Newness

     I haven't blogged for a long time.  So long that Blogger has changed it's set-up since the last time I used it.  Still trying to get used to all the new features.  And I changed my template.  Not sure if I'm digging the grass/dandelions now.  It just doesn't scream, "Jamie freakin' Bates!" does it?  I dunno.  So I guess the reason I don't blog so much nowadays is because Facebook has pretty much taken over the planet.  It's easier to write a quick status update or post a funny picture or link than to sit down and write a blog post.  Although, I would prefer to write more.  It would be good for my soul.
     So the last time I posted something we were still living in Montana.  We are now in the beautiful state of Oregon and I must say I love it here.  Our move went extremely well.  The kids did great on the drive.  We like our house and suits us just fine for right now.  We are hoping to get a feel for the area and find a house to buy when our lease is up next year.  So far I have absolutely no complaints about where we live.  I thought the number 1 big issue for me was going to be the rain.  Well, to be honest, it hasn't rained all that much since we moved here.  We've had a great deal of sunshine and warmth, which is not what I was expecting.  But it's only been a couple months, so I guess I can't judge this place by the weather quite yet.  Since Mike has a pretty busy weekday schedule, we have taken full advantage of our weekends together.  We've done something fun every weekend since we moved.  We've gone to the coast twice, seen 2 beaches, checked out some restaurants, been to the farmer's market, gone on some hikes, been to the gorge, and plenty of other fun things.  It's like we jumped right in from the get-go, not wanting to let any moment slip away.  So far we really love it here.  I don't know if Portland will be home forever.  But for now, I am happy, and that's all that matters. 
     I feel like life, in a lot of ways, hasn't been better.  The only beef I have right now is not being able to see my husband as much as I would like to.  These past couple of months have been a little difficult because Mike has been super busy with work and studying for the level 2 CFA exam.  It was only a mere 6 months ago that he took the level 1 exam and it seems like he had to start studying for level 2 right after.  From what I've heard, it's a very difficult test to pass, so Mike isn't taking any chances.  He spends all his spare time studying.  If any of you remember me telling you about the level 1 exam you'll recall how stressful that time in our lives was.  The good news is that the test is this Saturday and once it is over, life should start to calm down and the boys and I will have Mike to ourselves again.  We hate sharing him with work and studying.  Boooooo.
     Being in a different time zone has been an adjustment for Mike.  He has to wake up at 3:45am to make it to the office by 5am to be on the morning call.  Since he works in the stock industry, everything is based around the stock market which runs on Eastern time.  And we're 3 hours behind, which is why he has to be to work so early.  So, he's out the door by 4:30am and sometimes doesn't get home until 7 or 7:30 because he stays at the office to study and take practice exams.  Luckily the days go by quickly for me and the kids and I have a ton of options to keep us busy during the day.  I just feel bad for my sweet husband.  He works so hard for our family, and I can't express how grateful I am to him.  Anyway, like I said, after this test he won't be spending so much time at the office studying and he'll get home at a decent time of day.  Summer should be a very relaxing, fun time for all of us!
     The boys have adjusted so well to being in a new place.  I was actually pretty amazed at how easy the whole transition was.  The first week or so Vessel mentioned that he missed preschool and his friends and that he missed our downstairs neighbor, Sharron.  But now he talks about his new Primary friends and our new neighbors and what's going on NOW.  He will be going to kindergarten this fall, but I've got to say I am disappointed that kindergarten is only 2 1/2 hours long each day.  I wanted him to go to kindergarten last year, but the Montana school district wouldn't budge on the rules and they didn't do child assessments.  If the child misses the deadline, that's that.  I just feel like Vessel would benefit from full time school.  He's been reading since he was 3.  He's been writing for just about as long.  We practice drawing, coloring, writing, and reading everyday.  We do a craft just about every single day.  Some days we play with clay, or make stuff out of construction paper.  I mean, I'm giving him the equivalent of a kindergarten education at home.  I just don't want him to be bored, ya know?  It would be good for him to have more time around other children for a greater portion of the day.  How can the school district justify a half day being 2 1/2 hours long?  I suppose it has a lot to do with funding.  But I'm pretty sure that when I was in kindergarten it was at least 4 hours a day.  Oh well.  It's just kind of difficult to work around the younger boys' naps and lunch schedules when I'll be picking up Vessel from school at the same time.  So speaking of school, I've been thinking a lot about public school versus private school.  It seems that private school is a big thing here.  Some people Mike has talked to have asked, "so where does your child go to school?"  When Mike tells them our child will attend the public school a couple blocks away they seem confused and then say, "Oh, well, kindergarten doesn't matter that much anyway, right?"  I guess a lot of people look down on public schools.  I don't really know how I feel.  I guess if I had my way I'd enroll Vessel is some kind of Montessori school.  But for the time being, we don't have the money for that type of program, or any other private school for that matter.  But such is life.
     Jacob will be turning 2 next month and has recently started having some of those "terrible two" moments.  Like tantrums and what-not.  He has always been my quiet, mild, happy, content little guy.  He is now testing his boundaries a lot more.  He can be very stubborn.  We are starting to work on potty training.  It's never fun starting over with that.  :)  Also, he has a habit that we are trying to break him from: he is addicted to pacifiers.  I know, I know.  I don't want to be THAT mom.  The mom everyone judges because they're toddler has a piece of plastic in his mouth 24/7.  The funny thing is that he never took them as a baby.  Never even thought about them.  When Haven was getting closer to being born, I got out all the bottles and pacifiers to boil and I set the pacifiers in a little basket in the baby's room.  Jacob found them and starting using them.  At first it was cute, but that was before we realized he'd get so reliant on them.  Now he has one in his mouth all the time.  It's very strange that he developed the habit so late into toddler-hood.  He won't nap or go to bed at night without one.  Like it's a soothing thing for him.  Today I took it out of his mouth after nap time and he sure ripped me a new one, if a child could even do that to a parent.  He screamed at me, he cried, he kicked, he begged for me to give that pacifier back to him.  He ran away and hid in my closet for awhile.  It was shocking to get such a reaction from him.  Somehow we need to rid him of his dependency on the things because I believe it's affecting his speech.  What I mean by that is, his mouth is always corked with a binky so he doesn't talk much.  He's as smart as can be and understands everything I say to him, but he doesn't say many words yet.  I don't want to compare him to his brother too much, but by this age Vessel was already saying a few sentences and had a reasonable vocabulary.  Just goes to show how incredibly diverse siblings can be even though they come from the same gene pool.   
     Jacob is actually completely different from his older brother.  They have such different personalities.  It's kind of cool to experience their differences and it helps me become a better mama because I have to tend to their needs in contrasting ways.  Jacob and Vessel tend to fight a lot though.  When they are alone they are angels.  But when they are together they fight over toys, they fight over my attention, they yell at each other and they basically just annoy each other.  Jacob likes to copy whatever Vessel does, and that gets on Vessel's nerves sometimes.  Of course, there are some moments that melt my heart.  Like when they DO play nicely together and laugh together.    
     Haven is half a year already.  He is healthy as can be and perfect in every way.  At his 6 month check up he weighed in at 20 pounds.  He is eating some solids now which he seems to enjoy.  He is scooting all over the house.  I didn't realize how mobile he was until he accidentally fell down the stairs a few days ago.  Nobody call the bad mommy police on me, okay?  He was in my room playing with toys and I ran downstairs to take something out of the oven.  I was probably less than a minute when I heard a "thud, thud, thud, crash."  I knew right way what had happened and I don't think I've ever ran so fast in my life.  He didn't make it all the way down to the bottom luckily.  He wasn't hurt at all, just a little confused and scared I think.  Needless to say, now we have a gate.  :)  That baby sure is a cutie.  I love every thing about him and he is happy and sweet and I never thought I would say this, but he is growing up TOO fast.  I always wanna rush my babies to grow up, but not this time.  I'm really enjoying this stage in Haven's life.
     Well, this post has gotten a little longer than I had planned and now it is past midnight.  Definitely waaaaaay past this blogger's bed time.  So, I best catch me some shut eye.