A girl and her shoes

I love shoes. But as I was wearing my Cowboy boots tonight, I decided that if I had to choose what shoes come with me on a desert island it would be: My black patent leather Mephisto sandals and my cowboy boots (and OK, my running shoes too, but that kinda puts a damper on my desert island plans).

I remember when Birkenstocks first became mainstream. I begged and pleaded for my mom to get me a pair. But she said they weren't sensible for posture and whatnot. I persisted. So she got me a knock-off pair to see if I'd actually wear them or if my obsession would pass before I wore the shoes out. I wore them out until they were nothing but a flap of leather and a couple of buckles. I love cork-sandals. I've grown up a bit and now wear Mephisto sandals (I think I have them in 5 colors). But now that the weather has turned a little too cold to have bare feet (and I've since stopped wearing my sandals with my woolen socks) I have turned to real shoes.

3 years ago while on Cowgirl Weekend in Los Olivos, I had a few hours to myself and wandered aimlessly through the shops, especially Jedlicka's. I found myself a really cool cowboy hat (that my mother-in-law tried to buy first but I scolded her away from it) and then I kept passing the wall of boots. Then I found them. MY boots. I officially fell in love with a real shoe (boot). I love them. I love they way they look and feel. And I love the way I look and feel. Love, love, love them. I can't wait until they are old and worn. Maybe they'll become real. I've actually ridden horses while wearing them, so they are on their way to being real, I think.

And then there is my running shoes. But they change and fall apart and I fall in and out of love with my running shoes so fast it's hard to have a real relationship with them. But it's a wild love affair while it lasts.

The Dangler

For weeks now Brady's front tooth has been clinging to life, dangling and swaying in the breeze. Brady has lost 2 of his 3 teeth while on vacation so I was certain it was going to fall out while I was in Denver. Nope. When I got back it was just dangling a little lower.

Then tonight as he TOOK A DRINK OF MILK, the damn thing fell out! Finally. But now of course I'm home alone with the kids and no fairy supplies! A quick call to Larry at work and everything is in order.

A classmate of Brady's told me she got paid $9 for her tooth yesterday! It must have been lined with gold is what I told her! Sheesh! I know the price of things have gone up, but $9 for a tooth?! How 'bout a pack of gum and a Sacajawea dollar?

Semi-Ah-Moo and Massive Frustration

Last night we headed up north to deliver a fountain my mother-in-law had shipped to our house (it's very nice!) and to do a quick inspection of the house while they're gone for the winter (goal of mine: to become a snowbird).

We got up there just at dusk and ran down to the spit to let the kids run off some energy and fool around with the camera. We saw the resident bald eagle (he is huge) hanging out on his favorite snag. We also saw a giant Loon chilling in the bay (he was camera shy). They have a new sewer treatment plant or something down there and it stinks to high-heaven. I did the classic "Brady, did you do that?!" to which Natalie eagerly replied "NO! It was me!!!" She takes great pride in claiming anything stinky. Strange girl, don't you know you're supposed to blame it on the dog?

As we left the spit, Brady asked "What is that big orange thing behind us?"
The old boat.

A boy and his dog, it's a wonderful thing.

Katie's shoot. You can find her entire portfolio at www.fordlabmodeling.wuf

Gross, Larry was climbing around in it!

An old boat, duh.

The water tower that Brady says that Grandma told them the fish used to shoot up into. His facts may be a little off.

The Cannery building. It smells like an old potato shed I used to play in when we lived in Shafter, CA.

***And in new (OK, old) frustrating news: I apparently have babysitter repellent children. I cannot find a babysitter to save my damn life. And then when I found one for Fridays, Larry's days off change from week to week and his start times change from 12:30 one day to 3:00 the next. How the EFF am I supposed to work with this?! So who wants to work for someone who basically wants to pay them min. wage but also needs them at their beck and call? Nobody, that's who. And then who wants to watch children all day on Saturday? Nobody, that's who. I am thankful that Larry (and I) have stable jobs, but I am so sick of the retail life right now I could just barf. And that concludes my rant, unless you call me, then you might get a whole 'nother ear full. You have been warned.

Little Monsters

Brady and his buds.

Brady, Riley, and Natalie.

Brady initially wanted to be a mummy. That's the easiest costume next to "ghost", right? Apparently not for me. I couldn't find a white sheet to save my life (that didn't cost $34) and then after a frantic night of sewing gauze onto long-johns (and a 11pm trip to Wal-Mart to buy out the last of their gauze) it was a huge flop. It looked terrible. So when Brady woke up in the morning we convinced him to be a Vampire. 3rd easiest costume: black clothes, fangs, and a cape. And if you want to be really fancy, white face, black hair and blood. So we did the really fancy.

Natalie had picked out her Tinkerbell Adventure costume the second they hit the shelves back in August. But upon looking at the packaging, it shows only the bust of Tink, and she's wearing a blade of grass for a hat! There is no hat in the costume package! Natalie really felt the need for the hat, so my mom the crafting-guru created her a custom grass hat.

I had to work all day on Halloween (NOT cool) and it was of course crazy-busy (did you know Halloween was a huge shopping day?) I got home in plenty of time to help the kids get dressed and I actually got to take them trick-or-treating this year (usually an honor left to dad).

This year Brady (with tag-a-long Natalie) had made plans to trick-or-treat with some buddies, and it was so fun to watch them run from house to house frantically and then talking excitedly between homes. And they remembered their manners! Natalie kept up for about 2 streets before she started pre-qualifying the houses: 'That driveway was to steep, that house was too spooky, that house handed out Otter Pops... wait! That house handed out Otter Pops?! Go back! I want an Otter Pop! '

She pooped out so Brady continued on with his buddies while Nat and I headed for home (don't get all judgemental on me, there was another mom with the boys! I'm not that free range!) Larry headed down shortly after to pick up Brady and said when he walked in, all the boys had their piles out on the carpet taking inventory. I never did that as a kid, mostly because I lived in the woods and didn't have anyone to swap with. A perk of being a city-kid, I guess.

And we couldn't have bought our candy more perfectly, we ended up with about 15 pieces left over, the perfect amount to munch without feeling guilty. Of course I hadn't planned on Larry's poker buddies coming over the next night. All my candy was snatched by bachelors. Dangit.

Rocky Mountain High

Did you know that Larry and I danced our first dance as a married couple to a John Denver song? Yup. Larry picked it, it's a very sweet song called Dreamland Express... ah, I digress.

I got home Tuesday from a wonderful weekend with Jackie in Colorado. We kind of "met in the middle" since she now calls Minnesota home. Her very spry 84 year old Grandpa lives in a little town called Franktown (and his name is Frank!) and we stayed with him and his wife Katie. It was fun to be a part of her family for the weekend, different family dynamics are always entertaining (she has a particularly "colorful" uncle named Fred).

Snow dampened some of our plans so we didn't get to go Estes Park and tour the Stanley hotel, but we did get to see a lot of Colorado regardless.

The flights home were smooth and I even flew over Whidbey, which I got to see due to the clear skies (I don't think I've ever flown home to Bellingham in clear skies!) I saw all these bits of "home" from the plane, and I teared up and got some strange looks from the passenger next to me.

And no matter how much fun (and relaxing!) my vacation was, nothing beats your kids running into your arms after time away. Natalie hugged and kissed me until my luggage arrived, then made sure she held my hand all the way to the car. Brady kept leaning into me like a cat, just kind of making sure I was there and to get a few hugs and kisses. Larry was much more civilized ;)

So without further ado, some snapshots of my trip!

I stayed downtown on Saturday and when I went out for dinner, I ran into chaos! Zombies everywhere! Even the Ghostbusters showed up!
Who ya gonna call?

View from the dining room, a deer was having breakfast. The deer and a skunk were the only wildlife I saw.

Jackie and I ordered Mai Tai's at the Mongolian BBQ restaurant while we waited for her co-workers. After 2 sips, "everyone was our friend". It also prompted quite a funny collections of self-portraits!

In Manitoo Springs, Jackie revealed what kind of "lover" she is.

This is the change in the layers of rock at Garden of the Gods. Jackie said it looks like I peed on the rocks.

Steamboat rock.

Jackie and Balanced Rock.

Me and Balanced Rock.

Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods.

"Kissing Camels".

Pike's Peak is only a few hundred feet shorter than Mt. Rainier, but at elevation it doesn't look like it!

Pike's Peak from Grandpa's back deck.

Boxx Berry Farm 10-22-09

My little pumpkin with a little pumpkin.
I am willing to put this awful picture of me on the Internet just for a laugh: this is the perfect picture of my children's attitudes this day!

I look better in this picture, but...

Natalie looks better in this picture.

This seems to bring a smile to Brady's face.

You may wonder why there aren't many pictures of Brady lately? It's because most of them look like this:

My sweet girl.

Brady could tolerate a photograph if he was being tickled.

We call this picture "Stand there next to your sister in the damn patch and smile or there is no pumpkin for you!"

No sooner than we got out of the car, the farmer ran over excitedly to show us the trebuchet he bought off of a high school student for $100. He loved to have an excuse to use it!

He's been trying to hit this outhouse, looks like he overshot this one!

Live from Colorado!

I arrived yesterday afternoon in Denver after a very long and stressful travelling day, ugh. I was 2 minutes late to check into my flight and so they gave my seat away, which meant I wouldn't make my connecting flight... long story short I arrived in Denver 5 hours late.
Jackie's family is so nice and gracious, and it's so good to see her face again. She and I have known each other since elementary school, but have been best friends since the 7th grade.
Today I wandered the streets of downtown Denver, stopping for an occasional coffee and a mani/pedi. Then I wandered down to find some dinner and found myself in the middle of Zombie Fest, complete with a Ghostbusters car and 3 Ghostbusters! Pictures of that to come!
I had P.F. Changs for dinner (yum-0-licious) and plan a long soak in the tub before bed. It's been so nice to have a day where I just did as I pleased. So very nice.
Tomorrow we're off to Estes Park and The Stanley Hotel (the hotel from The Shining). I am super excited for that!