Brothers Through Trick and Treat

I awoke in the middle of the night to hear Collin crying out for me:  "Mom!  Mom.  Mommy-eee-eee.  I'm soooo sick."  Poor kid has been running a fever and completely wiped since Sunday night (it's Friday morning). So I rushed in, gave him some love and assurance, and hustled downstairs to retrieve another dose of medicine.  It was 2:33 a.m.

Then I heard:  "MOM!!  I'm going to be sick!!"  I "quietly" shouted as I raced back up the stairs:  "I'm on my way!"  But - quite thankfully - Owen had beat me there.  He was standing before his brother, holding the puke bucket as it slowly filled, and saying things like, "It's going to be ok, Collin.  You'll feel better soon.  I'm right here for you." (I love the way they care for each other.  Seriously.  The very best.)

When he was done, Collin looked up at us and said, "This is going to ruin everything.  We're going to miss Halloween" (which is in three days).

 Vampire Collin ~ Halloween 2010

 Batman Owen ~ Halloween 2010

Owen responded:  "Don't worry, Collin.  You won't miss out totally.  I'll carry two bags and get candy for you."

Ladies Man (er, Boy)

Me:  Did you have fun at school today?
Owen:  Totally!  Well, except at recess.  I mean, it was soooo good, Mom.  We were playing soccer, and I was doing moves and, yeah.  The boys were cool.  But then the girls wanted to play - and we said yes - but then ... the girls were mean to me.
Me:  What do you mean?
Owen:  They kicked the ball to me, missed, it hit me in the stomach like "ugh," then they came chasing after me!
Me:  That might be because they they like you.  Maybe they think you are fun and cute, and they are trying to get your attention.

Owen:  That is DEFINITELY not it.  They ATTACKED ME!

*I suddenly had flashbacks of my early elementary years.  I owe apologies to Leif and Chad.

Inspiring Laughter

"Your kids just KNOW how to have fun!!"

To this day (and perhaps I should knock on wood), I have yet to hear my kids complain of boredom or sit and pout or be "debbie downer."  But I had't given it much thought until I heard from another:  "Your kids just KNOW how to have fun!!"

That got me thinking ...

When I had children, I had a list of attributes I wanted to be sure I imparted to my children to the best of my abilities.  It included many basics ~ like manners, academic foundation and drive, a sense of responsibility, empathy, sportsmanship, a humble heart.  I never thought to include:  Kevin's quirky, dry sense of humor or the way I can almost always have fun and inspire fun ... while doing almost anything!  Luckily, it's true that children learn from our modelled behavior.  And thankfully, we aren't missing the mark in inspiring our children!  (Yay, Us!)

Owen is our natural clown.  Within his circle, he'll go out of his way to make others laugh.  He'll fall on the floor for Eli (cracks E up); he'll run into a wall or have slippery hands when catching for Kate and Collin; he'll make silly faces from across the way for me (my favorite and definitely among his trademarks); he'll burp and give it a shout-out for his dad (really?  why is this funny?!).  But more than a funny man, he's also a lover and a truly happy kid.  So long as he has freedom to move (to run or jump or kick something!), he is happy anywhere!  And he has a smile that inspires others to smile with him!

Collin is hilarious!  When he tries to be funny, what's funny is the act of him trying!  (Like in the pic above - hillarious moment!)  But when he's not trying, he can crack anyone up out of the blue with his unexpected candor!  He's so serious and so literal in his day to day chatter that his off-the-wall comments, so simple and true, are fantastically funny!  At school, friends recognize his positivity and focus and gravitate to him, seeking his company and good humor.

At least once a week one of Kate's teachers will stop me to comment on and share a story of Kate's sharp, witty, sometimes sarcastic humor.  She has a different inside joke with almost everyone.  She has invented "tinko" or "teeko" (not quite sure) ~ "it's this way, and that way" "the way you cut my sandwich" (into four squares) "it's Collin" "you're teeko!"  "no I'm teeko!"  "no teeko is this way and that way; you can't be teeko!"  The girl can flip anything into a joke, then flip back to serious quickly; but for her sly smile in peek-a-boo moments, you might be tricked into thinking you maybe didn't even hear the joke to begin with or that she didn't realize that she was even joking!  She's a hoot!  And speaking of hooting, the girl is soooo loud!  She sings loud, she laughs loud, she talks loud ... and then she whispers in her squeaky voice (so annoying but I'm growing fond of it, nonetheless).  She can look at a room and immediately find the fun in it ~ no matter what!  Everyone wants to play with Kate!

And then there's Eli, whose personality we are just getting to truly know.  He is a charmer!  If we're too quiet (like playing a card game or watching a show), he'll suddenly laugh out loud (at nothing in particular!) or start clapping enthusiastically and glancing around at us or throw his hands in the air dramatically to get our attention (started the wave at grandma's last weekend!).  His actions, so cute and so pointed, remind me that I am so fortunate to have the sounds of laughter bouncing off our walls.

Go Cougs!

There is nothing better than good friends.  And I am blessed with many.  Saturday night almost ALL of my best Cougar friends reunited after 10+ years for a fabulous time!  It was amazing to see how much the group has grown - and so richly!  We've added spouses, kids, friends, and family to our once small group of college kids!  To the few of you that couldn't make it, you were missed!!!

Mel, Chad, Mike, Andrew, Eleni, John, Matt, Deb, Jen, Bryan

Kevin, Jenny, Steve, Jason, Dawn

I loved meeting some of their kids and hearing about the others!  And I loved listening to stories about their lives, their loves, their careers, their hobbies.  It was inspiring to see how much we've all grown - and yet how our friendships remain unchanged.  I hope it's not another many years before we're all together as a group again, but even if it is, I know we'll always be the very best of friends!  Go Cougs!

Bandaids: Part 2

Last night Kate broke a plate while doing the dishes.  She was barefoot and walked on a tiny chard of glass ... somehow cutting her slightly in two separate places.  And then the cuts on her foot started to bleed. 


Owen: "Kate! It's your dream come true! You get a bandaid! Can I put it on? Then my dream will come true too because I can be a doctor!"  : )

Bandaids

Mt Constitution Summit, Orcas Island ~ June 2011

When I picked Kate up from school the other day, I noticed a Bandaid on her shin.

Me: Wow! You must have a good story to tell about how you got hurt! Why'd you get that Bandaid on your leg, Kate?

Kate: I bonked my head.

Owen's First Day of Kindergarten

September 12, 2011 - First Day of Kindergarten

Q. What did you do at school today?

A. Colored a picture of my shoe. Listened to stories. My favorite story was "I like my black shoes; I like my red shoes; I like my white shoes!" The white ones change into a lot of colors!

Q. What was your favorite part of the day?

A. Seeing Collin on the playground!!

Q. Anything else?

A. Riding the bus home! But I didn't get to sit with Collin. The kindergarteners had to sit up front. I sat with Evan and Bryson (neighbors). When I saw you, I waved! Did you see me? [Yes!!]

Q. You were nervous before because you didn't know anything about the school or who would be your friends or how you would do. Are you nervous to go back tomorrow?

A. No. I'm good. I did see friends at recess [Collin and the soccer team first grade boys], and I like my teacher. And I like that the teacher reads us stories. Except I didn't get to read because she doesn't know that I can read. Maybe tomorrow.

If I had three wishes:

1) The house would always be clean.

2) The Schillingers would live with us.

3) I would be king.

- Collin, 7.12.11

Happy 11-Month Birthday Eli!

Eli was playing football with the boys in the playroom tonight, which means he was chasing after it and they were throwing it back and forth over his head, playing keep-a-way. Suddenly, Collin had a thought:

Collin: "Now that Eli is taking steps, we need to teach him how to really throw a football!" Owen: "Should we teach him how to talk first?"

Eli is 11 months today! A happy, delightful boy, he is full of mischief and fun! He has a sparkle in his eye and will always tuck his head down and dive head-on into everything (and anything!). He LOVES his siblings and crawls to them all day long to give them hugs, open-mouth kisses, and headbutts (nuzzles). He's learning to walk -- up to 11 steps tonight! He is a super loud chatterbox and singer, but he doesn't have any words yet. He can sort of say "all done," and he waves hello, good-bye, and good-night. He doesn't have any teeth yet, but he eats everything in sight -- sometimes more than his oldest brother (who is setting records around here these days!). He loves spaghetti and bananas and peas and macoroni and waffles. (Who doesn't?!) When he's done, he signs; if you don't respond, he starts dropping food on the floor. He loves to dance, move things in and out of boxes/drawers/bags, and play peak-a-boo with any fabric (his favorite, he'll hate me later for saying, is to take all of Kate's underware out of it's drawer, play peak-a-boo with them - pulling them atop of his head or wrapping them around the back of his neck like a scarf - and then put them back in their place to start the game all over again!). He is a lover and gives the best hugs! He bops to happening jams with a smile on his face, and he claps when he's happy! He loves to crawl right into the mix and is constantly the break-down of board games, lego contruction, and football card sorting. "Mo-om, come get Eli!!!" He is a fantastic sleeper and sooths himself to sleep with a blankie and a bink (which he gets only at night for bed) around 8 and wakes around 6. He takes two naps a day, but is flexible with our schedule and is never fussy or grumpy despite missed or late or cut-short naps! We call him E, Eli, Eli-B-li, and E-Money. We love you, Little E!!

Corral

I often say when it's time to leave a place: "I need to corral all of my kids!" I looked at the definition; of the multiple meanings, one is "to gather up."

Lately, I've been dreaming regularly of this beautiful brown horse. The horse is always on the loose, having always wondered from its stall. And in my dream, my task is always to get near to the horse and encourage it to return. Almost as if there's a magnetic draw, something "clicks" the moment the horse and I meet eyes, and the horse follows me back to its home.

Is this a message? A reminder of my role as mom? Certainly has been giving me pause.

Funny Faces of my Family

We spent Saturday playing on the Ranch and had a blast. I have lots of "good" photos, but these ones crack me up! So here's one of each kiddo!

Excellent Night

We shared a family night tonight, and it was absolutely fantastic! Kevin and I picked up the kids together tonight, and we went out to eat at a new mexican restaurant in town (won't last long; especially since there's such a good taco truck across the street!). Then we all went to Lake Padden for an eve of big fun! The big boys played catch and practiced hitting the baseball, while Kate, E and I enjoyed the swings, the playstructures, and simply relaxing in the sunshine! It was the perfect evening!!

He loves you berry much!

Pic: Feb 27, 2011

Today: Kate was causing Eli to laugh hysterically at her as she made silly faces and noises. In turn, she was tickled pink! She exclaimed: "Look, Mom! He's laughing! Eli berry likes it! He loves me, Mom! I'm a good big sissy!"

Tree Topper

Collin has recently renewed his interest in tree climbing, and he's scaling up, up, up! When he was about 2, he climbed up everything! He was on top of every fire hydrant, every play structure, scaling rock walls and fences. Time to check out REI's rock wall!! (He's so cautious and capable, it'd be perfect!)

Happy Trails

Owen, Rebecca, Issac, Collin, Kai, Eli S., Kate, Me, Eli T on Arroyo Park Bridge

We were so happy to see the sun shining tonight! Wednesdays are typically "Daddy Bike Night" so the kids and I try to sneak in "While Dad's Away, the Kids Will Play" fun. After the rain over the weekend (and the week before that, and the week before that), we'd planned a night of bowling, but we quickly made new plans with the return of the spring sun!! We packed in the van and hit Arroyo Park, where we hiked the canyon trails and remarked at how fortunate we are to live in a city with such amazing outdoor opportunities! The kids literally raced the trails until we moms had to call it quits (afterall, bed and bath still beckon, even on a sunny (school/work) nights). Happy Trails!

Hitting My Goals: Fitness and Fun!

The past six weeks I've challenged myself and developed new perspective on my athletic opportunity! I've always been "a runner." I ran to relax, to think, to let off steam, to lose weight, to get in shape. Afterall, I love running! But I always ran at a pretty steady pace, and I was comfortable with an idea that I would never run any faster. Longer, sure. But not faster. And not necessarily "better." Then I ran the Birch Bay 1/2 with very little "training" (remember I was just 7 months post c-section). I realized that with some training and pace work, I could make some serious improvements. I didn't really start training then though. I focused on building my base, finding time to squeeze in workouts again, and losing the rest of my pregnancy weight.

Then I ran in the Mt Si Relay, and my perspective changed completely! I ran 8 miles at an 8:38 pace -- something I had never done before, nor contemplated before! I realized that not only could I improve form and increase distance, I was not challenging myself to run any faster. And I could go faster!! Here I am taking off on my second leg:

So I identified two goals:

(1) Fitness and Fun (*Run, Ride, and get to a point where I am really able to really get out and play with my kids!) and

(2) Run Faster!

... and I jumped into a training routine (fashioned together from a few online tips, a great friend who has coached runners, and mostly by "what worked in my schedule and seemed like the most challenging fun").

I'm super happy to say that conquered Goal #1! I've been working hard but more importantly, I'm having a LOT of fun! I've been running and riding and sprinting and climbing! And I am reaping the rewards! I am down to a size 2/4, and I can play games like "Monkey in the Middle" with my kids and give them a run for their money - without running out of breath! I am absolutely able to play! And play we do! I love every minute!

Eli and I at the Mt Si Relay

Goal #2 I also know that I've hit. I can tell in my training runs. But the real test is in just two and a half weeks! I'm aiming to finish the San Juan 1/2 Marathon June 5 in 1:51 (an 8:30 pace). [*My best prior time at that distance was 1:58, a 9:02 pace.]

San Juan, here I come!

Here's my training log the last 6 weeks if you're interested:

4/6 - 2 miles flat, sprint up Taylor Hill (walk the flats), run the stairs, run down, 2 miles flat (Boulevard)

4/9 - 2.6 @ 10 min/mile (Padden)

4/10 - 8.3 @ 8:38 and 7.1 @ 10 (Mt. Si Relay)

4/13 - 1200 @ 8:34 (400), 400 @ 7:30, 400 @ 8:00 (200), 800 @ 8:00 (200), 200 @ 7:30 x 3 (200 after each), 200 @ 8:00 (Treadmill) (Recovery Run @ 5.0 mi/hr)

4/19 - 2.6 @ 8:32 (Padden)

4/20 - P90X Abs + P90X Chest and Back

4/21 - 800 warm-up, 1200 @ 8:13 (600), 800 @ 8:13 (400), 400 @ 7:47 (200), 800 @ 8:00 (400), 400 @ 8:00 (400), 400 @ 7:47 (1 mile) (Recovery Run @ 6.0 mi/hr)

4/22 - 4 mile flat; later rode the trails with Kerena

4/23 - Rode the trails 2.5 hrs with Kevin

4/26 - Rode the trails 1.5 hrs

4/27 - Ran 5 miles ~9 min/miles

4/28 - Rode the trails 1.5 hrs

4/29 - Ran 8.5 miles (1/2 road, 1/2 trail) at 9:40 pretty steady. Able to chat the whole time

4/30 - Rode the trails 1.5 hrs + P90X Abs

5/2 - P90X Chest and Back

5/3 - Ran 5 miles with hills, slow (Yew Street) (10ish min/miles)

5/3 - P90X Yoga

5/4 - Rode the trails 1.25 hrs with Kevin

5/5 - Ran 10.5 miles (1/2 road, 1/2 trail). Hills in the first 4 miles. First two miles warm-up 9:30 pace, then 3 miles 9ish, then varied 10-10:30 for the next 2 miles (felt like I'd hit a wall and especially sluggish mile 6+7; also had headwind at this time b/c along the water for most of it), then last 3 miles at 9:30ish.

5/6 - P90X Arms and Shoulders

5/7 - Rode the trails 1.5 hrs + P90X Abs (with Owen)

5/8 - Ran 5 miles (Padden x 2). Aimed at first and last at 9:00 min pace, middle 3 at 8:30 pace.

5/9 - Rode the trails 1 hr

5/10 - P90X Chest and Back

5/11 - Insanity Pure Cardio (40 mins)

5/12 - Ran 6 miles at 9-9:15 pace. Flat, road (office to Zuanich and back).

5/13 - Rode the trails 1 hr with Rebecca

5/14 - Ran 12.8 miles. Hills up first 1/2 mile, down next 3 miles, then relatively flat next 9ish, then hills up 3 miles, down last 1/2 mile. Aimed at 10 min/mile pace and hit it pretty dead on, finishing in just under 2:08. (had a fast mile or two going down and a slow mile going up, but averaged out)

5/15 - REST (a little sore, but not bad; had a hard time sleeping Saturday night b/c legs were jittery)

5/16 - No soreness! But resting.
5/17 - Easy 3-4 miles planned.

Race: June 5 - San Juan 1/2 Marathon
Goal: Sub 8:30 min/mile pace

Howdy Ho!

Wow! Things have been bogged in our world the past month. April 7, Kate stayed home from school with a fever (yes, on her birthday). Every day for the next month (ending May 6), at least one child was ill. Of the work days, there were three in the whole month that all four kids went to school (well, four, but the teachers called us to get kids halfway through the day, so that day doesn't count). Owen had ear infections in both ears, his eardrums burst, he went to the ER, he ran through three rounds of antibiotics. Kate had fevers. Eli ran fevers, also had double ear infections and two rounds of antibiotics, and threw up. Collin was wiped by headaches and fevers and over a week of ridiculous fatigue.

BUT we did have some big things happen this past month despite the illnesses:

- Kate turned three! Happy birthday to the sweetest, sillinest, happiest, rowdiest, loudest, most joyful three year old I know!!

- I ran in the Mt. Si Relay with Rebecca, Kristen, Teri, and Marie! On Saturday, Eli came down with a fever, par for the course, so he joined our team! His fever had completely subsided by Saturday night, and he was a happy little guy during the race Sunday! I think the other team members thought we'd faked it so he could come along! ; )

- Collin stayed home alone for his first time ever! With a month of illness, Kevin and I were in non-stop juggle-mode. One Tuesday morning Kevin had to be in Bellevue, and I had to be in the jail. Collin was the only one sick that day, and his symptoms were under control. So he perched on the couch, remote in hand, and we raced off for our day. I worried for the entire two hours I was gone, contemplating every "what if." But when I returned, our 6 and a half year old was still in the exact same spot on the couch, watching his favorite show, and wearing a proud, independent grin! "I watched some shows, ate some grapes, and drank some water, Mom!"

- Owen experienced his first big disappointment. We have had lots of rain. It's been downright dreary. And unfortunately, the soccer season took a hit. Games were cancelled and rescheduled; practices were rained out. One Sunday, while Kevin was home with sick Kate and sick Collin, Owen, Eli and I headed to the fields for a make-up game. Surprisingly the fields were bright and sunny, and we were looking forward to a great game set! But Owen, my family-centered, team-oriented kiddo, was crushed to discover that he was the only boy on his team who showed up to play that day. We had to forfeit all the games, and they had to shift the schedule to allow the other teams to play on. Everyone invited Owen to play with another team for the day, but he couldn't see past his tears of frustration. His team had let him down. "I want to play with my team!" He couldn't understand why no one else had prioritized the games. He looked forward to them every week! Didn't they? It was awful to watch his sadness. He cried for a half hour, and I ultimately had to carry him (and Eli) off the filed. I wanted to call each and every parent and demand that they get their child out there immediately. I wanted to make the world fix his pain. Of course, I couldn't. The world couldn't. It was a hard fact. A lesson in disappointment, but also an opportunity to talk about team responsibilities and commitment. In the end, Owen was sad that he didn't get to play,, but proud that he'd showed up and been ready to. *Side Note: Is that how I'll feel when Owen gets his heart broken?! Ick!

- Grandma J turned 60!! Owen, Kate, Eli and I travelled to Seattle to celebrate in style! It was especially fun to see Uncle Evan and his fiance Mallory and Uncle Ben, who travelled from Montana to watch their Mom blow out her candles! ; ) We stayed at Uncle Zac and Aunt Carolyn's for the first time. Very fun! (Of course, I thought we were all healthy when we drove down, leaving sick Collin and Kevin behind. No such luck. Eli threw up all over me in the middle of the night. Yuck!)

- Kevin and I have been mountain bike riding a lot! Kevin also got a dirt jumper and is looking forward to improving his jump skills at the Bike Park! What a blast!!

- Eli is cruising everywhere! He's pulling up and cruising along all the furniture, moving all over on all fours, and racing up steps! It's only a matter of time now! Eeek! He says "Da-Da" and signs "all done" - not necessarily when he's "all done." I think he thinks it means "I'm done ... with that bite ... and now I'll have some more!" He also waives goodbye! This looks exactly the same as when he signs "all done." AND it doesn't necessarily mean goodbye. Sometimes it means "I can tell that you're getting ready to leave so I'm going to start waiving and hugging you even tighter so you can't finish getting ready!" *BTW - Eli gives THE BEST, tightest, snuggliest hugs!!!

- We celebrated Easter in yummy style! We dyed eggs - and ate them as fast as we could, literally as soon as the dye dried! And we ate chocolate (thanks to the bunny, who brought little treat baskets in the morning)! And we had a breakfast feast with the Schillingers, followed by a lively egg hunt! Imagine 150 plastic eggs and six kids racing around, searching high and low, filling their bags and laughing! Such fun!!

Here's to enjoying life ~ in sickness and in health! But in health is better! To a healthier next month!! Cheers!

Eli on the Move

I hope I blogged about it, but off the top of my head, I can not recall. At any rate, Eli started crawling Valentine's Weekend at 6 1/2 months. This weekend, at 7 1/2 months, he mastered his moves! He can now pull to standing on pretty much anything AND he can get into a seated position instead of be stuck on his back or belly or all fours!
*These pics are from Jan 31 - 6 months old - so they're not relative to this post topic except that: they are of Eli, and they are darn cute. Love this little guy so much!!

Kandid Kate ~ February 2011

Go Cougs!

Strolling through the Backyard Snow with her Dollie

She's been BEGGING to go ride her bike! A day of sunshine snuck in between the rain and snow last week, much to her delight!

Hiding in her "Fort"

Passed Out Mid-Color

You live life to the fullest, and I am so proud! You are a delight and a joy ~ and a crack-up, Kate! I love your every moment!!

ABCs of Me

(A) Age: I turned 33 last week, and I'm officially at the point where the continuous joke is that I turned "29 again!" Sadly, my gray hairs and laughter wrinkles give me away. Happily, I can run 13 miles, play with my kids, and I'll take a wrinkle for a laugh any day (and I do)!

(B) Bed Size: Queen - but if you'll forgive the pillow talk - I wish every night between 1:30 and 3:00 that we'd bought a bigger bed. As newlyweds - even though we agreed that we wanted four kids - a bigger bed just seemed so BIG. I remember moving from the full to the Queen and thinking Kevin was so FAR away. Now, four pregnant bellies (which took up a lot of space) and four kids later - each one wanting to sneak in for snuggles on any given night - I would rather we had the bigger bed and found other opportunities (as we have to anyway) for closeness!

(C) Chore You Hate: Scrubbing the floors AROUND the toilet bowl - and I have to do it in the upstairs bathroom nearly every day because Owen doesn't quite wake up in the middle of the night to pee. He sleep walks - most often making it to the bathroom - and has no concept of aiming in his sleep. He pees in the EXACT same spot nearly every night: directly to the left of the toilet bowl, all over the floor. *Once he stopped at the white laundry basket full of clean clothes instead. That wasn't better.

(D) Dogs? No way. Tried it once. Dog lasted in our home 6 weeks before Kevin and I - who admittedly are mildly OCD about neatness, etc. - had to adopt him out to a new home ... of course, not before he tore up a lawn chair, raced mud tracks through our very small bad yard, and licked the heck out of our then one-ish year old son! (Collin was NOT complaining; he loved that puppy!)

(E) Essential Start Your Day Item: Coffee. Nothing fancy - just drip coffee with a touch of cream. Mmmm. (drinking a cup right now!) I'm a morning person, but I don't really perk up until I've drank that first full cup!

(F) Favorite Color: Blue. It's always been my fave, but it's even more so now that I have four blue-eyed babes! Their eyes just sparkle with mischief and laughter, and they pierce me with looks that I can not disregard: "teach me, Mom; help me, Mom; tickle me, Mom; uppie, Mom!" And the look that I'm learning more and more to better decipher as my kids get older and their needs become more sophisticated: "I'm grumpy or mad, but you have the ability to fix me --- I need a _____ (a hug, a lesson, help, attention, a friend). I'm looking at you because I need you, Mom!"

(G) Gold or Silver? Silver.

(H) Height: 5 feet + 5 1/2 inches (We celebrate 1/2s around here: half birthdays, half an inch, dividing things in half - and then in half again!)

(I) Instruments You Play: Does the keyboard count? Not a piano keyboard. A computer keyboard. I also play a mean raspberry on bare bellies! Ask, E! ; )

(J) Job Title: The IRS would tell you that I'm the President of the Tepker Law Firm, Inc. My kids would tell you I help the Judge put people in time-outs in the Jail (aka, Municipal Prosecutor) or that I help my clients to make good choices (aka, Attorney for parents involved with CPS). *Idebated putting Mom, wife, etc., on here, but I decided that those aren't really JOBS - they are privileges!

(K) Kids: Collin - 6 1/2, Owen - 5, Kate - 2 11/12; Eli - 7 months.

(L) Live: Bellingham, Washington

(M) Mom's Name: Victoria Lynn. *Kate is Katelyn Victoria.

(N) Nicknames: I'm not sure I have any nicknames now that I'm an adult -- just names. Bellingham and the legal community call me Jen. I'm currently trying to bring back Jenny, which is the name I was called as a kid and am still called by childhood friends and all of my family - except my husband and kids, who call me Jennifer when they aren't calling me Mom or Mommy. As a kid I had nicknames though: Jenny Lynn. Jen-Ren. And in 8th grade for a miserable year of very bad hair (I'd never heard of hair gel or mousse, and I have a LOT of hair): Fro-Baby.

(O) Overnight Hospital Stays? When the kids were born and twice with Collin: when he was a baby and had a very high fever and when he was a toddler and had febrile seizures twice in one day.

(P) Pet Peeve: When my kids take their shoes off and leave them in front of their cubby rather than inside of their cubby. Or when jackets are tossed on the floor under the coat hooks. Or when clothes are discarded on the floor next to the laundry basket. Get the theme here? There's one more that bugs me even more though: when things get put away WRONG. Like when you I open a DVD to watch a movie and find a different movie inside the case. Ugh!!

(Q) Quote from a Movie: I have a terrible memory - for things like that especially. There's too much else going on that I'm focused on remembering. I wish I remembered more movie quotes though; I'm often the only one left NOT-laughing at quote-jokes.

(R) Right or Left Handed? Right.

(S) Siblings: 8 -- Two older half-brothers (Richard and John), Three older step-brothers (Zac, Ben, and Evan), One younger half-sister (Christina), One younger half-brother (Jared), One younger step-brother (Kramer).

(T) Time You Wake Up? Seems like I'm always up - 24/7. But it varies -- between 5:30 a.m if I'm working out or running (haven't done that lately at that time admittedly) and 7:00 a.m. when my kids can't take it anymore. ; )

(U) Underwear: Hmmm. Black. Red. Most comfortable are boyshorts-style. Ten years ago, I would have claimed - and even did to my aunts once, who thought I was crazy by the way - that a G-string was the greatest invention ever. I don't know who I was fooling. I was crazy. (Yes, you were all right.)

(V) Vegetable You Dislike: Mushrooms.

(W) What Makes You Run Late: I think the better question is "What doesn't make me run late?"

(X) X-Rays You've Had Done: As I preschool-age kid, I had x-rays after a bike crash. Then as a ten-year-old-ish kid, I had x-rays after another bike crash. Now that I've typed that, I'm a tad nervous to get on my bike ... but, um, I love my bike. I'll be careful.

(Y) Yummy Food You Make: I married a man who loves to cook. And especially loves to cook for me. So I don't make much. But I make a great garlic-tomato-chicken pasta and a rockin' chicken kiev. For my kids, I make lots of silly foods, like colored pancakes, green eggs and ham, and April Fools Cupcakes (meatloaf cake, mashed potato frosting, and corn sprinkles). ; )

(Z) Zoo, Favorite Animal: Elephants are just amazing - so huge! Giraffes are so unique! And monkey-species are so funny! How could I ever choose?!