Stacia's 365 Project

Day 1 (Friday, July 1, 2011)

2011-07-01T22:34:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful afternoon for a walk, in contrast to the many days of gray and drizzle lately. Cory rode his bike and I walked, and we found ripe salmon berries along the way! He enjoyed eating them too, somewhat to my surprise. He's not big on berries, but does like blackberries when they're in season. Little by little with this boy.

It was especially nice to get outside after spending most of the day catching up at work (from home), calling dentists, and taking Mom to an oral surgeon to get advice on her aching jaw. She's got an appointment to have a tooth pulled next week. Finally following advice her dentist gave her back in February but she ignored because she didn't want to spend the money and it didn't hurt - then.

fri, 12/31...day 365

2010-12-22T20:35:00.001-08:00

The last day of 2010, and the last day of my Project 365 posts. I'll be doing another project of some sort to capture everyday memories in 2011 - probably a weekly or biweekly summary on my other blog. It's hard to believe I've been doing the daily photo thing for two whole years now! :-)

We spent a quiet day at the holiday park, catching up on laundry, resting, swimming, and taking it easy. The boys and I walked into town to do some shopping, and Joanna picked us and our groceries up to spare us carrying everything all the way back.

In the evening, we celebrated New Year's Eve by going to a real, sit-down restaurant, The Gothic, which used to be a church. Niall and I both ordered meals where you cook the meat at your table on a (very) hot stone. He thought that was the coolest thing! And the food was delicious.

Wonderful to ring in the new year here in New Zealand with our friends!

thu, 12/30...day 364

2010-12-22T20:34:00.004-08:00

Today featured an incredible trip to the Abel Tasman coastline, taking a boat from Kaiteriteri Beach all the way up the coast, and then getting off at a beach partway back to hike through the bush to Tasman Bay where the boat picked us up again in the afternoon.

The beaches and bays are just gorgeous. The water is an incredible color of green, and clear, with beautiful craggy rocks and little islands sprinkled about. Stunning.

On the walk, we had to cross a long suspension bridge that would only support "five people maximum." It was quite an experience!

The walk was up and down, in places quite steep, so I was happy that Cory handled it pretty well, though he did keep asking if we were there yet. Two hours of hiking is a lot when you're not used to doing any at all and you really don't care much about the scenery. He had a great time playing at the beach when we got there, though, so not a total loss. :P

wed, 12/29...day 363

2010-12-22T20:34:00.003-08:00

Today's outing was to Kina Beach, located between Motueka and Nelson, the town we went to yesterday.

It was very windy, so Joanna and I set up our towels in a sheltered spot on the grass just back of the driftwood line.

The boys found a driftwood fort and enjoyed adding onto it and playing sparring games.

We also found really big shells on this beach - mussels and other kinds. Adding to our collection...not sure how we'll get them home without breaking!

tue, 12/28...day 362

2010-12-22T20:34:00.001-08:00

The Holiday Park where we're staying has great kid-friendly features, like this jumping pillow (wish we had them back in the States), giant chess board, playgrounds, and (our favorite) swimming pool.

Today was cool and a little drizzly, so we headed off to explore the town of Nelson, about 30 minutes from Motueka.

We started at the cathedral, above the main street of town, and then walked down to stroll around looking at the shops. Cory got a silver ring he loved from a street vendor, and Niall got a necklace with a carved bone pendant from the same place.

We stopped for tea at a sweets shop, and then headed back up the hill to the cathedral.

mon, 12/27...day 361

2010-12-18T01:06:00.003-08:00

Our first full day in Motueka!

We drove about ten minutes to Kaiteriteri Beach, which is a beautiful orangey beach full of shells. Niall, Cory and I enjoyed collecting a number of them.

Later Niall and I went swimming in the ocean (Alice had already been in for a swim first thing). It was COLD. Took me forever to get used to it, and even then, I didn't last long.

Niall stuck it out much longer. He's not nearly as sensitive to cold as I am, and was thrilled to swimming in the actual ocean.

sun, 12/26...day 360

2010-12-18T01:06:00.001-08:00

We got up early this morning to finish packing, load the car, and get to the Interislander ferry in time for 7:20 boarding. The ferry didn't leave until an hour later, but cars had to be there early. We managed to fit all six of us and all our gear into Joanna's little minivan, which is nearly identical to the small Odyssey I had before the newer big one. Remarkable!

On the ferry, a magician performed part of the time in the "family lounge" where we were. Cory got called on to come "help" for one of the parts! He was delighted. Unfortunately, I missed that part because I was up on deck getting some fresh air to help with a bit of queasiness, but Joanna took pictures and Cory got this special balloon six-legged, red-backed spider as a prize.

Niall came out on deck with me several times and enjoyed the view despite the wind.

sat, 12/25...day 359

2010-12-18T01:05:00.006-08:00

Merry Christmas!

We had a lovely Christmas morning at Joanna's. I brought some gifts, and she also had little gifts for the boys and me, and filled complete stockings for them as well! They were delighted.

Late morning, we headed around the bay to Joanna's aunt's house where we spent the afternoon visiting and eating, perched up above the harbor with beautiful gardens and views all around.

fri, 12/24...day 358

2010-12-18T01:05:00.005-08:00

A record-breaking windy day in Wellington!

We walked down through the city center and by the waterfront, and nearly got blown over!

We also went up to Mount Victoria to see the view, but it was hard to even hold onto my camera, it was blowing so hard. Gale-force winds - amazing!

thu, 12/23...day 357

2010-12-18T01:05:00.003-08:00

Today is Niall's 10th birthday! We celebrated before our daily outing with breakfast-time gifts, and afterwards with "candy for dinner," including fairy bread. Quite a hit with the kids! (Also had party sausages and chips, so a *very* well-rounded meal. LOL)

We visited Zealandia today, a bird and other wildlife sanctuary right in Wellington. Saw amazing presentations and interactive displays about New Zealand's history and the devastation of its native population of birds, animals, and plants. Zealandia provides a pest-free environment where some of these populations can (and have) be safe to blossom again.

There are two dams at Zealandia, and this is Cory checking out the binoculars in the middle of the upper dam's walkway. The wind was really whipping across the bridge!

wed, 12/22...day 356

2010-12-18T01:05:00.001-08:00

We arrived at Joanna's safe and sound yesterday!
Here's Cory, opening the gate to her house.

We spent today touring the fabulous Te Papa museum, that has lots of hands-on, interactive exhibits and features NZ history and culture of all sorts.

Here are the three boys on a rock in an outdoor play area that included a big sandbox with "dinosaur bones" you could clear sand away from.

A famous statue that seems to lean out over the bay, just below the museum.

tue, 12/21...day 355

2010-12-13T17:12:00.005-08:00

Since we headed back to Matamata yesterday for our tour, we didn't have a chance to see any of the thermals that Rotorua is famous for.

So today, on our way south, we stopped at Wai-o-Tapu, a "thermal wonderland" that includes a geyser (we got there just in time to see it go off) and paths that take you past all kinds of colorful, boiling, glopping, craggy thermal lakes, rivers, and formations. Very cool!

mon, 12/20...day 354

2010-12-13T17:12:00.003-08:00

We're staying in a wonderful, comfortable, friendly motor lodge in Rotorua, with a soaking pool and a hot springs pool. We enjoyed trying those out in the afternoon.

But first, we drove back up to Matamata after breakfast, as planned, and had a fabulous time on the LOTR tour. It hardly even sprinkled on us, so much better weather than yesterday.

After the tour, the boys got to see a sheep sheared (the LOTR set is on a huge sheep farm) and got to feed baby lambs. Fun!

sun, 12/19...day 353

2010-12-13T17:12:00.001-08:00

We stopped in Matamata today on our way to Rotorua, intending to take the Hobb iton tour. But rain was deluging down, and the person at the front desk asked if we wanted to defer to the next day instead. She said that two of the families on the tour before the one we planned to take had left in the middle, it was so wet.

So we'll come back tomorrow (only 45 minutes from Rotorua) and hope for a bit drier weather!

sat, 12/18...day 352

2010-12-13T17:11:00.008-08:00

Today we made it to Cathedral Cove on our second try (too rainy in the morning). It's a 45 minute hike, up and down over a rocky, uneven trail.

We didn't go through the cove to the other side because there was a rope blocking it off, though I realized later that it was just a warning (about possible falling rocks) and we could have taken a risk and gone to the other side.

fri, 12/17...day 351

2010-12-13T17:11:00.007-08:00

Today was drizzly and I decided to take my host, Brian's, advice and visit a local amusement park called The Waterworks. On the way, we stopped to walk through a kauri reserve - huge old kauri trees, saved (barely) from being clearcut with the rest of the kauri.

The boys' favorite part of the Waterworks was the "Flying Fox" ziplines. Whee!

thu, 12/16...day 350

2010-12-13T17:11:00.005-08:00

We arrived safely in Auckland, very tired but glad to be in New Zealand at last.

As we sat not far from the rental car place, waiting to see if Joanna would come as she thought she might (for a court appearance in Auckland), we struck up a conversation with a couple travelling from Germany. The woman was doing a wooden solataire puzzle kind of like a mini-Chinese Checkers, and Niall was intrigued. Then she got out another kind of puzzle, like triangular dominoes, and invited Niall to play with her. They enjoyed several games before they needed to leave to shuttle to their rental car.

And just about then, Joanna arrived! Delightful to see her, and she got us started with getting a phone from Vodaphone, maps of the area, and getting some money changed to NZ dollars.

She also showed us her formal black robes, which she has to wear to court appearances. A bit more formal than America. :-)

We had a dodgy time finding out way out of Auckland and to the Pacific Coast Highway that we'd take all the way up to Hahei (the road signs didn't match the map or directions at all), but managed it eventually and wound our way up the coast. The little studio at Hahei Retreat is new, clean and comfortable, and we're glad to be settling in.

wed, 12/15...day 349

2010-12-13T17:11:00.003-08:00

We didn't really have a December 15th, since we crossed the International Date Line on our way to New Zealand, in the wee hours. But I thought I'd post pix of the boys and me on the flight, commemorating the crossing. :-)

tue, 12/14...day 348

2010-12-13T17:11:00.001-08:00

On our way at last! Next stop: SFO, and then on to Auckland, New Zealand.

Getting checked in at the airport took much longer than expected, since we had to have an actual agent check our bags and he was busy helping out every other person who came along (getting them started with the automatic machines) until he could finally get to us.

The flight to San Francisco went quickly, and soon we were on our way in a 747 winging over the Pacific.

The boys were quite enchanted to have their own view screens to watch whatever they liked, though they seemed to prefer checking out whatever I was watching. :P

mon, 12/13...day 347

2010-12-13T17:10:00.008-08:00

The craft room aka gift wrapping room, in full swing.

sun, 12/12...day 346

2010-12-13T17:10:00.007-08:00

We've been having torrential rain the past day or so. The river next to Grandma's is so high, the walkway that goes down to the floating dock now goes UP to the floating dock. Yikes!

We celebrated "early Christmas" today, since we'll be off in NZ for the real day. I set up our mini-Christmas tree in the living room (after clearing out the couch area) and set the presents there.

The lights on our big tree nearly all died by the end of the season last year, so we'll be getting a new one. But I'm putting it off another year, since I didn't really set up Christmas this year (too busy and seemed odd to do it when we'd be gone anyway).

sat, 12/11...day 345

2010-12-13T17:10:00.005-08:00

Cory continues with his paper-made outfits, with today's version being a knight's helmet and armor.

Love the bright colors, not to mention the cute boy behind them. :-)

fri, 12/10...day 344

2010-12-13T17:10:00.003-08:00

Dinner out tonight at Spud in Juanita - yummy fish and chips.

And then off to a party at the jumpy place in Kirkland, for Theo's 7th birthday. Niall and Cory loved it, though me not quite as much. A late outing for a Friday, and so close to the day we leave on our big trip.

thu, 12/9...day 343

2010-12-13T17:10:00.001-08:00

It was a Skate King afternoon for Little Schoolers today, and Niall and Cory both had a grand time.

We hadn't been since Zoe's birthday party, a month or two back, but they both quickly got back to being able to get around a bit and then got moving a lot more by the time skating was over.

Now if their mom would just take them a bit more often, they'll probably really get the hang of it! :D

wed, 12/8...day 342

2010-12-13T17:09:00.004-08:00

I took a few hours and headed to Pike Place Market for some quick Xmas shopping today.

These tourists making a video got the fish mongers to do their yell and fish throw, just for them. Quite entertaining.

The Market pig is one of my favorite sights there.

When I picked up Cory from school later, he (as usual) had a cool project to show me and posed in a dramatic way (also as usual :D) with his creation.

tue, 12/7...day 341

2010-12-13T17:09:00.003-08:00

Dipping candles is a long-time tradition in the Woods Building at the boys' school.

The candles were dipped yesterday, and are now hanging to dry in the courtyard.

mon, 12/6...day 340

2010-12-13T17:09:00.001-08:00

Niall still sits on this little couch in the TLS library to read, even as he gets bigger and bigger.

sun, 12/5...day 339

2010-12-04T15:26:00.002-08:00

A preview of our trip to NZ, perhaps?

sat, 12/4...day 338

2010-12-04T15:26:00.001-08:00

It was a spectacular winter day here, with the low, slanting afternoon light making gorgeous shadows when we went for a walk.

Later, we took Cory over to Grandma's for the evening, and Niall and I went to see "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1)." A terrific day and evening all around.

fri, 12/3...day 337

2010-12-02T21:45:00.005-08:00

It was Family Night at Little School tonight, and Book Fair as well. I really enjoyed Cory having the chance to "teach" me about fitting the pattern blocks into the shape outlines. Then he showed me several cool BIG posters he's made recently: one of Darth Maul and one of a kingly "rug" with gold ribbon taped down each side. Finally we played a game of "Blink," a card game where you match colors, shapes or numbers.

Meanwhile, Niall practiced his ukelele in the obs near his classroom, and ended up doing a demonstration for parents coming by. Very cool.

Later he showed me the "tableau" posters his class has created, that help demonstrate a concept like conflict resolution or how a character coped with adversity in a book. Very fun. And then we took a look at these historical objects he and his classmates made, based on their books of historical fiction.

Last, we hotfooted it up to the Book Fair and tried not to be overwhelmed by the many, many cool books available there. Niall bought the latest Artemis Fowl book, "The Atlantis Complex," with his own money. :-)

thu, 12/2...day 336

2010-12-02T21:45:00.003-08:00

We turned up this relic from the distant past while cleaning out the computer room over the weekend, and Cory is fascinated with it. He keeps asking if we can plug it in somewhere and "watch" what's on it, or see if we can put a movie on it.

It's a little hard to explain how little data can be stored on it, and that its purpose in life was to install software for a LAN.

wed, 12/1...day 335

2010-12-02T21:45:00.001-08:00

I haven't had to get a smog test for the car in years, but apparently, five years is the magic number when you have a relatively new car.

After I finally tracked down the smog test place in Redmond, I was happily surprised by the short wait (one car ahead of me) and the low price. $15! What a steal.

tue, 11/30...day 334

2010-11-28T10:31:00.001-08:00

My nemesis. :P

mon, 11/29...day 333

2010-11-28T10:30:00.003-08:00

Cory and I went for a walk this weekend (again let me say how fabulous and relaxing it is to walk with just one kid! :D), and as we came up a hill, the sunset was shining through this hay feeder. It looked almost like an Olympic torch or a firepit.

Didn't have my good camera with me, of course, but I grabbed a few quick pictures before the light shifted, as it does so quickly. Fleeting moments, but beautiful to behold.

sun, 11/28...day 332

2010-11-28T10:30:00.001-08:00

The dirt pile in the driveway - delivered in June for our new garden beds - is FINALLY almost all moved. Whew. What a big project!

Tynor has done a lot of the work, but I moved about 10-12 wheelbarrow loads today. Only a few more to go, but I just couldn't quite finish it off!

sat, 11/27...day 331

2010-11-26T17:25:00.001-08:00

What started as the simple task of moving the desk over to the wall so we could fit the table next to it turned into a complete cleanup and sorting out of the junk in the computer room.

What a job! So many old CD-ROMs, computer cords, doodads of every kind tucked away into little containers here and there. Glad to get through as much of it as we did, but hoo boy - so much junk.

While we were at it, I moved the boys' computer over to the table so they wouldn't keep driving me nuts kicking the cupboard under the corner computer cabinet.

fri, 11/26...day 330

2010-11-26T17:24:00.002-08:00

Cory had a tumultuous morning at Grandma and Grandpa's.

We had a yummy breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast, and Cory's tooth finally came out - first one! Very exciting. Though he seems to have swallowed it - whoops!(I told him the Tooth Fairy pays double if you swallow the tooth by mistake, so he didn't get too upset over losing it.)

But then - a big to-do with Grandma over not picking up blocks (and even throwing them :-( ) so a timeout to himself for a good part of the late morning. Sigh.

Finally he recovered enough to apologize to Grandma, and he and I took Hally for a walk up to the mailboxes and back.

A rainy, rainy day and no more snow to be seen. We packed up and headed south about noon, with a stop for fish & chips at the Fairhave bus.

thu, 11/25...day 329

2010-11-26T17:24:00.001-08:00

We headed up to Bellingham about midday, picking up Kellen along the way. All my boys with me for the holiday - yay!

It snowed all morning, so we used chains to get out to the main road, and then things were fine from there. More snow in B'ham, but the roads were manageable. Tynor drove all the way, so got some practice with snow and slush.

Dad and Marian served a delicious, free-range turkey dinner with all the fixings. It was delicious! Seth and I brought potatoes and we had quite the feast.

The best part was being with everyone else. The only downside; wish my other two brothers had made it as well.

wed, 11/24...day 328

2010-11-23T18:12:00.006-08:00

More sledding fun today! This time we headed to the steeper hill south of us, and spent several hours there with neighbors, sledding over and over.

The "Flyer" was particularly speedy on that hill - whee! Cory and I enjoyed going down together. A bit fast for him by himself.

tue, 11/23...day 327

2010-11-23T18:12:00.005-08:00

A no-school, work-at-home day capped by some great sledding in the afternoon!

More cold tomorrow (they say lows in the mid-teens tonight!), so the snow is likely to stick around. The boys will be thrilled! I sure hope some of it melts by Thursday morning, though, so we can get to Bellingham safely.

mon, 11/22...day 326

2010-11-23T18:12:00.003-08:00

Sunday's light snowfall was just a taste of today's real snow. Much to the boys' delight, by the time we got to school this morning, there was snow on the ground there - close to an inch. Hooray! Schools in Seattle (including PSCS) were already closed.

Unfortunately the roads were starting to get treacherous on the East side too, so Tynor and I stayed at TLS for the morning, working online from the art room. When they announced that school would close at 1:00, he and I headed over to Starbucks for a cup of cocoa, then came back for the little guys.

This is Cory at home later in the afternoon, enjoying the snowfall and seeing if he can catch a snowflake on his tongue.

sun, 11/21...day 325

2010-11-23T18:12:00.001-08:00

Niall and I went for a stroll around the neighborhood today, in lightly falling snow, just the two of us. It was delightful.

Along the way, Niall came across a cardboard beer carton and a plastic cup lid, and decided to do a little litter patrol. Happily, the next litter item was...an unused red plastic bag! Fate was definitely looking out for us. :-) We picked up items here and there all the rest of the way home, and Niall went back later with a bigger bag to retrieve some of the litter we'd missed.

So we not only had a nice mom-and-son walk, but our little hill is a bit tidier now as well.

sat, 11/20...day 324

2010-11-20T09:45:00.005-08:00

Harry Potter movie night! This year's episode: The Deathly Hallows, Part 1.

(The following is from a thank you note to my friend Kim, who hosts this wonderful event for us lucky friends)

Just updating my 365 blog for last weekend, and reliving the joy of Saturday night. Your Harry Potter movie events are one of the highlights of my year! I love looking forward to them (anticipation is half the fun, right?), and then arriving to chat with my HP-event friends, savor delicious appetitizers, and finally, settle in to those amazingly cushy, comfy seats to enjoy dinner and take in the movie. Just hard to imagine a better time in any way, shape or form.

So thank you again, for dreaming this up and making it happen for all of us. Truly a remarkable and delightful evening. :-)

fri, 11/19...day 323

2010-11-20T09:45:00.003-08:00

Niall gave me a quick tour of his classroom this morning, since we didn't have time for it on Monday.

I love seeing all the wonderful things the kids are up to. These "heart maps" especially touched me. Something we all could benefit from, I think: reminders of what is important to us, what has touched us, made us happy or sad, where we've been, what we're grateful for.

The class made heart maps as part of thinking about personal narrative writing - bringing small moments and stories into writing to bring it to life. I love that Alice is helping them explore this, not just teaching them the "five paragraph essay" and the rote parts of writing. The heart and soul of writing is so important, and can get lost in world of precise but vacuous prose.

thu, 11/18...day 322

2010-11-20T09:45:00.001-08:00

Today is the day Microsoft FTEs can get their new WP7 phones, and at the Commons, the lines at the carriers showed everyone's eagerness to get their hands on one.

I waited in line at AT&T for a bit, but then found out that they don't have the phone I want in stock (Samsung Focus). The store in Woodinville did, but I didn't quite make it there this evening. Hopefully this weekend, though!

I can't wait - not least of which because my BlackJack II has lost the ability to post to Facebook. How I've lived without that for the past few weeks is beyond me. :P

wed, 11/17...day 321

2010-11-19T20:16:00.001-08:00

Spent all afternoon today at a customer site visit at Lake Washington Technical College, learning about their current technology and processes, and sharing the Office 365 cloud story.

It was a fascinating visit. I find it so intriguing to learn about the intertwined, complicated factors that keep people doing what they're doing with technology instead of moving to (or toward) solutions that would provide better, faster, easier-to-maintain service to the people they serve. It's never simple out there in the real world with this stuff.

I was also amazed to see how BIG the LWTC campus is! I've driven by the entrance any number of times, but it's just a driveway and a sign. The campus and buildings are tucked away in a valley off the road, and it's an enormous place, as it turns out. Learn something new all the time.

tue, 11/16...day 320

2010-11-19T20:15:00.003-08:00

The holiday sentiments are up at Starbucks (accompanied by a price hike, as I discovered when I ordered my usual hot cocoa and the price was off! :-( ). And while I'm a firm believer in "not until after Thanksgiving!" for Christmas festivities, I really liked this little sign.

Cute font, darling layout, perfect sentiment.

Perhaps something similar will be appearing on a scrapbook page near me someday. :P

mon, 11/15...day 319

2010-11-19T20:15:00.001-08:00

Had my Fall observation in Niall's class this morning, and enjoyed watching a spirited discussion about upcoming oceanic changes and the silly bandz craze. Then Alice and I had a great conference, discussing all the ways Niall has grown and developed. Since she was his teacher last year too, she's seen him come a long ways. Also chatted about the rest of the family, including Tynor's world (she taught Tynor for two years too!)

As part of my observation, I got to watch Tom teaching ukelele to half of the class. Niall has been practicing at home, but not regularly. After watching the lesson, I had renewed inspiration to make sure he gets out the uke for even 5 minutes each night, to get his fingers used to those frets and strings. Makes such a difference!

sun, 11/14...day 318

2010-11-14T22:41:00.001-08:00

We finally went for a family swim today, after months of thinking "We should do that sometime." Ended up going to the Mountlake Terrace pool because I knew the water would be relatively warm (compared to Bellevue Aquatic - another good option).

We had a minor crisis at first, when Niall somehow left his goggles at home. Not. Good. But happily, Tynor had thrown some in his bag "just in case" so he retrieved those and all was copasetic once more. Whew.

I was surprised how much Cory remembered about swimming, having not been in a pool since his last swim lesson back in May. He loved it, too. I'll definitely have to get the two boys back into regular swimming (lessons or otherwise) when we get back from the holidays in January.

sat, 11/13...day 317

2010-11-14T22:40:00.000-08:00

Today I enjoyed several hours of scrapbooking, playing with bright colors and patterns, arranging photos, and adding extras here and there.

The result was a bit busy for my taste. But the process was SO much fun!

fri, 11/12...day 316

2010-11-12T21:28:00.001-08:00

Mary, Leslie, and I meet for lunch every other Friday when we can manage it. Today was our second week in a row, because we bumped one lunch forward a week.

Always enjoy chatting with them so much - venting, sharing, gossiping, latest news. It's great stuff. Friends are the best!

thu, 11/11...day 315

2010-11-12T21:27:00.002-08:00

Today is Dad's 70th birthday - hooray!

To celebrate, I arranged childcare for the boys and he drove down to meet me in Kirkland for dinner. We ate at The Big Fish Grill. A glass of red for him and a glass of white for me, and lots of uninterrupted catching up. Just divine. Hope to do it again before another umpteen years go by!

wed, 11/10...day 314

2010-11-12T21:27:00.001-08:00

Niall's class has been reading and creating projects around historical fiction books. They set up this display outside the classroom for the rest of us to enjoy the results this week.

Niall's book was "Al Capone Does My Shirts" and his project was creating a period-appropriate jam label - which we provided a jar of jam for, but a friend of his opened it! So Niall put it in the refrigerator. Think I better tell him that jam won't spoil just by being at room temperature for a few days. :P

tue, 11/9...day 313

2010-11-12T10:17:00.001-08:00

Observation and conference day for Cory. He had a rough day yesterday, so I was glad to see that he felt better today.

Steve and I had a long talk about what might be going on with him and thought of some ideas here and there but didn't have any real lightbulb moments. Just something he has to get through, and we have to help him get through, I think.

I feel so bad for him, as he is clearly struggling so hard with something. I just wish I knew what it was and how to help him cope better. :-(

mon, 11/8...day 312

2010-11-08T15:48:00.001-08:00

Cory pretending to be a "tech guy."

Go, go Gadget! :D

sun, 11/7...day 311

2010-11-07T20:19:00.001-08:00

We had several visitors today!

Garland and Rolly stopped by to drop off a few things, and stayed to play for a bit. Niall took Rolly up to his room to show him various interesting things, and Rolly was happy to trot along. C

ory stayed downstairs with us and had a snack inbetween showing us the alphabet in sign languages and lounging all over my lap (sigh).

Then later, Pat came over for tea and a catch-up visit. Such a treat! We need to do that MUCH more often.

sat, 11/6...day 310

2010-11-06T23:40:00.004-07:00

This morning was an eye checkup for Niall, as it had been several years (whoops). We've been going to Dr. Barnhart for a long time now. Good people and close by to boot.

Happily they don't do the nasty "puff" in your eyes to test for glaucoma anymore, so we didn't have that to deal with for Niall and his very sensitive faculties.

He actually enjoyed the visit and everything looks perfect, so that's a relief too.

fri, 11/5...day 309

2010-11-06T23:40:00.003-07:00

Seemed like a good day for Chinese food, so we stopped by Chan's Place on the way home. Cory was practically loopy from a combination of hunger, after school playdate, being tired, and maybe a long week at school (?), so I took him in with me to order and wait for our takeout.

It's very crowded at Chinese restaurants on Friday nights!

But we entertained ourselves while waiting by taking photos and (in Cory's case) being a little goofy. Good to finally get home with the food and start the weekend.

thu, 11/4...day 308

2010-11-06T23:40:00.001-07:00

Couple of cute kids on their way up to class this morning. :-)

Actually, I was suddenly struck by how "big kid" Niall is looking. Wow. Sometimes it seems like they make an overnight leap to a new level. Maybe it was the sweatshirt + backpack + ukelele bag combination.

Almost 10 now...and looking every inch of it!

wed, 11/3...day 307

2010-11-05T21:36:00.004-07:00

Cory and I tried out the new "far side" path at school today.

It's a pretty walk through the woods, but it means parking on the other side, which means battling through the congestion of cars dropping off at the turnaround when I'm getting ready to leave (since we arrive on the early side).

So, worth a try but probably not on our regular agenda.

Nice new cedar bark path on the near side of the lot now too, though. I expect we'll use that one a lot!

tue, 11/2...day 306

2010-11-05T21:36:00.003-07:00

After a warm, pleasant day for Halloween, the next day the rains came showering in. The car was practically swimming on the way to work with Cory yesterday.

The wind blew down most of the fall leaves too, so the streets were covered in wet leaves. Very pretty patterns (not so easy to capture in quick snapshots, though :P).

mon, 11/1...day 305

2010-11-05T21:36:00.001-07:00

Today was another day off from school for Niall and Cory. Niall spent last night at Grandma's, so I took Cory to work with me for a bit in the morning.

Here he is making a map of my "old building" and my "new building" on campus. In case I get lost, I guess. :D

sun, 10/31...day 304

2010-10-30T16:10:00.007-07:00

Halloween 2010!
In a classic battle of Good vs. Evil, the mighty knight fends off the Grim Reaper before the duo amicably trick-or-treat around the neighborhood. :D

By the happy expression on the knight's face, we presume that he believes he won the epic battle. :P

sat, 10/30...day 303

2010-10-30T16:10:00.005-07:00

Rally to Restore Sanity!

The Comedy Central guys, Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert, held a big rally in D.C. today to promote moderation in the political discourse. I don't know that it will have one iota of impact, but I took the boys downtown to participate in Seattle's sattelite rally, to show my support for stopping the insanity.

It was crowded and drizzly (then rainy!), but we enjoyed the bus ride (a rare treat), got McD's at Westlake to refuel, and got to hear some of the singers, comics, and speakers (including a live feed of Jon & Steven debating on the other coast) inbetween. When it really started to rain, we headed back to the bus tunnel and caught the 255 back to the Kirkland Park & Ride.

Tynor came with us, but hung out with his friend Laura and came home later. Kellen & Josie were there too, but the crowds were so thick, we couldn't ever find them. I was happy that we were all there supporting the cause, though. :D

fri, 10/29...day 302

2010-10-30T16:10:00.003-07:00

Cory was glad that Charlie was at Break Camp today at TLS. They have a great time together. Such goofballs! :-)

In the mid-afternoon, I picked up the boys from camp and we headed over to Microsoft to treak-or-treat in my building. First we stopped at the Commons very briefly (too many crowds, not enough activities), and saw this enormous pumpkin.

Kellen and Josie joined us, and then came home with us for dinner. Nice to see them! It had been ages and ages.

thu, 10/28...day 301

2010-10-30T16:10:00.001-07:00

They're adding new paths at the school, to encourage people to avoid walking behind cars in the parking lot on their way to and from class. (A fine idea, I might add).

Here Ken is busy with a Bobcat, clearing and flattening a walkway, while the Extended Day kids enjoy the show.

wed, 10/27...day 300

2010-10-30T16:09:00.000-07:00

Niall, Cory, and I headed over to the PSCS Fall Potluck this evening after work. We got there about 20 minutes early, the way it worked out with picking them up from Extended Day, getting some dinner, and then driving across I-90 to Seattle.

When we walked in, Steve was there and few other people, and I enjoyed chatting with them a bit. But the boys were immediately drawn to a table near the entrance with cool science stuff - moss, petri dishes growing things, pinecones - and various microscopes. Soon Tanya (staff member/science teacher) came over and began to gently explain to them how to use the microscopes, opening experiments so they could see what was inside, and generally delighting them with science.

The crowning touch was a big fat grub that they got to hold and look at under the microscope. So cool!

It was so heartwarming to see Tanya and the boys exploring science together. Let me just say again how amazing and wonderful the PSCS staff members are! Love them.

Later I caught a cute shot of Tynor and Juliana. Awwww... :D

tue, 10/26...day 299

2010-10-25T21:16:00.003-07:00

We don't get many Big Leaf Maple leaves in our yard anymore, now that the Wheats' maple trees are gone.

But one strayed over from somewhere, looking very Fall-like among the dead branches.

mon, 10/25...day 298

2010-10-25T21:16:00.001-07:00

Hands down, my favorite Halloween tradition is roasting pumpkin seeds. Ok, I don't like sorting and cleaning them, and it's tricky to get them roasted just right.

But when you can mange that trick, the result is just out of this world.

sun, 10/24...day 297

2010-10-25T21:15:00.001-07:00

The light was so pretty on the Japanese Maple out front this morning, I grabbed my camera and took a few pictures.

One of them turned out really nice. Lovely bokeh and everything.

And then...I looked at a full screen version. OH NO! The ISO was still set to 3200 from when I was taking pumpkin carving photos indoors yesterday. Waaaaah. :-(

It was still a pretty photo but MAJOR grain in the nice, blurred background. Sigh.

So I went back outside, with my ISO set properly this time, and took more photos. Of course, none of them was *quite* as good as the first one. But I'm sharing one here anyway. To remind me that it's just not going to be the perfect photo every time. :-)

sat, 10/23...day 296

2010-10-23T22:16:00.001-07:00

We had Juliana and Grandma over this afternoon to carve pumpkins. I'm a quick-and-done kind of pumpkin carver, and Cory is the same. We did one together, and then he went off to make paper creations (Quidditch equipment this time :P).

But the others worked a LONG time on their pumpkins, and they turned out great. Tynor and Juliana spent so much time on their designs, the pumpkins weren't finished until the next day! (Tynor finished carving Juliana's for her as it was nearly done.)

fri, 10/22...day 295

2010-10-21T20:33:00.003-07:00

When I got to Cory's extended day room today, he and two friends were putting on a puppet show for the youngest kids' extended day group. It was so cute!

They might have been inspired in part by BookIt Theater's visit to the school today. They put on a show, and then did workshops with some of the classes, including Cory's. Wish I could've seen that. Cory loves to act, especially if you take a video of him!:P

thu, 10/21...day 294

2010-10-21T20:33:00.001-07:00

Every year, Carmen - the Spanish teacher at TLS - and her students put together a beautiful Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) altar at the school. I think it gets more elaborate and decorated every year - it's just lovely. So colorful and festive.

You always know Halloween is getting close when the altar is up and the sugar skulls are getting decorated!

Sometimes the boys bring photos to school of their great-grandparents to include on the altar. I always look for a few other faces each year as well: Eleanor Siegel, the founder of the school, and Renee Motley-Colbert, a teacher who died unexpectedly about five years ago (she was the same age as I am :-( ).

wed, 10/20...day 293

2010-10-19T16:03:00.004-07:00

Being a mom to a passel of boys means finding Harry Potter broom Legos in the dryer!

Among other treasures. :-)

tue, 10/19...day 292

2010-10-19T16:03:00.003-07:00

Cory has wanted his nails polished for the longest time, and last night, I finally got around to painting them for him (using nail polish left over from when Kellen and Tynor were little!). The options were orange and pink, and he chose pink because "It's brighter!"

He also wanted earrings, and since I won't let any of the boys get them pierced until they're 12 (would have the same rule if I had girls), we visited teacher Julie who used to have quite an assortment of stick-on jewel earrings when K & T were in her classes. She still does! So Cory picked up three sets, and decided to wear these. Quite the decked out kid today. :-)

mon, 10/18...day 291

2010-10-19T16:03:00.001-07:00

Niall and I went to a fun PSCS party/talk last night, featuring the famous Matt Harding, who has traveled the world dancing in various famous and remote places and sharing his dancing with the world on YouTube.

He was a great speaker and storyteller, telling us all about his new project which is going around the world learning how to dance with the people in each place. Just a few days in each place, so he has to learn quickly!

I love his passion for connecting with people, and for just running with this adventure he stumbled upon. Glad that he's enjoying connecting with PSCS, too, along the way. :D

sun, 10/17...day 290

2010-10-16T20:37:00.007-07:00

Spent a couple of fun hours at Craven Farm today, near Monroe/Snohomish, wandering the corn maze, launching pumpkins, and - of course - choosing pumpkins for Halloween.

We met up with Cory's classmate Ciaran, his mom Ursula, and brother Fi, and had a grand time. Beautiful day!

And we only lost Niall in the corn maze for a little while. (He didn't think he was lost!)

sat, 10/16...day 289

2010-10-16T20:37:00.005-07:00

Cory made a very cool grapple hook at Extended Day yesterday (with some help from Diana, who dreamed up using pipe cleaners for flexible strength - nice!). Today he was grapple-hooking the IKEA shelving unit I'd just built - and quite successfully too. :-)

Unfortunately he next tried tossing the hook up onto the roof (against Mom's advice) and of course, it stuck in the gutter. Sometimes moms really *do* know best.

fri, 10/15...day 288

2010-10-16T20:37:00.003-07:00

It's the time of year for mushrooms in the yard, too. Three different varieties popped up overnight.

I like this one in landscaping. Almost looks like I fooled with the color in the photo to make it nearly monochromatic but no, this is just the way it turned out.

thu, 10/14...day 287

2010-10-16T20:37:00.001-07:00

It's the time of year for lovely sunsets off the deck. Sometimes I can grab a camera fast enough to capture them. :-)

wed, 10/13...day 286

2010-10-16T20:36:00.000-07:00

A group of miners was trapped in a collapsed mine in Chile for 69 days, half a mile down. It took a major feat of engineering to get them out, by drilling a 2-foot wide hole all the way down, and then sending a man-sized capsule down to retrieve the miners, one by one.

Last night they were finally ready to bring the miners out! I was just about to get Cory ready for bed when the first miner was about to be rescued, so we watched it on a live feed on my laptop. It was all in Spanish, but no translation needed! It was just amazing.

I didn't realize that we were watching the very first miner come up, Valencio. Actually, it took me a few minutes to realize that the guy was getting into the capsule DOWN IN THE MINE and that we were watching a Webcam down there. Unbelievable. I hadn't watched anything about the event, just kept hearing updates on NPR, and willing this day to come soon enough that they would all be all right.

An amazing experience to watch this.

As we waited while the miner in the capsule was being raised up to the surface (nearly 20 long minutes!), I was telling Cory about how far away it was (showed him on a globe, actually), and that it was actually happening right as we were watching. I could tell he could just barely grasp that - just didn't seem possible. We also talked about why it was also dark in Chile at the same time it was dark at our house, even though they're half a world away. Great chance to talk about which parts of the earth the sun shines on when (that globe came in handy again :P). Definitely worth a bit of a late bedtime for all that togetherness and sharing, and especially for him being able to witness the experience firsthand.

Cory took a front page clipping from the newspaper to school this morning. And then as I was taking some books to the library there before heading to work, he came trotting up from class to ask the librarian for information about mines and Chile. Emergent curriculum in action!

tue, 10/12...day 285

2010-10-11T22:20:00.003-07:00

Some of the many, many videos and DVDs we've accumulated over the years.

I have to wonder how much longer we'll even have "hardcopies" of movies. I already really like to just pick something to watch on Netflix's Instant Watch instead of waiting for a DVD to come in the mail. Not everything is available, though, so if I want to see something relatively current or popular, I have to wait for a DVD.

But how long will it be before you just pay another $.50 or $1.00 and you get to see "premium" movies. Very soon, I'm sure.

mon, 10/11...day 284

2010-10-11T22:20:00.001-07:00

I saw this license plate driving to work after dropping the boys off at school, and it struck me how quickly personal plates can become anachronisms these days.

HD DVD went the way of the dodo bird months ago now (perhaps even a year or more?) when Blu-ray crushed it in the marketplace. But this guy still has it for a license plate. Maybe as a badge of days gone by. :P

sun, 10/10...day 283

2010-10-09T22:47:00.003-07:00

Cory and I ran errands this afternoon, and I loved these pumpkins painted on the window at Trader Joe's. They had boring surfer paintings up for the longest time. These are much better!

I might even be getting into the Fall festive spirit here if I don't watch out. :P

sat, 10/9...day 282

2010-10-09T22:47:00.001-07:00

Cory's friend Zoe had her birthday party at Skate King today - Cory's first time skating! I think Niall has gone before, but it had been a long time. I hadn't skated in ages either...but rediscovered how much I enjoy it!

Niall started out frustrated and complaining, but stuck with it, gritting his teeth seemingly. Then as he figured out his balance more and more, he improved quickly, and the big smiles came. Cory had a great time trying it out and got much better over the course of the afternoon.

My back is going to feel it from all that tugging and pulling of kids off balance, but I loved skating around on my own when I had the chance. We'll definitely be doing this again soon. Can't wait!

fri, 10/8...day 281

2010-10-09T22:46:00.004-07:00

Niall has been asking to go back to visit Carissa, as I promised we would after we ended our sessions with her. And today was the day! The boys were off school and Carissa had a nice long break at lunchtime, so we headed over to Shoreline for a midday visit.

It was great to see her, and the boys - especially Niall - were really happy to be back. We hung out in one of the treatment rooms and chatted, and the boys wrestled and bopped around and played mischievously. Carissa is so amazing. Just engages in such a fun, physical way with them without letting things get out of hand. I miss her too!

thu, 10/7...day 280

2010-10-09T22:46:00.003-07:00

This week, a third extended day group was started at school for the 6-year-olds (there are 5-7 of them). I think it's a really good move, since the oldest kids' extended day was so crowded and the age range just really a lot to manage, for everyone concerned.

Cory wasn't happy about it. He loves being with the big kids, exploring the woods, having the big sandbox to dig in, playing "Candi tag." But he and Niall already have too much "together" time with regular school outside time, and being apart for the late afternoon can only be to the good. They will both be a lot happier in separate groups, and the staff will be much less stressed out too. Good all around. But an adjustment, too.

Here Cory and Maya are listening to one last story, read by wonderful Diana (also Cory's lunch teacher).

wed, 10/6...day 279

2010-10-09T22:46:00.001-07:00

Got to see Tynor in the middle of the day today as we had an appointment together. Always a treat to have a bit of extra time with him, busy teen that he is and busy mom that I am.

Here he is heading off to catch a bus back across the lake to school so he can go to his last class of the day, then see a movie with his dad and Juliana tonight.

tue, 10/5...day 278

2010-10-05T10:32:00.001-07:00

Little School has a new addition to their music program this year. Former teacher Tom is now sharing his love of music with the little kids in the classroom, teaching rhythm and basic notes along with singing fun songs of course. And he's teaching the older kids, in the Woods Building, how to play the ukelele. I love it!

His "classroom" is the Woods courtyard, where he has small groups of students join him on music days. As we gather in the mornings before school, we've been treated to this fine array of ukes laid out ready for action later in the day.

mon, 10/4...day 277

2010-10-04T12:08:00.005-07:00

Had such a fun lunch today with my friends Laurel (who took the photo), Judy, and Karen! It took nearly an act of Congress to get a day and time that would work for all of us (especially, umm, me). But it was worth it!

We all have teenage kids, three of us have children who have left the nest. So much in common, and so many different experiences to share as well. It's all good. :-)

We're planning another lunch next month. Already on the calendar. Fervently hoping no last minute meetings come up.

sun, 10/3...day 276

2010-10-04T12:08:00.003-07:00

Cory loved getting the cardboard boxes from the IKEA furniture I built today (chair, footstool, and bookcase) and was inspired to make this airplane!

It was amazing to see him so busy making one thing after another for it, after he finished the basic body and wings: windshield, a box engine (with pipes coming out for the wires), dashboard, food and drinks. The ideas just kept coming.

Then he decided to make a book to go along with it, that describes the plane and explains how he made different parts. He made the book and drew the pictures, and I wrote down his (long!) explanations.

Next up: he'll ask Steve if he can bring it to school to show his friends. Wish I could be a fly on the wall for that. :D

sat, 10/2...day 275

2010-10-04T12:08:00.001-07:00

Niall was checking under the enormous squash leaves in the garden this morning, and found four big zucchinis! This was the biggest one. He was quite impressed with his discoveries.

And now...what to do with enormous zucchinis? Everyone says grate them and freeze them for winter zucchini bread, but I don't know if we have enough freezer space for all of it! And honestly, no one is THAT crazy about zucchini bread. Hmm.

While Niall was off on a playdate with his friend John, the other boys and I headed down to IKEA for an overdue shopping trip. I was especially glad Tynor was along this time, not just for the company, but because we ended up getting a lot of stuff (queen bed frame, bookcase, two more sets of shelving for the garage, chair, footstool, set of glasses). We needed two carts to get it back to the car!

Cory looks a bit (just a bit?!) bored in this photo but he was a trooper for the most part, considering how long we dinked around and mulled over the possibilities in various areas (this chair cover? Brown or birch? Where's that queen bed I saw here before??). We had yummy Swedish meatballs for a late lunch and the fries perked him up. :D

Unfortunately I lost track of my purse somewhere in there, so had a few moments of panic before one of the IKEA workers called customer service and assured me that it had been turned in. WHEW. Everything was still in it too. Much relief!

fri, 10/1...day 274

2010-10-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

I can never resist taking artsy photos of these delicate purple flowers when they bloom at TLS. I think they might be...asters? Cosmos? I'm terrible at flower names except the very common varieties like lilacs and roses. :P

thu, 9/30...day 273

2010-09-27T20:41:00.005-07:00

I took a few pictures while I visited PSCS on Tuesday, including a great shot of the wonderful staff (they are the BEST!), and Tynor hanging out with Juju and a very goofy Luke.

wed, 9/29...day 272

2010-09-27T20:41:00.003-07:00

Cory's class had their first field trip today: a visit to the salmon spawning stream near teacher Steve's house.

They've been reading and talking about salmon for a week or so now, learning about their lifecycle, different kinds of salmon, and so on, and they were excited to go see some in real life.

tue, 9/28...day 271

2010-09-27T20:41:00.001-07:00

Busy day today, but fun. It was Microsoft's annual Company Meeting, which is at Safeco Field in Seattle, so Tynor and I drove downtown together after dropping off the little guys at school.

I got to hang out at PSCS for a bit, attending check-in, chatting with Tynor, Julianna, and other friends, and wrapping up with a fabulous gab session with Steve about progressive education (yeah!).

Then I walked over to the meeting, which was actually surprisingly good. Minimum slides and yammering about profits and market share, maximum cool demos showcasing truly amazing features and integration between products. Wow!

Plus the darling and very funny Amy Sedaris was our hostess. How can you go wrong? :D

As I was walking back from the meeting, I decided to stop at a Starbucks for cocoa. And who should I run into there but...Kellen! What a wonderful surprise. It had been way too long since I'd last seen him.

He told me that this Starbucks - about a 2 minute walk from Uwajimaya - was his "office" and he came by often to sip a mocha and tap away at various online projects before heading over to work.

So a day full of treats all around!

mon, 9/27...day 270

2010-09-26T14:43:00.001-07:00

These delightful relics are in the Extended Day room at the boys' school. I just love that they have this ancient record player (like the ones from when I was a child!) and a real, honest-to-goodness typewriter.

I expect they use the record player for splatter art (on paper plates - very fun) but I know the kids were typing away on the typewriter the other day, having a grand old time. I wish I had an old typewriter myself. Great for typing up journaling. :-)

sun, 9/26...day 269

2010-09-26T14:42:00.002-07:00

The afternoon was just misty, not really raining, and we went for a neighborhood walk/bike ride.

It was refreshing to be outside after mostly being cooped up inside all day, and it gave me a chance to do a little nature photography. :-)

The outing ended a bit dramatically, with Niall taking a big spill off his bike, flying down the hill toward home. He was trying to avoid an oncoming car, braked too hard, and flipped his bike. I wasn't even over the crest of the hill yet, so I didn't see the accident. But the people in the car stopped, helped him up, and made sure he was ok. Whew. Not ready for a cracked noggin on this one...

sat, 9/25...day 268

2010-09-26T14:42:00.001-07:00

Cory made the most wonderful sword and shield set today, from paper, ribbon, and an ice cream tub lid.

He wanted me to take a picture that showed the sword blurring as he swung it through the air, and...I kind of captured it. It was trickier than I thought. After 5-6 tries, Cory had to sit down and rest his arm from all that work swinging the sword, poor guy. :P

fri, 9/24...day 267

2010-09-23T20:14:00.000-07:00

Cory shared his "baby book" with his classmates yesterday, and his teacher said they all seemed to enjoy it.

It's a special book all about how he came to join our family, and he not only loves to have it read to him, but also finds it helpful when peers insist that he MUST have a father...when of course, he doesn't.

I love that it's so easy to create a book like this on Shutterfly or similar sites. Who would've guessed only a few years ago that we could create and publish our own hardcover photo books so quickly and inexpensively. I love it!