Our New Couch!!!!

Isn't it just BEAUTIFUL!!?!?!?!

the strange things on the top are pieces of tape so the cats don't lay on it and push the cushions down...wish us luck....

He's learning faster than I'd like

Holy Crap. He's learning how to move things around to help himself. He took Kaia's sink out of her kitchen, then dropped it on the ground. At some point he figured out that if he turned it upside down and stood on it he might be able to reach the things under the sink. He couldn't, quite, but still! He moved it where he needed it and stood on it! I'm in trouble.

Spring Faire!

So this hat didn't last long, as he hates hats, but it stayed on long enough to take a picture. He loves having his picture taken, so will stop whatever he's doing to grin at the camera!

Kaia and several of her friends listening to a story teller. Kaia says the stories were about "a monster one about 2 princess sisters and there was this guy that changed one sister into a heron and one into a bear and the other story had blackberries they were picking and they heard this rattling and suddenly a monster came out of the broom"

Kaia didn't wear this outfit to the Faire, but she did get this garland and wand there, as well as a fairy tea set, several beads, a shell and two gnome stones.

Here is one of the things I bought...this bracelet was woven by women in Africa. The website is www.uhuruafrica.com to learn more, and get something if you like! I fell in love with this one, and thanks to mom was able to snatch it up! as well as....

...this wool roving! it's not the best for felting, but it's perfect for fairy hair! on the far left is black though it's hard to see and it goes all the way to white! I love having such a range to choose from! I'll be giving some of this to my mom for her fairy making endeavors! Thanks again mom!

We had a wonderful time at the Faire. It was REALLY hot, but I'm not going to complain, I love it after the long winter and cold spring. Kaia had a blast too, there was a lot of activities for her to do, from digging in sand for treasure, to fishing for treasure, to making her ribbon wand. The heat got to Mike a bit, and he started out tired, so 5 hours was a bit much for him, but he had fun too. When we got home the kids and I got into a bath, and Mike got into a shower, and that cooled us all off and improved 4 out of 4 moods!

A Rare and Unwanted Occurance

OH MY GOD. We have snow in April. I am just shocked. We don't always get snow in December here in the Pacific Northwest, much less at the end of April. I am personally offended. I just moved back after three years in snow country.
I was looking forward to NO SNOW. I think it followed me.

Do you see this?

DO YOU SEE THIS?!!?! It's snowing!!!! It's the flippin' 19th of APRIL in Seattle! Why the hell does the Universe feel it's necessary to SNOW?!

Next time, I really should be consulted.
'Cause I am definitely on the NO SNOW IN APRIL side of this issue.

Check it out...

Here are some pictures, finally, from John's family visit last week! In no particular order......

Here are the kids at the Experience Music Project.

I didn't go, so can't really talk about the picture.

Here're me and Ben, right before the cruise.

And this is an historic moment....the day I became a Mariner's fan!

Katia in profile. I like this shot. oh...and the Space Needle.

The kids on one of the bronze animals they loved so much.

We saw more of these at the zoo than real animals, so I don't really blame them.

Mike and Kaia. Not sure where, I wasn't there. But aren't they so sweet together!

All the kids on their last day here.
Me and John, embarrassing the kids. Well, Katia at least, and she wasn't so embarrassed she couldn't take our picture.
Ben, discovering grass! He's pretty fond of it.
At the zoo. If you look between me and Katia, you can see a hippo butt. Bronze animals and animal butts. that was the zoo.

March In Review

Here are my sweet ones on Easter! My brother Mick and my dad came up to visit us! Here's Mick with his niece and nephew!
And my dad with his grandson. I got some of him with Kaia too, will post it later.
Here is a wonderful one of Ben enjoying his little food masher thingie.
This should have been up top, but if you move them, you can no longer click on them to make them bigger. Here we are the week before Easter, at an egg hunt.
Also, of course, Ben learned how to sit this month, the video is in the previous post! I don't have any good pictures of him sitting yet.

A Good Day

My brother and dad came to visit today, and here we are at QFC eating lunch. The original plan was to pick up a rotisserie chicken, but they weren't out yet, so we just got some food and ate it there. Kaia then watched the bakers decorate a couple of the cakes. Ben slept through most of it. Kaia and my dad took a long walk and found the playground. They wanted to go swimming, but the pool was closed. My brother spent quite a lot of very patient time playing groovy girls with Kaia, and they read her new Magic Treehouse book together! All in all a quiet but good day.

check it out...

My mother makes healing stone neckalaces, and she FINALLY (love ya mom!) made one for me! Here you see my two favorite colors at the moment which also happen to be stones with the right energy as well--I asked for a necklace that promoted health and energy. My mom puts the little heart stones on all the necklaces she makes as well, as her "signature". I don't usually put purple and orange together, though I like them best, but I think it works well here, and I LOVE my necklace!

Hangin' out in my little g's!

This last one was taken by Kaia.

Her camera is, of course, inexpensive, so the picture quality isn't the best...

I'm in love....

Okay, I just started a Flickr account, and found something that makes me LOVE IT.

So, something I didn't know, is that when you change the name of a photo, something still keeps track of when it was taken (!!!!!!)

On Flickr, it will tell you when each photo was taken even if the title of the photo has been changed! What a wonderful thing to include!

I absolutely adore Flickr.

Want to see my pictures?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11894420@N06/

A belated Halloween post....

I know it's a bit late to be writing about Halloween, but I didn't want to miss it! It's Ben's first!
First, here's Kaia, as the Little Bad Wolf...my mom made the costume, isn't it awesome! Kaia had a blast wearing it, the growling almost got out of hand.... :-)
And here is Ben....you can't see the full effect of his cow costume, because the other pictures of him aren't the most appealing, and you must only see him at his cutest! So here he is, half of a cow, with a bit of a horn problem.... And here are Batman and his Pirate companion. Not my boys, but so cute I had to add them...would have added the Pirate's older sister, also a Pirate, but there weren't any pictures of her in full regalia....both of us moms weren't the best this year at picture taking, the evening was a bit hectic.
It wasn't even close to as cold as it has been, which meant Ben and I could go with everyone! Strangely enough, this year was also the shortest time we've spent out too....but all the kids got plenty of candy, and the stew dinner before heading out was sublime! Rolls with butter are also one of life's wonderful things......

Two Random Photos

I love this picture of Kaia--every day she looks older, it astounds me. Here she is, relaxing while talking on the phone.....after having requested to call her Grumpy and dialing the number herself.

Here is a picture showing how long my hair is now...it's just starting to curl...it's not quite in a good place yet, but it's getting there! My smile looks odd...please ignore.

Kaia leaves to visit my parents tomorrow! She's going to have a blast. I can't wait to hear all about her solo plane ride! Mom, you better take pictures while she's there, too!

Fishing Day!

Yesterday we went fishing with John and Andrea's family. We went to an annual event put on by the forestry service (I think). A family who owns a local pond allows them to stock it with rainbow trout and then volunteers from around the community help the kids get set up with poles-that they get to keep!- and bait, and the kids all circle around the pond and see what they can catch. There was a three fish limit, but we hoped that they'd each catch at least one..boy were we surprised!

Kaia was excited to get started, but she had never fished before. Warnings about hooks and staying out of casting range given, she waited to be given some bait so she could get started!




The dads helped with the initial casting for the young ones. Katia showed herself to be a champion caster, and with great skill she cast her line far out into the pond.

Mike explained to Kaia how to hold her pole, and what to do when I fish nibbled her hook.

Liam slowly reels in his line, hoping to feel the fish take the bait so he could bring in his first catch of the day!

I even get in on the action for a few minutes, helping Kaia learn the proper speed to take in her line before letting it sit.

And we all settle in for what we hope won't be too long for the first bite.....

But before long each kid gets their first nibble!! Kaia's excitement grows as the fish gets closer to the top of the water, and shouts in delight as her dad helps to bring it in.

Soon all them are bringing in fish left and right it seems, to their delight.

Kaia peers into the bag at her first fish, a little grossed out by the wiggling, but it doesn't dampen her excitement about her first fish ever!

At one point, one of Katia's fish tries to make a flop for it, and almost succeeds in getting back into the water. She and her dad manage to just catch it before it makes it's escape though.

John carries the one that almost got away, now covered in grass, and puts it in the bag.

Katia makes sure a tough one to hold doesn't try the same thing the last one did!

Kaia brings in her third, and last, fish. She proudly holds the pole and shows off her final catch.

With all three kids at their limit-and in a short time!- we head back for them to take to the gut and behead station. I keep expecting Kaia to get upset when she realizes these fish are headed for death, but her excitement doesn't dim.

Kaia watches as her fish are systematically beheaded, belly-slit, and gutted. I'm very happy they do this for us. I don't want to be the one in charge on this...

Liam, Katia, and Kaia proudly show off their catch!