Favorite smoothie...

My favorite smoothie is "Strawberries Wild" from Jamba Juice. I am a mentos girl, not a spree girl, and this is the perfectly mild, creamy mix for me.

I got my VITA-MIX a few weeks ago, and I've been enjoying many a smoothie since then.

Of course, I took it to McCall with me and Lynz and I discovered that apple juice, frozen strawberries and a banana make a perfect "Strawberries Wild". Sorry, can't tell you the exact mix, I just throw it in and like it the way it turns out. A good rule of thumb is to put the apple juice in and then dump in the berries until the berry and juice levels are the same. Then add one banana, and in 20 seconds (if you have a vitamix) you are in smoothie bliss.

Okay, I found a more official recipe online for you recipe followers.

Del Sonics reunion...

The reunion I have been planning was a great success. People said they had more fun and looked more forward to it than their regular high school class reunions. I had a great time, though many of the girls who sang in my section didn't make it. There were after parties and I hear "after the after parties"...the night went on and on for some. It was really natural with few exceptions to catch up with everyone and I was amazed at some of the talent that has grown over the past thirteen years. There are some really professional musicians THAT I KNOW! One guy lives in L.A., so of course I had to ask him if he knew LC. When he didn't get what I was asking, I said, "you don't speak MTV?" (he, he, I'm a geek) and realized what I was asking adn said he's actually friends with some of the people from the show. I guess our conversation was interrupted, because SOMEHOW, I never got to find out more information on that topic! Anyway, what a fun, successful night! I took my own pictures, but don't have time to get them off my camera right now, so here are some that were emailed to me by someone who has the lens I want!

Hair in training...

I've attempted this at least five times, with no success. I want my hair to be that hair that doesn't have to be washed everyday. When I go to the salon, they complain about how over-washed my hair is. They promise me that if I stop washing my hair every day, grease will stop building up an inch per minute on my scalp. If I wash my hair at 5PM, I will wake up with greasy hair the following morning. I can't STAND it!

So "they" say that if I stop the washing, my scalp will stop the greasing. This means that every other day, I have to face the world a greasy mess. I never see any change in the grease production, and my little experiment goes by the way side.

Yesterday at the salon was no different. Same lecture and same promise. Armani, my stylist pointed out that every single person there washes only once a week, so it should be possible for me to do the same. She suggested some new, more gradual steps that I tried today. I rinsed my hair with water, no soap.

Clearly, getting my hair wet and having to style it defeats the purpose, but if it leads me toward being able to hop in the shower, wash my body off and hop out with my hair dry...I'll try it.

Any similar experiences out there? Any more tips for achieving this luxury?

Daddy...

I feel so terrible for not posting about Father's Day yet! Isn't that like a blogger law...you have to rave about the daddy in your life for Father's Day, right? I'll rave about myself on Mother's Day, really.

We had a nice, laid back day! Chris didn't have his usual morning of meetings, and we went to only the first hour of church because my parents and my brother Jordan were arriving around 2:30PM.

We made Chris breakfast in bed that morning, and also drew him a book about all the things the girls like that Chris does with them.

It was a beautiful day, and so we enjoyed dinner outside, played bocci and visited. I think most everyone took a little snooze too.

I'm really, really grateful for the daddy in my husband. He's just so involved with their little minds, and he always enjoys anything he has to do better if they are tagging along with him. I love that the girls are so smitten with him, because at the end of a long day, I welcome their change of focus as they hang on him instead of me. If Chris is around and they get to choose who puts them to bed, who wipes their bums, who they sit next to at dinner, it will always be, "DADDY!" I admire him for being so many things that I am not...he's really tidy, punctual, hard work (I work hard at many things, but not at physical labor like him...mowing the lawn would torture me, for example), aplogizing, changing, making up and just being good at everything he puts his mind to.

Our trip to McCall...

So my girl Lyndsey is moving to Arizona to pursue a master's degree and become an Occupational Therapist. Can I just add that she will be a huge blessing to that field, she's such a natural with youngsters with special needs, and she's been a special needs educator in the schools for years now. We really haven't seen enough of each other since she got married...the last time being in McCall when she was pregnant with her little 20 month old, Max. (Max and Ruby...Ruby and Max.)

In spite of her pregnant state (35 weeks), her pending move (across the country in a couple of weeks), and the seven hour drive to McCall from where she lives in Rigby, she made time to come play with me on the beach for a week! This is what I love about her...she's like me...play first!

Who has a perfect belly like this? She does! Rarely do you hear of someone who doesn't get stretch marks!

Anyway, I never drive an hour without getting sleepy, so when at the last minute my friend Kelly couldn't make the trip with me, I decided to sleep in Pullman and see a friend who lives there. Kristin's family is so fun, and she made me a yummy meal and provided us with comfy accommodations and great late-night conversation. Thanks to she and her husband Chris for being such great fun to visit with!

We got up and continued our trek to McCall. The weather was great, Lyndsey and I have been friends long enough that we are totally at home around each other, and it was just such a great time to visit with her and see our kids interact. Max is DARLING! I love his look, he's just such a perfect little mix of all things Thomas, though since Lyndsey's husband could easily be her brother, I concede that he surely looks like the Durst side as well. He makes the cutest noises to convey what he wants...THE CUTEST...little squeeks, it can't be adequately described. He knows many signs as well, and uses them a lot too. He's just darling, and it was so fun to see Lyndsey as a mom, she's so taken with him and so patient and sweet with him.

My kids had fun rediscovering the beach and we had flawless weather to boot. Ususally, the June visits are still cool, but we were hot in the sun and loving every minute. The water was another story. I am not a wimp when it comes to cold water. I love fresh water and I don't shy away from getting in...but this was horribly cold! The first day we were there, Ruby wanted to jump off the dock and swim in. I knew I needed to go with her because she's a good swimmer, but has no experience in chopy lake water. I jumped in first and the shock was thorough. I concealed my displeasure so as not to disuade Ruby, and she jumped in too. She was as shocked as I was, and was grasping for me and trying to climb on me to get out of the water. I had some nice many pull her out, and I swam in (well, not really swam...as soon as I could touch, I raised my arms above me so they weren't in the water anymore, and walked in as fast as I could...not fast enough).

Ruby was in the water many times after that, but she stayed shallow because after another failed attempt with her the second day, I wasn't really interested in jumping off the deep end with her again.

Alice is still asking if we can "go to da beach". It amazed me how unaffected they were by the fact that they were COVERED in sand. Ruby would get out of the water and intentionally lay down in the sand to warm up. Smart idea if warmth is your first priority, but she had sand in her ears, her hair, all over her body...all the time. One of the first things she did in the sand was make a "sand angel" like she does in the snow. She did them all the time...I just can't stand being sandy! All three of them had to have a bath after each beach experience. We'd have them stand there while we sprayed all the sand into the tub. Then we'd wait for the sand to wash down the drain before we filled the tub with water. Even with this effort there would be a lot of sand in the tub when they were all done.

Thank goodness for McCall. The cabin has been in the family since my great-grandma Ruby and her husband bought it...a long time ago. It is perfect for our needs, and is just maybe 50 yards from the water. The two cabins next to the "Farmer cabin" (my mother's maiden name is Farmer) are also owned by family members, and it is such a fun thing to have a place that means so much to our family. I even have a cousin named McCall! I love the smell of McCall, the summers and winters in McCall, the card playing in McCall, the no technology in McCall, the shopping in McCall the milkshakes in McCall, the Creamies in McCall...I'll be back (soon), McCALL!

"Twilight" from my perspective...

****POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW***

Okay, these are a definite easy read, and they do grab you and suck you in. Recently, I decided to become more goal oriented...mostly focusing on daily goals. To some of you, it would read like a "to do" list. I just find that I have really great ideas from 7-8 in the morning, and then life happens because I don't have a solid plan, and my ideas remain just IDEAS.

Anyway, one of my goals was to read something frivolous and fun everyday. I didn't earn a degree in English with the intention of becoming a non-reader, and I can't very easily believe that I'll ever be inspired to write something if I don't read...not to mention, I hear there are already plans for a ladies night out to see the movie for the book, and I didn't want to miss out on the insider knowledge that all the other movie goers would be privy to. Okay, so it was an "everybody is doing it" kind of thing.

So I read all three books, and I enjoyed them. I felt somewhat odd after finishing the last one, like there was something missing, as I had taken advantage of every free minute (and a few really late nights) to read.

(There are many, many errors in the text...did that bother anyone else?)

Here's my take...

I like parts of Bella, but not all of her. She is written as a strong girl, but then she is waaaayyy too damsel in distress for my liking. I literally thought at one point that the book was going to take a turn and she was going to be diagnosed with a heart condition, because she had a crippling pain in her chest every time she thought of Edward while he was gone. I'm not kidding. I really thought she was suffering heart attacks or something.

There is something definitely diagnosable there when she is with Edward. I get that she is somehow magnetically bound to him, but she isn't a whole person at all when she is without him, and that is not okay. The girl is weak in his presence and allows him to control her and rescue her from things (Jacob) from which she doesn't need rescuing. I realize he lets up eventually, but only because he knows she's under his spell and that she can't ever choose Jacob and live life with out him.

She is weak with Alice too...AND Rosalie who totally despises her and Bella still chases any kind scraps she throws her way.

How can anyone root for a relationship that leads someone to take their own life so for granted that it is risked just to hear the beloved's voice for a fleeting minute? There is something seriously flawed about her attachment to Edward, Fatal Attraction pales in comparison.

I know there are Bella-Edward fans out there, and BRING IT...I have to know how you can possibly rationalize their connection and find it desirable. Bella has so many people who care for her, and yet she wants to kill herself if she can't be with him, and in order to be with him, she is willing to sacrifice all other positive relationships in her life AS WELL AS fore fit her opportunity to have children, eat food, breathe, have a heart beat and interact with other humans without wanting to suck their blood.

Jacob is darling! I'm all for a man's man and a little protecting when necessary...I love to cuddle during scary movies and send my husband downstairs in the middle of the night to look for bad guys, but there is something for sovereignty. Jacob is all that a girl wants...when she wants it. He allows Bella to govern herself.

With Jacob, she can pursue a normal future (kids, relationships with her parents and other humans) and still have someone who loves her and whom she loves. I get that she isn't bound to him and as smitten with him as she is with Edward. The books hardly develop her attraction to him or the possibility of a relationship with him because she is fiercely using him to risk her life so that she can be closer to Edward the whole time she's around Jacob.

Frankly, I hope that Jacob experiences that wherewolf...what was it called?...kismet connection, you know that Sam has with Emily...I forget the word, but I hope that happens to Jacob in the next book so that he gets what he deserves from a woman and Bella can go feast on blood with Edward. Clearly Jacob deserves a whole person, not some broken, ungrateful girl who needs to get high on vampire in order to exist.

I can't wait for book four...I'm so glad it is almost here! I'd love to know your opinions!

I'm BAAAACK!

Front of cabin

I just spent a lovely week with my bff of 26 years, Lyndsey and her son Max (soooooo darling...I WANT A BOY!). It was just us, our kids and the beach (McCall, ID). Oh...and my mind was consumed with Bella, Edward and Jacob most of the time as well.

Back of cabin

I have no time to post or unpack because I am in charge of a big high school choir reunion this Saturday! I'm really excited for it, there will be people who were in the choir over a 15 year span, but many of the friends I was in choir with will be there, and it will be fun to catch up. I especially look forward to seeing the director, Dave Cross. I decided to do this a year ago, and I'm looking forward to it so much.

Anyway, after 9 hours in the car with my kids, I have to ask...what posesses people to drive the same speed as the car next to them in the left lane on a two lane road? I can't tell you how many times I got stuck behind such drivers! Glad to be home and safe!

Mimi and Co.

Mimi is still baking her little one, and we had a few minutes today to take some pictures. Her kids are always loving on the belly, so we had to capture that! I really don't intend to always post pictures, but I couldn't pass on this one, and I'm at a loss for much else to post because I'm burning through the Twilight series! Mimi and her darling kids deserve a post all their own...



So you can see I've been really experimenting with PS Actions. Fun stuff! Love you meem!

"The sun is closed." Alice

I couldn't say it better if I tried. We are experiencing the coolest spring on record since 1917. Sun was promised today, I might see it creeping through the gloom.

Little photoshoot with my girls...

I did a quick little photoshoot with Alice on Sunday. She was clean and dressed cute, so I begged her and it worked! I got a few good shots of the little mover. That said, I'm really experimenting with Actions right now in Photoshop. I'm trying to get my color saturated but blown out a little, I guess a high contrast look, but not hard...there are many examples out there, but I haven't found the right free action yet. I'm pleased with the effect on the black and white action, I used it on these pics and it looks the way I want...any ideas? I found some really affordable actions at http://www.oscraps.com/, and I'll probably buy one ($3.00 can't be beat!)

Alice was showing me her fingernails. The classic sad Alice face is due to the fact that soon after Chris laboriously applied stickers and a top coat to all of her tiny fingernails, she bit the stickers right off.

Our Ballerina...

Our weekend was filled to the brim with this recital! It was a lot of fun, and there will be at least one more post about it before too long. Ruby danced to "Happy Little Working Song" from Enchanted and she did a really darling job. Mimi was her teacher, and I have to say that every single act she put together was tops. Ruby got to dance with a little feather duster (she also had a little tiara on, which she insisted on wearing to church even, but of course we couldn't find it this morning when I got all ready to take her picture), and the choreography was really sweet, and went well with the darling lyrics. Today while we spent 2 hours and a fortune at Les Schwab, Ruby did her dance for the people we had bonded with in the waiting area, "I do not want to forget my Giselle dance!"

Another funny tidbit about Ruby's quest to correct her pronounciation of the sound "s"...She asked this nice lady in the waiting area, "Have you ever seen Thumbelina?...I mean, Sumbelina?" It's so funny, she is trying to sort out which "th" words need to change to "s" words, and it's not that easy to know!

I've been tagged...

I like this tag, but it was interesting to think of posting some of these places on my blog. I personally don't have a problem with keeping it real, but if you ever wonder what my husband thinks of all this blogging, you should know that if he read my blog, he'd cringe at the imperfection diplayed here. My issue with posting this has more to do with how my house isn't cosmetically a representation of my taste. We bought this beautiful home knowing that every room needed wallpaper taken down, paint, etc...but we've been here eighteen months and I haven't gotten to very many projects! Oh well, the place is great, and I just need to own the wallpaper and get over it.

Jenni didn't post instructions, so I'm just copying exactly what she did.

The fridge...

We had this fridge in white at our last house, but it didn't have water and ice in the door. I loved it. I have to have freezer on the bottom, and I love the space of this fridge, and the look.

Unfortunately, Chris and I were just talking last night about how we are going to return it. We upgraded several appliances last winter, and some of the others (dishwasher and trash compactor) that are in places where they'd be potentially dented more are fine, while our fridge that has no reason to have any dents in it looks horrible. There are these little dents all over it, and it isn't like we plan to replace the fridge for a long time, it is going to get even worse and it is an eye sore.

The sink...I forgot to take this one, that's why this post has been in the works for a couple of days now. Anyway, my sink is funny because there are so many things sticking out of the top. It took me awhile to sort them all out. Left to right: faucet handle, faucet, soap, filtered water, instant hot water. Interesting, huh? It's funny, I'm so used to having them all (really love the instant hot water, I use it all the time) that I don't know if I'll lose any of them when we do update the kitchen. There are dishes in the sink, but you can't see that from this angle. The heart bamboo is from Chris for V-day, and the Begonia was a gift from my co-workers when I had RUBY...so it goes down in history as my longest living plant.

The laundry room...

Yes, I should be folding laundry right now. I should also be sewing...those are bags of fabric and unfinished projects. The reason they are out is because I recently dragged them somewhere to be worked on. That's a start!

The toilet...We have four in this house, one more than I'd like to have to clean...okay, four more! They are your basic toilets, nothing to report on that subject!

What the kids are doing right now...

Now they are both asleep, but when I took these pictures, Ruby was eating breakfast (yes, she did sleep with my handy artwork on her face...) and Alice was still asleep, so there you have it!

My favorite room(s)...

I love the family room because that is where we hang out as a family. Not my favorite as far as projects go because I'd like the built-ins to go (or maybe be refinished or painted) so there is somewhere...ANYWHERE on the walls to decorate. It is so hard to post these things and not go into detail about my cosmetic gripes...so I'll stop.

The other room I like is my den, where to keep up with all my fellow bloggers and work on my photography. Someday I'll lose the walpaper.

My closet...

I'm not an organized girl. The only things that are hanging are things that I don't wear either because they are out of season, don't fit or are out of style. I should really donate all of that.

My favorite pair of shoes...

This speaks for itself, right? I like the shoes on the left, but I wear the shoes on the right. I'm primarily a mommy, and crocs are great for that part of my life. Some people even think they are stylish, I just know that they are comfy and easy to put on.

Dream Vacation...

My dream vacation that is out of reach...so truly just a dream, is to go to Spain for a couple of months. I'd go in May or September, and I'd go to the Valencia coast. That way, I'd be a couple of hours from my favorite city in the world, Barcelona, and all the people and places I love there.

Lucky for me, I have a dreamy place to vacation in McCall, ID...and I'll be there for three weeks this summer. Nothing is like McCall for me. It's just my place. I can't believe that I get to go there with two kids who are old enough to walk, not eat sand, go without diapers, and swim with a life preserver. It will be an easy, fun time in comparison to other summers when I have a baby...babies are too much work at the beach!

I tag...Amanda (I want to see your new place), Heather, Rachel, Lynz and Jayne.

Baby for a day...

We are really ready for another little one at our house, so it was really fun to babysit "E" for a day. She's so darling!

I should check my mail more often...

I got the mail yesterday and found these darling handmade card sets from my friend Jen Hymer. She made these herself, and I think they are darling. I can't wait to write little notes on them! THANK YOU!

Thuper Fantathtic Progreth...

About a month ago, Ruby said the word, "lipstick" and pronounced her 's' the right way. I've adored this last childish sounding pronunciation, but I could see was now capable of making the sound, so I figured I should follow-up with a little reinforcement. So we talked about it and she excitedly said "lipstick" a dozen times. Then we talked about other words, and she was genuinely surprised to find out that some words actually didn't have the "th" sound in them.

After our conversation, she has made quite an effort to pronounce 's' the right way. Sometimes after saying a word the old way, she'll stop herself and say, "mom, I need to say that over again because I need to say my 's' right." Then she'll repeat herself with all the right sounds. Just now, she said "pleath, I mean please, mama? You know why I said that twice, right?"

Here I am in the middle of typing about this, and I said, "no."

"Because I didn't say my 's' the first time!"

I love getting to know my girl. I think she's a pretty hard worker, she loves to try and try and try! She currently has two rows of callouses on her hands from the monkey bars, and she spends lots of time at the piano learning new songs she hears. She taught herself a mother's day song and plays it for me all the time.

The other night, Chris and I were out on a date and the babysitter was trying to put Ruby to bed, but they couldn't find one of her loveies (truth be told, it was a beanie baby that she'd bought at a garage sale less than 8 hours earlier, so I hardly think it was a real attachment, but the sitter knows my rule* so she was doing her best to find the silly thing). So after searching high and low, Ruby told Julia that they needed to say a prayer. Ruby said her sweet little prayer, knowing that she'd find her lovey, and she did! I love these little glimpses of her HUGE faith, and her growing trust in her Father in Heaven.

* Every time I pick up a babysitter (we use them a lot), I let them know that they have my permission to spoil my kids while I'm gone. I tell them, "ANYTHING my kids want when I'm not here that will make them happy is your first priority." I'd rather come home to my kids feeling happy and loved, sitting on the couch at 11PM watching television than sound asleep having cried for two hours wanting me. The good news is that my kids don't know about the rule, and they are used to a normal/strict bedtime routine (they never (ever) come out of their rooms asking for a drink or whatever), so they do just fine. (There was one time when a sitter had Ruby up at 11pm watching a movie, and I laughed about it, but in that case, it was a sitter problem, not my child's request) Occasionally, one will request to fall asleep in our bed or something, and I think it alleviates some stress for both parties if the sitter can just roll with the request. I just assure them that my only requirement is that they are happy while I'm gone. What if my kid had an ear infection and was crying and wanted to be held, and the sitter was militant about bedtime!? I just like having the spoil them rule for the off chance it would come in handy.

Alice's first vaccine...

So it dawned on me when my two and a half year old was running barefoot around the backyard a couple of weeks ago that she doesn't have her tetanus shot! I absolutely intended to get her all shot up for that when she started crawling, and it never happened (hence, one pat on the back for the standardized schedule)! I lost hours of sleep over this, and knew I needed to get her in.

I knew I'd do the full DTaP because since I was little and saw a special on Whopping Cough (Pertussis), I've had a wee bit of a phobia of it, and I really do worry every winter when it spreads like wildfire all over my county. The D and the P apparently don't come individual, so we did the whole shot.

I just have to say, that I drive an HOUR (if there's no traffic) to get to my Naturopath to get any vaccines. Why? BECAUSE SHE TOPICALLY ANESTHETIZES THE SITE OF THE POKE BEFORE SHE POKES! It is so simple! She sprays this stuff on them and goes about checking their overall health (she won't give a vaccine to a child who isn't well) while the stuff kicks in , and then she distracts the kid and poke, the shot is done.

Alice noticed, but didn't cry, and we were on our way with a happy kiddo within minutes.

Why don't all doctors do this? I ask myself that question for hundreds of different things that they could do, but don't ALL THE TIME! Thank goodness for Dr. Kimberly Kelly (206-361-0346), who can tell me more about what is going on with my child by phone (with the prices of gas, and my co-pay, it is cheaper) than a traditional doc can that is staring my child in the eyes. Love her for knowing that a pestery tummy ache that prevents my child from wanting to go to birthday parties and Oma's house is not "in her head", for being there for me when I'm at the ER and they are telling me they need to shoot antibiotics into my daughter's leg (yes, in fact, she did need that shot, but it was nice to have someone I trust give me the green light). Thanks Kim for helping me change my diet so that my newborn who was diagnosed with acid reflux and prescribed ZANTAC (yeah, right!) at two weeks of age could sleep easy, stop crying and give a new mama some rest.

Good doctors are heroes (and good dentists too), and I'm so grateful for our family doctor, even if she does practice in North Seattle.

Laughing stock Stone...

Meet Stone. The new and improved (?) dog of the house. He was a pre-marriage commitment made by Chris, and therefore made by me when I married Chris. Stone and I are not buddies. I've put a lot of thought into this over the past 6 years, because I actually love dogs, and I have been very attached to a dog of similar breed and size. I've decided that it comes down to personality. If Stone were a person, he wouldn't be my buddy. In general, I like strong people, who love themselves and aren't needy. Stone is needy. He's cowardly and the only interaction we ever have is out of pity. I don't like relationships born of pity. I also don't get a kick out of people that smell. Stone smells way worse than your average dog. (I can say this because the last animal I was in love with was the same size and had similar hair, and didn't smell hardly at all.)

Anyway, now that I've outted myself and made myself look like an insensitive animal hater, I'll tell you about Stone's unfortunate run-in with Chris, the house groomer.

We usually shave Stone down in the summer so that he can stay cool, and because we were a little behind on brushing, we wanted to get him shaved a little sooner this year. (For those who don't live in the NW, we don't hold out for nice weather until after a really rainy 4th of July.) Chris decided to go get some dog shears and trim him up for free, at home. After a little trial and error, he wound up taking off the guard and just shaving him all the way down to the skin.
He looks ridiculous, but worst of all, I think he's cold. Unfortunately, he didn't do well emotionally when we moved, and has done really weird things in the house when we've let him in, so we typically keep in outdoors during the day, and in the garage (he has his place with blankets and such) at night. Anyway, I think I might have to sleep on the couch tonight with him next to me on the floor so that I know he isn't freaked, and he can be warm in the house. If only we had a kennel with a door on it, but we removed the doors from his kennels.

After Chris finished, he used the hair clippings to make a dog shape, and he and ruby pretended to pet him.