Sunday Open House

Welcome! Come on in.

This is our entryway. I painted it the coppery red color. It's hard to see the color over the computer. The coat closet has a beveled mirror and the front door is solid mahogany. It even had this peep hole door that reminds me of the gate at the Emerald City in Wizard of Oz.

Love this little phone alcove. It's perfect when the phone is ringing and I am running around the house looking for that @#$(* cordless phone. I always can count on knowing where this phone is.

This is a great kitchen. All modern conveniences including pull out cabinets and this fantastic coffee station.

Stay tuned for more next week.

Flying the Coop

We grew up differently. Isn’t that always the recipe for a balanced marriage? Matt grew up with a horse named Ranger Bill and could ride his BMX to the general store for a coke. I grew up in what can only be described as the ghetto of our town. One morning, in high school, I even woke up to gun shots. That being said Matt and I had a different sense of normal urban life. Our house is on the edge of downtown and our street can be a thorough fair of foot traffic. It really is a terrific place to walk but with the state workers and organic families we also get our share of, (oh how do I say this?) colorful individuals looking for their place in life? Or their home? Tobin is drawn to these people and would like nothing better than to invite them upstairs to play Thomas the train. This displeases me. And it makes Matt want to carry his AK 47 slug over his shoulder all the live long day. Although nothing I see as traumatic has occurred since we’ve dwelled here; we haven been living with the inconvenience of our urban life. Such as, once we awoke to a crackling sound and Matt told me he thought a transient was building himself a fire in-between our house and the church. I asked him if I should call the police and he says, "Becca, I am the police." Silly me. Anyway turns out this person had actually set the church on fire. So we have dealt with arson. My cousin’s car was stolen from the front of our house as was a ladder under our bedroom window and my sister’s shopping bags from her car. But for both of us it was one event that made us start looking at new house plans online. Late one night Matt went to wheel our garbage to the curb when he tripped over a passed out homeless man in our yard. Matt came back in the house and without saying anything to me calls his buddies on patrol to come get the guy.
In case you were thinking that my home might be the perfect home for you and now you wouldn’t even come over for a Mary Kay party.... it was just a teensy weensy fire and the drunk guy in my yard was unarmed and so probably couldn’t do much harm. Class A felon tops. So no biggie. Right????
Most husbands, like mine, is the protector of the home. Matt feels like he is on patrol 24/7. And even though I feel like I could ignore some of the offences our neighborhood has brought me, being a parent and like totally responsible for my children’s well-being....It’s got me thinking in a whole new way. It is impossible for me to let Tobin in our backyard without the reality that an evil world is just a ivy filled fence away. I too want to live in a place where my kids can play outside all day and come in when it gets dark. But I will miss this work of art we live in.
The most important thing is that my husband feels like he has a refuge when he comes home. And my kids don’t feel like their mom is breathing down their neck when they are getting fresh air and using their imagination outside. Rounded door and picture moldings are a far less important. But it’s taken me a while to get to this place. I had the vision that my kids would have the stability of one home all their lives. I thought we were there. But God has a new place for us. And after I am done saying goodby to these walls I will be so excited to show you what piece of heaven we will do the bulk of raising our family. Your comments were right-on. Your home isn’t lumber and oak trees, it’s where your family is.

Open House

Creature Bug ( www.creaturebug.typepad.com )awhile back opened her home to us bloggers room by room every Sunday. I love this idea and I’d like to invite all of you to come on over. To my site that is.
Today I wanted to introduce you to my house. In a word, I think it’s lovely. I know this house I used to gaze at it while walking to church as a young girl with my mother and sister. It’s nestled in our towns historic district. It’s close to everything. Friday mornings my friend Michelle and I put the twins in a stroller and take a quick 15 minuet walk though our capitol grab a Starbucks and shop downtown. For a moment I feel like a New Yorker. Every house on my street is an architectural marvel. I could stare at the details for hours. Gables, pillars, stoops, balconies and inviting front porches, it's my own museum. Our street in lined with 100 year old oak trees that grow together to make a canope and the mail carrier delivers the mail into a little slot that magically shoots right into the houses. We also have the good fortune to live next to our church. They make great neighbors. Tobin attends preschool there and they even come and pick him up and drop him off. (The staff has seen me in all my verity of pajama bottoms with mix match tops) My house is an English tutor cottage. It’s so cute you just want to squeal, pick it up and put it in your pocket.


When I first stepped into in it, I took a deep breath, my shoulders relaxed and I knew I had found my home. It smelled of my grandparents home. It’s the smell of aged wood from the moldings, floors and charming built in's. I knew this was the home in which I would grow babies and a garden. The home I would bake and have jovial parties. The home I would mark my kids height on a door frame that eventually I would chain my grey haired self too as the wrecking ball was threaten its existence. This was the house that I would wait watching out the window for my children to return home from college.
All that being said......


I know it takes my breath away too. This has been such a journey to get to this place. The timing is right but watching Matt pound in this sign that invites strangers to see my home as possibly theirs puts a big giant lump in my throat. I have to let go of the love affair I am having with my nest. So to do this I will be posting every Sunday little corners of my house. For you to enjoy and for me to remember. Next week I’ll also write about how we came to this decision. So until then....tootle loo.

New baby in the family

Wanted my blogging family to meet our newest arrival. My cousin Stacey and her husband Alex became parents for the first time! Maximillian
"Max" Alexander Linke born August 16th @ 4:54 pm, 8 lbs 15 oz. and 21 1/4"
in length. Mom and baby are doing great.

Stacey and I are just months apart. She has been a blast to grow up with. I am just so happy for her as she enters into this new role as mother. Lets give her our best new mom advice. Oh and I am encouraging her to start her own blog. She is wickedly funny.

Cupboard Coverup

Wow you guys went crazy over my pristine baby food cupboard. I was left feeling a bit prideful until I went to my cookbook cupboard and Betty Crocker fell on my head. I am at best inconsistent with my organizational skills. I don't clean just to clean. To be fair I am not a slob but putting rubber gloves on is a monthly occasion. I know how to clean. If we are having dinner guests over the house can shine and twinkle like a new penny. I have areas in my house that you are welcome to peak into at anytime. My babies nursery, the baby food cupboard, my kitchen (90% of the time). On the other hand if you just happen to pop over to my house unexpected and you ring the doorbell; put your ear to the door and you will hear me shout to Matt, "close the bedroom door!". Here's how I think: If God wanted our cupboards to look like the inside of a Tupperware catalog, he wouldn't have given man the idea of cupboard doors.

I leave you with a question. Why does Costco have umbrellas in the food court? Are they uncertain that their roof will keep the northwest rain off of us? Or are they really trying to transform their warehouse full of ginormous buckets of mayonnaise and lifetime supply of napkins into a bistro in Paris? All I have to say is I am grateful that I can feed my family for under ten bucks: a filling, greasy meal of cheesy pizza, lemonade and a dollar chiro to spilt for dessert. Almost worth the hamburger defrosting in your cart. Almost.

Do the Can Can

Reading my friend Sheila's( http://atticusfinchtkm.blogspot.com/2007/08/canning-and-revolving-door.html )blog this week got me thinking and that got me blogging. She wrote lovingly about canning fruits and veggies for her wonderful family. It brought a smile to my mind thinking way back to me as a youngster picking currents from my grandma and grandpas backyard in southeast Portland. My grandma in a hot steamy kitchen boiling jars ready for current jam. My other tantalizing favorites were her canned peaches and applesauce. My mouth is totally watering while I write. Then I looked into my cupboards and found this....

Store bought easy nutrition. It's not ideal but I don't feel bad about my inability to preserve ripe goodness for my family. Dole does an adequate job but what I feel like I may be lacking in my life is the time or energy to tackle a process. I am an instant kind of girl. Matt replaced some of our light bulbs with those eco-friendly ones and I get annoyed that it takes a half a second for the lights to come on. I like cake mixes and dryers and computers and microwaves! I love that God in all his wisdom forces us into processes such as cooking a baby or adolescences and life journeys like finding the right job or husband.
So in an effort to slow down and enjoy a process. . . I will call my grandma and ask if I can join her in canning this season. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

I have the best news

Are you ready for this.....
I found my KEYS!!!!!
I know Oprah may not use my story on her "most incredible miracles" show but I have emailed her to let her know in case she is having a hard time finding human interest topics. This is huge for my day-to-day living and I am thrilled. And with the ever close call there is always a lesson.
1. Even if your baby twins are crying and whining from being in stinky Lowes for too long, DO NOT let them play with your valuable keys.
2. Don't rely on the first or second phone call to Lowes "customer service" desk asking for lost keys. Go in (even six weeks later) and look though their impressive lost and found collection yourself and behold a miracle may proceed.
I praise God for the little things today.

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

So I know what you are thinking, "Yes! finally a new post from Becca. I know she is a busy momma and everything but jez doesn't she know that her bloggers have needs." My response: Sorry. Things have been crazy around here. This is my recap.
The Good:
*We got new kitchen counter tops and had the house painted!
*We went camping with just Tobin. He caught his first fish and learned to dodge campfire smoke.
*I had LASIK surgery. I now see 20/15 in both eyes!!!!
*I went to an awesome seminar on raising boys. It was put on by Rick Johnson from Better Dads. I have been emailing him and we hope to bring his message to Court Street sometime in October.
*The twins had their one year check up with five shots!!!! Phoebe weighted in at almost 21 pounds and Jabe a sturdy 18.6 pounds. He is so tiny and strong at the same time. Perfectly healthy in every way.

The bad:
*I lost my car keys.
*My house has been rearranged because of said counter tops and I've been out of sorts trying to remember that the microwave in now in the dinning room with the mixer and spices. (All back to normal as of yesterday!
*Jabe is officially walking. I know this should be a celebratory announcement but really it just means I have to transition to a more toddler proof house. Change is hard for me. Phoebe is close behind.

The Ugly:
*All the kids with in twenty minuets of each other starting puking. Of course it while Matt was away at an evening meeting. We gave six baths that night and changes four sets of sheets. Matt got sick two days later and I was so prideful that my super immune system fought off the bug....until I got it Sunday night.

All is better now. And I'll do better to keep up with my tid bits of my life.

What's in your attic?

Let's have a dialogue, shall we? In my attic I have a huge box of New Kids On the Block memorabilia. Rolled up posters, scrapbooks, trading cards and huge giant buttons with picture stands on the back. "Why" you ask. Ummm because I want to sell them on ebay someday. Or maybe because it feels good to know that Jordan and Joey's faces are still just feet above me. Maybe I will pull it down someday when Phoebe is spending all her money on Teen Beat and the Big Booper magazines, to show her where her investment may end up. Remember when the camera paned to the crying pre-teen during Sanjaya's performance on American Idol. Oh how I felt for her. I understood the hormonal imbalance that occurs when becoming a woman. This freak show that convinces a young girl that someone who is really not cute - is and someone who can't sing - can. And then you have this delusion that maybe after the braces come off. . . maybe you'll meet and maybe he will marry you. Oh how I wanted to be Mrs. Becca McIntyre. But now that the hormones are balanced and the prepubescent fog has lifted I am happy being Mrs. Matt and my box is all I have left of my awkward years. So what's is your attic?

As promised from my last post.

I give you the sparkler experiment. Subjects are one male and one female almost four years old. No one was injured during the filming of this incident.

Fairy Works & Glitterers: One Magical day

July 4th will have a lot to live up to next year. Here's a recap for 2007. In the wee hours of the morning my sister and Michelle met me for our morning work out, (So those who know me are all thinking that you've made a mistake and logged onto a fit persons blog, because Becca doesn't sweat or do things that exert more energy then finding the remote. It really is me. I had to enlist the help of some accountability people to motivate me to not hit the snooze button but I'm doing it! This is all for vain purposes with a little health benefits that just come along for the ride. Matt and I are going to Hawaii in September and he signed me up for a wet t-shirt contest. Kidding. I just had a vision to wear something other then a t-shirt and jeans to the beach. Dare I say a bikini? Many more work outs needed.) After my sisters kick-arse workout, we saw a hot air balloon land near us. Very cool. Something I'd love to do someday. Came home, showered and then Matt and I slapped sun screen on the kids and stood them on a hot street in St. Paul to collect candy for the family while watching a parade. Went to a carnival where we ate shaved ice, corn dogs, elephant ears and lots of water. I could hear myself getting fatter. Stefanie and I took Daphne and Tobin on a faris wheel and then the pair of them went on a kid roller coaster all by themselves. It was a proud moment. Did a quick diaper change on the babies and headed home for naps and down time for us. We met up with my mom and went out to my in-laws for some fried chicken, corn on the cob, baked bean and homemade potato salad. The farm was beautiful with just a soft breeze. We let Tobin and Daphne play in the sprinkler while we ate in peace and later water the garden and gathered fresh eggs. Matt and I went off on the four wheeler for some alone time and went to his favorite spot and just talked. (Matt even prayed for our family and Thanked God for our many blessings. Sigh) We ended our time at the farm with Tobin and Daphne playing with sparklers. Tobin ran all over with his and kept coming back asking for glitterers. (Sparklers/glitterers, Kinda makes since right?) Daphne, well, fire on a stick doesn't hold much appeal to my sweet niece. I'll post a video later today.

We packed the kids up late and they all fell asleep as soon as we started the van. We could see fireworks in the distant and decided Tobin would love to see the big show on the water front. We went to the top of a parking garage and woke Tobin up. We told him we were not ready for our fun day to end. He looked at us like we were mad. But once he heard that first boom, He was hooked. He kept calling them fairy works.

Tobin uttered the words, "Thanks for my fun day" before drool was hitting his pillow last night. Back to normal life today of cereal and color books the fifth of July can be disappointing.

Planned Surprise

Yesterday we spent a lovely day at the park celebrating my sweet neice, Mariko Jane's first birthday. It took me back to a year nine months ago when I was going though my third invitro process hoping for a sibling for Tobin. Our last attemp had failed and the doctors warned that Tobin was going to be our only miricle. I was starting to accept that but why not give the little frozen tots a try? I had done the proceedure and was in the two week wait when my little sister came to me with a mystery. She was late but was having mild cramps but her "little friend" was not showing up. The thought of a baby both terrified her and mystified her at the same time. She and Rhyan had been married a little over a year. He was still in school, she had plans to get her masters. She was also nervous about her infertile sisters feelings. (Even though I was really fine with the whole idea. God taught me a long time ago that He is the giver of life and His plans are always best. ) She took the pregnancy test in my bathroom and came out crying and smiling and scared all at the same time. I rejoiced with her and we both prayed that I would get the same positive in a few days. Well of course you know how this story ends, three babies born with in two days of each other. (my poor mother) What I haven't shared with you yet is that even though little Mariko was not planned by her parents, her creator had that bundle of joy orchestrated of a reason. My sister, Elisabeth, and Rhyan stepped up as parents proudly and she is a happy confident child because of it. She has so much personality and makes others smile just being around her. I love watch the three of them interact and I am so happy they have one another.

So tell me your planned surprise.

How to have a PAR-TAY!

Number One: Have a reason to celebrate. Phoebe and Jabe born June 27th 2006. Our world is a better place because of them.

Number Two: Find a theme to set the tone of the party. I decided on rubber ducky.
Hint: I totally cheated on these invite by buying a pack of thank you cards from Target. I found these ducky stickers and covered up the "thank you" greeting and drew a little glittery pink bow on one ducks head. Very easy and very cheep.

Number Three: Have your mom come over early to help you clean and set up. Jump in the shower 15 minuets before guests arrive! Yikes! (Couldn't have done it with out you mom!)

Number Four: Think simple. I went for a hot dog bar with disposable everything. Cupcakes with no ice cream. No mess; no fuss.

Number Five: Have your Talented Mother-in-law make thirty of the most adorable cupcakes you have ever seen. (delish too!)

Number Six: Fill your little house with lots of people you love.

Number Seven: Bubbles

Number Eight: Watch two babies eat sweets for the first time. (notice how much cake Jabe ate!)

Number Nine and Ten: Sprinkle a few gifts on top and put bubbles in the fountain.

What a year. What a reason to celebrate.

One almost

I've been in a denial fog this month. Because it's coming. My babies are turning one next week. This panic has come over me. And as much as I beg father time it just keeps on ticking. I'm done breast feeding and my sagging bras are the only things sad about that. But I suppose my body misses burning those extra calories and I could really use some of those endorphins that are realised while nursing. I will not miss nursing one while the other is screaming for me or squeezing into my mini van trying to find a quite place to feed.
I feel guilt over their blank pages in their baby books. I almost wish I didn't write anything in them, I could at least sell them on eBay. But no, I had to write one obsolete fact in each of them. Phoebe first tooth bottom right came in at four months and Jabe rolled over . . . oh I don't know when but I have it written down so if we ever want to have an anniversary party on that glorious day I've got it. So sorry Jabe and Phoebe, I never documented when you first laughed or clapped or had your first solid poop. I know that one day you will ask to see your baby books and I will tell you a sad story of how they burned in a house fire but I rescued you while crying for the precious pages going up in flames. (Do you think they will buy it?) I can only say this: everything that was supposed to happen developmentally DID. No signs of either of you being a genius or super athlete (although I'm not ruling that out for your future.) That being said, no signs of needing to ride the special short bus either. So you're normal. As far as Parents Magazine is concerned.
I am busy planning their party and will post pictures early next week of the bash.

Good Thinkin

Matt, Happy 30th birthday! So glad God thought you up. Hope you feel loved and cherished today because you are.
Thirty things I love about Matt.
1. His ambition to go above and beyond with every task. (You ask for a bowl of ice cream and he brings you a Sundae with a cherry)
2. His love of God and his efforts to be like Him.
3. His devotion to his country and all war movies.
4. His inability to cry. ( I do enough for both of us)
5. The way he melts around Phoebe.
6. The way he admires Jabes looks and always says he got them from me. (even though he looks just like Matt's dad.)
7. The way he never tires of Tobin following his every move.
8. The way he can recite EVERY line from Star Wars.
9. His desire to keep his family safe at all cost.
10. The way other people want to be with him.
11. The way he feels a compulsion to answer the phone no matter WHAT we are doing.
12. The way he cares about his health by jogging during almost every lunch break
13. The struggle he has every time he is faced with drinking a coke. (tonight honey you can have one after the other without guilt.)
14. He sleeps only in his underwear even during naps.
15. Speaking of naps; he can sleep though anything.
16. He is a self-taught genius with all things electronic.
17. He makes up his own lyrics to songs and sings them boldly.
18. He can't do math in his head and doesn't apologist for having to use his cacluator on his phone to figure out a 20% tip.
19. You give him an address of where we are going and he know exactly how to get there.
20. Everytime I make him cookies he says they are the best he's ever had.
21. He loves green plaid shirts.
22. He LOVES squirrels.
23. He still calls his mom, mommy.
24. He has this weird number thing where he memorizes every phone number. (even wierd things like G.I. Joes)
25. He is always dreaming of ways to create a better life for us but at the same time is happy and greatful for where we are.
26. He doesn't mind changing a poppy diaper.
27. He reads my mind and make me a coffee at just the right time.
28. He cooks really, really good. About 98% of the time he is in charge of dinner.
29. He loves clean sheet day.
30. When he comes home from work I feel like my day is complete.

Love all of you honey.

Are you trying to tell me something?

What does it mean when you're at your son's preschool program and one of the teachers stops you and says, "Oh, so YOUR Tobin's mom."

I say, "Yes, I am"

And then she says nothing.

We just stare at each other with polite smiles. What does that mean?



Maybe this video of the school's performance tells it all.






For those of you who don't know that's my boy deciding a solo by Tobin was needed in Jesus loves me.

Dilemma

What do you do when you're at the park with TWO babies and there is only ONE infant swing?

Editors note: This brilliant idea has been brought to you by my husband Matt.

Free. A very good price

Tobin has forgone the few OPB shows that he watches for time looking out our window at the construction of a new church worship center. He is captivated by the large yellow equipment and the manly men who get to play in dirt all day. He taps at the window to get their attention. He asks me questions about names of the equipment that I have know idea about so I've made them up. Today after putting the twins down for morning naps we got busy making a lemonade stand to meet the workers and enjoy outside. I wasn't prepared to deal with money exchanges so Tobin and I decided FREE was a very good price. We had a blast preparing Styrofoam cups of refreshing beverages to the men in the mud pit. The foreman even took Tobin on a little tour of the equipment. He could not stop smiling.

Just start writing.

All of my writing teachers have given the advice that if you don't quite know what you want to say, just start writing. So I am taking that idea and hoping that the some sort of coherent train of thought will follow.
I'm in the market for a new Bible. Mine is from college and has been highlighted to death and has notes written in the margin with my college thoughts and color scheme for my wedding. I love reading The Message Bible but it's not great for studying. I also want something "grown up" that is leather bound. Anyone have any suggestions?
Speaking of suggestions, I am open to parenting advice regrading my almost eleven month old twins biting each other. Phoebe currently has three sets of teeth marks on her arm. But don't feel sorry for her because Jabe has two on his arm and one on each ear. I don't want to keep them separate all day cause I need them to play well together. Ideas?
I need new sheets for our bed. Notice I didn't say want new sheets. Matt pointed out to me that his side has a large hole in it. Any earth shattering finds in that department bloggers?
And lastly as I leave you with this post that really had no fluent thought or testament to my brilliant English professors so I give you a picture from mothers day. Tobin and his cousin Elsa on the farm.

A title earned

Mom. This Mothers Day I feel so worthy of the title. A title I have earned in so many ways. I know what it feels like to be utterly depleted of rest yet still be required to make coherent decisions. I know what it's like to need to turn on the car radio drowned out the noise of babies screams and toddler tantrums. I know what it's like to try to convince a three year old to just TRY a piece of corn. I know about changing a wet diaper and as I snap the last pant leg button to watch them poop. And poop. . . .there are too many stories and situations regrading poop. I know about the healing properties that a kiss has on a skinned knee and rocking the wounded repeating, "Mommas here, Mommas here." I know what it feels like to crowd with other parents waiting to pick up their babies from the church nursery. To see your babies face searching the mob for my familiar face; our eyes meet and they light up with joyful relief.
In the years that I tried and tried for the title of Mother, I didn't know that I would ever reminisce about the days when our house was quite and Cheerios didn't stick to the bottoms of my feet. But I admit sometimes I do. I also didn't fully know the satisfaction I would have crawling into bed at night, my body aching from the days worth of holding, cuddling, lifting, toy picking upping, wiping and changing. A day well spent. Happy Mothers Day to all you in the trenches with me and to all the pre-mothers out there who's heart are being prepared.

My sister Elisabeth, My niece Mariko, My mom Sharon, Phoebe Claire, Me

Ten Years Ago. . .

I didn't sleep well. My head and heart felt as if they may burst. I was happily anticipating my wedding day. I was newly twenty and my groom a strapping young man at nineteen. We had been dating for over three years and had "saved" ourselves for our wedding night. Looking back, would I have done things differently? YES! I would have said no to the floral patterned bridesmaids dresses, I would have chosen to put a tea cup with roses on the top of my cake, not the plastic heart with fake rose buds that the baker choose. I would have put a limit on my three hour receiving line. I would have told Matt not to invite the whole student body at our private college to our wedding via e-mail. I would have hired someone to video and a more creative photographer to capture my day. But that's about all the regrets I have. I would have married Matt all over again. and again and again. Truly quality men are as rare as the endangered snow leopard.

Matt, We had no clue what we were getting ourselves into, did we? I am so fortunate to be clueless with you. I am fully happy with our lives. I thank you for being such a kind, patient man. It is a joy to raise children with you and a privilege to share your name. Here's to fifty more.