Sunday, November 30, 2008
Marshmallows roasting on an open fire
We made our first fire last week, followed by two more this weekend at the coast. It was so nice! I love a fire! Lucas was in awe, but also was very good about keeping a safe distance (most of the time, anyway). Josh was all about the marshmallows. But all the joy was in roasting them, he didn't really eat many and he refused to even try a smore. But John and I were more than happy to eat them for him! Lucas enjoyed the marshmallows too, and then we all had to change out of our sticky clothes (thanks to some little sticky hands).
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
After stuffing ourselves with John's homemade Thanksgiving dinner of turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, and a scampi/pasta/quasi-stuffing, we decided to break open our gingerbread man kit and get to work.
Josh was so excited to hear that he had to put his hands in the dough. Until he had to actually knead the dough, which he found sticky and not very fun. He liked using the rolling pin though, and was great with the cookie cutter (although not very efficient--he spaced his men out, getting only about 4 per roll).
Gingerbread man-making is hard! They kept stretching; they stuck to the pan; they were hard to decorate in such small proportions. We didn't realize the difficulties. It will be much easier next time now that we know the tricks.
They taste terrific though!
Here is Josh kneading the dough:
Studiously applying a button:
Pleased with his work:
The final products:
Mmm Mmm good!
We hope everyone had a very nice and happy Thanksgiving!!
Josh was so excited to hear that he had to put his hands in the dough. Until he had to actually knead the dough, which he found sticky and not very fun. He liked using the rolling pin though, and was great with the cookie cutter (although not very efficient--he spaced his men out, getting only about 4 per roll).
Gingerbread man-making is hard! They kept stretching; they stuck to the pan; they were hard to decorate in such small proportions. We didn't realize the difficulties. It will be much easier next time now that we know the tricks.
They taste terrific though!
Here is Josh kneading the dough:
Studiously applying a button:
Pleased with his work:
The final products:
Mmm Mmm good!
We hope everyone had a very nice and happy Thanksgiving!!
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Yes We Can!
We are overjoyed here tonight. I was so happy when they called Virginia for Obama, because I never felt like my beliefs were really shared broadly there when I lived there, and I am so happy that the state has grown more accepting and progressive and voted to elect Obama! And also because (at least on the channel we were watching), it was about 2 minutes to 8, and I knew when the California results posted at 8 pm, its 55 electoral votes, combined with the updated total from Virginia, were going to result in the election of our new President. We watched in awe, smiling and crying tears of joy.
I've sat here trying to put my feelings into words, but I can't yet, so I'll just stop here. I am so happy, and proud, and hopeful, and optimistic.
And, I was very pleased to see the reference back to the "Yes We Can" theme from (then-)Senator Obama's New Hampshire primary speech. A high-water mark in my book, and a certain call to the work and yet the optimism we have going forward.
I should also say that my boss, Eli, had a great night. Oregon has had, until today, the one and only Death With Dignity law in the country, allowing terminally ill patients with less than six months to live the right to a lethal prescription that will allow them to control the time and manner of their passing. Eli drafted the law and was instrumental in its passage, and in its legal defense, all the way to the US Supreme Court. Tonight, with Eli's help, a similar law was passed in Washington state, by at 58-42 margin. Good work, and congratulations!
Much love to everyone who has supported us and listened to my pitches for President-Elect Obama, and to everyone who voted today (even if you didn't vote for my candidate).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY
I've sat here trying to put my feelings into words, but I can't yet, so I'll just stop here. I am so happy, and proud, and hopeful, and optimistic.
And, I was very pleased to see the reference back to the "Yes We Can" theme from (then-)Senator Obama's New Hampshire primary speech. A high-water mark in my book, and a certain call to the work and yet the optimism we have going forward.
I should also say that my boss, Eli, had a great night. Oregon has had, until today, the one and only Death With Dignity law in the country, allowing terminally ill patients with less than six months to live the right to a lethal prescription that will allow them to control the time and manner of their passing. Eli drafted the law and was instrumental in its passage, and in its legal defense, all the way to the US Supreme Court. Tonight, with Eli's help, a similar law was passed in Washington state, by at 58-42 margin. Good work, and congratulations!
Much love to everyone who has supported us and listened to my pitches for President-Elect Obama, and to everyone who voted today (even if you didn't vote for my candidate).
Yes We Can heal our nation
Yes We Can repair this world
...
We will remember that there is something happening in America,
that we are not as divided as our politics suggest,
that we are one people,
that we are one nation,
And together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story,
with three words that will ring from coast to coast,
from sea to shining sea,
Yes We Can
Yes We Can
Yes We Can
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY
Vote!
At last, election day is finally here! If there is any silver lining from the vicious virus issue we've been dealing with since Saturday, it's that it kept me from seeing exit polls and renewing all the anxiety I've felt over the last two weeks as this election finally draws near. So get out there and VOTE!
We've been teaching Josh (well, trying to) about what it means to vote and select your leaders. He used to say that he picked Mommy or Daddy as the new leader, but now he is fully on board with Obama. I've seen a lot about kids liking Obama, actually. Obama won the Nickelodeon kids' election, and lots of children seem to respond to him. So Josh is not alone.
To help Josh try to understand elections, we let him "help" fill out our ballots (for fear that he might make a stray mark and invalidate my vote, I didn't actually let him mark anything, just pretend to!). Oregon votes entirely by mail, which I love, even if I miss my "I Voted" stickers. Voting at home gives you time to really consider all the candidates and ballot measures, and removes obstacles such as work, lines, rain, and malfeasance.
So here we are casting our votes. Obama '08!!!
We're all wearing our "Oregon Democrats" temporary tattoos today to get in the mood, and to make up for our missing "I Voted" stickers!
Vote! Vote! Vote!
And one last time, I will plead, please vote for Senator Obama.
We've been teaching Josh (well, trying to) about what it means to vote and select your leaders. He used to say that he picked Mommy or Daddy as the new leader, but now he is fully on board with Obama. I've seen a lot about kids liking Obama, actually. Obama won the Nickelodeon kids' election, and lots of children seem to respond to him. So Josh is not alone.
To help Josh try to understand elections, we let him "help" fill out our ballots (for fear that he might make a stray mark and invalidate my vote, I didn't actually let him mark anything, just pretend to!). Oregon votes entirely by mail, which I love, even if I miss my "I Voted" stickers. Voting at home gives you time to really consider all the candidates and ballot measures, and removes obstacles such as work, lines, rain, and malfeasance.
So here we are casting our votes. Obama '08!!!
We're all wearing our "Oregon Democrats" temporary tattoos today to get in the mood, and to make up for our missing "I Voted" stickers!
Vote! Vote! Vote!
And one last time, I will plead, please vote for Senator Obama.
Monday, November 03, 2008
Halloween, continued
Sorry for the delay in continuing this post. We had a malicious virus invade our computer Saturday evening, and spent the rest of the weekend, and several hours today, dealing with it. With the help of tech support seizing the screen today to manually remove the virus (after all else failed), we are finally back up and running. What a pain!
So here are some more photos from Halloween!
This was our first stop, next door with our neighbors Jason and Heather. Lucas didn't know what he was supposed to be doing.
The house at the end of our street, on the Alameda ridge, goes all out for every holiday, even the Hallmark holidays. We are in awe of their decorating. Without exaggeration, it is safe to say they must have at least one room, and probably several, in their house completely devoted to storing and managing decorations. So, of course, Halloween is no exception, and we snapped some photos in their lawn.
After not really understanding what he was doing at the first few houses, by the end Lucas really had the hang of trick-or-treating. He would toddle on up to the house, tail wagging behind him, climb the steps by himself, walk up to the door, and stand there until someone gave him candy (he only knows about 8 words so far, and "trick-or-treat" is not among them--although I did catch a crystal-clear "pumpkin"!). He loved it! You will notice that there is no "Batman" on the porch in this picture as Lucas makes his way up the steps. Josh had already collected his goodies, yelled a "thank you" belatedly over his shoulder, and run off to the next home. But Lucas no longer needed to follow Josh, he was in it for himself by now.
So here are some more photos from Halloween!
This was our first stop, next door with our neighbors Jason and Heather. Lucas didn't know what he was supposed to be doing.
The house at the end of our street, on the Alameda ridge, goes all out for every holiday, even the Hallmark holidays. We are in awe of their decorating. Without exaggeration, it is safe to say they must have at least one room, and probably several, in their house completely devoted to storing and managing decorations. So, of course, Halloween is no exception, and we snapped some photos in their lawn.
After not really understanding what he was doing at the first few houses, by the end Lucas really had the hang of trick-or-treating. He would toddle on up to the house, tail wagging behind him, climb the steps by himself, walk up to the door, and stand there until someone gave him candy (he only knows about 8 words so far, and "trick-or-treat" is not among them--although I did catch a crystal-clear "pumpkin"!). He loved it! You will notice that there is no "Batman" on the porch in this picture as Lucas makes his way up the steps. Josh had already collected his goodies, yelled a "thank you" belatedly over his shoulder, and run off to the next home. But Lucas no longer needed to follow Josh, he was in it for himself by now.
I forgot to mention that John and I dressed up this year too (as you can see above in the picture of me with the boys on the neighbors' lawn; I don't wear full-length leopard print on an average basis). Last year we wore theme t-shirts, but this year John called around 3 on Halloween and asked if I wanted a costume, so we dressed up with the kids. It was fun!
Of course, when the boys and I first got home from work/school, John was already disguised in his makeup and cape, and scared the crap out of everyone. Both boys stopped in their tracks and were afraid to go inside. Surprisingly, they were most freaked out by the cape, not the makeup. Once they heard John talking to him and knew it was him, they were mostly okay, unless he put the cape up, then it was game over--crying and hiding behind me. Weird. But seriously, that makeup was creepy looking. John did a great job. And watching him and Josh walk down the street together in the dark, their black capes billowing behind them, was cool looking.
This is our next door neighbors' house. Another one that freaked Josh out. They go all out every year, with lots of decorations, and Mike always dresses up as a monster and hides among the decorations, to jump out and surprise the trick-or-treaters upon approach. Despite seeing the decorations going up all month long, and knowing the neighbors well, Josh took off running when Mike made his move and would not go back. Patsy ended up walking his treat down to us on the sidewalk out of pity.
Back at home after a fun Halloween night, all smiles:
While John put Lucas to bed, Josh sat out on the porch with me to await our trick-or-treaters. He peeled away his official costume to reveal his batman pajamas (which we put him in as a thermal layer), and kept the mask. Because we are up a small hill, some people seemed to debate whether it was worth the trek up. Josh would call down to them, "Hey guys, wanna come and trick or treat me?!" He has a real future as a carnival barker.
All in all, it was a really fun night. Both Josh and Lucas were fun and well-behaved, and we all had a great time.
Of course, when the boys and I first got home from work/school, John was already disguised in his makeup and cape, and scared the crap out of everyone. Both boys stopped in their tracks and were afraid to go inside. Surprisingly, they were most freaked out by the cape, not the makeup. Once they heard John talking to him and knew it was him, they were mostly okay, unless he put the cape up, then it was game over--crying and hiding behind me. Weird. But seriously, that makeup was creepy looking. John did a great job. And watching him and Josh walk down the street together in the dark, their black capes billowing behind them, was cool looking.
This is our next door neighbors' house. Another one that freaked Josh out. They go all out every year, with lots of decorations, and Mike always dresses up as a monster and hides among the decorations, to jump out and surprise the trick-or-treaters upon approach. Despite seeing the decorations going up all month long, and knowing the neighbors well, Josh took off running when Mike made his move and would not go back. Patsy ended up walking his treat down to us on the sidewalk out of pity.
Back at home after a fun Halloween night, all smiles:
While John put Lucas to bed, Josh sat out on the porch with me to await our trick-or-treaters. He peeled away his official costume to reveal his batman pajamas (which we put him in as a thermal layer), and kept the mask. Because we are up a small hill, some people seemed to debate whether it was worth the trek up. Josh would call down to them, "Hey guys, wanna come and trick or treat me?!" He has a real future as a carnival barker.
All in all, it was a really fun night. Both Josh and Lucas were fun and well-behaved, and we all had a great time.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Happy Halloween!
One Batman:
And one puppy:
(who wagged his tail with every step, and I was dying it was so cute. I wish it hadn't been too dark to get video of him out there!)
Just as we set out for trick-or-treating:
I have lots more pictures but have to get Josh to bed. Will post more this weekend!
Happy Halloween!
And one puppy:
(who wagged his tail with every step, and I was dying it was so cute. I wish it hadn't been too dark to get video of him out there!)
Just as we set out for trick-or-treating:
I have lots more pictures but have to get Josh to bed. Will post more this weekend!
Happy Halloween!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Fall 2008 School Pictures -- Josh
As usual, the boys' school pictures came out really well. They're so expensive that we sometimes half-hope we won't want to buy them, but the photographer's use of natural light and natural poses seems to capture such good portraits.
We ordered the first pose for Josh.
We ordered the first pose for Josh.
Fall 2008 School Pictures -- Lucas
Lucas' are really good too. I love the way his little foot is tucked behind his leg in the first one, and we love the look of him at the window, but we didn't choose those. The third one just makes me laugh, with his somewhat blank stare. We went back and forth over whether to order the fourth or the fifth. The fourth seems to really capture what he looks like (to us anyway) at this age. But the fifth has a great laugh. In the end, we went with picture #4. We'll probably get a set of sibling pictures made for the holidays, and we figured he'll be smiling in those, so we chose artsy for now.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Pumpkin Patch 2008
Our fifth annual trip to the pumpkin patch (as a family; John and I had gone before as well, and before that, Scout and I. Scout was so cute on the hay rides!). We decided against waiting for the afternoon's sunny weather, to avoid the crowds and the conflict with naptime. So it was overcast and a bit cold, but lots of fun all the same.
The pumpkin patch was just starting a bonfire when we arrived around 9:30 am, so the boys posed on the hay bales while we waited for the hayrides to begin.
Then onto the hay ride:
The pumpkin patch was just starting a bonfire when we arrived around 9:30 am, so the boys posed on the hay bales while we waited for the hayrides to begin.
Then onto the hay ride:
In the pumpkin patch itself
Just off the tractor:
Lukey:
Other than the near-chopping of our heads, perhaps one of our best family pictures lately:
In search of the perfect pumpkin:
Luke was so happy, he did not want to be carried (despite the very uneven ground, not to mention the vines that kept tripping him) and just loved running all around the fields:
Lukey:
Other than the near-chopping of our heads, perhaps one of our best family pictures lately:
In search of the perfect pumpkin:
Luke was so happy, he did not want to be carried (despite the very uneven ground, not to mention the vines that kept tripping him) and just loved running all around the fields:
Back at the Farm
We had just arrived back at the animal pen when one of the farmers came and deposited a bunch of ears of corn and other vegetables to feed the pigs, and let the kids do the feeding! I have to say, pigs have very large heads, and are pretty aggressive eaters. I seriously considered the possibility that Lucas might accidentally get chomped! He's pretty little. But all was well, and it was a fun and unique experience. Until the pig peed. That was gross.
While I kept a vigilant eye on Lucas, Josh got away and started up the hay bale tower. I found him at the top, but by the time I had my camera out, he was already on the way down for the next thing. Go go go.
Then it was on to the chickens and roosters. Josh did a pretty good "cock-a-doodle-doo," but Lucas just roared a long, guttural noise for his rooster imitation. He is such a little caveman sometimes. The people around us laughed, so I guess it has its charms.
Driving the tractor. Always the best part (for them).
We hope to carve our pumpkins next weekend, and we'll share photos when we do!
While I kept a vigilant eye on Lucas, Josh got away and started up the hay bale tower. I found him at the top, but by the time I had my camera out, he was already on the way down for the next thing. Go go go.
Then it was on to the chickens and roosters. Josh did a pretty good "cock-a-doodle-doo," but Lucas just roared a long, guttural noise for his rooster imitation. He is such a little caveman sometimes. The people around us laughed, so I guess it has its charms.
Driving the tractor. Always the best part (for them).
We hope to carve our pumpkins next weekend, and we'll share photos when we do!
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
We're Back!
Whoa! I can't believe it's been 5 weeks since I've posted anything! Sorry for the long delay. Things were very busy right before we left for our Disney trip, and I was working 12+ hour days, and working more after the boys went to bed, and then of course we were on vacation for 8 days! Upon return, I had an appellate brief to finish in just a few days, and then this past weekend we had a small fire in our kitchen. So I've had my hands full! But I didn't mean to neglect my blog for so long.
The trip was wonderful, lots of fun and way too much to do. Disney offers so many opportunities and events, there is something for everyone and always more to do. I will try to post some pictures or memories for each day of our trip as we go along here.
But for today, an introduction. We flew on Wednesday, Sept 10, and it was practically an all-day travel day with the distance and the time change. Josh and I dropped Lucas off at school at 8 am, came home for our bags, and then literally ran to the bus stop to shuttle to the light rail, and then ride to the airport. Two flights later, we landed in Florida after 9 pm, and it was 10:30 before we were checked into our airport hotel. And it was HOT. And humid. From then forward, I was sweating and my hair was frizzy and in a ponytail, until about a day after we returned to the sweet 60s of Oregon.
We rose around 9 am the next day, and shuttled back to the airport to await the rest of the family. The Orlando airport is a kids paradise--there are several Disney stores, a Sea World store, a Space Shuttle store, an MGM store, all not only with lots of enticing merchandise, but with statues of Mickey, Goofy, Snow White, Superman, the space shuttle, etc. We could spend hours there (and did, waiting for our return flights, but that's another story...)
Josh and I met up with my aunt Pat first, and took some pictures with Spiderman and Goofy. Then we headed to the food court to eat while awaiting the rest of the Finches. This is one of my favorite stories. A man sitting a few booths away was bald and congenial looking, and Josh says to aunt Pat, very matter-of-factly: "That guy eats crazy foods." He thought it was Andrew Zimmern from Bizarre Foods on the Food Channel! He started telling Pat about the funny things the man eats: octopus, bugs, etc. I debated sharing the story with the man, but didn't know whether or not he'd take it as a compliment, so I kept it to myself.
After breakfast, everyone else arrived, and it was off to the Disney shuttle, which took us to the Disney World complex and to our hotel. The Disney World complex is HUGE--bigger than two Manhattans, I think they said. I was expecting a much smaller scale, but it is all so spread out. Our hotel was great. It was called the Beach Club, and you can guess the theme. The very large pool had a sand bottom, along with a lazy river and a vortex, and a great pirate ship slide. We were right next door to Epcot.
So, after checking in, we headed over to Epcot for a bite to eat, and then some rides. More on that to come...
In the meantime, here are two photos:
Josh and Monica with Mickey:
And the cruise ship:
Check back soon (probably not too soon though :) )!
The trip was wonderful, lots of fun and way too much to do. Disney offers so many opportunities and events, there is something for everyone and always more to do. I will try to post some pictures or memories for each day of our trip as we go along here.
But for today, an introduction. We flew on Wednesday, Sept 10, and it was practically an all-day travel day with the distance and the time change. Josh and I dropped Lucas off at school at 8 am, came home for our bags, and then literally ran to the bus stop to shuttle to the light rail, and then ride to the airport. Two flights later, we landed in Florida after 9 pm, and it was 10:30 before we were checked into our airport hotel. And it was HOT. And humid. From then forward, I was sweating and my hair was frizzy and in a ponytail, until about a day after we returned to the sweet 60s of Oregon.
We rose around 9 am the next day, and shuttled back to the airport to await the rest of the family. The Orlando airport is a kids paradise--there are several Disney stores, a Sea World store, a Space Shuttle store, an MGM store, all not only with lots of enticing merchandise, but with statues of Mickey, Goofy, Snow White, Superman, the space shuttle, etc. We could spend hours there (and did, waiting for our return flights, but that's another story...)
Josh and I met up with my aunt Pat first, and took some pictures with Spiderman and Goofy. Then we headed to the food court to eat while awaiting the rest of the Finches. This is one of my favorite stories. A man sitting a few booths away was bald and congenial looking, and Josh says to aunt Pat, very matter-of-factly: "That guy eats crazy foods." He thought it was Andrew Zimmern from Bizarre Foods on the Food Channel! He started telling Pat about the funny things the man eats: octopus, bugs, etc. I debated sharing the story with the man, but didn't know whether or not he'd take it as a compliment, so I kept it to myself.
After breakfast, everyone else arrived, and it was off to the Disney shuttle, which took us to the Disney World complex and to our hotel. The Disney World complex is HUGE--bigger than two Manhattans, I think they said. I was expecting a much smaller scale, but it is all so spread out. Our hotel was great. It was called the Beach Club, and you can guess the theme. The very large pool had a sand bottom, along with a lazy river and a vortex, and a great pirate ship slide. We were right next door to Epcot.
So, after checking in, we headed over to Epcot for a bite to eat, and then some rides. More on that to come...
In the meantime, here are two photos:
Josh and Monica with Mickey:
And the cruise ship:
Check back soon (probably not too soon though :) )!
Monday, September 01, 2008
A new look
As you can see, I've reformatted the blog. It was time for a change. I've been blogging for almost two years now, so I thought a change of design would be good. I may keep tweaking it a bit, or maybe not, depending on the time at hand (which will be very short with all the work I have to do before we leave for Disney next week). Hope you like it.
If there is something you find hard to read or distracting, let me know. I can play around with font colors and size, so maybe I can fix it.
Also on the topic of a new look, both Josh and Luke start in their new classrooms tomorrow. Luke moves from the infant room to the wobbler room, which means no more crib at school! He'll take naptime on a mat like a big boy. And Josh moves into "Older Preschool" (OP), which is much larger than his current/previous room and has its own big sandbox. These changes will present some challenges as well, so wish us luck!
Off to get the boys to bed so they'll be well-rested for their big day tomorrow!
If there is something you find hard to read or distracting, let me know. I can play around with font colors and size, so maybe I can fix it.
Also on the topic of a new look, both Josh and Luke start in their new classrooms tomorrow. Luke moves from the infant room to the wobbler room, which means no more crib at school! He'll take naptime on a mat like a big boy. And Josh moves into "Older Preschool" (OP), which is much larger than his current/previous room and has its own big sandbox. These changes will present some challenges as well, so wish us luck!
Off to get the boys to bed so they'll be well-rested for their big day tomorrow!
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