Who Cut the Cheese?

On our trip home I bought a can of 'Easy Cheez' or spray cheese, as Brian likes to call it. It is one of the things he likes to eat on long car trips. The others are Skittles and beef jerky. I knew this when I married him, and went ahead with it anyways.

This evening as I was getting dinner ready I broke out the spray cheese and made some crackers for the kids. They were very particular about the shapes they wanted me to make with the cheese; everything from a star to a swirl to a crown, and were not shy at all about critiquing my efforts. Several crackers were summarily rejected. I was somewhere around the 10th cracker when the cheese started running out and the can began sputtering. "The cheese farted!!" yelled Jack and things pretty much went downhill from there. "I want some farting cheese!" "Make me a farting cheese!"
I can't wait until our next cocktail party. "Farting cheese and crackers anyone?"

A moment of panic

As I was driving the kids home from school today I suddenly heard Ava's soft sing-song voice say "I'm pregnant".
This is what it sounded like in my brain: Whuh-uh??? What did she say? Not possible, right? Right. Go with that. What the hell has she been watching? Sponge Bob? That doesn't sound like Sponge Bob....Disney? What the FUCK is Ady teaching them at school?? I thought they were learning about the seasons??
A little louder: "I sa-id you're going to be a father!"
Ah. Yes. Shrek the 3rd. I knew that was an excellent choice of movie for my three year olds.

Sea Crags FTW!

So I've been meaning to get this post up since we returned from vacation a little over two weeks ago, but as soon as we got back both Brian and I were instantly caught up in the you've-been-away-from-your-desk-for-over-a-week insanity and are only now starting to recover.

We were up at Sea Crags for 5 days. It was pure bliss; blackberry picking, playing in the Gualala River, poking around Point Arena and eating fresh huckleberry danish, riding around the meadow in the golf cart, walking on the rocks on the beach, lots of picture-taking for Brian, lots of knitting for Jenn, lots of cousin-time for the kids. Heaven. I've decided that trying to describe the sheer joy that is Sea Crags with mere words is futile, so I'll post a bunch of pictures instead. Suffice to say I love Sea Crags, it is my favorite place on Earth, the seat of my happiest memories, the place where I am most comfortable and at peace with myself and the world. I love the smell of it's earth, the sounds of the forest and the sea, the feel of the heat on my back and the wind in my hair. And I am so very very grateful that my children will have the opportunity to fall in love with it, just as their mother did so many years ago.

Playing marbles with Leif

Cathryn and Sofia contained

At the beach

Cairns

In the river with Denali

I will be updating the web album with more pictures from our wonderful week!

Frisco

We stayed in San Francisco until Monday morning. We arrived earlier than expected on Friday, so had the whole afternoon to noodle around. Our hotel was right by Fisherman's Wharf, so we strolled down to see the Sea Lions.


I thought for sure the kids would be put off by the smell, but they loved it! They especially liked a group that were trying to push each other off one of the docks. Brian said they were playing "King of the Pier"; Ava apparently heard "King of the Beer", which is what she has been calling it ever since.

On Sunday we went to the Exploratorium; hands down the most awesome kid's museum ever. All of us - me, Brian, my 15 year old brother John, and the kids could have happily stayed there all day. Some highlights: drinking out of a toilet, jamming in the xylophone room, trying to walk on a gravel path without making noise and learning to make giant bubbles with our hands.



We went to Chinatown for dinner and bought lots of tacky souvenirs and I found a great purse to match my dress for the wedding for $4.99 - score! As we walked a few blocks up a steep street and then caught a trolley back to the hotel, Jack's face practically glowing with excitement the whole time.

Every time I am in San Francisco I realize it is my absolute favorite city - pretty much the only one in which I would ever even think of living. I am thinking that this strategy of stopping in SF on our way to Sea Crags is good - I would like to have the opportunity to introduce my kids to this wonderful place...

Home Again, Home Again

We are back from our family vacation and I am pleased to report that everyone is alive and doing well! I hope to post bits and pieces from our travels this next week, possibly even with pictures.

We arrived in San Francisco on Saturday, the kids happily playing with glittery Barbie-esque ponies and baby princesses I had bribed them with on the way up......As Brian and I unloaded the stuff and started settling in Cate came up with two of the glitter ponies and announced in a serious voice "This one is Tony Conchono and this one is Garlic".

20 minutes in the city and she's already mobbed up.

Au Revoir

I just said goodbye to one of my very dearest friends who is moving far far away to a land they call South Carolina. My entire body is heavy with that feeling that comes when someone leaves a giant hole in the fabric of your life. I think I might die.

Instead, I am going to get up at 3am tomorrow morning and drive three 3-year-olds to San Francisco. I'm thinking dying might be the better choice.

I love you Kate.

Some Enchanted Evening

First of all, cheers to my wonderful husband and to Mimi who made this possible - you rock!

I had a wonderful evening yesterday. Wonderful. Won. Der. Ful. It all started with a dress.....

I needed to find a dress for the wedding we will be attending next week-end in Palo Alto. I had seen one I liked at Nordstrom about a month ago, but when I went back yesterday the only one they had was not my size. Boo. Lovely salesgirl to the rescue! Turns out the store at South Coast Plaza had the dress in the size I wanted. So - off to SCP! I called Kate on the way and she was able to come meet me. We both agreed the dress was awesome and actually looked nice on me (two things that do not often go together) and even though it was not on sale it was less than $100.00! Okay, not much, but this is Nordstroms we are talking about, and the dress has sequins and beads so I figured it was going to be at least $150-$200, so SCORE! We celebrated with coffee and cake. Coconut cake. And cheesecake.
THEN, I thought "I'm awfully close to IKEA and I need to get a table for my office" so I called Brian and asked if he would mind if I stopped in and guess what he said? "Sure, have a great time!" Just like that. Awesome! So I went to IKEA (my second favorite store in the world after Target) and walked around and looked at everything for almost 2 hours. Took my time. Strolled. At my leisure. Unbelievable. Also, managed to get out for less than $100.00. Holla!
Came home, kissed my studly husband and watched The Daily Show.
Perfect.

Know It All

Ava: Mom! I have a surprise for you! Do you know what it is?
Me: Ummm.....no. What is it?
A: You have to guess.

Is it a mermaid?
No!
Is it a pillow?
No!
Is it a lamp?
No!
Is it a guitar?
No!
Is it a teddy bear?
No!
Is it a giraffe?
Nooooooo!

M: Can you give me some choices?
A: No, you have to GUESS.
M: But it could be anything honey - can't you give me a list and I'll pick?
A: But mooom....you're a teacher and teachers know a lot of stuff.
M: Yes, I know a lot of stuff, but I don't know everything.....
A: Yes you do. Moms and teachers know EVERYTHING.

P.S. The surprise? A bean bag (or as I like to think of it "a random shape cut out of construction paper"). That was my next guess.