everybody loves babies

We all cuddled up on the couch tonight and watched the documentary film,  Babies. Every single one of us enjoyed it tremendously, even Evan. The movie follows four babies from different parts of the world during their first year of life and it was fascinating to see how alike mothers and babies are no matter where they are, but also how drastically different their circumstances are from place to place. My favorite family, and the one with the most beautiful scenery in the background, was the family from Mongolia living in a yurt in the middle of nowhere. I wanted to reach into the screen and grab that chubby little dark-haired cherub for myself. There were many sweet scenes, and funny moments (2 babies don't wear diapers), and lots of nursing on the run (Namibia). There is one scene towards the end where the mother from Africa is walking alongside her baby and he starts to fuss, the hungry fuss that every mother recognizes, and she simply leans down and gives him a quick snack. To me it was the most natural thing in the world and so beautiful in its simplicity. A lovely film for sure. When one of the babies said his first word, Evan looked at the screen and said something back. And we all cheered.

I've been thinking some about babies lately. Evan is quite a handful right now, naturally. Climbing on tables and standing in windowsills.  Close calls every single day.  And messes...so many messes. I'm often totally spent at the end of the day. But Evan is such a delight and an incredible blessing to our family! He is the most affectionate and cuddly baby we've had. He can get Zig to smile in the wee hours of the morning no matter how little sleep he's had. Certainly one of the things I've enjoyed most about Evan's first year is watching how much our other children adore him, protect him, and love him. They love him so much it hurts sometimes...right Evan?!! Sela and Nina both comment nearly every day about how they can't imagine life without him and how he makes them so happy. And they thank me so sincerely for having another baby.

And then they plead for "just one more." Never satisfied I tell you.

 As I was driving somewhere last week, on a rather hectic day, I turned the music on in the car and Evan just totally started singing and dancing in his chair. He always sings in his carseat and it makes each of our spirits soar. He can change the mood and reverse cranky attitudes in the car with something as simple as a big toothy smile, a belly laugh, or funny face. Babies take so much attention and time and life is rather unproductive when caring for a little one, but the sweet and simple joys are really magical and like nothing else in this world. Nothing.

I love my baby.

Evan had a lot in common with some of the babies in the movie, he loves to be naked and loves to explore!

stay small for momma, okay little evie?

Olympic Peninsula

Washington, particularly in the late spring, summer and early fall, is an incredibly beautiful place. Unfortunately, we have only explored a tiny part of what this area has to offer in the ten years we've been here. You could hit a new hike or park every day and still not see it all for years. I've always taken the kids to local parks, nearby beaches and hikes before, but we've usually kept to the Seattle area. Now that three of the four kids can mountain bike, hike, and swim (mostly), we are venturing out a little more often. While Mom was here, we headed to the Olympic Peninsula for a couple days. We went to Lake Crescent, Kalaloch and Ruby Beach, and Lake Quinault. It was a quick trip and kind of a teaser that made us want to return again for longer, but we all enjoyed the natural beauty and the kids especially LOVED exploring the coastline with all the drift wood, climbing rocks, marine life and streams coming from the forest to the ocean. So amazingly pristine and beautiful. They could have spent hundreds of hours playing and creating their own little paradise in this place.


sela at sunset

Sand! Not all WA beaches are sandy or as the kids say "real" beaches


nature's bunk bed

water boy


good luck sea gulls...rollin is on his way

Evan and the gulls

Zig and Evan taking a stroll


a sea of driftwood

endless forts

just my size

happy hikers


evan and mom enjoying the moment...one of my favorite pictures from the trip!


driftwood boat

Lake Crescent

Mom always had Evie in sight...he's a quick one!

snacktime for evan


Evan constantly tried to run from us on the ferry




sunset

Ruby Beach




lake quinault

We didn't quite prepare for the lack of places to eat and buy food...so the kids got their first taste of those fun little boxed cereals I remember from when we were kids. Icky cereal, but happy kids.

Evan and his breakfast before he tossed it all over the kitchen

lake crescent



  another favorite picture from the trip...these two are always holding hands while they snuggle their blankies

hello, seattle!

Mom came to visit for a quick trip (10 days is just too short!) We're enjoying her visit so much and dreading her departure tomorrow :(

yes, it's a leash....for a bunny!

Denny's Pet World, I would like you to know you have every hard-earned dollar my girls have made in the past two years.

This week after finally coming to the sad realization that mom (usually a total pushover) isn't caving into the current campaign for a new pocket pooch (even if it's a rescue dog), the girls decided on their own to love their current pets even more. Of course that resolve involved acquring some new bunny leashes (who knew they made such a thing?!) so they could walk the bunnies around like little (I'm guessing) doggies. THey got all their little glass jars and wads of cash and coin and begged please, please, please take us to Denny's! I was dragging my feet at another trip to Denny's, but I will admit, a pet store with kids is a pretty magical place, and I actually left feeling happier. Yes, very unexpected.

And seriously, how can I complain? There's certainly a lot worse they could spend their money on, and their two little bunnies are always happy for any excuse to get outside in the grass, even if it means they are on silly little leashes being led around like puppies. Pets of youngsters endure so much "love" at the hands of their well-intentioned owners :)

Rock on, Bunz (aka Oreo) and Spotty! Ruff, ruff.

the big night

The tree house had its first overnight guests last week when Emma, Sophia, Sela and Nina had their first sleepover in the trees! I was excited for the girls (as were they with their new freedom), but Serena and I wondered if they'd really make it all night. We kept lots of house lights on, equipped the girls with flashlights, bedding, favorite stuffed animals and even toilet paper, just in case. Emma had her cell phone so they could call if they needed anything. Kona  kept a close eye and slept on the lawn down below.

I stayed up till about 12 and made some kettle corn for a midnight snack and also for an excuse to say one last goodnight and check to see if anyone was feeling uncertain or afraid. As I was bringing the kettle corn to the girls, I stopped across the bridge from the tree house when I heard  music playing.  They were having a dance party! There is a huge window in the tree house and the four girls were all facing it so they could watch themselves groove.  It was seriously the most adorable thing ever. They couldn't see me since I was in the dark, and I didn't watch long before I knocked (I felt like I was spying), but oh my goodness, it was cute. A total "girls just wanna have fun" moment. I slept in the front guest room with the window open so I could hear if they called out. I actually thought I wouldn't sleep much, but next thing I knew it was morning and there was no Emma, Sophia, Sela or Nina in the house and no missed calls on my phone. Amazing! It was actually a little bit strange to realize my kids slept outside of my house all night long. I started making them some raspberry muffins for breakfast and then I got a call from Emma saying she was coming down to use the restroom. She said the other girls were sleeping and that everything was good. I had to grab Sela and run to a tennis tournament, but it looked like everyone slept well. Nina was on the daybed, Emma in the loft, and Sophia and Sela on thick mats and blankets on the floor. I think this will be one of their top memories from summer 2010!

Salmon Cakes

With our lettuce exploding in the garden, I've been on the hunt for some good salad recipes the kids will eat (and like). Salmon is always a favorite in our household so around dinnertime I did a quick search to find a recipe for salmon cakes. I've tried several variations of salmon cakes and they have all been fine, but I really love this one, especially with the simple sauce and served over salad. It came from Rachael Ray of all places. I did have to add another egg, but I drained the salmon really, really good..maybe too much? I used a different seasoning than Old Bay because I didn't have it, but I stuck to the recipe everywhere else. These were delicious and very kid friendly. The kids ate all the salad too with no "encouragement."



Salmon Cakes
•Vegetable oil, for frying (or butter)
•3 (6-ounce) portions cooked salmon or 3 (6-ounce) cans salmon, drained well
•1 1/2 cups cracker meal (I used Panko crumbs)
•2 large eggs, beaten
•2 rounded teaspoons Old Bay seasoning blend
•1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
•20 blades fresh chives, snipped or chopped
•2 to 3 tablespoons fresh dill, a handful, finely chopped
•1 teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce
•1 lemon, zested and juiced
•Salad greens
•Coarse salt
•Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
•1/2 cup mayonnaise or reduced fat mayonnaise
•1/2 cup chili sauce
•2 tablespoons dill pickle relish

Directions

Heat a large, heavy skillet with 1 inch of frying oil over moderate heat. ( I did not do this, instead just a simple pan fry with a drizzle of olive oil and a pat of butter. It was fine and plenty "fried")

Flake the cooked cooled salmon with a fork. Add cracker meal to the bowl and work through the fish with your hands. Add the eggs, seasoning, pepper, chives, dill, pepper sauce, and the zest of one lemon to the bowl. Combine the ingredients well with your hands. If the mixture is a little wet, add a bit more cracker meal. Form 3-inch patties of salmon cakes 1-inch thick. You should yield 8 to 10 cakes. Fry cakes until golden in a single layer 3 or 4 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towel lined plate.

Toss salad greens with coarse salt and the juice of the lemon you zested. Drizzle the greens with a little extra-virgin olive oil and re-toss the salad to coat.

Combine mayonnaise, chili sauce and relish in a small dish. To serve, place salmon cakes on a bed of baby greens, 2 cakes per person and top with chili mayonnaise sauce.

** The WILD canned salmon at Costco is awesome and makes this a meal I can throw together at a moments notice. Fresh salmon would work too, but we usually eat that up and never have leftovers.

raspberry love

If I can outpace Evan's eating with my picking, it's no small miracle!

summer salad

One thing everyone with a garden in these parts has a lot of right now is lettuce! So lots of salads on the menu this week.

If you give 5 kids some rope (after they've asked for 2 weeks straight!)

They might just spend the next nine hours creating a village in the trees...with pulleys, swings, and rooms. The creativity of children left to their own devices is amazing.


Emma lashed this little rope swing together. There is a piece of wood for the seat.





No tree village is complete without lots of adornment.



They even made a sink for the dishes.

the point was to get a picture of Evan SNUGGLING

Evan has the cutest little snuggle. He burrows in and puts his head right on my chest and sucks his thumb. We all love it so much because it is so babylike. Today he was in a super cuddly mood so I told Nina to run get the camera. It's one of those things about Evan I'd like to remember. But then he went nutso and started biting my chin...hard! And arching his back. So much for snuggles.


owie! seriously, he means business!

so proud of himself.


better luck next time!