cedros productions

hair

2012-01-16T07:41:00.000-08:00

i should know better than to mess with my children's hair.
sam sam needed a bang trim, and i figured i could trim it, and buy us a few more weeks before scheduling a real haircut. so i grabbed the kitchen scissors and took a little off the top.

it seemed fine, until i stood back. holy bad haircuts batman!
i would like to blame the seventeen million cowlicks he has in the front of his head, but really, i have zero talent for cutting hair.

thankfully, there are a handful of barbershops nearby.

barbershops with trained professionals who handily repaired the damage, and were kind enough not to mock.

brilliant ideas

2012-01-09T01:30:00.000-08:00

i love happening upon a brilliant idea.
although, truth be told, i'm often fashionably late to the idea, so you may already know this little tidbit i'm about to share. if not, consider this my own personal little public service announcement to you and yours.

miss moo loves apples. i would love to send them to school for lunch, but she has trouble eating a whole apple, especially given she's sans front teeth. when i slice it, the pieces gets all brown and icky.
we tried giving the slices a sprinkle of lemon juice, but that wasn't well received.

one day, whilst perusing the internets, i happened upon something called an aussie apple.
apparently, it's commonplace, when one is down under, to slice your apples, piece them back together, and secure with a rubber band.

i am pleased to report that this really does work.

the slices don't get discolored, and my wee girl loves having a puzzle as a part of her lunch.

those aussies think of everything.

apple dappy

2012-01-03T02:30:00.000-08:00

i received this new cookbook for christmas, and tested it out new year's morning.
this little beauty is an apple dappy. it's a traditional dish from the western side of the british isle. it's a cross between a bread pudding and a cinnamon roll, with baked apples rolled up inside.

it was lovely, especially with a touch of cream poured over the top. i altered the recipe a smidge, adding cardamom to the dough (to add more flavor), and adding cinnamon to the apples as they were cooking. i think the next attempt will include some apple, or pear, brandy to the baked apples.

this cookbook is fantastic. oodles of great recipes for fruit based baked goods. i would highly recommend adding this to your cookbook collection, if for no other reason that you can add something called an apple dappy to your baking repertoire.

new year

2012-01-01T00:30:00.000-08:00

i love the start of a new year, although it takes my feeble mind a good three months before i remember to write the new year correctly.
i start every new year with a mad cleaning, a symbolic gesture to toss out the old and welcome the new. i love the idea of a fresh start, the possibility of trying something new, and new beginnings.

this new year of 2012 brings many unknowns for us, especially in the realm of employment. as a planner, i'm no fan of the unknown, so i'm very grateful for my loving family, my sweet and supportive friends, and the wild and wacky wee cedri.
i also have insider info, and know that this new year has a few joyous distractions and an exciting adventure, or two, up it's sleeve, so i'm ready to dive in and see what 2012 has to offer.

my wish for the new year is to handle all that comes my way with grace, something i'm frequently lacking.
my wish for you all is that your new year be filled with the love of family and friends, with giggles and kisses, with oodles of good food and wine, a heaping dose of silliness, and lots of joy.
oh, and a pair (or two) of sassy new shoes.

cheers!
marf

we had a holly jolly christmas

2011-12-28T01:30:00.000-08:00

the wee cedri had a lovely holiday.
it began with the arrival of auntie sarah and gramma sue.
auntie sarah was on childcare duties for the first few days and she took the wee cedri (and two of their best buds) hither and yon. i'm not sure what all they did, but i know that it must have been oodles of fun, because i arrived home every night to blissfully exhausted children.
gramma sue got us all caught up on laundry, which is no small feat.

thanks to everyone who came to our rescue while daddyo was away.

(apologies for the blurry photos, these are from a cell phone)

daddyo arrived home on the 23rd, just in time, and our world returned to it's normal level of chaos.

fleas on my dog

2011-12-18T01:00:00.000-08:00

it started out innocently enough.
the wee cedri were learning christmas carols and were quick to pick up the words.
who knew that one video would lead to a family tradition.

this one started it all.

then came this one.

and now, this.

i fear it will only get worse.

unrealistic expectations

2011-12-17T09:29:00.000-08:00

in typical me fashion, i aimed high - to post a video a day for daddyo - and haven't quite made it.
i always have the best of intentions, but life seems to get in the way.
so, apologies to my beloved.
the wee cedri and i are tired and sad without you, but i know this separation is hardest on you.

i'll post pictures and videos as i can, but this daily thing isn't happening.
that being said, i captured some today.

on the third day...

2011-12-15T07:36:00.000-08:00

on the first (and second) day of christmas...

2011-12-14T07:39:00.000-08:00

this is not the most enthusiastic showing for the wee cedri. they were up late at their school holiday concert, so they're a little slow moving this morning.

twelve days

2011-12-13T13:02:00.000-08:00

please pardon what will be a long twelve days of videos.
daddyo is out of the county for an extended period.
no, not on a covert mission, but that would be awesome, so let's pretend that he is.

while he's off fighting crime, and riding the world of evil, he's missing a slew of holiday activities- from the school concert, to cookie baking, to auntie b's twelve days of christmas, and we're all missing him like mad.
the time change makes communication a challenge, so i'm posting some videos of his wee cedri for him to see. feel free to attend to other business and come back after the new year.
i can't promise things will be more exciting then, but they're not terribly exciting now and you're still here.
you must have already checked facebook a few times today.

a bit of background - the twelve days of christmas are serious business at chez cedros.
it involves a little tree with twelve little boxes, and those boxes contain clues. every morning, the wee cedri read their clue and head off in search of their prize. this picture is from one of the early years, when sam realized that he couldn't read the clue.

this year he can, and he's feeling mighty proud.

ps - we miss you daddyo.
giant smoochies from the wee cedri and me.

i spy

2011-12-12T01:30:00.000-08:00

the wee cedri are all about spying.
they skulk around the house, sneak up, and scare the bejesus out of me.
then fall over laughing while i'm left to triage my small heart attack.

maria likes to observe and take notes.
here's one i happened upon.
i love how it captures our awesome parenting skills in action.

yes, yes, it's true.
she's busted me.
in truth, i spend my days lounging and chatting on the "phown", this whole working gig is just a facade.

a bevy of books

2011-12-09T00:30:00.000-08:00

here are a few of my favorite books from this year.
i was part of a panel presenting best books of 2011- my area was biography/memoir, so the list is heavy in that area. all you fiction fans, don't be dissuaded. i promise these all read like fiction.
i've added a few others that i think are pretty darned fabulous.

WARNING: if you are married to me, my offspring, or my older sister - do not read any further.

you will ruin a surprise. so don't do it. if you do, i will know.

seriously.
i will.
so just stop now and come back next week.

for the rest of you, may your holiday season be filled with oodles of books, and snippets of quiet time to enjoy them.

disclaimer: i am linking to amazon, so you can easily see additional reviews for these books. if you choose to purchase one, i encourage you to support a local bookstore.

Biography

A Long Goodbye by Meghan O'Rourke
This is, hands down, my favorite book of the year. I want to read it again, and again. It's the debut book from acclaimed poet and journalist O'Rourke. It tells the tale of her mother's battle with cancer, her subsequent death, and the affect on the entire family. O'Rourke deftly takes you to the edge of sadness, only to bring you back with a moment of lightness and hope. Her writing is beautiful. This was one of those books that I didn't want to end. When I finished it, I couldn't read anything else for a few days for fear of wrecking the importance of what I had just experienced. If you have ever experienced loss, or grief - really, who hasn't? - then this book is like a giant hug. It validates every feeling you've ever had, and backs them up with research. that just makes a librarian drool.

House of Prayer No. 2 by Mark Richard
This book officially blew my mind. Mark Richard, an award winning author, grew up in the south. Richard is physically disabled and it was assumed he was also mentally challenged. He was tossed from his parents home, to hospitals, to foster home and witnessed horrific violence. There was not one person who believed in him enough to help him overcome obstacles, but he had incredible inner strength.
Enough to prove everyone around him wrong, and enough to lead a fascinating life.

Townie by Andre Dubus III
A beautiful coming of age story about Dubus and his three brothers growing up in the suburbs of Boston. Dubus is a fiction writer and this book reads like a novel.
It's got all the makings of a great movie, from father/son conflict, to little guy who rises up to greatness, and, of course, good vs evil.
His writing is simple and lovely, an interesting contrast to the content which is often gritty and bold.

The Chronology of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch
I didn't want to read this book. The content seemed exhausting, but the reviews were too compelling. So I read it, and I was riveted beyond words. Thankfully, author Diana Abu-Jaber's review perfectly captures my feelings about this memoir. "Flooded with light and incandescent beauty, Lidia Yuknavitch's The Chronology of Water cuts through the heart of the reader. These fierce life stories gleam, fiery images passing just beneath the surface of the pages. You will feel rage, fear, release, and joy, and you will not be able to stop reading this deeply brave and human voice."

The Source of All Things by Tracy Ross
Ross, a nature writer for Backpacker and Outside magazines, recounts her childhood, the sudden death of her father when she was quite young, her mother's remarriage, her adoration for her stepfather, and his subsequent abuse.
For those who were moved by Emma Donoghue's Room, this memoir will have a similar affect. Ross's loved for nature and the outdoors, a passion instilled by her father, and continued by her stepfather, is the one thing that saves her. Like Room, this is a hard read, but it is so beautifully written, and offers such hope, that it is well worth it.

Children's Books

Dinosaurs' Night Before Christmas by Anne Muecke
I brought this book home from the library to see what the wee cedri would think. They liked the story, but they loved the accompanying cd. The book is read by Al Roker, who has a lovely reading voice, but the best part is the additional songs at the end. there are a handful of christmas carols song in dinosaur style. there is an "allosaurus chorus" instead of the hallelujah chorus, and deck the halls with stegosaurus. sam sam falls over laughing each time he hears the carols. it's worth buying simply for that.

Everything On It by Shel Silverstein
Maria moo is a huge Shel Silverstein fan. She reads where the sidewalk ends on a weekly basis, so this new book will be waiting for her under the tree. There are amazing poetry books for kids. Poetry is a great way to work on early literacy skills, as it introduces kids to new words that are fun to say, and roll off the tongue, and rhyme. As a nonfiction lover, I also think it's never to early to introduce kids to the real stuff.

Cookbooks

Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi
This book is utter food porn at it's best. I checked it out of the library (one of my fav chefs recommends doing this to test out a book to see if you really want to add it to your collection). daddyo tested it out. The recipes, and photos, are amazing. The only con is that in essentially every recipe there's some weird ingredient, typically an herb. In the two recipes that daddyo made, we simply omitted the ingredient and it turned out fine. you can also google the ingredient to see if there's an alternative, or better yet, call your local librarian and she/he will check for you.

Cooking In The Moment: A Year of Seasonal Recipes
A fellow librarian, and local food blogger, proclaimed this her favorite cookbook of 2011. She says that while it's encourages local, seasonal foods, it does so in a lovely way, and doesn't get all caught up in itself.
The author is a North Carolina based chef, but her recipes are accessible and not limited to regional items. There are over 130 recipes and oodles of beautiful images. It's going to be under my tree for a certain someone who does the majority of the cooking in our house.

Fiction

Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz and David Hayward
I have a mad crush on Lisa Lutz. I love her Spellmen series. They are witty, smart mysteries, light on the scary and heavy on the funny.
Her latest is effort is an interesting concept where each writer takes a chapter and the other adds to it. The rules are you can not change what the other person wrote, but you can write whatever you want. To add to the madness, Lutz co-wrote this with an ex beau.
It's a story within a story, difficult to do for many, but not Lutz. She can do anything, this one is spectacularly well done.
Good news for fellow Spellman lovers, Trail of the Spellmans: document #5 is slated for release in February of 2012.

Nonfiction

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?
Mindy Kaling is similar to Jen Lancaster (Bitter is the new black), they are both smart, funny, and self deprecating. But Kahling's first book seemed, to me, smarter than others of this same genre. Maybe because Kahling is a graduate of Dartmouth. Maybe because I'm easily impressed with big name, east coast schools. Who knows, but it was a light, entertaining read that didn't ask too much of me, except to chuckle now and then.

American Nations: A History of the the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America
I love me some American cultural history. If you do as well, here is the book for you.
American Nations captures the history of our fractured continent, and the rivalries and alliances. He illustrates and explains why "American" values vary sharply from one region to another. Woodard reveals how intranational differences have played a pivotal role at every point in the continent's history, from the American Revolution and the Civil War to the tumultuous sixties and the "blue county/red county" maps of recent presidential elections. (paraphrased from amazon)

tangerine

2011-12-07T21:07:00.001-08:00

pantone, color advisers to the world, have announced the color for 2012.
it's tangerine.
tangerine tango, to be exact.
i've not loved the color choices for the past years, so i'm excited to finally have a color that rocks, or tangos.
can't wait to see how this color emerges in the design and fashion worlds for 2012.

yes, to the naked eye, it does indeed look orangy red, but let the professional color people describe the power of the tangerine.
Tangerine Tango, a spirited reddish orange, continues to provide the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward.
“Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”

meow.
happy tangerine new year to you and yours.

i just wore a skirt that was this exact color. could this possibly mean that for the first time in my forty three years i'll actually be in style? probably not, but let me enjoy my small moment of pseudo glory.

lisp

2011-12-05T09:13:00.001-08:00

my moo moo girl lost her second top tooth last night.
she let me yank it out. the child is timid in many a situation, but also a mighty brave lass at times i least expect it.
she's thrilled because her most beloved christmas carol is, "all i want for christmas is my two front teeth", sadly for us, she also loves, "grandma got run over by a reindeer."
both make me crave the three tenors, or complete silence, but i fear we are in for daily renditions of the tooth song.

she spent the evening testing out her new lisp, which is not nearly as pronounced as she would like.

letters

2011-12-01T09:47:00.001-08:00

i received this pile of correspondence in the mail from someone I've been bestest friends with for thirty three years. i'm a well known purger, and am grateful for friends who are savers, keepers of these wonderful memories.

these letters are from our college years, and a few beyond. many of them were from this exact time of year, in 1988, when i was in northern england. it was surreal to read the letters sharing news of my grandfathers illness, then death. what a gift to read through these. what a gift to have a friend is brilliant, thoughtful, hysterical, and a fellow shoe lover.

i love the print from my apple IIe, and the ream of paper. so many amazing memories we've shared over the past three decades. thanks to spell-check, the correspondence for the next thirty three years will have fewer spelling errors, but just as much love.

lefse

2011-11-27T16:49:00.000-08:00

i've been meaning to make lefse for a good twenty years.
like everything, you think there will be plenty of time, and the person who can best teach you will be around forever. but there always a distraction, something more pressing, and oh...shiny...pretty.
this is a long winded way of saying that, apparently, i'm easily distracted.

i have all of my grandma's lefse implements, so i figured now was as good a time as any to make an attempt.
ever the librarian, i researched the lefse making process. i consulted my grandma's recipe book, and a few other scandinavian baking books. i also checked youtube, which was awash in helpful lefse making videos.

the bad news?
it's considerably harder than it looks
the good news?
mine didn't totally suck.
the flavor is close, but not quite spot on, yet. i also didn't roll them thin enough. apparently, there's a fine line between rolling it thin and being able to successfully transfer it to the lefse iron.
for the record, i'm no where near that fine line.

i think i need to make these with someone who actually knows what they are doing. thankfully, there's a food cart that makes killer lefse. i'm chatting with them about lessons, and hoping they will consider trading lessons for krumkake.

wind up

2011-11-21T02:30:00.000-08:00

thanksgiving used to be my most favorite holiday.
the thanksgivings of my youth involved cars loaded with food, kids, pets, and grandparents.
we would head up to celebrate by the frozen shores of lake superior.

my dad's birthday is right around thanksgiving, so the weekend had an extra sprinkling of celebratory fun. we would eat, ski, snuggle by the fire, read oodles of books, watch movies, and cut down our christmas tree. and, if the photo above is any indicator, apparently i would spend a ton of time making my hair huge and sulking.

after my dad died, the holiday lost its luster.
our new thanksgiving tradition is lovely, warm, yummy, and fills me with happiness, but it still feels like there is something missing, because there is.

so many of the holiday traditions that i loved involved my dad. a part of me wants to reinstitute these traditions with my family, the other part wants to keep them safely tucked away because i'm not sure i can handle any of them without sobbing. it's been seven years and you would think that i would just get over the damn grief and move on.
but i can't.
i miss him, especially this time of year.
i miss his wit, his brilliance, his mad style, and his love for family traditions and holidays. and i hate that he is missing all of this. he would find such joy in what his girls (aimes, you too as the bonus daughter) are all doing with our lives, and the antics of his grandchildren.
oh, he would be simply mad for the grandchildren.

so, in an effort to be more joyous and less melancholy (given my penchant for drama), we wind up early to fully embrace the holiday season.
we've already done the following:
the wee cedri made their christmas lists,
i bought christmas ornaments,
and i've put up a few decorations.

but most importantly, we are listening to carols.
i know it's wrong, but i love them.
especially this one.
because it makes me smile.
and my sweet papa loved christmas carols. he would play them loud and do a little soft shoe shuffle around the house.

here's one for you dad.
this wouldn't be your choice of tunes, and you would have some opinions about their hair, but you would dance nonetheless.

(note the pensive dude from spandau ballet, the solemn ladies of bananarama, and the random wafts of cig smoke. the brits did the 80s so well)

survivor

2011-11-18T01:00:00.000-08:00

i'm not much of a fan of the survivor tv show.
mostly because they seem to go to places with large, super creepy bugs.
but also because i feel like surviving day to day life is considerably harder than their quest for an immunity idol.

wednesday was one of those days.
let me begin by saying that daddyo is out of town, so we are playing shorthanded.
sam sam was barking, and not in an i am pretending to be a dog kind of way. more in the barking like a seal/i have croup kind of way. he's had it before and i knew that no amount of steam, or exposure to cold air would help. he suffered his way through the night, his little coughs interrupting his sleep.

in the morning, he came in for a snuggle and asked to stay home from school.
he didn't have a fever, or dripping nose, but i knew he was tired.
i had a huge staff meeting first thing in the morning, and an interview panel later in the day. two things that i could miss, but it would leave others hanging.
i tried a nanny, but no one was free. i speed dialed auntie b, but by that time he was more fully awake and happily noshing a waffle, so i opted to send him to school.
yes, i am that mother. the one who knowingly sends her sick child to school because she has crap to do.
feel free to mock.
in fact, i'm making tshirts so you can easily point me out to your friends.

i dealt with the first part of my day, then chatted with the doctors office on my way to knock out the second half. i can not possibly describe how much i love my pediatrician and her nursing staff. i love them so much that i'll happily drive across town, to the outer burbs to see them.
our kick ass advice nurse finagled a 5 pm appt. not ideal timing, given we all needed a quiet night at home, but we stopped by the store and created a car picnic. this was one of those times where it's all in the sales pitch. "you are so lucky that you get a bagel and cheddar bunnies for dinner. i wish i was having that". the foods groups were not properly represented at dinner, but it was better than tropical bugs and rice.

the weest of the wee cedri was diagnosed with croup and an ear infection. our MD recommended sam switch to filtered cigarettes, and cut back on the jack daniels, to help with the cough.
can you see why i love her so?

we joined the throngs of cars battling cross town traffic as we headed to the pharmacy to fetch his meds. once there, i let the kids pick out candy. primarily because after a day where i never had chance to eat breakfast, and lunch was eaten in the car on the way to a meeting, i needed some love.
the kind of love you can only get from a box of milk duds.

finally at home, sam did his two shots of medicine and i tucked my tuckered out babies in bed.
then i grabbed my laptop and wrapped up all the stuff i was supposed to finish earlier in the day.
as i worked, i was serenaded by the clanging of windows from the hurricane winds happening outside. one window has the storm knocked off track and it was rattling to high heaven. i meant to have daddyo fix it before he left. not because i can't do it, but because, well, pinterest was calling my name.
this window was loud enough to knock some sense into lindsay lohan, and i knew it would keep me awake. i tried to get the window back on track, but it wasn't working. i found an empty toilet paper roll tube (otherwise known as a microphone) and shoved it in between the window panes. not pretty, but quiet.
yet another example of the educational power of tv. clearly, all that macgyver watching was not in vain.

as i crawled in to bed i decided that i'm voting myself the winner.
feel free to leave my winnings on the front stoop.

*perspective check. i know this blathering is a festival of first world problems and many people have it considerably worse than i do. as we head in to this season of gratitude, i would like to pause and give thanks for my first world problems, i would even toast them, but i'm out of port.
woe is me.

eighty four, give or take.

2011-11-15T20:23:00.001-08:00

ever wonder what eight four mini pies look like?
wonder no more.

what do you get a pie lover for his eighty fourth birthday?
you make them eighty four mini pies and a bottle of port.
throw in two crazy children and you've got yourself one wild party.

happy belated birthday uncle hank.
we love you oodles.

photos

2011-11-12T00:30:00.000-08:00

we rarely take family photos that include all four of us.
here are my ~~excuses~~ reasons:
1. i'm taking the pics, and my arms aren't long enough to hold the camera and get us all in the shot.
2. yes, i'm aware of those two things called self timer and tripod - both require talent and thought, two qualities in short supply in my life.
3. no one sits still long enough to capture anything.
4. i have tiny sami eyes that get even smaller when i smile, so i look like a dork in pretty much every picture. 5. there's the whole getting showered and being presentable issue.

i booked a family photo shoot this summer with a photographer who has a blog i read. sadly, the shots were not what i had hoped for. the colors were off and the pictures didn't look, or feel, like our whacky little family. we simply aren't meant to have a proper photo. we are all too silly, weird, smelly, and drooly.
well, sam is drooly, the rest us have other issues.

as a middle child, i'm well versed in all things stubborn; so i tried again. this time with a photographer who took pics at sam sam's preschool years ago. her photos captured the essence that is our family - for sam, that means goofy faces, drool, and all.

bundt bliss

2011-11-09T02:00:00.000-08:00

i love a bundt cake.
not sure if it's the cute shape, or what, but it's like a sweet hug of cake.
i purchased a new pan and have been up to my ears in bundt goodness ever since.
i made a pumpkin cake, and this one - a black and white cake.
(baking notes: the pumpkin one was fabola. i altered the recipe and added applesauce in lieu of oil)

the wee cedri are also fans of the bundt.
although, they had a bit of trouble understanding the phonemes in this word and heard it as, "butt". they enjoyed the cakes, but they loved saying, "butt cake", then collapsing on the floor in hysterics.

i tried to give them the evil librarian eye, but it was pretty funny.
it appears my children will grow up to be those people who like to toss a little potty talk in to the conversation.
much like their mother.

check out the monster bundt.

honestly, i need to get a life and do some laundry.

but isn't he darling?

vindication

2011-11-07T01:30:00.000-08:00

dear helpful strangers,
yes, you. the ones who audibly gasped when i pulled out a bottle for my baby during a mommy and me class. and you, the ones who told me how sorry you were for my child, when i mentioned i was unable to nurse. and you, the ones who gave me a sad look when i plunked my cans of formula on the check out counter, told me that breast feeding was better for my child's health, and asked if i had really tried.
thanks for the judging looks, and rude comments. yes, i know how good breastfeeding is for baby, and mama. i know that it helps with intellectual capability, immunity, and whole host of other great things.
i know all this, and i tried.
valiantly.
you judged, but weren't there for the 40 minutes of pumping that produced four drops of milk, or the nights when i sobbed, giant heaving sobs, because i felt like i had failed my child. i tried to nurse for a good two weeks and nothing worked. not tea, not pumping, not acupuncture, not sheer will.

well, guess what?
seven years later that poor, deprived, formula fed child is healthy and happy.
we just had medical check ups and school conferences, and shockingly my deprived girl child has no allergies, is well adjusted (for someone with my DNA), is killing it in math, and is reading at a fourth grade reading level.
so take that, you judgy judgers!

clearly i still have guilt, but i'm finding that parenting is all about feelings of guilt and inadequacy. thankfully, i also had a slew of non judgypants, uber supportive peeps, who told me that my child had the same chance of getting into harvard as a breast fed kid, mailed me subscriptions to trashy mags as a distraction, and told me i was great.
to all of you awesome peeps - thanks.
your perspective kept me sane, up to date on celebrity happenings, and out of jail.

archdiocese

2011-11-04T05:19:00.000-07:00

second grade is filled with spelling.
oodles of words are practiced throughout the week, and tested each friday.
miss moo is a good speller, but she is a wee bit cocky about her spelling skills.
i think it's great to be confident in your abilities, but to go around correcting others is asking for a schoolyard smackdown.
after bemoaning the lack of challenging words on her list to her teachers, her brilliant teachers gave her two bonus words - whether and archdiocese.
the child has a photographic memory, so she nailed them.
i, on the other hand, had to look both up for confirmation.

i'm hoping supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is on the next list.

composting

2011-11-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

i am embarrassed to admit that we do not compost.
it's not that i don't believe in it, it's just that we have yet to make it a priority. we do dump eggshells and coffee ground on the garden, but the rest gets tossed.
sorry, earth.

but that all changes this week because my uber eco friendly city is helping me change my wasteful ways. garbage pick goes from weekly to biweekly, and all compostable food products are required to go in the yard debris bin, which is now slated for weekly pick up. there will be fines and, guilt, and all sorts of scary things to ~~make~~ encourage me to compost.

we also received this fancy bucket. isn't is it a lovely shade of tan? a shade not seen since the bob newhart show. but that's portland - we all about recycling, even old, dated color schemes.
it's made of plastic, which i'm guessing is BPA free, given my county just banned BPA last week.
if not, the irony is fabulous.

truthfully, i don't think it will be a huge deal. the hardest part of the entire change is that our trash/compost pick up day is moving to a different day. that means my poor, atrophied brain has to learn something new.

boo

2011-10-31T14:12:00.000-07:00

seasonal goodness

2011-10-28T01:30:00.000-07:00

i saw this recipe for pumpkin cinnamon rolls and knew that they had to be a part of my life.
i am on a lifelong quest for the perfect cinnamon roll. i require one with lots of cinnamon goodness throughout, and not a ton of dry bread. really, it's not too much to ask.
i love making cinnamon rolls, but they are a multi-step process; one that requires oodles of advance prep and organization. prayers must be made to the god of yeast, ingredients must be mixed, then punched, then chilled overnight.
i wish i made them weekly, but it's really only on that rare occasion when i have both time, and all the ingredients.

i am happy to report that these were great. the recipe was easier than others i have tried. the pumpkin helped keep the roll part moist. i doubled the filling, because what is the point of a cinnamon roll if it's not bursting with gooey goodness? i didn't add the nuts, because i am not a fan of the pecan. i also left off the icing.
my cinnamon roll philosophy is, if you have enough taste on the inside you don't need to cover it with slop.
at least that was my theory after i messed up the icing recipe.

(sidebar note to my baby sis: you must try these, but omit their icing and add the yummy one that you make)

i heart fred

2011-10-24T01:30:00.000-07:00

i have a mad love for all things fred flare.
fred's is like target, where you can load your cart with a wild array of unnecessary items, but with a sassier selection.
where else can you find a purse, a wool coat, and that toilet mug that has clearly been the one thing standing between you and eternal happiness?

here are a few new items from their website. i love them all, but those roller skates are the bomb.
i'm pretty sure seventh grade would have been totally different if i those skates had been a part of my life.

addiction

2011-10-22T08:40:00.000-07:00

i think it's time that i confess to being a former addict.
my addiction wasn't anything exciting, or worthy of a stint on celebrity rehab, although i would like to see dennis rodman in person, so i can smack some sense in to him.
my addiction was to the show charles in charge.
the show was such a bizarre train wreck that i couldn't help myself.

this version of jimmy fallon singing the theme song, as bob dylan, has me in hysterics.
if it's not funny, and i'm simply hysterical due to lack of sleep whilst single parenting, or because i'm just plain old crazy pants, don't tell me.
allow me the simple luxury of maniacal giggling whilst walking down memory lane, arm in arm with scott baio and willie ames.

fruit loop

2011-10-21T02:00:00.000-07:00

there's a thirty mile loop, near mt hood, called the fruit loop. this loop includes some beautiful scenery and a slew of orchards and farms.

the loop has an interesting history. many of the orchards were owned by japanese farmers who were sent off to interment camps during WW2. there's a great book about the history of the area, and the affect the internment had on it, called stubborn twig. sorry, can't help recommending books, it's in my blood.

i've lived in oregon for close to ten years and, embarrassingly, i have never been to the loop. the wee cedri had a day off school, so we tossed everyone in the car and headed out to explore.

we hit a pumpkin patch - woo woo, that's three so far - a corn maze, a lavender farm, an apple orchard, and an alpaca farm.

pear fact: pears need to go into cold storage for six weeks immediately after picking. the pears you buy in the store have already been in storage for six weeks.

disclaimer

2011-10-19T01:30:00.000-07:00

i was perusing this blog and realized that a disclaimer is warranted.
a blog is a madly narcissistic thing. it's also an easy way to record the daily goings on for family near and far. and for me, it's an escape, a place where i can capture the fun, the joy, and the sweet moments that happen in between all the crap.

yes, there is crap. loads of crap. when the dust bunnies start chasing other dust bunnies, or the kids wipe their drippy noses on the couch instead of using a tissue, or spend the majority of their day complaining about various injustices, or things are just plain hard and not terribly fun, i can look at the blog and remember a moment of joy. a moment when i loved them madly and didn't want to sell them to the lowest bidder.
for me, it's those small moments that keep me sane, and keep me going from one week until the next.
often, it's simply the hope of having one of those moments that keeps me moving forward.

so, my disclaimer: the photos on this blog represent about ten percent of our lives.
here are a few photos from the other ninety.
look now, because i won't post more of these little dirty secrets. reality is simply too depressing, so i'm back to my dream land of organization, clean houses, well behaved children, rainbows and unicorns.

legos. no one ever picks ups the legos.

the pile of shoes. once, every few weeks, one of us goes bonkers and cleans it up. maria usually caves first.

the breakfast dishes that never manage to clear themselves.

the counter where everyone drops their crap.

my dust bunnies are friendly and like to leave little messages.

pie

2011-10-16T06:33:00.000-07:00

we have many rules at chez cedros.
primarily because i am finally in charge of someone, and can boss the wee cedri around.
my favorite rule is: pie is considered appropriate breakfast food during the month of october.
although, truth be told, there are other times throughout the year that i approve of pie for breakfast. depends on the day, depends on the pie.

miss moo is a pie fiend, and pumpkin is one of her favorites.
we have been making apple pies, but given it's october and all, we finally busted out the pumpkin. i made a full pie, and some mini ones. the mini ones were the most fun.
i rolled out dough, cut out little circles with a kids sized glass, and lined the mini muffin tin with the dough. then i added the pumpkin filling.
it was easy - easy as pie.

doc

2011-10-09T12:46:00.000-07:00

the wee cedri had their annual doctor visit this week.
why are their annual appointments months after their birthdays you ask? well, that is a long and sordid tale. it involves insurance, and a mistake. one i am sure, or sort of sure, was not my fault.
anyway, we are now on the autumnal cycle for doctor visits.
typically, daddyo is the chaperone for md appointments. not sure how that happened, but he usually does medical and i handle dentist. but daddyo was shaking his groove thang in brazil, so it was me, or, well...me.

this trip was memorable for a variety of reasons.
first, they were asked to disrobe and don these stylish gowns. maria loved hers. sam, not so much.
i told him it was a samurai outfit. i even tried to convince him that he was a ninja. \opted for his skivvies.

this was the first appointment where they were asked to pee in a cup.
when he heard this, sam burst out laughing, thinking it was a joke. while the nurse explained why, he had a devilish look on his face. i found it a bit worrisome.
so i informed him that we only pee in cups while at the MDs office, not the cups at home.
your mama is one step ahead of you big fella.

after checks of eyes, ears, noses, mouths, height, weight, eyes, and reflexes, they were pronounced healthy. they are a wee bit sore from the assortment of shots, but otherwise ready to officially rock the fifth and seventh years of life.

sex

2011-10-06T02:30:00.000-07:00

sam and i are great fans of alliteration. so much so, that we opted to create a breakfast menu with an alliterative theme.
sam thought we could have:
scrambled eggs on sunday
marshmallows on monday
toast on tuesday
waffles on wednesday
tofu on thursday
french fries on friday
and,
sex on saturday.

WHAT?

i asked samo if he knew what the word sex meant.
"yes", he replied, "it means kissing."
"not really", i said, "so let's just call it smooches on saturday."
he agreed and went on to tell me about who he sat by at lunchtime.
i proceeded to have a small heart attack.

secret weapon

2011-10-03T10:59:00.000-07:00

my secret weapon in the battle of single parenthood?
gramma sue.

my fabola mom arrived to help with life for the next two weeks. in the first few hours of her visit she was schooled on all things star wars, then conned into a bingo game with wild, wacky, and mostly illegal rules.
she has the patience of a saint; she does dishes, kisses boo boos, reads stories, snuggles, gets the kids to nap, does laundry, AND ironing.

our monday morning routine involves me heading to the gym at an obscene hour, returning to find daddyo making breakfasts. i jump in and make lunches, and get the kids ready for school. i drop them off, then head back home to get myself ready for work.
this monday i arrived home to kids who were dressed AND fed. apparently they got up early and did much of it themselves. i opted not to question why they don't take that kind of initiative when it's just their parents, and enjoy the peaceful morning.

apparently gramma sue is magic.

ps. we miss you daddyo

patch

2011-10-01T06:24:00.000-07:00

friday was a half day, so we rounded up the wee cedri, and a gaggle of friends, and hit another pumpkin patch. it may well have been our last day of sun for the season, so i felt a crazed need to spend the entire afternoon outdoors.
for those counting (basically me and the wee cedri), this is patch number two on our list. we're still hoping to have four autumnal adventures before the month ends. this becomes more of a challenge now, as daddyo is away for two weeks.

we tend to go into hunker down mode when he's gone, we don't schedule much and stay close to home. we eat a lot of scrambled eggs, and relax on some of the rules. for us, it's more about surviving, and less about getting things done.
this time is a bit different, this time we have a secret survival weapon, arriving this morning.
more on that later.

here are some photos of the crew at the pumpkin patch.

jumping off the hay pyramid

the gaggle of kids

sam frolicking in the fields

quiz

2011-09-30T09:50:00.000-07:00

i know it's friday, and we're all tired by the weeks end, but i've got a little quiz for you.
can you spot the difference in these two photos?

before.

after.

did you figure it out?

if you guessed that the fireplace was converted to gas, you are correct.
i can now clap on ambiance.
sigh.
i love technology.

liberty

2011-09-29T09:31:00.000-07:00

i first visited liberty of london when i was a teenager.
the rest of my peeps wanted to hit the pub, but i was mesmerized by all the happy prints.
it only took a few moments to know, with absolute certainty, that my version of heaven includes obscene amounts of liberty prints.

every so often i peruse their website and drool.
and our IT department wonders why i am constantly asking for a new keyboard.
big news this week from the folks at liberty. now i can welcome my daughter to the land of liberty, and fuel her obsession, because liberty has partnered with hello kitty.
meow!

apologies for the fuzzy photos, apparently the liberty web peeps want you to ogle the very wee images

pumpkins

2011-09-27T06:38:00.000-07:00

i am a huge fan of the autumnal season, and i've decided that the wee cedri need to make weekly pilgrimages to orchards, or pumpkin patches.

some parents like to make sure their kids do homework and eat their vegetables, i like to make sure we get our fill of pumpkiness.

daddyo chaperoned the inaugural patch trip. it was a rousing success; filled with snacks, pony rides, and much discussion about how to suss out the perfect pumpkin.

italian dinner

2011-09-25T09:10:00.000-07:00

lessons learned from an italian dinner for twenty:

1. homemade pasta is great, but store bought pasta is easier.

2. wear comfy shoes, the first chance you'll have to sit all day will be around 9 pm.

3. grind the coffee beans while at the store, so someone doesn't have to haul ass back there at 8 pm.

4. nibble as often as you can, especially when the food is so good.

5. have a good team in the kitchen. it makes the plating and expediting of the food a snap.

6. rental dishes don't need to be washed.

7. cooking in your own kitchen is easier.

8. laugh often, and have nice glass of wine at the ready.
9. take the day after the dinner off, so you can relax and not have to head to work

10. surround yourself with amazing people who will help out at every turn.

(huge thanks to lani for bringing chocolates back from italy, to kates for being a fab flower fetcher, for nonna rosie who made enough biscotti for everyone and shipped it to us, uncle hank for supplying the white port, to the mamas who helped me unload my car numerous times, and watched my kid's soccer game so i could arrange and prep, and finally auntie b, the heart and soul of the operation, thanks for helping us pull this off.

fino al prossimo anno

chef cedros

2011-09-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

daddyo has the patience of a saint.
i continually volunteer him for projects because the dude is madly talented.
so far we're still happily hitched, so it must not bug him too terribly.

last year, i signed him up for a doozy of a project.
our school hosts an annual italian dinner as a part of the school auction. the family that had provided the dinner was no longer interested, so the school asked if we would consider doing it. my husband is a great cook, and i thought it sounded fun, so i said yes.
then i asked him if he wanted to cook a five course meal, for twenty people.

why he doesn't divorce my oh so helpful self is beyond me.
oh, right, it's because he's still got years of contractual obligation because i left a fab life in the midwest, and popped out two kids.
i digress.

daddyo plotted the menu, auntie b and i plotted the flow of service, and table settings. we all did a walk through of the venue space and kitchen. finally, we did a test run last weekend to assess taste and timing.

today we assemble and prep, tomorrow we decorate, cook and serve, but not before tossing back a quick glass of port and and saying a quick prayer to St Lawrence (the patron saint of cooks) and St Martha (patron saint of servants) that we'll be able to pull this off.

the menu:

Antipasti

Salsiccia (Delicate & Picante ) - Homemade Mild Italian Sausage (mild & spicy)

Salami Mole -Mole Salami

Olive & Pane

Formaggi -Cheese Assortment

Primi

Pasta con Piselli, Prosciutto e Zucca - Pasta with Peas,Prosciutto and Butternut Squash

Secondo

Insalata Mista - Mixed Green Salad with Vinaigrette

Terzo

Involtini di Spade (o Pollo) all’Uvetta - Swordfish (orChicken) Rolled Up with Raisins

Tortino diZucchine - Crustless Zucchini Pie

Dolci

Vino RossoTorta - Red Wine Cake

Pastura - Cookie Filled with Chocolate and Nuts

Gelati - Italian Ice Cream

cell phone tips

2011-09-18T06:59:00.000-07:00

dear mom,
i always love getting phone calls from you.
i love it a bit less when i hear the following, "hi, it's me, i'm in the ER."

i know that the cell phone thing is still new to you, so i thought i would give you a few helpful hints.
1. when you phone someone, and want them to call you back, leave your phone on.
2. your cell phone battery will last considerably longer than you think.
3. there are 1453 miles between us, it feels longer than that when i can't get a hold of you BECAUSE YOUR CELL PHONE IS NOT ON.
4. capitol letters mean i'm yelling. politely, of course.
5. see number 1.
6. it's very stressful not to know where your only remaining parent is, and how she is doing. at this rate, i'll croak before you do.
7. feeling guilty? please see number 1 for tips to assuage that guilt.
8. as a librarian, i have mad sleuthing skills and can track you down if needed. however, it would be considerably easier if i could just phone you back.
on your cell phone.
the one that you always turn off after making a call.

hugs,
your favorite daughter
(the who has likely been replaced by the other two since they were able to reach you during the nano second your phone was still on)

dark side

2011-09-17T05:34:00.000-07:00

luke, i am your pancake.

toothless

2011-09-15T05:13:00.000-07:00

my little maria moo is one brave girl.
she had a very loose tooth and at her dental appointment, she let the dentist yank it out.
she even asked for novocaine shots because she says that finds them relaxing.

she is oddly calm, and generally nonplussed, when it comes to shots.
not sure what that will translate to later in life.
perhaps she'll be in to acupuncture, tattoos, or heroin.

we had some drama with the tooth itself.
we lost it three times: at the dentist's office, in the car, and then down the drain while she was cleaning it off. thankfully, daddyo's plumbing skills are advanced enough that he was able to retrieve it.
it was placed in the little tooth box we leave outside the bedroom door. the wee cedri sleep too lightly to have the tooth fairy tuck anything under a pillow. a note was written, explaining the days drama, with the hope that the braveness demonstrated would elicit more money.
nice try, but this tooth fairy needs to save her extra dosh for these pretty shoes.

coffee

2011-09-13T07:23:00.000-07:00

daddyo makes my coffee for me every morning.
every morning but tuesdays.
tuesday mornings he has marathon conference calls that begin at seven a.m.
so on tuesday, i make my own coffee.
for some reason the coffee i make just doesn't taste the same.
the only real difference is that i don't froth the milk.
but it's still blah tasting compared to the ways he makes it.

ever the trooper, with all my big old first world problems, i put it in a happy mug and face the day.

soccer

2011-09-12T04:47:00.000-07:00

the soccer season is under way for the wee cedri.
this is sam's first season playing and maria's fifth.
as you can see, sam is not the tallest player on his team, but he's mighty speedy.
he loves it, which makes his soccer loving mama very happy.
i was worried about our saturdays being taken over by soccer, but it's actually quite lovely.
i get to spend a few hours chatting with friends, lounging in the sun, and sipping coffee.
until the rains come.

revelation

2011-09-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

we had our school friends over for our annual back to school dinner last weekend. we've had it two years in a row, so that qualifies as an annual event, right?
during the course of the evening interesting tales were shared, and much was revealed.
including the fact that my husband, my beloved, my partner in crime, has been messing with me for years.

apparently, he has been loading the toilet paper roll in a way he thought i disliked.
of course, i had no idea. while i care deeply about a great many thing, the particular placement of the toilet paper is not on the list. i'm simply delighted that someone is reloading it when it's empty.
but i love that he was intentionally doing something little to bug me.
it's totally something i would do to him.
marriage, and you thought it was all about compromise and love.

sunshine

2011-09-08T06:30:00.000-07:00

our summer has been rather late in coming this year. june was rainy and grey. i don't remember july. august was perfect, sunny but not too hot. we didn't need to use our ac unit once.
the trade off is that our garden bounty is pretty pitiful. the tomatoes are still green, the cucumbers are tiny, we only has one zucchini, and a mini red pepper. the only thing that did well was the basil, oh, and a sunflower.
maria planted a sunflower seedling in a cup for mother's day. i didn't think it would actually grow, but the little trooper worked is sunflowery magic and popped last week. i nearly weeded the thing a million times, only to hear screams of, "mom, that's my sunflower!"
quite a little beauty it is.

apparently summer will be in september this year, as we are having a week of 90+ temps. makes for a hot house and hot kids, but my tomatoes are finally turning red.

back to school

2011-09-06T08:04:00.000-07:00

the wee cedri return to the world of academia this morning.
their tummies are filled with our traditional first day of school abelskivers.
their uniforms are clean, their shoes are new.
their bodies are washed, and smelling sweet.
their lunches are packed with first day of school love notes.
they are ready.
this is a big year for the wee cedri. my baby is starting kindergarten, and i'm guessing there will be tears.
not from him, he loves school and is eager to see his friends.
the tears will be mine.

mr roundbottom

2011-09-03T22:02:00.000-07:00

sam the man has a delightfully round bottom.
that was probably more than you wanted to know, but stick with me.
most kids have cute, round rear ends, but for sam, it is a bit of a hazard.
when he was younger, he would frequently tip over in the tub, so auntie b bestowed upon him the moniker, "mr roundbottom.".
he was taking a bath last week, and tipped over again. it's not because he is being a spaz, he's just sitting there and then he tips. sort of like me on cross county skis. one moment i'm standing, the next i'm in a snowbank.
now, when he tips, he chuckles and says, "it's because i have such a round bottom."

love

2011-09-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

we had some family photos taken this summer.
i had such high hopes, but they didn't turn out as i expected. there are only a handful of good ones, and the color is terribly drab.

however, this one i love. it perfectly captures how much the wee cedri love their aunt.
sam sam loves her so much that he gave her a full frontal smoochie.

busted

2011-08-31T04:45:00.000-07:00

this summer has been particularly challenging for my first born.
this child, this sweet girl, who is typically kind, thoughtful, and selfless has been taken over by a sassy, lying, selfish, ungrateful creature.

i'm struggling to parent her in this new phase. this had better just be a phase. please, let this just be a phase.
we've talked about expectations. we've set limits, and taken away things when she didn't listen. we tried a positive approach, where we had her write down things she was grateful for, and things she did for other people. not one damn thing seems to work.

in typical catholic mama fashion, i blame myself. i blame my new job schedule and its affect on her. i blame my crappy attempt at parenting. i blame, and feel guilt until i have nothing left. i am clueless. daddyo and i talk, he listens. he tells me that clearly i suck as a parent, in fact, i may be the worst parent on earth. we ponder diverting her 529 into an account for future bail.
the humor helps.

my greatest fear in parenting a girl, is that she will become a bitchy seventh grader. all i ask of my children is that they are kind, and thoughtful. that is it. no need to win the nobel prize, or rid the world of horrible diseases. of course, if, in my old age, they opts to send me to spas on an annual basis, that would lovely. however, based on the number of infractions my darling child has accumulated this summer, she'll be in juvie by the time she's nine.

allow me to entertain you with an abbreviated version of the most recent misdemeanor.
daddyo and i were discussing airline tickets to california for a baby shower. maria wanted to go, so we talked about money, and the cost of a plane ticket. later that day, daddyo finds his wallet missing. maria confesses to multiple crimes: both stealing the money out of his wallet, putting it in her piggy bank, and lying about the entire episode.
she put all the twenty dollar bills in her bank, but gave sam all the one dollar bills. not sure if that was an act of charity, or she figured that if she was going down, she was taking him with her. she noted that she put some in the "donate" part of her bank, as if that was going to help her case.
guess we can cross defense attorney off the list of future career choices.
after much discussion, she said that she took the money to help pay for the airplane ticket.
my own little robin hood.

fabulous finds

2011-08-29T01:25:00.000-07:00

i virtually stumbled upon lennymud and fell madly in love.

what a lovely way to start the day, with a hot cup of java, a great mug, and a little chuckle.

seven years

2011-08-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

seven years ago today i got the call that would forever change my life.

the past seven years have been filled with joy, sadness, laughter, anger and tears. it's been an extraordinary journey of grief.

on our recent trip to minnesota, i mustered up the courage to visit my father's gave. for many years i simply couldn't.
every time we drive to california, we visit the wee cedri's paternal grandparent's graves, but i had yet to take them to see grandpa bob. i guess i worried that seeing the grave would make it all official. there's still a very small part of me that hopes this is all a bad joke.

the kids and i hunted for the grave. turns out, my postpartum, grief filled mind remembered that day a bit incorrectly. so i phoned my mom and she talked me to the general area. of course, my left wasn't the same as her left, so the kids and i were wandering a bit. maria would call out the names of people she found. "i found larry". "i found bob, but there's no flotten".
it became quite funny.
finally, we found it. it was anticlimactic, perhaps because by the time we found it i was outright laughing, or maybe it's because i don't feel his spirit there.
the next day, i went for a walk with a friend around one of my dads favorite lakes. every time i see that lake, see the sun shining off the water, i am overwhelmed with a feeling of peace and deep sadness. that is where i feel my dad most.

i still miss him.
i still think about him almost daily.
i am forever changed from losing him, but am eternally grateful for having him in my life. i don't know where this journey of grief will lead, but i'm thankful for all those people in my life who check in, offer support, or a story about my dad, and help keep his memory alive.

minnesota

2011-08-26T01:08:00.000-07:00

the wee cedri and i packed our bags and headed east for a week of midwestern fun.
daddyo had a business trip, so it was just the three of us.
we've finally hit that golden age where they are happy to entertain themselves, or stare bug eyed at the dvd player. during the return flight i read two magazines and a book, something i haven't done since 2003. before having kids.

we spent a few days in minneapolis and then headed north to see my clan. the weather was perfection and we spent most of our time partying up by the lake.
in minnesota speak, "the" lake is lake superior.

we built forts

we played in the water

we celebrated summer birthdays

and we tried to take gramma sue's christmas photo

silly cousins

2011-08-25T06:32:00.000-07:00

busted

2011-08-23T05:30:00.000-07:00

the wee cedri and i just got back from a week of visiting our peeps in minnesota.
i have a million pictures to post, and a slew of laundry to do. and i start my new job today, so it may take a few days to get things uploaded, but i had to share this.
the kids were great, but, as you can see, at one point they were simply tired of each other.
maria wrote sam a ticket.

parenting lesson #45

2011-08-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

we dropped daddyo off at the airport, and sam sam burst into tears.
he hates it when he is separated from his beloved father for more than six hours, and the thought of a week apart was simply too much.

i needed to stop at target boutique to pick up a lamp for my office, so i tried to distract him with that adventure.
samo asked if he could get something for his room.
i said, "perhaps".
"perhaps" is my version of my parents, "maybe". both mean the same thing, but he has yet to figure that out.
he sighed a huge sigh.
"that's good", he said, "i'm sad about dad leaving, but i feel better that we are going to target".

that, my boy, is retail therapy.
check that important lesson off the parenting list.

next up, emotional eating!

wish you were here

2011-08-19T01:21:00.000-07:00

Postcardly turns your emails into real-life postcards, delivered by your local letter carrier.

You can send postcards from your phone, your computer, or anywhere you have email. Just send an email with an attached photo the way you normally send an email: your photo will be on the front of the postcard, your words will go on the back.

No more hunting for addresses, and licking icky stamps.

mix tape

2011-08-17T01:26:00.000-07:00

the summers of my youth were spent making mixed tapes.
my forte was assembling compilations of super summer songs.
yes, that was what i named each tape.
isn't alliteration happy?

i have to resist the urge to make a tape (cd, whatever) for every road trip.
our relatives live in northern CA. the drive can be anywhere from six to nine hours, depending on traffic, potty training, and/or pregnancy status of the occupants of the vehicle.
the drives are long, so we listen to lots of music.
on a recent trip, this song was played on repeat until we were all a bit loopy. it is our official 2011 super summer song.

don't ask, don't tell

2011-08-14T09:07:00.000-07:00

confession time.
i'm one of those people. the people who fold over a page to mark her place in a book.
tis shameful, i know. i have a whole host of excuses, but it all comes down to my inability to keep track of bookmarks.
this may solve my problem, and keep me in good standing with the american library association.

ps - i love that you can write notes about the book.
so handy for all you super readers, or super forgetful readers (like moi).

birthday recap

2011-08-12T05:08:00.000-07:00

maria requested a teapot cake for her birthday.
this looks nothing like the one hoped to copy, primarily because i'm not up for tackling fondant. the handle and spout are made of rice crispy treats. it seemed like a good idea at the time, but they kept falling off, despite obscene numbers of toothpicks for support.
i hit the baking wall on this cake, and am happy to be done with the birthday cake season at chez cedros.

someone got a guitar for her birthday from her great uncle.

someone likes to rock out.

seven

2011-08-11T05:04:00.000-07:00

my dear, sassy girl, you are officially seven today!
i am in shock.
how has it been seven years since i coughed in a meeting, breaking my water, and had to excuse myself to deliver a baby. you were three weeks early (thank you), and your birth held many surprises.
surprise #1 - you were breech, and there was some excitement that required an emergency csection.
surprise #2 - i was convinced we were having a boy, and asked the doctor if he was sure that you were a girl.
you were the sweetest, easiest baby on the planet.
you have come along way (baby). you rocked first grade, and i'm excited to see you continue to blossom in second grade.
sadly, i won't be able to help you with math, as the first grade math was already beyond my mathematical skill set, but that's why i married your father. he's the math yin to my inept yang.

i love watching you emerge from your semi shy shell, to challenge yourself with new tasks and adventures. i love your smiles, your silliness, your wild expressions, your confidence, your love for reading, the way you care for your brother, and your killer biceps from all that time on the jungle gym.

you and i are very much alike. this year, we found ourselves tiptoeing towards the mother/daughter demilitarized zone. i was hoping to have a few more years before that, but, to our credit, we end each night with a snuggle and a chat. those are my most favorite times. i love hearing your insights about the day; the recapping of the various injustices, your version of the adventures, and the funny tangents we get off on.
you are a delight, and i could chat with you for hours.

so a toast to my girl, may this year be filled with love, joy and oodles of fun.
i love you, my little moo.
mama

change

2011-08-08T05:15:00.000-07:00

i've mentioned, countless times, that i'm horrible at finding the work/life balance. however, i'm pleased to report that my new approach of embracing my level of suckiness, rather than fighting it, is working well.
so well, that i'm thinking of having my new motto be, "aim low", except then i would have to find a motto to be my current motto. that seems a bit too overachievey.

i'm learning that a part of me must like the chaos, because just as i settle in to a groove, i make some wild change and things are once again, off kilter. my job is very flexible, which is an anomaly for library peeps. typically, our work schedules are driven by open hours, so working one night a week and a weekend day is the norm.
i'm very settled in my current job. it's a job i truly love. I've been a librarian for sixteen years and it still defines me to the core. it is as essential to my being as any internal organ. except the spleen, it totally outranks the spleen. after all these years, it is, perhaps, a bit naive to believe so strongly in the work that i do.
but, i can't help it, i do.

so why would i mess with all of this?
because i am me, one who apparently has a fear of staying in a job for longer than five years.
so when the chance to try something new came, i jumped.
albeit nervously.
and now i find myself in a new role for my current employer.
because of the new, less flexible schedule, it will be a big change for the family.
that aspect has me a bit worried, but i have a great support network of family, friends, and a lovely community of fellow working mamas who help with pick ups and drop offs, feed my kids dinner, and even kiss their boo boos, so i think we will adjust just fine.

i'm excited for the change, but i will miss this pretty office, and my love notes (and veiled threats) from miss moo.

handy dandy

2011-08-06T15:51:00.000-07:00

our super fantabulous summer nanny taught sam sam how to play uno.
to say he is obsessed is a mad understatement. the poor guy would play all day, but he has trouble holding all of the cards.
i was at a kid's toy store and found these handy card holders.

we tested them out on a recent car trip, and they worked out perfectly.

last gasp

2011-08-03T01:52:00.000-07:00

every august i pause, and wonder where the summer went.
apparently, i missed the memo about endless bbqs, and lounging by the pool. then i spend the month in a mad panic making sure we partake in a host of summery things, so the wee cedri won't need an insane amount of therapy later in life.
one day, they will wistfully recall the summers of their youth. a time when they played, and i spazzed out. guess they'll probably need therapy anyway.
truth be told, summer is not much different from the school year at chez cedros.

here are a few summery things that caught my eye, in case you, too, are in a mad panic to get your summer on.

birthday cake

2011-08-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

sam the man rang in his fifth year on earth many times.
we spent the weekend in CA, at a family reunion and he celebrated with his cousin dorothy, who rang in her 90th.

when we returned home, we had the family party with auntie b and uncle hank. sam is obsessed with all things Cars, and requested a Mater cake for his birthday.
once again, daddyo was in charge of structural integrity and i handled the design piece.
it's smaller than i had envisioned, and not as tidy, but it turned out pretty cute.

five

2011-07-31T09:57:00.000-07:00

today, my sweet baby boy turns five.
i vividly remember this day in 2006. it was unbelievably hot.
people with the cedros DNA tend to run hotter than your average folk. apparently my sweet sam sam was getting overcooked in utero, and opted to make his debut three weeks early.
i grew up with sisters, so this new little boy of mine was utterly captivating.
five years later, i'm still mesmerized.

samola,
this has been a big year.

you learned to read, entered a new school, had your first sleepover, got a new bunk bed. through it all, you have been your typical funny, insightful, focused, and kind self. you are an old soul and watching you learn and grow is a delight.

you are the first kid to wake up every morning, and you come downstairs (a million friends in tow), help yourself to cereal, and a book. i love finding you at the table when i come home from the gym. your confidence, independence, and snuggliness amaze me.
i love watching you with your sister, you two have such a beautiful bond. this year you spent more time standing up for your ideas and whacking each other. not a recommended negotiation tactic, but you two are finding your way.

you tell long, involved tales; ones that are heavily articulated, and wildly gesticulated.
your smile is infectious, and your laugh is the most joyous sound on earth.
i can't wait to see what this new year brings.

happy fifth birthday, little man!

i love you oodles,
mama

quandry

2011-07-29T06:46:00.000-07:00

if someone took your kids for an overnight, giving you an entire evening of freedom, what would you do?
we pondered dinner out, we considered a movie, but we settled on making jam.
why?
because we are dorks.

we like doing projects together, but are so rarely in the same room for a chunk of time. making the jam is a long process, so we have time to chat about everything, and nothing.

we whipped out a batch of blackberry jam, and had time to watch the kings speech. the next day the kids returned from sleepover valhalla (aka auntie b's), and wanted to help make the blueberry jam. they spent an hour stemming and crushing berries.

they were so excited to help, and be a part of the process. their little conversations were hysterical. they searched for the biggest blueberry, they complimented each other on their ability to suss out the bad ones, then reverted to trash talking about who was the fastest. i know it doesn't sound like the most exciting family activity, but, as i mentioned, we are dorks, so we thought it was super fun.

world cup

2011-07-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

the wee cedri are in soccer camp this week.
maria, having played for two years, is a seasoned veteran. sam sam is not new to the game, but he is new to playing on a team, and by the official rules.
i am pleased to report they are loving it. they come home every day filthy and exhausted.
bedtime has never been easier.

every afternoon the kids divide up by country (moo is italy, sam is canada) and play world cup games. maria is on a team with all boys over the age of ten. she's fierce off the field, but timid once she has to play. the big dudes have been very supportive and kind to her, shouting words of encouragement and giving her high fives.

kindness and inclusion make me tremendously happy.

sam sam is a little soccer machine.
he is all over the field, scoring goals, defending his goal, shouting instructions to his teammates.

is it too early to hope he will be recruited to play for the portuguese national team?

*that's him with the ball.
hard to see because the little dude in the white shirt is blocking my son. while i was tempted to boot the kid out of the way for a shot i refrained, because i'm super mature.

missing you

2011-07-22T06:19:00.000-07:00

maria moo drew this note for me while she was at art camp. this perfectly captures my child. she is funny, she is wise beyond her years, she is dramatic, and she is not yet seven.

i love that she is able to articulate her feelings, and to insert a little humor.
she is so often mature that when she completely loses it, i have to remind myself that she is simply acting her age.

she was a shy, clingy child, who blossomed in spaces where she felt comfortable. once in school, she hit her groove and flourished. we still have moments of being nervous in new situations, and feeling clingy when there is a lot going on in her world.
truthfully, i feel the same way more often than not.

birthday boy

2011-07-21T05:26:00.000-07:00

happy birthday to my sweet husband.
on honor of your day, here are fifty two reasons why i love you madly.

ps - the kids added a few as well.

you have cute hair.
you never laugh, or mock, when my favorite team is losing.
your DNA works well with mine.
you make me laugh like no one else.
you bring me flowers, and you don't barf when i start singing the song.
you are a total partner in parenting, and life.
you put me first, even when i forget to put myself there.
you fold laundry better than i ever will.
you can fix anything.
you can cook anything.
you know when to step in and take over.
you know when to step back and let me lead.
you love reading.
your love for our children.
your love for my family.
you always know how to provide the comfort i need.
you find awesome presents.
you have an opinion on things (note: this is not always appreciated)
you write lovely poems.
you challenge me.
you are incredibly loyal.
you say the stuff i'm thinking, but feel i can't always say.
you are an awesome road tripper partner.
you pack a car, and a suitcase, like my father.
you wear my dad's watch with pride.
you are patient.
you are helpful.
you are thoughtful.
you got sent to the principal's office five times in one day.
you always know the kind of wine i like best.
you watch crappy tv just so we can hang out together.
you let me win arguments more often than i do for you.
you know what is important to me.
you go along with all the crap i sign us up for.
you are an incredible supporter of all that i do.
you excel at tricking me.
you make breakfast for the wee cedri every day.

from maria moo:
that we have the same favorite color.
when you give me hugs and kisses.
when you pick me up at school.
when you make sweet potato fries and steak for me.
when you help me with my homework.
when we go to the park.
when you take me out for lunch.

from sam sam:
that you wrestle with me.
that you are lovable and kind.
that you read to me.
that we do projects together.
when we snuggle at night.
when we play games together.
when you take me out for lunch.
when we love each other.

busting perps. 2011 edition

2011-07-20T07:19:00.000-07:00

i like to have a good perp busting venture on an annual basis.
my previous episodes were rather lame, which, i suppose, is a good thing.
this morning auntie b and i busted a perp, but we busted the wrong perp.
we were driving to the gym when a women walked into the street screaming, "he has a knife", "he has a knife." the gentleman crossing the street did indeed have a knife.
check out my mad sleuthing skills.

auntie b called 911 and expertly described the situation.
i kept driving.
all i had on me was my cell phone and that wouldn't offer much protection. although, it does have a light saber app.
we arrived at the gym, feeling chuffed that we had busted a perp, when 911 calls back to follow up.
apparently the woman is the wackadoodle, and the guy was protecting himself from her.
oops.
but note to self, dude - if you are walking down the street with a knife, odds are someone is going to call 911 on your ass.
get a light saber app, it will get you in considerably less trouble.

apricots, part deux

2011-07-19T08:13:00.000-07:00

now that we are up to our ears in apricot jam, we are slathering it on every little thing.
i made a cardamom cake and tossed some jam between the layers.

notice how the jam coordinates so perfectly with the white port. i like to match my desserts with my dinner beverages.

apricots

2011-07-18T04:18:00.000-07:00

it's a safe bet that if you stop by on a summer weekend, you'll find the cedros productions crew making jam. this weekend was our first canning of the summer season, as well as our first attempt at apricot jam.

we did thirty pounds of apricots, a smaller than typical amount for a canning venture, but we wanted to make sure it turned out before going crazy.

i washed and cut, maria moo chopped, and daddyo mixed.

it was considerably easier than peach jam, given we did not peel the apricots, and just as tasty. as with all our jams, we used the no sugar pectin and 1/4 of the recommended amount of sugar.

for fruit with more moisture, like apricots (and peaches) the reduction in sugar means it doesn't set like typical jam, but the flavor is incredible.
the raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, and huckleberry jams set better and have the consistency of spreadable fruit.

i was really impressed with the flavor. it's got a nice mix of sweet and tart. i think this will be added to the official jam production list.

2011-07-15T16:17:00.001-07:00

i find all manner of products whilst perusing the glory that is the internet.
i love finding brilliant things that every day folk have created.

a friend got me hooked in pinterest. it's a great way to group all manner of things together. remember the cute little stickers for marking your fav things in domino? remember domino? let's take a moment shall we?

ok, back to pinterest. you have boards for organizing your finds (aka pins). i'm plotting a refreshment of our laundry room and mud room. pinterest has loads of pictures that i'm "pinning" to my boards for future use. you can also grab an image from the web and pin it to your boards.

knowing me, i'm the last one to arrive at this pintastic party, but if you haven't tried it yet, beware, it's addictive.

chocolate

2011-07-13T05:01:00.000-07:00

someone wanted to try to assemble as many chocolate chips as humanly possible on his pancake one morning. this type of request isn't typically permitted, but i acquiesced, mostly because i wanted to see how much of a mess he would make.
he's extra cute when he's messy.

this same someone has inherited his father's engineering genes, and did not spill one drop.

filth

2011-07-12T04:58:00.000-07:00

i'm horrible at keeping my children clean.
during the summer months, when dirt seems to find a way to stick to every possible crevice, they could use a daily bath.
but by the end of the day, i'm too tired and don't have the energy to deal with bathtime shenanigans. so we take nightly army baths, where we do a quick wash of feet, face, and hands.
during the winter months, i'm better able to hide the filth, or maybe all the rain takes care of it for me.
i would feel bad about the state of my wee urchins, but compared to victorian standards, they are immaculate.

a cedros summer

2011-07-10T13:16:00.000-07:00

as we find our way and create new traditions, a few things have become a part of the cedros family summer.

hopscotch and lemonade stands

note the sprig of fresh rosemary. apparently, i've got a little foodie on my hands.

evening walks and caprese salad with items from the garden

being goofy.
oh wait, we do that every day

hoarding

2011-07-08T04:11:00.000-07:00

our garage is a bit of a nightmare.
it's daddyo's workroom, a place to cram stuff, and once upon a time i parked my car there.
a year ago, a family of mice moved in and took over.
this year we reclaimed the place, thanks to some nifty traps and nutella. yes, even the rodents in portland are demanding foodies.
we knew that a massive clean up was in order, so we plotted our attack, bought hazmat gear, and scheduled a sitter.

it took two days, and a lot of swearing, but the place is clean.
really clean.
i think i vacuumed up five gallons of shit, literally.*

here's the before.

we were a day a way from being featured on hoarders.

and the after.
we still have a few things to donate, but isn't organization pretty?

*read the hazmat instructions for rodent droppings before plotting your attack.
vacuuming is not recommended unless you are interested in experiencing hantavirus.
oops.

outstanding in the field

2011-07-06T01:29:00.000-07:00

i'll admit i was a bit nervous about attending our second outstanding in the field event. last year was so spectacular that i didn't think we could replicate that level of fabulousness.

i'm delighted to say i was dead wrong.

the food was spectacular, the wine was delightful, and we had the pleasure of sitting with carol of ayers creek farm, one of the farmers who contributed produce to the meal.

she was a hoot, and we learned a lot about growing berries and grain in oregon.
a perfect evening, with some of my favorite people.

our host claire, of big table farm, even conned a few folks in to lugging hay bales down to her barn. a task that, for some, is fun after a few bottles of vino.

independence

2011-07-04T04:16:00.000-07:00

happy independence day.

this is my maria moo's favorite holiday. while the child is not particularly patriotic, she does love a parade, hot dogs and goodies bags filled to the brim with red vines.
three things that occur every 4th of july.

i'm going to declare my independence from blah glasses and fetch some of these cuties. perfect for a variety of summer beverages.

east coast recap

2011-07-03T13:07:00.000-07:00

here's a little slideshow recap of our big trip east.
we all had such a fun time. the kids all got along so well, and i got a much needed dose of my sweet friend aimes.
as always the wee cedri were great travelers. the long flight and time zone changes weren't easy, but they did better than i could have hoped.

we also were able to spend a nice chunk of time with my friend's parents, who i consider to be my second set of parents. maria fell in love with Opa (my friend's dad). watching her with him was so lovely, but also bittersweet. he is so much like my dad, that i imagine this is how she would interact with her own grandpa.

wee cedri in the big city

vacation

2011-06-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

we just returned from nine days visiting my closest and oldest friend. that always sounds weird, she's not old - tho she did celebrate a bday while we were there - our friendship is.
we have been friends for 33 years.

the trip was our first big family vacation. i've got loads of pics, and stories, to share.
it may take a few days as i've returned to over five hundred work emails, and find myself scheduled to be in interviews all day tomorrow.

the vacation is apparently over.
oh well, it was fabulous while it lasted.

nap

2011-06-27T02:42:00.000-07:00

i hate to mention this out loud and mess with fate, but here goes...
the wee cedri still nap.
not regularly, but after a ton out running around, or when we travel and time zones mess them up, and during growth spurts.
sam will outright request a nap, grab his beloved orange blanket and a tiger, and tuck himself in. maria needs to be cajoled, threatened, or bribed (my three fav parenting techniques), then she, too, will succumb to sleep.

sometimes we have celebrity nap, something my cousin's kids - now in college- invented when they would sleep at our cabin during the summer.

it's basically curling up with a friend, and taking a snooze. our celebrity nap time involves them both snuggling up with me, for a little shut eye.

i love celebrity nap. i love their little snores and snuffles, the various appendages that fly hither an yon as they dream big dreams, and the warmness of their little bodies. it's like snuggling between to meatloaves, except, after a hard day of play, the wee cedri don't smell quite as enticing.

camels

2011-06-24T06:39:00.000-07:00

i was digging through old photos and happened upon this treasure.

i have a strong dislike for camels, most likely due to this forced camel ride at the minnesota state fair.

i spent the entire ride thinking i was going to fall off the back.
my older sister is the cute blondie in the front, but the other two girls are strangers.

my only memory is grabbing on to the little girl in pink for dear life.

this eventful day was also the time i discovered my mad fear of roller coasters. this was long before safety was considered an important amusement park feature. as my little self was being thrown about the car, my mom - seated behind me - kept a strong hold of my tube top, which - blessedly - held tight.
imagine if it had popped off? like the rest of the day wasn't scarring enough.

sam's mom

2011-06-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

the wee cedri have summer birthdays. i thought summer birthdays were the best, but they do pose a serious challenge - how to celebrate at school.
throughout the year they watch, as friends bring in a variety of festive treats, and are celebrate by their classmates.
maria's class has eleven kids with summer birthdays, so they were all lumped together, and feted, the day before school was out.
sam sam's class only has two, so he got a day for himself.
i brought the requisite treats, and they partied it up.

after arriving to shouts of "sam's mom", "sam's mom", i later overheard a rather hysterical conversation.

N: sam, what is your mom's name?
Sam: mommy.
N: no, what's her real name?
Sam: you can all her mom, or mama

i don't have a preference for what they call me, but i do love being known as, "sam's mom".

fathers day

2011-06-19T06:05:00.000-07:00

a happy father's day to all the daddyos out there.
a special shout out to all those amazing dudes who play a role in a child's life, their lives are better for having you in it.

for my sweet husband, i can't imagine a better partner in this gig we call life.

cubeage

2011-06-16T01:22:00.000-07:00

until recently, i had not spent much time pondering ice cubes.
i like to crunch them, (yes, mom, i know that is bad for my teeth), and i know not to have them in drinks whilst in foreign lands, but that is all the brain time i gave to the little cubes.
lately, the cubes have come up in conversation multiple times.
this week, whilst perusing the Times, i happened upon this article on proper ice cubes.
apparently, frozen H2O is all the rage.

the guy in the article is an "ice aficionado", a career choice not offered at my midwestern liberal arts college. a shame, really, because i expect i would be an excellent one. my qualifications include: sticking my tongue to an icy swing chain, getting locked in a restaurant walk in freezer, and growing up in minnesota.

if ice cubes are your thing, check out the article. he's got some sound advice for making crowd pleasing cubes, and, more importantly, links to some cute ice cube trays.
just in time for G & T season.

famous

2011-06-13T13:18:00.000-07:00

today was a non uniform day at school, and the kids were asked to dress as someone famous.
maria moo chose to dress as sam.
an excellent choice, as he is quite famous among the cedros clan for many a thing.
most recently, accidentally pooping on the floor next to the toilet, and shouting, "alert, alert, alert".

cake stands

2011-06-10T06:43:00.001-07:00

i have a small obsession with cake stands.

after seeing this image of the cake stand section of the other martha's prop room, i knew i needed to up my game.

i've been on the hunt for a red one that wasn't too red, didn't have an edge, and had a simple design.
what should arrive in the mail for my birthday?
a cake stand, of course.
it's no ordinary cake stand, it was the exact one i had been hunting for.

so i baked a buttermilk blueberry cake, to welcome it to the family.

going for the bronze

2011-06-07T03:57:00.000-07:00

eight years ago today, daddyo and i got hitched.
the traditional wedding gift for the 8th anniversary is bronze.

in the past eight years, we have packed in many memorable events -
buried two parents, two cousins, and an uncle
moved to a new house
had job promotions
got laid off
filed for unemployment
popped out two wee cedri
built two patios, remodeled a kitchen and a basement
planted hundreds of bulbs in the yard
canned hundreds of jars of red sauce and jam
enjoyed hundreds of bottles of wine
baked thousands of cookies
smooched at least a million times

i would say that is worthy of a medal, and a bronze is just fine with me.

drama

2011-06-06T01:25:00.000-07:00

this weekend was the first real summer weekend in portland, temperature wise, and there was lots of drama at chez cedros.

the wee cedri popped out of bed at 6 o'clock saturday morning, and they were ready to bike. super mean mama that i am, i made them eat breakfast, and wait until a more reasonable hour before heading out. on the inaugural ride down the sidewalk, sam sam crashed and burned.
he skinned his knee, and his cries could be heard in neighboring states.
"mama, i can't walk"
"mama, i can't even stand"
my poor dramatic boy.
thankfully his nonna is visiting, and was delighted to curl up on the couch and snuggle, while he was officially declared IR.
uncle boo, daddyo, maria and i kicked a little gardenbooty. we rearranged, weeded, dead headed, watered, planted, and cleaned.

the back forty is now ready for a summer of lounging, reading, cocktailing, and snuggling with two little monkeys.

after din din, uncle boo and daddyo decided to teach maria to ride her bike, sans training wheels.

tying shoes and riding without training wheels, were two things we meant to tackle last summer.

daddyo was gone, caring for his ailing father, for nearly a month, and after our beloved grandpa died, those things didn't seem terribly critical.

this summer, all our loved ones are in great health - thankfully - so we are back to focusing on the bikes and laces.

it was amazing to watch uncle boo work with maria moo. like everything she does, when she is ready, when she is comfortable, she's a quick learner.

it was close to eight pm and we were all outside, cheering her on. when she took those first few pedals all by herself, the crowds cheered. a young guy, biking by, saw this unfold and joined in the cheering.
it was an amazing moment to witness.
she was so proud of herself.
i was so proud of her.

but i also realized that i am not going to be the best person to teach her some of these things. we are too alike. we are both stubborn and will battle.

so as we all reveled in maria's glory, i made auntie b promise to teach her to drive.

kites

2011-06-05T04:31:00.000-07:00

we awoke to a blustery day, and proclaimed it perfect for flying kites.

the wind was strong enough that i was a tad concerned the wee cedri might be carried away, a la mary poppins. thankfully, the only real excitement came when a coast guard helicopter flew overhead (you can see it to the right of maria's kite).

sand

2011-06-03T02:25:00.000-07:00

the second favorite beach activity was digging.
thanks to auntie b for the beach toys.

jump

2011-06-01T04:52:00.000-07:00

we hit the beach over memorial weekend, and the wee cedri were in heaven.
they love every little thing about the beach, but they are mad for the water. they learned a lot about the ocean this trip; from sneaker waves, to tasting salt water, to water currents - let's just say that i'm extremely grateful daddyo has an incredible reaction time.

i have a million and three photos to post, but i'll start with a series i'm calling, jump. so cue up the van halen song in your head.
got it yet?
here's a refresher, should you need it.

letter to early summer

2011-05-31T06:22:00.000-07:00

dear summer,
i know that we haven't always been on the best of terms.
i apologize for stating you are my least favorite season, and cursing your good name while living in humid places, like north carolina and brooklyn. i'm also sorry that i frequently flee from your warm, sunny rays, my lack of pigment requires that i do.
it's nearly june and i fear we are about to repeat last year, and have a lack of summer, summer.
i love the warmish days of June, the flowers popping, the veggies growing, the pasty white pacific NW peeps emerging from the dark to warm themselves in your sunny rays.
sadly, we seem to miss that type of june altogether. we jump right from gloomy rain to 100 plus temps. it's confusing, both to the mind and to the wardrobe.
what will it take to bring back the love?
at this point, i'm open to anything.
yours in sunshine and summer dresses,
marf

pop

2011-05-28T05:50:00.000-07:00

my peonies are finally popping, and there are little burst of color throughout the yard.

every year, the lipstick pink ones look like they are going to bloom first.

i check them multiple times a day, waiting for the first bud to open.

they start strong, then slow, but i continue my vigil.

i'm so busy watching, that i miss these beauties that pop right open.
this same even happens every year.

and every year, i forget that it happens every year.

pour moi?

2011-05-26T01:14:00.000-07:00

i was perusing j crew's website and happened upon this necklace.
it's called the "martha" necklace.

admittedly, i'm a frequent shopper, but i had no idea they valued me enough to name a necklace, and corresponding bracelet, for little old me.
really, it's an honor.
i'm so flattered.

oh...wait a minute...
after reading the fine print, i see that it's really named for that other martha.

sigh.

carry on people, carry on.

stereotypes

2011-05-25T02:51:00.000-07:00

a state by state guide to stereotypes.
super helpful for plotting summer vacation destinations.

planking

2011-05-24T04:40:00.000-07:00

heard about the "planking" craze that is sweeping australia?
me neither, but i'm typically behind the times.

there are many fads that i enjoy, and even more that i'm simply don't understand (case in point - zubaz pants). and while i can't claim to understand this mad craze, i do appreciate that folks have found some joy in simply being still, albeit in rather odd locations.