Whatta Weekend

Our weekend started promptly Friday afternoon when Jesse got home from work. We traveled down to Helena to visit Grandpa Doug and Grandma Nicole. We had a really great time and Colton got a new fishing rod and caught his first fish (which is a rite of passage in our family)!

Colton reeling in his fish

21 inch Rainbow trout
(it was really good that night in a trout dip, yummy!)

Our results:

					CHIP	CHIP	AGE	PLACE	SEX
NO.	NAME	RACE #	SEX	AGE	TIME	PACE	DIV	OVERALL	OVERALL

1128.

Cortney

2442

F

28

0:45:48

15:16

65 / 88

1128 /1539

615 / 904

1191.

Jesse

2441

M

34

0:47:18

15:46

29 / 38

1191 /1539

532 / 635

1193.

Colton

2443

M

6

0:47:19

15:46

62 / 101

1193 /1539

534 / 635

Here's our pictures:

Colton with the Icebreaker penguin.Jesse and Colton crossing the finish line.

Holding up our finishing medals.

Lazy Parenting

'The welcome discovery that a lazy parent is a good parent took root when I read the following passage from a DH Lawrence essay, Education of the People, published in 1918: "How to begin to educate a child. First rule: leave him alone. Second rule: leave him alone. Third rule: leave him alone. That is the whole beginning." '

I encourage you to read the entire article here:
Idle parenting means happy children by Tom Hodgkinson

He's a bit rough-around-the-edges Brit, but I get what you are saying. Really. I hear it. Give yourself and your kids the permission to just let them use their brains. Imagination is a wonderful thing. Thanks for sending me this, Brent!
(My favorite is "a happy mess is better than miserable tidiness". I don't think Jesse would appreciate it put on a plaque in our living room!)

Manifesto of the idle parent

We reject the idea that parenting requires hard work We pledge to leave our children alone That should mean that they leave us alone, too We reject the rampant consumerism that invades children from the moment they are born We read them poetry and fantastic stories without morals We drink alcohol without guilt We reject the inner Puritan We fill the house with music and laughter We don't waste money on family days out and holidays We lie in bed for as long as possible We try not to interfere We push them into the garden and shut the door so that we can clean the house We both work as little as possible, particularly when the kids are small Time is more important than money Happy mess is better than miserable tidiness Down with school We fill the house with music and merriment

Happy Birthday Baby!

He survived an entire year of snuggles, cuddles, squeezes and kisses! My itty, bitty baby boy (bitties for short) is one year old today. Here are a few quick pics of our family tradition of a breakfast birthday.

Apparently now that he is one year old, he has decided that he should climb the stairs. Before today he only went up one, maybe two stairs... today I turn around and the boy is 3/4 up the stairs. Ahhhh!
This is Colton last night after watching Iron Chef America. Notice the Dixie cups for the judges (me and Jesse). He calls it Aliscorno (no clue) and I quote " I started off with the Orange juice, added a touch of wa-tah (water using a medicine dropper), strawberries, blueberries, and tiny marshmallows... (pause) Enjoy!" What a ham!

Updated Pictures

Ok. So I spent most of the day uploading 180 pictures to our familys website. Starting from Christmas to the present. I have been quite the slacker on this, so people, there you go...
Now off to take more pictures!

Atchley Family 2008



:)

Ten for Tuesday

1. I am feeling like a hermit today. I think last week burned me out!

2. Plus the weather went from 70 degrees to 40 and snowing today. I have found that I am very effected by the weather.

3. I think my son is going to be a politician or something along those lines. He has to negotiate everything. RRRrrrrgggg. This drives me crazy.

4. I am ready for spring cleaning. I lack the motivation and energy. How much is MerryMaids?

5. Next weekend I have a baby shower and wedding on the same day.

6. If you have ever met my son, you will know that he has a strong resemblance to this cartoon character:



7. So this must be me:



8. As I write, Colton is setting a trap for his bear with Pistachio shells and little bells. And it took us almost an hour to do his homework. Homework that is designed to take 10 minutes. Not because of an inability to accomplish it, but from all of the time wasted on complaining, getting distracted and trying to figure out the laziest way of getting it done.
(He dissasembled his trap. He said "I wouldn't do that to my bestest bear.")
...I can't make this stuff up.

9. A week from today is Christopher's 1st birthday. How did that happen?

10. I am so ready for some nice spring weather.

Party (me) Hearty!

So we survived another party! Due to the snow we had to change it from a Saturday BBQ to a Sunday afternoon at Jumpers Gymnastics! The kids all had a great time and nobody got injured (that was my biggest fear)! All in all, I think it was a great party. So here are the pictures:

The entire group: It's hard to get 25 riled-up kids to sit together for a picture. Unless you tell them if they do a nice smiley picture, then they get to do the pirate argghhh picture (seen below)

Christopher as a baby pirate.This is Colton's pirate face.So I had to bribe him with candy so I could get a good picture of his costume.

Secret special agent sargent

Mom, do you know that your son is a secret special agent sargent?
you or Christopher?
Me.... you know where my secret cafeteria is?
Where?
On the stairs. And my secret playroom is in the office and my secret lair is my room.
Oh.
You know that Christopher is my secret agent brother. I will share my secret playroom with him.
That's very nice of you.
You know where Christopher's secret cafeteria is?
Where?
(giggling) hee hee, your boob!!! HA HA HA