air

Our trip this summer involved *alot* of driving.  I know I found it too much at times - and if I did then you can imagine 4 kids cooped up ;)  

We found lots of ways to break it up tho and get them out and *moving*.   We did do some big crowd activities (not my favorite thing, crowds) but really the beach is where it was at ;)

And really what can be more fun than hurling yourself off a sand dune into the soft waiting sand below?  I loved the expressions on their faces - especially little Miss A ;)  Such fierce determination.  Big Miss A is not the sort (yet) to jump with wild abandon - she's a cautious one so far.  I'm sure that as she gets older and gains confidence she'll find her way - maybe she'll jump with reckless abandon sometimes - or maybe she'll be cautious.  Both are good in my books ;)  A little of both perhaps ideal, tho is there really any such thing ?   I mean we are all such a gorgeous blend of our various quirks and qualities.  Acceptance can be hard at times as a mama tho - or a papa I'm sure.   It's easy to accept the pleasant qualities - not so hard with the stuff that doesn't look so pretty, to know that they'll find their way - and we just need to be there, attentive, listening, and letting them. be. them.  I need reminding of this at times.  To allow this unfolding.  To love and have faith that with the proper care these sweet rose buds will bloom in all their very own glory.

Just Like Grandma

This baby girl of mine arrived just two short months before my much loved Grandma passed.  What a lucky babe she was tho to share some of her Great-Grandma's last shining moments.  I've always felt the two of them are very much connected and ever so much alike in looks and fiesty personality.

So much so that we added her name as a second middle name for this girl of mine.

This photo tho (above) ..... oh my.  The likeness is striking, and pulls at my heart just a little, reminding me.

It's a good kind of pulling on that heart of mine tho.  I loved her dearly.

G.G. - as she liked to call her great grandmother self - would have adored this one.  All of them really - but I'm sure she would have seen herself in her.  Recognized the twinkle in her eye perhaps.

This wide open lovey girl - she literally hurls herself at us - full of love - every day.

  I just follow her rambunctious self, camera in hand.  That smile - my camera wants to catch it!

I realized the other day that this is the first time in all my many years mothering all these loves, that I don't have a baby in the house, distracting me from really appreciating all that is 3.  

Love.

Road Tested Leg Warmers

Last December ..... ahem..... my oldest daughter asked me ever so sweetly to knit her some thigh high leg warmers - striped purple and turquoise to be exact ;)

In my lovey dovey but ever so unrealistic when it comes to being realistic about just how much sewing and knitting I can accomplish in a month moment, I said I would love to :)  

Ever so many months later I finally finished them.  It's not that I don't like to knit - I love to knit!  It's more that I really really really dislike knitting on double pointed needles - and that's what was required.

This is really making me realize that I am a good candidate for learning to "magic loop" it - using 2 circular needles to be able to skip those awkward dbl pointed needles altogether.

So sometime in the next year I have promised myself that I will learn.   Quick - someone assure me that it's not so hard ok ?

They look cute worn below the knees over jeans, but I think they will totally steal the show worn under a skirt or dress ;)  I want some.  Which of course means the whole magic loop thing.....hmm.....

I used the Road-Tested Legwarmers  pattern by Lynn DT Hershberger, found on Ravelry

I used acrylic yarn for this project - which is a first for me, and I can't say I loved the experience.  I used it to make the care super easy for my sweet girl.  I wanted something both washer and dryer friendly, since I know that wool care isn't really at the top of her list of priorities ;)

She has grand plans to wear them with garters - ahem - tho it might be actually practically necessary, as I'm not 100% sure they will stay up - I suspect my gauge wasn't spot on - another thing I find with dbl pointed needles - I end up knitting really loosely.

The most important thing tho is that she loves them  :)  

Buttery Carrots and Green Beans with Dill and Parsley

While we were away on holidays our garden just exploded with yumminess......

What a treat to come home to!

This dish came about as a result of a craving for butter and garlic, that coincided with dinner time ;)  We've loved it so much that we have made it over and over again nearly every day since then!  You can switch it up a little - I've since made it with leeks instead of garlic.  Sometimes left out the carrots, or alternately the beans.   It's pretty basic and simple, but not really a combination I'd made before, and I figure that if we love it so much then some of you might too :)

Gather up the freshest green beans and carrots you can find - as much as you need.

A whole head of garlic - less if you don't love garlic like I do ;)

a good handful of fresh parsley

another handful of dill.

butter.

Chicken stock if you have it - otherwise water is fine.

Chop your garlic.  Heat up a frying pan, on medium heat,  and add a nice big blob of butter - more or less depending on how much you love butter ;)  I love butter - it was a good sized blob - maybe 2 tablespoons for a whole fry pan full.  Add the garlic and cook just a little.

Toss in all the carrots, and pour in a little chicken stock, or water.  Put on a lid and cook until they are about half done.

Then add the beans, and cook until tender.

Now all you have to do is stir in the dill and parsley, add salt to taste, and Voila!  You're done.

Prepare to be delighted :)

We stopped at many skate parks on our trip - this one was my favorite - Burnside Park in Portland Oregon.  It was my favorite for the lovely light ;)  It wasn't my husband's favorite, but guess where I took the most pictures?

Light like this makes me giddy.  Really.

That would be the scientist slash climber ;)  Right before I made him come down - he was just about to go higher!

The girls had mucho fun sliding down the not busy parts of the park :)

And well it was just so cool - Little Miss A was chillin ;)

OMG they are adorable!

I figure you can judge how much fun a kid has had by how dirty they end up ;)

My husband is such a dude.

                                                                              Peek!

Liquid Gold

I didn't just chase sunsets ;)  I also chased the lovely warm golden glowy light that comes before ;)  We just don't get quite the same kind of light in the mountains I find.

These were taken in Morro Bay California.  *LOVED* this beach!  It was big and beautiful and hardly anyone was there most of the times we went!  Heavenly.

Oh just wait until you see how many shots I've got of my kids mid-air!  Oh my!  Jumping off of sand dunes was a fave of all except the more cautious Big Miss A ;)  I wouldn't call little miss A cautious tho ;)  On the contrary - she had a close call when she hurled herself off a rock into the water, expecting that I would read her mind and catch her from 10 feet away!  That was one very scary moment for all involved!  A reminder of just how quickly a fun activity like swimming can turn tragedy.  Needless to say there is a firm eye glued to this little adventurer ;)

We're back!

We just got back from our first family vacation in 5 years :)  We drove to San Luis Obispo to take my scientist to the Super Charged Science Camp.  It was amazing and I highly recommend taking a peek at their site - they offer some pretty amazing science offerings for kids of all ages.  I'm pretty sure there is nothing like it anywhere.

I have several thousand photos to sort through and edit, and several grandparents that I know are dying to see photos, since I've been a terrible blogger lately and haven't put anything up!  I'm going to ignore my urge to finish with all the sorting and editing and just start posting!

Today you get to see some sunset shots!  I'm pretty sure that sunsets on the beach were the part I was most looking forward to, and my favorite part of the trip!  We just don't get that kind of sunset where we live - too many mountains in the way.  I definitely made the most of it, and being on the beach at sunset was high priority!  I can't promise this is all of them either ;)