Happy Birthday, Dad!

Today would have been my dad's 62nd birthday.

I've noticed in the last few years that my heart seems to keep track of time better than my head when it comes to these things. I get more emotional in the week leading up to big dates, such as a birthday or anniversary of my dad's death. This happens even though I don't consciously realize the date is right around the corner.

I was lying in bed last night for about an hour, unable to sleep, when thoughts led to my dad. I started crying. Not big, gulping sobs. Hot, silent tears falling down my face, dropping to my pillow. And then I realized that the following day would be his birthday.

So in honor of my dad, here are some of the random thoughts (a poem of sorts?) that went through my head last night as I thought of him.


Playing catch in the yard
The best barbecued hamburgers ever,
with a side of Wonder Woman and Budweiser
Burying Ralph
Carrying me to my bed after a long drive home,
me feigning sleep
Bedtime stories of cousins and camping
Frozen yogurt bribes in exchange for weeding
Little Rascals
Forgotten tent stakes in Sequoia,
waking me to see a bear
White chocolate heart lollipops
Postcards from afar

scenes from the model railroad open house

We visited the local model railroad open house last weekend. The kids had a lot of fun looking at all the details on the track and then riding the outdoor train.



Solana's favorite part of the model:



The boys' favorite part (besides all the actual trains):



Henry's favorite!:

long time, no see

It's been almost a year since I last posted and I've wanted to post so many times, never knowing where to begin when so much has changed around here.

So a basic summary for those who don't know what's been going on:

From July 2010 to July 2011, I was parenting on my own for 8 of those 12 months. Henry was in DC, then North Carolina, then Oregon, doing training/internship/starting a new job (and home for a few months before the new job, thus my being alone only 8 of those months). I wanted to post about it while it was happening, but hesitated for safety reasons.

Henry was originally offered a job on the eastern shore of Maryland at the end of last year, but after much deliberation, we decided not to take it. The main reason being that it was just soooo far from our entire family and friends.

Henry then applied to 5 open positions in Oregon (and one in Washington) and was offered a position on central Oregon. He moved up in April to start working and I followed with the kids in late June. We got here July 1st and are settling in to our new home.

I'm still trying to make some friends here and that's been rough, especially since I left such amazing friends behind in San Diego. And I miss my family something awful.

As soon as I have time, I'm hoping to fill in with more pictures and some of the big things that have happened during my absence (like the fact that Jonas started kindergarten last month!). Maybe that will come in the winter when it's below the 50-degrees-at-the-coldest weather than I'm used to. As a (former) native southern Californian, yes, I'm scared of this coming winter here.

Here we are on our way up to Oregon, taken by another family stopping for the photo opportunity:

happy 2nd birthday, jude koa!

Jude turned 2 on Sunday, but we celebrated on Saturday since that's the day we had our family whole for a short time.


::birthday breakfast of delicious oatmeal (and pancakes and sausage), courtesy of daddy


::long nap after a sushi lunch with Hani, Haji, and the rest of the family


::helping mom make chocolate chocolate chip ice cream with coconut milk (thanks to a borrowed ice cream maker from Grandma)


::opening presents, with a little help from a crane of course


::the requested digger cake


::solana and jonas promptly declared the section with jude's name to belong solely to him


::eating (?) cake and ice cream


::birthday ring


Many, many more times around the sun my darling boy! Life is so much richer with you in it!

a love of reading

I cannot explain how much I adore the fact that my kids love to read as much as I do. If only I had as much time to read as I used to...


::big fans of Sandra Boynton here


::What? You don't like to read upside down?


::reading "together"


I would have had quite a few more photos of them reading, but I think the kids might be upset about them in 10 years or so if I posted them.

oh really?

I was clearing out a bit (okay, more than a bit) of paperwork from the kitchen counter tonight and found this gem I had written down a couple weeks ago. Written down with the purpose of putting it here, but obviously I got sidetracked. Can't imagine how that might have happened...

Solana (to Jonas): I don't want your germs because I hate your stinky penis!
Jonas: You can't be mad at me because I'm too handsome!

Logic at it's finest, no?

she flies through the air with the greatest of ease

That's my girl up there, flying through the air. I am so very proud of her. And kind of jealous too as I would have loved to be up there with her, but instead I was in charge of photography and keeping two boys from wandering under the nets.

Solana's only wish for the last year plus has been to fly. Every single penny thrown in a fountain, every candle blown out or eyelash blown from her finger has the same wish whispered to it. She has shed many a tear at the thought of not getting this wish fulfilled. So when I saw the opportunity for her to go to a trapeze class, I jumped on it. I couldn't help her grow wings and be able to buzz around wherever her heart desires, but I could help her experience flying in a slightly different way.



Here she is climbing the ladder to get to the platform. When we first arrived, Solana looked at the ladder and commented how high up it was. She also mentioned that she was a little afraid of heights. Yes, the girl who lives for roller coasters, climbs to the top of the rope at gymnastics, and who has been reaching the top of the REI climbing "mountain" for a couple years at least. Silly girl.



Her first time up at the top, so you can get a sense of how high up she was. The net at the bottom of the picture is taller than me (not that that says a lot).



I love her face here: pure concentration and determination with just a touch of nervousness thrown in for good measure. This is right before she jumped off the platform for the first time. Listo!



Her first fly!



I think she has pretty good form here. But then again, I know next to nothing about good form for trapeze artists, so I could just be making that up. One of the guys there commented on her "good banana" though, so she must have been doing it right.



After two failed attempts to get her knees up and on the bar, she did it! And she was damn proud of herself after the fact too, because she came down (back flips and all) and grinned this huge smile. Which I failed to get on camera of course because I was too busy watching her.

I only wish it weren't so expensive to do this because Solana had a blast and I think she would love to do it regularly. We were able to swing it (groan) because of a 1/2 off deal; I am just so glad we were able to give her this amazing experience. I have a feeling this will be one of those memories she will forever hold close to her heart.

I have to say, I am very proud of her. She went up there and just did it. No hesitation, no shyness around all these new people as per usual. When she couldn't get her knees up to hang on the bar, she practiced with another instructor on a standstill bar and tried again. And again. And then she did it, just like that.