The Big, Brown Lawn

"Play is not just for Preschool!"

2012-02-09T22:28:00.000-08:00

Ah, once again I am amazed. I am inspired. I am feeling empowered. There was a quote a while ago on Kelle Hampton's blog that read, "Pay attention. Be amazed. Tell about it." Well here I am. I have been paying attention, amazement abounds, and I've been gearing up to tell about it. Last night we attended the monthly parent meeting at the preschool. Each month as the meeting draws near I am filled with mixed feelings. There is the anticipation of what we will learn, the joy of seeing warm, welcoming people, the mini-date with my husband in the middle of the week, combined with the exhaustion of the long day that will take us late into the night. The meeting ends at 10pm, but by then my mind is wired, filled with hope and wonder for the children. Filled with a reflective look at myself and what I do in my own life and classroom to make these hopes become reality.

Last night we listened to the presentation from "The Big School". I remember the first year I attended the February meeting. The words touched me deep and as I raised my hand to speak I was struck by how I unexpectedly began to cry as I shared. I am not sure I can find the words to share this enlightenment, but for me it was a definite point in my life where I began to take a harder look at myself and what I could be doing better. It all comes back to...

PLAY!

Today Mason had his preschool Valentine Party and he has been prepared for this day for a couple of weeks now. He told me two weekends ago how he needed to start his Valentines because last year it took a long time to draw them all out. The boy insisted on drawing a monkey on each one and addressing them to each classmate. The teachers wanted them to simply sign their name, but that didn't make any sense to Mason. How impersonal! So this year he would start early. He worked for hours that Saturday and drew different pictures for everyone.

Valentine Party here I come, magician hat and all!

Today he woke and was ready for the fun. He "dressed up" and could hardly wait to go. I was heartbroken when he asked who was going with him and we said we had to go to work. He said, "But it is my last Valentine Party at Preschool." (My breaking heart!) I am sad when I think of this being his last year there. He has grown SO much in that magical place.

"Play is not just for Preschool!"

"The opposite of play is not work, it is depression."

It is our job to make sure that we don't lose sight of the power of play. It is critical to our survival. In my last post I shared some glimpses of our Superheroes. Mason, Ellie, and I fell in love with play that day. We created so much, not so much "stuff", but SO many memories. As things were winding down Mason said, "Mommy, I just have so many ideas coming into my brain today. They just keep coming." A few minutes later he was making paper giraffes for Ellie. "Ellie, do you want another giraffe?"

"Yes," she replied.

"Because when you love someone you just keep making things for them," he responded as he handed her the baby giraffe that would complete the paper family.

This little superhero project has sparked such energy that it has spun just about out of control. And I mean that in the best sense possible. I took this project to my classroom and connected it to writing narratives. Some of my most reluctant writers have asked to write for homework. They ask to take their things home because they don't want to stop working. Today one boy asked me if he could bring in the Lego superhero he made at his house that is an exact replica (without a cape) of the one he built and drew in class. He wants to bring it in to have all 3 types when he shares his book with the class.

Today I stretched my sanity to the edge of the cliff and hung on for dear life as my 1 to 34 ratio put me to the test. Wait, I did have 2 students absent, but I was still significantly outnumbered. They are publishing their stories and it is fantastic. We are practicing real life in this experience. The art of patience. Time management, "What will you work on while you wait for me to edit?" Did I mention I need a team of editors!

Three students did something funky and lost all that they had typed, ugh! We ran out of cut cardboard to create our hardcover books, so my hands got a workout trying to cut more without the ease of the box cutter. It is a complete balancing act. How do you keep the momentum without spinning out of control? How do you work one-on-one while many are wanting their turn with you? Somehow we kept afloat and tomorrow I am excited to see the finished products.

To find the joy you have to dig in and get your hands dirty.

This work is messy. It is tricky. Exhausting. Yet it is what they will remember. It is what I will remember. If only we could bring a bit of play to all the "work" we must do. Without play, it is so easy to see the negatives. The lost student work, the restarts, the running out of cardboard, the interruptions, the girl that looked for her cover for a half hour and was on the verge of restarting...

...but then she found it. She was back on track. She typed her story and she saw it through. The boy who created his entire story in text boxes so he could create a comic book and add in a secret compartment with the safe that the evil villain tries to steal from the bank, and a pouch for his superhero to rest in when he is not flying through our classroom. The girl who typed hers at home has spent her class time cutting and pasting her text onto pages and waited, oh so patiently, to figure out how she might bind them into her book because she had a different approach. As she waited she kept adding. She was like Mason, the ideas kept filling up her brain and her book. She created a map to line the inside cover. An envelope that houses "Top Secret" information and is nestled into the end of the book, a dedication page, an author's purpose page, a summary on the back. This work doesn't happen with simply filling in worksheets and bubbling in tests. This work doesn't happen when we must all be on the same page.

I am paying attention, I am amazed, I am telling about it.
Pass it on.

Super Powers!

2012-02-04T07:56:00.000-08:00

The other day I was home with the kids and we decided to see what was in our craft baskets. One thing led to the next and suddenly we had a collection of superheroes. This led to much fun playing superheroes throughout the house. Mason said to me that day, "Mommy, I have so many ideas today. They just keep coming into my brain."

I can SO relate to this lately. I have so many stories I wish to write and share here, but they are swirling around amidst the busy of things. I somehow have found this quiet moment and am hurrying to type a few words to bring a bit calm to it all, but I know I don't have the time to really sort it all out.

Soon the day will be flying around me. A happy, fun-filled day, swirling of smiles and sparkling moments, so the stories shall wait.

Wait yes, but be forgotten or dare I say left behind? No, I will grab hold and sort it all out. But for now my brain is a bit like this...

An organized mess of potential and I shall sort it out, get it in line, and hopefully use it to inspire.

Happy Weekend!

Finding Meaning Is All A Matter of Perspective

2012-01-17T23:43:00.000-08:00

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." This quote popped up on the TV screen at the restaurant we were at last Thursday night. Josh and the kids had gone to the bathroom and I had a moment to myself at the table or I imagine I wouldn't have been looking at the screen. I couldn't hear the TV, but the images of Martin Luther King Jr. and his quote got me thinking. I tried to imprint it in my brain because it struck me. I remembered the main idea, but the exact quote not so much. Thanks to the internet I was able to find it in a few seconds. The school day had begun with a different quote for our "Thought for Thursday" Morning Message. After students had shared their thinking about what the quote meant to them and I had shared my thoughts and connections one student asked, "So what is the real meaning?" I paused for a minute and tried to explain how meaning we take from art is personal. The connections we find are based on our own experiences and perspective.

I recently heard someone commenting about how a blog I love to read is not very real and she couldn't connect to that author's life because no ones life is really like that. It is all too beautiful. To me the blog inspires rather than shuts down my spirit. It is easy to find the downs, the tediousness, the frustrations that life's stresses and chores can bring. Everyone has them, I don't need to read about more of that on a blog. I read to think about possibilities of what's to come. I read to gain fuel for making meaningful moments.

"Mommy, we cook and then we dance!" - Ellie

My girl is becoming a girl. She taking on more and more. I am finding time to take on more of what I love to do, share it with her, and learn new things too. This weekend we made pancakes. She announced, "Daddy we are cooking, I need my cape!"
Cape = Apron, when you put one on you have super powers. You turn powder into breakfast! And then you dance!

Sunday night Josh mentioned the idea of getting up early Monday to go check out the relatively new donut shop downtown: Doughbot. We had read of them selling out early on big days and decided early departure was in order. We bundled up on the chilly morning and decided Santa jammies for Mason would suffice and keep the spirit of the holidays in the air. The car ride inspired a photo shoot. Ellie is becoming quite the photographer.

She captured my dreamy doughnut gaze.

Self-portrait, and one of my new favorites. Mason says it looks like she is going to hug me. LOVE!

The modest little shop with its hip bike out front created this box of edible artwork complete with tasty treats such as Meyer Lemon (heavenly), Peanut Butter and Jelly, Maple, Lemon Lavender, Blueberry Cornmeal, Vanilla, Chocolate, Maple Bacon, "The Picard", and 2 S'mores that the woman roasted before our very eyes.

Armed with coffee and anticipation, we braved the cold and took an outdoor table to dive into our box and sip our hot beverages. Gotta love our S'mores whether they are donuts, fabric, or the real deal out at the fire pit.

Sugar rush dance!

Family Fun at its finest.

Say, "SUPERPOWERS!" ("Cheese" is so 2011)

Things that really matter:
*Giving yourself the power to be inspired and making time to make it real.
*Oh and don't forget to speak up about it.
*Pass it on.
*When you receive it back, don't be intimidated by its looks.
*Find meaning for yourself, and keep it moving.
*Put your cape on, cook, and then DANCE!

Mrs. Break

2012-01-05T21:31:00.000-08:00

So I started a story the other day and I think I will just let it lie there in the draft that it is. Time has past and the feelings that provoked it have evolved and the story has changed. Not erased, just revised. I think life mirrors the writing process. Our life is ever changing and yet there are constants that we can grab hold of and feel comfort in the structure. The winter break has come and gone and amidst it all there were so many experiences and emotions all wound up into one excellent ride. Who knows...perhaps I will actually open that draft back up and reread it, but for now I'm here.

We headed south for the winter arriving at my "Grandpa and Grandpa's" house as Ellie calls it which sounds very similar to Gabba Gabba's house (as in Yo Gabba Gabba) on Saturday evening to kick of the break. Ellie insists on being our photographer and yep here we are. I was loving the Helen Keller quote mug that week. Hmmm, what the heck did it say?...something to the effect of life's most beautiful things cannot be seen or heard they are felt with the heart. Not sure that I have it exact so I shall leave off the quotation marks, but you get the gist.

Some heart felt moments...

Mason and Ellie out on a walk through Westwood with Daddy as my mom and I had some time together to hit the local store for who remembers what. I remember loving mom and me time. We received a call that the troops were out in search of a bunny that had been spotted and were hot in his trail. We arrived in time for scooping up some tired kids and driving them on home.

Ellie and I headed out to town and returned with bagels and coffee.

A trip to visit Grandpa at the library. Ellie was "reading about how to be a happy farmer". Love that girl.

The light in the trees outside his office was breathtaking...

Mason casts a powerful spell.

Grandpa takes us on a tour of the newly remodeled UCLA library. We fell in love with these.

I am in love with these two babes.

Grandpa's office was filled with fun.

"Mommy this is my new name, Maso."

We successfully added post-it notes, drawings to all Grandpa's office items.

The next day we were off to visit Grandma's school and enjoyed the Christmas show. Each class performed a song and a tired Ellie was ready to go toward the end, but revived when Grandma and her teachers got up and sang a song about Santa. Then as the big guy made an appearance on stage she waved with all sorts of enthusiasm and ran up to him at the end of the show. It helps to know the principal so you can get a photo.

And get away with climbing around the giant roots of the trees outside.

Our time zoomed faster than I had imagined it would. Before we knew it my parents were on a plane headed north to Idaho and we were driving in the newly named "Cozy Traveler" with Uncle Chris heading home. Ellie and Mason fell in love with their copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz that Grandpa gave them at his office that day.

Friday we were off to the theater to see The Nutcracker.

Brothers and Sisters waiting for the doors to open.

Uncle Chris treated us to dinner at the Tower Cafe after the show. Tasty indeed. The kids had drooled over the desserts at brunch the week before and now was their chance to enjoy.

Ellie chose the "Pirate Cake", our name for it as it was decked out in gold.

Banana creme pie for the boy in the fancy tie.

Christmas morning brought treasure hunts with clues,

spy glasses,

horses,

a bit of magic,

and a sense of wonder.

Quality time with Uncle Chris zoomed by us as well and soon we were headed to the airport. The next day Ellie said to me at breakfast, "I am sad about bringing my Uncle Chris to his airport, but I have you so I am okay." My eyes were sweating a bit after that one.

Ellie and Mason played like the best of buddies.

Costumes were worn to go to the store.

New strings on a little girl's guitar inspired new concerts and her best ROCK STAR pose.

The sunset as seen from the comfort of our front porch...

New LEGOs

More costumes

A project to inspire me to find the joy in creating and watching it bloom into pretend play.
I saw this felt campfire online and had to make my own. We've had many a fun campout and many more to come.

Campfires are exhausting for busy pirates.

Neglecting the garden makes for happy kids in big piles of leaves.

Another project moved Ellie's things into the kitchen where Ellie took up residence in a drawer while we built her new bed.

Josh's handy work and creativity brought this beauty to reality. Uncle Weston's former studio supplied us with the lumber and the desk piece we had in our garage. The whole project was virtually free except for the cost of the bolts. Love that!

I am excited to find time finishing decorating it so I can take a photo in the daylight. Here is a first look at Ellie's new room. She and Mason love hanging out and writing at the little desk. The first day I asked her if she liked her new bed and she said, "And I love my new desk." Tonight Mason hung a huge painting he made for her at preschool under the loft like a curtain. I love how he thinks of her. He told her it was an early birthday present. (Her birthday is in June.)

New Year's Eve brought us together with good friends and laughter. We always love visiting Nora and Pedar and their boys Casey and Erik. The kids played and played and played until the new year was upon us.

I think it is ironic he wore these pajamas that say, "Handsome like DAD". Notice any similarities?

Erik celebrated his 3rd birthday and got this awesome roller coaster. He was generous to let Ellie monopolize it for many turns.

Casey showed us his new birthday guitar.

Ellie kept riding that roller coaster.

And had some "help" to achieve maximum speed. I particularly like the safety dog she is riding with.

Don't forget to notice the awesome wooden growth chart Pedar made that is hanging on the kitchen wall.

Tiring out kiddos as the hour crept toward midnight.

Here's to a new year of family, friends, and heart-felt moments worth remembering. Happy New Year!on Kelle's blog

Because of...

2011-12-17T01:10:00.000-08:00

I was reading a friend's blog recently with the post title being "Can't We All Just Get Along?" It got me thinking. We can, but sometimes we don't and it would probably be weird if we always did. I think for any group of 34 4th graders and 1-2 adults plus a parent volunteer here and there...there are bound to be days like Thursday. The storm before the calm. Every time I have ever put on a performance with my class the day before the "big day" I just about want to rip my own hair out and then the next day I am overflowing with joy and love. Perhaps it is that push out to the end of the plank that makes us find the joy. As Ellie likes to sing, "What shall we do with a scurvy pirate? What shall we do with a scurvy pirate? What shall we do with a scurvy pirate?????? Make him walk the plank! Argh!"

Thursday was my scurvy pirate. I made him walk the plank and Friday was smooth sailing.

That scurvy pirate was filled with problems to solve, reminders to give, hurt feelings to mend, reminders to give, messes to clean, reminders to give, noise to try to tune out, reminders to give, a broken light bulb to be swept up....Ugh! What a day!

I complained and questioned why I chose to plan such chaos on a crazy week. This is why...

In my mind it would be fantastic. I would host a party for my class that would take us on a journey into our imaginations and bring to life the party at the end of the book we have been reading: Kate DiCamillo's Because of Winn-Dixie. The last time I had read this story with a class was the year the movie came out in the theater and we went to see it on a field trip. It was such fun. Then I surprised my class with a party in our room where we transformed our room into Gloria Dump's yard and had a glorious party.

Our journey through the story has been magical and I wanted to end our week with a magical party. The students had created book projects and made and delivered invitations to staff members on campus. Thursday night I had to put aside frustrations and stress and got prepared to try to pull it off. I started preparing food while the kids had their bath and when Daddy sent them in to see me I was onto making little signs for the food from the story. Mason asked if he could make some too. He was inspired to make a Lemonade stand. He decorated his signs, and served frozen corn. You know like any quality Lemonade stand would.

Dogs that tried to snack on said "frozen corn" were given doggie treats by pajama tooth fairy to keep them out of trouble.

And then tooth fairies have to eat, and well, so do Lemonade Stand owners.

It's exhausting work being a tooth fairy! And the answer is a definite NO! if you ask them to remove tooth fairy costumes in bed.

So after Lemonade Stand therapy and a good night's sleep I woke, ready to make Thursday walk the plank. We had a party to throw and nothing would stand in my way. We hung twinkle lights, spread out table cloths, set up book projects, set up the food table, hung signs, set out handmade thank you notes that one student made at his house Thursday night for all of our guests...ah my heart was overflowing! As they walked in from recess under the twinkle lights I heard, "It's just like we are in the book!" As they snacked I overheard, "This is the best day ever!"

My eyes were a bit misty! Perhaps it was splashes of water from Thursday walking the plank.

Santa's Missing Beard

2011-12-14T22:54:00.000-08:00

Mason was writing the word Banana and ran out of room for all the letters.
I love that he made them into characters.

On our journey this morning as we drove past the preschool Mason shouted, "Hi Preschool. See you in a little while!" Then realization hit and he said, "Oh no, I forgot to make my book last night for Teacher Bev."

We asked him about this and he said he had wanted to make her a book as a present. We told him he could work on it tonight when we got home because he still had one more day of school before the break. So tonight as we were gearing up for bath and story time and such he said, "Is there still time to work on my book?" I had no idea what time it was, but of course there had to still be time. We got into our pajamas and he went to pick out the pages. "Mommy you write the words I want to say and I will do the pictures. Remember, like that airplane storybook we did?" I remember it well.

One of Mason's Drawings from another night of projecting.

So he found his paper and pencil and we sat down. Ellie wanted to watch the Christmas movie from Grammie so she and Daddy snuggled on the couch while Mason and I worked on the book. I thought it might not work out with the movie on. He was entranced by the story of "Yes Virginia" a sweet story of a girl who writes to the New York newspaper, The Sun to ask if there is really a Santa Claus. If you haven't seen it, I recommend it. We watched it last night and when one little girl is saying there is no Santa Claus Mason shouted out, "She's wrong!" All the lights are lit on his "Believe Meter".

I waited patiently for the words I was to write and they came. "First you need to write Santa's Missing Beard. That's what the book is called."

So I wrote and as we worked he directed, "Now turn the page." Then more story unfolded. It was a suspenseful story of Santa missing his beard and finding it and then in his hurry to deliver toys one fell from his sleigh and then he had to call upon his elf to make a replacement and on and on. I think one of my favorite lines was when they had a Holly Jolly Christmas and danced around the tree. By the end Mason was pretty tired out and didn't end up drawing any pictures, but he wrote his name and her name with a box around it. He took the book in his hands.

He was too tired to illustrate his book tonight. Here is some art from a few weeks ago. On the left is his concert invitation. Remember Mason's Concert ? On the right is his drawing of Baby Isaiah.

I asked him, "How did you come up with this idea?"

He looked at his book and said, "I just want her to be happy like on my birthday when everyone gives me presents and I am happy." He put the book in his backpack and I overheard him telling Josh as I was laying in Ellie's room, "We don't want to forget this book." No we don't. Teacher Bev you are in for a real treat. Happy Holidays to you. We love you Teacher Bev.

Half Full

2011-12-12T07:33:00.000-08:00

Monkey See, Monkey Do

My mother always taught me to see the good in everyone. When someone was mean she'd say, "Kill 'em with kindness." Even when she didn't say it, she showed it in her kindness, her actions. I remember a girl scout camp out where one girl in our troop was kind of annoying. All the other girls worked really hard at making her feel left out. I globbed in on this not being secure enough in my own self to do otherwise. I remember the last day of the trip my mom consoling that girl who was crying. I remember thinking how brave and caring my mom was. I felt in that moment how I should have been acting rather than going along with everyone else just so I wouldn't be treated like her.

I love my mom's "Glass Half Full" outlook on life. My mom has always been one to see the good. Always wants to make sure everyone is happy and okay. It is an impossible task. We must all go through the tough spots from time to time. I think it is these tough spots that help us appreciate the FULL spots. I was thinking about this idea this morning. I think it will drive our focus this week at school. As I think about the roller coaster weekend we just experienced filled with its highs and lows there are many moments where you could ask yourself, "Is the glass half empty or half full?" It reminds me of the speech at my Dad's Honorary Doctorate Ceremony. The woman who spoke shared her story as an athlete where she learned the importance of viewing the world with a "Get To" rather than "Have To" attitude.

On our Thanksgiving trip to LA we were going to head to the store to buy ingredients to cook for my family. The garage door opener we had wasn't working, so our car was trapped inside the parking garage. We had to leave our car, but we "Got To" take a gorgeous walk into Westwood. The kids found treasures the whole way...leaves, seed pods, "the tiniest pinecone you ever saw", balance beams, places to dance and sing, and more.

The walk was long and tiresome for these little legs, so a rescue call into Grandpa, who had made it home from work, was in order. We "Got To" see him and hang out more.

The last day of our visit my mom was hoping to spend the day with us. This did not play out as planned. We decided that this way was better. We would "Get To" surprise her at work. Uncle Chris had fixed our garage door button and we were able to embark on our journey. The kids LOVE a fantastic surprise complete with sneaky elevator rides.

On our way the previous day Ellie would stop us and then, "Ready, Set, Go!" We did this about 5 times down the sidewalk to the school.

We made it to the playground for lunch time recess and Grandma was SURPRISED! Hoorah!

The cup was overflowing!

Ellie instantly found the stroller and baby of her desire and all was well.

We found a tasty restaurant near a parking garage and the next day as we were heading out of town Mason asked, "Mommy today can we go to another parking garage and find a restaurant again?" That boy has always loved LA's parking garages. Mom - Remember when he made you stand and watch all the "toll gates" while we shopped at the Farmer's Market when he was 2?

Nothing like a FULL day to call for a nap on the ride home.

I love you Mom! See you soon.

Safe Journey

2011-12-11T23:17:00.001-08:00

As we embark on any family trip it is tradition that we all stretch to reach each other and say "Safe Journey". This little tradition is one that I've carried with me on every trip since I was little and now am sharing it with my kids. I recently attended a parent meeting at the preschool with the theme being traditions and building memories and then with the Thanksgiving season upon us the reflecting on my traditions and what I hold most dear in my heart is constantly in my mind. As we arrived home from our "safe journey" up from L.A. I was busting with the love of my family and the anticipation of our next visit. I was laying in bed that night wishing I was not so tired and could stay up and write the stories that were dancing in my head, but I chose sleep.

Last weekend, as I imagine the next few shall be as well, was filled with magical moments of the holiday season. Mason and Ellie could hardly wait to get out the door to deliver their Christmas cards to the neighbors. In one Mason thanked our neighbor "for being so kind to take good care of our house when we go away on trips." I hope I find time to write and reach out to all my family and friends this season. I have not been so organized the past couple of years.

To kick off the month of December we ventured out to our annual local Tree Lighting. It was a Thursday evening and I kind of wanted to stay home and relax, but we ate dinner and geared up for the adventure. Mason told me he needed to "look his best" because we were going to see Santa. He picked out red and white attire and then the final touch...this tie. I have given up worrying too much about trying to get him to wear what I want him to wear. He likes to choose so there you go.

Ellie liked getting ready too and even let me put her hair up, perhaps the distraction of stealing Daddy's iPod was the trick.

Ellie loves cameras and taking pictures and was dying to take some so I convinced her to let me take a couple and then she could work her magic. A sassy shot...

Then let the dance off begin...

Rock Star!

Finally it was her turn...

She was not happy with just one...the strap was in the shot here, but with a bit of enhancing, Ta-Da there we are.

We finally got in the car and were off. They didn't stop moving and dancing the whole walk from the parking lot to the event.

Me and my girl!

Ellie was so excited when we saw Santa and Mrs. Claus ride up in their horse and carriage. The horse was huge! She was dying to pet it. It was taller than Daddy and Ellie decided that she would ask Santa if she could pet the horse. To her this took priority over gifts.

Their chat.

Meanwhile...Mason was chatting with Mrs. Claus. I overheard him telling her he would like a shiny star for the top of our Christmas Tree and anything nice that you have would be fine. While we were waiting for our turn to visit them Mason told me, "I am going to tell him, anything you have will be fine." Josh and I had asked him the day before what he would ask Santa for. He said, "Well, 1st I lost my list. And next, I don't remember what was on it. And 3rd I don't want to write another one."

They each got a stuffed toy, Mason got a Santa and Ellie got a Reindeer right out of that classy bag next to Mrs. Claus. They were thrilled and then we were off to warm up with a cup of hot cocoa and a cookie. It was official the start of the season began! Let's hope for a safe journey!

Which is better the cookie or the decorating?

2011-12-10T14:45:00.001-08:00

The wonderful world of weekending is one I can't help but get lost in lately. I have treasured my weekends and the magical moments they bring. Last weekend we ventured out to find our Christmas tree. Ellie and Mason got all "dressed up" for the occasion. Ellie wanted to wear her bedazzled look and Mason found his new Christmas Snoopy shirt and pirate beads to be the right look for him. Binoculars for searching out the best tree were a must.

Before we left the house there was much to be done...stop to visit our pirate pumpkins that seem to hang onto fall even though Christmas decorations have begun to fill the porch.

Daddy and the kids went to check on their wheat and "The Wheat is Growing Run" began to celebrate.

Mason then posed as a scarecrow and then we were off.

Baby Isaiah woke up in time to see the trees everyone picked out and his cousins were more than happy to entertain him.

On the way to buy our tree Mason found a Gingerbread Boy decorating kit that was a must have. I was excited to decorate the tree, but the boy was all about the cookie decorating so kids win when it comes to holiday cheer.

After many laughs it was time to try these tasty? treats...

Mason and Ellie worked to create their masterpieces and I think one of my favorite parts was when they actually tasted them Ellie spit hers right on out. I can take a few pointers from them. They are not troubled by the thought of letting something go to waste. If it tastes like garbage that is its destiny...no need to ingest that.

Tasty? Well not so much, but worth the experience? Don't these pictures say it all?

The next day...

Mason: Ellie can I eat your nose?

Ellie: No.

Mason: But I love those kind. (Referring to gumdrop nose on her Gingerbread Boy.)

Ellie: (grabbing and pulling on her own nose while answering) No Mason, I can't even take it off.

Mason: (Looking at me, puzzled yet ready to bust out laughing) No I mean your Gingerbread Nose.

Ellie: (Laughing) Oh, yes that is fine.

A bit later he asked about her eyes and the the above conversation replayed but with eyes instead of nose.

Let's Play Superheroes

2011-11-21T23:34:00.001-08:00

So tonight we turned the TV off and let our brains wander into the world of Let's Pretend. At the end of the night Ellie recapped all the fun with a quick summary, "We had fun playing Doctor and Baby and Superheroes. It was so fun!"

As the grown-ups were winding down I suggested, "Mason maybe we could draw or do something else." I had just about hit my limit of playing "Baby".

From this little suggestion Mason lit up, "Yeah, let's play superheroes. First we have to draw our designs for our superheroes and then we can play."

Ellie and I joined him on drawing and he created 3 to our 1 picture each. The following characters were born.

Super Stretch By Mason

Super Good Hero By Mommy, Face and Name By Mason

Ellie Superhero By Ellie

Weather Man By Mason

Force Field Guy By Mason

Uncle Chris needed a bit of coaxing, but he got into the spirit of things with a bit of persuasion from his nephew. "Just doodle a guy and then we can play superheroes with our guys," Mason said handing him doodling supplies. "Who is that guy? Crazy Hair Guy?" No, it's "Hammer Hand!"

Hammer Hand By Uncle Chris

As Daddy was just beginning to convince the wee ones it was time to brush teeth and get ready for bed I heard, "But we didn't play our superhero guys yet!"

Thankfully the boy is a speedy artist and had extra heroes ready for play.

Introducing:
Daddy as Super Stretch,
Grandma as Weather Man,
Mason as Force Field Guy,
Mommy as Super Good Hero,
Ellie as Ellie SuperHero, and
Uncle Chris as Hammer Hand.

The wild adventure that followed will play out in your imagination. Enjoy.

After a late afternoon nap, Ellie was not quite ready to sleep so she got back up with me a bit and decided after drawing she wanted to cut something. She got her drawings and began. I asked her what she was making. "Nothing, I am just cutting."

Here is her masterpiece. I think I will clean it up tomorrow.

"May the Memories Wrap Their Arms Around You..."

2011-11-20T08:39:00.001-08:00

"...May your childhood take you by the hand. May what you remember find healing when it hurts, so the memories will protect you when they can." -Tom Hunter, Bev Bos, and Michael Leeman

Tiny Teddy sporting his new finger-knitted scarf.

November is a time for reflection. A time for traditions. A time for making memories. Last weekend we ventured to Apple Hill. Our sister-in law arranged for the family to meet up at High Hill and the weather was fantastic. We made it in time for carmel apples for lunch.

Fall Favorites: Carmel Apple, festive fall fashion, and family time. Oh and yes that is Pooh Bear on the table. He had a visit to Dr. Ellie and received a bandage for his Onyx inflicted nose injury and wore his hospital gown all day.

Attempting to steal a bite...a must.

Before eating Mason tried to get us to let him ride the carousel, but I felt like that wasn't the Apple Hill experience. It was more of a mall sort of thing. As we walked away from it I realized that we typically distract and blow by them at the mall too, so would the world end if it made it into our Apple Hill experience? Probably not, so giddy up!

Mason: "Can we ride the merry-go-round?" Me: "No, we could do that at the mall. Let's see what else they have." Then while walking around I realized, wait we always say no at the mall so live it up. Me: "Alright guys here's some quarters hop on."

Next Ellie's request to ride the pony was on the agenda. That girl loves her animals.

Ellie our animal lover and thrill seeker.

We then went in search of the train ride. The conductor tried to fool the kids that if we waited for our relatives to arrive he'd be taking a break and we'd miss out. Ellie saw right through his act and laughed saying, "NO!" You'd have thought that man never smiled. Leave it to Ellie to see through that jokester's tough exterior. It takes one to know one.

Waiting for our train ride.

See, I told you: Thrill Seeker. Entering the tunnel on the train.

The day continued with the Hay Maze at Abel's and then we headed back down the hill on home.

Getting Taller

This weekend we headed south for a Pre-Thanksgiving celebration with our family and friends. On Thursday evening Mason was SO eager to get going on our trip. He had fallen asleep on the way home from a busy day and woke up, scurried around the house and packed his own suitcase and backpack. It was hard falling asleep that night knowing we had to wait another day before we could go.

He had been talking about the trip and telling us how he would bring the tiny gas truck back and play with the plane when he arrived. He had borrowed the truck over the summer and had kept it safe through many adventures. He would play and then feast on "toast with butter, because Grandma always has toast at her house."

I love these little memories. It got me thinking of the little things I remember from visiting my grandparents. The little parts of their home that was different than mine. The rectangular faucet in the bathroom, the staircases where we played and pretended, the walks we took in their neighborhoods. Whether it was Oregon or Idaho, the magic was always there. The bits of magic that you carry with you, "protect you", fill your heart. Friday evening we set out on our trip to spend 4 hours in the car to be back home sleeping in our beds until the accident on I-5 could be cleared. We woke up rested and ready for our adventure.

Brunch at the Tower Cafe and we were off.

Spoon noses

No Traffic and Beautiful Fall Leaves out our window...We are on our TRIP!!!

Ellie and her bear took a nap to pass the time.

When we arrived Mason instantly found the toys, unpacked the gas truck, and danced to the music of the clock. As he danced I thought of how that clock is one of his memories. One he'll hold close to his heart like the flashlight adventures he played with Ellie, Dakota and all the "wild animals" (grown-up monsters) last night.

To Carve or To Sculpt...That is the Question.

2011-11-10T04:58:00.001-08:00

There aren't a lot of photos in the post. Be prepared to visualize.
Read on, let your thoughts run wild.

I have been reading a book to my class over the past several weeks. We finished reading the book this week, and are embarking on our journey of exploring our creativity and expression of how the book can inspire us. Yesterday was wrapped with meetings, a staff meeting in the morning and a preschool parent meeting in the evening. Both were thought provoking and an inspiration to "one up" myself and kick my teaching power up a notch. Typically I think of "one up" as a negative, but in this case I do not. There are times when I feel competition can be negative and just before drifting off to sleep last night my mind was spinning with thoughts, quotes, moments, little gems from the day. I was wishing I could write them all down, but sleep won out. Ellie woke me early this morning and as I lay with her and she drifted back to sleep my mind spun again. Not in a wild out of control chaos, but a glorious spin like a dance. At one point Ellie burst out giggling, asleep and dreaming of something mischievous or comical, but giggling with utter joy. I lay there longer struggling between my desire to start capturing my thoughts and letting them spin joyfully like that laughter.

In the staff meeting we reflected and discussed and I left feeling inspired to enjoy the bittersweet ending of a great book. That feeling you have as you are dying to get to the end to see it through and discover, yet the sadness that the journey has ended. With this book, I feel that the ending has opened another door. One student said, "Maybe there's a part 2!" For us, the "Part 2" is within us. The book travels through the journey of a young girl finding her voice within herself. Her path to finding the strength to speak up for what she believes, what she knows is truth, for the people she loves and cares about whole-heartedly. I can relate to this child. One who, at times, would watch things happen around her and not know how to speak up. My journey has not been as short as hers to finding my voice and I continue to strengthen mine and deepen my understanding of why I need to use it.

I recently heard from fellow colleagues about how they had been hearing me talk about the power of play for our students. They shared with me how they have taken that and run with it in their classrooms. This was such a gift to me. Knowing that I made a difference, an impact in more students' lives than just those in my room was powerful. It pushed me on, made me feel like "what more can I be doing for my own class and teaching?" Not how can I make more work for myself, but how can I bring my work to a higher level?

Last night it hit me (again) how powerful rowing was for me. For me it was my turning point, my fork in the road for which I landed on the best route of the path. The one where strength, passion, and the need for others is critical for you to cross the finish line in your best possible way. Sometimes you may end up with the silver medal, but when you have rowed on through with your team's golden efforts of strength, courage, camaraderie, passion, common vision, and determination, after the initial tears of disappointment fall you stop and reflect on what you have accomplished and the power of what you have achieved is so much more than any medal can give you. Yes, the medals are amazing and can hold a special memory or capture a feeling and give you a physical object to hold in your hands, but it is what we carry with us constantly in our hearts that endures, shares, and drives our true self. All my medals in my treasure box cannot compare to the strength and true understanding of teamwork that I won in rowing. For in a boat you must strive to make yourself your personal best, yet it isn't all about you. You must also make yourself the best fit for your boat, your crew, your team. Having 9 talented women is not enough, they must also help each other aspire to be more than they thought they could be, each urging one another on to take the risk to reach beyond. Without competition I am not sure this could happen. I was moved to see my colleague speaking SO passionately about her students yesterday. She spoke and tears welled up in her eyes. I began to think about her and how her little comment a couple of weeks ago to me made me work better to improve my own teaching as well, not with the intent to "one up" her, but to kick things up a notch for my students, for myself, so that we all may be inspired to carry on in this journey of living and learning and loving it along the way.

Yesterday we carved soap. Our main character in our book carves soap. She is incredibly talented at it. The author writes about it in such a beautiful way, saying "When the promise doesn't reveal itself early, your imagination must dictate your intentions. Then the wood, or the soap, it will become what you least expect." Some of my students had challenges with their first attempt at carving. This morning I thought about the language of it. When we think of carving, perhaps that isn't the best word. Today I will teach them how to sculpt. How to peel back the layers. For our true selves to be revealed, like what we hope to sculpt, we can't simply stab in and carve deep. The risk from crumbling is too great. We must do it bit by bit, shaving away that which we don't need. Our character, Naomi, says she imagines what's inside and takes away what she doesn't need. This is what my day wrapped in meetings was all about. My best teaching self is within me. I need to keep peeling away that which I don't need and it shall be revealed.

I Like

2011-11-08T05:21:00.000-08:00

Did you ever see the movie Amelie? I love the cover of the box, the bold green the sassy haircut, the mystery...I honestly don't remember the entire movie, for it has been too long, but I love the lists of likes and dislikes for the characters...for that is what I am thinking of on this chilly, early morning.

Jen

She likes the quiet calm before the storm.

She likes that the weather has turned cold and she gets to pull out a few new "looks" in her wardrobe. Bring on the scarves and sweaters!

She likes snuggling with her family in the night as her chilly, little ones creep from their bed to ours in search of warm snuggles.

She likes that she was up at 2am making muffins, so Mason could bring them for our turn to bring "Parent Snack" at school yesterday, which he brought proudly and told his teacher that his daddy made them for everyone. (Yes, this is in my likes because if a muffin fairy came into our house in the night and made muffins while I was sleeping I would most likely predict it was Daddy because like Mason told his teacher, "He is the best Chef." I don't mind being in the background on this one. Besides I have proof that I do some "cheffing" now and then. Styling by Mason.)

Pirate Chef preparing 1st carrot cake for Halloween!

She particularly likes that Mason's conversation with his teacher prompted her to write it down and share it with Josh in a note. (Reading the conversation in it's entirety was inspiring as well as her taking the time to share her take on it. )

She likes being awake and finding time to just be.

Mason's sign...oh there is a story here, but there is also a bit of sleep to be had. More to come...

She dislikes that the weather has tuned cold and her feet and hands are sticking out of the blanket and she is cold.

She dislikes that every time the wee ones snuggle us it means there is a dirty dog creeping into their warm, cozy, vacant beds.

She dislikes having to rewash all that bedding that she was feeling productive about being caught up on.

She dislikes that she didn't make enough muffins to be able to try one or give Ellie one as she asked to eat one yesterday morning.

She dislikes that she is awake and not sleeping because she fears how exhaustion will come to visit when she is least prepared.

As I said, I don't remember the whole movie or the order of how these lists came together, but I am thinking I should have put the bad before the good to end on the up swing of things....

....she likes reading and writing and the magic that they bring whether it is alone or with others. Each can bring a smile, a tear, a laugh, a feeling that helps you know why you do what you do.

That is if you take a breath now and then to be awake and find time to think and just be.

Ellie my new little "writer". "Do you see my bone? Do you see my leash?"
The girl loves her dogs.

The Curtain Rises

2011-11-03T21:53:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, Jen took some alone time. You know, time for herself. Time to do things that people do so that they don't go insane, build shacks out in the woods, and write manifestos. Now she said that she was going to go get some groceries, but I know the truth: It was a mini-escape.

So I was home with the kids. We played some games, watched people swallow things that they shouldn't swallow on YouTube, and listened to some music way too loud. You know... we had fun! While we were listening to music, Ellie started air guitaring (which apparently is not a word according to my computer and its dotty red line). "I wanna rock out like a rock star!" she shouted.

"Let's have a rock concert," Mason chimed in.

"Ok, but we will need a stage," I said. I went out to the garage and retrieved several lengths of spare PVC (always have a spare). In less time than Van Halen's "Jump" I had lashed the pipes to a pair of dining room chairs (funny that I call them "dining room" chairs since we really only have one room in our house other than the bathroom, but I digress... again), tossed on a make-shift curtain, and we had our stage, complete with my bread proofing light and some jack-o-lanterns.

And so, ladies and gentlemen, I give to you the culminating performance of that evening: A horror in one act - "The Cupcake'

P.S. The stage is still up. Tonight at dinner I had to sit on the ten inch step stool and enjoy my porridge. It was a bit uncomfortable, and Ellie laughed at me, but THE SHOW MUST GO ON!

"I like you Mommy."

2011-10-22T22:34:00.000-07:00

Tonight at dinner Josh pulled out the "fancy" dishes from our china cabinet. Mason said, "When will we use that big flower plate?"

"How about tonight?", I replied thinking, we should be using this stuff more often. "What should be put on it?"

"Salad," Mason quickly shouted from the kitchen.

A penny for the fountain to make a wish...

I lit some candles and Ellie announced that it was her birthday. As Mason started to tell her it wasn't really I started singing, "A very merry unbirthday to you, to you..." Mason took the cue and sang something similar, but his own on-the-spot lyrics and then ran back to the kitchen to "make her a cake." He grabbed an apple and stabbed a birthday candle in it and we lit it, turned the lights off, and sang "Happy Birthday" in the glow of the candles. The beaming smile and squeals of glee were infectious.

Just before dinner I had received a message from a far away friend that recently lost his mother. I had read an update from him the other day about his mom and it was written so beautifully. I teared up thinking about her and although we had just met a few times back in college when I stayed at their house in Boston. I remembered her dearly. I loved how with her Spanish accent she called me, "Hen". My friend shared with me how his mother had asked about whether or not we were still in touch and how I was. It has been SO long since we have seen each other personally, but we reconnected online a while ago. A whole country apart, but chatting now and then. Friendship is so amazing like that. Time can pass and distance can come between you, but a connection can bring you right back to the fun memories you have with truly great friends. I was amazed to hear that she remembered me and I teared up again. I remember many great laughs and wish him the strength and peace that his post exuded. I can only imagine what it must be like for him at this time. It makes me want to hang out with my mom more. I loved seeing her last weekend even if it was brief. I loved every minute.

More pennies...

After dinner, Mason was anxiously awaiting my willingness to go up to his new room and play. I said I would after I rinsed the dishes and he said, "Oh, because they are so fancy? Where did you and Daddy get those?"

I told him how they were presents at our wedding.

"I wish I got more presents."

"You will."

"Will I get married one day, Mommy?"

"You might. When you find someone you fall in love with, you might ask them to marry you."

"I like you Mommy."

"I love you, Mason."

"Hmmm, who is a girl that I know that I could marry?"

"You have time to find one."

"Let's go upstairs and play wedding day. We will have to make a lot of plans. Joey thinks that when people kiss at a wedding it's gross."

"I don't. I think it's lovely."

"Me too."

I think it is lovely that we have not yet reached the "it's gross" stage yet. I know that day will most likely come, but I have to say I loved playing "wedding day" tonight. We went upstairs and I had to use the pretend computer to type up the list of all the things Mason would need such as: flowers, decorations, bear suit, dresses, drinks, plates, rings, "and for my costume"...the list went on and on. (Did I mention I love how he referred to his attire as his "costume"?)

Mason in his "Ring Bear" costume this summer at Uncle Micah and Auntie Maddie's Wedding

Then I had to make my list. Then we turned all the lights off and waited for our guests because it was a surprise party wedding, but by the time Daddy came upstairs to play we were all pretty sleepy from hanging out in the dark and Mason sadly reported to him that we hadn't had time to "hang up the decorations."

It is amazing when you take a look at the world through the eyes of a child. At one point in the conversation he told me how when he got married we would all sleep in the same bed because people that get married share a bed. I am pretty sure any future daughter in-law of mine wouldn't want to share her bed with me, but that isn't what he meant, it was just pure love. The idea of us not being together does not compute. It is like my neighbor growing up that wanted to marry me when he was four, and was going to buy us a house in the middle of the street (when no cars were coming) so that we could both still live by our parents.

As we grow up and want to become more of our own self, we venture away, but then there is the strong desire to be a part of their day, to share with them, to be around that love. I can't imagine my life without all the memories and love and support that my parents have given me through the years. I look forward to more to come and wish my far away friend the strength and peace to continue his journey through life in a new way.

A Frog In A Well

2011-10-18T21:46:00.000-07:00

Does anyone remember that math problem from back in the day about the frog in the well? It went something like there is this frog stuck in a well and every time he takes a few steps up toward the escape at the top he slips back down a certain amount of steps. The trick is figuring out some sort of formula to help you determine how long the poor guy will be stuck in that well before finally reaching the top and launching himself into freedom.

For some reason I keep coming back to this problem. It is so odd to me how this came into my brain. I mean years have gone by since I grappled with this problem. I remember always being "good at math". I was in the "high" math group. I went to Mr. Moore's math group in elementary school and was a bit "ahead" along the way. I am not generally one to brag and boast about such things, but I find it interesting how something you may be "good at" can also be a burden. For although my mind found patterns and problems to work well in my brain, I didn't really LOVE math. I do remember this problem though for as much as I was supposed to be "good at math" this problem stumped me at the time. I was confused by it and wondered why my "good at math" label wasn't working for me here.

The other night our good friends were sharing their woes about a recent progress report their first grader brought home. He was discouraged and feeling like he was not "good at math". First grade and already feeling this way. I have been thinking about him and my students at school and how we have SO many standards and a warp speed pacing. There is never quite time to slow down and help them build the stamina to grapple with how long that poor frog will be stuck. For if they don't "get it" that day the pace says, "we're moving on tomorrow", oh and by the way you need to have mastered yesterday to move on with us today, so if you were sick or needing more time, so sad for you.

I think we need to stop and remember that learning is a journey. I was just sharing with my students the other day about things I have learned as an adult, like how to be a gardener, a rower, a singer, a public speaker, a writer. It would be great if things could sometimes have a "quick fix" happy ending, but I feel as though some of my greatest accomplishments and successes are those that I worked the hardest to find, and in reflecting and relishing in the discovery I learned something about myself that surprised me, because I never knew that side of me existed.

At times, it is hard to be that frog stuck inside that well. Yesterday at work I was scraping the bottom of that darn well. I may even have been in the water, but today somehow I was back on the uphill climb. Then after lunch I slipped again. By the end of the day I was moving on up. You just never can tell where you'll end up. I still can't seem to figure out that formula.

This year, this stage that education is in, challenges us as educators, parents, and life-long learners to seek out and practice ways to bring joy to "the art of the journey" to our students, our children. In the world of "Don't worry about the ones that seem hard, just do the best you can." A.K.A. if you have no clue there will always be something to mindlessly bubble in, we must seek and find ways to bring learning to a higher level. For in life true success is not multiple guess. Someone, or many, may say you are "good at ______", but it is far greater to earn it with a little blood, sweat, and tears. To know, for true, what you are and what you know you can do. To live up to yourself, not what others perceive you to be.

It is this that sent me to a complete high as I headed out to recess with my storytelling 4th graders this morning. My heart soared as students that usually are busy finding ways to do everything, but engage in what we are doing, shared, "I thought it would be hard to be a storyteller, but now I see that it isn't and I am thinking next time I want to be inside that circle."
and "I noticed that people inside the circle took a risk even though they were nervous."
and "I was nervous, but I ended up having a lot of fun."
and "I like how you put a lot of excitement into the story."
and "I noticed that everyone was quiet in the audience so we could hear the story."
and "I liked how no one was trying to make a joke just so people would laugh, they were being serious about the story."
and "I like being a storyteller with more people around because it is way more fun than just telling your story to one person."
and "I noticed that even though we made some mistakes at times, we just kept going and it worked out okay."

Isn't this what it is all about? We make mistakes, but we just keep going and keep trying to work it out. That darn frog may still be stuck in that well, but he keeps looking for his next uphill climb. Next time you are faced with your challenge, your "I'm just not good at _______." Think about how you will bring it toward that escape at the top. It is so sweet to escape those labels those "holes in our bucket" of life. Never in my wildest dreams, 11 years ago, would I have predicted I would be leading our whole school Morning Sing assembly or dancing and singing with my class with utter joy, but I am. It is what surprises us most about ourselves that helps us soar.

"Baby Isaiah is coming over to my house. That's what he said when I called him."

2011-10-08T23:33:00.000-07:00

Thursday night we had the joy of meeting our new nephew and cousin, Baby Isaiah. Welcome to the family little one. We loved meeting you and can hardly wait to see you again. Ellie talks about you all the time and tells us how you are coming over to play. Three days old and already taking calls. You are amazing.

In the parking lot before we went in Mason said, "His picture is so cute. I wonder what he feels like." Everyone had a hard time sharing turns holding him. He was so snuggly.

Today in the car, Mason and Ellie were chatting about him in the backseat, and Ellie announced how she has a baby in her belly and it is wiggling all around. They got to discussing babies and Mason said, "You know how babies come out? They come out of vachinas."

Ellie screeched, "NO!"

Mason quickly replied, "No, that's just a joke everybody says."

I couldn't help but giggle. Yeah, because how could that even be possible?

"Where is that baby?"

2011-10-08T23:19:00.000-07:00

"Look at my baby!"

(Recognize the sweatshirt Uncle Micah?)

So the other morning, Ellie woke up as I finished my post, "Flying Solo". She saw the picture of herself on the screen and said, "Where is that baby?" She has inherited two of those little Cabbage Patch babies from Ana and one was in her little toy car seat across the room. I said, "Here she is." Ellie is a master of knowing her babies and doggies and if you try to fool her, you are foolish indeed. She will protest and scream at you something like, "No, not that baby the other tiny baby! Like that." (Pointing at her photo.) And so, the search was on...where the heck was that baby hanging out these days? Luckily, I found her relatively quickly, and then she had to have the baby stroller, which she calls a shopping cart. Then the doggie hat. It was all quite comical. All the photos in that post are a year old as I didn't have recent photos to match my story and I loved reliving those moments. So that morning on the way to work as the kids were dancing I took a recent pic. Don't worry I wasn't driving, Josh was. Carpooling is awesome!

I love Ellie's spunky self and her love of her boots these past few days. The girl's got style! Artist in the making.

"Do we have 'I Just Called To Say I Love You?' Go to the Mall."

2011-10-08T22:50:00.000-07:00

So today we hit the mall. This was not our original plan, however, the "reputer" was under the weather and a trip to the Apple store was in order. Josh booked the appointment and we were off. As we pulled into the parking lot we realized that we'd be lugging our huge box a bit (and when I say "we" I mean Josh) as there were no nearby spots on this grand re-opening weekend. Oh the horror!

Well, what we thought may be a bit of a crowded nightmare, was pleasantly surprising. The kids were adorable and such, yet the crowds and noise in some places were a bit unnerving. I don't understand how I used to love going to such places. I also don't understand the ear attire. Poor, big computer had to check in for an overnight stay, hopefully we'll be picking him up soon, but somehow I wish we could get him without having to return to the time-warping mall.

Flying Solo

2011-10-05T04:39:00.000-07:00

There are some things that are hard to capture. Perhaps that is why they feel so magical. For if you could capture them, then you would simply have them and there would be no rush of feelings and the strong need for capture. This day began at 4:00. Waking after falling asleep with Ellie so early that when the early hour woke me, I didn't fight it. I crept out into our first rainy, fall morning in hopes of capturing a bit of the magic of a quiet, chilly house that could inspire my soul. Alone time, I was craving it.

I lit candles, brewed coffee, and set up my scene near my bouquet of fall flowers that Mason and Daddy bought me at the Farmer's Market last Saturday. The color is rich, the lighting is amazing, picturesque. I tried to take the photo...perhaps that will be a new learning adventure for me. How do you take such photos? The one I took doesn't include the warmth, the feeling I get when I know that fall is here. As the wind plays the the chimes hanging outside in my tree I will embrace this literal calm before the storm. Inside recess awaits and I will be ready. I will drink in the fall. For now, it will just be in my mind's eye and in my words.

Last night we visited the Whole Foods Hay Maze. After the long day it was another moment to capture. As with most things, it has improved. We try something and then we make it better. This year the maze has the usual hay bales and pumpkins with the added tunnel feature built with pallets, boxes, and lighting. It is the perfect example of nothing going to waste. The pumpkin boxes and pallets were the perfect height for Ellie to run through in her boots and dress, squealing with glee. She invited me in and after a moment of hesitation, I accepted. For after a long day what could be better than a trip through the tunnel? The perfect height for Ellie is a different story for me. I felt like I was filming a scene from Being John Malcovich, but I kept on. I made it the full length with Daddy and Ellie chugging on through behind me. I sat at the end watching Mason bring me tiny pumpkins laughing every time and Ellie running wild. Another moment to capture, but no camera on the scene.

I wish I could transport this maze to school. "Alright things are hitting their limit take a few laps in the maze and then be ready for class." Hmmm, this just might work.

After the maze we headed inside. It was Tuesday and I don't remember the last time we cooked at home on a Tuesday. I don't know what it is about Tuesday, but for us it's been "get out" night. We found our tasty treats and headed for a table. We ate and watched at the kids venture into the play area.

For those of you who have not been to this Whole Foods there is this "Mercado" for kids. In the beginning it was a mini supermarket with books, puzzles, aprons, fully stocked shelves of play foods, blocks, cashier and so on. Over the years many items have vanished as they realized the traffic through the area doesn't lend itself to sustainability. Over time they have replenished with new items, but the one thing that has been there since the beginning are the blocks. This is my favorite part to observe. I have never seen a time when the following was not the case. It is a perfect spot for observing child behavior. Last night it was no different. Ellie was playing in there first with another boy her age. And when I say "with" I mean near. Then Mason began to join them. Ellie had an apron on and was bringing us teacups and Mason was cooking up some soup. Then two older girls, about 7 or 8 years, cruised in and, oh the horror on their faces. "Look at this mess." They immediately began to organize and put away all the blocks, strategically. As they were putting them away the boys were all depleting their supply, removing them as quickly as they could stock the shelves. When the girls took a break for their dessert the shelves were quickly wiped clean. Upon their return the look of shock on their faces set them to work at high speed. They stocked the shelves immediately and Mason strategically set to work on how to sabotage this keen organization. As he came walking to us with a basket of blocks the younger of the two girls stood staring, jaw dropped. I couldn't help, but laugh. Oh honey, it's just the way of the world.

Five years ago I was pregnant, thinking I had at least a month before meeting my son. I was often up at these odd hours, but never blogging for it wasn't until his birth that this blog was born as well. Usually I was walking the house trying to rid my legs of the cramps they would have, reminding me of years of rowing. I imagined it was my body preparing me to take on pain and lack of sleep. I have been feeling the change in season and the excitement that builds as the temperatures drop and the wardrobe begins to change. This morning I searched through the dark for a scarf that would wrap me and keep me warm. As I reflect on these past 5 years, it seems like such a short time, yet so much has changed and grown that it feels like one of the biggest chunks of my story. I would not be who I am today without all those other times, but these years are ones I embrace. Five years ago, I new change was coming, but as Justin Roberts sings, "Oh we never really knew, how much we needed you, until you came into our lives..." I love my Mason. I love how he has changed me, helped me grow to become a mother.

As the seasons change and we take note of change, I fall in love with fall. For it is a time I reflect on this change. I was reading two blogs earlier asking me what it is I love about the fall. At first it is the pumpkins, the carmel apples, the warmth of the colors and cool of the breeze, the scarves, the sweaters, boots and more.

But when I really think about it, I love the fall for that is when I fell in love in a new way. It is rare that I am alone anymore, sometimes a little time flying solo is all you need to remind yourself how you can't imagine your life without everybody else.

Scattered Showers

2011-09-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

Listening to Dar Williams' live album on shuffle on my computer is a bit like my mind lately. She tells a story, a lead to a song and just as you are geared up to listen to it, the next track shifts and it is shuffled to some other tune of hers not the one you were expecting. Today I am here alone working while my fam is off doing other tasks and my mind spins with how to maximize this alone time. School work was a "must do" and I had to force myself to sit in the corner and not get up until all progress was written, saved and such. I made the most of such tediousness with a full glass of coffee, windows open, fall weather gracing me with its presence. Then as I finished and I realized it was drops of rain I was now hearing...there was Dar singing about the "Beauty of Rain". It was just like her bit about the yellow school bus driving by. If you haven't heard her live album, I highly recommend listening.

Her beautiful voice is filling up my house as I type and as I catch a glimpse of her lyrics amidst my spinning thoughts and typing fingers I am almost brought to tears in such a beautiful way that only those magical moments can bring. Its like when I was playing upstairs with the kids this morning and Leprechaun was being rescued by Wedding Barbie and Ken from Mason's handmade Leprechaun trap.

"Tell her there is an opening at the top!" "Hooray!" they shouted.

Sounds random and bizarre for those that weren't there, but to me it was a bit of heaven. Like spying Ellie and Mason returning from their adventure with Dad yesterday and announcing, "Mommy we have tea set for everyone. You, Mason, Daddy, and Me." I first heard, "Mommy we got pizza for everyone..." Then even better, not pizza, but their 1st tea set. Josh later informed it was given to them by a Grandmother at a yard sale that didn't want to sell it, she just wanted someone to have it that would truly LOVE having it. Even better. This morning, Ellie, Mason, Tiny Teddy, and Baby Stella had a lovely tea party in the center of the living room. They love it indeed. That Grandma would be proud.

Speaking of Grandmas, I have been thinking about mine a lot lately. The kids wanted to play pirates the other day and they asked to wear some necklaces. I love to see them loving these pieces. I imagine my grandmas smiling as they sing "Yo ho, yo ho, a Pirate's life for me..." as they head off on their latest adventure. I cherish these little treasures that allow me to remember and share about how they were meaningful in my life. Mason asked me again at dinner how my Grandma died. He is trying to figure it all out. Aren't we all?

Josh bought me a hat yesterday. A nod to fall and the season to come. I am thinking of Mason's birthday and my family visiting to share in this joyful day. I look at this picture below and am moved by it. Many women probably wouldn't post it, as it highlights lines. But to me these lines are family. I remember growing up, staring at my grandparents and their lines. Their lines showed their life they lived and I remember them deeply like the lines they had. I saw these lines on my mom and I wondered if one day I would have them and yep, here they are. I guess I am living deeply, I have the lines to prove it!

Bring on the fall, family, love! Live deeply!

Toothless!

2011-09-19T23:59:00.000-07:00

So it dawned on me the other day when someone asked me how old my kids are and I said that Mason is 4 and a half that he isn't really 4 and a half anymore. He is really almost 5. Less than a month away actually. Here he is my almost 5, growing up boy. I would tell you more about the missing tooth, but it is late and I need to get some sleep...more to come.

Highs and Lows

2011-09-13T20:46:00.001-07:00

A couple of years ago a woman told me about a family tradition they had of sharing their highs and lows of the day at the dinner table. I had tucked this idea away in my brain and it surfaced early this evening while lying on the floor with Ellie and Mason. I was invited to read a story and take a spot on the floor with a pillow. We put our feet up on the couch and lay reading a favorite of ours by Lauren Child. I love all our Lauren Child books. This one was a Charlie and Lola tale, one that hits quite close to home Whoops! But it Wasn't Me. I love to play with British voices of this brother sister team and as I was reading the second time through, the story continued and my mind took note of how this was a true high of my day. Laying there bringing the story to life with my two, kicking my feet and letting the busy of the world wait.

As my mind relished in the moment, it then began to plan ahead and think of how highs and lows would be a topic tomorrow. I began to search for other ideas that stood out from the day. As we ate at the table, I had the sudden urge to get my haircut. Ellie had fallen asleep early and I thought I would take a chance and see if there was a last minute appointment available. So at 6:50 pm I booked a 7:00 pm time and got ready to make a dash to the salon. Mason told me as I jetted out, "Mommy have a good haircut and don't let them cut off all your hair or you'll be bald like Uncle Chris." The things he comes up with...another high.

So I arrive to meet my new hairstylist. She walks up with the funkiest tights/socks/not sure what they are exactly called. This Friday is Silly Sock Day so I am intrigued instantly and am wondering where to purchase such fancy legs. Before I can realize that the comment may sound weird I say to her, "I like your legs." As it floats in the air, I almost laugh out loud at how it may have sounded odd. So I divert the bizarro and talk about how they are intriguing tights. As the time passed I discovered her love of art and nature and creativity. I have found a stylist that I SO relate to. I may even be interested enough to book another appointment with enough advance notice to request her. I can't make any promises, but yet another high. We blabbed about gardens and art and both parted feeling inspired. I left with less hair and a lifted spirit.

On the drive home I was listening to music and rolled the windows down, opened the sunroof and let the warm, evening wind dance through my short springy curls. While the song sang "running" three people ran by on the sidewalk and I took note of how the same had happened with a solo runner on my way to the shop. We keep getting higher.

I got home to find my boys playing a board game with Tiny Teddy. Mason quickly shared with me how many aphids he and Tiny Teddy had collected. Then we brushed teeth, tested the wiggly-ness of the loose tooth and were off to snuggle with more stories. It is a bit of magic to watch him doze off to sleep. It makes me wonder what he'll be dreaming of.

So I am not sure what the lows are...I think I'll pass on those, for I have been chatting too often of that which is frustrating and it clouds my images of that which is joyful. I will close with a snippet of a couple weeks ago when Mason discovered hidden treasure in the garage. From back in the day when my friend gave me these Gym Girls they have been tucked away for one day to be revealed. The day came and it was hysterical. I will have to upload the video as the still photos don't quite do it justice to the true potential of these high quality items. To all my rowing friends...I think we didn't go quite glam enough. Check out these girls.

Where to begin...

2011-09-04T22:41:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been filled with so many memorable moments I don't quite know where to begin. Saturday morning Mason discovered some pain in his mouth which marked the beginning of his first loose tooth. As he was talking to Uncle Chris on the phone, sharing his big news, his face went blank and the conversation stopped. His mind was whirring and then he said, "I have to go, talk to Mommy." He was off to make his plan for his tooth fairy pillow. He grabbed some paper and a marker and drew a wand that needed to be sewn onto the pillow. I took out some fabric that we had and he told me, "It will have to be pink, her dress is pink, so she must love pink. Everything will have to be pink so she will come." We found some pink flower fabric remnants from a sundress we made for our friend Gretchen years ago and set to work. Mason cut some pieces and we set up our machine. Ellie helped us sew it all and Mason stuffed it. "Now I will have to keep this until my tooth falls out."

That afternoon we headed out for pizza and stopped to get Ellie a costume I saw last weekend. She had a gift card from her birthday that needed to be spent and now the costumes were on sale, so I couldn't resist and bought her two. That evening I showed her one and she fell in love with it instantly and became Ladybug Girl. We went exploring outside just in time to see the neighbors ride their horses down the street.

Today we decided we needed a family adventure day. A mini-get away to forget about how the house is not clean and there is yard work to be done. It would and could all wait while we escaped. We packed a picnic and our swim gear and we were off. We weren't completely sure where we would end up and I think that was part of the fun. We ended up near Coloma and found a lovely spot for our picnic lunch. Mason made his "happy" little lunch.

Ellie and I were quite entertained by it. As the meal went on the facial expressions changed with the various peppers he found.

After lunch we hiked down to the river and found a rocky spot where we'd be sheltered from the strong current on the other side of the granite rocky island we found. Ellie took me by the hand and we were off into the chilly water.

We climbed and climbed and slid down the smooth stone.

And then we climbed some more.

Josh explored the wonders of the river, panned for gold, and Mason experienced it all.

I love watching the world as they explore. They look so deeply at what they find.

Josh made "paint" with some stones they found.

We hiked back and a tired Ellie took a short snooze before heading back to town. We decided to go hunting for Mason's costume.

What could end this magical day better than Peter Pan and Tinkerbell scootin' around the yard?

"Ellie, your wand is AWESOME!" exclaimed Mason.

"Good boy, good boy," says a loving Ellie. We'll stay home and play with you tomorrow, Onyx.

Hoorah for 3 day weekends!

I hope yours is grand!

Hit the Ground Running

2011-09-02T22:10:00.000-07:00

The other day I was at an after school training for an Arts Grant that I am participating in. Josh and the kids came to pick me up at the end of a REALLY long day. They were all as exhausted as I was and the ride was a bit of a roller coaster, but instead of the manic screaming that sometimes ensues at that time of a long, napless day, the kids were "rockin' out".

Mason: "Mommy, we've been rockin' out. You want to see it."

Me: "Of course I do."

Mason: "Daddy, put that song on."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDjfyYahxy4

What came next was one of those moments where I wished I had a hidden camera to capture it all. I will have to rely on my memory to bring about a smile as I picture Ellie's groovy, little car seat dance which literally made me laugh out loud. Mason was laughing with his whole self. We all proceeded to laugh and hit repeat the whole way home.

A few days later, I was at an all day training for the same grant. Although The Arts are my passion, this day was challenging. I couldn't help, but feel overwhelmed by the task of teaching all these lessons to my group of students. I left that day with a heavy heart. I got into the car and hurried to meet up with the kids for the short time I had before leaving them again to go to the preschool orientation for the whole evening.

I needed a laugh, so I put this song on and pictured that groovy girl of mine. Thumbs up, shoulders rolling, smile beaming. I realized I had no idea what the lyrics of the song were. A few lines caught my attention and I began to listen more intently. I was struck by the metaphors. I was needing a parachute, a way to stay hopeful and "hit the ground running."

That night we visited with friends, new and old at the preschool orientation. As we walked through the door we were wowed by the giant picture of Ellie gracing the presentation screen. It was from the last day of school party last spring when she was covered in paint in the art area. A true beauty, in the zone of creativity. I couldn't help but get misty-eyed. As the evening progressed I was gathering, collecting, refueling my soul.

In the teaching profession I have found that I can never learn enough. I will constantly be seeking ways to better my practice. Each year there are the constants and then just when you think you have things figured out, you are faced with new challenges that force to to question yourself and what you do.

This week has been a test of strength and endurance. On Thursday night, I gave my Back to School Night presentation. I took inspiration from all my mentors and models over time and spoke from the heart about what I have come to realize are my true constants. It is my hope to share the wisdom I have gained about childhood. It is this that will continue to drive my teaching.

Today was the first day of the rest of my school year. I felt alive again. I felt the true passion I have for teaching. I got goosebumps as we sang and the eye contact reached my soul. I moved through my room of artists and they shared their insights and creations. I am no longer falling...I am hitting the ground running.

A Weekend Getaway

2011-08-23T21:46:00.000-07:00

Since I returned to work I have been wanting to write and somehow the time escapes me. I have had many ideas for stories and yet they have stayed just that, ideas. In class we are talking about writing and how writers write about things that are meaningful. I recently stumbled upon a link to a blog on a friend's blog. I was drawn in by the photos and then was lost in the writing. Some of the posts hit so close to home that I found myself wishing for time to write, to share, to capture the love from the day. I suppose it would be another way that I could lose myself in the joys of life.

The first few days of school have been rough. The opposite of what I imagined and looked forward to. This was the first summer since my kids were born that I was somewhat excited to return to school. I still felt a sadness of shortening my weekday family time to the times when we are all exhausted, or rushing to be somewhere on time, but it was paired with inspiration to experience the joys of learning and sharing my teaching. I knew I could enjoy my work day, dive in head first and give all I could to build my classroom community, and come home to embrace the love Mason and Ellie share with me. Instead of a beautiful, graceful dive, I feel as though I have struck the water with such force that I come up gasping for air.

Last weekend, my loving husband planned a most rejuvinating getaway. He told me at dinner that night, "I am glad you are crazy enough to drive 3 hours to buy 5 plants."

I laughed at his humor and knew that the weekend was much more than a drive to get 5 plants. I know he knows it too.

It was about capturing the beauty of life. It didn't matter that the traffic was crazy, we were together. I love my family, my support. Last night Ellie looked up at me and said, "I love you so much Mommy." It is this love that moves me forward and pushes me back out to the edge of that board...I am not giving up. I will dive, I will find that beauty, that grace.

Some snippets I love about THIS summer...

2011-08-07T09:39:00.000-07:00

Within the last couple of weeks Ellie has discovered how to say Mason. He is no longer Mase, (I don't even know how to spell it), but full on Mason. She says it so beautifully.

Mason and Ellie have become the best of friends, (and the worst of enemies at times, but I guess that's how we grow, right Chris?)

Josh has made yet another amazing device...his solar food dehydrator! It is beautiful and I will let him tell you all about it.

Josh has begun canning tomatoes, and my new favorite pickled green beans, SO Tasty!

Mason is a little gardener. And a LEGO designer...notice the LEGO carpet in the background. I find it ironic that the toy vacuum is laying there. HA!

Mason wanted to sleep upstairs in his "own room" two nights in a row.

Ellie has worn her new underwear everyday since our trip and at night. Funny side story: I asked her if we should give her diapers away to a baby that needs them and she was too attached and cried in horror, "NO I NEED MY DIAPERS!" I can handle storing them a while more if it means I don't have to wash them anymore! Woohoo big girl! HUGE accomplishment.

I am in the midst of decluttering our house...I am thinking it will be an ongoing work in progress, but PROGRESS has been made indeed.

Mason and Ellie now have a costume drawer under their bed, which they think is fantastic!

Ellie and Mason are making amazing cards for their friend's birthday party that we need to head to soon so I am off. Last HOORAH of summer. Lookout Fairytale Town we are comin'!

Not sure what my title is...

2011-08-07T00:38:00.000-07:00

So I have been feeling pulled in two ways by the coming week. I actually have a plan of attack in mind for organizing my classroom and surprisingly, the desire to work on this plan, yet I must wait until Monday to kick into gear. On one hand, I am eager to get there and put things in order, yet if Monday actually arrives it will mean the end of summer.

Bitter sweet symphony.

Wow, typing that line created a whirlwind of musical montage in my overtired brain. A mismash of end of summer tunes, but that's another story.

Back on track...so in my last post I was a fly on the wall of my wee ones and today that journey continued and at times was in slow motion. Having children can really help you stop and take in that which can usually go unnoticed. The other day we were out walking home from visiting new friends around the corner and I was amazed at how much I noticed growing on our block. There are so many wonders that you pass each day in your car, but are going too fast to notice.

Today we headed out to the Harvest Day over in Fair Oaks. What an amazing event. Mason and Ellie visited the vendors and made several connections with the volunteers.

At one booth there were several garden crafts they could make. One was to make a painted rock with the choice of ladybug or frog. When asked which one he wanted to make Mason stood deep in thought. The rocks were already painted red or green and the samples were there. He finally spoke, "But I want to make my own because I need to make a praying mantis, so when my egg hatches they will know they have friend." I tell you that boy is always thinking. Rewind: A couple of days ago he bought a praying mantis egg at the nursery and it is hanging in his garden. So he created his own version complete with the wiggly eyes.

On the other side of the booth you could make a "Grass Buddy". These are hysterical. You pile in a scoop of grass seed into a nylon and stuff it with soil, tie a knot, stick on two wiggly eyes and take him home to water. In a few day you have a grass hair buddy. Ellie and Mason LOVE theirs. They played with those guys when they got home. Gave them a bath and set them outside to let the fun begin. It's like a homemade Chia-head.

Around the other side of the table you could make a mask. A cheesy paper mask, but we were up for it. Ellie and Mason both chose the praying mantis one and I helped Ellie cut hers out and Mason was again waiting and thinking. Mason finally spoke up and said, "But I want to make my own." I suggested he turn his over and draw his own. It was awesome. Ellie was done and wanted to be a praying mantis and go climb the nearby tree so we were off. Later Mason joined us and Josh told me how Mason finished his and said, "Now mine looks like a REAL praying mantis." The icing on that cake is that he doesn't plan to wear it either, he made if for his praying mantis egg. I love that boy!

After crafting away Mason and I visited another booth and they had a brochure of a wheelbarrow garden. He picked it up and said, "Mommy what does this say? I want to make one of these." The man at the booth was giving away packets of seeds and Mason told me he needed carrot seeds. I didn't think the man heard him in all the hustle and bustle, but he did and quickly handed him a pack. Mason struck up a conversation with him about how he was going to make that wheelbarrow garden. The man said he had something special for him. Mason said, "I wonder what it is." He pulled from a bag a seed starter container and Mason was in heaven. Instantly his mind set to work planning how he would build this garden. He thanked the man and went to show Daddy and Ellie and then he brought Ellie over to see if the man might have one for her. Later just before we left for the day Mason stopped back by to chat with the man again explaining his grand plans for making his garden. I hadn't seen the man smile much, but I think Mason made his day.

Better get going and check on that egg, looks like some may have hatched!

A Fly on the Wall

2011-08-05T21:48:00.000-07:00

I don't know why, but there seems to be an enormous amount of flies in the evenings this week and while I was laying down with Ellie I was thinking of that phrase, "Being a fly on the wall..." It so relates to how I was feeling today when I would take in the world of Mason and Ellie.

It all began this morning as I woke up near both of them. It wasn't the usual, "Mommy, sun up, get up." that Ellie likes to tell me with great determination. Today is was gradual, she woke and snuggled into me and wanted to embrace the morning slowly, easing into it. I was in heaven taking in every moment thinking how soon the mornings will not be so leisurely. Summer is ending and I want to pretend that it isn't. Mason was near us too, and he opened his eyes, looked at Ellie and reached out to her, wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in whispering, "I love you Ellie." I drank this in too, for I knew it would only be a matter of time before she would be bothering him in some way, not playing "the game" the right way, the way little sisters do.

This afternoon we ventured out into the patio. I was dying to transplant some plants, feel some soil, and bring some bursts of life to new spots in the yard. Mason wanted me to play LEGOs, but ended up settling for Ellie as his playmate. "Mommy look at what Ellie made with her LEGOs. Isn't her food table so cute? Don't you just love it?" (I guess she isn't so bad at "playing the game" all the time.) I can't help, but smile as Ellie plays with her LEGO guys. Often times they shout, "I have to go potty." I looked up from planting when I heard this and Mason caught my eye, he said, "That's just her LEGO guy, Mommy."

As the sun fell lower in the sky and dinner was just about off the grill, Daddy brought out some bubbles and I fell in love. I was a fly on the wall again watching the magic of these two. They blew bubbles and Ellie giggled whole heartedly, those deep giggles that are infectious. Mason couldn't help, but continue to bring about more. I wished I could capture it all on film, but if I had moved the moment would have been lost. So this fly will savor these moments in my memory and here in my words.

Just before mosquito hour hit, Mason invited us to ride on the Pirate Ship (our hammock) with him. Our imaginations took us on a fantastic journey before arriving at the dock of bedtime. Daddy brought in the new lightbulbs for the playroom upstairs in the loft and as Mason and I climbed up to see what he and Ellie had created Mason announced, "I never knew cleaning up could bring so much fun and so cute." Our little room was lit up beautifully with our new little lamps. So beautiful that Mason wanted to sleep upstairs. I can hardly wait to see what the new day will bring.

I Love These Two!

2011-07-31T19:09:00.000-07:00

So this afternoon has been filled with fun at home...stocking up before the big back to school, end of summer break time is upon us. It is coming quickly, so there is no time to waste. We played in our little pool and then Mason went inside for a bit and came out wearing pirate jammies and had his plan. He started setting up camp and Ellie followed in his footsteps.

We had to gather all her "stuff", doggies, shopping carts, etc. (Yes that is her new Space Needle doggie in her new baby car seat.)

I knew we built that recycled wall for many purposes.

Stepping Back and Taking It All In

2011-07-31T15:39:00.000-07:00

So after a week at Responsive Classroom where we were challenged to think deeply about how we use our language in the classroom to be clear and concise, I can't help but use what I have been thinking about for my teaching here at home. It is amazing how when you step back and let things play out a bit you really don't need to say so much. Learning happens and grows and develops and it is this that is pure magic and joy to experience.

This personal growth for me has been a journey in the making. A collection of the Responsive Classroom Approach, the insights gained at Parent Meetings for Mason's Preschool, observing the preschool in action, and the Education Through Music courses I have participated in. The strength I have gained from these have truly allowed me to experience this magic.

Today at lunch Mason was last to the table. He was busy finishing his home that he made for the bees. It started about a half hour before when he came in searching for honey to pour on top of the tiny house he was going to make for them. His plan was to entice them to live in this little home. After consulting with Dad about how the bees might take to this plan, he revised his plan. He got to work, coming to me for help in finding string, pipe cleaners, and so on. As he discovered the tape he was using was too weak to hold, he searched for his "flames" duct tape. All the while I just kept a near distance...near enough to be there if he needed me, near enough to enjoy his work, but not so near that I would intrude and inhibit the process.

Just as the lunch table was set he was hanging his house in the tree, beaming with pride, "Now the bees will love this new home."

I bet they will, and if they don't, I do.

PS. I had a lot more in my head I planned on writing, but I am trying to be brief and let you construct your own learning. Enjoy the journey.

Cucumber School

2011-07-26T23:34:00.000-07:00

So, back from the Pacific Northwest. Almost two weeks have elapsed since our departure. It was a great trip (and more on that shortly, I gaurentee), but I am happy to be back on the farm. And what better time to be here than at the front end of harvest season!

I thought I would break the usual blog routine of family and kid tales to bring you some harvest news. Well, you could say that we picked a lot of stuff today. Or you could say that we toted a substantial amount of produce into our house. But the best way to describe our bounty would be the Old English term: butt-load or so much that you cannot carry it all with just your hands.

Ok, now to school.

We have 6 varieties of cucumbers growing in our gardens this year. Here are four we harvested today:

Burpee Pickling - A nice, productive cuke with a mild taste. Not my favorite, but they are crisp and not at all bitter.

Early Russian - A productive cuke with a mild taste. Great for pickles or fresh eating!

Snow - This one won our taste test. Great all-purpose cucumber melon... and sweet!

Suyo - A japanese cucumber with a thin, burpless (not bitter) skin. Tastes nice fresh, but it would make great pickles since the skin has a cool ribbed look. These two are about a foot long!

Not pictured are the mystery cucumbers from Mason's garden (they came in a package that simply named them "Cucumbers") and the Armenian cukes. I will torture you with pictures of them later.

So, there you have it: more than you ever wanted to know about the cucumbers in our garden this year. If you are still reading, I am beginning to question how you spend your quality time, or perhaps I have found a partner in my obsession. Whatever the reason, thanks for tuning in.

Oh, we also picked a couple tomatoes.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2011-07-01T16:08:00.000-07:00

July 1st...Daddy's Birthday. The other night we headed out west to the Davis Farmer's Market. Mason and Daddy took the lead as we walked over to meet up with friends, have dinner, listen to the band, and play.

Mason spotted the balloon animal lady despite my attempts to cruise on by. I have to admit I was impressed with what he ended up with. He was dying to have a sawfish like we saw at the aquarium last weekend. This request really put her to the test. She didn't really understand what he wanted at first, but gave it a whirl. He ended up with this fierce mask.

He got many looks and compliments throughout the park. Later in the evening he and another boy met up face to face, shark to shark. It was hilarious. Mason made friends with him and his family and played a bit before heading to the ice cream booth.

Ellie was content ordering up, of course, a doggie even though the balloon lady tried to convince her to choose something more challenging commenting on how "Dogs are the first thing you learn at clown college." Ellie will not be swayed by ridiculous statements such as these and demanded a purple doggie which she could wear as a bracelet. She snuggled him and loved him throughout the evening even as he popped in parts and transformed into some sort of triangular character.

While eating our tasty treat Mason decided that his saw-shark was missing the saw and had to revisit the artist for its completion.

He went from this...

to this...AAAAHHHHHHH! A Sawfish, stab you in the eye reenactment.

Notice the similarities?

Before leaving town we made a pit stop at Borders where Mason spotted a Cars LEGO set on our way to the restroom. We talked about how Daddy's birthday was coming up and maybe we could go to the LEGO Store for his birthday.

Mason: "Mommy we are going to have to make a lot of cake then because if we have his birthday at the LEGO Store everyone there is going to want to eat the cake."

That's my little Saw Shark...always thinking.

When I Was A Boy

2011-07-01T00:16:00.001-07:00

I absolutely love the magic of music. The way it can take you to places you have been in the past, places you hope to reach in the future, or even help you embrace the pure beauty of the moment you are living.

Last Sunday the kids and I were on our journey home from a fabulous mini-vacation to visit my mom and brother aka Grandma and Uncle Chris. Our first major trip just the three of us, hmmm... now that I think of it, it was just a Mom and her kids kind of weekend in more ways than one. As we drove through the Grapevine, the excitement of the morning caught up with both of them and they dozed off in the back seat. As we drove, I had Josh's iPod on shuffle and fell in love again with old favorites as they sang out. It is always funny to me how I can hear a song so many times and still uncover something new. My true favorites tend to be those that keep having deeper meaning and connections.

On this particular day Dar Williams came on singing her live version of When I Was a Boy. I have listened and loved this song before, but somehow the lyrics became clearer and yet still uncertain. As the song ended I chose to listen again, finding more meaning, and then again. As I slowed down to listen, to understand, the traffic slowed us down as well. Construction on the road brought us to a crawl and I peered at my two sleeping in the back. It seemed as though she was singing about them, about me. It is hard to recreate this moment in words in such a way that can capture the feelings I had, for that is one thing about music and it's charm. The connections you have with it are yours, and the magic you feel is different than what it may be for someone else. For me, I love how this song takes me to my past, my present, and my future. As I watch Mason and Ellie I see them finding themselves. I love when Ellie is a boy and when Mason is a girl. I love that they feel and experience both. I know that one day the world will have them define themselves a bit more, but for now they are utterly free. I love that I Was A Boy too.

Have a listen for yourself...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE5YzRr9yPo&feature=related

Story Arcs

2011-06-06T07:32:00.000-07:00

Ellie is now two. 2. TWO! In some ways, the years seem to speed by, while at times, the world stands still. There was a radio show I listen to that tackled this subject of how we experience time. It came down to "arcs." Story arcs, that is. See, as youngsters, our story arcs are shorter. A trip to the store. A visit from a relative. A birthday party. The day the "chicks" visited.

As we get older, our story arcs get longer. The school year. The growing season. The work calendar. The countdown until 12-21-2012. The fashion fads of the year.

So, how do we slow things down on this speeding train. Well, we could get rid of the arcs in our adult lives and live from moment to moment, but that would be absurd not to mention a bit meaningless. Our "arcs" give our lives purpose. It sets goals for us to achieve. Milestones. No, we shouldn't give up our arcs anymore than a superhero giving up the quest to defeat his arch rival. Instead, I like to add to my arc snapshots. Moments in time where we can relish in static bliss. Like photographs of the mind. Not actual photos, but stopping for a moment to really focus on the moment. Setting aside the arcs of my life and putting all my energy into the moment in time.

We might not be able to stop time, but we can slow it down, if only for a moment.

Spoon Man

2011-05-25T20:00:00.000-07:00

Call it a fascination with all things shiny. Call it performance art. Call it what you like, but Mason has always enjoyed amusing his dinner mates with his utensil talents.

About a year and a half ago, we were out to eat with Jen's family in LA. As we all carried on our conversations, Mason was quietly busy with his own agenda. After several minutes of silence (we should have known something was up), he said, "Look."

It amused the entire dinner group who proceeded to attempt the stunt as well. Most were moderately successful, though some had trouble due to the extent of their proboscis.

Now Mason passes the torch.

"Ellie, you try it."

Of course, she was a natural!

Measure Twice, Cut... Hey, Where's My Tape Measure?!

2011-05-11T21:40:00.000-07:00

Spring and outdoor projects are synonymous here on the Lawn. We are slowly constructing a bigger, less-browner landscape. This spring, irrigation was the project. We have been reworking our garden beds and getting things set up for drip lines and timers throughout. Less time lugging a hose, more time playing in the yard. Ellie loves playing hide-and-seek with all the little bits and pieces for the drip lines.

And she is really getting into working with all the tools. "Two, six, two, six, two, six, two, six..." That is pretty much the mantra she chants while measuring. Now is that two by six? Two and six? Twenty six? We can never be sure. Better measure that one again.

Where is Mason for all of this. He's enjoying the other thing that this family loves to do in the Spring with summer approaching...

Family Naps!

A-Hunting We Will Go

2011-05-03T20:58:00.000-07:00

Several years ago, Jen and I were crowned "The King and Queen of Easter." Not really sure what that means. I didn't know there was a land called Easter. Apparently there is, and it is a monarchy. So, to amuse our "subjects," we hosted a gala once again at the Big Brown Lawn.

And what did the kids of Easter like best. The traditional "hunt," of course! Nothing beats trying to track down junk filled plastic eggs rammed into the dusty bowels of the Earth. Or up the diseased tree.

Or in the earwig infested artichokes.

And look what Ellie found in one of her eggs. Must have been a fertile one.

And so it is that the Big Brown Royal Family, bit "egg-do" to another Easter holiday. It wasn't the most triumphant gala, nor the most glamorous, but we did the best we could with the crowd we had, and whatever... it's a monarchy, remember! We can do whatever we want!

Oh, and if anyone is missing a large crystal serving bowl, a large pyrex bowl, a salad dressing container, a serving platter, several large serving spoons, a sauce bowl, or a serving fork, you can pick them up at our next garage sale. We will make sure to cut you a deal.

Happy Easter!

Spring Break

2011-04-20T22:22:00.000-07:00

So, here we are in 2011, and here is the first blog since last July. Well, the chickens are all grown up now, the kids are a year older (almost), and we have had an event filled year. I could do a recap blog, but that seems like too much work, and since I have a bunch of work ahead of me for the rest of our break, I will just skip all that has taken place and just pretend like you are all up to speed. Ah. That is much better.

Spring Break is always a time to get those projects going. This break is no different. The family has spent most days outdoors on our "Staycation" here at the Big Brown Lawn. First things first, we had to deal with those plants!

So, we have now planted the 40 tomato plants, 20 pepper plants, beans, peas, basil, and a number of flowers.

This along with our 4 apple trees, two nectarine, two peach, three cherry, persimmon, plum, apricot, pomegranite, and fig. Mason told me yesterday that we are living on a farm, "but if this is going to be a real farm, we're going to have to get a whole lot more animals." True dat, true dat...

And here is a view of the somewhat-finished-somewhat-to-be-completed patio area. Note the reused concrete bits collected from busted up driveways. It has only been a year with all that in our driveway. Did I mention how tolerant Jen is?

And all this is great, but Mason and Ellie are content trying to break their necks on the hammock... er... I mean pirate ship.

Come on by and see for yourself.

First came the chickens...

2010-07-27T01:42:00.001-07:00

So in the spirit of my day of "Finish What You've Started" I shall attempt to finish a post I started back in February and then again in June. Since I don't know how to change the date or order of how things post I will start anew with a bit of cutting and pasting. Here is what I was saying back on February 27th:

The boys arrived home yesterday with these chicks...they are pretty cute. The boys and the chicks.

We went to visit our cousin's baby chicks the other night and Mason said, "I wish I could keep one." Josh has been researching and learning about them for a while now. Saturday morning greeted me with exhaustion, so Josh and Mason went to get groceries and let Ellie and I rest. A few hours later I got the call...

"Mommy I hope you got some good rest and we are bringing home baby chicks."

Josh and Mason had been to many feed stores in search of chicks and couldn't find what they were looking for. He told Mason we can stop looking when ever you want to. Mason said, "We can't stop until we find baby chicks!"

They found them and home they came. The first to be named was our little golden one that Mason named, "Grandma". Along with Grandma we have Grandpa, Uncle Chris, Lola, Charlie, Raven, Princess Buttercup, White Floor, and our Rooster, Hawkeye.

When Josh first told me his idea of raising chicks a couple of years ago I thought he was joking. Who knew we'd be farmers? I was not ready to take on the responsibility of chickens especially last year when Ellie first arrived. Even in February I was still not quite so sure, but the boys were. They knew and they love the chores. Mason wakes up each day eager to get out the door to check for chicken eggs. The other morning when he woke up I went to snuggle him and he said, "Nope I need to go outside and check to see if there's an egg."

Each day the treasure hunt continues. He keeps a careful watch and will come running with his hands behind his back. "There's something round my back... It starts with a...(pause for thinking of the letter it starts with)..an egg." This has progress into "...it starts with a chicken egg." Today he was so excited to show me that when he swung his arms around the two eggs cracked together. "That's okay," Daddy said, "I''ll hurry in and make you an egg burrito."

Medieval Tournament of Sorts

2010-07-26T13:54:00.000-07:00

The idea if the theme parties began years ago; back when we first moved into our little plastic castle on the Big Brown Lawn. Back then the lawn was much bigger and much less brown, but we have been dilligent with under watering it, and now it has taken on a husky, golden hue. The past parties have included a regatta, mini golf, Greek olympics, and now medieval games.

This year's event was medieval themed. Well that was the intent. Along the way, some of the theme focus was lost and historical accuracy was put to the wayside. Oh, we still had the common things you would expect from your average party: the catapult, a castle, foamy broadswords with fancy shields. Yet the "Black Knight" was never unhorsed (did I just make that word up?), and the King spent much of the party in his work clothes.

In the end, it was a fun time with the lords and ladies of the land. We will be back next year to do it Bigger... Better... Bears... Beets... Battlestar Galactica!

Garden Babes

2010-07-21T22:53:00.000-07:00

The other day a dear friend of mine asked me if there was content missing from our blog because when she had gone on to look the last post was in April. I have been "writing" many posts, in my mind, and just can't seem to find the time to put them on the "reputer" as Mason calls it. I have actually started 3 and they sit in our file waiting to make their debut. Until then, here here is a glimpse from today of my little "helpers" as we were making a special delivery to our thoughtful neighbor.

It's Too Hot!

2010-07-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

When the temperature gets so warm the sidewalk is blistering and even the tomato plants are looking for shade, then life at the Big Brown Farm turns inward. 900 square feet may not lend itself to such cool inventions as carpet skates (I saw these once at a toy store and thought they looked cool and I should get some, then realized that our 5x8 foot rug might not be the ideal skating rink.), but there is enough room to do some crafting.

This day, the craft was decorating egg cartons. This, of course, with the expectation that our Hot Chicks will be laying more prolifically in the near future, and we will need custom storage for their calcium coated bundles of joy.

Mason, no stranger to the medium, dove into the watercolors with gusto. While Ellie, curious about the culinary aspects of the pigments, tasted each color much to her mother's disapproval.

In the end, we created enough storage for seven dozen eggs.

Now it's up to the Ladies to come clean on their end of the bargain. So, come on Ladies! Get those pushers pushin"!

Top Ten

2010-07-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Josh and I celebrated our 10th anniversary, well actually we have been celebrating for a few days now. I mean why must it only be a one day thing? A dear friend of mine asked me yesterday while wishing me a happy anniversary, if there was some content missing from the blog for when she went to read it the latest entry was from April. The answer is yes, there is so much that I want to write and share and remember, but I have yet to master the art of dutiful blogging. Perhaps I will find the time and energy to be more consistent, but I am not making any promises. I did receive some comments this week on the blog from readers in far away places who stumbled upon this page and were moved by what they saw to write and share their thoughts. One writer was from Brazil. It always amazes me to think of who is out there reading about our silly antics.

It is these antics that make our lives rich. Rich with experience, rich with love. And it is with that I begin my top ten list for why I love being married to Josh. They are not in any particular order. I have been thinking of them for a while now, but if I am ever going to get them from my brain into this piece I must write as they come and worry about order later. This is much like my housekeeping style I suppose.

* Creativity: Josh is constantly creating. It can be seen in his garden, his "chef-ing", his music, the list goes on and on. Since it is anniversary time I think back to one of my favorite creativity stories, our engagement. Those of you that know me, know that I have a unique engagement ring. Where most have a diamond, I have a Lego. That's right, a Lego. Over the years I have been asked about it many times and have had many guesses about what that unique blue "stone" is. I think my favorite was the man at the post office, "Is that some sort of diamond cover?" Yes, I cover my diamond in plastic, Ha too funny. Before Josh proposed he had shown the ring to colleagues at work, friends and family and got just about every reaction you can think of from good to bad. The guys were usually super excited and the gals had mixed reviews, one flat out said, "I would say NO!" But he wasn't asking her, he was asking me. The other night we were at a friend's going away party and I overheard Josh talking to other guests about the ring. The typical question why a Lego? was asked. Josh told about how he proposed to me at Legoland and how inside the ring it is engraved, "My missing piece". Hearing him say that reminded me of how special that ring is to me. It is easy to get caught up in the busy of our lives and forget to stop and remember these special moments.

Strength: Josh is a performer, a musician. He is not shy in front of a crowd. These were all things that were the opposite for me before I was married to Josh. Over the past ten years I have found courage and strength to speak in front of large groups of people. I lead our whole school morning sing assembly, which used to terrify me. The first time I had to do it I wore a costume so I could somehow hide. Josh has helped me see what joy music can be. We have attended countless workshops and shared the joys of music with Mason and Ellie. I always loved music, but was too shy to feel like I could create my own. I will no longer say, "I am not a musician."

Pride: We recently went to Seattle to visit Josh's brother and future sister-in-law. They, along with other family members, ran the Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon. 13.1 miles. Even when I was in elite athlete shape living at the Olympic Training Center, running was always a challenge for me. When Josh said he was going to do this, I was excited for the trip, I love Seattle. I was glad to have the kiddos to watch and not have to run. The day of the race Josh was up early and off to get started. Me being a novice marathon spectator thought, I have all the time in the world to get there. So we got up ate breakfast, met up with his aunt, and drove over to the race. As we drove through a tunnel on the freeway there were tons of runners in the center. The view was breathtaking: Seattle, racers, Josh was a part of it all. I started to get all misty and proud of him. I told Mason and Ellie, "Look and see if you can see Daddy. Don't worry if you can't there are 28,000 runners in this race." Later Mason told me, don't worry if we don't see Daddy, there are 25 people in this race. That's a lot of people." It was all real now. We found the parking structure and I drove in not knowing I was supposed to pay upon entering. Debi followed in after me and the attendant chased her down hitting her car to catch us. We had a good laugh at the top of the parking structure and got busy making posters for the finish line. Josh called to tell us they were a mile away. I thought, "Cool, we have plenty of time to get there." Like I said, novice spectator. Trekking down to the ground level with the wee ones and over to the finish line...they beat us to it. I was heartbroken. I wanted to be there for him. We found them and shared our poster and love. Next time we'll be ready.

Humor: The other night on one of his Facebook rants Josh was on about LOL. This is one thing Josh and I have always joked about. Like Strongbad says, "Why do they have to abreve everything anyway like bus-cas-fri?" I loved when Josh said he knew I was the one because I could truly make him laugh out loud. I love this about him, too. "Everybody Dance Now."

Passion: My rowing coach in college once gave our crew a huge talk about needing to have passion. Passion for life, passion for rowing. You can't truly win without passion. I believe it. It amazes me when people say they are bored. I can't seem to find enough time to do all that I want to do. Josh and I often get so involved in projects and things and then more ideas emerge and we don't finish what we have started. Too much passion....we are working on this one.

Friend: Josh is someone I know is always there for me. Even when he doesn't have an answer for me, he knows what to say. I love him deeply for this.

Father: A wise woman told us, "Find what you like to do and do it in front of kids." This is Josh. He shares so much with our children. Mason is his sous-chef, his handy man helper, his chicken farmer, gardener, artist, writer, musician...the list goes on and on. The other morning I woke up hearing them in the kitchen cooking breakfast. I heard Mason say, "I'm not a good chef." It was the saddest thing to hear. Later Josh told me how Mason had brought in an egg from the chickens, cracked it, mixed it and was going to cook it. He had done so much himself and then his hand got a little close to the pan and he got a little burned. Josh consoled him by saying he was a great chef and that he burns himself lots of times. "Why?", asked Mason.

So I have 7 are you even still reading? It is late, my how it is late. I will hurry these last 3 along, not because they are not important, but my how it is late.

Travel: I love the adventures we have taken and look forward to more.

Good Eats: I love that Josh loves to cook!

Good Earth: I love that you care about our Earth and our place here on it. I love our Little Plastic Castle on our Big Brown Lawn. I love that passion you have for making our home the magical place that it is. I love you dearly, I look forward to the next ten and beyond.

Like Father, Like Son

2010-04-01T20:57:00.000-07:00

The boys woke me up today to tell me that the dump truck that was bringing us piles of stuff had come with one load and would be back soon. Mason was inspired to write and perform this new hit song, "Com Back". He even got "dressed up" for his first music video.

"Come Back" Lyrics By Mason

Come back, come back, come back

My pretty, little dump truck

I wonder if you are getting more stuff

I got a new bell for my big ol' bike

After rockin' out it was time to become king of the hill.

Better get some rest tonight, we've got a lot of stuff to move tomorrow.

Spring Break, WOO HOO!

2010-03-28T09:01:00.000-07:00

"Rise and shine Mommy!" A greeting that was not met with feelings of rising at that moment. Our first day of spring break was upon us and all I really wanted to do was fall back asleep and relish in the fact that I didn't need to get up and rush around to get somewhere on time. Mason, on the other hand was ready to spend our "not a work day" being the busy bee he likes to be, so as I found ways to stretch out my "having to get up moment", my mind began to go down the list of options of how we could spend our first day. We landed on taking part in our Preschool Group's snow day trip and it couldn't have been better. What a way to kick off the week together.

I didn't escape the rushing around to get somewhere, but packing snow gear was more fun than the daily routine. We drove up to Yuba Gap and the weather was spectacular. I loved how Mason kept saying how Ellie would be so excited to see the snow for her first time. She woke up just as we were driving down the road to the Sno-Park and he was telling her to look out her window and see the snow. Too cute.

We got out, got suited up, hiked up to find our friends from the preschool. Then the fun began.

Exploring

We found a tree cave

A hunting we will go...

Solo sledding on the bunny hill

Let's do that again...

Here we go!

The girls

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bump, bump, bump! (Look at that hair!)

Ellie hangin' in the snow.
Snow Angels

Snow Snacks

Family Fun at its finest!

A Brother Needs A Sister

2010-02-27T14:15:00.000-08:00

"The Picture" by Louden Wainwright sums it up well. "A brother needs a sister to watch what he can do, to protect and to torture, to boss around it's true. But a brother will defend her for his sister's love is pure, because she thinks he's wonderful, when he is not so sure."

Here we are at the Farmer's Market last weekend.

Mason and Ellie's favorite song is Jingle Bells. When we were first driving with Ellie and she began to cry Mason sang it to her and she calmed right down. To this day it works like magic. I think it must be from hearing it so much in the womb as Mason loved hearing it all year long.

Here's to brothers and sisters. I love my brother, too. Happy almost spring, Chris!

The Girl's Got A Lot To Say

2010-02-27T11:21:00.000-08:00

On Top Of Spaghetti

2010-02-27T11:02:00.000-08:00

My budding musicians practicing away.

How Can I Remember When I Am Up This Late?

2010-02-21T04:21:00.000-08:00

So it is crazy late and I should be in bed, but I fell asleep on the couch watching old favorites with Josh and eating tasty desserts to be woken up by Ellie. Then while reading blogs and such online I began to think of how I haven't updated in a while. I think of updating and then the moment is not right or something and suddenly so many moments have happened that I don't know where to begin. So I am not going to try to figure out which story or photo is right and just say, oh how I wish I had a way to remember the magic that happens around me daily as Mason and Ellie become their little selves. They are amazing and I know I won't remember it all because our brain just can't work that way. I learned recently that for our brain to move things from working memory to long term memory we need to sleep at least 9 hours to get to our 3rd REM cycle. No wonder I don't remember things I can't remember the last time I slept 9 consecutive hours. I wish I had time to blog more, but then when would I have time for the fun we are having?

This week I remember why we live in this little plastic castle on our big brown lawn. Mason ran around singing a song today about how we never have to go to work and we just stay home and play forever. Forever...a difficult concept to grasp. Just the other day he asked me why are we going to keep Ellie forever? I said, "Because she is our baby Ellie, your baby sister. Do you want to keep her?" "Yes," he answered. Tonight at the grocery store he laughed as she played with him hanging over the cart seat backwards and "talking" to him. "Ahhhhhhhhh." "Look at Ellie's new teeth, they're coming in!" he shouted all smiley and proud.

Wait, that wasn't about why we live here, but I guess it is a bit. I love that we have this amazing space amidst the craziness of life. This place where you can go outside and lose yourself in the outdoors. Today we dug in the dirt, planted seeds, flowers, found ladybugs and Mason let them crawl all over his hand and up his arm talking to them like they were the best of buds, we imagined we were sailing on a ship and much more.

In the photos at the top of this post they both look so grown up to me. Ellie with her very first "Rebloon" as Mason calls them these days. A couple of weeks ago he discovered the prefix Re and is attaching it to many words such as Rebloon, Remana (banana), Resposed (supposed), and so on. I love Rebloon, it sounds so pirate like. Anyway, she adored this balloon I should try to upload a video of her playing with it, but not right now it's late.

The other is of Mason on our hike with MaryEllen by the river. He officially looks like a boy or as he would say, "bay". "That bay at my preschoo-ool..." Yes there is an extra syllable there. He is holding her thermos, carried it the whole way taking coffee breaks (like the dog on Shaun the Sheep we later discovered) along the way. Tonight he brought it to bed (Thank you MaryEllen for the gift, he loves it!) Loves it so much he brought it in while we read Wacky Wednesday and Wocket in my Pocket and he took a couple of "coffee breaks" before falling asleep snuggling it.

When people ask me if I want to move to get a bigger house, I always feel funny. I never really think of that and wonder why they are wanting me to think that. I am happy here and love my family. I have what I need.

So if you have made it to the end of this post with any sense of what I have written about I applaud you. You appreciate the joy in living and taking note of the small stuff that makes you smile. I hope to return with more stories, photos and videos so that I may look back and remember what my brain has forgotten. Why can't it erase silly things I don't want and keep the good stuff? I guess that's what photos and journals and blogs are for. As I watch our new shuffling screen saver and see photos of our tiny Mason, I hardly recognize him when he was so new. He is ever changing and so is Ellie. I guess that is how things work, you can't capture it all, so there is always something new to create.

I need 3, 'cause I'm 3 now.

2009-11-09T21:30:00.000-08:00

Mason has perfected the art of extending the birthday celebration well beyond just one day of fun. His birthday is in October, yet just yesterday we were lighting this cupcake candle and singing the birthday song just for fun.

This year we decided to have his party a week later than usual because my family would be traveling to town for a visit then. Just before Mason's actual birthday he informed us that he would be having his birthday at Whole Foods (one of his favorite spots in town). Shopping there with him is always eventful. He has his routine down. He likes to hit the bakery for a loaf of cinnamon bread, dairy section for eggs and milk, dog aisle for bones for Onyx, then we cruise by the butchers and see if they have any meat samples out (if they do it is usually cause for celebration), then we have to hit the "make your own" trail mix bar, and finish things off in the produce. The trip isn't complete without stopping by customer service for his Kids Club treat and to say hi to his favorite employees. His actual birthday fell midweek on a Wednesday so we decided to invite a few friends and family out for a birthday celebration at Whole Foods. He was so excited to see everyone and play at the little play store inside. We ate dinner and enjoyed his cupcakes that he made with Ariana and Rylan. He opened gifts and even got a giftcard from the staff at Whole Foods. As we made our way over to get his Kids Club treat the lady asked him how old he was and he said, "Well, last night I been 2, but now I'm 3."

A week and a half later we celebrated with his teachers and friends at preschool. He picked out lollipops to share with everyone and was so excited to wear his "party hat". He had told me about it on the way there and I wasn't sure what he was talking about. Then when he had the special birthday cake hat on I knew just what he meant. He was so excited to wear it and sit in the special birthday chair. Everyone sang to him and he sang right along with everyone. One boy in the class shouted with a big grin, "Hey that's my birthday song too."

That weekend we celebrated here at our place with his pumpkin patch party. Such fun! We enjoyed a day of family, friends, and great fall weather. That morning he was telling me about the party and how he would need to get his party hat ready. I knew I should have bought that birthday cake hat when I saw it at IKEA last summer. Thanks to MaryEllen for swinging by there to pick one up for him. It was meant to be the thing even had 3 candles and 3 strawberries.

Thank you to all that were able to make it and help celebrate. I think one of my favorite parts was when Mason was singing Happy Birthday to himself just before blowing out the candles.

Mommy and Me+s

2009-10-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

The other day my mom and I were talking about my return to work and we were remembering my first return to work after being home with Mason. My how he has changed...

He is bigger, more talkative, more humorous, more mobile, has lighter, longer hair, has a little sister, is an awesome big brother...I could go on. Yet look how he is the same...

He still loves cuddly blankets, especially when there is someone to snuggle with. I love it when that person is me. The other night he asked me to help him build a nest on the big bed. He had all the pillows out in a circle at the foot of the bed, but was struggling to get this Thomas the Train blanket to cover all the pillows. We worked together and made a nest that was "so comfy". He hopped in and we read some books. Then he heard Ellie in the other room and said, "I need Daddy to bring Ellie in by me." The following is what I got to enjoy. Two little "Me"s with their Mommy.

Happy 4 months!

2009-10-02T20:50:00.000-07:00

My sweet, little girl is 4 months old today! I love you Ellie!

My Love/Hate Relationship with Fall

2009-10-01T16:29:00.000-07:00

The First Day of Autumn arrived in the heat of Sacramento, but thankfully we have begun to feel a little cooler. I love this season for oh so many reasons that I will not take time to mention. Over the past couple of weeks I have seen hints that this time is approaching and it shocks me because I still feel as though it is summer. The heat and being off work will do that to you.

Extending my maternity leave has been such a magical time that I hold dear in my heart and will remember always. As summer began the fall seemed far away. As I glanced off into the distance that would be fall I saw my return to work, Mason starting preschool, Mason turning 3, Ellie getting stronger, and all the joys that Mother Nature brings to us this time of year. It seemed far off in my newborn mommy haze, but now these glimpses that usually give me a rush of excitement bring a twinge of sadness and tear as I have come to realize my special time is quickly coming to an end. I am trying not to let these feelings linger and ruin these last few days so here I am to celebrate Mason and Ellie.

I love that our summer garden is still in production. I sent Daddy and the kiddos out to harvest a bit more beans for dinner and they had a basketful. Ellie tried to help as best she could. I wasn't there so I'll let Mason tell you.

Last night at dinner we decided to let Ellie try out the booster seat. She has been getting stronger and is very observant when anyone is eating around her so we thought she might be ready to join us for dinner. She jumped right in on the conversation and had much to say. Mason noticed, "Now we aren't missing anyone." As all our chairs were filled. Daddy, Mason, and Ellie were a total crack up.

Don't You Wish You Lived On The Big Brown Lawn?

2009-09-21T21:19:00.000-07:00

So if you have been keeping up you know that we tend to enjoy living here in our "Little Plastic Castle" on our "Big Brown Lawn". Our house is old and quirky, but it is filled with much love, and our yard is wide open for exploration and adventure. As you have seen in previous posts our quiet little neighborhood is great for growing a plentiful garden and having good times, that is of course except for the odd chance when weirdness aligns and A Winnebago Drives on through the yard or this year's maternity leave "You Won't Believe It Story".

It was a mellow Friday evening and Mason had woken up from a long nap so we decided to make it a movie night. Josh bought a new movie on iTunes. It seemed to be a good choice to go along with their excitement with cooking, Ratatouille. We started watching and to my horror the opening sequence scared me a bit to think of a huge colony of rats hanging in my ceiling, but I got over it as the animated critters were becoming entertaining enough for me to fall asleep to. Mason on the other hand was wide awake until 2 am. This led to a late start to Saturday and a lazy day around the house. We had plans that evening and as the day went on we needed to motivate to create a birthday gift for our friend, Max. Josh had a gig in Davis that we would drop him off at and then meet up again after the party. After spending a couple of hours creating a father/son cookbook and ingredients to go with, the party gift was ready and it was time to pile into the car and head west.

Josh went outside to start loading the car and I tried to finish wrangling the kiddos and gear. Moments later, Josh returned saying....

Readers - wait take a deep breath you are going to need it.

"A rat or something got into the car and there are poops everywhere and napkins are all shredded and I don't even know if it is still in there."

"WHAT!"

I could not comprehend the creepiness of it all. I was completely grossed out and didn't even want to see it, but somehow I was drawn to it. I had to see it to believe it I guess. Mason on the other hand was fearless and ready to help anyway he could. He grabbed his shoes and the vacuum hose and ran outside, "Daddy I've got my vaccum!"

I peeked in the windows of the car and sure enough there were poops and bits everywhere. I suddenly had flashbacks of the year I went back to school to set up my classroom and mice had taken up residency in my good ol' portable. Lucky for us there were plenty of toys and things in the car to make the clean up that much more exciting. I am sad to say some things made their way into the trash, if you can't be sanitized in the washer, you're a goner.

We recently attended a parent meeting for Mason's preschool where they discussed children his age and how they don't get freaked out about such things until we show them it is something to be "freaked out about". I kept trying to keep this in mind as I wanted to go crazy. It was so true. He was out with Josh at one point while I went in to calm down and feed Ellie and he came in saying, oh so matter of factly, "Mommy I might have rat poop on my hands and maybe on my body."

"WHAT!"

This is what I wanted to scream, but instead I said, "Are you sure?" Which of course led to a completely confusing conversation with a 2 year old ending in, "Let me go ask Daddy."

I went inside, washed Mason thoroughly and went to grab a spray bottle and gloves to help with the car and somehow it was unscrewed and the dang thing dropped and spilled all over my shorts and shoes. "Mason was right there by my side saying, "It's okay Mommy we'll just clean it up."

Ellie was not creeped out at all, she used this time to stay out of the way and catch some zzzzzs.

Needless to say we did not make it to the party or the gig.

Making Connections

2009-09-14T02:39:00.001-07:00

Mason and Josh harvested our peanuts a couple of weeks ago and this weekend they were hanging out. They were talking about a mole and Josh said, "A mole is an animal that lives underground."

"Like peanuts?" asked Mason.

A Little Mid-Week Fun

2009-08-26T20:54:00.000-07:00

A Wednesday evening at home was spent outside in the gardens. Mason was proud to show off his latest tricycle riding skills while Daddy, Ellie, and I looked on. After checking his mailbox he and invited me to watch him shoot some hoops at his new basketball hoop from Valerie.

We then were playing a bit of catch with our new lacrosse game when we heard Daddy calling us to see what he found in the garden.

"Mason come quick! You won't believe it!"

We left our game and hurried over to see the treasure he found. As we entered the garden, we were greeted by the Dipper Gourds that seem to get bigger every time we turn around.

As we made our way past, Ellie and Daddy showed us what they discovered under the beautiful peanut plant leaves... Our first peanuts!

We have been noticing quite a few changes in the garden over the past few days. The herb garden:

The tomatoes are towering over their cages.

The bean teepee is healthy and strong.

The mysterious cucumbers that like to hide out under their leaves.

The driveway garden is booming. The spaghetti squash is climbing, the Cinderella pumpkins are beginning to peek out from underneath the leaves and the corn "is as high as an elephant's eye".

After watering, harvesting, playing, and digging the sun was setting and it was time to head inside. The fun didn't end there. Mason was checking out the Bumbo seat we borrowed from Ana and wanted to give Ellie a turn. She is so cute sitting in it. Mason kept bringing her toys to play with. A train car, black steam engine, pretend foods, a CD. You know, stuff babies like. Then he started singing the new song Josh taught him, "Hiccups". Ellie loved it, too as you can see in this video. Her new little laugh which she shared with us the other day briefly, was caught on film.

Thank you to all the family and friends that helped jumpstart the garden project this spring for my birthday. Thank you Josh for all the hard work you put into our gardens this spring and summer. I love that you have brought such beauty and magic to our yard. I love that the tiny seeds we planted have grown taller than us. I love that Mason knows so much about the plants and how to harvest those "red, ripe, amatoes". He was so cute running over to Ellie and me with his basket full saying, "Mommy I'm bringing a picnic for us to share, here try a bean." I look forward to more special times outside with family and friends.

Sweet As Can Be...

2009-08-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon brought about many moments of fun. Mason wanted to hold Ellie and then had me take their picture.

The cooler, breezy weather inspired me to dress Ellie in her long sleeve cupcake shirt, which inspired me to search for a new cupcake recipe to try out. We had some very ripe bananas, so I found a banana cupcake recipe and Mason and I got to work. He has been Josh's sous-chef all summer and has become quite skilled in the kitchen.

"Mommy this is a HEAPING scoop of flour." Too funny.

We realized we were all out of eggs, so Daddy ran to the store to pick some up for us. We mixed all the ingredients we could.

"Mommy, I need the bigger whisk. That's the one that Daddy uses. I think it will work better." Ellie looked on intently, learning all she could. As soon as she can join in the fun she will be right there with that big brother of hers she loves so much. This week she beams with the biggest smile whenever he is near.

Once Daddy returned with the eggs we took a break from reading Charlie and Lola and Froggy Bakes a Cake to finish our sweet creations. Once we had the cupcakes in the oven, it was time to whip up some frosting. Ellie came over to take a closer look.

After munching on a dinner of solar oven cooked chicken, solar oven roasted garlic, and fresh beans from the garden (our first ones of the season) it was time to decorate our cupcakes. We could hardly wait.

Mmmmmmm! Life is sweet.

Let's Pretend

2009-07-21T07:54:00.000-07:00

Mason has always found interesting ways to be creative. I smile thinking of the phase he went through when he found joy in helping by getting an ice pack if you were hurt. I imagine he liked the feeling he got when he was caring for someone. He even gave you a choice, "Do you want the green one or the fish one?" Unfortunately, the opportunity to tend to others in this manner didn't always present itself often enough for his liking so he would "create". Out of no where he would come up and hit me on the leg or arm and look at me with all sincerity in body language and tone of voice, "You need an ice pack, Mommy?" Then he would run to the freezer and ask, "You want the green one or the fish one?"

Lately he has been in a major pretending phase which is so comical and a joy to observe and interact with. When he is unable to have what he wants he is quite content settling for "a pretend one". I discovered this one day when we were in the car. He said, "Mommy, I need a Bandaid."

I replied, "I don't have any Bandaids here in the car, you'll have to wait until we get home."

"It's okay Mommy it could just be a pretend Bandaid," he said.

This was brilliant. All I had to do was make sure to actually pretend to get it out and then hand it to him (you do need to actually do the pretending part, too I have come to realize). I have since tried it out multiple times to much success. Do you want some pretend coffee? I can't walk on the "balance beam" (frame of the playhouse) while I am feeding Ellie. "Well you can just pretend, Mommy." Cool. I will sit in this rocker, watching you climb and pretend to join you. This is where the pretending on my part was put to the test. I had to give a running commentary of how I would cruise along the balance beam, following him. He made sure I didn't leave out any important parts. If I did, I was quickly reminded, "No you have to jump over that part."

On a random tangent, Mason loves to get a "Vanilla Latte" at Starbucks with me, which is a kids milk. The other day we stopped at Peets on our way to Tahoe and I was running in to get some drinks. I asked him if he wanted a milk and he said, "No, I'm fine with just a 'Nilla Latte." Oh, okay.

The other day, Josh headed to Home Depot for more playhouse supplies while Mason, Ellie and I hung out here. We decided to play blocks. Ellie was so excited to be included. She loves her big brother Mason. She looks at him with loving eyes. She quiets down in the car when he sings Jingle Bells to her when she cries. She smiles at him. It is so cute. On this particular day, Ellie laid on the Boppy pillow. Mason had gone into his room and brought out his cozy blanket and suggested we lay it over the Boppy "so she will be all snuggly". He then proceeded to gather all the "food from his fridge". Each block was another piece of pretend food. He would give them to Ellie and say, "It's okay Mommy, it's just pretend."

Mason thought it was so great to be playing with Ellie. He has been asking to hold her a lot more often. When I was pregnant we wondered how he would react when he discovered she was not going to be the playmate he was picturing right off the bat. He has done well with helping and protecting her and finds ways to interact with her. She always makes him smile and he stands a bit taller when he tells me he's her big brother. He had fun giving her pretend food and learning how to do it safely.

Ellie would just look up at him and smile each time he added more "food".

Soon she had quite the feast.

Then she started to get a bit full.

Our little masterpiece!

Happy Anniversary!

2009-07-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

For our 9th anniversary the kids decided to give us the gift of sleep. (To celebrate this gift, throughout this post I will insert my favorite sleeping photos from the last 6 weeks of living with Ellie.)

The night before last Mason had fallen asleep on the couch,

and Ellie was close behind.

The easiest bedtime routine ever turned into waking up at 3:00 am to Mason laying a new pull-up on me and telling me he had an accident. In my sleep deprived state I put the new one on and dozed again as he decided to climb in our bed and be wide awake rolling around like a tornado. The first night Ellie decides to bypass the 2:00 or 3:00 am feeding, Mason is up. Ellie decided to join the fun at 4:00 am and by this time Josh was ready to just get up, too. So there we were, one big family awake before the sun was up. Luckily, Mason is pretty cute, so you can't stay annoyed for long. As Josh lay exhausted on the couch, Mason gathered and filled his water bottle and brought it to him, "Daddy I got you an ice in your water because I thought you might like it!" His perkiness began to be a bit contagious and Josh decided to get up and make a huge batch of salsa. After salsa came banana cornmeal pancakes with blueberries. Lookout Tower Cafe you now have some serious competition!

Mason wanted to hold Ellie and she loved it.

"Mommy, take a picture of my hand."

All the excitement wore her out and she was back to sleep. Mason played blocks, ate breakfast, played up in the new playroom loft, and then was getting drowsy. I decided to get him ready for a nap and while reading stories I thought, I will read one more, hmmm what time is it? 8:00 am? This time warping is really getting bizarre now. So he then slept from 8:15 and was still asleep after Ellie and I returned from getting an oil change, car wash, and mailing a box at the post office. Josh had been working in the garden and on the playhouse and came in for some lunch. Mason power napped until about 1:00 pm. Ellie napped, woke up to eat at the Honda place, and then continued to nap. I must say I was beginning to get a bit jealous of all this napping and thought I should try to take advantage of it before it vanished. I fell asleep on the couch for a bit and woke to Mason coming in asking, "Mommy will you snuggle me?" Couldn't pass up that request. He snuggled in and we napped for a few more minutes, heaven!

Last night Josh and I were feeling pretty tired, so after feeding Ellie, we both went to sleep, figuring we better get some rest, who knows what the night would bring. The next thing I knew Ellie was waking up...I got up thinking, that's weird or as Mason would say, "That's weirded!" What time is it? Can that be right? Did I already feed her and not remember? Nope. Really 6:30? Yep, 6:30 am, our girl slept through the night! (And our boy did, too.) Happy 6 weeks old Ellie! Happy Anniversary Mommy and Daddy!

Happy Anniversary Joshua! I love you with all my heart and more. I love our family, our laughter, our home. Thank you for making our life so rich with happiness and joy. Your creativity and passion for music and life is contagious and I love you for that. You have given me the courage to be a teacher of music and I love that. I look forward to learning more, sharing more, and laughing more with you in the years to come. I love our children and I love you. Here's to many new adventures, simple, everyday magical moments, and here's to sleep, glorious sleep! (Cue the sleep montage!)

Alright, gotta go while everyone is still asleep!

If You're Happy and You Know It...

2009-07-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

... then your face will surely show it. Ellie has learned how to smile and boy is it contagious.

The First of July

2009-07-10T02:35:00.000-07:00

The beginning of July means it's Josh's birthday and summertime fun is officially underway. At this point we are typically fully into project mode and good times are easily found. This year Josh's birthday fell during the week of "Music School" (scroll down to a previous post for more details). We were having a great time with Daddy. Mason had discovered he could dress like daddy in his "rad" shorts. On this particular day they were on their way singing, "We're going to Music School" one of the many renditions of "The Farmer in the Dell" that were sung that week.

On Wednesday of that week it was Daddy's birthday and Mason and I had been planning some fun. Mason loves to sing "Happy Birthday" and get people to blow out their candles whether they are real or imaginary. He makes pretend cakes and loves to tell us "secrets" about the fun parties that we are going to have. He and I had talked about how it was going to be Daddy's birthday. He picked out some birthday candles that Daddy would get to blow out. We decided to share another picnic lunch with him to celebrate his special day. Grammie joined us at the workshop that day, too and shared in the fun. We ended up staying on campus to gather lunch, so our candles and cake would have to wait until later. After lunch and a retelling of Mason's favorite story, The Three Bears, Daddy went to the afternoon session and Grammie and Mason gathered sticks for our "campfire" and roasting marshmallows (leaves). We found that a pretend campfire is a great way to pass some time on a blistering hot day.

Ellie looked on with admiring eyes. She loves her big brother, or as he told me the other night, "Mommy, she likes me!"

All the excitement wore her out, so she decided to power nap under the shady trees, and Mommy was hoping Mason would follow her lead, but no such luck.

He decided to power through as we journeyed over to our good friend, MaryEllen's, new place that afternoon. She had come by to meet Ellie and bond a bit Monday night and invited us to visit her as we were so close to her new home.

We are so grateful that she has a high tolerance for our chaos as she welcomed us with open arms. While visiting we successfully left our mark. Mason emptied all her coin jars onto her carpet, chipping one of them. Ellie power-pooped all over one of her towels. Josh was going to make up for these antics by helping her move a monstrous, unwanted desk down her stairs and successfully put scraps and holes in her wall before snapping off the light switches at the bottom of the staircase. Fortunately, we had stopped at the nearby bakery to pick up some birthday cake to help distract from the damages. Mason found a clock that was waiting to find its hanging spot in her new home and was suddenly carrying it around. I asked him what time it was and he replied thoughtfully, "40, time to eat cake." Well, who can argue with that?

He ventured into the kitchen with MaryEllen to find some candles and get the cake. They came in singing and grinning. Being the creative thinker he is, Mason wanted to put the candles into these fancy candle holders he found (her dogs' Kong toys). Luckily, MaryEllen was there to redirect that idea.

"Make a wish, blow out your candles Daddy!"

Happy Birthday, Daddy! Thank you for being the wonderful husband and father that you are. We love you with all our hearts and more. We look forward to many more years of creativity, imagination, laughter and all around good times.

Handy Mason

2009-07-04T18:12:00.000-07:00

"Mommy, Daddy is a builder and I am a fixer," Mason told me as he loaded up his new tool belt with all of his tools from Uncle Chris. He and Josh were working on building a play house in the back yard. All the hard work was put on hold last week as we were attending the Education Through Music workshop, but that has not stopped Mason from being a "fixer". You never know when you might have a slice of banana bread that is just too big and you need it trimmed a bit. Call on Mason to chop it down to size with his trusty saw.

He has taken on the big responsibility of "fixing" the chalkboard on the end of the island in the kitchen. He saws it, hammers it, paints it, measures it, you know all the usual fixing jobs. It is very LOUD, important work. Sometimes there it singing involved.

(For those of you that are not familiar with Bob the Builder, he is singing the theme song.)

It Feels Like Summer

2009-07-04T15:38:00.000-07:00

So the temperatures have kicked into summer mode just as we are beginning to have a bit of energy for outings with a toddler and a newborn. We met our wonderful friend, Valerie, downtown for dinner and frozen yogurt before her big cross country trip. It was tons of fun and we will miss her.

Mason loves Valerie and isn't afraid to show it.

The other night when she came over he wouldn't give her a hug goodbye, it is his new phase: boycotting hugs and goodbyes, but as soon as she walked out the door he realized it was Valerie and he said, "BUT I WANTED TO GIVE HER A HUG." I said, "Hurry before she leaves." So he ran to the door and out onto the porch in time to give hugs and goodbyes.

Dinner and dessert were delicious and we had great quality friend time. On our way home Ellie decided to freak out and want to get out of the carseat. We stopped at McKinley Park in time for the concert in the park. Mason had a great time on the playground and we took a family walk around the duck pond. It felt like summer.

Mason loved the baby ducks. People were throwing bread into the pond to feed them. He was on the verge of asking them if he could share some and have a turn to feed them.

I couldn't get enough of the cuteness. We would have stayed longer if we weren't melting in the heat. Be sure to notice the little head peeking over Josh's shoulder. We'll call it a little game of where's Ellie?

Music School

2009-07-04T15:24:00.000-07:00

"Hey Ellie, wake up...it's time to go to Music School," whispered Mason.

Last week we had the pleasure of attending the Education Through Music (ETM) workshop with Josh. Mason was invited to participate in the observation classes with Josh each morning. This gave us a change of scenery each day. It also got us all up early and moving out of the house before 8:30 each morning. We would trek over to Sacramento State to the music building and drop Josh off for the morning session, then go get breakfast and return for the children's session. The trip was filled with many attractions, crossing the bridge and "two rivers" (Mason could actually see the river under both sides of the bridge, so he thought it was two rivers and would announce it each time we passed.) We also went through several "tree tunnels" and went by the train tracks. "Could we ride on that one?" Mason asked the first day when we saw a freight train. When I said no, he of course asked, "Why?" I told him it was a freight train and not a passenger train. He proceeded to tell me this information every time we saw another train.

After class our first day, we decided to venture out and return with a picnic lunch to share with Daddy on his break. The trees near the music building are amazingly huge redwoods which provided a peaceful, shady spot for our lunch. The busy morning wore the kids out and they were asleep as I pulled into the parking garage. Luckily, our enormous stroller could still hold the sleeping Mason as well as all the picnic gear, so we were off to meet Daddy.

Bringing a picnic to Daddy takes a lot out of a tiny month old Ellie...

..and a mighty, two and a half year old Mason. Mommy didn't mind so much, she had a mini-date picnic.

Happy 65th Birthday Grandpa!

2009-06-27T03:11:00.000-07:00

Grandpa, Grandma, and Chris came to meet Ellie a couple of weeks ago. Mason has been so fascinated with singing "Happy Birthday" and blowing out candles lately that we thought it would be fun to have an early birthday party for Grandpa. June 26th is his true birthday, but since we wouldn't be able to travel to see him that day, this was close enough. Mason showed him our cupcake cookbook and found out that Grandpa wanted chocolate cupcakes with white icing and sprinkles.

Ellie decided she would keep Grandpa company while Mason and I made the cupcakes.

Mason and I cooked up some chocolate cupcakes and decorated them with whipped cream frosting and sprinkles.

Josh made ribs, chicken, and asparagus for dinner and then it was time for our birthday dessert. We sang "Happy Birthday" and tried lighting the candles Mason picked out. I had not accounted for the wind, so it was a bit of a challenge to keep the candles lit, but we did it.

We are so happy to have had the opportunity to have celebrated your birthday with you even if it was a little early. We hope your actual birthday was fabulous and that your southern California celebration was filled with love and laughs.

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-24T18:27:00.000-07:00

"I love you Daddy."

Mason just found his little tiny microphone recorder and was trying to record the above message on it while Josh was outside picking fresh basil from the garden for his homemade pizza. It is so hot today that playhouse construction has been put on hold until the weather cools off this evening a bit. Instead, Josh has been on a cooking streak today. He made chicken in the solar oven. He made a raspberry dessert. He made his own dough and is now keeping cool by making homemade pizza in the hot indoor oven.

I love that he loves the creative art of cooking. Especially when I am feeling like the only thing I cook up lately is milk for Ellie. While Josh was making his pizza, Mason said, "I'm going to make baby sister into a pizza." I thought he was thinking of making Ellie into a pizza like one of his favorite books, Pete's A Pizza. Instead he found his little baby doll, a blanket, and a book called Slug and went to the table and said he was reading his recipe like daddy and making baby sister into a pizza. He said the blanket was so she wouldn't get "cauliflower" aka flour on her. It was all too cute.

On Father's Day last Sunday, Josh made us homemade cinnamon rolls as the three of us slept in, well two of us anyway. The third was unable to move from her location so she was content just looking around.

When we finally all got up we took the party outside to enjoy our tasty treats. Thank you Josh for being the wonderful father you are to our kids. I love all you do for us and look forward to many more amazing meals, adventures, laughs, and all around good times with you.

Happy Father's Day.

The Art of Summer

2009-06-18T22:16:00.001-07:00

Today I was inside feeding Ellie and Mason was outside with Daddy. I was gearing up for a day of planting our corn in the side garden. Unfortunately, the cool weather we have been having melted away just in time for me to be feeling up for some yard work. As I was bonding with Ellie, Mason trekked in with a big 'ol stack of "washable" ink pads. They are about the size of salad plates. I asked him what he was doing and he said quite matter of factly, "Bringing these in here." Oh, of course. Silly question.

I said, "Please don't bring them in here, they are for outside artwork."

"Why?" Mason asked as he proceeded to venture toward the carpet with them.

Seeing that I was not going to change a 2 and a half year old's plan with mere words, I had to act quickly. I thought perhaps I could detour him a smidge. "How about you put them on the kitchen floor instead?" Cool, that worked and will be way easier to cleanup. "What are you planning to do with them?" I asked.

"Put them on my hands." said Mason.

He then proceeded to peel all of the sponge ink pads out of their containers and stack them in a pile of 6. "Where are you going?" I asked.

"Outside." Whew, okay, still messy, but outside. I can live with that. So I watch him leave.

Minutes later he returned...

"Whoa, what the heck is that?" thought Ellie.

"It's just me, Ellie."

"Oh, my Mason. Why is he all colorful? I want to try that." smiled Ellie. (Too bad she can't escape the loving hands of Mommy or she would be abstract art as well. I know it's only a matter of time.)

What to do in a situation like this? Embrace the moment and go outside to play in the water.

"I love summer!" sang Mason.

Me too.