OUR LIFE IN HILO HAWAII

Rainy Spring

2009-03-26T16:14:00.000-07:00

I've been postponing planting our garden. Yes, we are now in Hawaii and for the most part it is warm throughout the year. So why not plant any old time? I'm nervous. It's rains quite a bit around here, which is a good thing, but this is not a nice gentle rain. It will be sunny one minute, then suddenly we are faced with a torrential downpour! Man does it come down hard. In an effort to not drown my seedlings, I've decided to wait just a wee bit longer. Maybe till mid or late April.

I've been very antsy about this whole planting thing, (must be all the gardening catalogs) so I planted a few papaya seeds, my potatoes (which were bought from the health food store, it seems only sweet potatoes are grown here. We'll see if these grow.) and some almost dead lemon grass from a friends neighbor. Heather makes the most amazing lemon grass tea, so her son pulled a plant for us to take home and plant but I waited too long and it pretty much died. I trimmed it back and planted it with hopes that it will revive itself! See below... pathetic I know!

lemon grass before planting

White pineapple planted back in October

Bella and Noah with Chickens.

The kids are still crazy for the chickens. These poor gals get chased around the yard constantly. It's amazing that in about 4 short months... they older girls should be laying! Noah has become quite good at catching them, and is working on taming the less friendly ones.

Last night I made a long list of things I'd like to grow and shared it with Jaime. He basically laughed and said he wonders where am I going to plant all of these things? He has a good point... I may have to turn over more of the yard. I think my biggest hang up has been switching over to a tropical garden. Most of my left over seeds are for things that enjoy Seattle's much cooler climate. I'm very excited to try melons, peppers, and eggplant. I may even try to grow some peanuts! There are so many heat loving plants... the switch over shouldn't be to difficult.

Playing Favorites?

2009-03-07T17:10:00.000-08:00

We are not supposed to favor one over the other...right? We are supposed to love them all equally...yes? And I do, I think. Most of the time. Or maybe everyday I have a new favorite? There are enough to have a favorite for each day of the month. Thirty one to be exact. Thirty one little chickies. Some living in a temporary coop in our carport, the others a bit younger and living in a cardboard box on top of our dryer, with a lamp to keep them cozy.

Our first batch (26 of them) arrived in early February. Two were dead on arrival, and within the next 48 hours, six more died. We later read somewhere that you can expect 25% of the day old chicks to die within the first couple of days. So there you have it. When the girls were about three weeks old, we had them outside in a run while we were in the house. I heard some major chirping and freaking out, I looked out the window to see a mongoose running to the bushes with two of our chickies. I could not save them, I was just too slow. We were down to Sixteen chicks. A good friend of ours adopted five, so we are left with eleven. A very manageable sized flock.

We have:

3 Buff Orpington

2 Rhode Island Red

2 Black Star

2 Barred Rock

2 Araucana

Araucana (my favorite for today)

We loved our little chickies sooo much, we went a little crazy! You see, we thought we needed more. They are just that cute! Not to mention very entertaining. Oh and did I tell you how much the kids love them? Bella begs to carry them around all day long. When I say no, I have to deal with major tantrums. You know what else?? They eat bugs. Yep, lots and lots of them. They especially seem to love the little roaches around here that totally creep me out. So, UMMM yeah, we ordered more. Twelve more.

They arrived late February. All 23 of them. Yep, we ordered twelve, and received twenty three! The second batch was from a different Hatchery, one that they guy at the feed store recommended. They sent the twelve that we ordered, plus eleven males (didn't specify the breed) for warmth. We lost only three of them. HMMMM Now we have all these little boys running around here. Guess we're gonna have to eat them.

In the second batch, we have:

1 Silver Spangled Hamburg

3 Araucana

3 Buff Catalana

3 Rhode Island White

Silver Spangled Hamburg (also todays favorite)

The girls get lots of love around here, and the older ones are becoming quite tame.

We should have our first eggs in July (crossing our fingers).

(Blogger completely re-formatted my post, so it's all squished together. I'm to Html illiterate to fix it... believe me I tried! Doing more harm than good)

Where has the time gone?

2009-02-26T14:57:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I have let so much time go by!

The move to Hilo from Seattle was tiring, as moving usually goes, but we are now settled in and starting to feel a bit more at home. Yes, it took nearly half a year! There is too much to get caught up on, so I will just start with what is happening NOW. Otherwise I will continue to procrastinate and this blog will be a thing of the past.

Black Sand Beach

Bella is very much into decorating, and body art! Thankfully these are washable markers. Guess I should bring out the henna for tattooing that I've been saving for just the right time.

The new garden plot. Nothing has been planted yet, but hopefully I'll get it started soon. It is very exciting to 'start a new garden in a new place'. Wooo Hoooo, I hope things grow. This will be my third year gardening, but my first year gardening in Hawaii.

We have added to the family... baby chicks! We have 16 as of now, and are expecting another order of 12 very soon. Some we'll keep, others will go to a friend.

Noah in the garden with the Chicks. These are Buff Orpington. Out of the bunch, this breed seems to be the friendliest. Rhode Island Reds are not far behind. The least friendly??? The Araucana, which will hopefully give us beautiful greenish/blue tinted eggs. I'll talk more about the girls at a later date.

That's it for now, hope everyone is safe and healthy!

Bike Track

2008-07-04T13:30:00.000-07:00

There is this great little bmx track very near our home. It looks so easy!! But after one lap, I'm a bit winded... could it be that I'm getting old and out of shape?? Naahhh..

It took Noah a while to be comfortable enough to try it out for himself. After some older boys showed up, and said how nervous they were... they decided to take it slow. That was enough for Noah. I have to admit, for someone his size, this track could be a bit intimidating, but he handled it fine. He even caught some air on one of the jumps... and landed it. PHEW!

Happy 4th of July!

Crazy Weird!

2008-06-26T13:15:00.000-07:00

Last night as Bella and I (Noah is no longer my sidekick in the kitchen, he'd rather play with his friends... go figure) were preparing dinner, I began to dice a tomato... and noticed something wasn't quite right. The seeds were sprouting, and some even had the first two leaves! Inside the tomato!! It was so weird, but in a very fascinating sort of way. I guess there is a first for everything. Can you see?

Beautiful

2008-06-25T13:40:00.000-07:00

We have had nothing but Beautiful weather the entire week! Is it a sign that summer has finally arrived? I sure hope so, although I wouldn't be surprised if the rain returned again next week. Wait, I take that back, why jinx myself???? I've been told that summer doesn't 'REALLY' start until after the 4th of July weekend here in the Pacific NW.

Here are a few recent garden pictures. HMMM the shade was moving in on me when I took these photos, enlarging them might help you see better. This year I'm most excited about my celery. I read it was too difficult to grow it here. I also read that you shouldn't direct sow... I did and it is growing. I have little celery plants, and when they get a wee bit bigger, I'll try to capture them on my aging digital camera. (It feels like most of my photos are very foggy or blurry, time for a new camera.)

see the baby broccoli? sooooo exciting! Yeah, I know, maybe I need to get out a bit, but seriously...isn't it so cute? I think so.

Today is the First Day...

2008-06-23T22:37:00.000-07:00

that our house is on the market!

We have decided to sell and move to Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawaii.
If you've never seen our house and you'd like to... check it out!

I am so excited, and eager to start the next chapter of our lives! I am also a bit sad...these decisions are never easy ones. I will miss my garden the MOST! Looking at the bright side...I can garden year-round in Hilo.

Wish us luck!

Cousins

2008-06-09T23:23:00.000-07:00

Noah and Olivia

A couple of weeks back we ventured on a little road trip to Mount Shasta, California. It was relaxing, beautiful and warm. Noah and Olivia haven't seen each other since we were all in Hawaii more than 3yrs ago, and they were both still toddlers.

Thanks Marci for the adorable photo!

Peeling back the layers of time

2008-06-07T22:50:00.001-07:00

Literally.

One side of my bedroom wall had textured wallpaper, which was damaged when our roof leaked a couple of years back. The bald spot has been covered by a fish patch quilt given to Bella when she was born. Today I decided to strip all of the old wallpaper so I can paint it and get rid of my lavender walls. I've never really liked them. It's just not my color.

After patiently removing the first layer of wallpaper I discovered, to my surprise... another layer of wallpaper. Not sure why this was a surprise, I think it's quite common to find several layers when removing wallpaper in an old home. Lucky for me, there where ONLY two layers. I don't think I could have handled another. Under my lavender textured walls, I found brown and white flowers, all over the wall.

Interesting. As I peeled back this second layer, there were also several strands of hair. Gross I know... but I couldn't help but think of the person, whoever he or she was, that took the time to put up this interesting wallpaper. How old is this person now? Where is she/he? I really wonder what year it dates back to. It smelled of old smoke. Amazing how old wallpaper can absorb and hold on to a smell for so long. Then again, I seem to have this keen sense of smell. No one else could smell it.

Peeling away a bit of history, and creating a bit of our own.

Now... what color should I paint the room???

Decisions, decisions.

There is a RESET button? DUH!!

2008-06-06T11:50:00.000-07:00

Depending on how long you've reading this blog, you may know that we've had more than a few house issues since moving in two and a half years ago. Most of them occurred 6 months after moving in. It was frustrating and annoying, but we had them fixed, draining our savings account in the process, and moved on. One of the smaller annoyances was the garbage disposal. After a few months of use, kaput, it died. We decided not to fix it. I thought it was due to the fact that I may have accidentally let some rice go down the drain. I assumed the rice turned to sticky glue and ruined the disposal. I was sure of it. Maybe... maybe not.

For nearly two years, our sink has been a real pain. Clogging, and filling up with icky, stinky water when the dishwasher was run. Last week I begged and pleaded for Jaime to do something, anything... just please fix it. He agreed, he has had enough of sticking his hand down the drain, and plunging it.

Step one, research how to replace the disposal. While reading this article from Popular Mechanics, he learned of a RESET BUTTON. Yes, really it is true. After reading the paragraph below, he located our RESET BUTTON, and what do you know? It works. After two years, all we had to do was push the RESET BUTTON located at the bottom of the disposal. We got a good laugh out of this one.

Jamming is so common that every disposer comes with a wrench and an on-board circuit breaker, so don't assume your disposer has failed simply because it stops working. Use a flashlight to check for foreign objects lodged in the perimeter openings of the drum. Remove any obstruction with needle-nose pliers.
If you see nothing obvious, insert the wrench into the motor spline, found at the bottom of the unit, and twist right and left. If the motor spins freely, check that the circuit breaker hasn't tripped and then try the reset button. If these measures don't work, and your disposer's warranty has expired, it's time to replace it.

Happy Memorial Day!

2008-05-26T21:07:00.000-07:00

snowballs
We hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Our weekend was spent preparing for a little road trip to Mount Shasta, California. We are so excited to have a vacation away from home. It's always nice... isn't it? To have a change of scenery. Is it equally as nice to drive for 9hr 11min with two young children? HMMM, I'll let you know when we get back. =) It's been a long while since we've had a family getaway, so I'm sure it will all be worth it.

Constantly working in the garden has given me the opportunity to meet several of my neighbors that I otherwise would probably have never met. Noah has even made two new friends, just from hanging out in the yard! One very sweet neighbor, the mother of Noah's newest playmate, surprised me with snowball flowers! They are so cool!! I love them. Another neighbor offered me some of her delicious rhubarb. I have never cooked with it before, and have eaten it only a handful of times in the past. This afternoon I made a little Rhubarb Crunch for the car ride. It's so delicious! Half of it is nearly gone. I'm grateful for the kindness and generosity of all those around me.

Shiso

2008-05-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

Have you ever tasted Shiso? Me neither, until about 3yrs ago in a tiny sushi restaurant in West Seattle. Weird,... I thought, but interesting. I couldn't decide if I liked it or not. I still can't decide. A few weekends ago at our local farmers market, the apple cider guy had this cute little plant on a side table. It was being completely ignored, so I made my move. I snuck in, picked it up and sniffed it. HMMM, this is it! It's that strange herb? that I had tasted a few years back... I think. I sniffed some more. Caught in action, the apple cider guy walked on over and suggested I pinch off a leaf and taste it. Man!!! It makes me so nervous when they offer me taste tests! Really it does, couldn't tell you why. So... I declined. I quickly tried to walk away. Sometimes I get a bit shy, but I was still so curious. So I asked... 'what do YOU use this with?' He didn't have any great ideas, but told me he sometimes cooks it with rice. I couldn't resist the temptation of having my very own Shiso plant, which he told me grows into a nice size bush. In the sun it will grow big, in the shade it will be more flavorful.

I have no idea what I'll use it for! The novelty of having something unique and different in my garden got the best of me, as it usually does.

Fragrant

2008-05-21T14:20:00.000-07:00

As I walk along the side of our house, entering our backyard, there is a smallish bush/tree with branches sticking out, nearly poking me as I walk by. Lilac. It is so fragrant! I swear I can smell it 15 feet away, before I can even see it. Over the past 3 springs (that's how long we've lived here) it has changed so much. Our first spring... nothing. We thought it was just another part of our overgrown, unkept property. The second spring, it had one blossom, I clipped it and brought it inside to display on our table. It smelled so wonderful in our house. My neighbor was kind enough to bring me several more blossoms. This year, our third spring, we have more blossoms than ever! I love the smell a slight breeze carriers into our kitchen, granted the weather is warm enough to have the windows open. Ahhh... spring!

That's a Garden?

2008-05-19T13:03:00.000-07:00

UMMMM, yes. Things haven't really taken off yet, well except for the weeds. I blame the crazy weather this spring. Warm, Cold, Hot, back to warm. Some things sprouted, then froze. Others have been trampled by children (despite the obvious barriers), or dug up by the neighborhood cats. Yes, they think I have the absolute perfect litter box. Can you see my booby trap? It's working to deter cats for now.

On the bright side, lots of things ARE growing, you just can't see them that well, because Momma has been too busy to weed. That will change this week. Potatoes and strawberries are doing very well. Celery and zucchini... where are you??

This past weekend Noah decided to help cut some lettuce for dinner. He planted a few things between the strawberries, and his things are growing very well. While he was cutting greens for us, he called Dad over to show him. 'Look Dad, I growed this Kale!' Thanks to Noah, we actually have some Kale and Pac choi, because mine got eaten by slugs. He loves the fact that he has had more success than me in growing several things. Jaime smiled as he walked away. Noah leans into me and says, 'Did you see that smile? He must be getting hungry for some Kale in his stomach.'

It would be so awesome to have a small farm! Now, if I could just get the rest of the gang on board! Check out these farm blogs for a bit of inspiration.
Hamakua Springs Country Farms
Tiny Farm Blog

Sunshine!!

2008-05-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

We actually had an entire weekend of sunshine. It was hot on Saturday, I actually braved it and bared tons of skin in only a tank top and shorts!! WOOOHOOOO Sunday was a bit cooler, but still a nice day, and we headed down to the water. Noah and Jaime enjoyed a nice bike ride while Bella and I hung out on the rocks. She loves to pick through them.

Never A Dull Moment

2008-05-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

When the girls are home alone, and the guys are out and about (school & work), there is never, ever a dull moment. Seriously. I mean, how could there be?

There are dishes to wash, floors to sweep, counters to wipe, teeth to brush, dirt to dig in... the list goes on and on. I love how every little thing is fascinating. Even if it has been a thousand times, and will need to be done a thousand times again.

Update

2008-04-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

I've had so many things that I wanted to share these past two weeks, but... my computer decided to throw a hissy fit, and refused to communicate with my camera. Apparently they've worked it out, with no intervention from mom. Phew... let's cross our fingers, wish on our lucky star, that they (my computer and camera) can continue to get along.

I have a few photos I'd like to share:

Noah and Jaime went on their first father/son snowboarding trip. I was very excited about this!!

Jaime found a Robin egg (I think??) in our backyard. It is now sitting on top of our fridge and I'm panicked, checking it a hundred times a day to see if we have a baby chick. It has such a beautiful color!

Noah turned 6!!! What a little, I mean BIG, boy he has become in this past year. He is starting to read and has matured quite a bit. I am very excited to experience all of the wonderful things this next year has in store for us.

We attempted to make a roulade cake for his birthday, but it didn't turn out. It looked more like a giant smashed chocolate burrito, than a birthday cake. It may have not been pretty, but it sure did taste great!! I think I know where we went wrong and we'll try again.

Although it is Spring, and has been for a while now, we are still freezing up here in the Pacific Northwest! We marveled at several hail storms this past weekend from the coziness of our little house. If you have warm weather, please send a little our way. I'm ready, we're all ready.

Independence

2008-04-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

PLEASE!!! Do not peel and slice a banana into rounds. Do not cut into small sticks for easy handling. It will be rejected!

Instead, slice through the tip and pass to grunting, anxious toddler.

It will be peeled with careful fingers.

The peel will be tasted and explored.

A banana will be enjoyed.

School Auction

2008-03-27T21:34:00.000-07:00

For this years annual auction, I asked my mother-in-law to make a Hawaiian Wall Quilt. She graciously accepted, and a few months later sent us this beautiful Ulu (breadfruit) design, framed in a matching bamboo frame. It was tough to let this go. I sat for a very long time staring at all of those teeny tiny stitches. I'm not sure if you can see the detail, but it is all hand-stitched.

Dang Crows!

2008-03-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

For the past month or so, I've spent the majority of my free time outside prepping the garden. The crows usually swoon in and gulp up grubs and earthworms as soon as I head indoors. So... the other day I planted a handful of my onion starts, and wouldn't you know it, the crows had a field day pulling them out of the ground. See below. They've done this twice now...GRRR They don't eat them, just yank them out.

It was cold today, really cold. You can't tell from this photo, but we had a little snow this afternoon. It melted immediately. A little spring snow. Bella seems unaffected by the weather, swishing her stick around in the ice cold water. Warm weather, please come our way soon, very very soon.

Rainy Day Blues

2008-03-25T21:03:00.000-07:00

What else to do on a dark, rainy day besides sit on the porch and catch the rain?

Ahhh. waiting for warm, dry weather!!

Magical Morning

2008-02-08T11:44:00.000-08:00

So much happiness and fun, all before 8am!

Bella woke up really, really early this morning. I don't want to talk about HOW early, because...well, that isn't the magical part. Or maybe it is?

Since we were up soooo early, I had time to bake popovers, which Noah loves to eat before going to school. Or so I thought. Okay. I won't talk about that either, because he and Bella both refused to eat them. On to the magical part of our morning.

Noah woke up in a great mood. I can't tell you how rarely this happens. He played so sweetly with Bella, without me insisting he do so. He helped her put on her new ladybug rain boots. They make her so happy.

Next he took her to my room, helped her onto the bed so that they could have a 'jumping dance party' while listening to static-y music from a new alarm clock radio. She didn't even fall off of the bed this time!

Ahh yes, bed jumping is a favorite past time around here. So much fun!

Happy Aloha Friday!

J-J-JER-KY

2008-01-28T21:13:00.001-08:00

The other weekend we hit the farmers market and purchased various cuts of grass-fed organic beef from a local farm. The piece I was most excited about was this roast. After cooking, it was bone dry and resembled Jerky more than the succulent roast I had envisioned. UGH! I'm not very good with roasts. It looked so bad, we opted to leave it on the stove and go out for sushi.

The thought of throwing it out really bothered me. I knew no one in our family would willing eat it. So... I turned it into Picadillo. I've never made it before, but this was so good! We wrapped it with tortillas, but it could also be served over rice.

There are hundreds of recipes for Picadillo out there. I made a Cuban version, but used shredded beef instead of the ground beef most recipes called for.

Picadillo
Chop and saute in a bit of oil
-1 onion
-1 green bell pepper
- 6 cloves of garlic
Add meat (1.5 lbs) and cook, drain fat if needed
Add
-Pimientos ( I used 2oz jar)
-1/2 cup raisins
-2 T capers
-2-3 bay leaves
-1/4 cup dry white wine
-28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
-tomato paste ( I used half of a small can)
-1/2 tsp cumin
-1/2 tsp oregano
salt & pepper
Cook for about 25-30 minutes. Sooooo good! Serious comfort food for these cold winter days.

While I cooked, Bella kept me company by rolling around on the kitchen floor. She thought this was hilarious! I can't tell you how many times I nearly stepped on her.

Copy Cat

2008-01-26T20:42:00.000-08:00

I find it absolutely adorable that Bella toddles around and copies just about everything we do. She especially likes to imitate Noah. Here Noah is sitting at his favorite winter spot, directly in front of the heating vent. Often times Bella will do whatever he is doing, and plop down right next to him. Scooching her bottom as close to Noah as possible.

My Mind

2008-01-05T16:55:00.000-08:00

I think I'm losing it... REALLY losing it. Yesterday several things happened to make me believe this is true.

I went to the library with the kiddos, and when I got home my front door was slightly open. Did I forget to lock it?? Did someone break in? To be safe I asked a neighbor to check it out with me. No intruders, nothing missing, I must have just forgotten to close and lock the door. Scary! I also left the back door unlocked. I have never done this before.
We decided to go out for pizza to celebrate Jaime's vacation. On the way home, ( I was driving) I took my cutoff, then forgot which way to turn. The road forks, and I blanked out and really REALLY couldn't remember which way to go. I went the wrong way, of course. I have driven this same route hundreds of times in the past two years. Very weird.
After putting the little ones to bed, I ventured into the kitchen to keep Jaime company while he washed dishes. He gave me a strange look and asked me why I put my cell phone in the sink. It was under the dishes, and he nearly soaked it. I don't even remember putting it there. Phew, my lucky day that it didn't get washed. It is only about a month old after all.

Later that night, say midnight-ish, I decided to work on Bella's sweater that I am knitting. This is my first 'real' project. It has been slow going, very slow! I've worked so so hard. Somehow I dropped a stitch, or two or three. My mother showed me how to fix this while she was visiting, but every time I tried, it only got worse. No sweat... RIGHT? I'll just rip out several rows, then continue on. This didn't work either, I just can't seem to get my needle on the same row, without continually dropping more stitches... GRRR. I think I'll start over...again.

See??? OH the heartache. I should have just gone to bed, then all would be well.

One thing at a time

2007-12-07T11:10:00.000-08:00

My house is spotless. Tubs have been scrubbed, toilets are sparkling. Floors have been swept and mopped. Rooms have been de-cluttered and organized. Gifts have been made. Bills are paid...

Okay, back to reality...
Christmas is right around the corner, and Jaime is working crazy hours as Santa's helper (wink, wink). Bella has been sick and fussy for longer than I care to remember. Every night Jaime injures himself stepping on some left out teeny tiny toy. Laundry is piling up, and so are the dishes. The walls are caving in with clutter...okay, okay, I think you get the picture.

In the midst of all this chaos, I've decided to teach myself to knit. I've wanted to learn just about FOREVER! Hey, there are some relaxation benefits involved in knowing how to turn a blind eye. I've always dreamed of knitting little baby/toddler sweaters and caps. I had better hurry, Bella is growing fast.

I found a great teaching book, Knitting Workbook by Debbie Bliss, at my library. After several hours of practice, I finally got the Garter Stitch to cooperate with me. The term 'Cast On', is no longer a mystery.

Speaking of growing babies, Bella has just about grown out of her Rumpsters. Yes we are still using cloth, it's been great! It took a while to get used to, but well worth the effort.

Ottobre has a pattern for sewing diapers. HMMM, wonder if I should give it a go? They also have a pattern to knit wool diaper covers. I haven't successfully used cloth diapers at night. They have always leaked, but perhaps with a wool cover, that problem could be solved! The best part??? The wool cover is simple to knit, well, it looks simple anyhow. Its a garter stitch with ribbing around the edge.

The rest of things around here will get done, slowly, one thing at a time. There's no rush, the mess will wait... for me... for eternity.

Have a relaxing weekend everyone!

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

2007-12-02T12:22:00.000-08:00

We had snow, real snow! Soft and white flakes falling from the sky. It lasted for half a day, then the weather warmed slightly. Snow flakes turn to rain drops. It was so beautiful, I love the snow.

Weekend Happenings

2007-11-26T11:56:00.000-08:00

The weather was beautiful this weekend! The sun was out, the sky was blue... wait, is this normal for this time of year? We've had a sunny autumn. Cold, very cold, but at least it hasn't been raining.

There has been lots of outside play. Walks, bike rides, eating rocks & flowers and tantrums. Yes, the tantrums get very intense when it is time to pack it up and go home.

Noah and the wild one. Yes, she is actually laughing!

A bushel of apples from our local farmers market. They smell so great! I've been threatened, I had better use every last one of them or else!

New pants for Bella. These were so fun to put together! Too bad it is too cold out to wear them. The material came from my Freecycle scrap bag, except the flower trim. Time to scrape together some cash and head to the fabric store for some warm material.

Long Overdue

2007-11-23T21:45:00.000-08:00

About 8 years ago, or maybe it's been a little longer, I thought it would be so wonderful to sew my own clothes. I went out and bought a sewing machine. Then I set it up on my kitchen table and just stared at it. How hard could it be???

With a lot of help, and many grueling hours of sewing, I had finally put together four crappy looking curtains, each a different size. I was still determined, so I set to work creating a pattern for a skirt, then began sewing it. It was coming together, but one side was longer than the other, and the back didn't stay curved to my body, it stuck WAY out. Oh Well, I thought, no one is looking that closely at me anyhow. I pressed on... just to discover I was pregnant. Phew, I now I had an excuse not to finish. It wouldn't fit for long anyhow. I carefully put everything away.

Every time we move, de-clutter, or whenever I'm looking through old things for memories sake, I carefully pop the blue lid to a Rubbermaid container and peer in at my old sewing machine. Then I stick my hand in and feel the samples of the material I purchased...8 years ago. I've wanted to give it another try for so long, but have been afraid of failure. I have let so many years go by, so many of them wasted, paralyzed by fear. I recently received a bag of scrap fabric from freecyle, and decided to give it another go. Suddenly I didn't care about failing. What's the big deal anyway? I made two tiny items. Too small to actually use, but they have given me enough confidence to try to make Bella a pair of pants.

tiny pair of pants, maybe for a future doll?

small bag

Photos

2007-11-23T11:31:00.001-08:00

A few Thanksgiving photos

Noah helping to make butterhorn rolls

Jaime cooked a wonderful Turkey!

Everyone is starved and ready to eat

Bella loved the cranberries most of all. I almost didn't make them because I don't care for them... usually, but these were delicious!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-21T22:34:00.000-08:00

This will be our first Thanksgiving without any extended family. We are so excited!! Don't get me wrong, we LOVE sharing this holiday with family, but since they are all in far away places, it will be our first time cooking the entire meal at our home, in our oven, just for the four of us. What better opportunity to try out some new recipes? On our menu this year:
-Turkey
-Mashed Potatoes
-Red Cabbage
-Butterhorn Rolls
-Cranberries
-Green Bean something or other, not quite sure yet
-Apple Pie

I will not miss Chinese takeout with my in laws, but I will miss their company. I also will miss my mothers cooking, because her cooking is unmatched in my book! My food just never tastes as good. I hope everyone has a safe and yummy day!

A Peek

2007-11-19T11:31:00.000-08:00

A few of my favorite blogs have recently posted what their daily schedules look like, and because I know you're just dying to know, I thought I'd share mine. Okay, maybe you're not dying to know, but it's good fun to peek at someone else's routine.

7 am- wake up, nurse, dress, and play with Bella
7:30- make Noah's lunch and breakfast for us
7:45- slowly but surely drag Noah out of bed
8 - eat breakfast
8:30- clean up Bella, and get dressed, help Noah get ready for school
8:45 - take Noah to school
9:15- clean up breakfast stuff & kitchen, play with Bella until nap-time.
10:30 ish- put Bella down for nap, clean house, do laundry, bills, whatever else needs doing. Computer/reading time.
12 ish- Bella wakes, have lunch, clean-up, play with Bella some more (yes, I get to play a lot!), or go for a walk if weather is nice.
2:45- pick Noah up from school.
3:15 - snack for all of us, clean up again, then depending on the day we go grocery shopping, go to gymnastics, the library, a walk/park or stay home and... yes... PLAY!
4:30 or 5 ish - if I'm lucky Bella naps, start dinner while Noah does a few chores. Hang-out/play with Noah
6:45-7pm- Jaime comes home, eat dinner
7:30 - Bathe the kiddos, get them ready for bed. Make sure Noah gets everything ready for school the next day. Read some books, tuck in Noah. Jaime cleans kitchen.
8:15 -Put Bella to bed.
8:30 - shower, get ready for bed.
11ish- bedtime!

Overload

2007-11-15T11:53:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is quickly approaching, and I'm starting to worry about the mass quantity of toys that will be coming our way. Our home is filled to the brim with excess toys, the novelty wearing off several minutes after acquiring them. Seriously.

We have a huge box full of toys that will be offered on Freecycle just as soon as I add a few more items. I think we could give three of these boxes and not miss the toys. I often avoid Noah's room, because there is just so much 'stuff' EVERYWHERE! It's no wonder he doesn't play in there very often. A couple of days ago I hosted a playday at our home, and tons of toys that had been put away (out of sight, out of mind) were brought out. Spilling out of his room into the hallway, living room, and downstairs.

We are fortunate enough to have several quality toys. Toys that encourage creative play. Toys that start fascinating conversations. Toys that are made from beautiful natural materials. These are the ones that get the most action. The brightly colored, flashing, singing plastic stuff gets shoved into some corner, rarely making an appearance.

In light of the massive toy recalls, I thought it'd be fun to give a list of a few places that sell 'safe, natural' toys. After all, quality is important, and often times less is more.

I'm sure there are many more.
We are saving for a kitchen and playhouse for Bella. Over the years I plan to give accessories as gifts. I hope this helps!

Goliath

2007-11-08T20:58:00.000-08:00

Meet Goliath. He is our newest family pet. Despite my firm belief that 'exotic' animals should not be pets, somehow this little guy managed to find his way into my heart. His previous owner has recently become homeless, and could no longer care for him.

Noah really loves him. Now, if only Goliath were the cuddling type.

Beer? BEER!!

2007-11-05T11:19:00.000-08:00

Ahem, I mean Root Beer!

Jaime has been brewing beer, real beer, for about 9 years or so. Our local brewing supply store also carriers everything you need to make soda... many different flavors, you could even mix them. Say... Raspberry Cream soda?

Jaime and Noah both love, love, love soda. I refuse to buy it! So this past weekend they took matters into their own hands, and decided to make some. It's surprisingly easy. Even if you don't have a beer setup. There are instructions for using old 2 liter soda bottles, and some yeast. A great science experiment for older children.

First Noah mixed sugar, A LOT of sugar (about 2 cups per gallon) and the root beer extract into water. Stir, stir, stir and occasionally dip your finger in to sneak a taste.

Transfer Root Beer into a clean keg. Oh yeah, and more tasting!

Have dad carry heavy keg into basement, and hook up CO2 tank for carbonation.

After a couple of hours, drink- slurp- gulp....and burp! In that order.

Once carbonated, you can fill reusable bottles and give as gifts. You can buy them at beer stores, or certain beer come bottled in these type of bottles. Grolsch?? I think is one of them. This is what they look like.

The Good Life

2007-10-18T17:21:00.000-07:00

Have you ever...

waited months for a book from your local library? Then stay up all night to try to finish reading it?
woke up to happy, laughing children, just to discover your head hurts so bad you feel that you are going blind in one eye?
tried to cook breakfast, but are so slow that your 5yr old takes over and it tastes delicious? (He even spread my popover with butter and jelly)
been surprised by husband with a thoughtful gift? NO special occasion?
had almost everything turn out just the way you hoped?

That's kinda what my day has been like. Wonderful!
Check out these cute little chocolates! Aren't they adorable? Yes... I'm still a choc-aholic, guess I always will be.

Happy Birthday Bella

2007-10-13T20:47:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated Bella's first birthday! It truly is amazing how fast time passes, and how much our lives have changed in a single year. She has brought so much joy to our little family.

Bella is not yet walking, but I think we're getting close. Also, her teeth are finally starting to come in... ALL. AT. ONCE. Yes, poor babe. Her first two came in about 3 weeks ago, her top two about 3 days ago, and her gums are swollen, promising to reveal more teeth very soon. She hasn't been eating too much, but that didn't stop her from digging into some birthday chocolate cream pie.

Happy Birthday Bella!

Farm Tour

2007-10-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we headed up North for the 9th annual Skagit Valley Farm Tour. Skagit Valley is about 1.5 hours North of Seattle, and absolutely beautiful. There were a total of 16 operating farms to visit, including Alpaca farms, a Shellfish Farm, and a Creamery, just to name a few. Being that we had a very late start... call it lack of better planning... we only visited two. Which was plenty! We met a young Highland Heifer, her hair felt almost human-like. Then we were able to taste Highland Beef, which was very lean and tasty. It felt rather strange to stand in a barn, petting a young heifer, while chewing on one of her ancestors.

Higland Cattle

Noah was able to pet baby farm animals, hold 5 day old chicks, come nose to nose with a goat, and chase free range hens all over the farm. Those hens were relieved to see Noah climb back into our car. We were able to see Free Range Chickens, Free Range Turkeys, and a slew of other farm animals and activities. Despite the cold, wet day, it was educational and fun. Before we left we purchased some eggs, sausage, and a chuck roast. YUM!

Free Range Hens

BANG-BANG

2007-10-05T11:30:00.000-07:00

I WANT to go outside, really I do. I will bang on this old, leaking, single-pane glass window until my mother gets the point. Hopefully it will break, then I'll have an easy escape route. Even Noah cheers me on. I don't care if it is cold and wet out there, besides, I like to squish my hands in the dirt. Cat-poop?? Well, it's just like dirt to me. I love to catch bugs, and let them crawl on me, but for some strange reason, they don't crawl so well after I've tenderly lifted them out of the dirt. Oh yeah, there are some tasty treats out there too... rocks, leaves, grass, and many other small not yet identified objects. Sometimes I'm so quick, mom has no chance of prying the delicious yumminess from my lips. OHHH, how I long to be outside!

Nifty Trick

2007-10-04T10:56:00.000-07:00

This is so totally cool! If I were the neat, organized person that I have been raised to be, I would have planned this out a little better and taken a before/after photo for you to see... but this is no time to dwaddle on my short-comings.
Okay, on to this totally fabulous trick my favorite Tea gal clued me in on.
Did you know that you can clean/remove the old tea stains from your white mugs? Maybe you already know this...

Pour in a little vinegar, and scrub-a dub-dub. TA-DA!!! White again. Who knew?? I surely didn't!

In Preparation

2007-09-20T11:05:00.001-07:00

The weather is cooling, and Autumn is just around the corner! September 23 to be exact.

This year we've had to do more prepping for Fall than previous years. Both kids need warm clothes. After so many years in Hawaii, it always amazing me how much stuff we need to prepare for cool, wet weather. Jackets, warm clothes, shoes, socks, undies... etc. Phew, this is quite a challenge for a mother who does not like to shop!

Our house will hopefully be a little cozier this winter too. We will have the windows replaced and the chimney cleaned to be able to enjoy a nice warm fire! To be honest, I'm afraid of the fireplace, worried I might burn the house down. But... we've always dreamed of owning a home with a fireplace. Now we have two, so we are going to start using them.

Autumn is my favorite time of the year for baking. The smells and warmth of home baked goods warm our spirits and our home! Here is a picture of the baked Italian plums from our tree. I used a Danish sweet yeast dough recipe, which was a little dry, but still very good. Something so simple and plain, but very tasty!

Enjoy snuggling in this cooler weather!

Wild Garden

2007-08-26T21:38:00.000-07:00

The garden is a serious mess! Things are growing everywhere, including the weeds. It is hard to believe that Fall is just around the corner, and soon the garden will be empty, and the sky will be grey.

Today I finally harvested a few of our beets. They didn't get that big, but we have quite a few of them.

I am able to pick a container full of tomatoes every other day or so. Nothing beats the taste of home grown tomatoes, ripened on the vine. I sure will miss these during the winter.

Jaime picking Italian plums from our tree. He picked an entire bag full, and there are still plenty on the tree!! I hope to make a dessert from my childhood with these.

HELLO!!!

2007-08-26T21:28:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe how quickly Bella is growing!

She can crawl, but prefers to scoot around town on her bottom. She pulls herself to a standing position to cruise the furniture, but has trouble getting back to a sitting position once her legs tire. Eating just may be her favorite past time. She eats anything and everything.

Today

2007-08-22T23:21:00.000-07:00

Today was an awesome day!

Noah and I got along quite nicely, and worked together to clean up our basement! Then Noah scraped moss off of our back steps, and attempted to mow the lawn. He was so cute! Our push mower is tough to push through thick grass, and he insisted it would be easy if I would only spray WD-40... like Dad always does.

Thank you for your hard work Noah!

I can't believe how big and strong you have become in 5 short years.

Cabbage

2007-08-22T08:56:00.000-07:00

We harvested our first Red Cabbage yesterday!! I really didn't think any of them would be eatable. They were/are terribly infested with aphids; but after peeling away the outer leaves, not a bug in site! I quartered it, just to be sure, and again... NO BUGS! Soooo, for dinner we enjoyed one of my favorite dishes... German style cooked Red Cabbage.

Vacation from a Vacation

2007-08-21T07:53:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed how exhausting a vacation is? After all of the traveling, hiking, playing, swimming, eating...YES, I think I need a vacation from our vacation!

We had such a wonderful trip to Hawaii to visit my in-laws and attend a family reunion.

It's amazing how much change is all around us, yet how much things stay the same. The island of Oahu feels more and more cramped every time we visit. Many of our 'old' favorite eatery's have closed down to make way for a 'new' store. In the last 15yrs, Kmart, Walmart, Sam's Club, Costco, Home Depot, Circuit City, Best Buy and others have made their way to the islands. With this last trip, I learned that Whole Foods, Target, and Walgreens will also show up soon. The smaller 'Mom and Pop' shops are closing down...they just can't compete. It's scary to watch these gigantic retailers emerging on every corner, every spare piece of land. Yes, they have given the people of Hawaii more choices and competitive pricing... but come on, how much 'stuff' do we really need??

On a lighter note, there is still plenty of beauty all around. We enjoyed the beach almost daily, and did a little hiking. Noah loved being out in nature and exploring. Bella loved sitting on the beach, digging in the sand and occasionally sneaking a rock into her mouth.

We arrived home to cooler weather, a little rain, and a garden that somehow survived my absence. Yippeee!! Our first day home was spent doing laundry, grocery shopping, checking email, sorting snail mail, and unpacking. It's good to be home!

Chocolate Pudding

2007-07-30T17:34:00.000-07:00

This is an incredibly easy chocolate pudding recipe from Mollie Katzen found in her Enchanted Broccoli Forest cookbook.

In medium bowl, mix:
3 Tbs of cornstarch
pinch of salt

In saucepan combine:
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 Tbs brown sugar
2 cups milk

Mix constantly on low heat until all chocolate is melted, pour half into cornstarch mix, whisk vigorously until well incorporated, then pour back into saucepan and continue cooking for about 10 minutes. It will thicken and be glossy when ready.

Stir in 1/2 tsp of vanilla and chill.

Ours came out a bit lumpy. Probably a little overcooked and inconsistently stirred, but it tastes really chocolaty!! This will satisfy even the most intense chocolate craving. Be sure to use a good quality chocolate.

Noah enjoyed stirring, watching the milk turn into 'chocolate milk'.

I've even caught him stopping by the frig and trying to poke his little finger in for a taste test! So... I made up the rule of waiting until after dinner, and I broke it. Yeah, I did. Noah went out to play, and I broke my rule. I'm gonna get a ear full later on. UGH!!! Who makes silly rules like saving good sweet deserts until after dinner anyhow??

Cauliflower

2007-07-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I finally harvested about half of our Cauliflower. It didn't get as big as the Broccoli, or as big as the supermarket variety, but it doesn't matter. It grew in my backyard! Hurray!!

I thought I would have to toss it into my compost due to a slight bug infestation, but after cutting it into smaller florets, and soaking it, things are eatable and just fine.

Farmers Market

2007-07-08T21:19:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love this time of the year. All of my favorite fruits are in season. Berries and cherries, as well as peaches, nectarines and apricots. I think I could live off of fruit alone in these warm and sunny months. Okay, maybe I'll have to throw in some whip cream or ice cream...but that would do it. There is plenty to choose from at our local farmers market. Here is a picture of this weekends yummy treats. Well, what is left of it.
We purchased:
-red & green gooseberries (in the green carton)
-a bag of apricots
-peaches
-rainier cherries (so so so sweet and delicious)
-goat yogurt & chevre

I'm saving some of my gooseberries seeds, and will attempt to grow my own. I've read that they are easy to grow, so we'll see.

I'm not a big fan of goat products... ewww. But, I'm always up for trying something new, or trying something again, just to see if my tastes have changed, which they do all the time. The chevre from a local farmer (Port Madison Farm on Bainbridge) is outstanding! I love it so much that I recently broke down and purchased some at my grocery store in a desperate attempt to satisfy my craving for this rich and creamy cheese. HMMM, not the same... at all! I don't know what it is, but the store bought chevre is just not the same, although it is much cheaper. Soooo, now I just wait for the farmers market on the weekend and indulge myself.

What are some of your favorite summer eats?

New Arrival

2007-07-06T19:49:00.000-07:00

Just as I had lost all hope... I discovered a little baby purple cauliflower in the garden.

Soooo EXCITING!!

This is the only one that hasn't been attacked by some type of bug. They're in close quarters, my cauliflower plants, so I'm sure it won't be long until the little buggies find this one too.

Spider Boy

2007-07-06T16:21:00.000-07:00

MOM!!! MOM!!!!!!MOOOMMMM!! Come quick, we need your help!

Noah's eyes were alive with excitement, this could only mean one of two things

he found a salamander
he found a big spider

He led me to an old hollow cement cylinder that we found buried in our yard. He instructed me to look inside. I was nervous... is something going to jump out at me? Bite me? Scare me to death? Deep breath, I can handle this... after all, whatever it is, is much smaller than me, RIGHT??? Right. So I peek inside, and I see a spider. Not huge, but big enough to give me the heeby jeebies.

We need your help Mom! Great, why me??? So I help, trembling all along, ready to flee at any sign of a charging spider. She(yes I think she was a female) was a gentle one. Slowly climbed out of the cylinder, and allowed Noah to pick her up. Whew! Later in the evening, Noah was still playing this spider. I was worried he might smash her... She was crawling all over Noah's arms...I silently hoped she wouldn't bite Noah. She didn't, and we set her free at the end of the day. All ended Well...

My Childhood

2007-07-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago my sister was helping my dad sell off some of his furniture and belongings in preparation for his move back to his home state of Florida. While in the backyard shed, she discovered a box full of books from our childhood. She showed up at my house with this box, and we began to dig through it. Wow, these books really took us back. Noah dived right in and began thumbing through the pages, begging for someone to read him a book. About half of them are in German, so those I cannot read, but we've read through all the English books several times.

One night, after everyone had gone to bed, I couldn't sleep so I decided to look through this box again. I found several 'report cards' from our grade school days in an American school in Germany. Here are a few comments, Grades 1-3.

Grade 1: -Eva is a capable student and shows much potential.
-Eva is making progress, at times she can be a bit rough with other students. I'm sure she'll improve if you speak to her. (YIKES)

Grade 2: -Eva is a very good worker. She takes great pride in her work. (Ahh redemption)

Grade 3:-Eva did not study for Science and did not complete homework. (uh ohhh)

Thinking back, I can remember how much I loved school, at least I loved having friends, and playing on the playground during recess. Class time often felt torturous. Having to sit still, and not being able to talk to my neighbor was tough. So tough that I just couldn't help myself, and often got lectured about talking too much. Is there such a thing? MMMM not in my book. =)

Broccoli

2007-07-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

I harvested the last of our broccoli yesterday. It's been pretty warm, and I think it was getting ready to bolt. This is about 4 heads or so... we had a total of about 15 heads.
Now... time to search for some yummy new broccoli recipes. Wonder if I can blanch it and freeze it?

Play with your Food

2007-06-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, I realize this breaks all the rules...

Noah is not a big eater, but he loves creating his own culinary delights.

Case in point:

Our neighbor brought us a bowl of raspberries from her backyard, so I put them on the table this morning to eat with our breakfast. Noah asked of we could make jam out of them, I told him we don't have enough to make jam, maybe later in the summer we can do that. I'll just make my own then, Says Noah.

He smashed several raspberries, added some white sugar, chocolate milk, and some huckleberry syrup. Then... HE ASKED ME TO TASTE IT! What's a Mom supposed to do??? Well taste it of course. He saved the rest for Dad... this should be interesting. I think he named it Raspberry-Chocolate jam syrup.

Update

2007-06-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack posts...

Do you see what I see????

YES!!! We have little baby broccoli, and tiny little tomatoes!!

Okay, so I realize that this is turning into a bit of a garden blog, but that's okay for now. My mother commented that she'd like to see more pictures of her grandchildren. Ummm kids??? Oh yeah, they still live here too, just haven't taken very many pictures of them lately.

Life actually came to a stand still for about 2 weeks because we got sick, but we're feeling better.

Other news:

-Noah is home for the summer. It's been a challenge to keep him occupied, but we're finally finding a bit of a routine and getting into a daily groove. Since I'm not currently working,(of course I'm working!! Darn hard too I might add) I mean holding down a job that pays cashola, I thought it might be fun to have Noah home for the summer. After all, this may be the only summer we have this opportunity. Soon he'll be older, and won't want to hang out with his ole mamma.

-We have a visitor coming! Suga Ray will be stopping by for a few days on his way home to Okinawa. He's originally from Maine. We worked together briefly in Hawaii and have been friends ever since. We're excited to see him! It's always fun to have visitors!!

-My beautiful sister Fatima finished Grad School and earned an MPA at the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs, University of Washington. Congratulations Fatima! She is moving to Philly to be with her husband who moved earlier this year for work. We'll miss you guys!

Fatima & Bella

Feeding Time!

2007-06-06T10:32:00.000-07:00

Sweet potato with apple

Making baby food is so much fun! I love watching Bella's face squish up as she tries something new. Then she smiles, or not, and grunts and kicks and reaches for another taste.

TJ's Cloth Bag Incentive

2007-06-04T10:47:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been to Trader Joe's? If you have ever lived or visited the West Coast, chances are you have. I love that store... sort of. I mean I do...but... it just seems that nothing in there is local, and everything is excessively packaged. Even the fruit & vegetables are sold in plastic-like tray containers. But... I love that store, especially since they have the cheapest organic strawberries. I love it because they have reasonable prices, and a different selection compared to your run-of-the- mill grocery chain. This is particularly true for yummy treats. Not that I have a sweet tooth or anything.. AHEM. Most importantly, the employees are always super friendly and helpful. Really, they are. Unfortunately, since I'm trying, really trying, to eat a more local diet, as well as cut back on buying packaged convenience food items, my visits to TJ's have become more and more infrequent.

I have been trying to cut back on convenience items by making more things from scratch. Hopefully our garden will help too. I've been buying from the bulk bins at 'regular' grocery stores and reusing my plastic bags, (one of these days I'll purchase some reusable produce bags.) And, of course I'm still using my cloth bags. I rarely see others use cloth bags. My store of choice gives a 5 cent discount for each bag you bring. Nothing huge, but a small incentive none-the-less.

Last week I went to TJ's to grab a few yummy treats and convenience items. I know, I know, BAD. But I did, and guess what? I was very pleasantly surprised that TJ's has the best cloth bag incentive I've come across. As I was being checked-out, the cashier slapped a little piece of paper on the counter which asked for my name and phone number. I was skeptical. I will NOT be giving out my name and phone number, thank you very much. What's this for? I asked. He smiled and explained that since I brought cloth bags, I could enter to win a $10 coupon. Hot diggy damn! That could cover my sweet tooth for several days! Grinning from ear to ear, I quickly scribbled my name and number on the little piece of paper. Only after the excitement had subsided, did I bother to hope that my information would be kept private. Oh Well, I'm a sucker, what can I say. Isn't it a great incentive to use cloth bags? I think so. The little container that held all of the entries was nearly full, so obviously a lot more people than I realized are using their cloth bags too... YIPPEEEE

Growing like MAD!

2007-06-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

Finally planted my tomatoes

Corn (aren't they CUTE!?!?)

Potatoes

Kale & Beets (I'm in desperate need of Kale recipes!)

Carrots & Onions

Lettuce

Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower (See my gardening sidekick at the left?)

Invitation

2007-05-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week Noah handed me a handwritten invitation to a Tea Party hosted by his class.

It's gonna be pretty delicious. There's gonna be HOT & COLD Tea!! And.... we are making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!! OH yeah, and we have to bring our own cups.
Last night before falling asleep, Noah calls me to his room. He claims he has something very important to tell me.
You know you have to dress pretty fancy for our Tea Party Mom. I'm really serious about that. Okay, that is very important! Especially since my wardrobe is in need of a serious overhaul!! I figured he'd forget by morning. No such luck.
This morning as I was getting ready to take him to school, he comes into my bathroom. Are you making yourself stylish? UMMM... Stylish....ummm nope, not really.
MOM!!!! You have to be stylish for the Tea Party!!! OH.... Yeah... Right...Of course! So I ask Noah what I should wear. He goes to my closet and picks out the one skirt that I own. He thinks all girls/women wear dresses. Naturally he picks out my one old work skirt. This is pretty stylish... I think? Bella Baby needs to be stylish too!

Soooo... I'm off to a wonderful Tea Party!

More flowers in the garden have bloomed!

Slug-Fest

2007-05-22T14:07:00.000-07:00

In one of my gardening books from the library, I read a tip... to keep slugs at bay, water only in the morning. Slugs will come out at night, when it is cool, and much away at your garden. Soooo... I of course watered only in the morning, because I... UMMM... follow directions ever so carefully, but mostly because this made sense to me.

The past few days we've had some cooler weather and a bit of rain. The garden is oh so happy! Things are growing like mad! This morning, the rain slowed long enough for me to go gallivanting in the garden. DARNING! (darnet)As Noah would say, there were little holes on my lettuce greens! And... I found the culprit, or should I say the culprits??? There were tiny little slugs happily munching away. I didn't have the heart to squash them, they were just too cute, so I put them in my yard waste bin. Then... as I was checking out the radish, I found the Big Bad Momma of the slugs. She was eating my radish!!! The top part that was sticking out of the ground! OHHHH It's on!! Did I squash her? No, I just couldn't. I'm the girl who used to collect huge long earth worms and snails on my way to the bus-stop as a school-girl. So, she got tossed into the yard bin too... to live another day, munching on something other than my greens.

See the big munch marks???

Bella

2007-05-19T09:12:00.001-07:00

I just couldn't resist posting another photo of Bella.

She's growing so fast.

First Harvest

2007-05-19T08:59:00.000-07:00

Last night we enjoyed our first salad from the lettuce greens planted in the garden. To my surprise, there were tiny little radishes attached to some of the greens. I double checked my seeds and sure enough, the Micro Greens Mix includes Cherry Belle Radish! Those were gobbled before we got any pictures.

Check out this little flower! I have no idea what it is.

Garden Update

2007-05-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

Things are (to my surprise) actually growing in the garden! Earlier this week, I thinned out the Red Cabbage, Broccoli, and Cauliflower. Very traumatic experience! Snipping all of those perfect little plants. It had to be done, for the good of the remaining plants. The kale, beets, onions and carrots are all doing well and growing!

lettuce name, with heart shape around name with beets (sprouts too tiny to see)

broccoli & red cabbage sprout

Yesterday Jaime purchased two types of potato sets, he didn't get the names. One is a small red, and the other a larger yellow. I will be using old tires (as containers) that we found buried in our backyard. He also purchased some strawberry plants, TriStar & Alpine. He picked the white Alpine, which is supposed to have a sweet pineapple taste, and because it never turns red, the birds will leave it alone, thinking it hasn't ripened yet. I'll believe when I see it! Noah loves strawberries! I keep trying to convert him to raspberries, my favorite, but it hasn't happened yet. =)

On the other side of the yard, I'm still digging... forever digging and weeding and pulling huge blackberry roots. Not to mention I'm still finding more GARBAGE! EWWW This new spot will be home to our pumpkin, watermelon, corn, and rhubarb. I haven't started my tomato seeds yet, and I think it may be too late. Maybe I'll just buy a few plants... (sign) We've also planted our raspberry and blueberry bush from last year, which have lived in pots until last week. They both have flowers! Yippeee!! Last year we had about 5 raspberries, and no blueberries. Thank goodness for the two huge blueberry bushes behind my mailbox across the street!

Strata

2007-05-01T10:07:00.000-07:00

Do you have a large family to feed? Breakfast/Brunch guests coming over but you don't have the time to prepare a gourmet feast?
Try Strata. You prepare it the night before, then bake it in the morning.

Never heard of it?
Me either... I was perusing my latest cookbook from the library, 'Sunset 2004 Recipe Annual', and I ran across a recipe for Sicilian-Style Strata.

My version is only slightly altered:

1 (1lb) loaf of bread cut into 1 inch cubes (use whatever you have) I used sour dough
8 ounces of ham or prosciutto (use more or less depending on your taste)

half of a red bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup sliced green onion

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 diced tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped olives (I omitted)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar

6 eggs

3 cups milk

1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt (how salty is your ham?)

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

chopped parsley

drained capers

In a lightly oiled 9x13 baking dish, layer:

-half of cubed bread

-ham

-bell pepper

-green onion

-parmesan cheese

Then layer with

-remaining bread

-tomatoes

-olives

-cheddar

Whisk

-eggs

-milk

-salt & pepper

-mustard

pour over layered ingredients, cover and refrigerate till morning.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 40-50 minutes.

Garnish with parsley and capers

I love the versatility of this dish! You can use any type of bread, cheese and veggies. Whatever you like, whatever you have on hand.

T(ea)

2007-04-28T22:59:00.000-07:00

I do not like Coffee. I do not like it Hot or Cold. I do not like it with Cream or Sugar. I do not like Coffee. I won't drink Coffee. Not now, not ever. I do not like Coffee!! Yes, my mother thinks I may have been switched at birth.

Way back in January, right after the New Year, Jaime surprised me with my very own glass teapot! I had mentioned to him that grocery bought tea in the bag was great, but that I wanted to venture into loose tea. This glass teapot has an infuser. Now, the only thing missing??? Yep, the tea. Yes, my lovely teapot sat in it's box...for four long months, through the coldest weather of the year! Jaime has tried to drag me out to a local tea lounge on his delivery route for months, but the idea of dragging my hyper little spider man to a quaint, relaxing tea lounge, just didn't seem right, or like fun for that matter. Today, while Jaime was at work, he picked out three different teas for me and surprised me when he got home!
-Pu-erh Ginger
-Honeybush
-Chamomile (an old favorite)
So thoughtful! Of course as soon as we had the two rascals tucked in, I put on a pot of hot water. After gulping, I mean sipping two big mugs full, my entire body feels completely relaxed, and I swear I'm a bit light-headed. UMMM Maybe it's just exhaustion? No no no, it's the Tea, I'm sure of it! This tea was so good. The Pu-erh that is. Rich and smooth, without a bitter aftertaste. Can't wait to try the others!

Happy Earth Day!

2007-04-22T21:36:00.002-07:00

In celebration of Earth Day, we spent a beautiful day outdoors. Gardening, finding bugs, riding bikes and skateboards. The best part was just sitting in the warm sun. The news had forecasted rain for this weekend, but both days were beautiful! We also enjoyed our first backyard family BBQ.

I found the most wonderful book at the library!

SUNFLOWER HOUSES, Garden Discoveries for Children of All Ages by Sharon Lovejoy.

It has many great ideas on getting your little ones involved with the garden. Things such as writing their name with a heart around it with plants. (We did this with lettuce and beets. I will post a photo once the sprouts grow a bit more.) Creating sunflower houses..(yes, really), or a tee pee using poles, beans, gourds. Or, use hollowed out gourds for bird houses. These are just a few of my favorites.

We also spent some time discussing with Noah what Earth Day means to us, and asked him what we can do to better take care of the Earth. He sort of gets it! He's all about the 3 R's, and turning off the lights. Now... we just need to stop wasting so much water, and work on phasing out some of our 'convenience items'. Slowly but surely, we'll get there.

Aqua Boy

2007-04-19T10:28:00.000-07:00

In preparation for our trip back to Hawaii in August, Noah has been practicing his snorkeling. He received his first mask and snorkel for his birthday, and picked it up really quickly... too quickly. I promised him that once he mastered breathing through the snorkel correctly in the tub, we'd hit the pool. It only took one night(beginners luck?)...now I have to make good on my promise and head to the pool. Ick Ick Ick!!!! I don't like swimming pools. Beats swimming in Puget Sound... I suppose. =) Hopefully with enough practice, he will be comfortable enough to venture into the ocean. He is excited to see fish and perhaps a Honu. I'm excited to take him!

As a baby, he was not afraid of the ocean, a year ago during one of our visits, he was so afraid he barely got his toes wet! HA! We'll see what happens in August.

Noah turns 5!

2007-04-17T14:07:00.000-07:00

Our BIG little guy turned 5 today!

Happy Birthday Noah!

He was a bit tired this morning, because he stayed up late last night (as any real baker would do) making strawberry frosting for the Birthday cupcakes. Of course I needed help licking all the spoons, so that took up even more time. We were both wiped out after that. Whew!

Noah lives for sweets! One day (out of frustration) I asked him if there was anything that isn't junk food that he enjoys. That he thinks is absolutely delicious. His response? 'Of course mom, I like Tako Poke!' Tako, meaning octopus in Japanese. Tako Poke has been Noah's favorite ever since he's had enough teeth to chew it.

Last night, after work, Jaime went to a specialty store in search of seaweed. Score! He found Ogo in China town. Once we knew Noah was fast asleep, we pulled out the ingredients and started chopping.

This morning, after Noah had finished opening his gifts, and was happily talking about all sorts of things, I asked what he wanted for breakfast. 'UMMMM, remember the strawberry frosting?' he asks 'Can I have a cupcake with it on there?' Sure. He continues playing and talking, totally ignoring the cupcake! Then I sneak out a bowl of Tako Poke for him, and set it on the table. I begin my morning routine, and after about 10 minutes I insist that he sit down and eat some breakfast before we go to school. I went to my room to get changed, and to change Bella. Suddenly Noah yells, 'Hey MOM!!! You're not going to believe your eyes!!!! Who put this here?' He runs to my room with the bowl, eyes about to bulge out of his head, nearly spilling it all. He tastes it, and just keeps eating and eating. Between bites he asks me how we got Tako Poke. 'Did Nana and Tutu send it?' No, we made it! He was so happy.

We sit down together, and he eats it all. The Tako Poke that is! The cupcake got completely ignored. HA!

For lunch, I brought a fruit salad and some pictures to share with his class. He was so sweet. Helping me carry things, helping to serve his classmates. Telling everyone about how one time he caught the biggest spider ever, and how dad is so afraid of spiders. Then he laughs. His friends laugh. It's just a spider, they say. Then we sing Happy Birthday, and he snuggles into me, just like when he was little. It's a moment I'll never forget.

Happy Birthday Noah!

We love you more than words can describe!

Being a Grown-up

2007-04-16T14:09:00.000-07:00

As my mother likes to say, 'Eva, you're no longer a Spring Chicken!'
Well... UMMM, excuse me, I still feel like one!

Yes, yes, yes, it's true, I turned the big 3-0 last year. When I was in my early 20's attending college, (and being very grown-up) planning my career and furthering my education, I never dreamed that I would marry Jaime and that we would have two children together. No Way. Not me! After all, I didn't even really like kids all that much. Yes, it's true. I didn't want to be a mother, or a wife. I just wanted to do what I thought was expected of me. Get an education, get a job, and fall into the daily grind of going to work each and every weekday! Check! After two years of this, I was sure there was more to life. To MY life anyhow.

Today, I am a stay-at-home mom. Not the most exciting prospect to some, but for me, on most days (no not every day!) I love my life! Love it, love it, love it! Motherhood has taught me two very important things.

Slow down to enjoy and appreciate the small things in life.
Learn to listen to my inner self, what really makes me happy.

I love having the freedom to do what I want. For once, I am not afraid to do what I want. Isn't that what being a grown-up is really about? To do what truly makes you happy? Granted with 2 young children, some things are on hold, but only temporarily. I have learned patience, and to put others first. My life is rich and full... full of sacrifice. I am happy, happier than ever. I'm not sure I will ever feel like a grown-up, but if things continue on this road, I look forward to further exploration of what I want to be when I grow-up. Making sure I am a spring chicken FOREVER! At least in spirit.

I try to do something every day that makes me feel like a kid again.

Eating a gigantic spoonful of Nutella before breakfast.
Riding skateboards with Noah.
Laughing for no reason at all
Dancing with Noah and Bella

Oh, I could go on forever. If this is what being a grown-up is all about...I'm glad I'm finally here!

Goofed

2007-04-09T11:33:00.000-07:00

I messed up BAD! Totally goofed! Yesterday, Easter Sunday, we woke up early, ate breakfast, and got dressed to attend our local Community Easter Egg Hunt. Noah was so excited!

As we arrived at our destination, there was a big banner out front, inviting the community to join them for their annual Easter Egg Hunt on SATURDAY, APRIL 7TH, 10AM. Gulp. Jaime and I read the sign at the same time, pulled into an empty parking lot, and broke the news to Noah. We had missed it. Jaime begins laughing. I was speechless, my heart still in the pit of my stomach. Noah confused, thought it was all a joke. Once he realized it wasn't a joke, he asked Jaime, 'you think that is funny? I don't think it's very funny'.

OHHH, maybe next year I'll read a little more carefully.

Favorite Photos

2007-04-07T11:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had extremely warm weather, high 70's! The sky was blue, the breeze was warm, and the air carried a sweet honeysuckle smell.

P.S. my red cabbage sprouted over night! So awesome!!
Ash, if these cabbages make it, I'll be sure to cook up some red cabbage for you and family!

Garden update

2007-04-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

I have spent the better part of last week planting and further cleaning our yard. Whew!! I have planted
-red cabbage
-white & purple cauliflower
-broccoli
-red & yellow onions
-purple & rainbow carrots
-beets
I'm such a gardening novice, but hey, this has been fun. It will be even more fun if and when something starts to sprout. Assuming the squirrels and cats don't get to the garden first.

Even Noah got in on the action. He begged and begged to please plant something. So, I sectioned off part of the garden as his own personal space. I was originally going to make his garden on the opposite side of the yard and plant the summer goodies he wanted there, with him. But he just couldn't wait. So, I put a few seeds of onion, kale, beet and carrot into a small cup, gave him a quick planting demonstration, and let him have at it!

First he planted

Then he watered

Whew, that was hard work!

I had to extend the boundaries of his garden, because he requested more space. Shortly after he lost interest. At the end of the day, he still had most of his seeds, (I gave him way too many) so I suggested we save them for another day. I went inside to bathe Bella, and start dinner. When I called Noah in, he brought in a 'empty' seed cup. HMMM.. I asked if he had been hard at work gardening again. 'Yes', he said. 'I dug a big hole, and put them all inside!'

15 Years!

2007-04-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

15 Years ago yesterday, April Fool's Day, my family moved from sunny Southern California to tropical Hawaii. I was 15 yrs old, finishing up my freshman year of high School. Leaving behind my first 'real boyfriend', and two best friends was no easy task. In fact, I did not want to move, even if it was to Hawaii. I started to plan my escape. My step-father was in the Army, and we moved around quite a bit, every 1-3 yrs, and I had had enough!

Needless to say, I did not go through with my plan. (yes I really had one, and I think it would have worked, temporarily anyway) My mother was a pro at moving our family, but if I had tried a Houdini stunt, it would have caused complete chaos.

It took well over a year to finally get used to living there. Hawaii is very different from any other place I had ever lived. There was the heat, the roaches, learning to understand pidgin, and being a minority for the first time in my life. I did not fit in with the locals, I was after all a haole, but eventually made friends and discovered the ocean.

I love the ocean! I miss the ocean. I really really miss the ocean. I wish I could go for a swim or go diving or just stick my toes in the ocean. I miss the ocean breeze, miss kissing Jaime and tasting the salt on his lips. I miss going for 'shave ice' at the end of a day at the beach. I miss sand being in my bed, and stuck to my scalp. I miss digging sand out of Noah's ears and nose. I miss licking lilikoi (passionfruit), and crunching the seeds. I miss waking up to the smell of tropical rain entering my bedroom in the middle of the night. I will never forget the smell of sugar cane burning during harvest.

Aaahhhh, I miss Hawaii.

Determination!

2007-03-30T17:02:00.000-07:00

Every day I try to give Bella a little Tummy Time, you know, so she can build her strength and work towards mobility. Truth be told, I only do it here and there, for very short spurts because she gets so mad! And she stays mad! Too much for me to handle on a daily basis.

Today, I put her on her belly, and boy did she get mad! Struggled! Screamed! Tears were streaming from her eyes. I picked her up, and she giggled at me. HMMM So I put her down on her tummy again. After struggling for a while, she ROLLED OVER, for the first time ever!! Hurray. Then she giggled again. We did this a total of 3 times, before she pooped out.

Ahhh, another milestone!

Funny Quotes

2007-03-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

Sometimes Noah just says the funniest things!

Yesterday morning he climbed into my bed, coughing, with bright red cheeks.
'Mom, I think I have the flea' (flu)... yes, he is still home but feeling better.

Last night, he asked Jaime what hurts him? Nothing... says Jaime. I jump in and remind him how much those darn little paper cuts burn. Yes, those do hurt, says Jaime.
'And when I kick your pee pee...right dad?' We couldn't stop laughing, Noah was so confused. 'It does hurt...right??'

Our family

2007-03-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

Just a few recent pictures of us... for our friends and family in far away places.

We miss you all!

Labor of Love

2007-03-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

For three days now, I've been digging, weeding, pulling out blackberry roots from a small section of my yard. I figure if this garden thing is going to happen, I had better keep at it!

This has been a tremendous amount of work! When we first moved in about 1.5 yrs ago, this area was covered with about 15-20 ft high(no kidding) of blackberry vines. Jaime has since chopped them down, we have attempted (nearly impossible) to pick up all the dead vines. Then the seasons changed, more leaves fell, and now that spring is almost here, weeds and old leaves have taken over the yard.

As much as I love to indulge in sun-warmed berries in the summer, these blackberries are impossible to get rid of. Jaime thought he dug out most of the roots, and he did... sort of. When I started digging, and turning the soil, I found tons more... I mean tons, and they are starting to sprout... again. GRRR They are strong, and tough to pull out.

A stroll through the produce section of my local grocery store has renewed my spirit. I am so excited at the thought of eating out of my garden. Gosh I hope things grow. My gardening book from the library mentioned that soil in this region needs to be supplemented with lime, to give the soil calcium and magnesium. Apparently our winter rain leaches these minerals out of the soil. Anyone know anything about this? Do I really need to do this? Guess it just depends on my soil. Wonder if I should take a chance and just plant my crops. hmmm

Here a few pictures of my recent labor of love.

Hopefully I can update these picture in a few months of my little kitchen garden.

Culinary Delight

2007-03-12T22:09:00.000-07:00

Jaime found this book, Man Eating Bugs by Peter Menzel & Faith D'Aluisio, at our local library!

It is one of those books that the entire family can enjoy. The photos are absolutely fascinating! Stories from around the world describe culture and tradition.

It really is a fun read for the whole family, just thought I'd share it with you all.

Buried Treasure

2007-03-09T17:08:00.000-08:00

The other night, as I was frantically moving about my kitchen, trying to scrape together a few ingredients to make dinner, I realized that the dishwasher was in the middle of the wash cycle. I had absolutely no clean knives to chop and dice things with. HMMM So I went to my drawer where I keep some old knives; not sure why I keep them around? Anyhow, after rummaging through the drawer, I spotted a buried treasure! My favorite knife of all time, that I've kept put away for 2 years!

It is a WUSTHOF. Slices through most things with such ease! I've kept it stored away, worried that I might 'ruin' it if I use it. Soooo, I've been chopping, slicing & dicing with very old, dull steak knives that I purchased at ROSS about 8 years ago. I think I paid like $5 or $6 for 6 of them. Anyhow, since I've found my buried treasure, I have used it almost every time I cook. I will continue to use it. I seriously doubt I could ruin it! I'll just have to sharpen it occasionally.

The only downfall??? If I accidentally cut myself, it will be a nice gash!

Could it be??

2007-03-06T09:49:00.000-08:00

Oh my! Spring is right around the corner... and it feels like it too.

The sun is out, it is the warmest day of the year (according to the latest weather report), and daffodils are blooming all over my yard! The sun feels so good! I even have the doors open for some much needed fresh air. A big fly just buzzed right by me... and I'm not even annoyed! HA

Have I mentioned that I just can't wait for spring?

Tomorrow it is supposed to start raining...again... but hey, I will enjoy today! Immensely!

These Rock!!

2007-03-03T21:00:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, my sister and brother-in-law gave me a pair of the most comfortable socks I have ever owned! These are Smartwool, and are oh so comfy. I love them so much, not sure if I can ever purchase 'regular' socks again. Every time I do laundry, I frantically dig through the pile of dirty clothes to fish out my socks, just to make sure they get washed! My feet are so warm and toasty in these... okay, you get the picture.

Yes, there are more interesting things to blog about, but at this moment, these socks and my hot chocolate are making me very happy!

Muffins

2007-03-02T20:37:00.000-08:00

I found this wonderful recipe for whole wheat millet muffins.
They are healthy and fun to eat. We love the crunchy millets. I added some blueberries too.

Fun

2007-03-02T19:40:00.000-08:00

Today Noah had a half-day at school, so this afternoon we went shopping for a classmates birthday present, wrapped the gift with a paper bag and decorated it, then we dipped pretzel sticks into melted chocolate and covered them with sprinkles. FUN!! Right?? ummmm ... it could have been if I were more patient. Instead, I was very impatient, rude, and sucked the fun right out of it!

On the way to the store things were good. Noah told me he promised his friend a tractor-trailer movie for his birthday. I told Noah we probably won't be able to find one, and we'll just buy something else that looks fun. Can I pick it out? asked Noah. Yes, you can help me pick it out. Noah was excited. He picked out one thing after another, just for me to tell him NO. Then, still cheerful, he said, Mom, we can just buy what you want to buy. I felt a twinge of guilt. I asked Noah for his opinion. So we decided together. Whew, that went okay. I'm starting to feel crabby. Probably because there are a bunch of things in the store I would have liked to purchase for myself and the house.

Then we go home, I put Bella down for a nap, and begin to wrap the gift. Noah finds his markers, stickers, and glitter glue to decorate. I take forever to wrap this gift... had some trouble because of its odd shape. Noah opens the glitter glue, and asks why isn't it coming out. I look over, and it IS coming out, big globs of it. I blow up... I had asked him to wait till I was done wrapping so I could cover the table and help him. I didn't want this glitter glue all over the house. He apologizes... Sorry Mom,... are you angry at me? OHHH another twinge of guilt. I asked myself why I was being such a crab, it is washable after all. Noah was unflappable today. Very unlike him, it should have been a great day. He waits somewhat patiently without waking Bella while I continue to wrap. Then he happily decorates... again, very unlike him.

Next I ask if he wants to make a treat with me. He hesitates, but I lure him with talk of melted chocolate and sprinkles. He asks if we can give some to his friend for the party. Sure we can. We dump the sprinkles in a bowl, and begin melting chocolate. Next I dip the pretzel in chocolate, then Noah spoons sprinkles over it while I twirl the pretzel stick. Things are going great, except a few sprinkles are falling to floor, and he is moving too slow for me. I remind myself his is only 4, be patient... be patient, breathe and be patient. All to no avail. After pretzel number 4 or 5, I sharply point out that sprinkles are falling to the floor. I know he says, this sure is hard work! We keep going, then I let out a big sign. Noah looks at me and asks, why did you do that? Growing more impatient by the second, chocolate is dripping all over floor. He puts down his spoon, and asks if he can do something else. This is not so much fun, he says...another twinge of guilt, this time a big one. It is all because I am losing it. I felt awful again. Noah told me he is going to take a break from me. OUCH!!! This is what I tell him when he throws tantrums and I ask him to stay in his room until he has calmed down.

After that, I got it together a bit, and we enjoyed our time together. He was still in a surprisingly good mood, despite the fact that I had sucked the fun out of the entire afternoon! I can't wait for this rain to stop... so we can finally enjoy the outdoors again. Noah is too active to have in the house all day.

Fruits of our labor...Noah can't wait to surprise his friend tomorrow at the party.

PEE

2007-02-28T10:08:00.000-08:00

Bella had been bathed, dressed in several layers of clean clothes, and a fresh diaper. The BumGenius to be exact. I hesitated putting this diaper on, because it sometimes leaks. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong?? Bella was happy, full, and ready for a nap. Whew! I was ready for a nap too. Not even an hour into her nap, she suddenly begins wailing! Not like her, she usually naps a little longer, and wakes up happy. Oh Well, guess she's ready to get up.

I pick her up, just to realize she is soaked! And so is her bed! GRRRR Okay, another bath it is. I undress her, and pick her up to blow farts on her belly. She begins giggling, and pees. Pees a lot! First on me, then as a reflex, I hold her out, away from me, and she pees all over the floor and my bed. She looks at me with a very serious face, then begins giggling again. It was so funny!

OHHH, but the pee story doesn't end here. Oh No. Later that night as Noah was bathing, he suddenly stands up and says, hey mom, want to see me pee up? Aaahhhh... what??? With a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, he points his anatomy upward, and yeah... pees! He started laughing hysterically! Couldn't stop himself. UGHHHH

Life with little ones sure is entertaining!
Wonder what today will bring?

Green Thumb

2007-02-23T10:58:00.000-08:00

It's warming up and things are sprouting all over the yard, especially the daffodils. I'm so excited about getting a garden started this year! I finally ordered my seeds last night, after finishing my research on what will grow well in this region. I DO NOT have a green thumb... so I am crossing my fingers, counting my lucky stars, and hoping and praying that SOMETHING will grow. I'm so nervous, that I've begun to procrastinate. I tend to do this when I'm nervous. Instead I just hold on to a vision of what it is going to look like, without ever doing anything to make my vision happen!

As I was ordering the seeds, Jaime comes over to me and says, "You're ordering ALL those seeds???!!! Wow, you better give me some time in the yard this weekend to prepare the yard." He's right, I need him to rake more leaves, clean up old chopped blackberry bushes, and turn the earth. As crazy as it sounds, I think he enjoys yard work. He loves to work with his hands... I cherish the weekends, and look forward to 'Eva time', but this will be worth it!

Here is a list of what I hope to grow!

*Cabbage
*Onion
*Garlic
*Beets
*Potato
*Broccoli
*Cauliflower
*Pumpkin
*Carrot
*Corn
*Kale
*Lettuce
*Rhubarb
*Gourds (ornamental)
*Tomato
*Watermelon
*Strawberry
*Raspberry
*Blueberry

Wish me luck! I know I am going to need it.

Five Minutes

2007-02-20T10:32:00.000-08:00

Last week, I came down with a nasty, nasty cold. It got so bad, I called my sister and asked her what the Flu feels like. I don't think I've ever had the Flu, at least not in my adult life. Although I feel much better now, almost good as new... Bella is the next victim.

This past weekend, she was a bit fussy and wouldn't let anyone hold her, except me. Yesterday she was so congested she had trouble nursing, just to choke and puke up milk and mucus. How's that for a visual? She just cried and cried the entire day... poor babe. She'd fall asleep in my arms, then when I tried to lay her down, she'd start screaming. Finally after many hours of this, I decided to give myself five minutes. I needed to eat, and fix lunch for Noah. After five nerve wrecking minutes, five minutes of intense screaming, she passed out. Whew! Today is not much different, although she is sleeping a little better.

Noah is home from school for two more days, mid-winter break, and he's enjoying himself. His questions are starting to get more and more complex! Some I can't answer. Here is a sample of today's breakfast questions-
*How does the water get in the clouds so it can rain?
*How does our drinking water filter work?
*How do airplanes fly?
*Is a motorcycle faster than an airplane? Why not?

HMMMM wish I could recall this information from my school days!
Thank goodness for the internet, we can look things up at a moments notice.

Our Pizza

2007-02-14T13:30:00.000-08:00

Last night while Noah was taking a bath, I was preparing our pizza dough. Noah called out and asked, what are we having for dinner, mom? We are making our own pizza, I replied. Wow!!!! How come you get to make all the fun stuff!!!!???

Noah quickly bathed so he could help.

It took forever to get this pizza in the oven, but Noah felt so proud. He even dedicated one portion of the pizza to himself. No mushrooms, and lots of broccoli, so he can be extra strong.

Bella

2007-02-13T11:20:00.000-08:00

Today Bella is 4 months old! I can't believe how quickly time has gone by, definitely a reminder to live in the moment and enjoy every second with her.

She is curious, loves to go on walks, smiles at almost anyone who speaks to her in a high-pitched voice. She is also very quick tempered, a willful child, is what my doctor called her. It takes about 3 seconds for her to go from being fine, to being very upset. A girl who knows what she wants! I love her more with each passing day.

Buddy

2007-02-12T13:07:00.000-08:00

Whelp, we took the plunge, and completed our family with a pooch.
We had the pleasure of welcoming Buddy into our home Saturday night; Noah and Buddy have become fast friends.

Buddy is sweet, snuggly, a little sad(I think) and very strong! He took me for a walk yesterday. Jaime and I are working on a bit of leash training.

Planning

2007-02-09T11:15:00.000-08:00

I have come across many blogs in the past few months which talk about meal planning. That's crazy!, is what I thought. After all, doesn't it just depend on what's in your fridge and what you feel like? Isn't anyone spontaneous anymore? This has been my way of thinking/living for the past 5yrs or so.

More often than not, I will be standing in front of my fridge, rummaging through my pantry, late late late in the evening, stressing about what to make for dinner. Often times just to discover I don't have the ingredients to make what I want to make, sometimes I can sub an item, other times I can't. Then in turn I get impatient with Noah, all because I am in a hurry to whip something up for dinner. When he wants to help, I have to say no... because I am in a hurry.

Soooo.... for the first time ever, I planned a menu for most of February. This first week has gone extremely well! (Except I goofed for tonight, forgot to defrost chicken) So much more relaxed! Noah can help, I can better plan/budget the grocery list, and sometimes, I can even get started earlier in the day while Bella is napping. Instead of just cooking some spaghetti and heating up sauce, now I can make sure we have veggies in our sauce, include a nice salad and delicious cheese toast. All it took was a little organization!

Here is what's on the menu:
2/5-2/9... still working on weekend planning
M-Chili, Salad, Bread
T-Spaghetti, Salad, Cheese Bread
W-Pork Chop, Roasted Cauliflower, Mashed Potatoes, Salad
R- Minestrone Soup
F-Roasted Chicken, Greek Potatoes, Salad

2/12-2/16
M-Bean burritos
T-Homemade Pizza, Salad
W-Spaghetti w/ garlic, parsley & anchovies, Salad
R-Shepherd Pie, Salad
F-Stuffed Cabbage

The rest of Feb. is mostly planned too, minus the weekends.
This is a great start...for me anyhow, who never ever ever plans!

Spooky!

2007-02-05T14:25:00.000-08:00

My sister's mother & father-in-law gave Noah this tree face for Christmas.
I think it is so cool... and sort of spooky too! When I'm at the kitchen sink, looking out towards the backyard, this face stares back at me. It has taken some time to adjust. This morning it was a little dark out, and very foggy! Once again this face gave me a scare! I love the moss on his eyebrows and in between his teeth.

Mood

2007-02-04T20:55:00.000-08:00

I've been feeling selfish, indulgent, and most of all GROUCHY!!!
I really hope these feelings go away soon.
Maybe I just need a change of scenery

Art

2007-01-31T13:10:00.000-08:00

I love Art! No, I am not an artist by any means, I don't draw well, I don't know any of the hundreds of techniques artists use, and I know very little of the various mediums. The closest I've ever gotten is trying to manipulate my very basic digital camera to see things the way I do. Very tricky indeed! I dream of one day being able to attend art school. Glass? Metal? Ceramics? OHHH the possibilities are endless. Until then, I will borrow books from the library, and read about various techniques.

I also love color, especially in our home. We have had no art on the walls, until I dug out an old gift sent to us from Jaime's grandmother on his fathers side. Grandma Ganoza is from Peru, and from what I've heard, she visits quite often. Every couple of years, we receive a package in the mail with miscellaneous items from her trip. About 7 years ago we received this tapestry, which sat rolled up in the closet of our many homes.

I think it is made of either sheep or llama wool. This picture doesn't show the rich colors, again, failure on my part to manipulate my digital camera. I absolutely love this tapestry! I love the red roofs, and the women by the stream. It makes me smile whenever I walk by it.

Peggy Chun lives in Hawaii, and I love her work too. She suffers from Lou Gehrig's disease, and has over the years lost the use of all extremities. She now paints digitally with her eyes. My all time favorite is Banana Patch Heaven, but I also like Spirit of the Paddles.

Seattle has many talented artists! We've run across several no-name artists at farmers markets and street fairs. Many thanks to all of the artists who make our world a more beautiful place!

Junkie

2007-01-30T12:42:00.000-08:00

I am a self proclaimed junk food junkie! I've been like this for as long as I can remember, and this past Christmas my mother commented on how even as a young girl, I loved my sweets. I go through phases, at times I do pretty good. I don't buy junk, don't eat much junk... then it happens, I'm at the grocery store, thinking..."I deserve a treat", after all I don't have a weight problem, never have, why shouldn't I indulge??? Don't get me wrong... I think the occasional treat is fine, but once I have some, I can't seem to stop eating until it is all gone. I will slowly munch on candy & chocolate until it completely disappears. Very little will power.

I'm trying to change my eating habits for myself and the little ones. I want to be around a long time, so I can return the favor and torture them when I'm old! =) Just kidding. The worst part for me is Noah is following in my footsteps. He constantly asks for 'sugar snacks', and thinks whenever we are out and about, someone needs to buy him a treat. It's tough, because every where we go, there seem to be those darn little candy machines that only require a quarter. I say 'NO', then I have to listen to all sorts of whining and negotiations. I've gotten good at taking healthy snacks with us, and not buying junk! Except... when I go to the grocery store! OHH my weakness. Make every bite count, is what goes through my mind every time I eat or prepare food. Bella is nursing, and she depends on me to provide her with essential nutrients.

In an effort to eat better, I prepare snacks for myself that I can munch on during the day. I'm not a 3 meals a day kinda gal, I prefer to graze all day long! I chop fruit and veggies, get some dips ready, cut some cheese, have healthy crackers and nuts available. That way when I'm hanging out with Bella and want to 'snack', I can go to the kitchen, grab a handful of goodness, and munch/crunch on it while hanging with Bella. I need to get back into the habit of baking. I think that would help round out my snacking.

Noah is reluctant to eat healthy, thanks to me! I have noticed if I bake something healthy, or just leave some chopped items on the table, he too will walk by and grab something to munch on. What are your tricks/tips on eating better? Have a favorite recipe you'd like to share? I'm always up for something new.

Fire!!!!

2007-01-26T17:08:00.000-08:00

I have said it before, I'll say it again, I should not be allowed in the kitchen!

Today, after picking Noah up from school, I decided I am cold, I'd like to have another cup of tea. So I put on the hot water. Bella was fussing, so I sat down, got cozy with my favorite blanket and began nursing her. Sniff, Sniff... is something burning?? Shortly after the kettle starts to whistle, so I go to the kitchen, with Bella attached... and guess what I see??? Yep, FIRE!!!

My chowder from last night boiled over, guess that was what caught fire... and this is the second time this year that I've done this. Maybe I'm subconsciously trying to burn down my ICKY kitchen???

Check out my kettle!

Sunshine!

2007-01-23T10:28:00.000-08:00

YES!! The sun is peaking through grey clouds! Is this possible in the middle of winter?
I love sun, it feels great.
Can't wait for spring!

Kids!

2007-01-21T10:11:00.000-08:00

Things around here have been a bit busy but uneventful. Is that possible??? Noah and Bella have been sick. Although Bella is feeling better, Noah is still sluggish. He's been home from school quite a bit these last two weeks, first from snow storm, then he got sick. We've had lots of time to talk and just hang out.
I asked Noah, What are your interests?
What's that? He asked
Then we came up with a long list of his interests. Noah is very reserved, and doesn't share much, so it was great to see his face light up with excitement as he talked of his interests.

Caves
Rocket Ships
Ninjas
Pirates
Bouncey Houses
Gymnastics
Swimming/diving
Bugs
Pinata
Castles & Evil Kings
Hot Wheels
Flying Carpet
Sling Shots
Tattoos
Dragons
Huge Bubbles
Monster Trucks
Reptiles
Super Heros
Hot Lava
Cutting things in half
Swords
Submarines

Maybe we could incorporate some of these things into a Birthday party? Bubbles, Pinata, and a Bouncey House sound like loads of fun. Hopefully it doesn't rain... a real possibility in April.

Passion

2007-01-17T12:55:00.000-08:00

What's your passion?
HMMM, I'm still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up... oh wait a minute, guess I am sorta grown??? Right?

I'm reading this great book, 'Work with Passion-How to do what you love for a living' by Nancy Anderson. I'm only about 27 pgs in, but I'm hooked. Hope I have enough time to read the entire text. A paragraph in the introduction grabbed me with this:

"Begin your journey toward a more passionate life by eliminating the distractions from your life. Distractions include spending time with people who drain your energy, surfing the Internet, watching too much television, overspending, overeating, overworking, and oversocializing."

Some of these are obvious, like TV and the Internet. I too am guilty of squandering many hours, especially on the Internet. Others... like oversocializing, were not as obvious... to me at least. It goes on to say that it is important to have some alone time just for thinking and being. This I completely agree with. We don't have enough 'alone time' to just be ourselves and do absolutely nothing, a time to think. We are constantly overextended by family, friends, work and other obligations. Sometimes it is unavoidable, other times we need to learn to just say 'NO'. This is very difficult for me.

Anyhow, I hope you all will take more time to figuring out what your 'Passion' is. If you've already found it, Congratulations! I'd love to hear about it.

Advice

2007-01-16T20:59:00.000-08:00

Tonight while Noah was brushing his teeth, he called me into his bathroom. Why? He wanted to tell me his secret for getting your teeth extra clean.

First you brush really really good.
Rinse toothbrush, then brush again but only with water.

This last step is REALLY important. It will make your teeth 'shiny'. So there you have it, next time you want really shiny teeth, try Noah's trick, he swears by it.

Knitting

2007-01-14T11:53:00.000-08:00

I couldn't knit if my life depended on it! But my mom is so talented, she can knit all sorts of great things. Here are a few items she has made for Noah and Bella.

Lady Bug Blanket for Bella

Zoo Animal Blanket for Noah

Cardigan for Bella

Sweater for Noah

Thank you Mutti!