Maxdon

End of Soccer 2010

2010-10-30T23:28:00.000-07:00

The soccer season finally wrapped up! I'd call it successful all around.

Of course, I'll remember the joy on Sarah's face as she raced down the field and how proud I felt when she scored a goal and blah, blah, blah. But, I'll always also remember a little girl from an opposing team.

The little girl was adorable. She wore bright yellow soccer shoes and a sweatband on her forehead. But it was her attitude that left an impression.

After apparently feeling slighted by one of Sarah's teammates, she unleashed on him. And what she said next will never be forgotten in the Fife household, never: "You better not push me again! I will pound you! And the revenge will come!"

Yeah, that little girl will go far in life. Or the revenge will come!

Here's Sarah's official team photo:

Can't wait until next year!

Pumpkin Patch with The Daisies

2010-10-27T22:39:00.000-07:00

Sarah's Daisy troop had a field trip to a local pumpkin patch. What can I say, it was cold and the girls had fun. Here look at the pictures. They should say the same thing.

Trail Running - Good, Bad, Ugly

2010-10-27T17:28:00.000-07:00

The Good: It makes me smile!

The Bad: Filthy, filthy feet and legs.

The Ugly: Well, sometimes there are spills...

First Ski of the Season

2010-10-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday I made good on my word, packed up my x-country skis and headed for higher ground.

Honestly, I didn't think the trails would be skiable, but I threw the skis in my car anyway. Just in case.

And boy was I glad that I did. This is what I found at Meissner:

Perfectly skiable snow!

So, Lola and I got to work.

We skied a few miles and by the time we headed back to the car the flurries had diminished and the sun started to peak through the trees. A fantastic way to start the ski season!

Oh, but this wacky weather didn't completely go away. This was the scene at our house this morning - icy roads, sagging tree limbs and a couple of inches of snow. So pretty!

Wait. Did I just say "so pretty" in reference to snow? And did I just have a positive experience in early season snow?

Hmmm... Maybe I'm getting used to these long, long winters.

First Snow, Just a Dusting...

2010-10-25T07:16:00.000-07:00

A very rainy day yesterday turned into snow flurries this morning. Hello, lovely snow.

Pack up the x-country skis and head to higher ground?

I'm thinking, yes!

Award Winner!

2010-10-22T17:16:00.000-07:00

Sarah started out the school year with another Character Trait Award. This time it was for self-control. And as it so happens, one of her very best friends was also recognized for exceptional self-control. Now I know why play dates with these two go so smoothly. Aren't they sweet, posing so nicely?

Wait! Where is that superior self-control? Oh well, I guess they have to let loose sometimes...

But why is it always with me?

Food Notes

2010-10-21T08:53:00.000-07:00

Just found a note that Sarah wrote sometime this summer. It's a menu for the week. When she wrote it, she let us each pick a dinner for a different night of the week. She had been complaining that she never got to choose what we had for dinner and wanted to take a little control but still be fair.

So the menu was a collaboration between all of us, and it confirms that Sarah's food choices are not normal for a kid. I mean, collard greens? Seriously? How many kids are asking for that on their dream menu?

1) Potatoes on Wednesday (Sarah's choice)
2) Tacos on Thursday (Dad's choice)
3) Collard greens and rice on Friday (Sarah's choice)
4) Tri-tip on Saturday (Dad's choice)
5) Baked chicken on Sunday (Mom's choice)
6) Avocado and rice on Monday (Sarah's choice)
7) Chicken noodle soup on Tuesday (Mom's choice)

And a conversation from last week:
Mom, what's for dinner?
Salmon, roasted beets and green beans.
Yeah!

A quote from this week:
Oh, these brussel sprouts are soooo good!

A quote from last night:
I don't really like hot dogs.

A quote from this morning:
Can I have edamame and pomegranate in my lunch?

So, my kid is a bit odd. But I'm not complaining...

South Sister

2010-10-14T08:44:00.000-07:00

Finally got around to checking an activity off of my to-do list.

No, not shampooing the carpet. That is still left unchecked.

And might remain that way forever..

What I did is I finally summited the third highest peak in Oregon, a once active volcano known as South Sister.

I did this with two other women, two other POWERFUL women.

We took the "screw the view" approach and attacked the very steep climb at full speed. This allowed us to reach the summit in about 3 hours - a nearly 5,000 foot climb covered in almost 6 miles.

The majority of the climb did not feel as bad as I and my knees had feared - all except for the last red lava field to the top which is grueling. It's about a mile in loose cinder with a 1,500 foot gain in elevation and thinning oxygen. Ouch!

But the views were worth the effort. Middle Sister and North Sister are pictured here:

For the descent, we didn't slow down a bit. In fact, we sped up with a few spurts of jogging. Remember what I said about those two power chicks. I wasn't kidding.

All in all, the entire climb took us a total of about 5 hours and 20 minutes, an exhilarating 5 hours and 20 minutes! The guide books all told us to allow about 7 hours total.

Who cares that I could barely walk the following week and had to stifle little screams when I descended the smallest of stairs? It was a fantastic adventure, one that I'd even embrace again!

Gators - 2010

2010-10-05T10:24:00.000-07:00

Wow! I haven't visited this place in a long time. Truthfully, I had a moment of panic this morning when I wondered if this blog was gone, deleted due to my lack of activity.

To my relief it was still here, memories preserved.

So... I don't even know where to begin. A lot has happened since I last updated WAY back in March.

I guess I'll just start with the activity that has been eating up two of our afternoons during the week and every Saturday of the past month - SOCCER!

Way back in the spring, I told Sarah that I was signing her up for fall soccer. She was not pleased with this announcement, at all. She was very much against participating in any team sport. But, I thought it would be good for her and ignored her protests.

And I'm glad that I did.

Her team is called the Gators. And she is LOVING it!

She and Mike practice footwork and "tricks" at home. And it is fantastic to see my reserved girl really go for it on the field.

I seriously think this has had a major positive impact on her confidence.

And there's nothing better than watching a bunch of first-graders smiling on the field.

Go little Gator, Go!

Tooth #1 Down

2010-03-31T07:53:00.000-07:00

Sarah has lost her first tooth! Yippee!!! Hooray!!! And all sorts of other stuff!!!

The event was a bit more exciting than I anticipated. Sarah was burning off the last embers of energy before bedtime by dancing like a maniac to Taylor Swift (note: I'll address this Taylor Swift problem at a later date) when she accidentally bit down on her loose tooth. This caused the tooth to hang from her gums by a thread and streams of blood to flow down her chin. Poor Sarah was a little stunned. After a few swishes of warm water, the tooth came completely out and the blood stopped flowing.

That little tooth then went into a silver box with the words "Tooth In Here" written on it.

Sarah placed the box under her pillow for the Tooth Fairy and barely slept most of the night. She was just too excited!

The Tooth Fairy did not disappoint. She delivered two one dollar bills covered in glitter. Who knew a little tooth could bring so much excitement into our lives?

Ask Your Kid 2010 - Part 2

2010-03-28T16:00:00.000-07:00

Just like last year, I modified the interview with Sarah from Part 1 to focus on her dad.

Here's what she had to say last year: 2009.

This year, she paints him as a talkative, gun obsessed, spotted freak who just can't stop chit-chatting. See for yourself.

1. What is something dad always says to you?
Let's see how heavy you are.
2. What makes dad happy?
Me. And also talking about guns and parachutes and chit-chatting. Right?
3. What makes dad sad?
Being alone.
4. How does your dad make you laugh?
He can't.
5. What was your dad like as a child?
Me.
6. How old is your dad?
39.
7. How tall is your dad?
Big.
8. What is his favorite thing to do?
Talk, chit-chat, talk about parachutes, talk about guns, go shooting, go hang gliding, mountain biking. That's it. Move on.
9. What does your dad do when you're not here?
Work. Play on the computer.
10. If your dad becomes famous, what will it be for?
His converters.
11. What is your dad really good at?
Making his converters.
12. What is your dad not very good at?
Nothing!
13. What does your dad do for a job?
Builds converters.
14. What is your dad's favorite food?
That's a hard one. Everything!
15. What makes you proud of your dad?
His converters. There's a lot of converters in there.
16. If your dad were a cartoon character, who would he be?
He could be anything.
17. What do you and your dad do together?
About anything.
18. How are you and your dad the same?
Hair, eyes, nose, ears, skin. That's it!
19. How are you and your dad different?
He has spots all over him. (giggles...)
20. How do you know your dad loves you?
He kisses me a lot.
21. What does your dad like most about your mom?
Shes' nice, she's small, she's cute, she's pretty.
22. Where is your dad's favorite place to go?
Bend Brewing Company.

Ask Your Kid 2010 - Part 1

2010-03-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

Last year, I interviewed Sarah. Those answers are here: 2009 interview.

A couple of weeks ago, I asked her the same questions. It thought it was interesting how most of her answers are pretty close to what she said a year ago.

Here's what my 5 1/2 year old had to say.

1. What is something mom always says to you?
I love you and she also says "teeth". (The teeth thing is a little joke we have going)
2. What makes mom happy?
Me.
3. What makes mom sad?
When I'm not home.
4. How does your mom make you laugh?
With funny words.
5. What was your mom like as a child?
Me.
6. How old is your mom?
38.
7. How tall is your mom?
Small.
8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Play with me.
9. What does your mom do when you're not here?
Work or run the dogs or go on a run.
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Being nice or being a good artist.
11. What is your mom really good at?
Wall ball, jump roping - you're pretty good at that.
12. What is your mom not very good at?
I'm just gonna say sew, cause I've never seen you do that and writing, especially writing your e's!
13. What does your mom do for a job?
She does power engineering.
14. What is your mom's favorite food?
That's a hard one. Chile.
15. What makes you proud of your mom?
She's playful and nice.
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
That's a hard one, cause you could be anybody.
17. What do you and your mom do together?
Play wall ball and go to the tennis courts, sometimes. And have fun.
18. How are you and your mom the same?
Nose, ears, eyes - right? same shape. Hair, highlights.
19. How are you and your mom different?
The color of our eyes and the way we write. I write giant. You write scribbly.
20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Cause she says I love you all the time, and she hugs and kisses me all the time.
21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
He's handsome and nice.
22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
That's a tricky one. Where is your favorite place to go? JPL. Is that your favorite place?

Loose Tooth!

2010-03-22T21:21:00.000-07:00

I interrupt my complete neglect of this blog to mark the most exciting event in Sarah's life, so far, the discovery of her first loose tooth!

At breakfast, she bit into an orange slice and yelped with glee when she noticed that her tooth was loose. All day she has wiggled it hoping to release that little gem from the grasp of her gums. She isn't scared at all. She is thrilled, thrilled, thrilled! And over the moon! And all sorts of other excited phrases!

The end.

Back to neglecting this sorry old blog. Well, until the tooth is finally lost...

After Christmas

2010-01-12T20:43:00.000-08:00

Will I ever catch up on the holiday posts? Yes! Yes, I will. Right?

Either way, here goes an attempt to sum up a few more days...

Mike and I had to work the week after Christmas. So, Nana and Papa Troy packed up Sarah and took her to Portland for a few days. That's right. Took her away to have fun. They rock like that.

What was the first thing that I did when they left? Go for a run? Clean the house? Get a jump start on work? Nope, nope and nope.

I curled up on the couch and napped for 3 hours straight - 3 silent, fantastic hours. Did I mention Nana and Papa Troy rock?

Anyway, Nana wrote up a few notes from their trip with Sarah and I wanted to preserve them here.

Sunday, Dec 27: Bend via Salem to Portland Embassy Suites. Had Thai food 2 blocks from hotel.

Monday, Dec 28: Breakfast at hotel. Went to OMSI on buses. Saw IMAX "Under the Sea", "Bugs: The Rainforest". Toured the submarine. Saw SAMSON, the T-REX discovery. Came back to hotel. Went to eat salmon at McCormick and had dessert (w/chocolate). Came home and went to bed.

Tuesday, Dec 29: Breakfast at hotel. Caught light rail to the zoo, then to Children's Museum. Rode rail and streetcar to NW side of town, walked around shops and had late lunch, 3:00. Saw it start to snow. At about 4:00 walked in snow to bus stop, passed a Trader Joe's. Went in, then continued 4 blocks to catch bus #20 at 21st and Burnside. Waited 45 minutes only to learn buses rerouted due to snow. Walked down a few blocks and caught bus #20. After 40 minutes, we moved 2 blocks - but it was warm and dry. Arrived at hotel at 7:05 (3 hrs later). Had a snack and went swimming. Sarah and I had leftovers. Sleep at 11:00.

Loved Nana's notes, but here's what I really want you to know: 1) Nana and Papa Troy have a lot of energy. 2) There was a major snowstorm IN PORTLAND! 3) SNOWSTORM IN PORTLAND! 4) Papa Troy had to drive over mountain passes in a SNOWSTORM! 5) Both directions. 6) They live in Texas where there are never snowstorms to drive or walk in. 7) LOTS OF SNOW IN PORTLAND! 8) They rock!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-04T07:35:00.000-08:00

Santa came:

And so did Nana:

And Papa Troy:

Tamales were made:

But not by me. And so it was a joyous day...

(Wow. How uninspired was that post?)

Santa Meeting 2009

2009-12-23T20:54:00.000-08:00

Made the trip to visit Santa yesterday. He was fantastic and carefully studied the wish list that Sarah had prepared for him. Now, we just count the minutes until he arrives in our home!

Daisies on Ice

2009-12-18T08:04:00.000-08:00

Sarah has taken her first step into the world of Girl Scouts and has joined a Daisy troop. I'm not sure she's really into all that the Daisies are supposed to represent. But she likes to wear the vest. That's a step toward honorable living, right?

Anyway, her troop had their first outing this week. They went ice skating! Here's Sarah in her beloved vest. It's supposed to have daisy petals and troop numbers on it. Guess who hasn't had a chance to iron them on. Yup. That's me. I fail as a Daisy mom.

So on this trip, the girls were given an ice skating lesson.

Oh my gosh! Sarah complained about that lesson for days before the trip. After all, she KNOWS how to ice skate. Don't you know? She's practically a pro and could teach the class herself. In fact, she knows just about everything. She's an ice skating encyclopedia. And we are all non-skating fools.

Help me!

Here she is after the lesson complaining about the lesson. See this terrible attitude. It drives me bonkers!!!

OK. Now that I got that off my chest, here are some photos. That's if I can figure out how to work this extremely complicated computer. It's probably more difficult than ice skating. I might need to call in that self-proclaimed expert on everything...

Mighty Mites

2009-12-12T07:27:00.000-08:00

We figured it was finally time to let Sarah loose on the alpine slopes. So for three Saturdays this month, Sarah is in ski camp with one of her best buddies. And let me tell you, there is nothing cuter than a bunch of 5-year-olds learning how to ski.

Or funnier.

I thought this camp might be nothing more than a glorified day care. I was wrong. True to this town's overachieving athletic spirit, those kids were immediately shown how to work their own skis.

And before long, they were cruising down the training hill unassisted.

This is where I have to give Sarah some props. Last Saturday was a brutally cold day. I mean cold. While Sarah was in her class, Mike and I waited until the afternoon to go cross-country skiing hoping it would warm up some. It didn't warm up. After the first few glides on the trail, I could feel my sinuses freezing up. This was followed by brain freeze! That's right. I got an ice cream headache just from breathing. Ouch!

When it was time to retrieve Sarah, I imagined that she'd be a frozen, miserable mess. Nope. She was having a blast and begged to stay longer.

I guess we'll be spending more time on the mountain. I just hope we can keep up with her.

Single Digits

2009-12-09T07:32:00.000-08:00

Cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold.... What else can I say? It's cold here.

The thermometer has been reading single digits for high temperatures.

Low temperatures? I'm not even interested in knowing. Ignorance is warmth. Or something like that.

But there's hope. A warming trend. It's supposed to be 13°F today. Wowee! Double digits! Get the bikini ready.

Darn. It's been a harsh ~~winter~~ fall.

Award Winner!

2009-12-06T14:37:00.000-08:00

Sarah was honored with a Character Trait Award for the month of November at her school. She received the award for being "fair, safe and responsible".

We are very proud of her and expect MANY more awards in her future. Or else...

Bluebird Day

2009-11-29T12:30:00.000-08:00

Sunny days out on the mountain are referred to as Bluebird Days around here. Saturday definitely qualified as a Bluebird Day, a supreme one.

We took full advantage of the day and embraced all of the fun that the snow was prepared to give us.

We skied, crawled and rolled. Perfect.

If only every day were a Bluebird day...

Thanksgiving '09

2009-11-26T12:21:00.000-08:00

Just a few photos from the big Turkey Day.

Things Sarah said she was thankful for:

food
clothes
money
a house
Lola
Mom and Dad

Huntington Beach

2009-11-05T08:07:00.000-08:00

Oh yeah, we also went to Huntington Beach - also more fun than Disneyland.

And much more scenic.

Long Beach

2009-11-05T07:24:00.000-08:00

Before our flight out of the Southland, we stopped in Long Beach to soak in our final drops of warmth.

We also took a stroll through the aquarium.

And discussed marine biology. In depth.

So much more fun than that overrated amusement park. For everyone.

Disneyland

2009-11-04T07:20:00.000-08:00

In between carving pumpkins and Halloween, we all found ourselves in Southern California. So we bit the bullet and visited that most vile of places, Disneyland.

Yeah, yeah, yeah... I don't want to hear it. Happiest Place on Earth, whatever. I just wanted to check that box off of Sarah's childhood list and be done.

I don't have the energy to write about our visit. Here are some photos. I've already blocked the memory of the entire saccharine experience.

Halloween Chaos

2009-11-02T07:38:00.000-08:00

Our house was full of friends and fun on Halloween night. Plus, our neighborhood has truckloads of trick-or-treaters that swarm in for candy. What I'm getting at here is that I never got a good photo of Sarah in her costume, and I'm blaming it on the chaos of the night.

On to the costume...

A few months ago, Sarah found a Snow Princess costume and swore that it was the only costume for her. Her perfect Halloween costume! She paraded around our house in that costume at every opportunity.

Then around the time of her school's Fall Festival a couple of weeks ago, she started mumbling about wanting to be a witch instead. I was having none of that. I made her dress as a Snow Princess for the festival. I paid a hard earned $14.99 for that outfit, and she was going to wear it. Darn it! Reluctantly, she donned the outfit but adamantly refused to pose for a photo.

Last week, somehow, she got her dad into a costume store, and out they came with a witch costume for her and a knight costume for him. Sigh... So much for my $14.99.

On Halloween, Sarah was in full witch gear early in the afternoon buzzing with excitement. Before heading out with her buddies to trick-or-treat, we snapped a quick photo. But that's all the proof I have of her witch-hood. And I never photographed the knight.

But, it doesn't really matter. Those kids had a blast out begging for candy and a ball of fun handing out mounds of treats at our house. A very good night for ghouls and girls.

Pumpkins or Will This Halloween Madness Ever End?

2009-10-23T08:15:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin carving. That's what Sarah's begging pushed me to take on a couple of nights ago.

This is what we started with. (See the mound of dirty dishes in the background. Those are just props. I would never have mounds of dirty dishes in my house. Never. I just wanted to make you feel better about yourself. You're welcome.)

We then cracked open the pumpkins and scraped.

And scooped. (The messy counters in the back, also props. I know my perfection can be intimidating.)

After taking orders from the kid about the exact face that the pumpkins should have, I cut into the fruit.

Here's the final result. (The lights are off, because I didn't want you to see the way that my floors shine without a trace of dog hair. Anywhere.)

But the best part of a pumpkin are the seeds - delicious, roasted and salted seeds! I pluck them with my perfectly manicured nails.

We've Got Spirits, Yes We Do...

2009-10-20T07:50:00.000-07:00

I'm so not the decorate-your-house-with-cutesy-holiday-stuff kind of gal. Oh, but kids. Kids make you do all sorts of ridiculous things that you just normally wouldn't do. Take Halloween for example.

Sarah is pumped about Halloween. And after taking a stroll around our decked-out-for-Halloween neighborhood, she declared that we needed to decorate our house. Pronto! But, she was also adamant that our decorations should not be too scary.

One trip to Target, 24 stuffed ghosts and one mama on a step ladder for a good part of an afternoon later, this was the result.

And this:

And this:

And this:

And so many more ghosts that I'm just too ashamed to show. Ghosts in trees. Ghosts in bushes. Ghosts on rafters. Ghosts, ghosts, ghosts...

So, ghost overkill? The answer to that question, my friend, is yes, only if you aren't a 5 year-old girl.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-14T07:51:00.000-07:00

We spent Saturday out doing exactly what should be done on a gorgeous fall day - frolicking at a pumpkin patch!

There were so many non-pumpkin related activities at this pumpkin patch. Sarah was loving life, even with a massive head cold. One of the highlights for her were the "pony" rides.

Sarah chose to ride the biggest "pony". She would like one of these in her backyard, please.

Then, Mike and Sarah tried their hand at ball launching:

For some reason, Sarah wanted to wait in line for a cheesy photo. So we did.

There were lots of other fun activities I didn't even document - hay rides, haunted barn, petting zoo, games, scavenger hunt and so on.

Eventually, we had to get down to the main reason for visiting the patch, PUMPKINS!

Lots of potential pumpkins were closely examined.

Finally, our perfect pumpkin was found.

This little fruit was hugged and lugged.

And ultimately displayed proudly.

A successful and fun excursion!

Disc Golf

2009-10-07T08:24:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, I told Mike that I would never play disc golf. To me, it looked like a sport for ultimate frisbee rejects, or the sort of activity that the hacky sack crowd might be drawn to when not polishing their Dungeons & Dragons figurines.

Mike took my statement as a direct challenge. It became his mission to get me on the disc golf course as soon as possible.

Before we drove home to find snow, we were in Portland visiting friends, friends who just happen to live next to not one, but two disc golf courses. Next thing I knew, we were all in a gorgeous park holding plastic. (Important Note: Do not refer to the disc as a frisbee. The correct term is plastic. Also, the sport is not called frisbee golf. Call it disc golf. If you violate either of these rules, you will be mocked, mocked by the hacky sack crowd. You can't get much lower than that.)

None of us had played disc golf before, and we quickly violated all of the above rules and more, many more.

This is where I have to apologize to Mike and the disc golfers of the world. We had so much fun that day. I strongly suspect it had a lot to do with the company that we kept.

But also, disc golf is a funny, funny sport.

And, anything that can get you outside with good friends and make you laugh from deep within your belly can't be that bad.

So, sorry Mike. Sorry disc golfers. Sorry hacky sackers. Sorry D&D enthusiasts and your figurines. May your plastic fly straight and far. Or whatever.

No Joking

2009-10-05T08:36:00.000-07:00

Remember those little snow pellets that I told you about last week?

Weren't they cute and such a novelty for the last days of September? You could debate what to call them - snow or graupel or hail or little adorable ice balls. Or, you could just cuddle them until they melted in your warm paw. Oh, such a sweet teaser of winter.

Well, I don't know what irritation October is dealing with. But, look out! She is angry and out to smother us with a blanket of heavy, heavy snow.

That's right. Snow.

There is no debating what to call the 6 inches of white stuff that we found in our yard this weekend.

That is most definitely snow - large quantities of heavy snow that broke tree limbs, knocked out power and left us all scrambling to find our winter gear.

Hello, winter! Why'd you have to sucker punch us in the face?

First Graupel Snow

2009-09-30T08:45:00.000-07:00

Do you see this?

And this?

This is what was happening around here yesterday afternoon.

Some of our tricky weathermen were calling it graupel. Graupel is just a fancy word for hail-like snow or snow pellets.

You caught that last part, right? The SNOW part. The put on a jacket it's fricken cold outside part.

Well, it didn't get past me. And I don't want to talk about it...

A change of opinion

2009-09-15T08:44:00.001-07:00

Sarah - I got to be in charge of materials today.
Me - Really. What does that mean? What did you do?
Sarah - I had to pass out papers to ALL the kids. And after projects, I got to collect the pencils, papers... that sort of stuff.
Me - Oh.
Sarah - I was very busy.
Me - I bet.
Sarah - It was sooo fun. I LOVE KINDERGARTEN!

Proof By Example

2009-09-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

Statement:

I am not a morning person.

Proof:

Date - 9/14/09
Time - 7:15am
Sarah - Talking, talking, talking...
Me - Squinting, fumbling with kitchen instruments, dazed, possibly drooling.
Mike - Happy, chattering, face forming a smile.

Mike - "Um... Honey?"
Me - "bluugh?"
Mike - "Are your pants inside out?"
Me - "Oh.... Yes. Yes, they are."

Q.E.D

First Day Wrap Up

2009-09-12T13:01:00.000-07:00

Sarah: "The bus ride was the best part. School is too long."

All I know is that she smiled and twirled all the way home.

First Day of Kindergarten

2009-09-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." -Elizabeth Stone

Big day today. No HUGE day today. Wait. What's bigger than HUGE? Because that's what it was. Bigger than HUGE!

Sarah started Kindergarten today.

Oh gosh, hand me the Kleenex.

OK. Almost better.

No. Not better. But let's soldier on...

Up at the crack of dawn, that little girl was ready! I had to talk her out of heading to the bus stop immediately.

Yup. The bus stop. Sarah has been insisting for some time that she would ride the bus to school. I've learned long ago not to argue with my strong-willed one's ideas. So, off to the bus we went. All of us.

Grandpa Fife is in town so she asked him to walk to the bus stop with her. And of course she wanted her dad to come along. And she also wanted Lola to come along...

We all waited excitedly, warmed by the morning sun.

And then, just like that. She was gone...

Oh, Kleenex. More please.

June. June! JUNE? Where'd you go?

2009-06-29T07:33:00.000-07:00

STATUS
Camera: broken
Kid: busy
Work: insane, SUPER-insane
Childcare: limited to almost non-existent in the summer months
Me: ragged
Mike: who?
Dogs: oh! that explains the smell...

Snowy Green Lakes

2009-06-28T07:27:00.000-07:00

I did a little spring hike to Green Lakes. Lovely scenes were plentiful.

Had a fantastic adventure picking my path through the snow, but never have I been so accosted by mosquitoes. Funny. I thought the snow would have kept them away.

Freeze or Swim

2009-06-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

For most of the month, we spent chilly mornings at the pool for swim lessons.

Grandma Angie

2009-06-11T08:34:00.000-07:00

Mama! My mama visited for a few days. It was so good.

Of course, my mom was up for anything as usual. Sarah drug her to the park a bazillion times. We took her hiking, played in the snow and admired mountain lakes. The weather did not fully cooperate. It was rainy and cool. But, who cares? I had my mama. That's all that matters. I'll take her in any weather.

Balloon Fest Attempt

2009-06-06T07:48:00.000-07:00

Popped out of bed at dawn and headed out for Balloons over Bend. It was not nearly as cold as last year, but sadly, it was much windier. The balloons never launched.

Still, it was a gorgeous morning to enjoy.

We did it again...

2009-06-05T08:05:00.000-07:00

Raised more butterflies that is. This time they all lived - even the one with a misshapen wing.

Instincts

2009-06-02T23:18:00.000-07:00

I don’t know how to start this story. I’m not even sure I should tell this story. But it’s so surreal; I don’t want to forget it. And also, if Lola is ever found abandoned by the roadside, I want you to know why.

The scene: we’re in the Malheur National Forest on a paved interpretive path. This isn’t on a secluded trail, deep in the forest in a place where I might take my dogs for a run. This is just a simple loop around some ancient trees at a rest stop where we’ve stopped for a potty break.

Sarah and I are walking the loop. She needs to get some energy out. The dogs are walking ahead of us. They need to get some energy out. Mike is in the car reading the map.

As we walk, I notice lots of droppings. At first, I think they must be of the horse variety. As I look closer, I realize they are much too big and spread out. They must be elk poop. Big deal. I just try to keep Sarah from stomping in it.

So we’re walking and gabbing. When suddenly, a horrible scream shoots out from the trees. The scream is followed by Lola, Lola in full pursuit. We freeze. My brain is trying to puzzle together what I’m seeing.

Source of the screaming: an animal, an animal larger than Lola. This animal is spotted, could be a deer. Wait. It is not a deer. This is an elk. A baby elk. Quick! Where is mama elk? Mama elk is retreating into the trees. OK. Must stop Lola. Yell at Lola. Does not work. Must grab Lola. Not easy. She’s too fast.

The next few minutes are a blur. With one side of my brain, I’m keeping an eye out for mama elk: she’s hiding deep in the trees. The other side of my brain keeps tabs on Sarah: she’s safe on the trail with Sancho far away from the action. With my entire body, I’m attempting to wrestle Lola to the ground - Lola who has gone into Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom takedown and kill mode.

Baby elk runs in circles but is not very strong yet. Must be only hours old? A couple of days old? Uncertain. The fur is dry.

Lola displays all sorts of primitive hunting instincts. I’m horrified. She keeps breaking free of my grip. Damn dog! I secretly wish mama elk would come out of the woods and teach her a lesson. Insanity!

There is no way to adequately describe this situation. Baby elk screaming. Lola crazed. Sancho and Sarah staring, just staring. Mama elk hiding in the woods. Not sure how long this goes on. Too long.

Finally, I wrestle Lola to the ground and grab her tightly by the collar. Then, the weirdest or an even weirder thing happens. The stunned baby elk walks to Sarah. Sarah reaches out a hand and pets the calf. I stop her. I don’t want our scent on the baby.

From here, I gather Sarah and begin dragging Lola back to the car. A backward glance shows a dazed, exhausted but seemingly uninjured calf standing on the trail. We break into a run. Mosquitoes have shown up suddenly.

Oddest afternoon of my life. Hands down.

Bad, bad dog with most intense hunting drive:

Bike Rider

2009-06-01T08:51:00.000-07:00

I was sent a note this morning that read something like: No. NO! You are not on hiatus!

And when this person ~~talks~~ notes, I ~~listen~~ read. So, I guess I'm not on hiatus - today.

I tried to think of the biggest thing that has happened around here recently. It was a no-brainer.

Way back in April, Mike took Sarah out to the park, he set her loose on a grassy field and she learned how to do this:

That's right. Sarah can now ride a bike! And boy is she thrilled. That's all she wants to do.

And boy am I glad Mike was brave enough to take her out and teach her. I didn't have the stomach to watch her first rides. Had it been left up to me, she'd have training wheels for life. Truth is, I still get lightheaded as she rides down the path. ALL BY HERSELF! Oh gosh, I need to get some air...

Hiatus?

2009-05-27T07:08:00.000-07:00

Hiatus? Let me check. Yes. Yes! I am on hiatus.

I'll post again when the mood strikes or when I have an important deadline to avoid. Probably the latter.

In the meantime, here are a couple of photos of Sarah on her last day of preschool - like a month ago...

Go play in the sun!

Snowy May, A Very Wrong Title

2009-05-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

Well, apparently, I am running with ski goggles in May.

It's snowing this morning - this morning, Sunday, May 3rd. I can't even get worked up about this anymore. Just let it snow. What are you going to do about it?

Snowflake In The Eye

2009-04-30T07:21:00.000-07:00

I got a snowflake in my eye.

While running.

While running yesterday.

Yesterday.

April 29th, yesterday.

Why are there snowflakes in my eye on April 29th?

Why?

I'm not running with ski goggles in May.

I'm not.

Schnee, nieve, neige...

2009-04-28T12:44:00.000-07:00

Snow, snow, snow...

Rooftops and yards were white this morning. Now, thanks to a warmer mix of rain and flakes, only pockets of slush remain.

But the snow is battling the rain drops. I must find my hat and gloves. Foolishly, I'd stashed them away.

Kindergarten Orientation

2009-04-24T21:56:00.000-07:00

Thursday was a big day. I mean a BIG DAY! Sarah had kindergarten orientation.

She and her best friend held each other's hands tightly. Giddy with a touch of terrified, they strolled through the halls giggling, chattering, wondering about this fantastic new world waiting to reveal its secrets. With little hands stuck tight, this new world wasn't so overwhelming. With little hands stuck tight, this world took the faint shape of the familiar. With little hands stuck tight, they heard the whispers of its secrets.

A pack of parents followed, giddy with a touch of terrified...

Birthday UGGs

2009-04-21T12:43:00.000-07:00

After that last snowstorm, Mother Nature has redeemed herself by giving us record setting heat. Oh, so happy!

Since it was gorgeous outside and it was Mike's birthday, we dined alfresco last night.

The birthday boy seemed happy. Raw oysters have that effect on him.

As you might imagine, Sarah has been very excited about her dad's birthday. A few days ago she let me know that she'd like to get him a pair of slippers as a gift. I agreed to her idea, pulled her onto my lap and let her browse online for some slippers.

Immediately, her little eyes were drawn to UGGs. Man UGGs. Oh, sweet baby! Visions of Mike strutting those boots in public for his little girl danced through my head. Mike in man UGGs! The ridiculousness was almost too much. Stifling great chuckles, I wondered if I could get Sarah to suggest that he pair them with shorts? And a wallet chain! I choked on enormous balls of laughter, that is until I saw the price tag. $180! Now, that is too much for this cheap chick and her funny bone.

In the end, Sarah settled on getting her dad cupcakes and making him a card. I talked her out of the UGGs, and that, I would say, is the best gift I ever gave Mike. Oh, but if I find $180 just lying around...

April (Freakin Snow) Showers

2009-04-15T07:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday brought snowfall:

This ticked off a certain dog:

A little girl stood joyfully in the swirling powder catching snowflakes on her tongue:

I sided with the dog.

Easter: Eggs Found

2009-04-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

Swarms of children plucked a field clean of colorful eggs faster than Lola can devour her breakfast. And this is the only photo I was able to snap.

Easter: Eggs Dyed

2009-04-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

Sarah finally was able to partake in one of her favorite activities on Earth, egg dying.

She decided to skip the use of tools and just use her fingers. This surprised me, because she usually doesn't like to dirty her precious, little hands. I was even more surprised by her heavy use of the color blue. Maybe she's tiring of the pink.

After all of the dying, she spent a good chunk of the evening gluing flowers onto the eggs.

I have a few dye tablets left. I'm going to break them out next time I need a four hour break.

Spring Skiing

2009-04-08T08:33:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was the first warm weekend that we've had. Temperatures were in the 60's! So what did we do? We went skiing, of course.

Mike was feeling speedy, so we took him to the start of a 30km ski race, the Great Nordeen. (Here he is warming up slowly. The terrible barking noises in the background are being made by a couple of sled dog teams eager to start pulling.)

Mike was smiling when we left him.

Not sure what he looked like at the end of the race. Sarah and I were too busy melting snow with our own blistering paces to watch him finish.

Here's Sarah in action. If you notice, she's eating snow while skiing in this video. I've found the trick to keeping her engrossed in any activity, snacks.

At the end of our ski, some kids pointed us to the snow cave they had built.

That hole in the snow proved to be the most entertaining find of our day, our fantastic day!

The End

2009-04-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

With extreme dread, we began the drive home. We dreaded the long hours in the car. We dreaded the cold temperatures and sleeping flowers that awaited our return. But, we were anxious to get back into our beds and to be a whole family again. As a small reward for too many hours in the car, the sun shone on Shasta. The end.

To The Beach

2009-04-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

There is no way that a visit to the beach could be skipped on our vacation. This is what Sarah had her heart set on. So as a big finale to our trip, we made our way to the Pacific Ocean. The day was spent outrunning waves with bellies aching from giggling. Perfection.

Lazy Morning

2009-04-04T07:32:00.000-07:00

After all of the running around that we did, we dedicated an entire morning to just basking in the sun. This did wonders for our winter-induced Vitamin D deficiencies. And my mood.

United Nations

2009-04-04T07:19:00.000-07:00

United Nations. That's what a Palo Alto park feels like. The blend of languages, skin tones and races is stunning after living in this monotone land. At one point, Sarah said, "That's not Spanish" while listening to a Russian family speak. The lack of exposure to such fantastic differences is what saddens me most about leaving that area. The cost of living, not so much.

Joy!

2009-04-03T07:45:00.000-07:00

One of the best meals that we had, pho and Vietnamese iced coffee, minus the coffee for Sarah (I'm no dummy). I had to use every ounce of self-restraint I could muster to keep from dipping my head into that bowl and sucking up every drop of delicious broth. Gosh, I love pho. At every meal, Sarah asked if we could go back to that restaurant.

It was really cruel to send the above image to Mike, as this is probably one of his favorite meals. His only response was:

Ohhhhhhhhhh

Ducky's

2009-04-03T07:35:00.000-07:00

Then we begin a week long journey to our favorite restaurants, our favorite parks and our favorite people. But first, we had to wash our car. We had a winter's worth of grime on that sucker. Oh, how I miss the car washes where a mass of men descend upon your car with vacuums, spray bottles and hoses. Sarah just misses the little mechanical duck.

Eager

2009-04-03T07:30:00.000-07:00

We made it through the dark parts of the trip. It was a long drive for both of us. The next morning Sarah was buzzing with excitement. We had breakfast and were in the hot tub before 9 am.

Dark Period

2009-04-02T21:14:00.000-07:00

The exhilaration of seeing green grass did not last long for Sarah. Several hours in a car can do that to a person, I suppose. At this point, she took out her art supplies and drew while giving me a long list of all of the people who are "not her friends". The list, of course, included her nemesis from preschool, but it also had broad references to people with funny hair and people who wear brown. This was a very dark time in the trip.

I sent the above photo along with a description of Sarah's emotional state to Mike. His response was:

Nice. Looks like she is writing her sh*t list.

Green Grass

2009-04-02T20:49:00.000-07:00

Soon after our stop at McDonald's, I sent the following message and photo to Mike:

Olive trees, flowering bushes, happy cows, traffic. California. Love it!

You can't imagine how thrilled we were to see green grass.

McDonald's South of Weed

2009-04-01T21:49:00.000-07:00

Still blogging about our vacation...

Shortly after the clouded view of Mt. Shasta, Sarah could no longer be contained in the car. She spotted a McDonald's sign and begged to stop.

Once inside that fast food joint (and I use the term food loosely), I turned off my Germ Alert System and allowed her to burn off some pent up energy in the Playland. Oh, I must have been desperate.

Too cloudy for Shasta

2009-04-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

While on vacation, I hardly took any photos with my real camera. I mostly snapped pics with my cell phone and emailed them to Mike.

After driving a few hours on the first day, this is the first image that I felt compelled to send. We were so eager for sunshine and warmth. It was such a disappointment to find Mt. Shasta obscured by clouds.

Spring Break

2009-03-29T16:43:00.000-07:00

We're back from a week of visiting friends, sunshine, warmth and fun.

We already miss them all (friends, sunshine, warmth and fun) terribly.

Ask Your Kid - Part II

2009-03-21T08:30:00.000-07:00

I took the questions from the original interview and modified them to get Sarah's thoughts on her dad. Why should he be spared from her scrutiny? Here are her answers.

1. What is something dad always says to you?
I love you.
2. What makes dad happy?
His kid.
3. What makes dad sad?
If his kid is not with him.
4. How does your dad make you laugh?
No way. (smirking...)
5. What was your dad like as a child?
Naughty. Was he naughty, mom?
6. How old is your dad?
27?
7. How tall is your dad?
Really tall.
8. What is his favorite thing to do?
Make things.
9. What does your dad do when you're not here?
Work.
10. If your dad becomes famous, what will it be for?
Nothing.
11. What is your dad really good at?
Making things.
12. What is your dad not very good at?
Nothing.
13. What does your dad do for a job?
Builds solar panels.
14. What is your dad's favorite food?
Jalapeños.
15. What makes you proud of your dad?
Nothing.
16. If your dad were a cartoon character, who would he be?
Cassie. (giggles...) She's a girl and she's tiny!
17. What do you and your dad do together?
Go to the gymnastics place.
18. How are you and your dad the same?
He has blue eyes and I have blue eyes.
19. How are you and your dad different?
In no way. Wait. Daddy has lots of hair on him and I don't.
20. How do you know your dad loves you?
He tells me.
21. What does your dad like most about your mom?
He just loves her.
22. Where is your dad's favorite place to go?
The beach!

Ask Your Kid - Part I

2009-03-20T08:22:00.000-07:00

This interview has been spreading around the internet lately. I'm not one to stop the spread of information. So this morning while Sarah ate breakfast, I picked her 4 1/2 year old brain and recorded her answers.

1. What is something mom always says to you?
I love you.
2. What makes mom happy?
Her kid.
3. What makes mom sad?
If her kid is not home.
4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Swings me around in circles.
5. What was your mom like as a child?
She was like a baby.
6. How old is your mom?
I don't know. 27?
7. How tall is your mom?
She's little.
8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Play with her kid.
9. What does your mom do when you're not here?
Work.
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
I don't know.
11. What is your mom really good at?
Working.
12. What is your mom not very good at?
Making things.
13. What does your mom do for a job?
Gets money for making rovers.
14. What is your mom's favorite food?
Jalapeños.
15. What makes you proud of your mom?
Nothing (giggles....)
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Caillou! (hysterical laughing...) I mean Ord. Ord is a boy!
17. What do you and your mom do together?
Have girl secrets.
18. How are you and your mom the same?
Our hair is almost the same.
19. How are you and your mom different?
My mommy has green eyes and I have blue eyes.
20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Cause she tells me.
21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
His eyes.
22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
To the beach!

St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T08:06:00.000-07:00

Sarah is willing to embrace any holiday. St. Patrick's day is no exception. This day has been on her radar for weeks. She flew out of bed this morning, donned her new green dress and willingly ate a breakfast of green eggs and ham washed down with green milk. Yum?

Mike wasn't as enthusiastic about the green meal. He quietly stuffed the eggs into a tortilla, hoping to disguise the greeny ova. Mmmmm.... Doesn't the phrase greeny ova really get your appetite roaring?

Greeny ova and ham.... Mmmmm. So colorful and jiggly.

Yeah, I think I'll just have another cup of coffee.

I can't even bother with a title

2009-03-10T12:44:00.000-07:00

Tell me. How is it a good idea to lose an hour of sleep? I love the extra hour of sunshine Daylight Saving Time gives me in the evenings, but the loss of sleep, sweet, sweet sleep, just might not be worth it. I'm dying here. Dying.

Gosh, I don't even remember what this post was going to be about. Seriously. I can't remember.

Thinking... thinking...

Oh, forget it. Here are a bunch of photos of Sarah. Notice in the last photo the faint trace of the shiner she gave herself with a jump rope. And, yes. She does dress herself. I'd never select such impractical shoes. Or dresses. Or tights.

Pinkeye and Velveeta

2009-03-02T07:23:00.000-08:00

It's a random thought kind of day. So, here are a few:

At Sarah's doctor visit, we found that since July, her last doctor visit, she grew 1 1/2 inches and gained 0 pounds. I blame the last number on the stomach virus that nearly made a grown man cry, and the first number on genes not related to my own.

This morning I found 3, 1,2,3!!!!, gray hairs snuggled on top of my head. I plan on drinking this evening until I forget. But not before picking up a box of Nice 'n Easy. Maybe two. Sigh...

I'm feeling the need to help stimulate the economy. New jeans for me and unnecessary crap for Sarah! Mike seems concerned by this, a bit unpatriotic if you ask me.

My oldest nephew is 17 today. Wow! It doesn't feel possible. Happy birthday, oldest nephew!

Made Broccoli and Noodle Soup last night. This recipe is a keeper. Just add more chicken broth than the recipe calls for.

What the hell is Velveeta? Next time, I'll try the above recipe with real cheese, cheese that requires refrigeration.

Pandora thinks that Pearl Jam, all the time, is what I want.

No, Pandora. I love me some Eddie Vedder, but give me some variety. P.S. I really like when you sneak in Michael Jackson and Run-DMC.

After a long day with your kid and her pinkeye, making play dough and filming the kid and her pinkeye playing with the play dough seems like a good idea.

It's not a good idea.

Happy Monday!

Blogging for the CDC

2009-02-25T08:04:00.000-08:00

Conjunctivitis, good ol'pinkeye. That's the latest little gem Sarah has brought home. To share? Luckily, not yet.

So, let's tally this up. In February, we've had a stomach virus, laryngitis, common colds and now pinkeye in this house. Thankfully, this is a short month, because I'm thinking Ebola might be next on February's disease list.

And apparently, this has become an illness blog. Or an efficient means of tracking infectious diseases. Are you listening, CDC?

Honesty will never get you anywhere...

2009-02-20T07:29:00.000-08:00

Woke up on Wednesday morning with full-on laryngitis. Mike had left the house early to get a little snowboarding in before work. This left Sarah and me to communicate through a combination of whispers and wall taps. This also meant that it was up to me to drive Sarah to school.

Through my haze, I pulled on some sweat pants and couldn't even care enough to pull a hat over my Unabomber style bed head. Off we went! Whispering, tapping and frumpled.

As is usually the case when we arrive at Sarah's school, we were circled by little girls. One drilled me about my lack of a voice. "Why aren't you talking?" "Where did you lose your voice?" The other little girls gathered and just stared.

Finally, one of the older girls made her way from the back of the room, pushed her way to the middle of the circle, put her hands on her hips, scrunched her gorgeous face and said, "Your hair looks funny!".

Thanks, kid. Let's just see if you ever get milk and cookies at my house.

Here's a picture of the snowboarder. What? You thought I was gonna show you my funny hair. Come on.

Contact, Almost Painful

2009-02-18T07:54:00.000-08:00

Just found this snippet of a conversation that I meant to post way back in December:

What shall we get your teachers for Christmas?
I don't know.
Well, we need to get something for Miss Laura and Miss Lily.
And Miss Kelsey!
Yes. And Miss Kelsey, too.
I know what we can give Miss Kelsey.
What?
Sancho!

This reminded me of a momentous occasion from a few weeks ago. Sancho and Sarah made contact! Uncomfortable contact. But still, they touched. Neither one seems especially thrilled by the event - stiff spines, tight faces. In fact, Sancho makes that exact expression during vet exams, right before receiving an injection between the shoulder blades and wetting the examination table. Actually, he looks more uncomfortable than that in this photo.

Just for a little comparison, this is how Sarah and Lola touch:

Silly girl! Silly Sanch! Will they ever find love for each other?

Vocabulary Expansion

2009-02-12T07:09:00.000-08:00

Sarah, after tasting our homemade cake frosting: "Damn, that's good!"

Me, after hearing Sarah's reaction to the frosting: "What!?!"

Mike, on strict orders to: "Watch your language!"

Free Virus

2009-02-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

"Little kids are bioterrorists." -Mike Fife

Last Tuesday night, Sarah began displaying all of the exciting symptoms of a stomach virus. Not a big deal. We've become proficient in the puke, bathe, launder, disinfect and comfort routine.

OK, I'm lying. It is a big deal. It's gross and messy. And why does it always go down at 2 am? And even worse than the clean up is seeing your kid in such a miserable state.

Of course, Sarah couldn't go to school the rest of the week and got to spend her days with me while I attempted to work. She's such a trooper. She cuddled quietly on my lap through conference calls and sat "working" at her desk while I tried to be productive. But, mostly, she lingered on the couch with Caillou.

By Saturday night, Sarah was nearly back to her normal state. But wouldn't you know it? At about 2 am, it became clear that the virus has almost exactly a 4-day incubation period. Within one hour of each other, Mike and I were mirroring Sarah's symptoms. Oh, joyful night!

Yesterday felt like the longest day ever. Mike sprawled on the couch while I curled up next to the fireplace. In and out of sleep we went. Sarah snuggled next to me at times or brought books over for me to read to her. We all watched a lot of ski racing on television.

Today is a much better day. We were all able to eat breakfast. Sarah is off to school. Mike is off to work. And I'm at my desk.

And those little kids are cooking up their next dose of misery.

Face Plant

2009-02-04T07:16:00.000-08:00

I took Sarah ice skating this weekend again. She was off like a lunatic as usual, refusing my outstretched hand.

On our final lap around the rink, disaster struck. I heard a thud and turned around to find Sarah sprawled face down. I lifted her face gently, expecting to find cracked teeth and busted lips. Instead, I found a scratched cheek and streams of full, round tears. This was followed by ear piercing howling, understandably.

Through her wailing, I got her out of her skates and into my arms. And by the time the Zamboni was circling the ice, her crying had stopped and her pleads for marshmallows had started.

Luckily, she's fine. I'd show you a picture of her bruised, scraped cheek, but she will not let me photograph it. She told me, "It's rude to take pictures of hurt people." And rude is not for me.

Instead, I'll show you a photo from a few weekends ago after we finished cross-country skiing. Sarah was hopped up on chocolate and endorphins from all of the exercise. I'm certain that photographing this type of lunacy is not rude, not rude at all.

Heat Index

2009-02-02T07:39:00.000-08:00

Went for a run on Friday in sunny 55 degree weather, thought I might collapse from heat exhaustion. I found myself seeking out patches of snow and ice to run on, hoping to cool myself off.

Sancho struggled and lagged behind in the warmth. I had to stop and let him wade in a semi-frozen stream at one point.

Funny. When we lived in Southern California, I imagine I would have thrown on an extra layer of clothing on a "chilly" day like that.

Today, it's expected to warm to near 60 degrees! I can't wait to bake on the trails. I might have to shave Sancho, if he is to survive.

Completely unrelated photo below. We took Sarah to the Badlands for a little hiking a few weeks ago. This is how she chose to outfit herself:

Seriously? A pink parasol. Is that necessary?

And do you see those jeans? I had to sit on her and force them on her body while she howled.

Can not possibly be my child.

January

2009-01-27T07:57:00.000-08:00

This has been the strangest, longest month. And it's not over yet!

Freezing fog has been covering the hills and leaving thorns of ice on some trees:

And on others, the fog decorates with delicate, outstretched crystals:

Familiar objects are weighed down with monstrous forms:

This fog, it slides in and changes our view, green becomes white, the smooth is crystallized.

But today, the sun is warm and confident. The strangeness is vanishing, and the month shortens.

Last outing...

2009-01-09T20:46:00.000-08:00

While Mimi and Grandpa Fife were here, Sarah requested a visit to the ice skating rink. Mike and Grandpa Fife stood up to the challenge and took her skating. This resulted in one happy and surprisingly unbruised little girl.

Now, it might be painful to watch this video. Sarah takes a lot of spills, but after each one, you should notice that she is smiling and determined.

Soon she was spinning on one foot. Almost.

In the end, her determination paid off and she skated away.

Phew! And with that, I think I've finally finished all of our Christmas related posts. Only two weeks late. So much for my resolution to stop procrastinating.

Oh well, there's always next year.

Not even a broken hip...

2009-01-05T07:38:00.000-08:00

Remember when I said those Texan grandparents were crazy? Well, maybe I should have thrown in daring into the description of them as well.

They soon grew bored of sledding down our little driveway and insisted that we take them to a "real" hill. So, we swallowed a courage pill and drove them out to Wanoga Sno-Park.

Given the fact that they rarely experience snow, I thought that they'd exhibit some sort of caution, apprehension, fear, you know, something other than complete delight.

I was completely prepared for this, Mike and Sarah launching themselves down the hill without fear.

What I was definitely not prepared for was Mimi launching herself down the hill without fear.

I guarantee you that she was the only grandmother sliding down that hill on that day. She is perhaps the only grandmother to slide down that hill, ever. At the end of this clip, notice that she doesn't say, "Oh, my hip!" or "Get me some Geritol!" or "I've fallen and I can't get up!". No. She says, "That was fun!".

Yeah, that Mimi and Grandpa Fife are something else. They just fit right into the scene.

I don't want to lead you to believe that it was a day without incidents. Something strange did happen on that day. I'm not sure if it was the lack of oxygen due to the altitude or some Christmas magic left lingering in the air, but Grandpa Fife changed a little. He became more and more dwarflike as the day wore on - skittish, giggly, mumbling of treasures and digging for Middle Earth. By that evening, the fact couldn't be denied. The transformation was complete. He was a gnome! See the resemblance.

After all of this, I'm only left wondering. Is Texas suitable for gnomes?

Christmas, at last...

2009-01-03T21:35:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning looked something like this:

and this:

and this:

and, regrettably, this:

After all of the present opening excitement, we (Mike and I) had the best gift of all. Those crazy Texan grandparents bundled up and took Sarah outside sledding. This released us to a morning of childless cross-country skiing on perfect, fresh powder. Oh, what a treat!

We then topped off the day with a classic Grandpa Fife feast, crabs, clam chowder and artichokes. Yum!

Joyful, joyful day...

A small break in the storm...

2008-12-31T08:27:00.000-08:00

A window of calm weather opened just enough to allow Mimi and Grandpa Fife to fly in from Texas.

Good thing they made it. We needed all of their help to prep on Christmas eve.

There were notes to write. This one says: Cookies for Santa only! Carrots for reindeer only!

There were hugs to spread.

Relaxing to be had.

And princess vanity sets to assemble.

See that princess vanity set. I don't even want to talk about it. How? How could my child have taken such a dark turn in her life? Princess. Vanity. Ugh.... Both of those words burn my soul with perky, pink, glittery acid. Put them together, and I crumble like blue eyeshadow on a royal eyelid. Nevermind. Not talking about it. Let's move on to more joyful times.

And then there was Santa...

2008-12-30T08:08:00.000-08:00

On the 23rd, we tunneled through the snow to pay Santa a visit. Sarah was too excited to take off her coat.

Excellent visit! This Santa was fantastic. His helpers whispered Sarah's name in his ear while we were waiting. When we walked up to him and he said, "Sarah! Hello!" I thought my kid would explode.

When we were back in the car and Sarah found the power of speech again, I got the excited rundown. "Mom, he knew my name! And he said I was on the nice list! And he said the elves would get right to work on my princess makeup kit!"

After breathing and calming down for a bit, she yelled again, "I'm on the nice list!"

I guess she had some doubts.

It was a time of snow...

2008-12-29T07:59:00.000-08:00

I know! Let's pretend that December is not nearly over, that it's closer to the 20th of the month. You feeling it? Alright! Me, too.

Around that time, in this little part of the world, this is what we were seeing, snow:

On top of that snow, there was more snow:

And more snow, and more snow and... well, you get the idea.

That's OK. Snow is fun, if you use your imagination. See this pile of snow on the table. Well, if you're lame, it's just a pile of snow, but if you're a four-year-old, it's a birthday cake in need of decorating.

Sarah just filled a few spray bottles with food coloring and gave nature a cake.

I love four-year-olds! You've heard it, I know. I don't care. I want to scream it out loud. Best age ever!

Cones filled with snow then served as a snack, a fantastic snack!

So, this snow thing, it just kept going and going until we had nearly two feet of the stuff. I stopped taking pictures after a while and started using my imagination in a different way, a warmer way. I snuggled deep under my blankets and transported myself to sunny, sunny Maui.

Ahhh... I think I even got a tan.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2008-12-15T08:20:00.000-08:00

We finally got some wintery weather. It's currently 3.2 degrees outside (that's Fahrenheit, baby) with some snow blowing around. The high temperature isn't expected to crack the double digits.

Not a big deal, for me. My three computers are keeping my office nice and toasty. Oh, I'm not kidding. I have three computers in my office. All running important jobs. Wikipedia is important, right?

Anyway, my concern is Lola, my Mojave Desert dog. She's refusing to set foot outside. I can't imagine that little bladder of hers can hold out much longer.

Make yellow snow, Lola! Make yellow snow!

Not working. Oh, well. At least all of the powder is crisp and clean for our amusement.

Christmas Hangover

2008-12-11T07:36:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was a Christmas-o-rama. All of our activities were Christmas related.

First on the agenda was the Christmas Parade. This is a very popular event. Streets are lined with locals, and there are floats to delight everyone. Sarah was only interested in two things, pretty girls on horses:

and Santa. She asked every minute of the parade when the fat guy was going to make an appearance. When he finally rolled by, that dude made her day by waving and smiling right at her. She saw Santa. The real Santa. You will not convince her otherwise. Oh, I love four-year-olds.

Next, we decorated our Christmas tree. Really, I should say that Sarah decorated the tree. She did all of the work. My job was to keep her from falling off of the ladder. Mike's job was to say, "It looks great!" every five minutes. Sarah's job was to decorate and ask, "How's it looking, dad?" every five minutes. And yes. 99% of the decorations were hung on those three branches.

Who cares? It was still reason to dance.

On Sunday. Oh, Sunday. Sunday was a big day. Everything Sarah loves came together. In one place! Pretty girls? Check. Twirling dresses? Check. Tiaras? Check. Dancing? Check. Makeup? Check. Sword fights? Check. Christmas? Check. That's right. I took her to see the The Nutcracker.

Funny. Mike was really, really busy that afternoon. Really busy. And didn't, couldn't, wouldn't come along. Shame. We had a fantastic time!

During the performance, Sarah analyzed everything. She didn't just sit back and enjoy the performance. No. She wanted to know how the dancers knew where to stand and where certain characters had gone after they exited the stage and how they kept from mixing up their wands after they set them on the floor and why certain dance moves were performed and... and... and... Oh, little girl, let it go. Relax.

After the performance, she grabbed my hand and took me onto the stage to meet the Snow Queen, the gorgeous, gorgeous Snow Queen with her blue dress, tiara and makeup. Sarah was speechless. Highlight of her little life. Wish I'd had my camera.

OK. I'm done. That's enough holiday cheer for me. What? It's not over. Bah! Humbug!

World Domination, Lesson 1: Girls Rule and Boys Drool

2008-12-08T07:13:00.000-08:00

Sarah is barely squeezing into her outfits again. So on Saturday, we opened up a box of clothes in the next size up from her Aunt Cathy and cousin Caitlin. This is always a thrilling event. The stylish gems that her aunt and cousin send can be breathtaking.

In this box, Sarah zeroed in on a Christmas dress. Without wasting a second, she stripped down and pulled that dress over her head. She twirled in front of the mirror admiring herself. Then she squealed, "I have to show daddy!" She thumped downstairs excitedly.

A few minutes later, she came back upstairs a little slower and said, "I showed daddy my dress, and he said, 'Oh'. Then I showed him how it spinned, and he just said, 'Cool'." With a very serious expression, she said,"Mom, sometimes boys just don't get it."

Ah, sweet baby, if you can only remember that lesson, you're well on your way to ruling the world.

The rest of her morning was spent soaring like a zephyr:

Thanksgiving '08

2008-12-04T07:29:00.000-08:00

Wow! That holiday feels like a lifetime ago. A summary of the activities seems nearly impossible. Usually, when that's the case, I just throw out a bunch of photos and call it a day. I can't do that this time, because I really blew it. I misplaced my camera for most of the weekend. So, I only have a few photos to share.

The quick rundown is something like this. The majority of Mike's family flew in to spend the holiday with us. The cast of characters (and I don't use the term characters lightly here) were:

Mammaw - 80-something, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, resides in Texas. Special feature: will kick your butt at Catch Phrase
Linda and Troy (aka - Nana and Papa Troy) - Mike's mom and step-dad, reside in Texas. Special feature: produce delectable pies and smoked meats
Cathy and Kevin - Mike's sister and brother-in-law, reside in New York City. Special features: require no sleep and extremely generous (every gorgeous outfit Sarah owns has been a gift from them)
Parker and Caitlin - Nephew and niece, reside in New York City. Special features: too many to list
Marilyn and Allen - Mike's aunt and uncle, reside in Texas. Special features: able to survive without water (Marilyn) and can mountain bike like a 20-year-old (Allen)
Stephen - Mike's cousin, resides in Texas. Special feature: has telepathic connection with Mammaw
Dorothy - Mike's aunt, resides in Colorado. Special feature: can out-ski, out-hike, out-adventure anyone.

Phew! That's everyone. If you add it up, you'll discover that we had 11 visitors. With our family, that comes to 14 people and 2 dogs in this house. It was a full, happy house. Now that is something to be truly thankful for.

Here are the only photos that I snapped while on a hike at Tumalo Falls.

Girl with otter hat:

Boy with sock monkey hat:

Girl with snowball face:

Mom and daughter with waterfall:

Marilyn, Dorothy and Linda with boundless energy:

And that was Thanksgiving...

Sancho, My Dog

2008-11-21T07:25:00.000-08:00

Recently, we were filling out a pet sympathy card for Sarah's cousins. Sarah asked how their dog died. I explained that their dog was old, almost as old as Sancho, and her body stopped working.

Excitedly, Sarah said, "That means Sancho is almost dead!"

With an enormous smile, she yelled while running outside, "Maybe he's already dead!"

Trust me. If Sancho could talk, his words would be just as harsh. There is no love lost between those two.

Silly Sanch. I get you. OK. Not really. But, I still love you and your needy, insecure, complicated, demanding ways. Except your breath. No love there. Let's get you a mint.

Sick Day, Again

2008-11-20T08:11:00.000-08:00

Sarah was still sick on Tuesday. She stayed home with me again. At the end of the day, I had to make a note of how she entertained herself, because I don't think she played with a single toy. She prefers, always has, real objects.

Here's how my four-year old amused herself:

Watched that whiny twerp, Caillou
Made art (marker drawings) for her best friend, Kate
Stuffed the art along with marbles in envelopes
Watered the houseplants
Dyed string with food coloring
Picked flowers for her dad
Raked leaves
Wrapped random things in wrapping paper
Made x-mas ornaments (glued string to paper)
Made Jello (peach is her favorite)
Created bean sprout egg cups (I don't know where she got this idea. That twerp Caillou, perhaps?) Take empty egg shells, color them with watercolors, fill the empty shells with cotton balls and stuff beans into the cotton. Sarah assures me bean sprouts will emerge.
Helped me make mashed potatoes
Put on her swimsuit and did "gymnastics"
Did a "project". This is her favorite activity. I give her random kitchen ingredients, a bowl, spoon and leave her alone. Must leave her alone, most important part. On this day, I gave her some cocoa powder, salt, rice, popcorn kernels, noodles, ice and water. And left her alone.
Read books
Followed me everywhere while asking questions

I'm not sure what this says about her personality. She loves hands-on projects? She likes mixing things? She enjoys watching me wash mounds of dishes? Doesn't matter. She wears me out, and I love every minute of it.

Sick Day

2008-11-18T07:48:00.000-08:00

We spent the weekend in Portland and Sarah brought home a cold. She wasn't up for school yesterday, so she spent the day with me.

She was very cuddly in the morning and curled up in my lap. Then with big blue eyes, she looked up at me, stroked my cheek softly and asked:

Mom, do you love me more than dad?
Or..... do you love daddy more than me?

I've told Sarah that too much television is not good for her brain. Since she was sick, I let her watch more than I normally would. In the afternoon when I thought she'd had enough, we had this conversation:

Sarah, no more television. You've watched too much today.

I know, mom. But, look! I'm still smart.

Here's Sarah sniffing roses in "The City of Roses":

Still Here And Now With More Fairy!

2008-11-14T07:48:00.000-08:00

Wow. No time to blog lately. But plenty of time to act like a goof ball.

Sarah pleaded with me to take off my "not so beautiful clothes" and dress up as a fairy a few nights ago. Pleading. And pleading. And more pleading! Followed by some pleading. Oh, the pleading, it was stronger than Sancho's breath. So, I pulled a skirt on over my jeans and slipped on some silver slippers. Tada! A fairy! And one happy kid.

Of course we needed a king. For this, Mike required no pleading.

That's life here. Well, the most entertaining bits. Sad, huh?

Tuesday Trivia

2008-11-04T07:08:00.000-08:00

In 1998 Oregon voters overwhelmingly passed a ballot measure directing elections be conducted by mail, commonly called Vote by Mail. This replaces traditional polling place elections.

What is Vote by Mail?

Vote by mail is a method of distributing ballots for an election. Instead of using traditional polling places where voters go to cast ballots on election day, a ballot is mailed to each registered voter. The ballot is then voted and returned to the county election office to be counted. -From the Oregon Secretary of State Government Website

Using the Vote by Mail system, I cast my vote nearly two weeks ago. I'm a little sad that I won't be headed to a polling place today. I really would have liked to take Sarah along to show her the voting process and to let her feel the energy. But I have to say that I appreciated the time to sit at my kitchen table and study the measures and candidates before voting. I always felt a little rushed in the voting booth.

Whatever method you use in your state to vote, get out and use it today!

It's a historic day. Even from my home office I can feel the energy. Can you?

Halloween '08

2008-10-31T08:33:00.000-07:00

What a crazy week! Busy, busy, busy...

We only got around to carving our pumpkins last night.

And this morning a little girl transformed into Snow White.

Don't you just love Halloween?

Gotta run. Busy, busy, busy...

What I Do...

2008-10-27T08:01:00.000-07:00

Sarah: Hey, K! Do you want to have a playdate at my house?
K: Yes!
Sarah: OK. My mom will watch us. So, your mom doesn't have to come. But... my mom probably won't play with us. She'll probably wash dishes. Or work.

Marriage

2008-10-21T07:54:00.000-07:00

Sarah and I race up the stairs, neither one of us wanting to be a rotten egg. Squeezing past me, Sarah giggles and drops to the top floor.

"Not a rotten egg!", she laughs.
I drop next to her. She gives me a big kiss and says, "When I'm an adult, I want to marry you."
"That's sweet," I say, "but you can't marry your mom."
"Then, I want to marry daddy."
"Well, you can't marry your daddy either."
"Why not?"
"You just can't. That's the rule."
"But he's the best daddy in the world."
"I know."
"Then, I want to marry Luke. Luke, Luke, LUKE. LUKA!"
"You can't marry your cousin either."
"Whyyyyy?"
"You can't marry moms, dads or cousins."
"Why?"
"You just can't."
"Then, I'm going to marry Grandma Angie and Grandpa Julian."
"You can't marry grandmas or grandpas either."
"Whyyyyyy?"

Oh, these conversations can go on forever - just like this enormous castle-themed corn maze that we wandered through this weekend.

NM Day 2: Gato Blanco

2008-10-16T07:57:00.000-07:00

I have a problem when I go home. Once I unload my suitcase, that's it. I'm done. I don't want to go anywhere. I don't feel the need to visit the little towns, take sightseeing trips or move farther than my legs can take me. I want to stay home.

The interesting thing is that Sarah was completely with me on this. She did not want to go anywhere either - except raspberry picking. She was very excited to do that.

So on the second day, a perfectly cloud covered day, we hit the raspberry fields and quickly collected four pounds of delicious fruit. It was so much fun, highly recommended. I have no photos to share. I was too busy trying to out pick my daughter. She's a little competitive.

Of course once we'd filled our baskets with fruit, we headed straight back home. That's where Uncle Max introduced Sarah to Gato Blanco:

Oh, Sarah is crazy about that cat. She made him little pieces of art, put bows up in the barn as decoration for him and brought him bowls of milk. Gato Blanco thrilled her by purring and cuddling up on her lap. Best friends!

The rest of the day was spent wandering the ranch, avoiding raindrops and chatting with my mama. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is better than that, especially the chatting with my mama part.

New Mexico: Day 1

2008-10-15T07:20:00.000-07:00

Our first morning in New Mexico, Sarah and Grandma Angie bonded over a manicure. Yes, a manicure. Those girly tendencies that Sarah has confuse me and give me a little rash. But her grandma seems to understand them completely. See that necklace. It's a gift from Grandma Angie. Grandma gets it. She just gets it.

So to try to keep those two girls grounded, I demanded that we go raspberry picking at Salman Ranch. Dirt and fresh air are things that I understand.

Alas, we were too late to pick our own fruit on that day. We snacked on a pint of pre-picked berries while strolling through the flower garden instead.

Actually, I shouldn't say that we snacked on raspberries. Sarah pretty much ate the entire pint by herself.

Just another morning in NM...

2008-10-13T07:13:00.000-07:00

Dad, cousin, uncle and neighbor all gathering to brand some cattle. I forget. I always forget how strong the ties are in rural life, how community is visible. Primos, tíos and vecinos all coming together, lending a hand. Weaving a rich, colorful life.