Welcome Billy! We Already Love You Madly!

Billy Mitchell was born January 28th, 2009 at 2:50 pm!
7lbs 4 oz and 20 inches long and of course adorable!

~Thank you Jane for all the lovely pictures!~

Nuh-uh! Really!

Do you remember the afternoon show Degrassi High?!
I think it was a mid 80's to early 90's show that had an afterschool special feel to it and I always really liked it. So imagine my surprise when I was flipping channels on Sunday to find Degrassi High the Next Generation! I'll have to see if I can find it again this weekend. Afterall I have to find out what happens to the girl who was flaunting her blue thong to gain popularity and gave up her true friends to suit her new ego. Ooooooooo!!!!!

Making New Friends - Well if You Call That Making "Friends"

We were invited to go to a co-worker's daughter's 1st birthday party and we were super excited to go. Jennifer is such an awesome person that her family had to be fabulous too!

We had a great time and Mia was a doll. Padon seemed to think so too cause it only took a little proding to get him to lean over and give her a nice big open mouthed kiss. Way to go stud!
We look forward to hanging out with them more as the days get longer and warmer.

The 10 Commandments of the Northwest

A friend sent this email to me. She got it from a friend of hers who I believe made it up.

It's too funny!Mt. Vernon

Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2009 23:57:51 -0800
Subject: Re: Weather review and updated forecast for Duvall, Wa

3 weeks ago : High Winds
2 weeks ago : Heavy Snow
1 week ago : Record Rainfall

This week : Record Flooding

Next week : Locusts
In 2 weeks : Frogs
In 3 weeks : Boils
In 4 weeks : Burning Hail
In 5 weeks : Darkness
In 6 weeks : Death of the First Born

I-5 surrounded by floodwaters of the chehalis River. This stretch of I-5 usually sees 55,000 vehicles a day, 10,000 of them trucks, and it was cut off to all transit.

2nd Christmas

How can you go wrong with Gingerbread Sock Monkey PJ's?!

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As Patrick, my brother, noted, this Christmas was one of the best Christmases. Hard to put a direct finger on it but it was just a lot of fun. Like usual Walter, Padon and I went down to my parent's on Christmas Eve and hung out with them and my brother watching Hell Boy 2. Padon was totally at ease with my parents and Pat and is finally old enough that he recognizes who they are and their home and that gives me warm fuzzies.

I was super excited about Padon wearing his new Christmas Pajamas and giving him his present, the Fisher Price Amazing Animals Choo-choo Train that he loved in Costco, and for the first time he got it! He got that the train was a gift for him and he opened it himself and loved it! He even kind of got the idea of his stalking which was so much fun.

Both Padon and Greg were so much fun to watch and their delight delighted me even more making the holiday that much more special.

The food was great and it seemed we all had more fun this year, and maybe were a little more relaxed. Although, hummm, maybe it was just me.

Greg was so cute with his antlers that he loved to wear.

And total props to my Dad for taking tons of Christmas pictures and giving them to me!

Just when it seemed the Christmas Holiday was over Walter and I packed ourselves up to go home and have Christmas again. Walter's Dad, Leo, was coming over for a second Christmas and I was preparing the meal. Everything came together beautifully; Pomegranite Molasses Glazed Cornish Game Hens with Pomegranite Pilaf, fresh bread from the bread maker, creamed spinich, and fresh apple pie for dessert. Ok, so the hens had to go back in the oven one more time but as far as my dinner-served-late track record goes dinner was pretty much on time and that rocked. What rocked even more was that Padon went down for a nap right when dinner was ready and we got to eat uninterrupted and no delicious food was thrown on the floor.

It really was a great Christmas. Sorry Baby, it's true, it is roughly another 345 days until we do it again.

Jingle Bell Run 08!

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Last year Padon was only 6 months old and couldn't be a part of the Jingle Bell Run and I couldn't wait until this year to see him in the children's run. As soon as I saw it advertised in November I signed Padon up for the Run With the Elves run; a run for kids 8 and younger that has a route of one city block; down 6th ave, by Westlake Mall, in Seattle.

Every year our friends Erin, Evan, Eliot, and Ivor also participate in the Jingle Bell Dash and so we met them at their house the night before so we could all go in the morning. We woke to a beautiful Christmas light display across the street that Padon kept gasping over and talking about. It was super adorable. But it had dumped a surprising amount of snow during the night and it wasn't safe to drive in. I was still very determined to get into Seattle for as much of the race as I could. Erin and I looked over the bus schedule and found there was no way Padon and I could get into the city from Monroe in time for the race but my Mom, sister Jane, and boyfriend Jason, who were meeting us there, assured me we would still have a fabulous day. So with Padon's stuff packed up, and with Erin's guidance (who knew you could wear a car seat as a back pack!) Padon and I caught the bus from Monroe to Everett where my Mom, Jane, and Jason picked us up.

Padon like usual was a great commuter and the snow was so pretty in Monroe I had to take a picture.

We made it into Seattle at about 10:00. My Mom had grabbed Padon's Jingle Bell Dash t-shirt and number and with it stuffed in her back pack we went to ride the carousel.

It was a little much for Padon. He didn't smile at all, just looked straight faced as his eyes slowly weld with tears. At the end of the ride I had him in my arms as we talked about the colors of the horses and how this carousel was like the little one Grandma had at her house. May be next year it will seem more fun.

After the carousel I remembered I had the Christmas ribbon in my pocket that I was going to put around Padon for the race. I tied it around his waist and he could have cared less and couldn't have been any more adorable.

He was so cute walking around chasing pigeons. It was a proud Mommy moment for me to see Padon chasing pigeons. For me it was a big milestone that he was chasing pigeons in the city. Every little kid must do that!

And of course, we met and interacted with some odd characters (would it be the city without Padon if we didn't). Padon walked straight up to them, and with his baby gile tried to convince them that he was so cute that they really should give him their giant red balloon. They were so cool and loved that he loved it. But they still took it home with them. Sorry Padon.

We went and saw the Gingerbread house display, very cool, and ended our afternoon having a late lunch at Kells Irish Pub. Padon layed all over Jane (I love that he knows family and loves them) and aside from throwing a whole pitcher of water all over Jane and the table he was really good.

It ended up being a great day and Padon slept all the way home. Next year we will have to try again to Run with the Elves.

1st Snow

Padon was old enough this year to play in the snow and seeing as we had plans to be a part of the Run with the Elves in the Jingle Bell Dash for Arthritis in Seattle and it was supposed to be 26 degrees and snowing I went and bought Padon some warm snow gear. He loved his new outfit and he looked so cute!
The next day we went to our friend Erin's house and got to try out the quality of the jacket and it was awesome! Padon was a little thrown off by the snow flakes but over all was totally captivated and facinated by the feel of the snow and how it looked.

What a Great Christmas Party!

This year (08 cause my posting is so late) my Mom threw a Christmas Party for her co-workers and close friends. And I'm glad we were able to go because it was such a blast. I was a little afraid that the number of people crammed in my Mom's house would be too much for Padon but he navigated around the people with no problem.

Walter and I started off the night before the house got too crowded trying to get our Christmas Card picture with Padon in front of my Mom's Christmas tree but there was already too many cool things for Padon to see and it ended up being a lost cause.People arrived quickly and amoungst the good eats and conversations my Dad, a few of his band friends, and one of my Mom's co-worker's wives started up a concert of Christmas music. They must have played for at least an hour before they ran out of songs. Padon just stood in the middle of it like it happens all the time.

My Mom had a lot of games planned and prizes to give out and everyone had a really great time! She had under estimated the power of a karaoke machine and didn't anticipate us playing it for at least 3 hours straight but we had a really good time. It was a very successful party and I think she looks forward to having another one next year.


The following morning with my Mom's help I was able to get a Christmas picture of Padon that I am so proud of. What a cutie!