The Great Potato Harvest

It was an exciting morning last week when my eldest declared we should harvest potatoes. As suspected, the event was delightful so it is with first hand knowledge I repeat the recommendation that all should grow potatoes, regardless of age!The kids were bursting as we unearthed the purple and brown spuds and honestly, I was too. Each turn of the soil brought happy kid chatterings and eager hand digging. It was a fun, dirty finger nail morning! We are saving the potatoes in a cool place to enjoy for our Thanksgiving feast. We had a small crop, as some potatoes revealed the chickens had been enjoying the bounty as well!! I had thought the hens simply liked the cool shade of the plants, unaware of the happy munchings they were partaking in. Thankfully they only ate those close to the surface and there were plenty deeper down for us to enjoy too. While we dug, all 13 hens gathered around watching us, surprised by the goodness they had missed perhaps.

hands down the best dad ever

So, 2 nights ago something comical happened. Natalie had built a fort of cardboard boxes and various garage things outside near the chicken coop. She was tucked inside and peeked out to say, "I want to sleep out here tonight." I laughed and told her she'd get too cold. She persisted. Now, as a stay at home mom I sometimes feel like the bad parent, meaning the one getting the lions share of saying 'no'. So, I decided she should ask her dad. After all this was a no brainer 'no', right? I proceeded inside and made dinner, did laundry and other domestic glamorous things. I glanced out the window and noticed Ted setting up our back packing tent in the back yard. I thought uh-oh. Backfire big time. I casually called out, "Hey, what are you guys up to?" Ted replied that Will and Natalie were going to spend the night outside in the tent. Nat had mentioned I told her to ask him and he thought it was a great idea. "Ok" I said in shock. Ted came in and we discussed it. He assured me they would be fine. He exclaimed that our kids were amazing and the fact that they wanted to do this was something we needed to encourage. He was stoked and I was nauseous. The kids outside alone?!?! I hoped their plans would waver as darkness and cold set in, but the opposite occurred. Immediately following dinner they said goodnight mom and dad we're going to bed. And off they went, outside. Lydia slept in an inside fort in the toy room with her caterpillar. When all were sleeping I told Ted we had to carry them all back to their beds but he insisted they stay. He told me not to worry because he would go out and sleep in the tent too. "On a work night!" I exclaimed. He laughed and at 10:30 off he went in his mummy bag. They had a grand adventure. They made memories that will last forever. I am grateful for my husband who has the super power of playing like a kid. I love it.

fertilization

Tuesday was a spectacular fall day. I took the kids to Tumwater Falls for a hike, in hopes of spotting the caboose of salmon journeying up stream. We were able to spot a few stragglers that sadly will most likely not make it to their destination.

Each year we visit this park and others and witness what is in my mind nothing short of a miracle. The journey salmon make to their home water where they were born is incredible. As a side note, if you live in WA check out McLane Creek in November.

This year, Natalie was particularly interested in what the salmon were up to and what would come of them. I explained the life cycle several times emphasizing the circle of life. (Go ahead, break out your Lion King soundtrack.) Natalie asked me, "Do only the female salmon swim up stream to lay the eggs?" I replied, "No, males and females make the journey." She said, "You mean in salmon the male and females lay eggs?" "No, only the females." I said. "Then why do the males swim up stream?" she innocently asked. "Because they are needed to fertilize the eggs. With out them, there would be no hatching of the eggs." I said. "When I was an egg did Daddy have to fertilize me?" She said. "Yes." I cautiously replied. With a puzzled look she asked, "Well, how did Daddy fertilize me?!?!" And there it was. The birds and the bees question posed by my 6 1/2 year old in a way that was her own and all Natalie. "How did daddy fertilize me when I was an egg?"

My response, "Well, God made a special way for that to happen and it is something you and I can talk about when you get a little older." "Ok" she replied. Needless to say, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Buttons

I don't know what it is about buttons, vintage ones especially, but I just love them. I bought a large tin of old buttons a while back on craigslist. Yes, a random item to search for, but I did and found them!

I've used the buttons to dress up cards, added them to clothing and even made button rings. (Pictured) Other times, I just need creative inspiration or a smile so I'll rummage the tin and there I often find a new idea and a grin. Buttons, you are delightful!

BUTTON RING HOW TO

Materials:
Buttons
Embroidery Thread
Needle
Elastic

What to do:
Cut a length of elastic that fits around the button owners finger snug, but not cut off circulation snug.

Sew the end of the elastic together, forming a circular ring.

Choose your buttons. This is the fun part! You can stack multiples or grace the elastic with a single button.

Next. Using embroidery thread, hand sew the button to the elastic.

Put on and enjoy!

Button rings are guaranteed to bring a smile to your melon.

golfing memories

I was on the golf team in high school. I don't usually share this because first it rarely comes up in normal conversation and second, people assume I must be really good, which I am not. I joined the team to learn the sport and be with my BFF Tanya. Golf was a blast. We would hit buckets and buckets and buckets of range balls and then go collect them by hand and do it again. We'd practice chipping for what seemed like forever and then go golf 9 or 18. My first home course tournament began with me driving the ball into an old farm silo to the right of the fairway. The silo was roofless and my lucky shot landed right inside. I crawled in the silo to shoot it out a 3 foot by 2 foot hole. This opening drive provides perfect imagery for my golfing career. As my mom still declares, I have a beautiful swing, but as I like to point out everything else came with great effort.

What I love about golf. I LOVE walking the course. I am not the golfer that rents a cart. I so enjoy golfing in the early morning when the grass is wet and dewed up. I never had a golf glove or golfing shoes. Not because I didn't want them, rather I felt one needed to be to a certain level to wear that kind of attire. I never arrived there. I golfed 2 times this past summer with Ted. We had a blast, but it wasn't pretty. In fact, one hole I was so frustrated I put myself on a time out for the next hole. After that I decided to not count the strokes, whiffs, penalties and so on. I am thankful to my high school gold coach Mr. Gadd. I tell you that man had patients like a Saint! I am thankful to know a game that I can enjoy today and in my future blue hair days as well. One last memory, I once got hit by my own golf ball in a tournament. The ball left indents in my forehead. I had forgotten to yell fore.

My whirligig is on the HUTCH blog!

I am so excited!!! Here is where I took the whirligig workshop. My self proclaimed master piece is pictured on the lower left. It makes me SMILE! 3 cheers for HUTCH!

http://hutchstudio.blogspot.com/2010/10/latest-whirlygig-workshop.html

Pet Peeve

Robin, "Oh, what an adorable daughter you have. How old is she?" Unnamed mother, "Oh thanks, Sally is 38 1/2 months old. I can't believe how big she's getting!"

Please pause while I scream and rip my hair out.

Baldless Robin, "That's a fun age. Have a good day." In my head, "Ahhhhhhhhhhh... You mean just over 3!?! Yes, your baby is getting big and so the need to express her age in months is no more."

Why do parents feel the need to communicate their child's age in months? I really don't understand and it does annoy me. Picture this, "Hey Robin how old are you?" and I respond "I'm 422 months." Doesn't that make you want to vomit?

So, how old is too old in my mind and my world? Well, I think if they are UNDER 1 year, month it out. Savor it up saying 11 months because then you should be done. I know this might seem harsh, but that's my thought.

When my kids were let's say 17 months old, I just rounded it to a year and half when answering people. When they were 2 months from being 3 I just said he'll be 3 in a couple months. What is hilarious to me is so many people don't like this. I often had people convert their ages to months for me. For example, someone would ask me how old Lydia was and I would say a year a half. They would respond with, "Oh, she's tall for 18 months." To which I would reply, "Well aren't you the mathematican now?" Just kiddding, I never said that. I just smiled and nodded. I also yanked out some hair and sighed internally.

10 Years

Ted and I celebrated 1o years of marriage in September. We had a beautiful day together. He arranged for childcare and we spent the afternoon at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, kidless. Following the zoo, we went shopping and to dinner at Stanley and Seaforts in Tacoma. Yum-O! I highly recommend the lobster bisque, it's excellent. Why the zoo? The night Ted proposed he brought me to dinner at Stanley's and then to Zoo lights. He was recreating and the intentionality of his plans touched me deeply.

Ted and I met in college and began dating our sophomore year in. We dated 5 years before tying the knot. As we reflect back on the last 10 years of marriage, we are overwhelmed by the goodness of God. Marriage isn't always easy, and ours has been no exception. BUT, God has been faithful to restore us again and again. We have 3 amazing kids together and they are our delight. We both tear up when we talk about them and adore living life as a family of 5. I am so in love with this man. I am so passionate about growing old with him.

Anniversary day was filled with surprises, probably my favorite being some diamonds at home around my neck. I LOVE diamonds. I do. I'm not always the most girly girl, but do melt like butter from those rocks. Beautiful, just beautiful. I can't wait to see what is unveiled in the next 10 years.