Back from the Dead

An appropriate post title on two counts: seeing as it has been 9 months since I last posted (egads), I'm attempting to resurrect the blog... and as it is just past Halloween, we can play up that holiday theme, as well!  Or not.

But the "I haven't written in ages" theme is getting terribly cliche for me; it hearkens back to the days of my teenage journal... which is sadly sparse and sporadic.

Not surprisingly, I don't have a lot of time to do much of anything these days so writing has, as many of my pasttimes, been shoved to the back burner.  I'm not promising (myself) anything that is anywhere near frequent, but I'm making some little goals.

With that, let's jump right into life at Goodwin Manor in 2013.

EMME

First off, there is Emme (or kiddo #2, as Benjamin likes to call her); sweet, wild, nutsy, smiling Emelia Alexis - our 11-month-old dynamo.

• Nicknames: Emmers, Em-ster (Bunny), Em, Emme-Girl
• Last check-up (9-mo):  24" (50% height); 16.9 lbs (10% weight) - I promise I'm feeding her!
• Words: Ma-ma, Dadada, Uh-oh
• Food: Anything in sight, practically.  Loves gnawing on Honeycrisp apples and Num-Num crackers.
• Toys: Anything of Benjamin's... or that she can stuff in her mouth.  Has also taken a great liking to board books (after mom's heart).
• Tricks: Climbs up and down the stairs, climbs on EVERYTHING, weaned from nursing this month and has officially started walking running!

I've been feeling awfully guilty that I have not documented much of Emme's 1st year.  As I use this blog as our family journal/family history source, that lack of information on all of her "firsts" of life majorly bums me out.  I've given you a small glimpse of where we are now - and hopefully will make amends in the future!

BENJ

For anyone that knows him, it's hard to put him in a box.  He's a mash-up of so many wildly delicious things that are, at times, amusing and other times, driving us to madness.  But it's all of those things that make Benjamin who he is, and we couldn't love him more.

• Nicknames: Benj (Benj-Benj), Benjameen-o, Benja-beaners
• Last check-up (4 yrs):  44" (97% height); 43 lbs (90% weight) - he never eats, so I have no idea how this happened!
• Fave Food: Milk (I asked).  He also likes chicken nuggets, fruity sherbet (rainbow), steel-cut oatmeal, corn, carrots, applesauce (esp the squeeze pouches), apples, and a big bowl of cut-up cucumbers & tomatoes with vinaigrette.  I must be doing something right. 
• Toys: All of the Thomas trains, his wooden trains, the 'Jillian & Janaya' trains... who are we kidding?  This kiddo loves any and all trains.  He also has become quite attached to the Disney show, "Phineas & Ferb", and a video called "Spooky Buddies".
• Random tidbit: LOVES to watch train videos on YouTube - videos that someone taped - countless hours of footage as trains run the tracks... over and over and over.
• Firsts:  Dentist office (and a surprising success!)
• Working on: Learning to ride his new bike, use the potty and swim (swimming lessons this summer at McCollum Pool with his best friend, Levi)

DAVE
He's still working hard at the Goodwin Law Group, while serving as the YM president in our ward.  Super busy with all of his responsibilities, he still finds time to ride his bike (commuting to work sometimes), work out, mow the grass, wrestle with Benjamin, hug Emme and be my best friend.  He's pretty much Captain Amazing, in my book.

• Nicknames: Dave, Da-da-da, Daddy
• Toys: New commuter and road bikes - the commuter was bought for training and then a very frightening crash that cracked the frame of his beloved, blue Trek meant we needed to get him geared up with a new road bike (1 1/2 wks) before the STP.  Both bikes are some color combination of black, grey and white - and both are Treks.  What can I say? We are loyal to our favorite brands.
• Firsts: Completed the STP (Seattle-to-Portland) ride this summer, which is 200+ miles.  Amazingly, he accomplished this goal shortly after a terrible crash during training.  We were all waiting at the finish line, cheering him on and couldn't be more proud of him!
• Working on:  His high adventure plans for the YM next summer; knowing him, it's going to be nothing but amazing.
• Random tidbit: He says that amazing is totally a "Michelle Word", and that I say it a lot.  And not amazingly, I do.  :)

MICHELLE

I'm the mom.  I'm a librarian.  I'm a mormon.  And I love (almost) every minute of it.  C'mon - life is just tough sometimes and this is a safe place where we can be completely honest, right?

• Nicknames: Chelle, M, Mommy, Ma-ma-ma, M-AAH-M!!!
• Post-pregnancy dental check-up:  NO cavities.  I consider this cause for major celebration - after Benjamin was born, I had SEVEN, in addition to several old fillings that had cracked or needed to be complete replaced.  Who knew I had that many teeth to "cavitize".
• Fave Food Discovery: A fabulous steel-cut oatmeal recipe that does not require salt or sugar.  Lovely stuff.  Also, white sweet potatoes were discovered totally by mistake... also tasty.
• Random tidbit:  Presented a CNE (Continuing Nursing Education) talk in September at our hospital's lecture hall.  For 90 minutes, I talked about my little library, threw Dove chocolate at people, forced the CNO to spell 'fibromyalgia' (she still hates me for that) and lead everyone is a rousing session of office yoga.  I was terrified going in, but from all reports it was a smashing success.  Giving myself a little pat on the back.
• Firsts:  Had my first pedicure (EVER!) with my mom this summer; it was lovely and I'm smacking myself upside the head for not doing it sooner.
• Working on:  Finding balance.  Not sure if it's out there, but I'm bound and determined to find it.

**!BONUS!**

For those of you who read this far in this SUPER LONG (and probably boring to you) post, here is the preview/proof for our newest family picture; enjoy - you deserve it!