summer is here!

Yesterday was a big day here, it was fathers day and summer solstice. My dad came over to celebrate the occasion with our family, and we took a day trip to check out Mt. St. Helens. It was a really fun day, and the girls had a great time-we learned a lot. This is a cool attraction because there are little visitors centers about every 30-45 miles along the way up, so there is tons to see and do if you have enough time (and money). We watched movies about it, checked out tons of gift shops (finally choosing treasures of a bag full of magnetic hematite and a tiny wooden bug in a nut with wiggle legs). Hours later when we finally reached the Johnston Ridge lookout (the closest you can get from the side we went to) the mountain was cloaked in a big foggy cloud and we could only see her feet. They were majestic. We wanted to go into the visitors center and check it out, but at $8 per person, we took in the fantastic view, observed a friendly chipmunk and hit the road back. It was a great day, and a fun time was had by all (until it was bed time and we had to reassure Layla no less than 10,000 times that the volcano was not going to erupt without warning and if it were to get active again, we would, certainly, go stick it out at Aunt Debby's until all danger had passed) Poor thing cried herself to sleep, it is a big job to take on a volcano's worth of worry all on your own.
Today we were planning to go check out Bonneville dam and visit the giant (Jurassic) sturgeon there, but tomorrow we are headed to Klamath to take Dad home, and we decided that too many long days in the car would work against us in the end. So instead, today we are laying low, getting in some good quality time. We started up our homeschool this morning, and right now, Dad is out on the deck needle felting with the girls. (he made me an angel-awwww!) We have some errands to run, then packing, then tomorrow we are off to spend a few nights in Klamath where we plan to catch up with some old friends, meet a baby, and take our sketch books into the woods for a botany lesson with papa-the girls just love him so much!
When we get back, we have one free day, then Layla and a friend are having a booth at a local recycle fair where they are going to teach other children how to make toys out of recycled household products and possibly earn some money for the things they have been making all year. Layla is so excited she can hardly stand it. (pause to catch my breath) Then on Monday we are headed out with another mama and her kiddos for a camping trip at the coast for 2 nights. in a tent. with 2 diabetics and 2 preschoolers. Funny thing is that I am not really nervous about any of it and getting pretty excited. I am sure there will be plenty to tell after we survive these next couple of weeks, so until then......

remember me?

I have a horrible memory. I think it may be genetic, or possibly some kind of self preservation that my mind does for me without asking first. When I think back, I remember lots of things, things from my childhood, even up to being a young adult-then it gets a little fuzzy. The memory loss seems strangely to correspond with my 25th birthday, which, in and of itself is still a nice strong, young and lively age to be. It also happens to be about the time I started having kids. I am pretty sure this is when my brain turned itself off (for my own protection) and refused to hold any more memories. I just block things out. (note to self: start taking more pictures) Luckily I have the kids around now to remind me of everything I need to know that has happened during the last 6 years.

Sometimes the kids remember things that you honestly think never actually happened, around here, they probably did and I just don't remember. Now to my credit, I do remember some things, and most of all of the REALLY important things, but also we really do lots of stuff, so you know I am creating more memories than say, the shut in across the street, or the mumbling homeless guy in the wal-mart intersection.
Anyway, the other day Layla gets all excited remembering that we used to make peanut butter play dough (I remember this one!) and is trying to share the recipe with a friend. We love nuts around here, salted, buttered or otherwise, and especially when they are used in cool fun projects like mixed media collages or even better-YUMMY SNACKS!
without further ado I give you:


PEANUT BUTTER PLAY DOUGH

1 1/2 c. peanut butter
3/4 c. powdered milk
3 tbsp. honey

Mix all ingredients together. Play with it. Eat it!

alternate (non dairy) version

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
4-6 oz. corn flour or corn meal
Combine together peanut butter and honey. Add the corn flour until it reaches the desired consistency.

little darlin'

it's been a long cold lonely winter..........it's all right, here comes the sun.

Just wanted to check in and let you know that we are all doing well. We are incredibly busy and enjoying the nice weather, and have not had a free moment.
This last week we did something exciting-we had a friend come stay with us that we had never met in person before-I only knew her from etsy (we are both in a natural children's toys team). Come to find out, we are like long lost friends and we had a fantastic time, showing her all around the area and all of our favorite places. Living like a tourist is hard work!
We went to the coast this weekend and Maggie loved it! Really, she LOVED it, she chased sea gulls, dug sand pits, waded in the surf (even did a face plant where she had to spit out a mouthful of sand) but refused to act cold or wet so we wouldn't make her get out. I was thinking back on it and realized that she had never been to the beach. Well, we went once for Layla's 3rd birthday, but there was a snow storm, so we just sat inside by the fire place and watched the waves crash out our balcony window. (It was super cool, but not really beachy) I can't believe that this is even possible since Alan and I love the ocean so much, but then thought back and came to realize that we have been crazy busy for years. How did that happen? We are making a definite effort to go more often, hopefully starting later this month with a camping trip.

Home school update-Layla got all 3 classes that she wanted for the fall, so we are really excited about that. This school year officially ends on the 18th, but I think the girls have already checked out. I'm not actually sure how much learning they squeeze in during these last few weeks anyway, it's probably hard to concentrate on anything during "crazy hair, pajama, bring your dad and teddy bear to school day" anyway.

Tomorrow I am hosting a dozen of my friends for poker night and then off to visit some friends for the weekend about 3 hours down the road, so another busy one--seems like summers work out that way. Layla has big plans for fathers day, and then a Klamath trip, then camping, and then.....in between it all we have to find time to sit in the yard, splash in the pool, fire up the grill, sing around the fire pit, consume mass quantities of barley pop, watch movies on the barn, and spend time with our favorite friends, speaking of that--if you ever get a free minute-swing on by, we'd love to have you!