all true and luca too

projects

2012-01-31T12:48:00.000-08:00

Aaron was out of town for a few days and this caused great concern for True....he really wanted his dad to see all of his build projects. he asked me to take a picture of himself with his creation and send it on to Aaron, so Dad wouldn't be sad without any of us, or without seeing True's creations. it was really sweet of True to be so thoughtful.

mini shredder alert

2012-01-30T12:51:00.000-08:00

luca had his first run in the skateboard park with aaron. let's just say he REALLY liked it.

aprons by grandma

2012-01-27T14:35:00.000-08:00

the boys have new aprons from grandma erbeck...each with a cat-n-the-hat theme. they love them and like to wear them while working on art projects, as well as when they help me make cookies (sugar and wheat free, of course). in this picture, we are hunkered in for a three day unexpected vacation due to all the snow we had, and the kids are busy making playdough cookies (and yes, my sugar and wheat free ones taste better).

pearly whites

2012-01-25T15:14:00.000-08:00

luca had his first dental appointment. he was very brave and did everything the dentist and hygienist asked of him. he was surprised at the end of our visit to get toys, rather than a shot (like the doctor gives him). true was a fantastic big brother and held luca's hand through out the appointment.

birthday party madness

2012-01-23T12:12:00.000-08:00

true and luca were guests at true's kindergarten pals 6th bday. the party was at Seattle Gymnastics Academy.....and what a blast! most of the parents dropped off their kids and then had two hours to themselves- but i stayed because i wanted to have fun too! i loved watching true and luca go crazy with all the things to crawl in and under and up and down and bounce and jump and slide and swing. we'll definitely be visiting this gym again!

goodnight sweetheart

2012-01-16T14:11:00.000-08:00

all of the erbecks got new beds this month! it was long overdue for the kids and for the adults. true and luca have some fabulous and sturdy bunkbeds that i found used (perfect condition). while mom and dad actually bought a bed from IKEA (gasp!). the kids also have some nice down comforters, and we all have new duvets. winter just got a whole lot cozier.

snow day!

2012-01-15T11:29:00.000-08:00

it's not much...but the first snow of the winter in the city!

spelling skills

2012-01-03T10:27:00.000-08:00

with the magnetic letters true received from heather, true shows off his spelling skills (and he made aaron one super proud dad).

two wheeled love

2011-12-30T09:40:00.000-08:00

we are equally amazed and proud that wee luca is riding a pedal bike (his bday present from aaron). the kid is a natural.

fish-n-chips and turning three

2011-12-29T16:42:00.000-08:00

luca just had his well child check up for turning a big boy 3. he was so amazing at the doctor's office! he answered questions, and charmed the staff, and rolled up his sleeve bravely for a shot. he winced a little, and a slight tear, but he was apparently the bravest boy the nurse had ever seen. and according to this sweet nurse, luca made her day. everything was great with his check up ...he's tracking along as a tall and thin kid (90th percentile for height, but only 20th for weight!). i swear he eats a ton, so i don't know where it goes!

some holiday fun

2011-12-29T15:47:00.000-08:00

our team volunteered at the downtown holiday carousel, with all proceeds going to help western washington foster families. it was a fabulous way to feel festive, and warm and fuzzy about being good community members. aaron ended up doing all the work for the erbecks, while the kids begged me to take them on the carousel over and over and over and over and over.

luca at school

2011-12-16T13:44:00.000-08:00

luca's preschool has grown in size, he has more friends to spend his day with. they all look pretty happy!

introducing ava and rubi

2011-12-05T11:56:00.000-08:00

true loves two of his classmates a whole lot. ava is on the left, rubi in the middle.

happy thanksgiving!

2011-11-28T09:26:00.000-08:00

we traveled to portland to spend the gluttonous holiday with our bestie family, the keelings. our kids love to play together and that makes life easy and fun! as usual, heather captured some of the best moments, so please check out her blog (click the link below).

the keeling three

hvk photo!

TRUEly amazing

2011-11-21T13:39:00.000-08:00

our first parent teacher conference ever....and a very good one! we learned that true always is eager to share, to talk, he listens well, he is courteous and polite, he has good friendships, and his math/reading/writing/creative skills are excellent! it's hard to be anything but extremely proud, and of course i'm quick to brag! mrs. schumacher is a fantastic teacher, we are lucky that true has her guidance for the next 7 months.

i had no idea that the beach is so important to true!

sleepover!

2011-11-17T10:56:00.000-08:00

skylar agreed to let luca and true sleep over at her house a few weeks ago, giving aaron and i a full night to ourselves! the boys had a blast and they can't wait to do it again. aaron and i went to a fancy party, then hit the bars (!) until closing time (a first since children!). we love having skylar as our bonus niece!

6 minute artist

2011-11-15T09:23:00.000-08:00

True gave the family an art lesson. If you have 6 minutes to spare, it's kinda cute.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KgF_UvjS5s&feature=email

raising racers

2011-11-14T13:29:00.000-08:00

true and luca have been anticipating the alki-rubicon woodland park cyclocross race for quite sometime. we've talked about what clothes they would wear, their bikes, the mud, the other racers, etc... this was to be luca's first race on the scoot bike and true's first race on a pedal bike, so it was a big day for the wee erbecks. aaron was out the door at the break of dawn to set up the course, i planned on enjoying a few hours of extra sleep before i hauled the kids there. that was not to be...the kids were too excited and woke me up at 6am. true held my hand and said, "you know mom, i'm going to win this race. i am just gonna win it". you know i love the winning attitude!
it seemed to take so long to finally get to race time, but the kids were ready! there were so many kids that they separated them into groups- bikes with gears, bikes with pedals but no gears (true's group), bikes with pedals and training wheels, bikes with no pedals (luca's group). aaron chose to ride along next to luca, while i chose to run next to true.
the race announcer started the race...on your marks, get set, GO!!!!!!!! and off we all went. i was on the side waiting for the kids to start pedaling and get a gap so i could start running with true...i looked over and watched a few kids run into him...he faltered slightly, pulled it together, and then took off faster than i have ever seen him pedal! i had a hard time catching him, and then keeping up! he entered the mud section with the downhill turn like a pro...he dabbed a little, but kept upright (unlike a lot of kids). he zipped down the hill, made some passes and then up the steep muddy hill. he passed more kids and then hit the pavement with determination and resolve. he passed more kids and then smiled all the way to the line! i'm not sure i can adequately express my emotions....i was overwhelmed with pride.
we turned around to watch luca finish with aaron.....he started in the last wave, but worked his way through many of the pedal bike competitors- many who were years older than he. he charged through the finish line with determination, but a mile-wide smile. it was a good erbeck race day!

warming up, checking out the course

dave rider explaining race tactics

luca is getting his game face on

at the starting line!

all done!

we love racing!

after race rest time...odessa and adeline joined us

we found a garden gnome that looks just like luca

true. my star.

my SIL nicola, bravely crossing the thousands of people coming through the gate

the world is safe

2011-11-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

a couple of superheroes in our midst. maybe you have heard of super true and super luca? they have glowing lighting bolt cuffs that have powers beyond belief (nice work papa bear).

oh so scary

2011-10-31T11:10:00.000-07:00

nic, sky, UL were over to help us carve pumpkins. the kids liked scooping goop, but that's where it ended. the front lawn decorations were chosen and placed by true. we are so ready for halloween!

yes, aaron is the one who made the Rainier beer pumpkin

big mouth

2011-10-28T10:50:00.000-07:00

the kids wanted to see who had the biggest mouth (yes, here we are at a restaurant...good thing we were the only ones!). and in case you were wondering, true does have a black eye, compliments of luca. probably the first of many to come.

call me luca

2011-10-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

i'm always making up and calling the kids silly names. monkey-butt, grasshopper, little bunny rabbit, pumpkin muffin...just to name a few. there is no significance, sometimes it's just the first thing i get out of my mouth. last night i called luca "my little butternut squash". he stopped and looked at me, put his hands on my face, kissed me, then with great intention said, "call me luca".

auntie gayle's visit!

2011-10-24T12:19:00.000-07:00

the erbecks had fun this weekend with auntie gayle's visit! the boys just adore auntie gayle! sitting up in bed this morning, rubbing his eyes, luca said, "is my auntie gayle still here?" she was, and after a hearty breakfast, we sadly said our goodbyes until the next time.

a family clan green lake walk!

grumpy faces...but finally a smile from true

having mastered the scoot, luca is ready for pedals

sky, nic, pot roast the wonder dog

more pumpkin patch

2011-10-24T10:12:00.000-07:00

Greenwood Elementary Jog-a-Thon!!!!

2011-10-21T11:23:00.000-07:00

true has spent weeks getting ready for the PTA fundraiser, the jog-a-thon. he has been training for the timed 20 minute event quite rigorously- lots of running around the block (with his brother pacing aside him on the scoot bike), lots of sprints, lots of high knees, lots of butt kicks (sprinting, high knees, butt kicks are essential training exercises to increase speed and endurance, plus they make the time go by faster). true also collected pledges for his jog-a-thon (thanks readers who pledged!), and had a goal of running 10 laps.
this morning, day of the big event, we ate carb-loaded breakfast and talked about what clothing would be good to wear. true thought most people run in sweat pants, but since he didn't have any, he'd just run in his long johns. i countered that he should wear sweat pants and then produced brand new blue, fleece lined track pants, in his exact size! he was so excited! (as was luca, when he also got a band new pair of track pants in his size....can't leave out wee luca!).
aaron took the morning off to go watch true run and cheer him on.

aaron must have been a great cheer leader, and all that training really paid off.....TRUE COMPLETED 25 LAPS! more than double his goal!!!!!! sponsors, get you check books out and transfer funds as necessary!

true chose a goal, he trained in order to meet his goal, then he surpassed it. i am one extremely proud mother.

you gotta have heart....all really need is heart....

2011-10-20T11:05:00.000-07:00

grandpa erbeck had some scheduled maintenance for his heart- the kids were quick to turn the event into an art project. they spent a great deal of time decorating a string of hearts for gramps, to hang in his hospital room. the little erbecks were enthusiastic and rather prolific heart builders so i felt a little badly for grandma, who had the task of hanging them. true actually drew and cut some of the hearts himself, while luca proudly decorated many of them with fish, because he knows grandpa likes to fish.

pumpking patch 2011

2011-10-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

cool year for the pumpkin patch with creative kids preschool! true happened to also have the day off from school, so he came along with us. he also got to spend the morning at preschool with his brother. the boys were pretty excited about being together again, although true proclaimed that kindgergarten is more fun. we were actually relieved when we heard this.....up until that day, we'd only heard about how he thought he should be back at preschool with luca. of course good news can always be a double edged sword, with luca deciding he was going to kindergarten with true, and pretty upset when we told him that it was not to be. oh wee luca, he always feels like he's getting left behind.

emma, camila, logan, ms colleen, luca, noah

these guys still take care of each other!

colleen, one erbeck grad, one erbeck student

little goats were super sweet!

true and luca think we should have a pet goat

winthrop wedding weekend

2011-10-13T16:18:00.000-07:00

the first weekend of oct, we had the good fortune to attend the wedding of our friends, heidi and jim. they are on our cycling team, so it was perfect that they chose to have their wedding at sun mountain lodge, which has a ton of great mtb trails! the place is absolutely the most gorgeous setting for a wedding, and their day was perfect. the erbeck boys looked so handsome, i was beside myself with love and admiration.

watching the ceremony

lincola and us

we matched in black and blue

hiking!

erbeck dance


erbeck dance

more crazy erbeck dancing

team erbeck in training

2011-10-10T15:53:00.000-07:00

i now have the best partners when i go for weekend runs. we might not get a lot of miles in, but we sure remember to have a good time! i think we covered about four miles on saturday, mostly downhill, and guess who got stuck carrying the little one back UP the hill and all the way to the car? it was my pleasure.

kindergarten art

2011-09-29T10:03:00.000-07:00

true's art teacher let me know that he is absolutely brilliant. she whispered this in my ear at open house. it's like she was afraid to say it out loud. i beamed. and almost cried.
look how far true's artwork has come in the last year!

i love the smile!

and remember this one?
http://erbeck.blogspot.com/2010/01/art-imitating-life.html
(i promise the next post will be about wee luca!)

to the rescue!

2011-09-28T09:26:00.000-07:00

the kids put these outfits together, by themselves, after watching real live firemen put out a neighborhood fire. complete with backpacks, hoses, and helmets, i'd trust my life to these boys.

casting call

2011-09-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

we thought perhaps we would get away without having to get the cast....but nope, doctor's orders call for the cast on until oct 31. true was pretty bummed about it, so much so that he didn't even want to pick a color for the cast (blue, green, pink, purple, gray). so i picked for him and then later he says he really wanted blue, and was surprised that i didn't pick a blue one for him! and here i was, trying to think outside the box. we've decided to keep the cast art/signature free for a while...but i'll bet he comes home with a bunch of signatures today.

double whammy

2011-09-23T12:24:00.001-07:00

i was frantic when i got the call while riding my bike to pick up true...i knew it was his school calling. they told me true fell off the monkey bars and was pretty bummed out and was asking for me to get him. no problem, i was only a few blocks away. i had sense enough to stop and get the car. when i got to true, i knew immediately he as in great pain. he was silent crying, which for true, means he really is in pain. he jumped up to run to me and collapsed in my arms. his entire body was heaving as he was sobbing and when i got a look at his wrist, i knew we had to make a trip to the ER. within two minutes of buckling true into his carseat, he was passed out. i wasn't sure if this was a good sign, or a really bad sign, so i kept grabbing his foot and talking to him. he'd wake for a second and then right back to a deep slumber. the 20 minute drive seemed like forever!
ER was pretty full of coughing kids and likely broken boned kids, but they took us first for some reason. yay! we were third in line for x-rays, during which time they examined his entire body and asked many personal questions.....all to ensure true was not a victim of abuse. i found this slightly traumatic, but i understood, and fought back the tears as i answered each horrible question.
true managed to lighten the mood by requesting books, rather than TV, while we waited. the nurses found this rather charming and there was no shortage attention!
the x-rays revealed what we already knew- two fractures, his ulna and radius. fortunately, the breaks were well behind the growth point and pretty clean. they would not have to set the bones and we could go home with just a brace, to be casted next week. hooray!
two days later, the pain seems to be subsiding, and true is learning to be very careful with his arm. he's not exactly happy about the situation, but he's enjoying the extra attention, and the ice cream he gets to eat!

Class of 2024

2011-09-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

True's first day of kindergarten was not without tears, but those were of his parents. True was great- perhaps a little nervous when he got there, but I think he ended up having a great day. He rode his bike all the way there, and then after school rode all the way to pick up Luca and then home. This was the furthest he had ever gone, proving what a big boy he is. We are so proud of our first born!

lunch box, complete with a mushy love note from mom

riding up the hill!

walking into Mrs Schumacher's class, room 102!

what i did on my summer vacation

2011-09-07T12:02:00.000-07:00

what i didn't do, is take any pictures! i have no camera right now, and my cell phone died 3 hours into our trip! c'est la vie, you'll need to take my word for it, we had a blast!
first up..Portland! with our dear friends the keelings. they had a busy weekend already, and were so nice to let us hang there for a few days. we played in the park, rode bikes, and just lounged around on the awesome front porch.

oh and looks like i lied...i did have one picture from vaca, georgia and luca! luca loves georgia!

next up, a 5 hour car trip to ashland OR, where we stayed the night (aaron had to go back to seattle, so it was just me and the kids!). the kids were champs in the car, and true was great at sleeping in strange places. luca, however, would only sleep in my arms....as sweet as it was, it made for some restless nights.

after ashland, it was another 7 hours to yerington NV, where my mom and jay live. again, the kids were awesome in the car, with very little arguing, and lots of singing. whenever i stopped to get them out of the car, they insisted on getting back in to soldier on. we were oh so happy to get to mom's, where the cool grass and lots of hugs and kisses waited for us. the kids got hair cuts, we went to a party, and played endlessly in the sprinklers.
next on our agenda...TAHOE! which was the real goal! just a short 1.5 hour drive from mom's, Tahoe City is my home away from home. i was raised on the south shore, but i feel like i belong wherever it is that i am in tahoe. my heart swells with the first sight of the lake, and i even shed tears. this type of reaction was not limited to first sight....i also cried everytime i rode my mountain bike. i was that happy!
we had such good times, every day! the kids managed to get tans (yes, tan!), they swam in the lake and played daily at the community park. you could not wipe the smiles off our faces!
one of our tahoe highlights was sharing the weekend with the bartholomews (my brother, sister-in-law and 4 boys!). it's been a long time, and they are all so grown up. the cousins all got along great, even the teens managed to share some laughs.

david, karl, gabriel, tracy, mom michael, luca, caleb, true

the kids eventually decided it was time to go back to seattle, although true asked if we could live in tahoe on one side of the street and seattle on the other. oh, if only!
the car ride home was without issues, and the cloudy arms of the northwest welcomed us just south of ashland. of course.

NCR 2011

2011-08-16T16:22:00.000-07:00

notice the ring on the all important finger?

both sets of grandparents made it out for our annual bike ride from newhalem to winthrop. we really could not make this trip year after year without them! my parents have driving our stuff over and offering support along the way for 10 years! joining us for the last 5 years has been aaron's mom, and now this year, aaron's dad! it's fun to have the entire family on such a fun trip, and every year is different, and every year is fun. the kids have a blast camping and playing until late at night with all of their alki-rubicon little people friends. naptimes were non-existent and sugar was popular on the menu. but hey, we're on vacation!

an early morning, pjs are best

our faithful truck, buck

great pizza at north 20 in winthrop

a couple of Riders, not just riders

luca found the sprinklers. good thing mom always packs extra clothing

couple of erbecks

riding the big dummy, gorgeous winthrop day

lincola

uncle henry, the awards ceremony, his 60th bday speech

the stonichlers know how to cook for camping

winthrop sky


more pizza, a side of love

boat ride!

2011-08-10T09:20:00.000-07:00

my boss, hank, took our family out for a boat ride on lake washington. it was such a great evening- slightly overcast yet warm, the water was calm. getting from the west side of the lake to the east takes forever in a car, but hank made short time of it in the boat! we docked in kirkland, grabbed some greek food, and ate on the shore. the kids had a great time, and now are talking non-stop about boating (ie, mom, let's buy a boat, and hey, mom, let's ask hank to invite us onto his boat again, etc).

my boss, hank

going fast, wind in our hair

BIG houses over there on the east side

ronit and hank, as we pull back into hank's dock

more true-isms

2011-08-08T20:35:00.000-07:00

true says (while looking in the mirror): hey mom, i am for sure, the CUTEST erbeck. but you are for sure, the CUTEST mom ever made on this planet in the world.

(sorry, can't help but blog these things...)

friends

2011-08-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

i am always amazed at how much time can span between visits with enzo...but how it never affects how much these two love to each other.

and then there's luca, who always manages to find the girls....

True-isms

2011-08-01T15:33:00.000-07:00

i love the things my kids say...like this morning. true says:

"mom, i love you today even more than you love yesterday the day before like tomorrow."
pause...thinking....then,
"well...uhm...i mean, i...uh...love....uh...oh mom, i love you so, so much."

greenwood seafair parade

2011-07-28T13:47:00.000-07:00

seafair is in full swing, and greenwood hosted a community parade. we saw all kinds of pirates, belly dancers, drill teams, marching bands, dancing horses, keystone cops, motorcycle cops, clowns, unicycles, princesses, and an astronaut! the kids waited patiently (we were there 40 minutes early to get front row), and were pretty happy when the action finally started.

the drill teams were funny

luca loved the marching bands

true's reaction to belly dancers

cool motorcycle cop drill team

the kids laughed at "lincoln's" TOE-truck

two days of summer

2011-07-26T10:33:00.000-07:00

more summer is on the way
they say
but today is gray
again

well, here are a few sunny pictures from our sunny weekend

cleaning out the basement, selling old books

swimming and hugging

dinner with lincola

2011-07-25T11:40:00.000-07:00

we had a lovely summer dinner at lincola's (lincoln + nicola, a celebrity smash up) last night. the occasion was to celebrate the planting of their new family tree, a gorgeous ginkgo. we toasted with dom peringnon, and ate desert of fresh fruit with cream and ice cream. the 'tweens', skylar and holly, entertained the kids. it was awesome to finally feel summer, and not even have to wear a hoodie after sunset.

Hi Matt!

2011-07-20T11:17:00.000-07:00

happy birthday to hi matt (as nic-named by our kids), one of our two favorite neighbors (the other being his wife jenny). thanks for having the erbeck family over to your family bday party, we had a lot of fun, and as usual, enjoyed every morsel of delicious food lovingly prepared by jenny.

such a charmer!

matt with his mom and niece, who sported matching teeth

jenny hid beer cans with matt's picture on them for the treasure hunt

the kids followed matt like the pied piper!

summer in seattle

2011-07-18T10:12:00.000-07:00

summer has barely made itself known to us. in fact, we have only had 78 total minutes of 80 degree weather. yup, that's right. the boys are a little sad....and as you can see, luca decided he needed a winter hat when we went out for a coffee/snack run. that may have been over doing it, but at 60 degrees and raining, it was too far fetched.

the kids think it's funny to not look at me when i want to take a picture

true says, we hate getting our picture taken mom!

finally, he gives me his cheesy smile, luca does not relent

more!

2011-07-12T12:12:00.000-07:00

did we mention we were on san juan island for the wedding of our friends, jason and meg? the bride was ravishing, the groom was dashing. i wish that i had better pictures of them in their outfits!

riding before the wedding with the groom

jason and his friend matt

me, smiling (wow)

at the bbq/bonfire the night before the wedding

ah, the first dance. you should have seen the bride!

cake! coffee! wine! beer! we had it all

my fabulous friend delancy and aaron!

heather v keeling was the photographer

delancy and heather leaving on a float plane

mmmmmm s'mores

erbeck family portrait

best babysitters ever, mary ellen and grandma

oh what a week!

2011-07-11T16:58:00.000-07:00

we had sun, we had wind, we had clouds. it was hot, it was cold, it was comfortable. but really, the weather was of little significance, because we had lots of fun! i hope to add more pictures soon, and a special tribute to grandma erbeck and miss mary ellen (who made our week a relaxing one!).

waiting for daddy to say the roasting coals were ready

lots of watermelon was consumed!

a functional sculpture at the sculpture park!

the hot day!

fun in the pool across the street from the cottage!

the harbor view from the porch. a magical place...

roberta carlson

2011-07-10T21:16:00.000-07:00

we have been officially on vacation! mentally too! it has been awesome, but before i dive into the particulars, please check out a fabulous blogger, roberta. you will see some familiar faces.
rcarlsini.blogspot.com

slumber party!

2011-06-26T15:07:00.000-07:00

ethan and enzo on top bunk, jaxon and true bottom bunk

true is such a big boy, that he now goes to slumber parties!

daddy's bike ride

2011-06-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

aaron took a much needed day off (during the week!) to go on a big bike ride with some of his rapha friends (complete with a ghost town and a wood planked bridge). looks like this is a ride i'll have to do for myself!

dad's day card

2011-06-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

true's frog is red, with great purpose, as there are red frogs in the rain forest...in case you didn't know (true will proudly fill you in on all things rain forest).

happy half birthday luca!

2011-06-20T12:02:00.000-07:00

in light of luca's unfortunate birthday position on the calendar, we have decided that he gets two parties every year....and today is his half birthday! happy HALF birthday luca! i'm excited to have chocolate peanut butter cupcakes with you tonight, and a dinner party in the van (his choice!).

happy daddy's day aaron!

2011-06-19T22:30:00.000-07:00

we super love you! i had to repost this picture, as it's just so perfect for father's day and aaron....total trust, and a moment belonging only to a dad. you do such a good job erbeck!

we heart bikes!

2011-06-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

portlandia

2011-06-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

oh how we love portland! when the keelings moved back to portland, we were so sad. the only thing good out of that (for us anyway) is that now we had the best reason to go to portland again, which we did this past weekend. it was an adventure!
aaron packed the car with everything we own and the kids and left on friday night. i had plans to ride up johnson ridge with a few friends on saturday, and from there i would continue to portland to meet up with the family.

AM and Karen, who selflessly changed their schedules to work with mine!

the ride up to the ridge was awesome- more than 6,000 ft of climbing, cool and overcast with periods of sun breaks. while that weather pattern might be annoying in june when we're all ready for sunshine, it is perfect for riding long miles with sustained climbing. there was never a chance to over heat! i just love this bike ride, and saturday was no different. the road is smooth, the pitch is great, the scenery is epic.

after the ride, anne marie and karen dropped me at the centralia trainstation where i had two hours to kill. i did so at the conveniently located olympic club, with a sunny and warm seat on the back patio, accompanied by a few beers. it was relaxing!

two beers into my wait....

a few hours later i'm in portland at the keelings, the kids are already in bed, and heather, greg, aaron and myself are enjoying the mild evening on the awesome front porch of the keeling home. we could have easily talked into the wee hours of the morning, but we knew the kids would likely be up early, so best to get some sleep.

the next morning we at greg's yummy french toast, then got the kids on their bikes to the park. it really is hard to explain how awesome it is to watch the keeling and erbeck kids ripping around on the wheels, playing together, thoroughly having a blast. we felt warm with good fortune!

after nap time it was off to watch aaron tackle the mississippi street crit. it rained a bit on and off, but never enough to dampen our spirits. the race was FAST and crazy and made me so nervous, but as usual, aaron raced smart and kept himself safe. it was great to keep hearing his name announced, along with our team name! i'm certain if aaron had some teammates in the race with him, he would have won, but it is so hard to do anything on your own. as it was, he pulled off a top ten finish!

keeling and erbeck kids seeking refuge from the rain

we ended our stay with take out from one of our fav portland eateries, justa pasta. sadly we packed up the car and said goodbye to emmett, magnolia, georgia, heather and greg. we're already thinking of excuses to see them again.

tick tock, the haircut time clock has sounded

2011-06-10T10:10:00.000-07:00

as much as i hated to admit it, the time had come for luca's first haircut (technically his second, but i can't really count the small mullet trim i gave to him at one year old). i loved luca's blonde wavy hair, but it really did contribute to his scrappy look. your kid can have a stain or two on his t-shirt and some dry jam on his face as long has his hair is neatly coiffed. the long hair though...that just tips the scales towards the unkempt side.
so, under strict instruction from aaron, i took luca in for his first haircut. poor nicola, whom i convinced to do the honors... she was hesitant, but agreed, and she did such a great job (in record time)! i can't say luca was stoked. but in general, he was cooperative. and now look at my handsome little man.

luca pre hair cut. look at that lovely hair!

and after....he's only crying because we were all staring at him. he looks like his uncle now!

he just wanted me to hold him, but look how sweet he looks!

5 yr check up

2011-06-07T20:47:00.000-07:00

we had true's 5 yr check up today and it was fun! no shots! just lots of talking about how things are going. i'm happy to report that true does not have to go back (unless needed) until he is 7 yrs old! this was good enough for true to jump up from his chair, give a karate kick and a then a quick karate chop. it was the most animated i've ever seen him while visiting doc osborn. true's growth charts changed in a tall way....he's now up at the 75% for height, but still rather slim. i don't think it's a bad thing, as long as he keeps eating broccoli like he does. as usual, all the nurses gathered around the kids (i had luca there too) to ooh and ahh over how well behaved and cute the little erbecks are. i think it's sweet of them, and the boys love the attention, even it they hide behind my legs.

warm summer day

2011-06-06T15:44:00.000-07:00

such a rare event....and our first day at 75degrees this year. we HAD to take full advantage! aaron saddled up the big dummy with kids, i pulled the trailer with their bikes and our lunch. our goal was to make it to seward. but we only got as far as the arboretum when aaron (thankfully) said we had gone far enough. we had a lovely lunch, the boys had fun exploring, i had a nice nap. it was, in my opinion, a perfect day.

True at Five

2011-05-27T09:54:00.000-07:00

happy birthday true! i feel like your birthday is a celebration for all of us...with your birth, i became a MOM, your father became a DAD, lincoln became an UNCLE, and your grandma and grandpa became GRANDPARENTS (grammie and grumpa already were, grandparents, but still just as excited)! we celebrate you and how awesome you are, the joy and challenges you bring us. true, you ROCK!

true, zoran, luca, riley, emma at the zoo!

t-rex was really big and scary, but true was brave

opening presents with help from luca

Boys and Ice Cream

2011-05-24T13:58:00.000-07:00

last friday was one of the warmest days of 2011 (and there have been so few!). how fortunate that it happened to be on "bike to work day", which the community of ballard really gets behind. they closed off a street and set up bike parking and a bunch of bike vendors. the interest for us was biking there with the kids (on the big dummy) and meeting up with the rider family for dinner and gelato. the four blonde boys were really cute leaning up against the wall and eating their cones. there were many smiles from those passing, laughs, giggling, and even a few ladies who stopped to take their picture.

strawberry, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate

i guess it is time for a haircut...

the big dummy

2011-05-18T10:04:00.000-07:00

no, i'm not referring to my husband, nor is this something my children have called either one of us. the "big dummy" is aaron's new project....and of course, it is a bike. he's outfitted this thing to carry the kids, and as you can tell, they are pretty stoked about it. thanks to matt alford for the great pic. check out matt's blog too!
Front Door Adventures

sunny spring day

2011-05-06T15:06:00.000-07:00

when aaron takes a day to go off racing, i usually refrain from all work and just concentrate on the kids. this means we go find some fun and end our day with a trip to tutta bella (you can't beat the happy hour pricing). i feel kinda guilty about it, but i also really love my time with the kids, so my guilt is short-lived.

true is slightly horrified by the mother earth celebraton

watching seattle hippies celebrate mother earth

mhhhhhhhhhh gelato

we love each other!

super happy warm night!

the DENTIST

2011-05-03T14:58:00.000-07:00

true was so very brave at the dentist office today. after a few warm up minutes and my discussion with the hygienist to speak to my child using her normal voice and to treat my son like the mature 5 year old that he is, we were set for smooth sailing. xrays- check. cleaning teeth- check. fluoride treatment- check. praises from dr.rothwell about what a fabulous brusher true must be to have such pefect teeth- check. we brought luca with us, so he could get comfortable with the process before his first appointment coming this winter. luca was quite curious, and happily announced he loved candy (cringe), while true announced he loved broccoli best (smile). by the end of our hour both kids had turned on the charm button and proceeded to enchant the entire staff. i really love that my kids can make strangers smile.

JCrew True

2011-05-02T09:03:00.001-07:00

hey JCrew, I have found your next top model. Payments made to me, thank you.

easter 2011 (to round out spring events...)

2011-04-28T16:02:00.000-07:00

another fantastic easter brunch at the bullbaugh home, complete with egg hunt, lots of sugar, some insane baked french toast, quiche, coffee, donuts....you get the idea. the alki-rubicon kids had a blast filling up their baskets, and despite the rain, we all managed to have a great time!

odessa, luca, adeline, petra, finn, harrison, true (and that's not all of 'em)

luca loved looking for eggs, and true made sure his brother had a full basket

petra and odessa

karina and me! i was the only one with an umbrella. LOSER!

oh true...he is growing as fast as the grass!

passover

2011-04-19T12:05:00.000-07:00

i'm so fortunate to have spent the last 16 years going to peter and jan's for seder dinner. we don't have a lot (or any) religious tradition or ceremony, so i look forward to the seder, with hebrew, songs, food, readings. i love that i take my family, and they are exposed to something different, something with history, something sacred. this year was of particular note with the grandma erbeck attending, and true and luca participating in the ceremony. we practiced for weeks, and the kids may have been a little bashful, but they pulled through and made us proud.

Orcas 2011

2011-04-07T14:19:00.000-07:00

a month has gone by since our annual training camp trip to orcas island, but here is some photo proof. we had good luck (caught a friday ferry that many missed) and bad luck (missed the noon return ferry that many made), but overall, i'd say it was a great year! the big difference was our cabin (fancy #8) with the front room and the sound of gentle puget waves. another milestone difference was how little we saw of luca and true. they were always off to another cabin, hanging out with kids their age, and not missing us one bit. they are so grown up!

true's almost 5

a whole bunch of blonde rubi kids

as usual, skylar is every little girl's best friend

UL!

the awesome view from the lookout point, 2/3 up the Mt Constitution climb

the view from lovely cabin 8

killing time, lots of it, before the next ferry

luca,no rain boots, instructs true where to stomp his feet in the deep puddle

wowzers

2011-04-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

my nephews. wow. it's been too long since i've seen these guys! the three younger ones were all blondes as children. i wonder if my own kids will end up with brown hair too (likely!).

and here they are, 6 years ago. they are the ones with white shirts! what a difference

what a google

2011-03-29T11:09:00.000-07:00

checking google for "greenlake easter egg hunt" yielded a surprising result....pictures from seattle PI, three years ago of true and enzo (and his dad gabe) at the community easter egg hunt. of course we saw these pics back then, but i certainly had forgotten about them. you can bet that i will be recycling true's easter outfit, soon to be seen on luca (poor guy, he lives in hand me downs).

rain, sand, rides

2011-03-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

we've been striving to have lots of fun adventures on the weekends with the kids, while fitting in bike riding for us. usually this means that aaron and i pick our ride day (separately), and the other day is spent trying to make our kids as happy and tired as we can. i think we're all enjoying it!

here's my recent trip to carkeek park on a stormy saturday.

and the next day, dad was the best thing to play with at the greenwood playground!

ladies man

2011-02-25T12:15:00.000-08:00

luca was looking through kid clothing catalogs last night and spending an inordinate amount of time on the swimsuit pages. see for yourself.

i got ants in my pants

2011-02-24T12:01:00.000-08:00

Dance Party

click the link to watch more of true's pro dance moves.

weekend adventure

2011-02-22T13:08:00.000-08:00

fun weekend with the wee erbecks! sunny, yet cold, but you can bet we were still outside!

the big four-oh!

2011-02-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

happy happy birthday aaron! we love you!

happy birthday grammy!

2011-02-16T12:36:00.000-08:00

big shout out to my mom on her birthday! you're awesome and we miss you!

that's mom in pink, the only pic on this computer that i have of her!

Van Party= the best Valentine Dinner Ever!

2011-02-15T10:41:00.000-08:00

There's nothing like an intimate dinner for four in our beloved Westphalia. Aaron and I decided that the best thing we could do for Valentine's Day is be with our kids, but to do something a little different. So we prepped the van with red lights and the kids taped paper hearts all over the windows. Aaron rigged up a heater (it was cold and rainy out!), and we were toasty warm. I made dinner inside the house, but served it in the van. While our tummies were full of delicious food, our hearts were filled with a whole lot of Erbeck love.

getting ready to feast!

daddy says cheers!

sharing some valentine love

presents for the kids!

Valentine's Past

2011-02-14T15:30:00.000-08:00

6 years ago.....valentine's day. we're smart enough now to always wear helmets

science saturday

2011-02-14T09:27:00.000-08:00

aaron had the full and enraptured attention of the kids while they learned how a steam engine works. thanks to grandpa erbeck for sending this along! the steam whistle was a particularly huge hit!

Be Mine, Valentine!

2011-02-11T15:32:00.000-08:00

Creative Kids preschool is in full prep mode for Valentine's Day! The kids are excited for their party and are busy every night making cards for their friends.

luca can draw eyes, nose, smiles!

true adds eyelashes to his faces

a ride tribute

2011-02-08T13:19:00.000-08:00

hats off to aaron for getting the kids out on a rainy day for a bike ride. i had met up with the team early in the morning for a bike ride, aaron left a little later and went the opposite way...we met somewhere in between. the kids had a blast and dad got a power workout. and i was the luckiest parent on the ride, to have her whole family there for some much needed training, and a tribute to our dear friend kevin, on the second anniversary of his death. we still miss him, and our hearts still hurt, and i suppose that will never change.

Go Pack Go!

2011-02-08T13:03:00.000-08:00

would any of you reading this ever think, even for a second, that the west coast erbecks would be hosting a superbowl party?!
we did...how could we not with the packers playing?! aaron spent a good 4 hours prepping our space for optimal viewing- cable (!), our flat screen, good speakers, etc. i brought down all the comfire furniture, whipped up some snacks, and with the arrival of lincoln and nicola, we had a party!
who knew there was something else exciting to watch besides cycling? true and luca were thoroughly confused by the sight of us jumping up and down, clapping, screaming, cheering, biting our nails. to them, it was just a movie and it did not warrant such a fuss. luca, ever the enthusiastic erbeck, gave us "go packers!" every few minutes. true decided to learn to tackle (hmmm, we'll have to discuss that). but both kids were so good through out the game. true really liked the half time entertainment expressed with a hearty, "i like tv alot!" (hmmmm another thing to discuss).

my little picassos

2011-01-31T15:11:00.000-08:00

i just love the direction that true's artwork is taking....he often brings home happy, sunny, brilliantly colored masterpieces that make my heart warm. his teacher and the parents of his friends are equally impressed, and often compliment him on his work.

true's double sunny day

Luca's subjects may not be as complex, but there is beauty in simplicity, yes?!

Not to Be.

2011-01-27T12:48:00.000-08:00

we have fortunately found a great home for circuit hambone. he really needed companions that could dedicate more time to him, and that could appreciate his exuberance. this was sad for us, but the right thing to do. for the first time ever, true experienced real heart break. he cried, not hysterically, but softly, with a quivering lip, and a questioning look in his eyes. he was searching for reasons that made sense to him. it was difficult to explain, but more difficult to see his tears. because luca is still a little young to comprehend everything, he just said, "cirucit gone. yep, gone. goodnight".

the really great news is that circuit was adopted by skylar's dad, which means he's still part of the family! mike, skylar, christy and the wonder dog thor, came over to check out circuit. in a matter of minutes, it was clear and circuit and thor were a match made in heaven. they played and played and played, while i started to pack circuit's belongings.

the story couldn't have had a happier ending.

to be or not to be (our dog that is)

2011-01-18T11:53:00.000-08:00

i hesitated to blog about this, but have come to realize that no matter how the story ends, it is a chapter in our lives and needs documentation.
almost five years ago i lost my faithful companion, my best furry friend, cooper, to old age and cancer. he had so many behavior issues, but was so loving and protective of me, that i found i never wanted to go anywhere without him (and rarely did). it was hard to not have him, but for the best, since we were about to have our first baby, true mccaig. cooper would not have done well with a baby in the house.
then, two years ago, we lost aaron's faithful compainon, his best furry friend, lucy, to old age and cancer. during aaron's years as a young bachelor, lucy was by his side for all adventures. they truly had an incredible dog/human bond, and saying goodbye was difficult for all of us. it had been 13 years for both aaron and myself that we had a dog, so lucy leaving left a pretty big hole.
since then, aaron and i have been talking about our next dog, what breed we would like, when we would get one, etc. we agreed on what type of dog we wanted, and we discussed a timeline that would put true old enough to clean up after the dog and walk the dog on his own. based on that, it would be another two years before i started searching.
whoops.
i saw his picture and emailed to aaron. i thought aaron would lecture me, but instead, he said, "cute dog"! that set my mind racing and next i was making plans to meet him at PAWS. things snowballed and next i know, we are all in the car racing to get to the shelter before it closed to meet little "hamlet". we were late and hamlet had a hold on him for possible adoption by one of the shelter volunteers (too me, this could only mean that the dog was awesome....if a volunteer who probably saw dozens of dogs a month, wanted to adopt him, he must have a lot going for him). we did get to go to his kennel and scratch his little wiggly but as he eagerly leaned into our hands. my heart started melting.
the next day i couldn't stop thinking about hamlet...how could i convince aaron we needed this dog? while i was thinking about that, aaron send my a message saying that he couldn't stop thinking about hamlet! we quickly made a plan to leave work early, pick up the kids and get to the shelter as soon as we could.
next thing i know, we take a family vote and then we have a dog in the back of our car and aaron and i look at each other in disbelief.....how did that happen?! (it should be noted that luca had the only dissenting vote, summing up his opinion with "no dog mama. no dog. come! come mama, dada, true, come. time to go.")
but here we are, with a dog, affectionately named "cirucit hambone erbeck", by aaron. it's fitting, seeing that the dog runs laps around the house. he is exceptionally good, and everything we want in a dog....but, we (aaron and myself) are finding that we might not be ready to have a new anchor in our lives. we are not 100% in either direction (to be or not to be) but we are happy that we rescued a dog, and we know it may not be our home, but circuit will have a good home. we'll keep you posted.

taking time

2011-01-12T20:42:00.000-08:00

Warning- guest blaaaagr!
We were fortunate enough to received a little snowfall on Monday morning and it was exciting to watch it out the windows as we ate and got dressed. Deciding work and school could wait, the kids got a lesson in catching snowflakes.

a winter walk

2011-01-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

dad announced it was family walk day in the arboretum. with temps hovering at 35, i was skeptical about what the kids what think. but, of course, they loved it. you can see photos of us from last year at some of these very locations! what a difference a year makes.....http://erbeck.blogspot.com/2010/01/mom-got-camera-too.html

come dada! come on (luca says!)

"these are for just seeing stuff mom. just anything really that i want."

awwwww hugs!

for our friend magnolia

daddy's arms are best

nicola's blog

2011-01-03T09:47:00.000-08:00

it's always so fun to see pictures of your kids on another blog....so please do catch up with nicola's to see more of what the erbeck boys have been doing.
Nicola's blog

singing in the new year

2011-01-02T20:27:00.000-08:00

the boys have been singing about santa, frosty, bells, rudolph for a good month. luca gets it and garbbles along...while true corrects the rest of us when we forget the words. i'm pretty amazed that he has amassed such an large song repertoire and he can carry a tune (something neither his father nor myself can do!). here's a little picture ode to the boys, singing songs and being silly (excuse the cell phone pic quality!).

project boat

2011-01-02T20:14:00.000-08:00

true loves projects. he talks about them all the time. he really likes to accomplish projects as a team...with somebody else to guide him through the tough parts. aaron, keen to true's passion, bought him a build-andd-paint-yourself boat for christmas (this only screamed of MESS and FRUSTRATION to me, but what do i know?).
the completed boat pictured below had nothing to do with me, but everything to do with skylar. she lent her project management and build/paint skills one long morning and voila, a cute little boat that true adores. aaron assisted in a final coat of waterproof sealer, and true is the proud owner a very cute wooden boat, sea worthy of any ocean crossing.

erbeck christmas, 2010

2010-12-26T10:19:00.000-08:00

santa was particularly good to the west coast erbecks in 2010. i had to wonder what the kids DIDN'T get, as opposed to what they did. while it may have been a tad excessive...both true and luca love everything that they received and are deliriously playing with each new toy.

the big news is that true has a new bike...a pedal bike....and he learned to ride it with great ease! no training wheels! with just a little push from dad, he was off, laughing and screaming and completely STOKED! not to be left out, luca transitioned from his 4 wheel scoot to his brother's now old 2 wheel scoot and never looked back. you simply can not tell luca that he can't do something! it just resolves his determination.

getting ready to rip it up

one small push from dad

look everybody! no dad!

bye bye baby scoot, time for less wheels

all smiles, the entire time

christmas in the city

2010-12-23T09:46:00.000-08:00

trains. lights. hamburgers. this was our christmas outing on the town. we wanted to ride the carousel, but with budget cuts, it was not to be this year. i brought along my ice skates and had every intention of skating, but decided hamburgers at dick's sounded better.

happy birthday luca!

2010-12-20T10:36:00.000-08:00

both adeline and luca are two!

luca is two! and he can show you that with his two forefingers, and he can tell himself *happy day u-ca*! (he still has a hard time saying his name). he went to the doctor for his checkup and despite his brother telling him he would, he didn't have to have any shots. we were all pleased about that! he is growing as he should, a little taller and leaner on the growth chart than before and he finds news skills and words every day.

grandpa erbeck's pictures

2010-12-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

grandpa erbeck was in town the first week of december. it was great fun for everybody and we loved sharing some of our holiday traditions with grandpa! we shopped, we ate, we went to a hanukkah party, we ate some more, we went to the christmas tree farm, we ate some more! the boys loved seeing grandpa, and they were so comfortable with him immediately! i attribute this to skype, which keeps the family in touch, and gives the grandparents and kids face time, without the travel. here are some shots that grandpa sent to me from his trip:

aaron says i'm number one

aren't they the cutest?

daily transportation to and from the preschool

keeping seattle city light in business

2010-12-15T12:11:00.000-08:00

holiday house strikes again! vern and jean really outdid themselves this year....the lawn looks like a mess of plastic by day, but by night, it's a mess of plastic christmas lighting that we have come to love. the kids go over every evening to dance to the music (oh yes, there is music), and kiss the snoopy and frosty. every square inch of this yard is filled with christmas!

let it snow!

2010-12-07T13:41:00.000-08:00

all the erbeck boys (dad, uncle lincoln, grandpa, luca, true) loaded up and headed to the mountains for a little snow fun. gabe and enzo have a condo at alpental, which made the trip a sleepover and an extra great time! i wish i could have joined them, but i took advantage of my alone time, and admittedly missed the heck out of them!

milestones

2010-12-01T11:33:00.000-08:00


luca and true modeling their indian hats and trading bead necklaces

never a dull moment (of course) at the erbeck household. the kids continue to amaze me and i often wonder if i'll just spend the rest of my life being amazed by them. i guess that's the reward part of parenting.
we were so busy last week with thanksgiving- a fabulous dinner with auntie gayle, nicola, uncle lincoln, skylar. everything was great and there were plenty of leftovers and we all felt thankful for our bounty. the boys loved their extra "stay home" days, and they really loved spending time with auntie gayle, who just has the magic touch with these boys..they'll do anything she asks.
UW was closed because of the city snow and ice, so i had the good fortune of spending LOTS of time with the kids. i have exciting milestones to report-

true can now do simple math. this was unexpected and really cool! he likes to count up whatever is in front of him (crackers, trucks, blocks, socks) and add more or subtract, and give me the number. it's quite the game for him and i love his enthusiasm. he's also learning to tell time, which i might not be that excited about (like last night, when i'm trying to get him to go to bed and he looks at the clock and reminds me he has plenty of time left...grrr.....)

and luca....everyday his language skills are better than the day before, which means less frustration and less tears because we know what he's asking for. he is also really into doing everything for himself, which can be frustrating for me, but i'm learning to be extra patient. he does ask for help when he needs it (eventually). but the really big news is that luca is now using the potty. this was his choice, something he started asking for a home, and something his teacher started for him during the day. the success has been incredible so far, and we're afraid to talk about it in case we jinx it...but we are so very proud of him!

True's camera

2010-11-27T08:57:00.000-08:00

Warning: Guest Blaaagrrr
True received a camera for Christmas last year from Grandma & Grandpa. Like most toys, His interest ebbs and flows but this stout little child's camera consistently appears at key events. It has only a few buttons and makes fun beep sounds, even when deleting photos. I recently realized when the kids were scrolling through photos in the little display screen they were also erasing many of them. Still, they managed to fill up the memory card so I thought I'd salvage what I could by downloading and give them a clean slate to start over with. I had no idea how fun it would be to see the images full screen. Not only did they bring back memories but I thought the ultra low resolution grainy quality of the images and the child's perspective (3 feet tall) gave them an innocent sweet viewpoint. So, manage your expectations, get a cup of coffee and enjoy a slideshow
Speaking of photos; I had the great fortune of spending a little time with Jake Stangel and really enjoy a popular photo blog he keeps. You gotta love; Too Much Chocolate.

Woodland Park Cyclocross race.....

2010-11-22T13:50:00.000-08:00

James Birkenbuel, aka Uncle Jamie, put together a little video from our team's cyclocross race last week. The footage is mainly interviews with riders, but there is also some great footage of the kids. The kids were out in the cold, all day, no nap, and they kept it together. We were impressed with their fortitude. Then again, they are Norwegian.
Woodland Park

Dancing Machine

2010-11-18T09:18:00.000-08:00

you gotta cock your head a little to view this, but it's worth the neck cramp.

True, You're Breaking My Heart

the first outing for the holidays!

2010-11-16T19:39:00.000-08:00

riley, true, zoran, ms. colleen, luca, camilla, emma, reindeer, elf(?)

true leads the pack

luca and his friend, emma

hey, it's enzo!

i know it's early to start in on christmas activities...but what can we say? we love the holidays and we may as well get the party started. aaron did just that....he biked the kids down to meet our preschool friends at swanson's nursery. the kids saw curly the camel, a couple of reindeer, an elf or two, santa, lots of trains, fish...and a whole nursery full of plants. they were there for hours and topped it off with a trip to dick's drive in, a seattle burger institution.