A new favorite

Scott and I have visited our fair share of nice places during our 13 years of marriage and 6 years of dating. We usually find ourselves drawn to the coast, but we have discovered a new favorite that is far from the pounding surf of the ocean. We just returned from Cave B Inn in Eastern Washington. Cave B is built into the cliff above the Columbia River and it is surrounded by a vineyards and orchards. We visited the winery, dined, hiked, and just were able to relax and rejuvenate. We had a wonderful time and will definitely return. An added bonus: Cave B is directly next to the Gorge Amphitheater. I am picturing wine tasting, a delicious meal, a summer concert, a plush bed, and more importantly- NOT driving home late post-concert. I think I'm on to something big here!


Our home away from home.



View from our patio.



The vineyard.



Trail down to the Columbia.

Sympathy Pains

Diagnosis: sprain. Doc wrapped my ankle and told me to keep it elevated. Drew and Thomas thought they'd share in the experience with me. Thomas kept saying, "Mom, this isn't so hard."

I'm to stay off my feet for a few days and I'm to stay out of my Danskos for a few weeks. That's fine. I'm a little bit mad at them.

Take my advice

and don't ever run in these shoes. Disregard that your sons are about to be late to school. Who cares if they may get a pink a.k.a. tardy slip. Never run in Danskos. Because if you do, you may roll your ankle and not be able to walk, like me. I'm off to see the doctor tonight at 5:30. This is most inconvenient.

Weekend Images

Saturday:


HAPPY 30th DANIELLE! My cousin, Danielle, turned 30 this weekend. Scott and I made her a celebratory dinner, and I was responsible for the cake. I have to admit, I was a little bit self-serving when I decided to make my absolute favorite--chocolate layer cake with REAL whipped cream frosting, but I hope Danielle enjoyed it nonetheless.

Sunday:

At 7:00 am on my way to walk Henry. 3 mole mounds.
At 8:30 am as we left for a family bike ride. Now 4 mole mounds.
When we returned from our bike ride, 30 minutes later, we now had 6 mole mounds. As a matter of fact, I saw the dirt moving in the center of the last mound. Scott, who returned home after us, said, "Well, did you whack the mound with the shovel!!" No, I was naively watching nature.



I attended my first Seahawks game at Qwest Field this weekend. Let me tell you, Seahawks game are wild and crazy, and not necessarily in a good way. I wanted to take a shower when I got home.

If only it could be so easy...

Thomas has two very distinct sides to his personality. One side I am sure is what is causing my grey hairs. The other side is very thoughtful, pensive, and profound. Today, he shared that he feels bad that I am the only girl in the family--that it just isn't fair to me. The conversation continued like this:

Thomas: You could just have another baby, but make sure it is a girl.

Me: Well, it's not that easy Thomas.

Thomas: You could just take one of those pills to make you pregnant, but make sure the bottle has a "G" on it for "Girl".

Me: (chuckling) So, you think that there is a pill that makes women pregnant?

Thomas: Yeah. That's what Nathan told me.

Nathan: No I didn't.

Hey Scott, I think it might be time for "the big talk".

New Addition

This mammoth is our new couch. I absolutely love it. Scott thinks it is way too big for the space. We have gone without a couch in our rec room for over a year now. We have watched daily cartoons, favorite TV shows, movies, sports and everything in between while sitting on the basement floor with a bunch of blankets and plush kids' chairs for longer than I care to remember. He may be right that it is a tad too big, BUT all 5 of us can sit on it together and snuggle. That is reason enough for me to love it. He doesn't look like he minds it too much in the photo!
I'm off to get cozy and watch the season premiere of Desperate Housewives...

Date Night

OK, date night has undergone a makeover and now has a new purpose. If we are going to go out to dinner, we have a plan. We are going to eat our way through this city- alphabetically! So, the other night we hit up a restaurant that of course started with the letter "A". We headed down to Agua Verde on Boat St. by the UW for a rather authentic Mexican meal. Now, I've never been to Mexico, so I can't say for sure that it was authentic, but it sure tasted different, and fresher, than any Mexican restaurant I've been to. Not a lot of melted cheese or sauces, which I think is what makes Mexican food yummy to Scott. I had the Gorditas – two masa patties stuffed with shredded pork, served with lettuce, sour cream, tomatillo sauce, guacamole and salsa mexicana. They were delicious. The masa was a tad bit over-cooked, but the dish as a whole was fresh and filling. Scott had the Pollo Tacos - chile-rubbed charbroiled chicken with cranberry slaw. He wasn't completely enamored with his dish, but he said he would go back another time to give it a second try. The atmosphere is certainly college hang-out- nothing fancy. But, we had a nice time. Next stop- the letter "B".

The Mole

The Mole was a great tv show. The ever dapper and intelligent Anderson Cooper was the host and people actually had to use their brains on a reality show. Players in The Mole had to work together to complete various physical and mental challenges to build up a significant cash prize for the winner. One of them, however, was "the Mole," a double agent hired by the producers to sabotage the efforts of the group. I miss the show.

This post has nothing to do with the show, however. It just shares the same title. Instead, the Loftin garden and lawn have fallen victim to "the mole". Each day s/he leaves us a new mound to marvel at. I actually curse the mounds. The boys are excited to see each new lump, however. So, I showed them photos of moles via Google to get them on my side. After they saw their ugly red star-shaped noses and scissor-sharp claws on their paws, they are not too impressed anymore. Our little mole friend has traveled from our backyard where s/he spent most of the summer, to the south side of the house, and now to his/her new stomping ground- our front yard. There's not a whole heck of a lot we can do to stop this journey. We are just hoping s/he moves along soon.

Bow Down to Washington

Now that's what I'm talking about. As one fan's shirt read: "In Locker We Trust." Could it be that the Dawgs are back? I'll keep crossing my fingers.

Mighty are the men, or boys, who wear the purple and the gold!



Side note: these pictures were taken with our new camera!

What's Your Power?

Thomas and Scott were wrestling yesterday afternoon while watching the Seahawks game on TV.

Scott said to Thomas, "Thomas, you have stinky breath!"

Thomas said, "I know. That's my super power."

"The days are long...

but the years are short". This is one of my very favorite quotes and I think of it often when I am knee deep in parenting. That quote couldn't be more appropriate today as Thomas starts Kindergarten and Nathan is a big 3rd grader. I can't believe how quickly our children are growing. I feel a little funny, uneasy and reflective today. Thomas was a cool cucumber this morning and made us so proud. Perhaps the fact that there were no tears, and a complete lack of nervousness and drama makes me feel a little bit of those emotions on Thomas' behalf. I worry about his small stature and hope that he is not picked on or left out. I know socially and academically he is right where he should be or beyond, but he is so much smaller than all of the kids. I know as the weeks go by, I will settle down, but today I feel very unsettled.

Summer Vacation is Almost Over

Here are some photos of the last two weeks of summer vacation. We all can't believe it is over.

Camping at Lake Kachess with the Mah Jong Crew




The Kite Festival on the Long Beach Peninsula. I think the boys spent over 20 days this summer at the beach house. That is what summer is all about!












Boys and Girls Club fundraiser/Mariner's game at Uncle Tom's Warehouse. This was also Drew's very first Mariner's game!









And finally, Labor Day Weekend at the beach. This is always our signal that summer is ending, and school, soccer, Husky games, and the rain is about to start. Goodbye summer.

The Weatherman was Right

So often the local meteorologists are wrong, but this time they were right. It rained. And we were camping. And we have spent most of the day cleaning up from our wet, muddy stint in the out-of-doors. So much laundry today. And how on earth do you dry out a HUGE tent when the rain continues to fall outside? Although the boys loved their camping trip, I vow that if there is any chance of rain in the forecast the next time we go camping, we will not go. Too much work after the thrill is gone.

Who Needs Disneyland?

The boys and I went down to the beach house with Danielle and Thatcher, while Scott stayed home and worked. We had a nice time. The boys had a great time using the beach cart as a ride down the driveway. It kept them busy for hours- and that's not an exaggeration! At first I thought it didn't look too safe, but after hours of enjoyment, they never got hurt!

Coyotes

I forgot to mention that on Wednesday morning when I returned from my walk with Audrey at 6:30 a.m., I saw a coyote running down our street. He was big, and well nourished. I talked with a neighbor later that day, and she said there were actually two running together- the one I saw in the street, and one running down the sidewalk. Audrey and I have seen a coyote on two different occasions during our early morning walks, but these were right in front of our house! Yikes! I found this link, and looks like they are very active in the city at this time of the year:

http://nwcoyotetracker.googlepages.com/

I'm a little nervous about running into them again. I guess I'm supposed to be loud and make big movements- you know, show them that I'm an Alpha, not a meal.

Block Party

We attended our not-so-annual block party last night. It's always nice to catch-up with the neighbors and get reacquainted. We met the Dolans last night. They were the second owners of our house and lived here for many, many years. Some of the original neighbors still call our house the Dolan House. Mrs. Dolan came with her son and daughter, both now in their late 40s, early 50s? We gave them a tour of the house and it was so interesting to hear their descriptions of what the house used to look like, and what kind of fun they used to have here. There used to be a patio and fountain in the SE corner of the back yard. The main floor was completely carpeted. Our current pantry was the closet where Mrs. Dolan kept her "switch" for times of discipline. The upstairs and basement weren't as finished as they are now. Mr. Dolan was the one who installed the upstairs bathroom and also installed one of the built in dressers to use the extra space in the eaves. They used to have a pool table and craps table in the basement and would get into trouble from Mrs. Dolan if they were too loud and she caught them gambling. Three kids were raised here and they loved this house. We do too.

Seattle Summer

We enjoyed a quintessential Seattle summer weekend.

On Friday, we trekked down to south Seattle for our annual Blue Angel picnic and viewing.



Even though 4 out of the 5 boys wore earplugs, they still plugged their ears.

On Saturday we watched a Seahawks scrimmage game.

We spent a lovely and sunny Sunday afternoon at a Mariner's game.

Check out the player from the Red Sox at the left. I just noticed what he was doing.

Nice weekend, but I know why I'm so tired right now. I'm off to bed...

Drew is Hip

This is what Drew's brother's have taught him. While he is in the shower with Thomas tonight, and Thomas has used shampoo to make a mohawk with Drew's hair, Drew says to me, "Mommy, I Blake Lewis!"

My Solo Weekend

My weekend alone was glorious. Should I feel bad about that? No, I really don't think so. I spent fun times with Audrey and Jill who provided me with a positively delicious sushi experience-my first. I walked Greenlake with Dad and was able to catch up with him. And Danielle and I had a fantastic time at the Mariner's game. A couple of beers, a Mariner's win, and a way-too-big-bag-o'kettle corn later, I had a huge stomach ache!

Henry's GI tract was challenging him this weekend though, so my responsibility hat was not completely removed. I became quite the dog nurse/chef making him rice with scrambled eggs as well as boiled chicken. I would then follow him around the yard to see if my recipe for firming things up worked...and it did! That was an accomplishment!

They boys had a fun time at the beach, and Scott asked if they could do it again. Um...yeah! Here are a few pictures of their weekend:

Pinch Me...

I must be dreaming. The boys and Scott left this evening to head down to the beach house for a Boys' Weekend. In simple terms, I have no one to take care of or be responsible for except for moi. Friday evening until Sunday evening. We had plans to go boating with Sonjia and Mark this weekend, but the passing of a friend's dad is keeping me home to attend the memorial service. Now,I hardly know what to do with myself! Tonight, I'm starting with a cold glass of chardonnay and a movie rental. How on earth did I get so lucky!!!!!!

Baseball? Camp

This is the second summer I have enrolled Nathan in some sort of day camp. Last year he did basketball and soccer day camps, each only lasting a week. He cried. He hated both of them. I had to be a cheerleader every morning to get him into the car to go. This year when I told him we would like him to do just one, he tried his hardest to refuse, but we said it's only one week of his summer. He finally, without any enthusiasm, agreed to go to a baseball camp put on by the Huskies at the UW ball field.

He just finished day #4 and loves it. From what I can get out of him, it sounds like a great program where is is learning baseball fundamentals and skills. He has changed his swing (which is a good thing)and has been working on his defense (his least favorite part of the game). What I hear the MOST about, however, is the refreshment stand where if he could just bring some money, he could buy his favorite blue Gatorade or Doritos, or even better yet- four Otter Pops for $1! Yesterday he commented on how the kids that are at camp for a full day (he's only there for a half day) get lunch. Yesterday they had pizza- "No fair!" was his comment. He and his friend Matthew started up a "We want pizza too!" chant. Today the full day kids had Georgio Subs that had ham and lettuce, and potato chips, and and and....

Baseball camp? I think I should enroll him in a cooking camp next year.

Architectural Critic

This is the infamous Seattle Public Library. Many people think it is a masterpiece. Thomas said yesterday while driving past it, "Mommy, what is WRONG with that building?!"

Is This Disturbing?

Nathan came home from a play date with his friend Ryan yesterday and was full of vim and vigor. In addition to playing lots of video games, they were mad scientists. They took a frozen slug (that fact on it's own is bothersome) and put it in the microwave to see what would happen. Luckily, Ryan's mom discovered their antics after only 15 seconds in the powerful cooker so I think ultimately she was able save her microwave from sheer destruction and grossness. The slug only shriveled up and looked like it was fried. Yuck. They then decided to dissect a slug. Is this disturbing?...or are they just being boys?

It's Hot

It's hot today and as a result, the house is too hot to sleep. The boys are going to all sleep down in the basement tonight (if they don't keep each other awake) and Scott and I will try out our new portable AC unit in our room. I love summer, but I hate this heat.

I Feel Old

Thomas' teacher at swim lessons today was Anna. I met Anna when she was three, babysat her and her sister while I was in college, was a nanny for their family for a couple of summers and spent many days at this same pool with them. Now Anna is entrusted with my child's well-being and safety. She seemed very poised, confident and capable. I feel really old.

Thomas is 5!

July 5, 2007. Thomas turned 5 today. Happy Birthday to our own firecracker!

Holding Hands

A favorite image from our trip.

Cali Vacation

We returned from 10 days in Southern California earlier this week. We really had a great time. The highlight of Cousin Matthew's wedding was watching Thomas, as the ring bearer, carry the rings down the aisle in a brand new Nike running shoe (the bride and groom are AVID runners). The other highlight was having our generation of cousins form a dance circle around Drew at the reception and watch him turn it out!



Disneyland was as fun as Disneyland can be in almost 90 degree weather with insanely long lines. I would say the parades were a highlight.



Laguna Beach was relaxing, rejuvenating, and probably one of my favorite places in the world. Our unit was right on the beach. I couldn't have asked for more... except for more days there. Nathan tried boogie-boarding and I reminisced about doing the exact same thing when I was his age...maybe even near the same beach.




The kids did great on the plane, great in multiple hotel rooms, and weren't that picky of eaters...how many days in a row can they be expected to order hot dogs off the kiddie menu?!

Scott and I weren't ready to come home. We hope to return to Laguna, boys or no boys, in a year or two. I'm a big fan.

GoodBye Roaring Mouse

Thomas graduated from Roaring Mouse Preschool this week. He was sad. Scott and I were sad. What a great school it was for him. So creative and loving. It really felt like an extension of our family. We will miss it greatly next year and can't wait for the magic known as Kristy and Cheryl to get their hands on Drew in the fall of '08!

Goodbye to the mouse that roared. We feel so lucky to have found you!

Funny Thomas

Thomas and I were working in the garden today. I was pruning the dead roses and he was weeding. He began to contemplate plants and how they grow and die. He surmised that a plant dies when it is pulled out of the ground and also when it's roots are pulled out of the ground. I agreed. He then said, "Hmm...I wonder how I'm so smart when my head is so small?"

Do You Believe in Karma?

I hope there is such a thing as Karma. Today, I took the boys to see Shrek the Third. About an hour into the show, Drew wasn't the best movie watcher. He was asking questions about the movie, asking for more candy, and kept getting out of his seat. I quietly handled him as best as I could. The next thing I know, a young gal who worked at the theater came up to me to say there were some complaints about Drew. She said I needed to keep him in his seat.

I know who complained about us and I hope there is such a thing as Karma. Isn't Shrek a children's movie? There were MAYBE 15 people in the entire theater. Were we really THAT disruptive? I hope something not so nice happens to that nasty woman!!

John Mayer...

asked me to share his tent with him. (He actually asked everyone and anyone at the concert that night at The Gorge, but that's a minor detail). Anyways, if you look real close, Danielle and I are in this picture from that night.

I heart John.

Baseball Fever

Thomas is crazy about baseball these days. He knows so much about the MLB players, we have found him sleeping with his mitt, and he told me the other day that he's not going to get a real job after college because he is going to be a baseball player. He actually is pretty darn good for his size and age. You go Thomas!

Blogging Attempt #2

I don't know why I gave up on this, but it's been over a year since my last entry. I'm going to attempt to be a blogger once again.

What's new? The boys only have one week left of school and then Nathan is a mighty 3rd grader and Thomas is a Kindergartener! THAT is hard to believe!

We fly down to Southern California next week for 10 days. That should be a trip full of memories! Can't wait.

Then, it's summer break. My attempt is to be a fun and spontaneous mommy over summer vacation. Perhaps if I make myself accountable by posting my activities here, I'll be more creative.

We had our house painted this week. It looks so nice. The fire to move has died down. I can't wait to see what the house looks like with our new front door. I'll take a picture of it next week when it is in place.

Grandpa Ben is Smiling

This morning at breakfast Thomas had a revelation. "Mom, um well, Grandpa Ben, Shelby, and...what was his name?...oh yeah, Johnny Cash all died because they were old, right?" My reply, "Well, Grandpa wasn't really old, but yes, he was older than you and me. Johnny Cash and Shelby were old, yes." Thomas says, "Well, Grandpa can never have a birthday party because he wouldn't be there." "Yes, Thomas, that is true."

I hope Ben is with Johnny Cash right now and they are smiling.