September Book Club

Tonight's book club was to discuss The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson as well as The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

Bubba hosted and in honor of TGWKTHN we had Swedish meatballs, cooked carrots, and mashed potatoes with lingonberry jam. For dessert we had white chocolate amaretto cheesecake.

In my opinion The Help was by far a better book. Maybe it was the fact that I had read 3 of Stieg Larsson's books and needed a change or just the style of writing but I really enjoyed The Help. Only 4 of us were able to make it, but it didn't stop us from hanging out visiting from 6:30 - 10:50!

Up next... Little Bee by Chris Cleave

Nemo, Too

This is Nemo, Too. He's a Beta, or a Japanese Fighting Fish, and he's pretty new to the family. Back at the Bub's 3rd birthday we thought that getting a fish would be a great idea for a present. We went to the pet store and picked out Nemo the Original, got his bowl, decorations, and some food. We were so excited to get him home and show him off at the party!

After a few weeks though Nemo the Original wasn't looking so good. We started to read up on Beta fish and it was insane how many problems they can develop, including constipation. My sister laughed that we would be the family to unknowingly bring home a fish with that problem. We did everything we could for Nemo the Original but unfortunately he didn't make it. Two months in and Dada had to get the shovel out and do the deed.

Fast forward a week and Dada and Baby Bubba went to pick out Nemo Too. He came home with so much gear that I wasn't sure it could all fit in the bowl. Nemo Too is now set up in a 2 gallon bowl with a fish log, temperature gauge, and a plug in bowl heater. We have a strict schedule for cleaning out his bowl as well as feeding and fighting. That's right, we have to put a mirror up to his bowl to let him get some aggression out by 'fighting' his reflection.

It's funny though, he's a feisty one. Any time we walk up to his bowl he gives us his best mean-mug and pops his mouth several times like he's talking to us. I'm sure if I understood Beta I wouldn't like what he had to say.

Vegetable garden turned flower garden

Vegetable gardens sound like such a great idea each year when we plant the little seeds and starts, but for some reason we lose interest right after the snap peas are edible and all goes down hill from there.

It isn't a complete bust each year though, so far we've enjoyed strawberries, sugar snap peas, chives, and (if we can get them before the slugs) a few zucchini squash. This wouldn't sound so bad if you didn't know that I had planted sugar snap peas, carrots, lettuce, two tomato plants, cucumber, zucchini, and had the strawberry plants and chives left over from last year. I made a pact with myself this year to have a beautiful garden with plenty of fresh produce to have salads all summer long but with the weather, slugs, a late start after our trip, and my general neglect, this is what was produced. One half of the lower bed was reserved for 'worm hunting' and left to the Bubs and his guests to dig as much as they wanted and believe me, that section got more attention than any of the rest of it.

So with the success rate of this years crops I decided that we would sacrifice one of the garden beds and dedicate it to cut flowers next spring. Baby Bub and I pulled everything out but the chives and zucchini and planted 50 red and 30 white tulips. This left just enough room for a digging bed and hopefully we will be cutting beautiful spring bouquets 6 months from now.

A Sick Day with Robin Hood

Today we were home bound with the inevitable beginning of school cold. This turned out to be a perfect day to introduce the Bubs to the Disney version of Robin Hood.

Oo-de-lally Oo-de-lally Golly What a Day

Image originally found here

Spending the morning at Carkeek Park with P & Rosie

On today's adventure agenda was a morning at the park with my friend P and Rosie. Carkeek park has it all - a playground, a field, trails, a bridge over the train tracks that leads to the beaches of Puget Sound. We strolled the beach looking for beach glass while Babt Bubba and Rosie played in the water and sand.

We never fail at finding adventure in the smallest of outings. As soon as we got on the bridge over the train tracks the Bubs dropped his giant blow-up sword right through the crack and down on to the opposite side of the tracks. He and P kept watch for me as I braved the spider infested thorn bushes to get to the tracks and across them. We had a fairly uneventful beach visit until we started up the stairs to the park and saw the sign with about 7 different warnings about the bacteria in the water that the Bubs and Rosie had just had a grand time playing in.

Luckily we brought a change of clothes since he ended up in thigh deep water with boots that only reached mid-calf. He was a little sloshy by the time we headed to the park and you could hear the water in his boots with every step he took.


Playing with Rosie


Baby Bubba at the bottom and Rosie checking out the giant salmon

Fort Worden & Dosewallips State Park

This weekend we headed over to Fort Worden to spend the day before meeting some friends for an overnight camp out.  Isn't that view something?  If you aren't familiar with it, Fort Worden is where An Officer and a Gentleman was filmed.

When we arrived at the camp site later in the afternoon we were pleasantly surprised to find this!  We knew we were 'platform' tent camping but this was fantastic!  It even has a heater in there!!!!

The boys at the river.  Rocks and water is all you need.

This trip had a little something for everyone.  Even a couple of ferry rides to let the wind blow in our hair.

What a great weekend!

Super Harvest Moon and Jupiter!

I love the sky. I love looking at the clouds and catching rainbows and seeing rays of sun coming through the clouds. I love the stars and trying to spot a falling star or a satellite. So when I heard there was going to be a Super Harvest Moon tonight and a couple of hours later Jupiter was going to pop out next to the moon I got all kinds of excited over it.

So you can imagine my disappointment when at 11:30 PM I realized that I completely missed the Super Harvest Moon moment simply because I got distracted with every day things and forgot. When we went out at 11:30 to at least get a glimpse of Jupiter it was amazing how bright the sky was. The clouds were rolling by really fast so we would get a glimpse of the moon, then Jupiter, then the moon and so on. What a thrill, and even with the clouds the moon lit up the sky right through to the early morning hours when the sun took over again. I fully intend to put this on my 2029 calendar when it's supposed to happen again. Maybe then I'll remember.

For now though, look close, right under the moon you can see a single dot of light - that's Jupiter!

Today's deal ~ Woodland Park Zoo

Today I got 2 tickets to the zoo through Groupon for $6 each. Doesn't seem like much of a deal but for some reason I just don't enjoy going to the zoo. I'm hoping this will help me get over my memories of working there as a teenager and the cotton candy sticking my eyelashes and arm hairs together, of the 5 gallon bucket of butter flavored oil we made popcorn with, of the snow cone machine that I would be stationed at in Siberia and left to bake in the sun with the yellow jackets. And the smell of the flamingos and penguins and the zoo doo. I do have some good memories of working there, some fun times were had, but more than anything I got my fill of exotic zoo animals years ago but don't want the kid to miss out because of it. Maybe these coupons will be enough to motivate me to make the trip and maybe even buy him some cotton candy.

Today's great deal ~ Family Activity Pass to The Farm

I scored a $40 Family Activity Pass to The Farm in Snohomish for $20 through Groupon. LOVE IT! This is the pumpkin farm we go to every year so it couldn't have been better timing for us.

Imagine Children's Museum

Today the boys went with Oma to turn in our Mamapedia deal at the Imagine Children's Museum while I had some quiet time with the broom and mop. We scored 50% off the price of an annual family membership and wanted to take advantage of it as soon as possible. The beauty of it is the membership is for 2 adults and 2 kids. It doesn't specify names on the membership so Oma got to be the 2nd adult at no extra charge. I see many visits to this place in our near future (especially since it's really just a giant playground for kids and the rainy season is on it's way!)

Festival of Fruit

Today Baby Bubba and I headed to Carkeek Park for the 4th annual Festival of Fruit in the Pipers Orchard. We went with our neighbors who have a 5 year old and a 3 year old (5 days younger than the Bubs). The festival was fine but the bridge over the train tracks and the playground were the real hits of the day. That's what you get when you take 3 little boys out to play on a sunny day.

Today's deal ~ Great Harvest Bread

Today I scored $10 coupons to Great Harvest for $5 through Groupon. These guys have the best bread!

A Morning at the Park with Bubba & Mai Mai

This was a day to run them ragged. It's amazing how much energy can be bundled up in a little 3 year old kid and while Audrey was at school we four hit the park.

There was running, climbing, shouting, hitting, pushing, pouting. All in a days play with little ones.

First Day of School! First Day of School!

School started today but he wasn't in the mood to smile as we headed out the door. Dada joined us for his first drop-off at preschool which was bittersweet. We were already familiar with the place and kids so it wasn't completely foreign but for some reason it still tugged at my heartstrings a bit as we walked away and left him there with other people.

He's just growing up too fast!

Game day!

Are they not just the cutest 3 you've ever seen?

Evergreen State Fair!

Whoa Nelly! What a day! First we had the family picnic which lasted until 3ish, then it was nap time followed by fair time!

We went with Nana & Papa and got tickets to see the Demolition Derby and the School Bus Figure 8. I wish we had done these before, it was so much fun! We got to the fair around 6:00 and the events started at 7:00 so we didn't have a lot of time to spare. Dada took Baby Bubba to the dinosaur exhibit (which wasn't a big hit by the looks of the pictures) and then they met us up in the bleachers. It was hilarious watching the buses race around trying (not) to crash into each other.

Once that was over it was already 9 PM! We headed to the animal exhibits to see the fancy chickens and ducks, then the bunnies, then we ran to see the sheep before they closed the doors on us at 10. Dada ran off to get a deep fried Twinkie which ended up being pretty gross, but at least I can say that from experience instead of assumption now. Luckily the rides stayed open until 11 so the Bubs got to ride a couple before we left. One of which was a giant spinning bear and somehow we talked Papa into riding it with him. They got paired up with another funny couple of guys and it was more fun watching them go around and around than anything else.

When we finally did leave it was about 10:30 and we didn't get home until after 11:00. Baby Bubba did great and was sad to leave but the bakers dozen scones we had helped to make him feel better as we drove away.

Family Reunion

Well that's weird, there are no pictures of them family at the family reunion. Huh. What we did get pictures of was the lucky chance to climb to the top of the Mukilteo Lighthouse. It was a perfect day for it too, sunny and breezy.

Vintage Aircraft Weekend 2010

This weekend was full of so many fun things to do. September is known as one of the driest months in the Seattle area so the number of things to do is endless. Dada and Oma took the Bubs to the Vintage Aircraft Weekend at Paine Field to check out what they had. We've gone to several of the Free Fly Days put on at Paine Field each summer and they're great but this looks like it took the cake. There was every kind of transportation that a little (or big) boy could dream of!

I'm NOT TIRED!

'I'm not tired Mama, I told you I'm not tired, I don't wanna take a nap.... Mama, I'm just going to put my legs in my pillow for threeee minutes'