Changing Focus

It is so easy to become overtaken by a particular thing and in the process loose focus on what we really want to be looking at. This last week I was forced to loose my focus. I was forced to send my energy away from my family, away from my community, away from my daughter's fifth birthday. I was forced to be completely overtaken by something I'd rather have never experienced, something that will be with me the remainder of my days-tainting my vision and interfering with my ability to focus on the things that actually matter.

Morgan turned five yesterday. She is an amazing person, with a gentle spirit and overzealous self-expression--she contradicts herself and discovers some pretty interesting things through the course of trying to be two ways at once. She is smart and very imaginative, and is realizing that she actually enjoys the dancing part of her ballet classes as much as the playing part so is beginning to show some excellent self-control and discipline in practicing her movements (at least as much as a five year old can control herself). Today she got to be in charge of opening the door at the end of class as a reward for her hard work. This was a BIG deal. We cut her hair a couple of weeks ago, and her new shorter style only accentuates her advancing age. She loves to entertain (as she's been showing us since infancy) and has embraced her big sister role in the care she shows Kiera-always initiating games with her, tailoring them to Kiera's interests and abilities.

Today I have a five year old, and I am choosing to change my focus. I refuse to continue to waste it on something ugly when I have something so beautiful and so very, very much more deserving.

Kiera's Birth Story

For anyone who's interested, I finally wrote Kiera's birth story. I posted it on her birthdate, so if you go back to June 15th, 2009, there it'll be. It's very long, but pretty cool. I enjoyed writing it, and really encourage all mothers to do the same-regardless of how long it has been. You remember things, and realize things, and it's neat for them to read when they're older. Anyway, enjoy.

Little Witchlet

Halloween was a little hectic this year, due partially to my tendency to procrastinate and partially to my dearest bestest friend deciding to have her first baby that weekend (which we will forgive her for, because it was super-exciting). That made an impact on Halloween because I was her doula, and so was with her from 1 AM Sat morning until about noon on Sunday (see the pic above? That's how my face looked in every picture. The longer I'm at a birth, the harder it is to change my expression). Luckily I had enough warning to put the finishing touches on the kids' costumes Friday evening, so they were ready to hit the pavement Sat afternoon for the annual Olde Time Trick-or-treat in downtown Renton.

My husband can be a real stick-in-the-mud. He is a homebody, and comfortable with that, but bless him, when I am at a birth he really tries to kick it up a notch for the kids. When I knew I would be gone Saturday, I really thought that the kids would just have to miss the Halloween pre-funk this year. Sometimes I really don't give him enough credit. He didn't make it to the Boo carnival that morning, mainly because the kids were a little rowdy (that happens when they wake up to find me gone unexpectedly), but he pulled it together, despite it being close to lunchtime, despite the need for naps, and despite the POURING rain, he got everyone dressed up, buckets in hand, and a'-treating they did go!

All three of the kids looked great (no pics of the pre-funk, the camera was with me), and I am particularly proud of Kiera's costume. It was simple, leggings and a short she already had, and a tutu and cape I made (and of course a broom and hat), but she OWNED it. Goodness me, that girl can strut. With bucket in hand she marched straight into each establishment (and the next night, each house), hand outstretched, commanding, "aaaannnddd!!" Lord forbid if the giver of candy tried to put it in her bucket instead of her hand.

Halloween night (after getting home at 2:30 and sleeping until 5), we piled into costumes again and headed to our friends' house for their wicked awesome haunted house (their neighborhood is better for treating, to). Kiera knew what we were about before we were even fully out of the car-we had to chase her out of someone's yard on the way to the Schlegel's. She was READY. And just you try to take her pumpkin bucket away-so what if it weighs 8 pounds? That's her CANDY Jack, MITTS OFF!

Garrett loves to help scare at the Schlegel's

Morgan even got in on the House-she hosted a touch box game and managed to look mighty creepy doing it, pristine bridal attire and all (and can I just say, I really thought it would be awhile before I had to make her a veil).

SOOOO CUTE! Of course, I don't yet have a pic of her with all her parts, but you get the idea.

Little Witchlet

That's my handsome husband going after the ankles of passers-by. He LOVES doing this.

Random things....

• I have been putting off a new blog post for so long, I don't even know where to begin.
• Summer ended Monday. Just ended.
• Kiera started walking in July. She just decided one day that she didn't need to crawl anymore, so she didn't.
• Kiera started standing on the coffee table last week. She thinks it's terribley hilarious and laughs like a cheeky little monkey when I catch her at it. I often come into the room to find Garrett and Morgan engaged in table activities, with her sitting in the middle of them-on the table.
• We managed to go camping twice this summer. THAT my friends, is a record.
• Garrett and I did not get our playhouse built. That makes me sad.
• Morgan has a bright future in musical theater-whilst camping last weekend, the musical theater teacher from our HOME program (who hosted the campout) observed her, during a game of charades, announce "OK, now, is everyone looking at me??" Mrs. B can't wait for her to be old enough to join her class.
• We went on many adventures this summer-but alas, none of them included bike riding. I haven't lost hope.
• Speaking of bike riding, Garrett can now ride a bike. He saw some friends doing it, decided he wanted to, and did. As far as I know he's never had a fall. He astounds me.
• Speaking of Garrett astounding me, he also learned how to swim-using the same tactic. He could be a spokeskid for Nike-Just Do It
• Troy got to ride Shotgun on the Wells Fargo stagecoach in the Mercer Island parade this year. Last year he had to ride inside. Being up on top again made him very happy.
• School starts Monday. I am teaching 4 different subjects, and am not quite sure how that happened or what I've gotten myself into.
• My first sibling birth (meaning second baby with same clients) will be happening in the next couple of weeks, and I am so excited-I love that they enjoyed me enough to use me again, and that I already have such a bond with them. And she just texted me with a good progress report from her doc, so maybe sooner rather than later (but don't tell her I said that ;)!
• My sister went to Disneyland last weekend and had an awesome time--now I can't stop thinking about going.
• My yard is so nitrogen rich that I have the most beautiful looking veggie plants in the neighborhood-but they don't produce any veggies. I suppose we'll have to bite the bullet next year and build raised beds.
• Garrett has decided to be a wizard. He's going to be Harry Potter for Halloween. He has a wand and everything. He goes around the house casting spells, and then asking me why I think they aren't working. He has determined that, due to a small crack in the tip of his wand, that the dragon heart string inside is bent and thus cannot conduct magic properly. He believes that when we fix it, his spells will be successful. I do NOT want to fix it.
• Hot peppermint tea reduces fevers. Cold peppermint tea does not, but is a diuretic. Go figure.
• I want to be in a flash mob. A really good one.
• Troy and I are going to take a trapeze class. I CAN NOT WAIT.
• I have been taking hot yoga. I had to stop after injuring my foot. Tonight I will go again for the first time in two weeks. I did not think it humanly possible to produce THAT MUCH perspiration without turning into a giant prune. Which reminds me, I should drink some water.
• Kiera can say done, cat, Bumble (one of our cats), mama, boom-boom (to nurse), mum-mum (to eat), no (all the time), Ga (Garrett), and runs to the kitchen when she hears the garage door, where she bounces and giggles until Troy comes in the back door. Unless he takes too long, then she wanders off and ignores him. She will also hold out her hand, say "aaannnd" very slowly and quietly, and expect me to give her whatever I happen to have. She gets this from me asking her to "put it in my hand."

She went and did it.

Yup, she did it. She turned one. I told her it wasn't a good idea, encouraged her to embrace her youth, whimpered how mommy would miss her widdle baby, all to no avail. She just went and did it anyway. Kids today. Sheesh.

As with her older siblings, Kiera has had a birthday luau in the works since before she was born. In the cold, wet, sometimes dreary Seattle weather, I love this one tie to my beloved Hawaii-love it so much I torture myself with weeks of planning, shopping, planning, making invitations, planning, ordering, and planning, all capped off with three solid days of cooking.

Getting things set up, bday girl asleep on my back

For those who aren't in the "know," it's tradition in Hawaii to throw a big luau for your baby's first birthday--this is left over from the days when babies had to work pretty hard to survive that first year, and doing so was cause for celebration. Depressing, yes, but still a great reason to eat too much food! Also, for those who haven't had the pleasure of experiencing a real Hawaiian luau (meaning in somebody's backyard), you probably won't find "grass" skirts, definitely no coconut bras, an MC or fire knife dancers. It's all about the food. You make lots of it and you eat allllll day. We do it up cheesy tourist style with our decorations, cause it's fun-but we still focus mainly on the food. Kahlua pig, shoyu chicken, chicken longrice, baked beans, potato mac salad, fried rice with portugeuse sausage, sticky rice, fruit, and some veggies for you mainland people who think that should be part of a meal (drooling yet? No? Then it's time to discuss the guava-infused yellow cake with cream cheese/whipped cream frosting and guava gel on top, or how about the chocolate haupia layered cake with coconut cream frosting? How 'bout now?)

And man, was it good food (if I do say so myself). Poor Kiera didn't even end up eating any of it, aside from her little cake.

Grandma, Papa, Sk8tr and Kiera at the cheesy tourist photo op-they and my sister's family drove up CA

All in all, it was a very successful party-we even almost started on time (if I hadn't tried to pare things down by only buying 3 water pans and then forgotten to get a 4th (for the hot food chaffing stands), thus requiring Troy to run to the party store for another while the guests were arriving). Kiera had fun seeing all her people (I really do think she believes we all belong to her in some capacity), though I could tell she was trying to figure out what they were all doing at the park. My favorite part of the event was, hands down, the lei making. I got this idea in my head a couple months ago and while it was a bit of a pain to organize and the flowers I wanted were super-perishable which was tricky as the party was on Sunday and FedEx doesn't deliver Sunday so we got them Sat and they were late which made me nervous and I had to just lift the cooler lid really fast to peek and make sure everything was there before rushing them into the cold basement to sit overnight because there was no refrigerator space due to the growing quantities of food and we just prayed they would make it to the party still pretty which they did so WHEW!! Feel my anxiety?

So worth it, though. One guest told her daughter, who was hesitant, the she needed to make a lei because "when will you ever get this opportunity again?" So cool. The smell was heaven, and Morgan and I got to wear "real Hawaiian flower necklaces" (as Garrett calls them) and flowers in our hair when we danced later (she did Pearly Shells, so cute). Talk about the memories......ok, I'm back.

We all had much fun, and were fortunate enough to have beautiful weather (until cleanup time, when a frigid nasty wind kicked up and nearly stole my pa'u skirt). Kiera had a ball wiping every last speck of frosting from her cake, of which we have no pictures-my sister has some, and Uncle Dewey, I know you have some to! When we get copies of those, we'll get them posted.

Troy's family, who drove from far away

Finally, the birthday girl on her actual birthday (Tuesday), eager to get her fingers into her cupcake (she recognized the frosting).

Happy Birthday my sweet baby, the day you were born was possibly the most perfect day I will ever have. You brought together nearly all of my favorite people, and sharing your arrival with your father, brother, and sister was beyond sublime-an experience none of us will ever forget. When you are 16 and tired of hearing that, be patient. The day your family is born you will understand.

A Summary of Recent Events

• Garrett's arm was broken at school. He spent 6 weeks in 3 different casts, and is now finally fiberglass-free. He (and we) is very happy.
• We have doubled our rat population-a family at school needed to rehome theirs, as they had discovered their son was allergic. So their two girls (and their giant ratty skyscraper) came to live with our two girls. It has been very interesting watching them establish a pecking order (unfortunately Emily Dickinson-so named for her shy, homebody nature-my personal sweetheart, has landed on the bottom of the totem pole--she will be getting some special attention). They are all very sweet and well behaved, and after we've had some more time to train them they will be great pocket pets.
• Kiera has realized she can stand alone. She is THRILLED, but nervous about it. As soon as she shakes her jitters, I am sure she will take off walking. Here's hoping she stays nervous for awhile.
• Kiera was 11 months old yesterday. Yikes.
• Morgan has adopted a super-hero princess persona. This requires the wearing of pretty gowns AND capes. A biproduct of having an older brother, I think.
• We have planted many things for the summer, but have yet to get them in the ground. They have outgrown their seed trays, and are not happy about it.
• We planted an apple tree in the back yard. It grows 5 different varieties of apples.
• Troy is asleep on the sofa. His mouth is hanging open, and it's making him have obnoxious cartoonish breathing.
• In fact, everyone in the house is resting. Except me. I'm blogging.
• I am on-call for my first clients since I was pg w/Kiera. I'm anxious, but excited-she's "overdue" and could call any time.
• The school year is almost over which is wierd because I feel like I'm just getting into the swing of it.
• I made ridiculously good brownies and can't stop eating them.
• My parents have, in the last month, acquired 6 goats and a hive of bees.
• Garrett has taken to reading Morgan stories in the evening. I can't watch, because it's so sweet I'll start to cry.
• I am always humbled by the kindess and generosity of the people we know. I do not always feel I deserve it, often can't repay it, and am anxious for the day when my own time is less full and I can turn to someone else who's hands are always full of projects and young children, occupy said children for awhile and give HER flowers and candy.
• My K-1 math class hosted a lemonade stand at school-they planned it, prepped it, squeezed the lemons (I mixed it), sold it, made change (whether it was needed or not), and earned $60-they overshot their goal by more than double. They were raising money for prizes for the games they would host at the Gratitude Gala for school (last Fri), which were a huge success. They wanted everyone to earn a prize no matter what. I am very proud of them.
• There has been roadwork outside our house for the last week. They ripped a huge ditch alllll the way up the hill. They knocked on our door every morning at 7:30 to tell me to move my car before they completely blocked our driveway and house. They were noisy. They made our house shake and the things on our shelves rattle. I was proactive one night and moved the car ahead of time. The next day, they didn't block our driveway. They blocked the alley where I'd left our car.

Easter morning

Sadly, I forgot my camera when we went to the Stein's in the afternoon for egg-hunting, but here are the shots we took prior--our traditional Easter morning goody hunt (we don't fill the baskets, we hide the stuff throughout the house and they have to find it), brunch with the Easter Bunny, and our attempt at getting all three kids looking at the camera at the same time.

Kiera among the bunnies. They have been given many, many bunnies.

Morgan insisted their dresses match. Not coordinate. Match.


Our favorite in-town family resteraunt, Plum Delicious, invites the Bunny to brunch every year. The kids got to pick eggs from his basket. Morgan got a $5 coupon, and Garrett won a free meal!

I didn't bother rearraning the photos (blogger always loads them wrong) so this is earlier in the morning, as the kids were finding their goodies.

Kiera WANTS!!

Alright, this isn't Easter-just really cute.