Five is…

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One of Clare’s first acts as a five-year-old was to get a sassy new pixie haircut.  It may or may not have been preceded by (another) (false) diagnosis of head lice, but it certainly fulfilled one of her longtime requests.  She’s been asking for short hair “like Grandma” for a year and I finally relented.  A half-hour hair cut turned my little preschooler into a school girl.  The hair stylist gave her a spray-on purple streak to go with her pixie cut.  In the words of Auntie Debbie, “she looks like she’s 7!” 
 
She’s getting quite the response from her hair cut and is walking around with a little strut to her normal dancing and prancing.  I’ll be honest, for a day or two I missed her precious little bob.  But her sassy pixie cut has grown on me and now I think it’s perfectly Five-Year-Old-Clare.
 
 
Clare as a five-year-old has been really delightful.  She’s writing all over any surface she can get her hands on – Mom, Dad, Sam and Clare are her words of choice.  She’s reading simple words that she sees in the world, “Up” in the elevator, “bye” and “dog.”  She’s questioning everything – “what are the flippers on a whale called?” and “how does a muscle move your foot?”  
 

Princesses still rule around our house, but she may be waning just a touch in her enthusiasm for them.  Her love of Frozen is still pretty endless, especially her beloved Elsa, but she’s as likely to play babies and mama, dogs and cats or pretend that she’s a wasp as she’s likely to pretend she’s a princess.  Or, as she told me the other day at bedtime, “Actually, I’m a queen because I’m a princess who became a mom.”  As I tell her every day, “Clare, you can be anything you want to be if you’re willing to work hard for it.”  She replies, “Oh, I will!”
 

Washington Vacation Part II

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After our peaceful sojourn to Lopez Island, we packed back into the car and made our way to the hustle and bustle of Seattle.  Seattle welcomed us with traffic, skyscrapers, people of every sort and big city excitement.  It was a hot Seattle weekend and the city was high on sunshine.  We joined them in their revelry and did our best to soak in as much sun and city as we possibly could in our few days there.
 

We rented a little cottage in West Seattle which was comfortable, but not the peaceful retreat that we found on the Island.  It didn’t matter, since we didn’t spend much time hanging out there.  We had a city to explore!  Our first day there found us at the Seattle Aquarium, since we never pass up an aquarium trip.  It was fun to see the underwater view of all of the sea life that we had been watching from above the water.  We picnicked in the Seattle Art Museum sculpture garden and enjoyed some art and then skipped back for a mid-day nap. 

 

I’m pretty sure that all Seattleites head to the beaches on a hot weekend day, so we did as well.  Saturday evening found us eating ice cream on Alki Beach, wading, people watching and eating fish and chips. 

On Sunday we covered the city.  Back in our before-kid days, J and I used to loved exploring cities by walking from one end to the other.  Ending the day with sore, tired feet and happy memories of sights and adventures.  I’ve been dreaming of the day that we could do that with our children.  That day was our trip to Seattle.  We explored from one end of downtown to the other, saying yes to every adventure that presented itself to us. 

We started at breakfast at Lola’s, a fancy gourmet place that welcomes children (a win-win in my book).  After that we strolled through Pike’s Market, seeing fish mongers throwing salmon (well, hoping to), flowers and produce, live crabs and lobsters for sale and street performers.  I kept waiting for little feet to drag and little voices to raise in complaints of fatigue and overstimulation, but they were champs and loved the adventure. 

After we made our way through the market, we (well, I) got a wild hair to buy tickets for one of those “duck boat” tourist trap tours.  The tour driver dressed up in funny hats and blasted music, we drove through the city and then the duck boat “drove” into Lake Washington and gave us a water tour.  J was skeptical at first but in the end we all really enjoyed it.  It also gave us a chance to sit down in the middle of our adventures.

 

After our duck boat tour, we hopped aboard the light rail train to Safeco Field to take in a Mariners game.  If you’re keeping track, and we were, on that day we rode in a car, a boat and a train.  The baseball game was the trip highlight for J.  It held the kids’ attention for about three innings, four if you count eating hot dogs, and then I took them to explore the stadium.  We found a play structure for children to play on and I sent the kiddos up into it.  I instructed Clare and Sam to stay together and every time I saw them they were like the picture below – close together.  That was perhaps the highlight of the trip, not the play structure, or the baseball game, or even Seattle or Lopez Island.  It was the closeness that brought us all together, especially the kids.  The purpose of the these trips is to bring our family of four into a tighter unit, besides the relaxation, adventure and fun. 

 We made it through the whole game and made our way back to our little West Seattle house, with tired feet and stories full of adventures.  We came back home the next day to celebrate our girl’s fifth birthday.  It kicked off another big week, making July quite a party around these parts.  Still, we’re all still talking about the relaxation and adventure of our 2014 Famly Mac vacation.

 

Family Vacation 2014 – the Washington Edition

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We Mac’s love our adventures.  Every year we take an adventure that’s just the four of us – just two parents, two kids packed into the car, wind in our hair, snack cups filled with cheddar bunnies, the Frozen soundtrack on the iPhone, going wherever the road takes us.  Well, it’s a little more planned then that.  I’ve written before about my challenge of finding a place that’s new and exciting, offers kid-friendly adventures, parent-friendly relaxation and requires just a few hours of driving.  This year it was Washington!  We split up our vacation with four nights on Lopez Island (one of the San Juan Islands) and three nights in Seattle.  It felt like two vacations in one.  The first half was restful, relaxing and peaceful.  The second half was busy, stimulating and exciting.  It was, and I say this every year, our best trip yet.  
 

Getting to Lopez Island requires driving north of Seattle to Anacortes and then taking a ferry.  The kids thought the car ride was long, but they were champs.  They LOVED the ferry ride.  A Boat!  A Boat that’s big enough for our Car!  A Boat that’s big enough for our Car and we saw a Seal!  Oh joy of joys!  This is the best trip ever Mom!

By the time we finally got off the ferry and drove across the island, we were done with the car.  Done.  We were greeted by this beautiful view off the south end of the Island, right across the Straight of Juan de Fuca to the Olympic Mountains.  We were also greeted by the lovely hostess Michelle, who met me with a warm smile and said “there’s a bottle of white wine in the fridge for you.”  There was a bouquet of fresh picked flowers by the garden, a welcome message in Scrabble letters and the inescapable feeling of peace and relaxation that just washed over J and I.  This is the best trip ever… sigh…

Lopez Island is nicknamed “Slow-pez” because, well, nothing much happens there.  The island is about 12 miles long and probably has more cows than year-round residents.  Everyone knows everyone and you wave at cars when you pass them.  You don’t drive much faster than 30 miles per hour and there are about as many bikes on the roads as cars.  The beaches are peaceful and more or less deserted, the little town has three really good restaurants and two groceries.  It was a lovely little step back into Mayberry with a sea view.  Our pulses slowed down, our patience stretched out, our shoulders unclenched and our smiles widened. 

 

So what did we do?  Hiked at toddler pace.  Climbed on rocks.  Threw countless rocks into the ocean.  Waved sticks.  Hunted for crabs and fish.  Dragged sea weed up and down the beach.  Dug holes in the sand.  Watched river otters swim in the ocean, seals rest on the rocks and birds catch fish.  Collected shells. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
So what else did we do?  Picked berries, bought fresh fish and vegetables, cooked and ate well.  Played games.  Told stories.  Watched movies.  Created elaborate games involving princesses, baby animals and wicked queens.  Read books.  Snuggled.  Lots of snuggles.
 

 
 
 

We settled in, slowed down and noticed details that we normally miss in the hustle and bustle of our normal life.  We all struggled to put into words exactly what the island breezes did to us, how exactly they relaxed us from the inside out, but we all felt it.  We all left a little begrudgingly, wanting to somehow stay in both this beautiful island and also in the beautiful state of mind it put us in.  Clare waved to the island as we left “Good-bye Lopez Island!  We will come back to you!”

Backyard Improvement

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We love our house.  We love the neighborhood, the yard, the large kitchen with lots of counter space, the cozy wood floors, the layout and a thousand other intangibles that make it home.  Like any house, there are lots of things that we would like to change and are, slowly, working our way through the list.  On that list was to extend our back deck.  We have a beautifully landscaped backyard and had a small deck that we used for parties and playing.  Between the deck and the yard was a 12-foot wide… pit.  It went about 12 feet down and was an ugly, unusable space between the house and the backyard.  Sure, we used our backyard but we always wanted to extend the deck to cover up the pit and use the entire back yard.  (These pictures are from Clare’s second birthday party – the only ones we have that kind of show the pit between the yard and the deck.)
 
 
 
Well, this is the year we decided to tackle the deck.  Or rather, J decided to tackle it.  My dad designed the plans, J ordered the materials and hired a contractor.  He worked along side the contractor to purchase the materials and build it.  My request was that it was done in the month of June, I didn’t want it to drag on all summer.  On the evening of June 28 J called me out – “it’s done.”  
 

Coincidentally, I ordered a play structure for the kids to be delivered and installed on June 28.  So it was a big day in our back yard, where by the end of the day there was a large deck (over double the size of the previous one!) and a new play structure.  I managed to keep the play structure a surprise from the kids (it helped that they were used to men working with wood in the back yard) so at about 4:00 I took them out.  Clare’s face made it all worth it – “Mom and Dad!  There’s a park in our backyard!” 

We haven’t had a lot of time to enjoy the back yard, but we are taking every moment we can out there.  We’re planning parties and BBQs and have hosted a few dinners but mostly we’ve been doing this – adults relaxing and children playing.   Ahhhhh, summer!

 

Big, huge, tremendous thanks to J and my Dad for their work on this massive undertaking.  J is, understandably, quite proud of his handiwork!

Five Years Old

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Dear Clare,

Happy Birthday to the newly minted five year old!  As usual, you embraced this birthday with enthusiasm and gusto.  You kept looking at us through the day saying “I’m five now!”  You may be the happiest five year old ever to be – it’s as if you’ve been waiting you entire life to be five. 

We were on the last day of a vacation on your birthday, so you were pretty happy and relaxed.  We drove home and had a small party with Debbie, JP, Maddy and Frederic at your favorite sushi restaurant and then home for cake, ice cream and presents.  When Grandma asked you “Clare, you want raw fish for your birthday?!” you replied “no, I just want sushi!”  You were most excited about your chocolate cake with pink icing and your presents.  There will be a big party this weekend with all of your best buddies at an indoor trampoline park, but for now a simple family celebration welcomed you into your fives. 

You are a delightful newly minted five-year-old.  You are sunshine itself – bright, bold, shining and dancing.  You prance on your toes, wave your arms with fingers outstretched and sing all day long.  When I talk to your teachers or the parents of your friends at school they all talk about “sweet Clare” who greets them at the classroom door with a big smile.  I love to drop you off at school and watch you become wrapped in the arms of a buddy and immediately start giggling.

You’re still our big helper and you take looking after your brother very seriously.  Sometimes I worry that we give you to much responsibility for him and then other times I have to remind you to take less responsibility for him and let me be the Mama.  You’ve told me that you can’t wait until you can be a grown-up and be a mama too.  I try to tell you that there is plenty of time for that and to enjoy being a little girl.

This year you have discovered musicals, specifically Frozen and Mary Poppins.  You’re enamored with all things pretty – specifically dresses, ruffles, sparkles and princesses.  You prefer to wear skirts and dresses every day, though you’re quick to climb a tree, dig in the sand box, pick up a worm or wrestle so I talk you into wearing leggings or shorts under your frilly clothes.  Your favorite colors are purple and pink, but you also tell me that your favorite color is “rainbow.” 

You are the light in our house even on a cloudy day and we bask in your glow. 

Happy Birthday to our beautiful, kind and sweet Clare-Bear.

Love,
Your Mama

Bromance

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 When we found out that JP and Debbie were having a little boy, I was especially excited because I hoped that he and Sammy would be best buddies.  Clare and Maddy have a special bond and sometimes I wonder if Sam feels left out.  It looks like Sam and Frederic are on their way to creating their own little pack. 

 
In the last post I tried to put words to Sammy’s gentle soul and sweet presence.  It’s hard to fully express, but I feel like these pictures of him holding little Frederic give an insight into his spirit.  Just look at his hand cradle Freddy’s head!  He held him for about ten minutes, just relaxed and at peace.  Frederic just passed his due date, so he’s pretty small and fragile.  He was having an alert time and he just gazed at Sam.  Sam was so gentle and in love with him.  Watching the two of them fall in love with each other was one of the highlights of my life so far.

Our boy at 2.5 years old

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Two just might be one of my very favorite ages.  Sure there’s a fair amount of “No!” and the occasional tantrum that live up to the name “Terrible Two’s” but in my experience Two is pretty Terrific.  I remember Clare being especially silly and exuberant at this age, just bursting with new thoughts on the world and building the vocabulary to share them.  Sammy has reached that two and a half year old burst of vocabulary and it’s so. very. fun.  On most days he is a bright, energetic little bolt of lightning ready to light up the world.
 
 
Sammy is so very smart.  He’s relaxed and chill about things, not prone to boasting about his new knowledge.  But every now and then he’ll point out several letters on a sign, line up five items and count them for me or organize his toys by color.  He is very interested in plants, especially now that the flowers are blooming.  We’ll tell him a type of flower once and every time we see it after that he’ll point out “iris” or “rose” or wonder where the daffodils have gone.  
 

Sammy has always had his sweet, sensitive side.  Honestly, it’s one of my favorite parts of his personality.  He has a deep and empathic soul.  Whenever he sees another child having a hard time (specifically his beloved sister or best buddy M – both of whom are strong-willed girls prone to some temper tantrums) he gets very upset and worried about them.  He hates to see anyone in distress.  He’s also genuinely grateful and kind to people.  We rarely have to remind him to say thank you – he usually throws out a “thanks” even if it’s not necessary.  One day when Adam left after a fun day just the two of them Sammy ran up to him, arms outstretched for a good-bye hug, and said unprompted “Thank you for playing with me today Adam!”  I wasn’t there to witness it, but J said that both he and Adam choked up with the sheer sweetness of it. 

 
The other side of Sam’s sensitive soul is that he sometimes gets scared or worried about things.  He’s still physically tough as nails so it usually takes us by surprise when he gets scared of things.  In Bend a few weeks ago we were canoeing in the middle of a lake when we discovered a stowaway frog in our canoe  The frog, which was pretty big, took several hops towards Sammy along the bottom of the boat.  Sam had been sitting very comfortably on the bottom of the boat, enjoying his first canoe ride, until the frog came towards him.  He shrieked in terror and almost threw himself out of the boat to get away from the frog.  I ultimately had to pull him in the front of the canoe on my lap to settle him down.  He was in danger of either a) jumping overboard or b) tipping the canoe over.  While Sammy clung to me, brave Daddy got the frog out of the boat.  Sam hasn’t stopped talking about it. 
 

 Now that the fear of the frog has worn off, frog jokes rule.  Sammy has a dry sense of humor so his jokes are usually when he looks at me deadpan and says “Mom, there’s a frog on your head.”  Or he’ll tell Clare “frogs eat flies… and sisters.” 

Of course we do hear a fair amount of No! (even if he actually means yes).  He has thrown a few tantrums, but they are very few and far between.  Mostly he gets in cantankerous moods where nothing is right and everything is wrong.  Grandpa described him in these moods as “Sam has turned into Dr. No.”  Clare couldn’t remember how exactly to say that and called Sammy “Mr. No Doctor.”  Well, that name stuck.  So we see our Mr. No Doctor on occasion, but mostly we see our sunny, silly Sammy-Sam.

New addition to the pack

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While we were in Chattanooga J and I received simultaneous texts at about 10 p.m. from Debbie saying that she was on her way to the hospital because she was in labor.  What the what?  She wasn’t due for another five and a half weeks.  But, as is the case with these kiddos, the baby did what he needed to do regardless for plans and schedules (and aunties and uncles out of town).  We received text message updates all night saying things like “getting checked into the hospital” and “getting epidural now” and finally “10 and 10 at 2” – meaning 10 fingers and 10 toes on a baby born at 2 a.m.  Sweet little Frederic Michael Dion joined the family on May 3.  He was absolutely perfect and precious, just a little early. 

Little Frederic spent about a week in the NICU, coming home on Mother’s Day.  JP, Debbie and Maddy were so strong during his stay in the NICU.  The nurses were, of course, great and he received excellent care.  He came home ready to eat, sleep, poop and GROW. 

 
And the precious little guy is growing!  He’s gained a pound in the last week, bringing him up to a whooping 7.5 pounds.  We spent the last weekend with him and spent lots of time snuggling him and exclaiming over his precious little feet, long and graceful fingers, long brown hair with frosted tips, and perfect little nose.  Sammy was particularly enamored with him – asking us every day “where is Baby Frederic?”  Any time the baby was around Sammy was right next to him, touching him gently and talking about his “tiny tongue” and “bitty head.”  
 

 Yup, he’s pretty great.
 

Chattanooga

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After our visit in Gatlinburg we said farewell to Papa and Oma and headed South to Chattanooga.  This was the part of the trip that Clare has been talking about for months.  Not visiting Chattanooga, but seeing her beloved cousin Hannah.  The two girls hit it off once again and were pretty much inseparable for two straight days.  I teased Hannah that she was a mama duck with two little ducklings following her.  Wherever Hannah went Clare was close by, followed shortly by Sam.  Yes, our Sammy joined the Hannah Fan Club – thought the #1 member is still Clare.

Of course we also saw Brenda, Hannah’s mom, and Aunt Donna the Great.  We all stayed in a fun house together and walked our way over Chattanooga.  What a fun little city that is!  There’s a great river walk park area, an amazing aquarium, fun restaurants, great parks and cool little tourist things like Rock City and Lookout Mountain.  

 

Sammy particularly loved the aquarium, though we all thought it was pretty cool.

 
Chattanooga, we love you almost as much as Brenda, Donna and Hannah.

The Great Smokey Mountains

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Wayne and Darlene suggested that we visit Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and the Smokey Mountains National Park while we were in Tennessee.  It was a brilliant idea!  We had so much fun.  We rented a house on the top of a mountain (seriously, the view was from the back deck).  We explored Gatlinburg, which is kind of a funky half touristy and half artist community nestled into some gorgeous mountains.   
We relaxed.  We sat on the front porch and played on the climber.  We hiked in the mountains.  We threw rocks in the river.  We ate treats and window shopped.   It was good.
 

 We went on what we thought would be a short 3/4 mile hike in the Park.  The guide didn’t mention it was practically straight up the whole 3/4 mile.  Sammy hiked the whole thing, stopping at every stream and puddle to throw rocks in, picking up every stick and pointing to every bird. 

 Clare found some boulders to hop on, since she is part mountain goat.  She climbed trees, rocks and whatever else stood still before we dragged her out of the park for some BBQ. 

 
I think we all miss this precious place.