Close Call

So, don't be alarmed, but I have some disturbing news.

Yesterday, seemingly out nowhere, our house suddenly and mysteriously burst into flames! Well, OK, technically it was our playhouse...

...the flames were so intense they were almost impossible to see... ;)

It was really touch and go for awhile, and a pretty close call over all, but FORTUNATELY, we all got out in time, and its looking like the structure may be salvageable.

The smoke inhalation alone was nearly unbearable, but thanks to the heroic bravery and quick thinking of 2 of the most adorable firefighters I have ever laid eyes on, nobody was seriously injured.

How did they do it, you may ask?

When the measures of mere garden hoses alone weren't enough to vanquish the flames, Captain Dawson keenly recalled an age-old trick that's said to save lives every time... PULL THE ALARM!


...but alas, there was no alarm to be pulled. So... he drew one! And the flames magically went out! And I am proud to announce, we all learned a valuable lesson on fire safety and being prepared~ our playhouse is now officially up to code. Or at least it was until today's rain, when the chalk washed off. ;)

Thankfully, my garden was not harmed in the tumultuous process of the fight. Which I am eternally grateful for, since I have already replaced my tomato plants- twice- due to the later frosts this season (or my over-eager welcoming of Spring, your call).


My Mom picked me up a couple bigger sized plants from Cal Poly's annual tomato plant sale (which is a brilliant resource, so I'm told). If these new guys die off... I might just give up and start eating chemical produce for the rest of eternity in a rage of protest against Mother Nature.

In addition to 2 varietys of organic heirloom tomatos, we have strawberries (already producing), blackberries, sweet peas (already producing), onions, parsley, basil, and chives so far.

I'm also really excited about our artichokes! The plant was teeny when I bought it a couple seasons ago, I had almost given up on it as it seemed to be unhappy and/or slow growing for ages. But then, all of a sudden! there were these little beauty's just happy as can be and all but begging to be picked and eaten at once! Dawson is obsessed with artichokes, and the plant was his idea to begin with, so he got the honor of the first harvest. He said it was delish, and we are all looking forward to trying them out for ourselves shortly!

And last but not least... in other "organic and home farming news" (Haha, do I sound like I know what I'm doing now or what?! Fooled ya!)... my parents are taking another brave attempt at Operation Organic Eggs. They had a coop a year or 2 ago, and we all really enjoyed watching the chicks grow into laying hens. The parts they (my parents) did NOT enjoy were the initial workload of keeping the hatch-lings warm/fed/watered/nurtured, waiting around for the girls to get old enough to be busy little egg layers... and the part where the night predators quickly figured out how to break into the hen house and decapitate all the little cluckers in a bloody massacre while the rest of the world slept peacefully. JUST as I was getting used to ingesting brown eggs with fluorescent orange yolks, too! Darn you, varmints!

So my handy dad built a super-coop. I wish I had pictures, no words do it justice. Maybe in another blog, tho no promises with my flaky blogging tendencies these days.

And mom found a lady who cut a deal on a batch of half grown chicks and threw in a couple full grown layers, too. So we're back in business!

All this to say- my daughter looks SO cute holding those Lil peepers.

Dawson hasn't seen them yet.

If the weather ever starts co-operating, its shaping up to be a fun summer down home on the range.

Stay tuned! Carly is married! I signed up and paid for my first triathlon! 10 year class reunion plans in the mix! Anniversary trips! Weddings! Babies! OH MY!

There is so much to be thankful for, and so much to look forward to ahead.

xo

Being Their Mother

This morning I woke up early and set out for a nice long run with a dear friend.

When I got home, Ty and the kids had made a delicious breakfast burrito feast with all the trimmings, and built a shrine of flowers, cards, and home made gifts in my honor.

One of the sweet joys of the kids getting older is seeing certain traits pop out that remind you of yourself or your spouse. Dawson LOVES presents SO much he is always working on the sweetest surprises for me... and half the time, I get them a little early because he likes to spoil me and neither of us can stand to wait! I love that kid.

He made this beautiful little card for me at school...

Sorry, I dont know why it won't rotate, but anyways, I just about cried it was such a sweet little creation. It says:

My mother is very special.

She has sparkling eye shadow,

and curly hair,

and a lovely smile.

She likes to go to the gym

and likes to run

and go to Von(e)s.

She makes the best fish sticks.

She helps me make mud pies

and bug pies

and hot cocoa

I like when we bake cakes

and go to Round Table.

I love my special mom.

I have to say, lately I'm exhausted. The kids have joined activities in the evenings during the week, and theres just a lot going on in general. Sometimes I just feel like there isn't enough of me to go around, and I'm not doing a good job of meeting everyone's needs. I've had to give up some little things, like blogging regularly, in attempt to make sure everyone gets lunches, and clean underwear, and homework turned in.

But I have these 2 great kids, who keep me laughing on a daily basis, and are growing into kind and generous little people that I am so very proud of.

These pics are from Easter Sunday- which was supposed to be its own post, but, you know... theres that darn time issue again, and how there isn't ever any of it.

I guess what I'm saying is... I am enjoying having my cake and trying to shovel bites of it into my face as fast as I can between activities, too... but whether I am just cramming it all in as fast as I can or I actually find a moment to sit and savor each bite (which is the exception rather than the rule these days...) cake is good no matter how you can get it. And so are these kids. And so is my husband who sent me shopping yesterday so he could keep the munchkins home and make home made pencil flower crafts so they could show their love for me on Mother's day.

I love being the mother of this family. I am so proud, and so thankful to them for giving me the honor.

xo

My Front Porch Lookin In

What a (lazy) weekend!

It was kind of awesome.

Its been raining and raining and raining.... rain makes me feel fat and lazy and like the world may never see the hope of sunshine or Spring ever again. I know, drama queen. But its what the voices tell me when it rains for six.days.straight. and the babies run circles around me and tie me up and cast evil spells on me. And that's exactly what they do... promise!

Saturday we spent a rainy morning in SLO as a family just wandering the streets and window shopping. We splurged and ate lunch at Firstones (SO.DELICIOUS) and took the kids to the candy store. It was a nice treat and a great family day. When we got home, Ty went to work, and I sat on the couch in my sweats with my kids and watched TV. Ahh the beauty.

Sunday I drug my poor kids out of bed "in the middle of the night!" (according to my dramatic daughter... NO idea where she gets that...) ;) and we headed up to Lopez Lake to watch these little miracle moms kick some serious triathlon tail.




Ya, they rule pretty hard. They've been training like rabid dogs for months now, and although I was 'invited,' I talked myself out of it this time around. I want my maiden Tri voyage to be 'fun,' and learning to swim in the rain and dark even with the luxury of a heated pool was not my definition of a good time. Bethany and Kari are seasoned swimmers and gifted athletes that never cease to encourage and inspire, and I am now (finally) SO excited to learn to swim (or at least not look like a drowning cat...) I can hardly stand it.

But... for this race... being the cheer squad was a perfect fit...

My kids loved being there. I loved having an excuse to wear a tutu in public. Dawson asked me if he could do a triathlon last night. He was SO pumped he actually had himself convinced that he could swim in that lake no problem! He was almost in tears when I told him he needs to give it the summer and practice a little more before I just throw him off the pier... tempting as it may seem to do it at any given moment... ;)

When we got home Sunday, my Dad paid us a visit to make good on his Birthday present promise to me...


Tah-DAHHHHH!:

New screen door. We installed a whole house fan last summer to save energy and cut our power bill down. The fan sucks in the cool air from outside and blows the hot hair out thru the attic. In order to make it work effectively, we need to open doors and windows while we run it at the end of the day and early in the summer mornings. Having a screen door is a key element of this process, plus I LOVE that now I can open my front door and hear all the kids playing in the street in the afternoon. Such a simple joy... but I'm sure my poor Dad wouldn't be so fast to call it 'simple.' He wisely reminds me on a regular basis in all my wild ambitions..."there's no such thing as an easy project!" And when you are as meticulous and thoughtful of a craftsmen as he is, that's the absolute truth.

Anyways, THANKS DAD! I adore the door. And you. xo

And... I'm not the only one...

My kids LOVE having Grandpa around.

Playing in the back of his truck is a close second to Disneyland in the world of curious kids...


Yep. That would be a saw blade 2 inches from their feet. Good thing we have insurance.



Anyways- SUNSHINE is in the forecast for all this week. I may put a hit out on our local weatherman if he lied this time... (this message will self destruct....)

Have a great week, everyone!

xo

Honeymoon

Dawson is officially enrolled in Karate... more on that later, but its amazing.

Yesterday was his second class, and he begged to invite his friend (who Anabelle is particularly fond of) from across the street.

After the lesson, we were all piled in the car heading home in the rain, and I said some lovey comment to Tyson without realizing I had an audience. I can't even remember what exactly I said now, but Anabelle pipes up from wayyy in the back seat ...

"So, what... are you guys, like, going to go on a honeymoon now or something?..."

We couldn't resist a giggle and of course I dramatically leaned over and said

"OF COURSE WE ARE! Lets run away together, TYSON!" and planted a big fat smooch on him.

Dawson groaned in disgust as loud as he couldn manage from the backseat and said

"GUYS. PLEASE. You are EMBARRASSING Kaeden...!!!!!!! STOP IT."

Wow.

How are they already this old?!?

This could get fun.

xo

Hawaiian Haystacks

Alright, I'm obsessed with food. I know, you're all shocked.

Since I'll eat anything and am not particularly refined or choosy on the kind of food I want to devour at any given moment, I don't have that many recipes worth sharing that are out of the ordinary. But that darn Bethany Sobraske is always introducing me to more excellent things than I ever thought possible in life, so not surprisingly this fantastic recipe is hers. We had it last night- its an undeniable winner.

Hawaiian Haystacks

Saute in a pan 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts with a pinch of olive oil and garlic until cooked thru. (You can also use pre cooked leftover chicken, or rotisserie chicken).

When the breasts are cooked, add 1 can cream of chicken soup and 1/2 cup chicken broth to make a delish creamy gravy.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, steam up 3 cups rice of your choice. I used Jasmine, but brown rice or whatevs would work too.

Spoon cooked rice into bowl, add generous scoop of chicken gravy lovin to the top.

THEN COMES THE GOOD PART.

Top that deliciousness with:

Diced Celery
Shredded Cheese (Which I forgot to add, but didnt miss at all!)
Chow Mein Noodles
Cubed Pineapples
Mandarin Oranges
Red Bell Pepper (I used green- its what I had)
Shredded Coconut
Sliced Green Onions (Yep. Forgot to add those too... still delish without)
Sliced Almonds

Yah, I'm that freak that takes pictures of food masterpieces.
You're welcome.
:)

So there are kind of a lot of ingredients, but as I mentioned in my lovely recipe narration, if you don't have a few ingredients or leave a couple out, you still quite a masterpiece.

I was also pondering the fact that you could easily make this a vegetarian dish if you wanted to omit the chicken part and use cream of mushroom or some other variation instead.

Anyways. DO THIS RECIPE. You won't be sorry.

(Unless you eat too much of it, like I did. Burp.)

xo

Prayers

I had a really sweet conversation with my son tonight as I tucked him in.

Bedtimes have gotten pretty hectic around here as the kids get older. Its such a struggle to get everything fit in to the day, and the last 30 minutes feels almost as rushed as the first 30 minutes. Time is only going faster and faster every passing moment.

But tonight, the hands of Father Time were as tired as I was, or so it seemed...

I managed to master the race, and had both kids bathed, jammied, properly nourished, read to, and in bed by 7pm. I know. Insane time warp.

This gave me a moment to just lay in bed and talk to the suddenly not-so-little boy I happen to adore so much.

He shared about how he thought it would be so fun next year when Anabelle was in Kindergarten, that he could pick her up from class and ask her how her day was, and then they could come find us or another grown up they know to get a ride home together.

If you've ever heard my lovely son tell a tale, you know he has my gift with words (ie: he never shuts up, he will make a one word answer longer than a sleepless night with a sick baby). The way he carried on, and the enthusiasm in his voice was just so genuine, it was such a sweet thing.

It didn't take long for Miss Anabelle to realize she was missing the party as she lonesomely pinned away for mommy time abandoned in her bedroom down the hall. Not knowing if she was invited or not, she padded cautiously into the room, clinging to the ragged blankie that is the only thing left that reminds me she is the baby of my life.

She hopped in next to me, and Dawson sweetly goes "ANABELLE! Know what we were just talking about?..." And proceeds to tell her all about the adventures that next year will hold for her in the wondrous promised land called Kindergarten.

I let it go on for awhile before I finally realized their stall tactic was working, and shifted the conversation towards our bedtime prayers.

We've been praying for a lot of things at bedtime lately. Life has handed us a lot of recent opportunities to have meaningful yet sometimes difficult conversations about why people get sick and some get better and some don't (we miss our grandparents!), how you know if you are marrying the right person or not, what happens to the people after natural disasters occur, and whether we might be next on the list for tidal waves and earthquakes.

Tonight, Anabelle started her prayer "Dear God, thank you SO much that your hand is over us, that you are our Father who loves us so much... please help the people who got Tsunamied and earth-quaked. Help them to have people come and fix their homes, give them food, help them not to be sad... and please bring the dead ones back to life. Amen."

Dawson took the reigns from there, and also offered a fervent prayer about the Tsunami victims and the people who need help in the world.

Their prayers aren't always this meaningful, sometimes they are downright silly, but tonight they were both feeling it.

When Dawson finished his prayer we sat for a moment in the dark, and I just drank in their smells and their soft breathing, realizing this was a special moment and I have the best kids that ever lived and that the gift of childhood doesn't last near long enough (except for on the days when you're sure it will last forever and you are a miserable failure of a parent).

The silence hardly lasted long enough for me to finish this thought, however, because Dawson (also lost in his thoughts, evidently) screeches out of nowhere...

"ANABELLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHY WOULD YOU PRAY FOR PEOPLE TO COME BACK TO LIFE, ANYWAYS!?!!? YOU KNOW THAT CAN'T HAPPEN, and IF IT DOES, THEY ARE ZOMBIES, and THAT'S JUST GROSS AND SCARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I have never thought I'd be changing my kids sheets because I peed their beds, but for as hard as I was laughing, it was a close call.

I am thankful for this night.

xoxoxox

A Winning Bunch

So Dawson is really, really into 'running' since the Turkey Trot last Fall.

We got a flier back then for the Hares N Hounds race in March that benefits our local high school booster club.

Dawson never forgets anything. He has been begging to train for it ever since.

And... the crazy part is... he actually follows thru with it!

Anabelle humors him too... being the little sister that doesn't want to be left out and all... we've been doing some 'drills' in our living room...


And last week we even met up with our Hammies for a few laps around the park in some beautiful Spring Sunshine!


I figured they would poop out after a lap or two. They lasted a long time! A little friendly competition between the big kids (Kailee and Dawson) and the little sisters kept it alive for quite some time... Dawson kept shouting "Im the hare, youre the tortise!" over his shoulder. The grown ups had a good chuckle and Kari asked him if he was familiar with the story. Dawson goes... "YA! The hare is so fast he stops to take a nap... then he looses!" Haha. Alright. As long as he knows what hes putting his name on...


We sat on a blanket and watched as they took lap after lap around the dirt trail... they worked hard!


...OK, maybe some a little harder than others. But still! These kids meant it! And still had tons of energy left over to climb apple trees and wander around as far as we would allow.

On Saturday it was finally race day.

The kids were SO PUMPED, they even got numbers to wear this time.


I had some butterflies for them... it felt strange to be spectating!


We made them a sign, and Kari and I stood nervously at the finish line with several other friends and acquaintances from our little town and watched as tons of our little friends and neighbors took off as fast as their 4inch long legs would carry them.

...Kailee's legs are much longer. They are at least 6 inches long. ;)


I am SO impressed with this herd.

Kailee ran the mile in under 8 and a half minutes!

That is about what I run on a good day!

Dawson was just about a 10 minute mile

(which was about my average pace a year ago)...

I'm sure he would have taken the title for the whole entire race (haha) if the sweetest little boy God ever handmade hadn't stopped to PICK HIS MOMMY SOME FLOWERS to hand me at the finish line.

(Yep, I definitely cried).

Addie and Anabelle weren't far behind...

They stayed together, naturally. Addie even slowed her naturally athletic stride to encourage an older friend from the hood to keep it up after the girl got a side cramp. Such sportsmanship!

Tyson (father of the year, according to ME), showed up in his Greyhound orange and ran the race with the kids to get all these snazzy pics (and make sure no slow and undeserving kids passed 'em up! Haha).

At the finish line, they were handing out participant medals.

Addie and Anabelle were beyond perturbed to discover they had run out of them by the time they crossed. Look at their annoyed little sour faces! I don't blame them.

Addie had to run out her aggression... by running the half mile race that took place following the race she had just participated in.

That girl is hardcore! And I am delighted that my daughter has a bff that tough to have her back thru the perils of childhood. ;) They are a fantastic pair.

Rumor mill has it that they will be sending medals in the mail to those that didn't get them at the finish line. Hope its true... or Anabelle may develop an extreme hostility toward the United States Postal Service. Maybe I shouldn't put that in writing... ;)

All that to say... these kids are extraordinary.

I remember in Jr. High, when our PE teacher used to make us run the mile. It was scary, and hard, and I hated doing it ( I wasn't the only one!).

I think at this rate, these particular kids may just finish that assignment before the coach has time to blow the start whistle, and ask for extra credit for miles 2-5. I hope it makes them aware of the fact that our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made machines, built to meet goals and overcome challenges. This is a great way to push yourself mentally and physically, and build lasting relationships along the way. I am thrilled something that means a lot to me on a personal level has sparked an interest to them, and I hope they push themselves to the best they are capable of for as long as they can~

Oh, and maybe remember stop and pick some flowers every now and then... just in case they happen to find someone they love (me, ME!) waiting at the finish line.

These kids are winners.

xoxo