2011

While contemplating the new resolutions I wanted to make for the year and spending much time and thought on the subject, I came up empty handed. There were too many things to narrow down into a small lump. So, I decided I wasn't going to make any. Instead I decided that 2011 is going to be the year that I make life style changes that will effect my health and happiness. It is easy to get bogged down with every day life and that feeling of defeat can easily start creeping up on me. I've realized that my overall health and attitude directly affect my husband, my children, and everyone I come in contact with.  I recently read an article that listed a few simple things to do daily to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression and promote an overall positive way to take the steps toward taking better care of yourself. They are simple things most of us try to do anyways, but when looking at them in a list for some reason, it just made more sense and looked like a manageable plan for making the changes I wanted to implement in my life.

*Eating a healthful balanced diet
*Exercising daily
*Meditation
*Breathing exercises to reduce stress
*Surrounding yourself with supportive friends and family
*Making sure you get enough sleep
*Planning pleasant events into your day
*Effective time management

These can easily be broken down into categories for:
Health and Fitness
Spirituality
Fun
Organization.

I think the hardest thing that I will try to manage is the planning pleasant events into your day part. I always feel like if I'm sitting down relaxing for more than five minutes I need to get up and do something else that needs to be done. Mom guilt? Yes, I have it.

So this year, I am going to strive to take a little more time working on Sarah, so that I can be and do better.  I feel like this is really going to be a good year for me.

Perfect Getaway

Wednesday afternoon Riley and I took off for a little overnight stay in Portland. A month or so ago, I saw that one of my favorite bands was going to be coming there and since they hardly ever tour, I didn't want the chance to pass me by. So I ordered tickets online and we decided to just have faith that we could make it happen. Yes, there are more famous artists on my list to see in concert, but this husband/wife duo was on the very tip-top of my "absolute must see if they come anywhere close" list. It felt like fate that the date of the concert worked out, child care worked out, and Riley's soccer/work schedule allowed us to leave.

Upon arrival in Portland, we decided to check into our hotel and then get something to eat before the show. We were staying downtown right by the Convention center. As we got closer and closer we noticed streets blocked off, police everywhere and crowds of people. "Was there a bomb scare?" I joked to Riley. Then we started seeing people holding signs and it suddenly dawned on us why there were thousands and thousands of people making their way to the convention center  - President Obama was coming to campaign for the Governor of Oregon and having a huge rally - right across the street from where we were staying. Wow, totally didn't do very good planning on that one. The only reason we stayed where we did was because Riley's work uses them for business trips and we got a good deal. So just getting into the parking lot for the hotel took lots of maneuvering and was quite the adventure. We saw lots and lots of interesting folks waving their signs around (some of which made absolutely no sense whatsoever) hoping to catch a glimpse of the president. I think they said there was around 8,000 people or so.

{Side note: Every time we go to Portland, I always come away with the distinct impression that they want to discourage as many people from driving there as possible. It is seriously annoying.} Luckily we found a good parking spot across the street from the venue for the concert and there was already a line wrapping around the outside of the building so we thought we'd better hustle over and get in line. It was a beautiful warm night and we marvelled that it was nearly Halloween and we could stand outside without coats on. It was held at the Aladdin Theater, which only seats around 620 people. What a cool place to see a live show. Since it is on the smaller side there isn't really a bad place to sit. All the floor seats have a good view and then there is a balcony up top as well. The only thing I could complain about was the lack of air conditioning so it was pretty darn warm in there. I couldn't believe all the people that were still sitting there in their big wool coats and sweaters. Crazy! We had good seats in the middle section about 6 or 7 rows back and the sound inside was great.

The lovely Lucy Schwartz was the opening act. She came on stage to get things started  at 8:00 sharp.

She plays the piano, guitar, and harmonica and was backed by another lady guitarist and an amazing woman percussionist who sat on a wooden box and made the coolest sounds with her hands, feet, and all sorts of little instruments. They did a 30 minute set that went by way, way too fast and was simply a - ma -zing. I had only heard a few of her songs before, but her song "Life in Letters" from her new album of the same name is definitely my new favorite. It's a toe tapper, and a hand clapper. I can't stop singing it. Riley looked at me after she finished her first song and was like - wow! He didn't think he'd be enjoying the music but even he was blown away. Lucy's song "When We Were Young" was the theme song for the television show "Parenthood" and also "Life in Letter's" was featured on a recent episode of ABC's "No Ordinary Family." Here's the clip:



Her new album is super great and it was seriously a treat to have her as the opening act.

After a brief set change to fill the stage with lighted lamps decorated like their album cover art and glowing candles, The Weepies hit the stage at 9:00.

They are touring to promote their new album "Be My Thrill" which was recently released. They have a three year old and a 6 month old baby. Deb Talan and her husband Steve Tannen have the magical ability to make the best harmonies and make music that just melts like butter on warm bread. I think Deb Talan has probably my most favorite voice in the whole wide world. It's simple and clear and unpretentious. I was worried that they wouldn't sound as good live as on their recorded music, but I am so glad to say that not only did they sound better than I could have imagined, but in between songs they were hilarious and entertaining and you couldn't help but fall in love with them. Like, I seriously wanted to move in next door to them so we could be neighbors and hang out and listen to them play music all the time. They were backed by a four piece band that added to their nice indie-singer/songwriter folksy, pop rock magic. It really was magical. Seriously. I've been to concerts to see people that I've liked, but never someone where I love every single one of their songs and each and every song is a work of art.  And sometimes other artists are kind of off key and lacking, not so with The Weepies. They packed in 20 songs and each and every one gave me goosebumps. They love their fans and gave us the feeling that we were just old friends that they were playing for. If I wouldn't have been about ready to pass out from the heat, I probably would have stuck around after it was over like a crazy obsessed fan and told them how their music changed my life and their lyrics paint the prettiest pictures that any lyrics could. They are pure genius to me, and I don't dish out compliments like that very often. We tried to get some pictures, but the lighting was low so they didn't come out that clear.


(Deb and Steve are holding hands in the middle)

This was taken at the end of the show. Right after which they returned following a standing ovation to do an encore of three more songs. It couldn't have been a more beautiful evening. We couldn't get very good video footage on Riley's phone but here is a clip of their concert five days earlier in California. This is one of their most well known songs "The World Spins Madly On".



Me after the concert getting ready to head back to the hotel:

I'm so glad we got to go and I know it will be something I will always remember. Umm, and did I mention the people watching was awesome? There was definitely a good mix of people from every walk of life. I guess that is the great thing about music is that it brings so many different types of people together.

The following morning we ate a late breakfast, squeezed in some shopping at the Nike and Gap outlet and then enjoyed a lovely drive through the Columbia Gorge which was splendid with jewel toned colors of autumn. To this busy mom of four, and wife to one of the busiest men I know, it was the perfect little getaway.

Someday....

I love this chair. Someday I'd love to have a quiet reading room in my house where I can curl up in a cozy spot in a chair similar to this and just read away, enjoying some peaceful relaxation for a little while.

Maybe in a room that looked like this:

Or this:

Or this:

Or this:

Or this:

I know lots of women dream of craft rooms and huge walk in closets in their ideal home.

I dream of walls and shelves filled with books in all of their different beautiful colors.

And cozy lights to read by.......

This and That

Miss Kendle is adjusting to having her expander put in yesterday. She is frustrated that it is harder to eat and she was really grumpy this morning as she tried to eat cereal for breakfast, she finally gave up on it and ate some banana instead. It will be interesting to see how her lunch goes. Relearning how to eat is going to be a top priority. I would have thought having the expander on the roof of her mouth would have been more uncomfortable but so far she has only complained about the brackets on her two front teeth. They only put two on and are waiting for her other teeth to come in and she has one tooth that she needs to wiggle and help fall out. I was helping her take some pain medicine for it last night and accidentally banged the spoon on her teeth. Ouch! She was not happy about that. But, she is excited to being on her way to beautiful teeth!

{Got to love the "I just got done beating up on my little brother hair"}

Have I mentioned what a little snacker Mister Morgan is lately? Every time I turn around he is eating something or asking for a snack. He is like a little bird that grazes all day long. He is so skinny though, I figure it's not hurting him. He is stretching out and getting taller and has the skinniest little legs. I'm always trying to get him to drink more milk and I don't mind when he wants a spoonful of peanut butter. He has so much energy and is always playing and running and doing something. He hardly sits still for long. Last night I found him sitting on the kitchen counter snacking on an apple. 

I've never seen a little kid that drinks as much as he does either. He is always running to the fridge to fill up his cup for a drink. I don't think we will ever have to worry about Morgan staying hydrated!

In other exciting news, I have cut my time on running the mile by 45 seconds in the last month since I started running more consistently. I am aiming to cut off another 15 seconds in the next few weeks. I am feeling good but my knees are hurting me a little. My legs tend to get kind of sore because I have one leg that is a bit longer than the other (just one of my many oddities) so I think one leg tends to get more pressure put on it and it puts me off kilter a bit. Since we moved our treadmill into our bedroom and I can't watch TV anymore while I run I have to rely on a good playlist of workout music on my ipod. It totally keeps me going and keeps me pumped up and helps me run harder and longer than I think I can. Here's a small sampling:

Airplanes - B.o.B (Featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore)

Undo It - Carrie Underwood

When You Were Young - The Killers

Spotlight (Twilight Mix) - Mutemath

Heart of a Champion - Nelly

Everlong - Foo Fighters

Let the Drummer Kick - Citizen Cope

Something Good Can Work - Two Door Cinema Club

How Do You Get High? - The Weepies

I make sure to mix it up and change up the playlist every now and then so I don't get bored. Oh yeah, and it's always interesting to see what Morgan has been doing during my run. For example when he's supposed to be watching a movie and he's really been climbing up on the counter and eating all the sprinkles in the baking cupboard. Never a dull moment I tell ya.

Long Update

Do you know the 80's song "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)", I'm sure if you don't your kids do because if they're like mine they love the Chipmunks movies and listen to the soundtracks ALL of the time. I kid you not, that song invades my every thought and I hear it in my sleep at night - they have listened to it so many times. Anywho, that is what my life has felt like the last few weeks. Spinning round and round like a record, totally chaotic and crazy, but with a few fun things thrown in. I guess our family wouldn't know what to do with itself if we actually had normal peaceful lives. Here's what we've been up to:

*Riley*
Work, soccer, work, soccer, work, soccer, soccer, soccer. Usually I don't see him until he gets home after practice at night. Or after games, or after he's travelled really far from work. So we don't see much of each other during the week. Last week he travelled over 500 miles in two days for work. He is pretty much just going as hard as he can go every day to get everything done he needs to do and then tries to squeeze in some time with the kids at night if they are still awake when he gets home. I can tell it is starting to wear on him a bit and he misses being more of a part of the kids' lives and every day going ons. But he still manages to help me with the babies at night and the other little things that make a difference the most. He will always take the older kids with him whenever possible to give me a bit more quiet and I really appreciate that. He's looking forward to summer, BBQing, and a little slower pace.

*Me (Mom, Sarah)*
I turned 30 on Monday and feel like I have reached a milestone. I didn't feel good or bad about getting older, just glad that I am liking the person and place that I am at in my life. I have been feeling like every day is a marathon sprint to keep up and get things done. From the time I wake up in the early morning hours, until I lay my head on my pillow at night I just go as hard as I can to keep up with everything and everyone around here. I think there only a few moments in the day where I am not multi-tasking four or five different things at once. It can get to be kind of a circus at times, but also at odd moments it strikes me as hilarious and I will laugh out loud that I am making dinner, unloading the dishwasher, handing out snacks, pushing a baby walkers off my feet, answering phone calls, looking at homework, listening to piano practice and trying to catch snippets of the news to have some sort of sense of the outside world. Ha. The five o'clock hour 'round these parts can get pretty brutal, it would probably scare most people away with how crazy it can get. To me that is just what's normal at the moment and although I'd wish for more sleep I'm trying to relish these ever fleeting moments. No amount of preparation or organization can prepare you for the onslaught of what I call the 5:00 "cranky time" of the day. The kids are cranky, the babies are cranky, heck I'm even cranky. Once we get through dinner and clean up everyone is feeling much better and it's off to conquer another task, problem, etc.....Super human or super woman I am not -I just use super speed as a coping mechanism in order to survive. I understand a tiny bit more the term "survival of the fittest". I never thought I could be one of those tough pioneer wives, but now I think maybe, just maybe, I could hack it if I had to.

But, in my "spare" time I have been learning that the old saying "necessity is the mother of invention" still applies and I have made some great discoveries. I've mastered using Riley's big old smoker/grill which always seemed complicated and scary. Riley is hardly ever home during dinner these days, so what happens all the times I want something grilled for dinner? I had him walk me through how to turn it on and the other steps, and ta-da I grilled up some delicious dry rubbed salmon and veggies, and found out it's not so hard after all. I think guys like to make us women THINK it's complicated so we seem more impressed. :) Also the fact that I can't always run to the store at a moment's notice has made me more resourceful and more willing to try new things. I needed some tortillas this week and decided to try making my own. They turned out delicious and were pretty simple to make. Now I think I will make them all the time. Had I never been in that situation, I don't think I would have ever attempted making them. I've had more experiences like that and it's a good feeling to know I can rely on myself and come up with solutions. I realize my being "stuck at home" more these days has been a blessing in many ways for me and my family. On the TV front, one of my current fav's right now is watching "America, the Story of Us" on the History Channel. It's fantastic and so interesting. It is great for teaching your older children about major events in our nations history. As I get older I fall in love more and more with the history of our country and the people who sacrificed so much to make a better place for future generations to live.

*Kendle*
I would describe Kendle as a never ending question asker. I fear it will only get worse as she gets older. In her mind, everything deserves an explanation. She loves to be busy and have lots of things going on. She is always reading something, making something, or making plans for something. As I type this she is making a F.H.E. jar filling it with fun activities for our family to do together. She is really into telling jokes, but doesn't like it when we all guess the punch line before she's done. She had her first softball game Monday night and got a really good hit. I think she is more excited about playing now. She's been practicing for her first piano recital coming up as well and has her song memorized. I can't believe she's nearing the end of 2nd grade and will be a big 3rd grader next year. She loves to ride her bike and read, read, read. I can't get her new books fast enough and to her, one day of library at school is no where near enough. She is a typical 2nd grader- slightly sassy, growing out of everything, turns up her music loud when she retreats to her room, and thinks everything is hilarious.

*Morgan*
Morgan is good at entertaining himself. He plays well and has a great imagination at this age. I can't believe he will be turning 3 in June. I want him to stay as cute as he is right now forever. His little face just melts my heart. He loves going outside and right now the cool thing for him is occasionally getting to play out front which I usually never let him do. The other day I gave him a treat and let him eat it out on our front bench where I could see him and I swear that was the most blissful little boy in the universe. His back was to me and he just was rocking out and eating and probably thinking in his little mind, "this is the life". I love watching him because he relishes every little thing that we mostly take for granted. He is adamant about being on a schedule and it will be interesting to see if that is a trait he will keep as he gets older. A few weeks ago, our whole family worked out in the yard on a nice sunny day and Morgan had to have been the hardest working 2 1/2 year old I've ever seen. For over an hour straight with not one whine or complaint, he'd come along after we pulled weeds, gather them all up, dump them in our big garbage container and repeat; all the while smiling and doing a thorough job. It was totally amazing, and he does stuff like that quite often when I need help. I thought back to when Riley gave him his blessing at church as a baby and I specifically remembered him blessing Morgan with a love and desire for service. :)


*Cooper*
Cooper is so mellow and patient. He often will cruise around quietly in his walker without a peep, just checking things out. He is a super champ sleeper and always wakes up happy. He sucks his thumb only when he sleeps and can self soothe himself if he wakes up which is great. I love the way his little eyes pop open wide when he smiles at me and gets excited. He also has started doing this adorable little shy look where he will tuck his chin down and gaze up at you. He is rolling over a little more and starting to really like baby food. He doesn't get mad when Kale (who is quite the grabber) will pinch or hold onto him. He is just so good natured. He also loves bath time and splashing in the water. He only cries when he is really upset about something and will sit and rock with me at night. Quite simply he is a dream baby and about as sweet as they come.

*Kale*
Kale is a wonderful baby too, but he is a "now" baby. When he wakes up, he wants you to come get him NOW. When he is hungry, he wants to eat NOW. When he's mad, he needs to be picked up NOW. He is a feisty little guy, but also sensitive and gets his feelings hurt easily. When I'm feeding him a bottle, he will push and push his little legs against my arms or legs, or anything else in the way. He is a busy body and likes to jump - my arms get quite the workout when I hold him for long periods of time. When he smiles his whole little face lights up and his grin spreads from ear to ear and his little eyes twinkle. I can tell how much he loves Cooper because he will look around trying to find him. He likes to grab and hold onto him. He rolls over a lot in his crib and wakes himself up which is not great because he's not the best sleeper as it is. But he is a good eater, and happy most of the day. He likes to follow me into the kitchen in his walker and pull on my pant legs. I think he likes knowing where I am most of the time.

*Both boys are getting huge and are about 19 pounds right now. Good thing they move around so much during the day.

And that is just a little taste into what is going on with us Dodson's.

*More to come about our trip to Portland over the weekend