iderdider....

mister smooth.

2012-02-12T19:39:00.000-08:00

We took Everett to the monster truck show yesterday. He was in awe. Tonight when I was tucking him in I asked him if he was going to dream about monster trucks.
His response: No.
Me: are you going to dream about motorcycles?
Him: No
Me: jeeps?
He (whispers): I'm going to dream about you, mom.

funny valentines.

2012-02-08T15:40:00.001-08:00

Just because I love this girl and I love this hat and I love that we get to use it one more time:

We made pinterest inspired Valentines this week. Easy peasy photos of the kids holding a big stick in front of the chalkboard that I thought was cute here. Then we fancified it up with homemade glitter crayons. And, while you might call glitter the chlamydia of the craft world, my kids claim that these are the coolest things around.

Sickies

2012-02-01T22:24:00.001-08:00

Mister has a fever. I always get nervous when he gets sick.

Thankfully his big sis is not only a kindergartener but is also a doctor. Her medical notes: heart (beating), TH (temperature high), G (good).

extremely loud and incredibly close.

2012-01-30T13:20:00.000-08:00

The kids attempted a friday night sleepover. Which started with, "I love Evie. I wish he could be my husband someday." And ended with, "Mom, Evie just licked me."

Here's hoping that your weekend involved minimal licking.

how to win friends & influence (little) people.

2012-01-24T15:23:00.000-08:00

We eat a lot of eggs around here. Like four mornings per weekday we eat eggs: scrambled, fried, casserole-d, you get the idea. So, one day per week I try and do something fun for breakfast. A couple of ideas:
Coconut-banana fudgsicles*:
They thought I was the greatest mom on earth this particular morning. You're welcome, turkeys.
Blend together & then freeze overnight in popsicle molds:

2 T cocoa powder

1/2 cup canned coconut milk

2 small, very-ripe bananas

scant 1/16 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

A little raw honey

Tasty Breakfast cookies:

We made these with coconut oil and chocolate chips. Even my Clairegirl declared them awesome! High praise indeed.

*Found on pinterest, but unable to locate the original source.

traditions: the friday night sleepover.

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

A wise friend suggested friday night sleepovers for the big kids and they have been a hit. They love to sleep in each other's rooms. They look forward to it all week. It's adorable to see them become friends and to watch Mister become a big brother. Recently, I asked if he liked being a big brother and he said, "Ingrid is special to me, Mom."

Unrelated: do you know how hard it is to get a decent photo with all 3 kids in it? Nearly impossible. Someone is always crying, someone is making a pooping face and someone is intentionally hiding behind his baby sister. Back when I had one baby, I took great pictures. Just saying.

a text while the rain comes tumbling down.

2012-01-21T09:00:00.000-08:00

Me: Why do we live here?

Him: Here as in our house or Oregon?

Me: Oregon.

Him: Because I had to find you. We can go now.

friday flaxjacks.

2012-01-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

Maybe you eat all manner of fluffy baked goods. Or maybe you're gluten free. Maybe a year ago, your husband decided to eliminate starches. Because I love him, I've developed some new cooking habits. (Example: I used to make him banana bread for a treat, now I make him these). In our house, these pancakes are a friday treat that everyone loves.

Combine:
2 c flaxmeal (found in the refrigerated section)
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t salt

Add:
1 T melted coconut oil
5 eggs, beaten
1/2 c half & half or coconut milk

Flaxjacks cook lower and slower than traditional pancakes, so we usually do two pans at a time and put lids over each 'cake.

Yum.

he.

2012-01-17T14:42:00.000-08:00

Loves helping with dishes. Loves salad. Loves to "shake the dressing." Loves listening to the song "Pumped up Kicks" way too much. Loves snuggies.

He sat quietly in the library today with hands folded and listened to all of the stories. A year ago, I would leave the library near tears, near cursing as he would sprint out of the children's room, unlocking the safety gate. I would waddle after him, unable to catch up or lift him. My life felt hard and small.

He still lets me rock him. This is not a small thing. During those months that I couldn't hold him I felt like I was missing it. Like he wouldn't be a baby by the time life felt normal again. But at 3, he is a treasure. And I feel like those months destroyed by locusts and uncomfortable pregnancy have been given back to me.

a birthday adventure.

2012-01-16T20:20:00.000-08:00

This was not the year for travel without kids. Saturday I turned 35 and Nate and I took the kids north. Originally we had planned a weekend away. But as we planned we realized that we couldn't see these particular people without taking our family. I'm so glad we did.
We saw old friends.And new ones.

There was snow and there were snowmen and we got stuck and unstuck in our minivan. There was coffee and dads taking kids for playdates and best of all- my dear friend and "birthday advocate" who made sure that I was celebrated sufficiently.

We love you all.

you can lead a horse to water but you can't make her dance.

2012-01-11T19:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I thought I'd go rogue and abandon rest time and keep an extra little boy. Ingrid had napped late in the morning and we had ballet at 3, so the playdate seemed reasonable. As we loaded up to take the friend home, I realized that not only was my extra carseat not installed, but we had taken the actual seat out as well. So, first I installed my 5 year old, my friend's 3 year old and my cranky baby into the van. Then I lugged the seat and carseat to the driveway and attempted to install both, while Mister ran wild (no idea why I chose to leave HIM unstrapped). The backseat buddies made various helpful suggestions. You should put the carseat in, Mom. I smacked myself in the face with the seat. I refrained from swearing. I called Nate and he talked me through seat installation. Done. We were on the road.

We drove the friend home and then headed to ballet. This was a new class for the girlie and kind of a big deal. It is smack in the middle of naptime, but she has a friend in the class and she really really wanted to try it out. So we went. Her very tired brother was a champ, watching patiently from the hall. Ingrid charmed the other parents as we waited. As we're heading home, I asked Claire what she thought of the class. Her response: I think I want to go back to doing nothing.

Looks like next week we'll skip ballet and go back to doing nothing.

Gratitude E. Book

2012-01-07T21:00:00.000-08:00

How was I to know that this was the last picture I'd take of her before her front tooth fell out (into a muffin)???

I know it looks like it says, "Gratitud ebook," but Claire is 5, let's all give her a little slack. In the spirit of 1000 gifts, I'm getting them writing. We spent the afternoon decorating Gratitude Books, to be filled a bit at a time. I love to hear their lists...

...stickers
...it's not raining
...riding my bike at the park

And the boy:
...forklifts
...buses
...the shop

And this weary mama:

....drops of rain on the window like lace
...when he dresses himself (completely backward)*
...really seeing the person you've married

And now it's your turn. Maybe a friend gave you a journal last fall and it's piled under books and papers and magazines. Pull it out and fill it up. Maybe you don't have a blank journal. Head to the dollar store and pick up your own Gratitud E Book and see what writing these little gifts of grace might do in your own weary heart. Let's do this thing. 3 gifts a day up to a 1000.

Edited to add: The HE who dresses himself completely backward is the 3 year old in our house, not Nate. In case you were confused.

a new year. a new day.

2012-01-06T13:09:00.000-08:00

I mentioned that I'm not a huge resolution person, but I did make a few goals. One of them (hilariously) was to try and be in bed by 9:30. My kids go to bed at 7 so in theory that should give me a couple of hours each night to do whatever adult-like thing I need to do. Life is better around here if I get enough sleep. So, working with that goal in mind seemed simple enough. I even reasoned that once my "sleep tank" was filled up, I could add another goal in a month or so.

AND THEN... My very easy baby who has slept 12-13 hours a night since she was weeks old, developed a fever and decided night nursing was her THING. We have had a week where she wants nothing but to be glued to my chest. And my goal of going to bed at 9:30 hasn't felt practical when my baby is screaming in the next room.
I took this photo of her in the mirror and am struck that not that long ago, I was taking pictures of my big pregnant self in that same mirror. It makes a week of interrupted sleep feel more like an inconvenience instead of a crisis.

diy paint-booth.

2012-01-04T13:30:00.001-08:00

I'm not a big resolution person, but after spending some time thinking about what I'd like to accomplish this year, I realized that the hours between the end of rest time and dinner have gotten brutal. I'm committing to planning simple things to do with my kids during those hours so that we can ween ourselves from our Cat in the Hat addiction and maybe have some fun. I'll share some of our afternoons here.

Yesterday, we used little cars as paintbrushes. I like this kind of craft because we have all of the supplies on hand (we used Matchbox cars as potty training treats for a certain little boy who took MUCH longer than 3 days to train). This girl would rather finger paint than almost any other activity, so this was a win. Success. What do you do during the afternoon slump? We're looking at another five months of soggy weather and I'm not that excited about daily puddle jumping (as much as the kids would love it).

this i know.

2011-12-30T14:16:00.001-08:00

Here's the thing about my boy. He still lets me rock him before rest time each day. If I sing Jesus Loves Me he lasts a few seconds before climbing the ladder up to his bed. If I make up songs about poop, or songs about his stinky feet, he will stay there all day. So, I abandon Jesus Loves Me and he laughs and scrunches his eyes up and kisses me. I love having a boy.

do everything better???

2011-12-28T20:42:00.001-08:00

Am I the only one that sometimes forgets to feed her baby?

I read this great quote a while back. Here it is:
“I’m a list keeper. I always have a to-do list…At one point I kept adding to the list, more and more items, more and more sweeping in their scope, until I added this line: DO EVERYTHING BETTER. It was, at the time, a pretty appropriate way to capture how I felt about my life and myself fairly often…why my life sometimes felt like I was running on a hamster wheel and why I searched the faces of calmer, more grounded women for a secret they all knew that I didn’t. This is how I got to that fragmented, brittle, lonely place: DO EVERYTHING BETTER...The grandest seduction of all is the myth that DOING EVERYTHING BETTER gets us where we want to be. It gets us somewhere, certainly, but not anywhere worth being.”
― Shauna Niequist, Bittersweet

I return to this little neglected space, shaking off the feeling that I should be better at blogging consistently, that I should do more crafts (that was for you, bff), that I should exercise before the sun rises, that I should have a PLAN, a 401K and equity (that was for you, Scoobs).

The truth is, this December I played with my kids. I baked brownies and the best flourless chocolate cake imaginable, I read a ton of Junie B. Jones with Claire, I went to the park every Thursday afternoon with a dear friend, I wrapped gifts and did an advent calendar and exercised with moderate regularity and made giant huge batches of playdoh that smells like peppermint. It has been a good month. DO EVERYTHING BETTER is a lie. We have to choose. I choose to return to this space because I like to write, even if no one is reading.

all over town.

2011-12-20T21:58:00.000-08:00

We are no longer the family with a school bus. It was fun while it lasted. And making fun of Nate for buying it was a fun perk too. The school bus is on its way to the bay area to enjoy a new life with a very excited and nervous young man. The kids asked me why we were selling it. I said, as I always tell them, that it was time. That we'd enjoyed the bus and that now it was time for a new adventure. I also mentioned that maybe next we'll get a submarine. Their eyes lit up. "Really? What's a submarine?"
I love that we live a life full of possibility and adventure. Even if I am usually the one who frowns on strange purchases like short buses. Thanks, Nater for not being ordinary. I love you.

better now.

2011-12-15T19:55:00.001-08:00

The new church has lollipops. Sunday was rough, but a little sweetness seemed to help.

Stellar Parenting Notes; When moving your kids ages 3 and 5 to a new church, perhaps don't expect them to be excited about singing Christmas carols on stage. Also, make sure they know where you are sitting in the audience.

grace in la hacienda.

2011-12-10T22:25:00.000-08:00

The other night we ventured to a Mexican restaurant. You know the kind of place- not exactly a date spot, but perfect for families like ours. Plenty of chips and salsa and menus that come with crayons for the kids. They seated us in the back corner. The man in the next booth smiled as he watched us settle in. "We were hoping you would sit next to us," he said, with sincerity.

"Yeah right," I smiled back.

We proceeded to fulfill every single cliche of a family with young kids. Water was spilled. Kids cried. Kids made up. Trips to the potty. Crayons were exchanged. Refried beans were flung. And I watched as this couple watched us. Their kids were grown, she said. And I could tell that she would trade places with me in a heartbeat, to have one more messy, chaotic family meal when her kids were small.

And I can't get the image of that couple out of my mind. We're deep in the season where the best thing I can imagine is an uninterrupted afternoon alone. On the days when I long for quiet, let me remember them.

that kenny rogers was right.

2011-11-30T20:44:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you need to know when to walk away and know when to run.

Tuesday, after prayer and clear confirmation, I quit my bible study and went to a Zumba class. In attendance: 2 elderly ladies, one of which was wearing a fur coat (WHAT???), a girl who not that long ago birthed a 10 1/2 pound baby and a pregnant lady with some fierce moves.

That hour was better for my soul than a week of bible study.

This obedience stuff is fun.

theology lesson.

2011-11-29T20:18:00.000-08:00

"Heaven must be pretty big. Because God is big and He wouldn't want to bump His head."
-Claire Elisabeth age 5 1/2

let's take a tiny break from my cute kids.

2011-11-28T21:34:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about simple crafty gifts. Here are some cool things you could do with mason jars:
This craft involves very little craftiness. I like it.

This one is also cool, but not exactly thrilling as a gift.

I would like someone else to do this and let me know how it turns out.

There's always also tiny pies, these cuties or mason jar lamps for the truly ambitious.

double date.

2011-11-27T19:48:00.001-08:00

Last Sunday night we ventured to Portland to watch Pinkalicious! The Musical. It was not surprising that Claire had a pinktastic time. It was the first time we had just the two "big kids" since Ingrid was born and it was a treat.
These two are secure enough in their manhood to sit contentedly in an auditorium full of fluffy pink tutus and giggling girls.

birthright.

2011-11-26T16:14:00.000-08:00

Today this girl is riding shotgun to Bend with the Dada. Their mission: to pick up a ratty volkswagen bus. He mentioned taking her shopping. Then he mentioned the Army Surplus Store. Then I mentioned the mall. I can't wait to hear about their day.

black friday.

2011-11-25T19:53:00.000-08:00

We saved the newspapers until after the meal. Then the cousins cozied up on the couch and made their plans. Claire finds a princess art set on sale at Toys R Us. She walks over, pats my hand and says, I'd like this, Mom. Just put it in your mind.

happy thanksgiving

2011-11-24T14:22:00.001-08:00

From our turkeys to yours.

the hunca files

2011-11-23T22:03:00.000-08:00

Ingrid LOOOOVES the bath. And I am crazy about this girl.

dear clairegirl,

2011-11-22T20:14:00.000-08:00

Today we went to the same small bookstore that I used to take you to as a baby. We bought chapter books, because girlie, you are a reader now. We read Charlotte's Web this afternoon and you pointed out all of the words on the page that you recognized. When Wilbur meets Charlotte, tears filled my eyes. Because I know what will happen and soon you'll know too.

Today you caught a salamander, named him Smally and put him in a jar. I said he could stay inside until Dad came home. You drew a picture of trees and taped it to the outside of the jar so that Smally could "see nature." You nervously touched his smooth skin when I opened the jar to free him. Five and a half is my new favorite age.

I love you, girlie.
Love,
Mama

poultry love.

2011-11-21T13:46:00.000-08:00

When I made this for dinner, Nate asked me if I had written this recipe down. Then he asked again to make sure that I really had the recipe saved somewhere. It was that good. We are big fans of chicken in this house.

boy oh boy

2011-11-20T13:26:00.000-08:00

I am first a girlmama. I am better at crafts than I am at wrestling. I love cozy spots and snuggies and pink. I learned how to be a mom with a girl. Taking walks with her each day and baking with her standing on chair so she could reach the mixer.

Then came Everett and my heart opened up to the crazy fun of a boy. I wrestle with him. I push him down, I laugh when he calls me Stinky.Yesterday, Nate came home and I showed him a bloodly lip (mine) caused by my son. Nate asked Everett if he had been wrestling with his mom. Ev's response, "No. Just being me."

the reveal.

2011-11-19T21:16:00.000-08:00

In case there was any doubt, baby A from yesterday's post is my current baby. Baby B is the baby who is not a baby at all, but is now 5 (AND A HALF!), is beginning to read, is obsessed with hello kitty and is missing two bottom teeth.

baby who?

2011-11-18T19:14:00.000-08:00

Let's play a little game. Guess which of these two babies is my current baby.

Exhibit a.
Or...exhibit b.

Any guesses???

brownie roundup

2011-11-17T12:42:00.001-08:00

Apparently, I bake a lot of brownies. If you have a baby, there is a high likelihood that I will be bringing you a batch of post partum brownies. Here's the rundown of the best and worst brownie recipes that I've tried:

Best Idea Ever- Brownies + Cheesecake. Yes, please.

Best Gluten Free- I got this recipe to make for a gluten-free friend. They are perfect. These are our favorite brownies.

Most Unusual-I made these a few years ago. The recipe was super-fussy, but worth it. Even my 80 year old neighbor liked them.

Only Good in Theory "Healthy" Brownie-Did I ever tell you about that one time I made brownies that had black beans in them? It wasn't pretty.

Horriblest "Healthy" Brownie-These are gluten-free but why would you want to eat these when you can eat the Goddess ones???

These will be going to baby Liam and his parents tomorrow because I didn't have all the right kind of chocolate for my usual ones. Everett didn't seem to mind.

eleven.

2011-11-16T13:16:00.000-08:00

In the six years that I have kept this blog, I have discovered that:

a) 11 posts is the perfect number per month for me
b) less than 11 posts is too few
c) more than 11 posts and I start to annoy myself
d) this posting everyday definitely falls under the category of "annoying myself"
Unrelated: my boy decided that his name is now Winky Mawunda. I have no idea where he came up with that one.

bookends.

2011-11-15T19:27:00.000-08:00

One is cutting teeth while the other is losing them.

One is sitting up alone while the other is taking off training wheels.

thanksgiving.

2011-11-14T19:21:00.000-08:00

Thankful trees are all over the place right now. Today we made ours:
Happy Birthday, Papa!
And, I'm guessing ours could be the only one that included gratitude for forklifts? Am I right?

rise.

2011-11-13T14:34:00.001-08:00

This summer we made a big move. It hurt to leave faces that we love. It hurt to have my kids say they wanted to go back and tell them that we couldn't. It hurt that people couldn't quite understand why it was time for us to go and it hurt to tell them that we didn't know where we were going. In obedience, we found ourselves moving to a new church after being at the same place for nearly ten years. If you're not a church person, maybe you can't relate to how this could be so painful. But we were invested in our church. We loved that place. It was home. It remains a place full of people that we love. The place where I met my husband. The place that let a guy with an anarchist hand tattoo be an elder and his broken wife serve. What a gift!

But the Lord's gentle whispers grew louder and louder and we simply had to obey. No matter the cost. And after that last hard Sunday there was sweet relief knowing we were going where He wanted, even if we didn't know where we would end up.

Still, months later, my kids ask to go back. Arms wrapped around each other at night we ask if this was real. Did we really have to go? And we walk into this new place each week feeling like we don't quite belong, yet we head out of that place each week rejoicing because the Lord is a gentleman and He confirms that He is in this (week after week, He confirms, He's that much of a gentleman). And I am still homesick for that place sometimes. I long for the comfort of old roles and friends that have know me since forever.

Last week, I downloaded a song and played it on repeat all day. It became my prayer that day. I played it on my phone while I ran. I played it in the car and sang it to my kids. Imagine my surprise when the singer of this song stood in front of the congregation of my new church that still doesn't feel like my church. At this point, it sort of felt like God was showing off. But I get it. He is in this hard move. And I'll hold on to what I know is true. This is what he sang:

Yes I will rise

Out of these ashes rise

From this trouble I have found

And this rubble on the ground

I will rise

Cause He Who is in me

Is greater than I will ever be

And I will rise

-from Shawn McDonald's Rise.

update: 33 things.

2011-11-12T20:41:00.000-08:00

Some time ago, I made a list of 33 things that I hoped to accomplish before my 33rd summer. I will be 35 (!) in January, and thanks to my mom, there are now only 4 items left on my list.

5. Make or pay someone to make a quilt using the kids' baby clothes.
Thanks, Mom. It's perfect.

king oil.

2011-11-11T22:19:00.001-08:00

Tonight I stayed up way past my bedtime playing a game that is older than we are. I wish I had something witty to say about King Oil but I am one tired oil driller. It was an impulse thrift store purchase from a few weeks ago. Pretty ridiculous, yet more memorable than a night watching TV.

I love this guy.

sew and sew.

2011-11-10T20:05:00.000-08:00

When given the choice between watching Dinosaur Train and Quilt in a Day, my boy NEVER chooses Dinosaur Train.
The dudes in our house are way into sewing.

a riddle.

2011-11-09T12:50:00.001-08:00

I have never wanted a big house. When we moved into this house five years ago, it felt so big I couldn't imagine EVER needing more space. Now, it's not so much that I need more space but I could really really use one more bedroom. At the very least I could use a closet to store this little gem in at night time:

What does one do when it appears that all of the kids in the house would really like a single but someone is going to have to bunk? What do you do with one rambunctious 3 year old who wakes up at 5:30 in the morning to "poke Claire in the eye" and then wakes me up to tell me about it? What do you do with a baby who sleeps 12 hours solid when alone but seems to wake up at every little noise when her big sister is in the room?

Currently, Claire is asleep on my bed and we will move her to her own bed tonight, so she can sleep with the sibling that hasn't figured out how much fun eye poking is (yet). Wish us luck.

linky loo

2011-11-08T19:43:00.000-08:00

Making this for dinner. Grateful that my family will tolerate my slight soup-obsession.

Baking these with Mister again and again.

Watching this for the first time this season...until 30 Rock returns. Still can't decide if I love it or hate it.

Reading...correction, read this in about 3 days. Love.

Loving these for the Mister.

Wondering if this is going to work. Mine should be ready in a few days.

Thinking about doing this, anyone interested in joining me?

And a photo of this one. I need grace for this nutburger. Love him.

there she grows...

2011-11-07T19:51:00.001-08:00

"Having a loose tooth is like having a little toy in your mouth." - Claire Elisabeth, age 5 1/2

feels like home.

2011-11-06T19:33:00.000-08:00

We stayed home from church because 5 out of 5 of us have colds and while I don't think the big people mind sniffles in the service, people freak out when you bring a baby with snot dripping down her face to the nursery. We declared it a "jammie day" and no one got dressed until around 4:00. We napped, we cleaned the house, we did little projects. The kids made great big forts and we read books. Our only outing was to drop off junk at Goodwill this evening and get coffee.

Ten years ago, I can't say cleaning the toilet with a baby strapped to my back and building forts would've been high on the awesomeness scale. But today was a perfect day. I'm so glad I got to spend it with them.

great pumpkins.

2011-11-05T20:19:00.000-07:00

This was the first year that the kids carved. I love that Claire's pumpkin's teeth are identical to her own.

And this guy was throwing a crazy fit five seconds before this photo was taken, but stopped mid-fit to pose. Ham sandwich.

an exuberant chicken

2011-11-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

It took me three babies, but I finally produced a child willing to smile in the chickensuit.

Well done, Hunca.

Here's the boy.
And the original Angry Chicken.

on raising a rule follower.

2011-11-03T19:27:00.000-07:00

We pull up to the school and across from our parking space is a fire lane. "Why are we parking here when the sign says 'no,' Mama?" She asks, sincere concern in her voice.

"We can talk in the bathroom now, Mom. But Miss Van Dyk doesn't let the kid girls talk in here during school, but we can."

And my favorite, one of the boys was playing around with the little magnetic name board where the kids "check in" and "out" of school. He had moved all of the kids' names to the "in" position. Down to business, she marches to the teacher and says, "I know I checked out yesterday."

Imagine my surprise when I had a child who didn't just do as I said based on my words being "the rules." It's been an adjustment.*
*This is my boy, enjoying the Oregon coast in October, wearing his ironic white fruit of the looms, size giant.

the why.

2011-11-02T13:59:00.000-07:00

I maintain that the only reason to go to the dollar store is to purchase pregnancy tests. And I do not need one of those (I plan to post a vasectomy soup recipe later this month). However, I broke our family rule against dollar store purchases yesterday when I traded each kid all but 4 pieces of Halloween candy in exchange for $5.

I liked the idea of them choosing 5 items. Auntie Mel and I loaded up the kids and headed to the Dollar Store. They were fans. Each got 5 quality Chinese toys and I got to marvel at my sweet seven (!) month old baby, smiling like a Buick. Like she always does.

Nothing says November like a month of blog posts

2011-11-01T22:23:00.001-07:00

I haven't done this in several years, but I'm going to attempt to post every day for a month.
Tune in for pictures of the kids in their costumes. Also on the agenda, what was Hunca Munca doing at the dollar store and why was she so happy about it?

roasted squash soup, its what's for dinner.

2011-10-31T20:17:00.000-07:00

House Squash Soup:

Roast 2-4 squash (any kind)

Meanwhile, saute' together for several minutes: 1 onion, 2 celery stalks, salt & 1 garlic clove in coconut oil

Add curry powder (I like yellow)

Add roasted squash and chicken broth to cover

Bring to a boil

Reduce heat, simmer 15 minutes.

Blend til smooth with immersion blender or regular blender

Return to stovetop

Add 1 can of coconut milk and salt to taste

Top with sauteed kale, almonds or yogurt

Everyone in our family loves this. Except for Clairegirl. She would prefer a steak.

claire, see.

2011-10-30T15:44:00.000-07:00

It's a good thing Claire learned to spell her name CLAIREC! because again this year there are 2 Claires in her class.

Guess whose mommy ordered a whole ton of class photos?

Answer: Not CLAIREC!'s mommy. Score!

pumpkin spice.

2011-10-29T20:24:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when life feels chaotic, it feels good to make something that I could easily buy. I'm not sure why. On this day, after throwing my goons onto a pile of pumpkins, I made pumpkin spice creamer. Happy coffee, happy mama, happy goons.

my daddy's school bus is cooler than your daddy's school bus.

2011-10-27T20:36:00.000-07:00

Claire's class went to the pumpkin patch this week in a school bus. My child mentions to her (confused) teacher that we have a school bus at home. And that we went on a field trip together to the coast this weekend. When she asked Claire why we had a bus, Claire said, "my daddy thought it would be fun."
And as much as I hate to admit it, he was right. It is fun.

claire c. & me.

2011-10-26T20:32:00.000-07:00

You sign your name is way: CLAIREC!
You are a big fan of the exclamation point.
You make up songs about your sister. They mostly repeat the line, "You're so cute! You're so cute!" I have to wonder how this is going to impact her self image.
Dad skated you into school last week. It may have been the high light of your life.
I love you, Clairegirl.

is this thing on?

2011-10-25T20:22:00.000-07:00

Fall is my favorite. I like the colors. I like visiting the pumpkin patch. I like the tractors.

Summer is so obvious about its awesomeness, but fall. Fall is fun.

This week, I'm going to share loads of pictures from our many trips to the pumpkin patch. Because when you love fall, you go to the 'patch again and again and again. And, if you're me, you may plan to go back to the farm market one more time and throw your kids onto a pie of pumpkins to get that perfect photo where no body is crying and no one is covered in pee.

sleepless in salem.

2011-10-18T21:47:00.000-07:00

Anybody have any brilliant ideas of how to get two girls ages 5 years and 7 months to sleep soundly in the same room? Hunca Munca does beautifully when the big sister is away but if she is home, it's another story.

Poor Claire has been banished to the couch the last 2 nights while the tiny babe has slept in 12 hour stretches alone in their bedroom.

Thoughts?

another runner.

2011-10-16T21:21:00.000-07:00

This girl ran around the track at her school 11 times on Friday morning. 11 times, folks. Without stopping. Without complaining. Without asking for a snack.

I watched as this big girl ran her heart out raising money for her school, holding hands with friends as she ran, smiling and waving. Lately, things with Claire can feel complicated. She is five and questions everything I say. She demands more than I have to give. We are still adjusting to mornings apart, to a newish baby. But this day, it was easy. She ran. I watched.
This girl has stood on the sidelines and cheered for me during races. Friday it was my turn to be her cheering section. And I loved it.

the newest normal.

2011-10-07T09:38:00.000-07:00

The days of taking a morning nap with one tiny babe sprawled across my chest have been over for about five years.

The days of making dinner while my 2 kids nap in the afternoon have been over for about 2.

The days of grocery shopping with the little cart while Claire is at school are on hold.

Our newest normal is a napping baby and puzzles or playing with this big guy, who is happy to stay home in his spiderman slippers.

"You look at him like you've just seen your first trans am.*"

Better than a trans am, this one.

*This quote's for you, Scoobs.

my little pelican boy.

2011-10-03T21:58:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to the aquarium this weekend.

At least we managed to keep him out of the water. I consider that a victory.

on getting it right.

2011-10-01T22:43:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Nate brought me home a new computer. Complete with fancy apps for making pictures of my favorite people even more fantastic. Knee deep in kids, I may have forgotten to say thank you. Not everyone has a shipping container in their backyard (or a school bus) or a husband who brings home the exact machine I wanted to try before I even asked.

I am the luckiest. Even if I forget sometimes.

kindergarten by numbers.

2011-09-25T20:49:00.000-07:00

We're still adjusting to having to be somewhere every morning of the week. Here's our progress report in numbers:
Miles to the old school: 15
Miles to the new school: 3 THANK YOU, SWEET JESUS
New friends: Many
Forgotten socks: 2
Tardy slips: 1
Tall whole milk lattes: numerous
Dress up days: 3
This girl takes it all in stride. She loves school, loves her teacher, loves life. She was chosen to be Friend of the Day, which is a very big deal around here. Her faves are computers and library. She also enjoyed Neon Day.
Her mother, who has become quite the lazy bones is still mourning the loss of leisurely mornings with coffee and Sesame, but we are enjoying this new normal, while it lasts.

dear ingrid.

2011-09-18T20:42:00.000-07:00

Today you are six months old. You do all of the usual things. You roll over, you suck your two fingers, you laugh at your own self, you laugh at your brother and sister. You trick your dad into thinking you're in pain so I'll come home early. You are a funny little imp.

Since the beginning, you've been easy. I never really had to do much to get you to go to sleep or stay asleep until a reasonable hour. You just did it on your own, and for that I say, THANK YOU. You've also never been a huge crier. I know a certain 5 year old who probably cries more than you do at 6 months, not mentioning any names.

But, your new thing is doing this ridiculous fake-cry cough when I attempt to change your diaper each morning. Apparently, you are starving and would rather eat in a diaper full of pee than wait one more minute to nurse. Anyway, during the last few days when I pick you up and you start in on that cough-cry thing, I started doing it back. We crack ourselves up with that one. You get this funny smile like, "you caught me, Mama."

Your favorite place to be is snuggled in my arms and you are happiest with your brother and sister close by. Each morning we have a family cuddle up which sounds cozier than it is. It often resembles a wrestling match. But before the craziness inevitably erupts, you take it all in, soaking in the cuddles like you've been here with us along. Hunca Munca, it feels like you have.
Love,
Mama

what a girl wants.

2011-09-16T21:41:00.000-07:00

My easy peasy 3rd baby cried for an hour tonight while the dada tried unsuccessfully to comfort her. He sent me a text:
Ingrid is in pain.

So I came home. I could hear her screams from the driveway. Her eyes were red. When I walked into the house she looked up, stopped crying and smiled. Well played, Pumpkin.

deja you.

2011-09-14T06:05:00.000-07:00

When Claire was three, she attended a once-a-week preschool at BSF, while I was at bible study in the building. Two years later, this crazy fool went too.
I love that they both have the same nervous smile and unsure hands.
He did great. When I arrived, he was sitting in the circle and listening to the story. Here are his impressions:
"I mixed the play doh, Mom."
"Why we have to be quiet?" (during the very short 'quiet time.')
"I'm not telling you the bible story, Mom."
"We got crackers."

duuuuude.

2011-09-07T21:59:00.001-07:00

This one was a tiny bit excited about starting kindergarten today.
I snapped photos all the way in and she posed her brains out, happy that baby sister and wild man brother were at home with dad.

*Not pictured: When I come to pick her up baby sister has an epic poop explosion so I have to carry her "bum first" to the door to get Claire. In the meantime, wild man brother, wearing pink cowgirl boots and swim trunks, decides it's go time and starts looking for somewhere to pee. Thankfully, I travel with a potty in the back of my car so he uses that while I strip baby sister down and into a new diaper. We head home, half naked and in cowgirl boots, hillybilly style.

mama once told me you're already home when you feel loved.

2011-09-06T20:33:00.000-07:00

Wow. Do I feel like a grown up this week. The Christmas that I was pregnant with Claire, we decided to remodel the house- mainly in preparation for her arrival that spring. It felt like an incredible inconvenience.

When Everett was one, we gutted our kitchen. He watched and cried as Nate demolished our cabinetry, because he wanted to help that bad. We hosted our home group without flooring or running water. Nate installed the new floors one long night by himself because we couldn't leave the stuff out the next day with two kids around. It felt like an incredible inconvenience.

Friday night Nate removed the walls, floor and ceiling from Everett's gross little bedroom. We slept three little ones together. We have foregone naps for five days. We hosted a very fun worker-guy birthday party on little sleep and lots of grace. It makes those earlier inconveniences feel a lot more convenient. I am convinced that I am going to look back on these years as precious. Even the lack of sleep. Even these three inconvenient ones that make my life so wonderfully messy.

happy birthday, mister.

2011-09-05T21:37:00.000-07:00

Here's one.
Two
And today you are 3. It is going so fast. You helped dad pound nails into walls this weekend as he remodeled your bedroom. I think that and riding the forklift were your favorite parts of the day. Party, cake, pinata, gifts were all second to just being with your dad and working. I couldn't love you more, Big Man.
Love,
Mama

quick. don't do this.

2011-08-29T21:18:00.000-07:00

I've been reading. The same wise friend who suggested this book also suggested that I make a don't do list, as the author did. As someone prone to epic to-do lists, writing this out was fantastic.

1. I don't sew.
I really admire your beautiful handmade stuff. But I don't sew. I wish fabric wasn't so pretty, but I'm going to go ahead and not buy any and instead support your etsy shop. In the free moments that I have, I don't want to sew.
2. I don't cloth diaper.
Cloth diapers are cute and I do enjoy the planet, but we are on an ancient, temperamental septic system and I'm not down with the poo turning my backyard into a lagoon. I feel like admitting this makes me lose hippie cred, but whatevs. I don't cloth diaper.
3. I don't do decorative gardening.
If you've been to my house you're not surprised, but unless it's edible, I don't want to be responsible for growing it.
4. I don't homeschool.
I feel like there is an expectation that I would homeschool. I was in grad school for teaching, after all. But (at least for now), I am not going to homeschool. My wise husband recently told me that either the kids or I would need to be institutionalized and he thinks it should be them. I agree.
5. I don't can food.
This one is hard for me to admit. Normally I like canning but this year the idea of sweating in a hot kitchen during the few moments that my 3 (!) kids aren't climbing me doesn't sound fun. If I'm in the kitchen I'm cooking a meal or baking something awesome. That's it.
6. I don't clip coupons.
This could truly be a blog post of its own, but I am horrible with coupons. I admire people who save boatloads of money with coupons, but I am not that girl.

I love that I can refer back to this list and remind myself what isn't on my job description during this season. I love that I have friends who sew and homeschool and have AMAZING gardens (Hi, Tina!) I love that I have cloth diapering friends and friends who love canning. We have all been given so many hours each day and we get to decide how to use those precious hours. Maybe next time I'll share with you what's on my to-do list. It's gotten good.

What's on your don't do list?

claire elisabeth: bright one, a gift consecrated to God.

2011-08-27T20:10:00.000-07:00

Six years ago I waddled into church already feeling big as a house. I was barely pregnant, but my jeans already seemed snug. This baby growing inside of me felt like an invader. I couldn't believe that I was pregnant. We had just started our second year of marriage. I had a five year plan.

A girl that had gotten married right around the time that we had stopped me in the parking lot. She looked put together and cute and decidedly unpregnant. Maybe she asked how I was doing. I can't remember. What I do remember is telling her that I was pregnant. And that this was not my timing. I remember her saying to me that it probably felt bittersweet. In the moment, it felt less sweet than bitter. But as I warmed up to this baby taking residence inside my body, I clung to her words. It was bittersweet. I would surrender my idea of what my life would look like and enter into the most life changing relationship I could imagine. With this girl:

Being Claire's mother has taught me more about grace than any sermon. She IS the gift that I didn't know that I needed. Grad school, travel, skinny pants, all of it seems so small when compared to the joy of watching her unfold. She is my gift of grace.

michelin man

2011-08-24T20:51:00.000-07:00

My Mister, fast asleep on his floor after a wild night of tire changin'.

speaking of mercies being new every morning.

2011-08-16T21:29:00.000-07:00

One of the things that we're still navigating is the sharing of rooms. And mostly it has been okay because a)Ingrid is really cute and b) she doesn't get into Claire's things. I'm guessing Claire might feel differently about sharing a room with her sister when Ingrid becomes mobile or when she decides that she wants to wear a favorite skirt. But for now, it's been pretty simple.

The one tricky part is the nap/quiet playtime. Ingrid and Evie nap each afternoon but Claire just plays independently while they sleep. Lately, I've been having her truck her (extensive) collection of art supplies, dolls and toys downstairs to play. Today she decided to have a "show" down there during her quiet play time. She took a CD player and her voice traveled up the stairs. This is what she sang:
Don't worry about a thing.

Cause every little thing is gonna be alright.

Amen, Clairegirl. It really is.

harder.

2011-08-16T00:09:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to be able to tie a neat little bow around this post. I wish I could.

So the thing about having 3 kids is that someone is always crying. And someone is usually awake. It feels harder than I imagined. This weekend's highlights included: near mastitis (me), stitches in a chin (Everett) and projectile vomit (Claire).

Going to a movie seems like an unattainable luxury.

I've been parenting with the goal of just getting them to go to sleep at the same time so that I could have a moment to breathe. This is not a good place to parent from.

If a blog post could be a prayer, then this is mine. Help me not to miss them. Help me not to wish away their neediness, their questions. Help me to see them with Your eyes. And when parenting feels like one really long day, remind me that Your mercies are new every morning.

ham sandwich.

2011-08-09T20:39:00.000-07:00

Confession: today I was really mad at Everett. The reason? He intentionally woke up my sleeping baby. The air went out of the room. I gave him a nice little lecture that I'm sure helped him to see why waking up a sleeping baby is a bad idea. Sometimes I think he's such a daddy's boy that he doesn't really mind that we've brought a new little someone into our lives. But he minds. So there have been a million little battles lately.

Tonight as Nate mowed the lawn and Mister was supposed to be sleeping, this is what I encountered:
Instead of getting mad, I laughed. I saw him. My sweet, goofy boy who would rather watch his dad mow the lawn than sleep, even when he missed his afternoon nap. If he needs to be in control of his sleep for a while, I can deal with it. I get it.
And this one? Didn't mind being awakened from her nap at all. If only I were as flexible as a 3rd baby.

its a beautiful day in this neighborhood.

2011-08-05T14:34:00.000-07:00

1. We had a water fight (I won)
2. We had a lettuce fight (they won)

3. Claire discovered pbskids, and specifically fell in love with one of my personal faves. She now asks to watch Mr. Robbers about 12 times a day. If we ever find ourselves in 1975 we will totally know how to build red wagons, guitars, sneakers and rubber balls. Hooray.

mama's little helper.

2011-08-03T20:28:00.001-07:00

DIY Iced Chai:
Combine in a medium pan:
2 quarts water
4 black tea bags
1 cinnamon stick
2-4 cardamom pods
2-4 cloves
1 twist black pepper
ginger (only if I have it on hand)
Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes.
Add 1/4 c maple syrup and boil 5 more minutes.
Strain in a french press.
Pour over ice and add cold milk to taste.
Delish.

gratitude up to 1,000.

2011-08-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

3. Her caterpillar collection..7!
5. White-blonde cowlicks in the morning.
7. Ingrid's thighs.
For even more gifts, go here.

10-4 good buddies.

2011-07-29T23:55:00.000-07:00

Somebody bought some CBs last weekend. And this is what we heard over and over and over (get it?):
"Love you, Dad. Over."
"Love you too, Claire. Over."

going all facebook on you:

2011-07-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few more pictures from our photos with Esther. These were taken in June and she already looks completely different from this:

Side note, did you know that Claire has been referring to Nate as "The King?" It has everything to do with the fact that she IS a princess:

My good friend said that this section of pictures was her favorite, so I found a few more for her to check out, this time with Everett's whole face:

And this one:

And one of this boy, who has my heart:
Is this what people do on facebook? Post tons of family pictures? I still don't get it.

family photos 2011

2011-07-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

Seven years ago, I drove out to a little country church and married a boy that would one day become a man. About a month ago, we drove back to that country church for family photos* with our three (three!) kids. Slow down, life.

I'm trying to pick one family photo to print on a canvas for our house. Here are your choices:
1. Ingrid's tongue is out, but at least her face is showing.
2. I love this one because Claire's smile is so real.
3. Weaponry? Yes, please. Not pictured: a shot of Mister peeing all over the beautiful oak trees that surrounded us.
4. Mister looking a little like a monkey. I think we may have started bribing them for smiles with ice cream at this point.
What I learned that day: getting five people to cooperate for pictures is tricky. Thankfully, I have managed to teach Nate how to smile since our wedding. Photography, like life is messy stuff. These pictures aren't perfect, but I love them because they are my little family and I am grateful.

Any thoughts? Which photo do you want to see super-sized when you walk into my house?

*All photos were done by the wildly talented Esther Eckelman. She's also a great babysitter.

one of mine

2011-07-22T07:02:00.000-07:00

When she came out she was unfamiliar. All of that dark hair. All of those 10 1/2 pounds of her. Fat cheeks that made her eyes disappear. On her birthday, Claire said, "Mom, Ingrid kind of looks like a boy."
Today. The cheeks have slimmed down enough to make the eyes recognizable. The brows are all Nate. Both of my girls and the Dada make this face fairly frequently. Teeth at four months, just like the other two.
We're settling in to a new normal. In some ways it feels like she's been here all along. I'm grateful that these 3 are not just a hobby.
I'm challenged and pushed by this job in ways that nothing in life has ever challenged me. May I do it well.

a post about beets.

2011-07-20T21:28:00.000-07:00

This year Nate was in charge of our garden. I was in charge of sustaining life for our very sweet, very hungry baby. I gave Nate bucket full of last years seeds, some slug-o and instructions to do whatever he wanted. The only thing that surprised me is that he said he planted radishes. I never buy radish seeds, but at that point I think I had a 2 week old baby so I figured he knew what he was talking about. Weeks later, Everett and I pulled out these babies:I love fresh beets so much more than radishes. I scrub them and roast them with garlic, salt and olive oil. I even saute' up the greens. They make me happy. Apparently, Mister thinks the scrubbing is optional.

4 months.

2011-07-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

Today you are four months old. People are always trying to tell me that you look like Claire or Everett. They try to find the pieces of them in your face. But you, little sister, are your own girl. You belly laugh. Mostly at those two big kids who adore you. You are the easiest baby. You nap easily, sleep through the night and are at the stage where everything is still a big thrill. Stroller? Yes, please! Ergo pack? Okay! Suck on your finger? Why not?

I wonder what it must be like to be the third baby in this house. There is always someone smiling at you, writing songs about you, calling you "my baby." All of this doesn't phase you. Four months in, two kids still feels like my "sweet spot." I can do 2 kids easily now. But I can't imagine me without you, Hunca Munca.

I had no idea when we were naming you how perfect your name would fit.
Ingrid Ruth: Hero's daughter, friend.

I love you, Sweetpea.
Love,
Mama

family damp 2011.

2011-07-17T21:21:00.000-07:00

I was just barely pregnant with Ingrid last year at camp. She felt like a sweet secret between us. This year, she spent the entire time snuggled to the front of me like the trooper she is. There are no pictures of her, because for the majority of our time at camp, my main objective was keeping her little face dry and warm. You'd think this would be easy in July. You would be wrong. The kids woke up early and got busy making puddle art. Soon, Everett's lips were blue.
No amount of wet weather makes this outfit acceptable, Nater.
The sun made a brief appearance. The downpours continued.
My husband, soaked to the skin in his ridiculous outfit, rolled up our tent and packed the truck while I entertained 2 very wet little people.
Leaving early doesn't feel like who we are. The kids were cold. Their lips were blue. And in the end, we made the call. They didn't like it, but they were asleep before we hit the highway.

And after putting up the tent again at home (so it could dry out) Nate piled the kids into the tent for bedtime stories and wrestling. I love you, Nate. Even in that goofy hat.

calling all princesses

2011-07-09T20:42:00.001-07:00

We're talking about our neighbor's recent visit to Alaska to see her daughter. Claire has questions about the daughter.
Claire: Is she a grown up or a kid?
Me: She's a grown up.
Claire, in total sincerity: When I'm a grown up I'll put my palace next to your house, Mama.

I kind of love that she really believes she will be a princess when she grows up (and also a dentist, a clown and a mommy).

Here she is in her royal tent, set up tonight in her bedroom. The fun around here never stops.

I haven't been overly eager to introduce the princess thing but the girl knows who she is, and I have made my peace with princesses. But I am picky. And I have a very sensitive little princess who would love to watch a princess movie but can't get past the scary elements of most of them. It seems that every princess movie has some sort of witch, wicked step mother, etc.

Does anyone have suggestions of non-scary princess movies, her majesty would be ever so grateful.

happy birthday, america.

2011-07-05T20:08:00.000-07:00

We hung out with bffs.
We ate cobbler. And PLENTY of other stuff.
Blew stuff up.
He let me hold him for the entire fireworks show...which was nice, it's been a while. This Mister isn't a Baby any more.

Each year we have a 4th of July BBQ and I love it. I love that I am giving my children the childhood that I wanted. Traditions and bffs and cobbler. I love that we have space to have everyone pile into our backyard and drink tea around the firepit and watch kids do goofy parades and laugh and laugh. I am blessed.

13 summers.

2011-06-30T14:49:00.000-07:00

I have thirteen more summers with this girl under my roof. Thirteen more lists of summer plans and trips to the library and swimming lessons and sunburns and berry picking and jam making and on this day:Volcano Erupting.

Thirteen more summers.

she.

2011-06-28T14:39:00.000-07:00

Some babies are co-sleepers. They like to cuddle. Ingrid is a cuddler. She is also content to sleep alone, provided she is sleeping alone in MY bed. She will tolerate the bassinet, but prefers to lounge in the grown up bed with or without company.
She also enjoys a pacifier (or deet, as it is referred to in our family vernacular) but she is just as content to use her fingers if a deet isn't provided.

I love you, my wonderfully adaptable third baby.

good things come in threes?

2011-06-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

There are days when it feels like someone is always crying. When one kids stops just in time for another to start up again. Days when sleep schedules don't mesh. And maybe I resent them a little. I love those guys. But at the end of the day, I really, really want them to go to sleep. And I don't want to see them for at least 12 hours. And I definitely don't want to see them before 7 AM. That' s the kind of jerk that I am.

So when Mister has a fever for the second time in a month and is back on antibiotics and falling out of his window at 8 PM, I may have lost my cool because bedtime is clearly 7 PM and really, what are you doing in the window anyway? When he begged for me to "cozy him up" one more time, I did it, but maybe not as gently as he would have liked.

It amazes me how I become the worst version on myself when I am sleep deprived. Just this week, I was invited to do some great things (a 5K, a dinner out with friends, a phone conversation with my dearest friend who is far away- yes, please to all 3), but I am so fried by the immediacy of their need that there is room for little else. And I see then that my love runs out. I am generally more gentle and kind at 3 PM than I am at 3 AM. I will cozy him up four times but not five. I will rock the baby, but the screaming 2 year old is harder to handle.

And I am filled with gratitude that the One who loves me has a love that won't run out. He cozies me up again and again. When I let Him fill me, I can love them even when it's hard and I'm weary. Even then.

dear laurie.

2011-06-20T22:09:00.000-07:00

Thank you for being the sort of friend that I can not talk to for weeks and when we do see each other everything is easy and fun and natural. Thank you also for being the sort of friend that I can confess that when I made you a pie* for your birthday, I ate it so I had to make you a second one.
That is a mark of a very good friend.

*No meringue on mine, FYI. I'm anti-meringue. But pro-pie and pro-Laurie.

From delivery room to 5k

2011-06-14T14:22:00.001-07:00

Last night I set my alarm for 6 am with high hopes of a morning run. Instead, two other alarms went off at 4 and then 4:30. After tending to them I slept right past my wake up call.

Instead of a run, I threw the crew into the stroller and ergo for a walk. I was a sweaty mess after mile 1, but the kiddos were thrilled when we stopped at a fruitstand. I bought a box of bribes, I mean berries, which made for a much more pleasant walk home.

Eastside Mother Runners are planning on doing the Summer Solstice Run at Minto Brown on June 24, anybody want to join? Tempting????

our vee

2011-06-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

Nate took this photo.

My kids are used to us selling cool things. Especially cars. And trucks. And buses. Especially buses. But when we decided that it was time to part ways with our sweet little camper, I wasn't sure how they would take it. After all, the Shasta IS adorable and it IS a ton of fun. Even at 34, I wasn't thrilled at the idea of tent camping this summer but the truth is we had outgrown the Shasta and it was time to sell.

Both kids helped clean it out. They went with us to deliver it to the new owner. They chatted about how awesome it was going to be to camp in a tent this summer. No one complained. Instead, they looked forward to the next adventure that we'd have together: tent camping as a family of 5.

They reminded me that they take their lead from us. If Nate and I had acted bummed about selling the trailer, they would have followed suit, but because we weren't bummed they weren't either. I want them to value people over things. I want them to hold loosely to the material gifts that we are given. I want them to be generous because we have been given so much.

Also overheard on the way home from delivering the trailer: we were talking about getting a treat. Claire tells Evie, "Dad has a lot of money now, we can get ice cream." Priceless.

crafternoon delight.

2011-06-12T16:24:00.000-07:00

One downfall of sending your kid to a great preschool is that she may expect to do awesome crafts every day. If your kid is an artist, she will require a bit more than markers and paint when it comes to crafting it up. Enter 1980's thrift store craft book. It's full of great ideas AND helpful tips:
I like how excited this kid looks while holding his crayon over a candle. (We opted to have the adult use an iron to melt crayon shavings rather than having her melt them over a candle. Call me crazy.) Shavings are placed between 2 pieces of wax paper and melted with a low iron. Yarn is looped in so it can hang in the window. Then wax paper is cut into shapes. Claire endorses this craft but did ask if she could use a candle next time.

It begins

2011-06-06T19:39:00.001-07:00

When Nate was two he disassembled his crib. I didn't appreciate the significance of this until I had an actual two year old. Now I get it.

It's a rare 2 year old that can take his crib apart unassisted. I shouldn't have been surprised when this happened today.

how to remove cradle cap for baby hippies.

2011-06-05T15:14:00.000-07:00

Coconut oil + fine tooth comb (or mama's fingernail, after all this is for hippies)= no more cradle cap.

Also = crazy styling and your baby might end up smelling a bit like chicken curry.

speaking of etsy shops.

2011-06-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

Each of my kids have gotten super-cute handmade things from burdy fly away. I especially like this one because Katie chose a yellow the exact color of baby poo. Genius.

oma needs to open an etsy shop.

2011-06-01T19:47:00.001-07:00

I'm so glad Oma and Papa's dog ate a hole in Everett's shirt this weekend. The repair job is about a billion times cuter than the original.

Thanks, Mom.

This is a test....just put blogger on my phone.

2011-05-30T21:24:00.001-07:00

Last week we visited Enchanted Forrest with Claire's class for her year-end field trip. It took some wrangling but I managed 2 hours with just my big girl for the first time since Ingrid's birth. It's strange how a goofy amusement park with 16 pre schoolers could feel like freedom.

saturday tour of homes.

2011-05-28T17:14:00.000-07:00

Claire was not at all disappointed when I vetoed my original plan of having her share a room with Mister Baby. I believe her response was "WOO-HOO! Can it be the girliest room in the universe, Mom?"
Welcome to my room. It is the girliest room in the universe. Ingrid's art was mostly found around our house, except for the subliminal baby art print which I found here and think is funny. The tiny pink square canvas was made by the big sister, it's a picture of the two of them and a soccer ball. The picture in the bottom corner was from the Nikki McClure calendar that hangs in our kitchen and that I stared at all through the month of March.
When I hung Ingrid's art, Claire immediately counted the pieces above the crib and declared that she needed more above her own bed. Let the competition begin, sisters! The art above Claire's bed was entirely found in our house one late night while the kiddos slept. Total cost: zero dollars. The green striped frame was a gift from my sister-in-law (thanks, Mel) with a page from an old Dick and Jane book tucked inside. The pink one was found in our basement, spray painted and filled with photos that Claire loves. The silver frame has a broach that I twisted from left over fabric (from Ingrid's hoop) and the nest sign and white dress were gifts from when Claire was tiny. She wore that dress when she was about nine months old.
This is what you see when you walk into the room. The dresser and changing table were both from the As-is section of Ikea. Side note: are you looking in the As-is section of Ikea? They assemble the furniture for you and it's priced less than the rest of the store. Hooray for Sweedes! Confession: when I thought I was putting Evie into this room the only thing I did was paint the room gray and have Nate spray paint the pink shelf above this dresser. He painted it turquoise at my request. Later, he painted again, this time he went back to the original pink. This is a good quality in a man: handiness and willing to repaint your shelves with minimal mockery. Shelves contain Claire's art stuff. Changing table is full of baby sweetness. You can't see it, but this print sits on the bottom shelf. Love. Curtains were made by the very wonderful Hollie Miller. Pom-poms were left over from Claire's birthday party.
I cleared off all evidence of my five year old's growing collections in the above picture, but this is how it looks in real life.
Three cheers for the girliest room in the universe.

straight up.

2011-05-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

We spent the entire day trying to get outside: for a walk, to the park, something. Between naptimes and torrential downpours, this was the best we could do for exercise:

Yep, that's my girl, dancing it up with Paula. True fact: when I was teaching English in China, I went to what I thought was an interview for a part time side job as a dance teacher (stop laughing) and ended up teaching a group of ten year olds on the spot. The choreography was a combination of old dance routines from middle and high school and Paula Abdul's Get Up and Dance video.

matchy match.

2011-05-24T22:47:00.000-07:00

Somebody graduated from preschool yesterday. A wee small girl in her Easter dress snoozed while the big girl in the same dress stood on the stage and sang her heart out with her class one last time. One great thing about having another girl is I get to buy tiny versions of big kid dresses and only one of them insists on cowgirl boots or rainbow leggings or sparkly headbands.