Never a dull moment...

Do not worry when you view the photographs below. No, the children are not left unattended for hours. Yes, I do bathe them and try to give them healthy meals for the most part. The trouble is that they are fast...and creative...and delightfully curious!

Anika, full of anticipation for our dear neighbor, Rosemary, to arrive for a tea party.

Eben, caught in the act of snatching tea party goods before the guest of honor arrives.

The scene when I turn my back for a few minutes to attempt painting the new window seat in the dining room...

Kitchen cabinets are cleared, pots find a new use (thank you Eben)...

their respective lids become useful steering wheels (with the help of my leftover painter's tape.)

And finally, a few of the kids' new favorite things to do:

Slide down the stairs with footie pjs until overtaken with heat and exhaustion.

Practice Tap, Toe, and Tumble moves (Anika), or slip on some cowboy boots and make just as much noise as tap shoes anyhow! :)

Climb onto the sofa, reach onto the coffee table, grab, unwrap, and inhale as many Almond Rocas as possible before discovery. (I let him enjoy the fruits of his labor just this once, but put in him his highchair for it!)

Yesterday, Eben managed to pull out his lullaby CD in his room and switch the stereo to LOUD rock music. Anika came bursting out of the room exclaiming, "Mom, it's rockin' in there. I LOVE IT!" It's pretty hard not to laugh around here!:)

A few fun fall pics

There are few things more fun in autumn than

enjoying the confetti of leaves...

good for kicking,

and an extra cushion for running, jumping, and sliding.

Ahh, a first of many attempts (I am sure) for a Christmas picture. :)

A joyful little Eben, quite content to drum on his pumpkins.

And gearing up for the big monster truck ride with Greg, Darci, and Allie after finding four perfect pumpkins.

Much to love about fall!

Anika's World

Sometimes, late at night, I'll be attempting to tidy up our day's disasters around the house and I'll admit, I'll maybe be feeling a bit tired of doing the same old clean-up as the day before (and never a long-lasting, satisfying clean). But sometimes, in the middle of all my puttering and muttering, I am stopped by a scene that just makes me smile. It is a little window in Anika's thoughts--the animated world where plastic forks, toothpicks, dollies--anything, really, becomes alive and interacts with the world. Her scenes have been found just about everywhere...windowsills, behind sofas, on the picnic table,

In the bathtub: This circle of buddies have been hangin' out in our tub for weeks now. Sometimes the monkey can be spotted with a white washcloth draped over it's head and displayed behind. Monkey bride.

On my nightstand: Anika discovered an old Ikea lantern in the playroom, removed the dusty candle and replaced it with her bird finger puppet. It's resting atop a pile of mancala beads--the birds food, in case you didn't know. His home is made complete with an undie covering.

In her bed: I tucked Anika in her bed one night snug on her pillows, the day's clothes (including her pink poncho) strewn across her floor. I came in the next morning to Rose in the prime resting spot, wrapped in that sweet poncho. (Anika is perpendicular and at the foot her bed, where the blankets are bunched on the left.) Oh, to hear what transpired between her and Rose!:)

...and those things I do not clean up, but leave for another day of imagining, another day of mess-making...another day to be thankful and do both great and small tasks with joy.

Random things we've been up to lately...

Whenever people ask what we've been up to lately, I always feel at a loss. "Oh, I don't know, we've just been...busy," seems to sum it up. So, it's nice to have some pictures to capture what all our business really adds up to--enjoying nature, friends, and family.

Anika started a new gym class at NASA Gymnastics. It seems to suit her perfectly and it's a joy to watch...

One of the kids' "big cousins," Gabby, is cheering for Gig Harbor HS. We got to watch her at her first game. I think they knew about 50 cheers with different moves for each--we were impressed!


Go Gabby!




The "sandbox" (long jump pit) was quite an attraction as well.

My little garden is on its second round this year. Anyone want kale? I am blown away by the monstrous tomato plants that are now sprawling across the grass. How did those 3 cute little plant get so out-of-control? Eben likes to pick the green ones and he eats them too. :)





Can you guess who helped me pick this batch of tomatoes?

One of our hollyhocks from Grammy June, reminding us of her and the beauty she enjoys.

I started a watercolor class this week at Open Arts Studio in Tacoma. Stop laughing! No pics to post, but you all know what you'll be getting for Christmas this year you lucky ducks.

Ed has been busy training Obi on weeknights and taking him out into the fields on the weekends. He's got all the basics down, and is learning the love of bird blood.:)He's going to be Ed's hunting buddy soon, so no time to waste.

Anika's little buddy, Dee, had a wonderful b-day party, full of those games you always played as a kid and forgot how fun they are--sack races, water balloon tosses, and tug-of-war. We all had a blast!

Ebbs popped a few tiny holes in his water balloon and spend the rest of the game time enjoying a gentle mist.

Teamin' up...

Jackson Wade is here, baby.

Congrats, T & A, and welcome, Jack McEwen! Jack was born Friday, Sept. 4th, and he's a perfect 10 for the brood of cousins. We've been looking forward to meeting you, and we love you already, little guy!

So sweet and content snuggled up to his mama.

A radiant mama after a peaceful home birth. Andrea and Tim were gracious enough to let us invade the house post-birth and Anika got a chance to hold Jack with her auntie--something she will never forget. Now, everything is measured in comparison to Jack, and if it's even tinier than him, she says, "No, now that is as tiny as Mairead's baby!"

No wonder the babies keep coming--we've got Dani the rock star doula! This girl never gets tired.:)

Naomi, Anika, and Gretta, happy to have another cousin to snuggle.

Adventures in Port Angeles

Last week we headed for the beach for a little R & R. Just kidding, not a whole lot of relaxing around here, but we did have a rockin' week! The Woods family drove over from Idaho and we discovered the magnificence of Freshwater Bay, just outside of Port Angeles. Ed caught his first big daddy salmon, Eben swam nakie in the Elwah River, and Anika was happy as a clam with the three Woods girls. I enjoyed some long, scenic walks along the roads and trails less traveled and a dip in the icy salt-water. As for Obi, what's not to love about lots of water, five kids to play with (and drop tidbits from each meal), and lots of open space? :) It was a good time for all, and we're already looking forward to exploring the Olympics more.

Even Obi had to stop what he was doing to check out Ed's catch. Yum, way to bring home the dinner, Dad!


When we walked along the rocky shoreline of Freshwater Bay, we eventually reached the mouth of the Elwah River. The seagulls gathered there, and the water was interesting to watch--a tug-of-war between the salt and fresh waters. Anika, Reece, and Olivia were undaunted by the chilly water and waded up to their tummies over the slippery riverbed to reach this rocky landing. Anika was exuberant once she got there, exclaiming, "Oh, it's a TROPICAL ISLAND!" She hasn't traveled much...:)

With the help of Brandon and Ed, the kids build a "house," and spent hours playing different versions of family life on the beach. Mother/father/baby, mother & father die, kids are left to fend for themselves. Mother and no father b/c none of the girls are willing to be the man at the moment, etc.

Eben and his new buddy, Emery. This picture wasn't posed, just captured a sweet little snuggle between the two. When he wasn't snuggling, Eben spent a good deal of the trip perfecting his rock throwing and standing under the stereo, shakin' it to the music.

Olympic Game Farm Pics

Besides beautiful weather and scenery, nearby Sequim offers a rather bizarre but fascinating drive-thru farm. We unbuckled the kids, plopped them on our laps, and drove them through to get a close-up look at everything from Zebras to Ek, and Rhinos. We bought two loaves of bread at the gate, and the kids did their best to aim and toss. Below, Eben is checking out a Tibetan Yak.

If you have never smelled Bison breath...be thankful. A few didn't want to get their noggins out of our Subaru, much to Anika's horror and Eben's delight. Below is a Kodiak Bear, a surprisingly docile guy. Probably too much bread. The trip ended with a visit to the gift shop, where I discovered one can purchase, among other odds and ends, "Olympic Game Farm Body Mist." Can't imagine that one is a big seller. :)

Just a few more pics of fishing, the view from our beach bungalow, and our sweet pup.

A big week...

The last 7 days have been full of changes for Anika. I guess every day is, but these ones were pretty significant to me and made me realize my little girl is...still little, but capable of so much!

The big 3:

1)Anika learned how to "pump" her legs on a swing. I had to laugh; she sure didn't learn from all the times I tried to explain/demonstrate at the park! Nope, this is how she explained it: "I was watching Bubby and I was like, 'Oh, that's how you do it.' So I was doing it like him and going a little bit higher and a little bit higher." I think I'll miss pushing her (and her begging for an "underdoggie"), but it's fun to watch her go as high as she pleases!

2) Anika learned to ride a bike-sans training wheels! She took off, second try, and rode all the way down the tennis courts. The only skill she's still working on (and my mantra while I was teaching her) is ,"Focus only on the pedals and steering!" That's kinda hard, though, when there are so many interesting people to watch and when one has to keep checking to make sure Mom is NOT holding onto the seat still. :) Anyway, she's great.

3) Kans completed her first 100-piece puzzle. Oh yes, a girl after Grammy Sally's own heart! She picked a Ben 10 Alien Force puzzle (no, she has no idea who that is), and chose that over breakfast this morning.

A proud moment after completing her masterpiece. :)