Owls

wait, wait...one last holiday moment.

Finn is feeling pretty good about things lately.

On the Eve of Inauguration, drumroll... Kevin!

After enduring almost four years of relentless teasing over his Max Fischer-like extra-curricular activities at Stadium High, Kevin has earned the golden ticket for all of his hard work and willingness to lend a hand.  He is in DC at this very moment and in a few more hours he will be right there at the inauguration of President-elect Obama!!!  He got the invitation back in November for being an outstanding student and young leader.  Soooo Lucky!!! 

 

Finn is fascinated by him, Leo is a little uncertain, and I have yet to figure him out.  He imitates my opinionated old dad far too often.  My mom lets him eat canned clam chowder and super-chocolatey milk for dinner.  My older brother attempts to infuriate him at every opportunity.  He's the unit commander of National Junior ROTC at school.  He has more medals and stuff dangling off of his uniform than a war veteran.  He swims butterfly and medley relay on the swim team.  He goes to church, sometimes.  He enjoys beer and Bailey's but does not get in trouble when we discover his flask.  He loses 3 ipods, 2 cell phones, a sweet bike, cameras,  and multiple pair of glasses that someone will always replace them for him.  He finally makes out with his girlfriends.  He talks about sex in front of my 94 year old Grandma.  He quit studying German and opted for Spanish.  He plays in the pep band at football and basketball games.  He is on facebook, myspace, and his cell phone a lot. He mastered text messaging way before the rest of us.  He started a Japanese style drum club.  He also hangs out with my dad's band on music nights AND plays in the Key Peninsula community marching band.  He's been to Europe without my parents.  He shoots rifles or artillery competitively at 5:30am.  For the first three years he always did concessions at dances.  I am sure there is more that I am forgetting.  Oh wait, he refuses to fill out any college applications and has considered spending a year working at Home Depot or something.  

But he is also the only one in Tacoma that I can rope into hard gardening labor at the drop of a hat.  He will shovel dirt, help build patios, and do dump runs when everyone else is busy.  He will hang out at my house with sleeping babies while I am at Jon and Heathers til 4 am.  Even when Leo comes downstairs and screams at him to go away and I dont hear my cell phone ringing.  He delivers wine for me so that I can stay home with the boys and play.  He lets me take him school shopping.  He let me take his senior pictures.  It seems like he just arrived but now he is soon to be graduating highschool.  He's Kevin.

LadyDog

LadyDog died just before Christmas and it wouldn't be right to let the new year continue without a little photo tribute.  We have a million photos of her.  I think Ben and Cory share the common joy of taking ALOT of pictures of their dogs.  Lots of ours were on film, and I can remember coming home from Speedy 1 Hour Photo a little upset a few times after paying 15 dollars for 15 pictures of Lady laying on the rug.  After Finn was born Lady went to heaven on earth at Dan and Lydia's where she experienced homemade food at regular mealtimes, daily walks, grooming, and tons of attention.  They loved her so much that often times a weekly phone call from Spokane would include a full report on her activities, health status, and whether or not she had had diarreah that week.  The epitomy of Lucky Dog.  I remember before Finn was born I was talking to an acquaintance and she mentioned that her brother and his girlfriend were having a baby within a day or so of me.  "oh you must be so excited!" I said.  She kind of wrinkled her nose and proceeded to tell me how it was bittersweet because the girlfriend was kind of wierd, among other complaints she was forcing the brother to give up his dog Bob who had lived with him for like 10 years.  "OhhhNoooo!" I said, feigning sympathy and disgust, knowing that I made a similar deal at home.  But she really did love Spokane, and we missed her quite a bit too.  Lady visited whenever Lydia came to town and we had a big last hurrah with her over Labor Day.  Lydia was convinced she was dying that weekend when Lady shrugged off her dinner upon arriving in Tacoma.  But we took her with us to the beach house anyway and she made a miraculous recovery truly acting like a big puppy.  She played on the beach with us and even tricked me into giving her a second dinner while Ben was giving the boys a bath.  She had mastered the saddest dog eyes you have ever seen.  I remember the first time that I met her, I said "Poor Lady!".  Ben laughed and assured me she was happy.  I continued to feel sorry for her until one morning when I had taken her on an EARLY morning car ride to the grocery.  We had just gotten back to the house and I was holding a maple bar and trying to unbuckle my seatbelt.  In a second she had snatched my maple bar and wolfed it down.  I was a little pissed that day but enjoyed witnessing her play the same trick on many an unsuspecting visitor and many many small children.   

She knew a lot of words and had even more of her own.  She could hear Ben's Scout coming home minutes before he actually arrived.  She also loved a spontaneous joy swim.  She was sweet with the babies and even sweeter with the men in her life.  We will miss her.