Trip the Light Nantastic

Evelyn's 4th Birthday!

2011-08-25T17:59:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to Evelyn! She turned 4 on August 13th. How is that possible?????

Longing and Patience, 18 Years

2011-07-26T12:51:00.001-07:00

A poem by Mary Oliver, "March":

There isn't anything in this world but mad love. Not in this world. Not tame love, calm love, mild love, no so-so love.And, of course, no reasonable love. Also there are a hundred paths through the world that are easier than loving. But, who wants easier? We dream of love, we moon about, thinking of Romeo and Juliet, or Tristan, or the lost queen rushing away over the Irish sea, all doom and splendor. Today, on the beach, an old man was sitting in the sun. I called out to him, and he turned. His face was like an empty pot. I remember his tall, pale wife; she died long ago. I remember his daughter-in-law. When she died, hard, and too young, he wept in the streets. He picked up pieces of wood, and stones, and anything else that was there, and threw them at the sea. Oh, how he loved his wife. Oh, how he loved young Barbara.
I stood in front of him, not expecting any answer yet not wanting to pass without some greeting. But his face had gone back to whatever he was dreaming. Something touched me, lightly, like a knife-blade.I felt I was bleeding,though just a little, a hint. Inside I flared hot, then cold.I thought of you.
Whom I love,
madly.

Todd and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary on July 24th. We were too poor to do much and we shared one card and wrote to each other on it, laughing at how things have come to this.

Mom and Dad, who will celebrate their 58th wedding anniversary this August, are getting ready to get into their new townhome. We are excited to get to be part of the family team helping out with the move. My sister, Pam, was out from Iowa and we had a fun time getting to catch up a little. She was a big help to my parents with packing up and getting ready for the move. Can't wait to celebrate with Mom and Dad in their new place. It's been a long journey for them with lots of frustration along the way. Patience, patience, patience....

Fourth of July and Garden Scenes

2011-07-05T19:19:00.001-07:00

The Role of Boredom In Our Lives

2011-07-01T21:07:00.000-07:00

I was bored this week. I don't usually think of myself as having any time to be bored but that's the irony. This week I was bored of the things I was busy with. I had so much to do and none of it inspired me. I was even bored of parenting. Now before you think of me as a bad parent, you must understand I never stop loving my children but I long for other things. The every day tasks, the neediness, the routine. I was just completely done with it emotionally. Looking back at the way I dealt with stress as a child and teenager, I can see how much personal and alone time I required. This week was a good reminder of how much I need the time by myself. Last night Todd watched the kids while I locked myself in the bathroom and played violin for two hours. I felt immeasurably refreshed afterwards. Big sigh.....

I can also feel myself being drawn back to the many interests I put on hold while the kids were infants and toddlers. Now that Evelyn in almost four and Finley is 7 1/2 I have a little more energy to poke my head up above the fog and see longer term goals and desires again. There's a shift in energy taking place in our household. Life is just a series of transitions.

Today we spent a good portion of the day at Lake Wilderness in the wonderful sun, playing in the sand, floating on inflatable rafts. Balance is restored in my universe.

Anybody Want A Peanut?

2011-06-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

Evelyn in baking mode, channeling Martha Stewart????
The view of Mt. Shuksan on morning of Ski to Sea Race.
Our crazy "Family Business" teams, 1 and 2 the night before our race!
Our crazy and TIRED "Family Business" teams 1 and 2 AFTER the race!
Spa day in the Sargeant household.
Finley and Evelyn waiting for me with Todd while I did a little Xcountry skiing.
Todd's 45th birthday in April! Happy Birthday Todd!
Evelyn and Finley ready to go home after Powder Pigs!
Our little student...
One of the first times Finley went up on the chair lift!
Pizza, pizza, french fries, french fries....

The kids and I have been watching "Princess Bride", over the past few weeks and I love the quotable quotes from that movie. I like this quote because of it's context in the movie. The two underlings rebel in their own way against the abusive boss man, Vezzini, by speaking in rhyme and making a game out of it, even as he berates and insults them. "No more rhymes! I mean it!" yells Vezzini. Fezzik replies, "Anybody want a peanut?" I think of it as a type of inspiration for life! Don't ever let 'em get you down!

Also, just watched Will Ferrill and Maggie Gyllenhall sp?, in the movie, "Stranger Than Fiction". Loving good fiction and literature I really enjoyed it. Kind of reinspires me to keep living the life I really want.

The more masochistic members of my family signed up for the Bellingham Ski to Sea Race this past Memorial Day Weekend. I being one of them. I completed the cross country leg in record time! Slow that is! LOL I wasn't last but close to it. These kinds of experiences just have to make you appreciate the role of pain and suffering in our lives. I'm not sure what that is, but one should appreciate them right?

Finley is literally counting down the days until school is over. Todd and I are gearing up for summer projects and little mini-vacations. Although with kids, is there any such thing as a "Mini vacation"? They all seem to take the same effort.

I am looking at programs to earn my teaching certification for elementary education. I'm so excited! I probably should have done this a long time ago, but in any case, I'm doing it now. Many things in my life have been leading me in this direction for a long time. I have been rebelling against my own skills and talents, wishing for those I don't possess while trying to discount the ones I do. I've loved being the art docent in Finley's first grade class and have enjoyed getting to know the kids and the teachers. And I've learned a lot about art history in the process!

Garden wise, things are very lush with all the rain this spring. My vegetable garden is sparse right now. Not much inspiration with the lack of sun this spring. Lettuce, radishes and carrots are doing fine though. Our wild salmon berries are in full bloom so hoping for some fun picking episodes for the kids. My purple clematis is blooming right now and the roses are close to blooming. Framed by spires of foxglove and surrounded by mounds of lady's mantle, my garden is finally starting to look like the cottage garden I dream of! Hostas are humongous and colombines are dainty and prolific. I love it. It's all in need of a little weeding but everything is so lush it still provides beauty and relaxation when I walk outside in the mornings and evenings. Having a little piece of earth is heaven...

Even in the midst of losing loved ones and acknowleging one's own mortality, there is such beauty in our lives. Todd and I don't get a lot time together but when we do we find our sense of humor still in tact, our desire to spend time together still there. It will have been 18 years of marriage this July and even though we do our share of driving each other crazy, I still enjoy his company. A good man...

New Year's Resignations, Love and Digging Out

2011-03-04T08:15:00.000-08:00

Even three months into 2011, I haven't quite felt like welcoming this new year. Disappointments and grief have marked these first few months so I haven't felt much like blogging. Even my private diary hasn't had many entries. I've been on auto pilot...

In December we finally completed our short plat for our property. However, our hopes for my parents buying it and building a home behind ours were crushed when the appraisal for our home and half acre came in too low for our mortgage company to approve the sale of the second lot. Well, let me rephrase that: they wouldn't let us sell it for a reasonable price. We would have had to charge almost twice what the market would currently warrant. Our mortgage company wouldn't even talk to us about the deal until we'd gotten a boundary survey and had the short plat approved. Thus, thousands of dollars later: ARGGH! We've all had to regroup and think of plan B and C options.

My dear aunt, Charlotte, my mom's younger sister and only sibling, also passed away in January, leaving us all shocked, grieved and reminded of how quickly our lives can change. Life is such a mystery and we must love while we are here. There is no other reason for existence but to ease the burden of each other's lives and add joy where we are able. Charlotte did just that and we can be inspired and motivated to make sure our relationships are full of love and forgiveness and fun!

So, that's how the year has begun. In the midst of the suffering though, there have been many moments of bittersweet joy, profound and meaningful insights and epiphanies. I find myself not depressed, but rather frustrated and thwarted and maddened by the roadblocks in my life right now. I've been blessed with the support of family and friends. For that I am beyond grateful. I'm thankful beyond words for Todd's love for me and the kids and his unwavering commitment and patience and problem solving attitude. He's so willing to forgive and move on and his sense of humour is a blessing.

I just finished reading the book, "Half the Sky". A married couple, Pulitzer Prize winning journalists, wrote it about the oppression of women around the world. It was inspiring and a catalyst for attitude changes in my life, similar to the reaction I had after reading "Three Cups of Tea." Great book! If more people, including policy makers and politicians on both sides of the aisle, would read it, our world would be a different place.

Finley and Evelyn are still my amazing and wonderful and crazy-making children. Parenting continues to be the most demanding educational experience of my life. Finley's in first grade, thriving and learning so much, making new friends and gaining new skills, both emotionally and intellectually. Hurricane Evelyn daily blows through with imagination, creativity, dancing, stormy moods and piercing screams as well as lovely hugs and pictures to put on the fridge.

Projects around the house continually demand attention. Todd ripped out our bathroom floor upstairs after a leaky toilet tank ruined our IKEA flooring. We now have a nice new floor and a repaired toilet. A month or so ago, our septic pump broke down requiring a new pump and timer and much to our chagrin, relocating the raised bed that we had inadvertantly planted over our septic tank pump access lid! Another big ARGGHHH!! So we have been digging out both literally and figuratively, setting things right and changing course. Difficult but necessary choices are being made.

I have faith that this year will end much better than it was begun.

Short Plat Recorded!

2010-12-16T17:33:00.001-08:00

On Wednesday, December 15th, 2010, Todd and I left the kids with my parents and made the trip to the King County Courthouse with mylars of our boundary surveys in hand in order to finally record our short plat of our property. After five years of preparation for this it still seems surreal to have it checked off the list. We've learned so much along the way.

Todd signing the mylar copies of our boundary surveys at Concept Engineers in Issaquah on Tuesday. A happy event!

Sargeant Short Plat Application

2010-06-16T01:09:00.000-07:00

Night of my dreams! Oh, how I have dreamed of this day... The application for our subdivison of our property is sitting, complete and perfect and lovely on our kitchen table. How did paperwork become so alluring? After five years of working on this darn thing we are finally ready to move forward with dividing our property into two lots. I take it to the city planning office tomorrow and hope all of our ground work and meetings with their planning staff pays off for a quick review process. More later!

Bird Hospital

2010-05-28T08:56:00.000-07:00

Into every childhood, a dead bird must fall, it seems.

Yesterday, the kids and I heard a distinct "thunk" at one of the front windows. My heart sank because I recognized it as a bird hitting the window. We opened the door cautiously, and sure enough. There was a poor Evening Grosbeak, a bright yellow, black and white male, on its back, mouth open, sides heaving, talons clenched. It didn't look good. I decided we should just stand back and watch for a little while to see if he was going to come out of it on his own and to make sure one of our feral cats didn't get him while he was recovering. Unfortunately, he had landed right next to a cat dish. I warned Finley and Evelyn that usually birds die after hitting windows and that we shouldn't have too high hopes for his recovery. Bird's necks are amazingly flexible and I had read somewhere that it's not usually a broken neck that does them in, but rather the head injury or being eaten by something while they're dazed.

We took turns watching for about 15 minutes and in that time he had managed to flip himself rightside up, his beak was now closed and he was breathing slower. We decided then that he might actually have a chance of full recovery if he was protected from the cats and elements. We fixed up a box with a soft cloth inside my lovebird, Esther's, extra travel cage with some food, water and perches. I put on my latex gloves and picked up the bird. He actually gripped my fingers with his talons so that was a good sign. His wings didn't feel broken. We put him in the box to start with, covered the cage and took him to the upstairs bathroom where we could turn on the heater and keep the room warmer.

All day, the kids and I took turns going to check on him every half hour or so. For most of the day he stayed huddled in the box, but actually perched on the rolled cloth. His droppings looked normal and there was no blood in them so I figured that ruled out major internal injuries. Then in the evening he managed to hop up to the lowest perch. By bedtime, he had managed to get to the top perch and was looking a little more bright eyed and alert.

This morning when we checked on him, he flew to the other side of the cage and back to a perch with no problem. We decided to let him go and see if he could make it on his own. We took him down to the front porch again and opened the cage towards the bird feeder and trees where the rest of flock was eating. I opened the door and he took off beautifully! He must have been very hungry because he just kind of camped out on the feeder and ate for about five minutes! Then he flew off. I wish every injured bird story ended that way... Best wishes little bird buddy!

By the way, the kids wanted to make sure no other birds made the same mistake of flying into the reflection on the windows. This set off a flurry of cutting and taping and now our front windows are sporting several scary cat faces, kites and abstract art-by-two-year-olds to ward off any unsuspecting birds.

Evening Grosbeaks

2010-05-23T19:08:00.000-07:00

Lately, we've had unusual visitors to our birdfeeders. These birds seem so exotic compared to the usual brown, grey and blue around here. Today I counted at least eleven of them, some juveniles and some adult males and females. Also, the Blackheaded Grosbeaks are here, too. They are black and orange and also very flashy. I tried to take my own photos of these birds but I couldn't get close enough for my camera to do them justice so I used one from the web. It's been fun watching them. They are very loud and eat a lot! I had to go refill the feeder after they left. If you get a chance, you should look them up on the internet to see some really great pictures of these beautiful birds.

Rising From the Ashes

2010-05-18T13:39:00.000-07:00

The past month has been a difficult one in the world of parenthood. Watching Finley process the event of his two best friends becoming his two "unfriends" has been difficult. What began as a wonderful little trio of Kindergarten buddies has devolved into namecalling and two-against-one bullying. Finley is resilient and hardier than I give him credit for though. He plays with other people at recess and sits with friendlier kids at lunch time. It does really bother him though and we've let him know we've got his back, while empowering him to figure out his own responses to their meaness. Fortunately, all the parents involved and Finley's teachers are on board with how to approach it. Hopefully, all three boys can come out of it understanding more about empathy, self-esteem, friendship and the power of our words and actions. Ah. Life's lessons....

Change of Worlds

2010-05-05T17:33:00.000-07:00

My father had a stroke in October. This has precipitated many changes in my family and the dynamics of how we interact. It has challenged our assumptions and of course, forced us to stumble into action, mobilized as a team of sorts to offer support to my parents. It is new territory for us, this having to rely on one another, talk to one another about the details and not wait for Mom to fill us in on the details of each others lives. We have been spoiled. :) Mom and Dad have been so healthy and keen to help us with anything we've asked. Now, we gladly begin to return the generous extending of ourselves for them.

In December, despite Dad's stroke, we took him up to play in the snow for our family holiday outing. It was a huge success. A victory over our fears, over Dad's compromised physical condition and our own hesitance. Truly one of our best ideas as a family and one of the funnest snow trips ever, complete with a finished igloo, lawn chairs, heater, radio and excellent snacks. The excursion served as a powerful image and metaphor of our unity as a family and bodes well for the way we will face any challenges ahead. I love my fam!

Kindergarten Update May 2010

2010-05-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

A blog. Why did I think I wanted to do a blog? To add to the incomprehensible largess, the copious amounts of information, musings and expression of human experience, exploiting the glut of technology at our disposal. To fill the slices of time between what must be done and what I am putting off doing. Hmmm. Yes, a blog.

My last post was in September. Pictures of my dear, sweet, precious Finley going off to his first day of school, terrified. That's always a great thing to get pictures of. We are surviving Kindergarten. It is both much better and worse than I anticipated. Finley's reading! And doing math! Those are indeed wonders and celebrated. I remind him weekly of how fortunate he is to live in a country that educates its people. As imperfect as I may find the public education system it is still a luxury by the world's standards.

Finley is also learning the heartache of a friend's silly cruelty as only another six year old can inflict. He is learning the compulsory boredom of standing in lines and wolfing down lunch to get out to recess with those same cruel friends (who have also hardly eaten their lunches either!).

He came home yesterday and told me about a girl in his class, Haille. "Mom," he says, putting his hand on his chest, "when I look at Haille my heart kind of hurts. She has hair of gold."

He is making up all sorts of rhyming and riddles and they mostly have to do with bodily functions, but hey! What a poet!

Evelyn is doing her best to keep up with Finley. Learning to count, "One, thwee, two, fo...". She has a precocious grasp of language and understands so much more than I give two -year-olds credit for. She also senses the power of emotions and asks me, "Mommy. You happy?" Already, she is apologizing too much, for things that are none of her concern or responsibility. I wonder at how my own idiosyncrasies have found their way to my children so early.

First Day of School!

2009-09-15T20:58:00.001-07:00

Getting ready to go this morning. He helped pack his lunch and we put erasers on his pencils.

Evelyn, of course, had to pack her lunch too. We ate it at home after we dropped Finley off.

We aren't so sure about this sending Brother off to school business!

The Kindergarten parents and kids all met in the gym first and had a bit of an orientation. I think it was designed to make parting easier. Instead of us all going to their classrooms the kids were sorted out to which class they were in and then they got in line with their teachers and filed out to their classes and then parents were invited to come have coffee and muffins and meet each other and sign up for PTA of course! I went back in to see how Finley was doing and I wanted to see his classroom since we missed Kindergarten Roundup last May. He was having a tough time and so was I! We both settled down and he went off with the boys for their tour of the washroom and where to wash their hands and get a drink in the classroom. While he was busy with this, Evelyn and I left. She cried all the way home, asking "Finley? Finley?" I only broke down a few times during the day, but I sure watched the clock a lot.

It was much more fun to go pick him up than drop him off. Even though I know the staff are very caring and wonderful people it was a very emotional day! There was another little boy who was having a worse time than Finley and his mother and I formed our own little support group! I learned later when I picked him up that Finley had had a melt down after I'd left in the morning for about 1o minutes and then he was fine the rest of the day. He never mentioned this to me and said he really liked Kindergarten and told me all the fun things they did. He was exhausted though and so am I!

Evelyn's face says it all. These precious little people, all so nervous and excited but not sure about everything. Thank goodness there were lots of caring staff to help out. Stay tuned for more adventures with Kindergarten! Evelyn starts her pre-school class on Friday but we get to go together. Much more fun!

Finley Going to School Tomorrow

2009-09-14T22:29:00.000-07:00

Tonight is Finley's last night before he goes to school! Wow. I didn't think I'd have such a hard time with this. I'm so excited for him but also fearful of the unknown myself. It has been a bit more anxiety ridden with the Kent School District teachers's strike. We support the teachers but we don't have any information about Finley's class, who his teacher is, bus riding information, etc. I guess we'll know everything tomorrow!

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2009-07-24T22:33:00.000-07:00

Todd and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary today. It has gone by so fast. A few moments here and there seemed longer... :) Todd planned a picnic dinner tomorrow evening without the kids so we can have a little date. I remember one of our first dates was a picnic dinner at one of the Woodland Park Zoo Concerts. I hardly remember the music because we were too much into our own groove...

My Poor Neglected Blog...

2009-07-24T22:15:00.000-07:00

Wow. Has it really been that long? Well, you all have enough other stuff to read in your life anyway, right? So much has happened and yet so much the same. Stay tuned for more pictures and updates:

Finley's happy last days in preschool
A new nephew!
My friend Jan's 60th birthday party in West Seattle, Lincoln Park
Spontaneous trip to Woodland Park Zoo
First harvest of radishes from our garden
Spring and early summer pics of our perennial garden
Brother Peter's birthday party at Volunteer Park
Saturday farmer's market in Issaquah
Weekend at Lake Quinault Lodge and Neilton WA
Fun outdoor model railroad in Renton on Father's Day
Trip to Science Center with friend Grace and Aunt Erica
Independence Day at Samish Island at Grandma Cleo's and family
Visit with Mark and Penny at Samish
Whistler B.C. with my old friends Leah, Chris and Colleen and Nathan and Benjamin
Playing music at the Issaquah Train Depot
Chapman family reunion at Crow Butte on the Columbia River in wine country
Riding the Yakima trolley

So that's what we've been doing all summer! Thank goodness for cameras and a diary. It's all a blur sometimes...

Finley Goes Fishing for the First Time

2009-05-21T22:22:00.000-07:00

Having fun at "Bill's Fishing Hole" in Orting, Washington. Last week we went with Finley's pre-school class on a field trip where he caught his first fish! The kids each got to catch two each, rainbow trout. I had left my camera in the car so I missed the actual fishing, but friends took pictures for me. I only have hard copies of those so I will see if I can get them digitally soon. I always have mixed feelings about fishing. Fun, but also not so fun to kill something. Sorry, all you hunter types. I just don't see the thrill. If I'm going to eat it, sure. I'll do what has to be done. Finley was fascinated and repulsed at the same time. By the second try he was really into it though. He even learned how to do a nice casting with the rod. I was impressed! He liked everything but the fish blood when they took the hooks out. Fortunately, he didn't have to see them gutted! We went home with eight trout on ice! We grilled some up last week and they were very tasty! Evelyn thought it was all really interesting too! She enjoyed looking at all the other animals roaming around; goats and peacocks and cats and rabbits. There was even a gentle horse that was shod while we watched. Fun day!

Growing Things

2009-05-21T22:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Todd!

2009-05-21T22:13:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Todd's birthday in late April. Finley helped me decide to get an icecream cake instead of trying to bake one at home. Maybe next year I'll get one baked in time!

Seedlings Emerge!

2009-04-22T16:48:00.000-07:00

I was amazed to go out to our veggie patch this morning and see that the radishes, carrots and lettuces have already sprouted! We had two nice warm days and then some cool rain today in the morning; just what they needed apparently.

Sabbath

2009-04-19T23:20:00.000-07:00

Today we played hookie from church and caught up on the house and yard and each other. Todd got to work on his train, I did some more garden planning and wrote out our grocery list. The kids played out on the back deck while I folded laundry and cleaned up the kitchen. We went for a lovely walk this evening at Lake Wilderness and the trail that goes up to the Episcopal church's labyrinth park. (It is part of the Cedar River Trail). It was just a really great day to take a breath, take stock of the past week and gear up for the next couple weeks which will be hectic and busy. We have two retreats at Samish Island coming up: Fine Arts Retreat is next week and then the following weekend is actually the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Samish Island Campgrounds. I am really looking forward to both of these events but also dreading the prep! I'm doing children's crafts at the Fine Arts Retreat and also co-leading the Sunday morning celebration service. Then the next weekend, I'm doing a few things for the 50th celebration. I'll be really ready for a break on Mother's Day weekend!

Cousin Kaleb's First Birthday Party!

2009-04-19T22:43:00.001-07:00

The birthday boy!

Kaleb liked watching the kids in the bouncer but he wasn't so sure about it when he actually got in there. Too squishy under the feet!

Makayla and Evelyn having fun on the bouncer.

"I like to move it, move it!"

Folks enjoying food, sunshine and each other.

Evelyn leans out to smile at Lauren and Jade's new puppy, Tucker. He is an adorable Chihuahua mix. So sweet with all the kids and totally worn out at the end of the party!

The mad dash for candy after the pinata broke open!

Jade, the keeper of the pinata!

Our friend, Jake, takes a swing!

Waiting (sort of patiently!) for their turn to hit the pinata.

Evelyn discovers four wheel drive! She had so much fun with this push button automated ride on. It was just her size! Too bad she never learned to steer!

Kaleb's big sister, Makayla, with Finley and their friend, MacKenzie, in the pink pants. It was really hard to get all of them in the shot when they are jumping!

On Saturday, after our gardening bit, we headed over to a birthday party for my niece, Lauren's, son's first birthday party! I can't believe he's one already! It was really fun, the weather was perfect and the food was excellent. Lauren's mother-in-law is from the Phillipines, and boy howdy, can she cook! I don't even know what each dish was called but it was all so yummy. They also had a roasted pig! Lauren had all sorts of fun activities for the little kids set up; a bouncer, sandbox and sandtoys, a big tent with a place for the babies to get out of the sun and play with toys in a clean setting and a pinata! It was a construction theme, all very cute! Lauren also made fun t-shirts for all the grandparents with a picture of Kaleb on the front.

Raised Beds and Raising Kids!

2009-04-19T22:16:00.000-07:00

Filling our first raised bed on Saturday. This is our first attempt to really grow food. We've had strawberries and tomatoes in containers and had fun with them. This time we are going for carrots, corn, cabbage, peas, chives, basil, cilantro, mixed meslcun lettuces, bush beans, scarlet runner beans and pumpkins! In fact, we have decided to not only plant in these two raised beds, but also are going to take out a good section of lawn next to them and add more garden space. We may be too ambitious but it has been so fun so far. I've been reading as much as I can and asking people for vegetable growing advice based on their experiences with gardening in this area. It is amazing to tap into the passion and knowledge that surrounds vegetable gardening. People become very ingenious at raising temperatures around their gardens when they are told something won't grow in our climate. It is like a personal challenge to prove the gardening zoning books wrong. Some people even have hardy figs and banana trees in their gardens!

Evelyn playing in the backyard.

Finley jumping into the raised bed before we filled them up with dirt.

We put pea gravel on the bottom and then a layer of landscaping cloth to keep weeds down and improve drainage. Then we filled them up with the four way mix of topsoil from Palmer Coking Coal Company out in Black Diamond. They used to be a mining company and now they provide all sorts of landscaping materials and soils and gravels. I learned that they have the exclusive contract with Safeco Field for their ball field materials needs! In anycase, its good rich dirt with lots of compost mixed in. We also added veggie food, too. I can see that I will also need to put straw or some kind of mulching on top to keep the soil from compacting from the rain, too.

Todd testing out the beds! Little did he know just how much he'd need a bed after he got finished loading all that dirt in, one wheelbarrowful at a time! Nothing like hard, physical labor to make you appreciate what our ancestors must have gone through just to grow enough food to survive. And, gulp, what many people in the world still have to go through with subsistence farming. They don't have any one to bring in loads of good topsoil!

Finley's Special Day Back in February

2009-04-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

Finley and Teacher Cindy on his day to be the Very Important Person, February 27, 2009.

When it is your turn to be the V.I.P. we sing a special song and you get to fill the Teddy Bear's belly full of little bits of information about yourself. As in your favorite color, what your favorite food is, what games do you like to play, are you afraid of anything, etc.

Finley's friends sitting and listening as the teacher read Finley's information cards. Teacher Barbara in the back. (Kids are Hamant, Trace, Gavin, Emily, Kyra, Ayden, Logan, Sidney and Jaedon.)

I forgot to get these pics on here in February. In Finley's pre-school each child got to have a day when they were the "Very Important Person." They got to wear a crown, write down some things about themselves to share with the class, be the line leader and have a favorite story read by a parent in class. When it was Finley's turn the teacher asked Todd and I to bring in our instruments to play for the kids. It was really fun! We played a few tunes and then let the kids take turns "playing" the instruments. I was a little apprehensive about having my violin in this situation, but we had the kids line up and they were all so gentle and respectful of the instruments. We actually held the instruments while the kids strummed or held the bow. We had the upright string bass, my violin, Todd's banjo and my guitar. Finley has a great time being the Very Important Person! It was a great exercise for the kids to learn about empathy as they listened to what was shared about the special person and then the teacher asked them what they remembered. They always remember everything the special person shared, like what vegetables they don't like to eat, or that they like to ride their bike, or play games, etc. I was amazed at how they have been such good listeners all year. So many times it seems like they are not paying attention at all but then they surprise me!

Has Spring Truly Arrived?????

2009-04-09T22:49:00.000-07:00

Hippy Chick Evelyn, in her brother's rainboots, his old t-shirt and fun jeans from Auntie April!

I loved this Dagali design t-shirt. The company was so great at incorporating First Nations art (they were in British Columbia) into fun wearable art. (They went out of business a couple years ago. They actually made their t-shirts in North America and they couldn't compete with the Made In China label.) Finley had so many great memories in this shirt. I can't wait to see what Evelyn does in it!

Todd made this wonderful raised bed for me to grow some vegetables! He has one completed and we will do the other one this weekend. We placed it on the nice warm south side of our house. The shiny aluminum siding should help raise the temperatures a bit with its reflective surface too. I'm really excited! I've been reading a ton of information about growing vegetables in the Northwest. Seems like there is a wave of new veggie gardeners on the way. Lots of people are going back to growing their own produce. We'll give it a shot too!

Dirt arrived today for our raised beds. Very exciting! An early Mother's Day gift from Todd. Who knew dirt could be so romantic?????

What We Do When It's Still Snowing In April

2009-04-09T22:42:00.000-07:00

It snowed at our house on April 1. A Fools Day Storm! The weather has been so cold and un-spring like and I'm itching to get gardening and be out in the yard. One evening we went down to the new Home Depot just to relieve the cabin fever. We walked around and dreamed about more projects. The kids like to ride in the fun Nascar shopping carts.
Hmmm. I'll take two shovels and an edger!

Field Trip to the Puyallup Fair Educational Fair

2009-04-09T22:24:00.001-07:00

Finley's pre-school class went to the Puyallup Fair's Education Fair on March 31. I'm not sure who had more fun, the kids or the parents! I could read about farming and look at all the different chickens and livestock for hours! Mom watched Evelyn, so Finley and I were able to have some one on one time.

Learning about apiaries and bee keepers outfits!

Farming Propaganda! :)

Of course, Finley's favorite part of the whole day was playing with John Deere tractors!

Finley and Charlie, looking at vegetable magnets. There were several stations for the kids to learn about produce and where it comes from.

Finley and his friend, Trace, sorting animals at one of the educational stations at the Puyallup Education Fair, March 31.

Fiberglass draft horse and a Holstein cow were fun to look at for the kids.

My Third Sibling Turns 50!

2009-04-09T22:12:00.000-07:00

We celebrated my brother David's, 50th birthday, on March 14th. Very fun! Such a great time connecting with everyone. I was wrangling kids most of it but still made some time for chatting and connecting with family.

Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Sam and my cousins, Becky and Debbie, came up from Vancouver, WA, to surprise David. It was so great to catch up with them!

Finley took this one, can you tell? The Birthday Boy, wearing his newspaper carrying bag. A flashback to all the years he had paper routes growing up.

Mom, her sister, Charlotte and husband, Sam. We had such a great time celebrating with David.

Brandon, my nephew, sporting a Seattle Times newspaper carrying bag to commemorate his dad, David's many paper routes in his life!

An Abbreviated Version of March

2009-04-09T21:45:00.000-07:00

This could be, "Leave me alone!" or "That's mine!", or "I wanted to do it myself!" or "Give me that NOW!" or "I'm tired and my pants are wet!"

Fun in the sumac tree!

March 12, four days after it snowed, Finley is out enjoying the sunshine.

Poor little boy out in the snow!

Finley in the snow, again! March 8th

Finley's snowman creation on our back deck on March 8th.

Snow on March 8th at our house. I can't remember a winter when it snowed so many times!

Getting her helmet on with Daddy's help.

Going for a ride in the bike trailer. Todd was just testing the tires out in our driveway.

Having fun at home. Evelyn loves to have us all get under blankets with her.

Where Does the Time Go?

2009-04-09T21:26:00.001-07:00

Sorry folks. I've been really distracted lately! I'm going to attempt to catch up on the past two months with a couple quick blogs.

Evelyn and the Potty

2009-03-16T20:59:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to celebrate Evelyn starting to use the potty! Not consistently, but at least once a day, we actually make it there in time for her to use it instead of her diaper. We aren't making a big deal out of it since I don't want to make it too stressful when she doesn't get there in time. She is showing most the signs of potty training readiness so I am hoping this isn't a "false start". Finley wasn't completely out of pull ups until a month or so after Evelyn was born and by that time he had turned four. I know it can be a long process and kids are ready when they're ready. I just want to do my part though, so I don't hold her up if she's really ready!

An interesting side note is that Finley is not sure he wants his sister to grow up! He told me he doesn't want her to learn to talk or use the toilet. He likes her as a baby, he says. :) The past few days though, they've had so much fun playing together that I imagine he's rethinking that sentiment.

Light As A Feather

2009-03-01T21:13:00.000-08:00

December 31, 2005, Finley in the bathtub. Looks like someone else we know?

Finley, just past two-years-old, January 2006.

Finley in November 2005, a brand new two-year-old, holding his new Bob the Builder character, "Roley", a gift from Aunt Erica.

Todd and Finley, November 2005.

A little feeling of bitter sweetness hovered over us this weekend. Too busy, too obligated, too scattered to get what we really wanted out of our three days together. Doesn't three days sound like a long time? Enough to have some relaxation and some fun, despite a list of chores to do? What is that Buddhist principal? Mindfulness? I was lacking that for sure! Sunday evenings have been hard for me as an adult. I dread them since I tend to get melancholy. I guess its because I feel like my list of to dos is never done and then, here we are again, at the end of a weekend. That infernal, eternal list still remaining with hardly a dent in it.

I look back at these pictures of Finley, only a little older than Evelyn is now and I can hardly remember it all. And that's when it really hits me; the pining away for something else while I miss out on what is so precious and fleeting in front of me...

I just read about an old Jewish folktale about "picking up feathers". Like many tales that have been around a while, it has many versions. The gist of it is that there is a man or woman who has done something wrong to someone, usually gossip or slander. They feel badly so they go to their rabbi to see what it is that they need to do for forgiveness. The rabbi forgives them but requests that they bring him a feather pillow. When they do so the rabbi orders them to cut it open and scatter the feathers in the wind. After they do this, they ask what needs to be done now. The rabbi says, "Now, go and gather every feather and put it back into the pillow." Of course, this is impossible and the guilty person sees how their deeds have done untold damage in ways they cannot even imagine or contain.

I was moved by this story. It isn't just a story about slanderous words, but also about all those wasted moments that we can never reclaim. All those worries and frets that eat away at the quality of our life and detract from the joy we feel in our loved ones' presence. I think of how much time I have wasted, gathering feathers.

I have been working with a life coach, professional organizer which has been truly transformational. A gratitude journal is part of my homework these days. After forgetting that I was supposed to be writing in it for the first week, I finally remembered on Friday and got it out. (At least I knew where it was! That is progress, right?) Part of each day's entry includes a place to list what you're grateful for. To be listed just in a free association mode, as many as you can think of in a few minutes' time.

I worked one summer at our church's campgrounds in the San Juans at a little bookstore on the grounds. Each day I woke early and prayed. I mean full on meditation, on my knees, mindful and present kind of prayer. I was truly happy that summer. I filled myself with well wishes and hopes for other people. Asked to be an instrument of peace and God's love and compassion for each life I encountered. Focused on the needs of others, thanked God profusely and faithfully for all the gifts and blessings in my life. It all flowed, usually with tears of joy and happiness at being so filled with light. I think I glowed that summer, not only from my out of doors tan, but from that lack of misdirected ego and self pity that has accompanied me on so many occasions since that "summer of love."

I think about this now as I poise my pen each day over my gratitude journal. I feel like the tin woodsman; rusty, slow of speech and desperate to let my arm down from carrying that heavy weight of an ax. That ax, which is my heart so out of practice in the ways of joy. Inarticulate in the ways of innocence and unpreoccupied attention to what is best and loveliest and pure. Of course, my theology has "evolved" since then. My views of church and politics and culture are that of a 40-year-old and not a 19-year-old. I am doing hard inner work in this journal now. Waking up my dulled senses and exercising my letting go muscles. How hard it is for me to let go of judgment, negative ego and pessimism! This is hard work but good work that makes me feel more alive and connected with what I truly value. I want to feel that lightness again. That easiness and unencumbered cheerfulness, even if crossed with anxiety at times. What I would do for just a taste of that!

A Visit With Family, Cameron & Brittany's Visit

2009-02-19T20:12:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday, February 15th, we had a family get together up at my nephew Ian, and his wife, Karolyn's new home in Kenmore. They have a new baby son, Caiyan, about 6 months now? We had never met him so it was fun to get to connect with them. Unfortunately, I only have one blurry picture of him, but will get more! My other nephew, Cameron and his wife, Brittany were out visiting from Iowa. It was just a great time getting to see everyone!

A festive table and beautiful tulips. We did a potluck style taco and burrito meal.

An impromptu fam shot by Brittany!

Portrait of Mommy in the Car, by Finley.

Birthday folk, Brittany and Dad! She had German chocolate and Dad had his own personal apple pie with two different kinds of apples, Golden and Red Delicious.

My lovely niece, Lauren, and her son, Kaleb.

My lovely sister, Emily!

Dad and my cousin Sharon's hubby, Dean. Finley took this photo, too!

My cousin Sharon and her husband, Dean came over too, from Issaquah. It was great to get to catch up with them too.

Finley took some pictures of his cool Hotwheel toy.

Todd, Brittany and Emily. Brittany! Didn't you get the memo about wearing burgundy? :)

Finley, Emily and Makayla enjoying some time together. Emily and Mom were great help with getting the kids fed and watching them while Todd and I got some food, too.

Finley and Makayla wore themselves out chasing each other and playing all evening. Lauren and Kaleb in the background.

Brittany holding Caiyan, Ian and Karolyn's little guy. I'll get more pictures of him later.

Finley and Dad.

My niece, Jennifer, happened to be up from California where she's going to Santa Clara University. It was great to see her!

Cougar Mountain Zoo

2009-02-19T17:21:00.001-08:00

Finley and Evelyn are off this week from their co-op pre-school so we decided to visit the Cougar Mountain Zoo in Issaquah. I hadn't been their since my nieces were little and they are grown women now! Needless to say, some things had changed. I was really impressed with how much they have done. It is a very small zoo but there are lots of fun statuary to play on and the interaction with the animals is amazing since you can get so close to the cages.
They had very cool sculptures throughout the park, most of which were available for sale.

These were amazing Bengel tigers. I learned that Bengels are the only tigers that can come in different shades and variations of color. It is hard to tell here, but one almost looks like a white tiger and the other one , was creamy orange and white, like a big tabby! They are getting a new habitat soon.

Evelyn! Get out from behind that rhino!
A nice lady offered to take our picture so we accepted her offer!

When I asked Finley what his favorite animal at the zoo was, he replied, "The tyrannasaurus rex, Mom."

They had some wonderful macaws and these large parrots, of which I've forgotten their name. There were also beautiful black and white lemurs, mountain lions, reindeer, alpacas, deer, crested cranes, wallabys, emus, and the two wonderful Bengel tigers.

Having fun on the "ginormous" tortoise!

Evelyn was having so much fun running from statue to statue. The kids had a lot of fun buying feed for the animals from the zoo's vending machines with quarters I'd brought.

I took this picture just as Finley was losing his footing and falling off the tortoise!

Santa's sleigh! At Christmas time they have Santa pictures with real reindeer!

And a self portrait of Finley!

Happy Late Birthday Dad! (It was the 12th)

2009-02-14T00:10:00.000-08:00

Evelyn's Blessing

2009-02-13T23:49:00.000-08:00

Yummy cake for the kids' blessing.

Evelyn and me on Sunday, January 11th at the Renton Community of Christ at the reception after the blessing.

The Dahlquist family were there to support and celebrate with us!

Lauren, Makayla, Kaleb and Jade with the cake the congregation had for us. I can't believe how the time goes so fast! It seems just yesterday that I was baptizing Lauren as a little girl!

Some of my favorite people: Janet, our co-pastor, Peter, my brother, and Bruce, Janet's husband and Todd's Xbox buddy!

Grandpa Jim (my dad), Uncle Mark and Grandpa Burt holding Evelyn as my dad gives the blessing prayer.

Sorry the pictures are so dark! Evelyn was blessed at our congregation in Renton, January 11th, along with her two little cousins, Makayla and Kaleb, my niece Lauren and her husband Jade's, kids. Usually this is a baby blessing, not a toddler blessing so Lauren and I were both a little nervous to see how this would go! Makayla had a hard time but it was a new setting and a lot of new people she didn't recognize. Evelyn just kind of chilled out in Grandpa Burt's arms, and Kaleb just beamed the whole time during his!

In our denomination, Community of Christ, a baby blessing is just that. A blessing and show of support by the congregation. It is a sacrament that represents Jesus' blessing of the children and holding them up as the example of the purity and joy of the kingdom of heaven. This isn't a theology lesson, but I do like that our tradition inclues this wonderful ritual of recognizing that children don't need "saving", but rather that parents do need support and children thrive in communities that love, empower and protect them. It feels really healthy to me.

My brother David played his guitar, including an orignal piece he composed. It was absolutely beautiful. Dad gave the blessing prayers for all three, with Grandpa Burt assisting with Evelyn's. He did a really great job, keeping the short but eloquent and meaningful. Not an easy task! My older brother Mark, gave the sermon and did an equally wonderful job. He talked about the "stories" we tell ourselves about our lives and how those stories are powerful and important and we need to pay attention to them. What kind of stories are we helping our children tell about their lives? How do we incorporate the stories of each other's lives and piece together our experiences as a community to create a meaningful, loving and supportive body. It was really good stuff!

Catching up with growing kids...

2009-02-13T23:28:00.000-08:00

Finley's preschool class had a "drive-in movie theater" the other day. Each child brought in a big cardboard box to decorate like a car. Then on the Friday of that week, they got to watch a movie and eat popcorn in their "cars." They had so much fun! The other boy is one of Finley's favorite friends, Max.

It has been so long since I've updated my blog that I thought I'd just take some pictures of the kids to show how they've grown. We hadn't been to Evelyn's little one year old class at the pre-school in so long and we finally made it this week. It was class picture day on Wednesday and I figured we better show up for that to prove we were actually in the class!

These pictures were actually from February 12th, as we were gettting ready to go get Finley's hair cut. They are getting so used to each other as brother and sister. MOST of the time, they are very loving to each other and that, of course, warms a mother's heart. When Finley is impatient with her or she is learning how fun it is to bug him or mess up his toys, I feel like pulling my hair out. Fortunately, those moments are outweighed by more fun and gentleness.

We've moved Evelyn into her own room now. While she loves having all her "stuff" in one room and having a new area to play in, it has disrupted all our sleep habits. She has been waking up a lot so I end up sleeping in her bed with her and then, Finley has started coming in to join us every night about 2:00 a.m! Maybe not so conventional, but we get a lot more sleep that way and everyone wakes up happy to be together. (Okay. I'd rather be in my own bed with Todd, but from past experience, I know this is just a phase and won't last too long. I should have them sleeping through the night in their own beds by the time they're 13 right?) :)

Finley's First Haircut In A Salon!

2009-02-13T23:09:00.000-08:00

We have been so lucky with my mom being willing and able to cut Finley's hair. He's never had his hair cut at a barber's or with a stylist so this was a big deal. We have been going past the new Kids Cuts place near the post office in Covington for months now. Finley decided he would be willing to get his hair cut there yesterday. It was getting so long and we hadn't been able to get to Grandma's to arrange a haircut and his pre-school pictures were today so we decided to brave it.

He did great! Even with the clippers. It should be a lot easier for my mom to cut his hair now that he's discovered how painless the clippers are. Even if they do make noise. There was a fun play area for Evelyn, too, so she was busy while he had his hair cut.

A little shaggy and a little apprehensive...
Well, I guess this is okay....
You can't see it in the pictures but each station had its own TV with a DVD player. Finley got to watch a video just like when Grandma cuts his hair! It was a Barney music video.
Ahhh. The finished product and he got a sucker for being so good! I let him play a while in the play area since he was envious of Evelyn just getting to play while he was getting all "beautified."

Fun Time at Great Wolf Lodge, Grand Mound WA

2009-02-13T22:44:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday and Monday, February 8 and 9th, we went to a fun family indoor water park/resort with Todd's brother Gregg and his wife, April and their two boys. We had a lot of fun! April took some really great pictures and I have posted a couple here that she took, but you can also visit her site to see more. After the initial shock of finding our very out of shape bodies in swim suits, Todd and I had a great time playing with the kids, watching them discover new things.

April (pregnant with Boy #3!), Finley, Todd and Gibson in the wave pool.
"How do you like my green life vest?" Evelyn wasn't sure about this whole thing at first.
"Come on in! The water's fine!" Really fine! It was very warm, and the air temperature is kept at 85 degrees F all year round.
Finley really had fun! He was exhausted at the end of both days.
Gibson and Finley on Sunday night after our treats at the sweet shop at the lodge. Gibson had a blue slushy and Finley had vanilla ice cream. 20 flavors to choose from and he was determined to have vanilla. At least he knows his own mind!
Finley on one of the slides.

In the kiddie pool they had these stationary "jet skis" from which you could direct water spray at the other jet ski riders. Really fun until someone trains their stream of water on your head and parks it there!

Todd and Finley with more wave pool action.

The wave pool was really neat!

Cousin Grady and Evelyn sitting along side the little toddler pool. AFter they got used to things they both enjoyed it. It was quite the sensory overload at first for the little ones.

Me, Evelyn, Grady and April hanging out in the kiddie pool. It had lots of things to climb on and there were so many other kids to watch that they were entertained for hours. April is expecting their third child, another boy cousin!, in May. Grady is just a month older than Evelyn so they had fun sitting next to each other and trying to communicate in their own pre-verbal way!

More on Christmas to Come!

2009-01-08T23:52:00.000-08:00

I have to get to bed but I have lots more fun pics from Christmas with the Sargeants, the Bellevue Botanical Garden Christmas lights and much more! Stay tuned and stay dry. Everything is floating away! Thank goodness we live on a hill with all this rain and flooding. My heart goes out to all those in harms way right now.

Sugar Cookies, White Elephants and Christmas Eve

2009-01-08T23:01:00.000-08:00

My family has begun a tradition of exchanging "white elephant" gifts on Christmas Eve. It has become one of the most antipated events of the season for us! Beware the pretty packages... (Sorry my pictures are kind of cloudy. Evelyn was breathing on my camera and clouded up the lense!)

My sister-in-law, Penny and my husband, Todd look on as the gift giving begins.

My oldest brother, Mark, explains the rules and regulations.

George Clooney, um, I mean my younger brother Peter, coveting someones white elephant gift. "Hmmm. Do I keep my yellow cake plate or do I go for the skateboard?"
Julia, Kim and Finley enjoying some fine wassail and smiling at the thought of who the lucky recipient of their white elephant gifts will be! How do you explain white elephant gifts to a five year old? "They're not something you want," I told him. He actually got something he wanted after trading his bun firmer for Mark's skateboard. Whoohoo!
The beautiful people, Joel and ZouZou. :) It was fun meeting her! Two thumbs up!

Making sugar cookies with the kids on December 23rd. Messy, but fun!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-05T21:57:00.000-08:00

So many changes afoot. I have some cute photos of the kids from the holidays. We had really great holidays with both of our families. Although the Sargeant Christmas was postponed due to the huge amounts of snow! Finley and Evelyn are still enjoying all their new toys. Todd and I are still enjoying our new TV we bought as our gift to ourselves! We have been doing a lot of rearranging of furniture in the house, getting rid of a lot of clutter, but making more in other areas as we dig out boxes and drawers long neglected. I think it is going to be worse before it gets better!

Pictures to come!

A Little Snow, A Lotta Snow and Going to Get the Mail

2008-12-23T14:14:00.000-08:00

Meet our snowwoman, Irene. Playing in the snow yesterday, December 22.

First bites of snow! MMMmmm. Strangely cold and satisfying! Our snowscape in the front planter.
Finley really needed this outdoor time. We've been stuck at home for almost a week now!
On Sunday, December 21, we ventured out for a walk up to the convenience store about a mile from our house. We didn't think it would be too bad, but it started snowing really heavily when we were a little over half way there. We got inside the store and ate our snacks in the breezeway. Evelyn fell asleep on the way there and didn't wake up until Todd took her out of the pack at home. We snuggled her up and only her nose was sticking out.

Embarking on our journey to the Chevron station through our back yard.
Oh what fun it is to wear Mommy and Daddy's mukluks.

A Christmas card from Aunt Maxine and Uncle Duane! Thank you!
Evelyn last Tuesday looking at the first dusting of snow we got. It was colder then too.

The rare occurrence of icicles on our water barrel.
There isn't much that is more fun than snow and a stick!

A Christmas Tree For Finley and Evelyn

2008-12-23T09:49:00.000-08:00

I'm behind again here... Well, we got our Christmas tree a week ago, Sunday, December 14th which was one of those below 20 degree days. Fortunately, Evelyn was asleep in the car and we just left the heater on and let her sleep while we braved the cold on the tree lot. (She was only 20 feet away from where we were and we could see her.) It was fun and felt very much the season of winter and lights with a trace of snow and the cold. Finley kept liking the ones that were way too tall for our low ceilings in the living room. Just wait for the remodel Finley!

Setting up the Christmas G scale train!

December is Here Already????

2008-12-02T22:48:00.000-08:00

(This is Evelyn at the Christmas tree decorating for the kids at church last weekend.)

Oh! The sadness of a neglected blog! Alas. I have been very busy and too tired to be inspired to write. Can it be December already? It's been a month since my last post. My apologies to the four of you who read it. Hahahaha.

What can I say? The kids are growing so fast. I'm still 40. I'm still fighting the clutter. And winning at the moment I think. Things are getting better in that department. I've hired a decluttering/life coach/therapist who is coming tomorrow to meet with me and help me get back on track. I'm excited about that! And Todd and I have an overnight date on Thursday night which should be a nice break. I hate leaving the kids but I know I need a break. Just time to take a breath and do one thing at a time.

Catching up on our November: We had a church mission center conference in Portland November 7 and 8th. It was good to be with our friends from around the Northwest and feel spiritually connected. The kids did great although I know its hard on them; long days and hotel beds. Actually, they love the hotel part! Here's a picture of the cuties sacked out in our hotel room. They are getting so grown up and enjoying each other as siblings more and more. It is fun to watch.

Finley singing at the conference worship service with some of the kids in his class.

Evelyn received a wonderful gift from Todd's Aunt Ann; a wooden doll high chair that she'd had for many years. Evelyn knew exactly what to do with it. She went and got her dolls and sat them in it and fed them. It was adorable! She is enjoying it still. Thank you Aunt Ann!

Here are some pictures of decorating the "kids tree" at our congregation in Renton. Our friend Judy and her two kids helped. Finley adores Veronica and Brock and they are great to play with him.

Playing with Finley's GeoTrax at church after they'd finished decorating the tree.

Happy 40th to me and Happy 5th to Finley!

2008-11-05T22:37:00.001-08:00

Wow! What a week it's been! One long birthday party for Finley and me and a new president elect. I'm so glad the election is over. The tension was killing me! Barack Obama winning was, of course, the best birthday present I ever got, except for going into the hospital to have Finley! Todd surprised me and not only brought me flowers, but also a Wii Fit! It has provided hours of hilarious attempts at the games and exercises. And yes, I think I actually worked up a sweat a few times. Finley is five! He woke up this morning and came into our room and I said, "Happy Birthday Finley!" He kept asking all day, "Am I five now?" I remember what it felt like to be so excited on one's birthday. It is indescribably sweet to watch him enjoy his day and all the generous gifts and the way he shares with Evelyn and wants to show all his friends his new cars. Life is good...

An impromptu family portrait on Finley's 5th birthday, courtesy of the timer on our camera.

And finally, on his "real birthday", Finley blows out the candles on his donut/coconut cake at our house tonight.

Having fun getting all his new cars and track from Erica and Grandpa and Grandma. Birthdays sure are fun! We got together for pizza at Shakey's in Maple Valley, and then they came over for gifts and birthday bars on Tuesday night, Nov. 4, my birthday!

Finley was more than enthusiastic when he got his new Hot Wheels case!

Sharing a cake for our November 4 and 5 birthdays. Our house on my birthday, celebrating with Aunt Erica, Grandpa and Grandma S.

Placing the number 5 candle on the yummy almond roca bar dessert that Grandma S. made. Yummy!

Enjoying his new four lane Hot Wheels track from Grandpa and Grandma C. Uncle Peter and Aunt Kim joined us on Sunday at my parent's and we had fun playing with my early birthday gift, a Wii Fit and Ski Racing. Hilarious fun!

Celebrating at my parents' home on Sunday, November 2.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-05T22:17:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from the pumpkin carving contest at Todd's office. It was very fun. Finley and Evelyn enjoyed exploring his office and all the pumpkins and goodies.

Motherhood in the Third Degree

2008-10-31T01:11:00.001-07:00

Are there degrees of motherhood? When I first became pregnant I believed that was motherhood. And then Finley was born and that was truly motherhood. Then Evelyn was born and that was truly motherhood. Now, tonight, this morning, whatever time it is, I am sewing the seam closed on a stuffed teddy bear for Finley because there will be a Teddy Bear Masquerade party tomorrow at his pre-school. I suddenly gain a deeper understanding of what it means to love a child as I stitch together this toy, in the middle of the night. I may try duct tape next time. But then maybe, that's what it means to be a father....

Glorious Saturday for Carving Pumpkins

2008-10-28T21:46:00.000-07:00

Saturday, October 25th, 2008, was an incredibly beautiful fall day and we thoroughly enjoyed it together. Watching Finley really get into his pumpkin carving this year was fun. Of course, Evelyn was right in there, too. We raked leaves together and played in the sandbox and swung/swang? on the swingset. Todd was sitting in the sun in his lawn chair sketching out a model train layout and Finley came into the house, "Mom, I want a pencil and paper like Dad." So I found him a clipboard and some paper and a pencil and he sat right next to Todd and sketched jack-o-lantern faces. It was so adorable watching them both with their heads down, intent on their designs. All in all, a precious day, full of beautiful life moments.

The Grass Is Always Greener... When you first plant it!

2008-10-24T22:26:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Evelyn, yes, that is a chicken nugget in her hand, with our new lawn coming in. It looks so luxurious compared to the rest of our yard and house! Gosh! We're extra motivated to get things fixed up now. We have to look good enough for this new lawn and croquet field!

Pumpkin Patch Day!

2008-10-24T22:06:00.000-07:00

Finley's co-op pre-school had a field trip to the Pumpkin Patch today at Thomasson Family Farm (I think I spelled it right?) in Enumclaw. It was a beautiful drive out there with the golden maples and a few red oaks and vine maples scattered around. It was a new farm for us to visit and our class voted it the best one yet. Lot's of really creative stuff; an entire room of straw bale walls filled with seed corn! Like a giant sensory table! Finley and Evelyn both loved it. They also had animals, two corn mazes, a playground with slides made out of hay bales, a course with John Deere tricycles to ride and a great wagon ride behind the tractor. The kids got an ice cream bar (which we missed because we were too busy playing on the fun playground!) and a pumpkin to take home. All for $5! What a deal. The kids were sooo tired on the way home. We stayed from 12:30 to 3:00 p.m. so they were beat!

A Trip to Portland for A Young Adult Church Conference

2008-10-19T22:07:00.000-07:00

I am just now catching up with my blogging. What a month, a couple of months it has been! The weekend of September 19-21, we went to Portland for a conference on Young Adults and retaining and creating young leadership in my church, the Community of Christ. It was very thought provoking and interesting to hear people's experiences, hopes and concerns for our denomination. Finley and Evelyn were little troopers and held up pretty well even though it was a long day on Saturday. Finley loves staying at hotels so that helps. Evelyn liked exploring the long hallways and the lobby of the hotel and at the church. She and Finley really enjoy open space!
Speaking of which there was this great park next to the Portland congregation created by the Montessori school that leases space from them. It gave Todd and me lots of ideas for our own "children's garden," when we do our landscaping. It was so simple with no formal or regular playground equipment. Rather it was rocks and logs and paths with simple play areas. There was a sound station of sorts, where kids could make "music" by tapping on old planting tubs, jingling keys, and all sorts of recycled items that made fun sounds. There was also an old boat, partially buried that made a perfect play area. There were also little garden plots where the kids had planted various seeds and the sunflowers were magnificent in the autumn sunshine. How we enjoyed it!

Mmmmmm. Blue berries! We were so tired of restaurant food that weekend that we went to the grocery store for fruit, veggies, yogurt and cheese sticks. We had fun eating our snacks in the hotel room.

Frozen blue berry tongue!

Hanging out in the hotel room eating frozen blue berries from a cup.

Sacked out in the nursery at the Portland Congregation during the afternoon session.

The most wonderful "unplayground" playground we've seen. The Montessori next door to the Portland church leases property from them and created this wonderful children's garden.

This was a fun little gardening bench for the kids. A project for Todd????

Evelyn watches our friend, Morgan, in the boat.

Evelyn negotiating the steps in front of the Portland Community of Christ.

Mom is always such a great help with the kids. It was nice to share the weekend with her and Dad.

Field Trips, Laundry and Colin Firth

2008-09-30T23:32:00.000-07:00

"Three words were in the captain's heart. He shaped them soundlessly with his trembling lips, as he had not breath to spare for a whisper: "I am lost." And, having given up life, the captain suddenly began to live."
---Carson McCullers from Reflections In A Golden Eye

I am lost...

Oh motherhood; thou are not for the feeble nor wimpy. (I should say, "Life! Thou are not for the feeble nor the wimpy.")The last few weeks have been so full I scarcely know when one day began and another ended. It's just all one long day. I've been feeling so lost and not sure of what became of the Nan Sargeant, the Nan Chapman, the Nanster, the Nanabanana of my school days. I love my children and my husband so dearly but just as the days begin to blur together, I feel myself blurring into someone who is inextricably defined by my relationships. Where do you draw the line between an essential self and all of one's relationships? Even when those relationships are healthy and gratifying and welcome, it is easy to lose track of one's own priorities and claims to authenticity.

To rememdy this, I'm scheduling a long haircutting appointment with a favorite hairstylist, a weekend away with Todd for my birthday and looking at possible dates and locations for a girl's weekend with my Chapman sisters and sister-in-laws. I feel better already!

In the midst of everything going on in the world, I often feel trivial and full of self-pity. Perhaps I am, but we all must live the life we have and push through whatever challenges it offers. There's no one else to hand off my life to, so I better enjoy it, eh? So, while I sign permission slips for field trips and do laundry I take in some therapy via Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice. Viva Mr. D'Arcy! :)

Finley Loses the Training Wheels!

2008-09-25T22:29:00.000-07:00

I would be remiss if I didn't get a posting in about Finley's latest adventure. Last week he learned to ride his bike without the training wheels! Here are two movies of him at our house, riding from the road into our newly covered septic drain field. (Stay tuned for pictures of our newly seeded lawn! It's a beautiful thing!)

First Days of Preschool

2008-09-17T21:53:00.001-07:00

Finley and Evelyn started their preschool classes this week at our co-op. This will be Finley's fourth year there and Evelyn's first! She is in the one-year-old class and really enjoyed watching all the other little ones and the fun toys and learning centers.

Evelyn telling Daddy about her first day at school and getting to play with hats and purses and the water table and playdough and all sorts of sensory toys. She is in the Red Class for one-year-olds.

Such a grown up boy! Finley will be five in November and I can hardly believe it! His first day in the Purple Class was Tuesday, September 16.

Charlie and Finley playing with the rhythm sticks.

Playing with the rhythm sticks.

Helping clean up and wipe down the art tables before snack time.

Alzheimer's Walk, Sunday September 14

2008-09-17T21:53:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we joined Todd's co-workers at the Memory Walk at Sandpoint, Magnuson Park, to raise awareness and research funds to fight Alzheimers disease. A truly terrible one, indeed. The sun was out and the views beautiful over Lake Washington. Finley and Evelyn were a bit tired by the time were only three quarters of the way through so we took a short cut and spent some time at the great playground there. A nice way to spend a Sunday morning.

Cooking is more fun than playing with toys...

2008-09-12T22:59:00.000-07:00

Tonight Finley helped me prepare dinner, chopping up cilantro with our handheld (child safer) food choppper, pouring in ingredients and mixing things with me in the kitchen. As he stood on the chair at the counter next to me he said with delight, "Cooking is more fun than playing with toys!" We agreed that cooking is like playing with food as the toy. It made me smile and I wanted to remember that moment always.

A little glimpse into our life: Tonight the kids were so adorable running over to Todd when he got home. He sat down on the floor by the kitchen with them and they both sat on his lap and Finley told him all about events from the day. Later, after dinner Evelyn brought books over to him and crawled into his lap for him to read to her.

A while back I was in a foul mood and the day hadn't gone so well. Todd was late getting home and I was really needing him to be home to relieve me from my self-pitying. When he came in the door I pounced on him with all sorts of demands and resentment. I'm sure he wanted to walk right back out and go get fast food somewhere by himself and eat it in peace and quiet. Afterwards we talked about it and how unwelcoming and selfish it had been. I vowed never to do that to him again, no matter HOW bad my day had been. I think I've kept to that pretty well. Now, our routine is to greet him when he comes home with "Daddy's home! Hooray!" The kids love it and they run over to him. Even Evelyn does it now and is trying to say "dada" and waves when he comes home. With the risk of sounding like some kind of Leave It To Beaver idealism, those are some sweet moments in our lives. Our lives are far from perfect, but I think of everything going on in the world, where families are torn apart by violence and war, economic demands, refugee situations from political and social upheaval. We have a little slice of heaven to be sure.

This picture was from last Christmas. Another year rushing by...

September 11th Tribute to Love

2008-09-11T23:48:00.001-07:00

I can't help acknowledge today's infamous date and yet also its bright happiness as my nephew, Blake's birthday. I thought I'd share a favorite poem about love and music; the two things that transcend tragedy and loss in profound ways. Here's to life and making it worth living!

Nightclub
By Billy Collins (of course!)
From his Sailing Around the Room: New and Selected Poems

You are so beautiful and I am a fool
to be in love with you
is a theme that keeps coming up
in songs and poems.
There seems to be no room for variation.
I have never heard anyone sing
I am so beautiful
and you are a fool to be in love with me,
even though this notion has surely
crossed the minds of women and men alike.
You are so beautiful, too bad you are a fool
is another one you don't hear.
Or, you are a fool to consider me beautiful.
That one you will never hear, guaranteed.

For no particular reason this afternoon
I am listening to Johnny Hartman
whose dark voice can curl around
the concepts of love, beauty, and foolishness
like no one else's can.
It feels like smoke curling up from a cigarette
someone left burning on a baby grand piano
around three o'clock in the morning;
smoke that billows up into the bright lights
while out there in the darkness
some of the beautiful fools have gathered
around little tables to listen,
some with their eyes closed,
others leaning forward into the music
as if it were holding them up,
or twirling the loose ice in a glass,
slipping by degrees into a rhythmic dream.
Yes, there is all this foolish beauty,
borne beyond midnight,
that has no desire to go home,
especially now when everyone in the room
is watching the large man with the tenor sax
that hangs from his neck like a golden fish.
He moves forward to the edge of the stage
and hands the instrument down to me
and nods that I should play.
So I put the mouthpiece to my lips
and blow into it with all my living breath.
We are all so foolish,
my long bebop solo begins by saying,
so damn foolish
we have become beautiful without even knowing it.

Harvesting Our Crop of Italian Prunes

2008-09-11T23:32:00.001-07:00

We've been watching our plum trees as the fruit's been ripening. A few green ones falling off the past few weeks and now the ones falling are dark purple, burnished with that wonderful iris and periwinkle blue. This afternoon we decided we better pick some before the birds got all of them. We got out our old ladder and I held it while Finley picked all the prunes he could reach. Evelyn watched in awe from the ground, since I wouldn't let her climb the ladder. I wish I had taken a picture of Evelyn, a plum in each hand, juice dripping down her front all over her little green onesie.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2008-09-11T23:20:00.000-07:00

Happy 75th Birthday Mom! We enjoyed a little birthday celebration last Sunday for Mom's birthday at Emily and Rogers. For her birthday on Saturday two of my brothers and their wives went to a Mariners game with Mom and Dad.

Evelyn enjoys a roll on the floor in her Hawaiian dress that Todd brought her from his business trip to Hawaii.

My niece, Jennifer, serving up birthday cake for Mom!

Finley and Todd enjoying dairy/egg/wheat free chocolate fudge cake for Mom's 75th birthday at Emily and Roger's home.

A Dip in the Snoqualmie River, August 16th

2008-09-11T22:46:00.000-07:00

Saturday, August 16 was a HOT one, in the 90's so we headed to Olalla State Park off of I-90 to cool off in the Snoqualmie River. It was wonderful. Finley played with his boats, tied to a kite string so they wouldn't drift away and Evelyn loving all the rocks to sit on.

Snoqualmie River, view from Olalla State Park off Interstate 90.

September Already????

2008-09-03T21:40:00.001-07:00

What a summer it's been. The weather was wonderful for the most part. Plenty of warm and sunny days with rain just when I needed to water. The kids have thrived outside, getting their vitamin D and lots of contact with their amazing physical world. They both charm and exasperate me every day and I'm so thankful to be their mother. They are so forgiving and wise in their moment to moment enjoyment of life.

The past few weeks have just been a blur. Todd's been on two business trips in the past four weeks, so I've been with the kids alone, but well supported by friends and family. Mom and Dad and Emily have been saving me from my insanity, literally, with helping de-clutter and do yard work, dishes and dusting. It's amazing how I'd just kind of given up on making it any better. I feel a burst of energy each time I take a load to Goodwill or the consignment store, or wheel our recycle bin to the driveway, full of old files emptied out. They say that our physical world reflects our inner world. The truth of that for me is uncanny. It is as though my own depression, discouragement and lack of focus was manifested in every nook and cranny in our house. I don't mean to sound dark. There is also a lot of fun, spiritual and creative energy in our house but it has had a lot to compete with! I'm feeling a load lifting, a turning of the ship, so to speak. I'm finding my bearings again and it is liberating beyond words.

Mountain Bikin' Mama

2008-08-18T22:47:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Mom and Dad watched the kids at our house while Todd and I went, you'll never believe it... MOUNTAIN BIKING! I have been on my bike only twice since Finley was born and the last time I was mountain biking was in 2003, five months pregnant with Finley. It felt so good to sweat and negotiate the trail on Saturday. At first I thought, "Oh man. Bike shorts on this fanny?" And then I found a long t-shirt and called it good. I looked like a total misfit compared to all the little hard bodied boys who mountain bike these days with their full suspension bikes and body armour. Todd and I have old bikes that serve us well, even without suspension and we are proud to just wear our shorts and t-shirts and fingerless gloves. We are really out of shape but it just felt incredibly good to do something so physical and such a "blast from the past", for us. Todd and I used to bike every week, at least once, up at Tiger Mountain in Issaquah or off of Hwy. 18. I remember a really fun trip to Capital Forest near Olympia where I was caked in orange mud at the end of the ride and fell off my bike at least half a dozen times. I look forward to more riding and gaining more of a balance in my life between caring for children and caring for myself and our relationship as a couple. Sorry! No pictures but maybe next time.

Evelyn's Birthday, August 13, 2008

2008-08-16T00:21:00.001-07:00

Evelyn at two months.

Evelyn at 4-5 months. How can they possibly grow so fast?????

Sitting on the stairs to the family room at Mom and Dad's. Evelyn is one today! She also had just been to the doctor's office for her one year old check up. I know, how awful to make her get shots on her birthday! Thank goodness she's too little to know what a double insult she's been given! She weighs 20 lbs, 2 oz. now. Just a wee thing but tall for her age at 2 feet 6 inches and a "ginormous" noggin in the 96 percentile! No wonder she's so smart!

Finley is wondering how soon HIS birthday will get here. In the meantime, he enjoys playing with the animal hospital we got for Evelyn (and him to share.)

Evelyn enjoying her new books from Grandpa and Grandma Chapman.

Evelyn loves her Cabbage Patch baby doll we got for her birthday. It has hair she can hang on to!

Reminds me of a certain bear who likes honey...

Birthday cake number two for a first birthday! Mom and Dad came over that evening to have a quick piece of cake and celebration with us.

Makayla, dressed and ready to go home after splashing in the little pool and playing on the slip n' slide at my parents' home.

Makayla, Finley and Evelyn in various stages of undress!

My niece, Lauren and her daughter Makayla, and infant son, Kaleb (not pictured) came up to Mom and Dad's to say happy birthday to Evelyn.

Finley and Evelyn checking out Mom and Dad's tractor sprinkler in their backyard on Evelyn's birthday, August 13.

An appropriately blurred photo to show how fast this year has gone. Evelyn seemed to never be a real new born, an old soul right from the start. I feel as though she is one, going on 20!

Evelyn is One Year Old-Birthday Eve Celebration with Grandma and Grandpa Sargeant and Aunt Erica

2008-08-16T00:12:00.001-07:00

Mmmmm. Cake is good!

Cake number one with Grandpa and Grandma Sargeant! They were going back up to Samish the day of Evelyn's birthday, August 13, so we had them over for cake on August 12. They brought yummy Rooters barbecue for dinner.

A Little Music, Good Food and Great Friends

2008-08-15T23:31:00.001-07:00

View to the SE, with Mt. Slesse in the distance. This is directly north of Mt. Baker in the states. We love to visit Fred and Edith here at their new place! (Todd and I took a little trip up to B.C. to visit our friends and a chance for me to play music with Fred at their community festival. We left the kids with my parents for one night. Almost two by the time we got home on Saturday night! There was road construction in Everett with only one lane open. It took us nearly an hour to go about 3 miles! ARGGGH!)

Hollyhocks along the deck add to this bucolic place!

View of "Slesse Alm" looking west over the existing house. Fred and Edith are doing an addition to the other guest quarters and garage, creating a new home, studio and massage room for Edith's clients.

Charlie, the patient Belgian, who was "volunteered" for the job of having his feet shod for the demonstration. With all the questions and demonstrations and explanations of the process, the whole thing took nearly two hours to do two shoes! Charlie was a retired draft horse who used to pull tourists through Stanley Park. He was about 22 years old and had arthritis in one leg.

By a strange coincidence, the horse shoeing exhibit was performed by the world reigning champion farrier from Switzerland! He had just competed in the Calgary Stampede blacksmith and farrier competition and he and his wife were touring Canada before they went home. He was friends with the farrier from Ryder Lake. It was fascinating to watch them work. I learned a lot!

Annie,Fred and I had fun playing swing tunes, waltzes, accompanying Edith on hammer dulcimer and an original piece by Fred.

Our little ensemble played at the first ever, Ryder Lake Community Festival! Whoo hoo! It was very fun with several artisans showing their pieces and a really interesting farrier/blacksmithing exhibition.

Edith made an amazing supper for us before we headed for home: herb chicken burgers, with sides of garlic mushrooms, grilled fennel, peppers and onions and basil, tomatoes and some kind of cheese like mozzarella, only better! Oh yes, and new potatoes. For dessert, our friend Marilyn, brought tira misu and chocolate mousse cake!

Finally! The Septic Drain Field Gets Backfilled!

2008-08-15T23:23:00.000-07:00

After many a delay, for one reason and another, our septic contractors

finally came out and filled in our drain field. We were leaving for Canada that Friday but they had a last minute opening so I took it. The bulldozer showed up at 10 minutes to 8:00 a.m. and we were still in bed! The one day the kids actually slept in and we have an early event. Oh well. It was fun to watch it happening in reverse, with the dirt being pushed back in. Nick, the bulldozer driver had been one of the crew when they installed it. We had a nice chat and he let Finley look up close at the bulldozer.

A Foggy Day on Mount Rainier August 2nd

2008-08-15T23:00:00.001-07:00

Lupine and phlox were out and their colors were even more vibrant with the fog as a backdrop.
Our soggy hike was still fun!

This is the Sourdough Ridge lookout at Sunrise. We used our imaginations.
Finley and I "raced" up the trail to get ahead of Todd and Evelyn. The fog and mist left our hair drenched. We had a nice time warming up in the lodge before we got back in the car.

I guess this is fun after all...

Evelyn wasn't so sure about hiking in a stroller.

Bits of Summer

2008-08-15T22:39:00.001-07:00

Finley created his own slip n' slide with the playset slide. It was all apart while we were getting our septic field moved. It works great!

Hot days call for swim suits, or less....

Todd went to the All British Field Meet at Bellevue Community College, July 26. My cousin Jeff came over and they went sans kids. My anniversary present to Todd. :) The experience, not this car!

One grey day a few weeks ago, we had fun on the back deck with our "blue Thomas" layout. We tried to use every piece we owned! We didn't quite accomplish that but there wasn't much left in the bin!

Sculpture climbing at Lake Wilderness.

Samish Again With B.C. Friends

2008-08-15T21:31:00.001-07:00

July 24th (Todd and my 15th Wedding Anniversary!) I took the kids and went up to Samish to visit my good friend, Leah and all the other folks I dearly love at the B.C. Reunion. Here's Leah with her twin 4 year old nephews, Nathan and Benjamin, and our friend, Brando.

Finley gets a boost from Erica (Amelia's mom), and Susan (Zoe and Faith's mom). Thank goodness we brought his swimsuit by accident. We didn't know there would be water fun involved!

Georgia joined in in the impromtu water fun!

Fun on slip and slide at Samish Island, during the Canada West (B.C.) Reunion. Susan with our little friend, Georgia and Finley.

Playdate with Cousins!

2008-08-06T23:30:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, July 22, I had a dentist appointment with my sister-in-law dentist, Dr. Kimberly Chapman, near Gregg and April, so we thought it would be a good excuse to visit. We had dinner with Gregg and played with Grady and Gibson. My pictures aren't that great because these kids never sat still long enough for me to focus! They were b-u-s-y. Fun was had by all!

First Baseball Game!

2008-08-06T22:57:00.001-07:00

On Monday, July 21, we went with my family to a Mariners' game at Safeco Field. They played the Boston Redsox, the first of a three game series. They lost, of course... :( But we had fun! Finley and Evelyn got to play at the children's play ground. Thanks to Aunt April's advice, we went straight there to get reserved tickets so that we made sure we could have a time slot to play. They give out tickets for certain times to come play and when the tickets are gone, they're gone! Our seats were really close to the playground too.

Finley and Evelyn discover the "joys"? of cotton candy!

A Chapman Family Reunion, Bumping Lake

2008-08-05T23:03:00.001-07:00

My brother Peter, the mountaineer, brought along some portable fun for us; a slack line, that offers climbers a way to practice their agility and balance.

Finley's feet.

Jade and Kaleb enjoying some male bonding on a hot afternoon.

What a four year old takes pictures of...

Our only complaint was the dust. It was so dry and dusty that dust seemed to settle into every crevice of our clothing, toes, shoes and nostrils!

Sweet little noggins: Evelyn and Makayla playing by Mom and Dad's trailer.

Finley, learning about pumps and wells and walking to get water.

My cousin Ted, the Grizzly!

Uncle David, from Finley's point of view. :)

Another "Portrait by Finley"; Brittany and Lauren in between rounds of "Campground Croquet", in which we took turns pummeling a rock with croquet mallets through the wickets in the underbrush and pine trees. Indescribable...

Having live music at our family reunions is just one of the things I love about getting together with everyone.

Blake, David and Peter playing some guitar in the shade.

Ian and Dean at our "Chapman Family Olympics", photographed by Finley.

A Trip to Pt. Defiance Zoo with Pam, Brooke, Lauren, Makayla and Kaleb!

2008-08-05T22:54:00.000-07:00

While Pam was here we got together with Lauren and her kids and met at Pt. Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. It was so fun to see all the little ones together. We had great weather and great company...

Evelyn enjoying some time out of the stroller at lunch time.

Makayla enjoying a blue slurpy! Auntie Pam had fun treats for the kids!

Mmmmm. Cold and yummy and strangely satisfying!

The Argotsingers Arrive!

2008-08-05T21:12:00.000-07:00

My sister, Pam, and her daughter, Brooke.
It was so great to have my sister, Pam and her husband, Lynn and their kids out to visit a few weeks ago in July. They live in Cedar Falls, Iowa so it's always a treat to get to spend time with them! They had just arrived that evening and my sister Emily and her family came down to visit them at my parents' home.

My nephew Blake and my sister Emily enjoying a chance to catch up.

Three of my lovely and talented nieces, Julia, Brooke and Jennifer.

My nephew Blake, and his cousin, my niece, Jennifer.

Julia and Brooke enjoying time in Grandpa and Grandma's kitchen.
Evelyn and Finley having fun with their Auntie Emily.
It seems like just yesterday that I was playing with Emily's girls at this age...

My niece Brooke, with Evelyn at my parents house in Auburn.

If the raccoon piece was too depressing...

2008-08-05T21:07:00.000-07:00

Just wanted you all to know that today my mom came over and we made major in roads on the clutter in our house. We cleared out nearly everything that was left over from my home office and have it all boxed up ready to go. I can't believe how much room we have in our entry way now! I walked through it five times tonight just because it felt so good to not have all the boxes and equipment to navigate. Lookout raccoons. You might be next...

The Raccoons Are Back

2008-08-02T00:24:00.000-07:00

The raccoons are back,
watching me through the window, waiting for me to refill the cats’ bowls.

The mother sits on our teak chest at the window and squeaks her sleek, black paw pads down the glass. Does she do this on purpose? Can she know how irritating that sounds, guaranteed to make me look?

My nightly visitors bring a muddied porch,
frog intestines and dirty water bowl
for the cats. Somehow I can’t deny their begging.
Breaking all my wildlife rules, I feed them anyway.
I can see the babies clinging headfirst as they make their way back down the spruce to join their mother at this easy bounty.

I listen to their whistles and scuffling as they eat. Ceramic bowls tipped and shoved; aluminum pie tins overturned, scattered kibble.

Exhausted, I can’t seem to find the will to leave the scene, go upstairs and lay down in bed. Like the unwanted visitors I seem to be breeding, I am paralyzed by the ever-expanding clutter in the house:
The home and garden magazines, the memorabilia: Old birthday and Christmas cards, tickets stubs to Cirque du Soleil.
Remnants of my old home office, bills paid long ago, check registers waiting to be balanced.
A stack of credit card offers waiting to be shredded and pictures of the children, never mailed out to their adoring aunts and uncles.
A box of recyclables to share with my son’s pre-school class for art projects this fall; misplaced toys and Velcro curlers,
a camera case sans camera.
Rubber stamps and scrapbooking supplies.
Spent batteries awaiting a toxic waste recycling day,
scraps of paper with forgotten phone numbers and messages and expired coupons littering the kitchen counter.

Some mornings I feel a sense of hopefulness and start in on a pile here, a stack there. Perhaps I’ll clear off the counter today. By 10 I’m distracted by the kids, a phone call,
a forgotten appointment or errand.
I run out the door, purse in hand,
baby in the car seat, son running ahead. I trip over the dirty cat dishes
and spill the muddied water.

Noticing the dishes are empty, I turn back and fill them once again. I rinse out the water dish and fill it with cool, clear water.
Washing my hands for fear of rabies, I gather my load and lock up the house,
heading out again
leaving the wreckage behind.

Family Camp at Samish Island 2008

2008-07-30T20:18:00.000-07:00

Finley tells me he's a "sports guy" now. He had fun at camp with all the kids and playing on the rock.

Our home away from home, Cabin B-3 at Samish Island Campgrounds! We had great neighbors! Sue and Carl were on one side and Claudia and Taylor were on the other. It was kid central with the Play-Hut toys and the rock. Sue and Carl had a portable tether ball set too, which provided lots of entertainment.

Finley and Evelyn on the well-loved "B-4" rock. I played on this rock too, when I was a little girl.

Playing with the catapult at the Renaissance festival at camp on Friday. Very fun!

Secure in his manhood, Todd takes on the tights, as Jessie the Jester for the Renaissance themed talent show.

Todd as Jessie the Jester! He was the MC for our talent show on Friday night at camp.

Happy Independence Day From Samish Island!

2008-07-15T22:48:00.001-07:00

The Sargeant grandkids at Grandma Cleo's Samish house: Are they cute or what? :)
Finley and Gibson having fun with the parachutes left over from fireworks someone left in Grandma's yard. Gibson just turned three and Finley is four and a half.

The Inland West Mission Center reunion was going on over the 4th of July, so our friend, Terry Read, dressed up for the parade. He's the tall hippy dude in blue.
The Inland West parade entry!
Evelyn, the 4th of July clown! She was all ready for the parade and waiting here with the red wagon and her polka dots.
Gregg, Burt and Todd: Uncle Jerry made these for whoever was willing to wear them in the parade; or not willing but persuaded, as the case may be.... :) Although there was some grumbling at first, Todd and Gregg hammed it up and even did some choreographed moves!
Finley in his first parade!
Gibson on his new birthday bicycle!
Here we go! So much waiting and we finally get to head out!

Skamania Lodge Get Away

2008-06-30T23:04:00.000-07:00

Last week Todd had a conference to attend down at the Skamania Lodge and Spa in Stevenson, Washington. (Stevenson is the county seat for Skamania County.)It's right on the Columbia Gorge with spectacular views. I decided to brave another "vacation" with the kids and we tagged along with Todd. It ended up being the best little vacation we've had since Evelyn was born. There were lots of things to do to keep little kids busy and the lodge staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. We decided to stay another night after the conference and have a more leisurely stay.

Finley playing on the boulders after dinner at the Skamania Lodge.

An ideal place to sit back with a cup of coffee and watch the kids play while taking in the views.

While Todd went to the conference, (it was on Technology and Aging Populations), Finley and Evelyn and I took long walks, Finley rode his bicycle, we visited the town parks, ate at the local cafes and enjoyed the public broadcasting network cartoons on cable TV in our hotel room. We met a nice family from California with a two and a half year old boy named Quinn and a newborn little girl named Adeline. We played croquet with them on the lovely lawn in front of the lodge and then visited the hotel's playground. That evening I took the kids swimming at the pool and had fun watching Evelyn enjoy her first swimming pool experience. Finley is much braver and had gotten over his previous fear of the water. He tells me he wants to take swim lessons now!

The field out in front of the lodge had these wonderful boulders as part of the landscaping and made perfect play structures for all the kids.

Braving the perpetual winds on our walk along the river. I wouldn't let them out of the stroller because I was afraid they'd get blown into the water! It was beautiful and warm though and we had a nice walk. Evelyn fell asleep.

Note the lovely bruise on Evelyn's forehead? She cut it on the wall by our closet the day before we left, of course...

Evelyn trying to play croquet!

More views from the river park in Stevenson.

Finley on our hike around the golf course.

The view from the Stevenson play ground on the Columbia River, next to the county fair grounds.

The night we arrived we were looking for a place to eat dinner. We wanted to eat somewhere kid friendly, but locally owned preferably. As we drove along the main street I spied an older gentleman in the window of the local pizza place, Andrew's Pizza, and he was playing the banjo! I said, "Let's go there!" There was a really fun blue grass group playing and we had fun tappin' our toes while we ate our fantastic pizza. Very fun!

Finley took this picture of Evelyn and me on the little hike we took around the golf course.

Finley hanging out with some other kids as they looked through the binoculars at the lodge.

Glow Golf!

2008-06-30T22:51:00.000-07:00

Week before last, we met up with some friends from Finley's pre-school for a summer time play date. We decided to do something none of us had tried yet: Miniature Glow Golf at the Auburn Super Mall. It was very fun and Finley enjoyed the challenge. By adult standards it was pretty lame putt putt golf but it was perfect for the kids! Evelyn really wanted to get down and play too, but I kept her in the baby carrier for her own safety. We visited the video arcade across the mall afterwards and then we all went to the food court and had hot dogs and an assortment of mall food.

Poor Finley lost a total of three helium filled day-glow balloons; his own that we got from the glow golf place, one that an older boy in our party gave him after he lost his own, and then another one that someone else gave him after he lost that one. We decided that the balloons just wanted to go have their own adventures and we couldn't really cry for them since they were enjoying their freedom so much. (This story line actually worked!)

All in all, a fun day with friends and something we will keep in mind for a rainy day activity another time.

Evelyn's Officially Walking!

2008-06-23T21:04:00.000-07:00

So Evelyn's been taking a step here and there, adding a few more each day, but still has been mostly just crawling. She is a lightning fast crawler so I have been anticipating even more running after her when she got around to walking. But, today it was like she just woke up and decided, "Today is the day I start sparing my knees. I shall walk today!"

We were out riding bikes; Finley on his bike with training wheels and Evelyn sitting on his go-cart as I push her around. At one point, Finley had parked his bike and was looking at something else so his bike was just standing there, unattended. Evelyn got up and took eight steps on her own so she could grab the handle bars! The rest of the day she tried to walk whenever she could. Longest stretch was about 12 steps in the house where she has the advantage of even ground. Even outside on our knobby grass she walked about 5 steps to the sandbox. She looks like a little drunken sailor! Very sweet and fun to watch how proud she is of herself. As Finley likes to say, "We're in trouble now!" Thank goodness she's slower at walking right now than she is at crawling!

I am embarrassed to say I have no pictures from today! I will take some tomorrow and maybe a little movie if I can manage it. My camera's memory is full and I've been meaning to empty the card and yada yada yada....

Must Have Been Moonglow

2008-06-17T22:55:00.000-07:00

I've been watching the moon's progression to full this past week through our bedroom window. We have the curtains down right now and are due to get our new blinds any day now. (We try not to give the neighbors too much of a peak show when we're getting ready in the morning!) In anycase, it's been beautiful and makes me both melancholy and delighted in the wonders of planet Earth. Finley has really been gaining an interest in space lately. We got a really fun book of planet poetry for kids and I bought him a new quilt with the planets and a matching "Pluto" pillow. He loves it and we talk about why Pluto isn't a planet any more and how big Jupiter is and what a comet is. I've enjoyed looking up facts on space so I give him accurate answers to his many questions.

I'm also pre-occupied with several items: For one, our ongoing septic field installation; had a few hang ups with getting the pump tank wired but we are on our way now. This week is busy with a playdate for our pre-school that I had to plan, a board meeting for the pre-school for next year, preparing for a sermon this Sunday, (I'm a lay minister in my church and scheduled to speak at one of our local congregations in Seattle), and tomorrow we are going to Samish Island for the ordination of a dear friend at our church campgrounds. The logistics of it all seem daunting in the late hours of the night or the first light of morning when the kids are waking me far too early.

However, I've been reading some incredibly powerful stuff in preparation for the sermon; one of the positive side-effects of having to prepare a paper or presentation is the personal growth and insight gained in the effort. The latest issue of The Sun, July 2008, had an article with Wendell Berry, an essayist, novelist and poet, sustainable farming expert and cultural icon. The interview was called, "Digging In: Wendell Berry on Small Farms, Local Wisdom, and the Folly of Greed", done by Jeff Fearnside. It was both inspirational and disturbing. Some of my favorite quotes:

On the modern media and technology:
"To make yourself a passive receptacle for information, or whatever anybody wants to pour into you, is a bad idea. To be informed used to be a meaningful experience; it meant "to be formed from within." But information now is just a bunch of disconnected data or entertainment and, as such, may be worthless, perhaps harmful. As T.S. Eliot wrote a long time ago, information is different from knowledge, and it has nothing to do with widsom."

On our disconnect with our food source and harmful farming practices:
Fearnside: Do you think that our unhealthy food practices have to do with our lack of connection to the sacred?
Berry: I would say so, because when you are in the presence of something you consider sacred, the natural response is to be humble and respectful and careful.

I found this interview deeply moving and I couldn't stop thinking about the things I mistreat in my life because I don't view them as sacred, or I have stopped viewing them as sacred. Take for instance, my own body. I fret about my weight but I continue to crave my diet colas, my french fries, my raisin nut toast with real butter, my ice cream. The Judeo-Christian ethic has much to say about our body as a temple, our body as clean or unclean, our body as a vehicle for the holy spirit. I certainly have lost or never understood completely, the holiness of my own body. I have some exploring to do with this.

The earlier quote regarding information hits hard for me. I feel a constant need to consume more and more information but for what gain? As a child, I used to read about horses or some other country because I loved them or had a keen interest. Now, I read the paper or magazines as a way to feel worthy, be informed or have amunition for an argument or political debate. Hmmm. Something to think about....

Stormy Monday

2008-06-09T23:39:00.000-07:00

Is this global warming? We woke up to a blustery, cold Monday. It felt like October, not June! Being the stoic northwesterners we claim to be, I bundled up the kids and went to the Pt. Defiance Zoo and Aquarium today. We arrived about 11:30 a.m. and except for a few unlucky field trips from local schools, there were few other visitors because it was pouring down rain. If it weren't for the frequent showers and gusts of wind that destroyed our umbrella and soaked the playgrounds, we would have enjoyed the nearly private tour of the zoo today. We actually did have a lot of fun despite the weather. There were enough dry moments to get from one shelter to the next and our double stroller had good awnings for the seats to stay dry. It was just a relief to be outside and breathing in the fresh air.

Here is Finley inside the sea anemone at the new, expanded play area. I had to persuade Finley that actually going to see the animal exhibits would be as much fun as playing on the playground. We also rode on the carousel. They had a sleigh that we could sit in all together and that was much more to Finley's liking than trying to hang on while the horses go up and down. I had Evelyn in the sling and she loved it! Unfortunately, I had left my camera with the stroller so I have no pictures of this delightful whirl on the merry-go-round.

Inside the jaws of a Great White Shark! We got to see them feed the fish today in the coral reef exhibit. We also had the rare treat of seeing the polar bears pouncing on their big toy balls and frolicking in the water.

I was trying to take a fun smiling picture, not a bumped head shot!

Evelyn walking from toadstool to toadstool in the big tented play area. This was also the area where we got to feed the goats and sheep. Finley is over his shyness about petting zoos so he used most of our quarters getting goat feed pellets from the vending machine. He wanted to make sure they all got their fair share so he rationed out the pellets to each goat, one at a time.

Finley, the hermit crab! This new play area is really great. They now have a covered sand play area, meercat exhibits, caves and a large, rope spider web to climb, in addition to the other playground.

Climbing, always climbing...

Fun new play structures and exhibits at the zoo, next to the previous play area.

Evelyn was mesmerized by the shark tank. There were huge tuna as well, that swam in schools above us, flashing in the green, filtered light. She protested every time I tried to pick her up. She just wanted to stand there with her hands on the glass, taking it all in.

Sabbath

2008-06-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

Today we are taking a real Sabbath and skipping church. Heeheehee. Yesterday was full of a memorial service for a dear woman from my childhood as was last Saturday when I attended the memorial service for a neighbor from our old neighborhood in Seattle. We also attended THRIVE, the garden art show that my sister-in-law, Kim, organized at the Arboretum in Seattle on Saturday. The rain held off but it was cool and grey. I know Kim was disappointed with some aspects of how it turned out but we were very impressed! I am going out today to weed my garden and make some room for artwork in the future. I am inspired!

Here are some pictures from our walk on Saturday around the Arboretum. The rhododendrons were all in spectacular bloom.

We are realizing once again, that our lives have become too full of "going" and not enough of "staying" and addressing the truly important things in our life together as a family; like taking time to get organized, the implementation of strategies to save our sanity and getting rid of clutter as it comes along. Todd and I are too much alike in some ways. We both want to have all the fun and let someone else take care of the boring stuff.

I'm going back to my books on Sabbath. Especially, Wayne Muller's, Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal and Delight in our Busy Lives.

Here are some quotes and passages:

"Our willingness to rest depends on what we believe we will find there. At rest, we come face-to-face with the essence of life. If we believe life is fundamentally good, we will seek out rest as a taste of that goodness. If we believe life is fundamentally bad or flawed, we will be reluctant to quiet ourselves, afraid of meeting the darkness that resides in things--or in ourselves."
________________________________
WILL

Three generations back
my family had only

to light a candle
and the world parted.

Today, Friday afternoon,
I disconnect clocks and phones.

When night fills my house
with passages,

I begin saving
my life.

---Marcia Falk

"Sabbath time can be a revolutionary challenge to the violence of overwork, mindless accumulation, and the endless multiplication of desires, responsibilities, and accomplishments. Sabbath is a way of being in time where we remember who we are, remember what we know, and taste the gifts of spirit and eternity."

Conquering the Evil Dishes and Play Time

2008-06-02T16:06:00.000-07:00

Finley very graciously shares his trucks with his sister.

Evelyn loves the grader since it rolls around so nicely. She can walk behind it.

Playing in the left over sand from the septic project. (Don't worry! It's clean sand. )

Finley: Hey Mama! You have to come over here and conquer the evil robots!
Me: I would love to do that but first I have to conquer the evil dishes!
Finley: The evil dishes? Why are they evil?
Me: Because I'd rather be playing with you but I have to finish these or we
won't have any clean dishes and our kitchen will be full of stinky
pots and pans!
Finley: (After a moment thinking.) What would you say when I do all the dishes
for you? And clean up the counters and vacuum?
Me: (Smiling hugely) I'll say, Wow! How did Finley get so grown up so soon?
Finley: And what will Daddy say when he sees me doing all your chores?
Me: He'll say, Wow! Finley is getting so grown up and How did Mom get you to
do all those chores for her?

Words I love to hear Finley mispronounce:

Amminals for animals

Leggulee for regular

Fipe for five

Effalyn for Evelyn

Evelyn checking out the new stroller wheels.

Getting ready to walk up and get the paper and the mail. It's become our evening routine now. Nice and calming right before dinner.