halloween at the woodmark

This year for Halloween we went to The Woodmark, where Nana lives, to visit with the ladies and pass out some candy. It was kind of a last minute plan amidst several busy days, so the costumes were created after the soccer games, and right before leaving. The girls wore "fairy" dresses, put some glitter on their faces, and made wands out of dowels and aluminum foil with ribbons taped on the end. Josiah- usually not one for costumes- just put his Jedi robe on over his clothes and called it good.

Nana and the other ladies were pleased to see the children, as usual, and enjoyed all the chocolate. All three of the kids are finally getting more comfortable at the Woodmark, and more understanding of the people who live there. Even Josiah patiently answered Marilyn, who asked him about four times, "What is your name?" "Josiah." She told him it was a good, strong name and he would go a long way with that name. He was even willing to hold her hand- a big development!! The kids also enjoyed playing with Aunt Leslie, who is a great liaison between them and the residents, as sometimes it is hard to know what to say or do with them... She knows them all well and can get through to them much better than we can.

Nana was tired, as she is becoming so more and more, but she still made us laugh with her silly faces and hand motions. She just loves to be a little clown now and then.

I won't pretend that the visit was completely pleasurable, because there is a lot of sadness there and it is so difficult to see. But the kids ended up feeling like they helped bring a few smiles to these ladies, and they had a good time overall as well.

bedtime?

Just went upstairs to tuck in the girls, who were supposed to be in bed with lights out... As I creaked up to the top I hear a scuffling, and see Naomi leaping onto the bed, saying "Oh no-the paparazzi!" The covers couldn't hide that, other than her pajamas, she was wearing rhinestone sunglasses, lots of bracelets, a backwards cap, and holding a plastic neon echo-microphone. Eva was lying in bed giggling, and had just put down a used up disposable camera; she, apparently, was permitted to photo the celebrity- I, however, was an unwelcome intruder. Guess she has an agenda other than sleep, that superstar.

poetry by Naomi

Found some poetry scrawled on a scrap of paper next to Naomi's bed the other night... Apparently she's been writing acrostics. Here is a humble verse she wrote using her own name- first in her quick spelling, then a translation, if needed.

Naomi:

Nevr bedr
Apsulootll grate
Olmost betr
Masiv strakth
Inposibl to bet

Never better
Absolutely great
Olmost (almost) better
Massive strength
Impossible to beat

talking Bo

Always feel like adding a picture to each post, even though this has nothing to do with my anecdote... Naomi and Eva with our hair stylist, Kim. They have wanted Kim to cut their hair for years, and she finally decided she would cut for kids too! They were thrilled with the whole experience, and Eva even rehearsed her instructions regarding her cut till they sounded very grown-up. (This happened about a month ago- I'm a little behind.)

OK- so anecdote for the memory book- Eva and Bo. Jason has decided that Bo chews too many things, and that instead of continuing to by him stuffed animals at Goodwill ($1.25 and he LOVES them) he should have rawhides exclusively. These are a lot "neater" than the stuffies, but Bo Bo is quite missing his soft victims. So the other day I walked into the living room to see Eva standing guard in the coat closet, holding a plush puppy high above her head. She was speaking to Bo, who was negotiating with whining and sad eyes, in a low, loud serious voice much like what an Indian would sound like in a old movie. She told him, "ME. NO. TAKE. STUFFIES... BIG. MAN. TAKE. STUFFIES... ME. NOT. INVOLVED."

He must have understood.

soccer jamboree

Last weekend was "jamboree" for MV Youth Soccer- the season starter in which each team plays two short games. Got a few shots of Naomi and Josiah- I ran back and forth between their fields- Jason was with Eva in Ravensdale so we'll post pictures of her another time. Naomi was surprised by being asked to play goalie for awhile... She was great! When the ball came near she had no fear at all of reaching into the kicking swarm to snatch it up. Amazing!

The Strikers vs. The Pink Flamingos. Naomi likes the name Strikers, but her idea (one of many) had been the Red Attacking Apples.

Josiah had a few questions before his first game: 1, "Do you think I'm stronger than a rubber band?" and 2, "What, exactly, is a rind?" Both had to be answered promptly.

Siah scored the first goal of the game- way to start the season!

Warming up with dad for game two.

Every time he came out of the game he had to tell me, "I'm sweaty! I'm the sweatyest kid out there! Man, I'm sweaty!"

The "Green Gators" plan their strategy.

Here goes the season, with three cheers for the Wildcats, the Strikers, and the Green Gators!

camping in the dungeness rec area (July)

A beautiful and eventful camping trip with our friends the Ebys... We "stayed" at a Clallum County Park, Dungeness Recreation Area (a beautiful and well-maintained campground), but we didn't exactly stay there... Here the kids are all taking a break in the Olympic National Forest near Sol Duc Hotsprings. We were about to go swimming, but first had to explore a little.

Below- trying to wake up the kids in the trailer. Puffy little camping faces!

On Saturday we all piled into the Eby's moterhome and headed to Olympic Game Farm- where "wild" animals are held captive in makeshift pens and turned into docile, slightly pathetic creatures who shamelessly beg for Wonderbread handed out by gawking tourists (like us). It's slightly disturbing, but it is still cool to feel a buffalo's tongue and an elk's velvet, all in the comfort of your vehicle.

In the petting zoo area, Naomi spent the entire time with this fellow. I told her it was time to leave, and she wanted a few minutes to say goodbye. She said they had become friends because she notice that he took "a very long time to eat," just like she does.

Naomi and her buddy Bria, who went around loudly calling each other "Girl-fren!" the entire time. Notice the bling around Bria's neck? Well when I asked her about it's origins, she told me solemnly that it was the "key to Lost Angeles." (Sort of a mix-up of LA and Atlantis) And Naomi and Josiah loyally believed along. A few weeks later, while in Home Depot, Josiah spotted something hanging on the wall- "Mom! It's Bria's key to Lost Angeles! FOR SALE!!" He was shocked and horrified that someone would STEAL her key and SELL IT- as a paint can opener, of all things!! Is nothing sacred?

The view from the high bluff, looking down towards the Dungeness Spit- at seven miles out, it is said to be the longest sand spit in the U.S. We only ventured down a bit- not all the way down to the lighthouse near the end.

It was surprisingly chilly for July- the winds from the Straights blew constantly.Eva loved the waves, and would have jumped in had we been any closer to a warm change of clothes for after.

Josiah doing his Great Horned Owl impression, as usual.

Naomi making pizza in her "sand kitchen."

Jason was studying the rules and regs intently to figure out if he could take crabs or oysters from even a little sliver of the beach, but no luck.

Josiah tried to be a gentleman and pull Karen up the hill when she mentioned it was steep.

Bo was delighted to have a buddy along- he and Copper played / fought the entire time. In fact, they stirred up so much dust in the campsite it was a constant coating on everything.

Naomi- proving that you CAN have it all- playing badminton while eating s'mores.

In the sugar zone...

Josiah and his buddy Levi.

Gorgeous sunsets are the glory of this place.

Got a flat on the trailer about two miles from home... Fortunately Jason is handy and quick, and we were back on the road in no time. I watched, so I just might know how to change a tire now... But I still have that roadside assistance number handy just in case.

There are so many beautiful places in Washington alone to explore- we could move on to a new place each time... But Dungeness is too appealing to visit just once. We'll be back.

dozens of pictures and a few jokes

Since the kids don't go to school, I try to do some "official-ish" shots of them individually each year- usually on their birthdays. This year Grammy wanted some framables, so we had a few (painfully goofy) photo sessions. The results are as follows, with some funnies thrown in. The human face is so interesting- the possibilities for expression are endless!

Eva was all dressed up to go to the space needle with Auntie Sarena and Anika. She was so joyful and excited, I think that helped in making the pictures turn out so lovely.

Love, love love that one. (above)

Eva decided yesterday that Bo needed to be more helpful, and she was going to train him to be a guide dog. After a 1/2 hour session of cutting and coloring, a paper vest was produced with the label "Guide Dog" and a graphic of a person in a wheelchair. She called the pup-o-sixty-pounds into the living room, and proceeded to attempt to cape him- twenty minutes of wrestling resulting in failure later, she walked into the kitchen muttering something like... "He's never gonna be a guide dog, that...." -rumpled paper dragging behind. Bo trotting in a little later, looking quite carefree, and still unemployed.

Nomes- a total goofball at heart. :)

This was where she wanted to sit for her photos, but the sun was too bright to turn towards me...

We don't like to waste things in our family, and the kids are always good about re-purposing... Yesterday Naomi was touching a watermelon I was about to slice for her, and she asked me quite sincerely, "Mom, can I hollow this out and use it as my bicycle helmet?"

Bubs isn't fond of photo sessions- we had to tell some pretty gross jokes to keep him around and smiling for these. The "truest" smile is the last, where he's snuggling his beloved Bo-dog.

We were in the car the other day and Bubby said, "Mom, I was thinking, and I thought of a question... Why don't Grammy and Gramps have any kids?!"

(He did figure this out correctly on his own- thankfully.)

The next question was- "Why on earth do we get mail on rainy days?"

And then today, when we got the mail together, he said- "Yay!!"

"What do you mean, 'yay'," I said, "It's just junk!"

"I know! I mean 'Yay', I can burn it!"