tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11916966629861939162024-03-13T09:56:13.635-07:00Here to Therefamily adventures, random thoughts, and everything in betweenPrastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.comBlogger1115125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1191696662986193916.post-8988988370442272732016-02-12T09:23:00.000-08:002016-02-12T09:23:39.479-08:00REPOST // oh baby :: cash the early bird<div style="font-family: inherit;">
we are celebrating 5 years of cash, TODAY! he is such a sweet treasure, and we love him to pieces.<br />
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here is a look back on the day we welcomed him into the world...<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">a birth story. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">i had always planned on writing down my birth stories but never did. why would i want to? so i can share them with my children, and so i can remember them myself. especially since each one was so different.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">and can you believe that i'm writing cash's birth story as i'm pregnant. again?1? i wonder how this 4th baby's birth experience will be like, especially since all 3 have been unique in their own way...there is no routine in the childbirth process. each one is special. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">*****</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">our peanut.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">our 3rd born.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">baby cash was due on march 10, 2011. based on the arrival time of his older siblings, we guessed he'd be making his appearance a week before then.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">with this pregnancy, i got to forgo the usual prenatal bloodwork that comes along during your 1st trimester of pregnancy. that made me happy (did i mention my dislike for non-tattoo needles?) and our pocketbook happy. plus, it didn't make any sense in doing those tests if nothing had changed in the 2 years since my last pregnancy. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">with <a href="http://herethereadventures.blogspot.com/2011/01/oh-baby-welcoming-gibson.html" target="_blank">my last pregnancy</a>, i was diagnosed with <a href="http://mothering.com/pregnancy-birth/treating-group-b-strep" target="_blank">GBS</a> so we were going under the assumption that i will test positive for it again this time around. after eating lots of yogurt and using raw garlic 2 weeks or so before the test, i tested negative. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">things were moving along, <a href="http://herethereadventures.blogspot.com/search?q=oh+baby" target="_blank">though at 35 weeks pregnant</a> we didn't have everything fully prepared at home for receiving our new baby. i was still teaching dance and planned to go all the way through february before taking any time off. little did i know that i wasn't going to make it that far.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">8 days before his arrival.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">i had started my day on february 11, finishing up <a href="http://herethereadventures.blogspot.com/2011/02/oh-baby-reflecting-on-not-so-ordinary.html" target="_blank">this post</a> and went about my day with business as usual. nothing really felt out of the ordinary. i did manage to do a nice load of laundry full of newborn/baby clothes, which gave some sense of preparedness for the new arrival.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">as evening approached, i don't recall anything out of the ordinary except for when we began bedtime round-up for the kiddos. you know those braxton hicks contractions you get during the late part of your pregnancy. well, 7:00 p.m. rolls around and those braxton hicks no longer felt like braxton hicks. i had to stop and actually breathe through a contraction. how was that possible? i was only 36 weeks pregnant. aaron shooed me to bed and finished up with the kiddos bedtime activities.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">after that little spell, i didn't have anymore contractions. as my husband prepared to leave for a show that night, we decided it was best if i just stayed in bed for the rest of the evening. surely with a little bed rest things will be back to normal. after all, i have another month to go.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">at 11:30 p.m. i finally decided to get some shut eye.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">at 1:10 a.m. i woke up to a surprise. water was everywhere and at first i had no idea what was happening. as it turns out my water just broke. this had never happened before with my other two so having my water break before labor began was a new experience for me. at first i kind of ran around like a chicken with its head cut off, not knowing what to do first. after getting over the shock of realizing that my water just broke (and i wasn't due for another month), i finally got things squared away.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">the first thing i did was go on the internet to look up how long i was allowed to safely go after my water breaking before i had to go to the hospital since i hadn't started labor yet (you'd think that calling my midwife would be the first thing i do).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">at around 1:30 a.m., i sent aaron a text telling him that my water just broke. no response. i tried to call him a few times shortly after the text but no answer. of course! he was at a show.</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">at this point, i was trying to think through what i should do next. </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">we didn't have a plan in place for this type of situation. </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">i knew aaron was 30 minutes away and i had no clue what time he was coming back since i hadn't heard from him. i wanted to touch base with him first before i called colleen just in case she told me to come in. my biggest concern was the fact that i was at 36 weeks. that's considered a premature birth. i had done very little research on premature births since i didn't think i was at risk for that.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">as 2:00 a.m. approached i heard aaron pull in the driveway. relieved, i decided to start packing the hospital bag while i waited for him to come up to the room. it was almost 2:30 by the time he made it upstairs...he sure was taking his sweet time! i discovered that he hadn't checked his phone at all, and when he realized what had happened i think panic mode kind of set in for him (like i said, we weren't prepared for this type of situation).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">i finally called <a href="http://www.westshoremidwifery.com/" target="_blank">colleen</a> at 2:30 a.m. i felt bad having to wake her up (with gibson i had her up at 3:30 a.m.), but as it turns out she was getting ready to go to the hospital for a delivery anyway. i still hadn't started labor, and i hoped in my heart that i didn't have to come in. i didn't want to be induced, because i knew the increased risks of all the other medical interventions that would come along with that.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">i was SO relieved when colleen told me to go back to sleep! i had 24 hours before i had to actually check-in to the hospital, so there was no need to do anything at this point except wait for labor to start on its own. she suspected that since this wasn't my first rodeo, i would most likely start labor within the 24 hour period. she told me to call her at noon if i hadn't started labor yet, so that we could discuss some natural ways to start the laboring process. silly me for even thinking that she would want me in the hospital so soon! i am so glad that we are on the same page.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">after aaron and i finished up our packing and decompressing, we headed to our bed for some shut-eye. it was 3:00 a.m. when my head touched the pillow.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">4:00 a.m. and i was abruptly awoken to pains in my abdomen that were oh so familiar. so much for rest. here. we. go.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">aaron was still fast asleep. the contractions weren't painful (more wave-like if anything) and still about 10-15 minutes apart but they were enough of a presence to keep me from going back to sleep. this went on for 2 hours...spaced out the same amount of time, but as if the "wave" was growing more intense with each hour that passed by.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">by 6:00 a.m. the contractions had increased in frequency (5-6 minutes apart) and intensity. i remember it still feeling like waves (but think more along the lines of tidal waves), except they weren't spaced very far apart anymore. this time around, it felt as if the baby was moving lower and lower with each contraction.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">i don't remember when i finally woke aaron up, i think it must have been when my contractions were 5 minutes apart. corrie came to the rescue to watch the kiddos as we prepared for our journey to the hospital (and the oh so fun experience of laboring in the car...please note sarcasm).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">7:30 a.m. and we were out the door, in our car and zipping along the freeway to the hospital. i called colleen to let her know we were on our way there. poor lady! she was on her way home from the hospital after doing a delivery. oops! i guess i should have called her a little sooner.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">once we arrived, i stopped paying attention to the time as much and tried to get "settled" into our room. unfortunately, i was unable to use the birthing center because it was taken by someone else. it wouldn't have mattered anyway since you have to be at least 37 weeks to use the space. there was also no waterbirth experience for me (again) since i was technically delivering a premature baby.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">the attending nurse did the usual check-in routine. colleen was there shortly after we checked in, and so was her student, ashley (she was awesome too). much like emma's experience, i had no pokes with a needle in my arm (or anywhere else for that matter), and the EFM didn't stick around my belly for too long. it was nice not feeling "tied down." being the funny man he is, aaron thought the baby's heartbeat sounded like the tune of bonanza. ha. he's good at keeping me distracted. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">ashley set up the aromatherapy in the room while colleen dimmed the lights and brought in her oils. the sweet nurse brought in the iPod player and we attempted to select some nice background music to labor to. after a short laugh, we decided to nix the rave/aerobic-like musical option on there and settled on good ol' frank sinatra.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">side note that i have to add in: the attending nurse during this labor was SO awesome. i wish i had remembered her name. she has 10 kids and 4 out of those ten were birthed naturally at home. she totally understood our birth philosophy, and was so supportive and low-key about everything. she really stood out to me compared to the other nurses that have attended my birth (not saying that the other nurses were horrible or anything). how amazing is it that i had her with me for my labor and delivery? i am hoping that with this baby she will be the one attending my birth.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">okay, back to pushing the baby out. things were going smoothly. my beloved birth ball was brought in for me to labor on for a while until i was ready to push. we laughed, joked and chatted between contractions while frankie crooned in the background. the nurse checked the baby's heart rate with a good old fashioned stethoscope, and i can honestly say that i can't recall anything unpleasant about the experience. i really felt like all parties present honored our birth plan to a T. i didn't have to re-iterate anything which enabled me to focus my full attention and energy to meeting our sweet boy for the first time.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">it was a bit after 10:00 a.m. and i was feeling ready to push. i had my cervix checked, but i was only 6 cm dilated. usually, you have to wait until the cervix is 10 cm dilated before you start pushing the baby out, since that is when the opening will be at the widest point (this had been the case for my past 2 deliveries). but the desire to push was happening already. colleen, being the super midwife she is, said to go ahead and start pushing if my body was telling me to push. so i did. we later found out from our sweet nurse that there has been evidence that it did no harm to the cervix if a woman pushed based on when her body tells her to push rather than wait until the 10 cm indicator, especially if the cervix is very stretchy. interesting. i wonder if she had any personal experience with that since she did birth 10 kids.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">i felt like i was at the pushing stage forever (later our nurse said it was really only about 15 minutes or so) and thinking that this was the longest pushing stage i've had to endure. pushing is probably the most physically and mentally demanding part of the childbirth process, at least for me. on the one hand, i was excited to meet our sweet babe, but on the other hand i was frustrated that my body wasn't doing what it was supposed to do to get to that point (this last part is an untrue assumption of course, because your body <i>is</i> doing what it needs to do...sometimes it just takes more time). i could feel my endurance wavering. i wanted to stop. take a coffee break. take a nap. resume later. my body was tired. my brain was tired. but there was no stopping the process now. we. were. so. close.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">at 10:29 a.m. our baby boy finally made his appearance. he was born with his left arm over his face, much like <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/purdums/5142627636/in/set-72157624844508563/" target="_blank">his ultrasound picture</a>. no wonder it was taking forever to push him out. they immediately placed him on my chest, skin to skin and it was glorious. beautiful baby smell. beautiful baby skin. amazing.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">they suctioned him and cleaned him up while he was still resting peacefully on me. nothing else was done for what seemed like an eternity. <a href="http://academicobgyn.com/2009/12/03/delayed-cord-clamping-should-be-standard-practice-in-obstetrics/" target="_blank">they waited until the cord stopped pulsing before it was clamped and cut</a> (i had read up on this, but had forgotten to put it in the birth plan...glad colleen read my mind). he wasn't even weighed until an hour after birth...after mom and baby had their time together.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">8 lbs. for a preemie was quite a surprise for everyone. can you imagine what he would have weighed if he was full-term? probably bigger than gibson! our nurse (the same one from the beginning) said that he did seem premature by the amount of vernix he still had on his skin. but aside from that, there were no other complications that came attached to birthing a premature babe (praise God!). </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">oh how sweet it was to be able to hold our little cash in my arms. and even sweeter that we got to meet him earlier than expected.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">with each birth, it seems that i know more and more what my body is capable of. and with each birth, i feel as if God has a handle on the whole situation (which of course he does) and that all i need to do is give it over to him and trust my instincts. the ease with being able to do that has been easier with each childbirth experience, and it's sometimes indescribable when i realize how he has used those times to mold and shape me and to strengthen my faith in him.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>tis so sweet to trust in jesus. and to take him at his word. and to rest upon his promise and to know thus says the lord.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">More baby stories:</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://herethereadventures.blogspot.com/2011/01/oh-baby-emmas-debut.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Emma's birth story.</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://herethereadventures.blogspot.com/2011/01/oh-baby-welcoming-gibson.html" target="_blank">Gibson's birth story.</a></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">More birth-related babble:</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://herethereadventures.blogspot.com/2011/02/oh-baby-giant-belly-update.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">why i choose natural birth</span></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://herethereadventures.blogspot.com/2011/02/oh-baby-reflecting-on-not-so-ordinary.html" target="_blank">reflecting on the not so ordinary</a></span></span><br />
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Prastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1191696662986193916.post-39879270520362604542015-10-06T23:01:00.000-07:002015-10-06T23:01:35.839-07:00local adventures: snoqualmiei don't know about you, but some days just beckon for outings. you know those days. days when you should be responsible, tackling that long to-do list, getting things done...but instead, you blow it off for some fun. well, that was totally yesterday. the sun was out, the day was warm, and i felt like doing a little adventuring. i figured math, writing, and all the usual table work can wait another day. it was time for a field trip.<br />
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i was trying to think of a place we haven't been to before (or been to in a while), but that also wouldn't require us to spend a whole lot of money. i had a few places in mind, but many required admission of some sorts. not quite what i had in mind for my impromptu field trip. so, 50 minutes later, we ended up in snoqualmie. the last time we were there, we only made it to the falls, before the projectile incident (a.k.a. kid throwing up in the middle of the people bridge on the way back to the car). needless to say, we never got a chance to explore the rest of the area. i'm so glad no one got sick this time around! we were able to spend some time exploring the falls again, and then had enough time after to stop by the northwest railway museum, just 1 mile south of the falls.<br />
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january 2015 was the last and first time we were at <a href="http://www.snoqualmiefalls.com/">snoqualmie falls</a>. we went on a day shortly after some massive rains in the area, and the falls were huge! the roaring water sounded like constant thunder, and there was so much spray coming from the waterfall, that it felt like you were getting rained on when we were at the lower lookout point (even though it wasn't rainy at all).<br />
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yesterday's falls experience felt so different. the sun was out, we weren't shivering or getting soaked from the sprays of water, and the falls seemed tiny in comparison to the last time we saw it. we spent a little more time reading the signs, talking about the falls, observing, and practicing our nature knowledge of the plants we saw along the nature trail.<br />
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after a little lunch break, we packed up and made our way to the <a href="https://www.trainmuseum.org/">northwest railway museum</a>. the museum is located in snoqualmie's historic downtown. just a look down the main street makes you feel like you just stepped back in time. restaurants, boutiques, and other shops make their home in historic buildings lined up and down one side of railroad avenue and the area around the museum. the depot at the museum also adds to that feeling of nostalgia and charm.<br />
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admission to the museum grounds and the depot are free. you can also get guided tours and train rides for additional fees, and they have a few train-centric events going on at the museum like railroad days, day out with thomas, and the santa train. the kids were happy to just roam the grounds. they loved being able to run along the tracks, hopping the rails, climbing up on the trains, and having time to just play.<br />
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we popped into the freight room, where we learned about some of the railroad's history, and the kids got to fiddle around with an old cast iron stove and an old machine showing the diagram of the tracks and signals.<br />
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i would have loved to stay a little longer to explore the shops (and snack on kettle corn), but i knew better than to stick around longer than i should and risk getting caught in traffic. side note: this <a href="http://www.wsdot.com/traffic/seattle/default.aspx">here </a>is my go-to site before we travel anywhere requiring a trip on the freeway. if there's a back-up, we know to take the back ways!<br />
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snoqualmie is an easy drive from seattle, so i'm pretty sure we'll make it back there again soon for another daytime adventure. i'm so glad we decided to take a break from our usual weekday grind. it definitely hit the spot!<br />
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<br />Prastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1191696662986193916.post-28298783547031838202015-06-08T23:05:00.000-07:002015-06-08T23:05:33.421-07:0024/4hey darling boy,<br />
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first off, i'm sorry that this is being published 2 and a half weeks after your actual birthday. we have been so slammed with different things going on, and i haven't had a chance to write something proper about you and turning six.<br />
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six years old.<br />
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can you believe you're six years old? what a sweet pleasure to be able to watch you grow and be a part of your life.<br />
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you accomplished some pretty awesome milestones this past year, from being an official reader to a two wheeled bike rider and shoe-lace tie-r (i know, that's not even a word)...we are so proud of you!<br />
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you have also grown into a more responsible young person, who is helpful, kind-hearted, and loving. even though you can be full energy most times, you still have a sensitive and timid nature - which is totally okay!<br />
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you know mommy and daddy love you for who you are, and will always be here to support you, teach you and guide you so that you can continue to flourish and grow as the unique individual that God has made you to be.<br />
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we hope you felt loved and celebrated on your birthday, because we all love you so very much!<br />
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may six years old be a time of continued growth, learning and adventures for you. you are one of a kind, and we are so very thankful that God gave us you to be a part of our family.<br />
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we love you, gibson!<br />
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mommy and daddy.<br />
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Prastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1191696662986193916.post-22793922329859363152015-05-13T07:00:00.000-07:002015-05-13T07:00:03.073-07:00fun with food: grain-free/gluten-free crepescrepes are a hot item in our house. every member in our family loves crepes. my kids pretty much just inhale them. for real. no joke.<br />
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we've been making crepes since emma was a wee baby. before we started on our traditional/WAPF diet, we would make them with regular white flour. then i started doing sourdough crepes (made with spelt flour), although i think aaron is still partial to the white flour variety. the kids and i like the sourdough crepes, and they're super quick and easy to whip up, as long as you have enough sourdough starter around. since our kids gobble them up like no other, i often have to double the recipe, which means i have to feed the starter enough flour so that i can actually double the recipe. i'm usually pretty good at planning ahead for that, but i do have days where i'm totally not prepared (okay, i may have those days a lot more than usual).<br />
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so, these grain-free crepes are totally yummy and awesome when i don't have sourdough starter around. seriously, we've made them three times in the past week and a half. maybe we need a crepe intervention. they're easy to make and actually don't taste much different than the regular white flour crepes.<br />
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why bother with grain-free crepes when you could just make it with white flour? well, white flour isn't exactly healthy for you, since they're a pretty refined product (even though nothing beats using white flour in chocolate chip cookies or crusty french bread...cheat days keep our family sane). and whole grains are kind of a funny thing for your tummy. they are difficult to digest, so if you do use a whole wheat type of flour then you need to either soak, sprout or ferment (sourdough) it to make it easier for your body to digest. i'm not going to go into the details of that in this post, but if you want to know more about how and why to properly prepare grains i recommend checking out the <a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/">weston a. price foundation website</a> or <a href="http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/">the healthy home economist</a> for more information.<br />
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okay. let's bring it back to these crepes, guys! i'm officially making this my go-to crepe recipe when i'm not making sourdough crepes (or when aaron's not making crepes, because you know he'll just use the white flour...haha). i found the recipe <a href="http://www.healthnutnation.com/2013/10/08/paleo-crepes/">here</a>, but made some small changes. this is a very flexible recipe that can also easily be dairy-free, if you or a family member has a dairy allergy. i've tried making them using coconut oil, butter, regular milk, and yogurt (though you have to add a little extra water to thin out the batter a bit). i haven't tried using coconut milk yet, but i'm pretty sure it will taste just as good.<br />
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you should give it a try. and suddenly, everyday will be crepe day.<br />
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:: grain-free/gluten-free crepes ::<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">adapted from healthnutnation.com</span><br />
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yields: approx. 24 6 inch crepes<br />
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3/4 cup arrowroot powder<br />
1/4 cup coconut flour<br />
2 tsp. aluminum free baking powder<br />
1/4 tsp. sea salt<br />
4 eggs<br />
2 Tbs. coconut oil (or ghee or butter) and some extra for cooking<br />
1 tsp. honey (optional)<br />
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1. Mix ingredients together until well blended.<br />
2. Heat your pan at medium heat, and add a small amount of oil or butter and swirl around. You may have to only do this once, but if you find that you're crepes are sticking to the pan, then you may have to add a bit of oil before each crepe is made.<br />
3. If you're using a small, 6 inch pan (like an omelette pan), pour about 2-3 Tbs. of the batter onto the pan and gently swirl it until batter covers the bottom of the pan.<br />
4. Once the batter is set, flip the crepe over and cook on the other side (about 2-3 seconds). <br />
5. Take cooked crepe off the pan and put on a plate. I usually just cook and stack them on one plate, or you can serve it directly.<br />
6. Fill crepes with your preferred fillings...sweet, salty, what have you!<br />
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**If you double this recipe you can keep some extra in the fridge to eat for another time. You can also make these ahead of time, although nothing beats freshly made crepes.Prastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1191696662986193916.post-32042880709734821472015-04-29T17:08:00.000-07:002015-04-29T17:08:36.132-07:00rediscovering seattle: cherry blossom and japanese cultural festivalthis past weekend, we decided to head over to the seattle center to check out the 40th annual <a href="http://www.cherryblossomfest.org/">cherry blossom and japanese cultural festival</a>. the cherry blossom festival is part of <a href="http://seattlecenter.com/festal/">seattle center's festal</a>, which is a year-long series of cultural festivals all held at the seattle center. there's quite a variety, and it's a great opportunity for the kids to get a taste of different cultures without necessarily having to travel the world (at least not yet, right?? *sigh* someday...). plus, an added bonus: i can totally count this for school! can you say geography + social studies + history + art + music + science + whatever else you want to add? oh yeah!<br />
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so, i was a little apprehensive about going at first, because festival type events that we've experienced in seattle before have always been packed. i remember going to <a href="http://www.usgo.org/">bite of seattle</a> years ago, and feeling SO crowded, i wasn't really sure i wanted to deal with that. but we decided to give it a go anyway. we've never been to this festival, and wouldn't know how crowded it would be until we tried. if it didn't end up turning out well, then we'll know for next year.<br />
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as it turned out, it wasn't overly crowded at all. parking was a little more full than usual around the seattle center, but not so bad that we had to park blocks and blocks away. we also got there around 11 a.m., which was an hour after they started, so there weren't too many people there yet. we noticed that when we left at around 1 p.m., there was quite a bit more people, but it was still a manageable crowd to navigate through.<br />
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the festival was held in three locations at the seattle center: the seattle center pavillion, the armory, and the fisher pavillion (along with the outdoor space right outside). the event itself is free, and the only thing you have to pay for is parking and food. i can't believe that this event has been around for 40 years, and we've just now heard about it?? where have i been (besides the 8 years we were out of state...ha!)?<br />
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we really liked getting there on the earlier end of the festival, because it allowed us to explore and try things out without having to deal with much of a line. there were a few booths/stations set up in each of the buildings, with the bulk of the booths set up in the fisher pavillion. the older kids also picked up a "passport" shortly after we arrived, which they took around to various spots to get stamps. while they didn't get all their boxes stamped, it was a great way for them (and us) to participate in some of the activities and learn new things about japan. you can check out this year's schedule <a href="http://www.cherryblossomfest.org/current-schedule.html">here</a> to get an idea of what events and activities were offered.<br />
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we discovered the seattle kobe sister city association booth on the second floor of the armory, which hosted a kimono/yukata dress up. the girls were immediately drawn to it, and got a chance to try one on. they had some for men and boys too, but our boys didn't seem too keen on trying one on. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk0-XIurc8XtzPVEL1mYgl_JXe0eiJrylKuHV-XG5mKjtWgdxyvCeuZh9ypQABrrM0VPb2x9yvw-wzaWOEchtX8pszTrR7XCoVRS1gRnIezkd0X2QwAtr5fJdJDlQClxRZN1FsjmbrOeyt/s1600/photo+10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk0-XIurc8XtzPVEL1mYgl_JXe0eiJrylKuHV-XG5mKjtWgdxyvCeuZh9ypQABrrM0VPb2x9yvw-wzaWOEchtX8pszTrR7XCoVRS1gRnIezkd0X2QwAtr5fJdJDlQClxRZN1FsjmbrOeyt/s1600/photo+10.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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after dress up time was over, emma was set on getting her first stamp so we stopped over at the seattle go center station, where she learned (and mommy and daddy too) how to play the ancient game of go and got a stamp in her passport. i've never heard of the game, but we thought it was very interesting, despite its seemingly simple appearance. there's quite a bit of strategy involved once you really get the hang of playing, but the game itself is simple enough to learn that the kids would enjoy playing it. i can see this being a fun family game night. we just have to get the boards and stones (or make some temporary ones in the interim). if you are interested in finding out more about go, you can check out the <a href="http://www.usgo.org/">american go association</a>.<br />
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using our handy-dandy festival map, we decided to head over to the fisher pavillion to check out the goings on there, and get more stamps of course. by this time, there were more people at the event, so it was starting to get a little tricky to navigate through with all four kids. side note: typically, i would wear the youngest kid (backpack style) for events like this one, but i spaced out on bringing my mei-tai for some reason. i hate taking strollers to any event that draws a crowd, because it makes it so much more difficult to get around, so i've always worn the littlest. add on 2 or 3 additional kids to keep an eye on, and wearing the youngest really does simplify things (i think lani has ridden in a stroller twice in her lifetime just because it was always easier to wear her). anyway, back to the cherry blossom festival and the fisher pavillion...we made our way there and were taken by the outdoor bujutsu demonstration. there were swords involved, and this particularly had gibson quite captivated. especially since he's currently taking tae kwon do. i think watching the demo gave him a little inspiration.<br />
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more stamps were needed in the kids' passports, so we finally made it inside the fisher pavillion for a stop at the origami booth. emma has recently taken an interest in origami, so having the origami booth at the festival was perfect timing. and mommy also enjoys doing a little origami so that was a bonus for me!<br />
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as it neared the lunch hour (as indicated by the mass of little hands digging in the bag for snacks and any form of edible yummies), our plan was to make our way outside to finish the snacks we packed, and let the kids kind of run around in the grass before heading home. but we couldn't just head straight outside, because there still many things going on inside that drew our attention. so, the next stop as we tried to make our way out of the building was a booth on traditional japanese toys. this one was a fun one for all the kids, and the people at the booth were so sweet and patient with them. i love that the toys were all wooden and simply designed but engaging at the same time...my favorite kinds of toys.<br />
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after prying our kids away from the toy booth, we tried to re-direct everyone (including the parents) towards the exit, but another activity caught our eye. there was a sword sharpening demonstration right across from the toy booth, and we spent some time observing the gentleman as he began the process.<br />
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and once we made it outside, we were entertained by some awesome music by a taiko performing group. this group was unique (at least to me), because i noticed a couple of its members were quite young, close to emma's age it seems. i thought that was pretty neat, and loved that the kids got to observe other kids participating in unique activities (and not just sports...nothing against sports, mind you).<br />
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we had a great experience at this festival, even though we only stayed for 2 hours (the parking meter said it was time to go, and we kinda didn't want to pay $10 for parking), and the whole thing was very budget friendly for our family of 6. there were a few other booths and stations we stopped at that were not mentioned here. and certainly more things we wanted to try out but didn't have time for like the kite making, the paper airplane contest, and i kind of wanted to try the japanese calligraphy. but it's a good thing they have this event every year, because i think this is one we'll probably come back to again next year.Prastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1191696662986193916.post-70691126934201872092015-04-16T17:03:00.001-07:002015-04-16T17:03:31.746-07:00rediscovering seattle: olympic sculpture park<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">since moving back to seattle over a year ago, we have had fun exploring and rediscovering the city. while there are many aspects of seattle that have remained the same, there have also been plenty of changes in the 7.5 years we were gone. and of course, this time we are back with a whole crew, so our experience of the emerald city <i>feels</i> new.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">much like we did in cleveland, we enjoy spending our weekends going out and about as a family, and experiencing what the city has to offer (and it has to offer so much!). tourists in your own town, so to speak. i've noticed that there is a sense of appreciation and love that comes from really getting to know the city when we take the time to explore, whether it's a place we've been to many times, or a place we visit only a few times a year. familiar sights bring a taste of nostalgia, new discoveries bring excitement, but they all bring delight and a time to reconnect as a family.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">we've had plenty of local adventures since we've moved back, and it's hard to pick just one, but i'm gonna have to so I can avoid an obscenely long post. I guess this means i'll have to do multiple posts for our other local adventures...maybe this will get me back to posting on a more regular basis!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">i'll start with one we just went to today.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">the <a href="http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/visit/olympic-sculpture-park">olympic sculpture park</a> is an outdoor art "museum" of sorts, and is part of the <a href="http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/">seattle art museum</a>. it is one of our family's favorite, go-to outdoor spaces in the city. it's easy to get to from our house, free (except for parking), outside, and offers some amazing views. we've been here a lot since we've moved back (you'll notice some of the pictures are from a while ago). the park has quite a few permanent outdoor art displays that our kids have learned to recognize and remember by name.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">occasionally, the park has also had temporary art installations. i think the temporary ones we've seen have all encouraged participation from people as part of the art itself. those ones are our favorite.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">on sunny days, we like to pack a lunch so that we can hang out for a good chunk of the day. there's a quiet, little pocket beach that's kind of tucked away from the main part of the park, and that's been our lunch spot lately. plus the kids have some time to play by the water (which the always love).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">we have our usual route when we go here, mostly because we always park on the same street (sometimes we'll score free parking if we go early enough on a weekday, but we pretty much always pay for parking if we go on a weekend). i love that the kids easily settle into our regular route through the park. the familiarity and routine of the visit feels kind of comforting.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">another reason we like this park is that we can still be down by the pier during tourist season, but avoid most of the crowd since many of the tourists stay closer to the piers offering the aquarium, the great wheel, and other more tourist-like attractions. we kind of avoid that area for most of the summer, but it's not really a big deal since we live here.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">we really appreciate finding outdoor spaces in the city that are fun and engaging for the whole family, and love the freedom this park has to offer for us.</span></div>
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Prastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1191696662986193916.post-27074617220422820042015-03-27T16:02:00.000-07:002015-03-27T16:02:29.108-07:00birthday week extravaganza v.4.2my dearest husband,<br />
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i'm sorry that it has taken me a month to share with the world your week-long birthday celebration. i know. it's not fair that cash got his birthday post shortly after his actual birthday. but a birthday week celebration takes a little bit more time to put together on in a post. wouldn't you agree? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">[what's that? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">you're not buying that excuse? well, i think it's legit. ahem...] </span><br />
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so, here's a recap of your annual birthday week extravaganza. we really loved having you home for a whole week of adventuring and relaxing. we hope you enjoyed your birthday week, and glad that this year you were able to celebrate it in its entirety! happy birthday, my love!<br />
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*****</div>
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we spent quite a bit of time by the water during the first half of the week, while aaron's mom was here visiting. it was the first the time we've seen her since our move back, and we were glad she was able to come out and hang with us for a bit. the kids LOVE having visitors, and having gram around was so fun for them.<br />
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we took a chilly, morning visit to <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/parks/park_detail.asp?ID=445">alki beach</a> earlier in the week, which we totally under-dressed for. it was so sunny, that i didn't even think about the wind being a chill factor. it was a gorgeous, gorgeous day, but BRRRR!<br />
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then for aaron's actual birthday, we spent the day down by the pier visiting <a href="http://www.seattleaquarium.org/">the aquarium</a> followed by a very filling birthday lunch/dinner at <a href="http://www.thecrabpotseattle.com/">the crab pot</a>. we even had ty play hookie for the day so he could join us in the birthday celebration. <br />
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day ended with the "happy birthday" song, after candles were lit on a pair of pecan pies. that's right. pecan pies in lieu of cake. because it's his favorite pie, ever. and because his mom was here, and she's a pro at making pecan pie.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">photo credit: ty</span></td></tr>
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the rest of the week was full of excursions (i'll just share some highlights here). on the last full day aaron's mom was here, we planned trip to vashon, where we spent the morning at the <a href="http://vashonparks.org/point-robinson">point robinson lighthouse</a>, and lunch at our favorite vashon island restaurant, <a href="http://thsrestaurant.com/">the hardware store</a>. i'll have to save the lighthouse visit for a separate post, but this place was so awesome. and the weather was perfectly pleasant. the kids loved being by the water (big surprise there - please note sarcasm), and it was hard to pry them away.<br />
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another day, we spent the morning bumming around capitol hill, with lunch at one of our favorite spots in seattle, <a href="http://oddfellowscafe.com/">oddfellows cafe</a>. we love going there. the food is tasty, and the people there friendly, and always make us feel welcome. also, that place always brings a bit of nostalgia for me since i used to work and perform in the odfellows building back in the day. it's fun being able to bring the kids to places where i used to frequent before they were born. they're still at an age where they think it's pretty cool, and i get to pretend i'm young again. <br />
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and bonus! we managed to squeeze in a date night (thanks, gram!) too. we had the best time enjoying a delicious meal at <a href="http://www.fondalacatrina.com/">another one of our favorite eating spots</a>, and then ending it with a night cap, a photo booth sesh, and some people watching at <a href="http://www.chachalounge.com/seattle/">the cha cha lounge</a>. <br />
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we were having so much fun, we didn't want the week to end. it's always a treasure to have daddy home for a whole week, and we are so happy we can be a part of his birthday celebration. <br />
<br />Prastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1191696662986193916.post-30514769376535258252015-02-24T17:27:00.001-08:002015-02-24T17:27:34.888-08:00:: 48/12 ::dear cashy,<br />
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how does it feel to be 4 years old? do you remember mommy asking you that when you turned 4 almost 2 weeks ago? you were so excited to have your birthday!</div>
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it's hard to imagine that it was only 4 years ago that we welcomed you into the world...from a little baby in diapers to a little boy in underwear. what?!? isn't it amazing how much you've changed, and how quickly time has passed? you are a sweet boy, and i'm secretly (well, i guess now it's not such a secret) still happy to have you crawl into bed and snuggle with me every once in a while. i love your sweet snuggles.</div>
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we started your day making your birthday sign, and you enjoyed being able to help decorate it. then, daddy took you to pick up doughnuts for birthday breakfast. we're so glad you were willing to share them with us, because they were quite tasty! <br />
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we waited for daddy to come home before digging in to your birthday dinner of choice: barbeque meatballs and lemon green beans. then it was on to presents while we waited for our food to digest and make room for dessert. <br />
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this year, instead of cupcakes, you opted for the birthday brownie cake, with a specific request for shaved coconut on top. it was a fun challenge to figure out how to incorporate that into the cake, but i think you were pretty satisfied with the results.<br />
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we hope you had a super wonderful birthday, sweet boy. yes...boy. not baby. but you told me you'll always be my "baby cash." and even if someday you've become too big for those sweet snuggles with your mama, i know you'll still be my "baby cash." we are thankful for how you have blessed our family with your smile, your silliness, your laughter, and for just being you.<br />
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we love you so much, cashy! happy birthday!</div>
Prastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1191696662986193916.post-11283557808513569042015-02-11T22:26:00.001-08:002015-02-11T22:26:35.079-08:00happy new year! {oh, wait...}when did it become 2015, and where have i been? i'm not sure how i missed posting ANY updates since october of LAST year (not that you really care, right?). what?!?<br />
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well, in true holiday fashion, as soon as halloween hits, we kind of get a little crazy busy. aaron's work schedule gets ramped up, and we "say good-bye" to him until christmas. meanwhile, i frantically try to finish up all my handmade gifts in time for christmas, which i've obviously failed at doing since i still have some to finish - 2 months later! fortunately, we break for school in december, otherwise i would be probably be curled up in a corner crying.<br />
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so, here's some highlights of the last 3 months. they were full but fun-filled (for the most part), and i don't think i'd have it any other way.<br />
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WARNING: this may be deemed as a lengthy post, so continue at your own risk! at least there are photos...<br />
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we didn't return to KEXP for their halloween trick-or-treating event like they had last year, because they didn't have it at all. but it worked out great, because we spent an awesome evening with friends trick-or-treating door to door. i spent a lot of time on emma's costume this year, which i'm pretty sure attributed to my lack of blogging, and set me back on my holiday crafting. but it was totally worth it, after seeing how happy she was with the result.<br />
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i spent much of november wrapping up term 1 with emma, and working on handmade goodies to send out to salty not sweet. i really need to do better with making things a little at a time each day, instead of waiting until the last minute to get a bunch of inventory done. i guess i haven't changed much in the procrastination department!<br />
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we had a lovely thanksgiving at home with some friends. the food was tasty, and the company was pretty great. i'm so thankful for the relationships we are building here, and love that friends can be family, and family can be friends, and we're all mushed up and sharing life together. it's a sweet thing.<br />
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december was spent in anticipation (advent) and in celebration (12 days of christmas). oh, and more crafting...and baking. i have to be honest here for a minute and say that it's often hard for me to be joyful during the christmas season, because i don't really see it as a time to be together like how many people and the media make it out to be. the kids and i probably see aaron the least during christmas time, because that's when he's the most busy (seriously...sometimes the kids won't see him for days, and i can count on one hand the number of nights we all get to share a meal together as a family in the days leading up to christmas). but that's where i think carrying out a lot of our annual christmas traditions have helped me not be such a christmas grinch. i do find joy when i'm reminded, thanks to our jesse tree, why christmas is worth rejoicing about. i do find joy and re-focus on what's important, thanks to our st. nicholas day celebration. i do find joy, even when i'm up to my eyeballs in cookies and dirty laundry (not in the same place), and realize that it's more than just about me.<br />
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sorry. i didn't mean to get sidetracked there. and now, back to that baking thing...one of our annual christmas traditions is to make personalized name cookies (and additional treats) for the people at aaron's work. we started this tradition back in cleveland, maybe 7 years ago, so this one's been going strong. while i'm not sure how excited people get over getting personalized name cookies, i know i have fun decorating them!<br />
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a couple of our favorite pre-christmas activities included our 2nd annual visit to winterfest at the seattle center, and new this year (well, i guess it would be last year) was an evening spent downtown experiencing the holiday hustle and bustle. and let me tell ya, it was hustling and bustling! but i do love being in the city. i just love the energy, liveliness and being in close proximity to so many cool things.<br />
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winterfest goes on for pretty much the whole month of december, and we go the first saturday in december, since that usually ends up being the last saturday aaron doesn't have to work until after christmas. they have performances scheduled at the seattle center armory, ice skating, and other winter-centric activities, but the highlight for our kids is always the winter village-complete with trains. we even did a short impromptu visit to the science center afterwards (perks of being a member).<br />
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and then the night downtown...that was totally last minute, and i'm so glad we decided to go! at first, i was a little worried that it was just going to be too busy, but it really wasn't that bad. i mean, it was busier than normal (which is to be expected), but things were so festive! plus it wasn't raining, so that definitely made the experience a little bit more enjoyable. i think we're going to try to add this on to our annual christmas tradition. the kids were in love with the winter village, and could have stayed there the whole time (thanks to coloring sheets and books). we missed the snow inside pacific place, but managed to stop in the sheraton for their annual gingerbread display. they were all very impressive!<br />
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we had a most wonderful, low-key christmas. it was nice to be able to stay home, re-connect with each other, and really savor the day. <br />
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of course december would not be complete without our 2nd annual 12 days of christmas activities/celebration. this year, i was a little more intentional about having something for each of the 12 days. not each day was necessarily carved in stone, but i did have a general idea of things we could do. some days were simple, like lunch with friends, a playground visit, or making gingerbread houses. other days, took a little more planning, like our annual trip to the bellevue botanical garden's light display, the monorail ride, aquarium day, and the pierogi party. but it was so fun to be able to extend the christmas celebration to 11 more days, and have the opportunity to learn more about what the 12 days of christmas was all about.<br />
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and now we are almost caught up! school started back up january, and we are getting into a pretty good groove. gibson learned to read (yeah, yeah!), and it is opening up a whole new world for him. much like his sister, we didn't really do much in the way pre-reading practice. once he figured out the sound(s) each letter makes, and that different letter sounds put together make words, it was like watching a lightbulb turn on over his head. such a sweet reward for this mama to see his face light up with excitement when he reads through his BOB books all by himself!<br />
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emma is still in ballet, and she just added a drama class for this quarter through a local homeschool group/co-op. wednesdays are now usually spent at the rec center, where emma takes her drama class, and the kids (and mama) get the opportunity to connect with other homeschoolers, play, craft, read...pretty much do a whole lot of stuff. it's a pretty sweet community, and we really look forward to it every week.<br />
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other january highlights: 1. we finally made it to snoqualmie falls. it was grey. it was kinda cold. but it was amazing! i will have to share details about that trip in another post. lots of fun that day (and yes, there is slight sarcasm involved in the word <i>fun</i>). 2. we visited the science center for the 41st annual model train show event. cash was in train heaven. there were model trains, a little thomas train you can control yourself, playmobil display, and LEGOS. oh, and i forgot to mention the people. so. many. people. i am so thankful for a membership on days like these. we got to skip the loooooong ticket line, and we could leave as soon as we were done with the train show without feeling bad that we didn't get our money's worth. <br />
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so that's been our sweet, magical life for the past 3 months, in a nutshell. i thought i would spare you the details about our week with the stomach bug, or the random fevers, coughs, boogers, meltdowns (not just kids), and all that stuff that no one really wants to read about. my goal is to post a little more often on here this year, but i don't know what "often" will look like as the year progresses. <br />
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if you've gotten this far, you deserve a treat! thanks for taking this quick little trip back in time with me. wishing you a new year filled with joy, laughter, love and new adventures!<br />
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<br />Prastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1191696662986193916.post-1235775916738706952014-10-27T05:30:00.000-07:002015-10-18T14:59:38.859-07:00at the pumpkin patch :: year 2one of the things i've been looking forward to this fall is our annual trip (this is our 2nd year, but i'm thinking we need to make this an annual tradition) to the pumpkin patch. my sisters and i set a date at least a few weeks in advance, meet up, and make a day of it.<br />
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last year, we checked out a pick-your-own pumpkin location at <a href="http://trinitytreefarm.com/pumpkin-patch/">trinity tree farm</a> in issaquah. the place was easy to get to, and we had a great time picking out our pumpkins, sipping cider, and launching pumpkins in the pumpkin slingshot. this year, we decided to try <a href="http://www.oxbow.org/education/#595">the pumpkin patch at oxbow farm</a>, where we have our CSA. side note: it's pretty amazing to me that in 45 minutes, you can be out in the country, given that seattle is such a large, metropolitan area.<br />
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since the pumpkin patch at oxbow is at a working farm, the experience was a bit different in some respects, but equally fun, like last year's. our kids were looking forward to going back and playing in the "living playground." the gourd tunnel was a hit, again, and they had fun being able to roam and explore all the parts of the kids' farm.<br />
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added bonus (as part of their oxtober u-pick pumpkin patch season): hayrides around the farm and the house o' hay for the kids (and some adults, who shall remain nameless for their privacy and safety). the hayride was a fun treat for the kids, and a great opportunity to take a look at the actual farm. it was so cool to see the rows of collards and chard that we just got in our box the day before...literally farm-to-table, right?<br />
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i think the kids were amazed by the house o' hay. they loved climbing on, jumping off, and climbing through the stacked bales of hay. i love the simplicity behind the hay castle, and how it offers the kids opportunities for creative play and free exploration. it was super cool, and it was hard to pry them away when it was time to pick our pumpkins.<br />
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unlike the u-pick pumpkin "patch" at trinity tree farm, the pumpkin patch at oxbow was an actual pumpkin patch. the pumpkins were already detached, but we did have to wade through rows of pumpkin vines. and the nice drizzle of rain, made for some muddy pumpkins, and muddy hands. this was legit pumpkin picking. ha!<br />
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and what better way to end the farm day with some wet, slippery and muddy pumpkin slinging with the pumpkin sling shot.<br />
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what a day well spent. i loved watching all the kids play together (in the mud, even!). i loved being able to experience simple, outdoor pleasures with the people i love. and i loved being able to meet some of the people who have spent so much time and effort growing and tending to the food that nourishes my family. we even got to meet the gal who packs our box every week!<br />
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the muddy boots, filthy clothes, and dirt-covered hands were so worth the sweet memories made that day at the pumpkin patch.<br />
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Prastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1191696662986193916.post-55422145775245235982014-10-07T07:44:00.000-07:002014-10-07T07:44:19.730-07:00our portland adventurein august we took our first family vacation in 4-5 years. not that we didn't have any vacations since then, but we had lots, and lots of staycations.<br />
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this portland trip was particularly exciting, because the whole trip was fully funded and paid in cash. no credit cards (just the debit card variety). it's a huge milestone for us as a family. i wrote very briefly about our journey to becoming debt-free a long while back. we are following dave ramsey's seven baby steps (you can go <a href="http://theartofsimple.net/financial-road-map/">here</a> and read an excellent break down of the steps from the lady who inspired me to live simply and start the path to financial freedom), and frankly the reason i haven't made any updates on our progress since then is because we're still on baby step 2. ha! it's been slow going, with a few hiccups along the way, but we've been building that debt snowball. we're at a point now where we can almost taste that freedom. almost.<br />
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our portland visit was more like a mini-vacation (only 3 nights), but a vacation nonetheless. it was a nice, little "reward" for the last 4 chipping-away-at-our-debt years. we set a budget for $1,000, and we only went over by $20! traveling on a tight budget can still be fun and definitely do-able. it does take some extra planning and a little more creativity at times, though. and you have to be flexible, especially when traveling with younger children. but the memories made and the experiences had are totally worth it!<br />
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<u>day 1</u><br />
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the drive to portland from south seattle was an easy-breezy 3.5 hours, with a pit-stop in olympia for lunch. the kids did amazing, and since we left on a sunday, we didn't have to deal with any rush hour traffic. ever wondered what traveling with 5 kids looks like? well...here you go.<br />
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we rolled in a little bit earlier than lunch time, so we decided to do an impromptu visit to the capitol. it would be a great opportunity for the kids to burn a little energy and stretch out their legs. i didn't think the legislative building would be open on a weekend, but i guess i was wrong. they're open 7 days a week, but obviously, no one actually works on the weekends, except those who are manning the tours and the visitors center. granted you can't see the senate in action or anything like that, but it probably was best for our family that we went when no one was working. <br />
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the grounds were beautiful, and was not busy at all. we parked (for free) quite close to the capitol building, and there was also plenty of green space for the kids to run around and explore. if you're looking for a quick weekend, educational day trip from seattle, look no further than olympia and the state capitol. <br />
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we did a self- guided tour through the legislative building, complete with some fun family photos next to george washington (i'm oddly close to his nose...). it was so quiet in there, but i'm pretty sure there would've been a lot of hustle and bustle during the work week. like i said, it worked out way better for us to visit here on a weekend.<br />
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after exploring the capitol, we stopped for a quick lunch, and then we were back on the road.<br />
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our next stop before portland was the city of vancouver, wa, which is <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Vancouver,+WA&daddr=Portland,+OR&hl=en&ll=45.585693,-122.645874&spn=0.134072,0.302467&sll=47.613028,-122.342064&sspn=0.258293,0.604935&geocode=FUhkuAIdklWw-Cn5FFnIY6-VVDHz45EsEdVWhA%3BFfyhtgIdERyw-CkndKl9CwuVVDGRhdH25rk2HA&oq=portlan&mra=ls&t=m&z=12">literally across the river from portland</a>. we have some dear friends (and old neighbors) from cleveland that just moved to vancouver, so what better way to welcome them to the best coast than a visit from us?<br />
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even though we've been away from cleveland for over a year, i still miss it. the aching isn't as bad now, but i do still have some days where i get a little sad...it's hard to leave people you love. anyway, the reunion was sweet. the kids acted as if no time had passed, and it felt as if we were back on mars avenue. <br />
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we made it to the hotel right before the kids' bedtime (perfect timing). we found a <a href="http://www.oxfordsuitesportland.com/">pretty affordable place</a> not too far from downtown portland, on hayden island, that comfortably accommodated a family of 7, with a little pool, and free buffet breakfast every day. yes, friends, no cooking or cleaning for 3 days in a row, plus swimming in a pool? sounds like a real vacation to me!<br />
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<u>day 2</u><br />
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since we only had 2 full days in portland, we had to prioritize which places we wanted to check out. one place on our must see list is <a href="http://www.powells.com/">powell's books</a>. if you haven't ever heard of powell's books, it's a bibliophile's heaven on earth. the flagship store is a whole city block, and it's full of books. SO many books. SO amazing. the kids were allowed to pick one book as a souvenir, which was totally awesome, i think. i scored a few classics for our school, and would have loved to buy more if we didn't have to stick to a budget.<br />
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the second must-see place on our list was <a href="http://voodoodoughnut.com/index.php">voodoo doughnut</a>. unfortunately, we didn't end up going in, because there was a very long line. they must be good doughnuts. voodoo doughnut does have a second location in portland, which is not as busy, but it would've meant loading everybody back up in the car and driving there. since we only had a few days, we decided to try voodoo doughnut the next time we were in portland.<br />
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so onwards we went. i didn't really have much of a plan in place after voodoo doughnut, so we kind of walked around a bit. we stopped by <a href="http://stumptowncoffee.com/">stumptown coffee</a> to give the kids' legs a rest, and enjoy a little pick-me-up. <br />
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we ended up in <a href="http://thesquarepdx.org/">pioneer courthouse square</a>, where they just happened to have a farmer's market going that day. we stopped at a stand to buy blueberries, then another stand to buy sandwiches, and found a spot to sit and enjoy some lunch. sadly, lani had a serious meltdown at this moment, as evidenced by the only photo i took during our glorious lunch hour.<br />
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i guess baby was ready for a nap! as aaron took lani back to the car, we finished up our lunch and prepared to make our way back. while the walk to the car was only about a mile from us, i could tell little legs were getting tired. fortunately, the day we went downtown also happened to be the day <a href="http://trimet.org/max/">the max</a> was offering free rides. even though it would be a very short ride to our car, we decided to hop on. it was a great decision!<br />
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after naps (for the littles) and swimming, we decided to check out <a href="http://hopworksbeer.com/general-info/hub">hubworks urban brewery</a> for our dinner. you wouldn't think that a brewery would be a family-friendly dinner destination, but this place will surprise you. it's a great spot for a large group gathering...or a large family, like ours, and the food and the beers are quite tasty. the restaurant kids' play area where kids were free to draw on the chalkboard wall, read books, or play with toys, while the adults could sit at the table and enjoy one of their tasty beers (or try the beer sample option and taste a variety of brews).<br />
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<u>day 3</u><br />
<u><br /></u>
another must-see place on our list for this trip was <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/crgnsa/home/?cid=stelprdb5139466">multnomah falls</a>. here's a funny thing about this place, for quite a while i thought i had never been there. i was even telling people that i had never been there before. but when i saw a picture of the falls (you know, with that trademark people bridge), i had a weird feeling i had been there before. after inquiring with my mom, it was confirmed that i had, in fact, been there before. ha!<br />
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we were joined by our friends from vancouver, and took a short hike around the falls. the waterfall was an amazing sight, and it was neat to be able to take my kids to a place that i went to as a kid. <br />
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we planned a picnic lunch after checking out the falls, which not only helped keep us on budget but allowed us more time to hang out with our friends. our bellies and our hearts were full by the time we were ready to head back to the hotel.<br />
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the rest of the afternoon was spent pretty much like the afternoon of day 2: naps for the little ones and swimming for the older kids. we had three spots we wanted to hit up after the nappers woke up, so once they did, we loaded up and headed out.<br />
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we try to minimize loading in/out of the car as much as possible, especially when we're out and out and about, because it can be a pain. the kids don't care for it much, and neither do we, so when we do make a stop we try to stay for a while before loading everyone back in the car. the three spots we wanted to check out for the rest of the afternoon and evening were revival drum shop, pok pok and salt and straw. <a href="http://www.revivaldrumshop.com/">revival drum shop</a> was aaron's request, and the establishment sells vintage and custom drums. <a href="http://www.pokpokpdx.com/">pok pok</a> came highly recommended by some friends of ours, and they are very well known for some tasty thai street food. <a href="http://saltandstraw.com/">salt and straw</a> also came highly recommended by a few people, and they are an ice cream shop offering locally made ice cream with some very unique flavors.<br />
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after a quick map and google research, we realized we could do all three within close proximity of each other. the drum shop and pok pok were pretty much next to each other, and salt and straw was half a mile north. perfect! our plan was to hit up the drum shop first, and then have an early dinner before heading over for ice cream.<br />
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unfortunately, when we got to the drum shop, there was a sad sign on the door telling us that they had moved locations. the website still had the old address when we checked, so it must have just happened recently. poor aaron. and then we had another small hiccup in our plans: pok pok noi did not open for dinner for another hour. gah! so we decided to pack everyone up and just head over to salt and straw and see what kind of dinner food we can find before we did dessert.<br />
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salt and straw is located in the alberta arts district neighborhood, on a street full of diverse, fun and eclectic shops. after finding parking close to the ice cream shop, we strolled around, half looking for a good place to eat and half window shopping at some of the shops. it's hard to look for something else to eat when you had your heart set on thai food, so we ended up settling on a thai restaurant a short distance from salt and straw.<br />
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we were the only ones in the restaurant, so i was a little nervous about how good the food would be. but i had nothing to worry about. the food was delicious, and hit the spot. but we were careful not to fill up too much so that we had room for ice cream!<br />
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salt and straw had quite a bit more people there. everyone got their own scoop of ice cream, even little lani (i'm pretty sure she would have had a fit if she had to share). they had quite a variety of flavors to choose from, and it wasn't easy to make a decision. the kids tried the cinnamon snickerdoodle. ty had a milkshake, but i can't for the life of me remember which flavor it was. aaron went with stumptown coffee and burnside bourbon, and i decided to go with honey lavender (i love lavender). <br />
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oh man, was it gooood ice cream. in fact, it was <a href="http://mitchellshomemade.com/">mitchell's</a> good. if you're wondering about mitchell's, it's a local cleveland ice cream shop that also uses local dairy <br />
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and offers some unique flavors much like salt and straw. if you are ever in cleveland, mitchell's is a place you really should check out. since moving back to seattle, we haven't been able to find ice cream comparable to mitchell's...at least portland is a 3.5 hour drive away instead of a 3 days drive.<br />
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<u>day 4</u><br />
<u><br /></u>
it was so hard to pack up and prepare for our drive back home. we had so much fun, and our little getaway was a much needed time for our family to be together. granted, we make time to explore our own home city as a family, but there is something to be said about really getting away, even for a short time. it's refreshing, rejuvenating, and relaxing. even with 5 kids, it really was relaxing. our kids enjoy traveling (so do their parents), and exploring a new place together allows us to draw closer as a family.<br />
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if you're planning a trip to portland for the first time (like us), a great site to help you plan your trip is <a href="http://www.travelportland.com/">travel portland</a>. it's a great resource for all things portland, and it was my main go-to site as i was planning and budgeting for our trip.<br />
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thinking about our experience in portland, gets me excited about planning for our next getaway vacation. maybe we'll go the opposite direction and head north to canada. hmmm...i guess we'll need to start saving up soon!<br />
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Prastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1191696662986193916.post-81736087157830041262014-09-30T23:00:00.000-07:002014-09-30T23:00:06.330-07:00learning together: AOY3 // AOY0 {week 4}<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">ok, i know i just got started posting these weekly school roundups and i already skipped one week. i have no good excuse except that life happens. on the plus side, there's not really a whole lot you'd miss in one week. we try to stick to a routine, and these weekly roundups are really for my records so i know these posts aren't very exciting to read. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">maybe one of these days i'll write a nice narrative about our typical week of learning. one of these days...</span><br />
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<u>EMMA</u></div>
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<u><br /></u>history (books in brackets):</div>
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emma read about france explorers who sailed to the new world, and settled for a little while in florida [this country of ours]. this was an interesting read, particularly because the topic of cannibalism came up at the end of the reading (don't worry, it wasn't graphic). the french explorers who had settled in florida pretty much didn't want to hang out there anymore (because their captain never returned as he had promised), so they decided to build their own boat to sail back to france. you can guess how well that turned out...and out of desperation they drew straws to see who would be, umm, dinner. <br />
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and then there was king henry and his 6 wives [our island story]. she did very well on her narration, and we had some good discussions on king henry's character. emma was not overly impressed by king henry's choices from this section of reading, and thought he was kind of a selfish guy.<br />
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natural history/science:<br />
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emma read chapter 4 in <i>Pagoo</i>, and i had her list 4 facts about a hermit crab that she learned from her reading. she loves that book, so that comprehension activity was pretty easy for her. but i love that she's excited about her school books, and that she's read the whole thing through already yet is willing to re-read it a little bit at a time for school.</div>
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language arts:<br />
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i ordered a print practice and cursive practice book for emma through <a href="http://www.hwtears.com/hwt">handwriting without tears</a>. i decided to order the <a href="http://howtohomeschoolforfree.com/free-mcguffey-readers-mcguffeys/">2nd grade print book</a> for her as a quick refresher course on print writing. we're breezing through it (she even likes to do extra pages), so we'll be starting <a href="http://shopping.hwtears.com/product/CH/handwriting">cursive</a> soon enough!<br />
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emma's been alternating between doing the HWT print book and copywork from her copywork notebook. her print writing has actually improved just from a few weeks of doing the HWT book.<br />
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this year, i doubled the number of spelling words emma has each week. we are on the second week of spelling, and still using <a href="http://howtohomeschoolforfree.com/free-mcguffey-readers-mcguffeys/">mcguffey's eclectic spelling</a> book to source the weekly word list. this weeks words are belt, deer, dear, whine, wine, quite, quiet, bear, bare, beer. we discussed the "qu" sounds, letters that make the long e and the long i sounds, and rule-breaker words for the long e sounds (a.k.a. jail words). </div>
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math:<br />
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emma did a couple more chapters from her life of fred book, and i two worksheets from <a href="http://homeschoolmath.net/">homeschoolmath.net</a> focusing on solving for missing addends and place values (larger numbers).</div>
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poetry and literature:<br />
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we have been lagging in our daily poem readings. i suppose i can just have emma read one to herself, but i do enjoy reading it to her. plus, they're pretty short, and reading them together gives us an opportunity to discuss the poem together afterwards. <br />
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she read about pecos bill from her american tall tales book. i had her tell me 5 questions she would ask pecos bill if she were to interview him. i wish i had written down the questions, because they were pretty creative, and showed that she understood the reading well. she also went on and narrated many parts of the story...i think she enjoyed learning about pecos bill.<br />
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she read chapters 10 and 11 for the week in <i>The Princess And The Goblin</i>. she was looking forward to reading more, but we had a pretty busy week so there didn't end up being enough time to read ahead.<br />
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she read <i>the mechant of venice</i> from the book <i>Tales From Shakespeare</i>. she narrated pretty well, but had difficulty remembering everything that happened. the story was pretty long, and i should have had her spread it out over a few days. that would have made more sense, and she would have retained more of the reading that way. oh well. next time!</div>
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ballet (p.e./performing arts):<br />
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things are going well, from what emma has told me, and she's halfway done with her 7 week session. the studio is on the upper level, so there isn't really any space for parents to watch, and i don't think they really like parents peeking either. i don't blame them. i usually didn't care for having parents watch during class time, because it can get distracting for the students. according to emma's latest class update, they practiced tendus, and "ballet" skips (a.k.a. skipping with pointed feet). she has made a sweet little friend in class, and i'm hoping that they can stay in the same class for the new session. </div>
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<u>GIBSON</u><br />
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so, our printer head for the black ink is a little mucked up, and i couldn't print out the sheets to make his letter of the week notebook page. booo. <br />
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fortunately, that didn't hold us back. gibson continued a few more pages in <a href="http://shopping.hwtears.com/product/LN/handwriting">his HWT print book</a>. like emma, he is really enjoying doing his handwriting practice. the HWT books are different from the typical handwriting books i've seen, and the kids love it. <br />
<br />
we also did a little math. nothing big, just adding some numbers with 10 as the highest sum. gibson started adding numbers before he could write them, and i came across the best idea online (i wish i could remember which blog it was i saw it on) to encourage kids who can add, but haven't quite mastered writing them yet. i use little round stickers with the answer to individual addition problems written in each sticker. all gibson has to do is find the correct number that matches the answer to the addition problem and stick in the blank. that way, they're not slowed down (or discouraged) by their lack of mastery in writing the numbers. it's a pretty brilliant idea.</div>
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<u><br /></u><u>CASH and LANI</u></div>
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these two babies are going to end up starting school at the same time. they do well playing on their own most days, and sometimes they'll want to join in with big brother and sister so they'll pull out some papers to draw or a coloring book to color in. <br />
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lani thinks she can use scissors, so she sneaks in my room and digs around in the school supply box until she can find the scissors to cut things. so far, she's been trying to cut just paper. i'm hoping that's as far as she goes right now, and doesn't move on to cutting hair! <br />
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<u>ALL KIDS</u></div>
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<u><br /></u>bible:<br />
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this week, we read from Luke 2:1-40, Exodus 2:11-16, Acts 7:23-34, and Hebrews 11:24-28. <br />
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our memory verse for the week was Genesis 2:7, and since we're using <a href="https://simplycharlottemason.com/timesavers/memorysys/">this system</a> for scripture memorization we also review memory verses from previous weeks.</div>
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french:<br />
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i've been trying to make sure we do french at least 3 times a week, and we managed to fit a french lesson 4 times this week (we were out and about more than usual this week, and that pimsleur audio cd really came in handy). some new and old words/phrases that stood out this week include j'e vais bien, comment allez-vous?, tres bien, chaud, merci, bonjour, quest-ce que c'est?</div>
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nature walk:<br />
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i kept lessons short on thursday, and we spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon exploring <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/parks/park_detail.asp?ID=399">volunteer park</a>. there was some drizzling involved in our stroll, but the kids were totally excited about it because they got to use their umbrellas (which the boys sometimes turned into weapons *ahem*). the park is quite big, with plenty of places to explore. i will have to save a more detailed post about volunteer park for next time. <br />
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we also took some time to check out the park's <a href="http://www.volunteerparkconservatory.org/">conservatory</a>, modeled after a victorian area glass greenhouse. the building reminded us of the book <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Miss-Rumphius-Barbara-Cooney/dp/0140505393">misss rumphius</a></i>, which is currently one of the children's favorite books (it was one of mine when i was a kid). it was actually really neat to come home and look at the illustration of the conservatory in <i>miss rumphius</i>, after experiencing a real-life conservatory.<br />
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inside the conservatory, we had the opportunity to observe plants that aren't commonly seen here in the PNW - many unique, tropical plants that thrive best on year-round warm, humid conditions.<br />
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it was an excellent nature day. sometimes, all we need to refresh us is some good, quality time outside, with freedom to explore, run, and experience at your own pace. i'm glad we played hookie that day!<br />
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Prastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1191696662986193916.post-73002181897455546332014-09-16T22:02:00.000-07:002014-09-16T22:02:36.686-07:00a taste of the farm lifelast week, my sister asked me if we wanted to take a tour of a friend's farm with her and her family. how could i resist? a tour of a local farm? heck yeah!<br />
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i get excited when we can learn more about local businesses and how we can support them. especially when it comes to food. whenever we can, and when our budget allows, we love supporting local farmers by sourcing as much of our produce locally through a CSA, the farmer's market or local grocery co-op. i have learned a lot about food from participating in CSAs, and have become better aware of what foods are in season and which ones are not (i'm far from being a pro at this, but it's getting easier every year). our whole family is also exposed to produce that may not make it on my grocery list if we hadn't joined a CSA (think fennel, fava beans and raddichio).</div>
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so, an opportunity to tour a local farm is exciting for me, because i get a chance to see where some of the fabulous local produce is coming from. as it turns out, our farm tour was part of a bigger event put together by <a href="http://www.snovalleytilth.org/farm-tours/">sno-valley tilth</a>, an organization that connects local farmers in the snoqualmie valley to the surrounding communities and metropolitan areas. sno-valley tilth was organizing farm tours of many of the farmers in the snoqualmie valley along with an amazing sounding farm faire and pig roast (aaah!) in the evening. coincidentally, the farm where we have our CSA share was also participating in the farm tour, so bonus for us! this would be an opportunity to really see where some of our food actually came from.</div>
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the drive to the "country" was surprisingly short. it took us only 45 minutes, which was only 15 minutes longer than if we were to drive to the zoo (and that's in the city). our first stop was <a href="http://www.oxbow.org/">oxbow farm</a>, which is where we have our CSA subscription. oxbow farm not only provides weekly veggie shares through their CSA program, but they sell their produce through a couple of farmer's markets, some area independent grocers, and supply produce to quite a few Seattle area restaurants. they also provide educational programs for kids and put on seasonal events.</div>
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we missed the guided tour, but we were free to explore on our own. they have a special kids' farm area where you can "guess the veg" in the children's garden, or run through a "living" tunnel made from gourd plants growing right over your head. our kids were in heaven, and this is where we spent most of our time at oxbow.<br />
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they climbed and jumped off tree stumps, and snacked on crunchy apples and sweet strawberries they picked themselves.<br />
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there was a little picnic area placed underneath an awning of grape vines, with grapes you can pick off and eat. it felt magical to be standing right underneath it.<br />
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and there was a huge teepee like structure with some sort of bean plant growing around the poles, providing shade and made you feel as if you were really inside a tent.<br />
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there was so much imaginative play going on, and it felt good just being able to let the kids do some natural exploration on their own.<br />
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our next stop was <a href="http://localrootsfarm.com/">local roots farm</a> where we met up with my sister and family, and had the opportunity to meet the owners/farmers, siri and jason. they're a smaller farm than oxbow, but still provide amazing, quality produce through their CSA subscription, farmer's markets and to many Seattle area restaurants.<br />
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the kids had a blast hanging out with their cousins and new friend, siri and jason's sweet little boy, and i gained a greater appreciation for the work that these farmers do to provide food for us to eat. it was a privilege to get a small glimpse of what life is like for them, and thankful that they are willing to share what they do with us.<br />
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it was a saturday well spent. full of learning, fun, and new discoveries.<br />
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Prastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1191696662986193916.post-51107248045219659142014-09-14T23:27:00.001-07:002014-09-20T22:06:33.302-07:00learning together: AOY3 // AOY0 {week 2}<u>EMMA</u><br />
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history (books in brackets):<br />
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emma was introduced to the Spanish explorers Ponce de Leon, Hernando de Soto, Hernando Cortes, and Pizzaro [child's history of the world], and their discoveries in the new world. we reviewed the places discovered on the map, and also identified some of the native peoples that were already inhabiting those areas (aztecs, incas and maya peoples).<br />
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i am still behind in getting things ready for emma's improved timeline. i'm mostly trying to gather some pictures of people we read about last year, and pinpointing the dates. i'm not going to print out a picture for every single person we read about last year, just a handful is enough, i think.<br />
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geography:<br />
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emma read another chunk from <i>marco polo. </i>according to her narration, marco polo has been introduced in the story as a boy. i found she was a little distracted during her narration, but maybe it was because i had her do this while we were waiting for gibson's swim class to be done. next time, i think i'll save this reading for when we aren't going places.<br />
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i couldn't resist throwing in a few episodes from <a href="http://www.travelwithkids.tv/">travel with kids</a> this week. they had a couple of episodes in mexico, and one in peru, which tied in nicely to what emma had read in history about the spaniards discovering mexico and peru, and the aztecs, incas and maya peoples.<br />
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emma and i had a brief discussion on latitude and longitude lines as we were finding the places the spaniards discovered on the map. we also talked briefly about time zones, the prime meridian and the equator. i'm thinking that the next time we buy an orange, i can tie in the discussion on latitude and longitude lines somehow. <br />
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natural history/science:<br />
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this week's cultivated crop was the pumpkin. we managed to harvest 1 pumpkin from our little garden, before the rest of the pumpkin leaves got taken over by powdery mildew. boohoo. this week, emma decided to use the oil pastels to do her drawing, and taped a leaf sample in her nature journal. she also recorded 5 things she observed from the pumpkin plant. side note: i only asked for 1-3 observations to record, but she had "too many, so how about 5?" ha!<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pagoo-Holling-C/dp/0395539641">pagoo</a> came in during the end of week 2, and just as i thought, we are already caught up for week 3. emma is in love with the story of pagoo the little hermit crab, and reading 2 chapters worth didn't take long. she also enjoyed narrating what she read, and was very detailed. you can tell she really likes this book. i'm looking forward to visiting the beach and the aquarium to observe the tide pools (again), so i can tie in what she's learning from pagoo with real life experiences. <br />
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copywork:<br />
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it's worth to note this week, that emma did copywork all 5 days. i ordered the 2nd grade level <a href="http://www.hwtears.com/hwt">handwriting without tears</a> workbook for her, and we will alternate between that and regular copywork once the workbook comes in. she has legible penmanship, but it's been kind of sloppy these past few weeks. i'm not sure why. so, i think it's worth investing some extra time to re-examine the basics again. she'll be starting cursive this year as well, so i'd like her to have a good hold on print writing before she takes on cursive.<br />
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math:<br />
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emma did another two days of review, which included telling time and putting larger numbers in numerical order. <br />
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her <a href="http://lifeoffredmath.com/lof-dogs.php">life of fred book</a> came in at the end of week 2, and she immediately planted herself on the chair and began reading. she won't officially start the book until this week (week 3), but she likes to read it for the story. have i mentioned how i love life of fred books? i love how the book incorporates math concepts within a fun to read story, and that students have the opportunity to do all the lessons in the book independently. <br />
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poetry:<br />
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we did better in week 2, and emma read 1 poem each day. on one of the days, we had a great discussion about race, martin luther king, junior, biracial parents (and mixed kids), and how God made each one of us unique, after reading a poem titled "the little black boy." it's moments like those, that are like an encouragement for my heart. teachable moments can happen at any time, and i'm so glad i get to be a part of it.<br />
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literature:<br />
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emma read chapters 7-9 from <i>princess and the goblin</i>, and narrated what she read with ease<i>.</i> did i already mention that she has fallen in love with this book. i'm pretty sure she's going to go back and re-read this story again, kind of like what she did with the book, <i>the little duke</i> (part of her history reading from last year).<br />
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i forgot to mention from week 1, that emma will be continuing <i>pilgrim's progress</i> by john bunyan this year. it's a lengthy and heavy (in the figurative sense) book, and the kids aren't expected to finish it in one year. we do an audio version of this book, and she listens to about 10-15 minutes of it each week. i'm actually pretty surprised by how much she understands, but i think it's been helpful to take it in very small chunks. <br />
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ballet (p.e./performing arts):<br />
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emma started her first week in ballet. she's actually going to the studio where i sometimes used to take class when i was in college. it's a funny feeling to come back as a parent and not as a student.<br />
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she's now past the pre-ballet age, and she's at the age where a little bit more formal ballet training will be starting. she had a great first class, and said that it wasn't all review for her (that's a good). <br />
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<u>GIBSON</u><br />
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this week's letter is the letter "j." he completed the "j" notebook page to add to his alphabet binder, and he practiced writing both the upper case and lower case "j." i ordered him the kindergarten level of the handwriting without tears workbook, so i can keep all his letter printing practice in one place. i also like the handwriting without tears method (though we're only using the workbooks at home...no slates, right now), and the lessons are short and simple.<br />
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the workbooks have kind of gone by the wayside, and gibson has shifted much of his attention to drawing and coloring. but he did do one activity, which had him identify pictures with a "j" sound. he seemed to enjoy that one, and actually did pretty well. i was surprised, because i haven't spent much individual time with him working on letter sounds aside from when he's working on his notebook page. there was something i read in charlotte mason's volume on home education that talked about how a child will retain whatever information they feel is important to them at that time (isn't that still true for adults too, though?), and that they will naturally make their own connections. i feel like that idea can be illustrated in how gibson managed to automatically know how the letter "j" sounds like. i didn't need to spend any extra time working with him on letter sounds, because he was making connections in his head about all these things.<br />
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gibson started his first week of swimming class. despite his sometimes shy disposition, he was not at all shy about being in a new class environment, and happily participated in class.<br />
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<br />
<u>CASH and LANI</u><br />
<u><br /></u>
these two "worked" on their letter j coloring sheet, and a dot sheet with pictures that started with the letter "j." sheets were sourced <a href="http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.net/tag/tot%20time%20notebook/">here</a> and <a href="http://homeschoolcreations.com/preschoolalphabet.html">here</a>.<br />
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cash has been really into drawing things too, just like gibson. and his drawings have started going beyond the regular crazy scribbles. there are specific stories/things/creatures in his drawings, and it's so cute to listen to him explain it to me.<br />
<br />
<u>ALL KIDS</u><br />
<u><br /></u>
bible:<br />
<br />
we read exodus 2:1-10, Acts 7:17-22 and Luke 1:26-45. i printed out a few activity sheets for the kids to do while listening to the scripture reading, but they were more into playing with legos which worked fine too.<br />
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memory verse:<br />
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our memory verse was genesis 1:27. we are using <a href="https://simplycharlottemason.com/timesavers/memorysys/">this system</a> for scripture memorization so we also reviewed last week's memory verse on the odd days. i am really liking this method of memorization. it's simple and only takes 5 minutes a day (at the most) to do...which means i'm more likely to do it consistently.<br />
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nature walk:<br />
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we had a very enjoyable walk/bike ride around our neighborhood this week. while it was not a nature walk, per se, it was nice to be outside, breathing in the fresh air, seeing the lake and some of the mountains.<br />
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we also spent saturday exploring a couple of local farms, which tied in perfectly with this term's nature study them of cultivated crops (<a href="http://www.herethereadventures.blogspot.com/2014/09/a-taste-of-farm-life.html">that will be saved for a later post</a>). i love when i don't have to plan things, and they just kind of fall into place.<br />
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we also spent some time playing in the beach, and taking a quick stroll while we waited for emma to finish ballet class. there was lots of sand playing, climbing and running.<br />
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french:<br />
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we did some lessons from <a href="http://www.muzzyonline.com/">muzzy</a> on our home days, and the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/French-Conversational-Understand-Pimsleur-Language/dp/0743550420">pimsleur CD</a> on our "errands/outing" days (we've "graduated" to lesson 2...woohoo!). words and terms we learned this week (that the kids actually retained!): "qu'est-ce que c'est," "c'est une ___," "bonjour," "est-ce que vous ette american," "merci," "mademoiselle," "oui," "comment allez-vous."<br />
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hymn/folksong:<br />
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our hymn for the week was actually one we've sang at church, so the kids recognized it immediately: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5KsKsEu0v0">abide with me</a>" by henry francis lyte.<br />
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our folksong this week was "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFZSR3JBaqQ">barbara allen</a>," an american folk song, which (from what i read) originated in England and brought over to america early european settlers. the kids don't seem too interested in this one. maybe it's because it's a ballad? i don't know. i play it daily, but they're just not into this one.<br />
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we had a very full week with gibson and emma starting extra-curricular lessons. i'm sure it will be even more busy once emma starts swimming class again in october. i will be looking forward to our month long school break in december!<br />
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<u><br /></u>Prastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1191696662986193916.post-27339450963842695322014-09-10T10:15:00.002-07:002014-09-10T10:15:37.245-07:00wordless wednesday :: small moments<br />
sometimes, i get so caught up in getting the to-do list done, or the crazy that started a little to early in the morning, that i can miss the small, sweet moments that God offers me through out the day. <br />
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trying to remember moments like these to give me some perspective on what's really important.<br />
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<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">more wordless wednesday <a href="http://www.5minutesformom.com/95752/ww-julia-stretching-at-sunset/">here</a> and <a href="http://wordlesswednesday.blogspot.com/">here</a>.</span>Prastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1191696662986193916.post-65918059455024367292014-09-07T05:30:00.000-07:002014-09-07T05:30:00.076-07:00learning together: a new school year (AOY3 and AOY0)<br />
so i've done a horrible job following through on my plan of posting a weekly school recap this past school year. yes, there was that whole moving across the country thing, but really, that's not an excuse. <br />
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with a new school year starting this week, i think it's a good time to reattempt that plan. the recap's mostly for me. if i do this consistently, i'm hoping to have a nice record of what we've done for the year. we'll, though. we'll see.<br />
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we're still following the charlotte mason method (please look <a href="http://www.amblesideonline.org/WhatIsCM.shtml">here</a> if you're curious about what that is), and will be using the ambleside online curriculum again. emma will be in year 3, and i'm planning on introducing gibson to year 0 (which he'll be in through part of age 6, or maybe longer if needed). as a side note, each year doesn't necessarily correspond to grade levels. if i recall correctly, completing year 10 (the curriculum goes up to year 12) is actually sufficient for high school graduation.<br />
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okay, here's a review of what we did for the first week of school...<br />
<br />
<u>EMMA</u><br />
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if you're curious to see what year 3 will hold, you can go <a href="http://amblesideonline.org/03bks.shtml">here</a> and check out the booklist. i tried to keep it a little lighter for the first week back to our school schedule, so we skipped spelling, and only did 2 days worth of copywork (as opposed to 4 days). <br />
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history (books in brackets):<br />
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she was introduced to henry VIII [our island story], some of the post columbus explorers, including magellan [child's history of the world], martin luther [trial and triumph], and john cabot [this country of ours]. she will also be learning about leonardo da vinci, but i haven't gotten the book yet. we also traced the journey of the ship <i>victoria</i> (the only one of magellan's ships, and the first ship ever, to sail around the world) on our wall map, and found the location of where john cabot possibly landed in north america (either cape breton or the coast of labrador in canada, if you were wondering). she chose to do oral narrations for all the readings, and was pretty thorough with all of them.<br />
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i also did a complete overhaul of her timeline binder. i was doing terrible at helping her keep up with it, partly because it was so time consuming for me to prepare all the things necessary for her weekly timeline updates. as it turns out, i was making things way more complicated than they needed to be. ha! after doing some research on <a href="http://www.charlottemasonhelp.com/2009/07/how-and-when-to-begin-book-of-centuries.html">how charlotte mason actually had her students complete their timeline</a>, i decided to start over. there will be some catch-up involved, but since the timeline is actually quite simple, i don't think it will be long until we're up to speed.<br />
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geography:<br />
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she began reading the book <i>marco polo</i> by george makepeace towle, which took her to the city of venice. again, she chose to do an oral narration of her reading. we also watched the travel with kids: venice episode, to give her more of an idea what the city was like. side note: we LOVE the <a href="http://www.travelwithkids.tv/">travel with kids show</a>! it gets us all (as a family) excited to travel and explore the world. it's aired on some pbs stations, but you can also find episodes on hulu and amazon prime. sadly, our local pbs stations don't air travel with kids so we often use hulu and amazon to watch them. <br />
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natural history/science:<br />
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much of the nature study stuff will be covered a little bit further down, since we often do nature studies as a family. she also has the book pagoo to read for the next 2 terms, but i haven't gotten the book yet. emma is a voracious reader, so i'm not too worried about being behind on some of the reading. many of holling c. holling's books have short chapters, so i'm pretty sure she can catch up quite easily.<br />
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copywork:<br />
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i probably won't include updates for copywork every week, since it's pretty straight forward. i'm trying something different this year, and giving her a comp notebook which will have all her copywork in it. this week's copywork were excerpts from one of her literature books and a poem from her poetry schedule.<br />
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math:<br />
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she did 2 days of math this week, and it was a review of telling time. i'll be doing 1 more week of review, and then she'll be starting the next <a href="http://lifeoffredmath.com/">life of fred</a> book. <br />
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poetry:<br />
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for term 1 (12 weeks), she will be reading poems by william blake once a day. she only did one poem this week, which was untitled, but about the pied piper. poetry is pretty straightforward as well. just read one a day!<br />
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literature:<br />
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she read part 1 from <i>the heroes</i> by charles kingsley, and chapters 1-6 from the <i>princess and the goblin</i>. for <i>the heroes'</i> narration, i had her write out 5 questions she would ask on a test about this part of the book. for the princess and the goblin, she verbally narrated chapters 1-5 (narration after every chapter...this wasn't done all in one day, by the way), and sketched out a scene from chapter 6. she is totally loving this book, and asked to read more. this week's schedule only has her reading chapters 1-3, but if she's asking for more, why not? and it always feels good to be ahead of schedule.<br />
<br />
<u>GIBSON</u><br />
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you can go <a href="http://amblesideonline.org/00.shtml">here</a> and check out what year 0 looks like. it's actually pretty low-key. in these early years, and there is more focus on helping the child discover the world around him naturally. i think by providing many opportunities for kids to this, especially in their early years, helps prepare them for more formal learning in year 1. what this looks like for gibs: plenty of time for play, but providing opportunities for more formal learning (i like using the term table work), when i see him express an interest. compared to last year, he has shown an increased desire in doing more formal learning, though i still try to keep it short.<br />
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we're continuing our letter of the week theme, and adding pages to his alphabet binder. i use the alphabet lapbook print outs from <a href="http://www.homeschoolshare.com/alphabet_notebook.php">here</a>. they're pretty simple, and only take one up one page. this week's letter is the letter "G." he was totally stoked, because (obviously) his name starts with a "G." he completed his G notebook page to add to his alphabet binder, and practiced writing his upper and lower case Gs. <br />
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i didn't plan much for him this week (and i may not need to for the rest of the month), since he's been happy to work out of some workbooks i got him a while ago. there have been many mornings where i've seen him working out of one of his workbooks (i got him 3) without any prompting. it's pretty neat to see his interest in them naturally develop. not that all kids will develop a natural interest in doing workbooks for fun. i personally think it's genetic...i was that kid who really enjoyed doing workbooks.<br />
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<u>CASH and LANI</u><br />
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these two love to be a part of "doing school." while lani is happy to have markers and a sheet of paper to draw on, cash sometimes will insist on getting his own worksheet. much like last year, i used a "worksheet" from <a href="http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.net/2011/11/tot-time-notebook/">here</a>, and i corresponded the print out to the letter gibson was learning for the week. cash also enjoys cutting and gluing things, and both cash and lani like to use stickers. LOTS of stickers. they're definitely working those fine motor skills. i have a feeling that i'll probably end up having these two start school at the same time, since they're so close in age.<br />
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<br />
<u>ALL THE KIDS</u><br />
<u><br /></u>
bible:<br />
<br />
this week we read from <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus+1&version=ESV">exodus chapter 1</a>, and did a short discussion on the reading. sometimes, i'll have emma do a worksheet to go along with the reading, but since she's already familiar with the chapter, i didn't think it was necessary. <br />
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memory verse:<br />
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this week's memory verse is <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis+1%3A1&version=ESV">genesis 1:1</a>. i'm trying something new with verse memorization this year, and implementing this system. we have been fairly inconsistent the past few years in verse memorization, and that's really my fault. i don't think i had a good system, and i was inconsistent in having us review the verse every day (probably because i didn't have a good system!). <br />
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nature study/walk:<br />
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we are going to try and follow ambleside online's nature study schedule, plus a weekly, weather permitting, nature walk. for the fall, AO has cultivated crops on their nature study schedule, and this week's crop was the green bean. emma did a lovely sketch and watercolor of some the handful of green beans we harvested from the garden. and then that night, we cooked them for dinner! we'll probably focus on as many crops from our garden first, and then continue to things we find at the grocery store.<br />
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we went to <a href="https://burienwa.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/19">seahurst park</a> for our nature walk this week. heading to the beach is one of our kids' favorite things to do, and thanks to some amazing weather, we were able to do a pleasant stroll along the water. <br />
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french:<br />
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we're using the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/French-Conversational-Understand-Pimsleur-Language/dp/0743550420/ref=pd_sim_b_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=0WBJ7831X06R4BCKBSNF">pimsleur language program</a> to learn conversational french, and a free, online language course through our public library called <a href="http://www.muzzyonline.com/">muzzy</a>. like last year, we listen to the pimsleur cds in our car when we're running errands, and watch a few video lessons from muzzy on our home days (a.k.a. the days we don't need to use the car in the morning). this week, was review since i did not do any french lessons over the summer. <br />
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composer study:<br />
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for term 1, we will be listening to music by hildegard von bingen. this week and the next, we're listening to <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VWD9bsy2yg">antiphon, o quam mirabilis</a></i>. this music sounded much different from the music we studied last year. emma observed that there were no instruments, just a voice singing, but it didn't feel like you were just listening to a singing voice.<br />
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aaaannnd...that's a wrap! thanks for hanging out until the end!<br />
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<br />Prastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1191696662986193916.post-79154641083506084552014-09-01T09:31:00.000-07:002014-09-01T09:31:26.151-07:0024 months<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">obviously, i'm super late in posting this. sorry, baby girl! sometimes, being the 5th child means you have to deal with delays.</span><br />
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to our dearest baby, baby girl,<br />
<br />
on august 6 you turned 2 years old. it's so hard to imagine that 2 years have past since you were a teeny-tiny little thing. i look at you know, with your adorable, chubby legs, and i can't believe that at one point you were light as a feather in my arms.<br />
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your brothers and sister were SO excited to celebrate your birthday. emma had spent a few weeks preparing for the celebration by making many, little gifts, just for you. did you know you are loved tremendously by them? <br />
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you have changed and developed so much in the past year. you learned to walk, shortly after we moved into our house in seattle. you learned to gallop (which is SO cute, by the way), and put on a dance show. and then there was the talking. i mean, you already said a few words here and there by the time you were one, but this was just a word explosion. BAM! so much chatter. i really enjoy observing you and your siblings converse with each other.<br />
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you don't like being left out of the group, and strive to keep up with the bigger kids. you're sweet and kind, but full of sass when you want to be. it's pretty clear when you get an answer you don't want to hear. i can see that you may possess a decent mix of stubbornness and determination...qualities that may prove to be helpful in the future. right?<br />
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i love that you still love to snuggle and cuddle with me (though not as frequent), with that thumb in your mouth. always with that thumb in your mouth. but it's so cute! you even like to "share" your thumb with people. it's the sweetest thing.<br />
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we hope that you felt loved on your special day, because you are loved. we're so glad we can be your mommy and daddy, and we're looking forward to seeing how you will grow.<br />
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happy birthday! we love you so very much!<br />
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love,<br />
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mommy and daddyPrastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1191696662986193916.post-87743614608045374772014-08-25T22:33:00.000-07:002014-08-25T22:35:20.647-07:0010 years laterlast thursday, we celebrated 10 years of marriage.<br />
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10 years.<br />
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the first thing that came to mind (for both of us) was that one clip from grosse pointe blank...<br />
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ha! i know, i know, not really romantic, but that's how we roll sometimes.<br />
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this is actually our first anniversary where we got to celebrate it in the city where we first met and tied the knot. it's kind of funny to think how we have made it full circle...back to the very beginning of our life together.<br />
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we spent a lovely morning at the place where we said "i do." well, not the exact spot. it was raining on our wedding day, so a last minute plan b was instituted instead exchanging our vows on top of kite hill as originally planned. but, hey! hiccups in your plan sometimes make for the best stories, right?<br />
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my dear sister and her fiancee came over for the evening so that we could enjoy some time together celebrating 10 years. probably one of the best gifts couple with young kids could receive: a night out together. it was a great evening spent at one of our favorite restaurants, reflecting and reminiscing over the past 10 years. my heart was full (and so was my belly!).<br />
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looking back on our life together, i am thankful to be able to share it with my man. i'm not going to pretend that it was perfect. there were hard times, there were good times, there was bliss, there was heartbreak, there were tears, there was laughter, and there was everything in between. but what makes this whole marriage-life journey so sweet is that i get to share it with him.<br />
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happy 10 years, my love, my best friend, my partner in crime...thank you for loving me unconditionally, encouraging me, supporting me, and making me feel beautiful everyday.<br />
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Prastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1191696662986193916.post-23659236971677061472014-07-02T17:04:00.000-07:002014-07-02T17:04:14.429-07:00the teen years: v. 1.7<span style="font-size: x-small;">the second <span style="font-size: x-small;">installment of our june children's birthdays. nothing<span style="font-size: x-small;"> like waiting until the last minute to <span style="font-size: x-small;">fin<span style="font-size: x-small;">ish! <span style="font-size: x-small;">now, instead of pretending it's june 12, 2014, let's pretend it's june 14, 2014...</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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dear ty-ty (as your littlest sister likes to call you),<br />
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it's slightly shocking that this birthday post is about your 17th year of life. not shocking in the i-can't-believe-we've-made-it-this-far kind, but more like the we'll-soon-be-parents-to-an-adult kind of shocking. can we just pause and take a look at this photo for a minute (from 10 years ago), and reminisce about the time when you were actually that small?<br />
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and now you are another year older, and another year wiser, right? <br />
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it's been pretty cool to be back in the same city with you, and i know your brothers and sisters are totally digging their ty-ty time. it's like you have your own little entourage/fan club!<br />
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we're thankful that we can be close by again, and glad that we could celebrate your birthday with you this year. we hope you had as much fun with the fondue birthday dinner as we did!<br />
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we hope that we can continue to be the one of the first people you come
to for advice, guidance, and a safe place to just talk and be yourself. it has been a pleasure to watch how you've grown and matured this past year, and also seeing how God has been working in you.<br />
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you are a good-natured, confident, respectful, and helpful young man, who is comfortable in your own skin. keep it up! <br />
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may your 17th year be another year full of growth and learning, not only in your academics, but also in life and your spiritual journey. remember to shine that light, and stay true to who you are.<br />
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happy birthday, ty!<br />
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love,<br />
dad and prasti<br />
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<br />Prastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1191696662986193916.post-50191687989161975222014-06-30T16:24:00.000-07:002014-06-30T16:24:57.047-07:00on 8 years ago today (a few weeks late)<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">before june is officially over, i think i need to post about my june children's birthdays, don't you think? so, let's just pretend we went back in time to june 12, 2014. it really wasn't that long ago...</span></div>
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dearest emma,<br />
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how is it that we just celebrated your 8th birthday? every year, i think to myself, "where did the time go? wasn't she just a little baby?"<br />
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when you woke up in the morning, i asked you if you felt any different now that you were 8. your practical, clear-headed response: "not really. i pretty much feel the same, except now i am just one year older." silly me, for asking!<br />
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i'm thankful that i get to be home with you, and that we can "do school" together. you are a bright, articulate, and creative girl, and it has been a pleasure to watch you first-hand as you learned and grew intellectually as we journeyed through the homeschooling adventure together this past year. i'm glad that you still want to continue on this adventure with me next year, because i'm having fun and learning so much, just like you!<br />
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one of the things i enjoy is hearing the excitement in your voice when you've made some sort of new discovery (or sometimes a re-discovery of something that you've forgotten about). whether it's finding a little "nest" of rolly-polly bugs in the back yard, figuring out how to hand-sew a fabric pocket, or gleaning information from your current book, the excited chatter that comes out of your mouth makes me smile (and also very excited for you).<br />
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i know i sometimes tell you already, but let's have it officially in writing, ok? i appreciate the love, affection, patience and kindness you show to your brothers and sister. i think that many times, you have more patience than me when it comes to helping your brothers, and the motherly-attention you provide for your baby sister is something that i absolutely love watching. you and your sister have such a special bond (not that you don't have your own special bonds with your brothers, of course), and i know she absolutely loves her big sister.<br />
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you have a compassionate and generous heart, and it shows by your willingness to often share your things with your siblings. you have even gone so far as to offer some of your own money to help your mommy and daddy pay for things. you love making things for other people, and i know it brings you great joy when you are able to gift some of your creations or treasures.<br />
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i hope that your 8th year will be filled with many more wonderful discoveries and learning experiences. keep pursuing what interests you, and don't be afraid to go where God calls you to go, even if it may seem wacky to other people (or your parents). we love you and are thankful that we can be a part of your life.<br />
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happiest 8th birthday, sweet girl!<br />
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love,<br />
mommy (and daddy)Prastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1191696662986193916.post-29241526502481650872014-06-04T13:18:00.001-07:002014-06-04T13:18:04.289-07:00wordless wednesday {sort of} :: through the wakei think, <a href="http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/visit/olympic-sculpture-park">the olympic sculpture park</a> is one of my favorite places to go to in seattle with the family. we get to be outside, and enjoy views of the puget sound and some creative outdoor art pieces.<br />
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on our last visit, i really fell in love with <a href="http://www1.seattleartmuseum.org/eMuseum/code/emuseum.asp?collection=6096&collectionname=WEB.Olympic%20Sculpture%20Park&style=browse&currentrecord=1&page=collection&profile=objects&searchdesc=WEB.Olympic%20Sculpture%20Park&newvalues=1&newstyle=single&newcurrentrecord=18">this piece</a> (even though we've seen it before). it's massive, yet elegant. it's bold, yet serene. to fully experience this piece of art requires you to move through it, and each person's experience will be different depending on his/her movement and directional choices. it's so cool!<br />
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and each time we come to this piece of art work, our kids' desire is to run through the "waves," weaving their bodies between each giant piece of metal. <br />
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more wordless wednesday <a href="http://www.5minutesformom.com/category/wordless-wednesday/">here</a> and <a href="http://wordlesswednesday.blogspot.com/">here</a>.Prastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1191696662986193916.post-13979574691224803912014-05-28T07:00:00.000-07:002014-05-28T07:00:03.211-07:00wordless wednesday {sort of} :: outdoor schoolit has been such a great spring here in seattle. our first spring back in the PNW, and we've been treated with more sunshine before july than i would expect. <br />
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i'm definitely not complaining! on sunny days, we've often cut our table work (i.e. any school work that requires being inside, sitting at a table) short in exchange for some outdoor learning, playing, and exercising. we love sunny days in seattle!<br />
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join the fun! more wordless wednesday <a href="http://www.5minutesformom.com/category/wordless-wednesday/">here</a> and <a href="http://wordlesswednesday.blogspot.com/">here</a>.Prastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1191696662986193916.post-20913144645884798242014-05-20T22:37:00.000-07:002014-05-20T22:37:38.999-07:0020/4Gibson, my sweet, sweet, boy.<br />
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Today we celebrate your birthday. It has been 5 years since you first entered this world. While the details are a bit blurry, I will never forget how I felt the first time I met you.<br />
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You bring me great joy (and I admit sometimes great stress), and much laughter with your silly ways. I have enjoyed watching you grow and change this past year, and am thankful that I can be a part of your life.<br />
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You are loving, reserved, rambunctious, joyful, smart, shy, adventurous, helpful, curious, silly, and sweet little man. I know that your sisters and brothers love you very much, just as your mommy and daddy love you too.<br />
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One of my favorite things about you is your curious nature. Which is funny, because that same curious nature is also sometimes the source of some of my stress. I know when you deconstruct things and tear things apart, it's only because you want to figure out how things work. I'm pretty sure that's why you enjoy puzzles and Legos. At least with those, you're supposed to take them apart when you're done. Right?<br />
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Some of your highlights from the past year: writing and copying letters, writing your name, more detailed drawings (I am still impressed with your Ninja Turtle pictures), knowledgeable about certain animal traits (like why the cheetah has dark markings under its eyes), creative building with Legos (must take after your big brother), mastering the balance bike, counting to almost 20, adding, more detailed narrations of experiences and stories, and mastering 100 piece puzzles.<br />
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Sometimes I wonder when your sweet pre-bedtime snuggles will end. Or when you'll want me to stop giving you hugs and kisses in public. I promise when you think you're too old for me (or dad) to give you hugs and kisses in public, I'll be more discreet...sometimes.<br />
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I look forward to seeing you grow this coming year. I wonder what I will write next year. Some things will probably be the same, but I'm sure there will be new things to add too. I love you forever, my little dude. That, I know, will never change.<br />
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Happiest birthday to you, my son. Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you and who you are becoming. May God continue his work in you and through you, and that today and every day will be filled with joy!<br />
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love,<br />
mommyPrastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1191696662986193916.post-71451975561309605532014-04-24T16:05:00.001-07:002014-04-24T16:05:36.012-07:00TBT extended: germany 2002i've been having fun participating in the whole throwback thrusday thing on instagram, even though sometimes it does make me feel a little old. ha! before TBT, i used to dig up my big box of printed photos and look through them when i was feeling nostalgic. <br />
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since i only post one photo on instagram for throwback thursday, i thought it would be fun to do an extended version on here by posting a few more photos. i'm hoping i'll be consistent about doing this every thursday, but i'm not going to make any promises :).<br />
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so...this week's extended TBT:<br />
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college spring break 2002 was spent with my sister, astrid, and aaron in <a href="http://www.cologne.de/">cologne, germany</a> visiting my lovely auntie.<br />
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i remember the airline lost our luggage for a few days. i can't remember how long, but it was long enough for me to buy new underwear! we had fun exploring the city including a trip to the <a href="http://www.schokoladenmuseum.de/start.html">chocolate museum</a> and touring the <a href="http://www.koelner-dom.de/index.php?id=19167&L=1">cologne cathedral</a>.<br />
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we took a day trip via train to amsterdam, which included a visit to the <a href="http://www.madametussauds.com/amsterdam/en/">wax museum</a> while we were there. i wish we had more time to stay longer than a day trip. i'm sure there was much more to see and do there.<br />
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while this wasn't astrid's or my first trip to cologne, it was a different (though still fun) experience since we spent more time there than we did on our last trip. And staying with my auntie definitely gave us a taste of what it would be like to live there. <br />
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hope you enjoyed this extended version of throwback thursday!Prastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1191696662986193916.post-10136110695695954532014-03-26T12:25:00.000-07:002014-03-26T12:25:49.274-07:00wordless wednesday :: in full bloomcherry blossoms. sweet, gentle, delicate little things - letting us know that spring is here.<br />
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more wordless wednesday <a href="http://www.5minutesformom.com/category/wordless-wednesday/">here</a> and <a href="http://wordlesswednesday.blogspot.com/">here</a>.Prastihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02528936736984726306noreply@blogger.com0