I am back in the saddle!

Well because of the fact that my son is ridiculously cute, I am back in the saddle of blogging. I am hoping to get 4-5 posts up per week to keep all of our family and friends updated, as well as to keep my writing sharp as a tack. Or as dull as a cotton ball... depending on how you look at it. This weekend we had a really great time together, as usual but we spent a lot of time outdoors in the local WA beauty, which was a nice change from hiding from the rain inside. Above are some pictures of our trip to the beautiful tulip fields in Mount Vernon, WA. We went a few weeks ago, (those pictures are in the post below) and most things were not blooming. We also went through the whole

Steve:So where do we go to see the tulips?

Me: I don't know just keep driving til we see flowers.

Steve: Turn here or go straight?

Me: Um either way, I don't know..

Steve: ?????

So this time I was prepared, I went looking for those flowers with guns blazing. I had a color coded map, of which i had the most mature fields circled. I navigated us to Roozengarde's beautiful fields, where we were met with a $4.00 parking sign, then I navigated us back into LaConner to find an ATM, where Steve nearly ran over some avid bikers in uber nerdy spandex (thats a whole 'nother blog). While I am at it, let me just say, I have no respect for bikers who *think* they are cars. No, you giant outstretched arm is not a turn signal, its an arm, and if you don't put it down and get on the sidewalk, i am probably going to run it over , and you will be out one arm. And those outfits? Really? Do you really need to wear neon spandex to ride a bike. They are all like 'oh look at me i am a super rider, i ride with the flow of traffic, i'm just like a car riding down the street'. Except you don't have a MOTOR!! Well you get it, I am not a fan of 'sharing the road' with a bike. Roads are for cars. period. end of story.

(disclaimer, if any of you, my friends are closet nerdy bikers, I still love you, and i will try really hard not to run you over)

Anyhow, we walked all around the fields, I wore khakis and flip flops because really i thought they were lying on the website when it said 'fields are very wet and muddy, dress accordingly'. Oh well, I mean they couldn't possibly be too muddy for my cute get-up right? Wrong. It was like walking on the back of a big dinosaur, the mud was all crackly and springy, it was weird. Like Jurassic Park meets Skagit Valley.

Speaking of Skagit Valley, I am returning to the PRESTIGIOUS Skagit Valley College this week to finish my associates degree. Yes I am sure you are all very impressed. Skagit Valley College is on the list of like 100 best community colleges in the nation. Either way, I am excited to put all my knowledge into a degree, because if you don't already know, I am just bursting at the seams with knowledge. I can tell you the pediatric dosing charts for a 20lb baby taking a motrin/tylenol alternation. I can tell you the way to make a roux, I can tell you Maslows Hierarchy of needs, and I can tell you that this Mama needs to go to bed so that she can greet the cable guy bright and early to unhook the cable. Hahhaha Comcast, you won't be taking advantage of our wallet anymore. No siree, thanks to Hulu, Cbs.com, and the like- We don't need you! Enjoy the pictures!

Long time no see...

**Attention:Blake looks dazed and confused in the above picture because he can't believe what I actually look like with a little makeup and without a rats nest for hair** (take a picture buddy, doesn't happen often these days!)
Well it has been a long time since I have blogged. But to all my adoring fans, (all 2 of you) I apologize. I have been very busy, being a stay at home mom is wild. Playdates, and excercise and cooking, and cleaning, and lounging and eating bon-bons, and painting my toes. Oh wait, scratch that I haven't done the last three things in over a year. Well i wouldn't trade it for all the world. Tonight Blake was covered in green beans, carrots and tuna fish-and let me tell you, he smelled like it. It was atrocious. He had boogers coming out his nose, drool coming off his chin and he was the cutest thing I ever saw! Now you might be thinking I haven't seen many cute things. No. I have. Puppies, bunnies the whole 9 yards.

Speaking of cute things.. this whole twilight debate is getting pretty crazy. Now I only have eyes for my husband... (yea yea 'all my single ladies' keep yo' eyes to yo'self) But the Team Edward /Team Jacob thing is getting nuts. T shirts, bumper stickers, I am sure someone out there even has a tattoo. I personally will not get involved in the immature madness-because Jacob is clearly the better option. Bella better open her eyes. Oh right, I forgot, sleeping with one eye open in case your love is going to gobble you up is so romantic.

The real reason I am writing this is vanity. You see, my husband and I were driving to Mt.Vernon a few weeks ago, when he casually mentioned that he would like to write a book. I froze , I put on a fake smile and said "hahhahah". To which he replied "yeah,... i want to write a book". No more Miss Nice Girl. Doesn't he KNOW who he is married to? The next Jane Austen+Ellen Degeneres-Lesbian+Barbara Walters. Yes. Me! That is who he is married to. (For all you math gurus yes the above equation does = me when solved for X). I heard my voice raise a few decibels "UM NOOOO I am the writer in this relationship. I am a way better writer than you anyhow" He just laughed and that led me to continue "well if your such a great writer, write me love notes". SO now I am on a mission. I will write my book before he writes his. What will it be about? I don't know... something that will appeal to the masses, yet be funny too. Here are some titles I am kicking around:

Married A Crackerjack: Super sweet and Always nutty!

Picking Someone Else's Boogers 101

How to Let Your Personal Appearance go to Rot in 9 easy months

Lessons in Dada:How the become the bilingual mother you have always wanted to be

The Dumbing Down of America; A Scathing look at Drugs, Alcohol and Mommyhood

I can produce food.. what can you do?

My husband is a Sailor and yours is a big fat loser frat boy.

Ok... Now that I look at this, I am thinking maybe I should go into the bumper sticker business.

I would also like to write greeting cards. But again, I want to reach the masses. How about:

I'm Sorry (for not taking out the garbage for the bazillionth time)

With Deepest Sympathy (that the stretch marks on your stomach look like a road map)

Happy Birthday (even though you forgot mine, you jerk)

Congratulations (on your 4th child of the same gender, I would LOVE to come to the shower and buy you yet ANOTHER gift)

Well... Its 9:39 and this wild party mama is ready for bed. Steve was telling me that the new nightclub in town is having new water themed nights. Hot tub this weekend, and wet tee shirt contest next weekend. I told him that I should automatically win the wet t shirt contest because who else can make their own t shirt wet from the inside out?? Yep.. This GIRL! Now how many of those chicks down at element or lava do you think can do that?

I guess I'm kind of a superstar!

(to Blake anyhow ) :)

Signing off-thats all folks!

Valentine's Day and the like.... and i need to go blonde.

Well It has been a darn long time since I have blogged. And i really want to get better at it. Not only for the sake of vanity (I love feeling like a journalist), but also for the sake of documenting my life for loved ones far away, and for finding the beauty in every day. I am blessed to be a stay at home mom right now, and I feel like I see a little glimpse of the world that the working folk miss out on. What I miss in terms of adult conversation and math equations, I make up for in smiles and boogers.

This weekend was my first Valentine's Day as a mom. To be honest I was just so excited to go out to dinner that I didn't even care about presents or anything else. I woke up on Sunday morning, and totally forgot it was Valentine's Day. I stumbled out to the kitchen in a bright orange jaegermeister tee shirt, and my ponytail half on the top of my head, and half falling all over. Steve was busy arranging a bouquet of roses in a vase, and Blake was hopping up and down in his bouncy. I was so excited. I had completely forgotten, and in my less than sleeping beauty state, my sweet husband had remembered. He had chocolates and a card too, and those little rascals had snuck out before I woke up and gotten all these goodies to surprise me. It just delights my heart to think of them running around, on Valentine's morning finding presents for me. The fact that Blake was still in his Alien footie pajamas made it even more endearing!

On Saturday we went to Hip Hop Bounce, the baby/toddler gym in town. It was a blast. The place is filled with bounce houses and big bouncy obstacle courses. And a ball pit. No indoor playground would be complete without a flu and stomach bug infested ball pit. Steve and I got to go in all the bouncy houses with Blake and all was going great until....we met the worst child ever. Yes, she was a regular nightmare. You never would have known by looking at her. She had Blonde hair, and a pretty plaid dress. Complete with matching tights. I knew something was amiss when she ran up to us, jumping all around, and said to Blake "Watch this BABY HEAD!" She said it with such disdain. My mama bear instinct kicked in and I almost decked her. BUT, instead I just tried to escape her. Not so easy. She started chasing us through the obstacle course. The highlight being when she came up behind Steve and smacked him on the butt. Alarming, yes? Then she called him daddy. Ahhh just more Whidbey Weirdos. She continued to chase us around, and we could not escape her. Then she started calling Blake 'cry baby'. ( he wasn't even crying, so nah nah nah nah) (insert stuck out tongue here!) Steve asked her where her mother was, but why would she care? She had already claimed her daddy. Maybe her mom sent her there and told her to find herself a daddy. Well she can go find her own baby daddy, this one is taken.

Today we went to Anacortes, WA and went to the beautiful Washington State park. It was Gorgeous! We walked the 'loop'. On the website it just says scenic 2.3 mile loop. They fail to tell you, its 2.3 miles up hill all the way... (ok almost!). We huffed and puffed and wheeled our stroller down. We took the dog too, and she was beat! The scenery was amazing, walking through the moss covered woods was so serene. Now if only I had a BOB jogging stroller, I would be set.

blog update time!

It has been a terribly long time since i have blogged. I feel that an update is in order. It has been a wild month, and we have busily arrived at Christmas Eve eve! I am sitting by the light of my huge 8ft tree, and listening to the ghost of Christmas past talking to Ebenezer Scrooge on the TV. My in-laws and sis in law are visiting, and I am headed out to pick up my mom at the airport in a few minutes. I have been thinking of some random things lately that I have been meaning to blog.

1. I feel like i now think in terms of facebook status updates. Like at the NEX "Dear Nex, your clothes are ugly, I hate them. Love, Allison" or in the car "why are WA drivers afraid of snow" . My stream of consciousness has turned into little blurbs . Little 100+ character blurbs that are the nitty gritty. I feel like this is bad as far as my writing goes. I need to write in flowery words and flourishing sentences and facebook is trying to wean me from this.

Furthermore, blogger keeps underlining facebook as a misspelled word. Seriously, haven't they ever read Urban Dictionary?

Lastly

I feel as though I have a beef with Starbucks. I don't know about you but I like to order a Small Carmel Brulee Latte. Not a TALL, but a small. This is America. We serve Small, Medium, and Large, Not Tall, Venti, Benti and extra Super larggio! So every time I go I order a small tea, or a small cocoa, and the hippie ultra green barista repeats back to me 'a tall hot cocoa" and then I glare at her snide comment and confirm, YES, a SMALL cocoa. At this point they give up on my apparent "lameness" or "un coolness" I guess I would make a terrible Barista. I don't know why they need to make it so difficult. What is this trend of elitist companies, Abercrombie, you have to look like them, starbucks you have to talk like them.

They bore me. They couldn't keep up with me if they tried

Is it Kate Goesselin, or Blake B. ? You tell me!

My sweet baby is rockin the Kate Gosselin hair-do! Watch out Kate, you have some stylin competition!

Crazy woman martha stewart here!

Who Who WHo in their right mind decides to host 13 people for Thanksgiving Dinner and dessert when they have no prior experience? Yours truly of course! Yes, somehow I have always had it in my head that I would love to have a tv style holiday table full of eclectic people that don't know each other and have gathered around my table for a good meal, and good conversation. Well, that is exactly what I got. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I gained a whole new respect for any woman that has ever hosted a holiday. HOLY SMOKES it is a lot of work. Thank God my husband cleaned the house, or we would have been peeing in moldy toilets after eating our turkey. (joking!. heh. sort of). Anyways, I wrestled the 20 lb turkey into the sink (thats roughly 1/5 of my weight. Oh OK 1/6 , but whose counting pounds?) I bravely unwrapped it all the while praying i wouldn't find a feather. I swear to you if i found one single feather i would have been out! Yep check me out, done, no Thanksgiving for anyone . Thankfully there were none. I really ought to write to Foster Farms and thank them. Because i would have been scarred for life. I attempted to remove the giblets and instead found the neck. Hmm.. why don't they just toss the whole head in there? Beak and all.. i mean really.. Gross! I started freaking out and called steve for moral support. He held the cavity open while reached my plastic bag covered hand in there and pulled it out. He told me to just pretend i was picking up dog poop. uhhh...thanks honey. (lol surprisingly that is less gross to me!) I also then found the giblet bag and dumped it in a pot to make the gravy. I know thats gross and against everything i believe in. But I really wanted my gravy to be a success, i was desperate. It turned out really excellent . (Thank you wondra flour!). So I wrestled the turkey around (i refuse to call it 'the bird'. Thats disgusting, when i eat a burger i don't call it 'the cow'. ) and rinsed the thing in and out, i filled it with celery and carrots and onions. I wanted fresh herbs but not bad enough to go to the store and get trampled by every other overwhelmed housewife who forgot the butter, eggs, pumpkin, mini marshmallows, etc. Then I massaged melted butter into the skin, that was akward! I felt like I was trying to get the thing to relax. Off to the oven it went. I ran around doing the sweet potatoes. Then the chocolate ganache cake (not as great as it sounds, i only give it a 2 out of five probably) (maybe a 3). I took a shower in the mean time, and cut apples for pie. Steve was my excellent helper and arranged the crust and rolled it out. My apple pie was pretty darn good. It came off the NYS Apple website. I love NY. ANyhow, I am all ready, minus the hair. My hair was a big lion-y mane puffy mess. I looked like i stuck my finger in a socket. Blake was decked in his corduroys and waffle shirt. So was Steve. They matched pretty well and both looked great. The house looked perfect and smelled wonderful, and I looked like Cruella Devil! I was putting the touches on the pie, when i heard the doorbell ring. NOOOOooo. I was so not ready. Really i was wanting to paint my toes .. do my hair, maybe even get wild with my eyeshadow. I ran back to the bathroom, threw on lipgloss, threw my hair in a ponytail. And had to spend my first Thanksgiving as a hostess looking like something off a Sesame Street Monster Special. This morning I lamented in the shower "Lord when, WHEN will I have time to have a beautiful house, and a beautiful table, AND a beautiful me!"? I realized, it will be when my little man is bigger. Big enough to watch tv, or to play outside alone, or to be locked up in his room thinking im so lame. And I though to myself, I will take a million years of lion mane hair and just be grateful that the reason i can never catch up is a 20lb chubby man with a smile that melts me to pieces! How easy it is to lose perspective, but what a wonderful day it was! Despite the frizz... oh! and did i mention my roots? I need to call the hairdresser......

Welcome Home Fighting Marlins!

Today I got to be part of a spectacular event. Our squadron guys are coming home and I got to be there to witness families reunited, men meeting their babies for the first time, and wives whose faces showed such joy, and such relief at the safe return of their sailors. I am so proud to be an American, and so proud to be a navy wife. Watching the plane land, and the guys stream off in the cami's with little kids waving flags for them, was a beautiful sight. I got some good pictures (I hope), most taken on a friends camera. But here are a couple!

More hubbies are coming home, and I am gearing up for more pictures!

Happy Veterans Day!

Steve had off of work today, so we got to spend some family time together and it was awesome. First of all *snaps* for Blake (if you don't know what this means you better go watch Legally Blonde 2 again!). He slept from 8:30 pm-5 am!!! It was wonderful! Unfortunately he was up at six thirty, then up for his day at 7:55. He seems to have trouble getting back to sleep in the mornings. But I just bring him to bed with me, he likes to cuddle. I mean I don't . No siree, no cuddling here. If there is one think I like, its kickboxing. Or maybe Karate. I am not a snuggler ;) We got up and let Daddy sleep in since he always lets me sleep in on Saturdays and Sundays! We got all ready to go to story time. Steve could not WAIT to sing "The Grand Ol Duke of York" (ok I am exaggerating). I put Blake in his cute little gap onesie, and his socks even matched each other AND his outfit ( I know I am seriously supermom). I am telling you its like the mom olympics. It is such a challenge to put myself and him together. And mornings when I have on makeup, a cute outfit, and my hair done. You better believe Blake's socks don't match. He is wearing a onesie for the wrong holiday, and his hair is sticking up. No, its not that bad. But mornings when we both look put together..phew let me tell you I feel like i have just achieved ultimate mother-ness. So the three of us went out the door in our Wednesday finest.. to the library. We pull in to a completely empty parking lot. Not one car. DUH! Veterans Day! I wish someone would have told Miss Teresa that she is a librarian, not a Veteran. And furthermore If I have to live 3,000 darned miles from home that library better be giving me my story time once a week, for a full hour and not one minute less. I was slightly bummed, but we decided to head to La Conner. We walked around the stores, and drooled over antique furniture that costs more than my first car did. Steve even encouraged me to look in the knitting store :) ! Blake was such a trooper. He was in his baby B'jorn and smiled at everyone who looked at him, and even some people who didn't! He giggled at old ladies, and smiled sweetly at old men. We found La Conner Brewing company and went in for lunch. Best lunch I have had in SUCH a long time. I asked what kind of clam chowder they had? After all, I am a connoisseur - I worked at Bob's Clam Stand for like three summers! "New England or Manhattan....." I proposed. The waitress looked at me and barked "the white!". Ugh, west coasters, where is the class. I didn't ask what color it was! So I got 'the white' , it was so good, it had fresh dill minced over the top. I LOVE dill. Almost as much as I like Kickboxing. hhahaha. And I got a chicken, pesto, artichoke panini. MMM! Blake got chicken and rice, made a la Gerber. And a side of green beans. He was so well behaved and quiet, we had a great lunch. After that I had to change him. Would you think they could put a changing station in a Brewpub? Nooooooo. He was falling into the sink as I wrestled with him to get his diaper off. All while singing cheerily "who is a pee pee pants??" in hopes of getting his attention. I could not keep his attention however as he was truly fascinated by the faucet. Thank the Lord I am more coordinated than he is, probably not for long though.

We headed off to Burlington to exchange Blake's dinosaur pajamas for the 9 month ones, and then back home. What a fun filled day!

Sunday Funday!

What a very relaxing Sunday here at the Boldt household! Blake and Daddy got up early, (7:30) and let me sleep in until 10! it was wonderful! After we got up, and goofed around the house, Daddy went to take a shower and Blake and I fell asleep on the couch. Steve came back quiet as a mouse, and played his video game. The three of us snuggled on the couch for two hours or so, and Blake and I slept like babies! :) We headed off to church to attend The Six. Thats the edgy cool name for the evening service. Can you guess what time it's at? If you said 6 o'clock your so right! Clever, I know. Blake went to the nursery to play with his pals, once again he was the hit of the evening. He was exhausted when I went to get him, and then we had to whisk him off to walmart to buy wipes and a toilet brush! Leave it to me to screw up buying a toilet brush. I reasoned that we really didn't need the six dollar one, because it comes in a complicated plastic case that will get all dusty and then i will have to clean the dust off of the toilet watery plastic case. I figure, just get the brush that sits in a cup, THEN when i clean the toilet, the brush gets cleaned. uh-huh, i'm a thinker. Not just a pretty face right here! So I get one in sage green to match the bathroom, because we're classy like that. I start scrubbing away at (eeekk 4 months) worth of gross. (In my defense I am a busy woman and when we moved we tossed the old ones. Our new toilets have been cleaned with bleach just not scrubbed really well). Anyhow, I felt like the valiant mold warrior as i swiftly scrubbed...until ...the brush head fell off. There I stood, defeated by the mold. I held a plastic stick in my hand, and had to call my reinforcements in. AKA, my dear husband who came to my rescue and retrieved the moldy scrub brush head with the plastic wand and reattached it. And this folks, is what marriage is all about. When you lose the moldy toilet brush into the depths... a truly good husband will come running to help you out.

Busy day in the neighborhood

Living on Whidbey Island really gets more interesting everyday. I am starting to see why people retire here. Well sort of. I recently started seeing pheasants all over the base.(haha spell check just tried to turn that into peasants.) I have been seeing peasants all over the base! LOL Anyhow, I hate birds. I still really do. But it was like 5% cool to see it. Then tonight I saw two deer on my way home from Safeway. They were right next to the road. I also saw to drunk staggering down the street today, and yelling at my car as I drove past. They were brown baggin it. Oh Oak Harbor, you're so classy.

Today Blake and I had MOPS. He did great in the nursery, and I made the most spectacular cardboard and paper photo album you ever did see! Really, you can just call me Martha. Ok ok, I had a lot of help, and detailed instructions. But still, it was super fun, and as Meredith, my table leader told me. I WAS a crafting apprentice, but NOW I am a craft MASTER!! Yes!

Blake and Daddy had fun tonight while I went to starbucks to meet with a friend. We had some good fellowship and then I headed off to Safeway. It was very luxurious (albeit lonely) to shop alone. I too my time fondling the pomegranates. Hmm...no thats not right. I mean choosing a pomegranate. I was intrigued by the 'buy one get one free', but later disgusted by the fact that they cost four dollars a piece. What a scam. I can go to the commissary and get one half as fresh for a quarter of the price! yum! The privileges of being a military wife!

So in Safeway, I cruised the baby food, leisurely choosing the best flavors and cuisine for Blake. Ham and gravy.. mmmm...green beans...mmm. and the piece de resistance - ground chicken, and corn starch and water! Aka "chicken dinner". Alas, I missed my boys too much and headed home. Haha, i just had a type-o and accidentally typed "headed homo". No, I am very much straight. No worries.

Tomorrow Blake and I are off to explore Anacortes with our friend Brandi. Let's see what other adventures this state holds!

Blake is not too happy....

I just took the most hilarious video of Blake. I was feeding him and kept trying to get the spoon to chew on it. (He is teething like a little angry bear). I took it back and he got quite fed up with me! It is too funny, take a look!

Warnings

Warnings based on my experience

Warning:Do not gargle wildly with mouthwash in the shower in an attempt to save time. You will only splash mouthwash in your eyeball

Warning:Do not remove baby food label, and microwave baby food jar. Upon removal your hand will be covered in sticky glue.

Warning: ....eh thats all I got for today.

My skin hurts, my muscles hurt. Thanks to my hubby for a back massage because it felt like I had done two hours of hard labor. My back was ridiculously sore.

Now here I sit at the computer, and all I can smell is ranch dressing from the bowl next to me that has leftover ranch from my salad. It smells gross.

My throat hurts.

On the bright side, I love my life and I have the CUTEST baby boy on the planet, who I love with all my heart. I honestly don't know if a person's life could be complete with out seeing a little toothless grin covered in green beans giggling at a mommy who is making the buzzzing bee noises with a spoon!

Rainbows from God!

I have been making an effort to work on my prayer life lately, and I feel like God is listening. This rainbow graced our backyard last night. A completely full arch!