Ali being a "Monster" in one of Tony’s old sweatshirts.

And eating her first sucker today, after having to get a shot.

We’ve had a busy few days. My car has been in the shop for a week. Sunday I tried again (one year later) to learn to drive Tony’s stick. I’m just not good at it. Or sticking with it Monday morning I had to take my math midterm at TBCC (proctored, the class in through PCC and online). So Tony [and Ali] had to drive me in and drop me off while they ran errands. It was quicky, less than an hour, and went went grocery shopping at Fred Meyer afterward. Then I had my Speech class in the evening. Which I hadn’t been to in two weeks. So I had a midterm and my first speech. And no ride home. It was a little stressful.

But, all went well. I aced the midterm (despite only getting the study guide a few hours previous from a classmate when the teacher didn’t answer my emails for two weeks!) and apparently did well on my speech since Ms. Arvyn asked if I’ve taken the class before (no!). To be fair, the course is appallingly easy. And, I got a ride home from another student. All was well.

This morning, MOPS! Again, Tony drove Ali and I in. He worked and went to the YMCA. Ali had a rough time when she was taken from me (new procedure apparently) but I guess made a new friend with one of the helper ladies and wouldn’t leave her side. Last time (two weeks ago) she got so upset that she fell asleep on one of the volunteers. And it was nowhere near naptime!!! Lol, her reaction to the situation continues to crack me up but I’m so glad it’s a situation she is being put in.

After MOPS we came home and it was naptime. Then, across the street for shots. Which ended up being SHOT (singular) as there’s a national shortage on one she kind of needs (hib, I think) and we were talked out of a flu shot. Which was fine with me, it wasn’t our idea, we were told she needed it. Ali screamed bloody murder the moment the nurse called her name and didn’t stop until we left the exam room. Though she was fine for the thirty-plus minutes we spent in the waiting room. She’s really getting big that she has such strong associations.

Tomorrow we are back to Tillamook with Ali’s first dental apppintment. Besides it being recommended that all babies get a 12 month check (yeah, she’s late), she has a brown spot on one of her teeth that I’m worried is a cavity but Tony did some research and said it just a discolored area. So, we’ll see.

Also tomorrow, I get my car back! This evening we FINALLY got word of what was wrong with it….and also that it was ready! Just a missing fuse so we only have to pay for that and 1/2 hour of labor. But that only answers why is was stuck in park. Not necessarily why it died in the first place or why the engine light has been coming on for about a year. So I’m still nervous with it.

Yep, things are good. We are happy, happy, happy to be home and be able to stay for a bit for once. Last weekend was our first home in a MONTH and I figured out a coupledays ago that two to two and a half weeks is the longest we’ve been home, continuously, since…MAY?!?! Seriously, it’s been pretty crazy for a very long time.

Also looking forward to Halloween on Friday anda bonus community carnival/party on Saturday!

We have been getting into the holiday spirit. Starting with Halloween. Yesterday we carved the pumpkins we got at the Roloff Farm. Ali surprised us both by wanting nothing to do with the process, though we we’re prepared to let her get and gucky and gooky as she wanted. But no, she wouldn’t get near it and gave a "yech" noise whenever it was suggested she might like to.

That was about as close as she came. Though she is enjoying the pumpkin seeds we (well, Tony) roasted. And she’s not the only one. Below are mine and Ali’s pumpkin’s (not sure that’s grammatically corect). Mine is on the right, the wailing one. Her’s is Elmo….I think? 

This afternoon there was a Halloween carnival at the North County Recreation District in Nehalem. And Ali needed a costume. Now, we’ve been looking for a few weeks. Most fervently when we were in Seattle last weekend. But nothing. Early in the month I/we thought we’d find something better or cheaper or whatever at a later date. And then those costumes, the passed up ones, began looking pretty spectacular.

We thought we’d at least find something at Fred Meyers. They had one, yes ONE, costume that was Ali’s size. A witch. Not what we were going for. We really wanted either a barnyard animal, preferrably a lamb, a lion, or a dinosaur. My favorite thing about allthe little kids’ ones like these were that they were super warm. Buit, nothing. We went to a few places in Wheeler and three thrift stores (keep in mind, we have no Goodwill or Value Village. We have small thrift stores that are few and far between). Finally, we decided to just find something we had.

One something we had is a tiger costume that was my cousins. Super cute, super warm and….pretty big. Like, 3T and Ali wears mostly 12m but still some 6-12m and 9m! She’ll be 16 months in a few days. The girl is just tiny clothes-wise. Then, this morning it came to me.

At one of the thrift stores Ali latched onto this tiny doll that we ended up buying for her. She loves it and named it Ralphie (pronounced "Ra-fa"). Seriously, that’s what she named it. Anyway, we decided to dress her in PJs and slippers, put "curlers" in her hair and carry her baby and be a mommy. We tried to find her a robe but ended up buying a way too big nightshirt that look like a nightgown. And she was adorable.

If not a bit scared of all the noise at first. Tony dressed as an old timey reporter and I…..refused. Lol. It was a small little carnival, with a lot of kids and a LOT of noise. Ali had a real good time though and was going crazy from either sugar or excitement. I think we’re going to be going to another event on Halloween and one the next night as well. I guess the season is here.

Our new phones don’t do video (sad!) and Tony just mailed his old phone off to someone who purchased it on ebay. So, savor this one. Though it’s a bit old. To see the pics that I’m taking in the clip go here.

Ali’s best "Mow-mow" died last night. Poor cat had been suffering for quite awhile though, and was anything but young. Still, he will definitely be missed.

Sorry about that.

I don’t really have the time/energy to write much of anything. We went to Seattle on Friday and got home last night about 11:30pm. Go here to see some random pictures from the last couple of weeks.

After the pumpkin patch we stopped to have lunch at Sonic(!), which was a surprise because I’ve only ever seen/had Sonic in Cali. There Tony surprised me with tickets to Weezer for that night! Apparently he’d bought them back in August. BEFORE Ali started sleeping through the night. Talk about optimistic.

The concert was fun, us getting out was even more fun. I guess Ali woke once when we were gone (we put her down and then drove to the Memorial Coliseum) and my mom went in to give her back her paci. And she didn’t freak out!

Sleep was in short supply for a few days though. Parlty because Thursday, my bday, Ali woke up at 4:45am and then I couldn’t go back to sleep and she woke up whne I tried to leave her in our bed and so her and I were up about 5am! Then she/we woke Tony up not long after six. so, after getting to my parents’ and before the concert we each napped separately (Ali has done all her napping for the day in the car). Then we got back from the concert about midnight.

Ali woke up just after 6am.

I was sleepy.

Friday we ran a lot of errands in the morning. Got out the door around 8:30am. Went to Walmart and then was at Toys’R'Us before they opened at ten. It was fun and exhausting to go in there with Ali .Then we went to Costco and after that we were all hungry and so tired. In the afternoon we went down to the high school to see the homecoming parade. We were about an hour early so we got to snatch Alyssa from school and walk down to the elementary school to play and then watch the parade. Something about having only one kid with you and being at the start  of the route, we had whole handfuls of candy flung our way. Nearly filled up Ali’s new Dora backpack. Of course most of it she can’t eat so guess who’s stuck with it!

After that we went to AT&T with Alyssa (who, seriously, made the whole experience bearable with her presence) and got new phones! Our contract was up with Verizon, as we’d signed a two-year one on my twenty-second birthday. It was a slow process but we finally got home just before Trista did! Jordan was there too so, once again, all four kids together!

Saturday I finally got to do all I’d really wanted for my bday, which was to go shopping. Alone. Well, I went with Trista and Alyssa which was the second best thing. I don’t have to carry/entertain them. We went to town at Old Navy and Nordstrom Rack and then wandered through the mall but didn’t find much.

Then Trista didn’t turn onto the freeway. Btw, my license expired on my bday (in Oregon they last 8 years. 16+8=24). And I knew something was up. But I had NO IDEA what. We went to this strip mall on Sunnyside and there was a place called Ceramicafe. And inside was….a party! Cass and Pete, Jordan and Backy, Tony and Ali, Trista and Alyssa, Cynthia and Shayla. And a CHEESECAKE :)

It was so nice and so fun. I had told Tony a day or so before that I was excited about getting together with my mom’s side of the family (our next stop) because I hadn’t had any sort of bday gathering in a long time- maybe since I turned 18. It was great.

After that we quickly went home to change and then went to West Linn to my aunt and uncle’s house for part II. Also a lot of fun. Ali has such a great time in those kind of settings, and that night was no different. Even though she was exhausted she got a second wind and just ate up all the attention. Though we meant to leave early (don’t we always?) and meant to be packed up neither happened. So we didn’t get out until past eight and didn’t leave my parents’ until 9pm and didn’t get home until 11pm. Ali went seamlessly from car to crib.

Sunday we never left the house.

Today we both got hair cuts. Well, I got my bangs trimmed. And my license renewed. We went grocery shopping. Then I prepared for the speech I was supposed to present tonight. But my car died when I was pulling out. In the middle of the street. Stuck in park. It took Tony about an hour and a half to be able to move it back into the driveway. And I didn’t make it to class. Because we’re going to be in Seattle until Tuesday next week I’m going to miss then too. Kind of a struggle. Anyway, that’s why I’m home and have found time for a rather extensive update.

The first of, as I’d eventually find out, a few birthday surprises. Last Thursday we went to the Roloff Farm in Hillsboro. It was so interesting to see the farm IRL (in real life). I wish we’d gotten to see even one member of the family. Even from afar. We did get to pet Rocky, the dog and Tony had a brief exchange with Sven, hired help/friend of the family. We went on a tour where we were pulled by a tractor (Ali loved it!) and got three pumpkins and quite a few pictures. Below are the best and here are the rest.

That would be the day I was born. Meaning tomorrow is my birthday. And I will be twenty-four. No longer in the "early twenties." As I’ve been saying, I will officially be a "twenty-something."

Also tomorrow we are leaving. AGAIN! In the morning we are going to the Roloff Farm (seen often on the TV show Little People, Big World) and they’re pumpkin patch. SO EXCITED! I have seen every episode of this show and love their family. Even if I don’t get to see any of the Roloffs, seeing the farm should be just as good.

Then we are heading on to my parents’ where we will be until Saturday night. Now, I’ve only known of this plan for about a day, so it must have been a bit of a surprise. Which I think was spoiled by us having to go to Seattle last weekend and, YES, next weekend. We are heading up north again next Friday, until Tuesday of so.

And after that? After that we’re STAYING HOME until Thanksgiving. Maybe longer. We’re really going to need massive amounts of down time.