June 29, 2007

the art of blowing

Glass blowing!!!! I was blowing glass last night!! Can you believe it? I joined a group of ladies at Art by Fire and we learned how to blow glass. We each made a glass ball to call our own. So fun!! I can't wait to pick mine up and hang it somewhere special.


The whole process was very interesting! It was more delicate in parts than I thought and required more muscle and brawn in other parts that I didn't expect. The pipes were heavier than I thought they would be. The molten glass was just different than I imagined. It was like gooey tree sap that would slowly ooze off your pipe if you didn't keep turning it. But just the slight bit of cooling would cause it to harden up and be too tough to be pliable or to add color.


We had several colors to choose from and every ball turned out quite unique and extraordinary.

You could see the steam from the heat coming from the molten glass at the end of the pipes.


Once we did the actual blowing of the ball (no pun intended) and shaping of the ball, it was way hotter than I expected. My arm was burning from the heat as I shaped my ornament. That's my glass ball above - isn't it purdy?!?! Oh and the actual act of blowing is an art form of itself. You can't blow too hard or too fast but you can't blow too delicate or wimpy before the glass cools. I wanted to do it again and again to get more practice and develop more skill. I felt very clumsy and unsure. None the less, it was an awesome experience!


I took this last picture from outside the shop in the alley. The guys said they are always there working on something. I very much want to bring the kids down just to stand outside and watch the process. Way cool!!



After we blew our glass, we headed up Front Street to find a place to sit and chat. We landed at a little dirty Mexican restaurant and I had a fabulous time. I thoroughly enjoyed my 36 ounce margarita on the rocks and eased the pain in my front temple lobe for a bit. I loved getting out and laughing. Replenishing my soul. It always raises my spirits.

June 28, 2007

pooch spa


























Frieda - the super mutt - had front door service this morning. The Pooch Spa came out and gave her the royal puppy treatment complete with a blue and red star bandanna. She feels quite regal after her spoils and it shows.

June 27, 2007

school's out for summer

Summer is finally here . . . . . Wonder Boy's last day of school was yesterday and our crazy month of June is winding down. Thank Goodness!! We are celebrating by hanging around the house in our pjs and eating a late breakfast.

I've had headache since Sunday and it's really starting to bug me. It came on right after Hot Yoga Sunday afternoon and I've been able to mask it with ibuprofen but I can't kick it. It's just been this dull ache for days and days.

I was super frustrated at Weight Watchers last night. I was up 2.8 pounds. Ugh! I walked five miles, worked out at Curves, did Hot Yoga twice and drank gallons of water. What the hell???? I know, I know . . . . . replacing fat with muscle . . . . yadda, yadda, yadda. However, I was so disappointed! I felt like going off to eat a pound of brownies and saying screw it! I've become increasingly irritated by the state of my house and the little annoyances of crying babies and noise making children. Not good for a headache. Ugh!

On the good news front: J had all his year end tests and blood work and CT scans this week. There are no new signs of cancer being back. He is in the 3% group now and will go back for test again in six months. We are happy!

And Baby Love is doing great with her PT. She crawling up and down the stairs and all over at super speeds. She's pulling herself up on everything she can and using a walker to practice her skill. She'll be 16 months in five days. I can hardly believe it!

June 26, 2007

blueberry baby





Baby Love has a newfound love of her own . . . . blueberries!!

pomp and circumstance





















Wonder Boy graduated from Pre-K this morning. After two years at this wonderful school we've decided, with sad hearts and empty checking accounts, that Wonder Boy will attend full-day kindergarten at our local public school in the fall. It was a great run and we will miss it tremendously.























Here is Wonder Boy with our beloved Miss Morgan. We've had the pleasure getting to know her as the educational assistant these last two years and we will sorely miss her!! And here is Wonder Boy and Mr. D, the owner, principal and chief. Oh and Wonder Boy is pictured with his teacher, Mrs. Landi, up above.










In other pompous news: Wonder Boy took his belt test in Tae Kwon Do last Friday night and received his yellow belt yesterday in class. He graciously thanked "himself" and told the class he was very happy. Way to go Wonder Boy!!

June 25, 2007

it's the little moments . . . .







. . . . . . that count.




J is sharping the lawn mower blade while wonder boy and miss O observe.

June 24, 2007

sultry corpulent

Today was the day I had been looking forward to. It was Hot Yoga day. On my ever-lasting quest to lose my personal Buddha (no offense Buddha, I just don't need you anymore) I have been wanting to check out an actual yoga class for a long time. I've done tapes in the past and I'm quite flexible being as overweight as I am, but I've never gone to a real life class with a real life instructor before. There is class in town that's probably cool and dry but the timing always seems to be off. Then a lovely lady in my moms group mentioned Hot Yoga had this deal too good to pass up. 10 classes for 10 bucks. Hot dog!! Say it isn't true sweet jebus I thought. " Really? A dollar a class????" I asked. I was pretty much "in" for the challenge as soon the words crossed her lips. Who can pass up a deal like that. So we decided today, Sunday, at 10 am was the day and we went for it.

I blissfully slept in until 8:30. But I knew my partner in crime, EE, was going to pick me up at nine for our scorching adventure. So I rolled out of bed, put on my clothes, slathered myself in deodorant, pulled my hair up, broke out my new, crisp yoga mat and grabbed a towel. We were off shortly after not really knowing what we were getting ourselves into.

I could feel the heat on my skin as soon as we walked into the building. We eagerly stepped up to the counter with our newness written all over our foreheads as the balding yogi set us all up and got us signed in. We walked into the changing room to strip down to our barest layers and made our way into the classroom. I was anticipating the class to be hot. But it was so friggin' sweltering in that room with heaters blowing and the rubber floor being heated you could have boiled water. I, the girl who hates the heat in the summer time, gingerly laid my mat down with a clean, dry towel on top and sat down. The sweat started to roll out of every pore in my body. Pours I didn't even know I had. I kept getting whiffs of the faint patchouli and body odor smell. I let my eyes wonder around the room scouting out the body types and making assumptions of personalities. There I was, about to embark on my first ever yoga class.

Deep breath in.

The instructor entered the room and got us started right away. "Oh crap, here we go!" I thought. It was hot and hard. I felt dizzy and like I was going to throw up from the conditions in parts but I felt strong and flexible. It was 90 minutes of drenching sweat and stinky bodies moving together in and out of twisty poses. After the first 45 minutes I was praying for it to be over soon. By the last 20 minutes I couldn't do much more for fear of tossing my cookies from the heat and my empty stomach. All I could think about was getting out of that hot box and into the cold, refreshing air. And finally . . . . . . at 11:34 am, we were allowed to break free.

That. Could very well. Might possibly have been. The. Very best feeling I have had in a long time. It was invigorating to finally burst out of the doors and fill my lungs with that sweet, cool air at last. Eureka!!

As with anything, the more you do it, the easier it gets so I'll probably go back and try to use up my nine classes before my pass expires in the 30 days. I'll know how to better prepare myself. What to bring and what to wear. There's a class tomorrow night at 8:15 that I might go to. I can not wait to see if my efforts this weekend will pay off at weigh in on Tuesday. Keep your fingers crossed.

June 23, 2007

celebrate achievements

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June 21, 2007

doing the Burke








(Wonder Boy standing next to a huge dinosaur leg bone)











I braved the 520 bridge, the horrendous traffic, the crazy drivers and Seattle's total lack of usage of a normal city block and took the kids to The Burke Museum this afternoon.

It's funny!I'm way more adventurous with my three kids than I ever was with just one. I always thought how hard things would be trying to get around with little Wonder Boy. Now with three rabble-rousers (thanks EP for the new fav word - love it!!) I think back at what a dork I was for thinking things were so hard with just one because with three, it's way more challenging. I, we, missed out on so much because I wasn't brave enough to check it out by myself. Now I tote around two rascals and a baby that insists on yelling "hi" to every passer-by and venture out around Seattle and the Eastside all the time. Amazing!












(Miss O, Wonder Boy and Baby Love under a mastodon)







We slowly inched our way around onto the University of Washington campus and discovered this slightly hidden and somewhat obscured little jewel. It was small and quiet and very mellow. The kids were brilliant and peaceful. We saw dinosaur bones and learned about lava. We looked at bug guts and butterfly wings under a microscope. We listened to Native American instruments and discovered a Philippine wedding ceremony. It was absolutely lovely. I felt so proud of us four wondering around a museum. Learning. Exploring. I tried to breathe and take in every second absorbing all the goodness that is my children. It was simply sublime!!










(Baby Love chatting with the birds, wishing she could be free from the stroller too)

Trash Talk

Okay, I'll admit it . . . . . . I love trashy, reality tv. I don't know why. Maybe it's the voyeurism? Maybe it's realizing your life is just not that screwed up? Maybe it's sneaky-ness of putting the kids to bed, grabbing a treat and finally flopping down on the couch after a long day? Or maybe it's the zoning out from my own reality that I love? Whatever it is, I love.love.love to watch crazy, trashy, reality tv. The trashier, the better!!!

Right now I'm totally hooked on Kathy Griffin's "My Life on the D List" - she is so funny, love her!! I also like Gene Simmons' "Family Jewels" - who knew he is as funny as he is. We are eagerly anticipating Big Brother this summer too. However, I'm so.so.so.so excited (can hardly stand it) about Paula Abdul's and Scott Baio's new and upcoming shows on Bravo. Paula Abdul is my generation people! How can I not watch? I bought her tapes (yes, I said tapes), knew all the words to her songs and made up dances to her beats. I absolutely cannot wait to get a sneak peek into her life. So fun!! I see she has a greatest hits coming out on cd soon and I need to buy it to share a little bit of my young years with my kids. Baby Love has the groove thing deep down inside. She can't help herself but boogie down to any and every beat she hears; even if it's just elevator music. She loves to dance and I know she'll appreciate my music love if no one else will.

In other news: I dropped off the kindergarten paper work for Wonder Boy this morning. So exciting!! He'll go full day and I know he'll thrive. He loves school and being social so this is totally up his alley. Of course the realization of him getting on that bus and leaving me for a whole day makes me a little sad. He absolutely drives me crazy on any given day, but I do love his sense of humor, his sweetness, his smartness . . . . . him! I'm a little sad that he'll be away from me everyday for hours and hours creating a little life of his own that I'm not a part of. I'll miss him!

June 19, 2007

a camping we will go

We did it! We went camping as a family and had a great time. The baby did really well for only 15 months. We took off Friday morning in the midst of a down pour and managed to drive right out of it and have sunshine and lovely weather all weekend up at Salt Creek near Port Angeles, WA.

(on the ferry half way to our destination)




Our camp site was perfect with plush green grass the baby could crawl around, lots of room for the big kids to run, an awesome view of Canada and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.





The kids helped set up the tent and you can see what lovely weather we had. Lucky!! I'm ready to buy a camper or RV for our next adventures though. Tent camping is just not my thing.






The beach was lovely and the tide was super low.




















The tide pools were so much fun! We saw eels, starfish, sea urchins, some very weird little fish, tons of muscles and clams and lots of little crabs. I even saw a sea otter although he looked more like a river otter than the cute little sea otters you see at the Seattle aquarium.
























Baby love was very interested in all the little sea creatures.













On the way home, we stopped off at the Olympic Game Farm and had a blast being so close to all the animals.

Like this guy and this guy . . .











and this guy






and this really big guy . . . . . . . amazing!!

June 18, 2007

portrait of a father


My mom and RTW met when I was about 11 years old. He's been my parent, my friend, my father figure ever since. He's a wonderful grandfather to my children and they adore him immensely. Happy Father's Day!


And on this day, June 18th, Happy Birthday to you!! We love you!

June 15, 2007

we're off

We are heading off to go camping in the woods and just the very thought of it scares the Blair Witch right out of me.
Be back in a couple days . . . . .

June 14, 2007

let's get ready to rumble

Have you ever had one of those days where it was just off right from the start and all you wish you could do is crawl back into bed to start over tomorrow? Have you ever had one of those days where the smallest thing will set you off like the little chicky clearly turning into your lane on a red light while you have a green all the while chatting on her cell phone, going 10 miles under the speed limit and continuously swerving into the bike lane? One of those days where you envision yourself driving a monster truck with 6 foot tall tires and "GRAVEDIGGER" painted on the side as you bull-doze over all the idiots in their cars in front of you while yelling "stay outta my way jerkface!" out your window. One of those days you've been asked every possible question imaginable from "why do I have to eat my lunch" to "why is the sky blue" to "why is there a big purple gorilla on that building" to "what's this spell" from your 5.5 year old that you feel like you've been googled out and you can't possibly come up with another answer. One of those days where you feel like you've been pulled in so many different directions and your house is such a pit that you feel as if you have to step over one more Little People and clean up one more Playdoh mess, your head might just very well explode. One of those days that the very thought of what to cook for dinner makes your left eye twitch uncontrollably. One of those days that one teeny-tiny poke from your unsuspecting child will push you off the deep end and into a tail spin of mass destruction with all guns blazing ala Tomb Raider style.

Have you ever had one of those days? I have . . . . .

June 13, 2007

Weigh In: week #20

OH HAPPY DAY!!!

Pounds lost: 1.6
Total Loss: 14.6
Diet: weight watchers
exercise: walking, 5k training

Oh.Hap.Hap.Happy.Day!!!! Say it again now. Oh Happy Day!!! With a little more exercise, the Sounds to Narrows 5k last weekend and drinking lots and lots of water, I finally saw the numbers go down after a much depressing plateau. It was a good feeling!

We are going camping this weekend with a little hiking thrown in and I'm going to try out a hot yoga class. Never done it before, should be interesting. So all in all this week was good and I'm looking forward to the weeks ahead.

June 12, 2007

Earth Angel

Baby Love - 15 months old

June 11, 2007

She's Four Today!









The Divine Miss O celebrates her fourth birthday today. We had a little kid cooking party yesterday for her. It was very cute - they made pizza, cupcakes and had chocolate milkshakes. Yum!!

We are going to have a special dinner and eat the most adorable raspberry and chocolate petite cake (I might even take a picture of it, it's so sweet) here at home with the fam in honor of her special day.

Happy Birthday Miss O! We love you!

June 10, 2007

4 down, 1 to go

Saturday was our Sounds to Narrows 5k. It was a great event with lots of tents with free goodies including whole loaves of bread (weird). This was our fourth 5k with the Arthritis Foundation and we have one more to go in July at Seafair. It's been lots of fun and good exercise. We have dreams of running the Seafair 5k but we all have lots of work to do for that to happen.


I was supposed to post this Friday, but I got busy and forgot. So here it is:


Weigh In: week 19
Pounds Lost: .2
Total Loss: 13
Diet: Flex but going to try Core this week and change it up a bit
exercise: walking, cleaning house, chasing kids, doing laudry :)

The Divine Miss O Graduates





The Divine Miss O had her last day of co-op preschool Friday, June 8th. Her and her graduating class celebrated with a picnic which proved to be lots of fun but bittersweet.








We ate hot dogs and fruit with our school friends and talked about how we'll miss them over the summer.













We got to see and hold the newest addition to the farm, the baby kittins and I almost took one home. Who could resist this sweetness? I ask you.










Then we ate smores and shared with our brother (in the back). It was a good day!! We can't wait for next year with Teacher Suzie and Teacher Jen!!

June 6, 2007

Princess Pampering


The Divine Miss O and her bestest little friend took part in delicious princess pampering this morning for her friend's special 4th birthday celebration. The two girls were first dressed in their princess frocks and then dolled up with crowns, finger nail polish, sparkles and lip gloss. They were then treated to a royal lunch and a superb New York cupcake. Miss O enjoyed herself and the girls had a lovely time. It was such a fun morning, that she fell asleep in the car and cried when it was time to come into the house (meaning it was all over) which is why the pouty face picture. But she quickly resumed composure and flashed a smile for the camera. True princess style!!






Of course I forgot my camera so I will have to wait until my lovely friend, DK, sends me some pics - hint, hint!!

June 5, 2007

Thankful Tuesday

In honor of Thankful Tuesday, I would like to share what I'm most thankful for today.

I am thankful for Firestone Tires of Redmond WA for taking my money and completely screwing up my brakes so that they squeal like I have a small child screaming in agony lodge behind my wheel in spite of taking my van back four times. Yes, four times! Their skills of not being able to successfully install brakes on a mini van so that the brake pad doesn't crack and the mechanics doesn't fall out from the car when taken apart. If not for them, I would not be afraid to brake on a hill going over 35 mph and living life on the edge on a regular basis. Just call me an adrenalin junky!!

I'm also so very thankful for the Issaquah Police Department for siting me going 15 miles over the speed limit up the steepest hill in the city of Issaquah and presenting me a ticket of $142 dollars. If not for that kind motorcycle officer sitting in his sneaky speed trap hiding behind the tree, around the corner with the camouflaged fern on his helmet, I would have never realized my grave mistake of trying to trust my feeble vehicle up that 90 degree grade the city calls a hill.

Ah yes, it is a good day to be thankful!!

June 4, 2007

workin' at the hood

My dear friend and rockin' sista, AD, sent this to me tonight.

"I don’t believe the accident of birth makes people sisters or brothers. It makes them siblings. Gives them mutuality of parentage. Sisterhood and brotherhood is a condition people have to work at."

–Maya Angelou

weekend in review

First off, I must say . . . . . I'm exhausted!!! I had a very hard time waking up this morning and dragging my tired body out of bed. It was a busy weekend chocked full of activities. The weather was hot and sunny and it's tough on my Washingtonian bones. I feel like I crawl out of my cave all white skin and bundled up. The heat makes me tired and lack energy and the sun instantly makes my skin pink and itchy.


I started the weekend off by heading out for my 5k training bright and early Saturday morning. It felt good to get back out there after having a couple weeks off. The boys had their last t-ball game of the season in the morning and their celebration party in the afternoon. Each player got little trophies which was very cute. Wonder Boy is very proud of his "first trophy ever!" I finished off the day with a scrap-crop. It was good to get my creative juices flowing again.

Sunday we went to our second Mariner baseball game of the season. It was a beautiful day, the roof was open at Safeco field and it was Little League day so all the players and their families got to walk around the field before the game. It was fun to be that close to some of the players and down on the field. After the parade we saw the Mariner Moose, ate hot dogs, sat in the shade (thank goodness), chatted with our t-ball friends and watched a good game. I enjoyed people watching which is always the best part.










Wonder Boy and The Divine Miss O with some T-Ball team mates down on Safeco Field at the start of the Little League parade. Very cool!



We finished off the day with frozen yogurts from Costco (yum) and some good ole' fashion sprinkler action.

The weather is supposed to be cool and rainy this week. I'm actually looking forward to the break from the heat. I love the sunshine but I can only take the hot heat in small doses. I get uncomfortable and crabby!

This week will be a busy and exciting one in spite of the weather. The last day of preschool for The Divine Miss O is Friday, I have my fourth 5K on Saturday and we will be celebrating Miss O turning 4 on Sunday.

Okay blog buddies, off to reality . . . . . Have a great week!

June 1, 2007

Hello There

Well hello there June! You just snuck right up behind me when I wasn't looking. I turned around and *poof* there you were. Just like that! I guess this super sublime weather had me preoccupied and I didn't see you coming, but I'm so glad you are here. Welcome!! I look forward to spending the next 30 days with you as I do so enjoy your visits every year. No doubt we will be entertained by the end of school days, the summer goodness to come and the promises of the future. We will celebrate The Divine Miss O turning 4, my fourth 5k, Father's Day too, a messy house, Grandpa Excavator's birthday, bare feet, sunny weather of course, and a camping trip to boot together. Your stay will prove to be busy but I can't wait to fritter the days away with you!!

Weigh In: week 18

Pounds Lost: up .8
Total Loss: 12.8
Diet: Weight Watchers
Exercise: walking (5k training)

Okay, I was a little bummed about my gain again this week. Not a good start to the 14 week summer challenge, I know. It does seem like I'll lose a couple pounds, then I'll hover or creep up a little and then I'll lose a couple pounds again. So maybe I'm just repeating my usual pattern. Or maybe it's because I haven't been tracking my points, not getting my trainings in and eating too much. Either way, I need to get it under control again. My goal by Labor Day is to lose 15 pounds. How? Here's my plan:

a) plan meals
b) track points
c) walk 2-3 times a week
d) use my membership at Curves 2-3 times a week
e) drink gallons and gallons of water everyday
f) and eat less

So far, since Tuesday, I've done very well with the water portion. I've been drinking three 32 mugs every day and peeing like a race-horse like every three minutes. Seriously! The 5k training this Saturday is in my neck of the woods bright and early so I plan on squeezing that in before the boys have to race off to their last t-ball game. Hopefully that will kick start my rear into gear again. This lovely, warm weather and light filled nights will make it easier for going out for walks in the evening after the little people go to bed as well. So here I go, keep your fingers crossed, more later . . . . .