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.

dicamillo devotion

Our library hosted Newbery Award winner Kate DiCamillo Monday night. Our event was a great success - a sold out lecture with over 900 students, teachers, librarians, and parents squeezing into the old church.
Kate brought real life to the lecture - doing an extensive q&a with the kids in the audience.

Afterwards, the signing line was amazing - it went on for two hours. I got some books signed for E and his teachers as well as some gift copies. After the last chair was folded and last stanchion stacked away, our planning team went out for cocktails downtown. What fun it is to get to work on these projects!

rats. i was hoping to be a cafe au lait

You Are a Frappacino

At your best, you are: fun loving, sweet, and modern At your worst, you are: childish and over indulgent You drink coffee when: you're craving something sweet Your caffeine addiction level: low

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

gala rundown

The Library Gala was fabulous - thank you to everyone who came to our pre-party - we didn't actually take any pictures of the guys who were there. Also, congratulations to Steven and Jim who won the trip to France! whoo ha!
Just a couple of pictures to post as I didn't bother with my camera at the event - too many drinks, niblets, etc to try. I loved seeing everyone in line for the oxygen bar (cold air up your nose - yeah, that's it) and the insanity that was the Moon over Mumbai room - who knew socialites would jostle for samoas? I was a successful sober driver to a silly Tall House, Double Cup - he actually was served a beer glass of rum on the rocks - what kind of drink is that? We did catch a threesome in sort of an odd embrace when the elevator door opened . . . I love the idea of the gala set getting it on in the library - but the actual sight is just kind of creepy.
Tons of money was raised for the library and the Summer Reading program - yeah for us!

runaway french toast sticks

E starred in his first school performance yesterday, "The Runaway French Toast Sticks." Tall House, Double Cup and I were very excited, proud and nervous. THDC manned the video camera while I gave encouraging thumbs up and claps.





I love how in this picture, E has his pants on backwards (they dress themselves after potty breaks) and has his thumbs hooked in his jeans a la Wisconsin farmers - he knows his heritage. When we got home, I discovered his unders were on backwards too!
E knew all of the prompts in the story and was quite animated - though I seemed to have captured most of the frozen moments. THDC and I kept giving each other knowing glances - he is a performer!

After the play we stuck around and played outside. E loves his school buddies very much! Oh . . . we are just such proud parents! E really is love wrapped in a sweet, sassy package!

That night we went to Burgerville to celebrate E's performance and he promptly melted into a fit due to having to ride in my car instead of Papa's, reminding us that he is a real kid afterall.

pedicure socks

I think maybe I've invented something new: pedicure socks. When you get a pedicure and your feet are cold but you can't risk smudging for at least 12 hours (hello, it really takes that long for mine to truly "set"), you need warm, yummy wool socks that will stretch over your toes and then let them free to be happy and perfecto!

These will be my first socks done with two circular needles - I can't believe how cool it is - I'll never go back to double points!

KnitPicks Parade in Forest.

tip toe though the tulips

In the Oregon rain we visited the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm in Woodburn this morning. A great place to photograph E in his new Easter sweater.

bathtub love