This blog has been neglected for the last month, since there has been so much going on on the farm. I love doing the Weekly Winners meme, though, because it forces me to organize my photos from the week and pick my favorites to display here. So, without a guilty backwards glance, here are my winners from 5/25/08 - 5/31/08.
Tyler turns 6! Aunt Haley & The Birthday BoyFather & Son Juggling Bubbles Concentration Bubble Fun Focus Mesmerized Distracted Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere "Where'd they go??" Those Eyes Cheeks Looking-Glass Giggles Fish-Face Bubble-Soap Hands (aka: The Boy Who Washes His Hands 100 Times A Day)
Saamanta and I went to see Kimya Dawson tonight at The Aladdin... what an amazing show. All I knew of her was 1) that she's an MDC mom, 2) that her music was in the awesome movie, Juno, and that 3) Saamanta loves her.
There were several opening bands, 2 of them were really entertaining: Kimya's husband, Angelo Spencer, and his friends, a French band, L'Orchidee D'Hawaii. Both were totally silly, very talented musicians, and super energetic. Backstage was their 1 1/2 year old daughter, Panda, and we caught little glimpses of her every once in awhile, toddling around. This was the end of a 2 month tour for them, and they are really looking forward to getting home to Olympia tomorrow.
Kimya came on with a chair and her guitar, and had Matty Pop Chart sitting on the floor next to her, playing a little xylophone and giggling with her between songs. She exuded such a sweet, genuine, mellow vibe, and had a lot of really great messages beween (and during!) her songs for the surprisingly young crowd at her feet.
She's SO cute
Juno with Kimya Dawson singing "Loose Lips"
L'Orchidee D'Hawaii--bad sound, but you can get a sense of what their energy is like
Angelo Spencer--He sings, plays guitar, pounds the bass drum with one foot, and the high hat with the other, all at the same time...amazing.
While working like a mad-woman to get our duplex rented, I left the boys in the van while I ran into my parents' house to fax something, and I asked my mom to go out and sit with them. She called me immediately from her cell phone, and I ran out to see what was wrong: Kaden had shoved a bead as far as possibly up into his nostril. He looked at me with a very anxious face. He could still breathe, so I knew it was not a life-threatening emergcncy...but it still made me very nervous and I was totally unsure of what to do. I tried pushing it down from the top, and he pulled away and said that it hurt.
I asked my mom to stay with him and make sure he didn't shove it any farther up, and I ran inside to check the best resource I've got--the internet. I googled "bead in nose children" and came up with this guy's entry on his blog--it was EXACTLY the help I needed! I chuckled to myself about what I was about to do, marveling at how simple the answer was, and returned to the car confident that we would not need to make an unexpected trip to the ER today.
I kneeled next to Kaden in his car seat, tipped his head back, plugged the bead-free nostril, and did a CPR-type puff into his mouth (being careful not to blow too hard)...the bead popped right out!!!
I'm so grateful for bloggers sharing such important information!!!
I got to put on make-up, dress cute, and go out to a bar tonight... and it wasn't with my husband.
My friend, Andy, and I met at Crush--a hip, gay bar in SE Portland that I had never been to, let alone heard of. I am so out of the nighttime social scene, and although I wouldn't trade in my burp rags and little humans for a crowded clubbing calendar, I did thoroughly enjoy getting out and having a drink and great conversation with a friend.
While we were talking about kids, partners, interpreting, life, and astrology, Andy brought up a proposition. It was a little less exciting than I initially thought when she told me she had a proposition for me, but, it's a good one, nonetheless. I have told you before that Andy is a kick-ass astrologer. Well, she is really getting into babies' charts. I think it might have something to do with the fact that she just had one of her own, and knowing her daughter's chart has proven infinitely valuable to her...she told me she wasn't sure how someone would parent without knowing their child's chart..as in, she just can't imagine what that would be like, because it is such an important tool to her as a mother.
She also knows that I am surrounded by hip and conscious parents who may be interested in having their children's charts read, and that I don't mind shamelessly promoting things that I care deeply about. Her proposition (if I remember it correctly...it lives in a dusty haze of gin & gingerale) is that I get one of my children's charts done, I report about it, and then if you are interested and you have your child's chart done and tell her you heard about her from me, she will give you $10 off.
I must admit, I am a bit embarrassed and bummed that I haven't had my kids' charts done before now. My individual chart reading and Rich & my couple's reading were both such life-changing experiences for me, that I have no doubt these will live up to those... I just have been, you know, busy. This is just the impetus I need to make an appointment, and I will tell you all about it.
You can see an interview with Andy here, talking about Astrology in her own cute and quirky, endearing way.
Wow!! I guess all I had to do was ask?? And it helps to know the right people...
Everyone's comments and resources on my chicken post have been so helpful. You ladies are a cornucopia of poultry-wisdom!
We are going up to a friend's house on Tuesday to get a trailer load of of alpaca manure for our garden. Our first meeting with the Backyard Farmers last Tuesday was A-MAZ-ING... after they left we were so blown away and simultaneously grateful for their guidance... that's probably why I forgot to post! Our brains have been going a million miles an hour since then, planning our little urban homestead. Rich is even totally on board, which makes it so much fun. He is at work, as we speak, designing our garden beds, chicken coop, and goat pen.
Oh, another question: Have you seen goats and chickens kept together in the same space??
And for a laugh, here is a moment I found particularly hilarious last week:
February 16th-23rd, 2008 OUCH! Rug burn... thanks to the fancy face-plant on the stairs Kaden's new "secret" hiding spot Kaden: "Bet you can't find me, either!" UrbanHippieMama: "Bet you're going to be following your Clue game real soon!" :) I'm a broken teapot short and stout... THE SUN!!!! THE SUN!!!! Even though it's still cold out here The flowers are beginning to BLOOM!! I LOVE the first signs of Spring. Have a wonderful week.
1. Calligraphy and Lettering--I have always been fascinated with different scripts and styles of lettering, and have practiced and traced letters over and over ever since I was young, but I've never actually been taught any techniques for writing.
2. Hooping--At the park last summer I saw Rachel hula hooping, and it was like nothing I'd ever seen before...at least, nothing I'd ever seen done inside a hula hoop. It was graceful and sexy. I would love to learn how to move like that.
3. Pole Dancing--Kind of along the same lines of the graceful and sexy moves above, this also involves a level of athleticism and talent that totally intrigues me.
4. Tarot--I have a deck and have done some work on it, but I would love to learn from someone and really become good at it. I'm not sure I have the intuition for it, though.
5. Yoga--I have taken yoga regularly during my last 2 pregnancies, and I have a basic home practice that works well for me, but I would love to do more intensive yoga study...especially if it means visiting Shawna and taking my after-the-boys-stop-nursing vacation to Kripalu.
6. Astrology--Astrology makes a lot of sense to me...it is a way of looking at the world that I connect with. I look forward to learning to read charts and understand my own transits better someday.
7. Reiki--Working with energy is a skill that I can see so many uses for. I have tried to focus healing energy for my kids before, but I don't have any real knowledge about how to do it.
8. Sewing--When I started sewing, almost 2 and 1/2 years ago, it was with a single purpose in mind: making cloth diapers. I learned and read everything I could, lurked on diaper-sewing yahoogroups, bugged Cynthia monthly at the diaper circle meetings, and practiced until I could make a decent nappy. Now I would love to expand my skill to other areas that would be helpful now...clothes...home decor...accessories...the possibilities are endless, and that is very exciting to me.
9. Writing--This is a new interest, mostly spurred by the writing I've been doing on my blog. As I read others' blogs, and continue to write, I can feel myself developing as a writer even though that was not what I had intended to do here. Now I would like to purposefully improve that skill.
10. Homeopathy & Herbalism--Whenever we have an ailment in our family, homeopathics or herbs are the first things I reach for. I lack a deep understanding of them, though, and for now just stick with the few remedies I am familiar with.
11. Organic Gardening--I see these classes in my near future. As soon as we get into our house I will begin my first garden. I know it will be a labor of love and one of trial and error, but I always like to go into new endeavors with a basis of formal knowledge.
12. Spanish--A language I have always been interested in, I have taken classes and many opportunities to learn from native speakers. I would love to become fluent.
13. Mac classes--There are so many neat software programs out there, and so much I don't know about Leopard... I would love to learn all of the shortcuts and features that I'm sure I'm missing out on.
This has been a busy week, with birthdays, superbowls, visits to the museum, and more birthdays... so it was a little picture-heavy and in the end, it is too late and I'm too tired to make any more cuts. Here's my faves:
Eye-Smilers (I love people who's eyes show they're smiling, even when you can't see their mouths...one of the reasons I fell in love with Rich--he has smiley-eyes) Rich "accidentally" gave Kiran a cup of spaghetti sauce and meat before getting the ok from me... Kiran enjoyed it thoroughly Another Saucy-Face Conducting a scientific experiment: pouring vinegar into baking soda "Hypothesis: 1. It will explode 2. It will dissolve 3. It will turn into a drink" "I like to wear my sister's clothes and dance on tables." .....
Uh-oh Are you ready for some football???... Cutest sack of potatoes I've ever seen Getting some fresh air Hannah Montana 3D... Kaden loved it Mind the gap Piles and piles for miles and miles What a guy Who's eye looks bigger, the bug's or the boy's? Kylin at 6 Wait for it... Wait for it... Kylin at 45 (and after 3 kids!!) Bottle rocket races Scientists Happy Birthday, Dylie-Mack
A picture of Kaden on *almost* his exact birthday/time, which is 4:22 am...the only reason I was awake at this time was that Kylin's tooth fell out very close to this time. Growing up my mom always did this (which couldn't have been easy, because I was born at 3:00 in the morning) Kaden got some very fun, imaginative, and safe toys for his birthday. It was a Melissa & Doug extravaganza! Kylin trying out the new mailbox Kaden showing off for Uncle Bubby and Brittanie Opening gifts
I wrapped all of his presents in the reusable bags that Danielle and I have made. I don't know if he will enjoy this forever, but this year it worked just great. Kiran checking out the wooden chopsticks with velcro that pick up the little wooden sushi pieces 2 Candles Where'd the fire go? Choc-It! mmmmm..... See my cupcake? Sweet Profile Proud parents of a genuine 2 year old Christian and Haley Poppy and Gramma Cupcake Decorator Brittanie and Uncle Bubby The Party Kylin and Grandma dressing up Joey Chocolate belly-button Haley and Dylan Postmaster General Poppy and Kaden Beautiful cupcakes
Father & Son
Juggling Bubbles
Concentration
Bubble Fun
Focus
Mesmerized
Distracted
Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere
"Where'd they go??"
Those Eyes
Cheeks
Looking-Glass
Giggles
Fish-Face
Bubble-Soap Hands (aka: The Boy Who Washes His Hands 100 Times A Day)
