Dreaming of Hot Dogs

Enjoying the day, thinking about my family. Thinking about Jude and how cute he is. The other evening he and Rachel discussed what he was going to eat for breakfast the next morning. Then the next morning - Rachel already half-way to Seattle - I open Jude & Greyson's door to pick up fussy Greyson. Jude jolts up, out of deep slumber, and declares: "Mom said I can have yogurt, a hot dog and warm milk in the green cup with the green lid for breakfast so I need yogurt, and a hot dog. And warm milk in my green cup. Can we get that *now* daddy?"

Greyson's 1st Birthday

Greyson Zachary and family celebrated his 1st birthday today with lots of family and friends. Festivities were held at Uncle Mitch, Aunt Kelleigh, Grant, and Cole's house in Dallas, Oregon. When we sent out the evite a month ago, I recall I said something like, "We know what you're thinking, 1) didn't a Mardock baby just have his birthday, and 2) where the heck is Dallas, Oregon?"

 The response, which I think is still funny even after writing the evite a month ago, was:

1) The Mardock / Wood / Bellamy pool of kiddos certainly is expanding. But THIS is Greyson's first, and arguably most important birthday celebration. If you happened to go to Jude's 2nd or 3rd birthday, we thank you heartily, but his 1st birthday a couple of years ago was definitely the most critical. Furthermore, we totally get it: there are lots of kids, especially around Sept / Oct. (Note Chris and Jeanne's 2nd baby is expected +/- 2 days from Grey's birthday). We'll probably start to double up on birthdays in the future. But THIS is Greyson's singular day to shine. So we hope you can join in for an hour, two, or more!

2) Dallas, OR is practically a suburb or Portland. Merely 45 minutes south. Party is held at Mitch and Kelleigh Ratzlaff's house. Kelleigh is Rob's sister. Mitch and Kel's house affords everyone rain or shine party success at an affordable rate :-)

Yes, I know Dallas is more like 2x 45 minutes from Portland, but I didn't want to scare away potential guests!

In attendance today were Great Grandpa Mardock (Marvin) and Great Grandma Mardock (Olive), Aunt Dani and Aunt Joanne, Uncle Andy, Uncle Adam, Uncle Josh, Uncle Isaac, Tiffany (our excellent friend from George Fox), Great Uncle Bob, Grandma Linda, and of course a bunch of little toddlers and little boys: Grant, Cole, Isaac (another one), and Carter.

Greyson, we love you. We have high hopes for you and we are excited for your future. Here's to another 79+ years, you little tiger, you!

Nehalem Bay State Park

The Oregon State Park system owns a few dozen yurts that you can rent for a reasonable overnight rate. However demand far exceeds supply and you have to reserve about a year in advance. That's exactly what we did about one year ago: rented a yurt near Manzanita, OR for the weekend. Now, at the time the weather forecast showed clear skies. Who could have foreseen that one year later the weekend would be one of the wettest in months...


At one point I recall Rachel suggesting that we just rent a hotel. But we stuck with it. Mitch, Kel, Grant, and Cole met us there for one evening. We enjoyed great family time. The boys wrestled in the small space, Greyson was typical Greyson (he woke everyone up at 3am). Despite the rain, we went to the beach, ate at Mo's, drank coffee at sleepy monk, and even visited the tillamook cheese factory. Tue next day the sun rose for our long and relatively peaceful drive back to Tacoma.


This was our first time camping, and although it was in the posh confines of a yurt on the Oregon coast, it was still a little challenging. Thankfully it just gets easier from here. Maybe I should reserve the yurt for next year...


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Vehicle Repair: Maintain vs Cut Your Losses

Maintaining a failing vehicle is a good analogy to stewardship in a corporate finance setting. Consider: in 2006 we bought a beautiful rebuilt (aka ‘salvaged’) 2004 Honda CRV with only 5,000 miles for $14k. At the time, the blue book value for a similar CRV not salvaged was close to $25k.
Considerations for taking this risk:
1) We desperately needed a car. And we strongly prefer to have a small SUV like a CRV, Rav4, etc…
2) We don’t have much money. A year earlier we had left the Peace Corps with hardly any financial assets.
3) We’re highly materialistic people so buying an old beat-up 1980s Mazda just wasn’t an option.
We saved ourselves over $10k and we had a beautiful car that we otherwise could never afford.

Here come the financial considerations. At what point would you, as a financial professional, “maintain the asset” or “cut your losses”?
1) 1 year after we bought the car, we finally check out the growling noise emanating from under the hood. Turns out it’s the transmission, and it needs to be replaced.

• Cost = $2500.
• Decision = Maintain the asset. I just bought this car. I’m ticked off. But since smashing the car with a baseball bat isn’t an option, I pay up.

2) 2 years after we bought the car. The transmission starts to growl again. Clearly the disreputable mechanic didn’t do a very good job of rebuilding the transmission.

• Cost = Not sure but probably another $2500 since we don’t have a warranty
• Decision = Do nothing. Let the transmission run into the ground.

3) 4 years after we bought the car, the radiator starts to leak on a barren highway between Bend and Portland. Scared and nervous, we manage to keep going with a $3 bottle of “bars leaks.” Upon returning to Tacoma, we get the car checked out. Indeed, we need a new radiator, pipes and thermostat.

• Cost = $900.
• Decision = Do nothing. I’d rather keep plugging up the leaking radiator with “bars leaks.”

4) 5 years after we bought the car, something stinky (literally “smelly”) is going on. Not only is the radiator still leaking, but the water pump is leaking, tubes are leaking and the thermostat thinks that everything is hunky dory. Prognosis: still need a new radiator, and also water pump, tubes, serpentine belt, and a couple of other belts.

• Cost = $1500.
• Decision = Maintain the asset. We had gotten over a year more of run time on the old radiator. And it isn’t uncommon for a vehicle with over 100k miles to need a new water pump. Pay up.

5) 2-5 years (at the same time) the transmission is growling louder, people start to tell us “wow you should get that looked at” (our response: “no, we know what it is already.”), it starts to sputter, and finally, in year 5, it starts to hum. The hum is loud, like a fog horn coming from under the passenger’s feet. Prognosis: the current transmission specialist says it best: “you got a crappy transmission. It needs to be replaced.

• Cost = $2500
• Decision = ? What would you do? $2500 would keep the car running for likely another 5 years, at which time it’s definitely time to get a new car. Keep in mind that other than a brake replacement and new tires, no other work has been done on the CRV. No tune up, no timing belt. It runs really well.

In the corporate finance setting, it would be asked, “has the asset been fully depreciated.” Answer = not really. It was paid through a low student loan interest rate, which we’re slowly paying off over the next 20 years. Next the finance person would say, “what are my alternatives”? The alternative, as we see it, is to invest in a new car for our new life stage: ie, a bigger SUV capable of hauling around 2 boys and their soccer gear. Cost = $40,000. Loan term = 5 years at 5% interest. Monthly payment = $700. Breakeven analysis: getting the transmission repaired will pay for itself after 4 months of new car payments.

In the corporate setting, they would likely continue to maintain the asset. But it still stings. The only true way to solve this dilemma is to make a time machine and decide not to buy the car in the first place. But even then… even then… even then… after all the repairs, we’re still cheaper than if we had bought a new CRV in 2006.

Summer Vacation 2011

Yessir, finally! Were on the road with the two boys. First stop is Portland and a night at Chris & Jeannes place. Highlights = putting the two boys plus Daylon down to sleep and ordering Urban Fondu desert takeout. Then this morning Jude and I went out to get coffee and breakfast for everyone else. Driving through Portland's Forest Park, Jude asks me to stop so we can find bears. So... That's what we did. We found a turnoff and explored Wildwood Trail for a half hour. No bears, but Jude and dad discovered that he has an innate love of the outdoors. This is gonna be a fun boy to raise. Greyson will love the outdoors too, I'm sure...

Day 2: Salem (Dallas) with Mitch, Kel, Grant and Cole. Absolutely loving the family time, the BBQ, and watching Jude, Grant and Cole wrestle each other. Grant and Cole treat Jude with great "delicacy" (delicateness?) as they play the night away. Jude loves his older and wiser cousins, and the four parents realize we really must make annual plans to rent a vacation home for a long weekend.
Day 3: Bandon (S. Oregon Coast) driving through the Willamette Valley between Salem and Corvallis reminds me why I love Oregon. Lush woody hills, vineyards, creeks, lavender farms, fruit stands, orchards. It's a beautiful place. Grey slept a good 3.5 hours on our way across the coastal range to Bandon. Once in Bandon, we check into our inexpensive motel with a room literally overlooking the famous sea stacks and cliffs. After dinner, Jude and I drive Grandpa Don to the tiny airport where don has his Cessna tied down. Jude watched ad Grandpa Don took off into the sky. Quite a memorable moment for Jude, seeing him fly off into the clouds. Back at the motel, we put the kids to sleep and Grandma Linda keeps an eye on them as Rachel and I walk hand in hand on the cliffs as the sun drowns out over the horizon.

Tomorrow, breakfast, then off to Medford!
Day 4: Bandon to Medford. It's 9:15 am and Jude is still asleep. What's up with this kid? Is this the beginning of a stage on life (also known as the rest of his life)? ...

The remainder of the day is spent in the car driving the tiny road between Bandon and Roseberg with grandma in the front seat and Rachel wedged between the two car seats in the back (not sure if we've me filmed this but when our CRV eventually dies were getting a bigger suv). Greyson, once again, sleeps the entire ride from Bandon to Medford (3.5 hrs). Upon arriving in Medford, we fire up the backyard BBQ and grill some protein. Linda's yard looks great, good job landscaping over the last fee years! After the kiddos go to bed, we watch a mildly entertaining Liam niesen action flick.

Day 5: Medford. Jude and grey wake up pretty early from an already poor nights sleep. Linda goes to work and it's time for Grey's mid-morning nap. When he finally wakes up it's about 11am. By this time, rob and Rachel are in dire need of good coffee. We dive over to Jacksonville and spend an hour at Pony Espresso. Rachel logs onto her work computer to check her email and belatedly turn on her out of office notification (oops). Jude has been a good boy at Pony Espresso so as a reward he and dad visit two playgrounds. The first one he "don't like it the wood chips" (he didn't like the wood chip surface). The second park he liked the school bus, but the flirty jr highers are hogging the drivers seat. Later that night, Rachel and rob enjoy a humble date playing mini golf and racing each other in go carts.

Day 6: Crater Lake. Unfortunately I've let the story lapse by a couple of weeks and I'm finishing up this story 2 weeks after it ended (it's currently July 28th). If I recall, Day 6 was our last day in Medford. The sun decided to shine that day - ostensibly because we no longer had the time to swim in Don and Linda's pristine pool, the sun decided to mock us. Around mid-morning, we packed up and visited Del Rio Vineyards in Gold Hill, Oregon. Had a great time visiting Delores, one of Linda's great friends and one of Rachel's old friends and mentors for her days living in Medford as a child. From Gold Hill we trekked through the state and national forests to the rim of Crater Lake. On cue, both kids squaked, complained and cried as we pulled into our parking spot from the long journey. This caused our Day 6 sight seeing to prematurely end, and we departed to our small, tiny, rustic and downright uncomfortable Mazama Village Cabin. At this point on our trip, both boys are tired. Mom and dad haven't slept well in several days, and we're beginning to get tired. Just when we start to feel a little cranky, we grab an incredibly satisfying dinner buffet at the Annie Creek Restaurant in Mazama Village. I'm not sure why they don't market this place, but it's fantastic. Definitely worth a stop if you happen to be on highway 62 in the middle of nowhere. I wish we could say we slept well that night, but it was actually the worst night of all. Not because the place was small or uncomfortable... just because the two boys were miserably omnipresent through the night.

Day 7: Bend. The next morning we packed up and drove the 6 miles back up to the rim. We once again oooh'ed at the lake's beauty and serenity. Then scooped up the boys and drove up the highway again. Our destination this time was Bend. Our hotel wasn't ready so we stopped at the Lava ... Something.. national monument. Not sure why I can't recall its name, but it had the word Lava in it, and it was an over-sized lava dome right off the highway. Very fun, very scenic, lots of pictures. Jude enjoyed chasing the squirrels. We arrived in Bend at a beautiful, overpriced, and rather lifeless inn with a view of the Deschuttes River. If I recall, that night spent an hour at the play ground, finally letting Jude swing and slide. Funny how no matter how nice and swanky you plan your vacation to be, if you have a toddler, they just don't care. They only care about the play ground. Lesson learned. After the park we found good Thai food and settled down in our big, fancy, clean, beautiful hotel room. Incidentally the boys slept well that night, leading me to believe that the environment does influence their attitudes and endurance.

Day 8: Back home. But not yet. First, we awoke, visited our favorite Bend coffee shop (Thump), and drove down south to the High Desert Museum. This was a winner. We really enjoyed the variety of things to do and see here. It was very toddler friendly, and interesting enough to keep the parents curiosity going. When both kids were worn out, we loaded them up and drove the long distance back to either Portland or Seattle (we decided it depended on how the kids were doing). About 2-3 hours after we left Bend, both kids had still not fallen asleep for their naps. It was getting bad. Jude had gone from loopy to plain mean. And Greyson swung between quiet angel and beastly infant. But then, around Mount Hood, both boys fell hard into deep sleep. Rachel and I decided if the boys were still asleep we would continue on home to Tacoma. And incredibly, thankfully, and mercifully, both boys were asleep for 3 hours between Mt Hood and around Tacoma. Back home in Tacoma, we unpacked, enjoyed our familiar home, took Jude to a park, and got ready for my parents to arrive that evening from Austin, TX. Yes! The adventure continues!

I'm not sure what sort of family vacation we will do next year, but it will undoubtedly be NW local, and will involve playgrounds, swings, slides and fields to run in.

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Tell Me About Your Day Today

Jude, my adorable toddler, recent graduate to the 3-5 year old room at daycare (he's about 2 3/4 yrs), uses cunning and skill to keep me in his room as long as possible at bed time. His recent trick is to ask me how my day was (no doubt a play on the same question I had asked him over the past few months). So inevitably, because the question is so cute and because he is so directly asking me to respond, I answer: "well after I dropped you off at school I drove up to seattle..." Jude: "Seattle? That's where the base-a-ball is, the the Mariners." Dad: "that's right, Jude, good job!" [10 second pause] Jude: "Tell me about your day today daddy."


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Extreme Busyness to an Unnecessarily High Degree

The other day was typical in a day in the life of Rob and Rachel. At 5:30pm, Rachel calls me to explain that a realtor is showing our home in 90 minutes.

Now a couple of notes here: 1) I'm still at work in Seattle. 2) Rachel had just gotten home from a long day working in Seattle and had just picked up the kids in daycare. 3) We live 60 minutes from Seattle in Tacoma. 4) Our home is on the market and could be shown at a moments notice (it's been on the market for over a year).

Back to the story, I fly home and arrive 60 minutes later to see my lovely wife literally wiping down the counters with a whiny toddler in the other hand and an infant strapped to her chest in a baby bjorn. One part incredibly impressed, and another part a little bitter about life, I can't think of what else to say but, "wow, Rachel. Thanks for cleaning the house and watching two boys and starting to make the dinner that we now can't eat for another 1 1/2 hours and for doing it all after you worked for 9 hours and commuted for 2 hours."

We didn't think we would have our home on the market for over a year. We thought it would be a couple of months. So at the time we started looking for a church in the community we intended to move to. And we found a great church. In Bellevue. 60 minutes away. And we enjoy our small group that we attend, 45 minutes away. So that's commuting 5 days a week plus twice on Thursday and again on Sunday.

Even though Rachel and I work a mile away from each other in Seattle, we can't commute together because our daycare - like all others - has a 10 hour limit per day. So Rachel wakes up at 5:00am (I sleep in until 5:30) and she leaves the house at 6:20. I stay and take the kids at 7:30. Rachel returns to Tacoma in time to pick up the boys by 5:30, and I try to get back home by 6:30.

Rachel was just offered her third promotion at work (she declined the first two) and she is now a manager of accounting with people, project and budget responsibilities.

We would love to have time to do a hobby, jog or get more involved, but few social activities meet between 11:45 and 12:15 noon weekdays...

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Little Boys

Here are a couple of cute pics of the boys, Jude (2 3/4 yrs) and Greyson (9 months). The like each other a lot. Grey cracks Jude up constantly, and Jude is a caring and nurturing older brother.


J and G in a typical ham-ish pose.


Another typical pose: Jude slightly annoying Grey.

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Obligatory June Update

In the last few months a lot has transpired, but unfortunately I've done a poor job of documenting this. Jude is a hoot - he's speaking complex sentences, using new verb tenses and counting into the teens. Greyson is sitting up and can stand with a little help. Rachel has transitioned back to work from 4 months on maternity leave, and Rob was promoted to the next level at work. The house was recently refinanced and we save a couple hundred dollars per month on our mortgage, and we've made our backyard look lovely with a new patio set and a Traeger wood pellet grille.

In July we're tentatively scheduled to vacation for a week in Oregon, and later in July mom and dad Mardock are coming to visit for a week from Texas.

Lots of specifics... hopefully I can start providing more interesting and humorous details to come...

Hamilton Pool (Austin, TX)

Jealous of my family in Austin. The picture below is my niece, Natalie (daughter of Matt & Jen) at Hamilton Pool, south-west of Austin. We lived in Austin, knew about Hamilton Pool, and still never went. Next time we're there...

Bedrooms

A quick note to memorialize an important milestone: Greyson's first night in his room, away from mom and dad. Jude and Grey both share a room now. Mom and dad can finally have a quiet conversation without fearing of waking up the infant. Jude pretty much enjoys his new roomie. We hope this relatively easy transition continues!


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Simple Faith and Sinking Islands

The other day as I traveled yet another hour from home to work, I listened to a moderately interesting article on NPR about the tiny South Pacific island nation of Kiribati. Almost entirely Christian, its inhabitants pray every day that tsunamis and climate change won't sink their country for all eternity. Their prayers are so focused, so humble and so sincere: "lord we ask that you come to Kiribati and lift up our islands so that your children don't sink into the vast ocean. Protect our country and lift it up [literally]."

I'm not sure why, but it struck me immediately that to the people of Kiribati this was not only a personal prayer of protection, but it was also a prayer of significant geo-political consequence. "Protect us from actions that are often beyond our control. Help people in distant lands to understand that their environmental impact has a direct correlation to the survival of our country and our very existence."

I thought: this really puts into context the valid yet fear-laden, vociferous and over-discussed geo-political prayers among some in America who pray intensely for things that in the end - I believe - are of lesser significance to the lord: the prophetic notion of the caliphate, the presidents anti-Christian theories about universal access to healthcare, and the infallibility of Israel's earthly leaders.

I may change my thoughts in a month or two, but right now my belief is: focus your prayers on the things that matter most: be thankful for the gifts of grace and mercy. Be thankful that we have a place in the lord's kingdom. And pray for protection for your family against the sin, temptation and separation from his word.

http://m.npr.org/story/133650679?url=/2011/02/16/133650679/climate-change-and-faith-collide-in-kiribati

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Goings On + Mom's Visit

Jude is speaking in full and complex sentences. Very cool. Greyson is a gigantic infant. At 4 months he is almost 18 pounds. He's in 9-12 month clothes, and he's growing out of his sleep sacks. Greyson still sleeps in our room bc we're afraid to put he and Jude in the same room (selfishly we are only concerned about our own sleep). Jude got a warning at daycare today to "be gentle" after he pushed Garret down for no reason.

Rachel started work last week after a 4-month maternity leave. During that time her office moved from 3 miles away to 36 miles away. Major bummer. However... Two big positive results of the move are that the company felt bad about making 1000 people drive 2 hrs a day so everyone gets 1-2 days a week to work at home. And, rachel's in a vanpool with 5 other super nice ladies that leaves just down the street at 6:30 am, and leaving the office at 3:55 pm. When a meeting is about to go long, Rachel can say - in all seriousness - "I'm sorry I've got to leave to catch my carpool." I would love those 2 small luxuries but my schedule isn't too bad (qtr-end earnings release not withstanding).

Finally, mom (Carol) has been up here with is for 2 weeks. She's leaving tomorrow, and we are already very sad. She has been helping out during the critical transition from rachel's maternity to her starting work. And with Greyson's daycare not ready for him we absolutely needed her to be up here. Mom very graciously offered her time for two weeks, and it sounds like she's loved every minute bonding with Jude and Greyson. Jude lover her very much. And Greyson feels very protected, comforted and loved by her. We love you mom (grandma) and appreciate your time here from Texas. Thanks dad for giving her up for these two weeks.


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Closing out 2010

Yes, we know it's February, but this post is dedicated to the last couple of fun events of 2010: Christmas, and New Years Beach Blast.

Christmas: We let Jude open one give per night starting two days before Christmas. This was done "not" because we lack patience, but from prior year learnings we knew that Jude needed to understand that inside the pretty paper were some nifty gifts. Unfortunately it still didn't quite work this way.

Christmas morning came, Jude and Greyson wore matching pj's, mom and dad made a hearty breakfast and relaxed (just the four of us). When it came time for presents, Jude became fixated on each gift. When we opened an Elmo DVD, Jude wanted to watch the entire thing - no longer caring that there could potentially be other exciting Elmo products under the tree. In the end, I think we continued to open Jude's gifts up until New Year's Eve.

New Years Beach Blast: We celebrated the annual "Bellamy" Beach Blast this year in Pacific City, Oregon in a giant 3 story, 8 bedroom house. Okay, I'm not positive it had 8 bedrooms, but it "officially" slept 30 people, and unofficially it could comfortably sleep probably 80. Normally our family - with all the new noisy kiddos - fills a house to above capacity. Not this time. It was an uncomfortably huge house with a surprisingly teenie-tiny kitchen. Overall the trip was a resounding success with lots of great memories. Mitch and Kel came and some of us went to the beach, climbed the dunes and scanned the immense horizon (it was uncharacteristically clear that week, not a cloud in the sky). Lots of board games, Jude played in the tide pools.

For me though, the highlight was driving on the beach in Josh's new 4x4, then getting impossibly stuck in a sand dune. Jude and Heather tried to help as much as they could but eventually Chris picked them up at a gas station. Josh and I stayed, on our bellies, under the truck, trying to scoop sand from under the entire area. Sand was well above the axles. Over an hour later in the pitch black night, Josh and I (with the help of 4 local boys) plowed the truck free. It was an exhilarating moment for us all and will remain a great bonding story for decades to come.

Whew! Now that these stories have been recalled, we can focus on the new year and family news to come.

A moment to reflect

Literally. I have a free moment. What do I do with it? Rachel and Grey are up in Seattle and Jude is down for a nap. I just trimmed the hedges and made myself a chocolate Abyss (stout) milkshake. The house is "show-ready" clean. Now I pause and reflect. Should I chop some wood? Clean the fireplace? Paint a wall in the basement? Or just enjoy a moment to enjoy the quietness...


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The Adventures of Polo and Jude

Dad: What do you want to read tonight?
Jude: I want to read Polo and the Dragon
D: Okay, but this time you tell me what’s going on in the story.
J: Okay

D: Alright, let’s see. Polo goes out on an adventure … his boat gets stuck in the ice … He can’t get out. He’s stuck, oh no! What happens next?
J: yeah!
D: Polo looks in back of him and what does he find?
J: a treasure chest
D: and Polo opens the treasure chest and what does he find?
J: a marker!
D: that’s right. He takes out the market and what does he draw?
J: a door!
D: and he opens the door and where does he go?
J: yeah… … … in a jungle!
D: that’s right. He’s walking through the jungle and guess what he finds?
J: a … a cave!
D: and inside the cave he finds a table. What’s on the table?
J: food, the dragon’s food!

It’s fun for us to see the wheels and cogs turn in Jude’s head. Thanks to Kate J. for introducing us to the adventurous dog and his many animal friends. Thanks to Polo the evening bedtime ritual is consistent and always enjoyable.

Jude-isms

Jude’s English skills have come along nicely since his first word “banana” about 6-8 months ago. Jude now speaks in complete sentences, such as “I want to go to the beach,” and “Mom, the baby has poop in his pants! That’s funny,” and “Where did Aunt Heather and Uncle Josh go?” Below are a few notable Jude-isms that help his parents know exactly what is on his mind:

• How about. He says it in front of just about everything to express his desires. As in, “how about milk? How about candy? How about read a book?”
• Dump it out. That is to say, “I want to help prepare food with mom or dad, specifically in the blender or mixer.”
• Milky. Aka milk. Not sure why he calls it this but I suspect it’s a bad influence at daycare
• One three, one three, one three, five! This is how Jude counts
• Have it in the microwave. Jude love his milky, but if it isn’t at least ceremonially and momentarily placed in the microwave, it isn’t yet ready to drink.
• BIG (barrel voiced with hands wide open) … *little* (tiny voice with fingers pinched together). Followed by infectious belly laugh.