a memorial weekend

We were on the go!
Friday night: E's friend Will and his baby sister came over for a play night so their parents could have a date - Happy Arbor Day , Charlie Brown was their video of choice.
Saturday: Tall House, Double Cup took E for a haircut - a nice short buzz with some length in the front. Very Blink 182 a la 1998. We took off on our three day camping trip. The smartest thing we could do was to bring the trike - it saved us. What joy it is to finally have your child old enough to semi- entertain himself with a friend while you sip beer around the campfire.
It was a wet and rainy weekend so I felt very Oregonian by camping in the drizzle. E and Ms. Petite played very well together - especially since they were thrown together for three days with six adults telling them what to do.
Here they are playing family. I think they make a lovely couple!
Monday: more rain and camping, followed by some play time at a cool park in Lincoln City, lunch at a fish and chips dive and then the long car ride home. We couldn't jump in the shower fast enough . . . . the lingering scent of smoke is still in the air . . . .

it was a good day

We exhausted ourselves last week but it was all worth it and it was all E all the time. Here are some happy shots from Sunday.

Marfie and I organized an early morning date at the best playground in pdx. I love that the majority of our friends would come out to play at 9am on a Sunday. For about two hours, the kids played like crazy while the adults took turns keeping tabs, sipping coffee and eating yum-yums.

Then we went on to E's first live theater production - Northwest Children's Theater presents Seussical the Musical. I bought the tickets months ago . . sort of in denial over the fact that Dr. Seuss has long creeped me out (it's a weird thing to admit as a children's librarian). Here is E at his first play . . .

and here he is ditching out with us at intermission (good Lord, it was awful!) to head over to a more satisfying adventure: Saint Cupcake. E said, "I really like this cupcake place." Well, yeah. Especially in comparison to that production!
We finished the day at swimming lessons and were happy to hear that E is already graduating from Goldfish and moving into Penguins next session. Hurrah for E! Apparantly it is only in front of his parents that he won't put his face in the water . . . he did it just great for his two adorable high student teachers. Boy-o!

I know it might seem sort of creepy . . .

I know it might seem sort of creepy . . . the amount of attention I give to feet on this blog . .. but really . . . it's innocent!
We celebrated Marfie's birthday with a trip to Barefoot Sage. For those who haven't indulged, this is an oasis of foot heaven! You get to sit on big velvet couches pushed up about four feet off the ground, surrounded by pillows while drinking tea and feeling smushy. While one girlfriend soaks her feet in hot water sprinkled with rose petals (and yes those are rocks you get to play with) the other gets a twenty minute foot massage. Then - switch! And happiness repeats itself.

The skinny legs on the right? Yeah, they're Marfie's. Bitch. opps, I mean, favorite friend.

oh marianne . . . I thought I'd be Elizabeth Bennett

Sometimes it's just easy to take stupid internet quizes than actually blog. I do have lots to talk about but until I get time to download pictures . . . this will do.

Which Classic Female Literary Character Are you?

You're" Marianne Dashwood from Sense and Sensibilty by Jane Austen!

new project - so pretty!

I wasn't very excited about any of my stash projects - cashmere cabled gloves in 90 degree heat? ick. Felted wool fuzzy feet slippers in May? uck. So I am starting a new project that will be a bit challenging and lots of fun - and I found just the right lovely colors to make it happen:
Flowery Jumper from Lucinda Gray's Designs for Kids

squee!

pedicure socks, part deux

Also finished recently: Pedicure Socks part deux - I blended in two sock yarns for a bit of variety. One pair will go for a friend's birthday and one pair for me. Speaking of which - I think it's time already again for a pedicure . . . this time maybe OPI 20 Candles on My Cake.
Pedicure Socks part deux: Knit Picks Parade in Forest and Lion Brand Magic Stripes.

two more projects finished

It's too hot in pdx to actually get E to model this vest - 92 in May - I am more of a 68-71 kind of girl. In the heat, I wilt . . . and pout. But back to the vest.
It's a pattern I made up based on the book Design Your Own Kids Knits and knit up to a size 5-6, knowing the felting would shrink it up. I think it is just big enough to hopefully be a dead-on fit when Thanksgiving rolls around. I actually like the back more than the front- the big color blocks are quite stunning in person.

E's Thanksgiving Vest: KnitPicks Essential Wool







I have a couple of potential new knitting projects but nothing I am super-super excited about. I need to make a couple of summer jammy pants for E . . . maybe a foray into sewing will bring on some new ideas for knitting. It could just be the heat . . .

it was a happy mother's day

We spent the weekend camping at Cape Lookout with Tall House, Double Cup's parents. The weather was amazing and we all came home with sun-kissed faces. We spent almost the entire day on Saturday at the beach - reading, climbing rocks, looking for sand dollars, and digging in the sand. E entertained himself for hours by "making pies" in his sand bakery.

E was quite the woodsman - tromping through the state park in his jammies and boots.
THDC made a great Mother's Day breakfast over the campfire and gas stove. It was my favorite Mother's Day so far - many kisses and hugs and time for playing. We finished the day back in Portland at E's swimming class. I did laps while he was in class and then he rode on my back while I did a few more laps - that was so joyous - to be swimming with my best boy!

shoot, I thought I'd be more weird

I really thought I'd be more weird than this:

You Are 20% Weird

Not enough to scare other people... But sometimes you scare yourself.

How Weird Are You?

How about you?

spring flowers

Here are some beauty shots from our garden. This is truly my all-time favorite flower - a very unusual tree peony that I nursed back from being a stick stuck back in the yard when we bought the house. Making an arrangement with these is my happiest gardening moment each spring.


These iris are actually transplants from a friend's garden several years ago - they are such a treat - though I am coveting a brown/aubergine/cream iris I saw on my walk this morning.

And last, my grandmother grew bleeding hearts in her garden and I remember loving them as a child so I had to include several pink and whites in our yard. What a happy gardener I am today.

sleepover fun

We had such a fun sleepover with Frau M, Miss Grownup, and Guapo. Mr. Frau was out of town and Tall House, Double Cup was playing poker so we combined forces to let the kids play and let the mamas drink wine and nibble Milano cookies. All was a treat!
My friend Frau M is the most organized and calm household runner I know. I wish I had a touch more German in me to motivate me consistently to keep things organized, but I'll take a good shot in the arm from hanging out with Frau once in a while. I came home from our sleepover and cleaned out two shelves in my pantry. A paltry start.
Here are some shots from the kids' happy play.

knitting progress

I am getting closer to finishing E's Thanksgiving sweater. It is going to be felted to match Moo's sweater dress - it looks huge right now so I hope I can get the shrinkage right . . . but the colors are lovely.

garden guru

I really want E to appreciate and enjoy growing plants. I always resented "gardening" when I was growing up because my parents did so many major projects all by themselves - which took time away from moi - only child syndrome as Tall House likes to call it. I want our yard to be pretty, functional, comfortable, with special blooms but not a lot of work. I think we are getting there. The wisteria is really top-notch this year.



E and Nana helped me pick out the flowers for my one big pot on our deck. I am going with a purple/blue/orange scheme this year. My hope is that by focusing on this one pot, it'll really be killer. I'll update each month to follow the progress. My gorgeous tree peony is just about to burst with yellow/pink flowers - my v. v. favorite in the whole world. I couldn't have enough peonies.



And just one gratuitous kid shot of E at the garden shop.

pedicure socks

Pedicure Socks: KnitPicks Parade in Forest. (pedicure in OPI Berry Berry Broadway a la local Vietnames nail salaon). I really thought I had invented something here. I get a pedicure every month and can't wear shoes for at least 12 hours - I am a known smudger - but sometimes my tootsies are freezing - why not stretchy socks you can easily get over your toes? Not a week after starting these, my beloved Knitty came out with the new issue featuring pedicure socks.

There is nothing new in this world.

just five years ago today

Just five years ago today, Tall House, Double Cup and I woke up in Hawaii, went out to the beach to snorkel with sea turtles, napped in the sun and then said, "hey - let's get married."
There may have been a little planning involved, considering 20 family members and friend were with us, but what a relaxed, wonderful wedding it was: barefoot at sunset. This picture is us late late that night when we ran out on the beach in our wedding clothes - maybe at 1 in the morning . . .
We celebrated five years by spending the night at a lovely hotel downtown - thanks for the upgrade to the suite Tall House!
This morning, on the way to school, E told me he was "a little sad" that we left him at home with Nana while we "got married." He asked why we had to celebrate - and I couldn't even begin to tell him how much there was - Tall House and I are very good partners in crime, but by far we are great parents together - I think that is what we both value about each other most.
Happy Anniversary!

happy birthday auntie

We've had such a good week with my mom and auntie visiting us. E has had constant companionship and playmates with his two lovies. Tonight we celebrated Auntie's birthday and of course, when I looked at the pictures, I realized it was all about E anyway. What a good auntie we have! What a treat it was to have my mama and her sister at our house. We laughed and talked so much . . . poor Tall House, Double Cup still has an ear infection from his masterful turn at the power washing helm so he was left out of a lot of the fun . . . but it was mostly girlie fun any way.

We still have two more days with Nana and lots of gardening to get done.

lilac love

The lilacs are blooming everywhere in Oregon this week. I have three different varietals in my yard, plus we made the pilgrimage up to to Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens in Woodlawn, WA. Beautiful!

where I'll be all freakin' weekend

I am working the Wordstock Literary Festival all weekend - and by all weekend, I mean all day Saturday and Sunday - this would normally be a treat but we are looking at two days of sun and 70 degree weather and for Portland, that is amazing.

I will get to see Curtis Sittenfeld, Dave Eggers, and Joyce Carol Oats, but secretly, I'd rather be reading some yet-to-be published ya novels in my backyard while drinking diet coke and getting a spring sunburn. Pooh on me - I have it so rough.

And secretly, math is hard.

it's not really true but . . .

Find your own pose!

I am much more of a loner when I sleep-sleep. I think I'd be squirming right out of this if Tall House, Double Cup tried to sleep this way. But ha! I think "pinching koala" is a great new name for him!
I am much more of a three pillow user, half side-half stomach, one sock on - on sock off kind of sleeper. I have to admit, I re-adjusted my answers several times to see if this test would come up with my real sleep position - no go. Try it and let me know what you are!

sweet boy

I think all three of us are feeling a little hung over from Easter - candy, eggs, wine, family . . . . but before we tripped the light fantastic on ham we had an early morning egg hunt in the pretty green yard where tuplips are in full bloom and lillacs are just starting. Tall House, Double Cup cooked a special breakfast of abelskivers with his new abelskiver turners from Nana.
mr. big modeled his pretty easter sweater . . .





And then it was off to celebrate with cousins. E spent a lot of time dodging Tyler's fists of fury. E comes from the school of "talk it out" while Tyler comes more from the school of "bonk on the head and run."
We are so happy to have an extended family close by to share our holidays with but we were reminded yesterday of how much the three of us like each other and want to be together.

super scrubber

Tall House, Double Cup became Tall Sudser, Super Soaker this weekend. How much does the power washer rock? It's like we have a whole new deck and walk . . .

how darling is this muddy man?

early easter

E got a special early Easter package from Nana and Jonesie, full of good things that he loves. Just check out this booty:

He also got a special dispensation from my desire to have him not chew gum until he was a "big kid" beacuse that fabulous wind-up chicken at the top of the picture actually dispenses little gum ball pellets - and not from his beak! Here are some pictures of E chewing his first piece of gum ever! He was so worried about swallowing it that he spit it out every five seconds to look at it.

Tall House, Double Cup was out last night playing poker last night so I had a bachlorette dinner. A cupcake and wine while watching Survivor. not bad.