MommaTia

In All Our Spare Time.....

2012-01-25T13:51:00.000-08:00

....we have GOT to make some of these.

How cute are they? Balloon guys! My girls are old enough so I won't fret about them choking on balloons, it requires minimal supplies, and they are just hilarious with a captial H. I can see us really having fun with it. Tutorial is here in another language. How fun are all her pictures of them, too?

Benjamin, A Study

2012-01-20T15:23:00.000-08:00

See this little guy right here? We spent some time together last weekend when he and his mom and sister visited from Seattle.

His name is Benjamin, he's two, and he is AWESOME.

Even when he woke up a little grumpy, he had a piece of my heart.

He has some of the best facial expressions, the finest shoulder shrugs, the most dear tones of voice, ladies and gentlmen it makes me want a son. Alas, that ship has sailed, our opportunities to have more children by means of our loins, (now getting quite ON in years, incidentally) is gone. So I have to borrow the Benjamins of the world to experience that joy of two and boy.

It's a good thing I am sharing these thoughts with you via my blog, and NOT in the presense of his sister Lucy, who I think decided to really hate me because of the love and adoration I poured upon Benjamin. I'm not gonna lie to you, things with Lucy and I, they were dicey. Alas, I'm sure we'll be fine. She didn't care about me anyway, just about her other "sisters." She and mini-Olivia Newton John there had some quality time playing and drawing together while Julia was at a slumber party.

Thanks Molly, for bringing BOTH your chickadees down for a weekend of fun in the flakes.

I especially enjoyed time with you, too, old friend!

Yes

2011-12-25T01:05:00.001-08:00

It could happen any time, tornado,
earthquake, Armageddon. It could happen.
Or sunshine, love, salvation.

It could, you know. That's why we wake
and look out -- no guarantees
in this life.

But some bonuses, like morning,
like right now, like noon,
like evening.

~ William Stafford

One That Didn't Make the Cut

2011-12-22T10:15:00.000-08:00

Wishing you merriment this Christmas!

For My Dear Friend Molly, In Memory of Aaron

2011-12-06T22:47:00.000-08:00

Heron Rises From The Dark, Summer Pond

So heavy
is the long-necked, long-bodied heron,
always it is a surprise
when her smoke-colored wings

open
and she turns
from the thick water,
from the black sticks

of the summer pond,
and slowly
rises into the air
and is gone.

Then, not for the first or the last time,
I take the deep breath
of happiness, and I think
how unlikely it is

that death is a hole in the ground,
how improbable
that ascension is not possible,
though everything seems so inert, so nailed

back into itself--
the muskrat and his lumpy lodge,
the turtle,
the fallen gate.

And especially it is wonderful
that the summers are long
and the ponds so dark and so many,
and therefore it isn't a miracle

but the common thing,
this decision,
this trailing of the long legs in the water,
this opening up of the heavy body

into a new life: see how the sudden
gray-blue sheets of her wings
strive toward the wind; see how the clasp of nothing
takes her in.
-Mary Oliver

Well Hello There, Come on In!

2011-12-06T22:33:00.000-08:00

It's our first Christmas in our new house and here's what awaits when you come in the front door....

I am LOVING our tree this year! So cozy!

Black Friday Our Way

2011-11-30T01:40:00.000-08:00

Following Thanksgiving my mom spent the weekend with us and we got out and had some adventures with her.

We took her to the "Blue Heron Park" for some fresh air and a dose of nature.

The girls practiced their dance moves.
We came upon the blue heron, exciting!

These leaves looked cool to me.

I love the way these trees looked against the sky.

Apparently this is how we do bridges, like rebels.

By the time we came back around the trail, the heron had moved.

Such a nice day.

T-Give 2011

2011-11-29T12:36:00.000-08:00

This year we had our first Thanksgiving in our new house and it was great.
My mom and sister-in-law were our treasured guests.

The hus did turkey and stuffing. I think it turned out so well because he was wearing his new Ducks jersey while he cooked. Mom was on gravy and desserts. Girls did table decor. Sis-in-law did spuds and the best fudge on the planet. I made sides. The best thing I made was this.

There was football and a kiddo craft. Mom brought the stuff to make these hilarious and tasty edible turkeys.

Before bed we snuggled into the couch for a viewing of the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. The adults watched a hilarious episode of Modern Family after the kids went down.

We have an awful lot to be thankful for.

Lice Knowing You

2011-11-29T02:12:00.000-08:00

Seems worth bookmarking,THIS GENIUS BUSINESS,should YOU ever be faced with headlice..........

2011-11-28T01:10:00.000-08:00

Avocado, anyone?

Happy Birthday, Brother

2011-11-27T11:11:00.000-08:00

It's my brother Ryan's 37th birthday today.

Ry is someone special. He was the first person to make me a sister and he's been making me feel like a great one since day one.

I don't remember life without Ry snd I can't imagine life without him either.

Today, I am lucky for each laugh we've shared and I can't wait until the next time when we can take stupid pictures on the Spree sitting in his living room and laugh.

Make a wish, today is your day.

CH CH CH CH Changes

2011-11-26T15:58:00.000-08:00

Julia BEFORE her haircut

Julia AFTER

Photo Friday

2011-11-25T02:50:00.000-08:00

Just a few hanging on now.....

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T02:49:00.000-08:00

Grandma Zenor and Girls, Thanksgiving 2007, Winchester, Oregon
We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilder

Baskin' in the Memories

2011-11-23T01:55:00.000-08:00

Remember Clown Cones from Baskin Robbins? My friend Ed gave me Baskin Robbin "bucks" eons ago that I've been carrying around in my wallet. Out of the blue I remembered clown cones and how the girls had never had them. Last weekend while my husband was at the Duck game, I took them down to Baskin Robbins and they each chose a clown cone: World Class Chocolate for Avery and Mint Chip for Julia. They were a hit! Good times!

Dropping Keys

2011-11-22T01:14:00.000-08:00

The small person
Builds cages for everyone
She
Sees.

Instead, the sage,
Who needs to duck her head,
When the moon is low,
Can be found dropping keys, all night long
For the beautiful,
Rowdy,
Prisoners.

~ Hafiz
Found this poem HERE.

Just Another Maddie Monday

2011-11-21T01:30:00.000-08:00

Check out Maddie's zoo face!

Project 333

2011-11-20T01:54:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been overwhelmed by stuff.

Whether it's toys, clothes or kitchen utensils, it all feels like too much. As our main STUFF GATHERER, I am quite in touch with how much STUFF enters this house on a regular basis. As our STUFF MANAGER I am also quite in touch with the task of maintaining, cleaning, and organizing the stuff. I find myself craving SIMPLICITY. I want to surround myself with the things that we truly use and eliminate the excess.

I want to be more like a pioneer. Clothing then was more function than fashion. You didn't have the luxury of not wearing something because you didn't like it or were tired of it or it had gone out of style. You certainly didn't shop for more unless it was a true necessity. I want to be content with what I have because what I have is enough, and I am lucky to have it.

My friend Maria was telling me about Project 333 and I love the idea of trying it. It comes at a perfect time and seems like a good place to start. I'll still have WAY more stuff than my favorite t.v. pioneer up there, but it seems like a good exercise in paring down and keeping things pared down. It seems like it's a step in the right direction towards making simplicity a deliberate habit. Will let you know how it goes.

Remembering Hawaii (The Post That's Been Long in Coming)

2011-11-19T01:47:00.000-08:00

Now that November is here with its dark days, it seems like just the right time to harken back to the summer and in particular to our Hawaiian vacation where we did some amazing things on the island of Kauai.

Tunnels on the North Shore, was a great place to snorkel. We found lots of heart shaped coral and had a GREAT day in the sun.

We ate coconut pancakes at Kountry Kitchen and took a long bike ride on the Coconut Coast. We shouted Coconut Coast like Oprah might. AWE-SOME!

We ate at a Hawaiian McDonalds and tried custardy coconut Hapua pie.

We went to the Smith Family Luau. It was a lot of fun: great food and a real taste of Hawaiian culture. We even met a nice family from Canada and the girls frolicked with their boys, finding frogs in the dusk.

The kids were constantly hunting for lizards and geckos.

In Hawaii you can find any kind of food you want. We got Thai on the East side. Despite the name, this restaurant made very tasty Thai.

In Kauai, sitting in the waves was habit. It was also pretty normal to just LAY in the water.

We ate lots of Shave ice and enjoyed Blizzard Shave Ice best of all on the East shore.

One day we went up to Waimea Canyon and explored a bit. Kauai has its own Grand Canyon within. CRAZY!

We had slow days and go days. Many books were read on this vacation!

We went on a short hike through tall bamboo to see this amazing swimming hole and tree!

We took a short stroll through a jungle. No shortage of interesting plants, flowers, and smells on that trail!
We found a great bookstore in Hanapepe Town. It is also home to the Hanapepe swinging bridge.

Have you ever had a PUKA dog? Even on Weight Watchers I was able to
induldge and I was surprised how tasty they were!

Every day Avery would find a clean Plumeria blossom on the ground for me to tuck behind my left ear. (It must be said that this pic was taken in our rental JEEP with removable top!)

We were very near the Hyatt and took a stroll through their beautiful grounds, grabbing a hammock opportunity as it presented itself. Despite the fact that the beach behind the Hyatt is virtually unswimmable for kiddos, the girls decided we would be staying there next time.

Posh resort in one corner, roosters in the other. Nobody tells you about all the wild chickens running around Hawaii.

One night the local Rotary club was sponsoring an outdoor movie at Poipu Beach so we walked down and saw Karate Kid. It rained a few times during the movie but with the stars and palms overhead and the warm breezes, it was such fun. I've been wanting to see an outdoor movie for a long time and that was a pretty good movie, too!

Old Koloa Town was very close to the South Shore where we stayed and was a fun place to browse and take pictures with "the locals."
The candy apple bananas in Hawaii are so tasty. I have always like bananas but THESE bananas were indeed even better than most.

I met my dream tree, the Albizia.

We'll be back, Hawaii. We'll be back....

Photo Friday

2011-11-18T01:33:00.000-08:00

Green Huckleberries

2011-11-17T01:30:00.000-08:00

Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it's stupid. -Einstein

Remembering

2011-11-16T01:13:00.000-08:00

Today I saw Kati Kim at the grocery store.

The small girl holding her hand was once the baby with big cheeks whose father James lost his life trekking through the frigid wilderness in search of rescue. Now she was just a five year old at the grocery store with her mom.

Life can be so horrific. Life can be so ordinary.

Underneath our routines lurk the things we live through and conquer, things that change our lives forever. The faces that now are at rest surveying produce were once grimacing in the worst kind of pain.

Life marches boldly on.

I worried and waited and mourned James Kim, a virtual stranger, in the same way I wanted to acknowledge and celebrate two strangers in the aisles at New Seasons today.

I think I would have cried if I HAD approached them, so moved was I by just seeing her and thinking about what that tiny family went through in the wilds of Oregon. Instead, I bought my apples and my wheat bread and went about my day, their story punctuating my thoughts nevertheless.

I didn't say one word to them, but I will say it here: I remember.

Some Little Happiness

2011-11-15T01:20:00.000-08:00

Some Little Happiness
knows our names
and where we live
and sets out to meet us halfway.
It arrives humming,
an enchantment of tones
we have never heard
and don't want to let go,
because we know
they will never be heard again.
some little happiness lives
in our eyes, in our skin,
leaves a trace in the lines
around our tired mouths.
Some little happiness.
We don't have to deserve it,
we don't have to expect it,
we don't even have to admit
how much we need it,
and some little happiness
will rest its hand on our hands,
will tell us, Take me,
I won't be here that long,
and neither will you.
It's okay, whispers
some little happiness,
trust me.
And we do.
Thomas Centolella

Maddles Mondee

2011-11-14T01:02:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite picture of my neice Madeline, hands down.

The Birth of Filbert and Fern

2011-11-13T07:40:00.000-08:00

My friend Ellie is a seamstress, and she creates and crafts adorable clothing for girls. Her shop, Lucy Goosey is featured at many local markets and this summer she asked me if I could make some collages to adorn her shop that would also be for sale. My answer? Uh, YEAH!

What Ellie presented me with was an amazing opportunity which both lit a fire beneath me and resulted in me dedicating some of my free time to doing something I LOVE. When I've spent time working really hard on a collage, I find myself thinking about it, eager to get back to it in a way I never expected. Right now during this precious period of time when I haven't been able to find a teaching job, I am able to use some of my free time (the task-mastering of motherhood simultaneously accomplished), to take a risk creatively and put my creations out there. I've stocked up on fun papers, on old children's books for their illustrations, on wooden surfaces, on mod podge. The possibilities abound!

I have been VERY BUSY.........

(This collage I actually made for Ellie in exchange for the dress she made for Avery below).

Hopefully, some of my collages will hang in Ellie's booth one day. I thank her for getting me going on all this. In the meantime, you can also find them in my Etsy shop Filbert and Fernhere.

Dress by Lucy Goosey

I Love the Nightlife, I Love to Boogie

2011-11-12T08:07:00.000-08:00

To celebrate the one year anniversary of Cardio Jamming, a fun bunch hit the town and went dancing last Saturday night. I haven't experienced Portland's nightlife since I was about 21 so it was long overdue. Thanks to Lisa, our teacher (pictured at my left above) and good 'ole Cardio Jams, I actually had some moves to use on the dance floor.

Photo Friday

2011-11-11T06:03:00.000-08:00

I don't have time for crappy apples.

2011-11-10T09:19:00.000-08:00

Have you tasted a Pinova apple? How about a Pink Lady? What's YOUR favorite variety of apple to crunch on? It is the time of year for apples so get yourself to an apple peddler and fill your cart with the apple goodness now.

Life is short. Don't waste your time on mealiness...

I Jam Therefore I AM

2011-11-09T08:52:00.000-08:00

Exactly one year ago, I attended my first Cardio Jam class at the gym and have been doing it weekly ever since. It brings me such joy AND it is a great workout! Weight Watchers and Cardio Jams are the true power couple responsible for my weight loss success.

Our teacher Lisa is awesome. She brings the funk in everything she does. She's made me laugh, she's taught me how to shake it, I just thank her so much for what she's given me with Cardio Jams. I think it's taught me that I love dancing more than I even realized.

Lisa recently posted our routines on YOU TUBE so you can check it out and see our routines. (When I am visible, I am in the back left wearing black pants and a white shirt with a green scarf on my head).

Next stop: Cardio Jam inspired Flash Mob!

Before and After

2011-11-08T07:02:00.000-08:00

I pledge allegiance to myself
In quest of my weight loss goal;
And to the healthiness for which it stands.
One body...
Under control...
Indisputably...
With confidence in new clothes for fall!

Is my wardrobe different this fall? It sure is! I have Weight Watchers and myself to thank for that.

BEFORE Weight Watchers, Susan G. Komen September 2010

AFTER Weight Watchers, Susan G. Komen September 2011

Susan G. Komen in September 2011
I wrote about my Weight Watchers journey a little bit in a post this summer but I wanted to give you an update of where I am now. In September, after having lost 45 pounds, I arrived at my goal weight, where I still am on this day in November, and where I plan to stay, give or take a point or two. I got rid of all my old clothes, forgetting to take one of those pants pictures for comparison. But you can see it above, and I can feel it each and every day.

Weight Watchers has changed everthing: my energy level, the way my family hugs me, my clothing size, my dressing room successes, weighing in at doctor appointments, and my BMI. It has changed my thinking and my habits. It has been the hugest gift, this accomplishment, and sometimes I need to sit with that and honor it for a minute, amongst the every day craziness of life. I accomplished something big.

At weekly Weight Watchers meetings there are lots of celebrations. We share "Bravo Moments" with one another. Last week my Bravo moment was that I wore a tennis skirt this year for my Halloween costume.....the same one I wore in HIGH SCHOOL! WOO HOO!

Monday Maddles Day

2011-11-07T07:35:00.000-08:00

Maddles turns 10 months on Wednesday! WOO HOO Maddles! I think she's being raised a Duck like we were maybe. GO DUCKS! GO MADDLES!

Soccer Mom

2011-11-06T06:45:00.000-08:00

Back before I had kids I drove the perfect soccer mom car: a Volvo station wagon. And finally, this year, long after the station wagon was sold to a teenager in Vancouver to haul his band equipment, Julia played soccer and I became a soccer mom.

I was completely shocked at just how much I loved this.

Whenever I would cheer for Julia, she would look over at me and give me a sweet smile. How fun are eight-year-olds on a sports field? They don't tune you out and ignore you, they hear your shouts and feel so good they can't hide it.

But enough about her beaming mother on the sidelines, Julia had a really great soccer season this year. She received the "BEST ROOKIE" award from her coaches and she became more skilled and aggressive as the season went on. She loved running around.....

....and cheering on her teammates.

She had a lot of fun with her team. Even when she was goalie and the other team took a penalty shot right past her waiting gloves, it didn't seem to phase her much.

Way to be in position, Number 2!

Just in time for daylight savings and chilly November temps the Mighty Marshmellows finished their season yesterday. The parents played the team at their last practice and it was SO FUN! I think this soccer mom may have even had a better time than her player.

Who knew that soccer would be such a great fit for all of us? I'm excited to see where it takes Julia, but in the meantime, she is poised and prepared to try Lacrosse next.

Me? I'm sold on soccer, even if the proper soccer mom vehicle sits in someone elses driveway!

Sizzles

2011-11-05T08:49:00.000-07:00

Meet Sizzles, one of Julia's most favorite things.

She received Sizzles, of Charlie and Lola fame for her eighth birthday. A cherished member of our family, Sizzles has gone on many a family vacation and sleeps tucked into Julia's pj top each night. When Sizzles "talks" it is with a hilarious voice she's given him. Each day, when the house has fallen silent and I am in it alone, I'm not really in it alone, because Sizzles has been strategically positioned in the front window by either Julia or Avery so that his nose peeks through the blinds, waiting for Julia to get home from school.

I think for Christmas I am going to make Julia a book about Sizzles featuring the many sides of Sizzles.......

Sometimes he's dressed up....

Sometimes he's riding around Hawaii in Julia's purse.....

He chills on ferries in cupholders...

He LOVES backpacking at Opal Creek....

"Shotgun!" Sizzles has been known to shout.
Sizzles is one loved wiener dog paving the way for the day we get a real pooch.....

Photo Friday

2011-11-04T15:49:00.000-07:00

Twenty Things I Love

2011-11-03T06:04:00.000-07:00

1. Trees
2. Owls
3. Art
4. Mushrooms
5. Water
6. Orange
7. The Letter D ("I just love lower case d's")
8. American Girls
9. Babies
10. Julia
11. Sewing
12. Snow
13. Beaches
14. Books
15. Steak
16. Ballet
17. School
18. Slugs, Snails and Worms
19. Chocolate
20. Dad and Mom
-Avery, age 6

I like.......

2011-11-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

Worm bins/compost bins
Sizzles
My dad and mom
Avery
Art
Grandma
nature
lacrosse
Soccer
Football
Sewing
American Girl
Avery's cute froggy underpands
Monkey bread
My owl leggings
Mallards
Sweat pants
Funkle Fry
Funkle Andy/Timothy
Sports shirts
Trees
Mushrooms
Milk
The letter J
Mrs.Cutburth
The Sisters Grimm
Judy Moody
Em
Running
Books
-By Julia, age 8

These Trees

2011-11-01T16:22:00.000-07:00

These trees greet me

An exclamation point of crimson
at the end of our street.

I can't pass without gasps,

Then walk two blocks
to stand beneath
their strange bright light,

kicking the crispness
of their fallen leaves,
wanting to close their
brilliance in a jar,
so any day
I could hold it to the sky,
bright against blue,
and swoon.

Sadly,
I can only
snap a picture,
this temporary treasure
tucked snug
in Fall's back pocket.

-Tia 11/1/11

Maddles

2011-10-26T11:36:00.001-07:00

Haven't shared any shots of my neice Madeline in awhile so I must share this one. How cute is SHE? Such a doll, and she's 9 months already!

The Swearing Post

2011-10-24T13:44:00.000-07:00

This WEEK has been a blur, henceforth the purposefully blurry photo that Julia snapped in the middle of my trip to Lice HELL.

My face says it all, really captures what I've been up to this week....

Of course Julia got it too, Julia who had been cavorting about exposing friends at birthday parties, etc. So we had to spread the word. Most people were very understanding and sweet about it, and nobody found anything.

THANKFULLY we had conferences last week so while they were off Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we had time to deal with it. But, after putting NIX on my darling girls' heads on Tuesday, Friday I was still finding live lice.

MOTHERFUCKERS!!!!!!!!*

Enter plan B: Super Cetaphil, which I wish my Peds office would have recommended in the first place. I wish I'd never put NIX on their fragile scalps becayse 1)NIX is toxic as SHIT and 2)it didn't do A GOD DAMNED THING (*if dealing with lice doesn't give me reason to cuss it up big time what does?)

Anyway, I marched down to Costco and bought two two-packs of Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser and treated each girl Friday, then again on Saturday, and then Avery AGAIN on Sunday, you know, just to make sure.....

Did I mention how good the girls have been through this whole ordeal?

I knew head lice would SUCK and despite my determined beginning, there was a bit of unravelling after three days until I implemented the cure that worked. But the soreness that came from the ergonomics of bending over heads and searching them for an hour? Surprise! They should invent a chair for this. Also, they should invent a way to seal off your own hair and treat it for imaginary itching.

Just writing this is making me itch.

Today, six days after our initial discovery, both girlies went back to school and got checked and (cue medieval trumpet-fare) THEY WERE CLEARED! Hello white flag of victory! The secretary even said, and I quote, "Wow, your mom must have worked really hard, I can't find anything!" (She did find an egg on Avery's head but said we were fine). She also said they would be checking them again in ten days so though the battle is won, it ain't over yet.

Sigh.....(sound of collapsing)

Keepin it Real Tuesday

2011-10-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

I knew this day would come. This, my 600th post, and I'm going to write about head lice.

Avery has been itching her head for the past three or so days, and each day I've checked her head but found nothing. Today when I checked her scalp, I found it: the thing I didn't want to find, the thing that when I was teaching took kids home and returned them again with shaved heads. In my my fingers I held a live louse, which I captured under scotch tape, like evidence.

I called her teacher, she was awesome. She wanted me to tell Avery that she had it when she was a kid, that she probably had it now, since it jumps.

The advice nurse gave me the scoop and I've spent the morning in combat mode. After finding about ten this morning, we washed her hair, applied NIX, waited, rinsed the NIX, then I went through each section of her hair methodically and removed nit after nit after nit, maybe 30 were on her head in all, which is WAAAAY better than the pictures I just googled (to find the above image)where one little section of hair has 30+.

I was so afraid of this happening one day, and I didn't think I could handle it, but I have. We both have. Even though she cried at first when she found out, she got hugs, she's been deloused. It's a strangely satisfying task to really take care of when you have no other option but to deal. All in all, it's not as big of a deal as I thought it would be. Let's hope we can just keep it at bay.....keep her sister from getting it......

The Year We Got Pumpkins in Shorts

2011-10-16T21:48:00.000-07:00

Patched it up today out in North Plains at Lakeview Farms. They have a lake, a train, a huge pumpkin patch with pumpkins STILL attached to the vines (I hate it when they set them in the fields) and some serious carmel corn.

Our pumpkins are HUGE this year-each one will be challenging our knuckles as we scrape the wetness. Julia wanted to carve them today. She also saw her friend Jake at the pumpkin patch and both of them were excited but wore these nervous smiles, especially Jake. You forget sometimes as an adult, that feeling of seeing a friend somewhere and how it feels and how nervous it can make you, but especially if it's that girl that you often chase or that chases you at recess.....

Look at these nasturtiums! The girls and I had a great trip to the Library and to the Blue Heron Park today, where we have spent many moments cavorting in the day. I especially love to visit it when fall hits.

These birches just begged to be photographed but we made a concerted effort to go close to them without making the HUGE crowd of Canadian Geese in the pond take flight.

I have taken a picture of Julia by this tree before, and I told her this as I took it, commenting on how tall she looks to me and how it won't be long before she's touching that branch with her head.

The girls have this routine where they run down a certain slope and when they reach the bottom their dad puts his arms out and catches them and spins them in the air. Today I did the catching and the spinning, and since I was also trying to photograph them, I quickly had to switch gears to do the catch. When I did Avery I wrenched my wrist and she was so sweet about it, giving me a big old kiss on the wrist and holding it gently for me.

To end our afternoon, we stopped by Sesame Donuts in the library's lobby. I made the girls order their treats and then we sat outside as Avery enjoyed six chocolate and six pumpkin donut holes and Julia enjoyed a glazed donut.
The whole time Avery ate, she would report how many were left. "Mom, I have six chocolate and three pumpkin ones left...."

I was buying the girls gloves the other day and the lady at Marshalls was telling me how her outside dog has already beefed up his thick coat of hair, indicating the winter to come. I have heard our winter just may be a serious one this year, who knows. The geese are definitely heading out.....

.....for now, we will definitely take an October afternoon getting pumpkins and dinking around outdoors in shorts.

We've Been Busy Painting!

2011-10-14T19:52:00.000-07:00

Ever since we've been home from sabbatical, we've been in house mode. There is a small mountain of paint testers out in our garage, mostly greens and greys that went south as soon as the brush swept them across the wall.

For some reason as much as I really wanted to do green in the main part of the house, it hasn't worked out. Instead there seem to be an awful lot of blues and browns and we're loving them. The greens? Two we put up with gusto and then covered right back up again....

The first green, "Killala Green" (appropriately named because looking at it killed your love of green) went up in Julia's bedroom and looked like this. It was like being choked and slapped with green. Not good.

Then we did a second green in her room, Lucerne by Miller, similar to this which we've kept up. In the daylight it's really right, but at night, the green can be a little much. She loves it, we're keeping it. We may tone it down with a white wall somewhere.

We did another green in the kitchen, Behr's Geranium Leaf, and I really loved the small section of it that I put up initially (see top pic). Unfortunately once we painted the whole kitchen, it looked so bad, I rushed out and quickly picked a darker blue color (Martha Stewart's Kerry Blue Terrier) and slapped it on the walls, loving it.

The first room we ever painted was done in a Martha color in our guest room/office, Molassas. We loved it.

Benjamin Moore's Berkshire Beige dons the walls of our living and dining room, which look into our hallways and bannister, done in Labrador Blue.

Avery's room is Behr's First Waltz. It is the loveliest softest pink and I just love it. I don't think I could have found it on a paint chip because on the paint chip it looks very mauve and I never would have been drawn to mauve. We saw it in a house we looked at and I went back and asked the lady about the color because I thought it was so right for a pink.

The playroom is another Behr shade: Garden Spot, my favorite of the greens. I like it but again we have found that a little green goes a long way and may have to tone it down with some white walls.

Our plan is to do Berkshire Beige again in the family room on the mantle wall, some grey in the downstairs bathroom, and hopefully agean blue for our bedroom, eventually.

Oh the adventure that is painting!

October?

2011-10-04T17:13:00.000-07:00

In this moment in October, thanks to an old picture, I find myself harkening back to the days of yore when my little witch and little puppy were by my side a bit more...

Good

2011-09-10T19:27:00.000-07:00

The kids are back to school.

I have a first grader and a third grader and thus far, school is a place they enjoy and are glad to be. Both like their teachers, both are having fun wearing new socks, both have lots of great tales for me as I sit with them at the end of their day and they eat snacks. It's good.

It leaves me in an entirely new place when they board the bus each day: home all day alone! I applied to sub but have yet to hear, so am facing each day full of gratitude at not having to be somewhere myself, my days built around productive task-mastering.

In other news, I reached my Weight Watchers goal and am maintaining now. My gym is closed so I've been walking with friends and doing cardio jams in my living room with my pal Maria. We are working on the house, and both girls rooms are painted and now we've made decisions about the entry way and staircase.

It is gorgeous and warm outside so that is a treat.

We had a wonderful last weekend of summer at the cabin with my mom and my brother Ry, who I was very grateful to have some time with.

Today we went to a surprise birthday party for my aunt Mary who just turned 70! I love the picture of her above on stilts at the cabin, Andy and I looking on circa the early 80s. She's a knitter, so her gift was a book called Oddball Knitting and as she was checking it out, I was telling her (in front of the crowd) how "it's a book for your old balls"....of yarn, but I didn't get that far standing next to my brother and cousin Josh, who started to laugh and so then I laughed and once we started, we had a hard time stopping. It was the aerobic laughter, the best kind.

Get a load of Josh's sweet finger tattoo, built to take the place of his sweet curled mustache if ever it disappears. He's the very picture of Portlandia.

Julia is playing soccer for the first time and loving it. I'm very excited for the season. Go Mighty Marshmellows!

What can I say, s'all good in the hood!

Hawaii Part One

2011-09-01T16:20:00.000-07:00

To cap off sabBADASSical 2011, we experienced our first ever Hawaiian adventure on Kauai. It was an AMAZING way to relax, soaking up floral smells, breezes, trees, water, heat, and nonstop sunshine. To be around this changed us; the Aloha spirit gets inside of you, restoring you with every memory.

Our first trip to the south coast, where we stayed, took us through this amazing tree tunnel, enjoyed through the open top of our jeep.

We stayed in the Poipu area. This was the doorway to our home away from home....

The first thing that caught our attention in the ocean were the sea turtles behind our condo. There were always at least four swimming right there, poking their heads out or riding the surf! AMAZING!

Check out the view!

We used the pool at our condo at LEAST once a day but usually twice.

We quickly realized that though the beaches would be somewhere we spent a lot of time, it was important to be on beaches where we could relax, as many beaches in Hawaii are not super safe for kiddos. Poipu Beach was a short walk from our condo and had GREAT snorkeling and a space perfect for kiddie water play.

So did Lydgate Beach on the East.

This one was called Salt Pond Beach on the south coast.

Swimming, sun, beaches, pool: that was how we spent A LOT of time in Kauai. The sun was intense, and we all got a bit red at first, but came home fairly tan for the most part. I usually buy sunscreen that I read about on Skin Deep that is really safe and low in chemicals but sucks to spread all over your body because it's so thick and pasty and smells weird. Let's just say by the end of the trip Hawaiian Tropicana (the kind that smells like coconut) was all I'd smooth on, chemicals or not. That's how Kauai relaxed me.

I'll show you some other highlights of Kauai in part two, like maybe a list of what everyone should do there.

You've Probably Seen This, It Came Out in 2003

2011-08-29T17:19:00.000-07:00

I REALLY like movies that have REAL dialogue, quirky events, and characters who engage me. I think that's why All the Real Girls was so good to me. It was a love story done right. Nothing cheesy, nothing cliche. There was a scene where the main character had to help his mom out with her clown routine at the children's hospital. Go here and watch the scene several times like I did. It might make you want to see the whole movie.

In Between the Going, More Going and Yet Less

2011-08-04T21:47:00.000-07:00

Being home is yet another charm of sorts to add to this bracelet of a summer. The kids have enjoyed the break from crowds and lines. I've enjoyed staying up late, sleeping in, a return to my exercise routine and day adventures with the whole family. Despite our attempts at purposeful down time, when we were ready for action this week, things cropped up.

There was a parade through our front hallway (inspired by Disney parades, methinks) with kid made floats.

The kids ate free at Ikea. We wandered and got ideas and I admired the green of this couch.

I think we need this light, too, somewhere!

We took my husband to Slappycakes (Zucchini pancakes=yum) where he enjoyed some amazing Heuvos Rancheros. That's the thing about Slappycakes-it lures you in with the kid friendly pancake making at the table and then hits you with a yummy adult breakfast menu as well.

We played at the Wunderland nickel arcade at Avalon Theatre on Belmont. ( A great compliment to our Slappycakes visit as it's just up the road). Avery and I were in Skeeball heaven.

We had rootbeer floats. Rootbeer floats are SO! GOOD! I forget how good.

Sun tea anyone?

This summer we've marched through Edgar Eager's Half Magic, Magic by the Lake and this week started readingMagic or Not

There's been some hammock time....

Zucchini and bikinis were simultaneously in our kitchen as we baked yummy yummy zucchini bread

I finished up a sewing project I'd started the last time we were home-the making of some very special birthday banners.

It's been a blessed thing to be home this week during summer's long and open days. Here's to being home.

And here's to going: we leave in three days for our next destination, something I'll share with you in a few weeks when we get home. While I'm gone, two favorite bloggers have written posts about their summers and about summer in general, its' fleeting magic, its' way of capturing so many powerful memories and embodying quality time together. I am inspired to relay their summery sentiments before I go:

Katherine Newman

Amanda Soule

Phoney Log Cake courtesy of Nate the Great

2011-08-04T19:06:00.000-07:00

I'm kind of bad about saying, "yes" to projects the kids ask me to do but when we read Nate the Great and the Phony Clue and the girls asked if we could make the recipe for Phony Log Cake which we found at the end of the book, I said an emphatic, "yes!" It was so good I thought I'd share it here for you to say yes to, also. Have fun!

How to Make a Phony Log Cake
looks like a log, tastes like a cake, it's a cake in disguise

Get together:
1/2 pint whipping cream
mixing bowl
electric mixer
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
20 round vanilla wafer cookies (Trader Joe's vanilla wafers are especially tasty in this recipe)
a spreading knife
a large plate
a fork
1/8 cup Nestles Quik
a sifter

Step one:
Make your whipped cream (you know how, so I won't belabor this point).

Step Two:
Using the knife, cover one side of a cookie with whipped cream
Stack another cookie on top. Cover the second cookie with whipped cream. Add another cookie. Keep stacking cookies and whipped cream until you have a tower of about twenty cookies. (I gave each kid ten and they had their own mini logs). At some point the tower will become wobbly. Set it down on its side on the plate. Now it's a log. Cover your log in a layer of whipped cream so that you can't see any of the cookies.

Step Three:
Complete the disguise. Run the fork over the whipped cream. This will make the whipped cream look more like tree bark. Sift the cocoa over the log. It's okay if some goes on the plate.

Step Four:
Let it sit and "season" while you eat your dinner.

Step Five:
Enjoy! You will be very surprised how yummy this is.

Yosemite

2011-07-30T23:30:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Yosemite was the last adventure in our two week California crawl. It is truly one of the most BEAUTIFUL places I've ever been.

We did some minor hiking to places like Lower Yosemite Falls.

Most of the hikes in the park are for more seasoned hikers. Luckily my husband got to hike Mist Trail on his own and loved it. While he did that we played at one of our favorite places, Happy Isles.

We were again blessed with BEAUTIFUL weather. I felt a bit guilty as it has been a rainy summer in the Pacific Northwest.

We trekked to Mariposa Grove to stand before the Grizzly Giant but to get there involved a shuttle ride on twisty roads and a hike up a trail crowded with tourists. Utter exaustion started to emerge on our part because it was week two on the road following a rigorous line/crowd/traffic spell at Disney. Was the Grizzly Giant SO spectacular? Yes, but we're so used to beautiful stuff close by without terrible crowds.

We spent some time on the river playing in the water and reading. Thankfully the only bears we encountered were stuffed at the grocery store although Avery claims to have seen one in a tree.

Yosemite is just as magical as Disneyland, if not more, but its strengths lie more in the scenery than in the campground where we stayed. We camped at Crane Flat, about 17 miles from the valley floor at 6200 feet elevation. We purposefully camped there to avoid the crowds in the valley campgrounds but we are used to such pristine camping and were less than pleased with the campground. Its shortcomings included trash all over the campsite, no camp host, few to none flat spots for tents, loud neighbors, septic problems at the bathroom nearest to us which forced them to unload eight porta-potties, no lights in the bathrooms at night, a lack of firewood which people reacted to by hacking away at trees in their campsite, mosquitos(I came home with 14 bites), and little to no ranger presence.

We spent three nights and two full days here instead of the intended five nights five days and when we headed home, we felt good about it. We divided the trip again with an overnight stop in Redding, enjoying swimming in 100 degree heat there. 2,277 miles later, the California leg of our summer complete, we are home and doing absolutely nothing. (Well, not true, I've been blogging about all of our adventures).

The girls loved their adventure, and might have lasted another day at Yosemite. Still, they don't want to go anywhere in the car for awhile, loving time at home. We've been on the go more than we've been in the new house so that in and of itself is pure joy to come home to!

Uncle Andy's

2011-07-30T21:55:00.000-07:00

A welcome respite in between Disneyland and Yosemite was a stop in L.A. at my brother's (yes, he's the guy with the stroller!) to visit his sweet little family.

In the summers Andy is lucky to get about a month off and this year he spent it doing "Daddy Daycare" for Maddie while his wife Meg worked.

Right off the bat the girls helped Andy pick lemons in his backyard and went to work squeezing them into lemonade.

More time with Maddie was a huge delight for the girls, and for Maddie.

We took a long walk around the reservoir near his house.

I think at some point I'm going to have to live in a place with more exotic foliage and trees than Oregon offers.

We chilled and we hung out. Their backyard is a beautiful backdrop for BBqing.

We posed with his Emmy.

We drew on his chalkboard wall.

We went to the Griffith Observatory and watched a show in the Planetarium.

Of course there was the requisite shot in front of the Hollywood sign. See that little white thing behind Jooge on the hill?

Andy's high school pal Starelli was in town so we saw him, too. I think Julia had a secret crush on him because when she plays with her princess barbie now she gives the princess's male counterpart his name.

I loved snuggling with Maddie. I will forever have an image of she and Andy emerging from the bedroom with morning face. Ah, it warms my heart to see my brother as a dad, and not just a dad but a great dad.

Meg worked much of the time we were there but it is always great to see her, too. Here she sports her new birthday dress, available at this Portland-based Etsy shop. (Had to plug it). I have one too and love love love it!

One cool thing: I got to go to a taping of The Bachelorette: Men Tell All because Meg works on the sets for the finale shows. As much as I hate to admit this, I have watched both Bachelor and Bachelorette since they began so a taping like this provided me with seven hours of nonstop entertainment and I loved every minute of it. Ate it up with a spoon. Thanks for getting me in, Meg!

I love my brother and his family so much and time together when we live far apart is golden.

The California Leg-Part One: Disneyland

2011-07-30T19:36:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, we never went to Disneyland. It's not as though I remember my friends going, or even necessarily cared. I just remember the fact that my parents invested in a cabin in the woods that we always went to instead of other grand faraway destinations. I visited Disneyland in college instead, which was a great way to do things.

Anyway, one thing we felt we were ready to do was to go to Disney with the girls this summer. At eight and six, their ages seemed perfect and with lots of sabbatical time on our hands, a road trip to California was planned, complete with a second leg to Yosemite after Disney. Cue the crowds/line portion of sabbatical.

We divided the driving into two days, and once there stayed at a Marriott near Disney which offered a daily shuttle to the park as well as a great breakfast spread each morning. We spent four days there, one which was dedicated to California Adventure. In my estimation, California Adventure has better food and Disneyland has better "cast member" uniforms. Check out the ones from Fantasyland-super cute, methinks!

Each time we came into the park we got to The Hub in a different way. The first day it was on an old fire truck. The next it was on a double decker bus. How fun to enter Disneyland somehow special! Anyone can walk! We walked the rest of the day! But when we arrived, we ARRIVED in style!

We did a lot of rides, but some of the more crazy ones my husband did solo or with my brother Andy, who joined us one of the days. One of the first CRAZY rides we went on was Space Mountain, which I remembered being my favorite. Somehow twenty years later I did NOT think it was a favorite. I remembered loving the treehouse, too but it's since been converted to Tarzan's treehouse and it's just not the same as the Swiss Family Robinson's tree house plus my old lady kicked in again as she had on Space Mountain and was a little leery of how high up off the ground we were.

Not only did Space Mountain rattle me, Avery was wailing at the end, so we avoided several "scarier" rides because of that. Basically if they had any sort of sign at the beginning about requiring good health to ride it, we did not all go on it. We still did Star Tours-we just looked at each other the whole time to make it through. Our speed was the coaster in Toon Town-good velocity, but short. That has become my kind of thrill at the age of 39. Avery loved the Dumbo ride, Julia the Storybook ride, my husband Space Mountain and me Pirates of the Carribean.

We enjoyed watching the parade a few times. It had big energy and many celebrity sightings.

Speaking of celebrities, unlike a lot of people I know, we did not schedule a meal with the characters but we had a chance encounter with Cinderella upon leaving Fantasyland. She spotted us and offered her hand up to Avery, commenting on what a beautiful princess she was and offering to take a picture with her. She smoothly added Julia to the mix and they both stood enraptured by her, which was a bit unexpected, really. Still, just proof of the magic as they both left the park with some kind of princess doll-Julia's was Snow White, and Avery's was the Little Mermaid. This huge stage where the princess coronations occur interested the princesses in our party.

We had amazing weather, nice and sunny, and the areas of the park that were the shady ones over near Louisianna and Adventureland provided great relief from the moments full of too much glare.

The food was fun to induldge in: Sundaes, powdered candy, pizza, hamburgers. Julia especially loved the frozen lemonade and Avery, the cotton candy! I enjoyed the chili lime corn myself.

If I had to create a photo scavenger hunt for a Disney-goer, I would put the following things on the list, all which we saw at Disney:

A family wearing matching t-shirts that say something like, "Grandma's Disney Adventure 2011"

Someone walking around chomping on a huge turkey leg

Brides and Grooms walking around with Bride and Groom Mouse Ears with Mr. and Mrs. Whoever stitched on the backs

Mr. Toad's house on the Storybook boat ride-it is so dang cute nestled into the bank and I did NOT get a picture but I wish I had (this was the closest I got, it's in lower left hand corner)

Barbells in Toon Town

Minnie's kitchen in Toon Town

The cool huge trees out on the island in Adventureland(and basically everywhere)

The super realistic model of Jack Sparrow during Pirates of the Carribean (my favorite ride)

Giant clover in A Bug's Land in California Adventure (we really loved this area)

The World of Color night time water show

Adorable plush versions of Mickey

Someone wearing a pair of Toms

Someone using a fan/mister

Okay, Tarzan's Treehouse (even though it will always be Swiss Family Robinson's Treehouse to me)

A sea of strollers parked en masse near big attractions

The Mad Tea Party and all the cool lanterns strung above it

Personalized parasols with ruffles

A robot named Asimo

All in all the kids were a GREAT age to take to Disney, and actually, so were we. Though exausted after four days, I think we were all completely affected by our visit there and the magic of Disney. We had huge smiles and felt the magic!

Opal Creek

2011-07-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

Before we met, my husband did a fair amount of backpacking, which for those of you who haven't been, involves loading gear into a pack and hiking into the wilderness to stay overnight in the woods in unofficial sites. He has taken Julia on a short backpacking trip but this summer he wanted us all to experience backpacking. The fact that he's home for his sabbatical allowed us to take off midweek in early July for just such an adventure at Opal Creek, a most beautiful setting in Oregon's Willamette National Forest!

The trail into Jawbone Flats, an old mining town turned into Opal Creek's Educational Center, was about 3 miles. The lush forest (and snacks and water) lured us on, despite mosquitos and normal kid exaustion. It was so exciting to get closer and closer, the destination our reward.

Here, the heart shaped rocks abounded. Since we were backpacking though, only a few made it home with us for grandma.

One of the best things about the spot where we camped was being down on the banks of the creek throwing rocks into the water with first Avery and then later Julia. Simple: just rock skipping and throwing, just conversation and laughing. When Avery conked out early in the tent, Julia was especially thrilled to have time with just her dad and I down on that bank tossing rock after rock. And look where we ate our breakfast!

It was all just breathtakingly beautiful......On backpacking, I am officially sold.

Washington's Wonderful Woods (Part Two)

2011-07-30T12:02:00.000-07:00

Following a great time at the cabin, our trip to the the San Juans and in particular, Orcas Island was one for the books. Beautiful weather, hiking every day, our favorite campsite, and not too many crowds made it a WONDERFUL adventure.

The ferry trip always starts things off with a bang, especially after getting there and knowing you have a spot. It's so exciting! This trip we saw dolphins in the sound. And it was the most BEATIFUL DAY!

My husband is a camping rock star-though I have my important roles, he does the bulk of the work, happily. The site we stay in each year at Moran State Park is HUGE and private. Deer pass through, there is a stream running nearby, and there are several HUGE trees that have been there so long, their deep ridges could tell stories of the park's history. Note the hammock hanging in our site-and those would be my legs in it......

This year we spent one afternoon lolling by the water. The weather was SO HOT, I'd never experienced that in the San Juans before. Luckily Cascade Lake was there to cool the girls down. They played in the sand for hours.

Early in the week we headed into Eastsound to Darvill's as I'd just finished a really good read and was hungry for something else to enjoy. I chose The Postmistress a new book by an author I'd read recently.

Aren't the hollyhocks growing on the streets SO PRETTY?

This trip we did a hike every day. Our longest hike was 3.9 miles around Mountain Lake, and we loved it so much, we did it twice. I love walking around a lake trail-it's in my bones. Though there was an occasional grumble, for the most part the kids did great, too.

Someone had written a word with sticks on the side of the trail.

This door leads to what the girls have coined, the "hermit of the hills." I think the kids will especially remember this about Orcas Island.

The girls and I love to beachcomb at Crescent Beach, found on the way to Moran State Park near Eastsound. Oh, the endless treasures offered up by the tide: three different clammy shells, oyster shells, lots of beautiful stones, many a crab, smooth sable-colored driftwood and worn sea glass. Avery even found a sand dollar burried in seaweed. This is also where we've spotted blue herons, ankle deep in water, stalking their prey.

Atop Mount Constitution in what the girls call "tickle tower", we were able to see nearby Lummi Island to the east, an especially meaningful sight to Julia, whose dear friend vacations there often. It was a breathtaking view.

We had the best trip to Orcas, but after nearly two weeks on the road, we aimed our compass south a day early. We decided to return to the cabin for the night to cut our trip home in half. It ended our Washington tour quite nicely to see my mom (who hadn't left yet) and soak up the beauty at Clear Lake for one more warm summer evening.

The Weight

2011-07-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

Me in February 2011

I never really grew up worrying about my body much, but two pregnancies left me with unwanted weight that over a seven year period I never shed. I was so unhappy with this on a daily basis. My hugeness was affecting me hugely.

Desipte feeling like I was feeling, it was a combination of circumstances that made me finally do something about it: a visit to my Dr. to remind me my BMI indicated that I was OBESE, working out but feeling like my workouts only got me so far, weighing 192 pounds!!! I met various people in various ways who'd had success with Weight watchers and suddenly doing it seemed like the perfect way to get healthy.

In March, I went to a Weight Watchers meeting and joined. It is led by a wonderful woman and attended by all sorts of gals who have had great success. Following the program, I had immediate success. Each time I would weigh in I would feel more rewarded by my progress. I am just anal enough to really do well with a system of tracking my food. That plus my workouts launched a whole new definition of healthy. People started to comment on how I looked, noticing the change in my body even more than I did.

37.8 pounds later I am a new gal whose BMI is the normal range. I feel amazing and mostly because in my head there's new space for good stuff instead of my mind being taken up by negative thoughts about my body. I have learned to eat differently, a habit which Weight Watchers teaches people. When I try on clothes they fit. I have gone down 2-3 sizes which has made shopping for new clothes fun. When I take pictures I don't delete them because of how my body looks. I feel so humbled by this hard work and progress that every once in awhile it hits me really hard. Then I press on, following a plan that works without a whole heck of a lot of thought about it at all.

This summer we have been on the go and I've managed (thus far) to stay strong despite a change in routine and an inability to attend meetings on a regular basis to stay in touch with my progress. When I reach my goal weight in about five more pounds, there I plan to stay and it's because I can't even tell you how happy I am now. I would much rather feel like this than eat all the coconut cream pie in the world. What's great about Weight Watchers is that I can still have a peice of it every once in awhile, which completely satisfies.

Me in July 2011

Haircut Party

2011-07-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

We often start the summer with fresh new hairdos and have gone to many different hair babes to get them. This year we used Theresa, a hair babe who comes to OUR house and does a great haircut! Knowing we weren't the only ones ready to go shorter, we invited our good friends Wendy and Haley over and were utterly transformed, each and every one of us!

After having had loooong hair for a looooooong time both Wendy and Haley came away with new looks that really complimented them. That's putting it mildly, in truth, they looked downright FABULOUS.

Here is Wendy's hair before:

Here is Wendy's hair after:

Haley had only ever received a mere trim on her hair. Isn't her dress cute? Wendy made it!

You can see Haley's hair here and despite her face, she was very happy with it.

Avery went a few inches shorter and kept her bangs.

Julia went a few inches shorter and kept her bangs long. Her hair looks especially cute in the back because of her natural curl.

My cut was the standard shorter bob, but it's been great. Easy. No more ponytail. Also, I've stopped coloring it, so what you see is what you get. Thankfully the sun has given it some highlights this summer.

I say "yay" to haircuts, hair babes that come to you, and good friends to get them with!

The Woods of Washington

2011-07-12T16:20:00.000-07:00

I've told you about the cabin before, I know. But here it sits, one of my happy places. We spent about three days here laying around and reading all day. The weather was overcast and we barely noticed. There was a hike and a canoe trip, as well as trips into Yelm to Walmart. All in all, very kick back. The right way to start the summer, and especially to start my husband's ten week sabbatical, or as I call it, the saBADASSical.

Then, the Californians arrived. So good to see my brother and his wife and baby. The girls were completely enamored of their cousin. They got so much Madeline in their system that when they see a picture of her now, they make happy noises and say, "Awwwwww."

She is SO. CUTE. Nothing but a huge smile. And, she seemed to really love the girls-I think their high voices especially delighted her because she would watch them animated, her tiny legs kicking down again and again.

As always it was great to see my brother. I miss him so. He and the hus bonded over construction projects and trips to Yelm for BB guns.

He's a great dad, too. And his wife is also a great mom.

My sis-in-law and I both have July birthdays so there was a celebration in our honor.

AND, she did cardio jams (this is the class I take when at home and I've been doing it just long enough to mostly remember the moves)with me and my mother in the woods. I had to work out over vacay so this is how it went down, with Julia adding in her groovy moves.

Julia got in a little hammock time reading The Sister's Grimm.

We made collages with my mom and did freezer paper stencils on tees. Good times. That's your slug love one, Mol. WINK!

We were really lucky to get some gorgeous and warm weather and got over to Otter Beach for some swimming and sunning, or just pensive towel time.

That and we had fun climbing an Alder that went out over the water.

No bullfrogs to speak of, no moss animals like last summer, several sightings of a bald eagle, and a sighting of a snake, while on the trail with Avery. We were holding hands and I stopped us with just a quick intake of breath as it slithered in front of us. But her yell? Just as loud as any I've done. Except mine, as I told Avery, wasn't a yell but an "Oh mommy I love you," when I saw a snake as a kid.

We got my mom a new charcoal BBQ to roll out for guests and had the BEST burgers on the 4th of July, followed by sparklers and a tame viewing of the fireworks someone was letting out over the lake.

Glory be to the cabin, getaway of rest and rejuvination. Thank you, wilds of Washington!

'Sup, Summa?

2011-06-17T11:10:00.000-07:00

Pictured is Madeline my neice and Meg my sis-in-law. Seriously, is there anything cuter than a baby with big shades?

So, school got out on Tuesday and around here, we're all feeling the same way: summer's gonna rock!

But before it officially begins, there's the packing and the moving. My "village" has been AWESOME offering daily playdates so the girls have been occupied with friends while I pack. We're not just talking any playdates, either. Yesterdays' was Harry Potter-themed and todays' boasted a spa with oatmeal/banana facials. That's why I love me my village and exactly why we are putting down permanent roots in it.

We move in two days. WOO HOO! Bring it on!

Home Sweet Home

2011-05-25T18:07:00.000-07:00

Things are about to get reaaallllly crazy around here. Hold on to your hats.

The big news is that we have finally bought a house! After nearly a year of being consumed with looking (sometimes wondering where to go and sometimes wanting to stay right where we are) we are ending up mere blocks from where we currently are. The kids get to stay at their wonderful elementary school and we are getting a great house which we are very excited to make our mark on as we settle in over the summer.

Amidst the packing and moving prep, there will be a visit from the Michigan relatives, a softball tournament, Julia's eighth birthday, school ending, a ballet rehearsal and recital, and the usual daily grind of everything else. Big, good, but BUSY!

And, after we move into our house, we will have one week and then my husband's sabatical will begin, which signifies a very exciting summer for us on the move.

Stay tuned, I will definitely have things to report on and hopefully enough time to report on them when things die down a bit.

You're Really It!

2011-05-09T17:12:00.000-07:00

God

disguised

as a myriad of things and

playing a game

of tag

Has kissed you and said,

"You're it -

I mean, you're really IT!"

Now

It does not matter

What you believe or feel

For something wonderful,

Major-league Wonderful

Is someday going

To

Happen.

~ Hafiz

Go Pink Ponies

2011-05-03T21:12:00.000-07:00

The girls are playing softball this year, their first foray into team sports.

I am so proud of them because it's really out of their comfort level and has introduced a host of new skills.

They had their first game last weekend and lost 12-8 to the green tree frogs. It was a great effort!

With a name like Pink Ponies how can you not have a ball?

Mildred Pierce

2011-05-03T20:48:00.000-07:00

The opening scene in the first episode of Mildred Pierce, a new mini-series on HBO, features a woman's hands pouring pie filling into a homemade pie crust and frosting a cake. The kitchens walls were creamy yellow, punctuated by the Depression-era fabrics of her dress, apron and curtains. I was hooked from that minute forward.

Based on a 1940's book and movie, HBO's mini-series delivers five episodes (each roughly one hour) involving single mother Mildred Pierce and her quest to make a life for her daughters, much to the embarassment of her ungrateful, class-obsessed eldest daughter. Mildred's choices make for a long and heavy drama peppered with tragedies and triumph. Put it in your Neflix queue for a future rainy day and travel back in time to see how single women brought home the bacon in Depression-era California.

NOW WE ARE SIX!

2011-04-25T08:39:00.000-07:00

Now We are Six

When I was One,
I had just begun.
When I was Two,
I was nearly new.
When I was Three
I was hardly me.
When I was Four,
I was not much more.
When I was Five,
I was just alive.
But now I am Six,
I'm as clever as clever,
So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.
-A.A. Milne

Avery turned six this month. I can't believe I've been blogging since she was referred to as, "the baby." Wasn't she just turning one?

From five to six our kids have both displayed tremendous stretching and growth. When they were five, for example, the log ride at Enchanted Forest wasn't even on their radar as an acceptable adventure. At six both were ready to bring it on.

At six:
Avery LOVES:
1)Receipts and paper from the recycling bin. The girl is a paper FIEND. When we bring the mail in she's already scoping out what will be going into the recycling. :O) These days most of it does.

2)Putting music on in her room and dancing with the door closed all by herself. She has an outfit she likes to wear when she does this involving a lace-fringed tank top (much like her ballet teacher's) leggings, a long skirt and a head scarf.

3)Her dolls. This has always been the case. She received this doll and carrier for her birthday, whom she named Roberta.

4)School. Most days, Avery gets off the bus a happy spaz.

5)Wild Kratts, and especially episodes featuring DAVIO.

6)Singing. The girls are learning songs througout the decades and currently Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy is Avery's fave. She and I took a bike ride the other day and she sang that song the whole time.

She HATES:
1)Bugs. HATES THEM! She's had many a bad dream in the night that involved a spider. Hers is an involuntary reaction when one is near her.

2)Having her hair brushed-her scalp is sensitive, but loves having her hair up in fun styles.

Avery also......

CRIES during any tender moment in a movie, like in the Princess and the Frog which she saw for the second time last week, she was BAWLING when the bug died.

READS. Her reading is really taking off right now. When I find her reading to her babies I just love it-she holds the book out so they can see the pages and uses lots of expression.

ENJOYS chocolate, hamburger patties, carrot sticks, honey sandwiches, and frosted mini wheats from trader joe's in the blue box thank you very much. Everything else she pretty much rejects.

TELLS me everything, all the stories every day. She tells me more stuff than her sister does, she's a very verbal child.

IS PLAYING SOFTBALL even though it's not what she'd have chosen to do with several spring evenings a week. She is proving to be both graceful and dancy and wildly coordinated, picking softball right up. Go Aves!

I love you Avery, super six year old of ours! Happy Birthday!

SUN SUN SUN!

2011-04-18T13:39:00.000-07:00

After all the rain, more rain, and rain again, the sunny day yesterday deserves documentation. The air was short sleeved t-shirt warm and bright. We worked in the yard and played tennis and took a family bike ride. It was the best day. We watched a documentary on Maurice Sendack and The Fighter too, which was outstanding.

Sigh. Thanks, spring. You showed up for a minute.

Post-A-Day in March Ends With A Giveaway!

2011-03-31T06:04:00.000-07:00

Tell me who the HE is in this quote and win a goody!

"Oh yes, yes yes indeedy HE does the dishes and helps with the laundry, you betcha!"

Time to delurk and comment! Go ahead and "sign in" as anonymous but please sign your name to your comment. One of you will be randomly chosen and given a treat for reading!

A Post as Long as the Beach We Visited

2011-03-30T06:12:00.000-07:00

We are big fans of the Long Beach Penninsula and decided to end our spring break there this year. We stayed in a little house built in 1898 in Seaview. We really loved it for it's charm and comfort.

There are so many cute historic homes near it, too. This was one of my faves.

Julia and I took a walk in the neighborhood and she told me what her life would be like when she was an adult. There was lots of bread baking and dress making to look forward to. I loved hearing about it.

Avery was happy to pull out the house's games one at a time and play with the peices. The perfect gift for Avery would be a stack of games from Goodwill that she could just HAVE AT, co-mingling peices and using at her whim. All the better if the game had play money.

Despite the rain, we got down to the beach quite a bit. We actually drove most of the length of the beach, ON the beach, something that really thrills my husband. This "lighthouse" that we spotted near the northern tip of the peninsula was actually someone's home. Wow.

Avery made an obstacle course on the sand. Julia wrote big words.

We played at Funland. I usually catch Skeeball Fever here. My high score was 300,000. I just can't stop playing once I start. Avery followed suit.

We also spotted many a monkey tree around town.

My husband and I used to try to be first to spot monekey trees and shout but now Avery is usually the one shouting, "Monkey Puzzle Tree!"

We took the girls to the Lewis and Clark Museum at Cape Disappointment, too. They did scavenger hunts and earned badges. I always chuckle at the way they spelled back in 1804.

The Long Beach Peninsula is our go-to getaway when we want to unplug. No t.v. (They did have one on which the girls watched The Fox and the Child Saturday night but no cable). No computer. Just relaxation, time together, a change of pace and scene. This visit in particular was a really good one. It ended our spring break fabulously.

I don't know when, but we'll be back.....

2011-03-29T07:17:00.000-07:00

"When we say things like, 'People don't change,' it drives scientists crazy, because change is literally the only constant in all of science. Energy, matter, it's always changing, morphing, merging, growing.

It's the way people try not to change that's unnatural, the way we cling to what things were instaed of letting them be what they are, the way we cling to old memories instead of forming new ones, the way we insist on believing, despite every scientific indication, that anything in this lifetime is permanent.

Change is constant.

How we experience change, that is up to us. It can feel like death, or it can feel like a second chance at life. If we open our fingers, loosen our grips, go with it, it can feel like pure adreneline, like at any moment we can have another chance at life, like at any moment we can be born all over again."

-Grey's Anatomy

Keepin' It Real Monday

2011-03-28T05:55:00.000-07:00

This debris was unearthed this weekend from between the back seats of my car.

Flowering Quince

2011-03-27T07:11:00.000-07:00

in March,
their twiggy clusters
thrust sweet blossoms out
to remind us of spring

and each time our delighted eyes
see their salmon centers
bursting somewhere,
it's a new excitement

like contest winners
we shout
"Flowering Quince!"
the sighting,
our reward.
-Me

Three Hour Tour

2011-03-26T06:33:00.000-07:00

This week during spring break we had a Gilligan's Island marathon accompanied by homemade coconut cream pie.

The kids LOVE this show and it was so fun to see old episodes that I'd completely forgotten about. I have several favorites from season two that we watched, like when the camera equipment lands on the island and they film a "picture," or when there's a ghost on the island.

Today Avery was standing hip out, batting her eyes and said, "Do I look like Ginger? Sometimes when she's in a beauty trance she goes like this."

They mention coconut cream pie so much during that show that I thought it was a fitting treat to enjoy while watching. This recipe, from the Joy of Cooking is so. Good. It's the pie my dad made me for my eighteenth (?) birthday. Definitely worth trying sometime, Gilligan's Island episodes or not.

Coconut Cream Pie

Crust: 1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup shortening
1 T. butter
2 T. water

Filling: 2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups milk (I used nonfat milk and the pie did not thicken as it might with a milk that had a higher fat content)*
3 egg yolks
2 T. butter
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flaked sweetened coconut

Sift flour and salt together. Cut shortening and butter into flour and once incorporated add water. Blend with a fork. When dough can be handled into a ball it's ready to be rolled out. Place in pie pan and prick holes then bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown. Let cool before adding filling.

On top of double boiler combine sugar, flour, and salt. Add milk and cook for ten minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Beat egg yolks. Stirring well pour 1/2 of hot mixture into eggs. When smooth return eggs to rest of hot mixture and put back on double boiler until thickened. Remove and add butter and vanilla and coconut. Cool before putting in pie shell.

Pour into pie shell when cool. You can cover with a meringue or whipped cream and 1/4 cup toasted or flaked coconut.
ENJOY! We sure did!

*"Be cautious about substituting skim milk in pudding, custard and sauce recipes. These recipes rely on the dairy fat for added texture and flavor."
-Diana's Desserts Ingredient Substitutions

Friday Fun!

2011-03-25T06:22:00.000-07:00

Need inspiration for a final spring break project? I was paging through Family Fun at a recent stop to Yogurt Munch and there were some very fun ideas in there. Like the above cardboard dollhouse with egg carton furniture.Lovely.

How fun would it be to make this hula hoop rug?

This hanging trading card sleeve planter is fun, too.

Alice in Roseburg

2011-03-24T08:17:00.000-07:00

We went and saw the Eugene Ballet perform Alice in Wonderland with my mom down in Roseburg last weekend. It was a wonderful show. The girls loved it but Avery especially loved it being a blossoming young ballerina herself.

It was the first time we'd dressed up for a night out in a long time. I even curled their hair. Thanks Grandma! It was a great show!

Slappycakes

2011-03-23T07:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the girls and I finally went to Slappycakes. I'd been wanting to take them forever and a free day over spring break seemed like as good a time as any, especially when Yogi Bear was also playing at the theater down the street and they'd both really been wanting to see it.

Slappycakes is like the breakfast version of a Mongolian grill. Most tables are built with a hot griddle in its' center. When ordering, you can pick any number of gourmet breakfast selections including pancakes cooked by them, OR the batter to make pancakes yourself at your table. There are several batter options, from gluten free to sweet potato. You can also choose things you might like to drop into the cooking batter (we picked chocolate chips) as well as what to put on top of them once they're cooked.

Worth a visit, indeed! It makes for a fun and creative eating experience.

Just Be Nice to Slugs

2011-03-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Julia is a slug lover. She picks them up. She names them. Their slime is the furthest thing from her mind.

One day we were talking about this slug love of hers and I told her we should make t-shirts to celebrate this misunderstood mollusk. So this weekend when we visited my mom in Roseburg, we took a little fabric paint, some freezer paper, and made stencils of slugs and "slugans" (slogans). Pictured here are the results of our labor.
Avery's:

Mine (slug by Julia)

Julia's

My mom's

Sluggish, we are not. Or are we?

Keepin It Real Monday

2011-03-21T07:56:00.000-07:00

We Like Frogs

2011-03-20T07:12:00.000-07:00

These pictures from last summer remind me how crazy we got about frogs. The bullfrog tadpoles were just thick in the lake and the kids were so into catching them. I was the same way back in the day. And the circle, it goes round and round.....

Fast forward to now, and our most recent trip to the cabin on a weekend in March. On one of our hikes, my mom spotted a huge bullfrog just sitting in the middle of the trail. He was so immobile we were able to stop and check him out without him jumping. When the dog ran right by and the frog didn't even try to move we knew something was really wrong. Each of us had a turn holding it and investigating it. It seemed to have a break in the skin under its' jaw. My mom thought maybe it had broken its' back. When we tried to put it back in the water it sat there long enough that the dog made another pass by and snatched it up.

Well you can imagine how much this FREAKED two frog-lovers out. Julia was furious. Avery started crying. Of course the dog was not about to drop the frog, so off she ran, one rigid flipper sticking out the side of her mouth. She dropped it several times, and each time the frog gave a huge effort at jumping away until she picked it back up again and took off. Finally, after chasing her really fast I found her without the frog and picked it up and tossed it to safety in the lake. It seemed to muscle under the water, surprisingly. We were all so relieved that the dog wasn't going to be the one to finish it off but the frog probably sunk to its demise anyway.

I doubt the girls will ever forget that experience. It will be imprinted on our frog-loving minds until the summer when we can do some more frog hunting.

The factoid of the day: bullfrogs live as tadpoles for two years before maturation into full- fledged frog. They can live 8-10 years.

Art Class

2011-03-19T06:10:00.000-07:00

This week the girls finished a five week Portfolio class at My Masterpeice. For your viewing pleasure, I would love to reveal to you their masterpeices...
Behold...clay bunnies:

Bottle sketches in charcol

Chalk on Cloth birds:

Mixed Media Chairs

Painted Poppies

What a great assortment of creation. They were very proud!

It's Geologic

2011-03-18T07:11:00.000-07:00

My mom collects heart shaped rocks, fitting for such a loving person. It's amazing how many there are out there. These were a few we found on the banks of the Smith River last summer.

Love is everywhere, if you look for it.

Avery's Leprachaun Trap, In Her Words

2011-03-17T07:56:00.000-07:00

"It starts with a plastic bin. And then you print out a paper brick wall. You tape it on the side. And then you put a Playmobil ladder from your Playmobil basket, box or bin. And you put that ladder on the side so the leprachaun can climb up. And then you put some cardboard at the top and you make an X at the top so he can fall through. Then you put a gold button at the top. And then when he climbs up to the top he will fall in and he will be trapped. And the leprachaun can't get out."

I love that they have to do this for their kindergarten homework. There's a whole lot of hoopla about Lucky, the leprachaun that often visits their school on St. Patrick's Day.

Happy St. Pats to all of you! May the luck 'o the Irish be with you!

This is the gold button that the leprachaun wants to capture!

Here are the rest of the traps pictured in her class. Such variety!

Mindy, An Ode

2011-03-16T06:22:00.000-07:00

Mindy is one of my most loyal readers and I promised her a post about Intel acroynms which just wasn't panning out, so instead, today's post is a tribute to Mindy.

Mindy and her husband Kyle are longtime friends of my husband and that is how we met. When you are able to bond with the wife of your husband's bud, it is a gift. Mindy and I have much in common: an interest in writing, reading, and shopping at Ross. It was by Mindy's side that I first ventured to Eugene's Voodoo Donuts. We have photo booth pictures to prove it.

Mindy is an amazing person. Not only does she give selflessly of herself to her two red-headed boys, and great husband Kyle, she works full time as a teacher at an alternative school in Eugene. She does all sorts of really cool things for her students, is inspired and invested in ways all teachers should be.

I admire Mindy a lot and look forward to the next time our families get together so we can hang. Oh, that reminds me, we both like hammocks, too.

Mindy is going to Bali tomorrow, a fun trip she so deserves. You go, girl! Thanks for reading.

Hello Milestone

2011-03-15T06:45:00.000-07:00

The girls LOVE going to the dentist. Dr. Muckerheide is really cheery and non-threatening and has the best prizes. They always leave with big (clean!) smiles. So far no cavities for either one of them. Phew! Not sure why, but we'll take it.

Yesterday, something very big happened at the dentist. Avery walked in with a dangling tooth and walked out with a gap in her smile and a tiny purple box containing her first lost tooth! She's had one hanging on by a thread for a few weeks and the dentist had only to give it a good twist and out it came. I was sitting in the waiting room (another milestone, Avery used to always need me to come in with her) and heard Julia excitedly say, "Oh Avery!" and then out came Aves with a HUGE excited smile and a gap in her mouth. She's been eagerly awaiting the loss of her first tooth for awhile now.

Avery poses with her hygenist Gwen and the new hole in her smile!

Keeping it Real Monday

2011-03-14T07:53:00.000-07:00

My blog reflects positive things in our lives, perhaps (unintentionally)leading the reader to believe that life for us simply sparkles.

Riiiiiight.

Today, as much as I love my darling cherubs, I will spend Keeping it Real Monday sharing the most extreme ways my children annoy me. Yes, I said it, sometimes my children annoy me.

Julia smacks louder than anyone I've ever heard when she eats. At least once a day I find myself saying, "Wow, I can really hear you chewing...."

Avery likes to need me urgently from other rooms RIGHT when I've begun an important task. It's something about her nasally, "MAAAAAM!" that just gets me and not in a good way.

When we walk places together, like into the library for example, one of my girls is always walking RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, slowly and without realizing it.

It's impossible for me to talk on the phone without one of them approaching me and starting a conversation as though I'm completely available.

They need me to DJ whenever we're listening to their CD's in the car. You'd think after several Kidz Bop albums I would know which number the songs are.
but I do not.

Their bathroom is perpetually covered in toothpaste.

And, drumroll please.......................................................
my children ALWAYS go out into the backyard, forget to unlock the door behind them, lock themselves out and bang on the door really loud to be let back in. To illustrate my own failings, I let them in begrudgingly.

Do tell, how do your children annoy YOU?

2011-03-13T07:34:00.000-07:00

Cynics always say no.
But saying yes begins things.

Saying yes is how things grow.
Saying yes leads to knowledge.

“Yes” is for young people.
So for as long as you have the strength to, say yes.

~ Stephen Colbert

2011-03-12T07:55:00.000-08:00

Julia's learning about idioms at school and she keeps telling me how much her dogs are barking.

Cruising for Bruising

2011-03-11T06:37:00.000-08:00

In high school I spent a lot of time downstairs in my room. My dad teased me about always being "in my hole" and I distinctly remember my brothers mocking me because I liked spending time down in my room listening to Basia.

It was the late 80's. I'd heard Basia's music on Kink and I dug it. I can only imagine just how smoothly it rocked the kitchen floor above my room. Okay, it wasn't what everyone else was listening to necessarily, (just everyone's parents) so perhaps they had a right to tease...

Fast forward twenty years and I don't own any of Basia's music. Everything I owned then was in cassette form and I've since gotten rid of my mammoth tape collection.

But guess who does own Basia's music?

Both brothers! Isn't that rich? When I visited Andy in February he played it for me on his computer and Ry recently found a Basia tape at Goodwill that he bought. For old timey sake, I've got two Basia albums on request at the library.

Which 80's musical artist did YOU get mocked for listening to?

2011-03-10T08:17:00.000-08:00

What would you do if you were not afraid?
-Spencer Johnson

2011-03-09T09:51:00.000-08:00

This spring I was supposed to be hunting down a teaching job for next fall. That was the plan, but you know what happens to plans when you try and make them. All these years I've been home with the kids I've checked the job postings and wanted to apply but didn't because it wasn't the time. Now I don't expect to see ANY job openings because of the local districts shortfalls. 25 million dollar cuts do not mean openings, they mean closings. Odd that this is where I find myself when I thought I'd be preparing to go back to work.

In the meantime, one thing that has been exercising my teacher muscle is that I've been tutoring my friend's third grade daughter in reading and math. I never had tutored before and it has turned out to be great. I'm really glad I'm doing it. I think it's going to be a good way to be a teacher even when I can't. What kid can't benefit from one on one help with topics they need help to master?

The eventual teaching job is out there looming and I'll find it, even if it takes a few years. My licensure will allow that and I don't HAVE to work, which makes it nice. I'm going to be ready to go back- being off for seven years seems a long enough time to be out of the loop. I have new things to learn! I have to brush up on my SKILLZ!

If I had to create the perfect teaching job it would be at a school like The Opal School and it would a job share so that I taught every morning. Beggars can't be choosers though and I'm open to subbing. We shall see...

2011-03-08T08:56:00.000-08:00

A:Please don't laugh at me if I tell you my secret. I have a boyfriend.

Me:Who is it?

A:I thought it was Nathan the first time but it's really Ethan.

Me:Who's Ethan?

A: Ethan is a boy in Mrs. Z's class. He already knows I'm in love with him. All because Julia told me to. It's actually all my fault that I showed him I loved him.

Me: How does he know that you love him?

A:He was over by one of the microphones at recess. He was waiting at the one that's closest to the......not the one closest to the grass but the one farthest from the grass, the field. I was skipping around over there. I turned my head to see if he was there. Turned my head again, he wasn't there. Turned my head back and he was standing there and he looked like he was giggling. That's how I got embarassed. So now he knows that I'm in love with him.

Me: You got embarassed. And what does he look like? What do you like about him?

A:I just like his look.

Who Do You Think You Are?

2011-03-07T07:50:00.000-08:00

Have you caught an episode ofWho Do You Think You Are yet? I find it fascinating to watch. It's a genius premise for a show because of the pure fact that our histories are full of mystery, and uncovering it all is so interesting!

The above picture was taken at my parent's wedding, March 2, 1968 and thus begins my history. Isn't it good to look at them, to look at their beautiful young happy faces? Look at those faces, pictured with my mom's parents Oscar and Rebecca on the left and my dad's parents Luella and Ralph on the right. Those faces make me who I am. I love those faces.

Sadly, none of my grandparents are living. I lost both grandpas in 1986. Both grandmas lived into their late eighties, which bodes well for my genes. They were amazing women, each in different ways.

My grandma Zenor(my dad's mom) was the perfect grandma to me when I was a little kid. She taught me all about the names of plants and flowers. She baked the tastiest bread, served with her homemade strawberry or blackberry freezer jam. She was a storyteller and to this day my brothers and I remember one story she used to always tell about an indian boy, Hosteen taking care of his sheep on a stormy night. We always went to church with her, and she was always the one who wanted to hear about the boy I liked into my adolescent years. She loved unconditionally.

My grandma Becky was the grandma we always visited down in Medford who would take us shopping each spring. She gave me a writing desk that belonged to her mother and said on my graduation that today I was a big frog in a little pond, and that in college I would be a little frog in a big pond, but that one day I would be a big frog in a big pond again. I really got to know Grandma Becky best when I did my teaching program down in Ashland and spent a lot of time with her. Shucks, we watched the OJ chase together. She related to me really well as an adult, and was an amazing woman, a college grad, and always exercising her mind with crossword puzzles.

I miss my grandmas. I feel thankful that I probed them both for information about their families' histories when they were alive. Ancestry was interesting to me even when I was young!

Last year, inspired by Who Do You Think You Are, I did a trial membership on Ancestry.com and added a ton more information to my family tree. It was HIGHLY addictive and it was probably a good thing the trial only lasted two weeks because for those two weeks I was completely preoccupied. It's really exciting when little questions about your ancestors finally get answered and you can add little peices to the puzzle. I have tentatively traced my mom's mom's side way back to people whose address was Colonial America. Wow.

Kids in the Kitchen

2011-03-06T07:23:00.000-08:00

"today i invented a new kind of cookie.I do'nt quite know what I'm going to call them.Right now I'm waiting for the cookies to come out of the oven."
-typed by Julia

One thing we haven't done much as a family is cook together. I feel a little bad about it, and I know it's my own comfort level's fault

Today the girls wanted to do some creative baking and for the first time ever, I truly let them go at it. The only thing I did was point out a recipe to give them an idea of measurements/proportions and help with the oven.

Julia was in heaven creating cookies for her fairy house.

Avery was thrilled to be frosting grahams with a pre-made Trader Joe's frosting mix and old grahams that had been in the cupboard forever.

Even starting with a clean kitchen this has been a worthwhile way for them to spend some time this Saturday afternoon, just because of how good they feel about their creations.

The more we do stuff like this, the more comfortable I'll be with it . The chocolatey smiles make it all worthwhile! Of course we'll have to taste what they created to see how it all turns out, too!

Edited to add: Julia's cookies are called Fairy Kisses
Nonpareils will never again be used in such a cooking project. I keep stepping on them! They're everywhere!

Pretty Pretty

2011-03-05T06:57:00.000-08:00

My husband got me these earrings for our eighth anniversary in January. He actually looked for honeysuckle shaped earrings for me (I'm crazy about the smell of honeysuckle, I've been known to take great pause, nose burried in the plants)and found them here. I just LOVE them! Thanks, hon. Good work!

Golden Moments

2011-03-04T07:29:00.000-08:00

Avery and I are very lucky to get to have some special time together each day when she gets home from kindergarten and before we pick Julia up from school. It's not every day that we actually take advantage of that time because sometimes we're both in front of screens or running errands or at ballet class or having a playdate. But sometimes we actually use the time to spend in a quality way together. I'm really going to miss that next year when both girls are in school all day. We're truly dangling at the end of an era.

In the picture above we spent some time together at one of our favorite places, a place we call "The Blue Heron Park." (If we're lucky, we spy blue herons here sometimes). Avery had organized a scavenger hunt so we set about finding certain things. When we were done we saw all sorts of other cool things, too.

The remains of a beaver's business

A heart-shaped grassy imprint left behind by a shoe

Letters made by sticks and carved into the bark of trees

When Avery and I are together (both of us are very observant) there's a lot of noticing going on. Avery noticed, for example that this duck had a very long beak. We wondered if it had something to do with his way of digging around in the mud underwater to find food.....

As we were finishing our trek around the paths, Avery noticed something else. The blue heron was huddled in a tree.

It was a great way to finish our time together.

Looky!

2011-03-03T08:48:00.000-08:00

We've gone and had our fingers and toes made pretty with Aunt Jen in winter's grey gloom.

Tiny Dancer

2011-03-02T07:04:00.000-08:00

Madeline (pronounced like the children's book character) danced her way into my heart when I met her for the first time over President's weekend.

Andy and Meghann, precious brother and sister-in-law that they are, went and created a most adorable neice that will satiate any baby-fix I might need (since I am completely done with having babies). I'll sniff her and smile at her and feel my whole body calm as I hold her, then I'll hand her back (albeit begrudgingly) while they take it upon themselves to raise her up right. That's all I have to do with this absolutely adorable picture of perfect: play with her and spoil her. It's much different than the responsibility of parenthood, this being an aunt-business.* If only she didn't live so far away.....

*My own aunt Mary was so cherished growing up so I've had a good model. Speaking of whom, check out the darling shoes she made for Madeline. (She's always been AMAZING at homemade gifts!)

The Birth of Goldie Vole

2011-03-01T21:08:00.000-08:00

When I was seven, I had a "Gnome Notebook" (blank book, picture of gnome writing in a book on the faux-denim cover, GNOME NOTEBOOK printed above it) that I filled with stories modeled after the books I read. I wrote one called Squirrel Nutkin and a mystery, later fixating on stories about summer camp for some strange reason. From second grade on, I wrote for fun, even when I wasn't being given an assignment.

This year, I decided to get back in touch with my inner seven year-old and write a children's story. To jumpstart myself, I took a six week night class at PCC called Writing Children's Literature, taught by a published children's author. We set goals and shared manuscripts. Overall, all hopes of ever having our stories on the local library's shelves became dashed by the information we learned about the publishing business. No, your favorite publishing house (Candlewick Press!!!!!) isn't accepting manuscripts. Yes, your manuscript will end up on a sludge pile somewhere else.

Still, on our last class as we sat circled up, convivial and sharing homemade guacamole, we had the chance to compliment one another's "manuscripts," and I felt even more motivated to see my story through to the publishing house, even though it has a LONG WAY TO GO to get there, even though it's going to be really hard, even though it doesn't happen to most people.

EVEN THOUGH.

In high school psychology class we had to go around the room and describe each class member with one-word. The word my teacher, Mr. Dummer, used to describe me was timid and though I wouldn't use that word to describe myself, that's the only word I remember being described as to this day-I couldn't tell you what anyone else said. Am I, as Julia's reading group found last week when they looked up the word timidly, "lacking confidence or courage?" Let's just say I've approached my ambition to write with timidity, despite the century old writing desk my grandmother gave to ME that sits and gathers dust, despite the positive praise I receive, despite the inner seven year-old that still wants to do it.

So. It's time to do something with my writing. Enough limiting it to the walls of the Gnome Notebooks of the world. I want to be courageous. I want to work really hard to write a real live children's book.

This summer we camped amongst the Redwoods at Jed Smith State Park. Each night we would settle ourselves in the ampitheatre under the stars and listen to the educational talks given by the park's rangers. We learned a lot from those presentations, more than you'd ever want to know about turkey vultures, for sure. One night they talked about tiny arboreal rodents called tree voles that lived high above the forest floor on the hulking branches of the redwoods. The idea that miniature mammals made their homes hidden above me in the trees really stuck with me. My character was born and I've gotten to know her better since then.

Stay tuned and get ready to meet a red tree vole named Goldie who is tired of timidity, too. Bored with a life compromised of eating needles and hiding from owls, Goldie will take a bigger, more satisfying bite out of life, if she isn't turned into an owl pellet first.

A Post a Day in March But Until Then....a Tidbit

2011-02-27T20:37:00.000-08:00

"You know quite well deep within you that there is only a single magic, a single power, a single salvation....and that is called loving."
-Herman Hesse

Meet Madeline

2011-02-05T17:04:00.000-08:00

I am an AUNT! My brother Andy and his wife Meghann have a new bundle and she is adorable. I get to visit them in L.A. in a few more weeks. I really can't wait!

Michgan Trip Pt. 2

2011-01-12T21:48:00.000-08:00

My in-laws neighborhood in Kalamazoo is a mix of Frank Lloyd Wright-esque homes, nestled into the landscape. I took lots of walks in the brisk cold and just loved looking at everything. It's such a different kind of beauty in Michigan, lots of big deciduous trees and forests. Lovely!

This is my husband's family farmhouse near Coldwater that was built in the 1880s. My father- in-law grew up there and my husband lived there for awhile as a child.

In downtown Coldwater, we had to pose in front of this famous opera house.

Melissa and Sara pose prior to going on a bagel/donut run. Had to snap a shot.

We drove to Lake Michigan one day. What a strange thing to stand on the banks of a lake and feel like you're at the ocean.

My husband's dad's aunt Melissa was a famous teacher in the area and has this commemorative picture hanging at the library.

One of the highlights was getting pictures taken at Walmart in Coldwater of the cousins together and then of us. My husband's smile says it all. Good times.

The Michigan Trip, Pt. 1

2011-01-09T20:03:00.000-08:00

I married a Michigander, and this Christmas we made the trek with both kiddos to Kalamazoo, Michigan to visit the grandparents. We had a GREAT trip.

The kids were very good travellers. Only one antsy period on the plane en route.

The in-laws are very easy to be around.

Aunt Melissa was fun, and the girls loved having time with her.

Michigan offered natural novelties like black squirrels and cardinals.

The kids got to see their cousins, one whom they'd never met.

A gentle house dog and a visiting puppy? Sign Julia up!

The Holiday Haps

2010-12-17T23:36:00.000-08:00

When we saw Santa this year, both girls told him they wanted Legos. This is the same Santa we saw getting out of a Chevy several years ago.

Here's our tree this year, set up once again in our playroom. It's a Noble and it smells just amazing, even after having it up for three weeks. We lost our tree farm compass and found ourselves at BobZ for our tree this year. Nothing wrong with that. Next year maybe we'll go somewhere new with friends.

The girls got these cute knit ornaments from Target to add to their collections.
We did mini Gingerbread houses one afternoon.
Julia did some serious work on the roof's details.

Avery adorned hers with Tootsie Rolls...

Mine was nothing but a sea of jelly beans. Oh and I couldn't stop eating the icing.

Jolly good times. Jolly good.

For Me

2010-12-17T23:25:00.000-08:00

I do things for myself for the sake of balance, without apology. This year, these are a few things I've done to put smile on MY face:

Gotten accupuncture to combat migraines (resulting in other great symptoms, too)

Signed up for a Class in 2011: Writing for Children

Practiced Yoga

Danced (Cardio Jams class where I workout)