Foraging: Verb. To search about; seek; rummage; hunt

We've been foraging for fun the past couple of days and I'm happy to report we've been successful.

Yesterday we discovered a beautiful state park on the Hood Canal, aptly named Scenic Beach. It really was lovely, with a nice rocky beach, clear cool water, clean campsites, and a nice hiking trail. We took a picnic and just enjoyed the fresh air and made some memories.

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Today, after church, Zach went home with his buddies Luke and Easton for the afternoon. They, apparently, had a great time re-creating Star Wars battle scenes in the woods behind Luke's house. Zach was happy and tired when he got home. While he was away, Mike and I took Alec down to the Southworth ferry landing and walked along the water on that beach. It's literally just about five miles from our house and I've never gone there just to walk on the beach before today. Crazy. Anyway, it was such fun. Alec loved hunting for "she shells" and throwing rocks into the water. However, the highlight of the day for him was finding a long stick of driftwood. We wrote his name in the sand with it and then he carted that stick all over the beach.

I feel like we're doing a pretty decent job making the most of our last days in this beautiful part of the country. In the summertime, it is so very easy to forget the horribly awful cold and rain of the fall and winter (and spring). In the summer, it is cool and clear and the world just seems bright and green. It's beautiful. I'm glad that we get to enjoy this part before we say goodbye.

feck·less (fěk'lĭs) adj. Lacking purpose or vitality; feeble or ineffective

Things are a bit weird around here this weekend. This is what my kitchen looks like:

This is my dining area:

This is my living room.

The office.

You get the idea. The movers came yesterday and packed up the top floor. They'll be back on Monday to pack the basement and garage and then they'll load it all on Tuesday.

It's weird to be living in a house with nothing, and I mean nothing, that needs to be done and nothing to do. We have no dishes/pots/pans, so I can't really cook and nothing needs to be washed. We're living out of a suitcase so our laundry is nil to none, though I do still have my washer and dryer and plan to do a load this afternoon. I don't have any of my scrapbooking things so I can't scrapbook. The boys only have one small bucket of toys left out and, since they don't have much to play with, I'm not constantly picking up after them. No TV or video games. No board games and very, very few books. It's just kind of like living in limbo at the moment.

We're planning on getting out and trying to enjoy the pretty (and not hot) weather here in the summertime of the Pacific Northwest before we leave for hotter-than-Hades Memphis. Anyone have a fun family hint for helping pass the time this weekend?

Friends and Father's Day catch-up

We have one week left in this house. The movers will be here on Friday to begin our pack out. They will pack on Friday. They'll leave the house a mess with boxes and such everywhere all weekend and will return Monday to complete the boxing and wrapping. On Tuesday they'll load everything onto the truck and we'll be officially out of this house. Kind of insane around here lately, but I wanted to throw out a quick update before it gets even crazier!

We've been doing a lot of playtime with buddies. In the past week or so we've met friends for

bbq-ing and water balloon fun:

putt-putt golfing:

And for bowling (Don't you love Alec's form?):

And for swimming:

Alec is the one wearing goggles:

We're meeting more friends on Wednesday for a picnic and playtime at a nearby state park. Should be fun!

Sunday was, as you know, Fathers' Day. Mike enjoyed his Starbucks gift card and "message in a bottle" from the boys and I got him a cool new shirt. Mike is such a sweet daddy. I love seeing him interact with our boys. They've certainly got the most tender-hearted and kindest father I know.

Final day of 2nd grade

Yesterday was Zachary's last day of school. It was a difficult day for him. I think that everything hit him, all at once: the finality of the move, the realization that he's most likely not going to see these people again, the understanding that his life is seriously about to change. We had quite a few tears yesterday. I realize that he must come to terms with this on his own. I can't kiss it and make it all better anymore, at least not with something like this. It's hard on him and on me!

The first photo is Zach with his two best buddies from Mr. Johnson's second grade class. Of course, Alec is, as always, making himself known in the background.





Zach on the first day of 2nd grade (Sept 08)

Zach on the last day of 2nd grade (June 09)

Final Day of Preschool

Today was Alec's last day of three/four year old preschool at Adventureland. I am amazed by how much he has evolved and matured and GROWN in the past nine months. I have truly enjoyed watching him realize that he is more than just Zachary's little brother. He has begun to approach children more freely and can now fearlessly hold a conversation with just about anyone. He knows all of his letters and their corresponding sounds. He can write his name quite well. He knows his colors and can identify numbers one to ten. He can retell a story that has been read to him almost verbatim. He can creatively invent his own stories) and those usually involve Super Kitty). :-)

He can tell jokes and jump on one foot and run backwards and make me laugh. And he can turn just about any conversation into a Scooby Do translation where every word begins with the "Rrr" sound.

That's my Alec.

Last day of preschool, June '09.

First day of preschool in September '08.

Found: Insanity in trash

I seem to be recreating tidy piles of organization today. I'll organize and then, a few minutes later, I'll find myself reorganizing. Insanity? Perhaps. Or perhaps I'm just a mom.

This is what I've heard all day:

Alec excitedly, almost manic with pleasure, yelling, "Mommy! Look at what I just FOUND! It's my favorite. . . um, what is this thing?"

I'm trying to prepare for our moving/garage sale which is scheduled to take place on Saturday. I'm going room by room and making three piles per room: keep, toss, sell. Inevitably, since Alec is shadowing me today, he is constantly rearranging my piles. My toss piles become puddles of treasure to be stacked and turned into kid necessities. (Did you know that a pile of mangled paperclips are not trash? That's what Alec keeps telling me.) My sell piles are, somehow, transporting themselves into other rooms and into pre-designated "keep ALWAYS" locations. For example, a coloring book well past its prime (no non-colored pages remaining) somehow found its way into the bucket for Star Wars treasures. The coloring book moved from my office into the living room. Another sell item, the cardboard "flip a fish" game found its way from the bedroom to the living room and is still in the hands of an eager Alec who has been flipping fish for the past 30 minutes.

I don't know if I'll ever get anything truly accomplished because I seem to be recreating my original piles over and over again. Insanity? No. Some strange compulsion? Not really. Just my defensive garage sale strategy against a way-too-energetic four year old.

Piano Forte

Zach had his first piano recital yesterday afternoon. He did great, truly great. Mike and I are so proud of him. He memorized all FIVE of his songs and only had one little oopsie and he covered it pretty well. We recorded it, of course, so you can see for yourself.


He's been taking lessons with Ms. Katie Olson for about eight months or so. We're really going to miss her. She's been the absolute best first piano teacher. In the video she plays a couple of duets with Zach. She says something like, "Zachary has all of his pieces memorized, but I don't." (If you start wondering what she was saying.)

So, what do you think? Is my boy FABULOUS or what?!

Frivolous, frugal, flashy, flip-flop fun!

This one is just too good to pass up for the Good F Words theme. Today I had to exchange a pair of Zach's shoes for a different size at Famous Footwear (more F words!). I made the exchange and the store clerk gave me a store coupon for 20% off any one item in the store, valid for one hour.

Soooo, Alec and I took a quick peek at the clearance racks. I found this pair of flops and tried them on. Alec said, "Wow, Mommy. Those are so SPAHHHKLY. And pink. You really need to buy them. They are good for girls." And frankly, what woman can argue when a little man tells her that she NEEDS to buy a new pair of shoes?

The great thing about these shoes, other than their ultimate comfort and cute factor, is that with the clearance price + the 20% discount, they were practically free!