Mixed Up Musings from Auntie M

A Look at Christmas...

2012-01-09T15:21:00.001-08:00

So...as usual, I took waaaaaaaaay too many pictures at Christmas. And since I figured those who did actually look at my blog wouldn't want to scroll through a jillion pictures that might mean a lot to me, but little to them, I cleverly spent forever making them into a very simplistic video. Really simplistic. But I did add music, so be a little impressed, k?

If you are clever, you will notice the posting date on this says January 9th. That was the day I started to make the video and was going to add the music and then got distracted, so here we are 10 days later with me actually posting the video as I remembered to add the music and do so. Seeing as I've been snowed in for a week, you think I would have done so sooner. But it was only because I wanted to share some of my snow pictures that I ever realized that I had never actually put this posting up. Scatter-brain!

Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas

2011-12-24T13:00:00.000-08:00

Notice that baby Jesus has moved into a castle...no stinkin' stable for him!

Someone who is only 10 months old is saying, in addition to "Mama" and "Dadda/Dad": "What is That?" and "What is It?" and "Pretty!" (for all the Christmas decor) and "Horsie" (notice the rocking horse on the tree!). So smart!

Polar Express and Hot Chocolate

Ice Cream on a Cold Day? Why Not???

Fibromyalgia Friends Holiday Luncheon

(aka my Pain-in-the-Ass-Group...at least that's what I like to call it!)

The holiday lights on Whidbey Island as viewed from the ferry....

Hope Your Holidays Are Merry and Bright!!!

Good-bye to Flat-Noah

2011-12-01T12:11:00.000-08:00

Dear Real-Noah,

Well, your little friend, Flat-Noah, has packed up and left for your home today. He should be back with you in a just a few days. He had a lot of things to bring home, so he sent one big tube that has all sorts of things in it. But he didn't want to ride in the tube.

I think he is feeling the joy of the holidays, because he asked if he could ride home in a Christmas card, so that's what he did! I'll miss him, but I think Flat-Noah missed you and was ready to come home so he could tell you all about his adventures in real-life.

After he left, I made a discovery...someone had used my camera late last night to take these pictures! Flat-Noah must have been up all night trying to put the tree up! But he must have gotten to tired to decorate it, so I guess I will take over where he left off.

I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas!

Much love,
Mary (Auntie M)

Flat-Noah Prepares to Go Home

2011-12-01T06:30:00.000-08:00

Dear Real-Noah,
Well, it's time for me to pack up and head home! I can't believe how fast the time has gone by since I arrived here in Washington.

I don't know if you knew this, but Auntie M, the lady I've been staying with, is disabled and because some days she doesn't feel good or isn't able to walk well, we weren't able to do all the things she wanted to take me to do.

For instance, we never got to go to downtown Seattle.

We didn't get to go to the famous Pike Place Market, which has over 10 million visitors each year. Seattle's Pike Place Market is the top Seattle attraction for visitors to the city. But it is not just for tourists! It is also enjoyed by the local residents. The Pike Place Market is one of the oldest farmer's markets in the US, but it is much more than just a collection of fruit and vegetable stands. There are also fish stands (one where the fishmongers sing and throw fish!) and lots of little shops and restaurants. It is a window into the history and culture of Seattle. The market is what some have called "the soul of Seattle".

We also didn't get to go to the equally famous Space Needle. The Space Needle will be 50 years old in 2012. It looks a little like a large space ship hovering over the city of Seattle.

Construction crews broke ground on the Space Needle on April 17, 1961, just one year and four days before the opening of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, called “Century 21.” It was a remarkable feat to complete this one-of-a-kind, 605-foot tower in such a short amount of time. And there were plenty of challenges along the way.

It took 467 cement trucks an entire day to fill the foundation hole (30-feet deep and 120-feet across) — the largest continuous concrete pour ever attempted in the West. Innovative steel construction was required to raise the Space Needle, the tallest building west of the Mississippi River at the time (the Needle is fastened to its foundation with 72 bolts, each 30 feet in length.) And to top it all off, the Needle would feature one of the world’s first revolving restaurants. The successful completion of the Space Needle in record time, with no lives lost, was a source of immense pride to our community.

The Space Needle was built for just $4.5 million, and has had its share of milestones, including numerous weddings and a jump by six parachutists. During the World's Fair, nearly 20,000 people a day traveled to the top. The Space Needle hosted over 2.3 million visitors during the Fair and is still, over 40 years later, Seattle's number one tourist destination.

Some other things we didn't get to do was to drive up to the mountains so I could play in the snow. Auntie M and Gramma Cindy's house is surrounded by mountains!

This chain of mountains are called the Cascades.

One of the most famous mountain peaks that is part of the Cascades is Mount Rainier. At 14,410 feet, Mount Rainier is the most prominent peak in the Cascade Range. It dominates the landscape of a large part of western Washington State. The mountain stands nearly three miles higher than the lowlands to the west and one and one-half miles higher than the adjacent mountains. It is an active volcano that last erupted approximately 150 years ago. Mount Rainier has many glaciers on it. Carbon Glacier, on the north side of Mount Rainier, comes to the lowest elevation of any glacier in the lower 48 states at 3500 feet. It is also Mount Rainier's thickest glacier, one section being nearly 700 feet thick. A glacier is a large, persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow doesn’t melt for many years—often centuries.

The funny thing about Mt. Rainier is that sometimes it is so cloudy or foggy here that you can't see the mountain at all! In fact, people who live here will say that the "mountain is out" when it can actually be seen! Isn't that a funny thing to say? Because the mountain is always out even if it can't be seen!

We also didn't get to drive over to the Pacific coast (although I saw a lot of water around Puget Sound). Did you know that Washington is also famous for the Orca (or Killer) whales that are so often seen in the waters here (both at the coast and in the Sound). Lots of other animals travel through the Washington waters too: gray whales, Dall’s porpoise, harbor seals and California sea lions.

Actually, Washington State is full of things to do...here I am with the brochures of just a few of the attractions!

But don't you worry! I still had a lot of fun and Auntie M even has a whole bunch of things to send home with me: souveniers and brochures and coloring books and posters.

I'll be heading home with all my things soon! I really miss you and can't wait to get home and share all these things with you!

Love,
Flat-Noah

Flat-Noah Goes to the Future of Flight

2011-11-30T17:17:00.000-08:00

Dear Real-Noah,

Ok! Here it is! My favorite thing I've done so far in Washington. I think you would have had fun! Yesterday, we went to visit a museum called "The Future of Flight."

Oh boy!!! Can you guess what they have there?!?! Tons of airplanes!!!!!!! That's right! The Future of Flight Museum is located at Paine Field.

Paine Field is home to Boeing.

And guess what Boeing makes?!?! Airplanes!!!!!!!!!!!

The inside of a 747:

The outside of a 747:

Just driving down the street you can see lots of airplanes!

Don't tell, but Auntie M took some of those pictures while she was driving!

But we took these when we were going into the museum. You cannot believe how huge these planes are!

The people at the museum were pretty nice. They said Flat-People like me had been to visit before and they gave me some free posters to bring home to you! (Plus Auntie M bought a few things at the museum store for us too!)

At the Future of Flight museum you can take tours where they tell you all about what is happening now in aviation (that's airplanes and flying) and what might be happening in the future.

I saw some the plane engines they use and the are really big!

The museum also had some small aircraft hanging from the ceiling!

And you can see all this before you even start the tour!! During the tour, you can explore the interactive exhibits and displays in the 28,000-square-foot Aviation Center Gallery; then go behind the scenes for a 90-minute tour of the Boeing plant where you can watch 747s, 777s, or 787s being assembled right before your eyes.

The "workshops" are huge because the planes are huge.

At the museum, they ask the question, "What is the future of Flight?"

I think I can answer them: when I grow up, I want to be a pilot who flies planes...

...or maybe an engineer who designs them...

...or maybe a engineer who builds them!

Or maybe all three!!!

Who really knows what my future may hold?

Come fly away...come fly away with me!!!!!

Part of a 787

Waaaahooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!

Noah Visits Ivar's at Mukilteo Landing

2011-11-30T15:25:00.000-08:00

Dear Real-Noah,

Yesterday when we were in Mukilteo, Auntie M took me to visit Ivar's Restaurant. This place is neat because it has a little walk-up food bar outside, so when you are waiting for a ferry you can get some yummy clam chowder or hot chocolate (when it's cold) or ice cream and sodas (when it's hot). It also has a fancy restaurant next door with lots of big windows facing the water so you can eat and look at the water, the ferries, the sea birds, and even (sometimes) seals!

We visited the walk-up food bar in the morning and then later last night we went back to the restaurant for dinner!

I guess Ivar's is kind of famous up here. In fact, the guy who started these restaurants also started the very first Aquarium in Seattle way back in the 1920s or '30s! Here is a picture of him from 1940 walking around downtown Seattle with a baby carriage that had a sign wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. He was going to a big store to visit Santa. And guess what was in the baby carriage? Not a human baby but a baby seal!!!! What a funny guy!!

One of Ivar's favorite things to say was, "Keep Clam" instead of "Keep Calm." Silly!

Anyway, here I am with the girl who works at the walk-up food counter:

And here I am with some of their Christmas decorations, just kicking back:

As you can see, it's pretty casual at the walk-up counter...but inside the restaurant the decorations are both fancy, and fun:

Here's a picture of it from the outside:

After dinner, which was DELICIOUS, when we were leaving, Auntie M noticed these interesting dials by the hostess stand:

She asked what they were for and the hostess told us an interesting story. In October 2003 there was a really big wind storm. It was soooo windy that it made the waves outside the restaurant really huge. As big as the waves in Hawaii that people surf on! The winds were blowing 50-70 mph resulting in huge waves during a storm that lasted 6-9 hours

While the waves got worse and worse, people were eating their dinner just watching them, but the man who runs the restaurant got worried and decided that the waves were dangerous. He was right! Just as he got the very last customer and worker in the restaurant go leave everything and go out front of the restaurant away from the water, a huge wave came and broke through all the windows and flooded the restaurant! Whoa!!!

“People picked up their plates and their beers, went out the entrance, and they walked out onto the ferry dock, and they watched the waves destroy the restaurant,” he said, remembering that day.

Here's a picture of what the inside of the restaurant looked like a few days after the waves crashed through:

Not much was left! In fact, the waves were so strong that they swept away this really large carved fish statue that used to sit on a little dock outside the windows:

Two weeks later some people were walking along a beach in a different part of Washington and guess what they found? They found the fish statue!!!

Now they've fixed it up and it sits inside the restaurant instead of outside!

It took them a long time to fix the restaurant. When they did, a man named Chris Hopkins painted a huge painting to hang in the front lobby to remind people of the wind and wave storm:

Sure glad that didn't happen when were were there!!! Anyway, those dials Auntie M saw show the current weather conditions. And below them are etching of what the dials would have looked like during the storm. The hostess told us that if the dials ever match the pictures, it's time to stop eating and get out of there!

Pretty incredible story, huh? I bet if old Ivar had been there that day, he would have told everyone to Keep Clam!!

Love,

Flat-Noah

PS~I think that Auntie M is having a little more fun than I am learning about all this stuff. But just wait until I tell you about the really cool place she took me yesteday!

Flat-Noah Visits the Mukilteo Lighthouse

2011-11-30T13:55:00.000-08:00

Dear Real-Noah,

Yesterday when were were in Mukilteo to see the ferries and the totem pole I told you about, we also went to visit the Mukilteo Lightstation. Lightstation is another way of saying Lighthouse. And guess what? I also learned what the word "mukilteo" means! Native American Indians originally used the land in this area as a site for a camp during the winter months. In fact, Mukilteo is a local Indian word for "good place for camping."

We were a little disappointed to find that we couldn't go inside the lighthouse because it was closed, but we took pictures outside instead.

Here is some of the history of the Mukilteo Lightstation:

Sitting on a historic plot of land, flashing a white light once every five seconds, the Mukilteo Lighthouse guides ships on their way to Everett, Washington.

On May 31, 1792, during his exploration of the Puget Sound, Captain George Vancouver anchored his ship and came ashore at the point and named it Rose Point because of the wild pink roses, which covered the area. Later, Lt. Charles Wilkes of the 1838-42 U.S. Exploring Expedition changed the name to Elliot Point.

It was on January 22, 1855 that Washington Territory Governor Isaac Stevens met with 82 chieftains representing 22 local tribes at the site and ironed out the Treaty of Point Elliot. Through the treaty, the Indian wars ceased, the Tulalip Indian Reservation was established, and white settlement of the area began in earnest. A copy of the treaty can be seen today at the Mukilteo Lighthouse.

In 1901, the Lighthouse Board determined a lighthouse at the point would be beneficial not only to ships bound for "the harbor of Everett, Wash., but to vessels going up Possession Sound and Saratoga Passage and by way of Deception Pass to points north." Construction began in 1905.

Built on a 2.6-acre site, the 38-foot-tall lighthouse was equipped with a fourth-order Fresnel lens manufactured in Paris, France. The lighthouse's wood-frame construction is fairly unique as several similar lighthouses, such as Lime Kiln and Alki Point, were built of concrete or brick.

The station consisted of the combination tower and fog signal building, two keeper's homes, and a windmill over a well which supplied water for the town of Mukilteo. The windmill supported a 1,000 gallon tank for storing water, and housed a workshop, oil room and coal room. $27,000 was spent on the construction of the station.

The light was lit for the first time on March 1, 1906.

Mukilteo's lens and fog signal were automated in 1979, and in 1981, a remote fog sensor was installed. The sensor takes a reading based on light reflection and then, if necessary, sets off the signal.

Next to the station, a luxury condominium had been built and was home to a couple of Admirals. For some reason, the new fog sensor was activating the signal on sunny days and moonlit nights. After having their sleep interrupted on multiple clear, fogless nights, the Admirals became quite irritated. The Coast Guard was accordingly sent out to address the problem. After a month of investigation, they deduced that the sun or moon would reflect off the white seawall, built around the station to resist storm waves, and trick the sensor into turning on the signal. The seawall received a coat of black paint, and there hasn't been a problem since!

I found out later last night that it is a good thing there is lighthouse here because sometimes there are really big storms here. I'll tell you a little bit about one from 2003 when I write more to you later. As for last night...it was very peaceful here.

Love,
Flat-Noah

More Adventures in the PNW-Native Americans

2011-11-30T12:26:00.000-08:00

Dear Real-Noah,

Wow! Yesterday was such a busy day and I went to bed late and slept in this morning! It's really easy to sleep in here because it is often cloudy and there isn't any sunshine to wake you up!

So I thought I'd tell you some more about my latest adventures in the PNW...that stands for "Pacific North-West" which is where Washington State is. Did you know that Washington State super close to another country called Cananda? You can drive to Canada from here just like we can drive to Mexico from our home in California!

One thing that I learned since being up here is that Washington State has a lot of funny sounding names for their cities. Like Snohomish--it sounds like a sneeze! But most of those funny sounding names come from the names or words of local Native American Tribes. There are lots of Native American tribes up here.

The original inhabitants of the area that is now Washington included:
~The Cayuse tribe
~The Chehalis tribe
~The Chinook tribe
~The Colville and Okanagan tribes
~The Coeur d'Alene tribe
~The Cowlitz tribe
~The Kalispel and Spokane Salish tribes
~The Klallam tribe
~The Kwalhioqua tribe
~The Lummi and Samich tribes
The Makah tribe
~The Nez Perce tribe
~The Nooksack tribe
~The Quileute, Hoh and Chemakum tribes
~The Quinault tribe
~The Thompson Salish tribe
~The Umatilla tribe
~The Walla Walla and Palouse tribes
~The Wasco and Wishram tribes
~The Yakima tribe
~The Puget Sound Salish tribes including the Puyallup, Snohomish, Muckleshoot, Snoqualmie, Nisqually, Skagit, Suquamish, Squaxin, Swinomish, Stillaguamish, and Sauk-Suiattle tribes.

There are 29 federally recognized Indian tribes in Washington today. (You can visit these websites if you want to learn more: http://www.native-languages.org/washington.htm or http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/washington/ or http://content.lib.washington.edu/cmpweb/resources/map-tribes.html )

Some people in your class may have heard of the Twilight Series books and movies. The stories take place here in Washington in a town named Forks and the Native American tribe described in the books is real; Auntie M has been there. However I doubt that any of the Native Americans really turn into wolves!

Anyway, beacause there are so many Native American tribes here, you see a lot of Native American things, from art to totem poles. Sometimes even the sidewalks have pictures of Native American art stamped into them!

Yesterday, when we were in Mukilteo, Auntie M took me to see a real totem pole! It stands on a hill looking out over the water and the ferry station.

Totem poles are huge sculptures carved from large trees, mostly Western Red Cedar, by Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. The word totem is derived from the Ojibwe word odoodem, "his kinship group". Since they are made of cedar, which decays (rots) eventually in the rainforest environment of the Pacific Northwest Coast, very few examples of poles carved before 1900 exist.

The meanings of the designs on totem poles are as varied as the Native American cultures that make them. Totem poles may tell the stories of legends, families, or notable events. Some poles celebrate cultural beliefs, but others are mostly artistic presentations. Some are plain wood carvings and some are painted incredible colors.

Totem poles are to be respected just as a painting in a museum would be. However, unlike paintings in museums, you can get close to a totem pole and even touch it!

Here I am climbing on the totem pole in Mukilteo! (Because I am a paper-person, it was ok for me to climb on it.)

It was pretty cool. Maybe one day we can come back and you can see some of these totem poles for your self!

Miss you,
Flat-Noah

Flat-Noah Roams the PNW

2011-11-29T23:14:00.000-08:00

Dear Real-Noah,

Wow! I had such a busy day today! It's going to take me a while to write to you about all of it, so I'll just share a few things for now, because I'm really tired. It's been a long day!

Today, I finally got to go see those big boats I told you about before--the ferries. I had no idea a boat could be that big! It's so big that cars and trucks (even really big trucks like 18-wheelers) can drive onto the ferry and ride in them!!

We went to Mukilteo today--isn't that a funny name? Auntie M said it is Native American. Anyway, from Mukilteo, people can take a ferry across the waters of Puget Sound to Whidbey Island. Auntie M has family that lives there. I met them on Thanksgiving (part 2): Uncle James and Aunt Danielle and their baby Dante. They live on this island and make really pretty jewelry for people to buy. But to get to their house, you have to either drive your car onto the ferry or walk on to it. I guess it's like a bus that rides on water!

I was amazed at how big a ferry really is--I wish you could have been with us today and seen it for yourself!

The bottom 2 levels of the ferry hold the cars and trucks and the top level has places for people to sit.

This is the big ramp the cars drive across to get onto the ferry:

I felt really tiny when I was on the pier looking up at the ferry!

I'm not sure, but I think the man in the picture below is the captain of the ferry!!

Hi Noah!!!

This ferry is pulling away from the dock, ready to go to Whidbey Island:

Bye everyone! Have a safe trip!

Look at the water today: it matched the sky--grey!

Boo! Think I scared Auntie M when I jumped in front of the camera! Ha! Ha!

Can you see the cars on the deck of the ferry, below?

The cars look pretty small compared to the boat, huh?

This is what the inside of the ferry looks like. There chairs and tables and benches both inside and outside.

And they even have a some video games and a snack bar!

Phew! I'm pretty tired. Guess I'll go to bed and write to you some more tomorrow.

Love,

Flat-Noah

More from Flat-Noah: Thanksgiving

2011-11-27T21:34:00.000-08:00

Dear Real-Noah,

Sorry I haven't written you in a while...I've been a bit busy! Washington is a very interesting place! The weather has been so strange compared to where we live!

It rains a lot!!! And sometimes it gets really windy. But a couple of weeks ago, it snowed here! Well, not really here at Auntie M's house (she was pretty sad about that; so was I) but it did snow at her sister's house and Teagan got to go out and play in the snow with her new snowboard! I'll be honest, I was a little bit jealous!

Doesn't that look like fun?!?

Last week was Thanksgiving and the snow was all gone before we drove to Teagan's Gramma Sue and Papa Tom's to celebrate. Guess what?!?! Teagan's grandparents live on an island in a real log cabin!!! Can you believe it?!? It was pretty cool. We had to drive over a really long bridge to get across the water to the island and I thought that was pretty cool, but then when I saw that they lived in a log cabin, I was really excited! I didn't even care that it was raining--again!

Even though it was raining, it still looked pretty outside, with water all around. And sometimes the sun came out and everything was all shiny.

Can you see the rainbow in the picture above?

Teagan had lots of cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents there for Thanksgiving. They were all really nice to me. I even had some "Flat-Friends" to hang out with! Seven of Teagan's 10 boy cousins were there that day! But neither of her 2 girl cousins were there. She sure has a lot of cousins: 12 altogether!

There was so much food there! Tons of snacks before dinner. Here I am eating some chips and dip:

Grandma Sue and Papa Tom cooked a HUGE turkey for dinner! It was way bigger than I am!

This family is so funny. Even though they had a big family gathering on Thanksgiving day, they had a 2nd Thanksgiving dinner again 2 days later. I guess it was so people who didn't make it to the first one could still celebrate with family and friends. This time there were only 2 kids there besides me: Teagan and her baby cousin Dante.

Here we all are at dinner!

When everyone was done eating the kids climbed all over Teagan's daddy (I call him Uncle Mikey) and their Uncle Kent. Later they climbed all over Auntie M...like a jungle gym! I was afraid someone might rip me, since I am only made of paper, so I decided not join in!

Even though was lots fun, I missed being with you and our family. I'm glad I'm coming home for Christmas! Auntie M and the whole family up here are really nice, but I'm a little homesick and look forward to seeing you and all our friends at school soon!

Love,
Flat-Noah

See you real soon!!!

Happy Thanksgiving (Part 2)

2011-11-27T10:30:00.000-08:00

We're so thankful, we have to celebrate twice!

Mikey and Kent acted as the dinner table jungle-gym...

Teagan was a cowgirl most of the night...saying "Howdy Pardner" and "Ride 'em cowboy" and speaking with a drawl!

Later poor lil Dante was awakened from a much needed nap, had Gramma Cindy's latest knitting project plunked on his head, and was bundled up to go home, while Auntie M snapped bright camera flashes at him. Poor lil guy!!!

All in all, it was a nice mellow evening, with family cheer and great food (thanks Mom!!!).

In two weeks, it's our annual holiday open house, where we get to do it all over again but with even more people! Yay!

Auntie M's little love bugs!

Happy Thanksgiving (Part 1)

2011-11-25T19:45:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving, Teagan learned the song her mama used to sing:

He's big and fat and

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble

He spreads his wings and

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble

But when Thanksgiving Day is here,

It's our turn to

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble

Teagan sure loved Gramma Sue's stuffed turkey...

Both of them! ;-)

Her eyes got huge and her mouth dropped open when Papa Tom pulled Gramma Sue's roasted turkey out the oven.

(Can't believe I missed the "money" shot!)

We had a wonderful day with the Huffman clan on Camano Island. Great food and company...easy drive and even a beautiful rainbow breaking through the rain as the sun suddenly broke through the clouds. Seven little cousins running around shrieking with joy.

Lovely!

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble

Did I mention that Flat Noah joined us as well?

Rainbow...

Here are some more "candid" family shots from without the day...my only regret? That Van moved far too fast for me to ever capture him on film!!!

How cute are these two?!?!

The men even did the dishes!

(Under the watchful eye of Mama Sue!)

Hope your holiday was joyful too!

More From Flat-Noah

2011-11-14T10:06:00.000-08:00

Dear Real-Noah,

Remember how I told you that we were going to take a long drive to see the fall leaves? Well, we didn't go! I was kind of bummed about that, but Gramma Cindy was sick and because (and this is pretty cool!) it snowed where we were going to go!! Snow!!! Can you believe it?!?

These are part of the Cascade Mountains~you can see them from Auntie M's house!

So instead we just hung out at home for a couple days.

I like my new Flat-Friends.

And I also made friends with this big, fluffy, white cat named Marie. She likes to sit on my lap!!! It was pretty funny!!

Yesterday we went to a big park called Bothell Landing. A river runs through the park and there is a walking/biking trail that goes all the way to Seattle (40 miles!!). The river has a really funny name: Sammamish!!

The trees were really pretty: yellows and reds and orange colors!

And there was an arched bridge that goes over the river so you can walk on both sides of the water!

We stood on the bridge for a long time looking at the water, the trees, and the ducks while we drank hot drinks to keep us warm. It can get pretty cold here!

Look at some of the leaves from the trees~I couldn't believe there could be so many colors all on one leaf!!

All-in-all, it was a pretty nice day. Maybe someday you can visit Washington and see some of the same things I am seeing!

Miss you,
Flat-Noah

November 13, 2011

2011-11-13T18:50:00.000-08:00

Dearest baby boy,

Two years have passed since you left us...

While you are not here with us, we remember you on a daily basis.

You are never far from our thoughts.

You still are, and will always be, an important part of our lives.

A lovely woman in Australia has a special beach where

she writes in the sand the names of sweet little ones

who have left this earth too soon.

She took the most beautiful picture of your name in the sand at sunset.

The sky was so incredible.

It was as though the glory of heaven opened up and poured forth!

The colors are so royal and the ocean seems to be at peace.

She also gave us one of her special butterflies in your name.

Gramma and I have these pictures framed in our bedrooms,

alongside your cousins and your baby brother's pictures.

You see: you are never forgotten.

The summer before last, we planted a rose bush in your honor.

After a long cold winter, your rose bush was the only one that survived.

When we moved into our new home this past spring,

your rose bush came with us.

It still produces the most beautiful of roses:

each blossom unique, each a slightly different color.

Yellows, oranges, scarlets, pinks...

We save all of the petals and dry them.

Their scent is heavenly.

We save them for our now yearly memorial for you.

We go to the same park where we sought solace after your death.

We stand on the arched bridge in silence and scatter your petals into the water.

Last year the water was still and calm.

This year it was full of gentle ripples.

Last year, many of the trees had lost their leaves

by November 13th.

But this year most of the trees were still clad in wonderous colors!

Gramma and I stood side by side and took in the beauty of it all

while we thought of you.

We slowly let our rose petals fall from our hands...

...and drift away...

Despite people crossing the bridge, it was still a very peaceful time.

Later we noticed that some petals had fallen not into the water

but onto the bridge at our feet.

It reminded me of your Memorial two years ago...

when we were to blow out our candles and

say goodbye to you...

I didn't want to blow mine out.

Instead the wind blew it out for me.

Love you, sweet one.

~Auntie M

PS~The tree in the picture above stands at the park

where we go to scatter your rose petals.

It reminded me of a heart and seemed apropriate for the memorial card

I make each year for Gramma and me to store with our

other special keepsakes of you.

I was happy to see that it was still standing strong where I had

photographed it a year ago.

Last Year on This Day

2011-11-13T10:46:00.000-08:00

My thoughts on: November 13, 2010

Flat-Noah's Adventures in WA

2011-11-10T19:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I got a great letter in the mail from my friend Lidia in California. Enclosed was a little Flat-Noah (a colored copy of her real son) who has come to visit me for a few weeks to learn about the state of WA. Flat-Noah and I are going to have a grand time I think! If you want to learn more about this fun school project, you can visit www.flatstanley.com.

I thought that Flat-Noah might want to share some of his on my blog...here are exerpts from his journal for Noah.

This is a map of the whole United States.

The red state is Washington, where I am.

This is a map of Washington state with an arrow

showing where I am staying, near Seattle!

This is the Washington State Flag and Seal

November 9, 2011

Dear Real-Noah,

Well, here I am in the state of Washington!

After you and your mom put me in that envelope and sent me off to your mom’s friend, I took quite a trip!! I got to go in an airplane flying over 3 states (California, Oregon, and Washington) but I didn’t get to see any of them because my section of the plane didn’t have any windows. I think it was called the cargo hold.

Anyway, after I got off the plane in Washington, I took a mail-truck ride to your mommy’s friend’s house. And then I sat in the dark in her cold mailbox for a couple days before I was brought inside. She felt pretty bad about that!! She is so excited to have me visit and told me I can call her “Auntie M” because she doesn’t have any kids of her own but she is auntie to lots of kids.

Today we didn’t really do much—Auntie M tried to take a picture of me to send to you, but her camera batteries were dead and her cell phone camera was full and she couldn’t get it to delete any of the pictures!!! Oh well!!!

But she did tell me about some of the places I’d see here. I guess there are lots of mountains and islands in Washington. Some of the islands you can get to over really long bridges and some of the islands you have to take a big boat called a ferry to get to them!!! She said next week she would take me on one of those boats to visit a place called Whidbey Island! These boats are so big that cars can drive on them!!!

Anyway, I think I’ll have fun here but I miss you. I’ll try to write to you often so you can hear about my adventures.

Love,

Flat-Noah

My 1st day in WA!!! Auntie M findally got her phone camera to work!!!

November 10, 2011

Dear Real-Noah,

Today I went out to lunch with Auntie M and her mom (Grandma Cindy) and her sister (Tiffany) and her niece Teagan. I got to sit on Teagan’s lap on drive to the restaurant.

When we got to the restaurant, Auntie M had a surprise: she brought a flat-person for Teagan to color so I would have a friend while I was here! It was fun to play with Flat-Teagan while everyone else ate.

Here we are at the restaurant~Gramma Cindy made a Flat-Gramma too!

I heard Auntie M and Gramma Cindy say we were going for a long drive tomorrow to someplace called Skagit Valley to look at the fall leaves. Hope they’ll take lots of pictures!!

Love,

Flat-Noah

This is Auntie M and me in front of a really big Christmas ornament!

So there you have it in Flat-Noah's own words!

Luring the Family North

2011-11-02T16:44:00.000-07:00

We are slowly luring more and more family up to the Pacific Northwest...this time it is Danielle's lovely sister, Greta. She arrived Monday with their sister Brianna in tow. The next day she interviewed for (and got!) a great job and looked at (and rented) a cute little house on Tuesday. She moves in to her new place tomorrow and starts her job next week. She is very brave to move states like this, trusting that she'd find a job and home!!

Tuesday evening, Tiff, Mike, & Teagan and James, Dani, and Dante all came over to celebrate Greta's arrival and successess.

Dante is moving about like a little steam engine and Teagan is trying to figure out how to share attention with her littler cousin. They are adorable together! Such little loves!!!

Our Little Man is growing up so fast!!!

Run, Ezra, Run!!

Auntie Greta

Auntie Bri

The fam...

Our Little Lady...

Peek-a-Boo thru the Castle Drawbridge:

Looking forward to many more family gatherings

in the coming holiday months!!!!

Trick or Treat

2011-11-01T16:11:00.000-07:00

We had our annual Halloween Sleep-Over on Saturday...

this was Teagan's first year joining us.

All the kids showed up in costume.

They were so cute!!!

She-la-la looking roaring 20s hot on her way to a party...

Traditional Pizza Dinner

Let the Fun Times Begin!

Watching Montsters Inc the next morning...

Such fun, as always!!!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On Halloween, we got another visit from our adorable little bumblebee:

Simply Irresistable!!!!!

2011-10-28T11:46:00.000-07:00

Family Fun (Part II)

2011-10-01T22:52:00.000-07:00

So on Monday, the Main-Landers went out to the Island, while on Thursday, the Islanders came to us....and we all went to the...

....Pumpkin Patch!!!

The only bummer was that Mike couldn't join us that day...guess someone had to work to make up for the rest of us playing!

It was a beautiful day~in the 80s! (Which was nice 'cause the temps plummeted the next day and real autumn weather set in.)

Someone grew since last year!

2010

2011 ~ 3 feet tall!!!

And somebody started the yearly height-chart tradition for the 1st time....

2011 ~ 2 feet tall

Look Muncle James is the same height as Teagan!

Family Fun (Part I)

2011-10-01T20:58:00.000-07:00

We had a couple of fun family days this past week...my sis and her family as well as my mom and I went out to the Island on Monday to hang out with my brother and his family.

It was so cute to see Teagan being the "big" cousin versus the "little" cousin she usually is. She hadn't seen Dante since he really began crawling. I think it freaked her out a bit: he would happily charge towards her and she would jump into the lap or climb up the leg of the nearest adult. Yet at the same time, she wanted to play with him~she just wasn't sure how to go about it exactly.

Teagan gave Dante her former little scooter bike...one without pedals. To our surprise, Dante's feet touched the ground! And he seemed to know exactly what to do with it: he crawled right up to it and tried to get on! He loved it!

My brother made a kick-ass linner (that would be a lunch & dinner combo)! An egg strata with french bread, eggs, brie (!!!) and sausage (similar to this or this~but his own twist and therefore much better!). It rocked! And roasted vegetables (yum!)...and a salad...and then to top it off, an amazing homemade chocolate cake with a touch of lime! We were so spoilled!

(In case you didn't know: basically everyone one in this little gathering~except the kids~happens to be creative and talented chefs, in my humble opion.)

Then we just hung out and relaxed. Mike and James did mysterious things in the garage (we got to sample their endevours later~let's just say it was a spiriting occaision!)

Meanwhile Danielle whipped out a couple pairs of earrings and a necklace for my mom and sis and me...all suited to our personalities! In like 30 minutes flat~she's amazing!

And Dani played pinano (piano) with Teagan.

Dante crawled around afer Teagan and neither of them napped cuz they were too happy and excited...

And finally, after months of trying to get them to do this, Teag spontaneously asked to "hold" Baby Dante, so she sat on my lap and he sat on her lap and:

These aunties and gramma had a grand time...and auntie Dani got a special mommy-to-a-baby treat: a nice long uninterrupted nap!

Thank you DJD for a wondeful day!!! We had such a relaxing and fun time~it's always a little bit like going on vacation when we go out to Whidbey.

Big Boy Food

2011-09-25T12:29:00.000-07:00

So, Dante is eating big boy food now: rice cereal, meat, fruits, veggies and (according to his parents) he loves it!

After watching him eat peas last week, I'm not so sure!!

The hysterical thing is that despite the faces, he says "mmmm" or "ya-mmmmmm" the entire time he's eating! It cracked me up!

Love my lil boy!!!

Play Ball!

2011-09-25T12:07:00.000-07:00

Van and Kenyan came to visit on Friday...the chose to both play ball and run through the sprinkler at the same time!

Good Times!!!

Nature Boy

2011-09-25T00:53:00.000-07:00

Dante may be all boy...

...but he's got his sensitive side too!

He loves to go on nature walks~he is captivated by the big outdoors!

Loved spending time with him last week!!!! Hope he enjoyed it too...he is really studying me in the picture below: probably trying to decide if his Auntie M is as crazy as she appears to be! ;-)

World of Imagination

2011-09-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

I love watching Teag play...she has such an imagination and a long attention span, so she really creates worlds of imagination, whether it be playing with cars and trucks or mini-princess dolls, tea-parties, or just talking on the phone.

Yesterday, she chose a phone and:

"brrrrring....brrrring...

"Hello? Munkle James? Hi! How are you?!....I'm fine!!!...Just playing...yeah....

"How is Danielle? What she doin'? Oh?! Really?!....Hmmmm....

"And how is Baby Dante? (giggle) Ok! Well.....love you....bye!"

Gotta love it!

Later we had a very long tea-party~Teag, Gramma, and me~with tea and cake and ice cream! It had to last about an hour...after the tea-party, Teag decided it was nap time for all of us! Only true love gets an arthritic gramma and fibromyalgia auntie to lay down on the floor!

All by Herself

2011-09-19T13:09:00.000-07:00

So I guess it's no surprise that if Teag is wearing "big girl panties" and sleeping in a "big girl bed" that she should no longer need help getting into Gramma Cindy's great big bed. She figured out how to do it all by herself!

Being able to do this brings her a great amount of pride and joy!

And she is able to get down by herself to: simply hang on and slide on down the side!

I'm a Big Girl Now...

2011-09-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

Our lil TeaRose is growing up fast~In one week she went from diapers and a crib to being potty trained and sleeping in a big girl bed.

Kinda made me want to cry!!!

Happy Birthday to Me

2011-09-14T12:30:00.000-07:00

Right~so I turned 41 a couple weeks ago...

Last year, right before my birthday I totally thought I had a heart-attack. It scared the crap outta me and I had my mom drive me to the ER.

It instead turned out to have been a pill that got stuck in my esophagus...but it had all the symptoms of a heart-attck. After drinking this really nasty concoction that numbed my mouth, esophagus, and stomach I felt much better. And in the following days all sorts of precautionary follow-up tests were run, which revealed that I was graced with completely healthy heart and lungs~so not such a bad birthday health scare after all.

This year for my birthday, I got shingles. Oh goody. Not familiar with shingles? Well I'm here to tell you they are HELL!!!!

Here's a quick synopsis of shingles, garnered from various websites:

Shingles:(herpes zoster) is a painful, blistering skin rash due to the varicella-zoster virus, the virus that causes chickenpox.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

After you get chickenpox, the virus remains inactive (becomes dormant) in certain nerves in the body. Shingles occurs after the virus becomes active again in these nerves years later. The reason the virus suddenly become active again is not clear. Often only one attack occurs.

{Note this means anyone who has ever had chicken pox or been immunized for chicken pox can develop shingles later. That's like 100% of the population!!!}

Shingles may develop in any age group, but you are more likely to develop the condition if:
~You are older than 60
~You had chickenpox before age 1
~Your immune system is weakened by medications or disease {Hey, that's me!!}
~You have weak immune systems because of stress, injury, or other reasons.

If an adult or child has direct contact with the shingles rash on someone and has not had chickenpox as a child or a chickenpox vaccine, they can develop chickenpox, rather than shingles. {This means I potentially infected my nieces & nephews and all the little kids at my sister-in-law Jill's 2 year old's birthday party!}

Symptoms

The first symptom is usually one-sided pain, tingling, or burning. The pain and burning may be severe and is usually present before any rash appears.

Red patches on the skin, followed by small blisters, form in most people. The blisters break, forming small ulcers that begin to dry and form crusts. The crusts fall off in 2 to 3 weeks. Scarring is rare. The rash usually involves a narrow area from the spine around to the front of the belly area or chest. The rash may involve face, eyes, mouth, and ears. In rare cases, no rash appears.

Additional symptoms may include:
Abdominal pain
Chills
Difficulty moving some of the muscles in the face
Fever and chills
General ill-feeling
Headache
Hearing loss
Joint pain
Loss of eye motion
Swollen glands (lymph nodes)
Taste problems
Vision problems

Expectations (prognosis)
Herpes zoster usually clears in 2 to 3 weeks and rarely recurs. If the virus affects the nerves that control movement (the motor nerves), you may have temporary or permanent weakness or paralysis.

Sometimes, the pain in the area where the shingles occurred may last from months to years. {Ah crap!!! Are they serious?!?}

How is shingles treated?

There is no cure for shingles, but treatment may help you get well sooner and prevent other problems. Call your doctor as soon as you think you may have shingles. The sooner you start treatment, the better it works.

Treatment may include:

~Antiviral medicines to help you get well sooner and feel less pain.
~ In addition to antiviral medications, pain medications may be needed for symptom control. Both nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications and narcotic pain-control medications may be used for pain management in shingles
~Medicines to help long-term pain. These include antidepressants, pain medicines, and skin creams.

By the way, anyone who has had shingles may develop Postherpetic Neuralgia.

What Is Postherpetic Neuralgia?

Neuralgia is nerve pain that occurs when a nerve is irritated or inflamed. The pain spreads along neural pathways, may be brief or chronic, and can range from mild to outright unbearable.

A relatively common type of neuralgia is postherpetic neuralgia, which strikes after the infection known as shingles (herpes zoster). Typically, people with this form of neuralgia experience a continuous burning sensation. Pain may be very severe and long lasting. Any pain that persists for more than a month after resolution of the herpes zoster rash is called postherpetic neuralgia.

So, being me, I of course can't even get a fairly common illness in a normal way...I had nearly all the symptoms listed above but I never got the rash!!!! Makes the illness a little harder to diagnos...especially in someone who already has nerve damage!!! But the doctor finally determined that it was indeed shingles and I concur as aside from getting the rash, my body pretty much did as expected.

On the bright side, not getting the rash means that I was never contagious {phew!}, so I no longer had to stress about having potentially infected a bunch of kids with chicken pox.

On the not-so-bright side: The pain was horrendous!! Pretty damn close to being unbearalbe. And this is coming from someone pretty familiar with severe nerve pain!

I couldn't bear to wear anything except silk, fleece, or very soft cotton...and frankly nothing was better than anything. I couldn't bear to move....I could barely bear to breathe! I slept as much as possible because then I didn't notice the pain as much. It was so bad one night that I almost had my mom take me to the ER for a morphine drip!!! I lived on vicodin (in addition to my normal allotment on meds) and took these horse-pill-sized antiviral meds.

But now it has been about 3 weeks and the pain is fading, though I am still exhausted. I can move more easily. I can wear clothes (though I admit to still being afraid of wearing a bra!).

My only fear is that, since I am so abnormal, I'll get shingles again. After all, I had chicken pox twice as a child; why shouldn't I get shingles again.

But I am not going to stress over that, 'cause, as I noted above, stress can trigure shingles outbreaks!

Instead I'm going to focus on happy things...think happy thoughts...I can do it!

Prettty Things Galore

2011-09-09T12:48:00.000-07:00

Check out my brother and sister-in-law's newest jewelry store...you will pant with desire over their beautiful creations!!!

If you hurry and visit before end of day Saturday, Sept 10th, you can still participate in their Grand Opening Sale!!!

Walking Alongside Those in Grief

2011-09-08T13:52:00.000-07:00

While I truly doubt anyone really reads my blog, sometimes I am so moved by someone or something or a writing of some sort, I feel I must share it...and so I share it here: whether anyone reads it or not!!

In the past few years, many wonderful women and families have crossed through my life~mostly via the internet, through blogs and facebook, though some "in real life" too. I have met (especially) women of such strength and courage and depth that I hadn't known before. I am not saying there aren't men out there too who are strong like this, it is just that women tend to express it more publicly than do their counterparts.

Sadly, these women/families have lost something so precious that the fact that they can even breathe impresses me: they have lost a child.

In their losses, they have each in their own way struggled with grief darker than the darkest night, shock, anger, rage, sorrow, despair, healing, love, and hope. They have struggled in private on their own, and in public (via blogs, etc) reaching out for help and offering help and hope to others struggling through a similar journey. And this is a journey that doesn't end: yes, life goes on, healing occurs, etc...but never is the hole left by a child who should be there filled. That child is always loved, always missed, and the loss will always pierce a parent's heart.

I can honestly say, I don't know if I could survive such a journey. I am (selfishly) grateful I haven't had to. The little glimpse I did have of this journey when my nephew died in 2009, let me realize how very weak I am. I glimpsed their sorrow through a window but can never understand it fully. I am not a mother.

All I can do is cloak myself in as much comfort and understanding as possible and choose to walk alongside them on this journey of grief.

I look at people like Kristine, who lost her daughter in Dec 2009, but has gone on to change the post-birth care for new-borns in such an incredible way, as State after State, pass Pulse Oxometry bills. With the simple, harmless, inexpensive Pulse Ox test conducted within 24 hours of birth, hundreds, if not thousands of undetected congenital heart defects will be discovered and lives saved. Kristine helped to do this through her grief over her sweet Cora. I can't imagine the courage this takes.

In the past couple days, another such woman opened herself up once again, to share her struggles after the loss of her son. Opened herself up, despite vicious attacks that came upon herself and her family in the midst of her son's death. Her courage, too, staggers me.

And what she wrote in the past couple days has refreshed my soul. It has bolstered me. It has given me hope.

I think because she put into words what I could not, though I tried. Jill has mentioned that she has struggled to write the posts of yesterday and today...but I have to say she put into words what I think I failed to do.

Her posts are soul-searching and she has been trimphant in her sorrow. I urge you to go read her incredible words.

She has been broken but not crushed. It is amazing to see. She has struggled with finding/acknowledging/choosing God, having been a Christian prior to her son's death....the questions of where was He?...how could He?...why didn't He?

I am overwhelmed with Jill's wisdom and grace. And to Jill, I respond:

Thank you for being so honest...what you shared yesterday and today is something that needs to be heard by so many. I understand your feelings about that verse in Jerimiah. And the confusion of how such horror can happen even when God is close by. The questions of how some are healed while others are not...

The anger that comes, directed at God~he can handle. The feeling of abandonment~he understands though he is near. The confusion...the torment...the suffering...the grief...he feels along with us. Of course then, comes the question of wishing that rather than being alongside us in this place, why hadn't he rescued us from it instead?

I am impressed that you were able to put into words this choice you've made...I had a hard time doing so. It's just that I knew if I turned away from God, it would be even worse. If I tried to make it on my own and comfort myself, I would fail and the darkness would be worse. Years ago I the verses from Isaiah 50 (10-11) suddenly seared themselves in my heart and broke through the darkness I was in at the time when I realized I was trying to light my darkness without God. Around that same time, I realized that though I had clung to Psalm 23, verse 4, it hadn't dawned on me that for there to be a shadow, somewhere there must be light...I only needed to find the true Source.

The time following my nephew's death, the darkness was deeper...and then somehow, those words broke through. And I knew I couldn't not believe in God...couldn't not trust him.

It's such a relief, really, isn't it, when you come to that place? Even if those around you aren't there yet...or you can't quite put it into words... There is a peace the floods in~not necessarily replacing the grief, sorrow, exhaustion...but joining it.

Many Christians that have not known this struggle or these depths of grief may have an easier time with their faith, with trusting God; they may (unconsiously) judge those in the midst of this battle rather than quietly supporting them through the darkness of it all. But then, perhaps, too they miss out on the soul-searing/shattering depths that is only known by those who have walked through the fires in the dark of night with God.

It is these women, these mamas with empty arms and grieving hearts and questions that have no answers, who continue to live on, who are to me true Women of Valour. They should be honoured and prayed for and supported. It is my honour to walk alongside them in their journey in whatever way I can.

~Mary

PS~If you made it this far, please note that I believe in walking alongside my friends through their journeys of grief be they Christian, agnostic, Jewish, athiest, Muslim, or anything in between. It is my faith that boosts my compassion and understanding~not theirs!

Auntie M Loves You!

2011-09-03T22:13:00.000-07:00

Just try keeping up with these two!!!

They are both on the move non-stop!!!

...Especially now that Dante is crawling (and trying to walk!).

mwah!!! I love you!!!!

Love seeing TeaRose with the camera!!!

A girl after her Auntie's heart!

Look Out World: He's on the Move!!!

2011-08-21T22:52:00.000-07:00

Dante has moves!!! And they are gettin' quicker!!! Pretty soon, he's going to be running full steam ahead, as I think he is like his daddy, and crawling just isn't quick enough! He is incredibly strong too! He is pulling himself up on all sorts of things (bassinets, people, couches, etc), jumps up and down while he is held until you feel as though your arms might fall off (though his arms and legs are still full of energy) and holds on tight while daddy lifts him off the floor while Dante holds on to James' thumbs with his own strong little hands(check out the video below)!

And through it all, there is is that wonderful, beautiful smile of his...and his laughter can melt your heart!

And now we will pause briefly for our Public Saftey Announcement, courtesy of Gramma Cindy:

Never let children under 3-4 years of age play with rubber balloons!...

You know, do as we say, not as we do!

And, now, back to the little man in action:

The Big Four-Oh

2011-08-21T21:43:00.000-07:00

Um...I turned 40 last August and didn't get a necklace like this for my birthday!...Just sayin'!

Happy birthday, Tomo!

Dear Teagan

2011-08-18T23:55:00.000-07:00

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

2011-08-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

Ava and Lori left WA for home today...a sad day for us, but Seattle didn't match the mood: it was utterly beautiful as we made a quick detour into the city on our way to the airport. The sun was shining, the water was sparkling, and the air was warm. It was a delightful last afternoon to Ava's summer trip!

You can see the Cascades in the distance~still with snow on their tops.

We had lunch at one of my favorite Seattle Restaurants: The Pink Door

Look at that clear blue sky!!!

Even Mt Rainer obliged us by being "out" today

(not that the Mtn isn't always there, but it

is often shrouded in clouds and not visible...

a Washingtonian saying is that the "mountain is out"

when it is actually visible!

We'll miss you, Miss Ava, and can't wait til your next visit!!!!

Lip-Smackin' Good

2011-08-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

Everyone say, "Frosting!"

Celebrating 12 Years of Joy

2011-08-14T23:56:00.000-07:00

We were blessed this year to have Ava actually with us on her birthday day. In addition to lunch out when her Mimi arrived, we also had a little family get together a couple days later.

Mom and I were so happy to be able to host it~making the most of our new backyard...the kids played outside, we all ate dinner out there, and later that evening Van showed off his baseball skills going one-on-one against his dad!

Mimi Lori got to Dante for the first time.

Later, Dante was able to crawl around in the grass for the first time. He has really started getting around~and quickly at that!

Ava spent some quality time with each of her cousins since she was leaving to go home to CA in just a couple days...

Balloons!!!

Dante kept trying to catch a balloon and they kept bouncing away~much to his chagrin!

Mom made carnitas for dinner~our house smelled incredible for 2 days as she slow cooked the pork!

Gifts

We gave Ava funky socks and a couple packs of gum for her gift~she was cute 'cuz she was excited about them...but more so when we told her to check the insidesof the socks, where she discovered a necklace, bracelet, earrings, and a ring. But it was cute that she would have been happy with socks and gum!

Tiff, Mike, and Teagan gave her two of her favorite things: clothes and a gift card!! What girl doesn't like that?!

Tom, Shelah, and Van special ordered her clothing and other items from the local baseball team, the Aquasox: she went to a game with them and later declared the Aquasox to be in her top 5 favorite teams list!

Are we sensing a them here? Money, clothes, and jewelry!

But the best part was the card that Van made to go with the gift: Shelah said he labored over it for hours and he was so proud of it! He was almost jumping out of his skin with excitement when she got to their gift!

How cute was Van? And Teagan's reaction was so cute!

While we were doing gifts, Teagan went inside by herself~we later learned what she was doing. I had told her we would do cupcakes after dinner and after gifts. The gifts being nearly done, she took it upon herself to go inside to fetch the cupcakes, which were (fortunately) still in a container. Of course, being shorter than the counter the cupcakes were stacked on, did make her task difficult...she was doing ok til she got caught and got flustered and dropped everything!

No worries! The cupcakes survived and candles were lit, song sung, wishes made, and flames blown out:

Yummy Fun!!!

Ava, my love, you have grown into a lovely young woman and I am so very blessed to know you and have you in my life.

I love you!

~Auntie M

Happy, Happy Birthday Baby...

2011-08-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

Happy 12th Birthday to Miss Ava Celeste! We love you!

Ava's Mimi Lori arrived just in time for your birthday today! After picking her up at the airport, we headed out to Kafe Neo for lunch...yea for Greek food!! Ava enjoyed her first taste of gyro meat and tzatziki sauce....

And Kafe Neo's wondeful mini desserts! Double chocolate fudge cake with whipped cream!

Yesterday we did a pre-birthday luncheon at Olive Garden...she had never been there before and had been asking to go all summer. :-)

Ava announced that this was the first time she'd had a breadstick! Too funny. Of course, lunch was followed by a mini dessert...strawberry cheesecake for Ava....

...Lemoncello mousse cake for Gramma Cindy and Auntie M:

Sunday we are doing a little family get-together to celebrate summer and Ava's birthday with James & Danielle & Dante, Tiff & Mike and Teagan, and Tomo & Shelah & Van.

Tueday Ava and her Mimi wing their way home to CA. While we will all miss her, Teagan is going to be devistated when Ava is gone. And how do you explain to a two-and-a-half year old that the friend she idolizes won't be back till next summer??? She adores Ava and loves being with her. :-)

I Miss Dante

2011-08-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

I miss Dante!!!! It's been too long since we've seen him!!! Now he is fully crawling and pulling himself up on things. As you can see here or here or here. Is he adorable or what?!?!

Adorable!!!!!!!

Can't wait till Sunday...It's Ava's birthday party and Team DJD will be in attendance!!! Yay!!!!!!! As will Teams TMT... And TSV.

In other words, Dante, Teagan, and Van will be here, along with their parents. And Lori!!!! (Ava's Mimi from CA.) Can't wait !!!

In the meantime, I have to content myself with reading about Dante on his mommy's blog... Dang, he's cute!!!

(Thanks, Danielle, for letting me steal pix and videos from your blog!)

Wild West

2011-08-09T17:36:00.000-07:00

We visited the Wild Wild West again today...when this cowboy and (formal) cowgirl weren't wrangling horses, they were wrestling against one another. These 2 are tough! They were throwing each other all over the living room~I'd be dying of the pain!

These 2 were more sedate: sitting and watching all the action!

Things were a bit more sedate yesteday...unless you counted the wild hairstyles Ava gave Gramma. (Av was going for the redneck look, I believe.)

Crazy Ava, hair-stylist extrodinaire, even had her own receptionist:

We introduced Teagan to the Disney Beauty and the Beast...she liked it but she really tuned in to sections I thought she'd ignore versus the scenes I thought she'd really like (eg the song Be Our Guest). The little princesses came out to play~and Teagan realized that the teapot and cup was actually Mrs Potts and Chip and was amazed. So cute.

Again, I am always impressed with Ava's patience and creativity with her younger cousins. I love her even more for it!!!

Patterpillers

2011-08-08T21:04:00.000-07:00

Museum Review

2011-08-08T20:32:00.000-07:00

So last Thursday, it being the 1st Thursday of the month and therefore admittance was free, we took Ava to the Burke Museum located on the U-Dubb campus.

Their website made it seem rather large...and cool. It even mentioned a ethnobiotanical garden. We thought this sounded really cool. I had visions of the Huntington Library.

The Burke is NOT the Huntington!!!!!!!! Frankly it was one of the most boring museums I've ever been too. And it was too hot. And it was super small. And the garden???? Basically ethnobiotanical means plants natural to the area: so it was a small patch of weed-like plants that lined the sidewalk leading up to the museum...you know: blackberry brambles, ferns, etc. So, unless we missed the rest of the garden somewhere, the garden blew. Unless somehow we missed the real garden.

The displays that they did have were well done~especially their display on Celebrations of the People of the Pacific Rim. They had some interesting histories and beautiful carved pieces from learn about seventeen different Pacific Rim cultures and how they adapt and remain vibrant in a changing modern world. They have exhibits about the revival of a dying language, hearing the teachings of tribal elders, and has variety of interesting artifacts from Washington State and around the Pacific Rim.

Our favorites were from New Zealand: We didn't know whether to be awed or scared!

They even had masks we could try on....

So I guess it wasn't so bad after all!

Sunlight & Roses

2011-07-31T15:05:00.000-07:00

2011-07-30T20:20:00.000-07:00

Turns out Ava has been holding back on us, not revealing a wonderful talent until the other night.

She makes the most amazing and delicious omlettes!!!!

We put her talent to good use Saturday morning when she made omlettes for our full house: Teagan, Auntie M, Gramma, Gramma's friend Missy, and (of course) herself!

I could eat her omlettes any time, any day!!!

Beautiful Evening at the Park

2011-07-30T13:33:00.000-07:00

What a glorious evening!

Gotta love the view from our community park...the valley with the Cascades in the background. Lovely.

Local Entertainment

2011-07-26T20:42:00.000-07:00

How to keep an (almost) 6 month old...and (almost) 65 year old entertained?

Bring in Ava Celeste, the music video producer and choreographer!

This went on for more than an hour. Dante was fascinated (and, I think, slightly confused!). I had a hard time not laughing hysterically the entire time!

Country Village

2011-07-25T17:16:00.000-07:00

Last summer, Ava discovered The Country Village, a collection of shops in a country setting, complete with random chickens and ducks roaming about and a stream and pond. And lovely flower beds. I got some wonderful pictures of Ava there last year.

Ava's favorite thing about the Village was that several stores carried American Girl Doll clothing and accessories. Sadly when we returned today, those stores had gone out business.

And though I forgot my camera, I still got a few pretty shots with my phone. (What did we do before cell phone cameras?!?)

Noodle Nose

2011-07-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

So...yesterday, at lunch, Teagan announced loudly, "Watch this!"

She then grabbed a a noodle from her plate of macaroni and cheese and.....

....wait for it....

                     .........

                             .........

                                        ....shoved it right up her cute little nose!

She then got this look on her face that looked like, "Oh crap! What did I just do?"

Ava, Gramma and I burst out laughing! Hysterically...til we realized that the noodle was truly stuck up there!

Her little eyes began watering and she tried to get it out, but her little finger just shoved it further up her tiny little nostril.

We couldn't get her to blow it out despite trying. So off to the pharmacy went Auntie M in search of something to suck the noodle out of her nose.

I returned with an infant's ear syringe and 2 kaleidescopes. Teagan adores Ava and will do most anything she asks so I figured if Ava lay on her back looking through a kaleidiscope, Teagan would too. And then I could suck the noodle out without her fussing too much.

As it turns out, Teag was so desperate to get the noodle out of the her nose, that she didn't care about having the syringe bulb being put in her nose. She actually seemed to welcome it! I sucked as much noodle out as I could, as she cuddled on Gramma's lap, and Ava cheered her on. We thought we got it all out.

Teagan's eyes stopped watering and she bounced down from Gramma's lap and returned to her usual bouncy self. Victory!
(Or so we thought...)

She and Ava went on to have a fun-filled afternoon.

Our house once again became a bustling cafe~

Teagan had so much fun, that she cried when her mama came to take her home...and out came more noodle! For such tiny nose, she really had it jam-packed!

This morning I heard from my sister...last night in the bathtub, even more noodle came out of Teagan's nose! We believe she is finally noodle free!

Cowboys and Cafes

2011-07-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

...and that great American pasttime of baseball.