Woodland Park Zoo and a proud member of the Delaware Zoo

A week or so ago the kids didn't have school and it was 60 plus degrees so I decided to go to the zoo. My camera is having major issues so I don't have any pictures of the fun, but Kierstin sent me a few of her pictures. It was really crowded but we saw a lot of animals and had a great time. Cameron's favorite animal is a giraffe so the giraffes were the hit of the day. Julia liked the giraffes best too. Natalie liked the "Mingos" and the "Orrillias"







I must say that I am in LOVE with my zoo pass. Not because I can go to the zoo now when ever I feel the need but because I got a AWESOME deal on the pass. The strange/conspiracy around here is that there are two zoos. Most zoos when you buy a pass has other zoos that are their "sister" zoos that you can get in for free also. Not the two zoos in Seattle. If you want a pass to the Woodland Zoo you would need to buy a pass but if you wanted to go to the Point Defiance Zoo you would need to buy a pass for that zoo too. No sister zoo collaboration here. Of course each zoo's pass for the family cost around or a little more than a $100 each. So I would never buy both zoo's passes. My friend's family lives on the east coast and for Christmas bought a zoo pass for her family. Her pass gets her in to BOTH of the zoos in Seattle. It is like the best kept secret. Get into both zoo's for the price of one! After she told me about her pass I went online to look and sure enough I was able to purchase a Delaware Zoo pass that will get me in both zoos in Seattle. The best part of the whole thing: the Delaware Zoo pass only cost $45. It costs more for me to take my whole family once to the zoo for that price. To put it lightly it made my month (Mitch was a little amazed by my pure bliss over a zoo pass) but I love when you get a good deal and better yet it actually worked when I went to the zoo.

Husky Fever

It has been Husky fever around our house. Cameron and Dad have been following the dawgs in the NCAA basketball tournament for the last couple weeks. I have been enjoying watching Cameron watch the game. He is so fun. He has had a note in his room all week that said, Thursday the Huskies are on at 4:30 on channel 7. He was worried that he might forget and miss the game. He and Julia watched the whole game and cheered every time they made a basket. Cam was a little sad when they lost and "now won't play to be the champions, but maybe next year." Last night he came downstairs after bed and saw that Mitch was watching Sports Center. His eyes lit up and he said "What is this show? I love all these sports" Oh boy--I have a feeling I might never get an option of what I want to watch again. At dinner Cam told me, "We don't like the Yankees." Oh Mitch....

Miss Cranky and the grocery miracle

Today I desperately needed to go grocery shopping. Unfortunately for me Natalie was in a beastly mood. She threw a fit most of the time we were there (except for the 3 minutes she was eating her cookie from the bakery). I was pushing one of those "car" grocery carts that you need a special permit/license to operate. Natalie wants to get in and out 40 times while in the store. It can be a real joy.... Anyway I was trying to hurry because she was so cranky and I ran my over sized cart into a cardboard set up wine display. The wine bottles started to fall and to my horror I couldn't do anything to stop them because I was 5 feet away at the back of the cart. As I was watching this thinking "this isn't really going to happen " divine intervention happened and the card board set up rocked back up and the bottles tipped but didn't fall out. It was a grocery miracle!! It was going to be a HUGE mess and a lot of money spilled on the floor! My heart was racing for about 20 minutes after the fact so much that I decided to skip the gym tonight because I got my heart rate up and going at the store today. No need for exercise. At the check out register Natalie was crying and mad. A man next in line was trying to smile and say hi to her, she looked at him and said "NO, look at me!" Boy, what an angel.....



(This picture still cracks me up every time I look at it)

Easter Bunny

We made our annual pilgrimage to the Super Mall to visit the Easter Bunny. This visit is one of the highlights of the year for the kids. I don't know what it is with people dressed liked animals that make them go CRAZY, but they sure love it. Natalie on the other hand DID NOT want anything to do with the bunny. In fact she took a bite out of my shoulder in hopes of escaping him. So unfortunately for me, she didn't sit for the picture this year. On the way home she kept saying over and over"bunny scare me." I guess nothing says a holiday unless you scar at least one child so that they have something to talk with their therapist with later in life. I do my job well.

Growing Pains

We are experiencing growing pains in our home.

First grade has been hard. Hard adjustments and fun. For both Cameron and mom.

It is crazy to watch my children get so big and do things on their own. I know that this is just the beginning and that they are still relatively small. As parents we want to spare the hard knocks of life from our kids. But in reality we can't. Actually isn't that what is wrong with most of society? Kids growing up being so sheltered and told that they are so awesome that when they find out that they aren't they don't know what to do? But still it can break a mothers heart.

First grade has been that first awareness that the world can be cruel and isn't fair. The realization that some "friends" aren't nice. Not everyone is the smartest in the class and in fact there are kids that are smarter, read better, draw better, write better, run faster, have cooler wii games, cooler clothes and have more friends than you. It is a hard pill to swallow when you have been told how great you are for the first 6 years of life.

Cameron came home last week so sad. His friend that he likes so much doesn't like him so much. As he cried in my arms I cried too. Not so much because of the friend but because I can't shelter him from the hard truths of life. Life isn't fair. It wasn't much fun learning that lesson for myself but I think even harder to watch. We are definitely experiencing some pains of growing up. Yuck.

Cameron and his "cleans"

Talking about clean supplies has reminded me of Cameron and his "cleans" When he was two he LOVED cleaning supplies and carried around empty bottles of Pledge, Lysol, and squirt bottles. He would cry "My cleans, my cleans" when someone would take them away from him. Where does the time go?



Looking through the ads at all the cleaning supplies.

Friday Cleaning

Anyone who knows anything about the Schvaneveldt gene, knows that today, Friday, is cleaning day. It's in our blood and can't be helped. As I sit here procrastinating the inevitable I thought I would share my new favorite friend....the Clorox Automatic Toilet Bowel Cleaner!

This product is awesome. You drop one of the tablets in your tank and it works for 3 months and it really works! Not just sort of but it really works. You can even smell a faint bleach smell around the toilet and sadly but true one of my favorite smells is clean. Nothing smells cleaner than a little bleach. Of course, being the insane person that I am still cleans the toilet on a regular basis but when you just can't or are too busy it is a lifesaver and here in Washington when everything grows mold this makes life just a little bit easier. Who doesn't want that? So all you with Schvaneveldt blood get off the computer and go clean your toilet, today is Friday! And hey if you already have one of these maybe just maybe if you can let yourself do it, skip it!

The Blue Flames

Cameron had a fun basketball season! He played on a team of 1st grader boys that had practices and games each week. I have to say, basketball is A LOT better than some of the sports he has played. It is nice to be indoors and not freezing cold during each practice. They played on 8 foot hoops so the boys were able to make baskets easier than on a normal hoop. Very cute. This last Tuesday was his last game with a trip to Dairy Queen after. I think going to Dairy Queen was more exciting than the basketball for Cam anyways. As for me I survived yet another season of kid sports. I think by the time my kids are finished with sports I might need to get a shirt that says "I AM A SURVIVOR" that or go on a really nice vacation. I still have a long way to go... so I try to find the fun and excitement in it.

On Tuesday, Natalie was sitting on my lap while Cameron's game was going on. She looked up at me and then proceeded to throw up all over me 3 or 4 times. I was COVERED in throw up and Mitch wasn't there yet. The smell was so bad that Julia started to dry heave. I picked us all up and went outside as fast as I could (without getting throw up all over the floor) before we really made a scene. That is hard to do with throw up dripping down your arms, pants, and shirt. I looked lovely. It was one of those moments where you had to laugh or you would seriously cry or throw up yourself. Well at least it will be an unforgettable basketball moment! I know someday I will look back with fond memories...well I hope so....

Later that night Mitch and I had a lively discussion which is worse to pick up- throw up or poop. Oh the things we do for the kids we love.



Here is Cam posing with his new medal.

Happy Birthday Mr. Sims

A couple of weeks ago Cameron told me that his stuffed cat named Mr. Sims (named after Grandma Stuard's cat Mr. Sims) birthday was on March 1st. I didn't think much of it. On Sunday night Cameron was listening to me talk to Mitch about what we had going on this week and that it was March 1st the next day. Cameron got all excited that it was his cat's birthday (I was surprised he even remembered). That night while the kids were in bed I heard them planning the party out for the cat, everything from the presents and decorations to who was going to make the cake. I got a kids cake decoration book a couple of Christmases ago and the kids love looking through the book, they picked out quite an elaborate train cake for the cat. I didn't realize that I was throwing a party yesterday so I was a little unprepared. I told Cam that I couldn't make the train cake but I would make a cake for the cat. He informed me that the party was at 4:00 pm sharp. I told him not to worry the cake would be done in time. Good thing I already had ice cream because who has cake and no ice cream? He wanted me to put on 15 candles because that is how old Cameron decided he was but no luck, I didn't have that many. One candle was good enough. Whew.....

Julia made Mr. Sims some presents, a mouse on a Popsicle stick and her beanie baby. It took her about 45 minutes and a whole roll of tape later but she got the present wrapped. When Cameron got home from school we got all the decorations out and had a fabulous party, although we were a little behind on the schedule (the party didn't start until about 4:20 pm).

I don't think a stuffed or real cat could have asked for a better party!

Attention: Fashion Police

Someone should lock me up! It should be against the law to send your kid to school wearing something like this! Cameron came home today from school wearing this outfit. I almost fainted when I saw his pants. I am surprised I haven't gotten a call from the school about "the poor boy who needs new clothes." In my defense (I get one right?) He rolled his pants at the waist while he was at school (He has major issues with how tight his pants need to be...don't make me take a picture of him wearing a belt! Let's just say that in the past he has had to visit the nurse at school because his stomach was hurting where his belt was rubbing. I am talking tight--people. We had to make a rule about it how tight he can put his belt on.) His pants are getting too small but when he left for school this morning you COULD NOT see the shamrock socks! To add to the horror the sticker on his shirt said "I read to the principal today" Man, good impression. YIKES!

Cameron's look on his face is saying "Not another lecture about how my pants look"