Project One

Eva and I started to play with the new sewing machine today.  We wanted to adapt an adult tank top into a dress, but she didn't want to stand still while we figured out how to do the adaptations to fit her skinny body.  So, Plan B:  She found some blue flower fabric I had and we made a pillow!  I will need more time to get the feel of this machine, but so far so good.

She has been using the pillow while watching shows.  

Moist, Mossy, Mushrooms

It has been a wet month here on the northeast side of Tucson. We have all sorts of evidence of moisture that we usually associate with humid climates.

I thought I took more pictures of the mushrooms in the lawn, but these were the cute little ones in the drive.

Moss. On my trees. Where did this come from? Isn't this the Sonoran Desert?

All the mesquite pods we were supposed to rake up, every weekend for the last two months, have started sprouting. I don't think I need that many mesquites in my drive. We already have a ton of them.

EVA

Eva wrote her name for the first time the other day. With no help and no prompting. She just wrote it...

Bubble Trouble

Maeve took her first bubble bath this week.

She was thrilled, but unsure of what she should do with all that white stuff. Eat it? Splash it?

No worries! Big sister to the rescue. She knows exactly what to do with bubbles.

Upcycled Tutu

We are all happy to be home! Except Maeve, who is wishing for more people to smile at and dance with. She is quite the extrovert.

Eva made this skirt at the conference and was showing it off today. You can tell she is still a bit worn out from the trip.

Switched

Eva is my wave swimming, in the ocean, over her head, without a fear, girl. Since she could crawl she would just head right for the nearest body of water and go in. Waves, no problem. So I asked her if she would like to surf at the conference(showing her pictures of the last conference surf lesson). Surprise...the answer was a resounding "No." Okay, fine...and in pipes Elias, "I want to."

What? My son who spends all his time building and digging on the shore. Who rarely can be coaxed into the waves at all. Elias wants a surfing lesson. "You sure?" Yes, he was sure. We signed him and Craig up for the lesson. Up until a couple minutes into the lesson I was pretty sure he wouldn't do much with it. Maybe go out a few feet and sit on the board while the waves lapped at him. Stand on the sand.

Kids love twisting your world around. I love that they do!

Heading out.

Heading in. Upright and happy.

I asked how he liked his lesson. His response, "It is the most awesome thing ever!" His smile muscles were sore. Love this life!

Pelican Splash

Pelicans were out in numbers this trip to Del Mar. We watched them on several occasions diving for fish out in the waves. I love how quick they circle, dive, and come up with a fish. Eva said they look silly with their funny necks.

9/11 Tribute

This was a memorial of the tenth anniversary of 9/11. Powerhouse Park, Del Mar.

Time Out

Being at a conference with lots of other parents and kids for five days is amazing! It can also be a bit overwhelming. We decided we needed to take a break and spend a couple hours at the beach.

We think it was a good decision.

Hotel Surprises

This is part of our hotel room door banner. We took part in the Fairy Godparent (FGP) portion of the conference and needed to help our FGP's find us. Eva loved being a FGP and making, gathering and sneaking the little gifts to her, 5 year old, Fairy Godchild. Elias was happy with the the activities to, but in a distracted way. He loved receiving gifts and delivering them, but didn't look forward to it like Eva. It was a wonderful way to feel like a part of the conference. I do think we will all do it again next time!

Community and Ideas

Part of the reason we go to a conference is to meet up with others doing the same types of things we are doing. I think as the kids get older this view of other kids, in other places, with similar life leanings will give them a broader sense of community.

Another reason we go is to share and explore the ideas and inspiration that other people bring into their lives. This art room was full of that needed inspiration and my kids spent quite a bit of time in here painting, drawing, and exploring with friends and on their own. I really appreciated this room as it gave me ideas as well.

Ocean Observations

It is hard to pick just one picture of the beach. We take hundreds on every trip there and the kids have so much fun they are all great! This picture reminds me of some of the "moments" that happen. We just were able to stop and focus on what was going on around us. Love these moments.

Stack 'em Up

Sometimes things in life just balance themselves out and line up for your viewing pleasure. We took great photos of the kids at Birch Aquarium, sometimes they pose perfectly. Sometimes the fish do!

Bee-utiful and Tasty

I miss having a herb garden. Sights like this make me re-prioritize and move said garden higher on the list of to-do's. Our last house had rosemary out front and tons of herbs (parsley, cilantro, thyme, chive, oregano, mint and stevia) in a garden bed. I have several perfect spots for tons of herbs at this place, plus a full garden location and have yet to plant anything.

Prepared

My kids crack me up. She is ready for rain...Provided it isn't cold out, rough terrain, or public space.

A Taste of Color

I try not to post too many pictures of food on this blog. I certainly take a ton of them, but would like to mainly post them on my other blog where I put recipes and more in depth topics. This is supposed to be just a photo glimpse.

That being said, sometimes I just can't resist the look of color and texture you see while cooking. This pot became a berbere spiced Ethiopian dish.

Domino Tower

Elias has always liked to build. He built numerous domino trains with his grandma and after becoming frustrated that they kept falling over, before he was done, he switched to building towers. These were a bit more stable. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of some of the more elaborate ones.

I find that these moments are flashes of his personality and growth. In previous times the frustration would have led to a huge meltdown. He had several outbursts, but then figured out he could switch to something different that was less likely to cause frustration. I can't wait to see what eight looks like.

Round and Round

I picked up some dollar hula hoops to go along with my not dollar ones. :) Eva has been diving through them and playing with them in the pool. This is tons of fun and I have no worries about my good hoop becoming water logged.

We are off to GV conference this week and I am gathering items to take...I hope these fit into the van with all the rest of the hobby stuff.