Mouse in the house

We have a mouse. Last night I went downstairs to get a water glass for A. and when I flipped on the living room light I saw a quick little scurry out of the corner of my eye.

I saw it run under our big wooden sliding door that separates the front hall from the living room. It's always open, so of course a mouse would think it's a good hiding spot. In the morning I looked under the door and pulled out the little paper it had used to make a nest.

At first I used the long tail of one of A's dinosaurs to hook out the paper, but John thought that was gross, since A puts the dinos in his mouth, etc. Yuck, right. So I washed off Allosaurus and gave it back to A.

Now what? Will the mouse move on now that the nest is gone? The house is a hundred years old so we have a lot of nooks and crannies. Will we have to get a cat? I can't imagine another animal in this house. Maybe we can train Queets and Skeena to mouse hunt. They already know how to point birds, so mice should be easy, right?

Hopworks

Hopworks is a brilliant business model. Good food, good beer, and a rockin play area.

Running

Just back from a very rainy run. It's December. Am I nuts? Most normal people would stay inside with their 2 yr old reading books and cuddling under blankets. But I bundle up the boy, tuck him under waterproof blankets with his spinosaurus, and set off into the downpour. Why? Because mommy needs to go for a run.

Clearly, he doesn't mind. He's dry and cozy (the BOB is a life-saver. I love this thing)

When we got home I wheeled the warm sleeping boy into the mudroom. In the shower (hot, hot) I tried to put into words why I run. With the boy still snoozing away, here's a shot at it.

I run because I need it both mentally and physically
I run to move, because it's fun to move
I run to remember who I am - me - in addition to wife/mom/daughter/sister/friend/co-worker/etc
I run so I can think
I run to feel grateful for my healthy body
I run because it centers me and after a run I can accomplish anything
I run to feel strong
I run to set my mind free
I run because nothing gives me that sense of freedom, except maybe being on a river
I run for the endorphins
I run because running makes me more creative
I run because my mom runs
I run so I won't get cranky
I run so I can eat spoonfuls of caramel sauce right out of the jar and enjoy it
I run because after natural childbirth this is a piece of cake
I run because sometimes that 30 mins is my only me-time in the entire day
I run because I need fresh air and have always hated gyms
I run to get outside
I run because I love the early morning feeling of the day just beginning
I run because I like hearing the sound of my breath and my footsteps on the sidewalk
And I just love the way it makes me feel.

Reed Canyon

We had a blast here this morning. Can't believe it took us so long to discover this - great little pocket of wild in the city, plus a perfect toddler hiking adventure. The streams, bridges and boardwalks were just his size. The hills were just steep enough and the grasses just high enough to make it a fun challenge for him.

At the pond, A. was smacking the water with a stick. Then he paused, looked at me and smiled and said, "I papa!" Then he started carefully poking the water fishing for steelhead.

He caught two. We decided to take them home and grill them for dinner.

Winter

The pool is empty,

The soup pot is full,

And the dinos are waiting out the rain in their new cabin

Drinking the rain

I was in the mudroom collecting raincoats, hats, and stroller cover to gear up for a very rainy run. August went out to the deck to stomp in puddles. I was listening to him laugh as I got my shoes on, but then it got quiet...too quiet. I looked outside and there he was, lying face down in a puddle, licking the water off the deck.

When I asked him what he was doing he said he was drinking the rain. That he wanted some water.

Poor neglected child- I told him just ask mommy and she will get you a glass of water. And I did, and then we set out to run the loop through Woodstock.

When we got back from our run we got a jar and set it outside.

So we can finally have a proper glass of rainwater to drink.

Night hike

A late afternoon nap meant the usual 8pm bedtime wasn't happening. So we went out in the dark December drizzle. I'm glad J made us take a flashlight because A immediately noticed that when you point it up to the sky you can see the rain drops in the light! I love watching him make discoveries like that.

And then we walked around looking at Christmas lights, and on the way home A picked "flowers" for mama.

Hiding

Local love

It is hard for local businesses to stay afloat and Amazon has been such a jerk about it. But shopping local is a treat in Portland and we are loving our Christmas goodies from neighborhood shops (and friends) like--
Ham from the Woodsman market
Helioterra wine from favorite neighbor Anne
Dinos and lincoln logs and earrings (thanks sweetie!) from Division's Aster and Bee
More dinos from Hawthorne's Kids at Heart
Chocolate from Moonstruck
Bike stuff from Universal Cycles
Books from Powells

And, uh, Anthropologie. Not local, but Mrs. Santa couldn't pass up these latte bowls.

Merry Christmas!

Headless chocolate Santa in one hand, Velociraptor in the other.

Reading the Jungle Book in his G-man mask and cape, with T Rex and Brachiosaurus nearby.

And Mr. Q

I love ice cream. I take after my grandma.

Christmas Eve service

With grandma and grandpa before church. Pretty much a preview of the next hour.

Going bananas

Toddlers. They like to fill their water glasses with food.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Pioneer Place Santa

After we got the book started, I snuck away. But haircut boy quickly caught on. I want mama! He did give Santa a high-five, though.

First haircut

On Papa's lap...

Handsome boy...
(Mama got a little teary during the transformation. We saved some baby curls in an envelope. Auggie Bear did great, although he did get a little fidgety and repeated, "it's frustrating." A dino book was a good distraction)

And now, a toy
(a dino, of course)

I love my job

Boom!

October 26 was an amazing day.

Like my hard hat?



And my story about another amazing river is in the latest issue of Wend Magazine.

Counting tomatoes

Happy fall! Since I last posted, the big boy turned TWO! And John's birthday is tomorrow. October is all about birthday and Halloween decorations around here.

Speaking of Halloween, I got A. a Winnie the Pooh costume ($10 at our great little kids consignment shop) but then I changed my mind, thinking it was lame. At the same time, A. decided he wanted to be "tiger tom cat - Yeow, yeow!" from the Margaret Wise Brown book "The Big Red Barn." So, we'll see if we can make something. A cat should be pretty easy, right? Not that I'm very crafty at all...

Here's a video I took yesterday - A. and I went for a little walk around the block. We checked to see if the door of the fire station was open (bummer, it wasn't), then kept going. Had fun walking through the fallen leaves, and encountered some tomato plants.

He's wearing my pink and gray winter running hat.

Fun on the OR coast

Fun with special effects

Salmon River Saturday

Yesterday we spent the afternoon on the Salmon River, up by Mount Hood. On the drive up, the mountain popped in and out of view. August kept saying "muh muh" - we thought he was saying muffin, then maple. But duh, he was saying mountain! The river was cool, lush and green. After splashing around and digging in the sand we had dinner in Zig Zag, and got milkshakes for the car ride home. A sweet summer afternoon.

Introducing...

Celebrating Bunny

We had a short but rich trip to PA to celebrate the life of my grandmother Bunny. It was wonderful seeing our extended family. Here are some photos, more to come.

A visit to the farm - trip down memory lane. August loved seeing the cows and goats.




Uncle Bob reads to August at Hank and Kathy's house. August thought it was pretty fun having a bunk bed sleepover with Bobby.



Bocce ball game



Love the sun through the trees - Bunny's presence.



What a handsome bunch - Teddy, Jamie, Nate and Bobby.



Exploring the birdhouse with cousin Dave.



Fun at the airport