So worth the effort

Something I've thought a lot about recently is life, happiness, effort and children.  Those dang kiddos make everything so much harder!  But they bring whole new levels of emotion and meaning to everything for me.  So this year, we're putting lots more effort into getting outside, and it's been so fun.

We just got back from our first camping trip of the year, and our longest trip so far (3 nights-wootwoot!).  We went to Mineral Park campground, just outside of North Cascades National Park, with 2 really good friends.  They brought the Vanagon, while we slept in tents, which the kids love.

Breakfast in the Westie, with Aspen's baby

We talked about going out for a hike, but decided to play on a toddler-friendly scale.  We hiked around our camps, ate salmonberries and huckleberries, took naps.

River "hopping" around camp.

Hunting and eating berries is serious business to Aspen

berry-finding 

River's hungry face

I'm really glad we kept our goals super small.  This was River's first camping trip since he was 8 months old, and I think just living outside for 3 days was enough for him to acclimate to, without the grown ups having a bigger agenda.

Laura telling River about plants

Bubba and Aspen peeking in a tree cave

The kids found the days exhausting, and needed more food than usual.  Sleep too.  It took a little while to realize that.  I've started keeping notes of our trips outside, hoping to learn from the past.

So we slung up a hammock for resting and a slack line for playing.

At least, that was what we thought.  Aspen had other ideas...

Laura helping Aspen walk on the slack line

Bubba came back from taking Aspen to the bathroom with a story: she had stopped in the middle of the path, and he told her she could go ahead.  Aspen says "Daddy, I can't, because I'm scared of that," pointing to a deer 15 feet away from her.  Aspen's biggest nature experience to date.  The deer hung around our camp quite a bit that night, and we saw him a lot.  He was young, and has a lot to learn, that deer.

River's first marshmallow

Aspen with a "classic" smore

On our way out there, I saw a smoke shop, but it was old, and I thought it said Smore Shop.  And a new dessert fad was born!  After the kids went to bed, we tried out all kinds of smores for my new business venture: classic smore with dark chocolate, dark chocolate with gingersnap, graham cracker with salted caramel peanut butter chocolate truffle-you'd think it would have been too much, but no, it was amazing.  We'll have to work on coming up with different combinations in our future trips.

Napping baby, snuggly forest floor, peach and a book.  How awesome is that?

And then River surprised us by coming out of the tent after his nap.  Apparently he learned how to work the zipper.

It was hard to get out, and we got back the day Bubba had to go back to work, but I'm so glad we went.

38 and all's well...

 Today I got to do whatever I wanted, and didn't do anything I didn't want to do.  Yay for birthdays!  My day started with brunch at The Dish, which is super close to our house, and they know us.  We went there when I was in (early) labor with Aspen, and the day before River was born.  I love it.

My birthday flowers from Aspen

Then we rode our bikes down to Alki beach, where I was suddenly transported out of Seattle, and into Southern California.  We were surrounded by beach volleyball and bikinis.  I think I saw more bikinis today than in my whole 8 years in Seattle.

We met up with two wonderful friends for an afternoon playing in the sand,  rocks and sun.

"And that's the last time you'll be seeing these!"

Playing knock Mama over

Putting shells in between toes tickles

Aspen's crabshell

Osprey with a fish for dinner

"How's it smell?" "Good!"

If you ask River "How's...?" the answer is always good.

We watched 3 osprey catch fish to take back to the nest.  They kept circling back around, looking kind of like sea gulls, but so much bigger.  Then they swoop into the water, and come out with a fish.

My friends asked me what I wished for the next year.  My wishes are simple: to spend more time outside with my family-hiking, biking, backpacking.  I can't wait.

They also asked me what I memories I have from the previous year.  Lots of memories that stand out are related to my children.  In the past year, I:

• watched my oldest growing out of being a toddler
• watched my youngest leaving babyhood behind (ack, is being a parent always so bittersweet??)
• became a (very) small business owner
• started reclaiming a little bit of myself back by riding my bike, taking a fruit-growing class, teaching other small children and their parents about nature in the city

This year we are going to try (at least) our first backpacking trip since our honeymoon backpacking trip.

Today, on my birthday, I:

• rode 30 miles, my longest ride yet
• spent time with great friends
• watched my oldest put her arm around her (not so) baby brother as he slept in the bike trailer next to her, and pull him to her
• heard my youngest say "Happy birfday" for the first time.

It was a great day.

Aspen's Pond and Ocean

We've gotten a little crafty in our house recently.  Bubba made a small world pond for Aspen and River, although it was made during his naps, so Aspen feels it is rightfully hers.  Maybe it is, she gave a lot of input on what it should include.

Pond small world

The pond contains a fish family, dragonflies, lilypads,

rushes, sedges or other wetland grasses, and cattails.

Aspen played with it for hours after it was made, telling stories about the dragonflies and the fish family.  We picked up rocks and sticks to add to it, as well as plastic "salamanders" (lizards actually) and snakes.  When I find frogs, I'll add those too. 

Since this was made, Aspen and I spend a couple of River's naps cutting out pond things in felt and talking. I really enjoyed creating things with her.

Bubba loved it so much that he made an ocean small world too.  

Sand dollar and rocks

Fish, sand dollar, limpet, fuzzy sea cucumber (I think)

Sea anemone

Sea anemone

The fish family

Woo, time flies...

I left this blog a lifetime ago. Two lifetimes ago, actually...

Aspen, age 3 3/4 and River, age 18 months

We'll see if I can pick it up again. I sometimes lack the ability to focus and follow through, and having toddlers hasn't helped this any.  Case in point: right now I am making lunch, making a meal plan in my head that I need to write down soon, attempting to write, and making strawberry paletas (taking advantage of Aspen's enthusiasm for paletas and replacing juice popsicles with Mexican-inspired real fruit popsicles).

Anyway.

These days I'm a full-time stay at home mom, and super part-time naturalist/business owner, taking toddlers and their parents into nature with Itty Bitty Camps.  I'm a little older, a lot grayer, and still loving my life.

Why am I picking up the blog again?  I'm always looking for ways to stay connected to friends and family far away.  I also want to share the things that the kids, Bubba and I do.  And partly for myself-I have a strong need to communicate that has been harder to fulfill since having children.

I have big plans for the rest of this year.  We'll see if I can stick with them!

The Dalai Lama

I recently read something the Dalai Lama said about why he didn't fight back when China invaded Tibet. I'm paraphrasing, but essentially what he said is that when you choose to go to war, your mind can justify the fighting. However, your heart will always know that what you are doing is wrong. And so then your heart and your mind are in conflict and you've brought the war inside yourself. I found this to be incredibly insightful and profound.

why I love my neighborhood...

Within 6 blocks of my house is:

a great pub
a park
restaurants-Greek, Italian, Mexican, Thai, Chinese, North African-I haven't even tried them all yet
no less than 6 coffee shops (some infinitely better than others!)
the library
quirky shops

TGIF

Yay-it's Friday, and I'm so excited. I've had my coffee, I heard the Friday song, and life is good! Here's the funny thing...I work until 3 today, Bubba starts work at 3 and will be there till 11 tonight. Then I have to work tomorrow (unless it snows tonight).

So why am I so excited? As far as Fridays go, this one is kind of sucky. I can only assume it's 27 years of socialization.

But who cares? It's Friday!