1 May 2011
Yes, I am a happy Mama!
On my birthday, I was treated to breakfast in bed (good in thought, difficult to execute) a walk to Saturday Market in the sunshine, and then proceeded to the usual Saturday rounds of soccer, easter egg hunt and 4 year-old birthday party. Good times.
My favorite part was Drew’s little song which we heard off and on throughout the day:
21 April 2011
Winter really is a blur for our family. With both of us busy at work, and the rain clouds omnipresent, we tried to make the most of that rare time when sunshine and free time collide. Special events include two birthdays, and trips to the beach and Evergreen Aviation Museum.
17 April 2011
A visit from Uppa! With a picnic at Baskett Slough and birdwatching…
A very happy 40th Anniversary dinner for Mark and Miriam with HUGE platters of food, lots of singing (accompanied by an accordian!), and the love that produced this bunch. As always, I’m touched and grateful to be a part of this family! We had a little trouble getting the picture taken…
And the chicken update:
Coop is progressing, which is good because the girls are getting a little bored in their box. I added a roost and gave them some dandelion greens today for distraction. They are getting their feathers, losing their fluff and looking a little rough around the edges. But, ALIVE and nobody’s clearly a rooster yet.
2 April 2011
Hold onto your hats, folks! The Hoelters have pets.
We have 3 little chicks peeping under the kitchen counter tonight!
Meet Goldie (Golden Sex-Link), Annie (Australorp), and Rhoda (Rhode Island Red). Be HONORED Aunt Rhoda!
The kids and I showed up at Old Mill Feed and Garden this morning to pick up our Barred Plymouth Rock chicks, carefully researched and selected for their suitability as an urban flock. Due to an unfortunate “hatching failure”, the situation quickly changed from “Yay! Picking up the chickens!” to “But we WANT some chickens!” Add screeching from Drew and tears from Sara. So, I made a decision (that I hope I won’t live to regret) and we came home with a mixed bag. There’s always the chicken foster home in Union.
There has been much chicken watching.
They seem to be fairly perky, perching on their feeder and peeping like mad when somebody peeks into their box. I did not follow my mother’s advice and allow for a 50% mortality rate. So we shall see.
While the kids and I were setting up our brooder and getting the chicks, Peter got down to work on the henhouse. I tell you, that man never ceases to surprise me.
27 March 2011
It’s a little hard to believe that my youngest child is two years old.
He talks. “MEEEEE!” with an emphatic point to chest and foot stomp either means “I’ll do it myself” or “I WANT THAT!!!.
He walks. All the way to the park today, stomping in puddles in his new red boots.
He has opinions. One monkey sock and one train sock were worn to sunday school today.
He plays. More and more, he is Sara’s companion, “cooking” for the “babies” today, though there was screeching because Sara wouldn’t let him touch the pretend stove because “it’s too hot”.
And he still fits (just right!) in my lap with his blankie. Thank goodness for that.
Here are some scenes from his birthday (just before we left on our big spring break trip…)
If it has candles, it counts as cake!
A dolphin “pillow-pet” from Owen and Sara.
Present-opening assistance from Sis.
We love you, Drew.
9 March 2011
(last week on the way home from school)
Owen: “Mom? How much does a thermal spy camera cost? With remote control? Mounted on a helicopter?”
Mom: “Oh, I don’t know. Probably a couple thousand dollars.”
Owen: (exasperated sound) “And I just blew $9 on Legos!”
What can I say? The boy has goals.
6 March 2011
After a few busy (stressful!) weeks, everyone was grumpy at the Hoelter House. Brothers and sisters kept poking/pushing/snatching from each other, Mom and Dad found that there are limits to the mood elevating effects of caffeine, and we were SERIOUSLY thinking of giving up our no-TV-on-weekdays rule for 30 minutes of Dinosaur Train (don’t get me started…) and peace.
We realized that none of us had the wherewithal to obtain the 90 minutes of best behavior that is required to get through church and “cookie time” today, and so pointed ourselves west.
It was a bit on the chilly side, but sunny and only a little windy. The kids found “trails!” and “secret houses!” in the grass and dunes and explored, dug, and jumped for the better part of the afternoon. I love that Drew is big enough to tag along for parts of this–he is completely enamored with “Oweee” and so eager to play.
And don’t tell my husband I found this dreamy guy in the dunes…
🙂
20 February 2011
Interesting discovery…
I think they miss each other when they are apart.
30 January 2011
It was nearly 60 degrees and dry, with weak, watery January sunshine this weekend. Enough to get us planning cold frames and chicken coops with abandon! We settled on giving the roses a much needed pruning/hacking and a quick little landscaping project.
We added a path in the backyard, between the bench and that garage in what was previously a serious patch of weeds and some Japanese anenomes. We are hoping that this will a) add structure to this really big flower bed and b) be a fun place for kids to hide and play when the hydrangeas bloom and the anenomes grow up around it and c) improve access to the dastardly weeds. It already has been used as a course for the world shortest cross country race.
It was hard to resist the primroses at the nursery, so I planted some of them as well–to keep my quail company.
I know it’s going to get cold and REALLY wet again (and last for months!), but it was good to work outside in shirt-sleeves in January. Now for that coop…
16 January 2011
Owen’s Birthday was duly celebrated!
We started with a birthday dinner of steak, potatoes and peas, as requested, with ketchup on top. Grandparents were present, making it a “real celebration”. (No, Miriam and I aren’t cleaning off the kids plates…)
Then we really had a party: picture 9 7-8 year olds, a computer running Photobooth and 1/2 of a package of photo paper worth of goofy pictures. We appealed to the inherent hamminess of the age, and I think they had a good time. They took over 600 pictures of themselves and we turned some of them into buttons (Thanks Chemeketa!!) and Peter make a video (see below). We also had cake, opened presents and had a scavenger hunt. And then we still had another hour to go. 2 hours is a very long time when one is shepherding 9 8-year-olds. Luckily they still like to play “Simon Says”, and Cranium Hullaballoo filled in a few minutes.
Owen had a good time, but I think he found it a little overwhelming as well, and has retreated to his books–Chronicles of Narnia this week. Oh, to be able to read children’s fiction for hours and hours!!
