Life in Schusterville

News from Down in Schusterville

2011-09-24T10:20:00.000-07:00

It is with a mixture of both deep sadness and great excitment that we share with you some big news. By the end of next month, Schusterville, and the 4 Schusters currently living in it, will no longer be located in Marin County, California, but rather in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

Shocking, yes, sudden, yes, but there is no doubt in either of our minds that this is the right thing for our little family right now. Those of you who really know me, know that I have always been a firm believer in "everything happens for a reason." Many don't agree with me and that's ok but I believe it and it has not steered me wrong - it is my own version of faith, I guess, faith in myself and faith in our family unit. When Wolf lost his job in July, I was scared shitless, wondering what the heck we were going to do. Yet I always had it in the back of my head that this happened because there is something else we are meant to be doing. What, we had no idea. Then a few weeks ago I saw a job posting on my company's job page for an assistant in Oregon. As soon as I saw it, I knew. Call it weird, call it strange, but I had no doubt that if I wanted that job, it would be mine. In fact, I waited a whole week before I told Wolf about it, so that I could be sure that it was what I wanted to do. But if felt right and it still does. Wolf's response was "go for it." Within a week I had talked to the recruiter, interviewed with several people, got a job offer, adjusted the job offer and finally accepted.

Everything had happened so easily, seamlessly and we were giddy with the excitement of it all. But now we had the hard part.....telling everyone. As we began figuring out how to tell all of our family and friends, we were deeply struck by how many friends we truly have. There are so many of you that are near and dear to our hearts that there was no way that we could tell you all personally. Nor did we just want to put a blanket statement out there in Facebook. So I thought of using my blog to explain it all.

I head up to Oregon early tomorrow morning and will be there all week - for meetings and to find a place for us to live. Wolf and the boys will drive up Wednesday then we will all drive home together on Sunday. Our goal is to find a place next week, sign a lease, then come back down here to get everything packed up and ready to go. The sooner we get the boys up there and settled into school, the better. We are hoping that all will work out so that we are up there by October 15th.

However, there is no way that we will be able to leave without having one last Schuster party. So, on October 8th we will have a gigantic going away potluck at our house. Not sure what time it will start, probably around 3, but details will follow. For now, please hold the date.

Wolf and I are sure you will have questions for us so please feel free to email or call. This is not goodbye as one does not ever say goodbye to friends. You will always be in our hearts and our thoughts and we will be but a phone call or a facebook comment away.

Thank you for loving us, thank you for supporting us and most of all, thank you for being in our lives.

All of our love - Wolf, Amy, Mason and Morgan

Morgan

2011-03-02T10:48:00.000-08:00

Mason

2011-03-02T10:44:00.001-08:00

Here we are again......

2011-01-17T22:16:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is, a whole year since my last post. With the growth of Facebook, I haven't had much reason to blog, but I am finding that, while I really enjoy Facebook and how it keeps me connected to everyone I know, it actually keeps me TOO connected. I don't feel like I can share information or say things without feeling like it I will somehow get into trouble, like I shouldn't have friends who are also co-workers. It's all so complicated and a bit incestuous, really.

So I am going to write again, because I really miss it. I miss telling stories about my family and sharing little things that the boys did. I love going back and reading things from years past. It doesn't matter to me if anyone reads this, it only matters that I write it.

That's all I have for now. I'm a a bit tired after a billion loads of laundry and grocery shopping and house cleaning and kids homework and cooking dinner. I have a physical at 8 in the morning so I better get my beauty sleep.

Here's to a new year, one where the possibilities are endless. I think it will be a good one.

Welcome New Year

2010-01-06T11:24:00.000-08:00

I KNOW that time goes by quickly, I KNOW that I will blink and another year will be gone, yet somehow I am shocked every time the holidays roll around or when I turn another year older. I want so much to enjoy every minute, to relish in my children's youth, to not miss a snuggle or a comment or just a simple moment, but I can't seem to grab hold of enough of those minutes. Every morning is a rush to get us all out of the door, every day is spent working at a job that I don't enjoy, and every evening is spent trying to get dinner on the table before it's time for the kids to be in bed.

Wolf and I had 11 days off together over the holidays and it was heaven. It is a tradition for us, one we started before kids and one we have managed to keep going, no matter what jobs either of us have. For three days we put the kids in their respective school/aftercare and spent some quality time together. We went out to breakfast, we hung out in the book store, we saw a movie - all of the things we can't really do, well, peacefully anyway, when the kids are around.

The last day of the New Year we spent at the Oakland Zoo, playing, hanging out and simply having fun. The weather was perfect and we could not have asked for a better way to end the New Year. That night we went to a party at a friend's house where we celebrated ringing in the New Year at midnight East Coast time so that all of the kids could be in on the festivities. We were home by 11:15 and somehow, both boys managed to make it to midnight, although just barely!

Now it is a New Year and I see wonderful things on the horizon. I am sure there will be days that aren't so good, hell, I'm sure there will days that totally suck ass, but for right now, in this moment, I am going to believe in the good. I am going to appreciate my children, the two beautiful bright spots in my life, as much as I can. I am going to love my husband even more every day, and remember to tell him so. I am going to remember to be proud of who I am and what I can do, remember to believe in myself. I am a lucky woman who does not want for anything and for that I am grateful beyond measure.

While I am not a religious person, I firmly believe that there are things that guide us in our lives, be they some form of powers that be or simply the amazing energy our subconscious minds produce. I wholeheartedly believe that all things happen for a reason and while they don't always make sense at first, there is a flow to things, a rhythm, a purpose and I am going to let that flow guide me to my next adventure.

At this very moment, I am putting out to the world that I believe my next adventure is a job at Pixar, doing what I know how to do and proving to myself, and everyone else, that I am damn good at what I do.

So to anyone who reads this, know that I am wishing all of you a very happy and fulfilling year. May a dream come true, may a wish be granted, may a goal be fulfilled. Positive energy and love to you all.

Just some pictures....

2009-11-17T14:37:00.000-08:00

2009-11-17T14:33:00.000-08:00

Mason quote

2009-09-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

Mason: Mom, come look. Legos are just like us!
Mom: Really, how?
Mason: Look, the cast shadows, just like we do!

Morgan in Motion

2009-09-04T10:14:00.000-07:00

1st Day of 1st Grade

2009-08-26T10:19:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a difference a year can make! Last year when Mason started kindergarten it was pretty rough for him for about a month. Today, it was a smile, a wave and he was gone.
I peeked inside his classroom, just to make sure he was okay. And there he was, plopped down at a table, busy doing whatever the teacher had put out for them to work on. I was nervous that if he saw me he would get upset and need to rush out to see me. But I was wrong. He glanced up, saw me and simply waved. Then went about his business.
Wolf and I are so immensely proud of him. He is such an amazing boy - sweet, intelligent, empathetic and just plain fun. I am really enjoying watching him grow, even though it makes me sad. I have decided my goal this year is to not let the time slip by, to try and enjoy and appreciate it as much as I can. I do not do that now.
Most of the time I am so consumed with breakfast and lunches and dinner and laundry and cleaning and grocery shopping. I blink, the day is gone and my kids are asleep, with me having seen them for but a few minutes.
That is my goal and I'm sticking to it!
Happy First Day of 1st Grade, Mason!

2009-08-26T10:18:00.000-07:00

2009-08-26T10:16:00.000-07:00

2009-08-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th Birthday, Morgan James, and Happy 6th Birthday Miss Mia!

2009-04-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

Wow, my baby is 4. Not my little baby any more. Morgan has grown in to a smart, witty, happy little man and we are so very proud of him. He is a comedian at heart who loves to make people laugh and who loves to laugh himself. We are truly blessed to have him in our lives and I cherish every minute with him, even when he makes me want to pull my hair out and run screaming from the room.

I love you, Morgan Schuster James, and hope that this is a great day for you. Happiest of birthday wishes to you, sweet boy, and I hope that every year just gets better and better.

And to Miss Mia, the beautiful, intelligent and equally funny daughter of my best friend, I hope that you are having the best day of the year! All of us here in Schusterville think about you always and are sending you lots of love and birthday wishes.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Smart boy....

2009-03-24T12:09:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I was making breakfast and there was a lot of smoke coming off of the stove. I heard the fire alarm go off, but only briefly. Thinking I needed to air out the kitchen, I went to the back door to open it but was beaten by Morgan, who was saying, "We gotta go outside." So I helped him open the door then went back to cooking. It wasn't until Wolf came in to the kitchen and saw Morgan outside that he realized what had happened...

Wolf had been just testing the fire alarm to make sure it worked. But Morgan thought there was a real fire and so headed directly outside. He was quickly and highly praised by his daddy. I, unfortunately, was too engrossed in cooking breakfast to really absorb it all right then and there. But we are so proud of him. He's a smart cookie...just like his brother.

Hands and Feet

2009-03-20T12:50:00.000-07:00

M&Misms

2009-03-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

Mason: "If I play all day (video games) then my brain will run out....of batteries"
Mason: "I feel like I have to throw up but from my bottom"
Morgan: "When are we going to climb the ladder to South America? It's right over there..."

Bringing Mama Bear a Flower....

2009-03-08T21:53:00.000-07:00

2009-03-01T20:17:00.000-08:00

2009-03-01T20:14:00.000-08:00

Optimism

2009-02-18T09:48:00.000-08:00

On the way to taking Morgan to school this morning, a commercial comes on the radio. The guy in the commercial says something like this:

"Sorry boss, I can't come in to work today. I was struck with optimism last night..."

Morgan: "Optimus? Wow. Did you hear that, mommy? They were talking about Optimus."

Mommy: "Who, Sweetie?"

Morgan: ::rolling his eyes:: "Optimus Prime, Mommy. You know, the transformer. Do you think they knew they were talking about him?"

Mommy: ::trying not to laugh too hard:: "No, Momo, I don't think they realized they were talking about him"

Morgan: "Oh well"

Then we proceeded to talk about transformers all the way to school.......

2009-01-27T14:49:00.000-08:00

Mason's version of "Eye of the Tiger"

2009-01-27T12:16:00.000-08:00

Morgan's version of "Eye of the Tiger"

2009-01-27T12:01:00.000-08:00

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2009-01-16T10:18:00.000-08:00

Full Moon

2009-01-13T10:07:00.000-08:00

The end of a fantastic vacation...

2009-01-04T22:27:00.000-08:00

Went on a hike with Mason today, around Phoenix Lake. Sat in a coffee shop drinking hot chocolate and tea and playing Uno. Laughed. Talked. Dinner was at home cooking all by itself. Wolf and Morgan were off doing Wolf and Morgan things.

Dinner turned out great and the kids even ate some. Mason loves lima beans. Should do laundry and dishes but migraine started to come on. Downed some excedrin and took a boiling hot bath. Can't seem to write very well but that's okay.

Off to bed - hard to fight the going-back-to-work blues. I know I am not alone in that. Will post pictures of kids shortly. Wonder how many people still read this now that there is facebook....I will continue to post anyway.

Trouble....

2008-12-12T16:05:00.000-08:00

Student of the Week

2008-12-12T14:23:00.000-08:00

He's come a long way, our Biggest Little Man. He is at the top of his class and seems to have settled in quite nicely. As some of you know we have been going back and forth about pulling him from that class and that school but I think our moments of panic are over. It is a good school, with great teachers and an amazing principal. So we are going to keep going along and do our best as parents to raise a well-rounded and happy individual.

We are proud of you, Master Mason.

2008-12-01T21:28:00.000-08:00

2008-12-01T21:12:00.000-08:00

Self portraits by fire light

2008-11-23T22:35:00.000-08:00

2008-11-23T22:32:00.000-08:00

2008-11-17T10:47:00.000-08:00

Holly Fair 2008

2008-11-09T10:42:00.000-08:00

2008-11-09T10:40:00.000-08:00

2008-11-09T10:38:00.000-08:00

2008-11-07T12:53:00.000-08:00

2008-11-04T13:58:00.000-08:00

Kindgergarten visit to the pumpkin patch

2008-10-29T12:36:00.000-07:00

2008-10-29T12:34:00.000-07:00

Visit to the Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-28T11:30:00.001-07:00

Jumpy House Fun

2008-10-28T11:24:00.000-07:00

Halloween Fun Photos

2008-10-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

You got somethin' to say?

2008-10-07T12:45:00.000-07:00

Don't mess with me - I'm eating the breakfast of champions

(notice the shiner...)

And, not to be outdone.....

2008-10-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

Kindergarten..the saga continues.

2008-09-03T08:48:00.000-07:00

Well, it hasn't gotten any easier. At least the drop off part. When we picked him up that first day, he was just fine. And he has been just fine every day that we pick him up. It's leaving him in the morning that sucks.

I don't know how to help him. He is a child of routine and he does not like change. He hasn't made any friends yet, although he is usually a very friendly social boy. And he knows how to work us. He knows it's hard for us to leave, especially when he's crying. And he has this habit of just walking (or running) away that just infuriates us.

I don't know how to help him. He needs someone in the class to help make the transition easier and for a few days there was a wonderful woman named Miss French but she was only there for the first week, I believe. And his teacher just does not have the ability to focus on him.

This morning I arranged for him to go to after/before care for 5 minutes before class so that he could walk over with them, but he wouldn't do it. Wolf couldn't get him even near the building. What do we do? How do we make this easier on him? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Guess we just keep plugging along....

First Day

2008-08-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it started out okay. We got to school and he was checking out his classroom and meeting his classmates. But I think Wolf and I made a few mistakes. One, we both went to drop him off. This was something I wanted us both to do but was probably not a wise choice. Two, we stayed longer than we should have. But I wanted to meet his teacher, see his classroom, meet other kids and parents. But when it was time for us to leave, Mason was having none of it. He kept trying to run away. Wolf even sat with him for awhile and stayed during part of circle time. But he tried to leave, it didn't go over so well. We left with the teacher's assistant have to hold him back from chasing us, and him screaming "mommy, I just want a hug." Broke my heart.

When I got to work I called the office to see if I could check on him and the secretary said that if kids do not calm down and are too upset to stay in the classroom, they are brought to the office. And he wasn't there. So I guess that's something, eh? It is now 1:00 and in 15 minutes class ends and he heads off to aftercare. Another transition. But I think that there are quite a few kids from his class in there with him so it should all be good.

On a side note, he did end up getting in to the bilingual program. The principal left us a message last night saying that one of the kids in the program was moving and there was an opening for Mason. Yeah, persistency pays off! I am just so glad that we were able to settle all of this before he actually started school. And I have heard nothing but great things about his teacher. Sigh..is it 5:00 yet? I miss my baby. Wait, I was corrected last night, he is no longer my baby. I miss my little man.

Many happenings...

2008-08-26T09:47:00.001-07:00

Wow, there is so much going on in the Schuster household right now, it's kind of crazy! Let's see, where to begin....

Mason starts kindergarten tomorrow. I am scared and nervous and excited for him all at the same time. He is scared and nervous and excited for himself. We have been waving good morning to his school every morning for months now. We have been talking about what kinds of things he can expect to learn and see. We have been grooming him for his first real steps into his future. We are preparing him as best we can, which is all we can do, I suppose.

I know a lot of parents say this about their kids, but Mason is really freakin' smart. Too smart for his own good, actually. He is learning multiplication and how to count by 10's, he's reading and writing, he's growing and changing. He has a memory like you wouldn't believe and can hear even when he's not listening. My heart aches that he is no longer my baby yet at the same time is excited to watch him develop into his own autonomous being.

We are having some issues with his school at the moment, which I am hoping will get worked out. The reason we chose to stay at our local school, rather than try for an intra/inter district transfer, was because we were pretty positive we would get him into the bilingual program, wherein he would learn spanish. Which, in a school that is 60% hispanic, seemed like a very good thing. Well, he did not get in. Apparently, the information we were given stating that he had a great chance of getting in the sooner we registered was false. It was all random. We are pissed. Not sure where we will go from here, there might be a chance to still get him in, but not until classes have started. Wolf and I both wrote letters to the principal, although I do not think it will do much good. We shall see. All we can now is focus on Mason having the best experience possible.

Then there is Morgan. Man, is he going through some changes. A few months ago he quit cold turkey on his binky. Was just done. And now he is potty training. Two nights ago he woke me up at 3 am to pee but still had his diaper on. Last night he did not wake me up (well, at least not to pee) and he slept in underpants! We are so proud of him. Every time he pees in the potty his face just lights up and he exclaims, "I did it!" Wolf and I have promised to buy him something BIG to celebrate both events. There is a lot of focus on Mason right now and we want to make sure that he does not feel left out, that we celebrate his amazing accomplishments too.

Wolf and I have finally latched on to a date for our 10 year wedding annivesary party. Now we just have to tell everyone and send out invitiations! So for all of you who are reading this, please know we are working on it. And the party will be SEPTEMBER 20TH at STAFFORD LAKE in Novato. More details to follow.

Okay, enough for now. Love to all of you from all of us.

Morgan Musings

2008-08-20T10:18:00.000-07:00

Now I may have this wrong as Wolf told me about it while we were in the midst of our morning routine, but an exchange between Wolf and Morgan went something like this:

Wolf was explaining to Morgan that the spots on his face are called freckles.

Morgan looked at Daddy's arms and said, "Are there sparkles on your arms too?"

I will verify the actual comment from Wolf but I wanted to make sure I did not forget to post this.

More Mason Musings

2008-08-12T20:42:00.000-07:00

"Mom, did you know that stain remover removes stains?"

"Oh, really? Where did you learn that?"

"The t.v."

Morgan the Cowboy

2008-05-20T17:04:00.000-07:00

Fun on a HOT almost summer day

2008-05-16T09:46:00.000-07:00

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Happiest of Mother's Days

2008-05-11T23:00:00.000-07:00

It was truly wonderful mother's day. I couldn't have asked for a more relaxed, carefree day. I got to sleep in until almost 9, which is pretty much unheard of around our house. Then I woke up to homemade waffles with fresh whipped cream and strawberries and a large wrapped box. The boys had to help me open it, of course, and to my utter delight, it was a huge lego castle set. See, I totally love legos. Not sure why, but I do. Wolf said he showed my present to his co-workers and only one of them thought is was really cool. Everyone else was like, uh, yeah, that's uh, interesting. But you have to know me...and my husband does.

So we spent the morning on the floor in the living room, putting the castle together and having great fun. The afternoon was spent lazing around, soaking up some sun, playing video games. For dinner we went to this great vietnamese restaurant in San Rafael. We had never brought the boys there and wasn't sure if they would like it, but Mason professed to love it, saying "I just knew I'd love this place!" He's such a character. Morgan didn't like it, but that is no surprise. He's at that age where he doesn't want to eat anything except hot dogs and tator tots.

Once the kids were in bed, I got to curl up on the couch with my husband, an ice cream sandwich and the movie PS I love you. ::sigh:: I felt loved, happy and truly content.

To all of you mother's out there, I hope that you had an equally wonderful day, whether you got to spend it alone or with your kids. As we all know, it is not an easy job and I salute each and every one of you.

And to my Mom - I want to thank you for being my mom. You are an amazing woman and I am so proud of you. You are strong, you are beautiful and you are my mother. I love you.

Mason's 5th Birthday

2008-05-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

Today Mason Grey turned 5.
Wolf and I took the day off so that we could spend it with him. His Grandma Ginger and Grandpa Dave were here from Oregon and we all spent the day together. In the morning we opened presents and, as you can see by the pictures below, had a great time doing it. Then we took a walk to the dog park with Sadie, Grandma and Grandpa's dog, then we headed to the Farmer's Market. We took our time and enjoyed the perfect weather. Mason had a great time and simply glowed from all of the attention. Then we went home. We had planned on heading to the beach or doing something else but Mason was tired and just wanted to play with his new toys. So the rest of the afternoon was spent quietly hanging out at home.

Mason continues to amaze us every day. I am so proud of him that my heart is ready to burst. He is always asking questions, always learning, always having fun. He's beginning to read and I love watching his face light up with accomplishment. He loves to practice his writing and other than the occasional backwards "s" he is doing very well. We are at such a fun and exciting stage in is life and I look forward to every minute.

He will be starting Steve & Kate's camp in mid-June, which should be a great adventure for him and the kindergarten in the fall. I think he's a little nervous, as am I, but I know he will do beautifully.

We love you, Big Man, with all of our hearts.
Happy Birthday.

2008-05-01T21:28:00.000-07:00

2008-05-01T21:25:00.000-07:00

A Day at the Races

2008-04-26T22:16:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated Auntie Claudine's birthday at Bay Meadows. It was an absolutely awesome day -the weather was beautiful and we all had so much fun. In fact, we barely took any pictures, we were so busy! Mason and I bet on 2 races - I picked 3 to win in my race and Mason picked 10 to win in his race - and we both won!! It was awesome. We made back our wagers and walked away with $36. Yippee. Applebee's, here we come. It was great spending time with Claudine, Lance "Uncle Wooie" and all of their friends that we like so much. Happy birthday, Beautiful Claudine. Thanks for letting us share in the fun.

You would never know from the look on his face that we actually won...

2008-04-16T20:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Morgan James and Mia Denise

2008-04-10T22:10:00.000-07:00

Morgan turned 3 today! He had a great day at school, eating gluten free cupcakes made by mommy (who was only able to cook them because his rock star daddy fixed the oven) and getting presents from his friends. He got to have fish sticks, tator tots and hot dogs for dinner and a very small piece of yummy gluten free cake (which caused him to stay awake until past 9:00, which is another story). His present to himself was a shiner on his left eye, which he received when he tripped on the big hill at school.

His birthday party with his friends will be on Saturday at a small park down the street. Not sure how many people are actually coming but we'll have a great time none the less. Lots of balloons and Backyardigans paraphenalia. Woohoo!

Happiest of birthday wishes, my dearest boy.
We all love you so very much.

And a very special birthday wish to Mia who turns 5 today. I think it is the coolest thing in the world that my best friends daughter, Mia, and Morgan share the same birthday. And I think it's just as cool that Mason and Mia are 3 weeks apart. Life is good.

We hope Mia had as wonderful of a day as Morgan did and that her party on Saturday is full of lots of presents and happy memories.

We love you too, Mia.

2008-04-09T20:19:00.000-07:00

2008-04-09T20:18:00.000-07:00

2008-03-30T21:53:00.000-07:00

A quote from Mason

2008-03-20T16:35:00.000-07:00

A conversation had on the way to school this morning:

Mason: You know, sometimes when you kiss, your cheeks get red
Me: MY cheeks get red or people in general
Mason: People in general
Me: That's called blushing, sweetie
Mason: But that means it was a really nice kiss, right?

Ah, he's gonna grow up to be such a good man.

2008-03-15T22:04:00.000-07:00

2008-03-15T22:03:00.000-07:00

2008-03-08T20:21:00.000-08:00

Since my sister and her family live close by once again, we have decided to try and meet at Mom's house in Albany the last Saturday of every month. Last weekend was our first gathering and we had a great time. The weather was warm, everyone was happy and the food was wonderful. And, to top it all off, the light was absolutely perfect for taking pictures. So I am going to share a bunch of them with you all. And I am especially pleased with the ones of my sister. I love them! I hope you all are well.....

2008-03-08T20:20:00.000-08:00

2008-03-08T20:19:00.000-08:00

2008-02-26T13:53:00.000-08:00

2008-02-26T10:09:00.000-08:00

A fun morning on

the way to school

Morgan being reflective

Happiness

2008-02-18T21:30:00.000-08:00

Morgan and his big boy bike

2008-02-18T21:07:00.000-08:00

Getting ready

Off he goes....

You call me?

Teamwork

The fun of a foggy morning

2008-02-08T12:51:00.000-08:00

Puddle Walking

2008-02-04T22:26:00.000-08:00

2008-01-17T21:40:00.000-08:00

A fun day in the park

2008-01-17T21:37:00.000-08:00

BEEFY!

2008-01-17T21:30:00.000-08:00

Let's hope that when he grows up to be a real builder, he loses the binky!

Mason and Mommy having some fun...

2007-12-20T22:00:00.000-08:00

Mason's Blog

2007-12-19T09:27:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to let everyone who frequents the Schusterville blog know that Mason has started his own blog. He only has one entry so far but if you could visit it and leave him comments, I am sure it would tickle him pink.

Please know that I am simply the typist on his blog - the words, thoughts, etc are all his.

I thought it might be nice for him to have someplace he can express his thoughts. It might also help encourage him to read and write. We'll see.

Happy Holidays to you all!

http://masongrey.blogspot.com/

I do so love these boys....

2007-12-18T20:58:00.000-08:00

Just because.....

2007-12-18T20:56:00.000-08:00

A wonderful weekend

2007-11-18T19:51:00.000-08:00

We had such a wonderful weekend. The boys were an absolute joy and seem to be really enjoying spending time with each other. They played and played and played and it made my heart sing. They chased each other in the yard, played in the freshly raked leaves, wrestled in the living room and laughed until they cried. They are both growing in leaps and bounds and while it makes me happy, it also makes me sad. I want them to grow up, to see the men they will become, but at the same time, I want them to stay young and carefree, innocent and sweet, forever. They have both lost their "baby" smell and that in itself makes me sad.

The swiftness of time makes me even sadder. I blinked...and now the year 2007 is gone. My babies are now 4 1/2 and 2 1/2, no longer babies. I am 36. Wolf is 36. Life continues on. And I do so love our life. There are rough days, rough weeks even, but that is the balance. You cannot enjoy the good if there is not the bad to make you truly appreciate it.

This is my favorite time of year. The leaves change, the weather grows cold, the heater comes on, the air becomes crisp and clear, and fires burn. I love that it gets dark early and I love that I can burrow down under my covers and be warm while the cool air blows in through the slightly cracked window. It's a time to celebrate, a time to spend with family and friends, a time to have some fun and eat some damn good food (preferably without guilt).

I would like all of my friends and family to know that you mean the world to me. We may be miles upon miles apart or we may only be minutes away but you all fill up the spaces that make up my heart. I love my friends, I love my family and I love that I am happy.

I hope that you all enjoy your holidays. I will try to post as many pictures as I can ( I was scolded today by Jessica so I will try to be better) and I will try to ramble on about nothing as often as possible. Please know, all of you, that I love you and hope you are happy, healthy and enjoying this wonderful time of year as much as I am.

Now, enough blabbering. Here are some pictures of the boys:

The joy of cupcakes-with "pudding" on top, as Mason would say

Secrets

Our trip to Monterey

2007-10-24T21:26:00.000-07:00

Wolf and I took a day off of work, kept the kids out of school and headed off for an adventure to Monterey this last weekend. It was absolutely fantastic. We found a cute little "cottage" (aka renovated garage) that had 2 bedroooms and was the perfect size in the heart of Pacific Grove. Turns out it was a sports car race at Laguna Seca, so we got really lucky. We got there Saturday afternoon and although the weather was freezing, we stopped to check out a beach along the way. I also got to borrow an amazing lens from a friend of mine at work, for which I am very thankful. I got to take some amazing pictures, a few of which I will share here. How can I not, I have such a beautiful family?!

We explored, played, walked, ran, hopped, skipped and jumped our way around the Monterey Peninsula and couldn't have had a better time!

Wolf took this at a restaurant on the wharf. I just love it.

2007-10-24T21:24:00.000-07:00

2007-10-24T21:22:00.000-07:00

2007-10-14T22:54:00.000-07:00

My angels

2007-10-14T14:39:00.000-07:00

A day with Mason

2007-10-07T22:16:00.000-07:00

Mason and I went to Davey's 1st birthday party today and had a blast. Unfortunately both Morgan and Wolf were under the weather and had to stay home. But Mason and I had a great time. He got to play with one of his favorite people in the whole world, Prescott, and visit with some many new people. We had a great day together and with family. He even let me take some pictures of him!

He is growing more and more every day, as Pop pointed out to me today. Since I see Mason every day, I don't notice all of the changes, but even in just the two weeks since Pop saw him, he is like a different boy. He's growing and maturing and slowly starting to outgrow his fits. We work really hard with him, and he is getting so much better at stopping them himself and cutting them short. Luckily, from everyone I've talked to, this age is one of the hardest, so I know it isn't just us! I had one of my mom friends tell me that her 4 year old daughter has serious break downs because she cannot be a cat. Seriously, she wants to be a cat. It's good to know that other parents lives are a bit hellish too!

Morgan is changing in leaps and bounds as well. His vocabulary is getting so much better and he is speaking more in actual english than in morganese. It is still hard to understand him a lot of the time but he is trying. He is using fuller sentences and is learning new words every day. And I swear he gets a new expression every day! I have never met another kid as expressive as he is, truly. He doesn't really even need to speak, you just have to watch his face. I try to capture these with my camera and am sometimes successful. My next entry will have to be dedicated to Morgan Expressions, I think.

Much love to everyone who reads this - all 5 of you! : ) We here in Schusterville love you all dearly and think of you often, even if we don't see you or talk to you very much.

Fun with bubbles

2007-09-20T20:47:00.000-07:00

A typical day in the Schuster household....

2007-09-17T22:33:00.000-07:00

When I left for work on Saturday morning, this is the picture that I took. My three boys all curled up together on the couch.

When I came home after work on Saturday, this is what the boys looked like! Daddy just couldn't resist.

Mason & Prescott

2007-09-05T23:43:00.000-07:00

Mason and Scotty circa 2007

Mason and Scotty circa 2005

Farewell Grandpa

2007-09-04T21:38:00.000-07:00

On the way to dropping off the kids at school this morning, my dad called me to tell me that my grandpa had passed away. Luckily the kids were already at school because I broke down crying. Wencil Andrulewicz is my paternal grandfather and he was 92 1/2 years old. The picture above is of him, my father, Jim, and Mason, when he was 6 months old. That is the last time I saw Grandpa.

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It's amazing how life takes you away, how time flies and you think, oh, I'll do that tomorrow. I'll call my grandpa tomorrow. I'll remember to send him a card on his birthday this year. I'll remember to tell him that I love him. Even though I didn't talk to him or see him very often, I never imagined that he wouldn't be there. That my crazy grandpa who loves to hang out in his garage and play with nuts and bolts, that gets yelled at by my grannie every day and that just a few months ago bought a brand new car, that that sweet old man might someday be gone.

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My grandparents celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary this last Saturday. I may not have not understood their relationship but how can you not respect one that has lasted that long.

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Grandpa used to insist that my name was Amelia Josephine rather than Amy Jo. He loved me and I loved him.

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My dad said that when they had to leave my grandpa at the funeral home, he told Grannie that she should say goodbye to Grandpa as they would have to leave soon. Grannie went up, kissed Grandpa on the forehead and whispered, "Wencil, why did you leave me?" Then walked away.

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I will miss you, Grandpa. I love you.

2007-08-06T21:36:00.000-07:00

Big boots to fill

2007-08-06T21:25:00.000-07:00

Boys in the bathtub

2007-08-06T21:23:00.000-07:00