Karate Kitties

Day 1 - Honolulu

2010-12-15T23:28:00.001-08:00

Woke up early this morning to make our flight to Hawaii. A long layover in Honolulu allowed us to spend the afternoon at Pearl Harbor. Wow!!

The names of those who died that day.

The memorial is built directly above where the USS Arizona still lays today. Of the 21 ships destroyed that day only 3 of them never returned to service.

Gray enjoying his turn on top of the USS Bowfin submarine.

Of course Sean couldn't resist touching.

So many shiny knobs, buttons and thingy-ma-bobbers I wanted to touch and take pictures of.

What an amazing piece of American History that I ashamed I didn't know more about.

Argyle Friday

2010-11-12T21:51:00.000-08:00

Stephens Margolin's first argyle Friday.

Too cool

2010-11-09T14:53:00.000-08:00

Sean's latest addition to his argyle collection and on his way to his first Diwali party. All on a Saturday night.

Twilight

2010-11-07T17:59:00.001-08:00

Tonight we are enjoying a candlelit dinner by a Grayson original.

Tacos!

2010-11-06T18:07:00.000-07:00

Since I am a super lame mom I'm using another photo from my friend Gretchen. She took great photos of our kids on Halloween. Here's a picture of Bryn and her good friend Morgynn.

Bryn's costume may warrant a little explanation. She is Gir from Invader Zim in his dog costume. So basically her costume is a cartoon character's costume. My head was spinning when I was told by Bryn that she wanted me to make her Gir costume. Despite my reservations it worked out perfect. Hunter's old neon sweatshirt was the perfect base. We took the zipper off and sewed up the front and then added the felt pieces. She can even where it as a sweatshirt now that Halloween is over. The girl has vision.

Caaaaannnnndddyyyyy

2010-11-06T18:04:00.001-07:00

zombie #1. the picture is by our good friend gretchen.

Braaaiiiinnnnnssss

2010-11-05T17:49:00.000-07:00

zombie no. 2

The Rabbit and The Fox

2010-11-04T15:36:00.001-07:00

Bunny and Foxy.

Tower power

2010-11-04T08:15:00.001-07:00

Hunter's Wednesday Dixie Cup project.

Kickin It

2010-11-02T13:52:00.001-07:00

Picked up these new kicks last week. Tried them out last Thursday and it hurt so bad. Did I really run a marathon a few years ago? Looking forward to another attempt tomorrow. My buddies Nirvana and Shakira are coming along for the ride.

Bill Clinton

2010-10-29T10:53:00.001-07:00

President night at Cedar Lodge. Hunter pulled of Bill Clinton but the accent could use a little work. Hunter's favorite fact was that Bill likes fast food. He's also up to date on the whole Monica situation.

The evening was incredibly fascinating. So many presidents I knew nothing about. McKinley was the biggest surprise for me.

Silly bands

2010-10-27T20:22:00.001-07:00

Oh silly bandz..... Oh silly bands.... How I despise you silly bands. Consuming my life. Oh the conversations I've had with my children about the economics surrounding you or how so and so has the Halloween glow-in-the-dark 24 pack. I now use you as bribes and incentives. I know.. I know... I'm such a bad mom for not hunting down the desired silly bandz pack of the week. The one glimmer of hope is that in 20 years my children will be having a generational conversation with others of like age and they will reminisce over the perfect silly bandz trade they made in 4th grade. The black penguin for the purple pixie. A perfect score. So, I've heard.

Beautiful September

2010-10-05T16:17:00.001-07:00

Not too many of these afternoons left. I'm finding myself cherishing every second of this amazing autumn weather and at the same time dreading the moment we realize it's all over until next year.

Girl Scouts

2010-10-04T08:59:00.001-07:00

Last few moments as a brownie.

Officially a Girl Scout.

Cooking with Laura

2010-09-22T21:51:00.001-07:00

Bryn's school library pick this week. She's been waiting months for this book. It's a highly coveted book among her classmates. What to make first?

Amazing Days

2010-09-10T13:39:00.001-07:00

What an amazing summer. We used every drop of it. Sad to see it end but enjoying getting into a back to school routine. Sean and I survived middle school orientation. Hunter is thrilled to be at Mt. Tabor. Bryn and Gray are just going with the flow.

Surprise Ball

2010-07-06T13:52:00.001-07:00

Surprise balls are way too cool. I found this one on etsy for Bryn's birthday. It was a blast to see all the treasures hidden inside. I'm contastly looking for items to try and make one sometime soon.

Birthday girl

2010-07-05T11:12:00.001-07:00

List of Birthday 9 Love for Bryn...

...that ice skating is her new passion.

...that instead of a birthday party she wanted time with her grandparents.

...that for her birthday she asked for Oregon Humane donations instead of presents.

...that she's growing her hair out for Locks of Love.

...that she's asking to get her ears pierced.

...that she can't decide if she wants to play the guitar or drums.

...that she tries to get her little brother to play school with her.

...that she loves her puppy (a little too much).

...that she will still cuddled with her mom and dad even though she's nine.

Happy Birthday Bryn.

Reading nook

2010-07-05T11:01:00.001-07:00

I'm head over heels for white. New reading nook in the living room. It's right where the full length mirror used to be so quite often I glance at the wall of books for outfit approval.

Color

2010-06-25T18:56:00.001-07:00

When we bought our house 8 years ago all I wanted was color color color. I wanted each room a different color. Flash forward and all I can think about is neutrals. Soft whites, cream and maybe a little latte. While Sean and Hunter are in Japan I'm taking a giant step and painting the living room. I've struggled with the color and the final was not among the initials ones chosen. It will be a surprise.

Goodbye spring

2010-06-14T12:54:00.001-07:00

We spent last weekend basking in the shine, playing ping pong, and saying hello to garden surprises.

Good-bye spring I will really really miss you this year. But sister summer is calling my name.

The Uniform

2010-06-04T12:34:00.001-07:00

In my Oregon rain induced funk I've been wearing my uniform of jeggings, Nike sweatshirt, and boots (or black converse). I actually had an event to attend last night and afterwards realized I wore my grey wool dress. June!!! I wore my grey wool dress in June!!! Looking forward to sunnier days.

Book Buddies

2010-06-02T21:54:00.001-07:00

Perfect Oregon rainy day for the 5th grade / Kindergarten zoo field trip.

Ellison, Grayson and Nathan

Johnathan, Leo and Hunter

Genius

2010-05-23T20:07:00.001-07:00

Don't you just love those moments when you have a stroke of genius? Well they might not come as often as I'd like but when they do I take full advantage of them.

Since organizing the markers, sharpies and colored pencils by color I haven't had one marker pile problem. With an 8 year old artist living in my house it was driving me crazy. There is something theraputic about keeping them all color organized.

The real spark of genius is Math Bath. Bryn can drag out doing her 12 problem math homework for a very very long time. On Math Bath nights it's amazing how fast it gets done and without any help or tears from mom.

I'd love to know of other mommy genius ideas.

Black sky

2010-05-20T09:04:00.001-07:00

Driving the kids to school today there were blue skies in front of us and.....

a dark omnious sky lurking out the side window.

Only in Oregon.

2010-04-26T11:01:00.001-07:00

An update on Bryn's latest spelling word sentence created for this week's homework. She used 8 out of 20 spelling words and all 5 challenge words.

"A circus character looked at an Oregon cardinal that was afraid of a particular paper dinosaur."

Manic Monday

2010-04-20T08:03:00.001-07:00

Sorry kids for posting this pic but had to capture. This was on Monday at 4:15pm. I have a feeling it's going to be "that kind" of week.

p.s. In the back of the car is a small rocking chair with a simple rosette on the back. It's from my great grandmother Flora (we called her Nonna). After 10 years I'm finally repairing the caning in the seat.

What a day

2010-04-15T09:38:00.001-07:00

Every morning Sean asks me, "What's on your list today?" In the evening he asks me "What did you do today?" The surly high schooler comes out in me and can only respond with a grumble and a "things" response. Like when your parents would ask, "how was your day as school?" The truth is I'm not that interested in talking about the vet appointment, driving to pick up kids from school and forcing the kids to do their homework. I feel bad for Sean because I think he's generally interested.

Wednesday, April 14th

6:30am - Wake-up

6:45am to 7:45 - Kids dressed and fed, don't forget teeth and hair, dogs out and fed and I got dressed as well somewhere in there.

8:05 - Kids dropped off

8:15 - Wash and vacuum out car

9:15 - Tennis with Mary and Maya

10:30 - Deal with ONK issue

11:00 - Home, take dogs out, check and respond to emails.

12:00 - Shiloh vet appointment

12:30 - Home, clean kitchen, straighten house, shower and dressed, get snacks and soccer gear together

2:00 - Leave to pick up kids

2:15 - Get Bryn and Grayson, make sure Hunter knows that Mary is taking him home after 5th grade performance practice.

2:30 - Drive across town for Bryn's appointment.

3:00 - Fred Meyer for groceries. Forgot paper towels, garbage bags, milk and vanilla ice cream.

3:50 - Pick up Bryn

4:00 - Drive across town for soccer practice

4:15 to 4:20- On the cell phone with US Bank for ONK, waking Grayson up from the car ride, getting Grayson's soccer shorts and shoes on and running to get to practice on time.

4:30 - Handed another piece of ONK news. ugh.

5:30 - Home

5:45 - Make dinner, straighten, kid homework.

7:00 - Read with kids

7:45 - Bath time

8:15 - Check end of day email

8:30 - Kids in bed

9:00 - Fall asleep

...and repeat.... I know... so exciting.

2010 house to do

2010-04-10T21:23:00.000-07:00

("gnome" by bryn)

I wish my monthly to do list seemed as easy to accomplish as martha stewart's. Maybe I'll make this my spring/summer to do list...

Call window cleaners for a spring clean

Call ric (handyman)for paint touch up, fix bryn's door, fix coffee table, fix kitchen nook table

Reupholster red chair

Craiglist some random items

Get roofing bids

Call housepainters for south side

After Kuma (brother's dog) goes home have carpets cleaned

Paint living room

what to watch?

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

around the age of 10 our family tv a 20" zenith was in the shop for a week but it felt like a whole month. our current television is broken and not even sure any of us miss it. we're debating replacing it which at first excited me. the prospect of simplifying our lives but on closer inspection it gets more complicated. there's always the computer, laptop, ps3, hulu, netflix, downloads and iphones. missing the simplicity of my family's 20" zenith.

what I'm watching right now (via hulu, netflix and the power of a download)....

lost... I've got to know how it ends and desperately hoping I'm not disappointed. (abc)

bones... I could watch david boreanaz all day. (fox)

fringe... it's by jj abrams and I like a good mystery with some sci fi thrown in. (fox)

modern family... need a good laugh to even it all out. (abc)

united states of tara... refreshingly unique. (showtime)

caprica... I'll never give up on battlestar galatica. (syfy)

glee... do I even need to say anything? (fox)

reruns (first time for me)...
arrested development & the wire

show i want to watch but can't find via the internet. need a real tv for this one...
american pickers... the reality show follows frank and mike as they scour the country's junkyards, basements and barns for hidden gems. (history channel)

thoughts in hawaii

2010-04-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

my love/hate affair with facebook produced these while in hawaii.

...is dreaming of a weekend at the Hana Hotel.

...would like to have the mobility of a gecko.

...is lying on the beach and dreaming of re-designing her living room.

...never gets tired of watching the waves reach the shore.

...wants to spend an entire weekend at Captain Cook with her husband.

...does not like sand that overstays its welcome.

...is thinking of lists to make.

...loves watching Bryn and Gray play imagination on the beach.

Girls sewing

2010-03-15T20:54:00.001-07:00

Bryn and Devyn and their reversible skirts they made at Modernspool.

2010-03-08T14:36:00.000-08:00

Tom and Janell got married this weekend. They were so relaxed and looked like they were having so much fun as they greeted their 400+ GUESTS!!! It was a wonderful weekend full of family and friends.

So tough

2010-02-12T08:38:00.001-08:00

Loving my new hair cut by Tiffany at Bliss Salon. Feeling like a bad ass here.

Treats

2010-02-11T16:18:00.001-08:00

At that moment in time they had only one thing on their minds. Bryn picked a vanilla cupcake and Zoe a surprising vegan brownie. They got to have some much needed girl time.

Speaking of girl time we are looking forward to Alice in Wonderland.

Mad Men 2

2010-01-31T18:44:00.001-08:00

A new twist on some old time favorites. Not pictured are the clam cuddles, marinated mushrooms, yummy blue cheese veggies and chocolate trifle.

Traditional shrimp cocktail.

Fennel Salami Rolls with Boursin

Macrona Crusted Cheese Ball

Mad Men

2010-01-31T18:42:00.001-08:00

The Friends

New boots

2010-01-30T14:28:00.001-08:00

These boots fit both my scifi and Halloween desires. So many future projects in store. And did I mention $4.99?

Location:SE Division St,Portland,United States

Butter

2010-01-24T11:49:00.001-08:00

Hunter's science experiment this week. Turned 2 cups of heavy cream into butter...

and 3/4 cup buttermilk.

Hunter decided to make Buttermilk Cheese Biscuits with the remaining butter and buttermilk yesterday.

They were delicious.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, chilled
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
3/4 cup buttermilk (I use powdered buttermilk and water, which can be found in the baking aisle at the grocery store)
2 tablespoons buttermilk

Directions

1
At least 30 minutes or up to 2 1/2 hours before serving: in a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2
With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3
Stir in cheese and buttermilk just until dry ingredients are moistened.
4
Place on a lightly floured surface.
5
Gently knead ten to twelve times.
6
Roll or pat to 1/2-inch thickness.
7
Cut with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter dipped in flour.
8
Place biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet.
9
If making ahead, cover and refrigerate up to 2 hours.
10
About 25 minutes before serving: Preheat oven to 425-degrees for 10 minutes.
11
Bake biscuits for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.

Sledding

2010-01-16T15:25:00.001-08:00

A fun day on Mt. Hood. Gray was so grown-up and a solo sledder for the first time.

The mind

2010-01-16T08:54:00.001-08:00

"My mind never lies to me."
- Grayson Stephens

Miz Mooz

2010-01-14T09:28:00.001-08:00

Olympic Provisions and my new boots.

Sentences

2010-01-12T15:28:00.000-08:00

It's been a discouraging year for Bryn (and mom) and her homework. I'm not a fan of homework for elementary students and then to have homework that doesn't correlate to what you're learning in class is infuriating. Not quite over it yet. I do encourage daily reading and studying spelling words (spellings tests also get me going - better not to ask). Bryn who I would describe as an always creating artist refuses to decorate her weekly homework. You're suppose to make it look nice and make a creative border. A definite sign that Bryn is not engaged. I dread her homework each week but my favorite is the sentence writing section. The assignment is to pick 5 spelling words and write a sentence for each of them. Bryn's personal goal each week is to come up with one sentence with 5 of her spellings words. Therefore, she only has to write one sentence. She can't always do it, but she's never had to write more than 3 sentences. Technicalities.

I stood on the ridge of a large cliff with a kitten. (3)

I saw a large clock in my pocket. (3)

My father invented the other English alphabet in a flash. (5)

The squeaky water balloon went splash. (3)

I wore sunglasses while doing homework and throwing a football. (4)

Are people simple and little? (3)

A pilot ate lemon with a camel. (3)

A mouse and it's shadow ate up all the peaches and cheese. (4)

A series of sentences:

I broiled thousands of giant gumdrops.

I made a choice to stop broiling the giant gumdrops.

I am proud I stopped broiling the giant gumdrops.

Shiloh

2010-01-07T19:11:00.001-08:00

Now I understand why people create blogs showcasing their favorite furry friend. So darn cute to photograph. Shiloh is definitely hard to take a picture of with all her black hair. You can't even see her eyes. We'll have to do an outdoor photo shoot soon.

-- Post From My iPhone

Nagel

2010-01-05T19:28:00.001-08:00

the beginning: in sean's early art collecting days he invested in two patrick nagel prints. many years later his parents secretly sent them to portland for the perfect unveiling in sean's new office. so maybe nagel prints aren't exactly what sean expected them to be worth, but his newest art piece is definitely a timeless classic.

Thanks to the Mori/Kassell production team. It made a wonderful Christmas surprise for Sean.

Post From My iPhone

Happy New Years

2010-01-05T08:26:00.001-08:00

I think I'm off to the best and worst New Year's ever. Which I'm hoping is a good sign.

-- Post From My iPhone

Hunter's handmade quilt

2010-01-04T22:22:00.001-08:00

Grammy snuggled up by the fire with her new quilt made by Hunter.
-- Post From My iPhone

Shilo

2010-01-03T23:07:00.001-08:00

Welcome sweet Shilo. We think you're pretty lucky that Bryn didn't name you snowflake, cottoncandy or cheesecake.

-- Post From My iPhone

Engagement

2009-12-27T23:13:00.001-08:00

The engagement ring my brother Tom designed and crafted for his future bride Janel.

Christmas Eve

2009-12-26T17:25:00.001-08:00

3 secret Santa drop offs
1 found pickle
1 engagement
Lots of Legos
10 Christmas sweater contestants
1 sweater winner (mom)
2 tablecloths used in the sweater contest
3 very tired children

Car Time

2009-12-22T09:27:00.000-08:00

Starting in October to better survive carting kids to and fro we started listening to children's books on CD. So far we've enjoyed all of them.

A Wrinkle in Time

A classic that I had never read before.

Mr. Popper's Penguins

Originally written in 1938. Fun.

Eddie Dickens Trilogy

I tuned out for most of these books but the kids loved them. Read by the author who inserts side comments about the book. Interesting.

The Miraculous Journy of Edward Tulane

Listened to the entire book in one day. It was a very long day. A very heart warming story. Perfect for the holidays.

Clementine's Letter

Kaiten sushi

2009-12-17T18:12:00.001-08:00

Sean and Bryn are on a daddy daughter date tonight. They are cheering for the Trail Blazers. Bryn told me today that she's more into team spirit then the actual game.

So, I decided to take the boys on a mommy date to kaiten sushi. Good thing we hit the happy hour special for $1.50 a plate. I think Hunter ate twice as much as me. What happens when he's an actual teenager?

-- Post From My iPhone

2009-12-14T20:45:00.001-08:00

Grayson quotes from today.

"It's tooooo fuzzy"

"I love cheat sheets, you can cheat off of them."

"Hurry and take the photo Uncle Tommy this sweaters itchy."

2009-12-10T18:48:00.001-08:00

Dr. Who made an appearance on Halloween.

So did his international assistant.

Happy Birthday

2009-12-08T21:20:00.000-08:00

I was going through our photos today putting together my annual year in review photo book for the fam. I can't believe I never posted this picture from Sean's 40th birthday with family on Mt. Hood. I'm only 6 months behind.

2009-12-07T22:38:00.001-08:00

A mother's eternal struggle with her sons. Their hair. I'm pretty easy going about hair but I'm ready to see those big brown eyes again.

Conversation with Gray while he was sitting on my lap:

Gray: I'll be careful mommy. I don't want to hurt the baby in your tummy.

Mom: gray, mommy doesn't have a baby in her tummy. Would you like to have a little brother or sister?

Gray: yes. I don't want to be the youngest anymore.

The nines

2009-11-20T21:00:00.000-08:00

-- Post From My iPhone

The Diagram

2009-11-03T15:22:00.000-08:00

Anyone else feel they need to make a spreadsheet to track their Flu and H1N1 vaccines this year?

Almost time

2009-10-30T17:59:00.001-07:00

Less than 24 hours till the big day. The fun has already started.

-- Post From My iPhone

Kindergarten

2009-10-19T16:45:00.000-07:00

I have this huge struggle every school picture season. To buy or not to buy. In my elementary days it was always the D package for us, which meant the end of the line for me. As an adult every time I see that Lifetouch envelope in backpacks all those end of the line feelings come back. Let me preference by saying that I was a pretty competitive elementary school student and I never liked being at the end of any line.

Our family takes lots and lots and lots of photos. There is no need for cheap school pictures in our lives. I always get the class picture but as for the individuals sometimes I get a few just to make my elementary school self feel better.

I also don't believe in school picture retakes. 2 years ago picture day was on the first day of preschool at 8:15am for Grayson. Sooooo many tears and the picture was the saddest sweetest picture ever. What they didn't tell me was that for every holiday gift the kids made they were going to attach the student's school picture right in the middle. I have about 6 handmade Grayson gifts with that sad little face looking at me seeming to say, "Why mom why?"

We just got Grayson's school picture today. It makes me smile every time. I wonder if 20 years from now some schoolmates girlfriend will be checking out his picture books and wonder what ever happened to that kid?

Snake Hunt

2009-08-29T17:44:00.001-07:00

-- Post From My iPhone

The Oregon Trail

2009-08-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

We hit the Oregon Trail.

Well not quite Oregon Trail but on the way. Bottle Up.

Reenactment of pioneer Mr. Boatman.

Pioneer Schooner.

Sumpter. First it was Sumter without the P.
Working Ghost Town.

Our gold.

Road Trip

2009-08-27T11:21:00.000-07:00

The Sunseeker

Path to Wallowa Lake

Trout Fishing

Daryl

Joys of the first fish.

2009-08-26T15:19:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted one photograph from our Oregon RV trip yet. Starting to feel guilty. I think I'm still processing the epic event.

920 miles
10 nights in the rv
4 oregon state parks
1 trailer park
1 private rv park
3 bald eagles
2 crappie fish
1 deer named daryl
countless bike rides
countless gold mining flakes

Make a Wish

2009-08-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

They just grow bigger in Eastern Oregon.

It took all three. Hope they got their wishes.

Opossum

2009-08-24T11:49:00.000-07:00

Sean thought he heard water dripping in the garage. After closer inspection he discovered a sweet little opossum trapped in a storage bin that had no lid. Must have fallen in and couldn't climb back out. There is a video tape of the rescue but it was a very mild mannered rescue. No "When Animals Attack" footage. We talk of the opossum often and hope family was nearby.

Another Great Dinner

2009-08-24T11:45:00.001-07:00

Little M blends in perfectly with this gang.

Plate & Pitchfork

2009-08-23T21:30:00.000-07:00

Beautiful night among the apples trees with Liz and Eric at Plate & Pitchfork.

Ford Farms on Sauvie Island... Crowley Wines... Chef Lane from clarklewis... Chef Lockett from Bluehour... produce from Foodworks, a Janus Youth Program...

3 little gifts

2009-07-30T09:37:00.000-07:00

The gift of friendship.

The gift of wisdom for her years.

The gift of softening his mother's heart.

Cockroach

2009-07-29T19:19:00.000-07:00

Sure... I'll hold the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach for you.

Cool.... I'm holding a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach.

Help... Not sure I wanted to hold it for 20 minutes.

Eat Me

2009-07-28T19:22:00.000-07:00

California Carnivores in Sebastapol was a success.

Low and behold venus fly traps are rather hardy and don't mind freezing weather. Bryn has $20 burning a hole in her pocket and a venus fly trap is on the top of the list right now.

Watch out Grandma............

Pitcher plants were very beautiful and very prehistoric.

A must in every alien movie.

Sundews were my favorite. Looks like the morning dew on every tentacle (or stem?).

Butterwort are nature's fly paper? Reminded us of aloe plants.

Beached Out

2009-07-26T10:16:00.000-07:00

Two months ago I wouldn't have thought it possible to say.... but we are almost beached out. Rapids, kayak, swimming, sand, rocks, mudmucking, algae throwing, kayak tipping, squirt gun shooting, glass hunting and sunbathing. Bryn didn't even come down to the water today. We had a mandatory all family 45 minutes siesta after some tears of exhaustions. The kids are sad that their cousins are leaving tomorrow. Here are few non-swimming activities we've come up with for the next few days.

Sonoma County Fair - Starts Tuesday

California Carnivores - Largest Carnivorous Plant Store in the US

Charles Schulz Museum - Peanuts!!!

Safari West - Africian Safari in Wine County. not sure about this one. who knew.

Hit The Road

2009-07-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

I am so proud to be a native Oregonian. However, there are certain things in my 34 years that I have not yet done. One of those is Crater Lake. I know... I know... I can't believe it either. So this year as we were preparing to make our annual trip down to the Russian River Valley I decided to make a pit stop at Crater Lake. After just one view stop I was swooning of the bright blue lake and crystal clear skies. The kids laughed at the summer weather with patches of snow all around them.

Everyone was pretty hungry at this point so we scurried to the lodge for lunch where we waited 1/2 hour to sit and 1/2 for our food. Famished we quickly ate except for Grayson who was so tired he couldn't eat or drink anything and fell asleep before anyone else made it to the car. Had we not waited so long for lunch we might have made it down to Russian River a little earlier. One of my other reasons for traveling down to Crater Lake was to take a different route down south and see some new scenery. We pressed on to the southern Oregon town of Klamath Falls and travelled about 30 minutes south to the California border. However, when we made it to the border the fruit inspector told us they were closing the road 11 miles south due to a wildfire. We traveled back up Hwy-97 to Klamath Falls and found a hotel with a refreshing swimming pool. We met a family that was headed north to Lincoln City and they were one of the last to make it thru. They said that they could feel the heat of fire in their car. No surprise that Hwy-97 was still closed the next day so we made the trek from Klamath Falls to Medford. Travelling back up into Oregon territory.

On the road to Medford to reach I-5 I was concerned that my air conditioning wasn't really working. Had we had made it to Weed the night before and left early in the morning it wouldn't have really been that big of deal travelling through Redding where it can reach 108 degrees in the middle of the day. Unfortunately, travel time put us in Redding around 1pm. We stopped in Medford where they told me I had a leak in my air conditioning hose and it would be $500 and ready the next day. WHAT? "Kids get in the car I made it for years without air conditioning and so can you". We stopped at Fred Meyers picked up an ice chest, a bag of ice, cups and washcloths. $25 later we hit the road. There was not a drop of ice left as we pulled up to the cabin. One of the best parts is that we lowered the windows a little to keep a breeze going and there was so much noise that we barely heard the kids arguing. Actually, they did pretty good given they couldn't listen to their audiobook of the Secret Garden because of the noise. It took 2 days which is normally a 10-hour drive but we did it! Off to enjoy beach and sunshine.

Poor Gray

2009-07-11T11:59:00.000-07:00

Grayson had a rough week. All 3 kids attended a Japanese Immersion summer camp and it was Grayson's first experience with a school type setting that is 6 hours long. I know he'll become a pro here in a few months after school starts but this week was kindof rough for him.

The sometimes inconsiderate mother that I am really didn't think about it until Tuesday afternoon when Grayson had been at all day camp, straight to swim lessons and then tennis lessons immediately following. By the time tennis lessons started around 4:45pm he was soooo done. It was a crazy mixed up day.

So, by Thursday evening when we went to Sauvie's Island he was a little bit of a wreck. After a short run in with a wire fence he was pretty much done for the day.

He did perk up a little for a little berry picking, some berry eating and a lot of berry throwing.

FARM

2009-07-11T11:45:00.001-07:00

It's that time of year again in Oregon when then smell of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, marionberries, boysenberries and blackberries lure us into the fields for picking season. After swimming lessons one evening we took to the Sauvie Island fields with our 6 adults and 11 kids. Quite the production we were.

Summer Nights

2009-06-16T15:51:00.000-07:00

new/old summer finds.....
phoenix.
johnathan richman.
andrew bird.
dan deacon.
emiliana torrini.

2009 summer playlist is done.
great dj. the ting tings

waking in vegas. katy perry

i gotta feeling. black eyed peas

bad things. jace everett

jungle drum. emiliana torrini

lisztomania. phoenix.

kind of a girl. tinted windows

hello. tristan prettyman

kids. mgmt

electric feel. mgmt

summernights. rascal flatts

that summer feeling. johnathan richman

egyptian reggae. johnathan richman

still listening to 2007 and andrea's 2008.

2009-06-15T19:18:00.001-07:00

Summer reading is here again (saying that with a little skip). I read some pretty dark books this winter like Cormac McCarthy's The Road and I'm in need of a fun summer surprise.

I'm a little nervous about topping last summer. First of all there was the entire Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer . You couldn't ask for more entertaining poolside books. The best was when there were 4 moms and a few teenagers sitting around Grant pool last August all with hardcover Breaking Dawn in their laps. I also enjoyed Stephanie Meyer's adult book Host with her creative stories about life on other planets through the eyes of the Host.

Early last summer I also read the fantasy world of Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle series.

Ohhh... then there was Scott Westerfield's Uglies sci-fi series where everyone gets turned into supermodel pretty at the age of 16 and how it begins to fall apart. You really can't put it down. So good there are spin offs. A whole new language waiting to be discovered.

To top off the summer of young adult fiction there was Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The second of 3 comes out this September and I almost wished I hadn't discovered the series until they were finished. How she can take such graphic themes and spin them for young adults was/is mind boggling. Looking forward to reading the books again in a few years with Bryn and Hunter.

After last summer I almost needed young adult fiction therapy. The staff at our local children's bookstore knows me by name now.

Desperately, trying to find my groove this summer. Trying out Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. How boring is this cover? I love creative covers and knowing that the publisher, author, editor and all considered the creativity of a book is important to me. Boring.

Did not like Sarah Water's A Little Stranger. The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls tops my summer list. Looking for a few good summer suggestions.

2009-06-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

Off we trekked to Silver Creek Falls today. Blanket, chairs, swimsuits, games, juice boxes, grandmas and aunties. Check out Hunter's perfect form in the background.

Koosh ball was an instant favorite.

Cousin Elizabeth.

Hunter took this photo of Aidan and I thought it looked like a photo you'd see in a family photo album from the 70s. No doctoring here. Love it.

2009-06-15T18:44:00.000-07:00

More Macleay trail pictures by Sarah and Bryn.

More Macleay trail pictures by Sarah and Bryn.

2009-06-15T18:29:00.000-07:00

Kung Fu hiking on Macleay trail in Forest Park.

2009-06-07T22:26:00.000-07:00

PGE Park's concession stands. The message is so direct.

What baseball is really about. The food. The American Heart Association was there today and it was also Kids Eat Free Sunday which was a hot dog meal. Of course the kids ate them. I'm just saying......

Parade of Little Leaguers around the field before the game started. They had their princess waves down.

2009-06-04T18:26:00.000-07:00

To my surprise I found myself jumping up from my lawn chair to take a picture of the trombones of this middle school marching band. Trombones before the flutes? Has it ever been done before?

To my surprise I was jumping out of my seat again when I heard the sounds of the fluttery flutes behind the percussion of this middle school band. I'm not in touch with the trends and fads of marching bands (especially since I don't know why they still make them wear polyester band uniforms) but I'm impressed with the creativity. It was a sweet treat added to a very hot and sticky day.

2009-06-04T17:59:00.000-07:00

A 102-year old tradition was upheld on Wednesday.

This year they made us smile.

They made us oooh and ahhh....

They made us proud that our children participated.

For a hesitant parade going mommy they sold me again. I'll be back at the Junior Rose Festival Parade with lawn chair and water spray bottle in hand next year.

2009-06-03T16:38:00.000-07:00

Game ball!!!! For a kid who has never been interested in baseball or hit an actual baseball before April this year he's done great. Saturday he hit a double and made a run which helped his team win by 1 point. Wondering if he'll play again next year now that he's got the itch. Not sure if mom can handle 3 kids in baseball at one time. I'm exhausted.

2009-06-03T16:32:00.000-07:00

Hiking Horsetail Falls with family.

2009-05-26T13:00:00.000-07:00

these boys were not going to get away from us while waiting for the ferry.

teamwork

too much fun with one little sharpie.

announcements... anouncments... anooouuuuncements.

2009-05-14T08:32:00.000-07:00

we were the special guests of auntie lulu last weekend for a special mother's day victorian tea at her church.

i am and always will be a farm girl and it was delightful dressing up as 2 country girls. our simple outfits were nothing compared to the jaw dropping dresses some ladies wore. there was a victorian and edwardian fashion show showcasing women who had made their own dresses or started collecting pieces for their dresses decades ago. made me realize that every girl needs a victorian dress in her closet. you never know.

homemade coconut macaroons, cucumber dill sandwiches, and lemon drop candies for our tea. the woman on the left behind bryn just had her 100th birthday and didn't look a day over 75.

bryn on the way home..... "lu that was more fun than i thought it was going to be."

2009-05-13T08:32:00.000-07:00

Hunter's 4th grade class studied Oregon this past year. It's also been Hunter's dream for the past 4 years to travel in an RV. In 3 months we're packing it all up and taking a 10-day trip around Oregon. As an Oregonian there are places I haven't visited yet. I think I'm more excited than the kids. We've been trying to figure out how to document the trip and thanks to my friend Alison A. we are all set.

At the Oregon 150 Challenge they have hundreds of places to see and visit this summer. I can't believe how many adventures I've never heard of right in the Willamette Valley. We are signed up and ready to hit the road.

Did I mention I'm REALLY exited?

2009-05-10T01:32:00.000-07:00

Look mom! We can have sooo much fun when Mark doesn't shave.

beard - mark

fingers - noah and sean

editor - sarah

2009-05-08T23:10:00.000-07:00

what a day.....

muffins for moms at preschool (not muffin top moms)

bryn's class play

library duty (read my favorite kid's book june 29, 1999 by david wiesner)

2 sets of dinner voila meals delievered

sean's lasik eye surgery

max and zoe over for a sleep over

alameda brewhouse for dinner

baskin robbins to follow (of course)

visit from grammy

what we thought was the world's longest hopscotch with 105 squares (10,001 world record)

short circuit for friday night movie

4 sleepy children off to bed without a peep

a great day.

Art Show

2009-05-06T21:33:00.000-07:00

Bryn and Hunter participated in the 18 and under art show at 100th Monkey Studio. All mediums were welcome and both Bryn and Hunter chose sculpture art.

Title: In memory of Reggie the snake.

Bryn is 7 years old. In addition, to to art she likes trying to find her pet snake Reggie.

Artist Statement: I like art because you actually have something fun to do, and you realize how pretty nature is.

Title: Zombie Beaver

At 10 years old Hunter enjoys playing video games.

Artist Statement: For Hunter, art is about having something fun to do, and you get to keep it forever.

skater boy

2009-04-29T19:27:00.000-07:00

Hunter asked me this afternoon what his hair would look like straight.

Mom's straightening iron and 20 minutes later.

Boys Day

2009-04-20T15:36:00.000-07:00

What do fathers and sons do on boy's day out?

They hike and catch gartner snakes of course.

Reggie "the snake" is our newest family member. However, after school it was discovered that Reggie is not in his cage. I'm waiting for Sean to get home to take care of the situation.

Gray... A week in review

2009-04-13T00:07:00.000-07:00

I think Gray fell in love this week. He's usually completely wrapped up in an imagination game and often needs to be told to look up and say hi, goodbye, thank you and the other niceties. The other day we met a young woman staying at Aunty Lulu's house and Grayson would not stop staring at her. Staring and staring and staring and uttering a barely audible hello. If we were in a cartoon he would have had hearts coming out of his eyes. After we left Aunty Lulu's house.....

Gray: Mom, I couldn't stop staring at her.

Mom: Did you think she was beautiful?

Gray: NOOOOOOO!!!!!

Gray: I just wanted her to be my friend.

Conversation in the dentist's waiting room between Gray and a random dad.

Gray: When I grow up I'm going to be a spy.

Random Dad: That's cool.

Gray: I'm going to get the bad guys and kick them in the nuts.

Random Dad: Laughing

Random Dad: My sister-in-law is a US Marshall and they try not to use harmful force when finding bad guys.

Gray: Thinking

Gray: I'm still going to use extreme force.

Mom (Sarah): Gray would you like me to read you a story?

Conversation at Aunty Lulu's House

Gray: Aunty Lulu can we look at the bleeding hearts?

Lulu: They aren't in bloom yet.

Gray: Yes they are.

Trip to garden to inspect. Aunty Lulu is holding a blooming bleeding heart flower in her hand.

Gray: Why do their hearts bleed?

Happy Easter

2009-04-13T00:01:00.001-07:00

"Sure. I'll put my hand in the hole for candy."

"That Easter Bunny sure knows how to hide his eggs."

"I did it!"

ZooZoo

2009-04-11T09:26:00.001-07:00

Many times in the past I've purchased stuff at one of the kid's school auctions and then never used it. Within one week of Gray's preschool auction I've successfully used 3 items. A beautiful necklace and earrings, Pokemon stuffed animals in the Easter baskets and 2 tickets to see Imago Theater's new ZooZoo. Waiting to be used are a laptop lunch box for Bryn (b-day gift), cute baby girl outfit (gift for friend) and an overnight and dinner at a downtown Portland Hotel and restaurant.

Sean and Gray used the ZooZoo tickets last night and it was reported that Gray giggled through the entire performance. Apparently, Imago Theater has combined the best of Frogz and BigLittleThings for ZooZoo. The kids give all 3 performances a big thumbs up.

Too Many

2009-04-10T15:48:00.000-07:00

Bryn has a coat problem. One, she has too many sweatshirts and coats. Two, she leaves them everywhere. School, baseball practice, grandmas, restaurants. You name it. I check the school lost and found weekly for coats that I don't even know are missing. Some coats are hand-me-downs, gifts, or a great find I couldn't resist. Now I understand my mother's one coat a winter rule. I'm thinking there will be a similar rule for us next year.

Picture Day

2009-04-05T21:19:00.000-07:00

What team pictures should really look like.......

Cessco Tball Team

Papa Murphy Pirates

Detroit Lake Marina Coyotes

Take Me Out To The Ballgame....

2009-04-01T10:39:00.000-07:00

Baseball season has begun.

2009-04-01T10:17:00.000-07:00

sand.... rain.... sun...

wind... sleet... hail...

smiles... fun... friends...