Better Late than Never

This has seemed to be a strange summer. As a girl born and raised in the damp northwest I've quite enjoyed the constant rain but even I have limits. Especially when I've been spoiled by the last 12 or 13 years of nearly uninterrupted summer heat and sun.

So, when the rain finally took a break and we could get out in the Reed Family Truckster and RV combo it was indeed and exciting time. Diets were broken, bedtimes were forgotten and our skill in cooking over flame was honed.

Here is the Fireball in all its glory, resplendent in Avocado green racing stripes. I put Robbie up to posing in front of it to give you, gentle reader, a feel for the sheer scale of the beast.


Here is Woody and his "cousin" Jasper (my brother's dog). Both dogs are the same breed, born within a week of one another and yet....there is a 100% difference in weight and 180 degree difference in personality. Whereas Jasper could be compared to Barney Fife, Woody is an even mixture of neuroses: sex addiction and aggression. Poor Jasper will need to seek the counsel of a rape trauma center after this weekend. Here the dogs are tethered to within kissing, but not humping distance.


Here is my son, ever the soul of responsibility. See how he personally takes it upon himself to prevent forest fires?




And here is my boy once again. This time he's fashioning himself a grass mustache...or is it a nasal cannula? One never knows.



And finally, eating the requisite Cheeze-Its. Is anyone else put off by the way this product sounds like "Cheese Zits"? I am.

We Fight About Fruit Trees

Some couples fight about money. Others fight about housework. We fight about fruit trees. The fight is long over now but I am still reeling from the stupidity of it all.

What's the dumbest thing you've ever fought with your hubbs about?

Between Cleaners and Cleanees

We moms spend a lot of time cleaning. The more children you have, the more cleaning - and it isn't just twice as much cleaning with two children. I suspect it's an exponential increase.

Today my neighbor's six year old daughter came the front door shortly after I'd attacked my kitchen floor with bleach water and a mop.

"Eww, your house smells like chlorine!" she said, wrinkling her nose.

Twenty minutes later, her mother came to my kitchen door. Just like in those Febreeze commercials, she poked her nose in for a good whiff. "Mmmm your house smells good!" she said.

An affection for the smell of chlorine...just one more way being a mom changes everything.

Just When We Thought We Had Him Figured Out

I still don't know what made Toby ask this question. We were sitting down to dinner and he just tossed it out, totally without context.

Toby: "Robbie, where do babies come from?"
Robbie: "Uh, from the hospital.....Bow Chicky Wow Wow!!"

If you can't imagine what "bow chicky wow wow" sounds like - it's a tune, not a phrase. It's supposed to sound like bad "romantic" background music one might hear in the soundtrack of a really low budget 70s movie. He learned this at some point from us - it's kind of a joke between Toby and I. We use it ironically - such as when we see something that is quite the opposite of romantic...time to start censoring our conversation more carefully.

This Would be Funnier if it Had Happened To Someone Else

First of all, if you're my parent or Toby's parent...just don't read this post. It has the potential for you to form mental pictures you don't need. Really. Just skip it.

This afternoon before nap time, I was running up and down the stairs bringing up baskets of clean laundry. The last time I brought up a basket, Robbie stayed upstairs. This is usually not a cause for alarm but after a few minutes of too much quiet, I called him downstairs. When he came down holding a shower head in his hand I had a moment of panic...but then I recalled we had a spare shower head under his bathroom sink.

"What else did you get out of your bathroom cupboards?" I asked.

"Nothing." and he batted his long eyelashes. Silly me for not pressing harder.

Twenty minutes later we headed back upstairs for stories and a nap. Our first stop was the little boys' room.

"Look mom!" He said after climbing onto the toilet, very proud of himself. He pointed to the mirror. There was white glob smeared all over it.

"What is....?" I started to ask and then I saw it. A small white jar of...well...mint chocolate flavored "body topping". He had apparently made use of his time alone upstairs to scour our nightstands and came away with this prize. He obviously hustled it back to his bathroom where he promptly decided, possibly because of the minty flavor, that it was a kind of toothpaste.

His toothbrush was doused in it. The mirror was smeared with great globs of it. The jar itself was nearly empty and what was left had been covered with water from the faucet.

I sent him to his room while I cleaned it up. The whole time he was crying and yelling that he was sorry and I was his favorite "grill" (girl) and begging for just one story. By the time I came into his room I was not angry. I was just trying not to laugh. He was still sobbing when I came in and he said:

"I'm sorry Mom. Don't be mad. You see that picture?" He asked, pointing to picture on his wall of me and him. "You were happy in that picture. Just be happy like that, ok? Can I have just one story?"

So of course, I read just one story.

The Wit of Children

It's no doubt, kids are silly. Robbie just gets sillier as he grows into his sense of humor. Every day we have at least twenty conversations that get me chuckling. Here are a few from the last 24 hours.


Robbie: Mom, where do porcupines live?
Me: In the forest.
Robbie: Where do birds live?
Me: In trees.
Robbie: Where do hearts live?
Me: In our bodies (I pat his chest to show him where)
Robbie: (looks at me for a moment while he decides if I'm serious, then rolls his eyes and laughs) You're crazy, mom.

- - - -

This conversation took place this morning while Robbie was in the bathroom and I was in the hall.

Robbie: Mom, I have good news and bad news.
Me: What's the good news?
Robbie: I'm going to Megan's house.
Me: Ok, what's the bad news?
Robbie: (toots) That's my bad news! (then laughs like a maniac)

- - - -

Me: Good morning!
Robbie: Why you had your hair cut?
Me: It was getting too shaggy and I wanted to change the color. Do you like my hair this way?
Robbie: No, I liked the old way. Can I go downstairs now?

- - - -

Robbie: Mom! Last night I went to a big basketball thing! And I threw the ball and it went UP UP UP UP! And then down down down and then BOOM, it went in. And everyone said "Yayyy Robbie!!!" It was coooooool!

Since I know he was just home with Toby while I got my hair done, I think this must have been his dream last night.

- - - -

Robbie: (walks up to me while I am sitting down and drops a bobby pin down the front of my shirt) I put it down your drain! It went down your DRAIIIIIIIN!" (more crazy laughter)

The Birthday Saga

Tuesday was my birthday. Besides my birthday, many other blessed events occurred on April 14. In history, the Titanic struck its infamous ice berg on this day. This year on April 14 my husband made a wonderful dinner for me. Fettuccine Alfredo. Robbie loved it and had two plates.

Shortly after this, our basement flooded.

After frantically sucking water off the floor, out of the window well, (which was the culprit) mopping up funky smelling water out of my soap room and storage room, standing in the rain (while sucking out said window well), cleaning our carpets, etc, we came back upstairs for cake.

Robbie promptly fell off a chair right on his head.

After repeatedly kissing and calming him down we again tried to have cake.

Then it was way after bed time. We were all exhausted.

Then Robbie woke up at 1 am and began vomiting near impossible quantities of fettuccine and birthday cake. This didn't stop until 4 am.

In spite of all this drama, one little gem did come out of this. I got this video of Robbie singing me Happy Birthday. Robbie loves to sing but will rarely do it on film or even on command.



Please disregard the mountain of crud behind him in my laundry room and remember - we had just finished using all our towels to mop up nasty water and we were wet, tired, smelly and not in the mood to clean up the laundry room yet. The rest of my house was pristine - but that's husband for you...they will film the the dirtiest room in the house.

Afraid of the Water? Not Exactly.

I am sorry for anyone whose children are afraid of water. I have a few friends with this problem and I don't even have a word of advice. Robbie has always loved it and his passion for it gets stronger every year.

For about a year we've been having him wear this shortie because it keeps him from shivering the whole time. The poor kid is just skinny. We don't know where he gets it from. Just last week we introduced the water wings and...well lets just say they were a big hit. The picture says the rest.







The goggles are also a recent thing - an Easter present. Does he mind when they fill with water? Not a bit.



Ah, you may be thinking. Does he mind when he goes UNDER water?

Not exactly.



He's even gracious enough to smile for the camera.



And if all that wasn't cute enough, watch this video. The way his funny little legs kick just cracks me up every time.

Global Warming

Global warming? No. Bad timing? Yes.

We went to Yellowstone last weekend for a business meeting I had planned. The park was closed. All the shops were closed. Even the snow was closing up for the year. There was plenty of it - but only in hard-packed icy piles. What was left on the roads was, well...water.

Trying to entertain a preschooler in a town where nothing is open was a bit tough. Toby took him to the one and only open attraction while I was in my meeting. Afterward we drove around trying to find something to do. We ended up at the closed-down-for-the-season airport when suddenly Robbie started yelling he wanted out of the car RIGHT NOW.

Toby, exasperated, put the car in park in the middle of the road. The next car was at least three months away, after all.

It turns out, you don't have to have snow to make a kid happy as long as you're willing to drag a perfectly good sled down an asphalt road and then carve a hole in the ice for him to stand in.

Meet Woody

Because we can't get enough of potty training, so we decided to start all over again.



Woody, Woodrow, or Nanna Boo Boo, whatever name he's being called at the moment - is a miniature Dachshund....emphasis on miniature. He weighs 1.5 pounds.

If I had a nickel for every time I've had to shout "watch out Woody" or "don't squish the dog!" I'd be on a beach in Jamaica by now. But he sure is cute, isn't he?

Spring is in the Air

Reed Photographic now offers studio portrait sessions for individuals, children, newborns and couples.

Book a studio session before April 15 and enjoy your choice of the following specials:

Special One: Get a free high resolution digital copy of all pictures with a regularly priced studio session.

Special Two: Enjoy a free studio session for up to three. Digital copies and prints will be available at the regular prices at your discretion. No minimum purchase required.
Both specials include: 15% discount on prints ordered in the first week.

Sessions can be any time in March, April or May but must be booked before April 15.

To reserve your session, call 801-380-9113.

Don't wait. Availability is limited.

The Defiant Child

I don't remember ever talking back to my parents as a child. Perhaps my parents do, but I just remember being too afraid to be so impertinent. That is, until I was about 14 and started pushing the limits of their patience.

I had a friend when I was about 10 that had no problem telling her mother to "shut up" or "get out" that she was stupid, fat, ugly, etc. I recall being shocked and embarrassed the one time I stayed over at her house and saw this happen. At one point her mother just turned to me and said "I bet you never talk to your mother like this do you?" I didn't know what to say. The truth was that of course I didn't talk to my mother like that but I didn't want to side against my friend either. I just shrugged and blushed...and never stayed over again.

As the mother of a three year old, it has come as a bit of a surprise to me that preschoolers back-talk. In fact, until recently I was starting to think maybe I just had a really smart-mouthed kid. We just squelched "shut up" and now we're dealing with "I don't love you" when he doesn't get his way.

We tried time-outs and all the usual forms of discipline with no obvious results. To say the least, its been very frustrating. Yesterday when I desperately needed to be catching up on work I decided instead to turn to my friend the internet for some advice. I read several articles on preschoolers and back-talk and I learned some things to try and that its a lot more common than I thought.

So, has your preschooler done this? What have you done to teach them not to do this, or even to explain what constitutes "back-talk" or "sassing"?

At times we consider the benefits of a shock-collar, so hopefully you have a better idea.

The above image is a worldle of this blog. Go have fun and make one for yourself.

Finally! The studio gets broken in "fer realz"

Why is it so much easier to photograph someone else's kid?

I Should Frame These For the Studio Walls

The studio has been finished for a week now and I've tried three times to take Robbie's photo.

Not happening.

There is a reason I typically just have another photographer friend take our family pictures.

All the same, I did get a number of "tosser" images that, as a collection, I think really tell a story. And that story is this:

"Parents, don't feel bad if your kids act up and don't cooperate or temporarily seem deaf when you try to take their photos. Everyone's kids do it - especially kids whose parents do this for a living."













"I'm the Captain. Argh!!"

Sleeping In, In Seattle

Seattle was great fun. We got to catch up with an old friend, visit (briefly) Toby's aunt and see the sites.
Sans Robbie, my hands were also free to take a lot of pictures. This is a fact that a seagull later took advantage off too. He "bombed" my hand and my camera, which took quite a while to clean up.


Toby on the Bainbridge Ferry.


Holly on same Ferry.


Toby at Green Lake.


Experience Music Project


I also found our next house while were on the Ferry. Look at the picture below...see the little house? The last one on the tip of the island? That's it! I think I'll enjoy the view of Seattle each evening. Now...you can send donations for our new house, attention Holly...



One of the other things we noticed on this trip, besides just how crazy the streets are laid out in Seattle, is how expensive everything is. We started to tell each other we must be getting old because we kept whining about the cost of everything.

Perhaps it isn't just us, though. See if you fall of your chair when I tell you what we paid, just in parking, over the course of about 36 hours.
Hotel: $35 a day, so $70
Pike's Market: $12 for two hours
All around town: $18-20 at various parking meters
One parking ticket: $35 (we didn't see a meter and were out in the 'burbs and didn't realize we had to pay)
Total valet tips, every time we needed to get our car (not allowed to do it yourself): $14
Grand Total: $150!

So here's my tip if you're considering Seattle. Do stay downtown but don't rent a car.

Great Basement Project Pt. 2

Toby was better at sitting still than Robbie - but less enthused. If that's possible. You see, his big stake in a finished basement was a home theater room (ie: studio waiting room). He had just gotten all the components hooked up and had Iron Man blasting in the next room when I made him plunk down in my studio.


Isn't he adorable - even when he's annoyed?

The Great Basement Project

I feel like taking out an ad: The Basement is Done!
For two people with an unfinished basement we sure used ours a lot. Having it in progress for the last few months has been difficult. The anticipation as we got close to done has been excruciating.

We had an absolutely awesome person working on it, however. Anyone that needs any kind of remodeling work done, I have your guy.

So without further ado, here it is.


Robbie was really digging the new carpet and open spaces. We played "chase me" for a long time. Finally I was exhausted and ready to snap some shots but he was still going.


The family room (or as I like to call it; the studio waiting room)


The studio.


The studio's changing room / storage area. How do you like my handiwork on that floor? I laid rows 5 and 6.

So what does one do with a new studio? Practice on the family of course!

Of course - Robbie would NOT stand still or have anything to do with it.


Here he is making Godzilla sounds.



Crawling - way out of the light range.



Running away.


And finally - grudging cooperation.