Happy Easter!!!

It's Easter at the Bingham's. Well, I guess it is Easter at your house too. This holiday really snuck up on us. Partially because it was so flippin' early! And partially because, well this is our first big holiday away from home. Usually Easter is heralded by the invite to the neighborhood egg hunt, the chocolate peanut butter eggs showing up at Grandma's house (luckily she sent a few in cool vintage boxes (see above) - I could eat my weight in these delights, were it not for the "You Can't Eat Your Weight in Anything" conundrum) and the attempt to juggle which grandma is doing which Egg Hunt on which day. This year, we realized we were all on our own. And as Easter is probably not a holiday that we would travel back to Utah for, we felt the need to start some traditions of our own.


We started with a little egg dying. Creative, I know!! The kids thought it was pretty cool. Now, I know some of you readers have a real fancy way of dying eggs. My sister-in-law Lynette's eggs look like the belong in the National Gallery, and involve dried flowers, strings and fancy homemade dyes. And I bet Lori did something cool and artsy. We used good old fashioned Pas tablets dissolved in water and vinegar. Fortunately Chanel had come over the night before and brought us the box of Pas Egg Dye and some eggs as a house warming gift.



Chanel told us she picked the eggs in the lovely blue box after asking herself "WWDMD? What would Design Mom do?" Good choice, Chanel. Good choice.

Then we did an egg hunt. Saturday was sunny and warm, and we suspected that today would be cold and rainy. (We were right.) Both grandmas had sent lovely care packages, and Amy had bought some things as well, so I took the kids to play at the park while she hid things in the back yard. Jonah thought it was AWESOME and found everything in the yard. Noel found one egg, opened it and sat and ate all of the Hershey Kisses from inside. They got a big box of sidewalk chalk, which is their new favorite thing, and which we can never have too much of, because pieces of sidewalk chalk that are left outside in Oregon don't last very long.


Today was church, where Amy and I continued to work against our nature and be social. Amy signed up for some service, and I signed up for the Fathers and Sons Camp Out (gulp.) The kids had fun and have lovely teachers that spoiled them with more candy (will it never end?) Now we are relaxing and making dinner. Just in case you are wondering we are having:

Baked Ham with Cherry-Pineapple Chutney (why don't they sell 2 lb. hams? Why must they all be ginormous?)
Escalloped Potatoes
Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Glaze
Buttermilk Biscuits with Cracked Black Pepper

And for dessert, sugar cookies which will will decorate with the kids.

Happy Day!

PS. Here is how dinner turned out:

Five Issues by Amy Bingham

So I have some issues with my children. Jonah is days away from being four (reminding us every day of the incredible Spiderman birthday party that will occur attended by throngs of adoring friends, in a town to which he moved two weeks ago, and currently inhabits no family, thereby creating no pressure), and Noel is the ubiquitous 2 1/2 (and while, not knowing exactly what the word "ubiquitous" means, can quite convincingly use it in this sentence, since being 2 1/2 really is just synonymous with "anything goes" or "plum loco").

1. The Photo Issue. Why is it that my children are 100% incapable of having a decent picture taken of them? I try. I really do. Okay. I'm a pathetic photographer. The last year of my children's life is captured on about 12 photos. But I tell you what. . .when I remember to bring the camera along, this is what I get:








Now, it isn't fair of me to clump the two of my children together. Noel gets the raw end of the deal by association. When he's on his own, he's extremely photogenic. He usually will produce something like this, with little effort.






But Jonah. My heavens. I know I'm his mother, but I think he's one of the most handsome little boys roaming the earth. He's a lovely combination of long eyelashes, multiple dimples, big, brown eyes and plump limps, and when he's not snorting or sticking his tongue up his nose, he's just plain adorable. But without fail, I get out my camera, and EVERY SINGLE PHOTO looks like this:















or this:



I know I should get a new camera with a faster shutter speed, but then I think, "Well. . .I don't take that many pictures anyway. . ." It's a bit of a vicious cycle, my friends.

2. The Food Issue. I just cannot figure out why my children will only eat the four basic food groups: cheese sandwiches, macaroni & cheese, spaghettios and chicken nuggets. I don't know if you've met me & my husband, but we like to eat. So maybe I'm not culinary adventurous, but I'd rank my "I like these foods" list in the high three figures. And I've heard all of the theories. I'm so not even close to being ready for the Jessica Seinfeld "let's hide veggies in our food" stage, but have at least tried again and again the "expose your children to food 465 times" thing. Many a meal has gone untouched in this house and, well, I'll admit it. . .that annoys me. We have made progress. The other day, they both ate PORKCHOP, of all things. And a few days ago they each had two miniscule bites of chicken. Baby steps. In fact, two days ago, they ate brownie for the first time and it was LOVE! They ate with a ferocity only saved for. . .well, the aforementioned food groups! I was so excited just to have them exposed to something new that the next day, when they asked for brownies again, we went to the store and bought another brownie mix. This is becoming problematic. First, because who wants to go to the store every day for a brownie mix? and also, do I have any self-control when it comes to brownies? Did anyone ask why we didn't have any brownies left over from the previous day? Mom does not need a pan of brownies lying around the house all day, in case anyone asks.

3. The TV Issue. My younger son, Noel, is addicted to TV. Addicted as in the sense that it gets in the way of the rest of us living our lives. If we need to go to the grocery store, for instance, and turn off "Wow! Wow! Wubzy!" we then have to deal with a 20-minute temper tantrum before we can leave the house. I suppose it's my comeuppance for naming him after a TV character (my all-time fave "Felicity"). I named Jonah after a character in a book so. . .we can hope? Anyway, I guess I should feel guilty about it, but even I, the queen of self-induced guilt-trips, cannot bring myself to feel so bad. First, because Jonah is not addicted. He would rather do pretty much anything than watch TV, and I did nothing different when raising him. Second, we are also addicted to TV. Tivo earns his money in my house. What pot? Black? Kettle? How does that go? Third, and most importantly, people will tell you that children do not learn anything from TV but those people ARE LYING. Noel knew how to count to 20 when he was 18 months old. I'm not lying. Jonah learned to count from The Count on Sesame Street -- I don't know where Noel learned it from -- I can't be bothered to monitor his TV viewing, but I know it certainly was not me. Also, Jonah can count in Spanish. Thank you Dora -- it's the least you can do for being the loudest, most big-headedly annoying TV character that my children adore on the planet! Noel quotes TV shows constantly. . .ALL DAY LONG. Maybe he's singing a little ditty from The Backyardigans. The other day I put chapstick on his lips and he said, "Now I'm ready for my close-up!" What the what?!?!? Some may find this problematic. I think it's stinkin' hilarious. He has this thing where he tilts his head back and says "Shout: Wear it!" from Pinky Dinky Doo. It gets me every time. And heaven knows we need something to get us through the day.

4. The Perception Issue. I've been trying like crazy, ever since we moved here, to find Jonah some friends (see above mentioned "birthday party" and "self-induced guilt-trips"). This is not something that makes me comfortable. I LOVE (with capital letters, please note) my friends, but I don't like making new ones. I'm what we like to call an "introvert." So calling up random strangers and asking if they can come over for a playdate has been, to put it mildly, a bit taxing. But I do it. Because I love my son, and his extrovert personality that he inherited from his dad craves social interaction. . .and a really awesome Spiderman birthday party with lots of friends. We've had two playdates in two weeks with two really cute boys and moms who hopefully don't think I'm some sort of weird stalker. I think that's pretty good. Jonah, however, told his grandma that he didn't have any friends but, don't worry, mom is going to find him some. Um. . .what just happened? How did my son who can remember how to erect the 30 piece train set when I have to get out the instruction book FORGET that he has FRIENDS??? If my mom is reading this blog, she is surely laughing. I think she has complained about my own powers of perception (or lack thereof) for many years.

5 The Love Issue. I'm not going to lie. . .I struggle with being a mom. It may have something to do with the guilt thing or the introvert thing ("give me some space!") or the fact that I didn't really grow up around little kids or just raising two toddler boys who are 18 months apart. Sometimes I read blogs and I go away feeling horrible, because I'll never be that mom that does everything perfect or can even make it appear so from the outside. Motherhood has been and will be the hardest thing that I'll ever have to do. . .harder than teaching high school to freshman English students in an inner-city L.A. high school without working bathrooms. But I tell you -- I love these boys. It's amazing to look at your children and see that they're funny and smart and charming and think that you may have had a tiny bit to do with that. And I quite simply don't know what I'd do without them. I'll have to remember this moment, because we all know I won't have a photo of it.

Oregonian

So, we live here. And I am sorry that I haven't written. I have wanted to and keep thinking, "That's a great thing to share with my readers!" and then I have to open some boxes, or call Verizon back for the 15th time to get our phone lines properly installed (evidently we are the first family in the modern world to have three phone lines,) or there are pictures to be hung (just kidding - I didn't say I was hanging them. They are to be hung) or whatever. And the blog takes the back seat. But we haven't forgotten about you there in the east where you pump your own (cheaper) gas and have less access to Trader Joe's. So in case you need a visit, here is what I love about Oregon so far.

1. On our first night here, Chanel and her family fed us Chicken Chili, green salad and chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. It was the first non-McDonald meal we had eaten in many, many days, and we wept for joy and ate all the seconds so that there were none for the Taylors.

2. We live about 2 blocks from one of these. I always thought it would be nice to live near a Sonic, you know, for tater tot emergencies. But did you know that between 2pm and 4pm beverages are half price and you can get a Diet Cherry LimeAid for the Mrs. and a Diet Coke with Fresh Limes (I like to squeeze my own!) in a Styrofoam Cup with Pebbled Ice. Seriously. It is pretty great. Now that I am back to a normal work schedule, we can't go every day, but we sure did during the move in days. Did you know you can take home a bag of that pebbled ice for a tax-free $1.69?


3. When Amy took Jonah to a play date with a girl in the ward (who's name we believe is Robin, though we are not sure.) and she told her that our kids were named Jonah and Noel, she said "Oh, that reminds me of that TV show "Felicity." Did you ever watch that?" Um, yes. That is who our son is named after! So there may be hope for friends after all. However, her husband's name is Bryce. And we know he runs. Hmmm. Most my friend's don't run. That probably means he is a jock and doesn't know who Noel Crane is. I don't know if he will be my new BFF. I am still on the look-out.




4. TRADER JOE'S! I can't explain the amount of joy that this store gives me. It probably doesn't make a lot of sense to you if you haven't tasted the joy of Joe-Joes, affordable Brie cheese, the boxed tomato soup, frozen chicken chow mein, cherry and lime juice Popsicles, TJ's tub of chocolate fudge pudding, et cetera, et cetera, et joyful cetera. Even the frozen broccoli from there tastes better than regular frozen broccoli. As Jason Castro says, "Hallelujah!"

5. It is so stinking pretty here.PS. This is my back yard

6. We live withing walking distance of a huge park called Reedville park with a big playground and a huge skateboard area. My sons think that the "Skateboard Guys" are THE coolest people on planet earth. Granted, they are pretty awesome. Have you seen these skate parks? The sides or the ramps go like straight up and down. If I tried to ride a skateboard down that, I would break a hip so fast your pace-maker would spin. I feel my cool eeking slowly down my leg when we are there. We go often to watch the action. Does this mean my kids will grow up to be skateboarders? Probably. Oh well. (Note: This is the actual skate park.)

7. We live about 7.6 miles from these people. I kid you not.
More updates soon! My kids need tubs. And Noel is playing a game he likes to play when I am on the computer called "Or maybe this one" where he says "Or maybe this one" and then types random keys. Not helpful.

Oh. Sexy Cardy.

Did you know that March 20th is Sweater Day, in honor of Mr. Rogers who died 5 years ago of cancer? Any excuse to wear a cardigan! (Like you need one.) I just thought you should know...

(PS. More moving updates soon. We just got internet today, I am in Pheonix on business and boxes seem more important than blogging right now. But we made it and we are happy and we love our home!)

(PPS. I would totally wear that zip-up cable in mustard that Fred is sporting.)