george was AMAZING!

It started with this - Douglas Fir martinis at Cascadia in Seattle.
















Then we moved on to this:


And in the end, it was this:

happy 4th!

We had a crazy fun 4th that started at 9:30am and ended at midnight. We are all still a little bleary and sleepy this morning. For the second year in a row, we celebrated with Marfie's crew at a fabulous pre and post parade party hosted by Auntie B.

She treats us to a gorgeous brunch and super fun decorations for bikes and wagons. We marched in the Eastmoreland parade - which is a sweet little slice of Americana. The kids revel in the party.

We had a visit with the grandparents after the parade - which gave Em a chance to nap. We then headed home for a neighborhood bbq and then fireworks in the street. E was wired and wide awake so he and I went for a sneaky midnight walk around the neighborhood. It was so fun to walk the streets in the dark with just the sound of far off fireworks. Tall House Double Cup and Little Miss were fast asleep when we tiptoed in and finally feel into bed.

make it big

I am back from ALA - had a great combo of authors, illustrators, events, programs, parties, and late night DISNEYLAND - Big Thunder Mountain!

A quick kiss to the fam-fam and now I am off on a road trip with the girls to Seattle to see . . . . . .

George Michael!

We are staying at a luxe hotel, indulging in many cocktails and making a pilgrimage to Cupcake Royale. The only thing that could make the trip better is if Andrew Ridgeley joins the tour.

Make it big!

ala

I am off to the American Library Association annual conference in Anaheim. Five days away from my family - which is enticing and yet as soon as I am sated with quiet I will miss them terribly - and many dinners, breakfasts and lunches with authors, illustrators, editors, and colleagues. I am most looking forward to dinner with Jon Scieszka and lunch with Megan McDonald - author of E's beloved Stink books.
As the incoming Newbery chair, I have it pretty easy this conference. Some information to take in but no huge commitments. I'll be free to go to programs and events - maybe even a Disney park some evening.
Every sleeping body in the house got a kiss this morning and now I am off to the airport. Hold tight while I am gone.
Best,
pdxkatie

first shoes

Okay - so as you can see in the picture, shopping for Em's first pair of real shoes didn't go so well. As soon as the salewoman got close to her, screaming ensued and didn't stop until said saleswoman was long, long gone. I whispered to her, "Lovey - this is the Nordstrom's shoe section - it's the beginning of a lovely friendship!" She wasn't buying what I was selling. But the shoes worked out great. Sweet little Tevas that fit her sanding-block-shaped feet.
She tried out the new shoes at the park and recovered quickly.

another sundress

This was my week to finish crafty projects for Little Miss. This is the second knit/sew sundress I made this week out my stash of yarn and fabric. It's so simple and right up my alley as I don't like a lot of detail work. She inaugurated her dress at Tiny Tots storytime - and had a total blast. She was totally into the other kids and got into in the whole rhythm - even though this was our first time.




Em suffers from neglected second child syndrome - E was a storytime regular at 6 weeks and Em has to be one before she goes to her first. Terrible, I know. But I made it up for her with the homemade dress, right?

more office inspiration

Last fall I did a 6 week "Project Office Inspiration" to make my workplace inspiring, pleasant and most of all - organized. The work I did held pretty well this year - though looking around today I saw some hot spots of piles that need addressing - Summer Reading is a killer in terms of accumulating crap. So I am launching a summer session of "Project Office Inspiration" and working for 4 weeks to make some organization improvements as well as aesthetic inspiration.

Check out this flickr group - Unclutterer Workspaces. I love that people take the time to photograph their office and add it to flickr. I love when a color theme ties it all together.

My goals for Project Office Inspiration - Summer Session:

1. Peaceful and ordered workplace (get rid of the crap on and around my desk!)

2. Inspiring color and objects (fresh flowers and inspiration board)

3. Utilize priority files for paperwork

Snap.

new flyaway cardigan finished

Another finished object - a one button flyaway cardigan for Little Miss. I knit it with Cascade Cotton from a Debbie Bliss pattern in an 18-24 months size - which Em wears already - but I knit so loose, it turned out much bigger as you can see. Putting it away for next winter.

It is a lovely red - a cross between barn red and watermelon red. Really it's the perfect pedicure color.

omh - let's go to Jane Austen Camp

A B&B in Vermont is hosting Jane Austen weekends - four per year and each year they are picking a different book to focus on. It's Jane Austen Camp! This year the book is Persuasion - solid, good, but not my fav. Next year it's Pride & Prejudice. OMG! I love this!

summer flowers

I love this time of year for the flowers that fill my house and office.

This sweet handful is from my yard and Trader Joe's.

Our neighbors moved away last week and willed me their flowers as their house is going to be empty for a bit - I made this pretty bouquet from yellow roses, just opened hydrangea and little bell flowers (not exactly sure what they are). I made a similar one for my office.

Eckhart Tolle has a great meditation on flowers and how to be still with them. Not name them, not judge them but rather be with them. I haven't really done this meditation justice but I am tingling with just the idea of it. Flowers are such a treat.

three milestones

E had three milestones this weekend:

He frosted and decorated his first cake all by himself - one for THDC for Father's Day at local bakery.

He signed himself up for Summer Reading at the Library (I was so proud!).

And he started his first Harry Potter book ever! We are going to read one together every summer so he'll be 11 when he finishes the series - perfect! And then he can start over again. I took this picture right before we started the book - I'll take a picture every year when we start the next book.

finished object

I finally finished one of my crafty projects - I've had several in progress knitting and sewing piles going this spring. This is a sweet combination of knitting and sewing and the result is a very sweet sundress for Little Miss. You can get the pattern from KarthrynIvy.






As soon as I finished it, I started another one. It's so satisfying.

happy father's day

We had a lovely Father's Day - celebrating Tall House, Double Cup in all his glory. We went out to breakfast at Zell's, the boys took the submarine tour at OMSI, and we went to dinner at our friends' house and ended the night with E playing on Wi for the first time (he talked of nothing else the whole way home). It was a good day to celebrate our best Papa. Love you so! Picture outtakes below.

summer fun 2008

Last summer was truly the best of my life - the first summer I wasn't working since I was 15 - home with my sweet new baby - and no huge agenda of what I needed to do. Each day came and went in the loveliest rhythm. I've been thinking about last summer a lot as we start this summer - how can it compare? I am starting a new job July 1 as the School Age Services Manager at our library and getting ready to chair the Newbery Award next year - which is totally exciting - but now more than ever, I need to keep a clear delineation between home and work so I don't lose this very precious time with E and Em. Sometimes I look at my kids and think, "this is it . . . they adore us and want to spend time with us. It will end eventually." So I want to make the most of it and really focus my energy on the moment that I am in. BE with my family when we are together - no computer, no email, no cell phone. And then BE at work when I am there - really focusing on the exciting projects and people I get to work with.

This is a long way of saying that I've decided to make summer 2008 an intentionally SUPER fun summer - packed with all of the awesome things Portland offers. I've got our calendars packed with things we want to do. Calling all pdx friends - if you see anything on the list below you want to try, call us - we'll make a date. And with intention, we'll make this a super fun summer!

Summer Fun list:

Movies in the Park - E will see E.T. for the first time outside in a beautiful Portland park
Concerts in the Park
Oregon Symphony in the Park
Itty Bitty Beach Party
Farmer's markets
Neighborhood block party
Eastmoreland 4th of July parade
Preschool morning at Oaks Park
Drive-in movie
Kruger's Farm concerts
Convert our garden shed into a playhouse
Go berry picking
Stay at Timberline Lodge
See Captain Bogg and Salty
Swim lessons
Central Library Summer Reading Block Party
Dive-in movies at the pool
Washington Park plays and dance exhibitions
Beavers baseball games

What are you doing this summer? Any can't-miss things I've left off the list?

duo at the doctor

E and Em were at the doctor's yesterday. E to get an x-ray of his foot (nothing broken -just a sprain - though now he wants to be a radiologist!) and Em for her one year check-up. Here are our glamazon's stats:

Weight: 27 lbs 3 oz (105 percentile)

Height: 31 inches (95 percentile)

Holy bouncy baby!

she looks harmless but . . .

she spent the Sunday and Monday night screaming every ten minutes in her sleep from a combination of teething and head cold. I can only laugh about it now that Tall Double, Double Cup is back in town. Whenever he travels for work it seems like we go through something like this. I did whip up a bindery/ibuprofen cocktail that helped us all sleep until 4 :30am this morning. THDC is back in town and ready to take her on tonight. I've already had a hot bath and huge glass of wine - ready for wicked sleep.

peony envy

One of my lilacs overgrew my tree peony, causing just one lovely bloom to make it this year. Instead of reveling in my pretty peonies, I have to make due with Martha Stewart's peony album. She has something like over 700 peony plants at her NY home. No lilacs to get in the way .

closing day ceremonies

Saturday was E's final t-ball game and closing ceremonies. I got some good action shots of E and you can see him beaming over his medal - he didn't take it off for 36 hours. Tall House, Double Cup was the assistant coach for the team and I know it really meant a lot for E to share that with him. THDC is going to be the head coach next year and is already recruiting for them team. I am advocating for E to get more playing time on his favorite positions but THDC says that really goes against coaching ethics. hmmm. I'm willing to bend those.

p is for party

We had blast with Em's first birthday. She owned the day with smiles and utter awe at the big kids celebrating with her.
Carrot cake doesn't make for the dramatic smash-in-face picture but is was pretty.
Here she is with some of her loot - a perfect baby doll, pink bouncy ball and jump rope.
I am still saying over and over to myself, "she's a year old - a year old!"

happy birthday to little miss

Happy Birthday Little Miss!

You are 1 today! We can't believe you have already been in our life for a year. You make everyday a great joy and are loved with every ounce of our being. You are my sweet nini nani noonoo.

birthday peonies

God, I love peonies. They really are the best ever flower and the fact that they show up at the market right around my birthday makes me even happier. I've written before about my affinity for lilacs since they always bloomed in Wisconsin around my birthday. Now peonies can be Em's flower - always at her birthday. sigh. sniff.

junior rose festival parade

Every year the library enters a Summer Reading float in the Jr. Rose Festival Parade - the nation's largest kids parade. Each year I sort of dread it but then when we actually march, it's great.

This was the first year that E marched with us and he loved it. He waved to the crowd almost the whole route and took it very seriously. He saw three t-ball teammates and felt very cool to be in the parade.

Here's a video of E in the parade:

a lovely birthday

I had a lovely, lovely birthday with a new guitar from Tall House, Double Cup (look out Oh Susannah), another year of Martha Stewart Living from my in-laws, moolah for some new frocks fom my parents and a lovely dinner out with Marfie, Auntie B and the kidlets. Thanks to everyone who helped me celebrate the start of my 37th year!

Here are some pictures from dinner. The boys and girls have matchy-matchy outfits but I was off bit on my picture game so you have to squint to tell.

sweet bath baby

We are counting down the days until Em turns 1. We are lucky that she loves the bath so she takes one almost every day - our little water baby.
Video below: