smileface

a knight's tale

man, time sure does fly. back in february, during our month long excursion to los angeles, we had the opportunity to visit a medieval castle. did you know that there is a medieval castle in buena park, orange county? it's true.

this is before star wars took a strangle-hold over the boy's life, and he was still interested in other things like knights and pirates.

front-row, where the action is!

this mesh is meant to protect you from dust and horse excrement while you are enjoying a dinner of turkey legs. and judging by said turkey legs, the animal in question probably stood about 4 feet tall, i'm not kidding. also, everything is eaten sans dining utensils. i'm led to believe that this is the medieval experience.

my strawberry daiquiri was served in a mammoth chalice the size of a child's head.

some very excited participants.

our knight in shining flannel armor. THE GREEEEEEEEEEN KNIIIIIIIIGHT!!!! (he actually won the tournament to our giddy amusement.)

sir caleb and the victor. a great time was had by all. (my cousin lisa is curiously absent from all these pictures. i'm so sorry, lis!)

be yourself, everyone else is already taken

grossly paraphrased- the immortal words of sir oscar wilde

my poor husband just left for a 10:50 hockey game. 

me, i'm watching ina make a white pizza with lemony arugula followed by fudge cake topped with chocolate buttercream for dessert. (holy mother.)

men and women are so very different, aren't they?

i was really attempting to participate in NaBloPoMo this year, but kev took off to vegas this past weekend, kidnapping my computer in the process. mission failed. really, i was planning on an exercise in discipline. turns out, i'm not programmed that way.

nothing can peel me from my couch at this hour, let alone a hockey game. that is, unless ina were waiting for me on the other end with pizza and fudge cake, in which case, i might actually consider it for a second before concluding with an empathic no, gracias.

i feel sorry for my sorry-ass sometimes. geez!

the doldrums

i am so excited about winter. it's been nonstop activity and travel since the year began, and i'm ready to welcome the next few months of quiet. peace. tranquility. (but that hardly means i'm going to laze around on my bum!)

the plan:

- to read the omnivore's dilemma by michael pollen; 

- to perfect one very complicated recipe. not sure what.

- to make a giant quilt out of the kids' old clothes

- to be darned sure that i make a dent on this list

- to teach the kiddos how to sew

- to learn how to play yahtzee and backgammon

- to bake 5 things out of scratch

- to clean and organize my crazy closet

- to get the kids their own library cards

- to fool around with kev's digital SLR, get some practice

(on a slightly somber note: the kids' hamster passed on to the afterlife yesterday. RIP dear little rhino. you were a sweet critter, and we loved you.)

book launch party

behold, the star wars lego visual dictionary. we had to be there, no question.

that's han solo. (i know, it's a crying shame.)

the first 50 to buy the book that day were rewarded with a limited edition darth vader figurine. so cool.

prize creations were on display.

costumes, mutually admired.

sabers, in proud formation.

this lady leia went uncontested in the adult category for costumes and took the prize. (the storm troopers are employees.)

do you see my angel in there? just another face in a sea of anakins.

little cutie was the only contestant cheering on his fellow competitors- what a sweetheart. (the prize went to darth maul, however. well-deserved, i might add.)

the playing field was much narrower in the girls' category, as you can see.

can you guess who won? (adult size XL t-shirt and commemorative button.) good times.

post-hallows eve

man, i was so incredibly unproductive today- it was awesome.

both my kids were suffering from what i'm refusing to believe was H1N1, but it very well could have been. i'm just glad its over, because there's only so much whine one can take before trying to crawl into a hole forever. if that's not how parenting has ever been described to you before, you need to wake up and smell the cheese!

i'm finally at the tail-end of a book it's taken me the better half of 6 months to finish. animal, vegetable, miracle by barbara kingsolver.

it's a nonfictional and autobiographical account of how she and her family committed to an entire year of eating locally produced, sustainably farmed foods. they grew probably about 80% (or more?) of their meals themselves. it's such an inspiring and informative read. two thumbs up.

have you read anything interesting lately? suggestions? i'd love to hear them!

to the farm!

our first (and maybe last?) pumpkin patch trip of the year. liepold farms in boring, oregon (remember last year?). i organized a visit for our homeschool group a couple weeks back, and of course, it was just all kinds of awesomeness. see for yourselves.

 

 

 

 

longest post ever! sheesh! happy halloween. :)

and then they were one

as promised: tuscan-inspired wedding. calistoga, ca. september 13, 2009.

breathtaking.

i will, henceforth, simply refer to these babies as amazeballs. i'm just the teensiest bit obsessed with them. AMAZE! BALLS! i die.

no detail spared.

i die.

the ceremony was forced indoors due to uncooperative weather,

but there was no raining on this parade.

there are zero pictures of the exquisite napa valley spread, because i was much too busy EATING IT. though i vaguely recall a bountiful amount of cheeses, figs, nuts, pastas, fish, meats, pies, cakes, wines...it was endless. and oh so goooooood. you'll just have to take my word for it.

amazeballs, n'est-ce pas? congratulations, michelle & jeremy!

i want to go there

- actually, this time tomorrow, i will be there! tulum, mexico for the surprise of a lifetime. my sister and husband planned a tropical retreat in celebration of my 30th back in february. grace and i are finally making it down there (mayan riviera in the yucatan peninsula- sounds so exotic, doesn't it?), 8 months after the fact (long story, i'll fill you in soon). what a lucky girl i am. see that structure up there? that's an actual and factual mayan ruin. i am going there. holy cow.

much happening in my neck of the woods. haven't been around much, have you noticed?

- homeschooling going smashingly. update coming soon.

- breathtakingly gorgeous tuscan-inspired wedding in the napa valley. also soon.

- my mother-in-law's 60th birthday celebration in san diego. coming. soon.

- girlfriends' getaway to seattle, land of glorious tax-free shopping (oregon resident, wootwoot!). on the way soon.

- babies galore. soon, soon, soon.

i have to wake up in 4 hours for an early morning flight. see ya when i see ya! i've missed you guys!

oregon air show

seems so long ago...

these are from the end of last school year when my firstborn successfully completed kindy and his teacher hosted a celebration.

lobby and library. we were to gather in the library for a performance of songs they had learned over the course of the year.

the child couldn't stop waving to his sister!! he was soooooooooooo excited to see us there.

see anything peculiar?

anything amiss? (and i'm not talking about the boy on the left taking his shirt off, although, i have to admit, that was pretty hilarious).

don't ask.

this one. trying to steal the spotlight, as usual.

there he goes again...

too cute, too cute...

afterwards, the parents were given memory books of their child's artwork. PRICELESS!!

the day after we got together for more celebrating.

ice cream!

oh, sweet mrs. nelson...

can't believe my boy's a big first grader now! (we're homeschooling this year, have you heard? more on that next time...)