Mrs Rogers Memoires

Tyson Whitman Willoughby Rogers

2011-12-22T11:25:00.000-08:00

Shortly after losing our yorkie, Angie and I decided that we needed a bigger dog that could hold its own in the world. We took a dozen online quizzes about breeds of dogs and came up with a Boxer every time. After calling dozens of people, we decided to look at a litter and we met Tyson at just a few weeks old. He was a plain, black-masked fawn who wasn’t the biggest of the group, but wasn’t the runt either. He was just a plain little guy, in the middle. He crawled into my purse, and looked directly at us, and right then, Dan, Angie, and I made the decision. We knew he was ours.

To say he was ornery is the understatement of the year, but when you couple that with two inexperienced ASU girls, you have a minor disaster. One leather sofa and a few shower curtains later, we finally wised-up and began reading about the breed we selected. Energetic, silly, protective, loyal, and smart. We began to realize that he had outsmarted us over and over again, and a few weeks of training turned our boy into a well-behaved contributor to our little family.

Tyson has been an amazing little ambassador for the Boxer breed. Because of him, I began working with Boxer Luv to save other Boxers. Even though we purchased him (bad us—we didn’t know!!!) he represented everything wonderful about the breed. I can’t tell you the number of dogs that have come into our home and Tyson has always served as the balanced leader of the pack. When one of the fosters was absolutely terrified of Dan, Tyson circled Dan’s legs and snuggled the dog, showing the other dog that Dan could be trusted. He’s taught dozens of dogs how to use the doggy door and bounded up and down the stairs encouraging the dogs to TRY the stairs—they are FUN! One special foster named TJ who was used in dog fighting was so scared of our dogs that he was trying to fight all of them. I had TJ on leash all the time and was trying to calm him down and Tyson came over, stood a few feet away, and as TJ stood there growling and snarling, Tyson laid on the floor in front of TJ, turned his back on us, and went to sleep. With that one action, TJ changed. He stopped lunging, and attacking, and started trusting. Nothing Dan or I had done before that had worked. Tyson changed that little dog’s life.

Tyson turned 11yrs old last month—a nice, long life for a Boxer. In his years, he has been a part of fostering over 40 dogs and has been our special boy all along. He has made us laugh every day. He’s allowed me to smooch his little mushy face a million times before bed each night. He’s rested his head on our knees thousands of times and sighed in contentment when we would rub ears. His little nub wagged faster than any I’ve seen, and would turn his whole body into a wild dance. He allowed us to make mistakes, and forgave without hesitation.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve watched our boy grow weak and last night, we knew he was done fighting. He had a huge presence in our home, and his bright light had begun to dim. We had been hoping he would make it until Christmas but as the days grew closer, we knew it would not happen. The other night, he and I sat by the Christmas tree and while the other dogs slept peacefully in the dog beds, he laid next to me by the tree. I tried to make sure he understood the impact he’s had and how because of him, I feel like I’ve found something special that now defines who I am. I thanked him for being the first baby I’ve raised, and told him that I’m a better mom because of him. He just laid there and those deep, dark eyes seemed to understand. We’ve dreaded the day we would have to say goodbye and over the years I remember crying even thinking about losing him. It was fitting that Angie, Dan and I were the ones to be with him as he took his last breath....we were there for the beginning, middle and end of his journey. The hole is immense and the pain is so raw. But we wouldn’t have it any other way. His life was so meaningful and the love was so great that all of the sadness pales in comparison.

We will miss you every day, baby boy. Every day.

My Molly

2011-06-23T18:25:00.000-07:00

When I saw Molly the first day, I melted. A blond, droopy-eared cocker-lab-something-or-other with big brown eyes. She was adorable. We begged our parents to keep her and because we were moving into a new house with a big yard, and lucky for us, they agreed. I was in eighth grade, a tumultuous time for a young tween and the thought of having a new little puppy to occupy my boring summer ahead made me beam. As luck would have it, she was the easiest puppy ever and we were so spoiled as she effortlessly learned the doggy door, never chewed, and learned her manners within a couple of short months. She was a piece of cake. She had a special fondness for me as our other little dog Skeeter loved my sister more than me. So, by default, Molly claimed me. She was ornery and silly, loved to make us laugh. She was always following me everywhere. She would lay on the bath mat when I would shower, and I would have to nudge her to move so I could get out. I think of the thousands of showers over the years…In fact, many times she knocked Angie over trying to get out the door to follow me—determined is probably the best word to describe her. She would stand in the yard and put her nose in the air letting the breeze blow back her ears. Then she would close her eyes and take a deep breath…she experienced life to the fullest and loved every minute of it. At about five, she began having seizures. Big seizures. She would lose all control of her body and would be terrified. We held her and calmed her, but the vet told us the prognosis was not good, yet they couldn’t tell us exactly why the seizures were happening or if medication would help. They told us to make her comfortable and that she wouldn’t live very long due to the seizures. Molly disagreed.

Today, my Molly girl took her last breath and she was seventeen years old. She watched from the window as I went on my first date. She took a picture with me in my graduation cap and gown. She sat by my side when our family fell apart. She nudged and encouraged me when new families began. She gave me the nod when I began to foster sick Boxers for the rescue and through her many eye rolls, she accepted the new task we were given and made it her own. She let me know that Dan was the right guy. She wagged with glee when I brought home Logan, then Kale. She was a constant. She was the most loyal and selfless companion during the times in my life when I needed it most. I loved that she and I had a little “girls club” in my house full of guys. My hand was on her heart when it peacefully stopped today and I think that's where it's always been. She loved fully. Always. When I brought home her collar a few minutes ago, I heard the little clinking sound in my hand that it made when she would walk, and the sound was unbearable. I will miss her more than these words can describe. I know right now she is running free and happy, eyes closed, head back with her ears blowing in the wind. I can see her now. She is my special little girl and always will be.

Hero

2010-09-06T08:47:00.000-07:00

This post has been churning inside of me for a while, but just this morning I was sorting through the clothes-to-donate pile and found Dan's old vest. When I say vest, I'm speaking of the bullet-proof type, not of the J.Crew type. Can you imagine Dan in a sweater vest? Ok I've got the giggles now...

Just looking at that thing made my heart do a little thump and then I caught the pungent odor and the memories came flooding back. I know, you're already wanting to close this and URP, but I beg just a few more minutes of your time.

Meet Dan.

Last year Dan was working his off-duty job at a local grocery store, where the most exciting event of the night is the usual beer run attempt or someone mouthing off to the little greeter woman at the front door when she yells at the mom towing 14 kids that she can't take the car-cart into the parking lot. Yeah, I know---Yawn. He makes the most of this job and was working this extra shift two nights a week as we were going through some difficulties financially due to the fact that we were about to lose our business. Suddenly he heard a thud and someone do a little shriek and looked over at the self-service line and an older gentleman was laying on the ground. Dan ran over, calling for the fire department on his way, and found the man not breathing. The whole store was frozen as he began chest compressions while they were waiting for the paramedics. Minutes went by and if you've ever done chest compressions (which I hope you haven't had to do) it is exhausting, so you know he was hot and sweaty and working to save the man. When the firemen arrived, they carted him off and a bunch of Dan's superiors arrived to check out the scene. The man unfortunately didn't make it and as he relayed the story to me, I assured him that he did everything possible and his stormy facial expression told of feelings he wasn't conveying to me. I gave him a hug and let it go hoping he wasn't feeling guilty.

A couple days later I came home from work and was greeted with a strange smell. The pungent odor of a permanent marker. Not a Sharpie. The ones that are made of metal that can make your nose hairs singe? Yeah those ones. I walked upstairs to find Dan using the marker all over his outer carrier on his vest, literally coloring on it. I was shocked and was holding my nose saying that he's probably killing all of our brain cells and asked him what on earth he was doing! He said sheepishly that he had tried to dye his vest earlier in the day and it didn't work so he was trying this and he grinned at his ingenuity and held it up and said that it was working. I asked him why he was doing that and he got a guilty look on his face.

He told me the rest of the story of that night at the store.

As they were loading up the old man into the ambulance, a Lieutenant came into the store to see what had happened. He looked at Dan, sweaty and exhausted from trying to save the man for about 10 minutes, and the Lieutenant walked over to Dan's Sergent and told him to let Dan know that his outer vest was beginning to fade from the sun and it looked shabby and he needed to get a new one. And then he left. My mouth dropped open. Dan said he knew we didn't have the money until his uniform allowance came in as the vests are almost a thousand dollars (we were barely making it as it was) and that was a few months away, so he would just have to do something to make the one he had look better. I was stunned. Stunned at the audacity of the Lieutenant. Stunned that my husband was going to WEAR that vest as it smelled to high heaven. And humbled by his devotion. Every two weeks I came home to that smell for about 5 months until we could afford his new vest.
Even typing this out it brings tears to my eyes thinking about it. As I'm typing this, he's upstairs snuggling a crying Kale as he stepped on a toy and squished his toe. I can hear the loud smack of a smooch he's delivering to said toe.

My hero.

Junkie

2010-08-30T21:18:00.000-07:00

I have decided that I am an information junkie. I read constantly and when I don't know something, I'm researching it.

Case in point: when I was pregnant, I read just about every book (well maybe not EVERY one) and watched TLC non-stop. My favorite show was special delivery where the babies and (sometimes) the mom were high risk. Dan would shake his head at me and tell my how ridiculous it was, but it made perfect sense to me. If they can save THAT baby with the heart defect and only a 2% chance of surviving, then mine will be juuuuuust fine. I watched c-section after c-section, amazed and un-alarmed, second only to the amount of HOME births that I saw on both the internet and again TLC (preggos, if you don't have TLC, you need to get it). I was fascinated and prepared. Nothing like that combo to make you sleep well at night.

Case in point Numero Dos: My boss went to the Queen Creek Olive Mill over the weekend and knew I was interested in the it, so she brought back an pamphlet about the mill. I Oooohed and Aaahhed over it and read it front to back as it explained the process. Did you know they cold press the olives and that healthy olives are not Black!? Right. Neither did I, but now I do.

Did you know that you can look up your recent searches on Google? (looked that up to find that out, too) So I just did and on August 23rd (a random date I just picked) I searched for 18 things from 8:43AM until about noon. Just random things. Is that strange? I'm beginning to wonder about me a bit. I want to know a little about a lot, so I'm informed about important and also random things. If I'm being reeeally honest, I want to know more than a little. I am not a scholarly person and don't enjoy school (although I'm a current student..blah) but relish knowledge.

If only I could major in Trivial Pursuit...

2010-08-16T22:49:00.000-07:00

Tonight I'm marveling at how much I've gotten done today. Worked, picked up the boys from my mom's house, threw in laundry, wrote part of a paper, bathed the boys, sat with the boys through old school Donald Duck, and did some reading. I've had so much time tonight, that I've let my mind wander toward the next few months...Kale's birthday, Halloween, Logan's birthday, Thanksgiving, then Christmas. This may just be the last night in the next five months that I will have a minute to breath....hmmm....a bit daunting. In thinking about holidays, specifically Halloween as it's the first one to arrive, something very important struck me. I simply had to write.

New mom's especially--get a pen and jot this down--you will not remember this and it really could be detrimental. Ready? OK.

Your child's first Halloween costume may just set the tone for his life.

Give it a minute and let it sink in.

Case in point: Logan my little monkey. Sweet, silly loves to climb, hang and screech in laughter. He is lovable and sensitve and once he did even eat poo (dog poo--accidentally of course), and I know you were thinking it because you too saw that naughty little chimp wipe his bootie and lick it then fall off the tree.

Now to Kale: My little Chili Pepper. Kale is as hot and spicy as they come. He lives with the passion that so many of us lack. His intensity far exceeds a simple bell or poblano....he's a habanero in every way. He makes me melt when he take his little chubby hand and touches my cheek so gently in the early morning, and gets my blood boiling when he looks me dead in the eye and gives "May-theee" (Mason, our dog) his spaghetti dinner as I'm warning him not to even think about it.

So the moral is this: stick with honey bees and little lambs and leave the peeees in the pod and the adorable devil on the rack.

Just in case.

A happy little tune

2010-01-20T22:35:00.000-08:00

You know what I love best about having kids? That you never ever know what will happen on any given day.

Like today.

Today, my baby...my BABY boy (is it sinking in that I'm in a bit of denial here?) did a pee pee in the potty. Well to be precise, it was FOUR pee pees in the potty. All in about 20 minutes of time. Lately, I've been trying to remember how potty training worked with Logan. Ahh yes. I remember now. The infamous Skittles on the top of the toilet. Pee in the potty--get a Skittle. That means every little squirt --and let me just say that Logan figured that out within about 2 minutes. And we peed. Every little squirt. And OH how we devoured those Skittles happily. A couple bags of Skittles versus a box of diapers. Yeah...no contest. So I've been thinking we should begin to introduce Kale to the wonderful diaper-less world. Sounds fairly simple.

As I'm thinking about this I remembered a bag of gummi bears that have been sitting on my fridge for a couple days and thought "hey what the heck, lets give it a go" and asked Kale if he would like to pee pee in the potty. He said "NO FANK YOU" and firmly met my gaze. I said "Kale if you go pee pee on the potty Mama will give you a gummi bear--wanna try?" A firm and loud "NO FANK YOU, Mama."

Sigh...At least he's getting the whole "manners" thing down.

Then Logan said "If Kale does a pee pee can I have one, too?" Ding Ding Ding! "ABSOLUTELY" is my response. And a little cheerleader was born. Next thing I know, Logan has two large packs of new undies that Kale received for Christmas (thanks Aunt Crystal) from Kale's room and he's brought them into the bathroom and has opened them telling Kale how COOL big boy undies are. And that when he pee pees on the potty (lordy, I'm already sick of typing out pee pee) he gets to wear cool super hero and YO GABBA GABBA (the WORST show on television, yet the kids LOVE IT) undies. Kale is so very unimpressed. We get Kale on the potty and he is now screaming "NO FANK YOU" so loudly I'm thinking we may be on the verge of ruining our chances of ever getting him to go, and we hear a little sound. The melodious sound of the pee pee song. (oh did I forget to mention we have a SINGING potty? You pee, it sings. Ingenious.) And Logan and I burst into cheers. Dan runs in and we all do a HUGE dance for Kale, who now is almost about to cry cuz the cheering scared the dickens out of him. He recovered fairly quickly and held out a hand for his reward. Kale got two gummi bears and Logan got one. Then Logan encouraged him to try again. And again. And again. I gave them a few minutes of guy time as I needed to finish picking up the living room and heard this from around the corner.
Logan: Kale, you need to do more pee pees so you can wear these super cool undies. And we get more gummi's. You want more gummies?
Kale: No
Logan: I'll get my stool. (I hear rustling) Ok, Kale I'll sit here and you sit on the potty and we can talk so you go pee pee. I know! We can talk about camping. Do you want to go camping, Kale?
Kale: No
Logan: If you do a pee pee we can get more gummi bears. You want more gummi's?
Kale: (in his loudest, most serious voice) NOOOOOOOOO FANK YOU WHOA-GEEEEEEE.
And immediately another SONG emerges from the potty. It really is a magical potty. And we heard the song two more times after that.
So tomorrow my plan is to work that potty til it loses its proverbial voice. And if I have a little goober who won't make it sing I guess I'll just deal. Such is life, I guess. Would I have it any other way?

No FANK you.

Balance

2009-12-31T13:13:00.000-08:00

I have the chili in the crock pot and just put the kids down for an afternoon nap. It's pretty quiet right now. I'm sitting here just thinking, reflecting and enjoying this moment. It's a bit of a relief. Saying goodbye to 2009. I sense a collective sigh around me from pretty much everyone I know to be closing out this tumultuous year. I am hopeful for a shift in the positive direction and am recognizing a feeling in my spirit that has been gone for a while-- Excitement. Hope. Peace. I'm pretty sure it's one of those or a combination of the three.

Having a new, fresh start.

The last couple weeks have been strange. The time away from the hustle and bustle of working non-stop has made me feel again. I think I had become a little numb to "feeling my feelings" whatever they were at that moment. I was in the whole "get through it, move on, feel later" mode. Being told by your attorney that you HAVE to stay home and not work for a month and a half was like someone putting on the emergency break while zipping down the highway at 80 miles an hour. Say WHAAAAT? I sensed a bit of panic in myself as I thought about my days, the finances, and just about everything else that makes one freak out when they're told that their dual income household must be cut in half starting immediately. But we did it. And I think I'm better for it.

A little secret.

I'm a little scared of what it will be like going back to work. I feel good right now and I'm worried that I'll get out of whack again. Now, don't get me wrong, I miss having an outside job (you know, adult conversation, coffee while brainstorming on an exciting project, etc), as I've also learned that I'm not the hottest at being a stay at home mom. I try to be creative, but the truth is I'm as creative as the directions on the play dough box help me to be. I'm just not that great at thinking of forts or painting dishwasher boxes into a pirate ship. We read, we laugh, we play Mickey Mouse card games, and for right now, that's probably enough for the boys. So I do have a sense that while this time was wonderful (especially since it was in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas) that it will be okay that it's coming to an end. I guess I'm just hoping to keep it all balanced. Something I've never been that great at accomplishing. Ok. I just changed the title of this entry. That's what I feel. That's the combination of those three words for me--excitement, hope, peace = balance. And tonight when we toast our Mug root beer to the New Year, that's what I'll be hoping for.

Basic Economics

2009-12-21T13:23:00.000-08:00

Just popped outside and asked the boys what they were up to...and they said with gusto "Selling Pizza, Mom. Want some?" My entrepreneurial heart swelled with pride as I heartily said "yes, please." Logan informed me that the pizza was Five Dollars. (a fair profit margin for hand-made love on a plate) I handed him the "money" (a couple of crusty rocks) and he handed me back a big slice of "cheese pizza" (a couple of crusty rocks). They then informed me that the dogs also wanted some pizza, but that they were making a mess and proceeded to show me all the pizza on the ground. (about 50 crusty rocks) I told them that the dogs clearly don't understand the value of a dollar. They both looked at me, gave me a blank stare, then went back to yelling "PEEEEEE-TZA for Sale" at the top of their lungs. Ahhhhh....capitalism at its best.

Santa's Little Helper

2009-12-19T14:20:00.000-08:00

This is the most pathetic face, isn't it? Look at that mush...perfectly boxery in every way. This is Shay Shay, now called "JayJay" as Logan said that Shay Shay is too girlie for this masculine boy. So JayJay it is. This guy came to the rescue in BAAAd shape. When I say bad...I mean the kind of bad you don't wish on anyone. Sigh...ok I told myself I absolutely WOULD NOT post this pic (i'll post it small so you don't fall out of your chair), but I have to so you can REALLY grasp what the scoop is on this sweetie and what Boxer Luv did to help him. He had a...well...um...a problem with his...anus. He had a prolapsed rectum. Trent saw this poor boy, with the sweetest disposition, and couldn't turn him away. Two surgeries later, one to fix said hole and one to remove his manliness, and we're good to go. Except he needs to chow on some GROCERIES, skinny boy! Hence, his trip to casa Rogers. We can get anyone to from thin to chunk in record time! ;)

Thanksgiving at Christmas

2009-12-18T21:44:00.000-08:00

On nights like tonight, when everyone is cozy in their bed...including my dogs on my side of the bed (ah hem) I feel a particular itch. An itch to get something out that's particularly on my mind. And tonight, as I went into Logan's room and flipped the blanket over his police officer-clad body, and walked past my door to hear Dan's low, deep breathing, and peeked in to see my baby Kale snuggled into his blankie and Mister Moose (say it Mith-ter Mooooth) I feel such a deep feeling of gratefulness that I have to get it out.

I am thinking about the last year. I'm remembering how in April I wondered about today. About the week before Christmas. I knew that because of my work situation that we would probably not be in this house and wondered if the decorations would look okay on the new rental and if we would have money to get the kids something worth saying it was from Santa. I thought about what Christmas would be like in a place that wasn't ours, but told myself that whatever happened, we were a family and we would be okay. And then I turned around and it's here. Today is a week from Christmas and everyone is in their beds, peaceful, content, and loved. And I am so very thankful. I feel like somewhere along the way I lost some faith. I read blogs and notes and would see the faith and hope that others had and would feel jealous and wish I could really believe. How is it that when I have been so faithless that I've still been cared for? I still feel lost, but I know this: I am thankful for everything and I am taking a breath and passing along this prayer of thanks to the One who made it miraculously happen.

Lucky number 5

2009-12-16T12:12:00.000-08:00

We have two additions to our family this week. Meet Casper & Porky. Soon to be named Bruiser or Maxx or Murphey or Chance or some other names as the given ones are strange and not nearly as cute as these mush faces are.

It's especially exciting for Dan & I as it's been a while since we've had some fosters in our home. About 2 years to be exact. Now that our own little bruiser (kale) is getting bigger, we feel like we can begin this adventure of rehabilitating these cuties and finding them homes, once again. And it's rewarding. Oh so rewarding...So stay tuned...more to come!

The Season

2009-12-11T11:44:00.000-08:00

So I am thinking this is the season for change! So much has changed recently. The biggest one is that we have closed the store, which although it has been a change for everyone, has been poignantly profound for me. I guess thinking about where my life was headed and picturing myself in that role for years and now having that chapter slam shut is, well, hard to handle. Am I still the same person? Yes. And No. Does changing your goals or aspirations change who you are? Yes. And No. Does it mean I was wrong in making that goal? Yes? No? I don't know...I'm a little lost on all of this if you can't tell. Then I'm thinking does any of that matter?

Right now I know the following: I love my husband who has been a solid, supportive, sweetheart of a man to me through all of this. I adore my two boys who have had me laughing every day the last 4 years. I am rich in all of the support I have from my amazing mom, sister & dad. I still have a passion for Boxer Luv, and I thought maybe I had started to lose some of it. I have wonderful friends who will brave the chill and come cheer for me on a journey I didn't think I could do. I have learned that having a day of "nothing to do" is not only OKAY to have once in a while, but is necessary. I realized that deep in my heart I love having a cup of home brewed coffee in the morning--it just feels RIGHT. I recognized that I love to write and feel a longing for it when I haven't done it for a while. So I'm going to try to be better and do it more often.

Change....not such a bad thing, I guess.

In definite need of a...

2009-07-27T21:32:00.000-07:00

I realized that my whiny post had been up long enough so I thought I'd do a bright and cheery little update. The most wonderful thing just happened. I was desperately craving a drink, went to the fridge, only to find one hidden in the back barely peeking around Dan's soy milk and after-workout-drink. Well helllllooooooooooo there. And a little bit of cheer just bit me on the butt. I had lunch with a friend today and she reminded me, while talking about herself as she is too classy to actually SAY "CHRISTINE LISTEN", that appreciating and being happy for just the simplest of things is a little sort of accomplishment itself. So that is my little motto. In that same blast of cheer, I looked in the freezer and found one last frozen pizza. Wow. Normally, I would chastize myself as it is clearly after 9PM and you are never to drink a carbonated beverage and eat a frozen pizza (at any time really) but especially after dinner time----GASP! But I did. And I again, felt a bit of cheer.

So

cheers. ;)

Those "other" days...

2009-07-01T23:31:00.001-07:00

Some days are better than others. I think this week has consisted of "others". The store has been...well...other than fab, the whole "house" thing has been other than reassuring, and I need to have the strange mass in my neck removed next Thursday, which is other than comforting. I mean, the whole having your-neck-sliced-open-thing is just, well, YUK. I know in my previous post I was talking about how things could be worse and how I need to be thankful for what IS going on. But today I feel other than thankful. And I know I'm probably going to hell for being honest and saying it, but it's true. So I'm gonna just sit here for a few more minutes and think about going to bed to start anOTHER day. Here's to hoping for better.

Pain in the....toe

2009-06-03T07:37:00.000-07:00

Most of you who know me, have heard that I had an accident on vacation that caused me to ruin my big toe's nail. It was too much pressure and giving me so much pain, so the other day I removed it myself. I'm happy to report that a couple days later, I'm sitting here having my morning shake able to say with complete joy that it is no longer hurting!

All this has me thinking...I do not do well with pain. I mean, I know most of us would say that, but I'm completely beside myself in my agony and irritated that I have to deal with the momentary discomfort. I was feeling like this when I read one of the blogs I keep tabs on--the nie nie dialogues. If you don't know about it, you should and you should read it. Stephanie Nielson (hence Nie Nie) and her hubby were in a plane crash last year and she was burned on most of her body. Every day she is trying to make a recovery dealing with chronic pain as they do skin grafts on her neck, face, pretty much everywhere. And this particular day when I was irritated about my toe, she had just had a skin graft taking her thigh skin and putting it on her neck so she could rotate her neck more. Yeowch. I'm thinking of that type of pain and cringing. But she is happy to watch her girls sun themselves on the trampoline or giggles when the youngest poops on the door mat outside and she lives through their laughter and I realized....I'm a complete idiot. I have so much to be thankful for and need to focus on that rather than my momentary discomfort...whatever it may be at the time.

Summer Vacation 09

2009-05-31T09:01:00.000-07:00

SAN DIEGO 2009

We had the opportunity to head over to Mission Beach in San Diego for five days last week with Dan's family for a reunion. It was hectic and crazy with two young boys and a thousand tons of beach gear and a house big enough for the boys to get lost in! We went to the zoo first, then to the beach for days of fun!

Dan and Kale at the zoo!

Logan telling Dan and I to LOOOK at the MONKEYS in the glass. The mama monkey came right over to Logan and showed him her baby! So exciting!

The boys looking at a HUGE warthog! They couldn't believe his little wiggly tail! It was hairy and strange and on of their favorites for SURE!

Logan helping make a HUGE sandcastle that Kale then tried to knock over. It was like that the whole time and Logan never even got upset!

Dan chasing Kale on one of his many romps around the beach. He would just take off walking--would attempt to take juice boxes from little girls and would try to steal balls from the other toddlers. We took turns plodding away after him to minimize the damage.

Rogers Family Photo

Happy Easter!

2009-04-13T18:58:00.001-07:00

EASTER 2009

Easter was a BLAST this year with the boys...Family time in the park with lots of eggs to find, delicious FOOD to enjoy, and smooches all around.

Logan checking out the Egg Situation.

Dan's brother Scott, Dan's Dad, Dan and Kale---AKA the men in black.

Kale attempting to throw eggs onto the ground to see what's inside them--and Dan scrambling to save the contents!

The Boys with Uncle Josh and Papa Larry on the
swings!!

Kale giving me his version of a kiss....

I am Esme...

2009-04-01T17:02:00.001-07:00

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Dancers

2009-02-06T18:44:00.000-08:00

Oh how we love Jesse McCartney at Casa Rogers. We have two very good dancers here and between "Leavin'" and "Single Ladies" by Beyonce, we get to hear and see the amazing talents of our boys many many MANY times a day.

Super Heros

2009-02-02T22:19:00.000-08:00

Super Heros

So it may be obvious that the boys are into super heros. They come in all shapes and sizes and one day we may be Superman, the next Spiderman, Batman, Hulk, Ironman, and who knows what else! Although Logan's only seen snippets of most of these, he aspires to be an defender of the weak and an avenger of the cruel--unless of course you are Kale trying to take his super hero mask or goggles...then it's all over!

Here are some of my favorite pics of my little heros.

Superman Logan showing how BIG he is.Super and Spiderman taking a moment to catch their breath before proceeding to save the world.
Kale's ready for anything in his SUPER goggles!
I was told that Mr. Bear was LEX LUTHER so they had to "get him" on the stairs.

Logan's Birthday

2009-02-02T22:01:00.000-08:00

Logan's 3rd Birthday was a fun day at the park as we're still lucky enough to have him WANT to be outside just running around like crazy. Here is the favorite gift of the day. My little bat boy taking a long swig of his juice box after a long run to the swing set and back!

Kale and me pausing for a split second hug before he took off to try to chase bat boy.

And JUST so you all know, Kale is now referred to as "robin" or "bat baby" by Logan.

I think I put too much work into Birthday Cakes--I really do go to all the trouble of finding the perfect recipe and both Logan and Kale were so unimpressed with both of them. Sigh... Here's my big 3 yr old blowing out his strawberry birthday cake!

Bat Boy and his biggest fans.

Kale's Birthday

2008-09-30T11:43:00.000-07:00

OK so my second little man, Kale, is such a stinker. His 1st birthday party was Sunday and it was hysterical. Cute as a button, running all over Granna's house smiling his snaggle-toothed grin as big as can be...squealing with both hands in the air waving to everyone and saying Buh Buh (bye bye)-happy and full of himself. Until it was cake time. I made a big, beautiful cake for all--a delicious recipe that was soo easy to do--thank you very much allrecipes.com--and a small one just for him. After a loud rendition of Happy Birthday, he took one chubby finger and slowly scratched the sprinkles off that Logan generously poured on top and popped the finger into his mouth.
Then promptly spit them all out. Then he let out one mad scream, while staring straight at me, picked up the cake and threw it on the floor. "THAT'S what I think of your cake MOM!" And then he was ready to get down.

A couple other pics of him filling his oats now that he's a member of the "more than zero" age bracket.