November Updates

Howdy Blog Readers....

I have been insanely busy over the last several weeks. Work keeps my extra, extra occupied... and when I am not at work, I am spending some quality time with my two favorite guys. So here are some really quick updates:

 

• Quincy is finally loving swimming lessons! It took about 5 lessons, each one with progressively less clinging and crying... now he is like a fish, and impressing me with every lesson!

• Oh yes, did I mention I am taking online college classes? I am taking an "introduction to business" course, but truth be told... I can't handle it. Not because it is hard... I have aced the papers turned in thus far, and done pretty well... I just don't have the time for it! I know getting my degree (finally) would be great, but I might have to come back and try again when Quincy is a little bit older.
• Birthday festivities are beginning... got my first gift from my mom, the plaid jacket featured on my other blog. I love it. I am going to wear it today when Dan and I go out for a birthday dinner and a little antique-ing. Maybe Dan can take a picture of my all done up :) I will add it later... check back soon!
• Keeping up with the cake decorating classes, and I utterly love it. It is so much fun, and not to boast, but I think I am pretty good at it!
• Dan is hoping to hear soon about a supervisor position he applied for... everyone think good thoughts for him! I know he is the best man for the job, it's just a matter of convincing the right people of it!
• Planning for Thanksgiving and Christmas is in full swing! I have too many things I would like to do, so now it is a matter of narrowing down what exactly I will be doing this year, and what will have to wait... stay tuned!

Halloween!

We had a fun Halloween with friends, even though it was not as elaborate as I had hoped to make it... I will just have to save up all those spooky party ideas for next year I suppose. We had just a few friends come over for dinner and then we packed the kids up and drove to the only well lit and sidewalked neighborhood in town... along with everyone else in North Bend!

For weeks we asked Quincy what he wanted to be for Halloween, and the most consistent response recieved was "An Amazing Monster". When I tried to get more details, like what an amazing monster looked like? how many eyes did it have? what color is an amazing monster? etc. the only answer I got was that it was "really, really big". Hmmm. So, instead of risking it and creating a monster costume not to his liking, we instead defaulted to a regular ol' store-bought costume. Batman. Boring, but I guess there will be many more Halloween's to come for me to get super creative.

Don't bug me, dad.

I instead got super creative with my own costumer. I saw a children's costume at  Pottery Barn Kids, and loved it.... a cupcake.  Why couldn't a grown up be a cupcake? I could find no good reason. So I made my own little costume (whipped it up Halloween morning!) and I loved it! People even knew what it was without explaination!

We had a great dinner. My friends helped me create a sppoky meal. Darby took on the "graveyard" meatloaves (she even found little plastic bones to stick in them!), Lisa made the "Bleeding Heart Brie" and I made the Mashed Potatoe Ghosts and Ghouls Gravy. It was a pretty scrumptious meal.

And I wanted to keep practicing my newly learned cake decorating skills, so I decorated a cake for the occasion.

We tortured the children by making them take pictures before trick-or-treating!

And the dad's eyed the loot after trick-or-treating

Snow Queen Lisa, and Hippie-Zombie, Nate (a big change from just an annoying hippie in 2008)

Farmer Darby, and her favorite chicken, Jeremy

I am sorry to say, somehow we did not end up with pictures of our friend "Al"queda.... and Dan, well he was a "party pooper". No, really. No costumer this year. I will work on him for next year.

Two Year Old Available for Rental

I won't say he is for sale... yet, but definitely for rent. And even saying "rent" is a misnomer, because there will be no charges. In fact... we may pay YOU.

At our wits end here at the Williams house. We have not slept an entire night without a third person in our bed in weeks now. Peace typically doesn't arrive until after 10pm. Dan and I have only had "lunch" dates at Subway and Red Robin since August. And to describe Quincy as "high-energy" is putting it mildly.

But don't worry... he will be nothing but adorable for you, we swear it.

P.S. A special "Thank You" to my mom who has taken pity on us, and will actually fly here in December just to give us a quick weekend break. Bless you, sweet mother of mine. Seriously.

Wilton Cake #3

Our final cake for Course #1, and learning to make roses! This was the cake I was most excited for, and I loved making the roses! I think I will make a rose cake at least weekly. Don't worry... I won't actually EAT these cakes, that's what friends and co-workers are for.

Being so close to Halloween I was going for a very dark and Gothic look. I iced it in black (or as close to black as I was able to manage!) and very deep scarlet red roses, with deep, dark green leaves. I also sprinkled some edible black glitter over the top. My original plan was to include some "cake jewelry" some beads dangling from wire up and out of the cluster of roses, but then I decided to go with the "less is more" approach. The cake itself is a three layer Red Velvet cake with pre-made store bought cheesecake filling. 

And fear not, we signed up for Course #2, during which we will learn how to make Royal Icing and other types of flowers, with a grand finale cake: a basket full of flowers!

"Special" Sandbox

There is no mistaking it, fall is upon us and in the Pacific Northwest that means rain, and lots of it. 

Last weekend Quincy wanted to go play in the dirt (um, yes, he is 110% boy). He has all kinds of little tractors and construction vehicles that he likes to dig in the dirt with, and if that is a change from his usual request to watch "Scooby Doo" or "Sponge Bob Square Pants" I am all for it.

With the rainy weather however, even when it is not actually raining, the dirt is quite saturated and not at all conducive to digging.

So last weekend I got creative, and followed a queue from Quincy's daycare.... a rice "sandbox". I found the biggest tupperware I could find, and the remnants of the rice I had and he loved it. He played for quite awhile in his sandbox, and played in it almost everyday this week.

A couple days ago I stepped it up just a little bit... bought a bigger aluminum roasting pan and a very cheap, big bag of rice.

Our floor is nearly always covered with rice, but that is OK, as long as he is happy and using his imagination instead of being glued to the TV! Anyhow... my floors are nearly always a mess anyhow, who am I kidding.

Wilton Cake #2

OK! Second Wilton Cake from my Cake Decorating Class! I tried to think of something fun to do... but, I just stuck with the basic clown theme. I am more excited for the cake itself... a lemon cake with lemon curd filling (four layers)... OH YUM! But the decorations are cute too.

I have BIG plans for next weeks cake... so stay tuned.

Annual Pumpkin Patch Trip

Last weekend we had our annual Pumpkin Patch trip with the Froelich clan. It was great fun, as usual. The weather was PERFECT. It was sunny and cool, just like it should be for a perfect pumpkin patch trip. I went all out... you can read more about that at my other blog, but it was worth it. It turned out great and I am looking forward to doing it again next year!

We ran through the corn maze, found our perfect pumpkins, had dinner at Jerrie and Karl's place... and Quincy was in hog heaven with his cousins and especially his teenage cousins who doted upon him. What wouldn't a boy love about having several beautiful teenage girls shower him with attention? He is a smart 2 year old... he knows whats up. 

Future Pianist?

Karli's Pumpkin was so big it took two of them to carry it!

And the evening ended with children being tossed about... so you know the night ended well!

31 Shopping Days

ahem

This is a notice to all. 31 shopping days until yours truly turns... well... turns 1 year older we will say. If you are stumped as to what glorious gift you might want to bestow upon me, venture to my other blog for a 21st century "wish list".

Cake Decorating Class

Because I don't have enough going on already... insert tone of sarcasm here.... I thought it would be loads of fun to sign up for a Cake Decorating Class! My dear grandmother made the most beautiful cakes, and it was such a nice memory of her, I thought... maybe I can do it too!? So I did! Class is every Tuesday in October, 4 in all and I now present to you my very first cake, all gussied up:

So, it's not perfect, actually...it is pretty darned flawed. But I am sure that with time, I will be a pro... or at least a darned good amateur.

I was going to write "Annie's Alphabet" (The name of Quincy's daycare) but really.... I could barely get just a simple letter "A" to look right. So, this is what I ended up with and it will just have to do! I think it is also important to note that the cake inside is confetti cake, I thought it was most appropriate.

Let me know if you need me to decorate a cake for you any time soon.

A Giveaway!

Be sure to check out my other blog "All my little inspirations" for a fabulous Halloween giveaway!

A Salute to our German Heritage!

Look Mom! Sauerkraut and Schnitzel!

Just in time to honor the final days of Oktoberfest! OK... maybe not so much Dan's German Heritage, but at least the good fine German blood running through Quin and I.

When my mother was a young girl her family lived in Germany where my grandfather was stationed with the Marines. During this time, they invested in a little article of clothing for my uncle, a traditional pair of Lederhosen.

My brother's wore the Lederhosen when they were little, and when my mom brought the Lederhosen for Quincy to wear when he was big enough, both Dan and I were pretty excited. Who do you know that has an authentic pair of Lederhosen?

This last weekend we had some nice sunny weather and decided... it was time. Time for the LEDERHOSEN photo shoot.

So without further ado... I present Germany's finest:

Grandpa V's visit to Washington

Q: What do you get when you force a two year old boy to stop playing and take a photo with Grandpa?

A: The fattest, poutiest lower lip this side of the Mississippi.

We love you Dad! So glad to have you visit, even if it was too short!

New Rubber Boots!

It became clear over this long weekend that summer sandals would not longer be appropriate as we entered September. It poured and poured all weekend long... which meant there were some awfully wet toes in the Williams household! Quincy and I set off to the Outlet mall to find a more accommodating pair of shoes at Stride Rite. We found some, a perfect little pair of boat shoes. Then, on our way to pay...we hit gold! A pair of spider rubber boots! We purchased them as well, and Quincy eagerly placed them on over his little bare toes. We did lots of puddle jumping and mud squishing to be absolutely certain that they were just right. They are and both Quincy and I are as happy about it as can be.

Quincy Quotes

Quincy is a chatterbox. I don't know where he gets it from. He say
s the funniest things sometimes:

Yesterday as I picked him up, this was the conversation -
Me: groan You are such a big, heavy boy now
Quincy: No I am not. I am little. I am little, like a squirrel.


On our way out to a Mexican Restaurant-
Quincy: I want a hot dog
Me: Oh, Quincy sometimes we go places that don't have hot dogs. We get to try something new.
Quincy: Oh BUMMER.
Really, what made this the funniest had more to do with the face he made and the tone he said it in. Dan and I were in stitches.

He has also turned into a backseat driver, telling Daddy to slow down. Dan like to thank me for that. heehee.

Oh, it's fun!

Isn't he Precious?

a face only a

mother could love

The Seattle Aquarium

After dropping my mom off at the airport to head back home, we decided to play "tourists" and hit the waterfront. We visited the Seattle Aquarium, ate some fish and chips at Ivar's, and had a Carousel ride. Quincy was beside himself. He was so full of joy he was bursting! It was pretty funny, especially as his joy manifests itself in the form of mega-energy and super-loud two year old. It was a setting where we could allow it, so it was fun for all (until it came time to leave, the fun stopped then).

Dan poses with a Waterfront statue

If Quincy thought the Aquarium was fun, he was just in seventh heaven while riding the Carousel. I was a little unsure about letting him ride without sitting with him, and frankly, I think he was a little unsure about it as well... but once the ride began, he squealed with absolute delight. These are the moments of motherhood that make bearing through the tantrums worth it!

A visit with Grandma

We had the pleasure of spending some time with my mom this last few weeks. She came up at the end of July, and was able to stay for a little over 2 weeks. Quincy had a great time. He insisted on mostly hanging around the house with Grandma all day, but I think they got in some nice walks as well as a visit to Woodland Park Zoo, and the Children's Museum. Dan and I filled up on as many "date-nights" as we could. I hope my dear mother didn't feel too taken advantage of! :) We loved it! We even went on a double date one night with friends whose daughter was staying with her Grandma too! Yay for Grandma's!! I really, really, really wish I had one around more often. Hmmm... I am sure there are some good speech pathologist jobs here in North Bend. I even briefly thought I could handle another child, then reality hit... I could only do it if I had a live-in Granny!

Sadly, because Quincy and Grandma mostly hung around the house... and Dan and I tried to not hang out around the house, we have limited photographs of this last couple weeks with Grandma. We did go on an adventure one day while she was here however. It started out as a trip to "Northwest Trek" and ended up as a trip to Mount Rainier. I think we were all very happy it ended up that way too. It was a perfect day, and Mount Rainier is just so lovely. We did a little "hiking"... as much as one can do with a 2 year old, and had a really nice lunch at the Inn in Longmire as well. While hiking around we even came across a mother deer with her two young fawns. It was quite a sight.

Seven Year Itch

An Engagement Photo

Isn't that what they say? Well, we hit our 7 years of wedded bliss on August 10th. We celebrated in grand fashion, taking advantage of my mom's extended stay we headed over to Suncadia Lodge for a few days. It was so relaxing. I spent some time at the spa, we took a long bike ride, we enjoyed good food, and caught up on some sleep. It was so nice to get away, and I am so appreciative of my mom for watching Quincy for those few days for us.

I am amazed that 7 years has gone by! Look at how much has changed in those 7 years! But funny enough, it feels like just yesterday! We had such a wonderful wedding, and everyone we love was there to celebrate with us. Since that day, we have had a lot of fun, and been through some tougher times together as well. I am so lucky to have a husband who will stand by my side through it all. We recognize when the other needs some support and time alone, or maybe some time to reconnect with eacy other. We laugh together, especially now that a charming boy has joined our family. I look at Quincy in amazement sometimes, it is our love and commitment to one another that created this beautiful child. Together we are a family, and it all started seven years ago with an "I do".

A visit to Cannon Beach

Much needed "Team Williams" family updates... coming your way!!! Isn't it funny, when we have the most to blog about, is also when I have no time to blog! I will do my best to update everyone on all that we have done over the last month (or more) over the next couple days.


Most recently... a fabulous, albeit too short (3 days), trip to Cannon Beach, OR. It had been a several years since Dan and I went, and it was Quincy's first real visit to the ocean. The last two hours of the long drive there, Quincy whined that he wanted to go back home. The last two hours of the long drive home, he whined that he didn't want to go home and demanded we return to our cottage and the beach. We all wished we could have stayed longer (and I wished the weather had been just a little bit nicer!) Our favorite parts of the trip:

• A visit to the Tillamook Cheese factory! Quincy loved watching all the conveyor belts and cheese moving from one place to another


• Ice Cream! Ice Cream! Ice Cream!




• Playing in the sand, making castles... and then DESTROYING said castles






• Time to relax together as a family
  
  
  
• Lots of walks on the beach
  





• Our little beach cottage, just a block from the beach
  
• Playing in the waves, the cold Oregon waves







• Seeing the starfish in the tide pools of Haystack Rock


• Watching all the colorful kites in the sky