The Nerd Krew!

(Check back for a photo of a real Nerd Krew from the 80's!)

After marrying a self proclaimed Nerd and hanging out with his friends over the years I began to realize there were many different levels of Nerd. And most guys fit into one of more of these categories. Nerd became a badge, a term of endearment around our house even before Apple made it cool to be a Nerd. And these days it seems like just about everyone wants to claim they are a Nerd or a Geek of somekind.

Geek - A Geek is super smart, but might not be aware of his social surroundings. Think Bill Gates.

Nerd - Although a nerd is also super smart, a nerd is interesting, fun to hang out with.  Think technical evangelist.

Jock - Even Jock's can be Nerds. Sports Nerds! And although most sport football jersey's etc. How many of them are really out on that field?

Dork - Dorks thinks they are a Nerd, Geek or Jock, but are none of the above.

And after spending years defining these categories I come across this comic...
This comic is so great! I love it almost as much as the the Alltell commercial in which the guy questions the nerds, "What level dungeon master are you?" The nerds fall for the trap responding, "Dungeon Masters don't have levels!" Proving their Nerdiness even more! LOL!

CLICK this link and read this entire article and let's talk...
Why Nerds are Unpopular by Paul Graham

The thing about nerds is that...

Well, all my feelings were summed up by this first comment before I could finish this blog post (read below!)
In the end Nerds are the most interesting people, make the most interesting friends and even husbands! And as we raise our little Nerd baby we teach him to love the term Nerd and make it his own! Now if only our educational system could catch up and not only make school a place for Nerds to explore, experiment and thrive, but a place to inspire all kids to be Nerds!

Blue Womb

For Sale: baby shoes, never worn.

You may have heard this short story before. Though there is no proof Hemingway actually wrote it, it is a beautiful and tragic short story and honestly if you have experienced the loss of a little one there is probably no more that needs to be said. I imagine a brand new, scuff free pair of white baby shoes with tiny laces in a box, stuffed with crisp tissue paper. I can smell the leather and feel the cardboard box. Though many might see this story as a tragic story of a small babies death, if you have ever spent any time in a fertility clinic or made the mistake of buying a baby item before you carried a baby to term this sentence carries much more weight that the 25 innocent letters that made up this complete tale.

When Awsumb was about 3 or 4 he began to realize something was different about our family. Other families had babies and more babies. Ours did not. To this day he tells me on a regular basis how "lonely he is" and asks for a brother. After all these years I think he has come to accept our reality, but when he was little he was demanding answers. I simply explained to him that my body just didn’t work correctly and that HE was OUR miracle baby.

One day, out of no where Awsumb asked me, “Mom is your womb blue?” I couldn’t figure out what he was talking about. “No, I don’t think so?” I replied. “Well, maybe that’s the problem,” Awsumb said. And the conversation ended there.

A few weeks later I went to check on Awsumb before I went to bed. I usually find him in asleep, covered in books and stuffies. This night I found him in bed with his children’s encyclopedia. Ya know, with all those pastel colored pictures and simple statements describing our bodies. The book was open to a page featuring a side view of a baby in a mother’s womb. To represent the amniotic fluid the space was colored blue. When I lifted the book I realized the spine of the book had been broken to turn automatically to this page. It was obvious that this was the reason little Dr. Awsumb had diagnosed my infertility to be “Lack of a Blue Womb.”

Awsumb’s diagnoses is wrong.
My woom is empty and very blue.

Where do babies come from?

The question every parent dreads...

A couple years after the "blue womb" discussion as we were having dinner at a nice restaurant. There wasn’t anyone sitting too close to us, but it was quiet in the restaurant. Awsumb was coloring quietly and then all of a sudden piped up in a LOUD voice,

“Mom, ya know that special place on a woman that’s hidden….”

------PAUSE------

The second I heard “special place” I knew we were in trouble. I gripped the table ready for anything as he continued,

“where a woman has a baby out of if she doesn’t need surgery…”

---Second Pause---

And I quickly tried to figure out what I was going to say that would shut him up without him asking more questions OR getting louder.

Then I remembered we recently watched a show on the health channel about a family that had 6 babies at once and the mom had a c-section, which of course grossed Awsumb . So at the time I told him that’s just because the woman had so many at once and that isn’t normal… I guess he had been thinking about this for a while. But as he drew in breath to finish I realized, I didn’t have the luxury of time or privacy to have a very informative talk about this now

“Where exactly is it and what’s it called?” Awsumb asked as matter of fact just as if he was asking for direction to the nearest grocery store.

Why do they always ask these types of questions when your least prepared and in the most public places?

The Laundry Faerie

Look what The Laundry Faerie sent to me!! Who doesn't love getting mysterious packages? And it even came in the middle of the night... just like a true Laundry Fairy, because as we all know Laundry Faries are nocturnal! Click the above link to learn more about my friend who also plays a Laundry Fairy at night!

Now to Pay It Forward. Here's how it works:

The first three people to leave a comment on this post will be my Pay It Forward recipients. You have to be an actual person, not a spambot, and you must have a blog so I can read your postings and learn enough about you to make an informed choice about what to send you. When you receive your package from me, post pictures on your blog of what you received, just as I have done -- then copy and paste this text and wait for three comments on your blog... and the game continues on. Ask me if you have any questions.

This isn't one of those games where we try to outdo each other with spending -- inexpensive but well-chosen and thoughtful little gifts are best.

If you think this sounds like fun, please post a comment to get in on this. (You will be required to send me your address privately).

Theno's Dairy

Theno's Dairy on the 202 from Redmond to Woodinville is the place to be in the summer! OK so it hasn't had any improvements for over 50 years! And you get to eat your ice cream in the parking lot.... but it's seriously the best I have ever had. YOU MUST try the canteloupe!


And don't forget the napkins!

Festivus - The Holiday Created by High Expectations

Why is my son perched on top of a stool set upon the coffee table in the living room? FESTIVUS! Or at least and anti-version of Festivus... Let me explain...

The high expectations of the holidays stressed out George's father on the popular TV show - Seinfeld, prompting him to start his own holiday called Festivus, a holiday in which you told you family members all the reasons why you were disappointed with them... and don't forget the dreaded feats of skill!

You might have figured out that I have high expectations for those around me. I leave no room for failure and expect everyone to do better than their best. While I do believe parents and teachers should hold their students and children to high expectations I realize lately I may have taken things too far.

As the school year came to a close, Awsumb's school teacher continued to remind me what a good boy Awsumb is and that he didn't need strict punishments. As all the children his age, Awsumb's big life lesson for the year was learning not to talk back. This included not arguing and simply doing what he was told, even if it didn't make sense. This also included being able to take criticism from teachers, coaches and parents without loosing his temper. During the year a few harsh punishments were dealt as Awsumb struggled to learn this life skill.

These punishments were given out of pure frustration for not being able to help Awsumb learn to deal with conflict in a better manner. Although it was comforting to know that many parents with kids this age were dealing with the same thing, we have always expected more from our son. From the time he was a baby we have expected him to behave like a mini adult. And because Awsumb is such a wonderful little boy, sometimes it's hard to remember he is just a kid.

Determined to break a chain of abuse from my own childhood I spent a lot of time during the toddler and preschool years reading about positive parenting. I could not simply do what had been done to me, because I knew years of belittling would break my child's spirit. Practicing positive parenting techniques helped me teach my child proper behavior by my own example and giving him positive feedback and even reward for his success. But as a child grows out of those days of simple parenting techniques are often set aside for bigger punishments and lectures.

This summer we have spent a lot of time working with Awsumb. Reminding him what a valuable part of our family he is and letting him know that his responsibilities and place in this house are important to us and to keep our family happy and healthy. After a particularly good week we realized Awsumb had really been showing us his true spirit. He has grown to fill the high expectations we have set for him as his kind heart and happy attitude have been on display for all to see. We are so proud of his efforts, but also realize that much of this is simply because of the positive feedback he has been feeding on, encouraging him to grown and shine more each day.

And so last night we decided to celebrate ANTI-FESTIVUS. I placed a stool on the coffee table in the living room and I asked Awsumb to climb up as Kenneth and I praised him for some of the wonderful things he did this week. We also thanked him for the fun times we shared working and playing with him. And of course our little boy just ate it up! We ended with our family cheer, "Try, Try, Try!" I think this will leave a more lasting impression on him that any punishment we could have given him for arguing and talking back.

Which brings us to...

7-11 Free Slurpee Day

2010 BRAIN FREEZE RALLY!

Click to read about our Epic Slurpee Run

What sort of positive parenting techniques do you use for your school children?

Do you celebrate any made up holidays at your house?

Twilight - What have you done to my wife?

I just really don't understand grown women being so obsessed with this drivel... Especially women that should have a little more eternal perspective than to be swept up in such nonsense... poor writing, characters and story not even fully developed... Nonetheless, it sure has captured tons of Desperate Housewives! Check out this hilarious video clip...

The Word is VORNADO!

That's right, it's hot here in the northwest this week and the word of the day is VORNADO!

Most people don't have A/C around here and honestly there is really only a few days or a week that's totally unbearable up here in the Seattle area. So you just have to spend the week at the pool, the mall or at the movie theater. I am pretty sure this is what led our first double header movie day! And of course because it's too hot to cook, eating out! And when we just can't take it anymore we can always just check into the Marriott.

But when we have a couple hot days. And by hot I mean high 80's and 90's, which can feel miserable here, you start to think, "Maybe we should get A/C?!" Unlike other places I have lived and visited one really "feels the weather" here in the northwest. Which is funny considering the climate is much more mild year round.

Yeah, it's wet, but usually between 50-70 year round. And like the grunge bands of the 90's we all simply dress in layers and sometimes are known to wear socks and sandals!

And because of all the moisture when the temps dip into the 40's or heaven forbid the 30's it's just freezing... and vice versa in the summer. 80's are hot and 90's can be simply miserable. But every season I try to conserve energy. In the fall I see how long i can last until I turn on the furnace. I think last year I made it until November. And in the summer we just leave the windows open at night to let in the night air and hope for the best the next day.

So when we have a day like yesterday and the temp reading on my car said 97 and you spend the day working up a storm without air conditioning and the evening at a baseball game in the hot sun, somone is bound to end up with heat exhaustion!

And the word of the day becomes VORNADO. A vornado is not just an ordinary fan you have used in the past. It's really and air circulator! We have beeen using these for years and have them strategically placed around the house. Last summer during a record breaking heatwave we made the mistake of picking up an extra small traditional fan.

We were lucky to find anything because during a heatwave around here the stores are wiped out of fans. We have been so spoiled by our VORNADO's all these years that we forgot how little a regular fan really does except make a loud racket and blow hot air on you. A Vornado placed correctly in a room will move the air in the entire room. There's nothing worse than hot stagnet air. Being able to blow the cool air around the whole room can make quite a difference in your overall comfort.

Vornado's are often priced $20 more than a regular fan, but well worth the cost! If you are in the market for a fan check out your local Vornado display!

Special thanks to Pemco Insurance Northwest Profiles! To learn more about the strange folk that inhabit the Northwest, be sure to check out all the Pemco Insurance Northwest Profiles on You Tube! These just crack me up! Don't miss Blue Tarp Camper!

Sillouette Art

Awsumb Kenneth Hardy - May 2010

Kerry Cook sillouette artist visited my sons school recently. A true sillouette artist simply looks and cuts, using no shadow or tracing. I LOVE sillouette art as it is so classic. Freehand cut sillouettes are really a lost art. I think this artist did a wonderful job at capturing my little boy. If you have the opportunity to have your child sit for a sillouette artist don't miss out!


Jennie Elizabeth Awsumb 1940

I believe my Great Uncle Kenneth Awsumb, who recently passed away may have cut this sillouette of my Grandmother. Kenneth Awsumb was well known for his handmade greeting cards, which we looked forward to every Christmas. Even if he was not the one who created this image of my Grandmother, I know he would appreciate the art!

15th Wedding Anniversary

My Grandfather, Ardin W. Awsumb died just before my 10th Wedding Anniversary. The funeral was bitter-sweet because although we lost Grandpa, during that week I made new memories of my little boy and my own father as they worked with my Uncle C.K. preparing to close up my Grandparents house. After the funeral we were numb and the day of my 10th Anniversary was pretty quite. The day after, however we decided we needed to pull ourselves together and we spend the day in Disneyland with our little one.

This year Kenneth and I celebrated our 15th Wedding Anniversary in the San Juan Islands. This was the first trip in 15 years that I have been on with Kenneth - WITHOUT a laptop! We didn't even have a cellphone connection while on the island. We rented a log cabin, which Awsumb begged for us to stay in every summer here after. And although the accomodations at Lakedale Resort were pretty nice (a full kitchen, electricity, a master suite, and a loft bedroom for Awsumb with his own bathroom) and the brocure called it "Glamping" I still can hold it over Kenneth's head that he took me CAMPING for our 15th Wedding Anniversary!

We had the most spectacular dinner at The Duck Soup Inn, which is worth the drive including a 2 hour boat ride to San Juan Island just for dinner! Open only on the weekends and serving organic, local, fresh ingredients... this is a true gourmet meal!

We spent the afternoon of our Anniversary picnicing at Lime Kiln Lighthouse and watching for whales. It was a wonderful weekend to just get away and be together and have nothing to do.

Check back for more photos!

When we arrived home we found out my Great Uncle, Kenneth Awsumb had passed away.

(Memorial continued in second post...)