Cupid got a Bull's Eye!

Literally-we now have a sweet n' sassy addition to our family whose "love for us burns like the heat of a million hot jalapenos" to remind us of how much the boys are loved by Grandma Neecy & Aunt Cait:) We've all memorized his spicy sentiments! The boys could hardly wait for their Valentines from Mom & Dad! Cupid gave Santa some competition....Dane is in love with his Batman lego set! Since Cole is always ready to give Transformers some affection, he got a big Ratchet to join the action & will continue to wow the ladies with his coordinating t-shirt (Transformer style not the Lover Boy one although we're glad we got an extra year outta that one too!) Contrary to popular belief, we did not force Dane strip down to his choneys for added appeal in the Valentines pic...It was his idea & a look that he frequently fancies around the house! He's particularly fond of those heart boxers & would wear every day if I let him!












Left our lil' sweethearts with their loving grandparents then headed to Stanley & Seaforts for a romantic conclusion to our Valentines' Day...Although Chris was a bit grumpy/sleepy from long week @ work, he still stopped to grab some gorgeous roses for yours truly & we didn't let a lack o' reservation hold us back from tasty steak dinner! We just had to wait strategically for open seating near the bar:) Ironically we shared the love of fine dining with a guy from high school & his wife:) To make matters sweeter, I was able to pull out our last remaining Christmas gift certificate from my new Coach wallet that perfectly matches my purse-Thanks Chris! I was quite proud of myself @ his reaction to the bag o' treats he opened en route to the restaurant too! I should probably explain so I don't leave you wondering re: contents:) I finally succumbed to his desire to have a professional massage since that I'll be the first to admit that was never in our pre-nuptial agreement & he does spend many a well-deserving hour in a crouched position constructing flawless crowns & bridges to provide for our family! Now the trick will be to reschedule the appt. he already had to cancel; I'll leave it up to him re: posting of play-by-play with Svitlana:)?! He was pleasantly surprised by the Michael Jackson 25th Anniv. CD from the boys as well!

All in all, love was in the air for the Parkers on Valentines' Day!! Might we add that we love you all & hope 2/14 was fabulous for each of you too...

Happy Hearts @ the Zoo

Perhaps it was an odd choice to venture to Pt. Defiance Zoo/Aquarium on Valentines' Day; however, t'was definitely unique to brave the elements in Feb. (although in WA's defense, we did catch some very definite glimpses of the sun & gorgeous Puget Sound) & show some love to the animals. In case you're inspired to do the same, don't go on a Thurs. in the off-season 'cuz lame schedule or lack thereof meant the boys didn't get to see any shows-oh well! The adventure began before we even paid admission as you can see-

Our first stop was oddly enough in the food court where some friends brought a picnic lunch (since they're earlier risers than we:) who had actually just consumed breakfast & practically had to set our alarm to get there by 11A-For the record, it took a while to cut out & bake the cookies that didn't get finished the previous night)! I didn't take into account that the boys would be a bit distracted by the other attractions @ the zoo & could've cared less about traditional & shall I say, girly holiday observance to which I adhered!! Don't get me wrong, they love to help in the kitchen @ home; Cole's egg-cracking skills put me to shame! They humored me, but were just anxious to move on to bigger & better things in the great outdoors...LtoR: Connor Hill, Coley, Daners, Max & Maggie Christensen, Beth & Tyler Hill-we already bid farewell to the Kanekoas who had to get Kole to p.m. kindergarten:)


On to the aquarium where all of the kids thought the sharks were the coolest! Dane was glad that glass separated him from the nurse variety who were bonding @ the bottom! Random for me to take a pic. that doesn't include my boys, but check out the brave "dentist" fish (named such by them & their buddies) cleaning off the shark's sweet tooth:)-must've already rec'd his box o' chocolates from his Valentine:) Better to have them in that position than us?!


It was here that Cole tried out his beginning photography skills...In fact, all of the kids ended up taking a turn! Thus you see a pretty clear shot of me & my good friend Kristie Marcotte; Cole & her son Seth are in preschool together. Cole also snapped several somewhat fuzzy pics. (his dad needs to teach him a lesson or two!) of the same tank! Gotta love digital style o' camera-












The tiger basking on his heated rock was more visible than on past visits, but not too interested in us despite our efforts to growl for his attention! Oops! Looks like I forgot to capture the elephants on film-sorry, not a proper documentary without featuring some of our favs! I'd have to say the walruses stole the show with their affection appropriately enough on day o' romance :) It got to the point where we had to whisk the wide-eyed children away from such a passionate scene...nice to be water-resistant:) While encouraging the brotherly love, I had to correct Cole that "kissing on the lips" was reserved for his future wife & not to be done haphazardly just 'cuz he was in the mood on Valentines' Day-ugh!
After 4 hours & some sugar in their systems, the kids became a bit wild albeit one with nature! So Cole & Seth imitated the Oomingmaks (awesome name, eh?) a.k.a. Muskoxen in the background & Krista packed her kids up the hill (no pun intended!) What a woman...who needs super heroes when you've got "some mothers:)"

Somehow my boys & Seth salvaged enough energy to act like monkeys themselves & enjoy the otter slide despite construction in the Kids' Zone. Oh, & we almost left without acknowledging that one can't go to a zoo without petting a goat too! Thanks Kristie for being kinder than this mom to let my boys feed 'em as well as donate to the well-being of the whales:)

1...2...3...Not It!

I must admit, I read others' tagged info. with a great deal of interest; however, not sure my life or @ least writing will be quite as provocative now that it's my turn thanks to a friend from high school:) I highly doubt it will be nearly as fascinating as the Transformer tag that my boys & I played @ the park yesterday, but here goes:

10 YEARS AGO I WAS...a sister missionary in Warsaw, Poland bidding farewell to my trainer & thinking of Elder Parker's return to WA!

5 THINGS ON MY "TO DO LIST"...just 5? Hmmm...before I go to bed since it's now 10P, I still hope to 1) fold 3 loads of laundry, 2) watch American Idol (don't worry! I recorded so Chris & I could watch uninterrupted when he gets home from work), 3) roll out & bake 5 doz. Valentines cookies (to decorate with my boys & their buddies after an outing to the zoo tomorrow a.m.), 4) figure out how much $ is left in our acct. (with respect to certain bills being sent today) & last but not least, 5) figure out some drastic way to keep my boys in bed vs. roaming freely (if I could remember verbatim, I'd elaborate on Chris' soliloquy the other night an hour after bedtime: basically this is not a circus & most of your little friends went to bed over 2 hrs. ago, we already read books, you had a drink, we took turns lying with you, even played Mariners monopoly for crap's sake & now we love you, but don't want to see you again until the morning. They didn't think it was very funny, but I was very amused:)).

THINGS I WOULD DO IF I BECAME A BILLIONAIRE: Make sure the ole' missionary funds/college savings were nice & full 'cuz we're nowhere near where we should be now in all honesty! Landscape our backyard (currently greenbelt, which I realize each spring has not been done yet after ignoring all winter while hibernating:)). Attempt to pay back my parents' for the 30+ years of loans they've so generously donated:) Divvy out fair amounts to my sisters & in-laws so they could share the wealth. Take a vacation @ least monthly! I'm sure there's something else philanthropic I could think of...

3 OF MY BAD HABITS...just 3? Where do I begin? I'm not the most punctual gal in town, not for lack of trying, just attempting to do too much in too little time:)! Depends on severity of my OCD for the day...definitely have a tendency to overdo things or dwell on things that are out of my control(I know that's vague, but not to my advantage in several situations)! Chris would say picking @ things i.e. the blemishes on my face or food. Let's move on to more uplifting topic...

5 PLACES I'VE LIVED:
1) Canada (don't remember when my dad played football there since only 2 y.o., but @ least it's in another country:)
2) Seattle, WA (U Dist. while my dad was in dental school)
3) Provo, UT
4) Poland (Warsaw, Lodz & Gdansk to be exact)
5) Puyallup, WA

5 JOBS I'VE HAD:
1) Beautification Engineer/Asst. for Bridgeport Dental Arts (thanks Dad for great paychecks through high school & summer opportunities:))
2) Asst. Manager @ Afterthoughts (jewelry store in the mall-Chris makes fun of it, but I liked it:))
3) Waitress @ Johnny B's Comedy Club with Emily Cragun:)
4) Publicity Writer for Performing Arts Mgmt. @ BYU
5) Operations Asst. @ UW Athletic Dept./Seattle Sports & Events Council (who facilitated first Seattle bowl football game)

THINGS MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME...that's probably for a reason:) Now you'll all know just how many quirks I have-ugh!
1) Well, I think it's very liberating to fill a grocery cart online or watch items on E-bay that I have no intention or basically can't afford to purchase. You should try it sometime! It feels like you've just gone on a shopping spree, but without the buyer's remorse:) I've done it lately @ Gap, Gymboree & Pottery Barn!
2) I guess another thing that goes along with this fetish is my boys & I wear the same color scheme every day & have done so for 5 1/2 yrs.. Not necessarily the exact same thing like twinners but coordinating apparel.
3) I sell candles for Gold Canyon Candle Co. I'm not a die-hard saleswoman & will never put pressure on anyone to buy or even host a party, but I personally like to have the access/discount & for some reason think a good-smelling house disguises the clutter:) So now that it's public knowledge...let me know if you want 'em:)
4) I refuse to shower every day & even then, haven't washed my face with any sort of routine for my entire life:) Sorry if you find that to be gross like my husband! I feel that I still have good hygiene & am just low-maintenance that way...efficient or lazy?! TBD-
5) I have a thing with #s. For example, I eat things in even increments & have to leave even amount (except 3 or 5 are okay?!). I have to get up @ time like 9:05 or 9:15 & start/finish things like nursing a baby or reading my scriptures @ similar time OR increments like a whole chapter. Hard to explain, but pretty deliberate & sad to say, second nature now!

I'M ADDING A SECTION...CAN YOU DO THAT?! 5 HUMOROUS THINGS YOUR CHILDREN/SPOUSE HAVE SAID/DONE TODAY OR THIS WEEK (I'm doing this section for selfish reasons 'cuz I need to write 'em down more often; I could probably come up with 5 apiece for each of my 3 boys:)):
1) Cole saw a police car when we were driving to preschool & asked "Do policemen always protect us from bad people or do they sometimes have to arrest/give a ticket to good people who just made a mistake?"
2) Cole & Dane were "camping" with some friends in their playhut. I was concerned & watching closely for the sleeping sit. 'cuz Cole was the dad & a girl friend was the mom?! I encouraged the mom to go & check on the sons in the different rooms of the hut to make sure they weren't scared of the outdoors. Cole said "Yeah, you go comfort Dane & I'll just stay here & go to sleep right away"
3) Dane was very thoughtful when considering to whom he should give Valentines since he doesn't have a preschool class. In addition to good friends, uncles & cousins, he decided all by himself to make one for both of the elders (we see 'em every Weds. 'cuz teaching a good friend who's getting baptized next week) & the son of my niece's high-school basketball coaches:) He's got a broad circle of friends even if he's alienated a few as Batman when he thinks they don't recognize him & says in a low voice "They don't know who I am:)"
4) Cole sounded just like Chris this evening when I spilled a whole cup of juice on the hardwood floor & said "Who did that? You did that! Great! Now our whole house is going to be ruined..."
5) No exact quotes, but my boys were quite proud of their new skills @ cleaning the bathroom:) They volunteered & proceeded to do the tub, 2 sinks & the mirrors...I didn't want 'em to mess with the toilets any more than they already do when they use 'em!

PEOPLE WHO HAVE A TURN NOW TO FEEL THE SAME JOY OF BEING TAGGED:):
1) BRITT
2) RACH
3) GINGER (looking forward to your site being back in commission soon:))
4) KRISTA (even though you share with the fam, I'm sure they'd be interested in any deep thoughts you have to offer:))
5) JENN McCRAY

Yet Another Tribute to our Beloved Prophet

Sat. was rough for me...I was glued to the TV (we subscribed to KBYU until Gen. Conf. so we could watch from comforts of own home) & I recorded so as not to miss anything-soaked it all in & cried it all out! Then went to a funeral of family friends' grandma for extra measure that afternoon. Last but not least, the day commemorated 29th anniversary of my brother's death @ only 2 wks. old. How grateful I am that our Heavenly Father has designed a plan for us to be reunited with our loved ones & that families are forever! Plus I keep thinking that I've been forwarded the best tribute thus far & then I hear/see another good one! Since I'm not talented enough to create my own, I'll just echo the sentiments of this montage:) Heard a press conference announcing new first presidency might be sooner than we think & while I'll miss Pres. Hinckley forever, I'm grateful for the divine order of the Church & opportunity to gain personal witness of newly ordained prophet in near future...

Here's to you Mrs. Cole Parker!

Check out Cole! He has now vacuumed our whole house twice! He takes it so seriously & does a great job! I guess that it's time to give him more responsibility...all with his future wife in mind! She will be set:) Shouldn't surprise me 'cuz he used to sit by the closet & cry for me to get out the vacuum when he was only 1 y.o. Hey girlies, not only does he clean; he smells great too! This handsome boy won't leave the house without kid cologne (stocking stuffer from Nordstrom=All Star Sport)-especially yesterday 'cuz there was a new girl @ preschool:) Oh, wait! There's more...he gave me a hug the other day & said "You'll be getting a lot more of these on Valentines Day!" I tried to forget the part that his real motivation is the anticipation of receiving yet another new Transformer for the upcoming holiday! But I know he'll always be mine 'cuz he swore that he won't ever have a girlfriend again:) I told him I'll remind him of that in 10 yrs. Last but not least, he wrapped his arms around me toward the end of Pres. Hinckley's funeral & said "It's sad, but you should just be happy that you have 2 little boys who love you!" As far as I'm concerned, who needs Cupid? Some lucky lady will easily fall in love with this sweet talker-especially if her love language is spoken by acts of service.

New meaning to Power Naps

This was the scene I had to capture just prior to one of our bi-weekly treks to YMCA for swim lessons. I ended up putting him in the car decked out with full costume & he remained comatose during first half hour there=Cole's TaeKwonDo. I wanted to point out the sound effects on the gloves to some of the other little brothers who were waiting beside us. It was hilarious 'cuz it was as if I'd turned Dane's power on. He popped up from my shoulder, made a few active arm motions & then crashed again. He finally perked up when it was time to switch into his swim shorts:) but only because it was his class's turn to have free time in shallow play pool. Perhaps I cut off his naps a bit too soon?!

Winter Wonderland

Had I known the snow would've only lasted one day, I would've posted these pics a lot sooner...For the record, this was last Mon. a.m. We don't get to see it very often in the NoWest, so the boys were in a hurry to take advantage of its extraordinary packing capability & pristine tasting condition=natural snow cones?! They didn't even give me a chance to put on their heaviest & somewhat waterproof outer layer-never mind that I took my sweet time & it was around 11:30A, which only gave us a half hour before we had to get ready for preschool (that wasn't cancelled 'cuz his teacher is die-hard regardless of weather).


Dane's enthusiasm was dampened literally by the flakes that made their way onto his skin. Could've been the fact that he kept taking his gloves off 'cuz they were wet?! Hmmm...gotta love 3 y.o. logic?! We did convince him to make one snow angel before he decided he preferred the indoor climate-He got cold quickly & watched rest of snow-woman assembly from the bedroom:) Please disregard the electric icicles that have yet to be dismantled despite month beyond Christmas-ugh!

Meet Mother Nature! Don't worry if I underestimated the power necessary to hoist the upper body to its proper place:) Cole took that pic. of heaving action:) Be sure to notice the natural finishing touches as well:)