Eency Weency Snyders

Living Life on the Wild Side

2012-01-19T20:24:00.000-08:00

I think all mothers would agree seeing their children enjoy one another is one of life's joys. Liam and Isla are hot and cold. They're either conniving partners in crime, devising new and more destructive ways to outsmart their parents, or they are enemies, writing "No GRILS ALLOWED" on the top bunk and punching each other in the face. When Wren is involved, however, they come together and a beautiful thing is formed. Last night they set up a lightening fast race track in the kitchen. Liam took on the role of the driver, pushing Wren on Isla's pink Barbie car, and Isla happily stood in as the buffer against the refrigerator-- the finish line. Isla and Liam were having a blast, but I really think it was Wren who was enjoying it more than anyone. She was all hysterical smiles and practically crying with laughter. Her smile reminds me so much of Aunt Kristin, don't you agree?

Happy New Years

2012-01-03T18:44:00.000-08:00

I'm not one for New Year Resolutions, but here it goes!

In 2012 I hope to . . .

-- Take more pictures and videos of the kids
-- Record a semblance of a family journal
-- Save money for future home
-- Remember morning scripture with kids before school

We shall see how this goes!

Christmas Eve 2011--- In Pictures

2012-01-02T16:50:00.000-08:00

Too lazy to write. 2011 Christmas Eve with the Olsens.

A Forgetful Mom I am

2011-12-22T23:53:00.000-08:00

Liam's very first tooth broke through Halloween 2005 and I cried because my baby was growing up. Well, two nights ago this same tooth, tiny and worn and six years old, fell out and I cried again. He's not a baby anymore, but Liam is certainly growing up, and losing your first tooth is a big deal. But guess what? The Tooth Fairy forgot to come! And the next night? She forgot again! Pathetic. Tonight is now the third night and I think Liam gave up hope because he didn't even put his tooth under his pillow. Sad. I hope I, um, I mean I hope the Tooth Fairy redeemed himself (turns out Liam's fairy is a boy?) in Liam's eyes because not only did I, I mean HE leave some money behind, but he also left Liam a note, and in all my years of losing teeth I never got a note.

From the Desk of Tooth Fairy #49281

Dear Liam,

I couldn’t find your tooth under your pillow, but I did find it in that cool blue treasure chest by the television. I hope it’s okay that I took it. What a great tooth it is! So white and shiny! I can tell you take good care of your teeth, and I'm very proud of you. I’m sorry I didn’t come to pick it up the last two nights. We tooth fairies are very busy this time of year helping Santa and his elves get ready for Christmas.

Here's a little bit of money in exchange for your tooth. You can save it or spend it or whatever you'd like. You deserve it! Losing teeth is fun, and a sign you're growing up, but I know it can feel a little weird too.

Please keep up the good work on your teeth. I see you have a couple fillings, and that’s okay. Keep on brushing and flossing, even when your parents forget to remind you, and brush for a good long time. When you go in for your next check-up, be sure to tell the dentist "hi" for me. We're good friends, you know!

Yours truly,

Tooth Fairy #49281 (My friends call me JimBob)

A Morning/Mourning Incident

2011-12-13T18:50:00.000-08:00

As I was buckling Wren into her car seat outside of Isla's preschool this morning, I handed her my key chain in an attempt to calm and distract her. She happily played with the keys, but managed to push the red emergency button, setting off a series of loud honking. I grabbed the keys, pressed a bunch of buttons to make the honking stop, then finished buckling and threw the keys to the driver seat of the car. THEN--- shut-the-door.

Well, of course in pressing all those buttons I had inadvertently locked the keys in the car. With Wren and our dog Toby inside. I didn't have my cellphone with me either, and our spare set of keys have been lost for weeks, so not only is my baby locked inside of a car, but I'm backed into a pretty tight corner. I tell Wren (my face pressed against the car window) I'll be right back and then I run into Isla's school building to call a locksmith. Lucky for me they are extraordinarily helpful at her school and end up calling the locksmith for me so I can wait outside, albeit between a chunk of glass and metal, with my baby Wren.

Two interesting things proceeded to happen. I'd have expected Wren to sob her little heart out, but no, she listened to me talk with her eyes wide open the whole time. Not a single tear. I was so proud of her and her brave soul. AND-- TOBY! My, my. He was so excited by the strange event that he ended up jumping around in the car, from seat to seat like a Mexican jumping bean, until he somehow managed to hit my keys just right with his little paws and open car doors! It was a Christmas miracle! Toby, my goofy dog genius.

The locksmith, however, pulled right up and wanted to be paid anyway. I was so happy to have Wren back in the arms that it was worth it. He had driven all the way out, which is really 90% of the work when you consider how quickly they unlock cars anyway, right?

Email Excerpt

2011-12-10T11:27:00.000-08:00

Here's an excerpt from an email I sent my favorite mother-in-law, Connie. I was feeling unusually talkative and told her a Liam story. I want to make sure I remember this so I think I'll post it to this almost non-existent blog.

A couple of weeks ago Liam was in time out for losing his temper and I took the girls to the beach (Billy was home of course). When we came back Liam had left notes around the house. On the TV there was a note that said "I love you because you watch TV". On the refrigerator a note said "I love you because you make good food." On Billy's office door a note said "I love you because you work." He had other notes he was working on but I'd come home too soon and interrupted him. When I told him how great I thought the notes were, he said "When I was in time out I said a prayer and I asked Heavenly Father to calm the storm in my heart (a phrase we've used with Liam before) and then I felt better and thought of this note idea." He is a very special boy.

But then again, he gave Isla a bloody nose again yesterday and Isla said "Holy S**s" so... you know... we've got work to do...

Liam's Etsy Shop

2011-11-21T13:40:00.001-08:00

Looking for an affordable and handmade Christmas gift? Check out Liam's awesome credit card pouches on Etsy :)

Halloween Pictures

2011-11-06T00:12:00.000-07:00

Isla's Birfday

2011-08-24T09:41:00.000-07:00

My baby girl Isla Quinn turned 4 this June 20th. In my experience, 4 is the age children shed all remaining layers of babyhood and become bona fide kids. It's a bittersweet transformation to witness. While I love seeing Isla learn how write "Choc Milk" on my grocery list and ride her bike outside with Liam, I miss the baby fat that is melting off her body and I will miss her when she is gone four afternoons a week for preschool this September (!). Her birthday was held at the Olsen pond, and between both sets of grandparents, her local aunts and uncles, and her parents, her presents looked like the loot a couple might score at their reception. It was embarrassing! We love our family and I love seeing Isla smile over new books or new shoes, but I think we went a touch overboard this year.

Anyhow, all that said, it was a very fun afternoon and I love my little girl so much. She is a rough Tom boy who loves to play baseball, wrestle, and wear her brother's hand-me-downs. She is funny and dramatic, always making Billy and I laugh with her growling "Come here my little dearie" and interpretive dance shows. Isla loves to give people things, even its her favorite doll or Barbie car, Isla will try her hardest to give something to whatever cousin or friend comes through our front door. I can easily say these last four years have been the best four years of my life, and there is no doubt being Isla's mom is one of the reasons I feel blessed.

Catching Up

2011-08-24T09:14:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!

I've had insistent demands by my many followers (all four of you) for a blog update. I see here my last post was May 24, so it looks like its been 3 months. Sorry guys! I've been too tired, lazy, and/or busy to sit down and record our family's activities. But seeing as I like to print out my blog ever so often for family records, I "think" I am going to try to catch up with short anecdotes and pictures. I put "think" in quotations because the goal I set for myself at the beginning of the day when I'm rested and hopeful are often dashed by snack time.

I am going to publish this measly paragraph and get up the next post within the next few minutes. Hopefully ;)

Isla goes to Preschool

2011-05-24T12:47:00.000-07:00

The high school here at the coast offers a great 2-day a week preschool program. I am a little anti-preschool (I don't like driving my kids around if I don't have to--ie I'm lazy-- and I want to keep them at home as long as I can) so I didn't enroll Isla when we first moved here in February.

BUT....

This girl is ready for something new, something social, something other than her cozy little home all day, every day.

There are only five weeks left until school is out for summer, but she's going! And she's loving it! It starts at 8 am (very early for our family-- remember how I'm lazy?) but as soon as we tell her its a school day she wakes up and gets dressed lickedie split.

Here are pictures from her first day of school.

Easy Project for the Kiddos

2011-05-20T10:25:00.000-07:00

This was an easy project for both the kids and I. All I did was throw some crayons at the two and say "Draw yourselves a monster!" Five minutes later, they each had a colorful, unique monster drawing of their own. Then, my job started. I grabbed my sewing machine and my stash of felt scraps and worked on bringing their monsters to life.

Isla's monster is "Boo Boo" and is her favorite stuffed animal. She sleeps with it, eats with it, totes it around, etc. Liam doesn't really care so much about his monster, but he such is the fickle nature of 6-year-olds. He does, however, adore the stuffed bunny rabbit a homeless man gave him in downtown portland. Man, that thing "Peter" is right up there with his Mickey Mouse stuffed animal. Anyway, looking for a rainy day project? Make your kids their own monsters.

Video of Liam Reading Poem at School

2011-05-06T23:03:00.000-07:00

Folks, We Have a Winner

2011-05-05T11:00:00.000-07:00

I asked Liam if he wanted to post the news of his first place win on his new blog, but he looked at me as if I'd just asked him to go to school naked or something. "You're embarrassing me" he said. Now if embarrassing your child doesn't make you feel like an "old" mom, than I don't know what will. But on to the point! Liam's school had a writing contest and he won first place in the kindergarten division! I am beyond proud. Tomorrow the school is having an assembly and he gets to read his poem in front of everyone. I'll try and post a video clip but here is a preview:

Liam's Poem

I like my mom and dad
I like my family
I love the Oregon Ducks
I dislike loudness
I dislike the darkness
I can't stand getting hurt

Wren Emilia Likes to Eat

2011-05-04T09:32:00.000-07:00

Sprained Ankle

2011-05-02T22:09:00.000-07:00

Remember how I broke my toe a couple of months ago? Now that it's mostly healed (even though it will probably never bend again) I've gone and sprained my ankle. The picture isn't that impressive, but it's gnarly in real life, I promise. I was carrying my macbook at the same time and shattered the lcd screen in the fall. The good news? Billy installed a new screen a day later so I didn't have to spend too many nights without my skinny white lover (macbook, not Billy) but as for my foot? Nah, not so much. That's what you get when you marry an engineer and not a doctor. He can only fix so much, I guess.

Wren's First Trip to the pool

2011-04-30T15:22:00.000-07:00

Wren Emilia is 9 months old and about to embark on her first trip to the pool. Wish us luck!

My little girl is learning to crawl

2011-03-14T22:36:00.000-07:00

My Girl is 7 months

2011-02-24T21:25:00.000-08:00

And she is yummier than melted cheese! (Even though it's Mac and Cheese she's eating.)

Our Move

2011-02-20T01:49:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we moved out of our River Road house and into my parent's beach house in Gleneden Beach, Oregon. It was a typical move, you know, a mixed bag of emotions. My dad caught me crying during the shuffle of box and furniture transfers and was very confused. He said "Why are you crying? Did someone yell at you?" I shook my head. "Did somebody hurt your feelings?" He asked. "No, I'm just going to miss this place." I finally managed to say. He looked at me like I was a lunatic. "Why?" He said, and then walked away. It was pretty funny. Our River Road house lacks curb appeal and has been the victim of ten too many remodels, but it has been our home for almost four years and we've had a lot of fun within it's walls. I am a believer in house auras, and our River Road house has a very positive vibe to it. It's like a sponge that has soaked up a lot of laughter and love. Isla was talking to herself tonight and I heard her say "I miss the house with the brown door." We are all very, very, very happy to be living at the beach, but I think we will all miss our house with the brown door. Like I told Billy when I was in the throws of grief a couple days ago, just because I am sad it doesn't mean anything "bad" is happening. It's normal to feel a sense of loss when you move out of a place, right?

This is a picture I took of Kristin holding Wren while we were moving. She was such a lifesaver that day. Wren had no bed or crib to nap in, but she was perfectly suited to sleep with her Auntie Kris on the window seat. I love this two girls.

I Broke my Toe

2011-02-20T01:48:00.001-08:00

I broke my toe about an hour ago. I was walking through a pitch black room because I'm an idiot. This is what it looks like now.

Isla

2011-02-20T01:45:00.001-08:00

Tonight Isla said she had a secret for me and whispered in my ear : "The Holy Ghost helps Jesus." A few minutes later she had another secret to share. This time it was "The Holy Ghost helps everyone!"

It was pretty sweet.

Melida and Wren

2011-01-03T13:12:00.000-08:00

Melida's baby turns 5 years old this week. I can hardly believe it. Where have those years gone???????????

Well, needless to say, Melida likes babies. Wren, especially. And Wren likes Melida. If they are both in the same room, no one else exists. They go into Melida-Wren lovey-time. It is quite sweet. I hope they always have a special bond, because the 3rd child needs a little extra love, don't you think?

Christmas Post I

2011-01-03T13:05:00.000-08:00

Liam, trying to act nonplussed, was AMAZED at the magic show

Cousin Pedro tried to fool the magician, but miserably failed.

Uncle Lars with Elijah and Isla

Isla on Grandpa Olsen's lap.

The audience eagerly awaiting the Magic Show

My Uncle Lars and Aunt Celeste hosted a great Olsen family Christmas party this year. They've done it for years, in fact, and each time I leave feeling so happy to have seen my sweet extended family and wishing I got to do it more often. My Uncle Lars is my Dad's youngest brother and has always been very good to me and my siblings. Now that we're parents ourselves, he is also very good to our kids. Here are pictures of a, I kid you not, mind-stumbling magic show. Magic shows fascinate me. I want to be a magician just so I can know all their secrets. And apparently, so do my kids. They've been doing their own magic shows almost daily since their great Great Uncle's show.

Stocking for Wren Emilia

2010-12-13T22:27:00.000-08:00

This is little Wren's Chrismtas stocking. The Sugar Plum Fairy. Now my problem is Isla's. Hers is far too simple in comparison. My next project is going to be revamping Isla's so she doesn't feel sad and left out when she is 10 years old and oh-so-sensitive.

Aunt Kris for the Weekend

2010-12-13T10:22:00.001-08:00

This last weekend Aunt Kris came to stay with us. I think she had fun, but I'm afraid she's going to need lots of naps to make up for our chaotic home life. Liam and Isla have many demands for her, and as much as Billy and I try to interfere, Kristin is just too nice to say no to the kids. They watched lots of kids movies from the 80s, played lots of Super Nintendo, and played lots of Angry Birds on Kristin's iPad. We tried to keep things interesting by going to pizza Friday night, going to see Christmas lights Saturday night, and making gingerbread houses as well.

Wren likes her too.

Liam's gingerbread house is the only one that was built to last.

The hangout. Poor Kristin. Those kids are on her ticks on a bear.

More summer pictures

2010-11-08T13:15:00.000-08:00

Liam and Isla adore Wren. No sibling rivalry, yet. Thank goodness. Liam calls Wren "Jo-jo" because apparently she looks like a little potato wedge to him. His words, not mine. Isla likes to take baths with Wren and I. She says its our "gurl time". Isla is very into distinguishing between "gurl" and boy things.

Summer Pictures

2010-11-08T13:07:00.000-08:00

Grandma Olsen got the most beautiful Angora bunnies last summer. These bunnies, it turns out, mate like bunnies, so now Grandma has lots of beautiful Angora bunnies. They are very fun to play with while we're down there, but so far we've turned down Grandma's gracious "bring home a bunny!" offers. Wren is enough of a bunny for us, thank you very much! I can hardly keep my three little kids groomed and happy, so we'll have to save our bunny-raising adventures for later on in our family life. For now, we hold bunnies on Grandma's couch.

P.S. Two thoughts: Doesn't Liam look so much like Billy? And Isla look so much like my mom??

So Wren doesn't feel left out

2010-10-22T21:07:00.000-07:00

Mickey Mouse on Video

2010-10-22T20:55:00.000-07:00

Minnie Mouse on video

2010-10-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

The "Almost" Halloween Costumes

2010-10-22T20:46:00.000-07:00

I still need to fix the hats, put a button in Liam's pants, make pink shoes for Isla, and figure something out for black noses, but here's a preview! I am so excited by these cute little mice that I had to post them. Someday my children won't want to dress alike, but it will be themed outfits for the Snyders until that sad Halloween arrives. No costume for Wren this year.

Wren's Birth Story

2010-09-22T11:53:00.000-07:00

It's long, but I know some of you like this kind of thing. I know I do! It also contains DESCRIPTIVE BIRTH EVENTS, so if your squeamish you might not want to read.

The Birth of Wren Emilia

Wren’s official due date was August 2, 2010. But by week 37, July 12, 2010, I was consistently having inconsistent contractions. The doctor called it “pro dromal” labor, which google said was “false labor”, but I said tomato/tomatoe, the whole thing was a sham. I’d been into the hospital for a non-stress test, but the ordeal just increased my level of stress. If my uterus was determined to contract fifty times a day for no good reason, then I was going to fight back with indifference and mistrust. I decided to ignore my body all together. It couldn’t be trusted. So, I stopped making note of contractions, painful or not. I also stopped timing the suckers, even when it seemed like they were coming all the time. I believed labor would come whether or not I was a neurotic impatient mess, and I preferred to escape the neurotic mess portion if I could possibly manage.

Instead if timing contractions, I kept myself busy. I cleaned, a lot. The kids and I picked berries. We made jam, we made pie. One day we made two dozen delicious cupcakes from scratch, just because it was something to do. We went to the park and rode bikes. We went out on the boat and watched Liam tube for the first time. All the meanwhile it felt as if the ligaments in my pelvic girdle were turning into goo. My uterus still contracted, and I also lost little bits of what I think was my mucus plug. When my 38 week appointment, July 22^nd, a Thursday, came, I was very curious as to the progress my cervix had made. After a week of feigned indifference, I really couldn’t help but hope for some sign of labor “down there”.

Dr. Farley’s assessment was, hmm, a little lack-luster. I was 2 and half centimeters dilated (up from 1.5 the week before), and 50% effaced. He said I could go into labor “anytime”. But what is “anytime”? One day or two weeks? Both, really. So, I kept the same blasé mantra. Nothings gonna happen. This girl isn’t coming out any time soon. La la la.

That afternoon, Crystal Logan came by to visit. I noticed I was having some contractions. They felt different, too. A little lower, maybe, and somehow connected to my cervix. Each contraction induced a strange scratching, or tickling sensation in the nether regions. I tried not to get excited, but I did time the contractions a little here and there. They seemed to be coming every 6-9 minutes. Not a big deal.

I told Billy about the contractions when he came home around 4 in the afternoon. He thought they were a bigger deal then I did. I talked about going to visit my sister in Salem the next day, and he looked at me like I was crazy. “If you’re not in the hospital, you mean?” Then I looked at him like he was crazy. I was sure these contractions would fade and die out, just like the others had.

We had burritos from Rigobertos for dinner, and the kids went to sleep easily. By 8 o’clock we had retired to our room. We snuggled, watched a movie, and did some other stuff. I was contraction-free the whole time, and a little disappointed that I’d been right. Everything seemed to have gone to sleep with the kids.

Around midnight, they kicked back into gear. Nothing too notable, however. Billy was asleep, so I quietly did some laundry and took a bath. Around 1 in the morning, I decided to at least try to go to sleep. The contractions were coming every 6 minutes, but the pain level was still minimal. Maybe a 1 or 2? I feel asleep without out a problem.

I woke up around 3:30-4 ish with contractions. This is the first thing that alarmed me. Going to sleep always stopped my false contractions. However, these puppies were coming every 6 minutes. I am pretty sure my body woke up just to use the bathroom, because the contractions weren’t very painful. Yet.

I laid back down in bed and played a word game on my iPhone while timing the contractions. They were consistently every 6 minutes. Dr. Farley didn’t want me calling or coming in until they were every 5. It was also in the middle of the night, so I didn’t want to come in unless I had no choice in the matter.

A little after 4 am, things changed. I had a very strong contraction. This contraction seemed to push the baby further down, because I suddenly felt a lot of pain and pressure on my cervix. I didn’t get the pushing sensation—but felt a flicker of remembrance.

I was in labor, I knew it. Just to be sure though, I waited for the next contraction. It came four minutes later and was just as bad. I leaned over and nudged Billy awake. He was drowsy, and it took a minute or too for me to get his attention.

“This is real, Billy.” I said. “I’m in labor and we have to go to the hospital, now.” I felt like he didn’t really understand, but my next contraction came about 3 minutes later, and the pain had really picked up. This made me panicky. I was up and getting dressed fast. My hospital bag was mostly packed, but I added my insurance card, my laptop, the cameras. Billy caught on to the reality when he saw how painful the contractions were. I couldn’t walk through them. I couldn’t talk through them. They scared me. I didn’t feel any sense of giddiness or excitement, only the pressing need to get to the hospital.

Billy called his parents, I called Christal Houghtelling. Bless her heart, Christal was up and ready to take the kids. No questions asked, even though it was 4:35 am. I will love her forever for her kindness. We dropped off the kids around 4:45, the Snyder parents were on their way to pick them up, and we headed to the hospital. Billy broke all speeding laws, and I was grateful. The contractions were coming fast, so fast I didn’t bother timing them, and they HURT. I was scared.

The nurses at the birthing center let me into a room right away. They must have a sixth sense about who is-and isn’t- in labor. No questions asked, they brought me into our room and checked my cervix. I was 7 centimeters. I asked for an epidural, and was concerned when they said I had to wait for a liter of fluid to drain into my IV first. They said it would take 15-20 minutes. “What if I can’t wait that long?” I asked. The contractions were picking up, both in pain and frequency, and I felt very, very scared. The nurse, Dannika?, was very kind. She was short and pudgy, and when I leaned forward she’d hug me into her soft breasts. She gave me some Fentenol to take the edge off the contractions, and while they didn’t do much for the pain, the medication did ease my growing sense of panic. It made me feel like I could handle what was happening. It faded quickly, but I did get another dose right before the epidural.

The epidural took awhile. My scoliosis made it difficult for the nurse anethestician to find a spot, but he did after 20 or so minutes. The medication worked right away. I could feel the contractions, but the pain was gone. It felt like the perfect concoction.

Dr. Farley arrived while the anethestician was still in the room. My water hadn’t broken yet, so Dr. Farley went ahead and broke it. With his hand still up there, he checked things out. “That really hurts”, I told him. I was surprised I could feel so much with the epidural. “That’s because it’s time to push” Dr. Farley said.

There was meconium in the fluid, which scared me. And the lack of pain relief near my cervix and in my vagina scared me as well. Dr. Farley said increasing the epidural wouldn’t help, the baby would be born too soon. The nurse showed me where the Epidural bolus button was, but Dr. Farley was right, the pain didn’t go away.

The next contraction started, and he told me to push. Push I did, and I could feel every sensation. The baby’s descent felt like she was cracking my bones and burning my vagina along the way. I pushed as hard as I could for maybe 15-20 seconds, and then they told me to stop. The break wasn’t much of anything, maybe a minute, and then they were yelling for me to start again. This time, Dr. Farley said “okay, she needs to come out RIGHT NOW, Rebecca. Push her out right now!”. The nurse would count to ten, but then she’d start right over and have me keep pushing. The whole thing is really a blur, but I remember screaming out in pain, saying something like “this really hurts!” and then looking at Billy for reassurance. He was really good and just gave me the sweetest look of compassion and love and said “you’re doing really good.” Or something like that. The pain was unreal. It surprised me and scared me. It hurt to push, I wanted to stop really bad, but the nurse and Dr. Farley were practically screaming “now! Now!now!”. I could feel her head slip through, a pause, and then her shoulders. After that she wiggled right out of me, and it felt like a wormy fish slipping through my fingers. I looked down and saw a bunch of nasty brownish green water, and her little body covered in the meconium. She wasn’t moving.

They brought her over to the delivery table and lights just a few feet away, but all I could see were her motionless legs, brown and green. I was very scared. Why wasn’t she screaming? Why wasn’t she moving. I looked at my mom, who told me everything was okay. Dr. Farley was still working on me down there, and he seemed confident the baby was okay. This helped take away most of my anxiety, but I was still concerned. Why wasn’t she moving?

They said she had been born so quickly, she was just in shock. They whisked her away because they wanted to make sure she didn’t breathe in any of the meconium. They didn’t want her to cry until they’d suctioned it all out. Dr. Farley wanted her born so quickly because her heart rate dived during the first push session.

Her APGAR was an 8, surprisingly enough. She weighed 7 lbs 1 oz, and was 19 inches long. As soon as she was clear of meconium, they let me hold her. She was very alert, so I spoke to her for a couple of minutes before I tried to nurse. Her Spirit is very strong, and I felt her love for me penetrate everything. She nursed right away, like a pro. Of course. All my babies are excellent nursers.

Billy and I had a few names in mind. Margaret, with the nickname Margot. Adair. And lastly, Wren. As soon as I held her, I knew she was Wren. It was Billy’s favorite name, so as soon as I decided, it was practically official. We gave it a day to practice out, but eventually decided on Wren Emilia Snyder. I personally think it is just a gorgeous name.

And we think she has red hair?

My little Wren

2010-09-20T23:20:00.000-07:00

Okay! Here are the much-requested pictures of our little Wren Emilia. She will be two months in 2 days, but she is still such a little package of baby. She's had a rough month of colic, but we are seeing signs of improvement, and we are very much looking forward to having her continually happy with this mortal existence (at least until she's a teenager). Because when she is happy, oh my, it makes all the barf and 3 hour nights of sleep worth it. As you can tell from the pictures, she's a mini-Liam. As her Momma though, I see a special twist of something else lingering in her facial expressions. So while she looks like Liam, she is still definitely made in her own mold. We love this little bug so much.

Quote of the Day

2010-09-09T19:59:00.001-07:00

Isla to Liam: "I didn't hit you, I was just pounding your head."

Liam's First Day of School

2010-09-09T12:37:00.000-07:00

Liam's first day of Kindergarten

"Liam, put your hands in your pocket . . . not THAT pocket!"

No, he's not excited...

Isla doesn't want to let him go.

Things to Remember about Liam's First Day of Kindergarten

1. View Acres Elementary, Mrs. Southard 10:30-2:30

2. Liam made his own PBandJ sandwich and packed his lunch the night before

3. Family theme for the school year: Be Courageous.

4. Scripture: Deut. 31:6: Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he [it is] that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

5. Family goals for school year: 1. Say family prayer before school 2. Read scriptures 3. Do service

6. Liam was VERY excited and giddy for school, up until the last moment when it came time to say goodbye. Liam's smile turned into a worried frown, and he looked up at his mom with wet, teary eyes. "I don't think I can do this" he whispered. His mom reminded him of the family theme for the year. Courage is when you do what is right, even when you're afraid. Liam swallowed his tears bravely and said goodbye with a cautious smile on his face.

7. Isla didn't want to leave Liam. "I want to go with him" she cried the whole way back to the car. Her dad took her to get a Slurpee, and all worries were forgotten.

Liam's First Tube Ride

2010-07-16T11:19:00.000-07:00

2010-05-02T23:37:00.000-07:00

Isla reading nursery rhymes

2010-04-27T17:55:00.000-07:00

Isla Reading to Daddy

2010-03-27T22:38:00.000-07:00

Ultrasound

2010-03-19T11:38:00.001-07:00

Ultra cool, ultrasound. Healthy baby, healthy girl!

The Good and the Bad

2010-03-07T22:35:00.000-08:00

The Bad: The stomach flu hit our entire family this weekend.

The Good: Our kids love each other. No one has left the house in 72 hours plus, but they have managed to play and pretend and entertain each other the whole way through it. I'm not saying there aren't bruises, but I am saying Billy and I were able to nap in reasonably flexible shifts. These two have been cuddlers since the very beginning . . .

Liam Playing the Piano

2010-03-04T10:35:00.001-08:00

Liam and the Piano from rebecca Snyder on Vimeo.

Conversation with Isla

2010-03-03T23:35:00.000-08:00

So, the other night I casually told Isla she was adorable. Being the obstinate, argumentative child she is, she said "No! I am not bedorable". Which of course was adorable. I ran for the camera, but when I tried to re-capture the moment, she wasn't about to let me have it. Here's our conversation...

Conversation with Isla from rebecca Snyder on Vimeo.

Fun news everyone already knows!

2010-03-03T22:40:00.000-08:00

That's right, we're expecting! You already know, but hey, for this stale blog's sake, I need to post something. I propped the camera on the table when Billy was at work, and had to shift it all the way to the left of the kitchen to avoid the messy part. Ha ha. So here I am 16 weeks along, but I'm 18 weeks along now. I'm due August 1, and we find out the sex March 18th. Who knows, I just might post again to document the event. The beginning of this pregnancy was

h a r d on me, but I'm feeling pretty healthy and very blessed now. Billy took good care of me, and believe it or not, so did the kids. They are both very excited for this baby to join our family. Every night Liam prays that the baby "will come out soon", and in my head I always add "well, not TOO soon."

Happy Birthday Grandma Connie

2010-01-15T19:52:00.000-08:00

Brother Scotty

2009-11-16T13:10:00.000-08:00

This is my awesome big brother, Scott. Below is a something he wrote, based on a legendary Olsen story. It was too good note to share, so without his permission I am posting it for all to read. Sorry Scott! I chose to ask for forgiveness rather than permission :)

"If your personality is based on one's life sum of experiences, you could call me misunderstood. I'm not sure if I was set up by the cosmos or if my thought process reversed polarity from birth. It's actually probably the result of too much sugar and Sesame Street. Whatever the reason, it doesn't matter, as it has helped me learn many important lessons. One of these lessons I had to learn the usual hard way, and starts beyond which my memory can recall.

I was seven, and my younger sister, Rebecca, was five. She was a worthy warrior sibling in our growing family of six, aggressive enough to get what she wants, and just sweet enough to deserve what she wants. However it started I do not remember, possibly it was over a care bear doll I wanted to torture, or possibly it was her torturing my transformers. But I do remember kicking and yelling on the small landing in the middle of the carpeted stairway, with my sister ruthlessly clawing and biting at my bare legs.

This was normal fighting tactic for her, fighting dirty was her game. So I try to scramble away and end up catching her in a front tooth square with my heel. I knew I had hit her pretty hard as I felt her tooth strike a chord and harmonize through my bones. But the screaming is what confirmed my suspicions, and that scream worked, it wasnt the kind that is threatening, but the kind that makes mom run.

So mom arrives on cue, assesses the situation and quickly determines who must be at fault for this untimely distraction. With my sister now stammering to catch her breath through the wails, pointing at me with one hand and covering her mouth with the other, I knew I was in trouble.

"Scott Eric Olsen!", she yells, which sent real shivers down my body. Whenever my full name was used, I knew this meant business. I looked up with as innocent eyes as I could muster, silently pleading for some kind of mercy.

"Did you do this on purpose or accident?", she says with a stern questioning voice. As a wise seven year old, I was not privy to the meanings of these words. I had heard them before I suppose, they both sounded like good words, but here I was faced with this dilema to pick between the two. The beating that ensued was not the grandest on the scale of other exploits, but it was one to remember. Remember never to say you ever did anything on purpose ever again!

In the end my poor sister paid dearly by being reminded of the incident constantly for the next few years. Her tooth couldnt take the hit, and had died apparently, leaving it a dull grey. It was not an adult tooth, thank goodness for that, as I perfer to relay this story at my own will. I guess we are all reminded with family photos of this era and of the tumultuous rivalry we all shared and enjoyed. " `

Lazy Tuesday = Balloon Animals in Bed

2009-11-03T09:08:00.000-08:00

Halloween Pics

2009-11-02T12:01:00.000-08:00

Halloween 2009

Family Pizza Party with IBC Rootbeer

Church Trunk or Treat

Annoying Stage Mom-esque Photo Shoot

Trick or Treat around the neighborhood Family After Party

Thanks to Mom and Dad, most of the Halloween candy is all gone!

Happy Halloween from the Snyders

2009-10-30T12:48:00.000-07:00

Homemade CO2 Bomb

2009-10-28T22:18:00.000-07:00

A Belated Video

2009-10-28T21:48:00.001-07:00

I filmed this last July, but I haven't forgotten about it, so here you go.

Back story: For the 4th of July, Grandma Connie makes delicious chocolate nut ice cream bars. In anticipation for the bars, Isla said "ice cream bears" at least a dozen times before dessert, and it was pretty cute. BUT-- When I tried to film her saying "ice cream bear" she very slyly said "popcorn" instead, then "orange". This video captures her stubborn sneaky side. It's less than a minute and worth every second.

Shabby Apple Dare to Design Limoncello Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-10-27T21:05:00.000-07:00

Shabby Apple Dare to Design Limoncello Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Check out this beautiful hand-sewn dress. One of these days I am going to win a giveaway!

Worst burglar ever - BestofYouTube.com

2009-10-26T15:56:00.000-07:00

Kind of long (3 mins) but worth it all together.

Worst burglar ever - BestofYouTube.com

The Snyders are out for the Count

2009-10-20T06:22:00.000-07:00

Before and After

2009-09-30T21:13:00.000-07:00

My mom says every parent has hair cut story, and I am hers. When I was about 4 and a half, I cut off Annelisa's ice blond curly locks. I still remember the heavy metal scissors in my hand, and how they made me feel very important. Really, I do.

Last week (or was it two weeks ago?) Liam cut off Isla's two ponytails and gave her a couple bald spots. The only person upset by it was me, so I've managed to let it go. Hair grows, and in the meanwhile, her bangs and bob are pretty cute.

Before pics from August/September

After Liam (and the beauty parlor who corrected the weird angles)

Isla Singing and Dancing to Beyonce's "Single Ladies"

2009-09-30T20:52:00.000-07:00

Preppy Isla

2009-09-15T23:31:00.000-07:00

Who needs Hermione when the world has this little thing?

Isla on Tap

2009-09-02T22:10:00.000-07:00

Isla is two years and two months old and talks very well for her age. She has been saying funny things all summer long, and I haven't done a good job of writing her -isms down. Here are some things she's said just this week. I wish I could accurately portray how cute and clever these things sound when they come out of her mouth, but she is beyond words.

"Mom is a great mom" whispered as I tucked her into bed.

"Liam, Mom put my poop in the toilet and it made me sad!!!" Isla sobbed hysterically to her brother, looking for sympathy, after I took appropriate measures to clean up an accident.

"I love you mom" and then a kiss on my cheek. "I love you dad" and then a kiss on his cheek. "I love you Liam." and then a kiss cheek. Then, she paused. "I love you Isla." She looked down at her belly, tucked her chin to her chest, and attempted to kiss herself.

"Ant man is on me! Ant man is on me!" Yelled, repeatedly until I killed an ant crawling on her wrist

"Why, the neighbors will be scared?" asked when I told her she needed to go to bed, and not cry in her room at night.

This is What Dreams are Made of! WATCH AND BE CHANGED!

2009-09-01T22:51:00.000-07:00

The Coming of Fall

2009-09-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

Liam's been asking me what season comes after summer, and my answer, always in a grouchy tone: "Fall...the fall of my soul, the cloudy depression as I realize summer is gone..." and then I lose him to my bitter rant against the season so many of you love.

It hasn't always been this way. I use to love the the fall. There was school, morning runs to the bus stop, apples from the orchard, Halloween. Basically the quintessential American fall. But that all changed fall of 2004, when I found out I was pregnant with Liam and suddenly wanted to puke my insides inside-out. The fall after that, 2006, I was pregnant with Isla. Repeat sudden onset of 3 month stomach flu. Now, with the power of memory and suggestion firmly in place, all I have to do is smell a pumpkin spice candle and I feel nauseous. When I go outside in the morning and feel the encroaching autumn air, I feel a heavy wave of sick depression sweep over me.

Today is September 1st, and I want to know what you guys think I can do about all of this? Do you have any good ideas for me? I want to show my kids how to have a fun fall, but I feel pretty stumped. I would love any suggestions from you, even you lurkers...you know who you are...

Feeling it in Spokane/Coeur d'Alene

2009-08-20T13:54:00.000-07:00

The Snyders really know how to vacation, so when I heard we'd be taking a road trip up North to visit long-time family friends, the Mortensens, I was pretty excited. The Mortensens live on a beautiful piece of country property in Spokane, and have a spectacular lakefront cabin on Lake Pondereille, and hanging out with these guys is just one of the many perks to marrying into the Snyder family. We really had a good time, mostly because my three favorite vacationing goals were firmly in place: Family, Food, and Sun. Here are a few pictures to document our trip:

For Grandma O

2009-08-20T11:03:00.000-07:00

Isla talked to my mom on the phone today. The first thing she said was "Me so cute." I suppose I was fawning over her, making a big deal out of her french braids. They ARE so cute, but I was just so happy she held still for minutes on end.

My mom wanted to see pictures, so here they are Mom. Thanks for her cute outfit, too. These are from her birthday.

Liam's Soccer Camp

2009-08-06T12:33:00.000-07:00

Liam participated in a week-long soccer camp at our local park in June. He was in a class of 3 1/2 to 4 year olds, and with the exception of two giant boys who were at least 5, all the kids just ran around kicking the ball (and sometimes the orange cones) and looking back at their moms. It was really cute. Grandma and Grandpa Snyder came up to watch the last day, which encouraged Liam so much that he kicked the ball all the way down the field and (almost) into the goal. He got right up to it and then, with the ball still a foot away from the net, he stopped. It was as if he thought "Well, that's good enough for now. I think I go back to where Grandma and Grandpa are." He was so proud of himself, though. He turned around and faced the busy crowd. His eyes searched, until he found mine and then, with all his explosive 4-year-old energy jammed into one little arm, he punched the air with his fist.

(This is Liam, kicking the ball to the goal!)

The Bathroom Makeover

2009-08-04T17:56:00.001-07:00

When Billy left for Scout camp two weeks ago, I knew I had to do something to keep the kids and I busy. I pondered the pros and cons of different scenarios...I could go to Salem, I could go to the beach...those are the usual standbys. But, for some reason that probably had everything to do with a hormonal manic upswing, I decided to remodel the bathroom without the handiest of handymen, Billy.

You see, we have just one bathroom in our house. A very old, very small, very plain, and sometimes very smelly bathroom. It is really the armpit of our humble home, and that is saying a lot, considering how scary the basement is. We've steered away from a remodel in the past because it was so bad we knew we'd have to do an all out, tear down the walls, replace the plumbing kind of a remodel, and after our kitchen, we were DONE. So the bathroom was left alone, no breath of life eeked into it, it's cream walls as tired as we were.

But, two weeks ago on Monday morning, I dove STRAIGHT in. This is what I did:

1. Removed the existing sink, cabinet, and mirror. Given away free to some River Road passerby.

2. Repaired remaining hole in floor and wall.

3. Spackled and sprayed texture to the poorly patterned wall.

4. Painted ceiling and walls with paint I picked up on free Craigslist

5. Tore out existing moulding

6. Laid ceramic-looking stick-on tile strips

7. Cut (I USED A POWER SAW!) moulding and put it in

8. Caulked everything within sight

9. Put in new sink (that I got for 20 bucks, new, at a garage sale)

10. Painted Goodwill mirror and frames

11. Went a little crazy at Target

Now, the best part of all of this??? Billy had no idea! He left our bathroom with 50 year old yucky wood floors, damaged walls, and dirty cream from top to bottom, and came back to a still old and imperfect, YET colorful new bathroom. He was so surprised, when he first saw it he thought I'd hired someone to do it for me. Now that is a compliment!

Before (If you think this picture looks good, TRUST ME, it didn't look like this in real life):

After (Notice the floor-to-moulding-to-bathtub connection. I am so proud of myself!)

The Heat Escape

2009-08-03T16:51:00.000-07:00

Annually, it appears, I take the kids to the coast for the purposes of survival. Or, maybe it's just comfort, even though it FEELS like survival when it is over 100 degrees outside and about 94 degrees inside my house. The Oregon coast is replete with many attractions, the most attractive of which is its reputation for cooler temperatures and a healthy breeze. From the Willamette Valley to the ocean, only 60 miles away, we saw a 40 degree temperature drop (if you compare day to evening temperatures).

So, it was my mom, Scott, Kaisa and her kids, and me with mine at my parent's house in Gleneden Beach. We spent our time going to the Newport light house, Devil Lake's monstrous playground, Dairy Queen, and the beach (of course). When my dad arrived Friday night we had a good ole fashioned campfire and weenie roast, perfected by a rousing round of "Oh Mrs. Shady" led by my dad.

When I put my kids to bed that night, their hair smelling of smoke, their hands sticky with melted marshmallow, I couldn't help but feel a warmth familiar to the heat I escaped grow within my chest. It's been fifteen years since my parent's built their beach house, each penny, shingle, and wall stencil added because they wanted their children (and grandchildren) to have a place where the salty air could flavor their memories.

And since that time, many things have happened in my family. I think I can say we've experienced many trials, some of circumstance, some of faith. We've had our losses, and our disappointments. Times where we were lonely because we forgot we had each other.

But, with my two children asleep next to me, their cousins asleep in the next room, Kaisa, Scott, and my own two parents upstairs, together, I was reminded of how good life is. The Good Lord has given me so much, the greatest of which is my family. The family I was born into, the family I gained when I married Billy, and the family we are now creating together. As campfire smoke obscures my path, so do my trials, but God is the night sky, ever present, ever loving, and as He stays with me, so does my family. They sit with me on the fallen tree trunk, waving the smoke away, coughing, and waiting, because even though it is uncomfortable right now, it is only a matter of time before the air shifts and we can see again.

Snyder Summer

2009-07-27T22:26:00.000-07:00

It's hard to keep up with blogging during the flurry of summer activity, so an abbreviated picture gallery will have to suffice!

Hot, hungry, and cranky. We took dinner outdoors and waited for Dad to come home from work.

Then...silly faces ensued

Liam's double chin attempt

Isla growling

The Houghtellings showed us a new FANTASTIC park in West Linn.

Isla and Liam snuggling in Isla's new Dora sleeping bag from the Snyder grandparents

The first boat trip of the summer

Isla and her orange pop

Liam and his O.P.

Our boat may be a humble float, but it sure does make for a relaxing family activity.

Hope you guys are enjoying your summers too! We love you all!

Isla's 2 Year Birthday Party

2009-06-28T16:57:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, on Father's Day, we had a small birthday dinner for Isla at the Olsen pond. Dinner was homemade lasagna, salad, Grandma O's rolls, garlic bread, sliced watermelon, and grape juice. It was a busy, napless afternoon, so Isla was a tad subdued, but still awake enough to enjoy her ice cream cone birthday cupcakes and all of the presents from our sweet family. She was a very lucky girl.

Isla and Grandma Connie

Isla, Grandma Olsen, and her new bike

Some of the guests

The birthday spread

The faux ice cream cone birthday cupcake

Melida and Johnny

Uncle Scott posing for the camera

Uncle Derek (or Dedick as Isla says)

Birthday girl on the trampoline

Her priceless expression upon seeing a birthday present

Liamspeak

2009-06-23T16:18:00.000-07:00

I should enter this into the urban dictionary.

Finger + Pinky = Finky

As in "when I put my finky in my mouth it hurts" Liam says as he shows me a hangnail.

Better Than Roses

2009-06-22T21:46:00.000-07:00

Magnavox circa 1960 turned iPod Player

Thanks to Billy and his sweet skills.

Britney Spears on my playlist, well, that's all my fault. What can I say, it is good to clean to?

Isla the Great

2009-06-17T20:04:00.000-07:00

Isla is so big. She pees in the potty, poos in the "big" potty, and is now fully matriculated into non-breast milk drinking society.

Oh girl, all in time for her big number two on Saturday.

When I catch myself mourning the loss of my baby, I say "it's okay, you survived Liam's baby graduation and look at him now, see how fun it is to have a big boy?"

But then I get sad again and say "Did I rush her into this? Why did I have to wean her? Sure, society says a nursing a toddler is weird, but since when did I follow everything my culture dictates?"

There isn't much arguing with the potty-training, that was 99% Isla-driven.

I am blessed to have such sweet things to worry about.

As for the bigger worries, well, those don't need to be blogged about. I'll just keep them to myself, if you don't mind :)

P.S. Yesterday Isla was having a hard time going to bed. I left her in her crib to figure it out, but after 5 plus minutes of hysteria I went in to check on her. She was standing up, gripping the rails, and repeating "Happy Mudder's Day" over and over.

What?

Girl Cousins

2009-06-17T10:15:00.000-07:00

Aerlind and Isla snuggling on our last trip down to the Janzens. Aerlind is 5 (FIVE! How'd that happen?) and Isla will be 2 on Saturday.

Baskin Robbins 31 Cent Scoop Night

2009-06-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

Jessica: No ice cream (lactose intolerant)

Me: Three scoops (max.limit) and a waffle cone

Liam's Flavor: Rainbow

Christal and baby Topaz: I can't remember her choice...but I think she got three scoops like me. Am I right Christal?

Isla: Cookies and Cream

Jasper

Slate: Looks like Choc Chip Cookie Dough?

Marseilles Dress SHABBY APPLE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-06-08T21:58:00.000-07:00

Marseilles Dress SHABBY APPLE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Family Picture

2009-06-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

Have I said thank you to my in-laws yet for getting a photographer?

Because I really, really mean it when I say THANK YOU GUYS!

I love this photo. It might be my favorite of our family.

Warning: This is a Poop Story

2009-06-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

This morning we had an incident.

When I went to retrieve a crying Isla from her crib, I found her naked and gripping a poopy diaper. There was poop on her hands, bum, down her legs, and her feet.

She was hysterical. This was not fun for her. No, she was clearly trying to get the poop off of herself. So sad, right?

Cleaning her up took awhile. The poop was dried onto her bum cheeks and down her legs. Isla is on some medication that loosens her stools, and I guess we now know it works. She was asleep right until I got her from her bed, so she must have pooped in her sleep. By the looks of things, she woke up to quite a surprise.

Here comes the ironic twist:

After the bath, I snuggled with Isla in my bed to calm her down. Liam was asleep in my bed too, snoring through the whole ordeal. As Isla quieted down, my eyes fell on the back of Liam's pajama shirt. This is what I read:

Caution! I hit home runs in my sleep.

I couldn't help myself. I mentally put an "S" in front of "hit" and found myself laughing at the morning wake up call. Thank you Liam for bringing humor into the not-so-funny situation!

Family Picture

2009-06-01T09:14:00.000-07:00

If you ignore Liam's hand in Billy's face, it's not so bad. At least Isla is "kind of" smiling. I think I actually really like it. I like how Liam's socks match Billy's vest.

Back on the Wagon

2009-05-27T21:47:00.000-07:00

Here is another picture from the photo shoot. I personally think it is fantastic. Grandpa Bill helped Billy with our backyard fence this Memorial Day and Liam was devastated. He moped around, frustrated that his Dad had stolen his buddy. He just couldn't understand why Grandpa was working on the fence and not playing around with him. So sweet, isn't it?

Overheard in the Snyder House

2009-05-20T19:32:00.000-07:00

1. Liam, upon discovering a couple of crackers he left on the ground the night before: "Mom! Oh no! I fed the mice!" The sad thing is...we have a mice problem, and he is probably right . . .

2. Every time we cross a certain city bridge I can count down to Isla saying "Mamette River" (Willamette River). Liam will then, already inpatient, say "No Isla, that is the Clackamas River!"

It all goes downhill here from here. Isla waits a one perfect moment and then quietly says, as if to herself "Mamette River." Oh...this just enrages Liam. "No, Isla! It is the Clackamas River! NOT the Willamette River!" This only encourages Isla and she mutters again "Mamette River . . ."

People, let me tell you, this will continue on until Liam is just beside himself and Isla is sitting pretty with a smug look on her face. I'd think she was the devil if it weren't for the fact that I know exactly what she is doing because I did the same to my siblings growing up.

Tonight Billy took the kids for a drive while I had some quiet time and when he returned he was carrying a sleeping Liam. It was only 6 pm. Billy told me Isla was teasing him and he basically cried himself to sleep. I looked at Isla and said "Isla...were you teasing Liam?" She looked back at me with wide, innocent eyes and simply said "Mamette River."

Day One of Family Photos

2009-05-20T13:40:00.000-07:00

Okay...So, we all know I've been in a blogging slump, and as I revealed earlier, it has everything to do with not having enough photography to fuel my inspiration. Now that I have all of the family pictures from the Utah photo shoot I think I will post a photo a day until I either forget or run out. I also have a very exciting reveal that has nothing to do with pregnancy or moving, but everything to do with Billy being my favorite person, and that is an upcoming post as well. So my lovely blog readers, you may be few and far between, but your taste for the Eeency Weencies will be fulfilled.

Sorry, It's Been Too Long

2009-05-17T15:30:00.000-07:00

The frequency of my blog postings is dependent mainly on one thing: photos. If I am taking a lot of pictures, I am excited to share them, and then more inclined to post. But if I'm neglecting the camera battery or getting carried away with life and not bothering to click-click-click, then I only check blogs and not contribute.

To Amanda and Charlotte specifically, I apologize.

In April the Snyder family flew down to Utah for Dan's graduation from BYU. While we were down there Connie and Bill had arranged for one of Dan's friends, a Photography major, to take family photos. I haven't seen all of them yet, but above are two for your viewing pleasure :)

Then in May Isla and I flew down to California to visit the one and only Janzen family. It was such a soul-enriching experience as always. Kaisa and I talk from pretty much the moment we wake up until we go to sleep, Katia dotes on Isla and teaches her the way of the sisterhood, Isla clings to Aerlind like a wad of gum in the hair (sometimes smells good, but ultimately irritating), and baby Emeric is everyone's favorite transitional object. Thank you Matt, Kaisa, Katia, Aerlind, and Bay-bee Em-ee (as Isla says).

Liam is Funny

2009-04-27T20:11:00.000-07:00

Today at the Grocery Store

Liam, after asking incessantly for a pre-cut fruit tray, said "Mom, I have to whisper something in your ear.

Me, after incessantly ignoring his request, finally stopped alongside the overpriced organic vegetables, kneeled down, and said "Okay, what do you want to whisper in my ear?"

Liam paused. He cupped his little fingers over my good ear and said: "Mom, when you tell me no to buy fruit because it S-Pensive, I will squeeze my bum like this (body motion demonstrated) and then poop my pants."

April 19th

2009-04-19T19:05:00.000-07:00

Liam: It smells in here. Like chips and poop.

Me: Awww, that's not good.

Liam: Sorry, thats just how it is. Like spicy chips and a little bit of poop.

Four years later, this sweet little vernix-encrusted 7 pounder is insulting the smell of my bed and I don't even care. I only think it is adorable how he used the phrase "that's just how it is" for the first time, and was polite during the delivery. Welcome to four years, Liam!

Good Night Video

2009-04-16T22:22:00.001-07:00

The other night, while Billy was gone at Scouts (he is the Scoutmaster for our church troop), Liam wanted to make a "Goodnight" video. It seemed like a good way to liven the monotony of a routine I've done every night for the last four years, one that seems immeasurably harder to perform when Billy is absent. So we set about filming the bath time, the pajamas, the distract-mom playing, the scripture reading, the family prayer . . . It was a night like any other, with me doing anything I could to speed up the process, and them doing anything they could to sloooow it down.

When I put it together tonight, after the kids were in bed, the house quiet, QUIET, and got a little teary-eyed. Today was a hard day. I was impatient and cranky, the kids followed my lead, and we all whined and threw our weight around.

But when I watched these little guys, with the audio on mute and a little Billy Joel added in, I saw it in reflective manner. It made me think of one of my favorite books, Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury, when a father looks into his kitchen window from the outside, and sees his family as if for the first time. He sees all the love in the relationships and the profound joy in the interactions. Suddenly his outside interests, his worldly worries and stresses, seem so petty in comparison to his wife at the stove, the daughter fetching butter from the fridge, the sons playing cars under the table. He realizes that it was in that kitchen, in his humble home, that true peace could be found.

I think I should put the mundane moments of my life to music a little more often. Maybe I'd rush it a little less and enjoy it a lot more.

Grandpa Olsen's Annual Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Olsen, my Dad, is a really cool man. I really love him. And so do my kids. And everyone else who's ever been to one of his annual Pumpkin Picking parties or Easter Egg Hunts. Grandpa dons the generous-grandpa-to-all hat very well, and makes it his priority to spoil as many children with childhood memories of treats and adventure on a farm of fancy.

His farm is like the Candy House in Hansel and Gretyl, without the whole kidnapping and chicken bone through a cage bit.

I imagine at his funeral there will be many grown children crying in the pews as they remember him.

Who else thinks depressing thoughts like these while their children happily gather hidden Blow Pops and pastel Skittles?

Grandpa Olsen explaining the rules of the game. Different areas were divided by age groups. A really smart idea considering how Liam wouldn't stand a chance against a beefy eleven year old boy.

Now I just need to photoshop a little bunny tail in...

This is Isla's new smile for the camera. Heaven help her.

Sharing a conjugal hug after the hunt. Check out the Isla's loot.

Elijah and Paige at the pre-hunt picnic

Liam flashing his new gang sign: four years old baby.

Isla and her Gramma

Scott posing for the camera, Billy saying "Take the picture already."

Easter

2009-04-16T10:52:00.000-07:00

Easter Sunday was full of good stuff. Church, Celebration, Family, and Food. But rare was the alignment of clean clothes and happy tempers, making the possibility of an Easter family photograph, well, impossible.

Liam, as always, obliged sweetly. Isla, hmmm, needed a nap.

Overheard in Our House

2009-04-14T22:30:00.000-07:00

Liam: "Isla, this is a girl decoration for my camera. But it does not mean I am a girl. I am a boy. OKAY?"

Isla: "Gurrl. Gurrl. Gurrl."

Liam: "ISLA. I AM NOT A GIRL. I am a BOY."

Isla: "Gurrl. Gurrl. Gurrl."

Liam runs into the bathroom, where I was, listening to their conversation while I brushed my teeth.

Liam: Mom. Isla keeps saying I'm a girl.

Me: Oh no she's not, Liam. She just likes to repeat what you say.

Isla runs in to join us. She points a chubby finger right at Liam and shouts, as clear as anything

"Liam dis a Gurrl! Liam dis a Gurrl!"

Another quick one:

I recently taught Isla to say "I am a Mommy's girl." It is really cute, because she says it like this "Eyeyah Mommy Gurrl". Well...the other day when I asked her to say it she gave me a look of defiance and said "Eyeyah Dead-Ee-Kah Gurrl!" And then she laughed. She was telling me she was Jessica's girl, not mine.

Liam's 4 Years Old

2009-04-14T20:22:00.000-07:00

William Eric Snyder. My Liam.

The fifth first son in the Snyder line to be named William. The fifth first son in the Snyder line to have his middle name be his Mother's Father's name.

Wil"Liam" Eric Snyder

And then celebutard Tori Spelling had to name her first born Liam and ruin it all, but that is for another blog post.

Liam's 4th birthday is this upcoming Sunday, April 19th, but we decided to celebrate it last Saturday after Grandpa Olsen's annual easter egg hunt. Liam, being 4 and oh-so-literal, refused my explanation of conflicting celebration dates and actual birth dates, so Saturday was his birthday, through and through. He woke up earlier than usual, a smile plastered to his face, and spent the day asking people (and strangers) to wish him happy birthday.

"Uncle Ross, say Happy Birthday!" he'd say.

To the friend he made at the park: "Wish me Happy Birthday!" After she obliged, he said "Thank you!"

Liam and I practiced birthday party etiquette the night before. He very enthusiastically thanked the ether for his presents, and promised to never say the words "more" or "what else". He originally wanted an easter bunny birthday cake, but at the last minute decided on a G.I. Joe themed cake (it was almost a Strawberry Shortcake character request, thank goodness we steered away from that one, I'd never hear the end of it).

Billy and I filled the long desired request for a kid camera, and also a cool helmet, roller skates, skate board, knee, elbow, and wrist pads kit (for only 11.99!) at Toys'r'us. Melida and Jonny and the kids got him TWO play-doh kits, Aunt Cindy gave him the Polar Express DVD, and Aunt Jean gave him a cool airplane stuffed animal. Cousins Rachel and Charlotte gave him a solid chocolate bunny. Snyder Grandparents gave him real walkie-talkies and a CARS sleeping bag, and the Olsen Grandparent's gave him a hamster. A real hamster. Yet to be named.

The boy was elevated to a state of pure joy with everything. It was the first time I've seen the magic of birthdays fully come to life in his eyes. Holidays are special, and typically represent foundational elements of our faith, and the need to keep those themes central always remain in the forefront of my parental mindset, but birthdays, geez, I can make them as child-centric and gift-focused as I want. The sole purpose of the birthday is to celebrate the child's life, and we can chose to celebrate as we wish. Presents are just one way, but ultimately a big way, to make them magical for little kids. It was so fun seeing Liam so surprised and so excited.

This is all I can write for now, Billy has started a good movie and I am going to go snuggle with my man.

Potty Talk Video

2009-03-29T23:37:00.000-07:00

Liam

2009-03-29T23:04:00.000-07:00

Liam is almost 4. It is hard to put his progress and development into words, because he has become such an independent little man, with real complexities and intricate personality traits, everything I think to say sounds trite.

Because if I say he just so funny and smart and tender, you'll think I'm just being a mom. And then if I try to give you real life examples of how funny and smart and tender he is, I'll just forget the "good" ones and only remember the "so-so" ones.

So how do I say it? I think I am to tired to try (it is 11 pm ...) but I will figure it out in time for his birthday post.

Isla

2009-03-29T22:47:00.000-07:00

Isla is getting to be a big girl. She is 21 months old, but if you ask her how old she is she will hold up several fingers and say "Free!"

She wants to be just like Liam.

Some of her favorite things to say:

When you ask her what she is doing: "Nuffin!"

When you ask her Why? to anything: "Cause . . ."

When I give her a kiss, she furrows her brow and says "Burn . . ." She does this to tease me.

When Liam is doing something "dangerous": "Be bearful!" She is doing this to tease him too, because after he says: "Isla, I am a careful man!" (This is always his response), she smiles and says it again. They will go back and forth several times, until Liam is almost in tears and says "Mom! Tell Isla I am a careful man!!!" Isla has a sly poker face the whole time.

Before and After

2009-03-22T21:47:00.000-07:00

I have felt very inspired by Design Sponge's before-and-after coverage. I'm a beginner, but I tried my best to follow the advice of some online experts like these guys, and just take my time. I am pretty happy with the result.

I found this hutch on craigslist for only $40. For paint I used Belmont White by Sherwinn-Williams (some paint we already had) and for the backing I pasted in Snow & Graham's Sprout paper with homemade rice glue. For the rice glue I used this recipe and tutorial and it was very easy. Apparently rice glue is supposed to be great for applying paper, because it is heavy-duty yet doesn't wrinkle the paper. I found this was true. For the new drawer pulls I found these bright yellow antique porcelain pulls on ebay for only $5 for all 6. Definitely easy on the budget, considering how I was very tempted by Anthropologie hardware that costs as much as $16 a piece.

Before:

After (in not the order I wanted, because blogger is LAME):

Isla and her ABC's

2009-03-20T23:56:00.000-07:00

Isla's favorite book is the flip ABC babyconnection one I'm sure lots of you have seen. She is getting so good at reading it, I finally broke down and filmed her tonight. After filming her, I filmed just the book and then extracted the audio from the first video and pasted it onto book portion. Make sense? So, it may seem like the audio is occurring in time with the book at some parts, but not all.

Grandpas: Pay attention. When it comes to U for Umbrella Isla says "Bampa" meaning Grandpa Olsen. Last Sat. night before Wicked Grandpa Olsen mentioned needing an umbrella and this is what Isla is referring to. Then, W for Wagon, Isla says "Bampa bla bla wagon" and then "Bampa Bill". If you listen for it, you'll hear her say the "Bill" part. It's the cutest thing. I haven't heard her say that before.

Then, when we get to X is for x-ray she has to pause and think about it. You can hear her say "Ummm". This is such a Liam-ism and she has recently picked it up from him. So cute!

And then after the book is finished, because it is bedtime, all she wants is "Baa". I think most of you know what that is. But if not, you can refer to this old post: Isla and Her Bah

So, no, she isn't weaned.

Build a Bear

2009-03-20T22:55:00.000-07:00

Liam chose a classic light brown, curly haired bear. He placed a shrill giggle in the bear's foot. For accessories it was the tool belt and hard hat (of course). He named him Zookie. Isla chose the cutest little gray kitty, and for her accessories, pink patent sandals. She chose a cat's meow for her sound chip, and put it in the kitty's paw. Isla named her name is "Bee".

As for me, I think want to choose my Mom. I want her to be my stuffed animal. I want her to sit nicely on my bed, tucked into my pillows, while I read her stories and dress her up in cute little get-ups. Having a mom who will drive you out to Timbuktu to look at a pretty piece of property, then take your children to Build-a-Bear, and then out to eat is a fantastically sweet thing to have, so why wouldn't I want to preserve her and keep her forever? WHY? WHY NOT I ASK?

That is what I thought.

Pictures taken by Mom's iPhone

Grandma Connie Bread

2009-03-19T12:31:00.000-07:00

Someone (not pointing any fingers, Dad) forgot to bring up my birthday package from the Snyders last Saturday, so Sunday, sweet Connie and Bill brought it up just to be nice. I didn't ask them to, they're just cool like that. Liam was especially thrilled because the package had THREE delicious loaves of Grandma Connie Bread, or manna from heaven, which is what I call it in my post-bread glucose stupor ;)

A Good Night

2009-03-18T23:18:00.001-07:00

Plus

Equals

A Night I Will Remember Forever

I love you, Dad

Isla the Mommy Video

2009-03-17T23:53:00.001-07:00

This video is for the grandparents, but if you have an extra 3 minutes and watch this sweet hidden camera footage of Isla playing with her babies, you'll be happy you did. Isla has taken a very special liking to her many babies, their blankets, binkies, pillows, and diapers. They often go "poop" or "pee" according to Isla, and if I do not put them all in bed with her she will demand "other one!" until they are all there, snuggled in with her.

The other day while Liam and Billy were out have father/son time, I was cleaning the house and Isla was contentedly taking care of her babies. I didn't want her to notice me filming her, so I just set up the camera quietly and went back to work. This is priceless footage. You will see her migrate over to our bedroom because that is where I was, and where Momma is, you will find Isla.

After Grandma and Grandpa Olsen left this Afternoon

2009-03-09T17:08:00.001-07:00

"I wish they lived with us" Liam

"Gmaah, Gmaah, Gmaah. Gampah, Gampah, Gampah" Isla

When you feel like being productive . . .

2009-03-03T22:40:00.000-08:00

. . . and lazy at the same time, color-coordinate a bookshelf. It is funner than it looks!

. . . and

March Theme

2009-03-03T00:24:00.000-08:00

"Both abundance and lack [of abundance] exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend . . . when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present—love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us [happiness]—the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth." Sarah Ban Breathnach