3 days of sunshine

This past weekend we pretty much had a chill weekend around home.  On Saturday, we went to the library in the morning and then headed to Alki to check out the beach there.    

 Megan in the sand

 Will, having fun throwing sticks out into the water

Elizabeth, chasing her shadow :)

Left there (with a back seat full of sand) and headed home for tuna melts and an afternoon movie...I was able to catch a short nap while they watched some cartoon about dragon hunters (I know its a sneaky way to catch a nap, and beg your forgiveness!)  After the show, we left for Golden Gardens to burn off some energy...

On Sunday, the kids cashed in their Christmas present from Sandy, which was a trip to Bullwinkle's for rides, pizza, and games!  More on that after I get pics from Sandy :)


Today the kids are out of school and we are doing laundry and such, and are getting ready to head South.  Its nice to have the opportunity to stay home with them when they don't have school.

skating, sledding, popcorn, wii, and other things

on 12/11 I wrote:
 I am making my way through the chore list today.  So far, its been a day of stirring beef stew, loading and unloading the dishwasher, Christmas cards, but none of that before getting my truck jump started and driving around charging it up.  I stopped by an auto parts store to have the battery tested.  I asked the guy if any of the batteries he tested ever passed the test.  Surprisingly, mine did.  It had 360 CCA's, in case you were wondering.  I should clean out the thing too...it's pretty bad.  I am afraid of what I might find though.


Never did post that one.


I tried again to post on 12/28, but apparently got off track then too!  


So I thought, well, its been over a month why not take a break from work and distract myself with this.  A lot has been going on.  I started a new contract position, where the work is definitely very cool.  Has to do with expanding community capacity with regards to adverse childhood experiences.  I am still doing my other gigs, too, so I am well over 40 hours a week.  I have been collecting some good tunes, too.  Listening now to The Black Keys and eating chocolate chip cookies post lunch.  Out the window it is a pretty day...I may go for a walk here shortly.  hey, federal prisoners get 15 minutes of natural sunlight a day, I should too.  


Went sledding last weekend.  Beware!  They are charging money to park at the sledding hill now.  I lucked out and someone leaving gave me their pass (all that clean living) but it can cost up to $30 to park there.  The bastards!  


Skyler stayed over with the kids last weekend.  He is a good kid, I guess they all are :)  Here is a video of the kids Will, Elizabeth, Megan, and Skyler.

We all had a really good time.  We went to the skate park on Saturday, too.  Watched a movie and played video games the rest of the time for the most part.  


Christmas went well, and so did New Years.  I think all total we had four Christmas' what with sets of grandparents, and such.  Sandy and I had NYE just ourselves.  Very nice.  We watched the space needle fireworks from the balcony.  Not as impressive as the 4th of July on the balcony, but it was still a pretty good display.   It was my first time trying to use the video camera, and it showed so no video of that.  I think it would be cool to get a tripod for such occassions.  


Gonna try to get a hike in this week.  Will be nice to get out.  Well, back to work for me.  More later, I'm sure.  

boy can close

Here is my latest hat.  For me :)  I used some really nice berrocco sundae from the store So Much Yarn near the market downtown.  I had some leftover lambs pride in orange and green that I threw in there too.  Gotta do something with it.  I picked up a set of 5 to #5's to knit baby socks, but those needles are so dang small, I think I am gonna knit Linda's boys both hats...seems not only do shovels not fit my hands, but neither do toothpicks!

Ummagumma

When I was four years old, I doubt my parents were listening to Pink Floyd.  I don't really remember what they were listening to.  Roy Clark and Buck Owens probably, which I still enjoy when I have to.  I remember being chased around the yard for something, and my mom wasn't able to catch me!  I remember throwing rocks with Ben Blackman and the police coming to our door.  I remember falling out of a plum tree.  I started kindergarten when I was four...that's right, an overachiever from the get go, a tendency thankfully crushed by lethargy and a system that rewards the average.

That whole moment of inertia, seems to take forever sometimes...

I am applying for another job.  It's part time, but it sounds fun and will fit with my other part time work.  If I get it, I am going to get a new economy-minded car.  It would be nice to get good gas mileage and not worry about the fortune in gas that I am spending to singlehandedly destroy the environment. 

I have to get busy again, and will hopefully not be distracted again soon by the chirping birds and splashing water...

A blustery day

I have to admit I wish I were sitting at the window and knitting...a terrible thing to admit to, though I am working instead.  I got a  call from Nathan.  He played a gig on Saturday and was feeling good about it.  He recommended a book to me by Thomas Pynchon, The Crying of Lot 49,and its a fun read so we talked about that.  I will do what is recommended to Pynchon Newbies, and just read it (and then try to dissect it on the second run-through although that isn't recommended).

People are huddled at the bus stop, and another bunch are huddled apparently waiting for the zoo to open.  I should get back to working...it doesn't help that I am listening to Pink Floyd either.  It matches the day.  Waiting for worms...not the most inspirational or uplifting song...for some reason...I have some really nice yarn...

Update:  "Drats!" to these ambiguous data requests, always send me off on a tangent!

A nice weekend!

Was going to head over to mom's this weekend, but unfortunately we weren't able to go.  Instead, we stayed around home and had quite a bit of down time just hanging out.  I gave the kids some options for Saturday activities (I would only pay for one) and they chose ice skating!

 Elizabeth and I went grocery shopping Saturday after skating, and picked up some necessities...stuff for waffles and some bacon!

Here they are: The Waffle Brigade!

William and I did some sidewalk art.

And we all played on the playground!

After lunch, we headed to the Center for Wooden Boats, and played with their pond boats...until...SPLOOSH!  I look over from the bench and watch William take a header into the pond!  ACK!  It was totally slow motion!  By the time I got around the pond, he was out and we got him quickly out of his clothes and wrapped in a blanket and towel.  Poor guy, I felt bad for him but we had a good laugh, got home made some cinnamon rolls and spent the rest of the day stamping and embossing paper, courtesy of Sandy.  Man, do I ever feel blessed.   

A weekend slower than usual...

This past weekend, we didn't pack in as much as we normally do.  Saturday morning we hit the first showing of "Born to be Wild" at the IMAX, and that was pretty cool.  The 3d effects were super, putting you right into the jungle and the savannah following orangutans and elephants that were orphaned and being raised by humans...it was a really neat story.  Then we went and hung out at EMP for a couple of hours.

 William expanding his mind at Seattle Center!

How is she doing that?  Megan in the anti-gravity mirror.

 Elizabeth riding the fish :)

Whale's tail...

On Sunday, we started out at the skate park, but it was pretty intimidating because there were lots of bigger kids there and more than a few bikes.  Bikes make it dangerous because they don't follow the same lines as skateboarders, and I wonder if they are even looking sometimes.  Leaving there, we headed for the "zip-line park" and had some good play time :)

 On the merry-go-round

 Monkey bars

William getting ready to launch as Elizabeth looks on...

I think the other parents cringe when we are there, because my three are daredevils on the zip line, wanting to be spun around and launched fast!  I gotta say they come by it honestly!  

I feel so blessed to be spending time with them.  Last night we went bowling!  It was fun as heck with Elizabeth getting a high score of 102!  I think I scored somewhere in the 60's <ugh>.