"why has it been so dang windy and unpredictable lately?" says eden. well, it looks sunny most days, but ends up being too windy for the beach- so we are heading over to TVA playground again for aloha friday tomorrow- same time: 9:30am.
it was fun last time and you might spot some of these pregnants there. the hippo on the far right will be there for sure. and we're celebrating this guys birthday with cupcakes- you dont wanna miss that! he only turns three once! and this girl: she only turns 25 once! so be there in other words. :)
who knows- maybe we will do the TVA playground for all of windy march- it has a great turn out and is still good on bad weather days.... let's vote on it tomorrow!
help spread the word- i dont have everyone's number. see you there!
sometimes my nephew jackson is one of my favorite people in the whole wide world (but i should warn you that i say this about all of my family members at various times).
from a young age he has cracked me up and caught me off guard with the unexpected things he says. he is a very thoughtful, random, musical/rhyming, clever boy.
oh, and if you have a minute, you really should browse his very own awesome blog he asked for for christmas- you WONT be disappointed- it's all in the name: lego greene
if you are a parent, teacher, will be a parent someday, or anyone who works with kids in anyway you should definitely read The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. a couple of friends recommended it to me and although it takes an attention span to get through all the statistics in the beginning, that research is astounding and sometimes shocking. this book gives great advice as to how to get your children to be life-long readers, how to get them interested, how to get started, what to read and all the reasons why your time and attention are the greatest things you can ever give your child. it inspires me in so many ways and i havent even finished reading it yet. i cant buy my son expensive lessons, i cant afford to send him to fancy private schools, and i cant wrap my mind around how to make sure i teach him everything he needs to know- but this book makes me feel like i can give him the world and ensure a happy and smart future just by giving him my time and reading to him and making it fun. i feel like i can do that.
i got a copy of this book at the byuh library- most libraries should have it, but i'm considering buying it as a reference for our family in the years to come (you can get it here for a great price) since it has a very valuable reading list for children at every stage that takes up like half the book. anyway, one of the book lists that Trelease praises is the PBS kids Reading Rainbow list and so here it is for anyone who is interested!
i havent had good cable for so long, which has actually been quite nice. the only time the tv is really on is in the early morning when ambrose's parents are half awake and he is bright eyed and bushy tailed- soaking up some sesame street with a tray full of frosted mini-wheats... so, in other words i am out of the loop when it comes to my very favorite show of all time: project runway. i was able to watch season five at a couple of friends houses, but i was patiently waiting to hear about season six. i heard lifetime (gag me) picked up the show and then i heard that they didnt get it afterall... blah blah blah... and then i see this shocking image, reportedly from the season six FINALE!!!: oh heidi... a shiny, hot pink, ill-fitting suit? really? :) anyway, my main point is: pictures from the finale have circulated and i didnt even know the show was aired in the first place.... was it on bravo? does anyone know?
this is OBVIOUSLY an issue of DIRE importance :)
but seriously friends and family: does anyone know?
i get good cable back in five days. i need to know.
except for it's a little chaotic. i've always liked this song but it seems particularly applicable these days. doesnt everyone go through a time in their life when this song makes sense? ha. :) anyway, a year ago we moved into the perfect little place for us. sure, the neighbors were a bit noisy and ghetto, but the place was awesome. perfect size, great style, terrific landlords, dreamy stainless steel kitchen appliances...etc. and things looked bright for our little family. we were working, making a good living and out on our own as our own little family unit. now, as with many other families across america, we find ourselves having to redefine our goals, be flexible with our dreams and move on to a new plan that makes sense for the reality that is right now. i know that things will get better and so we are picking up the pieces and moving on- back to laie in fact (it could be worse right?). for those that dont already know, my in-laws have retired and are going on a three month mainland road trip and we get to house sit. when they get back, the apartment on top of their house that we used to live in is being renovated from a studio to a two-bedroom and we are delighted to be their first tenants. plans are still being made, but it looks pretty final.
i am relieved that we have such an attractive plan b to fall back on. i am a little sad that we needed a plan b to fall back on in the first place. it is hard to have a bright, happy, successful future in front of you and have it kinda snatched up, but we are working on licensing and moving forward. things will be bright and happy again- they are just a little murky for now. i'm proud of thomas for persevering and keeping his chin up even when it would be easy to quit. i dont think i would be strong enough to stick with it. he's a good man.
so, that among many other things is what's going on. our little house is partially moved and we are in transition. i feel a little shaky but it's a good life lesson. dont get too comfortable and stuck in your ways. things could change and you need to be ready to change with it. we are grateful that in spite of things falling apart- they seem to be coming together in a way we would have never thought of otherwise.
what to do in the meantime: read the books in melissa's list below, enjoy those who uplift, invest time in things/people who truly love you, improve without having to prove it.
ah, where to start? maybe it's because absence makes the heart grow fonder or maybe it's just because there are some awesome people in this world that you were meant to be friends with and she's one of those people for me, or maybe it's because she is really good at keeping in touch and even better at being an interested, loyal, creative, and fun friend- but i love melissa peterson. you've heard me blab on about her before- we met on a literary tour traveling around europe, and despite the ocean and many miles that separate our two homes we manage to hang out like once a year because she always makes it so, and we have too much in common to properly list in one blog post. i went through her blog to find pictures to illustrate my point and there were too many great ones to pick just one or two- for example: see what i mean? anyway, her name is melissa. she is the wife of nate the great. they are perfectly suited for one another and are always being creative and making cool things: she works hard and inspires many with her creativity and something i always have admired about her is her ability to laugh things off. i know she probably gets down like the rest of us- but i love her artistic, whimsical, intelligent, and happy approach to life.
and here she is folks with her lists:
I have two lists!
"3 of my favorite books are for boys" or "Bildungsromans are Fun"
This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer Catcher in the Rye by JD Sallinger
"Unexpected Genius" or "I didn't think I'd love it, but I love it"
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (novel) Still Life with Oyster and Lemon by Mark Doty (memoir) Leaping by Brian Doyle (essays) Emma by Jane Austen (novel) 40 Stories by Donald Barthleme (short stories) The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (memoir) The Letters of Marjorie Hinkley (memoir)
these days seem full of toddler antics and i love it. we have fun, we make a mess, we read, we sing, we learn new words, we play. tonight we were reading him eric carl's "i can do it" where you are supposed to do things the animals do. bubba saw the flamingo on the back page and without any prompting, and with the balance of the side of his crib, held his leg up over and over for us to see saying, "i dooooooo it!!" sometimes this stage seems so sweet and perfect to me that i want to eat him up. i like being his mom.
and i am attempting to make something for thomas for valentines day. it could be really great or maybe it will just be sad. let's hope not. either way... it's the thought that counts right?
this is my theme song these days. sorry i couldnt find you a better recording. i love wilco. so much. download the real version of this (sky blue sky is an amazing album for that matter- great american writing at it's best and so dreamy) and get swept away.
"What Light"
If you feel like singing a song And you want other people to sing along Just sing what you feel Don't let anyone say it's wrong
And if you're trying to paint a picture But you're not sure which colors belong Just paint what you see Don't let anyone say it's wrong
And if you're strung out like a kite Or stung awake in the night It's alright to be frightened
When there's a light (what light) There's a light (one light) There's a light (white light) Inside of you
If you think you might need somebody To pick you up when you drag Don't loose sight of yourself Don't let anyone change your bag
And if the whole world's singing your songs And all of your paintings have been hung Just remember what was yours is everyone's from now on
And that's not wrong or right But you can struggle with it all you like You'll only get uptight
Because there's a light (what light) There's a light (one light) There's a light (white light) There's a light (what light) There's a light (one light) There's a light (white light) There's a light (what light) There's a light (one light) There's a light (white light) There's a light (what light) There's a light (one light) There's a light (white light) Inside of you
i love seeing what top publishing companies, top universities, and top literature experts recommend in way of a "must-read" list- here's the modern library's top 100 best novels lists : one by the board and one created by the readers. it's overwhelming, but lovely and sometimes a little obscure for little old me.
something to work towards.... just like working for them someday.... a nerd can dream :) browse their site if you have bookish tendencies and a minute to spare. it just might make even the least interested non-reader interested in picking up a book or two... but you dont have to take my word for it (oh LeVar Burton... you and your reading rainbow...)
upstanding youth won their fourth hawaii music award for "a sense of urgency"!!
thanks for voting- and family- thanks for letting me vote with your email accounts... haha.
if you want to pick up your own copy of the album head over to their blog and click on the "buy now" button on the side bar.
*me and thomas personally send out the albums so i will pack yours up with love and you can see the awesome art work (with a frumpy appearance from yours truly) on the cover- the whole family made it on there!
birthday girl and her dad two guys hanging out with the chimps a pregnant hippo searching for her young a curious animal searching for his mama the two creatures reunite by the pink (but really they were orange) flamingos making friends
it was a fun day- thanks to the allreds for inviting us! for some more ridiculously cute pictures of all of the kids (hand holding, folding arms, being awesome...etc.) check out echo's blog these kids are so entertaining to be around.
how do two hippie-dippie, tofu eating, recycling, npr listening, obama supporting, peace loving, crunchy granola, tree-hugger types like me and thomas (me more than him, but him too) produce a child who runs into the arcade every time we are at the mall just to bee-line straight over to this little gem: the jungle hummer that shoots machine guns at animals and things on a big screen tv..... how? haha he loves it. with all his little heart. (i never put money in it- he still hasnt realized that that is a possibility thankfully) oh well, at least he's getting into yoga these days.... check out those stomach muscles!
usually i get these fuzzy (in a good way) little moments where i know that even though i am young- i am doing exactly what i am supposed to be doing in life right now and i feel really really lucky.
other times, i am bent over with my underwear showing out the back of my pants, trying to scrape a tantruming toddler off the library story-time floor and simultaneously bribing him with candy/juice/his toy dog/anything short of his own Nintendo DS if he promises to get up... my hair is falling out of it's messy ponytail, my broken out skin (thank you pregnancy hormones) is flushing red since i know everyone can hear me and him, and i'm doing all of this in a stance that can best be described as "granny bowling" since i have a five-month bun cooking in my oven that makes it hard for me to bend over these days.
someone will walk by and take note of him and me and the impending baby bump and mutter something helpful like, "looks like you've got your hands full..." with a tone of equal parts pity, humor, and a little disdain for the young girl who is apparently very fertile or something...
this is when i feel like a pregnant teenager. a little in over my head and seemingly unequipped to "deal" with it all.
but then there are all the other moments when something whispers to me that i am doing all this for a reason and it's probably no coincidence that i just happen to be young while doing it, that my son is healthy and happy and loves his mama, that my family (both sides)and husband are proud of me and always so helpful (i'm not alone in other words), and there are many other girls just like me.
yup girls, we are all just young girls trying our best. trading something that seems more exciting and glamorous for something a little more lasting and not always as easy.
so, when we head to the park for a lovely lunch and mother/son play excursion and i look down to see that his clothes are mysteriously soaked and lo and behold i havent packed a spare outfit for him since he was nine months old and he's squealing to get out of his soggy attire and saggy diaper - i can relax, maneuver my melon-esque torso to a suitable position conducive to getting down in the grass and putting him in a clean diaper, leave him in nothing but that and his clompy shoes and continue on to more time playing in the fleeting good weather... soaking it up.... ambrose, his bun of a brother, and his pregnant teen mom. :)
in case you havent already heard- we are starting up aloha friday beach day again tomorrow morning (fri. feb. 6th)
we decided to do the same beach every friday for a whole month to keep things simple since so many people come now (hooray!) so for the month of February: meet at Kekelas at 9:30am and leave whenever you/your child needs lunch/a nap *for anyone who is new to this awesome tradition started by ashley moffat (who we will dearly miss as we continue her idea but she will join us at the end of the year again!): bring towels, sunscreen, hats, beach toys... you know whatever you normally bring to the beach and if you can/want bring a drink for your kid so they dont fight with other kids who have one (not that ambrose has ever done this or anything....) and bring snacks that we all end up sharing because for some reason all the kids dont want their OWN snacks- they only want OTHER peoples..... :) we'll be there for sure, rain or shine so: SPREAD THE WORD AND SEE YOU THERE! call me or liko or echo if you have questions...
so, remember that cookbook i nagged you about, and begged you to contribute to, and then harassed you to print out...etc.?
remember? well, i dont know if it has been treating you as well as it has been treating us- but man all that effort was worth it on my end. i have been having fun browsing through it and knowing that all these people i know and love have made all these things.
my sister-in-law jenny told me that one of her new years resolutions might be to make everything in the tried and true recipe book and i liked that idea. i decided to try it, but i have been kind of going about it randomly- like whatever strikes my fancy that night or usually whatever i actually have ingredients for that night. the last two times i have gone grocery shopping i have stopped to look through the cookbook before and written down stuff i need for at least two new recipes i havent tried yet.
ok, needless to reiterate, i am having fun.
here's the stuff i have made so far and me and my little family have loved them all!
logan hazard's grilled vegetables (i made it on the stove and note to self, a grill is always better) melissa p's apples are such a crowd pleaser (true)and melissa's delicious dish (it's so good-cheesy, easy bread) meg thomander's bbq chicken pizza with pizza crust of course (who knew? homemade pizza isnt impossible to make. why did i always think that?) ashley moffat's honey mustard chicken (this will be in our regular rotation, quick, tasty and it has CURRY!) molly tanuvasa's german pancakes (growing up thomas' family called this "egg ocean" so fun to see it puff up in the oven and so so good) suzanne bjork's cheesy potato pie (think quiche-like and think really freakishly good, another to add to our regular rotation) bille gniewosz's cafe rio pork (it's frankly as awesome as it sounds and although it's a slow cooker meal it takes very little prep on your end and DO NOT Skip out on the creamy tomatillo dressing- it's a delicious MUST) lizzie heiselt's the best pancakes (this just might be a true claim, oh my gosh they're good) and mom heiselt's lasagna (i am so glad she submitted this! we had it at their house and i have dreamed of it ever since- there's like some sausage in it and other flavors you wouldnt normally expect and we had friends over to share with when we made it this time and we were all going back for more and more... totally worth the effort) echo allred's very good pizza (very good, very easy, and makes a ton) and peanut butter cornflake no-bakes (easy as well and everyone in the family loves them! i had some corn chex that were getting old and needed to be used and they were the perfect substitute for cornflakes) brittany greene's thai chicken stir fry (i always thought this would be more complicated to make when i had it at her house because it tastes like something you would order at a restaurant but it is totally doable- dont forget the cilantro and peanuts on top- incomplete without them) betty hawkins' cheesy chicken (always a classy favorite for sundays or whenever you need something that looks nice and tastes great but isnt time consuming to make) diana palmer's glorified quesadillas (bomb-diggity and diana takes first prize for her recipe writing skillz) matti parker's chicken noodle soup and raspberry ribbon pie (the soup is perfect for days when you need some home cookin' and the pie is comparable to olive garden's cheesecake that i love so much- if you added some white chocolate shavings it would be the same exact taste and texture) shauna white's norwegian (rolled up) pancakes (aka- french crepes i believe. i was proud of my technique! this is also not as hard to do as i had made it out to be- sometimes you have to just face your cooking fears- it's never as hard as i tell myself it is) morgan mecomber's (she doesnt have a blog that i am aware of) one big bag chocolate chip cookies (we took these to preschool and they were gone in 5 seconds flat and the ones we left at home for our family to eat were gone shortly after!) liko miller's (key) lime pie (thomas' favorite and it is so delicious!!! and yes, another thing i assumed would be complicated but was very very simple) julie frederiksen's peach cobbler (my first cobbler and so good we practically licked the pan and so quick and easy too!)
and that's it! it's been a tasty, busy month a half or so.... have we gained a hundred pounds from all this cooking? maybe, but i'm 5 months pregnant so it's not a good time to measure such things. ;) actually, when you get right down to it- home cooking and meal planning is always the cheaper and healthier and often times tastier option so thanks everyone! nothing has been too complicated or expensive to make and that is just what we need these days.
i'm off to cook some more! i'll post the next big list in about a month or two. yum.
if you are one of the few people who dont have a copy of this yet and want one- let me know you want it and i'll email you the pdf. this book is too good to not share thanks to all the people i mentioned and many other contributors.
and for the rest of you- have you made something out of the book that you liked? i'm dying to know.
have you met my friend liko miller? she is the wife of doug and mother to faith and malik (beautiful beautiful children), a licensed massage therapist, a dedicated sibling and daughter who loves her family (she's the beach babe on the far left and those are all her lovely sisters i believe) and a really kind, generous, supportive friend who is always there to lend an ear and make you feel good. i am so glad i have gotten to know her and look forward to more of our adventures!
and now we will turn the time over to her :) for her book worm lists:
alrighty, so -- where do i start? being an english major doesn't necessarily mean that i just LOVE to read. when i was in college, the part i enjoyed most was the writing aspect of it. i'd kind of go to sparknotes and pinkmonkey as last resorts when i couldn't keep up with all the reading. but my passion for books was somehow rekindled in these past few years. my list isn't comprised of the most literary-awarded works, just some reading material i enjoyed or would like to read in the future.
some of my favorite books: -anything by leo lionni -the giving tree -the giver -the island of the blue dolphins -the outsiders -jane eyre -to kill a mockingbird -one flew over the cuckoo's nest -the diary of anne frank -dragonwings -catch-22 -hatchet -lord of the flies -pride and prejudice -the adventures of huck finn -a portrait of the artist as a young man (kidding -- read it and TOTALLY hated it, along with 'heart of darkness', sorry people if you disagree)
i know, so original, right? and they're mostly young adult. but they're good.
books i'd like to read: -the grapes of wrath (i know, i can't believe i haven't read it yet, either) -my antonia -gone with the wind (never even saw the movie) -finnegan's wake (totally kidding) -paradise lost (shoot me instead) -harry potter (i know - i read the first one, though) -lord of the rings (not because of the movies, but because my sister jessyca read them waaaay before all the movies were made and said they were all very well-written) -anna karenina -the kite runner -the count of monte cristo -the scriptures (daily) -the call of the wild and any others you great people recommend.
