It was Carson, in the dining room, with the ink pen

As I walked down the stairs, I listened for the comforting sounds of my child playing. It was quiet…too quiet. I turned the corner, expecting to catch the culprit red handed. To my surprise, the assumed criminal was quietly reading a book. It all seemed a little suspicious. Perhaps I had been too quick to judge his character. I decided to throw away my assumptions and start anew, trusting in the honesty and nonmischieviousness of the boy. It would be hours later when I discovered the true meaning of his innocent reading.

Hours later: After I put him to bed, I sat down at the table to finish my to do list. Oh what joy! Carson had left me a present…and added to my “to dos”. New things to do: 1) wash place mats since they are now covered in Carson’s artistic interpretations (done with ink that probably won’t wash out), 2) wash my cup as Carson interpreted onto that as well (FYI – I’ve already checked this one off my to do list…and no, it didn’t come off), 3) start a new to do list as I can’t even read my list…due to Carson’s artistic interpretations. I can only blame myself…I had gone upstairs to put on my PJ’s and had left my chair pushed out with an open pen on the table. Carson had to be pretty quick to climb up the chair, practically empty the pen’s ink on all viable surfaces, then go into the living room, put a book in his lap, and look innocently up at me as I came back down the stairs. I’m onto to you now little boy…game on.



We had my company picnic this weekend. It was pretty fun and luckily not too hot. Carson loved all the fun bouncy castles, cookies, squirt guns, etc. Here he is with his cookie.

He was obsessed with the water gun below (even though his face doesn't show it).

He was totally tuckered out when we left. He was resting his head on Karl's arm as we walked to the car. Too cute.

I know you’ve all been dying to hear how I was “honored” for getting the 9th highest score on my CPA exam, in Arizona, in 2008. The ASCPA invited the top ten to a luncheon. We chatted, ate lunch, and all received plaques. It was actually pretty fun. The only downer was that they had each of us introduce ourselves and then say our four test scores. I had been so proud of my scores but when I’m in a room with 9 other people, 8 of which scored higher than me, my scores did’t sound so great anymore. I just had to keep telling myself my feelings of embarrassment for not getting 99’s was ridiculous. So besides that, it was fun.

Carson just finished up his two weeks of swimming lessons. He hated the first three days and whined the whole time. The teacher had her 5 year old son get in with Carson for the rest of the lessons and then he loved them. He would copy everything her son would do. Carson floated on his back all by himself (for a few seconds) and could “monkey walk” all along the edge of the pool – the whole time making monkey sounds. He would even hold his breath and go under water to get toys. So overall, it was really great. I wish he hadn’t been so whiny at first, but like a normal 2 year old he wanted to play, not float on his back.

I’ve been a single mom pretty much the last month. Karl has been spending every night on campus in order to stay on top of his assignments. I can’t even count the number of ten page papers he’s had to write. Like 8 probably…no fun. But I’m so proud of him for staying motivated and getting it done. His last day of classes was yesterday. Now he’s just working on some final projects. He’ll be pretty much done on Friday! Then next week we go see Obama and he’ll walk and get his diploma. So exciting. He’ll finally be done with his masters.

We have definitely hit the terrible twos. I’ve had a few embarrassing grocery store moments…no more details will be provided on those. It is a growing period for me as a parent. I’m learning to be even more patient and am having to do a lot of reading to figure out the best methods for dealing with things like tantrums and hitting. Oh how Carson loves the “go limp” method. He uses this the most often and we end up dragging him around or just leaving him till he decides to get up. Problem is, I would expect a child to go “Oh no, my mom is leaving me.” Carson goes “Yes, my mom is leaving me, now I am FREEEE!” We’re still working out the kinks. Luckily, the year of 2 is also wonderful and sweet as communication increases and Carson likes to show more affection. Without that balance, I think I would go crazy.

IMPORTANT NEWS FLASH: SYTYCD premieres Thursday, May 21st. That is "So You Think You Can Dance" for non diehards. I look forward to the summer every year just for this show. I love it so much. I tried to find a clip to give everyone a taste of the goodness...but it took too long. So search it and enjoy.

Easter and More

First - this picture has nothing to do with anything else in the post, but Carson likes to climb into our coffee table sometimes. It usually holds his toys. So I let him eat his snack there one day. He was so excited and looked so funny in the coffee table.

My Easter post may be a little delayed, but I had to give my faithful followers a chance to savor the last post. We celebrated Easter a week early with Karl's family since his sisters were in town. There was a big Easter egg hunt in the back yard. Normally, I lay the smack down and slaughter everyone - we're talking dollar bills here, but I decided to let everyone else have a chance this year and spent my time helping Carson find eggs. He immediately loved the game and would put the eggs in his basket. It was fun to take him around and find the little eggs. We also did some egg dyeing. Carson was a little over zealous at first and threw an egg into the green dye...which then splashed all over Karl's mom...oops. She had a greenish tint after that...which I think just made her more festive. After the mishap though, he would softly put the eggs in the dye. Carson devoured all the candy the Easter bunny brought him...which is probably more candy than he's had in his life put together. He got a cute little book called "Fifteen Animals" which he loves. It's about a boy who had fifteen animals and they are all named Bob - but there is a tune to the song so we sing it as we read it. He loves that book.


We also did a little family celebration on the true Easter. Karl and I hid some eggs in our house and filled them with Cheerios. He loved this hunt just as much and was so excited about all his "snacks" (what he yelled every time he found an egg).


Here are a few pics. The one with me is obviously not my best, and yes I had just rolled out of bed, but he looks so cute with his cheeks stuffed with Cheerios and his feet crossed.

Below are two rather long videos - but I figure you can hit stop whenever you get bored. For my parents - who will probably watch the whole thing several times - you get to hear his sweet little thank you somewhere towards the end of the first one.

I feel I should blog the famous Kasey Easter egg hunt story that Karl's family will never let me live down. Preface - I'm am not very sporty nor am I competitive. When I tried to play soccer in 5th grade I would give the other team the ball in order to maintain fairness and also avoid getting kicked. Karl's family is very good at both of these things - sports and competition. So before my first Easter egg hunt with his family - I was totally pumping myself up in my head. "C'mon Kasey. You can do this! Don't try and be fair...try to win!" I figured I would have to give 150% to equal their 100%. I just kept picturing them all having 25 eggs and I'd have 2. So Karl's parents shouted go and I tore through the house like a wild animal. I was pushing, grabbing, using trickery, etc. Only about 15 minutes into it did I realize that everyone else was just there to have fun...and they were all thinking I was crazy. I ended up with a ton of eggs. To this day they all joke about their scars from that hunt (I guess emotional and physical). So now I take it easy on the hunts, but they will never let me live it down.


Carson has started crying in the car because he wants our sunglasses. So I took the little sunglasses he has and put them in the car. He'll wear them the entire drive. He puts them on and then says "Cute". Every time I do a head check to change lanes and see him out of the corner of my eye, I start laughing. He is too funny back there with his shades. I took these pictures with my phone so they are not great, but I didn't have my camera.

More exciting adventures to come soon - as they are so plentiful in my non-boring life.

THE GOLDEN POST!

I am happy to announce that this post is my 50th post, and thus my golden anniversary (with my blog). What an amazing ride it has been. My blog and I have definitely had our ups and downs, but through it all...I love this blog just as much today as the day I started it. I can't wait to experience the next fifty posts. Sniff Sniff, Tear.

So I've been trying to work out a lot more lately. It is something that I have such a hard time putting in my schedule. I've been getting up at 4:30 and heading to the gym before work. It makes traffic a lot lighter so that has been nice. But some mornings that snooze button is way to appealing. Saturdays have been really great. I drop Carson off at the Kid's Club at the gym and then sweat like never before. I find I push myself a lot harder if I take classes. I'm not sure why, maybe it is peer pressure or maybe I'm just having more fun. When I work late nights though - working out just doesn't happen. I've decided there is no easy way to fit it in.

Today I did a step class and then a lifting class (2 hours - thank you very much). I know I'm not in the best of shape but I feel like I can hold my own. There is something I have to address though. There are several 70 year old women taking these classes with me, lifting the same amount of weights as me, and lasting just as long in the cardio class. Also, they took the yoga class before the step class (I saw them in the room before the class let out). Also, as I was leaving after my two hours - thinking I was going to die by the way, they stayed for the stretching class. Maybe they have a lot of free time but I cannot believe how in shape they are. And how not in shape I am. I feel like I should be dancing circles around a 70 year woman. It's definitely motivating and you have to admire them. I just felt like clapping for them after the class. I hope I can keep up with a moderately in shape 25 year old when I'm 70.

I took Carson out to run some errands today - which is not his favorite activity. Carson likes to be a free bird so sitting in carts and looking at boring things drives him bonkers, which leads to whining and melt downs. So I try and run errands very prepared. I make sure he's eaten, I give him "run outside breaks" in between stores, and I try and find things in the stores for him to look at. He did really great today and I didn't walk away wanting to pull my hair out which is nice. We were taking a play outside break in front of Bed Bath & Beyond and Carson discovered some puddles - yes it rained today, so nice. So I was showing him how to jump and stomp in puddles and he was having a grand ol' time. Then he got in the cart and we went in the store. Some lady came up to me and told me that I was a good mom. I almost burst into tears. I think I'm a good mom and I feel like a do a pretty good job, but it was so nice to hear. Obviously Carson is my first kid so half of my rearing decisions are based on educated guesses (they always say the first kid is the guinea pig). I'll tell Carson about this lady someday when he is shouting "It's not fair" and slamming his door shut. Oh wait, is that a dramatic girl thing? I grew up in a house of 4 girls so I don't know what boys do when they think something isn't fair. Hmmm...we'll see (again, guinea pig).

As I said above, it rained today. I love when it rains - I feel cozy and inspired. Weird feelings together, but that is how I feel. I wish it rained a lot more. I would say once a week is good, maybe twice. I miss it so much. Someday rain...someday you and I will be together again.

Not much new for Carson (sorry mom and dad). I do have a video of him making a mess though. Or maybe I should say Karl in this case. I've always been a pretty patient person, which I try to apply to parenting every day. I do consciously make an effort to relax though. My mantra is "what's the worse that could happen." So as Carson makes messes, I try to grab the camera instead of freaking out. As seen in the video below - what's the worse that could happen. It was me spending less than 2 minutes cleaning up...I'd say it was worth it.

Thank you for attending my 50th anniversary. Please don't forget your party favor as you head out the door.

What's the Haps

Swim lessons - I'm looking for another mom who lives nearby, has a child in between 18 months and 3 years, wants to sign up for swimming lessons, and would like to do it around 7 pm. Very specific I know. This is when I would like to do it but if I can find someone else to sign up with me it won't be labeled a "private lesson" and it would be $50 cheaper for me. If you are interested let me know and I'll email you more details. And by the way...I'm not all sneaky or anything. This is what the swim instructor suggested trying to find.

The ever pressing Carson updates - He has already outgrown the "ho" I put on tape for the last blog. But fortunately, his bonofide hello is just as funny. I keep trying to get it on tape, but no success thus far. I know you've all seen the Seinfeld where they say hello really weird. Well...picture that. Pretty much exactly. It makes me laugh every time. It seems he's learning a new word every day. He is picking up on things that I didn't even realize though. For example, when did he learn to say clock? I don't even think I say that word. But he was reading his book and pointed to a clock and said clock.

Blackmail photos below. I'm not sure when and how I will use these...but they have to be worth something to him when he is 15. (Just kidding, I'm not that mean, but the photos are still kinda funny).

His hair grows super fast and I get so tired of paying to have it cut. So Karl attempted a hair cut. It wasn't horrible but not mother approved. So then I just buzzed it. It was my first time buzzing anything, so also not perfect...but good enough. Next time will be better. He looks like a real boy now (as opposed to a baby). See the buzz below.

I got a visit from my good friend Julia. We grew up in Spokane together and then went on to be college roommates. She was in town to visit her grandma and she, her husband, and two little girls stopped by for an afternoon. Emmy (her 2 1/2 yr old) was super sweet and wanted Carson to play dolls with her. Unfortunately, Carson is a boy and was in his own little world. He'll realize girls are cool someday. It was so great to see Julia and reminisce for a little bit. Karl loved having an XBox buddy while us girls chatted and the kids played. Here is a pic of Carson and Emmy on the couch. Emmy is very seriously feeding her baby a bottle - so cute.

We're Going Green

Not the environmental kind - although we do try and do our share. But the Irish kind. We are 2/15 part Irish (Office Quote). Actually, I don' think we are Irish at all. I always thought St Patrick's Day was fun as a kid though. My mom would get out the green food coloring and we would have green pancakes with green milk. We would get a visit from the leprechaun and I'd wear some elaborately green outfit to school. I definitely don't plan my outfits around the holidays anymore, but being a parent makes holidays fun in a whole new way. Carson is still young so I probably won't pull out all the stops, but soon I can do all these fun little holiday things.

Carson used to say "Hey" whenever someone walked into a room, when he played with our phones, etc. He is trying to switch to "Hello" though and it is pretty cute. He says "Ho" now whenever he is saying hi. Every time he says ho I feel like I should throw my hands up in the air, and wave them like I just don't care (Hip hop hooray, ho, hey, ho). Here's a video of him saying Ho.

I have this Moss Adams free hand out IPod speaker. You plug your IPod inside it and then it plays out loud (crappy quality, but it was free). Carson likes to carry it around. He threw it at the camera though, which then hit me in the face. It hurt pretty bad, but every time I watch this I laugh. Maybe you'll laugh too.

Carson is also trying really hard to jump lately. He does it daily. He'll stand on a book or a pillow or something and get into jump position. He'll crouch down and then say "pump" as he tries to jump (he's still not making it off the ground though). Here is a video of that too. Lot's of video this time.

Carson, my sis Vickie, and I went to the Zoo again this weekend. Last time Carson didn't even pay attention to the goats in the petting zoo, but this time he loved them. He made sure to touch every singe goat. Below is a video of Carson and a few of the goats.

Oh so Sweet

Carson has been a little sweetie lately. He went through a bit of a whiney stage and I feel like my happy little boy is back. His huge toothy grin just melts my heart. He's been "able" to say mama for a long time. He just doesn't. But the last few days, he's said mama a few times to get my attention. What a sweet sound - to have him call for me (without crying). Of course, he's up to his usual hijinks, but he's a year and half - that's what he should be doing. The other day he got into a cupboard and dumped a ton of pasta all over the floor. I had to laugh, and then sweep it up. He'll also take things of ours and then I find them in the most random places days (or weeks) later. I recently found our mouth wash in the bottom slot of my hanging shoe rack - a logical place if you ask me. A perfect fit. He has learned to take off his jammies. Every morning when he wakes up his jammies are unzipped. The other day when I went in to get him he had taken his jammies totally off and we was freezing. The next thing we don't want him to figure out is how to take off the diaper. Below is Carson in our back yard. He loves to pull all the flowers off this vine - and hey, the vine looks pretty good, right? Right? The other picture he's just being too cute, all scrunched up in his T-shirt. And then, of course, notice the pasta everywhere.

Below is a video of Karl tickling Carson. Carson was Lauging a lot harder right before, but once I turned on the camera he was starting to get tired of being tickled. I'll post some more videos later - but it is bedtime.

Oh Bother

I feel like I haven't posted in a long time. Not much has happened and I haven't taken any "good" pictures, but I wanted to blog.


I've been out of town for a weeks for work so Karl was holding down the fort. Unfortunately, Carson got pretty sick and Karl had to deal with it all by himself (he had a few helpers - THANK YOU). Karl went to get Carson up one morning and he had thrown up and had a fever. After a few days of fever and mucus, Carson went to the doctor. He had ear infections in both ears. I don't know if that is what caused all the other symptoms or if the ear infection was a symptom of something else, but needless to say the kid was miserable. Karl would tell me over the phone at night that Carson just slept in his arms all day. If you know Carson, you know this is sooo unusual. Sleep in some one's arms? No way. So after 4 prescriptions and a week or so, Carson was back to himself. Just in time for me to come home. I felt awful not being the one taking care of him, but I knew Karl was doing a good job. Karl had to take some days of work though so that wasn't great for him.


There were a few times Carson's fever got pretty high so Karl stuck him in a cold bath to cool him down. Although it worked to bring his fever down, Carson developed a complete fear of the bathtub. He'd just cling to our necks and wrap his legs as far around us as they go. He never cuddles. So while he was probably scared to death, I still loved the cuddles. But then when we forced him into the tub he would just cry and say up over and over. So I went to Target and bought him a ton of new bath toys. Luckily, that's all he needed. The first bath with all his new toys, he still didn't want to get in, but once he was in he didn't cry at all. In fact, he cried when he had to get out. YEAH for toys!

Carson, as always, is a handful. The new struggle is throwing, hitting, and kicking when we are playing. We've worked on the no hitting when he's mad at us. But he's reached a stage in his humor development where he thinks these actions are hilarious. Sometimes, they are, and Karl and I have to work so hard to not laugh. Especially when Carson did this total round house kick to Karl's stomach the other day. I just think it's really hard for him to see the line. The throwing one is hard. I'm sure he's thinking "Why is it okay for me to throw this ball or this plane that will fly, but not okay to throw this book or drumstick at your head?" He'll eventually see the difference, but for right now, check the kid for weapons. And I would suggest not laying on the ground at his feet when he is standing - you are bound to get a kick.

But he is cute as ever and keeps us laughing. He is so good at saying please now, but thank you is no where to be seen. Why would he learn to say it if he already got what he wanted, right? He is still very independent and gets frustrated when we don't let him do everything himself. The two pics below: 1) Sleep while eating hits again. This was after church and we were trying to get him to eat lunch before his nap...didn't happen, 2) Karl teaching Carson one of his favorite bad habits. It was kind of cute to see my two fellas both taking whipped cream shots from the can.





On a very positive note, I just received a letter from the AZ State Board of Accountancy. I got the ninth highest score on my CPA exam in the state of AZ for 2008. I was pretty excited. The AZ Society of CPAs honors the top ten (barely made it). I'm not sure what "honors" means though. Will they make me a T-shirt "I survived the CPA exam." Maybe they will just send me a letter "We honor you." We'll see. I hope it isn't the T-shirt.

That's all for now. Happy Valentines Day!