The Adventures of Bad Guy Danger

Helena's Birthday

2012-02-15T21:03:00.000-08:00

She opened her presents from Henry (Starburst candies) and Grandma and Grandpa (skirt and shirts) before breakfast. The we ate cinnamon rolls, fruit salad, and the individual flavored yogurts she asked for.
We celebrated Helena's birthday with our friends at playgroup with pizza and cupcakes. She was the last one eating and casually ate her pizza while we sang Happy Birthday. She says that yellow is her favorite color.There were a few more presents when Dad came home from work. She's wearing her new clothes from the grandparents. Penny enjoyed being a part of the action.She got the 18 inch doll that she had asked for. Nora is so excited for her.Mimmu and Iso joined us for dinner. Helena picked roasted root vegetable soup, rolls, and coleslaw. We finished the cake we started the day before. Happy Birthday to Helena!

Helena : 4 years old

2012-02-15T13:46:00.000-08:00

Helena is four! She is as spunky as ever. She's still hasn't had a haircut.Penny thinks she's an excellent big sister and is always interested in Helena's whereabouts. She is such a fun person to have around.

Helena's Birthday Eve

2012-02-14T20:52:00.000-08:00

Aunt Liisa came for a visit and we started celebrating. There were a few Christmas presents to open and the kids got Valentine's Day cards and candies from family, and of course Helena's fourth birthday was almost here. Helena opened presents from Mimmu and Iso and Liisa. Here she is jumping up and down after opening her new coin bank. For dinner we had teriyaki chicken, rice, and roasted broccoli followed by a flourless chocolate cake. Her last day of being three!

A Fun Saturday

2012-02-12T07:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Penny spent a quiet day at home and the others were out and about. In the morning Mark took the big kids to Lowe's for one of their building workshops. No photos from the actual event since he was busy assisting with assembly. When they got home they went right to work on making Valentine cards.After lunch my mom and I went with them to a local high school production of The Music Man. We had a lovely time. The show was great. They've seen the movie version so the story was familiar, but a live performance has a special appeal. And they had an orchestra, which I like, and the real marching band came in for the finale.Then pizza for dinner and some exciting chapters of Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates before bed.

A little trim

2012-02-11T09:36:00.000-08:00

Maybe her mother shouldn't be allowed to cut her hair.

Science Experiment

2012-02-01T21:23:00.000-08:00

I had seen and bookmarked a post on microwaving Ivory soap and we gave it a try. It was fun, the soap puffed up impressively. It deflates pretty quickly and the soap feels dry and papery to the touch. The only drawback was that all of the perfumes in the bar were released. I don't think of Ivory as being very heavily scented, but our house (and for several days the microwave) had a sickly sweet smell. If we do this again it will be in the summer when we can open the windows.

Visiting

2012-01-29T09:56:00.000-08:00

The girls and I drove over to Idaho to visit with Lydia and Lauren (and their parents) for a day. They were staying with family before their move to Hawaii! I'm not sure we'll get there to see them, so we jumped at the chance while they were in the area. Penny is about 6 weeks older than Lauren and Helena is two days younger than Lydia. Soon these girls will be four! We had such a good time. On our way home we stopped for sustenance in Dayton at Ray's Drive-In since I had heard good things about their milkshakes for years. The cherry one we tried was very tasty.

Körö körö kirkkoon

2012-01-24T10:32:00.000-08:00

Penny loves this Finnish bouncing game and nursery rhyme.

Shaping rolls

2012-01-23T09:40:00.000-08:00

The kids love to make their own rolls. From left to right, Helena's, Henry's, and Nora's creations ready to go into the oven.

Four on a step

2012-01-22T21:35:00.000-08:00

It's a bit of a squeeze. We'll have to find some other place to line them up with the new baby.

Snow

2012-01-19T09:26:00.000-08:00

We had a storm with a fair amount of snow. The kids had about two days of playing with the powder before it iced over with freezing rain. They built a mini hill for sledding off the patio and did a lot of tromping around. Eating the snow and icicles was also a highlight. And, of course, when you come in from the cold, you have tea or hot chocolate and a snack.

The tummy pocket

2012-01-09T20:21:00.000-08:00

Penny likes to tuck things into her shirt. You never know exactly what she'll decide to tote around, but Legos and other small toys are the usual suspects. Today she and Henry were playing with cars and I noticed she was looking a little lumpy. She had 17 matchbox cars stashed in there.Silly baby.

2011

2011-12-31T14:50:00.000-08:00

January

FebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember

Sweet girls

2011-12-30T11:04:00.000-08:00

Mark's sister Cindy took pictures of some of the kids while we were visiting. She always does a lovely job. She even got Helena to cooperate. Nora and Emily have always been good friends.

They're growing up so fast!

Christmas trip highlights

2011-12-28T16:24:00.000-08:00

We went to Idaho for Christmas this year. I can never remember to take pictures of everything, but I did take a few. We stopped to see Grandma Irene on the way and had dinner and the kids helped set up her nativity.Penny got acquainted with her Dad's old horse and became an enthusiastic rider while we were there.All but one of Mark's siblings were there and we had many big meals and there was lots of cousin play time for the kids. Penny and Luke got along pretty well.The kids rehearsed and performed a nativity play for us several times with different people taking turns with the lead roles. Nora was either Mary or Joseph (who also doubled as a wise man). Henry and Helena took turns being baby Jesus and the chicken.We opened our stockings and the presents we brought from home early on Christmas morning. The gifts from Grandma and Grandpa were opened after our celebratory lunch. Mark's mom made parachutes for each grandchild and they had a group "jump" from the balcony.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T06:42:00.000-08:00

We wish you great joy as you celebrate the birth of Christ.

More baking

2011-12-14T14:35:00.000-08:00

We made sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies but I only have this picture from all the baking and decorating. We were too busy to stop for photos! And now most of the cookies are gone too.

The Nutcracker

2011-12-12T17:29:00.000-08:00

This year we went to the local production of the Nutcracker for the first time. We all had lunch with our friends beforehand and then the big girls and I joined them for the ballet. We had a lovely time and Nora is ready to make this a permanent tradition.

Ice cream

2011-12-05T17:20:00.000-08:00

The kids got free ice cream cone coupons at the Turkey Trot and wanted to use them despite the cold weather. So we picked a day when Mark was home from work and could come with us and had ice cream for our afternoon snack. Penny was not about to be left out. Yum!

Molasses cookies

2011-12-01T14:56:00.000-08:00

December is a great month for baking cookies. These cookies are good all year, but they seem especially appropriate in the fall and during the holidays. The kids love rolling them in sugar. Helena helped me make the dough and everyone helped with the rolling.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T21:11:00.000-08:00

Everyone had a good appetite for lunch after the Turkey Trot. After having turkey some of us went for a little walk around the neighborhood (leaving the others to nap). It rained just a bit, but it was fun. We had dessert (pumpkin pudding and pie, pear tart) with coffee in the afternoon and were ready for our first round of turkey sandwiches in the evening.

Turkey Trot

2011-11-24T19:07:00.000-08:00

The Turkey Trot is a fundraiser for the Red Cross held on Thanksgiving morning. The kids ran the 1 mile course and some of the grown-ups ran the 5 K. Helena ran "really fast." There were so many people. I did not expect thousands to want to start the holiday this way. I waited at the finish line to meet the participants. Penny was there too, wearing my coat.

Thanksgiving Eve

2011-11-23T20:05:00.000-08:00

We had a mini-Christmas celebration since we will be scattered at Christmas time this year. It was very exciting to open presents early.Salmon, potato leek casserole, green beans, coleslaw.

It snowed today!

2011-11-16T16:26:00.000-08:00

Not much, all the snow is already gone. But it was fun to watch while it lasted. We had cookies and tea to celebrate the occasion.

Fall

2011-11-12T16:18:00.000-08:00

Mark cleaned up the yard today and the kids had a chance to do some jumping in the leaves before they were bagged up. Fun!

Negotiating

2011-11-02T16:22:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of trading going on here with the loot. They are pretty good at transactions that leave everyone happy.

Trick or treating

2011-10-31T21:17:00.000-07:00

The kids raided our costume bin and got dressed up. It's hard to get Penny to stay still for very long these days.This year we went to a "Trunk-or-Treat" put on by a local church with some friends. It was just our speed. We went while it was still light out, circled the U of cars in the parking lot and were done in about 20 minutes with a satisfying amount of candy.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

This year we headed to a new and different farm west of town. Bill's Berry Farm is a lovely family-run farm. They grow apples, pumpkins, cherries, and blueberries.Our tour started with a talk on fruits and vegetables and some of the different varieties of pumpkins by Farm Wife Julie. Then Farmer Bill gave us a hayride out to the pumpkin patch to pick our own Wee Bee Little pumpkin. Penny was pleased to find a pumpkin she could carry around. There was a hay pile to climb over and through. (There were tunnels underneath.) We rode back to pet some of the animals and (after a thorough hand-washing) had fresh pumpkin doughnuts. It was a excellent morning with great friends and good weather. They run this little animal train on the weekends. The horse behind her is named Henry.

Day trip : Dayton (and a bit of Walla Walla)

2011-10-11T20:11:00.000-07:00

We saw a few new things on this trip to Dayton. Just outside of town there is the Patit Creek Campsite, a steel silhouette scene representing a Corps of Discovery campsite one hour before dusk. Lewis and Clark had quite the entourage! We walked through the historic Columbia County Courthouse. We stopped at the train depot to see the bronze stationmaster sculpture that had been added since our last visit. We at lunch at the Weinhard Cafe again. We did a little shopping and stepped in to see the lobby of the Weinhard Hotel. We stopped to have coffee with the goats at the fromagerie before we headed to Walla Walla. There, we walked up and down Main Street. The kids found some more bronze artwork to interact with. The kids found a fun little park to play in. It was a full day.

A scenic drive

2011-10-09T16:08:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we drove part of the White Pass Scenic Byway from Natches and looped back on the Chinook Scenic Byway. We had a picnic lunch overlooking Clear Creek Falls. We stopped to admire Mt. Rainier. We found an alpine meadow to hike around. It's amazing to go from the desert to this and back again in one day.

Two days in Tacoma

2011-09-26T19:11:00.000-07:00

After the Balloon Rally we continued heading west. We stopped for breakfast at the Green Olive Cafe in Sunnyside and then went on to Tacoma. We had lunch at the Metropolitan Market where the big kids were able to participate in a cheese tasting. We visited the gardens at Point Defiance. The dahlias are amazing. All of the women and Henry.After we were done walking around we took in the scenery on Five Mile Drive. We saw four raccoons by the side of the road! We stopped by the Museum of Glass before dinner. The best part was watching glass blowing in the hot shop. We walked across the bridge of glass to Indochine to eat. We ate a few entrees family style and everything was delicious. We rode the Max Light Rail part of the way back to our hotel.
The next day we toured Anja and Liisa's house. We went to the conservatory and saw the Wicked Plants exhibit. They have the most impressive pitcher plant there. There was a stop to shop at Trader Joe's and lunch at the Adriatic Grill. We did a little shopping at the Southcenter Mall before heading home. It was a longer drive than usual due to some road construction.

Hot Air Balloons

2011-09-24T08:46:00.000-07:00

It's already the end of September and time to visit Prosser. Several people, including Nora, observed that it seemed like we were just there. This time we brought the Finns! The weather was noticeably warmer this year and the crowds were bigger. It's hard to know which direction to look.Penelope tried out her new skills on the rough terrain. We ran in to some friends near the end. Everyone was excited to visit a little. Another successful rally.

At the orchard

2011-09-22T15:41:00.000-07:00

We took Anja, Eila, and Raija to our local orchard to pick some fall fruits. The Finns enjoyed their first trip to a pick-your-own orchard. We had perfect weather for our outing. We picked peaches, nectarines, and apples. With three eager workers our family came home with a lot of fruit!

Pendleton

2011-09-20T19:38:00.000-07:00

On our way home from the Wallowas we stopped in Pendleton. We had lunch at the Mainstreet Diner. We walked up and down Main Street after lunch and checked out saddles, Western wear, another thrift store, and posed with oversize boots. Then we drove to the Pendleton Woolen Mills for a tour. The dyed wool is transferred from the long spools here by the green machine in the background to the shorter, wider ones used by the looms. The fat spools contain wool from about two sheep. The loom room was very loud. Each length of fabric is inspected and any mistakes found are repaired if possible. If it can not be fixed it is sold as a "second."

Lake Wallowa Day 4

2011-09-19T21:07:00.000-07:00

We went to Enterprise to get the flat tire on Anja's car fixed. While she waited for the repair the rest of us found a bakery, bought huge doughnuts, and ate them in the pavilion next to the courthouse. We bought coffee and walked around town a bit, but it was very quiet. Anja and I stayed to do a little thrift shopping at the Soroptimist store and everyone else headed back. We found some delicious BBQ chicken and pulled pork for lunch. After lunch the kids went on the Tram to the top of Mt. Howard with Mimmu, Mark, Anja, and Liisa. The hiked around the top some. When they came back we returned to the state park, played in the water for a little while, made another marshmallow roasting fire, and played some mölkky.

Lake Wallowa Day 3

2011-09-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

We took a walk and stopped by the giant chair. We drove to Joseph and walked around the town in the morning. There was a huge cat at the Nez Perce photo exhibit. The kids persuaded some grown-ups to ride the go-carts. Helena waved the whole time.We built a fire and roasted marshmallows in the state park. Some of us did a little walking along the lakeshore.Henry and Helena preferred to eat theirs uncooked. We made dinner at the house.

Lake Wallowa Day 2

2011-09-17T19:48:00.000-07:00

While we were in the area we took a trip on the Eagle Cap Excursion Train. We boarded at Elgin on Saturday morning. Our conductor was a funny man. There were coffee and donuts to eat as we got settled. The train follows the Grande Ronde River for most of the ride. There was a car with open sides just behind where we were sitting, and we spent a lot of time there looking out at the scenery. We walked down to the other car to hear the band that was performing. They were very nice and let the kids play various percussion instruments. Penny loved being a part of the action. Helena took her job in the rhythm section seriously. There was a short break when we could disembark and walk around. We were served lunch when we boarded again and the band came down to play right by our seats. Penny hated giving up her mini maracas so they gave them to her as a gift. On our way back to home base we stopped in Lostine at the Blue Banana Espresso stand to take some pictures with the banana. You can sit in the back seat of that VW! There was a swing set right next to our house which the kids liked. This afternoon there was a squirrel tossing things at them from the trees. We had dinner at Caldera's. The building is very impressive with a wrought iron staircase and lots of local art.

Roadtrip with the Finns : the Wallowas Day 1

2011-09-16T19:03:00.000-07:00

My sisters, parents, and the Finnish aunts joined us for a long weekend at Wallowa Lake. We stopped for lunch on our way at a Mexican restaurant outside Walla Walla recommended by my dad. The food was good. We reached our rental house in the afternoon and after getting settled headed into Joseph for dinner. Our first choice restaurant was full so we ate at the Mutiny Brewing Co. I like their sign. The food was very good.There were deer all over the resort. It was fun to watch them.

Mimmu's garden

2011-09-14T18:56:00.000-07:00

The kids like vegetables but they are usually sliced or cut up somehow. One of the joys of summer is being able to pick cucumbers and tomatoes and eat them whole.

Prize-winning Peppermint Patties

2011-08-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

Nora entered these in the county fair and came home with Best of Show and a ten pound bag of sugar. They are delicious and easy to make. When we went to pick up our things the judges were very interested in obtaining the recipe. The original recipe is from the kitchn.com, we leave out the shortening.2 cups powdered sugar
1.5 tbsp softened butter
2 tsp peppermint extract
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp cream
8 ounces (about 1-1/3 cup) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. With a mixer, cream together the sugar, butter, extracts, and cream on low speed. After the ingredients are combined, raise the speed to medium-high and beat for an additional 1-2 minutes until mixture holds together very well and is creamy, not powdery.

Using a teaspoon, roll the candy into small balls and flatten them on the wax paper with the palm of your hand into patty shapes. When done, put them in the refrigerator to chill for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler.

Using dipping tools or two dinner forks, dip the patties into the chocolate one by one. Drag them across the lip of the bowl to remove any excess chocolate. Return them to the wax paper, and place back in the refrigerator to set the candies. They should be ready to eat in a few hours.

These need to be kept in the refrigerator. Layer the patties between sheets of parchment in an airtight container. They will keep for a month if you can keep from eating them.

Small spaces

2011-08-27T18:50:00.000-07:00

Penny loves to crawl into little nooks and crannies. One of her favorite places to hang out is the bottom shelf of the bookshelf. She also likes to empty the board books from their basket and sit in it.

The County Fair

2011-08-25T17:23:00.000-07:00

Both Henry and Nora had entries in the fair this year which made our visit that much more exciting. The Fine Arts building was our first stop. Here is Henry with his picture of a rocket headed to the moon. Nora and her goldfinches. Grace and Ian had artwork entered too and Ian won Best of Show and the People's Choice awards for his picture! Yay!
Next we toured the animal barns. There were ducks, chickens, rabbits, goats, and sheep to pet and admire. There was a magnificent white turkey that was a favorite.
We saw Henry's Lego models and eventually found Nora's peppermint patties hiding under the Best of Show ribbon! There was a BBQ cook-off that day and we sampled a few of the entries. We had lunch and then had snow cones for a treat while we watched some mutton busting. This picture makes me laugh. I'm not sure what has earned Nora's disapproval. It was a great morning with our friends!

Roadtrip with Grandma : Portland

2011-08-15T14:44:00.000-07:00

While Grandma was here we put the extra seat in the van and hit the road. Penny liked having company and she loves the snacks.We stopped for lunch at a British pub in Hood River. Mark finally got to try bangers and mash. Penny thought the ice in Daddy's cup was great. We stopped at Multnomah Falls and climbed up to the Benson bridge. Those railings are a little bit far apart. We went swimming as soon as we got to our hotel. Ikea was a nearby and perfect spot for dinner.
Saturday we went for a swim first thing and then drove to Vancouver to see Mark's Great-Aunt Veta and her sons. We had a picnic lunch at a lovely park. They had sticks there, and a pile of wood chips which Henry liked as much as the expensive equipment.Maryann and Liisa spent the afternoon with us shopping in Vancouver while Grandma got some family stories and genealogy information from Veta and Steven. We stopped for everyone's first frozen custard to refuel. Steven knows how to ride a unicycle! We all had dinner together before heading back to Portland for bed. Sunday we swam in the morning and brunched at our hotel before Maryann left for home. We took Grandma to Ikea to show her the whole store and the kids had their first experience with the play-land there. The escalator was a bigger hit and the kids made everyone ride it several times before an ice cream cone and the road home.

Grandma visited!

2011-08-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

Grandpa had to go to Florida to keep an eye on the battery for the Mars rover so Grandma came to see us for a few days. We had a great time and made her read lots of books.

Watching the hydroplanes

2011-07-30T14:10:00.000-07:00

We met some friends Friday morning and watched the hydroplanes do some practicing on the race course. It was a beautiful morning.The kids enjoyed throwing things at the water almost as much as seeing the boats. We had comfortable shady seats on the levy and had lunch while we watched the first half of the airshow. Funny, I think Helena wore the same shirt and hat last year.

Friends came to visit!

2011-07-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

We had a fun visit with some friends who live too far away. Thankfully, they have family in Idaho and return to this part of the world. The kids had a great time playing together and I think their parents could have talked all night.We got to meet sweet Lauren this time. Wouldn't have this been a cute picture if I had been a little faster and caught them both looking at me? We are so glad to have had this time to spend together!

More swimming lessons

2011-07-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

We signed up for another two weeks of swimming lessons. There were more kids in Nora's class this time, but two were friends!
Helena borrowed Grace's big pink ring one day.Henry spraying his friends. Nora did some more jumping off the diving board on the last day and this time she was able to swim to the side herself.

It's fun being at the pool and chatting with friends, but I will be glad to have some quieter mornings at home.

Busy baby

2011-07-22T14:51:00.000-07:00

One of her favorite self-appointed tasks is to clear all of our shoes off of the shelves in our closet. Today after finishing that she decided to empty the laundry basket as well.

Celebrating Independence Day

2011-07-05T16:02:00.000-07:00

Our church has an annual picnic that is part of our traditional activities if we are in town. We eat too much yummy food with friends and this year we stayed to play for a while before heading home for late naps in preparation for the late night. Mark brought our Kubb set and the kids played Frisbee and made sand castles. That evening some friends stopped by and we ate popcorn and watermelon and popped party poppers and lit sparklers and played with glow sticks while waiting for it to get dark. The town fireworks are set off from a barge on the river and we walked the big kids to the shoreline park to watch. I remembered there being more noise the last time Mark and I went, but it wasn't overwhelming this time. The kids liked seeing the show.

Swim lessons

2011-07-02T15:43:00.000-07:00

Nora had two weeks of swimming after we got back from our trip to Idaho. She started off repeating the Minnow class and passed into Level Two. She definitely improved her floating skills and can move her arms and legs together in a much more coordinated way. Henry and Helena enjoyed splashing in the wading pool and paddling around in their floaties. Penny was a supportive audience. On the last day they play games and can jump off the diving board if they want. Nora jumped six times!

Cool cars

2011-06-26T15:15:00.000-07:00

There is a classic car event held here every summer. We thought we'd go check it out Friday night. When I went years ago, I remember the cars being parked and being able to walk around in admire them. It turned out that we had chosen the night of the street cruise and were there about an hour early. So we stopped by a new cupcake shop and shared two key lime pie cupcakes. The kids threw pennies in the fountain. This is something they've been looking forward to doing this summer. We popped in to the fancy cheese shop and sampled some cheese. We tasted and bought a sheep's milk cheese named "Helena." Then we found a place to watch the cars from and bought creamsicles from a nearby ice cream cart. Eating them was a messy process.Our favorite vehicle was the DUKW, a WWII amphibious truck. It was fun to see the old cars driving around town all weekend. Henry was even wearing his car shirt.

Our raspberries

2011-06-19T16:06:00.000-07:00

are ripening. We check on them every afternoon.

Craters of the Moon

2011-06-14T17:35:00.000-07:00

This was my first visit to the Craters of the Moon National Monument. It is a bizarre landscape formed by lava flows. We had a picnic lunch with the cousins once we arrived. We walked the North Crater Flow trail. This poor Limber Pine had to struggle for survival against the wind. It was so windy we had to hang on to our hats. We climbed through the Indian Cave lava tube. Mark carried Helena and I had Penny in a wrap so it was a little tricky to scramble over the rocks. Henry and Nora enjoyed the hiking.

The Zoo

2011-06-13T19:34:00.000-07:00

Idaho Falls has a zoo that is just the right size. They have a nice selection of animals and it is a pleasant afternoon outing. We were rained on briefly while watching the "Animal Encounters" show, but Mark's sister Becky had at least a dozen umbrellas so everyone was able to stay dry. They have lots of babies currently. We saw the baby camel, but couldn't spot the baby wallaby. Nora couldn't believe this was a baby until we saw the adult camels.The kids with almost all of their cousins and two of Mark's. Helena did not want to be part of the picture. We met one of the zoo workers walking around with a falcon. The peacock had his tail fanned out. Henry's favorite part was the machine that squashes pennies. The flamingos were favorite animals.

Idaho : Day One

2011-06-12T20:24:00.000-07:00

There was another birthday present waiting for Henry at Grandma's house: a volcano to build! We started that process right after breakfast. Grandma's lemon tree had ripe fruit that they got to harvest. We met cousin Luke for the first time. There was a birthday party for Penny with cake and presents. And lots of playing with cousins and jumping on the trampoline.

Penelope : One year

2011-06-12T17:12:00.000-07:00

She has two teeth on the bottom. She is a fast crawler, can pull to standing, and can climb stairs. When she crawls she usually has her right hand in a fist and her left hand flat. She hasn't figured out cruising along furniture or walking with assistance. She is a beautiful, happy girl.

On the way to Idaho

2011-06-12T10:36:00.000-07:00

We stopped at Shoshone Falls this time. Water levels are high all over the Northwest and the Falls were impressive. They are 212 feet high. There is a nice park that the kids would have been happy to explore all afternoon. It was nice to be out of the car for a while. We stopped to see Grandma Irene and played for a while and had yummy tacos for dinner.

This baby

2011-05-25T17:07:00.000-07:00

can pull herself up to standing. This is a skill that none of the others had until they were much older. Slow down, Penny.

Nora draws the kids.

2011-05-23T17:03:00.000-07:00

Helena, Nora (seated), Penelope, and Henry.

Nora's Seventh Birthday

2011-05-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

Nora stretched her celebrations over most of the month of May. We had cake and presents when Anja was in town, another cake with Liisa, and then her actual birthday. She opened her package from Grandma first thing in the morning. A new dress! And a book and an embroidered book bag. Grace came over a little later. They played for a while and then everyone designed their own pizza. Grace's had a cute topping face, Henry's had "a pile of cheese, " and Helena only used cheese and olives. After lunch Nora opened the present from Grace: a tent for Violet! She went camping immediately. They had tea outside in the afternoon. Mimmu and Iso joined us for dinner. There were presents before and after. The menu:

Beer Bread
Henry's Favorite Chicken (teriyaki)
Potato Salad
Glazed Carrots
Roasted Aparagus
Sparkling Lemonade

And a Finnish strawberry layer cake topped with a "7" candle for dessert. It was a very happy birthday.

Wienermobile! (Part three)

2011-05-16T15:24:00.000-07:00

We got another chance to see the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. I am ridiculously fond of it. The mobile hot dog is 27 ft. long, the biggest it has ever been. No whistles this time, but they did give out stickers. Always blue skies inside the Wienermobile. Mark got to see the original Wienermobile at the Henry Ford museum.Haven't they grown since the last time we saw it?

A Fun Saturday

2011-05-14T15:57:00.000-07:00

Now that we've become regulars at the Great Prosser Balloon Rally, we thought we'd check out another balloon festival. We tried to go see the hot air balloons in Walla Walla, but it was too wet and there was no lift-off. Sad. So we asked one of the volunteers for a restaurant recommendation and went to breakfast.Henry believes that each piece of toast deserves its own pack of jam.We headed back to town and the girls and I got ready for a Mother-Daughter tea that our church put on. Nora loved everything about it. The food! The friends! The coloring books! The fashion show! The favor boxes with the candy in them! It was lovely. Henry spent the time with Mimmu since Mark was on his way home from Washington, D. C. They threw rocks in the river, saw a snake and lots of snails, and had a doughnut.

First time fishin'

2011-05-09T11:57:00.000-07:00

Anja and I took the three big kids to the local youth fishing day. Mark was supposed to take them but he had another engagement. They stock the pond with trout raised by high school agriculture classes and some from a nearby hatchery. We know very little about fishing, but fortunately there were helpful volunteers that taught us how to cast, how to properly get the worm on the hook, adjusted the drag on our lines, set the weights at the right depth, and, when we hooked a fish, showed up with a net. They also cleaned the fish for us.Nora got to reel in the line to her heart's content. We caught one fish on Henry's line. He showed it to everyone we met that day. The kids ate it for dinner and declared it to be delicious. The shirts they got were also a big hit. It was a successful trip and everyone is looking forward to next year!

Nora lost another tooth

2011-05-05T18:47:00.000-07:00

This one makes five that have fallen out. This tooth had a much shorter turnaround time. She bit into an apple at lunch and noticed it was loose. It fell out just before dinner.

Field trip: Fire station

2011-05-05T13:49:00.000-07:00

We went back to the fire station we visited two years ago. This time they took us around the ladder engine and showed us its features. We saw the small compartments where extra air tanks are stored and the different tool lockers. The jaws of life look heavy. One of the firemen turned out in his gear. When a call comes in they aim to leave within a minute and a half and that includes getting on the 70 lb. suit. They drove the engine out and extended the ladder for us. It is 105 ft. long! The truck has four stabilizing legs that come out before the ladder goes up. We also got to hear the siren.

What's up there?

2011-05-04T14:39:00.000-07:00

'Nelope is curious about what is going on above her. She pulls up on her knees to look and reach for things. She's the first of our kids to do this very much. She hasn't figured out how to get all the way to standing yet, but it could happen.

The bee's knees

2011-05-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

Our neighbors keep bees and they invited us over to see inside the hives. We sampled some honeycomb and saw empty frames and the honey extractor.It was so interesting. Bees are amazing. Each kid donned the bee veil and took a close look at one of the frames. They did a great job staying calm and not startling the bees. Aren't the hives cheerful looking?

Entryway, improved

2011-04-29T16:59:00.000-07:00

When Liisa was here last weekend she helped me move some of my art around and we put some pictures in the entry. And a mirror! She was in favor of a faux lamp, but I didn't have one to spare.

Easter

2011-04-25T16:26:00.000-07:00

We tried for a group photo of the kids and did not have any luck.After church we went to Mimmu and Iso's house for lunch. Before we ate there was time for an Easter egg hunt. The kids found each other's eggs much more quickly than their own.Dessert was a chocolate pavlova.
We hope you had a Happy Easter too!

Easter breakfast

2011-04-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

Scrambled eggs

Bacon
Muffins
Fruit salad With Easter candy before and after.

Saturday morning

2011-04-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

Inspired by some friends of ours, we tried our first fun run today. Everyone finished the one-mile and had a good time. I think Helena was the smallest participant. She finished in 22 minutes. They ran some and walked some and the crowd was small enough that Mark and I were able to be on the course. The Easter bunny met us at the finish line and, as Helena said, "gave a treat from his purse." The weather was beautiful and it was a pleasant outing.

Spring Challenge : a bathroom

2011-04-22T11:53:00.000-07:00

Another spring cleaning challenge from Mystie. You should join! You might win a scarf, but everyone gets a cleaner, prettier house. :)

I picked the master bath to focus on. It is the poor, neglected, ugly stepchild of a bathroom in our house. It isn't ever used by guests and tends to be cleaned one area at a time. This week was different. I started at the top and dusted the light fixture. And I dusted the baseboards. I wiped off the cabinets and washed the floor. The shower was thoroughly scrubbed. I also did all the usual things like cleaning the sink, counters, toilet, and mirror. But they are all done at the same time! I almost quit at "clean enough" but I'm glad I didn't. I didn't do a beautifying touch because a clean bathroom is pretty enough for me.

Eggs

2011-04-20T09:14:00.001-07:00

Easter is Sunday so it was time to color our eggs. Helena latched on to the red and used it to color all her eggs. We tried using crayon on them for the first time this year. I think it worked pretty well.

An everyday cake

2011-04-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

Last week Nora read Hedgehog Bakes a Cake by Maryann Macdonald. It's a charming story of Hedgehog and his friends. And the recipe for the cake is included. I was given the role of Hedgehog. Helena was Rabbit, Henry was Squirrel, and Nora played Owl. Our cake was delicious. We ate the first half warm with milk as suggested.

Spring Challenge: tidying the entryway

2011-04-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

Mystie is hosting a Spring Challenge. I liked having Simple Mom suggest tasks during Project : Simplify (I did them all even though I haven't posted them!) and this is a nice way to continue the momentum. My procrastinated task for the entryway was to glue the felt that I had cut some time ago (years, eek) to protect the shelves from being scratched by the baskets. It makes the whole shelf look neater. I am also working on a better system for the contents of the baskets and drawers. I got rid of more magazines that were there and was able to move some of the drawing supplies to an empty basket which should make them easier to access.
I was hoping my sister would be here to help with the beautifying part of the challenge but she isn't so I changed the tray I had there and cut a spray of lilac from our yard. I'd like to add more art to the wall.I also spent about 15 minutes outside sweeping off the front porch and relocating rocks the children had displayed there. Since we come in from the garage the front door doesn't get as much attention as it used to. Thanks, Mystie, for providing the nudge to get something done!

Henry's Birthday

2011-04-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

First thing he opened his presents from Grandma. The box had been sitting in the hall for two days and he could not wait to see what was inside. The jeep he found was much appreciated. Nora drew him a poster this week. She had a hard time waiting to give it to Henry. For breakfast we had cornmeal waffles with peaches and whipped cream as well as bacon.
For lunch he asked for pickles, olives, and chips. Done. With bread, salami, cheese, and pineapple for dessert.
More presents to open after lunch. The matchbox track is very popular. And we have many different cars that need to have their performance evaluated. The weather was beautiful and the kids spent the afternoon outside playing with their new garden tools.
Mimmu and Iso joined us for dinner. They brought a few more presents. Henry's dinner menu was roasted root vegetable soup, bread, crackers, and green beans. A train cake and salted caramel ice cream were dessert. Mark gave him a sword and shield . 'Nelope liked brandishing the sword. It was quite the day.

Train cake : the sequel

2011-04-10T14:47:00.001-07:00

For Henry's third birthday I made a train cake. He requested another one this year. If anything, I think my frosting skills have deteriorated. I am still too impatient to wait for the crumb coat to dry completely. But gel dyes in bright colors compensate for a lot. And it tasted fine. Henry was a little worried that the cars were too small but not a single child was able to finish their piece of cake.

Crawling!

2011-04-03T18:15:00.000-07:00

Penelope has decided to go the traditional route for mobility and started crawling today. She has been meandering around by shifting her weight from hands to knees or pushing herself backwards for a few weeks, but today she conquered intentional forward motion. Life will be different now.

Excited

2011-03-31T20:07:00.000-07:00

to be wearing her mother's pajamas.

Triceratops

2011-03-30T11:42:00.001-07:00

A quick trip : Tacoma

2011-03-29T19:05:00.000-07:00

We headed out after breakfast on Saturday and arrived in Tacoma at lunch time. We picked up food at Metropolitan Market and got desserts at Jubilee Cupcakes. We ate at Anja and Liisa's house. Then we visited the Conservatory in Wright Park. We did a little shopping at Trader Joe's and then the kids and I checked in to the hotel before a lovely dinner at Maxwell's Restaurant.
On Sunday we went for a walk on the waterfront. We had lunch at the Rosewood Cafe. We all enjoyed the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium and stayed dry for most of the afternoon. It was a little cool. After seeing all the animals we rode the carousel three times and warmed up. We rode the light rail downtown for dinner. This was Henry's favorite part of the weekend. We made a quick detour to see the bridge of glass. After we ate we went to El Gaucho for table side flambe bananas foster. They didn't have a table for a group our size so they put us in one of their private dining rooms.
Monday morning we made a quick visit to the Business Costco on our way to Seattle. We met Maryann at the Seattle Aquarium and checked out the fish and animals. They have a huge tank near the entrance where volunteer divers talk about the fish. We saw them feed the fur seals and sea otters. After lunch at one of the waterfront restaurants we headed home. It was a fun and busy visit!

In the future...

2011-03-24T15:53:00.000-07:00

only let Helena lick the beaters if she is wearing play clothes.

Helena puts toppings on the pizza

2011-03-23T15:25:00.000-07:00

My kitchen help is not fast, but they are funny.

Good eaters

2011-03-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

We have gotten a lot of use out of our booster seat. I found these pictures of each of the kids in it and was struck by how much they looked like themselves.

"Time flies"

2011-03-08T20:25:00.000-08:00

People always say that. And it's true.
These two have been friends forever. And I'm pretty sure this was yesterday.

Project Simplify: week one progress

2011-03-07T16:00:00.000-08:00

It's hard to get a good picture of a closet. I was only dealing with the left side this afternoon.There were a lot of things in there that belong elsewhere so I returned them to their homes. I tried on most (but not all) of my clothes and have a box to donate. There are three skirts than I'm still undecided about. I still have a hanging organizer to empty and straighten. I also did a quick sort through my dresser and tidied my jewelry drawer. It tends to catch lots of random things. After:

Thanks, Grandma!

2011-03-02T15:57:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day the kids got some new Play-doh, perfect for a chilly afternoon.

Nora made a sign this morning

2011-03-02T07:36:00.000-08:00

This sort of thing warms the cockles of my heart. Me too, sweetie.

Yay!

2011-02-28T19:14:00.001-08:00

Penny has been working on her pincer grasp lately and today she finally managed to get the little piece of food from her fingers into her mouth. This is an important milestone. It is also Mark's birthday. We had cake.

Helena's birthday

2011-02-22T16:10:00.000-08:00

She opened the presents that her siblings had made first thing. Nora and Henry had gotten their gifts ready weeks ago and couldn't wait any longer. There were more presents to open in the evening.The dinner menu she selected: roasted root vegetable soup, bread, and coleslaw. Then we had cake and homemade vanilla ice cream. She also requested black and blue cupcakes so we brought chocolate cupcakes with blue icing to playgroup the next day.
My sisters came to visit for the long weekend and we took the opportunity to celebrate again.

Helena : 3 Years Old

2011-02-15T18:17:00.000-08:00

She is a talker. She has never had a haircut. She doesn't feel pressure to conform. She makes us laugh.

Playing with her toes

2011-02-13T15:40:00.000-08:00

Penny was having a good time talking to her toes. They are usually hidden away because of the cold weather.

Penelope : 8 Months

2011-02-12T18:05:00.000-08:00

She weighs 15 and 1/2 lbs. She sits and rolls and can push herself backward but has not achieved forward motion. She is much better at eating solids. She likes almost everything she's tried. She's had bread, avocado, banana, applesauce, sweet potatoes and soups. She can drink water out of a sippy cup. She has one bottom tooth.

After her bath

2011-02-04T07:19:00.000-08:00

Helena has a head full of curls.

Sitting up

2011-01-28T16:12:00.000-08:00

This week Penelope has become much better at sitting unassisted. It's fun to have a new way to view the world.

Helena and Penelope

2011-01-11T17:03:00.000-08:00

Henry and Penelope

2011-01-09T13:59:00.000-08:00

"Bam! Bam bam bam!"

2011-01-04T13:14:00.000-08:00

is what I hear whispered from the living room as a battle is quietly waged during rest.

2010

2010-12-31T10:32:00.000-08:00

JanuaryFebruary
MarchApril
May
June
July
August
September
OctoberNovember
December

Different smiles

2010-12-29T18:41:00.000-08:00