us when she needs to go and sometimes adding an "I scared" and smiles like it's a joke, just before going- which is pretty cute! We know there is still a ways to go, but she is off to such an incredible start!! I never expected her to pick up on things so quickly, it makes me so proud of our little girl!
After a nap and dinner on Tuesday night, Riley camped out on the potty in front of the t.v. watching "Little Einsteins" and finally we had success!! I can't explain how excited Rick and I were to hear that little tinkle in the potty- we made such a huge deal out of it and Riley was so proud of herself! She went two more times before getting a princess Pull-Up on for bed. I was nervous to see how the next day would go because the kids would be at daycare for 6 hours. She did great in the morning before we left and went in the potty twice, but then had two "accidents" at daycare. She went just fine when we got home and even survived a trip to Costco without any accidents.
But, today was the best. She spent the entire day in big-girl panties, at home and at daycare, and not one single accident- not ONE! She started and ended the day in the same pair of Ariel big-girl panties. The Pull-Up she wore for her nap was even dry when she woke up. She tells us when she needs to go and sometimes adding an "I scared" and smiles like it's a joke, just before going- which is pretty cute! We know there is still a ways to go, but she is off to such an incredible start!! I never expected her to pick up on things so quickly, it makes me so proud of our little girl!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Burt/Walters Reunion
For the first 14 years of my life, we lived in the same little house on Olympia Place in Kennewick. Between our family and the house next door, there were six of us kids all together- Michelle was the oldest, then me, Kevin, Jeff, my sister Robyn, and my brother Bryan. We were sort of like the Brady Bunch, three girls and three boys, and we played together ALL THE TIME. We have so many pictures and memories from growing up together, celebrating birthdays together, camping, having Easter egg hunts, trick-or-treating, and more camping. Such fun!
My mom and sister had the great idea of having a reunion BBQ so we could all catch up after all these years. Everyone was able to make it except for Jeff, his girlfriend, and their daughter Scarlett, who already had plans to be in Tacoma for the weekend. My mom and her husband, Jim, hosted the event at their new house in Kennewick which was perfect. The backyard is super kid-friendly and they have a pool- the best feature being the fence surrounding the pool for safety. It was wonderful to be able to let the kids run around the yard without having to worry about them falling in the pool. They even got to swim a little because the weather was so nice!
Standing: Kevin, Rick, Tyson, me, and Riley
Kneeling: Robyn, Cassidy, Bryan, Owen, Michelle, and Steve
Standing: My mom Diane, Kevin, Tyson, Rick, me, Riley, Michelle, Owen, and Sue
Kneeling: Robyn, Cassidy, Bryan, and Steven
Riley and Tyson playing in the pool- well, hanging out on the steps!
Riley had fun with the Nemo bucket and splashing water on herself.
Cassidy was a little fish, swimming for hours. She had a nice little sunburn to prove it the next day!
Tyson had fun emptying a full bottle of water all over himself!
The kids played in the yard until the sun went down- they were having a blast with Cassidy and Owen!
Owen is such a little cutie- he posed and said cheese for the camera!
The Comptons: Michelle, Steve, and Owen
My mom and sister had the great idea of having a reunion BBQ so we could all catch up after all these years. Everyone was able to make it except for Jeff, his girlfriend, and their daughter Scarlett, who already had plans to be in Tacoma for the weekend. My mom and her husband, Jim, hosted the event at their new house in Kennewick which was perfect. The backyard is super kid-friendly and they have a pool- the best feature being the fence surrounding the pool for safety. It was wonderful to be able to let the kids run around the yard without having to worry about them falling in the pool. They even got to swim a little because the weather was so nice!
Standing: Kevin, Rick, Tyson, me, and Riley
Kneeling: Robyn, Cassidy, Bryan, Owen, Michelle, and Steve
Standing: My mom Diane, Kevin, Tyson, Rick, me, Riley, Michelle, Owen, and Sue
Kneeling: Robyn, Cassidy, Bryan, and Steven
Riley and Tyson playing in the pool- well, hanging out on the steps!
Riley had fun with the Nemo bucket and splashing water on herself.
Cassidy was a little fish, swimming for hours. She had a nice little sunburn to prove it the next day!
Tyson had fun emptying a full bottle of water all over himself!
The kids played in the yard until the sun went down- they were having a blast with Cassidy and Owen!
Owen is such a little cutie- he posed and said cheese for the camera!
The Comptons: Michelle, Steve, and Owen
Friday, May 23, 2008
Happy Birthday Uncle Bryan!
Today is my brother's 27th birthday and we're looking forward to seeing him tomorrow to help celebrate! For the next 9 days, my parents will have children aging 27, 28, and 29 before I leave the 20's forever on my birthday for the big 30's!
It has been a big week for birthdays. Our nephew Michael turned 19 on Monday the 19th, our good friend Erin celebrated her birthday on the 20th, and my friend Courtney's birthday was the 21st! So, happy birthday to all of you! :) Rick and I had the pleasure of joining Erin and her husband Jeff for a little belated birthday get-together last night to see the new Indiana Jones movie. It was an entertaining movie and a fun night out with great friends!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
The Oregon Zoo
For Mother's Day, Rick decided on the perfect gift that we can all enjoy as a family- an Oregon Zoo membership! We took the kids on Saturday and got a chance to enjoy the heat wave weather we got here in the Pacific Northwest. The kids had a great time! Riley couldn't quit talking about it and asking to go to the zoo again on Sunday. Here are a few pictures from the trip:
That is a polar bear swimming by the window in the background, he was swimming back and forth and doing his turns right where the kids were sitting. Riley couldn't stop talking about it that night while Rick was putting her to bed and asking about her day at the zoo. It was pretty cool!
Tyson and I looking at the elephants.
We took a break on the lawn for snack time and let Riley run around a little and play in a water mister they had to cool off in the hot weather. We're also trying to get Riley used to wearing sunglasses and Tyson a hat for a trip to Orlando in June- they're both doing pretty well with them!
Riley got a chance to be tall like the giraffe we were looking at while sitting on daddy's shoulders.
What a long day, Riley was SOOOO tired that she was falling asleep on Rick's shoulders as we left the zoo. Tyson had already fallen asleep in the stroller about an hour earlier.
It was a fun day and I'm excited to take advantage of the zoo membership over the next year. A couple of our friends who also have memberships made great points about being able to go whenever you want- there is no need to tackle the whole zoo in one day like you feel like you need to when paying full admission. We can go for an hour or two at a time if we want and just focus on certain parts of the zoo. Thanks Rick for such a thoughtful and fun Mother's Day gift!
That is a polar bear swimming by the window in the background, he was swimming back and forth and doing his turns right where the kids were sitting. Riley couldn't stop talking about it that night while Rick was putting her to bed and asking about her day at the zoo. It was pretty cool!
Tyson and I looking at the elephants.
We took a break on the lawn for snack time and let Riley run around a little and play in a water mister they had to cool off in the hot weather. We're also trying to get Riley used to wearing sunglasses and Tyson a hat for a trip to Orlando in June- they're both doing pretty well with them!
Riley got a chance to be tall like the giraffe we were looking at while sitting on daddy's shoulders.
What a long day, Riley was SOOOO tired that she was falling asleep on Rick's shoulders as we left the zoo. Tyson had already fallen asleep in the stroller about an hour earlier.
It was a fun day and I'm excited to take advantage of the zoo membership over the next year. A couple of our friends who also have memberships made great points about being able to go whenever you want- there is no need to tackle the whole zoo in one day like you feel like you need to when paying full admission. We can go for an hour or two at a time if we want and just focus on certain parts of the zoo. Thanks Rick for such a thoughtful and fun Mother's Day gift!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Happy Mother's Day!
What a busy weekend! As you read the two posts below this one, you'll know that we had some serious redecorating done this weekend and I am an official college graduate. And on top of it all, we got to celebrate Mother's Day with my grandma, mom, and sister for the first time since I became a mom myself.
Rick started the morning by getting Starbucks for my sister and I, feeding the kids, and getting them ready for the day. We took time before breakfast to bring flowers to Rick's mom's grave, it was a tough first Mother's Day without her but I'm glad we got a chance to honor her on such a special day. Then it was off to meet my mom, Jim, grandma, Robyn, and Cassidy for breakfast at Marie Calendar's. We made our way back to house for some final decorating, opening of gifts and cards, and then they got on the road in order to get back to the Tri-Cities at a decent time. We had four generations of our family together, which is always a great time! I feel so blessed to have such amazing women in my life to share stories and experiences with and especially to learn from. I love you mom, grandma, Robyn, and Gayle!
Robyn, Me, Mom, and Grandma
On a different note, I have to admit something for all the world to hear. My shameless plugs in my blog about a trip to Disney World were only the beginning- I went on to teach Riley all about Mickey Mouse by watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and recording it on TiVo so she could watch it anytime, frequenting the Disney Store with the kids, teaching Riley to tell Rick she wanted to see Mickey Mouse this summer at his home in Disney World, and even buying Nemo and Ariel "airplane gifts" for a potential trip at Target's Dollar Spot. Well, my hard work apparently paid off- AND I have the most amazing husband ever! We'll be taking a trip to Disney World this summer either at the end of June or sometime in July. I'm super excited and I can't wait to blog all about it! I'm not proud of my actions or using Riley in my evil plot, but I'm still over the moon about getting another opportunity to visit Disney World with Rick- only this time with our 2 beautiful children!
Rick started the morning by getting Starbucks for my sister and I, feeding the kids, and getting them ready for the day. We took time before breakfast to bring flowers to Rick's mom's grave, it was a tough first Mother's Day without her but I'm glad we got a chance to honor her on such a special day. Then it was off to meet my mom, Jim, grandma, Robyn, and Cassidy for breakfast at Marie Calendar's. We made our way back to house for some final decorating, opening of gifts and cards, and then they got on the road in order to get back to the Tri-Cities at a decent time. We had four generations of our family together, which is always a great time! I feel so blessed to have such amazing women in my life to share stories and experiences with and especially to learn from. I love you mom, grandma, Robyn, and Gayle!
Robyn, Me, Mom, and Grandma
On a different note, I have to admit something for all the world to hear. My shameless plugs in my blog about a trip to Disney World were only the beginning- I went on to teach Riley all about Mickey Mouse by watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and recording it on TiVo so she could watch it anytime, frequenting the Disney Store with the kids, teaching Riley to tell Rick she wanted to see Mickey Mouse this summer at his home in Disney World, and even buying Nemo and Ariel "airplane gifts" for a potential trip at Target's Dollar Spot. Well, my hard work apparently paid off- AND I have the most amazing husband ever! We'll be taking a trip to Disney World this summer either at the end of June or sometime in July. I'm super excited and I can't wait to blog all about it! I'm not proud of my actions or using Riley in my evil plot, but I'm still over the moon about getting another opportunity to visit Disney World with Rick- only this time with our 2 beautiful children!
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