Front Porch: A Study in Purple

Winter Pansies, a Heuchera, and unknown 8" plant.
(tho' this photo doesn't quite capture the prettiness of the plants ... perhaps defying the FPP ;)

Unfinished project #1 completed. Check.

I went running this morning.

The end.

Scrabble Rabble

When I said Briton beat me at Scrabble the other night, we had not yet played this game. This game made the prior one seem like a friendly spar. "Arrestee" and "Ungentle" are both his plays. "Ungentle" was particularly so, since he not only played over both Triple Word Scores, but it was also a bingo. I set him up with my "ruin", to my ruin ...and utter annihilation. His final score? 465. Qoph.

Dear Dad,

Hi! I wanted to tell you about my day.

After breakfast, mom put me in the carseat. I never know where I'm going to end up when I'm strapped in the bucket. Today we ended up somewhere I'd never been before. It was this humongous indoor playground with lots of bright colors. Mom let me slide down the long slide all by myself. It was fast! She took me to the top and just let me slip away. The slide was bouncy and full of air, so it didn't hurt when I wiped out at the bottom. I smiled and laughed and wanted to do it again. So I did. Once on my back and once on my tummy. Feet first ... because that's the rule. I hope mom takes us there a lot when it starts raining all the time.

After the playground, I got put back in the carseat. Mom had just fed me, so I slept until we stopped again. When I opened my eyes, we were at my favorite store. They have free samples there. I didn't get any, but Talmage and Joseph did. They had a cobbler, chili beans, yoplait smoothie, and fake mashed potatoes. Mom bought me some size 3 diapers. I'm glad she finally noticed that the size 2's have been getting kinda tight.

I slept for almost 2 hours in the afternoon. Then, mom put me back in the carseat. Maybe she was taking us back to the playground! We ended up at the church instead. Mom helped set up a quilt. I slid around on the gym floor with Lila. Talmage played cars with Jed. My favorite part, though, was when mom held me underneath the yellow quilt and swung me upside down like a bat.

For dinner I got sweet potatoes and rice cakes. I love them. They just, mmm, melt in your mouth. I was getting tired and so mom let me sleep a little bit before waking me up to get back in the carseat. Talmage stayed at home with Joseph and Isaac and Dave. Mom and I had a Girls' Night Out. We went to Honey Jo's house. It smelled so good. I hope mom buys lots of Scentsy Candles for our house so it will smell good and not like stale people. I saw Stephanie at Honey Jo's and she held me. I like her. We left after an hour. I hope when I go to sleep tonight it will be until the morning.

I love you, Dad. I'm excited for you to come home tomorrow. We miss you very much.
Love,
Sydney
p.s. Don't be mad about the carpet. Talmage did it.

"Innocence...

...is the spirit's unself-conscious state at any moment of pure devotion to any object. It is at once a receptiveness and total concentration" (Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, 82).

Root Toot Boot Scootin' Sydney

TAKE ONE:


Syd only scooted backwards for awhile. A couple weeks ago she started experimenting with forward propulsion. This past week she's really picked up the pace.

TAKE TWO:

.

Horsetail Falls in the Fall

What Economic Downturn?

Last night, before Briton soundly beat me at Scrabble (“chez” was the turning point; “bu” is not a word), we were reviewing a document we’d written as starry-eyed newlyweds. I’m talking one-month-behind-our-belts-the-world-is-our-oyster-type starry-eyed newlyweds. The questions covered a wide array of topics related to how we envisioned our future lives together. Below are two of the more temporal questions:

10. How much money do we need to have?

"1 million dollars"

11. What things would we like to own?

"grand piano, harpsichord, new bike for robin, our own vehicles, a place to call home, kitchen aid, industrial blender, really good stereo system with great speakers (possibly surround sound). Flat screen monitor? good furniture down the road. nice house stuff (washer and dryer---quiet dishwasher too). sewing machine. serger. loom. quilting table (2x4s), pair of skates, and a pony, 1 milk cow, 1 goat for trash, 7 chickens, garden w/ rhubarb, a tire swing, big trees, yard big enough for catch and badminton and a zipline. a bandsaw, drill press, table saw, miter saw, glass grinder. good work bench,,outdoor freezer, a bucket from Tillamook, incidentals, and lots of good camping equipment, and a cooler, and some lawn chairs, garden hose, lawn mower, garden implements, tools, a couple four wheelers (sweet!), an OED, just for show. a television, a VCR, a DVD player, a video camera, -the latest gizmo."

They say if you write your goals down they will happen. Four years into our marriage, I can see how that is true. Not that we have a million dollars; but we do have one chicken and a bucket from Tillamook (50 cents!).

Home Decorating Angst

The cornices (cornici?) will be in this fabric, with a darker blue fabric trim.

Paisley is a beautiful word, anyway. Paaaaisley.

Whidbey Island

... has a Navy Base (i.e. cheap cereal at the commissary and a "free air" pump that doesn't pump air) and Deception Pass (i.e. jaw-dropping scenary). The only reason I know about Whidbey Island, though, is because Keriann and Tom moved there this year. Since Briton is working in Dupont this week, I pre-empted his departure with my own by making a second visit to see my cuz' from the 'hood. Guaranteed good conversation and some walks down memory lane. As a bonus, Mark and Marianne and kids were there, too. And just as a little advertisement - if any of you want your house cleaned in a flash (not that yours was dirty, KA), just invite Marianne over.

Second Cousins in the backyard playground.

A quick pose before resuming trampoline warfare.

Kate (second from left) took watchful care of Talmage.

"Hey, Sydney...

...where's your mom? Why doesn't she put socks on your feet so they don't turn blue?"We left Whidbey via the ferry to Port Townsend. Just for kicks. We rendezvoused with Briton in Dupont, much later than expected. After a gross Mexican meal, it was late enough that we decided to spend the night in Dupont, courtesy of Intel. Sydney had a room all to herself.

Date Night

Friday nights are the highly anticipated Date Nights. We're in a babysitting swap group with three other families. Three out of four Fridays we have the evening to ourselves; but when it's your turn to watch, you're jumping over 6 kids (that's 12 eyeballs) under age 3. Totally worth it.

Last week we went on a bike ride. Tonight we did the traditional dinner/movie. We watched "Fireproof" based on Mrs. M's recommendation. Very wholesome movie; solid message about marriage. We recommend it, too.

It's a Potty Around Here

Talmage's time has come. Potty-training time! Let's get down and boogie.

Saturday, Sept 27: Special trip with Talmage to Kohl's. He picked out Lightning McQueen and Friends underwear. I bless the name of Pixar.
Sunday, Sept 28: Remind Talmage that tomorrow is the big day to start wearing underwear and using the toilet. He gets candy for staying dry and clean. He seems game.
Monday, Sept 29: Details below.

I pumped him full of juice in the morning. He got as much as he wanted. The goal was to get him to urinate a lot so he could practice a lot. And boy, did Talmage have ample opportunity to practice! (Notation: I=input; O=output).

Day One:
8:39-9:22 am
On toilet, putting stickers on back of toilet seat. Morale: HIGH
I=8 oz juice; O=zero

9:23 am.
Playing with cars
O=in pants, onto carpet.

9:30 am.
I=8 oz juice

9:55 am.
O=in pants, onto carpet
Jo comes over and saves Sydney, who is being neglected

10:25 am.
I=8 oz juice
Playing outside. O=goes #1 and #2 in pants.
He understands when he urinates he gets wet. He doesn't like it. He walks wide-legged to the bathroom.

11 am.
On toilet for 26 min. Watching movie. Urinates in toilet for the first time!!!! He is rewarded with fistfuls of candy. He loves the potty party: juice, stickers, movies, candy, mom's undivided attention.

11:45 am.
O=in pants

12:15 pm.
I decide to cut down on the juice.
I=zero, O=in pants

12:40 pm
I=zero, O=in pants (again).
Morale: LOW (I ask my help-line, "Is this normal?" Answer: "Yes.")

12:42 pm.
Sitting on toilet.
O=zero.

12:53 pm.
O=in pants (grrr! He was just on the toilet. Argh!)

1:23 pm.
Sitting on toilet (12 minutes).
O=in toilet!!!!! Tremendous praise and more candy. Beaming Talmage. OK. This is worth it!

1:45 pm.
Naptime (1 hour, 15 min). We both need a break.
T wears a pull-up.

3:15 pm.
O=in pants. But ... a breakthrough. I was outside mowing the lawn. I had told him to come get me if he had to urinate. He came outside and told me he had to go and then peed on the sidewalk. Which meant he had recognized the sensation and was able to hold it long enough to come outside. I felt bad for not helping him be more successful. But I see that he's getting it. Good Job!

4:19 pm.
O=urinates in toilet!!! Talmage beams ear to ear. Me, too.

4:35 pm.
O=in pants.

4:40 pm.
Went for a walk.
O=in pants, on sidewalk.

5:40 pm. Sitting on toilet. O=zero
6:32 pm. Sitting on toilet (25 min) O=zero. I guess he was all emptied out.

Wore pull-up to bed.

DAY TWO:
Yesterday's cumulative efforts started to pay off. Sat on toilet first thing in the morning and urinated right away. Only one "accident" today- and it happened at the playground... so that's cool.

DAY THREE:
7: 30 a.m. Without being asked, Talmage pipes up, "Mommy, I need to go potty!"
O=In toilet. LOTS OF PRAISE.

I'll stop the detail here. Generally speaking, I think he's getting it. I ask him frequently "Are you dry and clean?" and take the initiative to put him on the toilet (you see he prefers the big toilet, sitting backwards. So he needs a boost). But he's off to a good start. There's no going back. We're committed to Lightning McQueen. I'm really pleased with him and his willingness to give toilet training a go. Have another Reese's Pieces, Talmage.

Pink is for Girls, Blue is for Boys

The big-bosomed Egyptian boaba's used to pinch my cheeks (hard) and tell my mom what a cute boy I was. Except I wasn't a newborn. I was in second grade. Old enough to feel indignant.

Can you guess which picture is our girl-child and which is our boy-child?

Open Adoption

We recently had a very tender experience with D., Isaac's birthmom. Afterwards, just she and I had some time to chat. I loved getting to know her better. It got me thinking that Isaac's adoption isn't just about my cousins and D, and me and D. via my cousins. It's also about me and D., directly. It's like we got a new family member, besides Isaac. She deepens the sense of family.

Isaac's adoption story is unique and beautiful. D. created this movie about his arrival and placement with Dave and Jo. Keep a Kleenex handy.

Abacus' Father-in-Law Sounding

I asked my dad, who is retired, how today's stock market downturn affected his "piles of gold". Everyone is in differing financial situations, but his response is a voice of steadiness and offers insight that I believe is applicable to many. Below is a portion of his email response:

"...One lesson to remember is that the market responds to psychology as much as to economic forces. And drastic falls, like today, will give way to sudden surges and no one can predict those days. So, if it doesn't drive you crazy, you stay invested with the confidence that in the long run you will do better than anything else you could do with your money. It may take years, but it will be worth the wait.

"Here is one thing you will see: in the next few months there will be advertisements about programs, funds, or books that will show fantastic returns while our investments have tanked. But you won't hear from these same people a few years from now. There is no magic formula and no one knows what the market will do, much less when it will do it.

"Here is what Fisher says:
"'These are extraordinary times but they won't last forever. Now more than ever we urge you to exercise continued patience. Living through abnormally high volatility can be very uncomfortable, but now is a treacherous time to attempt to stem the temporary discomfort by abruptly selling out."

"The only time the piles of gold are affected is when you sell. Just because it is less on paper will only bother you if you let it. Marianne's grandpa had investments he bought in the 1920s when he was a 'prominent man' in the Kettle Valley Railway. He lost his job (because Canadian Pacific bought the little railroad) and they moved to California. But he did not sell when the market fell apart nor during the Great Depression. By the time Marianne came along he was a wealthy man again. It took over 10 years, but those who sold in panic or jumped out of windows were worse off than he."

Acres of Art in Creation

Tonight, at the General Relief Society Conference broadcast, President Uchkdorf delivered a thoughtful address about how creation and compassion foster Godlike happiness. It's worth a read and re-read. Look for it here (tho' it may not be available until after October 5th).

In talking about our capacity for creativity, he said, "You are spirit daughters of the most creative Being in the Universe." Wow. There is no such thing as a person with "no talent" since all of us, every single one of us 'umble creatures, has a spiritual heritage of creativity. He went on to talk about how we participate in creation when we bring something into being that wasn't there before; so that includes the art in creation of things like teaching and nurturing a child, building family memories, and making greasy eggs. This rings true to me. But read his talk to get the real gist.

It was a fulfilling evening (and not just 'cause I ate 5 cookies afterwards). I look forward to General Conference this next weekend.

The Work of Play

Psst. Pass It On!

I don’t collect anything. I am an un-collector. Knick-knacks? Dicey. Nirvana is throwing away an empty shampoo bottle. College textbooks? Nada. OK, OK. I still have two – but they’re both ones I still reference. I love getting rid of stuff. (sidenote: and I married a guy who likes to hold onto things: empty appliance boxes, plastic sacks, old "classic" college textbooks, shot glasses. So, uh ... I guess we are the yin and yang of Stuff and that makes us Whole. That's Good). Bringing this up, plus the recent “Piles” post, may seem to contradict what I’m about to confess. But I must come clean: I just love, love, love the local, biannual Pass It On sale. It’s a consignment sale for kids stuff. You can buy lots of stuff (clothes, toys, books, etc) and bring it home to fill the closets and shelves you’ve been fighting so vigilantly to empty.

This time I decided to be a consigner myself because a) I got to go through boxes of Talmage and Sydney-clothes and get rid of some stuff (except for anything you gave us), and b) consignors get to go to a “pre-sale” and get first-dibs before the public comes. The pre-sale was today. I got out of there spending, on average, just below $3 per item. Way better than buying new things – not as good as garage sales. But now there’s new stuff to get rid of in the future.

This is Not a Pipe

It's a tomatillo! Until last night, I had no idea what a tomatillo was. Since then I've learned, like the tomato, the tomatillo is from the nightshade family. Which I believe is Poisonous*. But the non-toxic portion is a key ingredient in this delicious recipe.

Rosie’s Chicken Salad with Tomatillo Dressing (from Michelle H.)

2 bunches of Romaine lettuce	Tortilla strips
Grilled chicken breasts	Avocado (optional)
1 ½ cups of Romano cheese	Tomatillo dressing
Zaterain’s black bean rice mix (prepared as directed-I add ¾ c. white rice, 1 ½ c. water)	½ bunch fresh cilantro (optional)
2 cans black beans, rinsed	Fresh lime slices (optional)

Chicken Garlic Lime Marinade:

¼ c. olive oil	Juice from 2 fresh limes
6 Tbl. Soy sauce	1 tsp. salt
¼ c. red wine vinegar	1 ½ tsp. black pepper
6 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce	Cloves of crushed fresh garlic
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

In a large resealable bag, blend all in the bag. Place the chicken breasts in and shake. Marinade for at least 6 hours. Try not to leave in longer, as the citrus juice will toughen the chicken. Rotate the bag often to get complete sides of chicken.

Rosie’s Tomatillo Dressing:

1 jalapeno pepper	¾ jar of Ranch dressing
2 medium tomatillos cut into bite size	Salt to taste
½ bunch fresh cilantro	Juice from 1 fresh lime

Pour Ranch dressing in blender, add jalapeno, tomatillo pieces and cilantro. Blend on high for about 1 minute or until the sauce is smooth. Pour in lime juice and blend.

*("Nor suffer thy pale forehead to be kiss'd/by nightshade..." Ode on Melancholy. John Keats)

Go, Cougars!

Briton loves college football. In 1984 he saved all the newspaper articles about the Cougars in a scrapbook. That was the year they won the National Championship. He was ten years old. In his words, "It was the best year of my life."

It didn't take much arm-twisting, then, for Briton to jump in on a group deal for tickets to the recent BYU vs. Washington football game. We made a weekend of it. On Friday, Sydney and I picked up Briton from the Dupont campus. Then we moseyed on up to Whidbey Island to see Keriann and Tom.

Yummy pancakes and delicious conversation.

On Saturday we dressed in our navy blue and offered our oblations. The game was extremely exciting; we didn't think to take a pic until it was over. BYU 28, WA 27. Tight. Even though I am not nearly as faithful a fan as Briton (I mean, come on, who really knows all the words to the Cougar Fight Song?) I hope BYU comes and plays in the Northwest again. When they do, we plan on being there.