Big Weekend

Peace ~ Ballet

Jessamyn ~ Jazz

Jessamyn ~ Hip Hop

Gabriel won a gold medal at the Chess Tournament

The kids all enjoyed a big weekend. The girls had 2 dance recitals each and Gabriel competed in a Chess Tournament-- fortunately, they were both held at the same high school near where we live, so I could go back and forth. It was busy, but lots of fun and we got to see the results of their hard work this year.

Mother's Day Sweetness

Peace gave me a mother's day gift of a certificate to a day of being taken care of by her. She is such a thoughtful girl and I can see how it makes her happpy to care for people. She borrowed a little brass bell from Grama that I was to ring if I needed anything . I was to spend the day relaxing!

She had planned 3 meals (she did this for my birthday last year also) and put them together with a little help. A parfait for breakfast -granola, yogurt and strawberries (everybody loves a parfait) Lunch was a quesadilla and salsa, and dinner was pasta with pesto and salad and a choice of chicken we had leftover or tofu with her own secret spice blend. She's the only 8 yr. old i know who loves to cook (and eat tofu) and who has business cards for giving back massages! She collapsed after dinner because she was "so exhausted" from all that hard work. I am blessed by her sweetness and pleased to see how she was responsible and organized to do this for me.

It was a nice Mother's day today and also on Sunday. It was good to have my own mom home after her trip and see her enjoy her kitchen makeover. Scott and I took a walk in the morning and found this lot where they had torn down an old house and we picked all these irises and other flowers and I came home with this huge "bride" bouquet. I'm glad to be a mom, there's nothing better.

I think I'll ring the bell f0r a massage now...

Spring 2006

Here are a few pictures of what we've been doing this spring:

Making vegetable (Star Wars) people

Gabriel turns 11

Jessamyn goes to a St. Patrick's day Dance

The flowers are blooming

Peace is a Dryad for Narnia Night

Training hard in Karate

Easter Morning

Peace sews a pillowcase using the machine for the first time

Luxuriant Lounging

I have long had a goal to practice more of what my sister calls Luxuriant Lounging—deliberate laziness. This past weekend I got to do just that. Scott had given me the Christmas gift of a day at the spa and a hotel room downtown in which to recover from my day at the spa without the activity and noise of the kids. I decided to combine this with a night out with him and finally got it all planned for this past weekend.


I started the day with a water aerobics class and soak in the hot tub at the gym. I did a little shopping and took my time. I met up with Gloria (originator and huge supporter of Luxuriant Lounging) at her house where she fed me a deluxe brunch and we were off for more shopping (chocolate in more than one kind at Trader Joe’s)

Then I arrived at the spa where they pampered me with calming teas and lemon water and the smells and sounds that made me feel like my world was really far away. I had a Body Polish treatment, a candlelit shower, a facial, a foot soak, and a massage. When I walked out I felt so relaxed and light and glowing (and a little greasy from all those layers of oils.)


I met Scott for dinner at the Oregon Electric Station, which is a restaurant built in a historic train station and you dine in a train car. I’d only ever actually had dinner there once before and it was so so good.


We got checked into the hotel and then across the courtyard to the Hult Center for the ballet. This was a collaboration of one of our favorite bands, Pink Martini and dance to their music. It was amazing and a great finish to a great day.


So, I did lounge and luxuriate and radiate and I’m thankful for my husband (who’s always a great gift giver) and had to do the travel that earned him the hotel stay points; everyone else—Papa for watching the kids (they were thrilled that you didn’t make them eat salad like mom amd Grama do) Josh for the gift certificate for dinner, and those wonderful women in my life who were excited for me and know much good a little lounging can do for the body and soul!

Afternoon

Thursdays this term are busy from morning to night. The kids all seemed draggy and headachey and so I let them stay home from karate. It was so leisurely and made me think—

Is my life so complicated that it takes phone calls to 5 different people when I rearrange my plans? ( call in sick, cancel my walk with Gloria, tell one friend I can’t drive her son, tell another she doesn’t need to drive my daughter, tell another my son may be revived in time for chess and I’ll call her again in an hour or two)

So I LINGERED over my salad., talking silliness with the kids (who aren’t acting all that sick). I MEANDERED outside and LOUNGED in the melty warm sun while Scott worked on the sprinklers. I ENJOYED watching the butterflies on my flowers. I didn’t look at the clock or say “hurry” or “do you have your water bottles?” I PONDERED on how I should spend my stolen three hours—on the computer, reading, getting a project done? I PLAYED another game of chess with Gabriel (that didn’t take long because I’m not very good!) I finally WANDERED back here to the computer so I could write.

Is this why kids play hooky and people call in sick when they’re not? Time that’s suddenly come unplanned is a gift, even if it feels a little stolen. Time to DO NOTHING feels a little weird and makes me restless, but it’s a good thing. My flowers are growing fast and so are my kids and in a lot of ways, I am too. I want to be more comfortable with BEING STILL. Oh, now I only have an hour left……