OTN

All the projects on the needles right now.


This is a sweater, if you can believe it.








I'm lazy and didn't fix the photo, this is an instant gratification project.






My 'pay it forward,' clapitos scarf!

Garter stitch, inherited scarf I'm using to practice knitting without looking (ie walking or hoovering over children outside).

Low Tide

Record breaking once a year/lifetime low tides this week. Tuesday was the lowest of the low and it was the day we happened to go to Mukilteo Beach with P. Mookie! Saw some amazing stuff: Spanish dancers, jellyfish, conch, moon jelly egg shells, giant purple sea stars and an old tire! E stuck her fingers into the retracted anemones! She isn't afraid of much. P. Mookie wouldn't touch the starfish, but she touched kelp.

Not all were happy with the low tides, some ferries were canceled the water was so far out.

All Is Well

I didn't mean to 'come out' on my blog with all the mental health issues, I was just feeling honest and thought it could help other people to hear about the bad days, too. I've loved your comments and personal emails. It appears I'm not the only one going through trying times. Thanks to everyone.

I don't have time to type much. I've got a squirming cranky baby on my lap who was up at 5:30 am.

We've got P. Mookie in town, keeping busy. Here are some pics from last week at the farm of the little ones. Enjoyed the spring for the most part, see!

Do it Myself

If I had a nickle for every time I've heard that in the last few months I'd be a rich woman. I want to do it myself or I did it myself is his new mantra. Also on the list, "I can do this because I'm four."

My temper flares up so easily and so often, I'm considering no longer doing it myself and trying out Yaz or zoloft. I don't want Butters and Ms. E to remember me like this, but certain times of the month I'm a crazy lady. More than a crazy lady. I actually screamed "No Body Contact," the other day! The kids are constantly pestering each other. I remember how much fun it was to drive my sibling nuts and I knew exactly how to do it. But, my heart tells me I'm on the fringe of the normal freak out for getting them to put their clothes on and leave each other alone. So, it might be time for some chemical intervention. The fact that Butters and E mimic my behaviors-throwing things and yelling-makes me ask what am I teaching my kids.

Hutch Painted

We painted out hutch, finally. It's been battleship grey for over 5 years. I've had the paint for it since I was pregnant. It was a bigger undertaking than expected.

I wanted red on the inside, but we ended up spraying it. You are looking at 4 layers of paint, my friends. Red on the doors with a blue crackle finish. I think it needs a little more something. You tell me. I was just tired of living with constant crap on the table and in boxes and in the kitchen...

Housework Kills

I made buscuits friday morning and E was a big help! We stayed home all day-a rarity for me. I did some cleaning. While I cleaned the bathroom, in the span of ten minutes it took me to do that, I came out to find this mess.

More to clean. I put a load of laundry in, came up and E was in the medicine cabinet. Okay, Universe, I get it, don't clean, just finish reading the Twilight series so you can get on with your life!

Boys V. Girls

It's crazy how different The Boy is from The Girl. Toddler E sits and sits and colors and slowly threads tiny beads onto a wire. Butters lasted a few minutes and crushed paper then piled them on his cars. It reminds me how much kids are different from each other, and therefore parenting styles, but also how fundamentally how different boys and girls are. It start very early-competition, mothering, details, organization. My sample size is very small, but I see glaring differences already. The thing to remember is, that the difference doesn't make one better than the other. Women see things differently from men. Men see things different from women. Doesn't make it wrong or right. Just different.

In the history of our country, we've had 110 supreme court justices and 106 of them have been white men. One hundred and six. White guys. Men who never birthed a child, never let their emotions get the best of them, men who don't know what it's like to feel the way over half of this country feels. Men who don't realize how easy it is to be a white man. It's time for some differences in opinion, don't you think?

Lowell Park-Pesticide Free

We had a fantastic turn out today of over 20 hard working volunteers (17 adults and 4 kids). Neighbors, members of the Lowell Civic Association and representatives of the Everett Gospel Mission put in an impressive morning of hard work. Together, we weeded and mulched the trees along the parking spaces, mulched a small corner of neglected landscaping and cleared out all the weeds and grass from the 'sand pit,' now once again a useable volleyball court!

Thank you to the parks department for the equipment, support and guidance. We were especially fond of Mason, we kept him busy with wheel barrows full of weeds. He was tireless and an amazing leader for the day. Mason was especially good with PR, we had one neighbor unhappy to see we were not working along the fence line and in the more visible sections of the park, but Mason spoke with him and the next thing you know, the neighbor pitched in and started helping us.

Today was about empowerment, meeting our neighbors and being part of something bigger than our own backyards! People are excited to take care of OUR park, they feel invested in the neighborhood and want to be stewards of a healthier environment. Lowell Neighborhood Park is now pesticide free!

Hot House

We survived the first heat wave of the summer. Temperatures reached the 90s in the city....and mid 80s in our house. We have no air conditioning, this ment we ate our meals outside (even breakfast!), we were swinging topless by 8 am and often naked running through the yard and in the inflatable pool (no photos).

Indoor time was predominately spent building forts by 'taking apart the couch' and searching out air conditioned areas like the museum or cool spots like Silver Lake and the Spray Park at Forest Park.

The nights are rough, our upstairs has the fewest windows and we have to leave them cracked for child safety (don't laugh, several kids have fallen out of windows this week, according to the news). It reminds me of growing up in KY and laying in front of a fan on a hot humid night wishing for a/c. It was easily over 85 up there on a few nights.

The Girl is sleeping better and now sharing a room with Butters, she's not up every 2 hours looking for me, she's usually sleeping from 8:30 pm until 2 or even 4 am, I didn't want to say anything and ruin it (well, Butters is up around 12 asking for water, wanting to snuggle, etc). We forgot what it's like to have our own room, I got to stay up late and read in my own bed with the light on! I finally read Twilight and I'm obsessed, it's addictive and a real page turner, I finished it in about 24 hours.

Quote of the Day

Mark Twain - "There is no sadder sight than a young pessimist."


I'm a little nervous about my park day on Saturday, so if you are in the area and want to help make Lowell Neighborhood Park pesticide free, come by on June 6th from 10-1 and help pull some weeds. Refreshments provided by Zippy's Java Lounge. Bring gloves and your families!