Fall is Definitely Here!

The leaves have turned yellow, brown, and orange. The weather has a crispness and freshness unlike any other time of year.  The sunny cold days are downright glorious- enough to inspire even the most sedentary person to get out of the house and enjoy nature. 

On this particular day, we were on our first geocaching expedition.  The boys absolutely loved it!  Joseph traded a piece of Lego for a small rubber bus figurine.  Even though brief, we had a really terrific time!  

Hunter Farm Pumpkin Patch

Fall is in full swing here in Western Washington. My boys and I went to Hunter Farms to pick out a pumpkin, enjoy the festivities, and fall fare.  It was hands down the very best kettle corn on planet Earth. I still salivate thinking about it. 

This is the first Halloween that Joseph de-gunked his pumpkin. Jacob was highly suspicious of the orangey stringy slimey flesh of the pumpkin. It took a fair bit of coaxing to have him poke at it so we didn't expect a great deal of productivity. 

Pictured below is our family on the tractor ride back to the market area. It was rainy, muddy, and cold, but those are certainly essential ingredients for a day of family fun- especially when you have a male majority.

 

Cleaning Madness

I wish that I had taken pictures of what our basement looked like before I spent a few dirty, sweaty days toiling away sorting, organizing, piling, grouping, donating... I finally have an accurate inventory, at a glance, of what I have in front of me. I love it!  Next project: garage!

Cub Scout Camp

This was Joseph's third year at Cub Scout day camp. Ben though he missed some of it as a result of our vacation to Hawaii, he still had a great time. Last year he had a degree of anxiety every day. This year he didn't at all. I attribute it to the gracious guidance of his leaders in this new Pack. I'm so happy to have found them and they are so completely wonderful!

Cool Summer

I love how imaginative Joseph and Jacob were in creating their own water slide.  It reminds me of something I would have done as a child 30-so years ago. Necessity is indeed the mother of all invention!

Summer Fun 2014- Hawaii Part III

Destiny, Wayne, and I have been friends since high school.  It's so difficult to believe that we are in our mid-thirties, with our own careers, interests, goals, and families.  I would have never thought that I would have ended up where I have.  There are so many things that are so beyond the scope of teenaged understanding that it's frightening to think that young adults of this age are making decisions that will impact the rest of their lives.  We do the best we can, however, and live with the lasting results.  Sometimes we're unable to lift ourselves out of regret over what could have been, and other times, we're able to see that life has its own design and although we while the years away planning, we eventually yield to our fate.

For a while, it was just the two of us- Wayne and Tiffany.  We welcomed Destiny into our circle when we realized how awesome she was our senior year, then Taryn in college when her awesomeness presented itself while hanging out at marching band practice and games.  We had sleepovers, practiced our instruments incessantly, dreamed about the future, took the bus everywhere, attended music camps, planned outfits, and just hung out.

I grew up on Waiola Street in Moili`ili so I didn't realize how special their shave ice was until I moved to Washington state and have been barely surviving its absence on blistering hot summer days.  We went to Ward Warehouse to check out the H-Zone (to get my hands on University of Hawaii apparel) and have the boys try Waiola Shave Ice.  Joseph didn't want to eat one all by himself (because he wasn't sure if he was going to like it) so he shared one with Aunty Taryn.  They got a rainbow bowl with ice cream on the bottom.  I ordered a strawberry bowl with mocha balls and ice cream.  Jacob enjoyed sipping the syrup through the straw, but didn't care for the mounding scoops I offered when he came up for breath.

Taryn said that Wayne was confident at first about his role as care-taker, but that eventually waned (pun intended) when Jacob kept asking for me.  Eventually, he mastered the art of nurturing a 3-year old and they played together without another mention of mommy.

Summer Fun 2014- Hawaii Part IV

Smooshy Confusion

I found these two gems while looking through my "drafts" tab.  I can't believe my babies were ever this small.  Check out that rope of drool dangling from his padded chin!  While they're so cute and small, I'm relieved that they're past this stage.  Caring for infants is tough work and I understand why many people have children in their early 20s.  It requires a lot of stamina and physical resilience- two things that are in short supply in my mid-thirties. 

Summer Fun 2013- Hawaii Part II

Everyone saying "cheese" for the camera while enjoying their cheese pizza.

Uncle Wayne showing the kiddies how to take a 'selfie.'

Mmmm!  Cake donuts from Regal Bakery were a hit with the whole crowd! 

With Noa having been born in October 2010 and Jacob having been born in June 2011, these two are 8 months apart.  You wouldn't know it by the similarities in interests, speech, stature, and heft, however, their dispositions couldn't be more different.  While Noa is circumspect and tentative, Jacob is unguarded- freely and indiscriminately giving of his friendship and affection.  Noa is pensive and contemplative while Jacob fearless and sprightly.  It will be so interesting to see how their current temperaments mold and build their personalities as adults.  Also, how living in different cultural realms will impact their perceptions and ideas about the world.

Here we're enjoying the fireworks at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.  Jacob was surprisingly unaffected by the loud booming of the festivities.  I wasn't certain if the whole ordeal would be over-stimulating considering he is operating on a significant sleep deficit.

Summer Fun 2014- Hawaii Part I

The plane ride from Seattle to Honolulu was... interesting. All I know is that I'll likely never fly with two young children without Joe ever again.  

Here the boys are playing with the Lego sets I got for the boys. Those were a hit, for sure!

I thought I brought enough snacks, but I absolutely didn't. More snacks, next time.  

Summer Fun 2014- Ocean Shores

Before Joe went on his next patrol, he wanted to make sure we used our new camper at least a couple of times. This weekend, we invited Joseph's best friend and his dad to go camping with us. 

We packed our bikes, kites, games, and food and headed 4 hours away to Ocean Shores.  Beside the fantastic and incredible mosquito population (it's biblical, really) we had an amazingly wonderful time!

There was a sand building contest and this was one of the displays that Joseph liked the most. 

When Jacob's friend Leyna was at the beach, she asked her mom and dad to write Jacob's name in the sand and she took a picture next to it. Joe had the idea of reciprocating the gesture. :-) 

Targets Be Gone!

Essentially, I have a rock star job- I totally do.  There is a consensus that our mission is integral for advancement and betterment of American society.  I have the flexibility to work from home, from the public library, or even Starbucks if I choose.  I'm compensated fairly and never feel as though I'm underpaid, I rarely experience the "Monday Blues" because by Sunday evening I'm absolutely dying to get back to work, the people I work with are hands down the most intelligent, gracious, worthy human beings I have ever known.  I have to pinch myself, many times. What did I do to earn this job?

Even if I didn't believe in our mission (which couldn't be further from the truth) I'd be content hanging out in my position because my colleagues are like sisters, aunts, mothers, friends, teachers, and mentors to me.  They are a dynamic group of hugely talented professionals.  A major fear I have is that they will ever not be completely certain how much I absolutely appreciate their sacrifice, patience, flexibility, humor, and effort.  If they ever feel unappreciated or unsupported, I would feel like I have failed as a leader. 

As we wind down on year two if our Race to the Top EarlyLearning Challenge grant, I reflect on my fortune. The success does not lie with an individual, but with the collective persistence and drive of the people around me.  With every target locked up, and every deliverable met, I took some time to bask in the glory of our awesomeness by treating the ladies on our team to a manicure or pedicure at the ritzy Apollo Nails salon.  It was an opportunity to forget about the upcoming fiscal year's challenges and just marinate in the success of the last year.  Success, I will add, under trying circumstances. 

I'm feeling fortunate to be part of such an amazing group of women, educators, and professionals. 

Janine, myself, Terri, Karin, and Nattie. (Missing was Kristin and Ann who were getting their fingers done).

Kepa

This is Kepa. He is our new kitten. We are very smitten with our new kitten. He is playful and affectionate. He dances around the house chasing imaginary mice.  We love him and he's proved a fine companion and nice complement to our family. 

April Update

Recently it has felt as if Washington bypassed spring and went straight into summer. One day it even reached 70!  It has been gorgeous, which really works out because I hosted Paula, a friend from Interlochen. 

We did the usual- Seattle's Pike Place Market, Space Needle, and the Olympic National Park.  We rounded her trip off with a quick road trip to Portland to visit a used and new mega bookstore and Voo Doo Doughnuts. That ended up being the highlight of Paula's trip!  We could have spent 7 straight days in the bookstore alone, but we were only there for about an hour. We waited in line for doughnuts for an hour and a half. It was absolutely, positively worth it!  My mouth waters at the thought of a "Portland Cream!"

In addition to playing tourist, we've been taking advantage of the beautiful weather by patronizing local parks after school. Even though we have a swing set at home, Jacob likes to swing at the park. 

Joseph is enjoying the end of school and really looking forward to summer. Jacob is busy picking up new phrases and idioms. "That's cool!" and "I want a fist bump!" are among his most common. 

Caribbean Cruise

We have been hearing about the joy of cruising from Joe's parents for years and we finally relented and purchased a cruise to the Caribbean. This is, after all, our 10 year anniversary!

It was such a special time for us. Although we missed our boys dearly, there's something about getting away from work and the daily tasks of routine life that is so revitalizing. We went swimming in the warm pool, relaxing in the hot tub, eating in the various venues, watched a lot of great entertainment, met many interesting and fun people, and rekindled an excitement that we haven't witnessed since the time when we were just a couple of kids in love. 

It wasn't but three days into the cruise that we were already planning our next one- this time with the kiddos. There are many onboard activities for children and after viewing the facilities and meeting the staff, I feel comfortable leaving the boys in their capable hands. 

We suspect our next cruise will likely be with family- the four of us and Nana and Poppy. We hope to see Alaska because we've heard that it is incredible.  I'm fine going anywhere- just point me to the direction of the breakfast buffet line.