July: the Real American Melting Pot

I am not a fan of summer. It has little to offer me now that I am done with school. I feel that you spend your days couped up in rooms with air conditioning that just takes the edge off the heat, or else feels so processed you get claustrophobic. The fans are on all the time, and the tiny little hairs around your face that didn't make it into the ponytail you put up to cool your neck off constantly tickle your face like little gnats. Every day the house must be opened up and fans turned on while the morning is still cool, so that the air can get sucked into the house. This is really but a vain hope, and a 15 minute delay of the inevitable. In the mid-day when the war of the thermometor begins to be lost, we button everything up and give in to the air conditioning... the spinning meter whirring in the back of my mind all the while. You'd think that childhood in Fresno would have conditioned me for this, but someone else was paying for air then, and really, it's not a great deal better here in the summer during the day. I've decided in my dream life to own a second home up by my sister in Shoreline, Washington, and spend the summer there.

Oh, certainly there are good things. We have a pool, and it is indeed lovely. I do not have a body well-suited to the pool, however, so I'm back to griping.

And we lose the war until the end of October.

So. To counteract my bitterness of spirit, here are some of the lovely things about my summer.

Grammie came for a visit. She heard Lucy was starting to repeat the alphabet with us, and had to rush down for an emergency Grandparenting. It was lovely to have her here!
It gives me great, great joy that my daughter loves to read. She must have the right idea... this is a book about Christmas.

Car washing is always a fun passtime in the heat. Lucy has learned how to help! That running board was never so clean!
Apprentice to a former professional.

If I reeeeeeach just a little bit further, maybe I can get to the bottom of this thing!

The Invitation

My recent project has been finishing a baby shower invitation for my dear, dear friend, Kristen. We decided to hilight antique toys, so I decided to take a photo in sepia and turn it into the invite. Here are some of my attempts, then the final invite (information removed, so it takes away a bit of the effect, but you get the idea). It was really fun to see it come together!

The Back Yard

Lucy loooves being "ah-sigh!" (Outside.) Recently Steve picked up some sidewalk chalk, and we've been having loads of fun with it. Since Lucy knows most of the basic animals and what they say, Steve's been drawing these huge pictures of animals and telling Lucy, "Okay, go find the pig! Go find the chicken!" Such fun!



Happy cows do come from California!
Me: "Can you tell me why the pig has a goatee?"
Steve: "Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin."


Steve drew a huge circle, and Lucy just danced and played inside the circle... go figure!

I won't tell you who he was trying to draw here... he admitted it was a failed attempt.

More photo catch-up

Here's my recent-ish sewing project. Lucy desparately needed an additional light-weight sleep sack, so I made another one. Before you pretend to be impressed, let me mention that I forgot to use the zipper foot, so there are two big places where the fabric has pulled away from the zipper. Oops! The other big problem is that the pattern made the neck hole way too big, so I need to cinch it up.


Okay, on to fun stuff. This week I went out to Redondo Beach to see my dear friend Colleen and her son Timothy. We met at a Farmer's Market that was ON THE FLIPPIN' BEACH! It was gorgeous, to say the least. I left with some ridiculously good fresh salmon, asparagus, and the biggest avacado I've ever seen.

Here's Colleen with the guy who sold the fish. She knows a bunch of the vendors there, and got me a good price for the fish. Colleen's in the air force, and can totally hang with the boys, as you see here.

Here's the view!
Here's how the play date went... Timothy sat and soaked up the sun, and Lucy explored the corners of the world.

Steve had a hair appointment that evening in Fullerton, and Lucy indicated she'd had a long day. This is the couryard outside the salon, yes, SALON where Steve gets his hair cut.

Lots of Stuff

Busy week! I have a bunch of pictures to come, but I'll start with these.

Here's the blanket I made for Sarah Twisselmann. I wanted to make it last year, but I finally finished it for her first birthday. =) It matches her pink and burgundy room.

I found this picture when I was up at my parents' house in May. L-R, My brother Eric, cousin Lisa, sister Sari, cousin Kevin, and then me at the bottom. I think we've all got that "come hither" look going pretty well, except Eric, who has drunken bandit going on.

Catching up

Well, since my last post I spent my first weekend away from Lucy, and it was fan-TASTIC! I went to a women's retreat at Lake Arrowhead (some of us like to call it "the Fake Mountains," as we were brought up within reach of the Sierra Nevadas), and had a nice time. I won't say much else about it, except that there were some really down-to-earth people there, and it wasn't over-programmed or over-cutesy. I didn't sleep well, unfortunately, but I did enjoy the jacuzzi tub!! Ah, the bliss...

Then this last weekend Steve and I lay low because we felt like we were getting sick. Lucy's had it for a week now. I particularly LOVE wiping snot off someone else's nose, by the way. But thankfully we were able to kick it before it got bad. We even felt good enough by Sunday evening to do a really nice walk in West Fullerton. Highly recommend the Cayote Hills area!

Last night I saw "The Waitress" with friends Heidi Hubbard and Denise Geringer. Not sure if I recommend it, but I enjoyed it none-the-less. I think the major draw for me were the pictures of those beautiful, beautiful pies she makes. They do this overhead shot of the pie being filled, and each one is completely unique and yummy looking. Things like chocolate berry pie with a crumbly topping... oh my, oh my. Strange, though, that the movie was about an OB-Gyn having an affair with one of his pregnant patients.

So there's my super exciting week. =) Coming up... a day at the beach! A birthday party! Father's Day! And a photo shoot! Sort of.

Weekend

Here you see Lucy lying prostrate to the household deity "Blinky." Her cousins sent her "The Little Mermaid," as they feel it is their moral duty to educate her in the ways of princessdom. She had her first 5 minute lesson and seems to be soaking it all in.

I went to the fabric SUPERSTORE this week BY MYSELF! Dangerous conditions, folks. I got stuff for multiple projects--a sleep sack for Lucy, some decor for Steve's office, loooots of yarn for baby gifts. I've discovered that I love to give washcloths, because I know that they are both useful, and the handmade thing is cool. They had some fun yarn that I hadn't seen, and some specific colors I was looking for to do another project. I'll try to do some shots of what I finish. I'm no craftswoman... I'm a get-it-done, so don't expect too much. =)

Went to the MOL graduation reception last night. It is so fun to go and not have to work. It was great to see the ladies from the office. They're going through some seriously tough times there right now... lots of personnel issues and leadership issues. Not at all ironic in a leadership program. I'm so grateful I left when I did. I didn't have anything left to give, and they would have needed way more than I had. But seeing all the graduates was super fun. I even got some "honorable mentions" which was a nice surprise.

Nothing special this weekend... just loving that my boys will be home. Won't quite be warm enough to swim, which is fine by me. Stave off the heat as long as possible.

Spoooooooky!

I just scheduled a service call for our refrigerator. When it came to the "describe the problem" I refrained from what I really wanted to say ("Our fridge is impersonating a ghost: WhoooOOOOOOOooooo! WhoooooooOOOOOOOOooooooo!"), in favor of "High-pitched, whining/sighing noises." The funny thing is, one night when I yelled at the fridge, "You don't scare me, spooky fridge!" I realized that, actually, he wins! A fridge has great power to scare! But we will come back at you with the sword of the extended warranty. HA! Take that, you fiend!

Moon!

Lucy is excited about the moon. Lots of books with moons in them, the real moon... she shouts, "Moon!" with a little chutspa behind her tone. She thinks the ABC logo is the moon, which, consequently, she loves to point out when we watch "Dan-SEEEEN!" (Dancing with the Stars). This morning she pointed at the round birthmark on my chest and shouted, "Moon!" Well. Then.

Wee Toes and Noggins

You MUST check out this cute little website. I went to college with Wendy and her husband, and she makes the cutest little booties. They're hand-made, and are really professional and creative.

I think these are my favorites...
I'm just bummed that Lucy is too big for them now! Such a cute idea for a baby shower. Anyway, if you're needing a shower gift, these are just too much fun.

Quiet on the So Cal Front

I spent a week in Selma with my parents--a glorious time of self-indulgence and grandchild worship. Lucy learned to say "Guh-MEEE!" and "Guh-PAAA," and fun was had by all. I came home with literally about 20 pounds of fruit. When you're from the Central Valley, the addage "You don't know what you're missing until it's gone" is definitely true.

I'm thinking my blogging is slowing down. I'm fairly certain my readership has dwindled, and now that my mom's computer is down, I think it might just be me that reads this anyway. I am finding that it's harder to write when I'm not sure who is reading.
But occasionally I'll include something going on in my life, just for fun. So here's for fun:

Lucy's latest capers have surrounded my faithful viewership of "Dancing with the Stars." She loves to spin in circles when she sees it, and she'll point at the computer or TV and say "Dan-SEEENG!" When they hold up the paddles, she says, "Nine!!" I got her to say "Bruno" and "Shimmy," too. It's hilarious! She's also big into body parts, and it's so funny to see her run across the room with her hands on her head, shouting, "Head! Head!" My favorite, of course is, "Hiney!"

This morning we averted a disaster. I was putting applesauce into a bowl when I realized I'd put the yogurt too close to the edge of the counter. Oops. I got to it before she had completely rolled in it, and the only casualties were her hands. She calls it "no-gu." Not exactly a descriptive term.

Well, off to put her down for a nap and grab one myself... unfortunately it was a 4:45 call time this morning.

May Day

Is it really May already? It opened with the typical May Gray, which I actually love. Everyone here complains if it's anything but 75 and sunny. I love cold (L.A. cold) and cool weather, especially before the heat begins to build its fury and dominance. It's like my last little friendly cloud before I feel like I'm in a tanning booth for 5 months.

My little fireball niece turned 4 today. She is the cutest little punkin' and about as sneaky as they get. =) Happy birthday, cutie pants!

Tonight I experimented with some close-up photography. I know next to nothing about photography, and would have loved to have a pro with me for ideas, but it was fun to play around. My back is killing me because the focal points were so delicate, but it was fun to see what is possible. The subject? Ah, but that would spoil it now wouldn't it?

Off to my parents' house next week. I find it funny that I go to Selma to relax, but it really is
relaxing to hang out with my folks, have people to play with Lucy, and visit old friends. I'm going to visit my old piano teacher who has metastatic lung cancer. She was the first teacher that really got me and really talked me into playing good stuff. I don't think I really understand that she's sick. I have a great coach for talking to sick people... my Dad is so experienced. I do look forward to seeing her again, as she was such a special person to me.

Well, signing off for tonight.

Princess Lucy?

So my idea with Lucy is not to have an arranged marriage, but rather an approved list. So far, all the boys on the list are generally the kids of my friends. Micah Watson, Nicholas Geringer, Colin Twisselmann, Aiden Pipher, Timothy Johnson, Noah Sharpe, etc. But there are some exceptions, of course. My favorite exception is Christian Valdemar Henri John, Prince of Denmark. He's not quite two years old, and he is just the cutest little sweetheart. Check him out here. (I don't want to post the pictures... they are copyrighted). His mother is just gorgeous. The prince met her at the Sydney Olympics, I believe through friends. He introduced himself as "Fred." Seriously, what a fairytale! Apparently she now speaks perfect Danish. They just had a daughter on Saturday, though the name has yet to appear.

So, what do you think of my choice for Lucy??

Wiiii (revised)!

Oh, the fun we've had with the Wii around here! We've been making Mii's for anyone who comes by. I don't know what we will do if Eric ever moves out... hee and the Wii will be missed!

Here's my Mii, though I think it's not quite right.


Isn't he cute?? (yes that's Steve)

And my little Gangster/Anime Baby...

Bud, or "Bubbo" as Lucy is calling him. Abby said, "Bud looks woowwwied." (worried)

My father-in-law... an exact likeness!


Steve's mom, or "Mimi" as the kids call her. I think she looks like a librarian!


Now here's the cake. Look who is playing whom. Note the boxing gloves.


Now note who is doing the victory dance... Oh yeah. One of the greatest accomplishments of my life!!

Wiiiiii!

Technical difficulties... re-posting...

Not for men (except Steve, Dad, maybe Bud)

I just realized Lucy has been weaned "for reals" for over a week now, and because of all the Busy, I'm not sure I really had the opportunity to process it. I was caught off guard at how sad I am about it. I mean, I'm the one who wanted to wean this long-overdue 14-month old! Long enough! Time for some freedom! But when I realized that Thursday night's feeding in the nursery at church between choir rehearsals was the last time I will ever nurse that little girl, it made me catch my breath. End of Baby, full-force Beginning of Toddler. Beginning of Growing Up. Wonderful, wonderful paradox. I suppose the beginning of that really was the day she left my body to live and breathe on her own. And I think of my own, dear, dear Mom and how much I still need her. I know Lucy will always need me in some way, and the two of us will always do the little dance to find that balance. I figure I will practice now the letting go that happens a little bit at a time. And what a wonderful thing! I really do celebrate this big step for my big girl! But for now it's okay to grieve the end of the thing I never knew would be so special.

Everybody Eats When They Come To My House

That's a song title from my new John Lithgow CD of cool childrens' songs. I think it is talking about me. I swear I am turning into an Italian Mama.
Me: Are you hungry??
You: Um... "
Me: I make you something!
This week I must say some pretty stinkin' good meals and desserts have come out of my kitchen, thanks also to Mimi (Steve's mom). We had steak one night and salmon another and BBQ'd chicken and pork chops sauteéd with a shallot and white wine sauce. Yum! We've had lots of wonderful visitors to share the food with, and I always feel happy when I can serve a meal people really enjoy--even if it is simple.

In other news, I went to the dentist and got the "5 Star of the Day Award" because my teeth looked so good. Whew!! I'm too scared of the dentist not to floss, so I sort of ramp up before and after the dentist. I slack off in the middle, and then ramp up again toward the next appointment. It's like a little sine curve. But kudos to mom for all those years of those nasty vitamins with fluoride in them!

To come:
Mii's and wood flooring.

Easter, etc.

I thought some of these pics from Easter week might be fun!

This is the Easter egg hunt across the street. They'd filled them with Cheerios and fishies for the little kids, so when Lucy found her first two, she just assumed they were maraccas.


These were from Aunt Cindy. Lucy rarely leaves anything on her head, so this was a lucky moment. =)


Grammie and Lucy playing with the "easter grass." No, not that kind of grass! Goodness, clean up your thinking! Lucy had a great time with Grammie. She has a hard time with the name (though today I got "wah-ree" or something like that out of her. While she was here, Lucy would stop her play once in awhile and just crawl into Grammie's lap. =)


Cropped picture for your viewing pleasure--so you don't have to see my enormous butt! This is how I cook and do dishes most days. Note the cute little outfit that Lucy has on. Thanks, Mimi! (Mimi is the grandkids' name for Steve's mom.)


The sandbox! Whose brilliant idea was this?? I am slowly getting used to the dirt involved in having a toddler. I'm about there with mess and food, but dirt is still unsettling to me. The sand I find in that kid's diaper never ceases to amaze me! Note outfit #2 that just appeared when Mimi showed up!


And the piéce de résistance... (I swear, this was not staged!)

The flowers

Well, the weekend is over. I sang my Friday night service (which was amazing), I spent most of Saturday getting the flowers ready for the sanctuary (which turned out well), I welcomed my in-laws (who are fun!), I got up early and set up flowers for the brunch (which was lovely), and prepared my Easter dinner (which was kick-a@#!). I missed the Easter service because Lucy had a runny nose and we got kicked out of the nursery last Sunday for the same reason. I walked around with her in the stroller, which was actually really nice. There were lots of people around, and we enjoyed it. I did miss the opportunity to worship with my church, but the Good Friday service was really special.

My Easter dinner was fun to make. I bought a leg of lamb, which is a real treat. I marinated it in olive oil and shoved a bunch of garlic into little slits in the side. It turned out reeeeally good. I also made a potato gallette and roasted asparagus. The dessert was the coup de gras... Oreo crust, ice cream, fudge, cool whip, and crushed Cadbury mini eggs. Oh yeah. Now to roll my pudgy body to bed.

The craziness

I just said goodbye to my mom today... a much more hurried goodbye than I would have liked, but L.A. traffic stole my hug. We hit a dead stop in commerce, and heard on KNX that there was a crash across 3 lanes. We were at the dead stop a mile from the incident, so luckily I was able to bug out and slingshot past the clog. We arrived at 1:14 and the bus left at 1:15 with mom on it. We had a great week, and as always when she leaves, it feels like we are missing someone.

Tonight I had a 2+ hour choir rehearsal... fun, but tiring. And in a tiny, hot room. Tomorrow I prepare the house and the food for another round of family as well as my obligations at church. I sing tomorrow night, then Saturday/Sunday I am responsible for decorating the sanctuary and the tables for the Easter brunch. Still not quite sure how I got myself into that! Here's what I think is funny: I generally enjoy hosting, and my sister enjoys decorating. How is it that she's hosting a group of friends for Easter and I'm decorating the sanctuary??

I also have to bake for the Easter brunch and get Easter dinner ready for my family. I'm so glad we are making steaks on Monday... easy for me! Then dinner out on Tuesday. Yay! Tiiiiired... Going to bed....