Pictures

Lucy in a new favorite dress, and Levi being himself.

Tanaka Farms

On Saturday, we took a trip to Tanaka Farms for a CSA-member-appreciation tour of the farm. It was so fun and delicious! We ate celery, yellow beans (don't know the exact name--wax beans?), carrots, green onions, sugar snap peas, and of course strawberries--all straight out of the ground (and quickly dipped in a bucket of cold water to get off the dirt). At the end of the tour, you get out of the wagon/trailer and pick and eat as many strawberries as you want. We all had a great time.

Swim lessons

Nate and Lucy started swim lessons this week. I decided to take them to the same place Lucy went last year. Though it costs more, the kids get so much more one-on-one attention and make much more progress than in the kind of class Nate took last year (six or seven kids with one instructor; one-size-fits-all mentality). After yesterday's lesson (their second), I can already see tons of progress from Nate. Lucy still looks a bit like she's riding a bicycle under water (vertical; legs peddling instead of kicking), but she's much more comfortable in the water than she used to be.






(That's our friend Elijah, who was with us yesterday.)

Here are some videos too...

Nate:



Lucy:

Laptop bag

Every once in a while, I take our laptop with me to a coffee shop or Panera to do some computer work or blogging (either on a weekend when Jon is home or on a day like this past Tuesday, when my friend Suzanne watched the kids for 3 hours). I always feel a little silly and awkward carrying the laptop in my arms (as opposed to a bag, like everyone else has). So I whipped up this bag for the next time! It's lined in white and has some batting for a tiny bit of padding, and I put a pocket on the front to hold the wireless mouse. The main fabric is one I've had on hand for a while and couldn't decide how to use. I love it and can't wait to use the bag!

Conversations today

1. We got home from the park today, and it smelled funny in the house. I said, "It smells fishy in here!" Lucy responded, "Yes, it does. I think maybe a fish came in here while we were gone."

2. Later, Lucy brought up gymnastics. "I can do gymnastics," she said. "But you can't, Mama. You're too big and you would make the house rumble."

3. I was lying down with Levi to help him go down for nap, but he was wiggling around too much. I said, "Levi, you're being too squirmy!" He asked, "Huh? I squir you?"

Nate's first sewing lesson

To kick off our summer (yes, Nate is done with school! Woo hoo!) and our unofficial entry into the world of homeschooling, Nate and I completed his first sewing project today: a cover for his homeschooling binder. He picked the fabric last week, and today we made a paper pattern for how we wanted the cover to end up, measured the pattern, and then added for seam allowance to get our measurements for cutting the fabric.




This was a perfect first project, since it involved just one piece of fabric cut into a rectangle. First I had Nate sit with me and help guide the fabric while I ran the machine. Then it was his turn.




Here he is in action:



Not bad! ;)

Becoming a big boy

Until yesterday, of the three "transition from baby to kid" events most kids go through (going from crib to bed, giving up the pacifier, and potty training), Levi had only completed one. But yesterday, when the kids were at Ray and Colleen's house while I was at work, he took a nap without his pacifier (because I hadn't brought it). I figured yesterday was as good a time as any to lose the pacis for good... much to Levi's chagrin. He loves his pacis and takes really good, long naps when he has them. But alas, they really mess up kids' teeth. So last night I stayed in the bed with him while he whimpered himself to sleep (so pathetic!), but he slept fine. This morning, I surprised the kids with a small "big boy celebration"--chocolate pancakes.




I found this chocolate hazelnut butter (similar to Nutella) the kids can have, so I spread it on their pancakes (and on Lucy's GFCFSF waffle) for a special treat.

Levi is still not impressed with the change and would much rather keep the "baby" moniker along with his pacifiers. (He also has the same attitude about potty training vs. diapers, by the way.) But if he's like the other kids, the disappointment will pass pretty quickly. :)

Two anniversaries

Jon and I celebrated 9 years married yesterday! He took me to Trabuco Oaks, a steakhouse with tons of unpretentious atmosphere and really good food. They are famous for "no ties allowed." Jon wore an old tie so he could add it to the thousands of ties adorning the walls and ceiling.




We ate a great dinner and enjoyed some time just the two of us.

Here's the only pic of both of us (taken with Jon's phone):



This is also another cool anniversary of sorts: my 1,000th blog post. One thousand--whoa! I think it's appropriate that my 1,000th post would be about Jon and me, not about the children, not about school or homeschooling or some semi-temporary stage in our lives. Because our marriage is the common thread that has run through everything, the foundation for our family life (based on Christ). I am so thankful for my wonderful husband, who loves me, understands me, and provides balance for me. I love you, Jon!

Super cute

"In this Picture me and God are Playing tag."

What we could do tomorrow

Nate's note to us tonight:



Dear Mom and Dad.
I've benn thinking we can go to Vrgina tomorow
Your choice
If you guys say no then I would be sad
But if you guys say yes I would be happy.
Love Nate V.

Levi last night

Checking in/Lucy's doc appointment

I hate when I go a whole week without posting. Sorry, Nannie. :)

I have to report about Lucy's appointment with Dr. Abell last week. Dr. Abell is a naturopathic doctor, and I took Lucy to him to talk about her sensory sensitivity and what we might be able to do about it naturally. He spent a good hour with us, going over her history and explaining some of his methods of treatment. In the end, he believed she would benefit from going gluten-free and casein-free (he didn't add soy to the list though)! There has to be some genetic component there, obviously, if the diet has so greatly helped Nate and may help Lucy too. Funny how, if those substances (gluten and casein) affect our kids, the effects manifest themselves differently in each child. Nate doesn't really have any of the sensory issues Lucy has. So anyway, Lucy has now been on the diet for a week. I'm giving it at least a few weeks before I decide whether I think it's helping or not (but here's a guess: I think it is!). Dr. Abell also gave us a probiotic for her (helps with digestion) and some homeopathic drops to use for a couple of months (to aid in digestion too). This doctor believes that many neurological problems and nervous system issues are tied to the gut/digestion--and I agree.

Cute dress

I like this dress of Lucy's, though she rarely wears it (too tight). She humored me with a photo shoot on Sunday.

Wedgits

Nate has been having fun with his birthday presents--new Legos and Wedgits. (As an aside, Wedgits have been a great toy for us. Even very young kids can stack them without frustration, and Nate is still entertained by them because they have "design cards" for ideas and they can make complex designs.) One afternoon I let him take his own pictures.

A deep question

Lucy has been asking the cutest, deepest questions about God and heaven lately. This week, she asked how God made the moon, and I told her an answer that included that God is all-powerful, and He could make anything by just thinking it. She then asked, "Mama, did God make hisself?"

Too busy

Sometimes, a boy's life is just too busy to add one more thing.

Cute pic

This is from last Sunday before church, when the kids were playing Angry Birds with Jon.

Vegetable love

This is why I love doing a CSA.

Today's lunch (to go) supplied almost exclusively by my third CSA delivery:



(Tomatoes from Trader Joe's. Almonds added later.)

Tonight's dinner is stirfry that will include our CSA bok choy and green onions. So fun!

Nate is 6

Happy birthday, 6 year old!

Nate had a GREAT time at his party last night. I always love the enthusiasm with which he thanks each person for their gift when he opens it. He gets so excited about each thing--it's so cute.