Celebrating Joe

There always comes a time when kids are too busy...

thank goodness that my nephew isn't there yet.

He's busy, but still willing to hang out with his silly aunt.
One of the things that I love about January is that
I can plan a special birthday "Day of Fun" for Joe.
He a cool kid.
So what would help make this cool kid a cool birthday?
Hockey!!
(Yep, I went there.  It's cheesy, but I'm cheesy. It works)

Joe and I love Hockey.

Okay, we don't know much about the game really.

All we care about are the fights.

There's something really thrilling about chanting,

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

with thousands of people...

And it's encouraged!

Bonus.

We like that...A LOT!

Thankfully, this game gave us plenty of times to chant 

for someone to punch the other out.

Not our usual chanting, 

but it's fun.

After the game, it over to my house...

and The Murph.

As soon as Murphy sees Joe,

I don't exist anymore...

He LOVES Joe.

And who wouldn't blame him?

He's a pretty awesome kid.

After a little slumber, we off early to breakfast at one of my favorite spots...Genie's

If you live in Portland and you don't head here often...well, you should.

It's delicious!

With our tummies full,

we head over to Pacific Pie Company for slices to go.

Joe has a busy day planning basketball, 

but no birthday can be complete in our family 

without a little birthday pie. Yum!

There are so many choices, 

but somehow, 

we managed to find a few treats for the afternoon.

So there it is, a complete birthday celebration.

Hockey, fights, delicious breakfast, and local pie...

Happy Birthday Joe!!

A pig, a water filter, and a coconut...

The title will make sense (kind of) later on.

Sitting around with a teen and two pre-teens, over Spring Break

I wondering what their thoughts about life...

well, mostly just random things about life.

So I forced them to put away their cell-phones,

turn off the TV, and answer these fascinating...

okay, they're still just random questions.
So...Whatcha Thinkin'?

Very Important, Random Questions

Favorite place in your house?
Jorden- living room, because there's a TV
Joe- out in the front
Leanna- my room, because I can put headphones on and ignore the world.

Favorite place to visit?
Jorden- beach
Joe- I don't know... Miami if I ever go
Leanna- mountains cause its quiet and peaceful

Favorite food?
Jorden- pancakes
Joe- dairy-free ice cream
Leanna- depends on the day (today) a pear. A green one, not a yellow... Just enough swish to be juicy.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Jorden- ?
Joe- S.W.A.T.
Leanna- FBI in the behavioral analysis department- (So I can stare at people and get paid...I added that. In fact any time you see the parentheses it's me...I have a hard time not commenting.)

What is the #1 most played song on your iPod right now?
Jorden- "Remember When" Chris Wallace
Joe- aaaa....nothing.
Leanna- "Mirrors" Justin Timberlake
              "Kiss tomorrow goodbye" Luke Bryan

If you could change your first name, what would you change it to?
Jorden- Rebecca because its my favorite character on NCIS
Joe- James, like Lebron James
Leanna- Vanessa, because I like the name Vanessa

If you could be a character in a book what character would you be and why?
(Duh...I had to ask this.  The teacher in me was dying!)
Jorden- Katniss-I like her
Joe- ?
Leanna- Alice- in "Go,ask Alice" (me-why?!?) I don't know it's the only book I've read recently"

If you had to pick one animal to describe you, what would you pick?
Jorden- Flamingo, because it's pink.
Joe- Lion, because their called the king of the jungle and Lebron is called the King
Leanna- Squirrel...because I look all sweet & innocent but if you mess with me, I'll go crazy on your butt.

If you won the lottery right now, what is the first thing that you would do?
                               (Please say give money to Auntie!
                                Please say that you would give money to Auntie!)

Jorden- Get a corvette and go on a whooping spree.
             Out have of the money in my college fund...then go shopping. 
Leanna- Custom Hummer...right there. I'd buy several cars
             (How would you drive? You don't want to get your license?)
              I'd just sit in my driveway and be like ya I got this.
             (Hmmm...still nothing for me...maybe I should rethink my will...)

What do you think is one of biggest misconceptions people have about teenagers?
Leanna- that....um... all...why do people ask me these things? That they all are...deceitful, irresponsible people.

You have to eat the exact same meal for the next 12 months. What would you pick?
Jorden- fruit salad
Leanna- Mac 'n Cheese

If you were stuck in an elevator for 24 hours with one person,
who would you like that person to be?
Jorden- Kennedy, a friend that moved to Germany
Leanna- wait, I have to have someone? I'd like to be alone.
(Seriously, I'd pick Ryan Reynolds or someone funny like Sandra Bullock)













What about laughed until you cried?
Jorden- scaring Leanna- the day before yesterday...
Leanna- my brother running across, no photobombimg Caleb yesterday

If you were stranded on a desert is,
and and you could take three items,
what items would you take and why?
Jorden- 1) 20 year food containers
             2) water filter
             3) pop up tent
Leanna-1) pig, because they're 'funner' to have around
                 and I could eat it-ham
             2) Water filter-self explanatory
             3) Nails- I can build stuff! I don't need a
                 hammer...I'll use a coconut!

 Yeah...good luck with that coconut hammer Leanna! 
Haha! It probably won't work, but I like the creativity. 
www.bonappetit.com

I didn't see this coming...

Happy Birthday Joe...Part Two.
This is the second part of Joe's Day o' Fun and fights...

many, many fights.Not with me or Joe,

but with Hockey.

I didn't see this coming...Hockey.


I had forgotten how fun it was to anticipate
the players wailing on each other!
Now, this is where the first line fits in...
I really liked it.
A lot.
I didn't see that coming.

Especially since I really don't like violence.
I spend everyday trying to keep fights from erupting,
but there I was encouraging...
hoping...egging the guys to hit each other.
Mad at the refs when they pulled them apart!
I shake my head at myself,
a bit ashamed.

But, it was super fun.

And, oh this is bad...super bad...should I say it?
Yeah, we're friends.
I really wanted more fights and a bloody nose poring onto the ice.
(Ashamed.)
I really liked hockey.
See, I really didn't see this coming.
I had been to hockey games before, but I don't remember it being so fabulous.
They really go after each other
AND it's encouraged!
Expected.
Seeming required to have a complete game!





Plus, after they hit each other...the players seem fine with it.
Frustration?
Totally dealt with.
Problem?
Solved...with their fist. Eek!

Now the real lesson here and the only why that I can feel okay about it is this...
Time & Place.
These things are really important.
It's not okay to punch a dude walking down the street
or when they steal your parking spot.
Not okay people.
It's not okay to yank on someones clothes when you want them
to move out of your way so you can get your can of soup.
See, still not okay.
And, it's not okay to take a stick and place it in front of someone else while they're moving swiftly. Then continue to hit them with the stick while kicking them as they slide into a wall.
Tisk-tisk...that's really not okay.

But do you know where it's totally fine?

Encouraged and expected?

You guessed it!

Hockey.

Gloriously fabulous hockey.

Where you feel better by just watching them hit each other violently.

Somehow, the world is a bit calmer.

It's more in place. In check.

Yep...checked, but slamming a player into the wall.

I don't know about you, but I feel better.

I really didn't see this coming...

Hockey was relaxing to me.

Huh.

It sure surprised me.

Who would've thought that?!

Sometimes things do that.

You know what else?!

I want to go again...soon.

And this time there better be a nose bleed!

Come on guys! (Throwing my hands up!)

Yikes...I didn't see that coming...

It must be the cold, dry air on January getting to my brain.

Wait. I need to think if another excuse for February....ice.

I'm blaming it on the ice. It's cold and icy around the rink.

Yep...that's it.

With an excuse on hand, I'm going to plan another hockey adventure.

Who knows, maybe I'll surprise myself again!

Friends, please promise me that if I start thinking

crazy crocked or missing teeth is hot, get me help!

Hmmm...though...thinking about it...it kinda is.

Oh no...Eek!!

Joe's Day o' Fun-Part One

My nephew recently turned 10...
hard to believe, but true.
Instead of the traditional birthday gift
of a gift card,
I wanted to do something different.
Recently, my friends started the
"event" birthday celebrations,
where we plan something fun or
different instead of gifts.
So....I extended that idea to his birthday too.

Which then became (drum roll.............)
Joe's Day o' Fun! (The crowd goes wild!! Wooooooooooo!)
A day totally dedicated to Joe...
...food, fun, and fights.
Yes, I said "fights".
But more on that later.

I'm super lucky, because I have amazing kids in my life.
They're polite, funny, and easy-going...
Plus, they super cool...just like their Auntie. :0)

For Joe's Day o' Fun, we started out with a late night trip to Salt & Straw for ice cream treats.

Joe was brave and tried the Elvis flavor...it had bacon in it, but he said that it was too strange.  Instead he settled on "The Universe", which was really dark and turned our tongues black...and lips too!  The second flavor was the Freckle Woodblock Chocolate....or as we called it Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate. 

 I'm not sure why I make silly faces...

 First decision on the day...and Joe chose pancakes with green chocolate chips.  Delish.

Then, this is what I came into the living room to see...it was a Joe and Murphy cuddle. 

I'm not sure who enjoyed it more, but Murphy was is HEAVEN!

Then, a walk around before we headed out to Portland..

 It was really nice to have someone else walk Murphy.

No surprise...Joe wanted a shake at lunch. 

I guess he didn't have enough ice cream the night before.

 And next on the Day o' Fun...

Fights...I mean Hockey. 

But that is for another day and another post...Part 2.

Happy Birthday Joe!

More cuddle time :0)  I just couldn't resist taking more pictures.