2010 holiday card

It's pretty bad when your best family photo is dominated by snowman hair and oar arms. We JUST ordered our holiday cards, so they'll be late. They say "happy new year." Why even pretend we're going to send them before February?

Meanwhile, happy holidaze to all!

Midnight Snowflakes Christmas

Visit Shutterfly.com for classic photo Christmas cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

He knows when you're awake

Tristen was getting a little tired and mischievous at REI today. He even took down a huge potted plant at World Wraps as we waited for our food. Just grabbed it by the stem and yanked!

That led to a quiet lunch; I was silently seething.

He was apparently just letting his mind wander and finally broke the silence with, "Mommy, do you think Santa Claus is awake and making toys RIGHT NOW?!" He had a big, expectant smile on his face.

But I couldn't let go. I said, "I don't know. Do you think he saw what you did to that plant?"

Then I cackled evily.

I love him for laughing, too.

Nature collage

We're working on a nature collage, the makings of which we procured from GoodWill and Ace Hardware: an old frame, some little nails, and twine. Next time you come over, bring something to add!

Last Spider-Man pic, I promise

Can anyone stand one more Tristen-as-Spider-Man pic? This one is from Joelle's birthday party at the zoo, where a professional face painter rounded out Carousel rides and the world's best cake. There's a matching Owen running around, too.

The pic reminds me of  a perplexing conversation I had with Tristen when we were shopping for a sticker book for Joelle.

"She likes princesses," he told me.

"Really?" I asked. "Joelle? Are you saying that because you know Joelle likes princesses or because you think that's what all girls like?"

"Mo-om, all my girls like princesses."

"All your girls?"

"Yeah. All my girls at Interlake [preschool]."

Curious about the expression. He doesn't think of his little boy friends as "his boys." Does the objectification start this young? Or are the girls just already so "other" that they're grouped differently. There's Owen, Aidan, Leo, Soren, and "all the girls at my preschool," shortened to "all my girls"? Let's hope.

Deck progress so far

Who knew, back when we first started, that the deck project would be this hard, take this long, or cost this much? Twelve years of home-repair and remodel projects on two different houses and we STILL haven't learned our lesson? We are a hopeful lot over here at the Marshall-Krumm house.

Hopeful, and proud. And looking forward to actually using this thing by the end of the month, when the door will be cut in. In preparation for that, Chris just tore down drywall in the kitchen, moved some light switches and outlets around, and replaced (with Rico's help!) one of the large kitchen windows. Outside, Chris needs to finish up the railing. Replacing the fence bordering the lower deck will wait until spring.

I'm super impressed by how much Chris has learned, how much work he has done, and how beautiful the product is. At the same time, I'll really be glad to have him back as a life partner and coparent when all this is over.

Washington is a neighbor and friend we hired to help get things started..

Chris and I designed the two-level deck together, over the last year.
Chris did all the engineering work, though. With input from Washington.

Tristen and I laughed our asses off watching Washington and Chris
make the holes.

This is the unwieldy tool they used. It was hard to tell just
who was in control.

Chris insisted on laying the Trex down on the diagonal: labor intensive, but
looks cool!

All framed!

Both lower and upper decks are done. Just the railings to go!

Trick or treat 2010: THE year

This is it. Tristen will never enjoy Halloween more than he is this year. He has been through his candy bag fingering and admiring the shapes and colors 100 times, guessing at what each piece will taste like. Last night I caught him eating candy corn with his eyes closed.

This morning I asked Tristen if he'd be willing to share a piece of Halloween candy. He handed me the wrapper from the Whoppers he ate yesterday and said, "Here, lick this." I no longer feel guilty for stealing the Snickers last night after he went to bed.

Trick-or-treating pix below. That's Tristen as Super Man, best-friend-from-preschool Owen as a transformer, cousin Elana and neighbor Nicole as a princesses, neighbor Andy as a frog, and cousin Liam as a bee. Not pictured: all the parents, baby Sam, Amy, and Dan. :)

Spooks

Spider-Man in a pumpkin hat

Tristen and I have done the Pumpkin Push four years in a row. This year Tristen actually ran about a mile of the race -- in three or four spurts. We were slow -- especially with my left hip still bothering me and with Tristen getting in and out of the stroller several times. But we made it and had fun.

Check Tristen out crossing the finish line. (We were holding hands, but Fotojack folks went for Tristen only.)

My favorite moment during the race was when we passed two grim reapers who started singing the Spider-Man theme song -- but they replaced the second "Spider-Man" with "in a pumpkin hat." Very fun!

P.S. Link to last year's race.

Alyssum and Christian

Alyssum and boyfriend Christian stopped in for a night last month. It was great to see this fabulous duo -- both getting ready to embark on separate but exciting adventures. We hope the winds blow them back our way again soon!

So fast

Me: Tristen, you're growing up so fast. Can't you cut that out? Slow it down?

Tristen: Mommy, I don't know how.

Spidey has been working out

First frame

My grandparents belonged to a church that had a bowling alley in the basement. My father bowled on a league for decades. Of our generation, brother Bo's family carries on the tradition in Alton, demonstrating the Marshall bowling prowess weekly at the local lanes. Now it looks like there's hope for the Seattle Marshalls, too.

So great that the Odegards (not pictured: brand new baby Sam!), Darren, and Amy came out to join. We were celebrating Chris's birthday.

Deck project helper -- or heckler?

Just in time for fall, the deck project is in full swing! I'll post some pix of the real work soon, but for now -- here are some pix of Tristen in helper and heckler modes.

Double trouble

Owen and Tristen are best friends from preschool -- since, like, birth. They are perfectly matched in terms of energy level. Double trouble but tons o' fun.

Owhi, September 2010

Mom on the mountain

There were a few moments when I thought I might have to call Bo and cop to letting Mom fall off a mountain. But just a few. Overall, she was a TOTAL trooper at Mount Rainier. We spent an evening in the lodge at Longmire and a day hiking at Paradise.

Friend and neighbor

For as much as we see the Gebhardt family and as close as they live, they don't turn up in our blog near enough. One summer evening Chris showed up to heckle or borrow a tool or drop off some bread, and he ended up helping me assemble Ikea furniture. Thanks, Chris!

Gus and Grandma

One of our best weeks of the year is the one when Grandma visits. This year, as last year, she overlapped with a time when we dog-sat Gus. Here is Tristen with his two favorite sentient beings.

Rocks and flowers

Was musing the other day on how, every where we go, Tristen has to steal a rock for his pocket. Meanwhile, Ruby sneaks in a little flower-picking. Between the two of them, no landscaped yard in Northeast Seattle is safe.

Zoo critters

Tristen and Ruby pretend to be the various animals we saw at the zoo: lions, alligators with long tongues, and meerkats. Last time we went, they were flamingos.