BREEZY FIELDS

Last Friday I was able to go with Ellyn's class to the Seattle Aquarium. I think that perhaps Disneyland is the only place on Earth that makes Ellyn happier than an aquarium. In my dream house I would have one whole wall of Ellyn's room a real, salt water tank. That sounds doable and low maintenance, right? It was as if all of Western Washington was celebrating that Mrs. A.... received a grant and was able to take two classes to the Seattle Aquarium. The sky was blue for the first time in ages. Children and adults were happy and buoyed by a fabulous outing with amazing weather. Ellie Boo loved the entire day. What could be better than a long bus ride, a walk along the water, and an aquarium? As much as possible, I let her hang out near the huge tank at the entrance. She was also quite taken with the seals. I was taken with the view of the Sound while sitting near the seals. I am so happy when this girl is happy:-) - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

There is part of me that aches for the days of snuggling little babies.  Chubby cheeks, chubby buns, the way my Jane called all meat "Hoggie."  Sadie called herself  "Deedee," Ellyn would nuzzle into my neck, Sawyer could pronounce no consonants.  Toddling little bodies, with bright smiles, and wispy curls.  I loved it.  I couldn't do it again, but I love it and miss it. We were looking through videos and pictures one rainy Saturday afternoon and we (Mike, Sadie, Sawyer, and I) were laughing... and I was crying.  We have so many years of amazing memories. But...  I love this stage as well.  I enjoy being able to have real conversations with my kids, I appreciate their humor, I love doing things that we all love to do as their ideas of fun grow up. I was thinking all of this the other night, in Mike's den.  Mike was changing his photos out on his Facebook profile.  He decided the background photo for his page should be a pictur...

Anyone that knows Sadie will not be surprised when I tell you the girl rocked the ... Middle School production of "Snow White Goes West."  No, she wasn't Snow or Queenie or a dwarf.  Nope, she was a 6th grader, talent yet to be determined when she auditioned, nobody.  Sadie was a dwarf cousin, an extra, if you will.  EXTRA amazing!  Seriously, I will be humble when I need to be.  But...  I'm so proud of Sadie.  By the time the play was ready to perform Sadie had two speaking lines, a solo line in one of the songs, and was part of two featured dancing groups.  Her facial expressions were... incredibly expressive, comical, appropriate, completely enjoyable to watch.  She has a gift, she's a natural, a joy to watch.  Her teacher thought so too.  She told me that she can't wait to have Sadie for two more years, that she has high hopes for what our girl can do.  Okay, the rest of the performers also did well.  The play wa...

Ellie Boo is waiting in the back seat of the truck, listening to Wicked. We are dropping Mike off for yet another work trip to Yakima. None of us like it when dad has to be gone and this is his third business trip in less than a month. Yakima is not his dream destination. He has to have some sort of balance though. He spent a week in San Diego at the beginning of the month. So, since I haven't been blogging for many moons I will list his previous destinations- Japan, Australia, Orlando, Germany. I try to remind myself that while he was policing the villages and cities of Iraq I was taking road trips to Prague and Venice. However, I think we might be starting to balance out:-). Last time Mike was in Yakima he had to install antennas or an antenna on a hill top, driving it in to solid rock in 50 mph winds and 30 degree weather. I don't know if this exaggerated, but if it is, it's not by much. We will be spending another wet gray day at home today because Sawyer ...

These two love each other so much. All of my children love each other but Ellyn definitely thinks of Sadie as her playmate. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sawyer played basketball this winter, for the first time. I signed him up with the six and seven year olds vs. the kindergarteners. This may have been a mistake, since he had never played before and there were some extremely old seven year olds out there. However, it didn't seem to bother Sawyer. He loved it and did his best. Such a positive and charming kid! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Yesterday, as Sawyer and I were driving home, Sawyer said to me, "Mom, you are the best mom in the entire world and I love you. When we get home I am going to give you a hug and a kiss and a diet Dr. Pepper. I'm not going to play video games for an hour and I'm going to practice my reading and hang out with you and dad." That kid knows how to show the love;-) Today it rained and rained and rained. It really started to make me ornery. I had to keep picturing Mike over in Yakima, in horrible weather, trying to put up antennas for an Army exercise to help me put things in perspective. I don't understand how people live and love this weather their entire lives, knowing there are clear skies and sunshine out there somewhere. I'm just trying to hold out for two and a half more winters. Sometimes I feel so weak minded, but it makes me batty. It isn't that I am unhappy. I am absolutely in love with my husband. Seriously, he is gone for one day today and...

Our church now begins at 1:00.  I remember my mom hating late church, I think she wanted to get up and out the door.  Mike doesn't like it during football season, completely understandable.  I've decided I really love it.  I can sleep in, something I cannot do any other day of the week.  I can make a big breakfast, or not.  I can take a walk, read, throw a dinner in the crock pot.  I can actually get my hair washed, dried, and even curled if I so desire.  Also, when I get home from church it is actually dinner time.  This is very convenient on Fast Sundays. I was on Pinterest the other night, in my bed, before I went to sleep.  That is about the only time I ever look at Pinterest, except if I am making a recipe or finding a project for the kids to do. Well, there was a diagram of what successful people do vs. unsuccessful.  I have to say I had a few traits of both.  One thing that successful people did that unsuccessful peopl...