The everyday.

This is how my kitchen looks most mornings:

The dishwasher stocked to the brim; open for me to remember to start it.
Windex and coffee always within inches of eachother.
Crafts, my god, the crafts.
And two little ladies who are behaving (at least in this picture...)

Dress Up

For fun, I put on my wedding dress for Pea and let her take a photo shoot of me in it. She was loving it and I have to say I was loving wearing it for a second time. These were my favorites, they show a wrinkled dress, my little art house photog, and a special token of a beautiful day. My how time flies when you're having fun...

Snowpocalypse

What a week. Allow me to relay the series of events which has taken place over the past week or so.
I heard in passing on the news that we were going to have some massive snow storm which would rival any we've seen in past years. Naturally I ignored it as I do most Northwest news because it's ALWAYS a bigger deal on the news than in real life. Keiko, the whale anyone? However, it turns out that occasionally newscasters actually know what they're talking about and Monday we awoke to snow, which I have to say was beautiful. See below...


The calm before the storm...
That was MLK day so there was no school then came Tuesday and more snow; no school. I couldn't go outside with Pea because I was stuck inside with this:

A snot-nosed chick eatin' oranges. Harp had a cold and so she and I were stuck indoors; luckily J & T were there to save the day and play with K, H, P, and E outside. Awesome igloo, really. Then came the worst of the flurry overnight on Wednesday. Again no school. Really, at this point I was over the no school thing. BUT it was fun for Pea (and Ty) they got to go sledding together up at A & C's.
Everything we'd read or heard up to this point was telling us that the snow was going to melt off on Thursday. And so, we started packing for our trip to Austin, TX. Oh, and Ty rescued my mom from her digs in the hills of Tumwater because she couldn't get out (she has a mini coop and lives in a steep valley of roads) and she was our babysitter. Thursday we awoke to ice, pure ice. And the rest of the story can be told in phrases of horror:
Flight cancelled.
Cancelled trip.
Power Out.
Snow odyssey to the in-laws.
Nomads seeking heat and light.
Power On.
Back Home.
Emergency Vet trip (RIP Boss)/babysitting (in the middle of the night).
Back Home/Sleep.
Power Off.
Wake Up.
Ear infection.
Pea ran headfirst into a door in the pitch black.
Urgent Care/errands to wait out power.
Power On.
Birthday Parties (the only highlights).
Screams of bloody Murder.
Eardrum burst.
Doctor.
Potent Antibiotics.
No school AGAIN.
The end.
Can this week be over? I swear I was looking to the sky for the 7 horses of the Apocalypse, straining to hear the 7 trumpets. But we're all still here, so I guess it was a trial run? Either way, here are some more pictures from the aforementioned Week of Catastrophes as it will now be known.



I must say I am grateful for:
family, ipads/iphones, fun people to commiserate, and the firm knowledge that it could be worse, it can always be worse!
Stay tuned for next weekend when we repeat our trip to Austin.
Look out, Texas.
Mama needs a stiff cocktail.

Re-"do"

My own personal D Day has arrived.
Walking into the salon I almost felt like I should have warrior paint on; like I was going into some kind of epic battle poised for glory or defeat. Fear never took hold of me, but my nerves threathened to grab hold of me around my now bare neck. After much debate, the constant flipping through of magazines, and almost chickening out several times: sweaty palms and all, I pulled the proverbial trigger. I did something brave, something I've wanted to do for a very long time. And here it is:


I've mentioned it several times on this blog, but I did this same cut in 7th grade. I like to think I was ahead of my time. From a very early age, my parents always let me choose my own outfits; my own hair styles no matter how they looked. They trusted my instinct wrong or right. I'm grateful for that because in the wrong choosing, I learned and then lost most of my fear when it comes to fashion. And while this isn't the exact same cut I had in 7th grade, it's close and it's my re-"do"...in a manner of speakng it's vindication. I am loving it.
But really it's more than that. It's a matter of principal for me. My beauty is not classic, nor is it conventional; it will not be boxed into the length of my hair or the fear of what others may think. I'm not in any way saying it's for everyone; it's not. I'm also not saying I won't grow it out; I will. But for this moment: it's freeing, it's fierce, and now it's me.

The Remains of the Day

The day is fast approaching and I'm feeling, in a word: ready...

Inside Joke.

These two have been going through my old chest of saved memorabilia as we've been reserrecting my wedding dress for a dear friend. I just love this...

And this, which I WILL certainly be saving for a special day in the future...

Precious Moments

Ringing in 2012

This week every year is as every year; a whirlwind. After the 25th it is the taking down of and dismantling of an elaborately pulled together Christmas, shopping, and preparing for the new year. Right now my house has miscellaneous pine needles, strung out naked barbies on the floor, and leftovers for days. In many ways I'm glad to see this year go and another year approach. However, through some decidedly rough waters; 2011 has been pretty good to us all things considered.
I typically love New Year's and New Year's festivities. It's always a good time and a time for us to be with family and friends. This year was surely that until our Miss Pea had the mother of all meltdowns and we had to leave rather prematurely.
All's fair in love and parties with children in attendance, I suppose. Here's to us and to you surviving another year; prayers for a joyous and sound 2012. Below are some shots from NYE, I didn't get very many, but there were some surprisingly good ones..