Baby Bird Nerd and Other Sightings

We were walking on this just hours before. These were our front deck joists after Mike removed the decking. He was on the other end when these collapsed. These five joists (16 foot 2x10s), some railing, and a few miscellaneous pieces of wood were so soaked with water they weighed 800 pounds at the transfer station. There were huge patches of white rot and little hemlock saplings growing from them.


Babies love forts. LLSS spent many hours trying to convince Trucker that cats like them too and should spend a good part of the day doing as babies command. He did sneak in there when she went out to play, but made for a quick departure when she came back in.


This is how our baby sleeps: with no covers and a little light reading. Yep, that's an Alaskan Bird field guide. Yesterday before her nap, I heard, "Bird, bird, eagle, bird, bird, owl, owl, owl, bird, bluebird, bird, heron...." We're blaming it on Auntie Sarah, or "Aunt Sissy" as LLSS calls her, the adult version of the bird nerd.

A quick glimpse into the serious business of Poker Night at our house...

This is spinach I collected from the garden and used to make some baby-approved scrambled eggs. I washed and chopped the spinach, added it to a hot skillet with about a tablespoon of olive oil, and wilted it. Then I added a mixture of four eggs, a chopped clove of garlic, milk, cilantro (also from the garden), and some extraordinary smoked king salmon from Bridget and Randy. I managed to capture this "before" photo and one during the cooking process that doesn't appear too appetizing, but none of the final product. It received a "More Eggs" rating from LLSS and entertained Sally for several minutes.

Trailer for Sale or Rent

Well, not rent. That would be too easy. We are busily trying to promote the positives of trailer living with an ocean view to any permanent employee of the Forest Service so we can sell this thing before we leave. The pressure to sell a house in not-so-positive economic times is a bit stressful. It is keeping Little Lovey Sweet Sweet up at night. Well, maybe it is keeping me up. That, and all the little details that need to be taken care of before the move, such as, when am I going to make those two gallons of frozen berries into jam?

Speaking of jam, here is the last batch I made: rhubarb-red huckleberry. It is delicious.

And here is a picture of LLSS enjoying the new bench her daddy made for her. Picnics outside are always so nice. I imagine we will be doing this much more often in Idaho.

On The Road (System) Again

Little Lovey Sweet Sweet and Dae Dae enjoying some nice weather with some playtime outside a few Saturdays ago.














If you look closely, you'll see our neighborhood deer, Button Buck. He has two little nubs on his head and is very much unafraid. LLSS got within a few feet of him and she wasn't being very quiet at the time. He was good and didn't get in the garden so he remains out of our freezer. I'm telling myself he was not responsible for the demise of my tulips for the second year in a row!

Here we come, America. Back to the Lower 48. It's been a while since we've driven faster than 45 mph, so it might take us a bit to get back up to speed. As for when we will arrive in the lovely state of Idaho, we still do not have a date. Hopefully we will know more next week sometime.

Here is LLSS in her sweet bike trailer that was gifted to us by Dae Dae. Check out her new helmet, crazy blue flames and all. She picked this one out herself. The people at the bike shop spent a good twenty minutes trying to figure out which helmet would best fit her giant head. Now we can cruise the streets of our new town in style.

Little Lovey Sweet Sweet and I have been spending more time than usual at the beach, trying to soak in the wonder of tides and tidepools, beach rocks and the crabs they hide, and the smell of the salt air before they become a vacation destination dream instead of the wonders of home. We've also started sorting and packing a few things and doing some "pretty up the trailer" things around the house. I've yanked a conservative 500 dandelions from the yard and there must be thousands still out there with looming puffs ready to spring upon the yard from next door with the slightest breeze. I wish I had a torch. Wait, maybe I do...

This is the black bean soup I cooked up a few days ago. I guess there is one benefit to living in a cool, dank climate. Hot soup still sounds wonderful in June! This recipe is a bit spicier than others that we've used, but LLSS enjoys her meals on the spicy side, so Mike and I have kicked it up a notch. This one had jalepenos and she loved it!

Life's a Beach and a Playground

It looks as though we are going to have a fabulous spell of good weather (fingers crossed). That means that there is hope for surviving the four hour class picnic. Sea Day was a nice experience with a lot of parent help and very cooperative kids. There were tons of intertidal creatures to be found and the weather wasn't too bad. No broken bones and no lost students either.

Mike has been taking part in a log home building class that is constructing a cabin for a developed recreation site near town. They built it at the local university and next week it will be transported and reconstructed at the campground next week. The pictures are amazing. I'll post some soon.

Clare and Ge Gee have been enjoying the playground and the beach on a regular basis.

Ride 'em cowgirl!



Whee!


Glamour girl!






Posing with my sunstar!
Loving Spencer...

Where Did A Month Go?

I can't even begin to imagine how time passes so quickly these days. The few short hours I get to spend with Little Lovey Sweet Sweet seem to fly by. Often, they are the best and the worst hours of her day. We see that super happy baby first thing in the morning, and stubborn, grouchy baby rears her head in the evening. All those hours of book reading, block stacking, beach combing, and naps are left for Auntie Gee Gee to oversee. I am counting down the days until I can once again enjoy them as well.


This past month has been a busy one for sure. LLSS took her first trip to the pool. It was a bit scary at first, but she warmed up to it. So much so, that in the end I was dealing with a screaming toddler unhappily getting out of the water. I am really beginning to understand the need for ultimate patience.


We also went herring fishing at the city dock with Daddy. That was great fun. LLSS loves the boats. She was super excited about the fish, until the got up on the dock. Then there was a series of, "No, no, no," as Mike whacked them on their heads and threw them in the bucket.

LLSS has been exploring the town with her Auntie Gee Gee. Uncle Chuck came for a visit and the three of them spent many hours at the beach, walking around downtown, and seeing the sights. LLSS made a fast friend with this cone. The vacuum is very jealous right now.

LLSS and Dae Dae's friendship continues to blossom. They spend a great deal of their days together trying to get what the other one has. The grass is always greener, I suppose. LLSS assumes that Dae Dae should do everything she tells him to. She told him to get in this chair with her. Don't they have the cutest baby feet? Occasionally Dae Dae has his own ideas. Sometimes this creates a bit of, well, tension.

My teaching job is almost over. Did I mention that I am counting the days? Twelve, in case you needed to know. I haven't counted days for a very long time. Tattling, chatting, and chair throwing have taken their toll on my tired, fragile nerves. I am looking forward to long days with a toddler, where that type of behavior is expected.

I once again tried my hand at the domestic chore of jam making. This time with success. The past three times I have ended up with syrup. The husband and I debated whether it should be called syrup, or just failed jam. I think that it is a win-win. If you get jam, good. If you don't, good. This batch was rhubarb-red huckleberry. I'll post pictures.

What Time Does The Sun Come Up?

We are dragging around here. Well, those of us in the adult age group. LLSS is full of wonderful, happy energy. So much so that she wants to get up earlier with each passing morning. Mike and I try to ignore her until at least five thirty, but that is getting harder and harder to do. Our daylight hours are rapidly increasing, so now she is going to bed when it is light and waking up when it is light. If this early waking trend continues, I am really not looking forward to June when she could be getting up at dawn (3 am) and trying to stay up until dusk (11 pm). You might soon be able to locate our house by the glare from the aluminum foil covered windows.

What do you get when you combine one mama, forty one insubordinate third graders, and no naps?

A rough day...

For both of us. There's really nothing more soothing than cuddling together on the couch and taking a quick nap before dinner.


On Friday night we made up for our early-to-bed Thursday by playing an invigorating game of Destroy Mom and Dad's Bed. The rules involve a series of jumps, screeches, laughs, climbs, and whatever new skill Little Lovey Sweet Sweet has developed over the week. For now, the most damage it does is to my eardrums, with all those high-pitched squeals of delight.

Here's LLSS, getting ready for more fun times on the bed. Apparently her pajama top was just too restricting.

Sweets for the Sweet

We have been a very busy household. I started teaching again last week. It really isn't too much extra work on my part, just less time to spend with the baby which is sad. She's spends her days with Gee Gee, whom she dearly loves. She spends her nights reminding me that I wasn't there during the day (sobbing at bedtime, waking several times at night, etc.). Not only am I gone, but Mike started going on four day work trips, so she is without him as well. Thank God for Gee Gee. We'd be in a world of hurt without her!

Here is a special little message I added to Little Lovey Sweet Sweet's Easter candy.


Here is LLSS in her Easter get-up. That blueberry stain came out like a dream with some Shout, the kind with the little brush at the top. I'll never buy anything else. This is the face we got when we prompted her to smile. At least she understood she should do something with her mouth, and it did get some good laughs from Dad!

LLSS, enjoy a trip to the beach with Gee Gee. She's sporting her new vest from Grandma Carol and Grandpa Bob. We're not sure if she is totally into it, but Gee Gee and I are so she gets to wear it a lot!

The artesean well. We haven't been here in a long time. It must be beer making time in the trailer! Here is LLSS trying to add a bit more flavor to the brew by filtering the water through her mitten.