Maya Catching Butterflies

Grand Tea Party

2012-02-27T21:31:00.000-08:00

Last week the rascals and I attended a belated Valentine's Day tea at a friend's house. My friend, R-, emptied her entire first floor of all furniture and then packed it all away in a rented U-haul truck that she left parked somewhere in her neighborhood. She replaced every stitch of furniture in the family room with craft tables and chairs for making Valentines, and in the formal living room, she brought in a long banquet table and formal chairs sized just right for small children. Her husband and little boy weren't home which made me wonder if they too were packed away in the U-haul -- this after all was a ladies only event. The home was completely decked out, even down to the red, pink and white ribbon drapes that hung in a window in the formal living room. The house screamed Valentine's Day.

R- even hired a photographer to take pictures during the event so she would be free to mingle and prepare a formal tea party spread without missing a single moment. And even though the photographer was busily snapping away, I couldn't help but take pictures of my own using my mobile phone. Toward the end of the party, the photographer took individual pictures of us with our child(ren) -- a lovely, and decadent party gift from the hostess.

The food was delicious: scones, finger sandwiches, fruit, cupcakes, tea cookies, petits fours, and teas from Queen Mary Tea Room. While the children ate like princesses at the long banquet table, we moms gathered around in the kitchen where we nibbled treats, sipped tea and chatted. Here are a few images from that day:

Terrarium

2012-02-23T16:14:00.001-08:00

This past weekend Jon and the rascals decided to tackle the terrarium project, but first a quick online tutorial -- just to make sure everything would be done correctly.

Stuffing bits of moss and dirt into the narrow opening proved more challenging than the tutorial led us to believe.

Playing with dirt in the kitchen excited the rascals, but made me anxious. Luckily they kept the dirt on the counter so it was easy clean-up. Whew.

Jon shakes the bottle to make sure the contents settle evenly.

Once the moss and dirt is in the bottle, a chop stick was used to place each piece.

When the terrarium was done. The rascals lost interest -- cleaning clearly is not as interesting. Alex took her balloon and left.

Then she had a slight meltdown.

Sammy's energy tank remained full.

What a neat terrarium! I placed it on the living room table so when company comes they'll think we're earthy people. HA!

There was leftover moss and dirt so the girls made a terrarium of their very own. Don't they look proud of their accomplishment?

Basic British Scones

2012-02-21T12:16:00.000-08:00

We had a lazy Sunday (see Sammy laying there with her DS?). We had planned to head outdoors but Sammy came down with a stomach bug and our plans changed.

I made good use of our time at home -- I baked scones.

On Saturday, the rascals and I attended a belated Valentine's Day Tea at a friend's house {later this week, I'll share with you pictures from the event}. It was entirely lovely complete with fanciful decorations and scrumptious bite sized portioned foods. The most delicious of all were the scones -- I was still craving them the next day.

I found a recipe on Allrecipes.com called Basic British Scones. Having never been to England I had to accept the authenticity of the recipe.

This recipe calls for very few ingredients and yet the scones were flavorful.

Serve with your favorite jam and/or clotted cream. Click {here} for the recipe. The only change I made was that I used heavy whipping cream and 1% milk as opposed to just whole milk. I also used butter instead of margarine. Enjoy!

Recent Events

2012-02-17T21:52:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends! Where has the time gone? February is flying by and I feel like I have so much to share with you. The rascals are growing so fast, becoming more and more adept at doing for themselves. These days, instead of reading to Alex, she reads to me. Her newest obsession is reading. Reading billboards, reading street signs and mostly, reading books. And not just one book..tons of books. Listening to Alex cautiously sounding out words and using her best storytelling voice sounds sweet to my ears.

Sammy is also reading quite a bit more. She sits in her top bunk reading quietly to herself absorbing every word. By morning she has so much to share with us about what she's read. I will always remember, and cherish these moments.

And then there was Valentine's Day. I find it very difficult to decorate for Valentine's Day considering it seems to sneak up on me overnight. One minute it's all about the New Year, the next, it's all about candy hearts and cards. This year I made a few hearts and taped them to the kitchen cabinets. Each little heart says what I love about my family. For Jon I wrote, I love that you make pancakes from scratch every Sunday morning. Not the most poetic, nor romantic valentine, but it's what was in my heart at the time.

As you can see, we accumulated a good assortment of cards, candy, and flowers.

Have you heard of Art in the Age?

Jon recently polished off a bottle of Root -- not all in one sitting mind you, goodness no. He wants to use the bottle to make a terrarium. For Valentine's Day the rascals bought him all the materials he needs to complete his terrarium: decorative rocks, moss, and a tiny fern. Click {here} to see how it's done.

And then there's Sammy. Look how mature she looks! She's playing basketball now and you should see her running up and down the court. She's super quick and really working hard out there. Her games are so very exciting and often Jon has to calm me down because I'm screaming so loud and clapping like an insane person. But what can I say, I'm proud of my girl.

Snowuary

2012-01-16T10:25:00.000-08:00

Buddy the Elf Christmas

2011-12-22T12:03:00.000-08:00

Last night I passed through the seven layers of candy cane forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops, and then I walked through the Lincoln Tunnel to downtown Seattle.

The best way to spread Christmas cheer, is singing loud for all to hear.

Oh how I love to see the gingerbread houses, "I think you're really beautiful and I feel really warm when I'm around you and my tongue swells up."

Tonight we plan to first make snow angels for two hours, then we'll go ice skating, then we'll eat a whole roll of Tollhouse Cookie-dough as fast as we can, and then we'll snuggle.

Cookies, Cookies and More Cookies

2011-12-18T21:06:00.000-08:00

Last week I baked cookies for three nights in a row, and on the fourth night, I made the frosting and icing. It's all a blur to me now, but during the flurry of festive baking I found that I was quite content in doing the work. So much so that I sit here this afternoon wondering about what to bake next. Granted I didn't bake anything spectacular, just a few dozen sugar cookies {recipe below}, Gingerbread cookies and a new favorite -- Lofthouse cookies {see image above}.

Watkins Vanilla Sugar Cookie

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large egg yolks

Pinch of salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2-3 tablespoons colored sugar for topping

In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour and baking powder; set aside. In another large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the butter and sugar until well blended and fluffy. beat in the egg yolks, then the salt and vanilla, until evenly incorporated. Gradually beat or stir in the flour mixture to form a smooth dough.

Divide dough and half and place each half between layers of wax paper. Roll to about 1/4 inch thick and place in refrigerator until firm, about 30 minutes. (see below for my suggestion)

Cut dough with cookie cutters- make sure you use cookie cutters that are of similar size so they bake at the same rate. The recipe calls for 8-11 minutes or until just barely brown around the edges. Allow to settle before transferring to cooling rack.

To ensure that the cookies keep their shape, place cookies on baking sheet and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take the baking pan directly from the freezer and in to the preheated oven. This will prevent cookies from spreading.

At first I thought that the Gingerbread recipe would make a soft cookie, but what I found is that after the cookie completely cools, it firms up making it great for decorating. This cookie will hold up nicely for making a gingerbread house too.

The icing is just your basic Royal Icing.

Royal Icing

3 large egg whites

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 16-ounce box powdered sugar

pinch of salt

Liquid or paste food coloring (optional)

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on low speed (use a whisk-shaped beater, if available), beat together the egg whites, 1/2 teaspoon of the lemon juice, and the salt until frothy and opaque. Increase speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, until evenly incorporated and smooth. Increase the speed to high, and beat in the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice until the mixture stands in stiff peaks, 3 to 5 minutes. If the icing is too stiff to pipe or spread easily, beat in water, 1 teaspoon at a time; if too runny, beat in a little more powdered sugar. If the icing stiffens upon standing, thin it with a few more drops water. Keep plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel over the bowl to prevent the icing from drying out as you work.

At first I thought that I didn't bake enough cookies, but I did. I had well over enough. I still have cookies leftover and plenty of cookie decorating sprinkles and icing to boot. Looks like I'll be decorating cookies well into the new year.

Oh Christmas Tree

2011-12-11T17:21:00.001-08:00

It's starting to look and feel like Christmas around here.

Yesterday we went to the tree lot near our home to find the perfect tree.

We did some running around and Jon stood-up tree after tree for us to give our thumbs up or thumbs down.

The rascals weren't too picky, most trees suited them and their dolls just fine.

We gave up some of our children's college fund in exchange for the perfect tree.

Once home, we set the tree in place... and by 'we', I mean Jon.

We took a short break for Vanilla Steamers with Whipped Cream.

Our lights were just as I had left them when I packed them away last year -- a ball of knots.

It seems like every image of Alex is of her in this black turtleneck. Please know that she does have other shirts. I promise you, she really does.

Decorating went well, we managed to drop only one delicate snow globe ornament. Eh, no big deal.

Now that the tree is done, it's on to baking...

Pebernodder

2011-12-08T21:21:00.001-08:00

Jack Frost made an appearance this morning, crystallizing flora underneath a sparkling sheath of crunchy white ice. Diffused Christmas lights strewn along the roof lines of neighboring houses twinkled quietly behind the murky fog. My hands have reunited with cashmere lined leather gloves as if it were many years ago since they last met. Winter is nearing.

*************

This week Sammy had to bring to school a food representing her culture. We brought, Pebernodder.

According to Allrecipes, Pebernodder is a traditional Danish Christmas cookie. I didn't think my rascals would like this cookie because it contains Cardamom. I'm only vaguely familiar Cardamom so I had no idea what to expect, but I can tell you that the dough formed nicely, not heavy but perfectly airy and light. Once baked, the cookies puffed out into these flavorful 1/2 inch pillowy bites. Pebernodders are delicious -- not too sweet with just a hint of pepper from the Cardamom.

And because we wanted to keep to tradition we stuck to the recipe as it was written, only adding in a dash of vanilla to taste.

We plan to make this cookie again and again, possibly updating it by rolling it in sugar and/or sprinkles to pretty them up. Or, Pebernodders dipped in chocolate and then sprinkled with finely chopped nuts for added flavor and texture. What a versatile and easy to make cookie. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, stirring until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cardamom and cinnamon; stir into the sugar mixture just until blended.
Separate the dough into 6 balls, and roll each ball into a rope about as big around as your finger on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces, and place them on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Hello

2011-12-07T11:38:00.001-08:00

I have a great husband. I shouldn't brag, but I feel I must. Last night my husband ran the dishwasher which I know sounds like a simple task and still I often forget to do it, but he doesn't. He then started the oven cleaner -- it worked for him and as you may recall, just before Thanksgiving it didn't work for me -- I thought it was busted.

This morning, do you know what my husband did? He emptied the dishwasher then proceeded to clean the tiny bits of charred crumbs out of the oven using a Shark vacuum cleaner. Brilliant! Why didn't I think of that. I would have been inside the oven, sponge in hand, cleaning it all bit by bit.

I shouldn't seem so surprised because he does stuff like this all the time. He truly is a remarkable man, and I just had to share this with the world -- and by world, I mean the five of you reading this. Hi, mom! (insert goofy wave here)

On Sunday morning we took the girls to the ice skating rink in Bellevue. It was a private event so the rink stayed fairly sparse allowing my girls to skate with the kind of freedom not seen during normal public skating hours. I rented skates and had hoped to skate with my girls but my tummy felt awful -- it felt queasy and not good at all.

I watched as my girls skated along the perimeter of the rink clawing their way along with big grins on their faces when suddenly I felt much too sick to stay. We had to cut our morning skate short which made me feel worse.

For the rest of the day I stayed home ill. Lucky for me it was just a 24 hour bug. It was gone by the next morning. Whew.

In other news, I'm working toward getting the house ready for winter break. I'm making sure we have glue sticks, pens, pencils, crayons, paper, books, etc. If my girls complain that they have nothing to do, I'm going to point them to the art station, the puzzles, the Littlest Pet Shop toys, and much more. Bored, I don't think so.

We've also started a painting project. Well, actually, it started off like this...

...my girls were screaming and yelling, tattling, snatching things from each other, crying and simply making a big fuss over nothing. Then of course I got in on it too. I started yelling and tattling and snatching all in an effort to diffuse the situation and needless to say, the situation escalated to more screaming and snatching. After a few minutes of this I said, in my eerie subdued voice, "Sammy, you're going to get a piece of paper and a pencil. Together, the three of us are going to come up with a list of House Rules. C'mon, chop chop, get the paper and pencil." I said, waving my hand gesturing the universal sign for, hop to it.

Together we came up with rules about how to behave as a family. No Yelling is a rule we came up with along with, listen and allow others to be heard. There are many others including this one from Alex, No Pigs Allowed Because They'll Stink Up The Place. I know it sounds silly, but I guarantee you, she's right -- pigs are P.U.

We got out a small canvas for the girls to paint a rainbow of bright colors; upon which we'll write in the rules. I'll show you the finished product just as soon as it's done.

I don't think the House Rules will have much impact on our day to day, but what I am hoping is that the next time we have a big blow-out family feud, I'll be able to point to the rules and say, "No Yelling. See? It says so on our House Rules."

We will see. Winter break will be a good test.

And then lastly, Alex is reading so much lately. Every evening she piles books into her bed and reads. I'm thrilled but also a little worried that the reason why tempers are short after dinner is because Alex isn't getting enough sleep at night. Hmmm, what to do?

Thankful

2011-11-26T18:24:00.001-08:00

Today is the last day of Thanksgiving break. It's been a soggy seven days with wind stripping away what leaves remained on sagging branches. Without the benefit of bushy shrubs to the east, our new neighbor's windows have full view of our bedrooms leaving us with very little, if any, privacy. On this Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for window treatments.

This year, both of my rascals helped make Thanksgiving dinner! Hurray! Together, we made the stuffing. It was such a thrill to have my girls working by my side cutting, chopping, squeezing, mixing, and stirring -- they really did a fantastic job. Alex practically made the cranberry sauce all by herself.

I had planned to tell you a story about why I put orange slices in the water pitcher, but considering how uneventful the story really is, I decided against it. Perhaps another time.

This year, Thanksgiving fell on Jon's birthday.

Every year we celebrate Jon's birthday, and his sister's birthday, on Thanksgiving because they both have November birthdays. But this year it was extra special and so I made a Chocolate Mocha Cake. You can find the recipe {here}. I also made the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting which you can find, {here}.

My sister-in-law brought homemade mini donuts sprinkled with all kinds of goodness. And to balance out the sweets, she made this amazing salad to go along with dinner.

Now. Let's talk turkey.

Each year I make the same thing. Roasted turkey breasts, corn bread stuffing, Bourbon yams, etc. etc. I have the menu down to a science -- it always comes out pretty well. Only this year, my meat thermometer failed me. It stayed stuck at 155 degrees and would not go beyond that. After we realized the thermometer wasn't working, Jon tested the turkey with his high-tech digital thermometer that he uses for grilling and discovered that the turkey was more than done -- it was overcooked. Blargh!

By this time, my guests were hungry. They ate the dry turkey smothered in gravy and didn't complain once. They were super sweet to me despite the mishap. I am so incredibly thankful for their unconditional love.

Happenings

2011-11-22T16:11:00.001-08:00

What is happening!? What does this mean?!?

I've been trying to get the self-cleaning oven system going and instead I get this message! I've checked the owners manual and it doesn't say anything about what to do if 'E 1 -F5-' should appear on the digital display. Needless to say, my oven is not clean. My guests will arrive on Thanksgiving afternoon with the smell of burnt pizza in the air. Dang it!!

Then if that wasn't trouble enough, I found a sink hole in my cornbread.

Just to give you a little background, I've been dealing with sink hole issues at work. I know it sounds strange, but trust me, you do not want to deal with sink holes -- they're a nuisance I tell you. A nuisance. And then, when one appears at home in your baked goods, it's particularly alarming. I've never seen cornbread do this before, so lets hope my stuffing comes out okay.

The girls are home from school this week enjoying their time with each other, and the computer. I think they've been in their jammie-jams for the entire time.

While the girls busy themselves with computer games {all learning games I can assure you -- aside from Webkinz which they do enjoy from time to time} I'm searching through new and old Sunset Magazines and blogs for recipes.

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm off to clean my oven, tend to numerous sink holes, and peel several pounds of potatoes and yams.

Snow Days

2011-11-16T20:10:00.001-08:00

The forecast? Possible snow in Seattle. Not a blizzard or anything like that, just a little dusting to change the scenery.

I do hope it snows because I love how snow has a way of calming the city -- the cacophony of city living is muted, replaced by cars softly crunching down the road. Listen carefully and you'll hear the neighbor shoveling a walkway -- it almost sounds like an ice skater's skate cutting into the ice just before leaping into a triple Lutz.

All this talk of snow has me thinking about my girls playing in the snow when they were a wee bit younger. Here's a picture from 2007 of Sammy proudly displaying her snow creations.

This next image just melts my heart. This is Alex seeing snow for the very first time. She's actually watching Sammy make a snow family.

While I'm typing this post, Alex said, "Wow, how old were you back then? You're wearing the same bathrobe that you're wearing right now." That Alex never misses anything.

Jon's been asking me what I want for Christmas so you better believe 'bathrobe' will be at the top of my list. How embarrassing.

Here are more snow day images...

I just love this image of Sammy because it says, "I love it out here in the snow, but I'm cold and my face is frozen. How do I stop smiling?"

My kids have grown so much since these pictures were taken, and I can't believe it. Where did the time go? But the one thing that hasn't changed is... they still enjoy eating snow. I'm glad some things haven't changed.

P.U.

2011-11-08T13:12:00.000-08:00

It's moments like these that make me want to put on a HazMat suit. Alex came down with a nasty stomach bug early Sunday morning. This is her second day home from kindergarten which means I've been working like a maniac to remain well washing my hands every few seconds and doing my overall best to stay clear of germs. You know that I'm normally very attentive to my sweet little patients here at the infirmary, but this time, I just can't take any chances getting sick.

In just a few days I plan to spend a weekend away at a beautiful home on a nearby island with ladies from book club. This will be my very first recreational trip away from my family. I've been away before on business, but that doesn't count because business trips are no fun.

This morning Alex appears to be much healthier and is even eating a hard boiled egg while watching cartoons. I asked her very nicely to make sure to keep the hard boiled egg in her mouth and in the bowl because if it gets messy, our entire TV room will smell like P.U. {pinch my nose}. Alex gobbled down the egg, and guess what? She had hard boiled egg bits all over the place and now our TV room is for sure going to have a P.U. smell.

I already know how the rest of my day will play out. Jon will come home from work, notice the foul odor wafting up from downstairs, and then he'll say, "What's that awful smell?" And I'll say, "It's the P.U. smell from the hard boiled egg I let Alex eat in the TV room." Jon will then look at me like, "Why in the heck (only he'll probably not say, heck) did you let her eat P.U. eggs downstairs?!?" I'll probably get a little tongue-tied and won't have a response; only technically, just between me and you, I do have a response but I don't want to say it out loud so here it is in a whisper. I let her watch cartoons in the TV room while eating a P.U. hard boiled egg because I wanted her as far away from me as possible so I wouldn't catch her stomach virus germs. And that's the whole truth -- nothing but.

I so desperately want to travel to this island and discuss books, play board games, eat lasagna and drink wine. Did I mention that I want to drink wine? In my mind, my bags are packed and I'm on that ferry heading to luxuriate in the peacefulness that awaits me. Alex really needs to get back to school tomorrow, and that's. alls. I'm. say'n. Plus, who wants to stick around here with that nasty P.U. smell anyways. HA!

A Day In The Park

2011-11-05T18:05:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the park where the girls, along with their friends, spent most of the afternoon collecting leaves to form a large pillowy pile. I on the other hand, used this beautiful clear autumn afternoon to practice photography using my new... er rather old lenses.. that were given to me by my uncle.

Being the klutz that I am, I was hesitant to use these otherwise flawlessly kept lenses afraid that I would either drop them or get them incredibly dirty. I used each lens with care and did my best to capture as many moments as possible. I've still got a lot of learning to do, but for a novice, I think these images came out nicely -- that is, if you don't fault me for the overexposed images.

Prepping for Halloween

2011-10-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

I am loving today's autumn sunshine. Fall is my favorite season. The crispness in the air, the subtle rustling of leaves as the wind sweeps them gently across the sidewalks and into the streets. Peering out my window I notice for the first time the transformation that has taken place - rust and gold leaves have all but replaced the bushy leafy green ones. On these clear fall days, I always think of my youngest daughter who, at age three upon noticing a backdrop of mountains in the distance, asked "Who painted that picture?" I remember giggling saying, "That's not a picture. Those are real mountains."

We are kicking in to high Halloween gear around here. We're loving the spooky decorations and the promise of candy come Halloween night.

This past weekend we carved pumpkins using stencils to make images of ghosts and owls. The girls were great, digging inside the pumpkin removing guts and seeds as best they could. In the end, as usual, I swooped in to take out any remaining bits of slime.

This weekend we'll huddle around the TV to watch, It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, as if it's our first time seeing it. We'll munch on popcorn and when the show ends, we'll come to a disagreement with them over whether or not they will get to watch it again or watch something else. Jon and I usually give in allowing them one or two more cartoons. It is after all, Halloween. We love the holiday just as much as they do.

If I don't talk to you before Monday, Happy Halloween, friends!

A Look at AG

2011-10-18T13:59:00.000-07:00

Somehow I always manage to get myself on the wrong side of my children. This weekend I took the girls, along with their dolls, to the American Girl store just to check it out. I told them that we wouldn't buy anything and that it was just a trip to look and see. On our way to the mall, Alex asked if we could buy one little thing, and instead of answering with a firm, no, I gave a wimpy, we'll see. Famous last words.

We arrived at the American Girl store and were blown away by the incredible doll displays and overall coolness of it all. This was definitely Jack Pot! central.

After looking and touching and caressing and petting all the lovely items, Alex asked again if we could buy something and I said, no -- to which Alex said, very huffy, "But you said! You said you'd see and now we're here and you said!" I felt a little queasy knot in my tummy because I did say that, and now I was changing my mind. Sammy wasn't quite as vocal but her face said it all.

Look. I don't have to explain to you how outrageously pricey these AG dolls are, so trust me when I say that I really, really wanted to buy them everything their hearts desired, but c'mon. I'd much rather go to Target and buy the knock-off outfits and accessories.

We took our time exploring the store when a friendly AG associate walked up to Alex and said, with raised eyebrows, "Who do you have there? A look alike?" I just had to step in with a, "Eh-hem, it's actually, Molly. Not a look alike." I raised my eyebrows right back at her, I sure did. Alex's doll is the real deal, and I probably would have gotten a little more aggressive with an added, "Oh hells no! She did not just call Molly a 'Look Alike'!!!" Complete with finger wag and eye rolling, but I didn't. I remained calm and moved on -- with a little huff in my step.

It probably wasn't the smartest idea -- taking my girls to the best doll store in the history of ever, only to dangle all sorts of lovliness in their faces and then leave empty handed {wow! That sounded really harsh when I put it that way!} -- in the end, the girls really had a blast and when you're there, you honestly cannot help but fall to pieces over every little detail. Checkout that violin in the image above -- is that not the cutest thing?!?

West Elm - Love

2011-10-10T21:01:00.000-07:00

I know it seems like I've all but given up on this blog considering the long breaks in between posts, but I honestly haven't.

There's just a part of me, lately, that feels like living in the real world instead of behind the lens of the camera. I've decided to put the camera down for a bit and just live life. It's freeing, and at the same time, bitter sweet. There have been moments when I wished I would have brought my camera along to capture those belly aching, laugh so hard moments that seem to creep up whenever we as a family are out and about. There are times when Alex is bent out of shape over one thing or another and I wished I'd had my camera to capture her pouty, scrunched up face. Sometimes, as good as it may be, the phone on my camera just doesn't do the moment justice.

This past weekend we went to visit the brand new West Elm in Seattle's South Lake Union neighborhood. What a remarkable place. Even though for years now I've inhaled all of their catalogs and drooled over their website, I was beginning to think the whole thing was a myth. Now my dreams have come true. West Elm is here and it isn't a mirage.

The store is beautiful, just like I thought it would be. The goods are lovely {and some, a bit pricey}, though not surprisingly so. My only disappointment, it was only one floor. What the what?!?

Is it possible to fall madly in love with an ottoman?

There were several items at West Elm that I wanted desperately to bring home, including these ceramic pieces. The checkout line wound around the store and with the children, I thought better than to keep them waiting in a store full of breakable objects, so I left without buying a darn thing - dang! I said good-bye to my love, Ottoman, and also a "see you soon" to the ceramic pieces. The Ottoman was $600 so I don't think I'll be buying that, ever. I'm now on the hunt for its doppelganger. Eh, love is fickle.

After West Elm, and a lunch break at Whole Foods, we took the -- now don't giggle -- S. L. U. T. {South Lake Union Transit} to downtown Seattle.

These hats were a big hit with me and the girls, but Jon wasn't having them so these stayed at the store too. In hindsight, I think they are a tad Jerseylicious for a five and eight year old.

Still... so cute. HA!

Vegas

2011-10-01T16:53:00.000-07:00

Only in Vegas will you find me in a photo booth wearing a cowboy hat and apparently throwing up gang signs. My husband was right along with me, joker hat and all. What were we thinking!?

We were in Vegas over the weekend to attend a friend's wedding and boy was it fun. Jon and I are not gamblers so we didn't touch a slot machine or card table, instead we did the tourist thing, walking the strip checking out the shops and hotels. Is it me or is everything just way over the top crazy in Vegas?

I couldn't help taking pictures of everything in our hotel room even though I've stayed in plenty. Don't you just love the light embedded in this mirror? Snap snap!!... had to take pictures of it!

I really dislike having my picture taken. I'm trying to look natural and instead I look like I'm in severe pain. Trust me, I wasn't in pain, I was having fun and loving every moment of our trip.

My Gomer Pyle was in full force, "Gaawwwwly, you can buy alcohol out of a Slurpee machine... in the daytime? (Pickup jaw from floor).

Leave it to me to stop to admire the sweet treats.

Yes, my eyes are closed and that's completely normal for me.

The wedding couldn't have been more beautiful set under the clear night sky, moonlight dancing across the water. Cheers to the happy couple.

Summer Days

2011-09-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

We're only a few days into the school year and already my children seem more settled. They're in a routine, spending time with friends, doing brain work. I love it.

This past weekend Seattle got a sneak peek at autumn. Rain, wind, and a canopy of grayish blue skies encouraged me to rifle through my collection of sweaters and jeans for something just right. Something not too heavy, and not too light.

Mornings are brisk and now jackets are hanging at the ready near the front door. Summer appears to be getting smaller, much like the view of a tall building when driving out of town; after some distance, you don't even see it anymore.

I feel this way about vacations too. Vacations are fleeting, and I suppose, after wearing a sweater for two days in a row, it ignited in me a desire to reminisce. Our trip to Sunriver was only a month ago and yet it feels like an eternity .

Here are images from that trip:

Pizza Cake

2011-09-14T14:23:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you have an excited birthday girl and a very tired mommy? Pizza cake! Sammy had a few of her friends over for a sleepover birthday party and let me tell you, it was a hoot. And even though we had loads of fun, I didn't have the energy to put together a fancy birthday cake, so instead I made a basic round cake that I sliced in half to create a skinny round cake, topped it with cream cheese frosting {that I tried to dye red, but got pink}, then added yellow Startbursts candy for the pineapples, black licorice for the olives and fruit roll-ups for the pepperoni. Oh, and I grated white chocolate for the cheese. I think it turned out great. I served it on a pizza peel. HA!

Here's the recipe for the cake:

Yellow Butter Cake

from Martha Stewart's Cooking School

Ingredients:

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

3 cups cake flour, sifted

2 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 cups sugar

6 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups buttermilk, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat over to 350, with racks in the middle oven.

Brush two 9-inch round cake pans with softened butter and line bottoms with parchment paper; butter parchment. Dust pan with flour, and tap out excess.

Whisk together both flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 6 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

Reduce speed to medium and add eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate fully after each and scraping down the sides of bowl as needed. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk and ending with the flour. Beat in the vanilla. The batter should be smooth and very thick.

Divide batter between prepared cake pans, smoothing tops with an offset spatula. Bake, until cakes spring back when lightly touched, and a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

Transfer to wire racks; let cool 20 minutes. Carefully run a paring knife around the edge of the cakes to loosen.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

from Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans

Makes 3 cups

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups powered sugar

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly blended, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing.

Add the powdered sugar, mixing until smooth, about 1 minute, then beat on medium speed for 1 minute to lighten the frosting further. Add flavor or food coloring as desired.

Dosewallips State Park

2011-09-06T15:28:00.000-07:00

Our family took a trip unlike any other. We went camping. Not the regular kind of camping where you wrestle with setting up tent, instead we stayed in a platform tent complete with electricity and heat.

We stayed for two long days in the wilderness, cooked over an open fire, and walked a few yards to the communal bathrooms. I'll admit that the outdoors was more pleasant than I thought it would be and it wasn't the least bit scary. We tried to give the girls a 'real' rustic camp experience despite the comfortable quarters.

It took us some time to understand what the heck we were supposed to do out there along the banks of the river so when we saw other campers hurling rocks into the river, we decided to do the same. Turns out, hurling rocks is fun.

Even though Jon and I told the girls not to get wet, Alex proceeded to pull up her pant legs and walk in anyways. Note to self: the girls have selective hearing in the wilderness too.

We were hoping for sandy beaches and instead got this. Beautiful, but no where near sandy. No matter, the girls still had a great time.

Ranger Eric taught us which plants were edible and which would kill us. After class, I let the girls know that even though we now know that Huckleberries grow on the tops of tree stumps -- because that's where Robins like to poop -- for safety reasons, we should never pick and then eat them. Huckleberries look a lot like other berries and we don't want to eat the wrong plant. Blackberries, good; everything else, bad. I certainly hope they didn't have selective hearing during this conversation.

We brought along Alex's bug kit and it certainly came in handy.

Water bugs are just as creepy up close as they are flitting around in the water.

I'm guessing we were the only ones out there toasting bagels over the fire.

We didn't need the bug kit for this guy.

Maya Catching Butterflies

2011-08-29T13:57:00.000-07:00

Hello, friends. Good Monday afternoon to you all!

I don't know where the time has gone for all of a sudden the start of the 2011-2012 school year is drawing near. I can't say that I'm sad about this because I'm actually excited for the girls to begin anew. This summer has had its ups and downs and mostly I attribute the 'downs' to my lack of planning. I over scheduled the girls in the late afternoons and had absolutely nothing for them to do during the mornings and early afternoons.

I've worked during the morning and afternoons leaving my girls to fend for themselves, only emerging briefly to prepare snacks and meals, otherwise I was involved in daily conference calls and working feverishly to meet deadlines. Did I tell you that in Direct Mail, the mail never stops. NEVER. While I was pounding away on the computer writing and reviewing direct mail materials, my girls were off cranking up the Phinneas and Ferb music and jumping on the sofa in the family room, which by the way, is strictly verboten. But it's hard to enforce the rules when my face is buried in my work.

Additionally, Alex continues to be a rascal. I get so darned angry with her until I have time to sit quietly and truly reflect on where I believe her hostility is coming from. I think I've found the answer. Alex will be starting kindergarten soon and I'm positive that the approaching school year has caused her much anxiety. I can't say that I don't feel for her to some extent, but mostly I want her to come to terms with the fact that school will be fun, exciting, full of surprises and new friendships and new teachers and new playground and a new routine and all that good stuff. I want her to understand that listening to Phinneas and Ferb all day while jumping on the sofa isn't as much fun as kindergarten. HA! Try telling this to a five year old right?

Meanwhile, my first born, Sammy, is turning eight tomorrow. She is beyond giddy and for days now she's been screeching, "Can you believe it, mom? I'm going to be eight!" I can believe it alright and this occasion tugs at my heart a wee little bit. I still remember when I brought this baby... this baby, this Samantha baby home for the first time. I had no idea what I was going to do with her. She was snugly and wiggly and pink and scary. She made foreign noises. Her face contorted into what could not be described as any facial expression I was familiar with. I didn't know if she was, mad, or glad or sad or afraid or anything. When I asked other parents, more experienced parents, what she was trying to convey with a puckered O shaped mouth, they'd say, "She's hungry," or they'd say, "She's constipated." It took me days to figure out the difference between a hungry face and a constipated face, but soon I got it.

Now this tiny baby is a moderate sized eight year old, and I'm still learning what some of her facial expressions mean. Sometimes, there's the ubiquitous rolling of the eyes which totally means the same thing in all languages, Whatever. And then there's the blank stares out into nothingness that I think means, she's bored, or she's got something on her mind, or she's reflecting. I don't know which, but every day I'm learning.

Now summer is coming to an end and I'm closing the book on this chapter of my life. I'm now parent to, a kindergartner and a third grader. Oh what challenges are in store for me, only time will tell.

Last week when Alex was in gymnastics, her coach came and sat down beside me and said the following, "Alex is a hard worker when she wants to be. Mostly she's off in her own little world doing her own thing... she's catching butterflies. Now this isn't a bad thing, she just needs to focus sometimes." This news was unsettling for me to hear. I don't want coaches or teachers for that matter, telling me that my child isn't focused. I took the information with calm and just chewed on it a bit. In the end, I had to admit something that I've known all along about myself, and that is, I too am unfocused... catching butterflies. Could it be that my girls have inherited this trait? Be that as it may, I don't think of it as a negative, only a small opportunity for improvement. We all sometimes need to make adjustments, large and small, in order to move forward in life a better person. I guess this is something me and my girls will have to work at, focusing.

Friends, you have been so incredibly kind coming to this blog to read about my rascals and all the silly things we do as a family. I'm moving on now to a different space that I think might be better suited for my personality. I hope you'll join me there: Maya Catching Butterflies. Maybe this new blog will help me along my journey toward becoming a better, more focused person. I hope to see you there.

Obsessive Mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-08-27T21:56:00.000-07:00

The other night I had a bothersome sweet tooth. This sweet tooth was a real nuisance. I'm talking nuisance like a house fly endlessly buzzing against the window while the back door is wide open nuisance. I'm not sure how you would handle an overly aggressive sweet tooth, but I'll tell you how I handled mine.

I decided to bake chocolate chip cookies, but I was down to my last stick of butter when most chocolate chip cookie recipes call for two sticks of butter.

I thumbed through cookie books and blogs, searching for a recipe that required only one stick of butter, and in a short amount of time, I found one. Hot damn! I could already envision that pesky sweet tooth in my rear view mirror. So long sweet tooth!

Though my 'Hurray!' would be short lived because right smack dab in the middle of the page were the words, Hazelnut Butter. Hazelnut Butter? I didn't have Hazelnut Butter, nor would I ever have had Hazelnut Butter. My excitement waned. If I had had an empty tin can, I would have kicked it I was so bummed. And then it came to me. Nutella! In place of the Hazelnut Butter I could use Nutella. Hurray again! {These cookies were starting to look less like the recipe in front of me and more like an exercise in substitutions: First the Nutella in place of Hazelnut Butter, then considering the sweetness of the Nutella, I reduced the amount of sugar. In place of a whole vanilla bean, I used vanilla extract.}

While the cookies baked I sat in my kitchen listening to a man on the radio talk about crop circles. It was late in the evening, the rascals were sleeping, and my husband was downstairs watching Mad Men by way of Netflix. Don't you just love Netflix, especially now that it's streaming through XBox? Anyways, back to the sweet tooth/cookie fiasco.

While the rascals were in bed, and husband was downstairs, devouring episode upon episode of Mad Men, I was in chocolate, hazelnut heaven. There's something calming about the smell of butter and sugar, AND Nutella. Don't you agree? I kid you not, my house smelled like what I think the Keebler hollow tree would smell like.

When the oven timer went off, I opened the over door to thick, almost perfectly round chocolate chip cookies. I didn't even wait for them to cool before I bit down on one. Almost immediately my annoying sweet tooth was gone. Can I get another, Hurray! These cookies stayed chewy in the middle even after they cooled.

That night I went to bed dreaming of hazelnuts, chocolate and crop circles. Crazy.

Here's the recipe:

Obsessive Mom’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

From Mom’s Big Book of Cookies by Lauren Chattman

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup hazelnut butter or Nutella

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

¾ cup granulated sugar (I used ¼ cup)

2 large eggs

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (I used a teaspoon vanilla extract)

2 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

¾ cup finely chopped skinned hazelnuts (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375⁰F

2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in medium-sized mixing bowl.

3. Cream the cooled melted butter, hazelnut butter (or Nutella), and sugars together in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add the eggs and beat until smooth. Scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean into the bowl (or add the vanilla extract) and stir until well distributed. Stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips and the nuts, if you are using them. Place bowl in the refrigerator for 10 minutes (or up to 6 hours) to let the dough firm up.

4. Drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets, leaving about 3 inches between each cookie.

5. Bake the cookies until golden around the edges but still soft on top, 9 to 11 minutes. Let the cookies stand on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then remove them with a metal spatula to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days.

Five Year Old

2011-08-13T22:55:00.000-07:00

Suddenly my adorable youngest offspring has turned into a stark raving angst ridden teenager. How did this happen? She’s only five years old. Often times I feel more like I’m aiming to break a horse rather than raise a child. I know it’s a horrible thing to say, comparing my own little girl to a wild horse, but I said it and now its out there, sort of like when a cat hacks up a hairball, it just gets to hacking and despite the pitiful stares, there’s not much it can do but continue hacking until the hairball is up and out. So I guess that’s where I am. I’ve already put the words out there so I might as well hack out the rest.

Anyway, as I was saying, I’m breaking a horse instead of raising a five year old. We have our battles, Alex and I, about ten times a day and in the end, I can’t tell you who won, we both walk away dissatisfied. When our arguments finally come to a halt, Alex clomps her hooves angrily as she heads off in the opposite direction all the while pouting her lips with arms folded tightly at her chest like she’s trying to muffle the rage. I too trot off, eyes filled to the brim with tears, unblinking to avoid wetting my cheeks.

Alex is a tough one alright. To be so little she sure knows how to hurt me with single-syllabic words. The word ‘NO!’ can be awfully cutting when proclaimed with a growl and whinny. ‘NO!’ coming out of the mouth of a five year old is like a Ginzu knife running through a tomato, so quick, so effective – tomato juice running out onto the cutting board – talk about a pitiful sight. And when that knife punctures me, those hurtful proclamations and the hoof stomping, there is not a trace of tomato juice, instead the only thing coming out of me are etch-a-sketch threats like, “Don’t even think about watching Sunday morning cartoons, because you’re not getting any!” Then, come Sunday morning, there she is plopped down in front of the TV, engrossed. I stand there, etch-a-sketch in hand, shaking it vigorously like a danged fool.

When I was pregnant with my oldest, adorable offspring, I envisioned myself raising my child by way of clever eastern philosophical riddles like for instance, “There there my child, a wanderer can only find truth once they have traveled a great distance.” Then my child would look at me, confused, too confused in fact to respond, but then, as a young adult -- after the first major disappointment in her life -- my child would come back to me illuminated, “Mother! You were right. Now I see what you were trying to teach me all along. You are so wise!” Then I would smile a knowing smile, and that would be that. I would be right, and there wouldn’t be any arguing the fact. Instead, most every day since getting into the business of mothering these two adorable offspring, the familiar voice in my head reminds me, “But Maya, you ain’t got no wisdom.” And then I skulk about plotting more realistic methods of mothering; none of which seem to be working.

Perhaps threatening isn’t the right approach. Maybe the way to break a horse is sticking to whatever punishment I’ve hacked-up and take the etch-a-sketch out of the picture entirely. Or, maybe threats and punishments are altogether wrong? I haven’t tried horse whispering – could it be that this horse responds better when coaxed with a few sugar cubes? All I know is that I’m tired. I’m tired of the battles. Where the hell is Gandalf when you need him?

On a happier note, I’m back from vacation (I know, what a subject change). I’ll share images from our trip later this week.

Random Summer

2011-08-04T14:37:00.000-07:00

We are plowing through summer with back and forth trips to gymnastics, the library, dentists appointments, birthday parties, swimming and so much more, and now the sun is shining and our little corner of the world is finally warm. And I say warm because I know most of the U.S. is suffering under oppressive 100+ degree weather which makes me very thankful to be living in the great state of Washington.

I really dislike all the back to school commercials I'm seeing and hearing because it seems premature. Summer really just started... so it seems. Mistakenly, I over scheduled my children this summer and it's only now slowing down to a comfortable rhythm.

Here are a few camera phone pictures from the past couple of weeks. As you've probably already guessed, most of which are of food.

Last week Sammy had two teeth pulled to help with the overcrowding. She did such a good job even though she was super nervous about going under the knife. She's a very brave girl and her reward, bowls and bowls of ice-cream. :)

And here is the reason why wearing a bikini isn't such a good idea for me - Root Beer Float belly.

There's my scary thumb.

Yesterday Alex was on the receiving end of two vaccinations. She smiled the entire time and her only complaint was that the Band-Aid kept falling off. The pediatrician's office is a few blocks from Trophy Cupcake and it's a tradition that after vaccinations, the girls get to feast on cupcakes. Alex chose the Neapolitan and Sammy, the Mint Chocolate Chip. After cupcakes we headed home and on the drive home, Alex said to Sammy, "The only reason why I did so well getting the shot was because you were there." Awe. I was thrilled to hear nice words being exchanged given my children usually can't wait to bust one another at every turn. The constant tattling and the "she hit me, and she snatched that" all day long is maddening.

I never imagined that I'd have a picture like this on my blog. I went with a friend to a tattoo parlor where she was getting her nose re-pierced. I have been contemplating a tattoo despite the grimaces I get whenever it comes up in conversations. If I were to get one, know that it will be discreet; something small, something cute. Trust me, if I were to get a tattoo, I'd also treat myself to a Trophy Cupcake afterwards because I hear getting a tattoo hurts like the dickens!!

Years ago I wanted to get a tattoo of a turtle just slightly above my hip bone, but a very wise friend told me that, "...in a few years, that turtle will look like a hippopotamus." Best darn advice I'd ever received because that friend was right. Refer back to my Root Beer Float comment.

City Mice

2011-07-23T23:28:00.000-07:00

Before reading this post, sit down because you might be here for a while. You might even want to grab a cup of coffee to keep awake. This is going to be a long post covering events of yesterday evening and today.

Yesterday Sammy was sick, again, so we had to cancel a long awaited sleepover she was having with a friend. We intended to let the girls camp in the backyard for an extra special slumber party, but it was not to be. After much consideration, and a little bit of a spring in Sammy's step, by late afternoon we'd decided the slumber party was back on, this time with just our family. We cracked open the brand new six person, octagonal tent, Jon had bought a few days ago and started assembling it with a great deal of enthusiasm... at first. After an hour or so, it became all too clear that the tent was a lot smarter than us. We gave up. As much as I hate to admit it, it was just too damn hard and we were tired of wrestling with it. After all, we are, City Mice, and know not the ways of erecting tents and such, instead we are much better at erecting a suitcase in which to place our travel clothes for hotel stays.

Despite our pathetic attempts at outdoorsy fun, we settled on a simple backyard fire complete with Nutella S'mores.

The girls camped out in the family room instead of under the stars.

By morning, we were all hungry for a big breakfast {fighting with a tent will make you ravenous) so I made these Pikelets from Donna Hay. I'll have to provide the recipe later as I am too tired to type out the recipe now.

After breakfast it was off to explore our sunny city. As you probably know by now, it just isn't a family outing without a trip to a long board store. And yes, Jon did manage to buy another one -- with our encouragement of course.

Then it was off to downtown Seattle where we explored the open market and cavernous stores and eateries.

After the girls had ice-cream at Pike Place Market, we stopped in at the Chocolate Box - a cruel thing to do after the girls had already eaten their ice cream. Their hungry eyes wanted more treats but we just couldn't bring ourselves to give them more, so we left with having only a few samples.

Then it was off to Tune, a high-end audio store where we checked out a few turntables. And yes, I did explain to the children what the big black discs were and why they were going around and around on the flat plate.

We walked to the Olympic Sculpture Park where we rested and also played.

We listened to the gurgle of Seattle's underbelly through the large orifice in the center of this installment. Okay, maybe it wasn't Seattle's underbelly, but if you had to imagine it, it would probably sound like the glurp whoosh bubble bubble coming out of this contraption.

The City Mice showing off their sharp teeth and claws.

After taking the photos we saw the sign that read, "Do Not Touch." Oops.

I call the above image: Man, Red Chair and Striped Handbag. HA!!

It was such a beautiful day and this bride picked the perfect day to start her new life. I apologized to her for taking her picture but told her that I thought she looked gorgeous. I don't think she minded what with that radiant smile of hers.

This orange bike is fabulous.

Finally we arrived home after a long day walking the hard pavement of downtown Seattle. Jon made possibly the best ever iced coffee drink I've ever wrapped my lips around. But because it contains: condensed and evaporated milk along with concentrated coffee, I don't know how many more I'll be having -- it was extremely decadent. My husband knows me too well. I suppose I was supposed to sip it... I didn't. I chugged it. Yummy.

We City Mice were wiped out by the end of the evening -- well, except for me. After having that coffee I'll be up all night, hence the long post.

Lemon Butter Cake

2011-07-17T21:43:00.000-07:00

My children sometimes challenge me in ways I never thought imaginable. They can be fiery, and they test their boundaries at every turn keeping me forever on my toes. We are trying our best to take advantage of the summer break and we wish desperately that Mother Nature help us out a little. The incessant rain and gloomy skies haven't given us much motivation to rejoice so instead we rely on indoor activities like, practicing our best Paula Dean accent to fulfill each day. Alex's impression of Paula Dean is almost perfection while Sammy and I still have work to do.

"Welcome to Pawla Deeen's Besst Diashes. Today we're goinna bake a deliciouz, Lemon. Butter. Cake. Don't that jes make yer mouth warter?"

The other day I baked a cake even though there was no birthday or anniversary to celebrate. I just thought a cake might be the thing we needed to lift our spirits. That and a little Paula Dean.

Modern Classic, Book 2, by Donna Hay is absolutely wonderful. Donna's recipes are time savers and require few ingredients which is exactly the type of baking I enjoy most -- simple.

Lemon Butter Cake

Recipe from: Modern Classic, Book 2, by Donna Hay

Ingredients:

Cake:
4 oz butter, very well softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup caster (superfine) sugar (can be found at William Sonoma or other specialty food stores)
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking powder, sifted
1/4 teaspoon baking soda, sifted
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon zest of lemon

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Place the butter, vanilla, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, flour, baking powder, baking soda and milk in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on low speed until combined.

Increase speed to high and then beat the mixture until it is smooth.

Grease a 8 inch round cake tin and line with non-stick baking paper. Spoon in the mixture and bake for 1 hour 5 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool for 5 minutes then turn onto a wire rack. Serve plain or spread with basic icing.

Basic Icing:
Sift 1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar into a bowl. Mix through 2 tablespoons water or 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon zest until smooth.

Less Talk, More Photos

2011-07-10T20:58:00.000-07:00

I feel like this post is coming to you really late even though the 4th of July was only a few days ago. This year, for the first time, we went away to Long Beach, Washington for the holiday. We stayed at our usual spot on the beach but this time the small coastal town was bustling with swarms of people. On our first day there, as we were exiting a grocery store parking lot, the guy in the truck in front of us decided to backup without looking and plowed right into us. Poor guy. Even though he ran into us, I felt sorry for him. He was a young kid, probably in his early twenties and like most people his age, he was probably heading out to enjoy the holiday when unintentionally, excited as he may have been, he banged into us. I'm sure whatever dreams he had of a rock'n weekend was tarnished with this accident now hanging over him. And, as disappointed as we were that this happened, on our vacation no less, we couldn't dwell on it. We called our insurance company, reported the incident and that was that. It was time to move forward, busted headlight and all, to enjoy our seaside escape.

Even though we've been to this spot before, the landscape changed. This time, instead of dry, wheat colored straw we were surrounded by magnificent lush green grass; the ocean is just a two minute walk away.

After spending time on the beach it was off to town to buy fireworks.

We spent time in town taking advantage of all the things we don't normally find open in the off season.

This little walk-up dining spot had an outstanding selection of sandwiches and pizza. They bake their own sandwich bread too.

In the little town north of Long Beach, we were eager to watch the fireworks show they had planned for July 3rd. We feasted on kettle corn and shaved ice, but then the rain came and just about everyone picked-up and left.

As we were leaving, the show began.

The next day, we spent more time on the beach.

In Long Beach, you can drive on the beach. I'll never understand this. Why on earth drive on the beach? I'm sure it's fun, but I don't have any desire to do it. My girls played as best they could all the while dodging traffic.

Finally Alex gave up and took her pail and shovel to higher ground, far from the ~~highway~~ beach traffic.

Back at the condo the girls ate sugar cookies. In true Sammy fashion, she ate the frosting first.

We attended a small town parade.

My girls love the pool and would stay in it all day and night if we let them. Sammy has blossomed into this highly capable, strong swimmer, while Alex is still bobbing around in the shallow end. I can't say that I'm as happy to be in the pool as they are, but I do like that this is a saline pool which feels great; you never have to worry about your eyes stinging or smelling like chlorine. It's wonderful. And the temperature here is always perfect! In the off season, we normally have it all to ourselves, not this time.

When we weren't on the beach playing Frogger with all those cars zipping by, we were on the boardwalk wheeling around the smooth paths. As family photographer, and watcher of Alex, I stayed on foot running alongside Alex making sure she didn't get going too fast. After an hour or so, Alex sprawled out right there on the path complaining she was too tired to keep going. With a little encouragement she got up and skated the last stretch to the car where she plopped down in her seat like it was the most comfortable chair she's ever sat in.

Chico's is a great pizza joint for families. We were sad to see that this business is up for sale so we're hoping whoever buys it, doesn't change a thing.

After dinner it was back to the beach for fireworks

The evening of the 4th was calm and strangely quiet save for the bursts of fireworks that erupted along every inch of coastline. Alex and I watched large plumes of chrysanthemum shaped displays explode above our heads while Sammy and Jon enjoyed them from the condo. The beach was a little scary for Sammy and considering the company we were in, I didn't blame her for wanting to enjoy the show from afar. People were camped out along the beach, each with their own bonfire and arsenal of fireworks. It was a combination of beer drinkers, pyromaniacs and probably gun toting outdoors men just itching to light something on fire, but it turned out just fine. As far as I know, nobody got hurt, and like I said, it was surprisingly quiet and calm. Everyone was there just as we were enjoying America's birthday. We went to bed that night with the sound the 4th lulling us to sleep. I will always remember this vacation and the fun we shared together. Oh, and that sandwich shop is always on my mind too. Nighty, night.

Summertime Books for the Kiddos

2011-07-05T22:23:00.000-07:00

We are back from our trip to the ocean where we spent a good part of our time being tourists visiting gift shops, playing on the beach burying ourselves (mostly Alex) in sand, running in and out of ice cold ocean water (mostly Sammy), eating watermelon and ice-cream, drinking Italian sodas, swimming in the pool, listening to firecrackers pop, watching magnificent firework displays. Later this week, if time permits, I hope to bring you images from our trip, but until then, I have books to share with you.

We've been hitting the library each week bringing home as many books as our tired Volvo can carry. Each week we are delighted to find a few titles that have a slightly different take on the traditional. The Library Gingerbread Man goes along much as the original story does, but instead this Gingerbread Man emerges from the pages of a book instead of an oven. He jumps along the stacks running into all sorts of characters. When the Gingerbread Man runs past a Thesaurus the Thesaurus demands, "Stop! Cease! Halt! Freeze! Stay!" The Gingerbread Man responds as we would expect, "... you can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man." The Gingerbread Man continues running, escaping a Robot, Jesse Owens, and many more characters from the various sections of the library. You'll have to read the story to find out if the Gingerbread Man is outsmarted by the fox.

Rapunzel and the Seven Dwarfs: A Maynard Moose Tale is just about as quirky as any story I've ever read. I'm a bit of an oddball so I instantly fell in love with this bizarre tale. The first time I read it to my girls they both agreed that they didn't care for it, but after only a few hours they were begging to hear it again, and then again, and then again. It is hilarious! The story is told by Maynard Moose who uses Moose vocabulary and a voice that is just as wacky as the story. Rapunzel is 'Punzel' and the handsome prince is 'chubified' and therefore can't climb the tower to rescue her. There are 8 or 9 seven dwarfs and a poison watermelon. It's all very exciting and very comical and I can't wait to read more Moose Tales! Oh, and there's a handy dictionary at the start of the book to help you with the Moose language.

Rock & Roll Marathon 2011

2011-06-27T21:13:00.000-07:00

You're probably looking at the above picture and wondering what month it is. Well, let me assure you that it is indeed late June, but we're still wearing our coats because even though the calendar says June, it feels like October.

I woke up on Saturday morning around 4:00, with butterflies in my stomach. I lay in bed with my eyes open listening to Jon race around the house as he was getting ready for the Seattle Rock & Roll Marathon. My role in all of this was to make sure the girls were up by 5:30, dressed and ready for when the cab would arrive to pick us at 6:30 -- Jon had left much earlier. We did not want to be late because the girls were invited by the American Cancer Society to hold the finish line tape for the first place winner of the 1/2 marathon.

We arrived at the finish line long before anyone else aside from marathon staffers, the media and photographers. Security was in full force making sure the folks with access could get through the barricades and considering we weren't staff, media or photographers I worried that they wouldn't let us through. I told security that my girls would be holding the finish line tape and they gladly let us in giving us full access to everything. I made a point to stand with the photographers trying my best to look official.

Since it was so early, there wasn't much to do so I snapped a few pictures.

When it came time for the first 1/2 marathoner to come through the finish line a flurry of activity ensued. The first order of business was to unroll the finish line tape and position it precisely at 13.1 miles. Then we were given the news that the girls would not be holding the tape and that it would be ME holding it instead. The girls were too short as the tape needed to be held at the waist. I was disappointed that the girls didn't get a chance to do their job, but they really didn't seem to care. Holding the other end of the tape was a couple from the TV show, The Bachelor. I had no idea who these people were, but apparently they're famous. Had I known I'd be standing there next to real live TV personalities, I'd probably had run a comb through my hair. I couldn't help feeling inferior to the young girl standing opposite me -- she and her bright smile; teeth procured from deep sea oysters and me with my crooked canines and scrap metal for teeth. It was not the morning I had expected.

I saw the first runner rounding the corner to the finish line and then my excitement grew. Everybody was screaming and cheering, whooping and whistling -- it was exhilarating. The race official said to me just as I could see the runner approaching, "Now when the runner comes through the finish line, drop your end. Just let it go, okay?" I nodded to show that I understood, but actually I was confused. I thought the runner ran through the tape, breaking it in half, I didn't realize I had to release the tape at just as the runner was coming over the finish line. I got nervous. What if I didn't release my end on time? What if the runner bounced off the taught tape and was ejected back before the 13.1 mile mark? Would they deduct that from his time? Oh darn. Now beads of sweat was forming on the back of my neck and it didn't help that the TV couple didn't have to do anything -- they just had to stand there looking radiant with their pearly whites reflecting shards of light at the photographers. Then, once I saw the runner nearing the tape my hands opened, splayed out like jazz hands allowing the tape to fall ceremoniously to the ground and the runner crossed the finish line without incident. Whew. I was so glad that part was over.

Here he is -- the winner of the 1/2 marathon!

Here is the first female runner! She was super quick too.

Even though our job was done, we remained in the thick of it, standing with the photographers so I could pretend to be one of them. I couldn't believe I was standing there amongst all the other photographers -- they with their tricked out lenses and utility belts and me with my simple Nikon and stock lens -- I didn't care. I acted the part of photographer and put my modest camera in with the rest of'em. I think I got a good shot.

After the half there were noticeable worn knees.

Then it was off to watch the full marathoners! Here's a guy who came in somewhere around the top 20. He put on a show for us by doing a push-up after he crossed the finish line. Mighty strong guy.

Then Jon came in looking stronger than ever. #34 out of 26,000 runners with a time of 2:59:52. That's under 3 hours!! Holy moly!! And what's even more amazing is that this is precisely the same time he finished last year's race.

I used one of the photographer's lines and said, "Let's see the medal."

Jon's team, Team Determination raised over $200,000 for the American Cancer Society. See the gal with blonde hair sitting next to the guy in the white shirt? She's in the next Twilight movie and also stars in a TV show -- I can't recall which one.

And it wouldn't be a Rock & Roll Marathon without the bands. Still feeling much like one of the photographers, I got up to the stage and snapped this picture of the band, Everclear. They sounded awesome!!

Thank you, friends and family for your generous donations. Because of you, Jon raised over $2,000 for the ACS. He ran this race for Alex and the countless others whose lives have been touched by cancer. I asked Sammy if she would like to someday run a marathon and her response was, "Yes, but I'll probably be off somewhere digging up dinosaur bones." HA!

Tonight

2011-06-18T21:35:00.000-07:00

Tonight it felt like my children were testing me for sport? It felt like they were taking turns kick'n up a ruckus and were keeping score with tally marks etched somewhere secret away from inquiring minds.

Tonight I felt it alright. Like someone had on a pair of snakeskin boots whopping me repeatedly on my backside all evening.

I wanted to run off to someplace far away where I could scream louder than a clap of thunder, and instead just made my way to the grocery store to pickup a few items for tomorrow's Father's Day breakfast. It was a short errand offering only a few moments of serenity with nothing more than the soulful styling of Diana Ross playing in the background... Do you know where you're going to? Do you like the things that life is showing you? Where are you going to, do you know?....

My girls are oh so sweet when they want to be...

...sweet enough to put a smile on a horse's face.

Other times they're a handful. They leave me so deflated, so tired and weary that I'm sometimes shamefully at a loss. I'm hoping tonight they, and also I, will get a good nights sleep so we can together celebrate Father's Day without incident and without any _ _ _ _ -- you fill in the blank.

Preschool Days Are Over

2011-06-08T16:30:00.000-07:00

First before I go into what I really want to tell you about today, I have to backtrack a little to talk about the post I wrote a few days ago concerning my Lost Wallet. Earlier today, an anonymous reader left me a comment that I just had to delete because it was offensive and quite honestly made me feel really sad. This anonymous person felt I was being cruel in the way I described the man that found my wallet – instead of being thankful, he said I was insulting.

Anonymous, I must tell you that my husband said the very same thing to me, though he was much softer in his critique. If you’ve read this blog long enough then you would know that I do not profess to be a very good writer, far from it. I simply write about my small adventures in motherhood, and adventures that happen to me along the way. I can only write what truly is swirling around in this little brain of mine for to write anything different would be disingenuous. When I wrote about George, I never meant to give the impression that I was ungrateful... goodness no, quite the contrary. I was deeply moved by the fact that a stranger took the time to find me and graciously returned my wallet, but what I wrote didn’t clearly convey that at all. I merely wrote, at the time, what I was truly thinking and sometimes maybe I reveal too much. When I spoke to George on the phone I had a completely different image of: what he would look like, where he might live, his personality, his stature, everything. I don’t think I’m that much different than anybody else in that respect; we all have preconceptions that sometimes don’t match up with reality. When I wrote that post, I was writing to illustrate my true thoughts at the time, my first impressions. Was I thankful for George? Heck yes!! Was I more than thankful at the time of our meeting? Yes! I think I even bowed several times as I couldn’t think of any other way to express physically how incredibly grateful I was. Anonymous, I deleted your first comment, but left your second one for all to see. you made me so sad, but in the end, I feel like you were doing exactly as I had done – you gave me your honest impression – I can’t fault you for that.

Moving on....

Tomorrow will be my Alex’s last day of preschool. Come this fall, she’ll be a kindergartner and then I will never be a mother of a preschooler ever again. I’m a little teary eyed over the whole thing, and excited for this new chapter in our lives. I wish I could say that I taught my children well in their pre-kindergarten years, but I can only take credit for a handful of nuggets that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. 1) Eat over your plate. 2) Keep to the sidewalk because if you walk in the grass you might step in poop. That’s it. I’ve got nothing else. With this, I’m sending little Alex to kindergarten where hopefully she’ll learn a bunch more.

Today, on our way home from school, Alex said she was going to miss preschool. I didn’t have the courage to tell her that I’m going to miss it too. She made friends with just about the sweetest, most caring little girls and boys imaginable and I’m going to miss seeing their giggly faces and the way their coats hang off one shoulder even on the coldest days. Their lunchboxes are just about as big as they are and when they walk they seem to list to one side, negotiating their way toward the school entrance while simultaneously trying to maintain a good grip on their meal. They are hilarious and such a welcome sight to see each morning at drop-off. Now, all the kids will go their separate ways, all entering the same grade at different schools – some private, some public – but, I’m certain that they all share some, if not all, of the anxiety Alex is feeling. In hindsight, this part of our lives seems short. I will miss it, and cherish it forever.

Plant Rules

2011-06-06T21:32:00.000-07:00

Whew! I thought it was never going to happen. I thought I'd be wearing rain boots for the rest of my soggy life, and then the clouds parted and clear blue skies rained down on me. Hurrah for Seattle!

Yesterday we finally tackled our horrendous front yard, chopping away at shrubs, pulling weeds and anything else that looked menacing. I have a No Feed The Ducks rule when it comes to plants: I'm not going to feed the shrubs because I don't want them to rely on me. If they can't survive on their own, then it's off to the big yard waste bin in the sky. And that's on them, you can't put that shame on me.

This shrub bit the dust not because it wasn't surviving well on its own, this one was surviving way too well. In fact, it not only survived but threatened to take over the entire yard, taking important nutrients and sunshine away from the less heartier plants. Because of this, it had to go. This is my Canadian Geese rule -- over populated and becoming a pest, so like the Canadian Geese, this plant had to go. Don't judge me.

While I was pulling up freakishly enormous weeds, the girls were squirting each other with water.

Jon brought out he heavy artillery for the most unruly plants.

Together, Jon and I managed to get our yard somewhat in shape, but in the end, it's gonna take a lot more than one afternoon to make a noticeable difference. I'm a fair-weather gardener, so if the sun isn't shining, chances are you won't see me pulling weeds. So weeds! You better hope for rain.

Lost Wallet

2011-06-03T12:19:00.000-07:00

I lost my wallet at Safeway, or maybe it was Metropolitan Market, I really don’t know for sure. I know I paid for my groceries at Safeway, tucked my wallet into my purse and then corralled my girls away from the candy machines. I then proceeded to navigate the large shopping cart -- the one with the car-like facade with the seats and steering wheels -- out into the parking lot. As far as I knew, my wallet was with me the entire time. With children buckled in their seats, I returned the gigantic kid-car shopping cart and then ran back to my car. I then drove to Metropolitan Market for items that I didn’t find at Safeway.

Inside Metropolitan Market we sampled cheeses – cheeses my children wouldn’t dare consume at home but for some reason in public they gobble it up like candy. While the girls were filling up on Mediterranean Gouda, I was searching for Gruyere. I found Cave Aged Gruyere which to my surprise costs a small fortune causing me to clutch my purse tighter. Then, at my husband’s request I was on the hunt for Arabica Coffee which apparently doesn’t exist as a coffee name, rather it’s a species of coffee. I did not know this at the time so I settled on a coffee that contained Arabica beans from Ethiopia. At checkout, I reached into my purse for my wallet and it wasn’t there. I searched again feeling my way around a toy Kazoo, empty gum wrappers, old receipts, a cell phone, hair ties, Burt's Bees lip balm... the wallet was not there. Somewhere between the Cave Aged Gruyere and Arabica coffee, I lost my wallet. Maybe I lost it at Safeway while running through the parking lot pushing the kid-car shopping cart. I was livid. My wallet, and $80 cash was gone.

Frantic, I hustled my children into the car yelling at them to buckle their seats. I then drove home recklessly as if taking my anger out on the road would make me feel better. Once home, I screamed at my husband. I screamed at everybody and only made nice with the folks at Safeway and Metropolitan Market because I wanted desperately for them to find my wallet or at least tell me that someone found my wallet or that they found remnants of my wallet, or something. I just wanted to hear good news. I drove back to Metropolitan Market.

While at Metropolitan Market the friendly, plump cashier who I’ve spoken to many times before, offered to give me the Gruyere and coffee for free until I was able to pay, which at that moment sounded almost as good as finding a wallet full of money! This man was so incredibly kind and compassionate but I simply could not take him up on his offer. I told him that my husband would come in later to pay and pick-up the items. He smiled sweetly and didn’t press me on it knowing full well that whatever he said, I wasn’t walking out of the store with items I hadn’t yet paid for. Then he said something that made me recoil. He said, “Sweetie, usually wallets are turned in right away – you’ve been looking for yours for some time now.” The truth hurt, and this person, clearly the entire opposite of sinewy, laid it out for me straight. He may not have been sinewy in appearance but he sure was in his conviction, he cut to the chase and broke it down for me without hesitation. It was this very moment that I knew my wallet was no more. This revelation settled on me like ash settles on the ground after a big volcanic eruption – softly, but with huge impact. Now it was clear that some stranger, some heartless criminal, was walking around town with my identity. (And by the way, I hadn’t thought of identity theft until just now while writing this post.) At the time, I only felt my whole self was left in that wallet and if it wasn’t in my possession that meant someone else was walking around with who I am. To say that I seethed a considerable amount is an understatement. It was time to call the bank to report my card lost/stolen.

While on the phone talking with the bank associate I kept referring to my wallet as having been ‘stolen’ and my husband would chime in from the other room, “Lost, not stolen.” Each time I uttered the word ‘stolen’ an echo came from my husband – ‘lost’ he corrected me. At this point, it really didn’t matter... lost, stolen, so what. The wallet was gone and it mattered not how it left my person, what mattered was everything was suddenly gone.

A day later, the bereavement over my precious wallet lingered until it occurred to me that I had lost sleep over articles I didn’t even know I had. My husband asked me what was in the wallet and I honestly couldn’t tell him. I knew I had stuff, but what that stuff was, I could not recall. You see, my wallet, for the most part, was a dumping ground. A place for discarded business cards, credit cards I never used, receipts from purchases made months ago, old appointment reminders that had long passed – there really wasn’t anything in that wallet of significance or anything I could honestly say I’d miss, well, minus the $80. All important items were easily replaceable and had no sentimental value. I stopped seething. The bank took care of everything, and a new driver’s license was on its way.

Then, out of the blue, I received a phone call from George, the man who found my wallet. I couldn’t believe it. I was happy. I rejoiced. But my celebration was short lived because I had already replaced everything. Getting my wallet back now seemed anticlimactic. However, I was intrigued to see what state my wallet would be in and was anxious to know if it had any adventure stories to tell me.

I met George at his apartment not far from my home. He told me that he found the wallet on the hood of his car and that everything appeared to be in order, except there wasn’t any money in it. George who looked about as old as I thought he would look, was unimpressive if I’m being perfectly honest. I thought he might turn out to be this heroic fellow, dressed in golf attire and fancy shoes. Instead he was a simple man. (And by simple, I mean, drab. I didn’t mean to imply that I had to talk slow and enunciate every syllable along with hand gestures, simple. He was merely unassuming.) He wore a faded brown leather jacket, black shirt, brown pants, brown shoes and he smelled like he smoked about five packs a day or more. And even though his face looked tired and worn, it was an honest face. George described to me how he came to find my wallet walking me through the scene as if reenacting the entire event. Together we speculated about why we thought the wallet ended up where it did with mostly saying things like, “Huh, you think so? And, “It’s a possibility, but will we ever really know?” And also, “Isn’t it the strangest thing?” Then at the end of scratching our heads and looking aimlessly toward the hood of the car where the elusive wallet was found, we started to part ways. But, before we separated, George got in a few last words, he said, “You be more careful with your things.” Complete with finger wag. That's George for you, the kind man who imparts simple words of wisdom.

Once in my car, it was clear that George’s cigarette smoke had permeated the leather and all of the contents inside. As well, everything was damp from being on the hood of George’s car all night. Now my wallet smelled awful and felt icky, so I made the decision that it was time to get rid of it and buy a new one. My next wallet will be smaller, and will have no room for junk. From now on, I’ll take George’s sage advice and be more careful with my things.

Oh, and by the way, the Cave Aged Gruyere is worth every penny.

Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips with Fruit Salsa

2011-05-25T22:07:00.000-07:00

Sometimes kids just have a way of saying things plainly, compartmentalizing worlds complications into black/white or this/that. For instance, tonight after dinner Alex was looking pensive just sitting there alone in a comfy chair, quietly dangling her legs over the armrest until she decided to prop herself up, extend her arm and then point to the light in the vaulted ceiling. "I wish I could live in that light?" Which I thought she was saying for her own benefit due to the dreamlike quality to her voice; but soon her gaze rested on me, a sure signal that she wanted a response. Meeting her gaze, I stopped loading the dishwasher and asked, "What's that now?" With arm still extended she answered, "That light... right there. I wish I could live in it because sometimes at bedtime I'm afraid of the dark." Simple isn't it? If you're afraid of the dark, why not live in the light. Putting Alex to bed tonight proved to be an impossibility because she cried her eyes out until Jon decided to take her downstairs to snuggle with him. There, with her dad, accompanied by the glow of the TV, Alex's wet cheeks illuminated and her mood elevated. Under these conditions, sleep came with ease. How I wish everything came this easy.

Today I made Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips with Fruit Salsa. I don't have an official recipe as I merely put it together based on some information I received from two other moms at my daughter's elementary school. It sounded easy enough and so I tried it. Here's a picture tutorial:

1. Cut flour tortillas into triangles. As many as you think you'll need.

2. Mix melted butter, sugar and cinnamon, then brush over tortilla pieces.

3. Sprinkle a mix of Cinnamon sugar over the top of the buttered tortillas then Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 to 12 minutes or until nice and crisp. And don't worry, your hand won't look like a giant claw when you do this; this is just how my hand looks on camera, don't be afraid, go to the light.

4. Combine fruits of your choice to make the fruit salsa. I used, mangoes, strawberries, red seedless grapes. (you can also add cilantro or mint to kick up the flavor, but I didn't do it because I wanted it to be as kid friendly as possible).

5. Squeeze in some lime juice. (you can also add peach nectar or orange juice if you so desire -- I did not desire, so I left it out.) Can you tell I was having trouble squeezing that lime? Where's the juice you ask. I couldn't tell you if the lack of juice was the result of an an abnormally strong lime, or a weak left hand. In either case, I did manage to produce a good amount of lime juice once my right hand was free.

6. Mix it all up.

7. Meanwhile your chips should have come out of the oven by now.

8. Your fruit should have melded together nicely.

9. Put the two together and you got yourself, Cinnamon Sugar Tortillas with Fruit Salsa.

I wish all recipes were this easy.

Street Fair

2011-05-23T14:43:00.000-07:00

"Yummy. A chocolate dipped ice cream bar."

"Let me just close my eyes and take a big bite."

"Oh yeah, that's some good stuff."

"Sammy, you should really try this. It's amazing!"

"Look at that thick chocolate and puffy white mini marshmallows."

"Isn't it good, Sammy?"

Pinterest and a Children's Book Not Fit For A Child

2011-05-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

Meet my new best friend; her name is Pinterest. Ain't she great? Pinterest is a great new site where you can pin things you love by category. I've only been pinning for two days now and it has become my obsession. I've pinned fashions I crave, rooms I adore, food I want to eat and so much more. It's a great way to create a virtual collage of all the things you love and then share them with others. You can also see what other people like too. You can find my pins {here}.

This might be the worse thing a mother can ever share, aloud, with others, but I'm here to admit that while I love reading my children bedtime stories, sometimes it can be the most frustrating time of the night. They always want more, or they come up with excuses for why they don't want to go to bed and it goes on sometimes forever. Well, here's a book that I DO NOT recommend you read to your children, but I highly recommend that you read it yourself for fun and if not for fun, read it to at least get out your frustrations. Here is an excerpt from the book:

The cats nestle close to their kittens,

the lambs have laid down with their sheep.

You're cozy and warm in your bed, my dear.

Please go the f%$# to sleep.

There are much more alarming words in this tale, but I'll let you find those on your own. I think I've gotten myself into enough trouble as it is.

Take 1, 2, 3....

2011-05-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we took the girls to Maggie Bluffs for dinner. Maggie Bluffs Marina Grill is set on the most picturesque marina in Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood. On this early evening the sun was just getting ready to peak out from behind the clouds revealing the most beautiful muted azure sky. I saw this as the perfect opportunity to capture a cute photo of my girls.

Take one. Sammy was ready, but Alex wasn't.

Take two. Alex is almost ready, but Sammy looks away.

Take three. Alex has the happiest smile. Sammy sits up to get a closer look at whatever it was that caught her attention in the first place.

Take four. By now I've lost their attention completely.

Take Five. After I whined a bit, Sammy stood still.

Take six. Aaaaaaand, they're done.

And for something completely unrelated, Sammy asked me to tell you, "PEACE!"

Happy Monday, Friends.

Our Story

2011-05-13T13:31:00.000-07:00

We arrived at Seattle’s Children’s Hospital with red veins running through the whites of our eyes weary from a sleepless night. We walked the long and winding hallways with trepidation gripping our children as if someone would be there waiting to take them away.

Alexandra spent a good part of the morning in surgery where doctors implanted a port-a-cath beneath her skin just slightly below her right shoulder. This device would allow doctors to draw blood and also inject chemotherapy drugs into her small, almost brand new body – Alex was 18-months old.

While Alex was in surgery, we waited impatiently pacing the oddly shaped waiting room located in the cancer clinic. My husband, as I recall, seemed much calmer though I’m quite certain he was just as distraught as I. I was dismayed by my surroundings. There were comfortable chairs, a TV, DVD player, video games, books, magazines and board games – all the comforts of home and yet this wasn’t home, which begged the question, “How long did these people think we would be here?” We watched the nurses and doctors through the window that separated the waiting room from the patient area. Doctors wore silly ties with cartoons characters like Daffy Duck and nurses wore uniforms with Dora the Explorer and Sponge Bob. While my husband didn’t seem to mind I was clearly annoyed with their silliness -- this was no place for video games or Bugs Bunny uniforms. I wanted to shout as loudly as possible, “This is the cancer unit! Why are you acting like we’re at Disneyland?” I wanted nothing more than to wrap my child in my arms and take her home. I wanted to feed her chicken soup, take her temperature, place a cool compress on her head and do all the things mothers are supposed to do when their child is sick. Chemotherapy seemed drastic and a little much for a baby girl who seemed on the surface healthy.

After a lengthy wait, Alex appeared, rolled-in on a hospital bed. She looked exhausted and confused by her surroundings. After gentle hugs and tender smiles, the nurse showed us to our room.

The room was directly opposite from the waiting room and at first glance appeared large and not completely unpleasant. Upon stepping inside, I heard voices coming from the other side of a pale blue curtain – it was another patient – a little girl not more than twelve years old. She was absent of color to the point of translucent, frail, bald and sadder than you can ever begin to imagine. Her name, Hannah.

I turned haughtily toward the nurse in disbelief. She couldn’t possibly have thought that we would be okay with sharing a room with another patient. I looked at my baby and thought seriously about why they thought my child was like that little girl. Alex was nothing like Hannah. They must have gotten it wrong. After the nurse assured me that this was indeed going to be our home for the next few days I reluctantly carried our bags in and set them down. I couldn’t sit down. Sitting would only make this nightmare seem permanent and I wanted the satisfaction of knowing that I was in control of whether or not we would stay. I’d sit when I was good and ready. At the far end of the room stood a large cage like structure which soon I discovered was the hospital’s version of a crib. The rails were much higher and the enormity of it was comical. I stood on tip toes and clumsily lifted Alex up, and then over the tall rails; Alex looked puny sitting there behind bars.

Throughout the day doctors and nurses took turns drawing blood and overall inspecting Alex’s vitals. In the midst of all this, Hannah’s mother came and stood beside me gearing up to introduce herself. She was soft spoken, and had curly red hair. I forced myself to look at her though in all honesty, I had no interest in knowing her. She explained to me that Hannah had brain cancer and in exchange, I told her about Alex’s eye cancer. She seemed to understand our plight and eventually I welcomed her smile. Then, as if I were smacked in the head with a bowling ball, she told me that Hannah started chemotherapy and radiation treatment in late November, and there we stood – it was January 2^nd.

I freaked out. I walked away from her and never looked back. I was rude, and wanted nothing more to do with Hannah or her mother. I couldn’t comprehend that Hannah, only a month ago looked like a regular child and my mind was suddenly shaken. I looked at Alex, tiny in her gigantic crib and tried to picture her bald, colorless, and skeletal – I couldn’t imagine it. I wouldn’t imagine it. I was unprepared both emotionally and mentally for this journey.

Day quickly turned to night and just like at home, Alex did not want to sleep in the crib. I scooped her up and held her close to me as we both tried to get comfortable on the narrow cot. Once we were finally situated, Alex went to sleep. I lay there with my eyes open. In the quiet of the night I heard the shuffling of feet just a little beyond the pale blue curtain. I turned over slowly and then pulled back the curtain, careful not to wake Alex, and what I saw sent chills down my spine. There was Hannah, frail and shivering trying to make her way to the bathroom that was conveniently located in the room, but somehow very inconveniently placed for her.

Hannah moved without lifting her feet. The sound I was hearing was her slippers sliding painstakingly across the linoleum floor. With each subtle movement, Hannah winced and moaned telling me that she was in excruciating pain. I let go of the curtain and lay on my back looking straight up at the tiny holes in the ceiling tiles. The panic I felt was palpable; my breathing quickened and I felt a little warm as if I were running a slight fever. I didn’t want to see or hear Hannah any longer. The voice in my head was screaming, “Shut up, Hannah! Go back to bed, Hannah!” The pale blue curtain did nothing to mute the sliding and moaning sounds and the more I heard them, the more they seemed to echo in my mind. I stuffed the blanket over my left ear and rolled over on my right side. I couldn’t listen to Hannah any longer.

{January 2, 2008}

By morning the floor was bustling with visitors and more doctors. Alex was anxious to leave the room to explore the rest of the floor, so like Hannah; we unplugged the IV and took it with us walking carefully so as not to disrupt the tubes flowing loosely from the IV to Alex. After a night’s sleep, I felt less angry and slightly more accepting of the position we were in. I met other parents with a friendly hello as we walked passed and smiled at many other bald children, some with incisions in their heads that went from the base of their neck to the top of their forehead. Some children had tubes coming out of their noses and yet they were running and playing as if they were on a play date. Alex still with a head of floppy curls found her way to the toys and happily played not noticing the other sick children present or maybe she noticed but didn’t understand that they were sick.

By the time we returned to our room, Hannah’s bed was empty. The nurses had already been in to tidy up; bed sheets were tucked taught underneath the mattress, the pillow had been fluffed and pillowcase swapped out for a fresh one. No doubt they’d probably done a good amount of sanitizing too in preparation for the next little girl or boy who would eventually come to claim the space. And unfortunately, these beds never stay empty for long. Hannah had apparently checked out and went home or moved to another care facility… I really don’t know. I felt horrible. I looked up and then focused my attention on each corner of the room checking to see if there were cameras and wondering if anyone had captured record of my bad behavior. If this were a humanities test, I failed miserably. I I had shown zero compassion for this family and worse yet, I tried with all my might to shun this little girl grasping desperately to isolate myself from the misery of cancer. My only defense, meager as it may have been, is that I felt I was unfairly forced into this terrifying situation and was unable to cope with the reality of where our lives were going -- it caused me to briefly abandon all semblances of manners. In that moment, standing there in that empty room, I knew I would always remember Hannah and her mother. I’d never forget how rude and closed minded I was and then suddenly it dawned on me that I would soon be just like Hannah’s mother - a mother of a colorless, frail and possibly bald little girl. Would anyone have compassion for us?

{April 2008}

{March 14, 2008, day of Alex's eye surgery}

{shortly after eye surgery}

2008

2009

2010

It is now May 13, 2011 and tomorrow will be Alex’s third year living without cancer. And even though cancer claimed Alex’s left eye it did not strip her of her spirit and infectious sense of humor. Alex remains cancer free and on May 2^nd,she celebrated her fifth birthday. She may be small but she’s a fighter. Here are images of Alex as of a few days ago.

I wish I could give you an update on how Hannah is doing, but I don’t know what has happened to her. I only hope that she too is thriving, attending school, listening to music, has a crush on a boy and he has a crush on her. I hope she’s playing soccer or softball or possibly taking Kung Fu or taking a foreign language. I hope she’s a Girl Scout. I hope she’s giving her parents hell and that they’re looking at her and thinking, “typical teenager.” I hope she’s studying for exams and working on a science project. I hope she is soft spoken and has red curly hair just like her mother. I hope she has had several birthdays and that she and her mother are making plans for the next one.

Once again my husband is in training for the Seattle Rock & Roll Marathon. He hopes to raise money for the American Cancer Society. The America Cancer Society saves lives and creates more birthdays by helping people stay well, and finding cures. If you are at all motivated to donate a few dollars to my husband’s run, please click on the link just below the banner of this blog. Your dollars really do make a difference – it’s made a difference for Alex and possibly Hannah, and for many others battling this disease.

To read more about Alex, please click {here}, {here} and {here}.

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T22:17:00.000-07:00

I am a super tired mommy this evening. Tired from all the Mother's Day love received from my children, husband and extended family. Jon made a delicious brunch which included an egg & potato scramble and buttermilk pancakes - yum. My girls had fistfuls of hugs and kisses for me all day, and even as I exited the shower this morning they were there with a boisterous, "Happy Mother's Day!" It was a bit jarring standing there in my birthday suit with two little ones staring at me with grins the size of watermelon slices, but I accepted their surprisingly loud sentiment nonetheless.

We spent a good part of the afternoon at Kerry Park taking in the breathtaking view of beautiful downtown Seattle. And for those of you that don't live here, I'm telling you, when it isn't raining, Seattle puts other cities to shame.

After a rigorous afternoon of play, it was time for frozen yogurt at Menchie's.

Even though we probably could have all used a sweet treat, we refrained and instead watched Sammy eat. Earlier in the day Alex and Sammy had a disagreement, and out of frustration Alex hit Sammy. I told Alex that even though it's Mother's Day I would have to scold her -- the punishment? No Menchie's frozen yogurt. Alex cried the entire time we were there. I felt so bad that I decided to sit this one out too. Sammy could not have been more pleased with her bowl of yogurt with sprinkles of candy.

Alex said she was hungry {And I'm sure she was after watching Sammy savor every morsel of yogurt and candy in her bowl} so we made a trip across the street to Metropolitan Market to get a bagel for Alex and a sweet treat for my mother.

I chose the cheesecake for my mom, and the whoopie pie for me.

Alex was much happier with bagel in hand.

Let the record show that Alex is the only one standing in the pot. Sammy wouldn't do it because we didn't pay for the pot and she didn't want to get in trouble, but being the troublemaker that I am, I hollered, "Alex, show everybody how you're growing!!" Let the record also show that Jon didn't want to participate in this shenanigan either, though due to it being Mother's Day and all, he reluctantly inserted Alex into the pot.

Then, it was off to the bookstore. It just isn't Mother's Day without a trip to the bookstore.

What a fun filled day it has been... and I loved every minute of it, minus the scolding I gave Alex.

Happy Mother's Day, friends!

Science Night and a Grabby Toy

2011-05-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

Science night was a major hit! Sammy worked tirelessly on her Cat Facts project and in the end, her hard work paid off. She answered all questions with confidence and didn’t scold me once when I interjected to help ~~correct~~ clarify an answer. Every child that participated clearly worked hard on their presentation and it showed.

There was the ubiquitous volcano eruption, the rocket displays, the solar system and an awesome robotic Lego contraption that sorted m&m’s by color. {The dad says his son worked on it all alone but I suspect he had help.}

There was a real life cosmonaut who gave an informative lecture about space travel and science. It was empowering to see all the girls in the audience hanging on to her every word.

As most of you can tell by this blog, I’m not a very smart cookie, so it was intimidating at times to see these children engaging in such a cerebral event. I had a ton of questions for these kiddos and they happily explained their projects with enthusiasm. I can honestly say that I learned a thing or two last night.

At the end of the evening, I sent my little scientist to bed with a kiss on the forehead and a heart felt congratulations. Sammy is such a smarty.

Moving on....

Alex got a one of those grabby toys for her birthday and now she and Sammy think they can grab just about anything.

I put the Khabash on this real quick. There will be no grabbing of glass, heavy objects, objects that are far too high, objects sitting in windows, objects in someone else's hands when they aren't looking, hair, body parts, etc. They're basically down to grabbing stuffed animals. Boy do I know how to take the fun out of a new toy!