reddishblonde

Happy New Year on the Farm

2012-01-04T08:06:00.001-08:00

Our New Year involved snow, knitting and moving turkeys. Jasper also had a joyful reunion with the roosters we sent back to the farm in November. Farmers Keith and Megan continue to offer us the sweetest hospitality and we are always impressed and inspired at their ability to do what they do out there on the farm.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-26T07:13:00.001-08:00

We had a very cozy Christmas season, starting quiet celebrations on the first day of winter with our annual candlelight dinner with the Careys, Rob got to hear awesome live music at friends' house, Christmas eve with the Carters, and Christmas afternoon and evening spent with the Harricks. All was calm; all was bright.

Lucy knitted a scarf/shawl for a friend. Jasper is taking credit for it.

Jasper's dream come true - a C3PO lego watch and a green turtleneck. He even slept in the green turtleneck on Christmas night. Thanks, Grandmomma.

Lucy also knit her Dad a hat (her first hat to knit). She was quite proud as you can see.

And overalls from Grandma Gloria, in the nick of time, since we head to the farm later this week.

No funny business here...

Blessings abound for sure.

Today

2011-12-09T10:07:00.001-08:00

Into the bright sunshine we will go today - Jasper and friend, Grandma Gloria and me - downtown to see the Nutcracker. The sun will also be shining on Lucy who will spend the day outside at Quiet Heart Wilderness School, "rendezvous day," where they celebrate the last of the fall session. Lucy has grown up these last few months, now getting herself entirely geared up and preparing her own lunch and backpack for the day - scrounging around for long underwear and wool socks herself. Beautiful and sad.
This weekend we celebrate Christmas with our parents, with Lucy's girl choir concert at Meany Hall, with friends on a lantern walk around Greenlake, with cozy time at home listening to Christmas music. I myself love nothing more than the rare (here in the pacific northwest) sight of bright sunlight hitting bare branches - even better if you see this while the dance of the Sugarplum Fairies plays and a little boy is shuffling through a box looking for tape.

Chicken Love

2011-08-07T17:08:00.001-07:00

So I am testing out posting to the blog by emailing the post. I'm hoping to eventually be able to update the blog from my iPad. Anyhow, our lives have been dominated by raising chicks and building a mansion of a coop, the former my job, the latter, Rob's. Jasper is in charge of chasing, er, loving and showering affection on the chicks. Lucy has been occupied being allergic to them... heh, heh. Wouldn't want this to be too easy, would we?? Turns out I love caring for critters, especially ones I know make my little guy happy and will be contributing eggs as well as their beauty to the family. Turns out Rob loves to work his bee-hind off building small outbuildings. Who knew?

loving the game

2011-05-07T13:47:00.001-07:00

After years of watching from the bleachers at Paramount Park, sometimes in tears because he couldn't get on the field, Jasper, last week, played his first t-ball game, and this week played three more. He is into it and pulling the rest of the family along with him.

Our lives have otherwise been sweetly occupied and interesting. A(nother) broken arm, concerts, visitors, music, Star Wars, legos, muddy trails, muddy floors, seeds sprouting, writing and painting, and planning, and all sorts of other goodies have cropped up to command our attention, along with lots of t-ball - enjoyed on the field or from the sidelines

Vacation!

2011-02-27T22:28:00.000-08:00

Dang, I meant to be so good this year and update my blog every week or so... but here it is almost two months later... well, close enough! We are just off of a great adventure to Gypsum, Colorado, on a road trip from our home near Seattle, that's around 3000 miles if you're doing the math. I loved the time with my sister and her family, my Dad, Aunt and Uncle. Loved the skiing too. I'd forgotten just how much fun it is to ride the lift to the very top and ski a few miles down in beautiful snow on a sunny, clear day, with obscenely gorgeous scenery everywhere you look. Made all the better by skiing with a bunch of folks I love, some of whom I've skied with all my life (my sister, Aunt Nancy, and Dad) others just a time or two (Rob) and my own nephews and kids who I'd never hit the slopes with before. Max, my five yr old nephew, tears it up out there, I can hardly keep up with him. Lucy went from top to bottom of Beaver Creek twice, and Jasper is on the verge of mastery of the pizza. We were tuckered out when we finally got home last night, but happily reliving the lovely memories of it all. Our drive home was harrowing at times as you can see by the last picture, but we managed to sail through safely.

Just starting out here.

Good old Eastern Washington.

Crossing the Columbia River into Oregon, speed limit drops, on past trips we've learned this the hard way...

My sister Em and Teagan.
Jasper coming right along.
Rob, Me, Lucy, Jasper, Max, Teagan, Em and my Dad, John: a motley crew....

Rob was about the happiest he's ever been making his way down the mountain with Lucy. After only one day of practice, she was ready to hit it down the mountain a couple of times. She loved it - she's caught the bug bad...

Police officers.
World's most delicious little doodle-stein. There can not be anyone on the planet cuter than this little guy.
What didn't happen to us... thankfully...

Winter 2011, Week 2

2011-01-03T21:14:00.000-08:00

Winter 2010 - 11, Week 1

2010-12-26T13:45:00.000-08:00

Candlelight has been a theme this week...

And gluten, lots of it.

And family chase.

Piano shopping took us downtown at dusk.

A puppet, a puppeteer and a puppet show.

Preparing to celebrate the Winter Solstice, the longest night.

Cookie decorating, for hours and hours, using chocolate chips, currants and leftover Halloween candy.

At his mom's request, Rob produced a mince pie (minus the meat) for Christmas Eve.

Christmas day - Mackenzie, Rob's brother and his partner, Gunlis made pizza for Christmas dinner. Yum!

Singing!

2010-12-14T07:57:00.001-08:00

Lucy's Christmas Northwest Girlchoir concert blew us away this year. Lucy was so poised throughout and the music was magical. Here are a couple pictures of boys/boy first. In the close-up shot of Lucy's choir, Lucy is in the front row third from the left.

Jasper at Five

2010-12-07T07:08:00.000-08:00

Jasper provides such a different parenting experience for us than Lucy has; his temperament, proclivities and interests differ profoundly. And yet, the two are constantly drawing each other into their worlds - Lucy sitting with him to make Lego vehicles, him hanging out with her to draw. Without Jasper around Lucy might not have heard the Nutcracker music ten thousand times through. Without Lucy around Jasper may not have played with silks.

At five, Jasper is now fully coming into his own, master of his world, tantrums seeming far behind us. When he's not dressed like a police man or a fire fighter, he likes to wear a button up shirt and tie (with his pajamas underneath and a too-small jacket on top). It would be so cute to see him in kindergarten, but when I described kindergarten to him one day, he gave me a pointed look in the eye and said, "Mom, don't sign me up for that." Not that that decision is completely up to him but how can he already have such a strong opinion about school?

One day just before another child came over to play, Jasper dressed in his camo jammies and painted his face black. It ended up going terribly, the children never found their playing groove and the playdate ended with the other child yelling fighting words at Jasper. Jasper actually stayed calm and collected, as if he knew this was where things were headed and had prepared accordingly. When he tells me things, I certainly listen and take it to heart. He may very well know more than I do.

Snow and Thanksgiving

2010-11-29T11:56:00.001-08:00

Part of the fun of cold and snow is all the cuddling we get to do to get warmed up...

At the farm for Thanksgiving - Arlene teaches Jasper this marble game.
Farmer Megan prepares the turkey she and Keith raised themselves.
The farm...

One of several of the kids visits to the yurt...

The ladies on Thanksgiving - just before we sat down to eat... Lucy, Susan (winemaking neighbor), Betsy May, Arlene, Farmer Megan, and me.

Aw... Richard and Arlene snuggled up.
Farmers Thanksgiving serenade:

Betsy May and Jasper read (well "read" in Jasper's case) The Adventures of Tin Tin.

Heading home.

Halloween Weekend

2010-11-10T08:51:00.000-08:00

Halloween weekend started with Lucy, Jasper and Rob out in the country learning about mushrooms. They returned home with two alder logs that they had inoculated with shiitake mushrooms that will be ready to bloom in 9 - 12 months. Here they are painting beeswax over the spots the mushrooms had been squirted in.
For Dad:

In case you are wondering, Jasper was a police mouse for Halloween - a perfect combo of two of his favorite topics.

Odds and Ends... In pictures

2010-10-28T21:04:00.000-07:00

Running Away

2010-10-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

When we were driving through Pensacola, Florida in the spring of this year, I picked up a free magazine in a health food store. It contained an article about getting into shape in a short amount of time and gave several different possible routines, one of which was an interval jogging/walking plan. Soon after our return, I took up this practice and it has evolved into a habit. Do not ask me why it took a little over forty-one years for me to develop this particular habit that clearly has a lot to offer, but it did. I suppose I exercised more pre-kid and I trained for and participated in a mini-triathlon once a million years ago but this feels more substantial and like it has the legs to last. But anyway, now once a week, instead of interval walk/jog, I run solidly for 30 minutes. When it was light out, I toured the neighborhood taking several detours through woodsy areas near the house, but now I circle around a track, in the darkness.

Occasional dog walkers, garbage trucks and park clean-up personnel keep me company. I have a special fondness for the cyclists squeaking along in the dark. I leave the house around 6:00 am in the starlight, and sometimes wind and rain or fog three or four mornings a week. I never set an alarm; I just wake up ready to go. I can't explain this at all. A few months ago, I would not have believed this was me. After running, I am raring to go for the day - bring on the love, the work, the sweetness, the mundanity, the inanity, the skirmishes, the chores, the cuddles, the scrapes, the resistance, the messes. Three cheers for endorphins.

Excavation

2010-10-24T18:55:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up in the dark at 7:00 am. I saw light beaming in around the curtain in the living room. I wondered if it was the street light, but when I opened the curtain I saw the light from the full moon filled a rectangular swath of our carpet. I plunked myself down in that beam of moonlight and closed my eyes to see if I could still perceive the light with my eyes closed. I could. Eventually I went downstairs, way down, to continue going through our stuff. In the "massage room" as we still call it, even though I haven't massaged there for over two years, piles of papers, folders, envelopes, and miscellaneous all other beg me to give them a proper home, or return them to the one they know. I obliged them as best I can. Cleaning up is not my usual forte, but we are motivated. We are going to paint down there and put down a new floor. Excavation comes to mind, a serious upheaval and realignment. Lucy's third grade topics for science center on the issues of housing, food, clothing; basics really. And it turns out we still need to attend to those issues ourselves, as adults. Tend the spirit of our home. I'm not ready to sweep out cobwebs, I like them. But I am ready to make more sense of the spaces in our house and be more conscious about what we want to use them for. And see if we can eliminate piles, especially the ones that sit for months and sometimes years.

Meanwhile, Rob created this cake for a silent auction for the Northwest Girlchoir who were performing their welcome concert today. Someone paid $75 for that cake. At first I didn't recognize Lucy as she performed for the first time since she joined Fresca. She looked older with her hair pulled back and her eyes focussed only on the director, singing loud and proud from the looks of it. A shift from previous year of performances with Prep choir during which she often stared behind her or into space or seemed otherwise to be inattentive to say the least.

Today's concert focussed on old music like Hildegard of Bingen. Lucy's choir sang a beautiful Jewish folk song called Ma Navu (you can see another choir perform it here). Thrilling since we read the stories of the Torah these days, along with singing and dancing to several Israeli folk songs, also part of the Grade Three curriculum we do too. I want her to teach me that song.

Upstairs Rob and the kids are watch Fantastic Mr. Fox. Jasper often runs away to shake or cuddle me before darting back to the action. A bit wary, him...

Night Out for the Fellas

2010-09-30T20:57:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, while I soaked at Olympus Spa with Melanie and Lucy attended her friend's pajama birthday party, Rob took the opportunity to have a man night with Jasper at the bowling alley. I know I am leaving out lots of stuff since my last post about Jasper's birthday, but, man, life is busy! But look at these bowling behemoths!

A Boy Turns 5

2010-08-23T21:32:00.000-07:00

Once in your life, you wake up in the morning and, just like that, you're 5. Sometimes on the eve of that day, you are playing badminton in your pajama pants, fireman hat on your head and a fireman's badge on your collar.

And on the morning of the actual birthday:

Sunburnt, the newly five guy falls asleep with his possums, a snake and a white mouse for company, in his new dino camo pajamas.

Being 5 is not always easy and it isn't always pretty, but someone has to do it... And I'm so glad to be along for the ride...

Visiting the Farm... Again...

2010-08-10T17:10:00.000-07:00

Each time we visit the farm, we sink in deeper, or it sinks deeper into us. The farmers, Megan and Keith, and the place have settled firmly in our hearts, familiar and cozy from the moment we turn onto the bridge and crunch up the driveway, this time seeing Keith and Megan waiting for us in the shade with cocktails. The lines of the buildings, of the mountain and sky stood out more for me this time, the colors soft and surprising, Megan's cheeses, the chicken and dumplings she made, cucumbers and chard and potatoes and garlic from the garden, pancakes with freshly made goat ricotta, and the coke float with goat ice cream tasted divine, verging on just too good. The critters each bursting with their own curious personality, eating, observing, scurrying, or anticipating. The air stayed reasonably cool, the sun just peeking from behind clouds now and again, shimmering but not burning us - just hit the sweet spot and stayed there, the day ending with a sprinkle of rain. The second day the sun asserted itself more, but we enjoyed heating up. Thanks, as always, for sharing your lives with us, K & M.

Lucy, You Captivate Us...

2010-08-04T17:25:00.000-07:00

In the Garden

2010-07-20T08:52:00.001-07:00

I have to admit that sometimes I wish Rob were not out in the garden quite as much and perhaps inside a bit more helping me even more than he already does with the mundane and never-ending chores of housecleaning and straightening (neither of which come very naturally to me). However, many a moment, especially during the early morning and evening, when the light is slanted, or when I want a little nibble of something perfectly fresh from the garden - a peapod, a raspberry, some kale for a smoothie or a quick sauté - I am so happy that he has invested his time out there. And when I see a bunch of kids wandering and picking and nibbling their way through the yard - oh, yeah, I really love that... Thanks, Rob!

Genetics or???

2010-07-16T07:42:00.001-07:00

It turns out my son and my nephew have a lot in common besides (or perhaps because of) age - Max on the left turned 5 in May, Jasper on the right will be 5 in August.

Mothering side by side with my sister for a long weekend was heavenly. We easily settle into the same routines - outdoor play for all of us, lots of food prep and snacking, reading on the couch, walking/running after kids are in bed.

Teagan is delicious...

To cheer myself up after Em left, I got a grill and cooked up first-of-the-season zucchini on it. I've also grilled hotdogs, chicken and bread. The kids and I love the fire-starting aspect and Rob and I love the smokey flavor of the grilled food.
Our neighbor's rose bush always blooms on or near our wedding anniversary.

After Florida

2010-07-12T16:57:00.001-07:00

Perhaps I'll post some more pictures from Florida, but I feel compelled to move on a bit. Immediately after our return from Florida, I got my cast off my arm and realized how far I still had to go in my recovery from a wrist fracture. After a few weeks of physical therapy, it is so much better. Then, Lucy broke her wrist! Sympathy break? Coincidence? Well, now we know even she is not invincible. She was doing, as Rob the compliance guy describes, "non-standard" behavior on a tall play structure, when she fell from about 10 feet up, directly on her left wrist. She gets out of her splint this Wednesday. Thank goodness the little ones heal so quickly.

Here are a few "day in the life" pics, followed by shots from a trip to Lake Cushman that we shared with friends, the Careys. Lucy and Sophia, Jasper and Sophia's brother Owen, played peacefully and non-stop for four days straight. Last year's trip to Cushman was with Grandmama and Granddaddy and was particularly memorable for the amazingly warm weather and beautiful clear days. This trip was just as lovely, but quite different, with cloudy cool days and four children running around. It cleared up enough for a lovely firework show which we watched from the dock, Rob and I pausing to toast our 14th (!) wedding anniversary.

Vacation

2010-06-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

We just got back to greet summer in Seattle where it was yesterday in the 50's and raining; we haven't yet ventured outside to assess the weather today although it does appear to be slightly improved. Fortunately, we spent the last two weeks in New Orleans then Palm Coast, Florida where it was summertime for real. We had the most magical vacation ever. I'm so glad we have Rob's lovely photos to take us back to the sun peaking over the horizon in the morning, the salty smell and taste of the sea, the warm balmy breezes, the heat of the sun, the crunchy peach-colored sand. More pictures later, but for today, happy summer wherever you are!

elemental love

2010-05-13T16:34:00.000-07:00

earth:

air:

water:

fire:

spring green

2010-04-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

Sweet Moments

2010-04-16T17:52:00.000-07:00

I hardly want to add any words to these pictures. I love them. The week was bittersweet, but these pictures were the sweet. On the bitter side, two pet friends died this week: Spaetzel from The Farm and other friends' cat, Thunder, Rob broke his pinky when he couldn't clip out of his bike fast enough (forgot he had his new clips, I think) and Jasper and I are a bit droopy with runny noses. Who knew that a broken pinky would require a cast up to the mid-forearm?Hmmm... As always, we remain dedicated to keeping it real around here...

Freakingly Cute

2010-04-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

Lucy performed two evenings in a row last week in the world premiere stage production of Close Encounters of the Hilarious Kind. The play was written by an extremely creative and clever homeschooling mom, who used as a starting point a list of characters chosen by the children. Each child in class got to choose and develop their own character, so the play included a Jedi knight, the captain of the Titanic, an alien, a unicorn, etc. (Some characters are not pictured above.) I was a little dubious of this approach at first, but I must say I came out of it all a fan and a believer. And this production was not only the work of talented adults and adorable children, but also a beautiful display of community, commitment, and just plain old fun. I loved watching from the sidelines as the production came together... and the performances themselves... funny, adorable, truly a pleasure to watch. I mean it! Lucy is standing on the far right in the picture above, Ruby the forest fairy.

In other news, Jasper is becoming more adept on his scooter by the day. Although on the very steep curvy walls at the skate park (I'm sure there is a name for those - anyone?), he jumps off the scooter and goes down on his bum. Also, is anyone out there into throwing balls, catching balls or batting balls, because Jasper would really like to hang out with you. Lucy and I, when we finally agree to bat, throw, and catch with him, just can't match his enthusiasm (or skill) and it is kinda sad.... He slept with his new baseball mitt last night...

Eight's Great

2010-03-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

Lucy's comment about her own 8th birthday party was that the only thing she didn't like about it was that it had to end. It started at 1pm, and the last guests didn't leave until some time after 8. We all enjoyed it because what's not to love about seeing many of one's closest friends and relations, all gathering to celebrate a bright little light in the world named Lucy Brown? And did I mention the chocolate cupcakes Rob made? Obscenely delicious. We don't have a picture of them because they disappeared too fast... And Lucy's flower garden is beautiful...

A Moment

2010-03-25T21:02:00.000-07:00

So much of our time is undocumented in pictures, because I don't take them and Rob is at work. Fortunately, a fellow homeschooling mom, Deb, captured this moment. Lucy is on the right; Deb's daughter Jasmine is on the left. Two strong, fearless climbers. Look out, world...

Life and Another Farm Visit

2010-03-04T19:53:00.000-08:00

Life has seemed decidedly action-packed and intense lately. None of us have had time to integrate the last experience we've had before twenty more are piled up on top of it. It was so perfect to take a break out at the farm. Thank you so much farm friends - Megan and Keith and their sidekicks from the city - Richard and Arlene. The animals got me this time. I fell in love over and over with various feathered and furry friends. First are a few random shots of the kids: Lucy's nature art, Jasper in Rob's tie, and kids in snow, then the farm.

Now that I think of it, I'm not sure if this duck is male or female, but it makes no difference to me. I am in love. I think it is the way she/he tosses bits of lettuce and asparagus in the water before splashing her bill around in the dish to eat it. Also the stature and the waddle, and just all-around sexiness, OK?

Broody hens.

Farmer Megan who cares for all this wonder.

Jasper and Vanessa the goat.

There are 13 barn cats total, I believe. This first one is Ginger, who Megan let Lucy name on our last visit when she was just a kitten.

Since it's springtime in Seattle...

2010-02-25T14:53:00.000-08:00

Sunshine makes a difference.

Bare earth under her feet suits her.

So do precarious perches.

A bird of prey.

Looking for a little snack...

Sickness

2010-02-16T13:59:00.000-08:00

It seems that when the children really need to rest, they often get sick and are forced to do exactly that. Jasper got sick a week ago, at the beginning of a busy week for Lucy and me, and then just at the end of her busy week, Lucy got the cold. Today they seem to have enough energy for a bite-sized adventure - a short neighborhood bike ride and a walk in the secret garden, I think. Then come home and paint before dinner, bath and bed... Dinner is (I'm deciding right this minute)... beans, rice, guacamole, red pepper and carrot sticks, and sauteed kale. Maybe some lemon tahini for dipping the veggies in. Hot sauce for me and Lucy... Then Coconut Bliss ice cream. Then chamomile tea. And at some point, I hope to be on the couch with a novel, a New Yorker or perhaps a cookbook...

Mothering A Boy

2010-02-07T16:46:00.001-08:00

I have yet to read the myriad of books written about men and boys, living with them or raising them, even though I do find myself baffled and at a loss about the best approach to some of Jasper's decidedly boyish behaviors. And I own at least 3 unread books on the topic. Jasper can be aggressive, hitting or throwing things at people, he is extremely afraid of the classic evil characters in children's stories - wicked fairies, trolls, and wolves come to mind - and sweetly and spontaneously affectionate with me and others he loves. All three of these qualities are more prevalent among the boys I know than the girls. Instead of feeling fired up to read about it and learn to deal with these qualities in an educated way, I am finding myself getting comfortable with the bafflement and the feeling of not knowing what to do. I even find myself enjoying Jasper's extreme reactions - not in a sadistic way, but with curiosity because they are so unlike my experiences with Lucy or what I remember about my own childhood. It helps that at the end of the day, the sweetness almost always prevails.

Life in Pictures

2010-01-21T20:02:00.000-08:00

Rob's pictures have always soothed my soul. I hope they soothe yours too...

A Lesson Learned

2010-01-16T14:20:00.000-08:00

I know it has been a long blog silence. Rob hasn't downloaded pictures in forever and probably hasn't taken that many. Most photos we have are of Jasper and Lucy riding their bikes. Jasper got a two-wheeler Spiderman bike from Santa and on Christmas afternoon, in less than a minute, mastered riding it without training wheels. The credit goes to a great little pedal-less bike some friends lent us last summer that easily taught Jasper to balance so the transition to pedaling a two-wheeler was a piece of cake.

Speaking of exercise, I have found a way to combat the January blues that I got bad last year at around this time. We hike, bike and walk outside when we can manage it, but we also have slightly backed off of school work to pack the schedule with indoor adventure. We go to the indoor climbing gym - Stone Gardens in Ballar d, we ice skate (who knew we would love that so much??), and we swim. It will not surprise anyone who knows Lucy well to hear that Lucy loves climbing. She, Jasper, and I go with a group of other homeschoolers and have a couple of experienced climbers belaying for us - that is tying us up to ropes so that we can climb very high without fear of falling. It is a great workout and an overall exhilarating experience. Last week, our belayer advised me that if I want to learn to climb well, all I have to do is watch Lucy because she has a knack for doing the right thing on the wall. That girl...

Lest she should have a spare moment, Lucy is also in a creative writing class, two art classes (one focussed on drawing, painting and sewing animals and one on sculpture), piano lessons, drama, girl choir and Wilderness Awareness school. I suppose all that is better than sitting around the house with a grumpy Mama, which is what defined January 2009. This all feels much, much better...

So far, so good

2010-01-04T21:30:00.000-08:00

2010 is fun so far. We're up to our usual antics.

Winter Solstice

2009-12-21T22:42:00.000-08:00

... is my second favorite celebration of the year, after Thanksgiving. Today was Woodland walk and quiet rituals with our Woodland walking friends, candle dipping at Bianca's, making dinner, eating dinner and cleaning up after dinner by candlelight, white bean soup with winter vegetables, late bedtimes, sweet, sleepy kids, finishing our holiday cards after kids were asleep. What's not to love?

Here are a few unrelated pictures of the kids at our neighborhood nature spot that we call the secret garden, during the cold spell we had a few weeks ago.

The Season

2009-12-15T21:50:00.000-08:00

As we are fast approaching the darkest day of the year, the kids are finding ways to liven things up for themselves, as you can see from pictures below. There is much to report, but I just don't have it in me to report it all. I have to go to bed and hopefully will have a few minutes to read my book - The Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder. It is also the season to cuddle up and get lost in a book, isn't it? Lucy's reading on her own the Fairy Realm series by Emily Rodda. I'm reading Tiger Rising to her. Lucy and I share a profound admiration for the work of this author, Kate Dicamillo. (We've only read one other of her books - Because of Winn Dixie - and it was so lovely and moving - definitely an appealing writer for emotional, sensitive types like me and Lucy...). Jasper's book pick of the moment is Zen Shorts (and I'm not kidding, he picks this one out from a big stack as "the" book to read for bedtime and at other times), along with a version of the Nutcracker Grandma Gloria and Pop Pop just got him - this one by Susan Jeffers is the one he chose and frequently is found carefully studying. Rob is loving Secret Life of Bees, and soon to get back to Botany of Desire by one of his favorite authors, Michael Pollan. I'm afraid Lucy is getting a lot more reading done these days than Rob or I are... Hmmm... But even a page or two here or there is nice.

Catching Up

2009-11-27T12:35:00.000-08:00

I will indulge myself in writing a blog about Thanksgiving, but not yet, because we haven't downloaded pictures. We did have amazing moment last weekend though at Richmond Beach. We headed over to the beach thinking we would be there in the rain and wind, but lo and behold, as we were driving into the driveway, out came the sun and it was warm-ish and we got to see the Olympics across the water and the sun set slowly behind them. So beautiful - here are some pictures.

A moment

2009-11-16T09:07:00.000-08:00

This morning I had a moment to type a bit, but then promptly accidentally deleted all I'd written. Ah, yes, a perfect way to start the week.... But I recovered by shutting off the computer and taking the kids for a walk in the rain. We spent a great deal of the "walk" standing in puddles or small streams of water and watching the water twirl around our rain boots.

Life has been full of the usual domestic scenes. One blessed day last week, Veteran's Day, Rob had off work and we stole a small walk in the woods at St. Edward Park with our friends. Here are a few pictures from the walk. I hope you enjoy your week, whatever it may bring...

Spooks

2009-11-02T20:58:00.001-08:00

We had a great Halloween, celebrated with another family over tacos. This is our annual gathering with a family we met in Penny Simpkin's childbirth class when we were each pregnant with our first children. Four children (between us)and many fun adventures later here we all are, drinking wine, eating pulled pork and watching our little ones get dressed up and super sugared up. Other scenes of the season are portrayed.

Kicking It In Mazama

2009-11-01T19:34:00.000-08:00

We got to spend last weekend with a lovely family of four at their vacation place in Mazama. Kids and grown-ups were muy simpatico... It was super fun all the way around, from chatting in the kitchen while the children played to ambling up a nearby mountainside to stargazing through a mighty powerful telescope on a cold, clear night. Turns out you can live in a place for 10 or 40 years and still not have visited some of its most beautiful nooks and crannies...

If you're cute and you know it...

2009-10-22T21:04:00.000-07:00

I love both my nephews, Max and Teagan, who were just here for a visit from Colorado, with their mom, Em. (I love Em too, btw. I treasured every moment, most of them interrupted by many things - namely children, we had together. I felt a funny, empty, sad feeling when she left after a lovely but way too short visit.)

Max is 4 yrs old and quite a charming and talented fellow. Teagan is only one yr old. Other ages have their appeal, but for sheer cuteness, you can't beat a one year old. You can try, but you just can't.

A testament to the warmth and cooperation between the four-yr-old cousins is evidenced by Max playing with Jasper's special sparkly sword. No one ever gets to play with that sword except Jasper, but Jasper willingly let Max have a turn. No one even asked him too (I wouldn't usually make such an extreme request of him...)

In the Swing

2009-10-14T22:23:00.001-07:00

I haven't had much to say for myself lately here. We're rockin' along in a decent rhythm. The boy has evened out a ton this week. I'm chalking it up to more protein at lunch, a priority given to sleep, and a bit more time outdoors. He has been solidly in the bottom bunk bed all night for at least a couple of weeks. And it is his cozy place that he loves now.

Some moments are hard, but lots of them are good. Jasper is still loving the Nutcracker music and acting out the scenes, made more dramatic by his $2.99 drugstore sword. Lucy is into making a huge mess in the art room downstairs; interesting creations do eventually emerge. She's also dancing in a flowing emotive way - quite different from Jasper's nutcracker march. I asked Lucy what she wanted to know more about the other day: answer - swimming, magic tricks, building things, and art. She is loving piano lessons and well, the rest of her life too as far as I can tell. She loves to be at home with just me. She loves lots of space and silence. So do I.

I'm in the van too much. I know I've said that before. It is the riddle I can't solve, it is the "Knock, knock" joke I just don't get, it is a blessing and a curse. I don't think I'm making much sense any more... I need to go to bed... Tomorrow, my sister, Em, and her babies Max and Teagan arrive. We can't wait...

Autumn Again

2009-10-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

We've definitely had a little bit of everything this fall already... Lots of sweetness, also our share of strife. Jasper is in school three mornings a week which is a big transition for all of us in many ways. I miss him when he's gone. We're back in the mini-van first thing in the morning on those days which I am trying and failing to learn to love.

Jasper seems to be holding it together well at school, but then he unravels much more often at home. Lucy is so calm and steady-as-she-goes that Jasper's tempermental tantrums seem all the more bombastic and even absurd. He is a natural performer so he always has a bit of dramatic flair to add to the tantrum - loud grunting seems to be the favorite lately, along with full body back arches ( I thought those days were over, but apparently not) and body slams into various pieces of furniture. If I still smoked, I would definitely be lighting up and blowing smoke rings by the wide-open window when he starts one of his doozies... But he also can be as sweet as ever and I ache for him when he is gone, even while I cherish the one-on-one time with Lucy. Watching her take hold of more academic skills and musical skills and subtle understanding of herself in the world and dancing with her every morning as we get warmed up for the morning homeschooling program is just plain old fun. I love it and wouldn't trade it for anything. Here are some random pics from the first week of Autumn.

Orcas Island

2009-09-15T21:30:00.000-07:00

Amidst the craziness of our lives right now, we snuck in another sweet weekend away. This time to Orcas Island, where Rob and I hadn't been in at least 15 years. I hope it won't be so long before we return. One of the most gorgeous places I've ever been and on one of the most perfect weather weekends of the summer. We lucked out big time. Rob took this first shot from the ferry ride to Orcas. Any vacation that starts with vistas like this is gonna be good... and it was... Rob captured the beauty so well...

Anatomy of a Vacation

2009-08-26T21:23:00.000-07:00

We somehow lucked into a chance to spend a week in paradise for the small price of caring for an aged cat. We were and still are very grateful. It felt like a real vacation for sure... My dad and stepmom (who is much, much nicer than her fairy tale counterparts) joined us for the last few days of our stay. We enjoyed their company and were grateful for the additional child entertainment they provided. Four adults to two children is just about the right ratio. Wine and woods, birds and bees, water and fire, good company and good food -- we had all those lovely elements and more...

Girl in Sound

2009-08-05T22:48:00.000-07:00

How does she do it?? This water is really cold. This is from last Saturday night at Lincoln Park.

Our lives are like a surreal blur right now. Very poignant time, with Rob's dad in the nursing home and Rob's mom soon to be leaving the ancestral home for senior housing. We have spent more time with both of them and have really enjoyed it although it feels like we are slowly losing Rob's dad. Big changes afoot. We are definitely feeling it all. Lucy is in Wilderness Awareness camp this week (tagline: no child left inside - love that). Jasper and I have had various activities to occupy us - usually together, but today separately. We're all kind of teetering between joy and sorrow. Lucy works through it by being outside and creating art, Jasper by screeching and being rambunctious, Rob is doing yoga and biking. I'm in a bit of a daze, honestly.... Can you tell??

Beat the Heat in Port Townsend

2009-07-28T21:59:00.001-07:00

For those troubled by the Seattle heat, head to Port Townsend. A ferry ride at sunset is a good way to start your journey... doesn't hurt if a jazz festival is going on and your mom buys you tickets and watches the kids... Benny Green was amazing... So was the walk on the beach afterwards. Being waited on hand and foot by Grandma Gloria and Pop Pop helped. Multiple trips to Elevated Ice Cream Co. were in order. The berry pickin' was icing on the cake. I'll stop now, but it was very sweet. Thank you, Gma and Pop Pop...

Swept Away By Summer

2009-07-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

Rob appears to be working up to building a chicken coop and raising our own chickens. He's after free fertilizer, free eggs and critters for the kids to hang out with. One clue I have had that this is so is that while I was taking the weekend off last weekend, Rob and kids went on a chicken coop tour. I was blissfully esconced in a U. district hotel with Melanie, attending a Pema Chodron workshop and generally enjoying myself while being immersed in Tibetan Buddhist teachings and practices. Much has ensued since in many areas of our lives. Soon enough there will be more pictures.

On the Farm, Again

2009-07-06T20:22:00.000-07:00

We are very grateful that Farmers Keith and Megan are still willing to host us so graciously at their farm, let us impose our kid chaos on their routines, wine and dine us, and allow us to pick what turned out to be quite a few cherries (Rob just can't stop pickin' and pittin')... My goodness, we are lucky ducks... The trip was too short and did wear me out. I really sleep best at home, I hate to admit it... I think it is one of those things that becomes accentuated by being over 40. But the lost sleep was still worth it to share the beauty of the plants, the river, the moonrise, the mountains, the bales of hay, the critters and much more, all with our dear friends. It is a miracle we drove away without a kitten, really a miracle... The kids and I especially were absolutely in love.

What's been growing on

2009-06-28T22:17:00.000-07:00

Father's Day

2009-06-23T07:57:00.000-07:00

While we haven't downloaded pictures yet from the weekend, we did have a great one. Strawberry picking on Saturday took us out to the country in Monroe, and along the beautiful Snohomish River. After picking (too much for my back, I'm afraid), we went to a little farmer's market where the kids could ride ponies.

Sunday, Lucy jumped out of bed to hug Rob and say happy father's day of her own volition. He was thrilled. He made strawberry pie from our friend Ali - YUM! and I made this smoked salmon quiche, but I substituted sauteed asparagus for the artichoke hearts and green onions for the dill (since that is what we had available). The elder Browns joined us for brunch.

A beautiful bonus at the end of the day is that we ran into friends and neighbors Richard and Arlene and a Chilean family staying with them. The Chilean family has been traveling around the U.S. for five months with their three kids. After hanging out at the park in the afternoon, we joined them for a BBQ at Arlene and Richard's in the evening. It was a super-fun surprise ending to the weekend. And a perfect end to Rob's big day: delicious food with good friends and foreign travellers in the middle of a long journey, plus a backyard fire, wine and beautiful children running around? Heaven...

In Color

2009-06-17T11:30:00.000-07:00

A few of my favorite shots of the weekend... Generally, the weekend was beautiful and cloudy and relaxing and fun... Salmonberries, time with just the four of us and friends - human and bird - and other garden delights...

This and That

2009-06-12T21:45:00.001-07:00

Lucy sang with a few other girls from the Northwest Girlchoir at the Seattle Homeschool Talent Show last week. She is third from the right in the fancy dress. Check it out!

Lucy just got back from an overnight with Grandma. Jasper took that time to get in touch with his inner (and outer) boyishness, riding his trike madly around Paramount Park in the morning, riding his bike madly around Paramount Park in the evening, with lots of "Momma throw me the ball" requests in between as he (rather skillfully) wielded one of Rob's badminton rackets. The sibs had a joyful reunion tonight, but each seemed to appreciate getting some extended space away from each other. I took the opportunity to deep clean Lucy's room. We all needed that to happen...

My goal is to get the whole house straightened and clean by the beginning of summer: it could happen...

Happiness is....

2009-06-08T20:41:00.000-07:00

springtime...

Catching My Breath

2009-06-05T22:55:00.000-07:00

Between all the end-of-school-year stuff and the stunning weather which has us on extended outdoorsy outings, we have been busy beavers around here. Today, the kids and I welcomed the chance to be at home all day and catch up a bit with the projects we'd been neglecting (for Lucy and Jasper "projects" actually refers to a fairly extensive series of things they play together that I'd be challenged to succinctly describe and for me "projects" mostly consist of making food and cleaning the kitchen). An enormous and constantly growing pile of laundry still awaits, but otherwise I am feeling a bit more grounded right now than I have in a while. You'd think since Lucy and Jasper don't actually go to school that the end of the school year timing would be irrelevant, but not so... Lucy's (too) many activities also tend to revolve around the traditional school year, so many of them have just finished or are finishing in the next week or two. She's performed in two concerts, one puppet show, had several potluck parties and last classes in the past week or two -- fun yet exhausting for all of us (maybe Jasper and me the most...).
Here are a few pictures from last weekend (before we have a new batch from this weekend - unfortunately, our weekdays generally remain undocumented since I rarely remember to take pictures...).
Love the pic of Jasper at a trendy Seattle coffee shop...

Lucy with concert doo and duds...

Jasper pleased at having his picture taken while waiting for his scoop at Molly Moon's Ice Cream.

Lucy's first dip into Green Lake this year. Love the beach (well lawn, not really beach) at the bathhouse, except for the buckets of goose poop... Yikes! Watch your step...

And a sweet picnic with friends afterwards...

It's all good, folks (and apparently laundry-producing...).

A Movie Review

2009-05-26T15:29:00.000-07:00

We ended what must be one of the most lovely, warm, restful, fun, earthy Memorial Day weekends we've ever had watching a soul-wrenching French movie called I've Loved You So Long. If you want to be haunted by a suspenseful, curious and horrifying tale, if you want to have tears streaming down your face for at least 1/2 hour as you watch an amazing acting performance, if you want motivation to lay next to your sleeping child with your hand on their belly and your nose in their hair, so grateful for their breath and life, check it out.

Something for Everyone

2009-05-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

Rob had a big ol' smile on his face for most of the weekend. It was a perfectly beautiful weekend and he got to spend a healthy chunk of it looking busy in the garden and the greenhouse, usually with at least one little helper nearby... Good times for the big guy. I got in on the fun when I got to use the power drill to help him put together a new compost tumbler... Now that I've had a shot with the drill, I may start taking on more household fix-it projects...

We did still manage to sneak in a visit to St. Edward Park late Saturday afternoon for a hike, a picnic and a dip in cold Lake Washington (for the kids anyway). It was so fun, we are thinking of starting a Saturday night at St Edward's Park club. Wanna join us?? We were home by 7:30, kids asleep by 8:30, with plenty of time to watch the incredible movie, Slumdog Millionaire.

And for Lucy and Jasper, it just don't get no gooder than making a cozy nest together in the bathtub...

Sunday brought a sweet trip to the park to meet up with Tessa and Jen. After riding bikes a while, playing at the playground and having snacks under a tree, Lucy and Tessa escaped the grown-ups and Jasper and perched on a branch about halfway up the climbing tree, singing songs and telling stories to each other. Later, Rob and kids joined the masses at Carkeek Park so I could host some homeschooling mamas here. It was all very lovely - the only hard part was Monday morning when Rob had to leave us... But the kids and I bucked up, getting to Lucy's art class on time (10:30 am is a bit early for us!) and then spending a marathon four hours playing outside with friends at our own "secret garden" down the street.

The Truth About the Tooth Fairy

2009-05-07T11:13:00.000-07:00

From the back of the van the other day, Lucy finally cut to the chase: "Mom, are you the tooth fairy?" Looking at Jasper through the rearview mirror, I asked Lucy if we could talk about it later. She agreed. So, that night, after J. had gone to bed, I brought it up. "Lucy, do you want to talk about the tooth fairy?" She did but she rephrased her question to: "Mom, did you give me the tooth gift?" Yes, Lucy, I did. Lucy eyes well up with tears and sobbing "Please don't do that Mom, because then the tooth fairy doesn't have a chance to come. I thought you had come because the tooth fairy didn't bring me my secret wish: make-up. But she doesn't come to me because you've already brought me a present. So don't do that." Me, baffled and unsure and sad: "Parents are the tooth fairies, Lucy." Lucy, drying her eyes, says, "Oh, I thought that you probably were. I really love the drawing pencils you gave me, but I do wish I had some make-up, especially" and here she pauses to brush on pretend eye shadow. Then, not looking at me, she adds: "Well, at least I know that Santa is real." I love that girl...

Moments Like These

2009-05-04T19:26:00.000-07:00

First I want to mention that Rob has started his own blog. To get a Rob fix, check out Of Cabbages and Kids. I'm charmed but I suppose that isn't surprising... I will leave the gardening talk to him, since it is his love, his baby and hours and hours of his work. But back to the moments. We've caught a few sweet ones. The first couple of pictures are candids Rob took of the Careys visiting our house. We hang out with them as much as we can because we love them. Can you guess what common interest Rob and Matt share???

The kids were having a seriously fun swing...

Jasper is up and running on the bike Lucy's former bike with the training wheels back on. The pinker the better...

Life Back in Seattle

2009-04-27T18:09:00.000-07:00

We have been enjoying returning to our usual lives after a two week hiatus. Two weeks is a long time to be away. We all treasured the time with Dad and Philia and other family and friends. Another gift of such a long time away is that we really appreciate our everyday lives that we'd left behind. For Rob and me, a favorite aspect of our lives is doing yoga every morning. Usually we're able to do yoga together, but sometimes separately, like this morning, when Jasper and I slept in an hour and a half beyond Rob's 5:30 am wakeup. Jasper is almost always with us for the yoga, sometimes laying on top of one of us or doing a pose of his own, but most frequently just playing or looking at a book in the general vicinity. For the first 6 and 1/2 years of parenthood, I would have told you that my kid/s kept me from doing yoga. What I see now is that once we established a true routine of doing yoga first thing, the kids were actually quite adaptive. Little nibbly snacks help... Lucy is usually asleep, but when she's awake, she just sits on the couch reading or playing with Jasper. Of course, the most challenging pose for them is the relaxation at the end - poetically and aptly named after a corpse, where we lay like dead people before getting up and getting on with our day. Of course, you can see how this is both unsettling and just too tempting, especially for Jasper . He just has to get on top of us and snuggle. And that might be my favorite part...

Alabamy

2009-04-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from our time at one of our ancestral homelands, Lookout Mountain, Alabama. This is the Edna Hill church, named for a relative of ours.

These are the falls that might have killed Edna Hill, and thus leading to naming a church after her.

This is me and my cousin Will, who I enjoyed getting to know better (previously, I'd mostly known Will through his mom's blog).

Bridge named after my great grandfather, who cruised around Lookout Mountain almost every day of his 90 + years in his pick-up truck, and who was the original planner for many of the roads that now traverse the mountain (which is actually a plateau some miles in length).

My Dad, who shares his Grandfather's love of the mountain, with Grandson Jasper.

Five cousins in a little house.

I found myself falling for the rocky scrubby landscape up there as well...

Cousins Rob and Owen (father and brother of Will, husband/son of Annie for those of you tracking on all this).

A summarizing photo of our roadtrip from Little Rock, Arkansas to Fort Payne, Alabama:

Arkansas Vacation

2009-04-20T22:03:00.000-07:00

We're home from a two week odyssey in the South. Here is a first installment of pictures from the Arkansas portion of the trip. Lucy and Jasper were eager and excited travellers. We were all quite happy to see Grandmomma and Granddaddy in their native habitat. Stay tuned for a few pics of the Alabama portion of our trip.

Goodbye Mount Rainier, and hello Pinnacle Mountain.

Even taking the time to study the airplane safety guidelines...

Visiting

2009-04-14T10:39:00.000-07:00

We're on a two-week vacation in Arkansas with my dad and stepmom (Granddaddy and Grandmomma). We probably won't download pictures until we get home, but we took a side trip to meet with my cousin Annie and her family in Alabama and she blogged about our time together at Desoto State Park. We had a great time on Lookout Mountain, especially relishing our time in the woods with Annie, Rob, Will and Owen. More on that when we return. Love from The Natural State.

Lucy is Seven!

2009-04-01T08:20:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Lucy's birthday all week with special treats like a shopping trip to Hanna Andersson, having a movie night after Jasper went to bed, and a trip to the Mountlake Terrace Pool with Rob. Her actual birthday began as many days do: cuddling with Jasper in her bed.

Rob and I gave her a lap loom which literally occupied her the entire morning. Then we had our Dutch friends, Sebastian and Juliette with us for the afternoon which was super fun for both Lucy and Jasper. Then family dinner time but with the added bonus of Juliette staying for a birthday sleepover.

Then Lucy celebrated with friends on Sunday. The day gave us an unexpected gift of warmth and sun. Lucy's friends gave her the sweetest gifts: Lucy commented later that her friends really know what she likes!

Decorum

2009-03-26T21:35:00.000-07:00

or rather the lack of it...

Cuteness

2009-03-19T20:32:00.000-07:00

Today the kids were just cute. Of course I didn't get any pictures; I was just soaking it all in, relishing the sweetness of almost 7 and 3 and 1/2. We were inside all day, so happy and peaceful. We went through the school routine. Both Lucy and Jasper are in a very enthusiastic phase about school. Lucy loves to play recorder. She and I are doing rounds and that thrills her. Jasper made song requests and just seems to get a kick out of all the school stuff too. We read together lots, we made and ate food. Then I drove Lucy to choir at 4:30 while the menfolk stayed home and worked on the garden. In the mini-van, Lucy told me, "Mom, when I get older, I want to be quite old-fashioned."

And here are some random pics from the week. The dress-up Lucy pics are from her Northwest Girlchoir concert last weekend.

Down the Hatch

2009-03-12T07:58:00.000-07:00

In spite of me and my "back to the drawing board" tendencies, good times have been had. The evidence:

The Scene

2009-03-10T22:05:00.000-07:00

Our Fridays usually include time with our dear friends, Juliette and Sebastian. We have a good time. Jasper was still recovery from a virus in the picture and the next; you can see it in his eyes.

Jasper is usually wearing his cowboy hat these days and often is also carrying a fishing pole. Quite a look, really.

Lucy on the hippity hop with Jasper cheering from the sidelines.

We're all finally well. We are considering our schooling options (again) for next year. I know the right decision will come to us.... I love homeschooling Lucy, but am not sure it is right to continue for another year. We're actually going to look at our local public school on Friday. We'll let you know...

Divide and Conquer

2009-02-17T19:22:00.000-08:00

It was a perfect day for me, with elements that make homeschooling fun: a very enthusiastic student in Lucy and a funny, sweet companion in Jasper. Plus a Grandma providing loving childcare for the afternoon for Lucy that is extending into a sleepover - which explains why I have time to write on the blog... With Lucy, I only homeschool on the days where nothing else is scheduled for the morning. That is when it works. Often there is an initial "I don't want to" hump to get over but then it is very good. The three of us do a circle, which includes singing and doing movements to songs she will later learn on the recorder, doing special "base sense" and midline crossing songs/verses and movement, and academic games or chants with movements (i.e. "even's end is great: 0,2,4,6,8, odd ends every time: 1,3,5,7,9"). It is fun and it works to help her learn this stuff. And Jasper knows and sings many of the songs with us and generally participates and enjoys himself.

Then we do a form drawing walk: I'm walking some combination of curvy or straight lines and after a few days of this, she tries to draw the shapes we have been walking on the chalkboard and then puts a perfected drawing of the "form" in her form drawing book. Form drawing is very Waldorf and very interesting to me. I can't say I fully understand the whys and wherefores, but I have a good feeling about it from going through the process with Lucy. It takes a lot of brain dexterity for anyone to walk a shape without having seen it and then to draw it, especially a more complex shape. But it is especially powerful for the child who is taking hold of so many new shapes all the time as she writes more and reads more and does more work with numbers. And for a child who is perpetually creative in an explosive, 3-D, anything goes kind of way, it seems very centering, controlled and grounding artistic endeavor.

We went on to our recorder practice. Lucy learned a new note today - E (she's been playing three-note songs only - G, A, and B) and all by ear. The process goes like this: we spend a few weeks singing the song as part of circle and then once a week or so, I play one of the songs we've been singing on my recorder and she follows along with hers, watching my fingers as she needs to. She gets the hang of the song quickly on the recorder because she already knows it well. We sit cross-legged on the floor facing each other, singing each song we practice first with hand motions. We then play together and she plays by herself. We go through 4 or 5 songs. I love it. She doesn't say she loves it, like she might say she loves marshmallows and movies, but I can see that it is nourishing for her and building her musical capabilities and confidence in a way that is incremental and natural, rather than stressful.

From recorder, we go to the dining room for "morning lesson" which today involved drawing Dominick Divide from a story I told a while ago and then working with the concept of division with stones. She got it quickly with stones and wanted to move on to equations. She loves to practice mental math or math facts she's memorized but she'll go to the stones if she's stumped. She told me over and over today, "my mind is a calculator!" She has stamina for the math, in a way she doesn't yet have for reading or writing. More like her stamina for drawing or any of her creative projects. She kept writing herself equations to solve and having me write them. She's most comfortable with single-digit add and subtract, but she can also manage multiply and divide, sometimes with stones and especially if I use ideas from the story I told her to give a clue (i.e. if Max Multiply picks up three treats each time he cartwheels and does three cartwheels, how many treats does he have?).

Mom arrived then to whisk Lucy away, while Jasper and I prepared for an afternoon at our old haunt: the zoo. We just fell right into the sweetest rhythm on our whole outing, reminiscent of our days at the zoo while Lucy was at Kinderhaus, except that Jasper is so much more capable, mature and just plain fun now. In keeping with his love of shape-shifting, he himself was a bear for a long stretch of our tour of the zoo. My little cub ran most of the time and insisted on sharing his sweet potato fries with me. We chatted and laughed and played games with each other (well, a game: baby bear springing out at momma bear and surprising her greatly). I gave him lots of leeway (he was a bear after all), but he was a mellow bear when it was time for a transition from here to there or when an exhibit was closed. He had lots of ideas about what he wanted to see: snakes, budgees, kangaroos, otters, bears, giraffes for starters. We topped off the visit with an extended post-zoo closure flamingo viewing that revealed how raucous and entertaining those critters are after hours. Sneaky.

He and I had the rest of the evening just the two of us too, with Rob at badminton. He ate dinner, he bathed, then he drew for a bit while I did dishes. Around 10 after 7, he said, I want to go to bed, and he went upstairs to pick a book. We read, he asked for his usual bedtime song (Swing Low) and he slept. Let's just say that I am grateful for this day.

Lucy takes a walk with friends

2009-02-12T16:57:00.000-08:00

Tongue-Tied

2009-02-11T20:14:00.000-08:00

I haven't had much to say for myself. We're rocking steady around here. Jasper had croup last night, but was in great spirits all day today. It didn't hurt that we spent the bulk of the day outside at Lincoln Park in West Seattle. It was crisp but sunny and clear. We got there early for nature class and so we set up a picnic in a sunny corner of the forest. Lincoln Park is a maze of treasures - paths leading every which way, through a meadow, along a hedge, traversing the forests, winding down hills to the beach, along the top of a ridge overlooking Puget Sound. Wading pools and playgrounds pop up here and there as you walk along. Some of the trees in the park are close to 200 years old. I laid out a blanket in the sun and the kids sat there with me munching for about... 3 minutes before taking off running through the forest, Jasper a lion. I forgot what Lucy was, but she tells me "Remember, I was a little gnome?" Oh, yes, a little gnome. It was almost painfully cute to see them literally tee-hee-heeing their way through the trees and over and around and around little mounds, into brambles, across long stretches of grass.

After all that, the nature class itself almost seemed beside the point. But we did get to hang out with sweet friends, see an eagle quite close-up and pillage the bones of small rodents from pellets of owl poo. Plus Jasper got to chase around a big boy (almost 9 yrs old) named Emmet. Emmet also pushed Jasper around in his stroller - which I don't usually bring anymore, but thought Jasper might need if he got tuckered from his night of croup. Emmet is silly, well really more funny than silly says Lucy. And fun to play with. The fresh air and sunshine did us all wonders... Now I go to give Lucy her last snuggle and help Rob with (hopefully) the last dish...

Better Days - Sunshine Helps

2009-02-02T17:11:00.001-08:00

Worth Salvaging?

2009-01-30T11:45:00.000-08:00

This entire week, I've been unsuccessfully trying to rise us up from the ashes of... well, a variety of things - sibling discord, momma burnout, upper respiratory infections, too much fun, another mini-van fender bender, household chaos. Really par for the course, all of it, but it feels extra intense and overwhelming at the moment. My innermost desire is to stay in my pajamas, brew a cup of tea and get under the covers with a good, but not too good, book. But there is homeschooling to do, often an argument to mediate, and laundry, dishes and groceries and planning for dinners or not planning for dinners and then trying to improvise one from something like a lemon, a can of tomatoes and a carton of tofu. We're out of tamari (soy sauce) AND garlic which does not bode well for hastily improvised dinners. I hear the voices starting to rise upstairs. Would it be wrong to sneak out the back door until the argument subsides?

Lucy truly nailed our whole problem earlier this week. After a big tussle over who would get to jump on the rebounder (mini-trampoline), I got frustrated and left the room, saying I can't homeschool if they are going to argue constantly. Lucy came downstairs and said, but momma, you usually just remind me of something else fun I can do and that helps Jasper and I move on and stop fighting. And I realized what was different this week: not them, but me - that sweet momma groove of cheerful redirection is eluding me... Hopefully on its way back soon.

Lucy at 6 and 3/4 yrs old

2009-01-25T18:42:00.000-08:00

This is Lucy who is so wise.

this and that

2009-01-20T10:49:00.000-08:00

Nutcracker Prince, Tchaikovsky, Mouse King, you get the picture...

Not Lucy's usual reading material...

Back to nature. The sunshine sent us running outdoors to the secret garden for some frosty fun.

Back to Homeschooling

2009-01-13T17:44:00.000-08:00

We've gotten back into as much of a groove with homeschooling as we're likely to get into for now. We have added lots more activities to the weekly schedule. After weeks of being virtually snowbound, I was eager to get out and about, and I think the kids were too, judging from the kinds of (mis)behaviors I was observing (being driven nuts by) . And then a week of musical stomach flu didn't help matters. But we did manage to paint our "town board" above- it was a group effort and it is going to be used for some school stuff with Lucy. Fun!

And now we're considering a couple mornings a week of preschool for Jasper, Lucy is in Northwest Girlchoir and will be taking classes in pottery, book-making, and drama in addition to circus. And we're going to do more Seattle Homeschool Group playing - we went to the Park Day today for the first time in a while and were pleased to see lots of familiar faces. I had nice conversations and Lucy got to play with other kiddos she is beginning to be friends with. Jasper just does his own thing but enjoyed the fresh air and exercise.

If you haven't ever watercolor painted in your jammies with a 3 yr old and a 6 yr old, I recommend it. Make yourself a cup of coffee first though (decaf for me these days).

Lucy made a doll and Rob made a carrot cake - yum!

Why We Go To Port Townsend

2009-01-05T19:16:00.000-08:00

Here are some choice pictures from our trip to Port Townsend. I have not included shots of Jasper's bloody head after he took a tumble from the couch onto a coffee table on New Year's Day. One 911 call, one ER trip and one stitch later, we were back home enjoying the scenery. I"m glad we had all that R & R because since we've gotten home, I've had one, now two, kids down with good old gastroenteritis... stomach flu, my friends, ain't pretty. But Port Townsend was... We are quasi back to homeschooling as energy levels allow and will blog soon about that.

Vacating...

2008-12-30T11:20:00.000-08:00

We're heading to Port Townsend to ring in the New Year in the fresh air and quiet of life on the peninsula. I'm planning on cold, windy beach walks and cups of hot tea, repeat as needed... See you in 2009 and sending lots and lots of love your way.

Creations

2008-12-29T10:17:00.000-08:00

Since most of the last two weeks, it looked something like this outside our door, we frequently were inside doing... well, all kinds of stuff. I tended towards food preparation, Lucy to a three-dimensional craft. Jasper was in a world of his own - Rudolph in his red jammies, a conductor in his overalls and, after Christmas, a cap, a mouse king with his sword or baby "Jejus" in the manger - Lucy and I taking turns being Mary. BTW, we are not Christian exactly, but threw Jesus stories in the holiday reading mix. When he wasn't at work or in transit, Rob ran interference on all the above activities, photographed them, did laundry, provided comic relief and shoveled lots and lots and lots of snow. Now the snow is melting and the world outside our windows not quite so sparkling and beautiful... And very rainy. But I am grateful for the beauty of the snow which helped to catapult the holidays into magical realms even for a grinch like me.

The day begins...

2008-12-27T07:47:00.000-08:00

Rob and I finished our 12th morning of yoga (usually we have company of the red-headed variety for most if not all of our session...). What a great way for Rob and me to connect and have some fun, and feel great all the day long too... We wonder why we haven't always done this. I guide Rob in various routines and then do my routine alongside him. It is win-win, people. Teaching yoga privately to one or two people would be something I'd really enjoy. I'm working on the business model (step one: send kids to school).

But I'm not (quite) ready to throw in the towel on homeschooling. I got started planning again last night and Lucy and I settled on a mutually agreed upon schedule for January yesterday. We're making some changes - no more circle - just morning walks, lots of arts and crafts projects and spontaneity requested by Lucy, plus weekly swimming. I wanted time for math, reading, writing and recorder practice. We got it all in there and are feeling good about it. We'll start our language arts block Monday January 5th, focusing on "word families" i.e. the family of "oat," "eep," and "ight" and sight reading. So we have a whole 'nother week to par-tee...

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T20:17:00.000-08:00

Lucy and Jasper got digital cameras from Santa. Lucy took this shot of J. in his new conductor hat. As Rob says, both kids have a good sense of spontaneity in their photos. Lucy also has a good sense of composition...

A favorite tidbit from Christmas: Lucy on getting willow switches if she were bad - "Well, it would be OK, as long as I got three so that I could braid them into a crown." Ever the optimist, that one. Fortunately, Santa and others came through with lots of loot...

We were home for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and very grateful for our local family who traveled the scary Seattle streets to come to us to eat and sing Christmas carols. Mom and Merrill even brought a delicious Christmas dinner today! We did manage to contribute lots and lots of cookies. A special cyber-hug to you all who are far away. I miss you today - I wish I could give you a big hug and a tin of cookies, maybe two? Merry Christmas.

What we've been up to - the pictures

2008-12-22T08:53:00.001-08:00

Winter Solstice

2008-12-21T13:32:00.001-08:00

This year's Winter Solstice is one of the most beautiful, magical ever. We have had snow on the ground for a solid week now. And it isn't the usual Pacific Northwest slushy, sloggy, wet snow either. It is crunchy today but still fluffy underneath the crunch. It makes for great stomping and sledding. The kids finally caught sledding fever today. Rob and I are also loving it. Today is the day of solstice and, after a long adventure in the snow, we settled into soup-eating, cookie-making, lots of reading and, well, me, dinking around on the computer listening to the advent story and Pandora Christmas music. We're going to prepare a little solstice celebration and candlelit feast a la one I read about on this blog. Rob's taken a world of snowy pics to be downloaded, possibly at a much later time... And the snow is still falling! Gorgeous...

Our friend Melanie has a solstice resolution of sorts: to slow down and do less. I like that one...

Happy Winter from Snowland!

When it is freezing outside...

2008-12-15T22:32:00.000-08:00

It is time to make art...

The Week In Review

2008-12-12T20:39:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of pictures from last weekend. We spent most of the weekend "bludging" off our friends, Matt and Melanie in West Seattle. Melanie spent Saturday morning making us soup, hummus, cookies and bread for starters and Matt spent the afternoon making us pizza. We were very spoiled... Then we dared to look at the house next door to them in West Seattle which is for sale. We got caught up in short-lived frenzy trying to figure out how we could make that happen. Turns out we can't for various reasons, primarily lack of money, disrepair of our own house and plain old inertia. What can we say?? I'm afraid this old house doesn't want to let us go.

The rest of the week went by in a flash - lots of work and bussing around the city for Rob and driving here, there and everywhere for me and the kids. Lucy and I saw "The Wizard of Oz" at Seattle Children's Theatre, kids did circus class a couple of times, Lucy had a nature class out in a boggy wetland area. Jasper and I tagged along, Jasper in his conductor overalls (see last post for picture), with his tape measure attached to the pocket.

Rob had a couple of nights out and I had last night out. I took a Nia dance class at a place on Capital Hill called Dance Underground. It was the best. Then I went around the lake twice with Bianca in the light of the full moon. Unfortuately after all that deliciousness, I finished the evening at the mall and tried to get out of there with a bit of my soul still intact. Remind me not to do that again...

Homeschooling proper is off for the rest of December - or until I have time to do more planning and figuring out what to do. It seems like Lucy needs some time to let everything soak in - and probably so do I. It was an intense Fall for both of us. But fortunately, school or no school, that Lucy keeps right on learning...

Christmas and Stuff

2008-12-08T13:32:00.000-08:00

The Spirit of Christmas has definitely drifted into the Brown Household. Immediately after the tree went up last week, Lucy dug out old Christmas dresses for her and Jasper to snuggle into. Jasper does make a very charming little elf... So now we have the tree for company - I especially enjoy driving up to the house at night to see the lights twinkling in the window. The kids and I spend time each day on the couch reading stories about Winter or Winter Solstice. And sometimes we sing Christmas carols or read Christmas stories. It is amusing and a little odd to be singing about such weighty theological topics as "God and sinners reconciled." I suppose I do actually appreciate the concept although I might have chosen different wording... Jasper called baby Jesus "Lorgie" today after I'd sung "Away in the Manger" (the little lord Jesus became "Lorgie").

Weekend on the Farm

2008-12-02T08:38:00.001-08:00

We had a beautiful weekend on Megan and Keith's farm. Thanks again to Megan and Keith for sharing themselves and their slice of heaven with us. We got quite relaxed and cozy there, sharing in each other's leftovers from Thanksgiving. Megan always has lots of fun stuff around for the kids to play with and we enjoy sleeping in the Hawthorne Room and the River Room. We were super-spoiled, as usual, with yummy cocktails and mocktails at cocktail hour and homemade treats such as biscuits Megain whipped out on Sunday morning. Saturday night Arlene made the most amazing pizzas (using Megan's secret recipe). I'm going to try to reproduce them soon. Richard taught Lucy to make Japanese lanterns out of paper. You can see in the last picture that she has mastered this skill. The lanterns are now decorating our Christmas tree, set over the white lights as Richard had suggested.

Pictures coming soon of our tree, which the kids picked out on Sunday after we got home. Jasper and Lucy were so happy last night as Rob brought down all the Christmas decorations and they cranked up the Christmas tunes as they decorated the tree. Jasper kept wondering when we were going to "trim" the tree...

Jasper is covering his ears in the first couple of pictures because we were near the guys who were using chainsaws to chop up dead trees for firewood. Lucy helped them unload.

Thank you for coming...

2008-11-30T19:19:00.000-08:00

Thinking of our gluten-free friends as I post a series of pictures of food from our Thanksgiving feast that appear to be quite gluten-full. Not entirely though, now that I think of it... my mom made the pumpkin pie from Ali's cookbook and it was deliciously gluten-free... Whew! There were other dishes, including a lovely rhubarb crumble from MacKenzie and Gunlis and yummy beets from Joan, AKA Granny AKA Rob's mom. There is one picture of Lucy and her friend Tessa high in a tree. Rob took the kids to a park to ride/scoot/convene with friends before the actual festivities of the day began. No pictures of guests, we got too busy visiting once they arrived to take many pictures. But our guests included Rob's parents, Joan and Ian, my mom, Gloria and stepdad, Merrill, and Rob's brother MacKenzie and his partner, Gunlis. We also had a guest appearance from our 16 yr old neice Brianna.

The bread we've been making lately got things started, with butter, cheeses, veg and fruit.

Rob made an old-fashioned raisin pie for his dad. It was beautiful. I didn't taste it, but it got good reports even from some skeptics... but most importantly, Rob's dad enjoyed two slices of it.

Lucy takes a break high in a tree with Tessa.

Mom's apple pie and then Ali's pumpkin pie, made by mom. They tasted as good as they look.

Most of our menu came from Fine Cooking's Thanksgiving feast - this was a bread stuffing recipe from Tom Douglas.
I love Thanksgiving. I am grateful for the opportunity to plan out a meal and then have a nice, appreciative crowd to serve it to. Plus, Rob did, I'm embarassed to admit it... ALL the dishes. What a guy!

A Happy Biker

2008-11-24T15:37:00.000-08:00

Perhaps Lucy was a little late to this game, but now she's a player... Up and biking on two wheels. It was literally as if a switch were flipped and she suddenly got it. Last Saturday, after less than a minute of Rob holding her shoulders, she just said, "Daddy, you can let go." End of story. Rob called me at home, I ran over the park, Lucy came around the track on her bike with the biggest ear-to-ear grin I've seen on her face ever...

Autumn Joy

2008-11-18T11:04:00.000-08:00

We had the sort of autumn weekend that makes us wonder if global warming is really so bad (well, as long as you're not a polar bear - yikes!)... It is mid-November, but Saturday the sun was shining all day and it was warm. The kids got to have the kind of fun in leaves that I grew up with in Arkansas, but that I don't really remember being so much a part of November kid life in Seattle. The leaves are usually too wet to really pile up and jump into. It was a match made in heaven: Rob busy piling all the leaves up so that he could mow them into a mulch to put on all our garden beds, the kids at the ready to jump into the piles, throws leaves into the air, and generally have an all-around wholesome afternoon of frolicking fall frenzy. They stayed outside all the way 'til the end of a knock-out sunset, before coming in for Indian-style turkey and peas, brown basmati rice and steamed brussel sprouts and brocoli. A sweet Saturday...

Asides

2008-11-14T08:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a rare beautiful, sunny, somewhat clear-skied November Seattle day. We spent most of it inside - Lucy in her nightgown. The kids were incredibly busy all day, but somehow, at 3 pm, we busted out to a big city park - Woodland Park - to play with friends. The beautiful park is a favorite of mine and Lucy's for the big trees, but also, it turns out, the park and trees have another use as a guys-meeting-other-guys hang-out. It doesn't feel dangerous but four young children and two, well, kind of elderly moms bounding around amongst the woods while gentlemen are cruising around looking for love is a little awkward (not to the kids who are oblivious but to the moms and the guys, presumably). So we will be switching to one of the plethora of other options for city forest adventures. But kids had fun.

On our way home, we picked up Rob who works close by. We started making our way through the nightly traffic jam back home, feeling cozy, perhaps partly because of the mesmorizing sea of brake lights before us on I-5. Rob and I are chatting in the front seat while Lucy and Jasper are grooving on an old old Lucinda Williams CD I got at the library. It is good - I think called Happy Woman Blues? A younger, simpler Lucinda. But anyway, Rob broaches the topic of an upcoming party and needing to get a babysitter. Suddenly from the backseat, Jasper, who'd been pretty sleepy-headed, warns us: "Don't think about getting a babysitter or there will be a consequence." Rob: "Oh really, what consequence, Jasper?" Jasper: "My consequence."

Then moments later, Rob is snacking on the crackers I'd brought for kid-snacks, Jasper pipes up again: "Dad, don't fill up on those crackers."

Later in the evening, I escaped the house again - the kids hardly noticing - and went back out into the night for Thai food and a walk around Green Lake - with my friend Jennifer (a dear fellow INFP) and the full moon (well, technically starting to wane, but full-looking) for company. Back home to a sweet, funny husband who'd done all the dinner dishes, and two soft, sleeping cheeks to kiss.