Fall at the Freels

Well, first of all, it finally snowed. Really snowed. Lots of wrecks today. But no Alaskan Halloween would be complete without snow suits, so there you go!

We carved pumpkins tonight, which really means Mom and Dad carved pumpkins. Connor has a positive aversion to stickiness and goopiness -- he will wash his hands four times in the course of a waffle and syrup breakfast -- so he provided direction and vector. Timmy limited his help to stepping in pumpking innards and shrieking gleefully as he toddled through the kitchen.

Here's daddy and Connor examining the autopsy. Connor picked a 35 lb pumpkin. Ahem. Mommy got the stink eye from dad on that choice.


Here's Timmy "helping". Daddy LOVES it. Just ask him. Wait til he stops twitching though.


And here's the finished results! TA DA!!!!!! Come on Halloween, we're ready!!!

School Halloween Carnival!

We hied ourselves off to the school Halloween carnival yesterday, and had a blast! I had dropped off decorations earlier in the week, and then ended up baking like a madwoman Friday night for the silent auction and cupcake walk. When the kids have to be gluten free, you can't assume there's anything safe for them to eat! So we made some gluten free brownies and Connor chose to frost them with green buttercream and decorate with M&Ms. We also made some chocolate cupcakes that he decorated with icing and nonpareils. He could actually have a cupcake then if he won the cake walk.

Timmy dressed as the world's most adorable pumpkin, and Connor was SIR Connor as a knight. I found this awesome knight costume at the base thrift store. I volunteer there every Tues night and always snap up great deals. I snagged it for $3 and then spent another $2.50 on materials for a beautiful sparkling cape. We were a little afraid of kid fracas though so he didn't wear that yesterday.

I had volunteered to run the Spider Ring Toss for an hour and had lots of fun watching 50 or so children get so excited about winning a prize. I think I made an excellent carnival barker, and had several return visitors looking for me to draw them another spider on their game card -- I ran the spider ring toss, what else would I do but draw a spider? Of course a few fairy princesses balked and I had to come up with variations. I'm afraid the "pink pincess farry" was disappointed in my unicorn rendition, but spiders were already taxing my limited artistic abilities.

Timmy got a little sensory overloaded and had to take a break outside with dad -- I don't think Charlie was disappointed to escape the five rooms of screaming stampeding preschoolers and their hovering parents. He came back in around 530, and watched Connor play in the castle maze til it was time to go home. We were so tired by then that we stopped at Wendy's to let the boys have plain hamburgers and oranges for dinner.

We don't know if it was excitement or being overtired (Timmy hasn't been sleeping well) or being overfull but Timmy ended up projectile vomiting all over me, Charlie and the bed last night when we put him down. So we had a fairly exciting 45 minutes getting everyone bathed and the bed cleaned up. Awesome news though...Connor finally stayed in his room a full three nights and earned a trip to the toy store! Okay, so solution is run the kid into the ground! Check!



Connor getting a tattoo from Mrs Campbell. Oh, Grandma Freel, this one washes off! :D


Connor playing in the bouncy castle with his best friend Carrington.


Timmy running - yes, you read that right -- running in Wendy's. I'm tired, in case you were wondering.


Timmy at the fortune telling table. I was glad I wasn't manning that one, it was tough! What do you say? "Tomorrow your parents will take you to the store and buy you anything you want"...


You KNOW Connor needed his face painted. Spiders are our favorite lately.

Timmy's birthday

Timmy turned one. I turned my back and he grew up!

It's hard to believe that a little over a year ago I was pacing the neighborhood hoping for a nice short easy labor. That's what I got, and so much more. Timmy is, in a word, a joy. I know everyone thinks that of their baby, but Timmy is a virtual magnet for smiles...he melts everyone he meets. The clerks at the grocery store wave at him, grinches grudgingly smile at him and he just loves on everyone he meets. Timmy has never met a stranger. He has the sweetest smile..he scrunches up his face and gives a beaming grin. He also has the most beautiful set of unusual dimples, and has dark golden skin -- especially next to his china doll porcelain big brother. He's so beautiful sometimes, it makes me marvel that he's mine.

That's not to say he is necessarily easy going -- he definitely has an opinion about the way life should be! Nowadays he's babbling away telling me stories and giving instructions. Really, it's my fault if I don't understand him. He took off walking this past week like he's been doing it all his life, despite steadfastly refusing to try stepping after falling badly at 9 months. He loves to play with his brother, loves to climb ladders to "help" mommy in the kitchen, and is a tornado fo energy from sun up to sun down.

Here he is opening a birthday present from mom and dad...we love this ball toy.


He got an Elmo karaoke doll. Connor had one at this age and carted it literally everywhere but it was included in the huge lead recall. Timmy couldn't care less about it, but Connor still likes it.


MMMM cake. Gluten free of course!


He got "bnnnz" (balloons) and hats for his birthday.

Connor at school!

Connor started preschool at the Fairbanks Montessori Preschool in August. One of the best decisions we ever made, hands down. He LOVES school. He loves his teacher, he loves the activities, he loves the kids.

It's a school devoted solely to 3-5 year olds. Each class has a different mixture of ages, and Montessori philosophy fits in well with Connor's temperament. Montessori is, as my friend B puts it, a daily celebration of learning. Children are encouraged to ask questions, to find things they're interested in, and incorporate a love of learning into their daily lives. The activities are largely self-directed...Connor loves maps and puzzles, so often heads for those first thing when he gets in. He carefully takes a map puzzle from the shelf, places it on the table, pulls out his chair and concentrates on it to the exclusion of all else. When he's done he carefully replaces it on the shelf and moves on to another activity. The striking thing about Montessori schools is how quiet they are. The children are all calmly working and since the adults with them believe that work had inherent value regardless of the work itself, they are left in peace to learn. The teacher guides them gently to new activities, or incorporates crafts in it all. Pretty amazing. B's daughter is also in Montessori, and this incident of hers is illustrative: R asked if there were seeds in pumpkins. The director promptly hacked open a small pumpkin on her desk and asked R what she thought. R saw the seeds, was led into a discussion of growing plants, and the director proceeded to give her a bag of seeds to plant when the time was right. Montessori is always about satisfying curiosity and fostering children's innate love of learning.

I'm probably doing a poor job explaining, but the results are undeniable. Connor is reading very well, he's starting to write legible letters, he counts to 20 daily in Spanish and English, he has a fifty word Spanish vocabulary, he knows his continents, he can spell his full name and several other words besides...and most amazingly of all, he loves to do all of these things. He and I did an experiment in reversible change yesterday with ice cubes and water, and he couldn't have been happier. Did I mention he's three? I just burst with pride, and since it's my blog I can brag with impunity...muhahahahaha!

Montessori also believes in making it easy for children to function on a daily basis as part of the family, which means incorporating them into the business of the family and making it easy with kid sized tools to do so. Connor has a work display board in the book room at his level, with a boot shelf full of art supplies underneath. There's a hook to hold his apron (I sewed it for him from a "Montessori" pattern), a broom/dust pan, and a ladder to use at the counter. We have stools at every sink to allow him to get his own cup of water or wash his hands. He has a kid sized table for his work time at home -- that might be pattern work, stringing ABC beads, drawing, or working with gluten free playdough. Timmy has been included in all this too -- he too plays at the table, and loves to drink his evening water out of a little shot glass that is just his size to grasp and drink. They have some sponges cut in half to make it easy for them to clean up after themselves, and if they spill they're expected to help clean up. They both help me do laundry, they help wash dishes. That's not to say they don't make messes, but they're far less than they ever were and they're happy about helping.

We've had a few issues with Connor's diet -- mostly people not realizing how much casual contact with gluten containing items can still harm him -- but that's smoothed out a lot. I'm terribly sorry to do it, but Connor is going to be moving into the morning class in about a week. He was in the afternoon class and loves his friends and teacher, but it was eating my entire day. It takes about 35 minutes to drive there so we have to leave at 1215 to be there by 1250. I turn around and come home by 130, then Timmy naps and I run back at 315. If I move him to mornings I think he will be fresher, and Timmy and I can get errands and exercising done in the morning before picking him up. Then we can be home for lunch and rest/naps and he might actually get to play with his neighborhood friends in the afternoons.

The pictures of school are trapped on Charlie's phone so I'll have to rescue them later. Meanwhile here's a few cute pics!

Connor at the park.

Timmy playing with one of his birthday toys.

Connor and Timmy love this huge bead maze they got from Pop and Nani for Timmy's birthday. They play for hours!

Ummm, so I suck?

I just realized it's been THREE months since I updated this blog.

I was trapped in the garage by a moose? I was hiking the Brooks range, gun in hand? I was cutting firewood and accidentally destroyed the DSL? What excuse will you believe?

Okay, really, it's just been insanely busy here at the Freels. Timmy turned one, Connor started preschool in Fairbanks which involves about 1.5 hours in the car a day for me and Timmy, I am the publicity editor for the spouses club, I am a La Leche League leader, not to mention the work it takes daily to clean up after and feed three strapping Alaskan men. But I promise to try to catch up on a few major events in pictures and prose, then I will resume blogging on a far more regular basis. No, really, Grandma...I promise! :D

Resurrection Bay Cruise and other sundries

It's been a VERY busy couple weeks here at the Freels. Charlie came home after eight months in Iraq on August 9th -- woo hoo! -- and we settled in to being a family again. I can't possibly catch up the whole time in prose, so you'll have to be content with lots of pictures!

Timmy got a little car as an early birthday present. He fell in love with the neighbor's toy car and spent every afternoon in their yard loving on it, so we bought him one early to enjoy while the summer lasted before moving it inside. Here he's enjoying driving it, but you can see why dad got him a haircut shortly after arriving home!



We REALLY love this car. No, really.


Wait...standby for potty break.



We took a trip to Anchorage on Wednesday and supported the economy in a truly patriotic way while enjoying some much needed catch up time. Charlie lost nearly 40 lbs in Iraq and looks amazing...here's two handsome boys in downtown Anchorage.



We took a side trip to Seward and embarked on a Resurrection Bay and Gulf of Alaska cruise with the kids. Wow.

I can see why Alaska is addictive now. We had some icky weather but still...such beautiful vistas, deep blue-green waters, adorable puffins, and distant glimpses of austere blue glaciers peeking through the fjords. Poor Connor ended up with a little seasickness but happily slept on dad's lap for a couple hours, while Timmy snoozed in mommy's sling.


Here's the family gathered on the deck of the boat...


Here's a view of Bear Glacier...you don't see many on this particular cruise because it's short and focuses mostly on wildlife, but it was perfect for us because the boys' tolerance for sea motion and boredom are less than the marathon boat expeditions required to see more.


Oh, my favorite! Puffins! These guys are so cute and little -- you picture them as penguin sized, but they're actually tiny...



Timmy showing off his new haircut!



Here's a view of the Matanuska Glacier. We drove an alternate route home to enjoy the scenic Richardson Highway. Timmy mightily disagreed with this decision about an hour from home, and punished us, but the views made it worth it!


This is just one of a thousand views on Richardson!

We bought a new car...a journey in vindication

Most people who know me know that I LOVE negotiating for cars. LOVE it. I am the terror of car salesmen everywhere. I come in armed with a book in which I have True Market Value comparisons, price breakdowns of options and labor costs, arguments all the way down to floor mats and wheel locks for why I should get things "free." I actually threatened to walk out of a Toyota delaership over $53 wheel locks and got them to discount for leaving their dealership's name printed on the car. I got my Honda Odyssey for below invoice; the Prius II helped dad negotiate still is the lowest priced I have ever heard of, and just now, I negotiated a Honda Civic Hybrid with Leather for below invoice. And I have a tasty story to go along with it...do you want to know? Oh, of course you do!

Charlie and I had agitated for awhile about buying a hybrid for him. We had bought a used Jeep when we got the Alaska assignment, thinking it would be a good off road car, but that's really the best that can be said for it. It had lots of problems and it ate gas like crazy. So when "Cash for Clunkers" came up, we looked seriously at buying a hybrid. We didn't think we'd get even $4500 on a trade in and while we could sell the car to someone else, that's a whole level of pain we didn't want to explore. C for C seemed like a handy way to upgrade mpg at a discount.

I went in armed with all my prior stuff on Saturday and negotiated a killer price, but didn't have the car or required government paperwork with me. We made an appt for Monday and I went on my happy way. At 3 pm, my salesman called and said that all C for C deals were done as of today and I needed to bring my paperwork in today to secure the car. Sigh. Okay, I knew that all the Alaska dealerships were jumpy but if it let me keep the great price, then it might be worth the pain. I packed the kids up and headed down in the Jeep -- after surprising myself with a dead squirrel curled up in Timmy's stroller, AHHHH! -- to turn in my paperwork. Because of a title snafu, the documentation LOOKED gapped for continuous registration though it really wasn't. Hence, no Cash for Clunkers program for me. Ironically, I was totally fine with that, and would have just walked away at that point with a shrug and a wave, off to research more and perhaps delay the actual buy until next year if big sweaty sales manager hadn't happened.

The sales manager was, in a word, an ass. He got snotty with me about the fact that he has to "sat-is-fy the fed'ral gov'mint" and I in turn bowed up on him and stormed out. I fumed and raged for a few minutes in the car and then got out to fuss at the visibly chagrined salesman. I channeled my inner bitch and told him in unequivocal terms that their business had wasted my time, that I was angry and would not darken the door of their business again without some immediate ego stroking and monetary satisfaction. He proposed looking at the car as a trade in, and they offered $4700 for the trade in (which was $500 above KBB value)! Woo hoo! But then my car sales BS meter rang and I said oh-so-sweetly that they were clearly throwing me a $200 sop to my ego and that I would like to see a little more off the price of the car to make me 100% satisfied -- after all, Bob's Big Boy there really HAD been terribly rude. They swallowed hard, and took another $150 off to take it all the way down to $100 under invoice price. I'm SURE they were still making a healthy chunk of change but it made me feel all toasty. As near as I can figure without knowing what unadvertised factory kickbacks they were getting, they made about 4.5% off the deal, within my acceptable range of 3-5%. Add in the trade in and my total price was well under $20k for a very nice eco friendly not-quite-luxury-but-close car. Not my best price, but not the worst, by far -- another family was there buying an EX edition of the same car, and was paying $2500 more than I was without the leather upgrades. Eek.

They jerked me around for a couple hours, going round about financing and warranties, until I gave them Connor's eating of a bag of bribery M&Ms as a deadline for getting to the point -- if we weren't signing papers and taking keys by the time he started whining for more, I was walking out sans hybrid. It was 545 for heaven's sake, and my kids have a two hour BS tolerance limit. Phenomenal for small children, but that deadline was rapidly approaching as they whined on about "protecting my investment." I think by now they recognized the dangerous glint in my eye, and they rushed to finish up and hand me keys -- they transferred car seats for me as well. I loaded the kids up in our snazzy new car and remembered to ask if they had checked the CD player as I couldn't remember if there was a CD in there or not. The salesman hopped in the Jeep to turn it on and check the player. And now here's the part that will keep me warm and chuckling through the night...

THE JEEP WOULD NOT START.

Yes!!! At last, all my praying to the vast powers of karma have paid off! I'm almost sorry to see that car go; how awesome is that? Dealership jerks me around, drives me to feeding my kids junk food for dinner with their warranty silliness and the Jeep strikes a blow for solidarity. I'm sure it just needs a new battery, but ha! It worked perfectly for me, functioned beautifully for their trade in assessment, but apparently has a anarchic streak (like its previous owner? Love you, honey!). I don't need a present for Christmas...Santa Claus came in the guise of obstreperous 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee this year.

I smiled again, sugar dripping from my ruby lips, and said simperingly to the salesman, "Can I just tell you how glad I am that YOUR company owns this car now?"

I drove away, silently chortling, vastly enjoying the smooth seamless ride of a new car. The kids and I stopped at McD's, where both refused to eat more than one bite of plain hamburger, and drove home to gorge on zucchini muffins and fruit instead before collapsing long after boys should have been abed.

I KNOW I sound absolutely snarktastic but really, you had to endure my day to truly understand how I could take that much joy in a non starting car and flabbergasted sales guy. Kids running all over the dealership, Timmy filthy and into everything, dead animals in my garage, interrupted baking, government hijinks, insulting fat guys, and pushy offers to take more of my money...all of it combined to let me revel unabashed in the ridiculous perfection of the moment.

Just a quick description...it's a 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid EXL. It has gorgeous leather seats (we're environmentally conscious but ironically lovers of leather), heated seats, iPod jacks, mpg monitors, nice stereo, cruise control, etc. On the way home we made 33 mpg even with all the stop and go...refreshing change from 12 mpg in the Jeep! It feel underpowered compared to the Jeep, but not hugely so, and the controls and steering wheel toggle switches are all the same as the Ody, so it will be easier to transition between driving the two. It's magnetic pearl color, a cross between dark grey and blue, and it's probably the only thing I wasn't sure of about the car...Charlie prefers lighter colors so the cars don't look dirty as fast, but I couldn't pass up the deal on the car, despite the darker and undeniably pretty color. Hope Charlie likes the car as much as I do! If he doesn't, guess we could always trade... :-)