Prettige Kerstdagen

Two things have let me know that I have lived in Portland too long.

1. I bought and now use my own reusable grocery bags in an attempt to go green (okay the real reason I bought them is that I can fit way more groceries in each bag and it cuts down the number of trips I have to make from my car to our house after a visit to the store)
2. I bought, cooked and served a tofurky as a meal for my family (No, I am not going vegetarian or vegan or anything, just wanted to give it a try. My review: It was definitely just okay for me. I probably wouldn't buy one again.

If I ever make it to reason #3 which would be proudly displaying a "Keep Portland Weird" sticker, please come quickly and rescue me from this city.

Anyway, on another note . . .cultural rich Portland does have the perk of being host to a Dutch Store. Dave's mom is from the Netherlands (which makes our kids 1/4 Dutch . .pretty much the only pure blood they have as I am very much a European Mutt) so we like to stop in on occasion and pick up a Dutch treat and take the kids to go visit Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet at Christmas time.

Here are the pics from this year's visit. Don't the boys look cute in their wooden shoes that we got in Holland last summer.

Even in his sleep

Lately, my blogging seems to have a common theme of Dallas, and this one is not any different. Yesterday, I was amused not once, but twice by Dallas during the times that one would think to be calm . . . naptime and bedtime. We have this new "deal" where Dallas gets to "read" books with the lights on for five minutes before I turn the light off for his nap. Well, as you might imagine I sometimes get preoccupied with other things around the house and it takes me a little more than five minutes to remember to go back and turn off the light. Often he will shout for me to turn the light off, but yesterday he didn't and by the time I remembered on my own, I found him like this in his crib (and yes he is really asleep. In fact he slept right on through me taking this picture.) H e was the one who decided to take his clothes off after lunch and slip into his more comfortable pjs, inside out of course. Nothing like falling asleep to some quality reading. I am definitely convinced he is my son as I can rarely read a page without dozing off. And for the next picture. I woke from serious REM rebound sleep about 3:30 this morning to Dallas shouting my name. I stumbled into his room sure he just wanted water or something like usual, but instead it was his sad cry of "I super cold mommy. I super cold." This isn't the first time he has decided to strip off his pjs before falling asleep, however I recently showed him how to take off his diaper so he could do it on his own on before getting into the bath and for those few occasions he actually wants to use the potty(not a great lesson for parents to give their children in case you're wondering), and lo and behold this time he had truly stripped down to complete nakedness before falling asleep. Luckily or unluckily, he managed to "pee pee" during his sleep which I am sure woke him up. Awake, he was able to recognize he was both wet and cold. I did a quick sheet change and redressing with my eyes half open and he quickly went back to dreamland. I crawled back in bed and announced to Dave that our genius chlid had been sleeping buck naked and just peed all over himself. Dave, half alseep himself, kind of mumbled something about Dalls being stupid and rolled over. Parenthood truly does bring good reasons to laugh. The stories that Dallas's girlfriends will be hearing someday. I can't wait. . . .and I have lots of pictures for proof.