Summer, don't leave!

It has been too long. And I now have two birthdays to report and it seems that birthdays is all I do on this blog. At least we have a birthday break and I can hopefully be more artistic or sentimental or something.

Lily turned eleven. Gasp. This year for her birthday she wanted her own room. She and Canyon have been sharing a room since he was born and I guess she decided that the man cave, which was creeping out from below the bunk bed into the bedroom proper, was getting a leetle to manly (read: gross boy stuff). So we gave her the guest room, which is a bonus because now we can’t have guests. Sorry. (Ok, she said she’d go back to Canyon’s room for very special people). The rest of you can sleep in the barn.

So I spent the few months before her birthday making a quilt and gathering ‘stuff’ to make a perfect girl room. Those things included quilt, pillows, new dresser, clean closet, and her books. Then I sent the two of them away for the weekend and we flurried about and switched rooms. They came home to new rooms and big grins.

A view of Lily's new room.

For her actual birthday we had homemade angel food cake again, which is becoming quite popular here.

Lily’s pretty independent. She still loves to read, she’ll ride her bike all over town to get to her friend’s houses, swim practice or the library. She plays with her sisters and helps me whenever she can. She still doesn’t like to practice piano though. What’s up with that? Seriously, any tricks—cause I’m about to give up. And, we love her. This year she’s starting middle school and so everyone, and I do mean everyone, please cross your fingers that we can have a smooth transition into the teen years? Please?

Lily and her angel food cake.

Now Alice.

Alice’s obsession from space and Star Wars has turned to the ocean and mermaids. She and Jane spend their waking hours doing mermaid swims at the pool and the lake. For her birthday she wanted a mermaid party. So…as you can see from the cake, we kinda copped out with the clip art. But hey, we hung paper circles from the ceiling and told her they were bubbles. I know, I should be on Martha Stewart.

The 'mermaid' cake and cupcakes.

Alice with her cake.

Alice is my best helper. She keeps track of all her things and loves to tidy her room. Seriously. It’s going to be tricky the next few years because we’re starting to learn that Jane doesn’t have the same ‘neat’ tendencies and they’ll be sharing a room for a long time. Yikes! She is very sweet to her sister, to a fault, as Jane is growing up believing that everyone should treat her as well as Alice does. She loves to do her homework and read books about Princess Leia and mermaids.

She did swim team this year and was amazing. She’s a real trooper and never complained and really improved her swimming abilities. We’re really proud of her.

Even though Jane & Alice's quilt isn't finished, we still cleaned up their room.

Alice almost cried when she saw how organized it was. My little OCD, love that!

We are doing other things this summer too, besides celebrating birthdays which include, but aren’t limited to: swim team, riding bikes, hiking, swimming at Bear Lake with cousins, swimming at Del Valle (our lake), reading, cleaning out bedrooms, going to camps, going camping, sleeping on the trampoline, eating at In-N-Out, and trying to survive the ginormous squash that are taking over the garden.

In short, summer is very busy and I’m not ready to see it go. We’re stretching it out as long as possible!

Happy Summer!

Expedition Everest

Canyon and his cake, complete with mini Tibetan Prayer Flags.

This is going to be all about Canyon. He just had his ninth birthday, and in a family surrounded my attention-seeking girls, it’s his turn.

He has recently discarded WWII aviator for explorer. Not just any kind of explorer, he’s now determined to climb Mt. Everest. We hit the library bio shelves for biographies of George Mallory, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. He has put together an ‘expedition outfit’ and writes in his expedition journal every night. Here are some of his entries:

“My quest is to conquer the mountain and send news all over the world.”

“Very cold, tempertures drop, more, and more, and more people dying frome altadude sickness.”

“I will go in spring and hopefull make it back before the monsoon.”

“Very much want to have just two sunny days on Everest.”

He also has lists of supplies and drawings of the mountain, George Mallory, and Tibetan Prayer Flags. For his birthday he was fortunate enough to get a map and compass, among other useful expedition tools. Lucky for him he has a mom who was able to score some very valuable, extremely inaccessible Tibetan Prayer flags for his cake and his room. I don’t know how she does it. Amazing.

Canyon's very own room! Complete with flags and map of world. As well as man cave

(that's what Lily calls the bottom bunk).

I think he is really excited for our fifty-mile backpack adventure this summer. We are taking Lily and Canyon for a five-day trip in the Sierras. Canyon already has it mapped out with our camp-sites and mileage.

Here's his authentic 'George Mallory' style Everest clothing. Good luck buddy!

Miss Jane Elizabeth Turns Four.

Jane, blowing out her candles on her purple, pink and green cupcakes.

So even though it was a month ago, I guess it’s time to compose a tribute to Jane whose fourth birthday was on January 26^th. Four? You ask? Yes. Four. I know.

This year has been a great one for Jane. She:

· Learned to ride a bike without training wheels. Yes. Almost a year ago.

· Started preschool. (She pretends like she hates it, but really she loves it.)

· Likes to do everything ‘all by myself.’ Of course.

· Favorite color: purple

· Favorite thing to do: play Polly pocket while watching Davy Crockett. Did you say Davy Crockett? Yes. I did. She loves that buckskin pioneer who killed himself a ‘bar’ when he was only three. Ok. I get it; my kids have weird taste in movies.

· Likes to be in charge.

· Still loves to snuggle in the mornings.

· Has been going through a phase that consists of crying until she gets what she wants. We’re hoping she’ll grow out of it by the time she’s ten.

· Still, adorably, sucks her thumb.

And we love her. What a great four years it has been.

Happy Birthday Jane!

Ahem. Public Apology #1.

Dear Lisa,

Remember when you got a kindle way back when they were shiny spanking new? And I would make fun of you. And you would tell me that it was so cool because when you were sitting in the carpool line at school waiting for your kids, you could just whip it out and read. Or if you were at the dentist waiting to go in, you could pull it out of your purse and read. Or if you were sitting at baseball or basketball or scouts, waiting for your kids to finish…you could open your purse, grab it and read. Remember that?

And I would say, with sarcasm dripping down my chin, “Yeah. Like a book.”

Remember how rude I was.

Then, remember how you gave me your very first shiny new kindle for my birthday because you got a shinier, newer kindle for Christmas?

And I was like, “Cool.” But didn’t even try to hide the, I’m way cooler than this, I’m going to go read my twenty pound Chaucer anthology now, voice. Remember that?

Well. I’ve had that shiny new kindle now for 31 days and, guess what? I LOVE IT. I can’t even begin to describe in words how much I love that kindle. I am so sorry for all of my snarky, snobby remarks.

I thought I was being a defender of paper and proper reading habits. Really, I was just unrealistic.

I LOVE the classics I can get for free. I love the chance to ‘free sample’ a book before I buy (or not buy) it. I LOVE that I can have a book that I really, really want in thirty seconds.

So I’m only going to say this once. You were right. I was wrong.

I bow down and worship you. Thank you for the kindle.

Your BKFF (Best Kindle Friend Forever),

Emily

January.

Jane's peeking out from under Alice's arm.
I know it looks great, but it's colder than it looks.

Hasn't January felt long. It seems like we've been in January for three months now and it's not even close to over yet.

The good news for us is that occasionally we get some sun. The kids get a little overly excited and throw on summer clothes, but how can I argue with that? At least they're outside.

With a Perspective. Round 2.

A Snow Covered Mt. Diablo

I just recorded my second Perspective for our local NPR station. I hope you like it. It's supposed to air tomorrow morning. It is, in a round about way, about Pearl Harbor. You can listen to it here.

Blog Theme.

I just noticed that in the last three posts I refer to 'peeing my pants.' I don't know where this comes from? To your relief, I'm sure, I don't actually pee my pants. It's just my way of saying that I'm REALLY EXCITED.

Anyway. I'm going to try and stop peeing my pants.